Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Fascination Issue 123
=======================================================================
______ _ __ _ __
/ ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / /
/ /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ /
/ __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/
/_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_)
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
------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.CirqueFascination.com
------------------------------------------------------------
=======================================================================
VOLUME 14, NUMBER 4 April 2014 ISSUE #123
=======================================================================
Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque
du Soleil Newsletter.
This is it! Later this month Cirque du Soleil will debut its latest
touring show - KURIOS: CABINET OF CURIOSITIES - a spectacle that
dares to ask: what if we could alter reality at will? Yours truly
will be there to see it take its first few steps, to delve into this
world of curiosities, becoming immersed in a mysterious and
fascinating realm that disorients my senses and challenges all my
perceptions... will I ask if what I'm seeing is real or just a
figment of my imagination? Time will tell. I won't be alone, though.
A number of fans (and readers of Fascination!) will also be in
attendance - the Cirquesters! Together we're going to step into this
steam-punky curio cabinet of an ambitious inventor who defies the laws
of time, space and dimension to have our world literally turned upside
down! We have nothing fancy planned for our gathering other than to
enjoy each other's company, and, of course, enjoy Cirque du Soleil. I
can't wait to be back in Montreal too; seeing a new Cirque show debut
is always a good excuse to make the trip up.
There's just nothing like a hometown crowd!
Ive said it before and Im sure Ill say it again. Its a clichéd old
adage, but for a fan of Cirque du Soleil theres simply no substitute
for being in the Grand Chapiteau with a couple of thousand Québécois,
clapping and stomping to the shows beat whether it be lounge-fusion,
organ-fusion, Indian-fusion, insect-fusion, Native American-fusion or
full-on rock-and-roll and reveling in every single moment of it all.
As an attendee of Cirque du Soleil touring show premieres for twelve
years (KURIOS will be my 7th premiere since 2002's Varekai and I hope
this will be a lucky one!), allowing ones self to be swept up in the
awesomeness of premiere excitement is nothing short of magical; its a
euphoria youll find nowhere else but in Cirques hometown. I relish
this feeling... especially with friends.
My first experience with this brand of euphoria came when witnessing
Varekais birth in 2002. I knew from the moment I stepped foot on the
cobblestoned streets of the venerable old port of Montréal this was how
you celebrated a premiere and I wanted to be a part of it from then on.
Traveling to Montreal for premiere weekend has provided many indelible
memories. Ill never forget bouncing along outside the Grand Chapiteau
on the third night of Varekais performances having just procured a
stand-by ticket, while the harmonies of the shows opening overture
played on; or watching Mad Max rip off his headdress and fly through
the air between one Russian Swing to the other all the while twisting,
turning and twirling about the first time I ever seriously feared for
an artists safety; or forget about touring the Cirque du Soleil
Headquarters with 100 or so Passionates as part of CirqueCon 2005; or
forget sitting on the edge of my seat along with everyone else during
Koozås many thrilling acts; or meeting and speaking with David Shiner,
Koozås Director, during intermission); or rocking along with the
talented ladies of Amaluna, as I fell head-over-heels in love with
the show.
No doubt we'll have a few thoughts for you regarding KURIOS in our next
issue, so be on the lookout! Those interested in a little spoiler can
check out the initial splash page over at Richasi's Grand Chapiteau
(http://www.richasi.com/Cirque/Kurios/), which has collected a few
pieces about KURIOUS to date, including links to the recently released
"glimpse" videos. OR you could check out the initial press release
here: http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=4554
For now, we've got the conclusion of our 2-part peek into a few
of the special events Michel Laprise crafted before taking up the post
of KURIOS's Writer and Director (which include Quebec's 400th
anniversary celebration, and Microsoft KINECT as Imagined by Cirque -
a fantastic event if you don't mind me saying). Keith has a review on
the new Cavalia concept. And as a special engagement, a long article
about Anthony Gatto, initially juggler for Koozå, then later La Nouba,
who has recently stepped out of the spotlight - find out why and what
he's doing now (construction work?) You'll also find a little bit more
on the Cirque Riviera Maya project as Grupo Vidanta released four new
renderings of the theater and an interesting pricing structure (the
premiere is set for Saturday, November 8th at 9:00pm - prices range
from MXN$858 to MXN$2970), enjoy two Q&A's by Robin Leach (one with
the Atherton Twins as they join ZARKANA, and a second with Barry
Farley - Head of Aquatics for "O"), learn about the settlement Cirque
and OSHA reached in the Guillot-Guyard case at KÀ, a bit more on the
2nd Annual One Night for ONE DROP performance (is there a video
release coming? YES! As well as a 3rd performance to be held at the
LOVE Theater in 2015), and about television personality and actress
NeNe Leakes ("The Real Housewives of Atlanta") joining ZUMANITY for
an exclusive 10-show engagement in celebration of the show's 10th
anniversary (her limited engagement wil run from Friday, June 27th
through Tuesday, July 1st.)
And more! We also have updates to Cirque's tour schedule, a
sampling of their posts to Facebook, and an introduction from Ian
Reents, creator and host of the Solar Flare Cirque du Soleil podcast,
which just released their third episode on iTunes.
So, let's get started!
Join us on the web at:
< www.cirquefascination.com >
Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only):
< http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >
- Ricky "Richasi" Russo
===========
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
* Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque
* Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube
o) Fascination! Features
* "Michel Laprise - Coordinating Cirque's Special Events
(Part 2 of 2)"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
* "Cavalia Continues its 'Odysseo'"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
* "Anthony Gatto: Master of Construction?"
By: Jason Fagone, Special Engagement
* "This is the Solar Flare Podcast!"
By: Ian Reents - Longwood, Florida (USA)
o) Subscription Information
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
=======================================================================
CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Cirque-OSHA reach settlement in Guillot-Guyard case
{Mar.01.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
A settlement has been reached in the Cirque du Soleil appeal of
rulings by OSHA in the incident in Ka that led to the death of
artist Sarah Guillot-Guyard on June 29. The result is all but
one of the violations issued against Cirque in the incident have
been withdrawn by agency investigators.
The original findings by the federal safety agency were a series
of violations and fines adding up to more than $25,000. But in
November, Cirque appealed all of the citations, and near the end
of that month OSHA had withdrawn its findings for each citation
except for the violation in which the artists in the Final
Battle scene, the act during which Guillot-Guyard fell 94 feet
to her death, were not protected or prevented from striking the
overhead forest grid as they used wire rope, controllers and
winches to ascend from the Sand Cliff Deck to the Forest Grid
Catwalk.
As noted in OSHA documents specifying the citations, previous
incidents have resulted from employees striking the catwalk, and
Guillot-Guyard reportedly hit that apparatus on ascent, causing
her wire rope to be jarred out of its pulley and severed by the
edge of that pulley, leading her to fall free. The fine issued
by OSHA for that infraction and the formal investigation of the
incident are now closed.
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/EBLoqt }
Zarkana Aerialists Perform in Aria Porte Cochere
{Mar.03.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
British twin brothers Andrew and Kevin Atherton, Cirque du
Soleil aerialists with Zarkana, perform under the monorail
truss in Arias porte cochere Monday, March 3, 2014. The
performance was promoting Zarkanas revamped show, which
includes a new soundtrack and new aerial straps act.
Check out the following picture from Cirque du Soleils Twitter
account: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=4527 >
And a video from the Las Vegas Sun:
< http://goo.gl/EnZBjZ >
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil, Las Vegas Sun }
Robin Leachs Q&A w/Barry Farley
Head of Aquatics for O
{Mar.04.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
Audiences at O are hypnotized by the split-second timing that
divers and acrobats have to master at Cirque du Soleils aquatic
show that is now celebrating its 15th year at Bellagio.
There are nearly 400 cues that could go wrong in the 100-minute
spectacular in the 1.5 million-gallon pool but incredibly never
have.
From a ceiling height of 110 feet, divers look down onto what
appears as a postage-stamp sized plunge pool as the stage slides
open to reveal the water they will propel into. Underneath in
the 25-foot depth, the water SCUBA safety experts wait to ensure
that there are no mishaps to the divers who are swum away to
safety before the stage closes over them.
Barry Farley, head of aquatics for O, told me: The technical
part of this show is just as large a star as the divers and the
acrobats. I dont want to take anything away from them because
everybody has a huge part in this.
But if youve seen the show, you have to be fascinated by the
technical aspect of it and wonder how everything works so
smoothly. It is an incredible collaboration. I dont know if
technically its a bigger star or not, but it certainly is a
huge component.
The shows automation department has two sets of computer
controls that run simultaneously. One known as the Deck Board
has 198 computer operator-activated cues to move such stage
elements as the seven lifts, curtains, lights and ladders.
The other control console is the Telepherique Board with 196
cues that run the winch units to fly in the artists and position
the safety nets. Theres a backup system that contains both cue
structures. In the event of a board failure, the operator can
jump to the safety console running simultaneously.
All of the 150 technicians and 85 cast members have SCUBA
certification. The pool takes 12 hours to fill, and the
filtration system cleans all 1.5 million gallons three times
each day.
Barry, who works on the technician side of the production with
the SCUBA divers, added: There was a specific goal in mind when
O was created. The people had the vision that they wanted to
see this. They told the technical guys, Make this happen. So
it was simply a case of how are we going to do it?
Heres our conversation:
Q. How long did it take to get this whole thing from the dream
of people diving, people vanishing and people swimming? How long
to go from conception to reality?
Several years, for sure. I dont know when the original idea was
dreamt up. I started here January of 1998, and the theater was
in place, there was water in the pool, but it was basically an
empty room other than just the pool itself.
Then we started bringing in components of the show creating the
show several months later. I think director Franco Dragone and
Steve Wynn, who created Bellagio, started on the vision three
years before he started building a big theater with a big pool.
Rehearsals alone before O opened took 12 months.
Q. Being in charge of the SCUBA divers means that one of your
responsibilities is the total safety of the artists underwater?
That is absolutely correct. My divers are actually called artist
handlers, and were involved with moving the artists underwater.
As youve seen in the show, you might have seen somebody jump
into the water and then disappear, and the effect from the
audience is whered they go How are they holding their
breath?
Or you might have seen somebody appear that you didnt see
before. They just appeared out of the water; you dont know
where they came from. My people are down there moving artists,
giving them air, moving them through the water according to a
certain choreography. Every move has its own particular time to
move this artist or wait for the artist to fall into the water.
Theres a choreography to getting them the breathing regulators,
and thats all very well rehearsed to the split second.
I have four artist handlers during the show and then two more
divers that are on communications setups. They wear a full-face
mask with communications capability in it. Then we have two
other departments that dive also during the show; the carpentry
and rigging departments. Carpenters are responsible for moving
set pieces under water, and the riggers are responsible for
rigging all the apparatuses or anything like that. A total of 14
technicians work underwater for every show.
Q. Im tempted to say that if you did this on dry land, it would
be a lot easier, but how much tougher is it to do underwater?
Its not as tough as it might seem. The people who I hired come
in as divers with a lot experience being around SCUBA students
or other divers. Theyve got a background of that. So the artist
handling is not really a stretch for the people that I would
hire.
Q. Underwater, you cant have a script or a rundown, so what do
you do to make sure nothing goes wrong? With so many moving
parts, an awful lot could go wrong?
When I have meetings with my divers, I talk about complacency
and stop it creeping in. I try to combat that before it happens
and keep everybody on their toes. We also train rescue scenarios
every month within my department as a group because my specific
department would be the first responders for any sort of
incident in the water. So we do rescue training; thats always
on our mind. We do theater-wide rescue trainings once a month to
keep everybody tuned in on how to do rescues pertaining to
certain disciplines.
I think more than anything, I talk about the complacency: Dont
get set in your ways and always be on your toes and always look
for things that are out of place. If that crept in, it would be
a bad thing. I cant have it. I tend to get up on a soapbox, and
my divers all know that, but they also know why I do it.
In 15 years, there have been some incidents that weve had to
deal with. Maybe an artist was out of place or maybe there was a
gear issue that was unexpected and we had to deal with and
cover, but there hasnt been anything major thats been totally
crazy or life threatening.
Q. On a regular stage, the actor hits his mark. How does a guy
diving 60 feet from the ceiling hit the same mark every night?
Theyre pretty good. When they dive in, it looks like a slice of
pie from that height. Guess. For those high dives, they dont
have the entire pool available. Its just the little slice where
the lift is lowered. Theyve got to hit it.
It looks pretty big to the audience, but when youre way up
there looking down, it looks like its just an inch, a postage
stamp. Its ridiculous when you look down from above, but
theyre mighty talented hitting the same mark. You dont get
that job if you have a fear of heights!
Q.Is there one or two acts in the show that you really have to
keep an eye out for every night?
Yes. Theres a large skeleton-like set piece that looks like a
boat, but its just the framework of a boat. They perform
similar to a parallel bar act in addition to a flying act
combination on it. We train a lot on that as far as rescue
scenarios of people falling off or hitting things. I talk to my
divers all the time; if you just watch that act, you can see
about 90 things that could go wrong if somebody just steps in
the wrong place.
While that act is happening, were off to the side where the
audience cant see us; were just sitting there in the water
watching the act. If something were to happen, we would have to
respond appropriately immediately. That one makes me a little
crazy sometimes when you see how close they come to it.
The Russian swing act is a little zany for us, too, when they
have the three swings going at once. That one can get very
crazy. If somebody is out of place by an inch, it might back the
whole thing up. Theres pretty good potential on that one, but
theyve managed to pull it off every night.
Q. Who cues who to make a call of dont jump because they
might hit somebody in midair?
Theyre watching each other, and theres a little sequence that
they do when theyre going off the swings. You dont know it
from the audience, but thats part of the choreography of the
act to ensure the split-second timing. They know the timing of
that, and they know that if something is off, they would just
simply wait for that. They rehearse that act every week, so they
get a lot of time on the swings.
We dont rehearse the divers, but we do rescue scenarios every
month and four diver meetings a night: one that starts the
shift, one after we preset the show before we all eat dinner,
and then before each show, we have a very specific show lineup
and another before the second show. Thats every night we have
shows.
Q. Safety is obviously the priority even though the mission is
entertainment.
It has to be. Theres just too much stuff going on in this show
to be relaxed or lazy about it. You have to; theres no other
way around it. There are so many computer cues to worry about.
One diver can have as many as 50 to 70 cues. Some are simple,
some involve more work, but all are very important. Multiply
that by six just for my team.
We also have a person who sits in this little area called the
crows nest, and he has a console and communication with the two
underwater SCUBA divers who have the communication lines.
Theyre also additional communications between the divers and
stage manager.
The crows nest is way up high. You cant see it from the
audience, but it overlooks the stage, stage right way, way up
high overlooking the water. Its actually a hard-lined
communications line that goes right to the divers facemasks.
We also have three underwater cameras and a speaker system in
the pool we call the Neptune that lets you make an announcement
in the pool through the underwater speakers. There are actual
cues that also come through those speakers to the performers.
There are music cues, too, specifically for the synchronized
swimmers for a lot of their choreography.
Q. Is this one of the most elaborate shows ever staged anywhere
in the world?
Its way up there. I mean, Id like to brag, of course, and say,
Yeah, this is the best one, but there are a lot of technically
advanced shows. But this one is doubly difficult in a sense
because there is water involved.
It gets a little crazy, and it affects the maintenance a lot,
too, because of the water. It all becomes increased. Things wear
out faster and costumes wear out faster because of the chlorine
in the water. The laundry department has more than 50 loads a
day. The lifespan of some costumes is only six weeks. Being in
water definitely changes the game.
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/nXoQAG }
Cirque chooses Purdue for first Midwest workshop
{Mar.04.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
Starting March 21, a three-day theater workshop the first of
its kind in the Midwest hosted by Cirque du Soleil will be
held on campus.
The event is presented by the United States Institute for
Theatre Technology Midwest Regional Section, which creates
theater symposiums that allow attendees to directly interact
with talented professionals. From Elliott Hall of Music to Loeb
Playhouse and Fowler Hall, nine different workshops will be
simultaneously happening all over campus during the three-day
event. One of the companies that the School of Visual and
Performing Arts has done workshops within the past recommended
Purdue to Cirque du Soleil. From there, all Purdue had to do was
say yes.
We are the luckiest people on the planet, said Rick Thomas,
professor of theater and director of the upcoming workshop. The
fact that weve been selected for something like this is quite
an honor and shows that they have a lot of faith in what we do
at Purdue.
Instructors at the workshop will include the artistic director
and assistant head of rigging for O, Cirque du Soleils
aquatic show at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, as well as the dance
master for LOVE, Cirque du Soleils Beatles show at the Mirage
in Las Vegas. The workshops will cover topics from acting and
dancing to lighting, automation, sound and carpentry. This kind
of hands-on interaction will be invaluable for all who attend,
said Thomas.
If youre somebody whos going into the performing arts, youre
probably wishing, hoping that you get an interview with Cirque
du Soleil, said Thomas. They are the crème de la crème of
large scale theatrical events. Outside of some shows on Broadway
Theres nobody who creates shows as large and spectacular as
Cirque du Soleil does.
Already popular on the East and West coasts, the workshop will
give Midwest theater students a chance to gain experience on the
level of their competition.
Additionally, Purdue faculty and staff will be volunteering
their time to assist in the workshops and act as liaisons
between the University and the Cirque du Soleil professionals.
Katharine Engelen, a graduate student in the College of Liberal
Arts, will be spending her Spring Break volunteering with the
wardrobe and makeup aspects of the event.
With the collaborative efforts of the faculty and staff in the
performing arts and people at the Elliott Hall of Music, Joel
Ebarb, department chair and associate professor of theater, said
this program will help bolster the reputation of Purdues Visual
and Performing Arts program.
Most people know Cirque du Soleil its a name that when its
in the paper or on the radio or something, people automatically
go oh, wow this is something thats exciting, said Ebarb. We
do exciting things here all the time
But hopefully well bring
in people who maybe didnt even know there was a theater program
here at Purdue. People are coming from all over the country for
this so its a pretty big deal.
Registration is free but limited to the first 300 applicants.
