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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 5 AUGUST 2009 ISSUE #67e
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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
* Gatherings -- CirqueCon, Celebri & More!
.) NOTE: Special CirqueCon 2009 Event Updates,
as of July 18, 2009!
o) Compartments -- A Peek Behind the Curtain
* Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque
* Historia -- Cirque du Soleil's History
o) Fascination! Features
*) "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ALAIN VINET
Musical Director, Cirque du Soleil"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
*) "From Olympian to Drummer" [EXPANDED]
By: Aaron Guidry, Mystère Percussionist
{Special Reprint}
o) Next Issue
o) Parting Quote
o) Subscription Information
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
=======================================================================
CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Where is he now?: John Gilkey [EXPANDED]
{Jul.06.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
We know John Gilkey as the lovable if a bit misguided
personality "John" from Cirque du Soleils Quidam, a role he
developed and performed for a number of years under the big top,
and as the Skywatcher, another role he developed and performed
for Cirque du Soleils Varekai. Since leaving Cirque du Soleil
he has dropped off our radar of sorts and weve wondered... where
is he now? Chad Jones of The San Francsico Chronicle found him
in the Climate Theater there on 9th Street, where he is
performing as part of the comedy trio WE ARE NUDES in "Show No
Show".
* * *
"There's no better teacher than the audience," he says from his
Berkeley home. "That will always be true."
The skills an aspiring clown needs to hone, according to Gilkey,
include acting, which is something Gilkey learned from another
great clown he has worked with, Bill Irwin. And that leads
directly to the next piece of advice: "Work with seasoned
performers, directors and choreographers. Learn from them,"
Gilkey says.
It's advantageous for a clown-in-training to develop a strong
base skill such as acrobatics, juggling, dance or music. "It's
important to have a skill to support whatever character and
comedy work you're doing," Gilkey says.
For Gilkey, being funny isn't always of paramount importance.
"I'm not the funniest clown around," he says. "I have other
qualities that provide a broader spectrum of emotion that I can
draw from the crowd."
If you saw Gilkey as the enigmatic central character in Cirque
du Soleil's "Quidam," you saw a master clown working the
mysterious angle, drawing the curious audience to him, slowly
but surely.
"The best clowns, to me, have all the masks and veils removed,"
Gilkey says. "All of us go through life, day to day, with some
kind of mask. The most effective clown is naked onstage -
emotionally. I think the audience appreciates that, on a
conscious or subconscious level. That kind of authenticity, once
you're fully exposed, can leave you in a very funny and dramatic
position."
Speaking from a purely practical standpoint, Gilkey advises
serious clown students to check out programs at the Clown
Conservatory, part of the Circus Center of San Francisco (
www.clownconservatory.org), and Dell'Arte ( www.dellarte.com) in
Blue Lake (Humboldt County), a haven for honing all kinds of
performance skills, including clowning and other circus arts.
"Again," Gilkey says, "the main thing about learning to be a
clown is to get onstage as much as possible."
For information on the performance, visit the theater website
here: < http://www.climatetheater.com/ >
Where is he now?: Karl Baumann
{Jul.07.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
You know the character as "Target" or "Fritz", but it was Karl
Baumann who originated the character of "Karl" for Cirque du
Soleils original North American Tour of Quidam. Although he has
returned to the role off and on over the years, Baumann has
largely been absent from the Cirque scene. We, like many, have
wondered... where is he now? Come to find out hes going to be
portraying the character of Puck in the North Carolina
Shakespeare Festivals A Midsummer Nights Dream, a role he
played at Theatre Charlotte and NCSF in the past. Catch Karl as
Puck at A Midsummer Nights Dream, previewing on September 19-20
and opening on September 24th. The show runs through October
4th, so dont miss it!
Find out more information on the North Carolina Shakespeare
Festival here: < http://www.ncshakes.org/ >
{SOURCE: Creative Loafing Blog, Charlotte}
Cirque 3rd, 5th, 9th and 10th in Vegas
{Jul.08.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
According to TicketNews.com, which is reporting on its Top
Combined Events rankings for the week ending July 5th, Cirque du
Soleil retains four of the top 10 slots in ticket sales for the
week:
Bette Midler made it look easy this week, dominating the Top
Vegas Events rankings with a power score of 56.91. She and Cher
(20.48) maintained their first and second places of last week,
with Jay Leno making a return to the list at number six (2.39).
The rest of the list is mostly owned by Cirque du Soleil
productions, as The Beatles: Love took third place (6.38), O was
in at five (3.02), Mystere nine (1.24) and Zumanity ten (1.16).
{SOURCE: TicketNews.com}
July 12th is Montreal Day... in Hiroshima?
{Jul.08.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
Montréal will be honoured in Hiroshima, Japan, on Sunday, July
12, as part of Montréal Day, which is hosted by Hiroshima City,
in partnership with the Hiroshima-Canada Association. Every year
since 2001, Hiroshima has dedicated one day to six twin cities
of the world with which it enjoys ties of friendship. Residents
of those cities are invited to take part in events that will
bring them closer. Montréal has been Hiroshima's twin city since
1998.
"I am pleased to be part of the Montréal Day celebration,
because it is an opportunity for residents of Hiroshima to learn
about the many attractions Montréal has to offer as well as the
creativity of our community. I hope that these special events
will raise awareness of our city among Hiroshima residents and
that they will come and visit our beautiful city," said the
Mayor of Montréal, Gérald Tremblay. "As per tradition, Hiroshima
also will be honoured in Montréal as part of the Peace Ceremony,
which is held every year on August 6 at the Japanese Garden of
the Montréal Botanical Garden, in solemn memory of the bombing
of Hiroshima in 1945," added Mayor Tremblay.
As part of this 9th edition of Montréal Day, citizens of
Hiroshima will have the opportunity to discover our city by
attending a concert at Mazda Stadium featuring Montréal-based
music group Les Doux Cactus, which will sing traditional
Japanese songs, as well as original "rock" in French, English
and Japanese. Also featured will be a public showing of a film
produced last year by Hiroshima Home TV on the topic of
Montréal, UNESCO City of Design. Also, visitors will be invited
to attend the Corteo exhibition, which will highlight the talent
and creativity of world-famous Cirque du Soleil. Also featured
will be an exhibition of travel posters on Montréal, as well as
a sampling-demonstration of some of our world renowned fine
foods, including maple products.
{SOURCE: CNW Telbec}
What Guy Has to Do to Prep for Space
{Jul.10.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
China Central Television (CCTV) has published a series of five
photographs of Guy Laliberte preparing for his autumn space
launch by having his capsule seat created. Check it out!
# # #
Guy Laliberte, the Canadian billionaire owner of Cirque du
Soleil, lies in a special capsule filled with gypsum to create a
seat moulding in Star City outside Moscow July 8, 2009. The
former fire-eater is on the countdown to become the worlds
seventh, and Canadas first, space tourist, slated to travel on
a Russian Soyuz space craft to the International Space Station
(ISS) in September.
# # #
See the slide show here:
< http://english.cctv.com/20090710/101697.shtml >
{SOURCE: China Central TV}
ZED album to be released in Canada August 25
{Jul.13.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
Coming in the August issue of Fascination! is our exclusive
interview with Alain Vinet, famous house DJ, Cirques Musical
Director and creator of the "25? 2-CD retrospective.
From that interview we tease with this neat piece of new news,
straight from the mouth of somebody who knows..
"In the US I dont know exactly when the release date is... but in
Canada both ZAIA and ZED will come out on August 25. ZAIA is
already out in the US; it came out there first."
Read the rest in August!
(UPDATE: It seems one tent didnt know what the other was doing.
Weve just been informed by a source at CDS Musique that both
ZED and ZAIA will not make their August date for Canada. Instead
they will now be released in September or some time soon
afterward.)
Cirque du Soleil: ELVIS
{Jul.15.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
While ELVIS is just the working title for this mega production
slated to debut later this year at Aria, in the heart of
MGM/Mirages CityCenter Project, Cirque du Soleil already has a
splash page up with some information about the show, a few
videos and a lot of tease:
Check out the new page here!:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/elvis/show.aspx >
# # #
VIDEOS: Meet the Team
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
shows story, and Vincent tells us about his first encounter
with Elviss work.
Video 1: Vincent Patersons Presentation:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/elvis/videos/gallery-
creators/video-gallery/video1.aspx >
Video 2: Armand Thomas Presentation:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/elvis/videos/gallery-
creators/video-gallery/Video2.aspx >
Video 3: A Peek at the Shows Content:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/elvis/videos/gallery-
creators/video-<br%20/>gallery/Video3.aspx >
{SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil}
Koozå's Clarence Ford Judges Miss Teen Canada
{Jul.21.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
TORONTO, July 20 /CNW/ - Michelle Weswaldi, Executive Director
of Miss Teen Canada-World, today announced the celebrity judges
for the Miss Teen Canada-World 2009 Competition being held at
the Metro Toronto Convention Centres John Bassett Theatre on
Saturday, July 25 at 8:00 p.m. The categories being judged are
Swimwear/Fitness, Photogenic, Talent, Ad Sales, Congeniality,
Supermodel with Style, Official MTC-W Inc. Fundraising,
Community Service, Volunteer, Peoples Choice and Public
Speaking. [One of] the judges [is]:
Clarence Ford is one of Canadas top performers and most
respected choreographers. His choreography has been showcased in
Stars on Ice, So You Think You Can Dance Canada, and Robbie
Williams top rated music video, "Radio", which can be seen
worldwide on MTV, VH1, and MuchMusic. His latest work includes
choreographing the newest Cirque Du Soleil creation, KOOZA. As a
director, choreographer, producer and teacher, Clarence has lent
his talents to the film and television industry. His film
credits include The Tuxedo, Billy Madison, and Undercover
Brother and his talent is evident in over 60 television
commercials.
The Search for Miss Teen Canada-World (MTC-W) will be happening
in Toronto on July 25, 2009 at the John Bassett Theatre, Metro
Toronto Convention Centre at 8 p.m. Girls aged 13 - 19 from
across Canada will compete for the coveted title and the largest
prize package awarded in a Canadian teen competition. Over
$25,000 in cash, prizes, and scholarships will be awarded to
talented aspiring teens.
{SOURCE: CNW}
Alegría: Fights of Wonder [EXPANDED]
{Jul.23.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
With six hours to go before more than 3,000 eyes would be gazed
upon them, performers in Cirque du Soleils Alegria stretched,
flipped and bent in ways that would make pretzels jealous.
In a practice area behind the stage, performers loosened up.
Russians, Mongolians, Aussies and Americans shared the mats.
Conversations were taking place in several languages and some
cast and crew members spoke with an excitement and enthusiasm as
if they were about to take the stage for the first time.
Its like working at the United Nations, joked artistic
director Brooke Webb, who said the 56 performers hail from 22
countries.
Many have gymnastic backgrounds and some are past world
champions. Their skills allow them to draw oohs and ahhs from
crowds in cities around the world. On Wednesday night, their
touring troupe took to the township of Wilkes-Barre.
You come and perform and get paid. You travel the world. Its
pretty much the best job in the world, said Trudy McIntosh, who
made the 2000 Australian Olympic gymnastics team. The 24-year-
old trampoline artist portrays a nymph, which serve as guardians
in the hall of Alegria.
Though the characters have roles, there isnt as much of a
storyline as there is a concept, according to Webb.
She said the shows name Alegria is the Spanish word for
happiness, joy and jubilation, and thats what she expects show-
goers will feel, not only as they watch they show, but
afterwards, too.
The energy and the action, people really do leave with the
weight or the world off their shoulders, Webb said.
McIntosh said the concept of the show is a battle between old
and young; new ideas rising up to nudge out the old ways. It can
be interpreted in many ways, from generational views on
technology, politics, religion, power and more. But dont let
those deep ideas get in the way of whats really deep down a
good visual show.
The gymnastics, pomp and circumstance portray the battle as a
band plays on a stage thats partially an elongated trampoline.
While other Cirque shows use technology and other mechanical
aids, Alegria sticks to old-fashioned Big Top Circus
routines.
Theres something to be said for the old traditional circus
acts, said Webb, who like McIntosh, is a native of Australia.
The simplicity makes it strong.
Webb has been a part of four different Cirque du Soleil shows,
including Saltimbanco, which made a stop at the Wachovia Arena
two years ago. She said Alegria is her favorite.
Originally conceived and rolled out as an actual under-the-Big
Top-show in 1994, the show was reinvented for arenas for this
summers tour.
Webb said the new look gets viewers and performers much closer
and the electricity and vibe is more obvious on this tour. Even
though the crowds are about half the size as those the Big Top
tours drew, McIntosh said these arena performances are a bit
more personal and the performers can be energized by the close
proximity.
Other than the clowns it wouldnt be a Cirque du Soleil show
without them this manifestation bears little resemblance to
your fathers circus.
The pageantry and exhibited skills are typical Cirque du Soleil
from elaborate masks and costumes to hand balancing and
synchronized trapeze displays.
The show is, quite literally, a sight to see.
{ SOURCE: Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader }
Cirque LV Featuers Meyer Sound [EXPANDED]
{Jul.23.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
This morning weve come across a wonderful piece by
Examiner.coms AV Systems examiner - Linda Seid Frembes - which
delves into the world of Cirque du Soleil and Meyer Sound:
# # #
In March 2009, Cirque du Soleil® officially opened the doors of
its new training center based at the companys Resident Show
Division (RSD) in Las Vegas where technical staff can advance
their skills in the use of the high-end lighting, audio,
rigging, and automation equipment behind Cirques extravagant,
multisensory theatrical spectacles. Meyer Sound, whose audio
technology supports all of Cirques resident productions, has
expanded the companys worldwide education program to include
regular Matrix3 audio show control and CueConsole training
sessions at RSD.
The RSD facility is the brainchild of Kim Scott, technical show
support training manager, with Sylvain Brisebois, head of audio
of Cirque du Soleils Zumanity, coordinating the program
logistics with Jerry Placken of Meyer Sound. Other Cirque audio
department leads are also involved, including Mark Dennis of
KÀ, Bill Mansfield of "O", and Jason Pritchard of The Beatles®
LOVE.
