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Fascination Issue 010
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Fascination! Newsletter
Issue #10 - June 2002
"Live to Cirque; Cirque to Live"
=======================================================================
Bonjour et bienvenue! Our last issue promised to explore the
musings of the two Varekai clowns and John Gilkey, but so many
interesting items popped up we'll need that we'll need to forgo the
promised material this time in lieu of all the exciting new things
we discovered. In this issue, you'll find information on Cirque's
new website (referred to as Phase II), a bit on Dralion, Las Vegas,
and more! Not to mention a horde of news, rumours, and sightings!
============
Contents:
============
* Cirque Buzz: News, Rumours & Sightings
* The Itinerary: Tour/Show Information
* Historie: This Month in Cirque History
* Anniversarie: Birthday Wishes to Cirque Alumni
* Le Spectacle:
"More to Explore" (By: Keith Johnson with Paul Roberts)
* The Cirque Connection:
"Getting the Official Line" (By: Keith Johnson)
* Cirque Musique:
"Au-Dela des Couleurs" (By: Jen Waldman)
* Le Spectateur:
"Through the Eyes of a Newbie" (By: Paul Roberts)
* Behind the Curtain:
"What's a 'Q&A Session' Like?" (By: Keith Johnson)
* Special Engagement:
"Le Grand Tour: Mystère & 'O'" (By: Ricky Russo)
* Beyond the Bigtop:
"More Coverage on that Wallpaper!" (By: Keith Johnson)
* From the Boutique:
"Viva Las Vegas" (By: Ricky Russo)
* Parting Quote
* Next Issue
* Subscription Information
* Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ: NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Alegría VHS/DVD Now Available:
Without notice to the press, or to fans, Cirque du Soleil has
quietly made the Alegría DVD available for purchase through
their online store - www.cirquestore.com. For weeks, the DVD
has been available through preorder only, but now their site
claims the DVD is "Now Available". For $25.00 VHS or $29.00
DVD, you can order this one-of-a-kind show directly from
Cirque du Soleil. Visit them at <www.cirquestore.com> or go
directly to <store.yahoo.com/cirquestore/Alegría2002.html>
for further ordering details.
Varekai CD Release Date Set:
Thanks to Wayne Leung, our unofficial roving reporter, we have
a set date for the release of the official Varekai soundtrack.
We previously reported that date was somewhere in September
and he has found official news that the date is indeed
September 10th.
Mystère hits 4000:
On May 24, 2002, Mystère put on its 4000th performance during
the 7:30pm showing. The Fascination! Newsletter wishes the cast
and crew all the best and many more performances to come!
Mystère reached its 2000th performance milestone on March 15,
1998 during the 7:30pm showing, and its 3000th milestone on
May 27, 2000 during the 10:30pm performance. Mystère has out
performed even Saltimbanco, the oldest currently running Cirque
du Soleil show to date!
Win a Trip to Portland:
Dralion is set to premier in Portland on June 12. Fans of
Cirque du Soleil in the states of Washington and Oregon have
a chance to win 4 tickets to the show, Accommodations at the
Paramount Hotel and Dinner for 4 at McCormick & Schmick's.
All you have to do is match up four Cirque posters with
their appropriate show name. Read more at Seattle Weekly:
< http://www.seattleweekly.com/contests/dralion/ >.
Celebrities vie for Cirque's attention:
The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) reported that Angelina Jolie,
who signed up for the sequel to last Summer's blockbuster "Tomb
Raider", is anxious to work with Cirque du Soleil. "I want to be
much, much stronger," she says. "I would love to train with
Cirque du Soleil." But, she's not the only one. Another
"celebrity" - Jamie Salé from the 2002 Olympics has been quoted:
"We want to challenge ourselves to new heights and reach new
levels. We're really interested in working with Cirque du Soleil
and other arts to enhance our skating and our performance."
Thanks again to Wayne Leung for providing the heads up.
Discounts to La Nouba!:
Currently, there are 3 ways to save on La Nouba tickets this
Summer, with a variety of discounts available.
The First: Open to all members to the Disney Club (a members-
only discount club - www.disneyclub.com). Members receive a
15% discount off regular-priced admission for themselves and
up to three guests from now through September 30th. This offer
excludes performances on 5/28/02 - 6/12/02, 7/22/02 - 7/25/02,
and 9/9/02 - 9/12/02. In order to receive this discount, you
must call (407) 939-7691 and have your Disney Club card
available. Membership in the Disney Club is $30.00 per year,
which comes with a newsletter, a subscription to the Disney
Magazine and various discounts.
The Second: Also, from now until September 30th, Walt Disney
World Annual Passholders receive a 25% discount off regular-
priced admission for themselves and one guest. This offer
excludes performances on 5/28/02 - 6/12/02, 7/22/02 - 7/25/02,
and 9/9/02 - 9/12/02. To take advantage of this exciting
offer, passholders must present their Passholder ID at the
La Nouba box office to receive tickets. Advance purchase is
required. Discounted prices are: Adult $50.25 plus tax, and
Child (age 3 - 9 years) $29.25 plus tax.
The Third: A new offer by Cirque du Soleil allows Florida
residents to get in on the fun. With a valid Florida ID,
residents receive a 20% discount on tickets. This offer is
valid on performances between 6/16/02 - 9/30/02 (with no
exclusion dates). There is a limit of 4 tickets per transaction
and they must be purchased by calling: (407) 939-2477. Tickets
can not be purchased online or at the La Nouba box office.
Celine Dion invades Las Vegas:
On March 25, 2003, Celine Dion begins her 3-year performance
contract with Park Place Entertainment - the owners of Ceaser's
Palace. Her $95 million venture is housed in Caesars' new 4000
seat theater, named The Coliseum, now in construction between
the Forum Shops and the main entrance - the Mirage side of the
property. The venue is to be more intimate than most theaters
say its designers, who tout a figure of 120 feet as the distance
from the most distant seat to the stage (and that is with two
balconies!). The stage itself is also said to be 120 feet wide,
holding 70 performers at various times.
Tickets for the show went on sale Thursday, May 16th at a price
that tops the Strip's current most-expensive show: "O". Prices
for Celine Dion's as yet unnamed show is set at $150.00 for the
top seat, with VIP packages available at $200.00. Other ticket
levels are available at a price of $127.50 and $87.50. Tickets
for this venue may be purchased through ticketmaster or at
Caesar's Palace Las Vegas. Get your tickets now as they are
going quickly!
Dragone vs. Las Vegas:
Franco Dragone may not be a household name, or recognized on the
street, but he is credited with helping change the rules about
entertainment in Las Vegas. He and collaborator Gilles Ste-Croix
lit up the Strip with Mystère in 1993, and again with "O" in
1998 - creating the most expensive Las Vegas show in history.
What's next now that Franco Dragone and Gilles Ste-Croix have
decided to go their own separate ways? Plenty.
Franco Dragone is currently rehearsing for his new collaborative
effort with Celine Dion at Caesar's Palace. "When you feel that
you could become incompetent," said Dragone at a press
conference regarding Celine's new show, "it is better to change
fields and go somewhere else, to refresh your eyes, to become
innocent again."
Franco Dragone will be busy over the next few years as the
Celine Dion show comes to fruitation as well as another show - or
two - at Steve Wynn's new Strip Mega-Resort: Le Reve (set to
open in 2004). And it is possible that Dragone is not entirely
done with Cirque. Details as they become available.