Anyone interested can register at midwest.usitt.org/cirque.
{ SOURCE: The Purdue Exponent | http://goo.gl/kkbbdt }
Even More on Cirque Riviera Mara
{Mar.05.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
As we know, Cirque du Soleils first resident show in Mexico
will open on the Riviera Maya this November. The 70-minute show
will be performed eight times per week year-round in the custom-
designed 600-seat Vidanta Theater currently under construction
across the street from Grupo Vidantas four-resort complex
comprising Grand Luxxe, Grand Bliss, Grand Mayan and Mayan
Palace, on the Riviera Maya between Cancun and Playa del Carmen.
Dining and champagne service will be integrated within the
shows performance and though ticket prices have not yet been
announced, they will be in line with Cirques other shows. But
here are a few new things we didnt know
o) Grupo Vidanta founder Daniel Chavez Moran said the cultural
and culinary attraction would be interactive, immersive and
reflective of the Mexican experience and culture. Those in
the audience will have a clear understanding that they are in
Mexico, he said.
o) The 40 performers, technicians and crew will be part of the
community, said Daniel Lamarre, Cirques president and CEO.
We have something unique to offer to visitors and residents.
We hope that our show will create a destination attraction
for our audiences that will reflect the culture and magic of
Mexico.
o) It was planned just for the Riviera Maya, Lamarre said.
Its a theater in the round with the stage in the center.
Its an intimate setting that will bring our audiences right
into the performances. The theaters design and materials,
such as its palapa-style thatched roof, are meant to reflect
the Yucatan jungle habitat.
o) Cirque will pay commissions to agents who book tickets for
their clients in advance; tickets also will be available at a
number of resorts in the area.
o) The show is open to everyone, from our resort guests to taxi
drivers, all other hotels and everyone in the community,
Moran said. We want to be part of this landscape.
{ SOURCE: Travel Weekly | http://goo.gl/7dT09O }
Mike Weatherford: Zarkana fast, lively,
but lacks point of distinction
{Mar.05.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
Mike Weatherford of the Las Vegas Review-Journal has seen the
new ZARKANA... here are his thoughts!
Without doubt, the new version is better than the middling one
that landed at Aria in the fall of 2012, after its second summer
at New Yorks Radio City Music Hall. By then, Zarkana already
had shed English-language songs and most of the story about a
magician who revives the ghosts of an abandoned theater in a bid
to reunite with his lost love. Now, even the magician is gone.
Its up to two clowns (Gabe del Vecchio and Stas Bogdanov) to
awaken the theaters ghostly Movers, as the spirits of the
theater are known in the official synopsis.
I kind of liked movie and opera director Francois Girards
atypically quiet, moody opening when the theater slowly stirred
to life. The comparative jump-start is at least a trade-off. It
gets the show quickly out of the gate and allows a whole new act
to be squeezed into the same running time.
That would be the aerial strap duo Kevin and Andrew Atherton,
identical twins who soar out beyond the curtain line of the
proscenium stage, which often makes the action (as it did with
Elvis) appear more distant than the Cirques with thrust
stages.
More subliminal changes include punchier music from composer
Nick Littlemore, who replaced much of his cinematic underscore.
The rest of Zarkana relies upon the strength of the individual
acts, since most of the transitions are gone. The two clowns are
called upon to cover changes behind the curtain at least twice
more than their two sketches with props.
There is no longer any attempt to explain why singer Cassiopee
shows up as a snake or spider lady, since they are no longer out
to jealously thwart the magician. Now shes just part of the
cool production design framing the flying trapeze or, in the
case of the snake lady, high-wire artists Pedro Carillo and Luis
Acosta. These crazy guys manage to jump rope, or over one
another, while dodging a pendulum of fire.
With the focus on acrobatics, we find plenty to amaze us and
power us past a couple of acts that dont. If weve seen this
act in Ka, or the trapeze act in Mystere and U.S. circuses,
it circles back to the only real drawback of Zarkana. That
familiarity, or at least the lack of a strong point of
departure.
One striking moment seems to have survived all three versions:
Andrey Kolotenkos expressive hand-balancing centered between
two grand pianos in duet. Its hypnotic, the very definition of
how Cirque blends art and athleticism.
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal | http://goo.gl/WsjhuI }
Robin Leach Has Q&A w/Atherton Twins
{Mar.07.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
Twin gymnasts Andrew and Kevin Atherton are the newest addition
to Zarkana. They perform as if they are one and swing out over
the audience at high speed, each with just one strap wrapped
around one shoulder. The audience is in a stunned silence of
disbelief. The 38-year-old brothers, born within three minutes
of each other, make more noise swishing through the air than the
audience, who only break out into cheers with relief when their
stunts are stilled.
Both Brits, who represented the U.K. in the Commonwealth Games
in advance of the 2000 Olympics, are from just outside
Manchester. They live here now. Andrew is married with a baby to
a former hand-balancing acrobat from Cirques Varakei. Kevins
husband is also a twin, Michel Laprise, the director of Cirques
new touring show Kurios that was recently unveiled in
Montreal.
Robin Leach talked with the Atherton duo backstage after last
weekends unveiling of the reimagined Zarkana.
# # #
Q. Im intrigued by the fact that you dont look at each other,
but somehow you know exactly where the other is. I know peas in
a pod, twins, but how do you know where you each are without
seeing or looking where you are?
Its kind of a difficult question to answer. Some of it probably
is because we are twins, but weve basically performed together
and trained together all of our lives. Just by the way we let go
of a certain skill, we know where were going to end up without
even looking at each other.
Q. Do you count off 3-2-1 in your minds to connect?
Only on one routine. I found out just recently that I close my
eyes, but I still feel the relationship with him. Theres only
one moment in there where we actually count to get the same
timing, but the rest of it, no.
Q. Growing up, you were deliberately kept separate, and there
was a period of time when you didnt work together so that you
had your own identities rather than being two identical people
one starting to speak and the other finishing the thought. But
you reunited for Cirque? Was it like
riding a bicycle. Did it
automatically click being together again?
We did gymnastics, which is a very individual sport. We both did
it differently. We never really grew up together as far as we
were always in separate classes in school and in separate
gymnastics. But Cirque brought us together; they thought of us
as a team of one. At first we hated it.
When you make a mistake in gymnastics, its your fault; you can
blame yourself. For the first month of being together, we just
blamed each other for every mistake. We dont really fight, but
we had little confrontations. When one is more outspoken, the
other is quieter and just disappears.
This wasnt a case of reuniting after so many years. In 24
years, wed never worked together until Cirque. We never worked
as partners. Any time we were together was on the Great Britain
team, and wed come together to root for each other. But we were
still separate.
Q. How did you wind up in Montreal at Cirque headquarters with
this unique act?
The company has casting directors who go around the world. We
were in China competing for Great Britain, and they approached
us. We honestly had never heard of Cirque du Soleil. They asked
us to check them out, but we never really thought anything of
it. Then we were invited to our first Cirque show, Alegria,
which was at Royal Albert Hall in London.
We just sat there together, didnt speak to each other, but as
soon as the first character came onstage, we both got goose
bumps. We didnt talk to each other all the way through the
show, but afterward simultaneously we looked at each other and
went, Wow, OK, now we know what were going to do after our
championship gymnastics ends. We didnt speak it; we just knew
it.
It wasnt just that, though, because not only did we know we
wanted to do Cirque du Soleil, we knew right away what we wanted
to do. We started to dream the act that we wanted to do. But we
still had several years heavily involved with gymnastics. We
still hadnt achieved all that we wanted to achieve. Eventually,
we won the Commonwealth championships.
The nearest things to the straps back then were the balance
rings. That was the highest we would go. We werent afraid of
heights, but we were uncomfortable with them.
Q. Born three minutes apart, just how twin are you?
Were very different. Our interests are very different. Hes
more the artistic, and Im more the academic, mathematical one.
We finish each others sentences because we know what the other
is going to start to say before he says it.
Q. When you hang on the straps, turn upside down, fly balanced
atop your heads, how do you prevent injuries to your shoulders,
your biceps?
Weve never had a problem in 14 years. We work very hard on our
shoulders. Once we started, once we knew what we were doing, we
said to Cirque that if they focus on our upper body, then we
would work with them for a long time. But if they put us on our
legs, then wed ache most of the time; that was our strength in
gymnastics. We never had surgery above the waist, but weve had
it in our ankles and knees. Its similar for both of us at the
same time. If my knee goes, the opposite one on him goes. Its
the same with everything. Uncanny!
Q. Oh, the mischief you could cause! How are you liking your new
home in Las Vegas?
Its cool. We had never lived here; we just visited many, many
times and saw how crazy it can be. Living here is a little bit
different. Now were settled and working. Weve been to see all
the other Cirque shows. Every show is different. You can watch
the same show three times and see it differently every time.
Before we came here for Zarkana, we were in the Iris
resident show in Los Angeles and before that in Varekai. The
only time in the 13 years we missed a show was the night Andys
baby was born.
Q. Is the scariest part of your act when you are at the highest
point over the audience?
No. The part where we have to really stay focused and
concentrate is when were holding the other with just one arm
and then with just the leg. Were not holding on by the feet.
Thats when we both have to focus because he checks my feet to
make sure theyre in properly.
Q. You can never fight before you go onstage, can you?
Oh, we have before. We dont do it here, but in our first show,
we used to let go, then nearly hit each other, then swing away.
I think I said something nasty to him when were on top, and
then when we came out, he was even nastier to me. We could hear
us, but fortunately the audience couldnt. You cant take things
like that onstage. We learned quickly it was a waste of time to
argue like that, so no more.
Q. At 38, how much physical life do you have left hanging from
straps high up in the middle of the theater?
As long as they keep modifying the costumes getting bigger and
bigger! We look after ourselves; we really do. Once we knew this
is what we wanted to do, weve stuck to training vigorously.
Its at least an hour per day. We used to do a lot more, but now
its a lot of maintenance.
We watch what we eat, but its not that difficult because its a
lifestyle we enjoy. But well confess that once in a while, we
like to go get our British fish and chips!
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/Fyuam9 }
Cirque Riviera Mara Renderings
{Mar.22.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
A few new renderings of Vidanta Theater at Riviera Mara, where
Cirque du Soleil will be setting up a resident show, beginning
November 2014.
View the four renderings here:
< http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=4572 >
{ SOURCE: Groupo Vidanta }
Eight Cirque du Soleil Productions Became ONE to
Celebrate World Water Day at Second Annual One
Night for ONE DROP in Las Vegas
{Mar.23.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
In 2014, there are still at least 780 million people around the
world who do not have access to a safe and steady water supply,
said Laliberté. It is one of our planets most urgent problems,
but there are sustainable solutions to be had if we focus our
efforts and our resources.
Highlights included a heartfelt musical performance from vocal
super group The Tenors, alongside more than 100 talented Cirque
du Soleil performers, as they brought together the message of
ONE THOUGHT, ONE WORLD as a metaphor of time and its effect
on society. Violinist and YouTube sensation Lindsey Stirling,
Americas Best Dance Crew Season 6 Champions IaMmE Crew and
award-winning spoken word artist IN-Q were also featured in the
extraordinary extravaganza created and directed by Mukhtar O.S.
Mukhtar.
Celebrities joining the nights blue carpet event and after-
party at Moorea Beach Club included Cirque du Soleil founder and
CEO Guy Laliberté; ONE DROP CEO Catherine B. Bachand; Kyle
Richards, Mauricio Umansky and Camille Grammer of Real
Housewives of Beverly Hills; TV personality Holly Madison;
contemporary rock band Blues Traveler; Mary Wilson of The
Supremes; New York Times best-selling author and Chelsea
Lately comedienne Heather McDonald; Brendan Fitzpatrick and
Morgan Stewart of Rich Kids of Beverly Hills; world-famous
dance crew Jabbawockeez; UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin; The
Ultimate Fighter Season 10 winner Roy Big Country Nelson; Las
Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and Oscar Goodman; illusionist Criss
Angel; USA Olympic rowing gold-medalist athletes Esther Lofgren
and Susan Francia; renowned kissing artist and painter Natalie
Irish; celebrity chef Susan Feniger (Border Grill); the men of
Thunder from Down Under; the girls of Fantasy; DJ 88; and
dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.
{ SOURCE: ONE DROP }
Cirque workshop creates once-in-a-lifetime experience
{Mar.24.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
Some students left campus over Spring Break, but during that
time, campus took a turn for the dramatic.
Over the weekend, Purdue hosted the inaugural Midwest Cirque du
Soleil Live Entertainment Workshop. Art-specific schools
typically host such events, but Purdue was chosen from a pool of
other locations across the Midwest, including those in larger
cities such as Chicago and Indianapolis. Being selected is a
high honor and speaks to the merit of Purdues well-respected
liberal arts programs.
The workshop featuring professionals from Cirque du Soleil,
the largest theatrical production company in the world offered
students, faculty and staff the opportunity to interact and
learn from the industrys best.
This is an incredible opportunity for students to network and
meet people involved in the largest format and most challenging
theater show running today, said Mercer Aplin, a graduate
student in the College of Liberal Arts and workshop volunteer.
Aplin said Cirque du Soleils choosing Purdue was a once-in-a
lifetime opportunity.
The three-day event ran from Friday to Sunday in 10 different
locations across campus and offered participants a series of
classes and performances. Each class was different, ranging from
topics such as acting and performing to sound and lighting, and
encouraged the audience to be inquisitive.
(The workshop) was a highly professional environment where
students were able to study with working professionals in a
hands-on, experiential setting, said Amy Lynn Budd, a graduate
student in the College of Liberal Arts.
A professional environment in the lens of Cirque du Soleil is
much different from what societal standards deem professional.
For Cirque du Soleil, professional may mean having performers
act as if theyre performing a typical, daily task as a human,
then repeating the same task as an animal.
When I worked on this individually, I was fixing breakfast and
getting my yogurt and fruit out of the refrigerator and I turned
into a lion, said Budd. It became increasingly difficult and
frustrating to fix breakfast as a lion and my yogurt ended up
all over the kitchen floor.
Students werent alone in this exercise; the director hosting
the class coached each student throughout the process,
incrementally increasing the human and animal features of each
participant. This forced the students to contemplate how basic
motor skills contribute to the performance process, which made
for beautiful theater and hilarious comedy, Budd added.
Everything thats grand and wild springs from a human being
doing a simple experiment in a studio, Budd said. Then those
ideas grow and expand.
{ SOURCE: Purdue Exponent | http://goo.gl/Iwp4pA }
Cirque Looks Ahead to 3rd One Night for One Drop
{Mar.24.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
Robin Leach checks in on the 2nd One Night for One Drop event
via the Las Vegas Sun:
Moments after the extraordinary Cirque du Soleil fundraising
performance and gala One Night for One Drop at Mandalay Bay on
Friday night, founder Guy Laliberte promised that there would be
a third extravaganza next year.
Before the event wound down early Saturday morning, Jerry Nadal,
Cirques senior vice president of resident shows worldwide based
here in Las Vegas, said that it will take place in the theater
of Cirques The Beatles Love at the Mirage next March 20.
More than 100 Cirque du Soleil performers took the stage for the
original production created and directed by Mukhtar O.S. Mukhtar
alongside guests including The Tenors, violinist Lindsey
Stirling, Americas Best Dance Crew Season 6 Champions IaMmE
Crew and spoken-word artist In-Q.
In what was a breathtaking and artistic spectacular, they
brought together the message of One Thought, One World as a
metaphor of time and the dwindling water supplies that effect
society even here in Las Vegas and California.
Celebrities at the blue arrivals carpet, pre-party at Aureole
and after-party at Moorea Beach Club included Guy; One Drop CEO
Catherine Bachand; Kyle Richards, Mauricio Umansky and Camille
Grammer of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills; Holly
Madison; Blues Traveler; Mary Wilson of The Supremes; comedienne
Heather McDonald; Brendan Fitzpatrick and Morgan Stewart of
Rich Kids of Beverly Hills; Boyz II Men; Jabbawockeez; UFC
Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin; and The Ultimate Fighter Season
10 winner Roy Big Country Nelson.
Also: Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and Oscar Goodman;
illusionist Criss Angel; U.S. Olympic rowing gold medalists
Esther Lofgren and Susan Francia; artist and painter Natalie
Irish; Border Grill chef Susan Feniger; Thunder From Down Under;
Fantasy; DJ 88; and dancers from Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theater.
Everybody agreed that Mukhtar had conceptualized a masterpiece
in telling the story of the desertification on earth. The
audience gave the performers loud cheers and a long standing
ovation in the finale with The Tenors and the cast singing
Leonard Cohens Hallelujah.
Guy summed it up: This was a totally incredible night. I, like
everybody else, saw the show for the first time tonight. Thats
not easy for a creative person at the top, but I left it all in
very capable hands. It turned out better than I ever expected.
Tonight has made me the happiest man in the world, and well do
it all over again next year. I promise.
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/KebJzN }
Who are you in Cirques Cabinet of Curiosities?
{Mar.25.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
Who are you in Cirques Cabinet of Curiosities? On the official
webpage for Cirque du Soleils KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities
one can take a quiz to find out. The results will give you the
personalities of four different show characters, that of: Klara,
Microcosmos, Nico or Kurios.
Heres who they are!
< http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=4581 >
Check out KURIOS official page here:
< http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/kurios/default.aspx >
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil }
2nd One Night Recorded for Online Viewing? Yes!
{Mar.25.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
A record-breaking $6 million was raised for Guy Lalibertes One
Drop Foundation from the World Water Day festivities that were
highlighted with the spectacular one-night-only performance of
One Night for One Drop at Mandalay Bay on Friday night.
Cast members, technicians and backstage workers from all eight
Cirque du Soleil shows on the Strip took part in the all-
volunteer effort for the One Thought, One World production
choreographed and directed by Mukhtar O.S. Mukhtar from Cirques
The Beatles Love at the Mirage.
It was an amazing night, Las Vegas-based Jerry Nadal, senior
VP of resident shows worldwide, told me. We set a very high bar
with the first One Drop show last year (in O theater at
Bellagio), and we surpassed it. Everybody was ecstatic with its
success.
