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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 #32e "Another Side of Cirque du Soleil" April 2004
=======================================================================
We're off and running again!
Good day my friends. I'm currently 30,000 feet in the air flying back
from fabulous Las Vegas, America's playground, but more importantly,
the home to three fabulous Cirque du Soleil shows - Mystère, "O", and
Zumanity. It's been quite a trip and I apologize for the delay in the
newsletter's release caused by my gallivanting in the desert.
But what an interesting time I had in Vegas, if not overly short. You
never can have enough time in Vegas, I say, especially on your
birthday. And to celebrate I treated myself to an evening performance
of Mystère, followed up a few days later by my first ever showing of
Zumanity, Cirque's other side (literally). More intriguing, perhaps to
an eye that is always out for an interesting story, is the fiasco
surrounding the Bellagio's power troubles and the cancellation of at
least two performances of "O".
It's certainly an interesting sight to walk along the illuminated Las
Vegas Boulevard (a.k.a. "The Strip") and find darkness and silence
where one expects dancing fountains and warm ambience. It was such a
stark contrast that I stood along the railing staring into the
darkened lake, with the "O" sign in the background equally as dark,
and wondered... just how much is this costing not only Cirque but the
Bellagio?
Upwards to $3 million US dollars a day they say, but let's not dwell
on such things. In this issue we have a plethora of great stuff for
you, which I hope was worth waiting for! This month Keith Johnson
brings us more from the Cusick camp; I thought we had heard it all!
Wayne Leung reviews the French-language Cirque du Soleil "tell-all"
book, "Backstage with Cirque du Soleil". We also have the transcript
from our latest chat with BJ and a report of some internal structure
changes within the Cirque du Soleil. And lots more! So, let's get to
it!
We hope you enjoy this issue of Fascination!
/// EXPANDED ISSUE: We have two expanded articles for you that we
only linked to in the original issue. The first, an interview with
Audrey Brisson-Jutras (then 12), and Emily Duncan-Brown (11), done
back when Audrey was still with Quidam ("Girls and Teens Who Rock the
World" from A Girls World. And second, a discussion of sound design
with Cirque's sound designer - Francois Bergeron - from Meyer Sound.
You'll find both of these in the section called LA PRESSE: CIRQUE IN
THE PRESS [EXPANDED] within! ///
- Ricky
===========
CONTENTS
===========
* Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
* CRQ-TV -- Cirque on Television
* CRQ.NET -- Cirque du Soleil Online
* LA PRESSE -- Cirque in the Press [EXPANDED]
* Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information
* Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque
* Behind the Curtain:
"Guy Steps Down? Changes Within Cirque du Soleil"
By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA)
* Le Spectacle:
"Report Roundup: Sometimes it's Good to be Guy"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
* From the Boutique:
"A Peek into the Wings of the Cirque du Soleil"
By: Wayne Leung - Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
* The Cirque Connection:
"The Continuing Saga of the Cusick Case"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
* Special Engagement:
"BJ, Live from Japan! - An Online Chat"
By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA)
* Télémajik:
"Disclosing Cirque"
By: Wayne Leung - Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
& Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
* Parting Quote
* Subscription Information
* Copyright & Disclaimer
=======================================================================
CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
La Nouba Prices Going Up, Up, Up!
---------------------------------
Spring is the eternal time for renewal, but for attraction
prices in Orlando, Spring signals the time to rise! Once again,
then, we report that prices for Cirque du Soleil's permanent
show at Walt Disney World in Orlando is on the rise, as follows:
* Category 1 - Seats in all of Section 103 (front and center),
and the front portions of Sections 203, 204, and 205. Prices are
raising from $82.00/$49.00 to $85.00 ($90.53 w/tax) for adults
and $59.00 ($62.84 w/tax) for children. (children defined
throughout as aged 3-9).
* Category 2 - Most of the rest of the seats now sell for $73.00
for adults and $49.00 for children, raised from $72.00/$44.00
respectively.
* Category 3 - The very outside seats in the upper levels in
Sections 201 and 207, and the outside of the last couple of rows
in Sections 202 and 206. These prices stay the same at $59.00
for adults and $39.00 for children.
One quirk to this new pricing scheme is the addition of a "bulk"
discount. If you buy two tickets at a time, the ticket price is
$77.75 adult and $52.19 children (w/tax); three or more tickets
are $62.84 for adults and $41.54 per child (w/tax).
[Source: Walt Disney World; Keith Johnson & Ricky Russo]
Mystère Makes Way for MGM 2004
------------------------------
In anticipation of the new MGM 2004 show, Cirque du Soleil and
MGM-Mirage have modified Mystère's performance schedule starting
June 9th! Mystère, which is currently in its 10th season at
Treasure Island in Las Vegas, will be dark on Monday's and
Tuesday's starting June 9th, 2004 (currently Mystère is dark
Wednesday/Thursday). And Mystère will no longer have a 10:30pm
performance on Sunday's; a 4:30pm matinee and a 7:30pm evening
show schedule will take effect June 13, 2004.
Tickets will continue to cost $95.00 (categories 1 through 3),
however, there will be a limited selection of $60.00 tickets on
Matinee Sunday's - marked Category 4, which appear to be in
sections 201 (extreme left) and 206 (extreme right).
The changes have also caused the dark dates, or times the show
is not performing, to shuffle. Updated dark dates, which are
also noted in this issue's Itineraire section, are as follows:
April 6th and 9th, May 31st through June 8th, July 11th, August
23rd through 31st, October 3rd and 6th, and November 28th.
[Source: Treasure Island Web; Ricky Russo]
Performances of "O" Canceled
----------------------------
It has certainly been the talk of the town in Las Vegas - the
Bellagio brownout. The Bellagio, a 5-star multi-million dollar
mega-resort on the Las Vegas Strip, lost power early Sunday
morning (about 2:00am) and power had yet to be fully restored
Wednesday afternoon.
Early reports pointed fingers at Nevada Power, construction
issues, and an accident on I-15, which runs right behind the
Bellagio; however, it will take weeks to determine the exact
cause of the power outage. Back-up generators, which were
supposed to keep the resort running at full power, also failed
to kick-in.
Guests were allowed to stay in the resort Sunday night, however,
by the following day all guests were relocated to other
MGM/Mirage properties (MGM Grand, Treasure Island, Mirage, or
NYNY) and comped two days for future stay. Visitors to the
Bellagio, via car or on foot, were turned away at the doors. No
one, sans guests with door cards, was being allowed through.
All performances of "O" on Sunday were canceled due to the power
outage, however, the show went on at 7:30pm and 10:30pm
Wednesday. There were no shows scheduled for Monday and Tuesday,
the show's normal dark days. Full refunds were provided to all
patrons of Sunday's canceled shows. Cirque du Soleil "O" has
been canceled for technical difficulties before, however, total
power loss has not been one of them.
Cirque Presents: Russians Emerge
--------------------------------
If you happen to be in the Las Vegas area from now until April
31st, check out "The Russians Emerge," a photographic art
display held at The Arts Factory on Charleston Blvd. The exhibit
is by Montreal-based photographer Heidi Hollinger, and Cirque du
Soleil presents! Admission is free. [Source: Las Vegas Sun]
Cirque Taking a Cruise?
-----------------------
On March 24, 2004, Celebrity Cruises and Cirque du Soleil
entered an exclusive agreement. Celebrity will finance Cirque du
Soleil productions in North America and Europe, while Cirque du
Soleil will produce concept shows for the cruise line. The
details surrounding this arrangement are forthcoming, however,
this is another interesting new venture for Cirque du Soleil and
we at Fascination are quite curious about the outcome.
CirqueCon Vancouver 2004 is approaching!
----------------------------------------
In just a little more than a month (May 21-23 to be exact),
Cirque fans from across the United States and Canada will be
winging their way to Vancouver, BC, both to see Quidam and take
part in the first unofficial gathering of Cirque du Soleil
fandom, CirqueCon Vancouver 2004. We're proud to be one of the
sponsors of the festivities, which should include a welcoming
meal, viewing of the show Saturday evening, and perhaps some
other surprises.
Rooms are still available in the "official" bed and breakfast
inns we've chosen as our headquarters, and we'd love to have
you! If you'd like more information, please contact
kj@gmnameplate.com or visit the information web page created by
Jeff "sfogviper" Tolotti at < http://members.cox.net/
sfogviper/quidam/index.html >.
=======================================================================
CRQ-TV -- CIRQUE ON TELEVISION!
=======================================================================
* RUN AWAY WITH CIRQUE WEEKEND
----------------------------
Network: Bravo - United States
< http://www.bravotv.com/Cirque_du_Soleil/Cirque_Week/ >
* April 9th (Friday)
08:00pm -- Quidam
10:00pm -- Saltimbanco
11:00pm -- Nouvelle Experience
* April 10th (Saturday)
12:00am -- Quidam
03:00pm -- Saltimbanco
04:00pm -- Quidam
08:00pm -- Varekai
10:00pm -- Alegría
* April 11th (Sunday)
12:00am -- Varekai
01:00pm -- Le Cirque Reinvente
02:00pm -- Nouvelle Experience
03:00pm -- Alegría
05:00pm -- Varekai
07:00pm -- SOLTSTROM PREMIERE!
09:00pm -- Dralion
11:00pm -- SOLSTROM ENCORE!
* April 12th (Monday)
01:00am -- Le Cirque Reinvente
02:00am -- Nouvelle Experience
* CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: SOLSTROM
--------------------------
Network: CBC - Canada
-- Sunday's at 8:00pm
Network: Radio-Canada - Canada (French Canadian)
-- Wednesday's at 8:00pm
Network: Bravo - United States
-- Sunday's at 7:00pm
-- < http://www.bravotv.com/Cirque_du_Soleil:_Solstrom/ >
* Episode 1: "Romance" * Episode 5: "Adventure"
Apr 11 at 7:00pm May 09 at 7:00pm
Apr 11 at 11:00pm May 10 at 1:00am
Apr 14 at 3:30pm May 12 at 3:30pm
Apr 18 at 11:00am May 09 at 1:00am
* Episode 2: "Twins" * Episode 6: "Escape"
Apr 18 at 7:00pm May 16 at 7:00pm
Apr 19 at 12:30am May 17 at 1:00am
Apr 21 at 3:30pm May 19 at 3:30pm
May 23 at 11:30am
* Episode 3: "Gothic"
Apr 25 at 7:00pm * Episode 7: "Disguises"
Apr 26 at 12:00am May 23 at 7:00pm
Apr 28 at 3:30pm May 24 at 1:00am
May 02 at 11:30am May 26 at 3:30pm
May 30 at 11:00am
* Episode 4: "Rock-n-Roll"
May 02 at 7:00pm * Episode 8: "Traveling"
May 03 at 1:00am May 30 at 7:00pm
May 05 at 3:30pm May 31 at 1:00am
* CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: FIRE WITHIN
-----------------------------
Network: Bravo - United States
* Episode 1: * Episode 7:
Apr 6 at 6:00am Apr 15 at 6:00am
May 12 at 6:00am
* Episode 2: * Episode 8:
Apr 6 at 6:30am Apr 15 at 6:30am
Apr 8 at 5:30am Apr 16 at 6:30am
Apr 30 at 6:30am
May 16 at 6:00am * Episode 9:
Apr 20 at 6:00am
* Episode 3:
Apr 2 at 6:30am
Apr 8 at 6:00am * Episode 10:
Apr 12 at 5:30am Apr 20 at 6:30am
May 16 at 6:30am Apr 22 at 5:30am
* Episode 4:
Apr 3 at 5:30am * Episode 11:
Apr 4 at 6:30am Apr 22 at 6:00am
Apr 8 at 6:30am Apr 25 at 6:30am
* Episode 5: * Episode 12:
Apr 13 at 6:00am Apr 22 at 6:30am
May 24 at 6:30am
* Episode 6: * Episode 13:
Apr 13 at 6:30am Apr 27 at 6:30am
Apr 15 at 5:30am
May 27 at 6:30am
May 28 at 6:30am
Network: Vitaya - Belgium (Europe)
-- Thursday's at 9:00pm
Network: Odyssey Television - Australia
-- Wednesday's at 9:30pm
* NOTE: Check your local listings for complete information. Schedule
is subject to change.