Having Meyer Sound seminars here in Las Vegas is valuable for
LCS beginners and power users alike, says Brisebois. For
newcomers, it is an intense introduction to the foundations of
LCS straight from the manufacturers. And power users greatly
benefit from the dynamic exchange of ideas and programming
styles.
Cirque Du Soleil now has a well-equipped creative laboratory for
its audio operators to fine-tune their level of knowledge, an
education platform for cross-training technical staff interested
in entering audio, and a facility for co-hosting courses in
related fields with universities across the US.
Meyer Sound has made it possible for me to achieve my mandate
of developing a strong hands-on technical training program,
says Scott. Without Meyers generous support of equipment,
instructors, and resources, the program would not have the
efficiency and quality that it does today.
For over 15 years, Meyer Sound has enjoyed a close relationship
with Cirque du Soleil, working closely to push the envelope of
entertainment technology, says Helen Meyer, co-founder and
executive vice president of Meyer Sound, With education being
one of our core values and with our large user base in Las
Vegas, we are pleased to support RSDs efforts."
The CueConsole and Matrix3 training at RSD is an addition to
Meyer Sounds education program, which roots date back to the
1980s. Led by Education Program Manager Gavin Canaan, the
international program offers a range of audio education
initiatives for all skill levels. In addition to private group
sessions customized for Meyer Sound users like Cirque
technicians, Meyer Sounds education efforts include a broad
range of audio seminars with topics including sound system
design and optimization, acoustical prediction with MAPP Online
Pro, audio show control with Matrix3, as well as the popular
Mixing Workshop by veteran audio engineer Buford Jones. Meyer
Sounds education program frequently partners with universities
and industry organizations to provide seminars and trainings, as
well as scholarship opportunities.
{SOURCE: Examiner.com}
CDS off to LAX
{Jul.27.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
Variety reports this afternoon that Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas
will make its way to Los Angeles this coming Sunday (August 2nd)
to celebrate its 25th anniversary with free performances at the
Grove:
Acts from all six shows currently playing in Las Vegas,
including the Beatles "Love" and Criss Angels "Believe," will
perform starting at 12:30 p.m. The event will be family
friendly, featuring a circus play area set up for kids with face
painting, jugglers and other activities. Prize giveaways,
specially priced tickets for the shows in Vegas, and a chance to
meet Cirque du Soleil castmembers will round out the
festivities.
{SOURCE: Variety}
Loan Approved to Bring Cirque to Kodak Theatre
{Jul.29.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
From the LA Times:
A five-member committee of the Los Angeles City Council voted
this morning to move ahead with a $30- million loan that would
bring a decade of Cirque du Soleil performances to the Kodak
Theatre in Hollywood.
The councils Housing, Community and Economic Development
Committee unanimously forwarded the loan proposal to the full
council for a vote, saying the deal would boost the economy by
drawing tourists to the Hollywood & Highland shopping mall,
where the theater is located.
Under the proposed loan agreement, TheatreDreams LA/CHI would
promise to create no fewer than 858 jobs and stage the acrobatic
show 368 times per year.
{SOURCE: LA Times Blogs}
Child Labor and Laws at LOVE [EXPANDED]
{Jul.30.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
Corey Levitan of the Las Vegas Review-Journal takes a peek into
the world of Child labor on the Strip this morning by focusing
on the child performers in LOVE.
* * *
Mason Roberts, 9, and Dakotah Rhoades, 10, check the coast
outside their cave. There are important matters to discuss,
matters adults shouldn't overhear.
"You can't come in," Mason announces to this reporter.
Mason and Dakotah are among the six minors employed in "Love,"
the Beatles-inspired show by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage (11
child performers work on the Strip in total). Their "cave"
consists of a jacket draped over an open drawer beneath a
backstage makeup table. The "Love" kids appear to be living
normal childhoods in competent hands. But thats little thanks
to Nevada law, which is vague and could leave children
vulnerable.
"There's just not a lot of guidelines for employment of minors
in Nevada," says Mary Spees, human resources director for
Cirque, which fills in many of the law's blanks to provide its
kids with normalcy.
At 1 p.m. each weekday during the school year, Mason, Dakotah
and the other "Kids From Liverpool" (Santino Cardinale, 10; Seth
Wright, 11; Michael Artiga, 10; and Wally Zernich, 10) are
taught the Clark County School District curriculum for three
hours by a county-certified teacher in a classroom at Cirque's
southwest headquarters.
This is not required by the school district, which is charged
with ensuring that kids are educated but not required by law to
monitor the quality of that education.
"We asked them to collaborate with us on the setup, because we
wanted to make sure we did it all properly," says "Love" company
manager Kathy Merachnik. "But they didn't seem interested."
According to Orval Nutting, private school consultant for the
Nevada Department of Education, legal home schooling requires
only that a parent or guardian file a notice of intent with the
school district. For 15 years, this notice is good, and no tests
are administered, no progress tracked, to challenge it.
"And they can't reject the notice," Nutting added. "If anyone
said, 'What are you doing running around here skateboarding? --
they're good to go."
"The Lion King," which did not allow the Review-Journal to
observe or question anyone involved in the performance for this
article, provides no schooling to thespians Ruby E. Crawford,
12; Jade Milan, 11; D. Asante Ervin, 13; and Elijah Johnson, 11,
explaining that education of the children is left to the
discretion of their parents.
"Disney has the highest standards for education and encourages
all of its juvenile actors to continue their schooling in a
supportive environment," said "The Lion King" spokesman Dave
Kirvin. "Disney takes every precaution to ensure that their
learning is never disrupted, providing an incredible opportunity
for both their future careers and personal growth."
A child actor also appears in "Steve Wyrick: Real Magic," but in
a trick that its representatives thought would be compromised if
they cooperated with the newspaper.
It's 6:30 p.m., airbrushing time at "Love." Santino and Dakotah
must give up their grudge match of Sorry! and head into an
adjacent hallway to have fake wounds sprayed onto their elbows
and knees.
"Good," Santino says. "I won the last game, and now he's kicking
my butt."
Before they enter the hallway, Susannah Denney checks the face
makeup they applied themselves. Then she looks both ways for
creepily attired acrobats on potential collision courses. Denney
is the "responsible person" required by Nevada -- known in
theater circles as a child wrangler -- to supervise pint-sized
actors from 30 minutes before call time until their legal
guardians pick them up (which, at "Love," is from 5:30 to 11:15
p.m.)
"All clear," Denney says.
A juvenile workday at "Love" is less than six hours, a week
typically less than 24. (Each of the six kids rotates into four
spots, working three or four nights per week.) Yet, according to
Nevada law, actors younger than 16 can work as long as eight
hours per day, 48 per week. While this is similar to the
stricter California law, minors younger than 12 in the Golden
State can work only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on school days
during the academic year, or 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on summer break.
(If "Love" were based in Los Angeles, its 9:30 p.m. show would
be kidless.)
The Actors' Equity Collective Bargaining agreement -- followed
by "The Lion King" but not "Love" -- forbids understudying or
brush-up work more than once a week, and prohibits any that
intrudes upon school. Kirvin said "The Lion King" also limits
each of its juveniles to no more than four performances per
week.
To employ someone younger than 14 in Nevada, special permission
is required from a district judge. However, this is typically a
formality in which a short document obtained at the self-help
center of the Eighth Judicial District Court is filled out
without any investigation. The child is not required to appear.
"It's very, very basic stuff," says Mark Harter, law clerk for
Clark County District Judge William Voy. "It's usually no
question the judge would even second guess signing something
off."
Merachnik says her kids are in zero danger. They're strapped
into harnesses at all times "and we have emergency procedures we
go through with everybody."
What constitutes danger, however, is another area where Nevada
law is limited and enforcement lax. Investigations as to
dangerous work and other hardships are made primarily on a
complaint basis.
"Unless it falls under one of the specific exemptions, it would
be most likely based on some sort of complaint," says Nevada
Deputy Labor Commissioner Keith Sakelhide. "Then we would
investigate to determine whether that is a dangerous occupation
or not."
"OK, ready guys?" Denney asks.
It's 6:40 p.m., time for the green room, where the Kids From
Liverpool usually watch "SpongeBob SquarePants" and perform
acting exercises before their first cues eight minutes into the
show.
Dakotah gets an early lead on his colleagues by skipping down
the hall.
"He knows he's not allowed to run," Denney explains.
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal}
=======================================================================
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. As such, the Fascination! Newsletter
does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of these listings.
NOTE (*): 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 Dec 20, 2009
Fukuoka, Japan -- Feb 11, 2010 to Apr 4, 2010 (*)
Sendai, Japan -- Apr 21, 2010 to Jun 6, 2010 (*)
Dralion:
Auckland, New Zealand -- Jul 10, 2009 to Aug 23, 2009
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 Dec 31, 2009 (*)
Koozå:
Minneapolis/St-Paul, Minnesota -- Jul 3, 2009 to Aug 9, 2009
Denver, Colorado -- Aug 20, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009
Santa Monica, California -- Oct 16, 2009 to Dec 20, 2009
Irvine, California -- Jan 8, 2010 to Jan 31, 2010
OVO:
Quebec, QC -- Jul 30, 2009 to Aug 23, 2009
Toronto, ON -- Sep 3, 2009 to Nov 01, 2009
San Francisco -- Nov 27, 2009 to Jan 24, 2010
San Jose, CA -- Feb 5, 2010 to Mar 21, 2010
Quidam:
Recife, Brazil -- Jul 09, 2009 to Aug 02, 2009
Salvador, Brazil -- Aug 13, 2009 to Sep 6, 2009
Brasília, Brazil -- Sep 18, 2009 to Oct 11, 2009
Belo Horizonte, Brazil -- Oct 23, 2009 to Nov 22, 2009
Curitiba, Brazil -- Dec 4, 2009 to Dec 27, 2009
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -- Jan 8, 2010 to Feb 7, 2010
Sao Paulo, Brazil -- Feb 26, 2010 to May 2, 2010
Porto Alegre, Brazil -- May 10, 2010 to Jul 11, 2010
Buenos Aires, Argentina -- Jul 23, 2010 to Aug 29, 2010
Santiago, Chile -- Sep 11, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010
Varekai:
Gijon, Spain -- Jul 9, 2009 to Aug 16, 2009
Hamburg, Germany -- Aug 28, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009
Moscow, Russia -- Oct 23, 2009 to Dec 13, 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 August 3-11
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 August 3 - 10
o September 7 - 9
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 [$75.90]
2009 Dark Dates:
o August 3 - 12
o October 8
o December 1 - 16
ZAIA:
Location: Venetian, Macao (China)
Performs: Tuesday through Sunday, Dark Monday
One to Two Shows Daily -
Tuesday: 8:00pm
Wednesday: 8:00pm
Thursday - Saturday: 7:00pm & 10:00pm
Sunday: 4:00pm & 7:00pm
2008 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 0-12):
o Category 1: MOP$ 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 August 11
o September 9 - 17
o November 10
o December 8
--------------------------------------
VENUE - Arena & Seasonal Productions
--------------------------------------
Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=251 >
Saltimbanco:
North American Tour
-------------------
Phoenix, AZ -- Jul 29, 2009 to Aug 2, 2009
Salt Lake City, UT -- Aug 5, 2009 to Aug 9, 2009
Columbus, OH -- Aug 12, 2009 to Aug 23, 2009
European Tour
-------------
Stockholm, SE -- Sep 17, 2009 to Sep 20, 2009
Helsinki, FI -- Sep 23, 2009 to Sep 26, 2009
Turku, FI -- Sep 30, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009
Oslo, NO -- Oct 8, 2009 to Oct 11, 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
Aarhus, DN -- TBA
Alegría:
Hamilton, ON -- Jul 29, 2009 to Aug 2, 2009
Bridgeport, CT -- Aug 20, 2009 to Aug 23, 2009
Boston, MA -- Aug 26, 2009 to Aug 30, 2009
Albany, NY -- Sep 2, 2009 to Sep 6, 2009
Syracuse, NY -- Sep 9, 2009 to Sep 13, 2009
Amhurst, 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
Hershey, PA -- Oct 14, 2009 to Oct 18, 2009
Reading, PA -- Oct 21, 2009 to Oct 25, 2009
London, ON -- Nov 12, 2009 to Nov 15, 2009
Greenville, SC -- Nov 18, 2009 to Nov 22, 2009
Duluth, 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
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
o) Students & Seniors:
PEAK / WEEKEND:
Students and Seniors receive a 10% discount on regular
priced seats (premium and Tapis Rouge seats not
included) on Pre-Thanksgiving and Non-Peak/Weekday
tickets only.
NON-PEAK / WEEKDAY:
Regular: $31.50, $40.50, $58.50, $73.80
Premium: Not Available
Tapis Rouge: Not Available
PRE-THANKSGIVING:
Regular: $20.70, $27.00, $45.00, $67.50
Premium: None
Tapis Rouge: None
o) Group - Adult (9+ tickets):
PEAK / WEEKEND:
Regular: $48.00, $65.00, $85.00, $98.00
Premium: $150.00
Tapis Rouge: $300.00
NON-PEAK / WEEKDAY:
Regular: $28.75, $36.75, $59.00, $74.40
Premuim: $115.00
Tapis Rouge: $275.00
PRE-THANKSGIVING:
Regular: $17.00, $22.00, $40.75, $60.75
Premium: None
Tapis Rouge: None
o) Group - Student/Senior (9+ tickets):
PEAK / WEEKEND:
Regular: $43.50, $59.00, $77.00, $88.50
Premium: Not Available
Tapis Rouge: Not Available
NON-PEAK / WEEKDAY:
Regular: $26.25, $33.50, $53.50, $67.25
Premuim: Not Available
Tapis Rouge: Not Available
PRE-THANKSGIVING:
Regular: $15.75, $20.25, $37.00, $55.00
Premium: None
Tapis Rouge: None
=======================================================================
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
---------------------------------------
There were no new articles posted to CirqueClub for this period, so
we're reaching back to April for a little piece on automation from
LOVE we didn't get a chance to point out!
