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Fascination Issue 029 expanded
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T h e U n o f f i c i a l
C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r
------------------------------------------------------------
E X P A N D E D I S S U E
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=======================================================================
Issue #29e "Meega Na La Queesta!" January 2004
=======================================================================
We're off and running again!
Ever wonder where that phase comes from? Believe it or not it comes
from Cirque's past, or what I fondly refer to as "Cirque Lore." At the
beginning of each early tour, buried in the text of the programme,
Cirque founder and president Guy Laliberte used to provide a little
introduction (as we do here) about the mission statement of Cirque du
Soleil. Sometimes he discussed the growth rate of Cirque, how it had
grown in leaps and bounds over the past year, and other times he'd
discuss the upcoming plans for the company, albeit with few details.
The introductions would invariably start out "we're off and running
again!" and boy would that grab your attention! Remember, tours used
to only run for a short period of time (maybe a year or two), not the
multi-year stages they run in now. And each year Guy would be upbeat
about Cirque du Soleil, where it's been and where it's going. Cirque
du Soleil back then was different than it is now. Today, it's a multi-
million dollar corporation that runs shows, not tours. It's changed,
grown, perhaps not always for the better.
Some of you may have recognized that Fascination! also uses this
phrase to start off each of its issues. While we may not be starting a
new tour, we are always off and running to provide you the latest news
and reviews in Cirque du Soleil fandom. This issue we have a couple of
updates for you, one on the Cusick case. Many of you may remember that
it was Cirque du Soleil's turn to rebutt the charges made by Cusick.
Also, there is word that Cirque is being sued from other of its
artists; you can check out both this issue.
Also, Wayne checks in with the second and third episodes of SOLSTROM,
Cirque du Soleil's variety series, currently airing only in Canada on
the CBC. And, if you're interested in joining us for CirqueCon
Vancouver 2004, please be sure to check out our initial announcement!
We hope you enjoy this issue of Fascination!
/// EXTENDED ISSUE: There's only one expanded item this month, but
it's an interesting interview with Mario D'Amico, CMO of Cirque du
Soleil that appeared in Reveries Magazine in January 2004. You'll
find it under the EXPANDED SELECTION column in our monthly FEATURES
section. ///
- Ricky
===========
CONTENTS
===========
* Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
* CRQ-TV -- Cirque on Television
* CRQ.NET -- Cirque du Soleil Online
* Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information
* Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque
* Le Spectacle:
"The Cusick Case -- Cirque's Rebuttal"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
* Télémagik:
"Weathering the 'Strom: Cirque du Soleil Solstrom, Part 2"
By: Wayne Leung - Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
* Special Engagement:
"CirqueCon Vancouver 2004 is on!"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
* Le Spectateur:
"Cirque at the Masters: A Q&A Review"
By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA)
* Expanded Selection:
"An Interview with Mario D'Amico, Cirque CMO"
From Reveries Magazine, January 2004
* Parting Quote
* Copyright & Disclaimer
=======================================================================
CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Cirque Negligent?
-----------------
Maria Do Carmo Lorador, former hand-to-hand performer on the
Quidam tour, has filed suit with Cirque du Soleil saying the
company was negligent for forcing her to perform with injuries.
Lorador claims she suffered shoulder and elbow injuries during
Quidam's European tour (between the fall of 2000 and summer of
2001), which required extensive surgeries to repair. However,
Lorador claims to have been forced to perform injured (on
January 3, 2001) and has not been able to work since. Lorador is
seeking a total of $225,000 in damages and back disability
payments from Cirque du Soleil and its insurer Lloyd's of
London.
This suit follows a string of lawsuits beginning with Alexey
Dem'yanov, a former Russian gymnast, who's contact was
terminated after he became injured during training after his
schedule was boosted to 15 times a day. Dem'yanov filed suit
against Cirque in September 2003 claiming more than $190,000 in
damages and lost wages. [Source: CBC, Bravo.ca, Canada.com,
Wayne Leung; Ricky Russo]
Up, Up and Away
---------------
Like the red curtain at the beginning of the show, ticket prices
for Cirque du Soleil's "O" production are on the rise... again.
Starting April 1, 2004, ticket prices for Lower Orcehstra
sections 102 and 104 will be $150 (including tax). Section 103
is currently $150. [Source: Bellagio Ticket Office; Ricky Russo]
Mystere Special Show
--------------------
Anyone going to Las Vegas, please mark your calendars. If you
plan to see Mystère, take note: there will only be one showing
on Sunday, February 1st - the 10:30pm performance! Tickets for
Mystère are currently $95.00 (including tax). [Source: Treasure
Island; Ricky Russo]
Cirque du Rockeil?
------------------
Do Cirque du Soleil and Rocky Horror make you wet with
antici...PATION? If you answered yes, did you know the two have
something in common? A mass of dedicated fans, true, but in
2005, you'll be able to see both in the same place: Las Vegas.
To celebrate the 30th Aniversary of the Rocky Horror Picture
Show's theatrical release, Midnight Insanity - a dedicated Rocky
Horror fan-group from California - has organized "Cirque du
Rockeil", a major convention to be held at the Frontier Hotel
for fans and "Virgins" alike! Don your fishnets and get ready,
because Dr. Frank-N-Furter and his band of Transylvanians are
going to invade Las Vegas beginning June 23, 2005!
It's also interesting to note, as the theme of this issue seems
to be regarding recent lawsuits against Cirque, that Cirque du
Soleil has taken to serve a cease and desist warning against
Midnight Insanity for the use of their logo and name to promote
the Rocky Horror convention, advising that the "Cirque du
Rockeil" logo and name may confuse patrons in Las Vegas. This
action comes while Cirque du Soleil currently has a pending
trademark infringement lawsuit with Cirque, Inc., a small
entertainment company based in Florida that also performers a
circus-like act. The lawsuit hinges on whether the courts agree
that the "Cirque" in Cirque du Soleil has become synonymous with
the Montreal based company or not. Regardless of the outcome,
Cirque du Soleil is actively protecting its brand.
In anycase, to find out more about Midnight Insanity and "Cirque
du Rockeil", visit their convention site at: <
http://www.midnightinsanity.com/CirqueDuRockeil/ >. [Source:
Midnight Insanity; Ricky Russo]
Cirque Amongst the Top Films of 2003
------------------------------------
While films like "Finding Nemo", "Pirates of the Carribbean" and
"Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" hold the first, second
and third spots respectively on a list of Top 250 Grossing Films
of 2003, compiled by Variety's Anthony D'Alessandro, Cirque du
Soleil too has irked out a mention... as the 250th top grossing
film for the year. That's right! Journey of Man IMAX, released
by Sony Classics in 2000, grossed $900,784 (US) for 2003. Not
bad for a movie in a small handfull of theaters! [Source:
Variety; Ricky Russo]
=======================================================================
CRQ-TV -- CIRQUE ON TELEVISION!
=======================================================================
* CIRQUE ON CANADIAN TV
---------------------
Network: CBC
Footprint: Canada
Website: http://www.cbc.ca/cirquedusoleil/
* Sunday's at 8:00pm -- SOLSTROM!
* CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: FIRE WITHIN
-----------------------------
Network: Vitaya
Footprint: Belgium (Europe)
Website: http://www.vitaya.be/
Note: Every Thursday at 9:00pm
Network: Odyssey Television
Footprint: Australia
Website: http://www.odysseytelevision.com/html/default.asp
Note: Every Wednesday at 9:30pm
* 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)
-------------------------
The folks at CirqueClub HQ have understandably settled back a bit from
the frantic pace we discussed last month. Only three new articles
have appeared in the News section; one on the manufacturers of the
"costume ball ornaments," a review of La Nouba as it passes the five-
year mark, and a history of trampoline and fast track including an
artist profile. The Solstrum section continues to be lively though,
with the latest episode's ("Ghostly Wind") content up on the site well
in advance of its January 18th airing on CBC.
