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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 13, NUMBER 02 February 2013 ISSUE #109e
=======================================================================
Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque
du Soleil Newsletter.
The events of the past few months has lead me to think about the
expression: "may you live in interesting times." It is a phrase often
purported to be an English translation of a proverb and curse of
Chinese origin to mean: may you experience much disorder and trouble
in your life. The expression is always used ironically, with the clear
implication that uninteresting times, of peace and tranquility, are
more life-enhancing than interesting ones. Although scholars agree that
the origins of the phrase lie with modern western writers rather than
with the ancient Chinese, the expression has come to be used (in a
modified form) to describe tangible pivots in history, whether they
are global - affecting billions - or to describe unforeseen events a
little closer to home. For the past few months we as fans of Cirque du
Soleil can truly say we live in interesting times. From the closing of
a half-dozen shows to the most recent announcement of layoffs (see our
news section within this month), Cirque is experiencing a lot of this
disorder. We as fans can only sit back and watch as the Cirque attempts
to right its listing ship, and wonder if they will be able to steer
back on course.
Naturally only time will tell.
Until that happens one begins to question: what went wrong? Many in
the media are just now realizing what many of us have thought all
along: that Cirque du Soleil's relentless growth since the mid-2000's
was simply unsustainable, was a huge drain on their creativity, and
should never have happened. Many of those same media types are now
beginning to point to the moment of failure: Banana Shpeel - you
know, Cirque's "new twist on vaudeville" that was swept under the
rug? To that end - and with little else to speak of this month -
we're going to look back at Banana Shpeel, from the moment it was
rumored to the disasterous and very public closing.
As always we've got the latest news items posted to Fascination!
Website over the month and, of course, updates to Cirque's tour
schedule - check out where Quidam, Dralion and MJ Immortal are going
next!
Join us on the web at:
< www.cirquefascination.com >
Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only):
< http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >
- Ricky "Richasi" Russo
===========
CONTENTS
===========
o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information
* BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau
* Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues
* Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre
o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets
* Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub
* Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube
o) Compartments -- A Peek Behind the Curtain
* Historia -- Cirque Company History
* Odyssea -- Cirque Tour History
o) Fascination! Features
* "A Riot of Ha-Ha's, La-La's and Ta-Da's?
A Look Back at Banana Shpeel"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) Subscription Information
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
=======================================================================
CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Worlds Away Weekend Box Office Week #2
{Jan.01.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Box Office Mojo is reporting final weekend numbers for the
film's second week and Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away has slipped
three places.
The hour and a half long movie earned $2,400,000 over the
holiday weekend, good enough to make it the fourteenth most
prosperous film of the period (and a +12.4% rise over the
previous weekend). With it showing in 840 theaters, the film
earned an average of $2,857 per screen. Total USA Box Office
results show the film earning $7,407,000 so far.
{SOURCE: Box Office Mojo}
Evil Eye builds a 3D VFX sand vortex
for Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away
{Jan.02.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Evil Eye Pictures worked as the lead visual effects house for
the stereoscopic 3D film, Cirque Du Soleil Worlds Away, which
hits UK cinemas on February 1 2013. Inevitably, it's already out
in the US.
Cirque Du Soleil is known for its real acrobatics, and Evil
Eye's work was confined to the narrative parts of the film,
where two young people journey through the dreamlike worlds
containing Cirque du Soleil performances to find each other.
Evil Eye designed and produced the sand vortex that literally
draws the central characters into the Cirque universe.
"The vortex effect required complex creative design and the
simulation of millions and millions of animated sand particles,"
says John L Jack, Evil Eye's visual effects producer. "The
results in 3D are quite stunning."
The firm also created numerous exterior shots executed by Evil
Eye support the film's story, which moves across Cirque du
Soleil including O, KA, Mystere, Viva Elvis, Zumanity and The
Beatles Love.
Check out a few SFX behind-the-scenes shots here:
< http://goo.gl/umuXd >
{SOURCE: Digital Arts Online}
Taiwanese Diabolo Artists Invited
to Join Cirque du Soleil
{Jan.03.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Three Taipei college students known for their skill with the
diabolo have been invited to join the Montreal-based global
highbrow circus Cirque du Soleil.
Taiwanese William Wei Liang Lin, Patty Liao and Zong-ying Lin
will first travel to Canada to train and prepare for the Quidam
extravaganza. The show will be touring Europe and the US in the
coming year.
The trio were members of Taipei's MHD Diabolo Art group when
they were scouted by Cirque du Soleil.
William Wei Liang Lin, 23, is the oldest and best known member
of the trio. He began learning diabolo when he was ten. He has
won numerous World Juggling Federation events. Lin was inspired
to pursue the diabolo as a career after winning the top award at
the French talent show Du Cirque de Demain in 2008. The
invitation from Cirque du Soleil is a dream-come-true for Lin
who recalls watching the circus on DVDs while practicing the
diabolo as a child.
Patty Liao is in her fourth year in National Taiwan College of
Performing Arts. She only began learning diabolo at the age of
12, considered a late start for diabolo artists. Being left-
handed she often had to mentally reverse the routines before she
could master them. Liao dropped out of school and went abroad to
acquire more diabolo skills. A video of her performance during
the PEH Cup International Acrobatics Festival had gone viral on
the internet, leading to her selection by Cirque du Soleil.
Zong-ying Lin, 18 is the youngest and least experienced of the
three, having begun learning it only eight years ago at the age
of ten. Lin had never entered an international competition but
impressed Cirque du Soleil scouts who saw videos of his
performance with the MHD Diabolo Art group. He will be dropping
out of school to join the circus.
All three were coached by Tseng Wun-siou who said the circus had
selected them for their innovative spirits. She expressed the
hope that they would help promote diabolo art around the world.
Though the art evolved overseas since it began as Chinese yo-yo
in the 12th century, most Chinese consider the modern diabolo as
merely a somewhat evolved form of the Chinese art form.
{SOURCE: Goldsea Asian American News, CirqueSpotlight}
Worlds Away Weekend Box Office Week 3
{Jan.08.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Box Office Mojo is reporting final weekend numbers for the
film's third week and Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away has slipped
another five places.
The hour and a half long movie earned $1,285,432 over the
weekend, good enough to make it the nineteenth most prosperous
film of the period (but a -46.4% drop over the previous
weekend). With it showing on 817 screens (a drop of 23), the
film earned an average of $1,573 per screen. Total USA Box
Office results show the film earning $10,878,362 so far.
{SOURCE: Box Office Mojo}
Worlds Away Weekend Box Office Week 4
{Jan.13.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Box Office Mojo is reporting final weekend numbers for the
film's fourth week and Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away has slipped
out of the top 20.
The hour and a half long movie earned just $461,069 over the
weekend, enough to earn it the 24th most prosperous film of the
period. By the numbers, Worlds Away dropped another -64.1% in
earnings, lost 387 screens (now showing on only 430), and
earning an average of $1,072 per screen. Total USA Box Office
results show the film earning $11,771,987 so far.
{SOURCE: Box Office Mojo}
"Parade: The Collective" Arrives in Las Vegas
{Jan.14.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil is spotlighting another side of its workforce
with an artistic exhibition at the Trifecta Gallery inside the
Arts Factory in downtown Las Vegas. The exhibition, Parade: The
Collective, features artwork created by Cirque du Soleil
employees, including technicians and support staff as well as
performers from its Las Vegas, Orlando, Los Angeles and Montreal
productions.
The artwork on display with Parade: The Collective includes
paintings, photography, mixed media and sculpture. The exhibit,
which is open through Jan. 25, is free and open to the public.
The Arts Factory is located at 107 E. Charleston Blvd. in Las
Vegas.
{SOURCE: Travel Weekly | http://goo.gl/MevaG}
Cirque dazzles at Infiniti Q50 reveal
{Jan.14.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Canadian-based performance group Cirque du Soleil introduced the
Infiniti Q50 Monday morning in one of the more creative car
reveals on the first day of the 2013 North American
International Auto Show. The 2 minute-long show started with
rhythmic music as a black curtain dropped and smoke cleared to
reveal three female performers that twirled lighted batons that
spelled words like "performance" and "technology."
They were followed by three male performers in face paint and
elaborate red and white costumes who circled the car, doing
handstands, flips and other acrobatics. The brief show concluded
with a veil being lifted off the new car, which Infiniti
President Johan De Nysschen said launched a "bold new journey"
for the automaker.
See the video here:
< http://goo.gl/Nup0s >
{SOURCE: Detroit News, Detroit Free Press | http://goo.gl/jKWC1 }
Restructuring Sparks Layoff Rumours
{Jan.15.2013}
----------------------------------------------
It has been a challenging year for the Cirque du Soleil. And
rumours are flying that major layoffs may be announced soon,
perhaps at this Wednesday's annual meeting between head honchos
and staff at the company's Montreal headquarters. Or not.
Here's what Cirque du Soleil's Senior Director of Public
Relations Renée-Claude Ménard replied to the Gazette's query
today about an online article published by an obscure Quebec
online news source called Les News:
After refusing to respond directly to the article, she wrote,
"But I will confirm that Cirque is currently reviewing all its
operations to ensure viable and controlled costs. As any other
company would do. We have adjusted our production schedules and
are operating close to 20 shows worldwide. Now we are adapting
our workflow to this new reality." In addition, she confirmed
that Cirque CEO Daniel Lamarre and owner Guy Laliberté would,
indeed, be meeting with Cirque employees this week, as they do
every year.
The question, of course, is what they will be saying to
employees this time around. Three other French-language news
sources, of note, Le Devoir , Canoe.ca and Radio-Canada, soon
followed up with their own guarded speculations about whether or
not between 400 and 600 Cirque employees are about to be cut
loose, mainly from the Montreal office, where over 2,000 of the
company's roughly 5,000 employees work. (About 30 employees plus
three vice presidents already got their walking papers before
Christmas.)
In fact, it would be abnormal if there weren't layoffs at head
office considering that four Cirque shows (Zed, Zaia, Viva Elvis
and Saltimbanco) have closed over the past year and a fifth,
Iris, in Los Angeles, is about to close this weekend (on Jan.
19, 2013). Each Cirque show employs about 200 people.
Even with the closings, 19 Cirque shows continue to please
audiences around the world. In addition, the 3D film Cirque du
Soleil, Worlds Away, is doing respectable business worldwide,
although it didn't prove as popular as one might have expected
in Quebec. According to the IMBD company's Box Office Mojo
website, Worlds Away has brought in nearly $12 million since its
Dec. 21, 2012 opening.
{SOURCE: Montreal Gazette | http://goo.gl/zusrI }
Worlds Away Earnings By The Numbers
So Far
{Jan.15.2013}
----------------------------------------------
So far Cirque du Soleil's Worlds Away 3D is performing admirably
in theaters worldwide (where is has thus far been released), but
is not a runaway success. We've reported on the weekend numbers
in previous posts (summarized below...)
