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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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Q U A R T E R L Y C O M P E N D I U M
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VOLUME 6, NUMBER 4 www.CirqueFascination.com Q4 2006 (#50)
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Greetings, and welcome to a very special edition of Fascination!, the
Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter.
What makes this edition more special than the last? While our last
quarterly publication trumpeted the celebration of our fifth birthday;
this issue is equally historically important. You may not realize it
but this installment is a milestone in our publication history
number fifty. Publication styles, themes and featured writers have
come and gone and frequency of circulation may have changed in those
years, but our mission has always remained the same. And in fulfilling
our mission: over the years we have written a plethora of material on
Cirque du Soleil; so much so the numbers astonish even us!
What to see some statistics?
Since we began publishing Fascination! on a monthly basis in September
2001, we have written a total of 550,387 words on 73,861 lines to make
61,688 paragraphs; a total of 2,805,937 characters (without spacing!)
All this translates into 1,317 pages of material creating 3,490
kilobytes of information. Whew
And were not through yet!
Fascination! is a dynamic medium and as such continues to evolve. For
2007 you will find us in your email boxes a little more often, as we
switch distribution frequencies: from a Quarterly publication to a bi-
monthly delivery method. Oh, youll still find all the up-to-date news
and tour information posted directly to our website, that information
will just find its way to you a little more often.
So, lets get on with the show!
I invite you to visit our website for the latest news, rumors and
information about Cirque du Soleil. What youre reading here is only a
collection of what was posted daily on the Fascination website for a
specific period of time (in this case July, August and September.) For
more current information about Cirque du Soleils activities, please
visit < www.cirquefascination.com >.
And if youre interested in having our daily postings sent directly to
you, dont hesitate to take advantage of our Really Simple Syndication
(RSS) feed! Simply use the following URI with your favorite email/news
program: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >.
- Ricky Richasi Russo
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CONTENTS
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o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
o) Compartments -- Information on Tour, Online & on-Screen
* Télémagik -- Cirque du Soleil on Television
* On the Web -- Cirque du Soleil Online
* Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information
o) Columns - Behind the Curtain
* Birthday Wishes! -- Happy-Happy Birthday!
* Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque
* Historia -- Cirque du Soleil's History
* CirqueTech -- The Technical Side of Cirque
o) Fascination! Features
* Beatles LOVE: Where the 3 Extra Minutes Are
By: Ricky Russo Orlando, Florida (USA)
* Cirque Trivia (from CirqueCon!)
By: Keith Johnson Seattle, Washington (USA)
* CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas! Updates
By: Keith Johnson Seattle, Washington (USA)
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
LOVE Album Available Soon
{Oct.03.2006}
--------------------------
According to recent press releases, the album for LOVE, Cirque
du Soleil at the Mirage in Las Vegas, will be released in
November. An exact date and track listing will be available in
the near future.
All you need is LOVE!
Cirque takes Top Spots in 5th Annual Vegas4Visitors Poll
{Oct.03.2006}
---------------------------------------------------------
Readers from around the globe took part in Vegas4Visitors.coms
5th Annual Readers Poll, selecting the top 5 picks in four
categories: Favorite Restaurant, Favorite Show, Favorite
Attration and Favorite Nightclub.
Cirque du Soleil appears in three (3) out of the five (5) slots
in the Favorite Show category. They are:
o) #1 - Mystère at Treasure Island
o) #3 - «O» at Bellagio
o) #5 - KÀ at MGM Grand
{Source: KTVU/Visitors4Vegas.com}
Go to LDI, get Behind-the-Scenes
{Oct.12.2006}
---------------------------------
According to the Press Release by Business Wire, LDI (or Live
Design International) 2006 is North Americas largest trade
show for entertainment technology professionals in the worlds of
stage effects, sound and lighting. This years show will attract
record attendance from the designers of entertainments best-
known live events, from Cirque du Soleil to the world tours of
leading rock bands and acts.
And best of all, attendees to Backstage Las Vegas 2006? will be
allowed behind-the-curtain at Cirque du Soleils LOVE at the
Mirage and KÀ at MGM Grand.
LDI 2006 converges on the Las Vegas Convention Center and venues
around Las Vegas from October 16th through 22nd!
{Source: Business Wire}
Guys Private Jet
{Oct.12.2006}
------------------
Ever wanted to know what kind of jet Guy Laliberte flies in?
According to Forbes Traveler/MSNBC, Guy travels in a Canadian-
made Bombardier Global Express XRS.
About the Global Express XRS from Bombardiers Website:
The Bombardier Global Express XRS corporate jet is the most
luxurious, most accomplished business jet ever built,
accommodating the desires of the most sophisticated and
demanding traveler with no compromises. Building on its Global
Express heritage and raising the bar yet again, this
extraordinary aircraft offers even greater cabin comfort,
enhanced performance and further advanced technology for
increased productivity and peace of mind. No other aircraft in
its class flies you faster, farther. Balancing comfort, speed
and range in a way that maximizes each with agile brilliance,
the Bombardier Global Express XRS corporate jet places you at
the top of your game and the world in the palm of your hand.
Interested? Get a PDF Fact Sheet:
< http://www.bombardier.com/en/3_0/3_2/pdf/
global_express_xrs_factsheet.pdf >
{Source: MS-NBC}
Deliriums $1.7 Million
{Oct.12.2006}
------------------------
So, how much does Delirium make at certain stops?
At the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, where Delirium
happened to be set-up from September 22nd through 24th, the show
earned $1,759,884 in US Dollars.
{Source: Billboard BOXSCORE}
Cirque Promisses Big Returns in Miami
{Oct.13.2006}
--------------------------------------
Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald wrote an article this morning
touching Cirque du Soleils plans for the redevelopment of the
Jackie Gleason theater in Miami Beach. This has been an on-going
drama; you can read the full article by clicking on the
article title below; excerpts follow:
Cirque offers Gleason deal
BY DOUGLAS HANKS
Miami Herald - Oct.13.2006
# # #
Cirque du Soleil expects to pay Miami Beach about $9 million a
year to take over the Jackie Gleason Theater and build a
restaurant and nightclub there, the city said Thursday.
That return would be considerably larger than rents pledged by
AEG Live and Live Nation, the two concert giants competing with
Cirque for the Gleason lease.
Cirque wants $55 million in public dollars to fund a $100
million renovation of the Gleason, AEG and Live Nation would
spend between $2 million and $3 million to fix up the Gleason at
no cost to the city.
Cirque wants to create a Latin-inspired version of its stage
show at the Gleason, with about 430 performances a year.
AEG and Live Nation, the countrys top concert promoters, want
to transform the Gleason into a hipper venue for live music and
comedy but with the doors open less than 150 times a year.
City Manager Jorge Gonzalez predicted Cirque would generate
about $1.5 million a year in parking revenue for a nearby city
garage: Just on that well be making more than what AEG or Live
Nation is offering.
Gonzalez said the proposed 15-year deal protects the city,
because Cirque would pay rent on gross revenues, not profits.
Cirque didnt agree to a minimum annual payment.
Cirque also wants an exit clause that would let it close the
show after three years if it loses money for 12 consecutive
months. For the restaurants and nightclubs, the exit clause
would kick in after five years.
{Source: The Miami Herald, Oct.13.2006}
LOVE CD Available November 21st
{Oct.17.2006}
--------------------------------
According to various sources, the soundtrack album to Cirque du
Soleils LOVE at the Mirage is due to be released on November
20th in the United Kingdom, and November 21st in the United
States.
The release is a dual CD/DVD format and contains approximately
78-minutes of music.
Track Listing:
01: "Because"
02: "Get Back"
03: "Glass Onion"
04: "Eleanor Rigby"/"Julia" (Transistion)
05: "I Am The Walrus"
06: "I Want To Hold Your Hand"
07: "Drive My Car"/"The Word"/"What Youre Doing"
08: "Gnik Nus"
09: "Something"/"Blue Jay Way" (Transition)
10: "Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!"/"I Want You (Shes
So Heavy)"/ "Helter Skelter"
11: "Help!"
12: "Blackbird"/"Yesterday"
13: "Strawberry Fields Forever"
14: "Within You Without You"/"Tomorrow Never Knows"
15: "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"
16: "Octopuss Garden"
17: "Lady Madonna"
18: "Here Comes The Sun"/"The Inner Light" (Transition)
19: "Come Together"/"Dear Prudence"/"Cry Baby Cry" (Transition)
20: "Revolution"
21: "Back In The USSR"
22: "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
23: "A Day In The Life"
24: "Hey Jude"
25: "Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)"
26: "All You Need Is Love"
Cirque Pulls Out of Gleason Deal
{Oct.19.2006}
---------------------------------
According to NBC6 out of Miami Beach, Cirque Du Soleil has
pulled out of the competition for a multi-year contract with the
Jackie Gleason Theater.
Quote: We have been investing for the last 18 months a lot of
money and resources, and I cannot responsibly continue to invest
without knowing that one day this project will come to
fruition, said Daniel Lammarre of Cirque du Soleil.
So, no more Cirque Miami
where to next?
{Source: NBC6 Miami Beach}
Cirque at 2006 Festival of the Masters
{Oct.22.2006}
---------------------------------------
On the weekend of November 10-12, Cirque du Soleil will be
participating in the Festival of the Masters, a huge happening
that transforms Downtown Disney into a vast outdoor art
gallery! There will be no entrance fee to Downtown Disney, so
come down and meet some of our artists in person as they sign
autographs on Saturday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Whats more, La
Nouba characters will be mingling with the crowd on Friday and
Saturday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. There will also be fun stuff for
children including face painting, balloons, and a display at the
Cirque du Soleil theatre will feature props and costumes from La
Nouba.
{Source: CirqueClub Email}
Quidam in Seoul
{Oct.24.2006}
----------------
In an article published this morning by Chung Ah-young, staff
writer for The Korea Times provides a little detail on Cirque du
Soleils Quidam upcoming performance in South Korea, which Ive
summarized below:
o) About 140 performers selected from 19 countries will give a
magical performance on an outdoor stage equipped with 2,500
seats.
o) Cirque du Soleil was invited to Seoul by Kim Young-kwan, the
CEO of Mast Entertainment.
o) A teaser performance was performed on Thursday, October 19th
at the Millennium Seoul Hilton.
o) What: Cirque du Soleils Quidam
o) When: March 29, 2007 to June 3, 2007.
o) Where: World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong, Seoul.
o) Ticket reservations will begin Nov. 20.
o) Tickets will cost from 50,000 won to 100,000 won. ($52.16 USD
and $104.32 USD at todays currency exchange rate of 1 KRW =
0.00104319 USD.)
Read more about these special performances at The Korea Times:
< http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/200610/
kt2006102419114611700.htm >
Guy Laliberté named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year!
{Nov.01.2006}
------------------------------------------------------------
MONTREAL, Oct. 26 /CNW/ - Guy Laliberté, founder and CEO of
Cirque du Soleil is the recipient of the Québec region Ernst &
Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2006 award. Mr. Laliberté also
received one of seven industry category awards (see below)
presented this evening at a banquet and ceremony in Montréal.
Mr. Laliberté possesses a rare combination of passion, vision,
innovation and tenacity that have grown Cirque du Soleil from a
small group of artists in Québec into a worldwide phenomenon
over the past two decades, says François Dufresne, director of
the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year program in Québec and
partner at Ernst & Young. He is an exceptional and courageous
business leader, who remains committed to the social and
cultural development of the communities his company touches,
Mr. Dufresne says.
{Source: CNW/Telbec, Oct.26.2006}
So What Does a Cirque Tech Director Think About?
{Nov.01.2006}
-------------------------------------------------
Curiously enough, Ellen McCarthy, Staff Writer for the
Washington Post, recently got a glimpse of what a Cirque du
Soleil Technical Director thinks about and shared it in an
article she wrote for the Post. An excerpt:
Helium is surprisingly volatile. If theres too much, she
doesnt come down. Shes gotten caught up there a few times,
Keith Freiter says, pointing to the rafters of a 66-foot-tall
tent. And the Cirque du Soleil technical director doesnt even
want to talk about holes. Its visions of the acrobat zipping
above the audience on a burst balloon that haunt him in his
corporate apartment bed at night.
Read the full article at the Washington Post Website:
< http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/10/26/AR2006102600462.html >
{Source: Washington Post, Oct.27.2006}
A Note About Cirque 2007
{Nov.03.2006}
-------------------------
CirqueClub make a small announcement regarding Cirque 2007 this
afternoon. An excerpt follows:
Even though there are very few things I can share with you for
now, Ive got one big secret for you: advance tickets are now on
sale! Performances in Montreal will take place from April 26 to
May 27, and in Quebec City, from July 5 to July 15.
The Fab Four also available in 5.1 Surround
{Nov.09.2006}
--------------------------------------------
Like you, I am anxiously awaiting the CD/DVD release of Cirque
du Soliel: LOVE at the Mirage, which will make its appearance on
November 21st worldwide! Some brief facts about the albums
pending release to whet your appetite:
The Love album encompasses 26 tracks remixing 37 classic
Beatles tunes.
Two versions of the album will be available upon release: a
standard CD version with a run-time of 78-minutes and a DVD 5.1
surround sound special edition 2-disc set containing 81-minutes
of music.
And for you audio/video-philes: the DVD audio is presented in
high-resolution 96/24 5.1 surround. The DVD-Video part carries
5.1 surround in DTS and Dolby Digital as well as a PCM stereo
mix.
You can pre-order either version through Amazon.com:
o) Standard CD - $12.88
o) CD/DVD Combo - $19.88
Track Listing:
01: "Because"
02: "Get Back"
03: "Glass Onion"
04: "Eleanor Rigby"/"Julia" (Transistion)
05: "I Am The Walrus"
06: "I Want To Hold Your Hand"
07: "Drive My Car"/"The Word"/"What Youre Doing"
08: "Gnik Nus"
09: "Something"/"Blue Jay Way" (Transition)
10: "Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!"/"I Want You
(Shes So Heavy)"/ "Helter Skelter"
11: "Help!"
12: "Blackbird"/"Yesterday"
13: "Strawberry Fields Forever"
14: "Within You Without You"/"Tomorrow Never Knows"
15: "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"
16: "Octopuss Garden"
17: "Lady Madonna"
18: "Here Comes The Sun"/"The Inner Light" (Transition)
19: "Come Together"/"Dear Prudence"/"Cry Baby Cry"
20: "Revolution"
21: "Back In The USSR"
22: "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
23: "A Day In The Life"
24: "Hey Jude"
25: "Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)"
26: "All You Need Is Love"
Rain at LOVE
{Nov.09.2006}
--------------
Heres an interesting tidbit for you IT professionals from Mix
Online regarding the computer systems at LOVE and what they run:
The entire range of Rain Recording digital audio/video
workstations for the PC platformall of which now include the
new Intel Core 2 Duo architectureis now available in Europe
from Rain Recordings new London-based production center. Rain
Recording works closely with leading software and hardware
manufacturers to develop its systems.
