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Fascination Issue 023
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Fascination! Newsletter
Issue #23 - July 2003
"Live to Cirque; Cirque to Live"
=======================================================================
Bonjour et bienvenue! Cirque du Soleil fans celebrate July 7th as a
day to honor a group of hard working folks they love. Why July 7th was
chosen for a "holiday" is not readily known. But, perhaps that isn't
important. How you choose to celebrate "Cirque Day" is up to each
individual fan. Some enjoy going to a show while others listen to
their wonderful music. Maybe that's all that is important. Soon,
Zumanity, a third Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil show is expected to debut
at New York-New York Casino-Hotel in August, which will provide, for
the first time, a more adult Cirque du Soleil. It's interesting that
about 50 percent of available tickets to Zumanity have been sold
online. This is a record, no doubt helped by fans like yourselves, and
to celebrate, we've decided to take a sneak peek (if you'll pardon the
pun) by dedicating this issue to Zumanity.
- Ricky
============
Contents:
============
* Cirque Buzz: News, Rumours & Sightings
* CirqueTV: Cirque du Soleil On-Screen
* Oyez, Oyez!: Cirque Online
* Itinéraire: Tour/Show Information
* Historie: This Month in Cirque History
* Anniversarie: Birthday Wishes to Cirque Alumni
* Beyond the Bigtop:
"Cirque du Sexy: Sensuality, Erotica and Cirque du Soleil"
(By: Wayne Leung)
* Le Spectacle:
"The Eclectic Cast of Zumanity" (Edited By: Keith Johnson)
* Cirque Musique:
"ZuMusic" (By: Paul Roberts)
* Télémagik:
"Another look at the Varekai video" (By: Keith Johnson)
* Parting Quote
* Next Issue
* Subscription Information
* Copyright & Disclaimer
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=======================================================================
CIRQUE BUZZ: NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
SOLSTROM
--------
It is being billed as a hybrid series "inspired by situation
comedy and variety," but it will once again feature Cirque du
Soleil outside its normal stage of entertainment. SOLSTROM, a
combination of "solar wind" (sol, which is inspired by the sun)
and "strom" (from German meaning "current"), is a 13-episode
series of 1-hour episodes. According to a Cirque press release,
the series is being produced by Productions Conte II, a
subsidiary of CDSi and began filming in Montreal on April 16th.
It is said the series "draws inspiration from silent films,
situation comedy, burlesque theatre and Cirque du Soleil's live
shows, presenting a new perspective on the circus arts on
television." SOLSTROM will air on Radio-Canada and the CBC in
late 2003 and on Bravo USA in 2004. Further information about
this series, Productions Conte II and the team bringing this
show together can be found on Cirque du Soleil's website at:
<http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/pressroom/
prinfo/ news/news67.htm>. [Source: Cirque du Soleil; Ricky
Russo]
Mystère turns 4,500
-------------------
This year marks the 10th Anniversary of Cirque du Soleil's
Mystère, and perhaps it seems somewhat fitting that this longest
running show celebrates another milestone - On Monday, June 16th
with the 7:30pm performance, Mystère celebrated its 4500th
performance. To celebrate this milestone, Cirque du Soleil
allowed fans a small peak into its world by releasing a list of
fun facts about the show, including the following:
* The Revolving stage has rotated more than 225,000 times.
* Literally hundreds of lights are still burning from day one.
* 35 loads of laundry are done every day.
* The smallest shoe size worn on the show is 2, the largest is
13-1/2.
* In 1999, Benny LeGrand's clown nose was brought into space by
Canadian Astronaut Julie Payette aboard the Space Shuttle
Discovery.
* The show draws upon 30,000 watts of electricity!
You can see a full list at the Cirque Club website,
<www.cirqueclub.com>. Congratulations Mystère! [Source: Cirque
du Soleil, CirqueClub; Ricky Russo]
Varekai Book Delayed
--------------------
Those who placed pre-orders for the new Varekai hardcover book
were disappointed when it wasn't shipped on its original date.
We once again placed a call to our friends at publisher Harry N.
Abrams in New York, and found this to be a more common
occurrence than we thought. It seems book publication dates are
often set before the book is actually finished. If there are
changes to the layout, legal holdups, or even publication or
shipping problems (from overseas, where most books are published
nowadays) it can cause a book to miss its deadline. They told
us the "new" deadline is Wednesday, July 16th. Of course, no
promises. [Source: Amazon.com, Harry N. Abrams; Keith Johnson]
Zumanity here, Zumanity there...
--------------------------------
...Zumanity popping up everywhere! We've been noticing the
banner ads advertising Zumanity and its NY-NY Hotel/Casino home
on several sites. We just found one we had to mention, a pop-up
ad on the Hollywood Reporter web page
(www.hollywoodreporter.com).
When you pull up the main page all is normal. But after a
couple of seconds, a gray box pops up that follows you as you
move the page. The gray box is blank except for the words
"Unveil (use your mouse)" in the center. It does have a "Close"
button, but it doesn't work! (They must really want you to play
along.)
Clicking your mouse over the top of the picture and moving
downwards reveals... a Zumanity ad! The photo is the one with
the blue background of a man holding his hands sheepishly over
his privates while a woman giggles at him. Clicking on the ad
takes you to the Zumanity site. Cirque continues to innovate
with this PR campaign, though the "Close" button on the ad not
working is a bit annoying. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter.com,
Keith Johnson]
How Far Ahead Do You Plan?
--------------------------
...is it nine months ahead of time? It used to be that Cirque
would announce CirqueClub ticket pre-sales six months or so
ahead of opening night. It's recently been expanded; now ticket
sales start nine months ahead of opening date. For example,
Alegría tickets are on sale now for shows starting Feb 19, 2004
in St. Petersburg, FL. And Varekai tickets are now on sale for
shows starting March 18, 2004 in San Diego, CA.
