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Fascination Issue 047 expanded
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T h e U n o f f i c i a l
C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r
Quarterly Compendium - Q1 2006
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E X P A N D E D I S S U E
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VOLUME 6, NUMBER 1 www.CirqueFascination.com ISSUE #47e
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CONTENTS
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* Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
* CDS-TV -- Cirque du Soleil on Television
* CDS.NET -- What's Up at Cirque Club
* LA PRESSE -- Cirque in the Press [EXPANDED]
* Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information
* DidYaKnow? -- Facts about Cirque
* Fascination! Features:
o) "A Conversation with René Dupéré, Part 1"
By: Keith Johnson - October 18, 2005 {Reprint}
o) "A Conversation with René Dupéré, Part 2"
By: Keith Johnson - February 4, 2006
o) "Cirque du Delirium"
By: Paul Roberts - March 8, 2006
o) "CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas Update"
By: Keith Johnson - March 21, 2006
* Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
=================
NEWS BRIEFS
=================
CDS Arena Tour Dates Announced
{Nov.21.2005}
------------------------------
The Press Conference to announce the debut of Delirium
Cirques musically-focused arena tour was Thursday morning.
Weve been looking for info all day on the Cirque site, with no
luck. But what we DID find was something on the Clear Channel
site cc.com, which is Cirques producing partner for this
endeavor.
The dates announced so far are:
Jan 26-28 -- Montreal at the Bell Center
Feb 3-4 -- Albany NY at the Pepsi Arena
Feb 13-14 -- Buffalo NY at the HSBC Arena
Feb 17-18 -- Columbus, OH at the Nationwide
Feb 20-21 -- Toronto, ONT at the Air Canada Center
Presale emails have been sent to locals in those areas, to
access the pre-sale you will need the password SOLEIL. There is
also a sample of music on the site, a short remix of Alegria
getting mixed reviews.
Saltimbanco 2006 dates
{Nov.21.2005}
----------------------
We received a notice of unconfirmed South American dates for
Saltimbanco in 2006 from someone on the Cirque Club Discussion
Board. Especially note their extended stay in Sao Paulo Brazil -
2 1/2 months!
Saltimbanco 2006
Guadalajara, Mexico -- Dec 2 to Jan 2
TBA, Mexico -- Jan 12 to Feb 14
Santiago, Chile -- Mar 14 to Apr 23
Buenos Aires, Argentina -- May 3 to Jun 11
Sao Paulo, Brazil -- Aug 1 to Oct 15
Rio De Janiero, Brazil -- Oct 24 to Dec 3
La Nouba Raises Prices
{Dec.22.2005}
----------------------
Tickets prices for La Nouba will be increasing January 1.
Category 1:
Ages 10 & Up $95.00 plus tax (was $87.00)
Ages 3-9 $76.00 plus tax (was $65.00)
Category 2:
Ages 10 & Up $77.00 plus tax (was $75.00)
Ages 3-9 $62.00 plus tax (was $56.00)
Category 3:
Ages 10 & Up $61.00 plus tax (was $59.00)
Ages 3-9 $49.00 plus tax (was $44.00)
Most prices are going up 10%, except adult Category 2 and three
(slim $2.00 increases), and Category 1 children (increasing a
whopping 16%).
Spend New Years Eve at La Nouba!
{Dec.22.2005}
--------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil will present special New Years Eve
performances of La Nouba on December 31. Guests will be treated
to a champagne toast, a limited-edition full color souvenir
program and a special show finale. Tickets for these New Years
Eve performances are specially priced and are available for sale
via the main Disney Reservation Center number by calling (407)
939-7956.
Cirques O Wins Best of Show!
{Dec.22.2005}
--------------------------------
Las Vegas travel guide VegasTripping.com has announced the
winners of The Trippies 1st Annual Best of Las Vegas Readers
Poll Awards.
Readers selected from five nominees in 14 categories, with
voters hailing from nearly every continent. Categories included
best and worst Overall Joint, Food, Casino Tables,
Slots, Video Poker, News Story, Implosion Rumor,
Actress In A Las Vegas TV Show, Actor in a Las Vegas TV
Show, Las Vegas Book, Entertainer, Show, as well as
Biggest Vegas Pet Peeve and Las Vegas Person of the Year.
The overall winner of the 2005 Trippies awards was Wynn Las
Vegas, which won top honors in nearly every category it was
nominated. The new Steve Wynn resort, Wynn Las Vegas tied
another Wynn creation Bellagio for Best Joint honors after
only 6 months since its grand opening. Conversely, the venerable
Big Top on the Strip, Circus-Circus took home the dubious
distinction of being Worst Overall Joint and Worst Food.
VegasTripping readers voted The Golden Nugget downtown as having
the Best Table Games while Palms took Best Slots honors. Las
Vegas McCarran Airport terminal brought the Worst Slots in
Vegas Award in for a perfect landing. In the Entertainment
category, Cirque du Soleils O (Bellagio) won Best Show as
Mr. Las Vegas himself, Wayne Newton was voted Best
Entertainer.
In addition to being the gaming capital of the world, Las Vegas
is also known as the implosion capital of the world, and
VegasTripping readers believe that Ballys Las Vegas should be
spared the wrecking ball and medieval castle Excalibur (opened
in 1990) should be imploded instead.
NBCs Las Vegas swept the Vegas TV awards with nods going to
Vanessa Marcil, James Caan and Las Vegas itself for Best
Actress, Best Actor and Best Vegas TV Show.
Readers also selected Rising Prices as their biggest Pet Peeve
of 2005. The days of cheap rooms and cheap eats are gone,
replaced by luxury suites and couture dining served up by
celebrity chefs.
The 2005 Trippies Awards were dedicated to the late Dr. Hunter
S. Thompson whos seminal tome Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas
won Best Vegas Book in a landslide.
Cirque Hawaii!
{Dec.22.2005}
--------------
Waikikis newest entertainment attraction is a modern circus in
an unusual setting. Cirque Hawaii brings 35 international
acrobats into what used to be the IMAX Theater on Seaside
Avenue.
The exuberant young performers of Cirque Hawaii are hard at
work practicing their acrobatic feats. Soon theyll be
entertaining audiences twice every night with their dazzling one
hour and fifteen minute show.
Their skills are simply jaw dropping.
They do what humans arent supposed to do. When you see it you
will understand, said Vital, Cirque Hawaii choreographer. We
dont want to give a good production; we want to give a
phenomenal production.
Both the creative director and the choreographer of this new
show used to perform with Cirque du Soleil. Most of their
acrobats are from eastern Europe.
Theyre doing tricks that I havent seen at Cirque du Soleil,
said Mathieu Laplante, Cirque Hawaii creative director. I was a
performer and I see them doing some tricks and I say wow, these
guys are good.
Local dancer Corrina Brillon choreographed the Hawaiian piece
that opens the show. Its a little bit of hula, Tahitian and
jazz and acrobats kind of all in one dance, Brillon said.
Nine different acts make up the evenings entertainment with the
help of state-of-the-art lighting, sound and special effects. A
storyline about a character whos just arrived in the islands
links the acts together.
The show has been constructed around the not-very-circus-like
dimensions of the IMAX Theater stage, but that appears to be no
handicap. It is small, but if we use it right, well make it
big, Laplante said.
The shows producers hope Cirque Hawaii will be a Waikiki
attraction for years to come. The showings are as follows:
Saturday, 7 PM
Sunday, 7 PM
Monday, 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM
Tuesday, 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM
*There are 475 seats in theater
Price: $65.00
Young Circus Forms Under CDS Coaching
{Dec.22.2005}
-------------------------------------
For the first time in Singapore, 65 youths and children have put
up a circus under the tutelage of a Cirque Du Soleil trainer.
Cirque Du Soleils community arm, Cirque Du Monde, is a highly
successful international programme in circus know-how.
Since 1993, the outreach programme has been helping
disadvantaged youths worldwide, in South Africa, Belgium,
Brazil, Chile and now Singapore.
The teenagers have come a long way since they started learning
circus routines four months ago.
After gruelling and tireless training, these novices are ready
for the stage.
They may not be a world-class circus act with dramatic stunts
but the teenagers certainly know how to combine circus arts with
street funk, something which is close to their hearts.
Said Chan Bo Rui, a performer in the pyramid routine, As base
we have to train to become stronger so as to carry up and to
maintain the safety of those who climb on top of us.
Fairy performer Fawlyana Muhd Fauzi said, By doing these, your
body will also become quite flexible. So you see, Im so big but
I can do the stunts.
The community project is a collaboration between Cirque Du Monde
and Singapores Beyond Social Services and Tampines Family
Service Centre.
The team of 44 crew members is headed by renowned Australian
trainer Andrea Ousley.
Said Ms Ousley, It really helps people learn about being an
effective part of a community because you cant build a pyramid
unless you all work together. The kids actually learn what it is
to work together, so hopefully that then translates to the rest
of their lives.
The show is expected to tour Singapores heartlands in 2006.
Taste of Cirque du Soleil?
{Dec.22.2005}
--------------------------
Tuesday, December 20, 2005 was the official debut of "A Taste of
Cirque du Soleil", a new entertainment showcase featuring the
magic and wizardry of Cirque du Soleil, created exclusively for
Celebrity Cruises. A press release follows:
"A Taste of Cirque du Soleil is the result of positive dialogue
with our partners at Cirque, combined with valuable feedback
from our guests and trade partners," said Celebrity's President
Dan Hanrahan. "We are extremely pleased with the outcome, and
judging by the standing ovation when we first presented this new
concept, we're confident our guests will be thrilled, as well."
The result of an exclusive partnership with the world-renowned
Cirque du Soleil, the new 30-minute performances will be offered
exclusively onboard Celebrity's Constellation and Summit, and
feature three acrobatic performances and characters from Cirque
du Soleil.
"A Taste of Cirque du Soleil focuses on the human element; the
simplicity of individual artists' talent, creativity and
agility," said Cirque du Soleil President & COO Daniel Lamarre.
"It is the true essence, and at the core of, what Cirque du
Soleil was founded on." A Taste of Cirque du Soleil is presented
twice per cruise on Celebrity's Constellation and Summit in the
Celebrity Theatre. There is no charge for the performances. The
two ships also house "The Bar at the Edge of the Earth," a
lounge designed exclusively for Celebrity by Cirque du Soleil,
as well as Cirque du Soleil boutiques - the only such shops in
existence other than those operated solely by Cirque.
Interview with Dragone
{Dec.22.2005}
--------------------------
The world of entertainment was a much different planet in Las
Vegas when Cirque du Soleil debuted "Mystere" at Treasure Island
in December 1993.
"There were lots of revues, and showgirls," Franco Dragone said.
"I had heard it was a city of depravation -- Sin City."
Dragone created "Mystere," whose success has changed the Las
Vegas landscape forever. He says he came to the city because of
its uniqueness.
"What inspired me was that when you come to Vegas, all over the
world they know about this," Dragone said. "And I think, I
really think, Las Vegas doesn't try to look like other cities --
it is unique."
The most spectacular show at the time of Dragone's arrival may
have been "Siegfried & Roy" at the Mirage.
There were a number of other spectacles, including "Starlight
Express" (Las Vegas Hilton); "Enter the Night" (Stardust); and
"City Lites" (Flamingo).
And sexy showgirls: "Jubilee!" at Bally's; "Splash" at Riviera;
"Les Folies Bergere" at the Tropicana.
There were several country music shows in town: "Country Tonite"
(Aladdin); "Nashville, USA" (at Boomtown, now Silverton); "Hot
Rock 'n' Country" (Plaza).
But there was nothing on the magnitude of "Mystere," which
Cirque followed up with "O" at the Bellagio.
Both were brainchildren of Dragone, who left Cirque after the
birth of "O" to form his own company, which has created Celine
Dion's production at Caesars Palace and "Le Reve," which
premiered at Wynn Las Vegas in May.
Between "Mystere" and "Le Reve," the Las Vegas entertainment
scene has expanded to include such Broadway-like productions as
"Mamma Mia!" at Mandalay Bay and even more Cirque shows
("Zumanity" at New York-New York; "Ka" at MGM Grand).
The offbeat "Blue Man Group," which recently moved from the
Luxor to the Venetian, has proven to be a winner.
But not all large-scale productions have succeeded: "We Will
Rock You" at Paris Las Vegas closed recently.
But just around the corner are "Hairspray" (coming to the
Luxor), "Phantom of the Opera" (Venetian) and "Spamalot" (Wynn).
Almost from the day it opened there were rumors that "Le Reve"
was in trouble.
"I, too, have heard some negative talk," Dragone said during a
visit to Las Vegas last week. But he denies the show is in
danger.
"Our attendance is growing all the time," he said.
Dragone says a few empty seats don't bother him. He noted that
the theater has 2,087 seats to fill, twice a day, which is
equivalent to filling one show at the 4,000-seat Colosseum, home
of Dion's production.
"I am happy with this show," he said.
One of the early complaints about "Le Reve" was that it was too
dark.
"When 'Mystere' debuted, some found the show dark, also,"
Dragone said. "They didn't think it would work in Las Vegas."
That was almost a decade ago, and the production continues to
pack the theater.
"Le Reve" has gone through some changes since opening, making it
much lighter and more audience-friendly.
"I agree it was dark. I listened to my audiences," he said. "But
four or five years ago, when I first created it, the context was
different."
But one thing Dragone will never change about this or other
shows he creates -- he will not insult the intelligence of his
fans.
"I really think people are getting smarter and smarter," Dragone
said. "The kind of show I want to do, I ask the audience to
work. I don't want to lead them by the nose.
"I want them to use their own imagination -- I want a primal
contact with people, contact with their emotions."
He says his goal is to "be honest with the people," "touch their
emotions -- and at the same time be spectacular."
"When people come to Vegas, they want to be able to go back home
and say 'I saw this show -- only in Las Vegas can you see this
show,' " Dragone said.
