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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 06 June 2013 ISSUE #113
=======================================================================
Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque
du Soleil Newsletter.
The warmth of summer is now upon us, those in the northern hemisphere
at least, and for a little while it seemed it would never get here,
didn't it? Over the last couple of weeks temperatures have finally
started to rise, beckoning us out to play. But just when we thought
it might be safe to go out in the soleil, dark clouds built up again.
Last month we said plenty about how "well" Cirque du Soleil was
weathering the current financial storm (delayed as it was for them),
and shared some disparaging news affecting its shows company wide,
such as: touring show run-times being reduced, artists and their
acts being dropped from shows (Quidam losing a clown act, Varekai
losing Triple Trapeze and Water Meteors, and Mystere having to say
goodbye to up to 7 loyal artists), beneftits being reduced, and
even the indignity of one of Cirque's signature shows closing with-
out fanfare (Alegria). We'd hoped that, with the highly regarded
premiere of MICHAEL JACKSON ONE at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, the
disparaging news would come to an end.
But it didn't...
Just as the artists from MJ One were taking their first bows, the
family at Amaluna were saying goodbye to its Tightwire team, and
the team at La Nouba were preparing to party without one of their
senior trapeze fliers and tissu artists. Reaction from the fan
community hasn't been pleasant but there's little we can do except
sit and watch with sadness. Vralion, a fan over on Cirque discussion
board CirqueSpotlight.com, did manage to get a question about these
losses answered though... why? "Cirque du Soleil wishes to tighten the
shows artistically so they have a common duration of approximately 100
minutes, plus interval for touring shows, and 90 minutes without
interval for resident shows. In the case of Quidam, the cuts are not
radical, one act has been removed from the first half and another in
the second half."
It's not the "Summer of Cirque" I imagined...
Alas, it's not all bad. Here at Fascination we've got plenty of
excitement - an exclusive interview with Alain Vinet! Although we've
spoken with Mr. Vinet in the past, we're honored to catch up with
him again following the release of Amaluna and Le Best Of 2' CD -
and there's plenty to learn within! (And if you're interested in
winning a CD copy of the Amaluna soundtrack, check out the interview
for our contest!) And if you're interested in learning more about
the Cirque Musique catalog, the second part of a three-part series
on Cirque du Soleil's musical releases is also within.
And, as always, we have the latest news items posted to Fascination's
website, tour schedule updates, and the most interesting posts to the
many Facebook pages Cirque maintains.
It's all inside!
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
* INTERVIEW /// "ALAIN VINET: Facilitating the Journey"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
* CIRQUE MUSIQUE: AN OVERVIEW
"Part Two - Singles, Remixes & Associated Music"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) Subscription Information
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
=======================================================================
CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Take a Peek at Michael Jackson ONE
{May.05.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Interested in learning more about Michael Jackson ONE the
resident show slated to premiere later this month at Mandalay
Bay Las Vegas? Then take a peek at these videos below
o) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nqV9I-a8AE
o) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXeAhj-xcg4
o) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=birO0gx8vXI
o) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doR0FH-wC_k
{SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil}
Jerry Nadal tells UNCSA graduates that art matters
{May.06.2013}
---------------------------------------------------
From the Winston-Salem Journal:
The message that Jerry Nadal, who helps run Cirque Du Soleil,
had for the 221 budding artists graduating from UNC School of
the Arts Saturday was simple yet profound what they do
matters.
"The arts make an enormous difference in people's lives," Nadal
told the graduates sitting on stage at the Stevens Center.
Nadal is the senior vice president of Cirque du Soleil's
Resident Shows Division and is responsible for the seven Cirque
du Soleil shows in production in Las Vegas as well as one in
Orlando, Fla. He is also in charge of the production of "Michael
Jackson ONE," which will debut June 29 in Las Vegas.
Nadal has been with Cirque du Soleil since 1998. He started out
as a stage manager, which took him across the United States and
the Caribbean on productions such as "A Chorus Line," "Cabaret,"
and "Fiddler on the Roof."
He told the graduates that when he first started in the
business, he made $5 a day.
But he urged them to follow their passions and to realize that
the art they create whether through dancing, singing, writing,
producing, filmmaking is a service they provide to people that
can have life-changing impact.
Nadal said that the reason that many of the students decided to
attend UNC School of the Arts is likely because they saw a live
performance that sparked their passion.
"Every one of you saw something as a child that said, "This is
what I want to do,'" he said.
Read the original article here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/LWKQ2 >
{SOURCE: Winston-Salem Journal}
Creditors urge Dubai World to accelerate asset sales
{May.06.2013}
----------------------------------------------------
From the Financial Times, Dubai:
Creditors are pressuring Dubai World to speed up sales of assets
before the state-owned conglomerate's first debt repayment
deadline in September 2015. Dubai World, which invested in
property, leisure and other businesses around the world on the
emirate's behalf, triggered Dubai's debt crisis in 2009 when it
warned lenders that it would not be able to make debt
repayments. The $25bn restructuring deal signed in 2011 with
companies including HSBC, RBS and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
helped lift the economic cloud over the emirate. Assets on the
block include stakes in the Las Vegas CityCentre casino
development, Cirque du Soleil and the Atlantis hotel in Dubai,
where the meeting took place, and the Mandarin Oriental hotel in
New York.
Read the original article here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/KVjmg >
{SOURCE: Financial Times}
Michael Jackson One Moving In!
{May.07.2013}
----------------------------------------------------
The Hollywood Reporter has a great article this morning all
about Michael Jackson ONE the newest resident show by Cirque
du Soleil opening at the Mandalay Bay Theatre on June 21, with
previews beginning on May 23. Tickets range from $69 to $150 for
nightly performances Saturday through Wednesday at 7 p.m.
# # #
One is King's second creative collaboration with Cirque, as the
former Jackson backup dancer also penned and directed Michael
Jackson The Immortal World Tour. The traveling arena show first
premiered in October 2011 and has become Cirque's largest and
most expensive production to date, breaking its own records for
the highest attendance of a single performance.
Yet rather than honoring the legendary musician's memory with
elephants, mimes and giant white gloves dancing to mash-ups of
memorable songs, King opts for a character-driven plot for the
Mandalay Bay Theatre. With 26 scenes, 60 performers and full
versions of Jackson's biggest hits, One follows four misfits on
a transformative journey that leads them to personify Jackson's
personality traits: agility, courage, playfulness and love.
"Michael was a storyteller, and certainly he was a showman he
had all these great MTV music video moments and dance stage
performances that we all remember," King tells The Hollywood
Reporter, citing "Moonwalker" and "Thriller" as standouts. "You
can't do that in an arena; there's 16,000 people, they can't
understand, they're too far away. Whereas in a 2,000-seat
theater, you're right in the show, so you can go on the journey
with our heroes."
The title of the show is a triple entendre: 70 percent of the
set list is Jackson's number one hits. Michael Jackson was also
a one-of-a-kind artist and one of the most influential of all
time. But at its core, One aims to celebrate the ethos of love
and unity that Jackson captured throughout his career, through
his concerts, song lyrics and philanthropy.
"The running theme by the end of the show [is] that we're just
all the same, because we are all the same," says King. "It
doesn't matter if you're black or white, we're all the same.
It's that oneness that I want people to leave with, because that
was Michael's message 'til the end."
With full access from John Branca and the Michael Jackson Estate
to the musician's library of master recordings, musical director
Kevin Antunes made sure to showcase the intricate layers that
often get lost in a song's final cut. For example, the theater's
front speakers play Jackson's lead vocals, while the headrest's
speakers in each seat swoon with his background vocals, giving
attendees the experience of being in the recording studio with
Jackson himself.
"You're not listening to a CD or an MP3, you're listening to the
raw audio of these master recordings in their full complete
embodiment you're hearing it in a way that only Michael and
his engineers had heard it when they had done [it]," says
Antunes, who has also overseen the music for Justin Timberlake,
Rihanna and Madonna, including her Super Bowl halftime gig.
"What is true mastery is when you listen to his background
vocals while his lead vocal is singing. If he was in the studio
and he had his headphones on and he's recording layer after
layer of background vocals, it's the things that he's doing
while he's listening to his lead on his background track: he's
snapping, and he might ghost some of the lyrics, he could
whisper some of the lyrics. Hearing that stuff, that's the kind
of stuff that I'd want the fans to get a chance to hear, and I
contour some of the arrangements so that some of those things
can be highlighted, because it gives you a true look into the
artistry of this incredible entertainer. And nobody gets to
really hear that except in this theater."
Differing from Cirque du Soleil's other tribute productions, One
never has a performer portraying Jackson onstage. Instead, the
show strategically uses video and audio footage of the singer
throughout the plot's peaks and valleys.
"His presence, even on video, is so powerful, that it can be
very tricky to use him," says Welby Altidor, One's director of
creation. "What we wanted to do in this show is build Michael's
presence through his voice and feeling his shadow, to feeling
him progressively becoming more and more present throughout the
show, until we can create the longing. And then the apex, the
moment where we'll really feel that he's there and he's still
with us."
One is Cirque du Soleil's most ambitious endeavor to date, as no
production has ever had so many acrobatic performances in a
single show. To avoid recycling routines from The Immortal,
choreographers take advantage of the intimate theater setting
and spotlight Jackson's iconic moves at new heights. Cirque is
also working with dance crews for the first time, having found
new inspiration in groups from South Korea, New Zealand and
Puerto Rico. All stage performers are dressed by Zaldy Goco,
Jackson's longtime designer, who also outfitted Lady Gaga's
first North American Monster Ball tour and joined with Gwen
Stefani for her L.A.M.B. label.
The high level of ambition for originality in One is familiar to
choreographer Travis Payne, who has worked with Beyonce,
Shakira, Usher and Jennifer Lopez, and collaborated with Jackson
on and off for more than 15 years.
"Michael was always very, very clear that he just wanted to get
to the best idea it did not always have to come from him, the
only thing he asked is that it's something he'd never seen
before," Payne tells THR. "If it was anything that felt similar
to anything else that'd come before it, he didn't want any part
of it. That's what made him so innovative in all of his music
and visuals
a lot of times, he was just inspired and motivated
by things around him in everyday life. He might come into
rehearsal with a drawing he did on a napkin the evening before
because he just got a great idea, and then it becomes the set
for The Way You Make Me Feel' in This Is It.
You always left
exhausted because he always pulled everything out of you and
wouldn't allow you to settle, because he wasn't gonna settle."
Many steps of One draw from Jackson's creative process and
attention to detail, which King witnessed firsthand during his
first gig in showbiz as a dancer on Jackson's Dangerous tour in
1992. He recalls watching Jackson backstage as he prepared for
arena shows that had yet to use enhancements like video screens.
"You could see the attention to detail: every light mattered,
where he was positioned so that he could get the right
silhouette mattered," says King. "To watch that level of
interest and detail and to really care about every aspect of the
stage so that it matches his movement and really goes along to
the music so that every accent is hit with the lights, it was
something I'll never forget."
Cirque du Soleil already has seven resident shows along the Las
Vegas Strip, but One is Mandalay Bay's first Cirque production
and moves into a theater that previously housed musicals Mamma
Mia! and The Lion King. The Mandalay Bay Theatre's entry is now
outfitted with six floor-to-ceiling portraits of Jackson dancing
the moonwalk in his white socks, sequined jacket and black hat.
Brightly lit jewels accessorize the sapphire blue lobby, which
features black and gold double doors that pay homage to
Jackson's signature military-inspired blazers.
"To be the entertainment capital of the world and now to feature
the work of the greatest entertainer of all time, it didn't take
me too long when [Cirque du Soleil] presented the opportunity to
us, I said, Where do we sign?'" says Chuck Bowling, president
and COO of Mandalay Bay. "We think Michael Jackson's music is
generational, relevant and crosses so many genres overall. As
long as people continue to love and want to celebrate Michael's
music, we're gonna be the home for it for many, many years to
come."
But even with all the venue changes, master recordings and
record number of acrobatics, the question remains: how can
anyone make a Michael Jackson show that isn't created by Michael
Jackson himself?
"I do a lot of, what would Michael think? And how would he feel
about this? Not trying to replicate anything that he would do,
because we can't do that. There's only one Michael Jackson,"
says Payne. "But to think, would Michael get a kick out of that?