What does AUTOMATION at LOVE mean?
By Mike Brister
My name is Mike and I am an Automation Technician for the Las Vegas
show "The Beatles LOVE" by Cirque du Soleil. Over the past couple of
months, I've been giving a lot of backstage tours to various visitors
to our stage. In doing this, I've discovered that many people
(sometimes even those in my industry) have very little or no awareness
of what Theatrical Automation is. In short, I'm often answering the
question... "What is automation anyway?" I thought it would be fun to
write a little bit about what it is I do for the benefit of those who
might be interested in a little behind the scenes peek.
Automation is the remote control of moving scenic elements and
performers including stage lifts, scenery, flying rigs, and sometimes
animatronics. It is very closely related to industrial automation
(lifts, elevators, factory robots, conveyors, and cranes) and uses a
lot of the same equipment. Automation is relatively new in the
entertainment industry and is probably the least standardized
discipline currently. By that, I mean that the methods and equipment
are VERY different from venue to venue. That is starting to change as
it is used more often and more manufacturers are dedicated to building
it. Now, it is true that lifts, moving scenery, and flying systems
have been around as long as the theater itself but as a discipline,
Automation hasn't really existed as its own entity for very long and
most of these devices were manually operated with ropes or simple
motors.
In modern Automation systems, these devices are now usually controlled
by computers playing back pre-programmed sequences of moves using
sensors for real time feedback and safety monitoring. The precision
and repeatability of the movements are significantly improved, which
makes a better, safer show and allows designers to create much more
complex show elements. But just because these systems are automated by
computers doesn't mean that the human element is out of the picture.
In fact, it takes crews of specialized Technicians to operate and
maintain these systems.
At "The Beatles LOVE", I am part of a crew of 12 Automation
Technician's responsible for the maintenance and nightly show
operation of 122 automation elements including 20 moving stage parts
(12 vertical lifts, 4 over-sized trap doors, 2 horizontal moving stage
floor parts, and 2 "pop up book"-style set pieces), 13 trolleys
suspended on 9 ceiling tracks (7 trolleys can also rotate and 4 can
travel as fast as 10' per second), 6 large format moving video screens
(4 can change shape and retract into the ceiling), 43 cable winches
(32 ride on the trolleys with 2 or 4 to each trolley), and 12 scrims
(huge sheer curtains that we project video on). The bulk of the show's
automation is made up by the lifts and trolleys. The lifts create the
entire surface of the stage and allow us to change it's shape, add
multiple levels, or create different sized openings in it. The
trolleys, which behave similarly to small gantry cranes, are used to
suspend almost all of the flying people and set pieces in the show.
Our crew of 12 is broken up into 4 different jobs and many of us are
capable of more than one of these jobs: 2 Managers, 5 Maintenance
(they work early in the day), 3 Console Operators (that's what I do),
and 2 Rovers (these guys do troubleshooting and maintenance during the
nightly performances as needed). All of our computer equipment as well
as the winches and trolleys were built by a company called Stage
Technologies. This company built the theatrical automation for many of
the other Cirque du Soleil shows including KA, Zumanity, Wintuk,
Believe, Zaia, and some of the new shows opening in the next couple of
years. They've also created systems for several cruise ships including
for the Disney Cruise Line.
There are a few other companies that also build this kind of equipment
including Fisher Technical (Le Reve, Zed, Phantom of the Opera),
Hudson (Finding Nemo at Walt Disney World), and Scenic Technologies
(several shows on Broadway). Every show and equipment brand is
different but here are some basics about my show, much of which is
similar in other shows. For two shows each night, I sit behind one of
3 consoles (a customized computer called a Nomad) and play back my
part of 289 cues per show. If you include all the cues before and
after both shows too, we play back 646 cues a night (and that doesn't
include the hour or two of rehearsals each afternoon). If the show
cues were evenly spaced, we would be playing a cue about every 20
seconds for the entire 90 minute show. This makes LOVE the busiest
show for Automation of all the North American Cirque du Soleil shows.
To keep this organized and consistent, the three consoles are divided
up by specific responsibilities: Board 1 - Runs most of the aerial
automation that the audience can see. This includes people, set
pieces, and props. Board 2 - Runs all of the moving stage parts
(mostly lift cues), the 6 video screens, and some aerial work in one
scene. Board 3 - Runs all of the loading and unloading (called set and
strike) of people and set pieces on the trolleys behind the scenes.
Each Board Operator can run up to 5 pre-programmed cues simultaneously
and will have control of as many as 34 of the 122 moving elements
(called an axis) at a time. The cues are all numbered and each one is
told when to start by either a Stage Manager calling a "go" or by
another Technician calling a "clear". We listen for these calls by
headset on any of the 6 channels of communication we monitor
simultaneously. In the event of a last minute change or if something
goes wrong, we manually take control of the needed axes. Having the
ability to run 5 different cues at once gives us the flexibility to
run manual movements where the trouble is while still letting the rest
of the show cues continue.
There are many safety systems that are running automatically as we
work including a lot of sensors, emergency stop buttons all over the
theater, and some anti-collision software (called interlocks). The
sensors automatically stop equipment for a variety of reasons
including a lack of cable tension, cables being tangled or caught, too
much weight on a line, improper movement from a winch, or something
getting in the way of a pinch point on a lift (called a safe edge or
astragal). Emergency stop buttons called E-stops for short, allow
anyone in the building to stop equipment if they see a problem. This
is also commonly used in industrial automation and theme park ride
systems.
At LOVE, interlocks keep trolleys that share a track from bumping each
other. Some of the other shows have more interlocks to keep moving
stage parts from hitting each other. LOVE has very few interlocks
because the trolleys are used differently in nearly every scene. What
would be a collision in one scene is not in the next. That is where
the human operators come into play. We watch carefully to ensure that
everything moves where and when it is supposed to. For safety sake,
operation of this equipment always requires 2 or more actions to make
it move but only 1 to make it stop. Running the show comes with a lot
of responsibility. I like to use the analogy that we are each remotely
driving 5 cars at the same time but all we can see are the dashboard
displays and the GPS. There are cameras but many of the movements we
control are outside of our vision.
We rely heavily on Stage Managers and other Technicians around the
theater to tell us when something is clear to move. This is important
because so much of what we control is very large, very fast, and
usually has people attached to it or standing on it. Most of our cable
winches have a top speed of 10 feet per second and one of them
actually reaches 20 feet per second. Despite the speeds, the equipment
is very accurate. A movement will hit the target position consistently
with 1/1000th of a foot accuracy. All of these computers and machinery
and Technicians are there to create a unique and dynamic environment
for a one-of-kind performance (that has to be repeated consistently 10
times a week). Thanks to this technology, the stage is a performer too
and those of us behind the scenes work to keep it's choreography safe
and spectacular 5 nights a week. I hope you enjoyed this little
backstage peek!
---------------------------------------------------
NETWORKING: Cirque on Twitter, Facebook & Myspace
---------------------------------------------------
{Jul.02.2009 | Dralion }
Dralion by Cirque du Soleil has arrived in New Zealand! The big
top went up yesterday and the final touches are being made in
time for the Auckland premiere next Thursday. Read about our
team in action!
Read More: < http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?
c_id=1&objectid=10582188 >
{Jul.02.2009 | ZAIA}
Stilt-walkers gathered in Macau for the 25th anniversary of
Cirque du Soleil to reclaim the Guinness world record for the
most people simultaneously walking on stilts. The June 16th
challenge was part of a worldwide celebration of 25 years of
Cirque du Soleil!
Fotos: [4] < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=88251&
id=34277887388&ref=mf >
Video: [0:25] < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?
v=1154151183217&ref=mf >
[Jul.03.2009 | «O»}
O by Cirque du Soleil wants to share an article about one of our
Russian performers with fans who speak Russian!
Read More: < http://www.bbc.co.uk/russian/entertainment/2009/06/
090629_cirque_soleil.shtml >
[Jul.06.2009 | «O»}
Nearly 300 people participated in the Las Vegas attempt to break
the Guinness World Record for most stilt walkers in conjunction
with other locations around the world.
Fotos: [8] < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?
aid=87213&id=26000574416&ref=mf >
{Jul.06.2009 | LOVE}
Fun Facts from Travis @ LOVE! | I wanted to take a little bit of
time to talk about some of the exciting things that make this
show so special. The show is truly beautiful and engaging, and I
even catch myself backstage sometimes watching the show, which
defiantly keeps it fresh and exciting. I've only been here since
May 21st, but I've already been involved with a little over 70
performances! It is amazing to me that the artists and
technicians still have the same excitement and put on a great
show night after night throughout the over fourteen hundred
performances (tonight are shows 1464 and 1465!) So anyway, here
are some fun and exciting facts about The Beatles LOVE by Cirque
du Soleil!
The cast features 60 performers from 17 countries: A third of
them are dancers, a third are character/actors and another third
are acrobats. The youngest one is 9 and the oldest one is 71
years old!
From the 7 main lifts to the automation in the air there are 130
axis of movement on our show, compared to 81 at O. Only KA has
more, but if you don't count the 80+ pegs in their stage, our
show beats theirs by a long shot, not that we are bragging or
anything.
LOVE uses 204 moving lights (all state of the art VariLights),
1000 dimmers and one finger to control it all. It is really
impressive to watch the light board operator run the show. The
ops are so expertly trained that they all know where every cue
goes.
Unlike many shows, the stage manager does not call the light
cues. Because the automation in the show is so extreme, it is
the stage managers primary job to call all automation cues, as
well as a few sound, light, projection and actor cues. This is
done for many reasons, but the main are to make sure that
everyone on stage and backstage (or in the basement or the grid)
is safe at all times. If the SM had to call every cue in the
show it would either be impossible or they would pass out
because there would be no time to breathe.
We have over 6500 speakers in the theater, (compared to 78 at
Mystère), specifically to achieve one of the most panoramic
surround, IMAX for the ears, systems in the world. each seat is
fitted with six speakers in order to hear the Beatles music
like its never been heard before. LOVE is the only live
theatrical presentation to utilize 5.1 digital surround sound!
The designer, Johnathan Deans, is one of the most sought after
sound designers in the World.
The LOVE theatre features 24 digital projectors that are used in
the show, including 4 built on motion platforms which allow
their focus to be placed almost anywhere in the theater.
Everything is digital from source to screen, making very large
high definition digital 100 wide panoramic images, one of the
largest used in the theater, ever!
There are over 331 multi-layer costumes used in the show, as
well as over 150 wigs. A team of over 30 super talented wardrobe
staff maintain the show every day, ensuring they look just as
stunning as opening night.
Finally, there are over 150 technicians and 60 Artists that make
the show run every single day. While we are not the largest
Cirque show on the strip, it is certainly a family atmosphere!
Merci and Bon Chance!
{Jul.06.2009 | LOVE}
Happy Birthday Ringo!!! I'd like to be, under the sea, in an
octopus' garden...
{Jul.07.2009 | Saltimbanco}
Saltimbanco celebrated its 5000th performance on June 30 in
Tampa, Florida, USA! Check out these fotos:
Fotos: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?
aid=124059&id=41245692958&ref=mf >
{Jul.08.2009 | La Nouba}
Cirque 25th Anniversary at La Nouba, Revisited | Hey gang, we
had so much fun on the anniversary of our founding, we wanted to
share it again in video. Ahh, memories! The stilt-walk was a
blast! Thanks to everyone who came out to join in the fun!
Unfortunately, it will be a while before we get final
confirmation of breaking the record for the "Most People
Simultaneously Walking on Stilts (multiple venues)." We had 119
in Orlando alone, and 1908 successful participants from all over
the world. Likewise we are waiting on confirmation of the
breaking of two records: Marcos de Jesus, our BMX biker, did 61
pinky squeaks in 52 seconds (the record was 58 in a minute)
Lance Trappe, our Mountain biker, did 108 front wheel hops in 1
minute, 21 seconds (the record was 3) Rokardy, our artist who
does his chair balancing act in La Nouba, made an attempt to set
a record for the "Longest Distance Walking on Hand Stilts." We
believe this was the first of its kind and he walked a total of
189 feet. Again, we are waiting on final confirmation of setting
this record. Well keep you posted... No matter what, everyone
did a great job and celebrated our anniversary with true Cirque
enthusiasm. Thanks to all for the memories and thanks to our
fans for celebrating with us!
Video: [2:49] < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?
v=124266080619&ref=mf >
{Jul.08.2009 | OVO }
View some footage of Cirque du Soleil participation to the
Toronto Gay Pride Parade on June 29.
Video: [1:11] <http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?
v=228386080373&ref=mf >
{Jul.08.2009 | Believe
CRISS ANGEL Believe is bidding farewell to our intern Adam
Kendrick... we'll miss you buddy. You're a true "Believer"!
Check out Adam's post on our page (and photos of his handsome
face) now!
< http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=106123941715&ref=mf >
{Jul.09.2009 | Zumanity}
Cirque du Soleil will be in studio with Willie Bronco and the
Zumanity girls shooting our third interactive game today! Have
you played Hoops or Waterbowl yet? Check them out at:
www.zumanityhoops.com and www.zumanitywaterbowl.com !
{Jul.09.2009 | KÀ}
More KÀ kudos from Maverick Mom! Thanks! | Early last month I
was in Las Vegas and had the chance to see a Cirque Du Soleil
show. I chose to see KA- again. This time when I saw it, I was
moving in this new direction of Escaping Mediocrity so I watched
it with a fresh lens. It was as amazing and moving as I
remembered it to be. So much so that I bought KA Extreme which
chronicles how this amazing production developed.
Read More: < http://www.themaverickmom.com/uncommon-
business/lesson-cirque-du-soleil/ >
{Jul.10.2009 | KÀ / «O»}
We couldn't look this great without the amazing talents in
wardrobe! | Next time you see one of those extravagant
production shows on the Strip, take a moment from all of your
oohing and aahing to consider this: Who does all the laundry?