Now that Dragone has changed entertainment in Las Vegas, he has
his eye on New York.
He is creating a musical based on the opera "Carmen."
Dragone says the book has been written, and he has chosen a
theater.
"They wanted that I bring them something from Las Vegas, some
kind of spectacular thing," Dragone said. "I think because in
New York, all the shows look alike. They all take the same
approach -- there is a kind of envy in New York for Vegas."
Epson Sponsors CDS 2006
{Jan.03.2006}
-----------------------
Toronto, ON, December 22, 2005: Epson Canada Ltd. has announced
that it has signed on as official sponsor of over 240
performances of Cirque du Soleil's Canadian touring productions
in 2006-2007. The sponsorship includes the touring shows Quidam,
Varekai, and a new production slated for spring 2007; as well as
Delirium: Turning Music into Motion, which premieres on January
26 in Montreal, QC. Cirque du Soleil is a world-renowned
artistic entertainment company based in Montréal, QC.
Epson Canada will kick-off its sponsorship with the world
premiere of Delirium: Turning Music into Motion, a multifaceted
event featuring Cirque du Soleil music remixed. Created and
directed by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, it's an urban tale
that creates its own "larger-than-life universe where music,
dance, and drama intermingle with gargantuan projections". The
show will make its world debut at the Bell Centre in Montréal
from January 26-29; after which the North American tour will
commence, stopping in Toronto on February 20 and 21.
Delirium preview video
{Jan.03.2006}
----------------------
There's a short ABC behind-the-scenes video of Delirium in
rehearsals up on the ABC news site. The direct link is:
< http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=1445564 >
If that doesn't work, try http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/
and look for 'First Look At New Cirque'
Anniversary Collection buyers take note!
{Jan.03.2006}
----------------------------------------
We've gotten word that the Cirque 10-disk "Anniversary
Collection", is missing the second "bonus" disk contained in the
available-separately releases of "La Nouba" and "Varekai".
Though the package costs you less than if you purchased the
disks separately, there's some good bonus stuff on both of those
disks, so be aware.
"Headless Guy Getting Out of Town"
{Jan.08.2006}
----------------------------------
Quidam, the 40-foot-tall headless statue that stood in front of
Roberts Auto Sales on McHenry Avenue for five years, is there no
more.
But he isn't going far. He will soon reside at The Fruit Yard
restaurant and store on Highway 132 between Empire and
Waterford.
Quidam was dismantled Thursday night after the city of Modesto
determined the statue did not meet city sign rules. The fact the
statue resided outside the city limit probably left Quidam
scratching his head, if he had a head to scratch.
It all has to do with the city's sphere of influence, a term for
an area that's going to become part of the city in the future.
County rules say that any businesses operating in Modesto's
sphere of influence must follow Modesto's sign ordinance, said
Michael Newton, manager of environmental resources for
Stanislaus County.
Complaints about the statue were filed with the county's
Planning Department and city's Neighborhood Preservation Unit
last year, Newton said. The county complaint was forwarded to
Modesto, said Rafael Rodriguez, supervisor of the city's
Neighborhood Preservation Unit.
"It's a free-standing structure intended to attract customers to
the lot, so we decided it was a sign," Rodriguez said.
Also, a search of city records revealed there were no permits
for the statue, he said. There were other problems, Newton said.
"We couldn't figure out how it was tethered to the ground,"
Newton said. "It was tethered to light poles and a utility pole.
You can't do that."
The statue also was too close to the roadway and to electric
wires, both violations of county codes.
Doug Roberts, owner of Roberts Auto Sales, said the statue was
secured to the ground. The tethering to the light poles was to
keep Quidam's umbrella in place, he said. "We would have been
willing to address those issues if those were the only issues,"
Roberts said. "Initially the county didn't have a problem with
him but the city didn't want him there."
On Nov. 22, the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors ordered
Roberts to take down Quidam. Roberts was given until Jan. 13 to
do the job or else the county would do it for him, Newton said.
"I took it down Thursday evening because the county was going to
demolish him," Roberts said. "I wanted to preserve the statue."
BUILT FOR CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
The statue was built in 1997 out of metal pipes, wire mesh,
fiberglass and paint by artists Chris Irish and Greg Cunningham,
both of whom worked for JCD Concept 2000 of Turlock. It was
built for $30,000 for Cirque du Soleil, a French Canadian
theatrical circus. That year, the circus was touring the United
States and was using Quidam as its main theme.
Although Roberts would not say how much he paid for the statue,
he said it was a fraction of its original cost. Quidam is Latin
for "someone who is unknown." In literature, the figure of
Quidam often represents an anonymous traveler and the journey
through life. It's headless because the face usually is
represented in art as a bright spot of light.
After the circus completed its tour of the Western states, the
statue was returned to JCD Concept 2000. Roberts bought the
statue in 2001 and put it on his car lot. "We thought it was a
unique piece of art and thought others would be interested in
seeing it again," Roberts said.
It fell over shortly after it was put up and had to be rebuilt,
he said. In 2002, the umbrella blew off, Roberts said. The
umbrella stayed off until late last year, he added.
Thursday, JCD employees took it down.
Greg Cunningham, president of JCD, said Quidam simply is
traveling to his next destination. "Quidam is going to The
FruitYard," he said, "Long live Quidam."
Fruit Yard owner Joe Traina said he plans on applying for county
permits, anchoring the statue in concrete and putting up a sign
explaining the statue's significance.
"It's a great looking statue and will be well taken care of,"
Traina said.
Shows Added to Varekai, Miami
{Jan.11.2006}
-----------------------------
CirqueClub just announced that Varekai's stay in Miami has been
extended an additional eight shows. The newly announced dates
extend Varekai until February 26, 2006. Tickets are currently
only available to CirqueClub members but will go on sale to the
General Public beginning Monday, January 16, 2006. Varekai will
set up in at Bicentennial Park in Downtown Miami.
Cirque Magie Remélangé?
{Jan.22.2006}
-----------------------
To celebrate the opening of 'Delirium', Cirque Magic is proud to
announce its first ever 'special event' program. Beginning
January 27th from 8:00P.M. to 5:00A.M. EST Cirque Magic becomes
"Cirque Magie Remélangé" (Cirque Magic Remixed) for five nights
only. It's the first time all the CDS remixes in the Online
Chapiteau cataloge will be played toghter, and there are
surprises. Thanks for your support and check it out starting
Thursday! Visit Cirque Magic at the following address:
< http://www.live365.com/stations/dnmoriarty/>
Podcasters Given Exclusive Access to CDS!
-----------------------------------------
Two Cirque du Soleil fans in Quebec were granted behind-the-
scenes access to Delirium, Cirque du Soleil's traveling musical
extravaganza. Julein Smith, one of the bloggers, contacted us
recently to get out the word:
M-C Turgeon (a pretty famous blogger here in Québec) as well as
myself (Julien Smith), have been granted access to blog and
podcast for Cirque du Soleil's new event Delirium, whose
premiere is happening tomorrow (Thursday). We intend to write,
as well as take audio and video, and post them on the web so
that fans can take a look at what's going on behind the scenes.
We're going backstage at 4PM Eastern Standard Time tomorrow
(Friday, January 27, 2006). Take a look at our blog posts:
M-C Turgeon (English/French): < http://www.mcturgeon.com/blog/
archives/2006/01/les_blogueurs_d.html >
Julein (English only): < http://inoveryourhead.net/?p=357 >
{Jan.26.2006}
From Corteo to the Olympics
{Feb.03.2006}
---------------------------
Corteo director Daniele Finzi Pasca has been chosen to create
the Closing Ceremonies of the Torino XX Winter Olympics.
Several of his creation team from Corteo will also work with him
on this new assignment. The press release suggests a ceremony
where, "fireflies will be transformed into stars, men will
become kites and heroes will be portrayed not as warriors, but
as athletes and champions." The ceremonies will be broadcast
the evening of Sunday, February 26th. Read the full press
release at: < http://sev.prnewswire.com/entertainment/
20060119/NYTH10419012006-1.html >.
Corteo: The DVD!
{Feb.06.2006}
----------------
Culver City, CA (January 30, 2006) - A uniquely imaginative and
thrilling blend of music, dance, art, theater, circus and
acrobatics comes to DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
with the release of Cirque du Soleil's Corteo on April 11, 2006.
The DVD will coincide with the opening of "Corteo" in New York
City, scheduled for April 25. Cirque du Soleil's shows have
thrilled audiences of all ages around the world with their music
and dance in inspired combinations. Fans of this latest Cirque
du Soleil show can bring all the excitement home at the SRP of
$24.96.
Cirque du Soleil: Corteo DVD Features:
o Through The Curtain, A Behind-the-Scenes Look
o A Day in the Life of Two Corteo Artists
o Filming "Corteo"
o Photo Gallery
DVD Statistics:
o DVD Catalog #:14253 UPC Code : 0-43396-14253-4
o Total Running Time : 110 Minutes
o Rated : Not rated
o DVD Order Date: 3/9/06
o DVD Release Date: 4/11/06
o SLP: $24.96
Cruise Lines Play "Me Too!"
{Feb.08.2006}
---------------------------
As we've mentioned, Celebrity Cruises and Cirque have removed
the roaming characters that populated "The Bar at the Edge of
the Earth" on two of Celebrity's ships, replacing them with "A
Taste of Cirque du Soleil," featuring three acrobatic acts in a
40-minute theater show presented once per cruise.
Now another cruise line has joined the "circus arts review"
fray. On their ship "Jewel," Norwegein Cruise Line has created
"Cirque Bijoux," a theater presentation featuring gymnasts,
acrobats and bungee jumpers, given once per cruise.
Cruise lines are trying to "break out of the box" of flashy song
review shows to appeal to more sophisticated cruisers.
Norwegian has also added the Second City improv. comedy troupe
aboard two of its shows.
On its Caribbean sailings of its Opera and Lirica, cruise line
MSC has an unusual troupe known as the Pagliacci (Italian for
"clowns") strolling around the ship playing games and giving
impromptu skits. (sounds like what we originally thought Pez
Erizo would do on the Celebrity ships. But anyway...)
But the most interesting idea we read in the Miami Herald
article we found described a concept Holland America Line will
roll out on several of its ships - a modified dinner-theater.
To quote from the article: "Here's the scenario: Once per
cruise, the ship stages a single-seating Master Chef's Dinner,
with each course accompanied by musical performances. Musicians
dressed as chefs sit on the bandstand, showgirl chefs, show-boy
chefs and stewards in food-inspired costumes parade into the
room to the music of a classical minuet and continue to perform
through the dinner. The female lead wears a head-of-lettuce
gown."
That we'd love to see!
Cirque du Soleil Launches Fashion Line
{Feb.11.2006}
--------------------------------------
Cirque Du Soleil known for its creative extravaganzas, wants to
build a fashion and beauty brand. From the Fashion Monitor
Toronto:
Cirque Du Soleil, the $500 million Montreal-based entertainment
empire known for its creative extravaganzas, wants to build a
fashion and beauty brand. Cirque Du Soleil plans to launch
women's ready-to-wear line this summer, which will be followed
by men's wear and children's wear.
A Cirque Du Soleil fragrance project is also in the works.
Cosmetics is a natural for Cirque - performers are trained to
put on their own makeup, which may take hours.
Cirque Du Soleil is even considering opening its own fashion
stores.
The 64-piece womenswear collection for fall-winter 2006 is to be
introduced in August 2006 in 300 specialty boutiques worldwide.
According to WWD, the collection appeared to be surprisingly
wearable.
Cirque Rejected
{Feb.13.2006}
---------------
Two recent news items have brought to light details surrounding
Cirque's plans to place a permanent venue in New York City and
in Miami, Florida. Earlier in the week the New York City venue
was shot down: no special consideration or taxpayer money to
bring Cirque to the city. Today, Miami does the same.
* * *
This week, New York City rejected a proposal by a multi-billion
dollar developer to obtain special privileges from the city in
order to build a permanent Cirque du Soleil venue. SEIU urges
the Miami Beach City Commission to reject a similar proposal
from a Florida-based billionaire developer that would require
public funds and special privileges from the city to bring a
permanent Cirque du Soleil venue to South Beach.
According to the New York Times, the New York City Planning
Department rejected a proposal by the Related Companies, the
sister company of the Related Group of Florida, to obtain a
special zoning bonus that would allow them to build both a venue
for Cirque du Soleil and a 60-story apartment tower on West 42nd
Street.
In Miami Beach, the Related Group of Florida, led by Jorge
Perez, has also requested special privileges from the city to
support a Cirque venue at the Jackie Gleason Theater. The
Related Group, which reported sales of over $2.1 billion in
2004, has reportedly asked for up to $85 million in public funds
for the project and a 50-year lease at the Gleason with annual
rent of $1. The company plans to convert the theater to a
Cirque venue and develop a surrounding entertainment complex,
which reportedly will include restaurants, a nightclub, and a
boutique hotel.
SEIU is opposed to the Related Group's Cirque proposal, which it
sees as a gross misuse of taxpayer money. We believe that
public funds should not be used to: Subsidize billion-dollar
companies Underwrite an enterprise that directly competes with
existing local businesses that do not receive government support
Pay for a multi-million dollar development that was not subject
to an open, public bidding process.
Guy Laliberté on Forbes List of Billionaires
{Mar.12.2006}
--------------------------------------------
Forbes Magazine recently released their list of billionaires and
it's no surprise that Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is on the
top of the list; his net worth has risen to $50 billion, making
him the world's richest person. Number 2 slot is Warren Buffet.
So where is Guy Laliberté, one of the founding fathers of Cirque
du Soleil?
Tied for #562 with a net worth of $1.4 billion.
It's Official: CDS to open Singapore Show!