Would he think this is really great? Would he think that this is
thematic enough? Or would he think this is strong enough? We're
just grinding in rehearsals to make the answers to all of those
questions yes' and make it a piece in entirety that Michael
would love and he would enjoy being an audience member at, that
he would enjoy bringing his mother and his children to."
# # #
Read the original article here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/OvYfe >
{SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter}
Michael Jackson ONE Unveiled!
{May.07.2013}
----------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil and the Estate of Michael Jackson unveil
MICHAEL JACKSON ONE Written and directed by Jamie King
EXCLUSIVELY AT MANDALAY BAY IN LAS VEGAS PREVIEW PERFORMANCES
START MAY 23
Las Vegas, May 7, 2013 Cirque du Soleil and the Estate of
Michael Jackson unveiled Michael Jackson ONETM today in Las
Vegas, a new creation to take residency exclusively at Mandalay
Bay Resort and Casino. Directed by Jamie King, Michael Jackson
ONE will start its preview performances on May 23, 2013 and have
its media premiere on June 29. This entirely new show is the
second creative project to be developed between Cirque du Soleil
and The Estate of Michael Jackson after the top grossing Michael
Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour, currently playing arenas in
Europe as it travels the world.
THE SHOW: Michael Jackson ONE is a sonic, tonic fusion of
acrobatics, dance and visuals that takes the audience on an
immersive journey through the music and spirit of Michael
Jackson. Driven by Michael's powerful, multi-layered music
heard like never before in a riveting, state-of-the-art
surround-sound environment ONE takes the audience through a
series of seamless visual and musical tableaux, at the heart of
a world that is in turn majestic, playful, magical and heart-
warming. In Michael Jackson ONE, Michael's artistry and spirit
are expressed through the vibrant energy of the cast of 63
dancers and performers, underscored by aerial performance,
driving acrobatics, and vivid choreographies that use the
urban/hip hop idiom as a springboard for exploration. ONE is
heartfelt tribute to the work, innovative spirit, and legacy of
Michael Jackson the King of Pop, the genius, the visionary,
the One.
THE NAME: Michael Jackson believed that all people are unique
and equal, regardless of race or culture. His message was one of
unity, harmony and hope for a better world. At once evocative
and enigmatic, the name Michael Jackson ONE also presents a
paradox: Michael was a multifaceted artist who strove to fuse
together various musical styles and art forms. It is a fitting
title for a unifying journey into the world of the King of Pop,
the genius, the visionary, the One.
CREATORS: Along with Jamie Kingwho started his career as a
dancer on Michael's Dangerous World Tour and also directed the
arena touring show Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour by
Cirque du Soleil, Michael Jackson ONE will bring together the
creative minds behind the Michael Jackson Estate, John Branca
and John McClain, and the diverse talents of the following
creators):
o) Guy Laliberté Creative Guide
o) Jean-François Bouchard Chief Creative Content
o) Jamie King Writer and Director
o) Welby Altidor Director of Creation
o) Carla Kama Associate Director
o) Kevin Antunes Musical Director
o) François Séguin Set and Props Designer
o) Zaldy Goco Costume Designer
o) Michel Lemieux Man in the Mirror scene creator
o) Victor Pilon Man in the Mirror scene creator
o) Travis Payne Choreographer
o) Rich and Tone Talauega Choreographers
o) Parris Goebel Choreographer
o) Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui Choreographer
o) Ivan « Flipz » Velez Choreographer
o) Olivier Simola Choreographer
o) Rob Bollinger Acrobatic Performance Designer
o) Germain Guillemot Acrobatic Performance Designer
o) Ben Potvin Acrobatic Choreographer
o) Andrea Ziegler Acrobatic Choreographer
o) Raymond St-Jean Projections Designer
o) Jimmy Lakatos Projections Designer
o) David Finn Lighting Designer
o) Jonathan Deans Sound Designer
o) Pierre Masse Acrobatic Equipment and Rigging Designer
o) Nathalie Gagné Makeup Designer
o) Brian Drader Dramaturge
o) Manon Beaudoin Characters' Guide
o) Henry Fong Illustrator
Creators' bios and images are available Cirque's press room:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/pWPX7 >
PREVIEW PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE: Preview performances for Michael
Jackson ONE will begin on May 23 at Mandalay Bay. Saturday to
Wednesday at 7:00pm. There are no performances on Thursdays and
Fridays.
TO RESERVE TICKETS:
Call 877.632.7400 or 800-745-3000
Go to www.cirquedusoleil.com/mjone or mandalaybay.com
Visit the Mandalay Bay Events Center box office or any of the
MGM Resorts International box offices.
TICKET PRICES:
$69, $99, $130, $140, $150, plus LIMITED Gold Circle seating.
Prices do not include tax or fees.
Tickets are available 120 days in advance of the performance
date.
Like Michael Jackson ONE on Facebook or Tweet us: @Cirque
#MJOne.
{SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil}
Parade of Alegria Characters Shutdown in Russia
{May.08.2013}
----------------------------------------------------
St. Petersburg police put an end to a mini-parade organized by
Cirque du Soleil performers promoting their upcoming show.
According to the organizers and the police, "too many people
showed up."
Twenty actors and musicians of the famous Cirque du Soleil
dressed in extravagant costumes marched through the center of
Russia's second-biggest city the day before their Alegria'
performance, scheduled to premiere on May 9th.
The parade was approved by city authorities, and 200 people were
expected to attend. The actual crowd that gathered for the event
turned out to be much bigger than anticipated.
"We cut the parade short because more people showed up than what
we expected," Cirque du Soleil's PR manager said in a statement.
"We already went two-thirds of our planned route. The decision
to wrap up the parade was made together with the law enforcement
officers to ensure security of both the audience, the actors and
the passersby".
Alegria' will run in St. Petersburg from May 9 to 18.
Russia introduced tougher regulations on public gatherings last
year in the wake of mass opposition rallies in Moscow.
Read the original article here (with more pictures!):
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/D57oH >
{SOURCE: RT.com}
LVWeekly's Thoughts on MJ ONE
{May.09.2013}
----------------------------------------------------
Four scenes in the renovated Mandalay Bay Theater were performed
to give guests a taste of what's to come at the show's preview
opening May 23. The premiere of what will be the eighth Cirque
show on the Strip is June 29.
A few thoughts, notes and quotes from today's wingding:
The immediate, initial response from my seat conveniently
occupied by me was that "One" picks up where "Viva Elvis" left
off when it closed last year. This is not a dig. "Viva Elvis"
had, finally, figured out how to evoke the image and vibe of a
legendary artist without drilling the audience with such
inartistic effects as a literal narration of that artist's life.
So there is no voiceover intoning, "At age 8, Michael had
perfected a perfect impersonation of James Brown," even if that
is true. Instead, the spirit of Jackson is realized through deft
music selection, dazzling set scenery and Cirque's customary
acrobatics and dancing.
"Certainly, we wouldn't want to make it a straight tribute
show," director Jamie King says. "Michael wouldn't have that,
and this is Cirque du Soleil. They are great at what they do and
are all about creating something new. They are mavericks.
Certainly, Michael's iconography, his images and music videos
are there. I think they make you feel a certain spirit, and
Michael is our guide in that way, in a video-visual way, to
evoke the feelings we had when we remember when we first saw the
videos for Bad' or Beat It' or Thriller.' So he's there, but
not always there."
The show is similar to "Love" in that the scenes recall images
recognizable to the artist's most devoted fans. A clear example:
A skeleton topped with an elephant head, reminding of Jackson's
reported fascination with the remains of "Elephant Man" Jim
Merrick. If you remember that Jackson was once interested in
buying that skeleton, it's a pretty funny reference. If not,
it's just another skeleton with an elephant head.
Sample scenes: A trio of dancers with digital lettering
stretched across their chest drop from the ceiling
a giant
jewel box
a collection of dancers from various cultures,
including an Asian girl and a blonde kid in a light-blue
jumpsuit
a contraption above center stage exposing metal beams
and a trio of LED screens
an elegantly attired woman sitting
inside a sliver of a silver moon
five masked guys in gangster
suits performing the famous "Smooth Criminal" forward lean
a
pair of glowing, disembodied boots performing a moonwalk
an
aerialist who looks like a post-rage Incredible Hulk hanging and
twirling above the stage
and a spring-loaded cushion over the
middle of the set's surface, giving the dancers a bit more
bounce.
See even more thoughts by reading the original article here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/DgBGN >
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Weekly}
"Life as a Cirque Mom"
{May.12.2013}
----------------------------------------------------
What's it like to be Cirque Mom? Jeana Blackman mother by day
and Nanny to the Imperial Twins of KÀ by night offers an
inside look at the joggling between life as a performer and life
at home with her young daugther.
# # #
Right now, I perform in 10 shows a week. You can see me dangle
in the air, climb on a rotating wall and play with giant
creatures in my role as Nanny in KÀ by Cirque du Soleil, at MGM
GRAND. I never expected to jump on a trampoline and fall into an
airbag my first day on the job. Let's just say a lot of swearing
was involved! Not surprisingly, I also swore a lot on my first
day as a mom, which came two years later.
During the day, I am a mom who cares for my 1-year-old,
Penelope. At night, as Nanny, I care for a set of Imperial Twins
who tragically lose their parents in an attack, get separated,
find love and reunite to fight against the villain. I'm not sure
which part of my life is more dramatic or fun. Over time, I
became quite comfortable with dangling upside down in a harness
100 feet in the air, and I learned to navigate around a moving
wall with pegs shooting at me.
Still, I had a new skill to master: how to successfully care for
a newborn. She couldn't go more than three hours without eating,
which meant that I couldn't go more than three hours without
sleeping. This was definitely more difficult than being onstage
in front of 2,000 people. But the gibberish I use in the show
seemed to make sense to my daughter!
After three months of caring for my baby, it came time to return
to work. When I first joined the cast, it wasn't uncommon for me
to stay up until 3 or 4 a.m. and sleep until noon, the typical
life of a nighttime performer. Now, Penelope wakes at 7 a.m.
or God forbid earlier so I go to bed soon after I get home at
midnight hopeful she sleeps through the night. On the plus side,
the fact that I work nights means that I spend a lot of time
with her during the day. It's not uncommon to see us at the
library, swim class or playing in the park.
The best part about being a Cirque Mom is when my lives as a
mother and performer collide. Did my daughter cry hysterically
when she first saw me in the unfamiliar makeup? Yep. But now
it's as familiar to her as my unadorned face. Artists from all
over the world have greeted her in several languages, including
Chinese, Russian, Mongolian, French, Portuguese and Japanese. On
her first birthday, a former hand-to-hand Russian giant balanced
her in one hand. As a close friend once told me, this is an
amazing environment to be raised.
It's not always easy to balance work and home, but it is
rewarding. The biggest surprise is what being a mom at home did
to my performance abilities onstage. Being a real-life caretaker
gave me a great insight into my role as Nanny. Being a protector
is now second nature. It's made me a better actress and
definitely a better mom.
Read the original article here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/7dqui >
{SOURCE: CirqueClub, Las Vegas Sun}
Les Chemins Invisibles, Chapter Five
starts June 23rd!
{May.16.2013}
----------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil will set up at the Port of Quebec Agora this
summer to present chapter five of the Les Chemins invisibles
event under the title The Harbor of Lost Souls.
Inspired by the Port of Quebec, a place steeped in history, The
Harbor of Lost Souls directed by Martin Genest will be a unique
outdoor show. This free urban event will be presented at the
Agora starting June 23 and will run until September 1st, 2013.
The Harbor of Lost Souls
In order to help him find purpose to his life again, the
employees of an old customs officer have decided to offer him,
for his birthday, a most unforgettable night. In this mysterious
realm, the jolly schemers awaken a strange world in which the
old man will relive some of the pivotal moments of his long
life. In a stream of festive tableaux, the liberating power of
memories whisks the old man away on a journey during which he
will discover long forgotten parts of his inner self.
The Harbor of Lost Souls combines circus arts and the tradition
of storytelling in the signature Cirque du Soleil style.
