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T h e U n o f f i c i a l
C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r
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E X P A N D E D I S S U E
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VOLUME 10, NUMBER 8 August 2010 ISSUE #79e
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CONTENTS
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o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information
* Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues
* BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau
* Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre
* Venue Shows -- Venue & Seasonal Productions
o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets
* Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub
* Networking -- Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Flickr
o) Compartments -- A Peek Behind the Curtain
* Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque
* Historia -- Cirque du Soleil's History
o) Fascination! Features
*) "Memory of the Circus: Inside the Cirque
du Soleil Library/Archives (Part 1 of 2)"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
o) Subscription Information
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Banana Shpeel Slips into Toronto [EXPANDED]
{Jul.07.2010}
-----------------------------------------------
Lets hope this second Banana has appeal.
A new Cirque show is usually a cause for celebration but some
people might be discouraged by the fact that Shpeel recently
closed in New York after a very short run thanks to some
generally dismissive reviews.
I have to confess that I didnt share the rest of my colleagues
displeasure with the show, finding it an amusing, engaging way
to spend an evening.
Part of my relief, to be honest, was to discover that after the
notices the show had received in its Chicago tryout (unfunny,
creepy and depressing were some of the adjectives used by Windy
City scribes), it was actually quite lighthearted and
entertaining.
Its also very different. So if you expect all Cirque shows to
look and sound the same, be prepared to be surprised.
Cirque du Soleil, in cooperation with Mirvish Productions, is
bringing its latest production, Banana Shpeel, to Toronto at
the Canon Theatre from Sept. 14 through Oct. 10, the Star has
learned.
Banana Shpeel is, quite frankly, an exercise in vaudeville.
Baggy pants comedy, raucous slapstick, the whole nine yards.
It's something we don't see much of lately, least of all from
Cirque, but it's done with the group's usual panache.
My sources inside Cirque also tell me that "a fair bit of
tweaking" has occurred since the New York premiere, so what we
get here in Toronto will not be identical to what failed to
knock Gotham on its ear.
If youre looking for advice, Id tell you to forget any
preconceptions and prepare yourself to enjoy the show on its own
merits. I took some friends to see it last Sunday night, the end
of an eight-show week performed during a heat wave, but the cast
were still putting out 100 per cent. Aaron Walpole, who plays
the role of narrator Lonny, was indisposed, but Im pleased to
tell you his understudy, Carson Nattrass, performed the role
with great flair and style.
Remember: Its never too hot to rock n roll.
{SOURCE: Toronto Star}
Rogers is Cirque's official Canadian
wireless services provider
{Jul.09.2010}
-----------------------------------------------
Rogers and Cirque du Soleil have successfully grown their
organizations by driving innovation and remaining on the cutting
edge of technology and entertainment. As entrepreneurs, the
companies have revolutionized their respective industries,
pushed boundaries and changed the rules of the game in order to
enhance customer experiences. It was then natural for both
organizations to establish a partnership. Rogers is proud to now
be affiliated with Cirque du Soleil by officially supporting its
2010-2011 Canadian tour as its official wireless services
provider.
"This is a partnership between two leading innovators in the
Canadian market dedicated to enhancing consumer experiences. We
are delighted to accompany Cirque du Soleil on their 2010-2011
Canadian tour and we look forward to providing them with the
most innovative wireless solutions available," said Rob Bruce,
President, Communications, Rogers.
{SOURCE: Newswire}
La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil Announces Limited Edition
Trading Pin as Commemorative Gift for New Year's Eve
{Jul.14.2010}
-------------------------------------------------------
Lake Buena Vista, Fla. - July 6, 2010 - La Nouba by Cirque
du Soleil announced today that a limited edition commemorative
La Nouba trading pin will be available with the purchase of a
ticket to the New Year's Eve performances this year. Tickets are
on sale now.
This is the second official Disney trading pin unique to Cirque
du Soleil and will only be fully revealed to our guests as they
arrive that evening.
"We are really excited to be able to offer a pin exclusively to
our guests," said Neil Boyd, Company Manager of La Nouba.
"We get asked occasionally about a La Nouba trading pin and we
think New Year's Eve 2010 is the perfect opportunity to launch
what we intend to be an annual gift."
Pin trading has been an official tradition for more than ten
years at Walt Disney World; Resort and has spread to
Disneyland; Paris, Tokyo Disneyland;, Hong Kong Disneyland and
Disney Cruise Line; with each location creating their own pins
and customs. La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil is pleased to be a
part of this lasting tradition.
NEW YEAR'S EVE PRICING Tickets for the New Year's Eve 2010
performances of La Nouba range in price from $67 to $133 plus
tax for adults and $54 to $109 plus tax for children (ages 3-9).
Tickets for these performances are on sale now by calling (407)
WDW-SEAT (407-939-7328), or by visiting the box office located
at the plaza level of the theater, or by logging on to
cirquedusoleil.com/lanouba.
Group reservations can be made by calling (702) 352-0197. For
more information and to receive news alerts and priority sale
details, sign up for Cirque Club at cirquedusoleil.com/lanouba
or visit facebook.com/lanouba.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE Tuesdays through Saturdays at 6 p.m. and 9
p.m. with additional performances on Monday, December 27 th. The
theater is dark Sundays and Mondays and select times throughout
the year.
La Nouba is performed exclusively at Downtown Disney; West Side
at Walt Disney World; Resort.
{SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil}
SALTIMBANCO doesn't begin as much as it creeps [EXPANDED]
{Jul.14.2010}
---------------------------------------------------------
The Cirque du Soleil show opens with deceptive quiet as brightly
clad characters wander out on to the arena floor and, jabbering
away in a language of their own devising, start making friends
with the audience.
The little tricks and comedy moments go on for a while until you
notice that a full troupe of acrobats and clowns have
materialised on stage. A ringmaster in a tall hat bangs his
staff on the ground, and we're off. Welcome to Saltimbanco.
By the time the evening's end rolls around, the Cirque
performers are done sneaking up on you, instead trying for full-
on astonishment. To reach that, they pull out all the tricks in
their arsenal the trapeze and the bungee ropes, the Chinese
Poles and the Russian Swing. Nor will they be shy about
leavening that with juggling, lavish costumes, bicycles and,
frequently, laughter.
As jobs go, it's not a bad living for an international, globe-
trotting troupe that spends most of the year on the road and
rocks up at a new arena every week with 16 lorries and a mission
to do something unique.
Since its 1992 debut Saltimbanco has become one of the circus-
redefining Canadian troupe's signature shows. For the more than
50 performers who will bring it to life in Nottingham, it
remains a challenging piece.
"I enjoy this show, the energy this show gives," says Cirque
veteran James Clowney, who plays the ringmaster. "I would love
to say I changed the character, but I think the character
actually changed me."
Michael Ocampo has been with Cirque since 1993. Now retired from
performing, he works behind the scenes as a coach for Saltimbanco.
"It's really uplifting," he says. "There are images from
Saltimbanco, from when I saw it the first time, that still stay
with me.
"At the end of the show I was sitting like that," he says,
letting his mouth fall open in amazement. "And I come from a
background of gymnastics and acrobatics."
For all the on-stage amazement, there's an small off-stage army
keeping everything running. Let's talk wardrobe: Saltimbanco
features 2,500 different pieces of wardrobe from surreal,
almost carnival-style masks to intricately detailed shoes. The
show employs four full-time travelling wardrobe assistants and
bring in another three helpers at each stop. The four full-
timers take turns dressing each night's show having everything
ready and providing the on-the-fly changes and necessary
repairs.
"If they bust a shoe I can run down here and whip them up
another one," says wardrobe assistant Victoria Lightner.
"If you can do this job here, out of a road case, you can do it
anywhere. This is wardrobe boot camp."
Showtime is nearing as Victoria's explaining this, and around
her in the bowels of the Festhalle Frankfurt, performers are
milling around, getting loose and gearing up for the night's
show. Some have put on their first costume of the night, others
are still in their warm-up clothes (one performer wears a T-
shirt that proclaims: ""Keep staring, I might do a trick" and
he might).
While all this is going on, it can be difficult to keep track of
all the different languages being spoken. Backstage at a Cirque
du Soleil show can look like a UN meeting crossed with a
Benetton advert. Cirque recruits from all over the world, and
more than 20 countries are represented in this incarnation of
Saltimbanco (the only English member of this troupe is Nicola
Dawn, one of the singers with the show's band). Some are former
high-level competitive gymnasts. Others have a background in
acting most likely with a healthy dose of physical theatre
experience. Others attended circus schools, a route that's
particularly popular in former Soviet countries, where school-
age circus training remains from the Communist years. Still
others come from traditional travelling circus families.
Cirque's official work language is English, but backstage you'll
hear everything from French to Russian to Mongolian.
All who sign on must have a love of a unique lifestyle.
"It's like running away to join the circus," artistic assistant
Neelanthi Vadivel says. "My husband always says 'too many
freaks, not enough circus'."
Surely then, Cirque is populated by people who are living the
dream they harboured as children.
Well, not necessarily.
James Clowney started at circus schools in his native New York
from seven, and began working in circuses from 11. But as a
young man, the fellow who wears a top hat and entertains
thousands had other plans.
"I actually wanted to go into business," he says. "Banking or
accounting, something like that."
Oh. Right. So then, would he ever consider leaving Cirque and
running away to join the, erm, accountancy firm?
He laughs.
"I would always have that itching in the back of my head," he
says. "It's hard to give it up."
{ SOURCE: Nottingham Post }
Cirque du Soleil hatches an insect love story [EXPANDED]
{Jul.17.2010}
--------------------------------------------------------
A clown and dramatic actress, Michelle Matlock now finds herself
starring as a lonely but fabulous beetle in the most spectacular
bug meets bug love story to lay a giant glowing egg on a
Boston stage. She plays Ladybug, the love-struck beetle at the
pulsing heart of Ovo, Cirque du Soleils newest touring show,
which opens this coming week at Fan Pier on Bostons waterfront.