While this allows Cirque a longer lead-time to sell tickets and
use the revenue (a practice used by many touring theatrical
shows and musicals) it can lead to some hard choices. For
example, Keith's folks (active seniors in San Diego) didn't want
Varekai tickets because they "didn't know what they'd be doing
in nine months." And erstwhile editor Richasi is holding off
buying tickets for Alegría in St. Petersburg for the same
reason. But of course they should know what they'd be doing in
nine months - they'll be seeing a Cirque show! [Source: Cirque
du Soleil; Keith Johnson]
"Saltimbanco Live" on Bravo
---------------------------
In the past Fascination! has reported on the possibility that
Cirque du Soleil, in association with BRAVO, would broadcast a
new presentation of Saltimbanco. The two-hour "Saltimbanco Live"
would be broadcast on BRAVO in the United States, the network's
first-ever "Live" broadcast, on tape delay. At the time,
Saltimbanco would have been brought to life within the
formidable Royal Albert Hall in London. Bravo currently has
"Saltimbanco Live" on their schedule, to be broadcast some time
in the Second Quarter of 2003 (that's the quarter we're in). The
broadcast date has yet to be released. [Source: BRAVO; Ricky
Russo]
Nine Million Cheers for Cirque!
-------------------------------
Cirque just received one of its larger print media kudos from a
totally unexpected place. The July 5 issue of TV Guide (which
is America's largest magazine, at 9 million units sold per
week), in its "Cheers and Jeers" section, had this cheer next to
a picture of the Varekai Russian Swing performers (captioned
"Cirque du Soleil, hooray!") - "CHEERS to Bravo for the marathon
airing of Cirque du Soleil: Fire Within, its making-of reality
series, followed by Cirque's current touring show, Varekai. We
watched the performance with newfound appreciation after seeing
the rigors and scrutiny cast members must endure." Of course,
we've known that for years. [Source: TV Guide and tvguide.com;
Keith Johnson]
"Le Reve" to "Wynn Las Vegas"
-----------------------------
Le Reve means "the dream" in French, but for Wynn that was not
enough. It was announced on Monday June 23rd that Steve Wynn's
newest resort - Le Reve - would be changing its name to "Wynn
Las Vegas" to better capitalize on name recognition. The $2.4
billion casino is scheduled to open in March 2005 with 2701
rooms and suites, 18 dining rooms, six restaurants, an 18-hole
championship golf course, and a new show directed by former
Cirque director Franco Dragone. [Source: Las Vegas Sun; Ricky
Russo]
Au Revoir John-Paul!
--------------------
John-Paul Gasparrelli, bandleader and keyboardist for "O" has
left the show to pursue other interests. We're sorry to see him
go - he was an early supporter of our efforts, even supplying us
with a short interview that went into our first issue. He's
currently leading a jazz combo that plays locally in Las Vegas;
he lists the dates on his website gasparrelli.com. We wish him
luck in his future efforts! [Source: gasparrelli.com, Ricky
Russo; Keith Johnson]
=======================================================================
CIRQUE TV: CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ON-SCREEN!
=======================================================================
* CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: FIRE WITHIN
-----------------------------
Network: BRAVO
Footprint: United States
Note: Fire Within ends it's run on Bravo the week of July 7th.
Network: Vitaya
Footprint: Belgium (Europe)
Website: http://www.vitaya.be/
Note: Every Thursday at 9:00pm
Network: Odyssey Television
Footprint: Australia
Website: http://www.odysseytelevision.com/html/default.asp
Note: Every Wednesday at 9:30pm
* CIRQUE DU SOLEIL PRESENTS
-------------------------
Network: BRAVO
Footprint: United States
Website: http://www.bravotv.com/Cirque_du_Soleil/
* July 13th (Sunday):
09:00pm -- Varekai
11:00pm -- Saltimbanco
* July 14th (Monday):
02:00am -- Varekai
04:00pm -- Varekai
Note: There are no further July/August showings scheduled.
* NOTE: Check your local listings for complete information. Schedule
is subject to change.
* NOTE: Beginning July 31, 2003, NBC will be pushing Bravo in to
Hi-Def! The new network, Bravo HD+, will feature, among other
things, Cirque du Soleil's Varekai in hi-def. Schedule forthcoming.
=======================================================================
OYEZ, OYEZ(*)!: CIRQUE ONLINE
=======================================================================
This Month in Cirque Club
(By: Keith Johnson)
-------------------------
As the Zumanity site continues to ramp up and present slices of the
coming show (see our other articles), CirqueClub hasn't been
slouching. Firstly, they've vastly increased their response speed!
Pages that took some time to load now pop up very quickly. This is
especially evident over in the Discussion Group section, which had
been plagued by slow response times since its inception. It now
responds quite quickly. Congratulations to all in Cirque I.T. for
this vast improvement!
On the article front, over in the Press Release section is an article
on the new TV variety show Solstrom. They also have a related article
on CirqueClub, regarding clown John Gilkey's collaboration on the
show. There's also an interesting "on the road" story from Alegría, as
well as miscellaneous factoids from Mystère as it celebrates its
4,500th performance.
Over at Zumanity.com, they've also been busy. The Human Zoo section
continues to add articles to its press clippings (though they don't
give any dates, so it's sometimes hard to tell what's new). There are
also four new entries in Madame's Diary. But the Voyeur section has
been busiest. There look to be a few more costume images and there
are now three new wallpapers, in two sizes each. The most intriguing
additions, however, are in the Media sections. There are now two long
sound clips of music "Works in Progress" in QuickTime and Windows
Media (which Paul reviews elsewhere). And there are two new videos,
one starring the new theater with commentary from Set Designer
Stephane Roy, and a short video of the much-talked-about "Contortion
In Water" act. Spicy!