Date Rank Wknd Gross %Chng Scr Avg. GTD
===============================================================
Dec 2123 11 $2,162,993 --- 840 $2,575 $2,282,368
Dec 2830 14 $2,400,265 +11.0% 840 $2,857 $7,426,926
Jan 46 19 $1,285,432 -46.4% 817 $1,573 $10,878,362
Jan 1113 24 $461,069 -64.1% 430 $1,072 $11,771,987
Here's how it breaks down domestically (within the USA) weekly:
Date Rank Wknd Gross %Chng Scr Avg. GTD
=================================================================
Dec 1420 30 $119,375 - - - $119,375
Dec 2127 14 $4,907,286 +4,011% 840 $5,842 $5,026,661
Dec 28Jan 3 14 $4,566,269 -6.9% 840 $5,436 $9,592,930
Jan 410 19 $1,717,988 -62.4% 817 $2,103 $11,310,918
Worldwide, markets outside of North America are outpacing those
inside:
Domestic: $11,771,987 49.3%
+ Foreign: $12,100,000 50.7%
---------------------------------
= Worldwide: $23,871,987
Breaking it down within those markets
Country Date Opening %/Total Total Gross As of..
=============================================================
Japan 11/9/12 $1,098,180 19.4% $5,667,435 12/2/12
Lebanon 12/27/12 $26,538 100% $26,538 12/30/12
Ukraine 12/27/12 $47,326 38.6% $122,590 12/30/12
UAE 12/27/12 $68,415 58.9% $116,170 01/6/13
And if you're interested in seeing how the gross figures break
down each week in these "foreign" markets, or just want to take
a look at the release figures yourself, visit
www.boxofficemojo.com and check out all the data the service has
to offer!
We'll continue to monitor the film's gross figures for just a
little while longer.
{SOURCE: Box Office Mojo}
Cirque to Restructure, 400 Jobs Cut
{Jan.16.2013}
----------------------------------------------
In an announcement made earlier today, Cirque du Soleil is
slashing a number of positions, mostly at its Montreal
headquarters, citing tough economic times and out of control
expenses. Here are some highlights from the announcement:
o) "The Cirque is going through a difficult period but not a
difficult financial period," spokeswoman Renée-Claude Ménard
said Wednesday at the company's Montreal headquarters.
o) "We are now in the process of reviewing within the company
worldwide, all of our expenses, to ensure we decrease them
significantly," said Renée-Claude Ménard.
o) "We've identified 400 positions [to be cut], the majority are
in the Montreal operations, but we don't have a definite
number yet," she said. (About 50 positions were abolished
before the holidays; 30 in Montreal alone).
o) The first round of layoffs will happen before the end of
January and will run through March.
o) Cirque employs about 5,000 people world-wide, 2,000 of those
are in Montreal. The cuts represent 9 percent of the
company's total workforce.
o) Owner Guy Laliberté was not on hand for the announcement,
company representatives said he was breaking the news to
staff at the same time. And despite the restructuring,
Laliberté has no intention of selling the company.
o) "The first thing to say is that the Circus is not in crisis,"
Menard told a news conference Wednesday. "Let's get that
straight. We had a record year in terms of tickets sold. We
sold more than 14 million tickets this year. We had a record
year for total revenue, with more than $1-billion." Despite
that, the Cirque didn't make money, Menard said.
o) Most of the Cirque's revenue comes from outside the Country
and Ménard said for every cent the Canadian dollar increases,
it costs the company $3 million is lost revenue.
o) The first sign things were changing, Ménard admitted, was
back in 2008. The company started to see expenses increase
sharply, and as the Canadian dollar inched higher, revenues
decreased. "Basically, we're very lucky that within a very
difficult financial and economic situation worldwide that
we're still pulling the rabbit out of the hat," she said.
o) It's a problem, she admits, the company has avoided facing
for several years, but it now has no choice. "And now, at 29-
years-old, Cirque has to be mature and look at it [as] a
mature company."
o) In addition to the layoffs, Cirque said it would be closing
four shows to trim expenses. "We would have been much happier
to tell you those shows weren't closing," Ms. Ménard said.
"But it's not a revenue issue, it's an expense issue."
Franco Dragone Suspected of Tax Fraud?
{Jan.19.2013}
----------------------------------------------
From the Montreal Gazette:
Franco Dragone, who directed 10 Cirque du Soleil shows between
1985 and 1998, is being investigated for tax fraud.
Based in his home town of La Louviere, Belgium since 2001,
Dragone appears not to have paid much in the way of taxes since
then, thanks to several numbered companies located in places
like the Virgin Islands, Hungary and Luxembourg. His Belgium-
based company receives royalties from his show Le Reve at the
Wynn Resort in Las Vegas (where he also directed Celine Dion's
first show, A New Day, in addition to Cirque du Soleil's O and
Mystere).
Thanks to a story about this situation which surfaced in the
Belgian publication Le Vif/L'Express (http://goo.gl/uTTru),
Dragone found himself answering some tough questions when he
held a press conference this week to talk about his latest
projects. (Which include staging the opening and closing
ceremonies of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.)
On this side of the Atlantic, it was La Presse
(http://goo.gl/R75Cu) and Radio-Canada (http://goo.gl/uARbK)
that broke the story on Friday (Jan. 18, 2013).
Dragone, who also has a successful show called The House of
Dancing Water running in Macau, doesn't seem to think he has
anything to worry about according to another publication, Le
Soir (http://goo.gl/P2kAx), even though investigators searched
his offices and home last all.
Coincidentally, the Cirque du Soleil held a press conference
this week, too, to explain its restructuring plan which will
include the loss of at least 400 jobs. Although the Montreal-
based company sold 14.2 million tickets last year and brought in
about a billion dollars in revenue, it did not manage to turn a
profit.
{SOURCE: Montreal Gazette | http://goo.gl/ggGIz }
Au Revoir, IRIS
{Jan.20.2013}
----------------------------------------------
With a burst of shimmering confetti and streamers, Cirque du
Soleil's "Iris" bade a festive "au revoir" to Los Angeles on
Saturday at the Dolby Theatre.
The show, which opened in 2011 and is believed to have cost
close to $100 million to produce, was supposed to run for at
least 10 years in Hollywood but closed much earlier than
expected after it had failed to generate sufficient box-office
interest.
Saturday evening's final performance of "Iris" managed to
achieve what the show struggled to do all along playing to a
packed house. Cirque officials said that "Iris" has attracted
sold-out or nearly sold-out shows since it was announced in late
November that it would close.
Several Cirque leaders were present on Saturday, but they didn't
address the audience. Composer Danny Elfman, who wrote the music
for the show, was also present. The extended curtain call
featured bows by the cast and backstage crew of "Iris."
The production is expected to begin dismantling its sets at the
Dolby on Tuesday so that preparation can begin for the Academy
Awards ceremony, which will take place on Feb. 24.
The last several weeks have been difficult for the Montreal-
based Cirque. The company announced earlier this month that it
will lay off 400 individuals, or about 8% of its workforce, in
the coming weeks due to what it said are production costs and
expenses.
Daniel Lamarre, the president and chief executive officer of
Cirque, declined to comment on Saturday. A Cirque spokeswoman
said that the recently announced layoffs don't include people
from "Iris." She said some of the performers from "Iris" are
going to other Cirque shows.
However, almost all of the local support crew and staff for
"Iris" are expected to be unemployed.
"It's the nature of the business," said one crew member, who
spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to
talk to the media. He said that attendance has been weak for
much of the show's run and that some performances saw attendance
as low as 25% capacity.
Another "Iris" staff member, also speaking on condition of
anonymity, said that the show's location at the Hollywood &
Highland complex was a turn-off because of the traffic in the
area and parking concerns. "You couldn't give tickets away," he
said.
"Iris" was a movie-themed production that featured Cirque's
signature acrobatics and aerial stunts. The show had the
daunting task of filling the Dolby Theatre as many as 11 times a
week. "Iris" also commanded steep ticket prices, with the most
expensive seats going for $133 and VIP packages for $253.
Guy Laliberté, the billionaire co-founder and owner of Cirque,
wasn't in attendance Saturday evening, but Cirque said that he
flew in to L.A. a few weeks earlier to talk the cast and crew of
the show.
{SOURCE: LA Times | http://goo.gl/cSSWt }
Cirque looking for new partners in Las Vegas? [EXPANDED]
{Jan.24.2013}
--------------------------------------------------------
The more we learn about the layoffs Cirque announced on
Wednesday the 16th, the more dire the situation for Cirque it
becomes. Although Renée-Claude Ménard (spokeswoman for Cirque du
Soleil) denied in the press conference that the Cirque was "in
crisis", it is hard to argue with the fact that 2012 was the
first in its history (beyond the initial start-up period) that
the Canadian company was not profitable.
And in article published in the Daily Press Dot Com, it now
looks as if Cirque's partners no longer want to help?
From CirqueSpotlight:
I don't know how reliable this source is, but in an
article they wrote:
"The spokesperson said that the company's business model
has evolved greatly in the past five years, adding that
some partners in Las Vegas no longer are willing to
participate in sharing the costs of production and that
the Canadian company is already looking for other
partners."
Another line in the article we find interesting is one which
suggests beyond the shows that have closed already, there might
be three others that are not doing so well?
With nearly 5,000 employees of which 1,300 are artists,
Canadian company had a turnover of over $1 billion in
2011. Since then, three shows the titles of which were
not disclosed by Renée-Claude Ménard, director of public
relations of the multinational company in the
entertainment industry were not doing as well as it was
expected, for "different reasons."
Of course these three shows could easily be ZAIA, Viva Elvis,
IRIS and/or Saltimbanco, but we'll have to wait and see if
Cirque du Soleil announces any other show closings in the next
three to six months.
You can read that article from the Daily Press below:
The economic crisis has certain consequences, even in the
entertainment industry. Cirque du Soleil announced on Wednesday
that it would eliminate up to 400 jobs mostly at its
headquarters in Montreal because of the Canadian dollar
exchange rate, the economic crisis and rising production costs
for its performances, informs lefigaro.fr. The Canadian dollar
has been soaring in the past years against the U.S. dollar,
cutting the profits of the company.
Founded in 1980 by Guy Laliberté, Cirque du Soleil has seen an
incredible rise to become one of the largest entertainment
companies in the world. With nearly 5,000 employees of which
1,300 are artists, Canadian company had a turnover of over $1
billion in 2011.
Since then, three shows the titles of which were not disclosed
by Renée-Claude Ménard, director of public relations of the
multinational company in the entertainment industry were not
doing as well as it was expected, for different reasons.
Renée-Claude Ménard denied in a press conference the information
that Cirque du Soleil is in crisis, but acknowledged that 2012
was the first in its history that the Canadian company was not
profitable. In the previous year, the companys profit was $250
million.
The 400 jobs will be eliminated from all segments of the company
and will be announced by the end of March. They add to the 50
jobs cut before Christmas.
The spokesperson said that the companys business model has
evolved greatly in the past five years, adding that some
partners in Las Vegas no longer are willing to participate in
sharing the costs of production and that the Canadian company is
already looking for other partners.
After a period of frantic growing the Canadian company reached
maturity and intends to remain at the 20-shows level that
currently produces. Cirque du Soleil has plans to greatly reduce
costs of about $50 million per show, to reach a threshold of
production costs of $25 million to $30 million.
Starting with a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings
in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a major Quebec-based
organization that provides high-quality entertainment. The
company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,300 artists
from close to 50 different countries. More than 100 million
spectators in nearly 300 cities on six continents were amazed
and delighted by the Cirque du Soleil.
{SOURCE: Foobar/CirqueSpotlight, The Daily Press Dot Com}
Presse: "Meet the Goddess of Amaluna"
{Jan.25.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil will hold its US premiere when it opens
"Amaluna" at Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington (Seattle
Area). In the show, French-Canadian performer Marie-Michelle
Faber plays the Moon Goddess in the show, a retelling of
Shakespeare's "The Tempest" Cirque style. The News Tribune
caught up with Faber during the final week of the show's latest
stop in Vancouver, B.C. and asked some really interesting
questions...
