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T h e U n o f f i c i a l
C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r
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http://www.CirqueFascination.com
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VOLUME 13, NUMBER 04 April 2013 ISSUE #111
=======================================================================
Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque
du Soleil Newsletter.
How many of you were able to attend One Night for One Drop late last
month? Us neither! (If you were, though, contrats!) What's One Night
for One Drop? ONE DROP partnered with MGM Resorts International and
Lamborghini to present One Night for ONE DROP, a philanthropy event
to raise funds and awareness to ensure water is accessible across the
globe. The evening featured more than 230 artists from the seven Las
Vegas Cirque du Soleil productions in a once-in-a-lifetime performance
on World Water Day, Friday, March 22, 2013, at the "O" Theatre at
Bellagio Resort & Casino. And it was quite successful (so much so that
they'll do it again next year). However, to share the experience of
this amazing event around the world, an exclusive broadcast of the
full-scale production was made available for online viewing at
ONEDROP.org through March 31, with a donation of $5 or more. Although
the broadcast is no longer available, we here at Fascination were
able to catch it and will have our full thoughts next issue (sorry,
we ran out of time!)
But we have plenty for you this issue. Friend of Fascination Steve
Long took to the streets of Seattle for Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna
and shares his thoughts about the show since we saw it premiere
in Montreal. (Spoiler alert: it's not doing so well in his opinion.)
He also details for us a small gathering of Cirque Passionates there
in Seattle, who saw in addition to Amalauna, the Seattle company of
Teatro Zinzani, and more! So be sure to check that out! And for fans
of Cirque du Soleil's Worlds Away 3D IMAX film, we've got a review
of the home video release (and its special features) within.
As always we've got the latest news items posted to Fascination
Website over the month and, of course, updates to Cirque's tour
schedule.
Join us on the web at:
< www.cirquefascination.com >
Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only):
< http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >
- Ricky "Richasi" Russo
===========
CONTENTS
===========
o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information
* BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau
* Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues
* Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre
o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets
* Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub
* Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube
o) Compartments -- A Peek Behind the Curtain
* Historia -- Cirque Company History
* Odyssea -- Cirque Tour History
o) Fascination! Features
* "... To The Small Screen - Worlds Away Comes Home"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
* "Amaluna in Seattle: Remembrences of a fun,
long February Weekend"
By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA)
* "Amaluna Evolution (Devolution) on tour -
Details of my disappointment with the viewing
of Amaluna in Seattle"
By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA)
o) Subscription Information
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
=======================================================================
CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Cirque @ SXSW w/ #EVOKE13
{Mar.01.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Don't miss #EVOKE13 at SXSW on Tuesday, March 12 at ACL Live,
featuring an exclusive Cirque du Soleil performance, an
experience from The Nerdist, music from Divine Fits, a set by DJ
Sam Spiegel & more!
Cirque Performer Battles Shoulder
Injuriers, Addiction
{Mar.06.2013}
----------------------------------------------
High-flying acrobats. Death-defying leaps. Bright lights and
performance tents filled with adoring fans. It's the stuff of
which dreams are made. After all, who doesn't want to run away
with the circus?
But for Joe Putignano, it wasn't as simple as running away it
took a lifetime of dedication and a battle against addiction to
get where he is today: dangling from the 40-foot-high catwalk
above the Cirque du Soleil big top.
The house lights are off, and one lone spotlight shines upon
Joe's reflective mirror-ball suit.
He is tethered at the waist, head tilted back, arms reaching
behind him to grab his foot, which is quickly flexing up toward
his head. He starts to spin literally because that's what his
character is supposed to do, and figuratively, because of the
searing pain he's feeling in both shoulders as he contorts into
this position.
Though it may seem that Cirque characters are superhuman, they
too can get injured. Joe is a real human being with real
muscles, bones, connective tissue and joints.
And for Joe, it's not just high-flying acrobatics that cause him
pain.
"It's sort of mundane things," he says. "Sleeping hurts a lot,
because I'm rolling over on my shoulder. Just drinking a coffee.
Washing my hair hurts a lot."
After nearly 1,000 performances of "Totem" and a lifetime of
gymnastics training, Joe has finally hit a wall.
"I need to have surgery," he says matter-of-factly. "I really
wanted to see if I could continue on, and just kind of manage
it, do a lot of physical therapy, and get out of this pain. But
we've done that, and we're kind of out of options."
Joe has what's called a superior labral tear from anterior to
posterior a SLAP tear for short in his right shoulder. His
biceps tendon is also torn, and he has a third tear in the
subscapular area underneath his shoulder blade.
His left shoulder has just the one injury another SLAP tear.
That one needs to be operated on as well, and soon, before he
has permanent damage to the joint.
And surgery has to be done in a way that preserves Joe's
abilities to perform.
"I suppose there's always a risk that when they do fix it, that
it will destroy my flexibility," Joe says. "I'm useful in this
industry because of my flexibility."
Now this contortionist is headed to another arena with bright
lights, where all eyes are focused on him: the operating room.
Surgery is scary for anybody, but for Joe, it is potentially the
most terrifying thing he's ever encountered.
Read the rest of this story here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/zp0XA >
And, read more about Joe's fears leading up to surgery here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/V7Yf0 >
{SOURCE: CNN}
Casino complex proposal unveiled
in Toronto to mixed reviews
{Mar.07.2013}
----------------------------------------------
A proposed casino complex, complete with a shopping mall, a
1,200-room hotel and a permanent home for Cirque du Soleil, was
unveiled Wednesday in Toronto.
MGM Resorts International and its partner Cadillac Fairview is
proposing to build the complex on the grounds of Exhibition
Place at a cost of up to $4 billion.
The proposal is one of several received by the city in the last
few months in advance of an April council vote on the
controversial issue.
Mayor Rob Ford supports the idea of having a casino built in the
city, saying it would create jobs and boost revenue.
But many critics, including some city councillors, say allowing
a casino in the city would give rise to criminal activity,
gambling addictions and add to gridlock. Twenty-three
councillors will have to approve the plan for it to pass.
At the unveiling of the most recent plan, the senior vice-
president of public affairs at MGM Resorts touted economic
benefits of the company's proposal. A model was presented at the
unveiling, though journalists were not allowed to photograph it.
The massive three-million-square-foot complex would bring 10,000
new, unionized jobs with an average salary of $60,000 plus
5,000 construction jobs during an estimated three years of
development and millions of dollars in city revenue, said Alan
Feldman.
"All of the Sturm und Drang about what is going to happen when
you put a casino in downtown is mostly emotion and fear based,"
he said.
Some city councillors and Toronto Mayor Rob Ford have seen the
proposal, but those who oppose the casino project say they have
been ignored by MGM and Fairview.
Councillor Mike Layton said he is concerned a casino would draw
money from the local economy and generate thousands of
additional car trips each hour on already heavily travelled
routes.
"It's still going to create twice as many gambling addicts in
the city of Toronto," said Layton, who added he was not allowed
to attend to unveiling of the plan.
"What they want to do is put in banks of addictive slot machines
that are going to draw money out of people's pockets."
Other features include a 10,000-spot underground parking lot, an
enhancement to the Molson Amphitheatre that would create a
Canadian Music Hall of Fame at Ontario Place and 10 restaurants
overlooking Lake Ontario.
The Canadian National Exhibition would be moved closer to the
water, Feldman said.
"We're looking for a way to take the variety of the wonderful
assets that are on Exhibition Place and Ontario Place, and weave
them together into a whole that can help to energize this space
year-round," he said.
Read the original article here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/2Vxqu >
{SOURCE: The Canadian Press/The Spec}
Las Vegas Sun: Escalator at D' LV
features touch of Cirque
{Mar.08.2013}
----------------------------------------------
The newest production of former Cirque du Soleil producer Roger
Parent frames an escalator well at a downtown Las Vegas casino.
Parent, who brought "Mystere" to Treasure Island, designed the
visually striking new entry to the vintage casino on the second
floor of the D Las Vegas.
The upstairs casino offers a variety of older coin slot
machines, video poker and a restored Sigma Derby mechanical
horse racing game. Parent used what he called a "virtual
tapestry technology" with multiple LED screens flashing graphics
for visitors as they travel up and down the escalators.
Ascending to the second floor, people see art of vintage slot
machines and hear retro music. Stepping onto the escalator from
the second floor, people should smile a hidden camera takes
their picture at the top. While descending, they see graphics of
cards, rolling dice and smiling faces, leading down to the
first-floor casino with new slots, table games and dancing
dealers. At the landing, a screen shows the visitors' picture on
the overhead screen.
Parent's other work includes the Centrifuge bar at the MGM Grand
and the Eyecandy Sound Lounge at Mandalay Bay.
The escalator is part of renovations that began last year at the
D. Other recent improvements on the second floor include new
restrooms, Joe Vicari's Andiamo Italian Steakhouse, the D Grill
and a remodeled showroom with two new shows.
Read the original article here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/E6bO1 >
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun}
VIDEO /// "Clown Lab", 4 Part Clown Workshop!
{Mar.08.2013}
----------------------------------------------
From Cirque du Soleil's Casting Facebook page:
Ladies and gentlemen, here's CLOWN LAB; a clown workshop with
artists from Europe, the United States and Quebec organized by
Casting team in Fall 2012.
EPISODE ONE: MEET THE TEAM
LINK /// < http://youtu.be/i04d7m2Vme0 >
EPISODE TWO: GETTING READY
LINK /// < http://youtu.be/hFDR2s2aEIs >
EPISODE THREE: FINE TUNING
LINK /// < http://youtu.be/E7ARV8bbVjQ >
EPISODE FOUR: SHOWTIME
LINK /// < http://youtu.be/JFEGTU3pDio >
{SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil Casting, Youtube}
Another Peek at Pollstar: Top 20 Tours
{Mar.22.2013}
----------------------------------------------
The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office
gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows
in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses.
The list is based on data provided to the trade publication
Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.
TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS
1. (1) George Strait; $1,424,279; $83.61.
2. (New) Cirque du Soleil "Amaluna"; $1,396,697; $81.41.
3. (2) Justin Bieber; $1,085,510; $71.67.
4. (3) Dave Matthews Band; $959,710; $73.36.
5. (5) The Who; $872,490; $94.71.
6. (6) Ricardo Arjona; $840,988; $84.16.
7. (7) Cirque du Soleil "Quidam"; $825,037; $57.59.
8. (9) Trans-Siberian Orchestra; $627,972; $51.82.
9. (8) Muse; $606,166; $56.50.
10. (New) Zac Brown Band; $585,200; $50.53.
11. (10) Carrie Underwood; $500,159; $58.55.
12. (11) Eric Church; $376,712; $46.68.
13. (12) Jeff Dunham; $343,488; $48.87.