And that's not all! Over at <http://www.nynyhotelcasino.com/pages/
ent_cirque.asp > they also have the "Rehearsals" and "Contortion in
Water" videos (available after you sign up for their mailing list),
and in addition have two 30-second "teaser trailers." They don't show
or say much, but it's the only place that has them.
And finally, we notice a small but interesting change in their Music
FAQ. A popular topic on the discussion boards is the difference
between a shows' music as played live and the soundtrack CD. This is
an especially hot topic for Varekai (as we've mentioned). We note
that in answering the question of whether a live-show version of
Varekai would be released, the Music FAQ states they are (still)
considering an EP release. What they've removed is the second
sentence, suggesting the EP "should be available exclusively through
the Cirque du Soleil online boutique starting in early 2003." Guess
they missed that deadline.
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE: TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
[Touring Shows]
Alegría:
* Vancouver, BC -- Concord Pacific Place
Dates: July 10, 2003 to Aug 10, 2003
* Seattle, Washington -- Renton Boeing Plant
Dates: Aug 21, 2003 to Sep 14, 2003
* Portland, Oregon -- SW Moody Avenue
Dates: Oct 2, 2003 to Oct 26, 2003
* San Francisco, California -- Pacific Bell Park
Dates: Nov 6, 2003 to Dec 7, 2003
* Miami, Florida -- Bicentennial Park (Downtown)
Dates: Jan 9, 2004 to Jan 25, 2004
* St. Petersburg, Florida -- Tropicana Field
Dates: Feb 19, 2004 to Mar 7, 2004
* Atlanta, Georgia -- TBD
* New York City, New York -- TBD
* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- TBD
* Toronto, Ontario -- TBD **NEW**
Dralion:
* Hartford, Connecticut -- Market Street (I-84 and I-91)
Dates: Jun 22, 2003 to Jul 13, 2003 **EXTENDED**
* Columbus, Ohio -- Arena District
Dates: Jul 24, 2003 to Aug 10, 2003
* St. Louis, Missouri -- Highlands at Forest Park
Dates: Aug 23, 2003 to Sep 7, 2003
* Mexico City, Mexico -- TBD
Dates: Oct 2, 2003 - Nov 2, 2003 **UPDATED**
* London, United Kingdom -- Royal Albert Hall
Dates: Jan 9, 2004 to Feb 1, 2004
* Amsterdam, Netherlands -- TBD **NEW**
Quidam:
* Nagoya, Japan
Dates: May 21, 2003 to Jul 6, 2003
* Osaka, Japan
Dates: Jul 19, 2003 to Sep 30, 2003 **UPDATED**
* Fukuoka, Japan
Dates: Oct 22, 2003 to Dec 7, 2003
* Tokyo, Japan
Dates: Dec 24, 2004 to Feb 8, 2004
Saltimbanco:
* Cologne, Germany -- Cologne-Deutz
Dates: Jun 5, 2003 to Jul 13, 2003 **EXTENDED**
* Oostenade, Belgium -- Media Center
Dates: Jul 24, 2003 to Aug 21, 2003 **EXTENDED**
* Zürich, Switzerland -- Glatt Shopping Center
Dates: Sep 19, 2003 to Oct 19, 2003
* Valencia, Spain -- TBD
Dates: Nov 28, 2003 to Dec 21, 2003
Varekai:
* New York, New York -- Randall's Island Park
Dates: Apr 24, 2003 to Jul 6, 2003 **EXTENDED**
* Chicago, Illinois -- The United Center
Dates: Jul 17, 2003 to Aug 24, 2003 **EXTENDED**
* Los Angeles, California -- Staples Center
Dates: Sep 12, 2003 to Oct 5, 2003
* Pomona, California -- Fairplex
Dates: Dec 4, 2003 to Dec 28, 2003
* Orange County, California -- Orange Co Fair Grounds
Dates: Jan 16, 2004 to Feb 8, 2004
* San Diego, California -- Qualcomm Stadium
Dates: Mar 18, 2004 to Apr 4, 2004 **UPDATED**
* Phoenix, Arizona -- TBD
* Denver, Colorado -- TBD
* Boston, Massachusetts -- TBD
* Washington, DC -- TBD
* Dallas, Texas -- TBD
[Resident Shows]
La Nouba:
* Two shows Nightly - Tuesday through Saturday
* Times: 6:00pm and 9:00pm
* Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando
* No performances Sunday and Monday
* 2003 Dark Dates:
- July 13th through 16th
- September 7th through 9th
- October 26th through 29th
- December 7th through 15th
Mystère:
* Two shows Nightly - Friday through Tuesday
* Times: 7:30pm and 10:30pm
* Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas
* No performances on Wednesday or Thursday
* 2003 Dark Dates:
- August 5rd through 8th
- October 7th through 10th
- December 3rd through 18th
"O":
* Two shows Nightly - Wednesday through Sunday
* Times: 7:30pm and 10:30pm
* Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas
* No performances on Monday or Tuesday
* 2003 Dark Dates:
- August 10th through 13th
- October 12th through 15th
- December 1st through 16th
Zumanity: (Debuts August 14, 2003)
* Two Shows Nightly - Tuesday through Saturday
* Times: 7:30pm and 10:30pm
* Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas
* No performances on Sunday or Monday
* 2003 Dark Dates:
Not Available
=======================================================================
HISTORIE: THIS MONTH IN CIRQUE HISTORY
=======================================================================
* July 05, 1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Rimouski
* July 05, 1985 -- 1985 Tour opened Québec [Vieux-Port de Québec]
* July 05, 1986 -- Le Magie Continue opened Québec
* July 05, 1990 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Seattle
* July 06, 2000 -- Saltimbanco 2000 opened Seattle
* July 07, 1987 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Québec
* July 07, 1999 -- Cirque Day created by Fans
* July 09, 2003 -- Quidam opened Osaka, Japan
* July 10, 2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Vienna
* July 10, 2003 -- Alegría opened Vancouver, BC
* July 11, 1990 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Montréal
* July 12, 1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Saint-Jean-Port-Joli
* July 12, 1994 -- Alegría opened San Francisco
* July 14, 1992 -- Fascination opened Osaka
* July 14, 1992 -- Saltimbanco opened San Francisco
* July 17, 2003 -- Varekai opened Chicago, Illinois
* July 19, 1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Baie-Saint-Paul
* July 21, 1995 -- Saltimbanco opened Berlin
* July 21, 1999 -- Saltimbanco opened Adelaide, Australia
* July 23, 1988 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Toronto
* July 24, 1992 -- Fascination opened Sapporo
* July 24, 2003 -- Dralion opened Hartford, CT
* July 24, 2003 -- Saltimbanco opened Oostenade, Belgium
* July 25, 1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Québec
* July 26, 1985 -- 1985 Tour opened Toronto [Harbour Front]
* July 26, 1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Toronto
* July 26, 1995 -- Alegría opened Chicago
* July 26, 1996 -- Saltimbanco opened Anvers
* July 26, 2001 -- Quidam opened Copenhagen
* July 28, 1993 -- Saltimbanco opened Chicago
* July 31, 1990 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened London
=======================================================================
ANNIVERSAIRE: BIRTHDAY WISHES TO CIRQUE ALUMNI!