We raised more money in ticket sales. We raised more in the
auction. Our turnout was higher all round, and the initial total
looks like a $6 million record.
This show proved that we have no shortage of talent here in Las
Vegas. We will select a new choreographer and director within
the next month for next years third show. Guy and his entire
Montreal team said that they couldnt have asked for better
everything was flawless.
With all the moving parts and people volunteering while still
doing their regular shows, you would have thought something
would easily have gone wrong. But everything was flawless.
* * *
The four-act, 93-minute production told the story of the
desertification of our world and the search for water. Mukhtar
showed the struggles of Earths Call for Help in the Walk for
Water and Search for Rain segments. He brought to life the
inner innocence of childhood with a dream sequence that
Crystalized with violin genius Lindsey Stirling of YouTube
fame.
The third act was titled Oasis and featured spectacular
acrobatics by trampoline artists through rain and a waterfall in
the water celebration titled Dripping Strings.
Guest performers The Tenors took part in the second act of City
& Technology, proving the Power of Music and also closed the
show with Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen for the New Birth
signaling The Future of Our Planet as the theme of the fourth
act.
Spoken-word poet In-Q mesmerized the audience with his Mirrors
speech. Musical composer Nick Littlemore created the music for
the amazing aerial duet Rae. There were incredible
contortionists, taiko drummers, gymnastics, aerial artists, a
wickedly suggestive yoga instructor and a tall, stacked chair
balancer.
Its sad in a sense that the show was only for one night because
there were so many happenings onstage and within the theater, it
was impossible to absorb it all. Thankfully, TV cameras recorded
it, and well get the opportunity to see it online next month.
{ SOURCE: Robin Leach, Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/N9do67 }
Nene Leakes Joins Zumanity for Special
Engagement as First-Ever Guest Emcee
{Mar.25.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
ZUMANITY, The Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil at New York-New
York Hotel & Casino welcomes television personality and actress
NeNe Leakes for an exclusive 10-show engagement in celebration
of the shows 10 th anniversary year. Leakes guest appearance
as the Mistress of Sensuality marks the first time Cirque du
Soleil will integrate a celebrity into one of its shows in the
companys 30- year history. Her limited engagement will run from
Friday, June 27 through Tuesday, July 1, 2014, with show times
at 7:30pm and 10:00pm.
I am so excited to be starring in ZUMANITY says Leakes. The
show is absolutely fabulous and the cast members are so
talented! I cant wait to be in the sexiest show on The Strip
and perform on a Cirque du Soleil stage!
No stranger to drama, Leakes recently joined the cast of the
Emmy nominated Dancing with the Stars, has been a starring
cast member of Bravo TVs The Real Housewives of Atlanta since
2008 and spin-off series I Dream of NeNe in 2013, which set
the stage for her breakout roles on FOXs Glee and NBCs The
New Normal. ZUMANITY will mark Leakes live theatrical debut.
ZUMANITY has been a favorite of celebrity guests for 10 years,
said Jerry Nadal, Senior Vice President of Cirque du Soleil
Resident Shows. Being able to take a fan like NeNe and make her
a part of our show is an exciting creative opportunity for all
of us.
Tickets for NeNe Leakes special engagement performances in Las
Vegas go on sale today starting at $69 (plus tax and fees). A
limited quantity of VIP meet-and-greet experiences with NeNe
will also be available.
{ SOURCE: Broadway World, PRNewswire | http://goo.gl/BmpWmG }
BELIEVE to Return April 15th
{Mar.25.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
Criss Angel has let slip that he will resume his Luxor headliner
show BELIEVE on April 15th, ending for now the run of his
show Magic Jam that currently fills in for the Cirque du
Soleil show while his torn sholder heals. However, his protégé
Krystyn Lambert will continue to perform his straightjacket
escape over the audiences heads so that he doesnt wreck his
shoulders again. Also, Magic Jam has been so successful that
the cast is now setting dates for a Spring 2015 tour.
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/0e9kgn }
Michael Jackson Hologram Conjures
Billionaire's Patent Lawsuit
{Mar.26.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
Two years ago, a hologram of Tupac Shakur at the Coachella Music
Festival had people wondering about what might be next in
concert possibilities. Now, the technology that created the
spectacle has landed in the hands of a noteworthy billionaire:
Alki David, the eccentric one who attempted to transform the
television business with streaming technology before Aereo stole
his thunder and TV broadcasters unleashed their legal guns on
him.
Now, David finds himself on the flip side of the intellectual
property coin. His FilmOn and hologram-maker Musion are the
plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed on Monday against Cirque du Soleil
and MGM Resorts for allegedly infringing patents to create a
hologram used in the final scene of Michael Jackson: One, the
resident acrobatic production at Mandalay Bay Theatre in Las
Vegas.
The complaint filed in California federal court begins with some
history.
"In 1862, John Pepper and Henry Dircks invented 'Pepper's
Ghost,' an illusion technique, which, over the last 150 years,
has appeared in movies, concerts, magic shows and amusement park
rides," says the lawsuit. "Today a new incarnation of Pepper's
Ghost exists -- Musion Eyeliner technology. Musion Eyeliner uses
a patented system to project three-dimensional images virtually
indistinguishable from real life bodies."
David was apparently impressed upon seeing the technology being
used to create the deceased rapper Tupac appearing on stage with
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. He says he recently bought the exclusive
license to Musion's patent and has started up a company called
Hologram USA with a showroom at the FilmOn Studios on Canon
Drive in Beverly Hills.
Why? He's got plans. "We already agreed on hologram performances
with Flo Rida and the late Amy Winehouse," he says. "Many other
shows are coming."
But first comes some score-settling about who owns rights to
hologram technology. David says he's about to file a slew of
lawsuits. This Michael Jackson one is the first.
The new lawsuit mentions two patents at issue: One for a device
for displaying moving images in the background of a stage and
one for a projection apparatus and method for pepper's ghost
illusion.
"Although it has been widely acknowledged that Defendants employ
the technology to create a three-dimensional hologram of Michael
Jackson in Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: One, Defendants
do not possess a valid license to practice that technology."
The show has been enormously successful and has helped the
Michael Jackson estate reap almost a billion dollars in revenue
since the King of Pop's passing in 2009. The lawsuit claims that
since the technology behind the Tupac hologram got so much press
attention, the defendants knew or should have known the system
was patented. The plaintiffs demand an injunction and maximum
damages for willful infringement.
The hologram is the climax of the 26-scene show, which never has
a performer portraying Jackson onstage. Instead, the show
strategically uses video and audio footage of the singer
throughout the plot's peaks and valleys.
"His presence, even on video, is so powerful, that it can be
very tricky to use him," Welby Altidor, One's director of
creation, told The Hollywood Reporter just before the show's
opening in May 2013. "What we wanted to do in this show is build
Michael's presence through his voice and feeling his shadow, to
feeling him progressively becoming more and more present
throughout the show, until we can create the longing. And then
the apex, the moment where we'll really feel that he's there and
he's still with us."
THR has reached out to Cirque du Soleil and will update with any
response.
Meanwhile, the hologram technology has landed in the hands of a
Hollywood bad boy with a taste for the outrageous. David tells
THR, "This is by far the most exciting business opportunity I
have ever seen. Imagine running 100 meters against Usain Bolt or
resurrecting Richard Pryor!"
Additional reporting by Ashley Lee.
See the Complaint here (Scribd):
http://www.scribd.com/doc/214434044/Hologram
The two patents at issue:
http://www.google.com/patents/US5865519
http://www.google.com/patents/US7883212
{ SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter | http://goo.gl/6mTqYT }
Tickets for Cirque Riviera Maya Now Available
{Mar.27.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleils website promoting their new Dinner
& Spectacle at Riviera Maya in Mexico has been updated
today with information pertaining to ticket sales, which
also gives us the date and time of the shows premiere!
Premiere will be held on Saturday, November 8th at 9:00pm
Check out the stage!
http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=4617
Tickets can currently be purchased for 2014 and select
2015 dates through Cirques website: http://goo.gl/u4CzMA
Performances are held Tuesday through Saturday. There are
no performances on Sunday and Monday.
Show times 9:00pm (Weekdays) or 7:00 & 10:15pm (Fri, Sat
& Holidays)
Prices
o) VIP Show Dinner and Champagne [RED] $MXN 2,970.00
o) Show Dinner and Champagne [BLUE] $MXN 2,178.00
o) Show and Champagne [GREEN] $MXN 1,452.00
o) Show Only [ORANGE] $MXN $1,056
o) High Stools (Show Only) [PURPLE] $MXN 858.000
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil }
Cirques Amaluna to Ring the NASDAQ Closing Bell
{Mar.31.2014}
-----------------------------------------------------
Amaluna by Cirque du Soleil will visit the NASDAQ MarketSite
in Times Square. In honor of the occasion, Jamie Reilly,
Amalunas Company Manager, will ring the Closing Bell.
Where: NASDAQ MarketSite 4 Times Square 43 & Broadway
Broadcast Studio
When: Tuesday, April 1, 2014 3:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
A webcast of the NASDAQ Closing Bell will be available at:
https://new.livestream.com/nasdaq/live or
http://www.nasdaq.com/about/marketsitetowervideo.asx.
EDIT: Here they are!
http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=4627
{SOURCE: NASDAQ }
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
{Amaluna, Corteo, Koozå, OVO, Totem & Kurios}
o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues
{Quidam, Dralion, MJ Immortal & Varekai}
o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre
{Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE,
Believe, Zarkana & Michael Jackson ONE}
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:
New York, NY -- Mar 20, 2014 to May 18, 2014
Boston, MA -- May 29, 2014 to Jul 6, 2014
Washington, DC -- Jul 31, 2014 to Sep 21, 2014
Atlanta, GA -- Oct 3, 2014 to Nov 30, 2014
Corteo:
Porto Alegre, BR -- Mar 6, 2014 to Apr 13, 2014
Còrdoba, AR -- May 3, 2014 to May 25, 2014
Buenos Aires< BR - Jun 6, 2014 to Aug 3, 2014
Koozå:
Amsterdam, NL -- Mar 13, 2014 to Apr 27, 2014
Vienna, AT -- May 9, 2014 to Jun 15, 2014
Port Aventura, ES -- Jul 11, 2014 to Aug 30, 2014
Düsseldorf, DE -- Nov 6, 2014 to Nov 30, 2014
Kurios:
Montreal, QC -- Apr 24, 2014 to Jun 29, 2014
Quebec City, QC -- Jul 24, 2014 to Aug 10, 2014
Toronto, ON -- Aug 28, 2014 to Sep 28, 2014
San Francisco, CA -- Nov 13, 2014 to Jan 18, 2015
Ovo:
Tokyo, JP -- Feb 12, 2014 to Jun 29, 2014
Osaka, JP -- Jul 17, 2014 to Nov 2, 2014
Nagoya, JP -- Nov 20, 2014 to Feb 1, 2015
Fukuoka, JP -- Feb 20, 2015 to Apr 5, 2015
Sendai, JP -- Apr 23, 2015 to Jun 7, 2015
Totem:
Portland, OR -- Mar 27, 2014 to May 4, 2014
Vancouver, BC -- May 15, 2014 to Jul 6, 2014
Auckland, NZ -- Aug 22, 2014 to Sep 28, 2014
------------------------------------
ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues
------------------------------------
Quidam:
Lyon, FR -- Apr 2, 2014 to Apr 6, 2014
Rouen, FR -- Apr 30, 2014 to May 4, 2014
Berlin, DE -- May 7, 2014 to May 11, 2014
Nuremberg, DE -- May 14, 2014 to May 18, 2014
Hanover, DE -- May 21, 2014 to May 25, 2014
Bremen, DE -- May 29, 2014 to Jun 1, 2014
Hamburg, DE -- Jun 4, 2014 to Jun 8, 2014
Luxembourg, LU -- Jun 11, 2014 to Jun 15, 2014
Tel Aviv, IL -- Aug 7, 2014 to Aug 16, 2014
Zurich, CH -- Oct 16, 2014 to Oct 19, 2014
Paris, FR -- Dec 3, 2014 to Dec 7, 2014
Lille, FR -- Dec 10, 2014 to Dec 14, 2014
Dralion:
Wroclaw, PL -- Apr 3, 2014 to Apr 6, 2014
Malmö, SE -- May 1, 2014 to May 4, 2014
Glasgow, UK -- May 7, 2014 to May 11, 2014
Sheffield, UK -- May 14, 2014 to May 18, 2014
Birmingham, UK -- May 22, 2014 to May 25, 2014
Dublin, IE -- May 28, 2014 to Jun 1, 2014
London, UK -- Jun 4, 2014 to Jun 8, 2014
Manchester, UK -- Jun 11, 2014 to Jun 15, 2014
San Sebastian, ES -- Jul 3, 2014 to Jul 6, 2014
Santiago de Compostela, ES -- Jul 10, 2014 to Jul 20, 2014
Granada, ES -- Jul 23, 2014 to Jul 27, 2014
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, ES -- Aug 2, 2014 to Aug 10, 2014
Bilbao, ES -- Aug 17, 2014 to Aug 24, 2014
Palma de Mallorca, ES -- Aug 28, 2014 to Sep 6, 2014
Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour:
Raleigh, NC -- Apr 1, 2014 to Apr 2, 2014
Norfolk, VA -- Apr 4, 2014 to Apr 5, 2014
Charlotte, NC -- Apr 8, 2014 to Apr 9, 2014
Greensboro, NC -- Apr 11, 2014 to Apr 12, 2014
Richmond, VA -- Apr 15, 2014 to Apr 16, 2014
Columbus, OH -- Apr 18, 2014 to Apr 19, 2014
Little Rock, AR -- Apr 22, 2014 to Apr 23, 2014
Louisville, KY -- Apr 25, 2014 to Apr 26, 2014
Toledo, OH -- Apr 29, 2014 to Apr 30, 2014
Lexington, KY -- May 2, 2014 to May 3, 2014
Huntsville, AL -- May 6, 2014 to May 7, 2014
Duluth, GA -- May 10, 2014 to May 11, 2014
Gainesville, FL -- May 13, 2014 to May 14, 2014
Charleston, SC -- May 16, 2014 to May 17, 2014
Tampa, FL -- May 20, 2014 to May 21, 2014
Sunrise, FL -- May 23, 2014 to May 24, 2014
San Juan, PR -- Jun 11, 2014 to Jun 15, 2014
Varekai:
East Lansing, MI -- Apr 2, 2014 to Apr 6, 2014
Knoxville, TN -- Apr 9, 2014 to Apr 13, 2014
Loveland, CO -- May 1, 2014 to May 4, 2014
Broomfield, CO -- May 7, 2014 to May 11, 2014
Kansas City, MO -- May 14, 2014 to May 18, 2014
Oshawa, ON -- May 21, 2014 to May 25, 2014
Lonson, ON -- May 28, 2014 to Jun 1, 2014
Bridgeport, CT -- Jun 4, 2014 to Jun 8, 2014
Hartford, CT -- Jun 11, 2014 to Jun 15, 2014
Bangor, ME -- Jun 18, 2014 to Jun 22, 2014
Manchester, NH -- Jun 25, 2014 to Jun 29, 2014
Providence, RI -- Jul 1, 2014 to Jul 6, 2014
Indianapolis, IN -- Jul 24, 2014 to Jul 27, 2014
Cleveland, OH -- Aug 6, 2014 to Aug 10, 2014
Erie, PA -- Aug 13, 2014 to Aug 17, 2014
Hampton, VA -- Nov 12, 2014 to Nov 16, 2014
---------------------------------
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
2014 Dark Dates:
o May 8 - 16
o July 9 - 11
o September 4 - 12
o November 5 - 7
Added performances in 2014:
o April 18
o December 26
"O":
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm
2014 Dark Dates:
o April 7 - April 15
o June 8
o August 4 - 12
o October 5
o December 1 - 16
Added performances in 2014:
o June 3
o December 29
La Nouba:
Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm
2014 Dark Dates:
o TBA
Zumanity:
Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm
2014 Dark Dates:
o April 9-17
o June 13
o August 20-September 4
o October 21
o December 10-18
KÀ:
Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2014 Dark Dates:
o May 18-26
o July 19
o September 21-29
o December 2
Added performances in 2014:
o August 31
o December 28
LOVE:
Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2014 Dark Dates:
o April 1-9
o June 5
o July 29 - August 6
o October 2
o December 2 - 17
Added performances in 2014:
o August 12
o December 31
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.
2014 Dark Dates:
o April 6 - 14
o June 15 - 30
o September 1 - 8
o November 9 - 17
ZARKANA:
Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2014 Dark Dates:
o TBA
MICHAEL JACKSON ONE:
Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday
Two Shows Nightly: 7:00pm and 10:00pm
2014 Dark Dates:
o May 21 - 23
o July 24 - 31
o September 24 - 26
o November 13 - 28
Added performances in 2014:
o August 29
o December 26
RIVIERA MAYA:
Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
One-Two Shows Nightly:
9:00pm (Weekdays)
7:00pm & 10:15pm (Fri, Sat & Holidays)
Premiere will be held on Saturday, November 8th at 9:00pm
Prices:
o) VIP Show Dinner and Champagne [RED] $MXN 2,970.00
o) Show Dinner and Champagne [BLUE] $MXN 2,178.00
o) Show and Champagne [GREEN] $MXN 1,452.00
o) Show Only [ORANGE] $MXN $1,056
o) High Stools (Show Only) [PURPLE] $MXN 858.000
=======================================================================
OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS
=======================================================================
o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub
o) Didyaknow? - Facts About Cirque
o) Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube
---------------------------------------
CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub
---------------------------------------
One Night for One Drop
{Mar.20.2014}
----------------------------------------------
On Friday, March 21st, all eight Cirque du Soleil shows on the
Las Vegas Strip will go dark so employees can collaboratively
participate and perform in One Night for ONE DROP. More than
18,000 volunteer hours have been used to create this one-time-
only performance in the state-of-the-art Michael Jackson ONE
Theatre.
