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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 9, NUMBER 6 SEPTEMBER 2009 ISSUE #68e
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Bonjour et bienvenue! Greetings and welcome to another addition of
Fascination!, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter.
Once again I'm broadcasting to you from Downtown Orlando. Life's
changes has prompted me to give up my Cirque pad in beautiful
Celebration, Florida (the town that Disney built), which I habited
for just a little over a year, but changes all with progress in mind.
Our good friend Steve Long checks in with us this month with two
articles about his recent trip to Japan. While in the Land of the
Rising Sun he caught Corteo on tour and even had some time to see
ZED once or twice more. His reflections and reviews of the
experiences he had with the two shows are within.
This month 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, so
don't miss our "OUTREACH" section.
And...
Interested in joining like-minded passionates of Cirque du Soleil
on a group trip? If so, join us at CirqueCon 2009 in Monterrey
from September 24th through September 27th for Cirque du Soleil's
Dralion! While the sign-up for the majority of the excursions has
closed, you can still join the group at the show! Check out
CirqueCon 2009 at their website: http://www.cirquecon.com.
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
===========
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 Twitter, Facebook & MySpace
o) Compartments -- A Peek Behind the Curtain
* Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque
* Historia -- Cirque du Soleil's History
o) Fascination! Features
*) "Corteo in Japan"
By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
*) "ZED, Again!"
By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
o) Next Issue
o) Parting Quote
o) Subscription Information
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
LIFE does Cirque's Freakiest Acts!
{Aug.03.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
LIFE Magazine has published 27 photos of Cirque du Soleil's
Most Freakiest acts on its website. Check them out!
< http://www.life.com/image/first/in-gallery/31682/cirque-du-
soleils-freakiest-acts >
{SOURCE: LIFE, CirqueClub}
Cirque in Hollywood [EXPANDED]
{Aug.04.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
The LA Times today discusses bringing Cirque du Soleil to the
Kodak Theater in Hollywood, wondering if the idea to do so was a
good one considering Cirque celebrated its 25th anniversary in
June and plans to open ELVIS in Las Vegas by year's end. They
ask, hasn't everyone seen at least one Cirque show by now? The
answer...
* * *
Before the Cirque du Soleil performers pranced onto the outdoor
stage in the sweltering heat Sunday, bushels of ice cubes were
flung across the wooden floor to cool the surface for the hands
and feet of dancers. A crowd of hundreds, hot but patiently
watching at the Grove shopping center, cheered as if this safety
step was part of the show.
Onstage, Sebastien Coin, encased in a yellow striped unitard,
balanced his body horizontally on one hand and languidly eyed
his rapt audience.
As dazzling as the acrobatics was the troupe's ability not to
sweat. But then, the entire Cirque du Soleil organization seems
not to be sweating anything in Los Angeles -- particularly its
ambitious plan to create a show, install it permanently in the
Kodak Theatre and present it at least 368 times a year.
Of course Cirque du Soleil's billionaire founder, Guy Laliberte,
has made a habit of taking chances -- one of his biggest ones
being his trip here with his then-fledgling group in 1987 to
perform when he had no money to get back to Canada if the show
bombed. (It didn't). Now, the company has 19 shows -- nine of
them permanent -- and tours the world. Laliberte, who is
training in Russia to ride on a Soyuz spacecraft next month, is
also well-known for his high-stakes poker playing in Las Vegas.
Blogs gossip about his supposed hefty losses. "He's never ever
mentioned how much he's lost," said Cirque representative Renee-
Claude Menard. "He's a risk-taker."
And so, it appears, is the city of Los Angeles. The plan to
bring Cirque du Soleil here would require the city to approve a
$30-million loan to the owners of the Hollywood & Highland
shopping center where the Kodak -- best-known as the home of the
Academy Awards show -- is located. The theater would have to be
retrofitted for Cirque du Soleil. The money comes from a $350-
million federal fund for the city to use on economic
development. CIM Group, the company that owns the shopping
complex, says the installation of the show would create 858 jobs
at Hollywood & Highland in retail, restaurants and
entertainment.
In addition to the city's loan, CIM would contribute $20 million
to the project and Cirque du Soleil would put in $50 million.
The City Council is expected to vote to approve the loan today.
Council President Eric Garcetti -- whose district includes the
shopping center -- has said the show would be a magnet for
tourists.
Councilman Dennis Zine has been the lone critic on the council,
saying initially last week when he first found out about the
project that he was concerned about concentrating the $30
million on one venture.
"Since then, we've done some research," said Zine, noting that
his staff is trying to find out how well the six different and
permanent Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas are selling. Zine
said he still would probably not vote to approve it -- if he
attends the council meeting at all. A reserve police officer, he
is scheduled for mandatory training today. But, he added about
the project, "I am softening on it."
Zine said he was glad to know that CIM and Cirque du Soleil were
contributing money to the project. "Would they invest $50
million of their own money if they thought it was going to
fail?" asked the councilman, who said he has seen two Cirque du
Soleil shows. He wondered if Cirque will be a big draw here. "I
imagine if they're going to put $50 million in it, they're going
to make it a big draw."
But hasn't everyone everywhere seen at least one incarnation of
Cirque du Soleil, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary and
plans a seventh permanent show in Las Vegas at the end of the
year?
It doesn't matter, says James Hadley, senior artistic director
for Cirque's North American shows. "Our biggest challenge is not
about diluting the brand," Hadley said as he stood in the shade
watching his performers go onstage at the Grove. "It's letting
people know each show is different. People see Cirque du Soleil
once and think, 'Well, I can cross that off my list.' One of the
reasons we came to the Grove is to show how different each show
is." On Sunday afternoon, performers from each of the six Vegas
shows performed an excerpt from their shows.
The Kodak Theatre show would be new and centered on a history of
the movies -- as befits the Hollywood location. And referring to
the legendary story of Laliberte's gamble on Los Angeles in
1987, he said, "now to come back to Los Angeles is just a
wonderful way to complete the circle."
"A lot of the performers in our show are from Los Angeles," said
Eric Newton, who plays the cartoonishly fat usher from the
Cirque show "Criss Angel Believe." "I'm from Los Angeles . . .
Hollywood & Highland has fun stuff. But there's nothing this
grand in a place that should have something this grand."
Q&A Session with Cast & Crew of OVO
{Aug.05.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
Are you a member of CirqueClub? Purchase your tickets to the
November 28, 2009 8:00 p.m. performance of OVO in San Francisco
and participate in an exceptional "Question & Answer" session
with the cast and crew of the show - a privilege exclusively
reserved for Cirque Club members!
For more information:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/ovo/tickets/san-
francisco/offers.aspx >
{SOURCE: CirqueClub}
ELVIS Cast Arrives! [EXPANDED]
{Aug.09.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
Norm Clark from the Las Vegas Review-Journal took a moment today
to welcome the cast members of Cirque du Soleil's newest
production -ELVIS - into town!
# # #
The next incarnation of Elvis arrived in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Twenty-two of the 75 cast members of Cirque du Soleil's new
Elvis show received a "Viva Las Vegas" welcome at McCarran's
international terminal after a flight from Montreal, Cirque's
headquarters.
Dressed in street clothes, members of the troupe were coming
down an escalator near the baggage area when they heard the
surprise greeting: a serenade of the theme song from Elvis' 1964
film by more than a dozen colorful characters from "Mystere,"
"Ka" and "Criss Angel Believe," three of Cirque's six shows in
Las Vegas.
The new arrivals will have three weeks to find a place to settle
before resuming rehearsals. The remaining cast members will
arrive over the next couple of days, including an Elvis actor
who went to Memphis this weekend for Elvis Week.
Among the arrivals was dancer-actor Chris Houston, who is no
stranger to Las Vegas.
Scotland-born Houston, 31, was a dancer in Celine Dion's show at
Caesars Palace and joined her world tour after she left Las
Vegas in late 2007.
When he isn't dancing he will play Vernon Presley, Elvis'
father.
"I'm going from the queen of Montreal to the king of rock and
roll," Houston said.
Production manager Mike Anderson said fans will feel Elvis'
presence in the CityCenter theater. The show, directed by former
Michael Jackson choreographer Vince Patterson, will feature
dancers, acrobats, "a killer band and a lot of guitar elements,"
Anderson said.
Priscilla Presley, who married Elvis in Las Vegas in 1967, was
among a VIP group that got a preview of the show last Wednesday.
Also attending was CityCenter boss Bobby Baldwin and Robert
Sillerman, who purchased 85 percent of Elvis Presley Enterprises
in 2004 for $114 million.
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal}
Columbus Dispatch Reviews Saltimbanco [EXPANDED]
{Aug.13.2009}
------------------------------------------------
Acrobatics, artistry shine in Cirque du Soleil show - Cirque du
Soleil sustains its high level of artistry, acrobatics and
exotic showmanship with Saltimbanco, an arena-style touring show
that generates as much joy and awe from solo spotlights as epic
ensemble acts.
A lighthearted and family-friendly variation on the successful
Cirque formula that central Ohio has enjoyed with previous tent
tours of Dralion, Varekai and Corteo, Saltimbanco opened
yesterday to whoops of laughter, astonishment, appreciation and
applause in Nationwide Arena.
Of the larger acts, the most thrilling are the Chinese Poles, in
which performers balance and twist at impossible right angles
while climbing and descending symbolic skyscrapers; and the
penultimate Bungees, in which four gravity-defying performers
bring the second act to a dreamy close.
Cirque's oldest tent-touring favorite, conceived by Franco
Dragone in 1992, was adapted two years ago to fit the arena
format, so it's no surprise that some moments make deft use of
the arena's height and breadth.
Yet unexpectedly, Saltimbanco is even more theatrical in the
charming ways it achieves relative intimacy through crowd-
pleasing solo acts and inventive duets.
Ivan Do-Duc performs an incredible balancing act on the bicycle
with saucy twists and limber reversals. Terry Velasquex juggles
balls with an accelerating drama that seems to approach the
intensity of a strobe light. Adriana Pegueroles and Eduardo
Rodriguez give a stylish nod to Spanish dancing as they whip
boleadoras around first in a seductive courtship of
counterpoint, then in close accord.
Ruslana and Taisiya Bazalii generate beauty as well as a few
audience gasps in a graceful duo trapeze act. Spiderman might
wonder how the lithe women manage to stay in the air and stay
connected, sometimes with only interlocked feet or arms to keep
them from falling. Gabor Czivisz and Andrey Zhadan demonstrate
singular strength, balance and mutual support in a carefully
choreographed and stately Hand to Hand, which becomes an
athletic and masculine pas de deux.
The clowns are especially amusing with their parodic movements
and snap-crackle-popping sound effects. Veteran Cirque fans,
though, will come to the conclusion pretty quickly that some of
the most crowd-pleasing audience interactions involve deftly
structured and teasing deceptions.
In the opening Adagio, Anna Kachalova, Viktoriya Zherdyeva and
Dmitri Shvidki help establish the atmosphere of balletic beauty,
colorful personality and almost sensuous dexterity that makes
Saltimbanco a feast for the eyes.
The show is a feast for the ears, too, which might be even more
remarkable. While many Cirque shows are weakened by gibberish
that passes for lyrics and even more by mushy, synthetic Euro-
pop scores, Saltimbanco transforms a common area of weakness
into a strength.
The catchy rhythms and lovely melodies embrace rock, jazz and
other recognizable musical genres to give fresh support to the
usual ethereal singing and playful dancing. Quite rightly, the
four-member band is given pride of place at center stage, just
above and behind the main performing circle.