{Mar.18.2006}
------------------------------------------
As part of an announcement in Singapore to open an MGM Mirage
hotel, the hotel-casino operator also announced it would include
a permanent Cirque du Soleil production.
"Cirque du Soleil's innovative entertainment plays a significant
role in our company's reputation for presenting the best
possible entertainment available at our Las Vegas resorts," MGM
Mirage Chairman Terry Lanni said in a statement. "Our two
companies have accomplished some amazing things together and
Cirque enthusiastically agreed to join us in our commitment to
make Singapore Asia's new entertainment capital."
The production would be tailored to Singapore with Asian
travelers in mind.
"We are confident a resident show in Singapore will quickly
prove itself a powerful tourist draw, even more so than our
successful touring shows," Laliberte said. "It will become a
new, world-class landmark on the Singapore entertainment scene."
CulturePulp's "The Secret Cirque"
{Mar.24.2006}
---------------------------------
Cirque du Comic?
In the hands of creator Mike Russel, the answer is a resounding
YES!
Cirque du Soleil has recently been featured in CulturePulp,
Mike's "journalism comic" that appears online and in The
Oregonian, a newspaper serving the state of Oregon, as #49: "The
Secret Cirque".
"This time, we hang out in the backstage encampment at Cirque du
Soleil's "Varekai" and interview master balance-contortionist
Irina Naumenko."
View "The Secret Cirque" at the following direct link:
<http://tinyurl.com/k86r7" >
And if you're interested, read the CulturePulp comics archive:
< http://tinyurl.com/5tyeo >
Flights of Fantasy (Varekai in Australia)
{Mar.31.2006}
-----------------------------------------
From "Flights of Fantasy", by: Stephen Dunne
The Sydney Morning Herald
A couple of interesting facts in this article are:
* Australia is one of Cirque du Soleil's best
markets, and Sydney is the linchpin.
* Saltimbanco in 1999 sold approximately 750,000
tickets.
* Quidam tour sold approximately 950,000 tickets.
* For Varekai, Cirque expects more than 1,000,000
tickets to be sold.
* The company has locked in its Australian touring
schedule until 2013.
* A new show to Australia every 2 years.
* Next Show: Dralion in 2009 (starting in Sydney)
==================
PRESS RELEASES
==================
Cirque du Soleil at the 1st World Outgames?
-------------------------------------------
MONTREAL, March 7 /CNW Telbec/ - To mark International Women's Day,
the Organising Committee of the 1st World Outgames Montréal 2006
launched today the Outgames "Circle of Women". The goal of the Circle
is to promote greater participation by women by encouraging female
athletes and teams to register for the various Outgames sport
activities and by creating a programme that addresses the interests
and expectations of women participants. During previous games, women
represented only 30% of registered participants.
The Circle of Women is currently composed of women working within the
Outgames in a variety of capacities, ranging from competition
directors to coaches and officials. These women have taken on the
challenge of making the 1st World Outgames a milestone for women's
participation in sport, with a goal of having women participants
represent a record 40% of overall registrations.
"On the eve of International Women's Day, the Outgames are proud to
promote our ongoing mission of increasing the participation of women
to the highest level ever for an international event combining human
rights and sport," said Louise Roy, CEO of Montréal 2006.
The Circle of Women will now be part of the 1st World Outgames Circle
of Excellence, whose members include, among others, Martina
Navratilova, Mark Tewksbury, Nancy Drolet, Myriam Lafranchise,
Canadian billiards Champion, Robert Dover, Olympic equestrian sports
champion from the U.S., Holly Metcalf, American Olympic rowing
champion, and Brian Orser, Canadian Olympic figure skating champion.
The 1st World Outgames Montréal 2006 will continue to build on the
momentum it has already created, and the number of registered
participants and countries represented bodes well for the Outgames'
success. The International Conference on LGBT Human Rights, which will
be held just before the opening of the Outgames sport programme, will
bring together 2,000 delegates and numerous respected speakers from
around the world.
Major partners have teamed up with the Outgames to ensure the success
of the event, including the Governments of Canada and of Québec, the
City of Montréal, Tourisme Montréal, Labatt, Bell Canada, Air Canada
and Via Rail. Opening and Closing ceremonies with the Cirque du Soleil
are currently in the planning stages and the full ceremonies programme
will be unveiled soon.
For the first time in the history of LGBT sport, the 1st World
Outgames will be televised on Canada's national public broadcaster,
Radio-Canada, during prime time.
Corteo tours with "Mirror Image" Meyer Sound
--------------------------------------------
SAN FRANCISCO, March 8 -- Corteo is the title of a new Cirque du
Soleil touring production that vividly portrays the funeral of a
circus clown as a festive parade with a carnival-like atmosphere.
Processions - on stage and careening above it - are woven throughout
the story, a theme that prompted placement of an elongated open stage
down the middle of the oval "Grand Chapiteau" tent. The resulting
split auditorium - with two facing audiences of about 1,000 each -
dictated dual mirror-image audio systems. The task was assigned to
veteran sound designer Jonathan Deans, and his response to the
challenge was a technological tour-de-force comprising 38 self-powered
Meyer Sound loudspeakers per side with mixing and control from a
common LCS Audio CueConsole.
"I simply could not have accomplished my design for Corteo without the
LCS console and the Meyer Sound loudspeakers," Deans maintains.
"There are too many distinctive elements to the sound in Corteo that
would have been impossible to duplicate using a conventional console
and passive loudspeakers."
Deans acknowledges that the simplest approach to covering the wide,
shallow seating areas would have been using conventional clusters
mounted on the near side masts. But the resulting angles would have
raised the image too high off the stage, so he opted instead to lower
the image angle by covering most of the mirror-image auditoriums from
the opposite side masts. To maintain precision-directed sound despite
the longer throw, he specified four M1D compact curvilinear arrays of
six cabinets each as the keystone elements of the system.
"The M1Ds worked incredibly well," Deans says. "Using MAPP Online Pro
(acoustical prediction software) we were able to aim the arrays
precisely to miss the stage and the band pits at the four corners of
the stage. We covered most of the seating uniformly, yet cut off right
at the last row so we didn't hit the reflective low canvas at the
back."
Corteo marked the first time Deans had specified M1D arrays for a
show, and the results immediately influenced his thinking about main
FOH clusters. "I've put them in three new shows already," he remarks,
"and a fourth show is coming soon. The M1D is an incredibly high-
powered system for such a small footprint, and the fidelity is truly
astonishing."
With the M1D arrays positioned to miss the musicians and the stage,
and with support masts casting acoustical shadows, Deans filled in the
coverage with various other Meyer Sound products, including CQ-2
narrow coverage main, UPA-2P compact narrow coverage, and UPM-1P
ultra-compact wide coverage loudspeakers. A dozen UPJ-1P compact
VariO loudspeakers serve as surrounds, with four more affixed to the
masts to take over vocal reproduction whenever "hot-mic'ed" acrobats
fly up into the crossfire of the M1D arrays. Deep bass comes from four
PSW-2 high-power flyable subwoofers.
The self-powered Meyer Sound loudspeakers are fed from an LCS Audio
Matrix3 digital audio system, which takes care of all mixing, signal
processing and output matrixing chores. Matrix3 gives Corteo precise,
automated cue-based mixing capabilities, integrated into a highly
customizable and robust system. Configured with six LX-300 digital
audio engines at its heart, the show's Matrix3 boasts 80 analog
inputs, 64 analog outputs, parametric equalization, dynamics, matrix
routing, and custom multichannel surround sound using SpaceMap, the
Matrix3's standard software panning tool.
Deans finds the system's extreme flexibility essential to the sound
design for Corteo. "In Corteo, the sound has to change depending on
your angle to the visual," he explains. "That goes back to the need
for the LCS system. With both near side and far side to consider on
every cue, you have a far greater need for individual inputs and
outputs to feed various sets of discrete speakers."
Performances of Corteo are mixed from CueConsole, LCS Audio's modular
collection of tactile control surfaces for the Matrix3. The CueConsole
residing at the show's FOH position consists of three 16-channel Fader
modules, two 16-channel Meters modules, and one each of the
Transporter and Editor modules.
CueConsole's modularity merely scratches the surface of its
configurability: faders and buttons on CueConsole modules can be
assigned to control any parameter at any time in any cue, and even
redefined on the fly. Further, CueConsole modules are clients in the
Matrix3's client-server architecture, allowing several of the sound
operators for Corteo to mix and save cues simultaneously from anywhere
in the Grand Chapiteau using wireless connections from their laptops.
While CueConsole is in use at three resident Las Vegas Cirque du
Soleil shows ("O", Zumanity and KÀ), Corteo marks its first use in
a touring Cirque production.
Corteo, Deans' seventh design for Cirque du Soleil, brings him full
circle. His first design was for Saltimbanco, another tour under the
Grand Chapiteau, while the five intervening productions - the three
mentioned above plus Mystere and La Nouba - were created for fixed
showrooms.
Corteo opened in San Francisco and is currently scheduled to continue
touring the U.S. through 2006.
About Meyer Sound
Meyer Sound's main office and manufacturing facility are located in
Berkeley, California, with field offices and authorized distributors
located throughout the USA and around the world.
More information is available at Tel: +1 (510) 486-1166, Fax: +1 (510)
486-8356, e-mail: info@meyersound.com, or by visiting
www.meyersound.com.
=======================================================================
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ON TELEVISION THIS QUARTER
=======================================================================
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.
=======================================================================
CDS.NET -- WHAT'S UP AT CIRQUE CLUB
=======================================================================
(By: Keith Johnson)
Since we last looked Cirque Club has posted a background on boleadoras
and early Cirque performer Betty La Commare. The rest of their output
has focused on Corteo: a news feature, two desktop wallpapers and two
virtual cards, and on the "Goodies" page two interesting video clips
from the show, showing tent set up and behind the scenes.
And this holiday season they brought back several animated and other
virtual cards, allowing more flexibility in sending with a new Cards
Manager, with such features as allowing multiple "send to" addressed.
Good move!
Press Releases has only one item on the premiere of Delirium.
The Boutique has some new items (mostly clothing), including some
interesting large papier-mâché mirror masks created by Franco Cecamore
from Italy. The headpiece is tall at 24" high by 13" wide, and come
with three images; the Alegria high bar artists, "O's" comets on the
horses, and the "O" lady face picture with the well-known shot of the
syncro swimmers, each selling for $450.00 apiece - YOW!. They
certainly are beautiful though.
KA.com has two articles in a new "First Anniversary" section; one a
list of celebrities who have seen KA in the past year, the other with
comments from cast and crew. They've also created a new "Promotions"
section under "Extras" that will feature news of hotel/show package
deals and contests.
Zumanity.com has two new pieces as well, profiles of two artists new
to the show and a cute Q&A with Ugo Mazin.
In Cirque Club marketing messages, it's been a time of promotional
offers and special deals:
In what looks to be a trend, Cirque is offering a special "two-times
only" discount at tent show Boutiques in each city. One example email
sets up the premise:
"I have a fantastic scoop... On Saturday, February 4 and February 11,
the Cirque boutique at the Corteo Grand Chapiteau at Taylor Street
Bridge in San Jose will open its doors to Cirque Club members only.
What's more, on these two days you will be entitled to 10% off all
your boutique finds! Remember, you don't need to show any tickets to
take advantage of this offer. All you have to do is visit the Grand
Chapiteau between 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. with a copy of this e-mail.
Be sure to check out our brand new Spring/Summer collection for 2006
and perhaps pick up something special for your Valentine."
The same offer also applies to Varekai in Miami, with the same dates
but different times, 9am to 11am.
Hotel deal promotional tie-ins seem to be the craze for the romantic
month of February, and are mentioned in two of the messages this
month.
KÀ announced "our first package deal ever, exclusive to Cirque Club
members!": "As of today, with just one short phone call you can secure
tickets to see KÀ-our latest creation in Las Vegas-and book an
overnight stay at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino at the same time.
You will also obtain a 20% discount on all Cirque du Soleil
merchandise in the KÀ boutique, a $35 dining credit for participating
restaurants in the MGM Grand and a $25 credit to visit the Grand Spa.
To book your KÀ Package, all you have to do is call 1-800-277-0141 and
ask for the KÀ Winter Package at MGM Grand. You will also need the
following code to access this offer: MKT024. Please bear in mind that
this offer is only valid for performances taking place between today
and February 28, 2006. If you've been thinking about taking a break
this winter, this may be exactly what you're looking for!"
And we got a virtual Valentine's Day caress (and deal!) from
Zumanity's Madame:
"Hello Darling,
I want to wish you an exhilarating Valentine's Day and-even more
important-a sensual, candle-lit Valentine's Night. May we all come
together on this special occasion to celebrate our passion for things
that tantalize the eyes and arouse the senses!
In a few short days, I will be sharing 28 dimly lit evenings with all
my favorite creatures, including some recent additions to the Human
Zoo who have touched me in ways I can't describe. Relax, chéri, I'm
just kidding! Let me kiss & tell you about Joanie & Nicolas, and then
you can read all about my fifteen minutes with the delectable Ugo
Mazin!
Oh, by the way, I heard something fabulous that might interest you.
If you reserve a room at the New-York New-York from now until the end
of my favorite month, you can add on Z PleaZure Package. PleaZure
means all you Zumans can enjoy the show, unlimited Zumanitinis,
breakfast in bed, a deluxe room upgrade and more for only $159 per
couple! Simply call 1-866-815-4365 to book your room and Z PleaZure
Package, and enjoy ZUMANITY à deux!
Have a simply divine Valentine's, you magnificent creature!