This awe-inspiring show allows Cirque du Soleil artists to share
additional talents that they dont regularly demonstrate in their
shows. Take for instance, Greg Pennes, a trampoline acrobat on
Mystère who represented France in the 2008 and 20012 Olympic
Games.
Not only is he a world-class acrobat, he is surprisingly an
established dancer as well. For me its a great experience to
share new things with all shows together, Pennes says. We are
united all in one show, and I can express some other things, like
dancing or acting, which I dont get to do in my show, so thats
great for me.
All proceeds for One Night for ONE DROP go to ONE DROP, a non-
profit organization created by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy
Laliberté, that works to secure water access by implementing
integrated and unique water projects around the world and to
reverse the growing water crisis by raising awareness for water-
related issues.
Since its inception in 2007, ONE DROP has transformed the lives
of more than 300,000 people. They aim to provide access to safe
water to 1 million people worldwide by 2017.
---------------------------------------
DIDYAKNOW?: Facts About Cirque
---------------------------------------
o) Did you know that Cirque du Soleil has set up its Big Top close to
500 times since 1984. It's with delight that we'll do it again
in Montreal, Quebec for Kurios by Cirque du Soleil, our latest
production that is set to open on April 24th.
o) Did you know that O uses about 1,200 costume and headpieces in
every performance? Every piece had to be customized to work in
water. Water you think of that!
o) Did you know that OVOs flying act is the biggest of its kind? It
combines 3 disciplines: Banquine, Russian Chair and Cradle Bars.
o) Did you know that Zumanity owns 99 wigs and hairpieces? Talk about
wigging out!
o) Did you know that we have just under 1,200 lighting fixtures in
Mystere? Thats pretty electrifying!
o) Did you know that in 7.5 minutes you can see 394 flips and 62
twists on the La Nouba PowerTrack? Thats flipping awesome!
---------------------------------------------------
NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter
---------------------------------------------------
{Compiled by Keith Johnson}
---[ AMALUNA ]---
{Mar.03}
We're getting ready... Can you guess what act we will be
presenting?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/9qUZOZ >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/AyxCfl >
{Mar.05}
In case you missed us on Monday, here's the link to see Amaluna
open LIVE with Kelly and Michael at the magnificent Dolby
Theater in Hollywood
LINK /// < http://bcove.me/s880h7qm >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/RDbDXz >
{Mar.07}
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!!! Did you know that Amaluna is
the first Cirque du Soleil show to feature a 70% female cast and
a 100% rockin' all-female band?!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/xxECuw >
{Mar.11}
Our Big Top goes up today in New York, New York! When are YOU
coming to see us?! Shows open on March 20, through until May 18.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/EhQ4iY >
{Mar.14}
Good morning, New York!! Our crew are working hard at the
Amaluna site at CitiField to be ready to open next week. Don't
be put off by the freezing temperatures outside - did you know
that our Big Top is fully climate controlled?!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/GjFuf8 >
{Mar.18}
We are almost ready for you, New York, New York! Locals, you can
check out some #Amaluna behind the scenes previews and
interviews tonight on WABC-7, FiOS TV and Telemundo. Our Dress
Rehearsal is tomorrow and we cannot WAIT to perform for you!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/X4psoA >
{Mar.19}
It's DRESS REHEARSAL DAY! The local customer experience staff
are in training, the finishing touches are being added to the
concessions tent and our brand new video wall has been
installed! Be sure to tag YOUR photos #Amaluna to be featured on
the Amaluna site!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/KnbRb0 >
{Mar.21}
Celebrating the arrival of Spring with a little tent-washing
session in New York at Amaluna.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ajRnwA >
{Mar.25}
New Yorkers! Stop by Macy's in Herald Square to see Amaluna
featured in the Annual Flower Show. What an amazing, iconic
event to be a part of!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ih3f52 >
{Mar.26}
It's our official Premiere in New York tomorrow night! Check out
this new photo that surfaced of iconic New Yorkers Kelly and
Michael taken from our Oscars performance earlier this month.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/gQvgaC >
{Mar.27}
Our premiere celebration for Amaluna in New York City is in full
swing! Are you joining us tonight?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/VjrO8a >
{Mar.27}
Congratulations on an amazing Premiere! Time to celebrate with
Cirque du Soleil Founder, Guy Laliberte and President Daniel
Lamarre!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/A8oyMY >
---[ CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ]---
{Mar.10}
Our performance during the SXSW Gaming Awards at the 2014 SXSW
Music, Film + Interactive Festival at Long Center on March 8,
2014 in Austin, Texas.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/8Quxig >
{Mar.11}
Artists from all 8 Cirque du Soleil shows in Vegas are
rehearsing for #1night1drop to benefit One Drop, including Ray
Wold from "O" who will heat up the Michael Jackson ONE Theatre
on March 21!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/LkVLA6 >
{Mar.17}
Heres another look at #1night1drop, which is this Friday 3/21!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/2JciCR >
{Mar.21}
The 2nd annual One Night for One Drop, in support of One Drop,
on March 21, 2014, was spectacular! Here is a compilation of the
blue carpet event and photos of the one-time only performance,
imagined by Cirque du Soleil.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/5eaV9b >
{Mar.21}
Space Adventures pays homage to our founder of One Drop and
Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberté, in honor of tonights
#1night1drop production.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/p0rolM >
---[ CIRQUE CASTING ]---
{Mar.04}
Act of the week: WATER METEOR/ICARIAN GAMES!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Q0bhO9 >
{Mar.11}
Discipline of the week: #PARKOUR!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/NqNk10 >
{Mar.18}
Discipline of the week: DISLOCATION!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ym5QU7 >
{Mar.20}
Talent Scout Séverine Parent is now arrived at the Babel Med
Music! Come meet her at the booth #78
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/DLAE2a >
{Mar.20}
Ever wonder what it's like to dance for Cirque du Soleil? We
have the scoop: The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil dancers
Jason Beitel and Laura Cota practice a lift.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/6sHCND >
LINK /// < http://bit.ly/No5tPh >
{Mar.26}
Theres a lot to do before an artist can perform on stage! Get
an inside look at our Synchronized swimming artists training at
our Montreal Creation Studio.
LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KkLBCV3oR8 >
{Mar.27}
Come meet Acrobatic Talent Scout Philippe Agogué, during these
men's and women's artistic gymnastics championships:
o) France Elite, Junior and teams Championships (Top 12),
in Agen (France), on April 5-6.
o) European Championships, in Sofia (Bulgaria), May 12-18.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ZbMFJt >
---[ CORTEO ]---
{Mar.07}
Faltam nove horas para a nossa Premiere em Porto Alegre!
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/Ggkao8 >
{Mar.07}
Seis horas para a Premiere! Uma espiadinha dentro da Big Top: os
artistas do ato Bouncing Beds se aquecendo!
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/5KZP15 >
{Mar.07}
Só mais duas horas para a estreia: últimos ajustes na maquiagem!
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/Nx5ct9 >
{Mar.07}
Só mais quatro horas: últimos ajustes nos figurinos!
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/C3TBFq >
{Mar.07}
Hora do show! Gaúchos, esperamos vocês dentro da Big Top!
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/m5ZhRA >
{Mar.18}
Ayer tuvimos una gran presentacion ante la prensa. Muy pronto, a
partir de junio estaremos compartiendo nuestra celebracion de la
vida junto con ustedes. Los esperamos a todos.
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/ehEZbJ >
{Mar.29}
Brasileiros de Corteo ao vivo no estúdio do Jornal do Almoço.
Começa ao meio dia.
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/syHlYF >
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/hmtNWx >
---[ CRISS ANGEL BELIEVE ]---
{Mar.14}
Children from the Boys and Girls Club dressed up as some of the
Las Vegas strip performers. Take a look at the Criss Angel photo
shoot that will feature on this Sundays Las Vegas Magazine
issue! Its levitating.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/idGcDf >
{Mar.20}
Theres only a few weeks left to see MAGICjam. See what youve
been missing, by choosing the right offer for you! To purchase
tickets visit:
LINK /// < http://cirk.me/1c9rEEd >
---[ DRALION ]---
{Mar.09}
Check out this interesting story with beautiful photos featuring
some of the women who work on stage and behind the scenes at
Dralion.
LINK /// < http://ottenki-serogo.livejournal.com/324782.html >
{Mar.12}
More behind the scenes and show photos from Dralion in Moscow.
LINK /// < http://logra.livejournal.com/274982.html >
{Mar.20}
It's showtime for #Dralion in Minsk! Check out these cool images
from today's rehearsals.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/QLspFC >
{Mar.20}
Dralion is premiering in Minsk, BY tonight and our Belarussian
artists (Yasha & Raman) are excited to be showing Dralion home.
Wish them and the entire cast and crew a great show!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ghwzIC >
{Mar.23}
This is our last performance in Minsk! Thank you for being such
an amazing audience.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/wZU1af >
{Mar.27}
As we are getting ready for our performances in Herning, DK, our
performers are currently training on stage. Do you recognize the
act that is currently on stage?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/yeZgSn >
---[ KÀ ]---
{Mar.11}
Wushu, Capoeira, and Chinese Opera are martial art techniques
that inspire the ways of the warrior.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/JwO8E9 >
{Mar.13}
The Court Jester teaches the Twin Brother one of the earliest
forms of storytelling. Can you guess what it is?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/vyhPkj >
{Mar.17}
Dont worry, Twin Sister. Its going to be smooth sailing from
here!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/PhaLXY >
{Mar.21}
A theater that is far from conventional. Come and experience it
for yourself!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Y2fviC >
---[ KOOZA ]---
{Mar.04}
Kooza featured in Allure Magazine!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/0RTn6r >
{Mar.15}
Pictures of our Dress Rehearsal in Amsterdam.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/XBmsi5 >
{Mar.18}
Premiere night in Amsterdam
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/TF6e05 >
{Mar.19}
Some of our performers enjoying Amsterdam sun last week!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/pBqj55 >
---[ KURIOS ]---
{Mar.03}
And if our timelines ever cross for just a moment 11:11
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/tUlAeA >
{Mar.05}
Good morning Montreal! Are you ready for a change in your
scenery? Kurioss big top in coming up this afternoon!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/HzrvKw >
{Mar.13}
Don't shrink back. Listen to the sound of your own music.
LINK /// < http://cirk.me/1ms3oxY >
---[ LA NOUBA ]---
{Mar.10}
Faire la nouba. Live it up.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/JbQQHT >
{Mar.12}
Happy hump day! Were glad you wheeled right over it.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/LTJG98 >
{Mar.24}
Its Monday, and we think you might be feeling a little like
this about Friday.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/UyEoaV >
---[ MJ IMMORTAL ]---
{Mar.01}
MJ IMMORTAL is back to USA tonight with a show in Worcester, MA!
What is the best way to celebrate it? Well, by doing the
American Flag!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/j6Bvrx >
{Mar.12}
Just a regular day backstage with Acrobat Narihito Tonosaki! Our
next stop: Baltimore, Maryland!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Y2AFFs >
{Mar.14}
MJ THE IMMORTAL is thrilled to be performing at half time during
the ACC Championship Game in Greensboro semifinals tomorrow!
Will you be watching?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/RxAg2R >
{Mar.15}
MJ THE IMMORTAL's artists are in full rehearsal mode for our
performance at the ACC Championship at the Greensboro Coliseum
Complex today! Can you guess what act we'll be presenting?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/kTJL56 >
{Mar.15}
Rehearsal done! Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by
Cirque du Soleil is ready for the Atlantic Coast Conference
half-time at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex! Are you ready?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/pWLMt2 >
{Mar.15}
Get ready, #ACCTourney fans! @Cirque and their #mjIMMORTAL tour
are here for halftime!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/a6U9rC >
{Mar.15}
Thank you Atlantic Coast Conference fans! We had a blast
performing at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex! Didn't get enough
during halftime?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ikr9oP >
{Mar.18}
It's great to be back in Baltimore! WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore
shared our excitement and came out this morning to get some live
shots right as load-in began! We're gearing up for two shows
tonight and tomorrow at 8pm!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/vKbw3I >
{Mar.21}
Artistic Director, Michael Smith, talks all things IMMORTAL.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/h9E2dh >
{Mar.23}
IMMORTAL Acrobats doing what they do best!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/FwUbzm >
{Mar.26}
Meet our first MJIMMORTAL FanOfTheNight from last night's show
in Philadelphia! Each city we will be featuring one random fan
with one of our Fanatics, you could be next!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Nxx18C >
{Mar.27}
Have you danced with the Fanatics yet? Don't miss your chance to
see them in a city near you!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/RacSPi >
{Mar.31}
We're headed to North Carolina and our Fanatics have a message
for YOU!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/03QNf2 >
{Mar.31}
FanOfTheNight from Trenton are brothers Leo and Enzo - because
we couldn't possibly pick just one of them!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/BJ6LwQ >
---[ MJ ONE ]---
{Mar.12}
We are pleased to announce that we will be on The Ellen
DeGeneres Show performing Smooth Criminal on Friday, March 14.
Well be selfie ready for you Ellen!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/NinU6u >
{Mar.12}
Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your
heart. Can you finish the song for us?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/rPybJl >
{Mar.14}
Dont forget to tune in today to The Ellen DeGeneres Show to
watch our performance of Smooth Criminal!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/WOF1tU >
{Mar.19}
Can you name the song we performed for this act?
(Answer: Earth Song)
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/aMk4PY >
{Mar.25}
Witness the Legend come to life.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Sl6TbZ >
{Mar.31}
Let Electricity Dance. Like if this act shocked you.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/rf3uC4 >
---[ MYSTERE ]---
{Mar.05}
Yesterday Mystère was featured on a Breakfast Television (BT
Toronto) segment. Check it out!
LINK /// < http://www.bttoronto.ca/videos/3290258777001/ >
{Mar.10}
Who is in control? Is it the cube or the artist?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/7QNNVQ >
{Mar.12}
Celebrate the present with La Belle.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/9QlrsZ >
{Mar.17}
Feeling a little under the weather? Well, Brian has a hankie
just for you! Be careful. He just might have a trick up his
sleeve.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/AALYRi >
{Mar.31}
Join us through the journey of Mystère. Adventure awaits us.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/az8JWW >
---[ O ]---
{Mar.10}
The head-balancing portion of Anjas act demands incredible
balance and precision.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/vCOr5m >
{Mar.12}
Are you feeling a little like this today? Weve got just the
thing to cheer you up...
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/1WgdZW >
{Mar.20}
An aerial duet sharing a single trapeze invokes the splendor of
harmony and trust.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ECyK7N >
---[ OVO ]---
{Mar.08}
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!!! Did you know that the creator
of OVO, Deborah Colker, was the first woman to create a show for
Cirque du Soleil?
{Mar.19}
Final rehearsal for a very special event that you will be able
to see very soon. Stay tuned for more details...
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/93GbFU >
{Mar.24}
Fuji TV SMAP & OVO
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/cI1GyB >
{Mar.27}
Spring has arrived in Japan! It's the perfect time to come and
see OVO in Odaiba!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/URggii >
{Mar.31}
Busy morning for the Ants...
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/6LGrWo >
---[ QUIDAM ]---
{Mar.05}
Quidam getting ready to open the France tour in Toulouse
tonight.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/sdqRUw >
{Mar.12}
Ready for Quidam Strasbourg Première, nous sommes prêts!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/55l4DG >
{Mar.19}
Weather working on stage, backstage or on the Zenith concourse
we're all ready for the Toulon opening night.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/xKcgmK >
{Mar.20}
Our Quidam juggler finds the perfect spot to practice every day.
Sometimes it just so happens he has an unexpected public
#BackstageCirque Au Zenith Oméga.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/7JaI13 >
{Mar.23}
Fill in the blank - This month we celebrated our Quidam
manipulation act performer's _____ year anniversary with Cirque
du Soleil. (Answer: 10 years)
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/E3CmSD >
{Mar.26}
Transforming the Park&Suites Arena into the World of Quidam pour
la Premiere de Montpellier ce soir.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/nRyFYp >
---[ THE BEATLES LOVE]---
{Mar.10}
Lucy in the sky with diamonds.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/QbLcZ8 >
{Mar.18}
The Kids of Liverpool are inviting you to a magical adventure
under this psychedelic stream. Are you ready?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/2g69up >
{Mar.21}
For the benefit of Mr. Kite, there will be a show tonight. Can
you guess where?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/0y63oj >
---[ TOTEM ]---
{Mar.02}
The Big Top, Concessions Tent and Artistic Tent we will be using
for our upcoming South Pacific tour are stored and ready for us
to arrive in Auckland, New Zealand in August!! Two more stops in
North America before we move oversees!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/HTKF69 >
{Mar.06}
Check out this must-see inspirational video! In collaboration
with BuzzFeed & ze frank, we explored Trust with TOTEM - Cirque
du Soleil artists Alya and Gael. (Ed Note Check this one out,
its a good un)
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/hkr5gy >
{Mar.14}
It was luggage day for TOTEM cast and crew members today...which
means that we only have 6 performances left in Santa Monica
before we move to Portland, OR. Hurry up, last performance is
this Sunday at 4:30pm at the Santa Monica Pier!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/mPonuF >
{Mar.16}
It is tear-down day already for us in Santa Monica - even Norman
the Neanderthal is helping out! Thank you Southern California
for being an awesome audience since October! Up next, Portland,
OR starting March 27!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/s8XNvx >
{Mar.18}
Ever wondered what it's like to spin 30 feet in the air on
Aerial Rings? TOTEM artist Yann Arnaud is inviting you to fly
with him!
LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnadiBQzUtU >
{Mar.22}
We are starting #SelfieSaturday at TOTEM like our friends from
Varekai! Flash back, our Green Frogs Riki Fujimaki and David
Resnick putting the final touches to their make-up! We will be
back up and running next Thursday in Portland!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/4G6SEd >
{Mar.25}
Technical validations are under way at TOTEM for trapeze artists
Sarah and Guilhem! We open at the Portland Expo Center this
Thursday, March 27!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/sBFRnz >
{Mar.27}
It is getting real Portland! We open in just a few hours at the
Expo Center! Come live the experience before May 4
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/jd5JmH >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/mnPDHY >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/w7E7oV >
---[ VAREKAI ]---
{Mar.08}
We're starting #SelfieSaturdays at Varekai! We thought we'd give
you some competition Ellen DeGeneres!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/gL5JUC >
{Mar.10}
Did you know that each artist does their own make-up? Some of
them take up to 90 minutes to do their make-up! Check out Arisa
from our Stix rotation act and her new make-up!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/wEpdXe >
{Mar.16}
Hey Pittsburgh! Check out your very own Scott Tady from The
Beaver Times who came out to have some fun with us and to give
you a sneak peek of what's coming to the 'Burgh at Petersen
Events Center from March 27 - 30. Do you have your tickets?
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8MFHPcpqKo >
{Mar.20}
Check out some of our photos during rehearsals! You don't want
to miss Varekai by Cirque du Soleil. Do you have your tickets
Pensacola?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/AXqdkO >
{Mar.22}
Check out 'Kamikaze' striking a pose #backstageCirque for his
#Cirqueselfie! Do you recall what specific prop he carries
around at the beginning of Varekai?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/b6a79t >
{Mar.23}
SUNDAY 5:00PM SHOW CANCELLATION INFORMATION FOR PENSACOLA - To
patrons who attended the 5:00pm show, refunds are available
online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling ticketmaster at 1-
800-653-0800. Refunds at the Pensacola Bay Center will be
available as of Monday, March 24 from 12:00 - 5:00 or Tuesday
Friday from 10:00 - 4:00. We apologize for this inconvenience
and thank you for your understanding.
{Mar.25}
Hey Pittsburgh! Varekai just arrived in town and we we're going
to pay a visit to the Almost Famous Primanti Bros in the Strip
District! Maybe Tony can teach us a thing or two about sandwich
making? And maybe we can put a twist, Varekai style, on The
Pitts-burger! Come see us tomorrow between 11:00 - 11:30am at
the original location in the Strip District!
{Mar.26}
Check out Varekai at Primanti Bros. today! Thanks for the
Pastrami Sandwich tips Tony! When its busy, its a circus in
here. When theres a circus in town, its a circus in here.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/L9mTyF >
{Mar.27}
Hey Pittsburgh! Tune into KDKA Pittsburgh TODAY Live from 9:00
10:00 today for a sneak peek into the enchanted world of
Varekai! Opening tonight and going on until Sunday at the
Petersen Events Center. Come and see us!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/0bUkIr >
{Mar.27}
For those that missed us this morning, check out the Varekai
invasion of the KDKA studios in Pittsburgh! Now this is
something you don't see everyday... Opening tonight and
performing until Sunday at the Petersen Events Center.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Al8ZHn >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/G0iIGZ >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/BuwpHp >
{Mar.29}
Varekai totally rocked the Pittsburgh premiere! Congratulations
to our cast and crew!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/2HeBT8 >
{Mar.29}
Can you recognize which act this character performs in? Clue:
It's unique and the first time this act has ever been performed
in a Cirque du Soleil show and created entirely by the artist!
(Answer: Single-point trapeze)
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/fAeE8Z >
---[ ZARKANA ]---
{Mar.02}
The Atherton twins are rehearsing for their live performance
tomorrow, March 3rd, in front of ARIA Resort & Casino at 2PM.
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/cR0sMr >
{Mar.03}
The Atherton Twins performing their aerial straps act in front
of ARIA Resort & Casino!
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/fbMZLD >
{Mar.04}
Watch the Atherton twins perform aerial straps outside ARIA!
LINK /// < hhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OjbbVEp0PU >
{Mar.11}
Let the show unfold with grains of sand.
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/l5gTmH >
{Mar.14}
Air Canada rouge launched daily non-stop service yesterday
between Montreal and Las Vegas, the only year round daily non-
stop. We surprised the inaugural flight of customers with
complimentary tickets to our show!
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/2IGJ1U >
{Mar.15}
Cassiopée from Zarkana is singing the National Anthem at the
Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament Championship today!
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/r3lUOt >
{Mar.17}
The magic of an extraordinary circus comes to life, and were
inviting you to this acrobatic extravaganza! Take a look:
LINK /// < hhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mxoms1hHyk >
{Mar.20}
Danger lurks under Kundalinis spell. Can they escape with
balance and control?
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/vRemzL >
{Mar.25}
An infrared camera is used for producing interactive video
effects for the hand balancing act.
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/Ez7dzW >
{Mar.31}
We think were going to call a bunch of red flags here.
LINK /// < hhttp://goo.gl/FajtC6 >
---[ ZUMANITY ]---
{Mar.11}
Have you seen the show? Edie says its breast-taking.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/wDULiU >
{Mar.14}
Edie said you loved the Hand to Hand act, so we dedicated this
pose to you.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/HBkPHn >
{Mar.19}
Evoke your pleasures and passions with Dick and Izzy.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/1ltlzX >
{Mar.24}
Did you catch NENE LEAKES on Dancing with the Stars tonight?
Were pleased to announce NeNe will be starring in Zumanity at
the New York - New York Hotel & Casino Las Vegas from June 27 to
July 1. Tickets go on-sale tomorrow, March 25.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/iM6vc4 >
{Mar.25}
In honor of our 10 year anniversary, actress NENE LEAKES will be
guest starring in Zumanity from June 27th to July 1st. We wanted
to give you ten special shows to celebrate ten special years.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Mq783T >
{Mar.26}
Tickets for the exclusive Zumanity show at New York - New York
Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, starring actress NENE LEAKES, are on
sale! Limited quantity of VIP meet & greet tickets are
available.
LINK /// < http://cirk.me/1gWNfuT >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/CAu7P8 >
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
o) "Michel Laprise - Coordinating Cirque's Special Events"
(Part 2 of 2)
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) "Cavalia Continues its 'Odysseo'"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
o) "Anthony Gatto: Master of Construction?"
By: Jason Fagone, Special Engagement
o) "This is the Solar Flare Podcast!"
By: Ian Reents - Longwood, Florida (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
"Michael Laprise - Coordinating Cirque's Special Events"
(Part 2 of 2)
By: Ricky Russo Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
Back in January, Michel Laprise was publically announced as the writer
and director of Cirque du Soleils newest touring show KURIOS
CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, a post he obviously took up a couple of years
prior. As Cirques official biography of Mr. Laprise states, Michel
worked in theater for nine years as an actor, director and artistic
director before joining Cirque du Soleil in 2000. Even before he was
out of theater school, Michel had started his own creation company,
Théâtre Pluriel, which spawned a number of innovative productions that
have garnered both popular and critical acclaim. At Cirque du Soleil,
Michel spent five years as a talent scout (fans might remember seeing
his name in Cirques 2002 reality series Fire Within) before taking
on, in 2006, the role of Special Events Designer.
In that capacity, Michel directed a number of special performances
produced by Cirque du Soleil. With KURIOS set to debut very soon, and
with all eyes on Michel Laprise, we thought it would be interesting to
take a further peek into some of the special events Michel has been
involved in creating. Last time we looked into the Opening Ceremonies
of the Montreal Outgames (in 2006), the launch of Fiat Bravo (in
2007), and the Venetian Macao Grand Opening ceremonies (also in 2007).
To conclude this month, well take an in-depth look at Cirques
performance event celebrating Quebec Citys 400th anniversary (in
2008) in great detail, a brief peek at the opening show at the
Eurovision Song Contest held in Russia (2009), and round out with a
look at Cirques Opening Ceremonies show for the FIBA International
Basketball Federation World Championships (2010) and the launch of
Microsoft's Kinect console (2010).
400 ANS QUEBEC CITY (2008)
--------------------------
On October 17, 2008, Cirque du Soleil celebrates Quebec City's 400th
Anniversary by creating a very special performance staged at the
Colisée Pepsi (Pepsi Coloseum) in Quebec City. In honor of the 400th
anniversary of Quebec City, Cirques Events team put on a majestic
show. "We truly wanted to be a part of the Quebec City celebrations,
especially because it was the first to take a chance on Cirque," said
Michel Laprise, the shows director. Before the start of each
performance, the atmosphere in the Colisée was one of celebration,
with the spectatorswho had received free ticketseagerly waiting for
the magic to start. The designers had in fact created a special show
just for the occasion: 16 scenes which each included various acts.
Below is a summary of the event.
The Show
Opening --- The stage was dotted with about a dozen mock-ups of well-
known Quebec City buildings. At the foot of the stage, spectators
could gaze on a sand landscape created by Guy Beauregard, representing
the shore as well as a secondimaginarycity. Children were busily
working to finish building this utopian city. Among them was little
Julie, who would be an integral part of the show, searching for her
roots. While playing in the sand, the children found a mysterious
time key, which they planted in the centre of the stage, like a flag
proudly marking the foundation of their city of dreams. The key
immediately triggered a giant projection on the stage... which just as
quickly transformed itself into a huge sundial. Then the Sun started
spinning in the sky, bringing us back to the early days of Quebec
City. The existing buildings flew up into the heavens, with spectators
recognizing the Château Frontenac, Place Royale and the gates to the
city. It was a highly emotional moment.
1608: Samuel de Champlains Arrival --- As the Sun danced in the sky,
all the navigators lost their way and converged towards Quebec City,
the centre of the universe for the duration of the show. The audience
excitedly watched a bevy of curious explorers setting anchor near the
city, seeking new discoveries. These magical ships docked at centre
stage, after which their passengers disembarked. And so began the
first Quebec communitynot to mention the start of a spectacular show.
Once on land, the sailors quickly fell in love with place and used
parts of their boat to build a huge communal home.
The Building --- To celebrate the completion of the new communal home,
the first inhabitants gathered in front of a living flag. A young
man performed a balancing act on a rotating mast, illustrating that
human beings formed the core of this community.
The Settlers --- A treasure chest was then opened, and out came two
artists who performed a scintillating rola-bola act. They were
accompanied by 18 settlers dancing to the music, alongside little
wooden men busily doing a jig.
The Nostalgic Sailor --- In a peaceful moment paying tribute to quiet
happiness, an old man left a small dwelling and walked to the end of
the dock with little Julie. Gazing upon the immense body of water, the
man whistled and spoke to the birds in the forest as he angled for
fish. Suddenly, 40 fishermen emerged from the stands of the Colisée. A
giant appeared among them, hauling a cart carrying the clowns and
singer Francesca Gagnon. Tribute was paid to Louis Cyr, the well-known
Quebec strongman born in 1863.
Trapeze-Filled Sky --- Twenty-six fixed trapezes / swings dropped down
to pick up as many artists and raise them into the sky. They were
soon joined by four swinging trapeze artists who performed the second
part of this act, like children swinging in a summer sky, replete with
the joy of freedom.
The Harvest --- An impressive act that was a fan favourite: Eight
jugglers plying their trade to folklore music, accompanied by a
skipping rope virtuoso, a diabolo whiz, a spoon player, a Jews harp
player, an accordionist and eleven percussionists. Need we say that
the amphitheatre was the site of a spectacular celebration? Spectators
were not only clapping wildly, they were asking for more!
Sand --- Much like a storytelling magician, an artist created drawings
in the sand which were simultaneously projected on the stage and
ceiling. A village was transformed into a sun, while a womans face
became Samuel de Champlain. The clowns and little Julie walked through
the drawing, dancing and lying down among the shapes and forms
created. This performance was followed by a dynamic hand-to-hand act.
Leaves --- A brilliant combination of three hoops, three Cyr wheels
and one 2- Zen-O wheel gave spectators the impression of having been
transported to an autumn landscape, just when the trees explode into
their majestic display of fire and gold.
A High-Flying Dive --- The eight jugglers were back on stage, this
time brandishing fiery torches. Meanwhile, artists climbed a ladder up
to the ceiling, jumping and landing on a mattress 30 meters below. The
acts highlight: An artist climbed to the top of the tower, burst into
flames and then, after staying in that position for what seemed like
an interminable few seconds as the audience held its collective
breath, launched himself into the air to much oohing and aahing.
Floatilla of Memories --- The old nostalgic sailor, like the survivor
of a shipwreck, floated on a raft borne by the crowd as he watched his
life pass before his eyes. The scene shifted to a succession of all
the ships he had sailed on, as well as a contortionist in a giant
bottle that had been cast out to sea, a singer in a rowboat and a twin
of the sailor, walking down a path of mirrors held aloft by acrobats.
Winter --- Four artists excited the audience with a pas de quatre, a
dynamic ballet in which the dancers pushed the envelope, balancing
gracefully on the arms and heads of their partners.
Unicycles --- Two artists proceeded to do an acrobatic dance on a
unicycle. The two lovebirds evoked the grace and power of snowflakes
or figure skaters on a frozen lake. They were followed by four young
trial unicycle artists who jumped up the stairs of the Colisées
stands to end up cycling all the way around the edge of the rink!
Eternal Spring --- A simply grandiose finale: On the central stage,
two trampolines stacked one on top of the other appeared,
incorporating four Chinese poles. On the north side of the Colisée,
six artists were entertaining the crowd on Russian bars, while others
on the south sideleapt around on a teeterboard. The 40 fishermen
emptied confetti from their pails as the rink was suddenly filled with
jugglers, skippers, the diabolo artist and girls from the troupe
twirling ribbons in celebration of the 400th anniversary in the air,
all under the watchful eyes of two flying men.
The Concept
The event-show created especially for the 400th anniversary of Quebec
City was nothing less than gigantic. It involved:
o) Three weeks in the rehearsal room and five days
of adaptation at the Colisée;
o) 402 people on the production team;
o) Over 250 costumes;
o) 146 artists;
- 76 artists from Quebec City;
- 49 artists from the province of Quebec;
- 21 foreign artists of 14 different nationalities;
o) 70 tons of sand;
o) 30 trapezes;
o) 22 circus disciplines deployed in 16 tableaux;
o) 12 children;
o) 11 percussionists;
o) Five days of setting up at the Colisée;
o) Five performances that were seen by over 70,000 spectators.
The Creators
Jean-François Bouchard Creation Director
Michel Laprise Director
Richard Lacroix Set Designer
Jacques Boucher Sound Designer
Lucien Bernèche Costume Designer
Alain Vinet Music Director
Marc Lessard Music Arrangement
Guy Dubuc Band Leader
Martin Labrecque Lighting Designer
Jimmy Lakatos Géodezik / Video Designer
Mathieu St-Arnaud Géodezik / Video Designer
Raymond St-Jean Géodezik / Video Designer
Olivier Goulet Géodezik / Video Designer
Nathalie Gagné Make-up Designer
Jean Savoie Props Designer
André Simard Acrobatic Performance Designer
Danny Zen Acrobatic Equipment & Rigging
Guy Beauregard Sand Designer
Paul Vachon (lAubergine)/Audience Interaction
Stéphane Boko Choreographer
Catherine Archambault Choreographer Trampoline
Elsie Morin Choreographer Cyr Wheel
Cinthia Beranek Choreographer Hoops
Jean-Jacques Pillet Choreographer Pas de quatre
Shana Caroll Choreographer Trapeze
CIRQUE AT EUROVISION (2009)
---------------------------
On May 15, 2009, Cirque du Soleil participated in the largest contest
of its kind in Europe: the Eurovision Song Contest. What is that?
According to Wikipedia, the Eurovision Song Contest is an annual
competition held amongst the member countries of the European
Broadcasting Union (EBU), which is an alliance of public service media
entities, comprising 74 active members in 56 countries and 42
associate members from a further 24 countries. (Its unrelated to the
European Union.) Each member country submits a song to be performed on
live television and radio and then casts votes for the other
countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the
competition. The contest has been broadcast every year since its
inauguration in 1956 and is one of the longest-running television
programmes in the world. It is also one of the most watched non-
sporting events in the world, with audience figures having been quoted in recent years as anything between 100 million and 600 million
internationally.
Eurovision has also been broadcast outside Europe to such places as
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Egypt, India,
Japan, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea,
Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela despite the
fact that they do not compete. Since 2000, the contest has also been
broadcast over the Internet, via the Eurovision website. Winning the
Eurovision Song Contest provides an opportunity for the winning
artists to capitalize on the surrounding publicity and further their
career.
The 2009 event was broadcast live from Moscows Olimpiysky Arena in
front of a live audience of 18,000 to an estimated 200 million
television and internet viewers, second worldwide only to the Olympic
Opening Ceremonies. And a very special performance by Cirque took
place during the second semi-final gala there. Specially created for
the occasion, the performance marks Cirques first-ever participation
in the prestigious event, bringing together over 40 Cirque du Soleil
performers from around the world. Using an array of music from Cirque
du Soleil's catalog ("Rideau" from Saltimbanco, and "Once Upon a Time"
from La Nouba), the following acts were performed:
o) Cyr Wheel (in Quidam German Wheel costume)
o) Banquine (from Quidam)
o) Fire-Knife Dance (from Alegría)
o) Flight of Icarus (From Varekai)
o) Hoops/Hand-balancing (in Varekai Hand-balancing costume)
o) Fast-Track (from La Nouba)
o) Icarian Games (from Varekai)
o) Unicycle
o) The Baron (from Saltimbanco)
Cirques involvement was academic, of course, but showed (or perhaps
proved) that Cirque was in the Special Events game for good. The next
two would go on to cement that ideal...
CIRQUE AT FIBA (2010)
---------------------
The performance at the FIBA 2010 Opening Ceremonies is, in many ways,
the quinticential Special Events experience from Cirque du Soleil: a
charivari of many disciplines with costumes spanning across a number
of current and past Cirque du Soleil spectacles. It's at once
overwhelming (the good kind) and over stimulating (the bad kind), too
much of a hodge-podge to really ensnare the senses. For this
performance, husband and wife Ric'key Pageot (piano, accordion) and
Dessy Di Lauro (singer, formerly of La Nouba and Delirium) perform
together in Turkey along with a small contingent of Cirque du Soleil
acrobats.