=======================================================================
* July 06, 1963 -- Toumany Kouyaté (Singer/"O")
* July 10, 1959 -- Pierre Dubé (Taïko Drummer/Former Mystère)
* July 22, 1982 -- Alexi Anikine (Russian Swings/Varekai)
* July 25, 1991 -- Bin He (Water Meteors/Varekai)
* July 26, 1974 -- Karyne Steben (Duo Trapeze/Former Saltimbanco, "O")
* July 26, 1974 -- Sarah Steben (Duo Trapeze/Former Saltimbanco, "O")
=======================================================================
BEYOND THE BIGTOP:
"Cirque du Sexy: Sensuality, Erotica and Cirque du Soleil"
(By: Wayne Leung)
=======================================================================
"Zumanity, A provocative and arousing display of human sensuality."
The buzz surrounding Cirque du Soleil's upcoming show is steadily
growing. From the teaser advertisements that have been released, the
show has already piqued curiosities and elicited various reactions.
While some of the initial reaction to the sensual, cabaret-style show
has been positive there have also been comments such as "Cirque is
making a big mistake" and "I can't believe Cirque is stooping to that
level." To some it seems a surprise that a company like Cirque du
Soleil, known for it's artistic yet family-friendly shows, would
choose to go in such a bold new direction with Zumanity.
However, Cirque is no stranger to sensuality. Their shows have always
featured sensual and erotic elements, perhaps not as an overall theme
as in Zumanity, but many individual acts or thematic elements in
Cirque's past shows contain sexual connotations, references and
undertones.
Take for example Vis-versa, the statue act in Quidam. The number is a
powerful expression of man and woman's interdependence and conveys a
deep, underlying sensuality. The two statues are a post-modern Adam
and Eve and the performance itself is a beautiful metaphor for the act
of procreation; of the many ghostly figures floating overhead as the
act is performed is a pregnant woman.
Also in Quidam; when Olga Pikhienko (and later Elena Lev) makes her
grand entrance with thighs-a-flailing, to the sounds of drums crashing
in time to a sinuous melody line, it's a call to a sexual awakening.
The sexy bikini-top and hot-pants costume together with the painted-on
arm and thigh-band tattoos give the performer a vixen-like look and,
combined with the sexy writhing choreography, the act, whether Olga's
hand-balancing or Elena's hoops, becomes a daring expression of modern
femininity; at once fragile and powerful. These ladies definitely
elicit jaw-drops and heart palpitations.
Both Elena and Olga have performed "tamer" versions of their
respective acts in other Cirque shows (Elena in Alegría and Olga in
Varekai). And although not as overtly sexual, these alternate
versions are nonetheless infused with a highly sensual quality and
belie both of these performers' striking beauty.
There are many more examples of sexual expression in Cirque du Soleil.
Whether it's the dark sensuality of Isabelle Chassé's Aerial
Contortion in Silk from Quidam, the homoerotic undertones of the
Atherton brothers' Aerial Straps in Varekai, the sensuous choreography
of Varekai's Triple Trapeze which invokes images of an erotic aerial
sculpture, sexual imagery can be found in every Cirque show.
Cirque has never shied away from the risqué; shows such as Mystère
have featured revealing costumes, and other shows feature transvestite
characters such as Le Travesti in "O" or Erik Carol's Ame Force in
Dralion.
Who hasn't noticed that Anton Chelnokov, Varekai's Icarus, has become
an unwitting sex symbol as teenage female Cirque fans ooh and ahh over
him like he's Justin Timberlake on a trapeze? The same can be said of
many Cirque performers, there's something innately sexy about the
sensuous young women and virile young men who perform in the shows.
It comes as no surprise that Cirque would choose to take advantage of
their sex appeal.
And why not? Critics who say that Cirque can't possibly turn the
subject of sex into a classy and tactful show need to remember that
there was a time when circus was also considered low-class, tasteless
entertainment for the masses. If Cirque du Soleil has successfully
re-invented the circus into a new art form then isn't it possible for
the company to do the same for the erotic cabaret/music hall-type
show?
Indeed, Zumanity's Director René-Richard Cyr compared his show to
traditional erotic shows in an interview, "The girls [in traditional
erotic shows] strip and show their breasts. They leave very little
room for the imagination. This genre of show clearly needs to be
reinvented. Our show will be an encounter between men and women, the
meeting of bodies in subtlety and smoothness. We want to give
nobility back to the art of the erotic cabaret in a universe where
hyper sexuality is exploited everywhere."