(P.S. Z PleaZure Package includes: Two premium tickets to ZUMANITY,
Unlimited Zumanitinis at the show and two souvenir glasses, Breakfast
in bed (a value of up to $50), Two Spa admissions and A Spa Deluxe
Room upgrade. A $350 value, for only $159 per couple!" (Room sold
separately)
Also in the last two months, Dralion left two cities! First Zurich:
"The time has come for Dralion to say goodbye once again! We leave
Zurich next week after having spent almost two months in this
beautiful city. Although it's always sad to say auf Wiedersehen,
we've had the chance to make some good friends along the way... Did
you know that Dralion employs over 150 locals in every city in which
we make a stop? These valued additions to our permanent staff make
all the difference when it comes to explaining local customs and
language, and welcoming our guests. They are also great sources of
information about restaurants, nightclubs and sites to visit, as they
can share their favorite hangouts with us. Thanks to them, we got to
sample the best raclette and fondue in Zurich, and we discovered some
fascinating places we never would have known about otherwise.
The Dralion cast and crew also took advantage of the great Swiss
outdoors, parachuting, paragliding, hiking and running everywhere we
could. It's also safe to say that most of us managed to eat our
bodyweight in chocolate, and believe it or not, we have still have
more to eat! We also appreciated the wonderful welcome you extended
us, not to mention the fabulous weather you ordered, just for us!"
...And then Bilbau:
"Just as the excitement of Christmas and the Nochevieja is calming
down in Bilbao, Dralion is gearing up for our move to Seville.
Although we are frequently away from our family and friends for long
periods, our traveling lifestyle enables us to enjoy celebrating
special times of the year with a local flair. We enjoyed a "Dralion
family" dinner at our hotel on December 24th and even received a
surprise visit from Santa Claus himself, loaded with gifts for the
kids and the rest of us! We also got to participate in the tradition
of eating 12 grapes for luck on the night of the Nochevieja and
partied until the wee hours, Spanish style! Other highlights of our
stay included a very special behind-the-scenes visit of the beautiful
Guggenheim Museum and a day trip to one of the oldest wineries in the
Rioja region. Of course, we were happy to get so many great
suggestions from our Cirque Club members and took the opportunity to
visit many of the local hot spots, thanks to you."
Above messages courtesy of Cirque Club.
=======================================================================
LA PRESSE -- CIRQUE IN THE PRESS [EXPANDED]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------
"Varekai: The Art of Acrobatics"
From: The St. Petersburg Times
-----------------------------------------------
At the start of Varekai the stage overflows with bizarre creatures: a
green and black lizard, a man in black wearing a helmet topped by a
lightbulb, a lavender sprite with a curlicue on its head, a blue
reptile sprouting green protuberances.
This eye-popping tableau makes it plain that Eiko Ishioka's brilliant,
otherworldly costume design is the driving force of the third Cirque
du Soleil production to come to St. Petersburg. It opened a month-long
engagement under the blue and yellow Grand Chapiteau on Thursday
night.
After its wild and woolly prelude, Varekai's momentum stalls a bit as
the story is established. It is loosely based on the myth of Icarus,
who fell to Earth when he flew too close to the sun and the wax
holding on his wings melted.
In the Cirque version, written and directed by Dominic Champagne,
Icarus (Anton Chelnokov) is a Byronic swain in feathery white, who
lands in a jungle of shimmering poles. His solo flight, while wrapped
in a net, is not very involving, and what passes for the story only
intermittently takes hold during the show, which runs 21/2 hours,
including intermission.
But people don't go to Cirque for the story, though when there is one
that actually works (i.e., Quidam), the experience can be especially
affecting. They go for the dazzling acrobatics, and Varekai delivers
in its second number, with a troupe of high fliers in red and gold,
vaulting from the feet of their partners, who are lying on their
backs, legs straight up.
Cirque performers are superb athletes, and they have a generous,
giving attitude that elevates them beyond the self-absorbed world of
competitive sports. They are proud of what they can do, and they love
to share it with the audience.
In an exciting feat of athleticism meshing with art, four strong,
fearless women in aquamarine tights descend from high in the big top
to perform on triple trapeze.
Cirque's supply of diminutive Chinese acrobats seems inexhaustible,
and a trio in blue display a typically inventive combination of
talents, tossing and spinning bowls on rope in the air while tossing
and spinning themselves. Red-clad Georgian dancers blast off to wind
up Act 1, moving incredibly fast to the hard-driving beat.
Several signature Cirque performers are in the second act, and the
finale is sensational. The Atherton twins, Andrew and Kevin, are
beautiful mirror images of each other, in black headdresses and skimpy
bodysuits, in a soaring aerial straps number.
Octavio Alegria is an exuberant juggler of balls, straw hats, bowling
pins, whatever. Contortionist Irina Naumenko is a sensual dream in
sequins, blending the grace of ballet and the power of gymnastics in
hand balancing on canes.
Russian Swings concludes the show with an inspired piece of equipment
that hurls daredevils through the air onto huge sails, all to
pulsating music - except for one exquisitely timed moment of silence.
In between acts of derring do, Varekai has a complement of clowns,
such as the magician and his frumpy blond assistant, or the balladeer
in pursuit of an elusive spotlight. Their routines usually go on too
long, but they do provide a breather.
Violaine Corradi has composed a lively score, with continuous music by
a seven-piece band as well as sound effects ranging from buzzing
insects and bird chirps to a jackhammer and bagpipes. The violin and
Jew's harp and Andean pipes stay in your ear amid the crashing rock
chords. Isabelle Corradi (sister of the composer) and Craig Jennings
are the singers, and they bring a zestful spirit to lyrics mostly in a
made-up language, a Cirque trademark.
If anyone has seen Cirque shows in the past and thinks that there's
only so much to be done with acrobatics in the service of art, that,
in effect, once you've seen a few trapeze and contortion acts, you've
seen them all, no matter how astonishing, then Varekai will come as an
exhilarating surprise. Cirque keeps coming up with new thrills.
-----------------------------------------------
"Varekai: What Danger Wears"
From: The St. Petersburg Times
-----------------------------------------------
For the Cirque du Soleil costume designer, comfort isn't key. No,
she's after clothes that enhance the thrill and prolong the suspense.
Cirque du Soleil shows always draw together an eclectic group of
artists, and Varekai, opening today in St. Petersburg, is especially
notable for the participation of Eiko Ishioka. The Japanese designer's
work, which has appeared in Hollywood films and Broadway shows, is
legendary in both the commercial and experimental art worlds.
With vibrant colors and fanciful shapes, her costumes make a powerful
contribution to the surreal impression of the show, whose acrobatic
numbers are loosely constructed around a story line based on the Greek
myth of Icarus.
Ishioka brought a distinct aesthetic to Cirque, to which she was first
introduced by movie director Francis Ford Coppola when he took her to
a performance of Saltimbanco some years ago.
She was enlisted for Varekai by the show's director, Dominic
Champagne, who got in touch with her after reading Eiko On Stage. This
coffee-table book of illustrations from some of her movie, theater and
opera productions includes her Oscar-winning costume design for Bram
Stoker's Dracula, directed by Coppola. The cover shows a closeup of
the vivid red, ribbed bodysuit she designed for Jennifer Lopez in The
Cell.
"My goal is always to create work that is timeless, revolutionary and
original," Ishioka said in a 2003 interview with the Los Angeles
Times.
Born in Tokyo during World War II, she has lived up to her daunting
ambition in a remarkably prolific, influential career that started as
an art director and graphic designer. In the 1970s, she changed the
look of Japanese advertising, publishing and fashion with one
sensational campaign after another.
Many of these are covered in another sumptuous volume, Eiko on Eiko,
which came out in 1983 and became a virtual bible for art directors
and designers. The imagery ranges from Faye Dunaway peeling and eating
a hard-boiled egg in TV commercials for Parco, an upscale department
store, to an atmospheric album cover for Miles Davis, to a brilliant
orange poster for the Japanese release of Apocalypse Now.
"She is the avant-garde of the avant-garde," novelist Hiroyuki Itsuki
said in one of the 15 essays on Ishioka in the book.
In the 1980s Ishioka opened her own design studio and eventually
settled in New York City. She did more and more theatrical work,
including spectacular costume design for a Netherlands Opera
production of Wagner's Ring cycle. On Broadway, her set and costume
design for M. Butterfly and magician DavidCopperfield's Dreams &
Nightmares were strikingly unconventional.
In recent years, Ishioka has introduced her radical vision into some
unlikely arenas. She designed uniforms for skiers, ski-jumpers and
speed skaters from Japan, Canada, Switzerland and Spain in the 2002
Winter Olympics. She directed the music video for Bjork's single
Cocoon.
Ishioka's radical sensibility was a good match for Cirque, which
wanted to go in a new direction with Varekai, premiered in 2002. But
there were practical concerns that had to be uppermost in designing
for trapeze artists and other highflying performers.
"One of my objectives at Cirque du Soleil is to design costumes that
will accentuate and even reinforce the visual and emotional impact of
the risks taken by the artists, while ensuring their complete safety,"
Ishioka said in a news release.
She summarized her approach in the Los Angeles Times interview by
stating the question she asked herself when pondering the project:
"Why don't I design costumes that look dangerous but are actually
safe?"
In other words, she went on, "If the audience sees the artists wearing
costumes that look comfortable, they won't feel thrilled by the
performance. Even though the acrobatic artists are performing very
dangerous, high-risk acts that will make the audience "ooh' and "aah'
for the first few minutes, if the artists look comfortable in what
they are wearing, the audience will lose the thrill pretty quickly. I
want to design costumes that keep the audience in suspense until the
very end of the show."
Ishioka had a profound impact on Varekai, not just for audiences but
also for other members of the Cirque creative team. As composer
Violaine Corradi said, "Eiko is just such an interesting person that
she did influence my music. She brings an entire universe with her."
-----------------------------------------------
"Varekai: Contorting the Chords"
From: The St. Petersburg Times
-----------------------------------------------
The composers of Cirque du Soleil's music, like the onstage
performers, explore different twists and turns to ensure that each
score is unique.
"When someone asks me what my musical influences are, I always reply
Brahms and Pink Floyd."
So declared Rene Dupere, the first composer for Cirque du Soleil. His
scores for shows through Alegria in 1994 laid the foundation for what
many consider the company's heart and soul. Music is as crucial to
Cirque's success as the daredevil acrobatics.
Dupere recently returned to the Cirque fold to score its latest and
grandest opus, Ka, which premiered in Las Vegas this year. Two
composers, Benoit Jutras and Violaine Corradi, have done most of the
other shows over the past decade. Corradi scored Varekai, which opens
this week under the Grand Chapiteau in St. Petersburg.
Dupere's description of his music ranging from classical to
progressive rock will resonate with anyone who has searched a record
department looking for Cirque CDs. They can be found anywhere from New
Age to Soundtracks, Pop to World Music to Shows. Recently I asked
Corradi how she would classify Cirque's unclassifiable music.
"It's anything but new age to me, because new age is not a disturbing
music, disturbing in a good sense," said Corradi, speaking from her
studio outside Montreal, home of Cirque headquarters.
"For the last 15 years, I've been really interested in juxtaposing
traditional instruments with things like electronica; an ancient
melodic line with back beats."
Along with a conventional lineup of guitar, bass, percussion and
keyboards, various strings and winds, the Cirque sound includes an
array of traditional and downright odd instruments, often in
surprising combinations.
On Corradi's first show, Dralion, built around a troupe of Chinese
acrobats, the Asian and Middle Eastern feel is enhanced through
instruments like the sitar, oud and darbuka, but then the final number
features, of all things, Scottish bagpipes. Varekai covers the gamut
from salsa to Jew's harp.
"I think the landmark of Cirque music is the quest we have to bring to
the world textures and sounds that were forgotten, colors people have
never heard before," said Corradi, 46, who was born in Italy and
raised in Quebec. Her mother was an opera singer, her father a
conductor. Her sister, Isabelle, is a longtime singer with Cirque, now
in Varekai.
Cirque albums have sold more than 3.5-million copies. The biggest
seller is Alegria, highlighted by a passionate performance of the
title song by Francesca Gagnon. The album spent 65 weeks on the
Billboard World Music chart in 1994-95.
My favorite show is probably Quidam, with a Jutras score. The chorus
of the title song in the finale never fails to move me. Not
coincidentally, Quidam was the first Cirque show I saw.
"Whatever show you've seen first will definitely stay in your heart
longest, like your first love affair," said Paul Bannerman, the
drummer for Varekai, speaking from a tour stop near Charlotte, N.C.
"Dralion was my first show, and that made me decide I wanted to work
for this company."
In a time when more and more touring entertainment of all kinds relies
on canned music, the presence of a live band in Cirque shows sometimes
comes as a surprise to audiences when the musicians come out at the
end to take their bows.
"With Varekai, other than Ka, we're probably the most hidden band,"
said Bannerman, one of seven instrumentalists in the show, along with
two vocalists and three sound technicians. Varekai (meaning "wherever"
in the Romany language of the gypsies), which premiered in 2002, has
been acclaimed for the way its sound design, by Francois Bergeron,
supports the score.
Of course, for all the allure of Cirque's music, the main reason
people go to the shows is to watch the eye-popping feats of trapeze
artists, contortionists, tumblers and jugglers. Corradi emphasizes
that the primary duty of her music is to complement the performers.
Unlike a Broadway musical, say, a Cirque score has to have flexibility
built into it.
"A Broadway show has a certain structure, and the musicians will stick
to that structure, as opposed to a Cirque show, where the musicians
are at the service of the visual," Corradi said.
"They really have to inhabit every millisecond of the acrobatic act.
Sometimes an acrobatic sequence takes 10 seconds more, or 30 seconds
more, depending on the mood or the strength of everybody onstage, and
the musicians have to be able to be in synchronicity with the
acrobats. They have to vamp without sounding like they're vamping."
Then there's a Cirque trademark, the use of a made-up language for
song lyrics. Corradi wrote some of them, but Varekai also includes a
fascinating twist on the practice. Verse by Quebec poet Helene Dorion,
translated from French into Romany and Spanish, tells a kind of story
that is loosely (very loosely) based on the Icarus myth.
