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Fascination Issue 019 expanded
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T h e U n o f f i c i a l
C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r
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E X P A N D E D I S S U E
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Issue #19e "Live to Cirque; Cirque to Live" March 2003
=======================================================================
Hallo und willkommen! Ciao e benvenuto! Dobrý den a vítám! Bonjour et
bienvenue! All the languages can only mean one thing - editor Ricky
Russo has returned to the asylum! We have some exciting news and
features this month, including information about the music featured in
Cirque du Soleil's docu-series "Fire Within" - it's been a hot topic
in the forums! We also hear from the Techie Geek, and of course the
continuing adventures of our editor in his latest installment of "Le
Grand Tour". And more! So what are you waiting for!?
/// EXPANDED ISSUE: Originally appearing as a link in the ON THE WEB
section this month, an interesting paper on the language and images
present in Cirque du Soleil shows up and disappeared. Thankfully,
we've been able to rescue the text and present it in this expanded
issue of Fascination. You'll find it under the EXPANDED SELECTION
column in our monthly FEATURES Section. ///
============
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
* Cirque Musique:
"The Music from 'Fire Within'" (By: Keith Johnson)
* The Cirque Connection:
"Cirque's Inspiration on Télévision" (By: Paul Roberts)
* Behind the Curtain:
"The Techie Geek" (By: Jen Waldman)
* Beyond the Big Top:
"Le Grand Tour: A European Flair" (By: Ricky Russo)
* Le Spectateur:
"Kumbalawé: Discovering Cirque" (By: Wayne Leung)
* Special Engagement:
"Le Grand Tour: Saltimbanco!" (By: Ricky Russo)
* Expanded Selection:
"Crossing Borders: The Multimodal Language of
Cirque du Soleil" (By: James Skidmore)
* Parting Quote
* Next Issue
* Subscription Information
* Copyright & Disclaimer
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=======================================================================
CIRQUE BUZZ: NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
John Gilkey says Goodbye?
-------------------------
We've been made aware of a news article in the Mercury News of
San Jose, CA, featuring an interview with clown extraordinaire
John Gilkey. The big scoop here is that John Gilkey will be
leaving Varekai (and Cirque du Soleil) very soon. According to
the article (and confirmed to us in a quick phone call with the
writer), after taking a short sabbatical John will join Franco
Dragone to work on the Dragone-directed new show at Steve Wynn's
La Reve Casino in Las Vegas. But he won't be appearing in the
show, instead John will be casting, training, and directing the
shows' clowns. Check out the full article below...
# # #
Whether topped by a tuft of hair in the shape of an arrowhead or
a coif that's more feather duster than fashion statement,
performer John Gilkey's rubbery mug has become synonymous with
Cirque du Soleil. The Los Altos native, who originated the role
of the emcee six years ago in Cirque's "Quidam," stars as the
fuzzy-headed Skywatcher in "Varekai," the company's latest show,
which opens in downtown San Jose on Thursday.
In "Varekai," Gilkey plays a shirtless, gibberish-gushing
inventor who scurries around his "sound machine" like an over-
caffeinated satyr. As he pulls levers and punches buttons,
perfectly timed sound effects seem to spout magically from that
post-modern calliope.
A former juggler and acrobat for the Pickle Family Circus,
Gilkey is a multitasker who can do a soft shoe, contort his face
and pull off a perfectly timed Buster Keaton tumble with an air
of total spontaneity. The Cirque vet, who also appeared on the
East Coast leg of the "Dralion" tour, is in his element in these
productions -- even if he still wonders how he ever became a
career clown. "Being a performer is really antithetical to who I
am," says Gilkey, who, out of character for an interview at a
San Francisco cafe, is as animated as a mortician. "I was not
going to be a performer. I'm too shy and introverted for that."
Gilkey, 36, has spent the past 16 years convincing fans
otherwise. Entertaining thousands, he has asked for a little
more from his audiences than does the average clown. In
"Varekai" (which means "Wherever" in the Romany language of the
Gypsies), Gilkey isn't just gunning for laughs. He wears only
pants, shoes and some "foliage" jutting out from his waistband
to emphasize vulnerability and suggest the flute-playing man-
goat Pan. His character was inspired, in part, by Robert
ParkeHarrison's photo montages merging machinery and nature. "A
lot of my stuff is a little abstract and esoteric," Gilkey says.
"I think activating the public should be one of the roles of the
artist, not just taking them away from everyday life. I think we
also have a responsibility to pose questions."
Gilkey has been pushing the creative envelope ever since his
older brother Jeff introduced him to juggling at age 10. John
became an accomplished and obsessed performer in high school,
working with balls, oranges, bowling pins and later, much to his
mother's dismay, torches and swords. "I came home one day, and
he was standing on his partner's head juggling swords . . . in
the back yard," says mom Cynthia Gilkey, a massage therapist and
retired circulation and marketing manager at Sunset magazine,
"and he said, 'But Mom, they're not sharp!' I knew he was
serious about it in high school," she says, "but I didn't think
it was going be a lifetime career."
Although his interests included filmmaking and astronomy, Gilkey
dropped out of the University of California-Santa Cruz after his
freshman year in 1986 to establish himself as a professional
juggler. Within eight months, he was hired by the Pickle Family
Circus, where he worked for 4 1/2 years. There, he learned
acrobatics and clowning and, most important, performing for an
audience.
"That was my college," he says.
Gilkey's skills were never questioned by his Pickle associates.
But actress, clown and former troupe member Joan Mankin says she
sensed that Gilkey was more than a "juggler nerd." At a preview
performance in 1988, Gilkey, Mankin and their partners flubbed a
club-tossing routine. Furious at himself, Gilkey slammed his
equipment to the ground as soon as he got off the stage. "I
looked at him and said, 'That guy really cares about doing it
right,' " Mankin says. "From that moment on, I looked at him
differently."
Jeff Raz, director of the clown conservatory at the Circus
Center of San Francisco, briefly worked with Gilkey in the
Pickle Family Circus in the late '90s. He, too, recognized that
Gilkey was somehow different from other performers. "How his
brain works does not intuitively make sense for a clown," Raz
says. "Clowns tend to be a little more all over the map. He
takes the craziest idea and sees if it goes somewhere, and then
has this determination to see it happen."
Like most great clowns, Gilkey can make difficult stunts look
easy. In "Varekai," the performer drives the two-wheeled
"mancycle," which always seems to be in danger of rolling off
the stage. He designed both the sound machine and the cycle
himself. "All of his stuff is really hard to do," Raz says, "and
it doesn't always look it. He's so skilled that, when he's on
that weird bicycle thing spinning around that guy's head that
pops up on the stage, there's not a lot of room for mistakes."
Gilkey will continue to expand his artistic horizons after
"Varekai" closes in San Jose Feb. 16. He will join former Cirque
director Franco Dragone in his new circus at Le Reve, Steve
Wynn's $2.5 billion hotel-casino scheduled to open in Las Vegas
in 2005. Rather than perform, Gilkey will develop, cast and
direct up to 15 clowns in that show. "You begin performing often
as a way to impress people," he says. "I'm going through a
transition out of that and into inspiring people, into pushing
buttons and getting them to think differently."
First John, Now Eugen
---------------------
It was first reported in the first weeks of February that John
Gilkey was leaving Varekai (see news statement above), then
word came that Cirque fans have lost another venerable character
- Eugen from "O". Eugen Brim, who plays the mysterious guardian
of the theater, has left the show to pursue other interests. A
replacement, whose name is unknown to us, has already begun to
perform. So long Eugen... we shall miss you. [Source:
Adirabazin, www.cirqueforum.com; Ricky Russo]
And Possibly... Olga?
---------------------
There have been many rumors floating around that Olga Pikhienko,
hand-balancer for Cirque du Soleil's Varekai, is due to leave
the show at any moment. While there has been no official
announcement from the show or Cirque du Soleil, Cirque has
quietly been looking for a handbalancer/contortionist to fill
her role through their casting site - < http://casting.
cirquedusoleil.com >. Must we also say goodbye to Olga so soon?
[Source: Martin Frenette; Cirque du Soleil; Ricky Russo]
Saltimbanco in... Paris?
------------------------
Cirque du Soleil once set up their big top in Paris with a
production of Le Cirque Réinventé, but it largely failed to
capture the Parisian's attention. Almost 15 years later Cirque
du Soleil is poised to try again with Saltimbanco, which is
currently on a second European Tour. Rumor has it the show could
grace the Ile de France beginning 2004. [Source: Martin
Frenette; Ricky Russo]
La Nouba Celebrates 2,000!
--------------------------
This month there's much to celebrate! On March 14th at 6:00pm,
"Cirque du Soleil will celebrate a milestone at [the] Walt
Disney World Resort, as the cast of La Nouba marks its 2000th
performance at the Cirque du Soleil theater at Downtown Disney
West Side." Tickets can be purchased directly at the Box Office
or by calling (407) WDW-7600 (there is no online-ticket
availability). Tickets are tier-priced as follows:
Category 1: Adults - $82.00 ($86.92 w/tax)
Children (3 to 9) - $49.00 ($51.94 w/tax)
Category 2: Adults - $72.00 ($76.32 w/tax)
Children (3 to 9) - $39.00 ($41.34 w/tax)
[Source: LaughingPlace.com, Cirque du Soleil; Keith Johnson;
Ricky Russo]
La Nouba 20% Off!
-----------------
If you're a Cirque du Soleil fan and a Walt Disney World
Passholder then you're in luck - from now until April 30th enjoy
La Nouba for 20% off the regular Category 2 price! The offer is
good for performances on Wednesdays and Thursdays only until the
end of April, so act now! Limit two tickets; Category 2 seating
only. You may purchase tickets 14 days in advance. [Source: Walt
Disney World; Ricky Russo]
Cirque Alumni NOT at Beau Rivage
--------------------------------
In our last issue we reported that both Chris Lashua (German
Wheel - Quidam) and Elena Lev (Hoops - Alegría) had returned to
the circus scene in Balagan, a production of Dreamcast
Entertainment currently performing at the Beau Rivage. While it
is true they have performed with the company in the past, Chris
and Elena are not currently performing with Balagan at the Beau
Rivage. Thanks to Katie who contacted Dreamcast Entertainment.
Elena Lev is said to be in Las Vegas performing at gala events.
Cirque & TLC
------------
The Learning Channel (TLC) and Banyan Productions have paired to
produce an 8-episode half-hour series entitled "A Dating Story".
These new episodes of the popular TLC series will feature a
variety of Las Vegans," from Elvis impersonator Trent Carlini to
[Las Vegas] Review-Journal reporter Frank Curreri. The series
will follow individual daters' daily routines, activities and
various attractions the show will put the couples through. What
makes this interesting to us is the fact that a Cirque du Soleil
performer (as yet unnamed) is to take part in this series. Read
the original article as it appeared in the Las Vegas-Review
Journal at this address: < http://www.reviewjournal.com/
lvrj_home/2003/Mar-03-Mon-2003/living/20792228.Html > [Source:
Las Vegas Review-Journal; Katie Valadez; Ricky Russo]
Monte-Carlo Festival Corrections
--------------------------------
We got some of our info incorrect in our article last month
about the Circus Festival of Monte Carlo. The prize Zhau
Yashi's handbalancing act won, called the "Prix de l'Academie du
Cirque" is also called the "Prize of the Circus Art Academy of
Switzerland." And while we got the Golden Crown winners
correct, we need to restate the Silver and Bronze Clown winners.
