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T h e U n o f f i c i a l
C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r
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E X P A N D E D I S S U E
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VOLUME 10, NUMBER 1 JANUARY 2010 ISSUE #72e
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BONNE ANNÉE /// HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Bonjour et bienvenue and welcome to 2010! We've got an amazing issue
this month for you - an exclusive interview with Martin Lord-Ferguson
and Ella Louise Allaire - Producers of ZED's CD! Conducted by our
own Keith Johnson, find out what pressures they were under in
making the album, why they chose to omit certain songs, and about
the process in general. If you've not yet heard the ZED album,
we highly encourage it!
Banana Shpeel... slips? BANANA SHPEEL, Cirque du Soleils new twist
on vaudeville, has finally taken to the stage for a preview run in
Chicago. But the reviews are saying perhaps a re-tool is in order
before heading off to New York City. Check out the following reviews
of SHPEEL within.
Interested in joining like-minded passionates of Cirque du Soleil
on a group trip? If so, join us at CirqueCon 2010 in New York
City and Montréal from April 27th through May 2nd for Cirque du
Soleil's OVO, Banana Shpeel, and Tour 2010! Check out the latest
updates regarding CirqueCon 2010 in the gatherings column in our
OUTREACH section. And as always join them at their website:
http://www.cirquecon.com
And also in our OUTREACH section, we have a number of goodies to
explore as a clip of interesting and intriguing articles, pictures
and videos were shared with the fanbase through Cirque du Soleil's
various social widgets. In turn we have collected those to share
with you!
Well, that about wraps up this intro. Now, onto the issue!
Join us on the web at:
< www.cirquefascination.com >
Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only):
< http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >
- Ricky "Richasi" Russo
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CONTENTS
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o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information
* Touring Shows -- Productions under the Big Top
* Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre
* Venue Shows -- Arena & Seasonal Productions
o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets
* Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub
* Networking -- Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Flickr
* Gatherings -- CirqueCon & More!
.) NOTE: Special CirqueCon 2010 Event Updates!
o) Compartments -- A Peek Behind the Curtain
* Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque
* Historia -- Cirque du Soleil's History
o) Fascination! Features
*) "ZED CD Producers Ferguson & Allaire: Making
Unexpected Magic Timeless"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
o) Subscription Information
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
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Koozå turns 1000
{Dec.01.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
Today at 8:00pm, Cirque du Soleils Koozå will celebrate its
1000th performance under the grand Chapiteau and it will do so
in style at the Santa Monica Pier.
Some facts and figures regarding Koozås 1000th performance:
o) KOOZA has performed in 16 cities and traveled more than
10,000 miles across North America
o) More than two million people have been wowed by KOOZA
o) More than 2.000 pounds of confetti have been used in the show
since the World Premiere
o) The KOOZA artists have used close to 1 mile of gold foil to
complete their make-up
o) More than 300,000 meals were served in the KOOZA kitchen
o) Over 5000 gallons of milk and 13,000 quarts of orange juice
have been consumed by the KOOZA cast and crew.
Cirque hatches a high-flying "Ovo" [EXPANDED]
{Dec.04.2009}
------------------------------------------------
The bald insect cockroach, probably with a fringe of wild
hair and an attitude reminiscent of Danny DeVito is the closest
thing to a ringmaster that Cirque du Soleils new show Ovo
has.
Not that it matters. One of the most delightful things about a
Cirque presentation is the illusion of chaos, an unbridled,
four-barrel journey into a trippy alternative universe that
could well be like something Lady Gaga might daydream.
In this case, Ovo is about what happens to a community of bugs
when a mysterious egg arrives.
The neophyte Cirque watcher will spend far too much time trying
to find a deeper meaning in this French Canadian version of a
tiny critter world, a production that marks the first time a
woman, Deborah Colker, has directed a Cirque show.
But its better to appreciate Cirque du Soleil for what it is
and what it offers: knock-your-socks off acrobatic work executed
by any number of creepy-crawlies (actually, a cast of 63, but
whos counting) who prove once again that the best circus going
is the one whose animals are all human.
And by now, thats a pretty big deal, because Cirque has been
visiting San Francisco for a quarter-century and has a half-
dozen productions playing Las Vegas. So the company, which comes
to a tent near Taylor Street Bridge in San Jose on Feb. 4,
probably is hard-pressed to find many newbies in its audience.
Cirque depends on quality to wow audiences old and new, and its
a formula that works. The types of performers acrobats,
jugglers, trapeze artists are not unfamiliar, but they are
better, and the acts are a little more clever, than those seen
in other circuses.
If the company could lose the French-style, ennui-laced,
bittersweet clowning, a Cirque trademark, I would be a
completely happy camper (but Im willing to tolerate it to see
the rest of what the show offers).
A good example of how Cirque gilds its big-top lilies is the way
Ryo Yabe turns a Diabolo spools tossed, juggled and spun on a
length of twine suspended between two sticks into an art form.
He balances up to four spools at a time, seeming to make them
come alive and dance so skillfully you forget you can buy a
Diabolo at the local toy store.
On the other side of the scale is the trampo-wall act, featuring
a dozen acrobats bounding across the stage on trampolines, then
flying back toward the rear of the stage and jumping and running
up a vertical wall. The breathtaking act seems to defy gravity.
Another highlight is Lee Brearley as Creatura, an ever-moving
piece of what appears to be duct work converted into a giant
Slinky that gyrates around the stage like a vaguely human and
highly hilarious form.
There is also the Spanish web duo of Maxim Kozlov and Inna
Mayorova, who move together on a single rope suspended from the
ceiling to create a remarkable dance-like number that is
balletic and athletic and thoroughly entertaining.
Ovo, a remarkable and welcome return of Cirque du Soleil to
the Bay Area, maintains the companys high standards.
{ SOURCE: Mercury News }
Banana: "Vastly Disappointing" [EXPANDED]
{Dec.04.2009}
------------------------------------------------
For those who think Cirque du Soleil can do no wrong (myself
included), we now have their latest revue Banana Shpeel, a
vastly disappointing, often grating, surprisingly padded ode to
vaudeville. This, sadly, is a whole lot of wrong.
From the jaw-dropping, ballet-like martial arts in KA, to the
glorious magical power of Quidam, Cirque shows are
unparalleled spectacles, creating dynamic theatrical feats of
acrobatics and drama accented by magnificent sets, gorgeous
costumes, luscious lighting and rousing original music. If you
havent seen a Cirque show, by all means, go. Just dont go see
Banana Shpeel.
Cirque steps out of its comfort zone in Banana, presenting for
the first time a variety show intended for the legitimate
theater. (Following its world premiere run at the Chicago
Theatre, Banana heads to New Yorks Beacon Theatre in
February.) Its clear now that Banana hasnt recovered from
all its rehearsal troubles. Stars Annaleigh Ashford and Michael
Longoria, from Broadways Wicked and Jersey Boys,
respectively, were fired from the show in October, their roles
apparently written out. Perhaps the audience would have
identified with the two Broadway titans. Maybe the characters
would have provided Banana some consistency, star wattage and
emotional heft. Or perhaps the actors are better off getting
axed from the production. Well never know for sure.
In Banana, the acrobatics and dramatic set pieces Cirque is
known for are minimized, with clownish comedy and Broadway dance
routines filling out much of the program. Theres nothing wrong
with Cirque trying to stretch itself a bit, but if youre going
to throw out your baby with the bath water, you better have
something sensational to compensate, particularly if youre
selling tickets for up to $100 each. The dance numbers in
Banana, dazzling though they may be, and the chaotic comedy
bits, pained and never-ending that they are, dont cut it.
Its primarily the comedy that rots this Banana. Writer-
director David Shiner has a long history of performing as a
clown, and its apparent that his passion for clowning clouds
his judgment. Banana has not one, not two, but five primary
clowns (Daniel Passer, Wayne Wilson, Claudio Carneiro, Gordon
White and Patrick de Valette), with two more actors mucking it
up for laughs in their scenes. So little of it is actually
funny. There are plates smashed on heads, nearly nude
frolicking, goofy squeaky noises, an old man farting, a guy who
moves his butt cheeks to the rhythm of music, and several
running gags that wont stop running (or should I say limping).
Maybe this would work, in doses, but for who remains to be seen.
The comedy is so silly it seems aimed at children but then
there are ugly, awkward jokes about alcoholism and whores and
erectile dysfunction, so then again, maybe its not. At either
rate, Shiner just drowns his show in this primarily witless
shtick. Following an incredibly long, cartoonish introduction,
set as auditions for cigar chomping mega producer caricature
Marty Schmelky (Jerry Kernion), the clowns keep on cutting it up
during Schmelkys opening spectacle, and again in a beyond
tedious restaurant skit that has nothing to do with Schmelkys
show. By this point, the clowns have well overstayed their
welcome, and were only at the shows halfway point. They come
back for more goofy antics in act two, mugging it up obnoxiously
in a magic scene with no magic except for a repetitious
disappearing/reappearing act played for weak laughs. Then the
clowns bring the show to its anticlimactic finale.
Shiner fares better with the dance numbers, the second most
prevalent component to Banana. The numbers qualify as
spectacle, set to swell swinging jazz heavy on the sax and
horns. Jared Grimes choreography is winning, particularly in a
group tap routine (fronted by talented hoofers Joseph and
Josette Wiggan), and theyre a great excuse to show off
Dominique Lemieuxs exotic costumes. But the numbers get
repetitive by the third dance, and the finale work, second
banana to the clowning, falls flat.
The two acrobatic scenes and two juggling scenes, expectedly,
are aces, easily the best bits of the show. If the Banana
producers are smart, theyll bring in at least two more acts
like them to replace a lot of the comedy. Jeff Retzlanff and
Kelsey Wiens perform a slinkier, more playful version of
Cirques famous man/woman balancing act. Vanessa Alvarez spins
four peppermint-colored cloths, one with each appendage, in an
original, invigorating act of juggling (although the Japanese
backdrop coupled with Jean-François Côté and Scott Prices
Spanish-influenced score was distracting). But the crown jewel
is Dima Shines poetic, awe-inspiring hand balancing act, set
against Patricia Ruels twilight backdrop patterned with white
lights. Filled with beauty, imagination and grace, Shine, in his
few minutes on stage, embodies the type of spectacular worthy of
the Cirque du Soleil name. Overall, what Banana Shpeel
embodies is spectacular disappointment.
Grade: C-
Cirque du Soleils Banana Shpeel runs Wednesday through
Sundays until Jan. 3 at The Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St. No
shows Dec. 24-25, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Special Monday and Tuesday
shows Dec. 22 and Dec. 28-29. $23-98. Click here for the
schedule and to buy tickets.
{ SOURCE: Chicago Beat }
Banana: "Show More Dumb Than Fun" [EXPANDED]
{Dec.04.2009}
------------------------------------------------
Let me begin this review of Cirque du Soleil's latest production
"Banana Shpeel: A New Twist on Vaudeville," by saying there are
no bananas featured in this show.
Nor any banana peels or any other form of said slender, yellow
and favored fruit basking in the spotlight. At least, not that I
saw anywhere while attending the official press opening of the
show Wednesday at the Chicago Theatre.
Of course, the term "banana" does fit into the world of classic
comedy in other ways, primarily when describing a second tier
comic or comedic act aka "a second banana."
Clearly, this term, with regards to second rate material and
mediocre talent featured in this production, does size up
"Banana Shpeel" quite nicely.
As my columnist colleague Molly Woulfe described this latest
offering in a preview story last month, "Banana Shpeel" is
intended to be a neo-vaudeville show, while "testing the waters"
with this three-week run through Jan. 3 in Chicago.
Described as "a show-within-a-show," it's intended to head to
New York in February, hoping for a long run at the Beacon
Theatre.
If this is really the case, there's lots of work in store for
the producers to try to overhaul what is really no story or
premise stretched into 2 1/2-hours that's more frustrating than
funny.
And if this really is supposed to be a salute to the vaudeville
shows (which, let me add, is an entertainment era I personally
love), than the audiences at the Chicago Theatre watching this
show should come armed with old boots and heads of cabbage to
throw just like in the "good ol days." (For the record, cabbage
is for cooking and not throwing at performers).
Maybe even having one of those giant "hooks" handy, as was the
habit during the days of burlesque shows, to drag off lousy
entertainers during the course of the evening might be a better
solution?
But alas, if this were the case, there might be an empty stage.
Actually, there are some worthy talents stuck in the middle of
this lemon.
In fact, it's the acrobats, like Jeff Retzlanff and partner
Kelsey Wiens and the hand balancing by Dima Shine that save the
day (and sanity) of audiences hungry for real entertainment. (A
juggler impersonating a puppet and a lady spinning table
placemats on her hands and feet held less interest for me.)
The dancing numbers by the ensemble, the costumes and live music
are all also rather nice.
Unfortunately, these highlights I've just mentioned are a mere
20 percent of what you get with this show.
Most of the production features some of the most awful clowns
you might ever have the misfortune to face, let alone pay $100 a
ticket to be subjected to.
The VERY thin storyline of this show is about pushy, plump
producer Schmelky who ambles on and off stage from time to time
looking as confused and misguided as does the long-suffering
audience. He has two annoying sidekicks helping him "search for
new talent" from the audience. And yes, at one point, an unlucky
young lady was stuck being on stage with these idiots for nearly
30 minutes of this disaster. (She deserves a refund!)
Making things worse, there's also another trio of even weirder
and less funny slapstick clowns who hog most of the stage time,
doing routines so embarrassingly bad even elementary school kids
on a playground would be likely to roll their eyes.
Obviously, something went amiss in the producing and staging of
this show.
For example, in our preview story last month, Molly wrote about
two components of the show that don't even exist in what I
watched: a romance story about a featured couple and "the
mysterious Banana Man" who plucks fruit from his pockets.
Even the souvenir program sold at the show features scenes and
performers who do not appear anywhere. Oh, but there were
banana-flavored daiquiris featured at the concessions stands in
the lobby.
For what it's worth, "Banana Shpeel," presented by Cirque du
Soleil and MSG Entertainment, continues through Jan. 3 at
Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St. and tickets are $23-$98 at
cirquedusoleil.com or thechicagotheatre.com.
{ SOURCE: NWI Times }
Banana: "Lame script, Unfunny clowns" [EXPANDED]
{Dec.04.2009}
------------------------------------------------
Delete the clowns (or pare them back to the barest minimum of
stage time). Begin the show with a big song-and-dance number.
Hold onto the handful of eye-popping circus specialty acts. And
compress everything else into a 90-minute show with no
intermission.
