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Fascination Issue 016
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Fascination! Newsletter
Issue #16 - December 2002
"Live to Cirque; Cirque to Live"
=======================================================================
Bonjour et bienvenue! With the closure of its planned complexes (see
the "Cirque Buzz" section within) we see that the world of Cirque du
Soleil can change in the blink of an eye. This issue we continue our
coverage of Cirque's changing world with "Fire Within", a documentary
series on the creation of Varekai. The series is down to its last few
episodes and the tension is really heating up! Our own Paul Roberts
takes aim on the newly released Varekai CD with his review of the
release. While the Techie Geek takes a much needed rest, we dive back
into the Cirque archives with a look at two interesting things from
the past: "Le Group du Soleil" and "Cahier à Colorier". All this and
Happy Holidays to everyone around the world from our family to yours!
============
Contents:
============
* Cirque Buzz: News, Rumours & Sightings
* Oyez, Oyez!: Cirque Online
* Itinéraire: Tour/Show Information
* Historie: This Month in Cirque History
* Anniversarie: Birthday Wishes to Cirque Alumni
* Télémagik:
"L'Envol Sans Filet" -- Cirque du Soleil: Fire
Within, Part 3 (By: Wayne Leung)
* Cirque Musique:
"Versification du Varekai" (By: Paul Roberts)
* Behind the Curtain:
"Varekai Album Titles" (By: Keith Johnson)
* Beyond the Bigtop:
"Le Groupe du Soleil" -- Série Part 2 (By: Ricky Russo)
* From the Boutique:
"Cahier à Colorier" -- Série Part 3 (By: Ricky Russo)
* Obstructed View
* Parting Quote
* Next Issue
* Subscription Information
* Copyright & Disclaimer
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=======================================================================
CIRQUE BUZZ: NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Cirque Abandons Hotel Complexes
-------------------------------
On December 3rd, Cirque du Soleil announced that it was
abandoning its plans to launch a global series of hotel
complexes dubbed "Complexes Cirque" that was first announced
this past April. The announcement closes a two-year feasibility
study as well as the development of the prototype complex in
Montréal -- "Laboratoire Montréal Project". The project, if it
had succeeded, would have launched Cirque into the hotel-
management business, featuring establishments with Cirque's
avant-garde approach. The September-11 attacks in the United
States and a downturn in global tourism is to blame for the
project's closure. The decision affects approximately 5 people
in the New Ventures Business Unit and the University of Quebec
at Montreal (UQAM), from whom Cirque leased the property to
build the complex.
The details of the complexes themselves were kept secret,
however, at one time it was rumored that the hotels would be
anchored by Cirque du Soleil productions. The sites would also
contain nightclubs, and other entertainment venues. If the
Montréal project was successful, Cirque had planned to open up
complexes in Barcelona, Hong Kong, London, New York, Paris, and
Tokyo. "We have a pretty good feeling right now that this is not
a very good time to start developing projects of that magnitude
on the international scale," said company spokesman Renee-Claude
Menard. "This is not the good time to do this and actually it is
not a good idea for us to do this," she added.
Cirque du Soleil will continue to place its efforts on its core
product, its productions, and expand its Cirque du Soleil Images
imprint. [Source: Cirque du Soleil; Canadian NewsWire; Wayne
Leung; Ricky Russo]
A Quidam Performer Falls
------------------------
A loud snap was heard just before artist Natalia Pestova fell to
the stage during the 5:00pm performance of Quidam in St.
Petersburg on December 5th. The fall occurred during the Spanish
Web ("Cordes Lisses") act, which features seven performers
unharnesed. Shocked and frightened, the crowd fell silent as
they watched the horror unfold before them. Artists of the
Cirque came to the aid of their fellow performer quickly. Ms.
Pestova was immediately taken to Bayfront Medical Center for
treatment. She was released later that evening.
Cirque canceled the rest of the 5:00pm performance and the
second performance at 9:00pm citing safety reasons. Patrons of
both performances were provided instruction sheets on how to
either obtain refunds or exchange their tickets for a future
performance. The show is expected to continue Saturday and for
the rest of the run in St. Pete. [Source: St. Pete Times; Ricky
Russo]
New Shows -- New Ideas?
-----------------------
Some small details have emerged about the performances/acts
slated to be in Cirque du Soleils newest shows: New York-New
York (2003) and the MGM-Grand (2004). Slated to debut in July
2003, the New York-New York show is currently casting Rhythmic
Gymnasts (to perform in a duo act), a Contortionist /
Handbalancer (for a specialty act - either solo, duo, trio or
quatuor), a Middle Eastern dancer (for an exotic dance act), and
"virile" male and "voluptuous" female dancers. The MGM Grand
show, slated to debut sometime in 2004, is currently looking for
artists skilled in Archery and the Martial Arts -- Wu Shu, Kung
Fu, and Akido with the ability to use a Sabre, Nunchakus or
Katana. The MGM Grand show is also searching for twin female
acrobats for a special duo act.
As a side note, Cirque is also casting for "Cirque du Soleil
Presents", a half-hour show featuring high-calibre acrobatics,
and circus and variety acts presented by young and upcoming
artists. As always further information will be released as it
becomes available. [Source: Cirque du Soleil Casting; Ricky
Russo]
Storm Forces Cancellation
-------------------------
Last month we reported that the premier of Varekai in the San
Francisco Bay area was cancelled due to 70 mile-per-hour (112.7
kilometers-per-hour) wind gusts in the area. During the event
the local media reported that damage had occurred to the
trademark blue and yellow swirled big top. The incident made
national news headlines when CNN reported that the entire
structure collapsed. "Fascination!" spoke with Katie Mitchell,
the show publicist for Varekai in California, and was provided
with an official statement from Cirque du Soleil regarding the
matter:
"San Francisco, November 8, 2002 ... The Thursday, November 7th
performance of Cirque du Soleil's VAREKAI was canceled due to
high winds and concern for the safety of our patrons and our
cast & crew. Contrary to some news reports, the blue-and-yellow
Grand Chapiteau (Big Top), located in the Pacific Bell Park
parking lot, is still standing fully secured and safe.
[Friday's] 4:00 p.m. performance will go on as scheduled. It
should be noted that spectators who held tickets for the
canceled performance were able to exchange the tickets for a
later showing or have the ticket price refunded to them."
[Source: Katie Mitchell, Charles Zukow Associates; Ricky Russo]
The Magic Continues
-------------------
The rumor mill strikes this month with a bit of news regarding
the status and upcoming tour itineraries for Cirque du Soleil
shows:
Quidam is set to tour Japan, but rumor suggests it may NOT visit
Australia on its journey "east". Instead, Quidam will return to
Europe after its Japanese tour and visit cities it had not been
able to visit the first time around.
Saltimbanco is going to continue on its European tour for at
least another year when, rumor has it, the show might return to
US soil and set-up in select cities across the United States.
Alegria is rumored to be staying on the North American continent
for quite some time though its exact length of stay is not yet
determined. Further cities are to be announced as they are
confirmed.
Dralion is rumored to be soon picking up stakes and heading to
Europe, visiting the townships and cities that Quidam visited on
its first European trip. Dralion has been on an extended North
American Tour since 2001.
Cirque du Parade
----------------
On Wednesday, December 25th, fans of Cirque du Soleil will be
able to find their favorite characters and personalities in the
Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade. The parade is hosted by
Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa and airs on the ABC Television
Network beginning at 11:00am. Besides Cirque du Soleil, the
parade will feature Disney and ABC stars. [Source: The
Washington Post; Wayne Leung; Ricky Russo]
Varekai -- US Release Date
--------------------------
Fans received their first taste of the Varekai music when the
soundtrack was released on 11/5/02. Unfortunately at the time
the CD was only available in Canada, but that is about to
change. On 1/7/03, the Varekai CD will be available in the
United States! You can pre-order the CD from many online
retailers, including BestBuy.com and Amazon.com (which also is
CDNow.com). The list price is $18.98, however, of the two
mentioned Amazon is lower with $14.99 sale price.