14. (14) Robin Williams; $202,858; $93.93.
15. (13) Shinedown / Three Days Grace; $191,805; $38.80.
16. (New) Chris Tomlin; $185,213; $28.35.
17. (15) "Winter Jam" / Tobymac; $150,136; $12.03.
18. (17) Mannheim Steamroller; $138,379; $58.09.
19. (16) Ron White; $137,119; $51.08.
20. (18) 3 Doors Down / Daughtry; $130,133; $43.02.
{Source: Pollstar.com}
Seven Cirque du Soleil Shows Came Together
For Extraordinary Original Performance to
Raise Global Awareness and Funds for Water-
Related Issues
{Mar.25.2013}
----------------------------------------------
For one extraordinary night, and in an unprecedented manner,
seven Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas resident productions became one
for ONE DROP, the non-profit organization established by Cirque
du Soleil Founder Guy Laliberte.
To view the multimedia assets associated with this release,
please click: < http://goo.gl/Q8K7W >
To share the experience around the world, an exclusive broadcast
of the full-scale production is available for online viewing at
ONEDROP.org through March 31, with a donation of $5 or more to
ONE DROP.
ONE DROP partnered with MGM Resorts International and
Lamborghini to present One Night for ONE DROP, a global
philanthropy event to raise funds and awareness to ensure water
is accessible across the globe. The evening featured more than
230 artists from the seven Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil
productions in a once-in-a-lifetime performance World Water Day,
Friday, March 22, 2013, at the "O" Theatre at Bellagio Resort &
Casino.
Celebrities joining the night's blue carpet event and after-
party at the Bellagio pool included Guy Laliberte; Olympic gold
medalist swimmers Michael Phelps and Missy Franklin; Britney
Spears; Shania Twain; Pamela Anderson; Criss Angel; recording
artist/actress Jackie Evancho; Danny Elfman; musician Tom
Higgenson (pop-punk band Plain White T's); actress Hana Mae Lee
(Pitch Perfect); performance painter David Garibaldi; vocal
quartet The Canadian Tenors; supermodel Oluchi Orlandi; Olympic
gold medalist rowers Mary Whipple and Erin Cafaro; Holly
Madison; Coco Austin.
Special guest performers, including platinum-selling recording
artist Jackie Evancho and performance painter David Garibaldi
performed alongside the incredibly talented Cirque du Soleil
artists to celebrate the earth as an artistic creation and
highlight water as the essence of life. Victoria's Secret model
Orluchi Orlandi dazzled the audience in an original gown
designed by Roberto Cavalli specifically for the performance. A
breathtaking dance piece choreographed by Sonya Tayeh from "So
You Think You Can Dance" and an original composition by award-
winning composer Danny Elfman were also featured in the
extraordinary extravaganza created and directed by Krista
Monson.
Guy Laliberte, Founder of Cirque du Soleil and Chair of ONE
DROP, said, "I was deeply touched by the performance. I know the
amount of work and dedication all the performers and employees
put in to touch our hearts and they accomplished this in a
phenomenal manner. I truly wish to thank them for volunteering
their time and talent for ONE DROP and creating the most
unbelievable ripple effect. I am also very humbled by the
generosity of the Las Vegas community and partners. For 20 years
they have made us part of their community and they have now
embraced our dream of water for all today and forever."
Through April 4, there is an online auction with proceeds
benefitting ONE DROP offering once-in-a-lifetime experiences,
art, memorabilia, VIP event packages and more. Auction items
will include a Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster, a watch
from the private collection of Prince Albert II of Monaco, jet-
setting trips around the world, original sculptures by Richard
MacDonald and Rabarama and the couture gown designed by Roberto
Cavalli and worn by Oluchi Orlandi. Items can be viewed and bid
on at charitybuzz.com/ONEDROP.
Like ONE DROP on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @ONEDROP or
#1night1drop
{SOURCE: One Drop; Cirque du Soleil}
MJ One Update!
{Mar.31.2013}
----------------------------------------------
From Vegas Chatter:
Spoiler alert. We going to reveal some seriously secret content
from Cirque du Soleil's soon to arrive Michael Jackson ONE show.
The one at Mandalay Bay. So, look away if you don't want to
discover the songs they've chosen and the impressive look of the
show.
A few weeks ago, we were lucky enough to witness a very small
hint of Michael Jackson ONE during their name unveiling event.
And now, Cirque themselves have given a broader hint at what's
to come. A behind-the-scenes video profiling their Montreal-
based rehearsals features very quick shots of the design
renderings and storyboards used to map out the show. Cirque
maintains this permanent production will not be Michael Jackson:
The Immortal World Tour Mark II. Totally different, they say.
So, if you saw that touring show when it was at Mandalay Bay, do
let us know if this feels similar.
By obsessively starting and stopping the video hosted by Show
Director and Writer Jamie King and Director of Creation Welby
Altidor, we found a whole collection of images and details. As
the camera panned their design room, the "War Room" filled
with conceptual drawings and production notes we pulled out
our pencils and magnifying glasses and went cross-eyed to bring
you these first looks.
Check out the article here!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/IzTzU >
{SOURCE: Vegas Chatter}
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
{Amaluna, Corteo, Koozå, OVO, Totem & Varekai}
o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues
{Alegría, Quidam, Dralion & MJ Immortal}
o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre
{Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE,
Believe, Zarkana & 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:
Calgary, AB -- Apr 10, 2013 to May 19, 2013
Edmonton, AB -- May 29, 2013 to Jun 16, 2013
Denver, CO -- Jul 18, 2013 to Aug 11, 2013
Minneapolis, MN -- Sep 25, 2013 to Oct 20, 2013
San Francisco, CA -- Nov 14, 2013 to Jan 12, 2014
San Jose, CA -- TBA
Corteo:
Sao Paulo, BR -- Mar 30, 2013 to Jul 14, 2013
Brasilia, BR -- Jul 26, 2013 to Sep 9, 2013
Belo Horizonte, BR -- Sep 19, 2013 to Oct 27, 2013
Curitiba, BR -- Nov 8, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013
Rio de Janeiro -- Dec 27, 2013 to Feb 23, 2014
Porto Alegre, BR -- Mar 7, 2014 to Apr 13, 2014
Koozå:
Madrid, ES -- Mar 1, 2013 to Apr 28, 2013
Bilbao, ES -- May 16, 2013 to Jun 2, 2013
Knokke, BE -- Jul 18, 2013 to Aug 18, 2013
Moscow, RU -- Sep 7, 2013 to TBA
Paris, FR -- Nov 23, 2013 to Dec 23, 2013
Ovo:
Perth, AU -- Apr 14, 2012 to May 26, 2013
Taipei, TW -- Nov 19, 2013 to Jan 5, 2014
Totem:
New York, NY -- Mar 14, 2013 to May 12, 2013
Philadelphia, PA -- May 29, 2013 to Jun 30, 2013
Ottawa, ON -- Jul 11, 2013 to Jul 28, 2013
Columbus, OH -- Aug 22, 2013 to Sep 15, 2013
Long Beach, Ca -- Oct 11, 2013 to Nov 10, 2013
Orange County, CA -- Nov 21, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013
Varekai:
Bogota, CO -- Mar 21, 2013 to Apr 7, 2013
San Jose, CR -- May 31, 2013 to Jun 23, 2013
------------------------------------
ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues
------------------------------------
Alegría:
Tallinn, EE -- Apr 3, 2013 to Apr 7, 2013
Riga, LV -- Apr 11, 2013 to Apr 14, 2013
Vilnius, LT -- Apr 18, 2013 to Apr 21, 2013
St. Petersburg, RU -- May 9, 2013 to May 18, 2013
Chelyabinsk, RU -- May 23, 2013 to May 26, 2013
Kazan, RU -- May 29, 2013 to Jun 2, 2013
Moscow, RU -- Jun 5, 2013 to Jun 16, 2013
Kiev, UA -- Jun 20, 2013 to Jul 30, 2013
London, UK -- Jul 18, 2013 to Jul 28, 2013
Gdansk, PO -- Jul 31, 2013 to Aug 04, 2013
Palma de Mallorca, ES -- Aug 22, 2013 to Aug 30, 2013
Bucharest, RO -- Sep 5, 2013 to Sep 8, 2013
Bratislava, SK -- Sep 11, 2013 to Sep 15, 2013
Sofia, BG -- Sep 20, 2013 to Sep 22, 2013
Newcastle, UK -- Oct 17, 2013 to Oct 20, 2013
Leeds, UK -- Oct 23, 2013 to Oct 27, 2013
Liverpool, UK -- Oct 30, 2013 to Nov 3, 2013
Nottingham, UK -- Nov 6, 2013 to Nov 10, 2013
Lille, FR -- Nov 13, 2013 to Nov 17, 2013
Bordeau, FR -- Nov 20, 2013 to Nov 24, 2013
Valencia, ES -- Nov 28, 2013 to Dec 1, 2013
Gijon, ES -- Dec 4, 2013 to Dec 8, 2013
Santander, ES -- Dec 11, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013
Madrid, ES -- Dec 18, 2013 to Dec 22, 2013
Quidam:
Charlottesville, VA -- Apr 3, 2013 to Apr 7, 2013
Norfolk, VA -- Apr 10, 2013 to Apr 14, 2013
Greensboro, NC -- Apr 17, 2013 to Apr 21, 2013
Columbia, SC -- Apr 24, 2013 to Apr 28, 2013
Augusta, GA -- Apr 30, 2013 to May 1, 2013
Macon, GA -- May 3, 2013 to May 5, 2013
Savannah, GA -- May 7, 2013 to May 9, 2013
Columbus, GA -- May 11, 2013 to May 12, 2013
Orlando, FL -- May 15, 2013 to May 19, 2013
Cedar Rapids, IA -- Jun 6, 2013 to Jun 9, 2013
Dayton, OH -- Jun 12, 2013 to Jun 16, 2013
Louisville, KY -- Jun 19, 2013 to Jun 23, 2013
Charlotte, NC -- Jul 3, 2013 to Jul 7, 2013
Raleigh, NC -- Jul 10, 2013 to Jul 14, 2013
Sunrise, FL -- Jul 31, 2013 to Aug 4, 2013
Estero, FL -- Aug 7, 2013 to Aug 11, 2013
Graz, AT -- Sep 5, 2013 to Sep 8, 2013
Vienna, AT -- Sep 11, 2013 to Sep 15, 2013
Leipzig, DE -- Sep 18, 2013 to Sep 22, 2013
Stuttgart, DE -- Sep 25, 2013 to Sep 29, 2013
Innsbruck, AT -- Oct 2, 2013 to Oct 6, 2013
Salzburg, AT -- Oct 9, 2013 to Oct 13, 2013
Munich, DE -- Oct 16, 2013 to Oct 20, 2013
Cologne, DE -- Oct 23, 2013 to Oct 27, 2013
Frankfurt, DE -- Oct 30, 2013 to Nov 3, 2013
Dortmund, DE -- Nov 6, 2013 to Nov 10, 2013
Mannheim, DE -- Nov 13, 2013 to Nov 17, 2013
Malaga, ES -- Dec 5, 2013 to Dec 8, 2013
Zaragoza, ES -- Dec 11, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013
Sevilla, ES -- Dec 18, 2013 to Dec 22, 2013
London, UK -- Jan 4, 2014 to Feb 2, 2014
Dralion:
Caracas, VE -- Apr 25, 2013 to May 12, 2013
Nice, FR -- Jul 18, 2013 to Jul 28, 2013
Beirut, LB -- Oct 10, 2013 to Oct 20, 2013
Rome, IT -- Nov 8, 2013 to Nov 17, 2013
Turin, IT -- Nov 21, 2013 to Nov 24, 2013
Milan, IT -- Nov 28, 2013 to Dec 1, 2013
Geneva, CH -- Dec 4, 2013 to Dec 8, 2013
Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour:
Paris, FR -- Apr 2 to Apr 7, 2013
Lisbon, PT -- Apr 11 to Apr 14, 2013
Barcelona, ES -- Apr 17 to Apr 21, 2013
Saitama, JP -- May 9, 2013 to May 12, 2013
Yokohama, JP -- May 16, 2013 to May 19, 2013
Nagoya, JP -- May 23, 2013 to May 26, 2013
Fukuoka, JP -- May 30, 2013 to Jun 2, 2013
Osaka, JP -- Jun 6, 2013 to Jun 16, 2013
Taipei, TW -- Jun 28, 2013 to Jun 30, 2013
---------------------------------
RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre
---------------------------------
Mystère:
Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday
Two shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm
2013 Dark Dates:
o May 2 - 10
o July 10
o September 5 - 13
o November 6
2013 Added Performances:
o March 29
o May 16
o December 27
"O":
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm
2013 Dark Dates:
o April 10 - 14
o June 9
o August 7 - 11
o October 6
o December 3 - 17
2013 Added Performances:
o March 26
o May 27
o December 24
o December 31
La Nouba:
Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm
2013 Dark Dates:
o May 14-18
o May 21-25
o July 23
o September 17-21
o November 5-6
Zumanity:
Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm
2013 Dark Dates:
o TBA
KÀ:
Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2013 Dark Dates:
o May 26 - June 3
o July 20
o September 22 -30
2013 Added Performances:
o March 31
o December 30
LOVE:
Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2013 Dark Dates:
o April 2-10
o June 6
o August 21-7
o October 10
o December 11-26
2013 Added Performances:
o December 10
BELIEVE:
Location: Luxor, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:00pm
NOTE: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by
an adult. Children under the age of five are not permitted
into the theater.