The arrangements used in recordings are often quite different than
those in the shows. The most recent releases, Varekai and Ka, were
given elaborate studio productions.
For Varekai, which has one of Cirque's most sophisticated scores, the
CD was produced by Nitin Sawhney, who has worked with the likes of
Jeff Beck, Sinead O'Connor, Sting and Paul McCartney. Ka got the
symphonic treatment in its recording, which has a 57-piece orchestra
playing on some tracks.
Cirque is broadening its musical palette, in part, to appeal to that
ever-elusive, much-coveted younger audience. La Nouba, its party-
hearty show at Downtown Disney in Orlando, has some hip-hop. Zumanity,
an R-rated Vegas show, consists of cabaret and pop songs on sex, like
The Good Thing ("But what I really wanna know is what you got in your
pants"). In 2007, the company plans to open its fifth Vegas show,
using Beatles songs.
A new project focuses on music. Delirium, a touring production that
premieres in Montreal in January and then goes to two-night bookings
in arenas around North America, features high-energy dance remixes of
Cirque songs.
"They are making it like a big rave party of the 21st century, with
singers, dancers, musicians," Corradi said. "The stage is heavier than
Madonna's. The set is so big it's crazy."
For all the functionality of Cirque's scores, and for all their
variety, the music brings an emotional depth to circus acts, a mix of
joy and melancholy. "Haunting" is a word that turns up in review after
review of the shows.
As Bannerman, a 37-year-old Canadian, put it, "The shows are all
different, but there's also a binding force. You can hear a song and
you'll go, "That's Cirque,' but there's something about it you can't
put your finger on."
The common denominator is Guy Laliberte, founder and owner of Cirque,
a onetime stiltwalker who has become a powerful influence on
contemporary fashion and taste. You could argue that his commissioning
of scores for shows over more than 20 years amounts to patronage
comparable to that of the churches and royalty that backed Bach, Haydn
and Mozart, or the opera houses behind Verdi and Puccini.
"Guy looks at every level of the show, but there are two main horses
that he's riding, because they're his passion: acrobatics and music,"
Corradi said. "He's always hands-on with music and acrobatics. If it's
not up to his standard, we go back to the grindstone."
Laliberte has some favorite things. For example, the bandoneon, the
instrument central to the Argentine tango, is heard in many shows.
"He'll say, "Where's my bandoneon?' when we play something for him,"
Corradi said. "He loves bandoneon. It gets to your heart, puts you
right in this magical feeling, the spirit of circus."
So what exactly is the Laliberte aesthetic?
First and foremost, Corradi said, "He wants to be surprised. He always
says, "Surprise me.' And to surprise him, we have to go into the core
of our soul. If we surprise him, who has seen and heard so much, you
can be sure that the rest of the world will be surprised."
-----------------------------------------------
"The Tech Inside Cirque's Tent"
From: C|Net
-----------------------------------------------
It's six hours before a performance of the new Cirque du Soleil show,
"Corteo," and backstage, computers are controlling a series of dollies
hanging from two giant arched tracks bridging the stage.
Hanging from the dollies are three massive chandeliers from which
acrobats are practicing gyrations and twists.
The dollies are the kind of rigging gear seen in just about any circus
or theater with acts that require people or props to be elevated far
above the ground. But the system running the dollies' deployment--a
crucial element of the show, since nearly every act involves one or
more performers flying or leaping high into the air--is entirely
automated, something that would have been unheard of to Cirque du
Soleil's progenitors and that is rare even in some of the Cirque's
other shows.
"We keep getting smaller and smaller (technological) components," said
Michael Wilder, the technical director on "Corteo" and a two-year
veteran of "Quidam." "It's always a question of pushing (the
technology) as far as we can and giving the creator as much as we
can."
Most of the show's lighting, for example, is controlled using a
protocol called Wireless DMX. The idea, Wilder explained, is that so
much action goes on in midair--like the acrobats suspended from the
chandeliers--that it would be impossible to use a wired system. Thus,
technicians use computers that automatically send signals to hundreds
of lights throughout the theater, both in the air and attached to
beams or trusses, turning them on or off as needed.
Another high-tech, albeit lighthearted, piece of technology in
"Corteo" is a set of three small spotlights on wheels that appear
during the show and that were designed with lights on swivels that bob
up and down, lending them a personality that gets the audience
laughing.
As simple as the spotlights look, they are directed from backstage by
wireless airplane controllers, allowing the stage manager to send them
scurrying around the various performers at will.
Of course, Wilder said, the system doesn't always work.
"Sometimes the frequency goes haywire and (a spotlight) will take off
and one of the actors has to go get it," he said. "It's still a live
show. Computers still burp and crash."
"Corteo," which is showing in San Francisco through Jan. 8, is on its
second stop in the U.S. after its April debut in Montreal. It is one
of six Cirque du Soleil shows currently touring the world that
complement five permanent installations in Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla.
Beyond the unique collection of jugglers, acrobats, clowns and trapeze
artists in "Corteo," what sets the presentation apart from the
company's traveling shows like "Alegria," "Varekai," "Saltimbanco" and
"Quidam" is that it's the most technologically advanced touring show
the Cirque has ever created, with more than 30 technicians operating
the controls that enable the performers to spotlight their sometimes
mind-boggling feats of flexibility and synchronicity.
Cirque du Soleil first began pushing boundaries in Quebec in 1984. It
started taking its acts on the road in 1985, and by 1987 had crossed
into America.
That's especially true during acts like "Paradise," the opening
sequence after the show's intermission, when around a dozen acrobats
take turns doing astounding leaps and twists off a 150-foot-long
trampoline that spans the stage.
During intermission, Wilder explained, the artists and crew race
onstage and begin setting up the trampoline. But because the artists
leap so high in the air and count on the trampoline to save them in
case of a fall, it must be installed with absolute precision.
Thus, a computer-controlled motor under the stage pulls the trampoline
taut, beginning at each end and moving toward the middle. Once taut,
technicians move onto the stage and employ laser-leveling technology
that ensures that the trampoline is set up exactly as designed.
"The amount we rely on our technicians is amazing," he said. "The
artists trust these guys and girls with their lives every day."
In any case, as the technology used in "Corteo" and other Cirque show
gets more advanced, and more is implemented, Wilder and his crew, as
well as their colleagues in other shows, must continually confront a
learning curve as they strive to stay as advanced as possible.
"You end up pushing your employees," Wilder said. "Our staff has to
keep learning and growing with the new technology."
=======================================================================
ITINERAIRE - TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
[Touring Shows]
Alegría:
London, UK -- Jan 5, 2006 to Feb 12, 2006
Milan, Italy - Feb 23, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006
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
Delirium (Arena Show):
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
Dralion:
Seville, Spain -- Jan 19, 2006 to Feb 26, 2006
Geneva, Switzerland - Mar 10, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006
Quidam:
San Diego -- Jan 19, 2006 to Feb 26, 2006
Long Beach, California - Mar 09, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006
Saltimbanco:
Guadalajara, Mexico -- Nov 17, 2005 to Jan 1, 2006
Mexico City, Mexico -- Jan 13, 2006 to Jan 29, 2006
Santiago, Chile -- Mar 15, 2006 to Apr 22, 2006
Varekai:
Miami, Florida -- Jan 20, 2006 to Feb 26, 2006
Portland, Oregon - Mar 14, 2006 to Apr 23, 2006
[Resident Shows]
La Nouba:
Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm
Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark Sun/Mon
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
Mystère:
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
Performs: Wed through Sun, Dark Mon/Tue
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
"O":
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
Performs: Wed through Sun, Dark Mon/Tue
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
Zumanity:
Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark: Sun/Mon
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
KÀ:
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:30pm
Performs: Fri through Tue, Dark Wed/Thu
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
=======================================================================
DIDYAKNOW? -- FACTS ABOUT CIRQUE
=======================================================================
On January 20, 2006, the Miami Herald listed a few "facts" about
Varekai. We thought we'd share them: < http://www.miami.com/mld/
miamiherald/ entertainment/weekend/13659943.htm >
* Cirque du Soleil began with 20 street performers in 1984
and now has nearly 3,000 employees from more than 40
countries.
* The crew travels with 200,000 pounds of equipment in 52
trucks.
* Cirque du Soleil brings its own kitchen and school to
tour stops. The kitchen serves about 400 meals a day.
* Since its premiere in Montreal in April 2002, Varekai
has exceeded 1,000 performances.
* Two sets of identical twins perform in the show.
* There are more than 130 costumes in Varekai.
* A team of six full-time people work at cleaning,
repairing, ironing and touching up costumes.
On March 02, 2006, the website KansasCity.com posted a few facts
about Delirium that we wish to share:
* "Delirium" employs a cast of 45 - 11 musicians, 18 dancers,
six singers, eight acrobats and two actors. In addition, 100
people travel with the show, including 75 technicians and 25
management and artistic support personnel.
* The show's two-sided stage is 130 feet wide and 20 feet
deep and is designed to turn the arena into two "intimate"
(Cirque's wording) playing areas.
* The show employs 540 square feet of projection space,
including four roll-up screens suspended from the arena's
roof.
* Special structures above the stage support of 130,000
pounds of equipment.
* The production requires three generators.
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
----------------------------------------------
"A Conversation with Rene Dupere, Part 1"
By: Keith Johnson - October 18, 2005
----------------------------------------------
{Special Reprint from Fascination! Issue #46 - October 2005}
Before Cirque du Soleil, the world of circus music was populated by
brass bands and marshal music arrangements. Certainly there were
occasional forays into the unusual, but it was Cirque that pioneered
the concept of bringing more modern, more "world-music" sounds into a
circus context. Winning accolades and influencing countless others,
it is the music of Cirque du Soleil that, through the ears, prepares
the mind for the wonders about to unfold before the eyes. This is a
tribute not only to René Dupéré, Benoit Jutras, Violaine Corradi, and
other Cirque composers, but also to Cirque's ability to mesh all the
elements of circus and stagecraft into a magical whole.
Continuing on that tradition, and featuring a 40-member choir and 57-
piece symphonic orchestra, the soundtrack CD for KÀ, the latest
"resident" show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, has been proclaimed by
Cirque du Soleil as their "most ambitious musical project to date."
It also marks the triumphant return to the fold of its first composer,
René Dupéré (Ren-ay Du-pair-ay).
Every Cirque fan with more than a few soundtrack CDs in their
collection knows Dupéré's name and have appreciated his music. His
sound, with its lyrical nature and ethnic music influences, set the
standard for Cirque shows to follow and gave the new circus its
distinctive flavor. He has also had quite a successful career outside
of the circus, with collaborations with his wife Élise Velle as well
as other work.
Recently he very graciously took the time to speak with us from a
secluded resort in Québec, where he and Élise were working on material
for a new project for Élise. In Part One of our two-part exclusive
interview, we talk about the new KÀ soundtrack CD, due to be released
in the US on October 18 and currently available in the Cirque du
Soleil Boutique (item #506615, $19.50 USD).
Mr. Dupéré started by explaining how he came to the KÀ project. "My
first career was as a teacher, the first job in my second career as
composer was for Cirque du Soleil. I worked ten years with Guy
Laliberté and the circus and left [after Alegría] in 1994. I wanted
to do something other than circus music. But I told [Cirque] that if
they had a special project, that wasn't under the big top and wouldn't
really include that kind of music that I [would be interested]."
"So I worked in different fields of music including movies, television
series, advertising, all that stuff. Around the end of March, 2004,
Guy Laliberté called and said they were looking for a composer for the
KÀ show in Las Vegas. When I asked him what kind of show it was he
invited me to a run-through the day after, just before the cast left
for Vegas. So I went to the studio in Montréal and watched the run-
through and realized that it was a huge show, a live movie on the
stage. The idea I had for the music was of a movie soundtrack, a mix
between Lord of the Rings and Matrix. I called Guy back and told him
my idea was to have the music treated as a soundtrack, and the
references to the Lord of the Rings and Matrix seemed to appeal to
him, so we agreed on that and I started working."
"I started the next morning, with the idea of a movie soundtrack. For
two months I stayed at home alone with my computers, composing.
Nobody heard a single note, not even [partner] Martin Lord Ferguson or
[show director] Robert Lepage. I wanted to propose at least half to
two-thirds of the show in terms of demos and sounds that they would
like to hear."
"I started writing very fast, because I came into the process very
late. Normally [the composer is hired] one year before opening night;
when I joined the show [in March, 2004] the opening night was supposed
to be the end of July. But it was later postponed to November, and we
were happy about that (laughs)."
Fast forward to May of 2004. "After two months, I had almost two-
thirds of the show written in terms of the themes that were used.
Then I sent the demos to Robert, and I had Guy and Martin listen as
well. The only thing Guy told me was to be careful not to be too
dramatic, because the show itself was dramatic. That was good advice,
but he had heard only the dramatic music, not the music for the
clowns. And there is some comic relief and poetic release in the
show. [In the end] it went quite well, and the show is quite balanced
in terms of emotion, [with] comic stuff and dramatic music, too."
"Then I moved to Vegas, and Robert and I would talk almost every day.
I'd adjust things, compose other things and cut things that I had
already composed [due to changes in the show]. Just working and
readjusting the music for the scenes with direction from the director.
And since Martin and I work very fast, we could propose something [new
in one or two days]. Then it was just a matter of putting it into the
machine and putting the music in the theater. We realized that in two
to six weeks we would be able to do any big change. Small changes
could be done with the musicians on the spot."
Many Cirque fans have been interested in what happens in that
maelstrom of activity, the creation process, especially with a show
whose scope and ambitions are so large. Dupéré explains, "It's always
a work in progress. The difficulty [comes in] making things happen
with the technology, because things are so big, you can't make changes
[quickly]. For example, if you want to change the lighting for one
scene and you have 2000 lights it's quite a chore, you can't do that
in two hours. For some people it was a little difficult to work in
that kind of "work in process." I had no problem."