Quincy Jones to join forces with Cirque?:
As we have reported in the past, and above, Franco Dragone has
been tapped by Steve Wynn to create and produce two shows for Le
Reve, Wynn's new Strip hotel (which replaces the Desert Inn). It
has been heard that Mr. Wynn has been in negotiations with
Quincy Jones (producer of Michael Jackson) to create music for
the new Cirque du Soleil show there. While we have heard that
Dragone is to produce shows for Wynn, it was always under the
assumption they were not Cirque du Soleil branded shows. We
will, as always, keep our eyes and ears open.
"I want to tell a story...":
In a recent press interview, Franco Dragone said he waned to
tell a story with his next Vegas show (exactly which one we do
not yet know). "I don't want to stop the show to do a trapeze
act," he said. As reported in a gossip column in the Las Vegas
Review-Journal: The audience... will be surrounded by the
performers who will be in a circular water and fire pit. A
sentiment pretty much confirmed by Dragone himself at the press
conference. "The audience will be into the show, not watching
the show. They will be part of the world, inside the space where
the show happens."
The story Franco Dragone wants to tell is still a bit vague. We
previously reported on a possible show/theme featuring a village
where children can fly until they reach a certain age. Now, it
seems, that idea is not only true, but has become the "second"
of the two shows now in development. Then what does Franco
Dragone currently have in development (besides the Celine Dion
show)? That is still unknown, but is said to have huge special
effects. "If the people will fly, it will be because they have
to go from one point to another. If they do contortion, it's
because they have to hide themselves. You don't see the circus
act." We await more.
More Cirque in Las Vegas?:
In our final rumor for this issue, it has been heard that
Mystère and "O" are not only set to receive one new show, but
possibly two! It has been reported that a Cabaret style Cirque
show is currently in production to be housed at the New York,
New York Hotel & Casino. We recently heard that it is possible
a forth Vegas show is slated for the MGM Grand. What type of show
the MGM Grand would house is yet unknown. This is heresy and we
will be researching this further.
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THE ITINERARTY: TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
[Touring Shows]
Alegría:
* Denver, Colorado: 6/12/02 - 7/14/02
* Minneapolis/St-Paul, Minnesota: 8/21/02 - 9/8/02
* Mexico City - Fall 2002
Dralion:
* Portland, Oregon: 6/12/02 - 7/7/02
* Seattle, Washington: 8/1/02 - 8/25/02
* Sacramento, California: Fall 2002
* Phoenix, Arizona: Fall 2002
Quidam:
* Detroit, Michigan: 6/20/02 - 7/7/02
* Boston, Massachusetts: 8/1/02 - 8/18/02
* Cleveland, Ohio: Fall 2002
* Tampa, Florida: Fall 2002
Saltimbanco:
* Barcelona, Spain: 4/26/02 - 6/16/02
* Vienna, Austria: 7/10/02 - 8/4/02
* Brussels, Belgium: 9/4/02 - 9/29/02
* Madrid, Spain: 10/31/02 - 12/01/02
* London, England: 1/10/03 - 1/26/03
Varekai:
* Montréal, Canada: 4/24/02 - 6/16/02
* Québec City, Canada: 6/27/02 - 7/14/02
* Toronto, Canada: 8/1/02 - 9/01/02
* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Fall 2002
* San Francisco Bay, California: Fall 2002
* San Jose, California: Winter 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:
- May 28th through June 12th
- July 22nd through July 25th
- September 9th through 12th
- October 21st through 24th
- December 3rd through 11th
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:
- June 5th through 9th
- August 4th through 7th
- 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:
- June 19th through 27th
- August 12th through 13th
- October 14th through 15th
- December 4th through 19th
[Information is subject to change without notice]
=======================================================================
HISTORIE: THIS MONTH IN CIRQUE HISTORY
=======================================================================
* June 06, 2000 -- Dralion opened Denver, Colorado
* June 07, 1985 -- 1985 Tour opened in ShereBrooke [Plateau Parc]
* June 07, 1992 -- Fascination opened Nagoya, Japan
* June 09, 1994 -- Alegría opened Ste-Foy, Canada
* June 12, 2002 -- Alegría opened Denver, Colorado
* June 12, 2002 -- Dralion opened Portland, Oregon
* June 13, 1992 -- Saltimbanco opened Ste-Foy, Canada
* June 16, 1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Gaspé, Canada
* June 16, 1995 -- Alegría opened Toronto, Canada
* June 18, 1993 -- Saltimbanco opened Toronto, Canada
* June 20, 1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Ste-Foy, Canada
* June 20, 2002 -- Quidam opened Detroit, Michigan
* June 21, 1985 -- 1985 Tour opened in Ottawa [Plaines Le Breton]
* June 21, 2001 -- Saltimbanco 2000 opened Osaka, Japan
* June 22, 2001 -- Dralion opened in Chicago, Illinois
* June 23, 1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Bai-Comeau, Canada
* June 25, 1992 -- Fascination opened Hiroshima, Japan
* June 27, 1989 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Ste-Foy, Canada
* June 28, 1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Jonquière, Canada
* June 29, 1999 -- La Nouba CD Released
* June 29, 1999 -- Dralion opened in Toronto, Canada
=======================================================================
ANNIVERSAIRE: BIRTHDAY WISHES TO CIRQUE ALUMNI!
=======================================================================
* June 02, 1970 -- Elena Day (Bird/La Nouba)
* June 05, 1977 -- Valentin Menjega (Russian Swings/Varekai)
* June 06, 1964 -- O'Neil Langolis (Singer/La Nouba)
* June 07, 1965 -- Badri Esatia (Georgian Dance/Varekai)
* June 08, 1975 -- Andrew Atherton (Aerial Straps/Varekai)
* June 08, 1975 -- Kevin Atherton (Aerial Straps/Varekai)
* June 17, 1976 -- Isabelle Chassé (Tissu/Quidam)
* June 21, 1982 -- Time Sumeo (Fire-Knife/Alegría)
* June 23, 1961 -- Leonid Leikine (Clown/Alegría & "O")
=======================================================================
LE SPECTACLE:
"MORE TO EXPLORE" (By: Keith Johnson with Paul Roberts)
=======================================================================
OK, so what about the expanded website?
We had heard for many months about an expansion to the Cirque Club
"Official" Fan Website. It was finally put on-line May 16 after a
year of development (during which membership in Cirque Club jumped
1000%!), and we are very pleased to report it is well worth the wait!
Of course you have to be a member of Cirque Club (you are a member,
aren't you? <www.cirqueclub.com>) to enjoy it.
(Before we go any further, we have to say that we were looking at the
site with very fast T1 and T3 lines, so we had no problem with the
animations or navigation. However, this was a different story when we
checked it out using a Pentium 1 with a 56K modem. There it was
terribly slow, with the Flash 5 animations taking a very long time to
load.)
The "new" release is divided into four sections which appear through
moving stars in the upper right corner of the main page. (It may be
necessary to go and log into Cirque Club, and then back to the home
page, for the stars to appear).