2013 Dark Dates:
o May 28 - June 1
o September 3 - 7
o November 26 - 30
o December 17 - 24
2013 Added Performances:
o April 3 & 4
o June 3 & 4
o July 10 & 11
o July 17 & 18
o July 24 & 25
o July 31
o August 1
o August 7 & 8
o August 14 & 15
o August 21 & 22
o December 25 & 26
ZARKANA:
Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
Previews begin in Las Vegas November 1, 2012
Regular performance begin November 11, 2012
2013 Dark Dates:
o May 8 - 16
o July 9
o August 21 - September 5
o November 5
2013 Added Performances:
o March 27
o December 26
MICHAEL JACKSON ONE:
Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday
One show nightly: 7:00pm
Previews begin in Las Vegas: May 23, 2013
Gala Premiere: June 21, 2013
Regular Performances Begin: June 22, 2013
2013 Dark Dates:
o TBA
=======================================================================
OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS
=======================================================================
o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub
o) Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube
---------------------------------------
CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub
---------------------------------------
"One King of Pop... two different shows!"
{Mar.04.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Jamie King, director of both Michael Jackson ONE and Michael Jackson
The IMMORTAL World Tour explains how the new permanent show presented
at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas will differ from THE IMMORTAL World Tour,
as both were inspired by the same legend: Michael Jackson.
A different type of show
"THE IMMORTAL World Tour is a rock concert-style Cirque du Soleil
show. Michael Jackson ONE will definitely be more theatrical than THE
IMMORTAL ever was or intended to be", explains Jamie. "In this show,
everything is based on the story and the characters, starting with the
choice of the acts."
A resident show
"Michael Jackson ONE will be a resident show presented in Las Vegas,
as opposed to THE IMMORTAL, which tours major arenas around the world.
A resident show means a permanent installation. As such, many artistic
choices were virtually made for us for example, sound integrated
into the seats to bring Michael's music directly to the spectators'
ears or the immersive set design made up of an imposing proscenium."
Full-length hits
For Jamie, Guy Laliberté and Michael Jackson's Estate, it was clear
that the show should spotlight many of the great hits that made
Michael Jackson into the legend he is today. "We've been working with
Kevin Antunes who also designed the music for THE IMMORTAL to
embellish the sound on the songs, but with arrangements that are more
like the album versions, which are very close to fans' hearts." In
Michael Jackson ONE, all of the key songs chosen will be played nearly
in their entirety.
Read the original post here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/r4YQv >
---------------------------------------------------
NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter
---------------------------------------------------
{Compiled by Keith Johnson}
---[ ALEGRIA ]---
{Mar.01}
Alegria is saying 'au revoir' to one of the staff members
who has been with the show for over 3 years. Good luck
Genevieve!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Al5fe >
{Mar.06}
Our drummer is testing out his brand new drum set and
tweaking it for tonight's opening performance in Stockholm!
Will you be watching?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/7lnAI >
{Mar.14}
Bruno Darmagnac, Artistic Director, teaches Ruta how to walk
like the Old Bird characters!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/53uEC >
{Mar.14}
Alegria transforms "Nuoiki" host, Ruta Mikolaityte, into
an Old Nostalgic Bird!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/DLHbL >
{Mar.17}
Last night, Alegria's Russian Bar team executed 3 simul-
taneous triple back-tucks flawlessly - never before done
in the history of the show! Congrats team!!!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/UvUOG >
{Mar.19}
Here is one of our Wardrobe road cases! This road case alone
contains around 3000 accessories for all the costumes,
including feathers, buttons, latex noses (for our musicians)
and more!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/A0uw0 >
{Mar.23}
Trivia time! Can anyone guess what we use to create the wigs
of the Angels and Singers in our show?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/PmmnC >
---[ AMALUNA ]---
{Mar.01}
Meet Miranda - Prospera's Daughter and a girl on the brink
of womanhood. She is a romantic, full of fun, enthusiasm,
dreams and mischief, who revels in the world of Amaluna!
Romeo is the first boy she has ever seen and after first
glance . . the story of their journey begins.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/AUYSd >
{Mar.06}
While here in Seattle 2 fabulous members of Amaluna
organized a photo scavenger hunt. We had a blast and it
was a great way to get to know Seattle better! Maybe you
saw us around the city? Keep an eye out Calgary, Edmonton
and Denver we are coming to your streets soon :)
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/a9DSc >
{Mar.12}
BEHIND THE SCENES: Our Head of Props, Michael Knight is doing
some work on our Football babies. Upkeep on these kids is
around 3 -4 hours a week - which includes paint touch up and
a little "Mustache Love".
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/fLLSP >
{Mar.14}
Cerceau training this morning here in Seattle. No filter!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/gxcus >
{Mar.15}
Here is another Behind the Scenes glance at the filming of
our new TV commercials. Stay tuned we will have a first look
at the TV spot right here in the upcoming weeks. Act:
Unicycle Photo Credit: Jim Shumway
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/xL8dz >
{Mar.16}
See how our Amazons transitioned from a life of competitive
gymnasticsto performing for thousands of people under the Big
Top. We want to represent women, not women that stay between
the lines. We splurge, we eat, we are strong, sexy and fierce."
- Summer Hubbard, Amazon (Vancouver Sun Nov 11, 2012).
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Ua1LW >
{Mar.19}
FIRST LOOK: Here is Amaluna's newest TV commercial. Which acts
can you spot?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Jxzxw >
{Mar.27}
Meet our Tight Wire Dancers: Representing lost lovers in
Purgatory. Working simultaneously on four wires they encounter
each other, dance a tango, bounce into the air like
trampolinists and even walk the wire in high heels and en
pointe in ballet shoes. Also, if you look closely - you'll
see they represent our Amaluna peacocks throughout the show.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/QULwf >
---[ CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ]---
{Mar.01}
Jamie King, director of both Michael Jackson ONE and Michael
Jackson The IMMORTAL World Tour explains how the show
presented at Mandalay Bay, in Las Vegas, from May 23, will
differ from THE IMMORTAL World Tour.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/wY5Y0 >
{Mar.05}
Preparing for One Night for ONE DROP (13 photos) |Individual
seats are available for our March 22, 2013 One Night for
ONE DROP Global Philanthropy Event at Bellagio Las Vegas
benefiting One Drop. Find more details here:
LINK /// < http://cirk.me/15dGi6m >
{Mar.07}
Carry on the IRIS journey! For a limited time, enjoy up to
70% off on selected IRIS items. Receive a free souvenir
program with the purchase of $25 or more from the IRIS
collection.
LINK /// < http://cirk.me/Z2LT9s >
{Mar.08}
We're getting all packed up and ready to leave for SXSW! Don't
miss us at #EVOKE13 on March, 12th at ACL Live! Read more about
the event, featuring a performance from us, an experience with
The Nerdist, live music from Divine Fits, and more here:
LINK /// < http://cirk.me/WaNxsm >
{Mar.14}
To celebrate the release of Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away on
Blu-ray & DVD, Guylian Belgian Chocolates and Twinings Tea
are giving away a trip for two to Las Vegas to see a live
Cirque du Soleil performance! Enter today for your chance
to win:
LINK /// < http://cirk.me/GuylianWorldsAway >
{Mar.16}
12th Annual Run Away with Cirque du Soleil (12 photos)
Run Away with Cirque du Soleil kicks off a week of fundraising
and awareness activities benefiting One Drop, culminating with
the global philanthropic event One Night for ONE DROP on
Friday, March 22.