Rain Recording was recently brought in to make sure that the
computers for the Cirque Du Soleil production, The Beatles Love
show in Las Vegas, Nev., run smoothly. At the heart of the
audio system are two Rain Recording Element 64 custom-built PCs
with a Tascam GigaStudio, says music playback engineer Gavin
Whiteley. We selected Rain because its the best, most complete
system for this application.
{Source: Mix Online, Nov.07.2006}
Blue Man Group coming to Orlando?
{Nov.09.2006}
----------------------------------
While this is not directly related to Cirque du Soleil, it is
because of their production at Downtown Disney that Universal is
considering Blue Man Group to their property. Central Florida
News 13, a Bright House Networks media outlet, reporeted on this
story this morning:
An expansion of Universal Orlandos City Walk complex will bring
a new Broadway-style show to Orlando. The Blue Man Groups Las
Vegas based production company tells News 13 a similar show is
coming to Universal Orlando. To accommodate the show, part of
the inside of sound stage 18, the now shuttered Nickelodeon
production facilities, will be converted into a state of the art
theater. The addition of the entertainment act is aimed at
keeping higher-end entertainment dollars at Universal. They want
to compete with Downtown Disneys Cirque Du Soleil production.
There is no word yet on when the Blue Man Group Universal
Production is slated to open. Universal will officially announce
more details at a press conference today.
{Source: Central Florida News 13, Nov.09.2006}
Cirque Wins Another Award
{Nov.10.2006}
--------------------------
On November 9, 2006, the Billboard Touring Awards, which are
based on box-office figures, were given out in the Grand
Ballroom at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. And Cirque du
Soleils Delirium won in the following NEW category: Creative
Content.
Congrats Delirium!
Cirque at Madison Square Garden?
{Nov.20.2006}
---------------------------------
According to a recent press release, Cirque du Soleil and
Madison Square Garden Entertainment will present an as yet named
theater production specifically for the Madison Square Garden
Theater in New York City! An excerpt follows:
# # #
NEW YORK, Nov. 20 /CNW Telbec/ - Madison Square Garden
Entertainment and Cirque Du Soleil have announced a joint
partnership to present New Yorks very first theater production
of Cirque Du Soleil at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. The
announcement was made today by Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque
du Soleil; Hank Ratner, vice chairman of Madison Square Garden
and Cablevision Systems Corporation; and Jay Marciano,
president, Madison Square Garden Entertainment. The yet unnamed
Cirque production is being created specifically for the Theater
at Madison Square Garden and will run for ten weeks, each
winter, beginning in 2007 for the next four years.
While creative details of the show will be announced in the new
year, it will have a narrative thread and storyline designed to
present the theme of Winter. The creative team will use
traditional stage techniques and the very latest in theater
technology to bring the audience of nearly 5,000 as close as
possible to the performers. There will be an emphasis on color,
music and comedy as well as the customary circus arts the public
has come to expect from Cirque du Soleil.
# # #
{Source: CNW Telebec, Nov.20.2006}
Diesel becomes Sid Lee?
{Nov.20.2006}
------------------------
Its true! Diesel Marketing, which has a marketing affiliation
with Cirque du Soleil, recently changed its name to Sid Lee
why? Keith McArthur of the Globe and Mail wrote about it and an
excerpt from his article follows:
# # #
When executives at the Montreal ad agency formerly known as
Diesel went recruiting at a New York design school last year,
they were stymied by a case of mistaken identity. Instead of
attracting the graphic designers they were looking for, their
recruitment table was flooded with fashion designers eager to
work at the jeans company that shared their name.
The new name Sid Lee is an anagram of Diesel, which keeps
the company rooted in its past, Mr. Bouchard says. But the name
change is also symbolic of the companys evolution from a
communications agency to what he describes as a commercial
creativity group.
# # #
{Source: Globe and Mail, Nov.20.2006}
Beatles Coming to iTunes?
{Nov.27.2006}
--------------------------
Fortune: Apple close to landing exclusive iTunes Store deal
with The Beatles -- Monday, November 27, 2006 - 09:12 AM EST
While details remain to be worked out, Fortune has learned that
iTunes is close to a deal to bring the Beatles catalog online.
Apple Computer is said to be angling to become the exclusive
online music store for the Beatles for a limited window of time.
Other music stores, such as Microsofts MSN and Rhapsody, have
courted the Beatles over the years to no avail, but it appears
Apple is close to getting first dibs on the bands hits, Tim
Arango reports for Fortune.
Arango reports, When reached by Fortune, an Apple spokesman
responded that the company does not comment on rumor and
speculation. If the deal goes through, it will mark a Nixon-
Brezhnev-worthy truce - with the bands record label, Britains
EMI Group, serving as a peacemaker - between Apple Computers
Steve Jobs and Neil Aspinall, the onetime Beatles road manager
who is now guardian of the bands business interests under the
rubric Apple Corps.
At a recent industry conference, David Munns, head of EMI North
America, said the Beatles would be available online soon. The
parties were hoping to make a splashy announcement to coincide
with the Nov. 21 release by EMIs Capitol Records of Love, a
mashup of Beatles songs that serves as a soundtrack to a Las
Vegas Cirque du Soleil production. That didnt happen. Apple
Corps declined to comment, Arango reports.
As Fortune went to press, numerous deal points were still being
hammered out. According to a music industry executive apprised
of the talks, the parties were discussing how lengthy a window
of exclusivity iTunes might get and how many tens of millions of
dollars Jobs - who is said to be personally involved in the
discussions - will commit to an advance for the band and
marketing costs, Arango reports.
Arango reports, Also being discussed is whether the band would
be willing to take two steps at the same time and endorse the
iPod by allowing its music to be used in a commercial. Another
scenario making the rounds is the prospect of the Beatles
following U2s example with a branded iPod. If the Beatles were
in an iPod ad, that would be humongous, this executive said.
{Source: CNN.COM}
Delta Airlines and Cirque du Soleil in Partnership
{Dec.12.2006}
---------------------------------------------------
ATLANTA, Dec. 12, 2006 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) (PRIMEZONE) Delta Air
Lines is officially launching its two-year global partnership
with Cirque du Soleil by welcoming the Canadian-based troupe to
its hometown, Atlanta, as it presents Corteo(tm) of which Delta
is presenting sponsor. Corteo is the troupes latest live
touring show, opening for a limited engagement in Atlanta on
Friday, Dec. 15 under the Grand Chapiteau at Atlantic Station
and will thrill audiences through Jan. 28.
To celebrate Corteos engagement in Atlanta, as well its
worldwide partnership with Cirque du Soleil, Delta hosted a
special performance by Cirque du Soleil at the Delta Air
Transport Heritage Museum today. The unique, gravity defying
performance took place around The Spirit of Delta, the
airlines employee-purchased Boeing 767, which is being
transformed into the museums newest exhibition space.
We are thrilled to partner with Cirque du Soleil to help them
bring the spectacular Corteo performance to our hometown of
Atlanta, said Joanne Smith, vice president of Marketing for
Delta. The magic continues as we support other Cirque du Soleil
performances across North America, Europe and Latin America. We
know our worldwide customers will be delighted with these
innovative and theatrically awe-inspiring shows.
In addition to serving as the presenting sponsor of Corteo in
Atlanta, Delta is the official airline of Cirque du Soleil in
Dusseldorf, Germany (Dec. 7 - Jan. 7), London, England (Jan. 5
Feb. 11), and Monterrey, Mexico (Sept. 27 - Oct. 28) and Mexico
City, Mexico (Nov. 8 - Dec. 23).
Cirque du Soleil is thrilled to partner with Delta as we both
strive to offer our patrons a high-quality experience, whether
seated on an aircraft or under the Grand Chapiteau. We
essentially share the same goal; to take to our guests on a
distinctive journey, stated Mario DAmico, vice president of
Marketing at Cirque du Soleil.
{Source: Delta Airlines, Dec.12.2006}
Cirque at the Superbowl?
{Dec.12.2006}
-------------------------
While Prince is rumored to be the half-time show entertainer,
Cirque du Soliels name has been dropped as possible pre-show
entertainment for US Footballs premiere sporting event - The
Superbowl. It is an unlikely venue but stranger things have
ocurred. The Superbowl is played this season on February 4, 2007
at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida. The CBS network will once-
again televise the game. See your local listings for kick-off
times.
The Montreal Out-Games a Bust?
{Dec.12.2006}
-------------------------------
The First World Outgames, not to be confused with the Gay
Games, is likely to be the last, reported LiveSiteNews.com. The
event, which was held in Montreal this past summer, is suffering
from a $5 million CAD debt. According to the French-language TV
channel LCN, the events organizing committee is under
bankruptcy protection. The committee has thirty days to try to
satisfy its creditors, including the celebrity spokesmen who
touted the event in the press. What makes this newsworthy from a
Cirque du Soleil perspective is that Cirque is waiting for
$48,209.30 in publicity fees from the Outgames. You can read the
full article on LiveSiteNews.com: < http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/
2006/dec/06121107.html >
Millions for Delirium
{Dec.15.2006}
----------------------
According to UPI the Rolling Stones won top tour title for the
2006 season, but Cirque du Soleils Delirium was also a top
earner, finding a spot in the top 10 (at number 6 actually.)
Exactly how much did this Cirque du soleil extravaganza end up
earning? A cool $78.5 million for the touring season. Not bad at
all.
Deliriums second touring season begins January 24th in Detroit,
Michigan.
All You Need is GrandMa
{Dec.19.2006}
-------------------------
Two grandMA consoles and two grandMA light are used in the
production Love, a co-production of Cirque du Soleil and Apple
Corps Ltd. celebrating the musical legacy of The Beatles.
Lighting Designer Yves Aucoin, assisted by Karl Gaudreau and
Robert Brassard, employed an extensive number of moving lights,
LEDs to light the stage, lifts going up and down and foggers to
camouflage the lifts. The amount of DMX channels dictated that
they go with the grandMA.
Love features HD video projections with 100-foot digital, moving
images and a panoramic surround sound system. The grandMAs
control an array of equipment for the show, including 28 Green
Hippo Hippotizer media servers which permit eight different
layers of HD images on a curved, translucent screen, a lighting
rig featuring more than 200 Vari*Lite spots and washes, 200
Color Kinetics LED fixtures and 22 MDG foggers.
During the creation, Aucoin assisted by Gaudreau and Brassard,
each manned a grandma console strategically-placed around the
space. With everything networked on the grandMA, one person can
run the show, another can update a cue live. Since the new theatre
at The Mirage has ETC Net2 nodes installed for DMX distribution,
the grandMA was required to output the ETC Net2 protocol. The
grandMA speaks both languages at the same time.
It is always an honor to participate on a technical level with
the Cirque. They push the envelope to its limits while pursuing
their artistic vision. This is the first show that Yves has used
the grandMA on, and I am pleased that this was the only console
that did not impose technical limits on his art. The grandMA
network allows them to control 32 universes of ETC Net2 with no
noticeable latency, comments Bob Gordon, President and CEO of
A.C.T Lighting the exclusive distributor of the grandMA systems
in North America.
{Source: MA Lighting Press Release}
Staying in Shape the Cirque Way
{Dec.19.2006}
--------------------------------
Staying in Shape the Cirque Way
by: Judy Fortin (CNN)
(CNN) Six nights a week, 62 performers with Cirque du Soleil
twist, bend and contort their bodies during a two-hour show.
Its dangerous work and there is a high risk of injury. CNN
Medical Correspondent Judy Fortin spoke with physiotherapist
Michelle Sinclair, the woman who helps the performers stay
healthy.
Read the full article at CNN Healths Website:
< http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/12/22/HM.cirque/ >
{Source: CNN Health, Dec.22.2006}
Cirque on TV in Dubai
{Dec.29.2006}
----------------------
MBC to air Cirque du Soleil shows
Posted: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Press Release: TradeArabia News Service
# # #
MBC Group, a leading Middle East broadcast network, has signed
an exclusive cross-channel agreement with Cirque du Soleil, a
leading live entertainment company, to broadcast a number of
Cirque du Soleil shows.
It will also hold a competition whose winner will get a free
trip to Las Vegas, USA to see Cirques latest show.
According to the terms of the agreement, MBC is the official
television sponsor for Cirque du Soleil, which is bringing its
production of Quidam to the Middle East for the first time early
next year.
Extraordinary productions of Cirque du Soleil, including
Dralion, Alegría, Saltimbanco, and Varakei are scheduled to be
aired on MBC Channels 1 at the end of December and throughout
2007. In addition to this, MBC 4 will be highlighting Quidam in
Dubai with two-hour specials on the magic of Cirque.
It makes perfect sense for the worlds leading live
entertainment company, Cirque du Soleil, to choose nothing less
than the best to share their magic with people across the
region. With unparalleled production quality and an
enthusiastic, world-class team who are also the biggest Cirque
fans, we are proud to be the exclusive TV partner for this
event, said Andrew Maskall, marketing manager, MBC group.
During the Quidam run, MBC will air promotions and also run a
SMS competition for viewers, with the grand prize being free
airline tickets to Las Vegas to watch one of Cirques newest and
most spectacular productions, Love, a collaboration between
Cirque du Soleil and the Beatles.
Cirque is bringing imagination, beauty and magic to Dubai and
MBC will make sure that no one misses out, concluded Maskall.-
TradeArabia News Service
{Source: Trade Arabia, Dec.27.2006}
BMW Sponsors Cirque in Dubai
{Dec.29.2006}
-----------------------------
BMW sponsors Cirque tour of Dubai
Posted: Thursday, December 28, 2006
Press Release: TradeArabia News Service
# # #
BMW Group Middle East and AGMC, the sole importer for BMW and
Mini in Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, are official
sponsors for the Cirque du Soleil Dubai Tour.
The tour is on from January 4 to February 18, 2007.
Supporting cultural events in our local communities is a key
focus for BMW Group, and we are proud to be supporting this
unique performance phenomenon in Dubai, said managing director,
BMW Group Middle East, Guenther Seemann.
This is the first time the highly acclaimed spectacle Quidam by
Cirque du Soleil will be performed in the Middle East, and
promises to surprise and delight audiences with its thrilling
combination of acrobatic artistry, technical expertise,
extravagant design and exceptional music.
Its an instinctive partnership for us to support this world-
class tour - a natural synergy exists between BMW and the
passion, elegance and quality of the Cirque du Soleil artists
and their ability to perform as a whole, said General Manager
of AGMC, Stathis I Stathis.
AGMC BMW customers are being invited to enter the world of
imagination, with the opportunity to purchase two tickets for
this outstanding event at a special discount, courtesy of AGMC.