=======================================================================
CRQ.NET -- CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ONLINE
=======================================================================
This Month in Cirque Club
(By: Keith Johnson)
-------------------------
Cirque has debuted a new look to their CirqueClub website this month.
The new design is easier on the eyes and tends to group information
into more useful categories. Articles debuting with the new design
include a cross-cultural visit between the casts of Alegría and La
Nouba, and a history of juggling profiling the much-deserving Viktor
Kee. And in two touching pieces, an aerial silk artist is granted her
wish of performing on a Cirque stage, and Cirque make-up artist
Nathalie Gagne designs a mask for a Denver, CO hospice fund-raiser.
Over in the Solstrom section, all 13 episode guides were online though
CBC had yet to broadcast two of the episodes. All of a sudden the
site changed, and now has only two entry buttons, for English and
French, in preparation for its premiere on Bravo.
=======================================================================
LA PRESSE -- CIRQUE IN THE PRESS [EXPANDED]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------
"Girls and Teens Who Rock the World"
From: A Girls World
-----------------------------------------------
Ever wonder what it would be like to wear incredible costumes, act,
sing, dance and soar high above the crowd as a star in the magical
world of the circus? Meet Audrey Brisson-Jutras (12 years old, from
Montreal) and Emily Duncan-Brown (11 years old, from Toronto, Ontario
Canada). These two stars share the excitement, the hard work, and
stunning creativity that forms the world of Cirque du Soleil.
Audrey and Emily take turns playing the part of a lonely eight year
old girl whose story forms the heart of the adventure that is Quidam.
Neglected by her parents, she escapes into a bright, adventurous
universe of her own making. This fanciful world is called Quidam,
which is also the name of the "Cirque's" newest production.
Join our AGW reporter, Renee, as she shares the scoop about what life
is like being a star in the most famous modern circus on Earth,
"Cirque du Soleil". (Pronounced sirk do so-lay, meaning "Circus of the
Sun.")
* * *
Q. How long have you been with Cirque du Soleil?
Emily: Two or three months but I've been training for a while though.
Audrey: One year.
Q. Tell us about the part you play. What's the character like?
Emily: It's this little girl that gets carried off on an adventure.
It's like "Alice in Wonderland" but more amazing because she meets
different people from different times. I feel like each Act has a
different meaning. One might display racism and how the poor build
towers of strength. Each act is part of the girl herself and when she
goes on this adventure she just loses the bad in her life and gets
taken over by the good.
Q. How did you get the part?
Emily: This is a weird story. When I first got an agent she
automatically said, there's an opening for Cirque du Soleil so I
auditioned and I thought oh wow! This is the best audition I've ever
done. I'm gonna get the part. I'm so happy, happy, happy. A month goes
by and I didn't hear anything. So, I thought, I didn't get the part.
Oh well. I come home from choir one day and my mom's like, "Emily, you
got a call back for Cirque du Soleil!" And I'm like "Wow!" They told
us to learn three songs. So, I learned a jazz, a folk and a Broadway
song. So they flew me to Montreal and I did the call back. And another
month went by and nothing. My mom keeps calling every week saying is
there any news. And, they said, well, the other girl's not being
considered anymore. It's you or no one. Finally I got the yes and I
freaked out.
Q. What's a day like for you when you're working?
Audrey: In the morning, I wake up at nine o'clock and at ten thirty I
have school until three fifteen. Then I have practice for rope
skipping or singing and then there's show call to start warming up for
the show.
Emily: School for four or five hours and then warm up and putting on
your make-up and then...the show.
Q. How do you prepare for a show?
Audrey: First, one hour before the show, I warm up my voice for half
an hour and then I warm up my body just to make sure I'm not going to
hurt myself.
Emily: I prepare for a show by doing exercises on a big rubber ball
and that helps warm up my body and my back. Then I warm up my voice
with one of the musicians who plays the cello.
Q. What do you like most about starring in a show like this?
Audrey: Just everything.
Emily: I like the ending when people are applauding. It's nice to know
that after all your hard work, they like it and that they're praising
you.
Q. What's it like being in a big show like this?
Audrey: At first it was exciting. But now (after a year) it's getting
more serious. It's still exciting but not like before. But I love it.
I can see all the new cities.
Emily: At the beginning I had no idea what it would be like. I kept
pinching myself. I mean, being here. Is this for real? And, when I
started to sing on my first performance I was shaking. But it's okay
now. Being a part of this show is really amazing.
Q. What's the toughest thing you've had to learn how to do?
Audrey: For the show, it's not to hurt myself. When I hurt myself
sometimes I can't do a show so it's gonna be tough. Also, I think to
play a little girl eight years old when I'm twelve, you know to be
younger than my age and be different than my own personality. The
little girl in the show is all excited and likes to run everywhere and
see everything. It takes all my energy and sometimes it's difficult
but I just get used to it. Even though I can be excited and run
around, I like to just sit and sometimes read and do nothing. I'm a
girl who thinks too much sometimes.
Emily: The toughest thing I had to learn here? The words. I had to
learn the words for the call back in three days. So, I'm sitting there
at the tape recorder saying what? A putakwado? I'm writing it down. I
listened to it at night and through the day. It was really, really
tough 'cause you know there is no real language in the show. It's just
gibberish. Makes your mouth all icky.
Q. What's the coolest thing that's happened to you so far?
Audrey: Singing in front of a lot of people. I like that.
Emily: The coolest thing that's happened was the audition because that
had been the first audition I'd been to for a long time. And I met
Sylvester Stallone. He was nice. I liked him. That was a big change.
I've never met any stars. The audition and that were the coolest
things.
Q. What's the most fun you've had so far?
Audrey: To be with the people, you know, who work here. Everybody does
a big joke and you know, makes fun of the mistakes they made the night
before. Just being together. It's fun being part of the group here. To
have all the friends and not be in the corner doing nothing.
Emily: The beach. On tour, the places we stay in are really nice.
Q. Where do you live while on tour?
Emily: I think in the next city, we'll be living in a trailer which
will be really fun 'cause we get to stay on site. But, right now,
we're in a nice big home because there are a lot of us living
together. Five children and two adults. It's kind of like having a
big, happy family.
Q. It must be hard to be away from your friends when you're traveling.
What do you do as a family to keep together? How do you stay in touch?
Audrey: You miss your family and you need to be strong. They don't
travel with me but my dad, because he's the composer, he's with me
maybe five days in one city and my mom comes sometimes. I just call
them and write on the Internet but it's okay.
Emily: We phone every three or four days. I write as much as I can. I
miss them a lot but I know that they think this is a great opportunity
for me and if they were in my situation they would be doing the same
thing. I think they're proud of me, I hope.
Q. What's it like going to school when you're on tour?
Emily: We have one teacher and four kids and lots of work but it's
good 'cause our teacher knows that we don't have very much time so she
doesn't give us any homework. There's a completely full day. You're
always working. You never have time to sit and daydream because, since
there's only four of us, the teacher is always there you know, saying
what are you doing now? There are all different grade levels. We've
got a girl in the last year of high school, someone in grade six, I'm
grade seven, and there's a grade eight. So we're all learning
completely different things. Sometimes we have the same subjects. It's
pretty much like regular school, same subjects just more attention
which is sometimes better.
Q. Is this anything like the school you went to before joining Cirque
du Soleil?
Emily: No. I went to a computer technology school. But, I didn't learn
anything like history or geography. Just special advanced courses. You
know, like scan-tech and learning lab, things like that. I think maybe
I prefer history, geology, ecology, stuff like that because it's more
normal. It's more like having a regular life. In the position I'm in,
you just want to have something to convince you you're still normal.
* * *
Q. How did you become a singer?
Emily: Well, my mom's a singer and my whole family's musical so I kind
of was brought up in a musical family. I love singing.
Audrey: Yeah, my mom's a singer so she just helped and taught me.
Q. Are there any special classes you took, to help you learn to be a
singer?
Emily: Private singing lessons. Mostly choir too.
Audrey: Well, I learned piano, cello, violin and flute so that helped
me a little bit.
Q. What's the biggest challenge you've faced as an actress/singer so
far?
Audrey: Physically, I think to just jump around and do the contortion
and everything. That's kind of a big thing I think. Sometimes I'm
looking at them (the other stars in the show) and I'm like how did
they do that? And, even if you're sad or mad or you're not in the mood
to do the show, you have to be there and you have to sing. You have to
do a good performance.
Emily: Doing lots of operas and a couple of musicals. In my choir I've
played lots of roles, like Cinderella". I was in Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, in the Canadian production. I was the
smallest and they threw me up in the air. I was seven when I did it.
Everyone else was 15 and 16. In Pagliacci, another opera, I got to
wear a bright pink dress while everyone else was wearing black. Guess
I stood out to the audience. Also [I played] Fantine in Les
Miserables. That was a big role.
Q. What are some really important skills an actor/singer needs to
have?
Emily: I think confidence and courage. To build my confidence I take
two breaths in and blow them out slowly and just picture myself doing
a perfect job and you just go whoosh and you're good. When you say
things like, I'm gonna do so bad, then you do a bad job but, if you
think of yourself doing a great job, it turns out always good.
Q. Do you have any role models? Who would you like to be when you grow
up?
Emily: Julie Andrews. But I want to be my own person. I don't want to
be like anyone else. I want to be an individual.