LINK /// < http://cirk.me/143tT6j >
LINK /// < http://cirk.me/Yzfbff >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Wk5pu >
{Mar.22}
ONE DROP: Walk for Water - One Night for ONE DROP (10 photos)
60 volunteers walked 22 miles with 2 gallons of water across
Las Vegas for One Drop's Walk for Water, leading up to World
Water Day and One Night for ONE DROP. The walk concluded at
Bellagio Las Vegas where our founder Guy Laliberté, and
artists awaited the volunteers.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/glBaf >
{Mar.23}
One Night for ONE DROP Performance & Blue Carpet (25 photos)
Purchase an online viewing pass of One Drop's One Night for
ONE DROP one-time only performance, imagined by Cirque du
Soleil with a $5 donation, available 3/25:
LINK /// < http://cirk.me/Yzfbff >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/PQkq3 >
{Mar.28}
General tickets are now on sale for opening weekend (April
26th) of The Light Vegas turned on by Cirque du Soleil at
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
LINK /// < http://bit.ly/Zrpy54 >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Xd8hl >
---[ DRALION ]---
{Mar.13}
Character presentation: meet Yao. Yao commands the rhythm of
the show. He sees life in vivid red.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/UMKBh >
{Mar.16}
Zip Zap Circus School visited the cast of Dralion yesterday
to take part in various workshops. As you can see everyone
had a lot of fun!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/SCFSJ >
{Mar.17}
Artists are getting ready for our last 2 shows at the
GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World in Cape Town, SA.
Then, Dralion is heading to Johannesburg where the show
will open on March 21st.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/HhZxW >
{Mar.25}
In our character presentation: Meet Azala (Goddess of Air).
She is is the guardian of the sun and immortality, floating
above timeless space in hues of blue. Photo by Daniel
Desmarais & Costumes by François Barbeau
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/kJO7b >
{Mar.28}
Have you seen this great review from The Citizen in
Johannesburg, ZA. If you didn't see Dralion at The Coca-Cola
Dome yet, you still have a chance with 5 shows to go!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ZqSU7 >
{Mar.30}
For the 3rd consecutive year, we celebrated Easter this
morning with our traditional Egg hunt! The cast and crew
ran across the Arena to catch sweet goodies! Happy Easter!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/o783H >
---[ KÀ ]---
{Mar.18}
KÀ performed during halftime at the 2013 Pac-12 Men's
Basketball Tournament Championship this weekend!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Y6AYN >
---[ KOOZA ]---
{Mar.04}
Amazing review in EL PAIS Spain.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/nc6oq >
{Mar.08}
Have you seen Kooza's Hand To Hand act?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/PTpSg >
{Mar.13}
Kooza performed this morning in Madrid's metro!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/51K0O >
{Mar.15}
Watch this awesome video to see what life on the road is
like for our KOOZA team!
LINK /// < http://cirk.me/ZaLww7 >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/DEKw7 >
{Mar.19}
Kooza - Desigual Fun Day - Madrid March, 18 2013 (19 photos)
Yesterday Kooza's artists took over the Desigual store in
Madrid for a Fun Day! Lots of people were there to meet our
performers! We all had a fantastic time!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/tGRzG >
{Mar.21}
Take a look at this video about an event we did in Madrid
earlier this week at the Desigual store.
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNavC32Ft9c >
---[ LA NOUBA ]---
{Mar.20}
Do you know which character wears these shoes in La Nouba?
(Answer: The Green Bird)
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/oBm79 >
{Mar.22}
La Nouba was featured on the cover, and in the fashion spread
of Orlando Life Magazine!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/9ZFF4 >
---[ MJ IMMORTAL ]---
{Mar.06}
Meet the team behind the scenes! LED Technician, Nate,
sits in his "office" getting the Billie Jean suits ready
for the show!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/V49ZX >
{Mar.09}
Check out IMMORTAL artists, Jean Sok (Dancer) and Mansour
Abdessadok (Mime), enjoying the sunshine on a beautiful day
off in Amsterdam! Photo credit: Vincent Deplanche (Acrobat)
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Xh1qj >
{Mar.12}
Meet the characters of IMMORTAL... SOLDIERS with LED
breastplates line up to perform a powerful choreography
in unison to "They Don't Care About Us."
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/scZca >
{Mar.13}
IMMORTAL dancers strike a pose today at a press conference
in Istanbul. Don't miss them - 5 shows this weekend, kicking
off on Friday!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/JTBQ3 >
{Mar.15}
Every night during intermission, the Fanatics are out in
the arena cheering on the crowd and teaching some moves.
Look for them tonight at Ülker Sports Arena for our Premiere
in Istanbul! Or catch them on Saturday and Sunday!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/BGYLD >
{Mar.18}
"I think this show reminds us that anything is possible. It
inspires people to be better and do things they never thought
they could do," says Artistic Director Tara Young to the
Manchester Evening News.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Dod2N >
{Mar.26}
IMMORTAL's only British artist (Acrobat, Harvey Donnelly)
gets ready for our return to the UK tonight in Birmingham
at National Indoor Arena! Then it's off Manchester for a
show on Friday and Saturday at M.E.N Arena Manchester.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Az5gM >
{Mar.30}
Paris is up next! BFM-TV got a look behind the scenes in
anticipation of our 8 shows next week at Paris Bercy.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/r71bW >
---[ MJ ONE ]---
{Mar.01}
Jamie King, director of both Michael Jackson ONE and Michael
Jackson The IMMORTAL World Tour explains how the show
presented at Mandalay Bay, in Las Vegas, from May 23, will
differ from THE IMMORTAL World Tour.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/9Tj3U >
{Mar.06}
Meet Welby Altidor, Director of Creation, and Jamie King,
Stage Director of Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil.
Follow them from the show's creation room to the costume
workshop and the rehearsal studio at Cirque du Soleil
International Headquarters in Montreal.
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loNCygemL7g >
{Mar.21}
Here's a closer look at the MJ Warriors costume! Can you
guess what inspired this costume?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/on8qD >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/6NIQB >
---[ MYSTERE ]---
{Mar.20}
Check out Mystère's violinist, Martin St-Pierre playing the
national anthem at the Las Vegas Wranglers Professional
Hockey game!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/IPaa0 >
{Mar.30}
Check out some of our artists egging on the crowd today at
"Hop and Shop," here in Vegas!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/rbBoq >
---[ OVO ]---
{Mar.13}
Here is a very cool report about OVO on Channel 9.
LINK /// < http://www.visitvictoria.com/postcards >
{Mar.14}
Don't miss the special performance of OVO and the
Australian Grand Prix. This unique performance will be
broadcasted Saturday morning, around 8:50 am (Melbourne
time) on Channel 10. Don't miss it!!!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/0MwmV >
{Mar.15}
Last rehearsal before the exclusive Grand Prix performance.
It will be broadcasted live on channel 10, this morning
around 8:50am. Don't miss it!!!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ZJtvb >
{Mar.19}
G'day Perth! Only 3 weeks before we open at Langley Park.
Lonely Ladybug Flies In (Article).
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/QJlRO >
---[ QUIDAM ]---
{Mar.03}
Roby aka Sideshow from our Rigging Team with Thomas
Production Manager - 5 years with Cirque.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/kRjBO >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/I8fBg >
{Mar.03}
Simon aka Foxy from our Lighting Team with Thomas,
Production Manager - 5 years with Cirque.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/pwXbz >
---[ THE BEATLES LOVE ]---
{Mar.27}
Check out our new The Beatles LOVE bus, currently roaming the
streets of Vegas! (We'll let you make the "ticket to ride"
jokes on your own!)
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/aToxw >
---[ TOTEM ]---
{Mar.07}
Congratulations to our aerialist Alevtyna (Alya) Titarenko won
the title of the Overall Fitness Amateur Champion at Arnold
Schwarzenegger Classic in Columbus, OH last week-end! When
not performing on TOTEM stage, Alya trains hard to get ready
for various fitness competitions; a true inspiration!!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/aDzRY >
{Mar.11}
Picture of Chef Sally Yu taken last Friday in New York before
the snow all melted! The 4 chefs of TOTEM cook 250 meals a
day even during the set-up period in various conditions!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/HY1Hi >
{Mar.14}
TOTEM opens tonight at Citi Field in NYC! Did you miss our
first national appearance yesterday on The Wendy Williams
Show? Watch Denise and Massimo perform a preview of their
Roller Skating Act!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/iVaU7 >
{Mar.16}
Broadway.com published a Thumbs Up review of TOTEM!! We are
thrilled to be performing in NYC!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ttSKA >
{Mar.21}
Watch our clown Pippo Crotti and our hand-to-hand duet Alya
Titarenko and Gael Ouisse perform at 10am ET tomorrow on The
Today Show on NBC!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/aHv5A >
{Mar.23}
Have you missed our performance on the Today Show with Kathie
Lee and Hoda? We presented a portion of our act in rotation
called Hand-to-Hand! Have you seen this act perform on our
stage yet?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/mg3lN >
{Mar.27}
Have you seen TOTEM in NYC yet? The New York Times loved
the show! Read their full review here!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/NR4CU >
{Mar.28}
Learn more about the concept of TOTEM and how it is link
to the theme of evolution with the mastermind behind the
production, director Robert Lepage!
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX0Q3ciFxcI >
{Mar.29}
Glimpse of the atmosphere backstage before the show!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/tmxB1 >
{Mar.30}
Hoop Dancers Eric and Shandien rehearse before going on
stage in the next few minutes!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/G80zL >
{Mar.31}
Happy Easter from the cast & crew of TOTEM! Our fan Jim Ryan
sent us 120 roses, one for each of us! Thank you so much!!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/k8myH >
---[ ZARKANA ]---
{Mar.15}
Check out our new 3D Zarkana by Cirque du Soleil billboard
featuring a rotating Jovian! If you're coming to Las Vegas
you can see it by the McCarran International Airport.