And working with show director, Robert Lepage? "I've known Robert for
20 years. I saw his first show ("Circulations") in Québec City 25
years ago. I really had fun working with him because I like people
who are able to explain their demands. If they want something, and
they can give you the right explanation, they give you a direction,
like a movie director. And working that way with Robert was really
interesting."
Critical to the endeavor is Mr. Dupéré's partner, Martin Lord
Ferguson. "He's my co-arranger and mixer. He's a fantastic mixer;
he's been working with Pro Tools since he was a kid. I'm the composer
and arranger, and he co-arranges with me and makes the sound bigger
than I would have been able to. He's a very important person for me
because when you do this kind of show - even if the music is really
good - if it doesn't sound good, it shows."
In prior interviews, Dupéré has commented that Cirque du Soleil is
made up of 10% gamblers. We asked what gambles have been taken with
this show. "The gamble of putting on a $200 million USD show (the
theater and the show) and hoping that it will work is a big gamble.
On my side the gamble was to include pre-recorded music in a live
show. I wanted to include a choir and symphonic orchestra, with live
musicians playing along with those tracks."
"We have 32 tracks of audio on a hard disk running with the show, and
nine musicians playing live. [The tracks are loaded in] a machine
that allows you to move from one part of a song to another
[seamlessly]. That was the biggest challenge, because you don't want
the machine to crash in the middle of a show. It was really a
technical feat to accomplish, and it works very well."
To accomplish that feat, they first had to record the samples. "We
recorded the orchestra and chorus in two steps. The biggest part of
the music was done in Montréal in August, 2004. Then I realized I
could put more choir in the Forest and Cliff scenes. So I came back
to Montréal after the previews started (on November 26), and in
December we recorded more choir music, which we put [into the show] in
January, just before opening night."
How are the 32 tracks of pre-recorded audio prepared for playing in
sync with a band in an unpredictable, live show atmosphere? Mr.
Dupéré explained the process. "We first recorded the symphonic
orchestra and choir on 32 tracks. Then we'd cut the songs into chunks
of music. We'd cut a chunk from Bar 1 to Bar 8, and from Bar 8 to Bar
10, and another from Bar 10 to Bar 27. If you have a melody that
lasts eight bars, you know you can't cut the melody in two. But you
can repeat the last two bars of the bridge after that section two,
three, four times depending on what's happening on the stage. So, if
at Bar 10 we have a problem, and we want to repeat Bars 8 to 10 [the
conductor pushes a button] and it goes back to Bar 8. Otherwise it
would continue non-stop."
"The hope is to not have to repeat any sequence because everything
will go fine. But if you want to improvise on a sequence you just
repeat that one chunk and when you're finished you just let the music
go. The beauty is that you can cross fade from one section to
another, from one bar to another, from one song to another, as long as
you have previewed it. We desperately needed that kind of
[technology] because we wanted to use those 32 pre-recorded tracks in
the show."
"The machine we use is called a Symphonia. It's already widely used
in musicals in New York." And it's versatile. "For instance, if the
oboe player is sick you can just replace him with a sampler. The
machine follows the music, it can slow down and speed up, and you can
switch from one section to another. In KÀ, we have a sampled
symphonic orchestra and a sampled choir. And we have a lot of
percussion played live by the band. And [we can be] flexible
throughout the show."
But when it came time to record the soundtrack CD, they didn't just go
back to those original 32 tracks of orchestra and choir. They
recorded entirely new tracks with a new orchestra and chorus, to be
mixed in with the already recorded samples. "The CD soundtrack was
recorded at Paramount [about mid-July to early-August, 2005]. We can
put these recordings into the show if needed, but the show sounds very
good with the very special samplings that I used. And we did a lot of
mixing between our samples and the [newly recorded] real orchestra so
[the CD] sounds bigger. We took the best of both worlds."
They did not use the shows live musicians or singers, however. "We
didn't have time to go to Vegas and add [them] to the CD. The opening
night was February 3rd, 2005, and we started working on the CD the
week after. With rehearsing in the afternoon and performing two shows
a night, five nights a week, they are exhausted. It would have been a
chore for them to do the CD."
"We wanted to do something else with the singers as well. The CD is
telling the story a certain way and the show is telling it another way
[with the added visual element]. We didn't really want the same
singers because we treated some songs quite differently; we even
transposed a couple of things."
Some fans have wondered, if a recording doesn't include the musicians
involved in the creation process, can it truly be representative of
the show? Dupéré notes that, "We didn't want to [replicate] the show
on the CD. Because the format is different we added things that were
intended more for the CD than the show, and the editing of the songs
is different. But the color is the same. So you have orchestra,
choir and percussion, and we added little spices on top of that."
Mr. Dupéré has said that soundtrack CD's should be "inspired by" the
shows yet be able to stand on their own. Fans have suggested that the
last couple of CDS releases, Varekai and Zumanity, have seemed to be
on the outer edge of that in terms of taking the original source
material and going in a somewhat different direction. Mr. Dupéré
agrees, noting, "We were aware of that, we knew that Zumanity and
Varekai were, I wouldn't say bizarre mixes, but were [different in]
the conception of the CD itself. I think it's even more obvious with
Zumanity, because "inspired by" is written on the CD cover. We didn't
want that to be written on the KÀ [CD cover]."
"Although there are 16 pieces of music [on the CD], there are 10 to 12
that are really in the color of the show. You can recognize not only
the color of the show but the moment where that music is used. And I
thought that was obviously the way to do it. This is a show
soundtrack, not a [pop soundtrack] with songs, a lot of airplay,
techno stuff. Maybe we could [alter the songs] for radio airplay, but
that wasn't our purpose. Not that we didn't want airplay. But
basically the format is a soundtrack so it has to reflect the color of
the show. Since the features of the music are the symphonic orchestra
and choir we couldn't avoid them (laughs). It was the only way to
treat the music."
There are also three "conventional" songs at the end of the CD. The
first one, "If I Could Reach Your Heart" is sung by wife Élise Velle,
and there are two additional "bonus" tracks, "We've Been Waiting So
Long", and "Reach for Me Now." "We realized there wouldn't be any
songs that would be [suitable] for airplay. So we tried to include
some songs without interfering with the concept we had for the
soundtrack. It was important for us that the CD goes from track 1 to
14, and the last song, sung in English and an invented language by
Élise, is the end of the CD, and it's sort of a turning point to go
somewhere else. Then [there are] seven seconds of silence and this
leads to the other two bonus songs that are in English. We really
wanted to treat those last two songs like bonus tracks, because that's
what they are."
"They don't reflect the show because their purpose is to [carry on]
themes that are in the show, but give another color. So the music has
another color and the singer is different. "We've Been Waiting So
Long" is based on the melody from "Shadowplay", and "Reach for Me Now"
is based on the melody of "Deep." When played with a piano, sort of a
Vangelis type of sound, it's the same song in a different musical
world."
In fact, it's wife Élise that brings the CD full circle by singing "If
I Could Reach Your Heart," which is based on the melody of the first
track she also sings, "O Makunde." "It "loops" the CD. And after
that there are two songs that are something quite different."
Is there any music missing from the CD that he wanted to include?
"There were a couple of things I would have liked to include. At the
very beginning of the show there's a sort of "once upon a time" music.
But we didn't know where to put it, because we really wanted the CD to
start with Élise singing "O Makunde", and ending with the English
version of that and the two bonus tracks. So I didn't really know
where to put this "once upon a time" song."
While that didn't fit the concept of the CD as it was envisioned, they
might still see the light of the laser. "We might do something for
the first anniversary of KÀ next February. We might do a sort of an
anniversary album and include two or three extra things, we haven't
decided yet. I would include that "once upon a time" music and maybe
a medley of different songs that are not used in the CD but are used
in the show."
What does Dupéré believe are the roots of KÀ's music? "I think this
is more of a soundtrack than anything else. The roots would be my
classical training and studies, and ethnic music. I've always been
crazy about ethnic music. And some modern influences like techno and
hip-hop, though they aren't really present, are in the show and are on
the CD as well."
And how would René Dupéré define his own music, what's his signature?
"Modernity and lyricism, I think. I've often said it's a mix of Pink
Floyd and Brahms. I also tell people that I'm sort of a romantic 19th
century musician with 20th century technology."
"And I must say that world culture is a part of my music, because I'm
really aware of cultures, music from around the world. [Beginning
when] I was seven my parents taught me about music. We had opera, and
we had Cuban music from the fifties; Perez Prado, Xavier Cugat, that
kind of mambo music. I remember being exposed to all kinds of music.
And when I went to college there were priests that were really aware
of different kinds of music, from Japan to Yugoslavia to Bulgaria, and
they had us listen to [it all]. So I've been in contact with a lot of
different musical cultures from early on and I think it shows in my
music. With classical structure, that's really important to me."
----------------------------------------------
"A Conversation with Rene Dupere, Part 2"
By: Keith Johnson - February 4, 2006
----------------------------------------------
In Part One of our exclusive interview with Cirque du Soleil composer
René Dupéré we focused on the music and soundtrack CD of KÀ. Here the
60 year-old Mr. Dupéré (who just celebrated a birthday) speaks about
other projects and interesting bits of Cirque musical history.
The first recorded piece of Cirque musical output was a 45 by Cirque
house band La Fanfafonie, with "Le Cirque du Soleil" and "Le
Funambule." After expressing astonishment we knew of it, Mr. Dupéré
discussed its origins. "We were not with the circus at that time. We
were meeting every year, in Baie-Saint-Paul where Cirque was founded,
a big gathering of street performers and musicians. I believe it was
in 1984, and with Guy Laliberté we chose those two songs, both of
which I wrote. There also was one called "Percuefonie" but it wasn't
on the 45. There was another 45 we did too, just for Fanfafonie. We
just went into a studio and did it, in one night with a friend mixing.
And that was it. I think about 1000 copies were made, I don't know
how many we sold (laughs)."
Less rare is the first version of the "Cirque du Soleil" LP (Naga
1187). Most of the selections were re-recorded three years later to
become the "second version" of the album that appeared in the US on
RCA (RCA 62523). "Between 1987 and 1990 a lot of acts changed. By
1990 the CD was no longer reflecting the music of the show. So we had
to change a couple of things. I wasn't there at that time, the other
composer, Benoit Jutras (Ben-wah Joot-rah) did. He also arranged the
first piece of the [Naga] '87 CD ("Ouverture"), an overture that was
inspired by Mozart's "Magic Flute." It was a nice thing he did, quite
neat."
Saltimbanco also enjoyed a re-recording, but for different reasons,
and again at Cirque's urging. "They approached me. And the changes
we brought to the CD we also brought into the show, new loops and
string samples."
"[The original recording of Saltimbanco] had the flavor of the 90's.
There were a couple of things that I didn't really like, such as the
harsh guitar sounds with the big fuzz of the 90's. [And] the
percussion and ethnic flute samples were passé as a sound. I wanted
to keep the essence of the music, not to change the music in itself,
but to change a bit of the orchestrations and soften it a little bit.
There was a lot of compression that we put on the voices [originally],
so we loosened the voices. And we redid the ethnic flutes and
percussion, keeping the ones that were really interesting and adding a
little more percussion. And redoing all the synthesized string
samples with real string samples. It was a matter of refreshing the
whole thing and bringing it into the 2000's without changing the
meaning of the music."
Long-time readers will remember we broke news of the "first" Canadian
reissue of the Alegria soundtrack (BMG 73442, 2002) being channel-
reversed. (That is, what was originally in the left channel is now in
the right channel and vice-versa.) It's a correction, or mistake,
that has continued to today. Though Mr. Dupéré wasn't aware of the
change, he isn't bothered. "You should try to experience it with
somebody who's never heard the music. It's not like a symphony
orchestra, where I have a big problem if I hear the strings on the
right and the double bass on the left. But I didn't listen to the new
version, so I'm really surprised."
If given the opportunity to re-imagine the Alegria soundtrack, he
wouldn't be as radical as with Saltimbanco. "Actually, if I had the
opportunity, I would keep most of the music that has been recorded and
remix it. I wouldn't change a lot in terms of the music because it's
really up to date. I would change the bonus tracks, because they were
recorded under the big top. That was one of the reasons I said yes to
re-doing the Saltimbanco soundtrack, because I wanted to entirely re-
do the bonus tracks which for me sounded awful. And it's the same
with the Alegria bonus tracks, they don't sound the same when compared
to the rest of [the music]."
"I would retouch the mixing and mastering and change a few small
things. But in terms of the music I'm really quite satisfied. It's
different, it has a more European flavor than Saltimbanco, which has a
jazz fusion and rock sound. It has passed the test of time without
being [out of date]. It's timeless."
Though there are several pieces of music in Alegria that have never
been officially released, he doubts he would include them if given the
opportunity. That would include "Sisyphe," the music for the swing
handbalancing act, though he doesn't recognize it by that name. "I
can't relate to the title. Besides the music that's in the show, I
composed three or four more pieces while it was on tour. One for a
solo trapeze, one for a handbalancing act, and one for a diabolo."
The opportunity to write new music as new acts are brought into a show
isn't common, however. "It happened three times on Alegria, I think it
happened once or twice on Saltimbanco (for solo trapeze and a
balancing act). They try to keep the same acts even if the people
change. That wasn't the case with Cirque Réinventé or Nouvelle
Expérience. But since Saltimbanco they've kept the same music in the
show, there's not a lot of new music that's needed."
The music of the shows is very important to Cirque, and there are
strict guidelines to preserve its integrity. "When there is any
change they want to make they have to have my approbation. All the
changes that were made to Saltimbanco, using the new loops and new
instruments, I received a DVD [to approve]."