Audrey: Well, I wouldn't like to be like any one person but I admire
my dad a lot. My dad composed the music and my mom was my coach for
singing and everything. Working with my mom it was like okay, am I
with my mom or with my coach now? Sometimes you're confused and
everything. In the future I think I would like to stay in singing,
performing. Just doing something that I can show to the people.
Q. What advice would you give to other girls who are thinking about a
career in show business?
Emily: Try as hard as you can and if you don't make it, don't give up.
Stay calm, be cool and have courage and faith in yourself.
Audrey: The show is very fun and you hang out with the people and
that's exciting but it's hard so if you think that the tour is the
best thing in the world, remember it's very hard. It's a lot of work
and you need to just be patient.
Q. What do you want to do in the future? What are your goals and
dreams?
Emily: I haven't made up my mind about that yet. I think I want to
have a career in psychology, maybe 'cause I like to make people feel
better about themselves. I dreamed I would get this part and I dream I
can go on to do better and more things like this.
Audrey: To be a singer.
Q. What do you like to do just for fun?
Audrey: I like Rock 'n Roll, something that moves, not a classic... or
comedy; go to the beach and look at the people.
Emily: I love to swim. I like to play the piano and the clarinet and
oboe. I like to read horrors and mysteries and sometimes romance.
Q. What's cool about being a girl today?
Audrey: I like the clothes. I like how most girls are feminine. I like
mostly everything about being a girl.
Emily: I think young girls get a lot of choices. It's a lot better
than what it was before, you know, with the sexism. But, being a girl
today gives you a lot more opportunities and hope for the future.
At the end of Renee's interview, she was a guest of Cirque du Soleil
for a performance of Quidam. In her words, the evening was "Fabulous.
Magical. Don't miss it. I think everyone should see this. The whole
thing was just great!" Renee watched performers from all over the
world doing things she never thought possible: swirling in the German
Wheel, engaging in mesmerizing acrobatics, doing incredible feats of
balance and skill.
Would you like to share the magic of Quidam and Cirque du Soleil?
There's information about how to audition for the circus, join in
their circus school for performing arts, and a look at their upcoming
performance schedules for all around the world! Just visit the
official Cirque du Soleil web site. Catch a performance of this
incredible, magical company. They may be coming to your town, soon!
Special thanks to Renee.w, our AGW reporter. Edited by Davina. And a
big thanks to Cirque du Soleil's for their kindness and hospitality
and the chance to share their special world.
-----------------------------------------------
"An Interview with Francois Bergeron"
From: Meyer Sound
-----------------------------------------------
Before joining Cirque du Soleil in 1989, Canadian-born Francois
Bergeron worked in Québec theatres and for Solotech, the Montreal
sound rental and production company. Between Cirque shows, Bergeron
led the development of audio and technical designs for a variety of
projects including the Hayden Planetarium in New York City; three
Niketown flagship stores; EFX in Las Vegas; l Templo Del Fuego for
Universal Studios Port Aventura in Spain; and the live shows and
nighttime spectacular at a new ocean-themed park in Tokyo. Bergerons
Cirque du Soleil sound designs include O at the Bellagio Hotel in
Vegas, La Nouba at Downtown Disney in Orlando, and the Quidam and
Saltimbanco world tours. Bergeron received Entertainment Design
magazine's Sound Designer of the Year award in 1996. He is a founding
partner of Thinkwell Design and Production, headquartered at
California's historic Pasadena Playhouse.
Q. How would you describe your process for designing sound for a show?
Well, the normal process for a theatrical production would be to talk
to the director and read the script, maybe do some research, and talk
to the stage and lighting designers. But at Cirque, its a bit
different. Theres no book, no script, theres nothing like that.
Maybe youll have a few drawings and hear the concept thats in the
mind of the shows director. We gather around the table and talk about
ideas, then everybody goes off and works on what they understood from
the concept, or the theme, and later we come back together to share
ideas, influencing each other. When the set is designed, that will
have repercussions for the lighting and sound designs. Its very much
a group process. For the last show that I did, Varekai, I went up to
Montreal for six months to work on it. It was a long-term investment
of time. But the process involves knowing what the show is all about,
and then placing speakers in the tent. The advantage I have with the
tent tours is that wherever we go, the venue is the same. So its
primarily a process of molding the systems to fit the show.
Q. What criteria do you use in selecting loudspeakers for a design?
"With Meyer Sound loudspeakers, I dont have to ask myself, Will it
really do what it says it can do? So, if I can rely on the accuracy
of the specs, then I have a higher level of confidence that the
product will give me the solution Im expecting."
Cirque is a fortunate organization in the sense that each show can go
out on tour for twelve years or more. But, that means reliability is a
big issue. For example, the Varekai show is just now starting to tour,
and since we are moving the whole show, the size and weight of the
loudspeakers is important, as well. Also, obstructed views can be a
problem. We dont want big loudspeakers hanging from the masts; we
want something thats small and light, yet powerful. Another issue is
the accuracy of the specifications published by the company. When you
are designing a system, you have to rely on the specs that you are
given on paper. I try to choose products from manufacturers who
publish reliable numbers, because were touring for a long time and
its not easy to change in the middle of the tour if something doesnt
work out.
Q. How many countries does a show cover in twelve years?
The touring model now is four years in North America, four years in
Europe and four years in Asia. Most of the shows in Asia are in Japan,
but we do a number of different European countries.
Q. What factors determine where you place the loudspeakers?
Basically, its the available space. In the big top, there are not a
lot of places to hang your loudspeakers. But placement is also
influenced by the shows feeling or theme. With Varekai, which is the
freshest in my mind I just finished it in May all of the energy
and visual content comes from the center and above the audience. So,
most of the loudspeakers are around that center area, high on the
mast, so that you get the feeling of power from above. But, if the
show is more down-to-earth, more grounded, I would have side clusters
to the left and right of the band, just to bring the whole image down
and localize it.
Q. Did you use Meyer Sound loudspeakers on Varekai?
Yes, we used the CQ-1 and CQ-2, the PSW-6, UPAs and a bunch of UPMs.
All are self-powered.
Q. Have you considered using line arrays?
Not in the big top, since it doesnt have the space to allow it. Its
true that on this last show, with everything concentrated on the
center, we could have used line arrays, but there is a lot of rigging
and a lot of lighting. Theres really not enough space to put in three
line arrays which is what we would have needed, since the show
encompasses more than 270 degrees. Keeping the weight down was
important, but the CQs were light enough to suit that requirement.
Q. Are there significant advantages to using self-powered systems in
these kinds of shows?
Certainly, and its all the well-known factors saving space in the
trucks and saving space backstage, because literally we have no
backstage area to house amplifiers. Also, its much cheaper to run
line level audio and AC than it is to run heavy-gauge speaker lines.
Plus, theres the reliability factor. I know that there are a lot of
components inside the box, but still, with self-powered systems there
are fewer failure points. When you want something to work reliably on
tour for twelve years, you want to minimize the number of connectors
and separate components. Its nice to know that you can run AC and a
line input, and it will work. If it doesnt, its easy to figure out
why. Wherever I can minimize the hardware complexity, I try to do it.
If I went back to conventionally powered speakers, it would create a
problem with the truck load and moving equipment around for twelve
years is a major cost.
Q. Does the Cirque own the audio systems or rent them?
Cirque owns them. So, the investment in pre-production may be higher,
but it pays off over the life of the show
although, to be honest, I
dont actually know if the cost was higher since for this last show,
we did not even look at conventional systems.
Q. How important is compatibility among loudspeakers? Do you try to
use products from the same manufacturer?
In some cases, yes, but not always. Some manufacturers have broader
product lines than others, with more types and sizes of loudspeakers.
But sometimes you will need a product that was made for a specific
purpose, such as underbalcony or front fills. So, my designs are not
manufacturer-driven, but solution-driven. If I have a particular
problem, I will look at the manufacturers that have solutions and then
narrow it down to the best performance for the budget. That said,
manufacturers like Meyer Sound are at least trying to offer a wider
range of solutions. And again, it often comes down to the accuracy of
the specifications. With Meyer Sound loudspeakers, I dont have to ask
myself, Will it really do what it says it can do? So, if I can rely
on the accuracy of the specs, then I have a higher level of confidence
that the product will give me the solution Im expecting.
Q. Do you make modifications to systems during the course of a show,
or does it stay the same throughout?
Generally, since Cirque owns the equipment, it will stay the same
through the entire tour. Now, there are situations where we might rent
additional PA; for example, in Japan, where Fuji provides a dome that
does not have internal masts or overhead rigging points, we have to
think of new solutions and perhaps buy or rent additional speakers.
But otherwise, each system is optimized for the show and travels with
it.
"I know that there are a lot of components inside the box, but still,
with self-powered systems there are fewer failure points. When you
want something to work reliably on tour for twelve years, you want to
minimize the number of connectors and separate components. Its
nice to know that you can run AC and a line input, and it will work."
Q. Do you perform the initial set-up and alignment before a tour goes
out?
Oh yes, thats one of the big parts of the job because of the way our
systems are configured. Ive been with Cirque now for thirteen years,
and Ive experimented with mono clusters, distributed systems, and all
kinds of left/right PA systems. Its been fun, because nobody was
dictating what I could do.
Q. No rules?
No rules. Exactly. But with most shows, we did tend more to use
distributed systems, so the alignment of time delays has become
critical. This is where the sound engineers are so important. Cirque
tours are like a hybrid between an outdoor show and indoor theatre,
because the temperature and humidity variations can be quite extreme.
For example, if you do the alignment before the audience comes in,
everything can change by the time of the show. Fortunately, the air
conditioning people are getting it to the point where there is not
such a drastic change during the show, but we do monitor it.
Q. Do you set up a certain subjective sound for the show before it
goes out?
Yes, we do set up the whole system before the tour using a digital
processor. We can preset variations of EQ and time delays for
different temperatures and humidity levels, to cover the most likely
scenarios. That way, the operator doesnt have to reinvent the wheel
for every show.
Q. What system do you use for measurement and alignment?
We use the Meyer Sound SIM system at the beginning, and also early in
the tour. The start of a tour is critical, because there is so much
happening and so many things changing. The key to working with Cirque
is flexibility and speed. Its not as though you can design a system
and know that it will stay there from beginning to end. On Varekai, we
did pre-production in Montreal, then went to Quebec City and changed
some things there, and finally in Toronto we are supposed to finish
it. Thats really the beginning of the tour. But as the sound
designer, Im the last link in the chain: if the music is changing, I
cant change the system to accommodate it until the musics finalized.