-- Spectaculera - Information about all the shows from "Saltimbanco"
on. The early shows (such as "Nouvelle Experience") aren't covered
here because, as we understand, there are rights issues with some of
the earlier imagery. (And, not surprisingly, Varekai has no content -
yet.) Each show page is divided into four smaller sections - The
Dream, addressing the original inspirations for the show; A Vision
Takes Form, talking about the show's development; Inside the Music,
for musical influences; and The Acts, with a page for each individual
act. Most all of the content in the sections are quotes, and are
either 1 or two pages long.
--IntraCirco, Living in our World - While being careful to not promise
"all the answers," this "behind the scenes" section has several longer
articles covering performers and other areas. There are articles
discussing the new website, Cirque du Monde, Artistic Direction,
Training, Casting, Food, and circus children. One downside here is
the articles are not on a single page, leading to multiple pages
needing to be clicked through (in a few cases 13 pages). I would have
preferred one long page that could be scrolled and printed.
--Inspiratum - Sorry folks, this section is still "Under Construction"
though it sounds very promising. The one page does have some
interesting animations, with a promising note about things to come.
--Odyssea, the Dreamers' Odyssey - The "Company History" of Cirque
told in a unique new way, kind of like a slightly-interactive
Powerpoint presentation. Entering the section pops up a new window on
your browser, showing the first page. The presentation is divided
into 11 pages, each covering different time points in Cirque's
history. Each page has a large border at the top with two photos
embedded within - pointing at these pictures highlights them with
additional text. The main text is below, with small very cute
animations on the lower right hand side. A very fun section to just
experience.
TALL TALES:
-------------
The "Odyssea" section features a subliminal story told by stilt
walkers. On each page, the history of Cirque du Soleil comes to
animated life. With the descriptions given, try to figure out this
historic journey from Cirque du Soleil's beginnings to the present:
1979-1980: A character carries a long rod and climbs it like a Chinese
Pole. It begins to sway back and forth and he jumps off, breaks it in
half, and connects the two poles to his feet. His arms wave in
celebration as he begins to stroll on his new pair of stilts.
1980-1981: The Stiltwalker passes by three people who then grow their
own stilts and follow him off the screen.
1981-1982: The Stiltwalker juggles balls and passes by the three
people, now sitting in chairs. The chairs grow stilts and they walk
away on their four-legged stilts.
1983-1984: The Stiltwalker approaches the sun in the sky and waves to
it. He reaches up, grabs a ray, and places his new Soleil hat upon
his head.
1984-1985: The Stiltwalker removes a bowler hat from his head, reaches
in, and throws six flags onto the ground. The flags grow into a Big
Top.
1985-1986: The Stiltwalker enters followed by the other three. He
removes his bowler hat and throws what appears to be balls on the
ground. All four jump on the balls-which are actually wheels-they
join hands, and whisk away as The Stiltwalker holds his hat against
the breeze.
1986-1990: The Stiltwalker approaches three tall poles each with a
hat, he removes the hats one by one and places them on his head. With
the final hat in place, they grow into a stovepipe hat, his stilts
also grow, and he disappears into the clouds.
1990-1992: The four Stiltwalkers whisper to each other, then two move
away and their stilts and bodies curve and connect into a 'C' shape.
They join the other two as they also evolve into 'C' and become a
large wheel and roll away.
1992-1994: The Stiltwalker takes off his bowler hat and it becomes a
watering can. He pours water onto the ground and grows a flower (in
the desert, of course).
1994-1997: Three Stiltwalkers approach the Big Top and descend into it
from the top. When the third one has entered, the Big Top morphs
into a hot air balloon and floats away.
1997-1999: The flower is watered once again, this time it spurts into
a forest of palm trees.
1999-2002: The Stiltwalker stops and ponders, thought bubbles floating
from his mind. A parade of people approach the bubbles as a rope
descends that they climb onto...they float away. And the icon for the
1999-2002 page is the horizontal-figure-eight symbol for eternity.
OUR THOUGHTS ON THE SITE:
-------------------------
MUSIC - Music is omnipresent here. Every page seems to have some kind
of sound. Even the simple act of highlighting a button produces a
sound, such as a didgeridoos hum in the "Mystère" section. We were
told the individual show pages contain sampled fragments from the
soundtracks of the shows. For our ears, they are sampled and mixed so
cleverly that they sound like new compositions.
GRAPHICS AND MOVEMENT - Wow! This site is up-to-the-second in terms
of moving images on the page. Every page has some animation, from
comets highlighting pictures, to droplets of water cascading down (and
up!) on the "O" pages. The colors here are rich, deep, and dark. The
images familiar yet mysterious. This is truly where the site conveys
the mystery of Cirque. But not too mysterious; our visit didn't
uncover any hidden "Easter Egg" features in the pages (where moving
your curser uncovers "secret" areas to click to), something we thought
might have been included.
ANIMATIONS - Tiny animations of jugglers, swimmers, and acrobats add a
quirky humorous touch. They are like the icing on the cake. Keep
your eye on the bottom of the page and don't be too quick to click
through, especially in the "Odyssea" section.
A LOT of credit goes to the site's designers and "idea folks" at
fellow Montrealers, Diesel Marketing (www.dieselmarketing.com) -
another very interesting "moving" site). They were the successful
bidder in a world-wide competition for the Cirque account. Also due
for kudos are Burnaby, BCs Telus (www.telus.com) (the "realizers")
and hosters Cognicase (www.cognicase.com).
Here is a really well-designed, interesting, innovative, and
intriguing (enough I-words for ya?) site. It successfully evolves
further the enigma of Cirque on the Web. It's going to be slow going
for older computers and slower modems, and it would be nice to have
similar treatment done to their early shows. But those are small
quibbles. Have fun spelunking!
=======================================================================
THE CIRQUE CONNECTION:
"CIRQUE CLUB: GETTING THE OFFICIAL LINE" (By: Keith Johnson)
=======================================================================
Here at Fascination!, we try to give you a different look at Cirque du
Soleil - more than just the "official line." Here we can be
opinionated (sometimes passionately so), and can point out the good as
well as (um, how do I put this politely?) the not-so-good.
But that doesn't diminish the value of Cirques' own communications.
As mentioned in these pages, we feel every one of our loyal readers
should also be a member of Cirque Club, Cirque du Soleil's "Official"
Fan club (www.cirqueclub.com). We've extolled their virtues before.
You can get region-specific information sent to you when a show is
coming your way (even when temporary jobs are available in your area -
ever wanted to be a Cirque Usher?). You can buy tickets (though not
at a discount) ahead of the general public. There's a busy chat forum
for discussing Cirque. And now there's a brand-new expanded section
just for Cirque Club members (which we discussed in detail above).
And there's also a little-heralded part of the site that dovetails
with what we try to do, their "News" section.
The "News" section is reached through a tab on the main Cirque Club
page, and is only accessible to Cirque Club members. There you'll
find a myriad of articles covering a range of topics. Staff writers
Lisa and Anne-Josee are also aided from time to time by reports from
"the road". The articles generally fall into one of four categories,
though there are articles on other topics.
--Quidam - Includes coverage from Miami written by tour manager Jeff
Pluth. Interesting coverage is also provided of opening night parties
in Charlotte and Pittsburgh.
--Dralion - Tour Manager Rob Mackenzie provides several articles here
with special emphasis on moving the big top to the different cities of
its tours.