Only then (and it would still be a big "maybe") might Cirque du
Soleil's new proscenium-style show, "Banana Shpeel" -- which
debuted Wednesday at the Chicago Theatre prior to a planned New
York run -- have a modicum of coherence and momentum. As it is
now, this big-budget show, which plugs itself as "a new twist on
vaudeville," could very well give all that was delicious about
the classic variety show format of days gone by (with such
starry talents as Buster Keaton, Fanny Brice, Burt Williams and
Eddie Cantor) a bad name.
As written and directed by David Shiner -- whose shapeless
script is limp, lame and tired --there is no rhyme or reason or
clever lead-in to any major act. And every time the freak show
assortment of unfunny clowns (the smart and dumb emcees, the
Brazilian wannabe playboy, the old man, the French hunger artist
in orange jockey shorts) arrive onstage for an extended scene,
the air almost audibly goes out of the show.
The ostensible premise here is that a cigar-chomping producer,
Schmelky (the uncharismatic Jerry Kernion) is holding auditions
for his next big show. A series of "low humor" type losers show
up, but after being rejected they fail to leave the building.
Instead, they do their uninspired shtick between more polished
dance and circus acts.
Those acts include: Tuan Le, a buoyant, sensationally polished
juggler of hats; Jeff Retzlanff and tiny, fearless Kelsey Wiens,
in an acrobatic pas de deux that seemed cramped for stage space;
Vanessa Alvarez, a Penelope Cruz-like firecracker who juggled
four mats with all her limbs in perpetual motion; and most
breathtaking of all, Dima Shine, the Russian-bred acrobat,
contortionist, strongman, "hand balancer" and centripetal force
dancer, whose strength, grace and uncannily flexible body is all
but superhuman.
The show's ensemble dancers perform Jared Grimes' high-energy
tap and "eccentric" choreography numbers on perilously lit
staircases that also move like waves. But while the overall set,
lighting and costume design is flashy it is rarely magical.
Ironically, one of the most charming characters onstage
Wednesday was an attractive blonde audience "volunteer" (perhaps
a ringer), who had more stage presence than most of the "pros."
{ SOURCE: Chicago Sun Times }
First look: 'Viva ELVIS' is larger than life! [EXPANDED]
{Dec.07.2009}
--------------------------------------------------------
Swiveling, laughing, crooning and goofing, the King of Rock 'n'
Roll explodes to life on a massive screen here in the new Aria
Resort & Casino's Elvis Theater. Below this video clip of
Presley, 40-some dancers and acrobats with blue loafers on their
hands vamp through a Blue Suede Shoes retooled for the times
Elvis' voice laid over a thunderous romp that respectfully
teases the original.
Having tackled The Beatles with LOVE, Canada's Cirque du Soleil
takes on an American musical icon with Viva ELVIS. The show is
unveiled to the public Dec. 18, two days after Aria opens in The
Strip's newly built CityCenter district.
Rehearsals reveal a production that aims both to please die-
hards (the nearly 30 songs feature Elvis on vocals) and seduce
newcomers (the music is modernized and the sets are spectacle
writ large).
"Our responsibility was to develop something that would look
like what Elvis might do were he performing now," says executive
producer Stephane Mongeau."It's not a show about Elvis. It's a
show with him."
Unlike LOVE, which mates the Fab Four's whimsy with acrobatics,
Elvis' straight-ahead canon necessitated an emphasis on music
rather than circus.
"The driver here is Elvis' songs," says Mongeau, who notes that
while LOVE uses snippets of 160 tunes, Viva ELVIS lingers on
legendary hits such as I Want You, I Need You, I Love You and
Suspicious Minds.
The talent pool assembled for this production is varied and
impressive, including set designer Mark Fisher (the architect
behind U2's innovative 360 Tour set) and choreographer Vincent
Paterson (who has worked with Michael Jackson and Madonna).
"My goal is to give Elvis a Vegas comeback," says Paterson, the
show's director.
It has been more than three decades since Elvis sold out the
nearby Hilton Hotel. Today, seeing Elvis means hearing
impersonators who freeze the icon in a bygone era. That irks
Priscilla Presley, whose ex-husband would have turned 75 next
month: "We have to keep Elvis in our times, not in the past."
She welcomed the young cast (many of whom were born after Elvis'
death in 1977) to Graceland last spring to share personal
stories about the man behind the myth. But an affinity already
existed.
"Cirque du Soleil is known for taking risks, as Elvis was," she
says. "But if I'm happiest about anything, it's the decision
they made to let Elvis himself do the singing."
{ SOURCE: USA TODAY }
Alegria Captures Audience [EXPANDED]
{Dec.13.2009}
------------------------------------------------
When the mysterious character Fleur belts out the name of the
show, Alegria, at the top of his lungs as the production starts
to unfold, he's got our attention.
And the magic that is Cirque du Soleil won't give it back to us
until sometime after a rousing standing ovation.
The international sensation that is Alegria -- now at the John
Labatt Centre -- is a mixture of world-class athleticism, drama,
beauty and breathless bravura.
It's truly in a category of its own.
It's a treat to watch the layers of this show, now performed
into its 15th year, being peeled back.
Our friend Fleur, with his hunchback, huge belly and
excessiveness, leads us through this cosmos of delight, tinged
with sorrow and, if you care to look close enough, evil.
But the tragedy is there only if you want to see it.
It is in the ugly Old Birds, who desperately try to cling to
power in a world where pretenses no longer matter, rather
uncertainty reigns. It is even in Fleur, who has a Rafiki-like
walk and the walking stick, but does not have the wisdom to
match.
The disapproving Old Birds, grotesque and absurd, stumble around
the stage in the changing world, as we often do in our brave new
frontier of instant, mass communication. The gap between young
and old has never been so wide.
When Alegria was created, we were on the cusp of the power of
the Internet. Now we cannot live without it.
Alegria is simultaneously old and new; timeless and ephemeral.
An athlete performs with a Cyr Wheel, a shiny, large ring that
he's inside and he moves it round and round the stage. He offers
us a gateway between the different worlds.
The tumblers and gymnasts, who soar in the air with the help of
a power track, seem to make their bodies stop mid-air, as we
catch a magical moment in time.
The acrobats and trapeze artists take us to their ethereal
lofts.
The beauty and strength of the man performing the hand balancing
act reminds me of the golden athlete atop the trophy. He's
reached the pinnacle of success and becomes embossed.
Alegria is a world divided, yet it is made one by the arts, the
performers, the creators.
There are several pairs of creative eyes on Alegria each and
every night. They react quickly to the performers and can change
the whole emotion of a scene in one day. The presentation is
allowed to be free flowing, unrestricted, always open to
possibility.
After Alegria appeared in 1994, Cirque du Soleil really became
known as the company that pushes performers, pushes boundaries
and challenges all the norms of performance. They take their
athletes, some of them Olympians, and force them out of their
comfort zones.
Were there any errors by these athletes on opening night? Only
if you count a couple of acrobats not sticking the landing on
the trampoline.
If you go to Alegria, pay attention to your body. You'll be
surprised when your heart starts pounding, your hands start
sweating and goose bumps form on your skin.
Still at the heart of Cirque du Soleil, though, is the circus.
So bring on the clowns. Cirque's clowns often catch the audience
off guard and there is no better laugh than when we're
surprised.
Alegria has performers and musicians from more than a dozen
countries. It certainly has an international flare on stage. Its
performers need no words, no spoken language to convey their
spirit. Alegria, which means joy in Spanish, is truly
"asombroso" (which means awesome in Spanish).
{ SOURCE: London Free Press }
Seven New Illusions for BELIEVE? [EXPANDED]
{Dec.14.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
Mindfreak mega-magician Criss Angel has signed on for a sixth
season of his top-rated A&E series. In an exclusive interview,
Criss told me that filming will start in early spring after hes
integrated seven new extraordinary illusions into his Cirque du
Soleil show Believe at the Luxor.
He has already been rehearsing all of them during the day and
performing his shows at night. Now hes waiting for Fire and
Building Department approvals to add them into the show.
Luxor President Felix Rappaport confirmed the delay in adding
the illusions. Wed hoped it would be December, then January,
but now realistically with the additional building changes and
the show coming up to code in every aspect, all the inspectors
say Criss can have everything in place for March in time for new
marketing and promotion, Felix told me.
The incredible illusionist pointed out: Its a tough, demanding
schedule doing two shows nightly, and then working during the
day to create, build and rehearse the new illusions.
Details of the new illusions are being kept tightly under wraps.
I cant reveal the information yet, but, as you know, Vegas
DeLuxe will have the news first once the approvals are in place.
I asked if Criss had time with all the work pressures for a new
romance, and he laughed: I am married to my work, and its
become a regular 16-hour day. Sometimes 18 hours when we add in
a third show to some of the weekend schedules. I dont have time
for much else, and I like being with my family when I have any
free time at all.
Criss broke away this past weekend to contribute to the local
KLUC 98.5 FM holiday toy drive. He presented a large box of
gifts and contributed $10,000 to the gift card fund. In the past
week, employees of XS, Tryst and Drais After Hours and the
casts of Jersey Boys and Phantom -- the Las Vegas Spectacular
also have contributed to the toy drive.
I dont like being so public about things like this, he told
me. I prefer being quiet and anonymous about what I do all year
long for children in need of help. But this is a radio station
promotion, so its inevitable it becomes public, but hopefully
what I do will encourage others to volunteer, too, and do the
same and more.
Next year, hes already working on his own Believe Foundation
program for needy children and families. He plans a celebrity
auction at the Luxor, and already Oprah Winfrey has donated
autographed memorabilia. Well have other celebrities taking
part. A lot of people you know have promised to help us, Criss
said.
Hes also excited about the simultaneous progress of Believe and
the new season of Mindfreak.
This weekend, Criss will celebrate his 42nd birthday, and there
will be a special onstage presentation at the Luxor by hotel-
resort officials. Im told birthday cake will be handed out to
all members of the audience attending the late Saturday show.
Vegas DeLuxe will have a full photo report afterward.
I never thought when I first came to Las Vegas that it was all
going to turn out this way, he summed up. But as I tell the
Loyals (Crisss fan club) and I tell the fans and audiences
every night, never stop believing. Believe you can win, and you
will.
{ SOURCE: Robin Leach, Las Vegas Sun }
Cirque Unveils VIVA ELVIS!
{Dec.15.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil unveils Viva ELVIS
Written and Directed by Vincent Paterson
Cirque du Soleil, in partnership with Elvis Presley
Enterprises, a CKX, Inc company, was thrilled to unveil
today its latest show Viva ELVIS, at ARIA Resort & Casino
at CityCenter in Las Vegas. Preview performances for Viva
ELVIS will start on December 18, 2009.
THE SHOW
Viva ELVIS, a harmonious fusion of dance, acrobatics and live
music, is a tribute to the life and music of Elvis Presley.
Nostalgia, modernity and raw emotion provide the backdrop for
his immortal voice and the exhilaration and beauty of his music.
Created in the image of The King of Rock n Roll powerful,
sexy, whimsical, truly unique and larger than life the show
highlights an American icon who transformed popular music and
whose image embodies the freedom, excitement and turbulence of
his era.
Significant moments in his life intimate, playful and
grandiose blend with timeless songs that remain as relevant
today as when they first hit the top of the charts. Viva ELVIS
focuses on the essential humanity of the one superstar whose
name will forever be linked with the history of Las Vegas: Elvis
Presley.
On a creative level, it was extremely stimulating to draw our
inspiration from this musical icon, said Guy Laliberté, Founder
of Cirque du Soleil. Viva ELVIS showcases the raw energy and
pure talent of Elvis and highlights the exhilaration and beauty
of his music on a grand scale.
It makes perfect sense that Elvis should live on in Las Vegas,
where his iconic status was cemented, said Robert F.X.
Sillerman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CKX, Inc.
When we teamed with Cirque du Soleil, we knew that any show
they created would match Elvis larger-than-life presence. So we
were pleased to open the vaults at Graceland and make available
to Cirque du Soleil historic archival materials, recordings and
concert footage that would help them create a show that will
carry Elvis legacy into the future.
An evolutionary destination designed to transform Las Vegas at
its core, CityCenter is larger than life, just like Elvis
himself, said Bill McBeath, President and COO of ARIA Resort &
Casino. We want to bring the element of fun to ARIA, the
centerpiece of CityCenter. Viva ELVIS will bring the King of
Rock n Roll back to Las Vegas for millions of his fans and
create a buzz that will enable his persona to attract untold
numbers of new followers.
Elvis has always been in the forefront of new, contemporary
entertainment and technology, said Priscilla Presley. I
believe Viva ELVIS continues this and reaches out and expands
his legacy in a new, creative and exciting way.
The shows acrobatic elements, set designs and other artistic
components are part of an overall creative vision designed to
showcase the timeless music of Elvis, his unique voice and
unequaled talent as a performer, said Gilles Ste-Croix, Senior
Vice-president of Creative Content and New Project Development
at Cirque du Soleil.
The unique strength and power of Elvis was in his voice, said
Vincent Paterson, the shows Writer and Director. I was greatly
inspired by the originality and complexity of this musical
legend. What I tried to paint, in all humility, is the show he
might have created today.
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Artistic Guide Guy Laliberté
Artistic Guide Gilles Ste-Croix
Writer and Director Vincent Paterson
Director of Creation Armand Thomas
Musical Director and Arranger Erich van Tourneau
Set Designer Mark Fisher
Costume Designer Stefano Canulli
Acrobatic Performance Designer Daniel Cola
Acrobatic Equipment and Rigging Designer Guy St-Amour
Lighting Designer Marc Brickman
Image Content Designer Ivan Dudynsky
Sound Designer Jonathan Deans
Choreographers Bonnie Story, Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo,
Mark Swanhart, Catherine Archambault
Props Designer Patricia Ruel
Makeup Designer Nathalie Gagné
Viva ELVIS will be presented exclusively in the custom-built
Elvis Theater at ARIA Resort & Casino at CityCenter in Las
Vegas. Preview performances for Viva ELVIS begin December 18,
2009. The premiere will be held Friday, February 19, 2010.
TICKET PRICES
*$175, $150, $125, $99
All preview performances* will be discounted 25 percent.
*Preview performances for Viva ELVIS begin December 18, 2009.
During these performances, the creative team is in the very
final stages of production for the show. The audiences reaction
and participation is an important step in this process.
Please consult the most current show schedule at
www.cirquedusoleil.com/vivaelvis. Schedule is subject to change
without notice.
Following the preview period and beginning February 21, 2010,
Viva ELVIS will be performed Friday through Tuesday at 7:00 pm &
9:30 pm. There will be no shows on Wednesdays or Thursdays.
TO RESERVE TICKETS
By phone: 877-253-5847 or 702-531-2031
Online: www.cirquedusoleil.com/vivaelvis
In person: At the Elvis Theater box office at ARIA Resort &
Casino at CityCenter or any of the MGM MIRAGE box offices in Las
Vegas.