We also have to mention, since we didn't last month, how much fun we
find the "Solstrum" section. It gives some good information without
giving too much away. And the "Challenge" is a lot of fun, the payoff
"Goodies" are worth the try. The only thing we might ask for is a bit
more detailed info on the performers that aren't Cirque regulars,
though that might be hard for CirqueClub to come by.
We should also note that it's a good idea to check out the Boutique
every now and again. Though they are slow to add things, and don't
carry all the items available at individual shows, occasionally they
will come up with some interesting things. We'd love to see show
posters offered again, and were told months ago that they were very
close to being added. We understand shipping is the issue, that it's
difficult to find a way to ship them so they arrive undamaged. We
hope they get around to solving this problem and offer posters
sometime soon.
On the Web
(By: Ricky Russo)
-----------------
Usually, this column highlights some of the strangest things I've come
across while searching the Internet for Cirque information. And while
this column doesn't always appear in Fascination, this month doesn't
disappoint if you happen to like the strange and unusual.
If you're ready, take a bite out of La Nouba -- that's right, La
Nouba! Not only is it the name of one of Cirque's permanent shows but
it's also a spreadable jam! "La Nouba" is a Sugar Free, all Natural
product made without artificial colors or flavors with less than 5-
grams of Carbohydrates per serving! Fascination is in no way endorsing
this product; I just found it funny to come across Jam, when what I
was looking for was the name of a cast member! You can find this
product here: < http://www.vitacost.com/Store/Products/
ProductDescription.cfm?SKUNumber=830842000216 >.
Admittedly, only one of the items this month could be cataloged as a
"strange" Cirque-du-Soleil-like find on the web, while the other is
usually what I love to find. Thus I'll leave you this month with one
final bit; a pictorial souvenir of an Alegría in-store even by
Rainpalm Services. There are only six pictures here but their stark
clarity and their impromptu nature provide an excellent visual into
what an Alegría in-store event is like. Check out these wonderful
pictures at: http://www.rainpalm.com/Alegria01.htm >!
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
Note that any information in brackets [] is UN-official information
and subject to change.
[Touring Shows]
Alegría:
* Miami, Florida -- Bicentennial Park
Dates: Jan 9, 2004 to Feb 8, 2004
* St. Petersburg, Florida -- Tropicana Field
Dates: Feb 19, 2004 to Mar 7, 2004
[May extend to March 14, 2004]
* Atlanta, Georgia -- Cumberland Galleria
Dates: Mar 25, 2004 to Apr 11, 2004
[May extend to Apr 18, 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 July 25, 2004
* Toronto, Ontario -- Ontario Place
Dates: Aug 19, 2004 to Sep 12, 2004
[* Japan
Possible Dates: Oct, 2004 to Nov 2005]
Dralion:
* London, United Kingdom -- Royal Albert Hall
Dates: Jan 9, 2004 to Feb 15, 2004
* Amsterdam, Netherlands -- Next to Amsterdam Arena (P2)
Dates: Feb 27, 2004 to May 2, 2004
* Vienna, Austria -- TBA
Dates: Jun 3, 2004 to Jul 11, 2004
* Antwerp, Belgium -- TBA
Dates: Aug 12, 2004, to Sep 19, 2004
Quidam:
* Tokyo, Japan
Dates: Dec 24, 2004 to Apr 4, 2004
* 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]
Saltimbanco:
* Seville, Spain -- Recinto Ferial
Dates: Jan 16, 2004 to Feb 12, 2004
* Lyon, France -- Clos Layat
Dates: Mar 5, 2004 to Mar 21, 2004
* Milan, Italy -- Area Spettacoli di Milano
Dates: Apr 29, 2004 to May 16, 2004
* Marseille, France -- TBA
* Rome, Italy -- TBA
* Lille, France -- TBA
(Note: Basel, Switzerland has been removed from the itinerary)
Varekai:
* Orange County, California -- Orange Co Fair Grounds
Dates: Jan 16, 2004 to Feb 29, 2004
[May extend to March 7, 2004]
* San Diego, California -- Qualcomm Stadium
Dates: Mar 18, 2004 to Apr 4, 2004
[May extend 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 28, 2004 to Aug 22, 2004
[May extend to Sep 5, 2004]
* Washington, DC -- TBA
[Possible Dates: Sep 16, 2004 to Oct 24, 2004 /
Tickets may go on sale Mid Mar, 2004]
* Dallas, Texas -- Fair Park
Dates: Nov 10, 2004 to Dec 5, 2004
[May Extend to Dec 19, 2004]
[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:
-- February 1st - 4th -- August 22nd - 25th
-- March 14th - 17th -- October 17th - 20th
-- May 2nd - 5th -- December 5th - 13th
-- June 20th - July 5th
Mystère:
* Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
* Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday
* Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA)
* 2004 Dark Dates:
-- February 2nd, 3rd -- October 5th, 8th
-- April 6th, 9th -- December 3rd - 7th
-- June 4th - 8th -- December 10th - 14th
-- August 3rd, 6th
"O":
* Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
* Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark Monday/Tuesday
* Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
* 2004 Dark Dates:
-- February 16th - 18th -- August 9th - 17th
-- April 19th - 27th -- October 11th - 13th
-- June 21st - 23rd -- December 6th - 21st
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:
-- February 8th - 11th -- October 10th - 13th
-- April 18th - 21st -- November 28th - 30th
-- June 6th - 12th -- December 1st - 20th
-- August 15th - 18th
=======================================================================
DIDYAKNOW? -- FACTS ABOUT CIRQUE
=======================================================================
-- Did you know that Zumanity's Gala Premiere (September 20th) party
cost $1 million, and was held on the rooftop of the New York-New York
parking garrage?
-- Did you know that when the Ballet on Lights act in Dralion first
premiered with the show it was the first time the routine had been
seen outside of China?
-- Did you know that Alegria is the top selling Cirque album to date?
Yes, with over 800,000 copies sold. Quidam is next with about 500,000
sold.
=======================================================================
LE SPECTACLE:
"The Cusick Case -- Cirque's Rebuttal"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
=======================================================================
While there has been no judgement announced in either the U.S. Equal
Employment Opportunities Commission complaint filed by Lambda Legal,
or the San Francisco Human Rights Commission complaint regarding the
firing of HIV-positive gymnast Matthew Cusick (decisions on both cases
should be coming this month), we were able to get results on some of
our research.
The San Francisco Human Rights Commission kindly made available to us
a copy of their November 21 complaint and Cirque's December 12
response (through their legal representative Kamer Zuker Abbott of Las
Vegas). We thought you'd be interested in some excerpts.
In the complaint, signed by Larry Brinkin, Senior Contract Compliance
Officer, the Commission alleged four complaints, to wit:
"1. That Cirque du Soleil does not and will not hire people with HIV
to be porters, acrobats, or performers on Chinese poles;
"2. That this policy does or would apply to other positions identified
by the company as being "unsafe" for co-workers or members of the
public should people with HIV be hired.
"3. That this policy applies to productions taking place on City-owned
property; specifically, Parking Lot A at Pacific Bell Park in San
Francisco.
"4. That this policy was demonstrated by the termination of Matthew
Cusick, a self-identified man with HIV, from a Cirque du Soleil
production in Las Vegas."
The letter asks for a response and paperwork backup from Cirque to
include (paraphrasing here):
* Policies regarding employment of HIV-positive individuals.
* Positions for which HIV-positive people would not be hired.
* Documents written by medical authorities which recommend not hiring
HIV-positive people for positions such as Cirque has.
* Other companies policies supporting the idea of not hiring HIV-
positive people.
* "Universal precautions" policies in place at Cirque.
* Questions concerning how Cirque knows the HIV status of its
employees for positions where the company believes HIV to be an issue.
Pretty much a laundry list of requests for proof of denial of the
complaints. Cirque responded to the letter on December 12 (written by
Scott Abbott). In addition, two senior vice-presidents met with the
Commission in San Francisco on December 15.
