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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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http://www.CirqueFascination.com
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VOLUME 9, NUMBER 7 OCTOBER 2009 ISSUE #69
=======================================================================
Bonjour et bienvenue! Greetings and welcome to another addition of
Fascination!, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter.
We have a wonderful issue in store for you this month - an exclusive
interview with Violaine Corradi, composer of three Cirque du Soleil
productions to date (Dralion, Varekai and ZAIA)! Our very own
Keith Johnson tracked her down via phone from Seattle all the way
to Macao for this very special phone interview. Don't miss it in
our FEATURES section!
As always we have a number of goodies to explore as a clip of
interesting and intriguing articles, pictures and videos were
shared with the fanbase through Cirque du Soleil's various social
widgets. In turn we have collected those to share with you, which
you'll find in our OUTREACH section.
Well, that about wraps up this intro. Now, onto the issue!
Join us on the web at:
< www.cirquefascination.com >
Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only):
< http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >
- Ricky "Richasi" Russo
===========
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
* Telemajik -- Cirque on YouTube & Television
* Gatherings -- CirqueCon, Celebri & More!
o) Compartments -- A Peek Behind the Curtain
* Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque
* Historia -- Cirque du Soleil's History
o) Fascination! Features
*) "Violaine Corradi: Working for Joy"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
o) Next Issue
o) Parting Quote
o) Subscription Information
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
=======================================================================
CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Saltimbanco Falters?
{Sep.02.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
Weve often wondered how well an arena show does during its
brief stops and now the Columbus Dispatch, a news source in the
Columbus, Ohio area where Saltimbanco stopped recently, sheds a
little light on that subject - unfortunately its not a bright
one.
# # #
Cirque du Soleils recent tour of Saltimbanco didnt do as well
as previous Cirque productions in Columbus. The French Canadian
art-circus show sold 25,851 tickets during its two-week run in
mid-August at Nationwide Arena.
More than 75,000 people saw Cirques Dralion here in 2003, and
about 84,000 attended Varekai in 2005 both in monthlong tent
runs in the Arena District. More than 61,000 people saw Corteo,
which had a monthlong tent run in 2007 at the Ohio Expo Center.
Although the poor economy has affected ticket sales, Cirque du
Soleil plans to continue its pattern of visiting Columbus every
two years or so, according to Reggie Lyons, media manager for
Cirque touring shows. "It was lower than our expectations,"
Lyons said, "but the economy is affecting the entertainment
business across the country."
# # #
Read the full article here:
< http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/life/stories/
2009/09/02/1A_SHOWTELL02.ART_ART_09-02-09_D1_
OLEU2RA.html?sid=101 >
{SOURCE: The Columbus Dispatch}
Guy Laliberté to Broadcast from Space
{Sep.03.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
MONTREAL, Sept. 3 (UPI) The founder of Canadas Cirque du
Soleil announced hell host a two-hour show from the
International Space Station next month.
Guy Laliberte, 50, made the announcement in Star City, Russia,
where he is in training to become Canadas first space tourist
in a Sept. 30 launch, The (Montreal) Gazette reported Thursday.
The Quebec billionaire reportedly paid $35 million to be on the
mission.
Laliberte said the Oct. 9 show would focus on climate change and
water conservation and include live segments from 14 cities,
starting in Montreal. The other cities are Moscow, Santa Monica,
Calif., New York, Johannesburg, Mumbai, Marrakesh, Sydney,
Tokyo, Tampa, Fla., Mexico City; Rio de Janeiro, Paris and
London, the report said.
Read the full press release here:
< http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2009/09/03/
Cirque-founder-to-broadcast-from-space/UPI-99471251995013/ >
{SOURCE: UPI}
LVRJ Reviews KÀ
{Sep.04.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
Mike Weatherford of the Las Vegas Review-Journal takes another
look at Cirque du Soleils KÀ today. From his review:
# # #
See "Ka" again to remind yourself of the promise Las Vegas
entertainment held in 2005.
The skys-the-limit mentality wasnt confined to high-rise
condos and CityCenter. It also was clear that with Cirque du
Soleils checkbook pointing the way, the Strips ability to
custom-build a title was going to lead to some amazing places.
After "Ka" showed us a stage no longer burdened by gravity, what
was next? Strapping the whole audience to a motion simulator?
Alas, Cirques Asian-fantasy epic set a high-water mark. With an
admitted budget of $165 million insiders say it went north of
$200 million "Ka" remains the costliest title on the Strip.
"Love" came in at about $150 million in 2006, before the economy
turned south. Last year, Cirque chairman Guy Laliberte made one
thing clear about the upcoming Elvis show at CityCenter: It will
be "very tight with the budget."
# # #
Continue reading:
< http://www.lvrj.com/neon/57220372.html >
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal}
CDS a "Hippy Circus"?
{Sep.04.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
Kelly Nestruck of The Guardian, a newspaper based in London,
took a moment to reflect upon Cirque du Soleil and its business
recently. From her article as published in the Guardian:
# # #
Cirques often pretentious, new-age concepts are not to
everyones taste; they were memorably lampooned in a 2000
edition of The Simpsons, when the family visited the Cirque du
Purée only to find a clown lamenting: "I cannot get the lid off
my jar of rainbows." But the troupes feats of strength, agility
and derring-do have found a vast, seemingly insatiable audience.
The company estimates that more than 15 million people will see
a Cirque show in 2009. And while clouds have gathered over the
rest of the economy, for this troupe the sky seems to be the
limit. Indeed, founder Guy Laliberté, one of a select club of
billionaires to increase his net worth over the past year, is
preparing to blast into space later this month as the worlds
ninth space tourist; or, to use the nomenclature he prefers,
"humanitarian space explorer". The exploit is estimated to be
costing him a cool US$35m (£21m).
# # #
Continue reading the full article here:
< http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2009/sep/04/
cirque-du-soleil-circus >
{SOURCE: The Guardian, UK}
Cirque Announces Banana Shpeel!
{Sep.09.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
Cirque Vaudeville is
Banana Shpeel!
Banana Shpeel is a roller-coaster mix of styles that blends
comedy with tap, hip hop, eccentric dance and slapstick, all
linked by a hilarious narrative that ignites a succession of
wacky adventures. This is not circus, or a musical or a variety
show, or even vaudeville. It is Banana Shpeel!
Propelled by crazy humour and intense choreography, Banana
Shpeel plunges us into the world of Shmelky, a cruel and
irritable producer who dangles fame and fortune in front of
Emmett, an innocent and romantic actor who has come to audition
for him. Emmett soon finds himself trapped in a flamboyant,
anarchic world where Shmelky sows terror and reigns supreme.
Emmett falls in love with the beautiful Katie and meets a bunch
of absurd characters, including the strange Banana Man. But who
is this mysterious Banana Man and how can Emmett escape the
clutches of Shmelky and his henchmen?
More to come!
Banana Shpeel on "Americas Got Talent"
{Sep.15.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ The latest Cirque du Soleil
production, Banana Shpeel, will perform a sneak peek performance
on the season finale of "Americas Got Talent" airing on
Wednesday, September 16 on NBC. The specially-choreographed
presentation will feature 16 performers.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090914/LA75327-a)
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090914/LA75327-b)
Banana Shpeel, the brand new theatrical production from Cirque
du Soleil and MSG Entertainment, will perform for the first time
ever in Chicago at The Chicago Theatre from November 19, 2009
through January 3, 2010. Following Chicago, the show will debut
in New York at The Beacon Theatre in February 2010.
Written and directed by David Shiner, Banana Shpeel is a roller-
coaster mix of styles that blends comedy with tap, hip hop,
eccentric dance and slapstick, all linked by a narrative that
ignites a succession of wacky adventures.
Read the full press release:
< http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS176053+14
-Sep-2009+PRN20090914 >
{SOURCE: Reuters}
CirqueFAQ v3.5.0 Now Available!
{Sep.15.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
An update to CirqueFAQ is now available.
In this update: New show information has been added for OVO,
information pertaining to newest CDs (ZAIA and Cirque 25), as
well as Justin Time Records releases, also updated name of
Vaudeville to Banana Shpeel, added CD album run-times and CD
track listings w/times, and more!
You can find the new version of the FAQ at the following link:
< http://www.richasi.com/Cirque/soleil.txt >
Stats:
o) No. of Pages: 111
o) File Size: 241,629bytes (236k)
o) v3.5.0 - Sep.15.2009
Guy Laliberté Going to Space!
{Sep.28.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
LONGUEUIL, QUEBEC-(Marketwire - Sept. 28, 2009) - Media
representatives are invited to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
for a replay of the launch of the Russian Soyuz TMA-16 rocket
with Guy Laliberte, founder of Cirque du Soleil, aboard. This
media briefing is set to begin at 12:00 p.m. EDT with Daniel
Lamarre, President and Chief Executive Officer from Cirque du
Soleil, who will be joining Steve MacLean, President of the CSA,
by phone from Russia.