{SOURCE: PRNewswire.com}
Cirque's 'Viva Elvis' serves the king [EXPANDED]
{Dec.15.2009}
------------------------------------------------
The show has a VIP opening tonight. 'It's not a show about
Elvis, it's a show with Elvis,' the producer says.
Forget the iconic white jumpsuit, the caricature of gilded
celebrity and the gossipy whispers that attended a dispirited
legend's final bow.
Forget -- heaven help us -- the peanut butter and fried banana
sandwiches.
That's not what Viva Elvis, Cirque du Soleil's latest
acrobatic-musical extravaganza, is about.
Rather, Gilles Ste-Croix and Stéphane Mongeau were saying the
other day, it's about evoking an extraordinary man and his
shape-shifting times. It's about honoring a musician who unified
the once-segregated genres of pop, gospel, country and blues
into the mongrel art form known as rock 'n' roll, and ushered
American pop culture into the frenetic, youth-centric Atomic
Age.
It's about celebrating a prodigiously charismatic performer
whose insistence on pleasing his audience helped resurrect a
culturally moribund desert metropolis founded on sand and mob
money. It's about conveying the genius of a crooning, gyrating
entertainment genius of the 1950s and '60s to a generation that
wasn't even born when Elvis Aaron Presley died on Aug. 16, 1977,
age 42, leaving rock temporarily monarch-less and much of the
planet in mourning.
In short, it's about addressing a great epistemological
conundrum of our times: What would Elvis do?
"Everything we did, we [thought] if Elvis lived today . . . then
how would he do it, in the context of Las Vegas today?" said
Ste-Croix, Cirque's senior vice president of creative content
and new projects development, during an interview in Québécois-
infused English with Mongeau last week. "That was the direction
of the creators."
Ste-Croix and Mongeau, the show's executive producer, describe
the new production not as a musical bio-drama, but as a "retro-
contemporized" tribute that unfolds like a live concert.
Although Cirque's production will reference certain key episodes
of Presley's life and career, such as his service in the U.S.
Army and his acting career, "it's not a historic show," Mongeau
stressed.
"It's a show about a man, his emotion, what he brought," Mongeau
continued. "And it's not a show about Elvis, it's a show with
Elvis."
In keeping with that concept, none of the show's 75 artists --
including 26 dancers, 26 acrobats, four featured female singers
and a live band -- actually will portray or otherwise represent
Presley on stage. The king will be glimpsed in vintage film
clips, graphic imagery and scenic and abstract props, such as a
gigantic pompadour. But as far as impersonations, the Cirque
creative team is leaving those to the legions of side-burned,
rhinestone-studded guys who pop up in beery nightclub acts
around town.
"It would not be fair for Elvis" to portray him, Mongeau said,
"because Elvis is greater than what we could imagine."
In exploring Presley's musical legacy, "Viva Elvis" will
highlight the singer's recorded voice on many of his signature
tunes. But those unmistakable purrs and growls will be set to
punchy new musical arrangements in a mode that Ste-Croix
characterized as "Black Eyed Peas meet Elvis."
As the men spoke, a few feet away on a sprawling stage book-
ended by two new monumental gold Elvis statues, a troupe of
young dancers warmed up for the show's concluding number, Viva
Las Vegas, inspired by the song and movie, in which Presley
starred with Swedish sex kitten Ann-Margret, of the same name.
The venue, a custom-built 2,000-seat theater with every
imaginable backstage technology and enough fly space to land a
UFO, is among the prime attractions of the new ultra-upscale
Aria Resort & Casino, the centerpiece of the massive new
CityCenter urban complex on the Las Vegas Strip. "Viva Elvis"
will christen the space with tonight's VIP opening performance;
the first public previews will begin on Friday and the official
premiere will be Feb. 19.
BACK TOGETHER
In a city where nuptial arrangements can be dicey affairs at
best, the marriage (or menage) of Elvis, Vegas and Cirque seems
almost celestially ordained, as did Presley's real-life gig
there four decades ago.
With the demise of the Rat Pack and the emergence of the
counterculture, Sin City by the late 1960s had degenerated into
Squaresville, USA. Woodstock and the Haight, not Fremont Street,
were where all the cool stuff was happening, and cruddy jeans
and tie-dyed T-shirts, not seersucker jackets and beehive 'do's,
were the ne plus ultra of youthful fashion.
When Presley was lured to Las Vegas in 1969 by entertainment
mogul Kirk Kerkorian to perform at his International Hotel (now
the Las Vegas Hilton), he reclaimed it for the rock 'n' roll
generation. (His peer, Barbra Streisand, achieved much the same
thing for pop music when she began performing there at the same
time.)
His concerts not only packed in the crowds but were proclaimed
by the music press to be proof of Presley's comeback, following
a string of musical disappointments and the bottoming out of an
acting career that rapidly turned the king of rock into a self-
parodying crown prince of kitsch.
It is Elvis the dynamic stage performer, and particularly the
Las Vegas performer, that Cirque's show seeks to evoke and
invoke.
"Really, overall that's all he wanted," Ste-Croix said. "He was
a great performer and he wanted to entertain the crowd. And
that's what he did at the Hilton, that's what he did in the
movies and that's what he did all his life."
Today, Cirque du Soleil, which already has six Las Vegas-based
shows including "O," "Zumanity" and the Beatles homage "Love,"
is a brand name that defines Las Vegas much as Presley did in
his day.
The Montreal-based company is partnered in its latest enterprise
with CKX Inc., a mega-manager-owner of entertainment-related
content and intellectual properties, and its subsidiary Elvis
Presley Enterprises, the corporate entity created by Presley's
trust to manage its assets.
RETURN OF THE KING
Among those attending tonight's VIP performance will be the
best-known guardian of that trust, the king's ex-wife Priscilla
Presley. Speaking by phone, Priscilla Presley acknowledged she
was feeling a bit, uh, all shook up about the opening, albeit in
a positive way.
"I feel like it's the first time that Elvis went on stage," she
said. "It's just nerve-racking."
In that regard, Presley could be channeling her ex, who when he
performed in Las Vegas grew antsier by the minute as an opening-
night audience that included Pat Boone, Cary Grant and Fats
Domino filed into the Showroom Internationale. "He didn't want
to know who was out there in the crowd," Priscilla Presley said.
Yet his show was an immediate success, drawing tens of thousands
of visitors to the gambling mecca. According to Ste-Croix, at
one point during Presley's appearances, one out of every two Las
Vegas tourists was coming to town specifically to attend his
concerts.
"I think he put Vegas on the map in a way that it hadn't been,"
Priscilla Presley said. Las Vegas returned the favor, she added,
by giving her ex-husband a way to relaunch his career as a live
performer after a 10-year absence from big stages.
"It brought him back to the forefront and it brought him back to
what he loved most. It brought him back in contact with the
audience and with his fans," she said.
Given its show's unabashedly celebratory spirit, it's not
surprising that Cirque isn't touching those aspects of Elvis'
life that have kept conspiracy theorists, tabloid journalists,
assistant professors of American studies and schadenfreude
mongers in clover for 32 years.
Priscilla Presley said that no preconditions or restrictions
were set on what could, or could not, be included in "Viva
Elvis." But she clearly seems pleased with Cirque's artistic
focus, and suggests that a show about Elvis is better off
without scholarly footnotes.
"I think he's been over-analyzed," she said. "I think if he ever
heard the stuff, he'd be shaking in his boots. It was all about
entertaining, it was all about rapport with your audience and
giving them their money's worth."
Her hope, she said, is that "Viva Elvis" could do for Las Vegas
today what Elvis' appearances did in a previous era beset by
economic hard times.
"I'm hoping this'll renew Vegas again and get people back to
work," Priscilla Presley said, adding that in the '70s everyone
from waiters to blackjack dealers and limousine drivers felt the
impact of the king's return to his court.
"Everybody was happy when Elvis Presley came to town."
{ SOURCE: LA Times }
Viva ELVIS Gala Pushed Back [EXPANDED]
{Dec.16.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
Norm Clarke of the Las Vegas Review-Journal has a piece this
morning about Cirque du Soleils newest production in Las Vegas
Viva ELVIS. Within he states a combination of construction
delays and revisions to the show have delayed Viva ELVIS
planned gala premiere on January 8, 2010 (what would have been
Elvis 75th birthday) to February 19, 2010 instead. From the
article:
# # #
Cirque du Soleil's creators of "Viva Elvis" acknowledged on
Tuesday that a combination of construction delays and show
revisions dashed hopes of a gala opening on Jan. 8, which would
have been Elvis' 75th birthday.
The new date of Feb. 19 was announced by Cirque founder Guy
Laliberte before a media showcase held a day before the
unveiling of the show on the opening night of CityCenter's Aria.
Cirque executive Gille Ste-Croix told Review-Journal
entertainment critic Mike Weatherford that construction delays
shaved four weeks of onstage rehearsal from the schedule.
The show is not complete, and its not what we wish, Ste-
Croix told Weatherford, whose show preview runs in the R-Js
Friday Neon section. Ste-Croix, Cirques senior vice president
of creative content and new projects development, said
CityCenter CEO Bobby Baldwin wanted previews for the Aria
opening and holiday season.
The show will basically play as-is during the previews before
creators start tearing into it again Jan. 3 to prepare for
opening night. Tickets for the show range from $99 to $175 and
will be discounted 25 percent during the previews, a publicist
said.
Laliberte was not available to reporters after the 18-minute
showcase.
The shows executive producer, Stephane Mongeau, confirmed
previous Vegas Confidential reports that the show was undergoing
a major reshuffling, among them the recent departure of the main
Elvis actor, Leo Days, a top Elvis tribute artist.
"There were more actors playing key roles. We made the decision
to narrow this to one character," Mongeau said. An actor playing
Elvis' former manager, Colonel Tom Parker, will narrate at
points during the 30-song show.
"We made some adjustments," Mongeau said. "It's a normal
creative process. ... we believe now that we are on the right
track and have all the solutions."
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal}
LVRJ Reviews VIVA ELVIS [EXPANDED]
{Dec.18.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
We love the Las Vegas Review-Journal and this morning the Las
Vegas area paper published on of Mike Weatherfords latest
reviews, this time on Cirque du Soleils newest production VIVA
ELVIS!
# # #
What would Elvis do?
At the risk of adding to longtime confusion between Jesus and
pop cultures deity, Gilles Ste-Croix paraphrased the Christian
motto as the driving force for Cirque du Soleils new Viva
Elvis.
I told all the creators, everybody involved in this show: If
Elvis lived today, what type of band would he want? What type of
dance would he want? What type of set? What type of theater?
The veteran Cirque executive, credited as artistic guide for
the new production, says he hopes Presley would even feel
comfortable in one of the plush, bisected love seats inside the
new 1,800-seat custom theater at Aria. Its a conventional
opera-house layout, but the upholstery pattern on the chairs,
the drapes imprinted with Elvis 45s even the wood on the
walls all reference the Jungle Room and other interiors at
Graceland, the Kings Memphis, Tenn., castle.
"We didn't want to be literal, but we wanted to be just," Ste-
Croix says. And the way to do that was to "inspire ourselves
from him, his tastes and his music."
Ste-Croix also knew this, the most American Cirque du Soleil
show to date, couldn't have the company's usual Canadian new-age
aesthetic. Enter director Vincent Paterson, a choreographer best
known for his concert and video work with Michael Jackson and
Madonna.
"I had respect for (Elvis) because his songs had lived so long,
but I didn't know that much about him," says Paterson, who was
more of the early MTV era, dancing alongside Jackson in some of
his most famous videos.
Through this project, Paterson came to realize the original hip-
swiveler is "the guy who moved teens from partner-dancing and
onto the dance floor by themselves. So his influence was
monstrous."
Ste-Croix is candid in saying "the show is not complete and it's
not what we wish" as it launches ticketed previews today.
Theater construction delays trimmed four weeks of onstage
rehearsals. CityCenter chief executive Bobby Baldwin wanted the
show in previews for the opening of Aria and the holidays, Ste-
Croix says.
After Jan. 3, it goes back into rehearsals, with new scenic
elements and choreography among the changes planned in time for
the official premiere Feb. 19.
"Viva" already has evolved significantly, toning down a premise
that was more like a Broadway musical. Even so, Ste-Croix says
the new show takes on "a concert atmosphere at times" and is not
"Mystere" set to Elvis hits. "If you want to see a circus show,
we have others in town," he says with a laugh.
Paterson, credited as writer and director, first shaped a more
biographical revue with four characters -- including a young and
older Presley and his mother, Gladys -- providing different
perspectives on the action.
The narration has been consolidated into the character of
"Colonel" Tom Parker (Junior Case), the manager who steered
Presley from state fairs to megastardom, then into a
questionable second chapter of B-movie musicals.
When creators had questions, Ste-Croix says they turned to
Presley's ex-wife, Priscilla. Her guidance came as part of the
partnership with CKX Inc., which controls the Presley estate. At
a Tuesday media preview, Priscilla Presley reminded reporters
that Cirque has "a uniquely wonderful abstract way" of seeing
the world.
Ever since "Mystere" opened in 1993, Ste-Croix has preached the
power of "evocation" over the literal. "We didn't need the
mother to say, 'I was born in a little shack on a dirt road,' "
he says. Instead, costumed performers framed by sepia-toned
photos reference the hardship of Tupelo, Miss., farm life in the
1930s, as gospel singer Toscha Comeaux belts "All Shook Up."
Cirque's Beatles tribute "Love" has an extra layer of resonance
for those who know John Lennon and Paul McCartney lost their
mothers at a young age. Likewise, those who know Elvis had a
twin brother, Jesse, who died at birth will get the symbolism of
two identical acrobats on a giant guitar. One falls, the other
climbs to the top of the neck.
If you don't pick up on that, don't feel bad, Ste-Croix says.
Neither did Priscilla.
A trampoline act has costumed superheroes bouncing around an
amusement park set, leaving the audience to remember Elvis loved
Captain Marvel, whose hair resembles a certain rocker's and
whose chest emblem is similar to the "TCB (Takin' Care of
Business)" lightning bolt worn by the King's inner circle.
The music for that scene is "Got A Lot O' Livin' to Do!"
Presley's vocal tops a guitar-rock arrangement that sounds more
Jimmy Page than Scotty Moore. The guitar acrobatics include a
piano floating down from the sky, with singer Sherry St-Germain
crooning a slowed-down, Norah Jones-ish "One Night With You."
Ste-Croix explains the ground rule: The only male voice in the
show is Elvis' own. But unlike "Love," the songs are performed
in whole and not mashed up, and some are rendered by female cast
members.