As for Saltimbanco's advertised theme of evolving city
creatures, it's hard to spot, aside from a few crawling "worms."
Not that it really matters: The loose themes of Cirque shows are
really just symbolic scaffolding for the brilliant performers
whose incredible talent brings the otherworldly landscapes to
life.
At yesterday's opening, only one obvious attempt at an athletic
feat failed during the otherwise well-synchronized and
rambunctious Russian Swing act. Such a rare mishap reminds
viewers that the members of the renowned French-Canadian art-
circus are so highly trained that they can make what they do
look like fun and sometimes, almost make it look easy.
But it's not.
{SOURCE: Columbus Dispatch}
Send in the Clowns! [EXPANDED]
{Aug.14.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
The U.S. Womens Olympic gymnastic team didnt earn a gold medal
in 1996 simply because Kerri Strug landed a vault with a
sprained ankle.
Nor did John Elway win two Super Bowls for the Broncos all by
himself.
Its teamwork that makes magic happen. The spotlight might be on
one or two key players, but it takes a dedicated group to create
something so beautiful the crowds cheer.
And anyone who has seen the wonder sometimes bizarre, always
awe-inspiring that is Cirque du Soleil will grasp that
concept. Teamwork is the essence of the show.
Kooza, the seventh Cirque traveling show to visit Denver, will
entertain audiences under a classic circus tent on the Pepsi
Center grounds Aug. 20 through Sept. 27.
Whats amazing is that we draw performers from all over the
world and they learn to trust each other, says choreographer
Clarence Ford, 52. Kooza is going back to what the classic
circus is all about, acrobatics and clowning.
What you wont find in this classic circus is a single lion,
tiger or bear. And look all you want, there is no elephant in
the room. Its all about athletic people. Flexible, powerful,
courageous, hilarious people, says Luc Tremblay, senior artistic
director with Cirque.
Like the performers youll see in Denver and the people behind
the scenes, Kooza reflects many nationalities. The very name
of the show is based on an Indian word.
It means box or small chest. Its a circus contained in a small
box, says Tremblay, in a phone conversation from his home base
in Montreal.
As in many a good story, you will be introduced to a melancholy
loner, an ephemeral character who plays puppet-master to others,
and, of course, a comedic force in numbers, guaranteed to
delight everyone from child to senior citizen the clowns.
A little warning? Expect them to be literally in your face.
Theyre the ones who really interact with the audience, says
Tremblay, a 53-year-old dancer and choreographer. The director
(David Shiner) was a clown, and hes dedicated to bringing a
love of clowning and humor to our show.
The clowns arent aggressive, but theyre rowdy and
outrageous, he says, then bursts out laughing, as if recalling
their antics. Everyone relates to them. Adults love them as
much as kids.
When its not laughing, its likely the audience will be a bit
tense, hoping the slender soul tossed high up by his partner
wont land with a thud feet away from the stage. Fear not,
audience. This Cirque troupe a team of dancers, gymnasts and
acrobats who will balance, bend and whirl for you has
practiced long and hard. It takes about two years from the start
to get a Cirque show on the road.
The high wire, the wheel of death? says choreographer Ford,
who has worked with everyone from musicians to figure skating
champions. I can guarantee, they will have people on the edge
of their seats.
Tremblay, the artistic director, echoes the statement.
We make people realize the extent of what the human body can
do, he says.
On an elaborate set, youll see more than 50 performers from 14
countries perform such feats as balancing on a 23-foot tower of
chairs; crossing twin high wires above the stage; juggling
balls, hoops and clubs; and flying into the air 30 feet above
the stage from a teeterboard. The trapeze artists will have you
scoffing at the routine circus acts of old.
Theres a focus on acrobatic acts, and thats the premise of
the show, Tremblay says. But its also important to us to have
emotion conveyed by the artists, so its not only pure
movement.
The show, he says, explores themes of fear, power and identity.
Cirque fans will appreciate another group of pros behind the
scenes: the set designers who create a stage, a Bataclan so
realistic, youll forget youre sitting in a tent that took 11
days to set up. Visit the show, and youll be transported from
the heart of the Mile High City to a magical town square in
Montreal. The artists who create the costumes and paint faces
that would make Picasso jealous conjure a wonderland of
colorful, exotic creatures.
Cirque is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and
Tremblay says its founder, Guy Laliberte, is still very much in
the scene.
He selects the director, and comes from time to time to each
production, Tremblay says. He wants to make sure the show
reflects his philosophy. He wants to be entertained and moved.
This show is back to the basics. Its what he intended.
{SOURCE: Denver Post}
Cirque du Soleil and MJ?
{Aug.15.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
MONTREAL - A spokeswoman for the Cirque du soleil says the
internationally renowned troupe and pop icon Michael Jackson
discussed working together last year. Renee-Claude Menard says
representatives for Jackson and the circus met last fall about
doing a show that would star Jackson, who died June 25. But the
idea didn't go anywhere, Menard added.
Rumours of the collaboration resurfaced amid U.S. media reports
there were plans to move the Neverland ranch to Las Vegas where
a museum and theatre would be built in the singer's memory.
American media report that Jackson considered mounting a show
similar to the Cirque tribute to the Beatles. Jackson visited
the Cirque's Montreal headquarters in 2003 and met with
president Daniel Lamarre.
{SOURCE: Calgary Sun}
The Cirque du Soleil Also Rises [EXPANDED]
{Aug.16.2009}
----------------------------------------------------
Running Away to join the circus is something Quebecs favorite
export has always encouraged. A pilot project mines the ideas of
young designers and engineers who visualize the future in fresh,
new ways. One couldnt come up with more of a win-win scenario.
The Cirque du Soleil, arguably Quebecs most famously creative
export, working with a group of Quebec educational institutions
to promote innovation in design. They do it through the Cirques
Centre for Research and Innovation of Performance, CRIP, which
focuses on the development of equipment environment and
physical and acrobatic performance. What better subject matter
for industrial design students across the province?
So far, in this pilot project set up in May 2008, the Cirque has
worked with more than 125 students from the Université de
Montréal, the Université du Québec in Montréal and Abitibi-
Temiscamingue, Universite de Sherbrooke, the École polytechnique
de Montréal, École de technologie supérieure and the Cégep du
Vieux Montréal. For the Cirque, its an opportunity to consider
the acrobatic world through fresh, young eyes.
The young designers and engineers of tomorrow see future
acrobatic performance in a different light, visualizing it with
concepts they have grown up with, explains Bernard Petiot,
vice-president of casting and performance at the Cirque.
Students involved in this collaboration, of course, have an
opportunity to work with one of Quebecs most creative
institutions. For students, it represents a unique chance to
rub shoulders with experts and offers the possibility of doing
an internship within a stimulating, creative environment,
Petiot says.
At the Université de Montreal, students in their final year
could choose to work with the Cirque program, says Denyse Roy, a
senior industrial design professor. Their last project lasts a
full year, and they have a choice of programs in which to
register when they arrive in September, she says. Four of them
signed up with the Cirque du Soleil.
Roy can find graduates from her U de M classes at Bombardier,
Renault and well-known industrial design offices in China and
other parts of the world. One of the graduates of the program is
CRIP director Garry Savage.He had different mandates, Roy
says, and ours was to rethink the acrobatic equipment in a
vision of 2025, to stay on a mechanical level, not to go into
electronics.
The four students did their basic research in the fall and wrote
reports on five concepts, Roy says. Finally, they created two
usable prototypes and two mock-ups. Those were big pieces of
equipment. For instance, student Bianca Lee Vaillancourt has
done a huge double ring, nine feet high with a stable
trampoline. The double wheel rolls around and the trampoline
remains horizontal. We did a mock up for that one, and for
another, by student Mireille Houle, where the trampoline is
suspended from the ceiling.
One of the prototypes, by student Marc-André Labelle, was a
stick with which you can do juggling and when you put it on the
ground, it can make a foot, and the athlete can stand or walk
with it. Student Alexe G. Séguin-Carrier created a project
called toy, something halfway between a chair and a scaffold.
Not only did the students have a chance to describe their
projects on the universitys website, but when the projects were
unveiled in April, 1,500 people came to see them. This project
is really to encourage the ongoing emergence of new ideas and
its a stimulating challenge for the students, Savage says.
Honestly, I have to tell you that normally when the Cirque
presents a project, the problem is not to find someone to do it,
its to choose the right one.
Whats especially interesting, he points out, is that the Cirque
does not operate like a manufacturing company. We produce shows,
and from there we have to develop new acrobatic equipment and
theres no need to use a specific methodology. We work with the
artist, with the human capacity, and for that we have to develop
specific equipment.
At the Cirque, there is a long process from conception to
creation, Savage says. We know that these ideas will change so
much from the beginning to the end, which could be a few years,
depending on the equipment. We have a fantastic platform to help
those students push their creativity. Theres ample supply of
great ideas among students, he believes. What I notice in
students is that theyre so creative, its incredible, Im
always surprised about the creativity they have. Its just
marvelous to see that, he says.
Maybe their creative ideas cant be turned into reality by
Cirque designers, but they are challenged nevertheless by the
process of innovation, Savage says. Its really an open
process, not just under one person. You have to have a lot of
exchange. So the main objective isnt to build the designs, he
says, although that remains a possibility. Rather, the main
point of the exercise is to create a platform to exchange, to be
open about innovation. We already have internships, and from
this program a lot of things can happen.
The Cirque du Soleil takes its role as a creator of opportunity
in innovation very seriously, Savage says. They offer prizes for
innovation. They have been generous, Roy acknowledges. The
Cirque du Soleil is an industry of shows, the culture is
invention, beauty, creativity and fantasy, which is very rare.
Nevertheless, it is an industry, one in which the students can
strive to work, once their ideas move from the intangible and
pedagogical to reality. They have to follow the entire process,
from initial research to real prototype, Roy says, and finally
they arrive at the exhibition. In those cases, they have learned
a lot and learned to deal with that kind of client, who is very
atypical.
The various institutions with which the Cirque collaborates
offer added creative dimensions, Savage says. For instance, the
École polytechnique students can use engineering to work on
something creative and different. And the universities they have
begun discussion with will add another dimension: McGill
Universitys engineering school and Concordias multimedia
department.
{SOURCE: Montreal Gazette}
ZED soundtrack revised release dates
{Aug.18.2009}
----------------------------------------------------
Thanks to a kind source inside Cirque, we've just been made
aware of the revised release dates for the ZED soundtrack
(composed by René Dupéré) and the Canadian release for ZAIA
(composed by Violaine Corradi). We had been told August 25, but
that was put on hold. Here are the new dates!
U.S. - Already enjoying the ZAIA soundtrack, US fans will be the
first to hear the brilliant music of the Tokyo resident show, as
ZED will be released to the United States first on October 13,
2009.
CANADA - ZAIA fans have been waiting patiently but will be
richly rewarded on October 20, 2009. But you'll have to wait for
ZED, which will be released in Canada on December 8, 2009.
Behind the Scenes @ Koozå [EXPANDED]
{Aug.20.2009}
----------------------------------------------------
It started with a group of 20 street performers in a small town
near Quebec City in Canada called Baie-Saint-Paul. Today, there
are over 4,000 employees from 40 different countries that work
for Cirque Du Soleil. Cirque has grown tremendously since its
humble beginnings in 1984, and on Friday, August 21st the newest
touring show, Kooza, opens in Denver.