And what of Zumanity's Las Vegas home? After failed attempts to turn
the city into a family-friendly Desert-Disneyland, Vegas is going back
to its "Sin City" roots. It's the perfect laboratory for Cirque to
create a new-style show like Zumanity to surprise everyone. Cirque du
Soleil is a company that knows its audience and can tailor shows to
specific markets. The American-culture infused La Nouba playing at
Disney World is a prime example of Cirque du Soleil creating a show to
suit a market.
In Las Vegas (and just about everywhere else for that matter) sex
sells. But Zumanity is not being touted as a show that uses sex for
the sake of sex but rather explores and celebrates sexuality as a part
of the human experience.
Of course, there are some who are still uncomfortable with their
sexuality or maybe just the idea of a sex-themed show. Obviously,
Zumanity will not be a show for everyone but that's all right.
Whether you love the idea of Zumanity or hate it, there's no denying
that Cirque is making a bold move into uncharted territory. The
concept of a show exploring different facets of sexuality is certainly
very intriguing. It has the potential to be a show that breaks free
of the successful yet predictable formula that Cirque has relied on
for most of it's shows to date. If done well Zumanity may be the
gutsy next step that keeps Cirque from becoming just a novelty act and
allows it to develop into a mature performing arts company.
I for one am very excited about Zumanity's potential and am anxiously
awaiting the premiere. While it's best not to judge a show before one
has seen it, I feel confident that Zumanity, like all of its
predecessors will invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke
the emotions. However, it will be doing so in bold new ways.
[Source: Michelle Coudé-Lord - Journal de Montréal - 25/04/2003]
=======================================================================
LE SPECTACLE:
"The Eclectic Cast of Zumanity" (Edited By: Keith Johnson)
=======================================================================
As we get closer to premiere date, more and more info is starting to
come out about not only the creative team of Zumanity, but it's cast
as well. An excellent article on Zumanity's casting ("Oh, the
Zumanity!" by Erin Auerbach) was posted in their Press Clippings
section, and can also be found at < http://www.backstage.com/backstage
/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1911799 >. It features an
interview with Montreal-based casting director Murielle Cantin. We've
excerpted some of the more interesting tidbits about the cast below.
Cantin said the 50 cast members of Zumanity come from many countries
around the globe and are as diverse in ethnicity and skill as they are
in age and appearance. "We have quite an eclectic cast," she said,
"We wanted to show the beauty of the human body, any body. And that
doesn't just come in a young, thin body. It comes in any age, color
and size."
When the creators of Zumanity sat down to discuss casting, they
decided that sensuality is too rooted in stereotypical, "mainstream,
young creatures." The youngest person in the cast is 20 and the
oldest is 71. The shortest person is 3-feet-9-inches tall and the
tallest is 6-feet-2-inches. The average age of the cast is 33,
according to Cantin.
The mature couple in the hand-to-hand manipulation act, who call
themselves the Pacemakers, consists of a 64-year-old Danish woman
named Bridgette and her 71-year-old husband, Flemming. They haven't
been to Vegas since they met Elvis (the real one) in Sin City 42 years
ago. Love and sexuality in both hetero and homosexual environments
will also be shown, Cantin said. Patrick King, a dancer from the
British West Indies and his husband, Johan King Silverhult will
perform together in Zumanity.
Some artists may have more than one talent and can do more than one
thing, Cantin said. Dancer and former Ms. Paris Larunce Jardin, a
French dancer who was featured at the Follies Bergere and the Lido in
Paris, will also perform on solo aerial chains.
Other performers will break the boundaries of what is traditionally
considered sexy. The Botero sisters are full figured women who will
dance in the show, who Cantin described as "very comfortable in their
own bodies and move beautifully and very sensually also. They prove
that beauty isn't necessarily being 5-feet-7 and 117 pounds. It is
essential to break those stereotypes."
Although Cirque shows are usually infused with good humor, Cantin said
it was especially important to bring laughter to an adults-only show
like Zumanity. To achieve this, they are using a group called the Spy
Monkeys. The British troupe has four members from all over Europe.
"They are very comic. They push you to the edge of your seat," Cantin
said.
The show will also feature top-level, live musicians, including
drummer Larry Aberman, who has played with Lisa Marie Presley,
guitarist Melanie Vasquez, who has played with Pink, and singer Lonnie
Gordon, who Cantin called "a provocative bombshell."
Two of the earliest names mentioned were drag performer Joey Arias and
Canadian singer Kinnie Starr. Thanks to the World Wide Web and the
cut-and-paste capabilities of Microsoft Word, we've come up with some
profiles on both Arias and Starr. After learning more about these
performers, we're excited at the possibilities they bring to the
creative process. We don't want to take credit for the writing; this
stuff is other people's material (see sources at the end). We just
thought we'd package it attractively. Enjoy!
JOEY ARIAS
------------
Zumanity will be hosted/narrated by drag queen Joey Arias (Joe Ignacio
Arias), an American with a very full background in entertainment.
Casting Director Murielle Cantin says, "He's a gorgeous animator, drag
queen, a sheik creature... We weren't used to that kind of
personality, but he's a beautiful character to have around"
Arias's long and diverse career has changed the way many people look
at drag performance, and bridged the worlds of pop music, art and
fashion decades before such things were the norm. In a recent
interview, he discussed his childhood in North Carolina, and his early
penchant for theatrics.
"Growing up I used to play games all the time. We didn't have a
television at home, so my parents went to the movies six days a week.
Cleopatra was one of the movies that I fell in love with. I love all
that ceremonial incense, Gods, Goddesses and legends. When my parents
went out, I used to re-enact the storyline in my house. I combined
Cleopatra with Boris Karloff's The Mummy. I had a boy wrapped up in
sheets and I was bringing him back to life. That was Mark Antony, my
lover. I had kids from around the neighborhood as slaves and I was
burning leaves in the house to bring life back. I was Cleopatra with
towels on my head and snakes made of tin foil. My parents literally
walked in as I was being humped by Mark Antony in his Mummy costume.