And, come to think of it, whose task is it to do the sewing, the
darning, the dyeing of everything from the most basic
undergarment to the flashiest headdress? Those tasks fall to the
shows' wardrobe and costume crews, who work daily to ensure that
every costume audiences see looks as good today as it did on
opening night. Despite the high-profile results wardrobe crews
provide -- would any show on the Strip be quite as spectacular
otherwise? -- theirs is a theatrical specialty audiences take
for granted.
Read More: < http://www.lvrj.com/neon/50459977.html >
[Jul.10.2009 | «O»}
A few artists from "O" greeted attendees of the National
Strength and Conditioning Association Convention on July 9.
Fotos: [10] < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?
aid=88083&id=26000574416&ref=mf >
{Jul.10.2009 | LOVE}
Over 13,000 people gathered in Trafalgar Square (London) to sing
"Hey Jude" together...WOW!!! | The exclusive 4 minute extended
version of the moment 13,500 people sang Hey Jude together in
Trafalgar Square. Everyone involved arrived thinking they could
be dancing - no-one had any idea how the event would unfold.
Video: < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orukqxeWmM0 >
{Jul.13.2009 | Varekai}
Varekai is now playing in Gijòn, ES until August 16! Check out
the following article!
< http://www.lne.es/secciones/noticia.jsp?pRef=2009070800_
73_779414__Verano-carpa-Icaro >
{Jul.13.2009 | Quidam}
Quidam by Cirque du Soleil opened last week in Recife, Brazil!
< http://www.diariodepernambuco.com.br/viver/nota.asp?
materia=20090708111329 >
{Jul.15.2009 | La Nouba}
The 9:00 p.m. show on Friday July 10, 2009 was the 5000th
performance of La Nouba. It is as fresh as it was the day it was
first performed. This is due, in large part, to the dedication
and energy of our artists. We have 22 artists who have been with
us since day one... One such artist was recognized for having
NEVER missed a show. Never. (I know, we can't believe it
either!) Alexander Danilchenko (we call him Sasha) was
recognized by the Artistic Director for La Nouba, Denise Biggi,
and Senior Artistic Director for Cirque du Soleil, James Hadley
during bows after the show.
Fotos: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=91225&id
=16315569901&ref=mf >
Video: [0:24] < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v
=1201717966075&ref=mf >
{Jul.15.2009 | Mystère}
Our new aritst Julie snuck out of the house to try out for the
Philippines Rhythmic Gymnastics team at age 11...wow do we feel
like slackers! Oh yeah, she made the team!
{Jul.16.2009 | Alegría}
Alegria was on The Today Show this morning and on The Top of the
Rock (Rockefeller Center)!
Photos: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=123758&id=
38543815745&ref=mf >
Video: < http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/
31943927#31943927 >
{Jul.21.2009 | ZAIA}
ZAIA dazzled silver screen Indian Cinema superstars as an
exclusive performance of the Cirque du Soleil spectacular marked
the launch of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA)
Weekend at The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel on June 11th.
< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msyV_GS3IW4 >
< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKmB4IOYBAU >
{Jul.21.2009 | Wintuk}
MEET THE CAST: Hoops performer Elena Lev returns to Wintuk this
year with her unique fusion of contortion and hoops. Stayed
tuned for updates on other Wintuk artists.
{Jul.22.2009 | Saltimbanco}
Saltimbanco performed at the Spacefest in Houston (40th
anniversary of the moon landing) on Monday, July 20 - See photo
album!
Fotos: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=127963&id=
41245692958&ref=mf >
{Jul.22.2009 | Zumanity}
Just saw the 2-page spread of our "Hoops" girl Julia posing in
the latest issue of MMA Sports Mag. All we can say is... HOT!
Pick it up on newstands now. :)
{JUl.23.2009 | «O»}
O by Cirque du Soleil was thrilled to provide the music for the
Young and the Restless "Wedding of a Lifetime" ceremony last
Sunday, July 19.
{Jul.24.2009 | ZAIA}
A group of journalists from HK were in town to interview
Violaine Corradi, composer & musical director, ZAIA singers and
musicians to talk about the album yesterday.
Fotos: [8] < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=93143&id=
34277887388&ref=mf >
{Jul.24.2009 | LOVE}
Music Playback Engineer, Gavin Whiteley, shares his "brush with
a Beatle" story!!! Ch-ch-check it out! | In June 2006, Sir Paul
McCartney-along with Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison and
their families - came to The Mirage in Las Vegas to see the gala
premiere of Love, the Cirque du Soleil show celebrating the
Beatles' legacy, with the original Beatles tracks produced and
remixed by Sir George Martin and his son, Giles Martin. As the
"music playback engineer" for Love, I ran the music tracks for
that show and had the pleasure of meeting Sir Paul when he came
into my "office" to record a video interview following the Gala
Premiere. I gave Sir Paul my seat at our "music playback
system." Behind him were an array of keyboards, computer
screens, and my parents' vinyl copy of the Sgt. Pepper album
that I grew up with, and had brought with me for good luck.
{Jul.29.2009 | Saltimbanco}
Saltimbanco Pink Singer sings the National Anthem at the
Diamondbacks baseball game in Phoenix - Tuesday, July 28!
< http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saltimbanco-by-Cirque-du-
Soleil/41245692958#/photo.php?pid=3159452&id=41245692958&ref=mf>
{Jul.29.2009 | Wintuk}
MEET THE CAST: Casey Rigney, performing in the Act Charivari as
a Skate Street: He has been skating for 17 years and this would
include 7 years pro. Casey won first place in best trick in 2002
at the Slam City JamV (one of the largest skateboard contests in
the World)
{Jul.31.2009 | OVO }
In the last few days of July, Cirque du Soleil posted a couple
of links to French-language articles about OVO in Montreal.
Check them out here!
o) Nouveau domicile «plus près de l'action» pour le
Cirque du Soleil
< http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-soleil/arts-et-spectacles/sur-
scene/200907/22/01-886511-nouveau-domicile-plus-pres-de-
laction-pour-le-cirque-du-soleil.php >
o) OVO: sous la tente, une fourmilière
< http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-soleil/arts-et-spectacles/sur-
scene/200907/27/01-887767-ovo-sous-la-tente-une-
fourmiliere.php >
o) Lexcellence est encore au rendez-vous
< http://lejournaldequebec.canoe.ca/journaldequebec/
artsetspectacles/scene/archives/2009/07/20090730-
230704.html >
o) Valérie Lesage : OVO: éclosion réussie
< http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-soleil/arts-et-spectacles/sur-
scene/200907/30/01-888681-ovo-eclosion-reussie.php >
----------------------------------------
GATHERINGS: CirqueCon, Celebri & More!
----------------------------------------
CirqueCon: < http://www.CirqueCon.com/ >
Celebri: < http://www.celebri.org/ >
[CirqueCon]
o) Update #3: Thursday, July 9, 2009
o) Update #4: Saturday, July 18, 2009
UPDATE #3: Thursday, July 9, 2009
---------------------------------
Greetings, Cirque Passionates!
We're counting down the days here at CirqueCon headquarters, until
CirqueCon 2009: Monterrey and wish it would get here sooner. The
three of us can't wait to see everyone again and especially the
many Mexican fans we've not had a chance to meet before!
With that in mind, we have IMPORTANT information to disclose to you
regarding tickets to our official CirqueCon show of Dralion, to be
held on Saturday, September 26th at 9:00pm. I wish to preface the
news by saying it isn't what we hoped for, but we're working with what
options have been presented to us and we know this little bump will
not dampen our spirits. Please see the tickets section in this update
on how to get your tickets to Dralion. We profusely apologize in
advance for the inconvenience this may cause.
Also, don't forget we have a wonderful package available at our
Headquarters Hotel at the Holiday Inn Parque Fundidora. There are
three types of rooms at our disposal - a standard suite, a
superior suite (with a balcony!) and an executive suite (for those
who might wish to do a little business on our vacation...). See the
Hotel section of this update on how to join us there!
And finally, please let us know you received this update by emailing
us back at mexico@cirquecon.com. We want to be sure everyone knows
about purchasing their show tickets. Thanks!
o) DRALION TICKETS
+---------------------------------+
| |
| *** CIRQUECON OFFICIAL SHOW *** |
| |
| Saturday |
| September 26, 2009 |
| @ 9:00pm |
| |
+---------------------------------+
As we alluded to in our introduction, we have some rather
disappointing news regarding tickets to Dralion in Monterrey.
OCESA, the box-office vendor for Cirque du Soleil in Mexico,
is unable to work with CirqueCon this year to facilitate
group ticket sales in conjunction with the public release of
seats on Monday, July 13th. We therefore regret that CirqueCon
will NOT be able to reserve seating for you this year or
offer tickets to the show as we have enjoyed in years past.
Tickets will sell quickly (and we dont want to miss you in
Monterrey), so please be prepared to purchase your tickets
directly on Monday, July 13th. Tickets go on sale beginning
11:00am Central Daylight Time. See the "Buying - Great, How
Do I Get 'Em?" section below on purchasing tickets directly
with OCESA.
Pricing - Okay, How Much?
-------------------------
The prices below reflect the cost of adults & children (there
is no distinction between the two, sorry) with all taxes and
fees added in Mexican Pesos (MXN) with USD approximates:
ABONO: Tapis Rouge
MXN: $2174 total ($1849 base + 290 tax + 35 svc)
USD: $160.00 approx total
VIP: Category 1 (This is not Tapis Rouge)
MXN: $1295 total ($1090 base + 170 tax + 35 svc)
USD: $95.00 approx total
Reservado A: Category 2
MXN: $1061 total ($890 base + 136 tax + 35 svc)
USD: $78.00 approx total
Reservado B: Category 3
MXN: $828 ($690 base + 103 tax + 35 svc)
USD: $60.00 approx total
Reservado C: Category 4
MXN: $606 ($490 base + 81 tax + 35 svc)
USD: $45.00 approx total
See the Dralion seating chart on our TICKETS page at our
website: < www.cirquecon.com/2009/tickets.htm >. One is
also available at the Ticketmaster Mexico page (see
below).
Buying - Great, How Do I Get 'Em?
---------------------------------
Tickets must be individually purchased directly with OCESA
through one of these two methods:
NOTE: Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning
Monday, July 13th at 11:00am Central Daylight Time!
1) Online at TicketMaster Mexico:
< http://www.ticketmaster.com.mx/ >
The exact shortcut to our offical show is here:
< http://www.ticketmaster.com.mx/event/140042D9BC8B9243?
artistid=1001185&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=52 >
Although Spanish is obviously the default, you can get an
English translation by selecting "English" in the upper
right-hand corner. Navigating and purchasing a ticket
on Ticketmaster Mexico is exactly the same as purchasing
a ticket on Ticketmaster USA.
2) By Phone with OCESA/Ticketmaster
Number: 011 52 (818) 369 9000
You will hear a recording in Spanish. Select option 5 and
ask for an English speaking operator. They will be able to
assist you from there. Unfortunately there is not a toll-
free number to reach Ticketmaster Mexico.
Should you have any problems with purchasing tickets to Dralion
directly, please let us know. We'll do what we can to make sure
you're under the Grand Chapiteau with us come September 26th!
Okay - Now What?
----------------
Please let us know when you have purchased your tickets and in
what section, row and seat they are located. We don't want to
lose you.
Once again we sincerely apologize for this inconvenience;
however, if theres a silver lining in this dark cloud it may
be this: now we'll have passionates sitting all over the big
top; we can totally rock the Grand Chapiteau!
The three 'R'migos hope to see you there!
o) HEADQUARTERS HOTEL
Rich, Rodolfo and I are excited to announce that we have
chosen a hotel in the center of a wonderful green space in the
heart of Monterrey: HOLIDAY INN PARQUE FUNDIDORA.
+-----------------------------------------------+
| |
| HOLIDAY INN PARQUE FUNDIDORA |
| |
| $ 75.00 USD / Night = Standard Room |
| $ 85.00 USD / Night = Superior Room |
| $105.00 USD / Night = Executive Room |
| |
+-----------------------------------------------+
Notes:
------
.) Prices reflect Single or Double occupancy.
.) Rates are in US Dollars at the date of payment.
.) Rates do not include food and/or beverages
.) Rates are subject to 15% IVA and 2% State taxes.
.) Rates per extra person per night are $16.00 USD +
taxes.
Q. What's the difference in rooms?
----------------------------------
a STANDARD room is your basic hotel suite.
a SUPERIOR room is a bigger hotel suite with a balcony.
an EXECUTIVE room is on a private floor, with express breakfast
and a business room.
So come join us!
-----------------
We have a number of convenient options available in order to
make your room reservations, they are:
.) PHONE = From the USA and other countries, please call
1-800-HOLIDAY and request a transfer to HOLIDAY INN
PARQUE FUNDIDORA. Or, if you'd like to contact the hotel
directly, you may do so by dialing [52] (818) 380-2217.
From Mexico, please call 01-800-772-7083. And from
Monterrey, call locally at 83-80-22-17.
.) INTERNET = Go to the hotel's website at
(www.hotelesmilenium.com), then select Monterrey on the
map and later the hotel (HOLIDAY INN PARQUE FUNDIDORA).
On the reservation form, please specify in the section
"Código de grupo" the code: "CIR".
.) EMAIL = Reserve by sending an email to
cro.hipfmty@hotelesmilenium.com and mention the code
"CIRQUE CON 2009". Make sure you provide the following
information so your reservation may be confirmed:
- Full Name
- Credit Card Number
- Expiration Date
- Code Number
- Card Company/Bank
NOTE: A credit card will be required to secure your
reservation!
NOTE: You can cancel your reservation up to 48 hours prior to
guest arrival without penalties. If the cancellation
request is not received and confirmed by the hotel at least
48 hours before check in, your reservation will be canceled
as a "no show" and a one night charge will appear on your
credit card.
UPDATE #4: Saturday, July 18, 2009
----------------------------------
Greetings, Cirque Passionates!