"Besides that, I go to each tour two times a year. It's almost one
week every time I go, so I can listen to the show five, six, seven
times and rehearse with the musicians. There is a lot of care about
how the music is treated."
Music written for Cirque shows has also taken on a life outside the
traveling tent and permanent theater. Josh Groban made a hit out of
Quidam's "Let Me Fall." The company experimented with remixing for
the two-CD set "Solarium/Delirium" (CDS Musique 10021). There is a
whole new Cirque show, "Delirium," using music as the basis for the
visuals (as opposed to the other way around). And before that,
"Soleil de Minuit (Midnight Sun)," a collaboration between Cirque and
the Montréal Jazz Festival (www. montrealjazzfest.com), rocked the
streets of Montréal. "The Jazz Festival brings hundreds of thousands
of people to the streets," Mr. Dupéré notes, "and cops are happy
because nothing happens. People are quiet, there are no problems
whatsoever."
But we were surprised to hear that that street celebration of Cirque
music wasn't the first; another one-time-only performance occurred ten
years prior! "Alegria [had been] a big hit in Québec, in Canada they
old 200,000 units, which is double platinum for us. There were lots
of articles in newspapers and so on."
"In 1995, the year after Alegria was released, people were really
crazy about the music and about [Cirque]. So the Jazz Festival asked
Cirque du Soleil to work with them to put together a show that would
feature circus acts, lighting, effects, and my music. There were
200,000 people in the streets. It was a blast! People were listening
to the music as if they were in church, nobody was talking."
"I started off the concert by playing tuba. Somebody read a letter
from my mother on stage saying how proud she was. It lasted more than
two hours. We had a 55-piece orchestra. Our singers were Élise Velle
from Mystère, Francesca Gagnon from Alegria, and Francine Poitras from
Saltimbanco. And in the end all 200,000 people in the streets were
singing "Alegria" - what a choir! It was an incredible night."
"Midnight Sun was different interpretations of the music, changing the
orchestration and arrangement. The orchestrations were made by two
guys from Montréal, they did a good job. But I wasn't actually
involved with the show. It was more modern, more actual, more visual
than 10 years ago. But I think '95 was more intense and moving in
that the music was more like it was on the CD's. Sometimes when you
listen to the same thing you like it played differently, but sometimes
you like to hear the real thing. In the streets in 1995 we were
closer to the content of the CD's. I wouldn't say it was the only
reason people were moved, but I think it helped."
In addition to several albums with his companion of 14 years and wife
for three, Élise Velle, and his other projects (some of which are
noted on their newly designed website, www.creationsnetza.com) Mr.
Dupéré also composed the soundtrack to the Canadian television series,
"L'ombre de L'épervier" (Analekta 8812). "In English it means, "The
Shadow of the Hawk." There's a saying where I come from that when you
see the shadow of the hawk on the ground, and you look up and you
don't see the hawk, something bad will happen soon."
"It's about fishermen in the 20's who lived close to my home town.
They were treated almost like slaves by a big company. The company
"owned" the village and paid the fishermen with coupons that allowed
them to buy things but only in company-owned stores, they couldn't go
anywhere else. And the man and woman in the show decide that [they've
had enough], and rebel against the company. We did 23 hours of the
series, 13 hours the first year and 10 the second."
We noted there were some pretty musical ideas expressed on the CD
which we wished had been developed into a longer form. "I wish I had
the time to do that, [but] because it's TV, they didn't have any
budget. We didn't have the means to record with real instruments, so
I did it on my own [with] synthesizers. It was fun, really fun."
Musical ideas of the present are in the forefront for him now.
"Actually, today we're working with Élise on a new CD for her. We're
looking for sort of a "Buddah Bar" sound. We're foreseeing [releasing
it] either next Spring or Fall, it'll depend on all the things we're
working on. We're thinking of probably using a couple of songs from
"Voyage", [which] was released in Québec only. It'll have a little
bit of French, a little bit of Spanish, but will mostly be in invented
languages because that's one of our trademarks."
Speaking of musical interpretations, how does he feel about
"Solarium/Delirium?" "I was really pleased with what they did with
"Delirium". I wasn't crazy about "Solarium," it could have been a lot
more creative than it was. It's a matter of interpretation though;
somebody else could have different feelings and I don't mind. I was
pleased with "Delirium" because it has what I think is good about
Cirque du Soleil, imagination and audacity. Especially with
"Kumbalawé", that way of putting things almost out of pitch,
major/minor, was just great."
Cirque has recently released the "Le Best of" Collection (CDS Musique
20022). He's well represented with five tracks, including "Égypte"
from the no longer available studio version of Mystère. How would he
populate a René Dupéré "Best Of"? "Everything I pick [would be]
mostly ethnic stuff."
From the first "Cirque du Soleil" CD: "Trapeze" "Limp Bizkit
[sampled that track], their song was called "Get Ya Groove On" (from
"Electric Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water," Interscope 490759,
2000). They used 16 bars of music and put a rap on top. It was fun
to hear that."
From Nouvelle Expérience: "Éclipse" "Because of that beat, like Dave
Brubeck's "Blue Rondo à la Turk".
From Saltimbanco: "Kumbalawé," "Horéré Ukundé" and "Il Sogno di
Volare".
From Alegria: "Alegria," "Querer," and "Nocturne".
From Mystère: "Égypte" and "Caravena" (available only on the studio
version).
From "Voyage" (Netza 1440, 1995): "Ismya Vova," "Mayalah," "Naked
Trees," and "Argentina en la piel". "I listened to ["Argentina"] the
other day with Élise because we're thinking of doing a couple of
things in Spanish."
From "Xotika" (Netza 1751, 1998): "Windspirits," "Passione," "Moon,"
and "Earth," "with the tiger roaring. And all the classic, sort of
Brahms stuff."
From "Le Belle est Dans Ton Camp" (Netza 1441, 2001)" "Passage du
Hasard," "Lits de Papier," and "À Tous Ceux...".
"The songs that I like most among all I have composed are "Argentina
en la piel" (from "Voyage"), "Alegria," and "Funambule" (from the
Fanfafonie 45). ["Funambule" is] one of my favorite melodies. I
wouldn't say it's the best one, but it's one of my favorites because
it reminds me of souvenirs and remembrances and nice things that
happened [in the early days]."
One of the nice things was an early friendship with Cirque CEO Guy
Laliberté. We asked Mr. Dupéré, who is 15 years Laliberté's elder,
for his impressions. "[He's like] a hawk or an eagle, up in the air
and seeing everything."
"It's really special here in Canada. I grew up in a different time in
the history of Québec. I spent a long period of my life, including
when I was a teenager and when I was an adult teaching kids, trying to
[convey] what we were like as Québecers. That kind of separatist
movement that we were part of. When I was younger we were trying to
establish something here in Québec, because there was resentment
against English people, for political, social, financial reasons. And
that resentment could have been right or wrong, expressed or not
expressed. I don't think Guy felt that because he was from another
generation where people were sure about their own identity, [they
don't] have to show that [they] are Québecers. He knows that he is
and that the planet is open to him. And it was. And it lead to a
kind of world vision. Watching him I realized that the planet was
open to me also."
"And he's great at both finance and art. He can go from one to the
other with equal strength in both fields. It's a crossover between
two different worlds that's quite rare. And he's a very faithful man,
faithful to his friends."
How far ahead is Mr. Dupéré's life planned job-wise? "It's not, it's
never been. I don't know what "career" means. I have to say "no"
more often than "yes." Though I must say I'm not a workaholic. I can
work very hard for long periods, but when I stop, I stop. For
example, we're in a suite here (in Québec), overlooking the lake, and
I have all my synthesizers on the table, but I still feel like I'm on
vacation. Because I can tame them, I'm the boss. (laughs) And
usually I never work past five or six o'clock at night. At five I can
just close up shop and have dinner with my wife, enjoy the evening.
But I can get started at five in the morning."
Having achieved many things in life, one has eluded him - playing
cello! "But there's so much [else] to do. When I was 40 I wanted to
learn something new, something I'd never done. I [had a choice]
between learning Japanese and playing cello, and I decided to learn
Japanese. I've since forgotten everything because I didn't get much
of a chance to practice. But I can order sushi in a sushi bar with a
lot of gestures and some monosyllables." (laughs)
Drawing the interview to a close, we asked what words of wisdom he
might have for young artists. "The act of creating," he responded,
"doesn't have to hurt, it can be fun. For me it's always been fun.
If it's not fun there's a problem."
"Last June I received a PHD in Music (an honoris causa doctorate) from
my alma mater (Laval University) in Québec City. And they asked me to
talk. I spoke about five words that I felt were critical to success
in life: Passion, Craft, Courage, Chance, and Talent."
Speaking about two of those words, he elaborated, "There was courage
because it took courage to do what we did with Cirque du Soleil. I
left a job as a teacher, making good money in 1981 to become a
composer - it took courage to do that, too. And chance, because if
Cirque du Soleil had not been in Los Angeles in 1987 maybe we would
not be talking today."
Finally, we had to ask a person who has brought so much joy to the
ears and hearts of so many people, what brought him joy? "Love.
Family. Food. Wine. Nature. Silence. Friendship. I'm not sure
about the order though."
CONCERT ALERT! Dupéré and Velle in concert:
During our interview, Mr. Dupéré mentioned an upcoming concert
appearance! "In Québec our music has been played by two symphonic
orchestras, with Élise singing. And there are two more [coming up]!"
"The next one is February 11th (in Chicoutimi, a city 100 miles north
of Québec City). It's an interesting way to bring our music to the
people. We do some stuff from "Xotika," one song from "Voyage," and
one song from "La Belle est Dans Ton Camp". The rest of the music is
from Cirque shows, including three pieces from KÀ: "Storm," "Flight,"
and "Shadowplay"."
The second will be April 27 and 28, 2007 (you read that right, next
year) in Québec City. Can't say we didn't warn you. Though we
don't have any other information on either of these events right now,
if we're hear anything more we'll let you know in a (news)flash!
My sincere thanks go to:
Mr. René Dupéré, for so graciously spending time with us,
Denis Barnabé, Sales and Marketing Manager (for the initial contact),
and Micheline Nalette, Media and Communications Coordinator (for
arranging the details), both from Cirque du Soleil Musique,
And my wife LouAnna for putting up with my sometimes obsessive hobby.
----------------------------------------------
"Cirque du Delirium"
By: Paul Roberts - March 8, 2006
----------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil stole my idea - how dare they! I once wrote an
article for the Fascination! newsletter (Issue #30, February 2004,
available in our Back Issues section) about creating a Cirque music
cover band and now we have Cirque du Soleil's Delirium, where the
music is the focal point of the show. At first I had mixed, or should
I say re-mixed, feelings because I have to admit that the dance mix
songs from the "Solarium" and "Delirium" CDs were not very appealing
to me. That is, until I got used to them.
After an inside source assured me that Delirium's re-mixed music was
actually more "Urban" World Beat than Dance Beat I realized that
Cirque has never let me down and I just needed to experience this
event. Also with nearby Columbus, Ohio, being the fifth city on the
tour, I had a chance to see this brand new Cirque du Soleil show ahead
of hundreds of die-hard fan acquaintances. Sorry friends, I had to rub
that in.
When the show premiered in late January in Montreal, and as it started
touring, the reviews seemed to lean towards disappointment, mainly
because the reviewers expected Cirque's usual acrobatics, flounes, and
circus dare-devilry. I refused to let their negative thoughts deter my
excitement. After all, the most important aspect of Cirque du Soleil,
for me, is the music.
I took my daughter, Tara; met our friend, Kim (a.k.a. Kimba, who we
serendipitously met through an on-line Cirque du Soleil fan group);
and also met Ryan (a.k.a. KaliWolf, a longtime on-line acquaintance
through several fan groups) for the first time. We were four hardcore
fans mixed in with several thousand or so Newbies. We felt special.
When we walked into Nationwide Arena on Saturday, February 18, 2006,
the hockey floor-length stage seemed a bit garish with its four large
screens at the ends of the stage and overhead tacking that kind of
reminded me of a straightened-out Quidam crown. Piped-in songs from
the "Delirium" studio CD provided a surprising overture, being that a
couple of these would soon be played live.
The very talented and lovely Nitza warmed up with one of the most
powerful voices I have ever heard. I hoped she might sing "We've Been
Waiting So Long" and "Reach For Me Now," from the "KÀ" soundtrack, but
no such luck. The five songs she sang, however, provided an energy
that causes me to be impatient about the arrival of her upcoming
album. A few musicians from the Delirium "house band," accompanied her
with some amazing prefaces of what was to come. Other than Nitza's
crystal, clear voice, other highlights included a searing bouzouki
solo from Predrag "Pedja" Mano; some haunting melody lines from
violinist, Andrée-Anne Tremblay; and a fierce duel between two tabla
drummers. She received polite applause from the then-sparse crowd, but
I hope she realized that she truly is amazing.
The Delirium website states: "To select the 20 songs, a committee of
11 Cirque du Soleil directors and creative minds was convened. They
each compiled a list of their top songs from Cirque du Soleil's
musical catalogue of over 500 songs. From those, with the
collaboration of musical director, producer and arranger Francis
Collard and musical content associate producer Ian Tremblay, a final
list of music was established."
Our show actually consisted of 18 songs as changes and refinements are
apparently ongoing in the early stages of the tour. The famous Cirque-
ish language that is normally included in Cirque du Soleil's music has
been replaced by actual lyrics. Many penned by Robbie Dillon, who
wrote the lyrics for several songs on the Zumanity soundtrack. At
first I was concerned about the new words, but I knew that in general
most people attending would not be familiar with the original content.
I accepted the necessity of "standardizing" the lyrics. What I didn't
realize, however, was that the actual song titles would also be
modified for most of the songs. An update on Cirque'swebsite revealed
six of the new song titles.