Taking its title from the Portuguese word for egg, Ovo casts
54 artists from 16 countries as insects in a fantastic
theatrical ecosystem of light, color, sound and even smell
beneath Cirques signature blue and yellow Big Top.
Ovo will open Thursday and run through Aug. 15.
As Cirque du Soleils first female director, Deborah Colker has
used three decades of experience as an award-winning
choreographer to create a show full of dancing insects,
daredevil acrobatics, contagious music and spectacular lighting
effects.
The ants juggle kiwis with their feet. Red and yellow fleas
cavort like Olympic gymnasts. A pair of butterflies perform an
aerial pas de deux at the end of a rope.
Each insect species has been costumed and choreographed to crawl
and eat, flutter and dance, fight and search for love with
distinctive ways to move.
Artistic Director Marjon Van Grunsven described Ovo as a
beautiful fusion of art and life.
Its a perfect fusion of dance, acrobatics, design and music. I
really hope audience members can experience it all through their
eyes and ears and imaginations, she said.
Working with an international cast, Van Grunsven said she
encourages the 54 performers, including many who came to the
show from backgrounds in sports, to use their different skills
to give their insect characters their own recognizable way of
moving.
A native of the Netherlands, she earned degrees in dance and
theater and has worked as a choreographer, composer, producer
and teacher in Paris, South Korea and New York.
Spiders are slow and graceful. Crickets jump on their
articulated legs. The scarabs are daring flyers, she said
between shows in Hartford, Conn. Ovos creators chose insects
because theres so many different kinds, so many different
colors, so many different stories. Its Cirque du Soleils 25th
anniversary and they wanted to give audiences something colorful
and happy and festive.
After observing children in the audience, Van Grunsven hopes
adults learn to open up completely like kids when they watch
Ovo.
Children leave everything outside. I hope adults learn from
them to watch these colorful characters, forget everything and
let themselves be carried away into a fantasy, she said.
Now based in Montreal, Cirque du Soleil is the offspring of
Parisian street performers who combined forces to export their
daredevil artistry around the world. Their shows, which combine
theatrical acrobatics and costumed multimedia spectacles, have
been seen by 90 million people around the world.
Mixing bugs and love, Ovo takes off when the sphinx-like egg
appears onstage.
When a buzzing fly named Foreigner carries the glowing red egg
into the insect world, Ladybug is overcome with feelings that
would make any six-legged, self-respecting beetle blush like a
schoolgirl.
Matlock said Ladybug feels her life changing in ways that touch
the audience.
Through her struggles, I think Ladybug connects to audiences
instantly in her own humane way, said Matlock between
performances. Shes very sweet and popular and sexy. But she
hasnt found true love yet.
While the aviation-challenged Ladybug doesnt fly like the
other insects, Matlock said her pop culture diva costume
which features platform boots, a bright orange belly, pink wings
and bobbing antennae equips me to crawl into my role. Ladybug
hasnt found true love but shes fabulous with who she is, she
said.
To play Ladybug, she watched videos of insects and worked with
other actors to invent their own bug language of clicks,
squeaks and tongue rolls that are transmitted by a hidden
microphone.
For Matlock, audiences might learn a lot from the way the insect
characters react to the arrival of a mysterious egg in the
middle of their world.
Were all bugs. Were different bugs but we have to share our
world, she said. When that egg comes onstage, it feels nice. I
think Ovo is what life is: simplicity, openness and
celebration.
{SOURCE: The Patriot-Ledger}
New website goes online
{Jul.19.2010}
---------------------------------------------
Montreal, July 19, 2010 - Cirque du Soleil is today launching
its new website-a site which repositions the company online. A
true international showcase, this new site presents not only all
Cirque du Soleil shows but also the company's various parallel
achievements, such as designing the Canada Pavilion for the
Shanghai World Expo 2010, the REVOLUTION Lounge and GOLD Lounge
in Las Vegas, and Jukari-the fitness program for women created
in collaboration with Reebok.
"This revamp is in line with Cirque's desire to extend its
presence in the world of entertainment and new media on a global
scale," explains Annie Derome, Director of Internet and
Interactive Media. "The new platform has been in the works since
2007 and allows Cirque du Soleil to highlight its distinctive
personality, as well as its various shows," she continues.
NEW HOME PAGE
The first change is visible right on the home page, which is
split into two points of entry. The first-Discover who we are-
plunges visitors into an immersive environment at the very core
of what makes Cirque du Soleil unique: its innovative style,
values, mission and history. The second-Discover our shows-
provides a quick and intuitive overview of the 21 shows
currently playing around the world. Visitors will find special
offers or news based on the country selected at the bottom of
the page.
RENEWED CONTENT
Renewed content also provides visitors with the opportunity to
immerse themselves in the creative world of each of the shows.
Over 250 video clips present excerpts of Cirque du Soleil shows
as a means to explore their respective worlds.
CURRENT SHOWS EASIER TO FIND
The new website is truly a calling card for Cirque du Soleil on
five continents. It is now easier and quicker for visitors to
find out what shows are playing in their city or country. A
search tool quickly identifies which show is being presented
where.
CIRQUE CLUB
With more than two million members, Cirque Club will now have
more exclusive content for its members, in addition to discounts
and exclusive pre-sales.
THIRD REVAMP SINCE 1995
The first Cirque du Soleil website went online in 1995. After a
major overhaul the following year, it earned a 1996 Suxess Award
in the Best Design and Realization category, awarded by the
Suxess advertising agency in Vienna, Austria. The second
transformation of cirquedusoleil.com-in 2001-won four Gold
awards at the Digital Marketing Awards (2002) in Toronto in the
Best of Show (Grand Prize), Experience, Content/Information and
Experimental categories.
The current revamp of the site was carried out by Sid Lee, CGI
and PopCode, and also involved 80 employees in various areas of
activity.
The site welcomes more than 60,000 visitors a day. Please visit
the www.cirquedusoleil.com/newcirquedusoleil microsite for more
information about the various functionalities of the new
platform and the technology used by the Web design team. The
Cirque du Soleil address remains the same:
www.cirquedusoleil.com.
{SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil}
Kooza has its heartand its skillsfirmly in place [EXPANDED]
{Jul.24.2010}
-------------------------------------------------------------
You know how sex can be so intense sometimes that you almost
want it to stop, but you really, really dont? Kooza, the latest
Cirque du Soleil show to hit Vancouver, is like that. In fact,
its the best Cirque production to come to town since the
company trampolined its way into our hearts with Alegría seven
years ago. Thats because writer and director David Shiner has
perfected the presentation of two essential elements: acrobatics
and clowning.
The aerial acts are insanely exciting. In Wheel of Death,
Colombian artists Jimmy Ibarra and Carlos Marin Loaiza run
around in and on two giant wheels that are connected by a huge,
rotating spoke, so that the wheels circle around each other. At
first, the spinning made me kind of sick, but I forgot all about
that when I started screaming. These guys use momentum to send
themselves shooting off the wheels. They fly through the air,
sometimes dropping a huge distance, only to land on the wheels
again. Its terrifying, but Ibarra and Loaiza perform with such
bravado that terror turns into a wild adrenaline rush.
The quartet that performs High Wire is also spectacular. On
twin wires suspended 15 and 25 feet above the stage, these dudes
do crazy things like leapfrog over one another.
Marie-Chantale Vaillancourts costuming is part of the delirious
sexiness of the production. Contortionist Iuliia Mykailova looks
like a bejewelled snake, and her body is so healthily voluptuous
that she doesnt make you want to puke, which can be a problem
with contortionists. Yao Deng Bo, who works the Chinese chairs
with muscular precision, enters in a dreamily androgynous
flowing cape.
Almost everything works. Irina Akimova, who shimmies as many as
seven silver hoops up and down her lithe body, is like sex on a
plate, duo unicyclists Diana Aleshchenko and Yuri Shavro are all
acrobatic romance, and second-generation Cirque performer Darya
Vintilova is pure freedom on the trapeze.
The one act that tanks is Michael Halversons turn as a
pickpocket. Hes just not that good; the guy he chose from the
audience the night I attended often clearly knew what was up.
And the second act is somewhat oddly structured. It opens with
Wheel of Death, the most exciting piece, and closes with
Teeterboard. Teeterboard is impressiveperformers, sometimes
strapped into tall metal stilts, get catapulted through the air
but it doesnt feel climactic.
These are minor complaints, though. Kooza has vision, and its
held together by character. In the loose story, the Innocent
follows the Trickster into Koozas magical world. Mike Tyuss
Trickster has more sinister allure than Mick Jaggerand better
moves. Stéphan Landry is a winning Innocent. And, in his
combination of sweetness and misbehaviour, former Vancouverite
Colin Heath, who sports a little yellow hat here, is the best of
a group of clowns.
Poor clowning was the downfall of Corteo, the Cirque show that
visited Vancouver in 2008, but Kooza has its heartand its
skillsfirmly in place. And for all its sensuality, its still a
family show. It uses the metaphor of a childs adventure to
explore the wonder that lurks just beneath the surface of
mundane existence.
{SOURCE: The Georgia Straight}
Its a bugs life and a fun one at that [EXPANDED]
{Jul.24.2010}
----------------------------------------------------
Insectophobes beware: Oversize bugs are crawling all over the
Boston waterfront.
Actually, make that crawling, running, gyrating, whirling,
hurtling, cycling, and flying.
Cirque du Soleil is in town with a new show, OVO," that is set
in the insect world. Its a charmer and often a dazzler, marred
only by a grating audience-interaction segment in the second act
that stalls the shows momentum and made me wish someone would
send out the clowns.
As with earlier Cirque du Soleil productions, there are times in
OVO when the performers achieve a level of artistry that
almost defies comprehension. It is like watching Fred Astaire
dance or Mariano Rivera pitch.