There's been some confusion in the fan community over why United
States laws would effect a Montreal, Quebec, Canada company. The
entity involved here is "Cirque du Soleil America, Inc." which, among
other things, is the company under which La Nouba, Mystere, and O are
managed. Since Mystere is the show Cusick was fired from, and CDS
America signed the contract for the space at the Pacific Bell parking
lot in San Francisco, United States law and San Francisco ordinance
apply.
In the letter Cirque denies each of the complaints. They have no
policies concerning HIV-positive people, or positions they wouldn't be
qualified for. To do so, the letter states, would be a direct
violation of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). But the letter
does go on to state, "The ADA's protections...are not absolute,
however. A disabled individual must be able to perform the essential
functions of the job he holds or desires with or without a reasonable
accommodation. In addition, the safety and well-being of a disabled
individual, as well as his non-disabled counterparts, is a significant
concern to all employers..."
Then comes the paragraph that Lambda Legal, Cusicks' lawyers, has
zeroed in on for ridicule. "With respect to Alegria," says the
letter, "...there are many employment positions which would be suited
to an individual with HIV (provided other job qualification standards
are met). For example, given the touring aspect of the "Alegria"
show, Cirque contracts with a temporary staffing service to provide
candidates to fill positions in the city where the production will be
showcased. In the case of "Alegria" these positions include
dishwashers, dining room attendants, prep cooks, box office staff, box
office assistants, ushers, hosts/hostesses, food and beverage staff,
public sales assistance, merchandising staff and hawkers. Any one of
these positions could be filled by an individual with HIV because the
jobs to not involve constant bodily contact with others and a high
degree of potential injury with possible bodily fluid exposure. As a
matter of fact, Cirque does currently employ individuals with HIV." A
footnote for the paragraph states, "Artists and crew for the show are
not hired in the touring city, such as San Francisco, inasmuch as
these individuals are part of the show's regular staff. Rather, these
positions are filled by individuals who are hired from around the
world and trained in Montreal."
Responding to this paragraph, Lambda Legal quickly put out a press
release. "Even 20 years ago, Cirque du Soleil's comments would be
suspect. Today, they are shockingly ignorant," said Hayley Gorenberg,
Lambda Legal's AIDS Project Director, who represents gymnast Matthew
Cusick, who Cirque fired because he has HIV. "If Cirque du Soleil ran
the Lakers in the 1990s, Magic Johnson would have been transferred to
wash dishes in the stadium restaurant after he disclosed his HIV
status. We've always said Cirque du Soleil is illegally keeping
people with HIV out of certain jobs, despite sound science and common
sense, and now Cirque has confirmed that. Whatever Cirque's formal
policies are, it blocks people with HIV from positions where they can
safely perform, and that's discrimination. There has never been a
case of an athlete transmitting HIV during performance or competition.
Our client's dream job is to be a performer, not a dishwasher.
Because he's qualified to be a performer and can do that job safely,
that's the job he should have."
Another interesting quote comes from Cirque's "Conclusion," where Mr.
Abbott states, "Cirque is currently in discussion with Mr. Cusick's
attorneys to try and resolve that matter. To that end, we have made
various offers to Mr. Cusick, which include employment, and are
awaiting news from his attorneys in this regard."
As an exhibit in response to the complaint, Cirque supplied a copy of
a page from their "Human Resources Policies and Tour Rules For
Artists" (updated Feb 2003). Under item six, which discusses Equal
Employment Opportunity, Cirque does indeed state that they shall not
illegally discriminate against anyone because of, among other things,
"mental or physical disability." They are very clear that they
"...will hire, train, promote, and compensate artists only on the
basis of skill, ability, reliability and performance."
Cirque's case all along was that Cusick posed a hazard to other
performers and audience members in the positions he was hired for.
Cusick's side has been quick to point out that many studies involving
contact sports have shown that risk of infection is very low. But
Cirque provides what may be the clearest explanation of their concern
yet, even though it may be veiled. In discussing how HIV-positive
people would be hired as temp workers, the response says, "...because
the jobs do not involve constant bodily contact with others and a high
degree of potential injury with possible bodily fluid exposure."
There, in a nutshell, is the general case they have to make to the
EEOC. But they will need to be more specific to counter the other
sports-oriented studies. They will need to make the case that it's
the combination of the three elements:
* Constant bodily contact (complete support of a fellow performer by
hand-to-hand grasping while swinging on a trapeze for up to five
seconds),
* High degree of potential injury (from grabbing bars and hand
holding, as well as fingernails cutting hands),
* And possible fluid exposure (from open calluses or wounds on fellow
performers coming in contact with a freshly-opened, bleeding wound on
Mr. Cusicks hands for that mentioned 5-second period of hand-holding.)
...combined together which make an HIV-person unsuitable for, in
particular, the high bar catcher position. They need to be able to
make the case that the risk of disease transfer is much higher, given
the circumstances, than the other contact sports studies have shown.
We'll report on the findings in either case when they're made
available.
=======================================================================
TÉLÉMAGIK:
"Weathering the 'Strom: Cirque du Soleil's Solstrom, Part 2"
By: Wayne Leung - Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
=======================================================================
As Cirque du Soleil fans watched the second and third episodes of the
company's new variety series we've had the opportunity to see Solstrom
take shape. Although certainly not the most creative of Cirque's
enterprises, the series nonetheless presents interesting circus acts
that we may not otherwise have the opportunity to see. However, if
there's one thing the series is consistently lacking it is
presentation. The overall artistry is nowhere near as strong as it is
in Cirque's live shows.
With the large amount of time available in each episode of Solstrom
the series could present full versions of Cirque acts never before
filmed. Instead it crams too many mediocre acts into each episode.
The time allotted for any particular number is shortened. Despite the
variety of acts available, episodes have already started featuring
variations of the same acts. Each of the first few episodes features
an aerial silk act. There have also been multiple hand balancing and
juggling acts. When Cirque brings back a familiar act in a subsequent
live show the inventive staging, artistic context, music, costumes and
choreography refresh it. In Solstrom, the overall sameness of the
episodes means they feel repetitive. Also, the adaptation of certain
acts from Cirque's live shows is done sloppily; taking an originally
beautiful act and changing the costuming and/or music, effectively
ruining it. Forget trying to fit the act into the context of the
episode, the context rarely works anyway. Cirque could have filmed
disparate individual acts from its shows and other circus shows and it
would have worked to greater effect.
What follows are my impressions from the second and third episodes of
Solstrom.
Episode 2: Once Upon a Wind
(original air date: December 7, 2003)
-------------------------------------
In the second installment of Solstrom mad scientist/astronomer Fogus
Punch (John Gilkey) tracks two solar wind characters (Gaya from
Dralion and Quidam from Quidam) to a London library. The costuming
and set dressing suggest that it is the 1930s or 40s. A boy is
combing the shelves looking for a storybook. Gaya influences his
decision by huffing solar wind onto a particular book which jumps out
at the boy. It is an adventure/comic book filled with the stories of
action heroes. The boy checks the book out and takes it home. The
next morning Gaya emerges in the boy's family's kitchen and the solar
wind blows apart the binding of the book so the magic infused pages
fly out the window and disperse all over town. Those who pick up the
pages fall under the solstrom's spell.
While the first episode landed with a klunk due to some major artistic
and pacing problems, the second episode hits the ground running and is
able to build up some momentum. Overall this episode is a great
improvement over the first. The quality of the individual acts is
more consistent, the story arc, although still weak, is more cohesive
and better developed. Even the music has improved. Though still
overly reliant on synthesizers the original music, written by Sylvain
Charles Grand and Dominique Grand, possesses a hint of the simple
charm of the very early Dupéré compositions (circa Le Cirque
Reinventé). The artistic presentation of the episode borrows from
the themes of Quidam and Varekai though they aren't as effectively
developed as in those shows. During the episode a family's ho-hum
daily existence is transformed into a fantasy of adventure stories and
action heroes.