Youve most likely seen the giant blue and yellow tents that
fill up the Pepsi Center parking lot, and hopefully youve
already purchased your tickets, because Cirque shows tend to
sell out. I was lucky enough to get a chance to go backstage
during a rehearsal for their upcoming show, and I am now very
excited to give the Examiner.com readers a chance to go behind
the scenes at Cirque du Soleil.
It is an interesting blend between traditional circus tents and
high-tech wizardry, when you enter the big top. All around,
workers were very busy making sure everything was set up, safe,
and tested. In the center, some of the performers were in
rehearsal, fresh off the plane and ready to start their next leg
of the tour. Ganjuur Boldbaatar, one of the performers from
Mongolia took a few minutes to chat with me. He is a 3rd
generation circus performer, his grandfather and his father both
were circus performers before him, and now he is in his 6th year
with Cirque Du Soleil. This was is his first time in Denver, and
he is very excited to open this weekend. We have such a great
show. Every city people have different responses and emotions,
but our show is really rock and roll. We have such great acts.
Well, Ive never seen it because Im in it, but I believe it
because Ive seen the audiences reaction. They are always
standing up and screaming so loud. I think Denver is going to
have a really good time with this show.
There is something quite beautiful about people from so many
different countries coming together and performing for the same
goal. The Cirque mission is to invoke the imagination, provoke
the senses and evoke the emotions of people around the world.
This mission seems to be carried through by every person that I
saw working that day, and something that Boldbaatar agreed with
as well, We represent 17 different nationalities within Kooza
under the Big Top. We do this beautiful thing and as an artist I
get to work with all different kinds of professional people and
see different cities and countries. I meet new people and see
new cultures. Im very lucky that this is my job.
Of course it isnt just the performers that infuse Cirque with
all of this beauty and energy. Every detail from the lighting to
the set to the costumes is designed and carefully crafted by
artists with a similar goal. The costumes, designed by Marie-
Chantale Vaillancourt, are inspired by many different things.
According to a press release from Cirque Du Soleil, she takes
her inspiration from graphic novels, Mad max movies, the painter
Klimt, time travel movies, India, and Eastern Europe. With all
of the rapid costume changes in the show, she even researched
the quick-change techniques of magicians to create her own stage
magic. The challenge, Vaillancourt says, was not so much the
quick change itself as the fact that the artists are performing
acrobatics and forming into a human pyramid at the same time as
the transformation and they can use only their thumbs to pull
off the trick. There are more than 175 costumes and 160 hats in
the show, the design elements will astound the audience. They
include fiber optics and LEDs molded in translucent resin to
diffuse the light. The skeleton costumes are even specially
designed so that when the performers hit them against each
other, they create a musical rhythm. Where else will you find
all of this in just one show?
Cirque Du Soleil has been here a few times before, and theyve
always been welcomed with open arms. Denver is a city that has a
growing arts community and a growing reputation for excellence
in the arts, so it is only natural that a huge touring company
like Cirque would be back. Kooza is here through September 27th,
so be sure to get your tickets right away while you still can.
{SOURCE: Denver Theater Examiner}
New "Yellow Submarine" in 3-D?
{Aug.20.2009}
----------------------------------------------------
A number of entertainment sources are reporting this morning
that Walt Disney Entertainment and Director Robert Zemeckis are
in negotiations to remake the psychedelic 1960's toon "Yellow
Submarine", starring The Beatles:
# # #
Disney and Robert Zemeckis are looking to catch the wave of
Beatlemania, floating a new 3-D "Yellow Submarine" for the
big-screen, with merchandising in tow and prospects for spinning
off both a Broadway musical and a Cirque du Soleil stage
production.
Disney hopes to have the film ready to premiere around the 2012
Summer Olympics. The deal has been months in the making, with
armies of Blue Meanies - er, lawyers - sorting out the
complicated rights clearances necessary to remake the 1968
psychedelic toon.
Key to the deal is Zemeckis access to 16 classic Beatles tunes,
ranging from the title song to Baby Youre a Rich Man, All
You Need Is Love, When Im 64, Lucy in the Sky With
Diamonds and Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Zemeckis plans to use the 3-D performance-capture format he
utilized on the upcoming A Christmas Carol, in which Jim
Carrey plays Scrooge as well as the ghosts that haunt him. His
ImageMovers banner would produce.
Though the Beatles broke up in 1970, interest in their music has
remained high, as reflected in such recent projects as Julie
Taymors Across the Universe pic and Cirque du Soleils Love
production in Las Vegas. September will bring a flurry of
remastered Beatles albums and the release of vidgame The
Beatles: Rock Band, which incorporates some 45 of the bands
songs.
The storyline of the original Yellow Submarine, directed by
George Dunning, was set in Pepperland, an undersea paradise
protected by Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. When the
band is captured by the music-hating Blue Meanies, a soldier is
sent to Liverpool to fetch the Fab Four, who hop in the
submarine and save the day.
The Beatles appeared only in the films closing live-action
scene. Actors provided the voices for the animated incarnations
of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
After months of legal music rights wrangling, Robert Zemeckis
has won the battle for Pepperland - he can make a new version of
Yellow Submarine.
It'll come as no surprise that he's planning to give it a fully
3D, performance capture-based makeover, and with the backing of
Disney, he plans to have it finished for summer 2012.
Zemeckis has access to some 16 Beatles tunes, including 'All You
Need Is Love', 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' and 'Sgt Pepper's
Lonely Heart's Club Band'.
It's not known how much of the original, psychedelic plot -
which saw music-loathing Blue Meanies capture Pepper and his
musical team, with the Fab Four coming to the rescue in the
titular craft - will be maintained for the new pic.
Because this is the Mouse House, it's naturally not happening in
a vacuum - the plan is to spin the new movie off into the likes
of a Broadway musical and a Cirque du Soleil show...
{SOURCE: Variety}
ZAiA Celebrates One Year Anniversary!
{Aug.21.2009}
----------------------------------------------------
You can join the cast of ZAiA in celebration of its 1st
anniversary on Friday, August 28 at The Venetian in Macao, Cotai
Strip. The evening begins with a pre-show cocktail, where you
are invited to come face-to-face with the Cirque du Soleil
performers themselves!
Then, you can watch the spectacular special first anniversary
performance. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
see Cirque du Soleil both on and off the stage!
For more information:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/zaia/ >
Chris Pierce, Koozå Chef [EXPEDIA]
{Aug.27.2009}
----------------------------------------------------
Recently the Denver Cooking Examiner took a few moments to sit
down with Koozå Chef Chris Pierce. So, how many calories does a
Cirque du Soleil artist need?
* * *
To get ready to see Kooza, not as in the show, but the Kooza
kitchen I got in Cirque du Soleil mode with a little help from
makeup artist Laura Bisio over at MAC in the Cherry Creek mall.
As Cirque du Soleils writer and director, David Shiner says
about Kooza, the latest production now on tour at the Pepsi
Center Grounds, The tone is funny, light, and open.
And after meeting with Chef Chris Pierce who travels across
country to keep the performers and crew well nourished, Id say
the same thing about him. Pierce is funny, he keeps their meals
light, and he openly welcomed me into their large mobile kitchen
to share what is on the healthy menu.
Chef Pierces response to how many calories a day the artists
need, It varies for each performer, but they do eat a lot. And
looking across the prep tables, Id say he was right. Yet the
quantity equals quality. Tables were lined with salad stations,
fresh fish, and lean cuts of organic meat. He said they go
through 15 pounds of fish a day and 20 pounds of red meat a day.
When asked if they can have dessert? Yes, they can. They mostly
crave heart healthy dark chocolates.
Pierce, previously a chef in Boulders Q's restaurant is glad to
be back working in Colorado due to the abundance of farmers
markets and organic farms. Next stop, Santa Monica where he
already is planning to have a man on foot scouting ahead before
they get there for the freshest of produce, fish, and meat.
I asked if he had any special secret foods that would allow us
Kooza fans to contort into such limber positions. His response,
No, thats hard work and genetics.
Come taste for yourself, as the show runs through September 27.
Bon appétit to the chef of the acrobats!
{SOURCE: Examiner.com}
Update: Cosmonaut Laliberté [EXPANDED]
{Aug.27.2009}
----------------------------------------------------
Curious to know how training for Guy Laliberté's poetic mission
into space is going? Canada's Sun-Times checks in with the
Cosmonaut-in-training in Star City, Russia:
* * *
With only 33 days left before he blasts into space, Cirque du
Soleil founder Guy Laliberte is in the final intensive stages of
becoming a cosmonaut in Star City, the Russian space program's
training facility.
Since May 10, the billionaire Quebec businessman has been living
at this former military base located 32 km outside of Moscow.
Star City, more of a small town with its school, service station
and one restaurant, has been the home to the cosmonauts since
the 1960s. Fully dressed in his blue spacesuit and helmet,
Canada's first space tourist makes the trip from his apartment
to the Yuri Gargarin Training Centre every day by bicycle.
With the launch set for September 30, the training now dominates
his every waking hour.
"On average, I've slept four or five hours a night since I got
here," said the smiling 49-year-old, who still manages to look
upbeat and in shape despite the lack of shuteye.
It's no holiday in Star City. A small army of professors are in
charge of the training, running between eight and 12 hours.
Two weeks before liftoff, Laliberte and his crewmates, Russian
Federal Space Agency commander Maksim Surayev and NASA flight
engineer Jeffrey Williams, will be under strict quarantine.
On launch day, the three of them will board the Soyuz TMA-16
rocket's tiny launch module, where they will stay seated
throughout the liftoff.
Only after three hours of flight in this nine cubic metre space
will they be able to move into the next module, where the water,
food and toilets are located. The two-day voyage will end when
they dock at the International Space Station (ISS).
"About 80% of astronauts or cosmonauts take between 24 and 48
hours to adapt, and often it ends with medication (and)
injections," Laliberte said.
Once aboard, the crew will go over emergency measures one more
time before getting settled in to their busy routine in orbit.
"I'm only a visitor, so I'll probably sleep on the couch,"
Laliberte said with a laugh.
In addition to the small tasks he will be expected to perform
while on the ISS, Laliberte plans to continue filming a
documentary he's been working on and deliver a poetic message to
Earth (an ambitious project that he promises will be on a
worldwide scale).
He will also spend time taking pictures of his home planet, but
doesn't think he'll be able to beat the 85,000 photos Williams
took on his last trip.
Laliberte is slated to return to earth with two other crew
members after 12 days in orbit.
The Cirque founder, who says he paid around $35 million for the
experience, is the seventh such space tourist and will likely be
the last private visitor to the ISS for some time.
NASA will increasingly require the use of the Soyuz rockets
after they officially retire the Space Shuttle program in 2010.
{SOURCE: Owen Sound Sun-Times}
Dragone Documentary Screens in Montreal [EXPANDED]
{Aug.31.2009}
----------------------------------------------------
Franco Dragone has altered the boundaries of theatre. The
visionary creator and director behind a dozen Cirque du Soleil
productions - Saltimbanco, Mystère, Alegria, Quidam, O and La
Nouba among them - Dragone dreams in three dimensions.
Dragone brought an avant-garde element to Céline Dion's A New
Day in Vegas. He has had ballet dancers bring new meaning to
underwater erotica in La Rêve, a non-Cirque revue also staged in
Vegas.
But there is another side to the man who has had contortionists
contorting body parts never contorted before in mega-glam, mega-
budget spectacles.
Dragone feels a huge debt of gratitude to the small Belgian
working-class town that welcomed his Italian immigrant family
when he was just a kid.
Dragone's base of operations is now La Louvière, Belgium, an
area once rich in steel and coal mines, but now experiencing
hard times and high unemployment. He also seeks to bring some
world-class culture to the place by staging a surreal take on
Othello.
