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Fascination Issue 014 expanded
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T h e U n o f f i c i a l
C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r
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E X P A N D E D I S S U E
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Issue #14e "Live to Cirque; Cirque to Live" October 2002
=======================================================================
Bonjour et bienvenue! This month we present "Fire Within", current
broadcast on Canadian television. "Fire Within" is a behind-the-scenes
look into the everyday ups and downs the cast, crew, and creators
endured during the creation of Cirque du Soleil's newest traveling
show -- Varekai. It's candid approach has not only left us with plenty
to talk about but wanting much, much more. Beyond our "Fire Within"
coverage there is also much, much more! Including two new sections --
"Oyez, Oyez!", which features Cirque on the Web, and "Obstructed
View", where we pose a question and let your opinions be heard! So,
sit back, relax, and enjoy...
/// EXPANDED ISSUE: In this issue we have two news stories that have
been expanded. The first, a brief interview with Saltimbanco's
Chanteuse Sudan Daly. The second, a news brief about how many people
saw Cirque du Soleil at the Academy Awards. Both have "[EXPANDED]"
in their titles to help identify them. ///
============
Contents:
============
* Cirque Buzz: News, Rumours & Sightings
* Oyez, Oyez!: Cirque Online
* Itinéraire: Tour/Show Information
* Historie: This Month in Cirque History
* Anniversarie: Birthday Wishes to Cirque Alumni
* Le Spectacle:
Télémagik: "A Great Fire May Follow a Tiny Spark --
Cirque du Soleil: Fire Within" (By: Wayne Leung)
* Cirque Musique:
"Musicians' Family Tree" (By: Paul Roberts)
* Beyond the Bigtop:
"Cirque Explains Itself... (Sort of)" (By: Keith Johnson)
* Behind the Curtain:
"The Techie Geek: Computer Lighting" (By: Jen Waldman)
* From the Boutique:
"1996 Cirque Calendar" (By: Keith Johnson)
* Obstructed View
* Parting Quote
* Next Issue
* Subscription Information
* Copyright & Disclaimer
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=======================================================================
CIRQUE BUZZ: NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Fire in the Hole
----------------
The fire has been ignited and Cirque du Soleil celebrates the
premiere of their 13-episode television documentary "Fire
Within" in style. A new section of their site has come online
featuring a schedule for the series, a little bit behind the
series, a chance to meet some of the cast featured throughout
the series, and a picture gallery containing some wonderful
shots of the Varekai cast and crew. "Fire Within" is currently
broadcast on Global TV in Canada and will begin broadcast on
ArTV (in Canada) on November 30, 2002. Broadcast of the
documentary for United States audiences will begin on January 6,
2003 on the Bravo network. Mark your Cirque calendars for the
start of this series, which gives viewers an up close look at
the "dreams, trials and aspirations of a core group of
characters who played vital roles in the creation of Varekai."
For a preview and other information regarding the series, light
your fire at: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/
en/multimedia/tv/default >. Join our Wayne Leung as he reviews
the series as it unfolds! [Source: Cirque du Soleil, Ricky
Russo; Wayne Leung]
Cirque Wins Another Emmy!
-------------------------
Unlike last year, when Cirque won 3 Emmy awards for Dralion, this
year Cirque was 1 for 2. "Cirque du Soleil's Alegría" (on Bravo)
lost out in the "Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special"
category to "America: A Tribute To Heroes," a multi-network 2-
hour telethon presented a short time after the September 11th
terrorist attacks. However, Debra Brown did tie for an Emmy in
the "Outstanding Choreography" category (which is an area award,
meaning there may be more than one or sometimes even no award).
She won for her work on the 74th Annual Academy Awards (she
choreographed Cirque's "Magic of Film" segment). She tied with
choreographers Kenny Ortega, Sarah Kawahara and Doug Jack,
winning for their efforts on the Opening Ceremonies of the Salt
Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Congratulations Debra!!
[Source: Emmys (emmys.com); James Mathre; Keith Johnson]
Quidam -- Nagoya
----------------
Cirque du Soleil's Quidam is scheduled to visit the land of the
Rising Sun in 2003. It will first set up its white Grand
Chapiteau on the shores of Tokyo (2/7/03 - 5/5/03) before moving
on to Nagoya (5/31/03 - 7/6/03). In our August issue, we told
you about a Quidam in Japan web site (www.quidam.jp), where you
could find information on all the various stops on the new
Japanese tour. Now, we'd like to relay to you a city specific
site - Nagoya, Japan. For information specifically related to
the Nagoya stop of the tour, visit their website at: <
http://cirque-nagoya.jp >. Bear in mind that the site is in
Japanese. [Source: www.quidam.jp; Ricky Russo]
La Nouba Goes Tiered
--------------------
La Nouba has now instituted a two-tiered pricing system,
effective October 1st. The two center sections, 103 (lower) and
204 (upper), now cost $82.00 ($86.92 w/tax) adult, $49.00 (51.94
w/tax) for children 3-9. All seats in all other sections are
$72.00 ($76.32 w/tax) adult, $44.00 ($46.64 w/tax) for children.
This represents a price raise for the show, which cost $67.00
($71.02 w/tax) adult and $39.00 ($41.34 w/tax) for children 3-9.
For comparison, the original adult price for La Nouba was $56.50
(without tax). Also effective January 1st, their dark days will
be Sunday and Monday (a change from Monday and Tuesday).
[Source: Cirque du Soleil; Keith Johnson; Ricky Russo]
A Royal Performance
-------------------
"Queen Elizabeth will be entertained by contortionists, a rock-
and-roll band, and a jazz pianist when she visits Toronto
[Ontario, Canada] next month for her Golden Jubilee," says the
National Post, a Canadian news source. Those "contortionists"
the Queen will happen to see come from Cirque du Soleil, as
members of Cirque's fine troupe are rumored to perform at the
Roy Thomson Hall on October 10th. Further details as they are
available. (the rock-and-roll band is The Tragically Hip and
the Jazz pianist is Oscar Peterson, by-the-way).
[Source: The National Post; Wayne Leung]
Saltimbanco Chanteuse Speaks [EXPANDED]
---------------------------------------
Saltimbanco is coming to London, and Ticketmaster UK has an
interview with Susan Daly, the singer for the show. She reveals
how she got involved with Cirque du Soleil, and how it feels to
sing in front of an audience. The interview is short but reveals
her to be the only British cast member of the entire Cirque
troupe.
# # #
For the audience, Saltimbanco appears as a magical mixture of
acrobatics, dance, theatre, special costumes and lights. But
what does the production seem like to those actually performing?
To find out we caught up with beautifully costumed Saltimbanco
chanteuse Susan Daly, the only British cast member, whose role
is to sing throughout the show.
Q. How did you get involved with Cirque du Soleil?
My first encounter with Cirque was when I went to see the
resident show in Las Vegas, Mystere, about 8 years ago. I so
fell in love with the music, the way the voices were used and
the concept of the show. I sent my CV and video to their office
in Montreal. Then I was invited to audition for them.
Q. How would you describe Saltimbanco to someone who has never
seen it before?
Saltimbanco to me is all the colours of life and death! This
show takes you on a journey of joy and excitement. Hold onto
your seats, because you will feel you want to be up there
joining in with all the artists!
Q. How did it feel the first time you did a public performance
of Saltimbanco?
I remember my first premiere in Sydney, Australia. I was
standing on my little chair, at the top of the stage looking out
onto this vast white sheet, and a wave of emotion came over me.
I realised what a special place this was, to be part of
Saltimbanco with all these amazing people.
Q. What is your typical day like getting ready for a Saltimbanco
performance?
I try not to exert myself during the day, especially if we have
two shows. I take some time for myself first thing in the
morning, do some gentle exercise, have a light breakfast. Maybe
visit a sight of the city we are in. Then I come back to my
hotel room and start to focus on the show, by vocalising and
practicing certain parts of the show I feel I still need to work
on. Then I go to the site, eat and start my make-up.