Q. How much of your work these days is with Cirque?
It averages about 40 percent, but thats over a number of years. The
time between designing shows for Cirque is long, that in between I am
doing work for Universal Studios in Spain and for Disney in Japan. But
this year, Cirque will take half of my time, because I spent six
months in Montreal designing and preparing for the new show. But then,
my next Cirque show might not be until 2004. In between, I am doing
some follow-up work on established shows like Saltimbanco, Quidam, La
Nouba, a little bit for O, and now Varekai. Its a lot to keep up
with, because Im always working with new personnel and designing
changes for special venues.
Q. Do you find that working with different types of sound designs
Cirque, theme parks and traditional theatre helps you develop
new ideas?
Yes, and its something Ive been doing for a long time. In Montreal,
where I come from, the French-Canadian market is small, and in order
to make a living you have to run the gamut. If somebody calls and says
that theyre doing a location shoot and want you to do the sound, you
have to be able to do it. You become the sound guy, and you quickly
learn to do whatever is required. I was lucky, because I spent eight
years at Solotech, which is the largest rental company in Quebec
perhaps the largest in all of Canada. I started out loading trucks,
and ended up managing the rental department: I did many different
things.
So, if I do a show at a theme park, for example, I bring ideas about
technologies that I have seen and used in theatre. The same principle
applies when I work for Cirque. Its all about the experience, anyway
what the public will get out of it. It doesnt matter where it comes
from: if something fits, and brings something new and exciting to the
experience, then I will use it. I really like crossing over. Thats
why Im a partner in Thinkwell, a new company that is experience-
driven. Whatever the project a play, a casino or a parade as long
as there is a story, we will bring what we know to the table.
Q. How does sound design for legitimate theatre and Broadway musicals
compare to working with Cirque?
Well, my only project that went to Broadway was Peter Pan with Cathy
Rigby, but Ive done other musicals, including one with Randy Newmans
music that involved some new uses of technology. I try to see if I can
get maybe 10 percent of each show to be something new, something Ive
never tried before. That stimulates my creativity, and helps me to
learn and grow. Theater is great for bringing up new ideas. Working
here at the Pasadena Playhouse is great, because I have ready access
to a venue where I can try out new ideas. I came from the theatre
originally: I went to theatre school in Canada. Although over the
years Ive made my living doing rock and roll and this whole new
approach to the circus, my starting point has always been theatre.
Q. Of your past designs, which would you call your favorite? Perhaps
you could pick one Cirque show and one from theatre.
For a play or musical, I would say Education of Randy Newman was a
good show for me, because it was a successful use of new technologies.
It played a small room at the South Coast Repertory Theater in Costa
Mesa, but it was high-profile because of Randys direct involvement.
It was a new concept technically, because we employed a miniaturized
digital system using LCS [Level Control Systems, a company that
manufactures a widely-used theatrical sound automation system
conceived by sound designer Jonathan Deans]. That meant that we only
took out six seats, rather than the usual 18 or 20 and in a small
room, every seat is critical for selling tickets and paying the bills.
As for Cirque shows, I would have to choose Varekai, because it marked
the first time that I was fully involved in the design from the very
beginning, from top to bottom. Usually, sound comes later, but this
time I was there for the whole six months. Because of that, the sound
is more important than in any previous Cirque shows: there is a
complex soundtrack that starts from the beginning. Before this show,
sound took a secondary role, but with Varekai it was woven into the
entire process. I was present in the rehearsals, creating sound
effects directly for the performers, and it shows. Each sound is
tailored for the performers, and in many ways the entire performance
is tailored to the sound.
This was the first time that Ive been able to fully merge the sound
system with the entire the show. All of the energy the lighting, the
sound, the set, the story emanates from the center. The sound system
has been designed to complement that reality and fit into the set. Im
really happy with that show, and it works very well with the Meyer
Sound self-powered speakers.
"I really wanted the subtleties and wide range of Meyer Sound products
so that, if I sent something that was operatic or had strings, it
worked, but if it was rock n roll or a brass band, it still worked.
Meyer loudspeakers have always been good for that."
Q. Did you also use Meyer Sound speakers on the Randy Newman show?
I did, but not the self-powered products. We used some of the older
conventional products, but that was mostly because of the way rental
companies work in California. Its not like New York, where companies
are geared to longer-term rentals. In California, they like to keep
their self-powered systems for short-term corporate work where they
can charge higher daily rates. But the conventional loudspeakers
worked out very well. This was a big show in a small room, so I had to
do a lot of tweaking to make sure we werent hitting the walls. We
needed a system that would amplify the sound, but you wouldnt notice
it. I really wanted the subtleties and wide range of Meyer Sound
products so that, if I sent something that was operatic or had
strings, it worked, but if it was rock n roll or a brass band, it
still worked. Meyer loudspeakers have always been good for that.
Q. Was Randy Newman in the show?
No, he didnt perform in the show, though he was involved in the
concept and the production. He was there for rehearsals, and it was
his music.
Q. Summing up, how would you say Meyer Sound helps you in your work as
a sound designer?
For me, perhaps the most important things that Meyer offers are
reliable specs and the thoroughness of their whole operation. If you
visit Meyer, you can see that they are very particular about
everything. You know that everything has been tested and analyzed to
verify what they say: its not just marketing lingo. Research,
development and analysis are strong points with Meyer. Im sure its
not easy to do, but it certainly pays off for me. When Im looking at
a Meyer Sound product and the specs say that it will do something, it
will do it. It will work the way its supposed to.
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
Note that any information in brackets [] is UN-official information
and subject to change.
[Touring Shows]
Alegría:
* Atlanta, Georgia -- Cumberland Galleria
Dates: Mar 25, 2004 to Apr 25, 2004
* New York City, New York -- Randall's Island Park
Dates: May 6, 2003 to June 6, 2004
* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- Avenue of the Arts
Dates: July 8, 2004 to Aug 1, 2004
* Toronto, Ontario -- Ontario Place
Dates: Aug 19, 2004 to Sep 19, 2004
[* Japan
Possible Dates: Oct, 2004 to Nov 2005]
Dralion:
* Amsterdam, Netherlands -- Next to Amsterdam Arena (P2)
Dates: Feb 27, 2004 to May 23, 2004
* Vienna, Austria -- Prater - Rotundenplatz
Dates: Jun 3, 2004 to Jul 11, 2004
* Antwerp, Belgium -- Gedempte Zuiderdokken
Dates: Aug 12, 2004, to Sep 19, 2004
Quidam:
* Vancouver, BC, Canada -- Concord Pacific Place
Dates: May 6, 2004 to May 30, 2004
[May extend to June 13, 2004]
* Calgary, Alberta, Canada -- Currie Barracks
Dates: June 24, 2004 to July 18, 2004
[May extend to August 1, 2004]
* Sydney, Australia -- The Showring, Fox Studios
Dates: Aug 12, 2004 to TBA
* Brisbane, Australia -- Kingsford Smith Drive
Dates: Nov 4, 2004 to TBA
* Auckland, New Zealand --
Dates: Dec 31, 2004 to TBA
* Melbourne, Australia --
Dates: Mar 5, 2005 to TBA
* Adelaide, Australia --
Dates: May 12, 2005 to TBA
* Perth, Australia --
Dates: June 30, 2005 to TBA
Saltimbanco:
* Lyon, France -- Clos Layat
Dates: Mar 5, 2004 to Apr 18, 2004
* Milan, Italy -- Area Spettacoli di Milano
Dates: Apr 29, 2004 to May 16, 2004
* Gijon, Spain -- TBA
* Frankfurt, Germany -- Next to the Jahrhunderthalle
Dates: Aug 20, 2004 to Sep 5, 2004
* Rome, Italy -- TBA
* Lille, France -- TBA
Varekai:
* San Diego, California -- Qualcomm Stadium
Dates: Mar 18, 2004 to Apr 18, 2004
* Phoenix, Arizona -- Westworld of Scottsdale
Dates: Apr 29, 2004 to May 16, 2004
[May Extend to May 23, 2004]
* Denver, Colorado -- Pepsi Center
Dates: Jun 3, 2004 to Jun 27, 2004
[May extend to July 11, 2004]
* Boston, Massachusetts -- Suffolk Downs
Dates: Jul 27, 2004 to Aug 22, 2004
[May extend to Sep 5, 2004]
* Washington, DC -- Washington Convention Center
[Possible Dates: Sep 16, 2004 to Oct 24, 2004]
* Dallas, Texas -- Fair Park
Dates: Nov 4, 2004 to Dec 5, 2004
[May Extend to Dec 19, 2004]
* Houston, Texas -- TBA
* Austin, Texas -- TBA
[Resident Shows]
La Nouba:
* Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm
* Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday
* Location: Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando (USA)
* 2004 Dark Dates:
-- March 14th - 17th -- August 22nd - 25th
-- May 2nd - 5th -- October 17th - 20th
-- June 20th - July 5th -- December 5th - 13th
Mystère:
* Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
Beginning June 13th: Except Sundays; 4:30pm and 7:30pm
* Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday
Beginning June 9th: Wednesday - Sunday, Dark Monday/Tuesday
* Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA)
* 2004 Dark Dates:
-- April 6th, 9th -- October 3rd, 6th
-- May 31st - June 8th -- November 28th
-- August 23rd - 31st
"O":
* Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
* Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark Monday/Tuesday
* Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
* 2004 Dark Dates:
-- April 19th - 27th -- October 11th - 13th
-- June 21st - 23rd -- December 6th - 21st
-- August 9th - 17th
Zumanity:
* Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
* Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
* Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA)
* 2004 Dark Dates:
-- April 18th - 21st -- October 10th - 13th
-- June 6th - 12th -- November 28th - 30th
-- August 15th - 18th -- December 1st - 20th
=======================================================================
DIDYAKNOW? -- FACTS ABOUT CIRQUE
=======================================================================
-- Did you know that this year Alegría celebrates it's 10th
anniversary? April 21st officially marks the show's birth date; it
premiered in Montreal. Many of Cirque's other productions, including
Varekai, Dralion, Quidam, Saltimbanco, Nouvelle Experience and the
1985 Tour.
-- Did you know that Quidam, Cirque du Soleil's 1996 production,
originally surprised spectators and attracted "considerable
criticism"? Cirque du Soleil answered these charges by saying Quidam
was not an "Alegria Plus" or "Super Saltimbanco", but an animal all to
its own.
-- Did you know that Mystere's lighting system has 924 circuits with
individual 2.4 Kw dimmers, controlled by a Colotran Compact Elite
console? Equipment includes 122 color scrollers, 40 super scans and
Gobo rotators controlled from a Compulite console. The lighting
equipment comes from ETC TMB Associates and Peterson Design.
=======================================================================
BEHIND THE CURTAIN:
"Guy Steps Down? Changes Within Cirque du Soleil"
By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA)
=======================================================================
What's this? Guy Laliberte is no longer the President, Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Cirque du Soleil,
his privately held company? It would seem so... stop the presses--this
is big news!