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGHDsujX2LE >
=======================================================================
COMPARTMENTS -- A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN
=======================================================================
o) HISTORIA - Cirque Company History
o) ODYSSEA - Cirque Tour History
------------------------------------
HISTORIA: Cirque Company History
------------------------------------
* Apr.01.2003 -- "Varekai: Cirque du Soleil" Book Published
* Apr.02.2002 -- Name of "Cirque 2002" Announced - Varekai
* Apr.02.2003 -- BRAVO announced Cirque Variety Series ("Solstrom")
* Apr.04.2006 -- M.A.C. became Official Cosmetic Supplier
* Apr.04.2006 -- Cirque inked 3-year TV deal in UK
* Apr.05.2005 -- Name of "Cirque 2005" Announced - Corteo
* Apr.06.2006 -- «O» selected "Favorite Production Show" by "What's
On, The Las Vegas Guide"
* Apr.06.2006 -- Cirque outsourced IT Department to CGI Group
* Apr.07.2009 - Name of "Cirque2009" Announced "OVO"
* Apr.08.2010 - Name of "Cirque2010" Announced "TOTEM"
* Apr.10.2007 -- Cirque announced Saltimbanco Arena Tour
* Apr.11.2006 -- "The Spark" Book Published
* Apr.11.2007 -- Name of "Cirque 2007" Announced - Koozå
* Apr.15.2008 -- APM Music Launches New Film Trailer
Library with Cirque du Soleil Composers
* Apr.16.2003 -- SOLSTROM began filming in Montréal
* Apr.17.2008 - Name of "Cirque Luxor" Announced
"Criss Angel: BELIEVE"
* Apr.18.2006 -- Ground is broken on Tokyo Permanent Production
* Apr.18.2009 - «O» Celebrated 5,000th Performance [7:30pm]
* Apr.19.2006 -- Cirque announced "LOVE" at The Mirage
* Apr.19.2007 -- Koozå Premired in Montréal
* Apr.20.2008 - DELIRIUM's final curtain call [London, UK]
* Apr.20.2008 - Quidam opened Lisbon, Portugal
* Apr.21.1994 -- Alegría premiered in Montréal
* Apr.21.2005 -- Corteo premiered in Montréal
* Apr.22.1999 -- Dralion premiered in Montréal
* Apr.22.2003 -- Cirque announced "Zumanity" at NY-NY
* Apr.23.1992 -- Saltimbanco Premiered in Montréal
* Apr.23.1996 -- Quidam premiered in Montréal
* Apr.23.2005 -- La Nouba celebrated 3000th performance
[Saturday, 9:00pm]
* Apr.23.2009 - OVO premiered in Montréal
* Apr.24.2002 -- Varekai premiered in Montréal
* Apr.24.2007 -- Name of "WinterTale" Released Wintuk
* Apr.24.2009 - After 15 years, Alegría's Big Top Tour Ends
* Apr.26.2008 -- Artisans de I'maginarie: The World of Cirque du
Soleil is staged in Omotesando Hills, Tokyo
* Apr.27.2000 -- Mystère celebrated 3000th Performance
[Thursday, 10:30pm]
* Apr.29.2009 - Cirque announces new shows in NYC
* Apr.29.2010 - Banana Shpeel opened New York City
* Apr.30.1999 -- Alegría: Le Film premiered in Québec
* Apr.30.2003 -- Alegría celebrated 3000th Performance [8:00pm/Austin]
------------------------------------
ODYSSEA: Cirque Tour History
------------------------------------
* Apr.01.2008 -- Koozå opened Hartford
* Apr.01.2010 -- Varekai opened Munich, DE
* Apr.02.1998 -- Alegría opened Barcelona, ES
* Apr.02.2008 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Omaha, NE
* Apr.02.2011 -- Corteo opened Madrid, ES
* Apr.03.1996 -- Saltimbanco opened Amsterdam, NL
* Apr.03.2013 -- Alegría Arena opened Tallinn, EE
* Apr.04.2001 -- Dralion opened New York, NY
* Apr.04.2012 -- Alegría Arena opened Manchester, UK
* Apr.04.2012 -- Dralion Arena opened Cleveland, OH
* Apr.04.2012 -- Quidam Arena opened Knoxville, TN
* Apr.05.2001 -- Quidam opened Antwerp, BE
* Apr.05.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Fargo, ND
* Apr.05.2012 -- Ovo opened Portland, OR
* Apr.06.2000 -- Dralion opened San Jose, CA
* Apr.06.2011 -- Quidam Arena opened San Francisco, CA
* Apr.06.2011 -- Varekai opened Seoul, KR
* Apr.06.2012 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Casablanca, MA
* Apr.07.2005 -- Saltimbanco opened Paris,FR
* Apr.07.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Cleveland, OH
* Apr.07.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Bremen, DE
* Apr.07.2011 -- Alegría Arena opened Atlantic City, NJ
* Apr.07.2011 -- Totem opened Baltimore, MD
* Apr.08.1988 -- Cirque Réinventé opened San Francisco, CA
* Apr.08.1998 -- Quidam opened New York, NY
* Apr.09.2005 -- Varekai opened Pittsburg
* Apr.09.2009 -- Quidam opened Sheffield, UK
* Apr.09.2010 -- Koozå opened Portland, OR
* Apr.09.2010 -- Ovo opened New York, NY
* Apr.09.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Sioux City, IA
* Apr.10.2008 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Des Moines, IA
* Apr.10.2009 -- Dralion opened Melbourne, AU
* Apr.11.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened New York
* Apr.11.2003 -- Dralion opened Baltimore, MD
* Apr.11.2012 -- Alegría Arena opened Glasgow, UK
* Apr.11.2013 -- Alegría Arena opened Riga, LV
* Apr.13.1989 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Miami,FL
* Apr.13.2011 -- Alegría Arena opened Greensboro, NC
* Apr.13.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Council Bluffs, IA
* Apr.14.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Valencia, ES
* Apr.14.2013 -- Ovo opened Perth, AU
* Apr.15.2008 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Moline, IL
* Apr.16.1997 -- Quidam opened Santa Monica, CA
* Apr.16.2009 -- Koozå opened New York
* Apr.16.2009 -- Quidam opened Glasgow, SC
* Apr.18.2002 -- Dralion opened San Diego, CA
* Apr.18.2003 -- Saltimbanco opened Geneva, CH
* Apr.18.2012 -- Alegría Arena opened Birmingham, UK
* Apr.18.2013 -- Alegría Arena opened Vilnius, LT
* Apr.19.2007 -- Koozå opened Montréal
* Apr.19.2007 -- Varekai opened Melbourne
* Apr.19.2008 -- Quidam opened Lisbon, PT
* Apr.19.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Moline, IL
* Apr.20.2001 -- Saltimbanco opened Nagoya, JP
* Apr.20.2005 -- Alegría opened Nagoya
* Apr.20.2011 -- Alegría Arena opened Biloxi, MS
* Apr.20.2011 -- Quidam Arena opened Long Beach, CA
* Apr.21.1994 -- Alegría opened Montréal, QC
* Apr.21.2005 -- Corteo opened Montréal
* Apr.21.2010 -- Corteo opened Sendai
* Apr.21.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Santiago, ES
* Apr.21.2011 -- Ovo opened Cincinnati, OH
* Apr.21.2011 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Perth, AU
* Apr.22.1999 -- Dralion opened Montréal, QC
* Apr.22.2010 -- Quidam opened Porto Alegre, BR
* Apr.22.2010 -- Totem opened Montreal, QC
* Apr.22.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Peoria, IL
* Apr.23.1992 -- Saltimbanco opened Montréal, QC
* Apr.23.1996 -- Quidam opened Montréal, QC
* Apr.23.2008 -- Dralion opened Fukuoka, JP
* Apr.23.2008 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Cedar Rapids, IA
* Apr.23.2009 -- Ovo opened Montreal, QC
* Apr.24.2002 -- Varekai opened Montréal
* Apr.24.2003 -- Alegría opened Austin
* Apr.24.2003 -- Varekai opened New York City
* Apr.24.2008 -- Corteo opened Seattle
* Apr.25.2012 -- Alegría Arena opened Dublin, IE
* Apr.25.2012 -- Totem opened San Diego, CA
* Apr.26.2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Barcelona, ES
* Apr.26.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Madison, WI
* Apr.26.2012 -- Dralion Arena opened Hamilton, ON
* Apr.26.2012 -- Quidam Arena opened Evansville, IN
* Apr.27.2006 -- Alegría opened Rome
* Apr.27.2006 -- Corteo opened New York
* Apr.27.2011 -- Alegría Arena opened Southavern, MS
* Apr.27.2011 -- Quidam Arena opened Ontario, CA
* Apr.28.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened San Sebastian, ES
* Apr.29.2004 -- Saltimbanco opened Milan, IT
* Apr.29.2004 -- Varekai opened Phoenix
* Apr.29.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Lakeland, FL
* Apr.29.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Highland Heights, KY
* Apr.29.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Green Bay, WI
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
o) "... To The Small Screen - Worlds Away Comes Home"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) "Amaluna in Seattle: Remembrences of a fun,
long February Weekend"
By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA)
o) "Amaluna Evolution (Devolution) on tour -
Details of my disappointment with the viewing
of Amaluna in Seattle"
By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
"... To The Small Screen - Worlds Away Comes Home"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
Never had a chance to experience a Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil
performance live?
In December 2012, Academy Award-nominated director Andrew Adamson
("Shrek", "Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the
Wardrobe") and visionary filmmaker James Cameron ("Titanic", "Avatar")
offered moviegoers the next best thing: "Worlds Away 3D" a cinematic
journey like never before. But "Worlds Away" is not a film in the
traditional sense, nor is it a concert-style presentation in the vein
of past Cirque du Soleil video releases.
As the third theatrically-released offering from Cirque ("Alegria Le
Film" and "Journey of Man" were released to theaters in 1999 and 2000
respectively), "Worlds Away" offers a cost-effective way of taking in
the best of Cirque's offerings in Las Vegas, albeit one that opens
with an ostensible narrative: "Two young people journey through the
astonishing and dreamlike worlds of Cirque du Soleil to find each
other as audiences experience the immersive 3D technology that allows
them to leap, soar, swim and dance with the performers."
And now that adventure comes to the small screen in 3D Blu-Ray, 2D
Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital downloadable formats.
FROM THE BIG TOP TO THE BIG SCREEN A RECAP
--------------------------------------------
Starring Cirque du Soleil strap aerialists Igor Zaripov (as "The
Aerialist") and former artist Erica Kathleen Linz ("Mia") as a young
couple who meet thanks to extraordinary circumstances, the film opens
with Mia visiting a traveling carnival/circus ("Circus Marvelous"),
complete with the bearded lady, sword swallower, and obnoxious barker
that such a setting would imply. As Mia makes her way along the
carnival grounds, numerous flyers (and the aforementioned obnoxious
barker) invite her to take in a performance of the trapeze artist
(Zaripov) whose nom de guerre, "the Aerialist," proves irresistible to
the young lady.
True enough, from the moment the Aerialist launches into his routine,
Mia is captivated. But when their eyes meet he slips and falls,
dropping right through the circus ring into another world. The show
then takes a turn for the supernatural, as Mia, the Aerialist, and, by
extension, us, embark on a trip through the fantastical worlds implied
by the film's title. "They spend the rest of the film looking for each
other in these worlds that exist in a limbo state," Adamson said of
the film's plot. "It's a state that is kind of a space between life
and death; a world between worlds." Ultimately they come together in a
dream-fulfilling aerial ballet.
Like the live shows, the film eschews dialogue, using only music and
the marvelous expressions of the performers to move the narrative
forward. Unique in scope, this immersive experience melds acts from
the seven then-current live Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas
"O", KÀ, Mystère, Viva ELVIS, CRISS ANGEL Believe, Zumanity and The
Beatles LOVE -- into a circus love story.