We begin in the family's home at breakfast. The parents busily
prepare for work while the child flips through his storybook. Dad
leaves to catch the bus while the child looks at a page with a drawing
of a Wonder Woman-like comic book heroine. His mom, in the midst of
folding a red towel, transforms in a flash into the heroine from the
book and the towel becomes a long silk "cape" which she uses to
perform a wonderful aerial silk act. Mom is played by Ginger Ana
Griep Ruiz from La Nouba. Though only a supporting performer in the
Aerial Ballet act in the live show, Solstrom gives this highly
talented aerialist the opportunity to perform some high-calibre skills
on the aerial tissue apparatus. Though similar acts have appeared in
numerous Cirque du Soleil shows I couldn't help but marvel at the
masterful skill possessed by this particular performer. She delivers
one of the most dynamic performances of the series so far.
After Mom has landed we check in with Dad who is waiting for the bus.
A figure with a familiar "face", the headless Quidam, walks by and
inspires one of the gentlemen at the bus stop to find delight in
manipulating the light fixture from a nearby street lamp (actually a
small blue ball). The man exhibits his dexterity as he rolls the ball
across his body, bounces it on his head and his briefcase. He then
adds more balls and starts to juggle. The "suitcase juggling" is
performed by Steven Andrew Ragatz, a veteran Cirque performer who was
part of the Manipulation trio seen in previous incarnations of Mystère
and Quidam.
We join Dad's co-workers dressed in suits and wearing bowler hats,
either in homage to or directly copying the thematic elements of
Quidam (which are inspired by the paintings of surrealist René
Magritte), as they arrive for work at a large accounting office. The
workers sit in a room with ranks of desks each with an old-fashioned
manual adding machine on the corner. They settle in and synchronously
work in a rhythmic choreography meant to symbolize the monotony and
uniformity of the work-a-day world. Overseeing the workers is the
grumpy Ebenezer Scrooge-like boss, the cantankerous foible of this
week's episode, played by Cirque alumnus Rodgrigue "Chocolat" Tremblay
of Le Cirque Réinventé.
As a page from the magic book sails in from a window a male and female
employee simultaneously reach to pick it up. When they touch the
sheet their business attire melts away into swanky leather garb,
invoking images of John Steed and Emma Peel from the British
television series the Avengers. Played by Sara Joel and Stephan
Choinière the duo takes the concept of an office romance to dazzling
new heights by performing a sizzling balancing/adagio act to a British
spy film score. This performance is an adaptation of the Body2Body
act the pair performs in Zumanity. In Solstrom, the performers are
fully clothed and the sexually explicit choreography is toned down for
a PG audience. Though not overtly sexual the act is still beautiful
and sensually performed by this talented pair.
Back at home, Mom leaves for work and Grandpa arrives to baby sit the
boy. Grandpa is a little mischievous himself and as soon as Mom is
gone he invites two friends over to play poker. However, Gaya
transforms the three gentlemen into foot jugglers. This acrobatic
group known as Les Castors consists of three brothers aged 54, 58 and
60. While Russian/Ukrainian dance music plays the trio reclines on
chairs and juggles diverse items back and forth including basketballs,
rolled carpets, a child's bed and even each other. Eventually the men
settle back down to finish their poker game, neglecting the Boy who
sneaks out in search of his parents.
Back at the office Dad sneaks in late. However another encounter with
the magic book has caused the office to become overgrown with jungle
foliage. One employee transforms into an Indiana Jones-type
character. A large wooden ball comes rolling through the office. Our
adventurer hops on top of it and scampers across the room, performing
a series of flips all while remaining on the ball, much to the chagrin
of the increasingly agitated boss. The performer is Frédéric Barrette
a 2003 graduate of Montreal's École Nationale de Cirque (National
Circus School).
From the chaos of Dad's office we cut to the quiet museum where Mom
works. We happen upon a janitor who is looking at an ancient Egyptian
artifact and daydreaming. A page from the magic book floats by and
suddenly the Janitor is transformed into a cat burglar. He dons a
black cap and sprays mist at the artifact's enclosure. Laser beams
protecting the exhibit are revealed. The burglar realizes the only
way to get to his loot is from above. Hence, he climbs up a Spanish
Web (vertical rope) and attempts to swipe the treasure. Jonathan
Morin (part of the Spanish Web team in Quidam) makes a dramatic plunge
from the ceiling, the rope tied around his body arresting his fall at
the last possible second. Before he can make the grab a visitor walks
by and he quickly scampers back up the rope. When the coast is clear
he plunges again and again, each attempt foiled by a passer-by. This
is one of the most inventive adaptations of an existing Cirque act
featured in the series so far.
Back at the office, the workers leave for their lunch break and
Scrooge is left alone with his beautiful assistant. He is in love
with her though she adores another man. In an attempt to win her
heart Scrooge presents his assistant with a gift; a pair of ballet
slippers. She slips them on and the two dance a comic pas de deux
mock ballet during which the boss strips down to his underwear. The
dancers are real-life husband and wife Rodrigue Tremblay and
Nicollette Hazewinkett. Upon the return of his employees the Boss
drops his love-interest and quickly scrambles to put his clothes back
on.
Back at the museum Mom receives a huge crate with a new exhibit
inside. She signs for the shipment and leaves. As the deliveryman
pries open the crate he magically transforms into a warrior, dressed
in an ancient Roman-style costume similar to that worn by the Aerial
Strap artist in Nouvelle Expérience. The crate contains a large stone
with a sword embedded in it. Could the sword be Excalibur? Could our
warrior be King Arthur? The performer uses the sword as a hand
balancing cane and demonstrates his extraordinary strength by
performing an agile series of poses and balances on the cane, not
touching down until the end of the act. The hand balancer is the
remarkably talented 18-year-old Dimitri Prudnikov.
Mom observes a painting which has slowly changed during the course of
the day and as she is turned away Quidam walks by and she disappears.
Returning to the office we find that it has become even more of a
jungle as the foliage grows thicker, and the office workers start to
shed their suits in favour of more tribal attire. Some wear their
ties as headbands. The boy arrives and finds his father. Overjoyed
to see his son the father picks him up but they are affected by Gaya's
solar wind and we find them performing a beautiful adagio/hand-to-hand
act similar to the one performed in Saltimbanco. The boy, possessing
all the grace and flexibility of a young Anton Chelnokov, precariously
balances on his father in a variety of poses in a beautiful
performance.
The storybook has not yet finished wreaking its havoc on the office.
Another page inspires Tarzan to materialize. Played by Igor Zaripov,
Tarzan flies through the air in a high-flying aerial strap act. The
20-year-old performer displays remarkable gymnastic ability.
Finally, Gaya and Quidam emerge at the office. Mom is transported
there as well and the office workers transform into a funky dance
tribe and party late into the night. As "Aborigenes Jam" (the Hoop
Diving song from Dralion) strikes up the tribe accentuates the music
with a variety of percussion instruments, and the Amazon warriors join
the party as a group of female fire jugglers dance to the beat. The
finale is performed by BAM, a street percussion group and Walkyries, a
group of fire jugglers who are a product of the 2002 Cirque du Monde
outreach program.
Episode 3: "Wind of Freedom"
(Original air date: December 14, 2003)
--------------------------------------
After showing a glimmer of potential in episode two, Solstrom comes
crashing back down with its third installment. Entitled "Wind of
Freedom" the premise finds Boum-Boum from Quidam descending on a
prison and inspiring inmates to escape via various fantastical means.
Unfortunately, the concept doesn't work at all. It's simply too far
fetched to be achievable without descending into the absurd. The
style and presentation is a confused mess and the low-production
values, shoddy scripting and weak artistry all but ruin this
installment.
