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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 12, NUMBER 1 January 2012 ISSUE #96e
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Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque
du Soleil Newsletter.
It's hard to believe that we're quickly approaching our 100th issue -
it seems we just got started only yesterday! Through these past eleven
years or so (we started in September 2001), we've watched Cirque du
Soleil grow from an avant-garde circus troupe into a full-fledged
entertainment company that not only continues its traditions through
staging circus arts, but also dabbles into other entertainment arenas,
such as vaudeville, musical revue, and special event productions - to
varied success. Fascination has also changed over the years; it's
reaching 100 issues is not only an important milestone, it may also be
a turning point for us: after 100 issues, what's left to say and do?
Although the final decision has yet to be made, our one-hundredth
issue could be our last.
Be that as it may, we've got quite the packed issue for you this month
so I won't waste any further time gabbing. We've got two reviews for
you this month: first some personal thoughts on IRIS (Cirque du
Soleil's resident show in Hollywood, California) and the first of a
two-part look at CirqueWeek 2011 in Las Vegas! (So if you couldn't
make it this year you'll definitely want to see what you missed!) And
have you heard about the new Cirque du Soleil gift card? Check out our
assessment of its usability within.
As always we've got the latest news items posted to Fascination! Web
and, of course, updates to Cirque's tour schedule!
So, let's get started!
Join us on the web at:
< www.cirquefascination.com >
Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only):
< http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >
- Ricky "Richasi" Russo
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CONTENTS
===========
o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information
* 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
* "A Journey Into the World of Cinema:
My Thoughts on IRIS"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
* "CirqueWeek 2011: A Review (Part 1 of 2)"
By: Ricky Russo with Barb Lewis
* "The Cirque du Soleil Gift Card -
Is it Ready for Prime Time?"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
o) Subscription Information
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
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Dralion: From Ballet to the Circus [EXPANDED]
{Dec.01.2011}
---------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil's Dralion, as in half dragon and half lion, is
an East meets West extravaganza. The vintage Cirque show is
filled with all kinds of performers doing things you would not
want to try at home a spider lady on the silks dropping from
the ceiling, a shirtless guy trapped inside a gigantic wheel,
bouncing people who walk on walls, a bendable woman who balances
on one arm and a gaggle of those well meaning French/Italian
clowns. Think world air candy.
Like many Cirque shows, it also contains a mild dose of cultural
appropriation. Oh, and there's plenty of dancing in this baby.
I, for one, never wanted to run away to the circus. Fear of
lions, life on the road and the iffy engineering of big tents
put me on a different path. Plus, I read Water for Elephants.
Life in the circus is not a piece of cake, but it's not boring
either. I visited with Dralion assistant artistic director James
Santos to get a glimpse of life in the world's most lucrative
circus. Santos brings a rich treasure of dance experience, from
a stint at Metropolitan Opera Ballet to a thriving career in
musical theater.
Like me, Santos never pined for a life in the circus, but seems
quite content with his new gig. For the past year he's called
the big tent his home. He brings us into the traveling life and
the world of Dralion...
Q. How did you go from ballet to the circus?
Well, my training is also in musical theater. I have always to
put myself in the director's seat. I see it as a way to spread
my wings and a natural progression.
Q. I have interviewed many a Cirque director over the years, and
they are most often from dance backgrounds. Why is dance the
art form best suited for directing Cirque?
Dancers have a wide variety of experience. There's also so much
acting in dancing. and it's a visual art as well. I think we can
also relate to the discipline and hours of training that is
required for many of our artists. We are clued into performance
as well, it's a natural fit.
Q. Did you used to look at Cirque shows when you were a kid and
think, "Hey, I could run that show?"
No, not at all. In fact, the first Cirque show I ever saw was
Dralion when I started the job a year ago.
Q. What's the most fun part of your job?
I get to work with people from all over the world. I love
putting together a new version of an act. The daily variety the
job brings to me is so fulfilling. I also enjoy keeping the
original integrity of the show.
Q. What's the hardest part of your job? It can't be as fun as it
looks.
Being away from my family. I have two children, ages three and
five so we Skype a lot. So life on the road would be definitely
the hardest part. We tour for 10 weeks and go home for two. I
try to remain connected with my normal state of life within this
bubble of the Cirque world, but it's hard.
Q. Dralion is an old show and Cirque has shifted quite a bit
since that time. How do you keep a show created in 1999
fresh?
Cirque shows are always evolving and never static. We never stop
creating. In 2010, we brought the show back for what I call "the
great Dralion makeover." Today, there are new acts and 80% of
the cast is new. The show is in the best condition it has ever
been. We have a strong group of artists, and things just keep
getting better. I'm really proud of the shape of the show.
Q. You have artists of so many disciplines. Some hang from silks
while others walk on walls. How do they all stay fit?
We provide workshops for them but each has their own workout. I
teach class now and then, too. It's a fast moving process, and
they have to drive themselves as artists. There are coaches and
physical therapists available. We also have a running club that
both administrators and artists participate in.
Q. Cirque doesn't come cheap. Why should a person plunk down
their hard earned cash to see this show?
Dralion holds something for everyone. It's a well-balanced show
with every style of music, from African to Indian, and even a
touch of techno. It's a group of performers from 15 different
countries that can do amazing things. You get to see spectacular
artists doing what they were born to do.
{SOURCE: Houston CultureMap}
MJ IMMORTAL Review from LV: "It's BAD" [EXPANDED]
{Dec.05.2011}
---------------------------------------------------------
If the new Cirque du Soleil tribute to Michael Jackson,
"Immortal," confirms one thing, it's that the King of Pop's
presence, even in death, sure can rile up a crowd. Every time
the late singer's image popped on-screen during the show's Las
Vegas premiere on Saturday night, whether as a tyke with a
golden voice as part of the Jackson 5 or as a Thriller with a
sequined glove and a miraculous body for dance, the sold-out
venue erupted, if only for a snapshot moment.
But clips of Jackson being MJ, however magnetic, can't sustain
an hour-and-a-half show dedicated to his music, nor can a
dancing Bubbles the chimpanzee, big-Afroed J5 impersonators, a
baffling mid-show cello solo, a sexy contortionist act atop a
children's book, groups of synchronized mummies in hoop skirts
and, most curiously, a life-sized dancing glove that looked more
like a half-dead starfish.
The Canadian-based Cirque du Soleil has built an empire
choreographing discographies in service of its high-flying
human, wire and light tricks. Over nearly three decades, the
company has constructed visual extravaganzas that have taken Las
Vegas, and the world, by storm, and have helped nudge the look
and feel of big arena concerts into the realm of visual, as well
as sonic, spectacle.
There are eight Cirque-produced shows running in Vegas (and 15
others playing throughout the world), and three of them are
themed around musicians: Elvis Presley's memory is celebrated in
"Viva Elvis," the Beatles oeuvre in "Love" and through Dec. 27,
the collected work of Michael Jackson will be presented at the
Mandalay Bay Events Center, where, after touring the world,
"Immortal" will set up a permanent home in 2013.
As anyone who remembers Jackson's lavish Las Vegas spending
spree that was featured in journalist Martin Bashir's damning
2003 documentary, Jackson had an affinity for the city's brand
of gauche, and Vegas was only too happy to cash his checks. So
it's only natural that his image and music be licensed for
glitzy ridiculousness. Plus, he earned the money, the fame and
the acclaim through dance, one of Vegas' perennial attractions,
through his exacting choreography in videos like "Thriller,"
"Beat It" and "Billie Jean." There's a lot of great material to
work with.
Which is why this thing is such a drag. Directed by Jamie King,
best known as Madonna's longtime collaborator, and choreographed
by Travis Payne, who worked with Jackson on and off for the last
15 years of the singer's life, "Immortal" is a two-dimensional
mixtape that, were it relocated to a hockey arena, could be
easily adapted as "Michael Jackson on Ice." Filled with Vegas
cheese, oddly chosen MJ spoken word interludes, ill-advised
song-and-dance combos the silliest of which involves a little
human dressed as Bubbles pretending to be a DJ while men swing
on rings below the production never feels like it ever gets
going, and any narrative is quickly sacrificed in service of
another requisite series of swinging maneuvers.
During "Beat It," at the same time the aforementioned human-
sized sequined hand wriggled on the ground, a hot female cellist
and equally sexy female guitarist moved slowly on a conveyor
belt wailing and two jumbo white-socks-and-black-loafer props,
with men stuffed in them, hopped in place. The writers of "The
Simpsons" couldn't have imagined a more ridiculous parody of
Vegas overindulgence.
"Love," like "Immortal," had as its director of creation Chantal
Tremblay, but where the former felt like one long, graceful
meditation on the melodies of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and
Starr, the latter feels like an impatient, see-what-sticks
mishmash crafted by someone way more interested in Jackson's
Hallmark-worthy slow songs, the stuff from his increasingly
infantilized later work, than spreading groove and getting a
move on. Every time a burst of energy arrives, it's quickly
interrupted by one of Jackson's lesser ballads or late-period
bangers. How can you justify giving more time and creative
energy to "Man in the Mirror" and "Earth Song" in a Michael
Jackson show than to "Beat It" or "Thriller"? There was only
buried-at-the-end tidbit of "Billie Jean" within "Immortal," a
song whose rolling bassline seems tailor made for an extended
interpretation.
Maybe it's just too soon; it was only last week, after all, that
Jackson's doctor was sentenced after being convicted of
involuntary manslaughter in the singer's death. But the problem
isn't timing as much as it is structure.
"Love," though flawed, had a flow to it, felt of a piece, and
used as much vertical as horizontal space, with high-wire
artists and dancers moving not only across the stage but within
the vast air above. The problem with "Immortal" is Mandalay
Bay's 12,000-seat Events Center: it's a big arena, and the
requirements of this touring version of the show dictated
portability.
{SOURCE: The LA Times}
MJ Tribute Show Embraces Jackson's Oddity [EXPANDED]
{Dec.05.2011}
---------------------------------------------------------
Not to put too fine a point on it, but Michael Jackson was
weird.
This is hard to argue, whether you feel he was an eccentric,
misunderstood genius, or if you thought he was genuinely
disturbed and mentally ill (and there's room to land somewhere
in the middle).
But either way, it goes to follow that "The Immortal," Cirque du
Soleil's tribute to the king of pop, is one strange show as
well. When you're taking on Michael Jackson you go big or go
home, and Cirque has never been a company to shy away from
artistic eccentricity itself.
How strange is this thing?
The end of "Dancin' Machine" leaves us looking at tap dancers, a
mime (the central character, Salah Benlemqawanssa, who becomes
gradually imbued with the moonwalking spirit of the Gloved One)
and a guy suited up as Michael's chimp, Bubbles.
Not weird enough? Immediately follow that with costumed
elephants in the manner of Chinese parade dragons. They're
dancing to Jackson's rat rhapsody, "Ben."
Keep going?
Out comes then a female rock chick in a halter and bare midriff
to lay down a smokin' cello solo. At least she is setting the
scene for a '30s gangster production number of "This Place
Hotel" and "Smooth Criminal."
That one's a straight-on, slam-bang adaptation of Jackson's MTV
glory years -- with zoot-suited dancers doing a simultaneous,
gravity-defying lean before welding sparks shoot out of their
waistcoats -- which you'd hoped "The Immortal" would have more
of.
Instead, you get a lot of moments that surely come off smaller
than intended for the arena spectacle, which parks at Mandalay
Bay through Dec. 27.
You have to applaud the phantasmic costumes by Zaldy Goco and
the bigness of the production design (even though a key prop of
a "giving tree" from Neverland ranch disappeared in the two-
month journey from the tour's debut in Montreal), which puts as
much of the action as possible on a round stage in the center of
the arena.
But it's still hard to work around the nearly impossible problem
of doing a concert without a star. And while there are signature
Cirque acrobatics, including an aerial adagio, they are a tough
sell in an arena. As was evident on Cirque's previous arena show
"Delirium" (which wouldn't have been a bad title for this one
either), humans are only so tall and their feats are more
impressive when you can see them sweat.
"The Immortal" can be divided roughly in half, reflecting the
larger world's split opinion on Michael Jackson.
Some of the two hours bring back fond memories of the Jackson
everyone fell in love with: The boy prodigy who sang and danced
his heart out with his older brothers, then grew up to set the
'80s on fire.
But somewhere after the "Bad" album, a lot of us decided to get
off the choo choo train, checking out of Neverland either
because of the child sexual abuse scandals or the music that
became more naively precious and irrelevant (and there's room to
land somewhere in the middle).
And so "The Immortal" charts this path. If you love the music
enough to buy a ticket, who won't cheer the twin dancers
erupting out of giant loafers for "Beat It"? Or the white-clad
vampire bats and Baron Samedis doing the graveyard mash to
"Thriller"?
But casual fans who somehow find themselves here may not regret
cashing out at market's peak when they see dancers hold up
globes while Michael recites "Planet Earth." Or when the
menacing robots of "They Don't Care About Us" storm-troop in
front of an equally ominous video montage. Police truncheons,
armed missiles, the Klan: Bad. Mother Teresa, Ghandi, the guy
facing down a tank in Tianamen Square: Good.
It's probably for the best that Cirque chose director Jamie King
and other friends of Jackson who would stay true to his vision,
avoiding any temptation to give the music new context or merely
appropriate it as a soundtrack for Cirque's usual dreamworks.
There's a faith and honesty here that reconfirms the pop icon
for his true believers, while still giving the less devout (who,
frankly, really shouldn't be here) plenty of subtext to chew on
as well.
King latches on to the 1995 song "Childhood" to set the show's
course: The boy who was denied a real childhood spent the rest
of his life trying to recreate it. "People say I'm not O.K.
'cause I love such elementary things ... It's been my fate to
compensate" (who knew he was so self-aware?), Jackson sings as
an animatronic puppet of young Michael floats in a hot-air
balloon.
Near the end comes a moment of genuine sadness; a video of
Jackson twirling in messianic fervor, as we hear a voiceover of
him reciting words to "Will You Be There": "In our darkest hour,
in my deepest despair ..."
Then it cuts to the boy we all loved singing "I'll Be There,"
his extracted vocal accompanied live on piano by musical
director Greg Phillinganes. How did it go so wrong for this boy
of such gifts, to end up a victim of unbridled celebrity, devoid
of any of life's normal checks and balances? A faded star with a
persecution complex, and demons so dark he thought he needed
surgical anesthesia to go to sleep?