But while he wishes to eschew the glitz so indigenous to his
Vegas / Cirque du Soleil offerings, Dragone is no less a hard-
driving perfectionist in breathing life into Othello than he was
in O.
Though most concur Dragone is one of the most creative souls in
the universe, consensus is that he is also one of the most
complex.
Manu Bonmariage, a fellow Belgian and documentary director, had
set out to unmask and demystify the man in Looking for Dragone,
which makes its local debut Tuesday at the Montreal World Film
Festival. And he succeeds. What transpires is a fascinating,
warts-and-all peek into the inner workings of the dynamo that is
Dragone.
Bonmariage spent two months tailing Dragone, from Las Vegas to
La Louvière to Macao. The gloss of Las Vegas is much in
evidence. But it's the grit of La Louvière that stands out most.
Bonmariage is on hand from the get-go as Dragone mounts Othello,
Le Passeur in La Louvière. It's a challenge. Dragone has high
expectations from his charges. They rebel against his modernist,
Vegas-like approach. He is undaunted. Ever the taskmaster, he
brings his actors to tears in conveying his vision.
This is the sort of behind-the-scenes interplay that rarely
surfaces. But Dragone and his cast are only too willing to share
their feelings with Bonmariage, who was also the doc's
cameraman. It all makes for most compelling and instructive
viewing.
While Dragone may have strong socialist leanings, he makes no
bones about trying to inject a little capitalism into
economically depressed La Louvière. His mantra is: Profits
create investment and employment.
So while he wants to bring a little theatre to the town, he also
plans on making his Othello a financial success. Unlike most
artistic visionaries, Dragone believes culture and commerce can
co-exist - quite happily.
Dragone remains surprisingly unaffected by the excesses to which
he has been exposed in Vegas. He appears totally devoted to his
wife and young son, to whom he imparts this message: "Without
love, there is no life." It goes without saying that the same
applies to no life without dreams in the Dragone home.
Bonmariage has long been intrigued by Dragone. "He is such a
unique individual," he says, in Montreal for the doc's festival
debut. "He is a man of the people who never changed in spite of
becoming one of the biggest figures on the world stage. He had
dreams and he followed through on them. Yet he never turned his
back on his community. His concern for his fellow man far
outweighs his desire for fame and fortune." Bonmariage admits
he's in awe when perusing Dragone's CV As one of Dragone's
friends, the head of the Belgian Socialist party, mentions in
the doc: "If I were to read his resumé, we'd be here all night."
But Bonmariage feels Dragone's gift is in having brought a
little culture to the masses as well as the elite.
"There is no question that he is tough on his actors and
collaborators, but he has a vision of what he wants to create
and he won't compromise on that level," Bonmariage notes. "But
that doesn't mean he's a tyrant. He's simply a passionate man."
As is rather evident in the doc, Dragone gave Bonmariage carte
blanche in shooting.
"I was very clear with him," Bonmariage says. "I told him my
goal was not to make a movie about a saint, but rather just to
make a movie about a man. Which is precisely what he wanted,
too." Though Dragone had no say in the film's final cut,
Bonmariage screened it for him first. So how did Dragone feel
about the doc? "He told me that if he didn't like it, he would
simply say: 'Thank you and goodbye.' But that if he did like it,
we would eat fine Italian cuisine and drink champagne all night
long." Dragone must have given the flick two thumbs up. The two
ended up eating fine Italian food and knocking back the champers
all night long.
{SOURCE: Montreal Gazette}
=======================================================================
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}
o) VENUE - Arena & Seasonal Productions
{Saltimbanco, Alegría | Wintuk, Vaudeville2009}
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 >
Corteo:
Osaka, Japan -- Jul 29, 2009 to Oct 18, 2009
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:
Monterrey, Mexico -- Sep 17, 2009 to Oct 11, 2009 (*)
Guadalajara, Mexico -- Oct 22, 2009 to Nov 15, 2009 (*)
Mexico City, Mexico -- Nov 26, 2009 to Jan 17, 2010
Kooza:
Denver, CO -- Aug 20, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009
Santa Monica, CA -- Oct 16, 2009 to Dec 20, 2009
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 TBA (*)
Houston, TX -- Sep 23, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010 (*)
Miami, FL -- Nov 18, 2010 to Dec 26, 2010 (*)
Ovo:
Toronto, ON -- Sep 3, 2009 to Nov 01, 2009
San Francisco, CA -- Nov 27, 2009 to Jan 24, 2010
San Jose, CA -- Feb 4, 2010 to Mar 21, 2010
Philadelphia, PA -- Apr 8, 2010 to May 16, 2010 (*)
New York, NY -- May 27, 2010 to Jul 4, 2010 (*)
Hartford, CT -- Jul 15, 2010 to Aug 15, 2010 (*)
Boston, MA -- TBA
Washington, DC -- Oct 14, 2010 to Nov 28, 2010 (*)
Atlanta, GA -- TBA
Quidam:
Salvador, BR -- Aug 13, 2009 to Sep 6, 2009 (*)
Brasília, BR -- Sep 18, 2009 to Oct 11, 2009
Belo Horizonte, BR -- Oct 23, 2009 to Nov 22, 2009 (*)
Curitiba, BR -- Dec 4, 2009 to Dec 27, 2009 (*)
Rio de Janeiro, BR -- Jan 8, 2010 to Feb 7, 2010 (*)
Sao Paulo, BR -- Feb 26, 2010 to May 2, 2010 (*)
Porto Alegre, BR -- May 27, 2010 to Jul 11, 2010 (*)
Buenos Aiers, AR -- Jul 23, 2010 to Aug 29, 2010 (*)
Santiago, CL -- Sep 11, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010 (*)
Varekai:
Hamburg, Germany -- Aug 28, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009 (*)
Moscow, Russia -- Oct 23, 2009 to Dec 31, 2009
London, UK -- Jan 6, 2010 to Jan 24, 2010
---------------------------------
RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre
---------------------------------
NOTE: (*) Prices are in United States Dollars (USD) unless otherwise
noted.
(*) Price reflected in brackets [] is inclusive of 10% Las Vegas
Entertainment Tax where applicable, but does not include
Sales Tax.
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 -
o Saturday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm
o Sunday: 4:30pm & 7:00pm
o Monday - Wednesday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm
2009 Ticket Prices:
o Category 1: $109.00
o Category 2: $99.00
o Category 3: $95.00
o Category 4: $79.00
o Category 6: $69.00
o Category 7: $60.00 (Limited View)
2009 Dark Dates:
o September 3 - 11
o November 4
"O":
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
2009 Ticket Prices:
o Orchestra: $150.00 [$165.00]
o Loggia: $125.00 [$137.50]
o Balcony: $99.00 [$108.90]
o Limited View: $93.50 [102.85]
2009 Dark Dates:
o October 4
o December 7 - 22
La Nouba:
Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA)
Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark: Sun/Mon
Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm
2009 Ticket Prices (adults) / (child 3-9):
o Category 0: $117.00 / $94.00 (+Tax)
o Category 1: $102.00 / $82.00 (+Tax)
o Category 2: $83.00 / $67.00 (+Tax)
o Category 3: $67.00 / $54.00 (+Tax)
o Category 4: $53.00 / $43.00 (+Tax)
2009 Dark Dates:
o September 20 - 28
o November 17
Zumanity:
Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
2009 Ticket Prices (18+ Only!):
o Category 1: $135.00
o Category 2: $99.00
o Category 3: $79.00
o Category 4: $69.00
o Category 5: $69.00 (Obstructed View)
2009 Dark Dates:
o September 7 - 8
o October 19 - 21
o December 1 - 14
KÀ:
Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Fri through Tue, Dark Wed/Thu
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2009 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12):
o Category 1: $150.00 [$165.00] / $75.00 [$82.50]
o Category 2: $125.00 [$137.50] / $62.50 [$68.75]
o Category 3: $99.00 [$108.90] / $49.50 [$54.45]
o Category 4: $69.00 [$75.90] / $34.50 [$37.95]
2009 Dark Dates
o September 6 - 12
o November 10
LOVE:
Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2009 Ticket Prices:
o Lower Orchestra: $150.00 [$165.00]
o Upper Orchestra: $125.00 [137.50]
o Lower Balcony: $99.00 [$108.80]
o Middle Balcony: $93.50 [$102.85]
o Upper Balcony: $69.00 [$75.90]
2009 Dark Dates:
o September 1
o October 6 - 8
o December 1 - 16
ZAIA:
Location: Venetian, Macao (China)
Performs: Tuesday through Sunday, Dark Monday
One to Two Shows Daily -
Tuesday: 8:00pm
Wednesday: 8:00pm
Thursday - Saturday: 7:00pm & 10:00pm
Sunday: 4:00pm & 7:00pm
2008 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 0-12):
o Category 1: MOP$ 1288 / No Child
o Category 2: MOP$ 788 / MOP$ 688
o Category 3: MOP$ 588 / MOP$ 488
o Category 4: MOP$ 388 / MOP$ 288
2009 Dark Dates:
o Not Available
ZED:
Location: Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo (Japan)
Performs: Varies
One to Two Shows Daily - Showtimes vary
2009 Ticket Prices (all):
o Category 1 ("Premium"): ¥18,000
o Category 2 ("Front"): ¥15,000
o Category 3 ("Regular"): ¥9,800
o Category 4 ("Overview"): ¥7,800
2009 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.
2009 Ticket Prices (all):
o Category 1: $160.00 + Tax
o Category 2: $125.00 + Tax
o Category 3: $99.00 + Tax
o Category 4: $79.00 + Tax
o Category 5: $59.00 + Tax
2009 Dark Dates:
o September 8
o October 12 - 19
--------------------------------------
VENUE - Arena & Seasonal Productions
--------------------------------------
Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=251 >
Saltimbanco:
Stockholm, SE -- Sep 17, 2009 to Sep 20, 2009
Helsinki, FI -- Sep 23, 2009 to Sep 27, 2009
Turku, FI -- Sep 30, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009
Oslo, NO -- Oct 8, 2009 to Oct 11, 2009
Aalborg, DK -- Oct 14, 2009 to Oct 18, 2009
Copenhagen, DK -- Oct 21, 2009 to Nov 1, 2009
Gothenburg, SE -- Nov 4, 2009 to Nov 8, 2009
Mannheim, DE -- Nov 10, 2009 to Nov 14, 2009
Nice, FR -- Nov 19, 2009 to Nov 22, 2009
Rotterdam, NL -- TBA
Geneva, CH -- TBA
Barcelona, ES -- TBA
Salzburg, AT -- TBA
Strasbourg, FR -- TBA
Frankfurt, DE -- TBA
Nantes, FR -- TBA
Alegría:
Albany, NY -- Sep 2, 2009 to Sep 6, 2009
Syracuse, NY -- Sep 9, 2009 to Sep 13, 2009
Amherst, MA -- Sep 16, 2009 to Sep 20, 2009
Rochester, NY -- Sep 23, 2009 to Sep 27, 2009
State College, PA -- Sep 30, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009
Pittsburgh, PA -- Oct 7, 2009 to Oct 11, 2009
Philadelphia, PA -- Oct 13, 2009 to Oct 16, 2009
Reading, PA -- Oct 20, 2009 to Oct 25, 2009
London, ON -- Nov 12, 2009 to Nov 15, 2009
Greenville, SC -- Nov 18, 2009 to Nov 22, 2009
Augusta, GA -- Nov 26, 2009 to Nov 29, 2009
Hampton, VA -- Dec 2, 2009 to Dec 6, 2009
Worcester, MA -- Dec 9, 2009 to Dec 13, 2009
Montreal, QC -- Dec 18, 2009 to Dec 30, 2009
Quebec, QC -- Jan 5, 2010 to Jan 10, 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
Wintuk:
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City (USA)
Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark Monday/Tuesday
Exception: December 22nd, 28th and 29th
Previews on Wednesday November 11th and 12th at 7:30pm
Regular Season begins Friday, November 13th!