With just a little over two months to go until our exciting weekend
in Monterrey begins (and with the ticket fiasco hopefully behind
us), we wanted to announce our fantastic social events this year,
put together for us by Rodolfo himself!
We have three wonderfully exciting events to take part in this year:
a twelve hour tour of the city of Monterrey, an evening of recovery
at a local watering hole (Nueva Luna), and our CirqueCon group meal,
this year being held at famous Los Generales restaurant, a Mexican
buffet!
Also keep in mind that tickets to our group showing of Dralion - the
9:00pm performance on Saturday, September 26th - are still on sale.
Please visit our website for further information on purchasing seats:
< http://www.cirquecon.com/2009/tickets.htm >
And we still have plenty of room at our CirqueCon headquarters hotel
- the Holiday Inn Parque Fundidora, which is right on site of the
Grand Chapiteau! Visit the following link to book your room:
< http://www.cirquecon.com/2009/hotel.htm >
We're almost there!
o) MONTERREY CITY TOUR
Right after Registration, join us for an eight-hour tour of
fabulous Monterrey. We'll visit museums, shopping centers,
natural places and more! Rodolfo has all sorts of good places up
his sleeve! This is a unique and customized city tour in
Monterrey created by Rodolfo exclusively for the members of the
CIRQUECON 2009 (he also is going to be our Tour Guide). So get
ready to enjoy Monterrey in a very fun and unique way!
+---------------------------------+
| |
| *** MONTERREY CITY TOUR *** |
| |
| Friday |
| September 25, 2009 |
| @ 9:00am - 9:00pm |
| |
| $18.00 USD / Person |
| |
+---------------------------------+
What is included in the MONTERREY CITY TOUR package?
----------------------------------------------------
-- Transportation: a private and exclusive air conditioned bus
awaits to take us on our fantastic tour today. Meet us in the
Holiday Inn Parque Fundidora hotel lobby by 8:45am!
-- Tour Leader: Learn about the history of Monterrey in both
English and Spanish. Yes, our tour leader is Rodolfo himself!
-- Admission Fees: Admission to Chipinque National Park, MUNE
and Mexican History museums INCLUDED!
-- Snacks: Four (4) bottles of cold water and two (2) bags of
potato chips are included during the tour. Wow!
-- Gratuity: Tips for the bus driver are also included in the
quoted price; however, any extra purchases made beyond this
package are not included.
What might this wonderful package cost?
---------------------------------------
It only takes $18.00 USD ($19.00 if by PAYPAL) per person
to enjoy this incredible immersive experience you will
never forget. See the PAYMENTS section at the bottom of
this email on how to pay for the MONTERREY CITY TOUR.
Schedule for CITY TOUR
----------------------
9:00 AM -- Lobby Hotel Holiday Inn Parque Fundidora
9:30 AM -- Visit to Natural park Chipinque (Sierra Madre
Mountain)
10:45 AM -- Visit to Atirantado Bridge and Cañon de la
Huasteca Mountain.
12:00 PM -- Lunch at Paseo San Pedro Mall Food Court.
(Food not included)
1:30 PM -- Visit to MacroPlaza (Monterrey Downtown)
with stops at:
- Mexican History Museum (admission
included)
- MUNE Museum (admission included)
- Palacio de Gobierno y Explanada de los
Héroes.
- Teatro de la Ciudad and Capilla de los
Dulces Nombres
- Fuente de Neptuno
- Monterrey City Hall
- Faro del Comercio
- Monterrey Cathedral
- MARCO Museum (Lobby visit only)
5:30 PM -- Morelos Shopping Plaza (Mexican artisanal,
traditional candies, etc.)
7:45 PM -- Nighttime City Tour (on the bus!)
8:45 PM -- Return to Holiday Inn Parque Fundidora
Disclaimer
----------
Unfortunately, we cannot accept members less than 18 years of
age unless they are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian 18
years of age or older who is also a member. Said parent/legal
guardian will be expected to remain with said minor during Group
Meal event.
o) BOHEMIA NIGHT
Phew, all that walking, riding and sight-seeing takes a lot out
of you. Come join us at this famous watering hole for a little
refreshment! Who said Margaritas!? :)
Join us in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Parque Fundidora by
10:30pm to catch the "Magic Bus" to Nueva Luna! Those not in the
lobby by 10:30pm may miss the bus!
+---------------------------------+
| |
| *** BOHEMIA NIGHT *** |
| |
| Friday |
| September 25, 2009 |
| @ 10:30pm - 3:00am |
| |
| $20.00 USD / Person |
| |
+---------------------------------+
NOTE: Due to Mexican government regulations, we cannot accept
members less than 18 years of age to this activity, even
if they are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian 18 years
of age or older. Please note, members who take part in
"Bohemia Night" will be required to present a valid Government
Issue photo ID as proof of age upon check in at the podium.
What's included in the BOHEMIA NIGHT Package?
---------------------------------------------
-- Transportation: Bus transportation to and from the Holiday
Inn Parque Fundidora to Nueva Luna Restaurant is included
in this wonderful package, so don't worry about a thing!
Meet us down in the lobby at the Holiday Inn Parque
Fundidora promptly by 10:00pm. Return trips back to the
hotel will occur in three increments, in case anyone wishes
to leave a little earlier. Catch the return bus at 1:00am,
2:00am or 3:00am. Please note: if you're not on the bus by
the last transfer at 3:00am you will (unfortunately) be
left!
-- Seating: There will be a specially reserved area at the
restaurant just for CirqueCon members!
-- Food: With four (4) passionates per table, we'll be treated
to the Parrillada Grill, which includes Arrachera & Sirloin
steak fajita and Chicken Fajita accompanied by sausage
roasted in cheese, all served in a hot frying pan on a bed
of onions, with peppers. Accompaniments include guacamole,
chili peppers, and goaded and crisp totopos. Mmm!
-- Drinks: Two (2) non alcoholic drinks (soft drinks,
lemonade, etc) are included per person. Any other extra
beverages (including all alcoholic beverages) will be
available by request to servers and will be at every person
own expense. Tips for the extra beverages are not included
with this package. Please note that, unlike the United
States, many countries do charge for refills, so please
keep this in mind if you are ordering a soft drink!
-- Entertainment: Special live music including Rock, Pop,
Salsa and North Mexican Traditional Music. Also a DJ will
be playing between bands segments.
-- Gratuity: Tips for your server are included in the quoted
price; however, any extra purchases made beyond this
package do not include those tips, please plan accordingly!
What might this wonderful package cost?
-------------------------------------------
It only takes $20.00 USD ($21.00 if by PAYPAL) per person
to enjoy a wonderful night out in Monterrey, Mexico. Come
join us today! See our PAYMENTS section at the bottom of
this email on how to pay for BOHEMIA NIGHT.
Schedule for BOHEMIA NIGHT
--------------------------
10:30 PM -- Lobby Hotel Holiday Inn Parque Fundidora
10:50 PM -- Arrival to NUEVA LUNA
11:00 PM -- Dinner / Live Music - Party!
1:00 AM -- First transfer from Nueva Luna to Hotel
2:00 AM -- second transfer from Nueva Luna to Hotel
3:00 AM -- First transfer from Nueva Luna to Hotel
Disclaimer
----------
Note: Each participant, assumes the entire responsibility
and liability for losses, damages, and claims arriving out of
injury or damage to themselves, members of their party,
belongings, or other property occurring during the CirqueCon,
and shall indemnify and hold harmless CirqueCon, its agents,
Committee, organizers, volunteers, service providers, and
employees from any and all such losses, damages and claims.
o) GROUP MEAL
Come eat with us at Monterrey's famous LOS GENERALES restaurant
for authentic Mexican cuisine, buffet style!
+----------------------------------+
| |
| *** CIRQUECON GROUP MEAL *** |
| |
| Saturday |
| September 26, 2009 |
| @ 2:00pm - 5:00pm |
| |
| $19.00 USD / Person |
| |
+----------------------------------+
What is included in the GROUP MEAL package?
-------------------------------------------
-- Transportation: Once again CirqueCon is providing bus
transportation to and from our headquarters hotel at Holiday
Inn Parque Fundidora to the restaurant. Please be in the
lobby by 1:30pm so the "magic bus" can be on time!
-- Food: Enjoy a Mexican Buffet (all you can eat) at famous LOS
GENERALES restaurant in a reserved area just for CirqueCon
members! Buffet includes a wide selection of the most
typical and famous cuisine associated with Mexico, so eat up!
(Alcoholic beverages are not included).
-- Gratuity: Tips for your server are included in the quoted
price; however, any extra purchases made beyond this
package do not include those tips, please plan accordingly!
-- Sights: After our meal it's out to the Obispado hill for a
magnificent view of Monterrey. Rising about 775 meters above
sea level, this viewpoint is adorned with a fabulous circular
esplanade with a humongous flag and pole at its center.
You'll definitely want to bring your camera for this!
What might this wonderful package cost?
-------------------------------------------
It only takes $19.00 USD ($20.00 if by PAYPAL) per person
to eat with the CirqueCon group. See our PAYMENTS section
at the bottom of this email on how to pay for GROUP MEAL.
Schedule for GROUP MEAL
-----------------------
1:30 PM -- Lobby Hotel Holiday Inn Parque Fundidora
2:00 PM -- Group Meal at LOS GENERALES Restaurant
4:00 PM -- Transfer to Obispado Hill / Esplanade
4:30 PM -- Group Picture!
5:10 PM -- Arrival to Holiday Inn Parque Fundidora
Disclaimer
----------
Unfortunately, we cannot accept members less than 18 years of
age unless they are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian 18
years of age or older who is also a member. Said parent/legal
guardian will be expected to remain with said minor during Group
Meal event.
o) PAYMENTS FOR SOCIAL EVENTS
We really must thank Rodolfo wholeheartedly for putting together
three wonderful packages for us this year - we really can't wait
to get to Monterrey! We'd love for everyone to join us - here's
how you do so.
We have these two convenient payment options available:
CREDIT CARD via PAYPAL
We have our general PAYPAL account for those that wish to pay via
credit card. Please send the following per person to PAYPAL
account - mexico@cirquecon.com:
$19.00 USD per person for MONTERREY CITY TOUR
$21.00 USD per person for BOHEMIA NIGHT
$20.00 USD per person for GROUP MEAL
BY CHECK
Events paid via CHECK are not subject to the paypal surcharges.
Please send the following:
$18.00 USD per person for MONTERREY CITY TOUR
$20.00 USD per person for BOHEMIA NIGHT
$19.00 USD per person for GROUP MEAL
Checks should be made out and sent to:
Keith Johnson
31241 Fourth Avenue South
Federal Way, WA 98003-5203
Decided to join us, great!
--------------------------
We will reserve seating on a first come, first served basis
based on payments received. Please let us know that you've
decided to join us and for what event by emailing us at
mexico@cirquecon.com.
Cancellations are available up to August 31, 2009. After that
date we will be unable to refund the price of attendance.
# # #
We're very excited about Monterrey. So come join us south of the
border; we 'R' looking forward to it!
Ricky "Richasi" Russo, Rich Alford & Rodolfo Elizondo
CirqueCon 2009: Monterrey!
www.cirquecon.com
mexico@cirquecon.com
======================================================================
=======================================================================
COMPARTMENTS -- INFORMATION BEHIND THE CURTAIN
=======================================================================
o) DIDYAKNOW - Facts about Cirque
o) HISTORIA - Cirque du Soleil History
---------------------------------
DIDYAKNOW? - Facts About Cirque
---------------------------------
o) Didyaknow that the surface of the KOOZA stage is decorated to look
like a starry sky, and in the center ring is a graphic
representation of the sky in Montreal (Canada) on the night of the
first public performance?
o) Didyaknow there are more than 175 costumes and 160 hats in Koozå?
There are 1,080 KOOZA items in all, including all the shoes, props,
wigs and so on.
o) Didyaknow the Wintuk stage floor opens to reveal the Power Track, a
specially-designed trampoline that is 55 feet long and six feet
wide? This is a fun and "uplifting" act showcasing the performers'
acrobatic and tumbling skills.
o) Didyaknow Cirque du Soleil has a mobile club? Text CIRQUE to 25025
to join.
o) Didyaknow the DRALION Kitchen has a 3 colour code system for
labeling food? Red, eat very little if at all, high fat content;
Yellow, eat in moderation, moderate fat content; Green, eat plenty
of and at any time, low fat and full of nutrition. This was created
because the Chinese house troupe likes to eat North American food
but doesn't know how to evaluate its nutritional value.
o) Didyaknow the Varekai stage is surrounded by more than 300
artificial trees, 15 to 35 feet tall, interspersed with 20
acrobatic trees that cast members can climb. Certain trees in the
set are flexible enough to allow artists to fly between them.
o) Didyaknow that not a single seat in the Zumanity theater is further
than 66-feet from the thrust of the stage?
o) Didyaknow that the ring-like apparatus used in Dralion to allow
performers to fly around stage and to allow the singer to ascend to
the stars is called "The Sun"? The Sun is one of three pieces used
during the show. The other two are used as a catwalk and to
encompass an enormous lantern.
------------------------------------
HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History
------------------------------------
* Jul.01.1990 -- Cirque Réinventé (Vol 2) CD Released (Nâga)
* Jul.02.2002 -- La Nouba Boutique pepper spray incident forces evacuation
* Jul.03.2009 -- Koozå opened Minneapolis/St-Paul
* Jul.04.2007 -- Cirque named top Canadian Brand by Brand Finance Canada.