But trust the art, not the artist. As corny as it is to see
acolytes holding up glowing valentine hearts in the audience,
the gospel power of "Can You Feel It" reminds us there's nothing
wrong with childlike faith. Especially when it's followed by
dancers sparkling like a Lite-Brite game to "Billie Jean."
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal}
Cirque with Madonna for Superbowl Half-time show [EXPANDED]
{Dec.06.2011}
-----------------------------------------------------------
The Cirque du Soleil's upcoming collaboration with Madonna for
her first Super Bowl half-time show promises an exciting
convergence of talents. Nobody will want to miss this event. Not
Madonna fans, or Cirque fans or the usual sports fans, and TV ad
junkies (only the very best commercials make the cut for Super
Bowl).
But exactly what it will look or sound like is going to remain a
closely held secret until the very last minute, according to
Cirque executive producer and general manager of events and
images, Jacques Méthé. He's in charge of the Cirque side of the
deal.
The idea for the collaboration came from Madonna's management
team, he explained, although the fact that Jamie King who just
directed the Cirque's Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour
will also be involved, does make it seem like it's all in the
Cirque family.
"Our role in this is to contribute ideas and components to the
scenario," he said. Although the Cirque will also be involved in
practical aspects of staging, "It is our imagination that is
solicited here," he added.
Other than alluding to a "very short and energetic moment",
Méthé is mum about what's being planned.
"I cannot talk about the content," he said, "It's all about
Madonna. We leave it to her to decide if and when she wants to
reveal anything. This is a Madonna event that we're contributing
to. It's not about Cirque, it's about Madonna. The part we're
playing there is really in the creative content and the
follow-up, until delivery."
As for Moment Factory, the second Montreal company that's
involved, it was the Cirque who brought them on board, to handle
the projections and multi-media side of the number. They've
collaborated before on major special events.
The Cirque team has been working with Madonna for about three
weeks now, Méthé said. And yes, she has been very hands on.
"She knows what she wants," he said. "That's how big stars are."
The 2012 Super Bowl will be aired on NBC on Feb.5, 2012.
{SOURCE: Montreal Gazette}
Mystère Getting a Makeover [EXPANDED]
{Dec.08.2011}
---------------------------------------------------------
Call it the Zed effect.
It doesn't mean I know who Zed is, but Cirque du Soleil titles
no longer worry me. And "Zed" is the show Cirque will close New
Year's Eve in Tokyo, citing the Japan earthquake's continued
devastation on tourism.
Two "Zed" acts then will be incorporated into "Mystere," giving
Cirque's oldest Las Vegas show its biggest changes since it
opened at Treasure Island on Christmas Day of 1993.
Cirque already has announced a third "Zed" act will be folded
into "Viva Elvis" for its final year. This parceling of
performers out to other Cirques casts new wrinkles upon rumors
that "Zed" in its entirety will replace "Elvis" at Aria.
"They're not taking it back. We're keeping ours," jokes
"Mystere" artistic director David Gomez.
The big change to "Mystere" will be replacing the closing high-
bar trapeze act.
The new Mexican troupe has nine fliers and three catchers who
are positioned upside down. One of the flying men can do a
quadruple somersault, and one of the women can do a triple.
A solo aerialist who wraps herself in a vertical tissue of silk
also will be folded into "Mystere" without replacing an existing
act.
The notion of refreshing "Mystere" has been talked about since
at least 2007. But it stayed on the back burner until Treasure
Island became an independently owned hotel, with a separate
agenda from the big-picture one of MGM Resorts, landlord of the
other six Las Vegas Cirques.
"The hotel has been discussing with Cirque the idea of making
some changes. We did it not too long ago with 'La Nouba' (at
Walt Disney World)," Gomez says.
"When the opportunity came along with 'Zed,' I think it just
opened up a window for us and we took advantage of it."
"Mystere" goes dark from Jan. 12 until its Feb. 11 reopening
with the new content and different music to score it. ...
The closing of Brad Garrett's Comedy Club at the Tropicana on
Sunday is balanced by the arrival, in a different space, of a
lounge and casino floor attraction called iCandy Burlesque.
Garrett headlines his club's final night as he prepares to move
across the street to the MGM Grand, ending yet another element
of the Tropicana's entertainment relaunch just a year and a half
ago. (Only Recycled Percussion remains from that wave of
activity.)
"I only have positive things to say about my experience there,"
Garrett says of the Tropicana.
However, the MGM offers 5,000 hotel rooms to the Tropicana's
1,658, as well as networked advertising and cross-ticketing with
other MGM Resorts properties.
"When a place like this comes calling, it's a no-brainer,"
Garrett says.
The new club will anchor a makeover of the underground retail
area between the MGM lobby and the parking garage. Garrett says
March 30 is "a hard date in stone" for the opening.
The new club is "totally my investment. ... I'm building it from
the ground up," he says.
But Garrett has a long relationship with MGM Resorts executives.
"(Entertainment and sports president) Richard Sturm gave me my
first job at Bally's in 1987."
"I was limited at the Trop," adds Garrett, who is more of a
profane insult comic onstage than "Everybody Loves Raymond" fans
might expect.
"I did the best I could with the room I had, but they kind of
had their own idea of what they wanted it to be," Garrett said.
No replacement has been announced for the Tropicana space that
for years housed The Comedy Stop.
Today however, the resort introduces iCandy Burlesque to its
Ambhar Lounge, with environmental performers spilling into
gaming areas. It's all helmed by veteran choreographer Nannette
Barbara.
The actual stage performances are free and happen three times a
night, Thursdays through Saturdays. The lounge area won't be
enclosed, so no toplessness or tassels are involved. ...
It's with some risk to mention almost-90 comedian Marty Allen
rescheduling at the Palace Station on Saturday.
There's that nagging superstition that we jinxed him by doing a
Neon cover feature on him last month.
Allen broke his hip in still-mysterious circumstances.
"If he knows what he did, he's not telling me," jokes his wife
and stage partner, Karon Kate Blackwell.
But he's already up walking on a cane after Nov. 17 surgery and
plans to make up last month's cancellation at 4 p.m. Saturday.
On Sunday, Lena Prima presents Allen with the Showbiz Society's
Louis Prima Award in noon festivities at the Italian American
Club.
Allen remembers rushing over to the Sahara to see Louis Prima
"every night for a month," once Allen & Rossi had finished their
act in the showroom at the Sands in the late 1950s.
"We would stay until 5 a.m. and go home when the sun was coming
out. How wonderful."
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal}
MJ Immortal #1 in Box Office Gross This Week
{Dec.09.2011}
---------------------------------------------------------
The Top 20 Concert Tours from Pollstar ranks artists by average
box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price
for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in
parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade
publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.
Cirque du Soleil - "Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour"
earned $1,924,258 this week on an average price of $116.04 per
ticket. The show retained its #1 spot this week over last.
Rounding out the top five are:
2. (2) Taylor Swift; $1,320,833; $69.53.
3. (4) Marc Anthony; $961,805; $84.29.
4. (5) Enrique Iglesias; $806,680; $69.00.
5. (7) Journey; $651,018; $58.05.
Check out the original article to see the rest of the top
twenty: < http://www.cnbc.com/id/45611663 >
{SOURCE: CNBC}
CirqueWeek in Las Vegas to Continue [EXPANDED]
{Dec.12.2011}
---------------------------------------------------------
Two tourists, surrounded by a few dozen others, stood onstage
and tugged on an invisible rope.
One pulled and the other skidded forward as though he were about
to topple over. After a brief pause, they reversed the move.
If you didn't know where they were -- the "O" theater in
Bellagio -- you'd think they were engaging in some weird crab
dance. And if you didn't know what this was, you might think it
was the strangest thing in the world.
But it was just a mime class, taught by an "O" performer. The
one-hour session kicked off Cirque Week, 10 days full of special
workshops and events for fans of Cirque du Soleil. It was
scheduled to end Saturday with a meet and greet between Criss
Angel and 100 Cirque Week attendees who paid for the privilege
of mingling with the magician.
It's the second year for the event, which was organized by
Cirque. Last year's event was a collaboration between Cirque du
Soleil and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said
Lou D'Angeli, the marketing and public relations director for
the resident show division. The event lasted five days, but
demand was so great, organizers decided to double it for 2011.
The event aims to let fans peek behind the curtain of every
Cirque show. Tickets were sold in bundles for two, three, five,
six or seven shows. Prices ranged from $165 for two shows to
$561 for seven shows. All of the packages included free access
to eight workshops and meetings. Fans got to see dress
rehearsals, technical demonstrations, meet artists, quiz the
backstage crews and more.
It was like chicken soup for a theater buff's soul. Bert
Steinberg, 91, saw "O" when it opened in 1998. A true theater
devotee, Steinberg bought tickets to see seven Cirque shows over
the 10 days. The trip served as a respite from caring for his
domestic partner in San Francisco. She has Alzheimer's and
recently had to move into an assisted living facility.
Steinberg's family told him to get away for a while and
recharge.
"The backstage stuff, it's just up my alley," Steinberg said.
"I've got to know what makes it work."
Steinberg also enjoyed the miming. He watched the clown as he
led the 60 or so tourists in a 15-minute mime session. They
waved their hands in the air, wiggled their fingers, kicked
their legs up. About five minutes into the class, the sweaters
and jackets started coming off. One woman sat down, preferring
to watch the action instead of participating in it.
Eventually, the group graduated to the rope pull. The clown
showed them several ways they could use an invisible rope. Then
he paired a few people off and made them perform for the group.
For Oregon resident John Keith Geiger, 57, the mime class was
fun. But his favorite part came after the action, during the Q&A
session with artists and their coaches.
"This to me is heaven," said Geiger, who has been a Cirque fan
for just more than a year. "Being able to go behind the scenes."
The events ranged from a demonstration of theater technology at
the Love Theatre in The Mirage to a bungee demonstration at
Mystere in Treasure Island. Fans also heard company President
and CEO Daniel Lamarre talk about the business side of Cirque.
At "Love," department heads talked about various aspects of
their jobs, including wardrobe, props, lighting and sound. Some
guests appeared to have exceptional knowledge about several
areas, asking technical questions that seemed to impress the
experts.
While Cirque wouldn't give an attendance figure, D'Angeli said
it did surpass last year's numbers. They plan to continue
offering Cirque Week.
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal}
Dralion Returns to Montréal [EXPANDED]
{Dec.12.2011}
---------------------------------------------------------
From the Montreal Gazette:
# # #
The Cirque du Soleil's Dralion is coming home for Christmas,
reinvented as an arena mega-spectacle that will open at the Bell
Centre on Dec. 18. This most Asian of all Cirque shows has come
a long way since it made its rather shaky debut as a big top
show in Montreal in 1999. This will be Dralion's third Montreal
appearance. The last was in 2003 while it was still a tent show.
When Dralion was born, the stakes were high, the future of the
company uncertain.
The creative team that had set the signature for the Cirque du
Soleil's first decade had stepped down, exhausted after the
openings of two permanent mega-spectacles, O in Las Vegas and La
Nouba at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Director Franco
Dragone, set designer Michel Crête, costume designer Dominique
Lemieux and choreographer Debra Brown all went their separate
ways. Composer René Dupéré had already left, after Alegria in
1994.
To preserve a sense of continuity, the Cirque persuaded original
artistic director and founder of the National Circus School, Guy
Caron, to return. He had parted ways with the company in 1988,
saying it was "growing too big, too fast." (Another director,
Philippe Decouflé, was initially hired for the Dralion job. But
he dropped out in a panic, overwhelmed by the size of the
project. Decouflé, too, rejoined the Cirque family, directing
Iris in Los Angeles.)
Caron brought in a team that included Quebecs king of costume
design, François Barbeau, the man who had taught Lemieux. Crête
was replaced by Stéphane Roy who later designed Varekai and
Zumanity. Newcomer Violane Corradi composed the score. The
Dralion big top was pitched at the Cirques new headquarters in
the St. Michel district, rather than at the Old Port. Among the
opening night guests were Pierre Elliott Trudeau and son
Alexandre. (Yes, it was that long ago.)
Dralion was the Cirque du Soleils last show of the 20th
century. The theme was East meets West, as Caron had brought his
obsession with Chinese culture to the fore, within a
multicultural mix. The sense of anticipation was high. And,
predictably, some were disappointed. The clowning was weak and
the segues werent up to par. But the Asian acrobats were
astounding.
Now a road-tested Dralion is about to make another Montreal
debut, as an arena show playing to a 4,500 seat venue. Much has
been altered since its last visit. A new troupe of Chinese
performers has joined the cast. And five new acts have been
added, including trampoline, contortion, aerial hoop, diabolos
(Chinese yo-yo), chair-balancing, and a unique crossed-wheel
act, performed by Jonathan Morin.
During a recent visit to Cirque headquarters, Morin, aerial
artist Marie-Éve Bisson and African dancer Henriette Gbou
performed briefly for the cameras. Gbou has been with the show
for 10 years. She began her career in her homeland, Ivory Coast,
where she was discovered by the Cirque. Her eyes lit up while
talking about the response Dralion had received, playing to
10,000 people per night in Puerto Rico. People love the Cirque.
And they love Dralion, she said. You feel good when youre on
stage and you help the show.
What effect has the Cirque had on her life? Im from far away,
so its a very big thing for me, she replied. It opened up my
life. Now I travel. And before, I didnt speak any English.
Gbou spent several years touring with Dralion through North
America, then one year in Europe, another in Australia. Now a
Canadian citizen, she makes her home in Montreal. When first
hired she had to leave her three children (now 12, 14 and 18)
behind with family in Africa, but theyre with her now. Her
husband, also a dancer, came with her to Canada, but they have
since separated. Thats the downside of circus life: I couldnt
be there for him, she said.
Now that Dralion is an arena show, its easier for her to keep
up a personal life. After every 10 weeks of work, she said,
we have two weeks off. Thats good.
As a tent show, Dralion stayed several weeks in each city, but
there were more performances. She would get one day off per
week. The performers travel mostly by air, she said. Or by bus
if the trip is five hours or less. Gbou, now 39, plans on
dancing around the world as long as she can. But shes thinking
about the future, too. With the Cirque, You can save money
because you dont pay hotel, you dont pay food. You can save a
lot of money if you really want to.