"For Martin Genest, the site where the show will be presented
inspired a concept that draws on the memories of the bustle that
once filled the Port of Quebec. We hope that the unforgettable
night the old customs officer is about to experience will
delight spectators and fill them with wonder," said Richard
Dagenais, director of creation at Cirque du Soleil.
A Meeting at Sundown
In a new setting, both physically and artistically, the
international cast of 35 artists hailing from countries such as
Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Canada and the United States, will give
a 50-minute performance.
There is no need to have seen last year's installment of Les
Chemins invisibles to follow this new chapter. There will be
performances Tuesday to Saturday, from June 23 to September 1,
2013 at the Port of Quebec Agora. At twilight, spectators are
welcome to this historic place as follows: June 23 to July 31
starting at 9:15 pm, August 1st to September 1st starting at
8:25 pm.
Unless the weather conditions threaten artists' safety,
performances of Les Chemins invisibles will never be cancelled
but may be presented in a slightly modified format. Rain or
shine, spectators will get to enjoy the show.
{SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil}
Cirque and Macy's join forces for special events
{May.17.2013}
----------------------------------------------------
An Inspiring Partnership: Cirque du Soleil® and Macy's Join
Forces to Bring World-Class Entertainment to Macy's Iconic
Events
Partnership Kicks-off This Summer with Special Performances from
Cirque du Soleil at Macy's Passport Presents Glamorama® and
Continues with a New One-of-a-Kind Float in the 87th Annual
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
# # #
NEW YORK(BUSINESS WIRE)Two of the world's most iconic
entertainment brands join forces to bring awe-inspiring
entertainment to audiences nationwide. The internationally
renowned masters of imagination, Cirque du Soleil® will kick-off
a three-year partnership with Macy's (NYSE:M) this summer that
will bring the unique theatrical flair of Cirque du Soleil to
several of Macy's most iconic events including Macy's Passport
presents Glamorama® and the famed Macy's Thanksgiving Day
Parade.
"We are thrilled to welcome Cirque du Soleil to the Macy's
family of iconic events," said Amy Kule, group vice president,
Macy's Parade & Entertainment Group. She added, "Combining the
unique artistry of Cirque du Soleil with Macy's signature
ability to create magical moments for millions of spectators,
I'm sure that working together will add a fantastic new layer of
imagination to our world-famous spectaculars."
"We are delighted to partner with Macy's for these spectacular
events across the United States and to bring the imagination of
Cirque du Soleil to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," said Mario
D'Amico, chief marketing officer of Cirque du Soleil. "This
creative collaboration between Cirque du Soleil and Macy's will
provide a fantastic platform for both brands, creating a unique
experience for customers."
The magic begins with special performances of select acts from
Cirque du Soleil during this summer's Macy's Passport presents
Glamorama events. Macy's iconic high-fashion and entertainment
extravaganza showcases the latest fashion from the hottest
designers, show-stopping dance, visuals and staging, as well as
incredible musical and other performances. Taking place at
theatres in Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco,
Macy's Glamorama this year is themed "Fashion in a New Light,"
highlighting the mystery and magic of illumination.
The partnership continues later this year with the debut of a
new Cirque du Soleil float and performance in the 87th annual
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. A wonder to behold, the float
will combine the whimsical Macy's Parade magic with the
extraordinary artistry of Cirque du Soleil.
"The creative vision of Cirque du Soleil partnered with Macy's
expertise will allow us to deliver an inspiring experience
during Macy's iconic Parade," said Yasmine Khalil, director of
Special Events, Cirque du Soleil. "This is a fantastic
opportunity for Cirque du Soleil to work with Macy's given their
expertise to design floats and our world-class artistry and
performers."
Macy's Passport presents Glamorama will take place on Aug. 2 in
Minneapolis, Aug. 9 in Chicago; Sept. 12 in Los Angeles; and
Sept. 19 in San Francisco. An exclusive American Express® pre-
sale for Minneapolis and Chicago tickets runs May 30 through
June 5 for American Express cardholders only. Tickets are
available for purchase at www.macys.com/glamtickets.
The 87th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade airs nationwide
on NBC-TV, on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013 from 9 a.m. Noon in all
time zones.
Read the original press release here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/4jRwX >
{SOURCE: EON Business Wire}
SCALADA: A Unique Outdoor Event
{May.20.2013}
----------------------------------------------------
SCALADA is a unique and free outdoor event, developed by Cirque
du Soleil for the Principality of Andorra. Inspired by Andorra's
four seasons, SCALADA will be performed exclusively in the
principality this summer from July 13 until August 3, 2013, at
10:00 p.m.
The show at a glance: To capture people's attention and charm a
group of boaters, the four Seasons enter into a bit of harmless
competition. In turn, but keeping to the natural order Winter,
Spring, Summer, Autumn the Seasons reveal their charms and use
their most beautiful traits to impress. The competition suddenly
becomes more serious, and the Seasons forget the audience that
they are trying so hard to win over. It then falls to the group
of boaters to show the Seasons that they are already involved in
a love affair with Andorra, no matter what the season.
Register today for free tickets:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Wimrb >
Read more about this event at CirqueClub:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/otVdq >
{SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil}
TOTEM Wins 2013 Drama Desk Award!
{May.21.2013}
----------------------------------------------------
Fresh from the Cirque du Soleil Facebook page is this
Announcement...
"TOTEM just won in New York City the Drama Desk Award for
Outstanding Unique Theatrical Experience! Congratulations to
everybody that has been involved with the production since its
creation!"
Also nominated for the "Unique Theatrical Experience Category"
were Bello Mania, Chris March's The Butt-Cracker Suite! A
Trailer Park Ballet, That Pla: A Solo Macbeth, The Fazzino Ride
and The Man Who Laughs.
TOTEM was also nominated in the "Outstanding Projection Design"
category along with Chaplin: The Musical, Old Hats, Here Lies
Love, Checkers and Wild With Happy. The award for Outstanding
Projection Design went to Here Lies Love.
Congrats TOTEM!
See the other winners here:
LINK /// < http://www.dramadeskawards.com/2013-winners.html >
{SOURCE: Drama Desk Awards, Cirque du Soleil}
Criss Angel: Buried Alive?
{May.23.2013}
----------------------------------------------------
Six hours before Criss Angel's "Buried Alive-Cement Grave" stunt
on the Strip on Wednesday night, his fan army of Loyals began to
arrive. They grew to the point that an hour before his planned
10:30 p.m. arrival, rival magician Nathan Burton used Twitter to
report there were 10,000 and more dangerously crowding areas and
roads in and out of The Mirage.
To add to that headache for Metro Police, high winds had picked
up to more than 30 mph, prompting Clark County's Department of
Air Quality to demand building sites take immediate precautions
to curb flying debris of sand, cement powder and other objects.
That instantly caused additional problems for TV cameras set up
by the cement mixer on the Strip.
The crowd was initially moved into five separate staging areas
for their safety in an attempt to lessen the growing traffic
tie-ups. I joined Criss backstage at the Luxor after his Cirque
du Soleil show "Believe" as he prepared for the dangerous
demonstration.
He was calm, meditative and doing breathing exercises. "I'm
ready to roll," he told me, showing me his chest and back that
had been bruised and torn from the stunts he's already pulled
off for this new Spike TV series to debut this fall.
However, as we packed up for the RV to drive over to The Mirage,
the first of a series of warning phone calls arrived. There were
major safety concerns with the size of the crowd. There were
concerns about flying debris. There were concerns about
positioning a standby ambulance at instant entry and exit
points.
Criss was ordered to hold in place while officials, Metro Police
and Spike TV producers discussed how to resolve the unexpected
and growing issues. I watched Criss as he pleaded on the phone
to go ahead, but after an hour of negotiations, the
demonstration was officially shut down.
Read more of the original article here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/yvR6W >
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun}
LVRJ: Cirque's MJ tribute begins ticketed previews
{May.23.2013}
----------------------------------------------------
So you made your first $281 million. Now what do you do for an
encore?
But that was always the challenge for the creators of "Michael
Jackson One," the next phase of Cirque du Soleil's partnership
with the late superstar's estate.
The new show carries over much of the creative team behind
Cirque's hit arena tour "Michael Jackson The Immortal," this
time for a salute to the King of Pop more in line with the
company's other Las Vegas spectacles.
"It really is part two," director Jamie King says of the
Mandalay Bay show that began ticketed previews Thursday,
building to an official opening night June 29. "Being able to
use Michael's catalog in a different way was very exciting and
very challenging."
While "The Immortal" $281.6 million gross to date (counting
presales in Japan) may or may not have surprised its creators,
they've known for three years, from the first announcement of
Cirque's partnership with the Jackson estate, that a Las Vegas
edition would follow.
"The Immortal" set out to create an arena-concert atmosphere
with a live band. But "One" remixes Jackson's actual recordings
in the manner of Cirque's Beatles-themed "Love," and makes full
use of fixed technology and permanent staging, including
holographic-type effects.
"This is really a fairy tale. It's the story of four heroes who
go on a journey," King says. "It is hard to tell a story in a
rock show setting.
Whereas in a theater here at Mandalay Bay,
it's more intimate. So now we can really immerse the audience
with the performers. We can really tell a story and deliver in
that way creatively."
The larger plan may have been mapped out from the beginning, but
many of the details had to wait for ticket-buyer reaction to
"The Immortal."
Cirque took its time before announcing whether the two shows
would carry the same title, how much material would overlap and
whether "Immortal" director Jamie King known for staging arena
tours for pop stars such as Madonna would be entrusted with
the more theatrical follow-up.
Success provided answers. "The Immortal" is still hard-charging
through Asia, so if for no other reason, a new name was needed
to distinguish the two different products, Cirque President
Daniel Lamarre noted in February.
As for King? At one point, Lamarre said the director's
involvement would end with the arena tour. But as "The Immortal"
kept clicking turnstiles around the globe, Lamarre told
reporters in February, "We wanted the content of each show to be
very different, but there was one guy we wanted to keep
because Jamie knows so well the universe of Michael Jackson."
Read the rest of the article here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/XLJXu >
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal}
Michael Jackson... a Hologram?
{May.24.2013}
----------------------------------------------------
It only seems fitting that Michael Jackson, the man who brought
the world "Thriller," was resurrected on a Las Vegas stage late
Thursday nightin the form of a hologram.
The moment occurred toward the end of the first public
performance of Michael Jackson ONE, a joint venture between
Cirque du Soleil and Jackson's estate. The singer's apparition
materialized from a cloud of gold pixie dust and proceeded to
deliver a rousing rendition of "Man In The Mirror."
Throughout the song, Jackson's hologram stomps around the stage
as a coterie of backup dancers swirl around him, moving in
unison like a school of fish with one illusory leader. The
phantom Jackson even executes a move that involves dropping to
one knee and getting back up; he's briefly transformed into a
Jackson 5 era version of himself before evaporating at the
song's end.
When Jackson first appeared onstage, you could feel a swell of
energy ripple through the sellout crowd at Mandalay Bay. It
wasn't accompanied by the volume level of some of the show's
other big moments, almost as if the audience was holding its
collective breath to keep from shattering the fleeting sliver of
hope that this was not an illusion, but the King of Pop himself.
That's the same sort of reaction that Tupac Shakur's hologram
received when it debuted at Coachella last year. Indeed, similar
technology was used for both (technically, they're illusions,
not holograms). But Jackson's actually danced and overlapped
with cohorts onstage; Shakur's merely rapped in the direction of
Snoop Dogg, who was standing ten feet away.
Much was made of Shakur's spectral return and the possibility of
a hologram tour, yet nothing of the sort has progressed beyond
rumor. Shortly after Jeff Jampol (who serves as a consultant to
the Jackson estate) took over management of Shakur's estate, he
downplayed the likelihood of a solo tour for the rapper.
The illusory Jackson, on the other hand, is just one cog in a
vast postmortem performance machine. The Michael Jackson
Immortal World Tour grossed $160 million in it its initial leg,
tops among all North American tours last year.
The new Vegas-based show will be hard-pressed to match
Immortal's results, given that it's based in a 1,800-seat venue,
while the latter fills up basketball arenas.
But if last night was any indication, ONE is headed in the right
direction: according to sources close to the matter, all
performances are sold out through the end of May at an average
ticket price of about $125.
The King of Pop pulled in $145 million in 2012and now with two
Cirque du Soleil shows and a hologram, this year's number should
stay in the stratosphere.