Journalists who cannot be on site at CSA will be able to watch
the event live on our Web site at www.asc-csa.gc.ca
The launch of the Russian Soyuz TMA-16 rocket with Guy Laliberte
is scheduled for 3:14a.m. EDT on September 30, 2009, from
Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
NASA TV will broadcast the launch live. Visit NASAs website at
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/
What: Launch of Russian Soyuz
When: Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. EDT
Who: Steve MacLean, CSA President; Daniel Lamarre,
President and Chief Executive Officer, Cirque du
Soleil
Schedule:
12:00pm Event starts - Brief comments by Steve MacLean
12:05pm Replay of the launch of Russian Soyuz vehicle
12:10pm Comments by Daniel Lamarre from Moscow (via phone)
12:20pm Question period with Daniel Lamarre
12:30pm One-on-one interviews with Daniel Lamarre (by
phone) and Steve MacLean (onsite)
01:00pm End of event
Note: Journalists may contact Chantal Cote from Cirque du Soleil
at 514-723-7646, extension 7326, to book one-on-one phone
interviews with Mr. Lamarre. Please be advised that Mr. Lamarre
will only be available for interviews between 12:30 p.m. and
1:00 p.m. that day.
Cirque Reinvents Boutique
{Sep.29.2009}
-----------------------------------------------
While Cirque du Soleils shows have been reviewed many times
over, an overview of its retail experience has generally been
absent - until now. Alex Davis from Retail Customer Experience
checks into Cirque du Soleils new "Bistro" retail marketplace
concept, which launched with OVO this past spring:
# # #
Cirques 25-year history of classic shows have a passionate
following of patrons who enjoy purchasing a reminder of their
show experience at touring shows and permanent installations
including everything from custom clothing, hand-crafted art,
DVDs and various other manner of memorabilia. A dark blue
custom fixture system based on the mechanics of road cases
previously served as the display environment, however it left
the merchandising and concessions space disconnected from the
fantasy-like Cirque experience. Rodney Landi, vice president of
merchandising and hospitality for Cirque du Soleil, recognized
an opportunity to expand the performance experience into the
concession and retail shop; creating a marketplace truly in sync
with the brand.
# # #
Read the full article here:
< http://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/article.php?
id=1395&na=1 >
See a slide show here:
< http://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/slideshow.php?
slideshow_id=206&s=7 >
{SOURCE: retailcustomerexperience.com}
=======================================================================
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, Banana Shpeel}
NOTE:
.) While we make every effort to provide complete and accurate
touring dates and locations available, the information in
this section is subject to change without notice. As such,
the Fascination! Newsletter does not accept responsibility
for the accuracy of these listings.
.) Dates so marked (*) are not official until released by Cirque
du Soleil.
For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts,
please visit our website < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >.
---------------------------------
TOURING - Under the Big Top
---------------------------------
Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=39 >
Corteo:
Osaka, Japan -- Jul 29, 2009 to Oct 18, 2009
Tokyo, Japan -- Nov 4, 2009 to Jan 24, 2010
Fukuoka, Japan -- Feb 11, 2010 to Apr 4, 2010 (*)
Sendai, Japan -- Apr 21, 2010 to Jun 6, 2010 (*)
Dralion:
Monterrey, Mexico -- Sep 17, 2009 to Oct 11, 2009 (*)
Guadalajara, Mexico -- Oct 22, 2009 to Nov 15, 2009 (*)
Mexico City, Mexico -- Nov 26, 2009 to Jan 17, 2010
Kooza:
Denver, CO -- Aug 20, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009
Santa Monica, CA -- Oct 16, 2009 to Dec 20, 2009
Irvine, CA -- Jan 8, 2010 to Feb 14, 2010
San Diego, CA -- Feb 25, 2010 to Mar 28, 2010
Portland, OR -- Apr 9, 2010 to May 23, 2010 (*)
Seattle, WA -- Jun 3, 2010 to Jul 11, 2010 (*)
Vancouver, BC -- Jul 22, 2010 to TBA (*)
Houston, TX -- Sep 23, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010 (*)
Miami, FL -- Nov 18, 2010 to Dec 26, 2010 (*)
Ovo:
Toronto, ON -- Sep 3, 2009 to Nov 01, 2009
San Francisco, CA -- Nov 27, 2009 to Jan 24, 2010
San Jose, CA -- Feb 4, 2010 to Mar 21, 2010
Philadelphia, PA -- Apr 8, 2010 to May 16, 2010 (*)
New York, NY -- May 27, 2010 to Jul 4, 2010 (*)
Hartford, CT -- Jul 15, 2010 to Aug 15, 2010 (*)
Boston, MA -- TBA
Washington, DC -- Oct 14, 2010 to Nov 28, 2010 (*)
Atlanta, GA -- TBA
Quidam:
Salvador, BR -- Aug 13, 2009 to Sep 6, 2009 (*)
Brasília, BR -- Sep 18, 2009 to Oct 11, 2009
Belo Horizonte, BR -- Oct 23, 2009 to Nov 22, 2009 (*)
Curitiba, BR -- Dec 4, 2009 to Dec 27, 2009 (*)
Rio de Janeiro, BR -- Jan 8, 2010 to Feb 7, 2010 (*)
Sao Paulo, BR -- Feb 26, 2010 to May 2, 2010 (*)
Porto Alegre, BR -- May 27, 2010 to Jul 11, 2010 (*)
Buenos Aiers, AR -- Jul 23, 2010 to Aug 29, 2010 (*)
Santiago, CL -- Sep 11, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010 (*)
Varekai:
Hamburg, Germany -- Aug 28, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009 (*)
Moscow, Russia -- Oct 23, 2009 to Dec 31, 2009
London, UK -- Jan 6, 2010 to Jan 24, 2010
---------------------------------
RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre
---------------------------------
NOTE: (*) Prices are in United States Dollars (USD) unless otherwise
noted.
(*) Price reflected in brackets [] is inclusive of 10% Las Vegas
Entertainment Tax where applicable, but does not include
Sales Tax.
Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=40 >
Mystère:
Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday
Two shows Nightly -
o Saturday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm
o Sunday: 4:30pm & 7:00pm
o Monday - Wednesday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm
2009 Ticket Prices:
o Category 1: $109.00
o Category 2: $99.00
o Category 3: $95.00
o Category 4: $79.00
o Category 6: $69.00
o Category 7: $60.00 (Limited View)
2009 Dark Dates:
o November 4
"O":
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
2009 Ticket Prices:
o Orchestra: $150.00 [$165.00]
o Loggia: $125.00 [$137.50]
o Balcony: $99.00 [$108.90]
o Limited View: $93.50 [102.85]
2009 Dark Dates:
o October 4
o December 7 - 22
La Nouba:
Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA)
Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark: Sun/Mon
Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm
2009 Ticket Prices (adults) / (child 3-9):
o Category 0: $117.00 / $94.00 (+Tax)
o Category 1: $102.00 / $82.00 (+Tax)
o Category 2: $83.00 / $67.00 (+Tax)
o Category 3: $67.00 / $54.00 (+Tax)
o Category 4: $53.00 / $43.00 (+Tax)
2009 Dark Dates:
o 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 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 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 [$75.90]
2009 Dark Dates:
o October 6 - 8
o December 1 - 16
ZAIA:
Location: Venetian, Macao (China)
Performs: Tuesday through Sunday, Dark Monday
One to Two Shows Daily -
Tuesday: 8:00pm
Wednesday: 8:00pm
Thursday - Saturday: 7:00pm & 10:00pm
Sunday: 4:00pm & 7:00pm
2008 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 0-12):
o Category 1: MOP$ 1288 / No Child
o Category 2: MOP$ 788 / MOP$ 688
o Category 3: MOP$ 588 / MOP$ 488
o Category 4: MOP$ 388 / MOP$ 288
2009 Dark Dates:
o Not Available
ZED:
Location: Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo (Japan)
Performs: Varies
One to Two Shows Daily - Showtimes vary
2009 Ticket Prices (all):
o Category 1 ("Premium"): ¥18,000
o Category 2 ("Front"): ¥15,000
o Category 3 ("Regular"): ¥9,800
o Category 4 ("Overview"): ¥7,800
2009 Dark Dates:
o Not Available
BELIEVE:
Location: Luxor, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:00pm
NOTE: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by
an adult. Children under the age of five are not permitted
into the theater.