Morin and Bisson love their jobs, too. Since theyre a couple,
its a bit like living an extended honeymoon with the company
picking up the tab for the hotels and restaurants. They joke
about never having to argue about things like whos going to
make the bed, cook dinner or take out the garbage. So what do
they fight about? Well, hes from Montreal and shes from Quebec
City. Plenty of room for conflict there.
They met while working on Quidam, but romance came later. Morin,
who signed up with Dralion just a couple of months ago, brought
in his own act. Its an apparatus that I created myself, the
former gymnast said proudly. So its unique in the world. I
call it the crossed wheel. Bisson, who does an aerial hoop act,
was already in the show.
After working on Quidam, Morin did special events for Cirque,
then corporate gigs, on his own. Bisson, too, was a competitive
gymnast before joining the Cirque. Only she never got beyond the
national level (having started late), while he went
international. She worked on Quidam for five years, then
switched to Dralion from 2003 to 2006. At this point, my act
was in rotation, she said. If other people were out or
injured, then I would move in. Eventually, she left and worked
freelance for four years. She rejoined Dralion early in 2010,
this time as a permanent act.
Like Gbou, Morin and Bisson enjoy working in an arena show, even
if means changing cities more frequently. We stay a week,
usually, Bisson said. We get two days off at the beginning of
the week, Monday Tuesday, and we run Wednesday through Sunday.
Then we move again.
With 13 performances, the Montreal stop is longer, allowing them
time with their families at Christmas.
According to Sylvie Galarneau, who was the general artistic
director of Dralion, beginning in 2001, and now oversees three
other Cirque shows, not all artists prefer arena shows. The
rhythm is different. Moving to each city is way faster than the
big top. And we dont maintain a school. Artists who have a
family often decide not to come.
Her own lifestyle is two weeks in Montreal, two on the road. I
dont have a lot of mileage on my car, she said. But I have a
lot of air miles.
{SOURCE: Montreal Gazette}
RumorFix on MJ Immortal: "Shockingly Bad"
{Dec.13.2011}
---------------------------------------------------------
We at RumorFix love Michael Jackson - there will never be anyone
like him again. So we were thrilled when we heard that Cirque Du
Soleil was taking on the King of Pop and premiering the world
tour at the swanky Mandalay Bay In Las Vegas.
RumorFix attended the show on Friday and here are our thoughts:
o) The show is supposedly sold out, but only 6,000 of the 12,000
seats were filled.
o) The show begins with three Michael Jackson songs no one has
ever heard of. Why? Why not "Billie Jean" or "Man in the
Mirror" or "Beat It?"
o) Insiders acknowledge the big flaw of the show is that
acrobats are doing a dance show.
o) Why is there a Michael Jackson in a fat suit? It made no
sense.
We can't tell you what happened the second half of the show,
because we walked out.
Yikes!
{SOURCE: RumorFix}
MJ Resident Show in Las Vegas by May 2013 [EXPANDED]
{Dec.14.2011}
---------------------------------------------------------
Robin Leach, through The Las Vegas Sun, has some interesting
tidbits about Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour show, now
playing the Mandalay Bay Events Center until December 27th:
# # #
It's earning:
Pollstar reports that "Immortal" has become the highest-grossing
live show in the country, and the figures are staggering, with
nearly $2 million in tickets sold for each night of its run (it
has accumulated nearly $100 million in ticket sales). Pollstar
says that's an incredible $500,000-plus more than Taylor Swift,
who is the next highest-earning touring show, and she plays
larger arenas in different cities nightly, whereas "Immortal" is
fixed here at 8,500 seats for two more weeks.
Opening date is set:
Cirque founder and billionaire Guy Laliberte and Mandalay Bay
President Chuck Bowling have set May 13, 2013, as the opening
date for the permanent show.
Plans are underway:
Cirque President Daniel Lamarre has confirmed to me that
planning for the residency show is underway, and it began the
day after "Immortal" opened at Mandalay Bay. When Disney's "The
Lion King" departs Dec. 30, Cirque construction crews will begin
dismantling the venue to prepare for the one-year makeover
starting Jan. 2.
Jamie King signs on:
It's now confirmed that touring show author, chief choreographer
and Director Jamie King has been signed to a new contract to
mastermind the residency production. Extraordinary costume
director Zaldy Goco, who designed the "Immortal" wardrobe, also
will repeat his genius for the new show.
100% different show?:
"It would be a 100 percent different show - you would know that
- but I would say there would be certain elements from this
touring show that would be incorporated - our favorite moments
from this show would definitely be in there. There are some
beautiful moments, and I'd like to carry them over. It would be
far more theatrical like a Cirque show than a rock arena show."
Michael Jackson museum:
Michael Jackson Estate executor attorney John Branca has said
that a museum honoring the King of Pop will be part of the
residency show's attractions with some of the Neverland
memorabilia from the Michael Jackson Fan Fest on display.
Reliable sources indicate that the Neverland gates and giving
tree will be an entranceway to the new theater.
Michael Jackson nightlife:
An interactive arcade with Michael Jackson games will be
featured. Plans for a nightclub attraction haven't yet been
finalized and might not, but Cirque has partnered with the Light
Group to take over the currently shuttered Rum Jungle at
Mandalay Bay to open with a new entertainment concept in fall
2012.
It keeps on going:
New dates and international venues are still being scheduled,
and Cirque estimates that its debut touring juggernaut show will
run five years in North America and the rest of the world, with
bookings already set for Europe and Asia.
* * *
Jamie flew here four days before the touring show opened to make
changes to the production that I first saw at its world premiere
in Montreal.
Ideas have changed, developed and grown. When its a touring
show, things change because of the nature of the venues, but
when you mount a show in one place, it has to be venue specific.
I certainly had to adapt to the Mandalay Bay site. So there have
been different ideas, certainly. Its the same show, but certain
aspects are now given more prominence. We dont do anything
without Guys stamp of approval, and he finally gave us that
when the show reached Vancouver.
I talked with Jamie about him signing on the dotted line for the
new show before it became official. I would love the
opportunity to do that show. We would need to start on it
immediately. Tomorrow! Its going to be at the Mandalay Bay
Theater, so we have to trick out the room and the way to get to
the theater. I look forward to the challenge 100 percent.
It would be a 100 percent different show -- you would know that
-- but I would say there would be certain elements from this
touring show that would be incorporated -- our favorite moments
from this show would definitely be in there. There are some
beautiful moments, and Id like to carry them over. It would be
far more theatrical like a Cirque show than a rock arena show.
The Michael Jackson Fan Fest that ends Wednesday has been a
major success with its 200 items of Neverland memorabilia on
display. Some of the pieces in the multimillion-dollar exhibit
will be used in the residency show and museum. The collection
after Wednesday wont be seen again until possibly Michaels
next Aug. 29 birthday remembrance and then May 2013 when the new
production opens.
Fan Fest includes some of designer Zaldys unfinished works that
Michael was rehearsing in for the This Is It concert run in
Londons 02 Arena that was canceled when he died two days before
flying there. Ten of the outfits were Zaldys for the 50 U.K.
performances. This was the first time that the Estate executors
approved a showing of Michaels collections, and since arriving
here, the items have been under day-and-night surveillance.
It gives fans the opportunity to see things that were very
important and very personal to Michael that had never been seen
before. We wanted to choose items that the fans wanted to see
and we knew that Michael would want to share with them, a Fan
Fest executive said.
There are items in here that Id never seen before or even knew
Michael had, his brother Jackie Jackson told me. But I know
Michael would have wanted to share them with his fans.
We, as a family, are proud and happy that Immortal is
successful, and the fans love it. It takes Michaels message to
an even wider audience around the world, and we know the next
residency show in Vegas will be an even bigger success keeping
his legacy alive and teaching that peace and love are the most
important of all.
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun}
An Inspiring Review of IRIS [EXPANDED]
{Dec.20.2011}
---------------------------------------------------------
As the home of the Academy Awards, the Kodak Theatre on
Hollywood Boulevard is the perfect setting for Cirque du
Soleils newest major resident show IRIS, which looks at the
evolution of cinema through astounding action and effects.
Since September, the show has been stunning audiences with its
acrobatics that are so precise and gravity-defying, that its
sure to create plenty of sweaty palms and pounding hearts
throughout the show.
At the heart of the story is Buster, a sad composer in search of
true love.
Somewhere between reality and make-believe, he spots the girl of
his dreams: Scarlett, a naïve actress who longs to become a
movie star.
The pair find themselves plunged into the joyful chaos of a film
set. Their escapades transport the spectator into a kaleidoscope
of movement, moods, and images supported by an orchestral score
composed by Danny Elfman.
Written and directed by French director-choreographer Philippe
Decouflé, the show begins by rewinding back to the concept of
shadow puppets on prehistoric cave walls.
In an atmosphere of light and shade, two acrobats set the bar
for the show as they soar through the air suspended from straps.
They take off high above the stage and land with grace and
fluidity, delivering a performance that makes one think of an
aerial hand-to-hand number.
Back on the stage, four contortionists adopt striking poses that
are mind-bending. The flexibility of their movements is amazing
as they are transformed into living sculptures.
What makes each Cirque show like nothing else on earth is its
impressive attention to detail in choreography, which is full of
high-speed precision.
In the act "Filmstrip," performers advance from one "frame" of
film to the next, quickly moving through doors into side-by-side
rooms that creates the illusion of continuous movement.
At the Hollywood Bowl's 90th season opener earlier this year in
June, the Kiriki act was performed as a teaser of what "IRIS"
would deliver during its 10-year run at the Kodak Theatre.
This act features colorful performers that could be mistaken for
bright Teletubbies that blur the lines between reality and the
impossible as they take turns lying on their backs and spinning
fellow acrobats above them using their hands and their feet.
Just when you think they have done it all, the eight performers
stack themselves several bodies high, before the acrobat at the
top launches into a spin and makes a perfect landing.
After intermission, controlled chaos returns in the form of the
act Movie Set that had the theatre roaring with amazement.
Nearly all of the productions 72 performers take to the stage
for successive highly visual numbers and audacious plunges that
are a bold allusion to various aspects of filmmaking.
The choreography brings the circus disciplines of teeterboard,
Spanish web, Russian bars, aerial silk to floor gymnastics, and
original choreography.
The wonder continues in the trampoline act thats a tribute to
gangster movies and to the work of stunt actors. The
trampolinists deliver a number packed with thrills on the roofs
of buildings, multiplying their astounding leaps, flips, and
glides in a non-stop action movie atmosphere.
This number vibrates with bright saturated colors and the sharp
contrasts of shadows and silhouettes.
After so much excitement, theres a complete change in pace in
the next act when the shows heroine Scarlett balances on canes.
She performs a number infused with romanticism, subtlety, and
sinuous strength that captures the already conquered heart of
Buster.
The final act revs back into top gear as it pays tribute to 3D
movies. An aerial bungee ballet takes place more than 100 feet
above the audience. These women in crystal studded costumes dive
and soar in unison from the ceiling with thrilling, swirling
flight.
Many of the shows props have taken on a life of their own.
Resembling the contents of a cabinet of curiosities, they are
variations on the themes of sound, optics, light, and smoke.
These little devices represent the beginnings of cinema and the
mechanical inventions that made its development as an art form
possible. Light sources and ingenious machines, as well as
panels, ladders, beams and chairs, take on personality traits,
transforming them into characters that give life to the artists
who operate them.
Elfmans music for IRIS, which is primarily orchestral,
combines both large and small ensembles throughout the show.
Its melodies contain references to many genres of film at
times grandiose and stirring, at times playful and light,
sometimes surrealistic, frequently action-packed, and often
humorous and surprising.
By combining this music with dance, acrobatics, live video, film
footage, and interactive projections, the show succeeds in
illustrating both the mechanics of cinema and its extraordinary
power to deceive the eye.
The name of the show IRIS is taken directly from both camera
diaphragms as well as the colored iris of the human eye.
{SOURCE: Santa Monica Mirror}
Highlighting Mystère's Upcoming Changes [EXPANDED]
{Dec.21.2011}
---------------------------------------------------------
As "Mystere" celebrates its 18th anniversary on Christmas Day at
Treasure Island, Vegas Deluxe can confirm that the production
will go dark for a month starting Jan. 12 for what Cirque du
Soleil's creations director, Gilles Ste. Croix, describes as "a
needed tune-up" for the company's first Strip spectacular.
"Mystere" is still playing to capacity crowds after more than
8,500 performances since Dec. 25, 1993, but Cirque founder Guy
Laliberte flew here from Japan a week ago and authorized
changes. First, he's replacing the high-bar finale with a
trapeze act from his show "Zed" in Tokyo that closes on New
Year's Eve.
A second "Zed" act arriving here early next year is being added
to "Viva Elvis" at Aria, as we reported previously. Cirque also
is adding a solo aerial act to "Mystere," and the choreography
and staging of the amazing Chinese poles number will be
restaged. The first show to debut the additions will be
Saturday, Feb. 11.
When Mystere celebrated its record-breaking 8,000th
performance, Vegas Deluxe sat with Cirque chief Daniel Lamarre
and asked him about the long-running production.
Mystere has made entertainment history because no one show of
this magnitude has lasted so long. All the other shows that have
more than 8,000 representations have duplicates, like The
Phantom of the Opera.
This is only one show, one cast, one
crew and 8,000 performances, and there are still standing
ovations every night.
Its as emotional today as it was when it opened, and the
artists are still excited for every performance. There have been
several updates over the years -- its the only way. We have an
artistic team working here, and every day they train, they try
to make their show evolve. Thats why after so many years, the
show is still relevant.
This is the original. There is a real extraordinary emotional
link between the public, Cirque du Soleil and Mystere. To
them, Mystere is the classic that will be around forever. It
will continue to keep making history. Mystere is one of seven
resident Cirque productions on the Strip.
Incidentally after flying here from Japan, Guy also made tweaks
to Michael Jackson: the Immortal World Tour at Mandalay Bay
even though hed officially signed off on changes when he saw it
in Vancouver. He always thinks you can make something better
every time he sees one of his shows, I was told.