[Source: CDNow; Stephen Plante; Ricky Russo]
USA Syncro Goes Dralion
-----------------------
All 34 seniors vying for a spot on the 2003 national teams
including the Olympic Training Squad got a head start this past
weekend in San Antonio, TX where they learned the trial routine.
The trial routine is set to Cirque Du Soleil's Dralion
soundtrack and was choreographed by National Team Director Linai
Vaz DeNegri and demonstrated by former national team member Anna
Eng. For any questions or clarifications regarding the routine
please email linai@usasynchro.org. [Source: Synchro Swimming USA
e-Newsletter; Jim Mathre]
Saltimbanco NOT to be re-filmed
-------------------------------
In our July 2002 issue we reported that in conjunction with
Bravo, the arts and film network in the United States and CDSi,
Cirque would re-film Saltimbanco during its January 2003 run at
the Royal Albert Hall in London. Fascination! has heard that
contrary to previous rumors, Saltimbanco is not slated to be re-
filmed after all. This is certainly disappointing news for fans
of Saltimbanco who dislike the current filmed version. However,
with Saltimbanco currently scheduled to continue its European
tour with a possible return to U.S. soil, the show may yet find
itself under the camera. [Source: Ricky Russo]
Cirque du Lune?
---------------
Perhaps that should read "Cirque du Looney" or "Cirque du
Looneil?", but the "Lune" in the title stands for Luna (French
for the moon) and is an idea by Michael Henderson that could
turn the moon into a multi-billion dollar destination in Las
Vegas. A $5 billion, 10,000-room hotel/casino is on the drawing
board for Las Vegas, a city already replete with mega-resorts.
"Moon Resort and Casino" would feature many "off-worldly"
accommodations including a crater-like wave pool, a scale
replica of the International Space Station (in the lobby), an
indoor championship golf course and a 40-story recreation of the
moon. One of the things that catches our eye (not that a
vacation on the moon wouldn't) is "Cirque du Lune", a possible
lunar-themed show from Cirque du Soleil.
After visiting "Moon"'s website we were able to determine that
"Cirque du Lune" appears not to be connected with Cirque du
Soleil. Considering that the Cirque and MGM Mirage (which owns
the Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio, MGM Grand, New York, New
York among other Las Vegas destinations) signed an agreement to
stage 2 more Cirque shows in 2003 and 2004, it is highly
unlikely that another mega-resort would be able to sign Cirque
to any kind of agreement. But anything is possible.
This resort might sound far-fetched, but Henderson has spent
approximately $1 million to build a scale model of his idea and
hold press conferences to lure investors to pay for the mega of
the mega-resorts. If you're interested in more about "Moon",
visit their website at www.moonresortandcasino.com. I highly
recommend the Video Tour, under the Moon Tour selection of the
main menu. As always, Fascination! will keep our "eyes and ears"
out on this one. [Source: WESH CH-2 Orlando;
LasVegas4Visitors.com; Sam Quo Vadis; Ricky Russo]
Cirque TV
---------
Cirque du Soleil has released its schedule of appearance on
Bravo, their US Network affiliate. The schedule of performance
thus far are as follows (All times are Eastern):
* December 31st:
08:00pm -- Quidam (120 Minutes)
10:00pm -- Dralion (120 Minutes)
* January 1st:
12:00am -- Quidam (120 Minutes)
02:00am -- Dralion (120 Minutes)
11:00am -- Quidam (120 Minutes)
01:00pm -- Dralion (120 Mintues)
* January 5th:
02:00pm -- Run Before You Fly (60 Minutes)
03:00pm -- Saltimbanco (60 Minutes)
04:00pm -- Nouvelle Experience (60 Minutes)
05:00pm -- Dralion (120 Minutes)
07:00pm -- Le Cirque Reinvente (60 Minutes)
08:00pm -- Nouvelle Experience (60 Minutes)
09:00pm -- Alegría (120 Minutes)
11:00pm -- Le Cirque Reinvente (60 Minutes)
* January 6th:
01:00am -- Dralion (120 Minutes)
03:00am -- Run Before You Fly (60 Mintues)
04:00am -- Alegría (120 Minutes)
=======================================================================
OYEZ, OYEZ(*)!: CIRQUE ONLINE
=======================================================================
This Month at Cirque Club (By: Keith Johnson)
---------------------------------------------
Cirque Club has been surprising us of late, with some
significant new content on their members-only site each month.
And this month is no exception, with two new sections to talk
about.
"Cirque Du Soleil on Screen" is devoted to listings of Cirque
shows on (so far) American television, currently with listings
for Bravo from November 26, 2002 through January 6, 2003.
There's also a mention of theatres worldwide that are showing
the IMAX film "Journey of Man." We can only think they got the
idea from *our* "Cirque TV" section, which we've been doing for
over a year.
Cirque's "elves" have also been busy putting together a very
special Xmas Holiday section. In one of the most fun special
sections they've yet created, "Holidays With Cirque Du Soleil"
consists of four sections - Celebrate, E-Cards, Gift Ideas and
Goodies.
"Celebrate" features a 2-minute special video of several Varekai
performers sending holiday greetings. The Atherton twins,
Rampin Brothers, and singer Zara Tellander, among others, appear
in full makeup from San Francisco. As they speak in their
native tongues, an English translation also appears. The video
is available in low and high bandwidth Windows Media.
"Gift Ideas" are items from the Boutique, sorted two ways. You
can sort by type of recipient (Stocking-
stuffers/Kids/Him/Her/Hard-to-Please) or by price (Under
$25/$25-50/over $50). Both sorts present the same gift options.
There are some new items here we haven't seen before, which
speaks well of Cirques efforts to bolster their Boutique
offerings.
"E-Cards" is fun! You have a choice of two types of cards, with
three images within each to choose from. You can choose "Be
Creative" cards with images of John Gilkey as La Vigie,
Alegria's Tamir duo, and a Mystère dancer. Or you can "Be
Poetic" sending your own personal message with images from
Varekai, a snowflake made up of contortionists, or a La Nouba
clown riding on a field of ornaments. While the Poetic cards
have one set image have no pre-chosen sayings, the Creative
cards offer three "Tones" (Romantic/Inspirational/Mischievous)
and three one-sentence "Messages". The different settings of
these two parameters determine not only the Cirque-ey message,
but also variations on the main imagery. It's a lot of fun to
play around here and change the settings to see what you get.
Once you're done with the creation, you can send the card to any
friend or Cirque fan.
Finally, the "Goodies" section is just that, and it's a treasure
trove! It also links to the Xmas Messages video. But in
addition it features 8 wallpapers, 1 from each of it's current
shows, in 800 X 600 and 1020 X 768 formats. The imagery is
familiar to Web Site visitors, but now fans can choose a
screensaver based on their own Cirque show mood. There are also
10 recipes from the Cirque kitchens, in Adobe PDF format. (Note
there are no pictures of the finished product here, it would be
nice to have one, or at least a description of what the item
is.) And finally, there are 8 Coloring Pages! Black and white
line-drawn images of Alegria's White Singer, Quidam's Target and
John, a trapeze artist, and Mystère Characters are just some of
the PDF format images ready for printing and coloring.
It's another month to send applause to the Website folks in
Montreal, they continue to surprise us. We hope this section
won't go away when the Holidays end, most of these items can be
fun any time of year. We can't wait to see what they'll come up
with next!
At the Boutique (By: Ricky Russo)
---------------------------------
This holiday season, as for Halloween, Cirque du Soleil has a
full variety of goodies for fans to enjoy - from desktop
wallpaper and eCards to more tangible collectibles. This month
the Cirque Boutique (www.cirquestore.com) also has many new
items for fans to enjoy - some that were previously only
available on tour!