They are below...
Silver Clowns - Victor Kee/Cirque du Soleil - juggling,
Alexander Lacey (England) - lion and tiger training, The
Acrobatic Troupe of Shanghai (China) - Russian Bar, Jigalov,
Konstantin & Csaba (Russia) - Clowns.
Bronze Clowns - Franko Knie and Franco Knie Jr. (Switzerland) -
Seven Elephants, Theatre Bingo (Ukrane) - charivari (acobatic
tumbling), Makie & Jorg Probst (Germany) - animal acts featuring
baboons and farm animals. [Source: Keith Johnson]
Quidam Tour Correction
----------------------
In our January issue, we reported that Denise Gonzalez will be
touring with Quidam through the Japanese tour. Denise will be
leaving Quidam this June. Cirque is currently casting her
replacement.
=======================================================================
CIRQUE TV: CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ON-SCREEN!
=======================================================================
Fire Within continues to be the focus for Cirque du Soleil appearances
on BRAVO, their U.S. Network affiliate. Visit the official site of
BRAVO - www.bravotv.com - for up-to-date scheduling information. All
times are listed in Eastern and Pacific. Check your Cable or Satellite
TV provider for exact channel.
* CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: FIRE WITHIN
-----------------------------
Episode 9: Episode 12:
Mar 3 @ 1:00am Mar 17 @ 9:00pm
Mar 18 @ 12:00am
Episode 10: Mar 18 @ 7:30pm
Mar 3 @ 9:00pm Mar 20 @ 10:00pm
Mar 4 @ 12:00am Mar 21 @ 1:00am
Mar 4 @ 7:30pm Mar 23 @ 4:30am
Mar 9 @ 12:00pm Mar 24 @ 1:00am
Mar 10 @ 1:00am
Episode 13:
Episode 11: Mar 24 @ 9:00pm
Mar 10 @ 9:00pm Mar 25 @ 12:00am
Mar 11 @ 12:00am Mar 25 @ 7:30pm
Mar 12 @ 7:00pm Mar 28 @ 1:00am
Mar 13 @ 4:30am Mar 30 @ 12:00pm
Mar 16 @ 12:00pm Mar 31 @ 1:00am
Mar 17 @ 1:00am
Episode 1:
Mar 31 @ 9:00pm
Apr 1 @ 12:00am
=======================================================================
OYEZ, OYEZ(*)!: CIRQUE ONLINE
=======================================================================
This Month at Cirque Club
(By: Keith Johnson)
-------------------------
Children, honors and love are on tap this month. CirqueClub devotes a
new section to their Cirque Du Monde social action program, with lots
of information. There's also a Press Release concerning a documentary
being made about the program.
The Club has several bits of coverage about the Circus Festival of
Monte Carlo and the awards they won there. In addition, there's
mention of another award they won at a festival in Paris. And to top
it off, an article about Brian Dewhurst winning the "2002 British
Circus Personality of the Year" award from "World's Fair" magazine.
We can only say nobody deserves it more!
And in an appropriate Valentines Day touch, there's a fun article
about love and marriage within Cirque cast and crew. We were hoping
for more - evoking emotions is part of the Cirque credo, and
Valentine's Day being a very emotional holiday we were hoping for some
Cirque-inspired E-Valentines - but perhaps next year.
Two last minute articles feature the raising of the Grand Chapiteau in
Houston, Texas and the premiere of Quidam in Tokyo, Japan!
On the Web
(By: Ricky Russo)
----------------------
1) < http://web.tampabay.rr.com/witek/ >
He's witty, he's bald, and he's one of the four nuttiest characters to
ever grace a Cirque du Soleil stage - Witek Biegal, a Les Con from
Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba. Take this link to his personal website
where you can learn about his past, his hobbies, where he came from,
and various other whimsical things about this Polish acrobat.
2) < http://www.ucfv.bc.ca/esl/cirque.htm >
From the University College of the Frasier Valley comes a course in
Cirque du Soleil Reading Comprehension. The pages are old and the
links are broken (as they point to pages from the old Cirque website)
it is interesting to find that even schools use Cirque du Soleil to
teach certain values. In this case, it's teaching English as a Second
Language or ESL to students. Can you answer some of the questions the
teacher poses about each show? Try them all and see!
3) < http://www.ktv.co.jp/quidam/ > & < http://www.tnc.co.jp/quidam/ >
These two sites are in Japanese only but offer some great new images
and information regarding the Japanese Tour of Quidam. The first is
Quidam in Osaka and the second is Quidam in Fukuoka.
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE: TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
[Touring Shows]
Alegría:
* Houston, Texas -- at George R. Brown Convention Center
Dates: Mar 6, 2003 to Apr 13, 2003
* Austin, Texas -- Next to George R. Brown Convention Center
Dates: Apr 24, 2003 to May 11, 2003
* Calgary, Alberta: Spring-Summer 2003
* Vancouver, BC: Summer 2003
* Portland, Oregon: Summer 2003
* Seattle, Washington: Fall 2003
* San Francisco, California: Fall 2003
Dralion:
* Raleigh, North Carolina -- at Triangle Town Center Parking Lot
Dates: Mar 13, 2003 to Apr 5, 2003
* Baltimore, Maryland -- at Harbor Point
Dates: Apr 11, 2003 to Apr 27, 2003
* Montreal, Quebec -- at Jacques-Cartier Pier
Dates: May 15, 2003 to Jun 15, 2003
* Cincinnati, Ohio: Summer 2003
* Hartford, Connecticut: Summer 2003
* St. Louis, Missouri: Summer 2003
* Nashville, Tennessee: Fall 2003
* Tampa, Florida: Fall 2003
* London, United Kingdom: Winter 2004
Quidam:
* Tokyo, Japan
Dates: Feb 7, 2003 to May 5, 2003
* Nagoya, Japan
Dates: May 21, 2003 to Jul 6, 2003
* Osaka, Japan
Dates: Jul 19, 2003 to Aug 31, 2003
* Fukuoka, Japan
Dates: Oct 22, 2003 to Dec 7, 2003
Saltimbanco:
* Bilbao, Spain -- at Zorrozaurre
Dates: Feb 26, 2003 to Apr 6, 2003
* Geneva, Switzerland -- at Plainpalais
Dates: Apr 18, 2003 to May 16, 2003
* Cologne, Germany -- at Cologne-Deutz
Dates: June 5, 2003 to June 29, 2003
* Oostenade, Belgium -- To Be Determined
Dates: Jul 24, 2003 to Aug 17, 2003
* Zürich, Switzerland -- Glatt Shopping Center
Dates: Sep 19, 2003 to Oct 12, 2003
Varekai:
* Atlanta, Georgia -- at Cumberland Galeria
Dates: Mar 6, 2003 - Apr 13, 2003
* New York, New York -- at Randall's Island Park
Dates: April 24 to June 15
* Chicago, Illinois: Summer 2003
* Los Angeles, California: Fall 2003
* Orange County, California: Fall 2003
[Resident Shows]
La Nouba:
* Two shows Nightly - Tuesday through Saturday.
* Times: 6:00pm and 9:00pm
* Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando.
* No performances on Sunday and Monday.
* 2003 Dark Dates are as follows:
- March 23rd through 25th
- May 11th through 25th
- July 13th through 16th
- September 7th through 9th
- October 26th through 29th
- December 7th through 15th
Mystère:
* Two shows Nightly - Wednesday through Sunday.
* Times: 7:30pm and 10:30pm
* Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas.
* No performances on Monday or Tuesday.
* 2003 Dark Dates:
- March 2nd through 5th
- April 13th through 15th
- June 2nd through 10th
- August 3rd through 6th
- October 5th through 8th
- December 1st through 16th
"O":
* Two shows Nightly - Friday through Tuesday.
* Times: 7:30pm and 10:30pm.
* Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas.
* No performances on Wednesday or Thursday.
* 2003 Dark Dates:
- April 21st through 24th
- June 18th through 26th
- August 11th through 14th
- October 13th through 16th
- December 3rd through 18th
=======================================================================
HISTORIE: THIS MONTH IN CIRQUE HISTORY
=======================================================================
* March 01, 1988 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Santa Monica (3rd Time)
* 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 06, 2002 -- Dralion opened Los Angeles, California
* March 06, 2003 -- Varekai opened Atlanta, Georgia
* March 06, 2003 -- Alegría opened Houston, Texas
* March 09, 1995 -- Saltimbanco opened Amsterdam (European Tour Began)
* March 11, 1994 -- Saltimbanco Japan Tour Began (ends 9/11)
* March 13, 2003 -- Dralion opened Raleigh, North Carolina
* March 14, 1999 -- Alegría: Le Film showcased in Santa Barbara
* March 14, 2003 -- La Nouba celebrated 2000th performance (6:00pm)
* March 18, 1999 -- Saltimbanco opened Sydney, Australia
* March 22, 1996 -- Alegría Japanese Tour (until September 8, 1996)
* March 23, 1993 -- Nouvelle Expérience CD Released
* March 23, 2000 -- Alegría's 2000th performance (8:00pm/Biloxi)
* March 24, 1998 -- Cirque du Soleil Collection CD Released
* March 24, 2002 -- Cirque performed at the 74th Academy Awards
* March 28, 1995 -- Alegría opened New York City
* March 29, 2002 -- Quidam opened Charlotte, North Carolina
* March 30, 1993 -- Saltimbanco opened New York City
=======================================================================
ANNIVERSAIRE: BIRTHDAY WISHES TO CIRQUE ALUMNI!
=======================================================================
* March 02, 1968 -- Daniel Boyer (Cycles/La Nouba)
* March 04, 1976 -- Andrei Yakovlev (Body Skating/Varekai)
* March 05, 1973 -- Roman Polishchuk (Banquine/Quidam)
* March 06, 1970 -- Piotr Matula (Old Bird-FastTrack/Alegría)
* March 08, 1975 -- Sergiy Bobrovnyk (Russian Swings/Varekai)
* March 08, 1975 -- Fua'au "Junior" Faitau (Fire/"O")
* March 09, 1962 -- Igor Arefiev (High Wire/La Nouba)
* March 09, 1964 -- Craig Jennings (Singer/Quidam)
* March 12, 1967 -- Yuri Maiorov (Silk/La Nouba)
* March 14, 1974 -- Begoña Gomex (Les Frères Velasquez/Quidam)
* March 15, 1963 -- Erik Karol (Ex-Singer/Dralion)
* March 18, 1969 -- Nicole Sieger (Singer/Saltimbanco)
* March 22, 1969 -- Miguel Herrera (Ex-Juggler/Saltimbanco)
* March 25, 1966 -- Andriy Vintilov (Adagio/Saltimbanco)
* March 28, 1967 -- Alain Bergé (Drummer/Saltimbanco)
* March 29, 1987 -- Maria Silaeva (Manipulation/Alegría)
* March 30, 1973 -- Nathalie Bollinger (Cadre/"O")
* March 30, 1945 -- Nikolai Terentiev (Clown/Alegría)
=======================================================================
LE SPECTACLE:
"The Music from 'Fire Within'" (By: Keith Johnson)
=======================================================================
Ever since the series debut in both Canada and the US, one of the
hottest topics concerning "Fire Within" has been the music used in the
series. "Who did this song?" "That sounds like a Cirque song, but..."
and "Where can I find it?" have all been posted to discussion boards
at one point. Once again, Fascination! steps up to the plate to
provide the info! Though perhaps not in a format that'll work for
everybody.