At this particular moment, Cirque du Soleil may feel it has
something to prove. Since it was founded in 1984, the Montreal-
based organization had succeeded in casting a spell over
audiences with one spectacle-laden show after another. All told,
its productions have been seen by nearly 100 million spectators.
But Cirque experienced an embarrassing hiccup last month when
Banana Shpeel," a $20 million foray onto Broadway, closed
after only six weeks.
Now comes the inventive, if amorphous, OVO." Written and staged
by Deborah Colker, the first female director to take the helm of
a Cirque show, it is a fast-moving riot of acrobatics, aerial
wizardry, and dance movement. (Colker, a native of Brazil, also
devised the choreography).
"OVO" purports to be about such grandiose themes as
biodiversity, the mystery of life, and what the company calls
the hidden, secret world at our feet." Thats eyewash, really,
since the insect-kingdom setting is largely a pretext for
Cirques 54 performers to do what they do so well, albeit while
wearing outfits of iridescent green, red, and blue devised by
costume designer Liz Vandal.
The slender plot of "OVO" concerns a fly (Francois-Guillaume
LeBlanc) who wanders into a community of other insects while
toting a giant egg on his back ("ovo" means egg in Portuguese).
He instantly becomes enamored of a fetching, flirty ladybug
(Michelle Matlock).
The other insects, meanwhile, are captivated by the large white
orb (in what the Cirque creators acknowledge is a nod to the way
the apes get transfixed by the obelisk at the beginning of
Stanley Kubricks "2001"). So while the fly is pitching woo with
the ladybug, the other insects make off with the egg.
But the egg is not central to subsequent developments not that
there really are subsequent developments. "OVO" suffers from the
lack of a compelling story line and the absence of a truly
hissable villain who would ratchet up the dramatic tension.
Youre not likely to care much when the performers start to do
their stuff. The crowd was electrified midway through the first
half of "OVO" when five jugglers attired as ants (Han Jing, Su
Shan, Wang Shaohua, Zhu Tingting, Kong Yufei, and Pei Xin) used
their feet to flip objects (meant to represent corn and kiwi)
end over end and transferred spinning disks (representing
eggplant) from one to another.
As a pair of amorous butterflies, Maxim Kozlov and Inna Mayorova
created a gorgeous aerial ballet on a rope, swooping and
twirling upside down far from the ground. Further upside-down
astonishment was later delivered by "Spiderman" (Li Wei), who
balanced on his chin on a unicycle while pedaling the cycle back
and forth on a wire suspended 15 feet from the stage. Did I
mention that the wire was swaying much of the time?
Words cant really capture "Creatura" (Lee Brearley), a headless
character whose torso-twisting moves and now-you-see-it-now-you-
dont manipulation of his limbs gave him the appearance of a
giant, living Slinky, friendly and spooky at once. (With
Creatura, "Toy Story" meets "A Bugs Life.") Speaking of
manipulating limbs: Svetlana Belova led a team of spider
contortionists who created such impossible pretzels of their
bodies that it made me wince to see it. Familiar, though still
impressive, thrills were delivered on the trapeze by 11
performers dressed as scarab beetles who demonstrated remarkable
teamwork as they caught or flipped one another.
"OVO" saves the highlight for the end: A gaggle of performers
attired as green crickets who scale a clifflike 20-foot-high
wall and then proceed to leap from it and bound back to the top
again and again (there are trampolines on the floor),
somersaulting and whizzing past one another diagonally.
Its an exhilarating display, flawlessly executed, and like much
of "OVO," it made me wonder who needs CGI when human beings can
generate these kinds of special effects.
{SOURCE: The Boston Globe}
Behind the Mask, Behind the Magic [EXPANDED]
{Jul.28.2010}
---------------------------------------------
It takes a lot to make the magic of Cirque du Soleil -- and what
happens behind the scenes is a wizardry all its own.
Backstage -- even on Cirque du Soleil's first day in Regina --
things were busy, but remarkably calm, considering 55 artists
and 40 technicians and administrative staff had just descended
on the Brandt Centre and were settling to stay for performances
until Sunday.
Taking the classic show Alegria -- which helped establish Cirque
du Soleil's reputation when it premiered in 1994 -- and its many
components on tour to arenas across North America is a big
undertaking, explained Sheryl-Lynne Valenski, a Toronto product
who has been with Cirque du Soleil for five years and is the
artistic assistant on Alegria.
"The arenas are interesting because they're all different," she
said. "We've been to some huge U.S. cities. We've been to some
very small Canadian cities. You have to be very adaptable and
flexible. One of the things we're very consistent with is our
set out front and our seating. But our backstage can be a real
challenge for us."
Sometimes such spaces as a loading dock need to be utilized in
order to have the backstage meet the needs of the large tour.
Artists need facilities available to work out and stay in shape
for the physically demanding production, Valenski noted.
While having training areas available is a big consideration, it
is only one of the many things that have to be arranged to
accommodate the Alegria tour. The group brings its own
appliances to keep up with some of the chores.
"The amount of laundry is truly phenomenal," Valenski said,
noting there are 400 costume pieces involved in the show. "In
fact, we travel with our own washing machines and dryers,
because we never know what we're going to get in some of the
arenas."
Zebastian Hunter, a Cirque du Soleil trapeze artist from
Australia, said that from a performer's perspective, the
logistical challenges always are overcome by the consistent work
of the support staff.
"Every week we come in and it's perfect and exactly the same,"
he said. "So we're really lucky. We have a great team -- really
professional and fun to work with."
Hunter, who has been a circus performer since childhood, said it
had been his dream to work with Cirque du Soleil since he saw
Alegria in Australia more than 10 years ago. He has been with
Cirque du Soleil for almost a year.
"I think that it's really different than a lot of the other art
forms that are out there," he said. "It incorporates a lot of
different things. You have dance, you have theatre, you have the
circus and you have the amazing athletics."
He spent five months in Montreal for a "formation period" to
learn trapeze and now tours with Alegria. With rare exceptions,
the tour moves to a new location every week, he said, noting
cast members usually have some time in each location to walk
around and check out the city.
"Part of the challenge is the routine of it -- of going, going,
going," he said. "But a nice thing is that with the arena tours,
every 10 weeks we have two weeks off, which means we can go home
or wherever we like and have a bit of a break and come back re-
energized for the show."
Denys Tolstov, a hand balancer and juggler from Ukraine who has
been with Cirque du Soleil for almost nine years, said the life
of a performer involves a lot of travelling, but that's part of
what makes the job great.
"It's always travel," he said, with a laugh. "Meeting new
people, seeing new places. It's always a great experience to go
to new cities and give people joy. They enjoy it and they see
what the human body can do."
In Tolstov's hand-balancing act, he displays amazing strength by
supporting himself on one hand in ways that don't seem humanly
possible -- but he proves they are. His training started many
years ago, he said.
"Most of the training I've done was when I was a kid," he said.
"Now, I'm just doing training that I need for my act on the
show. One or two hours of practice, it depends. It's a lot of
physical exercise. Pushups. Staying on my hands for five, 10
minutes."
It's a different world backstage at Alegria. Even more different
is the world the cast and crew create on stage with every
performance.
Tim Smith, the artistic director for the tour, has been with
Cirque du Soleil for five months following a 20-year career in
New York City on Broadway and in professional theatre. He is
charged with maintaining the artistic integrity of the Cirque du
Soleil brand on the tour.
"It's exciting," he said. "When I say that I am the artistic
director for Alegria, everyone goes, 'Oh!' It's everyone's
favourite show, so the pressure is on to make sure that it's
just as good as they remember in 1994. So far we've been doing a
really good job."
{SOURCE: Leader Post}
Gravity defying KOOZA dazzles [EXPANDED]
{Jul.28.2010}
---------------------------------------------
"Are you kidding?" hollered the boozed-up guy behind me at KOOZA
on opening night. He was three sheets to the wind, but the
sentiment was right on. What contortionist Iuliia Mykailova was
doing was impossible. All snaky in spandex, she was so twisted
up she had put her butt on her head. "Ass over tea kettle"
doesn't begin to describe the pose.
KOOZA (derived from "koza," Sanskrit for box, chest or treasure)
is jam packed with "Are you kidding?" moments. Creator/director
David Shiner has taken Cirque back to its original roots with a
show that relies on acrobatics and clowning but without losing
any of the fantastic music, make-up, costumes and lighting
effects that has made the company internationally famous. The
story is simple and less dark than some Cirque shows of the
past: the Innocent (wide-eyed Stephan Landry), while trying to
fly a kite, takes delivery of a parcel--a big box--which, when
he opens it, contains a super-slick, slightly wicked Trickster
(Mike Tyus) and a whole circus complete with clowns (Ron
Campbell, Jimmy Slonina and Colin Heath, a former Leaky Heaven
favourite.) While many of the acts are performed by individuals-
-like flying Darya Vitilova on the trapeze or hoop-twirling
Irina Akimova--the stage is always packed with colour, sound and
movement. A 20-strong group, sumptuously costumed in red, white
and what looks like tiny squares of gold, opens the show backed
up by singers and musicians in an ornate, birdcage-like,
elevated bandstand. With lots of brass, lights, colour, it's eye
and ear popping.
Yuri Shavro makes riding a unicycle look easy as he seemingly
effortlessly wraps Diana Aleshchenko around his neck and his
body like a shimmery turquoise snake while continuing to pedal.
Tricky and dangerous is the high wire act (Angel Quiros
Dominguez, Vincente Quiros Dominguez, Angel Villarejo Dominguez
and Flouber Sanchez) and there were times when my heart was in
my throat as one performer made a couple of attempts at leap-
frogging over another who was riding a bicycle along the wire.
He succeeded on the third try on opening night and earned roars
of approval.
Solemn, intensely focused Yao Deng Bo climbs and balances eight
chairs, cantilevering himself at impossible angles to the stack
of chairs below him. And then bedlam appears to break out as
almost a dozen tumblers twist and flip in the air as they're
bounced off the teeterboard. There's even a pair of stilt-
walkers who launch off the board and land upright on a mattress.
