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Fascination Issue 007
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Fascination! Newsletter
Issue #7 - March 2002
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Quidam. Just mention the name to a Cirque fan and he or she
immediately begins to think of the suited man - headless - holding an
umbrella. The image is stark and striking and we, like the rest, can't
get that image out of our heads. Quidam was introduced to us in 1996
and is still going strong. It has returned to the fans of the United
States in a year-long (perhaps longer) North American tour. Its future
still remains a mystery just like the man - the Quidam - holding the
umbrella. Now, let us take you on a journey through Quidam...
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Contents:
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* News & Rumors
* The Itinerary (Tour/Show Information)
* This Month in Cirque History
* Birthday Wishes
* Cirque TV
* Le Spectacle:
"From One Dream to Another - Quidam" (By T. Clay Buck)
* Cirque Musique:
"Waiting For the Curtain Call" (By: Paul Roberts)
* Behind the Curtain:
"The Headless Man" (By: Ricky Russo/Paul Roberts)
* The Cirque Connection:
"Cirque du Ebay" (By: Kimba Barton)
* Beyond the Big Top:
"Wallpaper... huh!?" (By: Keith Johnson)
* Le Spectateur:
"Behind the Scenes of Journey of Man" (By: Jen Waldman)
* From the Boutique:
"Up For Grabs..." (By: Ricky Russo)
* Parting Quote
* Next Issue
* Subscription Information
* Copyright & Disclaimer
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NEWS & RUMORS
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News
------
Cirque extends Quidam Run:
Due to popular demand, Cirque du Soleil is extending the Miami
run of Quidam. Miami is the first stop in Quidam's new North
American Tour. The extension will add performances from March
13th through March 17th and tickets are available to Cirque Club
members only. < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/
clubcirque/tickets/miami_admission.htm >. Get them while you
can, they will be released to the general public soon!
Cirque and New York, New York?:
There are many rumors floating about regarding whether or not
there will be another Cirque show in Las Vegas. Fans have heard
that Mystère will fold and Alegría will take its place. We've
heard that Mystère will stay indefinitely and there'd just be 3
shows on the strip. Well, it looks like the second option is a
possibility. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, the New
York, New York casino and hotel have been actively courting
Cirque du Soleil founder and president Guy Lailberte to set up
another big top on their property. In an article published
December 4, 2001, Alan Feldman (Vice President of Public Affairs
for MGM Mirage) confirmed that the New York, New York casino
hotel is the number one choice for the next Cirque show on the
Las Vegas Strip.
Where would it go?
According to the published article, Cirque could set up a Big
Top on-property (Think Nouvelle Experience in 1992 at the
Mirage) until a theater could be built for the show. Or, it
might move in to the Broadway Theater, which is currently
occupied by "Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance". Regardless of
the outcome, which has not yet been finalized, one thing remains
clear: There has been no announcement from Cirque and a theme
has not yet been discussed. We will, of course, keep you up-to-
date on this interesting bit of news.
Want to read the source article yourself? Go here: <
http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Dec-04-Tue-2001/
news/17590736.html >.
Quidam to have Post Show Q&A:
Ever wanted to meet a performer? Well now you can! For those
fans who are a member of the CirqueClub, Cirque's own fan club
(www.cirqueclub.com), tickets for this special engagement are
exclusively available for purchase. The March 6th 8:00pm
performance is set to have this exclusive Post-show Q&A session
with the cast and crew of Quidam. You can only purchase the
tickets online for this very special event. Do so here and don't
delay: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/
clubcirque/tickets/miami_admission.htm >.
Wo ist das Mime? (Mime Your Own Business):
When many folks first join the Cirque e-Group, they have many
questions. One of which is "Where is René Bazinet," clown
extraordinaire from Saltimbanco? "What is he doing now?" Well,
we found the mime and he is currently doing a show at Roncalli's
Apollo Variete Theater in Düsseldorf, Germany. The show, playing
every night through March (ending March 31st and being only dark
on March 29th) plays every night. The Master Mime MC's the
packed show and also sings a few songs and performs a few acts.
One of those acts is "Chewing Gum", which René performed on the
streets of Paris.
René Bazinet has done work all over the world, including a
partnership with David Shiner (ex-clown for Cirque in the 1990-
1992 production of Nouvelle Expérience) in a production called
"Big Top Clowns". We hope to see more from this multi-talented
performer in the future and will keep you updated on his
whereabouts as they come to light.
Cirque at the 74th Academy Awards!:
Released on February 22, 2002 by Cirque du Soleil Marketing,
fans and non-fans alike will have a unique chance to see a one-
of-a-kind performance by the Canadian circus troupe at the 74th
Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, CA. Show producer Laura Ziskin
lets us in (a little) regarding what we will see that night:
"Cirque du Soleil will be performing a piece that is in a salute
to a particular aspect of film we will be honoring." While she
will not say exactly what their plans are, it is to be a
spectacular production consisting of 30 artists from five
different Cirque productions. This "tailor-made" performance was
choreographed by Debra Brown with the music composed by Benoit
Jutras. The 74th Academy Awards will be telecast on the ABC
Television Network on Sunday, March 24, 2002. The show begins at
8:30pm Eastern Standard Time (5:30pm Pacific Standard Time) -
Don't miss this opportunity!
Got Cirque?:
Those amazing people who created a catch phrase with their "Got
Milk?" campaign have done it again. Only this time they're
giving Cirque performers the milky moustache. Using two of the
Mongolian contortionists from "O", the Milk industry gives fans
of Cirque du Soleil a unique picture. "Try this at Home**"
appears at the upper left of the poster, while a notation
appears below right: "** We mean the drinking milk part. Low fat
milk helps prevent osteoporosis and keeps your bones supple." We
think this is a great idea and hope to see more of this in the
future!
Elena Lev, Injured:
Fans of Elena Lev were disappointed recently when she did not
perform her Hoop act in Quidam, as rumored and reported
previously. She had joined the Quidam NAT troupe in Miami but
was injured early in the run and has not performed. She performs
a Hoop manipulation act (similar to Alegría's) with the Hand
balancing music (Yes, Olga's) and in Olga's costume. We wish her
well and a speedy recovery.
Cirque's Costume Balls:
An interesting find these Relic Costume Balls are, filled with
cuts of costume, sprinkles, and pictures of the cast. Crafted
and designed by Canadian Artist Holly Dean, these glass balls
are a unique gift to get any Cirque du Soleil fan. They are
$25.00 each and later on in the issue, we explore these unique
gifts further.
Richard Oberacker, Vampire Hunter:
Ex-Dralion bandleader and keyboardist Richard Oberacker has keep
himself busy since he left the show. He is currently writing the
music for a "Dracula" Play that opens in Cincinnati, Ohio the
first weekend in March. For further details about this
interesting production, please visit: < http://enquirer.com/
editions/2002/02/17/tem_3dracula_musicals.html >.