Don't get me wrong, the individual acts are no less spectacular in
this episode but the context is just so ill-conceived and poorly
executed that it constantly distracts from the performances, and the
viewer can only think about how ridiculous it all looks. This is
disappointing given the potential of the powerful "freedom" theme
which Cirque has used evocatively in acts such as Varekai's Flight of
Icarus, Alegría's Flying Man and Mystère's Aerial Cube. The sheer
visual poetry in the presentation of these numbers turns them into
powerful metaphors for the struggle of the captive who yearns to break
free. It is this artistry that is painfully absent from this episode
of Solstrom.
The episode opens with a group of prisoners in an exercise yard. The
solstrom inspires them to break out into an energetic dance/percussion
session. The troupe is known as Beat and their performance draws
inspiration from shows such as Bring in 'Da Noise Bring in 'Da Funk,
Tap Dogs and Stomp.
A new prisoner is brought in; lanky Varekai clown Claudio Carneiro.
He plays a clichéd bumbling idiot character and seems to give a rather
subdued performance without an audience's energy to feed him.
One young man placidly bounces a ball against a wall in a classic
"prisoner" image. The solar wind inspires the young man, 19 year-old
Vladik Miagkostoupov, to perform an energetic contact juggling act.
He dances and writhes while juggling and manipulating up to seven
balls. This young performer exhibits talent and skill reminiscent of
Dralion's Viktor Kee.
Next, Troupe Khaylatov of the Great Moscow State Circus performs one
of the most high-level acrobatic acts I've ever seen. One performer
balances a 9.5 meter (approximately 30 foot) pole on his shoulder on
top of which another performer is perched. They perform some skills
similar to Chinese Poles performers, if the poles were simultaneously
being balanced on the shoulders of porters. Though amazing, the
uninspired presentation of the act makes it less than enthralling.
Without the music, costumes, lighting, sets, choreography and drama
usually present in Cirque du Soleil's live shows even this spectacular
act seems dull. In the absence of artistic elements the act is just a
meaningless bunch of tricks and despite the skill of the performers, I
found that it dragged on and got tired quickly.
Claudio winds up in the prison infirmary. The patient in the adjacent
bed is inspired by the solar wind to leap up and perform a dance on
crutches. Bill Shannon is a New York dancer/choreographer who turned
his reliance on crutches into a new form of dance. Inspired by hip-
hop and break dance Bill perfected his "Shannon Technique" for dancing
on crutches which, until Cirque commissioned him to choreograph a
piece for Varekai, only he practiced. Bill is amazingly agile on the
cumbersome crutches and performs moves that are far more advanced than
his protégé in Varekai is capable of. But the performance in Solstrom
is devoid of any deep evocative power since it is not presented in a
dramatic context like it is in Varekai.
A short slight-of-hand card routine performed by magician Étienne
Vendette follows. Claudio is then hauled to his cell which he shares
with a strange fellow; Zumanity dislocation artist Mukhtar
Gusengadzhiev. Mukhtar presents his human-pretzel bone-displacement
dance which demonstrates his extreme flexibility.
We cut to an adjacent cell where one inmate wrangles loose the bars on
his window, but before his escape Boum-Boum's puff of solstrom
transforms the bars into balancing canes. The prisoner, played by
former Alegrìa artist Samuel Tetreault, performs a hand-balancing act
taken from his current show Les 7 doigts de la main.
Meanwhile a group assembles in the courtyard. One prisoner taunts
Claudio by stamping down on one side of a bench and sending Claudio's
shoe on the opposite end flying into the air. The solar wind turns
the bench into a Korean Plank and the group members (from Mystère)
propel each other higher and higher on the apparatus. I adored this
act when presented in Mystère but in Solstrom the unimaginative
costumes and bland music diminish its impact.
The episode closes with La Nouba performer Yuri Maiorov attempting a
helicopter escape. He ties bed sheets to a rig lowered by a hovering
chopper but before he makes his escape Boum-Boum's magic has him
soaring across the prison yard performing an Aerial Ballet in Silk. I
usually adore aerial silk acts; they are among my favorites in any
show where they are featured. However, in the context of Solstrom
they don't have the same evocative power. Whereas in the theatre the
aerialists fly over the heads of the audience and evoke a sense of
wonder and other-worldly awe, on television they simply don't have the
same effect. Without the spatial reference of the theatre the viewer
can't appreciate the act in the same way and unfortunately it becomes
flat on screen.
Solstrom is to Cirque du Soleil what a buffet is to dining; you get
quantity over quality. There's a lot of stuff but none of it is very
good and everything is watered down. A good Cirque du Soleil
production is very much like a gourmet meal at a fine restaurant;
presentation is everything. In this case I expected Cordon Bleu and
got Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Many fans were concerned when Zumanity was in the works that Cirque
would somehow damage its own image with the release of a show that so
seemingly strayed from its tradition. This is the risk the company
takes when targeting a show to a specific audience. However, whereas
I found Zumanity to be an intense, evocative and well thought out
expansion of Cirque's artistic capabilities, providing a strong
complement to the company's existing repertoire, I feel Solstrom is
derivative and poorly crafted. This time I feel that Cirque rested on
its laurels instead of pushing the envelope and charging into
uncharted territory. The company squandered the potential of the new
television series and merely stuck its name on an inferior product. I
certainly would not have bothered watching this program if it did not
carry the Cirque du Soleil banner and I am indeed concerned about any
potential lasting effects in releasing this show to a wide audience.
It's not at all representative of the artistry and quality Cirque is
capable of, and if Solstrom were the first I had ever seen of the
company I would not have been impressed in the least. Nor would I
have been inspired to shell out the money to see their live shows.
There are several areas where Solstrom needs work. Firstly, the
series needs a director (or directors) with a clear artistic vision
and an eye for visual storytelling. There are so many talented
directors on the avant-garde of film that Cirque could have hired to
make the series innovative instead of inane. Higher production
quality is a must. If Cirque is going to produce a television series
it should do it right and that means investing the necessary time,
resources and money. I would have liked to see a much more film-like
visual quality with scenes shot "on-location" as well as in a studio,
as they did with Journey of Man. There is a painful need for better
art direction and cinematography. The music would be much more
effective if it were written by a more seasoned composer. What are
Benoit Jutras and René Dupéré doing nowadays anyway? Furthermore,
instead of synthesizers they should spring for a full scoring
orchestra. And, perhaps most importantly, they should scrap the
irritating, pointless narration and re-think the Sesame Street-does-
Cirque style. When it comes to Cirque du Soleil productions it is the
presentation and artistry that matter most. The company shouldn't
feel that it needs to pander to appeal to a wide audience.
What sets Cirque du Soleil apart in the world of circus arts is the
company's exacting eye for detail, its keen sense of artistry and its
ability to create thought-provoking imagery. All of these elements
are noticeably lacking in Solstrom. The series may pass for
entertainment but it has certainly not achieved the level of art. It
grieves me to say it because I love this company, I want it to succeed
and continue to create wonderful, artistic shows. But Solstrom is
nothing special. Anybody can simply throw together a collection of
circus acts and produce a show. Sadly, I feel this is what was done
with Solstrom. It is missing the very essence of what makes Cirque du
Soleil great. It neither invokes the imagination, provokes the senses
nor evokes the emotions.
Keep in mind however, that this is merely my own opinion after seeing
the first three episodes. There is certainly the hope and possibility
that the show may improve in subsequent installments. I encourage
readers to watch for themselves and form their own opinions. Perhaps
I may turn out to be a harsher critic than most. If some fans truly
enjoy the show then I am glad. What I've seen of Solstrom so far just
doesn't really appeal to me.
=======================================================================
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT:
"CirqueCon Vancouver 2004 is on!"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
=======================================================================
Calling all Cirque du Soleil fans, as well as their friends and
family! Interested in a weekend getaway? One that would also include
your hobby of Cirque du Soleil in the process? How about staying with
a group of other avid Cirque du Soleil fans from across the country?!