But the wildest, scariest act of the evening and one that earned
a standing ovation the night I attended was Wheel of Death
performed by Jimmy Ibarra and Carlos Marin Loaiza. I've seen
wheels of death before but never like this. The contraption
looks like two hamster wheels mounted together and it's put in
motion by the performers walking slowly at first inside each
wheel. Eventually all hell breaks loose; the rig is revolving,
the wheels are rotating and the performers are flying in it, off
it, over it. What was that sound? Oh, that was the sound of
absolutely everyone holding his or her breath before one of the
guys, hurtling through space landed on a wheel spinning wildly
beneath him.
The Cirque du Soleil company is committed to being a good global
citizen by supporting more than 80 communities in some 20
countries on five continents around the globe. KOOZA is not
inexpensive but knowing that your money not only employs a huge
number of performers, designers, technicians and support staff
but also helps youth at risk and fights poverty worldwide, may
ease what guilt you might (or might not) have indulging yourself
in this display of fun and derring-do. It's truly dazzling.
{SOURCE: Vancouver Courier}
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
{Corteo, Koozå, OVO, Quidam, Totem & Varekai}
o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues
{Saltimbanco, Alegría, Quidam & Dralion}
o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre
{Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE,
ZAIA, ZED, Believe & VIVA Elvis}
o) VENUE - Venue & Seasonal productions
{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/ >.
------------------------------------
BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
------------------------------------
Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=39 >
Corteo:
St. Petersburg, Russia -- Jun 26, 2010 to Aug 8, 2010
Kazan, Russia -- Aug 21, 2010 to Sep 26, 2010
Moscow, Russia -- Oct 9, 2010 to Dec 12, 2010
Brussels, BE -- Jan 4, 2011 to TBA
Vienna, AT -- Feb 11, 2011 to TBA
Madrid, ES -- Apr 2, 2011 to TBA
Valencia, ES -- TBA
Alicante, ES -- TBA
Sevilla, ES -- TBA
Koozå:
Vancouver, BC -- Jul 22, 2010 to Sep 5, 2010
Calgary, AB -- Sep 16, 2010 to Oct 24, 2010
Miami, FL -- Nov 12, 2010 to Dec 5, 2010
Tokyo, JPN -- Feb 2, 2011 to Apr 12, 2011
Ovo:
Boston, MA -- Jul 22, 2010 to Aug 29, 2010
Washington, DC -- Sep 9, 2010 to Oct 24, 2010
Atlanta, GA -- Nov 4, 2010 to Dec 31, 2010
Dallas, TX -- Jan 28, 2011 to TBA
Houston, TX -- Mar 10, 2011 to TBA
Cincinnati, OH -- Apr 22, 2011 to TBA
Seattle, WA -- Nov 17, 2011 to TBA
Quidam:
Santiago, CL -- Jul 11, 2010 to Aug 15, 2010
Lime, PE -- Sep 3, 2010 to Sep 26, 2010
Bogota, CO -- Oct 9, 2010 to Nov 21, 2010
NOTE: Begins Arena Tour after Bogota!
Totem:
Montréal, QC -- Apr 22, 2010 to Jul 11, 2010
Québec City, QC -- Jul 22, 2010 to Aug 29, 2010
Amsterdam, NL -- Oct 7, 2010 to Nov 21, 2010 (*)
London, UK -- Jan 5, 2011 to Jan 30, 2011 (*)
Charlotte, NC -- Mar 3, 2011 to TBA
Baltimore, MD -- Apr 7, 2011 to TBA
Pittsburgh, PA -- May 12, 2011 to TBA
Montreal, QC -- Jun 16, 2011 to TBA
San Francisco, CA -- Oct 21, 2011 to TBA
Toronto, ON -- TBA
Varekai:
Oostende, BE -- Jul 29, 2010 to Aug 29, 2010
Zurich, CH -- Sep 16, 2010 to Oct 10, 2010
Barcelona, ES -- Nov 5, 2010 to Dec 5, 2010
Taipei, TW -- Jan 20, 2011 to TBA
------------------------------------
ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues
------------------------------------
Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=1831 >
Saltimbanco:
London, UK -- Jul 28, 2010 to Aug 1, 2010
Hamburg, DE -- Aug 19, 2010 to Aug 22, 2010
Dortmund, DE -- Aug 25, 2010 to Aug 29, 2010
Berlin, DE -- Sep 1, 2010 to Sep 4, 2010
Munich, DE -- Sep 8, 2010 to Sep 12, 2010
Milan, IT -- Sep 15, 2010 to Sep 18, 2010
Zaragoza, ES -- Sep 22, 2010 to Sep 26, 2010
Granada, ES -- Sep 29, 2010 to Oct 3, 2010
Madrid, ES -- Oct 6, 2010 to Oct 10, 2010
Lisbon, PT -- Oct 13, 2010 to Oct 24, 2010
Prague, CZ -- Nov 12, 2010 to Nov 14, 2010
Zagreb, HR -- Nov 17, 2010 to Nov 21, 2010
Basel, CH -- Dec 1, 2010 to Dec 5, 2010
Budapest, HU -- Dec 8, 2010 to Dec 12, 2010
Nurnberg, DE -- Dec 15, 2010 to Dec 19, 2010
Lille, FR -- Jan 5, 2011 to TBA
Paris, FR -- Jan 12, 2011 to TBA
Johannesburg, ZA -- Mar 9, 2011 to Mar 20, 2011
Cape Town, ZA -- Mar 23, 2011 to Apr 3, 2011
Antwerp, BE -- TBA
Alegría:
Saskatoon, SK -- Aug 4, 2010 to Aug 8, 2010
Edmonton, AB -- Aug 11, 2010 to Aug 22, 2010
Kelowna, BC -- Aug 25, 2010 to Aug 29, 2010
Kamloops, BC -- Sep 1, 2010 to Sep 5, 2010
Victoria, BC -- Sep 8, 2010 to Sep 12, 2010
Tacoma, WA -- Sep 15, 2010 to Sep 19, 2010
Spokane, WA -- Sep 22, 2010 to Sep 26, 2010
Honolulu, HI -- Oct 15, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010
Boise, ID -- Nov 4, 2010 to Nov 7, 2010
Houston, TX -- Nov 10, 2010 to Nov 14, 2010
Phoenix, AZ -- Nov 17, 2010 to Nov 21, 2010
Tucson, AZ -- Nov 24, 2010 to Nov 28, 2010
El Paso, TX -- Dec 1, 2010 to Dec 5, 2010
Oklahoma City, OK -- Dec 23, 2010 to Dec 26, 2010
Wichita, KS -- Dec 29, 2010 to Jan 2, 2011
Baton Rouge, LA -- Jan 5, 2011 to Jan 9, 2011
Colorado Springs, CO -- Jan 12, 2011 to Jan 16, 2011
Broomfield, CO -- Jan 19, 2011 to Jan 23, 2011
Loveland, CO -- Jan 26, 2011 to Jan 30, 2011
Laredo, TX -- Feb 2, 2011 to Feb 6, 2011
Hidalgo, TX -- Feb 9, 2011 to Feb 13, 2011
Corpus Christi, TX -- Feb 16, 2011 to Feb 20, 2011
Tulsa, OK -- Feb 23, 2011 to Feb 27, 2011
Quidam:
Kingson, ON -- Dec 11, 2010 to Dec 14, 2010
Montréal, QC -- Dec 18, 2010 to Dec 30, 2010
Quebec, QC -- Jan 4, 2011 to Jan 9, 2011
Chicoutimi, QC -- Jan 12, 2011 to Jan 16, 2011
Dralion:
Trenton, NJ -- Oct 20, 2010 to Oct 24, 2010
Buffalo, NY -- Oct 27, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010
Reading, PA -- Nov 2, 2010 to Nov 7, 2010
Youngstown, OH -- Nov 10, 2010 to Nov 14, 2010
Windsow, ON -- Nov 17, 2010 to NOv 21, 2010
Oshawa, ON -- Nov 24, 2010 to Nov 28, 2010
Worcester, MA -- Dec 16, 2010 to Dec 19, 2010
Philadelphia, PA -- Dec 21, 2010 to Jan 2, 2011
St. Louis, MO -- Jan 19, 2011 to Jan 23, 2011
Peoria, IL -- Apr 22, 2011 to Apr 24, 2011
---------------------------------
RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre
---------------------------------
NOTE: (*) Prices are in United States Dollars (USD) unless otherwise
noted.
(*) Ticket prices exclude the 10% Live Entertainment Tax, the
$7.50 per-ticket processing fee, and sales tax where
applicable.
Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=40 >
Mystère:
Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday
Two shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm
2010 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12):
o Category 1: $109.00 / $54.50
o Category 2: $99.00 / $49.50
o Category 3: $79.00 / $39.50
o Category 4: $69.00 / $34.50
o Category 5: $60.00 / $30.00 (Limited View)
2010 Dark Dates:
o September 4 - 8
o November 3
"O":
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
2010 Ticket Prices:
o Orchestra: $150.00
o Loggia: $130.00
o Balcony: $99.00
o Limited View: $93.50
2010 Dark Dates:
o August 11 - 15
o October 10
o December 8 - 21
La Nouba:
Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm
2010 Ticket Prices (adults) / (child 3-9):
o Category 0: $120.00 / $97.00
o Category 1: $105.00 / $85.00
o Category 2: $85.00 / $69.00
o Category 3: $69.00 / $56.00
o Category 4: $55.00 / $45.00
2010 Dark Dates:
o September 21 - 24
o November 16
Zumanity:
Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday
Dark: Wednesday & Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm
2010 Ticket Prices (18+ Only!):
o Duo Sofas: $135.00
o Orchestra Seats: $99.00
o Upper Orchestra Seats: $79.00
o Balcony Seats: $69.00
o Cabaret Stools: $69.00
2010 Dark Dates:
o August 3 - 8
o September 14
o October 12 - 13
o November 30
o December 1 - 14
2010 Added Performances:
o September 16th
o October 14th
o November 29th
o December 30th
KÀ:
Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2010 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12):
o Category 1: $150.00 / $75.00
o Category 2: $125.00 / $62.50
o Category 3: $99.00 / $49.50
o Category 4: $69.00 / $34.50
2010 Dark Dates
o September 7 - 11
o November 16 - 17
LOVE:
Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2010 Ticket Prices:
o Lower Orchestra: $150.00
o Upper Orchestra: $130.00
o Lower Balcony: $99.00
o Middle Balcony: $93.50
2010 Dark Dates:
o October 7
o December 3 - 13
ZAIA:
Location: Venetian, Macao (China)
Performs: Every Day, Dark: Wednesday
One to Two Shows Daily - Times Vary
2010 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 2-11):
o VIP Seating: MOP$ 1288 / MOP$ 1288
o Reserve A: MOP$ 788 / MOP$ 394
o Reserve B: MOP$ 588 / MOP$ 294
o Reserve C: MOP$ 388 / MOP$ 194
ZED:
Location: Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo (Japan)
Performs: Varies
One to Two Shows Daily - Showtimes vary
2010 Ticket Prices (Non-Peek / Peek Time):
o Category 1 ("Premium"): ¥15,000 / ¥16,000
o Category 2 ("Stage-Side"): ¥12,500 / ¥13,500
o Category 2 ("Center"): ¥12,500 / ¥13,500
o Category 3 ("Wide View"): ¥9,500 / ¥10,500
o Category 4 ("Value"): ¥7,500 / ¥7,800
BELIEVE:
Location: Luxor, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:00pm
NOTE: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by
an adult. Children under the age of five are not permitted
into the theater.
2010 Ticket Prices (all):
o Category 1: $160.00
o Category 2: $125.00
o Category 3: $99.00
o Category 4: $79.00
o Category 5: $59.00
2010 Dark Dates:
o October 12 - 16
VIVA ELVIS:
Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2010 Ticket Prices (Previews / Regular)
o Category 1: $149.38 / $175.00
o Category 2: $128.75 / $150.00
o Category 3: $108.13 / $125.00
o Category 4: $86.68 / $99.00
2010 Dark Dates:
o September 14 - 16
o November 17 - 25
--------------------------------------
VENUE - Venue & Seasonal Productions
--------------------------------------
Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=251 >
Wintuk:
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City (USA)
Wintuk's 2009 Season has drawn to a close. See you next
winter!
Banana Shpeel:
Banana Shpeel is going on tour! Check out the show at
these locations:
Toronto, ON -- Sep 14, 2010 to Oct 10, 2010
Orange County, CA -- Dec 7, 2010 to Dec 26, 2010
=======================================================================
OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE'S SOCIAL WIDGETS
=======================================================================
o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub
o) Networking -- Cirque on Facebook, Youtube & Flickr
---------------------------------------
CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub
---------------------------------------
THE POWER OF THE BEATLES LOVE
{Jul.28.2010}
Behind the Music of The Beatles LOVE by Jillian Sutton
GRAMMY Awards, international praise and a long list of celebrity
visitors are among the many accolades that have been bestowed
upon The Beatles LOVE since it premiered at The Mirage in Las
Vegas on June 30, 2006. The recipe for the shows success? A
winning combination of Cirque du Soleil and its legendary
acrobatics, aerial stunts, costuming and set design coupled with
the infinite archives of The Beatles brought to life by
legendary producer, Sir George Martin and his son Giles Martin.
Sound was of paramount concern to all those involved and veteran
designer Johnathan Deans lent his expertise to deliver in-depth
audio in a way few have ever experienced. Everyone knows The
Beatles music, and everyone knows Cirque du Soleil Deans
says. The idea of marrying those two entities meant making sure
that Cirque du Soleil would be able to enhance The Beatles
music, and that the music would enhance the performance. It had
to go both ways.
In 2008, LOVE won top honors, Best Compilation Soundtrack Album
for Motion Picture, Television or other Visual Medium and Best
Surround Sound Album, at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. At the
52nd Annual Grammy Awards, All Together Now, the feature-
length documentary about the making of The Beatles LOVE by
Cirque du Soleil® won the Grammy for Best Long Form Music Video.
FACE TO FACE: PAUL BOWLER, MASTER OF THE AERIAL CUBE IN MYSTÈRE
{Jul.27}
Paul Bowler, master of the aerial cube, began touring in Alegría
by Cirque du Soleil in early 1997 before settling down in Las
Vegas in 1999. Prior to going on the road, Bowler spent three
months undergoing intense training with the creator of the act.
Originally from Manchester, England, Paul Bowler has represented
his country as a gymnast time and again. But one of his most
thrilling moments was an audience with the Queen of England
after competing for the British gymnastic team four times at the
World Championships. Outside of Britain, he has flexed his
muscles, both literally and figuratively, in various European
competitions. Featured nightly in Mystère, Bowler has also
performed his act for the Princes Trust Gala and twice in the
Royal Variety Show, in 1997 and 2003.
AN EXCITING AND COLOURFUL CIRQUE DU MONDE GATHERING
{Jul.26}
On May 28, as part of the 15th anniversary celebrations of
Cirque du Monde, more than 150 young participants from Quebec
descended on Cirque du Soleil's headquarters in Montreal to take
part in three days of festivities, exchanges and circus arts!
NEW CIRQUEDUSOLEIL.COM: THE FACTS BEHIND THE 8 NEW VIDEOS
{Jul.19}
In creating our eight new online videos, our goal was to reflect
the beauty of Cirque du Soleil in all its forms. The challenge
was to capture highlights from different shows (while
maintaining the integrity of the original numbers), and still
get the costumes and artists back in time for the evening's
performance!
Discover 15 facts and photos of the behind-the-scenes shoot:
o) 3 days
o) 34 performers
o) 7 dancing rabbits
o) 4 contortionists
o) 2 love birds
o) Up to 3 acts were shot per day in a studio just outside Vegas
o) The fire video was filmed on location in the "O" theatre at
the Bellagio
o) Although performers usually apply their own makeup, a makeup
artist adapted their looks for the camera
o) To create a timeless environment, the films were shot on a
yellow background representing the sun and Cirque du Soleil
o) All the effects were captured live with the artists
performing take after take to get it just right
o) Getting the camera between the artists to shoot the fight
scene up close was particularly challenging
o) A suspended camera was used to capture the plank video
from above
o) Filming the hand shadows required several different camera
angles to avoid capturing the shadows of the crew
o) For the slow-motion sequences, a special camera was used
to capture every movement and facial expression
o) Post-production edits were kept to a minimum
KÀ: AWE, DAZZLE, AMAZE.
{Jul.14}
Cirque du Soleil has been leaving audiences awestruck for more
than 25 years. When KÀ debuted in 2005, the groundbreaking
production took amazing to a whole new level.
In 2010, KÀ celebrates its fifth birthday on the Las Vegas Strip
(exclusively at MGM Grand). Each night, audiences are
transported into an imaginative world via the KÀ Theatre - a
spectacular venue with a 360-degree-rotating stage. The
performance space is one of the many reasons why KÀ has been a
celebrity and tourist favorite, drawing numerous repeat visitors
each year.
Due to its innovative nature, KÀ has attracted such famous
visitors as Britney Spears and Janet Jackson. Tom Cruise could
be dubbed a fanatic hes journeyed to KÀ and back three times.
So why is KÀ a favorite among celebs and non-celebs alike?
Twenty-five or 30 years ago we would go to the theatre, the
circus or the dance or the opera with a very specific set of
rules, says KÀ Creator and Director Robert Lepage. Now, people
are exposed to more and more television and cinema and rock
videos. The web has its own way of interacting and telling
stories. Were being told stories in all kinds of crazy ways.
The spectators narrative vocabulary has evolved a lot. So you
can allow yourself to do things in a live performance that you
could never have done before. As a result, in this show, people
will have the impression theyre inside some kind of cinematic
eventbut actually everything is interactive, everythings
happening at the moment. More than 2,400 performances later,
its safe to say KÀ has exceeded those expectations.
THE BEATLES LOVE BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL COMMEMORATES 4th
ANNIVERSARY WITH RINGO STARR
{Jul.12}
The Beatles LOVE the powerful Cirque du Soleil production that
celebrates the musical legacy of The Beatles, has commemorated
four years of captivating audiences at The Mirage in Las Vegas
on June 30, 2010.
In celebration of the shows anniversary, four cast members from
LOVE traveled to Niagara Falls earlier this week to join Ringo
Starr at the launch of his upcoming North American concert tour.
While visiting Niagara Falls, cast from LOVE were photographed
with Ringo Starr in honor of this special milestone, captured
exclusively by legendary music photographer, Rob Shanahan.
---------------------------------------------------
NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Flickr
---------------------------------------------------
--- [ ALEGRIA ] ---
{JUl.26}
Carmen Ruest has watched Cirque du Soleil come a long way.
Ruest's journey with Cirque du Soleil began in Montreal in the
late 1970s. She was a dancer, involved in street performance
culture. Her experiences led her to become involved with Guy
Laliberte, who founded Cirque du Soleil in 1984, and other
pioneers, she explained during a recent interview at a coffee
shop in Regina.
LINK /// < http://www.leaderpost.com/business/Alegria/3322796/
story.html#ixzz0wErh7RHv >
{Jul.23}
REVIEW: A night of adventure, joy and peerless beauty | In a
moment, a review. But first, a realization. In 2008, this
reviewer noted that Cirque's last Winnipeg show, Saltimbanco,
was difficult to review. After all, you can't really review a
man doing handsprings from another man's head: it just is. It
just happens. It's incredible to see, and then it's over, and
how could we add to that? Two years later, Cirque is still hard
to review. But last night at the MTS Centre, between the
crackpot clowns searching for an effective mode of transport and
the spandex-clad acrobats making leg-twirling leaps from what
can only be described as bendy, human-borne balance beams, we
changed our minds about why.