Schedule: There are currently 87 scheduled performances between
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 and Sunday, January 3,
2010 on the following days:
o) Mon [2] - 12/28 (2)
o) Tue [4] - 12/22 (2), 12/29 (2)
o) Wed [12] - 11/11 (1), 11/18 (1), 11/25 (2), 12/2 (1),
12/9 (1), 12/16 (2), 12/23 (2), 12/30 (2)
o) Thu [13] - 11/12 (1), 11/19 (2), 11/26 (2), 12/3 (2),
12/10 (2), 12/17 (2), 12/24 (2),
o) Fri [11] - 11/13 (1), 11/20 (2), 11/27 (2),12/4 (2),
12/11 (2), 12/18 (2)
o) Sat [24] - 11/14 (3), 11/21 (3), 11/28 (3), 12/5 (3),
12/12 (3), 12/19 (3), 12/26 (3), 1/2 (3)
o) Sun [21] - 11/15 (2), 11/22 (2), 11/29 (3), 12/6 (3),
12/13 (3), 12/27 (3), 1/3 (2)
Performance Times: Wintuk may perform at the following times
throughout its run. Consort the official schedule for
exact showtimes:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/Wintuk/
schedule/WIN09_Show_Schedule.pdf >
o) Monday: 2:30pm, 7:30pm
o) Tuesday: 2:30pm, 7:30pm
o) Wednesday: (2:30pm), 7:30pm
o) Thursday: (11:00am), (2:30pm), 7:30pm
o) Friday: (11:00am), 2:30pm, 7:30pm
o) Saturday: 11:00am, 2:30pm, 7:30pm
o) Sunday: 1:00pm, 5:00pm / 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm
Ticket Prices:
Tickets range from $30.00 to $220 based on category and
date of performance. Peek and non-peek pricing is in
effect.
Vaudeville2009:
Location: Chicago Theater, Chicago (USA)
Schedule: There are currently 59 scheduled performances between
Thursday, November 19, 2009 and Sunday, January 3, 2010,
on the following days:
o) Mon [02] - 12/28 (2)
o) Tue [05] - 12/22 (3), 12/20 (2)
o) Wed [11] - 11/25, 12/2, 12/9 (2), 12/16 (2), 12/23 (3),
12/30 (2)
o) Thu [03] - 11/19, 12/10, 12/17
o) Fri [05] - 11/20, 11/27, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18
o) Sat [19] - 11/21 (2), 11/28 (2), 12/5 (3), 12/12 (3),
12/19 (3), 12/26 (3), 1/2 (3)
o) Sun [14] - 11/22 (2), 11/29 (2), 12/6 (2), 12/13 (2),
12/20 (2), 12/27 (2), 1/3 (2)
PERFORMANCE TIMES
o) Wednesday: 2:00pm, 8:00pm (12pm, 4pm, 8pm on 12/23)
o) Thursday: 8:00pm
o) Friday: 8:00pm
o) Saturday: (12:00pm), 4:00pm, 8:00pm
o) Sunday: 1:00pm, 5:00pm
TICKET PRICES
o) Adults (1-8 tickets):
PEAK / WEEKEND:
Regular: $48.00, $65.00, $85.00, $98.00
Premium: $150.00
Tapis Rouge: $300.00
NON-PEAK / WEEKEDAY:
Regular: $35.00, $45.00, $65.00, $82.00
Premium: $115.00
Tapis Rouge: $275.00
PRE-THANKSGIVING:
Regular: $23.00, $30.00, $50.00, $75.00
Premium: None
Tapis Rouge: None
NOTE: Student, Senior and Group pricing are available.
=======================================================================
OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE'S SOCIAL WIDGETS
=======================================================================
o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub
o) Networking -- Cirque on Twitter, Facebook & MySpace
o) Gatherings -- CirqueCon, Celebri & More!
---------------------------------------
CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub
---------------------------------------
25 Years of Stories! - A Fairy Tale Proposal
{Aug.25.2009}
MAY LENG YUEN - Assistant to the Senior Vice-President of
Resident Shows Division /// When Alegría was in Vancouver, it
was touring in the majestic-looking white big top. One
beautiful, sunny late Saturday afternoon, there was a slight
commotion at the staff entrance; a horse trailer had driven up
and a knight in shining armour was approaching the Security
booth. The knight wanted to ask permission to use the big top as
a backdrop for his marriage proposal to his girlfriend. After
Security agreed to this unusual request, the horse was led out
of the trailer and the knight saddled up to wait for his bride-
to-be. When she arrived and walked closer, her mouth dropped
open; rose in hand and surrounded by an audience of Alegría
employees, the knight dismounted, took his brides hand and, on
bended knee, proposed. We all clapped when she said Yes. As
stories go, this has to be a modern-day setting for a fairy-
tale proposal.
Saltimbano Life in Arenas - Travel & Lodging [EXPANDED]
{Aug.24.2009}
For the third installment of "Life in Arenas," we'll be looking
into something that is very important to any touring person:
where they will be staying, and how they will be getting there.
I've been touring with Cirque du Soleil for 5 years now. I was
on Varekai for 4 years, and I can easily tell you the name of
each property I stayed in, in order of city visited, as well as
where the Tour Services trailer was located on the site. Since
I've joined Saltimbanco, I can barely remember which city I was
in last week, let alone the name of the hotel I called home.
One of the thrills of touring arenas is how fast things move.
But pace is not the only thing that differs from touring with
the big top to visiting arenas when it comes to travel and
lodging.
Because the big top kitchen trailer doesn't change, the layout
is always the same. You always know where to find the bread, the
milk, the salad bar, etc. With arena shows, we change venues
practically every week and our catering area is rarely ever the
same shape or size. Finding "the essentials" can therefore be
tricky at times.
The most solicited person on Saltimbanco, Amanda Gee, is the
first person to be called Travel and Lodging Coordinator on an
arena tour. Like all of us, she loves the "accelerated"
lifestyle the arena tour offers. The variety of work is
something that she really enjoys. In a 10-week span, she'll work
on something very detailed, like creating rooming lists, to
something more general, like arranging flights for transfers.
Add to that the organizing of tour break travel every 10 weeks
or so for 90 people, giving shuttle drivers indications on where
to park
she never stops!
But Amanda says her job is rewarding. Once we've arrived in a
new city after a smooth transfer, and everyone has settled into
their rooms, and the shuttle has left for its first run on load-
in morning, she feels a great sense of accomplishment.
I asked Amanda what the ideal situation would be for her, work-
wise. "Well, we'd get on a bus right after the show on Sunday
night, go directly to the next city, and arrive in time to have
a drink in the lobby bar. We'd stay in the city for over a week,
and would be within walking distance of the venue." As for the
worst possible scenario, here is what she says: "It would have
to be a split week (meaning the show is performed in two cities
in the same week) when we'd need shuttles in each city to get to
the venue, on top of transferring by plane. Thankfully, this has
not happened!"
Marie-Hélène Lowe
Special Correspondent
---------------------------------------------------
NETWORKING: Cirque on Twitter, Facebook & Myspace
---------------------------------------------------
{Special | Vaudeville}
Cirque du Soleil has created a special splash page for its new
Vaudeville production scheduled to preview this fall in Chicago
and has teased us fans with interesting behind-the-scenes peeks
and interviews regarding the production.
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL EXPLORES A NEW ENTERTAINMENT GENRE
Monday, July 27, 2009
Each week, sneak a peek behind the scenes of a brand new
genre for Cirque du Soleil. From the arrival of the
artists in Montreal until its premiere at The Chicago
Theatre in November 2009, follow the creation process of
this new production via our exclusive news, pictures and
videos.
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/vaudeville/
creation-journal/sneak-peek/video-gallery/video.aspx >
DISCOVER THE NEW SHOW
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
This week, writer and director David Shiner and director
of creation Serge Roy talk about launching an entirely new
genre of show for Cirque du Soleil. Click below for a
sneak peek at this production, which features a new take
on the art of Vaudeville
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/vaudeville/
creation-journal/discover/video-gallery/video.aspx >
A NEW TAKE ON TAP
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Luke Hawkins and Melissa Schott, two dancers from our
upcoming show, brought us into their rehearsal studio.
They took some time to explain the major role dancing
plays in this new production, and to show off their own
specialty: tap dancing. See our new take on this dance
style in our exclusive video.
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/vaudeville/
creation-journal/tap/video-gallery/video.aspx >
A VENTURE INTO VAUDEVILLE
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
This week, David Shiner introduces us to the world of
vaudeville. He explains what this art form consisted of
and delves into its origins.
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/vaudeville/
creation-journal/venture-vaudeville/video-
gallery/video.aspx >
DEFINING VAUDEVILLE: THE COMIC ARTISTS' POINT OF VIEW
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Wayne Wilson and Daniel Passer, two comic artists in the
show, share their own interpretation of what vaudeville
is. Funny, that's not how David Shiner explained it...
Absurd... surprising-in short, an interview that truly
captures the spirit of this new show.
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/vaudeville/
creation-journal/defining/video-gallery/video.aspx >
{Special | ELVIS}
A word from the director of the show and the director of
Creation Vincent Paterson, Director, and Armand Thomas, Director
of Creation, tell us about their background and their role in
the creation of this major production. They give us a summary of
the show's story, and Vincent tells us about his first encounter
with Elvis's work.
Vincent Paterson's Presentation:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/elvis/videos/gallery-
creators/video-gallery/video1.aspx >
Armond Thomas's Presentation:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/elvis/videos/gallery-
creators/video-gallery/Video2.aspx >
A Peek at the Shows content:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/elvis/videos/gallery-
creators/video-gallery/Video3.aspx >
Vincent Dives into the world of Elvis:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/elvis/videos/gallery-
creators/video-gallery/Video4.aspx >
# # #
{Aug.03.2009 | "O"}
Yesterday was a beautiful day in LA! In honor of the 25th
anniversary of Cirque du Soleil, visitors at The Grove were
treated to performances by all 6 Vegas Cirque shows. Here's
ours!
Fotos [10]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=93886&id=
26000574416&ref=mf >
{Aug.06.2009 | ZAiA}
Check out these media interviews with ZAIA!
Fotos [4]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=96555&id=
34277887388&ref=mf >
{Aug.06.2009 | ZAiA}
JURKARI Fit to fly, a gym workout inspired by Cirque du Soleil,
has been launched by Reebok in Hong Kong. Five ZAIA artists
performed at the launch press event.
Fotos [19]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=96552&id=
34277887388&ref=mf >
{Aug.12.2009 | LOVE}
Pictures from the Lady Madonna performance at The Grove.
Fotos [12]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=100241&id=
14653468665&ref=mf >
{Aug.13.2009 | ZED}
Pictures of the fabulous performance held at the Landmark Tower
in Yokohama on August 5 2009 with our musicians, Johanna, Kevin,
Seishi and David.
Fotos: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=138627&id=
41326571163&ref=mf >
(More Pictures can be found on Flickr. See our Flickr list!)