Read the original article here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/CLJvq >
{SOURCE: Forbes.com}
Lighting & Sound Features "One Night for One Drop"
{May.28.2013}
----------------------------------------------------
The technical journal Lighting and Sound America has a feature
in their May 2013 issue about the Cirque/One Drop "One Night
for One Drop" benefit performance. It looks at the show from
a technical perspective, discussing the lighting, sound, and
projection equipment used. It's a look at a Cirque show that
isn't often discussed.
To read the article online (May, 2013 issue, starting at page
53) you need to subscribe to the electronic version, though
it's free. Fill out the information at: < http://goo.gl/Fcukv >
You will then have access to that issue, as well as many others.
{SOURCE: Lighting & Sound}
=======================================================================
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:
Edmonton, AB -- May 29, 2013 to Jun 23, 2013
Denver, CO -- Jul 18, 2013 to Aug 11, 2013
Minneapolis, MN -- Sep 26, 2013 to Oct 20, 2013
San Francisco, CA -- Nov 15, 2013 to Dec 29, 2913
San Jose, CA -- Jan 22, 2014 to Feb 9, 2014
Corteo:
Sao Paulo, BR -- Mar 30, 2013 to Jul 14, 2013
Brasilia, BR -- Aug 1, 2013 to Sep 8, 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:
Bilbao, ES -- May 15, 2013 to Jun 16, 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 Jun 16, 2013
(Going on Hiatus)
Totem:
Philadelphia, PA -- May 30, 2013 to Jun 30, 2013
Ottawa, ON -- Jul 11, 2013 to Aug 2, 2013
Columbus, OH -- Aug 22, 2013 to Sep 15, 2013
Long Beach, CA -- Oct 11, 2013 to Nov 10, 2013
Irvine, CA -- Nov 21, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013
Santa Monica, CA -- Jan 17, 2014 to Feb 9, 2014
Varekai:
San Jose, CR -- May 31, 2013 to Jun 23, 2013
Guadalajara, MX -- Aug 14, 2013 to Aug 28, 2013
Mexico City, mX -- Sep 19, 2013 to Oct 13, 2013
(Going Arena: December 2013)
------------------------------------
ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues
------------------------------------
Alegría:
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
Minsk, BY -- Sep 26, 2013 to Sep 28, 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
Bordeaux, 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
(Closing in Madrid, Dec 22, 2013)
Quidam:
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
Nashville, TN -- Jun 26, 2013 to Jun 30, 2013
Charlotte, NC -- Jul 3, 2013 to Jul 7, 2013
Raleigh, NC -- Jul 10, 2013 to Jul 14, 2013
Fairfax, VA -- Jul 17, 2013 to Jul 21, 2013
Brooklyn, NY -- Jul 24, 2013 to JUl 28, 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
A Coruña, ES -- Dec 25, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013
London, UK -- Jan 4, 2014 to Feb 2, 2014
Toulouse, FR -- Mar 5, 2014 to Mar 9, 2014
Strasbourg, FR -- Mar 12, 2014 to Mar 16, 2014
Toulon, FR -- Mar 19, 2014 to Mar 23, 2014
Lyon, FR -- Apr 2, 2014 to Apr 6, 2014
Dralion:
Guatemala City, GT -- Jun 5, 2013 to Jun 9, 2013
Amneville, FR -- Jul 9, 2013 to Jul 13, 2013
Nice, FR -- Jul 18, 2013 to Jul 28, 2013
Nantes, FR -- Jul 31, 2013 to Aug 4, 2013
Doha, QA -- Sep 18, 2013 to Sep 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
Basel, CH -- Dec 11, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013
Barcelona, ES -- Dec 18, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013
Lisbon, PT -- Jan 1, 2014 to Jan 12, 2014
Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour:
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
Seoul, KR -- Jul 11, 2013 to Jul 14, 2013
Daegu, KR -- Jul 17, 2013 to Jul 21, 2013
Beijing, CN -- Aug 8, 2013 to Aug 11, 2013
Shanghai, CN -- Aug 15, 2013 to Aug 18, 2013
Hong Kong, CN -- Aug 22, 2013 to Aug 25, 2013
Perth, AU -- Sep 18, 2013 to Sep 22, 2013
Sydney, AU -- Sep 26, 2013 to Sep 29, 2013
Brisbane, AU -- Oct 2, 2013 to Oct 6, 2013
Melbourne, AU -- Oct 10, 2013 to Oct 13, 2013
Auclkand, NZ -- Oct 30, 2013 to Nov 3, 2013
Varekai:
Montreal, QC -- Dec 20, 2013 to Dec 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 July 10
o September 5 - 13
o November 6
2013 Added Performances:
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 June 9
o August 7 - 11
o October 6
o December 3 - 17
2013 Added Performances:
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 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 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 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 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 July 9
o August 21 - September 5
o November 5
2013 Added Performances:
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
=======================================================================
{Compiled by Keith Johnson}
---[ ALEGRIA ]---
{May.08}
St. Petersburg Parade (27 photos) - We were overwhelmed with the
warm welcome Alegria received while parading in the streets of
St. Petersburg!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/z8hu5 >
{May.10}
Here is a video montage of the Parade we held in the streets of
St. Petersburg!
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzudNODRrG0 >
{May.11}
Mother's Day (9 photos) - Alegria artists wish Mother's all over
the world a Happy Mother's Day in a very unique way and in their
native languages!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/3JpWe >
{May.11}
Congratulations to ex-Alegria Fire-Knife Dancer, Joseph
Cadousteau for his 2nd time win of the World Fire-Knife
Championship held in Hawai'i. Last year, alongside our current
Fire-Knife Dancer, Micah Naruo, both were crowned group division
champions!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/C6F7a >
{May.12}
Share a special tribute from Alegria to your mom's all around
the world on their special day! Happy Mother's Day from Alegria!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/BhMEe >
{May.15}
Front page of the St. Petersburg Times today! Congrats Alegrians
for stirring such a buzz in the streets of St. Pete's!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/OwseU >
{May.17}
Yesterday, Alegria hosted Ukrainian celebrity Olga Freimuth and
was transformed into the White Singer by one of our White
Singers herself, Mariana Sobol! We also taught her how to act
like the character. Will she run away and join the circus??
LINK /// <http://goo.gl/Jii2N >
{May.18}
Last Days in St. Petersburg (6 photos) - Last few days in St.
Petersburg were big ones for the Alegrians! We were honored to
have Yuri Smekalov from the Mariinsky Ballet come give a dance
workshop to our artists and then followed by a visit backstage
from Slava Polunin, creator of Alegria's "Storm" act and creator
of Slava's Snowshow!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/OnBnI >
{May.24}
Encourage our Russian Bar artists who are working towards doing
the most back saltos consecutively! Yesterday we counted 90!
Guinness Book of World Records we're after you!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/lsBpz >
---[ AMALUNA ]---
{May.01}
Congratulations to our Director Diane Paulus and Pippin' for the
10 Tony Nominations it received yesterday, which included Best
Director and Best Revival of a Musical .The Amaluna family will
be cheering for you on Tony night!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/h2PXi >
{May.03}
In honor of our visit to Calgary, the Calgary Stampede
was gracious enough to White Hat the entire cast & crew of
Amaluna. The White Hat Ceremony is a long-standing tradition in
Calgary, a symbol of their Western hospitality that they like to
share with visiting guests! Hee-Haw Calgary! Thanks so much for
your hospitality. Photo Credit: billmarshphotography.com
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/irlW9 >
{May.12}
From Miranda, her Mother Prospera and everyone here at Amaluna
Happy Mother's Day too all the fabulous moms out there.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/6b6Xl >
{May.28}
Five Fitness Tips from one of our Amazons and our Peacock
Goddess features in Chatelaine online.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Tptgk >
---[ CORTEO ]---
{May.03}
Corteo casts and crews visited Santos FC. and exchanged a signed
Flag and T-shirt with Neymar!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/geSwU >
{May.12}
Mother's Day (3 photos) -Happy Mother's day from Corteo!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/sIJeo >
---[ DRALION ]---
{May.17}
Press conference in Guatemala - May 15 (11 photos) - Dralion
will make its debut in Guatemala on June 5, 2013 in Guatemala
City, Guatemala.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Urr09 >
{May.23}
A high five to Josh (Head of Lights), Paul (Head of Automation)
and Seb (Sound technician) for 5 years with Cirque du Soleil.
Keep up the great work guys!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ie8h7 >
---[ KOOZA ]---
{May.03}
Yesterday, some Kooza performers went to Knokke in Belgium in
order to promote our show...Kooza opens in Knokke on July 17!
Here's an article published in the Nieuwsblad newspaper.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/mqT37 >
{May.08}
Loving our Kooza branded tramways in Bilbao!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/mJWWj >
{May.12}
Happy Mother's Day from Kooza!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Xw2oF >
{May.17}
El Corte Ingles Event - Bilbao 2013 (4 photos) - Kooza's
Trickster and Innocent unveiled a Kooza window in Bilbao's
department store El Corte Ingles!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/U5tbD >
{May.21}
Here's a video we did last week in Bilbao during our premiere
night! Enjoy!
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7nwHaa1hmk >
{May.22}
Kooza Day in Bilbao - May 21, 2013 (5 photos) -Aqui os dejamos
algunas fotos del dia Kooza que organizamos el 21 de Mayo en
Bilbao.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/hxb4S >
{May.29}
Kooza at the Guggenheim Museum - Bilbao 2013 (4 photos) - Kooza
went for a special performance at the beautiful Guggenheim
Museum in Bilbao.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/DaxxG >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/aXCm5 >
---[ LA NOUBA ]---
{May.28}
Do you know which character wears these shoes in La Nouba?
(Answer: The Maid)
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Iitm4 >
---[ MJ IMMORTAL ]---
{May.10}
A sold out crowd in Saitama, Japan helped us celebrate our 300th
show tonight! Thank you for being an amazing audience and
congratulations to the cast and crew!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/DnNCF >
{May.21}
60 Minutes visited the tour in Barcelona and got a great look
backstage!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/W5QHt >
{May.30}
Meet the Band: Darrell Smith recently joined the tour on keys
and as the leader of the IMMORTAL band. He has an impressive
career having worked with music icons such as Janet Jackson,
Stevie Nicks, Cher, and more!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/tmiTb >
---[ MJ ONE ]---
{May.02}
Set off on a theatrical adventure through the spirit and music
of Michael Jackson as the minds behind Michael Jackson ONE by
Cirque du Soleil take you inside the show's creation.
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doR0FH-wC_k >
{May.07}
We've just unveiled Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil!
Here's a look at what you can expect from the show when it opens
at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on May 23!
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEkjxWTyf5E >
{May.08}
Michael Jackson ONE Press Event (9 photos) - Michael Jackson ONE
press event opening at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino May 23!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/uqq9L >
---[ OVO ]---
{May.08}
HAPPY BIRTHDAY OVO!!!!!! It has been already 4 years since we
opened in Montreal! Thank you to everybody who came to see the
show! You guys are the best fans!!!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/V0xyZ >
{May.08}
The cast and crew received cupcakes last night to celebrate the
4th anniversary of OVO!!! Nice treat!!!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Zk5L2 >
{May.17}
Do you want to learn a little bit more about love on tour? Read
the amazing story of Safarbek and Olena, a Scarab and a Flea who
fell in love on OVO.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/LhVQR >
{May.25}
Cirque du Soleil Masks (9 photos) - G'day Perth! We received new
masks and a special Ladybug figurine. Make sure you stop by the
OVO Boutique before you leave the Big Top!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/75gLQ >
{May.28}
Our artists are very environmentally friendly. They always use
the same cup. This prevents us from using hundreds of plastic or
paper cups per day.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/RX2Av >
---[ QUIDAM ]---
{May.04}
Monkey see monkey does our Diabolo performer is such a little
trickster! If you could play a trick on one Quidam character,
which one would you choose and what would you do???
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/V7ekY >
{May.11}
Guess where Quidam is playing next??? We're sooo excited!
(Answer: Orlando. Drawing done by Zoe character artisrt).