--The "Oscars" performance - Here the articles shine with content
found nowhere else. You have the "Official" Press release, backstage
stories, interviews with "Fire" performer Mike Brown (who set the
stage on fire during rehearsal!), and "Bungee" performer Irina
Sorokina (where it's mentioned the bungees couldn't "swing" due to
fire marshals rules but could only bob up and down). There is also a
complete listing of the acts and performers, and the source of each
shot in the accompanying film. This is excellent coverage, as only an
"official" source could do.
--Varekai - One article discusses the Creative team (with short bios),
another raising the new Big Top, an interview with the British
Atherton twins (aerial strap act), and a discussion of the costumes
(with some costume sketches, though they are only head-and-shoulder
shots.)
To be sure, some of the articles are quick PR blurbs that might not
contain much value to a knowledgeable fan. Sometimes it's necessary
to wade through an article to get that interesting nugget. Articles
on raising of the various touring "Big Top" tents seem to be a
favorite topic.
One fun aspect is the name-dropping coverage of opening night parties
in various cities. Some of the articles come with thumbnail-type
pictures - clicking them brings up a larger image. And each article
is complete on it's own page so you don't have to click to multiple
pages, as you do on sections of the new website.
The best part about the articles is the accessibility of Cirque Club
to their own employees (something we have yet to obtain). Several
interviews are interspersed throughout, some of the most interesting
concerning the Oscar performance.
Despite the efforts of the Cirque Club writers to provide content,
there has yet to be a mention of a new article posting in the Cirque
Chatroom, though they are mentioned in the Cirque Club home page
(after you log in). We'll keep an eye out, and keep you informed of
new articles that appear each month.
Three new articles were posted in May/early June: one discussing
opening night in Pittsburgh (at http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/
CirqueDuSoleil/en/clubcirque/news/news30.htm>), another about the names
of the actual Big Tops, something I didn't know (at
<http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/clubcirque/news/
news31.htm>), and the third, just posted, talks about raising the
Alegría Grand Chapiteau in Denver (at http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/
CirqueDuSoleil/en/clubcirque/news/news32.htm.)
In addition to the News section, the rest of the Cirque site also
deserves investigation. Several sections have been re-designed from
the last time we looked. For example, the "Historia" chart of
productions has been re-designed and reformatted into "Show History."
While you're checking out the Cirque Club specific content, have a
look at the other sections...
--Press Room - With press releases, publicist info, and several
background articles.
--The Company - With a message from President Guy, basic company info,
9 articles on their social commitment and 3 on cultural commitment.
--Join Cirque - With information about on-stage (performer) and off-
stage jobs.
--Multi-Media - With music excerpts and information about show videos.
--Tickets - A nice page showing the touring plan for all the shows
with links.
--Shows - With listings for acts and ticket availability.
--Boutique - Their on-line store.
=======================================================================
CIRQUE MUSIQUE:
"AU-DELA DES COULEURS" (By: Jen Waldman)
=======================================================================
Francesca Gagnon is known by many as "The Voice" of Alegría. In her CD
"Au-Dela des Couleurs" she takes that voice out of the Big Top and
into contemporary music, the sort that would be classified as "World
Beat" by most music stores. The songs do not fit into one musical
"style". The first track, "Dame La Fuerza", starts off as a ballad
before adding flamenco-style guitar accompaniment. "Que Mas Da" is an
upbeat pop song that suddenly throws in a chorus reminiscent of
Broadway's "Lion King".
Personally, I was hooked on the slower, sweeping songs right away, but
it took a while for me to warm up to the upbeat songs (such as the
title track). One song of note is written by Cirque du Soleil's René
Dupere. (Don't look at the playlist, don't count the track numbers,
and see if you can guess which song it is. Hint: it sounds like it
belongs in "Alegría" or another Cirque show.)
None of these songs are in English (Even "I Believe" is in Italian),
but the lyrics are printed in the insert. Grab your French, Spanish,
and Italian translation dictionaries, log on to Babelfish, and settle
in for a night of translating some really great song lyrics.
Francesca sings with a passion that is genuine, and easily conveys the
meaning and emotion of her songs even to those that do not speak the
Romance languages. She can perform dramatic, sweeping melodies and
highly-charged songs with equal passion and ability.
Francesca has done amazing work on this, her most widely-released CD.
That said, it's not easy to acquire. If you want to buy this CD, you
will see it offered "on backorder" at most major online record shops.
My advice is, skip those and go straight to eBay. The record shops do
not get this CD in very often, and you could end up waiting three
months or more.
And if anyone knows what "Zilinga" means, please tell me.
The CD, "Au-Dela des Couleurs", is published by BMG Canada
at a price of $22.99.
=======================================================================
LE SPECTATEUR:
"THROUGH THE EYES OF A NEWBIE" (By: Paul Roberts)
=======================================================================
As with most people experiencing their first Cirque du Soleil show, I
felt a bruise on my chin (from having it repeatedly hit the floor)
after seeing "Mystère." The second time I saw "Mystère", I watched for
audience members exhibiting that same expression, and this became a
personal tradition. I marvel at the Cirque Newbies and try to put
myself in their place. My fondest Newbie-marveling event occurred
when I saw Dralion in Minneapolis in August, 2000, with my mother (a
Cirque du Soleil veteran) and my daughter, Tara, who had days before
turned twelve.
After spending an excruciating day at The Mall Of America we ventured
near the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome to excitedly find le Grand
Chapiteau. I felt energized in seeing a Cirque du Soleil tent for the
first time. Approaching the entrance, Tara and I said in unison,
"They're playing our song," when we heard "Alegría" emanating from the
tent's speakers. I gazed up at the fatigued blue and yellow stripes
that exhibited wear and tear, but more importantly, exhibited history.
I then thought of our heroes that had performed in that very tent, as
the spirits of the Dewhursts, the Stebens, Francesca, Mr. Gilkey,
Olga, Audrey, and so many others filled my teary mind's eye. Tara
woke me from the zoned-out daze when the time to enter had arrived.
After the tent flaps opened, we climbed the wooden stairs together and
when we reached the top, I saw flashes of ecstasy in her deep, blue
eyes. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it even harder than during
take-off of her first flight, but she had no idea that I had arranged
a monumental surprise for her.
A few days before we left, I discovered the web site of singer Erik
Karol that included his email address, and decided to attempt the
seemingly impossible. I sent a carefully-worded letter emphasizing
Tara's birthday and our lengthy travels to see "Dralion." A half an
hour later, I amazingly received:
"Paul no problem...for your request...You just have to ask for me after
the show and stay under the big top...I will reach you a few minutes
later...have a good day...and I hope you will enjoy the show on
Saturday...érik."
I stashed a copy of this email in my pocket.
At 7:41, I noticed a beam of light shining into the audience directly
across from us. I turned to Tara, pointed and said, "Let the show
begin," as a tuxedo-dressed clown with long hair bound by a red band
on her head began to mess with un-suspecting spectators. Throughout
the show I shared with Tara the laughter and nervousness and wonder of
her initial Cirque du Soleil experience. I yearned for the
suspension of time as Tara's grip on my arm never lessened for the
length of "Dralion." The moments of my initial "Mystère" experience
in 1996 came back to me. I felt like a Newbie once again.
Afterwards I told Tara to sit awhile and let the crowd disperse as we
discussed the magic we just witnessed. When the tent had nearly
emptied I approached an usher, showed him the email, and said, "I made
arrangements to meet Erik Karol, could you find out how or where,
please?" I hoped Tara would become distracted as she talked to her
grandmother, but she came to my side and heard the request. "Uh Dad,
did I just hear you say that we might meet Erik Karol? You're not
kidding, are you?" She began to tremble as I said, "Yes, er, no I'm
not kidding."