{Source: Trade Arabia, Dec.28.2006}
=======================================================================
COMPARTMENTS -- INFORMATION ON TOUR, ONLINE, AND ON-SCREEN
=======================================================================
o) TÉLÉMAGIK Cirque du Soleil on Television
o) ITINÉRAIRE Tour/Show Information
=================
TÉLÉMAGIK
=================
January 2006
-------------
There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du
Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the
United States for January 2006.
February 2006
--------------
There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du
Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the
United States for February 2006.
March 2006
-----------
There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du
Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the
United States for March 2006.
April 2006
-----------
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: CORTEO
Network: CBC Canada
-------------------------
o) April 2 (Sunday) at 8:00pm
CIRQUE-A-THON
Network: Bravo USA
-------------------------
o) April 2 (Sunday):
10:00am - Dralion
o) April 9 (Sunday):
10:00am - Alegría
o) April 16 (Sunday):
10:00am - La Nouba
o) April 23 (Sunday):
10:00am - Quidam
May 2006
---------
There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du
Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the
United States.
June 2006
----------
There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du
Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the
United States.
July 2006
----------
There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du
Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the
United States.
September/October 2006
-----------------------
CIRQUE-A-THON
Network: Bravo USA
o) September 28 (Thursday):
.) 12:30pm - 2:30pm Varekai
.) 2:30pm - 3:00pm Fire Within Episode #9
.) 3:00pm - 3:30pm Fire Within Episode #10
.) 3:30pm - 4:00pm Fire Within Episode #11
.) 4:00pm - 4:30pm Fire Within Episode #12
.) 4:30pm - 5:00pm Fire Within Episode #13
.) 8:00pm - 10:00pm Corteo
.) 10:00pm - 12:00am Varekai
o) September 29 (Friday):
.) 12:00am - 2:00am Corteo
.) 2:00am - 4:00am Midnight Sun
o) October 5 (Thursday):
.) 1:00pm - 3:00pm Alegría
.) 3:00pm - 5:00pm Corteo
.) 8:00am - 10:00pm La Nouba
.) 10:00pm - 12:00am Corteo
o) October 6 (Friday):
.) 12:00am - 2:00am Alegría
.) 2:00am - 4:00am La Nouba
================
ITINÉRAIRE
================
NOTE: The information presented below is for historical purposes only.
For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts,
please visit our website < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >.
[Touring Shows]
Alegría:
London, UK -- Jan 5, 2006 to Feb 12, 2006
Milan, Italy -- Feb 23, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006
Rome, Italy -- Apr 27, 2006 to Jun 24, 2006
Amsterdam, Netherlands -- Jul 14, 2006 to Aug 20, 2006
Brussels, Belgium -- Aug 31, 2006 to Oct 15, 2006
Madrid, Spain -- Oct 27, 2006 to Dec 20, 2006
London, UK -- Jan 5, 2007 to Feb 11, 2007
Barcelona, Spain -- Feb 22, 2007 to Apr 9, 2007
Saint-Denis, France -- May 10, 2007 to July 15, 2007
Gijon, Spain -- Jul 26, 2007 to Aug 26, 2007
Cirque2007:
Montreal, Quebec -- Apr 19, 2007 to Jun 3, 2007
Quebec City, Quebec -- Jul 5, 2007 to Jul 22, 2007
Toronto, Ontario -- Aug 9, 2007 to Sep 2, 2007
Corteo:
San Francisco, California -- Nov 11, 2005 to Jan 8, 2006
San Jose, California -- Jan 19, 2006 to Mar 5, 2006
Scottsdale, Arizona -- Mar 17, 2006 to Apr 9, 2006
New York, New York -- Apr 27, 2006 to Jul 2, 2006
Chicago, Illinois -- July 14, 2006 to Aug 27, 2006
Boston, Massachusetts -- Sep 8, 2006 to Oct 15, 2006
Washington, DC -- Oct 26, 2006 to Nov 26, 2006
Atlanta, Georgia -- Dec 15, 2006 to Jan 28, 2007
Dallas, Texas -- Feb 9, 2007 to Mar 4, 2007
Houston, Texas -- Mar 22, 2007 to Apr 15, 2007
Columbus, Ohio -- May 11, 2007 to May 27, 2007
Denver, Colorado -- Jun 22, 2007 to Jul 8, 2007
Dralion:
Seville, Spain -- Jan 19, 2006 to Feb 26, 2006
Geneva, Switzerland -- Mar 10, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006
Valencia, Spain -- May 4, 2006 to June 11, 2006
Malaga, Spain -- Jun 22, 2006 to Jul 30, 2006
Berlin, Germany -- Aug 30, 2006 to Oct 5, 2006
Frankfurt, Germany -- Oct 19, 2006 to Nov 29, 2006
Neuss, Germany -- Dec 7, 2006 to Jan 7, 2007
Tokyo, Japan -- Feb 7, 2007 to May 6, 2007
Sendai, Japan -- May 23, 2007 to Jul 8, 2007
Osaka, Japan -- Jul 25, 2007 to Sep 9, 2007
Nagoya, Japan -- Oct 31, 2007 to Jan 6, 2008
Fukuoka, Japan -- Apr 23, 2008 to Jun 15, 2008
Quidam:
San Diego -- Jan 19, 2006 to Feb 26, 2006
Long Beach, California -- Mar 09, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006
Ottawa, Ontario -- May 18, 2006 to Jun 25, 2006
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- Jul 6, 2006 to Aug 13, 2006
Cincinnati, Ohio -- Aug 24, 2006 to Sep 17, 2006
St. Louis, Missouri -- Sep 28, 2006 to Oct 22, 2006
Dubai, UAE -- Jan 4, 2007 to Feb 10, 2007
Seoul, South Korea -- Mar 20, 2007 to Jun 3, 2007
Shanghai, China -- Jun 28, 2007 to Aug 26, 2007 (*)
Monterrey, Mexico -- Sep 27, 2007 to TBA (*)
Mexico City, Mexico -- Nov 5, 2007 to TBA (*)
NOTE (*): Unconfirmed Dates
Saltimbanco:
Guadalajara, Mexico -- Nov 17, 2005 to Jan 1, 2006
Mexico City, Mexico -- Jan 13, 2006 to Jan 29, 2006
Santiago, Chile -- Mar 14, 2006 to Apr 22, 2006
Buenos Aires, Argentina -- May 5, 2006 to Jun 12, 2006
Sao Paulo, Brazil -- Aug 3, 2006 to Dec 10, 2006
Saltimbanco's Curtain Fell Dec 10, 2006.
Varekai:
Miami, Florida -- Jan 20, 2006 to Feb 26, 2006
Portland, Oregon -- Mar 14, 2006 to Apr 23, 2006
Seattle, Washington -- May 4, 2006 to Jun 11, 2006
Vancouver, BC -- Jun 22, 2006 to Jul 23, 2006
Sydney, Australia -- Aug 10, 2006 to Oct 29, 2006
Brisbane, Australia -- Nov 9, 2006 to Dec 16, 2006
Auckland, New Zealand -- Jan 5, 2007 to Feb 18, 2007
Canberra, Australia -- Mar 15, 2007 to Apr 8, 2007
Melbourne, Australia -- Apr 19, 2007 to May 20, 2007
Adelaide, Australia -- Jul 5, 2007 to Jul 22, 2007
Perth, Australia -- Aug 17, 2007 to Sep 16, 2007
[Arena Shows]
Delirium:
2006
----
Bridgeport, Connecticut -- Feb 7, 8 & 9
Buffalo, New York -- Feb 13 & 14
Columbus, Ohio -- Feb 17 & 18
Toronto, Ontario -- Feb 20 & 21
Detroit, Michigan -- Feb 23 & 24
Indianapolis, Indiana -- Feb 27 & 28
Kansas City, Missouri -- Mar 3 & 4
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma -- Mar 7 & 8
Houston, Texas -- Mar 10, 11 & 12
Memphis, Tennessee -- Mar 15 & 16
San Antonio, Texas -- Mar 19 & 20
Little Rock, Arkansas -- Mar 22 & 23
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas -- Mar 27 & 28
Birmingham, Alabama -- Mar 30 & 31
Atlanta, Georgia -- Apr 2, 3 & 4
Jacksonville, Florida -- Apr 6 & 7
Tampa/St. Pete, Florida -- Apr 9 & 10
Raleigh, North Carolina -- Apr 12 & 13
Tallahassee, Florida -- Apr 15 & 16
Orlando, Florida -- Apr 18 & 19
Fort Lauderdale, Florida -- Apr 21, 22 & 23
Charlotte, North Carolina -- Apr 28 & 29
Columbia, South Carolina -- May 02 & 03
Greensboro, North Carolina -- May 6 & 7
Nashville, Tennessee -- May 09 & 10
St-Louis, Missouri -- May 12 & 13
Minneapolis/St-Paul, Minnesota -- May 16 & 17
Des Moines, Iowa -- May 19 & 20
Montreal, Quebec -- Jun 16, 17 & 18
Toronto, Ontario -- Jun 23 & 24
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -- Jun 29 & 30, Jul 01
Atlantic City, New Jersey -- Jul 7 & 8
Baltimore, Maryland -- Jul 14 & 15
Worcester, Massachusetts -- Jul 21 & 22
Hershey, Pennsylvania -- Jul 25 & 26
Hartford, Connecticut -- Jul 29 & 30
Charlottesville, Virginia - Aug 01
Cleveland, Ohio -- Aug 03, 04 & 05
Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- Aug 18, 19 & 20
Grand Forks, North Dakota -- Aug 23
Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada) -- Aug 25, 26 & 27
Denver, Colorado -- Aug 30 & 31, Sep 1 & 2
Las Vegas, Nevada -- Sept 8 & 9
Phoenix, Arizona -- Sep 11 & 12
Los Angeles, California -- Sep 15, 16 & 17
Fresno, California -- Sep 19 & 20
San Jose, California -- Sep 22, 23 & 24
Los Angeles, California -- Sep 27, 28 & 29
Seattle, Washington -- Oct 3 & 4
Vancouver, BC (Canada) -- Oct 6 & 7
Calgary, Alberta (Canada) -- Oct 10, 11 & 12
Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) -- Oct 13, 14 & 15
Portland, Oregon -- Oct 19 & 20
Omaha, Nebraska -- Oct 24 & 25
Louisville, Kentucky -- Oct 27, 28 & 29
East Rutherford, New Jersey -- Nov 3 & 4
New York City, New York -- Nov 8 & 9
Uniondale, New York -- Nov 11 & 12
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- Nov 16, 17 & 18
Hampton, Virginia -- Nov 21 & 22
Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) -- Nov 24 & 25
2007
----
Detroit, Michigan Jan 24, 25 & 27
Grand Rapids, Michigan Jan 31, Feb 1 & 2
Moline, Illinois Feb 7 & 8
Minneapolis/St-Paul, Minnesota Feb 9 & 10
Fort Wayne, Indiana Feb 14 & 15
Chicago, Illinois Feb 17, 18 & 19
Kansas City, Missouri Feb 21, 22 & 23
Ames, Iowa Feb 24 & 25
Green Bay, Wisconsin Feb 28
Peoria, Illinois Mar 1 & 2
Madison, Wisconsin Mar 4
Indianapolis, Indiana - Mar 7, 8 & 9
Wichita, Kansas - Mar 13 & 14
[Resident Shows]
La Nouba:
Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark Sun/Mon
Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm
Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA)
2006 Dark Dates:
o January 22 to 30
o March 26 to 28
o May 21 to June 5
o July 30 to August 1
o September 17 to 25
o November 19 to 21
2007 Ticket Prices:
o Category 0: $112.00 (adults) / $90.00 (child 3-9)
o Category 1: $97.00 (adults) / $78.00 (child 3-9)
o Category 2: $79.00 (adults) / $63.00 (child 3-9)
o Category 3: $63.00 (adults) / $50.00 (child 3-9)
2007 Dark Dates:
o January 14 to 22
o March 18 to 20
o May 30 to June 4
o July 29 to July 31
o September 23 to October 1
o November 25 to 27
Mystère:
Performs: Wed through Sun, Dark Mon/Tue
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA)
2006 Dark Dates:
o January 2 to 15
o February 5
o March 12
o May 17 to 21
o July 16
o September 13 to 17
o November 12
EFFECTIVE JANUARY 20, 2007 (for performances January 21st on)
Performs: Sat through Wed, Dark Thr/Fri
Two shows Nightly -
o Saturday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm
o Sunday: 4:30pm & 7:00pm
o Monday - Wednesday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm
2007 Ticket Prices (taxes not included):
o Category 1: $95.00 USD
o Category 2: $75.00 USD
o Category 3: $60.00 USD
2007 Dark Dates:
o January 4 to 19
o February 4
o March 21
"O":
Performs: Wed through Sun, Dark Mon/Tue
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
2006 Dark Dates:
o February 19
o April 19 to 23
o June 18
o August 23 to 27
o October 22
o November 19
o December 5 to 17
2007 Ticket Prices (taxes not included):
o Orchestra: $150.00 USD
o Loggia: $125.00 USD
o Balcony: $99.00 USD
o Limited View: $93.50 USD
2007 Dark Dates:
o n/a
Zumanity:
Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark: Sun/Mon
Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA)
2006 Dark Dates:
o February 5 and 21
o April 7 to 11
o June 6
o August 11 to 15
o October 17
o December 8 to 19
2007 Ticket Prices (taxes not included):
o Stools: $69.00 USD
o Seats: $99.00 USD
o Sofas: $129.00 USD
2007 Dark Dates:
o February 4
KÀ:
Performs: Fri through Tue, Dark Wed/Thu
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:30pm
Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA)
2006 Dark Dates:
o January 3 to 14
o March 14
o May 9 to 13
o July 11
o September 5 to 9
o November 7
EFFECTIVE JANUARY 23, 2007 (for performances January 24th on)
Performs: Fri through Tue, Dark Wed/Thu
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2007 Ticket Prices (taxes not included):
o Category 1: $150.00 (adult) / $75.00 (child 5-12)
o Category 2: $125.00 (adult) / $62.50 (child 5-12)
o Category 3: $99.00 (adult) / $49.50 (child 5-12)
o Category 4: $69.00 (adult) / $34.50 (child 5-12)
2007 Dark Dates:
o January 9 to 22
LOVE:
Performs: Thr through Mon, Dark Tue/Wed
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:30pm
Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA)
2006 Dark Dates:
o June 26
o July 1
o August 15 to 23
o October 19
o November 28 to December 13
2007 Ticket Prices (taxes not included):
o Lower Orchestra: $150.00 USD
o Upper Orchestra: $125.00 USD
o Lower Balcony: $99.00 USD
o Upper Balcony: $69.00 USD
2007 Dark Dates:
o January 18
o February 11 and 12
o March 5
o April 19 to 23
o June 14
o August 16 to 20
o October 11
o November 29 and 30
o December 1 to 10
=======================================================================
COLUMNS BEHIND THE CURTAIN
=======================================================================
Within...
o) BIRTHDAY WISHES - Happy-Happy Birthday!