- Sun Leather Mask ($225.00 US):
An exquisitely crafted mask featuring a golden sun. The piece is
crafted by Gilbert Coutu and is suitable to wear or hang!
http://store.yahoo.com/cirquestore/sunleathermask.html
- Etincelles Necklaces ($39.00 US):
Designed by Isabelle Désy, the necklaces come to life with color
and light. They can be worn in various styles, are made of
acrylic beads and come in either Red or Clear.
http://store.yahoo.com/cirquestore/necklaces.html
- Varekai Programme ($12.00 US)
Released in the United States during Varekai's Philadelphia run,
the official Varekai programme is now available. Get yours
today!
http://store.yahoo.com/cirquestore/ivarekaii.html
- Saltimbanco Programme ($12.00 US)
It's been a long time coming, but the new European Tour
Saltimbanco programme is now available on the Cirque du Soleil
web site. It's a soft-cover book with 48 pages sized 7 1/4 by 12
3/4 inches.
http://store.yahoo.com/cirquestore/issouvprog.html
- Varekai CD/Programme ($29.00 US)
A special holidays present from Cirque du Soleil! You get both
the newly released Varekai CD and the show's programme in one
package!
http://store.yahoo.com/cirquestore/cdsouvprogva.html
- Alegría Lantern ($25.00 US)
One of the best items I've seen in a long time from Cirque is
this lantern. It's made of Iron wire and was made special for
the Cirque. It measures 7 1/2 by 10 1/2 inches and is a must-
have collectible!
http://store.yahoo.com/cirquestore/alegrialantern.html
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE: TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
[Touring Shows]
Alegría:
* Mexico City, Mexico -- at Gran Carpa Santa Fe
Dates: Oct 10, 2002 to Dec 22, 2002
* Dallas, Texas -- at Fair Park
Dates: Jan 23, 2003 to Feb 16, 2003
* Houston, Texas -- at George R. Brown Convention Center
Dates: Mar 6, 2003 to Mar 30, 2003
* Austin, Texas: Spring 2003
* Portland, Oregon: Spring-Summer 2003
* Seattle, Washington: Summer 2003
* San Francisco, California: Fall 2003
Dralion:
* Phoenix, Arizona -- at Temple Diabolo Stadium
Dates: Nov 13, 2002 to Dec 15, 2002
* New Orleans, Louisiana -- at Zephyr Field
Dates: Feb 6, 2003 to Feb 23, 2003
* Montreal, Quebec -- at Jacques-Cartier Pier
Dates: May 15, 2003 to Jun 15, 2003
* Raleigh, North Carolina: Winter-Spring 2003
* Baltimore, Maryland: Spring 2003
* Cincinnati, Ohio: Summer 2003
* Hartford, Connecticut: Summer 2003
* St. Louis, Missouri: Summer 2003
* Nashville, Tennessee: Fall 2003
* Tampa, Florida: Fall 2003
Quidam:
* St. Petersburg, Florida -- at Tropicana Field
Dates: Nov 7, 2002 to Dec 15, 2002
* 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:
* Madrid, Spain -- at Recinto ferial de Moratalaz
Dates: Oct 31, 2002 to Dec 26, 2002
* London, England -- at Royal Albert Hall
Dates: Jan 7, 2003 to Feb 2, 2003
* Bilbao, Spain -- at Zorrozaurre
Dates: Feb 26, 2003 to Mar 23, 2003
* Geneva, Switzerland -- at Plainpalais
Dates: Apr 18, 2003 to May 11, 2003
* Oostenade, Belgium -- To Be Determined
Dates: Jul 24, 2003 to Aug 17, 2003
Varekai:
* San Francisco Bay, California -- at Pacific Bell Parking Lot
Dates: Nov 7, 2002 to Dec 22, 2002
* San Jose, California -- at Water Company at Delmar Avenue
Dates: Jan 16, 2003 to Feb 9, 2003
* Atlanta, Georgia -- at Cumberland Galeria
Dates: Mar 13, 2003 - Apr 20, 2003
* New York, New York: Spring 2003
* Chicago, Illinois: Summer 2003
* Los Angeles, California: Fall 2003
* Orange County, California: Fall 2003
[Resident Shows]
La Nouba:
* Two shows Nightly - Thursday through Monday.
* Times: 6:00pm and 9:00pm
* Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando.
* No performances on Tuesday or Wednesday.
- Note: Beginning January 3rd 2003, there will be no
performances on Sunday and Monday. Shows will be
presented twice a night from Tuesday through Saturday.
* 2002 Dark Dates:
- December 3rd through 11th
* 2003 Dark Dates are as follows:
- January 1st
- February 2nd through 5th
- March 23rd through 25th
- May 11th through 25th
- July 13th through 16th
- September 7th through 9th
- October 26th through 29th
- December 7th through 15th
Mystère:
* Two shows Nightly - Wednesday through Sunday.
* Times: 7:30pm and 10:30pm
* Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas.
* No performances on Monday or Tuesday.
* 2002 Dark Dates:
- December 2nd through 17th
* 2003 Dark Dates:
- January 26th through 28th
- 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.
* 2002 Dark Dates:
- December 4th through 19th
* 2003 Dark Dates:
- February 24th through 27th
- 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
=======================================================================
* December 02, 1999 -- Dralion opened Irvine, California
* December 05, 2001 -- Alegría opened Perth, Australia
* December 14, 2000 -- Quidam opened London, England
* December 16, 1999 -- Alegría: Le Film premiered in Singapore
* December 23, 1998 -- La Nouba premiered at WDW
* December 24, 1993 -- Mystère premiered at Treasure Island
* December 26, 2001 -- Dralion reached 1000 performances (Dallas 1:00p)
* December 28, 1989 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Phoenix, Arizona
=======================================================================
ANNIVERSAIRE: BIRTHDAY WISHES TO CIRQUE ALUMNI!
=======================================================================
* December 01, 1981 -- Elena Lev (Hoops/Quidam)
* December 02, 1960 -- Nikolai Tchelnokov (Adagio/Saltimbanco)
* December 03, 1965 -- Paulo Lorador (Hand to Hand/Mystère)
* December 06, 1974 -- Patrick McGuire (Manipulation/Quidam)
* December 08, 1966 -- John Gilkey (Le Vigie/Varekai)
* December 09, 1974 -- Daniel Gutzmit (Hand to Hand/Salt 2000)
* December 09, 1974 -- Jacek Gutszmit (Hand to Hand/Salt 2000)
* December 11, 1965 -- Mark Ward (John/Quidam)
* December 11, 1978 -- Christine Cadeau (Skipping Rope Solo/Quidam)
* December 16, 1986 -- Ganna Ostapenko (Body Skating/Varekai)
* December 17, 1952 -- Francois Dupuis (Baby/Mystère)
* December 24, 1961 -- Karl Baumann (Target/Quidam)
=======================================================================
TÉLÉMAGIK:
"L'Envol Sans Filet" -- Fire Within, Part 3 (By: Wayne Leung)
=======================================================================
Fire Within is reaching full flame. These next few episodes are full
of tension and excitement as the cast and crew of Varekai scramble to
ready the show for opening night. The level of stress and drama
reaches its highest during these few episodes and it feels as if the
earlier installments were meant to set the stage for these climactic
ones. The characters we have met and become familiar with during the
first half of the series are tested and challenged here. As viewers,
we empathize with the artists and urge them to overcome their
challenges. It remains to be seen who will triumph and who will
falter.
Not only does the series provide exciting and original content, but
Director Lewis Cohen infuses Fire Within with subtle but effective
stylistic touches that at times heighten drama or highlight nuances in
any given scene. The director makes use of many rapid-fire montages
of performers in training to give an ever-present sense of urgency.
Sometimes he'll emphasize an important object such as the big top or
the show's poster by making it the only colour object in a black and
white frame. Cohen will also interlace matted shots of the Varekai
performance to provide brief mystical moments in a very realistic and
down-to-earth series.
Fire Within also features very eclectic and evocative music. The
series makes good use of the entire Cirque du Soleil Musique
catalogue. "Meandres" from Nouvelle Experience plays in the
background of a scene to establish an ominous mood. "Il Sogno di
Volare" plays during Stella's family's quiet Christmas dinner.