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun}
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
{Corteo, Koozå, OVO, Totem, Varekai & Amaluna}
o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues
{Saltimbanco, Alegría, Quidam, Dralion
& Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour}
o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre
{Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE,
ZAIA, ZED, Believe & VIVA Elvis}
o) VENUE - Venue & Seasonal productions
{Iris & Zarkana}
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 Cirque's website: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ >.
------------------------------------
BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
------------------------------------
Amaluna (Cirque 2012):
Montreal, QC -- Apr 19, 2012 to Jul 15, 2012
Quebec, QC -- Jul 25, 2012 to Aug 19, 2012
Toronto, ON -- Sep 5, 2012 to Sep 30, 2012
Vancouver, BC -- TBA
Corteo:
Paris, FR -- Nov 4, 2011 to Jan 8, 2012
Barcelona, ES -- Jan 20, 2012 to Feb 26, 2012
Amsterdam, NL -- Mar 22, 2012 to Jun 3, 2012
Antwerp, BE -- Jun 3, 2012 to TBA
Gijón, ES -- Jul 25, 2012 to Aug 26, 2012
Zurich, CH -- Aug 31, 2012 to TBA
Berlin, DE -- Nov 28, 2012 to TBA
Koozå:
Nagoya, JPN -- Nov 23, 2011 to Jan 22, 2012
Fukuoka, JPN -- Feb 9, 2012 to Apr 1, 2012
Phoenix, AZ -- Jun 8, 2012 to TBA
Houston, TX -- Jul 26, 2012 to TBA
Dallas, TX -- Sep 19, 2012 to TBA
Tampa, FL -- Nov 8, 2012 to TBA
London, UK -- Jan 2013 to TBA
Ovo:
Mexico City, MX -- Oct 29, 2011 to Jan 1, 2012
Santa Monica, CA -- Jan 20, 2012 to Mar 25, 2012
Portland, OR -- Apr 5, 2012 to May 13, 2012
Brisbane, AU -- TBA
Sydney, AU -- TBA
Melbourne, AU -- TBA
Totem:
London, UK -- Jan 5, 2010 to Feb 16, 2012
San Jose, CA -- Mar 2, 2012 to Mar 25, 2012
San Diego, CA -- Apr 25, 2012 to TBA
Boston, MA -- Jun 10, 2012 to TBA
Washington, DC -- Aug 15, 2012 to TBA
Atlanta, GA -- Oct 25, 2012 to TBA
New York, NY -- Nov 19, 2012 to TBA
Varekai:
Rio De Janeiro, BR -- Dec 8, 2011 to Jan 8, 2012
Belo Horizonte, BR -- Jan 19, 2012 to Feb 12, 2012
Brasilia, BR -- Feb 23, 2012 to Mar 18, 2012
Recife, BR -- Mar 30, 2012 to Apr 8, 2012
Salvador, BR -- May 3, 2012 to May 13, 2012
Curitiba, BR -- Jun 7, 2012 to Jul 1, 2012
Porto Alegre, BR -- Jul 11, 2012 to Aug 5, 2012
Buenos Aires, AR -- Aug 17, 2012 to Sep 16, 2012
Santiago, CL -- Sep 28, 2012 to Oct 28, 2012
Lima, PE -- Nov 16, 2012 to TBA
Bogota, CO -- TBA
------------------------------------
ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues
------------------------------------
Saltimbanco:
Tallin, EE -- Dec 28, 2011 to Jan 1, 2012
Gdansk, PL -- Jan 19, 2012 t0 Jan 22, 2012
Malmö, SE -- Jan 26, 2012 to Jan 29, 2012
Sofia, BG -- Feb 3, 2012 to Feb 5, 2012
Bucharest, RO -- Feb 8, 2012 to Feb 12, 2012
Bratislava, SK -- Feb 15, 2012 to Feb 19, 2012
Graz, AT -- Feb 22, 2012 to Feb 26, 2012
Bordeaux, FR -- Mar 2, 2012 to Mar 4, 2012
Rome, IT -- Mar 15, 2012 to Mar 18, 2012
Manila, PH -- Aug 9, 2012 to TBA
Alegría:
Lisbon, PT -- Dec 21, 2011 to Jan 8, 2012
Granada, ES -- Jan 11, 2011 to Jan 15, 2012
Bilbao, ES -- Jan 18, 2012 to Jan 22, 2012
Toulouse, FR -- Jan 25, 2012 to Jan 29, 2012
Nantes, FR -- Feb 1, 2012 to Feb 5, 2012
Lyon, FR -- Feb 23, 2012 to Feb 26, 2012
Toulon, FR -- Feb 29, 2012 to Mar 4, 2012
Nice, FR -- Mar 7, 2012 to Mar 11, 2012
Montpellier, FR -- Mar 14, 2012 to Mar 18, 2012
Strasbourg, FR -- Mar 21, 2012 to Mar 25, 2012
Brussels, BE -- Mar 28, 2012 to Apr 1, 2012
Manchester, UK -- Apr 4, 2012 to Apr 7, 2012
Glasgow, UK -- Apr 11, 2012 to Apr 15, 2012
Birmingham, UK -- Apr 18, 2012 to Apr 22, 2012
Dublin, IE -- Apr 25, 2012 to Apr 29, 2012
Budapest, HU -- May 17, 2012 to May 20, 2012
Prague, CZ -- May 23, 2012 to May 27, 2012
Hambgurg, DE -- May 30, 2012 to Jun 3, 2012
Hanover, DE -- Jun 6, 2012 to Jun 10, 2012
Nuremberg, DE -- Jun 13, 2012 to Jun 17, 2012
Vienna, AT -- Jun 20, 2012 to Jun 24, 2012
Tel Aviv, IL -- Aug 8, 2012 to Aug 18, 2012
Lille, FR -- Nov 21, 2012 to Nov 25, 2012
Paris, FR -- Nov 28, 2012 to Dec 2, 2012
Quidam:
Oshawa, ON -- Jan 4, 2012 to Jan 8, 2012
Windsor, ON -- Jan 11, 2012 to Jan 15, 2012
Detroit, MI -- Feb 2, 2012 to Feb 5, 2012
Hoffman Estates, IL -- Feb 8, 2012 to Feb 12, 2012
Springfield, IL -- Feb 15, 2012 to Feb 19, 2012
Baton Rouge, LA -- Feb 22, 2012 to Feb 26, 2012
Austin, TX -- Feb 29, 2012 to Mar 4,2012
Frisco, TX -- Mar 7, 2012 to Mar 11, 2012
San Antonio, TX -- Mar 14, 2012 to Mar 18, 2012
Roanoke, VA -- Mar 28, 2012 to Apr 1, 2012
Knoxville, TN -- Apr 4, 2012 to Apr 8, 2012
Evansville, IN -- Apr 26, 2012 to Apr 29, 2012
Green Bay, WI -- May 1, 2012 to TBA
St. Louis, MO -- Jun 20, 2012 to TBA
Indianapolis, IN -- Jun 27, 2012 to TBA
Winnipeg, MB -- Jul 19, 2012 to Jul 22, 2012
Regina, SK -- Jul 25, 2012 to Jul 29, 2012
Edmonton, AB -- Aug 8, 2012 to Aug 12, 2012
Kamloops, BC -- Aug 15, 2012 to Aug 19, 2012
Kelowna, BC -- Aug 22, 2012 to Aug 26, 2012
Abbotsford, BC -- Aug 29, 2012 to Sep 2, 2012
Victoria, BC -- Sep 5, 2012 to Sep 9, 2012
Honolulu, HI -- Oct 4, 2012 to Oct 14, 2012
Dralion:
Quebec, QC -- Jan 3, 2012 to Jan 8, 2012
Kingston, ON -- Jan 11, 2012 to Jan 15, 2012
Loveland, CO -- Feb 2, 2012 to Feb 5, 2012
Broomfield, CO -- Feb 8, 2012 to Feb 12, 2012
El Paso, TX -- Feb 15, 2012 to Feb 19, 2012
Colorado Springs, CO -- Feb 22, 2012 to Feb 26, 2012
Rio Rancho, NM -- Feb 29, 2012 to Mar 4, 2012
Laredo, TX -- Mar 6, 2012 to Mar 7, 2012
Corpus Christi, TX -- Mar 9, 2012 to Mar 11, 2012
Hidalgo, TX -- Mar 14, 2012 to Mar 18, 2012
Highland Heights, KY -- Mar 28, 2012 to Apr 1, 2012
Cleveland, OH -- Apr 4, 2012 to Apr 8, 2012
Hamilton, ON -- Apr 26, 2012 to Apr 29, 2012
Halifax, NS -- May 2, 2012 to May 6, 2012
Saint John, NB -- May 9, 2012 to May 13, 2012
London, ON -- May 16, 2012 to May 20, 2012
Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour:
Boise, ID -- Jan 3, 2012
Denver, CO -- Jan 6, 7 & 8, 2012
Sacramento, CA -- Jan 10 & 11, 2012
San Jose, CA -- Jan 13, 14 & 15, 2012
Oakland, CA -- Jan 17 & 18, 2012
San Diego, CA -- Jan 21 & 22, 2012
Anaheim, CA -- Jan 24 & 25, 2012
Los Angeles, CA -- Jan 27, 28 & 29, 2012
St. Louis, MO -- Feb 7 & 8, 2012
Houston, TX -- Feb 10, 11, & 12, 2012
New Orleans, LA -- Feb 15 & 16, 2012
Tulsa, OK -- Feb 18 & 19, 2012
Kansas City, MO -- Feb 21 & 22, 2012
Indianapolis, IN -- Feb 24 & 25, 2012
Orlando, FL -- Feb 28 & 29, 2012
Miami, FL -- Mar 2, 3 & 4 2012
Jacksonville, FL -- Mar 7 & 8, 2012
Raleigh, NC -- Mar 10 & 11, 2012
Charlotte, NC -- Mar 13 & 14, 2012
Milwaukee, WI -- Mar 16 & 17, 2012
Montreal, QC -- Mar 20, 21 & 22, 2012
Quebec City, QC -- Mar 24 & 25, 2012
Minneapolis, MN -- Mar 27 & 28, 2012
Newark, NJ -- Mar 30 & Apr 1, 2012
New York City, NY -- Apr 3, 4 & 5, 2012
Long Island, NY -- Apr 7 & 8, 2012
Philadelphia, PA -- Apr 10 & 11, 2012
Pittsburg, PA -- Apr 13, 14 & 15, 2012
State College, PA -- Apr 24 & 25, 2012
Columbia, SC -- Apr 27 & 28, 2012
Hartford, CT -- May 2 & 3, 2012
Baltimore, MD -- May 5 & 6, 2012
Worcester, MA -- May 16 & 17, 2012
Dayton, OH -- Jun 6, 7 & 8, 2012
Columbus, OH -- Jun 9 & Jun 10, 2012
Nashville, TN -- Jun 12 & 13, 2012
Austin, TX -- Jun 15, 2012
San Antonio, TX -- Jun 23, 2012
Atlanta, GA -- Jun 29 & 30, 2012
Montreal, QC -- Jul 6 & Jul 7, 2012
Washington, DC -- Jul 13, 14 & 15 2012
Cleveland, OH -- Jul 17 & 18, 2012
Chicago, IL -- Jul 20 & 21, 2012
Ottawa, ON -- Jul 24 & 25, 2012
Boston, MA -- Aug 3 & 4, 2012
Salt Lake City -- Aug 21, 2012
Europe 2012:
------------
Hanover, DE -- TBA
Vienna, AT -- TBA
---------------------------------
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.
Mystère:
Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday
Two shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm
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)
2012 Dark Dates:
o January 14 - February 8
o May 12 - 16
o September 8 - 12
o November 14
"O":
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm
Ticket Prices:
o Orchestra: $150.00
o Loggia: $130.00
o Balcony: $99.00
o Limited View: $93.50
2012 Dark Dates:
o February 5 - 8
o April 9 - 15
o June 10
o August 6 - 12
o October 14 & 17
o December 3 - 18
La Nouba:
Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm
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
2012 Dark Dates:
o January 17-21
o March 20
o May 15-26
o July 24
o September 18-22
o November 27
Zumanity:
Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday
Dark: Wednesday & Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm
Ticket Prices (18+ Only!):
o Duo Sofas: $129.00
o Orchestra Seats: $105.00
o Upper Orchestra Seats: $79.00
o Balcony Seats: $69.00
o Cabaret Stools: $69.00
2012 Dark Dates:
o TBA
KÀ:
Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12):
o Category 1: $150.00 / $75.00
o Category 2: $130.00 / $65.00
o Category 3: $99.00 / $49.50
o Category 4: $69.00 / $34.50
2012 Dark Dates:
o TBA
LOVE:
Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
Ticket Prices:
o Lower Orchestra: $150.00
o Upper Orchestra: $130.00
o Lower Balcony: $99.00
o Middle Balcony: $93.50
2012 Dark Dates:
o TBA
ZAIA:
Location: Venetian, Macao (China)
Performs: Every Day, Dark: Wednesday
One to Two Shows Daily - Times Vary
Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 2-11):
o VIP Seating: MOP$ 1288 / MOP$ 1288
o Reserve A: MOP$ 788 / MOP$ 394
o Reserve B: MOP$ 588 / MOP$ 294
o Reserve C: MOP$ 388 / MOP$ 194
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.
Ticket Prices (all):
o Category 1: $160.00
o Category 2: $130.00
o Category 3: $109.00
o Category 4: $89.00
o Category 5: $59.00
2012 Dark Dates:
o TBA
VIVA ELVIS:
Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
Ticket Prices
o Category 1: $175.00
o Category 2: $150.00
o Category 3: $125.00
o Category 4: $99.00
2012 Dark Dates:
o TBA
NOTE: VIVA ELVIS to close by end of 2012
--------------------------------------
VENUE - Venue & Seasonal Productions
--------------------------------------
Zarkana:
Madrid, ES -- Nov 12, 2011 to Dec 31, 2011
Moscow, RU -- Feb 4, 2012 to Apr 8, 2012
New York, NY -- May 9, 2012 to TBA
IRIS:
Location: Kodak Theatre, Hollywood, CA (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Friday @ 8:00pm
Saturday @ 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Sunday @ 1:00pm and 6:30pm
DARK: Monday
2012 Dark Dates:
o TBA
Ticket Prices:
Weekday Matinees:
o Category Premium - $253.00 USD
o Category 1 - $123.00 USD
o Category 2 - $93.00 USD
o Category 3 - $68.00 USD
o Category 4 - $43.00 USD
Saturday Matinee & All Evening Performances:
o Category Premium - $253.00 USD
o Category 1 - $133.00 USD
o Category 2 - $103.00 USD
o Category 3 - $78.00 USD
o Category 4 - $43.00 USD
=======================================================================
OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS
=======================================================================
o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub
o) Networking -- Cirque on Facebook, Youtube & Twitter
---------------------------------------
CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub
---------------------------------------
Dance Master: Overseeing Flawlessness [EXPANDED]
{Dec.13}
-----------------------------------------------------
Viva ELVIS at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas displays thrilling
acobatics and transcendental stage sets, which are the perfect
complement to Elvis Presley's iconic and dance-able songs.