o) DIDYAKNOW? - Facts About Cirque
o) HISTORIA - Cirque du Soleil History
o) CIRQUETECH - The Technical Side of Cirque
=================
BIRTHDAY WISHES
=================
[October]
10/01/1978 Marie-Michelle Faber Chandeliers Corteo
10/01/1983 Ekaterina Arnaoutova Acrobat/Rope Contortion LOVE
10/01/1988 Gabrielle Cloutier Singer/Character Quidam
10/02/1968 Oxsana Vintilova Adagio Saltimbanco
10/02/1970 Shana Carroll Bungee/Trapeze Saltimbanco
10/02/1976 Artur Milon Plank/FastTrack/Poles Mystère
10/02/1986 Ruslana Bazaliy Duo Trapeze Saltimbanco
10/02/1986 Taisiya Bazaliy Duo Trapeze Saltimbanco
10/03/1969 Ebon Grayman Character / Silks Zumanity
10/03/1974 Dongmei You Lights/ Teeterboard Dralion
10/05/1973 Alexandre Pestov Banquine/Skipping Ropes Quidam
10/05/1977 Lance Trappe Cycles La Nouba
10/06/1974 Natalia Pestova Spanish Webs/Ropes Quidam
10/07/1966 Mikhail Chamanaev Swings / Poles Saltimbanco
10/07/1972 Nataliya Grybova Hoops / Solo Trapeze «O»
10/07/1975 Donna Stevens Cloud Swing Quidam
10/07/1976 Shayne Courtright German Wheel Quidam
10/07/1982 Kasper Falkesgaard Power Track Alegría
10/08/1963 Igor Jijikine High Bar Mystère
10/09/1966 Sha Yan Balancing on Chairs Fascination
10/09/1968 Christian Sylvestre Musician (Guitar) Dralion
10/09/1978 Laëtitia Bodin Spanish Webs/Ropes Quidam
10/09/1980 Valérie Boucher Synchro Swimming «O»
10/10/1960 Serguei Chachelev Clown La Nouba
10/10/1970 Viktor Kee Juggling Dralion
10/12/1965 Marie-Laure Mesnage Statue Quidam
10/12/1973 Igor Zoloutkhine Russian Swing Varekai
10/12/1990 Darya Vintilova Solo Trapeze Saltimbanco
10/13/1967 Paul Bowler Aerial Cube Mystère
10/13/1972 Alexandre Maiorov Ropes/Banquine Quidam
10/13/1973 Vincent Schonbrodt Bateau/Cadre «O»
10/13/1981 Maxim Levantsevich Russian Swing Varekai
10/13/1983 Denys Tolstov Handbalancing Alegría
10/14/1967 Amélie Demay Hand-to-Hand Réinventé
10/14/1971 Tatiana Louchina PowerTrack La Nouba
10/14/1976 Javier Santos Leal Icarian Games Varekai
10/14/1987 Wenchao Lu Multiple Acts Dralion
10/15/1951 Ron Feather Musician (Percussion) Alegría
10/15/1972 Alexi Kondratev FastTrack/Bars Alegría
10/15/1986 Irina Milko PowerTrack Alegría
10/17/1976 Kelly Ann Cabrera Dancer Mystère
10/17/1979 Lucy Pascoe Spanish Webs / Ropes Quidam
10/17/1980 Zhang Wei Multiple Acts Dralion
10/18/1955 Wayne Hankin Musician (Wind) Varekai
10/18/1961 Soizick Hébert Clown Dralion
10/18/1970 Anna Shelper Solo Trapeze Alegría
10/19/1964 Guennadi Tchijov Character (Sleeper) Saltimbanco
10/19/1968 Vladimir Sosnine Plank / Poles Mystère
10/20/1966 Lise Nadon Musician (Violin) Mystère
10/20/1969 Michael Brown Fire «O»
10/20/1971 Elena Spitsyna Banquine / Ropes Quidam
10/21/1972 Holly Rollins Silk / Hoops La Nouba/Quidam
10/21/1976 Lorenzo Pisoni Character (Moha Samedi) Mystère
10/21/1989 Junping Yang Water Meteors Varekai
10/22/1953 Gilles St-Amand Musican (Drums) Mystère
10/22/1964 Victor Bouriak Flying Trapeze La Nouba
10/22/1974 Jonathan Cole Boum-Boum / Hoops Quidam/«O»
10/22/1976 Lisa Simes Cadre / Bateau «O»
10/23/1943 Skip Wusnack Gatekeeper KÀ
10/23/1958 Galina Karableva Adagio Trio Saltimbanco
10/23/1979 German Sokolov Multiple Acts Mystère
10/23/1981 Wang Shoubo Multiple Acts Dralion
10/23/1986 Peng Rui Handbalancing Dralion
10/24/1961 Yingchun Pan Drums Dralion
10/24/1969 Daniel Licaciu Poles / Plank Mystère
10/24/1973 Dimitrii Arnaoutov Bungee / Swings Saltimbanco
10/24/1978 Laurence Racine Contortion Fascination
10/25/1979 Maxim Erilov Flying Trapeze La Nouba
10/25/1985 Pedro Santos Leal Icarian Games Varekai
10/25/1985 Ramon Santos Leal Icarian Games Varekai
10/26/1966 Yevgen Plotnikov Poles / Swings Saltimbanco
10/26/1973 Valerii Simonenko Russian Swings Varekai
10/26/1975 Fang Cao Lights / Teeterboard Dralion
10/26/1989 Siguang Li Water Meterors Varekai
10/26/1990 Lu Lu Diabolos La Nouba
10/27/1959 Stephen Poulin Musician (Keyboards) Dralion
10/27/1966 Vladimir Jikh High Bar / Poles Mystère
10/27/1967 Victoria Demenchukova Character Nouvelle
10/27/1977 Evgueni Tarakanov Russian Swings Varekai
10/27/1978 Yuliya Eremina Barge / Swings «O»
10/27/1981 Denis Gircha Banquine / Ropes Quidam
10/28/1969 Pavel Pronine High Bar / Poles Mystère
10/28/1975 Tamir Erdenesaikhan Character (Tamir) Alegría
10/28/1976 Tomasz Wlezien Hand-to-Hand Saltimbanco
10/29/1964 Carlos "Rokardy" Diaz Chair Balancing La Nouba
10/29/1976 Wei Chen Double Wire Saltimbanco
10/29/1980 Zhou Chun Mei Multiple Acts Dralion
10/30/1958 Nathalie Gauvin Singer Mystère
10/30/1970 Paul Cameron Poles/Plank/Trampo Mystère
10/30/1977 Irina Syrova Barge / Swings «O»
10/30/1978 Sébastien Savard Musician (Violin) Quidam
10/31/1941 Yuri Medvedev Clown Alegría
10/31/1957 Johnny Filion Clown (Les Voila) Dralion
10/31/1960 Cécile Ardail Aerial Hoops «O»
10/31/1979 Vladimir Fomine Ropes/Banquine Quidam
[November]
11/03/1964 Sylvian Côté Musician (Violin) Quidam
11/04/1964 Lin Yung-Biau Character (Yao) Dralion
11/04/1968 Vasyl Ohorilko Russian Swing Varekai
11/04/1969 Charles Dennard, Jr Musician (Keyboards) Alegría
11/05/1967 Pavel Bragantsev Flying Trapeze La Nouba
11/05/1977 Yan Xuesong Chinese Poles Mystère
11/05/1977 Yingjing Wang Hoop Diving/Dralions Dralion
11/06/1975 Serguei Okhai Ropes/Banquine Quidam
11/06/1977 Stiv Bello Icarian Games Varekai
11/06/1983 Cheri Tabushi Haigh Character (Twin Brother) KÀ
11/06/1984 Audrey Brisson-Jutras Singer (Zoë) Quidam
11/07/1951 Luis Perez Percussion Mystère
11/07/1964 Mikhail Matorin Aerial Cube Alegría/Mystère
11/07/1967 Mireille Marchal Musician (Percussion) Alegría
11/07/1971 Robin Finck Musician (Guitar) Quidam
11/08/1960 Lei Qiang Musician (Ehru) «O»
11/08/1977 Dongguo Wang Multiple Acts Dralion
11/08/1980 Li Zhengang Multiple Acts Dralion
11/08/1984 Nomin Tseveendorj Contortion Alegría
11/09/1960 Carmen Piculeata Musician (Violin) Varekai
11/09/1963 Serguei Voskovykh Russian Bars / High Bar Alegría
11/09/1964 Albert Abdoulov Ropes / Banquine Quidam
11/10/1971 Nathan Henderson PowerTrack La Nouba
11/10/1979 Mikhail Terskikh Flying Trapeze La Nouba
11/11/1984 Wang Yan Multiple Acts Dralion
11/12/1957 Christian Paré Musician Alegría
11/12/1960 Huang He Balancing on Chairs Fascination
11/12/1971 Ursula Haczkiewicz Bungee / Chinese Poles Mystère
11/12/1988 Huang Yang (Unknown) Alegría
11/14/1970 Kvichia Tetvadze Georgian Dance Varekai
11/15/1972 Andrea Ziegler Dancer / Target Mystère/Quidam
11/15/1983 Polina Mourtazova Triple Trapeze Varekai
11/15/1986 Li Weikuan Multiple Acts Dralion
11/16/1969 Lucian Codilean High Bar Mystère
11/16/1971 Grygoriy Duchenko PowerTrack La Nouba
11/17/1968 Richard Oberacker Musician (Keyboards) KÀ
11/17/1983 Sandrine Deplanque Synchro Trapeze Alegría
11/18/1964 Mikhail Petrov High Bar Alegría
11/18/1968 Flavie Hahme Boleadoras Saltimbanco
11/18/1975 Claudine Bourdages Singer Alegría
11/18/1989 Xinxin Liu Water Meteors Varekai
11/19/1963 Serguei Samoded Russian Bars Alegría
11/19/1969 Darren Pelio Cycles La Nouba
11/19/1970 Liu Yungtao Balancing on Chairs Fascination
11/19/1972 Adir Ionov Bateau/Cadre/Swings «O»
11/19/1972 Dominique Poulin Webs / Ropes Quidam
11/20/1969 Serhiy But Plank/Poles/Trampo Mystère
11/20/1974 Octavio Alegría Juggler Varekai
11/20/1979 Wellington Lima Trampo/Character La Nouba
11/21/1969 René Bibaud Skipping Ropes Quidam
11/21/1969 Julien Cottereau Character (Eddie) Saltimbanco
11/22/1989 Liu Sisi Diabolos Quidam/La Nouba
11/23/1964 Miguel Zamarripa Musician (Drums) Mystère
11/24/1961 Yves Décoste Statue/Vis Versa Quidam
11/24/1965 Benoit Lajeunesse Musician (Violin) La Nouba
11/25/1959 Francois Guay Musician (Violin) Dralion
11/25/1969 Stephen Gregory Bland Swing/Barge/Dive «O»
11/25/1973 Allister Booth Swing/Barge/Dive «O»
11/26/1963 Wang Jingmin Double Wire Saltimbanco
11/26/1970 Bruce Bilodeau German Wheel La Nouba
11/26/1970 Stacey Bilodeau German Wheel La Nouba
11/26/1970 Nicolas Dupéré Bungee/Swing/Poles Saltimbanco
11/27/1961 Elise Guay Musician (Woodwinds) «O»
11/27/1964 Temur Koridze Georgian Dance Varekai
11/27/1966 Zdzislaw Pelka Poles/Plank/Trampo Mystère
11/28/1977 Aliaksei Buiniakou Russian Bars Alegría
11/28/1978 Tuuli P. Räsänen Synchro Trapeze Alegría
11/29/1976 Faon Shane Ropes/Webs Quidam
11/29/1978 Adrian Isac Bateau/Cadre «O»
[December]
12/01/1971 Vladislav Dounaev PowerTrack La Nouba
12/01/1981 Elena Lev Hoops Alegría
12/02/1960 Nikolai Chelnokov Adagio Trio Saltimbanco
12/02/1963 Terence J. Bartlett Hoops/Cadre/Swing «O»
12/02/1964 Benoit Glazer Musician (Keyboards) La Nouba
12/02/1964 Martin St-Pierre Musician (Violin) Mystère/Quidam
12/02/1980 Olga Chalachova Poles/Plank/Trampo Mystère
12/03/1960 David Lebel Character (Le Con) La Nouba
12/03/1965 Paulo Lorador Handbalancing Mystère
12/03/1974 Benjamin Pring Character (Yao) Dralion
12/03/1983 Rachel Kmetko Bateau/Cadre «O»
12/04/1967 Stéphane Miermont Synchro Swimming «O»
12/04/1979 Zhou Yitao Multiple Acts Dralion
12/05/1966 Guennadi Novikov FastTrack/Plank/Trampo Mystère
12/06/1974 Patrick McGuire Manipulation Quidam
12/06/1976 Caroline Franc Cycles Fascination
12/06/1980 Mirelle Goyette Webs/Ropes Quidam
12/06/1981 Jianfeng Xu Chinese Poles Saltimbanco
12/07/1961 Richard Price Singer Quidam
12/07/1979 Mei Lin Teeterboard Dralion
12/08/1964 Vladimir Zibrov Bateau/Swings «O»
12/08/1966 John Gilkey Characters Quidam/Varekai
12/08/1982 Sha Zhu Double Trap/Teeterboard Dralion
12/09/1952 Gary Jacobson Gatekeeper KÀ
12/09/1973 Alexandr Dobrynin Flying Man Alegría
12/09/1974 Daniel Gutszmit Hand to Hand Saltimbanco
12/09/1974 Jacek Gutszmit Hand to Hand Saltimbanco
12/10/1973 Darren Bersuk Aerialist Delirium
12/11/1965 Mark Ward Character (John) Quidam
12/11/1978 Christine Cadeau Skipping Ropes Quidam
12/12/1954 Orlando Conceiçao Musician (Percussion) «O»
12/12/1955 Rénald Laurin Character (Fleur) Alegría
12/12/1975 Pete Mitchell PowerTrack La Nouba
12/13/1961 Patricia Cauwenberge Boleadoras Saltimbanco
12/13/1973 Milan Krejci High Bar/Poles Mystère
12/13/1980 Julie Choquette Contortion Fascination
12/14/1972 Isabelle Larose Bungee/Poles/Swing Saltimbanco
12/14/1981 Matthew Dial PowerTrack Alegría
12/15/1969 Alexander Clements Musician (Keyboards) «O»
12/15/1971 Valeriy Kharun Acrobat (The Fireman) LOVE
12/15/1981 Meng Shan Balancing on Chairs Fascination
12/16/1979 Laurent Michelier Poles/Swings Saltimbanco
12/16/1986 Ganna Ostapenko Multiple Acts Varekai/Salt
12/17/1952 François Dupuis Character (Bebe) Mystère
12/17/1954 François Myrand Musician (Director) Nouvelle
12/17/1979 Émilie Emiroglou Aerial Hoops Quidam
12/17/1982 Gyulnara Karaeva Water Bowl Zumanity
12/18/1972 John Maxson Barge/Swings/High Dive «O»
12/18/1972 Josée Campeau Musician (Cello) Quidam
12/19/1962 Élise Duguay Musician (Cello) Fascination
12/19/1983 Maria Markova Juggling Saltimbanco
12/19/1990 Meng Wu Diabolos La Nouba
12/20/1960 Sun Ying He Chinese Poles Mystère
12/20/1979 Evguenia Rochtchina PowerTrack Alegría
12/20/1980 Xiaoming Gao Lights/Teeterboard Dralion
12/21/1954 Gong Zengli Balancing on Chairs Fascination
12/21/1962 Adriana Pegueroles Boledoras Saltimbanco
12/22/1972 Caroline Blanc-Brude Synchro Trapeze Alegría
12/22/1979 Meng Xie Diabolos Quidam
12/23/1963 Philippe Chartrand Hoops/Bateau/Swings «O»
12/23/1968 Hélène Lemay Boledoras Saltimbanco
12/24/1960 Susan Daly Singer Saltimbanco
12/24/1961 Karl Baumann Character (Target) Quidam
12/24/1974 Chloe Maigre FastTrack Alegría
12/26/1973 Dergin Tokmak Solo on Crutches Varekai
12/26/1978 Caroline Glass Musician (Wind) Dralion
12/27/1967 Guillermo Cardoso Barge/Cadre «O»
12/27/1971 Marek Haczkiewicz Poles/Plank/Trampo Mystère
12/28/1967 Nathalie Noël Singer Alegría/Zu
12/28/1970 Cédric Casanova Character (Sleeper) Saltimbanco
12/28/1971 Qing Cai Lights/Teeterboard Dralion
12/29/1965 Guto Vasconcelos Character Dralion
12/29/1967 Oleg Fedossov Barge/Swings «O»
12/30/1959 Lionel Hassin Flying Trapeze Nouvelle
12/30/1967 Gregg Curtis FastTrack Alegría
12/30/1976 David Simard Musician (Drums) Alegría
12/30/1980 Richard Tovo Fire Alegría
12/31/1956 France La Bonté Character (Mme Corp) Nouvelle
12/31/1972 Dmitri Beliaikov Swings/Poles/Character Saltimbanco
{Source: The CirqueTribune Database}
=================================
DIDYAKNOW? Facts About Cirque
=================================
Didyaknow? - Cirque in Print
{Oct.06.2006}
----------------------------------------------
Didyaknow, besides its own show programme books, there have been at
least nine (9) books or publications released about Cirque du Soleil
over the years; they are:
o) Cirque du Soleil (1994)
o) La création dun spectacle (1996)
o) Wings (1999)
o) O, Cirque du Soleil at the Bellagio (2001)
o) Varekai, Cirque du Soleil (2003)
o) Parade of Colors (2003)
o) 20 Years Under the Sun (2004)
o) Dreams of the Solo Trapeze (2004)
o) The Spark (2006)
Cirque du Soleil has also produced calendars - although not regularly
in 1996, 2003 and 2007.