The slaves were bending over the fire and the incense and leaves were
burning. My mother screamed, "What are you doing in this house?"
These little black kids who were naked with towels on their heads and
little g-strings on scattered." In case you were wondering how old
Arias was when he got this neighborhood orgy together, "That was,
like, at six years old." His parents, who were understandably
freaked, asked Joey why he couldn't play with footballs instead.
Arias' response? "Because they haven't got hair on them."
After he grew up, he left North Carolina and moved to Los Angeles for
school. After a stint with The Groundlings, an improvisational
theater group in Los Angeles, Arias decided to head east. He says, "I
couldn't work in films because they thought I was too bizarre, too
weird, whatever. I didn't fit into any characters that fit the mold
in LA." Arias seemed destined for New York. He says, "When I came to
New York, it was like everything fell into place. I met Klaus Nomi, I
worked with David Bowie, I fell in with Andy Warhol and the whole art
scene." He expands on his coming to New York story explaining, "It
was the turn of the bicentennial. I met Andy Warhol in 1977. I used
to dye my hair. I was kind of wild looking in those days; no one was
doing that. Andy was with Truman Capote and they were like, 'Who's
Red over there?' I was so nervous to meet Andy because I wanted to
meet him. Once I got to shake his hand, he and Truman said, 'Who's
that cute guy standing over there?' They became like girlfriends with
me immediately, with the first few words. After that Andy used to
call me up and say, 'Want to go to the movies, you want to go and have
lunch?' So we used to hang out. I was never part of The Factory
scene. I was more part of the art scene with Keith Haring, Jean
Michel Basquiat and Kenny Scharf."
In the late Eighties, Joey began "channeling" his idol Billie Holiday
onstage, in a chilling vocal impersonation that has been seen on
countless stages over the years, and regularly in New York City
(including a five-year residency at Bar D'O.). He's been an
enthusiastic night-crawler for over a quarter-century, and his
backstage and aftershow antics (in clubs from Club 57 through Click +
Drag) are the stuff of which urban legends are made. Anyone who's
seen Arias perform at Bar d'O might assume that his inner bitch, which
is honed to a razor's edge, sometimes on audience members, sticks with
him offstage, but it couldn't be further from the truth.
Several months before starting work on Zumanity, Joey discussed his
upcoming collaboration with Cirque in a conversation with columnist
Patrick McDonald. His impressions of what the show would be
are...interesting.
Joey: "I have been working hard at what I've always wanted to do.
It's exciting to be able to get out there and realize my fantasies --
I'm so lucky to have all my dreams come true. This summer I'm going
to be doing Cirque du Soleil, an X-rated version with all the visuals
and costumes by Thierry Mugler. The concept is to showcase me and my
sexuality -- that's my thing, really. When Cirque du Soleil first
came to America, they wanted to reinvent the circus. Now we are going
to reinvent the cabaret. It's X-rated, featuring all types of
fetishes. It's really going to change the face of Las Vegas. People
will come to this show for inspiration and will be completely blown
away, my dear."
Patrick McDonald: "I consider you [Zumanity Costume Designer] Thierry
Mugler's muse."
Joey: "I consider myself his crocodile! I'm a crocodile because I'm
going to snap at the audience and eat them alive! I can't tell you
how excited I am about it. It's going to be a real exploration of
sexuality. You'll have to come with an open mind and a cocktail in
hand."
Sources:
*) Joey has a website, www.joeyarias.com, but it's rather skimpy and
hasn't been updated in awhile.
*) http://www.queenmother.tv/nycgirl/joey/joey.html - This site has
some good pictures of Joey.
*) Joey Arias: The Queen of New York Takes on Hollywood Royalty by
Tony Phillips, nextnyc.com.
*) The High Brow Interview by Patrick McDonald, papermag.com
KINNIE STARR
--------------
Kinnie Starr (yes, that is her real name) was not being groomed for
stardom as a toddler or teen. As a child Kinnie Starr was being
raised to think for herself by open-minded intellectuals. Raised in
public French Canadian schools and encouraged to follow her heart,
Starr has a well-developed love of the visual arts: photography,
painting, silk-screening and graffiti.
Her initial writings quickly began leaning hard on the poetry and hip-
hop side. She also travelled a lot, skipping from east to west coast,
as she still loves to do. In New York City, she had been rhyming to a
friend en route to a club in the east village. The mic opened up and
her friend volunteered Starr. Petrified and having never been on
stage alone, Starr approached the mic, closed her eyes and began in a
whisper. By her third encore, the exclusively black audience was
providing such a substantial impromptu backbeat of in-house djembe
drumming, stomping and hand-clapping that for the first time Starr
came face to face with her ability: She had the power of word,
groove, she could rhyme, and her presence was "edgy ...[and]
enchanting" (The New Yorker) enough that she could entrance a room
full of strangers.
Starr began making her presence felt around 1995 with edgy visual
arts, graffiti, rhymes, outspoken race and gender politics, decidedly
unorthodox performances, stunning good looks and envelope-pushing,
beat-slamming recordings. This combination earned her a well-deserved
and devoted fan base, a record contract with Mercury/Island/DefJam
(1996-1999), and an immediate connection with critics and consumers
alike.
Kinnie has found no shortage of accolades. "Hip-hop, aggro-groove,"
wrote L.A. Weekly at the release of her debut CD "Tidy" in 1996, while
Canada's national paper The Globe and Mail declared her, "raw, funny,
and definitely an original." After much courting, she signed to the
majors but the cookie cutters of the music business pushed the
fiercely unique album "Mending" to the margins, where it remains.
Naturally Kinnie walked, dusted herself off and unleashed "Tune-Up"
her third CD, with the same independent spirit with which she had
begun. A juggernaut that Toronto's NOW magazine described as rich
with "visceral rhymes, napalm delivery, spoken word montages and
eagle-eyed surveillance of the three S's --- sexuality, spirituality
and society."