{Aug.17.2009 | Koozå}
Koozå opens in DENVER this Thursday at Pepsi Center Grounds
under the blue and yellow Big Top. Go backstage and get a sneak
peek with CBS 4!
o) Sneak Peek:
< http://cbs4denver.com/video/?id=59669@kcnc.dayport.com >
o) Raising Big top:
< http://cbs4denver.com/video/?id=60759@kcnc.dayport.com >
{Aug.18.2009 | Koozå}
An interactive promotional stunt held in Denver last weekend
encouraged people to audition to become the next "Be a KOOZA
STAR". | Click on the link to view and vote for your favorite
performance and register to win a pair of tickets to see
KOOZA from Cirque du Soleil in Denver starting August 20 at
Pepsi Center Grounds!
Link: < http://www.beakoozastar.com/ >
{Aug.19.2009 | Mystère}
Hey Mystère fans, here's a deal you can't refuse! Who says you
can only wear your heart on your sleeve? Cirque du Soleil ** 91
Dodge Steath Custom Car **
Link: < http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/1328737205.html >
{Aug.21.2009 | Mystère}
Croft, our Artistic Director, and two of our dancers (Hanifa
Jackson & Bernard Gaddis) spent some time with our friends at
KTNV Ch. 13 here in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. KTNV was feeling
generous so they shared it with their viewers as well. Enjoy!
< http://www.ktnv.com/global/Category.asp?c=164911&autoStart=
true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=4017842&flvUri= >
{Aug.21.2009 | Wintuk}
Creating the Wintuk wonderland
Video [0:38]: < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=
125306066422&ref=mf >
{Aug.21.2009 | KÀ}
Our good friends at KTNV Channel 13 Las Vegas invited us to
their studio last week for a chat and some feats of strength.
Here's Adrian Porter, our head coach, talking about what it
takes to become a performer at KÀ, and artists JJ, Ma Chao and
Yanan doing what they do best!
< http://www.ktnv.com/global/Category.asp?c=164911&autoStart=
true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=4043975&flvUri= >
{Aug.21.2009 | BELIEVE}
Dancer Bruce Weber was FIERCE this morning on KTNV, ABC Ch 13
Las Vegas! Check it out!
< http://www.ktnv.com/global/Category.asp?c=164911&clipId=
4063110&flvUri=http://flash.video.worldnow.com/ktnv/
KTNV_2108200910560113573_6053431B.flv&topVideoCatNo=0&
autoStart=true&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=
homepage&clipFormat=flv >
{Aug.23.2009 | Koozå}
A sneak preview - Denver - Slideshows
< http://www.westword.com/slideshow/view/28214743/1 >
{Aug.26.2009 | Wintuk}
Check out these costume sketches!
Fotos [8]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=298047&id=
98244255320&ref=mf >
{Aug.27.2009 | Koozå}
Meet Colette Livingston and learn how she keeps the KOOZA
performers on their feet!
Video: < http://www.cobizmag.com/videos/view/cirques-cobbler-
keeps-performers-on-their-feet/ >
{Aug.27.2009 | LOVE}
Check out these LOVE photos from one of our favorite
photographers - Tomas Muscionico
Fotos [10]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=144221&id=
591001048 >
{Aug.28.2009 | La Nouba}
Two artists in La Nouba, Mark Griffith (Powertrack/Trampoline
artist) and Ryan Weston (Red Pierrot), were inducted into the
2009 USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame at a ceremony held in Dallas,
Texas on August 14! The U.S. World Championships Team for men's
double mini-trampoline claimed the double-mini team world title
at the 1999 World Championships in Sun City, South Africa. The
members of the team were: Karl Heger of Rockford, Ill.; Mark
Griffith of Orlando; Byron Smith of Lubbock, Texas; and Ryan
Weston of Orlando. Mark is the 2000 U.S. trampoline champion
and earned U.S. titles in double mini-trampoline in 1996 and
1999. In addition to his team gold medal at the 1999 World
Championships, Mark finished seventh in double mini. Ryan, the
2000 U.S. Olympic Team alternate, is an eight-time U.S.
trampoline champion (1996-99, 2001-04) and a four-time U.S.
synchronized trampoline champion (1999, 2003-05).
Congratulations, Mark and Ryan on this fantastic achievement!!
{Aug.29.2009 | Mystère}
A few of you have been asking for updates to the Man-in-the-Box
photos, please bear with us while we work out some technical
difficulties on our end and we promise to have new photos up
soon! In the meantime, please enjoy this behind the scenes in
Cirque du Soleil's Mystere in Las Vegas
Video [7:12]: < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4OXdDYunIo >
{Aug.29.2009 | "O"}
In case you missed the performance at KTNV yesterday!
< http://www.ktnv.com/global/Category.asp?c=164911&autoStart=
true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=4082517&flvUri= >
{Aug.30.2009 | OVO}
A cool link about the Big Top going up in Toronto!
Read More: < http://www.thestar.com/videozone/687495 >
{Aug.31.2009 | Koozå}
Watch Chris Parente on FOX-TV Denver chatting with KOOZA artist
Corine Latreille and trying the low wire with Angel and Vincente
Quiros from the KOOZA high wire act!
< http://www.kdvr.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=5757e1b6-55ee-46ff-
b1ec-cf8bc5d39421&cat=31405f9f-3a3d-41f0-b7e3-
de9b919503fa&src=front&title=Everyday%20Dish >
-------------------------------------------
TELEMAJIK: Cirque on YouTube & Flickr
-------------------------------------------
[FLICKR]
Website: < http://www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/ >
Cirque du Soleil released 13 images through its Flickr photostream in
the month of August, which showcase ZEDs special performance and
costumes from Koozå. Check them out here!
o) ZED, Landmark Tower in Yokohama
Pictures of the fabulous performance held at the Landmark
Tower in Yokohama on August 2009 with our musicians, Johanna,
Kevin, Seishi and David.
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3814019595/
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3814828972/
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3814829054/
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3814019885/
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3814019909/
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3814829146/
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3814020043/
o) Koozå Costume Sketches
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3859388274/
Charivari
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3858600995/
Pickpocket
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3859388310/
Skeleton
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3859388486/
Innocent
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3859388568/
Death - La Mort
[Twitpic]
Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas hit the road for Los Angeles to
Perform at the Grove! They took a couple of pictures, which
they shared with us on Twitpic, Twitter's picture repository.
Flyer: < http://twitpic.com/bi2ot >
LOVE: < http://twitpic.com/civ8a >
< http://twitpic.com/cji2d >
Mystère: < http://twitpic.com/cjlxa >
"O": < http://twitpic.com/cjscb >
Zumanity: < http://twitpic.com/ck8h5 >
< http://twitpic.com/ck9i8 >
Fan Sets:
< www.flickr.com/photos/lschreur/sets/72157621812186267/ >
< www.flickr.com/photos/41103949@N02/sets/72157621945027174/ >
< www.flickr.com/photos/madmojo/sets/72157621929451012/ >
[YouTube]
o) Watch exclusive footage of Cirque du Soleil, from its
humble beginnings to todays spectacular events!
[8:31] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnMqkKBVmUs >
=======================================================================
COMPARTMENTS -- INFORMATION BEHIND THE CURTAIN
=======================================================================
o) DIDYAKNOW - Facts about Cirque
o) HISTORIA - Cirque du Soleil History
---------------------------------
DIDYAKNOW? - Facts About Cirque
---------------------------------
o) DidYaKnow the army costume in Koozå features more than 400
individually-sewn metallic flaps to create the effect that it is
armored?
o) DidYaKnow that the set for Alegría was built to express the idea of
a changing world? According to Cirque "the Big Top has been
transformed into the King's court. An enormous dome overhangs the
stage, which is surrounded by diamond-shaped paving stones, and
protects the occupants of the palace as if they were in a fortified
castle. Four huge masts support the dome, bringing to mind the
heavy chains of a drawbridge. A raised platform serves as the
minstrels' balcony."
o) DidYaKnow that every artist has to learn to apply their make up for
the show? The Young Girl's make up in Wintuk has 25 steps!
o) DidYaKnow that the "Patience" apparatus in Corteo is a massive
arched technical structure made of steel which dominates the
interior of the Grand Chapiteau? It is one of the most complex set
elements in the show and is used to transport various scenic
elements and pieces of acrobatic equipment on and off stage from
above. The Patience has two rails that traverse the Grand
Chapiteau. Each rail is fitted with four platform-like carts to
carry the scenic and acrobatic elements. The eight carts have a
lifting capacity of 1,000 lbs and a top speed of four feet per
second. The Patience is 41 feet above the stage at its highest
point. It is entirely self-supporting and could be set up anywhere.
o) DidYaKnow that all microphones used by the orchestra and performers
in "O" are first fed to Aphex Model 107 microphone pre-amps,
located in a backstage equipment room? With a technology called
Tubessence, the 107s supply an added level of warmth to these
signals before they are sent to the Cadac F-type front-of-house
mixer.
o) DidYaKnow that, for Saltimbanco, Dominique Lemieux began drawing
the costumes in March of 1991, with only the agreed upon principal
theme, Urbanity, to go on? Only three of the designer's original
100 sketches actually became costumes because individual performers
are not selected until later in the design process. The Worms, who
symbolize the bottom of society, are very similar in appearance to
one another, while the Baroques are all very different and
represent what the Worms may become. "The Worms are like the
history of Man--who they were before the cities existed and what
they become in the cities," Lemieux explains. Lemieux designed
masks that were created from Pododiflex, a plastic used in the
medical field. The material becomes very flexible in hot water and
shapes easily; when placed in cold water, it then becomes very
hard. Once shaped, the masks are dipped in latex to make them
smooth and then are painted.
------------------------------------
HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History
------------------------------------
* Sep.01.2003 -- Tapis Rouge CD released (BMG/CDS Musique)
* Sep.01.2003 -- "Parade of Colors" Book Published
* Sep.02.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Albany, NY
* Sep.03.1987 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Las Angeles
* Sep.03.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened Boston
* Sep.03.2009 -- Ovo opened Toronto, ON
* Sep.04.2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Brussels
* Sep.04.2008 -- Koozå opened Boston
* Sep.06.2005 -- "O" CD released in US (CDS Musique)
* Sep.06.2005 -- La Nouba CD released in US (CDS Musique)
* Sep.06.2005 -- Mystère (Live) CD released in US (CDS Musique)
* Sep.08.1985 -- 1984 Tour opened Montréal
* Sep.08.1989 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Santa Monica
* Sep.08.1995 -- Alegría opened Boston
* Sep.08.2005 -- Dralion opened Zurich
* Sep.08.2006 -- Corteo opened Boston
* Sep.09.1988 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Washington DC
* Sep.09.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened in Boston
* Sep.09.1999 -- Saltimbanco opened in Perth
* Sep.09.2005 -- Quidam opened Singapore
* Sep.09.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Syracuse, NY
* Sep.09.2009 -- Name of CirqueVaudeville Released [TBD]
* Sep.11.1990 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened San Jose
* Sep.11.2008 -- Quidam opened Barcelona, Spain
* Sep.12.1986 -- Le Magie Continue opened Toronto
* Sep.12.1997 -- Alegría opened Vienna
* Sep.12.2003 -- Varekai opened Los Angeles
* Sep.12.2005 -- Zumanity celebrated its 1000th performance
* Sep.13.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Chicago
* Sep.13.1996 -- Saltimbanco opened Zurich
* Sep.14.2001 -- Quidam opened Zurich
* Sep.14.2007 -- Alegría opened Curitiba, Brazil
* Sep.15.1995 -- Saltimbanco opened Düsseldorf
* Sep.15.2002 -- Fire Within premiered in Canada [7:00pm EST/Global TV]
* Sep.15.2005 -- Name of "Cirque MGM" released - KÀ
* Sep.16.2004 -- Varekai opened Washington DC
* Sep.16.2008 -- Corteo opened Ottawa
* Sep.16.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Amherst, NY
* Sep.17.1998 -- Alegría opened Zurich
* Sep.17.1998 -- Quidam opened McLean
* Sep.17.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena Tour Begins in Europe
* Sep.17.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Stockholm, SE
* Sep.17.2009 -- Dralion opened Monterrey, Mexico
* Sep.18.2009 -- Quidam opened Brasilia, Brazil
* Sep.19.2002 -- Varekai opened Philadelphia
* Sep.19.2003 -- Saltimbanco opened Zurich
* Sep.20.1989 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Santa Monica
* Sep.20.2001 -- Saltimbanco opened Yokohama
* Sep.20.2003 -- Zumanity Gala Premiere (Previews End)
* Sep.21.2001 -- Saltimbanco opened in Yokohama
* Sep.21.2003 -- Cirque wins Outstanding Nonfiction Program award
* Sep.21.2004 -- "Le Best of..." CD Released (CDS Musique)
* Sep.22.2002 -- Cirque lost Emmys (nominated Jul.18.2002)
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special - Alegría
Outstanding Choreography for 74th Academy Awards - Debra Brown
* Sep.22.2005 -- Varekai opened Hartford
* Sep.23.1999 -- Dralion opened in Santa Monica
* Sep.23.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Helsinki, FI
* Sep.23.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Rochester, NY
* Sep.24.2008 -- Cirque2009 tickets go on sale!