Didyaknow? - Cirque Awards IV: The Emmy & ACE
{Oct.20.2006}
----------------------------------------------
Didyaknow that Cirque du Soleil has been nominated for various awards
for its television performances in the United States? In this column
were going to look at two such awards: the Primetime/Daytime Emmy
Awards and the Cable Ace awards.
# # #
From 1978 until 1997, the CableACE award was an honor bestowed upon
its nominees to recognize excellence in American Cable Television
programming. The Ace was created to counter the Emmy, which while
honoring excellence in television programming, did not recognize Cable
TV efforts at the time. The award has since been discontinued as the
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has recognized Cable
Television programming equally with its on-air counterparts. Cirque
was nominated and won one such award:
1989 Best Variety Special or Series
Cirque du Soleil: The Magic Circus
The Emmy Awards, are an entertainment production honor awarded in the
United States by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the
National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the International
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. These prestigeous honors have
been awarded each year since 1949 and Cirque du Soleil over the years
has been nominated for twelve (12) such Emmy Awards in the following
categories:
1989 Outstanding Special Events
Cirque du Soleil: The Magic Circus
1992 - Oustanding Variety, Music or Compedy Program
Cirque du Soleil II: A New Experience
1992 - Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting
Direction for a Drama/Variety Series
Cirque du Soleil II: A New Experience
Sylvain Brault, Lighting Director
1992 - Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing
for a Miniseries or Special
Cirque du Soleil II: A New Experience
Vidal Beique, Editor
1993 Outstanding Individual Performance in a
Variety or Music Program
Cirque du Soleil - The Tonight Show w/Jay Leno
2000 - Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special
Cirque du Soleil: Quidam
2001 - Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special
Cirque du Soleil: Dralion
2001 Outstanding Costumes - Variety or Music Program
Cirque du Soleil: Dralion - Francois Barbeau
2001- Outstanding Directing - Variety or Music Program
Cirque du Soleil: Dralion - David Mallet
2002 - Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special
Cirque du Soleil: Alegría
2002 Outstanding Coreography
Cirque du Soleil at the 74th Academy Awards
Debra Brown
2003 Outstanding Nonfiction Program Alternative
Cirque du Soleil: Fire Within
And which of these have they won?
1989 Outstanding Special Events
Cirque du Soleil: The Magic Circus
1992 - Oustanding Variety, Music or Compedy Program
Cirque du Soleil II: A New Experience
2001 - Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special
Cirque du Soleil: Dralion
2001 Outstanding Costumes - Variety or Music Program
Cirque du Soleil: Dralion - Francois Barbeau
2001- Outstanding Directing - Variety or Music Program
Cirque du Soleil: Dralion - David Mallet
2002 Outstanding Coreography
Cirque du Soleil at the 74th Academy Awards
Debra Brown
2003 Outstanding Nonfiction Program Alternative
Cirque du Soleil: Fire Within
Didyaknow? - Premiere Dates
{Oct.27.2006}
-----------------------------
Ever wonder when some of your favorite Cirque du Soleil shows made
their grand premiere? Wonder no longer in this weeks Didyaknow?
column!
Year Production Premiere Date City
1984 Le Grand Tour Jun.16.1984 Gaspe
1985 Le Grand Tour May.14.1985 Montreal
1986 Le Magie Continue Apr.20.1986/May.18.1986 Sherebrook
1987 Le Cirque Réinventé May.07.1987 La Salle
1990 Nouvelle Expérience May.08.1990 Montreal
1992 Saltimbanco Apr.23.1992 Montreal
1992 Fascination May.22.1992 Tokyo
1993 Mystère Dec.25.1993 Las Vegas
1994 Alegría Apr.21.1994 Montreal
1996 Quidam Apr.23.1996 Montreal
1998 «O» Oct.19.1998 Las Vegas
1998 La Nouba Dec.23.1998/Jan.28.1999 Orlando
1999 Dralion Apr.22.1999 Montreal
2002 Varekai Apr.24.2002 Montreal
2003 Zumanity Jul.31.2003/Sep.20.2003 Las Vegas
2004 KÀ Nov.26.2004/Feb.03.2005 Las Vegas
2005 Corteo Apr.21.2005 Montreal
2006 LOVE Jun.02.2006/Jun.20.2006 Las Vegas
2007 Cirque 2007 Apr.26.2007 Montreal
So, why do some shows have two premiere dates?
In the case of Le Magie Continue, Cirque du Soleil originally
performed at Expo 86 in Vancouver before beginning their Canadian
tour. Thus, the official start of the 1986 tour isMay 18, 1986.
In the case of La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ and LOVE, Cirque du Soleil
staged preview performances of these two productions before their
official Grand Opening/Gala Premiere. Therefore, public performances
began on the first date, but an official premiere celebration did on
occur until the second.
Didyaknow? - Cirque Awards V: The Drama Desk
{Nov.03.2006}
---------------------------------------------
The Drama Desk award was founded in 1955 as the Vernon Rice awards to,
as one writer on Wikipedia put it, to recognize shows produced off-
Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and in legitimate not-for-profit theaters,
in addition to Broadway shows. Therefore the Drama Desk is a
celebration of all theater productions in New York and Cirque du
Soleil, who has played New York numerous times, has been nominated as
such in the following categories:
1991 Unique Theatrical Experience
Cirque du Soleil: Nouvelle Expérience
1998 Unique Theatrical Experience
Cirque du Soleil: Quidam
2003 Outstanding Costume Design
Eiko Ishioka - Cirque du Soleil: Varekai
2003 Unique Theatrical Expierence
Cirque du Soleil: Varekai
2003 Outstanding Sound Design
Francois Bergeron - Cirque du Soleil: Varekai
2003 Outstanding Set Design Musical
Stephane Roy - Cirque du Soleil: Varekai
Okay, so, how many of these awards has Cirque won over the years?
1991 Unique Theatrical Experience
Cirque du Soleil: Nouvelle Expérience
1998 Unique Theatrical Experience
Cirque du Soleil: Quidam
DidyaKnow? Saltimbanco Facts, Part I: The Kitchen
{Dec.08.2006}
----------------------------------------------------
On December 11, 2006, the curtain fell once again on Saltimbanco,
Cirque du Soleils 1992 production celebrating life. Created as an
antidote to the violence and despair typical of the 20th century, this
phantasmagorical show proposes a new vision of urbanity, overflowing
with optimism and happiness. To mark this point in time, Fascination
presents the following facts from the Cirque archives in three parts
Part 1: The Kitchen, Part 2: The Village on Wheels, and Part 3: The
Final Call.
Part I: The Kitchen
Did you know the Saltimbanco Kitchen
o) ... serves up to 400 meals a day, 6 days per week?
o) ... staff consists of 13 people: 1 kitchen manager, 3 cooks,
1 garde manger, 3 locally hired dining room assistants, 2
locally hired prep cooks and 3 locally hired dishwashers?
o) ... makes its own cakes, muffins and pastries every day?
o) ... serves an average of 146,000 croissants for breakfast
every year?
o) ... provides the cast and crew with 31,200 liters of
different juices a year?
o) ... prepares 7,300 kilos of meat, and 73,000 kilos of
potatoes a year?
o) ... has daily menus influenced by the French, Canadian,
Italian, South-East Asian, Spanish vegetarian, Dutch,
Australian, Russian, Chinese, Swiss and German cuisine as
well as by local restaurants and markets?
o) ... serves typical dishes in every city prepared by local
chefs following the local culinary traditions?
o) ... offers an all-day salad bar with a choice of fruits, cold
cuts, cheeses and salads besides the regular meals?
o) ... has a dining room that is made up of 6 trailers and
allows 80 people to be seated comfortably at once?
o) ... has 2 large terraces in the summer for cast and crew to
eat outside?
o) ... serves breakfast 08h30 to 12h00, lunch from 12h00 to
17h00 and dinner from 17h00 to 21h30?
o) ... can provide seating for 80 people at the same time, and
the dining room is composed of six trailers.
o) ... prepares desserts and pastries just for the troupe every
day?
o) ... sets up two large patios in the summertime so that the
shows cast and crew can eat outside?
o) ... at least once in each city it visits, the Saltimbanco
tour kitchen serves local specialties to let Cirque personnel
try out local culinary traditions?
DidyaKnow? Saltimbanco Facts, Part III: The Final Call
{Dec.22.2006}
---------------------------------------------------------------
On December 11, 2006, the curtain fell once again on Saltimbanco,
Cirque du Soleils 1992 production celebrating life. Created as an
antidote to the violence and despair typical of the 20th century, this
phantasmagorical show proposes a new vision of urbanity, overflowing
with optimism and happiness. To mark this point in time, Fascination
presents the following facts from the Cirque archives in three parts
Part 1: The Kitchen, Part 2: The Village on Wheels, and Part 3: The
Final Call.
Part III: The Final Call
Did you know that
o) ... Saltimbanco is an old Italian word for street artist?
o) ... Saltimbanco is Cirque du Soleils longest running show?
The show has been on the road since 1992!
o) ... Saltimbanco was directed by the Italian Franco Dragone?
o) ... Saltimbanco has been enjoyed by over 7 million people
worldwide?
o) ... The international cast of Saltimbanco totals 50 artists,
aged from 9 to 51 years old, and from 15 different countries:
Argentina, Belgium, Canada, China, Germany, Hungary, France,
Mongolia, Netherlands, The Ukraine, United Kingdom, Poland,
Romania, Russia, and USA?
o) ... All together 125 people from 22 different nationalities
are currently on the road with the European tour of
Saltimbanco, including a team that takes care of their travel
and lodging arrangements?
o) ... Cirque du Soleil employs 125 local people as temporary
staff in each city?
o) ... The bell that opens the Saltimbanco show weighs 100
kilos?
o) ... 60 liters of paint were used to cover the colourful stage
of Saltimbanco?
o) ... A great variety of fabrics and materials was used for the
600 Saltimbanco costumes among which, lycra, cotton, silk,
polyester, velvet, leather and moleskin?
o) ... Saltimbanco includes 110 head pieces and 150 pairs of
shoes?
o) ... On average the artists need one to two hours to do their
own make-up?
o) ... Saltimbanco has hosted many celebrities including, Boris
Becker, Bryan Adams, The Supremes & The Temptations, Jean-
Paul Gaultier, Roman Polanski, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins
and Depeche Mode?