Join us for CirqueCon Vancouver 2004, the first unofficial gathering
of Cirque fandom!
After being offshore for all of 2003, Quidam's only stops in North
America for 2004 are Vancouver, BC and Calgary, Alberta Canada. Some
Cirque fans insist Quidam is one of if not the best Cirque touring
show with its darker theme and subtext. This is the perfect
opportunity to see it again - or for the first time - and have some
fun as a group!
It all began with Cirque fan Jeff "sfogviper" Tolotti proposing, on
the Cirque du Soleil Yahoogroup, a gathering during Quidam's
Vancouver, BC run. His initial suggestion turned into a specific
weekend - Friday, May 21 through Sunday, May 23, 2004, taking in the
8pm performance of Quidam on Saturday evening May 22nd. That weekend
Cirque fans from across the country will be convening in Vancouver
(some are even flying into Seattle, renting cars, forming carpools and
driving up).
Once the date was set, other wheels began turning. Erstwhile
Fascination! publisher Ricky "Richasi" Russo brought the newsletters
sponsorship to the endeavor, enthusiastically lending his support
along with that of writer Keith Johnson.
Keith, who had previously organized group trips from his home base of
Seattle, WA to Orlando, FL (15 people) and Anaheim, CA (22 people),
had something special in mind. He had his eyes on two Bed and
Breakfast lodges that he thought would be just perfect for our
gathering. So he reserved both of them exclusively for our use!
What's in Vancouver? - Well, Cirque of course! But there's also:
* The beautiful Stanley Park
* Cable tram rides up Grouse Mountain
* The Capilano Suspension Bridge
* Many interesting museums
* The nightlife of Granville Island
* Cosmopolitan shopping on Robson Street
* The old charm of Gastown
* International eating
* And much more!
But being part of a group tour doesn't mean you have to do everything
the group does. We've found that small sub-groups tend to form and
scatter in various directions during the day (one to a museum, another
to shopping for example), coming together as a group only in the
evening for major events (such as Quidam). But staying in one
facility allows those groups to form, people to "tag along," and
provides an environment where experiences can later be shared. As
well as being an experience in itself!
Come Stay With Us! The Douglas House and Cambie Lodge Bed and
Breakfasts are our "official" lodging facilities. Both are about a
mile from where Cirque will stake their tent. These cozy turn-of-the-
century houses are in a quiet residential neighborhood but still very
close to the cosmopolitan downtown of Vancouver.
Since the houses are older, they are not ADA-accessible. There are
stairs to climb, several flights if your room is on the top floor.
But the intimacy, character and charm of these two homes-turned-inns
and their closeness to the Cirque tent-grounds easily make up for any
inconvenience of stair-climbing. And there's plenty of free on-site
parking!
As you would expect at a bed and breakfast, the rooms are cozy and
comfortable. The staff is first-rate and speaks several languages.
And the breakfasts (included in the per-night rate) are hearty and
fun, taken in the kitchen with the staff and your other housemates.
As of press time, rooms in the Cambie Lodge and a few in the Douglas
House Annex are available. All rooms have at least one queen bed and
cable TV. Most of them even have their own private bathroom! Rates
vary, but the per-night rates (including 17% tax) range from $68.00
USD / 88.00 CDN for smaller "loft" rooms, to $123.00 USD / 158.00 CDN
for Annex Building "Penthouse Suites", with most rooms running $96.00
USD / 123.00 CDN per night. That may sound like much more than a
"Motel 6" type rate. But one needs to remember these rooms are in
downtown Vancouver, during the middle of their summer tourist season,
and *include all taxes*. Indeed, for what you get these rates are
very reasonable.
Want More Info? - Check out Jeff's "Official" CirqueCon Vancouver 2004
Web Page at < http://members.cox.net/sfogviper/quidam/lodging.html >
for more information and a listing of the rooms currently available.
Want to see some pictures? Check out <
http://www.dougwin.com/html/douglas.html > for descriptions and
pictures of rooms similar to those in the Cambie Lodge. (The Cambie
Lodge rooms and the Douglas House Annex Suites are not included there
and don't have their own pages, but those pictures will give you some
idea of the accommodations.) Please note, this does not mean rooms
are available, see below.
Want to join us? - Just follow these simple steps...
* GET YOUR TICKETS: Get your tickets for Quidam first! (Saturday, May
22, 2004, 8pm) As of press time, the Vancouver Quidam tickets were
still being sold only to CirqueClub members, so you'll need to be a
member of CirqueClub and log on through their website.
* CHECK OUT THE ACCOMODATIONS: Check out Jeff's "Official" CirqueCon
Vancouver 2004 Web Page at <
http://members.cox.net/sfogviper/quidam/lodging.html > for more
information and a listing of the rooms currently available. Also
check out < http://www.dougwin.com/html/douglas.html > for pictures of
similar rooms.
* CONTACT KEITH FOR AVAILABILITY: Contact Keith Johnson at 206-284-
8516 (Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Pacific Time, answering machine other times) or
via kj@gmnameplate.com (a phone call is preferred). Talk with Keith
about what room you want. NOTE this is the only way to get a room at
these Bed & Breakfasts for this weekend. You CANNOT get them by
calling the lodges directly.
* KEITH WILL CALL THE HOUSE AND RELEASE THE ROOM TO YOU. - Keith will
confirm room availability and advise you.
* YOU CALL THE BED & BREAKFAST AND PUT THE ROOM ON YOUR CREDIT CARD.
Then you're all set. That's all there is to it! And get set for a
once-in-a-lifetime Cirque-ey weekend.
We'll have further "progress reports" on CirqueCon as we get closer to
May.
=======================================================================
LE SPECTATEUR:
"Cirque at the Masters: A Q&A Review"
By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA)
=======================================================================
10:45pm
It was well into the evening by the time I had returned home from
work, and little did I know that something special was waiting for me
within my email inbox. It was a Wednesday evening in late October as I
recall, and I wasn't too anxious to check my email that night. I'm not
sure why, but it had been a tiring day on the job and all I really
wanted to do was relax for a bit without the fuss of answering
incoming mail or navigating a bunch of spam messages. But I checked
it anyway. And there it was; the reply I had been waiting for...
On October 23, 2003, Cirque du Soleil La Nouba and Cirque Club
released a statement to its members -- an invitation to a Question &
Answer session with artists at the Cirque du Soleil Theater at
Downtown Disney's West Side in Orlando, Florida. The first 500
respondents to this special invite would be able to attend the event
taking place on Saturday, November 8th, during the weekend long
Festival of the Masters art celebration at Downtown Disney. The notice
came during the day; I was at work and completely unawares.
Imagine the shock when I received the message, and realized it was
hours after it had been made public. Certainly there'd be no way for
me to attend this special session now, as hundreds of thousands of
people are members of Cirque Club and no doubt at least 500 of them
(or more) responded. But I sent in a reservation request anyway. My
hopes rested on the nice people at Cirque Club and my quaint reply:
"Here's hoping I'm one of the 500 respondents".
A week passed and there was still no reply. I had given up hope that I
had somehow squeaked in; that I was the 500th respondent. At 10:45pm
on Wednesday October 29th, I was not in the best of spirits. But
something was about to happen that could change all that.
I received a reply from Cirque Club.
My eyes darted over the contents of the email quickly. What did they
have to say -- were they full? My eyes fell over the first line: "Hi
there Ricky!" That was a promising start... most people just call me
Richasi, which is just fine by me, but I was shocked to get a personal
response. My eyes dashed below the salutation and for a moment I was
ready for the worst. "Actually, we're already full," the message read.
Yeah, I was prepared for that. No problem, I thought, there'd be other
times. "But, under the circumstances," the message continued, "we are
willing to make an exception just for you!"
What? Did I read that correctly?