LINK /// < http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/REVIEW-
A-night-of-adventure-joy-and-peerless-beauty-
99076849.html >
{Jul.09}
On Thursday, July 8, Alegría was featured on the national TV
show eTalk Canada! We took eTalk reporter backstage for a
one-on-one lesson on the Cyr Wheel with artist, Tyler Block.
LINK /// < http://watch.ctv.ca/etalk/this-week/etalk---thursday
-july-8-2010/#clip323283 >
{Jul.02}
Great reviews in Toronto! | Bigger can be better. That's the
major surprise attached to the new, expanded touring version of
Alegria now on view at the Air Canada Centre. When I first heard
that Cirque du Soleil was taking one of its trademark touring
shows, that had been delighting the world in its smaller tent
format since 1994, and blowing it up to fit the giant arena
venues around the world, I was dubious, to say the least.
LINK/// < http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/theatre/
article/830900--cirque-du-soleil-a-bigger-alegria-
fills-the-bill >
--- [ BANANA SHPEEL ] ---
{Jul.22}
A backstage look at Banana Shpeel captured and created by artist
Robyn Baltzer!
VIDEO [2:16] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php
?v=10100153559497419&ref=mf >
{Jul.12}
Foot Juggler Vanessa Alvarez was born into a circus family in
Spain and trained with her juggler father to master her very
special skill.
FOTO [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php
?pid=6008166&id=153330866799 >
{Jul.09}
Check out some of the cool sketches from Costume Designer
Dominique Lemieux.
FOTO [5] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php
?aid=230560&id=153330866799&ref=mf >
--- [ CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ] ---
{Jul.31}
Get excited - Viva ELVIS the album comes out in November! Check
out this introduction to the album!
VIDEO [1:45] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_DCRuDs8wE >
{Jul.26}
In the media: Interview with Nathan Dennis, a flyer and master
of the somersault, and reheasal footage of Saltimbanco in
Nottingham, UK!
VIDEO [4:20] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OrmNFnnXsk >
{Jul.19}
Check out the new trailer for Zumanity - we think it's super
sexy!
VIDEO [1:00] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBVbyL84pDA >
{Jul.14}
Watch a clip of the 15th anniversary celebrations of Cirque du
Monde, a social circus program developed by Cirque du Soleil.
VIDEO [4:20] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj9FvMZh52E >
{Jul.01}
Cirque du Soleil Our show The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil,
presented exclusively at The Mirage in Las Vegas, commemorates
its 4th anniversary with Ringo Starr!
VIDEO [0:58] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfZU9aTdpEY >
--- [ CORTEO ] ---
Now playing in Sankt-Peterburg, RU! Check out these photos!
FOTO /// < http://www.flickr.com/photos/marylise-
doctrinal/4661182694/ >
--- [ KÀ ] ---
{Jul.28}
Hi KÀ superfriends! Thank you to the fans who posted links of
our appearance on "America's Got Talent" from last week. In the
event you didn't see the links below, here it is. This is also
some foreshadowing for upcoming "AGT" appearances being worked
out for some of our other Vegas shows, we'll let you know more
about that soon!
VIDEO [3:36] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehZ3E0twYw8 >
{Jul.26}
We're starting a new game here on Facebook called 'Mystery Photo
of the Week' so fans can test their show knowledge! Check out
some of the recent phots of the week here:
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php
?aid=233209&id=31527171928&ref=mf >
{Jul.06}
Happy Tuesday, KÀ friends! On Saturday we bid 'adieu' to our
good friend Miro who originated the role of the "Counselor's
Son." Please join us in wishing him all the best, and please
help us welcome Spencer, our new and extremely talented
"Counselor's Son"! (The photo below is Miro, taken before the
show's official premiere. Does anyone know when that was?)
FOTO [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php
?pid=5964425&id=31527171928 >
{Jul.01}
KÀ sent some characters to the Daytime Emmy Awards this year to
present an award with Wayne Brady. Here are some shots of us
getting the star treatment on the red carpet and backstage!
FOTO [12] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php
?aid=228849&id=31527171928&ref=mf >
--- [ KOOZA ] ---
{Jul.27}
Get a sneak preview of the show and some behind the scenes
in Vancouver, BC!
VIDEO [2:40] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJsZFK1Jzh0 >
{Jul.16}
Check out this spectacular artistic mural (75' by 50') that is
now painted on a building downtown Calgary to celebrate the
arrival of KOOZA this fall in town. Come and see it live at on
the corner of the 7th Street SW and 6th Avenue! If you take
pictures, post them here!
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php
?pid=5025823&id=34324811338 >
---[ LA NOUBA ] ---
{Jul.28}
Tonight. 9:00 p.m. Our 5500th show. This milestone, illustrated
backstage by Les Cons. We give thanks to the BEST. FANS. EVER.
FOTO [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php
?pid=4716126&id=16315569901 >
{Jul.20}
We're starting a new game here on Facebook called 'Mystery Photo
of the Week' so fans can test their show knowledge! Check out
some of the recent phots of the week here:
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php
?aid=181909&id=16315569901&ref=mf >
{Jul.14}
La Nouba has been working on our second-ever official Disney
Trading pin! This limited edition pin will only available to
our guests on New Year's Eve. Here's a sneak peek!!
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php
?pid=4597511&id=16315569901 >
{Jul.03}
Doors and windows are a recurring objects in La Nouba. Perhaps
symbolizing the journey into another world or a new beginning...
A new opportunity...
--- [ MYSTERE ] ---
{Jul.30}
We're starting a new game here on Facebook called 'Mystery Photo
of the Week' so fans can test their show knowledge! Check out
some of the recent phots of the week here:
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php
?aid=225046&id=18155469918&ref=mf >
{Jul.28}
Hola amigos de Mystère! A few weeks ago a writer for a Chicago-
based Spanish-language health-and-medical magazine (how's that
for overuse of hyphens?) came to review Mystère. Disfrute!
LINK /// < http://www.unbuendoctor.com/detalle_
articulos.asp?idenfermedad=1914&tipo=9 >
{Jul.06}
Hi Mystère fans! Not sure if you remember but our Hand-to-Hand
artists, Marco & Paulo Lorador, performed at the Laureus World
Sports Awards 2010 event in Abu Dhabi this past March. We put up
some photos of the trip a few months ago but here is the video
of their performance. Enjoy!
VIDEO [5:20] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=_gqOYnFnpXc&feature=channel >
{Jul.01}
This past weekend some Mystère artists made a surprise visit to
the lobby after the late show Saturday night to meet guests and
pose for photos. Well, it wasn't a total surprise since we let
people know as they entered the theatre, but they didn't know
when they bought their tickets. We're going to do ...this again
in the next few weeks. The question for you, Facebook friends,
is: would you like me to tell you when it will be, or would you
like it to be a surprise?
FOTO [3] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php
?aid=222972&id=18155469918&ref=mf >
--- [ "O" ] ---
{Jul.27}
We're starting a new game here on Facebook called 'Mystery Photo
of the Week' so fans can test their show knowledge! Check out
some of the recent phots of the week here:
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php
?aid=189488&id=26000574416&ref=mf >
{Jul.26}
Sometimes it's hard to get going on a Monday morning, these
flexibility exercises might help! Designed by the Contortion
Coach and Head Coach of "O", the stretching routines were
published in Real Simple magazine this month!
LINK /// < http://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-
exercise/stretching-yoga/increase-flexibility-
improve-life-00000000037981/page3.html >
{Jul.23}
A group shot of the three artists at the Far Niente Winery in
Napa, California.
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php
?pid=4406611&id=26000574416 >
{Jul.23}
On July 17, three artists from "O" performed at the 125th
anniversary of the Far Niente Winery in Napa, California. The
Ballerina and Zebra characters interacted with the 800 guests,
while one of the amazing Contortionists performed a 5-minute
piece choreographed for the event!
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php
?pid=4406593&id=26000574416 >
{Jul.02}
Check out an interview with one of our Contortionists from MSN's
"Behind the Shell"
LINK /// < http://behindtheshell.msn.com/#/articles/24669102 >
--- [ OVO ] ---
{Jul.31}
Here's our site in Boston!
FOTO [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php
?pid=4564563&id=132413742481&ref=mf >
{Jul.12}
A different kind of circus | Mass Appeal
LINK /// < http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/mass_appeal/community/a-
different-kind-of-circus >
--- [ SALTIMBANCO ] ---
{Jul.23}
Interview with Nathan Dennis in Nottingham!
VIDEO [4:20] /// < http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/VIDEO-
Cirque-du-Soleil-s-Saltimbanco-backstage-
interview/article-2446000-detail/article.html >
{Jul.23}
Review: Cirque du Soleil Saltimbanco, Trent FM Arena | CIRQUE du
Soleil translates as circus of the sun but there is little about
it which resembles your average circus. Instead it is more like
experiencing a strange dream where Olympic gymnasts perform in
neon leotards, glowing in UV lights with some comedy skit
intervals. You walk out not quite sure if you actually imagined
it all.
LINK /// < http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/entertainmentnews/
Review-Cirque-du-Soleil-Trent-FM-Arena/article-
2444987-detail/article.html >
{JUl.08}
Cirque du Soleil's 50 acrobats ready to shine | FLYING through
the air with the greatest of ease, these daring young men and
women on the trapeze will wow crowds as part of the Cirque du
Soleil's visit to Ireland that kicked off last night. The world-
renowned acrobatic troupe from Montreal, Canada, will be here
for the next fortnight as it stages the first Irish performance
of 'Saltimbanco' at Dublin's O2 arena which has been performed
around the world since 1992.
LINK /// < http://www.independent.ie/national-news/cirque-du-
soleils-50-acrobats-ready-to-shine-2250342.html >
{Jul.07}
Great article about a reporter visiting in Montreal! | Circus
acts don't get more thrilling than the Russian Swing. Imagine a
swing, big enough for five standing swingers - and a flyer.