The show opens with Ric'key playing the notes for Seisouso, one of
Cirque's hauntingly beautiful tunes from Quidam (normally accompanying
the Aerial Hoops performance) on his piano, which Dessy later begins
to sing. (It's a little weird hearing her voice sing that song I don't
mind saying...) She bends down to pick up a basketball rolling toward
her (the symbol for this performance, obviously), as a small number of
acrobats begin to fill the stage: a bicyclist rides through, two
acrobats begin to ascend the stage's telepherique to its very top (and
juggle three basketballs when they reach its pinnacle), four acrobats
climb aboard a mound shaped like a basketball (reminiscent of the dome
in Mystère) and strike a banquine-like pose, and a monocycle duo (a la
Koozå) dances about the stage with a basketball in hand. All is quiet
and retrospective in this little world we've found ourselves in.
Then the music from La Nouba's Power Track explodes from the ether,
igniting the performers' energy: on top of a small make-shift wall, a
truncated version of Hoops/Manipulation is performed (in Quidam's
Hand-Balancing costume), a juggler in yellow manipulates three
basketballs who are lit aflame, another rides a massive basketball
(think Dralions) whilst also juggling a trio of balls, an Icarian
Games duo appears next (in Varekai costume) to show us a few amazing
moves, the banquine guys perform again (more Banquine-like moves this
time), then, as Dessy climbs atop the basketball mount, three more
acrobats descend from the telepherique above, spinning in their aerial
hoops, a Cyr Wheel rolls across the stage (the performer in Quidam
German Wheel costume), and a breakdancer spins some moves on the floor
(in BMX Costume from La Nouba).
The set-piece behind the extravaganza, which has up to this point been
used as a projection device, then turns into a make-shift trampoline
wall a la La Nouba, whereby a contingent of acrobats fall onto, bounce
and "walk" up its face. But not before a hand balancer (wearing a
Varekai costume) strikes a few poses, and two guys fly in a la the
Twins in Varekai (although their costume is unremarkable), whilst
another four begin to jump up and down on a Korean Plank. And next, if
you can believe it, Russian Swings a la Varekai swing into view,
complete with scrim to jump into!
Wow!
It's definitely an assault on the senses...
Watch it for yourself here:
LINK /// < www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWkAngeTw7M >
KINECT IMAGINED BY CIRQUE (2010)
--------------------------------
In a rich green forest, the cheers of more than 3,000 poncho-clad
people rose above a steady drumbeat at the moment Microsoft shared the
name of its new controller-free gaming device for Xbox 360: Kinect. It
wasn't an actual forest, but a college basketball arena as imagined by
a Montreal-based troupe of Cirque du Soleil performers. Previously
code named Project Natal, Kinect had its most-detailed public
introduction to date during the 45-minute extravaganza at the Galen
Center arena in Los Angeles on the eve of the Electronic Entertainment
Expo (E3).
Microsoft approached the mega-performance troupe after realizing it
wanted to announce Kinect in a "hyper-creative setting," said Xbox
general manager Rob Matthews in an interview at the time. "We said, we
need to do something Cirque-esque or Cirque-like. Why don't we call
Cirque du Soleil."
Cirque du Soleil artistic director Michel Laprise and several other
crew members came to Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., tried
the Natal games and Laprise was "intrigued. The freedom and
physicality as so strong. This is so emotional, it makes sense we are
doing it." To get across how Cirque works, Laprise says that at a
planning meeting with Xbox executives in Montreal he poured a bucket
of sand on the table. "Natal is a name of a beach on Brazil and our
company co-founder had the idea that
on the beach this is where
friends have dreams. So let's all dream together a story that will
touch the people in the room," Laprise says.
"Then I took some rocks and said, 'This is a story where four meteors
land on Planet Earth and what is very magical is that they all fall in
the same Amazon forest, the place where there is the most
biodiversity. It's not been spoiled by tech,it's just purely organic.
People heard about the four meteors and when (the meteors) aligned
there's a big giant monolith that came out of the center of the earth.
That attracted people from the four corners of the world and people
started to interact between themselves with more friendship and more
playfulness."
That concept provided the seed for the performance, he says. About the
final presentation, Laprise says, "I didn't want it to be big. It had
to be big."
It wasn't just big, it was huge!
The 75 dancers, musicians, and acrobats not only unveiled Kinect, but
gave attendees a long, hard, never-sit-still look at Xbox 360's newest
gaming and entertainment platform. The troupe transformed themselves
into a vine-and-flower-covered tribe and the arena into a lush forest
with foliage and filtered light. They transformed the audience as
wellthe 3,000 celebrities, journalists, bloggers, and tech industry
who's who in attendance were issued white satin ponchos to wear for
the evening. The college graduation-gone-Vulcan smocks provided a
blank backdrop for the colorful performance until the end, when the
large, pointy shoulders of each poncho illuminated, turning the
audience into a sea of tiny, Xbox -green lights.
A life-sized elephant and gorilla, a family sitting on a couch
suspended 80 feet in the air, pumping world music and pounding drums,
25-foot projection screens around the top of the arena, a rotating 40-
foot "television screen," a large boulder aglow with the Xbox logoall
of these effects and more were meant to help tell the (largely
wordless) story of a boy on a mission to find meteors and meaning.
By the time the show began, attendees who had at first seemed
bewildered by their white ponchos had relaxed and were mingling with
Cirque du Soleil performers and rubbing pointy shoulders with each
other, speculating on the show and what mysteries it would reveal.
In the show's prologue, a narrator posed the notion that the future of
humanity is humanity itself: "Since the dawn of time, humanity's long
journey has lead us to countless discoveries. Objects along our path
have projected our way forward, but the ever-more sophisticated
inventions introduced ever-more complex languages for humans to master
in order to communicate with machines. With each leap forward for
civilization, more people were left behind. But our quest has now
taken us to a completely new horizon. History is about to be re-
written. This time human beings will be at the center and the machine
will be the one that adapts. After five million years of evolution,
might the next step - the next object - be the absence of an object?
Is it possible that the future of humanity is humanity itself?"
With the help of the dancers and acrobatics, a boy made his way from
where he was sitting on a couch, through the forest and the white-clad
crowd, to some large, boulder-like meteors. He scrambled up the
meteors, tossing aside a traditional game controller on the way up,
and as he stood on the top-most meteor, it lit up with the Xbox logo
to great applause.
Standing there put the boy face-to-face with a large screen that
slowly revealed an avatar of him, complete with matching clothes.
After the boy and his avatar waved their arms and legs in unison, the
boy asked the screen, "What's your name?" In a flash of purple,
letters appeared on the screen and arranged themselves to form the
word "KINECT." Again, more cheers from the crowd. The screen then
transformed into a rotating living room, and the boy climbed inside.
There, for the rest of the show, a cast of characters demonstrated the
experiences that Kinect will enable.
Cirque du Soleil performers took the audience on an extended tour
through multiple games that included steering a raft down river
rapids; driving a car on a race course and a half-pipe; petting and
interacting with a tiger cub; competing in a variety of sports
including beach volleyball, track and field, and soccer. Performers
also demonstrated some nongaming experiences, including a woman
enjoying yoga lessons from a virtual Kinect teacher, a family using Kinect to select a movie and take dance lessons together, and far-
flung friends interacting by using video chat.
After the performance, audience members returned their white smocks
and were given a Kinect tiger cub as seen in one of the games.
Regardless what you might feel about Microsoft, the Kinect, or E3,
this "imagining" by Cirque du Soleil was simply amazing. I wish I
could have been there!
Watch this amazing performance here:
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS2_3cBjQIU
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWRO7UiDtx4
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idZuBjAa_cc
* * *
Today, Cirque du Soleil is much more than a circus performance
company. It has diversified into special events for private parties,
corporate swarés, and even spectacles to launch new and exciting
products. While some of these creations are not the most grandiose, or
as well conceived as we would like them to be (as fans of Cirque's
shows), many do break the mold and come out to show us something
unique, something special, and perhaps something new. If Michel
Laprise and his team were able to do these glorious things at Cirque's
Special Events team then KURIOS is in good hands. I can't wait to see
what Michel Laprise has in store for us!
----------------------------------------------------------
"Cavalia Continues its 'Odysseo'"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
Back in our April, 2007 issue, we reviewed Cavalia, a horse/circus
arts performance spectacle. Now their second show, entitled Odysseo
(pronounced ODD-ess-AY-oh) has returned with more beautiful horses and
exciting circus acts, so my lovely wife and I went to check it out
when it visited Seattle, though we waited until the price was right.
More on that in a moment.
Created and produced by Normand Latourelle, one of the founders of
Cirque du Soleil (and with them up to 1990), it is a show described by
Mr. Latourelle himself as, Cirque du Soleil with horses. Their first
show, simply called Cavalia, has been on the road touring for about 10
years. Their ticketing strategy is to announce only a couple of weeks
of dates initially and announce date extensions as tickets are sold.
Kind of like Cirque in that way, but while Cirque might initially
announce three weeks of dates Cavalia initially announced only two.
They plopped their tent into the same huge cement slab our park
systems Marymoor Park built to Cirques specifications, in the Seattle
suburb of Redmond. Needing to house some 60 horses on-site, along
with the huge performance tent, means the site is much more crowded
with tents and infrastructure than a Cirque site. And not only that
the all-white four-spire tent is North Americas largest, a 26,624
square foot behemoth standing more than 100 feet high, taller and
wider in diameter than a typical Cirque tent.
Ticket prices also took a bit of a leap. Whereas Cirques tent show
prices top out in the $125.00 range, Odysseo tops out at $150 before
graduating to the VIP packages (which Odysseo calls Rendez-Vous and
start at $200 topping out at $260). Generally Odysseos tickets are
$10-20 dollars more each than equivalent Cirque seats.
When we heard that Odysseo would be plopping its tent in Marymoor Park
we were excited to revisit this creative hybrid. But we were put off
when we found the tickets in sections we wanted to be in the range of
$150 dollars each, and those werent for any sort of VIP experience.
So we decided to wait and see if the show eventually did a Groupon (or
some similar coupon value service) type of special.
It was quite late in the run when a special finally did appear, and we
decided to take advantage of the special pricing to avail ourselves of
one of their Rendez-vous VIP experiences. We ended up getting tickets
to a Saturday evening show for a little more than $300, about $100 off
their normal price. The Rendes-vous experience includes free parking,
free food, soft drinks, beer and wine, desserts during intermission, a
post-show visit to the horses stable, and a souvenir. We figured the
free parking, souvenir (which we assumed to be a program that we would
buy anyway and we were right!) and food came pretty close to the
amount we would be spending if we had to provide those things for
ourselves.
Arriving at the site that evening we were pleased to find the parking
lot in front of the site was being used for VIP parking, which meant
only a short walk to the VIP tent. After picking up our tickets from
the tickets trailer (which had customer waiting areas inside the
trailer instead of the Cirque-type ticket trailer where a customer
stands outside) we made our way down a blue-carpeted walking platform
to the VIP tent, again impressed by the size of Odysseos tent, which
is quite imposing as you come up on it.
The VIP tent was also quite large, half again larger than Cirques
Tapis Rouge tent. The room was full of high barstools surrounding high
tables, lower small dinner tables with chairs, and several couches
placed in a U shape surrounding central tables that rimmed the
perimeter of the tent. Two beverage stations dispensing soft drinks,
wine, beer, and small containers of ice cream(!) were set at opposite
sides of the tent. There was also a small table dispensing free
popcorn that could be taken into the tent, as well as a fully stocked
souvenir boutique.
But what impressed us most was the food spread; three full tables of
various foods, some appetizer-like and some more filling. This was a
full-on buffet! Brie, salmon, chips and bean dip, deviled eggs, tasty
small mushrooms, as well as cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets. While
the food was not the upscale appetizers that Cirque might serve in its
Tapis Rouge tent, this was presented as a full meal you could consume
before the show. And many people did! The VIP tent opens 90 min.
before show time, and when we arrived about 15 min. in the tent looked
to be full. Most of the sitting chairs and tables were already taken
with patrons consuming the free food, so word must've gotten around.
Though some of the offerings were more pedestrian, their quality was
high and we had our fill.
Cavalia has had quite an evolution in their souvenirs and their
presentation since the last time we saw the show. Back then it was
very basic merchandising much like a concert, with goods that you
could not touch behind a set of tables, with pricing just as
mysterious. This new presentation was much more like Cirques with
goods out and available for people to touch, with pricing signs next
to everything. They had many of the same types of things that Cirque
offers; shirts, caps, mugs, even a calendar (which Cirque decided not
to produce this year). But they also had some unique items, including
a number of horse grooming tools and other horse paraphernalia
emblazoned with the Cavalia name. The shirts available were mostly for
women, there were very few mens shirts available. They also had
jackets and vests at various price points, all the way up to a very
deluxe equestrian womens jacket that went for $320. This time they
also had DVDs of both their shows selling for around $35 apiece.
Postcards, notecards, and a program rounded out the selection. This
was a much better presentation than last time, and we soon found
ourselves with a full bag. Added to it were the programs, which turned
out to be the special souvenir.
As we made our way from the VIP tent to the show tent we availed
ourselves of the restroom, which was also different from the Cirque
norm. A full-size trailer was divided into male and female restrooms
which were entered through a main door leading into a room with stalls
and separate sinks. This was not the type of bathroom Cirque uses
which is much more open to the outside world and unisex.
The tent interior was much like we remembered from the prior show. A
huge metal structure of ascending stairs and seats ascended to the top
of the tent. Having bought VIP packages we thought our tickets would
be quite close to the front of the stage, but it turned out we sat at
the upper edge of the VIP seating (something to consider when you look
at the value of a coupon package). The steep raking of the seats meant
that everyone got a good view; even a tall person sitting in front of
you wouldnt affect your view as much as they would if you were
sitting in a Cirque tent with its gentler raking. Though climbing the
structure to get to our seats felt like climbing up stairs in an
athletic stadium.
What surprised us most about the seating were the number of people
actually sitting in those seats. This evening performance on a
Saturday was only about 60% full, the upper areas of seating nearly
totally devoid of customers. This was disappointing, but could perhaps
be accounted for by the fact that the original show, simply titled
Cavalia, had re-visited the Seattle area only two years before.
In front of us, the stage was much like the prior Cavalia show. A wide
performance space, its surface lightly packed with dirt, and a tall
closed curtain that hid the rest of the stage from us. The musicians
were to our left and right, in glass-enclosed rooms above the main
entrances. Their isolation, like in O and La Nouba, helped ensure an
excellent studio quality sound mix.
Before the show started we were treated to a quiz in the form of
slides projected on the front curtains. How many stallions in the
show? 24. No mares, only boys in this troop, with an average age of 10
years. It was an interesting way to get patrons into the show before
the curtains opened. And they needed to do something because there was
no live-action pre-show entertainment. As with their original show,
Odysseo was absent of the clowns which are so much a part (for better
or worse) of the Cirque experience. However the show did start on time
with the lights dimming just shortly after 7:30pm.
The show begins with pairs of horses who run so close together in
tandem that their rider can stand atop their bare backs at full
gallop, 1 foot on each horse. This soon gives way to the main acrobats
of the evening, a group of toned African drummer/acrobats that formed
a large part of the human cast of the show. They seemed to be used as
a buffer between horse and cirque acts, though they could be a bit
show-offey. They were followed by three men who walked with flexible
stilt-type attachments to their feet which allowed them to bounce and
jump, in some cases quite high. They performed with the horses,
jumping over poles held by the African troop.
When the next act - five white horses running freely began, the
curtains opened completely, revealing an enormous oval dirt track, the
back half tilted at such an angle that at its furthest point it rose
halfway to the top of the tent, and where there was a rear entrance
for horses to enter. Framing the back of the stage was a wide
projection screen spanning the stages entire stage width that featured
projections meant to invoke a place or time.
After the white horses, a large carousel lowered from the ceiling. It
featured wooden carousel horses interspersed with poles, like Chinese
poles, and while it slowly rotated male and female acrobats played on
it in a Chinese pole routine. It was one of the more creative acts in
the show.
After an act of trick writers performing tricks on galloping horses
that zipped back and forth full-speed across the front of the stage,
the first act ended after 50 minutes. For us and our other Rendez-vous
brethren that meant back to the VIP tent for dessert! The dessert
spread was every bit as plentiful as the dinner spread with cookies,
brownies, candy, cheesecake, and small plastic cups of chocolate
mousse, along with other delicacies. The lines to the dessert tables
were long but moved quickly and people ate fast, as the second act
started shortly thereafter.
The second act began with several horses lying on the dirt floor of
the stage as though they were sleeping or resting. This was followed
by an aerial hoops act involving several artists. At the end of it
came another surprise - sprinklers made it rain upon the stage! Then a
large circus ring (such as you would see in a Ringling Brothers circus
show) descended from the rafters, for several horses and riders to do
tricks inside of. There were also five white horses that ran at
liberty inside the ring under the tutelage of a lady trainer, who
encouraged her charges to trot and turn in unison using only subtle
hand signals.
Then came the biggest surprise of the night. With the stage totally
empty water trickled onto the front of the stage from spigots under
the stage divider. They flooded the entire front section! What had
been a round track of desert was now the shore of an oasis. Through it
several horses ran. You could see the personalities of some of the
horses surfacing, as some would run in the middle of the track while
others would run more slowly closer to the stage edge, showing off for
the crowd. The flooding is quite a feat, as the water needs to be
pumped out and the dirt dried and ready for the next show, a
complicated procedure that must be done in a short amount of time.
The final act was a single horse silhouetted at the top of the stage,
doing parade prancing and other showy moves absent of any obvious
signal from the rider, and lit from behind. This horse was very
impressive, a star performer in a large cast of impressive horses. As
that was the final performance of the 55 min. second act, the stage
was soon populated with several dozen horses, riders and acrobats
walking across the flooded stage and taking their bows. It was hard to
raise the crowd into a standing ovation but eventually they did get
it. The less than capacity crowd then proceeded down the stairs (a
noisy process on the metal structure) to exit the tent.
The show was presented with every bit of the technical brilliance you
see in a Cirque show though presented on a somewhat larger scale, as
the sound and lights had to fill a larger performance space. Overall
we felt the show was a good show, though without the surprise and
novelty of the first of Cavalias shows that we had seen. Because we
had already seen what these impressive animals could do when we saw
the first show, this show became an exercise in variation. Though the
carousel and flooding of the stage were innovative variations on the
theme.