Saltimbanco -- Enter to Win!
----------------------------
Ticketmaster UK is offering a chance for two to win a viewing of
Cirque du Soleil's Saltimbanco at the Royal Albert Hall. The
winner will experience the show on Saturday, January 18, 2002
with VIP treatment! Plus overnight accommodation at the deluxe
four star Victoria Park Plaza Hotel with transportation to and
from the show. "All this and a Saltimbanco goody bag as well.".
Enter to win at: < http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/
clickthrus/?id=3894 >. You must enter by October 31st and be a
United Kingdom resident!
Cirque du Soleil Website WINS!
------------------------------
On September 25, 2002, Cirque du Soleil's website, created by
Montreal agency Diesel Marketing, was given five awards,
including the prestigious Best of Show award, at the Digital
Marketing Awards in Toronto [Ontario, Canada]. Cirque and
Diesel won in each of these categories: Best of Show (Grand
Prize), Experience (A Website that brings about an emotional
response), Content/Information (A Website that effectively
delivers information regarding a product or service), and
Experimental (A website that explores Internet Technology in
depth in order to provide a unique experience for the web
surfer).
"It's a wonderful recognition because, for a creation-based
organization such as ours, the Internet is the perfect medium
with which to express our creative vision," explains Joanne
Fillion, Senior Brand Director. "It offers infinite
possibilities, just like our imagination."
Congratulations to everyone involved in its creation!
Varekai CD in the US?
---------------------
"Varekai, the inspirational soundtrack for [Cirque du Soleil's]
latest production, composed by Violaine Corradi, will be
available on October 22, 2002 (original release date September
10, 2002) in Canada and in 2003 (exact date to be determined)
for the United States." The soundtrack features a collaborative
effort between Cirque du Soleil Musique and "innovative
producer", Nitin Sawhney (a Briton of Indian descent). Nitin
Sawhney has remixed songs for Paul McCartney and Sing and has
written songs for Sinead O'Connor. Fascination! recommends using
Canadian retailer HMV (www.hmv.com) to pre-order the Varekai CD
for those who do not wish to wait for the US release. [Source:
Cirque du Soleil; Ricky Russo; Wayne Leung]
CDSi at MIPCOM
--------------
As released in La Presse on October 3rd: "Cirque du Soleil
Images, the Cirque du Soleil division dedicated to producing
original and innovative products for television, video, film and
music, is getting ready for a big showing at the 18th MIPCOM
(the international film and television program trade market), to
take place from October 7 through 11 in Cannes, France." Cirque
du Soleil will be hobnobbing with industry players from around
the world during the conference, showcasing their entire catalog
of some 20 works of original programming -- including "Varekai",
which was recently shot in Toronto in high definition.
"Thanks to our performance at the Oscars and all the visibility
it gave us, we have received a number of proposals from major
broadcasters. We'll be taking advantage of MIPCOM to discuss new
multimedia projects. Our audiovisual production method was
strongly inspired by the creative excitement felt throughout
Cirque du Soleil," said Daniel Lamarre, President and COO of the
Shows and New Ventures divisions. "We enjoy an enviable
reputation in show production that gives us access to the
world's major broadcasters." [Source: La Presse; Canadian
Wire; Wayne Leung]
Cirque Wall-covering Online!
----------------------------
Thanks to a tip from reader Travis G., you can now see pictures
of the very rare first Cirque wallpaper book we talked about in
our September issue! To see some examples, go to:
< http://www.hunterwallpaper.com/cirque/%20du%20soleil.htm >.
Thank you Travis! [Source: Travis G.]
41 Million Saw Cirque [EXPANDED]
--------------------------------
When Cirque du Soleil accepted an offer to perform in producer
Laura Ziskin's production of the 74th Annual Academy Awards,
they called on Schwartzman & Associates expert knowledge to
build a strategy, and put the public relations firm to work
securing advance media opportunities. Their relationship
resulted in impressive numbers: The 74th Annual Academy Awards
were watched by 41 million people. Based on audited circulation
figures and Nielsens, the cirque reached an additional 81 million
people through print and electronic news media placements.
o) 25,210,382 Electronic Media Impressions
o) 55,674,930 Print Media Impressions
=) 80.9 Million Total U.S. Media Impressions, not including
the world press and the following:
o) 22 Wire Stories
-) 2 - Agence France-Presse
-) 4 - AP Online
-) 5 - Associated Press Newswires
-) 1 - BPI Entertainment News Wire
-) 6 - Canada Newswire
-) 6 - Canada Press
With the support of an industry awareness campaign conducted by
Schwartzman PR, the troupe of Montreal fame went on to win an
EMMY AWARD. Not bad, eh? [Source: Schwartzman & Associates]
=======================================================================
OYEZ, OYEZ(*)!: CIRQUE ONLINE
=======================================================================
(*) Oyez is Middle English, from Anglo-French, hear ye, imperative
plural of "oir" (to hear), from Latin "audire". [Source: Merriam-
Webster Dictionary]
Here ye! Here ye! "Fascination!" expands its coverage of Cirque du
Soleil on the World Wide Web with its "Cirque Online" banner. Each
month you will find two entries under this new area: First, "This
Month at Cirque Club" will detail and review the new features,
articles and other interesting items available only to Cirque Club
members. Second, "On the Web" will review one cast, crew or
performer website within the Cirque and bring each the distinction
they deserve.
This Month at Cirque Club
-------------------------
CirqueClub offers four new members-only articles this month,
including ones about tent-raisings in Philadelphia and
Sacramento (with an interesting aside into Cirque's donations
efforts). Another, about Quidam's opening in Cleveland includes
a link to an animated version of a big top raising! Finally, a
very interesting article on the process for designing and
applying show makeup, with four character close-up photos!
Writer Lisa Willett mentions she was made up in one of the
designs, it would have been fun to see what her face looked
like. :)
"You can also get into the Halloween spirit, Cirque du Soleil-
style! We are happy to present a special section packed with
tricks and treats that include downloadable screensaver and
wallpaper. http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/go.asp?p=416&l=en
The most significant development this month is the launching of
the new mini-site for "Fire Within" (we previously sent out a
news flash on this). The site, located at:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/multimedia/
tv/default.htm > contains six sections: Fire Within-a basic
description; Schedule-currently for Canada; Behind The Series-
involving interviews and other articles; Meet The Cast-pictures
of the featured cast members; Gallery-pictures; and Preview-a
3:00 preview of the show. It looks like some of these sections
might be changing on a weekly basis, so it might be good to
check in weekly.
On the Web
----------
This month's featured website is Paul Bannerman's. Mr. Bannerman
is the drummer for Cirque's newest touring show, Varekai. You'll
find his site to be an impressive and easy-to-navigate webpage
that is chock full of information about the drummer: from his
Biography to his Resume and everything in between. Why, you will
find out that he was born in Brussels, Belgium and studied drums
and percussion at schools in both London and his hometown in
Belgium. His biography says that he moved to Canada in his
youth where he attended and graduated the Canford School of
Music (with Honors!). After a stint in the Canadian military,
Mr. Bannerman took to his art with passion. He's performed with
Blast! at Epcot (Disney World), has recorded on "19 CDs and
performed in two motion pictures (including 'The X-Men')" Fans
of Varekai will enjoy a look at the drum kit used in the show,
complete with pictures and descriptions of the instruments used!
So, surf on over to Paul Bannerman's website at:
< www.pauljbannerman.com/home.htm > for further information
about him, his musical journey and his current whereabouts!