The usher found his supervisor who spoke into a walkie-talkie and told
us to have a seat. Minutes later, an imposing figure walked across
the stage and when he saw Tara, Erik Karol smiled like he had found
long lost friends. He signed our programs and told us how thrilled
he was to meet us. Not as thrilled as we were, of course. And when
he bent down and kissed Tara on the left cheek, she became speechless
for the first time in her life. As a security guard escorted us out
of the tent, she finally spoke: "I just met Erik Karol, I just met
Erik Karol,..." all the way to the parking lot.
With Tara and Mom tucked away in the car, I peered back at the Grand
Chapiteau's Cirque du Soleil insignia glowing proudly in the star-
etched night, and envisioned another spirit: a memory of a new hero's
meeting that will last forever.
=======================================================================
BEHIND THE CURTAIN:
"WHAT'S A 'Q&A SESSION' LIKE?" (By: Keith Johnson)
=======================================================================
The email appeared in our in-box, saying in part: "We are thrilled to
offer Cirque Club members the chance to attend an exclusive DRALION
Q&A session! Purchase a ticket in any category for the May 22, 8 p.m.
performance of DRALION [in San Diego, CA] and get exclusive access to
a POST-SHOW Q&A SESSION with the DRALION cast and crew. You do not
want to miss this unique opportunity to catch a glimpse of life under
the big top!".
We'd seen this before for other stops, and wondered- what do you get?
We finally had a chance to find out from, of all people, my mother,
who just happened to have tickets to that performance.
The Q&A session is generally offered once per tour stop, sometimes
during the last extension of the run (though we've been told it won't
always happen in each city, depending on participants' schedules).
One can speculate this is to generate business for slow-selling shows.
In any case, chances are the Cirque Club members receiving this
message have already seen the show earlier in it's run, so it might
engender repeat business.
The San Diego session was attended by about 35 people, who were
gathered in the center seating section close to the stage after the
performance. On stage were the local publicist, a Dancer-acrobat
performer, the technical manager, and someone who seemed to be the
tour manager (my mothers notes weren't complete). There was a mic on
a stand, but it was seldom used as people just asked questions from
their chairs.
The questions during the half-hour session were wide-ranging, from
housing, to logistics, training, and food. Many in the crowd seemed
knowledgeable about Cirque (Fascination! Readers perhaps? <g>) and
wanted more insight into the inner workings of the show.
In the end was the most surprising action - People were allowed to
take pictures with the participants! Since Cirque is very strict
about not allowing pictures inside the tent, this was very surprising.
Of course, it also could have been because someone asked to during the
Q&A session.
You'll need to decide for yourself whether it's worth seeing the show
(probably again) for this added perk. But it isn't often you can ask
Cirque employees your questions!
=======================================================================
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT:
"LE GRAND TOUR: MYSTÈRE & 'O'" (By: Ricky Russo)
=======================================================================
Las Vegas: The City of Lights. It has been called everything from Sin
City to "The Adult's Playground," yet it remains in the hearts and
minds of children and adults alike as a fabulous place where fortunes
can be won virtually overnight. For Cirque du Soleil fans, what draws
us to this "flower in the desert" are two of the Strip's finest shows:
Mystère and "O".
My Grand Tour of Cirque took me to Las Vegas from May 22nd through May
29th. During that time I was able to sample Mystère for the forth time
and "O" the third. After coming off of a very exciting and one-of-a-
kind trip to Montréal, I'm almost ashamed to say that I didn't even
look forward to my Las Vegas trip. Once I returned from Canada I fell
into a "recession", much like the U.S. Economy - not quite depressed,
but not quite whole - know what I mean? Luckily, though, as the weeks
turned into days, my excitement began to build again. Before long, I
was itching to stand outside of the Bellagio and awe at the fountains
(my favorite pastime in Vegas), walk through the Mirage and smell the
wonderful air scent (I'm not the only one addicted to it - eh Carol?),
or watch the pirate ship Hispaniola battle and sink the British
frigate HMS Britannia in the middle of Treasure Island's Buccaneer
Bay. Yes, by the time my plane hit the skies I was ready to hit Las
Vegas like a tornado.
I love Las Vegas, what can I say? The lights; the sounds; the money!
Only a year had passed since my last visit, but in a city that never
bats an eye to a demolition crew, I noticed changed very quickly.
Caesar's Palace was under construction again (building the new Celine
Dion theater) and the Desert Inn was totally gone (temporarily replaced
with "The Steve Wynn Gallery", home to the Steve Wynn fine art
collection). But nothing brought this home more so than when I visited
the MGM Grand to see a female lioness with whom I had my picture taken.
I was overwhelmed to see that the cute little lion cub I was able to
stroke and stand with had grown up! Paws that were mere centimeters
wide could now be measured in whole inches! She bounced, jumped and
leapt into my heart setting the right tempo for my journey.
I wondered about a couple of things as I went into Mystère and "O".
How would Paul Bowler's absence in Mystère be handled? And, could I
hear the rise and fall of the "O" stage from my front row seat?
Mystère:
--------
Walking into the Mystère theater is always a treat. The ceiling is
decorated with what appears to be a map, but it isn't the ceiling that
immediately catches your attention; it's the two baby buggies on
stage. And I would get a good view of these two items and the rest of
the show from my seat in Section 103, Row B, Seat 13, which is an isle
seat - and a damn good one too. The show began when Brian Le Petit
(played by Brian Dewhurst) hit the theater floor in his trademarked
black suit and gray frizzed hair. I was in stitches the entire time he
was performing - I don't know how many people fell for his assistance!
And what was really great, was not only did he lead a couple on stage
(for their seats), he actually attached their tickets to a bungee rope
and they were pulled up into the ceiling - just dangling down enough
for the audience to see them. I thought, "hey, strap me on a bungee...
I don't mind!"
It was a Friday night, about 7:25pm, and I was in a happy-happy mood.
Soon enough though the lights began to dim and the muttering of Moha
Samedi (Nicky Dewhurst) could be heard. Moments later he appeared on
stage complete with his red puppet. His gibberish continued to fill
the air until "Hey! They don't understand you stupid," replaced the
untold language with something we could understand. The puppet then
sat up, cleared his throat, and began again: "Ladies and Gentlemen,
welcome to Cirque du Soleil!"
I was so anxious I couldn't sit still!
"During the performance, smoke effects will be used. You, however, can
not smoke. And now... sit back, relax, and enjoy the 4000th
performance of... MYSTÈRE!"
The 4000th performance?
Yes indeed-y! Prior to my travels to Las Vegas I had been tipped off
that the performance I was attending would be a historic one. There
are only a small handful of original cast members (one of them
contacted me and told me of the significance of that nights
performance) and I was only too eager to sign up. While the show was
no different that any previous showing, it did add a little something
special to it.
The show itself went off without a hitch (and only one mistake in the
High-Bar), but Paul Bowler was severely missed. As told on the Cirque
Club discussion board and on the Cirque du Soleil discussion list,
Paul Bowler hurt his shoulder in March and was scheduled to be out for
about four to six months while he recovered. This meant that during my
performance he would be absent. I wondered what would replace his act
until I heard it was some kind of "strap-act". That, and a spoiler by
another fan who had gone to Vegas just before me, seemed to confirm
it.
