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T h e U n o f f i c i a l
C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r
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E X P A N D E D I S S U E
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VOLUME 13, NUMBER 09 September 2013 ISSUE #116e
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CONTENTS
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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
* Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque
* Historia -- Cirque Company History
o) Fascination! Features
* "The Wider World of Cirque-Centric Podcasts"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
* "Still a BeLIEver?" - BELIEVE Celebrates 5 Years
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
* Michael Jackson ONE: "Hope, Love, Unity, 'ONE'"
Special Reprint from MJ World [EXPANDED]
o) Subscription Information
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Cirque Coming to VOD
{Aug.03.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Gravitas Ventures has struck a deal to become the exclusive VOD
distributor of a variety of Cirque du Soleil programs that
include performance specials featuring the live shows as well as
behind-the-scenes documentaries that highlight the creative
process of a Cirque du Soleil show. The titles are available for
the first time to a North American audience on VOD.
The first programs, Kooza and A Thrilling Ride Through Kooza,
will be available on Aug. 6. Additional programs that will
continue into September as part of a Season of Cirque du Soleil,
which will include four other specials: Delirium; Hatching, a
documentary about the creation of Ovo; Flow: A Tribute to the
Artists of O; and The Mystery of Mystere.
Having been enamored since my first Cirque du Soleil performance
nearly 20 years ago, I am thrilled that Gravitas will bring such
awe-inspiring art into the VOD marketplace," Melanie Miller,
Gravitas vp, acquisitions and marketing, said.
"We are excited about our new relationship with Gravitas as it
will enable us to extend the live show experience and bring
additional content to viewers who will now have the opportunity
to watch Cirque du Soleil programs for the first time on demand,
at their convenience, and on the platform and device of their
choice. In addition, Gravitas will be showcasing certain
programs based on shows that are no longer performing live and
hopefully this will be exciting for our fans and new viewers
alike." Tracey Errico, director of programming and distribution
at Cirque du Soleil, commented.
{ SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter | http://goo.gl/NJQiK4 }
Desigual Launches Special Collection
{Aug.12.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Desigual, the Spanish casual wear brand, has launched a new
collection inspired by Cirque du Soleil to promote the upcoming
Michael Jackson's Immortal World Tour, which stops in Hong Kong
23 to 25 August at the Asia-World Expo.
The campaign includes a new collection of Cirque du Soleil-
inspired garments. The company is also using Jackson's concert
visuals as its window display, and will be handing out one free
concert ticket with each purchase valued at HK$3288 and over.
Both Desigual and Cirque de Soleil are doing social media
marketing drives on Facebook and Weibo.
A spokesperson from the marketing team of Desigual Asia's Hong
Kong office told Campaign Asia-Pacific, that they were
collaborating with the Canadian entertainment company because
they both shared the same culture and style by being positive,
colourful and energetic.
As a new brand in Hong Kong, Desigual has opened its stand-alone
store in New Town Plaza in Shatin only on 1 May, with a brand
slogan: "Be Different". Unlike their counterparts Abercrombie &
Fitch, GAP and H&M, the company did not carry out a big launch
campaign, explaining that "we need to slowly educate our
customers to our colourful and gypsy-inspired clothes
collections, which stand out."
Apart from Cirque du Soleil, Desigual has been running ongoing
collaborations with French fashion designer Christian Lacriox,
as well as Disney.
As reported on 8 August, Budweiser is sponsoring Cirque du
Soleil's Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour, as part of its
'Made for Music' global marketing campaign.
{ SOURCE: Campaign Asia | http://goo.gl/tjki2R }
OVO in Taiwan Poster!
{Aug.12.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Check out OVO's Chinese Language poster here!
LINK /// < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=4073 >
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil }
A "Collective Gasp" for MJ IMMORTAL in Beijing
{Aug.14.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil which has hardly made a move out of step on
stage, has had to quickstep to repair a faux pas when opening
its "Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour" in Beijing.