* Jul.05.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Rimouski
* Jul.05.1985 -- 1985 Tour opened Québec [Vieux-Port de Québec]
* Jul.05.1986 -- Le Magie Continue opened Québec
* Jul.05.1990 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Seattle
* Jul.05.1996 -- Quidam opened Ste-Foy
* Jul.05.2007 -- Koozå opened Quebec City
* Jul.05.2007 -- Varekai opened Adelaide, Australia
* Jul.06.2000 -- Saltimbanco 2000 opened Seattle
* Jul.06.2006 -- Quidam opened Philadelphia
* Jul.06.2008 -- René Dupéré named "Chevalier" in the Order
de la Pléiade
* Jul.07.1987 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Québec
* Jul.08.2004 -- Alegría opened Philadelphia
* Jul.09.2009 -- Quidam opened Recife, Brazil
* Jul.09.2009 -- Varekai opened Gijon, Spain
* Jul.10.2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Vienna
* Jul.10.2003 -- Alegría opened Vancouver
* Jul.10.2009 -- Dralion opened Auckland
* Jul.10.2009 -- La Nouba celebrated 5,000th performance [9:00pm]
* Jul.11.1990 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Montréal
* Jul.11.1997 -- Alegría opened Berlin
* Jul.11.2008 -- LOVE celebrated 1000th performance [Friday]
* Jul.11.2009 -- La Nouba celebrated 5000th performance
* Jul.12.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Saint-Jean-Port-Joli
* Jul.12.1994 -- Alegría opened San Francisco
* Jul.13.2003 -- Cirque nominated for 1 Emmy - 55th Emmy Awards
Outstanding Nonfiction Program Alternate - Fire Within
* Jul.14.1992 -- Fascination opened Osaka
* Jul.14.1992 -- Saltimbanco opened San Francisco
* Jul.14.2006 -- Alegría opened Amsterdam
* Jul.14.2006 -- Corteo opened Chicago
* Jul.16.2003 -- Varekai opened Chicago
* Jul.17.2008 -- Dralion opened Sydney, Australia
* Jul.18.2002 -- Cirque nominated for 2 Emmys in 54th Emmy Awards
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special - Alegría
Outstanding Choreography for 74th Academy
Awards - Debra Brown
* Jul.19.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Baie-Saint-Paul
* Jul.19.2003 -- Quidam opened Osaka
* Jul.20.2004 -- Varekai CD released in Canada (CDS Musique)
* Jul.20.2004 -- Alegría CD released in Canada (CDS Musique)
* Jul.20.2007 -- Corteo Nominated for Emmys
o) Category 6: Art Direction for a Variety,
Music Program or Special
o) Category 28: Picture Editing for a Special
(Single of Multi-Camera)
* Jul.21.1995 -- Saltimbanco opened Berlin
* Jul.21.1999 -- Saltimbanco opened Adelaide
* Jul.21.2005 -- Dralion opened Oostenede
* Jul.22.1998 -- Alegría opened Antwerp
* Jul.22.1998 -- Quidam opened Chicago
* Jul.23.1988 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Toronto
* Jul.23.2006 -- Varekai NAT 1 Ends (2002-2006)
* Jul.24.1992 -- Fascination opened Sapporo
* Jul.24.2003 -- Saltimbanco opened Oostenede
* Jul.24.2003 -- Dralion opened Columbus
* Jul.24.2008 -- Quidam opened Alicante, Spain
* Jul.25.2002 -- Quidam opened Boston
* Jul.25.2007 -- Dralion opened Osaka, Japan
* Jul.26.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Québec
* Jul.26.1985 -- 1985 Tour opened Toronto [Harbour Front]
* Jul.26.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Toronto
* Jul.26.1995 -- Alegría opened Chicago
* Jul.26.1996 -- Saltimbanco opened Angers
* Jul.26.2001 -- Quidam opened Copenhagen
* Jul.26.2007 -- Alegría opened Gijon, Spain
* Jul.27.2004 -- Varekai opened Boston
* Jul.27.2004 -- Varekai CD released in US (CDS Musique)
* Jul.27.2009 -- LOVE celebrated 1500th performance [7:00pm]
* Jul.28.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened Chicago
* Jul.29.1999 -- Dralion opened Toronto
* Jul.29.2009 -- Corteo opened Osaka
* Jul.30.2009 -- OVO opened Quebec, QC.
* Jul.31.1990 -- Cirque Réinventé opened London
* Jul.31.1997 -- Quidam opened San Jose
* Jul.31.2003 -- Zumanity Begins Preview Performances
* Jul.31.2004 -- Quidam celebrated 3000th performance
[Sat, 1:00pm/Calgary]
* Jul.31.2008 -- Corteo opened Calgary, AB, Canada
* Jul.31.2008 -- Varekai opened Oberhausen
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------
"EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ALAIN VINET
Musical Director, Cirque du Soleil"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
-------------------------------------------------------
We often talk in these pages about Cirque music, its influence,
popularity and the high esteem (and high expectations) it has amongst
fans. Many have praised its unique sound and style while at the same
time wondering about (and sometimes even questioning) decisions made
by soundtrack CD producers.
These popular sellers are not taken lightly within Cirques Montréal
headquarters. In fact CDs are fourth in popularity for show-specific
souvenirs after programs, apparel and DVDs. And why not - theyre
affordable, long lasting triggers of memory that dont fade or shrink
in the wash. The music and discs can be found everywhere, distributed
in Canada by Justin Time (a division of EMI), in the US by Red (a
division of Sony) and worldwide by Universal, as well as on iTunes and
in Boutiques in tents and theaters throughout the world.
A major part of Cirques 25th anniversary celebration has been the
June release of "25" a two-CD musical retrospective (reviewed in
Julys issue of Fascination!). Its eclectic selection made us curious
as to how it was created and the thought process involved. So we went
to the source!
Last month we had a chance to talk with the very kind Alain Vinet (Al-
ahn VEE-nay), Cirque du Soleils Musical Director, about his role in
the creation of "25" as well as the show soundtracks so close to the
hearts of many devoted fans. He started his DJ career in 1978
becoming famous in the Montréal club scene for his sets at
(((Stereo))) and later at Circus. His show brand name "Mouvement"
was also the title of his 2-CD compilation set for Cirque du Soleil
Musique (CDSMN10002-2, 2005).
We started by asking how he became Cirques Musical Director. "Thats
a long story! I had been a DJ for 20 years and in Montréal I was
everywhere. Guy Laliberté heard about me and in 1999 hired me for
some private events. That led to DJing for some of the premieres of
Cirque shows, my first being Quidam in London in November 2001, and
after that some other private events. And then the world premiers of
Zumanity, KA, Love and BeLIEve. Throughout those years I became good
friends with Guy."
He was then asked to contribute a dance music track to the
"Solarium/Delirium" 2-CD dance compilation (Cirque du Soleil Musique
CDSMCD 10021-2, 2004) released as part of the 20th anniversary
celebration, remixing "Africa" (from "O"). "I worked on it with a
friend, [Sam from] a production company called Quicksound. [He picked
it] and I went along with it. I did the vocal and choral arrangements
and a bit of the percussion. He did the didgeridoo when we decided to
put that in. I have to share the credit because he really worked
hard."
"[Then] I was a consultant for Delirium [arena show] because it was
more of an electronica venture and I come from an electronica
background. Following that Cirque [wanted] to produce new musical
artists for the [CDS Musique] record label and I was signed as an
artist. I was the only one [whose 2-CD set "Mouvement" was released
in 2005], because after that the company decided to regroup into what
they know best, which is Cirque shows. So after they released my
compilation I proposed to Guy to come and help the label because I
have many contacts in the electronica world. He welcomed that and
asked me to be hired. And thats what led to my first contract as a
director at Cirque, where I was mostly taking care of music for
special events and artistically directing the albums of the shows.
About a year later they added me as more of a consultant as far as the
new shows are concerned, which is what I do now."
The creation of "25" started, as many things at Cirque do, with a
brainstorming meeting. "Two years ago we started talking about things
that would surround the 25th [anniversary]. There were a lot of ideas
brought to the table but unfortunately we couldnt do all of them.
(Laughs) [But] the CD was retained because its such a well-sold
item. Its something people tend to buy to have a piece of our shows.
Most of our sales come from Boutiques in the big top or theaters. We
[also] had good success with "Solarium/Delirium" for the 20th
[anniversary]. But going back to more of the core business it was
decided [to use] existing masters and [create] a compilation that
reflects 25 years of Cirque."
Chantal Côte, Corporate PR Manager, elaborated, "Music is also a very
strong element of Cirques brand and one of the main creative
components of a Cirque show. Its made us distinctive over the years;
Cirque music has a specific sound to it. So if we are to remember the
past 25 years music should be part of that."
"Music is [also] a great passion of Guys," Mr. Vinet added. "Second
to the whole [process of] creation hes a person that enjoys a whole
lot of different music and buys a lot of different music. Id say
music touches him in a way, a little bit above all the rest."
In 2004 as part of its 20th anniversary Cirque released "Le Best of"
(Cirque du Soleil Musique CDSMC10022-2, 2004) featuring a set of
slower chilled-out tunes from then-current productions. How are this
and "25" different? "Le Best of was an attempt to launch the record
label. The idea behind it was to have a product that reflected some
of the best Cirque music to make a punch. When it came to the 25th
anniversary I wanted to stay away from [songs on the] Le Best of CD
[so that] our customers [wouldnt be] getting selections [they already
had]."
"The purpose wasnt to create another "best of," but rather to create
a general spirit of the last 25 years. But also to not go for the
more obvious songs because most people already have those songs
anyway. My goal was to have people discover a song that maybe they
would have passed [over]."
Speaking of songs buyers might already have, we noted that two songs
that might be considered "greatest hits" - the title track from
Alegria and "Let Me Fall" from Quidam (the latter coming into public
consciousness thanks to Josh Grobans cover and use of the song in his
concert DVD where he makes a set piece out of climbing a set of
invisible stairs until he falls into a black abyss) - are missing from
"25". The original version of "Alegria" was on "Le Best of" so a
slower version from Alegria Le Film was used on "25." Was "Let Me
Fall" considered?
"For Saltimbanco Gilles suggested I use "Barock" which is kind of a
rock-ish sounding song. And to keep the continuity in the vibe of the
"Dynamique" CD I decided to use "Rivage" (from Quidam) which is
[similar] sounding to "Barock" to make an evolution in the
compilation."
Mr. Vinet then explained how and why songs were selected. "I asked a
lot of questions of Gilles Ste. Croix and people that were here since
the beginning to get a sense of their best souvenirs from that era.
So some of the songs were picked by Gilles and a lot were picks that I
made. For about a year I kept sending advance copies to both Guy and
Gilles to get their feedback. But last year having been such a busy
year for Cirque I was pretty much on my own."
"After a while of not really getting any feedback I went on my own and
really went through a process of flow. Guy always insisted that we
would have one CD that is more like chill, down tempo, and one that
would be more dynamic. So starting with that I took pieces from all
the shows, listening to how they [worked] together when one finishes
and the [next] one starts. It was really quite a painstaking
process."
"I also wanted to have songs that are not part of our regular show
CDs that are available in the marketplace. For example the Wintuk CD
was never put out commercially; it is only sold at Madison Square
Garden." (Our readers should note that the songs from the first and
second versions of the first "Cirque du Soleil" album as well as
"Nouvelle Experience" and the "Journey of Man" soundtrack, though
unavailable on physical CD are available as ITunes downloads. Alegria
Le Film and the studio version of "Mystère" (both of which have one
track each on the "25" set) sadly are not.)
"I was also able to get advance [tracks] from ZED, ZAIA, BeLIEve and
OVO. On top of that I got two songs from [the very first Cirque du
Soleil vinyl 45 from] La Fanfonfonie. They were René Dupérés band
even before Cirque was created, in the very very beginning."
That rarity proved a challenge. "[We used a vinyl 45] because it
wasnt possible to actually grab master [tapes] from that era. [But]
there was a copy of the 45 [in the Archive] that [we put] through a
whole mastering and clean-up process. And I was surprised because I
thought the sound wouldnt be good because it was made so long ago.
But since I took it from vinyl it actually sounds louder than our
later productions."
But the special effort was worth it. "I insisted on having those two
songs [from the 45]. One of them, "Cirque du Soleil," was very
important for me to be in there. The other one, "Le Funambule," was a
suggestion from Gilles Ste. Croix. Apparently this was the opening
song of the very first show."
Indeed, when we asked composer René Dupéré to list his favorite Cirque
tracks (see our two-part interview in Fascination! issues #46-Oct 2005
and #47-Jan/Feb/Mar 2006) he commented, ["Funambule" is] one of my
favorite melodies. I wouldnt say its the best one, but its one of
my favorites because it reminds me of souvenirs and remembrances and
nice things that happened [in the early days]."
These two rare songs are a perfect fit for the CDs concept of a
musical retrospective spanning all 25 years of Cirques existence. In
addition to chronologically following the evolution of Cirque music
throughout the years while separated into the two Laliberté-mandated
"mood disks," Mr. Vinet took special care with the links between
tracks such as the sound of children at the beginning of the
"Poétique" disk. "In the intro to the first song you can hear
children in the background, sounding like the old street performances
in Baie St. Paul. I wanted to add that little bit of flavor, [as
though] were coming in [to the tent] and can hear the orchestra
getting in tune and [the music] starting. These are little pieces
that I added just to make kind of a link." Other small bits have been
added as well, such as a fragment from the original vocal sessions of
"Lubia Doberstan" (from Varekai) tagged on as an intro to the song.
"Its from the original sessions; a little piece you dont really hear
but is there at some point. I added this piece for linking purposes
as well."
His work also extended to "cleaning up" tracks that appear on their
original albums overlapped by other tracks. The acapella "amen"
ending of "A Tale" (from La Nouba) in this set is free of the overlap
from the next selection on the soundtrack CD, "Porte." "I had to work
on it a little bit. I did use the master but [at the end] I used a
piece from the original session to make an ending, so that it would
finish less abruptly and you dont hear the next song coming in."
The creation of "25" wasnt the only project keeping him busy in
Cirques 25th year. "All my creative power is now used at Cirque
especially during the spring when we have a lot of special events.
Because I build all the music [for them]. And this year particularly
with the 25th Anniversary theres a lot of talk about it in the media
so everybody wants Cirque. So that makes me doubly busy. Everything
that pertains to the 25th anniversary has music in it, and I do mean
everything. So a lot has come through my desk."