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE: TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
[Touring Shows]
Alegría:
* Mexico City, Mexico: 10/10/02 - 11/10/02
Venue: Gran Carpa Santa Fe
* Dallas, Texas: Winter 2003
* Houston, Texas: Winter 2003
* Austin, Texas: Spring 2003
* Portland, Oregon: Spring-Summer 2003
* Seattle, Washington: Summer 2003
* Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada): Fall 2003
* San Francisco, California: Fall 2003
Dralion:
* Sacramento, California: 10/4/02 - 10/20/02
Venue: Cal Expo
* Phoenix, Arizona: 11/13/02 - 12/8/02
Venue: Temple Diablo Stadium
* New Orleans, Louisiana: Winter 2003
* Montreal, Quebec: Summer 2003
* Raleigh, North Carolina: Winter-Spring 2003
* Baltimore, Maryland: Spring 2003
* Hartford, Connecticut: Spring 2003
* Cincinnati, Ohio: Summer 2003
* St. Louis, Missouri: Summer 2003
* Nashville, Tennessee: Fall 2003
* Tampa, Florida: Fall 2003
Quidam:
* Cleveland, Ohio: 9/26/02 - 10/13/02
Venue: Nautica Entertainment Complex
* Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida: 11/13/02 - 12/8/02
Venue: Tropicana Field
* Tokyo, Japan: 2/7/03 - 5/5/03
* Nagoya, Japan: 5/31/03 - 7/6/03
* Osaka, Japan: 7/19/03 - 8/31/03
* Fukuoka, Japan: 10/22/03 - 12/7/03
Saltimbanco:
* Brussels, Belgium: 9/4/02 - 10/19/02
Venue: Tour & Taxis
* Madrid, Spain: 10/31/02 - 12/1/02
Venue: Recinto ferial de Moratalaz
* London, England: 1/7/03 - 1/26/03
Venue: Royal Albert Hall
* Bilbao, Spain: Winter 2003
Varekai:
* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 9/19/02 - 10/6/02
Venue: Avenue of the Arts
* San Francisco Bay, California: 11/7/02 - 12/8/02
Venue: Pacific Bell Parking Lot
* San Jose, California: 1/16/03 - 2/9/03
Venue: Water Company at Delmar Avenue
* Atlanta, Georgia: Winter-Spring 2003 (3/13/03 - 4/20/03)
* New York, New York: Spring 2003
* Chicago, Illinois: Summer 2003
* Los Angeles, California: Fall 2003
* Orange County, California: Fall 2003
[Resident Shows]
La Nouba:
* Two shows Nightly - Thursday through Monday.
* Times: 6:00pm and 9:00pm
* Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando.
* No performances on Tuesday or Wednesday.
* Other than its normal off nights, "La Nouba" is
scheduled to be dark on these dates in 2002:
- October 21st through 24th
- December 3rd through 11th
* Beginning January 3rd 2003, there will be no
performances on Sunday and Monday. Shows will be
presented twice a night from Tuesday through Saturday.
* 2003 Dark Dates are as follows:
- January 1st
- February 2nd through 5th
- March 23rd through 25th
- May 11th through 25th
- July 13th through 16th
- September 7th through 9th
- October 26th through 29th
- December 7th through 15th
Mystère:
* Two shows Nightly - Wednesday through Sunday.
* Times: 7:30pm and 10:30pm
* Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas.
* No performances on Monday or Tuesday.
* Other than its normal off nights, "Mystère" is
scheduled to be dark on these dates in 2002:
- October 6th through 9th
- December 4th through 17th
"O":
* Two shows Nightly - Friday through Tuesday.
* Times: 7:30pm and 10:30pm.
* Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas.
* No performances on Wednesday or Thursday.
* Other than its normal off nights, "O" is
scheduled to be dark on these dates in 2002:
- October 14th through 15th
- December 4th through 19th
=======================================================================
HISTORIE: THIS MONTH IN CIRQUE HISTORY
=======================================================================
* October 02, 1987 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened San Diego
* October 02, 1990 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Paris
* October 04, 2002 -- Dralion opened Sacramento, California
* October 08, 1992 -- Saltimbanco opened Santa Monica
* October 09, 1992 -- Saltimbanco CD was released
* October 09, 2001 -- Journey of Man released on DVD/VHS
* October 10, 1990 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Santa Monica
* October 10, 2001 -- Alegría opened in Adelaide, Australia
* October 10, 2002 -- Alegría opened in Mexico City (First time!)
* October 11, 1994 -- Alegría CD was released
* October 11, 2000 -- Dralion opened in McLean, Virginia
* October 12, 1995 -- Alegría opened Washington DC
* October 12, 2000 -- Saltimbanco 2000 opened in Tokyo
* October 14, 1993 -- Saltimbanco opened in Washington DC
* October 19, 1998 -- "O" Premiered at Bellagio, Las Vegas
* October 22, 2002 -- Varekai CD released in Canada
* October 25, 1988 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Montréal
* October 25, 1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Washington DC
* October 26, 2001 -- New Musical Director "O" (John-Paul Gasparelli)
* October 29, 1997 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Santa Monica
* October 30, 2001 -- "Magie Continues" re-released on DVD/VHS
* October 30, 2001 -- "Saltimbanco" re-released on DVD/VHS
* October 30, 2001 -- "Nouvelle Expérience" re-released on DVD/VHS
* October 30, 2001 -- "Cirque Réinventé" re-released on DVD/VHS
* October 30, 2001 -- "Baroque Odyssey" re-released on DVD/VHS
* October 31, 2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Madrid, Spain
=======================================================================
ANNIVERSAIRE: BIRTHDAY WISHES TO CIRQUE ALUMNI!
=======================================================================
* October 03, 1969 -- Ebon Grayman (Fleur/Alegría)
* October 07, 1976 -- Shayne Courtright (German Wheel/Quidam)
* October 10, 1960 -- Serguei Chachelev (Clown/La Nouba)
* October 10, 1970 -- Viktor Kee (Juggling/Dralion)
* October 12, 1965 -- Marie-Laure Mesnage (Statue/Quidam)
* October 13, 1967 -- Paul Bowler (Cube Man/Mystère)
* October 13, 1983 -- Denys Tolstov (Handbalancing/Alegría)
* October 13, 1981 -- Maxim Levantsevich (Russian Swings/Varekai)
* October 18, 1961 -- Soizick Hébert (Les Voilà/ex-Dralion)
* October 19, 1964 -- Guennadi Tchijou (Sleeper/Saltimbanco)
* October 21, 1989 -- Junping Yang (Water Meteors/Varekai)
* October 28, 1975 -- Tamir Erdenesaikhan (Character/Alegría)
* October 30, 1958 -- Nathalie Gauvin (Singer/Mystère)
* October 31, 1941 -- Yuri Medvedev (Clown/Alegría)
* October 31, 1957 -- Johnny Filion (Les Voilà/ex-Dralion)
=======================================================================
LE SPECTACLE:
Télémagik: "A Great Fire May Follow a Tiny Spark --
Cirque du Soleil: Fire Within" (By: Wayne Leung)
=======================================================================
Anyone who's ever attended a Cirque du Soleil performance, after
recovering from the initial overwhelming awe and wonder, must have
wondered about the complex creation process involved. They may also
have wondered about the seemingly otherworldly people behind the
magnificent performances and magical characters created on stage. For
fans and newbies alike Cirque du Soleil has created a 13-episode
documentary miniseries entitled "Fire Within" that will provide an in-
depth exploration of the creation of a new show, in this case their
latest touring production, Varekai.
Fire Within debuted in Canada on Sunday, September 15, 2002 and can be
seen each Sunday on the Global Television Network. The series is
produced by Cirque du Soleil Images and Galafilm. Fire Within is
written and directed by Lewis Cohen. Executive Producer credits go to
Arnie Gelbart, Marie Côté and Vincent Gagné. Running time per episode
is approximately 22 minutes without commercials.
Each episode begins with a flashy title sequence set, fittingly
enough, to the musical piece "Icare" from Alegría. The titles
introduce the performers we will meet over the course of the series;
Oleg (Acrobatic Pas de Deux), Stella (Triple Trapeze), Olga (Hand-
balancing on Canes), Raquel (Triple Trapeze), Ashley and Gareth
(Icarian Games), Kevin and Andrew (Aerial Straps).