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/WWg10 >
---[ THE BEATLES LOVE ]---
{May.20}
All you need is love and a trip to The Mirage Hotel and Casino
to see our new The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil building
wrap!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Ei4Lk >
---[ TOTEM ]---
{May.02}
TOTEM in the streets of NYC!!! (19 photos) On April 26, 15
characters from TOTEM embarked on a journey on a double decker
bus to surprise tourists and locals in 5 New York City landmark
locations!! Photo credit: Yann arnaud photography
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/MQtW9 >
{May.03}
To celebrate the success of our New York City run, TOTEM
characters embarked on a Double Decker bus on April 26 and
visited various landmark locations in Manhattan! Watch this
video recap as if you were on the bus with us!
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxsCi7MMUdQ
{May.15}
TOTEM Comic Actor Pippo Crotti created this inspiring
motivational video based on an Arnold Schwarzenegger's speech
"Six Secrets To Success" featuring TOTEM Rings Trio performer
and World Fitness Champion Alevtyna Titarenko! Enjoy!
LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oWIZDn_2vw >
{May.21}
The big top is up in the Greater Philadelphia Area! (7 photos)
On May 20, 2013, the Cirque du Soleil technical team raised the
TOTEM blue-and-yellow big top at the base of the Benjamin
Frankin Bridge in Camden, NJ. at Camden Waterfront.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Id41E >
{May.23}
The TOTEM double decker buses are up and running in
Philadelphia! Performances from May 30 - June 30 at the Camden
Waterfront!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ZAudS >
{May.29}
Promotional street team - That's it Philadelphia! Our
promotional street team is now done for the day. Wish us luck
for our premier tonight and we hope to see you under TOTEM's big
top! in Philadelphia, PA.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/0VHeg >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/rPUhc >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/KAtj3 >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/13PQ9 >
=======================================================================
COMPARTMENTS -- A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN
=======================================================================
o) HISTORIA - Cirque Company History
o) ODYSSEA - Cirque Tour History
------------------------------------
HISTORIA: Cirque Company History
------------------------------------
* Jun.02.2006 -- LOVE Premiered at Mirage (Previews Begin)
* Jun.02.2007 - Ernst & Young named Cirque du Soleil CEO Guy Laliberté
"World Entrepreneur of 2007."
* Jun.02.2010 - Cirque du Soleil releases iPhone application
* Jun.03.2008 - Name of of "Cirque Tokyo 2008" Announced "ZED"
* Jun.04.2008 -- Cirque Partners with YuuZoo, Video Sharing site
* Jun.06.2002 - Region 02 DVD release: Dralion
* Jun.10.2002 - Official Title of 13-episode TV series announced
"Fire Within", previously titled "A Fly on the Wall"
* Jun.11.2002 -- Alegría Extended CD Released (BMG/CDS Musique)
* Jun.12.2007 - La Nouba celebrated 4000th performance [Tuesday, 6:00pm]
* Jun.13.2002 - Announcement of NY-NY and MGM-Grand Shows
* Jun.14.2003 - Varekai premiered on BRAVO at 8:00pm EST
* Jun.14.2005 -- Quidam CD Released (CDS Musique)
* Jun.16.1984 - Official Birth date of Cirque du Soleil
* Jun.16.2002 - Dralion burglarized in Portland; stealing $11,000
* Jun.16.2003 - Mystère celebrated 4500th performance [Monday, 7:30pm]
* Jun.16.2004 - MGM-Mirage and Mandalay Resort Group merged
* Jun.19.2008 - La Nouba celebrated 4500th performance [Thursday, 6:00pm]
* Jun.22.1999 -- La Nouba CD Released in Canada (RCA/Victor)
* Jun.22.2005 - Entertainment Complexes in Montréal announced
* Jun.24.2004 - Quidam opened Calgary
* Jun.24.2008 - Koozå CD Released US/Canada
* Jun.27.2004 - Mystère celebrated 5000th performance [Sunday, 7:30pm]
* Jun.29.1999 -- La Nouba CD Released in US (RCA/Victor)
* Jun.30.2006 -- LOVE Gala Premiere (Previews End)
* Jun.30.2008 - BELIEVE officially delayed (#1)
------------------------------------
ODYSSEA: Cirque Tour History
------------------------------------
* Jun.02.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Sacramento, CA
* Jun.02.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Glasgow, UK
* Jun.02.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Abbotsford, BC
* Jun.02.2011 -- Quidam Arena opened London, ON
* Jun.03.2004 -- Dralion opened Vienna
* Jun.03.2004 -- Varekai opened Denver
* Jun.03.2005 -- Dralion opened Rotterdam
* Jun.03.2010 -- Koozå opened Seattle, WA
* Jun.04.2003 -- Alegría opened Calgary
* Jun.04.2008 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Kelwona, BC
* Jun.05.2003 -- Saltimbanco opened Cologne, DE
* Jun.05.2008 -- Quidam opened Màlaga, ES
* Jun.05.2008 -- Varekai opened Berlin, DE
* Jun.05.2012 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Catania, IT
* Jun.06.2000 -- Dralion opened Denver, CO
* Jun.06.2012 -- Alegría Arena opened Hanover, DE
* Jun.06.2012 -- Dralion Arena opened Syracuse, NY
* Jun.06.2012 -- Quidam Arena opened Toledo, OH
* Jun.07.1985 -- Grand Tour 1985 opened Sherbrooke, QC
* Jun.07.1992 -- Fascination opened Nagoya, JP
* Jun.07.2012 -- Varekai opened Curitiba, BR
* Jun.08.2011 -- Quidam Arena opened Hamilton, ON
* Jun.08.2012 -- Koozå opened Phoenix, AZ
* Jun.09.1994 -- Alegría opened Ste-Foy, QC
* Jun.09.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Rio Rancho, NM
* Jun.09.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Manchester, UK
* Jun.09.2011 -- Alegría Arena opened Louisville, KY
* Jun.10.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Saint John, NB
* Jun.10.2012 -- Totem opened Boston, MA
* Jun.11.2008 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Kamloops, BC
* Jun.12.2002 -- Alegría opened Denver
* Jun.12.2002 -- Dralion opened Portland, WA
* Jun.12.2008 -- Corteo opened Vancouver
* Jun.13.1992 -- Saltimbanco opened Ste Foy, QC
* Jun.13.2012 -- Alegría Arena opened Nurmberg, DE
* Jun.13.2012 -- Corteo opened Antwerp, BE
* Jun.13.2012 -- Dralion Arena opened Bridgeport, CT
* Jun.13.2012 -- Quidam Arena opened Rockford, IL
* Jun.15.1995 -- Alegría opened Halifax, NS
* Jun.15.2011 -- Alegría Arena opened Nashville, TN
* Jun.15.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Portland, OR
* Jun.15.2011 -- Quidam Arena opened Wilkes-Barre, PA
* Jun.15.2011 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Hobart, AU
* Jun.15.2011 -- Totem opened Montreal, QC
* Jun.16.1984 -- Grand Tour 1984 opened Gaspé, QC
* Jun.16.1995 -- Alegría opened Toronto, ON
* Jun.16.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Cypress, TX
* Jun.16.2011 -- Corteo opened Valencia, ES
* Jun.17.2010 -- Ovo opened Hartford, CT
* Jun.17.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Birmingham, UK
* Jun.17.2010 -- Varekai opened Frankfurt, DE
* Jun.18.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened Toronto, ON
* Jun.18.1999 -- Quidam opened Berlin, DE
* Jun.18.2008 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Edmonton, AB
* Jun.19.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened St. John's, NL
* Jun.20.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Ste-Foy
* Jun.20.2002 -- Quidam opened Detroit, MI
* Jun.20.2008 -- Alegría opened Buenos Aires
* Jun.20.2012 -- Alegría Arena opened Vienna, AT
* Jun.20.2012 -- Dralion Arena opened Rosemont, IL
* Jun.20.2012 -- Quidam Arena opened St. Louis, MO
* Jun.21.1985 -- Grand Tour 1985 opened Ottawa, ON
* Jun.21.2001 -- Saltimbanco opened Osaka, JP
* Jun.22.2001 -- Dralion opened Chicago, IL
* Jun.22.2006 -- Dralion opened Malaga
* Jun.22.2006 -- Varekai opened Vancouver
* Jun.22.2007 -- Corteo opened Denver
* Jun.22.2011 -- Alegría Arena opened Tampa, FL
* Jun.22.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Victoria, BC
* Jun.22.2011 -- Quidam Arena opened Ottawa, ON
* Jun.22.2011 -- Varekai opened Manila, PH
* Jun.23.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened St. Paul, MN
* Jun.24.1999 -- Dralion opened Quebec, QC
* Jun.24.2004 -- Quidam opened Calgary, BC
* Jun.25.1992 -- Fascination opened Hiroshima, JP
* Jun.25.2004 -- Saltimbanco opened Gijon, ES
* Jun.25.2008 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Saskatoon, SK
* Jun.25.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Tampa, FL
* Jun.26.2005 -- Alegría opened Osaka
* Jun.26.2008 -- Koozå opened Chicago
* Jun.26.2010 -- Corteo opened St. Petersburg, RU
* Jun.26.2012 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Aman, JO
* Jun.27.1989 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Ste-Foy, ON
* Jun.27.2002 -- Varekai opened Quebec City
* Jun.27.2012 -- Dralion Arena opened Chicago, IL
* Jun.27.2012 -- Quidam Arena opened Indianapolis, IN
* Jun.28.1984 -- Grand Tour 1984 opened Jonquière, QC
* Jun.28.2007 -- Quidam opened Shanghai, CN
* Jun.29.2011 -- Alegría Arena opened Jacksonville, FL
* Jun.29.2011 -- Dralion Arena opened Penticton, BC
* Jun.29.2011 -- Ovo opened Chicago, IL
* Jun.29.2012 -- Alegría Arena opened Belgrade, RS
* Jun.30.2005 -- Corteo opened Quebec City
* Jun.30.2005 -- Varekai opened East Rutherford
* Jun.30.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Toronto, ON
* Jun.30.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Newcastle, UK
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
o) INTERVIEW /// "ALAIN VINET: Facilitating the Journey"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
o) CIRQUE MUSIQUE: AN OVERVIEW
"Part Two - Singles, Remixes & Associated Music"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
INTERVIEW /// "ALAIN VINET: Facilitating the Journey"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
At the conclusion of our interview with the Amaluna CD
composing/production team of Bob & Bill (Guy Dubuk and Marc Lessard),
(which appeared last month in Fascination!, available here:
http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=2370) they suggested a
conversation with Cirque du Soleil Musical Director Alain Vinet would
shed more light on the production of the Amaluna CD, since he co-
produced with the team. What a great idea! So in December, 2012, we
contacted him and talked again (our prior interview with Mr. Vinet can
be found here: http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=1597) What started
as a conversation about the Amaluna CD and the recent compilation, "Le
Best of 2," that he also produced, also delved into many other topics
in a wide-ranging discussion.
Devoted Cirque music fans might have noticed that the Amaluna CD, as
well as the CD for Totem, appeared for sale very quickly, a span of
about 7 months from premiere date. This is a change from previous
Cirque CD's, which have appeared approximately a year after premiere.
The thinking behind this was that shows had to go through the
"fixation" process during the first few months of its life where
music might change, some pieces might be discarded or new pieces
written before the CD could properly reflect the music of the show
going forward. But the speed with which the team worked and
satisfaction with the music meant this didn't apply to Amaluna. "I
credit that to Bob and Bill, they work really, really fast," explained
Mr. Vinet. "For Amaluna they only had 4 1/2 months to compose the
whole show. And by [premiere] the band was already playing everything;
the numbers, the transitions, everything. So they work incredibly
fast. In this case we were able to get a "GO" to record the CD early
on because Guy was so happy with the music. That's why we got it out
in a little under a year."
Only 4 1/2 months to compose the show, why so short a time?
"Originally it was a woman composer, but at one point she was not
getting where Guy wanted her to be. And we only had 4 1/2 months to go
and we knew Mark and Guy could make the deadline. And to start [over]
with somebody that doesn't know us four months before premiere, it
would not have worked."