2009 Ticket Prices (all):
o Category 1: $160.00 + Tax
o Category 2: $125.00 + Tax
o Category 3: $99.00 + Tax
o Category 4: $79.00 + Tax
o Category 5: $59.00 + Tax
2009 Dark Dates:
o October 12 - 19
--------------------------------------
VENUE - Arena & Seasonal Productions
--------------------------------------
Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=251 >
[Arena Shows]
Saltimbanco:
Stockholm, SE -- Sep 17, 2009 to Sep 20, 2009
Helsinki, FI -- Sep 23, 2009 to Sep 27, 2009
Turku, FI -- Sep 30, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009
Oslo, NO -- Oct 8, 2009 to Oct 11, 2009
Aalborg, DK -- Oct 14, 2009 to Oct 18, 2009
Copenhagen, DK -- Oct 21, 2009 to Nov 1, 2009
Gothenburg, SE -- Nov 4, 2009 to Nov 8, 2009
Mannheim, DE -- Nov 10, 2009 to Nov 14, 2009
Nice, FR -- Nov 19, 2009 to Nov 22, 2009
Rotterdam, NL -- TBA
Geneva, CH -- TBA
Barcelona, ES -- TBA
Salzburg, AT -- TBA
Strasbourg, FR -- TBA
Frankfurt, DE -- TBA
Nantes, FR -- TBA
Alegría:
Albany, NY -- Sep 2, 2009 to Sep 6, 2009
Syracuse, NY -- Sep 9, 2009 to Sep 13, 2009
Amherst, MA -- Sep 16, 2009 to Sep 20, 2009
Rochester, NY -- Sep 23, 2009 to Sep 27, 2009
State College, PA -- Sep 30, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009
Pittsburgh, PA -- Oct 7, 2009 to Oct 11, 2009
Philadelphia, PA -- Oct 13, 2009 to Oct 16, 2009
Reading, PA -- Oct 20, 2009 to Oct 25, 2009
London, ON -- Nov 12, 2009 to Nov 15, 2009
Greenville, SC -- Nov 18, 2009 to Nov 22, 2009
Augusta, GA -- Nov 26, 2009 to Nov 29, 2009
Hampton, VA -- Dec 2, 2009 to Dec 6, 2009
Worcester, MA -- Dec 9, 2009 to Dec 13, 2009
Montreal, QC -- Dec 18, 2009 to Dec 30, 2009
Quebec, QC -- Jan 5, 2010 to Jan 10, 2010
Detroit, MI -- Feb 4, 2010 to Feb 7, 2010
Indianapolis, IN -- Feb 11, 2010 to Feb 14, 2010
Austin, TX -- Feb 17, 2010 to Feb 21, 2010
Frisco, TX -- Feb 24, 2010 to Feb 28, 2010
Hoffman Estates, IL -- Mar 3, 2010 to Mar 7 2010
Cedar Rapids, IA -- Mar 10, 2010 to Mar 14, 2010
Champaign, IL -- Mar 17, 2010 to Mar 21, 2010
Omaha, NE -- Mar 24, 2010 to Mar 28, 2010
East Lansing, MI -- Mar 31, 2010 to Apr 4, 2010
Cleveland, OH -- Apr 7, 2010 to Apr 11, 2010
[Venue Shows]
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.
Banana Shpeel:
Location: Chicago Theater, Chicago (USA)
Schedule: There are currently 59 scheduled performances between
Thursday, November 19, 2009 and Sunday, January 3, 2010,
on the following days:
o) Mon [02] - 12/28 (2)
o) Tue [05] - 12/22 (3), 12/20 (2)
o) Wed [11] - 11/25, 12/2, 12/9 (2), 12/16 (2), 12/23 (3),
12/30 (2)
o) Thu [03] - 11/19, 12/10, 12/17
o) Fri [05] - 11/20, 11/27, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18
o) Sat [19] - 11/21 (2), 11/28 (2), 12/5 (3), 12/12 (3),
12/19 (3), 12/26 (3), 1/2 (3)
o) Sun [14] - 11/22 (2), 11/29 (2), 12/6 (2), 12/13 (2),
12/20 (2), 12/27 (2), 1/3 (2)
PERFORMANCE TIMES
o) Wednesday: 2:00pm, 8:00pm (12pm, 4pm, 8pm on 12/23)
o) Thursday: 8:00pm
o) Friday: 8:00pm
o) Saturday: (12:00pm), 4:00pm, 8:00pm
o) Sunday: 1:00pm, 5:00pm
TICKET PRICES
o) Adults (1-8 tickets):
PEAK / WEEKEND:
Regular: $48.00, $65.00, $85.00, $98.00
Premium: $150.00
Tapis Rouge: $300.00
NON-PEAK / WEEKEDAY:
Regular: $35.00, $45.00, $65.00, $82.00
Premium: $115.00
Tapis Rouge: $275.00
PRE-THANKSGIVING:
Regular: $23.00, $30.00, $50.00, $75.00
Premium: None
Tapis Rouge: None
NOTE: Student, Senior and Group pricing are available.
=======================================================================
OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE'S SOCIAL WIDGETS
=======================================================================
o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub
o) Networking -- Cirque on Twitter, Facebook & MySpace
o) Telemajik -- Cirque on YouTube
o) Gatherings -- CirqueCon, Celebri & More!
---------------------------------------
CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub
---------------------------------------
Sharing - Cirque interpreters at work
{Sep.10.2009}
GENEVIÈVE DORÉ, Special Correspondent -- In 1997, the only
interpreter working for Cirque du Soleil spoke mostly Russian,
among a few other languages. Today, there are 38 interpreters
working to facilitate communication inside our tower of Babel!
To better understand this profession, I have met with Lucie
Janvier, Head of the Interpreter Service at Artist Training, and
Marie-Odile Pinet, a Cirque du Soleil interpreter for 11 years.
Read more at:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/clubcirque/
news/news20090910_147.htm >
Finding the artist within
{Sep.10.2009}
PHILIPPE ARCHAMBAULT, Special Correspondent -- Ten years ago,
some thirty athletes arrived at the Cirque du Soleil studios in
Montreal to begin a new experience: general training. An
experience as new for Cirque du Soleil as it was for them. "When
I took part in 1999, it was still a work in progress," recalls
Masha Ushenka, a former gymnast turned artist who would go on to
become Casting's Research Coordinator. We didn't know what we
were going to do, and we felt they didn't know what to do with
us. There was a lot of testing and experimenting. But, despite
the 'instinctive' feel of this first general training session, I
came out of it completely changed." On July 20, 2009, a thirty-
strong group of athletes turned up at the studios. They will
leave as artists. Ten years since the program began, the system
and process of general training have been refined, but the
objectives remain the same: to turn sportsmen and sportswomen
into artists.
Read more at:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/clubcirque/
news/news20090910_148.htm >
Did you say winter?
{Sep.11.2009}
GRINGO CARDIA, Set and Props Designer (OVO) -- I have to admit
that when I arrived in Montreal, the culture shock was nothing
compared to the "climate shock" I experienced. My first attempts
to drive in the cold weather were quite the adventure. Unaware
that there is a button for defrosting the windshield, I spent
the first few days driving what amounted to an ice cube on four
wheels. Added to this, I had Deborah Colker (Writer, Director
and Choreographer for OVO) sitting in the passenger seat
constantly telling me that neither of us could see anything
through the window. And that is what a couple of newly-arrived
Brazilians look like trying to drive in the wintertime in
Quebec.
Read more at:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/clubcirque/
news/news20090911_149.htm >
---------------------------------------------------
NETWORKING: Cirque on Twitter, Facebook & Myspace
---------------------------------------------------
{Sep.02.2009 | ZAiA}
ZAIA celebrates its first birthday in great style!
Fotos [10]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=103670
&id=34277887388&ref=mf >
Our artists went outside of theater to celebrate the big
occasion too - in the Great Hall!
Fotos [10]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=103943
&id=34277887388&ref=mf >
Video [0:35]: < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php
?v=1222072075908 >
A crew worked overnight to decorate The Promenade to celebrate
our first birthday on Aug 28th 2009. These photos were taken
right after the installation finished.
Fotos [8]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=103933
&id=34277887388&ref=mf >
{Sep.04.2009 | Wintuk}
MEET THE CAST: Rene Bibaud is a professional Rope Jumper. She
traveled to many foreign countries, appeared in countless
television programs and performed at many high-profile events.
Rene recalls shaking hands with Johnny Carson on the Tonight
Show when she was in junior high. In Rope jumping
championships, Rene won five world titles.
Read More:
< http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=8480949&
id=98244255320 >
{Sep.04.2009 | OVO}
Great reviews in Toronto! /// Flea circuses were traditionally
mere sideshows to real human circuses, but with Cirque du
Soleil's new show, these mini-athletes and their buggy brethren
finally show their stuff in the centre ring. And you don't even
need a magnifying glass to see their tricks. Ovo, the Quebec
circus powerhouse's latest touring production, gives us an
infestation of acrobats, strongmen and contortionists dressed as
insects.
Read More:
< http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/a-high-flying-flea-
circus/article1275091/ >
{Sep.04.2009 | Koozå}
Flip, Fly, and Drive to 'Kooza' by Hollywood Performing Arts
Examiner, Nicole Rubin | While it may still be September, there
is a performance coming in October that requires advance notice.
Santa Monica may not be Hollywood, but it is where you will find
Cirque Du Soleil pitching its big top for a brief stop with
their touring show Kooza.
Read More:
< http://www.examiner.com/x-20861-Hollywood-Performing-Arts-
Examiner~y2009m9d2-Flip-Fly-and-Drive-to-Kooza >
{Sep.04.2009 | Alegría}
Read about Cirque du Soleils Alegría at the Times Union
Center on 9/2/2009:
< http://blog.timesunion.com/reviews/cirque-du-soleils-alegria-
times-union-center-9209/1330/ >
{Sep.05.2009 | KÀ}
Last month all six Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil shows put on a
special free performance for moms, dads and children of all ages
at The Grove in Los Angeles. You might recognize Noriko
Takahashi from her photo just to the left but here's a short
video of her in action. We may be a bit biased, but Noriko's
performance is truly one of the most breathtaking moments of
theatre you will ever experience. We love you Noriko!
Video [5:20]: < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php
?v=1108625723068 >
{Sep.07.2009 | Dralion}
Check out some pictures from yesterday when we raised the Big
top!