* Sep.25.2005 -- Corteo opened Minneapolis
* Sep.25.1996 -- Quidam opened in Santa Monica
* Sep.25.2002 -- Cirquedusoleil.com won four awards for its website:
"Best of Show", "Experience", "Content & Information",
"Experimental"
* Sep.25.2008 -- Varekai opened Vienna, Austria
* Sep.26.2002 -- Quidam opened Cleveland
* Sep.27.1994 -- Alegría CD released in Canada (RCA/Victor)
* Sep.27.2001 -- Dralion opened in Philadelphia
* Sep.27.2003 -- Cirque du Soleil HQ Open House
* Sep.28.2003 -- Cirque du Soleil HQ Open House
* Sep.28.2006 -- Quidam opened St. Louis
* Sep.30.1997 -- Quidam opened Denver
* Sep.30.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Turku, FI
* Sep.30.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened State College, PA
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
Within...
o) "Corteo in Japan"
By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
o) "ZED, Again!"
By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
-------------------------------------------------------
"Corteo in Japan"
By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
-------------------------------------------------------
This past Spring I made my annual trip to Japan and took the
opportunity to see Corteo again, this time in the first part of its
Japan tour. I had first seen a Cirque du Soleil show during the time
I was living in Japan, the 1994 tour of Saltimbanco, and have been a
great fan ever since.
Following then is a description of some of the differences I've seen
in a Japan tour vs. a North American tour, followed by a personal
review of the performance.
One of the major differences is the tent. Instead of the familiar
yellow and blue spirals the tent is dark blue with horizontal white
stripes. Where the North American tents are held up by towers and
poles the Japan tent has a ribbing of tubular metal, undoubtedly
because of earthquake concerns, so there is no problem of partially
obstructed seats.
There is a significant difference in ticket pricing arrangements. In
the North American arrangement the 100 sections at and near center are
the most expensive while the 200 sections at and near center are, for
the most part, slightly lower. (The 100 and 200 side sections becoming
less expensive.) With Corteo Japan the person sitting in the front row
of Section 100 is paying the same ticket price as the person sitting
in the back row of Section 200. Prices only start dropping when you
got to the smaller side sections. You're talking about US$120 on a
weekday and about US$130 on a weekend and holiday for the majority of
the seats under the big top. And they're selling out shows at those
prices! (There doesn't seem to be any Tapis Rouge service as part of
the Japan tour.)
The program for the Japan tour is generally larger and glossier than
the North American version. It has your usual performance photos,
intros and statements from the key creators. This program has a neat
variation on the headshots of the artists, with both their regular
headshot and a headshot in costume and makeup. The Japanese program
also includes in-depth interviews, detailed information on the making
of the show and a guided tour behind the scenes courtesy of a Japanese
national performing in the show. The US$20 Japanese program goes
beyond photos and becomes a detailed source of information about the
show and its creation. And we can't forget the celebrity comments and
endorsements of the show.
Concessions are where the Japanese tour truly shines and true Cirque
du Soleil fans could find themselves going into hock purchasing all
that's available. There were more than six different Corteo related t-
shirts as well as caps and masks. There's also a vast collection of
stationery items; pens, mechanical pencils, regular pencils, decorated
"clear folders" for holding documents, post cards, and small
notebooks. You could buy key chains including a small stuffed Mauro
clown doll and cell-phone straps. There were also towels; face towel
size in various colors, long thin "muffler" towels and bath towels.
You could have a Cirque du Soleil themed bath room if you wanted! And
there is packaged food to take home.
The Japan tour concession stands benefit from the Japanese concept of
"omiyage," souvenirs that you bring back to the people who weren't
fortunate enough to be able to travel with you. There are cookies and
chocolates and Corteo shrimp-flavored rice crackers. Many of these
items come in containers that can be reused. I purchased a draw
string-type bag of cookies just for the traditional Cirque logo on the
outside. Curiously, I didn't see any 25th anniversary material for
sale. Nor did I see any flyers or advertising for Cirque du Soleil
Tokyo's resident show, ZED. (Probably because ZED has different
sponsors.)
There were DVD's of Cirque du Soleil shows available, including
Corteo, and a special made-for-Japan 'Corteo behind the scenes' DVD
for about US$50.
Now to the performance of Corteo itself. I'd first seen the show
during its Randall Island, NY performance, twice in one day as a
matter of fact as I was going to be headed to Japan a few days later.
Having seen Daniele Finza Pasca's work with Cirque Eloize I was
looking forward to the performance and was not disappointed.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the Japan performance, as was
the Japanese friend attending with me.
As I recall the beginning in New York, a couple of artists were in the
audience doing little things. I remember these great sprays of water,
clown tears from one of the artists. Then they went back stage and the
show began with a funeral procession that evolved into a parade of
characters. In Japan, it seemed as though more than half of the
artists were in the audience doing things, it was almost a street
festival-type atmosphere. Then they went backstage and the show began
but the street festival energy carried over and the procession very
quickly became the parade of characters. The focus on Dead Clown
Mauro's bed was quickly lost. I knew from before why they were trying
to restrain the giant man but I don't know if the Japanese audience
understood or simply saw that as part of the parade.
I see Corteo as a collection of opposites, floor vs. air, big vs.
small, low energy vs. high energy, each complimenting the other in the
course of the show. To my mind the energy contrast was lost at this
performance, things were running in high energy from the start and
that affected the early acts if not the whole show. It all seemed a
little rushed. The thing is that I don't think that it would have
taken much to quickly bring down the high energy of those pre-show
activities and prepare artists and audience for the funeral
procession.
The Bouncing Bed routine was fun, though probably a little rushed. I
didn't think to ask my Japanese friend about her reaction to the act.
Traditional Japanese beds are futons laid out on the floor at night
and folded up and put in a closet during the day. Not a lot of bounce
there. However, there are numerous western style homes all throughout
Japan and western style beds. Still, I don't think the notion of kids
jumping on a bed is as common in Japan as it is in North America.
The first act progressed and came to the Golf routine. I loved this in
New York, a wonderful, almost silent film-like piece of slapstick
comedy. The use of physical comedy and sound here being quite a
challenge for the golf ball as she only has her head and face to work
with. Quite successful in NY. Alas, sometime after the NY performances
the golf ball started talking with lines like, "I'm allergic to golf!"
Verbal comedy is easier than physical comedy for getting laughs and
that line probably got great laughs during the North American tour but
in Japan, where the primary language is not English? Once you've lost
confidence in the ability of physical comedy and sound to achieve a
laugh I guess all you can do is soldier on with your lines until
you're performing for English speakers again.
Where the golf routine got wordy for me, the Helium Dance act with
Valentyna and Mauro was wonderful. The two had learned simple Japanese
words and, more importantly, learned how to inflect those words to
wonderful comic effect. When they find themselves performing in an
English speaking country again they may find it difficult to recreate
that comedy, just because of the differences in how English and
Japanese can be expressed.
Somewhere along the line they had the raining rubber chickens routine.
It was wonderful in New York, the Loyal Whistler stomps on and through
the performing space and says, "I hate chickens." I'm thinking to
myself, "What's this all about?" and then during the following
juggling routine rubber chickens start raining down on the performers.
When the act is finished the chickens are swept into a central hole
and the next act begins. A wonderful piece for me because it was a
surprise and because it was short. Alas, sometime after New York the
rubber chickens became a running gag through the whole show, with
rubber chickens even appearing in the pre-show 'street festival.' Some
might like it, but for me, in this instance, less was much more
effective.
The Teatro Intimo performance in the second act seemed to fall victim
to the loss of energy contrast I sensed at the beginning. In New York,
this act started a little disorganized and then descended into chaos.
In Japan, it started chaotic and got worse. On two different occasions
after the show my Japanese friend mentioned that she didn't see any
reason at all for having that act in the show.
Tourik finished off the show as impressively as I remember in New
York. Then came a rather unusual second curtain call with some of the
crew running in from the sides and one dropping down from above. A
rather interesting change. Having worked in professional theater, I
know how easy it is for the audience to forget all the behind-the-
scenes people that are so vital to making a show happen. (It's a
little like that part in "O" where the underwater platforms come up
and the SCUBA crew gets temporarily beached.) Don't know if that could
become a standard part of curtain calls going forward or whether that
is something that can only be done in this show because of the unique
design of the Corteo stage.
The performance was well appreciated by the Japanese audience.
The male singer sticks out for me because in New York I remember
wondering where the male singer was. I recall the flamenco style
setup, with singer and guitarist below the high wire act, but for some
reason I thought that the White Clown was the primary male singer for
Corteo. In Japan it was quite evident who the male singer was. (On the
Cirque du Soleil web site they show this man in a blue themed costume
when they talk about singers for Cirque du Soleil performances.
Honestly, I never knew what show this character was from until I saw
Corteo in Japan.)
In recalling all the Cirque du Soleil shows I've seen it seems to me
that the male or female singer who appears on stage as a character has
taken on a difficult task. As with opera it is not enough to sing
well, not enough to remember your stage directions, not enough to be
present on stage, the singer also has to be a "presence" on stage, as
much of a "presence" as any of the other acts. And though I felt that
he tried I just didn't get the sense of the Corteo male singer being a
presence on that stage. I've had similar experiences with the
replacement singers in Dralion and Varekai. The male and female
singers for ZED are, for me, examples of presences on stage.
My disappointment with Corteo in Japan led me to once again ponder how
Cirque du Soleil manages its touring shows, especially now that
they're taking the long run tent shows and turning them into arena
shows. How does Cirque pass on the original creative intent of the
show? As the show changes and evolves, how does Cirque keep it
connected to its "roots," if you will? My understanding is that a show
is staged by the Director and Creative Team, let run for a few months
and then there is a final "fixation" session after which the Director
and Creative Team move onto other projects and the show heads off in
its own direction. When there was only one director for all Cirque
shows this might not have been much of a problem, but recent shows
have different directors with different approaches to the performance
arts. In the case of Corteo, how does the show retain those unique
aspects of the performance that make it a Pasca created and directed
production?