Dancer Extraordinaire
Andrea Ziegler, dance master for Viva ELVIS, is responsible for
ensuring that every dance routine, in every show, is flawlessly
executed. "I oversee all the dancers in the show," Ziegler says. "It
is my job to rehearse any new cast members and organize the show every
day - because every day is different." While this may seem like an
impossible task, Ziegler is no stranger to the challenges of rigorous
productions.
The seasoned show-business veteran has been dancing since she was 3
years old and majored in dance performance at Ryerson Theatre School
in Toronto, Ontario. Her impressive resume includes Cirque du Soleil
shows Mystère and Quidam, and along with her experience as a dance
captain in Celine Dion's iconic Vegas show A New Day, it's clear that
the role of dance master far Viva ELVIS couldn't be a more perfect
fit. The biggest asset I have in my position overseeing the
performers at Cirque is that I was a dancer with Cirque Ziegler says.
I can relate to the dancers and understand the demands placed on them
trying to maintain 10 high-quality shows per week, 476 shows a year.
Empathy can be everything at times.
The Art of Adaptation
Viva ELVIS consists of 16 dance numbers performed by 30 dancers.
During the show, audience members will see a carefully orchestrated
parade of vibrant costumes and perfectly executed moves, but the real
challenge to delivering a seamless production often occurs before the
curtain rises. When you have numbers created for 15 men and 15 women,
and suddenly, due to illness you are down to 10 men and 10 women, a
lot of reorganizing, learning of each other's park, energy and
teamwork need to take place in order to put on a fabulous show,
Ziegler says. Viva ELVIS is in its second year as a resident show on
the Las Vegas Strip, and even audience members who have experienced
the show multiple times can always discover a new surprise within each
performance.
From Artist to Artistic Director [EXPANDED]
{Dec.14}
-----------------------------------------------------
Neelanthi has been Artistic Director for Saltimbanco since 2010. Her
professional journey shows her love for the stage, which has grown as
her career has progressed. She started a career as a professional
dancer touring with Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal - a lifestyle she
simply could not get enough of. In 2007, she joined Dralion to play
Oceane. As coaching began to play a bigger role in her career,
Neelanthi left the stage to become Assistant to the Artistic Director
and eventually Artistic Director on Saltimbanco.
From Front Stage to Back Stage
"My transition from artist to Artistic Director is one of the turning
points of my career. It is the fate of every artist: to know when to
retire as an artist and how to grow in your craft. I'll always
remember my final Dralion performance. My family, friends and troupe
were all behind me. It was such a memorable moment! But what came next
would not have been as great without Cirque's support, which provided
for a smooth transition."
Drawing from Experience to Inspire
As Artistic Director, Neelanthi is constantly drawing inspiration from
her experience as an artist. This makes her a true mediator when it
comes to verbalizing the artists needs to other teams, so they can
achieve spectacular acrobatic performances every time they take the
stage. Because I was a professional dancer and worked on stage for
many years, I can easily relate to the artists when they face various
problems. They know the situation they are going through is probably
something I have experienced. And helping them excel professionally
gives me an adrenaline rush that is comparable to what I felt on
stage, and it culminates when I see them reach the acrobatic goals
theyve set for themselves.
The Overseer
Yes, providing the artists with an environment where they can achieve
their full potential is an important part of Neelanthis work, but it
isnt the only thing! As Artistic Director, she solves dozens of
problems every day, which she enthusiastically refers to as daily
surprises. All of these challenges add a little excitement to the
long days spent at the office, planning and attending acrobatic and
artistic training sessions and meeting members of the troupe. This
reality is far different from that of an artist: Artists manage their
day-to-day based on their performancewhat their body needs, their
well-being before a show, training, stress, acrobatic challenges to be
faced. The Artistic Director, meanwhile, makes sure that the show
meets its objectives. When I was a dancer, I had an individual
responsibility; I had to give my best performance. Now, this
responsibility is broader. I have to ensure the troupe is happy in
order to give the best performance possible.
Creativity has always played a huge part in Neelanthis professional
life. From dancer to Artistic Directorwho knows what her next move
will be?
---------------------------------------------------
NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter
---------------------------------------------------
---[ CIRQUE WEEKK SPECIAL ]---
If you couldn't attend Cirque Week in Las Vegas this year, you
can still experience it! Click through the links below and view
content that has been already been unlocked! Also click "share"
within the app, to unlock more of these exclusive video
experiences!
"O" ///
< http://www.facebook.com/Ocirque?sk=app_283038825071438 >
BELIEVE ///
< http://www.facebook.com/CrissAngelBelieve?
sk=app_283038825071438 >
KA ///
< http://www.facebook.com/KA?sk=app_283038825071438 >
MYSTERE ///
< http://www.facebook.com/Mystere?
sk=app_283038825071438 >
LOVE ///
< http://www.facebook.com/TheBeatlesLOVE?
sk=app_283038825071438 >
ZUMANITY ///
< http://www.facebook.com/Zumanity?sk=app_283038825071438 >
---[ ALEGRIA ]---
{Dec.11}
Soon in Lisbon for 3 weeks (Dec 21-Jan 08)! Watch this interview
with Diogo Oliveira Faria (Portugal, Lisbon) / artist and
character in the show.
LINK /// < http://tv1.rtp.pt/noticias/?t=Cirque-du-Solei-traz-
Alegria-a-Lisboa-de-21-dezembro-a-3-janeiro.
rtp&headline=20&visual=9&article=508251&tm=4 >
{Dec.25}
Feliz Natal from backstage in Lisbon, Portugal! Musicians &
Singers: Malika Alaoui, Mariana Sobol, Fritz Kraai, Raphael
Lavoie, Jeremy Johnston, David Chala, and Christian Poezach.
LINK / < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150441101948372 >
---[ CORTEO ]---
{Dec.04}
Critique de Corteo dans Le Figaro...
LINK /// < http://www.lefigaro.fr/lefigaromagazine/
2011/11/26/01006-20111126ARTFIG00594-corteo-le-cirque-
autrement.php >
{Dec.11}
Barcelona friends, Corteo will be there soon. In the mean time,
don't miss our little hello as part of next week's Marato!
LINK /// < http://www.tv3.cat/marato/ >
{Dec.14}
Corteo & Daniele Finzi Pasca on today's ABC
LINK /// < http://www.abc.es/agencias/noticia.asp?
noticia=1034150 >
{Dec.17}
Corteo dans LE MONDE
LINK /// < http://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2011/12/15/
cirque-songe-d-un-vieux-clown-veille-par-un-
ange_1619278_3246.html >
{Dec.18}
Daniele Finzi Pasca, Corteo's director in La Vanguardia!
LINK /// < http://www.lavanguardia.com/lacontra/
20111217/54241177840/daniele-finzi-lo-realmente-
necesario-es-abrazar-y-ser-abrazado.html >
{Dec.24}
Corteo sur TF 1 Reportages...Joyeuses Fêtes à tous!
LINK /// < http://videos.tf1.fr/reportages/dans-les-coulisses-
du-cirque-du-soleil-6876585.html >
{Dec.30}
Daniele Finzi Pasca en TV 3
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=242503229156610 >
---[ KA ]---
{Dec.13}
Check out the KÀ comic book video below!
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yX0ja3AYCs
&list=UU6A7YzOHnW_uPl3QCkgnlIQ&feature=plcp >
{Dec.16}
Look who's in Times Square NYC at the WIRED Store!
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=10150552260791929&set=a.176667951928.
146847.31527171928&type=1&ref=nf >
{Dec.22}
Hi KÀ friends! Just like Santa's elves we have a ton of people
most of you never see who make KÀ happen 10 times each week.
Here's a look above and below the scenes at what they do, and be
sure to check out the fantastic picture gallery!
LINK /// < http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/dec/14/
elaborate-strip-shows-usher-demand-specialized-sup/ >
---[ KOOZA ]---
{Dec.20}
Follow us on twitter: @REAL_KOOZA !
{Dec.25}
Uuuu- Merry Christmas! From KOOZA!!
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=10150423661021339&set
=a.71836936338.88957.34324811338&type=1&ref=nf >
---[ LA NOUBA ]---
{Dec.08}
Five new pictures to Out and About!
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?
set=a.430520644901.209463.16315569901&type=1 >
{Dec.13}
Almost no one can see them, but they see everything. They have
but one idea in their heads: to mind everyone's business but
their own - to disobey, to muddle lines, stories and destinies -
and to have FUN! Who does this describe? A: LES CONS
---[ MJ THE IMMORTAL ]---
{Dec.06}
Pictures of the Premiere in Las Vegas
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?
set=a.312293012128901.77206.163439450347592&type=1 >
{Dec.09}
Have a first look at tour memorabilia including costumes, set
pieces and more at Michael Jackson Fan Fest!
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AOaWQPjvqE >
{Dec.12}
Here's another sneak peek of Michael Jackson Fan Fest! There are
only 2 days left and you can join us on Tuesday 12/13 for an
exclusive Q&A with Musical Director Greg Phillinganes at 2pm
PST.
LINK /// < http://youtu.be/bm0l_t2z--4 >
{Dec.14}
Fan unlocked exclusive red carpet footage of the Las Vegas
premiere of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du
Soleil! Here it is below:
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=4fp2Zuhlt1I&feature=g-upl >
{Dec.22}
If you've missed it, here is our performance with The X Factor
(USA)'s Top 3 finalists singing Michael Jackson's "They Don't
Care About Us"!
LINK /// < http://cirk.me/sB7zay >
---[ OVO ]---
{Dec.07}
Learn about the costume inspiration (interview with OVO Costume
Designer Liz Vandal - via the Santa Monica Daily Press.
LINK /// < http://www.smtp.com/Articles-local-news-c-2011-12-06-
73081.113116-Cirques-costume-designer-reimagines-the-wild-
bug-world.html >
{Dec.09}
Costume Designer Liz Vandal Shares Secrets of 'OVO'
LINK /// < http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/12/06/costume-
designer-liz-vandal-shares-secrets-of-cirque-du-soleils- >
---[ MYSTERE ]---
{Dec.29}
While you're all enjoying some post-Christmas sales, remember
that sometimes a mall can be more than just a place to buy stuff
and go to the movies. Sometimes a trip to the mall turns into
you watching a surprise performance from Mystère! What Mystère
acts would you like to see while you enjoy snacking on someone's
aunt's pretzels?
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2991210425719 >
---[ QUIDAM ]---
{Dec.02}
Quidam in the Fayetteville media...
< http://fayobserver.com/articles/2011/11/24/1139141 >
< http://www.weekendernow.com/Articles/2011/12/01/1139084 >
< http://upandcomingweekly.com/content/view/1643/1/ >
< http://fayobserver.com/articles/2011/12/01/1140702 >
< http://photos.fayobserver.com/mycapture/folder.asp?
event=1371187&CategoryID=1035&ListSubAlbums=0 >
{Dec.07}
13News at Noon: A local musical performance from Cirque
LINK /// < http://www.wvec.com/community/13News-at-Noon--
135157448.html >
{Dec.08}
Quidam in the Hampton, VA media
< http://hamptonroads.com/2011/12/maestro-quidam-magic >
< http://www.dailypress.com/entertainment/dp-fea-cirque-hampton-
1204-20111203,0,7173237.story >
< http://www.wvec.com/community/13News-at-Noon--135157448.html >
< http://www.wtkr.com/videobeta/?watchId=ba1b2e77-4da0-45d4-
a6bd-20f2073715f1 >
< http://www.dailypress.com/entertainment/newsletter/dp-
pictures-behind-scene-quidam-show-
20111207,0,6615440.photogallery >
< http://hamptonroads.com/2011/12/cirque-du-soleils-quidam-
beautiful-experience >
{Dec.14}
Quidam cake by Sweet Bakery in Worcester mmmmm!
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=10150420317597046&set=a.172887642045.134560.
35752277045&type=1&ref=nf >
{Dec.16}
Quidam in the Worcester media...
< http://www.telegram.com/article/20111209/NEWS/112099719/-
1/raw_story_links >
< http://www.bostoneventguide.com/hubcrawl/?p=3474 >
< http://www.worcestermag.com/speak-out/two-minutes/Two-Minutes-
WithJean-Philippe-Viens-135588293.html >
< http://www.eagletribune.com/lifestyle/x161777813/
A-Show-for-Everyman >
< http://bostoneventsinsider.com/bostonevents/2011/12-12/
cirque-du-soleil-quidam-tix-giveaway.htm >
< http://www.worcestermag.com/multimedia/photo-gallery/
Photo-Gallery-135649908.html >
< http://www.pcphotographics.com/2011/12/15/cirque-du-soleil-
quidam-dcu-center-worcester-ma-121411/?utm_source=
rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cirque-du-soleil-quidam-dcu-
center-worcester-ma-121411 >
{Dec.28}
Quidam reviews in Toronto media
< http://www.toronto.com/article/708128>
< http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/theatre/cirque-du-
soleils-quidam-is-mesmerizing/article2279887/ >
< http://www.fabmagazine.com/fab-blog/next-gay-review-quidam >
< http://www.torontohispano.com/blogs/andrea-
sagues/quidam/cirque-du-soleil.shtml >
---[ SALTIMBANCO ]---
{Dec.16}
Saltimbanco Premiere in Vilnius on December 15, 2011!! Fantastic
perfomance and reactions from the Lithuanian audience!!