Saltimbanco's operatic aria is contrasted with the raucous drums of
Dralion's "Bamboo", used as the background for the energetic cast
Christmas party. Musical pieces are also used as recurrent themes;
the melancholy "Rideau" from Saltimbanco is used as Gareth's theme and
"Terre Aride" from 'O' accompanies training montages. Live selections
from Varekai's score are used sparsely throughout the series, usually
in context. For example, the Acrobatic Pas de Deux music will be used
when the singer is learning the score or the performers are
rehearsing. To round out the musical landscape of the series, a
varied selection of non-Cirque music, ranging from folksy ballads to
Eastern European dances and even Hip Hop is also used. As in Cirque's
live shows, the music of Fire Within serves to set the tone of the
series.
Let us now journey deeper on our quest for Varekai as Fire Within
continues.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
** SPOILER WARNING **
The reviews below reveal the episodes in detail. If you haven't seen
the show and would prefer to be surprised, skip ahead. There will be
an advisory ending this spoiler warning.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Episode 8: "Moving On"
----------------------
(Costume-fittings and mounting sets coincide with plans for dress
rehearsals. - TV Guide)
Varekai is scheduled to premiere in 45 days. The atmosphere at Cirque
headquarters is aptly described by the show's Lighting Designer Nol
Van Genuchten, "I think the stress is hitting the fan in here." As
spectators, we all have a vague sense of how hard Cirque performers
must work to make it in the world's best circus but it's still
humbling to watch them struggle with the challenges that they face.
After weeks of struggling to accelerate the progress of the show and
improve their performances, it is once again time for the performers
to show President Guy Laliberté what they've got. The stage is set,
the theatrical lights are lit and Guy is presented with fragments of
the opening sequence and several numbers including the rousing
Georgian Dance. For Icarian Games, Gareth and Ashley are relegated to
the back of the scene as the Rampin Bros. take center stage. Guy
watches the spectacular skill of the Spanish brothers with a big smile
across his face.
This presentation is also the moment of truth for Stella, Raquel and
the entire Triple Trapeze team. Laliberté axed their original
Multiple Trapeze structure and it has taken them months to develop a
new act. The performers have exhausted themselves trying to improve
their shaky number, both acrobatically and dramatically. After the
presentation, Cirque's Chief Operating Officer Lynn Heward gives the
verdict; "I have to say to you I know you were sad when you lost your
multiple trapeze but this [apparatus] does more for you than the other
machine did. We see YOU in this performance and I think that's
great." Then, turning to address the rest of the cast, "There are
still lots of things to work on, tons of things to work on, but your
movement forward is there and I just wish you all courage in the next
few weeks, a lot of hard work and above all, give all of your
attention and your focus to [Director] Dominic, he needs you, he can't
do this show alone."
The performers will need all the good wishes, the next few weeks will
be the grueling final stretch to the premiere. But for now, they
celebrate the acceptance of the Triple Trapeze into the show and a
successful presentation.
Adding to the list of reasons to celebrate, it is Gareth's birthday.
He holds a party in his apartment at the Cirque residences. He's been
trying unsuccessfully to phone his mother all day, we find out why.
She has come from London with Gareth's sister and baby nephew Tyler to
surprise him for his birthday. Gareth has not seen his family for
almost six months and is elated. We witness their heartwarming
reunion. The comfort of family gives Gareth the strength that he'll
desperately need to survive the next leg of his journey with Cirque.
"I've never worked so hard before in my life." Gareth professes. But
he will soon be asked to work even harder.
Also working at full steam is Cirque's marketing department. They
have still not finalized a poster for the new show and time is running
out. The original designs were tossed out when Marketing learned of
an underwater film shoot with the show's lead performers. The still
photos from the film are beautiful but their quality is not high
enough to be reproduced as a poster. Marketing is at odds with
Creative Director Andrew Watson over the poster design. The team
looks at a group of about 10 candidate posters featuring Icarus,
clouds, wings or any combination of these elements. Andrew Watson
still likes the poster of Icarus underwater, a marketer disagrees, "I
find it really soft . . . Andrew, you see it; I don't think the
consumer sees it." The group debates for hours before deciding to
look at some designs featuring a stylized puppet Icarus that Guy
Laliberté originally approved. "It's less cerebral, it's more
fantasy," says the marketer.
As marketing debates the poster design, the Grand Chapiteau is already
being erected in Montreal's Old Port. The performers will make their
move to the show's venue and accelerate their working pace for the
final stretch to the premiere. Stage Manager Armand Thomas prepares
the performers, "So now we go through to the next step: Showtime!
People are gonna get angry, people are gonna get angry at each other,
we're gonna get really stressed out, we're gonna get tired, we're
gonna get very frustrated and all that is normal for what we're gonna
live through." An exhausted Gareth is concerned about the
ramifications of the next step, "I don't know if I can handle it, I
don't know if I can handle that life. When they started talking about
'things are gonna get really hectic and tempers are gonna fly' I'm
like, I'm the worst person for temper." Gareth has been stressed and
is having trouble sleeping. He is not progressing as quickly as he
wants or needs to. Pedro, the Icarian coach, is frustrated at Gareth
and Ashley's lack of consistency in their performance. At Cirque du
Soleil if you aren't able to keep up with the best there will be
consequences. Andrew Watson meets with Gareth and Ashley. They
narrowly escape being fired. Gareth has been giving his best and it
still doesn't seem to be enough. He is visibly upset, "I think I'm
working well . . . What can I do? It makes me feel quite angry. I
feel I am working hard. I feel training is going well. It's the
final warning basically and if we have to have a meeting with him
again, that's it." Then, with a sigh he concedes, "But that's life,
y'know what I mean? That's show business."
Episode 9: "The Grand Chapiteau"
--------------------------------
(The circus stage, the Grand Chapiteau, is finally ready for a press
performance. - TV Guide)
T-minus 30 days to the premiere of Varekai: The artists move from the
studio to the Grand Chapiteau. The big top is pitched in the Old Port
of Montreal and covered in a light dusting of snow. For their first
day of on-site training the performers arrive at a yet-unheated
backstage tent. We see Olga and Anton huddled under a blanket and
Stella working out on an exercise bike while dressed in her winter
coat and hat. Everybody is busily preparing for the world press
launch of the show; a press conference for over 200 journalists.
After weeks of debate and many long hours, Louise Mercier and Cirque's
marketing team have finally decided on a poster and main icon for
Varekai, and not a moment too soon, she delivers the yellow poster
with the stylized stick puppet Icarus to Andrew Watson just a few days
before the press launch. She expresses her relief to him, "I feel
like a pregnant woman who has just given birth." "I have another 28
days," the Creative Director replies with a laugh.
Rehearsals continue under the big top. Adrian Berinde, the show's
male singer, is incorporated into the staging for the first time.
During a run-through of a group scene it is painfully obvious that
Adrian has never acted before, he has absolutely no performance
quality. He just goofs off and waves his hands.
Fortunately, others are having more luck. The Atherton twins' Aerial
Straps act has really come together. The new choreography is
spectacular. The twins are determined to make their act one of the
show's most memorable. "We don't want to be a standard apple, we want
to be the best we can be on the stage and we want people to talk about
our act when they've left. But that's all been sorted now, all that's
left for them to talk about is our costumes," one of the twins says
with a laugh. The Athertons are excited that their act has been
chosen as one of the few that will be presented as a teaser during the
press conference.
Icarian Games, another act to be presented in the teaser, still has
some major kinks to be worked out. Ashley and Gareth's futures at
Cirque are hanging by a thread; their performance is still weak and
inconsistent. Head coach Boris explains the ultimatum issued to them,
"The buck stops here and the next decision will be a drastic one."
With so little time left there is no tolerance for Gareth and Ashley's
fumbles. Boris talks to Icarian coach Adrian about their performance,
"[It's] not acceptable and the next step is, if we can't rectify it,
we take it out."
Stress is causing Gareth to become short-tempered and argumentative.
During a training session he is defensive and constantly argues with
his coaches. Ashley, on the other hand, just sits dejectedly and
listens. Adrian lays down the line, "Training doesn't mean anything
if you come last in a competition . . . We're not changing your
routine unless you drop him next time and then I'm gonna take it out
[of the show], end of story."