After viewing the first episode what struck me most about this series
was how personal it was. The creation of Varekai serves only as a
backdrop, the real focus is on the performers' human drama. The series
follows their struggles, their challenges, their triumphs, and their
lives, and tells their stories in an honest and surprisingly personal
manner.
The series' frank and candid approach is riveting. It shatters the
illusion that the people at Cirque du Soleil are somehow super-human.
We find out that they deal with everyday issues like all of us.
Everything doesn't always go perfectly at Cirque and this series
doesn't shy away from showing us the grittier side of the company that
we've never seen before.
I now invite you on a journey as we explore the episodes of this
groundbreaking new series and search for the fire within.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
** SPOILER WARNING **
The reviews below reveal the episodes in detail. If you haven't seen
the show and would prefer to be surprised, skip ahead. there will be
an advisory ending this spoiler warning.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Episodes 1 & 2 (One hour series premier)
----------------------------------------
The first episode begins on Varekai's opening night in April 2002. We
see the Grand Chapiteau in the Old Port of Montreal, clips from the
show and some backstage shots. Director Dominic Champagne gives the
performers a pre-show pep-talk; "Give your soul to touch their hearts,
that's what we have to do". Then we flash back nine months to the
artists' initial arrival in Montreal. An exciting but tense
atmosphere is established right from the onset; the viewer is made
aware that it is up to the artists to either make it or break it.
"Not all who started on the journey made it to the end," the narration
informs. We witness the performers meeting each other for the first
time and moving in to the Cirque du Soleil residences in Montreal.
This scene is reminiscent of my first time moving into residence at
university and conjures the same feelings of excitement and
anticipation mixed with a heavy dose of anxiety.
Throughout the episode we follow the artists as they venture through
the creation process at Cirque du Soleil. Studio Director Bernard
Petiot warns them, "We're not going to avoid complexity. We all
accept that it's not clear. That's your reality and that's our
reality". We sit in on various workshops; "movement training" a
dance/movement improvisation class, a rhythm and percussion workshop,
and a characterization workshop lead by Director Dominic Champagne.
We also get to come along on a weekend social outing as the artists
unwind after an arduous week of the Cirque du Soleil regime and sing a
version of the B-52's "Love Shack" in a karaoke bar.
Where Fire Within really soars is in telling the personal stories of
the people behind a Cirque du Soleil show. In this episode we are
introduced to several individuals, each struggling to discover or
rediscover his/her place within the Cirque du Soleil dynamic.
We meet Stella Umeh, a Toronto gymnast and Canadian Olympian ready to
become an artist as she ventures into new challenges and unchartered
waters at Cirque du Soleil. "I'm apparently signed on for a trapeze
number with five other girls and something called 'Body Skate', so
that's all I know," she tells her mother. We later find out that
although she is a talented gymnast, Stella has never performed on a
trapeze.
Raquel Karro Oliveira is one of Stella's performing partners. She
hails from Brazil and is a seasoned trapeze artist. She is trying to
deal with the strain of being away from her boyfriend.
Raquel and Stella are introduced to a brand new apparatus that Cirque
has created called the "multiple-trapeze". They both look at it with
what seems to be a combination of wonder and intimidation. The
multiple-trapeze is a large, rigid, cage-like structure that looks
like several trapezes fused together. It resembles a playground
jungle-gym that's been suspended in mid-air. This awkward new
structure proves difficult to work with.
We're introduced to Oleg Ouchakov, a veteran Cirque du Soleil
performer from Russia. We learn that he has dreamt of being a dancer
all his life and is now working to make the transition from acrobat
to dancer. Oleg has been on the road with circuses for the past nine
years and although his experience gains him much respect and
admiration amongst his peers he must still face the challenge of
breaking out of the old circus mold and working to create something
original while adapting to the style of a new creative team. At one
point during a characterization workshop Director Dominic Champagne
critiques Oleg's movement style and urges him to innovate, "It's a
little too 'Cirque du Soleil' for my taste. It's been seen so much,
you could be the poster you know. I would like you to surprise me a
little more."
The first non-performer we meet is Michel Laprise, a Cirque du Soleil
talent scout who is in charge of finding singers for the new show.
When auditions in Montreal and Toronto fail to find the required
talent he forges onward with an audition in New York City. His job is
made doubly difficult by the fact that the show's creators do not
exactly know what kind of singers they are looking for. The New York
audition produces one candidate, a woman with a powerful, gospel-style
voice. Michel presents a video tape of the audition to the creators
who reject the singer outright. Although his search is once again
fruitless he now has a better sense of what the show creators are
looking for. His search proceeds to Sofia, Bulgaria where he
auditions a slew of talented singers who can sing in the gypsy style.
He eventually winds up in Paris for yet another set of auditions. But
by the end of the Paris auditions he still has not found any suitable
singers. Time is getting critical and Michel's situation is urgent.
We are also introduced to Kevin and Andrew Atherton, of Manchester,
England. Andrew and Kevin are identical twins, both are champions
of the British National Gymnastics team. They meet with aerial
acrobatics coach André Simard on their first day and proceed to
rehearse their duo aerial straps number. Their act is already very
polished and impressive early on and they are promised their own act
in the show. Director of Creation Andrew Watson remarks how the
twins aesthetic produced a very "interesting image". Even in the very
early stages of rehearsal without lights, costumes, music or set the
act is already breathtaking and the magic is apparent. Their act puts
the twins at the head of the troupe, which could leave them
susceptible to the pressures and possible jealousy that entails.
Finally, we meet Ashley Beaver and Gareth Hopkins, performing partners
from London, England. At 21, Gareth is one of the youngest members of
the troupe and is away from his North London home for the first time.
Ashley and Gareth train with coaches Pedro and Adrian to learn Icarian
Games (foot-juggling), an ancient and rare circus tradition which is
to be a center piece for the new show. Their progress is slow and
difficult. The first day, Gareth attempts to land his buttocks on an
inverted Ashley's feet (the starting position for Icarian Games) but
instead lands on his "family jewels". Their progress continues to be
slow and agonizing throughout the first few weeks, and we experience
their frustration.
Gareth finds the Cirque du Soleil regiment to be suffocating. He is
at times temperamental and argumentative. Gareth's progress is also
hindered by his preoccupation with personal matters. In a poignant
moment he shares with us that his mother had been diagnosed with
cancer before he left and had to undergo an operation. He also
explains that his father left their family during his mother's illness
and he harbors much bitterness towards him. We begin to understand
that Gareth's personal demons are keeping him from succeeding at
Cirque. He is withdrawn from most of the troupe and refuses to be a
team player. The coaching staff holds a meeting and issues Gareth an
ultimatum; either adapt to Cirque or leave the show. At the end of
the episode Gareth is at a crossroads, he must decide whether he wants
to stay with Cirque or give it up. He takes a sabbatical and
returns home to Britain in order to see his family and to make his
decision. Meanwhile, we see Ashley beginning to rehearse the Icarian
Games with a new partner, Darren.
Episode 3: "The Rise and Fall of the Trapeze"
---------------------------------------------
("Guy Laliberte, creative guide for the show, reviews the planned
trapeze act." - TV Guide)
This installment of Fire Within centers around the first performance
of the budding new show for Cirque du Soleil President and Co-founder,
Guy Laliberté, who acts as a guide for the creators and cast. The
episode mainly deals with the performers' anxiety leading up to, and
the fallout from, Laliberté's visit.
The end of Episode 2 saw Gareth returning home in frustration after
several grueling weeks at Cirque. Gareth surprises everybody
(including himself) when he returns to Montreal and to Cirque du
Soleil. The two weeks he spent at home with his ailing mother, his
family and friends was the refresher he needed and he returns with a
greater inner peace and a willingness to work to make it into the
show. He credits his decision to "smart thinking", saying that if he
had stayed home he probably would have eventually gotten into trouble
and possibly ended up in prison. He now regards Cirque as his
personal high road.
Oleg throws a party to celebrate Gareth's return. Darren flips
through Oleg's photo albums and shows us pictures from Oleg's Quidam
days, posing backstage with celebrities such as Pamela Anderson and
Sharon Stone.