Rumors
--------
New Show Name to Be Released?
Well, we hope the new show, tentatively titled Cirque 2002
(officially) and "ROM" (unofficially), will soon receive its
official touring name. And, we hear it shall by the beginning of
April. Sit tight Cirque fans, the waiting is almost over. Next
issue we will feature Cirque 2002, reprinting all the news and
rumors known about the show prior to its April 24th debut. Stay
tuned!
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THE ITINERARTY (Tour/Show Information)
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[Touring Shows]
Alegría:
* Now: Singapore 2/28/02 - 3/24/02.
* Denver, Colorado: 6/20/02
* Other NAT Tour Stops Unscheduled
Cirque 2002:
* Montréal: 4/24/02 - 6/2/02
* Québec: 6/27/02 - 7/14/02
* Other Confirmed Stops:
- Toronto: Summer 2002
- San Jose: Fall 2002
- San Francisco: Fall 2002
Dralion:
* Greater Los Angeles: 3/6/02 - 3/24/02
* San Diego: 4/18/02 - 5/12/02
* Portland, Oregon: 6/12/02 - 7/7/02
* Seattle, Washington: Summer 2002
Quidam:
* Miami, Florida: 2/7/02 - 3/17/02
* Charlotte, North Carolina: 3/29/02 - 4/14/02
* Other Stops:
- Pittsburgh, PA.: Spring 2002
- Detroit: Summer 2002
Saltimbanco:
* Amsterdam: 2/14/02 - 4/14/02
* Barcelona: 4/26/02 - 5/26/02
* Vienna: 7/10/02 - 8/4/02
* Brussels: Fall 2002
* Madrid: 10/31/02 - 12/01/02
* London: 1/7/03 - 1/26/03
[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:
- February 3rd through February 6th
- April 1st through 4th
- 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:
- February 3rd through February 6th
- April 7th through April 10th
- 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:
- February 18th through 19th
- April 29th through 30th
- June 19th through 27th
- August 12th through 13th
- October 14th through 15th
- December 4th through 19th
NOTE: If you have any information, news or rumors, please
email me at: richasi@azlance.com and we'll try and post it to the
next issue!
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THIS MONTH IN CIRQUE HISTORY
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* March 04, 1999 -- Quidam European Tour Began in Amsterdam
* March 04, 1999 -- New Tour Name Released -- Dralion
* March 06, 2001 -- Alegría opened Melbourne, Australia
* March 11, 1994 -- Saltimbanco Japan Tour Began (ended 9/11/94)
* March 14, 1999 -- Alegría Film showcased at Santa Barbara Festival
* March 18, 1999 -- Saltimbanco opened Sydney, Australia
* March 23, 1993 -- Nouvelle Experience CD Released
* March 23, 2000 -- Alegría performed 2000th performance (8:00pm/Biloxi)
* March 24, 1998 -- Cirque du Soleil Collection CD Released
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BIRTHDAY WISHES!
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* March 15, 1963 -- Erik Karol (Ex-Singer/Dralion)
* March 22, 1969 -- Miguel Herrera (Juggler/Saltimbanco)
* March 28, 1967 -- Alain Bergé (Drummer/Saltimbanco)
====================================================================
LE SPECTACLE:
"FROM ONE DREAM TO ANOTHEHR - QUIDAM" (By: T. Clay Buck)
====================================================================
By the Summer of 1998 I had seen Mystère twice and one
earlier Cirque du Soleil show on a very poor quality VHS tape (it
was so bad, I'm not even sure what show it was). So, when
posters and newspaper ads began going up all over the city of
Chicago announcing the arrival of Quidam, I was on the phone
immediately to purchase tickets. Quidam opened July 22, 1998 in
the parking lot of the United Center on Chicago's west side -
under the shadow and watchful gaze of a statue to Michael Jordan.
I was fortunate to see it three times that Summer, and am still
in absolute awe of the production. Having seen Mystère, I
thought I knew Cirque du Soleil, but nothing compares to that
first encounter underneath Le Chapiteau.
Quidam marks Cirque du Soleil's ninth production and
premiered in Montreal on April 23, 1996. In the words of Franco
Dragone, the show's director, it "casts light on our frailty and
angst at the dawn of a new century." One assumes that somewhere
during the creation of Quidam the concept and preliminary
planning for "O" was somewhere in the back of Dragone's mind - or
even in the very forefront. But, at least for the time being,
Quidam marks the last collaboration of the quintessential Cirque
team on a touring production. With Franco Dragone at the helm as
Director and Author, it once again brought together the talents
of Choreographer Debra Brown, Costume Designer Dominique Lemieux,
Lighting Designer Luc LaFortune, Composer Benoit Jutras, and Set
Designer Michel Crete all led by their Guide, Guy LaLiberte and
Director of Creation Gille Ste-Croix.
Quidam, too, in my mind, marks a major turning point in the
realization of Cirque productions. From Le Cirque Réinventé
through Alegría - and for the sake of this discussion, I refer
only to touring productions - this creative team had been
building up to the perfection of its concept of combining its
incredible circus arts into a complete sensory experience - the
co-mingling of lights, sounds, and visuals to tell a complete
story thematically unified. Of all of Cirque's productions,
Quidam probably accomplishes this feat most effectively. At
least in my humble opinion.
According to the shows program, the word "Quidam" comes
from the Latin and signifies "a nameless passerby, a solitary
figure lingering on a street corner, a person rushing past, a
person who lives lost amidst the crowd in an all-too-anonymous
society." And while the Quidam of the story could be interpreted
as its main character, the young girl, the audience leaves
believing that, even though they themselves may be the "Quidam"
in this Everyman story, there is hope, joy, and a world in
which the impossible does exist.
Quidam tells the story of a young girl - initially
portrayed by Audrey Brison-Jutras, daughter of composer Benoit
Jutras - who lives in a drab world, completely bored, and ignored
by her parents. A mystical creature enters her life and introduces
her to two guides who carry her through a fantastical world of
sight and sound until she is reunited with her family, realizing
that the world is a beautiful, terrifying place after all.
In typical Cirque du Soleil fashion, the show begins while
the audience is still gathering. Our guide for the evening,
"John," greets the audience as they come through the door,
playing with their hair, stealing their tickets, eating their
popcorn, and generally causing a nuisance. He is followed by a
troupe of characters dressed head-to-toe in white, hooded suits.
Of course this group picks an unwilling volunteer from the
audience, takes him backstage and brings him out dressed as one of
them. John harasses him a little and sends him back to his
seat. As the house lights go dim, John takes the stage and plays
snippets of songs on an old transistor radio - snippets of songs
from previous Cirque productions, at which he sneers and turns up
his nose. He reads us our instructions for the evening - no
smoking, no pictures, and the like - and then leads us through
this incredible story for the next two hours.