Later, Gareth works with Director Dominic Champagne to fine tune his
Lizard character; a menacing, dark figure which will open the show.
With the Icarian Games quickly slipping from his grasp the Lizard
character may be his redemption and his only chance to save his job.
Gareth goes fishing in the St. Lawrence River on his day off. He
seems pensive; a young man caught between a troubled past and an
uncertain future.
On top of problems with Gareth and Ashley, the Icarian Games proves to
be an immensely difficult act to create a lighting design for. The
inverted Icarian catchers are being blinded as they stare up into the
over-head stage lights. Varekai's frustrated Lighting Designer Nol
Van Genuchten admits, "Icarian Games is a really tough act to light.
By no stretch of the imagination do I have a good relationship with
them now."
Press Conference day arrives; the cast must temporarily put their
daily struggles aside and flash their rehearsed smiles for a room full
of jaded reporters. All the artists are on edge; even veteran
performer Olga has a case of stage fright. As she puts on her semi-
finished costume she tells the dresser, "I don't wanna go out there!
No!" Raquel relishes the challenge presented to her, she relates it
to Varekai's theme, "It makes you a survivor. Life gives you
opportunity to learn how to fight; if you make it then you're more
special than people who don't have anything to fight for." Ashley
catches the flu and cannot perform in the press conference show.
Guy Laliberté and the show's creators greet the journalists. The
mini-performance goes off without a hitch but little do the reporters
know that just beneath the Cirque's slick veneer is a team desperately
trying to salvage a show that is simply not ready. At the end of the
episode Dominic directs a full dress and technical rehearsal of the
show's opening sequence. It is less than three weeks to the premiere
and he has not yet done a run-through of the show in its entirety.
With the clock ticking down the final few days, it remains to be seen
whether all the disparate elements of the show can be pulled together
in time for opening night.
Episode 10: "The Lion's Den"
----------------------------
(The cast is tense with the first performance of the Varekai. - TV
Guide)
Crunch time has arrived. The world premiere of Varekai is only 15
days away. In a Cirque tradition appropriately dubbed "The Lion's
Den" the cast will give a preview performance to an audience of 500
Cirque du Soleil insiders including head honcho Guy Laliberté, the
Lion in Cirque's proverbial den. Head Coach Boris explains, "This is
the first time we have a run-through for about 500 people, a very
friendly but critical 500; the creative department. Definitely a
friendly audience but boy, an opinionated one, we know that, so that's
the little challenge of the day." The Lion's Den is effectively
Cirque's qualifying competition, performers who make the grade will
see opening night and those who falter, in the eyes of Cirque's big
wigs, won't.
Sadly for Ashley and Gareth their verdict has already been decided.
They will continue to train for Icarian Games but will not perform in
the show. They have been judged as not performance-ready. Ashley is
obviously very disappointed and disheartened that his months of
excruciating training were ultimately fruitless. Understandably, he
is in a bad mood before the performance, "I just got asked if I'm
bringing the [Icarian] chairs out [on stage] . . . Yeah . . . that's
ALL I'm doing . . . I so wanna do Icarian, I feel like I've done half
a job."
Before leading his cast into the Lion's Den, Director Dominic
Champagne hopes to inspire their performance by reminding them of the
show's Icarus theme, "A man is dying and he's sure he's dead. All the
family around will show him, 'No, it's not the end of something, it's
the beginning of something else.' This show is just that, so the
lesson that everyone has to share with [Icarus and the audience] is
'Something else is possible.'"
The audience arrives. Guy takes his seat. The show begins. The
performance is still rough around the edges but resembles a finished
show. Guy watches stoically and scribbles down pages of notes as the
cast, dressed in half-completed costumes, run-through the show.
Afterward, the camera watches from afar as Guy has an intense meeting
with Dominic and Varekai's entire creative team. We sense that the
show will see some major changes.
Oleg is the first to hear the outcome of the Lion's Den. He is told
that his Acrobatic Pas de Deux with Tatiana will not be featured in
the premiere. Oleg is disappointed and on edge, he was not told why
his act is being left out. He contemplates his future with Cirque,
"No, this sounds crazy. Of course I'm not staying if I'm not doing my
act. Nobody can prove to me that my act isn't good." Oleg feels
betrayed; he has sacrificed much of his personal life to be in Cirque
du Soleil. He has not even phoned his daughter in almost seven
months.
The axe falls hardest on the show's singer Adrian Berinde. The Lion's
Den was his first performance in front of Guy Laliberté.
Unfortunately, it was also his last. Adrian did not fit well into the
show's staging or aesthetic and after 100 days at Cirque he has been
fired. It is obvious that his working style clashed with the
Cirque's. Adrian sums up his experience, "The Cirque is an
exceptional place to be for some people but it can be a prison for
others. I came here to be useful but in the end I think it didn't
matter. In fact, I don't think anyone matters to them. What matters
is the show." And the show must go on. A new singer, Cirque veteran
Mathieu Lavoie, arrives to take Adrian's place in Varekai.
Cirque Talent Scout Michel Laprise goes to the airport to say goodbye
to Adrian. Varekai's ex-singer shares his thoughts on Cirque with
Michel, "Let's be frank. The fact that I only met with my composer
for half an hour during my hundred days at Cirque, that's not normal.
I don't think it's anybody's fault but I think that the Cirque must
stay grounded if it wants to continue to thrive."
In the aftermath of the Lion's Den, Michel is a very busy man. He
must fill some major holes in the show's lineup. "The show is
evolving into a new artistic direction so that implies new players,"
explains Michel. Guy feels that the show is lacking in high-calibre
acrobatic acts. Michel is charged with finding a "spectacular" act.
He spends days trying to hunt down an available high-wire act. Unable
to find one he instead decides to cast a world-class Mexican juggler
named Octavio Alegria. Stage Manager Armand introduces Alegria to the
Varekai cast just days before the premiere, "He's in the wrong show
but he's got the right name," Armand jokes.
Varekai is being shaken apart and rebuilt with major changes occurring
only days before the premiere. Rigging designer Jacque Paquin
worries, "We start having shows in ten days, we're not going to re-
paint the planet in ten days, there's just no physical time to do it."
With a displeased company president, an exhausted cast and virtually
no time left, the odds are stacked against Director Dominic Champagne
as he reshapes and fine tunes his creation for the pending unveiling.
Episode 11: "Countdown to Premiere"
-----------------------------------
(Guy and the director try to calm tensions as the world premiere
approaches. - TV Guide)
With each subsequent episode of the series the stress level increases.
This installment opens three days prior to opening night. Tension is
high, patience is low and big changes are being made to the show with
little time left to smooth over the rough patches. Director Dominic
Champagne is charged with the monumental task of locking down all the
elements of the show. The Director is not seeing enough performance
quality from the performers. He lectures the cast members about their
overall performance up to this point, "It's your show. It's clear
what you have to do. Do it and give it to the audience. Ok, I know
now this show is very demanding for you and I know you're scared about
doing that show ten times a week for years. Now we're doing the best
show we can do in the amount of time that we have. When you are [on
stage] you've got to participate, 'What's the action? What's the
focus? Where's the focus?' So you don't upstage but you're alive."
Gareth and Ashley have been removed from the Icarian Games act and now
perform only minor supporting roles in Varekai. They are both
obviously unhappy about their new reality. Gareth and Ashley's
replacements arrive; the Stevens Brothers are a world class Icarian
team from Italy. They will have to move extremely quickly to
integrate into the world of Varekai in the two days before the
premiere.
Olga is struggling with the choreography for her Hand-balancing on
Canes number. The acrobatic aspect of her act is flawless but her
dramatic performance lacks quality. Stella speculates, "Olga's act is
beautiful. She's an amazing and talented hand-balancer. She's good
on her hands, not so good on her feet . . . Maybe it has a lot to do
with her being the Cirque baby and being protected by her dad and
everybody sort of takes care of her that's kind of stifling her
maturity." After struggling through the dance portion of her act Olga
leaves the stage and is obviously distraught. We meet up with her
backstage, "It's no one's fault, it's just me, I'm just frustrated a
bit and I shouldn't be. Something goes wrong and I get just like
freaked out. So I have to be patient."