Q: Amaluna's story takes place on an island ruled by a woman
named Prospera who has a daughter named Miranda who gets
wooed by a sexy dude named Romeo. Why not just call this
Cirque du Shakespeare?
A: Because (director) Diane Paulus decided to have an
inspiration on Shakespeare but not to recreate it. She took
some characters (from "The Tempest") so that the people can
relate to a story that they may know. We're still a circus,
not a theater.
Q: Tell me about your character, the Moon Goddess.
A: I'm there as a godmother of Miranda. I protect her. I give
her my crystal ball that represents the moon, and it gives
her strength.
Q: I'm sensing this show has a lot of female energy. Is it an
empowering story for women?
A: We are almost 80 percent women. It was (Cirque founder) Guy
Laliberte's wishes to do a female show. But we can't do a 100
percent female show. We need the guys. (The men) have great
acts in the show.
Q: Will men feel comfortable watching this? It's not a Cirque
version of "Thelma and Louise" is it?
A: It's not a feminist show. We show different strengths of
women: the fragility, the beauty. Women will like it, too.
There's this guy who does a pole act and when he takes his
shirt off, the girls go "woooooooooo!"
Q: What sort of skills and talents does your role require?
A: My act is a vocal aerial hoop. I sing while doing contortions
and acrobatic skills in the air. It's tremendously demanding
on my cardio and on the control of my breath. I have to be
able to synchronize my movement and where I use my strength.
Q: Have you performed in other Cirque productions?
A: I started in 1998 on "Quidam." I was on that for five years
total. Then I went on "Corteo" for seven years. I did three
different jobs. I worked on a huge (flying) chandelier. I was
the singer on that show with a partner. That's where I first
merged aerial and singing in the air. That's what brought me
on this production.
Q: Cirque shows are like "Law and Order" spin-offs. They just
never stop coming. What is the draw that keeps packing in
audiences?
A: It's a hard question. I'm so immersed in it, it's hard to put
myself in the audience, but I'm so happy that they are
present for us. Maybe it's because we give so much.
Q: Do you have to be in top shape to be in a Cirque show?
A: I'm 34 now and I have to give more attention to my body. When
I was younger, I didn't warm up as much. The show was enough.
I still don't do a huge physical preparation. I warm up with
yoga and pilates.
Q: I can't do yoga without crying and I have a substance abuse
problem with Trader Joe's ginger cookies. I wouldn't make the
callback list for Cirque, would I?
A: It depends. If you fit the profile for a job they are looking
for, then you are in.
Q: I see. Are you auditioning for old fat guys?
A: Umm...
Q: What is life like when you are not on stage? You don't walk
around Vancouver juggling and dressed like peacocks do you?
A. We are just regular people. Here in Vancouver, there's this
bar where a lot of (the cast) hangs out. They've become the
regulars. In my free time, I'm starting a yoga studio in my
hometown, Quebec City.
Q: Cirque performers are very anonymous, but do you have fans
and groupies?
A: I do have fans from all over: Japan, Russia, the States,
Canada. They find me on the Internet and Facebook.
(incredulously) Me?
{SOURCE: The News Tribune | http://goo.gl/c5qNB }
Worlds Away Weekend Box Office Week 6
{Jan.27.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Box Office Mojo is reporting final weekend numbers for the
film's sixth week and Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away has slipped
out of the top 30.
The hour and a half long movie earned just $86,000 over the
weekend, enough to earn it the 34th most prosperous film of the
period. By the numbers, Worlds Away dropped another -60.1% in
earnings, lost 1697 screens (now showing on only 96), and
earning an average of $896 per screen. Total USA Box Office
results show the film earning $12,369,000 so far.
{SOURCE: Box Office Mojo}
Acrobat, 17, wins Talent' finale
{Jan.28.2013}
----------------------------------------------
A STUNNING, single-handed balancing performance gave Wang Junru,
a 17-year-old girl from Wuhan, Hubei Province, victory in the
fourth season finale of "China's Got Talent" at the Mercedes-
Benz Arena last night in Shanghai.
Wang, once a performer in Cirque Du Soleil's "Dralion" show, is
now a university student in Singapore. Despite hurting her legs
during a rehearsal ahead of the final show, she amazed tens of
thousands of people at the arena, the panel of judges and 101
media members from around the country with her superb skills and
sweet smiles.
Wang received the most votes, beating Taiwanese yo-yo player
Tuan Chih-min, who depicted the signs of 12 constellations with
a yo-yo.
Wang said it was the support of the audience that strengthened
her self-confidence and allowed her to come back to the
acrobatics stage after a three-year retirement from Cirque Du
Soleil.
{SOURCE: Shanghai Daily}
More on MJ Resident Show?
{Jan.29.2013}
----------------------------------------------
This morning Las Vegas Sun correspondent Robin Leach published
the following blurb on the upcoming Michael Jackson Resident
Show at Mandalay Bay (scheduled to open this May), suggesting
the title would be not a name, but a number...
# # #
Wicked Whispers & Racy Rumors! Exclusive news about the new
Michael Jackson residency show headed to Mandalay Bay this
spring. It will not have a title just a number. Cirque du
Soleil officials are tight-lipped about the numeral they've
chosen, so the guessing game begins. I also have learned that
the Montreal cast and crew move here to begin rehearsals on the
nearly completed stage at Mandalay as of Feb. 18. One spywitness
who saw the acts rehearsing in Montreal said the acrobats are
the world's best and exceed any other performed to date in any
Cirque show.
# # #
It's okay Robin, we know what number they've chosen...
And if you want to know what it is too, check out the following
post we made on December 15th!
< http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=3645 >
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun}
BWW with Tanya Burka Aerial Silks, QUIDAM [EXPANDED]
{Jan.31.2013}
------------------------------------------------------
QUIDAM is internationally acclaimed Cirque du Soleil's ninth
stage show. The production had its World Premiere on April 23,
1996; however, in 2010 it was converted from its original big
top format into an arena format so that it could tour across
North America and the world. It introduces audiences to a young,
bored girl named Zoë, who is neglected and ignored by her
parents. She imagines the entire show of QUIDAM to escape the
monotony of her life. As the tour was preparing to open in
Laredo, Texas, BWW Correspondent David Clarke got to speak to
Tanya Burka who performs the aerial silks act in the show. They
discussed her transition from MIT trained Nuclear Engineer to
International Circus Performer, her career, and QUIDAM.
Q. You began to dream of performing in acrobatics during high
school. What sparked that dream?
I was actually very lucky to go to a school where they kicked
you out the last month of your senior year and said, "Go do
something. We pretty much don't care what. You don't want to be
here anymore and the teachers don't want to put up with you."
So, I went off for a month and did a work trade at a circus
school. I'd never really done any kind of performing before
that. I had done gymnastics for years, and it was just like
everything I had done acrobatically but without the competition
aspect of it. It really just a lit a bulb up in my brain of like
"Hey, this would be really fun!"
Q. While earning your degree in Nuclear Engineering at MIT you
decided to apply to circus school. What motivated that
decision?
My parents always thought I was going to go off and get a degree
in some kind of, you know, physics or whatever and work for
NASA. While I was getting my degree, I was lucky enough to be
working at my university's research reactor, so I got work a bit
in the field and gain some experience in Nuclear Engineering. I
loved it, but it was a desk job, a really fascinating desk job.
I was like, "I don't know that I'm ready for this." So I
figured, you know, "I'll apply for this circus school and if
nothing happens, then I go on my merry way as a engineer, and,
if they decide to take me then, I guess, I'll see where this
journey takes me."
Q. What was it like training at ÉcoleNationale de Cirque in
Montreal, Quebec?
Wonderful. Dreaming. [Pauses] Challenging. It was one of the
most formative experiences of my life, equal to, if not
surpassing, getting a degree in engineering at MIT. You leave
there loving every person that you've worked with for those
three years and ready not to step foot in there for another year
or two thereafter, just to get a little detox time. I mean,
every part of yourself is up for criticism there because they're
making you a complete package. It's not just "can you do the
flips," it's "can you captivate an audience? Can you dance? Can
you juggle?" It's really intense to put yourself out there on
that level and to leave every part of yourself vulnerable.
Q. At École Nationale de Cirque you trained in acrobatics and
aerial silks? How did you get interested and involved in
aerial silks?
Funny enough, the first time I ever saw aerial silks was in
QUIDAM, in this very show. It was just so beautiful, so moving.
The part I always like about gymnastics, as I wasn't a very
great competitor because I was very tall for a gymnast, is being
up high and being upside down. So when I auditioned for the
National Circus School, I said, you know, "I'd like to do aerial
silks." And I was lucky enough that they said, "That sounds like
a good idea."
Q. Aerial silks have become vastly popular to study and for
exercise classes. What do you think is so alluring about the
art?
There's just so many possibilities. It's amazing the amount of
diversity that exists in the art form and even in just the
recreational practice. It's two pieces of fabric hanging from
the ceiling, and really anything you can think up that will work
becomes something new that's added to the art form. So it's
something that everyone can do differently. Everyone can express
themselves through the art form because it's so versatile.
Q. Before joining the cast of QUIDAM you performed at many
prestigious events and locations, including the opening
ceremonies of 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British
Columbia. What have been your favorite aspects of those
performances?
Performing for the opening ceremonies in Vancouver, it was such
a trip. I was relatively new as a Canadian permanent resident at
the time. I went there in 2008, so to get the opportunity to
represent Vancouver and Canada in front of the world was just so
personally rewarding for me. I felt so welcomed there, so to be
able to stand up on a stage and to be part of representing that
nation was really wonderful for me. One of the other great
experiences I also did in Vancouver one year afterwards was a
small show with about 7 or 8 performers and a non-profit called
the Health Arts Alliance. We took an outdoor circus show to all
kinds of health-impacted communities that might otherwise not be
able to go see a show in an arena or in a big top tent. We went
out performing at hospitals, we went to one prison, and to
living communities for people with disabilities. That, for me,
was again, I mean, giving back to that local community was
amazing. It was just so phenomenal to be able to go out and give
a show of that caliber to people who couldn't come see it
otherwise.
Q. Is there an interesting story behind how you become involved
in this touring production of QUIDAM?
A little bit. It's funny. I first got hired on as a temporary
replacement for the artist who was performing up until early
this year. She was taking some personal leave in Montreal. I was
on tour in Newfoundland with a small, family circus there called
Wonderbolt, and got an e-mail from Cirque de Soleil saying,
"Would you be able to start in a week's time?" And, I was like,
"Actually, I'm finishing up my contract in a week. That would
work out perfectly." [Laughs] As I'm on my way home to
Vancouver, I'm in the Toronto airport when I get the call and e-
mail saying that they wanted to hire me for the job. So, I
almost didn't even go back home. I almost turned right around in
the Toronto airport to head back out to Montreal, but it was a
holiday weekend. So, in the end, they wound up sending me home
for two days. I promised my husband when I got back from
Newfoundland that we would adopt two cats. So, in my two days
off I was negotiating a contract with Cirque du Soleil and going
out to every cat shelter in the greater Vancouver area to find
the two cats that we wound up taking home. So, Cirque called me
on Sunday saying, "oh, we'd like to fly you out," and I said, "I
have to go pick up two cats today. This is very important." They
wound up having to fly me out on a red-eye flight so we could go
out and collect our two cats because my husband doesn't have a
drivers license. I got about three hours to put them in home and
get them settled in, and I was on my way out to Montreal.