Fotos: < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=8895465
&id=39340140194 >
Fotos: < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=8895451
&id=39340140194 >
{Sep.09.2009 | Banana Shpeel}
Luke Hawkins and Melissa Schott, two dancers from our upcoming
show, brought us into their rehearsal studio. This time, learn
all about tap dancing! | Luke Hawkins and Melissa Schott, two
dancers from our upcoming show, brought us into their rehearsal
studio. They took some time to explain the major role dancing
plays in this new production, and to show off their own
specialty: tap dancing. See our new take on this dance style in
our exclusive video.
Link: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/banana-shpeel/
creation-journal/tap.aspx >
{Sep.09.2009 | «O»}
Nice mention of "O" in the New York Times! | Connections - Death
Valley Days Yield to Las Vegas Nights - NYTimes.com
Read More:
< http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/07/arts/07connect.html?_r=2 >
{Sep.09.2009 |LOVE}
DOUG ELFMAN: Labor of 'Love' yields amazing Beatles treasures |
At home in his kitchen, John Lennon turned on his audio tape
recorder. The tape picked up, in the background, Julian
shuffling off to school. John bid Julian goodbye, then began
singing a new song called "Strawberry Fields Forever."
Read More:
< http://www.lvrj.com/news/57642832.html >
{Sep.10.2009 |KÀ}
A few weeks ago one of our artists, Noriko Takahashi, had the
chance to show some folks from the Japanese TV show "Another
Sky" around the KÀ Theatre. Thanks for visiting, hope to see you
again in Las Vegas soon!
Fotos [9]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=142591
&id=31527171928&ref=mf >
{Sep.10.2009 | LOVE}
The Beatles and Sir George Martin and Giles Martin - WSJ
Magazine | "The Beatles werent Rolls-Royce people; they were
Ferraris" - here is the remarkable father-son duo story behind
the masterpiece soundtrack "LOVE"...
Read More:
< http://magazine.wsj.com/hunter/the-partnership/george-and-
giles-martin/ >
{Sep.11.2009 | Cirque du Soleil}
Cirque du Soleil Visit our International Headquarters in
Montreal | Visitez notre Siège social international à Montréal!
Fotos [9]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=150707
&id=144074117500&ref=mf >
{Sep.15.2009 | Banana Shpeel}
Watch these great interviews with our Banana Shpeel artists on
Broadway.com!
Link: < http://www.broadway.com/videos/article/cirque-
du-soleil-gives-peel-ing-peek-ibanana-shpeeli/on-the-
scene-cirque-du-soleil-banana-shpeel/ >
{Sep.17.2009 | Dralion}
Dralion is celebrating its Premiere tonight in Monterrey! The
Artists have been rehearsing for the last 6 days and they are
excited to be in Monterrey. | Check out the picture of Uuve and
Hampus, our 2 Swedish Artists here rehearsing this afternoon the
beautiful act named "Pas de Deux".
Foto: < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=9064689
&id=39340140194 >
{Sep.18.2009 | Banana Shpeel}
Behind the scenes photos from our special performance at the
season finale on September 16.
Fotos: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=145639
&id=153330866799&ref=mf >
{Sep.18.2009 | Dralion}
Dralion had a FAB Premiere last night in Monterrey! What a great
response from the public, the Artists were touched by the warm
reaction of the public! We are happy to be in Mexico.
Fotos: < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=9081582
&id=39340140194 >
(Artist Billy Chang, captions: Photographs by David Wyatt)
{Sep.21.2009 | Zumanity}
Zumanity - The Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil is celebrating
its 6th year anniversary TODAY! Happy anniversary Zumans!
{Sep.22.2009 | Dralion}
Dralion wants to share with you what a wonderful time we had in
Santiago today (a very charming little Mexican town near
Monterrey). Our 4 Elements of the Shows went there this
afternoon, see a picture here and most likely in El Norte
tomorrow Wednesday.
Foto: < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=9152631
&id=39340140194 >
{Sep.23.2009 | Mystère}
I know everyone who comes to see Mystère can't believe the
things they see our artists doing, but part of our family
includes a group of artists who create an unforgettable
experience for your ears as well! Here's a look at Cirque du
Soleil... through the eyes of our bassist, David Pelletier.
Read More:
< http://www.fretspot.com/?p=86 >
{Sep.23.2009 | Zumanity}
Check out Robin Leach's latest column... and the photos of our
very own aerial artist Alan Jones Silva partying with Chuy from
Chelsea Lately!
Read More:
< http://www.vegasdeluxe.com/blogs/luxe-life/2009/sep/22/photo-
galleries-partying-ali-landry-lacey-chabert-/ >
{Sep.23.2009 | KÀ}
Tonight two of our musicians, Janine and Eric, had the honor of
spending some time with a few Las Vegas locals who won a radio
station charity auction. Hope you enjoyed the show Dean and
Christine! By the way, the next time you come to KÀ make sure
to spend some time in the lobby watching Janine and Eric
playing the world's largest harp!
Link: < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3643105
&id=31527171928 >
{Sep.24.2009 | Koozå}
Listen to Gilles Ste-Croix's interview on KCRW 89.9 FM - Gilles
Ste-Croix is the Senior Vice President of Creation & Guide at
Cirque du Soleil.
Link: < http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb/
mb090922gilles_ste-croix >
{Sep.24.2009 | Saltimbanco}
Check out this fabulous photo of Saltimbanco!
Foto: < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3632264
&id=41245692958 >
{Sep.24.2009 | «O»}
We had so much fun at the photo shoot for Self Magazine today!
Check out the pictures!
Fotos: < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2407292
&id=26000574416 >
{Sep.28.2009 | Cirque du Soleil}
Guy Laliberté will be climbing aboard the Soyuz TMA-16 rocket
this Wednesday September 30, 2009 to visit the International
Space Station. The purpose: to raise everyones awareness of
water-related issues by drawing inspiration from the ONE DROP
Foundations dream, "Water for all, all for water." From blast-
off to landing, you will be able to follow his journey live on
the NASA website or on the NASA television channel (U.S. only).
Read More:
< http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=
140309942674&ref=mf >
{Sep.30.2009 | KÀ}
¡Hola amigos! Enjoy this great review of KÀ. ¡Olé!
Link: < http://www.paginacero.com.mx/oshow.php?id=741 >
{Sep.30.2009 | Saltimbanco}
Saltimbanco is setting up inside Turkuhalliin! It should be
ready in a few hours. Take a look!
Fotos [3]: < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3671143
&id=41245692958 >
{Sep.30.2009 | ZED}
ZED celebrates its 1st Anniversary September 26th and 27th 2009
with performance by the clowns, jugglers, satyres, Djinn and
Shaman!
Fotos [6]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=154743
&id=41326571163&ref=mf >
-------------------------------------------
TELEMAJIK: Cirque on YouTube & Flickr
-------------------------------------------
[FLICKR]
Website: < http://www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/ >
Cirque du Soleil released 20 images through its Flickr photostream in
the month of September, showcasing Wintuk, Varekai, La Nouba and
Dralion. Check them out here!
o) Wintuk:
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3965722899/
Dancer
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3965723313/
Russian Bar
o) Varekai:
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3966500370/
Russian Swings
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3965725275/
Aerial Net
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3965727177/
Aerial Hoop
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3965729265/
Slippery Surface
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3965730669/
Icarian Games
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3966508264/
Triple Trapeze
o) La Nouba:
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3966509558/
Highwire
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3965734581/
Silks
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3965737001/
Balancing on Chairs
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3965737871/
Red Acrobat
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3966516248/
Trampoline
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3966518042/
Bicycles
o) Dralion:
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3966518318/
Ballet on Lights
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3965742511/
Bamboo Poles
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3965742951/
Dralions
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3965743591/
Element - Fire
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3966521032/
Hoop Diving
- www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3966521376/
Silks
[YouTube]
{Sep.09.2009 | Koozå}
Watch our Cirque du Soleil show characters taking over the
streets of New York: from the basketball cage to the skating
rink!
[1:17] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZneozXJjCOI >
{Sep.10.2009 | Mystère}
See Cirque du Soleils spectacular Mystere through the eyes of
two new performers as they join the amazing show at Treasure
Island. Players Network takes you backstage where the secrets of
Mystere are revealed. (Part 2)
[14:06] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKBFmlVBHIo >
{Sep.14.2009 | Banana Shpeel}
The writer and director David Shiner and director of creation
Serge Roy will be launching an entirely new genre of show for
Cirque du Soleil! | A New Twist on Vaudeville (#2): Interview
with David Shiner and Serge Roy.
[1:46] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMWBAcYjYZk >
David Shiner introduces us to the world of a vaudeville
production. He explains what this art form consisted of and
delves into its origins. | A New Twist on Vaudeville (#3):
A venture into Vaudeville.
[1:28] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue79Wlcg02A >
Watch a clip of Wayne Wilson and Daniel Passer, two comic
artists in our new show Banana Shpeel! | A new twist on
Vaudeville (#4): The comic Artists' Point of View.
[1:15] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2r9sjXBXC0 >
This week, discover the origin of the name Banana Shpeel and the
ideas behind the shows visual. | A New Twist on Vaudeville
(#6): The Visual
[2:18] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIPJKB0pKjE >
{Sep.19.2009 | Dralion}
Cirque du Soleil Dralion had a FAB Premiere this week in
Monterrey, MX! Watch a video of our dress rehearsal before the
big night.
[3:01] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCqH1t_X8rY >
{Sep.23.2009 | OVO}
It's not easy doing yoga when youre a cricket... Watch our OVO
characters at a yoga class in Central Park!