When Adamson chose acts from the seven live Cirque du Soleil shows to
use in the film, he picked those that would lend themselves to the
storyline of Mia searching for the Aerialist from tent to tent. Each
time she peels back the curtain and steps inside, another Cirque du
Soleil world opens to her. These worlds are:
"O" -- "Water represents both life and the unconscious, the dream
state and illusion because of its reflection," says Pierre Parisien,
Cirque du Soleil senior artistic director. "It's sort of the unseen
realm of spirits, of ghosts, and the flying boat is like The Flying
Dutchman. They are trying to lure Mia aboard but she won't go." It is
the first tent Mia visits after she falls into an alternate desert
wasteland populated by six big tops, "six kinds of limbos," says
Linz.[FASCINATION NOTE: You'll see Synchronized Swimming, Duo Trapeze,
Bateau, Fire, Contortion and Aerial Hoops from "O"].
KÀ -- To Adamson KÀ was about spectacle, with a stage a quarter of the
size of a football field that lifts vertically, spins around and
changes. "What I wanted to capture wasn't just the act and the
performers but the ingenuity. Part of what Cirque du Soleil does so
well is combine art and technology and presents you with this
completely different imagery you've never seen before." [NOTE: Wheel
of Death, The Final Battle, Pursuit, and the Flying Bird from KA are
shown here. The film also ends here as the two main characters perform
an aerial ballet in the Forest scene.]
MYSTÈRE -- "Mystère is highly acrobatic, the most acrobatic show we
have," says James Hadley, Cirque du Soleil's senior artistic director
for resident shows in North America. It is also the longest running
Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas. Hanging from a cube in mid-air, an
aerialist performs a ballet with seemingly effortless maneuvers,
foreshadowing what is to come for the star-crossed lovers. [NOTE: Only
the Aerial Cube is shown, much to our dismay.]
VIVA ELVIS -- In the film, a mysterious self-propelled tricycle leads
Mia to the Viva ELVIS tent, where performers dressed as super heroes
fly off trampolines to the music of Elvis. [NOTE: Only the Trampoline
- Got a Lot of Livin'/Lovin' To Do - number is shown.]
CRISS ANGEL BELIEVE -- Mia travels through six Cirque du Soleil tents
that occupy a limbo state between life and death in search of love
lost. The seventh element is not a tent but Cirque du Soleil's very
own peculiar White Rabbit, a dancing disembodied bunny head from CRISS
ANGEL Believe, who makes a timely appearance, beckoning her to follow.
[NOTE: And thankfully this is the ONLY appearance of anything related
to BELIEVE in the film.]
ZUMANITY -- "The act that we're using from Zumanity is very small and
contained, but it fits thematically well where we've placed it," says
Adamson. What first appears to be water on the moon transforms into a
water-filled glass container from which a seductive contortionist
entices the Aerialist to join her. [NOTE: Only the waterbowl act was
performed for the film to "Nostalgie" from "O".]
THE BEATLES LOVE -- The act built around the song Being for the
Benefit of Mr. Kite is "a circus-based theme," says Adamson, "so it
tied us back into the beginning of our opening circus." Hadley adds,
"Actually Mr. Kite, of all the acts that we filmed, probably has the
biggest number of artists in one act." [NOTE: A number of scenes from
LOVE appear, such as Blackbird, Octopus' Garden, Lucy in the Sky with
Diamonds, For the Benefit of Mr. Kite, Get Back/Glass Onion, and While
my Guitar Gently Weeps.]
And they were marvelously showcased to us on the big screen. How well
to they fair on a smaller screen?
THE HOME VERSIONS A REVIEW
----------------------------
"Far more than circuses featuring impressive acrobatics, Cirque du
Soleil's live and filmed shows are powerful presentations that
seamlessly combine daring acrobatic feats, intense artistry, and
simple, yet emotionally rich stories. Worlds Away is a stunning
compilation of those acts, which are woven together by a poignantly
romantic story of a young woman who falls into an ethereal world
searching for a man she's only glimpsed, but is destined to love. The
film showcases everything from synchronized water ballet to martial
arts-inspired combat, aerial silk acrobatics, contortionism, and the
frightening Wheel of Death. Each impeccably choreographed presentation
is absolutely breathtaking in its beauty and its seeming defiance of
the laws of the human body's capabilities. Viewers will leave the film
feeling awed, uplifted, and completely inspired."
That's how Amazon describes Cirque du Soleil's Worlds Away; on March
12, 2013 the film was released for home consumption in three different
flavors:
o) 1-DISC: Standard DVD Format | $29.99 USD
UPC: 0-97361-70044-1; Catalog #: 17004
Includes: Just the film.
o) 2-DISC SET: Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Copy | $39.99 USD
UPC: 0-97361-70054-0; Catalog #:17005
Includes: The Film in 2D & 3 Special Features
o) 3 DISC COMBO: Blu-Ray 3D/2D, DVD, and Digital | $54.99 USD
UPC: 0-97361-70064-9; Catalog #: 17006
Includes: The Film in 2D & 3D and 3 Special Features
Since I'm not privileged to have a 3D television, I opted for the 2-
Disc Blu-Ray/DVD Combo set (ISBN: 1-4157-6971-0) and reviewed the film
and its special features in Blu-Ray.
The non-3D version of the film comes in a two-disc set (one Blu-Ray,
one DVD), packed in a standard-width, dual-hubbed Blu-Ray case (with
promotional inserts and a code to activate the "Ultraviolet" digital
copy of the film "in the cloud"), inside a slipcover that repeats the
cover art. Besides the discs and the aforementioned inserts, there's
nothing else of value to find (except a coupon for a small percentage
off Cirque's Las Vegas repertoire good until December 31, 2013). Audio
options include English 5.1 DTS HD Master (which has to be heard to be
believed), French / Spanish / Portuguese in 5.1 Dolby Digital, and
English Audio Description (a descriptive narration of the film as the
events unfold for those unable to see), while subtitles are available
in English, English SDH (for the deaf and hard-of-hearing), French,
Spanish and Portuguese.
The 1080p AVC-encoded transfer is simply gorgeous, with strong and
dark blacks and vivid colors throughout (highly required to capture
the lighting essence of Cirque's tableaux). Nothing stands out in
terms of digital distractions (aliasing, or otherwise), as the image
remained crisp and clean throughout playback. The only caveat is that
the film's scenes are not as engaging in two dimensions! (Or on the
small screen.)
The special features weren't all that special, or engaging, either.
For the Blu-Ray releases there are a total of three special features
awaiting your discovery (there are none with the DVDs): 1) "The Making
of Worlds Away", 2) "A Day in the Life with Erica Linz" and 3) "Cirque
in Vegas".
In "The Making of Worlds Away" (2:26), the film's creators ask, "What
if you had the chance to leave the ordinary and enter the
extraordinary? What would you discover? Who would you find?" Although
the filmmakers wished for us to find love and adventure, ultimately
there's little to discover in this special feature. It's more of a
promo of the film than a behind-the-scenes peek into the film's
creation. However, Executive producer James Cameron and Director
Andrew Adamson talk briefly about the production ("I have been trying
to talk to the Cirque people for three years. Why aren't we doing your
shows in 3D? James Cameron) and you get to see some of the
technology that went into producing the film in its eye-popping three
dimensions, but at just 2 minutes and 26 seconds you just don't get to
find out a great deal about the movie. Where were all those Trailer
Addict Features and the great B-Roll footage and interviews with Erica
Linz, Andrew Adamson and James Cameron? Where's that "Inside Look"
featurette and all the other behind-the-scenes clips posted to YouTube
and Facebook? All of these should have been right here!
Interestingly enough, Mystère, which was largely missing from the
final product (much to many a fan's dismay), gets its musical due here
in this small promo - at least three musical tracks from the show
accompany the action on screen: "High Bar", "Rondo/Double Face" and
"Gambade." Was this to appease the Mystère gods or we grumbling fans?
The second featurette "A Day in the Life with Erica Linz" (13:23)
fares much better and is far more interesting than it at first seems.
Here we're shown a rehearsal and creative development of an act
"worthy of Cirque du Soleil," with Linz and a few of her troupe-mates:
Pierre-Luc Sylvain (Aerial Strap partner with Erica in KÀ for 6
years), Kyle Deschamps (with whom Erica worked on floor exercises in
LA), and Cheetah Platt (actor, aerialist, acrobat and instructor).
Although it is an intriguing peek into the creation of such an act,
we're also taken through a brief personal history of the film's main
star: Erica Linz.
Like many young girls in the era in which she grew up, Erica idolized
Mary-Lou Retton (An American gymnast and Olympic gold medalist, she
was the first female gymnast from outside Eastern Europe to win the
Olympic gold medal in the Gymnastic Individual All-around competition)
and Nadia Comaneci (A Romanian gymnast, winner of three Olympic gold
medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the first female
gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic
event. She is also the winner of two gold medals at the 1980 Summer
Olympics in Moscow), which led her to try her hand at gymnastics. But
"competition didn't float my boat"; she'd rather work the floor where
she could be more expressive, and in her words "silly." She began
singing; that and gymnastics lead to the theatre, where she took on
small roles in operas and Shakespeare plays as early as eleven years
old. Later Erica discovered the circus arts, and following high school
graduation, flew to Las Vegas to meet with Cirque du Soleil. Her
audition was successful: she performed in Mystère for three years
(From November 2001 through December 2004 as the Bébébé character, the
female baby) before transferring to KÀ in 2005 (playing a character
and performing Aerial Straps).
The act the foursome is rehearsing appears to be a combination of
Acrobatic Dance (as seen first in Varekai then later Corteo), Banquine
(but only slightly, as some of the catching and throwing moves are
performed here), and Aerial Straps. It would have been nice to see the
final performance in order to compare it to the rehearsal, but this
certainly gives you some appreciation for what goes into creating an
act, and the physical talents of the performers preparing it. Will we
see this in a future Cirque du Soleil show? Who knows!
The third featurette "Cirque in Las Vegas" is nothing more than a
sixty-second commercial for Cirque du Soleil's shows in Las Vegas. The
video showcases clips of each of the shows, wrapping them around the
Cirque's "Today I Am
=" advertisement campaign whereby "Whimsical" is
Mystère, "Aquatic" is «O», "Playful" is Zumanity, "Epic" is KA,
"Groovy" is The Beatles LOVE, "Mysterious" is Criss Angel Believe, and
"Surreal" is Zarkana. Great clips but not enlightening to fans
thirsting for more coverage of their favorite Las Vegas productions.
THE BOTTOM LINE THE CONCLUSION
--------------------------------
When all is said and done Cirque du Soleil's Worlds Away was a
marvelous distraction on the big screen its 3D technology completely
immersive to the point where you felt right there amongst the
performers (you really can't get any better than that "O" footage, can
you?), yet sadly, the lack of 3D at home (for me anyway) and a much,
much smaller screen diminishes the experience greatly. Couple that
with a disappointing array of special features and you've got a rather
lack-luster package in this Blu-Ray set.