A recent internal memo obtained to all employees dated February 25,
2004 outlined these changes, and more, that were on the horizon for
Guy Laliberte and Cirque du Soleil as a company.
First, the appointment of Daniel Lamarre as the new President and COO
of Cirque du Soleil, allowing Laliberte to virtually step back from
the day-to-day operational responsibilities and focus more on the
creative side of projects, which he said was the most dear to him.
"This change comes at a time when Cirque is facing new business and
organizational realities," Laliberte said. With many new ventures on
the drawing board, Laliberte will be busy. Laliberte will retain the
title of Founder, CEO and "Guide".
The new role will be supported by five senior vice-presidents,
including two recently created -- Senior Vice-President of Shows, and
Senior Vice-President of New Ventures). This change also merits a
change to Cirque du Soleil's Executive Board, which shall now consist
of seven members -- Guy Laliberte, Marc Gagnon, Michael Bolingbroke,
Robert Blain, Eric Foumier and a position to be determined.
The second profound statement in the memo is an announcement of the
upcoming departure of Lyn Heward, President and COO of the Creative
Content Division. Her slated departure is 2005, however, Heward is
remaining on-board as an advisor until her replacement arrives. She
will remain an Executive Board member until that time.
"This year, Cirque is celebrating its 20th anniversary. When I look
back on our accomplishments, I am proud of what I see. When I look
ahead, I am confident that the future will take us still further. I
wish Daniel the best of luck in his new role and I am counting on him
and his team to support me as we pursue this incredible adventure."
Cirque du Soleil Organization Chart
As of February 2004
-----------------------------------
-- Guy Laliberte (Founder, CEO, and "Guide")
-- Daniel Lamarre (President and COO)
-- Marc Gagnon (Senior VP, Corporate Services)
- Suzanne Gagnon (VP Human Resources)
- Daniele Savoie (VP, Info Technologies)
- Charles Decarie (VP, Proc. and Bld. Serv)
- Gaetan Morency (VP, Pulbic & Social Affairs)
-- TBA (Senior VP, Creative Content)
- Gilles Ste Croix (VP, Creation/Projects)
- Luc Plamondon (VP, Productions/Projects)
- TBD (VP, Show Quality)
- TBD (VP, Artistic Products)
-- Michael Bolingbroke (Senior VP, Shows)
- Mario D'Amico (VP, Marketing)
- Jacques Marois (General Manager, Touring Shows)
- TBD (General Manager, Resident Shows)
-- Robert Blain (Senior VP and Chief Financial Officer)
- J.L. Deschamps (VP, Finance)
- Francois Macerola (VP, Business & Legal Affairs)
-- Eric Foumier (Senior VP, New Ventures)
- Vincent Gagne (VP, Multimedia)
- Rodney Landi (VP, Merchandising)
- Ian Tremblay (VP, Musique)
- TBD (VP, Special Projects)
=======================================================================
LE SPECTACLE:
"Report Roundup: Sometimes it's Good to be Guy"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
=======================================================================
As we mentioned last issue, an "unauthorized" history of Cirque du
Soleil has just been published (which Wayne reviews this issue!). A
Montreal newspaper (which we translated through Babelfish) quotes
Cirque spokesperson Renee-Claude Menard claiming the book is full of
"inaccuracies." Enough so that the planned publication of an
"authorized" telling of the Cirque story has now been "accelerated."
(Though we had heard it had always been planned to be published this
year, and don't understand why they now call it "accelerated".)
According to Menard, the book author, Jean Beaunoyer, did not approach
them to verify any factual information. In fact, the article's quotes
suggest that Cirque's take on this book is that it is told only by
those who did not share in Guy Laliberte's "vision" for the circus.
Check out Wayne's review to hear his take on it!
Other than the occasional unauthorized biography coming out about your
company, or the bad press that can be generated for firing the wrong
acrobat for the wrong reason, what a life Guy Laliberte must be
living! A new member of the Forbes "Billionaire Club" (at $1.2
billion), at the helm of a huge creative organization. It should be
enough reason to throw a big party! Which seems to be a specialty Mr.
Laliberte excels at, to the consternation of his neighbors.
But maybe we should explain.
After our recent request for more sources for articles and information
about Cirque, Nancy, a kind Montreal-based reader started sending us
citations of Cirque-related articles appearing in Montreal French-
based press. Several of them referenced Mr. L's party throwing
habits.
The first, from June 12, 2003, discussed a "down-sizing" of Guys
famous yearly party, which Babelfish translated somehow as "Great
Price Of Montreal"(?). Whereas the previous year the party had 1000
attendees (needing 200 security guards and 12 police officers), the
2003 party, to be held in the L'Hotel Saint-Paul in Old Montreal would
be limited to only 200 attendees. Of course, all costs were being
paid by Mr. L.
The second, dated November 3, mentioned a Halloween party at his home
in the Saint-Bruno area, which got a little loud. So much so, in
fact, that neighbors were kept awake by the noise late into the night,
with the party not stopping until midday the next day. Which lead to
police officers being called, and Mr. L slapped with a $138 CDN fine
for excessive noise!
Turns out neighbors have had this problem before with Mr. L.
According to the article, neighbors tried in vain to take their noise
complaints to the local authorities. And the administrator in charge
of the Saint-Bruno National Park next to the residence suggests that
noise from Guy's house envelops the park more than they would like.
And the coverage of Mr. L doesn't stop there! To commemorate his
inauguration into the Billionaire Club, Forbes magazine did a one-page
story on him in their March 15, 2004 issue. The two-page picture
spread introducing the article is a standout, showing guy standing on
a water lily, in a pond on the "O" stage, as several "O" characters
stare back at him. The picture, by Norman Jean Roy, is striking. The
article, written by Matthew Miller, has a short history of Guy and his
successes. Written from a business perspective, it had some
interesting factoids, including:
* Cirque has little debt and a likely pretax margin of nearly 25%.
That means from every dollar of revenue generated, 75 cents covers the
cost of producing the "product", in this case Cirque's shows. The
other 25% goes to cover overhead, taxes, and profit.
* Each night, the three Vegas shows play to 9,000 people, 5% of the
towns visitors. Cirque's "deal" with the hotels (in this case the MGM
properties) is a 50-50 split once performances start. And the hotels
are happy with that - Zumanity increased New York-New York's revenue
31% in the fourth quarter of 2003!
* The article also has an interesting early story to tell. Shortly
after becoming the talk of Hollywood with the "Cirque Reinvente" tour
in 1987, Laliberte signed with Columbia Pictures to make a film based
on Cirque characters. So a party was thrown by Dawn Steel, Columbia's
then president, to announce the deal. To quote Laliberte in the
article, "They were seating all the stars, and I was basically put
aside. They just wanted to lock up our story and our brand name and
walk around like they owned Cirque du Soleil. I walked right out of
the party, called my lawyer and told him to get me out of the deal."
An interesting insight into his independent nature, no?
Finally the article concludes (and brings this article again to
parties and its own conclusion), with a mention of Guy's famous
parties, or as he likes to call them, "laboratories." "I don't play
golf or all those things people normally do for business. I do
parties. That's where I bring people in, showcase ideas and in the
end, do deals."
=======================================================================
FROM THE BOUTIQUE:
"A Peek into the Wings of the Cirque du Soleil"
By: Wayne Leung - Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
=======================================================================
"Dans les Coulisses du Cirque du Soleil" (In the Wings of the Cirque
du Soleil) is an unauthorized biography of Cirque du Soleil by Jean
Beaunoyer. Published by Québec Amérique in early 2004 to coincide
with the Cirque's 20th anniversary, the book promises interviews with
various characters from Cirque's history as well as an examination of
the "dark patches" in that history that the company would prefer to be
kept quiet. Despite the claim, the revelations aren't as sensational
as the description would have us believe and though fairly broad, the
coverage of the subject matter is often superficial.
The book is sparse and not particularly well-written. At 222 pages it
barely averages 11 pages per year of Cirque's existence. The author,
Jean Beaunoyer, is a reporter with Montreal's La Presse newspaper. He
writes the book in a very journalistic style; the chapters are
concise, often to the point of being glib, and are presented in a very
matter-of-fact tone with supporting quotes from relevant players
sprinkled throughout for good measure. The book is divided into three
main sections; "The Genesis of a Circus," "The Hour of Truth," and
"Already an Empire" with each section subdivided into many chapters,
each being only one to five pages in length, independently covering
the different aspects of Cirque du Soleil's development. The chapters
barely scratch the surface of the topics they cover and although they
are more-or-less presented in chronological order they are written as
disjoint, self-contained pieces creating some narrative flow problems
which, combined with the author's cross-cutting between different
times, places, people and events, results in laborious reading. "In
the Wings of the Cirque du Soleil" reads more like a collection of
newspaper clippings than a book. It wouldn't exactly be a compelling
book for a casual reader but it is reasonably informative for those
ardent fans of Cirque du Soleil.
It should be noted that book is clearly written for a Québec audience.
Though it is due to be published in English later this year the
translation will only allow for an understanding of the text. For a
thorough comprehension of the subject matter, those who are unfamiliar
with La Belle Province will need to do some additional homework. The
fact that the story of the Cirque du Soleil is set within the history
and political climate of 20th century Québec is taken for granted.
Therefore, if a reader is unaware of the significance of events and
people such as Jacques Cartier, the Quiet Revolution, Expo '67, the
1976 Olympic Games, René Lévesque, the October Crisis, the 1980
Referendum on Sovereignty or the unique cultural differences of Québec
in general, he or she may want to look in some history books in order
to thoroughly establish the setting of the story. Also, if the reader
can't tell Charlevoix from Sherbrooke, an Atlas will help establish
the different locations.
As is the case with any "unauthorized" tell-all, the credibility of
the account is never assured. The reader must take the information
presented with a grain of salt and consider the biases of the author
and those whom he interviews. At best the book provides an alternate
view of the organization to counter the corporate propaganda produced
by the company itself in the form of shamelessly indulgent, self-
promoting "documentaries" such as "A Baroque Odyssey" and "Run Before
You Fly." In either case it is pertinent that the reader/viewer
processes the information presented with a critical mind, realizing
that both versions are only half-truths. The trick becomes deciding
which half to believe.
Some of the book's more interesting "revelations" about the company
include:
Guy Laliberté:
The main character of Cirque du Soleil's story is Guy Laliberté whom
the author alternately deifies and vilifies throughout the course of
the account.
Born on September 2, 1959, Guy was a member of an affluent middle-
class Québec City family. Guy's father Gaston was the vice-president
of Alcan (Canada's largest Aluminum company) and his mother Blandine
was a nurse. Always rambunctious and filled with wanderlust Guy ran
away from home at the age of 14 leaving behind a note to his parents
with a quote from philosopher Kahlil Gibran, "Your children are not
your children; they are the sons and daughters of the call of life
itself." Guy traveled the world living life under the hippie
philosophy. He played accordion on the streets for money. He
traveled to Europe with nothing more than his accordion and $50 in his
pocket. He often slept on park benches in Paris and London at the
time. Guy also wound up in Hawaii for a while, where he picked up the
art of fire-eating.