[0:30] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZilh1FvjCE >
-------------------------------------------
GATHERINGS: CirqueCon, Celebri & More!
-------------------------------------------
CirqueCon: < http://www.CirqueCon.com/ >
[CirqueCon]
POST EVENT UPDATE #1
Friday, October 2, 2009
---------------------------------
Greetings, Cirque Passionates!
A week ago about this time we were winding down our bus tour of
Monterrey, preparing to rest up after the Garcia Caves, Macroplaza,
Museum of Mexican History and many other stops along the way.
Bohemia Night was just around the corner and it appeared that the
party would never stop. While I've not quite recovered from the
amazing weekend, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank
everyone once again for making CirqueCon 2009 a highly successful
and amazingly fun adventure. We couldn't have done it without your
enthusiasm and participation, so we hope to see you next year in
New York City!
To help keep in touch we've launched a Facebook page for
CirqueCon, which you can find here:
< http://www.facebook.com/pages/CirqueCon/272446895013?ref=nf >
Please help us make it a wonderful fan-page - join today!
- Ricky "Richasi" Russo
o) YOUR COMMENTS & IDEAS
Many of you dropped by for our Sunday morning Kaffeeklatsch
- an impromptu get-together to give us your thoughts about
the weekend - to do just that. And we thank you!
However, for those passionates with early flights or those
who just couldn't muster enough strength to wake up to
join us (it was a late night, we feel your pain), we'd
really love to hear from you!
We want to know about the good, and the bad, so that we
can make our next gathering even better, more magical and
much more enjoyable! Please don't hesitate to share!
o) SEND US YOUR STORIES!
There are many, MANY stories to tell about our weekend here
in Monterrey , and we want to hear about them! Tell us about
your favorite part, tell us about meeting your favorite
performer, or tell us about your entire weekend! Email those
to us at mexico@cirquecon.com, we'll compile them and (with
your permission) email them out periodically in post-event
updates to all CirqueCon 2009 attendees! Email stories to:
mexico@cirquecon.com
o) ... AND YOUR PICTURES TOO!
We know you took tons, so send them to us! We'll compile as
many as we can, burn them to CD and mail the compilation to
every paid member! Email your pictures to our email address:
mexico@cirquecon.com. OR upload them to our Facebook page!
For regular mail, please stay tuned. We'll have an appropriate
mailing address shortly!
o) NEXT EVENT!?
Since our target dates for CirqueCon 2010: New York City
are approximately 7 to 8 months away, we'll be gearing up
on this one shortly and will make an announcement as soon
as we can.
Thanks again!
=======================================================================
COMPARTMENTS -- INFORMATION BEHIND THE CURTAIN
=======================================================================
o) DIDYAKNOW - Facts about Cirque
o) HISTORIA - Cirque du Soleil History
---------------------------------
DIDYAKNOW? - Facts About Cirque
---------------------------------
o) Didyaknow there are six musicians with two singers performing LIVE
at each KOOZA performance? The music of KOOZA is also inspired by
the sounds of western pop culture, from 1970s funk to full
orchestral arrangements. It also draws heavily on traditional
Indian music.
o) Didyaknow there is a school traveling with KOOZA? Learn about the
KOOZA School AND meet Natasha Patterson, KOOZA contortionist artist
and KOOZA school student! LINK: < http://cbs4denver.com/video/?id=
61715@kcnc.dayport.com >
o) Didyaknow, in 2009, the Cirque du Soleil Costume workshop will
produce more than 25,000 pieces of costumes? Each year, our Costume
workshop artisans use close to 130 kilometres of fabric from around
the world!
o) Didyaknow, since 1997, all Cirque du Soleil shows have been created
at the Studio in Montréal? The studio provides a great deal of
flexibility to the creative teams working on various projects.
o) Didyaknow, in 1997, the only interpreter working for Cirque du
Soleil spoke mostly Russian, among a few other languages? Today,
there are 38 interpreters working to facilitate communication
inside our International Headquarters! The most common languages
are Russian, Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese.
o) Didyaknow, in the show KÀ, the Counselors Son character has the
most complex make-up? It involves 33 steps and 8 different brushes,
4 sponges, and 1 powder puff!
o) Didyaknow that for a show under the big top, it usually takes 9
days to set up the infrastructure of the whole site and 2.5 days
for tear-down? With the arena tour of Alegría, setup takes only 9
hours while tear-down takes only 2 hours!
------------------------------------
HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History
------------------------------------
* Oct.01.1996 - Alegría opened Fukuoka, Japan
* Oct.01.2002 - La Nouba goes 2-tiered seating
* Oct.01.2003 -- Varekai Premium CD Released (CDS/Musique)
* Oct.01.2008 - ZED Gala Premiere in Tokyo
* Oct.02.1987 -- Cirque Réinventé opened San Diego
* Oct.02.1990 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Paris
* Oct.02.2003 - Alegría opened Portland
* Oct.02.2003 - Dralion opened Mexico City
* Oct.02.2007 - Dralion celebrated its 3000th performance [Osaka, Japan]
* Oct.04.2002 - Dralion opened Sacramento
* Oct.06.1994 - Alegría opened Santa Monica
* Oct.07.2003 - Region 01 DVD release: Alegría and Varekai
* Oct.07.2004 - Saltimbanco opened Rome
* Oct.07.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Pittsburg, PA
* Oct.08.1992 -- Saltimbanco opened Santa Monica
* Oct.08.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Oslo, Norway
* Oct.09.1992 -- The Saltimbanco CD was released in US (RCA/Victor)
* Oct.09.2001 - Region 01 DVD Release: Journey of Man (also VHS)
* Oct.09.2009 -- Guy Laliberté will make an announcement from space
concerning ONE DROP.
* Oct.10.1990 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Santa Monica
* Oct.10.2001 -- Alegría opened in Adelaide, Australia
* Oct.10.2002 - Alegría opened Mexico City
* Oct.11.1994 -- The Alegría CD released in US (RCA/Victor)
* Oct.11.2000 -- Dralion opened in McLean, Virginia
* Oct.12.1995 -- Alegría opened Washington DC
* Oct.12.2000 -- Saltimbanco 2000 opened Tokyo, Japan
* Oct.12.2007 - Quidam opened Guadalajara, Mexico
* Oct.13.2005 - Alegría opened Tokyo, Japan
* Oct.13.2009 -- ZED Album Released
* Oct.14.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened in Washington DC
* Oct.14.1998 - Saltimbanco opened Ottawa (Special Performances)
* Oct.14.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Philadelphia, PA
* Oct.14.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Aalborg, DK
* Oct.15.2004 - Dralion opened Madrid, Spain
* Oct.15.2008 - Alegría opened Seoul, South Korea
* Oct.16.2009 -- Koozå opened Santa Monica, CA
* Oct.18.2005 -- KÀ CD released (CDS Musique)
* Oct.19.1998 -- "O" premiered at Bellagio, Las Vegas
* Oct.19.2004 -- "Tapis Rogue: Solarium" CD Released (CDS Musique)
* Oct.19.2006 - Dralion opened Frankfurt
* Oct.19.2007 - Alegría opened Brasilia, Brazil
* Oct.19.2008 - Guy Laliberte awarded honorary doctorate by
Université Laval in Quebec City, Quebec
* Oct.20.2003 - Cirque for Life film even in Portlan, Oregon
* Oct.20.2007 - Zumanity celebrated its 2000th performance
* Oct.20.2008 - All Together Now Documentary screened in theaters
* Oct.21.2008 - All Together Now Documentary released on DVD
* Oct.21.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Reading, PA
* Oct.21.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Copenhagen, DK
* Oct.22.2003 - Canadian premiere of Varekai on CBC
* Oct.22.2003 - Quidam opened Fukuoka, Japan
* Oct.22.2006 - Quidam NAT 3 Ended.
* Oct.22.2009 -- Dralion opened Guadalajara, MX
* Oct.23.2008 - Dralion opened Canberra, Australia
* Oct.23.2009 -- Quidam opened Belo Hoizonte, Brazil
* Oct.23.2009 -- Varekai opened Moscow, Russia
* Oct.25.1988 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Montréal
* Oct.25.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Washington DC
* Oct.25.2007 - Varekai opened Antwerp, Belgium
* Oct.26.1999 -- Dralion CD released in Canada (RCA/Victor)
* Oct.26.2000 - Quidam opened Frankfurt
* Oct.26.2001 -- New Musical Director "O" (John-Paul Gasparelli)
* Oct.26.2006 - Corteo opened Washington, DC.
* Oct.27.2005 - Varekai opened Charlotte
* Oct.27.2006 - Alegría opened Madrid, Spain
* Oct.28.1997 -- Cirque Collection CD Released in Canada (RCA/Victor)
* Oct.29.1987 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Santa Monica
* Oct.29.1998 - Quidam opened Atlanta
* Oct.29.2004 - Alegría opened Tokyo, Japan
* Oct.29.2007 - Guy Laliberte announces One Drop Foundation
* Oct.30.2001 - Region 01 DVD Release: Le Magie Continue, Saltimbanco,
Cirque Réinventé, and Baroque Odyssey.
(Also released on VHS)
* Oct.30.2008 - Koozå opened Washington, DC.