Naturally, the series makes very heavy use of Cirque du Soleil music,
but also uses music composed especially for the series. Violaine
Corradi's tracks get the most usage, and it's interesting to note that
most all of the tracks are from "demo" work tracks done for the show
before the Nitin Sawhney-produced "soundtrack." From what we
understand, it is one of those demos, "Vova," that is used as the
closing credit music. Rene Dupéré has the honor of the Opening
Credits music, "Icare" from Alegria. Benoit Jutras is also well
represented here. Also interesting to note is an "Alegria Remix" used
in Episode 7. We'd love to hear that one in its entirety!
Four outside performers are also frequently used. Jesse Dorsey,
Daniel Toussaint, a group called Moufette, and a trio including Jason
Breckenridge each have several compositions used in the series. Many
of these look to be written specifically for the project. Several
other tracks are used once or twice, the most popular of these being a
remix of a song called "Plug In Time" by Walken, which also looks to
be an original composition.
Since we got this list late, we haven't yet had time to research to
see which songs might have been released commercially. And since you
may want a list by episode, we've put an episode-by-episode breakdown
in the Files section of the Fascination! site (check it out by logging
into: < http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CirqueFascination/ >).
This list was provided to us by a very kind source at Galafilm
(www.galafilm.com - the Montreal-based film company that co-produced
the series along with Cirque du Soleil). We've presented it below
primarily by composer, as Cirque composers Dupéré, Jutras, and Corradi
are used frequently. Below them are some other frequently used
composers, followed by songs used occasionally. All the songs are
followed by notation showing in which episode they appeared.
Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing which songs go with which
scenes. So if you're looking for the song used in the scene where
Stella meets her boyfriend, or Ashley is on the phone to his mother,
I'm afraid we can't help you. And we also don't know if this music
was used in the French-language version of the show - the list here is
for the US "International" version. Still, the list is interesting
for some of the artists used, and the "work" names given to songs
later used in Varekai.
Cirque du Soleil Musique
------------------------
Written by Violaine Corradi
Créations Méandres Inc.
Cirque du Soleil Musique
* "Abduction" (w/Hélène Dorion) - Episode 12
* "Amours 1" (w/Hélène Dorion) - Episode 7, 10
* "Avancée ouverture" - Episode 1, 8, 9, 12
* "Bamboo" - Episode 4, 5
* "Célébration 1" - Episode 6, 7, 12
* "Contrebasse" - Episode 12
* "Duduk" - Episode 2, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12
* "Fall and Wings" - Episode 2, 10, 11, 12
* "Filet" - Episode 10, 11
* "Georgians" - Episode 8, 9, 10, 12
* "Gitans" - Episode 10
* "Icarians" - Episode 8, 9, 10, 12
* "Octavio Jug" - Episode 10
* "Olga" - Episode 11, 12
* "Music Box" (w/Hélène Dorion) - Episode 12
* "Parade des Musicos" - Episode 9, 10, 12, 13
* "Patzivota" - Episode 13
* "Rain One" (w/Tina Grace) - Episode 13
* "Slippery" - Episode 1
* "Stella Errans" - Episode 4, 13
* "Straps" - Episode 12
* "Swing to Swing" - Episode 12, 13
* "Triple Trapeze" - Episode 12, 13
* "Vova" (w/Hélène Dorion) - Episode 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12
Written by Benoit Jutras
Créations Méandres Inc.
Cirque du Soleil Musique
* "Hervé" - Episode 7
* "Isabelle" - Episode 5
* "Jeux d'Eau" - Episode 5, 8, 10, 13
* "Marelle" - Episode 10
* "Rivage" - Episode 10
* "Simcha" - Episode 5
* "Steel Dream" - Episode 10, 11
* "Terre Aride" - Episode 4, 8
Written by René Dupéré
Créations Méandres Inc.
Cirque du Soleil Musique
* "Boléro" - Episode 6
* "Icare" - Episode 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
* "Ibis" - Episode 7, 8
* "Il sogno di volare" (w/Franco Dragone) - Episode 5
* "Méandres" - Episode 6, 7
* "Pokinoï" - Episode 6
* "Rideau" - Episode 5, 8, 9, 13
* "Taruka" - Episode 7
* "Valsapena" (w/Manuel Tadros) - Episode 6, 7
Créations Méandres Inc.
Cirque du Soleil Musique
* "Africa" - Traditional - Episode 12
* "Alegria Remix" - Written by Claude Amesse / Franco Dragone /
Manuel Tadros / René Dupéré - Episode 7
Featured Artists
----------------
Written/Performed by Daniel Toussaint
* "Damn Bouka" - Episode 8, 10, 13
* "Fire Music" - Episode 4
* "Love Theme" - Episode 5
* "Set Dance" - Episode 5
* "Osmose" - Episode 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
* "Stella's Dance" - Episode 4
Written by Jesse Dorsey
JWD Publishing
* "Artus" - Feautured in Episode 1, 3, 5, 7, 8
* "Marcus" - Episode 1, 8
* "Long Way" - Episode 2
* "Wrong Way" - Episode 2
* "Summer Assault" - Episode 9, 10, 13
Written/Performed by
Jason Breckenridge/Tiago Conceição/Alexandre Desilets
* "11.11" - Episode 9, 10, 11
* "Desert" - Episode 9
* "Happy Dog" - Episode 4, 13
* "Livin' Flow" - Episode 1, 3
* "On veut ton corps" - Episode 1
Written by Stephan Durand and Ariel Engle
Performed by Moufette
* "Chew Your Heart" - Episode 6
* "Face the Sun" - Episode 9
* "Little Forest" - Episode 7
* "When Will it Be" - Episode 7, 9
* "Ghost" - Written/Performed by Jorane Avalance - Sound Publishing -
Tacca Musique/DKD - Episode 2, 3, 8
* "Hello" - Written and performed by Bullfrog - Bullfrog Productions -
Ropeadope Records - Episode 3
* "Immemory" - Written by Robin Rimbaud - Performed by Scanner -
Published by Big Life Music - Sulphur Records UK - Episode 4, 11
* "Installation" - Written by Akufen - Force Inc. - Episode 9
* "Love Rack" - Written and performed by Tony Babinski - The Foxglove
Concern - Episode 3, 4
* "Love Shack" - Written by Pierson/Schneider/Strickland/Wilson - EMI
BLACKWOOD MUSIC INC. (BMI) - Episode 2
* "Mire Jaka / Borki" - Written by Erasmo Treglia - Performed by
Acquaragia Drom - Finisterre - Episode 2
* "Multipass" - Written by Steve Beaupré - Force Inc. - Episode 9
* Music from "Nemesis" - Written and Performed by Scanner - Episode 13
* "Pineapple" - Written by M. Graca and S. Tremblay - Performed by
Miguel Graca - Beyond Music - Bombay Records - Episode 4
* "Plug in Time (Post War Mix)" - Written/Performed by Walken - JWD
Publishing -Episode 1, 3, 4, 8 ,9, 10, 11
* "Quand les hommes vivront d'amour" - Écrite par Raymond Lévesque -
Gracieuseté de Patricia, Semi Société - Episode 5
* "Reverse Psychology" - Written by James Sobers - Performed by
Bullfrog - Bullfrog Productions - Ropeadope Records - Episode 4
* "Sonnenlicht" - Written by Robin Rimbaud - Performed by Scanner -
Published by Big Life Music - Sulphur Records UK - Episodes 2, 11
* "Târgul de Oameni" and "Cazuta de Mâine" - Written and performed by
Adrian Berinde - Episode 5
* "Think" Written by Theodore White and Aretha Franklin - Fourteenth
Hour Music Inc. - Episode 1
* "Ussa Sa" - Performed by Acquaragia Drom - Finisterre - Episode 4, 5
* "Who Needs It?" - Written/performed by Bernie Berns - Episode 1
=======================================================================
THE CIRQUE CONNECTION:
"Cirque's Inspiration on Télévision" (By: Paul Roberts)
=======================================================================
{Inspired by Tara Roberts}
"Fire Within" is nearly 75 percent through and after each episode I
crave the next. But what really tickles me is when Cirque du Soleil
references appear on other television shows.
The first one I recall came on a show, circa 1997, called "The Strip"
that was based on a crime fighting tandem in Las Vegas. One of the
crimes to be solved included the murder of a contortionist from Cirque
du Soleil (the show name was never revealed, but it must have been
Mystère since "O" had not yet been created). If I remember correctly,
her jealous twin sister, also in the Cirque du Soleil show, had turned
out to be the killer. Around the same era, Frasier Crane (played by
Kelsey Grammer) on the show "Frasier" mentioned that his ex-wife,
Lilith (Bebe Nueworth) had dated a contortionist from Cirque du
Soleil. Once again, jealousy played a role.
"The King of Queens" had an episode where Carrie (Leah Remini)
purchased tickets for a Cirque du Soleil show-probably Dralion because
of the timing-but her husband, Doug (Kevin James), exclaimed "I don't
wanna see Cirque duuuuuuuu (he made it sound like he was gagging)
Soleil."
A funny episode of "Yes, Dear" featured Greg (Anthony Clark), Jimmy
(Mike O'Malley), and Greg's hapless father (Tim Conway) in Las Vegas.
His father kept getting lost and Greg became upset because he did not
want to lose out on seeing the Cirque du Soleil show he had planned
for them. He mentioned it twice as he tried to keep tabs on Dad.
"Gilmore Girls," one of the best shows on television, has had two
Cirque du Soleil references. Last season, Rory (Alexis Bledel),
reluctantly agreed to attend a debutante ball. While backstage, she
spoke to primping, nervous girl whose future depended on her making a
good impression. Rory asked her, "What happens if you trip?" The
girl nearly had a heart attack. Rory quickly added, "Oh no, you won't
trip, I bet I'll trip, it will probably be a Cirque du Soleil kind of
night." Of course, the prim and proper girl nearly fell down the
steps during her entrance.
On a recent episode, class vice-president, Rory had a tiff going with
president Paris (hilariously played by Liza Weil) where Paris approved
a student council yearbook photo that showed Rory sneezing with her
head turned. Rory confronted Paris: "We took 90 pictures and there
wasn't one other picture good for the group that didn't have me
looking like I'm in-slight pause, eyes rolled up-Cirque du Soleil?"
With the myriad of reality series shows in full bloom, the Fox Network
created "Thirty Seconds of Fame" that included three actual Cirque du
Soleil veterans: Ray Wold, the hobo-on-fire from "O"; Chris Lashua,
the former German Wheel performer from Quidam; and Denis LaComb, the
trampoline conductor from Cirque du Soleil's first two shows, who
nearly got booted off the stage by the clueless audience. Several
other performances had circus/performance art overtones, but the
mainstream acts almost always won the grand prize, such is the ruling
of the general public.