Meanwhile, the main buzz amongst the performers is their pending
progress review by Guy Laliberté. We encounter the nervous performers
on the day of the presentation. Oleg compares the stress and anxiety
of being judged and having his performance evaluated to that he
experienced as a competitive athlete.
As expected, the Atherton twins' Duo Aerial Straps number fares well
in the evaluation. Although, unbeknownst to the twins, the creative
team wants to change the number. Cirque's previous show, Dralion, was
lambasted in the Canadian press for its lack of innovation and minimal
originality, the local media fearing that Cirque may have reached the
peak of its creative potential. This was no doubt a prevalent thought
in the mind of Director of Creation, Andrew Watson, "If we could end
up with a strap act that didn't look like the hundred strap acts that
we've all seen then I'd be a happy man", he admits. The creators hope
to give a new spin to Aerial Straps and decide to pair the twins with
hip hop choreographer Bill Shannon.
Bill Shannon is an innovative dancer who turned his debilitative hip
condition and his reliance on crutches into a new form of dance. He's
taught this technique to cast members for a group dance act. Upon
review, Bill is told by Guy Laliberté that what touched him most about
the number in the first place was the "intimate moments" created by a
solo crutch dancer. The act will be changed.
As for creating new choreography for the Aerial Straps, the twins have
a hard time working with Bill since he is from the world of hip hop
music and break dancing and they are from the conservative world of
competitive gymnastics. Their working styles clash and the twins
become increasingly agitated. Bill works with the reluctant brothers
and reinvents the originally graceful and balletic strap act as a fast
and furious powerhouse reminiscent of skateboarding tricks, break
dance and extreme sports. The twins dislike the change and are
uncomfortable presenting the act to the creative team, "We were told
we have a presentation [for the creative team] and I'm embarrassed
totally to go out there and present something that I don't like and I
know we're not going to like it," one of the twins confesses. The
Athertons are surprised when the creative team loves the new
choreography. "It has good energy," said Director Dominic Champagne.
Like it or not the twins will continue to work with the hip hop
virtuoso.
Guy Laliberté's harshest criticism goes to the multiple-trapeze act
featuring Stella, Raquel and four other girls performing slides and
poses on the awkward cage structure. Upon first viewing it's obvious
that Guy is beyond dissatisfied with how the act has progressed, "I
don't like the act at all. We never see their full bodies. The
structure looks like a pile of scrap metal." Then, semi-
apologetically to André Simard the apparatus and act designer, "I'm
sorry, sometimes you're brilliant but I'm not engaged by this at all.
. .There are six people in the act, I won't have six people in an act
unless it makes me go 'wow'." Ultimately, Guy lays down the law, "Do
something fast or find another act," he tells the creators.
The girls are very dejected at Guy's comments. In a moment in
Stella's bedroom, she sews a dress and shares with us, "I wanted to be
a [fashion] designer before I wanted to become [a Cirque] artist. Now
I think I want to be a designer again." She forces a chuckle.
Raquel's disappointment is compounded by feelings of longing for her
boyfriend who is back home in Brazil. They've been apart for two
months, causing Raquel much emotional strain. Her boyfriend flies to
Montreal for a visit shown in a musical montage featuring the lovers
sharing a touching and tearful reunion at Dorval Airport.
The multiple-trapeze act is reworked to become more acrobatic and at
the same time more dramatic, we see the trapezists manipulating red
balls and making figures in a swath of red fabric a-la-Quidam. The
girls perform the modified act for Guy Laliberté once more, this time
privately, hidden behind large black curtains. The camera manages to
catch little peeks in the crack. The second review fails to impress
and finally, the decision is made to axe the awkward rigid trapeze
structure. The girls take it hard. After training for so long the
structure itself became the seventh partner in the act. Stella even
anthropomorphizes the trapeze, "I call her Midge 'cause she's rad. I
figure if she's got my life in her hands she'd better have a name."
"We fell in love with the multiple-trapeze. That's why everybody's
suffering," explains Raquel. Although she can see the producers'
point of view that having such a large and commanding apparatus for an
act that's merely pretty and short of spectacular could be
disappointing for the audience. Stella is having a harder time
accepting the loss. She laments, "I don't necessarily think that
three months on a brand new object that's never been used before is
enough research time." She later adds with a slight twinge of
bitterness, "We were hired because we were believed to possess
strength and aggressiveness and we were qualified for it beyond our
reach, all of us, and there's little faith in that, that's what I feel
like."
At the end of the episode the multiple-trapeze is trucked away like a
fallen comrade. Raquel, Stella and the other trapeze artists are
right back where they started, three months of hard work reduced to a
pile of scrap.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
END SPOILER WARNING
----------------------------------------------------------------------
With Cirque du Soleil Fire Within the viewer is presented with a
fascinating mix of behind-the-scenes footage and real-life human
drama. Fire Within finally presents a series that does reality
television with the dignity and class the genre has sorely been
lacking. Right from the start this series captures your attention and
takes you on a voyage of discovery. I find myself eagerly awaiting
each new episode. Be sure to tune in to the next edition of
Fascination! as we continue our review of Fire Within.
Upcoming episodes
-----------------
Episode 4: "Shooting Stars"
(New members of the troupe sign their contracts; the show's name is
chosen. - TV Guide)
Episode 5: "Christmas"
(Cast members visit family and friends at Christmas. - TV Guide)
=======================================================================
CIRQUE MUSIQUE:
"Musicians' Family Tree" (By: Paul Roberts)
=======================================================================
For me, the most important aspect of Cirque du Soleil is the music.
No matter what mood I find myself in, there is a Cirque du Soleil
soundtrack to accompany it. I had to have more, however, and with so
many talented Cirque du Soleil singers, musicians, and composers, I
dug deep to discover a plethora of branches available. Following are
several offshoot CDs from current and former Cirque du Soleil
troubadours that I either own or have come across in my explorations.
Included are brief descriptions of the sounds that I have had the
pleasure of experiencing.
Paul J. Bannerman (current Drummer in Varekai)
A former member of the Broadway show "Blast!", Mr. Bannerman has
recorded on nearly twenty CDs and his impressive resume can be found
in the Recordings section of his website: www.pauljbannerman.com.
With the upcoming arrival of the highly-anticipated "Varekai" CD,
Paul's talents will be showcased to all Cirque du Soleil lovers.
Violaine Corradi (Composer for Dralion and Varekai):
"Bears: Original Motion Picture Score" - Release Date: October 30,
2001- Silver Wave; ASIN: B00005QK1I
This IMAX film soundtrack also features music by Madalyn Blanchett,
Claude Carmichael, Lyle Lovett, Bobby Read, and Joanne Shenandoah. A
few months ago my daughter, Tara, saw this film and said to herself,
"Some of this music sounds like it'd fit in Dralion" so she perused
the credits and excitedly informed me of her discovery. Go to
www.amazon.com (search: Bears: Original Motion Picture Score) and
listen to the sample of "Polar Bear Dancing/Wolf" and you can hear how
easily Tara recognized Violaine's influence.
René Dupéré (Composer for Cirque du Soleil through Alegria)
With Èlise Velle (ex-singer in Mystère):
"Voyage" - CHACD: 888 - September 1996
This is an extraordinary collection of songs featuring one of the most
talented singers on Earth. The CD also includes former Cirque du
Soleil musicians: Carla Antoun (Cello), Marc Belanger (Violin), Jean-
Marie Benoit (Guitar), Andy Czerny (Accordion), Philippe Dunnigan
(Violin), Marc Langis (Bass), Francine Lupien (Violin), Dominique
Messier (Percussion), Paul Picard (Percussion), Christian Prévost
(Violin), Joey Sommerville (Flugelhorn/Trumpet). Although the music
is quite different from Cirque du Soleil standards, there are moments
of old inspirations, especially the closing song "Berceuse Chinoise"
that fades out with a haunting melody line sung by Èlise over a tribal
Täiko drum cadence. This CD can be purchased through www.hmv.com and
www.archambault.ca/store/default.asp.