The Canadian art troupe surprised its Beijing audience by
flashing a photo referencing to the 1989 Tiananmen incident,
during an act to Jackson's track "They Don't Care About Us".
According to reports, the image was flashed on stage for some
four seconds as part of a montage.
Although the image of the famous 'tank man' who tried to stop
military tanks during the protest had been digitally manipulated
to include Michael Jackson, the photo reportedly drew an audible
gasp from the audience at the Wukesong MasterCard Arena in
Beijing.
The original image taken by Associated Press, is banned in the
country.
Cirque du Soleil is said to have since removed the photo from
the presentation which was reportedly vetted by Chinese
officials.
The "Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour" celebrates the
musical legacy of the pop artist who died in 2009, through his
music and dance that takes place in a fantastical realm.
The Cirque du Soleil show is slated to continue its run in
Shanghai and Hong Kong, before touring Australia and South
Africa.
{ SOURCE: Channel News Asia; http://goo.gl/0xTLuC }
Cirque du Soleil & Analytics
{Aug.14.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Here's what Cirque du Soleil knows about its typical ticket
buyers in North America: They are between 35 to 55 years old.
They live in households that earn more than $100,000 per year.
Just over half (52 percent) are female. And most of them won't
drive more than 60 minutes to see a show.
That last data point is a critical one, said Axel Bedikyan,
director of marketing intelligence and planning at Cirque du
Soleil. The company sold 15 million tickets in 2012, but there
is a big opportunity to grow: only 20 percent of North American
consumers have seen a Cirque spectacle, in spite of broad
market awareness. Bedikyan said his company
Bedikyan was one of several speakers at the Esri Business
Summit, held in July in San Diego. There, executives discussed
the challenges involved in implementing location analytics. The
biggest issue cited by Bedikyan, as well as executives from
retailers like Starbucks and Petco, was winning acceptance
across their organizations for what analytics can do. This
effort requires communicating with IT and business leaders about
the need to think differently about the data they collect and
analyze for decision-making, like where to hold a performance or
where to build a new store.
For analytics champions inside an enterprise, "the magic does
come when you find a BI or IT counterpart," said Mark Smith, CEO
and chief research officer at Ventana Research, during one of
the sessions. It's not enough for one business group to be a
service center for another, Smith said, suggesting that such an
arrangement would inhibit adoption. A proof-of-concept project
to justify the ROI of analytics is a good tactic to win support,
he added.
Getting Others to Join the Analytics Circus
At Cirque du Soleil, Bedikyan said he has sought to build
alliances with marketers in the different units of the global
company. For example, he showed his colleagues data that
correlated the three locations of recent performances in the
Dallas metropolitan area, with the drive times to the particular
venues. The analysis showed that a 2011 show at Dr. Pepper
Arena, earned better results than a 2007 show at Fair Park and a
2012 performance at 500 Memorial Drive. The results matched
demographic data that showed the Dr. Pepper location was a
shorter drive for Cirque du Soleil's typically affluent
audience, he said.
This kind of finding "provides a new hypothesis that we can go
and test" in other locations, Bedikyan said.
Bedikyan said the goal of such projects is to breed analytics
champions within different business units, especially among
marketing professionals, and he cited four factors to working
with marketers:
1. Engage creatively with people who can become ambassadors in
the business units.
2. Understand drivers and barriers for them to using analytics.
There were people who might be interested in adopting analytics
but hesitated. "As we went along, we came up with ways to help
them use it," Bedikyan said.
3. Start small. He suggested concentrating on one or two markets
at first. Brainstorm with colleagues working there, and then
spread ideas based on their experiences to other executives.
4. Get the analytics team staffed right to support the spread of
analytics capabilities. "Quality is more important than
quantity," he said, adding that he had hired a person who has
expertise in both marketing and geographic systems for his
team based at headquarters in Montreal.
Bedikyan said his campaign would continue. "We are just starting
our journey. Three years ago, we were blind. Today we are
location aware," he said. "We're making this information
enterprise-wide, if anyone from marketing or [other] executives
wants to, they can pull up an update."