"It'll be interesting to see what the die-hard fans feel, but I
feel that we've kind of kept true to the legacy of the rock 'n'
roll he began," Paterson says. "Fifty-some years later, the show
is a lot rock 'n' roll. He sounds unbelievable. It makes you
realize the longevity of a voice like that, how it's not just
something lodged in a historical moment in time, but really
transcends time."
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal}
Cirque Hollywood Coming Along... [EXPANDED]
{Dec.21.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
The LA Times caught up recently with Gilles Ste-Croix, Cirque du
Soleils SVP of Creative Content and Stéphane Mongeau, Executive
Producer of Viva ELVIS who confirmed that Cirque Hollywood is
on track to launch the new show sometime after the annual Oscars
show in 2011.
# # #
Now that Cirque du Soleil is in the process of launching its
latest dancing, trampolining extravaganza, "Viva Elvis," at the
Aria Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, the Montreal-based company
is looking ahead to one of its next opening nights: at the Kodak
Theatre at Hollywood & Highland in 2011.
In an interview last week in Las Vegas, Gilles Ste-Croix,
Cirque's senior vice president of creative content and new
projects development, and Stéphane Mongeau, executive producer
of "Viva Elvis," confirmed that Cirque is on track to bring a
$100-million Hollywood-themed show to the 3,400-seat theater
that hosts the annual Oscars ceremony.
Its coming along, Ste-Croix said in Québecois-accented
English. Right now, they will transform the theater because
its a theater for the Oscar, but we want to have the
possibility of [installing a] lift and all that, to have scenery
change, new rigging points and all that. So they have to
transform the theater.
Ste-Croix suggested that Cirque also will reconfigure the
seating arrangement of the vast Kodak space to make it feel a
bit more intimate. Although Cirques new Hollywood production
will be performed year-round, for something on the order of 368
shows annually, it probably wont be able to fill a 3,400-seat
house for that many performances. After all, as tourist meccas
go, Hollywood isnt quite on the order of Las Vegas.
"Probably the top balcony we won't use," Ste-Croix said, adding
that Cirque figured on a regular audience not of 3,000 but
rather about 2,000.
As for the new show's Hollywood theme, Ste-Croix said, "We
cannot avoid this approach, to go to the movie."But it has
nothing to do with all the blockbuster movies that happen," he
added."It's more about cinema as a tool and cinema as how-it-
came, where-it-come-from. You know, cinema originally was a
magic trick.
"And that's all it was. And then it evolved into vaudeville . .
. and it became little [snippets] that they were representing in
black and white with no sound. And then it evolved [into]
telling story, when sound came about. And so that's a very
interesting thing to go into with acrobatics and with dance and
music. So we're having a good time."
Cirque expects the show to open sometime after the 2011 Academy
Awards.
"The thing is that we have to think of a show that we can
unload," Ste-Croix said. "It's their theater, so we have to take
out the stuff, put it back. But I know that they will use the
lift we're putting in!
{SOURCE: LA Times}
The King returns in Cirque's latest LV production [EXPANDED]
{Dec.28.2009}
------------------------------------------------------------
This month's Nevada Magazine features Viva ELVIS. | Elvis
Presley is synonymous with Las Vegas. His legacy can be
seen in the citys gift shops and wedding chapels and felt
throughout Nevadas entertainment capital. Now, at long last,
the King returns. The new Cirque du Soleil production, Viva
ELVIS, is not a show about Elvis; it is a show starring
Elvis. You can hear him, see him, and feel him in this
show, Armand Thomas, Cirque du Soleil director of creation,
says. He is not just some icon that we are singing about, he
is the star of the show. Viva ELVIS, which opened in
December at CityCenters ARIA, is the first Cirque show to
include a spoken theatrical aspect.
An actor portraying Elvis' manager, Colonel Tom Parker, will
provide a theatrical through every line of the show, carrying
the narrative from act to act, place to place, and time to time.
"The only Elvis you hear or see singing will be the real one on
our screens," Thomas says. "We would never put some guy
onstage, make him sing, and ask you to close your eyes and
pretend that it's Elvis." The music is rearranged and pulled
from master recordings. His songs are intermixed with a live
band and four female backup singers. "This is Elvis new again,
and that is something truly special," Thomas adds.
"Viva ELVIS is a grandiose combination of song, dance, rock 'n'
roll, and explosive acrobatics. Presented on a large high-end
stage, the production is full of lifts and flying apparatuses
that allow the cast to swing and dance their way into the
audience. "This show pays homage to a man who was larger than
life, so the show can be nothing less," Thomas says. "The show
is geared to not only bring out Elvis as the phenomenon he was
in the entertainment world, but to show that he was a likable
and approachable human being."
The events of Elvis' life and music are not presented
chronologically in the show. Songs are played to fit the
atmosphere rather than a timeline. "Viva ELVIS" was created in
association with CKX Inc., which owns Elvis' name, image, and
likeness-??and with help from his family and friends. "We have
had Priscilla at our side for a few years now," Thomas says. "We
really feel that wehave become a part of the Elvis family."
Elvis has a fan base that is among the most loyal in
entertainment history, and Cirque hopes to inspire the next
generation of Elvis lovers with this production. According to
Thomas, this is a family show geared toward all ages. "Elvis'
music has never really gone out of style; instead, it has
influenced new styles," Thomas says. "Anyone from any generation
can sit down and listen to his music, look at what the man did,
and the way he moves, and it will knock their socks off."
When Elvis played in Las Vegas-he performed regularly from 1969
to 1976-it was an automatic sellout. He helped transform the
city into a family destination. "He made this a place to
entertain, a place to amaze, and a place to be a little bit
eccentric," Thomas says. "Elvis is Las Vegas. That's why we
named the show the way we did. Elvis is eternal, so viva
Elvis."
{ SOURCE: Navada Magazine }
Shpeel Delayed in NYC [EXPANDED]
{Dec.30.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
With some sour reviews coming in from the Chicago previews of
Banana Shpeel, the New York Times is reporting Cirque du Soleil
has decided to postpone the opening of its twist on vaudeville
at the Beacon theater in New York city to allow a full month for
rehersals. Banana Shpeel will open for preview performances in
New York City beginning February 25th rather than February 4th.
# # #
On Tuesday, publicists for the show said in a news release that
the shift in dates will allow the production to have a full
month of rehearsals at the Beacon. But reviews for the shows
Chicago production, a vaudeville-style clown act that began
performances at the Chicago Theater in November, offered little
to laugh at. In The Chicago Tribune, Chris Jones wrote that
Banana Shpeel was cold, chaotic, clipped and cacophonous,
and in The Chicago Sun-Times, Hedy Weiss wrote that it could
give a bad name to all that was delicious about the classic
variety show format of days gone by. The publicists for Banana
Shpeel, which is written and directed by David Shiner, said
that anyone who bought tickets to a canceled preview of the show
would be offered tickets for another performance. An opening
night at the Beacon has not been announced.
{SOURCE: New York Times}
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
o) TOURING - Under the Big Top
{Corteo, Dralion, Koozå, OVO, Quidam & Varekai}
o) RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre
{Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE,
ZAIA, ZED, Believe & VIVA Elvis}
o) VENUE - Arena & Seasonal Productions
{Saltimbanco, Alegría | Wintuk, Banana Shpeel}
NOTE:
.) While we make every effort to provide complete and accurate
touring dates and locations available, the information in
this section is subject to change without notice. As such,
the Fascination! Newsletter does not accept responsibility
for the accuracy of these listings.
.) Dates so marked (*) are not official until released by Cirque
du Soleil.
For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts,
please visit our website < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >.
---------------------------------
TOURING - Under the Big Top
---------------------------------
Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=39 >
Cirque 2010:
Montréal, QC -- Apr 22, 2010 to Jul 11, 2010
Québec City, QC -- Jul 22, 2010 to TBA
Amsterdam, NL -- Oct 8, 2010 to Dec 18, 2010 (*)
Corteo:
Tokyo, Japan -- Nov 4, 2009 to Jan 24, 2010
Fukuoka, Japan -- Feb 11, 2010 to Apr 4, 2010
Sendai, Japan -- Apr 21, 2010 to Jun 6, 2010
Dralion:
Mexico City, Mexico -- Nov 26, 2009 to Jan 17, 2010
Koozå:
Irvine, CA -- Jan 8, 2010 to Feb 14, 2010
San Diego, CA -- Feb 25, 2010 to Mar 28, 2010
Portland, OR -- Apr 9, 2010 to May 23, 2010 (*)
Seattle, WA -- Jun 3, 2010 to Jul 11, 2010 (*)
Vancouver, BC -- Jul 22, 2010 to Sep 5, 2010 (*)
Houston, TX -- Sep 23, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010 (*)
Miami, FL -- Nov 18, 2010 to Dec 26, 2010 (*)
Ovo:
San Francisco, CA -- Nov 27, 2009 to Jan 24, 2010
San Jose, CA -- Feb 4, 2010 to Mar 21, 2010
New York, NY -- Apr 9, 2010 to Jul 4, 2010
Hartford, CT -- Jul 15, 2010 to Aug 15, 2010 (*)
Boston, MA -- Aug 26, 2010 to Oct 3, 2010 (*)
Washington, DC -- Oct 14, 2010 to Nov 28, 2010 (*)
Atlanta, GA -- Dec 17, 2010 to Feb 13, 2011 (*)
Quidam:
Rio de Janeiro, BR -- Jan 8, 2010 to Feb 7, 2010
São Paulo, BR -- Feb 26, 2010 to Apr 11, 2010
Porto Alegre, BR -- Apr 22, 2010 to May 16, 2010
Buenos Aiers, AR -- May 28, 2010 to Jun 20, 2010
Santiago, CL -- Jul 2, 2010 to Aug 8, 2010
Lime, PE -- Aug 22, 2010 to Sep 19, 2010
Bogota, CO -- Oct 9, 2010 to Nov 21, 2010
Varekai:
London, UK -- Jan 6, 2010 to Jan 24, 2010
Manchester, UK -- Feb 25, 2010 to Mar 21, 2010 (*)
Munich, DE -- Apr 1, 2010 to May 2, 2010 (*)
Cologne, DE -- May 13, 2010 to Jun 6, 2010 (*)
Frankfurt, DE -- Jun 17, 2010 to Jul 18, 2010 (*)
---------------------------------
RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre
---------------------------------
NOTE: (*) Prices are in United States Dollars (USD) unless otherwise
noted.
(*) Ticket prices exclude the 10% Live Entertainment Tax, the
$7.50 per-ticket processing fee, and sales tax where
applicable.
Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=40 >
Mystère:
Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday
Two shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm
2010 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12):
o Category 1: $109.00 / $54.50
o Category 2: $99.00 / $49.50
o Category 3: $79.00 / $39.50
o Category 4: $69.00 / $34.50
o Category 5: $60.00 / $30.00 (Limited View)
2010 Dark Dates:
o January 9 20
o February 7
o March 10
o May 8 12
o July 7
o September 4 8
o November 3
"O":
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
2010 Ticket Prices:
o Orchestra: $150.00
o Loggia: $130.00
o Balcony: $99.00
o Limited View: $93.50
2010 Dark Dates:
o February 7
o April 14 - 18
o June 13
o July 4
o August 11 - 15
o October 10
o December 8 - 21
La Nouba:
Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm
2010 Ticket Prices (adults) / (child 3-9):
o Category 0: $120.00 / $97.00
o Category 1: $105.00 / $85.00
o Category 2: $85.00 / $69.00
o Category 3: $69.00 / $56.00
o Category 4: $55.00 / $45.00
2010 Dark Dates:
o January 19 - 22
o March 23
o May 25 - 28
o June 1 - 4
o July 27
o September 21 - 24
o November 16
Zumanity:
Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday through Sunday
Dark: Monday & Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
2010 Ticket Prices (18+ Only!):
o Duo Sofas: $135.00
o Orchestra Seats: $99.00
o Upper Orchestra Seats: $79.00
o Balcony Seats: $69.00
o Cabaret Stools: $69.00
2010 Dark Dates:
o Not Available
KÀ:
Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2010 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12):
o Category 1: $150.00 / $75.00
o Category 2: $125.00 / $62.50
o Category 3: $99.00 / $49.50
o Category 4: $69.00 / $34.50
2010 Dark Dates
o Not Available
LOVE:
Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2010 Ticket Prices:
o Lower Orchestra: $150.00
o Upper Orchestra: $130.00
o Lower Balcony: $99.00
o Middle Balcony: $93.50
2010 Dark Dates:
o February 7 - 8
o April 8 - 12
o June 10
o August 5 - 9
o October 7
o December 3 - 13
ZAIA:
Location: Venetian, Macao (China)
Performs: Every Day, Dark: Wednesday
One to Two Shows Daily - Times Vary
2010 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 2-11):
o VIP Seating: MOP$ 1288 / MOP$ 1288
o Reserve A: MOP$ 788 / MOP$ 394
o Reserve B: MOP$ 588 / MOP$ 294
o Reserve C: MOP$ 388 / MOP$ 194
2010 Dark Dates:
o January 11 - 12
o February 12
o February 19 - March 5
o March 29 - 30
ZED:
Location: Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo (Japan)
Performs: Varies
One to Two Shows Daily - Showtimes vary
2010 Ticket Prices (Non-Peek / Peek Time):
o Category 1 ("Premium"): ¥15,000 / ¥16,000
o Category 2 ("Stage-Side"): ¥12,500 / ¥13,500
o Category 2 ("Center"): ¥12,500 / ¥13,500
o Category 3 ("Wide View"): ¥9,500 / ¥10,500
o Category 4 ("Value"): ¥7,500 / ¥7,800
2010 Dark Dates:
o Not Available
BELIEVE:
Location: Luxor, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:00pm
NOTE: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by
an adult. Children under the age of five are not permitted
into the theater.