The show opens on the young girl at home with her parents
seated in typical family pose. The father reads the paper, the
mother stares vacantly into space, Audrey tries to entertain
herself and engage her parents. A knock at the door brings a
character straight from a Magritte painting - a headless man, a
Quidam, carrying an umbrella, who drops his hat in the center of
this family scene. Thunder rolls, lightning flashes, and the
family is carried away in one of the most amazing feats to occur
under the Big Top. The entire ceiling of the tent is covered in
a track that lifts characters and set pieces to the stage
and carries them off. In blissful ignorance, the parents are
carried off still in their chairs, seemingly unaware of what is
taking place around them.
At the same time, our young heroine's guides to this
fantastical world are introduced - John, who we have already met,
and hilariously portrayed originally by American comedian John
Gilkey, and Fritz, an always-smiling, impish character brought
to life by Austrian Karl Baumann. These two cohorts carry
the young girl through adventure after adventure, beginning
with the phenomenal German Wheel act by Chris Lashua. The
Wheel rolls into place in what was the living room, and Lashua
carries it through a series of rolls, twists, and turns that
defy explanation. It flips from side to side, and returns to
a straight vertical. It rolls across the stage at dizzying
speeds. Lashua guides this huge apparatus through varying
tricks in a display of athleticism unlike anything seen before
- some even with his hands held calmly behind his back.
What is also incredibly unique and well-done in Quidam is
the transitions between the acts. Each act follows one after the
other, yet the interludes between each one continue the through-
line of the story. Each performer in the troupe plays many
different roles throughout the show, helping to tell the story
and further it along. I saw the show three times during its
Chicago run, and each time the acts were placed in different
sequence - on some occasions a certain act would be left out
completely and replaced by another, a typical occurrence during
the touring shows. Each time, though, the transitions were
flawless and continued the through-line in a perfect way. (For
this article, I am using the order of the acts as they are
presented in the video, filmed in Amsterdam, which is my memory
of the first time I saw it. Some of the performers had
changed, but the acts were still the same).
As the acts progress, the Quidam's world becomes more
fantastical, more chaotic, and more beautiful. After the German
Wheel rolls off, the troupe returns to the stage running,
leaping, dancing across it with the young girl, Audrey, taking in
all she can. Her parents appear, still in oblivion, her father
with his head pushed through the newspaper lost in the confusion.
Performers traverse the stage in a chorus of Audrey look-alikes,
teasing her and John alike, while the remainder of the troupe
come on with varying sizes of drums - from small, tinny snare
drums to the large, thundering taïko drums, now an essential part
of any Cirque production.
Through this group come the four young girls carrying their
Diabolos who perform a quartet of juggling by tossing them
across the revolving stage, forming pyramids and seeming-
impossible uses of the ropes and spinning tops. In one of the
most beautiful uses of the stage, at the end of the act, the four
girls spin their tops up ropes hanging from the ceiling of the
tent, from which drop in synchronization streamers of white and
blue.
As they run off, again our troupe of performers comes
through as we watch the Father traverse the tent suspended from
the giant track, seemingly walking on air. I recently watched
the video again, and while this particular segment appears there,
it can't compare to what it looks like live. As our eyes gaze
toward the top of the tent, a cocoon of red silk comes from behind
the orchestra at the front, and the amazingly beautiful Isabelle
Chassé performs the Aerial Contortion in Silk. To the best of my
knowledge, this act had never been performed in a Cirque du
Soleil show previously. For everyone in Chicago who had seen the
show, this became the penultimate act of the evening. Not only
is it an athletically astonishing act, but in context it was so
hauntingly beautiful, performed to "Let Me Fall" from the
soundtrack, but sung in Cirquish language. This act has been
used again by Cirque in various forms, particularly in Dralion
(jaded Chicagoans responded with, "Oh, we saw that three years
ago"), but was particularly stunning in the red silk of Quidam.
As a trio of Mother look-alikes, all dressed in red, come
to carry Isablle off after her performance, they are followed by
the remainder of the troupe who begin the languid Skipping Ropes
section - at first a simple display of athletic prowess, led by
soloist Renee Bibaud - then morphing into an eclectic, energetic
display of skill and timing as the entire troupe performs
together. The video shows a nice shot from the ceiling of the
tent in an almost Busby Burklee display of symmetry.
The Skipping Ropes were followed by the Aerial Hoops. I
remember this being the most terrifying, dizzying act of the
performance. The hoops, suspended from the overhead track, whirl
in a blur as the trio of performers manipulate and climb over
them. With intense synchronization and precision the performers
twirl the hoops and stop them on cue, using the air and the stage
to propel them around. I remember hearing after Quidam had left
Chicago and moved on to Atlanta that one of the performers had
fallen during the show. She was back on within two or three
days.
Following the Aerial Hoops came the Handbalancing act,
performed by Olga Pikhienko. Elevated on a small platform and
carried by the ever-revolving stage, she tackles pose
after pose on the delicate poles in an ever-increasing display of
difficulty. This was one of the most typical "circus" acts in
Quidam, but was also one of the most virtuoso performances.
After her leaving the stage, our guide John returns in his
hilarious display of marksmanship with a set of darts. He wears
a target on his head and tosses darts in the air to land on the
target. Of course he misses, to our great amusement, and leaves
the stage in a howl of agony as the overhead track brings a
series of ropes onto the stage, each with a performer attached,
high over our heads.
And thus begins the incredible Spanish Web act, with
acrobats climbing up and down the ropes, tying them around their
bodies and flying through the air. In the live performance, the
climax of this act was the character of Fritz, constantly wanting
to be involved and meeting everything with a smile, climbing the
ropes as the porter on the ground begins to spin the rope. Fritz
flies off, attached to the main rope only by his ankle, flying
and laughing hilariously over heads. Additionally, the character
of the Father was a principal soloist in the Spanish Webs act,
portrayed by Daniel Touchette. He was the one who originally
tied the rope in many loops around his body, ultimately letting
it roll him precariously down to the ground. As a part of the
story, this act began the transformation of the Father character
into a more open, carefree person.
After the Spanish Webs have left the stage, our friend John
returns and performs the bit that got him noticed by Cirque du
Soleil in the first place. According to him, he had been begging
Cirque du Soleil to hire him for years, but to no avail (More
information about him is available at www.JohnGilkey.com). John
performs a fun juggling act with a ball and a hat stand to the
incomparable singer Yma Sumac's "Gopher." It is a light-hearted
moment of frivolity and fun in this crazy mixed-up world of
Quidam.
A recurring element of Quidam is the nameless, faceless,
ubiquitous characters dressed from head to toe in white
medical-looking suits. These characters come in and out of the
show, as they had participated with John at the very beginning,
in various ways. After John leaves the stage they come rolling
out in a group, form a clump in the middle and out of their midst
come the next two performers, Yves Decoste and Marie-Laure
Mesnage, to do the Statue or Vis Versa act. Reminiscent of
similar acts in other Cirque shows, this duo balancing act is a
Cirque trademark, particularly beautiful in Quidam as a
counterpoint to some of the more frantic performances. It is
slow and languid and displays the great strength and
concentration it takes to perform it. It was designed by Yves
Decoste especially for Cirque du Soleil. It also is one of the
first times we see equal strength between male and female. In
many cases, this act is performed by two men supporting each
other, but the Quidam act shows equal strength between the
different genders.