That there was originally a female composer for Amaluna was previously
unknown to us, though it makes sense since it is a female-centric show
and a female composer would be a natural choice. But it isn't the
first time a composer has been replaced during creation, especially
late in the process. Cirque fans might be aware that long-time Cirque
composer Benoit Jutras (who discussed his replacement in our interview
here: http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=2417 ) was replaced during
the creation process for KÀ by another long-time Cirque composer René
Dupéré (who discussed his assignment on KÀ in our interview here:
http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=32 ). When we commented to Mr.
Vinet that Amaluna faced a similar situation he laughed and said,
"Yes, definitely!"
Creation of any CD starts not in the recording studio but in an
Executive Producers office, in this case the offices of Executive
Producers Jacque Methe and Francois Bergeron. "They are basically [in
charge] of the production of CDs. They are the ones that "produce" it
in the typical sense of the word, which means they control the money
so we can produce the CD. In French "produceur" means exactly that,
the person that handles the budget and all that. Stephan is Jacque's
assistant, his right-hand man. If Jacque's too busy on too many
projects Stephan takes over and gives him an account."
"In the case of the Amaluna CD I'm not only Cirque's Musical Director
but I'm also a Co-Producer." And his role included deep involvement
in the arrangement of the music on the CD. "In the show there are
some themes that are recurrent. What I decided to do was combine those
themes together so that we could have the same scene but go through
different moods, kind of like a progressive rock album. [So] you can
have a song that first starts in a certain tempo and goes up and goes
down, like a journey."
Though the three work together as a team, was it mostly Bob & Bill
handling the recording and Alain Vinet handling the mixing? "Kind
of," replies Mr. Vinet. "Because they took a break in early July.
That's when I took over, [when] we were mixing. But I did spend quite
a few sessions with them combining the songs and doing the editing
work. And sitting down with them and discussing - okay, this goes
here, that goes there. And once they did the re-work I [would come]
back and listen and chop a couple of bars here and there just to make
it more coherent, because in some cases they were big pieces. We were
joining two or three pieces together from different parts of the show
that each last 5-6-8 minutes apiece. So we had to make something
shorter [that] still made sense."
"So I spent quite a bit of time with Mark and Guy (Bob and Bill)
[early on]. Then when they left I spent two weeks with Rob Heaney,
our mixing engineer in the mixing studio. And then I left and they
came back and put the finishing touches on. And I was able to give
comments on the mixes. We did the mastering and then had to go back
and make some corrections to the mix. But we had a short time to
produce it, because we wanted to get the CD ready for the Vancouver
premiere which was in late November, 2012. So I spent a lot of time
and put a lot of myself into production of the record."
The production had to be quick to meet the deadline of having the CD
available for sale when Amaluna opened in Vancouver, BC on November
22nd. "Since they saw that we could actually do it and pull it off,
they said let's do it for Vancouver. So right after the show premiered
Mark and Guy started work on the album, doing all the recordings while
the band was in Montréal, so we saved a lot of money right there. It
was fresh in their minds and we just basically recorded the same
structure as the show. And then we edited [based on] that."
Bob & Bills' previous production of the Totem CD involved recording
themselves as well as the show musicians and then choosing which
version or track worked best. That wasn't the case this time. "Guy
(Laliberté) had insisted that the musicians be part of the CD. Because
you know how Mark is a drummer and Guy plays the keyboards, they had a
lot of stuff recorded that we could have used. But since Guy insisted
that he really wanted to have the feel of the band, we recorded the
band all together so we could get that feel of everyone in the same
room playing - a band feeling - and did overdubs over that. The takes
are amazing, the basic tracks already sounded good after recording."
And the CD really rocks, with a musical landscape far different from
the one the same composers created for Totem. But this was by design.
"It was Guy's wish for Totem to have more of a world feel, but for
Amaluna he wanted something that rocked. The fact that it's an all-
girl band, I really wanted to get the raunchiness out of the band. We
were lucky because the band, all the girls, were seasoned musicians.
They knew their stuff right away. We could have asked them to wait and
let them digest the show a little bit more but the groove was already
there so we just went for it."
Recording the show band early in the show's run, in Montréal, saved
money as well as time. But with them also committed to the show (and
its 7-to-10-shows-a-week schedule), was it difficult to schedule them
for recording? "It's not hard to get them; it's difficult to work
around their schedules. More and more when they have dark days they
want to take a break. So [we recorded for] one or two sessions on days
when they only had one show. When they have to play two or three shows
it's tough to get them into sessions, so in that sense it's a little
bit harder. But we have somebody that schedules it and in the end it
all works."
One of the nice touches to the CD are the cameo appearances by Cirque
show artists on the tracks that feature their acts music. But it's
not surprising. "If you look at our track record, especially with
Mark and Guy, remember they produced the Kooza CD and had one of the
clowns come in and do some bits. We can't do it with everybody, but
(for example, juggler) Victor (Kee) being such a prominent character
in the show and one of us for a while, it was fun to have him do the
"Ouch!" thing (on "Mutation") it was funny."
The CD also features four songs sung in English, including the lead-
off track, "All Come Together," which appears in a shortened Cirquish-
language version as "Magic Ceremony 1" on the Le Best of 2 CD. "The
idea behind that was that Guy [wanted] a couple of singles since
Amaluna is a rock-influenced soundtrack. He asked [if we could] do a
couple of songs in English so we did that. But since I had to produce
the Le Best of 2 CD before we had the English vocal takes (for "All
Come Together"), we used the Cirquish. And it's not the same
arrangement as the album the intro is shorter. I would call it the
"radio edit." The Cirquish version is the version used in all the
ads, because the show is in Cirquish."
What are his favorites from the Amaluna CD? ""Enchanted Reunion" is
one I like a lot because it goes through so many different phases but
keeps the same theme. The title song, "All Come Together," has always
been one of my favorites; I like both the English and the Cirquish
versions. I [also] really like "Hope," it's [sung by] the actual
artist that does the Cerceaux act (Marie-Michelle Faber)."
We had heard rumors that Amaluna was videotaped for DVD, which Mr.
Vinet confirmed. "We are producing it right now. What happened,
especially with Ovo, [was] the Cirque 3-D movie ("World's Away"),
[which] is an attempt to expand the marketplace. That whole deal
happened at about the same time as Ovo was going to be filmed.
Everybody was really excited with the 3-D aspect of it. So we wanted
to do a test, [and that] became "World's Away."
"There was an attempt to look into filming both Ovo and Totem. But one
of them had conflicts with the amount of space needed to put in the
mobile recording equipment, and then it became difficult to schedule.
So we don't know what the future of that will be because there has
been a lot of structural change [going on] at Cirque right now. We're
facing a new economic reality like everyone else, although we are
doing it a few years late. At this point I couldn't tell you what's
going to happen with Totem and Ovo. All I know is right now we have
finally decided to make [the DVD of] Amaluna. Then we are going to
see if they decide to go back and do Totem and Ovo."
(ED. Note: To bring us up to date, we asked friend of Fascination!,
Chantal Côte, Cirque Corporate PR Manager, about the current state of
the Amaluna video. "The Amaluna DVD is not intended for home
distribution yet. It is a TV special (one-hour show) that is starting
to air on some networks in Canada, South America and Europe but not in
the USA since we are still touring there. Eventually (no date yet)
this TV special will be available on DVD under the big top only." So
we will be seeing the show on DVD at some point, but only in a
truncated one-hour version. We had hoped it would be a record of the
entirety of this beautiful show, but it sounds like that is not to
be.)
However, the flirtation with 3-D does not carry over to the Amaluna
DVD. "Yes, a standard DVD production it's really a budget
consideration. A DVD, the way we used to make them, can cost about $1
million to produce. But then we sell them for $25. (ED: At that price
point a Cirque DVD would require sales of more than 40,000 copies to
recoup its budget). A CD may be budgeted at between $100,000-$200,000
and we will sell them for $15. (ED: At that price point a CD would
only need sales of a bit more than 13,300 copies to recoup its
budget). Even with the $10 difference [in purchase price] between
those two products there is 5 to 10 times the expense. For me as a
music guy it's cool because we only have the CD available for both
(Ovo and Totem), so they sell well because we don't have competition
from the DVD. And in both cases they are very representative of the
shows. We tried to stay as close as possible to the shows."
MORE OF THE BEST
----------------
The "Le Best of 2" compilation of Cirque music assembled by Mr. Vinet,
is his second Cirque-music compilation after the "25" 2-CD set
celebrating 25 years of Cirque du Soleil. We commented that it's
programmed almost like a waltz; a quick song followed by two slow
songs, then a quick one followed by two more slow songs, etc. "When
you produce a compilation like that you have to have some sort of
trip, going up and down and up and down. My first idea for the CD was
to follow in the footsteps of what had been done with the first one,
keeping it more poetic. But then I got constrained because of the fan
contest to pick one of the tracks, so we ended up with the KÀ song
("Pageant") which was really intense. So I just couldn't use all
poetic songs while also having this one song that was very dynamic. So
I remodeled it, trying to have at least one song per show. The first
CD was not made with that in mind, and I thought that we missed out on
some songs that should have been there that didn't make the cut. So I
tried to spread it out but keep the poetic feeling of the first one in
mind. But 10 years later it's a different product. The circumstances
and the shows are different than what we had when we did the first
one. I arrived [at] the Cirque organization around that time, [though]
I'd been affiliated with them longer if you look at the parties (where
he DJ'd) and all of that. So I [watched] it happen but I didn't know
as much about Cirque music as I know today."
"I did maybe three passes at it. Because the first idea was trying to
make it more of a chill poetic CD. And then they came to me with the
contest idea so I had to change it. But this one I did pretty much on
my own. It's more of a compilation than a product that reflected a
benchmark. "25" was about 25 years of Cirque so obviously I had to
consult more with Guy and Gilles. On this one I just proposed a couple
of things and was pretty much left on my own. The idea behind it
[was] that you could press play and listen to the whole thing and it
takes you on a journey."
The "contest" Mr. Vinet refers to involved having fans vote on one
song that would be included in the "Le Best of 2" CD. After all the
votes were counted, the top five vote getters were as follows - note
they were all "dynamic" selections except for "Pearl":
o) "Omé Yo Kanoubé" from Totem 187 votes 3.6%
o) "Pearl" from Kooza 287 votes 6.1%
o) "Banquete" from Ovo 886 votes 18.8%
o) "Omé Kayo" from Totem - 1,354 votes 28.8%
o) WINNER: "Pageant" from KÀ 1,975 votes 42.1%
o) Total votes 4,689 for the top five entries.
With KÀ's "Pageant," a faster, energetic, "dynamic" song needing to
appear on the CD, that meant Mr. Vinet had to change his original plan
to make it more of a "poetic" CD in the vein of "Le Best of 1." "It
was give and take. The rest of the compilation I was pretty much able
to do what I wanted. Regardless that I wasn't able to just do a
strictly poetic CD, I still picked tracks that were melodic even if
they were a little bit more dynamic than I originally intended, so
there's a nice balance. I've been a DJ all my life, and I'm a strong
believer in flow - peaks and valleys. And if you listen to a CD from
one end to the other you [can feel] those peaks and those rests."
Two tracks here also appeared on the "25" compilation, "Piece of
Heaven" from Zumanity and "Beyond the Clouds" from Wintuk. Other than
that there are no repeats between "25" and Le Best of 1 or 2. The
usage of the same songs, he explains, was out of necessity. "[With]
Zumanity it's hard to pick a track because they either have screaming
women or it's talking and not really a song. There are only so many
nice melodies on the CD. Wintuk is the same thing; the songs were
created to go with the action. I was trying to find something that
suited the groove that I had already, so I landed on the same two
songs."
We also noticed, in addition to the "radio edit" of "All Come
Together" from Amaluna (appearing as "Magic Ceremony 1") that the Zaia
track, "Noi," has a different intro than on the original CD. "That
was because I wanted to eliminate the guy talking on the album
[intro]. And I fixed the fade in, because if you listen to the album
version the piano just fades in. So I used a piece of the piano that
appeared on the original demo and pasted it in so that I have it as
the intro."