Just a thought.
-------------------------------------------------------
"ZED, AGAIN!"
By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
-------------------------------------------------------
My annual trip to Japan this past May was a little different. In the
previous two years I'd taken time to scout out the Tokyo Disneyland
Resort and Cirque Theater Tokyo area as part of preparations for
CirqueCon 2008: Tokyo, held last November. With that wonderful event
in the past I was taking time this trip to once again see ZED, Cirque
du Soleil's Tokyo resident show. Besides the performance attended by
all CirqueCon members during that special November 2008 trip I took in
two more viewings, and during this recent trip I saw ZED three more
times.
When I first saw ZED I came away with the feeling that this was the
most "human" of the Cirque du Soleil shows that I had ever seen. By
"human" I'm not referring to the theme, "A living poem at the heart of
human adventure" but rather to the kinds of acts chosen for the show.
When I saw the touring show, Kooza, there was a high wire act with a
staged mishap. One artist leaps over another, misses the landing,
catches himself but his cap falls to the stage. You wouldn't know it's
staged on the first viewing, it's only evident when you see the show a
second time. It takes a great deal of skill to be able to stage that
sort of mishap and not get yourself killed. I admire the artist for
that skill but when I realized that it was a staged incident the show
lost some of its magic as far as I was concerned.
In contrast, during the high wire act in ZED there is a point where an
artist attempts a back flip on the high wire. I've seen the show six
times now, sometimes the artist sticks the landing on the first try,
sometimes he misses the landing and catches himself, succeeding on the
second try. The artist's obvious intent is that he land it the first
time and the audience is with him in the hope that he succeeds.
It is not just the high wire act that is displaying difficult moves,
the ZED trapeze act has all sorts of twists and turns and somersaults
between release and catch and there are some amazing things done in
the Banquine performance. The combination of trampoline and Chinese
Poles is unique and, because of the small size of the trampoline,
calls for great precision when people bounce flat out on that surface.
The lasso and juggling acts aren't as physically dangerous but the
ropes and Indian Clubs can sometimes have a mind of their own so the
artists have to be able to adjust in a split second.
With these acts I see ZED as walking the thin line between what is
humanly possible and what it not, the thin line between success and
failure for an act. The humans in the audience are drawn into what the
humans are doing on-stage, hoping for the artists success and in that
process creating an experience unique to that particular performance.
When I saw ZED for the fifth time it suddenly struck me, every time
the artists appear on stage they create magic for the audience. You
can see the show two times in two days, or you can see ZED twice in
one day and still be drawn into what has been created because there is
something truly unique to that performance happening on stage.
When a person has a favorite show it's because they are drawn into the
magic of that show every time they see it. For me ZED is one of those
shows, KA and MYSTERE being two others.
With ZED one can describe the show but, as some Japanese guests have
commented, one really needs to experience the show to really
understand what it's all about. So I encourage people to travel to
Japan (as someone who has lived there for years I think it's a
wonderful country to visit) and while there take the time to see at
least one performance. There is a link on the main Cirque du Soleil
web site or you can go directly to < http://www.zed.co.jp/home_en.php
>. There you can learn how to get tickets and how to access the
theater. As with most resident shows there are no bad seats in the
house, each section and seat gives you a unique view of what's
happening on stage. (I just recently learned that H.I.S. Japan Travel
is also selling tickets for ZED, their English language web site can
be found at < http://nippon.his.co.jp/entertainment/zed/top_en.htm >.)
As with touring shows there is food and a Boutique offering a wide
selection of merchandise. The English language side of the ZED web
site, under "About the Theater" offers you a glimpse of the Boutique
and its offerings. I'll only note here that the ZED Boutique, like its
touring brethren, benefits from the Japanese notion of "omiyage,"
souvenirs that you bring back to those who weren't fortunate enough to
travel with you. I've taken up the tradition myself finding that
Cirque Tokyo chocolates and Mille-Feuille pastries are popular at
work.
The souvenir program, like the programs for the touring shows in
Japan, offers more than photos and intros to the key players in the
creation of ZED. There are interviews and a great deal of background
information on the creation of the show and on the history of Cirque
du Soleil itself.
While checking out the Japanese side of the ZED web site early on I
came across something likely unique to ZED, an electronic bulletin
board to which guests post comments about the show they've seen or
about their hopes for the show they are about to see. There's no reply
capability as in a forum, people simply post their comments. (This
section was recently revised from a chronological listing of posts to
a series of Shockwave animated ZED tarot cards, each displaying a
single guest comment.) As usual for Japan there is a section for
celebrity comments about the show. These celebrity comments are
translated for the English language side of the web site but the non-
celebrity guest comments are found only on the Japanese side. They
offer a fascinating look into the Japanese audience for ZED. Here are
some samples that I've translated.
Hamakko / Male / Age 26
To put this in one word... would be greatly troublesome. There is no
single word for the impressions made. Words cannot express the
intensity of the imagination, the joy. You can only know what it is to
be immersed in this by seeing it live. There is merit to seeing it
many times.
Nicomama / Female / Age 23
I saw ZED 10 days before my baby was born! Those DOKIDOKI (heart
pounding excitement) and WAKUWAKU (joyful excitement) feelings were
conveyed to the baby as well, I think. In a little while when the baby
is bigger I want our family of three to go again!
Yukkii / Female / Age 24
I was moved in a way beyond what I imagined, thank you so very much!!
There were goose bumps that kept appearing. I called out "WAA!" (a
sound of excitement). Without thinking I said "KYAA!" (a sound of
sudden surprise). In those two hours I forgot to blink, what with all
that I was seeing! In an instant I became a great fan. I will
definitely be coming back to see you again!
Miya / Male / Age 24
Going to see the show on February 23! My girlfriend said that she
wants to see ZED so I'm planning to surprise her for her birthday!
I'm looking forward to the day!!
Hide / Male / Age 33
Went with my six year-old child. At first I was worried that the child
would lose interest, at the end I was sitting next to a child slightly
moved to tears. It was the absolute best.
HOPON / Female / Age 28
When all is said and done, Kevin-san and Johanna-san, the two singers
are the most powerful. I'm still tremendously impressed by how those
crystal-like singing voices were integrated into the whole of ZED.
So, too, with the seven-member live band. It was a very luxurious two
and a half hours.
LOVE-ZED / Male / Age 45
On October 19 my parents were beckoned to ZED for the fourth time. At
70 years old the two of them have really come to like ZED. The day
after I sent the tickets they called and said, " Thank you! ZED is
delightful for people our age to see many times. We're looking forward
to it." The reason is they can't get enough of the DOKI DOKI [heart
pounding excitement] feeling. Sometimes when Banquine's Elena stands
at the top they close their eyes. They also enjoy seeing the Aerial
Trapeze every time. Parents and child together.
As the CirqueCon 2008 members prepared for traveling to Japan there
was a question about how the Japanese audiences would respond to the
show. Once there we found the audience reaction and support of the
artists to be much like our own during the show attended by the
CirqueCon group. A couple of days later though I learned something new
as I found myself one of only a few people giving the artists a well
deserved standing ovation at the end of the performance. In North
America such an apparently lackluster response would indicate that the
audience did not enjoy the show as much as the Director, creative team
and artists would have liked but that was not the case here. The
artists did their initial curtain call and then a second curtain call.
After they'd left the stage the second time the audience's applause
didn't die down as I would have expected in North America. Instead the
strong applause went on and on, calling the artists back to the stage
for a third curtain call. It was, if you will, a sitting - standing
ovation.
In the six ZED shows I've seen there have always been three curtain
calls, with or without a massive standing ovation. This is wonderful
because it means that both singers have time to get to the stage and
join the other artists.
As I have noted elsewhere, being an on-stage singer for a Cirque du
Soleil production is a difficult task. Like in opera it's not enough
to sing well, it's not enough to remember the stage directions, it's
not enough to be present on stage, you have to be a "presence" on
stage. Both Johanna Lillvik and Kevin Faraci are presences on and
above the ZED stage and based on the performances I saw this past May
I feel that they have been maturing into their roles. I remember in
November of 2008 seeing Mr. Faraci as Abraka, manhandling these two
curtains hanging behind him and I was thinking, "What is that all
about?" Now in that same scene he stands tall, clearly in command of
all that is going on around him. There's even a very short gibberish
conversation between him and Zed that helps establish his command of
the scene. It is inevitable that someday one or both of these artists
will move on and I hope Cirque du Soleil will have singers of equal
talent available to replace them.
Change is inevitable and with ZED, like with other recent Cirque du
Soleil shows I've seen (such as Corteo in Japan), I wonder how Cirque
du Soleil will pass on the original creative intent of ZED to
replacement artists, keep ZED connected to its creative roots and
maintain those unique aspects that make it a Francois Girard created
and directed production?
For those who saw the show in November of 2008 there have been changes
since. There was some new costuming. I believe they redid the costumes
of the couple that assist with setting up and undoing the stabilizing
lines for the high wire act. They also assist with the juggling act. I
think there was more choreography for them as well.
The bit where the two clowns cause a giant flower to grow on stage has
been cut and now the flower just grows prior to the start of the
double straps act.
During this year's visit I was fortunate to get a partial tour
backstage between shows. One of the interesting parts of the tour was
the "cylinders" below stage There is a large open area in the center
of the ZED stage that is used many ways, the lead character falls into
it at the beginning and a number of acts come up in this center area,
including the Hand to Hand act near the end. The "cylinders" are large
round set pieces that fit into place below stage and are then raised
as necessary. You can see what I'm talking about at this YouTube link
< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPrstQ6d9Yo >.
One of these cylinders contains the platform for the Hand to Hand act.
Normally both Yves Decoste and Marie-Laure Mesnage are brought up from
below stage on this beautifully designed set piece. For one of the
performances that I saw, though, Mr. Decoste was brought up from below
and Ms. Mesnage was lowered down from above. It was a beautiful
expression of one of Francois Girard's core themes for ZED - the
joining of the two worlds of sky and earth - so much so that it
brought tears to my eyes. For the next performance they did the
entrance as before, but I'm hoping that someday I'll be able to see
the Hand to Hand act begin with the joining movement again.
As noted before, ZED is one of my favorite Cirque du Soleil shows and
like so many Japanese guests have said, I also want to see ZED again.
My "To Do" list for next Spring's trip to Japan starts like this,
1) Buy round trip ticket to Japan
2) Buy tickets to see at least two performances of ZED.
=======================================================================
NEXT ISSUE
=======================================================================
Next issue we catch up with Violaine Corradi, composer of Cirque
du Soleil's mega production in Macau, China - ZAIA! An exclusive
interview by our own Keith Johnson!
=======================================================================
PARTING QUOTE
=======================================================================
"I can have an idea, and when it's evaluated, I can't believe
how expensive it is. Every idea we had for Mystère seemed to
cost more than $100,000. And I'd say, 'We built a show for that
much in '84!' But we spend the money because we want to keep the
show of the highest quality. It is the point of the arrow of
what we do."
-- Gilles Ste Croix (1994)
=======================================================================
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=======================================================================
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
=======================================================================
Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 9, Number 6 (Issue #68) - September 2009
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c)
2001-2008 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a
subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter
can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or
translated without the consent of the "Fascination!
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Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way
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Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil,
Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright
infringement intended.
{ Sep.05.2009 }
=======================================================================