I repeatedly find myself watching figure skating shows in hopes that a
skater or two will use Cirque du Soleil music to accompany their
presentations. Recently, I happened to turn on the television just as
the lovely Nicole Bobek had taken to the ice. Before I could say,
"She's wearing a mask that would be perfect for Mystère," the bird
noises and opening organ chords to "Kalimando" graced my speakers.
Luckily, I had the VCR remote nearby and taped most of her beautiful
skating performance. When she finished, the announcer said, "Nicole
is graceful and elegant...she feels her music...included were moves of
flexibility as you would see in Cirque du Soleil."
Speaking of music, in the early 1990s I must have received a
premonition while watching a wonderful show called "Northern
Exposure." An episode where a quirky circus came to the Alaskan town
included a music piece that mesmerized me, so I copied the circus
portion to a music-video tape that I had created. I dejectedly felt
that I'd never discover the musical artist. About a year ago, while
scanning through the tape, I immediately pressed play when it came to
this segment. I nearly fell off the couch when I recognized the song:
"Boléro" from Nouvelle Experience.
One of the strangest Cirque du Soleil connections on television
appeared several times during the show "Rosswell." Anytime that alien
Max (Jason Behr) had an eerie vision, the exact backward-masking
voices heard between Quidam's soundtrack songs of "Atmadja" and
"Incantation" played in his head. These spooky "woah and wah noises"
sound like they were groaned by Mathieu Lavoie (current singer in
Varekai).
And rarely does an episode of "CSI" not include a glimpse of The
Bellagio's "O" sign.
There are many aspects of Cirque du Soleil that have made guest
appearances on television. The most incredible was last year's
appearance during the Oscars, where the tribute to movie special
effects wowed the stars of Hollywood. I also know of three late night
visits: In late 1996, Jay Leno featured the Mystère troupe performing
a microcosm of Mystère in the studio to a revised version of "Finale."
Mark Ward, who is now John in Quidam, played a Taïko drum. The night
following the Oscars, Leno also brought in Dralion artists to perform
the Ballet on Lights to a combination of "Ballare" and "Hinkò." Jay's
other guest, Arsenio Hall, carried Oceane (Amrapali Ambegaokar) around
the studio during the closing credits. David Letterman, had the
Dralion rope-skipping troupe on his show performing to "Kamandé" and
afterwards he seemed unimpressed with the performance by saying, "That
was pretty good, huh?" The next night he exclaimed, "Oh my goodness,
we had Cirque du Soleil on the show last night!" Apparently, like
myself and many others, he had found himself disillusioned after
witnessing Cirque du Soleil.
The luckiest host to ever feature Cirque du Soleil was Joan Lunden on
her "Behind Closed Doors" show. One of her most exciting adventures
included Ms. Lunden training to become a comet in "O" to help swing
the boat apparatus in the Bateau act. The "O" performers initiated
her by throwing her into the liquid stage. Regis Philbin also did a
feature on "O" where he faked diving into the pool from a Russian
Swing, but he did swim in the pool.
In 2000, Geraldo Rivera hosted a show about Las Vegas and interviewed
Stella Umeh as she entered McCarren airport on her way to her Mystère
premiere. Stella is now one of the main characters in "Fire Within,"
who had a little trouble getting used to the trapeze art. In Mystère,
however, she was able to put her gymnastics background to better use
especially in the Korean Plank act.
But, you know you've really made an impression when two of the
greatest cartoons of all time, create parodies of Cirque du Soleil.
"South Park" had an episode that portrayed the boys attending Cirque
du Cheville, or as Cartman pronounced "Sock duh so blah." The circus
featured many Cirque du Soleil personalities. A clown begins the show
holding an umbrella that brings rain. The show's singer is similar to
Dralion countertenor, Erik Karol, singing a song much like "Stella
Errans." The La Nouba German Wheel Bilodeau-like twins roll in the
background. A headless Quidam-like creature, wearing a monocle, gets
his arm pulled off by a green John. A group known as the Contortion
Romanian Quintuplets escape-not wanting to go back to their life in
Romania-to a tune that sounds a lot like "Querer." The boys decide
that they need to cash in on the excitement and begin to train as
contortionists. The Romanian girls end up living with them while on
the run.
"The Simpsons" really slams our beloved Cirque du Soleil when a circus
comes to town called Cirque du Purée with The Eighty Dollar Circus
written on the big top's banner. While being escorted to their seats,
Lisa reads "As French Canadians, they don't believe in refunds or
exploiting animals for entertainment. As the blasé usher sits them,
he says, "Enjoy the show, for one day we will die." A clown soon
appears looking for an audience member to open his jar of rainbows and
picks a gentleman in a nice suit. The man, with a heavy French
accent, says: "Me? Why, I'm just a local merchant from this town" and
flies away after opening the jar. Marge says, "They always pick the
guy with the wires."
While a group of Chinese Pole acrobats perform, Marge gets a dreamy
look on her face and says, "Those exotic positions; watching those
women is giving me ideas." And we see her thoughts of doing household
chores in contortionistic positions. Then Homer is terrorized when a
juggler's bulging crotch is just inches from his face.
Many familiar characters march in a parade, such as a Saltimbanco
Cavalier, a streamer twirler like in Alegría, and a ball walker from
Dralion while a group of Banquine performers contort into an elephant.
Soon, a high wind rips apart a section of the tent and blows a trapeze
artist into a tight rope walker sending them through the air. The
Banquine troupe then erects a kite and flies into a tree as the crowd
flees the big top, but Homer demands that the show must go on.
They have surely made an impact on the entertainment industry evident
by their frequent references and appearances in the world of
television. Apparently like so many of us normal people, TV writers,
directors, producers, and actors are fans of the World's Greatest
Spectacle: Cirque du Soleil.
=======================================================================
BEHIND THE CURTAIN:
"The Techie Geek" (By: Jen Waldman)
=======================================================================
Hi there. Today's column is a very detailed one about lighting. Ben
asked a really great question: Did I know what lighting fixtures (both
intelligent and conventional) and control systems Cirque used for
their shows?
The answer: No, I did not. But I begged some people for answers, and
got them (thanks Andy and Robbie!), so we have a list for Alegría,
Quidam, and Dralion.
But first: What does "intelligent" and "conventional" mean in regards
to lighting fixtures?
"Intelligent" fixtures are those that are robotically controlled from
the console for certain functions such as panning, tilting, focusing,
coloring, etc.
"Conventional" fixtures cannot be controlled robotically. Most of
them are placed and focused before the show and are not moved again.
Follow spotlights are considered conventional because a human being is
needed to keep the focus steady.
All right. Now that we have those definitions, let me begin by saying
that Quidam, Alegría, and Dralion all run on a Micron 4D used with an
ETC Sensor Touring rack. Micron 4D is the console from which the
shows are run (you can find a photo and information at
http://www.compulite.com/compulite/micron4d.htm). The ETC sensor
touring rack is a portable dimmer rack, which is an apparatus
used to control a large amount of electronic dimmers, which are
individual apparati used to control the intensity of light.
(http://www.etcconnect.com/products/products.asp?27) Ready? Let's
move on to...
Quidam's intelligent and conventional lighting fixtures include
ETC Source four ERS 19-50 Degrees is hard for me to explain. A
notation of "19 degree" would mean that the beam of light would spread
out from its lens at a 19-degree angle. The Source Four is one of the
most commonly used lighting fixtures today (http://www.etcconnect.com/
products/products.asp?1) will provide some information. These
fixtures use a lower wattage lamp and a strong reflector, which means
that the fixture produces less heat and is less damaging to lighting
accessories.
Strand 2K Fresnel, which is a short and squat but heavy instrument.
The mechanism of a Fresnel allows its light output angle to be
adjusted by actually moving the lamp within the fixture closer or
further away from the lens. The closer the lamp is to the lens, the
wider the light angle; the further the lamp is from the lens, the more
narrow the light angle.
PARS 64-46-20: "Par stands for Parabolic Aluminum Reflector. That is,
the reflector is in the shape of a parabola. Sometimes the light is
referred to with a number following its name, PAR 64, PAR 56. The
number indicates the number of 1/8th inches in the lens' diameter.
That is, a PAR 64 has 64 1/8th inches in the diameter of the light.
Thus, the light is 8 inches in diameter." That definition was taken
from a technology magazine, and explained it better than I could.
Beam Projector: Have you ever seen those "sky-sweeping" lights that
announce the opening of a new car lot or furniture store? The beam
projector is a similar idea. The "conoid" of light emanating from the
lighting unit is a beam, and a beam projector projects beams of light
into the air or onto a surface. And yes, often the projector allows
the beams of light to move.
Csy Iris is an arrangement of thin, movable, heat-resistant metal
plates that form an adjustable circular opening. These can be used
for adjusting the diameter of a beam or manually dimming the beam.
Clay Paky Superscan zoom is a lighting unit with a "zoom focus"
optical system, which allows for adjustment so that beam pattern
diameters may increase or decrease in size. Clay Paky Superscan is
the brand name.
CL-3 Chroma-Q Scrollers are motorized apparati that can be placed on
the front of a lighting unit. They are controlled from the console so
that one of a number of color filters can be placed in front of the
beam at any time.
Dralion uses ETC Source four ERS 19-50 Degrees, Strand 2K Fresnel,
Desisti 5kw Fresnel (uses a higher wattage than the 2K), Source Four
Par, Par 20,Clay Paky Superscan zoom 1200W HMI, Clay Paky Stage zoom
1200W HMI, CL-3 Chroma-Q Scrollers, CL-6 Chroma-Q Scrollers (all
explained above). A Strand Coda far cyc unit is a cyclorama light
placed at a distance from the cyclorama (a vertical surface used to
form the background for a theatrical setting)
A Compulite Whisper (5K) is another color scroller. Gam Twin spin gobo
rotator: A "gobo" is a pattern of cut-outs (usually made of metal,
sometimes glass) placed on the lighting fixture over the beam of
light, and the twin spin is a motorized apparatus that allows the
projected gobo pattern to rotate on its surface.
And finally, Alegría uses our old friends the ETC Source four ERS 19-
50 Degrees, the Strand 2K Fresnel, the PARS 64 and Source Four Par,
PLUS--MR-16 Par (another variation of the "par" family of lighting
fixtures, information can be found at http://www.unipar.com)
Altman Micro Ellipse: A lightweight-framing spotlight used for narrow
to medium beam spreads.
Altman Sky Cyc: An even-wash lighting fixture used for cycloramas or
overhead drops.
That is the most up-to-date information that I could get. I hope that
this helps you, Ben, and that it is of interest to other readers as
well. My friends and I had fun researching it!
As usual, if you ever have a technical question regarding Cirque, send
it to techie_geek@anonymous.to and I will do my best to answer it.
=======================================================================
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT:
"Le Grand Tour: A European Flair..." [Part 1] (By: Ricky Russo)
=======================================================================
"Mind the Gap... Mind the Gap... Mind the Gap..."