Another unique act to Quidam follows with the Cloud Swing
performed by Petra Sprecher of Switzerland. It is essentially a
trapeze of rope, there is no solid bar in the middle, and Petra
uses it in much the same way. It is a much more 'violent'
performance than that of the Vis-Versa, and plays an important
counterpoint to the slower elements of the show. At one extended
point of the swing, Petra seemingly falls off the trapeze,
attached only by a small guide-wire to her leg. But from the
audience's perspective it looks like she's falling off
completely. She regains her balance and continues flawlessly.
The final act of Quidam is the Banquine, an incredible
balancing and acrobatic act involving the whole troupe. They
toss each other madly about the stage forming towers of four
people high, and in daring jumps from one group to the other,
landing on only the joined hands of the porter. This performance
was also used in Cirque's IMAX Journey of Man film. It is,
perhaps, the signature act of Quidam and features performances
completely unlike anything else. It of course leads to the
resolution of the show, with Audrey uniting with her joyful
parents. The Quidam appears again and takes back his hat,
proving that the magical world is really the world we live in and
that all these fantastic experiences are part of it as well.
Quidam has undergone many changes in its six-year history -
performers have come and gone, acts have been replaced time and
again, clowns have left and come back and left again. John
Gilkey left the European tour for a time and even did a stint in
Dralion - oddly enough while the show was playing Chicago. Karl
left and rumor has it may return for the new North American Tour.
Many others have contributed to this phenomenal production, and
it is certainly a great pleasure that North American audiences
will once again get to experience Quidam.
Perhaps the show is best summed up in the words of the
title song from the Soundtrack - "There's nothing left, there's
nothing right, there's nothing wrong. I'm one, I'm two, I'm all
yet none of you. The truth, the lies, the tear, the laughter,
the hand and the empty touch. Here I am, alone, waiting for the
curtain call."
====================================================================
CIRQUE MUSIQUE:
"WAITING FOR THE CURTAIN CALL" (By: Paul Roberts)
====================================================================
When I first saw the "Quidam" video in 1999, I kicked myself
for not catching this incredible show during its first North
American tour but now "Quidam" has returned so I flew to
Florida to witness this incredible show with fellow Fascination
writer, Ricky Russo.
After entering the brand new blue and yellow swirl tent, we
found the re-released "Quidam" CD (Catalog #: 74321 -91493-2) for
on sale at the boutique. The CD features two bonus tracks
recorded live in Amsterdam in 1999 by the same orchestra that
appears on the video: Martin Egan (bandleader, guitars), Audrey
Brisson-Jutras and Richard D. Price (vocals), Josèe Campeau
(cello), Geneviève Dubé (violin), Ali LaBelle (keyboards),
Raynald Masse (drums), Yves Turgeon (saxophone. keyboards), with
François Lamoureux providing additional guitars.
Bonus track "Misère" accompanies the Banquine act and is a
different arrangement than both the live version from the video
and the "Journey of Man" version. The first part of the song is
extended and, to my disappointment, my favorite passage is only
played once. In the live version, a passage that includes a
melancholy violin line played over a steel drum-like keyboard
sound is heard three times. On "Journey of Man" this passage is
played twice, the bonus version only includes it once. The
melody line is so sadly sweet that I can't understand why it gets
played less with each new release.
Bonus track "Enfants d'acier" accompanies the Diabolos act
and is similar to the live version. This energetic tune features
a staccato keyboard line reminiscent of the Asian Koto
instrument. The bridge dramatically decelerates and includes Zoë
singing a lonely melody line soon joined by the male singer.
Then the dynamics build back up while the Diablo girls perform
their solo acts. The song fades out with an arpeggio keyboard
pattern over clanging bells as the girls place the diabolos on
the hanging stings to signal the climatic ending.
The balance of the CD's songs and enhanced program are
identical to the original release.
I noticed something interesting in the souvenir program's
cast section. There are four female singers listed with two
titled as "singer/character" and two titled as just "singer."
The two singer/characters are Gabrielle Cloutier (our night's
Zoë) and Amélie Landry and the two (just) singers are Shilôh
Sheray Gagnon and Kathy Samman. Makes me wonder if the two
singer-only girls provide vocals for when Zoë is off stage or
maybe they are training to be future Zoës.
The live show followed the video fairly closely with a few
clown acts added. I finally experienced one of my favorite
Cirque du Soleil acts: Isabelle Chassé's aerial contortion in
silk accompanied by "Let Me Fall." This act, as it represents
child birth, took me back to the miracle of my daughter's birth.
I tried to cover my tears but failed. Another passionate scene
took place prior to intermission as the Banquine performers
released their airy hearts (Red Balloons). Unfortunately,
this act is eliminated from the video.
The first act after intermission included a teasing
beginning. The powerful intro to the hand balancing song erupted
and I thought that maybe we'd see Elena Lev's new manipulation
act. When I noticed the generics bringing red balls to the
stage, however, I knew that Edward Skwirsky's juggling act would
take its place. The intro morphed into the growls found at the
start of the song "Rivage" This song was combined with an
unknown song that, like "Rivage", featured the male and female
vocals sung in octave harmonies. Mr. Skwirsky's act provided
some incredible juggling that should be more than just a
replacement act.
The rest of the show flowed similarly to the video and when
the title song awoke me from my dream state, I dreaded The End.
As the orchestra played the song's climax, a voice announced the
artists' names as they circled the stage. I marveled at my
heroes once again. "Quidam" provoked so many emotions that
afterwards I felt stunned and I had to explain my silence to
Ricky: "I feel so lost and I'm numb in my Cirque du Soleil Zone."
====================================================================
BEHIND THE CURTAIN:
"THE HEADLESS MAN" (By: Ricky Russo/Paul Roberts)
====================================================================
"You know Mark, that was me calling your name out there."
"Oh yeah?" Mr. Ward said, as he bent down to sign my newly
acquired Quidam 2002 NAT programme. "Usually everyone just calls
me John, because of my character name. But when I heard my own
name..."
Oh wait, I'm getting ahead of myself here!
When some Cirque fans gather, all hell can break loose.
They pine over the performers, scream at the stage and clap when
called upon. They are the folks every performer loves to see. So
when Cirque du Soleil received two of these rabid fans in not
one, but two of their shows in the span of two days... watch out!
On Thursday, February 21st, I received a visitor to my
home in Orlando, Florida. It was none other than staff writer and
good friend Paul Roberts. We decided to meet face to face this
first time to experience Quidam in Miami. But before that
milestone could be reached, we settled down for an exciting party
- La Nouba.