[Laughs]
Q. What is your favorite aspect of touring in QUIDAM?
Honestly, it's the opportunity to perform consistently the same
act night after night and to try and tell a story to the
audience. There's all kinds of performances and all kinds of act
scenarios. I've performed with everything from live opera
singers to covers of Madonna's "Like a Prayer," which is really
fun in its own right. But to get an act like this, where it's
really an opportunity to delve into contemporary performance
art, it's amazing to go out and feel that electric connection
with the audience every night.
Q. Why should Houston audiences be excited to see QUIDAM?
QUIDAM is really timeless. It's not the sort of show that ages
at all. It's really a show about people and about how people's
everyday lives can be transformed by encounters with other
people. I think it's possible for everyone to recognize
themselves in the performers that you see on stage in QUIDAM.
And there's something really inspiring about that.
Q. Speaking of inspiration, as an artist, what inspires you?
My audience, everyday, for sure. Going out and just, for me, I
think of it as like an energy exchange, and, like I said, it's
electric. When I go out there and I feel people on The Edge of
their seats as I'm hanging 30 feet in the air, and they see me
starting to get ready for my act, it's totally inspiring. But
also my family, for sure, is a big one. They've stood behind me
all through this big transition from Nuclear Engineer to
International Circus Performer. So, every day there is a thought
that goes out to them that this is for them.
Q. What advice do you have for other people who hope to become
performers with any of the various Cirque du Soleil
productions?
The biggest one I have, and it sounds so silly, is be positive.
There are so many talented people out there and so many great
shows, but a lot of hat happens between a cast and crew and
between cast members and the audience each night is that ability
to really give freely of yourself and to give positive energy
out to other people. You know, it's very, very hard doing all of
the training, and it's super physically intensive to get to this
level of performance and that positive attitude, working both
with yourself and with other people, is really what carries you
over.
{SOURCE: Broadway World}
CultureMob Speaks to Amy McClendon,
"The Peacock Goddess" of Amaluna [EXPANDED]
{Jan.31.2013}
----------------------------------------------
The exquisite and beautifully staged Amaluna, Cirque du
Soleils newest traveling production, has arrived in Seattle for
its first US engagement. Due to the popularity of the show, even
before opening, an additional 10 performances have been added to
the schedule running from January 31st to March 24th.
The story centers around a mysterious island governed by
Goddesses and guided by the cycles of the moon. Their queen,
Prospera, directs her daughters coming-of-age ceremony in a
rite that honors femininity, renewal, rebirth and balance which
marks the passing of these insights and values from one
generation to the next.
One of its performers in a lead role, Amy McClendon as The
Peacock Goddess, spoke with me about what its like to be part
of the famed troupe and her stand-out costume that weighs six
pounds.
Q. Congratulations on landing one of the premier roles in the
circus. You are playing The Peacock Goddess in the mostly
female cast of Amaluna. It must have been very competitive.
Tell me a little about yourself and the process you went
through to land the role.
Well, Im originally from Jacksonville, Florida and am a
professional dancer out of New York.
Q. Cirque du Soleil is based in Montreal, Canada. Being based in
New York, how did you originally get involved with the
Canadian company?
I saw online that they were looking for an African American
dancer to audition in the role of the Peacock Goddess. They were
looking for a graceful dancer, and I had a thought that maybe I
should go. So I went into the audition, after they looked at my
resume. There were about 40 other dancers there. Through a
process of going through technique and then learning
choreography, they eliminated a few people until we were down to
four people. Then we had to do a bit of improvisation on the
spot. Then they said it would take a few months before they let
you know because the decision making process would have to go
through Montreal. The audition was on a Friday but actually they
let me know the following Monday that I got the job. It was a
pretty exciting experience and a bit nerve racking throughout
some points of it, but definitely rewarding.
Q. Thats an awesome achievement. Can you describe to me about
the character you play and how she ties into the main theme
of the show?
I play The Peacock Goddess. She among all the women represents
beauty and love. She brings Romeo onto the island to fall in
love with Miranda; But before he falls in love he must go
through the Peacock Goddess. I teach him what love is, and how
to take care of a woman. Once they fall in love, like a good
teacher, I come back and give him tests. I test his love to see
if he really cares for Miranda by taking her away. He has to
fight for her and then eventually getting her back.
Q. Sounds like an amazing story. I know its a first for Cirque
du Soleil to have a mostly female cast. Your costume is
simply gorgeous. Whats it like to wear?
I have two costumes. One of them is a white dress. It has over
6500 crystals on it. I wear a tail with that dress, which wears
an additional 3 pounds. Performing in it is a bit taxing on my
body. The circus lets me wear just the tail sometimes during
certain parts of the performance. Its very beautiful. My other
costume consists of a black leather halter top, black and purple
pants with some wings. Its very light weight and I can move
around in it. For the fire scene I change out of the lycra pants
for some leather pants and leather wings. They are a bit more
heavy and not as giving, but I am only in them for a few minutes
so its bearable. Then I change back into the white costume. The
tail is about 3 pounds, and the total costume is 7 pounds. It
was a challenge in the beginning. After wearing it with the tail
for some of the performances its not a big deal. Its very
showy, with the crystals on it and the tail.
Q. Whats the most thrilling part of doing this show?
I have a couple things. The first one I think is just seeing how
much everyone loves the show and seeing their faces, and how
much they enjoy it. Along with that, the opportunities to do the
same show over and over again, so that I can give my best every
single time. Those are the things that keep me going, and excite
me; and the fact that we get to travel the world. Its very
thrilling and important as an artist in general.
Q. What moment are you most proud of during the show?
I dont know about an exact moment but I would actually say just
the show in itself. If you saw the show last April when we
opened to seeing it now, its completely different. Im proud to
say that I am proud of something that is living and breathing.
It continues to expand and exceed all expectation.
{SOURCE: Culture Mob}
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
{Amaluna, Corteo, Koozå, OVO, Totem & Varekai}
o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues
{Alegría, Quidam, Dralion & MJ Immortal}
o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre
{Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE,
Believe & 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.
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:
Seattle, WA -- Jan 31, 2013 to Mar 24, 2013
Calgary, AB -- Apr 10, 2013 to May 12, 2013
Edmonton, AB -- May 29, 2013 to Jun 16, 2013
Denver, CO -- Jul 17, 2013 to Aug 25, 2013
Corteo:
Hamburg, DE -- Jan 9, 2013 to Feb 08, 2013
Sao Paulo, BR -- Mar 30, 2013 to Jul 14, 2013
Koozå:
London, UK -- Jan 5, 2013 to Feb 14, 2013
Madrid, ES -- Mar 1, 2013 to Apr 14, 2013
Bilbao, ES -- May 16, 2013 to Jun 2, 2013
Knokke, BE -- Jul 11, 2013 to Aug 18, 2013
Paris, FR -- Nov 22, 2013 to Feb 2, 2014
Ovo:
Melbourne, AU -- Jan 17, 2013 to Mar 24, 2013
Perth, AU -- Apr 14, 2012 to May 26, 2013
Totem:
Miami, FL -- Jan 10, 2013 to Feb 24, 2013
New York, NY -- Mar 14, 2013 to Apr 21, 2013
Philadelphia, PA -- May 30, 2013 to Jun 23, 2013
Ottawa, ON -- Jul 10, 2013 to Aug 04, 2013
Varekai:
Lima, PE -- Jan 17, 2013 to Feb 24, 2013
Bogota, CO -- Mar 21, 2013 to Apr 7, 2013
------------------------------------
ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues
------------------------------------
Alegría:
Herning, DK -- Feb 7, 2013 to Feb 10, 2013
Copenhagen, DN -- Feb 13, 2013 to Feb 24, 2013
Oslo, NO -- Feb 28, 2013 to Mar 2, 2013
Stockholm, SE -- Mar 6, 2013 to Mar 10, 2013
Helsinki, FI -- Mar 13, 2013 to Mar 17, 2013
Turku, FI -- Mar 22, 2013 to Mar 24, 2013
Tallinn, EE -- Apr 3, 2013 to Apr 7, 2013
Riga, LV -- Apr 11, 2013 to Apr 13, 2013
Vilnius, LT -- Apr 18, 2013 to Apr 20, 2013
St. Petersburg, RU -- May 9, 2013 to May 18, 2013
Chelyabinsk, RU -- May 23, 2013 to May 26, 2013
Kazan, RU -- May 29, 2013 to Jun 2, 2013
Moscow, RU -- Jun 5, 2013 to Jun 16, 2013
London, UK -- Jul 18, 2013 to Jul 28, 2013
Gdansk, PO -- Jul 31, 2013 to Aug 04, 2013
Bucharest, RO -- Sep 5, 2013 to Sep 8, 2013
Bratislava, SK -- Sep 11, 2013 to Sep 15, 2013
Newcastle, UK -- Oct 17, 2013 to Oct 20, 2013
Leeds, UK -- Oct 23, 2013 to Oct 27, 2013
Liverpool, UK -- Oct 30, 2013 to Nov 3, 2013
Nottingham, UK -- Nov 6, 2013 to Nov 10, 2013
Lille, FR -- Nov 13, 2013 to Nov 17, 2013
Madrid, ES -- Dec 18, 2013 to Dec 22, 2013
Quidam:
Corpus Christi, TX -- Feb 2, 2013 to Feb 3, 2013
Hidalgo, TX -- Feb 6, 2013 to Feb 10, 2013
North Little Rock, AR -- Feb 28, 2013 to Mar 3, 2013
Houston, TX -- Mar 6, 2013 to Mar 10, 2013
New Orleans, LA -- Mar 13, 2013 to Mar 17, 2013
Mobile, AL -- Mar 20, 2013 to Mar 24, 2013
North Charleston, SC -- Mar 27, 2013 to Mar 31, 2013
Charlottesville, VA -- Apr 3, 2013 to Apr 7, 2013
Norfolk, VA -- Apr 10, 2013 to Apr 14, 2013
Greensboro, NC -- Apr 17, 2013 to Apr 21, 2013
Columbia, SC -- Apr 24, 2013 to Apr 28, 2013
Augusta, GA -- Apr 30, 2013 to May 1, 2013
Macon, GA -- May 3, 2013 to May 5, 2013
Savannah, GA -- May 7, 2013 to May 9, 2013
Columbus, GA -- May 11, 2013 to May 12, 2013
Orlando, FL -- May 15, 2013 to May 19, 2013
Dayton, OH -- Jun 12, 2013 to Jun 16, 2013
Estero, FL -- Aug 7, 2013 to Aug 11, 2013
Graz, AT -- Sep 5, 2013 to Sep 8, 2013
Vienna, AT -- Sep 11, 2013 to Sep 15, 2013
Leipzig, DE -- Sep 18, 2013 to Sep 22, 2013
Stuttgart, DE -- Sep 25, 2013 to Sep 29, 2013
Innsbruck, AT -- Oct 2, 2013 to Oct 6, 2013
Salzburg, AT -- Oct 9, 2013 to Oct 13, 2013
Munich, DE -- Oct 16, 2013 to Oct 20, 2013
Cologne, DE -- Oct 23, 2013 to Oct 27, 2013
Frankfurt, DE -- Oct 30, 2013 to Nov 3, 2013
Dortmund, DE -- Nov 6, 2013 to Nov 10, 2013
Mannheim, DE -- Nov 13, 2013 to Nov 17, 2013
Malaga, ES -- Dec 5, 2013 to Dec 8, 2013
Zaragoza, ES -- Dec 11, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013
Sevilla, ES -- Dec 18, 2013 to Dec 22, 2013
Dralion:
Dubai, UAE -- Feb 6, 2013 to Feb 16, 2013
Cape Town, ZA -- Mar 5, 2013 to Mar 10, 2013
Johannesburg, ZA -- Mar 21, 2013 to Mar 24, 2013
Caracas, VE -- Apr 25, 2013 to May 12, 2013
Nice, FR -- Jul 18, 2013 to Jul 28, 2013
Beirut, LB -- Oct 10, 2013 to Oct 20, 2013
Geneva, CH -- Dec 4, 2013 to Dec 8, 2013
Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour:
Budapest, HU -- Feb 5 & Feb 6, 2013
Prague, CZ -- Feb 8 & 9, 2013
Zurich, CH -- Feb 13 to 15, 2013
Turin, IT -- Feb 19 & 20, 2013
Milan, IT -- Feb 23 & 24, 2013
Montepellier, FR -- Feb 26 & 27, 2013
Antwerp, BE -- Mar 1 & 2, 2013
Amsterdam, NL -- Mar 8 to 10, 2013
Istanbul, TR -- Mar 15 to 17, 2013
Birmingham, UK -- Mar 26, 2013
Manchester, UK -- Mar 29, 2013
Paris, FR -- Apr 4 to Apr 7, 2013
Lisbon, PT -- Apr 11 to Apr 14, 2013
Barcelona, ES -- Apr 17 to Apr 20, 2013
Saitama, JP -- May 9, 2013 to May 12, 2013
Yokohama, JP -- May 16, 2013 to May 19, 2013
Nagoya, JP -- May 23, 2013 to May 26, 2013
Fukuoka, JP -- May 30, 2013 to Jun 2, 2013
Osaka, JP -- Jun 6, 2013 to Jun 16, 2013
Taipei, TW -- Jun 28, 2013 to Jun 30, 2013
---------------------------------
RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre
---------------------------------
Mystère:
Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday
Two shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm
2013 Dark Dates:
o January 3 - 18
o February 3
o March 13
o May 2 - 10
o July 10
o September 5 - 13
o November 6
2013 Added Performances:
o March 29
o May 16
o December 27
"O":
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm
2013 Dark Dates:
o February 3
o March 21 & 22
o April 10 - 14
o June 9
o August 7 - 11
o October 6
o December 3 - 17
2013 Added Performances:
o March 26
o May 27
o December 24
o December 31
La Nouba:
Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm
2013 Dark Dates:
o January 15-19
o March 19
o May 14-18
o May 21-25
o July 23
o September 17-21
o November 5-6
Zumanity:
Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm
2013 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
2013 Dark Dates:
o January 21 to February 5
o March 19
o March 22
o May 26 - June 3
o July 20
o September 22 -30
2013 Added Performances:
o January 20
o February 10
o March 31
o December 30
LOVE:
Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and9:30pm
2013 Dark Dates:
o February 3-5
o April 2-10
o June 6
o August 21-7
o October 10
o December 11-26
2013 Added Performances:
o February 6
o December 10
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.