Gradually it swings higher and higher and when it reaches its
peak, the person at the front of the swing (the aptly titled
'flyer') jumps off and is catapulted ten metres high in the air.
This is where it gets really tricky. Now the flyer has a choice:
she can aim to land on the mat held by two men running around on
the ground and hoping to be in the right spot at the right time
to catch her, or she can go for broke and head for a steel bar
being held by two men . . .who are standing on the shoulders of
another two men. Welcome to the world of Cirque du Soleil.
LINK /// < http://www.thepost.ie/story/text/ojauauojkf/ >
{Jul.07}
REVIEW: Greatest show on Earth | You're perfectly safe!" shouts
one of the Cirque du Soleil acrobats. "Jump!" I'm 50 metres
above him, harnessed to a set of bungee cords and I'm
hyperventilating. Below me, the multi-coloured stage set for
Cirque's Saltimbanco show blurs as I discover a fear of heights.
But I've been given the chance to be, if only for a few brief
minutes, a Cirque acrobat, and I'm not giving it up. I close my
eyes, grit my teeth and let go.
LINK /// < http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/around-
town/greatest-show-on-earth-2234858.html >
{{Jul.02}
Great reviews in Newcastle, playing until Sunday, July 4! |
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL'S history reads like a fairy tale of
performance success. The story began with a group street
performers in Quebec, Canada, starved of funding, who took their
abstract and painstakinglystaged circus show to a big top. As
they gained a reputation for producing spectacle, funding
flooded in and the company moved from big top to big venue with
its hugely successful formulae to entertain and amaze. The
Saltimbanco show is based on the faceless masses who inhabit a
big city.
LINK /// < http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/leisure/8251656.
Cirque_du_Soleil___Newcastle_Metro_Radio_Arena/ >
--- [ THE BEATLES LOVE ] ---
{Jul.30}
LOVE Voted "Best Show in Las Vegas" by SEVEN magazine!
LINK /// < http://www.weeklyseven.com/ae/2010/
july/29/arts-entertainment >
{Jul.29}
Check out video of Paul McCartney rocking the White House:
VIDEO /// < http://to.pbs.org/9ew5ki. >
{Jul.28}
We're starting a new game here on Facebook called 'Mystery Photo
of the Week' so fans can test their show knowledge! Check out
some of the recent phots of the week here:
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php
?aid=180443&id=14653468665&ref=mf >
{Jul.20}
Check out these FAB 8 Beatles hairstyles from 1963 to 1970!
FOTO [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php
?pid=4705281&id=14653468665 >
{Jul.18}
Summer fun with The Beatles!
FOTO [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php
?pid=4681858&id=14653468665 >
{Jul.07}
Here's some clips from our visit to the Hard Rock today to
celebrate Ringo's birthday! If you make it to the end, you'll be
rewarded with some nice, random scenery shots from the Strip -
our gift to you!
VIDEO [0:57] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php
?v=10100142413733619&ref=mf >
{Jul.07}
Here are some photos from our celebration of Ringo's birthday at
the Hard Rock Cafe today!
FOTO [2] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php
?aid=180463&id=14653468665&ref=mf >
--- [ VIVA ELVIS ] ---
{Jul.29}
We're starting a new game here on Facebook called 'Mystery Photo
of the Week' so fans can test their show knowledge! Check out
some of the recent phots of the week here:
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php
?aid=182340&id=167136344108&ref=mf >
{Jul.27}
See what one of our performers is doing during our 2 week break!
FOTO [1] /// < http://www.elvis.com/graceland/vtour/potw.asp >
{Jul.06}
Show review: Viva Elvis! at Aria Resort & Casino!
LINK /// < http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-18012-Phoenix-
Concerts-Examiner~y2010m7d3-Show-review-Viva-Elvis-
At-Aria-Resort--Casino >
--- [ ZED ] ---
{Jul.28}
ZED is proud to announce that TV Tokyo has chosen Seishi
Inagaki, our amazing baton twirler as part of the 100 Japanese
people who can change the world. The program is called Japan All
Stars and will be on air tomorrow (30th) from 20:00 to 22:00
Japan time. Check it out!
{Jul.22}
ZED 1 millionth visitor celebration! - ZED is welcoming today
its 1 million visitor- the fastest achievement in the history of
Japanese theatre!
FOTO [4] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php
?aid=254046&id=41326571163&ref=mf >
---[ ZUMANITY ] ---
{Jul.30}
Friday Night Fun Fact ladies & gents! Over the past 7 years,
more than 3.4 million voyeurs have enjoyed the show!
{Jul.29}
On a hot summer night, mix something cold & sexy for your
tastebuds! See the recipe below for our signature Zumanitini!
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php
?pid=4624885&id=13931088846 >
=======================================================================
COMPARTMENTS -- A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN
=======================================================================
o) DIDYAKNOW - Facts at a Glance about Cirque
o) HISTORIA - Cirque du Soleil History
---------------------------------
DIDYAKNOW? - Facts About Cirque
---------------------------------
o) Piano wire, fishing line, urethane, and metallic gift paper are
some of the unusual items used in the Costume Workshop.
o) You can get the "í" in Alegría by holding down the "Alt" key and
typing "0237" on the numeric keypad.
o) In the Dralion skipping act, 10 people create a skipping pyramid
that stands 6 feet tall.
o) You can get the "è" in Mystère by holding down the "Alt" key and
typing "0232" on the numeric keypad.
o) In Dralion, 18 rings are used in the hoop diving act.
o) You can get the "<<" and ">>" in "O" by holding down the "Alt" key
and typing "0171" and "0187".
o) There are five stage lifts used to create the performance space and
move props and artists during the show of KÀ.
o) You can get the "À" in KÀ by holding down the "Alt" key and typing
"0129" on the numeric keypad.
o) The boat in the Storm scene of KÀ weighs almost 1800 pounds and is
completely manipulated onstage by the artists.
o) 25 puppets have been created for CRISS ANGEL(r) Believe. The
victorian period, the extravagant universe of Criss Angel and the
imagination of Mérédith Caron have inspired the costumes of CRISS
ANGEL Believe.
o) Silk, velvet and leather - to name just a few - are some of the
materials used for the costumes of CRISS ANGEL Believe.
o) An alphabet of 26 symbols, The Zed Alpha, was created for the
production of ZED. It appears in the set design and shows the
periodic table of the elements as well as words related to
components of the show.
o) You can get the "å" in Koozå by holding down the "Alt" key and
typing "0229" on the numeric keypad.
------------------------------------
HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History
------------------------------------
* Aug.01.1986 -- Le Magie Continue opened Saint-Sauveur
* Aug.01.1990 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened San Francisco
* Aug.01.2002 -- Dralion opened Seattle
* Aug.01.2002 -- Varekai opened Toronto
* Aug.02.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Magog
* Aug.03.2004 -- Alegría CD Released US (CDS Musique)
* Aug.03.2006 -- Saltimbanco opened Sao Paulo
* Aug.04.1987 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Saint-Sauveur
* Aug.04.2005 -- Saltimbanco opened Monterrey
* Aug.04.2005 -- Corteo opened Toronto
* Aug.04.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Sakatoon, SK
* Aug 06.2006 -- Mystère celebrated 6000th performance [Sunday, 7:30pm]
* Aug.06.2008 -- Nakeel of Dubai purchases 20% Stake in Cirque
* Aug.06.2010 -- Varekai celebrated 3000th performance, Oostende, BE
* Aug.07.1992 -- Fascination opened Yokohama
* Aug.08.1989 -- Cirque Réinventé opened San Francisco
* Aug.08.1996 -- Quidam opened Toronto
* Aug.08.2008 -- Alegría opened Santiago
* Aug.08.2008 -- Koozå celebrated 500th Performance [4:00pm/Chicago]
* Aug.09.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Hull
* Aug.09.1990 -- Nouvelle Expérience CD Released (Nâga)
* Aug.09.2007 -- Koozå opened Toronto
* Aug.10.2006 -- Varekai opened Sydney, Asia-Pacific Tour Begins
* Aug.10.2006 -- La Nouba Celebrates 5,000,000th guest!
* Aug.11.2005 -- Varekai opened Columbus
* Aug.11.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Edmonton, Alberta
* Aug.12.2004 -- Dralion opened Antwerp
* Aug.12.2004 -- Quidam opened Sydney
* Aug.13.2006 -- Corteo celebrated 500th performance [5:00pm/Chicago]
* Aug.14.1986 -- Le Magie Continue opened Longueuil
* Aug.14.1987 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Longueuil
* Aug.14.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened Washington DC
* Aug.14.1996 -- Mystère Live CD Released in Canada (RCA/Victor)
* Aug.14.2008 -- Alegría opened Santiago, Chile
* Aug.15.2001 -- Dralion opened Boston
* Aug.16.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Sorel
* Aug.16.1985 -- 1985 Tour opened Niagra Falls [CP Skylon Tower]
* Aug.16.2001 -- Cirque wins 3 Emmys for Dralion on Bravo
* Aug.16.2005 -- "O" CD released in Canada (CDS Musique)
* Aug.16.2005 -- La Nouba CD released in Canada (CDS Musique)
* Aug.16.2005 -- Mystère (Live) CD released in Canada (CDS Musique)
* Aug.17.2000 -- Dralion opened Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Aug.17.2007 -- Varekai opened Perth, Australia
* Aug.18.1992 -- Fascination opened Sendai
* Aug.18.2000 -- Alegría: Le Film premiered in Italy
* Aug.19.2004 -- Alegría opened Toronto
* Aug.19.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Hamburg, DE
* Aug.20.2004 -- Saltimbanco opened Frankfurt
* Aug.20.2008 -- DELIRIUM premieres on Digital Theater Screens
* Aug.21.2001 -- Alegría opened Brisbane, Australia
* Aug.21.2002 -- Alegría opened Minneapolis
* Aug.21.2003 -- Alegría opened Seattle
* Aug.21.2010 -- Corteo opened Kazan, Russia
* Aug.23.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Montréal
* Aug.23.2003 -- Dralion opened St. Louis
* Aug.23.2007 -- Corteo opened Los Angeles, California
* Aug.24.2006 -- Quidam opened Cincinnati
* Aug.25.1994 -- Alegría opened San Jose
* Aug.25.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Dortmund, DE
* Aug.25.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Kelowna, BC
* Aug.27.1992 -- Fascination opened Kita-Kyushu
* Aug.27.1992 -- Saltimbanco opened San Jose
* Aug.28.1986 -- Le Magie Continue opened Ottawa
* Aug.30.2004 -- Zumanity celebrated its 500th performance
* Aug.30.2006 -- Dralion opened Berlin
* Aug.31.2000 -- Quidam opened Düsseldorf
* Aug.31.2006 -- Alegría opened Brussels
* Aug.xx.2001 -- Dralion celebrated 500th Show [Minneapolis, MN]
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Memory of the Circus: Inside the Cirque
du Soleil Library/Archives (Part 1 of 2)"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
--------------------------------------------------------------
"The library is not a shrine for the worship of books. It is not a
temple where literary incense must be burned or where one's devotion
to the bound book is expressed in ritual. A library, to modify the
famous metaphor of Socrates, should be the delivery room for the birth
of ideas - a place where history comes to life." ~Norman Cousins
Libraries have been described as "Medicine for the Soul." As public
libraries and museums are the memory of cultures, so can private
libraries and archives for a business. A repository of history,
protector of the collective memory. They can also provide the spark
of inspiration.