* Oct.30.2008 - Quidam opened Brussels, Belgium
* Oct.31.2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Madrid
* Oct.31.2007 - Dralion opened Nagoya, Japan
* Oct.31.2008 - BELIEVE gala premiere in Las Vegas
* Oct.xx.2001 - CirqueClub premiered
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FASCINATION! FEATURES
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Within...
o) "Violaine Corradi: Working for Joy"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
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"Violaine Corradi: Working for Joy"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
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With the release of the ZAIA CD (Cirque du Soleil Musique CDSMC-20029,
2009) in the US (and coming up in Canada on October 20), it is our
honor and privilege to continue our series on the music of Cirque du
Soleil with an exclusive interview with the Musical Composer of ZAIA,
Ms. Violaine Corradi.
Violaine Corradi (VEE-oh-len co-RAH-dee, "In Italian they say co-
RAAAH-dee.") was born in 1959 in Trieste, Italy and moved to Montréal
at the age of four, the child of a composer/conductor father (who
passed away when she was six) and an opera singer mother. She trained
in voice, piano, clarinet and flute and was a musical prodigy at an
early age.
From 1993 to 1998 she composed music for the radio series
"Poesié/musique", which featured leading Quebec poets reading their
works. In 1996 she released her first solo album, "Passages" (Imagine
Recors IND-2226). She also composed the musical scores for the IMAX
films, "Bears" (Silver Wave SD-930, 2001) and "Great North."
Her first Cirque assignment, as we all know, resulted in "Dralion"
(Cirque du Soleil Musique CDSMC-20016, 1999). This was followed by
"Varekai" (Cirque du Soleil Musique CDSMC-20017, 2002). ZAIA (the
resident show on the Cotai Strip at the Venetian in Macao) marks her
third collaboration with Cirque.
While it was 7am Seattle time and 10am Montréal time (where Corporate
PR Manager Chantal Côte facilitated our conversation) when we spoke by
phone, it was 10pm the following day in Macao. In a French-tinged
accent she first commented on why she was in Macao, "I arrived in the
beginning of May [2008]. I was supposed to be here 3 or 4 months
[but] I fell in love with the place and I fell in love, period, so
thats why I stayed."
We started off by talking about working on ZAIA. "This is my third
adventure with Cirque; Ive been with Cirque the past 11 years. I was
invited by Gilles Ste-Croix to write the music for the show because
they knew what the director, Gilles Maheu, was looking for and it
sounded like it would go with my esthetic. And it did! It was a
great meeting, a great encounter."
ZAIA Director/Writer Gilles Maheu has called the stage, "the center of
fire, a hurricane, a storm where forces align and dangerously confront
each other." "[Working with him] was like a dream for me," she
continued, "because [he] is very profound, coherent and sensitive.
When I hopped on the project in June of 2006 (two years before the
premiere) he had the entire outline of the show[ready], with of
course some gray areas but the narrative was there. So it was
fantastic for me to work with; I work very well when the director
outlines exactly what he has in mind for each acrobatic number. The
colors and the set design were pretty well advanced when I came in and
we pretty much stuck to the narrative. Of course some elements had to
change, because the reality is when [youre] constructing and putting
everything together [sometimes you have] to make different choices."
"But the foundation of what Gilles proposed to me pretty much
remained. That was inspiring to me. And the narrative - the story of
a young girl who decides to leave Earth, to travel the cosmos and
bring back notions of beauty to Earth - is so appropriate to whats
happening right now. So I was very inspired to write the music for
this show."
How does a composer work with a director on a Cirque project? "Its a
relationship. Its very personal with each director because they each
have their own personal way of bringing a project forward. Its sort
of like asking if its the chicken or the egg. Because the director
first gives us the outline, then we bring our elements [to the table]
and the director or whoever is around them will be inspired by what
all of us in the creative team bring. And we nourish each other."
"A lot of [the music] was inspired by the theme, the narrative itself.
Of course as I see the development of the show - the costumes, the
lights, the acrobatic sequences - this nourishes a lot of my process.
And getting to know the artists - having a beer with them, all of that
- youre creating a personal relationship with all of them. For me
this is very crucial and fundamental to my work."
Whats the process of musical creation, we wondered? "Thats a great
question. The first stage I work on is the nucleus, a version of
about a minute and a half to two minutes of the essence, the
foundation of the piece. And since Im a singer and musician I can
perform and produce it so I do the entire thing."
Some examples of these "nucleus" recordings can be found in the
"Creators Notebook" for Varekai, (the first edition of the Varekai
program) which included a computer disk with two of Varekais songs,
"Gitans" and "Icarians." "On those tracks Im the one playing
everything. The band was [together and] we were rehearsing but they
took my pre-production [demo] tracks."
After she creates the nucleus, "we try it out with the acrobatics,
because they are also at the embryo of what theyre doing. And if we
along with the Director and the Director of Creation and the Acrobatic
Creators, if all of us feel it is right - the tempo, the colors, the
feeling of the music is right - then I develop the structure from
there. And then its back and forth until the last second before the
premiere."
While the acrobats are working with these early recordings, "Im
auditioning musicians, and as soon as the musicians come in we have
charts written out for them. For this project I had a wonderful
Assistant (to the Musical Composer) Thierry Angers. And this was a
great encounter for me, now that I know him I cant live without him!
I could concentrate fully on the creation, the creative part of
writing the music and arranging the parts, and he and I would take
care of passing it on to the musicians. He would take care of writing
the charts and preparing all of what was needed for what would be - I
dont like to call them sequences, [but there are] a few sequences.
Most of it is played live but with some of the pieces I wanted it to
sound a little bit more electro or trip-hop or house. And to do that
we needed some samples I created that are triggered by computer. So I
did all of that and my assistant would do all the charts. And I would
go to the rehearsals and we would integrate the music live. Normally
[the musicians] arrive several months before the premiere so we have
the opportunity to really work on the music."
Her composing process started long before premiere night in a
situation that proved to be lower-stress than normal. "For [ZAIA I
had] two years [to compose]. For Dralion everyone was [brought in
about] one year before. On Varekai I had one year also. This time I
was lucky, not only did the director have his narrative but two years
to create the score was absolutely wonderful. So when we got to the
tightest part of the funnel all the music was written, arranged and
integrated with the musicians. When we arrived here [in Macao in May
to start staging] they were playing it already (performances started
in July)."
"This show gave me the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Sound
Designer Steve Dubuc and his Assistant (as well as Sound Project
Manager and Recorder of the CD) Jason Rouhoff. Every night we would
rehearse and put the sound in the house. We have a mega sound system
in the theater with surround [sound] and all kinds of goodies that we
had such a good time with." Including 18 subwoofers and 55 surround
speakers.
"We had the opportunity to [work] every day, and that was amazing.
This [was helped by the fact that I] hopped on this adventure two
years prior to premiere. Once I got here I could work day and night
in conjunction with Steve and Jason on exactly how I wanted the music
to sound. And it took many many hours. This was a big big plus for
me on this project."
"It was a luxury that the team here was kind enough to accept that we
would do sound [mixing] at 6 oclock [in the evening]. With other
shows and often other venues that I work in we do sound at night
during what we call the graveyard. Everybody goes to bed but you have
to stay up and [work] when youve already been playing and doing stuff
for 12-15 hours. Here it was fantastic; we did it while they were
eating. So while the whole [creative] team was eating the musicians,
sound engineers and I stayed and didnt eat. And we preferred that to
creating the soundstage in the middle of the night. It was great."
How the music sounds in the theater is naturally an important
consideration to Ms. Corradi. "Its my philosophy that the sound
engineer is a member of the band. Because you might have geniuses
playing - lets say youre lucky enough as a composer to get fantastic
musicians, all at a very high level like what [we have] here - but if
at the other end its not [properly] translated by the system and
whomever is mixing the house - then it can kill it. I always think
its important to have a clear relationship and bond between the sound
engineer [and the band]. Here we have four sound engineers; [on
Dralion and Varekai] we had three." They are Hayden Clark, Roy
Cressey, Sebastian Hammond and Chris Pardy. Other parts of the team
include Head of Audio Eric Poitevein, Assistant Head of Audio David
Finch and Lead Audio Technician Frieda Lee.
"When I go to do some follow-up work on tour I find it important to
have these discussions and exchanges. I transmit the concept to the
engineer because if it doesnt get to him or her it can be another
universe, it can completely flip around. So to me its very
important."
Having the luxury of time also allowed her to take on production of
the ZAIA soundtrack CD, a responsibility she hadnt originally
considered. "It was a nice opportunity. [Cirque du Soleil Musical
Director] Alain Vinet proposed [that I produce the CD] in spring of
2008. I wasnt sure because I know that to create a Cirque show
[requires] a thousand percent of yourself, and often right
[afterwards] there is a little curve downwards where you need to
relax. At first I said no, Id think of somebody [else] to produce,
and so we went along that line for a little while. Then once I got
here I realized I was nicely enough ahead and I would have the energy
plus the inspiration to produce the album."
"It was very important to Guy [Laliberté] that the original musicians
[appear on the album]. The last time that happened was with La Nouba
10 years ago. [With] "O" and La Nouba back-to-back (Composer and CD
Co-Producer) Benoit [Jutras] and (CD Co-Producer) Rob Heaney produced
albums with the original musicians and they did a fantastic job. For
other albums it was mostly session musicians, original musicians of
the show were cameoed and sometimes it wasnt always the original
singers."