LINK /// < http://www.15min.lt/gallery/show/Pasakiskas-cirko-
Cirque-du-Soleil-spektaklis-Saltimbanco-21751 >
{Dec.18}
The Dreamer in studio at M-1 Radio Station in Vilnius,
Lithuania!!
LINK / < http://www.m-1.fm/naujienos/index.php?naujiena=139164 >
{Dec.27}
Saltimbanco in Tallinn,Estonia!! Opening Night tomorrow, Wed Dec
28th at Saku Suurhall!!
LINK /// < http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/30127/ >
{Dec.29}
Great story!! Reporter trying Chinese Poles act with two
performers from Saltimbanco!! Backstage of Saku Suurhall Arena
in Tallinn, Estonia!
LINK /// < http://www.reporter.ee/2011/12/28/reporter-proovis-
tsirkusetrikke/ >
{Dec.30}
Congratulations Saltimbanco, 1 million spectators in 2011!!!
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=10150562469402959&set=a.121288542958.
129859.41245692958&type=1&ref=nf >
---[ THE BEATLES LOVE ]---
{Dec.07}
Dancers from LOVE collaborated with bboy crew Battle Born to
create this masterpiece called "The Matrix". Check it out!
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8_6nbnoa5c
&feature=youtu.be&fb_source=message&noredirect=1 >
{Dec.28}
The holidays are winding down and we invite you to download The
Beatles LOVE app for your new savvy phones!
iPhone: http://cirk.me/tgzPuo
Android: http://cirk.me/ttiP8b
---[ ZAIA ]---
{Dec.31}
ZAIA wishes you all Happy New Year!
LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=10150560917588064&set=a.10150543768853064.
434512.40707978063&type=1&ref=nf >
---[ ZED ]---
Our dearest fans, Thank you a million times for the amazing 3
years. We love you and you all will be in our hearts forever.
Until the day we meet again, stay well and we hope you all have
a wonderful new year!!!
< http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-
snc7/s720x720/390228_10150655446476164_
41326571163_12023286_242537158_n.jpg >
======================================================================
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) The Got a Lotta Lovin Set in VIVA ELVIS weighs 60,000 lbs and is
stored ABOVE the stage! It takes 9 winches with 1/2" cables to fly
the set. The rigging system is 10x stronger than it needs to be to
be sure it's safe.
o) In the Aerial Ballet number of IRIS by Cirque du Soleil, costumes
of the bungee-jumping "diamond women" are studded with nearly one
million Swarovski crystals. In the air, the artists themselves are
not as visible as the brilliance of the stones, which give their
bodies a smooth and bright look.
o) In contrast to the 10 other Cirque du Soleil resident productions,
CirqueIRIS is unique in that it is designed like a touring show,
allowing it to fold up and vacate Kodak Theatre to make way for the
Academy Awards every year.
o) Among the performers in IRIS by Cirque du Soleil are two dancing
cameramen. To go along with the show's theme, they shoot real-time
images that are projected within the production.
------------------------------------
HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History
------------------------------------
* Jan.02.2009 -- Koozå opened Atlanta, GA
* Jan.03.2008 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Quebec, QC
* Jan.04.2007 -- Quidam opened Dubai, UAE
* Jan.04.2009 -- Quidam opened London
* Jan.04.2011 -- Corteo opens Brussels
* Jan.04.2011 -- Quidam Arena opened Quebec, QC
* Jan.05.1996 -- Saltimbanco opened London
* Jan.05.1999 -- Alegría opened London
* Jan.05.2006 -- Alegría opened London
* Jan.05.2007 -- Alegría opened London
* Jan.05.2007 -- Varekai opened Auckland, New Zealand
(Asia-Pacific Tour Begins)
* Jan.05.2007 -- REVOLUTION Lounge opens (based on Beatles/LOVE)
* Jan.05.2010 -- Alegria Arena opened Quebec City, QC
* Jan.05.2011 -- TOTEM opened London, UK
* Jan.05.2011 -- Saltimbanco Arenao opened Lille, FR
* Jan.05.2011 -- Alegria Arena opened Baton Rouge, LA
* Jan.05.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Boston, MA
* Jan.06.2003 -- Premiere of Fire Within on BRAVO
* Jan.06.2005 -- Saltimbanco opened Manchester
* Jan.06.2005 -- Varekai opened Houston
* Jan.06.2005 -- Dralion opened London
* Jan.06.2008 -- Varekai opened London, UK
* Jan.06.2010 -- Varekai opened London, UK
* Jan.07.1998 -- Alegría opened London
* Jan.07.1999 -- Saltimbanco Asia-Pacific Tour Began (Sydney)
* Jan.07.2003 -- Saltimbanco Euro Tour II began London
* Jan.07.2003 -- Varekai CD Released in US (BMG/CDS Musique)
* Jan.08.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Tupelo, MS
* Jan.08.2010 -- Koozå opened Irvine, CA
* Jan.08.2010 -- Quidam opened Rio de Janiero, BR
* Jan.09.2004 -- Dralion opened London
* Jan.09.2004 -- Alegría opened Miami
* Jan.10.1999 -- Alegría: Le Film showcased in Palm Springs
* Jan.10.2001 -- Alegría opened Auckland, Australia
* Jan.12.2011 -- Alegria Arena opened Colorado Springs, CO
* Jan.12.2011 -- Quidam Arena opened Chicoutimi, QC
* Jan.12.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Grand Rapids, MI
* Jan.13.2006 -- Saltimbanco opened Mexico City
* Jan.13.2010 -- Alegria Arena opened Chicoutimi, QC
* Jan.13.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Salzburg, AT
* Jan.13.2011 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Paris, FR
* Jan.14.1997 -- Quidam CD Released in US (RCA/Victor)
* Jan.14.2009 -- Alegría opened Taipei, Taiwan
* Jan.14.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Biloxi, MS
* Jan.16.2003 -- Varekai opened San Jose
* Jan.16.2004 -- Saltimbanco opened Seville
* Jan.16.2004 -- Varekai opened Costa Mesa
* Jan.16.2008 - Saltimbanco Arena opened Chicoutimi, QC
* Jan.17.1999 -- Banquine Act awarded in the 23rd Festival du
Cirque de Monte-Carlo.
* Jan.17.2002 -- Dralion opened Houston, Texas
* Jan.17.2008 -- Quidam opened Monterrey, Mexico
* Jan.17.2010 -- Dralion's Final Curtain Call [Mexico City]
* Jan.19.2006 -- Quidam opened San Diego
* Jan.19.2006 -- Dralion opened Seville
* Jan.19.2006 -- Corteo opened San Jose
* Jan.19.2011 -- Alegria Arena opened Broomfield, CO
* Jan.19.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened St. Louis, MO
* Jan.20.2000 -- Quidam opened Barcelona
* Jan.20.2006 -- Varekai opened Miami
* Jan.20.2008 -- Corteo celebrated 1,000th performance [San Diego, CA]
* Jan.20.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Stratsbourg, FR
* Jan.20.2011 -- TOTEM opened Taipei, Taiwan
* Jan.21.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Hoffman Estates, IL
* Jan.23.2003 -- Alegría opened Dallas
* Jan.23.2008 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Detroit, MI
* Jan.24.1995 -- Alegría opened Costa Mesa
* Jan.24.2007 -- Delirium opened Detroit, MI
* Jan.25.2000 -- Saltimbanco opened Hong Kong
* Jan.25.2008 -- Dralion opened Tokyo
* Jan.26.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened San Diego
* Jan.26.2011 -- Alegria Arena opened Loveland, CO
* Jan.26.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Chicago, IL
* Jan.27.2004 -- Order of Canada bestowed upon Guy Laliberté
* Jan.27.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Frankfurt, DE
* Jan.28.1999 -- La Nouba Premiere Gala (Previews End)
* Jan.28.2011 -- OVO opened Dallas, TX
* Jan.29.1997 -- Quidam opened Orange County
* Jan.29.2008 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Cleveland, OH
* Jan.29.2009 -- Dralion opened Perth, Australia
* Jan.30.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened Costa Mesa
* Jan.31.2007 -- Delirium opened Grand Rapids, MI
* Jan.31.2008 -- Koozå opened San Jose, CA
* Jan.31.2009 -- Dralion celebrated 3,500th performance [4:00pm, Perth]
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
o) "A Journey Into the World of Cinema: My Thoughts on IRIS"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) "CirqueWeek 2011: A Review (Part 1 of 2)"
By: Ricky Russo with Barb Lewis
o) "The Cirque du Soleil Gift Card - Ready for Prime Time?"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
"A Journey Into the World of Cinema: My Thoughts on IRIS"
By: Richard Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
Two thousand and eleven has been a tough year for Cirque du Soleil and
its productions world-wide, and an even harder one for a fan such as
myself. with the announcements that ZED would close at the end of 2011
and VIVA ELVIS at the end of 2012 (at the urgency of MGM Resorts
International), and rocky starts to their newest productions (ZARKANA
in New York City, which I had previously reviewed... negatively; and
MICHAEL JACKSON THE IMMORTAL WORLD TOUR, which I had planned to
dissect but... I can't. I just found it too horrible), that only left
IRIS, Cirque du Soleil's swaré in Hollywood to help save the year.
On Friday, December 2, 2011, I along with scores of other Cirque du
Soleil Passionates descended upon the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood,
California for CirqueCon 2011, where many of us would see IRIS -
Cirque du Soleil's newest resident/venue production - for the very
first time. Whilst there we'd also be treated to watching the solo
trapeze artist (Uuve Jansson) rehearse with her coach (Sasha
Pikhienko) assisting her, as well as a fantastic Q&A session with a
panel of seven behind-the-scenes personnel. But they were not just any
seven people; they were the heads of their respective offices!
o) Denise Biggi, Artistic Director
o) Claudette Waddle, General Stage Manager
o) Kevin Kiely, Technical Director
o) Robert Foster, Head of Automation
o) Mark Jenkins, Head of Carpentry
o) Chris Latsch, Head of Electrics
o) Jared Peter, Head of Properties
I have to say it was one of the best Q&A sessions we've had at
CirqueCon, with a number of fantastic stories about how they came into
the business, how each came to Cirque du Soleil, and some of the
roadblocks they faced, and hurdles they had to overcome to load in the
show (not to mention some of the tension they felt at having to unload
the show for the upcoming Academy Awards). About an hour or so later
we all stepped on-stage for a group photo (which you can see here,
thanks to Passionate Tim Steele - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=10151143461400014&set=a.275206435013.325149.272446895013&type=1&t
heater) and then gathered at The Grill on Hollywood to eat, drink, and
talk of our shared passion for Cirque du Soleil.
And then, by 8:00pm, we re-assembled at the Kodak Theater to take in
Cirque du Soleil's IRIS.
THE CONCEPT
Cirque du Soleil's IRIS draws much of its inspiration from Hollywood
in all its past and present glory. The initial spark of the concept,
though, was ignited during Cirque du Soleil's performance at the 74th
Academy Awards - held in the Kodak Theater on March 24, 2002 - nearly
10 years ago. That night, for five minutes, Cirque du Soleil was the
focus of the awards ceremony. It took the company four months to
create the special show seen that night, which featured eleven acts
from some of their most popular productions at the time: Dralion, La
Nouba, Quidam, Mystère, "O" and Alegría, all set to the electro-urban
sound of the La Nouba soundtrack. It was so well received that it set
the creative wheels at Cirque in motion. The result: a poetic
phantasmagoria inspired by the world of cinema.
The name of the show, IRIS, taken directly from a camera diaphragm as
well as the colored iris of the human eye, presents an imaginary
journey through the evolution of cinema - from the foundations of the
art form to the bustle of the soundstage - through optical effects and
film genres. IRIS transposes into a language of dance and acrobatics
all of cinemas splendor, inventiveness and, above all, its sense of
wonder. IRIS also conjures up a place between motion and picture,
light and sound, which shifts constantly between reality and make-
believe, to explore the limitless possibilities of cinema. By
combining dance, acrobatics, live video, film footage and interactive
projections, the show illustrates both the mechanics of cinema and its
extraordinary power to deceive the eye through a number of "scenes"
using acrobatics as their core, such as: Aerial Straps Duo,
Contortion, Hand-to-Hand, Filmstrip, Icarian Games, Movie Set, Trapeze
& Brooms, Trampoline, Hand Balancing and a Cirque du Soleil favorite:
Bungees.
MY THOUGHTS
Theme /// The theatrical tapestry behind Cirque du Soleil's IRIS is
the plight of two young heroes - Buster and Scarlett - who find
themselves plunged into the joyful chaos of a film set; their
escapades transporting the spectator into a kaleidoscope of movement,
moods and images supported by Danny Elfman's magnificent orchestral
score. Buster himself is a melancholy composer in search of true love
and somewhere between reality and make-believe; he spots the girl of
his dreams; Scarlet, a naïve actress who longs to become a movie star.
But will Buster and Scarlett find each other in the real world? Only
on the journey of IRIS can one find out (and **SPOILER**, yes they
do.) A number of acts in the show help support this cliché (but pure
celluloid) plotline, and though not as esoterical as ZED, Mystère, "O"
or Quidam, IRIS was quite fun and way more enjoyable than more recent
fare, Zarkana and MJ Immortal for example.
Score /// The score, crafted by venerable motion picture composer
Danny Elfman ("Beetlejuice", 1989's "Batman", "Dick Tracy", "Edward
Scissorhands", "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and much, much more),
is a wonder to hear mixed live. The choice of the orchestral approach
reflects the fact that over 95 percent of film music since the 1930s
has been scored for full orchestras, and this imparts to the show a
sonic connection between circus and film via strings, brass, harps,
flutes, clarinets, bassoons and so on, as opposed to the sounds of a
jazz or rock ensemble. Cirque utilizes a blend of 100 orchestral
musicians to create the pre-recorded portions of the soundtrack (the
largest in Cirque du Soleil's history) spread over both large and
small ensembles. This is then mixed with the show's eight live in-
house musicians to create a wonderful aura of sound. But strangely
enough there are no singers! (And you don't really miss them).