Making our way again back to the VIP tent we waited a few minutes for
the horses to be returned to their stables, as we were to be treated
to a stable visit as part of our VIP evening. Meanwhile three cast
members stayed in the VIP tent signing autographs and taking pictures.
After a few minutes we were escorted back into the tent stable. Every
horse had his own paddock space with a card in front stating the
horses name and specialty. They didnt look winded or tired, just
relaxing with fresh hay and water. And there was one final
opportunity for the show to make money, as there was a photo
opportunity with a horse and cast member for $20. Once we had toured
the horse tent we were free to leave exiting through the VIP tent and
out the front.
The next stops for Odysseo are Calgary and Edmonton in Canada, where
they will stay about two months each. The original unit, Cavalia, is
next headed for Belgium. Their website is www.cavalia.net, where you
can sign up to be notified of future engagements. We found Odysseo a
beautiful show, spotlighting the majesty of horses and the power of
the bond between horse and rider. Should it come to your area, we
recommend every Cirque fan think about seeing it. Decide for yourself
if you want to wait for a special or not.
----------------------------------------------------------
"Anthony Gatto: Master of Construction?"
By: Jason Fagone, Special Engagement
----------------------------------------------------------
Why did Anthony Gatto, the greatest juggler alive and perhaps of all
time back away from his art to open a construction business?
I feel like I should let you know what youre in for. This is a long
story about a juggler. It gets into some areas that matter in all
sports, such as performance and audience and ambition, but theres
absolutely a lot of juggling in the next 6,700 words. I assume you may
bail at this point, which is fine; I almost bailed a few times in the
writing. The usual strategies of sportswriting depend on the writer
and reader sharing a set of passions and references that make it easy
to speed along on rivers of stats and myth, but you almost certainly
dont know as much about juggling as you do about football or
baseball. Were probably staring at a frozen lake here.
We may fall through the ice anyway.
* * *
The greatest juggler alive, maybe of all time, is a 40-year-old
Floridian named Anthony Gatto. He holds 11 world records, has starred
for years in Cirque du Soleil, and has appeared as a child on The
Tonight Show, performing in a polo shirt and shorts, juggling five
rings while balancing a five-foot pole on his forehead.
His records are for keeping certain numbers of objects aloft for
longer than anyone else. Eleven rings, 10 rings, nine rings, eight
rings, and seven rings. Nine balls, eight balls, and seven balls.
Eight clubs, seven clubs, and six clubs. To break this down a little:
Theres one person in the world who can juggle eight clubs for 16
catches,1 and thats Gatto. As for seven clubs, maybe a hundred people
can get a stable pattern going for a couple of seconds. Its
difficult to even hold seven clubs without dropping them; your hands
arent big enough. Gatto can juggle seven clubs for more than four
minutes. Thats insane, says David Cain, a professional juggler and
juggling historian. Theres no competition.
Three years ago, Gatto posted a video to YouTube called Anthony Gatto
7 Ball World Record. The video shows a man of medium height with
short dark hair and a W-shaped goatee. He wears a gray tank top,
athletic shorts, a headband, and sneakers. He doesnt look like a
circus performer; he looks like a bro heading to the gym.
Standing in a residential driveway, he juggles seven balls for 11
minutes and 38 seconds, for thousands of catches, as his tank top
darkens with sweat and three neighborhood kids look on with increasing
boredom. (In a gag at the beginning of the video, Gatto pays the kids
$5 to be his audience.) When he drops a ball, Gatto says, with mock
grandiosity, And thats how you break the world record, kids. One day
you, too, can be world champions. The previous record was 10 minutes
and 12 seconds also set by Gatto. The message of the video is
basically, I can set whatever record I want, anytime I want. See how
boring that is?
Since 2010, Gatto has juggled in Cirque du Soleils La Nouba, a show
based at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Recently, though, I heard a
rumor that Gatto was getting ready to retire from juggling to open a
coffee shop. I did some Internet searching and discovered he now runs
a concrete company in Orlando. Its called Big Top Concrete
Resurfacing LLC. The T of the Big Top logo is in the shape of a
circus tent, but otherwise theres no hint of Gattos achievements on
the company website. We are committed to offering a cost effective
solution to tearing out and replacing old, damaged and deteriorating
concrete, reads the About page. From stained micro-toppings to
metallic floor finishes, counter tops and garage floor epoxy coatings,
we have the solution for you. A small head shot shows what looks like
a smiling Gatto. Next to the head shot is a name. The name is not the
one that has amazed audiences for the last 30 years. Owned and
operated, the page says, by Anthony Commarota.
How did the greatest juggler in the world end up working in concrete?
* * *
Commarota is his birth name, but the vast majority of jugglers dont
know that. They know him only as Gatto, the name of his stepfather,
Nick Gatto, an ex-vaudeville acrobat. It was Nick who first taught
Anthony to juggle, in 1978, a few months before Anthony turned 5 years
old. As a younger man, Nick had traveled and performed with a three-
man comedy acrobatics troupe called Los Gatos, and now he ran a
tobacco shop in Baltimore. He kept a trunk of circus props at the
store. In the beginning, Nick showed Anthony how to balance paper
cones on his head, and to bounce a ball on his head and shoulder; it
wasnt until Anthony had shown a knack for balance that Nick taught
him to juggle three balls. It was just for fun. I noticed that after
a few weeks, his progress was becoming more and more rapid, Nick
later said in a documentary about the two men, Gatto: From Vaudeville
Acro-Cat to the King of Juggling. So rapid that at times he didnt
even have to learn to do the higher number. Like when he went from
three to four, he never had to practice four balls. He could do four
balls. He never had to practice five balls. He could do five balls.
(I wasnt able to reach Nick for comment.)
The juggling world first learned about Anthony in 1981, when Nick
brought him to an International Juggling Association convention in
Cleveland. Anthony was 8. Part of the annual convention is a juggling
contest, and when Anthony competed in the junior division that year,
no one could believe how good he was. He crushed the field of 14- and
15-year-olds, taking first place. After that, word got out, and soon
Anthony and Nick were traveling around the world, performing for
startled audiences. They met a seasoned professional juggler named
Dick Franco, who invited Anthony to join his show and helped him
develop a casino act. When Anthony was 10, the family moved from
Maryland to Vegas, and the boy began performing at the Flamingo
Hilton.
Ive watched a number of home videos of Anthony from around this time.
They were shot by a man named Barry Bakalor, a juggling fan and
Internet archivist who used to bring a video camera and tripod to all
the conventions. In one video, from November 1983, Anthony, age 10,
stands on a stage in front of a large maroon curtain at the Reno
Hilton, juggling five balls. He has curly brown hair, a black T-shirt,
and black jeans. The room is almost empty; this is just a practice
session. Nick shouts instructions from off camera, trying to help
Anthony execute a certain difficult trick correctly a five-ball,
five-up 360, in which he juggles five balls, throws all five high in
the air, spins around 360 degrees, and then continues to juggle as if
nothing happened. Anthony, though, keeps dropping balls with his left
hand after he pirouettes.
There you go, Nick says after a drop. The ball was over there a
little too far, you just barely missed it, but its in the right
position. It will work.
Anthony tries again, drops again.
Oh, youre just having tough luck with your catches. Thats five of
em you should have had easy. Now youre missing it on the right
Well, weve gotta get rid of our frustration to make it. OK, just take
a breather.
Im not tired, Anthony says, clearly tired. He flubs the next two
attempts. No, its not gonna work if you do it that way a thousand
years! Nick says. A thousand years. Even after you make it, its
wrong
You cant open the door by putting the key into the window.
Anthony keeps trying, and eventually he lands the trick without
dropping. Nick says, Thats no good.
But I got it, Anthony says.
Huh?
I got it.
OK, I dont care if you got it or not, honey. That doesnt mean
anything to me. I want you to do it correctly. I want you to have some
technique with it.
Ive watched hours of these practice videos, and a couple of things
stand out. One is Nicks eye; you can see that his advice to Anthony,
while sometimes severe, is almost always correct. Also remarkable is
the surprising physicality of juggling at this level. Anthony
complains from time to time that the rings hurt his hands, and you can
see why: Rings are hard plastic, and he has to throw them high to make
a nice visual for the audience. Then gravity takes hold and the planet
jerks its string, yanking the rings toward the ground, and they smack
against the soft webbing between his fingers, slicing it raw. He deals
with it by wrapping tape around the webbing so the rings hit the tape
and not his skin. That helps some, but then there are the clubs. If he
makes the slightest miscalculation, they graze each other in midair,
and then he has to duck to prevent five or six clubs from crashing
down on his head. His neck also gets sore from spending so much time
with his head tilted back to see the traffic hes trying to control in
the air. Dust gets in his eyes. He seems to hate that, because then he
has to blink out the dust, and his eyes start to water, blinding him,
and then all the stuff up there hurts even more when it comes down.
But Anthony endures. Im not tired. On the tapes, he tells lots of
jokes. (Friends at home, dont try this. If you swallow a club, itll
hurt. Twice.) He knows that Nick is hard of hearing and too proud to
get a hearing aid, so he often speaks in a register that everyone
except Nick can hear. He would only raise the tone loud enough for
Nick to hear him when he wanted Nick to hear him, recalls Bakalor.
Nick doesnt limit his coaching to the technical stuff. He spends just
as much time teaching Anthony about performance. In another video,
also from 1983, Anthony wears blue shorts, a white T-shirt, and
striped socks pulled way up. He and Nick are working on Anthonys
five-ball routine. Nick wants Anthony to end the routine a certain
way. Anthony should throw four out of five balls to Nick. Then he
should bring the fifth and final ball to his lips, kiss it, and lob it
gently into the crowd a gesture of fondness and respect between
performer and audience.
Anthony asks, Why kiss it?
Cause I want you to kiss it, Anthony, Nick says. You dont have to
understand all the logic.
They get into an argument. Anthony doesnt want to do this cheesy
move. He throws four balls to Nick, reluctantly kisses the fifth, then
quickly chucks it across the room. Thats too fast, Nick says.
Anthony tries several more times. It has to be sold, Nick says,
still unsatisfied. You go one, two, three, four. You bow. Nick
kisses the ball. And zoom. He lofts it on a gentle arc.
The videos also capture many moments of paternal warmth and praise.
(When he speaks about Nick to others, Anthony calls him my dad.) On
one tape, Nick marvels at an athletic lunge that Anthony makes to
rescue an errant ball, then launches into a meditation on the nature
of genius. I think theres some kind of magic, Nick says. Crazy,
isnt he? Would you believe theres a guy in this world?
You cant
explain Mozart. You cant explain Beethovens pages. And you cant
explain Shakespeare. You cant explain [Anthony]. No joke.
Toward the end of the Reno Hilton tape, Anthony picks up seven balls:
four in one hand, three in the other. Crammed into his small hands,
they look like cannonballs stacked on a courthouse lawn. He launches
them toward the ceiling. Ten-year-olds arent supposed to be able to
juggle five balls, let alone seven. Ten seconds pass, 20 seconds, and
all seven balls are still aloft. Nick counts the number of catches out
loud: 50, 60, 70. After 35 seconds and 100 catches, Anthony finally
drops. Nick approaches Anthony, shakes his hand, and gives him a hug
and a kiss on the cheek.
* * *
In interviews, Anthony always said he liked juggling. On The Tonight
Show in 1985, guest host Joan Rivers asked what hed like to be when
he grew up. A juggler, he said. Still a juggler! Rivers cooed, to
audience laughter. Thats wonderful. Well youre certainly on your
way
What a lovely boy you are. Another interviewer asked if he
thought hed be juggling all his life. Yeah, Gatto said. And maybe
a boxer.
He grew bigger, stronger. In later practice videos, hes more
dismissive of Nick, more impatient at taking direction. He interrupts
his stepfather, cuts him off. Maybe hes just becoming a typical
teenager, or maybe hes getting so good that he no longer needs Nicks
coaching.
In 1986, at age 13, Anthony performed at the IJA festival in San Jose.
The man who introduced him said, You know, theres only once in a
lifetime that you get to experience total magic in your life, and you
get to watch an individual who just takes your heart and lets it soar
away, and this young gentleman has done that for millions of jugglers,
if there are millions of jugglers. Anthony jogged onto the stage in a
white vest, white pants, and white shoes. He bowed and launched into
an act set to a medley that included Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo and Its a
Small World: five balls with pirouettes; a complicated series of
tricks with five, seven, and eight rings; five clubs crossing behind
his back (an elite-level trick for any juggler, much less a 13-year-
old); a pirouette with five clubs where all five clubs are in the air
during the pirouette (again, elite). At one point, Anthony balanced a
tall pole on his forehead. At the top was a Wile E. Coyote doll. While
balancing the pole, Anthony juggled five rings, then tossed each ring
up so that it landed on the dolls nose and right hand. He did a
similar trick with a balance pole that contained five small billiard-
pocket-size nets. While juggling five balls, he threw the balls into
the nets, one by one, with astonishing accuracy.
In juggling, its very, very easy to fail, says Boston College
economics professor Arthur Lewbel, an enthusiast who has written about
the history and science of juggling. Youre making four throws a
second. In a minute, you might have more throws and catches than an
entire baseball game. So doing something for even a minute without a
mistake is enormously hard like a whole baseball game without an
error. Anthony is able to just do extremely difficult tricks and do
them with an incredible reliability. He can have them in his act and
do them day after day.
Through his teens, Gatto continued juggling at Vegas hotels and the
occasional basketball halftime show but his novelty had started to
taper. Youre not really a kid, he says later in Gatto, and you
cant get away with just being cute and doing difficult things. You
had to start being a performer. He found steady work with a magician
who called herself Melinda, First Lady of Magic. Meanwhile, he stayed
connected with the juggling world, making himself available to other
jugglers, having lunch with up-and-comers, practicing alongside the
hobbyists. David Cain, the juggling historian, remembers one year,
1991, when Anthony was 18 and he showed up at the IJA convention in
St. Louis. Anthony took out his juggling objects and ran a practice
session in the big communal gym. Everything would stop, Cain says.
Wed have 1,500 or 1,600 jugglers stop what they were doing and sit
in a big circle and just watch him practice for an hour and a half.
In 1996, when Gatto was 23, Melindas magic show closed down. Unsure
what to do next and feeling burned out he decided to leave
juggling and work as a landscaper. For two years, if you wanted to
hire the greatest juggler alive to stand in the 115-degree desert heat
and install a sprinkler system, you could. A joke cycled through the
juggling community: I was working in Vegas the other day and someone
came up to me after my act and said, That was nothing. My gardener
can do eight.
Gattos break was the best thing I could have done for my juggling,
he says in Gatto. It made him remember what he loved about juggling in
the first place. I didnt hear one person clap when I was
landscaping, he jokes. That was kind of bothering me. When he
returned to juggling in 1998, Gatto was better than ever, says Cain.
In 2000, at the International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo, Gatto
won the festivals top award, the Clown dOr, or Golden Clown,
becoming the first juggler in history to pull that off.
By now, though, Gattos relationship with the juggling community had
shifted. He no longer regularly attended conventions or entered
competitions. Gatto didnt want to impress other jugglers. Nobody
cares about good jugglers in the performance world, he later wrote in
an Internet forum. They care about entertainers.
So he joined the circus and not the circus he was born for. Given
Gattos juggling style, his natural home should have been Ringling
Bros., not Cirque du Soleil. The Ringling style is this: Heres a hard
thing, and heres another hard thing, and Im doing it all under the
bright lights. Jugglers in Cirque are more like mimes; at some point
they discover these straaaaaaange objects in their hands and decide
perhaps theyll throw them in the air. But Cirque is the ascendant
show, the one with the money and the power to draw big crowds, so
thats where Gatto went, joining Cirques traveling Kooza show in
2007.
Even as Gatto was moving away from the pure juggling world, though,
juggling was starting to move away from him. For one thing, jugglers
seemed to be getting better, faster. Partly this was an illusion
created by the combination of affordable video equipment and the
Internet; young jugglers now kept their cameras running all the time,
so if they hit a trick one time out of 100, they could upload the
proof and make themselves look like gods, even if theyd never be
able to execute the trick onstage, like Gatto could. The avatar of
this new generation was Vova Galchenko, a Russian-born prodigy living
in California. Galchenko disliked performing and admitted to suffering
from stage fright, but when juggling alone, he was almost as good as
Gatto in some respects, not to mention 14 years younger, and his
YouTube videos regularly drew millions of clicks.
It wasnt just that the pace of juggling achievement seemed to be
accelerating. The patterns of the objects themselves were also
changing. In the 80s, a few jugglers with academic backgrounds had
developed something called siteswap a mathematical notation for
objects in motion. Siteswap is to juggling what a musical score is to
a piano player. A juggler conversant in siteswap can look at a string
of numbers say, 7 5 3 1 and know that the numbers are telling him
to juggle four objects so that their arcs peak at four different
heights. (The numbers refer to relative altitude.) Gatto never took to
siteswap, but others did; the notation helped them imagine and execute
wild new patterns, and through the 90s and 2000s the aesthetic of
high-end technical juggling started to change. You can see it in the
work of a modern juggler like Thomas Dietz, a lanky German who uses a
lot of siteswap patterns. Watching Dietz is like walking through a
gallery of Sol LeWitt paintings; you know that the patterns come from
math, but you also know a human is painting them.