2013 Dark Dates:
o January 29 - February 2
o March 22
o May 28 - June 1
o September 3 - 7
o November 26 - 30
o December 17 - 24
2013 Added Performances:
o March 27 & 28
o April 3 & 4
o June 3 & 4
o July 10 & 11
o July 17 & 18
o July 24 & 25
o July 31
o August 1
o August 7 & 8
o August 14 & 15
o August 21 & 22
o December 25 & 26
ZARKANA:
Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
Previews begin in Las Vegas November 1, 2012
Regular performance begin November 11, 2012
2013 Dark Dates:
o January 2-10
o February 3
o March 22
o May 8 - 16
o July 9
o August 21 - September 5
o November 5
2013 Added Performances:
o March 27
o December 26
MICHAEL JACKSON ONE:
Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: TBA
Previews begin in Las Vegas: May 23, 2013
Gala Premiere: June 21, 2013
Regular Performances Begin: June 22, 2013
2013 Dark Dates:
o TBA
=======================================================================
OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS
=======================================================================
o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub
o) Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube
---------------------------------------
CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub
---------------------------------------
TOTEM VOICES: New Episode Available
{Jan.07.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Cirque continues the presentation of TOTEM VOICES: an original
documentary webseries introducing artists from the show.
Through a rare personal and authentic look, let them share their
joy, challenges and triumphs with you.
TOTEM VOICES | Episode: "Pippo"
Introducing Pippo, the Italian clown in TOTEM. With humor and a
touch of emotion, Pippo shares one of the most important moments
in his life and describes some of the highs and lows of his
profession.
Watch episodes of this original webseries in the videos section:
< http://goo.gl/H9SuR >
TOTEM Experience the backstage vibe with Jeff Lund
{Jan.10.2013}
-----------------------------------------------------
One of Company Manager Jeff Lund's favorite moments on the road
is taking people on the exclusive "Behind the Scenes" tour and
seeing their jaws drop when they witness what actually goes into
running a Cirque du Soleil touring show. The TOTEM tour is a
complex, smooth-running, 65-trailer village on the move buzzing
with life.
Jeff Lund has been with Cirque du Soleil for more than 10 years.
Starting in the "O" box office selling tickets, he moved swiftly
from Usher to Production Coordinator to Assistant Company
Manager. He then took on the Company Manager role on Mystère,
CRISS ANGEL Believe and KÀ, and currently fills that position on
TOTEM.
Diversity and culture
"I've always really appreciated the incredible diversity at
Cirque. I consider myself lucky to be able to interact with
people from different cultures and professions every day. What I
love is that, despite this magnificent diversity, we all share a
culture and common values that are unique to the organization."
This diversity is plain as day in TOTEM an eclectic group of
52 artists, plus a number of chefs and electricians, teachers
and plumbers, riggers and ushers, and the list goes on. All part
of a bustling village on wheels, this collective group makes the
magic happen on the stage every night.
Life behind the curtain
On show nights, Jeff and his team raise the curtain for
enthusiastic fans on what really goes on beyond the spotlight to
give them an in-depth understanding of the heart and soul of
Cirque du Soleil and what makes the company so unique.
Not only do they learn about the Cirque du Soleil
environmentally friendly operations and its long-standing
commitment to giving back to the community, they get to
experience first-hand the nuts and bolts of show operation and
to witness the passion and dedication of all the people
involved. They are whisked away under the Big Top just as the
crew is "presetting" the show using cutting-edge technologies
and state of-the-art equipment. They learn about the touring
lifestyle as they are taken back of house through the school to
the kitchen, where the cast and crew get some grub, take a break
and use the computers to chat with friends and family back home.
They visit the Artistic Tent where the artists work out and
chill out. They also get to take a peek inside "Trailer 54"
the technician's workspace where the props, the audio and the
rigging gear are maintained. In a production like TOTEM, nothing
is left to chance and every little detail counts.
Close encounters
As they walk backstage after the show and immerse themselves in
the vibrant atmosphere of TOTEM, the fans get a real sense of
how creativity and human collaboration come together to evoke
the emotions of 2,600 spectators every night. They get to meet
some of the artists who are cooling down after their
performance, and share in the human experience unfolding in
the wings of the fascinating world of Cirque du Soleil.
---------------------------------------------------
NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter
---------------------------------------------------
{Compiled by Keith Johnson}
---[ ALEGRIA ]---
{Jan.06}
Split screen perspective. What you see and what you don't.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/PssLM >
{Jan.12}
Our 3 Danish Power Track artists are excited to be home to
perform in front of their friends and relatives! Alegria will be
in Herning (Feb 2-10) and Copenhagen (Feb 13-24).
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/GhKnw >
{Jan.15}
Thank you Tenerife! Your warm welcome makes us feel very
special.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/nSHQ5 >
---[ AMALUNA ]---
{Jan.02}
Amaluna's all female band knows how to rock the Big Top and
brings the crowd to its feet every night. Want to know what gets
them up and dancing? Check out our Drummer Didi Negron sharing 5
of her favourites.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/4J3cw >
{Jan.07}
There is great talent both on and off the stage here at Amaluna
- this little drawing was done by one of our ushers and it is
just too good not to share Photo by: Darwin Borason
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/LVwkQ >
{Jan.13}
Meet the band: For the first time in Cirque du Soleil history
the band is 100% female. Our drummer Didi Negron is the first
female drummer to ever preform on a Cirque du Soleil stage.
These women can bring the house down like no other!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/g5GDy >
{Jan.18}
It is official, Amaluna had its first 100% night! THANK YOU
VANCOUVER - even with the Canucks season opener - we are at
complete capacity!
{Jan.21}
We have our amazing team of technicians to thank for keeping
everything working and looking pristine every single performance
- yes, that includes cleaning the Amaluna waterbowl. Yes, we are
serious! Here is our Head of Props, Michael Knight, working hard
keeping the waterbowl in top form!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/P0lzQ >
---[ CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ]---
{Jan.03}
Happy New Year from everyone here at Cirque du Soleil! We hope
yours has been off to a great start so far!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/61Scs >
{Jan.23}
We are thrilled to learn that Movi.Kanti.Revo is a finalist in
the 'Art' category! Have you experienced it?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/0mvWI >
---[ CORTEO ]---
{Jan.21}
Corteo costumes are display at Galeria Kaufhof!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/i0GxZ >
---[ DRALION ]---
{Jan.08}
Congratulations to our trampo-wall artist, Marina Vorobyeva, who
recently celebrated her 5 year anniversary at Cirque du Soleil
on Dralion.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/JH1UY >
{Jan.14}
Since the Arena tour has started the stage is on wheels and we
travel the gear with roadcases, racks and carts. Can you guess
the number of wheels on Dralion?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/tj1ol >
{Jan.23}
Check out this video of one of our Carpenters explaining how the
trampolines are set up during the show. Can you guess what their
fastest time is?
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXa9Y6-WYMI >
{Jan.24}
Can you guess how many pieces of costumes we have on the show?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/TWDN1 >
---[ IRIS ]---
{Jan.04}
KTLA local news in Los Angeles takes you behind the scenes at
IRIS by Cirque du Soleil. Check it out!
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3dSFXxViOA >
{Jan.09}
Artists, crew, and staff from IRIS by Cirque du Soleil will sign
nearly 300 posters backstage at the Dolby Theatre as a good-bye
gift to the team. "And so it goes..."
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/8N6Lk >
{Jan.19}
Congratulations to a beautiful and talented group of people as
IRIS performs its last show at the Dolby Theatre tonight!
{Jan.22}
On Saturday night, IRIS by Cirque du Soleil performed a
spectacular final show to a packed house. Thank you Los Angeles,
Au Revoir!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/VhecR >
---[ KOOZA ]---
{Jan.08}
Kooza on BBC One TV!!!