Still, if you were a fan of the film (that "O" footage!), and don't
care about the extras that normally accompany a home video release,
then I highly recommend the purchase. How else can you watch
gorgeously shot footage of "Mystère", "O", "Zumanity", "KÀ", and
"LOVE" from your home?
----------------------------------------------------------
"Amaluna In Seattle: Remembrances of a
fun, long February weekend"
By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
The age of big CirqueCon gatherings has likely passed but there still
are opportunities for those who've met through CirqueCon to invite
people for smaller gatherings near their homes. Such was the case when
Keith Johnson and wife LouAnna Valentine (also known as Lucy) invited
people to come and see Amaluna's first visit to a U.S. city. I needed
to get away from snowy Connecticut and I was also interested in this
Dinner Cirque event Keith kept talking about, Teatro Zinzanni. I'd
travel alone but meet up with Bob Gross and others while there.
The first full day of my first visit to Seattle the weather was
uncharacteristically sunny and clear so, heeding advice, I did a bus
tour of the city to get a feel for the sites. Well Duck Tour actually,
running around on land and water in a World War II amphibious vehicle.
They've got them in Boston but it took me traveling to the West Coast
to finally ride one. Great fun. Then I went to the top of the Seattle
Space Needle, and as further proof that you can't do anything bad in a
new place because there's always someone around who knows you, I'd
just stepped outside to take in the view when I heard, "Steve Long!"
It was Karen Farmer, her husband and a couple of friends. They were
scoping out Seattle so just had time for our common viewing of
Amaluna. It was wonderful to see her and it meant that I didn't have
to ask a stranger to take my picture against the wonderful vista
around Seattle.
Friday night was Teatro Zinzanni (dreams.zinzanni.org), "Dinner at
Wotan's" "Party like its Ragnarock (the end of the World)!" Teatro
Zinzanni uses a traveling German spiegletent that's now found its
permanent home as a cirque-style cabaret theatre in Seattle. They
create dinner shows meant to run a few months at a time, sometimes
with specialty menus for holidays. More recently they created a
special program just for St. Patrick's Day. Keith had often talked
about this place, especially because he could use old Cirque du Soleil
programs to spark conversations with artists who had left CDS and were
now involved in a Teatro Zinzanni production. Based on what I saw that
night I'm really jealous of Keith and Lucy, living so close and having
such easy access to something as wonderful and creative as Teatro
Zinzanni.
A ring of booths that began and ended at a small stage surrounded a
collection of tables which had aisles for the various acts. We were
seated at the booths right next to the entrance to the space, which
opened on the main performance aisle. Very nice seats indeed. Though
as with any theatre-in-the-round experience you're going to be looking
at the backs of some bits. Keith and Lucy were delayed by traffic so
Juli Crompe of Teatro Zinzanni saw that we got properly settled. The
evening was a collection of circus acts wrapped inside a loose plot
involving Norse gods, with the meal courses in between. This works out
well, meaning you can enjoy the food while it's still hot or cold and
enjoy the performances, no need to split your attention.
Oh, to have been a fly on the wall as the creative team was putting
"Dinner at Wotan's" together, the gags and puns and rewritings of
popular songs to fit the theme of the show were fantastic, it's been
ages since I've laughed out loud so many times because of such
spectacular language bon mots.
The format calls for a great deal of audience participation and lead
performer ("Wotan"/"Wotan's Mother") Geoff Hoyle guided his chosen
performers marvelously. There were two highlights of the night though,
besides the food, Christopher Phi and Vertical Tango.
Christopher Phi's act was a combination of hand balance and
contortion, something I've rarely seen done by male artists. What was
impressive was the fact that, while many contortion acts seem to just
point the feet, his movement seemed to extend to and through his toes.
Vertical Tango, (Sam Payne and Sandra Feusi), were Keith's targets
this night with a Saltimbanco Tent Version program. Sure enough they
recognized themselves in those pages. This, to me, is a perfect ice
breaker - how does one talk to artists, what do you say after, "Nice
show"? We got to talk a little with Sandra at the beginning and with
both of them a little at the middle and finally with Sam after the
performance was done. The act was a tango done on the floor and using
a Chinese Pole. Spectacular! The movement and sensuality of the dance
carried through in both planes of performance. It was worth the price
of entry and made me wish that I was staying longer in Seattle or
living closer so that I could see them perform again.
The next afternoon was a gathering at Keith and Lucy's house. There
were only six of us total but it was a nice quiet gathering, sort of
like the coffeeklatches would be if we weren't just stopping by
between check out and heading home. The most unique memory of the
gathering were two books of Cirque du Soleil wallpaper samples (!),
the history of the wallpaper, and the stories behind how Keith got
them. It's no longer being produced but they did purchase some of the
borders and used them in their newly-constructed Library Room. Such
unique interesting objects, I checked E-bay after I got home, no luck.
Since there was a Home Depot connection I tried to nonchalantly walk
around the local Home Depot to see if I could find their wallpaper
samples just in case there was a book hiding there. No luck. They're
more pieces of Keith's unique collection of Cirque du Soleil
memorabilia.
Then on to Amaluna. I'd seen the show when it premiered in Montreal
last April. As usual I'd bought two tickets then, the first time to
just sit back and enjoy the show, the second time to 'watch' the show,
if you will. I was so impressed with what Diane Paulus and her
Creative Team were doing that I jumped at a chance to see the show a
third time. In July 2012 I saw Amaluna again as part of the 3rd Annual
Montreal Completement Cirque festival and was disappointed. It had
lost energy, perhaps it had become routine for the cast. In going to
see the show on Saturday I was hoping for a return to the energy of
the Premiere while expecting a 'routine' level of energy. In seeing
the show I was presented with a third, for me, less pleasant option.
There now is a set of artistic sensibilities being imposed on the work
of Diane Paulus. These artistic sensibilities are not necessarily
complementary to her work. I found that they consistently drained the
show of its magic, added bits that detracted from what I perceived as
the artistic intent of the original and seemed to set the whole show
into an overdrive mode.
For those interested I'll go over my thoughts and observations in
detail in another piece.
In short, as I go over that Saturday evening show again in my mind it
makes me sad to feel that Cirque du Soleil does not have, in-house,
the creative talent necessary to ensure that Amaluna would realize its
full artistic potential throughout its run. It wasn't bad; The
audience around me enjoyed the show, laughing and applauding, and
there was a gradual standing ovation at the end (as opposed to the
near instantaneous reactions of the hometown Montreal crowd at the
Premier). Those who hadn't seen the Premiere probably had no sense of
the differences. The team responsible for the ongoing artistic
integrity of the show apparently understand entertainment and the
positive reaction of the audience proved that they knew what they were
doing from an entertainment perspective, even if their choices took
away from what I felt Diane Paulus had intended for a scene. For me,
having seen the show at the beginning, as Diane Paulus had intended
it, this version of the show was artistically so much less than it
could have been. It will sell tickets for sure but where I was ready
to purchase tickets to once again see what I'll call "Amaluna The
Original Version," I'm not sure I'll be spending my money on "Amaluna
The Entertainment Version" tickets again, not when I can use that
money to travel to Montreal to see Cirque du Soleil show premieres, or
attend the annual Montreal Completement Cirque in July and see
companies from all over the world or, hopefully, travel to Seattle
again to see the next creation of Teatro Zinzanni.
Long weekends are always too short and Sunday afternoon saw me headed
home after a quiet morning and Bob Gross' kindness in driving me out
to the airport. Thanks again to Keith and Lucy for being the catalyst
for this gathering. Let's do it again sometime soon!
(I've been informed that there is another gathering in the works,
"Cirquesters 2013: Amaluna in Denver." Here's the Facebook link for
anyone interested: http://goo.gl/l3pp9).
----------------------------------------------------------
"Amaluna Evolution (Devolution) on tour - Details of
my disappointment with the viewing of Amaluna in Seattle"
By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
I'd seen Amaluna when it premiered in Montreal in April 2012.
Purchasing two tickets then as I usually do, the first time to just
sit back and enjoy the show, the second time to 'watch' the show, if
you will. I was so impressed with what Diane Paulus and her Creative
Team were doing that I jumped at a chance to see the show a third
time. In July of that year I'd seen Amaluna again as part of the 3rd
Annual Montreal Completement Cirque festival and was disappointed. It
had lost energy, perhaps it had become routine for the cast. In
traveling to Seattle in February 2013 to see it again as part of the
"Amaluna In Seattle" weekend I was hoping for a return to the energy
of the Premiere while expecting a 'routine' level of energy. In seeing
the show I was presented with a third option. There is a new set of
artistic sensibilities being imposed on the work of Diane Paulus.
These artistic sensibilities are not necessarily complementary to her
work. I found that they consistently drained the show of its magic,
added bits that detracted from what I perceived as the artistic intent
of the original and seemed to set the whole show into an overdrive
mode.
There was an artistic potential that I saw quite clearly in those
Premiere days. After those viewings I could see myself attending
Amaluna performances as often as I had attended performances of the
now retired ZED, without having to travel to the other side of the
world to do so. As I go over that Saturday evening show again and
again in my mind it makes me sad to feel that Cirque du Soleil does
not have, in-house, the creative talent necessary to ensure that
Amaluna would realize its full artistic potential throughout its run.
In the Premiere, the show opened with a shaft of light center stage
and a red piece of cloth swirling and dancing in the air. Was it a
projection? How were they doing that? It was magic. A flame, a doorway
for the audience into the world of Amaluna. As the full lights came up
and you saw the cast on stage you also saw the circle of fans that
provided the updraft that the cloth was dancing on. It was still
magic; A fire that the cast was gathering round as they paid homage to
Prospera and eventually to Miranda. The cloth can have a mind of its
own though. I think in the first viewing it fell over one of the fans.
Prospera motioned to one of the Amazons who pulled it free and it
danced again. The problem was dealt with in a way that emphasized
Prospera's command of this place.
You were brought by magic into the world of Amaluna and introduced to
the hierarchy of the world. The world of Amaluna was quickly, simply
fixed in the minds of the audience. (Or most of them. You can't
guarantee that everyone in an audience will grasp what you're trying
to do.)
In Seattle, the shaft of light revealed a lump of cloth and a couple
of the circle of fans. Prospera came in and set the cloth flying. No
magic. It was just a trick and Prospera showed us how it was done.
Then the others came streaming in. Except for Lizard Cali (the Victor
Kee character). He stayed in the audience and moved around just enough
to be an annoyance, a distraction. For me Cali distracted from the
establishment of the world of Amaluna in the minds of the audience, he
detracted from the authority of Prospera by pulling focus away from
her to himself. To my mind this did not improve on what Diane Paulus
had originally created as the Cali character. For me he went from
presence to annoyance.