Anticipation swept through both of us as the hours slowly
dripped by (dripped, being a pun, as it rained and rained and
rained all day). Once our show time finally came around on Friday
the 22nd - we lit up with glee (rain or not). The two of us
were blessed to have front row center seats...
"Hey Ricky," Paul said. "So where are we seated again?"
"Section 103, Row A, Seats 5 & 6... why?"
"Just checking."
Yes, it was hard to believe that we had front row center
tickets... but, hey, magic can happen! And thus the first night
of our "Cirque-y Weekend" began. La Nouba was as great as ever
(Paul and I even received a wink from Bruce... or Stacey - the
Wheel Twins - during their performance), but there were a few
differences in the show I'd like to point out now. We will be
reviewing La Nouba in a later issue so I don't want to give the
entire show away now. For those who do not wish to know anything
about La Nouba, please skip the bulleted lines.
* The beginning of the show has somewhat changed. The
Festival of Characters that begins the spectacle was
augmented with an accordion, instead of the sound of a lone
trumpet. While this did not take away from the spectacle of
the many characters parading before us, the accordion did
seem out of place and took away from the subtle yet
poignant sound that opens La Nouba.
* The Fastrack, which is as great as ever, features the
four Les Cons - the nuttiest and funniest set of characters
Cirque has ever produced - who took to pounding on drums
and cymbals to augment the flying acrobats as they jumped
their way down the track. (I believe I saw this the last
time too, and it had slipped my mind, but still worth
mentioning).
* The Singers. All eyes (and ears!) were on the singers
this night, at least for Paul and myself. This was the
first time either of us had seen the show since Dessy and
O'Neill left. Naturally, there was a lot of trepidation on
our parts regarding the new singers. While Dessy and
O'Neill are hard acts to follow, the two who took their
place have taken up the gauntlet left by their predecessors
and made the show their own. The male singer was as awesome
as O'Neill with a wide range of vocals. The female singer -
an African American female - filled Dessy's shoes
brilliantly; through her range, while adequate, seemed
pressed. All in all, the new singers pass with flying
colors.
* Another new cleaning lady was present. Boy, they sure go
through them, don't they? One thing I didn't like about
this cleaning lady was that she did not care to go through
the "marching motions" that pushes her off stage in the
first place. She just walked off...
Yet even through we saw La Nouba, the entire weekend
really centered around seeing Quidam in Miami. Paul and I had
been anticipating this day for weeks -- no months, and in less
than 12 hours the lights would dim, the music would come up and
Karl, John and Zoë would run amok on stage. If all went to plan,
it would be the first time either of us saw Quidam live. Sure,
we'd watched the DVD with fascination, but with the troupe in
Europe, we never thought we'd be privileged enough to actually
get to see the show.
Weeks beforehand Paul ordered tickets for Quidam while I
handled the front row engagement for La Nouba, so everything
worked out. Our journey to Miami from Orlando that Saturday
was a four hour tour. (Sing with me.. "A Four Hour Tour... a Four
Hour Tour..."). It rained the whole way down but that didn't
dampen our spirits. Those were kept afloat by listening to Cirque
music on the entire journey - compilations from all the shows,
then Mystère live. In fact, they lifted even more once we saw the
new Blue and Yellow swirled big top sitting by the bayside. This
image was beautifully accompanied with the final celebratory
chords of Mystère's "Finale".
We pulled into a parking space not far away from the big
top set up at Bicentennial Park. Since we had plenty of time, we
walked across the busy street (Biscayne Boulevard) to a place
called Bayside - an outdoor shopping and dining area. We had
something to eat at a Hard Rock Cafe and by the time it became
7:00pm, we bore the wind that had picked up and high-tailed it
over to the big-top. There Paul and I purchased hundreds in
Cirque merchandise (okay, so I'm exaggerating); like new Quidam
programmes, the new Quidam CD with 2 extra tracks, and a few
other Quidam knickknacks.
Within a half-hour, it was finally time to enter the big-
top. As we were about to enter the big top, through Door Number 1
(as it were), I stopped and turned to Paul. "Relish this moment
my friend," said I, "We are about to see Quidam!" The two of us
probably looked strange paused outside the big-top doorway, but
we didn't care. After reflecting on the journey undertook so far,
we stepped in. "Oh Yeah!" Paul exclaimed as we neared the top of
the stairs that would eventually lead us down to our seats. The
tracks from Quidam's ceiling were clearly visible and once we
peeked over the bodies of people ahead of us, the stage came into
view.
It looked just like it was supposed to. Mom and Dad's chair
were there. The door that would admit Quidam, John and Karl into
this realm were present. There was even a weird looking radio
gleaming in the intense light provided by the stagehands above.
Everything was as it should be, except for John! For a while, he
didn't show up but when he did, the crowd roared. Just as for
most of the European Tour, the character known as "John" was
played by Mark Ward (formerly of Mystère (1993-1998)). His
radiant energy filled the big-top like no other (except, perhaps,
John Gilkey himself!).
And, like John Gilkey's "John", he was dressed in a purple
suit and armed with comedic genius. He played with the audience,
stealing their popcorn at times, and even having a few of the
Generic people of Quidam come take an audience member away!
During the pre-show (as many fans like to call it), Mark walked
by our choice seats many times.
"Hey Mark!" I yelped as the follicly challenged character
dressed in purple passed by my seat. He proceeded to pass me, but
but only by a couple of steps. Ah-ha! I had his attention.
He turned then, upon hearing his real name, and gave me this
confused looking smile and a raise of an eyebrow - kind of like
Spock in Star Trek when he's surprised by something fascinating
and unexpected. Little did I know that particular meeting
wouldn't be our last.
After a few minutes of torture (to those not in the know),
he returned on stage where he began to fiddle with the radio left
there. As in history past, it played such tunes as Kumbalawé from
Saltimbanco, the title track from Alegría (which "John" heaved
over) and an explosive track from Nouvelle Expérience. Finally
fed up with the selection, he turned and began to welcome us to
the big top. The usual restraints were given: No Smoking, No
Flash photography, No Filming of Any kind, and the like. Nothing
new there.
And then, the big top became silent. A buzz filled the air.
"Ladies and Gentlemen... Quidam!"
The show from there went off without a hitch. I would,
however, like to highlight the changes seen from the DVD version
of the show (from Amsterdam):
* Zoë, unfortunately not played by Audrey Brisson-Jutras
(as we well knew it wouldn't be... but it couldn't hurt to
dream), was masterfully played by a new singer: Gabrielle
Cloutier. Dressed in a classy Red Dress, she danced, hopped
and did everything to capture her parents' attention.
* It was nice to see Karl Bauman back as "Karl", reclaiming
his namesake character. The character had been known as
Fritz and Target throughout the European Tour, as new
actors and actresses played the part.