LINK /// < http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20933398 >
{Jan.08}
Kooza's première in London in The Daily Mail!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/0HEO5 >
{Jan.22}
The Music of KOOZA | Behind the Scenes | Cirque du Soleil
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1_2WUKHZRI >
{Jan.24}
The Technical Aspects of KOOZA | Behind the Scenes
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEvVoDODYAY >
---[ MJ IMMORTAL ]---
{Jan.02}
A huge part of our success is due to the people behind the
scenes... Meet our Travel & Lodging Coordinator, Amanda, who is
tasked with getting us from city to city. She recently
celebrated 5 YEARS with Cirque du Soleil and is now moving on to
a new chapter. Thank you for all your hard work; you will be
missed.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/m3y4c >
{Jan.08}
Congratulations to our entire cast and crew for ending the year
at No. 6 on Pollstar's Worldwide Top 10, and congratulations to
the 7 other Cirque du Soleil shows that were listed in
Pollstar's Top 50. THANK YOU to all our fans for your support!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/1Dl0L >
{Jan.18}
Dancers Loukas 'Leeco' Kosmidis and Gianinni Semedo Moreira take
us behind the scenes from their TV interview in Kazan, Russia!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/vdj3d >
{Jan.22}
Sometimes we need to get creative when testing the Billie Jean
jackets, which includes having some of the Crew members act as
models.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/2uo4L >
{Jan.23}
Artistic Director Tara Young and Fanatic/Dancer Leo Moctezuma
took some time off in Moscow to chat with Russia Today's Prime
Time Russia.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/g1a7J >
---[ OVO ]---
{Jan.22}
OVO Christmas Charity Event in Adelaide - G'day everybody!
After the huge success of the Christmas Charity Event in
Adelaide, we decided to create a video so we can share with you
the beautiful energy and the memorable Christmas spirit we all
experienced on that day. Thank you all for your generosity!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/sY2Ah >
{Jan.24}
OVO is reaching new heights in Melbourne! Our stunning hot air
balloon made another dawn flight across the city yesterday.
Check out this video from the team at radio 3AW.
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LMNRf6gMWE >
---[ QUIDAM ]---
{Jan.03}
Check out this great behind the scenes look at Quidam. Did you
learn anything new???
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuqzzHWuDNM >
{Jan.19}
lights... camera... ACTION!
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt23M_uX3kQ >
{Jan.25}
Quidam spending the week in El Paso enjoying the sun :)
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/KKXfE >
---[ SALTIMBANCO ]---
{Jan.09}
Thank you Saltimbanco fans, for your continued support of this
most incredible show. While Saltimbanco is now officially
retired, we have 20 other shows performing all around the world.
'Like' our Cirque du Soleil page to keep up with the latest info
on our other shows, which may be coming to your city soon! Don't
miss out on all the fun!
---[ THE BEATLES LOVE ]---
{Jan.02}
Our ushers are kicking off the new year with some new attire!
What do you think of the new threads?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/RdjOH >
{Jan.03}
Happy birthday to legendary Beatles producer and LOVE musical
director, Sir George Martin!
---[ TOTEM ]---
{Jan.05}
Natasha Curry from HLN came backstage to learn more about the
physical performance of the cast! See her try the Rings and High
Bars!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Q6ZlS >
{Jan.20}
Pippo Crotti who plays Valentino is applying his make-up prior
to the 1pm performance! It takes Pippo about 1.5 hour to get his
make-up and hair done every day.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/BTxZi >
{Jan.20}
Tonight the TOTEM family is saying goodbye to High Bar Artist
Fabio Luis Santos (center) who will be joining Corteo by Cirque
du Soleil in the next few days! Enjoy the new adventures Fabio!!
Photo credit: Pippo Crotti
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/zNtAh >
{Jan.24}
Good luck to the TOTEM Love Birds Sarah Tessier and Guilhem
Cauchois who are officially competing tonight at the Festival
Mondial du Cirque de Demain - Paris! Break a leg!!
---[ VAREKAI ]---
{Jan.18}
And amazing night in Lima! - Una noche de Magia (13 photos)
Our premiere last night - Estreno en la ciudad de Lima, Peru
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/tWFzE >
---[ ZARKANA ]---
{Jan.08}
Check out this awesome behind-the-scenes look at our show, from
Spirit Magazine!
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaPqcMlGtOQ >
{Jan.12}
Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney IMPRESSED by Zarkana!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Zhe0c >
---[ ZUMANITY ]---
{Jan.11}
Zumanity is ringing in 2013 by adding a new character! Check out
the pics below as we go behind the scenes at the final costume
and make up fitting for "Scottish Fantasy!" Artist: Alex
Stabler Costumes: Thierry Mugler Makeup: Nathalie Gagné
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/q9dCd >
{Jan.23}
Liven up your Wednesday with the Botero Sisters! Have a listen
at the link below for an interview they did with BBC Radio!
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvQ7ddSktkw >
=======================================================================
COMPARTMENTS -- A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN
=======================================================================
o) HISTORIA - Cirque Company History
o) ODYSSEA - Cirque Tour History
------------------------------------
HISTORIA: Cirque Company History
------------------------------------
* Feb.01.2008 - Announcement that Delirium will fold in London, UK
* Feb.02.2001 - La Nouba celebrated 1000th performance [Friday, 6:00pm]
* Feb.03.2005 -- KÀ Premiere Gala (Previews End)
* Feb.04.2007 - Cirque du Soleil performs at Super Bowl XLI.
* Feb.05.2007 - iShares Announces Sponsorship of 2007-2008 US Teams
* Feb.07.2003 - Region 2 DVDs released: Saltimbanco, Quidam, Dralion
* Feb.07.2007 - Koozå Creative Team Announced
* Feb.10.2006 - Cirque announced/launched Fashion Line
* Feb.10.2008 - Cirque du Soleil performs "A Day in the Life" from The
Beatles/Cirque du Soleil LOVE at the Mirage at Grammy's.
* Feb.10.2008 - Cirque du Soleil wins 2 Grammy's for LOVE album.
- "Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture,
Television or other Visual Medium"
- "Best Surround Sound Album"
* Feb.12.2007 - Cirque & Orange Business Services sign Partnership
* Feb.15.2005 - Cirque Music available on iTunes
* Feb.15.2007 - Cirque Partners with Champ Car race
* Feb.17.2005 -- Saltimbanco (2005) CD Released (CDS Musique)
* Feb.19.2002 -- Quidam Extended CD Released (BMG/CDS Musique)
* Feb.20.2007 - Cimarron gives KÀ new visual style
* Feb.21.2007 - CirqueCon's 2007 & 2008 Announced
* Feb.22.2000 -- Alegría: Le Film CD Released in US (RCA/Victor)
* Feb.24.2009 - Varekai celebrated 2,500th performance [Seville, Spain]
* Feb.25.2010 -- Banana Shpeel opened NYC (Previews)
* Feb.26.2009 - Cirque & Reebok announce "Fit to Fly"
* Feb.28.2000 - La Nouba celebrated 500th performance [Monday]
------------------------------------
ODYSSEA: Cirque Tour History
------------------------------------
* Feb.01.2012 -- Alegría Arena opened Nantes, FR
* Feb.02.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Nantes, FR
* Feb.02.2011 -- Alegría Arena opened Laredo, TX
* Feb.02.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Mobile, AL
* Feb.02.2011 -- Koozå opened Tokyo, JP
* Feb.02.2012 -- Dralion Arena opened Loveland, CO
* Feb.02.2012 -- Quidam Arena opened Detroit, MI
* Feb.02.2013 -- Quidam Arena opened Corpus Christi, TX
* Feb.03.2000 -- Dralion opened San Francisco, CA
* Feb.03.2012 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Sofia, BG
* Feb.04.1988 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Santa Monica, CA
* Feb.04.2009 -- Corteo opened Tokyo
* Feb.04.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened St. Charles, MO
* Feb.04.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Detroit, MI
* Feb.05.2009 -- Varekai opened Seville, ES
* Feb.06.2003 -- Dralion opened New Orleans, LA
* Feb.06.2013 -- Quidam Arena opened Hidalgo, TX
* Feb.07.2002 -- Quidam opened Miami, FL
* Feb.07.2003 -- Quidam opened Tokyo, JP
* Feb.07.2007 -- Dralion opened Tokyo, JP
* Feb.07.2008 -- Alegría opened Sao Paulo
* Feb.08.1996 -- Saltimbanco opened Hambourg, DE
* Feb.08.2012 -- Dralion Arena opened Broomfield, CO
* Feb.08.2012 -- Quidam Arena opened Hoffman Estates, IL
* Feb.08.2012 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Bucharest, RO
* Feb.09.2001 -- Saltimbanco opened Fukuoka, JP
* Feb.09.2005 -- Alegría opened Fukuoka
* Feb.09.2007 -- Corteo opened Dallas
* Feb.09.2011 -- Alegría Arena opened Hidalgo, TX
* Feb.09.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Columbus, OH
* Feb.09.2012 -- Koozå opened Fukuoka, JP
* Feb.10.2011 -- Corteo opened Vienna, AT
* Feb.11.1998 -- Quidam opened Dallas, TX
* Feb.11.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Indianapolis, IN
* Feb.11.2010 -- Corteo opened Fukuoka
* Feb.11.2011 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Friedrichshafen, DE
* Feb.14.2001 -- Dralion opened Miami, FL
* Feb.14.2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Amsterdam, NL
* Feb.15.2012 -- Dralion Arena opened El Paso, TX
* Feb.15.2012 -- Quidam Arena opened Springfield, IL
* Feb.15.2012 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Bratislava, SK
* Feb.16.2001 -- Quidam opened Machester, UK
* Feb.16.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Detroit, MI
* Feb.17.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Austin, TX
* Feb.17.2011 -- Alegría Arena opened Corpus Christi, TX
* Feb.18.2011 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Istanbul, TR
* Feb.19.1998 -- Alegría opened Madrid, ES
* Feb.19.2004 -- Alegría opened St. Pete
* Feb.20.2008 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Memphis, TN
* Feb.22.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Costa Mesa
* Feb.22.2007 -- Alegría opened Barcelona
* Feb.22.2012 -- Dralion Arena opened Colorado Springs , CO
* Feb.22.2012 -- Quidam Arena opened Baton Rouge, LA
* Feb.22.2012 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Graz, AT
* Feb.22.2012 -- Varekai opened Brasilia, BR
* Feb.23.2006 -- Alegría opened Milan
* Feb.23.2011 -- Alegría Arena opened Tulsa, OK
* Feb.23.2012 -- Alegría Arena opened Lyon, FR
* Feb.24.2005 -- Saltimbanco opened Birmingham, UK
* Feb.24.2005 -- Varekai opened Austin
* Feb.24.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Frisco, TX
* Feb.25.1988 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Calgary, AB
* Feb.25.2010 -- Koozå opened San Diego, CA
* Feb.25.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Innsbruck, AT
* Feb.25.2010 -- Varekai opened Manchester, UK
* Feb.26.2003 -- Saltimbanco opened Bilbao, ES
* Feb.26.2008 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Charlottesville, VA
* Feb.26.2009 -- Quidam opened Liverpool, UK
* Feb.26.2010 -- Quidam opened Sao Paulo, BR
* Feb.27.2004 -- Dralion opened Amsterdam
* Feb.27.2008 -- Quidam opened Veracruz, MX
* Feb.28.2002 -- Alegría opened Singapore
* Feb.29.2008 -- Varekai opened Amsterdam, NL
* Feb.29.2012 -- Alegría Arena opened Toulon, FR
* Feb.29.2012 -- Dralion Arena opened Rio Rancho, NM
* Feb.29.2012 -- Quidam Arena opened Austin, TX
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
----------------------------------------------------------
"A Riot of Ha-Ha's, La-La's and Ta-Da's?