Delirium's band and singers consists of:
o Dessy Di Lauro-vocalist
o Jacynthe-vocalist
o Juliana Sheffield-vocalist
o El Hadji "Elage" Diouf-vocalist and percussion
o Karim Diouf-vocalist and percussion
o Elie Haroun (from the group, Gaïa)-vocalist, guitars
and percussion
o Ric'key Pageot-band leader and keyboards
o Raffaele Artigliere-percussion
o Sacha Daoud (from the group, Gaïa)-drums
o André Faleiros (from the group, Gaïa)-basses
o Predrag "Pedja" Manov-bouzouki, oud, tambura and guitars
o Alexis Messier-guitars
o Jacques "Kuba" Seguin (from the group, The Odd Lot)-trumpet,
flugel horn and percussion
o Kullak Viger Rojas (from the group, Gaïa)-percussion
o Andrée-Anne Tremblay-violin
Spoiler alert: Following is the song list (in order) with the old
title (if applicable) and its original show in parenthesis, plus a
review of musical and visual highlights:
"Ombra" (from Dralion) - To begin, a very short intro of the "Ombra"
opening instrumental passage, without vocals.
"Too High" (Spiritual Spiral from Dralion) - Dessy Di Lauro, the
expressive original vocalist for La Nouba, sang with spirited passion
while gliding across the stage on a domed platform that housed several
drums built into the sides. The percussionists rotated around this
platform while beating the drums. This seemed like something Stomp
might integrate into one of their shows.
"Birimbau" (from Mystère) - Once again, a short version with no vocals
that was more like a set-up song for the appearance of the musicians,
who rolled across the stage standing on moveable platforms.
"Time to Go" (Mountain of Clothes from Alegrìa le Film) - This was the
most surprising song to me since it isn't included in an actual Cirque
du Soleil show. Singer Jacynthe flew in overhead wearing a sparkling,
spiral gown. To me she sounded similar to Irene Marc, the original
singer of the studio version. Alexis Messier shined with an energetic
wah-wah guitar solo that would make Jimi proud. After the song ended,
Kimba, Tara and I (Ryan had a seat in another section) looked around
at the listless crowd and agreed that out of the 20,000 or so people,
only the four of us knew what we were listening to. They all just had
no idea; we felt special once again.
"Bridge of Sorrow" (Nostalgie from "O") - A beautiful version of this
dynamic, warm song from "O." Mr. Dillon's lyrics fit wonderfully with
the swaying arms projected on the stage-covering screens. The spine-
tingling 3-D sight proved once again that Cirque always has something
extraordinary up their sleeves.
"Bour Mowote (apparently this has been renamed again)" (Africa from
"O") - "Africa" appears on both the "Solarium" (twice) and "Delirium"
CDs and yet another rendition is born. One of the Diouf brothers sang
it nicely, but in a lower register than Toumany Kouyaté from "O." The
projection of alien flowers rendered an exotic ambience that took you
to places unknown. And...was it me, or did an alluring aroma start
filling the air? Being Cirque du Soleil, I wouldn't be surprised if
they pumped some special scent into the atmosphere.
"Saloum" (Le Rêveur from Varekai) - Vocalist Juliana Sheffield made
her first appearance that also included an amazing hand balancing
performance from Andrey Koltsov. This song also featured Jacques
"Kuba" Seguin playing a melodic flugelhorn solo while floating in a
ring high above the stage.
"Battle" (Not sure of the origin, but this sounded like a cross
between Mystère's Taïko and Dralion's Bamboo) - Needless to say this
was a percussion song that, for me, turned out to be the highlight of
the show. During this onslaught of every performer pounding away on
drums and running around like they were possessed, I realized that one
of the signature trademarks of all Cirque du Soleil shows is the
appearance of a percussion number. La Nouba has an actual trap set
drum solo, Quidam has the performers playing various sized drums, one
of Varekai's Georgian Dancers pounds on his own personal drum, and so
on. It is only fitting that a show featuring the music of Cirque
incorporates the most intense Cirque percussion number right in the
middle of the concert.
"Someone" (Patzivota from Varekai) - Similar to Varekai's lightning
bugs, twinkling small lights appeared to be hovering above the stage.
But soon, performers began to grab the lights, which were on the end
of straps, and they flew out over the audience. Except for the
familiar opening melody line that was easily recognizable, I really
don't recall too much of the actual song, as I was mesmerized by the
flyers.
"Alone" (Querer from Alegrìa) - Cirque du Soleil's most romantic song
began with Jacynthe singing by herself on stage behind red drapes. The
song then morphed into a tango similar to the version performed during
the Midnight Sun celebration. I love Mr. Dillon's chorus: "I
fly...Looking down from the sky...On a world that's so small...You can't
touch me at all...I'm too high."
"Desejo" (Emballa from Varekai) - This just simply rocks, Latin style.
I remember hearing "Emballa" the first time with Tara and we looked at
each other in bewilderment at that bizarre chorus. This song is one of
my favorite tunes to sing (when no one else is listening, of course).
The live version featured an energized Rhodes electric piano-like solo
from Ric'key Pageot that made the Latin beat even jazzier. And to
boot, one of the climax visuals of the show was Dessy being lifted in
the air wearing a 30-foot "volcano dress." At the end of the song,
performers placed stakes at the bottom of her skirt to fashion a Grand
Chapiteau that housed the dancers partying to the rhythms; a nice
homage paid to the roots of Cirque. When the excitement died down,
Jacques "Kuba" Seguin played a subtle, muted flugelhorn solo that lead
into the next famous tune.
"Let Me Fall" (from Quidam) - So Columbus, how many of you thought
this was a Josh Groban song? The Delirium version seemed a little
rushed with Elie Haroun attempting the difficult vocal part. It is
nearly impossible to duplicate Mathieu Lavoie and/or Mr. Groban, but I
admired his effort. This version featured another great guitar solo by
Mr. Messier and I hoped for the dynamic ending that is included in
Quidam and Midnight Sun. Unfortunately, it ended with the final vocal
line like the studio version.
"Cold Flame" (Oscillum from Varekai) - The powerful Russian Swings
song from Varekai, but with lyrics. Irina Akimova provided a very nice
hoop manipulation that rivaled anything performed by our fave, Elena
Lev. The hoops she used were colored in a rainbow sheen that reflected
off the lights (like Mystère's cube) and as she spun them they
appeared to be a solid, shimmering ball. Nice effect.
"One Love" (Polkinöi from Saltimbanco) - I'm happy to say that this
version was similar to my favorite song from the "Delirium" studio CD,
but of course with new lyrics. The stage-covering projection screen
featured some eerie images of animated people walking in and out of
doors that were connected by a conduit-like line. A pulse throbbed
throughout the circuitry.
"Lifeline" (El Péndulo from Varekai) - El Péndulo has one of my
favorite melody lines of all Cirque songs and I always thought it
could be easily transposed into a hit number with real lyrics. My
feeling became reality with this version that stayed fairly true to
its original form. A four man Banquine act that seemed perfect for any
Cirque production accompanied the song.
"Time Flies" (Mer Noire from "O") - In my opinion, possibly the best
song of the night. Four of the singers huddled together on a platform
singing magnificent harmonies. The decelerated bridge that featured a
solo female lead also included a backing electronic sequencer that
floated nicely around the melody line. Then Andrée-Anne Tremblay
kicked in with an aggressive violin solo that brought the song back to
the main theme.
"Kumba" (Kumbalawé from Saltimbanco) - "Kumba" is my least favorite
re-mixed song from the dance CDs, but I loved the echoing voices
included in the live version. From the energy exposed by nearly all
the cast, I knew, that the night would soon be closing...
"Nova Alegrìa" (Alegrìa from Alegrìa) - The End. "A joyous, magical
feeling" brought to life in an abbreviated version of Cirque du
Soleil's most famous song. Even though I cried at the end of Alegrìa
while Francesca sang this in her beautiful, operatic, raspy voice; I
stood and danced with my daughter and my friend in celebration of yet
another enchanted Cirque du Soleil experience.
There was no encore.
I was happy to see Karl Baumann - as Balloon Boy Bill - backing a
Cirque du Soleil production. I feel that his original Target/Fritz
character in Quidam has never been unseated. My only minor
disappointment was the venue itself. Nationwide Arena is perfect for
the Blue Jackets hockey team, but I missed the intimacy of the Grand
Chapiteau. Too bad the whole audience could not have fit under the
volcano dress.
Hats off to Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, the creators and
directors of Delirium. Like all the Cirque du Soleil creators before
them, they are simply gamblers (something I can certainly relate to)
going against what is the norm or popular or expected. I was amazed at
how many people showed up for this show and even though at first most
seemed clueless, not too many left before the end...and a rousing,
standing ovation came from all. The souvenir program's credit page
includes this summation of our beloved Cirque du Soleil with an
excerpt from "Lifeline:" "Everyday is lifetime, we all walk a fine
line between the earth and sky, take a stand at the frontline, keep
reaching for the sky."
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CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas Update!
By: Keith Johnson - March 21, 2006
----------------------------------------------
CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas! will now take place between Thursday,
September 21 and Sunday, September 24, 2006.
As you might remember, when we first approached Cirque du Soleil about
gathering in Las Vegas to see the new Mirage/Beatles show (and the
others, too) they suggested we come a few months later than our
original proposal of early June. As I said when we announced our
August dates, "Cirque has said they would like us to come after the
Beatles show opening so they can "focus their energies" more towards
our group." I also said, "Of course, this timeframe could all change...
so nothing is in stone yet." How prescient those words have turned out
to be.
Due to circumstances beyond CirqueCon and the CDS Resident Shows
Division's control, the Beatles show will now be dark (no shows)
during our planned weekend of August 16-20, 2006. Though the Premiere
Gala will still be June 30, changes in the creation process have meant
that their first "dark week" must be moved.
This isn't a decision made lightly, but isn't all that unusual. Plans
change all the time during a shows' creative development, as CDS Las
Vegas told us in an email they asked we share with all of you:
"As you can imagine no creation of any Cirque du Soleil production is
ever the same. During this particular creation process of the new
production at The Mirage, it has become necessary to change the
extended dark period. We apologize as we realize this change means the
CirqueCon dates must adjust. We hope as Cirque fans you will
understand and we will endeavor to ensure your visit to our
productions in Las Vegas will be one you will never forget!"
Good news in all of this is Cirque's commitment to welcoming us,
understanding the inconvenience this is causing, and renewing their
commitment to their most devoted and understanding fans (that's us!)
to make our time in Las Vegas memorable.
CIRQUECON 2006 DATE CHANGE:
Faced with this new reality CirqueCon had choices to make. We have
decided that CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas! can be the truly exciting,
amazing, once-in-a-lifetime event we know it will be only if all five
permanent Vegas shows are playing while we are there.
Therefore, we have decided to move our convention weekend to the next
available date when all five shows will be running. With four of the
five shows taking "dark weeks" during Aug-Sept (and avoiding Labor day
weekend altogether), we are moving our dates forward by one month.
CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas! will now take place between Thursday,
September 21 and Sunday, September 24, 2006.
THE REVISED SCHEDULE:
Further, we are dropping Wednesday as an "official" day, in the hope
that it might be easier for more of you to attend all our events.
Otherwise, our schedule stays basically the same:
Thursday, September 21:
The Official CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas! Meet and Greet (T.I.)
"O" (Bellagio) - 10:30pm
Friday, September 22:
Beatles Show (Mirage) - 7:30pm
Mystère (T.I.) - 10:30pm
Saturday, September 23:
KÀ (MGM Grand) - 7:30pm
Zumanity (New York-New York) - 10:30pm
There will also be, as previously mentioned, "special Cirque stuff" to
be scheduled throughout the weekend. When we know more about what it
is, you'll be the first to know!
WHAT ABOUT OUR HOTEL?
We will continue to have rooms at our "official" hotel, the Treasure
Island (T.I.) albeit with a moderate price change. (Our original dates
were during the Las Vegas "soft" season, whereas September through
Thanksgiving is considered a "busy" season). Rooms are now available
for our new dates, which are:
From Monday, September 18 through Wednesday, September 27, 2006
EXCLUDING Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23, 2006
1-2 people: $109.00 USD/night (approx. $119.00 USD with taxes)
3 people: $139.00 USD/night (approx. $152.00 USD with taxes)
4 people: $169.00 USD/night (approx. $184.00 USD with taxes)
For Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23, 2006 ONLY
1-2 people: $159.00 USD/night (approx. $173.00 USD with taxes)
3 people: $189.00 USD/night (approx. $206.00 USD with taxes)
4 people: $219.00 USD/night (approx. $239.00 USD with taxes)
You can now place your order or modify your reservation with the T.I.
using the procedure outlined in our prior email.
BUT I CAN'T MAKE IT DURING THAT WEEK!
We certainly understand there may be members who cannot make it during
our new dates. We will gladly honor all requests for membership
refunds for the full (non-prorated) $20.00 amount until September 15,
2006. If you desire a refund please send an email to
info@cirquecon.com. And if, at a later time you find you can join us,
we will happily welcome you back!
WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON?
With another month now available, we and Cirque have additional time
to work hard to make CirqueCon 2006 an incredibly special time for one
and all. With fans gathering from all over North America and The World
to meet and share in their passion for Cirque du Soleil, and with the
company welcoming us "behind their mask" (so to speak), it will be a
weekend you won't soon forget!
We hope to have more to announce soon, including information on
tickets, activities, and other "special goodies" for our members.
Again, on behalf of Cirque du Soleil and CirqueCon, we regret any
inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions or comments,
feel free to post them in the CirqueClub Forum on our website,
www.cirquecon.com, or by sending a private email to
info@cirquecon.com.
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Quarterly Compendium
Volume 6, Number 1 - Q1 2006
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c)
2001-2006 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.
{ May.12.2006 }
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