In the Premiere I remember that it was just Prospera and the Moon
Goddess involved when Prospera conjures up the storm. I don't remember
all those people on stage as they were that Saturday night playing
being blown away. It distracted from Prospera and her powers, for me
it diminished the Prospera character. Also in the Premiere I think the
God and Goddess of the Wind kept their masks on throughout the
routine. In Seattle they ripped their masks off, reducing themselves
to humans doing a strap act.
And at the very end of that scene in Seattle they had Prospera center
stage, her face lit up like kids do on Halloween with flashlights, her
face with a hint of madness. This wasn't in the Premiere. Prospera is
not an insane/mad character. This was, to my mind, Cheap Trick #1 on
the part of the people imposing their entertainment sensibilities on
Amaluna.
Next we have the castaways, the group of men arriving on the island
inside a net as a result of the storm. In the Premiere the first real
person to appear from underneath the net was Romeo. For Miranda this
was love at first sight and we in the audience could appreciate this
as this was the first normal guy to be seen from that grouping. (The
Captain, already free from the net, having an outlandish red
mustache.) In Seattle, before Romeo is pulled out we see some guy,
center stage, poke his head out of the net, with a small plastic
octopus on it. Cheap Trick #2. It might have been a funny sight gag
but it detracted from the audience's participation in Miranda's first
sighting of Romeo.
The person I saw in Seattle not was not the original Romeo, I don't
know what happened to that person but that's what happens on tour. The
person at the Premiere and in July had a difficult task as Miranda was
double-cast and he had to create a credible love at first sight
relationship with both women. He did it. This new guy was there but
there was no spark between him and Miranda that I could sense. Diane
Paulus is a theater director and likely helped the original Romeo
establish that connection. For the replacement all he likely had were
stage directions and he remembered his stage directions well.
The next bits confused me at first during the Premiere until I
realized that Romeo had been given free run to explore the island. As
I remember, those bits were more distinct in the Premiere where in
Seattle it seemed that they were stepping all over each other's toes.
I remember in the Premiere Romeo watching the Peacock Goddess' dance
and near the end reaching out, almost touching her, but not. It
suggested a frail beauty. In Seattle the Peacock Goddess was touching
him and stroking him. This would only make sense in the later bath
sequence, and like many changes it wouldn't enhance the characters or
the storyline as far as I was concerned.
As I remember from the Premiere, the Moon Goddess didn't get involved
with the water, that was all Miranda's act. That the Moon Goddess was
now getting in the water and spinning and spraying didn't bother me
too much, I could see it as the Moon consecrating the bath. But that
likely threw out more water than was originally planned for in the
Premiere because I remember seeing people mopping up water with towels
while the Amazon's high bar/uneven bar act was in progress.
Something else that struck me upon looking back, the pace of the show
was really fast. I was really surprised when the high bar/uneven bar
act came out, I thought it was too soon but, no, that was its proper
place. It was in Seattle, home of Starbucks, so I've got to go with a
coffee joke - it's like they just fed them lots of coffee before the
show started and let them go into caffeine overdrive.
Like moving objects, shows have momentum and you can't have things
going really, really fast and expect that the audience will be able to
put on the brakes for a slow bit, you've got to give the audience a
chance to slow down. As I recall from the Premiere, the Moon Goddess'
ring routine was calm, slowing the audience down for Miranda's
contortion/swimming routine and for the Miranda/Romeo bit. But in
Seattle, with all the spinning and splashing the high energy momentum
continued through to the Miranda bits. This had a negative impact not
so much on the Miranda bits but on the high bar/uneven bar routine
that followed. That's a high energy act. It's one thing to go from low
energy to high energy, the contrast helps the act stand out. But when
the audience is still carrying momentum from previous high energy
acts, there isn't much needed to bring things back up to high energy.
The contrast, thus the act's ability to stand out, is significantly
reduced.
Back to Miranda and her contortion/swimming act followed by her
meeting of Romeo. In the Premiere, Romeo has found his own way to
Miranda, emphasizing the connection between them. In Seattle, the
Peacock Goddess showed Romeo the way. The magic of the meeting of
Miranda and Romeo was, for me, significantly reduced.
So with the high bar/uneven bar routine not getting the emphasis and
attention it deserved because of the pacing of the acts just before
it, the first act ended.
With the beginning of the Second Act you do want a high energy piece
to bring the audience back and that was the teeterboard act, the male
answer to the female routine that ended the First Act. The acrobatics
were as well done as I remembered in the Premiere. As a change of pace
they brought in the Captain. Originally this was a reunion of Captain
and crew and the crew was having fun at the expense of their Captain.
It was clear, tight and concise. In Seattle, someone decided that the
Captain should spout on about being in love. The crew wasn't listening
to him so it didn't make much sense, except that somebody obviously
thought it would be a good idea to de-emphasize the guy's reunion
concept add some fluff to the scene.
The Balance Goddess' piece stood out in Premiere because in a company
that seems to emphasize speed and energy, we had a slow, deliberate,
almost meditative piece. And, for me it worked. The Balance Goddess
was intensely focused on her work and the audience was drawn into that
quiet intensity. The time involved didn't matter, it was evenly paced
throughout. The breath sounds were an early addition and had
connection with the assembly of the 'object.' More importantly, this
was essentially a private moment, Prospera brought Miranda to this
place to show her this lesson. The intensity of the act created a
tension, a tension that was released at the conclusion of the act when
the first stick was removed and the piece collapses, thus the lesson
is demonstrated in full. In the Premiere the Balance Goddess reaches
out for the first stick but pauses, (I can't remember if Miranda did
something to cause her to pause), the Goddess looks to Prosepra who
motions that she should continue and the Goddess does.
In Seattle, the Balance Goddess flew through the construction of the
object. No breath sounds, she had to focus on getting all the pieces
just right. She then spent a long time on the movement of the
assembled object with it's final placement on the stand. (Again, the
original was much more evenly paced.) Breath sounds here felt more
choreographed than a natural part of the task. And when the Balance
Goddess reaches out for the first stick, she looks out to the audience
(breaking the private nature of the event) and laughs, like "you all
know what I'm about to do, right?" The audience laughs with her. The
tension that should be broken by the falling apart of the object is
instead broken by the laughter. There was the look to Prospera and the
permission given to destroy the object but, for me, when she then
reaches out and the object falls apart its anti-climactic. Cheap trick
#3. Like the flashlight trick and the plastic octopus, sharing the
laughter with the audience first is a simple, effective trick
(audience laughter is good, it means they're enjoying the show) that
takes away from the original intent of the piece.
The team did add one bit that I thought enhanced the show. In the
Premiere I wondered how Romeo knew that that flying pole was going to
come down to assist him. I was fine assuming that Prospera was working
magic behind the scenes but to my mind it would have helped to
solidify the whole to have some indication of that. In Seattle they
put the Moon Goddess on a platform and the two acknowledged each
other's presence. That worked. It doesn't excuse the three cheap
tricks that came before it but it does recognize that sometimes the
ideas of others can be beneficial.
They changed the "Ai, ai, ai" bit, where Deeda is about to give birth.
In the Premiere it was sort of a surprised, anxious sound and action
as one would expect at such a moment. In Seattle the tone of voice and
the body was sort of "Hey, hot stuff, guess what's going to happen
now?" I can't figure out the reasoning behind changing that.
In the Premiere, at the start of the triple tight wire act we see the
Black Goddess curled around something, she opens her arms to reveal
Miranda. It was a quiet moment leading into the relatively low energy
nature of the tight wire act. In Seattle, I was surprised as the Black
Goddess reacted to people passing by her with snarls and bared claws,
a much more intense action than I'd seen before. They were having
trouble getting the stands set for the act and so the clowns were
vamping. Maybe that was a way to bring the vamping to a close or maybe
someone thought it would be a beneficial change to make to the
beginning of that act. Yes, it emphasized the evil nature of the Black
Goddess but, for me, the emphasis here is supposed to be Miranda and
the two couples performing the tight wire act. The energy of that
action emphasized the Black Goddess at the expense of the attention
that should have been given to Miranda before the act began.
Viktor Kee was marvelous as usual.
In the Premiere there was a satisfaction to Cali's downfall and
banishment that just wasn't there in Seattle, probably because I
wasn't as emotionally invested in the trials of Miranda and Romeo as I
had been in the Premiere, thanks to Diane Paulus' direction.
At the end of Amaluna in the Premiere the fans are brought out again
and Prospera sends a blue cloth floating and dancing. The lights dim
to a column, we see just the dancing cloth, the doorway to Amaluna
closes, the show is over. Then the lights come up full and the
performers come out to take their bows. I love shows with artistic
circles like that, the red cloth alone in the light to begin the
circle, the blue cloth alone in the light to close it. In Seattle,
Prospera got a bit tangled up in the cloth and it started to fly out
of the wind stream quickly so the lights never really dimmed. Though,
considering the high energy pacing of the show I wonder if they would
have allowed the time necessary for the lights to fade and for things
to calm for just a moment. With the magic of the start shattered
though, there would not have been a strong sense of a closing of the
circle.
I like to see the Premieres of new shows, like to get a feel for both
the energy of a new show and for the energy of the original
artistic/creative intent. That energy of original intent fades to
varying degrees over time as the show matures, as cast members change,
as perhaps whole acts have to be replaced. I used to think that if I
saw a show again within three years after its Premiere I'd still have
a strong sense of that original artistic/creative energy. With
Amaluna, it didn't even make it a full year. Again, it seems to me
that Cirque du Soleil does not have, in-house, the creative talent
necessary to ensure that a new creation will realize its full artistic
potential throughout its run. (Even though the "Senior Artistic
Director" position has, in the new Amaluna program been renamed,
"Senior Director, Show Quality.")
The team does seem to know the entertainment side. What I call the
cheap tricks' and the other changes worked, the audience in Seattle
loved the show. Had I not seen the Premiere, I might have loved it as
well, until I began thinking about what I had seen and got the feeling
that there was something missing. (I'd had a very strong feeling of
failure to realize the show's artistic potential' with Wintuk and a
similar feeling with Banana Shpeel.) I'm sure that Cirque du Soleil
will see very good ticket sales for the show throughout its run but
where I was ready to purchase tickets to once again see what I'll call
"Amaluna The Original Version," I'm not sure I'll be spending my
money on "Amaluna The Entertainment Version" tickets again. I can
use that money to travel to Montreal to see new Cirque du Soleil show
premieres, or attend the annual Montreal Completement Cirque in July
and see companies from all over the world or travel to other cities or
countries and see what they have locally, like Seattle has with Teatro
Zinzanni.
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 13, Number 04 (Issue #111) - April 2013
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c)
2001-2013 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a
subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter
can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or
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{ Apr.04.2013 }
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