====================================
HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History
====================================
[October]
* Oct.01.1996 - Alegría opened Fukuoka, Japan
* Oct.01.2002 - La Nouba goes 2-tiered seating
* Oct.01.2003 -- Varekai Premium CD Released (CDS/Musique)
* Oct.02.1987 -- Cirque Réinventé opened San Diego
* Oct.02.1990 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Paris
* Oct.02.2003 - Alegría opened Portland
* Oct.02.2003 - Dralion opened Mexico City
* Oct.04.2002 - Dralion opened Sacramento
* Oct.06.1994 - Alegría opened Santa Monica
* Oct.07.2003 - Region 01 DVD release: Alegría and Varekai
* Oct.07.2004 - Saltimbanco opened Rome
* Oct.08.1992 -- Saltimbanco opened Santa Monica
* Oct.09.1992 -- The Saltimbanco CD was released in US (RCA/Victor)
* Oct.09.2001 - Region 01 DVD Release: Journey of Man (also VHS)
* Oct.10.1990 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Santa Monica
* Oct.10.2001 -- Alegría opened in Adelaide, Australia
* Oct.10.2002 - Alegría opened Mexico City
* Oct.11.1994 -- The Alegría CD released in US (RCA/Victor)
* Oct.11.2000 -- Dralion opened in McLean, Virginia
* Oct.12.1995 -- Alegría opened Washington DC
* Oct.12.2000 -- Saltimbanco 2000 opened Tokyo, Japan
* Oct.13.2005 - Alegría opened Tokyo, Japan
* Oct.14.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened in Washington DC
* Oct.14.1998 - Saltimbanco opened Ottawa (Special Performances)
* Oct.15.2004 - Dralion opened Madrid, Spain
* Oct.18.2005 -- KÀ CD released (CDS Musique)
* Oct.19.1998 -- "O" premiered at Bellagio, Las Vegas
* Oct.19.2004 -- "Tapis Rogue: Solarium" CD Released (CDS Musique)
* Oct.19.2006 - Dralion opened Frankfurt
* Oct.20.2003 - Cirque for Life film even in Portlan, Oregon
* Oct.22.2003 - Canadian premiere of Varekai on CBC
* Oct.22.2003 - Quidam opened Fukuoka, Japan
* Oct.25.1988 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Montréal
* Oct.25.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Washington DC
* Oct.26.1999 -- Dralion CD released in Canada (RCA/Victor)
* Oct.26.2000 - Quidam opened Frankfurt
* Oct.26.2001 -- New Musical Director "O" (John-Paul Gasparelli)
* Oct.27.2005 - Varekai opened Charlotte
* Oct.27.2006 - Alegría opened Madrid, Spain
* Oct.28.1997 -- Cirque Collection CD Released in Canada (RCA/Victor)
* Oct.29.1987 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Santa Monica
* Oct.29.1998 - Quidam opened Atlanta
* Oct.29.2004 - Alegría opened Tokyo, Japan
* Oct.30.2001 - Region 01 DVD Release: Le Magie Continue,
Saltimbanco, Cirque Réinventé, and Baroque Odyssey.
(Also released on VHS)
* Oct.31.2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Madrid
* Oct.xx.2001 - CirqueClub premiered
[November]
* Nov.01.1996 - Alegría opened Hong Kong
* Nov.01.2004 -- "20 Years Under the Sun" Book Published
* Nov.02.2004 - Region 01 DVD Release: Fire Within and La Nouba
* Nov.02.2006 - Saltimbanco opened Rio de Janiero, Brazil
* Nov.03.1999 - Quidam opened Madrid, Spain
* Nov.03.2005 - Quidam opened Hong Kong
* Nov.04.2001 - Dralion wins 3 Emmys:
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special
Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Musical
Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program
* Nov.04.2004 - Quidam opened Brisbane
* Nov.04.2004 - Varekai opened Dallas
* Nov.05.2002 -- Varekai CD released in Canada (BMG/CDS Musique)
* Nov.05.2002 - NBC purchased BRAVO, the Official Network of Cirque
in the United States.
* Nov.06.2003 - Alegría opened San Francisco
* Nov.07.1996 -- Saltimbanco opened Frankfurt
* Nov.07.1997 - Alegría opened Dusseldorf
* Nov.07.2002 - Varekai opened San Francisco
* Nov.07.2002 - Varekai canceled in San Francisco due to Wind Gusts
* Nov.06.2002 - Quidam opened Tampa Bay
* Nov.08.1987 -- Cirque Réinventé (Vol 1) CD Released (Nâga)
* Nov.08.1994 -- Cirque Réinventé CD Released in US (RCA/Victor)
* Nov.08.1994 -- Mystère CD released in US (RCA/Victor)
* Nov.09.1999 -- Dralion CD released in US (RCA/Victor)
* Nov.09.2006 - Varekai opened Brisbane
* Nov.10.1992 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened in Las Vegas
* Nov.10.1995 -- Saltimbanco opened Vienne
* Nov.11.2005 - Corteo opened San Francisco
* Nov.12.1996 -- Mystère Live CD released in US (RCA/Victor)
* Nov.12.1998 - Alegría opened Frankfurt
* Nov.13.2002 - Dralion opened Phoenix
* Nov.13.2003 - Cirque presented at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto
to Honor Prime Minister Jean Chrétien
* Nov.15.1993 -- "Cirque du Soleil" 10th Anniversary Book Published
* Nov.16.1995 -- Alegría opened Atlanta
* Nov.16.2001 -- Dralion opened Dallas
* Nov.17.2005 - Saltimbanco opened Guadalajara
* Nov.18.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened Atlanta
* Nov.18.2005 - Dralion opened Bilbao
* Nov.19.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Atlanta
* Nov.19.1998 -- «O» CD Released in Canada (RCA/Victor)
* Nov.19.2001 - Region 01 DVD Release: Inside La Nouba
* Nov.19.2002 -- Alegría premiered on Bravo at 8:00pm EST
* Nov.20.1989 -- Cirque Réinventé opened San Diego
* Nov.20.1997 - Quidam opened Houston
* Nov.21.1993 -- Nouvele Expérience closed in Las Vegas
* Nov.21.2006 - LOVE CD Released in US (Capitol Records)
* Nov.22.2001 -- Quidam opened London
* Nov.22.2005 - Saltimbanco opened Mexico City
* Nov.24.1998 -- «O» CD Released in US (RCA/Victor)
* Nov.25.1999 -- Saltimbanco opened Singapore
* Nov.25.2004 - Saltimbanco opened Lille
* Nov.26.2004 -- KÀ Premiered (Preview Performances Begin)
* Nov.28.1989 - Cirque Réinventé opened Phoenix
* Nov.28.2002 - Run Before You Fly documentary premiered on BRAVO
* Nov.28.2003 - Saltimbanco opened Valencia
* Nov.29.1991 - Nouvelle Expérience opened Atlanta
* Nov.30.2000 - Dralion opened Atlanta
* Nov.30.2002 - Fire Within premiered on ArTV in Canada
* Nov.30.2003 - SOLSTROM premiered on CBC
* Nov.xx.1999 - Region 01 DVD release: Alegría: Le Film
* Nov.xx.2001 - Quidam celebrated 2000th performance [Zurich]
[December]
* Dec.01.2005 - Varekai opened St. Petersburg, Florida
* Dec.02.1999 -- Dralion opened Irvine, California
* Dec.03.2002 - Cirque abandoned Complexes Cirque project
* Dec.04.2001 - NY-NY announced as next new Cirque show site.
* Dec.04.2003 - Varekai opened Ponoma
* Dec.04.2004 - Varekai celebrated 1000th performance
[Saturday/Dallas]
* Dec.05.2001 -- Alegría opened Perth, Australia
* Dec.07.2006 - Dralion opened Neuss, Germany
* Dec.10.2006 - Curtain fell on Saltimbanco Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
* Dec.15.2000 - Quidam opened London
* Dec.16.1999 -- Alegría: Le Film premiered in Singapore
* Dec.16.2001 - Dralion celebrated its 1000th performance
[1:00pm/Dallas]
* Dec.17.2002 -- Varekai Split-Track CD Released (BMG/CDS Musique)
* Dec.19.2005 - O wins Best of Show at The Trippies 1st Annual
Readers Poll Awards at Las Vegas travel guide site
VegasTripping.com
* Dec.20.2004 -- "Dreams of the Solo Trapeze" Book Published
* Dec.20.2005 - A Taste of Cirque du Soleil entertainment showcase
for Celebrity Cruises announced
* Dec.23.1998 -- La Nouba premiered at WDW (Preview Performances)
* Dec.24.1993 -- Mystère premiered at Treasure Island
* Dec.24.2003 - Quidam opened Tokyo, Japan
* Dec.26.2001 -- Dralion celebrated 1000th performance
[Wed, 1:00pm/Dallas]
* Dec.27.2000 - Region 02 DVD Release: Quidam
* Dec.28.1989 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Phoenix, Arizona
* Dec.31.2004 - Quidam opened Auckland
==========================================
CIRQUETECH: The Technical Side of Cirque
==========================================
CirqueTech: Performance Spaces-Alegría at Beau Rivage
{Nov.10.2006}
------------------------------------------------------
From May 20, 1999 until October 2, 2000 Cirque du Soleil found a home
at the Beau Rivage casino-resort on the Gulf Coast in Biloxi,
Mississippi, a place where genuine Southern hospitality and charm go
hand in hand with meticulous service. The Beau Rivage was Steve
Wynns then-newest resort (now held by MGM/Mirage) and with its
opening on March 16, 1999 came another collaborative effort between
Wynn and Cirque du Soleil. Within this $685 Million (USD) resort hid a
1,552 seat theater reflecting the warm welcome inspired by the
climate of Southern France, and it became the premiere showplace for
Cirque du Soleils Alegría for over a year.
For those who bore its splendor, the venues design was simple and
elegant, featuring a brilliant mélange of color. The ceiling was a
vibrant shade of blue, representing the skies of the village upon
which Alegría played; the walls were adorned in tones of reds and
oranges, intended as a glorious sunrise and sunset; the seats a sandy
yellow, an allegory for the beaches of the Gulf Coast upon which the
Beau Rivage was founded; and the carpets a dark blue, reminiscent of a
shade Henri Matisse used in his paintings an artist from which the
designers drew their inspiration. Accompanying is a bright-yellow
ceiling mural - a 15,000 square-foot frieze crafted by Sky Art of
Colorado, who also designed the ceiling mural for Mystère in Las Vegas
for the sun.
Besides the wonderfully adorned space, the 52,000 square-foot Beau
Rivage Theater incorporated a no-proscenium arch design quite similar
to its Mystère counterpart. And like the Treasure Island Theater, the
Beau Rivage Theater also had no obstructive poles, providing a
limitless viewpoint to all its spectators in its 270-degree seating
arrangement. But I bet you didnt know that the seats were a little
cozier than those found with its Las Vegas counterparts; the span from
one arm chare to the next, which is 42-inches at Mystère and «O», was
only 39-inches at Alegría!
The set and stage retained its familiar square-ish form, complete with
the Fast Track built into the floor. Overhead an enormous dome that
for designer Michel Crête signifies a sign of imposing power, which
reflects the theme of the show - an allegory about power; who has it
and who does not. Cirque explained the symbolic nature of the set on
their website in 1996, which stated: The set was built to express the
idea of a changing world. The Cirque du Soleil Theatre has been
transformed into the Kings court. An enormous dome overhangs the
stage, which is surrounded by diamond-shaped paving stones, and
protects the occupants of the palace as if they were in a fortified
castle. Four huge masts support the dome, bringing to mind the heavy
chains of a drawbridge. Two spiral staircases encircle the ring and
enable the characters to sneak in and out
A raised platform serves as
the minstrels balcony. There they set up their musical instruments
and look haughtily down on the activities of the world below.
On the technical side, the lighting system included 900 ETC Sensor
dimmers (10 racks of 90), two Strand 550i consoles, 425 ETC Source
Four ellipsoidals, 80 Wybron Coloram II scrollers, and 10 Clay Paky
Stage Zoom luminaries. Production Arts/PRG installed the Ethernet hub
that ran the enormous rig. The sound system included a Midas XL3
console, 67 JBL 4892 and 4893 speakers, 45 JBL amplifiers (MP A600s
and 1100s,) JBL DSC 260 & 280 processing equalizers, and 10 Klark
Teknik DN3600 graphic equalizers.
Live Design reported that the total cost of the theater was $19.4
million USD, with $4 million alone dedicated to technical equipment.
Perhaps some of that money went to the theaters ornamented display of
the shows name right above the door. On October 2, 2000, Alegría
packed up its troubles and prepared for a journey to a continent it
had never before played - Australia. Today, the Beau Rivage Theater
has survived the devastation that Hurricane Katrina brought to it in
the summer of 2005 and has been completely renovated for more standard
fare small musical productions, headlines and comedy acts. While the
theater no longer appears as it did when Alegría played there, the
production did have one major milestone occur at the Beau Rivage on
Thursday, March 23, 2000 at 8:00pm, Alegría celebrated its 2000th
performance.
{Sources: Live Design, Cirque du Soleil, Beau Rivage}
Performance Spaces: Alegría at Beau Rivage is an updated excerpt
from a previously presented article series entitled The Houses of
Cirque, published by the Fascination Newsletter in three parts on
February, June and November 2003.
CirqueTech: Illuminating KÀ, Part I
{Nov.17.2006}
--------------------------------------
Stage Directions magazine, known for getting down into the grit and
grime of productions, dove into the technology that went into
constructing Cirque du Soleil at MGM-Grand, or better known to us as
KÀ, for its January 2005 issue. In continuing our look into the
equipment and technical know-how that helps illuminate our favorite
Cirque du Soleil productions, Fascination presents the following
information about KÀs lighting equipment from that issue of Stage
Directions in three parts Part 1: Dimming and Control Systems,
Conventional Fixtures, and Arc Sources & Followspots; Part 2: Moving
Lights, Effects Equipment, Other Items, Scrollers & Dousers and
Projection Equipment; and Part 3: The Design and Production Team.
Illuminating KÀ, Part I
o) DIMMING AND CONTROL SYSTEMS
.) 24 - Strand SLD 96 way dimmer racks
.) 2 - Strand 550i control consoles
.) 2 - Strand 510 control consoles
.) 3 - Strand 520 control consoles
.) 2 - Wholehog II Moving Lights consoles
.) Power Relay System by Douglas Relay
.) DMX/ Ethernet Distribution Network by Strand
.) Electrical Distribution Devices by Strand
o) CONVENTIONAL FIXTURES
.) 36 - ETC SOURCE FOUR 5°
.) 74 - ETC SOURCE FOUR 10°
.) 138 - ETC SOURCE FOUR 19°
.) 120 - ETC SOURCE FOUR 26°
.) 65 - ETC SOURCE FOUR 36°
.) 61 - ETC SOURCE FOUR 50°
.) 24 - ETC SOURCE FOUR ZOOM 15-30°
.) 24 - ETC SOURCE FOUR ZOOM 25-50°
.) 12 - SELECON INCANDESCENT BODY
.) 12 - SELECON 90 DEGREE BARREL
.) 417 - Altman PAR 64s
.) 12 - Altman PAR 36 9-LITES
.) 4 - James Thomas PAR 64 9-LITES
.) 48 - ETC SOURCE FOUR PAR
.) 104 - ETC SOURCE FOUR PARNEL
.) 10 - James Thomas PAR 36 ASHTRAY
.) 1 - James Thomas PAR 46
.) 12 - Strand CODA 500W
.) 15 - Altman SKY CYC
.) 48 - McMaster - 1549K13 HALOGEN QUARTZ LIGHT (Black)
.) 12 - MR-16 MINISTRIPLIGHTS
.) 7 - T-3 STRIPLIGHTS
.) 9 - Altman 500 WATT FRESNEL
.) 389 - Mole Richardson 650 WATT MOLEFAY
.) 8 - Mole Richardson 5000WATT SKYPAN
.) 830 - Mole RIchardson 650 WATT NOOKLIGHT
.) 99 - Mole Richardson Custom 4-Lite Moleeno (w/500W PAR64 MFL
lamps)
o) ARC SOURCES & FOLLOWSPOTS
.) 4 - Robert Juliat ARAMIS 4.5-8DEG 2500W HMI FOLLOWSPOT
.) 4 - RObert Juliat IVANHOE 9-21DEG 2500W HMI FOLLOWSPOT
W/Stand
.) 2 - Mole Richardson 5K TUNGSTEN MOLEBEAM TYPE 8331
.) 2 - Pani BEAMPROJECTORS
.) 8 - Robert Juliat DARTAGNAN HMI 2500W 9-26
.) 8 - Robert Juliat DARTAGNAN HMI 2500W 18-38
.) 8 - Robert Juliat DARTAGNAN HMI 2500W 30-50
.) 1 - LTM SUPER 12/18KW HMI FRESNEL (Used) WITH 100' CABLE
.) 14 - Selecon PACIFIC MSR
.) 10 - 5-13 ZOOMSPOT
.) 2 - Mole Richardson MOLEPAR 4000W HMI, TYPE 6641
.) 2 - ARRI 6000W HMI DAYLIGHT THEATER FRESNEL
.) 2 - Strand 4KW HMI DAYLIGHT FRESNEL
.) 4 - Hubble SFMM MARINER 400W
{Source - Stage Directions: January 2005}
CirqueTech: Illuminating KÀ, Part II
{Nov.24.2006}
--------------------------------------
Stage Directions magazine, known for getting down into the grit and
grime of productions, dove into the technology that went into
constructing Cirque du Soleil at MGM-Grand, or better known to us as
KÀ, for its January 2005 issue. In continuing our look into the
equipment and technical know-how that helps illuminate our favorite
Cirque du Soleil productions, Fascination presents the following
information about KÀs lighting equipment from that issue of Stage
Directions in three parts Part 1: Dimming and Control Systems,
Conventional Fixtures, and Arc Sources & Followspots; Part 2: Moving
Lights, Effects Equipment, Other Items, Scrollers & Dousers and
Projection Equipment; and Part 3: The Design and Production Team.