2010 Ticket Prices (all):
o Category 1: $160.00
o Category 2: $125.00
o Category 3: $99.00
o Category 4: $79.00
o Category 5: $59.00
2010 Dark Dates:
o January 5 - 9, 12 - 16
o April 13 - 17
o May 25
o June 1
o July 6 - 10, 13 - 17
o October 12 - 16
VIVA ELVIS:
Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
Preview Performances: December 18th to January 28th
2010 Performance Times (Previews):
o Jan 1 - 3rd: 7:00pm & 10:00pm
o Jan 4 - 7th: No Showtimes
o Jan 8th: 7:00pm
o Jan 9 - 16th: No Showtimes
o Jan 17th: 7:00pm
o Jan 18 - 19th: 7:00pm & 9:30pm
o Jan 22 - 28th: 7:00pm & 9:30pm
2010 Ticket Prices (Previews / Regular)
o Category 1: $149.38 / $175.00
o Category 2: $128.75 / $150.00
o Category 3: $108.13 / $125.00
o Category 4: $86.68 / $99.00
2010 Dark Dates:
o January 30 - 31
o March 17 - 25
o May 11 - 13
o July 14 - 29
o September 14 - 16
o November 17 - 25
--------------------------------------
VENUE - Arena & Seasonal Productions
--------------------------------------
Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=251 >
[Arena Shows]
Saltimbanco:
Barcelona, ES -- Dec 30, 2009 to Jan 10, 2010
Salzburg, AT -- Jan 13, 2010 to Jan 17, 2010
Strasbourg, FR -- Jan 20, 2010 to Jan 23, 2010
Frankfurt, DE -- Jan 27, 2010 to Jan 31, 2010
Nantes, FR -- Feb 2, 2010 to Feb 5, 2010
Innsbruck, AT -- Feb 25, 2010 to Feb 28, 2010
Torino, IT -- Mar 3, 2010 to Mar 7, 2010
Pesaro, IT -- Mar 10, 2010 to Mar 14, 2010
Bologna, IT -- Mar 17, 2010 to Mar 21, 2010
Florence, IT -- Mar 24, 2010 to Mar 28, 2010
Stuttgart, DE -- Mar 31, 2010 to Apr 4, 2010
Bremen, DE -- Apr 7, 2010 to Apr 11, 2010
Almeria, ES -- Apr 15, 2010 to Apr 18, 2010
Santiago, ES -- Apr 21, 2010 to Apr 25, 2010
San Sebastian, ES -- Apr 28, 2010 to May 2, 2010
Sheffield, UK -- May 20, 2010 to May 23, 2010
Liverpool, UK -- May 26, 2010 to May 30, 2010
Glasgow, UK -- Jun 2, 2010 to Jun 6, 2010
Manchester, UK -- Jun 9, 2010 to Jun 13, 2010
Birmingham, UK -- Jun 17, 2010 to Jun 20, 2010
Newcastle, UK -- Jun 30, 2010 to Jul 4, 2010
Dublin, IE -- Jul 7, 2010 to Jul 11, 2010
Nottingham, UK -- Jul 21, 2010 to Jul 25, 2010
London, UK -- Jul 28, 2010 to Aug 1, 2010
Alegría:
Quebec, QC -- Jan 5, 2010 to Jan 10, 2010
Chicoutimi, QC -- Jan 13, 2010 to Jan 17, 2010
Detroit, MI -- Feb 4, 2010 to Feb 7, 2010
Indianapolis, IN -- Feb 11, 2010 to Feb 14, 2010
Austin, TX -- Feb 17, 2010 to Feb 21, 2010
Frisco, TX -- Feb 24, 2010 to Feb 28, 2010
Hoffman Estates, IL -- Mar 3, 2010 to Mar 7 2010
Cedar Rapids, IA -- Mar 10, 2010 to Mar 14, 2010
Champaign, IL -- Mar 17, 2010 to Mar 21, 2010
Omaha, NE -- Mar 24, 2010 to Mar 28, 2010
East Lansing, MI -- Mar 31, 2010 to Apr 4, 2010
Cleveland, OH -- Apr 7, 2010 to Apr 11, 2010
Toronto, ON -- Jun 30, 2010 to Jul 4, 2010
Winnipeg, MB -- Jul 22, 2010 to Jul 25, 2010
Regina, SK -- Jul 27, 2010 to Aug 1, 2010
Saskatoon, SK -- Aug 4, 2010 to Aug 8, 2010
Edmonton, AB -- Aug 11, 2010 to Aug 22, 2010
Kelowna, BC -- Aug 25, 2010 to Aug 29, 2010
Kamloops, BC -- Sep 1, 2010 to Sep 5, 2010
Victoria, BC -- Sep 8, 2010 to Sep 12, 2010
[Venue Shows]
Wintuk:
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City (USA)
Wintuk's 2009 Season has drawn to a close. See you next
winter!
Banana Shpeel:
Location: Beacon Theater, New York City (USA)
Schedule: Performances from February 25th through May 30th;
Days of the week and times vary.
2010 Ticket Prices (Regular Performances):
[March 23rd through May 30th]
o Premium: $199.00 single / $199 group
o P1: $110.00 single / $75.00 group
o P2: $85.00 single / $60.00 group
o P3: $65.00 single / $45.00 group
o P4: $45.00 single / $39.00 group
2010 Ticket Prices (Previews):
[February 25th through March 22nd]
o Premium: n/a
o P1: $89.00 single / $55.00 group
o P2: $65.00 single / $55.00 group
o P3: $45.00 single / $45.00 group
NOTE: Prices include $4.50 facility fee.
There is no children's pricing.
=======================================================================
OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE'S SOCIAL WIDGETS
=======================================================================
o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub
o) Networking -- Cirque on Facebook, Youtube & Flickr
o) Gatherings -- CirqueCon & More!
---------------------------------------
CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub
---------------------------------------
Although the well has run dry at CirqueClub this month no new
Articles, reviews or interviews posted to share for December, were
reaching back into the posting archives for a couple of blog posts
we werent able to highlight before. Enjoy!
My Beginning Adventures in LOVE
{Jul.01.2008}
MAGGIE MART, Acrobat -- My name is Maggie Mart. I am twenty-two
years old and am an Acrobat for Cirque Du Soleil in the show
LOVE. On April 5th I performed for the last time with La Nouba
and on April 6th I arrived in Vegas. I remember stepping off the
plane seeing so much advertisement for LOVE and for all of
Cirque Du Soleil, it was overwhelming. I remember thinking I
finally did it. I am finally a performer in a huge Las Vegas
Show. Little did I know that was just the beginning of the
excitement to come. Right away the trainings began. Learning
bungee was a blast. After the first training on the stage I
remember thinking Am I really getting paid to do this? This is
too much fun? The best part was the fun didnt stop there. I
soon learned I would perform a cue called the High-Striker in
an act called Mr. Kite." I am harnessed in and hung on a very
fast motor that pulls me up and down and eventually takes me to
the grid. I was to act like a puppet and scream as I went up and
down. After performing it for the first time I remember thinking
again Am I really getting paid to do this? I think I must have
thought that to myself at least fifty times. Running around like
a groupie, screaming, dancing, bouncing trampoline, yah
I am
having a blast.
Of course it wasnt all fun and games the entire time throughout
the integration.
I remember once I came to a Drive My Car rehearsal. There is a
lot of dancing in this act and they had yet to teach me the
choreography. They showed me where to go on stage and then they
played the music. I soon realized everyone knew the choreography
but me. I felt helpless, lost, and very frustrated. But thats
all just part of learning a new show and only one of the minor
issues that had to be dealt with and learned from. Before I knew
it I was in the basement ready for my first show. I had so much
on my mind. How was my make-up? Is my wig going to stay on? I
hope I remember the choreography?
Only minutes later I was strapped in ready for my entrance on
bungee. Music blasting I was raised into the air. Lights were
going everywhere and huge smile was on my face. My routine went
great. My wig stayed on. I remembered everything. I was so happy
and was ready for the next show so I could do it all over again.
It has been a little over a month of me being in the show now and
I am having an absolute blast. I am growing more and more into
my characters that I play on stage, and I am getting integrated
into different cues all the time. It was hard for me to say
goodbye to my La Nouba family and all the leaving artists from
LOVE, but because of them I am here today. Im so grateful and
happy to be here.
LOVE Makes Dreams Come True
{Aug.28.2008}
GILLIAN ABBOT, Dancer -- My adventure into "LOVE" began in
February just before Valentines Day. At the time I was a
seventeen year old, high school senior in Calgary, Alberta
Canada. I flew out to Vancouver for a Cirque du Soleil audition
that I had heard about. I knew you had to be eighteen to be
hired for the job but I thought it wouldn't hurt to give it a
shot or to at least let the Casting Director, Krista Monson have
a look at me for the future. During the audition Krista pulled
me aside and asked me if I would be able to move to Las Vegas
within a couple months-she was concerned that because of my age
I would not be able to leave home so quickly. I said, "I would
move in a heartbeat"!
Little did I know that would soon be reality.
Ironically on Valentines Day I received a call from Krista
telling my mom and I that Cirque was very interested in hiring
me for the LOVE show in Las Vegas. The next day my mom and I
were booked to fly out to Houston, Texas for me to start the
first of three college auditions. We went anyway just to keep my
options open in case things with Cirque did not work out.
However after my second college audition in Pittsburgh for Point
Park University, all of our anticipation was over... Cirque
wanted me! Now, when I say my adventure only began this year,
that's not quite true. The first Cirque show I ever saw was
Mystère in Las Vegas when I was only six years old. I have seen
many, many Cirque shows since including LOVE when it first
opened in the summer of 2006. After seeing the show for the
first time, I turned to my dad and said in awe, "That's what I
want to do with my life!"
Only in my wildest dreams did I believe that I would be
celebrating the two year anniversary of the show as a newly
hired dancer! My integration process started in Montreal, Quebec
at the International Head Quarters of Cirque du Soleil. After
two weeks of rehearsals, fittings, make-up lessons and more, the
eleven new dancers of the LOVE show including myself departed
for Vegas!!! In Vegas our rehearsals continued for a few more
weeks until the end of May when we took the stage for the first
time.
I still remember the feeling of waiting in the curtain for my
first que which happened to be "Gnik Nus", now my smallest que
in the entire show. I was nervous, excited, in fact I think I
was still in disbelief that I was even there. Night after night
more queues were added to my track and before I knew it the
first official shows with the new cast came on September 5,
2008. A few weeks after I also graduated from high school and
thankfully got to go home to celebrate with my friends!
I have now performed in over 100 shows and I have danced the
duet "Yesterday" a few times. At least once a night I still find
myself looking out into the audience and thinking to myself,
"Wow, I am really here!" Every once in a while I will catch a
glimpse of a young girl in the audience that has the same
sparkle in her eyes as I am sure I did just two short years ago.
All I can say as I approach my eighteenth birthday coming up in
September is that I am so thankful for the opportunity that I
have been blessed with and I am so lucky that my dream really
has come true! I am also lucky to have a new family at LOVE full
of amazing individuals who I learn so much from and who have
helped me a lot in adjusting to my new lifestyle. As well, I am
so thankful for everyone who supported me throughout my life and
always believed in my dreams...that goes especially to my
family! I love you all so much!!
---------------------------------------------------
NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Flickr
---------------------------------------------------
Just before Christmas, Cirque du Soleil wished everyone on their
FaceBook pages a Happy Holidays, or more appropriately Joyeuses
Fêtes, and did so via a special video, which you can check out
Here: < http://bit.ly/fetes >.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZkLUaO3se0
Also, over the last month, Cirque du Soleil was prolific with
updates on all its social networking outlets. While a number of
these were small updates, notes and other quick comments, here
are some of the more interesting posts that caught our eye.
Weve organized them a bit differently this time by show first
rather than by date first so look for your favorite show! If
you dont see a show listed it means there may not have been
any posts this month, or posts were duplicated elsewhere.
A number of posts were made about Cirque du Soleils newest show,
VIVA ELVIS, so check that out! And youll want to see the items
associated with Wintuks seasonal closing! Enjoy!
--- [ CIRQUE ] ---
{Dec.10}
If you could describe Cirque du Soleil with only one word, what
would that word be? Check out the many hundreds of responses!
Link /// < http://www.facebook.com/CirqueduSoleil?ref=nf >
What's your favorite word to describe Cirque?
--- [ ALEGRIA ] ---
{Dec.20}
Check out these great pictures of Alegria in Montréal!
Link /// < http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Gallery+
Cirque+Soleil+Alegria/2357060/story.html >
--- [ BANANA SHPEEL ] ---
{Dec.03}
Photos from Banana Shpeel!
Fotos [12] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?
aid=166158&id=153330866799&ref=mf >
{Dec.08}
A glimpse of some of the action in Banana Shpeel!
Video [1:34] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php
?v=229750195619&ref=mf >
--- [ BELIEVE ] ---
{Dec.11}
Believe performer Mateo Amieva interviews for "Acceso Total" on
Telemundo in Las Vegas, promoting the local's offer!
Video [2:09] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php
?v=231495910434&ref=mf >
--- [ DRALION ] ---
{Dec.17}
Dralion took its 4 Elements Characters out in Mexico City. Can
you guess where we went from the photos? (Desierto de los Leones)
Fotos [3] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=359168
&id=39340140194&ref=mf >
{Dec.18}
And now guess where we took the artists on another fun activity,
see the pictures, can you guess? (Jamaica Mercado)
Fotos [5] /// <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dralion-by-Cirque-
du-Soleil/39340140194#/album.php?aid=359703
&id=39340140194 >
{Dec.26}
Dralion had such a nice Christmas dinner on the 24th and last
night, our Chefs on Tour prepared a wonderful traditional dinner
for the ones who eat meat pie and Turkey in their countries.
Delicious!
Fotos [5] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=363971
&id=39340140194&ref=mf >
--- [ KÀ ] ---
{Dec.02}
Thanks to our video contest, here's a never-before-seen look at
a typical day at KÀ. The giant turtle is always taking the last
cup of coffee!
Video [2:54] /// < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/about/25/
americas/community/cineweb/all-weeks/
just_another_day_at_ka.aspx >
{Dec.03}
Every day at KÀ there is a very well-choreographed show which
happens before any artists actually step on stage involving
equipment maintenance, cleaning, and people hanging from stuff.
Here's a short glimpse at a full-day's work!
Video [3:00] /// < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/about/25/
americas/community/cineweb/all-weeks/
ka_rigging.aspx >
{Dec.05}
Last, but certainly not least, the story of how one very
important cast member at KÀ went from unsung to unsung hero.
Video [2:58] /// < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/about/25/
americas/community/cineweb/all-weeks/
guy_freedom_celebrity_cork.aspx
{Dec.10}
One of the joys of working with talented and creative people is
that even something as simple as creating a gingerbread house
turns into a marvel of design and construction ingenuity. We
gave several departments at KÀ a gingerbread house kit and told
them to let their imaginations run wild. Be careful what you
wish for!
KÀ Gingerbread House Contest 2009
Fotos [14] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=167995
&id=31527171928&ref=mf >
{Dec.18}
The artists in KÀ come from dozens of countries all over the
world, but there is one Christmas saying everyone understands
"You'll shoot your eye out!" This week we celebrated a holiday
tradition with a screening of "A Christmas Story," including
guest appearances from some of the film's characters (and
props), and a contest to see who had the best pajamas. Enjoy!
Fotos [4] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=169950
&id=31527171928&ref=mf >
--- [ KOOZA ] ---
{Dec.07}
If you missed KOOZA on the Ellen DeGeneres Show - You can watch
the KOOZA contortion performance again!