* John was... John. Doing his thing. All the pieces seen on
the DVD were there: The Ring Balancing, the Hoola Hoop, the
Dart and the Coat Rack. Mark Ward masterfully played the
character. It didn't matter whether he was John Gilkey or
not! The only difference from Mark's "John" and John's
"John" came in the Coat Rack Dance - Mark doesn't juggle!
* Les Macloma, the clowns, were inspirational! Only appearing
one time on the DVD, I wasn't sure how these bizarre clowns
were going to fit in but I have to say I enjoyed every
appearance! Their last one, however, had to be the funniest
of them all: playing musical notes on balloons!
* Elena Lev did not perform (see the News & Rumors section
on why). Her performance was replaced by the Juggler, the
secondary act performed by a lone man using red colored
soccer balls.
* Isabelle Chassé! Yes, she performed and her performance
was simply amazing. Those ghostly characters that accompany
her from the rafters gave me the willies.
Neither Paul nor myself wanted this amazing show to come to
a close, but two and a half hours later, the Generics revealed
themselves and the show came to an end. The crowd gave a standing
ovation, as usual, and made their way out slowly. Paul and I,
however, remained in our seats. We wanted to hold on to the
experience of Quidam for as long as possible. After a few long
minutes, the big-top cleared out all for a group next to us.
These people caught the ushers attention.
"I'm sorry ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to have to ask
you to leave the bigtop."
I could see then that a few stagehands had hopped up on
stage and were preparing to put the set to sleep for the night.
"Oh we're with Chris," one of the ladies in the group said to the
usher. And the usher left.
Unbeknownst to us, Chris Lashua, who performed his amazing
single German Wheel Act, was standing right next to us. We didn't
even see him walk by! It was strange to see him there, actually,
because he didn't have his signature stringy blond hair! It was
cut short and dark!
Not wanting to hang around there, we decided to see if we
couldn't get closer to the stage. Sure enough, we made it down
there without anyone noticing us (I think they thought we were
with the Chris Lashua party too). After a while, he took them on
a backstage tour.
I wish we could have made it backstage - I could imagine
the clowns wandering about, the Banquine artists flipping in the
air in practice, or even a few artists packing it up for the
evening. But, as we were about to turn away, I placed my hand
down on the Quidam stage. The event wasn't filled with any words
or fanfare... it was simply a gesture to bring closure to the
evening. La Nouba was my first Cirque du Soleil show but Quidam
was the first Cirque show I had music for. I envisioned the
show from the music (sometimes correctly, sometimes not) but it
was always Quidam over all other shows that I had most wanted to
see. Finally it had come to be.
The stage was rather cold, I remarked to myself. It brought
me out of the daze I was in since the show had ended. After a few
more seconds of just holding my hand there, I removed it and
turned to leave when standing there next to us was Mark Ward!
Neither of us had heard him come up and before long we got to
chatting about the show, his turn in Mystère and the filming of
Quidam (with him stuck in the Quidam suit). We asked for his
autograph and he graciously accepted.
"You know Mark, that was me calling your name out there."
"Oh yeah?" Mr. Ward said, as he bent down to sign my newly
acquired Quidam 2002 NAT programme. "Usually everyone just calls
me John, because of my character name. But when I heard my own
name I was surprised. I tried to ignore it but it just surprised
me."
I was amazed he even remembered.
We shook hands, talked a bit more than parted ways. Paul
and I left the confines of the bigtop in high spirits. The four-
hour drive back we had planned for the evening (now being
11:15am) seemed easy. The Cirque-y Weekend came to a close with
a bang, instead of a whimper. Thanks to all Cirque employees
that made La Nouba and Quidam such an enjoyable experience!
====================================================================
THE CIRQUE CONNECTION:
"CIRQUE DU EBAY" (By: Kimba Barton)
====================================================================
Step right up folks to the world's favorite online auction!
You can buy or sell almost anything but livestock on ebay,
including trains, planes and automobiles. But what do we want to
look for? Cirque du Soleil items, of course!
My entire Cirque collection, save a few gifts, was
purchased on ebay, and I was able to acquire a few items CdS was
no longer selling (at least at the time). You can find any of the
Cirques videos, DVDs and CDs on ebay, but it is even more fun to
look for rare items. Old programs, T-shirts, and press kits are
among these, but occasionally, a Cirque employee will sell some
really exclusive stuff.
You can look on ebay without having an account, but if you
want to buy or sell, you'll need to sign up. As with any auction-
it is "Buyer Beware". Some people advertise falsely, and others
simply do not know what they have. Some 'exclusive' items are not
all that exclusive. You are able to ask the seller questions,
and I advise doing this before buying anything.
The key sometimes is the search. As I mentioned, some
people don't know what they have. I usually start by typing in
"Cirque" in the search box. This way I'll see almost any listed
CdS item, plus some that are not. You could also try "circus",
but you'll get about 90 pages to look through instead of 10. You
can also get very specific in your search. Most experienced
sellers will list the item several ways so it comes up in more
than one search.
Auctions run for 3, 7 or 10 days and the seller can include
a "Buy It Now" option. The seller sets the bid increments and
can set a reserve price as well as shipping charges and methods of
payment. There are several strategies to bidding, but that is
beyond the scope of this article. (Besides, I'm not giving mine
away!) Ebay is helpful if you have questions. I walked myself
through without much help at all, and ebay adds new features from
time to time.
The important thing is--KNOW WHEN TO STOP. I know people
that get so caught up in the bidding, they end up paying way more
than they should for something they don't need. I also know a
few people that buy this n'that very cheap, but are writing $1500
in checks a month for all of it. So do be careful and don't get
addicted.
Here are some of our favorite Cirque du Soleil items
recently seen or purchased on ebay:
- Original Saltimbanco Program
- Saltimbanco Sleeveless Sweatshirt
- Pewter Le Baron
- 1985 Show program, in French
- 1986 ("Le Magie Continue") Show Program
- Le Cirque Réinventé CD; original release 1987
- Fascination! Program
- Alegría Live in Fairfax (A Special Cirque Employee
Issued CD)
- Saltimbanco Live Recording, Employee Christmas Issued
- Bottle of wine given to Cirque employees for the New
Year with a note in French and English
- Special Saltimbanco Program with insert of performers
autographs
- The Complete "O" Promotional Video
Thanks to Ricky Russo, Lynn Nakayama and Paul Roberts
for sharing their ebay purchases with me!
====================================================================
BEYOND THE BIG TOP:
"CIRQUE AND WALLPAPER... HUH!?" (By: Keith Johnson)
====================================================================
Wallpaper is not something that immediately springs to mind
when one thinks of Cirque du Soleil. But that hasn't stopped
Seabrook Wallcoverings, Inc. from creating wallcovering designs
"mystic and unique, inspired by the movements and grace of the
human body" under the name of Cirque du Soleil.