Illuminating KÀ, Part II
o) MOVING LIGHTS
.) 12 Clay Paky STAGE PROFILE PLUS SV
.) 20 Vari*lite VL-3000 WASH
.) 12 Vari*lite VL-3000 SPOT
o) EFFECTS EQUIPMENT
.) 12 - Martin ATOMIC 3000 STROBE
.) 4 - Martin ATOMIC 3000 STROBE
.) 1 - LIGHTNIN GSTRIKE 70K FOCUSABLE
.) 11 - ROSCO IMAGE PRO
.) 4 - GAM FILM FX
.) 18 - City Theatrical EFX 3+ (Incl. 2 Disks, type #5225 &
Art Glass type #5255)
.) 42 - GAM TWIN SPIN GOBO ROTATOR
.) 11 - Rosco DOUBLE GOBO ROTATOR
o) OTHERS
.) 526 - ColorKinetics COLORBLAST 6
.) 116 - ColorKinetics POWERSUPPLY PDS 150 E, for colorkinetics
.) 48 - Hubbel ZV/ZB ZIPLINE SERIES (Blue Light)
.) 43 - ENCAPSULITE TWIN LAMP CONTROL BOX
.) 82 - ENCAPSULITE 48 INCH TUBE (White)
.) 6 - 50' 5-LIGHT INCANDESCENT STRINGLIGHT
.) 2 - Mole Richardson SENIOR SIZE LITEWATE LOW STAND TYPE
418181
.) 2 - MGM 19 DECORATIVE FRESNEL
.) 3 - Mole Richardson 14? DECORATIVE FRESNEL
.) 5 - McAllister - 12? DECORATIVE FRESNEL
.) 3 - McAllister - 10? DECORATIVE FRESNEL
o) SCROLLERS & DOUSERS
.) 10 - Wybron SCROLLER POWER SUPPLIES
.) 112 - Wybron COLORAM II 7.5
.) 25 - Wybron COLORAM II 10
.) 7 - Wybron LARGE FORMAT
.) 1 - Wybron THE SCROLLER FOR 6K HMI FRESNEL
.) 14 - Wybron ECLIPSE I 2K MODEL for the 18PACMSR513HR units
.) 10 - Wybron ECLIPSE I 5K MODEL FOR Molepar, Mariner(2), 6k,
4k Fresnel
.) 2 - Wybron ECLIPSE II 5K MODEL FOR MOLEBEAM
.) 1 - LTM GRADALUX ELECTRONIQUES for 18KW Fresnel
o) PROJECTION EQUIPMENT
.) 3 - Barco ELM R18 DLP Projectors
.) 2 - Dell Precision 650 Workstations
.) 3 - Wybron ECLIPSE I .2K MODEL Dousers
.) 2 - Cisco 3550 Network Switches
.) 2 - 4 way DVI Video Signal Amps
{Source - Stage Directions: January 2005}
CirqueTech: Illuminating KÀ, Part III
{Dec.01.2006}
--------------------------------------
Stage Directions magazine, known for getting down into the grit and
grime of productions, dove into the technology that went into
constructing Cirque du Soleil at MGM-Grand, or better known to us as
KÀ, for its January 2005 issue. In continuing our look into the
equipment and technical know-how that helps illuminate our favorite
Cirque du Soleil productions, Fascination presents the following
information about KÀs lighting equipment from that issue of Stage
Directions in three parts Part 1: Dimming and Control Systems,
Conventional Fixtures, and Arc Sources & Followspots; Part 2: Moving
Lights, Effects Equipment, Other Items, Scrollers & Dousers and
Projection Equipment; and Part 3: The Design and Production Team.
Illuminating KÀ, Part III
o) LIGHTING DESIGN TEAM
.) Lighting Designer - Luc Lafortune
.) Projections Designer - Holger Forterer
o) LIGHTING PRODUCTION TEAM
.) Associate Lighting Designer - Nol van Genuchten
.) Assistants to the Lighting Designer - Paul Copenhaver,
Alexandre Tougas
.) Moving Lights Programmer - Hubert Tardif
.) Lighting Consultants - Auerbach, Pollock, Friedlander
o) INFRASTRUCTURES TEAM
.) Cirque du Soleil - Luc Plamondon, Gabriel Pinkstone, Don
MacLean, Eric Listen, Rick Dobbie, Jeanette Farmer
.) General Contractor - Marnell Carrao and Associates
.) General Foreman - Randy Kuiper
.) Electrical Engineering - JBA and Associates
.) Project Lead - Dave Magdefrau
.) Electrical Contractor - Bombard
.) Electric, Foreman - Ron Hatter
.) Lighting Equipment Supplier - 4th Phase, Las Vegas
.) Project Manager - Maggie Bailey
.) Lighting Cable Supplier - TMB Associates
o) OPERATIONS TEAM
.) Lighting Director - Jeanette Farmer
.) Assistant Lighting Director - Nils Becker
.) Lighting Operations Crew - Larry Carrasco, Selina Davenport,
Chris Escher, Cliff Gutierrez, Danny Grose, Gabriel
Hernandez, Martin Isaac, Bernie Lehman, Curt McCormick,
Jon Mytyk, Majid Khazal, Liz Koch, Chris Kortum, Jeff
Kyrish, Alan Pilukas, Stuart Pitz, Jon Pullen, Doc Roth,
Tony Saurini, Mike Wescoatt, Susan Wilson.
{Source - Stage Directions: January 2005}
CirqueTech Saltimbanco Facts, Part II: The Village on Wheels
{Dec.15.2006}
---------------------------------------------------------------
On December 11, 2006, the curtain fell once again on Saltimbanco,
Cirque du Soleils 1992 production celebrating life. Created as an
antidote to the violence and despair typical of the 20th century, this
phantasmagorical show proposes a new vision of urbanity, overflowing
with optimism and happiness. To mark this point in time, Fascination
presents the following facts from the Cirque archives in three parts
Part 1: The Kitchen, Part 2: The Village on Wheels, and Part 3: The
Final Call.
Part II: The Village on Wheels
Did you know that...
o) ... Saltimbancos village on wheels consists of a box
office, a kitchen, even a school and various offices housing
departments such as: administration, production, artistic,
technical, public services, communications and tour
management?
o) ... 7 days of intensive work are required for the set-up;
dismantling takes 2 days? To accomplish both tasks 6,000 man
hours are needed.
o) ... Cirque du Soleils village on wheels holds 3 different
tents: the Grand Chapiteau, the entrance tent and an artistic
tent? Together they occupy a total surface of 3.263,50 m²?
o) ... The entire area of this village on wheels covers 20,000
m²?
o) ... the Grand Chapiteau is 17 meters high and the 4 four
masts are 25 meters high?
o) ... the Grand Chapiteau has a diameter of 50 meters and seats
2,500 spectators?
o) ... 134 side poles and 450 pegs are necessary to anchor the
Grand Chapiteau?
o) ... the Grand Chapiteau is set up by 80 people over a 12 hour
period?
o) ... 4,500 m² of asphalt is used as a base for the Grand
Chapiteau and the public spaces?
o) ... the power for the village comes from 3 generators of
350KW each? The village is completely self-sufficient except
for water and telephone lines.
o) ... a total 28.5 kilometers of cable is used? 3.5 km of cable
is used for lighting, 2.5 km for sound, 10 km for
electricity, 1.5 km of telephone wire and 11 km of steel
cable.
o) ... to mount Saltimbanco through Europe 64 unites on 58
trailers carrying 850 tons of equipment are needed?
o) ... the Show support consists of 24 people: 1 Artistic
Coordinator, 1 Technical Show Director, 2 physiotherapists, 2
coaches and the show crew consisting of 2 people for
lighting, 2 for sound, 5 backstage technicians, 2 riggers, 1
head carpenter, 1 prop person, 2 stage managers, 3 costume
shop workers?
o) ... the whole technical department employs electricians,
plumbers, welders, site and tent maintenance personnel?
CirqueTech Performance Spaces: Mystère
{Dec.29.2006}
--------------------------------------------
Of course, its difficult to fully comprehend the cosmic chorus that
is Mystère without fully appreciating the space within these sprites
jump and play.
Researching the creation and implementation of the theater and set
designs for Cirque is no easy task, but in doing so one will find two
prevalent names: Michel Crête and Scéno Plus. Michel Crête has been
Cirque du Soleils scenographer, or one who paints the scene using
the art of perspective representation, for many years now and is
hailed as a talented, one-of-a-kind individual. Monsignor Crête came
to Cirque in 1986, putting his knowledge of creation and design to use
as Costume Designer. In his tenure, he created stunning and innovative
(not to mention colorful) costuming for Le Cirque Réinventé (1987-
1990) and Nouvelle Expérience (1990-1993). But within a few years,
says the Cirque du Soleil website, he traded fabric for the media of
wood, metals and plastics. The change resulted in many stunning sets
for both Cirques permanent and traveling shows.
In 1992, Michel Crête left the world of fabric behind and designed the
sets for the mega-production known as Fascination (a combination of Le
Cirque Réinventé and Nouvelle Expérience) that appeared as a special
limited engagement in Japan. He went on to design the sets for
Saltimbanco (1992), Mystère (1993), Alegría (1994), Quidam (1996), O
and La Nouba (1998). Through it all, Michel has worked closely with
Scéno Plus, a Canadian company founded in 1985 with the quest to be
innovative in their design and construction solutions, for the
realization of his visions.
The first vision of this partnership was the Treasure Island showroom,
a beautiful 1541-seat theater within the $430 million expansion of the
Mirage Casino-Hotel in Las Vegas. Rumored to cost approximately $20
million, the theater comes complete with comfortable seats, a
wonderful view for all, and an interesting story of compromise with
its design. Youll find the theater in the back of Treasure Island
through a couple of sets of white and red wooden doors, but you wont
mistake their purpose; for beyond the ornamented doors lies Mystère.
The theater has several interesting points about it, many of which are
too technical to discuss here. However, one of the first things people
notice upon entering is its openness. The Treasure Island Theater
lacks a divider, or curtain, between stage and audience that is
usually found in most theaters. Thus the stage is completely open to
the audience, allowing the action to be thrust upon them. This was the
goal from the initial meetings between the Mirage staff and
Cirque/Scéno. The idea was to make the environment feel as if you were
in the intimate setting of a Big Top. Did they do a good job, or what?
In fact, upon further study youll find that theres also no
Proscenium Arch, the technical name for that division. The lack of
this arch is what gives Mystère its life, but it almost wasnt to be.
The Mirage staff feared that without this arch (i.e. a more standard
design) they would have to shut the entire space down for costly
modifications if the show had failed. Because of this, the theater
almost didnt get built. Thankfully, quick thinking came up with a
series of catwalks built into the ceiling of the theater that allow
for quick (and relatively cheap) modification to a normal theater.
Without the arch, however, there also would be no fire curtain, a
fire-retardant cloth made to help contain smoke, heat and flame in
case of a fire. This absence meant that the theater would not adhere
to the fire code, which the Fire Marshals could not understand.
Cirque/Scéno had to haul in a scale model of the theater to the fire
marshals office just to get approval!
There were other problems to overcome as well. In the original plans,
Cirque/Scéno envisioned a series of lifts that would raise and lower
the performers at will. In order to incorporate the lifts, they would
have to be buried in the ground. But Las Vegas sits on a crust of what
is called caliche, soil particles that have been fused with lime.
This fusion created a substance that is as hard as (if not harder
than) cement, which made burrowing into it quite difficult and costly.
Since they couldnt dig down in the bedrock without elevating the
costs of the theater prohibitively, the solution is actually one of
the most ingenious and visible parts of the Mystère experience - the
Deux Machina.
The stage floor sits on specially designed spiral-shaped lifts called
Spiralifts. The Spiralifts were designed by Gala, a division of
Montreals Paco Corp., and employ a coiled, flexible, flat steel
spring that expands with the insertion of a thin, vertically-oriented
spiral steel band. This allows for big savings in space while
providing a rock-solid system for lifting and lowering stages. The use
of the Spiralifts also meant that they wouldnt have to spend a lot of
money digging through the tough, solid ground, which greatly pleased
the Mirage developers.
I find once Im in the theater I cant help but look at the set and
ceiling. A simple thing the ceiling is, but here too Cirque/Scéno
provided something beautiful and interesting. The ceiling is a cloth
mural specially crafted by Sky Art out of Colorado. The print on the
cloth is just as fanciful as the production below it - a fantasy map
of the world with ships at sea! And hidden up in that sea of ships is
the O-Daiko drum, the heartbeat of Mystère! The set is also an
interesting piece of mechanics, consisting of a hunk of metal as a
backdrop that can be rotated by a simple flip of a switch.