{ SOURCE: Data-Informed.com | http://goo.gl/Y6wWvJ }
What is John Gilkey Doing Now? "Wet the Hippo!" [EXPANDED]
{Aug.21.2013}
----------------------------------------------------------
The sets are gone, and the costumes, and that giant blue-and-
yellow tent. Master clown and performance maker John Gilkey has
ended his fourth stint with Cirque du Soleil since 1996. But if
the wiry, often wild-haired Gilkey is no stranger to the big
time, he moves just as ferociously through a bare stage in a
small venue wearing not much more than, these days, a bushy
beard.
It's been three years since Gilkey last performed in San
Francisco flanked by comedians Alec Jones-Trujillo and Donny
Divanian, the deadpan naïfs of his avant-comedy trio, We Are
Nudes. Just as the very funny yet vaguely unnerving, off-center
style of Nudes occupied some indeterminate territory between
sketch comedy and Dadaist destruction, Gilkey's latest venture
the Los Angelesbased eight-member improvisational ensemble
known as Wet the Hippo takes its audience beyond the usual
endpoints of improv.
Born out of his Idiot Workshop classes in clown, Wet the Hippo
is a big, brand-new baby of a beast, only four months old but
charging forward with gusto and an edgy, searching brilliance
Gilkey is clearly thrilled with. He is frankly in love with his
cast members, with whom he interacts as director, prodding them
from onstage and off. Ahead of their first tentative tour (a
three-stop zero-budget swing through Arcata, Placerville, and
SF), Gilkey picked up the phone from his LA roost to talk Hippo-
thetically.
Q. Wet the Hippo is quite a change from Cirque du Soleil, more
low-to-the-ground, very much autonomous.
Yeah, what we're doing now there's eight of us, there's no
budget. Low-to-the-ground is a good way to put it.
Q. It's a big contrast, but maybe there are similarities?
One way I describe the show: I'm taking everything I learned
from Cirque about the creation process they have. (Although I
should be clear about that: the creation process changed after
Franco [Dragone] left.) But I was on Franco's creative team for
[his independent Las Vegas spectacular] Le Rêve I've taken that
process and I've applied that to this 10-dollar-a-ticket show
with eight people. It's an amazing contrast. And in some ways
it's quite similar.
When I'm working with the performers, I work with them similarly
to Franco in that he's trying really to get to the nut of the
person. His number one question is, "Who are you?" He's trying
to figure out what is it about this person that's interesting.
Their strengths, their weaknesses, their physicality, their
voice, all this stuff how can we magnify this person into an
interesting stage presence? I do that with my little cast here.
Q. It's an improvised show, but it's clearly not the Harold, or
other improv forms we're familiar with.
It's something new that we're trying to do, so we're learning
about it, discovering it as we go forward, as we search. It's an
evolving process. But what I'm looking for as the director, both
offstage and onstage or the conductor-director when I'm
onstage is to try to get everybody buzzing, ringing, in tune,
and then see how they harmonize. I think when we hit, it is
music. It's on a level you can't quite put into words. This is
when we succeed. We don't always succeed. Part of the show is us
searching for that, which is also fun. We play a lot with
success and failure. When we're failing we try to really make
sure that we acknowledge it and somehow use it to our advantage.
Q. How can failure work to your advantage?
One thing we're discovering is that the highs aren't as high if
the lows aren't as low. So that's one reason to fail. And I tell
people when we're rehearsing or in the classes that I teach (all
of this came out of these classes): This is the spirit of clown.
You're always looking to get yourself into danger. You want to
be in danger. That's where the drama really comes. Instead of
pretending, we try to really get into danger.
Q. This is an exploration that goes beyond the usual endpoints
something riskier, unknown?
In standard improv, in standard comedy, you're going for the
laugh, always. I believe there's something that is greater than
the laugh. Maybe the easiest way to say it is that it's the
sublime. And the way to get to the sublime is to ask an actor to
play at their most genius level either absolute smartest or
absolute stupidest. It's not a linear progression from stupid to
genius; it's circular. It's where they meet. It's where the
genius in you meets the idiot in you that you become so
beautiful that you hit sublime. It's beyond laughter. It's the
moment where you get your mind blown.