Four songs, nearly a third of the album, are from shows that are now
closed: Zaia, Zed, Wintuk and Iris. But this didn't enter into his
thinking. "When I look at the way I did this, it's not necessarily
promo material for shows; this is more like a musical look into the
world of our shows. Because even though the shows don't exist anymore
those songs still exist. And I use them for special events and other
stuff. And it is a recap of what has been done since the first Le Best
Of 1, so I didn't concern myself too much with the shows that were
stopping. Plus I couldn't put anything from The Beatles Love or Viva
Elvis or Michael Jackson Immortal on there since this was really a
Cirque[-focused] thing. And since Zed and Zaia both have so many
beautiful melodies it made sense to have songs from those shows on
this CD."
Fortunately, while the closed shows physical CD's may go out of print,
they may well live on forever on ITunes and other digital platforms.
"I would believe so, because I don't believe Cirque would say no to
money. Because we've paid for the show's production and that's another
way we can recoup our money, because the show only lasted for three
years instead of 15. So I imagine they would keep them up there."
OTHER WORLDS
------------
While we had him on the line, we had to ask about other possible
Cirque CD projects. Our first question was whether the film, "World's
Away," might see a CD release? "No I don't think so; it's not in the
plans. I suggested it, but it's so much money to do it [properly].
Cirque has to do things [properly], so every time we create a new
master we have to pay everybody, which in this case is an orchestra.
So 80 musicians would have to be paid. So it would cost an arm and a
leg to produce that record."
The music to the film, as those who have seen it can attest, is
beautifully arranged full-orchestra versions of several songs from the
Cirque canon, as well as some original connecting material composed by
Benoit Jutras. This is more than just using CD versions. "We went a
little bit further actually. We used the old cues but with a full
orchestra to replace the plastic strings. [Those] sounded really bad
because they were made in the 90's. And all the KÀ stuff is full
orchestra."
And what about Zarkana, which recently found its new permanent home at
Aria in Las Vegas? "The album will be in Cirquish. Maybe some songs
will be in English because that's how they were originally created.
Nick Littlemore, the composer, is producing the album right now. That
CD should be out sometime in the spring." (ED Note: The current plan
is to release the CD towards the end of July.)
Zarkana has an interesting musical history, from the music produced to
promote it to the language it was sung in. "When Zarkana started in
New York we produced one [song as a] single ("Whenever"). We even did
remixes that kind of got lost. First [the show] was in English, now
that it's in Las Vegas it's in Cirquish. Right after it left New York
the first year we changed it, bringing it back to more of a Cirque
show and not a Broadway show. Because it first played at Radio City
Music Hall on Broadway, that's why we first did it in English. When it
left New York we changed it to Cirquish."
Cirque also released the Eric Serra-composed music to Criss Angel
Believe, albeit with a red warning band on the cover specifying the
music was from September 2008 through September 2009 (the "Believe
1.0" production). With the significant revamping Believe has
undergone, essentially creating "Believe 2.0," is any of the music on
that CD in the show now? "Believe is a tricky one. Criss Angel is
quite a peculiar character. From the beginning Criss wanted to work
with his team, his music team and all that. Cirque came in with a
composer, Eric Serra, who is the guy that does all the Luc Bessan
movies, more of a cinema-oriented composer. And [initially] the show
was more of a cinematic show, but Criss wanted to do his TV show on
stage. The new version works better for him, but it isn't a Cirque
show. Right now what I believe is happening is that he changed
whatever music he wanted but [according to his contract] Eric Serra
still gets paid for the music that he composed. Eric worked on it for
a long time, to tell you the truth. But I know who Criss worked with
on the new music, because Criss wanted to work with them in the first
place. That's pretty much what happened. The label that was on the CD
normally I don't really touch that was at Criss's request, so
people don't mistake the music that's on the CD, which is all Eric
Serra's compositions, with what's in the show. He didn't want to
confuse people that see the show."
The current trend of a quicker release of a CD show soundtrack was
also followed by Epic for their release of Michael Jackson Immortal,
and by RCA for their release of Viva Elvis. "Those I didn't really
handle. With Viva Elvis I was a little bit involved. But for Michael
Jackson Immortal I didn't touch anything; Sony has the rights to
everything so it was easy to get it out quickly, because basically
they were using the arrangements that Michael Antunes did for the
show. All they had to do was a final mix and that was it. It's not
like they re-recorded all the musicians; everything was already there.
I was surprised actually; it's a cool CD but like I said I didn't
touch it at all."
"With Viva Elvis I was at least involved in the process, but then
again the arrangements were already done. There was a little bit of
editing as far as the length of some of the songs were concerned;
since we don't have the images we don't need 8 min. songs."
FACING REALITY
--------------
The current economic climate, especially the deep recession of 2008,
has finally been felt by Cirque du Soleil and has brought about
several changes to Cirque's operations. Las Vegas was hit especially
hard though some touring shows were able to weather the downturn
better than others. We've heard about layoffs, shortening of shows by
cutting acts, and other steps the company has taken to reduce costs.
In addition, the closing of 6 shows during that period were keenly
felt. When we talked back in December, Mr. Vinet discussed what was
on the horizon for Cirque. "We will be [restructuring] a little bit
starting in January. Since the middle of last year there's been a real
hold on budgets. Because shows closed, we had a rough year. The last
two or three years have been pretty rough. The higher you are the
farther you fall."
"We wanted to see how hard we were going to get hit," explains Mr.
Vinet when asked about Cirque's slow reaction to new economic
realities. "And that's why we're a little bit late compared to
everybody else. The rest of the company was able to swing it and we
didn't want to rush. But then with six shows closing, all for
different reasons - that's the worst. And now we are also closing
Saltimbanco on December 30, and that's one less income coming in."
But Cirque continues to create and innovate, even in an atmosphere of
belt-tightening. "You will see some announcements soon that Cirque is
looking at other aspects, other media as well because we have such a
big bank of creations and creators. And we're limited by the number of
shows we can produce, especially with the world economy the way it is
right now."
And Mr. Vinet himself continues to create and innovate, moving into
greater job responsibilities within the Cirque organization. "[I have]
kept on progressing as far as being involved in new and bigger
projects for the core of the company. Rather than just special events
we do production etc. So now I'm moving with one foot in each - one
foot in special events, production, artistic direction, etc., and the
other foot in everything else, new shows, new ventures. We're opening
up a nightclub in Las Vegas ("Light" at Mandalay Bay) with some
partners, and some other stuff that is not a Cirque show that will be
announced later on." This allows him to express himself creatively at
the company in new and different ways. "It has to be like that.
Because otherwise it would get boring, it would get stale. And for an
artist you can't do machine-like things for too long."
A SHORT EGO-BOOSTING EPILOGUE
-----------------------------
While we here at Fascination! produce our zine out of our interest
and respect for Cirque du Soleil, it is always nice to get feedback,
both complimentary and constructive. It is rare that we get feedback
of either kind, so to be recognized in a positive way is always a
pleasant surprise. It is in that vein, then, that in a wholesale
example of rampant ego-boosting, we present this quote from Mr. Vinet.
"Your interviews are always really in-depth, you know your subject,
obviously you spend time studying it. It's cool for me because I know
that at least one person did the exercise."
Okay, enough ego-boo. Time to get back on the Nautilus.
CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST!
--------------------------
We have ONE copy of the Amaluna Soundtrack to give away! And for that
we have a Cirque trivia question.
--Which artist (other than Cirque du Soleil itself), was signed to
Cirque du Soleil Musique, and what was the name of the CD that
resulted?
RULES: Correct spelling is important!
Send your entry to: < contest@cirquefascination.com >.
Deadline is June 20, 2013. If multiple entries get the answer right,
there will be a random drawing. We will contact the winner for their
mailing address after June 20.
Good Luck!
# # #
Cirque CD's mentioned in this article: Amaluna (2012, CDS Musique
CDSMCD-10046), Le Best of Volume Two (2012, CDS Musique CDSMCD-10045),
Iris (2011, CDS Musique CDSMCD-10042), Michael Jackson Immortal (2011,
Epic 88697-93394), Viva Elvis (2010, RCA 88697-77582), Totem (2010,
CDS Musique CDSMC-10034), Zed (2009, CDS Musique CDSMCD-10031), "25"
(2009, CDS Musique CDSMCD-10030), Zaia (2009, CDS Musique CDSMCD-
10029), Kooza (2008, CDS Musique CDSMCD-10028), Wintuk (2007, CDS
Musique CDSMCD-10027), The Beatles LOVE (2006, Capitol 09463-79808),
Zumanity (2004, CDS Musique CDSMCD-10023), Le Best Of Volume One
(2004, CDS Musique CDSMCD-10022)
My sincere thanks go to: Mr. Vinet for so graciously spending time
with us, Marie-Noëlle Caron Cirque Publicist, Chantal Côte,
Corporate PR Manager, And my wife LouAnna for putting up with my
sometimes obsessive hobby.
----------------------------------------------------------
CIRQUE MUSIQUE: AN OVERVIEW
"Part Two - Singes, Remixes & Associated Music"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
Music, like staging, lighting, acrobatics and choreography, is just
one part of a larger artistic wheel that turns the creative juices of
Cirque du Soleil. It is one of the most important aspects of a show,
especially to fans. Over the years Cirque du Soleil has released the
music to its creations to an appreciative audience across various
physical and digital forms. But like most companies, however, some of
those releases have fallen into obscurity, been re-released multiple
times, or re-cataloged as divisions within morph and change with the
times.
In this series we attempt to make order out of the chaos that is the
Cirque du Soleil Musique Catalog, first by giving you its history,
showing how to recognize a CD from the catalog, and what currently
makes up that catalog. Now we continue with music associated with
Cirque du Soleil (shows) but not released by the Cirque du Soleil
Musique label (for obvious reasons), remixed music and other
promotional Singles.
/// ASSOCIATED MUSIC
By now you might have noticed that there were certain titles we left
out of our listing: Journey of Man, The Beatles LOVE, Viva Elvis, and
the Single and Deluxe editions of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL. Is
this an error on our parts? No, it's not a mistake we promise.
Although those albums are associated with Cirque du Soleil as music
to an IMAX presentation (in the case of Journey of Man) and as music
to a special type of production (in the case of LOVE, Viva Elvis and
The Immortal) they are not part of the Cirque du Soleil Musique
Catalog because Cirque du Soleil didn't release them.
In most cases (The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Elvis), Cirque du
Soleil does not own the rights to the music nor the right to re-
distribute or re-release the music, even on albums associated with
their own shows. For The Beatles that falls to Capitol/Apple Records,
for Elvis it is Sony/Legacy, and for Michael Jackson it's EPIC
Records. Journey of Man is the only oddity in this case, as it's a
release by Sony/Legacy, but as Sony Pictures financed and produced the
film it's not hard to understand; Cirque du Soleil doesn't have the
rights.
Journey of Man (Sony/Legacy)
Catalog # = SK 89097
Released = May.02.2000
Run Time = 46:15
The Beatles LOVE CD (Capitol/Apple)
Catalog # = CDP-0946-3-79808-2-8
Released = Nov.21.2006
Run Time = 78:37
The Beatles LOVE CD/DVD (Capitol/Apple)
CD Catalog # = CDP-0946-3-79810-2-3
DVD Catalog # = C9-046-3-79810-9-2
Released = Nov.21.2006
Run Time = 81:03 (DVD)
VIVA ELVIS (Sony/Legacy)
Catalog # = 8-86978-04472-3
Released = Nov.07.2010
Run Time = 42:33
MJ IMMORTAL Single CD (Epic)
Catalog # = n/a
Released = Nov.21.2011
Run Time = 76:00
MJ IMMORTAL Deluxe 2CD (Epic)
Catalog # = n/a
Released = Nov.21.2011
Run Time = 50:00/52:00
But Journey of Man isn't the only oddity here: recall that Capitol
released two editions of LOVE on November 21, 2006 a 78-minute CD
and an 81-minute music DVD. Wait, what? Where are the three minutes?
Therefore, with a little time on my hands I decided to do a quick
time-comparison between the two.
Where are those extra minutes hiding? You'll find them in tracks 20
and 21 - "Revolution" and "Back in the U.S.S.R." respectively. Those
with a keen eye will discover that both "extended" track times equal
their original "White Album" (in the case of "Back in the U.S.S.R.")
and/or "single" (in the case of "Revolution") durations and,
therefore, feature a more complete version of the song in question.