A Look Back at Banana Shpeel"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
The impetus for "Banana Shpeel" resides in part with Cirque du
Soleil's expansion plans into the Asia/Pacific region and also with
the company's plans to, as it were, "storm" Manhattan.
In May 2006, an announcement was made that Cirque, in partnership with
Las Vegas Sands Corp, would create a one-of-a-kind show to be featured
on the Cotai Strip in the People's Republic of China Special
Administrative Region of Macao. And in November 2006 Cirque and MSG
Entertainment announced they would present an as-yet-unnamed theater
production specifically for the Madison Square Garden Theater in New
York City.
The Macao show, ZAIA, would premiere in 2008 and open up the Asian
region in a way its touring shows had not yet done. The second,
WINTUK, would whet Cirque's appetites to expand with other resident
productions world-wide. Cirque saw such success in the Asian market
that Daniel Lamarre, President and COO of Cirque du Soleil, was quoted
as saying: "I wouldn't be surprised if we had four or five shows in
Macao within five to seven years." And so Cirque du Soleil began
working on future concepts, one of them (dubbed "Macao 2009 or Macau
II") was rumored to be a re-invention of the variety show.
Unfortunately, Chinese gamblers did not take to the western-style show
and thus ZAIA began to falter. Limited admittance to Macao from the
Chinese mainland, as well as the voracious gambling appetite of those
that were admitted, meant the audiences Cirque expected didn't
materialize. Cirque du Soleil shelved its Asian expansion plans and
attempted to nurture its show back to health. But in the meantime,
with some success found in New York with WINTUK, Cirque du Soleil
decided to dust off a the variety show concept originally designed for
Macao and see if it could find success in New York twice.
CIRQUE TAKES MANHATTAN?
=======================
Cirque had attempted to establish a lasting presence in the Big Apple
for a number of years, and succeeded on a seasonal basis with Wintuk
in 2006. The company thought a more permanent presence was well on its
way when it signed a re-development deal with Related Companies to
establish a home on Manhattan's Pier 40, which eventually fell through
(the Pier is now being used for children's sports). With that
possibility quashed, would Cirque find a space to endure in New York
City?
"In February 2010 Cirque plans to bring a new show to the Beacon
Theater in Manhattan for a multiple-month run that it hopes will
become an annual institution," The New York Times reported. "And
in 2011 Cirque is to establish a four-month summer extravaganza
in Radio City Music Hall as a warm-weather counterweight to the
Christmas Spectacular' - sans Rockettes, but populated with
acrobats and clowns. These will be in addition to the company's
touring tent productions [...]. Also continuing will be
"Wintuk," Cirque's $20 million annual winter holiday show at the
WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden."
What would this new show for MSG Entertainment entail? While details
about the show itself were not released, where else it might play
sounded quite interesting. [The] still-unnamed show for Radio City
Music Hall, "will fully utilize the space and spend half of each year
in Paris or London," and have 72 to 80 performers, said Mr. Laliberté.
A NEW TWIST ON VAUDEVILLE?
==========================
While rumors had been circulating the fan-circuit for a number of
weeks/months, other media outlets began to pick up on the potential of
Cirque du Soleil re-inventing vaudeville, much like the company re-
invented the circus years ago. Variety reported that the "new stage
production [would] reportedly be written by Laurence O'Keefe ("Legally
Blonde"), although Madison Square Garden Entertainment, which owns the
Beacon, would only confirm that for one of several shows being
developed by Cirque, David Shiner (also helmer of Cirque's "Kooza")
[was] at work on a new offering about vaudeville, with a cast of 50 to
55. No venues or dates were announced. [The show was rumored to open]
at the Chicago Theater in Chicago [from Nov 19 to Dec 31 2010] before
it [went] to Gotham for a multiple-month run at the Beacon Theater."
On September 9, 2009, Cirque du Soleil announced its "Vaudeville"
concept to the world as:
BANANA SHPEEL, a roller-coaster mix of styles that blends comedy
with tap, hip hop, eccentric dance and slapstick, all linked by
a hilarious narrative that ignites a succession of wacky
adventures. This is not circus, or a musical or a variety show,
or even vaudeville. It is Banana Shpeel, created by: Serge Roy
(director of creation), Jean-Francois Cote (composer/musical
director), Jared Grimes (choreographer), Dominique Lemieux
(costumes), Patricia Ruel (sets), Bruno Rafile (lighting), and
Harvey Robitale (sound).
Propelled by crazy humour and intense choreography, Banana
Shpeel plunges us into the world of Shmelky, a cruel and
irritable producer who dangles fame and fortune in front of
Emmett, an innocent and romantic actor who has come to audition
for him. Emmett soon finds himself trapped in a flamboyant,
anarchic world where Shmelky sows terror and reigns supreme.
Emmett falls in love with the beautiful Katie and meets a bunch
of absurd characters, including the strange Banana Man.
The show's cast featured Annaleigh Ashford, Michael Longoria,
Claudio Caneiro, Daniel Passer, Patrick de Valette, Gordon
White, Wayne Wilson, Dmitry Bulkin, Tuan Le, Vanessa Alvarez,
and Joseph and Josette Wiggan, along with Robyn Baltzer, Alex
Ellis, DeWitt Fleming, Jr., Luke Hawkins, Kathleen Hennessey,
Adrienne Reed, Anthony J. Russo, Melissa Schott, and Steven T.
Williams.
But who was this mysterious Banana Man and how would Emmett escape the
clutches of Shmelky and his henchmen?
Audiences were about to find out...
LA-LA's AND TA-DA's?
====================
Audiences definitely found out when Banana Shpeel opened for limited
preview performances in Chicago November 19th ... the reviews were
horrid. The show not only failed to connect with critics, it also
failed to connect with audiences a flop of major proportions!
And it didn't take long for the negative reviews to make the rounds.
In fact, even before the show ended its engagement in Chicago the
Chicago Tribune, Playbill Magazine, Theater Magazine and New York
Theater Guide all reported that Banana Shpeel would be going for a re-
write and according to those sources, Broadway leads Michael Longoria
(of Jersey Boys) and Annaleigh Ashford (of Wicked), who joined the
cast of Banana Shpeel with much fanfare, had been written out of the
show due to too many storylines and characters. Cirque du Soleil also
had no choice but to postpone the opening of its "twist on vaudeville"
at the Beacon Theater to allow for a full month of new rehearsals.
Thus, rather than opening on February 4th as previously announced, the
show would open for New York City previews on February 25th. But, for
those keeping score, it wouldn't be the first delay.
Cirque du Soleil attempted to placate critics and audiences alike in
New York City with an Open House (on February 10, 2010) at the Beacon
Theater, which also coincided with the unveiling of the show's marquee
The first 100 guests who arrived with a banana in hand would win two
complementary tickets to the show (with the bananas donated to Life
Center, a local New York homeless shelter). During the afternoon the
Banana Shpeel cast would lead the public into the theater for an
exclusive sneak peek at the show's creative process. Guests would see
rehearsals on stage, make-up demonstrations, costume displays, and
take photos with costumed performers. Local restaurants and businesses
would also provide complimentary snacks.
But it didn't work.
Michael Riedel of the New York Post (not the most balanced of sources,
but still) wrote a scathing "review" of Banana Shpeel on that day and
from the way he describes the situation, the show went from bad to
worse: "What's set to open Feb. 25 at the Beacon Theatre is no minor
accident. It is, according to several people working on the $20
million production, a train wreck,' a catastrophe,' a nightmare'
and, not to put too fine a point on it, one of the worst shows you've
ever seen.' Performers and writers have been fired (only, in some
cases, to be rehired the next week); rehearsals are chaotic; the
director, David Shiner, is described as clueless'; and Madison Square
Garden Entertainment, which owns the Beacon and has shoveled $10
million into this fiasco, is furious." According to the report, Guy
Laliberté beamed himself down to New York to check up on the revised
"Banana Shpeel." He didn't applaud at the end. In fact, sources say,
he thought the show was worse.
Uh oh.
It came as no surprise when Cirque du Soleil announced another delay
in the show's debut, this time to March 7th. The reason? "The latest
delay is attributed to the fact that creatives, who are busily
reworking the production, need more time to integrate new performance
elements."
CIRQUE DU SHMELKY: UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT?
========================================
Banana Shpeel slipped its March 7th premiere date, however, which only
further drove speculation that the show was in imminent danger of
collapsing completely had Cirque du Soleil unleashed a lemon of a
banana? With reviews for CRISS ANGEL BELIEVE and VIVA ELVIS in Las
Vegas also lack-luster, patrons and fans began to wonder. Then on
March 10, 2010, Cirque du Soleil surprised us all by announcing BANANA
SHPEEL was "under new management" it's latest bid to rescue the
production.
New York, March 10, 2010 Marty Schmelky, producer
extraordinaire of such box-offices smashes as The Phantom of the
Banana; Annie Get Your Banana; Fiddler on the Banana; The Best
Little Banana in Texas; Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Banana;
and Gentlemen Prefer Bananas, announced today that he has closed
the deal with Cirque du Soleil to allow Schmelky Productions to
produce the new show Banana Shpeel. Under his management, Banana
Shpeel will begin performances at the Beacon Theatre (2124
Broadway) on April 29, 2010, instead of March 17.
"To the good people of New York and the entire tri-state area
who have so wonderfully supported my shows for all these
decades, my newest creation Banana Shpeel still needs more time
to ripen. The truth is, my friends, that the bananas are still a
little green," explains cigar-puffing Schmelky. "I am still
holding auditions because Banana Shpeel has to be like me: bold,
wacky and colorful."
In describing the new show, Schmelky is moving in a new
direction from his previous productions. "I'm mixing together
different ingredients and we will showcase dance, comedy and
circus arts in the fancy-schmancy Beacon Theatre on the Upper
West Side."
The production now "a riot of ha-ha's, la-la's and ta-da's" rather
than "a new twist on vaudeville", would begin performances on April
29th with a gala premiere on May 21st. If all was successful, Banana
Shpeel would run through August 29th.
But all would not be successful.
Reviews came in and although they were more positive than those in
Chicago (even a number of fans deemed the show "fun"), BANANA SHPEEL
still could not connect with either critics or audiences alike. And
thus on June 14, 2010, producers of the show announced that BANANA
SHPEEL would give its final New York performance on Sunday, June 27th
a full two months early with a hefty discount on tickets ($39/$49
versus $35 to $89 for previews and $45 to $110 for regular shows).
THE BANANA SHPLITS
==================
Leaving New York City was not the end to BANANA SHPEEL's legacy,
however. Cirque du Soleil in cooperation with Mirvish Productions
brought the show to Toronto for a limited engagement (September 14th
through October 10th) at the Canon Theater. Furthermore, according to
Broadway Mania and San Francisco Broadway World, Cirque would also
present a special engagement of BANANA SHPEEL at San Francisco's
Golden Gate Theater from Saturday, October 16th through Sunday,
November 14th. As a "fair bit of tweaking" had been rumored to have
taken place after the curtain fell in New York, Toronto was Cirque du
Soleil's last hope for the show as it began its tour.