René Dupéré/Èlise Velle:
"L'Ombre de l'épervier" - Analekta: AN28812
A soundtrack to the film of the same name that can be purchased
through www.hmv.com and www.archambault.ca/store/default.asp (thirty
second samples of five songs are available on Archambault's site).
Francesca Gagnon (current Singer for Alegría):
Francesca (one of the best known Cirque du Soleil singers) has
released three solo CDs:
"Magie" - Capital Records - 1986 (no longer available)
"Francesca" - Trans Canada - 1988 (no longer available)
"Au Delà des Couleurs" - BMG France and BMG Québec- 1999
Her website in French is: www.ifrance.com/francescag.
John-Paul Gasparrelli (current Musical Conductor/Keyboardist for "O")
Prior to joining "O", Mr. Gasparrelli played keyboards for the house
band at the Bellagio's Fontana Bar. I'm sure in passing I had heard
him tickling the keys without realizing that this great musician would
eventually be playing music from my favorite Cirque du Soleil
soundtrack. His "smooth jazz-oriented" CD, "Moonlight" (Maus: 61325-
4554-1 - released November 2000) is available through
www.johnpaulmusic.com, which also includes another impressive resume
of several musical projects. "Moonlight" includes a version of Bruce
Hornsby's hit song "The Way It Is."
Nathalie Gauvin (Singer for Mystère)
"Cirque de la Mer Original Soundtrack") Distributed by Sea World.
Nathalie sings and Mystère keyboardist, Brigitte LeClerc, is credited
for writing the lyrics to this soundtrack that sounds similar to the
music of early Cirque du Soleil.
Benoit Jutras (Composer for Mystère through La Nouba, including the
soundtracks "Journey of Man" and "Alegria le Film")
Listed at Benoit's website: www.benoitjutras.com, are the following
recordings: "Francesco il Musical" which is the soundtrack for the
production of the same name in a permanent theatre located in Assisi,
Italy. He also wrote the music for the cable series "The Hunger." A
year or so ago, I sent Benoit an email asking what he and daughter,
Audrey, were up to. Surprisingly, he responded and said that he is
working on a project that will include Audrey. I know I am not the
only one waiting for this to be realized.
Eric Karol (ex-Singer for Dralion):
Dralion just hasn't been the same since the flamboyant-and one of the
nicest Cirque du Soleil performers I've ever met-Mr. Karol left. His
website: www.erik-karol.com, includes a catalogue section that lists
several CDs and vinyl that, unfortunately, are no longer available.
His musical project, Le Cabaret des Éléments, features a collaboration
with his musical partner, Éric Signor. The sound samples in the
website reveal a techno-electronic feel with Erik providing the wide-
range vocals that Cirque du Soleil fans have come to love.
Brigitte LeClerc (ex-Keyboardist for Mystère):
"Fratata" - Analekta: AN28830 - 2000
An incredible jazz-flavored CD with the talented Brigitte playing
piano. Being in Mystère helped her raise enough money to realize her
dream of releasing this CD. The collection of fusion-laced songs
features most of the live Mystère band including singer, Nathalie
Gauvin, whose scat vocals compliments the musicians' free form styles.
The CD can be purchased through www.hmv.com and
www.archambault.ca/store/default.asp. The description in Archambault
says it best: "For everyone who loves jazz, Latin-jazz, cabaret, pop,
rock, blues. Brigitte Leclerc, an accomplished musician, has created
great lyrics and music which she performs along with her sidekicks in
a warm and colorful way...For the creation of this album, there were
no rules. Brigitte simply expressed herself in an idiom that inspired
her and used colors that made her jive."
Irene Marc (ex-singer in Alegria and singer on the "Alegria le Film"
soundtrack): Irene Marc, the bewitching voice heard in the "Alegria le
Film" soundtrack, sings for a group called The Groove Kings. Along
with composer/guitarist Howard Forman, The Groove Kings blend pop
sounds with a rhythm and blues...uh...groove. The version of the song
"Alegria" on the film soundtrack (which incidentally, I heard before
the original version) has The Groove Kings feel. Their CDs and song
downloads can be found at their website: www.visual-music.com/
groovekings.html. They have released two CDs: "The Groove Kings" -
ASIN: B00000JLS4 - February 1993 "Into The Groove Age" - ASIN:
B00000JGN7 - October 1996
Luis Perez (ex-musician in Mystère: percussion, pan flute, vocals, and
sound illustrations): "Tales of Astral Travelers" - Domo Records:
72438-46195-2-7 - August 1998 . A review of this wonderful CD was
featured in the Fascination! Newsletter Issue #12 (August 2002). I
purchased the CD on Amazon.com.
Francine Poitras (ex-singer in Saltimbanco):
"Free Willy 3: The Rescue - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" -
Uni/Varese Sarabande: ASIN: B00000151K - July 1997
Yep, our beloved Saltimbanco ex-singer went on to bigger and better
(?) things.
Èlise Velle (ex-singer in Mystère): Èlise also released a couple of
solo CDs, which can be found on: www.netza.com (a website in French
that features bios on Netza artists, including René Dupéré): "La belle
est dans ton camp" - 2001 - Netza: NET21441 (This CD also includes
René Dupéré and lyricist, Boris Bergman). "Xotika" - 1999 (This is a
soundtrack for a Holiday on Ice show).
For those of you-like me-that just can't get enough Cirque du Soleil
music, we are blessed with many options from these talented creators.
I am sure there are many more offshoots available and if anyone cares
to share any that were not included, please let us know.
=======================================================================
BEYOND THE BIG TOP:
"Cirque Explains Itself... (Sort of)" (By: Keith Johnson)
=======================================================================
When does a circus argue that it's not a circus? When it's trying to
avoid taxes, that's when! And what will it do to try and get away?
Explain their creative process!
Actually the above may be a bit harsh. Our case in point here is an
esoteric bit of Cirque history dating back to 1997, which does indeed
hold Cirque's own words on the creation of it's shows. But the story
actually starts with one of Cirques' competitors.
The basis of all this brouhaha comes from the vagaries of New York
State tax law. Sections 1101 and 1105 of the Tax Law govern the
imposition of sales taxes on admissions charges. It exempts "Dramatic
or musical arts admission charges" from the collection of sales taxes.
But it did not originally exempt "circus acts."
Ringling Brothers challenged the law (Case TSB-H-78(16)S), suggesting
its performances fell into the category of "dramatic or musical arts."
The court ruled against them, saying in part, "in order to qualify for
exemption...the performance must be PREDOMINANTLY one of the dramatic or
musical arts, and traditional circus performances are not within the
definition of the term "dramatic or musical arts"".
Cirque was planning to bring Quidam to New York State during 1998. So
in the fall of 1997, Cirque du Soleil America, Inc. submitted a
"Petition For Advisory Opinion" (# S971118A) to the New York State
Department of Taxation and Finance, Taxpayer Services Division,
Technical Services Bureau making the same argument (don't you just
love those governmental names?). It supported its claim with several
pages of explanatory information, which we thought would be
interesting to Cirque fans (see below).
The Advisory Opinion (written by John W. Bartlett, Deputy Director of
the Technical Services Bureau and dated January 30, 1998 (case # TSB-
A-98(1)S)) came to the same conclusion as in the Ringling case. It
said in part, "...while Petitioner's [Cirque's] performances do contain
some elements of the dramatic or musical arts, it would not seem that
these elements predominate over the other traditional elements that
are more characteristic of a circus (i.e., acrobats, gymnasts, trapeze
artists, clowns, etc)."
That would have been the end of the story, except that between the
time Ringling lost their case and Cirque filed their petition, the
laws (effective December 1, 1997) were changed to specifically exempt
"live circus performances." So Cirque won their case!