Starr's new record, "Sun Again" finds more emphasis on the music and
less on pointed political statements. "This is the first truly
professional record I've made, in the sense that I'm really getting
into arranging, melodies, hooks and pop production," she says. "This
record is just more like a record. It's not so overtly about
politics. A lot of my politics get misinterpreted anyways, because
they're communicated in metaphor and carry a lot of 'mixed-race'
political baggage. I would rather do political research for the sake
of research and music for the sake of music."
Though "Sun Again", was released at the beginning of May, Starr has
spent the last eight weeks rehearing in a trailer at Cirque du
Soleil's sprawling Montreal North complex. It's a long way from home
for an independent West Coast girl who preaches spirituality and anti-
conformity in her music and hasn't had a "real job" in a long time.
"I didn't think I was going to get it," she said of the Cirque gig.
"Why would I?"
To make matters more complicated, Starr had signed with hot Canadian
label MapleMusic just two days before getting the call from Cirque.
The timing was cause for trepidation. "I was really torn when I got
the (Cirque) job," Starr said. "I called Kim Cook at the record label
and asked him if I should do it, how he would feel, if he thought it
would f-k with the promotion of the record. He was like, 'No, it'll
be great for your profile, it's a great life experience, I totally
support you on it.'"
"I was shocked. He and everybody - adults, not my peers; we're
adults, too, but older people - were all like, 'You have to do it.'
Older people know the value of life experience. When you're young and
egotistical, you're like, 'Oh my God, my record's coming out, it has
to be all about me.'" Cirque du Soleil does not have her exclusively
so she is able to perform and promote her music.
"All my friends were like, 'Dude don't do it, you're gonna die,'
because of the two-year commitment and because it's so mainstream.
But it's the avant-garde of mainstream and the mainstream of avant-
garde and I can dig that."
"People want you to do what they want you to do. And then if you make
a choice outside of what they see you as, they're like, 'NO! Why are
you doing this?' Because I work as an artist," Starr says, answering
her own question. "It's not like I'm dancing with Britney Spears."
"In a lot of interviews it seems like people are pretty decided about
it - 'why would such a free spirit work for such a corporate
company?'" Starr says. "But come on, it's f-king Cirque du Soleil.
It's a pretty creative company, as far as corporations go."
"It's a huge corporation. It goes from 9 to 5 every day. We work 10
to 15 hours a day, six days a week. I'm singing for them and we have
a nine-piece band that rehearses and rehearses. Now I know why people
party on Saturday's. I'm deep in the heart of the straight-world
schedule. It's actually good for me, to study this type of corporate
regimen. It's OK, it's just a lot of work."
But the payoff, she insists, makes it worthwhile. "I think it's going
to take time for me to absorb the new information. As the gig
progresses, I'm coing to consider myself very fortunate for the new
tools I'm acquiring. I'm rhyming a lot in this show - rhyming,
freestyling, singing - which is great. It's one of the reasons they
brought me on, for my rhythmic facilities. But I also get to sing
more classical stuff. It's really good for my voice."
As Starr prepares to follow the sun to Vegas, one senses that,
physical proximity aside, she is in no danger of becoming the next
Celine [Dion]. "I'm like, 'No, no, this is a different show,
really,'" she said in her own defense. "It's a small show, it's a
cabaret show. I'm not Celine - I write my own stuff. She's been
doing it since she was 5; I've been doing it since I was 21. I'd like
to meet her though. I bet she's actually pretty interesting."
Sources:
*) Kinnie's website, www.kinniestarr.com, is well organized with
samples and pictures but no merchandise.
*) www.maplemusicrecordings.com/kinnie.html - is a good article on the
new album.
*) Funky, Soulful Starr Rises Over Vegas by T'cha Dunlevy, Montreal
Gazette via canada.com
*) A True Native Of The Showgirl World by Aaron Wherry,
nationalpost.com
*) For the Record, Kinnie's back by Tom Harrison, The Province via
canada.com
=======================================================================
CIRQUE MUSIQUE:
"ZuMusic" (By: Paul Roberts)
=======================================================================
"Zumanity" begins its controversial show at Las Vegas' New York-New
York Casino in mid-August and the fans have been teased for a few
months now. A combination of new and old Cirque creators has been
enrolled to create the show, and recently, Dominic Champagne-the
director of "Varekai"-joined to help. Included in the team is
composer Simon Carpentier, who becomes Cirque du Soleil's fourth
(main) composer behind René Dupéré, Benoit Jutras, and Violaine
Corradi. He has some tough acts to follow.
Mr. Carpentier's résumé includes composing for television series
(including "Big Wolf on Campus" and "Vampire High" - see a theme
here?), several movies, commercials, and collaborations with Canadian
artists and singers, Claude Péloquin and Anna Liani. According to an
article published on Backstage.com, a few musical veterans will be
included in the orchestra, such as drummer Larry Aberman, who has
played with Lisa Marie Presley, guitarist Melanie Vasquez, who has
played with Pink, and soul/pop singer Lonnie Gordon. The first
announced musician was Canadian "beatnik," Kinnie Starr, whose bad
girl reputation seems perfect for the theme of Zumanity.
For those included in the Zumanity email list, The Madame has aroused
our desires with several sneak peeks; the latest includes a video clip
of an act called Contortion in Water. The 1:18 clip features two
female performers contorting on top of and sloshing about inside a
large bowl of water. The music enhances the sensuality as a slow-
pulsating percussion beat supports airy synthesizer tones and an
echoing alto saxophone that resonates with trills and arpeggios. Even
though there is no actual melody line, a heavily reverberated female
voice occasionally chimes in singing what sounds like "Zumanity."