{ SOURCE: San Francisco Bay Guardian }
LIGHT: Cirque Joins the Party
{Aug.29.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Hours before coy, fantastically costumed characters greet guests
at the doors of Light at Mandalay Bay, Cirque du Soleil
performers are already busy preparing for the night's show,
stretching, climbing silks and flipping inside cantilevered
hoops that dangle behind the plexiglass wall above the DJ booth.
Artistic director Hassan El Hajjami scans the scene from the
floor below, calling out instructions in rapid-fire French as
they put the finishing touches on the evening's choreography.
"For me right now, it's a success. Everybody is talking about
the club. Ibiza is talking about the club," says the Cirque
veteran and international dance champion, also known by the
stage name Haspop.
In the months since it opened Memorial Day Weekend, Light, the
latest addition to the pantheon of Strip nightclubs, has created
some serious buzz for its partnership with Cirque du Soleil and
residencies from dance music's freshest stars, including
Skrillex, Krewella and A-Trak.
Light goes beyond the dancers and aerialists that have been a
staple of the Vegas club scene since the days of Studio 54 by
incorporating the narrative storytelling elements of Cirque
shows into the spectacle of its DJ sets, an idea Hajjami brought
to the table when he was enlisted to head up the show creation
process for the club late last year.
Much like Cirque productions use fantastical narratives to
present their acts and move the show forward, Hajjami and his
team developed storylines for 15 or so themed tableaus that
blend live performance and high-tech visuals from production
company Moment Factory to enhance the resident DJs' sets.
"My idea was to take a storyline and put it in the club. When I
have an artist up there, they're not just doing an act. They
each have a story, they have a costume, they have makeup,"
Hajjami says.
The tableaus center on loose aesthetic themes like "Vampire,"
which features dark colors, animal-like costumes and
choreography mimicking a vampire-werewolf battle. "Orgy" employs
writhing harness acrobatics, and "Underwater" has cool colors
and soft movements.
In the days before a headliner's scheduled set at Light, Hajjami
and his team will tailor a set of tableaus according to a
selection of songs and style preferences provided by the DJ,
tweaking lighting and movements to match signature beats and
rhythms.
The narratives may not be explicitly obvious to the average
patron on the dance floor, but Hajjami says their purpose is
ultimately to enhance the sense of immersion and otherworldly
escape that the club strives for.
"I want the experience to start right away at the door," Hajjami
says. "My job is to take the energy to a high level and keep it
there throughout the club."
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Weekly | http://goo.gl/p6CZcq }
Kite Flashmob to Take Over Moscow
{Aug.29.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Friday, August 30, 2013, the famous Cirque du Soleil will
organize a unique event to celebrate the construction of the
legendary Big Dome at the Luzhniki Stadium.
The construction of the Dome will definitely not go unnoticed.
Cirque du Soleil plans to make it bright and cheerful, launching
kites while 60 workers raise the Dome. The public is encouraged
to participate, dressed in stripes, and bringing along a self-
made kite. The best kite wins two tickets to Kooza, a return to
the origins of Cirque du Soleil, which combines two circus
traditions acrobatic performance and the art of clowning.
There will be other prizes too, including an invitation to the
premiere for the most original striped outfit, and t-shirts by
Kira Plastinina for Cirque du Soleil, a limited edition t-shirt
with a print that reflects the main Inspiration of this
production. All participants in the kite flashmob event will get
the opportunity to buy tickets for the Kooza show at the best
available prices.
The event on Friday already has 210 fans on Facebook who
confirmed that they will participate, and will also be joined by
kite flying professionals from Prokite.
The adrenaline-filled show will begin its tour in Moscow
September 7, 2013.
Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/209622229197043/ on
Facebook to register for the event.