Video [2:43] /// < http://ellen.warnerbros.com/videos/?autoplay
=true&mediaKey=0f007919-69bc-46c0-863e-
8e663bfea2cc >
{Dec.30}
The Blue and Yellow Big Top of KOOZA by Cirque du Soleil will be
raised today, December 30, at Orange County Great Park in
Irvine. In the meantime, watch the first raising of the Grand
Chapiteau for KOOZA in April 2007!
Video [6:13] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ4p07ySkT8 >
--- [ LOVE ] ---
{Dec.15}
Happy Hanukkah to all our Jewish Facebook fans. Someone just
sent us this clip of A Hard Days Night in Yiddish...it's pretty
funny. Enjoy! Credits to the Singer : Gerry Tenney
http://www.californiaklezmer.com/
Video [2:26] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vAMgbGEDTY >
{Dec.22}
In case you didn't catch Kelly Ripa as a jellyfish in Octopus'
Garden, here's the clip.
Video [8:02] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php
?v=251521100619&ref=mf>
--- [ MYSTERE ] ---
{Dec.01}
Voting for our video contest ends this Sunday, so don't forget
to vote early and vote often! Here's another from one of the
artists at Mystère. Enjoy!
Video [2:49] /// < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/about/25/
americas/community/cineweb/all-weeks/
my_life_on_stage.aspx >
{Dec.02}
Just before Thanksgiving we filmed several acts from Mystère for
a new trailer and TV commercial. We don't want to give anything
away but it's going to be PURE CIRQUE! Here's a little taste of
some of the behind-the-scenes setting up.
Fotos [6] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=162862&
id=18155469918&ref=mf >
{Dec.19}
VERY early this morning Paul Bowler spent some time at one of
our local TV stations here in Las Vegas to promote our locals
ticket offer (NV residents can buy one ticket and get another
for $25, receive $25 off another ticket purchase, and get 20%
off boutique purchases through the end of February). Enjoy!
Video [3:34] /// < http://www.ktnv.com/global/Category.asp?
c=164911&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=
default&clipId=4399843&flvUri=&partner
clipid= >
{Dec.27}
Check out these great new photos from Mystère playing at
Treasure Island in Las Vegas!
Fotos [14] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?
aid=185633&id=144074117500&ref=mf >
--- [ OVO ] ---
{Dec.13}
Greg Archer goes behind the scenes of Cirque du Soleil's "Ovo"
in San Francisco.
Video [3:52] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW_UkpuIfFk >
{Dec.15}
THE BUG DANCE! A spontaneous dance gathering with OVO performers
in Union Square, San Francisco, happened on December 8, 2009.
Video [1:45] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php
?v=208349421422&ref=mf >
Fotos [10] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=129680
&id=62744104613&ref=mf >
Flickr [4] ///
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/4195432860/
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/4195432526/
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/4195432654/
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/4195432760/
--- [ SALTIMBANCO ] ---
{Dec.23}
Check out this video about Saltimbanco in Geneva (Genève)
Video [2:04] /// < http://www.tsr.ch/tsr/index.html?siteSect=
500000&program=15#program=15;tab=
loadprogram;vid=11623611 >
{Dec.19}
Saltimbanco in the local Genève press!
Link /// < http://www.tdg.ch/geneve/culture/cirque-soleil-
va-chauffer-arena-2009-12-17 >
--- [ VIVA ELVIS ] ---
{Dec.9}
Viva ELVIS artists enjoy the music of Memphis!
Video [1:21] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?
v=230971950619&ref=mf >
{Dec.15}
Cirque du Soleil unveiled show Viva ELVIS at a press at a
press conference in Las Vegas today. Get a sneak peek!
Fotos [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3126630
&id=167136344108 >
Video [1:26] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7EngLaHUO4 >
Video [2:16] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCTOeST4Q1Y >
{Dec.16}
Priscilla Presley gives Entertainment Tonight a backstage look!
A quick review and a 4:31 video! | Only ET's Mark Steines is
with Priscilla Presley as Elvis Presley returns to Las Vegas.
The inspiration for the new Cirque du Soleil show at the ARIA
Resort & Casino in Las Vegas is Elvis and his love of comic
books, superheroes and amusement parks. "What it brings back is
the energy of when Elvis first appeared, or whenever he was
coming here to appear for a show," Priscilla tells Mark. "He
loved the intimacy, he loved being able to connect with his
audience, and he loved to see their eyes. You know, he was the
ultimate performer. He was there for his audience and he truly
came alive." The production will pay tribute to Elvis' music
and life, fusing dance and acrobatics, live music and iconic
tracks, nostalgia and modernity, high technology and raw
emotion. From the larger-than-life statue, to the wigs worn by
the cast, the trademark shades and the jumpsuits, the show will
be in Elvis' image: powerful, sexy, whimsical and truly unique.
"Elvis Presley: Viva Elvis" will premiere at the new ARIA Resort
& Casino in Las Vegas on February 19, 2010. It is just a part of
the year-long celebration of Elvis' 75th birthday, which will
begin on January 7, 2010 at Graceland.
Link /// < www.etonline.com/news/2009/12/81970/index.html >
{Dec.16}
Viva ELVIS performers find inspiration at Sun Studios.
Video [1:40] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?
v=241965035619&ref=mf >
{Dec.22}
Check out these great Viva ELVIS show photos!
Fotos [5] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=130636
&id=167136344108&ref=mf >
Fotos [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3160416
&id=167136344108 >
--- [ WINTUK ] ---
{Dec.01}
Get a short glimpse of the amazing 'hoops act' in Wintuk by
Cirque du Soleil!!
Video [4:34] /// < http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/
vp/34238946#34238946 >
{Dec.08}
Check Out some new photos from Wintuk's 2009 season!
Fotos [8] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=338888
&id=98244255320&ref=mf >
{Dec.10}
Check out the new tv spot for Wintuk! It's Wintuk Season
Wintuk Wonderland!
Video [0:35] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?
v=232912120619&ref=mf >
{Dec.15}
Even more pictures of Wintuk's 2009 season!
Fotos [19] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=338888
&id=98244255320&ref=mf >
{Dec.30}
Watch the official videos for Wintuk, Cirque du Soleils family
show presented at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in
New York.
Link /// < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/wintuk/
exclusive_videos.aspx >
--- [ ZAIA ] ---
{Dec.09}
Check out the new look of ZAIA section at the West Lobby! We've
got a HUGE Santa hat!
Foto /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2947511
&id=34277887388 >
{Dec.13}
ZAIA artists pose for the festive season - Happy Holidays!
Foto /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2970574
&id=34277887388 >
{Dec.20}
Check out the following promo of the ZAIA album!
Video [1:06] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ7Hn2CbJys >
--- [ ZED ] ---
{Dec.01}
ZED celebrated its 500th show today!
{Dec.27}
Check out ZED's new TV Commercial featuring some of the amazing
artists in the show!
Video [0:30] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXSwnxG71-w >
-------------------------------------------
GATHERINGS: CirqueCon, Celebri & More!
-------------------------------------------
CirqueCon: < http://www.CirqueCon.com/ >
[CirqueCon]
o) Update #5: Monday, January 11, 2010
UPDATE #5: Monday, January 11, 2010
-----------------------------------
Greetings, Cirque Passionates!
GOOD NEWS! Although Wednesday, January 6th was the deadline for
Passionates to purchase tickets to OVO and Tour 2010 through our
efforts, Cirque du Soleil has granted an extention to us - until
the end of the month! SOOOOOOO, if you wanted to join us for OVO
in New York City and/or Tour 2010 in Montreal - both under the
Grand Chapiteau - now's the time! See the TICKETS section below
for seating, pricing and other information pertaining to this
extension!
We also don't want you to forget about the Restaurant du Vieux
Port - our Group Meal in Montréal! Please RSVP with us if you plan
to attend this event - we'd love to dine with you! See the GROUP
MEAL, MONTREAL section below for the menu and the costs involved.
Please email us today with your entrée selection!
o) TRANSPORTATION - HOW TO GET FROM NYC TO MONTREAL?
Since we've announced our dual city itinerary, many of
you have asked how CirqueCon was going to move from city
to city, and up until now we hadn't quite decided whether
we were going to attempt a "magic bus" from New York City
to Montréal, take the train, rent some vans, or... what?
After reviewing the multitude of options available to us
we've decided that, due to the costs involved, CirqueCon
will be unable to provide transportation between New York
City and Montréal (or back).
BUT there are many options, including flying, AMTRAK train,
and Trailways Bus! Check out the following link for information
pertaining to the Trailways link between NYC and Montréal:
< www.trailwaysny.com/html/english/fares_pdf/mtlnyc.pdf >
o) GROUP MEAL, MONTREAL - RSVP NOW!
+--------------------------------+
| |
| Saturday, May 1st |
| |
| 5:00pm to 7:00pm |
| |
| RESTAURANT DU VIEUX PORT |
| |
+--------------------------------+
One of the highlights of CirqueCon is when Cirque fans
gather at a local eating establishment, enjoying a meal and
getting acquainted (or re-acquainted) with each other. It's
something that brings us together as a community. Passionates
who joined us in Montreal for CirqueCon 2005 may remember
the Restaurant du Vieux Port, a wonderful historical
restaurant situated in the heart of the Old Port of Montréal
and just a few moments walk to/from the Grand Chapiteau
perched on the Quays at the waterfront. We loved them so
much we're heading back! Passionates interested in joining
us for a sit down plated meal before our official showing
of TOUR 2010, please RSVP with us!
Where is the Restaurant du Vieux Port?
--------------------------------------
39, Saint-Paul Street East
Old Montréal, QC H2Y 1G2
Phone: 514.866.3174
Web: www.restaurantduvieuxport.com
At the corner of Saint-Paul Street East and Saint
Gabriel, just down the block and east of our hotel.
(Literally just round the corner!)
What's for Dinner?
------------------
* FIRST COURSE *
Soupe du jour ou Salade du chef
Soup of the Day or Chefs Salad
* SECOND COURSE *
- Au choix -
- Choice of -
Contrefilet de boeuf
Grillé sur charbon, servi avec pomme de terre en purée
Beef Striploin
Charcoal grilled, served with mashed potatoes
ou / or
Poitrine de poulet grillée
Grillée sur charbon, servie avec pomme de terre en
purée & légumes frais
Grilled chicken breast
Charcoal Grilled, served with mashed potatoess &
fresh vegetables
ou / or
Filet de tilapia
Servi avec riz sauvage et légumes frais
Filet of Tilapia
Served with Wild Rice & Fresh Vegetables
* THIRD COURSE *
Dessert
Thé ou café / Coffee or tea
Okay, How Much?
---------------
$27.00 CDN per person w/taxes included.
Let us know if you plan on joining us (with your
entrée selection) by sending us an email to
newyork@cirquecon.com by FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2010.
On Monday, April 5th we will calculate the cost of
the meal in US dollars based on the exchange rate
in effect at that time. We will then update you and
our website with ticket cost and payment information.
Payment must then be received by WEDNESDAY, APRIL
14th to guarantee your spot!
o) TICKETS - GET YOUR OVO & TOUR 2010 TICKETS NOW!
* * * DEADLINE: JANUARY 31, 2010 @ 11:59pm * * *
Seating - Where Are We?
-----------------------
+----------------------------------+
| |
| *** CIRQUECON OFFICIAL SHOWS *** |
| |
| OVO |
| Wednesday - April 28, 2010 |
| @ 8:00pm |
| |
| BANANA SHPEEL |
| Thursday - April 29, 2010 |
| @ 8:00pm |
| |
| TOUR 2010 |
| Saturday - May 1, 2010 |
| @ 8:00pm |
| |
+----------------------------------+
Cirque du Soleil has extended its deadlines for CirqueCon
and continues to have a number of seats on reserve for our
group in a number of different sections each show. Check
out the seating availability for each show below - time
is running out!
OVO, in New York City
For OVO, we are allotted seats in Section 101, 102 and 200.
All of section 101, 102 and some of 200 represent Cirque du
Soleil's PREMIUM pricing category, are up front in some cases,
and are in limited quantity. The rest of section 200
represents Cirque du Soleil's LEVEL 1 pricing category, and
are a little further back (around the sound booth).
4 in PREMIUM (Section 101 or 102, Row AAA + AA)
4 in PREMIUM (Section 200, Row J + K)
35 in LEVEL 1 (Section 200, Row N, O + P
TOUR 2010, in Montréal
For TOUR 2010, because tickets are selling fast
for Cirque's newest touring production, we were able
to get a number of seats on reserve in just one
category - LEVEL 1 - in section 202. We have 44 seats
left for Tour 2010!
BANANA SHPEEL, in New York City
Tickets to BANANA SHPEEL are not yet available to us.
Due to the change in the start-date for previews in
New York City, pricing and scheduling for Banana Shpeel
has been chaotic. We've been in touch with the right
folks and we'll have an announcement regarding tickets
to Cirque du Soleil's new twist on Vaudeville just as
soon as we can. Honest! Stay tuned!
Pricing - Okay, How Much?
-------------------------
The prices below reflect cost of adults & children
(there is no distinction between the two, sorry) with all
taxes added in.
Also please keep in mind that because the Cirque du Soleil
box office is not equipped to handle the volume of individual
tickets sales for our group, CirqueCon is once again
facilitating the sale and distribution of your show tickets.
Since PayPal levies an approximate 5.0% service charge for
each item, we must charge slightly more to offset Paypal's
transaction charges - much like for the membership fee.
This is why you'll find the cost of tickets by CHECK vs.
PAYPAL differs. We apologize in advance for this.
OVO, in New York City
PREMIUM: Section 101, 102 or 200 (Row J & K)
$130.00 USD w/tax [by Check]
$137.00 USD w/tax [by PayPal]
LEVEL 1: Section 200, Row N, O + P
$71.00 USD w/tax [by Check]
$75.00 USD w/tax [by PayPal]
TOUR 2010, in Montréal
LEVEL 1: Section 202
$100.00 USD w/tax [by Check]
$105.00 USD w/tax [by PayPal]
Buying - Great, How do I Get 'Em?
---------------------------------
We have these two convenient payment options available:
1) CREDIT CARD via PAYPAL
We have our general PAYPAL account for those that
wish to pay via credit card.
Please send the total amount for tickets to PAYPAL
account - newyork@cirquecon.com
2) BY CHECK
Please send the total for each order. Checks should
be made out and sent to:
Keith Johnson
31241 Fourth Avenue South
Federal Way, WA 98003-5203
IMPORTANT - IMPORTANT - IMPORTANT - IMPORTANT
When making your payment, please advise us the TITLE OF THE
SHOW IN QUESTION (as we have a number of ticket sales going
on), the NUMBER OF SEATS you wish to reserve and the CATEGORY
(either PREMIUM or LEVEL 1 and/or Section if applicable) in
which you wish to sit.