In action, the act (which opened the show) is as much mysterious as
the regular opening Cube Act, but not as powerful. The opening act for
my performance featured a young black-haired man and two straps
(basically, the second half of the Cube Act performance, where Paul
Bowler swings around the stage). It was very reminiscent of the Aerial
Straps performance seen in Nouvelle Experience. He did all the moves
Paul Bowler would do, except without the Cube. Once he disappeared
into the Machine, the show went on as normal.
Watching the Bungees from the second row is always a treat. From
there, most of their performance is done virtually over your head. So,
just like before, I scooted down in my seat so my head could rest on
the back of my chair. There I was, arms folded across my chest, my
head resting on the seat back looking up at (in my opinion) the most
amazing performance done by Cirque du Soleil. You just can't beat
watching the Bungees this way. You feel like they're dancing just for
you, especially when you can see the expressions on the artists faces
as they dangle above you... I recommend it to all who get seats this
close - try it! (Also watch for them to get into position as
Kalimondo begins to play.)
Other character interactions were just as nice. Watching Pierre Dubé
Taïko Drummer) go nuts in his percussion booth while singing Kunya
Sobé and beating relentlessly on a small drum was quite funny. There
was the Green Lizard staring in my face and the whimsical nature of
the baby girl (who stuck her tongue out at me). Watching the sweat
drip off the foreheads of the Lorador Brothers (and wondering how the
hell they do it night after night) was something. Also the way the
Double Faced characters seemed to hang on to the theater wall and
crawl was amazing! Brian Le Petit is a quick thinker let me tell you,
with such gusto to lasso even an energetic husband into his box of
incarceration. And, finally, to one red bird who can manage to avoid a
bump on the head and still balance on his hands. I had a blast!
When it was over I was the first (and only person for a good 15
seconds) to jump out of my seat and give my heart to the performers -
they deserved all the applause I could give. And after their final
bows, I could do nothing more than look up at "Alice," the snail, and
smile. "Words don't do it justice," I said aloud and it rings true
still.
"O":
----
After Mystère I was jazzed and ready for my second Cirque du Soleil
show, "O" on the following Monday night. But this performance would be
different for me on two levels. First, I would be seeing the show from
a front row advantage (Section 104, Row A, Seat 18), which I had never
done before. Second, I had reservations about the show that I hoped
would be put to rest by this performance. In the past I've been pretty
vocal about the show's lack of pulling me into its whimsical world.
The first time I saw the show back in 1999 I found it to be a good
show, but not the best. That experience was probably clouded by the
fact I wanted to see Mystère more and had to "get through" 'O' to get
to what I really wanted to see.
The second time was equally deterring, if not more so. I was not in a
good seat, grumbling about the fact I was in the last row in the upper
orchestra section; not in a good mood due to my poor seat; and worried
about the show itself because it was not progressing in the order I
had expected, therefore I became concerned that favorite pieces of the
show would not be seen.
Unfortunately, I went into the lovely Bellagio theater with all these
misconceptions about the show. It also didn't help matters when Gufia
and Eugen (who I saw walking across the Bellagio casino floor just
prior to the show) appeared on stage. From my vantage point I
couldn't see their interactions! I couldn't see Gufia being taken from
the stage and whisked into the air. All I could see was the removal of
the curtain from floor to ceiling (which in itself was remarkable...
I could see exactly where it went!) Besides that first bit of trouble,
all my misconceptions about the show melted away as I received the
first splash of water from one of the artists. It was just a little
splash, but the whole experience grew from it.
Did you know that even though you're up front you still can not hear
the rise and fall of the stage? It's amazing! But you can hear the
creaks and strain of the overhead apparati as they are swung into
place. I found that to be a little distracting but it all added to the
mystery of "O".
Other interesting observations are more whimsical in nature, like: Do
you know how stick-like and thin Eugen's legs really are? And just how
funny it is to watch the Horse-Head Man swing his butt from side to
side as he walks down the stage? Or the fact that the Comets, as they
run by, are just centimeters from tripping over one another, but they
miraculously defy Murphy's Law and remain upright? Or how artists slip
in and out of the water with precision that just blows the mind? Or
that you can feel the storm (wind and rain) during the Cadre act? Or
how you get so wet from those Russian Swing performers? (Not so funny
when you wear glasses and you can't see!) Or that the clowns slip by
you with hardly a notice? Or that the Mongolian Contortionists don't
strain at all when they perform? Or that the bell on the center
Russian Swing doesn't really waft a nell? Or that a Red Comet started
to laugh as he picked up the mooring line from the Batteau? Or that
while the angelic singer was suspended over the pool the lyrics heard
didn't seem to match her lip movements? Or that the comets really do
fly over the audience? Or that the paper the man on fire reads has an
advertisement for "O" on it? Or how heartbreaking it is to see the
piano be wheeled on stage when you're having such a good time? Or how
satisfying it is to see the looks on people's faces as the balloon
basket drops down and from it the curtain unfolds? Or how wonderful it
is to watch the performers smile at their standing ovation?
I came away from this performance of "O" with a new-found respect and
admiration of the show, even if Toumany Kouyaté (lead male singer) did
not perform. I've always liked the show, but now I have found many
reasons to love it. Seeing it from the front row has destroyed all the
misconceptions I had about it, and truly paid homage to the old saying
"the third time's the charm." It certainly was for me and I am
all the better for it.
No fan can resist the urge to shop once the show ends, and I am no
exception. Since I was the last to leave the "O" Theater I was treated
to a very packed B"O"utique. I braved the masses and made a couple of
purchases that would allow me to take a little bit of "O" home. The
first thing I picked up was a silver "O" key chain. It's not real
silver, but it is heavy. "Cirque du Soleil" is etched on one side, and
the other says "At Bellagio, Las Vegas" on the other. It will replace
the "Mufasa/Sarabi/Simba - Lion King" key chain I've had since 1997.
My other purchase was the "O" raised-surface magnet. These magnets
are rather nice and feature the logo's of each show. This will join my
other "memento magnets", which I currently hold 4 - Varekai (from
Montréal), Mystère and "O" (from Las Vegas), and the Cirque du Soleil
Logo. My permanent reminders of my "Grand Tour."
The Bellagio:
-------------
No reflection of Las Vegas would be complete without mentioning the
$1.6 billion dollar Bellagio. It's name means "Elegant Relaxation" in
Italian (at least, according to the 1999 Mirage Resorts Annual Report)
and that's exactly what you get - elegance. From the $15 million
dollar lobby, complete with a glass sculpture from artist Dale Chihuly
(called "Fiori di Como", which means "Flowers of Como", it is composed
of over 2,000 individually blown pieces), to the synchronized
Fountains that reside in its lake (created by WET Design and
commissioned by Steve Wynn), the Bellagio is nothing but pure grace.
It doesn't try to throw it in your face like some resorts, or rely too
much on some gaudy theme. It sits there proudly above them all on the
Las Vegas strip.
I can't tell you how much I love the Bellagio, especially the
Fountains outside. My week ended as it began - right there at the
Bellagio Fountains. I'd seen and heard such productions as One
Singular Sensation, the Pink Panther, Luck Be A Lady, and even Singin'
in the Rain, but my favorite eluded me until the night I saw "O".