With my daypack on my back I threw my suitcase across the gap between
the platform and the train, minding that gap as the recorded message
advised, and joined the pack inside the train just before the doors
swooshed shut and the train sped off to its next destination. I
cleared the sweat from my brow then, wiping it off with my sleeve, and
let out a sigh of relief. It had been a long journey from the airport
to the Underground but I was finally there - an American in London
indeed! How I got to London and why I was there is a bit of a story
but let's not rush things. First, I have to be honest and say I was
extremely excited to be in London, or anywhere for that matter,
considering what could have been a disastrous turn of events for this
leg of the Grand Tour - my untimely unemployment. But let me just say
that it couldn't have come at a better time! I turned what could have
been a nightmare into one of the best trips of my life - a full month
in Europe. And it all started right in London!
I have to be honest and say that the journey from the States to the
United Kingdom was my first Trans-Atlantic journey and the first time
I ever stepped foot off of the North American continent. Having
confessed that I will tell you that this trip will not be the last
time I step away from my country and leave the North American
continent behind. There was too much fun to be had in Europe and while
I didn't get quite enough time in all the stops my friends and I ended
up making, I had fun just the same exploring what I could. And that's
what it's all about, no?
For the record my flight departed Orlando in the late-afternoon hours
of Friday, January 17th with an arrival time at London-Gatwick the
following morning at about 9:30am (with a stop-over in Atlanta, but
that's not exciting). Being that this was my first flight across an
ocean I was a bit apprehensive. I mean, what if something would
happen? Even if it did I don't think I'd get a chance to use the seats
as a flotation device (like the card in the pocket in front of me
said). Honestly, I didn't think about it... even if it was the longest
non-stop flight I'd ever taken in my life (that is, from Atlanta to
London, just about 7 hours).
What did I do? Well, for the most part I fiddled with my laptop
whenever appropriate - writing notes about future Fascination!
articles and other interesting things I'd like to research. I also
looked out the window a lot, but even that wasn't so interesting as it
was quite dark by the time I left Atlanta. But even so catching the
outline of the United States in electric light does rate as something
cool to see. I tell you one moment I saw towns and cities
interconnected along routes of light and then... nothing, it was total
blackness. Everything was consumed by the darkness of the water. By
then all I wanted was to be consumed by the darkness of my eyelids,
which proved to be harder than anything else! I tried at least, but
it's hard to sleep in "economy class". As I said before I'm not a
contortionist after all. Thankfully though salvation came about 7:30am
London Time when a nice meal was served: a warm croissant with a
banana, bread, crackers, orange juice, a fruit bar, and preserves. I
completed the ensemble with a spot of tea. Well, two spots actually,
but who's counting.
Before long the plane was on the ground at Gatwick and the next
adventure was about to begin - immigration, customs, and baggage
claim! But in order to do that I had to first get to the terminal. It
seems most incoming flights to Gatwick have the plane pull into what
I've dubbed a "parking spot" out in the middle of the tarmac where
passengers depart by walking off the plane the old fashion way - down
a flight of stairs. Once you were on the tarmac you were ushered into
a bus and shuttled to the main terminal where you'd go through customs
and immigration followed by baggage claim. Quite an ordeal just to
arrive, no?
I was all set with everything I needed to get myself quickly and
painlessly through immigration, but do you know I had to get an
arrogant Brit? One who was just hell-bent on making someone's life
miserable? Indeed I did! He questioned everything and had rude remarks
for just about every answer I gave him. If it weren't for the fact
that there were signs everywhere stating that hitting an immigration
officer landed you in hot water (geez, it's no wonder they have those
signs... they're irritating!) I would have done it - he was that
irritating and rude. But after showing the information he needed my
passport was stamped and I entered the country - finally.
I collected my belongings in baggage claim after and booked passage on
the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station, a hub of rail, Tube and
coach. Victoria Station opened up the world of London to me where I
could get to my final destination but let me not bore you with those
details. What you're interested in, I'm sure, is how Europe was? Am I
right? Okay, okay... to tell you the truth I never wanted to come back
from Europe at all. Last time I mentioned a whole slew of cities that
were on the itinerary to visit - London (UK), Edinburgh (UK/Scotland),
Paris (France), Basel (Switzerland), Geneva (Switzerland), Nice
(France), Florence (Italy), Pisa (Italy), Rome (Italy), Venice
(Italy), Vienna (Austria), Prague (Czech Republic), Amsterdam
(Netherlands) and Brussels (Belgium), but in reality I would only make
it to a hand-full of them - there wasn't enough time!
Of the cities listed above, my friends (Cedric and Maya) and I made it
to London, Paris, Firenze (Florence), and Praha (Prague) for any
extended period of time (approximately 5-7 days in each location). I
ended up visiting Pisa and Roma (Rome) by myself for day-trips and we
did change trains in Vienna and Frankfort, but we never left the train
station so I didn't really get to visit those cities. So, how did I
find the cities I was able to visit? They were brilliant! For those
who have been to these countries and the cities I speak of, you know
the culture and history that is in abundance there. For those who
haven't I can't explain to you what I felt being amongst buildings
that are older than my county or explain to you the amount of history
that exists there. Every city has its own history and it was so
wonderful to experience it all.
Well, I tried to experience as much as I could and with the time
allotted, I saw and experienced some wondrous things: I climbed up all
530 steps to the top of St. Paul's Cathedral, saw the Egyptian, Roman
and Greek collections at the British Museum, walked across the Tower
Bridge about four times, saw and heard Big Ben, ate at the Original
Hard Rock Cafe (where I got to hold one of Jimmi Hendrix's old
guitars), found myself in the middle of an Anti-War March, and took a
train out to see one of the most magnificent stone monuments there is:
Stonehenge. Nothing can prepare you for seeing Stonehenge... it's a
magnificent sight to behold (even in the rain, which was how I
experienced it).
In Paris, I rode to the top of the Eiffel Tower, saw priceless works
of art at the Musee du Louvre (including Venus de Milo and Mona Lisa),
walked through the Tuileries and down the Champs-Elysees (enjoying the
Virgin Megastore there), stood atop the Arc du Triumphe, tried to
visit the underground lake at the Paris Opera House (see "Phantom of
the Opera" lore), paid my respects to Victor Hugo at the Pantheon and
watched out for Quasimodo while in the Bell Tower at Notre Dame. I
even made it out to Disneyland Paris where the best Pirates of the
Caribbean ride exists and bid my farewell (again) to the Main Street
Electrical Parade!
Firenze, the birthplace of the Renaissance, was our third stop. It was
amongst the Italians that I saw the statue of David at the Academia
(Big Guy!), met up with my biological father whom I had not seen since
I was about 12 years old (I'm 25 now, you do the math), saw the
Leaning Tower of Pisa, walked through Boboli Gardens on a beautiful
sunny day, and went to Roma completely on my own taking in the
Colosseum, St. Peter's Square, Trevi Fountain and the Roman Forum
Ruins. That's quite a bit of history already... but we didn't stop
there.
In Praha, the famous Charles Bridge, Prague Castle the Astronomical
Clock in the Old Town Square awaited me. The Clock, which is a very
sophisticated 15th Century clock, not only shows the time but the
revolutions of the sun, moon, and stars. It also consists of "12
medallions representing the months of the year and the 12 medallions
of the zodiac." Quite a fancy clock and a must see on anyone's trip to
Praha. As you can tell I was quite taken by it, and I won't even give
away what it does every hour!
Europe was everything I thought it would be and more. I had such a
wonderful time that... I'm already planning my next visit. I'm not
sure when that will be because I have a lot of places that I want to
see and experience within the next few years, but I hope it is soon.
What I do know is that Europe opened up a thirst to complete another
goal of mine, one I set at the onset of this Grand Tour - the globe.
And thus the Global Tour is on. Where it will take me is unknown at
this time, though I have my sights set on Japan, New Zealand,
Australia, Hong Kong and South Africa among many other interesting
destinations.
Next issue will be the last you'll hear from me regarding the Grand
Tour, but I want to take the opportunity to sum it all up. To give it
meaning and to answer any last minute questions anyone may have
regarding it. I may even have an answer to the question I posed last
summer - what more is there for me to do in the world of Cirque du
Soleil?
=======================================================================
LE SPECTATEUR:
"Kumbalawé: Discoverying Cirque du Soleil" (By: Wayne Leung)
=======================================================================
"What the heck is Sal-tim-ban-co?" I wondered as I walked home one
evening in the summer of 1998. An enigmatic ad I had just glimpsed on
the side of a city bus piqued my curiosity. That night, while
perusing the local newspaper's "Arts" section, I saw another ad for
Saltimbanco and discovered that it was a show created by the Cirque du
Soleil that was coming to town. "Oh yeah," I thought to myself,
"Cirque du Soleil is that Québec circus that doesn't use animals. I
remember watching their television specials on the CBC as a kid."
Conveniently, my cousin's birthday was coming up and I knew that she
was a fan of the performing arts so I thought I would surprise her
with tickets to Cirque.
A few weeks later we drove up to the Cirque du Soleil's gleaming white
big top. Anticipation was high. I had the vague notion that Cirque
was an artistic take on the traditional circus but I didn't quite know
what to expect. We walked into the entrance tent and browsed the
souvenirs and concessions. "This is going to be a classy show," I
said as I surveyed the well-dressed crowd.
Soon we made our way into the Grand Chapiteau. The stage was covered
in a white sheet and soon fancifully dressed characters emerged and
interacted with the crowd. Then, the lights dimmed and the white
sheet was swept away to reveal the most colourful stage I had ever
seen. I knew that I was in store for a whimsical fantasy. On that
stunning Technicolor stage came act after act of stupefying human
ability. I marveled at the flexibility and agility of the Adagio
Trio, was blown away at the strength and coordination of the first
group number, Chinese Poles. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief at the
display of strength and balance that was Hand-to-Hand act.
The comedy of the show was some of the most inspired I had ever seen.
I laughed loud and heartily at the antics of the mime who played the
"Eddy" character and I was in stitches during the audience-
participation cowboy gun-slinging routine.
Throughout the evening I was entranced by the eclectic and ethereal
music; an inspired fusion of Jazz, rock, and opera. The singer
absolutely captivated me with her expressive soprano voice.
After the intermission, the fun continued with the wild celebration
that was the Russian Swing number. How I longed to climb on board and
hurtle myself through the air with the acrobats, it just looked like
so much fun! Then, the most ethereal moment of the show came as four
performers clad in white bodysuits flew from trapezes in the
breathtakingly beautiful bungee ballet. Strains of an operatic aria
filled the Big Top and romanced my soul as these beautiful birds
soared over my head. It was an absolutely sublime moment as I
imagined myself drifting up from my seat and flying through the air
with those glorious white birds so that I too could experience the
exhilaration and sheer freedom of flight.
But alas, as Cirque du Soleil shows often go, it was over all too
quickly and I once again found myself back on earth. I left with a
joyous feeling in my heart and hummed Kumbalawé all the way home. I
was blown away. I had finally discovered Cirque du Soleil and
realized that it was not mere entertainment but a feast for the
senses, a treat for the soul and an anecdote to daily despair. A
performance troupe with the ability to transport you back to your
childhood to the realm of fantasy and folly. After my inaugural
Cirque du Soleil experience I realized that I adored this performance
troupe and would be a fan for a long time to come.