Lighting /// The lighting of more recent shows has been an issue for
me, explained away by the switch from normal gels to LED-style
lighting equipment. One of the gripes I've had with this change
(although I support the "greener" LED lighting, no pun intended) is
that LEDs, whether white or colored, are too discrete. At times
they're not bright enough while at other times too bright and the
light projected feels cold, unforgiving and uninviting. In fact,
lighting was one of the interesting contrasts in 2008's ZED: although
I loved the show dearly, the lighting left me with some difficulty
"warming up" to some of the show's more emotional moments. In 2009's
OVO and 2010's TOTEM, this form of lighting became more of an issue to
me. And as for 2011's ZARKANA, well, that's a horse of a different
color. IRIS, thankfully, has solved (or at least masked) many of the
lighting issues I've seen lately by creating a much warmer ensemble.
And thankfully so.
Projections /// Much ado has been made about IRIS' projections and the
technology behind them. Early in the show, real-time projections of
acrobats' performances capture their movements as trails of still
images - in very much the same way that frames of film create the
persistence of vision effect that we see as motion pictures. The
intended result is a living decomposition of movement that takes on a
luminous life of its own as an ever-changing abstract kaleidoscope
above the action, but the observed result is a needless distraction
from the main event itself - the performers! This type of projection
is used during the Contortion and Hand-to-Hand acts to much dismay,
ruining (IMO) what should be the focus, the movement of the
performers' bodies, not the photonic outlines behind them that trace
and then follow as they move about.
Costumes /// In a brilliant tribute to cinema, the costumes in IRIS
are the result of a visual exploration of a broad range of themes
connected with the invention of cinema: the taking of pictures and the
recording and transmitting of sound and light. The costumes Philippe
Guillotel designed let IRIS follow the major stages in the evolution
of color in film, from black and white and sepia, through Technicolor
and colorization to the deliberately saturated colors of films like
Dick Tracy. The symbiosis between the costumes and the technical
inventions of cinema is particularly striking in the half-human/half
machine 'hybrid' characters. One of these wears a skirt reminiscent of
the praxinoscope, one of the first animation devices. Based on the
stroboscopic effect, this costume illustrates the decomposition of
movement. The circular structure of the skirt reveals - through slots
as it rotates - two boxers in action. This is just one of the show's
innovative, but hardly seen, characters. Others include: "camera men",
whose costumes include a camera mounted on their head or chest; a
"sound man", who wears a large carbon fiber cone; a "Screen Man",
whose costume conceals a 135 sq ft. screen that comes out of his
stomach, and a character whose costume is inspired by the first sound
equipment used to detect the sound of bombs in war. The influence of
Dick Tracy is front and center in a number that pays tribute to
gangster movies. The artists who leap up and down the buildings from
trampolines in the stage floor are wearing bright red, yellow and blue
tartan suits. In the Aerial Ballet number the costumes of the bungee-
jumping "diamond women" are studded with nearly one million Swarovski
crystals. In the air, the artists themselves are not as visible as the
brilliance of the stones, which give their bodies a smooth and bright
look. The costumes worn by the Icarian Games "Kiriki" characters are
an evocation of costumes in the films of Georges Méliès (and they are
one of the costume ensembles that do not work, in my opinion; they
looked like little bug characters from OVO!). The hybrid Furniture
Characters are artists whose costumes make them look exactly like
pieces of living room furniture: two chairs, a lamp, a table and a
moose head on the wall. At one point, as part of a movie, they all
come to life and unfold in a matter of seconds.
Acts /// The acrobatic performances are, of course, the most important
aspect for this observer. I want to see the evolution of skill and
presentation that I've come to know and love about Cirque du Soleil,
as well as be wowed by how the entire package comes together. Each of
the acrobatic numbers presented in IRIS are on-par with what you'd
find in other Cirque du Soleil shows, whether they be on tour in the
Grand Chapiteau or Arena format or taking up residence in a specially
designed theater. But, as with Zarkana, I felt there was no real
advance in acrobatic skill here. Only what appeared to be a focus on
the show's projection technology.
The show's acrobatic pieces open on the Atherton Twins' Aerial Straps
Duo number, beautifully performed with precision and grace; they yield
to the Contortion artists who do much better here than they did in
Banana Shpeel (they're rescues from that ill-fated show - although I
rather preferred their costuming and lighting there). The show began
to break down artistically during the Hand-to-Hand number - two
porters launch their partners into the air to perform stunning feats
requiring absolute mastery and control while kaleidoscopic projections
above the acrobats (generated live by their every move) decompose
motion to add a poetic dimension to their number. But it didn't. The
projections were tacky and when a black-clothed artist coming on stage
during one trick to spot it destroyed any illusion the artists
attempted to create. This disconcerting feeling continued through to
the next act, Filmstrip - a choreography that calls for high-speed
precision, performers advancing from one frame of film to the next to
create the illusion of continuous movement. And though the performers
create the illusion well, the visual went on a tad too long in my
opinion and broke down into a cacophony of chaos when it should have
just stopped. Thankfully the Icarian Games performers appeared next
and brought things together acrobatically - though I am not a fan of
the bug-like costumes they are forced to wear.
The second half of the show continued the cacophony of chaos I
mentioned earlier through an interesting number simply called "The
Movie Set". "Controlled chaos reigns over a succession of highly
visual numbers and audacious plunges as a bold allusion to various
aspects of filmmaking," the official description goes. The
choreography brings the circus disciplines of teeterboard, Spanish
web, Russian bars, aerial silk and floor gymnastics (which I was happy
to see, even if their inclusion was fleeting at best - the disciplines
would no sooner appear then disappear again!) and original
choreography. Although executing a number as chaotic as this deserves
some praise, the action was all over the place, which made it hard to
not only focus on the images at hand but appreciate the skills
involved. Trapeze & Brooms, thankfully, slowed things down (and it did
not disappoint). Here an artist on stage (Buster, or a performer who
is supposed to "be" Buster) manipulates his broom (quite a slick
maneuver actually) while above him, a trapeze artist - the embodiment
of his dream - performs.
Then a really creative segue segment, simply titled "Noir", evokes the
black and white film era through the exploration of a building's
tenants through their open windows. Using an inventive coordination
of screens and staging, bits of action poping into color for only a
moment before the light/camera moved on to another window, it was
truly a highlight. But then chaos reigned again in "The Rooftop"
where, in a tribute to gangster movies and to the work of stunt
actors, trampolinists deliver a number packed with thrills on the
roofs of buildings, multiplying their astounding leaps, flips and
glides in a non-stop action movie atmosphere. Cool maneuvers and nice
trampoline moves, but the constant movement was a wee bit distracting
(and it went on a little too long). Hand Balancing and Bungees round
out the show. Although it was nice to see Olga Pikhienko perform on
the hand balancing canes again (having previously seen her perform in
Quidam and Varekai), there was little change in her performance (and
her role here, to share a kiss with the hero, is also seemingly copied
from Varekai); and the Bungee performers do take flight... so long as
you're in the right seat (otherwise viewing might be limited!)
CONCLUSIONS
Despite all the nit-picking I have with the presentation of the show I
had a great time as an audience member. Cirque du Soleil's IRIS is
standing on much firmer ground artistically than Zarkana. Everything
feels just about right. With some tightening of those longer-running
segments, fleshing out the emotion in the story of two star-crossed
lovers, and losing some of the gimmicky projection work, IRIS will be
a Cirque du Soleil powerhouse. It should prove interesting to see this
show again in the future after its fixation period has ended and the
performers have had some time to mature into their roles. All the
elements are there.
Lights! Camera! Cirque!
P.S. CirqueCon didn't end following the performance - there was one
little surprise left to spring upon our members: a post-show meet and
greet with the Atherton twins, who graciously took time to not only
answer some of our pressing questions about their work, but also pose
for a few photos. Thanks guys!
----------------------------------------------------------
"CirqueWeek 2011: A Review (Part 1 of 2)"
By: Ricky Russo with Barb Lewis
----------------------------------------------------------
Whether you're a casual fan, an enthusiast, a Cirque devotee, a super
fan or an aficionado, Cirque du Soleil has created the perfect event
to satiate your appetites for all things Cirque. It's called
CirqueWeek and it's a gathering of Cirque du Soleil fans (a convention
if you will, similar to CirqueCon but organized not by fans but by
Cirque du Soleil itself) that offers unique show and event packages
with exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences.
First announced in 2010 as a collaboration between Cirque and the Las
Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (as a means to bring more
guests to Las Vegas during what is arguably its slowest season for
visitors - winter), the inaugural event proved quite popular. Many
wondered if CirqueWeek is just a one-time happening or if a second
would be bestowed.
By summer 2011 the answer arrived: From December 1st through 10th (ten
days this time, rather than five), the second annual CirqueWeek would
commence with behind-the-scenes Q&As & unplugged performances, meet &
greet photo opportunities with characters, technology demonstrations,
special fan receptions, exclusive performance and dress rehearsal
opportunities, plus, for this year only, the opportunity to be one of
the first to attend Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour and first
ever Michael Jackson Fan Fest!
I was in town for some of the activities surrounding CirqueWeek, as
were many fans of Cirque du Soleil. With the help of fellow fan and
Passionate Barb Lewis (who was also there at most of the event), we
attempt to bring CirqueWeek 2011 to you...
/// WHAT WE MISSED
The REVOLUTION Lounge at The Mirage became Ground Zero for CirqueWeek
activity, from 11:00am through 3:00pm each day. Here Cirque
enthusiasts could mingle with other like-minded fans, pick up their
event credentials (a lanyard and specially designed Cirque Week 2011
badge, which would identify you as a member and grants access to the
special events), get their gift bags (which included an exclusive
full-color program book that highlighted the week's schedule, a light-
flashing luggage tag, an event logo button, a Cirque Week branded
plastic drinking glass with squirrely sipping straw, and a Cirque Week
T-Shirt). Although alcoholic beverages were not on sale during this
time (nor was the club in its iconic lighting), if you'd never been
inside the REVOLUTION lounge before, this was a cool opportunity!
Since neither Barb Lewis nor I were in town for the first two days of
the event we missed three of the conventions exclusive events...
From 2:00pm until 3:00pm on Thursday, December 1st, we missed a
workshop given by select "O" characters at the "O" Theater at
Bellagio, who saw if fans had what it took to be an "O" artist. Fans
learned how to mime, dance and clown their way across the "O" stage,
and then after the workshop, were treated to a question and answer
(Q&A) session with a number of artists and coaches from the show.
Then on Friday, December 2nd, we missed out on two activities. The
first, a Custom Theater Technology Demonstration and Q&A at LOVE, one
of the most technically advanced Cirque du Soleil theaters in Las
Vegas. Featuring a state-of-the-art sound demonstration through over
6,300 custom-made speakers, The Beatles LOVE theater is a marvel. In
addition, the technical presentation showcased the 11 lifts that make
up the stage, 24 digital projectors, 204 moving lights and much more.
A Q&A opportunity followed featuring experts in the areas of Sound,
Automation, Lighting and Projections, learning all about the technical
aspects of LOVE. The second activity of the day was a welcome
reception for all CirqueWeek attendees held at the REVOLUTION Lounge
at the Mirage (from 5:00pm until 6:00pm). It was a Magical Mystery
Tour we just couldn't make in time... (We were still at CirqueCon.)
/// DECEMBER 3RD - INSIDE CIRQUE
An Exclusive Peek at the Business Side of the Show
Zumanity Theatre at NY-NY | 12:30pm - 2:30pm
Ever wondered where Cirque du Soleil recruits the performers and
the skilled technicians who make the magic happen night after
night? Ever curious about how they juggle 22 distinct shows
playing simultaneously on five continents? Want the scoop on
what's next for the company? Find the answers to these
questions, and many more at Inside Cirque: An Exclusive Peek at
the Business Side of the Show. It's your unique opportunity to
hear firsthand from company President and CEO Daniel Lamarre,
joined by a panel of key executives from numerous departments
from Casting to Marketing, details of the myriad components that
are vital to the success of Cirque du Soleil. Don't miss out on
this in-depth look at the company from a panel of experts
brought together exclusively for Cirque Week.
When you sit down for a round-table discussion with customers (a.k.a.
fans) of your business, you never know where the discussion might
lead. For Cirque Aficionados (or Passionates as some of us like to
call ourselves) we like to drive conversations like these beyond the
norms. But that doesn't mean you can't teach us a thing or two, and
some of the questions asked of Cirque du Soleil management were quite
interesting:
Q. Where is Cirque du Soleil's IT Department?
A. Right there in Las Vegas. Cirque du Soleil employs 1210 technical
personnel globally, but the headquarters for this initiative is in Las
Vegas. Recently, managers have been busy interviewing the Japanese
crew following the (then upcoming) closure of ZED to identify their
interests and introducing them to potential opportunities in other
shows. But be advised: if you're interested in joining the Cirque Tech
Team, you need to have training on the newest everything!
And speaking of ZED's closure, "Quiche Lorraine" (a fellow CirqueCon
Passionate) asked about how CDS handles placement of personnel from
closing shows. The Director of Personnel was touched that fans cared
that way about how Cirque du Soleil treated their performers. The head
of Personnel stepped up to answer:
A: "I flew to Tokyo and personally met with each person performing in
ZED." Cirque du Soleil has an internal department that deals
specifically with this issue by speaking with performers about their
opportunities in other Cirque shows world-wide, especially if a show
closes (like ZED) or the performer can't physically perform their act
anymore (due to age or injury). Cirque does not waste the talent, if
there aren't any character roles an acrobat is interested in
attempting, performers can move into more behind-the-scenes positions
as trainers, coaches, physiotherapists, Global Outreach staffers,
hotel management, or other roles.
The Director of Zumanity Costuming also answered a few questions from
the audience:
Q. "How many costumes does each performer have?"
A. "In the beginning of the show," she began, "each performer started
out with just one costume each, with the exception of one performer
who got a new costume after each show (because in each show one leg
gets burned, so two legs a day), and we perform 486 shows a year so
that was a lot of costumes, but eighteen months into the show we
provided multiple costumes per person for greater flexibility."
Q. "What do you need to be a fashion director at Cirque?"
A. Basically you have to come to Cirque du Soleil as a Fashion
Director, they cannot teach you; however, you can start with the
company as a costume technician, learning the skills required to keep
the costumes in top shape at one show, then move to another and learn
more, and maybe become a Fashion Director once you've learned all you
can hands-on. But there's only one Fashion Director per show, and
maybe one assistant, so competition is fierce.