"But for ZAIA we reached amazing levels of rendering the music. Alain
Vinet was here for the gala in August last year and heard it and was
also convinced [this was] the way it should be done."
The nine ZAIA musicians play a multitude of instruments on the CD
(with a little help from members of the string section of the Hong
Kong Symphony Orchestra as well as Ms. Corradi herself).
Surprisingly, the band has none of the Canadian or French Canadian
players that usually comprise a large part of Cirque creation bands.
The musicians are:
Maria Karin Andersson - Singer - Sweden
"Chicago" Rose Marie Winnebrenner - Singer - United States
Steven Victor Bach - Keyboards, Bandleader - United States
Conrad Lewis Askland - Keyboards - United States
Oliver Alexandre Vincent Milchberg - Guitars - France
Rachael Cogan - Wind Instruments - Australia
Jay Aaron Elfenbein - Cello - United States
Darrin Eugene Johnson - Drums - United States
Eduard Harutyunyan - Percussion - Armenia
Recording the CD was, "another adventure in itself. At first we were
contemplating having the musicians record in a studio here in Macao or
in Hong Kong. And we played with that idea and realized it wouldnt
necessarily be the best for the project or for the show. And so we
hopped on the adventure of creating a studio [inside the ZAIA Theater
at the Venetian Macao]. With the fantastic technology we have now it
was possible [to create a control room] within a week. We [already]
had sound booths and microphone wiring for the musicians, and it was
just a question of [creating] a control booth to do the recording."
"[It was] recorded during the day and after shows while doing 8 to 10
shows a week. [It took] a month to record and a month to mix."
"[In the production] I went for a real interpretation. I worked one-
on-one with all the musicians to put them in a mood to get a rendering
[with] a lot of heart and emotion. Many many days and many many
hours of work were put into that album."
In our interview with Cirque du Soleil Musical Director Alain Vinet
(see Fascination! Newsletter #67 - August, 2009) he mentioned that he
works closely with soundtrack producers, often supplying comments.
What comments did he give about recording ZAIA? "[He was] very
encouraging. He is wonderful in the sense that he has a way to
inspire. I cant tell you exactly what his comments were because
there were many things that were discussed. What I can tell you is
that he has a wonderful way of [giving feedback] and a way of creating
that makes us want to surpass ourselves."
In a post-interview email, Ms. Corradi sent along the track list of
the ZAIA CD with the translation of the titles and act they are
related to:
01) Noi - (Theme of the show and Finale) - Us
02) Aestus Calor - (Ouverture) - A Flow of Fire
03) Ignis - (ZAIA's Departure) - Fire
04) Hatahkinn - (Aerial Bamboo) - (This is an invented word)
05) Aquilex - (Globes and Poles, Part1) - The One Who Finds Sources
06) Comissatio - (Globes and Poles, Part 2) - Feast
07) Blue Ales - (Lanterns) - Blue Bird-Its Flight is an Omen
08) Adrideo - (Old Clown Act with Onofrio + Tom) - Laughters
09) Ardor Oris - (Back-up number + walk arounds) - Ardour
10) Aequor Oris - (Fire Dance) - Ocean of Fire
11) Caelestis - (Aerial Frame) - Celestial
12) Undae - (Time Transition) - A Flow of Water
13) Temperatio - (Jugglers) - Balance
14) Ellâm Onru - (Hand to Hand) - All is One
15) Gaudiumni - (X-Board) - Joy
16) Utinam - (Straps duo) - May the Heavens Wish So
"I came up with the titles many months ago. In the reality of
everyday I still call them their working titles so I have to get used
to calling them the name we call them on the album. If I give the
[album] song title to the musicians or the Artistic Director they
dont know what Im talking about, so I have to use the work titles.
Every piece has at least 3 titles, and the [song is] baptized [with
last one] when we lay it on the album."
"You made me realize though that, now that the album has just been
released it's time for me to memorize which musical piece the new
titles I found are associated with...Thank you!"
"We actually recorded everything, the music of the entire show, 95
minutes. I knew that I was not going to be able to put everything on,
but the songs that we werent able to put on the album - and Ill need
to discuss this with Alain - we may be able to put them on iTunes or
something like that. But we have them. On the album we put what
Alain and I felt would tell the story of ZAIA. The rest exists and
well see what we do with it."
Those unreleased songs include:
"Travelling Cowboy" - (New Clown Introduction)
"Automat Dance" - (Automaton Dance)
"Alobaloro" - (Rola Bola)
And there was one song that, due to the continuing evolution of the
show is on the soundtrack but isnt in the show anymore. ""Adrideo"
is the clown act, or should I say, it was our clown act until
approximately a month ago. Work in progress... new clown act = new
music!"
Ms. Corradi dedicates the album to "Mariposa." ""Mariposa" means
"butterfly" in Spanish. This butterfly I know is an inspiration for
me. And the symbol of the butterfly is related to the show. The fact
that a butterfly goes through four stages in its cycle before it
becomes a butterfly is really related to transformation, to a journey
where you have to throw yourself into the void. [The concept of
letting] yourself be reborn again is really appropriate for this show.
So Mariposa is a person and also a symbol."
Unlike the soundtrack to Varekai, which was more electronica-
influenced and took some liberties with the music, ZAIA seems to be a
return to the sound of the music as heard in the show. Much of this
is due to recording the album with the shows original creation
musicians in the ZAIA Theater. But it was also a philosophical
decision. "To tell you the truth I think [soundtrack CDs] should
always reflect the show. If theres going to be other projects
inspired by the show music you should [label them] as being inspired
from the show. When its the shows soundtrack I feel that it should
reflect the music of the show but not necessarily in every detail, you
can enrich it. For example for this CD I had to restructure [the
music] to put it in a format that was independent from the image, from
the visual."
"For Varekai it was an executive decision to work with [CD Producer
Nitin Sawhney]. We had an intimate dinner at Guys house in Montréal
with Nitin and Bruno Gaez (who was the Musical Director at the time).
And Guy felt [there] was a new tone for Cirque du Soleil starting with
Varekai, because (Cirque Co-Founder and first Company President)
Daniel Gauthier had left and it was the first show that had been
created without him. It was Guys desire to explore other avenues and
he asked me if I would feel comfortable with that. And I said yeah, I
approved it. It was great, it was a fantastic encounter and I think
it spoke for itself. It [was in] the Top 5 in Billboards World Music
section for weeks.
Interesting sounds are one of the hallmarks of Ms. Corradis music.
Such as a rapid breathing singing sound used in ZAIA on "Undae."
"Its called "panting" or "throat singing." Its a specialty of one
of the musicians, Racheal Cogan, the wind instrumentalist. And I
integrated it into two of the pieces because I find this sound brings
us to the beginning; to me its really evocative of the origin of
humanity. Hopefully it creates that in the imagination of others.
And so far so good, people that have heard it here feel the same. So
well see how it echoes back as the album lives its life."
In a prior interview she mentioned how one of Guy Lalibertés favorite
instruments was the "bandaneon." Whats that? "Bandaneon is the name
for an accordion, but instead of having a keyboard it has buttons.
Guy loves accordion sounds - he used to play it - so I know that he
loves the sound. In the last 11 years he would really be turned on
when I would come up with an accordion or bandaneon sound."
"Guy loves very simple melodies and melodies that bring people
together. And he loves everything that is rhythmic or percussive or
[music that is] very trendy. But he explained to me that he loves
music and melodies that bring people together. And to him an
accordion is a great instrument to do that." (This might explain why
the bandaneon/accordion shows up in almost every Cirque recording.)
The ZAIA album continues Ms. Corradis considered use of strings and
woodwinds. "I think they are very warm. [In ZAIA] we dont have
violins per se. [We have] a bow specialist who plays viola da gamba
and the ancestor of the cello, the rabab. Sometimes it might sound
like a violin but were not using a violin. To me these sounds are
very real and warm. They have a mode of expression that is strong and
close to the human voice."
"With Dralions original instrumentation the first musician I hired
was a cellist/violinist, he would play both. And [for ZAIA] the wind
instrumentalist [was to] be mainly an oboist but they also play
didgeridoo and other wind instruments."
"I love to put the two together. I think all Cirque shows have bowed
or blown into [instruments], Im not the only one. If I look at
Cirque orchestral formations I think we find that you always have
keyboard and percussion but you need people who blow into something
and people who bow string."
"First we do it with synthesizers. [But its] so expressive when a
specialist in an instrument gives a real rendering with a real soul
interpreting and with all the mechanics and ornaments you have with a
real instrument instead of having a keyboard play it."
ZAIA Keyboardist Conrad Askland quotes Ms. Corradi as saying musicians
are the "soul of the show." He also called her a "musical shaman."
"I auditioned [and selected] every musician in the show. Im totally
part of the process. The Director of Creation for the Show Neilson
Vignola accompanied me through the process."
"For the other shows normally I am involved, but they will know if I
am too busy to hire or audition other people. Normally I am always
the one choosing the musicians because it is part of my mandate -
Composer, Arranger and Musical Director, that comes along with it."
"With singers, because they are characters in the show, once I make my
choices we [show them to] the director for him to see what they look
like, because he would have to work with them. We would have to reach
a consensus. He was very happy with the people I found."