Well, that's not really the total truth. Seabook only
distributes the Cirque book, they didn't create or manufacture
it. The credit actually goes to a Toronto Canada firm, Blue
Mountain Wallcovering, who employed a designer who goes under the
moniker of Tzaddi!, Llc. ("Tzaddi" actually means "fish hook" in
Hebrew, and is an important term in Tantric yoga, being the path
leading between the second (Ego/Territorial) and the fourth
(Sexual) brain circuits. For what it's worth. Anyway...)
The book "Cirque du Soleil Collection, Volume A; A
Fantastic Journey" is distributed by Seabook to accounts and
designers nationwide. I was able to find a copy in my local Home
Depot in their "Contemporary" section. It's 250 pages (originally
released June 2001, and available until approx. June 2003) are an
interesting experiment in graphically presenting some of the
feeling and emotions of Cirque.
The front cover is impressive, a Cirque performer in full
regalia, and proclaims enigmatically "spirit and body, shadow and
light, between earth and sky I tumble, spinning arabesques,
kaleidoscope fantasy." All of the samples inside are pre-pasted,
washable, peelable paper-backed vinyl. The book is being marketed
and promoted mostly to upscale designers, for use in homes of
people who might have a bit more money to spend than, well, me.
There are seven "series" or "groups" of designs in the book,
with each series having between 4 and 7 sets of "coordinates"
each (a coordinate is two or more wallpapers that coordinate with
each other in color or design). While its impossible to properly
convey what the designs look like, here's a quick summary:
KINETIC - 8 coordinates - A mélange of lines with no
real shapes or shadows. The words "Invoke" and "Provoke" are
incorporated within. The paper comes in gold, green, or
blue/gold. The picture on the introductory frontplate features
performers from "O."
FUSION - 4 coordinates - Done with Japanese-style
brush strokes, with the strokes depicting human figures such as
dancers and acrobats. The words "Fusion" and "Cirque", appear
throughout. Very oriental looking. Available in
silver/gold/white, dark green, gold, and dark red.
FREEDOM - 5 coordinates - Swirling circular images.
Available in orange, red/green, blue green, green/purple, and
yellow/light green.
TRANQUILITY - 5 coordinates - This has an aquatic
feel, looking like light filtered through water. It has a thick
wavy line zig-zagging through the pattern and borders. The
frontplate picture also features performers from "O." Available
in blue/green/gold, dark blue, and rust red.
NOBLESSE - 7 coordinates - Has a cloud-like feel,
with a tree-like squiggle throughout the pattern. The frontpiece
features the Sprites from "Alegría." Available in red/purple,
yellow/purple, and blue/rust red.
WISDOM - 4 coordinates - Here is imagery reminiscent
of cave paintings. The borders have leaping and posing character
likenesses. The frontpiece features "Mystère." Available in
reddish brown and yellow gold.
EUPHORIA - 5 coordinates - Features flower images, it
has some small figures in the border, and in variations on the
wallpaper itself. Available in blue/purple, green/gold and
purple.
You can see how my attempts at description can't possibly
do the designs justice. Like Cirque itself, seeing them is the
best way to appreciate this unique product. In addition to
multiple colors of wallpaper and borders within each design, the
designs also feature upholstery-style fabric! This way an entire
room, including the furniture, can be coordinated together.
As you might guess, this stuff doesn't come cheap. The
wallpaper itself comes in rolls 27" wide by 9 yards long,
covering 60 square feet, and with a list price of $68.00 per
double roll (you can only buy them in sets of two rolls). The
borders vary in width, but cost $34.00 for a 5-yard spool. The
fabrics are 72% polyester, 28% cotton blends, 56" wide, and cost
$50.00 per yard. Decidedly upscale. (Though the clerk at Home
Depot told me that their sale price was, on average, half of the
"list price" shown in the catalog. Hmm, that makes it a bit more
affordable.)
If you'd like to see these wallcoverings for yourself,
check out <http://www.seabrookwallcoverings.com/>.
(choose their "Seabrook Designs" page, then select "Cirque du
Soleil", there are several sample pages there.) Or, call 800-
238-9152 to find a distributor near you (be aware, their database
is strictly based on zip code so have several handy. Some of
their larger national accounts include Rodda Paint, Sherwin
Williams paint stores, Lowe's, and Home Depot.)
An interesting note is that there is no mention I could
find of this product on the Cirque Official website. You might
think that if Cirque was trying to "expand their brand" by
licensing their imagery into other markets, they would be
trumpeting this through their own communications. Then again, if
all they're doing is receiving a licensing fee for their images,
it might be up to the manufacturer to "get the word out."
By the way, we've just found out that several of the Cirque
patterns have been chosen to adorn some new sets being built for
the daytime soap opera "Days of our Lives." They haven't hit the
screen just yet, if we get news of their debut we'll let you
know.
====================================================================
LE SPECTATEUR:
"BEHIND THE SCENES OF JOURNEY OF MAN" (By: Jen Waldman)
====================================================================
"Thank Goodness I still buy VHS"
DVD is great. The picture, sound quality, and of
course "extras" offered make for a great experience. So
naturally, I do not own a DVD player. Most of the time, this
means I miss out on all of those extras that DVD-owners love.
But recently, the tables were turned.
When Journey of Man first came out on VHS and DVD, most of
the people who reviewed the DVD were disappointed by the lack of
extras--there were only the standard Cirque du Soleil trailers
included. A few months later, I received the Journey of Man
video. A sticker on the box declared in big letters "Includes
Behind-the-Scenes Featurette!"
What?!
My lowly VHS version includes an "extra" that was NOT on
the DVD? Amazing! So-- here is my review of "behind-the scenes"
for those people who do not have this featurette, and for those
people who do not own the movie at all.
Before the actual Journey of Man feature proper, there are
some movie trailers. The first trailer is not for Cirque du
Soleil at all. It is for the Chinese movie "The Road Home" and
contains no dialogue, just music. Unlike many movie trailers
today that tell you what the movie is all about (so you don't
have to see it), the trailer for "The Road Home" does not give
many clues about the plot. But it is lovely, using only images
and music to entice us to see a film about which we know
nothing. Clever.
The second trailer is for the Saltimbanco tour. It is
narrated by a deep, echoing voice that sounds as though it may
belong to Rene Bazinet. It also features a brief clip of the
corde lisse act, which is not shown in the video version. It is
a very short clip, but a good one.
Then comes an advertisement for the Dralion video. Not the
tour, just the video. It has a narrator, some critic's blurbs
superimposed on the film...fairly standard stuff, really. Not an
imaginative trailer at all.
Last but not least is a trailer for the Quidam video.
There is the standard narration, the kind that just gushes about
how great the show is. (It is a good show, don't get me wrong.
The narration was merely uninspiring). The music underscoring in
the trailer does not seem to be from Quidam. It is actually a
little like the Trampoline music from Nouvelle Experience. The
choice of non-Quidam music is interesting, as is a little
"negative image" of the finale that is flashed up on the screen
for a moment. Not an amazing trailer, but a solid one.