Raquel and Stella's Triple Trapeze number is finally blossoming after
months of hard work. The act is becoming fluid and aesthetically
pleasing. However, the women now have other concerns. At Cirque they
not only perform their trapeze act but appear as supporting characters
throughout the show. Raquel and Stella perform roles in the Body
Skating act which opens the show's second half and assist Olga during
her number which leaves the trapeze artists with very little time to
focus on their own act. Raquel and Stella express their concerns to
Head Coach Boris. They complain that having all of their duties
concentrated in the show's second half puts them at risk for injury.
Boris promises the problem will somehow be rectified.
At 11:00PM the night before the final invited dress rehearsal Dominic
stages Olga and Anton's wedding, the show's finale, for the first
time. The tired performers finish work at 1:00AM and relax with
drinks in the dining trailer. Tomorrow they will perform the show in
front of an audience for the first time. Luckily that audience will
mostly consist of Cirque staff and invited friends and family members.
The morning of the final dress rehearsal Olga looks exhausted and has
lost her voice. "I didn't sleep good, my throat is killing me. Oh
well, I still have to go." She says. Before heading to the big top
she must make a stop at Cirque Headquarters for the final costume
fitting of her yet-unfinished wedding dress for the finale.
Kevin and Andrew Atherton pick up their family at the airport.
Parents, sister, Grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousins, the entire
Atherton clan has come from England to watch their boys perform. One
of the twins confesses, "It's gonna be a bit weird to perform in front
of my parents, there's a bit of added pressure but I wouldn't say a
lot." Joining the Atherton family in the audience will be Stella's
parents, Raquel's boyfriend and Olga's parents.
Oleg and Tatiana receive some good news; their Acrobatic Pas de Deux
act which was previously shelved for the premiere will be performed
after all. They are elated.
Before the final rehearsal begins, Dominic Champagne informs the
performers that their brand new big top has just been christened,
"We're starting the life of a new big top tonight and the name of the
big top is Vivia which means 'full of life'. Viva Vivia!"
With Vivia full of invited guests, the lights dim and the stage comes
alive. Backstage it is pandemonium, performers scramble to make their
cues. On stage the performance does not go well, riddled with errors
and missteps. There are falls during the Icarian Games, the Solo on
Crutches dancer takes a spill, the Athertons fail to catch each other
in mid-air during Aerial Straps and then stumble on their landing.
For all her worries, Olga's hand-balancing act is one of the few that
is performed flawlessly.
Afterward, the artists give the performance mixed reactions. The
Atherton twins are disheartened, "The audience is just silent, it's
really crappy." Olga gets a verdict from her mother, "There has to be
that sense of magic. You can't fake it. You have it or you don't."
At this stage of the game there is not much that can be done to fix
the flaws in the performance, the performers and creators will have to
rely on a Cirque dictum: Bad dress rehearsal, good opening night.
Tomorrow they will premiere Varekai to the world and see for the first
time if it will fly or fall.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
END SPOILER WARNING
----------------------------------------------------------------------
All of the struggles, triumphs and tribulations of Fire Within have
lead up to this point, Varekai's opening night. Be sure to check out
the next issue of "Fascination!" for the thrilling conclusion of Fire
Within!
Upcoming Episodes
-----------------
* Episode 12: "Opening Night"
(A focus on the premiere features highlights. - TV Guide)
* Episode 13: "The Aftermath and Departure" - Series Finale
(Casting adjustments are made as the three-year world tour begins. -
TV Guide)
=======================================================================
CIRQUE MUSIQUE:
"Versification du Varekai" (By: Paul Roberts)
=======================================================================
After a much-anticipated six months since the show's premiere, the
"Varekai" soundtrack (BMG Canada/Cirque du Soleil Music/Catalog #:
74321-93928-2) has arrived and at first I had doubts about how I felt
about the CD. "Varekai" was the first Cirque du Soleil show where I
went in not knowing the music. Even when I saw "Mystère" (my first
show) in 1996 I had the soundtrack memorized. Like most Cirque du
Soleil soundtracks, the studio version is quite different than live,
actually much more with Varekai than any previous show. Prior to
hearing the CD, I had the live music swirling in my head. When I gave
the CD a second chance, I pretended to have not seen the show and to
my surprise, I fell in love with it and play it constantly.
For the first time Cirque du Soleil brought in an "outsider" in world-
renowned British producer, Nitin Sawhney, to interpret Violaine
Corradi's compositions. Mr. Sawhney's impressive resume includes
working with Jeff Beck, Sinéad O'Connor and Paul McCartney, as well as
many solo projects. Fascination! writer, Wayne Leung's description of
Sawhney's style as one that fuses European Electronica and World Music
sums up the taste of the "Varekai" CD.
"Varekai" is Cirque du Soleil's most mainstream World-Music CD to date
and another Fascination writer, Keith Johnson, points out that the
success Cirque du Soleil had in Billboard's charts may attribute to
this change in change in direction. Cirque du Soleil was listed in
the Top Ten World Music Artists in Billboard's 2001 Year End Charts.
They were number seven with three entries ("O", La Nouba, and Dralion)
and the Dralion album came in at number nine for the year on the World
Music Album chart.
Like it or not, you definitely get your money's worth with nearly
sixty-nine and a half minutes of music and an impressive packaging.
The CD comes in a removable cardboard cover that has a picture of the
"Varekai" bird on front and a picture of Olga Pikheinko in her silver-
white outfit performing a handbalancing split on back. The insert is
a 14-page booklet that features photos from the souvenir program,
musician/contributor credits, poems by Hèléne Dorion (spoken words
from several songs), and brief statements from show creators.
Following are my brief interpretations of each song.
The opening toy piano theme of "Rain One" appears throughout the CD,
as well as Terry Callier's first of many echoing, low-voice
recitations: "Falling... I walk the Earth... I am an angel in your
eyes... Consciousness...." Following the opening theme a descending
note pattern from a grand piano emerges and the lovely voice of Tina
Grace sings a couple of verses in English.
Without any pause the next song "Le Rêveur" begins with a cymbal
crescendo and features percussionist Steve Shehan, who may be the star
of the "Varekai" CD. Throughout the CD, Steve pounds on several
percussion instruments including clay pots, resonators, an ocean
drum, a Darbuka, and occasionally traditional drums. I do not recall
hearing any of this song during the live show, but its trance-like
feel includes a continuous drone enhanced by Middle Eastern-like wails
from Natacha Atlas and "Varekai" live singer Mathieu Lavoie, who was
the original "Quidam" male singer.
Next, "Vocea" accompanies the Flight of Icarus and Swedish vocalist,
Zara Tellander, makes her debut. Zara's wide-ranging voice blends a
strong tonal quality with a majestic vibrato. Also introduced is
violinist, Carmen Piculeata, who replaced original violinist, Stéphane
Allard, in the live band. Carmen provides many beautiful violin lines
that nicely compliment Zara's and the London Voices' vocal lines.
"Moon Licht", which accompanies the Handbalancing on Canes act is my
favorite both live and on the CD. With a tribal beat providing the
emotion, Zara applies a nasal-tonal voice with heavy warbles and
vibratos that accentuates the extensively scaled melody line. The
middle of the song includes a lengthy spoken word passage by Mathieu,
Carmen, and Tina. The CD arrangement is much different than the live
arrangement in that there are lesser verses and no accordion and
violin solos that are featured live. I wish there was a way to
combine both arrangements to make one incredible song.
"Patzivota" is an extended (9:19) version of the Varekai "wedding"
between Icarus and Diamond, which is also the set-up to The Russian
Swing act. Credited for singing is The Varekai Choir, consisting of
live musicians: Zara, Mathieu, percussionist Rafik Samman, keyboardist
Brigitte Poudrier, and wind instrumentalist Wayne Hankin. With a hip-
hop drum beat, the melody is the same as from "Rain One" but the
continuous vocal line goes through several key changes.