Alas, audiences didn't like BANANA SHPEEL in Toronto any more than
they had in New York City or Chicago before it reviews were awful:
From the Toronto Sun:
[The clowns] are charged with carrying the full weight of a
second-rate narrative that Shiner has imposed as seeming
justification for forsaking the big top for the theatrical big-
time.
And frankly, that's where things start to fall apart; for in
attempting to hitch a ride on vaudeville's rather shabby
coattails, the folks at Cirque seem to have overlooked the
audience on whose collective imaginations Cirque's success has
been built.
Over the years, Guy Laliberte and Gilles Ste-Croix have
consistently refused to simply tell a story, instead setting
scenes that force every member of their audience to impose his
or her own narrative - a brilliant way to draw an audience into
a show...
Now, with a narrative served up on a platter - Shiner takes the
whole premise of the Ed Sullivan Show and almost succeeds in
converting it into the Dead Sullivan Show as a Schmelky
Spectacular, overseen by impresario Marty Schmelky, played by
[Danny] Rutigliano - it all just seems a little tedious, as he
tries to pass an amuse-bouche off as a main course...
But ultimately, though no one is killed in this collision
between Cirque and vaudeville, no one really walks away
uninjured either.
From Eye Weekly:
[David Shiner] makes the clown acts the show's focus and turns
the measly five acrobatic acts into short interludes in two
hours of "comedy." If the clown acts have always been your
favourite part of Cirque du Soleil, this show is for you. If
not, you have been warned...
If a show makes clowns the most important element, they should
at least be funny ... but Shiner has given none of them
interesting material unless you think "shut up" is a witty
comeback line...
The three clowns who join them really lower the tone. One is a
horrid caricature of a senior with palsy and Alzheimer's and
we're supposed to laugh when his walker is kicked away and he
falls down. The second is a horrid caricature of a sleazy Latino
whose specialty act makes fun of deaf people. The third is a
would-be flasher in red briefs, who is funny as in "creepy," not
"ha-ha."
But the final three acts, though amazing in themselves, suffer
from being too similar - hand-to-hand followed by hand balancing
followed by contortion and balancing. Cirque du Soleil is famous
for its costumes, but Dominique Lemieux's are downright ugly
here. The period shifts unaccountably from the 1920s in Act 1 to
the 1960s in Act 2 - a bit odd since vaudeville was dead by the
'60s. To remain creative, a company needs to experiment; this
experiment just doesn't work out. It would be better for Cirque
du Soleil to withdraw Banana Shpeel than flog it on tour and
endanger its reputation.
From The Globe and Mail:
Since Banana Shpeel's New York run, only minor changes have
taken place. The show still seems like, if I can quote myself,
"a reinvention of The Muppet Show with clowns in the place of
Kermit and his cohorts" that works in its own idiosyncratic way,
but never feels entirely worth the effort...
The scripted jokes fall pretty flat much of the time. Perhaps,
in retrospect, it was unwise for Cirque to hire a mime (David
Shiner) to write and direct their first show with proper
dialogue...
The foulness of the language and the sexual jokes are a poor fit
with this colourful show. Sure, they would hardly raise an
eyebrow in a teen comedy, but in the context of Cirque's
otherwise uplifting aesthetic, the crassness (a character
calling another "retarded", an "elderly" clown shaking like he
has Parkinson's) seems tasteless - even, perhaps,
sacrilegious...
Dominique Lemieux's shiny, spangly costumes are the definition
of gaudy. Particularly appalling are the neon and glow-in-the-
dark flapper outfits - they look like the early Nineties doing
the Twenties...
Simon Carpentier's songs are a mish-mash poorly matched with the
dance sequences. Jared Grimes's tap numbers are all about
clatter, speed and athleticism, but leave subtlety in the wings.
They're the equivalent of watching Bulkin do 1,000 push-ups:
impressive, but what's the point?
With the reviews not-so-favorable in Toronto, BANANA SHPEEL's San
Francisco engagement (as well as one in Orange County, California,
which was to follow its stop in San Francisco), were abruptly
canceled. The show's future beyond Toronto was never announced and the
concept quietly died away, with its last performance in Toronto on
Sunday, Nobember 14, 2010.
CIRQUE SLIPS ON ITS OWN SHPEEL
==============================
Today Cirque du Soleil does little to acknowledge the show. But we
have to ask: what went wrong? Patrick Healy of the New York Times
asked Cirque du Soleil that very question and put together a fantastic
overview of the entire situation "How Cirque Slipped on its
Shpeel'" (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/theater/26shpeel.html?
pagewanted=1&_r=1) which you can also read in its entirety below:
Less than six weeks after opening in New York, "Banana Shpeel" the
latest high-budget, high-profile show from Cirque du Soleil is
scheduled to close on Sunday. For Cirque, the show was supposed to be
another milestone: a production that could compete artistically and
commercially with Broadway, blending signature Cirque acrobatics and
clowns with elements of vaudeville, dance and musical theater. Instead
"Banana Shpeel" will go down as one of the most frustrating failures
in Cirque's history.
With an original budget of $20 million, the production not only had
the Cirque touch but also a team led by David Shiner, the renowned
clown and co-creator of the hit 1993 Broadway show "Fool Moon," as
writer and director. And the show was booked for the Beacon Theater in
Manhattan, which had reopened in 2009 after a $16 million restoration.
Now the closing notice stands as the first time that Cirque has
quickly shuttered a major show, said Daniel Lamarre, the company's
president and chief executive. And the experience has clearly had an
effect: Mr. Lemarre said it was too early to say if Cirque would try a
theatrically driven entertainment like "Banana Shpeel" again.
"We tried something very new and very different for Cirque, which is
what we love doing tackling new creative challenges but obviously
this was a difficult and somewhat surprising process for us," Mr.
Lamarre said in a telephone interview from the company's headquarters
in Montreal. "I think it will take some time to understand what
happened with Banana Shpeel' in New York."
According to interviews with nine executives and artists who worked on
"Banana Shpeel," the production appeared to suffer from competing
creative impulses. Cirque is known for using a highly improvisational,
free-form process to create shows, preferring to experiment with clown
or circus acts rather than to work with a script. In the case of
"Banana Shpeel," however, the plan was to use a conventional plot,
with music and dancing, as well as actual characters, like an
overbearing, off-color theater impresario named Marty Schmelky, and an
array of clowns and actors who spar with him.
Yet for long stretches of development in 2009, Mr. Shiner and his team
were still not working with a scripted story; instead, artists
involved with the production said, Cirque emphasized the importance of
working with a blank canvas and creating vaudeville numbers with bits
of story interspersed. (Several attempts through intermediaries to
reach Mr. Shiner, who lives in Germany, were unsuccessful over the
last week.)
"There was such a struggle getting everyone, people in the rehearsal
room, senior Cirque executives, on the same page about what the show
was supposed to be," said Annaleigh Ashford, a Broadway actress
("Hair," "Legally Blonde") who was hired in late 2008 to play the main
female role in the show. "But I got the clear sense that Cirque, while
wanting a different sort of show, also didn't want a show that looked
too much like Broadway."
Mr. Lamarre said Cirque wanted to avoid putting labels like "Broadway"
and "musical theater" on "Banana Shpeel," so as not to predetermine
the shape of the show or the expectations of audience members. Still,
he added, "When you're working on a show that you're hoping will be
different from other productions out there, you can run into problems
as people try to determine what the show is."
Within Cirque, meanwhile, the problem of determining what "Banana
Shpeel" would be came to a head last fall, when Mr. Shiner and his
cast and team held a closed-door performance of their work for senior
Cirque executives, including Guy Laliberté, who created Cirque in 1984
and built it into a global brand with total revenues of more than $700
million a year.
By all accounts, the performance was poorly received. The show struck
executives as a little of everything (vaudeville, theater, clowning,
acrobatics) but neither entrancing nor memorable by the standards of
Cirque whose popular shows include "Ka" (a gravity-defying
production, inspired by martial arts performers) and "O" (a water
show). It was also a nerve-racking performance, according to several
people involved, since a pre-New York run of "Banana Shpeel" was soon
to open in Chicago.
Shortly afterward Ms. Ashford and another actor hired for his theater
experience, Michael Longoria ("Jersey Boys"), were let go from the
production. (The show's composer, Laurence O'Keefe, who was a co-
writer of the music and lyrics for "Legally Blonde," had already quit
the show last June because of concerns about the competing,
conflicting visions for the production, he said.)
Mr. Shiner and his team quickly and heavily reworked the show,
focusing on Schmelky, his troupe of clowns and the vaudeville acts
rather than the more traditional musical numbers. But it was all to
disappointing ends: In December "Banana Shpeel" opened in Chicago to
disastrous reviews, and Cirque executives declared that the show was
not even close to ready for New York.
"A lot of people have told me that a normal producer would have given
up after Chicago, but we're not a normal producer," Mr. Lamarre said.
"That said, we don't think we're invincible, we weren't arrogant about
it. We weren't pleased after Chicago. But the spirit of Cirque,
working day and night to make the show work, is a point of pride for
us, and we wanted to give our team a chance to fix the show."
The Beacon in Manhattan, meanwhile, passed up bookings for three
months awaiting "Banana Shpeel" preview performances, which ended up
being delayed three times, from early February to, ultimately, April
29. With continued reworking of the show, the production budget
ballooned to at least $25 million from $20 million, Mr. Lamarre said.
More people began weighing in with proposed changes, including
executives at MSG Entertainment, which owns the Beacon Theater and is
a partner in "Banana Shpeel" and other Cirque productions. (The Cirque
show "Wintuk" has become a Christmastime staple at The Theater at
Madison Square Garden.) The Cirque team had sole artistic control over
"Banana Shpeel," but the MSG Entertainment team had a financial stake
in the show, as well as in the decision to turn over the Beacon
Theater to Cirque, which meant ousting its popular March residency by
the Allman Brothers.
Once "Banana Shpeel" finally began its run in New York, opening on May
19 and accompanied by heavy television advertising, weekly ticket
sales were only a fraction of Cirque's projections. And almost four
weeks after opening, Cirque officials announced they would close the
show.
Paul Binder, the founding artistic director of Big Apple Circus, with
which Cirque has been competing in New York City in recent years, was
invited to a dress rehearsal of "Banana Shpeel" and also attended
opening night. While he said he admired much of the talent in the
show, he added that he sensed right away that Cirque might have a
problem building an audience.
"The reality is, people have very specific expectations with Cirque
shows, and Banana Shpeel' turned out to be neither fish nor fowl
neither circus act nor theatrical vaudeville entertainment," Mr.
Binder said. "So I think it was probably difficult to get a large
audience excited about a show when many didn't really understand what
it was."
The final decision to close was Cirque's, Mr. Lamarre said, adding
that the company never came under pressure from MSG Entertainment to
leave the Beacon so it could book more profitable acts. For his part,
Jay Marciano, president of MSG Entertainment, said in a statement that
regardless of the "Banana Shpeel" debacle, his company would continue
its "long-standing relationship" with Cirque, including on a major
Cirque production scheduled for Radio City Music Hall in 2011.
While Mr. Lamarre said Cirque was "very excited" about the Radio City
show (which became ZARKANA), he added that executives were not
casually moving on from "Banana Shpeel." The show is expected
eventually to have a run in Toronto, where, Mr. Lamarre said, Cirque
was hopeful that the show would finally find an audience.
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 13, Number 02 (Issue #109) - February 2013
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c)
2001-2013 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a
subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter
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{ Feb.02.2013 }
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