=======================================================================
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT:
"Le Grand Tour: Saltimbanco!" [Part 2] (By: Ricky Russo)
=======================================================================
A trip to London is never complete without taking in the West End -
the theater district. My journey was no different and while in London
I took in Phantom of the Opera (at Her Majesty's Theater), The Lion
King (at Lyceum Theater), and Les Misérables (at the Palace Theater).
And while Phantom and Les Mis were wonderful productions I am certain
you are most anxious to hear about the original reason I ended up
going to London in the first place - Saltimbanco.
Saltimbanco, currently Cirque du Soleil's oldest touring show, is
described as being a "celebration of life" and I heartily agree. Its
colorful kaleidoscope of images, characters and themes continue to
weigh in on the times, providing us all a new vision of what life can
be: optimistic and peaceful. I found Saltimbanco within the formidable
Royal Albert Hall, a venue built in 1871 as a concert hall. Set amidst
this posh, expansive performance space was the familiar playing field
of Cirque: the stage, musician's platform and multi-colored ceiling.
As I took my seat along the far side (with Cedric next to me and Maya
in the row ahead of us) I was able to observe my surroundings - and
its shortcomings - with greater ease.
I looked out across my viewing field and sighed, it was anything but
excellent. It appeared that I was in a makeshift seating arrangement
on the floor of the Hall - the front of the stage was not as close as
I would have liked and my side view was cut off because the sides of
stage rose above my head. I would have been able to see under the
stage (or walk under it, it was up that high!) if it hadn't been
curtained off with black felt-like material. Even there I was denied
and it was painfully obvious that I was being punished. Here I was
stuck in the corner with the opportunity to see the semi-circle of the
stage only! To make matters worse, directly in front of me was a
rigging apparatus. It wasn't a pole so it was easy to see through, but
the ropes that ran down to it traversed my viewing field. In a sense
I'd be looking at the show through bars. I felt trapped in my seat and
the limited viewing capability it brought. I could barely see the
musicians play! What a way to see a show for the first time...
Before long the pre-show festivities began. Like all Cirque du Soleil
shows, a variety of characters and clowns make the rounds of the big
top to "be of assistance" to those seeking their seats or just to
cause a commotion. Saltimbanco was no different in this regard...
perhaps with one exception - there were more characters and much more
mayhem! Neither Cedric nor I knew what characters had made their
appearance because the laughing and carrying-on were happening on the
other side of the stage in a location we couldn't see. But soon we'd
snap our necks to our immediate right when we heard shuffling
underneath the stage. Something was about to happen... we just didn't
know what!
And then I saw it... a sneaker. Then two. They were small and white
and tapping. What they were doing behind the black curtain was beyond
the two of us when - pop - out came a face; it was a "worm"! And then
another! And another! One by one the masked "worms" came out from
under the stage and invaded the theater, each waving, nodding and
generally looking around in confusion. From the other side of the
stage then were the Saltimbanques, the partygoers of Saltimbanco.
Together these characters created such chaos throughout the theater
that Cedric and I heard laughter for the rest of the pre-performance!
At one point, the Saltimbanques commandeered a row of seats in the
front seating section and sat down. When the ringmaster, propped upon
the multi-colored ceiling, voiced his opinion on the matter, they all
yelped back and held up tickets! What a riot! But I tell you; once
the real show started we were treated to a wonderful performance - and
that bad seat I was in melted away.
From the moment Kumbalawé began to the ending of Horéré Ukundé, I was
entranced by the music and enthralled by the movement. Below are some
observations I made about the show (and don't forget it just so
happened that next to me was a doorway into the underworld of the
show!)
- Saltimbanco was originally supposed to follow a specific "running
order" of: Opening, Adagio, Chinese Poles, Clown, Double Wire,
Juggler, Boledoras, INTERMISSION, Russian Swing, Duo Trapeze, Clown,
Hand to Hand, and Bungees. Unfortunately the Duo Trapeze and Double
Wire did not perform. Instead, in the place of the Double Wire was the
one-man Diabolo act and in place of the Duo Trapeze was the Solo
Trapeze performance.
- An energetic fellow performed the Diabolo act by the name of
Mitchell Head and at first sounds rather strange to be a one-man act -
especially in a Cirque setting. But the performance was very well done
and quite thrilling! One of the tricks this artist performed was an
overhand catch of the diabolo using only the sticks and rope strung
between them. It was so quick that if you blinked you would have
missed it! The act was performed to a piece of music I had never heard
of before.
- The Single Trapeze was performed by a young artist named Anna Ward
to a piece of music entitled Cantus-Mélopée. Her performance was a
slow sensuous dance routine perfectly timed with the slow melody of
the music. I loved the costume and I loved the music but her
performance did not capture the audience, or me. And that's a pity.
- The cover to the service platter that is brought out at the
beginning of the show did not contain the blue and yellow stripes of a
big top. The dome was a representation of the Royal Albert Hall
instead!
- There's only one thing I can say about the clown: Oh my God. While
it would have been a blast to see Rene Bazinet perform Eddie, Jesko
Von Den Steinen from Germany played him brilliantly. Not only did he
have Rene's signature squeak down but he was so hilarious that he had
the entire hall in stitches. He performed this "stuck in a bathroom"
routine that simply brought the house down! And, of course, the gun
fight.
- The Juggler was an energetic young woman who performed quite well
and pleased the audience. Though, her act came right after the Diabolo
act and it seemed as if there was too much "juggling" like acts in a
row. Especially since Boladeras followed her.
- The Hand-to-Hand performance by Andrezej Piechota and Tomasz Wlezien
was top notch. This pair performed many maneuvers I had not seen
before in a duo Cirque act such as this... and it was a refreshing
performance to see. Watch out Lorador Brothers... these guys can give
you a run for your money!
- Russian Swing was infectiously fun. Even if it isn't as spectacular
as the version in "O" or the daring version in "Varekai", the Russian
Swing in Saltimbanco is still very, very fun.
- Intermission came right after the Boladores and it didn't seem
right. There was no ceremony of sorts to introduce us to the fact that
there was an intermission coming, like in Quidam (with the balloons)
and Alegría (with the snowstorm). So it was very strange to have the
lights suddenly rise after the act had ended. I can tell you I was
very confused and even had to consort the free show guide that was
stuck in my seat.
- Watching the riggers do their job throughout the show was a real
treat. All the checks and re-checks I watched them go through were
simply mind-boggling. All the safety wires seemed hand-controlled and
the ropes that raise the performers from stage to sky were also at the
hands of the riggers. I remember vividly watching the rigger during
the entire Single Trapeze act - the pulling and letting go of her
safety rope during the performance and the riggers' bobbing up and
down as she dismounted, providing her a smooth descent to the stage
floor. Even some of the performers (on their off moments) came down to
help with the rigging. And that I thought was very cool!
- Speaking of the rigging, the center structure must have taken quite
a bit of thought and time to construct. The ceiling is awfully high in
the Royal Albert Hall and there was no construction or support for
them to build from. The result was a series of cables cris-crossing
across the ceiling that supported the central bar and foundation for
acts like the Trapeze and Bungees to work from.
Saltimbanco was a magical performance and I was thankful that I could
finally see it live. Unfortunately, I have to agree with some and
disagree with others to say that the show is ready to have its final
curtain call. It's a beautiful show do not get me wrong, but it is a
show that has been eclipsed by many other great Cirque shows in form
of theme, technique, presentation and acrobatics. Perhaps it was the
fact that the venue didn't seem to suit Cirque at all. Or, perhaps it
was the poor viewing seat I had. Regardless of the view I hold of the
show at least the three of us had a great time - Maya most of all, as
she had one of the Saltimbanques sit next to her during the show's
finale!
"I am noble and rogue, mortal and sorcerer, fire and water, power and
grace. I am celestial and eerie, playful and mischievous, subtle and
striking, magnificent, androgynous. I am spirit and body, shadow and
light, sublime and grotesque, somber and afire. I entrance and
mesmerize, fusing madness and wisdom, primordial chaos - soaring,
teetering, slithering. I am fluid, poetic, hypnotic, dancing,
whirling, and flying. I am rebellious, defiant, and explosive. I am
one, I am many. I am as we are - eternal, out of time. I am science
and magic, chimeric, ethereal. I come from nowhere. I come from
everywhere. I am a creature of neither fantasy nor reality, neither
incantation nor dream. I am neither man nor woman, god nor demon, song
nor story. I am no one. I am legion.
I am Saltimbanco."
=======================================================================
EXPANDED SELECTION:
"Crossing Borders: The Multimodal Language of Cirque du Soleil"
(By: James Skidmore)
=======================================================================
Originally appearing as a link in the ON THE WEB section this month,
this interesting paper on the language and images present in Cirque
du Soleil shows up and disappeared. Thankfully we've been able to
rescue the text and present it in this expanded issue of Fascination!
# # #
Cirque du Soleil was created by a small group of street performers in
Baie St. Paul, Quebec in 1982. Modelling themselves after a form of
European circus known as New Circus, Cirque du Soleil fashioned a
circus without animals or death-defying acts. In lieu of elephants,
camels, and perilous routines they built productions dependant on
themes and motifs, which tell a story or convey an idea.
The concepts portrayed within a Cirque du Soleil performance are not
complex, typically the topics have been about releasing emotions or
freeing the imagination. What is complicated, however, is the
multimodal performance language created by Cirque du Soleil.
Spectators exiting their circuses have been overheard saying it was a
wonderful show, but I dont understand what it meant. This statement
infers that the circus performance they witnessed held meaning, but as
audience members they were unable to interpret the message or theme
presented within the circus ring. Therefore, these spectators did not
possess the necessary tools needed to comprehend the signs and
conventions they had witnessed in the show.
The language of a Cirque du Soleil performance has rarely been based
on a spoken word model, but rather as a multimodal construct, which
relates to the audience through visual and aural signs and
conventions. Through a conscious fashioning of their mise en scène,
Cirque du Soleil has been able to relate themes to their spectators by
employing various morphological elements found within a modern circus
ring. This includes the lighting, costuming, make-up, props, set
design, soundscape, sound track, fanciful language, choreography, and
style of performance. As with any verbal mode of communication, the
multimodal language of Cirque du Soleil is only comprehensible to an
audience that has been provided with a model to apply in the
interpretation of their performance text. The version being presented
in this paper examines the use of signs or conventions within specific
performances, acts, and shows, and explains how signs and use of
conventions inform the spectator as to what theme or motif is
presented within the circus ring. It utilizes a basic semiotic model,
which begins with the assumption that the circus performance has a
message to convey. Logically it follows that it is the responsibility
of the circus artist to communicate meaning to the spectator, whose
task it is to decode or interpret the performance. The model of
semiotic analysis utilized is one defined by Fernando de Toro in his
book Theatre Semiotics. This paper will focus on two aspects of his
paradigm: the use of conventions and the types of signs, which operate
within a performance space.