Even while performing with Cirque, Gatto did make an effort to stay in
touch with the Internet juggling scene through an online forum branded
in his name. Still, he kept a certain distance. Theres a clammy
intensity to many online communities, and the juggling world is no
different. Many of Gattos interactions with hobbyists on the Anthony
Gatto Forum were friendly and gracious; he sponsored video
competitions, praised young jugglers, offered advice and
encouragement. But some exchanges were more hostile. Fans would wonder
whether it was OK to film a trick 100 times to get that one perfect
execution, and Gatto would tell them no: If you cant do a trick
within 3 attempts, you cant do it. You may have DONE it, but you
cant DO it. Fans would ask which jugglers they should study for
guidance, and Gatto would urge them to look at tapes of old performers
Dick Franco, Paul Ponce, the Errani Brothers, Kris Kremo, Francis
Brunn. I was fortunate to have Nick instilling an appreciation for
talent, Gatto wrote. He would describe some of the great jugglers to
me and sort of paint this picture of them having nearly magical
ability. Again and again on the forum, young jugglers would try to
goad Gatto into attempting crazy records, and hed reply that he could
give a shit about records. He complained of carpal tunnel syndrome and
back problems. He often invoked his family commitments as a way of
declining challenges. By now he was married, to a woman named
Danielle, a onetime professional dancer who had become his onstage
assistant. They had a son together. Can you answer what that would do
for me? Gatto wrote in 2009 to a commenter who had asked him to set a
record for juggling seven balls in a particular way, throwing and
catching them above his head:
Will it get me another job? Will my wife have a newfound respect for
me because I can do seven balls overhead for a minute?
Beside the
fact that when you become a real juggler and just having the knowledge
that you can do something is enough satisfaction, there is also this:
I have a practice regimen that I do in order to do the best possible
performance I can in the evening. I am at work for 10-12 hours per
day. I am integrated into the show in other ways than just my act. I
am a back up artist for one of the characters as well. I get about 20
minutes per day to cram in a lunch and dinner. I now have a baby to
take care. I get about 5-6 hours sleep per night. I have to walk my
dog twice per day on top of all this. If you cant understand why I
dont waste my energy on doing seven balls overhead for a minute to
make a youtube video for people to watch, then you havent entered the
real world yet.
Gattos frustration with young, Internet-native jugglers boiled over
in 2008, when he got into a sort of arms race with Galchenko, the
YouTube phenom. It began when Galchenko appeared on an NBC show called
Celebrity Circus. He was there to set a record for doing as many five-
club, five-up 360s as he could in one minute. He ended up doing the
trick 21 straight times without dropping, breaking the previous
record. After the show aired, Gatto posted a video of himself doing 24
five-ups in a minute, breaking the record Galchenko had just broken.
Galchenko then posted footage of himself doing the trick 29 times in a
minute. It went on like that for several more rounds.
A reporter for the Boston Globe called Gatto at the time and asked why
Galchenkos TV appearance had bothered him. Gatto praised Vova as a
great juggler, but he also said of younger jugglers, Until those
kids grow a personality, theyre not going to wow anybody. The
audience doesnt care if you juggle 20 rings. The reporter added,
Gatto now says he regrets getting involved in the 360s competition
though he says he can still go higher because it sent the wrong
message. The only way to judge a juggler, he says, is to watch him
onstage, under the bright lights, over the course of a career.
* * *
Last summer, I sent Gatto a message through a contact form on his
website, asking for an interview. I didnt know how else to reach him
directly; he appeared to have deleted his @AnthonyGatto Twitter
account, and the main page at the Anthony Gatto Forum said, The forum
is closed.
The forum is unlikely to be raised from the dead, but
feel free to use it as you see fit.
When I didnt hear back from Gatto, I reached out to Lakiya Arrington,
the public relations manager with Cirque du Soleils La Nouba, the
show in Orlando where he was performing. I told her I wanted to do a
piece on Gatto and asked if I could meet him and see him perform. She
said shed check. A few days later, Arrington replied that she
couldnt help; Gattos schedule was too busy.
I decided I was going to find a way to do the story anyway. It seemed
natural that a 40-year-old athlete might want to retire, but I
couldnt believe he could do it without anyone writing the sort of
admiring, curtain-closing piece on his career that I thought he
deserved. Could the worlds greatest juggler really slip into
anonymity with hardly anyone noticing? I called a friend, Mark
Bakalor, whom I knew from a juggling story I wrote in 2008. Bakalor is
the adult son of Barry Bakalor, the juggling fan who shot the Gatto
practice videos in the 80s. Both men are also close with Galchenko,
having essentially adopted him when he first moved from Russia to the
United States without his parents. The Bakalors know juggling, so I
pitched Mark an idea: What if we traveled to Orlando? What if we
watched Gatto perform in Cirque, then tried to talk to him afterward?
Bakalor would come along as a sort of consultant a guy who could
help me understand and describe the feats in Gattos act. Wed see
Gatto under the bright lights, one last time. Maybe wed get to meet
him, maybe we wouldnt, but it would be interesting either way.
Bakalor said it sounded like fun. He was excited to see Gatto perform;
it had been years.
We got tickets for a Friday-evening show in October and booked our
flights. That night we checked into Disneys Animal Kingdom Lodge,
drove into Downtown Disney, and walked to the Cirque theater, a
soaring ivory structure designed to look like a circus tent, with a
giant video screen playing clips of Cirque performers on a loop. Mark
pointed to the screen. Theres Anthony a flash of a man in sparkly
clothing and thick makeup, juggling three clubs between his legs. We
got our tickets and took our seats. The lights went down.
Theres not much to say about the show. If you havent been to Cirque
du Soleil, youve absorbed it through pop culture. There were
tightrope walkers and trapeze artists. There was a ballerina and a
bald ogre in a bodysuit and men and women dressed like figures in
Russian constructivist posters. A shirtless dude with eight-pack abs
soared through the air on a ribbon of red silk. At one point, a rola
bola guy emerged from the wings a performer in a jesterish costume
who stood atop a board balanced precariously on a tall stack of shiny
metal cylinders. Mark frowned. This was bad news. The art of rola bola
is close to juggling, which meant the rola bola guy had probably taken
Gattos place in the show.
The finale came; the performers bowed. No Gatto.
We returned to our hotel and started searching the Internet. Mark
found the page for Big Top Concrete Resurfacing and its listing of
Anthony Commarota as owner. Maybe theres the name change because he
doesnt want people to know hes moved on, Mark said. I dont know.
Thats kind of the mystery.
The next morning, Mark and I watched a YouTube video of one of Gattos
Cirque performances, to see what we had missed. Gatto swaggers onstage
in a sparkling skintight silver shirt, silver pants, and silver shoes,
accompanied by a woman in a red sequined dress. She hands him six
balls five small, one large and he begins juggling the small ones
while bouncing the sixth on top of his head. A few moments later, he
does some tricks with seven balls, then switches to a smooth, wicked
routine with five rings. The crowd murmurs and applauds uncertainly
when he shifts patterns. He dances the whole time, grinning, kicking
his silver shoes, throwing out his arms. The woman produces a long
pole containing five billiard pockets at varying heights the same
type of prop he once used as a kid. Gatto balances the pole on his
forehead. Five balls go up in the air; five balls land in the pockets,
one by one.
I tried to take in the video as if I were watching Gatto live, in
person. The tricks were happening too fast for me to name them, even
mentally, but I got a powerful sense of extreme complexity boxed and
tamed that what would be the hardest trick in the world for even a
very accomplished juggler was, for Gatto, just a platform for building
another trick. I recognized bits and pieces of tricks Id seen on the
practice videos, only here they were mastered, nailed beyond question,
and stitched into long skeins of ooooh and aahhh, one trick melting
seamlessly into the next, every throw and catch and gesture designed
with a savage economy, like the words in a short story that slivers
through you and leaves a melon-size exit wound.
Toward the end of the video, Gatto walks to his prop stand. He wipes
his brow, tosses chalk on his hands. He grabs five clubs; the red lady
tosses him two more. Drumroll. Seven clubs fly skyward into the bright
lights.
Its hard to imagine how much precision is required for something
like seven clubs, says Lewbel, the economics professor and juggling
author. Literally the difference in angle of your hand of a fraction
of a degree is enough to completely destroy it. If you sat down with a
computer and plotted out how accurate the trajectories have to be, you
wouldnt believe anybody could ever do it.
The clubs fall toward Gatto, then rise again. Ten catches, 15, 20. A
stable pattern. Gatto catches the last club with a flourish. He bows.
The music swells. The whole performance lasts only 11 minutes 11
minutes honed over 30 years.
When the video was over, I called the number on the Big Top Concrete
website. Anthony answered. I told him who I was. I said I had come to
Orlando to see him perform. I asked if hed meet me for coffee to talk
about his juggling career.
He sounded irritated. Who was I again? What was Grantland? What was
the story about?
I asked again if hed meet me. He said there wasnt a chance. He had
to spend time with his family. I asked why he hadnt performed in La
Nouba last night. Herniated disk, he said. Ive been out for four
months. No way I could talk to you today. He said he could talk on
the phone later on, but he didnt seem thrilled about it. Id have to
arrange it through Cirques PR department.
Later, I called Cirques Lakiya Arrington and asked to schedule a
brief phone call with Gatto. Hes on leave, she said. We dont
grant interviews while theyre typically on leave
We try to respect
when theyre not working.
* * *
Pure technical jugglers peak in their twenties, according to Lewbel.
As they get older, they survive by developing personality. Most
jugglers dont retire, they just modify their act appropriately, he
says. He tells me about a Russian juggler named Gregory Popovich. As a
young man, he juggled large numbers of clubs atop a tall ladder. He
still does, but now hes best known for an act featuring trained cats.
Jugglers dont have to perform difficult tricks to entertain people,
because audiences generally dont know whats difficult. Juggling five
objects is 10 times harder than juggling four, and six objects is 10
times harder than five, but to most people, five objects in the air
looks like six, and six looks like five. A truly difficult juggling
trick doesnt necessarily register intuitively as difficult. It just
looks like a bunch of weird shit crossing in the air. A blur of
startled birds. Whereas tricks that do look difficult are actually
easy, like chain saws. You disengage the chain so it cant move. The
chain saw makes a scary noise, but theres no danger. Same with
torches. The torches that jugglers use are shaped and weighted exactly
like clubs. Juggling three torches is exactly like juggling three
clubs. A 5-year-old can do it. The biggest danger is smudging your
hand with soot.
The fact that juggling audiences cant tell the difference between
hard tricks and easy tricks means they also cant make any meaningful
judgments about jugglers. It would be as if basketball fans couldnt
recognize the difference between LeBron James and, say, Trevor Ariza.
Imagine living in a world in which Angel Cabreras golf swing is
exactly as elegant as Adam Scotts, and Ryan Harrisons tennis
forehand is as devastating as Juan Martin del Potros, and LeSean
McCoy is just another guy running in staggered patterns on a grass
field. The whole multibillion-dollar machinery of sports enjoyment
depends on the audiences ability to make fine distinctions between
similar-seeming athletes. Thats where the fun and the money are. A
sport minus an educated audience is just a story. Maybe a bullshit
story. Its competitive eating. Its the mortgage-backed securities
market circa 2008 people trying to convince you that theyve spent a
lot of time mastering a certain set of arcane rules and are therefore
worthy of your cash and your trust. And jugglers have always taken
advantage of audiences ignorance. Instead of performing hard tricks,
they perform easy tricks that look hard. They lie to delight.
But then came a guy who wasnt interested in lying, who wanted to do
stuff that was hard because he could. This was his power in the world
and he wanted to exert it the basic impulse of any athlete. Yet he
never really found his audience, even though he conquered jugglings
demands like no one before him. Gatto learned how to stand calm and
straight-backed beneath sick, dizzying multitudes of spinning, arcing
objects and conduct them with model-train precision into his hands. He
also learned to charm people, even though it didnt come naturally to
him, as the kiss-the-ball video shows. He gave in. He grew to accept
the necessity of kissing the ball and lobbing it gently into the crowd
with a grin. He also learned to make hard tricks look hard, to
pantomime the exertion and self-doubt of a man working at the edge of
his ability even though his ability stretched on and on. He learned to
entertain, because for some reason, even though we exist in a physical
universe defined by the relative attractive powers of massive objects,
the mere demonstration of a lush and lovely control of gravity is not
enough. He labored to please an audience that could never appreciate
his greatness. Then he got older and watched a new wave of jugglers
abandon the stage for the flicker of computer screens, sneering at the
bright-light mastery hed worked so hard to gain.
Thats my impression, anyway. Gatto didnt talk to me. Maybe he wants
to focus on running his business. Or maybe he got so used to
performing for people who couldnt understand his gift that when he
decided to back away from juggling, he felt no need to help them
understand why.
* * *
Before I left Orlando, I watched a few more videos. Theyre on YouTube
under the name Anthony Commarota. One is called Countertop |
Refinishing | Resurfacing | Orlando. It shows Gatto working on a
countertop in a garage, wearing a baseball cap backward and a white T-
shirt that says Got Ugly Concrete?
He spreads denatured alcohol on the countertop to clean it, then
trowels down a coat of grout mix. He uses a hand sponge to make the
side of the countertop look like it has a chiseled edge. We got the
second coat on, he says. Weve chiseled the edges. Once that starts
to set a bit, Im going to poke at it with a stiff-bristled brush to
give it some more natural look. He sands the countertop a bit. The
chiseled edge came out really nice.
Almost no jugglers get rich. Many work other jobs on the side.
Salaries at Cirque start at $50,000, which is decent for the circus
world but hardly cozy. Im sure Gatto is working in concrete because
its the best thing for his family. Still, the countertop video is
jarring, because it represents the perfect inverse of a classic Gatto
performance: not a bewildering splay of virtuosity for an audience
that will struggle to understand, but a how-to lesson for viewers who
will immediately grasp each simple step.
The video ends with a shot of the final countertop. Its painted a
deep bronze and has a rich, glossy finish. It looks like quality work.
It looks respectable. It looks just fine.
{ NOTE: The original article appeared March 18, 2014 on Grantland.com.
You can find the original here: http://goo.gl/xdSJTC }
----------------------------------------------------------
"This is the Solar Flare Podcast!"
By: Ian Reents - Longwood, Florida (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
Hello my name is Ian Reents, creator of the Solar Flare podcast where
we cover all things Cirque du Soleil! The folks at Fascination! have
kindly offered space for us to tell you about whats coming up each
month on the podcast. But first a little bit about us and how we came
to be, as well as a little peak into the future.
A few months ago I was looking back at an article on Fascination
called The Wider World of Cirque-Centric Podcasts, and it got me
thinking. There are no Cirque-specific podcasts. This needed to
change! So I grabbed a condenser microphone, plugged it into my
computer and recorded the intro for the first podcast. Now, being what
I like to call The Baroque College Kid, I lacked funds. After
talking my father into loaning me some money to get a website up and
running, I had a face for the podcast.
For the first episode I contacted former La Nouba artist Natasha
Hallett, who loved the idea of a Cirque du Soleil podcast. I had met
Natasha at the Festival of Masters at Downtown Disney a few years back
and weve kept in contact through Facebook since then. She agreed to
do a phone interview with me that we included in the podcast. I also
introduced a segment called Cirque News, which had updates of what
was floating around international headquarters.
After recording and posting the episode, I received a lot of messages
thanking me for this new format for Cirque fans to enjoy. One of them
was from Fascinations own Keith Johnson. I was excited because I had
been reading Fascination since I was ten years old. I responded and we
have many ideas for upcoming episodes.
In episode two we took to the online fan community andinterviewed two
Cirque du Soleil fans including Fascination Newsletters own Ricky
Russo. It was a great way for us to hear from other fans and share
knowledge about Cirque.
However for the third episode we decided to revamp our podcast. As you
can imagine, any new endeavor can bring forth many challenges. So it
is with us, and we are going through some great new changes. While I
personally am not very technically savvy, my close friend Justin Neal,
who happens to know a lot about podcasting, offered to help make our
podcast even better as our Audio Engineer/Producer. We will also be
able to interview anyone around the world, which will open more doors
as to who we can have on the show.
Production Company MLT Studios Inc. has also joined forces with us to
bring you video interviews with the performers (these will be
integrated into our website in the near future).
We are also looking at changing our format into an Enhanced Podcast,
which will allow us to display images that go with the audio and place
clickable links at the bottom of each image for further reading. Of
course, our biggest goal is to have the podcast on iTunes for you to
be able to download!
In the course of three months, we have come far and are growing fast.
Great things are coming to the fan community. Just as Cirque is
growing, so are we.
For April, we talk about La Noubas Sisaundra Lewis appearing on NBCs
The Voice, Cirques new dinner show in Mexico, and changes to Zarkana.
Plus our exclusive very fun chat with La Noubas first chanteuse,
Dessy Di Lauro!
To stay connected, head over to our website: www.sfcirque.com and
bookmark us. In addition to the podcasts we have a news section that
allows us to post breaking news without waiting for our monthly
podcasts. We have also placed a donation box on the bottom of the
homepage to help fund the show. This will help pay for our cost (and
help me pay back my dad). Also make sure to give us a follow on
twitter. We will be giving away things like Cirque programs and
autographs from various performers and many more cool items.
Im really excited about the show, and I hope you all are too. Some of
the people we have been talking to about appearing on the show include
Cirque veterans Jason Berrent, John Gilkey, Mark Ward and many more!
Everything Solar Flare can be located here:
o) WEBSITE - http://www.sfcirque.com/
o) FACEBOOK - http://www.facebook.com/sfcirque/
o) TWITTER -- https://twitter.com/sfcirque/
o) YOUTUBE -- http://www.youtube.com/user/sfcirque/
o) ITUNES -- http://goo.gl/f1uIoh/
=======================================================================
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
=======================================================================
Fascination! is a monthly publication, available through subscription
via the World Wide Web in text format at the newsletter's website:
< http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. To subscribe, please visit
our website and enter your name and email address in the "About
Fascination" box and press Subscribe. You'll receive an email to
confirm your selection. Once confirmed you'll be added to our mailing
list. To Subscribe via Really Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News)
use the following: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >.
To view back issues, or other online Newsletter content, please visit
us at: < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >.
Join us on the web at:
< www.cirquefascination.com >
Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only):
< http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >
=======================================================================
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
=======================================================================
Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 14, Number 4 (Issue #123) - April 2014
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c)
2001-2014 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a
subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter
can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or
translated without the consent of the "Fascination!
Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission
(unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without
remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination!
Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way
with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are
Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil,
Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright
infringement intended.
{ Apr.05.2014 }
=======================================================================