Did this include the music for the special Cirque du Soleil/Concept
Fiatlux fireworks display as part of the Montréal International
Fireworks Competition (http://www.internationaldesfeuxloto-
quebec.com/EN/ and www.fiatlux.org) occurring Saturday, August 15,
2009 at La Ronde Park in Montrèal? "Very much so; I built and chose
the [musical] contents. The show itself should be around 35 minutes.
I wish I could see it but Im leaving Montréal a few days before that,
and Im going to miss it unfortunately."
His duties as Musical Director during the almost five years hes been
at the company have always involved input into the creation of the
show soundtrack CDs. "[Initially] I would come in after the creation
is done and pick a producer and give comments on what I wanted to hear
on the CD as far as a general sound is concerned. And then I got more
and more involved in the process of creation of the album. I really
do take quite a bit of time with the producer in the studio, sometimes
participating in the arrangements and the general flavor. Sometimes
picking instruments that may not be in the show but add a color. For
example Kooza has a very Bollywood kind of feel and in the show we
have a couple of pieces using synthetic sitar, but for the album we
decided to have a real sitar."
Being in such an influential position we had to ask to what extent he
felt a shows CD should reflect a shows musical sound. "I have mixed
feelings about that. Of course I always want to try to keep as close
to the show as possible. I read the blogs once in a while so I see
pretty much what has happened in the past. And I take [those loyal
fans comments] into consideration. I always say we have to add some
audio imagery [to make up] for the lack of [visual] imagery so it
stands alone. [While] always trying to stay as close to the show as
possible. I want to make it so [the fans] are not alienated by what
we added. [I want to] keep it faithful."
"But that being said I was brought in to make these CDs stand alone,
so that you can listen from one end to the other and even if you dont
have all the visuals it still sounds right. Thats mainly what I do.
Sometimes I will add on to what the show music sounds like. Guy put
me here specifically for that, to make sure we have a stand-alone
sound."
"And it was decided a long time ago to stay away from [live albums] as
much as possible. Because it doesnt sound right without the visuals.
You [can hear] the difference in sound quality between the produced
album and the live recordings. As a live bonus its OK but as a piece
that represents the show on the regular CD the quality of the sound is
not acceptable."
"[Also] the arrangement is very important. When you do a show
sometimes a piece will be 8 minutes long, on an album I dont need
more than five. And normally I will ask my producers to redo the
arrangements to have a proper beginning and end to each [song]; Im
not crazy about fade-outs. Although on the ZAIA album there are quite
a few. But we were running late!" (Laughs)
How does he judge what makes a good soundtrack album, or really any
album? "The trip it takes you on from beginning to end. I was born
in the 60s so I come from the days of listening to albums, like Pink
Floyds "Dark Side of the Moon," where you listen from one end to the
other and its like a story being told."
"And thats what I try to do with the [soundtrack] albums, trying to
keep the order of the show but sometimes playing with one or two
songs. For example "Kooza Dance" (from Kooza) happens right after
intermission yet is such a thematic song. During creation you would
always hear the creators talking about the "Kooza Dance". And its
such a nice, crooner-like song I said, Lets open the CD with that."
We noted the new ZAIA CD clocks in at a hefty 70+ minutes and wondered
if the amount of music on a CD was ever a consideration. "In ZAIAs
case the CD was produced by [ZAIA composer] Violaine Corradi at her
demand. And at my demand too. Guy wasnt too hot on the idea at the
beginning but the result speaks for itself and he really loved the
album. We have so much material since our shows last for 90 minutes
and its hard to pick [what to] leave out, thats why ZAIA has such a
high minute count."
The creation musicians, he acknowledged, also play an important role
in the development of a new shows music. "For the sound of the show
they are very very important. When it comes to the albums I always
try to keep the voices from the show. And any peculiar instruments
like folkloric instruments [where] its hard to find a good player
well insist on the show musician."
"Its hard to get [show] musicians to do studio sessions. But we
still want to keep them involved because they are one of the big
reasons of the success of the music. But on other occasions, like
Kooza, we did all the production in Montréal except for maybe a couple
of lead solos and the vocals because of a time constraint."
Its also part of Cirques normal process to not record a shows CD
immediately after premiere. "We have a six-month process where we
leave a show and let it go and find its place with an audience," Ms.
Côte explained. "Then the creators are all invited to come back with
a new perspective and look at it. We call it fixation [FEEX-ah-shon].
It doesnt mean the show wont change over the course of the years
but the main skeleton, the main creative elements will be settled for
years to come."
Mr. Vinet elaborated, "I cannot start working on a CD until fixation
is complete. That means everybodys happy with it and we can proceed.
Until that is done we cant do the soundtrack because the music can
still vary. Sometimes a number might change or another piece of music
is added. We want [the CD] to have, as closely as possible, the final
music of the show."
"Even then the show is going to change sometimes - an artist leaves,
another one comes in or different music is created. Thats why you
have songs in shows that are not on the album, because throughout the
years numbers have changed and music has been added. Since I have
been here the average is about a year after the show opens."
With the tantalizing tastes of tracks from ZED, BeLIEve and OVO
included keeping "25" up-to-the-minute, we asked Mr. Vinet to run down
the production and release status of these new creations CDs.
ZED - "I got the masters about a month ago. In the US I dont know
exactly when the release date is, another department [makes that
decision]. But in Canada both ZAIA and ZED will come out on August
25. ZAIA is already out in the US; it came out there first."
[Update: Since this interview we have learned that the release of ZED
and ZAIA in Canada has been delayed and will occur in September or
later.]
BeLIEve - "I was aiming for the first anniversary of the World
Premiere which is Halloween, 2009. Its the date I asked Eric [Serra,
composer] to make, so [we could] throw a little launch party with the
first year anniversary of the show in Vegas. But we couldnt work on
it because Eric is really busy on a movie with Luc Besson [the sequels
to the computer-animated "Arthur and the Invisibles" titled "Arthur
and the Revenge of Maltazard" (2009) and "Arthur and the Two Worlds
War" (2010)]. I have to take him when hes available since its in
his contract that he has to produce the CD. Sometimes we have to
delay a little bit but then again its not any longer than any album
normally takes since it takes about a year for a CD to hit the
shelves."
OVO - "We probably wont have a CD until next spring, which is about
average."
With ardent worldwide fans of Cirques musical output hungry for Cirque
music in all its forms we wondered if Cirque had ever considered
smaller-run limited second editions of some of the rarer pieces of
Cirques musical legacy, such as the live recordings of Saltimbanco and
Alegria that were issued as Christmas presents years ago. "There are
no plans for that that Im aware of. Im sure we still have [them] in
the Archive somewhere. Maybe the masters still exist but [they would
need to be located]."
To which Ms. Côte added, "Its a good suggestion though." (A hopeful
sign?)
His connection with Cirque and Laliberté has allowed Mr. Vinet to be a
vital creative part of events Cirque fans would give almost anything
to attend - show world premiers and the parties thrown at Lalibertés
residence in Montréal. "Its always incredibly fun; people are there
to have fun so it always makes for a really cool evening. Plus we
always have performances and décor which you dont necessarily find in
clubs. With all the added value its really nice to meet and work
with performers, it adds so much layering to the evening."
"For me its like my old life, but also putting a little bit of "water
in my wine" to accommodate less electronica-savvy people [so as not
to] make them feel too alienated. But at the same time keeping my
sound. Because as a DJ if Im not allowed to play the way I play Im
just not going to play, thats a decision I made 15-20 years ago."
Being a re-mixer of note we wondered if he had attempted remixes of
Cirque songs other than "Africa." "At the time [of "Solarium /
Delirium"] I did an attempt at "Oscillium" (from Varekai) but the
vocal and [organ] were glued together. It was a voice and instrument
together [on the same track]. So it was really hard for me to split
everything for a proper mix."
"I did remix "Let Me Fall" for one of the parties but nothing good
enough to put out. It was done too long ago. But I have a lot of
newer remixes - when I do a world premiere or a premiere of a show I
make a remix of one of the show songs. And Ive done quite a few [of
those]."
"For the LOVE premiere I did a little mash-up of "Love You To" by
George Harrison mixed with the beats from a Cirque song and some
vocals from another Cirque song. Kind of a mash up of the three. And
I did a mash-up of "Because" using the acapella [version] with the
beats of "Alegria." Just to signify the wedding of Apple Corps and
Cirque du Soleil. Which was my way of expressing that."
"I asked Guy last year when we were in Tokyo for permission to
[release some of those remixes]. I have to iron out the details. But
the beauty of it is they are all done already."
His house music compilation set "Mouvement" demonstrated his skills as
re-mixer and DJ, skills honed over many years. "Ive been a club DJ
in Montréal for 31 years, more in the underground than in the
mainstream scene; that was where I grew up as a DJ and producer. When
[house music] came out in 1985 it was such a fresh approach. It was
taking some of the classic music and adding beats to it. It [was now
within] the reach of anyone to produce that kind of music, you didnt
need to have a million dollar studio. It was the beginning of self-
producing and computers and all that. That really appealed to me.
And on top of that Im a huge fan of electronic music, always have
been since the days of Kraftwerk and even further back Pink Floyd."
Having such a long history as a DJ means quite a collection of music.
In addition to "a ton" of CDs he has close to 14,000 vinyl
recordings. His catalog numbers about 50,000 songs. "[When I DJ] I
always carry enough music to play for 2 weeks. When I use turntables
or CD I always use 3. [One reason is so] that I can prepare in
advance a little bit more. Instead of just waiting until the song
ends I can prepare the next one so I can keep my flow going. Cause
when you DJ you have an overall vision of what the night is going to
be, its peaks and valleys. By adding a third player I can prepare in
advance so I can have better continuity. And the other reason is
sometimes on that 3rd CD I might put an acapella track that I will
sample over whatevers going on. Or a loop or all of the above. It
just helps you be more [prepared], especially with CDs. With vinyl
you had sleeves; it was very visual. With CDs, especially burned CDs,
its [just] a line of text. Thats it, theres no visual cue. So
sometimes I need the extra time to do research in my books."
What does he consider a good remix? "I know by listening to it. If
it gets me, if the groove is good and, speaking specifically about
remixes, if it respects the original then to me its a good remix.
But sometimes you will have something more dub-ey where not the
whole vocal is there but pieces [of it], and if the groove is good
that is also a good remix."
"[Whats] important to me is what the song says instead of how its
sung or spoken. Im a big fan of spoken word. When I find songs that
have something like that, automatically I will listen a bit more
closely to what it says."
He is especially attracted to "eclectic" music. "In my book eclectic
means "not mainstream." Something you would not necessarily expect,
that broadens your horizons. "Eclectic" is my middle name. Even in
my DJing I went away from the mainstream 20 years ago. I like to
provoke people, [make them] work for it, not give them everything
tailor-made, ready-to-eat, ready-to-serve. No, you have to work a
little bit for it. You have to be open minded to really appreciate
the typical state of mind in the club environment."
And its the open-mindedness of the people he has met (or, rather, one
specific person) which has had a powerful effect on his life.
"Meeting Guy Laliberté was really a turning point as far as the
direction my career has taken, definitely. Hes really open and has
broadened my spectrum by inviting me on trips, making me see the world
and going to premieres and stuff like that. [Ive met] so many
amazing creative people. I have to say that was a big turning point
for me."
In a company so well known for its creative decisions its important
to realize there are business decisions as well. "Ive been here
close to five years now and I can tell you its always a struggle
between business and creation. Of course creators at Cirque are
always super well treated. But there has to be a voice of reason at
some point. Its really hard to keep a perfect balance. [Sometimes
business] will be going well and the creative [side rules], but like
now with the economy we tend to stop spending where we dont need to.
Which is just a common sense compromise."
His workload at Cirque doesnt leave much time for other things.
"[Its a challenge] finding some time to work on my own music, thats
for sure! (Laughs) The 9 to 5 in general [is hard]. Ive always been
more of a night person. So I try to arrange my schedule so I do all
my business [during the day] and then I might stay at the studio until
midnight and just work away. When the feelings good and its working
well I just stay at it until I fall asleep."
But he finds the job inspiring. "Everybody that creates music
inspires me in one way or another. Our composers inspire me
incredibly, the music is so beautiful. [And its unexpected], you
listen to a Cirque song and think its going to go from F to G but it
doesnt, it goes some other way. Thats what I love about Cirque
music. That gives me a lot of inspiration. Thats actually whats
keeping me artistically alive, in the midst of business and all that."
What gives him his greatest satisfaction? "At Cirque - Making sure
that I always go beyond what is asked of me into areas where people
would not have thought of sometimes. And I believe thats what makes
me successful at Cirque. Because every curve ball they threw at me in
the past four years I always hit home runs. That makes me really
happy. Personally - Having a great DJ set. Producing a good song and
playing it and people go wild. This is my greatest reward."
What does he say to young artists? "Dont mind the challenges, just
go for it. If you believe it enough its gonna happen. Perseverance
and discipline. Maybe I was lucky but thats how I made it. I spent
10 years in the studio not making music for money but learning my
craft. I never went to [DJ] school, everything I know I learned on my
own."
"Just play with it, have fun with it, because thats going to reflect
in the end product. And if you dont have fun that too reflects in
the final product; when you get blasé about it you can feel it. And
you can note that throughout musical history. [You see] bands that do
maybe one or two good albums [and then] get spoiled by the riches and
the jet set. You have to keep a cool head about those things, because
what life brings you one day she can take from you the next."
"But you cant stop just because of that; you go back and start
something else. There are always possibilities, the world is my
oyster!" (Laughs)
My sincere thanks go to: Mr. Alain Vinet, for so graciously spending
time with us, Lise Dubois, Corporate Alliances Coordinator (for
arranging the details), Chantal Côte, Corporate PR Manager, And my
wife LouAnna for putting up with my sometimes obsessive hobby.