The 10 musicians are housed on either side of the stage, with drums
and percussion on the left and everyone else on the right. A
sophisticated communications computer allows the musical director to
speak with all the musicians and a monotone click track keeps
everyone in sync. Underneath the stage is a round turntable that can
revolve at 10rpm, and of course those slinky-lifts. Believe it or not,
the Mystère set still retains some of the elements that were part of
the theme first presented to Caesars Palace back in 1991 (Caesars
turned them down, but Mirage called soon afterward). For example,
Crête says that the set suggests Ulysses, and the mythical obstacles
he had to overcome on his own journey. The two towers represent Scylla
and Charybdis, two of the perils Ulysses faced. All the trappings of
Rome (although Scylla and Charybdis are the names of sea monsters in
Greek mythology.)
Many challenges faced the design team for Cirque du Soleils first
theater, but one by one everyone worked to resolve these issues no
matter how heated the debates became. The addition to The Mirage,
Treasure Island, opened on October 26, 1993. Though the public had to
wait another two months to have a seat in the theater, patrons were
lined up on Christmas Eve to bear witness to a unique event in Cirque
du Soleils history. In 1994, Scéno Plus was awarded the Las Vegas
Best Theater of the Year award for their ingenuity. Not bad for their
first Cirque outing, wouldnt you say?
This excerpt is a special rewrite of an earlier article series
entitled The Houses of Cirque, published in the Fascination!
Newsletter in June 2003.
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
---------------------------------------------------
Beatles LOVE: Where the 3 Extra Minutes Are
By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA)
---------------------------------------------------
Ever since the release of the Beatles/Cirque du Soleil LOVE CD Ive
immersed myself in Beatlesmania, as my girlfriend can attest. Im
reading everything I can get my hands on, learning about the infamous
edits and anomalies that exist in their music and allowing the CD
unprecedented continuous play in both my car and house. Unfortunately
the DVD has not received the same treatment I dont have 5.1 in my
car Im sad to say.
Thus I began to wonder where the 3 extra minutes were.
If youre unsure of what I speak, recall that Capitol released two
editions of LOVE on November 21st a 78-minute CD and an 81-minute
DVD. Therefore, with a little time on my hands I decided to do a quick
time-comparison between the two.
Where are those little extra minutes hiding? Youll find them in
tracks 20 and 21 - Revolution and Back in the U.S.S.R.
respectively. Those with a keen eye will discover that both extended
track times equal their original White Album (in the case of Back
in the U.S.S.R.) and/or single (in the case of Revolution)
durations and, therefore, feature a more complete mix of the song in
question.
Such as?
Using Revolution as an example, the DVD version features all three
verses of the classic song, whereas the CD mix omits the third and
final verse (you say youll change the Constitution
) Youll find
similarities with Back in the U.S.S.R. as well.
So, there you have it.
Goo Goo GJoob!
Below are the results of my time-comparison between the DVD and CD
versions of LOVE. Please ignore the difference in seconds in some of
the tracks, as these are errors in track start/stop times from the
DVD and are minor.
Trk CD DVD Start DVD Fin DVD
# Time Time Time Time
==============================================
1 2:44 00:00:00 - 02:43:00 2:43
2 2:05 02:43:00 - 04:48:00 2:05
3 1:20 04:48:00 - 06:09:00 1:21
4 3:05 06:09:00 - 09:15:00 3:06
5 4:28 09:15:00 - 13:43:00 4:28
6 1:22 13:43:00 - 15:05:00 1:22
7 1:54 15:05:00 - 17:00:00 1:55
8 0:55 17:00:00 - 17:54:00 0:54
9 3:29 17:54:00 - 21:24:00 3:30
10 3:22 21:24:00 - 24:46:00 3:22
11 2:18 24:46:00 - 27:04:00 2:18
12 2:31 27:04:00 - 29:36:00 2:32
13 4:31 29:36:00 - 34:07:00 4:31
14 3:07 34:07:00 - 37:15:00 3:08
15 4:10 37:15:00 - 41:25:00 4:10
16 3:18 41:25:00 - 44:43:00 3:18
17 2:56 44:43:00 - 47:40:00 2:57
18 4:18 47:40:00 - 51:57:00 4:17
19 4:45 51:57:00 - 56:42:00 4:45
20 2:14 56:42:00 - 60:06:00 3:24
21 1:53 60:06:00 - 62:41:00 2:35
22 3:46 62:41:00 - 66:27:00 3:46
23 5:08 66:27:00 - 71:34:00 5:07
24 3:58 71:34:00 - 75:33:00 3:59
25 1:22 75:33:00 - 76:55:00 1:22
26 3:38 76:55:00 - 80:34:00 3:39
---------------------------------------------------
Cirque Trivia (from CirqueCon)
By: Keith Johnson Seattle, Washington (USA)
---------------------------------------------------
As part of our Thursday Meet & Greet at CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas!
(www.cirquecon.com) there was a trivia contest. The winner got a VIP
package at a premiere of their choosing. The contest is over and the
prize has been awarded (and the winner contacted). But here are the
questions; care to take a shot? (There is no prize for getting the
most answers correct.)
1. What is the most commonly injured body part for Cirque du
Soleil artists?
2. What country does not allow CIrque du Soleil to fly their
national flag? What does Cirque fly in its place?
3. What 8 cities in the world has Cirque du Soleil visited and
sold over 200,000 tickets in a single run?
4. What is the house number shown next to the front door on the
clown house in O?
5. How many artists are there in O AND how many of them are
required to be NAUI/PADI certified?
For copying and answering, here are some question keywords...
1. Most injured body part?
2. Cant fly national flag? What instead?
3. 8 cities selling over 200,00 tickets?
4. Clown house number in O?
5. Total artists in O? How many NAUI/PADI certified?
*** STOP ***
Here are the answers to our Cirque Trivia Quiz given at CirqueCon
(taken from a CirqueCon email):
CIRQUE TRIVIA - We know we know, you want the answers to the Trivia
Quiz, right? Weve got em! The winner (noted below) has been
contacted, but here are the questions and answers, as kindly supplied
by Mr. Michael Bolingbroke, Vice-President of Shows, Cirque du Soleil:
Thank you all for your answers to the quiz, all were incredibly well-
informed - you put me to shame! For your information the correct
answers were as follows:
Q1: The most frequently injured part of the body is the ankle. About
half of you got this right, other popular answers were knees, backs
and fingers! One point for the correct answer.
Q2: The country that has not and does not allow us to fly their flag
is Singapore (one point), and in its place we fly the Cirque flag (one
point). A further point was awarded if you knew that we actually
didnt fly the Quebec or Canadian flags in Singapore either
replacing them with Cirque flags, so that we actually fly four Cirque
flags. My favourite incorrect answers were The Vatican for the country
and a skull and crossbones for the replacement flag! One of you
suggested that the flag was replaced by a wind propeller - I like that
idea!
Q3: Our touring shows that have sold more than 200,000 tickets in a
single run are: Paris, Mexico City, Sydney, Tokyo, Nagoya, Los
Angeles, New York andAmsterdam. We of course allowed Santa Monica for
Los Angeles. We also allowed Sao Paulo, which has sold over 200,000
tickets although the performances had not all happened as of last
week. One point per correct city. The most popular incorrect answers
were Montreal (the most sold in Montreal was Corteo last year with
199,680 tickets!) and London (where we never sell more than around
150,000 per run because we are time restricted by the Royal Albert
Hall - thats also the reason why we return annually).
Q4: The door number on the clown house in O is 39 - every single
person got this right! One point for the number.
Q5: The mistake you all made was asking the artists how many of them
there were in their show!! Because depending on who you asked, you got
a different answer! Our website and programme are also a bit out of
date! The correct answer is 82 and we allowed any answer from 80 to 85
inclusive (one point). The number needed to be qualified as a scuba
diver (PADI or NAUI) is 68 - all artists except our 10 musicians and 4
contortionists. One point for 68 - we allowed anything from 65 to 70
inclusive - and an extra bonus point for knowing about the musicians
and contortionists.
So the total number of available points was 16 and three of you scored
9! Jerry Nadal drew the winner from the three (under my watchful eye)
and she is Jill Colsch whos Group of four will be our guests at a
premiere of her choice over the next year. (KJ note: She was with
Noelle Pflum, David Chandler and Jeff and Hanelle Meier.)
Congratulations to Jill and thank you to everyone else who took part.
It was a pleasure to meet you all - I look forward to CirqueCon 2007.
Mike
... And thank YOU, Mr. Bolingbroke, for creating that special quiz and
prize package.
---------------------------------------------------
CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas! Updates
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
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Update: Post Con #1
-----------------------
Greetings Cirque Passionates! A tired but happy Keith J calling.
LouAnna and I got back into Seattle Tuesday night. Ricky arrived in
Orlando early Monday morning. And Rich is traveling from Vegas to
Seattle by car and should be home this weekend. We are all tired but
very happy with CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas! And from talking with
fellow Passionates you are, too.
WE MADE THE PAPER! - There was an article about us in Tuesday's Las
Vegas Review-Journal. There even had pictures, you might see
yourself. Check it out at...
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Sep-26-Tue-
2006/living/9820406.html
(But hurry, it will only be up for a week!)
SEND US YOUR THOUGHTS - Please take a few minutes to tell us how the
weekend was for you. Both the good and the not-so-good. Every email
will be forwarded to Cirque du Soleil. Feedback is as important to
them as it is to us. What was the best part? What could be improved?
What could you have done without? WE WANT TO KNOW!
WE NEED YOUR PICTURES AND VIDEOS - We are working on collating our
pictures and videos, which we hope to take the form of a DVD to be
sent this fall. We'd like to include as many pictures from as many
different people as possible. We especially need to know, whenever
possible, who is in the picture. If you would like to share your
pictures with others, please contact us and we'll work out a way for
you to provide us access to them.
This isn't the last you'll hear from us. As we gather comments and
formulate future plans, we'll keep you in the loop.
On behalf of all of us - Rich, Ricky, LouAnna and myself on the
Committee, and Lisa, Carrie, Meredith and all the folks who worked so
hard at Cirque du Soleil to bring you such unprecedented access - I'd
like to thank you for being interested in CirqueCon. We don't know
what the future holds, but we're glad you all were a part of it. We
hope you agree, as was said to us several times, that it was a weekend
that will never be forgotten.
More to come! :)
Update: Post Con #2
-----------------------
Greetings, Cirque Passionates! Keith here with the second of our
follow-up messages.
ANOTHER MEDIA MENTION - Last week we told you about the article the
Las Vegas Review Journal published about CirqueCon (which has moved
off the "Recent Editions" search page, use "Search The Archive" for
"CirqueCon" to find it.
We've gotten another article, this time from Cirque themselves in
CirqueClub! (You're all member's, aren't you? It's free.) The
article is on the Main News page under "Latest News" entitled,
"CirqueCon 2006 ... Bonjour Las Vegas!" and is a great brief overview
of our entire weekend. Check it out at www.cirqueclub.com.
EMAILS COMING IN - Your Emails have been flooding in to us and to CDS.
We still appreciate your thoughts and comments, complimentary and
constructive, about the weekend. Every email you send to us with a
comment or suggestion will be forwarded to our contacts at Cirque.
One we wanted to share wasn't from a member talking to Cirque but,
rather, the other way around. In responding to one of our members
emails, one of the hardest-working Cirque organizers noted:
"I just hope that you and the rest of the CirqueCon members had a
worthwhile experience and one that you hopefully won't forget. I'm a
little sad that it is over. While it was an extra work load, it was
worth it! ...it definitely reminded us what a fabulous company we
work for."
As we all know, it is a fabulous company indeed! :)
BUTTONS - Folks who didn't get all the special CirqueCon-created
buttons are asking about extras. We gave our spare show buttons to
representatives of the five shows on Monday, to be given to their
ushers, staff, crew, and artists. It was the least we could do for
such wonderful consideration.
However, if you are missing a button or two, Rich has offered to make
replacements for the cost of the button plus shipping. Let us know
what your needs are and we will quote the cost.
GROUP PHOTOS - We have a few copies of the Love, O, and Mystere group
photos left. If you are truly missing one of them, we will be happy
to send them for the cost of shipping and proof of ticket purchase.
MEET AND GREET AUCTION/RAFFLE RESULTS - Everyone who attended the Meet
& Greet on Thursday knows how much work Cirque put in to make it
memorable. From being able to speak with high-level Cirque executives
to the food and drink it was a home run.
That applied especially to the fantastic array of 34 packages of items
for the silent auction benefiting the Street Teens Building Fund. All
but three of the packages were snapped up, for an average bid amount
of $160.00. The Poster Collection and "O" Package tied for the most
bids at 16, but the prize for highest winning bid goes to the Mystere
package - $300.00!
The breakdown of donations was:
o) $4,975.00 from the auction
o) $1,570.00 from the raffle
o) $100.00 in outright donation
o) $6,645.00 total!!
Remember, Street Teens is a 501C3 non-profit organization, with a tax
ID number of 88-0480633. So your donations are tax-deductible!
We received the following note from Lisa Preston, Executive Director
of Street Teens (the beneficiary of the Meet & Greet proceeds):
"Dear Friends: On behalf of Street Teens and the homeless children we
serve, I want to thank you so much for your extreme generosity. Your
contribution in the amount of $6645.00 is truly overwhelming. Words
can't truly express our appreciation for your kindness and compassion
for our kids.
Your contribution will be an immense help in assisting Street Teens
reach our goal of purchasing our facility. With support like yours,
these kids will have the opportunity to put their lives together and
have a better chance for a successful future.
Again, thank you so much for supporting our mission. It was a
pleasure to meet you all and I look forward to seeing you again soon."
MORE TO COME - We're still processing our experience in Vegas, and
thinking about future directions, which might take a few months.
We're also looking into some way of preserving and distributing our
collective memories of the weekend. (We can still use your pictures
and video in that effort, if you haven't notified us already.)
Many of you have written that the most powerful part of the CirqueCon
weekend was meeting new friends from all over the country who
understood your passion and shared it. Our lasting legacy, in
addition to the warm memories, will be the new friendships made and
contacts established by Passionates with other Passionates. Not bad,
if you ask me.
We'll be talking again soon. Keep the memories warm!
Update: Post Con #3
-----------------------
Hello Cirque Passionates! Keith here with Cirque-ey Holiday
greetings.
We know things can get very busy this season, but we wanted to thank
you again for believing in the CirqueCon concept and vacationing in
Vegas.
We're still working on organizing ourselves and plans for our next
event. We're also working on a post-convention surprise we can't
announce just yet, but which we could use your help with. How?
Remember, we are very interested in any pictures or videos you'd like
to share! We've gotten several submissions so far but we can always
use more (you may have a photo of something we haven't seen). We have
many ways you can send them to us, and it doesn't matter if you have a
little or a lot - we'd like it all!
If you have anything you'd like to share with other Passionates,
please contact us at info@cirquecon.com as soon as possible.
The four of us (myself, Lucy, Ricky and Rich) would like to wish you
the Happiest of Holidays, and we WILL be talking in the New Year.
{fin}
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Quarterly Compendium
Volume 6, Number 4 (Issue #50) Q4 2006
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c)
2001-2007 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.
{ Jan.23.2007 }
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