Fitting for modern-day discotheques is song, "El Péndulo", the Aerial
Straps accompaniment. With an upbeat background of synthetic
percussion, bass, and ethereal keyboards, Zara sings a beautiful
melody line that makes this a memorable and even a danceable tune. I
can picture young, pretty people grooving as strobe lights and fog
engulfs their gyrations.
"Gitans" is the show's opening band march and the theme to the dancing
Fireflies at the beginning of the second Act. On the CD version, an
accordion and violin trade frantic solos that are based off the main
theme. This is the only traditional circus-like theme on the CD.
Another song where Zara shines is "Kèro Hiréyo", which accompanies the
Triple Trapeze act. The marching-cadence studio version is similar to
the live version. A highlight of the song includes the English
Chamber Orchestra playing the melody line while the London Voices
provide a counter melody line.
Accompanying the Water Meteors act is "Lubia Dobarstan", a Latin-like
song with a melodic chorus sung in harmony by Zara and Mathieu. The
verses feature Zara singing a scat vocal over a three chord staccato
guitar pattern. The song's finale includes electronic harpsichord-
like sounds playing behind furious violin solos that end abruptly with
noises similar to an electrical outage. The noises are then
shockingly replaced by compressed vocals that lead into the next song
and end up being the chorus.
"Emballa" is another Latin-beat tune that is used with the Juggling
act. The first time I heard this catchy song, I found myself
repeatedly singing the chorus, but I really enjoy the lightning-
fingered acoustic guitar solo that is played by Marcial Heredia
Fernandez. The ending sounds like a vinyl-record player that has died
as the song slows down. Then the CD kicks into the most energetic
song on the CD.
In the live show, the most thrilling act is The Russian Swings so
"Oscillum" has to match the thrill. Live, the accompaniment is mainly
percussion, but on the CD there are violin, Bansuri, and Duduk solos
that fill the spaces between the echoing vocal samples from the poem
of "Ghazal", an excerpt from Pakistan, Music of the Qawal, UNESCO
Collection of Traditional Music of the World. As intense as the act,
this song's rapid pace is the perfect match.
When I heard Zara's initial vocals on "Funambul", a smile crept across
my face as I instantly recognized this acappella accompaniment to La
Vigie's Cloud act. As La Vigie proudly guides his balloon, with
internal colorful video effects, a heavenly choir escorts his every
move. Along with the London Voices, The Varekai Choir appears once
again to provide the background chorus.
The closingtrack, "Resolution" is not included in the show and is
composed by Nitin and Taraf de Haidouks. This song, however,
resembles the fast-paced opening and closing "Greek Wedding" theme of
the live show. It speeds up to an abrupt ending and the CD fades out
with chattering fireflies that anyone who has seen "Varekai" should
recognize.
Not included on the CD are the accompaniments for the Icarian Games,
Acrobatic Pas de deux, Body Skating, Solo on Crutches, and the Clown
acts. I must credit (where credit is much due) a few people not
included on the CD: bandleader/keyboardist, Michel Cyr; drummer
virtuoso, Paul J. Bannerman; and new member, bassist, Richard Drouin.
These omitted live-band musicians, along with the ones included on the
soundtrack, bring Violaine's powerful compositions to true life. For
those who are not impressed initially, give this CD a few listenings,
I'm sure you will find it appealing.
=======================================================================
BEHIND THE CURTAIN:
"Varekai Album Titles" (By: Keith Johnson)
=======================================================================
Did you know that the song titles given on Cirque Show Soundtrack CD's
often aren't the names the show musicians use? It turns out the
musicians often refer to the songs by the name of the act the song
accompanies, or by another name entirely!
A case in point is Varekai itself. A very kind source provided us
with the "band names" of each of the tracks on the Varekai CD. Here
they are (in ""), along with the CD track name, and the act it
accompanies.
1. Rain One - Piano theme, used throughout the show - "Rain"
2. Le Reveur - Acrobatic Pas De Deux - "Duduk"
3. Vocea - Flight of Icarus - "Filet"
4. Moon Light - Olga P's Handbalancing - "Olga"
5. Patzivota - Russian Swing setup - "Set Up Swings"
6. El Pendulo - Aerial Straps - "Straps"
7. Gitans - Intro to Act II/Fireflies - "Gitans Waltz"
8. Kero Hireyo - Triple Trapeze - "Trip Trap"
9. Lubia Dobsratan - Water Meteors - "Meteors"
10. Emballa - Juggling - "Octavio" (the jugglers first name)
11. Oscillum - Russian Swing - "Russian Swings"
12. Funambul - La Vigie with his balloon - "Cloud"
13. Resolution - this is a non-show track
In addition, here are the names of the musical pieces that don't
appear on the CD.
* Intro/Ending Celebration - "Charivari"
* Icarian Games - Was originally called "Hawa Song" but the name was
changed to "Icarians" just prior to the shows debut
* Georgian Dance - "Georgian Dance"
* Body Skating - "Sun Drum Fun"
=======================================================================
BEYOND THE BIGTOP:
"Le Groupe du Soleil" -- Série Part 2" (By: Ricky Russo)
=======================================================================
Names and labels like "Créations Méandres", "Tous Azimuts",
"Télémagik", and "Enterprises Nâga" have been seen on various Cirque
du Soleil programmes, videos, CDs and other merchandise world-wide.
Having seen these names one might ask how they all fit into the
company known as Cirque du Soleil. In our efforts to investigate the
various treasures that lurk inside Cirque du Soleil programmes, Let's
take a moment to expand upon one of them: "Le Groupe du Soleil".
Imagine... when a handful of street performers met in the 1980s to do
a show from time to time in their native Quebec they couldn't have
dreamed where it would lead them, and yet this troupe flourished in a
region with no circus tradition. Their drive and determination turned
a collection of artists into one of the most recognizable companies in
entertainment today. And it wouldn't surprise anyone to know that the
Cirque du Soleil name is actually an umbrella, encompassing various
divisions and companies.
What then is "Le Groupe du Soleil"?
"Le Groupe du Soleil" was and in many cases still is an interesting
piece of Cirque's corporate puzzle from the very beginning of this
enigmatic troupe. For example, from its initial creation through to
1989, Le Cirque du Soleil was produced by "Club des Talons Hauts,
Inc.," the same group Cirque was born from. In that instance they were
produced by that Company. Later that same year (August 1989), the last
year the creators had given themselves to firmly establish their art,
Cirque du Soleil as a Company changed and morphed into "Le Groupe du
Soleil", completely shedding their "High-Heals Club" roots. Under the
guidance of Daniel Gauthier (a one-time Cirque Treasurer, President
and founding member), this new moniker encompassed many of the derived
companies that sprang up in support of the artists and their product.
They are:
Le Cirque du Soleil Productions -- Spark. This is the starting point;
"the locomotive; the raison d'être". This part of the Groupe
specializes in mounting tours, staffing its workshops and studios, and
managing its vehicle fleet and specialized equipment.
Créations Méandres -- Creativity. This division manages the authors
rights and copyrights, and takes charge of recruitment, training and
publishes the music for the shows. This division was also known as Les
Productions Méandres Inc.
Tous Azimuts Enterprises -- Investment. Tous Azimuts is an investment
company handling the creation and development of other related
companies for Cirque du Soleil. Tous Azimuts is also responsible for
the marketing and publishing of CDs, programmes, T-shirts and other
products bearing the Cirque du Soleil logo and likeness.
Télémagik -- Filmworks. This division was formed in 1988 and released
the original 90-minute version of "Le Magie Continue", as well as
various other Cirque du Soleil shows through the years. Télémagik was
renamed Cirque du Soleil Images in May of 1997 to better brand the
multimedia company with its parent.
Enterprises Nâga -- Services. This division provides a range of
services from snack-bars to the creation, production, distribution,
and management of Cirque du Soleil's promotional products. Enterprises
Nâga released the CD and Vinyl editions of "Cirque du Soleil", the
original 1987 tour music.