{ SOURCE: Argophilia Travel News | http://goo.gl/r8LiGf }
FORBES: The Technology Behind The Las
Vegas Magic of Cirque du Soleil [EXPANDED]
{Aug.30.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Some of us have been lucky enough to see a Cirque du Soleil
performance at one of the great venues in Las Vegas, or anywhere
else around the world. The drama textbooks will remind you that
one experiences a "willful suspension of disbelief" when
watching a dramatic performance. But, Cirque du Soleil cannot be
lassoed into any single artistic category. It's an art form you
have to live in at the moment. You carry with you a kind of
evolving, artistic impression that is different every time you
see a show like this. I spoke with Tom Wegis, the Operations
Production Manager of The Beatles Love. We talked about his
experience in orchestrating the various technical departments of
the production, and how they create the signature magic of
Cirque du Soleil on The Beatles Love night after night.
The Beatles Love Theatre at The Mirage used to house the
Siegfried & Roy show, and Cirque du Soleil had built out a $125
million custom-built theatrical and technical environment for
The Beatles Love production with its 2,013 seats surrounding the
stage in a complete circle. To give you an idea of the show's
complex performing space, there are three main theater levels
that the crew works on during the show: the basement 81 foot
level, the 100 foot main stage and backstage level and the low-
grid 152 foot level. There is also the sub-basement, 10 feet
below the basement level, where the motors and automation
machinery is stored, and a high grid above the stage from the
pre-existing Siegfried & Roy stage structures.
Working out the mechanics of the traps and the 'sloats'
[sliding, lifting, opening, automated traps] was a difficult
process. One advantage of the physical proscenium structure
(called the "G-Line" or "Abbey Road") that was left in place
from the Siegfried and Roy days is that it cuts the stage in
half, leaving an 8-foot gap across the whole width of the stage.
This is used to fly scenery in and out of the dividing line and
for acrobatics.
The main stage has seven different stage lifts, four different
traps and two sloats, whose dividing line is the demarcation
identifier for the stage's lifts, traps and sloats. The stage
lifts use rack and pinion motors instead of hydraulics.
The props that interact with the acrobats seem like regular
stage props: a clock, a telephone box and brick walls. But the
performance artists can walk, spin, jump and bounce off them.
But here's the amazing part about the props onstage: 85% of the
floor is mobile, only 15% doesn't open, and it's almost
impossible to put things between two hatches or lifts. This
physically small margin of performance error places an
incredible weight of responsibility on acrobatic and rigging
designer, Guy St. Amour, for the safety of all the performers
who place their trust in him.
When The Beatles Love first premiered in the summer of 2006, it
was the first time in Cirque du Soleil's 22-year history that
they had based a show around music rather than acrobatic
performance. So, how does the show manage to seamlessly balance
old-school, physical performances of aerialists, acrobats,
trapeze artists, dancers and even clowns with state-of-the-art
technology? The secret is automation. Cirque du Soleil uses a
lot of automation in Las Vegas shows. Automation is adapted from
its industrial roots and is made to work in the theatrical
space, but according to Wegis, it all begins with the artistic
process of the Cirque du Soleil creative teams. "They come up
with a concept. There are no boundaries with the concept." And
the technical staff is responsible for bringing that concept to
life, whatever that is for the show.
The Beatles Love as a show has one of the most complex
automation deployments in theatrical performance history. Stage
Technologies was contracted to design the automation control
system, and even the rigging, all of which was set up in less
than a year. The automation system allows the utmost flexibility
during performances. Stage Technologies supplied 142 axes of
automation for the show in order to move complex combinations of
platforms, screens and set elements smoothly from one scene to
the next. Custom-designed rotating frames, called tracks and
trolleys, were created to carry flying performers across the
roof space. Below is a list of the automated stage machinery
that is used in the show.
o) 4 Nomad control desks
o) 5 Solo handheld controllers
o) MaxisID theater automation control system
o) 13 tracks and trolleys
o) 62 BigTow winches
o) 5 main lifts
o) 2 trampoline lifts
o) 4 articulating trap systems
o) 2 sloat mechanisms
o) 2 additional stage lifts
The complex automation sequences are programmed with advanced
software, eChameleon and Visual Creator.