Toro defines three types of conventions: general, particular, and
unique (Toro 55-56). General conventions assume the spectator
realizes that he or she is situated within a performance arena,
watching an artifice, which is distinct from the outside or real
world. It asks the spectator accept certain parameters delineated by
the circus artist and ring as relevant to this fictional construct.
A circus takes place within a tent, under stage lighting these are
general conventions that an audience must believe in order to accept
what takes place in the performance. General conventions ask an
audience to suspend their disbelief, they are put in place to
distinguish a circus or theatrical event from an occurrence in the
exterior world.
Particular codes, in the case of the circus, include the circus ring,
the ringmaster, and the clown. These are signs of the circus style
and there is either an expectation for them to exist in this genre, or
a prior knowledge of their association in this specific artistic
forum. The circus spectator is not surprised to see characters
wearing red noses, for example, and identifies them as clowns.
Unique conventions arise out of specific performances and are only
understood through their context. Therefore, they rely on other signs
surrounding them to build meaning and may even be in the form of other
unique conventions. In one Cirque du Soleil production, Alegría, the
lighting and costuming were combined in order to allow for an
interpretation of a series of unique conventions displayed in the
trapeze routine. Gobos (metal patterns that create lighting patterns)
were placed in lighting instruments, which projected the image of bars
over the trapeze display. This was both appropriate and informative,
as it suggested to the spectator that the acrobats were caged. This
metaphoric lighting motif was additionally supported by the other
morphological component mentioned, the costumes, which further marked
the acrobats as birds. This was accomplished through the use of
feathers, costume pieces shaped as wings, and aviator caps worn on the
head. The aviator cap served as an index (see below), which was
easily identifiable to the spectator. It was literally the key
object, which identified this collection of otherwise unique
conventions. The spectator related to the caps as headwear worn by
pilots from the age of Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, or World War
I aces. The trapeze artists, therefore, were identified as flying
things or acrobats that flew. Upon making this connection, the other
less familiar signs became identifiable as other icons and symbols of
flight. The crocheted costume piece flung over the shoulders, for
instance, was recognizable as a symbolic representation of wings. The
combination of the performers dressed as birds and the juxtaposition
of lighting in the form of a coop, coupled with an aerial act, allowed
the spectator to read the trapeze artists as birds in a cage. Thus, a
unique convention cannot be understood in and of itself, but only
through its relationship with other signs, which surround it in the
circus ring.
Signs on stage (or in the circus ring) are broken down into three
categories by Toro: the icon, the index and the symbol (Toro 73-77).
The easiest way to understand these three terms is through a simple
example employing the clown nose (Toro 70). The red nose is an icon
that substitutes for a real nose, though in a representative fashion.
The clown's nose, therefore, is recognizable as the facial feature
that it stands in for on the face of the clown. Concurrently, it acts
as an index revealing that the character wearing the red nose is a
clown. Spectators are familiar with the convention that a clown wears
a red nose and so when they see a red nose on a performer they are
able to identify this character as a clown. Red noses can also be
read as symbols of humour since a clown is considered to be a comedian
who provokes and illicit laughter from the circus audience. The red
nose, which identifies a performer as being a clown, also indicates
that the entertainer is to be laughed at by the audience. Icons can be
either indexes or symbols, though a symbol or an index cannot be an
icon. Symbols can also be indexes, though the reverse is not true.
The interpretation of icons, indexes, or symbols in the circus, as in
other performing arts, demands an active engagement between the
observed sign, the object to which it relates, and the interpreter of
the sign. A relationship must exist, or be created, between the
spectator and the sign on stage in order for it to be understood.
Thus, ongoing and active decodification of symbols within the Cirque
du Soleil circus ring, as well as of the theme or message presented is
necessary for comprehension of the sign. A context or framework
within which to place the various morphological objects viewed on
stage is necessary in the deciphering of symbols illustrated within
this paper. A structure can be provided for the spectator by studying
the relationship of one sign to another within a performance.
Alternatively, it may be obtained through prior experience of specific
information, which allows interpreters or spectators to read and
decode the performance they are viewing on stage. Cultural baggage or
amassed knowledge that is acquired through education and social
upbringing is one tool that the spectator can utilize in the
interpretation of signs.
To fully understand the icons, indexes, and symbols found within a New
Circus such as Cirque du Soleil, the spectator needs to be familiar
with the archetypes of the traditional circus, such as the ringmaster
and the clown. Many of the characters found within the Cirque du
Soleil sphere have evolved out of archetypes or stereotypes found in
the traditional circus. One first needs to understand the
significance of the original ringmaster found in a circus such as
Ringling Brother's and Barnum and Baileys Greatest Show On Earth in
order to understand the construction of the evolved ringmaster, such
as Monsieur Fleur (Rénald Laurin), from Alegría. Original, in this
context, means the Ringling ringmaster is modelled after an archetype
that the average spectator would be familiar with from excursions to
the circus.
The lighting, costuming, props, setting, and other morphological
elements that surrounded Monsieur Fleur on stage provided a context to
assist in the interpretation of his character. These morphological
characteristics were woven together into a harmonious mise en scène,
which aided the spectator in their reading of Monsieur Fleur. His
staff, which had a light on its tip, informed the audience that he
possessed an elevated status within the hierarchy of the ring. In
fact, the illuminated end was used to focus attention on his
character. When the lights dimmed, for example, the eyes of the
viewer were drawn to the one remaining light on stage, on the top of
his staff. The traditional ringmaster uses either a whistle or a whip
in order to draw the attention of the audience. By blowing on the
whistle or snapping the whip all eyes are drawn to this character.
They are examples of indexes that represent tools operated by a person
of authority. They also represent the power held by the ringmaster
over acrobats and clowns. The staff held by Monsieur Fleur was a
symbol of authority, not unlike a sceptre held by a king. The
ringmasters of Cirque du Soleil, however, combine aspects of both a
traditional ringmaster and a clown. The rod held by Fleur can be read
as both a sceptre and a bauble, the instrument of the jester or fool.
When it would light up, or when Fleur stamped it on the ground, he
would draw the attention to himself. As well, by stamping the staff
Fleur indicated to the performers on stage to follow his directions.
Monsieur Fleurs scarlet red tailcoat was also similar to the costume
worn by the archetypal ringmaster, as it was of a similar cut as that
of his predecessors outfit. His clothing concurrently identified him
as a rooster as he had feathery fringes around his cuffs, his chest
was puffed-out, and characters who dressed and moved like chickens
were subservient to Monsieur Fleur throughout the performance.
Clearly, the construction of the various signs upon the stage also
worked at a metaphoric level, with the circus ring representing
Monsieur Fleur's roost.
In both the circus and theatre, the interpretation of signs takes on
an added significance. Toro states that, "in theatre the theatre
object refers to itself simply because it is on-stage, but it also
refers to a real object ... (de Toro 87)". In other words, the
theatre or circus sign has a double meaning because it is found in an
artificial world. This is why context becomes so important in the
interpretation of symbols, indexes, and icons found within the circus.
The sign may have one meaning outside of the circus tent, but takes on
a new signification as a general, particular, or unique convention
within the circus ring. Again using Monsieur Fleur as an example, out
of the context of a circus performance, he was still a rooster,
identified by his costume, but he was not a ringmaster. Within the
confines of the mise en scène constructed for Alegría, the audience
was forced to accept Monsieur Fleur in the role of ringmaster. By
placing him within this environment and displaying him as the figure
of authority within the circus ring, the spectator was compelled to
further interpret his objectified character, that of rooster, as
ringmaster. Thus, a solidly constructed sign on the stage leads the
viewer to an even deeper and more exact meaning of an adjoining index.
The clown act created by Slava Polunin known as the Snowshow, also
performed as a number in Alegría, provides another example of how the
spectator can interpret a Cirque du Soleil performance through a
reading of the signs and conventions on the stage. At the beginning
of this routine, the Russian clown Serguei Chachelev pulled a rope
ladder, used for ascending to the trapeze, across the surface of the
stage in a semi-circular pattern. The rope ladder can be read as a
climbing device used by acrobats, but when another Russian clown, Yuri
Medvedev (playing the role originated by Slava) later walked along it
with his suitcase in hand it was then identifiable as an icon, which
represented a train track. This idea was further supported by the
sound of a train's whistle blowing and by Medvedev who was wearing a
top hat, which blew smoke out of its top as he ran along the tracks
thus constructing himself as the train. The rope ladder was a unique
convention, only identifiable by a series of other unique and
particular conventions that surrounded it in the circus ring. The
train whistle sound effect, for example, was a particular convention,
which aided in the interpretation of the ladder as track.
Medvedev, stopping to rest along the rails, lay down his suitcase.
When he opened it, out flew two white balloons with red ribbons tied
around them. The balloons signified moths and signified that this was
a memory play and that time had passed and eaten away at the fabric of
this story. The red ribbons attached to the white balloons presented
a mystery to anyone who had not seen Slava perform this act himself.
As the creator of the interlude, Slava had instilled the scene with
meaning, which pertained to his personal clown character. While the
red ribbons retained no significance in the Alegría production, in his
Snowshow (which Slava also tours around the world) it was obvious the
ribbons were actually threads from the red scarf that Slava wears
around his neck. Medvedevs valise, therefore, was not simply a
suitcase, but the baggage or memories that he carried through life.
Medvedev pulled out a black jacket from the case and a vibrating, red
tuft of material fell from it and moved around in a frenzied pattern.
Once again, the meaning was lost without reference to Slava himself,
for this was one of his fuzzy red slippers (Medvedev wore black
leather shoes), which having fermented, took on a life of its own.
Medvedev hung the jacket on a rung of the vertical section of the rope
ladder, held in place by a hanger and returned to his case. He pulled
out a hat, which was covered in dust, and brushed it off. Similar to
the way one recalls memories, these actions were all part of the
thought process, and a further clarification that this story
originally took place long ago. Medvedev placed the hat above the
jacket, on another hanger shaped like a human head. He then dusted
the hat and slipped his arm through one of the jackets sleeves.
Magically, the jacket came to life and Medvedev was as surprised as
the audience to see this transformation take place. Next, the coat
dusted him and stroked his face, displaying to the audience that this
was the spectre of his lost love come back to life. To clarify, the
coat became animated only as an extension of Medvedevs body. Again,
it was his own arm that stroked his face in this scene, however, he
made it appear that the arm belonged to the owner of the jacket, and
thus, to his lover. Through simple gestures and a few rudimentary
props, the clown was able to stir this jacket to life, such that the
spectator saw a clown embrace a woman. While the clown's lover held
him, she secretly slipped a note, on a piece of simple white paper
into his pocket.
The sound effect of the trains whistle was heard again off in the
distance and Medvedev re-packed his bag and exited the stage. When he
returned, he had become the physical manifestation of the train. He
wore a top hat that spouted smoke out of its top, as did the rear of
his suitcase. Medvedev also had an air horn on his case, which when
blown simulated the sound of the train. He raced along the track
until he reached his destination, where he sat down -- exhausted.
Sitting upon his case, Medvedev extracted his handkerchief, at which
point the letter fell out of his pocket. As he read the note, the
audience determined from his expressions that it was obviously a Dear
John letter and could see he was devastated by the words that he read.