Much to his parents' relief Guy eventually returned home after his
stab at independence. He even agreed to take a job at a hydro-
electric installation at James Bay with the intention of saving enough
money to pursue a degree in Nuclear Engineering. Three days before he
was to begin work the workers went on strike and the site was closed.
In a twist of fate which Laliberté later said changed the course of
his life he decided to spend the summer at the Fête Foraine, the
busker festival in Baie-Saint-Paul where he met Gilles Ste. Croix and
his Stiltwalkers of Baie-Saint-Paul; a meeting that would eventually
lead to the formation of the Cirque du Soleil many years later.
Government Grants:
In 1984 the governments of Canada and Québec invested large amounts of
money to put on a celebration commemorating the 450th anniversary of
the arrival of Jacques Cartier in Québec. When Québec's minister of
Cultural Affairs refused to fund Guy Laliberté's idea of a Quebecois
circus, Guy, already showing the candor and business savvy that would
characterize him in future years, went over the Minister's head
straight to the Premiere of Québec, René Lévesque. Guy negotiated a
$1.4 million grant from Lévesque to present his show in 11 cities
across the province of Québec in the summer of 1984.
Le Grand Tour:
With an 800-seat big top the newly formed Cirque du Soleil traipsed
around Québec in the summer of 1984. Tickets for the very first
Cirque du Soleil show cost $2.00 for adults, $1.00 for children. The
Cirque was the runaway hit of the summer festival and the reception
Cirque received was phenomenal, in Québec city a riot nearly broke out
when a crowd of 4000 showed up when there were only 800 tickets to be
had for the performance.
The original government funding was to last only for the summer of
1984, after which the Cirque du Soleil was supposed to have finished
its mandate to perform at the 450th anniversary festivities and
quietly folded. Guy of course would have none of it and again
convinced René Lévesque to fund a second tour the following summer.
This tour would be the Cirque's first outside their home province.
They would play larger markets in Ontario. However, this first
excursion outside Québec proved to be a near-catastrophe. Marketing
itself as the "Sun Circus" the troupe started to perform in Canada's
most populous city, Toronto, only to have hoards of disappointed
spectators demanding refunds feeling cheated because their "circus"
did not feature any animals!
Niagara Falls is one of the world's prime tourist destinations but of
the millions who came to see the falls each year, very few were
interested in attending the performances of the "Sun Circus;" the
troupe was playing to nearly empty houses. If they sold fewer than 65
tickets for a given evening's performance, the show would not go on;
half of the scheduled performances were canceled as a result.
Behind the scenes, conditions were dire. Low morale and rampant drug
use permeated the group of artists. On the verge of a mutiny, Guy
called upon Normand Latourelle an organizing committee member of the
450th anniversary festival and asked for his help. The company was in
serious debt.
To salvage the failing company Guy negotiated another Government grant
from René Lévesque and brought the show back to Montreal to finish the
season.
Los Angeles Festival:
With the goal of changing the Cirque du Soleil from a not-for-profit
organization reliant on government subsidies to a profitable
enterprise Guy Laliberté knew that he had to risk the whole of his
company on success in the United States. A circus troupe cannot be
run profitably if it played only in Québec or only in Canada because
the climate would only allow for performances a maximum of 6-months
during the year.
After a successful Canadian tour of Cirque's second show La Magie
Continue, Guy would risk it all by bringing the company's new show Le
Cirque Réinventé (We Reinvent the Circus) to the Los Angeles Times
Theatre Festival. As the now-famous story goes, it was a make-or-
break scenario; if the run in Los Angeles failed the company would not
have enough money for gas to bring their equipment back. Although
contrary to the legend, the heavy equipment and big top was actually
transported by train and not by truck. The company's dilapidated
trucks of the time would not likely have survived the cross-continent
trek.
The Cirque du Soleil became a smash hit and took Los Angeles by storm.
It went from virtual obscurity to become the must-see show of the
festival and the audience was full of movie stars and Hollywood big
shots.
Growing Pains:
After Cirque du Soleil exploded onto the scene at the Los Angeles
Festival it went on to conquer America beginning its exponential
growth phase. Guy Laliberté became the quintessential playboy, with
his newfound wealth he bought a Porsche and was often seen in the
company of supermodels. His "delinquent" tendencies continued as he
would often disappear for long spells of time. Meanwhile, all was not
well backstage. The company's newfound wealth did not trickle down to
the artists who still toiled thanklessly sometimes performing seven
shows in a 54 hour span of time. After presenting "Réinventé" over
300 times, fatigue and ennui set in with the cast members coupled with
resentment of the company's upper management who benefited immediately
from the Cirque's rapid success but "failed to send the elevator back
down to the artists."
Cirque's star contortionist Angela Laurier expressed her concerns
about Cirque abandoning its integrity and original spirit in an on-
camera interview for the film "A Circus in America" directed by La
Presse reporter Natalie Petrowski, "Now everybody is more
individualized. The Cirque isn't the same as it was before. It's
much more disciplined and more about performance than in the past.
This worries me, by growing too fast the Cirque risks losing its
originality, its spirit . . I feel like I'm distancing myself from my
values. The artists feel ill-at-ease in their own skin because of
stress. At the beginning it was about exploration of a circus but now
it's just a routine."
Guy Laliberté certainly did not appreciate the critique of his company
from an insider and chose not to renew Angela Laurier's performance
contract. Natalie Petrowski is shunned by Laliberté to this day; she
was never again granted an interview and was effectively banned from
the Varekai premiere.
Franco Dragone:
Indisputably the Cirque du Soleil's most prolific creator, Franco
Dragone was born in 1952 in Caraino, Italy (close to Naples),
Dragone's family relocated to Louvière, Belgium in 1959. For 10 years
beginning in 1968 Dragone performed with la Compagnie du Campus, a
fringe Belgian theatre troupe that performed shows with social and
political themes. After meeting Guy Caron, Dragone came to Montreal
and fell in love with the city. It was there he discovered his
vocation as a theatre director. His first Cirque du Soleil production
was La Magie Continue. Cirque Director of Creation Gilles Ste-Croix
described Franco's unique gift; "He searches within each performer to
find his theatrical lever. He recreates you into a character that is
your own. That is his gift."
Dragone left Cirque du Soleil in 1987 after directing Le Cirque
Réinventé feeling that the upper management (namely Laliberté)
encroached too much on his artistic freedom. Guy Laliberté
subsequently lured him back to the Cirque fold in 1989 by offering to
give Dragone the post of Director of Creation, Research and
Development and the artistic freedoms that go along with it. Dragone
accepted and created Nouvelle Éxperience and every subsequent Cirque
show until 1998 when he was rumored to have suffered a mild, stress-
induced heart attack while concurrently creating "O" and "La Nouba"
after which he left Cirque du Soleil on amicable terms.
Management Crises: Laliberté, Gauthier, Latourelle
The direction of the Cirque du Soleil has always been a tumultuous and
fractious affair. For much of its history the company had three main
managers; Guy Laliberté, Daniel Gauthier and Normand Latourelle.
Daniel Gauthier was a wiser man of fewer excesses than Guy Laliberté.
He was competent manager and businessman.
Normand Latourelle had extensive experience in managing musical
artists. He was business savvy and familiar with the entertainment
industry.
In the early days the company was very much a three-headed monster and
there was much conflict with the management. In 1987 Latourelle was
convinced that the success of the company depended on the removal of
Guy Laliberté Daniel Gauthier originally agreed and the two planned an
ouster of Laliberté. Gauthier later reneged, citing Guy's newly
negotiated contracts for performances in Las Vegas and in the end it
was Latourelle who was written out of the story.
In the year 2000, Gauthier himself would leave Cirque. Though the
circumstances of his departure are not entirely certain, it is widely
believed that Gauthier did not agree with Laliberté's plans at the
time to invest in high-risk ventures such as the Cirque entertainment
complexes combined with fact that the shift of focus away from live
shows, due in part to the departure of Dragone, meant the company was
not growing in the direction he would have liked. In 2000, the
Cirque's net worth was $800 million. Guy Laliberté bought Gauthier out
for the amount of $483 million. Most of the Cirque's net worth was in
its physical property so Laliberté had to borrow a large (undisclosed)
amount to complete the transaction. Hence, Guy Laliberté became the
Cirque du Soleil's sole owner and authority.
Steve Wynn:
Steve Wynn is widely credited as the visionary who re-invented Las
Vegas and opened the door for Cirque du Soleil, first by bringing
Nouvelle Expérience to town for a gig at his Mirage Resort and then by
building a permanent theatre in his Treasure Island Resort to house
Mystère after Caesar's Palace turned down Cirque's show idea
dismissing it as "too esoteric" for Vegas.
Wynn is an unconventional entrepreneur; with an appreciation for fine
art, demonstrated by his impressive personal collection of works by
Picasso, Renoir and Cézanne, among others, it may not have seemed
surprising that Wynn was the first to welcome Cirque du Soleil to Sin
City. However, before Mystère was to debut in 1993 Wynn had his
doubts and pressed to delay the premiere to rework the show; "We've
never seen anything like this in Vegas. What's the big idea with the
crying baby at the beginning of the show? What do you want to say to
the audience? It's not good for Las Vegas." Wynn also claimed that
the show was as heavy as a Wagner opera and that the Vegas cab drivers
would crucify it.
For his part Dragone also harboured much reservation about working in
Las Vegas, Dragone was accustomed to directing street performances,
and had devoted much of his creative life promoting humanitarian
causes. He was afraid that working in a place as big and soullessly
corporate as Las Vegas would require him to compromise his integrity,
essentially to sell-out; "At first I was ill-at-ease . . . I asked
myself, despite everything, how can I make a social gesture the heart
of the Cirque du Soleil? I had disguised myself as a show-business
man to infiltrate showbiz. [In my previous work] we wanted to
highlight social problems on stage to build solutions. With Cirque du
Soleil my political concerns have been displaced: they're no longer in
the show but in the management. Cirque du Soleil's biggest social
action has been to create 2 500 jobs. However, I am adamant that each
show carries a message."
Mega-Resorts:
Guy Laliberté, being the sole figurehead of the Cirque du Soleil, had
ambitious plans to expand the Cirque empire into other realms. In
April of 2002 he appeared before the Montreal Chamber of Commerce.
Refusing to begin his speech until every last business person in the
room donned the red clown noses he brought, Guy presented his vision
of creating crazy hotels and integrated entertainment centers; "Cirque
Complexes" all over the world. He was presenting to the Chamber to
ask for support in creating the first prototype Cirque Complex in
Montreal. Guy was well received after giving an impassioned speech
touching on sentiments of Québec nationalism and Montreal civic pride.