The Beatles Love is a very challenging performance environment,
as it has more aerial performance than any other Cirque show,
Wegis tells me. At the beginning of the performance, there are
18 people flying in the air at one time. It is melding this
performance art with the technology, and bringing them together
to create. The directors artistic vision for the show is laid
out for the rest of the entire creative team. It begins with a
preliminary storyboard: some of the scenes are laid out, with
what the director wants to see in the scenes. But Wegis stresses
that there are no constraints on the creative process within
Cirque, which has plenty of deliberation and discussion.
The show began rehearsals in Montréal, and completed the initial
rehearsal runs there. After a year of rehearsal of parts of the
show in Montréal, the team came down to Las Vegas and started
working in the performance space of The Beatles Love Theatre. It
was at that point that the creative direction started working
out the balance between technology and physical performance: how
many people were going to be in the air and on stage. The
concepts were there, but it took eight months of rehearsals in
the space before the show ever opened to perfect this fine
integration of high tech and old-school performance.
Wegis recalls many difficult, technical challenges that he had
to face when putting this show together. The challenge is the
technical process of supporting a creative concept and making it
happen in the show with technology down in Las Vegas, and not in
Montréal. Were dealing with systems here, for this show that
were, seven years ago, some of the most advanced systems in the
world he confirms. The playback system for the sound had never
been done before. The Beatles Love is the only Cirque du Soleil
show that doesnt have a live band, and only uses the recorded
music of the Beatles. The sound system has several built-in
nuances. The room is designed acoustically, because the music
drives the show. It is the first show to have 6,000 speakers in
the seats of its performance space. There are three speakers in
every seat and there are about 2,000 seats in the house.
The audio is intimately linked with the projection, and The
Beatles Love is what Wegis calls a heavily-projected show. The
entire projection system has been changed out since the start of
the shows run. The way Cirque does things is to assign all the
individual responsibilities of the sound, lighting, projection,
automation and carpentry to project managers when the show is
put together, and the project managers cooperate in expertise to
bring the consummate artistic vision to life.
Cirque du Soleil has brought in the best companies in the
entertainment business to create The Beatles Love. The sound
designer is Jonathan Deans, one of the best live entertainment
sound designers in the world. He is an accomplished sound mixing
engineer and sound designer, and with Michael Jackson One, Deans
is creating the sound system and the audio environment of his
fourteenth Cirque du Soleil show since Saltimbanco in 1992.
The video projections designer is Francis Laporte, whose task is
to integrate digital video production and projection technology
with more traditional live show forms. He fully deployed this
artistry in the Varakai show for the first time, and continued
the approach with The Beatles Love, Wintuk and now in Criss
Angel Believe. In The Beatles Love, custom software syncs
projection cues that are programmed with recorded music and play
out on 100-foot panoramic screens. The real-time authoring
system can make last minute changes to mix and change layers of
images during rehearsal and during a performance.
The lighting designer, Yves Aucoin, is the lighting designer for
Celine Dion and many other shows. Even for the concept of
lighting on stage, it begins with an idea from the artisitic
director and the lighting designer then takes that vision and
puts it to the stage as they want to. Aucoin used a lot of
moving lights. The Beatles Love uses a lot more moving lights
than most shows have, a signature development pioneered by
Aucoin. Wegis calls the production one of the most beautiful
shows Ive ever seen, lighting-wise.
Wegis tells me that he cant choose one thing he is most proud
of. He started out as the head of automation on the show, and
feels partial to that technical area of expertise,
understandably. He recalls that when he started with the show,
the performance area had a lot of concrete construction that
remained from the Siegfried & Roy show, and there were walls
that werent even built yet.
At the end of the performance day, after the stage becomes dark,
its about the people behind the technology that matter the
most. More than anything else, I really enjoy working with all
the people here. The cast and the crew, they are an incredible
bunch of people. Wegis tells me that when the daily grind
starts to get to him, all he has to do is catch the beginning of
the show, and stand where the audience is seated to recharge.