Yes, thanks to the lovely ringmasters at Cirque Club, I and two guests
-- Paul Keila, a friend of mine from Tampa, Florida who has seen La
Nouba, but hasn't has his horizons expanded by other Cirque
performances yet; and Cedric Pansky, originally from Denver, Colorado
but now living in Orlando, Florida and is largely responsible for
introducing me to Cirque du Soleil) -- were squeezed into a slot and
before I knew it we were on our way to a wonderful afternoon with
Cirque du Soleil artists!
Since we are based in Orlando we didn't have to travel far to take
part in this experience. A 20-minute trip in the car and we were
standing in front of the massive Cirque du Soleil castle. But, let's
dispense with the personal narrative and get on with the reporting.
Festival of the Masters is Disney's acclaimed annual showcase of art,
culture and cuisine and has been running in Downtown Disney for the
past 28 years. "Some 150 award-winning visual artists will transform
Downtown Disney into a vast outdoor gallery with an entertaining mix
of fine arts, live entertainment,delicious food and fun for the whole
family," says the Disney press release on the event, and Cirque du
Soleil was one of those artists.
For their part, Cirque presented special acts on the Friday and
Saturday afternoons of the festival -- Diabolos, Cycles, German Wheel
and Trampoline -- outside of the theater under the big Cirque du
Soleil logo on a makeshift performance space of carefully laid-out and
meticulously cleaned carpeting. Cirque also offered face-painting
opportunities with their make-up artists and a small peek at props and
costumes from their resident show La Nouba.
Fascination!'s involvement in the affair was only the Question &
Answer period scheduled for the CirqueClub members, but imagine my
surprise when I walked up to the building and found actual
performances staged for the public eye! (I hadn't known about these
beforehand.)
The first one was the German Wheel twins, Bruce and Stacey Bilodeau,
both long-time alumni of Cirque du Soleil. The pair were displaying
the intricacies of the German Wheel discipline by performing various
tricks -- like setting up the wheel, jumping in and out, standing on
top, spinning the wheel, and various other snippets of their live
performance. All the while the pair were speaking to a relatively
large-sized audience getting laughs from their jokes and applause for
their antics. I found Bruce and Stacey to be wonderful spokesmen for
Cirque's Festival of the Masters outing, as they were gracious (thanks
for the picture guys!) and fun to watch!
The second performance was the Diabolos, performed by four wonderfully
talented and cute girls from China. This performance was more
structured than Bruce and Stacey's German Wheel thanks in part to the
girls' coach, which dictated jabout every move they made. The girls
flipped, tossed and handled their Diabolo's with exquisite timing and
precision, only having lost the diabolo once or twice due to the wind.
But when the wind died down, and "Jardin Chinois" playing in the
background, the girls gave the audience an extra special treat... they
performed their entire routine from start to finish. What a way to
finish!
Inside, Cirque du Soleil provided to the select few a third
performance: the Question & Answer period. This was the event I was
waiting for -- the chance to step inside the La Nouba theater without
having to pay for the privilege; to see the theater lit without its
ambient lighting; to sit with 500 other Cirque du Soleil fans and
watch as the questions flew. I was also anxious to know who would join
us, as even the guests were kept secret from the group.
Stepping into the theater without the show's ambient lighting makes
for a world of difference. Steel structures come out in full glory
where only darkness was before. Catwalks are fully visible where only
slight glimpses could be seen. And doors and hallways illuminated
where I had not expected them to be. Through all the lost illusion
though, seeing the theater this way was exciting and my eyes were
everywhere -- to the ceiling, the stage, the set -- everywhere. They
couldn't drink in the sights fast enough but saw plenty never-the-
less. (Including a new high-wire artist being trained.)
More to the point were the artists that volunteered (or were selected)
to take part in this special Q&A. They were Benoit Glazer, Band
Leader, Trumpet and Keyboard player from Canada; Stacey Bilodeau,
German Wheel artist from the United States; and Ginger Ruiz, Tissue
artist from the USA. The three were accompanied by a La Nouba press
agent and watchdog. She was present only to make sure the artists
didn't answer a very sensitive question.
Now, one might expect that a room full of Cirque du Soleil fans would
generate some very interesting questions. And, perhaps if this were
the Cirque du Soleil Yahoo Group that would have been the case. As it
was, many of the questions asked of the artists were general: What do
you do for Cirque, do you like your job (the answer was always "why,
of course we do!"), what is your background, where did you study, and
the like. I almost cheered at one patron who asked how much the
performers make in salary, but our watchdog headed off that question.
As for yours truly, did he ask any questions? No, I did not. And you
know, I'm not entirely sure why. I mean, it was the perfect venue to
ask some really pressing questions, like how Cirque plans to answer
charges of discrimination and why ticket prices always seemed to be on
the rise. But, in the end, all I ended up confirming was that Benoit
Jutras was composing more music for Cirque du Soleil projects, and
that information was volunteered.
In the end, even if the questions weren't the most thought out or in-
depth I can safely say that Paul, Cedric and I did have a good time. I
mean, how often do you get to interact with Cirque du Soleil artists
or see performances for free?
I want to send my thanks, yet again, to the ring mistresses of Cirque
Club who made the VIP session possible. Without you I would have been
standing outside! For anyone interested you can see pictures of the
German Wheel and Diabolo's performances, as well as, some nice inside
shots of the theater during the Q&A by pointing your browser to the
Photo Section at at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
CirqueFascination/ - once signed in click "Photos"
on the left-hand side, then click on "Issue #29" to see the
pictures!
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EXPANDED SELECTION:
"An Interview with Mario D'Amico, CMO of Cirque du Soleil"
From Reveries Magazine, January 2004
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"On a very ephemeral level, we're about the renewal of hope," says
Mario D'Amico, chief marketing officer of Cirque du Soleil.
"Everything we do is about the human body's ability to surpass itself
physically, artistically or emotionally."
On a less ephemeral level, Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil is about
the renewal of entertainment. A circus? Yes, of course. But it is a
circus that has astonished its audiences by challenging their
imaginations.
"We're a bit like Apple Computer's open architecture," suggests Mario.
"We don't tell people, through our shows, how to feel." Cirque's
stories aren't linear. Sometimes there aren't even any stories --
unless, of course, you want to see a story. Go agape over the
acrobatics, or look for a larger meaning. Either way is okay.
What began in June of 1984 as a not-for-profit enterprise featuring a
nomadic troupe of street artists led by founder Guy Laliberte is now a
global sensation driven by more than 2,100 employees, deploying eight,
separate, hand-crafted shows worldwide.
Cirque is a for-profit company now, although one percent of the
company's take goes to support teens in distress. They have a program
called Cirque du Monde, where Cirque sends trainers and coaches into
underprivileged neighborhoods to teach kids how to walk on stilts, do
trapeze, tumble and juggle. Then they can set up their own little
traveling shows -- make a little bit of money, renew a little bit of
hope.
Cirque's own hopes, actually, are currently set on some intriguing
line extensions, perhaps involving hotels and restaurants, anchored by
entertainment complexes. Might not have to look much further than
Cirque's own headquarters to imagine how that might go.
Two huge training gyms, each the size of a small airplane hangar, are
right smack in the center of company headquarters. So if you're an
accountant -- or a marketing person -- sitting at your desk, you've
got this huge, huge window in front of you, through which you can
watch your co-workers practicing maybe a Russian swing act while
you're working on your budgets.
Sure sounds like a fun place to be, and Mario D'Amico plainly loves
every minute of it. He has been with Cirque for three years now. His
background was in advertising and marketing, having started out in the
marketing department of a food company in Canada before joining ad
agency Scali, McCabe Sloves. After that it was eleven years with
Publicis in Montreal.
Then Cirque du Soleil came calling. How lucky can you get?
* * *
Verbatim:
Q. Mario D'Amico, Cirque Du Soliel How is working in a dream factory
different than working in an ad agency?