ZAIA incorporates two women singers, was that her choice? "These
ideas always come from the director. [For the other shows] the
director saw a man and a woman but for this show Gilles wanted two
female singers. I was happy to get the request and work with it, and
I make the best of it I can."
Listening to her Cirque albums one wonders if vocalists have
difficulty with some of the more tongue-twisting aspects of Cirques
made-up language. "On the contrary, I get more positive comments that
its interesting and challenging. Because they perform 8 to 10 shows
a week and - let me put it this way - I make sure they dont fall
asleep! They have enough challenges [with] the difficulty of the
melodies and the way to interpret it, what Im looking for in dynamics
and sensitivity, rendering, interpretation. I make sure the mountain
is high enough they have a nice climb. And to be able to have [their
souls] open at every show. Maybe theyve thought it was hard but
nobodys ever told me."
Creation musicians are "crucial, absolutely crucial" to a shows final
musical sound, Ms. Corradi insists. "These musicians are choices that
I made very meticulously, of what kind of interpretation Im looking
for. In this show I was looking for multi-disciplinary musicians,
especially [with] regards to plucked strings, bowed strings, and
winds, so we get all kinds of textures. Its also like a journey in
time, in contemporary sounds as well as ancient, like the rabab and
the aoud."
"So I made sure that I found the [right] musicians. Of course this is
crucial, because [they create] the foundation of [how future]
musicians will be asked to interpret the music unless Im lucky enough
that the original members of the band stay forever. Which happened
[with] both Dralion and Varekai, most of the team is the same."
"So its absolutely crucial, they lay down the foundation of the
score. Because I may lay down a line of aoud that I will play myself
with a very good sample, but its never [the same as] when its the
instrument interpreting it itself."
For the "Solarium/Delirium" and "Delirium" arena show CDs Cirque
utilized several of Ms. Corradis compositions. In fact her songs
alone make up 40% of both projects! Songs utilized include:
From Dralion: Ombra, Aborigenes Jam and Spiritual Spiral.
From Varekai: Lubia Dobarstan, Emballa, Oscillum, Patzivota, Le Reveur
and El Pendulo.
How does it feel to hear her music in such a context? "Its exciting,
its inspiring. I like [hearing where] inspired arrangers and
producers bring [the music]. [On Solarium/Delirium] theres "Ombra"
where we have two completely different universes being expressed on
the same album; one is more Latin and the other really trip-hop. I
love it."
"If I would write a piece [for a show] and it was really new and I
offered it to the musicians and they would start playing it like [the
remixes] I wouldnt agree because I have an architecture, an esthetic
that I ask them to respect. Because the architecture and esthetic
have meaning in conjunction with all my other colleagues and creators.
We create an esthetic together and if they were to change the
[musical] style I wouldnt agree. But when it comes to doing remixes
I find it very exciting and inspiring and Im happy that people are
doing it."
"I saw [Delirium] once when it premiered in Montréal. I was open and
just received it. (Music Producer and Arranger) Francis Collard did a
great job. Sometimes it sounded like a homeopathic [dose] of what we
created. He had a big mandate to take all those [songs] and make
something for this mega production but he did his job well, I think he
did a great job."
How would she populate a Violaine Corradi "Best of"? "Thats a very
hard question. I have no idea. Its the type of question I cant
answer because I have to sit down and listen to everything and make it
work together. And Id probably ask my friend Alain Vinet what he
thinks. I dont know, I would have to do it then tell you."
Whatever songs end up on that mixtape, they would all reflect the
Violaine Corradi style which she defines as, "a juxtaposition of
different styles and different cultures. I find a lot of inspiration
in what I call "root music." I dont like saying "folkloric" music,
but original music that has been played for hundreds or thousands of
years from every country. Thats what I listen to when I write music,
and I try to bring in a contemporary approach. I also like to
juxtapose diverse styles, like classical with trip-hop, or house with
Latin and whatever. Ive always written like that, and I guess thats
why Guy invited me to be part of the team 11 years ago."
So whats currently in her MP3 player? "These days Im listening to
"Tuck & Patti" (vocalist Patti Cathcart and guitarist Tuck Andress).
It was released in the 80s and I havent listened to it in ages, I
downloaded it maybe a week ago. Its just voice and guitars and its
just great, its amazing. It felt so good to listen to that again.
They write their own songs and do some covers. Just beautiful to hear
a human voice with a very simple recording, very transparent. Tuck is
the guitar player and he plays amazingly, with so much feeling.
Thats what Im listening to [along with] so many other things. But
that one is first on my list these days."
Is there something about composing music that the public doesnt
realize that shed like them to know? "Thats such a good question!
I dont think I want them to know because [its] a lot of work. I
think the general audience [doesnt] have one hundredth of an idea of
all the work that [has been done] when they listen to an album or
listen to any kind of show. Of all the human effort and inspiration
and generosity and talent, everything that it takes to put it all
together."
"Lets just take ZAIA. We have nine musicians. All of them [have put
in] how many hours and years of work just to get there? And then to
put the soundtrack together?"
"How can I put it? I dont think an audience that arent musicians
can envision everything it takes to put all this together, so I think
Id rather they didnt know. Just enjoy it! On our side we have so
much joy doing it."
"Its work and joy at the same time. Id rather the audience just
keeps the joy of listening. The joy of listening is equivalent to the
joy we have of giving it to them. Because if we didnt have joy all
this work would mean nothing."
"In my life [Ive known] people that couldnt understand what I was
doing. They would wonder why I put so much energy on a note or a
measure or on 8 bars or 100 bars of music. These people are not in my
life anymore."
Her work ethic was imprinted on her early in life, "[by] my parents,
but especially my mother. My mother was my music master; she studied
at the Pittsburgh School of Music in Philadelphia. She was an opera
singer and music whiz and she passed it on to me. My father was also
but he passed away when I was six so my main master was my mother.
She taught me everything about music but especially how to materialize
and actualize my ideas and bring [them out]."
"I remember in Quebec when I was nine years old I started to do
television. They would come to see the kid that could compose music
at nine years old, so they would put me on TV and stuff like that.
She would have me write out charts for the musicians or to be able to
[copyright] the piece at BMI. And she told me, "What you start you
have to finish." And at nine years old to write a chart for musicians
was a big big endeavor. And I would cry, "No, why dont you do it?"
"No! You started it, you finish it!" So I think that was the
[development] of my courage and endurance and stamina."
"You need inspiration and talent but you [also] need courage to put
forward and actualize and materialize your ideas. And you have to
have the courage to keep going until it becomes complete. That is my
philosophy."
What can we expect to hear from her in the future? "For the moment
were still doing a lot of changes [to ZAIA] so Im busy doing that.
I also have some album projects [in mind]. And of course (Vice-
President of Creation) Pierre Phaneuf at Cirque told me the last time
I spoke to him that they had projects for me. So well see. I think
theyre letting me finish [ZAIA] and then well see what my new
collaboration with Cirque will be. So coming up - music music music
music!"
As our time together was running out we had one final question, one of
our favorites. What words of wisdom does she have for young artists
to encourage or make them aware of the challenge of Art as a career?
"Hmm. Thats a very good question, and a hard one because there are
so many things I want to say. Maybe Ill write it to you [later]."
Later she wrote, "To be an artist... to be a true artist means to be
totally engaged, totally dedicated to your craft; in fact, you can't
even imagine living or breathing for a millisecond without Art in your
life! If this is the way you deeply feel then there are chances you
will have enough willpower and inner strength to carry you through."
"As the famous French star Georges Brassens liked to say, "Talent
without technique is just a bad habit." Knowing this first-hand and
also knowing what my peers and I have to put in to realize our dreams
and visions, I can confirm that the artistic adventure will challenge
and test you to the bone; to the marrow of your soul; it will carve
you like the sculptor carves marble in order to reveal your true
nature; your beauty and your full rainbow potential."
"If you feel you have the talent and hear this "Call" to passionately
live the artistic odyssey (and what I just told you didn't make you
want to run in the opposite direction...), then jump right in without
any second thought. Because it means that your dedication to your art
and to the world and what will be requested of you to succeed won't be
"work" for you.... your long hours, days, months, and years will be
total "play"; full, total "joy"!"
And as she signed off Violaine Corradi had some kind words for us at
the Fascination! Newsletter. "I think its precious that you take
time to speak with me and to speak with us. Youve done some great
work and every element counts. Its very precious and I thank you."
Likewise, Ms. Corradi.
My sincere thanks go to: Ms. Violaine Corradi, for so graciously
spending time with us, Lise Dubois, Corporate Alliances Coordinator,
Chantal Côte, Corporate PR Manager, and my wife LouAnna for putting
up with my sometimes obsessive hobby.
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NEXT ISSUE
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Join us for the beginning of a series that examines CirqueCon 2009:
Monterrey! from beginning to end. Also, Keith Johnson gives us his
take on Cirque du Soleils newest musical release: ZED.
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PARTING QUOTE
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"I once fell from the top of a big top. I slid down the
canvas to the parking lot and smashed both feet. They told
me I would never walk again."
- Dominique Champagne (2003)
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SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
=======================================================================
Fascination! is a monthly newsletter, available through subscription
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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!
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 9, Number 7 (Issue #69) - October 2009
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c)
2001-2009 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.
{ Oct.06.2009 }
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