Due to the limited availability in some categories, seating
choices will be filled on a FIRST PAID, FIRST SERVED basis.
Email us your selections at: newyork@cirquecon.com
Cool - Now What?
----------------
That's it! Once we receive your payment your seat reservations
become final and you're set to sit in your selected category so
long as we have the available seating. If your preferred seats
or category are sold out we will make every attempt to contact
you straight away. If we are unable to make contact with you,
we will place you in the next seating category and refund the
ticket difference (based on the form of payment).
Some other things to consider...
Seating Assignments -- Because CirqueCon is facilitating the
ticket distribution this year, we have a little say over what
seats you get. We will make every attempt to accommodate your
seating preferences, but we cannot guarantee certain or any
arrangements.
Deadline -- The deadline for purchasing your seats through us
for either OVO or TOUR 2010 is 11:59pm ET, Wednesday, January
6, 2010. Any remaining unclaimed and unpaid for seats will
be returned to Cirque du Soleil - once they're gone, they're
gone!
Ticket Distribution -- You can pick up your tickets during our
scheduled open registration times, at either Meet & Greet and
before the show.
# # #
That's it for this update. Come join us as we take on Manhattan
(and Quebec!) at CirqueCon 2010!
Ricky, Keith, LouAnna, Rodolfo & Francisco
CirqueCon 2010: New York City & Montréal!
On the Web: < www.cirquecon.com >
Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/CirqueCon/272446895013 >
Twitter: < http://www.twitter.com/CirqueCon/ >
Email: < newyork@cirquecon.com >
=======================================================================
COMPARTMENTS -- A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN
=======================================================================
o) DIDYAKNOW - Facts at a Glance about Cirque
o) HISTORIA - Cirque du Soleil History
---------------------------------
DIDYAKNOW? - Facts About Cirque
---------------------------------
o) Doyaknow the Creatura? Part Slinky, part insect, the Creatura from
OVO dances to a tune that is all his own. Hes a bendy, twisty knot
of stretchy limbs in constant motion.
o) Didyaknow Mystère opened at Treasure Island in Las Vegas 16 years
ago, on December 25, 1993? Since then they've entertained more than
8.5 million spectators with more than 7,000 performances!
o) Didyaknow that KÀ makes it snow in the desert 10 times a week?
Actually, the "snow" in the mountain scene is very fine soap being
floated through the air by snow machines and fans. It looks
incredibly real, but if any of it makes its way to where you're
sitting, we wouldn't recommend catching a flake on your tongue!
o) Didyaknow that 54 artists from 13 countries are part of the show
OVO? This truly international cast brings the teeming world of
insects alive!
o) Didyaknow it takes four people to dress the Ice Giants in Wintuk?
o) Didyaknow the wardrobe department at La Nouba handles over 3000
costumes and headpieces every day. Most of the 67 artists
performing in La Nouba wear three different costumes per show.
o) Didyaknow that over 92,000 pounds of equipment "flies" during each
performance of Mystère? More than 7.5 miles of wire rope is used to
move all the equipment and set pieces you see during the show.
o) Didyaknow by the end of 2009, stage management at La Nouba will
have called "go" (on headset during the show) 732,730 times since
the show opened? Consequently, by midnight December 31st, La Nouba
has been performed a total of 5,236 times. This means 376,833
German Wheel revolutions, 171,667 feet Balanced on Chairs, more
than 70,000 loads of laundry and about 8,000 hours of training.
o) Didyaknow the Mystère wardrobe department uses some unusual items
to make the costumes at Mystère so unforgettable? Items such as
piano wire, fishing line, metallic gift-wrapping paper, and medical
supply IV tubing, to name a few make their way into the costumes.
They're like the MacGyver's of fashion!
o) Didyaknow the pride and joy of the KÀ Carpentry Department is the
cork cleaning system? It is used to process the 4,000 pounds of
Portuguese cork used each day to create the "sand" on the beach
during the Wash Up scene. Carpentry has technicians whose sole job
is to care for the cork each day, which includes filtering, sifting
it for debris, removing static electricity and keeping it
moisturized.
o) Didyaknow the stage at Mystère is hand-painted by one person, and
gets fully repainted a few times per year? Although the stage
receives constant touch-ups each month, during long breaks the
Mystère crew re-paints the stage (and resurfaces it with Coca-Cola
to make it sticky). Considering the stage is 120 feet by 70 feet,
that's a lot of trips to the hardware store!
o) Didyaknow the "O" wardrobe department has done approximately
150,000 loads of laundry since the show opened in Las Vegas in
1998? Thats a lot of wash and dry!
o) Didyaknow the "stage" called the Sand Cliff Deck is a performance
space measuring 25 feet by 50 feet, and weighing 80,000 pounds? To
give the spectator a real-life comparison of how large that is, it
is the same as taking a two-story house, lifting it 60 feet in the
air, rotating it 360 degrees, and tilting it just past vertical 10
times per week. Luckily there's not any furniture to worry about!
------------------------------------
HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History
------------------------------------
* Jan.02.2009 - Koozå opened Atlanta, GA
* Jan.03.2008 - Saltimbanco Arena opened Quebec, QC
* Jan.04.2007 - Quidam opened Dubai, UAE
* Jan.04.2009 - Quidam opened London
* Jan.05.1996 -- Saltimbanco opened London
* Jan.05.1999 -- Alegría opened London
* Jan.05.2006 - Alegría opened London
* Jan.05.2007 - Alegría opened London
* Jan.05.2007 - Varekai opened Auckland, New Zealand
(Asia-Pacific Tour Begins)
* Jan.05.2007 - REVOLUTION Lounge opens (based on Beatles/LOVE)
* Jan.05.2010 - Alegria Arena opened Quebec City, QC
* Jan.06.2003 - Premiere of Fire Within on BRAVO
* Jan.06.2005 - Saltimbanco opened Manchester
* Jan.06.2005 - Varekai opened Houston
* Jan.06.2005 - Dralion opened London
* Jan.06.2008 - Varekai opened London, UK
* Jan.06.2010 - Varekai opened London, UK
* Jan.07.1998 - Alegría opened London
* Jan.07.1999 -- Saltimbanco Asia-Pacific Tour Began (Sydney)
* Jan.07.2003 -- Saltimbanco Euro Tour II began London
* Jan.07.2003 -- Varekai CD Released in US (BMG/CDS Musique)
* Jan.08.2009 - Saltimbanco Arena opened Tupelo, MS
* Jan.08.2010 - Koozå opened Irvine, CA
* Jan.08.2010 - Quidam opened Rio de Janiero, BR
* Jan.09.2004 - Dralion opened London
* Jan.09.2004 - Alegría opened Miami
* Jan.10.1999 -- Alegría: Le Film showcased in Palm Springs
* Jan.10.2001 -- Alegría opened Auckland, Australia
* Jan.13.2006 - Saltimbanco opened Mexico City
* Jan.13.2010 - Alegria Arena opened Chicoutimi, QC
* Jan.13.2010 - Saltimbanco Arena opened Salzburg, AT
* Jan.14.1997 -- Quidam CD Released in US (RCA/Victor)
* Jan.14.2009 - Alegría opened Taipei, Taiwan
* Jan.14.2009 - Saltimbanco Arena opened Biloxi, MS
* Jan.16.2003 - Varekai opened San Jose
* Jan.16.2004 - Saltimbanco opened Seville
* Jan.16.2004 - Varekai opened Costa Mesa
* Jan.16.2008 - Saltimbanco Arena opened Chicoutimi, QC
* Jan.17.1999 -- Banquine Act awarded in the 23rd Festival du
Cirque de Monte-Carlo.
* Jan.17.2002 -- Dralion opened Houston, Texas
* Jan.17.2008 - Quidam opened Monterrey, Mexico
* Jan.17.2010 - Dralions Final Curtain Call [Mexico City]
* Jan.19.2006 - Quidam opened San Diego
* Jan.19.2006 - Dralion opened Seville
* Jan.19.2006 - Corteo opened San Jose
* Jan.20.2000 - Quidam opened Barcelona
* Jan.20.2006 - Varekai opened Miami
* Jan.20.2008 - Corteo celebrated 1,000th performance [San Diego, CA]
* Jan.20.2010 - Saltimbanco Arena opened Stratsbourg, FR
* Jan.21.2009 - Saltimbanco Arena opened Hoffman Estates, IL
* Jan.23.2003 - Alegría opened Dallas
* Jan.23.2008 - Saltimbanco Arena opened Detroit, MI
* Jan.24.1995 -- Alegría opened Costa Mesa
* Jan.24.2007 - Delirium opened Detroit, MI
* Jan.25.2000 -- Saltimbanco opened Hong Kong
* Jan.25.2008 - Dralion opened Tokyo
* Jan.26.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened San Diego
* Jan.27.2004 - Order of Canada bestowed upon Guy Laliberté
* Jan.27.2010 - Saltimbanco Arena opened Frankfurt, DE
* Jan.28.1999 -- La Nouba Premiere Gala (Previews End)
* Jan.29.1997 - Quidam opened Orange County
* Jan.29.2008 - Saltimbanco Arena opened Cleveland, OH
* Jan.29.2009 - Dralion opened Perth, Australia
* Jan.30.1993 - Saltimbanco opened Costa Mesa
* Jan.31.2007 - Delirium opened Grand Rapids, MI
* Jan.31.2008 - Koozå opened San Jose, CA
* Jan.31.2009 - Dralion celebrated 3,500th performance [4:00pm, Perth]
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
Within...
o) "ZED CD Producers Ferguson & Allaire: Making
Unexpected Magic Timeless"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
--------------------------------------------------------------
"ZED CD Producers Ferguson & Allaire: Making
Unexpected Magic Timeless"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
--------------------------------------------------------------
When the soundtrack CD of the Tokyo, Japan resident show ZED (Cirque
du Soleil Musique, CDSMCD-10031, 2009) was released reaction was
enthusiastic, yet fans wondered about some of the decisions made in
the albums production. So we at Fascination went right to the source,
the albums production team of Martin Lord-Ferguson and Ella Louise
Allaire (EL-uh Lou-EEZ Uh-LAIR).
Working on the soundtrack in conjunction with veteran Cirque composer
René Dupéré, they both come with extensive histories. Ms. Allaire has
a Masters degree in composition from the University of Montréal, and
has previously released two CDs, Heretique (1999) and Mon Or
(LaChapelle LACHAPCD-9184, 2004).
Mr. Ferguson has been involved in over 30 albums in his career. Ive
done a lot of French singers. Mitsou Gélinas and Ginette Reno are
known French Canadian singers, but I dont know if youd find them
in the USA. The most successful thing I did outside of Cirque and
outside of Energia would be a TV series I did as a composer called
Fortier (FAH-tee-ay). It was huge throughout all of Canada. It was
an Alias-type series that I did about nine years ago. (10 episodes
of the series aired on French-Canadian television in 2001.)
It was around that time that he met René Dupéré, first recording and
co-producing the Dupéré, Élise Velle and Boris Bergman album La Belle
Est Dans Ton Camp (Netza NET2-1441, 1991). They continued that
arrangement for the Saltimbanco re-recording and re-release (Cirque du
Soleil Musique MDSMCJ-10005, 2004). In addition to co-producing and
recording the soundtrack to KÀ (Cirque du Soleil Musique CDSMCJ-10024,
2005), he also provided vocals for Forest. It was here Ms. Allaire
became part of the team, writing choir arrangements as well as singing
on the songs Koudamare and Threat.
After KÀ they were involved in several non-Cirque projects, including
music for the Conservatory at Bellagio in 2005 and the soundtrack for
the TV movie Journey to the Center of the Earth in 2008 (not the 3-D
Brendon Frasier version, this one starred Rick Schroder and Peter
Fonda). They also composed two volumes of film score cue music for
APM Music (www.apmmusic.com - more on that later). And just before
becoming involved in production of the ZED Soundtrack, they co-
composed with Mr. Dupéré the soundtrack for the Holiday on Ice(.com)
show, Energia (BUMA/STEMRA DPCD-1101, 2008)
Being Mr. Dupérés associates over several projects (Mr. Ferguson for
10 years, Ms. Allaire for 6 years) has brought a smooth working
process to the trio. This helped with their first big project, KÀ.
ELLA LOUISE ALLAIRE (ELA): [ZED] was a pretty smooth process,
[compared to] KÀ [where you could have long delays caused by] the
gantry stopping at some point in the show. There were a lot of
technical issues with KÀ.
MARTIN LORD-FERGUSON (MLF): KÀ was also the first time we were using
the Giga with the Symphonia system. (This system allows individual
pre-recorded instrument tracks to be played back in sync with live
music, including recalling specific sections of musical cues. It is
especially helpful when a musician or singer is unable to perform.)
We were using 32 tracks of playback and there were lots of technical
issues. [We then used the same system with] Saltimbanco live arena.
[ZED] was the third time we were using the same system. Technically
[the creation of ZED] went very well.
All the shows can be stressful, but we [had] to adapt more for [KÀ].
And we were called in later in the process; KÀ was [just] three or
four months. For ZED we had two and a half years so there was a
natural process; we really had more time to ponder [each] decision.
For us the soundtrack of ZED is the result of those two and a half
years.
ELA: It was a long process. Weddo a bit, then another bit, then
another bit, [starting] in 2007. For ZED Martin and I were involved
from day one, from the first mock-up to the last final note. Whats
on the album is a large palette of everything in the show, which we
had to reduce to a certain length.
For ZED, Martin Lord-Ferguson is listed as Musical Director and Co-
Arranger, while Ella Louise Allaire handled Orchestrations and
Arrangement for the Chorale, with Mr. Dupéré handling Composing and
Arranging. But the three work together during the process.
ELA: When René comes to our studio we listen to what hes written
and make suggestions. Then we make a mock-up, which we take to the
band or to the director or to the choreographer, and we make
adjustments when asked. Its very easy going. The first thing is to
present the music with all of its characteristics - the tempo, the
drive - to the [creative team]. Then if the choreographer says,
Were missing this or Its not fast enough or something then we
re-work it. And the director has his own opinion. We sort of jumble
around with the music until theres a consensus that the number is
good.
MLF: If there are parts or structures missing we re-do it with René.
We add the band as a flavor and we also add [prerecorded tracks] as a
flavor.
Being brought in at the beginning of creation also presented the
opportunity to be part of the process of incorporating and auditioning
musicians. This included luring bandleader and keyboard player Michel
Cyr, a musician with deep familiarity of jazz, away from the Franco
Dragone production, Le Rêve, at Wynn Las Vegas, to be bandleader for
the new Cirque production.
MLF: We first did an interview with [him] in Las Vegas. And then we
were at all the meetings with him and all the auditions.