It's actually incredibly different and in fact I'm shocked every day
at how different it is. Here, the creators that create are really true
artists in the sense that they're not necessarily thinking of an
audience when they're creating.
They are just expressing themselves, their emotions, their angst,
their preoccupations, and their worries. They're creating for
themselves. That there's a public out there that's willing to buy a
ticket and come see the result of that creative effort is almost
secondary.
The way the creative teams work is a very introverted process. That's
very different than the process in the ad agency world. Creative
people at agencies are creating with a client in mind, usually, with a
budget in mind, and with definitely a target audience in mind. It
couldn't be more different here at Cirque.
Q. Does that kind of intense creativity put extra pressure on you to
make sure that the marketing is just as creative?
Yes. That is, actually, our biggest challenge. We are so well known
for the creative product that we put on stage that I've got to find
ways to be just as creative with the way that I portray the image of
this company to the public.
That's a daunting challenge because I don't think I can reach those
levels. I can only be so creative when I'm putting an ad in the
newspaper, basically telling people that the show is in town, buy your
tickets, here's the phone number and hurry, because tickets will run
out soon.
But then there are other media that allow more creativity. Actually,
the Web is one of those media that has allowed us to go a little bit
further because it can deliver a Cirque experience online.
Q. Other than the Internet, are there any specific marketing
techniques that you've found especially effective?
Our events -- our premieres -- are the pinnacle of our marketing
activities. We invite the right people and we provide the right
environment for those people. They then go out and tell all of their
friends that they can't miss this incredible spectacle that's in town.
Our premieres are very much in keeping with the image of our product.
We also have an act called "The German Wheel." It's basically this
huge, huge wheel that's propelled by a person inside of it. When we
opened in Charlotte we had "The German Wheel" go on the Loews Motor
Speedway. That made people do kind of a double take, you know? It's
our way of integrating our world with the local world of where we're
actually performing. In San Diego, we did the same thing on an
Aircraft Carrier.
Q. So you try to infiltrate the local popular culture, be it at a
speedway or on an aircraft carrier.
Yes. When we come into a community, we try to do a good job of really
penetrating and integrating ourselves into that community for the
short period of time that we're there. We build relationships with all
of the artistic groups in any community, the educational groups. We
often will do charity events, where we'll give away a certain number
of tickets to local charities so that they can raise funds.
We do a lot of that sort of non-sexy, but really important, grass
roots marketing. We think that's really at the core of what we're all
about when we come into a city. The last thing we want is to be seen
as people who take the money and run. I think we're really good at
meaningful relationships at all levels with our product.
We don't think we could ever compete in a 30 second commercial with
the show that you're going to see. So all we are really trying to do
in our TV commercials is pique your interest. More often than not, our
public is overwhelmed and then they do the job for us. The word of
mouth that we get is incredible. That's worth a lot more than any ad
that I could place.
Q. You've now got competition from what we'll charitably call "copycat
circuses." How do you deal with that?
We don't really deal with it. We think we've created an art form -- a
lot of people give us credit for being the creators of this art form.
We really removed the dust off of the old, traditional circus, re-
infused it with other disciplines and removed the animal component.
We think our product speaks for itself. We will react if people are
copying us, if people are benefiting from our success in a copyright
infringement sense. But other circuses that have been inspired by the
type of work that we do -- you know what -- more power to them! Great.
We think that actually is good for the category of what well call the
more modern circus.
Q. About a year ago there was talk about Cirque Du Soleil opening
hotels, spas, museums, and so forth. Is that still in the works?
Yeah, yeah, it's still in the works, still very much in the works. We
think that we can surround our patrons with more than just a show.
We've had one creative platform, which has been the live stage. That's
been our playground for the last 17 or 18 years and we'd like to try
different playgrounds. We'd like to see what a Cirque du Soleil Hotel
would look like. What would that be like?
Q. I give up. What would that be like?
Well, we're still designing it! We don't know! Right now we've got an
internal team here working on a prototype that hopefully will see the
light of day at some point. There's going to be a hotel, there's going
to be a spa, there's going to be a restaurant and there's going to be
obviously a theatre with the show inside.
A Cirque du Soleil hotel experience might be one where characters that
you see in our show live in this hotel and come in contact with the
patrons in some as-yet undefined way. Maybe as you're checking into
the lobby of this hotel, there are some trapeze artists just
performing their number and doing their thing without even expecting
you to necessarily look or applaud or whatever. But they're providing
you with some entertainment while you're doing something very mundane.
Maybe a restaurant can have an entertainment component to it where the
people who are serving the food are also the people who will be
performing while you're eating. So there are all kinds of crazy ideas
that are being looked at. But it's really based on trying to make that
playground a little bit bigger, and having a totally different
playground. We will have a prototype completed we would think by the
end of this year actually, and then we'll see.
We're just having a lot of fun with it right now. Ultimately, we
intend to shop around and see if another company that knows more about
bricks and mortar thinks our ideas make sense.
Q. What do you look for, typically, in an alliance?
We look for companies that understand that there are image enhancement
opportunities by associating themselves with us. Without sounding
cocky, I don't think there are that many brands that would elevate us
to different levels. So we don't look for that in a partnership.
We look for partners and brands that understand us and that
demonstrate to us that they are going to use our images in a way
that's respectful of our brand and in a way that we think is going to
enhance and help our business.
Q. You did a sponsorship deal with American Electric Power that would
seem a very unlikely alliance. What was the thinking there?
What we were thinking basically is that, first of all these people
have a tremendous respect for our brand. They're also talking to
markets that we don't really talk to -- high-end, Fortune 500 type of
people and businesses. Those people come to our shows but we, as an
organization, can't afford to actually market to those people. So
getting our name in front of a different target audience was something
that made sense for us.
AEP is in an industry that's somewhat controversial. But we don't want
people to judge the business that we're in and we don't think we
really want to judge the business that other people are in. We're
comfortable that AEP, within its industry, is abiding by standards and
codes that are determined by its industry. We're not really in the
business of saying that you're in the wrong industry or that your
industry is this or that. So thats basically it.
Q. So what is it like, Mario, to work in a dream factory?
It's a really interesting experience. You'll see people in tights
walking by, next to graphics people, next to accountants, next to IT
people, and it just really looks like one of these "we are the world"
type of places! So it's really exciting.
We're on the outskirts of the city, next to an old dump, basically. We
grow our own vegetables. Rather than having plants and flowers, we
have broccoli and corn. When harvest comes, we distribute it to our
employees. What employees don't take we distribute to the local
community.
We're actually in the second- or third-poorest neighborhood in
Montreal. So, one of the deals we made with the city when we decided
to build our head office here was that the city invest in certain
infrastructures around it that would be for the good of the community
-- things like hockey rinks, parks, bicycle paths, basketball courts.
It's nice to see that the area around our office here becoming greener
and with more trees, and just more activity around.
So, yeah, it's a pretty special place. There basically is no dress
code here -- it's just whatever makes you comfortable. It's a pretty
laissez faire sort of environment. We have a wonderful cafeteria
believe it or not, with a choice of three incredibly gastronomic meals
every day, different every day. Our chef used to be the chef of the
outgoing Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney.
So yeah, we're pretty lucky.
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PARTING QUOTE
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"In the city there are men, women and children. In the city there are
those who have much and those who have nothing; those who go unnoticed
and those who disturb. In the city there are those who have eyes but
can't see, ears but can't hear. In the city there are those who are
not accounted for, and there are the heroes of the everyday struggle.
In the city there's a kind of wildlife, from the beggar to the painter
and the street entertainer, that brings enchantment to our world on
the road to disenchantment. And, in the city, there is Saltimbanco..."
- Saltimbanco Programme (2003)
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
=======================================================================
"Fascination!" is Ricky Russo, Keith Johnson, Paul Roberts, and
Wayne Leung.
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c)
2001-2003 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a
subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter
can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or
translated without the consent of the "Fascination!
Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission
(unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without
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.
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