Q. "What should you include in a resume to Cirque?"
A. EVERYTHING! "Don't edit yourself and leave something out because
you never know what Cirque du Soleil could be looking for." You never
know what the company might be looking for in the future (they do keep
your resume and will look over the submissions on a regular schedule,
so don't skimp on the details (but don't exaggerate either).
A great example of this is the Personnel head of Zumanity. She was the
former head of Human Resources at New York, New York and wasn't a good
match for them, so she met with Cirque du Soleil as the company was
loading Zumanity into the hotel and they immediately saw her energy. A
year later she joined Zumanity. So you never know!
But what if you don't know what you want to do, how do you learn? Is
there a place to intern with Cirque du Soleil?
A. YES! Out of eleven colleges and one high school where Cirque
conducts internships, the University of Las Vegas (UNLV) is definitely
one where Cirque recruits heavily. So definitely check out the
programs available at your college. Cirque du Soleil also keeps track
of its interns, checking in with them to see what they have been
doing. And some actually get hired right out of school!
In addition, Cirque du Soleil representatives spoke a lot about the
Cirqueculture and how it exists everywhere within the company. To
help express this to the audience most tangibly, they played a video
showcasing all of the departments found at Cirque du Soleil
Headquarters. They also spoke a little about Cirque du Monde, Cirque's
Global Outreach initiative. Did you know that Cirque du Soleil directs
80% of its charitable funds to youth at risk? Here another video
helped express the lengths Cirque du Soleil has gone to remain
committed to this cause: there are 30 separate youth programs that
Cirque supports just in Brazil alone, demonstrating to young people -
through Circus arts - that they can believe in themselves.
And last, but not least...
Q. "What happens when performers and celebrities meet?"
A. When famous people come to see Cirque du Soleil shows, whether it's
in Las Vegas or under the Grand Chapiteau throughout the world, and
they want to go backstage to meet the performers... something strange
happens. Both groups are so in awe of each other they hardly know how
to act! Celebrities become like kids at the circus and the performers
turn shy! But some, like Janet Jackson (who also gave her blessings
for MJ The Immortal), take it a step further. Before Janet goes out on
tour she brings a busload of her people to see Mystère so they can
understand creativity.
Whodathunk?
/// DECEMBER 4TH - BUNGEE DEMONSTRATION
Bungee Demonstration and Costume Q&A
Mystère Theatre at Treasure Island | 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Look up! It's a bird... it's a plane... it's the Mystère Bungee
Warriors! Enjoy an exclusive demonstration of the bungee act at
Mystère and a chance to talk to the artists who take flight ten
times each week. There will also be colorful costumes on display
and our Head of Wardrobe will be on hand to talk about the
bungee costumes and the challenges of maintaining costumes for
this very acrobatic show.
Mystère (which just reached its 8,500th performance recently and also
celebrated their 18th anniversary at Treasure Island - on Christmas
Eve) is my all-time favorite Cirque du Soleil show, and being given
the opportunity to watch the bungee artists rehearse while also
getting hands-on with some of the costumes meant this was one panel I
could not miss. And though I was stuck in traffic on the roads behind
the casinos usually reserved for servicing (thanks in large part to
the closure of Las Vegas Boulevard, a.k.a. "The Strip", for the
marathon running later that evening), we didn't miss one minute of it,
arriving at the doors to the Mystère Theater just in the nick of time.
As costuming was the main topic of this panel, we were greeted by the
Head of Wardrobe - Tamara, and her assistant - Julie and in the
process learned quite a number of interesting facts about the costumes
of Mystère.
o) Every costume starts in Montreal, and are the same designs as
those created at the beginning of Mystère, but costume
maintenance occurs locally, especially for fragile pieces
that may need replacing daily. The annual budget for the show
is a little over $1 million USD, so they must be resourceful.
o) The Mystère costume crew is twice as big as those found at
other Cirque du Soleil shows, with a crew of twenty working
between 8:00am and Midnight each performance day, supporting
the seventy-five to eighty artists and technicians Mystère
employs.
o) Therefore, the Head of Wardrobe, whose job it is to secure
all costume needs before the next show, is the last to leave
after any performance.
o) A performer can use up to six costumes throughout a
performance, portraying up to eleven different looks during a
show. Every performer has two costumes each and it can take
up to sixty-five costume pieces to achieve those eleven
variations.
o) All those changes mean a lot of sweat, which means a lot of
laundry. Though machine washed (as 90% of the costumes are
made from Lycra stretch material), no costume is dried in a
conventional dryer. All costumes are placed where fans blow
them dry. Every item, including shoes, is washed at least
weekly. But it does wear out the clothes: the florescent die
in the Chinese Poles costumes don't last that long - up to
three weeks before the garment needs to be replaced.
o) With all that laundering and use the costumes take quite a
beating, but costume fit is very important at Mystère (and at
Cirque in general) as it's a safety issue. For example, if a
Chinese Poles garment is not properly fitted, it could snag
on the poles when a performer is expecting to slide, causing
an accident or a wardrobe malfunction.
o) Such malfunctions became more prevalent after Cirque was
forced to change suppliers for the Lycra - they found the
Chinese Poles artists were comfortable performing when the
costumes went on (as they were perfectly fitted for them),
but the costumes began to stretch as they performed, reacting
to their ever increasing body heat and thus began to snag!
o) And what of other types of costume maladies, how are those
dealt with? When the show is ON that evening, dressers come
in around 4:00pm to address colored tags an artist has placed
on their garments.
o) Pink tags mean that the costume needs some special attention
when being washed and therefore the Wardrobe department knows
what to look for. A Yellow tag means "caution", even more
attention is required here - there might be a tear. A green
tag is used to indicate a biohazard, such as a blood or some
other bodily fluid (besides sweat). And costumes tagged in
red are dead.
o) Maintenance can be performed at anytime, but generally is
done during the four weeks throughout the year Mystère is
dark. Bungee artists costumes require a lot of touch ups due
to the "spaghetti strings" (as they call them) that have to
be trimmed in such a way so that they don't wrap around the
artists (or the trapeze) in flight. But that has happened
before - during a show - preventing the aerialist from
performing their act.
And then our attention turned to the Bungee artists, who were taking
their seats on the trapezes above our heads. Carl, the head coach for
the Bungees, talked us through the rehearsal while the artists got
settled. He explained that every bungee artist has another number they
perform in the show, such as being part of the Trampoline or Chinese
Poles, or appearing as one of the show's esoteric characters, making a
cue or some other kind of appearance. And for every on-stage bungee
performance artist, there's another in the catwalks above the stage
assisting - making them swing and/or helping adjust the bungees
themselves when they're out of sync, a point that was demonstrated to
us when the Warriors failed to meet up in the middle.
In fact, part of today's rehearsal was training new assistants, who
will put the swing in their performance. It was a little rough as
timing is everything - pull too softly, too hard or not in sync and
the performance will be off. Of course, a number of other factors can
make the performance go awry. For example, the bungee cords are
natural rubber and are affected by humidity. The length of the cords
for the start of the act is set dependent on the measured humidity in
the theater. The humidity at the start of this practice was 11%. To
prepare the artists for the chest-to-chest finale, 26 inches were
added to the length of the cords near the end of the act, but it
wasn't enough.
Safety is, of course, paramount at Cirque du Soleil and even the
bungee artists have earwigs (small ear phones) to hear cues (such as
"pull" and "release" to the assistants above). Those calling the cues
see the performers at all times through an intricate closed-circuit
camera setup and communicate over four distinct channels: A, B, C and
D. The main show is called off Channel A. Lighting cues are done
exclusively through Channel B. Channels C and D are available for the
band and other needs, should they arise. Do they ever get
interference? Why, yes they do! In fact the show recently had to
change some of their audio channels because they were being flooded
over by an expansion of the local police channels. Can you imagine
getting a call on a robbery while you're attempting a flight?
Following their practice routines we had a moment to chat with a few
of the bungee artists who were asked how much their headpieces weighed
and about any discomforts they might feel tumbling about over our
head. One warrior said they experience no discomfort during the week -
"This is my playground!; however, we 'see stars' after coming back
from an extended break." The other warrior said, "Spinning in the
direction we're used to is fine but spinning a hula hoop would make us
sick!"
Oh, and the headpieces weigh about six pounds each.
Following the rehearsal and Q&A session, the fans were granted a
marvelous chance to examine actual Mystère costumes and props up
close. These included wigs and headdresses from various characters,
shoes of all shapes, sizes and colors, props (such as the candelabra),
a Bungee, Trampoline (Spermatoza), and other dancers' costumes, and an
Asticots mask (the Chinese poles double-faced character). And if you
were lucky enough (as Nicole and I were), you could even have tried on
one of these costumes - and head pieces! - and become one of Mystère's
fantastic characters!
* * *
The Mystère panel was totally awesome, and I couldn't have asked for
anything more out of the experience (except to pound on a taïko drum
please?), but CirqueWeek continued on. And we'll pick up with the
Zumanity Rehearsal and finish out the week's activities next time!
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"The Cirque du Soleil Gift Card - Ready for Prime Time?"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
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"An Invitation to Amazement" is Cirque du Soleil's tagline for one of
its newest offerings - the Cirque du Soleil Gift Card. Available in
USD denominations of 25-50-75-100-150 or 200 dollars, they can be
delivered free to the purchaser or intended receiver by courier or
email. While you can't get refunds the card never expires. Sounds
like a good way to introduce a friend to the wonders of Cirque du
Soleil, no?
Being recipients of one of the cards courtesy of Cirque du Soleil we
decided to do what they likely hoped we would do - write about it!
And after looking at the system and how it works (or in some cases,
doesn't) there is a lot to write about.
The yellow credit card-sized card comes in its own gift flap with
space on the inside for names and a message (which can be customized
up to 200 characters when the card is sent via email). On the back of
the card are a bar code, a rather long serial number, and a 4-digit
security code underneath a scratch-off security layer. It's also
here, amongst the legalese, that we find the issuer of the card as EBG
Gift Card Services, LLC and not Cirque du Soleil. "EBG" is
Entertainment Benefits Group (.com), one of the largest providers of
corporate benefit programs and direct travel programs in the US. They
maintain such websites as showtickets.com and ticketsandtours.com
(which sell half-price show tickets in Las Vegas), ticketsatwork.com
(selling theme park and theater tickets to employees whose companies
offer the benefit) and bestoforlando.com (a site for Orlando area
attraction tickets). In fact, the charge you make will appear on your
credit card statement as "Travel Providers of America" an EBG
subsidiary. So while you are buying a card to be used for Cirque
tickets Cirque is only marketing the card, you are doing business with
EBG.
To purchase the card you go to < www.cirquedusoleilgift.com > or call
1-877-583-8368. However, the only way to redeem the card is at the
website; it can't be taken to a box office. And it can only be used
for shows in the United States (which offers at least the nine US
resident shows as well as Grand Chapiteau and arena shows). It can't
be used for merchandise or concessions. The purchasing interface is
straightforward; it's when trying to redeem the card, however, that
its shortcomings (at least in its current form) become apparent.
To begin, you have to use this website for redemption, limiting you to
their ticketing interface. Which is nowhere near the powerful program
Cirque uses to sell their Grand Chapiteau tickets (which we think is
the best interface of its kind). The website is moderately good at
allowing you to select from all US shows or by city, to choose from
the complete schedule of shows for several months into the future, and
showing all the available ticket types. (It also charges
"convenience" and "transaction" fees, but the Gift Card can be used to
pay those off too.) But it is at this point the application falls
short.
After picking the show, performance, and ticket type, the interface
presents a page showing seats that have automatically been selected
for you, much in the same way as Ticketmaster. Which is fine for
those used to Ticketmaster and the way it doles out tickets. But it's
a disappointment to those who are used to the lovely Cirque ticket
application that not only allows you to pick a seating section, but
gives several choices within that section as well as showing a view of
the stage from that section.
As an example, we used the site to get seats for a performance of OVO
in Portland, OR. While the standard Cirque ticket interface provided
several options of Category 1 seats just behind the soundboard in
Section 200, the Gift Card interface chose seats on the extreme left
of the stage, in Row A of Section 103, with no other choices in that
price range offered. Fine for being close to the action but not for
sitting further back for a wider view.
And it won't provide a seating selection for the resident shows at
all! Instead, you pay for the tickets without knowing where you will
be seated. We have been informed that ticket orders for resident
shows are handled manually by the Cirque ticketing team as soon as
possible after the order is placed using the same ticket inventory the
resident show interface uses, and that the purchaser is then informed
of the location of their seats. (The recipient picks up the tickets
at a will call ticket booth.) This gave us pause; we don't feel
comfortable handing over $200-300 or more for a pair of tickets
without knowing where we will be seated.
One other comment about the interface - the payment process doesn't
automatically assume you will be redeeming a Gift Card; you have to
search for and expand that section of the payment page. Since this
page is set up exclusively for the redemption of the cards we would
think that section would already be expanded when the page first
loads.
In talking with some friendly sources, we learned that the intricacies
of working with the various partners and applications Cirque uses to
sell its tickets means the interface used (created by the
administrator of the system, EBG) was the best option available in the
time they had to put the program together. The goal is to eventually
be able to redeem the Gift Card through the Cirque Grand Chapiteau
interface, and perhaps through the MGM Las Vegas ticket interface
though that may be harder to do.
The way the card program is currently structured we find it a great
way to introduce someone new to a Cirque du Soleil show. A new person
likely won't care too much about where they sit so the ticket
interface provided should do just fine. This card works well for that
purpose. However, if your recipient is an experienced Cirque fan we
don't recommend the Gift Card because it doesn't allow you to control
where you sit, and for resident shows it doesn't show you where you
will sit until some time after you have purchased the tickets.
We also feel it should work for merchandise and concessions,
especially at Grand Chapiteau shows and the online Boutique, since
it's sold in denominations as small as $25.00. We'd also like to see
it be redeemable at the box office, at least for Grand Chapiteau and
resident shows. Until it works out those issues we can only give it a
one-half thumbs up.
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 12, Number 1 (Issue #96) - January 2012
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c)
2001-2012 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a
subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter
can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or
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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.
{ Jan.08.2012 }
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