Recently added to the website (www.zumanity.com) is a "Take a Peek"
link that includes two musical samples titled Work in Progress 1 and
2, composed by Carpentier. From these two samples it is difficult to
determine if the texture of the music will be aligned with what we are
accustomed to from Cirque du Soleil. But both seem to provide clues
to the seductive overtones that will accompany this show.
"Work in Progress 1" (3:10) features slow-paced synthetic percussion
supporting a layered chord progression from lush keyboards sounds. An
acoustic guitar plays a Latin America-like strumming while a highly
filtered synthesizer delivers the sultry melody line. A trumpet
(possibly a synthesizer patch) takes over the melody and lead lines.
Throughout there are electric piano-like arpeggio riffs. This dreamy
tune provokes a floating-on-water-or-air sensation.
"Work in Progress 2" (3:59) starts out with jungle noises and
castanets clicking a rapid rhythm over echoed snare drum beats. A
Flamenco-like bass line and acoustic guitar riff enters that is
reminiscent of a piece by Luis Perez, who was an original member of
the "Mystère" band. Then a flute-like synthesizer provides an
occasional melody line that answers the guitars. In the background, a
staccato synthesizer presents the chord pattern. A female voice, that
I'm relatively sure is Kinnie Starr, recites, no murmurs and hisses, a
poem: "I take a fall in wonderland and I meet all my brothers and
sisters...." With a fairly upbeat feel, this song would fit well in a
Spanish gypsy dance.
The music of Cirque du Soleil has historically been used to influence
the audience members' multitude of emotions. Hopefully, Simon
Carpentier retains this aspect and does not concentrate on only the
sensuality that seems to be the main theme for Zumanity. Even when in
doubt, Cirque du Soleil has always bypassed my expectations and I now
look forward to another thrilling experience.
=======================================================================
TÉLÉMAGIK:
"Another look at the Varekai Video" (By: Keith Johnson)
=======================================================================
Two issues back we published a review by Daniel Artelas of the Varekai
video, based upon a tape of its showing on HBO in Latin America. Last
month, Varekai made its premiere in the US on Bravo, and we finally
had a chance to take a look at it. While I agree with several of the
sentiments expressed in Daniel's original review, and wholly defend
his right to hold those viewpoints, I'd like to respond to some of his
points after having a chance to view it.
Daniel is right when he says, "It's never quite the same, is it?
Watching a Cirque du Soleil performance at home on the 'small
screen.'" There is no substitute for a live show, that's for sure.
Yet many folks first exposure to Cirque shows comes from watching
their videos. And it's many of the adaptations made to capture a show
on video that Daniel objected to.
In this writer's opinion, such adaptations are made to cater to the
market of the product being produced, in this case a video. As our
collective attention span has been reduced, and as music video editing
styles have engrained their way into our culture, performance arts
videos have had to adapt to be marketable. This results in more (or
odd) camera angles and quicker cuts or edits. It also means limiting
programming time to between 90 and 100 minutes. Much as I don't like
the fact that parts of the show are missing, or might be sometimes
hard to follow, it is becoming more the "nature of the beast" for this
kind of production. If it feels like a music video, it's because in
many ways, in order to succeed in the marketplace, it has to be.
I agree with Daniel that director Nick Morris' work here is an
improvement over Alegría, which suffered from too many audience
reaction shots. I think Cirque took this criticism to heart and
Varekai is better for it. But I don't think director David Mallet's
work on Dralion was as "monstrously disastrous" as David suggests. In
fact, Dralion won EMMYS's both for Outstanding Music, Variety, or
Comedy Special and Outstanding Directing for same. I also compliment
the DVD packaging, which has gone further than any other Cirque video
in the area of multi-angle viewing - showing four acts from four
different camera positions throughout the entire act, not just a
portion. Director Mallet should be complimented for allowing such a
feature to be assembled. I hope director Morris and the production
team (which has remained mostly intact since Quidam) include more of
this in the Varekai DVD.
I also have to compliment the improvement made to the handling of slow
motion shots. Now placed at pauses in the action, I found these shots
beneficial and not distracting. I remember first noticing this
technique applied to the video for Michael Flatley's "Lord Of The
Dance," where slow motion was used during a move rather than as a
replay, and found it quite distracting. In Varekai, once I understood
the "language" and placement of the slow motion in an act, I came to
expect and welcome it. Showing a skill being stuck by *just that
much* when you can fully appreciate it never fails to impress.
I do agree with Daniel's comment about the singing clown chasing the
spotlight scene, but for different reasons. Because the home audience
is never given a true sense of the big top space, the concept of
running after an errant spotlight doesn't make much sense. The cuts
don't give an idea of where the spotlight was, where it went to, and
the distance between the two, so the joke becomes harder to understand
and "get".
If there is something I would fault CDSoleil Images for it was their
assumption that, with Alegría and Inside La Nouba, they could
distribute the video/DVD on their own, without partnering with a
larger distributor (such as Columbia Tri Star, which has handled their
other shows). This has made it difficult to get the video from of
several retail channels at a loss to everyone - they are great
documents of wonderful shows. With the production of Varekai, Cirque
has again partnered with Columbia/Tri Star. Let's hope they will
leave the job of video distribution to companies who are expert at it,
to get Cirque videos out into as many retail channels as possible.
But don't let mine or Daniels' reviews deter you from enjoying
Varekai, or any other Cirque shows on video. Of course, seeing the
shows live is the best way to experience them. But the video
productions are the next best thing!
=======================================================================
PARTING QUOTE
=======================================================================
"Our work tools have always been our emotions, our
spontaneity, and our child-like imagination."
- Michel Crête
=======================================================================
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
=======================================================================
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=======================================================================
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
=======================================================================
"Fascination!" is Ricky Russo, Keith Johnson, Paul Roberts, Jen
Waldman and Wayne Leung.
"Fascination! Newsletter" Copyright (c) 2003 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
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Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way
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Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil,
Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright
infringement intended.