However, plans for the proposed Cirque Complexes would eventually be
scrubbed by the company. The Cirque's management saw Guy's plan as
"too risky in light of the world's current uncertainty" and thought
concentrating efforts on the company's live shows would be less risky
and more profitable.
The Future:
What insights does the author have about the future of Cirque du
Soleil? Aside from the oft-repeated concern that the company is
growing too big too fast, Beaunoyer speculates that the company will
keep expanding into other areas such as multimedia, hotels and cinema.
However, he also presents a sobering possibility that Cirque could one
day be bought out by a big American corporation. He points to signs
that the Cirque has already become decentralized from Québec.
Ultimately, the author places his faith in Guy Laliberté and believes
he will steer the company on course for years to come.
Some other interesting tidbits can be found in the book such as the
reason France has been left out of Cirque's European tours until this
year, the causes behind the rise and fall of Gilles Ste-Croix's Cheval
Théâtre or the fact that even though Cirque du Soleil is championed by
animal rights activists the original reason for the exclusion of
animal acts was purely pragmatic; "There are no animal acts in our
show at the time being but certain animal acts may be included in the
future if they can be incorporated into the spirit of our circus." Guy
was quoted as saying in Cirque's early days.
Overall, the book wasn't nearly as interesting as I had anticipated.
At times I found the book's focus is too broad, Beaunoyer indulges in
meandering detours through Québec history, descriptions of all of
Cirque's spin-off troupes and editorials about Québec politics.
Though intended to place the story in a firm context, I found these
excursions to be superfluous and distracting.
For those of us who have followed the company closely throughout its
development the book does not include as much new information as we
would like, even the "revelations" are all things we could have pretty
much suspected to be true. However, the book does serve as a nice
chronicle of the history of the Cirque du Soleil.
The book falls far short of being either a thorough piece of
investigative journalism or an engaging business case-study. It is
ultimately unsatisfying because of its overly-broad scope and meager
details. Pick it up if you're really interested in Cirque du Soleil's
history but don't expect anything too in-depth or intellectually
engaging.
The French language version of the book "Dans les coulisses du Cirque
du Soleil" by Jean Beaunoyer, published by Québec-Amérique [ISBN 2-
7644-0242-2] is available for order from Amazon.ca, an English
language version of the book is slated to be released in the Fall of
2004.
=======================================================================
THE CIRQUE CONNECTION:
"The Continuing Saga of the Cusick Case"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
=======================================================================
Though we thought we had reached the conclusion when we told you last
issue that Cirque had reached an agreement to re-hire gymnast Matthew
Cusick (who had been terminated by Cirque for being HIV-positive), it
seems there is more to say.
The Advocate, in their April 13, 2004 issue, features a strikingly
handsome Cusick on the cover over the headline "Gays in Sports - How
They're Winning The Game. Gymnast Matt Cusick takes on Cirque du
Soleil's anti-HIV discrimination." The article, written by Patrick
Letellier with some very photogenic pictures of Matt, brings us up to
date. We find out that as of their press time Cirque has still to
hire Mr. Cusick as an acrobat. We are also brought up to date on
Zumanity's male dance couple Johan and Patrick (Johan has a
"devastating" shoulder injury and will be out indefinitely. They have
another male couple coming into the show very soon.)
In related news, we finally received (thanks to Ms. Rivera-Weiss of
the office) a press release from the San Francisco Human Rights
Commission, which was one of the agencies that brought complaints
against Cirque due to the Cusick case. We've attached the entire
press release below, though it mostly formalizes what we published
previously.
"HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ANNOUNCES SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTION OF CIRQUE DU
SOLEIL COMPLAINT
The City and County of San Francisco Human Rights Commission today
announced that it has completed successful negotiations with Cirque du
Soleil to resolve the Commission's complaint that Cirque discriminates
against certain employees or prospective employees with HIV. The
Human Rights Commission had written to Cirque du Soleil in November
2003 alleging that the company violated its contract with the City and
County of San Francisco by maintaining a policy that people with HIV
could not be hired for acrobatic positions. The allegations were
based on Cirque du Soleil's termination of Matthew Cusick from
employment as an acrobat in Las Vegas when Mr. Cusick revealed that he
was HIV positive, and the fact that Cirque du Soleil's policy against
hiring people with HIV as acrobats also applied in San Francisco. The
Human Rights Commission did not accept Cirque du Soleil's argument
that people with HIV posed a danger to fellow employees and audience
members. As a City contractor that leases space from the Port of San
Francisco for its performances, Cirque du Soleil is prohibited by City
ordinance from discriminating against people with HIV.
Following Cirque du Soleil's receipt of the Human Rights Commission's
complaint, a series of meetings and phone conversations took place
between HRC staff and Cirque du Soleil executives and attorneys. The
Human Rights Commission is very pleased to report that Cirque du
Soleil came to recognize that there was no scientific or medical basis
for maintaining a discriminatory policy against people with HIV, and
that their fears about the dangers of viral transmission were
unfounded. Cirque du Soleil now agrees that all positions at Cirque
du Soleil, including acrobats, are open to people with HIV.
Additionally, the Human Rights Commission worked with Cirque du Soleil
to strengthen the company's anti-discrimination policies worldwide.
Cirque du Soleil agreed to include all of San Francisco's protected
categories, including sexual orientation, gender identity, HIV status,
height, and weight. These protections affect not only San Francisco
employees and members of the public, but all employees and members of
the public in Cirque du Soleil venues internationally. Finally,
Cirque du Soleil has embarked on a program to train and educate
employees about HIV transmission.
The Human Rights Commission congratulates Cirque du Soleil for their
willingness to look more deeply into the important issue of
discrimination against people with HIV, and to be willing to change
their minds and overturn their discriminatory policies. The
Commission also commends Matthew Cusick for his courage and commitment
in fighting back against discrimination, and for contributing to
international understanding of the truth about the talents, abilities,
and rights of people with HIV."
=======================================================================
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT:
"BJ, Live from Japan! -- An Online Chat"
By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA)
=======================================================================
On a wonderful Sunday evening in March, BJ, the drummer on tour with
Quidam, once again took a few moments out of his busy schedule to chat
with Cirque du Soleil fans via the Internet. Like last time, BJ joined
about 10 Cirque fans from across the globe on the IRC (Internet Relay
Chat) network. He spoke with us about Japan, his current feelings
about the tour, projects he's working on and various opinions about
where he is in life. The chat was not without its hiccups, however, as
the broadband provider compromised Internet service two or three
times. Regardless of the intermittent problems with the network, the
chat was a success and I hope everyone who attended had a great time!
For those who could not make the online chat, don't fear, as before
we've taken minutes to present for your enjoyment. Thus, once again,
take it away BJ!
BJ: Ohio gozaimasu!
Richasi: Ohayo Gozaimasu! (Good Morning) How is the morning?
BJ: The morning is cold and slightly cloudy. Yet also extremely
hung over from last night's sumo party. We had our final
Goodbye-Japan-Party yesterday night. It involved a lot of Sake
and a (fake but entertaining) sumo fight.
Richasi: So when do you leave Japan?
BJ: We leave in exactly two weeks. I fly out on April, 5th in
the morning. Not even 12 after tearing down.
Richasi: How has your week been, to start out?
BJ: Well, our week - my week - has been extremely busy. I have
played ten shows, done a lot of final shopping for the folks at
home and also worked on Craigs album for the last time before it
goes into the mixing stage.
Richasi: Have you figured out the art of Japanese gift giving?
BJ: Well, have the Japanese even figured that out? It's
complicated. But I guess that I have learned a little.
Richasi: And, a Q from the stage (from Quidamgrl): When will you
update your site?
BJ: Uhh, my site. I know. I feel extremely bad about that. I am
working so much and the guys in Germany who deal with the design
and the actual updates are constantly bothering me. I guess soon
is the time to update it. In fact, there are massive updates on
the way.
Richasi: Cool! So we can expect some goodies from your site soon, ne?
BJ: Yes, in fact you can expect quite some goodies.
Richasi: Q from Treb -- How are you and Craig coordinating the project
now that he's over at Varekai?
BJ: There will be more music, some videos and some conversations
with fellow artists and other musicians - not only from Quidam.
The coordination of this project is not very easy. I work on a
Pro Tools system that I tour. Craig has a Logic Audio system on
his side and our producer, i.e. Michael Picton who was our
keyboardist in Europe, also works with Logic. We send tracks
back and forth on burned DVDs and try to have everything as
seamless as possible.
Richasi: As a review for those who weren't here last time, can you
explain the project?
BJ: The project is simple. Craig has written an album. The idea
and the musical style are a cross mix of rock, pop and trance,
with very deep lyrics and the whole thing is sort of a concept
album.
Richasi: Q from Treb & Quidamgrl: When do we get it in our hot little
hands? :)
BJ: Almost two years ago we started recording it in Ohio but
because of the "other" job that we have, it takes a long time to
finish it. But we're close. The final mixing will start in
April. I personally hope to have a result in the late summer.
Maybe August. So far it sounds pretty cool.
Richasi: Will the album be commercially available via Amazon or other
online retailer or direct from the source?
BJ: As of now Craig does not have a record label for it but we
are working on options. One of them is Cirques new music
division, another is to create our own label but the easiest way
would be to just sell it to a big label. I hope that works. The
album really grew on me. I love the music and I feel incredibly
blessed that I was allowed to play such a big part in it. So far
we have a lot of bits and pieces and I think that I am safe when
I tell you that it's quite good.
Richasi: You said in one of your communications that you were
exhausted... circusboy wants to know what your average day is like
now?
BJ: My average day is busy. I get up in the morning (depending
on what time the first show is), shower and fight my way through
one million Japanese to work. Then I will have a meal, a sound
check and two shows. After that I might return straight to the
hotel or stay to make some alterations or discuss some ideas
with other artists or technicians. The evenings vary from going
to a sushi bar to going straight to bed.
Richasi: Rod_digga wants to know if you're enjoying Japan and whether
or not you're ready to leave?
BJ: That's a difficult question. I am very ready to leave. In
fact, I want to leave as soon as possible. But that has nothing
to do with Japan. I love Japan and most every thing I have seen
here. But with our relentless schedule I have almost no time to
see Japan and explore it. So I am not tired of Japan. I guess I
am just tired of our schedule and of the fact that it is
extremely difficult to communicate here and that many things
within the Japanese culture will always remain a riddle for
which I never had the time.
Richasi: Have you found the Japanese people to be patient with you?
Have you attempted communicating with any Japanese?