Admission/Microflex -- Tickets. This company was started with the
assistance of Cirque du Soleil to distribute tickets for its shows as
well as other cultural and sporting events throughout Quebec. Together
with Microflex, a software company that specialized in computerized
ticketing, it became the largest ticket-sales network in the province.
Today Admission is owned by TicketMaster, the largest ticket-sales
company in the world.
"Le Groupe du Soleil" is but one of many treasures awaiting discovery
within the classic Cirque du Soleil programmes, and there are many
more yet to come. Today you know "Le Groupe du Soleil" simply as
"Cirque du Soleil, Inc." but you can still see many of the derivatives
of the Groupe still at work. Look at the fine print inside your
programme or on your CD... you might be surprised!
=======================================================================
FROM THE BOUTIQUE:
"Cahier à Colorier" -- Série Part 3" (By: Ricky Russo)
=======================================================================
Whether it be their trademarked blue and yellow big-top, their avant-
garde costuming or their amazing pictures and photographs, Cirque du
Soleil brings a world of color with it wherever it goes. With the
holidays around the corner, Cirque du Soleil has once again filled our
world with color by providing its fans a chance to "bring out the
artists" in themselves. Now fans all over the world can provide their
favorite characters with a little color of their own - with coloring
images "inspired by" Cirque shows and characters. These new sheets
feature such beloved characters as The White (or Black) Singer from
Alegría, John from Quidam and the Green Lizard from Mystère.
But, would it interest you to know that these sheets aren't the first
"coloring images" produced and released by Cirque du Soleil? In our
continuing investigation into all things Cirque and the treasures that
lie in many of their older programmes, we're going to take a brief
look at the 1987 "Cahier à Colorier" or, coloring book.
That year (1987) Cirque du Soleil took every last penny it had in its
reserves and took its show to the west coast of the United States in a
make-or-break move. The show did not yet have a name (it would later
become known as "Le Cirque Reinvente") but it took California by
storm, creating the phenomenon we know as Cirque du Soleil today.
Nestled within that year's program is an 8-page coloring book,
featuring whimsical circus-like scenes for eager kids (and adults
alike) to color. The book is a concept by Thérèse Mondor, a noted
member of Cirque's Graphics Artist department in the early days. She
also provided the illustrations (the actual black-and-white scene
drawings) for the coloring book. The images themselves are set to a
narrative - a story about Flox, a small clown who dreamed about
amazing circus adventures. The whimsical story is written by Nancy
Vanasse and Myriam Spielvogel.
"One night," the story begins. "Flox had a marvelous dream. He saw a
huge circus tent - the Big Top - flying from one country to another;
drawing thousands of stars behind it in a shimmering train. From far
up in the sky, the magnificent caravan finally caught sight of Flox'
house. As if by magic, the whole village awoke to the sound of a brass
band. 'Wow!', Flox exclaimed. 'It's the Cirque du Soleil!' And there
they were, the most extraordinary characters parading by before his
very eyes, inviting him to join their celebration. There were clowns
of all colors, shapes and sizes. There were acrobats doing impossible
jumps and turns. There were jugglers. The children came forward and
watched in fascination. A young clown riding by on a unicycle leaned
down and handed Flox a strange-looking ball... 'What's happening to
me?' Flox wondered. 'Everything's spinning! I'm getting dizzy!' It was
so overwhelming! After spreading its message of joy throughout the
village, the Big Top set off again on its voyage to far-away
countries. Then, poof! Everything vanished and Flox woke up, enchanted
by what he had seen."
Of the three creators of this interesting Coloring Book, only Thérèse
Mondor remained connected with Cirque through the years. You can find
her name on many projects connected with the Cirque including: The "O"
poster illustration, the "O" CD Booklet, the Dralion CD Booklet and
the Cirque du Soleil Corporate Journal "Le Bulletin", all of which she
served as Artistic Director. It is an interesting aside that Michel
Dalpé also served Cirque du Soleil in creating the Dralion Internet
Club site, the Alegria Souvenir Programme, and the cover for the
"Inside La Nouba" video.
Many a spectator becomes enchanted by Cirque du Soleil when the show
has ended, and thanks to the creativity of the Cirque du Soleil
graphics department, Thérèse Mondor, Nancy Vanasse and Myriam
Spielvogel, fans of Cirque du Soleil had a way to take that
enchantment to a whole new level. You can find scans of the old
Coloring Book on Richasi's Le Grand Chapiteau
(www.azlance.com/~richasi/Cirque/) - select "Le Cirque Reinvente" from
the "Spectacles/Creations" menu. The new coloring pages can be found
on the Cirque Club (www.cirqueclub.com) website.
=======================================================================
OBSTRUCTED VIEW
=======================================================================
Last Month
----------
Shipments of "Varekai" CDs have been making their way to fan's
mail boxes all across the world. It has drawn mixed reviews from
fans. What do YOU think of the music and the direction Cirque
has taken with it?
-- Response(s):
"Though I have yet to see the show, and have no interest in
knowing what songs go with each act until I do, I do know that
Gypsy/Romani culture inspired this show. [...] Knowing this, all
of the different cultures that are combined in the music make a
lot of sense. The two styles that Violaine included in this CD
that was not present in Dralion are the Spanish/Latin styles
heard in Lubia Dobarstan and Emballa and the traditional eastern
Europe/Russian style most associate with Gypsies heard in Gitans
and Resolution. These songs are very creative in how they use
the cultural influences, though I would have loved to see Miss
Corradi blend the cultures a little more. I know a lot of [fans]
would rather have had Cirque just record the same music that
plays during the show, but I really believe that would take away
a great artistic opportunity that the studio CDs present. Nitin
Sawhney and Violaine decided to take the concepts behind the
music in a new direction with this CD, and I applaud them for
their creativity. This one thing that makes Cirque stand out
from other performance is that they aren't afraid of chance, and
encourage their show and their music to evolve of time. This CD
is just another evolution." -- "Kali Wolf"
"OK, so here you have one new album and a new show that I have
not seen. I like the album, there are a few things you can say
about the fact that Cirque hired a producer in addition to the
composer to "do" this album, sometimes, it works out well,
sometimes arrangements could have better left out. The album
captures the basic story of Varekai. From a visual point of view
the booklet looks very nice, although we are lacking the lyrics,
one of the things I am sure many are missing. It might not be
Cirque's best album ever but that is hard when competing to
albums like "Journey of Man", "O" and (the music written for)
Quidam. Cirque has taken their own claim that says "every media
has to be appealing on its own", and took it one step in the
right direction. Could we get that "O" Live CD out in the
meantime? Thanks..." -- Mark Wijman
=======================================================================
PARTING QUOTE
=======================================================================
"Cirque du Soleil is the most wonderful of dreams!"
- 1987 Coloring Book
=======================================================================
NEXT ISSUE...
=======================================================================
Our next issue will conclude our coverage of the series "Fire Within",
just in time for its U.S. premiere. We'll also hear from The Techie
Geek, look in on Ricky's "Le Grand Tour" of Cirque shows and much,
much more! Join us for our next exciting issue of "Fascination!"
Have a comment, question or concern? Email the Fascination!
Newsletter staff at: < CirqueFasincation-owner@yahoogroups.com >.
We are anxious to hear any and all comments!
=======================================================================
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
=======================================================================
Fascination! is a monthly newsletter, available only through sub-
scription. To subscribe, please send an email to: < CirqueFascination-
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< CirqueFascination-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com >. To view back
issues, please visit our Yahoo! Group address at:
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you have any questions, feel free to email us at: < CirqueFascination-
owner@yahoogroups.com >.
=======================================================================
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
=======================================================================
"Fascination!" is Ricky Russo, Keith Johnson, Paul Roberts, Jen
Waldman and Wayne Leung.
"Fascination! Newsletter" Copyright (c) 2002 Ricky Russo, published by
Vortex/RGR Productions, a subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No
portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, published in any form or
forum, quoted or translated without the consent of the "Fascination!
Newsletter". By sending us correspondence, you give us permission
(unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without
remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination!
Newsletter". "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way
with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are
Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil,
Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright
infringement intended.