He ripped the letter up into tiny little squares of paper and threw
them into the air. As they flitted to the ground, thousands of
similar scraps of white paper fell from the ceiling above,
interweaving with those he had thrown into the air -- together, they
fell like (iconographic) snow around him. Time seemed frozen, an
effect accentuated with a strobe light, which slowed all of Medvedevs
motions down to a crawl. The backdrops, which revealed the night sky,
were turned to display mountains covered in snow. Medvedev tried to
negotiate through the snow (the flakes symbolized his lover's words
and his life) but he was not capable of going any further. The
audience heard the sound of ice cracking, representative of the
breaking of his heart. Medvedev turned (upstage) to face his misery
and was hit by a barrage of snow (white scraps of paper blown by huge
fans) in a dramatic, theatrical effect. The audience was also
bombarded with incredibly bright, blinding lights and snow whipping in
their faces. The spectators became literally immersed in his misery,
as the snow and wind enveloped them. Medvedev ran towards (or into)
the light, an obvious metaphor for the end of his life, but he was
able to weather the storm -- black out.
Medvedev sat frozen on the edge of the stage, the season was now
summer. When the lights came up again he saw a butterfly flying near
the brim of his hat, an effect that was achieved by attaching the
insect to a wire on his bowler so that it fluttered as he moved. Like
the butterfly, having survived his tragedy Medvedev was reborn a
fuller, more beautiful being.
A simple allegory, the story warned against despair and the power of
words on an individual. Nevertheless, it counselled that suicide was
not the answer. If one found the strength to survive the most
horrible circumstances, they would be able to find beauty in their
lives. This was understood through a reading of the various signs and
conventions employed in its construction by Slava. The scraps of
paper, for example, took on new meaning when they fell like snow with
the soundscape of wind playing in the background, and the backdrop
rotated to look like snow covered mountains. The audience was able to
comprehend the meaning of the snow paper by the signs that
surrounded these objects floating through the air.
Quidam, another circus created by Cirque du Soleil, contained the most
cohesive mise en scène of any of their productions. This was because
the show's central motif, the freeing of emotions, possessed a strong
through-line the audience could follow throughout the production (the
spectator literally followed a red ball or balloon through the show).
The performance also played with many visual signs, such as imagery
from The Wizard of Oz, childrens playgrounds, and the surreal art of
René Magritte, but in the end, these themes always supported the
central idea of setting emotions free.
The art of René Magritte played a central role in the mise en scène,
in particular his 1964 painting The Son of Man. This picture contains
a suited man wearing a bowler hat, but his face is blocked by a large
green apple. This obstruction forces the viewer to imagine what is
behind the fruit, making the invisible visible (Paquet 77). Quidam
played with this well-known image in its construction of a headless
character wearing a bowler hat and carrying an umbrella. At the
beginning of the show, this headless man entered the home of a young
girl (played by Audrey Brisson-Jutras) and left her his bowler hat.
The ringmaster (John Gilkey) placed the hat on the young childs head,
metaphorically transporting her into a world of imagination. In this
context, the bowler became emblematic of the brain, specifically, a
brain filled with ideas. Therefore, the headless man was a call for
creativity and wildness, for imagination.
Other bowler hats appeared on the heads of various characters at other
points in the show as well, most poignantly during the German wheel
performance of Chris Lashua. Each time the bowler surfaced, it was
used to further strengthen the metaphor of the hat as a symbol of the
brain. By having Lashua wear a bowler hat, it was suggested that his
German wheel signified the inner workings of the mind. The act
immediately followed the placement of the bowler on Brisson-Jutras
head, thus the obvious connection was the hat represented her brain in
motion.
The hat of the headless man was not his only significant symbol. The
umbrella, which he also carried, was ripe with meaning. The umbrella
was used to protect the headless mans head from rain, only he did not
have a head. The umbrella, present in every Cirque du Soleil show,
has taken on the status of trademark, a symbol the audience has come
to expect when watching this circus. It has served many purposes: as
a juggling device in Nouvelle Expérience, as a balancing mechanism and
a place to hide a microphone in Saltimbanco, and as a parachute in
Dralion. Ultimately, the umbrella is reminiscent of a miniature
circus tent exemplifying the portability and itinerant nature of the
circus. The headless man, so full of imagination, was emblematic of
Cirque du Soleil as a whole. It is ironic that he was headless, yet
his head was filled with so much imagination.
Quidam also contained an homage or two to The Wizard of Oz within its
production. The ringmaster, John Gilkey, put on a pair of sparkling,
silver shoes right after he gave Brisson-Jutras the hat. The colour
of the shoes was reminiscent of the costume worn by the good witch in
The Wizard of Oz, and they designated Gilkey as the guide for
Dorothy, or rather Audrey. The fact that it was a little girls
journey (who also sang) also drew parallels between this show and The
Wizard of Oz. The most obvious link between the two shows was the
presence of "Tin Men", in the guise of the diabolo artists,
solidifying the idea that these two worlds were interwoven. The Tin
Man in The Wizard of Oz was in search of a heart, an obvious symbol
for emotion, something that Brisson-Jutras was also searching for in
Quidam.
The diabolos, which the Tin Men played with, were integrated into the
productions playground theme. If the acts were not centred directly
on the emotions, they were based around games found in a schoolyard.
Hence, they were games typically filled or created with a childs
imagination. The diabolo is a less obvious illustration of a
playground toy, since it is not familiar to most modern audiences.
However, it is a toy played with by many Chinese children in the East,
and was a game commonly played by European children in the last
century. Modern Western audiences related to it as a childs toy
through its resemblance to the yo-yo. It was an apt game to choose
for this show as an illustration of the imagination of children. This
is true because diabolo tricks are filled with complex throws and
catches, spins, and cats cradle manoeuvres. Other children's games
incorporated into the show at various points included skateboarding,
playing with dolls, skipping, and swinging on the cloud swing.
All of these concepts (playground games, The Wizard of Oz, and the
work of Magritte) were subordinate to the central theme of releasing
emotions. This idea was linked to the previous Cirque du Soleil show
Alegría through the use of a birdcage. Emotions were symbolized in
this production primarily as a red ball or balloon, although at times
feeling appeared simply as the colour red. The families' feelings
were enclosed in a domestic birdcage at the top of the show. It was
obvious from the image it was the parents emotions trapped in their
own worlds, as the father disappeared into his newspaper, and the
mother into her radio. Both were unable to communicate or express
themselves to each other, or to their child. When the bowler hat was
placed on Brisson-Jutras head, it served as a means to open the
channels within not only the family, but within its individual
members, as well.
There were two major categories of acts within this show, routines
displaying internal emotions, and numbers revolving around children
playing. The sand lot games were the latter, while acts such as the
Spanish web, German wheel, aerial hoops, and statue examined the inner
feelings of the family. In each of these acts, the inner workings of
a particular character were revealed to the audience. The German
wheel portrayed the thought process of Brisson-Jutras mind; the
Spanish web (performed by Isabelle Chassé) bared the mothers soul;
the statue or Vis Versa act revealed the parents finally dealing with
their raw emotions; and the aerial hoops act included costumes with
the hearts ripped out.
Throughout the show, the audience was constantly faced with the
parents' struggle to grasp and display emotions. This idea was
revisited all through the evening. With the imagination and
playfulness of their child, they were able to change from a
dysfunctional family to one full of love and courage. One of the most
powerful images in the production was that of the father, harnessed
high above the stage onto one of the grid sections, which pulled him
out towards the audience. He appeared to be walking on air, oblivious
to the world around him. Although he appeared to be reading his
newspaper, in fact, his head was literally surrounded by the paper.
His head actually poked through the front page, with his face sticking
out towards the audience. The paper had become such a crutch; he was
actually entrapped and did not know how to escape. By the end of the
production, his character had shredded his paper and was able to share
his love and emotions with the rest of his family.
In their various productions, Cirque du Soleil present straightforward
ideas constructed with a complex series of signs and conventions. The
reading and comprehension of a circus performance, in general, is an
active process demanding participation by both the performer and the
spectator. In the final analysis, however, it is always up to the
audience members to assemble the various signs they have witnessed
during a performance (whether in the form of sound, lighting,
costuming, performance style, etc.) to find both coherence and
completeness within the performance text (De Marinis 59-60). This is
key when viewing and reading a Cirque du Soleil production in order to
understand the underlying themes presented.
This paper has established that the spectator begins by seeking out
familiar and recognizable signs. These signs must be reassembled in
an orderly fashion by the spectator in order to grasp the theme or
message conveyed. By identifying and assembling the various pieces of
the thematic puzzle(s), the spectators are empowered with the ability
to complete the performance text, providing a coherent summary of the
action within the ring. As Marco De Marinis states in his book The
Semiotics of Performance, "the performance text is a performance unit
which the analyst's intention (or the intention of the ordinary
audience member) designates as semiotically complete (59)." Although,
it is not solely the responsibility of the performer(s) to explain
what is shown, the onus is on the spectator to read, analyze, or re-
write the performance text in such a way that it takes on a
comprehensible meaning and wholeness.
Bibliography
Albrecht, Ernest. The New American Circus. Gainesville: University
Press of Florida, 1995.
Balint, Michael. Thrills and Regressions. Ed. John D. Sutherland.
London: The Hogarth Press, 1959.
Bouissac, Paul. "Technological Innovations and Cultural Semiosis:
The Ritualistic Appropriation of the Bicycle by the Circus." Kultur
Evolution: Fallstudien und Synthese. Ivan Bystrina, Heiko Karnowski
and Marlene Landsch, ed. Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 1992: 169-197.
de Marinis, Marco. The Semiotics of Performance. Bloomington:
Indiana University Press, 1993.
de Toro, Fernando. Theatre Semiotics: Text and Staging in Modern
Theatre. Trans. John Lewis. Ed. Carole Hubbard. Toronto: University
of Toronto Press, 1995.
Paquet, Marcel. René Magritte 1898-1967: Thought Rendered Visible.
Hamburg: Benedikt Taschen, 1994.
Paquet, Marcel. René Magritte 1898-1967: Thought Rendered Visible.
Hamburg: Benedikt Taschen, 1994.
Performances:
Alegría. Dir. Franco Dragone. Vienna, Aus., 22-25 Oct. 1997.
Alegría. Dir. Franco Dragone. Dusseldorf, Ger., 14-16 Nov. 1997.
Quidam. Dir. Franco Dragone. Toronto, 25 Aug. 1996.
Quidam. Dir. Franco Dragone. Chicago, IL, 7 and 8 Aug. 1998.
Slavas Snowshow. Perf. Slava Polunin. The Princess of Wales Theatre. Toronto, 6 Jan. and 29 Jan. 1998.
=======================================================================
PARTING QUOTE
=======================================================================
"You've got to believe that you're going to live in a
better future... and that you can be part of that future."
- Gilles Ste Croix on Saltimbanco
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NEXT ISSUE...
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There's always something cookin' for the next issue of Fascination.
Be sure to check out the next issue, our 20th, in April!
Have a comment, question or concern? Email the Fascination!
Newsletter staff at: < CirqueFasincation-owner@yahoogroups.com >.
We are anxious to hear any and all comments!
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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"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
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