It was a clear night, with the lights reflecting off of the lake. The
Bellagio itself was adorned in orange and blue hues and the sidewalks
were a-buzz with activity. I had just finished shopping in the
boutique after "O", and decided to catch a performance while I still
had time. Words failed me as I stepped outside and took up space at
the railing; the fountains sprang to life and immediately I knew
they'd play my song. The beginning pattern of the water is not hard to
recognize as it's not flashy or sudden; it's as elegant as the song it
accompanies. And perhaps that's why I love it so much. The song, "Con
Te Partiro" (With You I'll Leave) or "Time to Say Goodbye", matches
the Bellagio in every way. An elegant song for an elegant display.
The voices of Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli cried out while the
lake came alive with dancing water, lights and movement. My body
swayed along with the motion of the water as I sang in rejoice. I
couldn't help but shed a tear or two as I watched the water of the
fountains dance to the beautiful voices of its singers. After waiting
so long to hear this song, and to finally hear it on the one night I
fully embraced the watery world of "O", my resolve was too weakened to
stop any kind of emotional display.
The whole Las Vegas experience has left me more thirsty for Cirque du
Soleil than ever before. Unfortunately, it was "time to say goodbye"
to the Bellagio, to Cirque du Soleil, and to the desert. It was time
to look to future endeavors that would take me to places around the
world. The next stop on my Grand Tour of Cirque shows takes me to
Denver, Colorado. There, Alegría makes its triumphant return to the
United States. That journey begins on June 21, 2002 and thus the
mantra lives on: "Live to Cirque; Cirque to Live."
=======================================================================
BEYOND THE BIGTOP:
"MORE COVERAGE ON THAT WALLPAPER!" (By: Keith Johnson)
=======================================================================
Two issues back, we introduced you to a rather unique aspect of the
Cirque universe; Cirque du Soleil Wallcovering. But we didn't know
then what we know now; that this was not the first time the Cirque
mystique was captured on wallpaper and upholstery fabric.
This was just one revelation from a recent conversation with Mr.
Pierre Cousineau (pronounced Coo-zee-no), Vice President of
Distribution for Montreal, Quebec, Canada's Beauport Wallcovering
Company. We were very surprised to learn that there was a previous
edition of Cirque wallcovering designs. And that the idea didn't come
from Cirque in-house. But even more surprising was Mr. Cousineau's
explanation of how the wallcovering book(s) came to be!
The story actually starts in Montreal (Cirques' "home town"), on a
wintery evening during the 1994 Christmas season. Mr. Cousineau was
working for Ontario wallcovering producer International Wallpaper at
the time. While on a walk one evening he happened to notice a Cirque
pamphlet advertising a local engagement of "Saltimbanco." With its
bright colors and strong visual design sense, it caught his attention.
"I wish I had a wallpaper book with that sense of design," he thought.
At the time, after its '94 Tokyo tour and prior to its '95 European
tour, Cirque had rented a local warehouse where it set up
"Saltimbanco" to play for the Christmas season. (This is also a new
revelation, as such an engagement has never been listed in Cirque's
tour histories.) It was after seeing the show with it's grand design
and spectacle that Mr. Cousineau was convinced the power of the
imagery could be translated into wallcovering form. The following
Monday he was on the phone to Cirque's home offices, who referred him
to a New York agency.
But he had to fight the battle on two fronts. Not only was Cirque
unsure about whether their imagery could be translated to a wall, no
one at International Wallcovering wanted to take on the design task.
So he contacted a free-lance designer who had done other wallcovering
books for him - Ms. Vicki Butler, who designs under the name Tzaddi!
LLC. Intrigued by his idea, the Philadelphia-based designer met Mr.
Cousineau for a New York City performance of "Alegría" in the Spring
of 1995. That was all it took - Ms. Butler was inspired to come up
with several initial designs. They were designed to be unique and
upscale. "They had to be very different," comments Mr. Cousineau.
"If not Cirque wouldn't have approved the concept."
But by late Spring of 1996, after months of Mr. Cousineau trying to
get an appointment to present the initial designs, Cirque still wasn't
sure. As he learned later, there was a meeting at Cirque headquarters
at which the topic of wallcovering was brought up. For long moments,
no one at the meeting spoke. Finally a woman at the table suggested,
"He's been bugging us for six months, let him come and show us some
designs. What can it hurt?" Mr. Cousineau made an appointment almost
immediately and presented the drawings, but the final OK rested with
company founder Guy Laliberté, who was out of town at the time. So
Mr. Cousineau left Cirque headquarters not knowing if his ideas would
fly or not.
The day Mr. Laliberté returned, the drawings were spread out on a
table in his office. For 10 minutes he carefully examined them
without speaking, "which is a world record" according to Mr.
Cousineau's contact. Finally Mr. Laliberté broke his silence.
"These guys understand."
Mr. Laliberté grasped what Ms. Butler and Mr. Cousineau were trying to
accomplish, taking the emotions and color and energy of Cirque du
Soleil and translating them in graphic terms to wallcovering. He
could "see the concept," said Mr. Cousineau, "and if they like the
concept they let you go."
The next two years they were "tortured by the direction, struggling"
with the assignment. Slowly, the initial drawings were turned into
bold, original, full-color finished designs, different from "regular"
wallpaper. The International Wallcovering book was distributed in
June, 1998 and was discontinued in June of 2001. (Wallcoverings
generally have a shelf life of two to three years because as, Mr.
Cousineau says, "tastes change.") The book was successful but took
awhile to catch on. "Vicki's books do better the second year than the
first," he suggests, "because her designs are somewhat ahead of their
time. It takes the public a bit of time to catch up to her."
One interesting story Mr. Cousineau tells about his attempts to get
the book into designers' hands involves Hollywood. Normally,
wallcovering books are just sent to the designers at the various
studios (who keep copies in their design libraries) with little
fanfare - a "non event." But Mr. Cousineau had a different plan, to
make more of an "event" out of the Cirque wallpaper, showcasing Ms.
Butlers' unique designs.
So he sent one of the books to a distributor friend in Los Angeles,
Mr. Aaron Kirsch, who facilitated set designers at the Hollywood
studios. "Just do me a favor," Mr. Cousineau requested. "Tell them
there's this weirdo who wants to fly all the way down from Montreal
just to show them a book of wallpaper from Cirque du Soleil. If you
don't get any appointments, fine." By the next day, Mr. Kirsch had
appointments with nearly all of the people he called! The wallcovering
later appeared on the sets of "Friends," "Mad About You," "3rd Rock
From The Sun," and "The Nanny" to name a few.
Later on Mr. Cousineau switched companies, becoming Vice President of
Distribution for Beauport Wallcovering. But he took his relationship
with Cirque with him, and suggested another book of designs be created
to be produced by his new company. Vicki Butler was again the
designer, and in June, 2001 the "Cirque du Soleil Collection Volume A:
A Fantastic Journey" book was sent to 6,500 decorators, designers and
retailers by American distributor Seabrook Wallcoverings
(www.seabrookwallcoverings.com) immediately after the previous book
was discontinued.