Located on the ground floor of the sprawling Cirque du Soleil
International Headquarters (IHQ) in Montréal, down a hallway between
building sections and without much outward decorative fanfare, is the
Cirque du Soleil Centre for Research and Documentation. Behind its
double doors this library serves two purposes. One is to maintain a
modest collection of books on all sorts of subjects that creators can
use to spark ideas and concepts that might find their way onto Cirque
stages. The second is to manage the historical assets of the company,
including business records and historical artifacts.
On my wife's and my previous tours of the IHQ we were teased with the
wonders that lay beyond those double doors. Assured that if we were
to venture inside it would be impossible to tear us away, even a quick
peek was not allowed. It was a momentary marker on our longer
excursion through the building. But for this late-April visit (as
part of our CirqueCon weekend, which also provided us the interview
with Cirque CEO Daniel Lamarre that appeared in our June issue #77),
we were assertive (but polite) in asking to finally venture within and
understand more about the Library and the role it plays in the
company.
* * * * *
It is early afternoon on Friday, April 30, 2010 when we are quietly
escorted through those double doors and into the Library proper. And
what we see is, indeed, a working business - library! Well, actually
that's not quite true. The "official" title is "Centre for Research
and Documentation" and it resides under the "Knowledge Management and
Information Technologies" section of the Cirque corporate structure.
The Centre itself consists of three units: Library, Records
Management, and Historical Documents. They are the "integrated
service of documentation and knowledge" for all of Cirque du Soleil.
The library doors are open the same hours as the rest of the IHQ, from
8:30am-5:00pm Monday through Friday.
The main room, about 30 feet square, is lined on the perimeter of two
sides with bookshelves, some protruding out into the room. Next to
the doors are several cabinets housing CDs and DVDs. A small viewing
area looks upon a flat-panel TV which is surrounded by a display of
books on Elvis Presley and slapstick (acquired during the creation
processes for Viva Elvis and Banana Shpeel). And along the north wall
are desks where the library personnel sit. Wild Cirquey color or
design elements are not much in evidence, function is the focus here.
We are introduced to Stéphane Zummo (STEF-ahn ZU-mow), a tall friendly
gentleman with a French-Canadian accent. He is one of the five
Library Technicians (though he suggests a more complete definition as
"researcher/librarian for the CDS creative community") who works
inside the Centre. (Which from this point forward we'll refer to by
the more common moniker "Library.") Prior to joining Cirque, Stéphane
worked in the Canadian Center for Architecture for almost 9 years.
"For the last 7 years," he says, "I've worked here at the circus with
the creators and conceptors." Two of the five technicians are
dedicated to historical and business records, and the other three
(including him) are dedicated more to creations, dividing the work
between them.
Information requested by the Centre's clients is wide ranging, and
covers such topics as:
* Nature (such as the four elements-fire, water,
air & earth, clouds, insects and animal behavior)
* Patterns from everywhere
* Architecture
* Stage design
* Painting, painters, contemporary art
* Symbolism and rites & ritual
* Arts & crafts
* And much more.
Succinctly summing up the Library's function, Stéphane suggests, "We
are the memory of the circus."
We start our tour with the shelves in the main part of the Library,
which hold 2,230 books and 300 periodical subscriptions. Organized to
the Dewey Decimal System, "This part is dedicated to serving the
creative teams, production, workshop - all the people that need images
in order to create their storyboards or to make their draft of any
costumes." Scanning through the stacks, we note some expected topics
are well represented. There are lots of books on fashion, useful for
costumers. A small section on business, a nice section on art and
architecture and design. Lots of books dedicated to traveling.
We come to a smallish section about circus, including several copies
of the "official" books about Cirque. But otherwise, "[There's] not
too much about circus. The big library about circus is on the other
side of the street at École Nationale de Cirque. In fact we don't
need so many books about circus, it's more about creation." (The
school (www.nationalcircusschool.ca), across the street from the IHQ,
maintains a library of over 10,000 circus-related items.)
The type of user and their needs greatly influences the type of books
they acquire. "Generally creators appreciate books with lots of
images. They don't like to work with digital images or [e-books];
they like to work with big books."
"The way we develop the collection is according to the needs of the
creators. We buy a little bit of everything. For instance now we are
working on Michael Jackson, so we acquire a lot of books on Michael
Jackson. The estate has also given us a lot of information. But it's
always according to the projects. We have a lot of shows, but also a
lot of special events. [We also might] get to know that a certain
person in the workshop needs certain books dedicated to a certain
topic, so we are becoming used to the different topics. In this way
we are more able to develop the collection."
Separated on one shelf are a number of programs of varying size, which
turn out to be from other circus shows, especially from Europe and
Russia. "The artists appreciate seeing themselves in other programs,"
Stéphane explains. They can also be consulted for casting
possibilities and to see how acts have been presented.
The CD and DVD cabinets house almost 400 CDs and 1,000 DVDs but isn't
the whole of what's available. "We are also cataloging our founders
(that would be Guy Laliberté's) collection which is going into his
house, [so we can be] aware of his huge collection. It could be
useful to borrow different books, DVDs and CDs from him."
Incorporating the Laliberté collection of books, for example, raises
the number available from 2,230 to almost 9,000.
Since it caters to a special clientele, checkout policies are a bit
different from what you might expect to find in a typical library.
"For the creation team it's a three-month loan. After that we call
them (because sometimes they are in Paris, or in Las Vegas, or in
Montreal) and ask if they still have the book. It could happen that
they have lost the book, so we give them a reminder after three
months." But they let creators have books for as long as they want
them.
"For employees its two weeks - no late fees, though. (Laughs) The
employees really appreciate our service, because it's really useful to
have so much information [close at hand]. We also have other
requests, [such as] a business request from another department."
In one corner is a small video viewing room, one of two in the
library. Connected to the TV screen by way of a switcher are several
different video players - DVD, VHS, Betamax, Hi8, professional video.
So almost any type of video can be viewed here. "And in the other
room just beside this we have more [formats available]."
On one wall of the viewing room is a small bookcase filled with a
special collection. "Four or five years ago our founder bought a
special collection of books dedicated to magic. In fact, when [he]
bought this, [we hadn't started working on] Believe, that came after.
This collection is very interesting, and some of the things in these
books can be integrated into different shows."
Pointing to the north wall of the main library room Stéphane comments,
"Pretty soon this wall here will no longer exist; we will expand and
have a special place for viewing videos and for reference."
Wandering through a doorway at the north end of the Library we find
the working offices of the library staff. There are three desks, all
with various piles of paperwork, periodicals and books stacked upon
them. Stéphane points out a shelf of DVDs that each have "HOLD"
marked on them. These, he explains, are recordings of a French TV
show that features circus acts. Creators can look at these shows for
casting or act possibilities. Since these shows are not publically
available the Library has them specially recorded.
It's here that the tour takes an interesting turn, with two direct
examples of how the Library helps creators. On one of the desks is a
1970 Sears Catalog. What's that doing here? "This was for Viva
Elvis. We learned that he bought all his personal stuff from Sears,
so it was really useful for costuming."
Making even more of an impression is a huge unmarked red box, about 2
feet high by 1.5 feet wide. Just trying to lift the cloth-covered box
is a chore, opening it reveals a thick book almost as big inside.
This, it turns out, is "The Official Michael Jackson Opus" (which you
can see here <http://www.krakenopus.com/family/michaeljackson/
index.php>) a $250.00, 13" x 18", 400-page, 25-pound estate-authorized
book about Jackson which Cirque recently acquired. This is the kind
of book that will be a good source of inspiration for creators working
on the Jackson show.
But there is still more to see.
Next month in Part Two, we'll conclude our tour with a visit to the
fascinating Archives section of the Library, where the history of
Cirque resides!
My sincere thanks go to: Mr. Stéphane Zummo, for so graciously
spending time with us, The staff of the Cirque du Soleil Centre for
Research and Documentation, Chantal Côte, Corporate PR Manager, And my
wife LouAnna for putting up with my sometimes obsessive hobby.
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 10, Number 8 (Issue #79) - August 2010
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c)
2001-2010 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a
subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter
can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or
translated without the consent of the "Fascination!
Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission
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Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way
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Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil,
Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright
infringement intended.
{ Aug.10.2010 }
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