-------------------------------------------------------
"From Olympian to Drummer"
By: Aaron Guidry, Mystère Percussionist
{Special Reprint}
-------------------------------------------------------
When I was in fifth grade, I had a very important decision to make. I
could either take gymnastics or be in the band. I chose band. Nearly
25 years later, I am enjoying the best of both worlds. Six years ago,
I auditioned for entertainment giant Cirque du Soleil and won the job
as percussionist with Mystère, Cirques first resident show in Las
Vegas. Since opening in 1993, Mystère has presented more than 7,000
performances for over ten million spectators exclusively at Treasure
Island. Commonly referred to as the flower in the desert, Mystère
helped pave the way for other Cirque du Soleil creations in Las Vegas
and abroad.
The band at Mystère consists of eight instrumentalists and two female
singers. The music is very dependent on the acts that it accompanies,
and for that reason, the show is never quite the same. The format and
layout is similar every night, but musical phrases can be extended,
shortened, or even cut altogether as cued by the action on stage. Many
times, these changes occur on the fly with no advance warning. This
allows for a degree of flexibility within the show and keeps the
energy raw and exciting. I have yet to grow tired of performing
Mystère, largely due to the organic nature of live theater and the
awe-factor of Cirque du Soleil.
TAIKO AT MYSTÈRE
At Cirque, rehearsals are called trainings, ensembles are called
teams, instructors are called coaches, and performers are called
artists. In addition to my chair as percussionist, I have several
other responsibilities, one of which is Taiko Coach. As a coach, I
train artists how to drum and ultimately be cast in the Taiko Team.
Music accompanies nearly every act in Mystère, with taiko integrated
into the Opening and Finale of the show. Approximately a third of the
80-member cast is trained to drum.
During the opening number, six drummers create pulsating rhythms that
propel the world of Mystère into existence. These rhythms are the
vital heartbeat, pounding with excitement as the journey unfolds. For
the closing number, a 14-member team performs on various sized drums
from the 16-inch shime daiko to the 72-inch okedo daiko, launching
Mystère into the final celebration of the voyage.
From world-class gymnasts, to passionate dancers, to larger-than-life
characters, all artists share the ability to perform before an
audience with precision, consistency and, above all, emotion. As Taiko
Coach, it is my job to mold artists hands and ears, to guide them
from athlete to musician, and to teach musical qualities from
technique to expressiveness. Through astonishing presentation, the
Mystère Taiko Team represents an elegant strength and the synergy of
beauty and power.
Each artist has a track for which he or she is responsible. This track
usually consists of two main specialty acts and a variety of cues. If
an artists track calls for taiko, the training process begins upon
arrival in Las Vegas for integration into the show. Prior to this,
artists have completed a training process called Formation in
Montreal, Cirques headquarters. During Formation, artists are coached
on skills specific to their primary acts. They do not, however,
receive any drumming instruction. Taiko training all happens on-site
in Vegas.
Where does one begin when teaching an Olympic-quality athlete the
concepts of drumming and, more importantly, musicianship? I joke that
it is very much like the days when I taught sixth-grade beginning
percussion class, except I no longer have parent/teacher conferences!
But seriously, once an artists track has been confirmed, a timeline
is then put in motion to gauge progress and plan accordingly. In fact,
artists often ask me to provide them with a set of goals to reach
within a certain timeframe. I attribute this to their competitive
background and strong work ethic, as artists at Cirque tend to be very
performance-driven.
Just like music students, all artists begin with varying basic
abilities, but the training process is generally broken down into
three phases. Each phase contains specific goals and objectives that
are built upon sequentially. To distinguish between the two taiko
acts, the first is commonly referred to as Opening Drums and the
latter as Finale Taiko. I will focus on the Opening Drums training
process below.
WEEKS 12: MOVING THE HANDS
During the initial training period, artists meet with me for at least
two 30-minute sessions a week. There are instances when several new
artists arrive at Mystère at the same time. When this occurs, we meet
in group sessions, but soon after, each artist trains one-on- one.
Much like a private lesson, quicker progress is achieved when the
focus is on the artists individual needs.
The concentration for these two weeks is on moving the hands
consistently while maintaining a relaxed and fluid range of motion.
Exercises focus on hand placement, wrist and arm movement, and
evenness of sound from hand to hand. The ultimate goal is to create a
repertoire of exercises that will be used as warm-ups in future
trainings. These exercises also serve as a springboard in learning the
show music for Opening Drums. Variations are created in the moment
according to the artists needs.
Trainings occur in a room with large dance-studio-style mirrors,
making it easy to directly monitor motions and match movements. I play
along, but also allow opportunities for the artists to play
unaccompanied. Playing together quickly develops a degree of
confidence, while playing individually gives the artist a soloistic
perspective that can then be more easily critiqued. Because self-
exploration is such an important part of development, personal playing
time is allotted either at the beginning or end of each session.
Of particular note is that during these two weeks, no drums are used
at all. The training room has a rubber floor that coincidentally
provides great rebound, so it is used as our drum. While this may
seem odd, it is very functional and keeps the atmosphere casual and
non-intimidating. The floor and mirrors provide the vehicle for
establishing good technical habits that will move artists into the
next phase of training.
WEEKS 36: LEARNING THE ACT
Weeks 36 introduce more rhythms, techniques, and movements that will
be used in actual show performance. The artists also begin to train on
a real drum, usually of the nagado style. Mirrors in the training room
continue to be a useful tool in showing the techniques of fluid motion
and relaxed body movement. Many times I play directly opposite the
artist so that my sticking, movement, and timing can be imitated with
more visual ease.
Each artist is given a practice CD that includes audio warm-ups and
exercises broken down phrase-by-phrase at three different tempos:
slow, medium, and show-tempo. The CD is meant to be used as a resource
for play-along between trainings, but it is also used to reinforce
listening skills and practice techniques during one-on-one sessions.
The training room is equipped with a sound system that allows the
artist to hear the audio with ease.
Due to staging and the natural acoustics of the Mystère theater, a
click is used to coordinate the drumming during the opening of the
show. Artists wear discreet in-ear monitors connected to a wireless
receiver allowing them, but not the audience, to hear the click track.
For this reason, a metronome is used throughout the duration of the
trainings. The metronome is also used as a facilitator for ear
training, a facet of musicianship that will ultimately factor into the
artists performance. Tempos provide a tangible weekly goal and are
gradually increased based on progress.
As more rhythms and patterns are learned, references are gradually
made to what is clean and what is dirty. Artists are very familiar
with what a clean ensemble statement in their field of specialty feels
and looks like; however, they are now asked to determine what a clean
ensemble statement sounds like. One training method is to play a
repetitive pattern in unison, with the artist following my tempo
fluctuations. A variation of this approach is to split the pattern
between one of us playing the primary rhythm and the other providing
the underlying pulse. Both strategies train artists how to adjust
accordingly when any modifications are needed. These exercises also
raise awareness of clarity and teach holistic listening skills.
Musical notation is not necessary, and Opening Drums is taught by
rote. Generally, counting is in eights as opposed to the standard four
beats per measure. The reason for this is two-fold: first, most of the
patterns are in eight-count phrases; and secondly, artists are very
familiar with counting in eights due to their background in movement.
For artists who are more visual learners, cues are illustrated to
represent small groups of patterns and phrases. References are made to
note values and their relationships to one another, but learning to
read music is not a necessary step in the process.
Inflections of the voice are also used in learning nuances to rhythms.
One technique used periodically is to have the artist clap to a pulse
while singing rhythmic phrases. This helps to solidify beat alignment
as well as develop a feel for the rhythm itself. Another approach is
to play and vocalize simultaneously. This facilitates coordination and
assists in memorization. Being that Cirque is a multi-cultural
company, employing artists from 19 countries at Mystère alone, English
is not always the first language. Because of this, vocal inflection
often provides a great tool for communication when lengthy
explanations are simply not practical.
Opening Drums is played seated in a yatai baishi manner. This style of
movement is essential in providing a visual energy and excitement as
the world of Mystère gives birth. Just as exercises are used in
learning to drum, exercises are also used in learning to drum and move
at the same time. Choreographed motions are isolated and initially
rehearsed away from the drum. A padded wall provides a comfortable
back support and physical reference as rocking movements are
coordinated with the drumming. Additionally, hands are separated,
giving the artist yet another perspective to draw upon when creating a
mental snapshot of the rhythms and accompanying choreography.
Many times, trainings are filmed so that artists can step back,
assess, and evaluate progress from an outsiders point of view. Videos
of other performances are also compared and used as a standard on
which to model. Once a strong understanding of rhythmic passages with
choreography and movement is obtained, we are now ready to move into
the final stages of preparation for performance.
WEEKS 79: EXPLORING THE VENUE
After six weeks of training the artist has become very familiar with a
routine set of exercises and, more importantly, how to apply those
exercises to Opening Drums. This makes the learning process very
streamlined when drawing references to techniques and correcting
errors. All aspects of performance, from drumming to movement to
listening, are now integrated into one complete thought. With these
strong foundations, the focus moves to endurance, consistency, and
increasing tempo.
Live tracks that were recorded during actual show performances are now
utilized during trainings. These tracks, which are included on the
practice CD, contain the click for the artist to follow, the music
played by the Mystère band, and also the bandleaders vocal cues.
Complete run-throughs using the live tracks become a normal part of
training. These allow artists to gain a sense of what it will take
mentally and physically to perform Opening Drums from beginning to
end. Pacing and breathing is also a focus as artists train for
endurance.
A big step in this phase is the move from the training room to the
stage. Opening Drums is performed with the artists spread throughout
the theater and suspended 30 feet above the audience. For this reason,
stage trainings also involve non-drumming aspects specifically devoted
to the artists safety. Technicians are on hand to explain general
procedures and administer the use of wireless receivers, in-ear
monitors, safety gear, and harnesses. Emergency measures are also
rehearsed should there be a need to initiate them at any point during
the act.
Stage trainings present a new set of challenges. For one, the artist
is now wearing in-ear monitors, allowing the click to be internal as
opposed to sounding external through a speaker, as in the training
room. Also, the artists click is at a calculated millisecond delay
from the theaters house system. This delay is used to synchronize the
drumming with the band necessitated by a spatial difference between
the house speakers and the taiko. Additionally, the drum and artist
are now floating, rather than seated securely on the ground, creating
new kinesthetic challenges.
Much like going from the practice room to the recital hall, stage
trainings present issues that are inherent to the acoustics and
environment of the venue. The artist is temporarily placed out of a
comfort zone, but quickly learns to adapt by using the listening and
technical skills that have been focused upon prior to this point in
the training process. Show-condition run-throughs, complete with
costuming, audio, rigging, automations, and lighting are rehearsed to
recreate a realistic show environment. This training leads artists to
full integration into the show.
WEEK 10 and BEYOND: MAINTAINING THE SKILLS
Final details are communicated as artists are given official approval
to perform as members of Mystères Taiko Team. Once integrated, an
artist remains in the taiko line-up for several shows. This allows
time to develop familiarity with this facet of the track, as well as a
true sense of drumming within the show environment. Artistic
Management will give notes and direction as needed, and a video of
every show is also used for consultation in refining the performance.
Should the artists track call for Finale Taiko, several more
trainings will be given specific to the Finale act itself. Exercises
used during previous trainings will be further explored as the
repertoire of rhythms, movements, and techniques is continually
expanded. An additional six to eight weeks of training is usually
required, and a similar process of learning, from training room to
stage, is applied during integration. While Finale Taiko is a more
technical act, the experiences gained through performing Opening Drums
are used as a stepping-stone to accelerate this phase of instruction.
Trainings will gradually move from sessions focusing on individual
needs to ensemble trainings where the concentration is on the quality
of the act as a team. These group trainings also serve the purpose of
allowing back-up taiko artists the opportunity to rotate into the act
and maintain their drumming skills. Back-ups are crucial in keeping
the production running smoothly in emergencies without sacrificing
show integrity. Ensemble trainings are scheduled periodically on an
as-needed basis.
Many of the strategies used in the taiko training process at Mystère
have been borrowed from my teaching experiences as a public school
music educator; however, there is no one all-encompassing approach.
Adapting the instructional path to an artists personality and
background helps make integration smooth and successful. This
flexibility is commonly seen through the transformation of musical
vocabulary into more familiar expressions. For example, rather than
saying, increase your dynamic, I might say, create more energy.
Rather than saying, time accurately through the rests, I might say,
take a breath. And, rather than saying, subdivide the beat, I
might say, fill up the space. This vernacular creates a level of
comfort as artists develop skills that are essentially very foreign.
Just as the artists in Mystère never thought they would have a job
that required them to play music, I never imagined I would be teaching
Russian gymnasts how to drum! Artists welcome the challenge, and for
me, experiencing music in this new way has been equally refreshing.
Listen beyond your ears, and then, just as I have, you too will come
to share a new dimension in your musical journey, wherever that might
take you.
Aaron Guidry is the Percussionist and Taiko Soloist with Cirque du
Soleils Mystère. Additionally, he serves as Taiko Coach, back-up Drum
Set Chair, and Assistant Band Leader. Aaron consults and arranges the
wind books for competitive marching bands across the United States and
also is the Music Designer for the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps. His
compositions are published through Yata for Luda. Aaron holds a B.M.E.
from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and a M.M. from West
Virginia University.
=======================================================================
NEXT ISSUE
=======================================================================
Thanks to our friend Steve Long, next month Fascination! will take a
look at Corteo, currently in Japan, as well as Japans first resident
show - ZED - six months after its premiere!
=======================================================================
PARTING QUOTE
=======================================================================
"We always keep contact with the public. This is our source.
We want the public to cross through the wall and be an actor
in the event. It makes us feel as if we are not God; we're
human, we are Saltimbanco--a street player, here tonight to
share this big joke, our show."
-- Gilles Ste Croix (1994)
=======================================================================
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
=======================================================================
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Have a comment, question or concern? Email the Fascination!
Newsletter staff at: < CirqueFasincation-owner@yahoogroups.com >.
We are anxious to hear any and all comments!
=======================================================================
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
=======================================================================
Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 9, Number 5 (Issue #67) - August 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!
Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission
(unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without
remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination!
Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way
with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are
Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil,
Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright
infringement intended.
{ Aug.07.2009 }
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