The new designs are also making inroads into Hollywood, having just
been extensively incorporated into the Casino set for the NBC daytime
drama "Days of our Lives." And Mr. Cousineau is still working hard to
get the idea of Cirque wallpaper out to the public. One idea he'd
like to see is having the wallpaper books sent to local papers in
cities where Cirque appears. Perhaps then more people will become
aware of this fascinating product of Cirque du Soleil.
Our thanks go to Mr. Cousineau for graciously sharing his time with
us, and Sabrina Levine of Lizzie Grubman Public Relations in NYC for
putting us in touch.
=======================================================================
FROM THE BOUTIQUE:
"VIVA LAS VEGAS" (By: Ricky Russo)
=======================================================================
To many Cirque fans, Las Vegas is Mecca - the holy city. Nowhere else
in the world can you see two of Cirque's shining achievements to
grace, power and elegance. And, it shouldn't surprise anyone to know
that Las Vegas also has two Cirque du Soleil boutiques, chock full of
goodies any Cirque fan may want.
My visit to Las Vegas pretty much went as it did last time, in July
2001: I picked up my tickets, visited the store, and went on. This
time, however, I decided to take a longer look at some of the items
for sale, so our readers could have a better understanding of what was
available at the boutiques - new or otherwise. In many cases items
available in the Las Vegas stores are usually not available anywhere
else.
The Mystère store, located across from the showroom, was filled with
the sounds and visuals of the show. Playing on large screens in the
back of the store were clips from Mystère alternating with clips from
its sister show, "O". The store changed very little from my last visit,
but I did notice a few new items.
This Spring, Cirque du Soleil released new 3-D "Raised Surface"
magnets made of medium-density fiberboard. These magnets, made in
Canada, are available for La Nouba, Mystère, "O", Dralion, Alegría,
Varekai, Quidam and the Cirque du Soleil logo (there was something
similar for Journey of Man in 2000 but it has since been
discontinued). Most notably the show missing from this lineup was
Saltimbanco - does this mean that it is at its end soon? Both shops
featured the logo magnets for Mystère and "O" as well as the Cirque du
Soleil logo magnet. They are $6.00 each and are also available through
the online Cirque store at www.cirquestore.com.
The next item that held my interest was a new Mystère logo shirt. It
is very similar to the Chambellan Jr mask shirt that has dominated the
Treasure Island store for a long time. But, this shirt differs from
its predecessors in many ways: The first logo shirt featured
Chambellan Jr in blue, white and yellow (eyebrows). He is featured
with his nose pointing from left to right with the Mystère logo at top
and a green-lined box surrounding him. The second version of this
shirt (beginning in 1996) shows Chambellan Jr in a pose left to right,
in multi colors - blue, orange, red, white and purple. This shirt is
surrounded by a blue and gray-lined box with the Mystère logo and
"Cirque du Soleil" at top, and "Treasure Island" at bottom. The new
shirt keeps the second shirts pose, only the colored lines surrounding
the logo are gone, and the top is replaced with "Cirque du Soleil" in
smaller white letters, followed by the Mystère multi-colored logo. The
shirt also sports eyebrows and other facial features that have been
touched up with glitter. If you want a representation of this shirt,
look inside the new Quidam CD, where it shows you the other CDs
available. The picture of the Mystère CD is an exact copy of the shirt
(or vice-versa). Or, check out the Cirque store online at
www.cirquestore.com, and find the Magnet picture, which is also the
same.
Most of the shirts for Mystère are only available at the Treasure
Island store. There are a wide variety available - from the $20.00
Logo shirt to ones featuring the Chinese Poles artists (at $26.00).
There's even one or two that feature the Alexis Brother's, in one of
their signature poses. What you won't find in the store is anything
with the "old" Mystère pink mask logo, with the following exceptions:
You can still purchase a mask that looks exactly like the old
Mystère pink mask (this mask was featured on the Mystère programmes
from 1994 through 1998). You can also find a representation of this
mask on a few Candles that are for sale only in the Treasure Island
store. One item in the candle department did catch my eye - it was a
small cylindrical glass surrounding with multi-colored candle wax
inside (unfortunately I did not notice the price - it was relatively
inexpensive however). The Mystère logo was etched on the glass, and
while I did not purchase the candle, I thought it was an interesting
piece.
The "O" boutique did not really sport anything new from my last visit
either. In fact, it had changed very little since I first saw it in
1999. There were the same "O" logo shirts, the infamous group Zebras
and the lone Zebra "Pose" shirts (in white, gray, and navy blue) - all
at standard $20.00 prices. But one thing did catch my eye: musical
snow-globes. Inside a half-filled sphere (or globe) sits a Red Comet
astride on his horse (a scene from the show). On the bottom of this
item rests a turn-knob. Once turned, the globe begins to play the
piano solo portion of the song "O" from the show and it loops over
that portion of the song until the spring completely unwinds. I saw no
other interesting items that were not either available online or
hadn't been available before. I did take note that there were no new
show programmes available for either show. Both Mystère and "O"
sported 2001 published years.
In a past issue I mentioned that the Mystère studio CD was no longer
being sold by Cirque. This is the case in Vegas as well as on their
online store (www.cirquestore.com). The reason for this is simple: "It
didn't move." Everyone, it seemed, wanted the Live version for the
Taïko drums, and thus the regular (old) studio CD never sold. The
powers-that-be removed it from the floor. Curiously, you can still
listen to the CD through the "touch-screen" audio kiosks in both the
Treasure Island and Bellagio stores. And you can still purchase the CD
through online stores like Amazon.com and CDNow.com.
Speaking of CDs, I noticed that all varieties were being sold: the Le
Cirque du Soleil and Nouvelle Experience CDs that are no longer being
sold at the La Nouba boutique, were being sold in Vegas. Also of note
was that the Mystère store did NOT have the "new" Quidam CD, with the
extra tracks. As for videos, both boutiques were selling all the newly
released Videos and DVDs. This includes: Le Magie Continue, Cirque
Réinventé, Nouvelle Experience, Saltimbanco, Quidam, Dralion and
Inside La Nouba. Both stores also had another interesting item - the
"Truth of Illusion" video, which is currently out of print and not
available anywhere else. Not even directly from Cirque du Soleil!
Needless-to-say, my journeys through the Las Vegas Cirque stores did
leave me with a little less cash and a few more souvenirs. But it was
fun looking at all the Cirque stuff!
=======================================================================
PARTING QUOTE
=======================================================================
"YOU, get out!"; "Awwwwww"; "YOU ALL GET OUT!"
- Moha Samedi (Mystère)
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NEXT ISSUE...
=======================================================================
The World of Cirque du Soleil continues to evolve before our eyes.
Sometimes what we plan for our next issue doesn't always come
together. We do apologize for not having the promised Varekai musings,
but we assure you that we will continue to explore the new show as
well as bring you other exciting news and features about Cirque du
Soleil! With that said, it is our current plan to bring you features
on John Gilkey and Mooky Cornish/Claudio Adalberto Carniero as well as
explore how Varekai has evolved over the last few weeks. That and more
in our next issue!
Thank you for reading!
Have a comment, question or concern? Simply email the Fascination!
Newsletter staff at either richasi@azlance.com or through the
Yahoo Groups email address: 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. If you wish to unsubscribe, please send an email to:
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< CirqueFascination-subscribe@yahoogroups.com >. If you have any
questions, feel free to email us at: richasi@azlance.com.
=======================================================================
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
=======================================================================
"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.
{Issue 10a: August 01, 2002}