Below are several paragraphs from the Advisory Opinion, based on
Cirque's petition (the entire Opinion can be viewed at our
Yahoo! Group site at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CirqueFascination/
Note you need a Yahoo! ID and be a member of Yahoogroups in order to
view it.) Here "Petitioner" refers to Cirque du Soleil.
------------------
Petitioner submits the following facts as the basis for this Advisory
Opinion.
Petitioner has from its beginnings tried to create a new form of art,
a new type of theater-circus. Its first shows were entitled Re-
inventing the Circus, New Experience and Saltimbanco. The word
Saltimbanco comes from the French word Saltimbanque, which is defined
as a street performer, artist, singer or dancer. "Alegria" is
currently one of the shows Petitioner is presenting. Like all of
Petitioner's shows, Alegría features acrobats, gymnasts, trapeze
artists and clowns in a theatrical setting, complete with sets,
lights, costumes, music and choreography. Petitioner's shows do not
include animals. Alegría is a Spanish word that expresses elation,
jubilation and exhilaration. The story line links the acts, which
feature a collection of characters such as court jesters, hobos,
aristocrats and children who define the concept of power and
transformation. Alegría questions the transformation of power through
time from the old monarchies to the modern democracies, from the kings
to the presidents.
The theme of Alegría is "The fools have lost their king." At the
beginning of the show a potbellied hunchbacked clown takes the
audience into the fourth dimension. Then the lighting changes as well
as the music. It carries a nostalgic note, and the audience sees the
old aristocracy trying to keep their world how it used to be and the
young ones trying to revolutionize it into a new world. It is also
reflected in the costumes where the audience sees the old birds
representing the old aristocracy in very elaborate costumes and the
new ones, the young birds, trying to push the old aristocracy away.
The costumes of the young birds are simpler and not as elaborate. The
set is dominated by a grid dome which looks like a half-rotunda, a
mezzanine of sorts. The music is everywhere, it haunts the stage and
then the audience hears the voice of the singer. The audience is left
to wonder in which language she is singing, French, English, Spanish,
Italian or gibberish sounds of those times.
Petitioner's shows require extensive planning. The planning for each
show starts two years before its premiere. Meetings are held with the
different members of the creative team to brainstorm, find new
concepts and new ideas and set forth possible themes and storylines.
The creative team includes the artistic director, choreographer,
composer, costume designer, set designer, lighting designer and sound
designer.
From the meetings a few themes are retained to be developed as the
focus of the show. The concept research assistant then searches for
any information on the themes: from costumes to colors, from the music
to the instruments used, from the financial stability of the era to
its work ethic and from the architecture to the language spoken.
The same creative team takes the research and decides from the point
of view of artistic flexibility and innovation, and each with a view
to his or her own specialty, which theme will be the thread that
weaves and entwines itself through all the aspects of the show. The
theme, when transformed into images, becomes the essence of the show.
Each member of the creative team then creates his or her plans and
models, determines the musical instruments to be used and the types of
singer and dancers, based on the chosen theme. At this time, the type
of dance numbers, acrobatic numbers and comedy numbers which willbest
fit the creative plan and the storyline are determined so that the
music and the performers will present the theme in music, dance,
acrobatics and humor.
Dancers, singers, artists and acrobats are evaluated and chosen based
on the four criteria of technical, theatrical, movement (dance) and
personality. While the technical ability of an artist is extremely
important, so is his or her ability to move and dance, to act and
become a character, to show happiness and sadness, fear and
excitement. The manner in which the artist interacts with the other
performers, his or her ability to communicate with the singer and to
present a whole theatrical show and not just a solo performance are
also critical.
During the training phase, each artist participates in workshops that
include theater, dance movement, physical expression, mask, mime and
rhythm. The choreographer and artistic director during these workshops
explore the personality of each artist to develop characters out of
the sketches for that character.
The costume designer brings the characters alive with the designs,
colors and materials which are chosen for the costumes. The set
designer creates the stage as an environment for the artists to move
through to make the Big Top and its structure part of the set design
and theme. The composer creates the sounds that envelop the characters
and animate the show. The composer imagines sounds that breathe with
the artists' movements. The score creates a cohesion that links a
series of diverse acts. While the stage direction sets the tone and
the atmosphere for the show, the choreographer melds the energy of the
acrobatics into the fluidity and expressiveness of dance. Lighting
direction helps to create the ambiance and atmosphere of the show and
is linked directly to how the space is used. The lighting is also used
to direct the eyes, influence the perceptions and suggest ideas to the
audience.
The theme of the show is the connection between the scenes of the
show. The theme is designed to create and maintain a magical
atmosphere that is uninterrupted by the need to take down and put up
new equipment. The accessories, the costumes, the artists dancing,
singing and moving about the stage, tell a continuing story which is
based on the theme. The estimated preparation time for every one-
minute between scenes is two days. This preparation time is required
to assure that the transition between scenes becomes part of the show
and maintains the show's theme.
Petitioner's show is a work in progress. The original dancers and
singers as well as the replacement artists become part of the show and
their growth and change are reflected in the growth and change of the
show. The creative team continually monitors the show and provides
ongoing advice to assure that the theme and storyline of the show are
retained and that new and replacement artists are integrated into the
show. Petitioner's show is a unique experience because of the total
creative team, and all of the artists who together make and create the
dramatic, theatrical event.
As part of its Petition, Petitioner furnished a copy of a video tape
entitled "Saltimbanco's Diary: Making of Saltimbanco" which includes
clips of actual performances and features, among other things, trapeze
artists and acrobats and illustrates the results of these production
aspects in a final show. The tape illustrates the choreography,
lighting, music, acting, etc. as it pertains to Petitioner's shows.
Petitioner's shows have been billed as "Re-inventing the Circus."
Performers in Petitioner's United States tour ensemble receive their
visas as circus performers.
[Source: New York State Department of Taxation and Finance,
http://www.tax.state.ny.us/ ]
=======================================================================
BEHIND THE CURTAIN:
"The Techie Geek: Computer Lighting" (By: Jen Waldman)
=======================================================================
"What I love so much is that it's part artistic an part technical.
You have to understand the show conceptually and visually and then
maintain that, especially when changes are made."
--Jeanette Farmer, Lighting Director, <<O>>
"It's called a lamp. Not a bulb. A bulb is something you plant in
the ground."
--the Techie Geek's Master Electrician
I've decided to look into the lighting for Cirque du Soleil, and I'm
having trouble. Not with finding information, but with finding a
place to start! Lighting for any theatrical production is more than
just making sure the audience can see the performers. Lighting helps
set the mood, can be used in place of scenery, draws focus from one
place to another, and can bring the performers and audience closer
together or distance them from each other. Lighting can make a small
space seem vast, and a large space seem intimate. And the designers
and technicians of Cirque du Soleil lighting can do all of this
seamlessly.
Theatrical lighting starts with lighting units, dimmers, and a
console. Dimmers are basically the outlets into which the lighting
units are plugged. Each dimmer is then "patched" into a channel on
the lighting console. That way, if an individual light needs to be
adjusted, the channel just needs to be entered into the console
without fussing with the actual dimmers and cables. And each light
cue is made up of many channels recorded to work together. Does that
sound complicated? It isn't really, but that's just the basic idea.
In theatre, it is common to use relatively simple stationary
(conventional) lights. Once these lights have been focused they stay
in that focus position for the run of the show. Cirque du Soleil
employs stationary lights, but also makes great use of moving lights
and trusses (which can be operated from consoles) and follow
spotlights (which are operated by people). "Quidam" makes
excellent use of moving lights all throughout the show. As with
acrobatic rigging, "Quidam" had a lot of "firsts" with rigging for
lights.
"La Nouba" uses over 1000 dimmers for 1250 theatrical lighting units.
These units include six follow spots, 150 color scrollers (which do
exactly as the name implies), and over 30 moving lights. The
stationary and strobe lights are controlled by a Strand Palette 550-I
console, special effects by a 520-I console, and moveable lights by
a Flying Pig Systems Whole Hog II. Brilliant unit with a brilliant
name.