Using "Revolution" as an example, the DVD version features all three
verses of the classic song, whereas the CD omits the third and final
verse ("You say you'll change the Constitution
") You'll find
similarities with "Back in the U.S.S.R." as well.
So, there you have it.
Goo Goo G'Joob!
Below are the results of my time-comparison between the DVD and CD
versions of LOVE. Please ignore the difference in seconds in some of
the tracks, as these are errors in track start/stop times from the DVD
and are minor. The three minutes are marked with ** below:
Trk CD DVD Start DVD Fin DVD
# Time Time Time Time
==============================================
1 2:44 00:00:00 - 02:43:00 2:43
2 2:05 02:43:00 - 04:48:00 2:05
3 1:20 04:48:00 - 06:09:00 1:21
4 3:05 06:09:00 - 09:15:00 3:06
5 4:28 09:15:00 - 13:43:00 4:28
6 1:22 13:43:00 - 15:05:00 1:22
7 1:54 15:05:00 - 17:00:00 1:55
8 0:55 17:00:00 - 17:54:00 0:54
9 3:29 17:54:00 - 21:24:00 3:30
10 3:22 21:24:00 - 24:46:00 3:22
11 2:18 24:46:00 - 27:04:00 2:18
12 2:31 27:04:00 - 29:36:00 2:32
13 4:31 29:36:00 - 34:07:00 4:31
14 3:07 34:07:00 - 37:15:00 3:08
15 4:10 37:15:00 - 41:25:00 4:10
16 3:18 41:25:00 - 44:43:00 3:18
17 2:56 44:43:00 - 47:40:00 2:57
18 4:18 47:40:00 - 51:57:00 4:17
19 4:45 51:57:00 - 56:42:00 4:45
20 2:14 56:42:00 - 60:06:00 3:24**
21 1:53 60:06:00 - 62:41:00 2:35**
22 3:46 62:41:00 - 66:27:00 3:46
23 5:08 66:27:00 - 71:34:00 5:07
24 3:58 71:34:00 - 75:33:00 3:59
25 1:22 75:33:00 - 76:55:00 1:22
26 3:38 76:55:00 - 80:34:00 3:39
/// CIRQUE DU SINGLES
Have you ever wondered whether or not Cirque du Soleil music ever
reached terrestrial radio in the past? Believe it or not in many parts
of the world they did! Although today hearing music by Cirque du
Soleil is easier than ever - there's satellite radio, internet radio
and multiple CD releases to satisfy any Cirque du Soleil fan - but
that wasn't the case in the 1980's and early 1990's. The only way
Cirque could reach potential spectators in markets such as Europe
would be to release some of its music to radio markets through CD
Promo "Singles". Though generally created for the European market in
small quantities - and therefore hard to find - below is a list that
is by no means comprehensive, but has been assembled over the years
through exhaustive online searching, and cataloging of what has
appeared through auction sites. So, here's a quick list of what you
can expect to find if you search for Cirque du Soleil music singles...
o) Cirque du Soleil - "Les Pingoins"
Catalog #: Naga #CS-1188 (CAN)
Tracks:
A1. "Les Pengoins" (3:20)
o) Saltimbanco - "Kumbalawe"
Catalog #: BMG #74321-26040-2 (EU)
Catalog #: BMG #74321-27393-2 (GER)
Tracks:
1. "Kumbalawe" [5:34]
2. "Saltimbanco" [5:19]
3. "Pokinoi" [5:08]
o) Alegría - "Irna/Alegría"
Catalog #: BMG #74321-46703-2
Catalog #: BMG #74321-47661-2 (Europe)
Tracks:
1. "Irna" [4:48]
2. "Alegría" (Album Version) [5:49]
o) Alegría - "Querer"
Catalog #: BMG #74321-48491-2 (1997-Europe)
Catalog #: BMG #43214-84915-2 (1997-Holland)
Tracks:
1. "Querer" [4:34]
2. "Jeux d'Enfants" [4:40]
o) Quidam - "Quidam"
Catalog #: BMG #BQP-62 (1996-Canada)
Tracks:
1. "Quidam" (Radio Edit)
o) Quidam - "Quidam"
Catalog #: BMG #64635-27432-1 (1999-Europe)
Tracks:
1. "Quidam" (Radio Edit)
2. "Quidam" (Album Version)
o) Quidam - "Let Me Fall"
Catalog #: BMG #74321-60499-2 (Holland)
Tracks:
1. "Let Me Fall" (Radio Edit) [3:36]
o) «O» - "Gamelan"
Catalog #: BMG #BQP-89
Tracks:
1. "Gamelan" (Radio Edit) [3:11]
o) «O» - "Tzelma":
Catalog #: n/a
Tracks:
1. "Tzelma" [3:00]
o) Alegria Le Film - "Love Leaves Someone Behind"
Catalog #: n/a
Tracks:
1. "Love Leaves Someone Behind" [4:03]
o) Alegria Le Film - "Child in His Eyes"
Catalog #: BMG #74321-67537-2
Tracks:
1. "Child in his Eyes" (Edit) [3:40]
2. "Alegria" (New Arrangement) [4:20]
o) Dralion - "Stella Errans"
Catalog #: BQP-107
Tracks:
1. "Stella Errans" [4:37]
o) KÀ - "If I Could Reach Your Heart"
Catalog #: CDSMCP1-20024-2
UPC #: 4-00005-08150-7
Tracks:
1. "If I Could Reach Your Heart" [3:33]
o) Delirium - "Kumbalawe: Roger Sanchez"
Release: 2004 (This CD corresponds to Vinyl "Volume 5")
Catalog #: CDSMCP1 20020-2
Tracks:
1. Kumbalawe - Release Mix (8:33)
2. Kumbalawe - Release The Dub (7:47)
o) Delirium - "Emballa: Louie Vega Feat. Jaffa"
Release: 2004 (This CD corresponds to Vinyl "Volume 4")
Catalog #: CDSMCP2 20020-2
Tracks:
1. Emballa - Album Mix (6:23)
2. Emballa (Ritual Mix) (6:23)
3. Emballa (Sun Dub) (5:54)
o) Delirium - "Aborigenes Jam: Francois K & Eric Kupper"
Release: 2004 (This CD corresponds to Vinyl "Volume 3")
Catalog #: CDSMCP3-20020-2
Tracks:
1. Aborigenes Jam - Vocal Mix (8:15) [8:07]
2. Aborigenes Jam - Dub Mix (7:45) [7:33]
o) Solarium/Delirium
Release: 2004
Catalog #: CDSMCP1-10021-2
Tracks:
1. "Le Rêveur" - Thievery Corporation Remix (5:09)
2. "Emballa" - Louie Vega/Jaffa "Album Mix" (6:24)
3. "Aborigenes Jam" - FK/EK "Vocal Mix" (8:08)
4. "Lubia Dobarstan" - Ian Pooley Remix (6:55)
o) Tapis Rouge Remixed
Release: 2004
Catalog #: CDS-Remix
Tracks:
1. "A Tale" - Chilluminati Remix
2. "Rumeurs" - John Beltran Remix
3. "Gamelan" - Cantoma Remix
4. "Africa" - Banzai Repubic Remix
o) Zarkana "Wherever" (Ralphi Rosano Remix)
Release: Jun.28.2011
Catalog #: CDSMCP-10035-2
Tracks:
1. "Whenever" Big Mix (8:55)
2. "Whenever" Big Mix Radio Edit (4.07)
3. "Whenever" Big Mix Dub (8.54)
o) Zarkana "Wherever"
Release: Jun.28.2011
Catalog #: CDSMCP-10041-2
Tracks:
1. "Whenever" (3:29)
2. "Whenever" Pnau Mix (4:27)
3. "Whenever" Pnau Mix Radio Edit (3:26)
/// TAPIS ROUGUE REMIXES
Billed as a "look into the heart of Cirque du Soleil through the eyes
of the world's foremost electronic music producers," in 2004 Cirque du
Soleil embarked on a music revolution not seen since. Cirque du Soleil
Musique (CDSM) released six 12" vinyl installments, primarily in
European markets, as a preview to "20 Years under the Sun", a two-
CD/DVD package released in the fall of 2004 that commemorated the 20th
anniversary of Cirque du Soleil (released as "Solarium/Delirium").
Showcased are some of the world's most influential DJs and electronic
music producers who have remixed tracks from Cirque du Soleil
soundtracks such as Dralion, Saltimbanco, "O", and Varekai.
Volume #1 "Africa"
Catalog #: CDSM001 (CAN)
Catalog #: CDSM-12001 (UK)
UPC #: 8-74751-00041-7
A1. Africa (CottonBelly Remix) [4:35]
A2. A Tale (Chilluminati Mix) [6:14]
B1. Le Reveur (Thievery Corp Remix) [5:08]
B2. Emballa (Llorca Remix) [5:46]
Volume #2 "Ombra"
Catalog #: CDSM002 (CAN)
Catalog #: CDSM-12002 (UK)
UPC #: 8-74751-00042-4
A1. Ombra (Afterlife Remix) [5:03]
A2. Gamelan (Cantoma Remix) [6:02]
B1. Africa (Banzai Republic Equator Bound) [6:12]
B2. El Pendulo (Fenomenon Northern Comfort Mix) [4:32]
Volume #3 - "Aborigenes Jam"
Catalog #: CDSM003 (CAN)
Catalog #: CDSM-12003 (UK)
UPC #: 8-74751-00033-2
A1. Vocal Mix (Francois K & Eric Kupper) [8:15]
B1. Dub Mix (Francois K & Eric Kupper) [7:45]
Volume #4 "Emballa"
Catalog #: CDSM004 (CAN)
Catalog #: CDSM-12004 (UK)
UPC #: 8-74751-00034-9
A0. Album Mix (Louie Vega feat. Jaffa) [6:23]
B1. Ritual Mix (Louie Vega feat. Jaffa) [6:23]
B2. Sun Dub (Louie Vega feat. Jaffa) [5:54]
Volume #5 "Kumbalawe"
Catalog #: CDSM005 (CAN)
Catalog #: CDSM-12005 (UK)
UPC #: 8-74751-00035-6
A. Release Mix (Roger Sanchez) [8:33]
B. Release The Dub (Roger Sanchez) [7:47]
Volume #6 - "Mer Noire / Africa"
Catalog #: CDSM006 (CAN)
Catalog #: CDSM-12006 (UK)
UPC #: 8-74751-00036-3
A. Mer Noire (Tiesto Remix) [8:55]
B. Africa (Quicksound Remix) [8:55]
Volume #7 - "Tapis Rouge Remixed"
Catalog #: CDS-Remix
UPC #: none
A1. A Tale (Chilluminati Remix)
A2. Rumeurs (John Beltran Remix)
B1. Gamelan (Cantoma Remix)
B2. Africa (Banzai Repubic Remix)
You'll find the following tracks from the vinyl releases on three
Cirque du Soleil Musique CD releases. Not all of the tracks released
on vinyl made it to CD and thus are only available on that medium. All
tracks listed are the same length as their vinyl counterparts unless
otherwise noted:
o) On the "Tapis Rouge: Solarium" album:
- Africa (CottenBelly Remix)
- Ombra (Afterlife Remix)
- Gamelan (Cantoma Remix)
- Africa (Banzai Republic Equator Bound)
- El Pendulo (Fenomenon Northern Comfort Mix)
o) On "Varekai (Bonus CD/DVD set)" album:
- Emballa (Llorca Remix)
NOTE: This album includes a remix not found anywhere else.
o) On "Solarium-Delirium" remix album
- Aborigenes Jam (Vocal Mix) [as 6:42]
- Emballa (Album Mix) [as 6:22]
- Kumbalawe (Roger Sanchez Release Mix) [as 7:51]
- Mer Noire (Tiesto Remix) [as 6:44]
- Africa (Quicksound Remix) [as 8:48]
# # #
So far we've discussed the history of the Cirque du Soleil music
catalog, provided a listing of the current options in that catalog,
discussed briefly what we left out (and why), and pushed into the
realm of other interesting releases, such as Singles and Remixes.
What's left? Employee pressings, White Labels and Other Promotional
releases that's next time!
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 13, Number 06 (Issue #113) - June 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
translated without the consent of the "Fascination!
Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission
(unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without
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Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way
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Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil,
Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright
infringement intended.
{ Jun.06.2013 }
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