ELA: [During Creation] the director, François Girard, would often
use the band to play and jam just for the feel. Over the months that
process created a sound for the band. Theres a piece in the middle
of the show where they jam as well during the intermission and at
the beginning of the [second] act.
This band sound was then mixed with the music to create a complete
musical whole, which is described in the CD liner notes as,
juxtaposing musical elements that initially might have appeared from
different genres.
ELA: For instance, the last piece, Hymn of the Two Worlds, has a
classical flavor, Vaneyou Mi Le has much more of a world feel. And
the live band is much more funky. [We had] classically trained string
players and a classical chorus, [with] a more world voice [in some
songs]. Because [show character] Noits voice has a more Scandinavian
type of ornamentation. And [you have] the band that is very jazzy
funky.
MLF: One of the best examples of a juxtaposition on the CD is,
Reaching Up. You have the jazzy feel from the band, Johanna
(Lillvik)s voice very ethereal on top, and you have some world
flavors added.
Blending The Elements
---------------------
Recording for the CD actually began way before the show premiered.
MLF: The [orchestra and choir] recordings for [both] the show and
soundtrack were done about a year before the opening of the show. We
[traveled] to Slovakia to do the recordings for the orchestra. For
the choir the decision was made to do the recordings in Montréal
because we were in the staging process at Cirque at the time.
ELA: [The chorus] was recorded at the Schulich School of Music of
McGill University with a chorus of about 50 singers.
It was always planned that of Mr. Ferguson and Ms. Allaire would be
producing the soundtrack CD and not assigning it to an outside
producer. But Mr. Dupéré was never far from the process.
MLF: [Most] of the creative process [for] the songs was done in the
months [before] and right after the premiere. After that René would
come and [observe] the different steps of the process all the way up
to when we finished the soundtrack in June.
ELA: At first we said, Lets listen to the live show and see what
elements we can take and incorporate into the tracks, and how we can
make this blend together and make sense.
The desire to incorporate the creation musicians whenever possible led
to an interesting hybrid approach to recording.
MLF: For ZED it was definitely important [to use the creation
musicians]. When we had our first meetings three years ago we knew
that we wanted to do a more live performance-oriented show than KÀ.
So we knew right from the start that we wanted to use the musicians
[for the soundtrack CD].
ELA: Its not a challenge to convince [the musicians] since
obviously they want to be part of the soundtrack. The challenge is to
fit [recording into] their schedule of 10 shows a week, which is very
demanding. [With] two shows a day its difficult to put recording
before or after that. And they really need their days off. So its
challenging to [find] a timeframe. Thats why, in the case of ZED,
the live tracks that we put on the album were very much appreciated.
We had a few additional [recording] sessions but not like a complete
album from [beginning to end].
MLF: [The band recordings] were done after the show debut. We
recorded some live shows in February 2009, and from that we used
[much] of the material. We had done special planning with the sound
crew at the show and we knew how they were going to record on those
special days. We also took two months to do the extra sessions with
the live musicians to fine tune what we needed, because we wanted to
[record] them on days where they only had one show instead of two.
[On a one-show day, when] they would do a matinee they would finish
around six oclock and would record from seven oclock on.
For the Tokyo [sessions] we set up a small recording studio in the
Tokyo theater, but we [Mr. Ferguson and Ms. Allaire] werent
physically there. We arranged a camera setup via Skype so we could
see and hear them while they were recording. We had an engineer
recording [the session] and we would watch and comment.
ELA: We could give them direction, [such as] how to interpret
pronunciation. It was quite challenging because of the time
[difference]. But also because of the scheduling of the musicians.
[If, on a one-show day] they had a matinee they could record after
that, but it would be very early in the morning for us [in Montréal].
So it was pretty tricky to schedule. (When it was 7pm in Tokyo it
would be 5am in Montréal.)
So were most of the tracks live recordings, or were most of them
recorded later?
MLF: It depends on the musician. Most of the percussion, drums and
bass are from the live recordings. Keyboards as well, but there are
[extra] layers of programming that are in the show and on the
soundtrack that were added. With the soloists [such as] violin,
bassoon, and duduk sometimes they are live and sometimes [they were]
done afterwards. Of course the vocalists were done afterwards because
we used a better mic and they were in a quiet environment and [we
were] able to do multiple takes.
While the other songs on the CD feature some combination of live and
studio recordings, Blue Silk (used in the aerial silk performance)
is a totally live performance, with the vocals recorded separately.
Difficult Choices
-----------------
Once the live recordings were done, the next task was made more
challenging by a request from Cirques Musical Director, Alain Vinet
(see our interview with him in Fascination! #67 August, 2009).
ELA: Cirque wanted us to produce an album of about 50 minutes
[length]. And we were allowed a certain budget as well. 50 minutes
[of music] needs a certain type of budget that we had to respect. So
obviously, since the show was an hour and a half we had to make
difficult choices about what would go on the album and what wouldnt.
The first job was to trim the live recordings from their longer
performance-based length to a more reasonable three to five minute
pacing for CDs. However, in order to make the 50-minute length
requested by Cirque, some songs had to be cut. This included the
music for the Lasso act, the instrumental played at the end of
intermission and, initially, Kernoons Fire.
ELA: [With regards to] Lasso, originally the piece was [composed in
the key of] G. And the strings we recorded were in G. [But] later on
the number was sped up and we couldnt use those [string] tracks
anymore, because the song was now in A. For some [time] the Lasso
music was in question - should it be different, should it be [in the
new key]? (Eventually it was decided to keep it in A, the key it is
in now). Because of that we put it aside since we had to eliminate
[songs] to make it a 50-minute album.
MLF: The live [version of the] song changed often during staging to
fit with the number. [Since] the staging and speed changed around
technically it was a more difficult song for us to do.
Its the same reason with the intermission music. Its not that the
song isnt good; its a very good song. It was actually the first
version of, Reaching Up, and of course during staging that number
changed so the music also changed. The band really loved that song;
they were disappointed when we had to [cut it]. So we said, If
youre willing to play it at intermission... So we actually moved
[the original song] to the intermission. But again, because of the
50-minute [limit] requested for the CD that was one of the songs that
was cut.
When viewing the show in Tokyo, we really loved Mirror of the Two
Worlds (the baton act) in the show, but felt is was too short. The
song is essentially the same length on the CD, and we wondered if
there was ever a consideration to lengthen the song?
MLF: The first draft [of the song] wasnt exactly like it is now.
The number was longer and was actually bigger musically [with] more
orchestra and choir, it was a very big number. In staging it was
reduced and compressed and the staging was changed. For the
soundtrack we also wanted to put Mirror (the song that plays at the
start of the show) onto it. So thats why we wanted to keep that
particular [song at the length it is in the show].
A fan has noted that the beginning of Birth of the Sky has some
talking and singing in the show (after Johanna Lillviks initial vocal
solo) that is missing on the CD.
MLF: During the live show shes actually talking to the bungee
people around her; she is basically doing an improvisation, [saying]
something different every night. We didnt feel that was necessary
for the soundtrack.
ELA: [Johannas talking] wasnt written for the soundtrack by René.
The way you hear it on the album is the original writing. We
[realize] that the show lasts many years and over those years you can
have new [singer] interpretations coming into the show; everybody adds
a bit of [themselves]. But we are the guardians of the original
ideas. And that was the way it was written and intended, so thats
why its the way it is [on the CD] now.
Another fan has noted there is a drumbeat throughout First
Incantation that has a rhythm exactly like drums at the beginning of
O Makunde from the KÀ CD. How did this drum rhythm and sound get
into both scores?
MLF: This is the first time Ive heard about that. Ella, René and I
programmed both of the soundtracks so sometimes there can be some
[similar] elements and flavors that we use. To be honest I dont
think its the same; it might be a rhythm thats close but Id have to
listen to it.
Mr. Ferguson says in the liner notes for KÀ, This disk has its
origins in the show but is both a reflection and an extension of the
show. How do soundtracks extend a show?
MLF: One of the things about Cirque is that these shows last for a
very long time. Longer than most Broadway or other shows; like
Holiday on Ice is maybe three or four years, but not fifteen. So in
the soundtrack process we want to make it timeless. I remember for KÀ
that since its a permanent show in Vegas we wanted the soundtrack to
be as timeless as possible. Thats why we went to record the strings
at Paramount [Studios]. Thats why its an extension of the show,
because we used more programming for the live version and live strings
for the soundtrack.
Ms. Allaire and Mr. Ferguson sang on the demo mock-ups of the music
used in the creation process. In fact, Ms. Allaires voice can be
heard on pre-recorded tracks that are played back during the live
show! Though creation singers Johanna Lillvik and Kevin Faraci sing
throughout the live show and the majority of the soundtrack album,
there are three exceptions. In the case of Vaneyou Mi Le Ms.
Allaire handles the vocal.
ELA: Vaneyou Mi Le is [actually] an Abraka (AH-bruh-kuh) number.
In the story of ZED you have the people from the sky and the people
from the Earth. The people from the sky have these ethereal, very
high voices. And [the people] from the earth have a more guttural
[sound]. The voice I use to sing on Vaneyou Mi Le is more of
someone from the Earth or from the deep world; more related to
Abrakas world, not the sky world.
After recording, mixing, and editing the CD to a running time of 51
and a half minutes it was presented to Cirque. The feedback from
Alain Vinet was interesting.
ELA: When the album was finished he really enjoyed it, most of his
comments were extremely positive. The only thing he asked was maybe
an extra song.
MLF: We had submitted the album and Alain asked us to [go back and]
put Kernoons Fire on. So we discussed it with René. In the show
Kernoon is a separate character.
ELA: Originally Kernoon was supposed to be sung by a third singer
because its a different character. For instance Kevin plays Abraka.
Kernoon (kur-NOON) is a creature of the deep Earth. And Noit (nu-
WEET) is a creature of the sky. When Alain asked us [for the song]
the album and all the recording sessions with the Tokyo crew were
finished. So we needed a solution for a vocal, respecting our budget
and timeframe. And for many years Martin has been singing Renés
pieces because René is very fond of Martins voice. I think Martin
has a great voice. Since it was last minute and we were very close to
the deadline [it was] a natural decision. [Especially] since [Kernoon
is] a different character. So we didnt feel it would soften the
score or the story of the show.
Other Endeavors
---------------
The trio of Dupéré, Ferguson and Allaire work together under the
banner Creations Netza. (www.creationsnetza.com). (Netza is the
name of one of the three male Sephiroth or emanations through which
God reveals himself, from the teachings of Kaballah.)
MLF: It was a suggestion from Renés wife (Élise Velle) who was
studying the Kabal at the time. Not the religion, she was just
interested in the Kabal. We wanted to have an original name, and
naturally we went to Netza.
Their work includes a number of projects outside Cirque. One of the
more intriguing is something called Sonic Elixer, of which they have
released two volumes on AMP Music.
MLF: Ella and I do film work more and more now. The APM collection
is a collection of [musical] cues that are used in film, television
and commercials. Were actually releasing three new CDs that are
going to be part of the Composer Collection. Its more and more an
integral part of whats happening on the LA/Hollywood scene, to have
film cues that are different.
ELA: Its more of a Hollywood guideline type of music - big scores,
big production. Its not [available to] the public; its only open
for the industry to license for their purposes.
Another outside project of which they are particularly proud is the
soundtrack for the Holiday on Ice show, Energia (touring Germany
through March, 2010). Ms. Allaire composed five tracks for the show,
Mr. Dupéré four and Mr. Ferguson three. The recording of the
soundtrack was a career highlight.
ELA: The recording of 100+ musicians at Air Studio that we did for
Energia [was such a highlight]. Working with (Chief Sound Engineer)
Geoff Foster, hearing your music being played by such a large
orchestra was such a blast it was indescribable.
MLF: That was something we did last year. Usually orchestras and
choirs are [recorded] separately and layered on. For Energia we had
140 people [playing at one time]. We did some layerings but most of
it was done in one day. That was certainly one of the great climaxes
of our career.
Their next Cirque du Soleil project is already in the works, a
resident show in Dubai. When can we expect to hear that music?
ELA: Thats a good question that we dont have an answer to at the
moment. There is some delay because of the world economic situation.
We know that in December [2009] theyre either supposed to fix a date
or get more [information] on when [it will debut]. We dont have an
answer unfortunately but its definitely on.
MLF: We are working on it together with René. We did about a half-
hour mock-up that was presented and everybodys happy. Its a bit
like ZED because since we are involved much earlier in the process we
have the time to make it work. It was scheduled to open in 2011 but
I believe it will be sometime in 2012.
ELA: The music is a totally different world, but we wont say too
much. Its going to be a great show!
When we interviewed René Dupéré (See Fascination issues #46 and #47)
he said of Mr. Ferguson: He's a fantastic mixer; hes been working
with Pro Tools since he was a kid. He makes the sound bigger than I
would have been able to. How does he make things sound bigger?
MLF: Ive been doing mixing and producing for more than 20 years.
And Ive always had a natural feel for doing bigger productions.
There are different aspects to it. Theres what we call layering that
we use a lot; we add different layers of sound and textures. And
there are lots of mixing tricks.
ELA: He cant tell you them all, its part of the secret recipe!
(Laughs) The show [ZED] was amazing and huge, so it needed an amazing
soundtrack.
Finally, as our time was once again winding down we asked, as we
always do when we talk to Cirque creatives, what words of wisdom do
they have for young artists?
MLF: I think one of the magical things about Cirque [music] is that
it has a whole bunch of styles. Its not [confined] to just pop or
rock or classical, its a bridge to multiple types of music. For us
its always been very natural to be open to all genres, from rap to
classical to country to film music to pop to rock. So we encourage
writers and composers to always be open to other genres. Theres some
good stuff in country music even if youre a dance composer.
ELA: Magic often happens with unexpected elements. For example
someone may not have any music training but [may] have a natural feel
for it. Or you might have someone whos classically trained but needs
to loosen up some of their habits sometimes. Or world musicians we
had a fantastic ehru player on the Energia show who had totally
different notation. All these things make you learn more about music.
I talk about that a lot; we learn more every day about music and how
to use [different] elements to make it more expressive, and to meet
the directors view.
Every decision we make in our process we try to make with all the
honesty and creativity and emotion that we think the work is going to
bring to the people. We always keep that as a guideline, to always to
do as good as we can.
Put your prejudices aside. Be as creative as you can. Go for your
passion and find your personal sound.
My sincere thanks go to: Mr. Ferguson and Ms. Allaire, for so
graciously spending time with us; Lise Dubois, Corporate Alliances
Coordinator; Marie-Noëlle Caron Public Relations Information Agent;
and my wife LouAnna for putting up with my sometimes obsessive hobby.
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 10, Number 1 (Issue #72) - January 2010
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c)
2001-2010 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
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infringement intended.
{ Jan.11.2010 }
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