The most amazing thing about these computer consoles is that all of
the lighting, special effects, etc. can be controled with the touch of
a button, the flick of a switch, the turn of a knob. It is all
computerized. Of course, the people who operate the consoles must be
trained to use them in case something goes wrong. A knowledge of the
latest lighting software, programming for the consoles, cable wiring,
and general theatrical electric capability is necessary. When
lighting units fail to work (and they do) the technicians must be able
to quickly distinguish and fix a burned out lamp, a circuit-breaker
problem, or a "crash" that erases cues on the lighting console. These
problems have to be fixed before the next performance, sometimes with
only an hour in which to do it.
I believe that the lighting technicians for Cirque deserve a lot of
praise. To be able to strike, load, unload, put together, rehang,
refocus, rewrite and rerecord cues over and over in different cities
takes a lot of energy and mental focus. The people who do all this
with the 1000-plus lighting units for each Cirque show are, I think,
amazing.
I love lighting, I love Cirque, and I hope that one day soon I am the
one operating their Flying Pig System's Whole Hog II.
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FROM THE BOUTIQUE:
"Cirque 1996 Calendar" (By: Keith Johnson)
=======================================================================
No sooner had we published our review of the Cirque 2003 calendar
(wherein we speculated whether there might have been an earlier Cirque
calendar) than one came to light!
Loyal reader Nadia (aka "Morpheus") was quick to alert us to the
"Cirque Du Soleil 1996 calendar" published by Graphique De France
(www.graphiquedefrance.com - UPC# 9-781561-493869, ISBN # 1-56149-386-
4). This 12" x 12" monthly calendar (unfolding to 24" high x 12"
wide) retailed at the time for USD $10.95, and was "Printed in Belgium
on Job Parilux paper" according to the back. In addition to thumbnail
pictures of the images inside, the calendar proclaimed, "Cirque du
Soleil's international cast of tightrope walkers, contortionists,
trapeze artists as well as its other spellbinding acts have earned
worldwide success with permanent shows in North America and touring
shows on three continents."
According to Graphique de France, at the time this calendar would have
been sold in Barnes and Noble, Borders, and other major bookstores.
It would also have been serviced to booksellers internationally as
its text is supplied in three languages: English, French and German.
But it's the images here that really capture the eye and make this a
find. Unlike the photographic images of the 2003 calendar, these are
original paintings in vivid colors! The originals are noted to be
"Watercolor on paper" and are quite distinctive. Here's a rundown and
descriptions of the months:
January - Saltimbanco - Double Tightrope - An orange tightrope walker,
holding her umbrella, ascends to the heavens. Above her blue stars,
below her a bold orange & gold sun.
February - Cirque Réinventé - Acrobatic Dance - An orange spotlight
shines brightly on dancers twirling ribbons.
March - Alegría - Contortionists - In front of a dual-color blue &
gold sun are perched two green contortionists, one twisted on top of
the other.
April - Saltimbanco - Musicians - The merry troupe are gathered here,
in front of several large gold stars.
May - Alegría - Fleur - The master of Alegría makes a striking pose
with his cane.
June - Alegría - Synchro Trapeze - The white duo trapeze artists hang
from their trapezes, with the stars and moon as background.
July - Saltimbanco - The Baron - Multi-colored circles accompany The
Baron, brazenly displaying his black and white cape.
August - Alegría - Synchro Trapeze - Here the trapeze artists have
returned to Earth, posing with two green Sprites.
September - Mystère - Hand To Hand - On top of their "dome" they pose,
one inverted upon the others shoulders.
October - Saltimbanco - The Worms - A group of white-masked characters
gather in front of vertical yellow and blue stripes.
November - Saltimbanco - Chinese Pole Act - This picture also serves
as the Calendar's cover. The Chinese Pole artists cavort in front of
a field of stars.
December - Alegría - Tamir - Big Tamir is joined by the sun, moon and
stars as he peacefully stands with legs wide apart.
The original illustrations seem to be done by the same artist, and
seem to be based on photos, but with wild variations of background
setting. The strangest thing about this calendar is that there is no
mention anywhere who the artist is! That's sad considering the
caliber of this artwork.
As with the Cirque wallpaper, it seems to this Cirque fan that this
earlier effort has more going for it than the currently available
product. The power of the artists renderings, their striking, unusual
poses, and especially the vivid colors make this a unique offering.
Yet it also suffers from the same flaw as the current calendar, a lack
of "Cirque History" mentions in its calendar sections.
As a service to our readers, and with Nadia's help, we've put a scan
of the back cover (with the thumbnail sketches of the images) up in
the Photos section of the "Cirque Fascination" Yahoo! Groups site.
You can see it at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CirqueFascination/
Note you need a Yahoo! ID and be a member of Yahoogroups in order to
view it.
In fact, this artwork was also turned into a 42" x 65" Afghan/Throw!
Manufactured in 1996 by Goodwin Weavers (www.goodwinweavers.com) it
bore enlarged versions of 9 of the images (not including the acrobatic
dance, musicians, or Chinese Pole Act drawings).
While I would give the current 2003 calendar a B+, I give this
calendar a solid A. Very nice effort.
Finally, we leave you with the final paragraph from the calendars'
index page: "Chinese poles, the Russian Swing, double tightropes and
effortless jugglers all fool the eyes and toss away the notion of
gravity. The effect of their dips and swirls is not just
entertaining, it is nearly spiritual. As one Cirque du Soleil member
described it, "the movements of the acrobats is in fact the movement
of the soul." The costumes and characters that seem to come from
dreams, are rendered here in all of their grace and majesty. In them,
we can see that Cirque du Soleil is nothing less than the meaning of
circus transformed."
Now, if we could only find out the name of the artist!
=======================================================================
OBSTRUCTED VIEW
=======================================================================
"Fascination!" is pleased to bring you the Obstructed View column,
where our readers can voice their opinions on subject matter currently
in debate. Each month we will present a new question for you to think
about and send us your response to. Selected comments will then be
published in our next issue!
The topic for this month:
As we reported last issue, signs advertising the new "music-
hall"-type show at the New York-New York Casino/Hotel in Las
Vegas are saying it will be "a more intimate expression of
Cirque du Soleil." What do you think they mean by the word
"intimate", and do you think this is a good direction for
Cirque?
Email your responses to: CirqueFasincation-owner@yahoogroups.com
=======================================================================
PARTING QUOTE
=======================================================================
"Give your soul to touch their hearts..."
- Director, Dominic Champagne (Varekai) as quoted
in "Cirque du Soleil 'Fire Within'".
=======================================================================
NEXT ISSUE...
=======================================================================
Our next issue will continue our coverage of "Fire Within", review
the Varekai CD (due to be released on October 22) and much, much
more! So, come on back next month for our next exciting issue!
Have a comment, question or concern? Email the Fascination!
Newsletter staff at: < CirqueFasincation-owner@yahoogroups.com >.
We are anxious to hear any and all comments!
=======================================================================
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
=======================================================================
Fascination! is a monthly newsletter, available only through sub-
scription. To subscribe, please send an email to: < CirqueFascination-
subscribe@yahoogroups.com >. To unsubscribe, please send an email to:
< CirqueFascination-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com >. To view back
issues, please visit our Yahoo! Group address at:
< http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CirqueFascination/ >, login using
your Yahoo! ID (required) and select the Files menu option. If
you have any questions, feel free to email us at: < CirqueFascination-
owner@yahoogroups.com >.
=======================================================================
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
=======================================================================
"Fascination!" is Ricky Russo, Keith Johnson, Paul Roberts, Jen
Waldman and Wayne Leung.
"Fascination! Newsletter" Copyright (c) 2002 Ricky Russo, published by
Vortex/RGR Productions, a subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No
portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, published in any form or
forum, quoted or translated without the consent of the "Fascination!
Newsletter". By sending us correspondence, you give us permission
(unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without
remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination!
Newsletter". "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way
with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are
Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil,
Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright
infringement intended.