BJ: Japan is beautiful. Above all I love Kyoto but also Nara,
Hakone or Nikko. Everybody should go there and learn that there
is a different world on this planet. I have communicated with
many Japanese and just because I am an entertainer their
patience is almost unlimited. But it is unthinkable not to be
patient in Japan. You cannot push anybody! Patience is
politeness and that means a lot here.
Richasi: Q from Quidamgrl: Have you learned to read/speak much
Japanese?
BJ: Unfortunately I have not had the time to learn much
Japanese. I guess I have picked up some words and phrases but I
have to admit that my Japanese has remained poor. I think that
we all are excited to go back to a territory where we can
understand and comprehend and where our schedule is less
demanding.
{Editor's Note: The chat barely got started when we were rudely
interrupted. It took about 15 minutes or more but we all hung in there
and before long the chat started up again. The rest of the chat time
from here on out was open forum, which meant any of the fans could ask
their question directly to BJ. While this can turn chaotic, it can be
quite fun. This section has been edited to remove comments and/or
questions not for BJ.}
Q: Will Richard Price be performing with the show in Vancouver?
BJ: No, he will leave us in two weeks. He just came back to help
Andree, the new singer. But trust me: Andree is quite up to the
job. You will be pleased. The show sounds excellent at the
moment. We have a new sound guy since Fukuoka and he really
knows his job. We have also started to do multi-track recordings
of every single show. There might be a Quidam live album ahead.
I am serious. There might be a live album. THERE MIGHT!!! Don't
quote me on that one.
Richasi: BJ, what did you get to see out in Kyoto, Hakone?
BJ: I saw the Gion quarter in Kyoto and I actually saw a Geisha.
Other than that I saw many shrines and temples and other sites
in Kyoto. I went there several times. It's just beautiful. My
favorite place in Japan so far.
Richasi: Did you happen to see the movie "Lost in Translation" and if
so, can you relate to it?
BJ: I have not seen it. It's banned in Japan for its racist
content. Some of my colleagues saw it and they did not actually
appreciate it for its unbalanced view. The Japanese are strict
with that stuff.
Richasi: Reading any manga or watching any anime while there?
BJ: Well, there are no translated mangas and I can't really read
Japanese. But most everybody here reads them.
Q: Did ya make it up Fuji-san?
BJ: Fuji was on the agenda a couple of weeks ago. Went there
with Laetitia, our young singer.
Q: BJ, are you going home or on vacation after Japan or are you going
straight to Vancouver?
BJ: Home! There is no food like moms food. I will have about
three weeks with friends and family and no drums. Home for me is
a small city by the name of Aachen about one hour west of
Cologne. But I will not spend my entire time in Germany. Just
after flying into Germany I will pack a small bag again and fly
to London and do a short bike tour with Richard Price. Just for
fun among really good friends.
Q: Does Andre sound completely different than Craig/Richard?
BJ: Yes, he does. But he has his own beauty. I am quite happy
about the fresh air he brought to Quidam. And trust me. Quidam
is nothing like the DVD anymore.
Q: Do you think it'll be weird adjusting to a smaller big top after
getting out of Japan?
BJ: Quidam has changed and evolved. It might be weird for a
short while but I know that old big top so well. It will
probably feel like coming home. Just bare with me. I don't play
like Raynald who is on the DVD. I sound quite different.
Q: BJ, any new equipment upgrades since our last chat?
BJ: New overhead microphones, new mixing desk for me, new room
microphones different snare drum and new socks for my costume.
Q: Are the crowds picking back up for the show? I know you mentioned
somewhere along the line they were thinning out.
BJ: At the moment we are sold out straight. The Japanese take
the end of a run very seriously. I hear that there are tickets
for the very last show in the black market for over $1000.
Q: How would you compare Marina Trouchina's handbalancing to Olga's?
BJ: Marina is more straightforward with her act. She does a
couple of things that Olga would never have been able to do but
she is a craftswoman. Olga was more poetic. Both have their
beauty. I can't decide whom I prefer. But the music for the act
is stronger than ever.
Q: Same music I assume, that Elena Lev performed to when she was
contracted?
BJ: Elena was great to work with. What a nice girl. I think she
preferred Alegría as a show because she could smile more but she
loved Quidam for the friends backstage. Over all I think she
misses Quidam a little more. At least, that's what she told me.
Q: Has the music for the Aerial Hops changed any?
BJ: Aerial Hoops sounds the same. The funny thing is that you
will hear Craig Jennings on that. Richard always used to play
didgeridoo on that and Craig did an impression of a monk voice.
Andree had trouble with that so we sampled Craig's voice and in
the very beginning and end you will hear Craig's voice for some
seconds.
Q: What's the name to the Handbalancing song again? (Quidam)
BJ: I have no idea what the name of the handbalancing song is.
We don't use the commercial names of the record. We just call
the tunes by the names of the act.
Q: BJ, you ever work with Jutras on Quidam's music?
BJ: Of course I worked with Benoit.
[. . .]
BJ: Peter Jackson just came to see us the other week. Really
nice guy.
Q: How is he to work with?
BJ: He is very specific with certain things. But I guess that
after 3 and a half years and after being the longest serving
drummer on Quidam we know each other well enough. He trusts me
quite a bit and I have a lot of leeway. If he feels that you
give your best he is very easy to work with. He sat with me in
the drum booth and I had no comments from him other than that he
loved to be there. After that we got pretty drunk with Irish
beer. So what can I say?
Q: Does Benoit visit the show regularly to see how things are kept up?
BJ: Benoit is currently busy with MGM so he does not have a lot
of time. But he likes to check on things every once in a while.
The band at the moment is pretty good. So Benoit feels safe not
to show up.
Q: Any clue what Audrey's doing now?
BJ: I have no idea what Audrey is doing. Unfortunately! But I'll
let you know as soon as I know.
Q: What other show would like to play in?
BJ: I could see myself playing Alegría and La Nouba.
Q: How are Daniel and Asa doing with the show?
BJ: Daniel and Asa are doing really well.
Q: We heard Roman got injured. Is he doing ok?
BJ: Romans right foot is broken so he is out of the show until
late in Vancouver. Dima fell on it when the big tower in
Banquine collapsed. Very unfortunate incident.
Q: How is everyone taking the fact that Guy is now on the list of
billionaires? Does anyone care? :)
BJ: As long as Guy drinks Guinness with me, I'm fine. I think
that most people are happy about it. In the end it indicates how
successful we are. I personally don't care about how much
someone earns. But he is a nice guy and still knows his vision.
That's worth much more.
Q: What genre/style will Richard Price's solo project be?
BJ: Do you know Steely Dan? That would be the style of music for
Richard. Just VERY intelligent Pop with lots of influences from
Jazz, Rock and various other styles.
Moments after the chat came to a close. He did have 4 suitcases to
pack he said, and to call his mother. And, even though we were sad to
see him go we understood. Before he left, however, we advised him how
much we looked forward to hearing him play on our pending CirqueCon
2004 trip to Vancouver. To that he replied, "I will be there, on
stage, dressed in blue, drumming like never before."
BJ: Mesdames et Messieurs: Bonsior!
Hai, arigato gozaimasu, BJ!
Thank You!
=======================================================================
TÉLÉMAGIK:
"Disclosing Cirque"
By: Wayne Leung - Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
& Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
=======================================================================
An often wondered-aloud question in Cirque fandom is, "What happens
after artists and performers retire from Cirque?" Thanks to the
persistence of our own Wayne Leung, we were made aware of a television
feature that would address that very question. That is, until the
show it was originally set to appear on was cancelled! But there may
yet be hope. Here's the story, as we know it.
"Disclosure," a weekly "investigative" journalism show (similar to "60
Minutes") that aired Tuesday evenings on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting),
recently announced they would be doing a piece on Cirque. Here is the
press release for the feature, written by CBC publicist Susan Procter.
"BIG TOP... BIG TIME... LIFE AFTER CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ON CBC NEWS:
DISCLOSURE APRIL 6 ON CBC-TV
Cirque du Soleil, once the little show from Quebec, is now the hottest
ticket on the Las Vegas strip. Cirque's success means it can attract
the best acrobats in the world. But the career of a circus athlete
can be short-lived and performing more than 400 shows a year takes its
toll. Diana Swain interviews Cirque performers and gets exclusive
behind-the-scenes access in Life After Cirque - what happens after the
curtain falls - on CBC NEWS: DISCLOSURE - April 6 at 9 p.m. on CBC
Television.
Paul Bowler was once an Olympic gymnast in Britain. Now he's one of
the stars of the Cirque show Mystère. Two years ago he injured his
shoulder so badly it had to be completely reconstructed. He took all
of the physiotherapy offered by Cirque. But, worried that he'd never
work again, he got his real estate license. "I know this sounds
absolutely crazy but the best thing that ever happened to me was
blowing my shoulder to pieces," said Bowler. "What I wasn't prepared
to do was sit down for six months and hope and worry how I was going
to meet my living expenses afterwards." Now he's back under the Big
Top, with a successful real estate career on the side.
Bowler is a success story. But things haven't turned out so well for
Sacha Ivanov. He toured as an acrobat with the famous Moscow Circus.
Then, nine years ago, Cirque came calling. "All of us, we had the
feeling the Cirque du Soleil was just family for everybody," he said.
But his attitude changed when Cirque told him they would not renew his
contract. Then he injured himself, making it difficult for him ever
to work for Cirque again. He eventually found work at a Las Vegas
gym."
Sounds interesting, doesn't it? But, just days before the piece was
scheduled to air it was replaced by a more "current" newsworthy piece
on a scandal in British Columbia. Under normal circumstances the
piece would have been rescheduled and run on another date - no use
wasting the cost of putting the piece together. But "Disclosure" has
been cancelled; last Tuesdays broadcast was the shows last!
While it looked doubtful the piece would ever see the light of day, or
that we wouldn't find out about its airing until after the fact, quick
sleuthing by Wayne holds promise. According to the CBC, the piece
will be airing instead on The National, a weeknight news show airing
Monday-Friday from 10-11pm. We understand that the current plan is to
use the piece during the Wednesday, April 14th broadcast of The
National. However, since its hockey playoff season in Canada, the
airing may get delayed depending on how the playoffs go.
So if you're in Canada, set your VCR's! It sounds like the piece
(when it's eventually aired) will become a sought-after video curio in
Cirque fan circles!
=======================================================================
PARTING QUOTE
=======================================================================
"Isn't sex beautiful?"
- Diva Joey Arias (in Zumanity)
=======================================================================
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
=======================================================================
Fascination! is a monthly newsletter, available only through sub-
scription. To subscribe, please send an email to: < CirqueFascination-
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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!
=======================================================================
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
=======================================================================
"Fascination!" is Ricky Russo, Keith Johnson, Paul Roberts, and
Wayne Leung.
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c)
2001-2004 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.
=======================================================================