As Journey of Man itself was reviewed in past issues of
"Fascination!", let us skip now to the Behind-the-Scenes
featurette at the end.
The featurette is only 6 minutes long, but it fills the
entire six minutes with the sort of things one would want from a
"behind-the-scenes" showing: interviews, discussions about the
logistics of filming Cirque on IMAX, off-camera silliness...the
list goes on. A longer featurette would have been wonderful, but
they crammed a lot into the 6 minute time frame.
The featurette is sort of a documentary/advertisement. It
has a narrator who sets up each section and also does the
"coming soon to a theatre near you" voiceovers. For this reason,
one can assume that the featurette was not made for the video,
but for a theatrical trailer release.
We begin with a shot of a Banquine acrobat filming the
camera (and us) with a small palmcorder. Nice.
The featurette includes brief interviews with actors and
production crew alike. Peter Wagg, the producer and co-writer of
the film, states that the IMAX production team is trying to
"raise the bar" of IMAX in order to draw more attention to large-
format filmmaking and Cirque du Soleil was the best way to do
that. Brian Dewhurst (the Old Man) states that he thinks the
large format "brings the public right into the circus." Other
people interviewed include the director Keith Melton; Reed Smoot,
the director of Photography; Co-producers Antoine Compin and
Chris Horton; Boris Verkhovsky, the Banquine coach; Warren
Conley, the Bungee coach; project manager Andre Ducas; and cast
members Chris van Wagenen (Youth) and Mikhail Matorin (Cube
Man).
Three acts are highlighted in the featurette: the Banquine,
the Bungees, and the Cube Man. The Banquine segment explains how
the performers have to work on a marble floor with no mats, and
though this is dangerous for them, they ask for retake after
retake when they are not satisfied with their performance. The
Banquine was partially restaged and re-choreographed from
the Quidam original in order to "flow" better for the film.
Other points of interest are the clips of the acrobats warming up
and marking through tricky portions of the Banquine such as the
towers and pyramids.
The Bungees segment is comparatively short. In it, the
interviewed people proclaim that it is the best version of the
act that they have seen, and how pleased they are that the
acrobats are not limited by a ceiling. The props and scenery
people set the scene by adding brush and moving plants, and
bungee artists practice in full costume, makeup, baseball caps
and fleece jackets. This segment is the disappointment of the
featurette because nothing is said about how the bungee cords are
rigged into the redwoods, or what sort of work is going into the
scene.
The last segment is the Cube Man, Mikhail Matorin. In the
middle of the night, in the middle of the desert, Matorin is
preparing to fly toward and over the large camera--only the wind
is too strong. Chris Van Wagenen and Brian Felton explain how
everyone is at the mercy of Nature and can only wait. "Why do
something easy when you can do something difficult?" A very
good segment.
At the end, the Old Man does a little dance and walks hand
in hand with the children, and the narrator invites us to come
along for the Journey of Man.
It's a solid featurette. Again, a longer one would have
been appreciated, but the 6 minutes that are shown are worth it.
And if you want to see the Flounes goofing off, the Child hanging
in mid-air and teasing the cast, and if you would like to hear
what the Youth's voice sounds like... don't get rid of your VCR
just yet.
====================================================================
FROM THE BOTIQUE:
"UP FOR GRABS..." (By: Ricky Russo)
====================================================================
Believe it or not, Cirque du Soleil has produced and
licensed some interesting pieces for fans to collect. From bronze
statues costing thousands of dollars to masks representing Mystère,
Saltimbanco, Alegría and Dralion. While wandering around the
Boutique here in Orlando after the La Nouba performance on Friday
(2/22/02), I noticed a few changes and a couple of new items that
every Cirque fan should own.
Firstly, the La Nouba boutique is selling the newly
released video's and DVDs from Columbia/Tri Star, as well as
other previously released DVDs again. The titles are: Quidam,
Saltimbanco, Dralion, Journey of Man, Baroque Odyssey, Alegría:
Le Film and Inside La Nouba. Absent from this list were Nouvelle
Experience, Le Cirque Réinventé, and Le Magie Continue, which
surprised me.
The Cirque boutique did not sell or display the fact that
there was a new Quidam CD available (nor did they have it for
sale) but all the other CDs were still prominently displayed.
Again, there were a couple absent: Mystère (not the Live CD, but
the 1994 studio CD), Nouvelle Experience and Le Cirque Réinventé.
Is Cirque embarrassed about its older shows again?
Despite some of the omissions, I was inspired when I found
a unique little item called a Relic Costume Ball. You might have
heard about them (as I believe they were available at Christmas)
but this had been the first time I'd seen them (or paid them any
attention). These glass balls are called Faerie Rounds and the
story behind them is as follows:
"Did you know that faeries have a habit of collecting
Everything? They consider small, colorful scraps of paper
extremely tantalizing and price, above all, those precious bits
adorned with calligraphy. They have been known to spend hours
trying to figure out what the writing says... they don't speak
our language, you see. These precious scraps of paper are
suspended temptingly inside a delicate glass ball, creating an
attractive ornament..."
And that's exactly what Cirque du Soleil, in cooperation
with Holly Dean (the designer), have done. They have turned these
Faerie Rounds into Relic Costume Balls, filled with scraps of
costume cloth, sparkles, pictures of the La Nouba cast (the one I
saw for Quidam had pictures of the Quidam cast) and a special
message in calligraphic writing. They are simply amazing!
You can order these special ornaments from the La Nouba
boutique only (for La Nouba) and at the Quidam big top (for
Quidam only) as they are not available online or anywhere else
other than within the big top's merchandise tent.
For more information on the designer, please visit Holly
Dean's website at: < http://www.hollydean.ca/ >.
And for more specific information on the Faerie Rounds, visit: <
http://www.igs.net/~greyweather/faeround.htm#anchor1819442 >.
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PARTING QUOTE
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"Will I ever have the courage of my imagination?"
- Quidam
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NEXT ISSUE...
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Quidam is definitely a one-of-a-kind experience,
but next issue we'll take a look at another: Saltimbanco.
A classic in its own right, Saltimbanco has been continuously
staged since 1992 and is Cirque's oldest - still performing -
show to date. We'll take a look at the show from its
beginnings through to its new European Tour. Also on the
agenda for next issue is a preview of Cirque 2002, Cirque's
new show set to debut in Montreal on April 24, 2002. Don't
miss our next issue!
Thank you for reading!
Please tell us what you think! Email us at either
richasi@azlance.com or the Yahoo Groups email address:
CirqueFascination-owner@yahoogroups.com. We do listen
and are anxious to hear your comments!
====================================================================
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
====================================================================
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====================================================================
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
====================================================================
The "Fascination! Newsletter" is Copyright (c) 2002, by Ricky
Russo and is a product of the Fascination! Cirque du Soleil Fan
club and its writers. No portion of this newsletter can be
reproduced, posted to any website, mailing list, published, or
translated without the consent of the Fascination! Newsletter
staff. 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.