After the kabukis fall shortly after the show starts, Wegis
tells me theres just this life thats there in the show,
thats the life of the show, thats like, here it is! Its a
wonderful thing to be able to give that to 2,013 people every
night.
{ SOURCE: Forbes | http://goo.gl/djxcN4 }
=======================================================================
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:
Minneapolis, MN -- Sep 26, 2013 to Oct 20, 2013
San Francisco, CA -- Nov 15, 2013 to Dec 219, 2913
San Jose, CA -- Jan 22, 2014 to Feb 9, 2014
New York, NY -- Mar 20, 2014 to May 18, 2014
Corteo:
Brasilia, BR -- Aug 2, 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 26, 2013 to Feb 23, 2014
Porto Alegre, BR -- Mar 7, 2014 to Apr 13, 2014
Koozå:
Moscow, RU -- Sep 7, 2013 to Oct 31, 2013
Paris, FR -- Nov 23, 2013 to Dec 23, 2013
Munich, DE -- Jan 31, 2014 to Feb 16, 2014
Ovo:
Taipei, TW -- Nov 19, 2013 to Jan 5, 2014
Tokyo, JP -- Feb 12, 2014 to TBA
Sendai, JP -- Apr 23, 2014 to TBA
Osaka, JP -- Jul, 17, 2014 to TBA
Nagoya, JP -- Nov 20, 2014 to TBA
Fukuoka, JP -- Feb 21, 2015 to TBA
Totem:
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
Portland, OR -- Mar 27, 2014 to May 4, 2014
Vancouver, BC -- May 15, 2014 to Jun 6, 2014
Varekai:
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:
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:
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
Montpellier, FR -- Mar 26, 2014 to Mar 30, 2014
Lyon, FR -- Apr 2, 2014 to Apr 6, 2014
Dralion:
Doha, QA -- Sep 19, 2013 to Sep 21, 2013
Beirut, LB -- Oct 10, 2013 to Oct 13, 2013
Athens, GR -- Oct 29, 2013 to Nov 3, 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:
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 9, 2013 to Oct 13, 2013
Adelaide, SA -- Oct 15, 2013 to Oct 17, 2013
Auclkand, NZ -- Oct 30, 2013 to Nov 3, 2013
Dubai, UAE -- Dec 20, 2013 to Feb 14, 2013
Johannesburg, SA --
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 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 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 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 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 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 September 3 - 7
o November 26 - 30
o December 17 - 24
2013 Added Performances:
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
2013 Dark Dates:
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
Two Shows Nightly: 7:00pm and 10:00pm
2013 Dark Dates:
o October 9
o December 5 20
=======================================================================
OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS
=======================================================================
o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub
o) Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube
---------------------------------------
CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub
---------------------------------------
Behind the Scenes of Quidam at the
Royal Albert Hall [EXPANDED]
{Aug.15.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Quidam will start the year 2014 in style by visiting a very
special venue: the Royal Albert Hall in London. As we team up to
offer a unique Behind the scenes tour of both the mythic theatre
and Quidam, we met with Jasper Hope, COO, and asked him to tell
us more about this renowned concert hall and the special
relationship it shares with the Cirque du Soleil. Dont miss
this unique Behind the Scenes tour of the Royal Albert Hall and
get an insiders look at the fascinating creative universe of
Quidam.
Q. Could you please tell us more about the Royal Albert Hall ?
The Royal Albert Hall, opened in 1871 by Queen Victoria, is not
only one of the UKs most treasured and distinctive buildings
but recognisable all over the world and is regarded by many as
the worlds most famous stage. Established to promote the arts
and sciences, were here to contribute to the cultural life of
the UK. We want to make sure that those who visit the venue,
customer or performer, take away an experience they will never
forget. Our unrivalled history of performance is partly what
makes us so unique. Think of any world class artist, past or
present, and the likelihood is they have performed on our stage.
To perform at the Royal Albert Hall is an aspiration for many
performers and the diversity of our events over the past 142
years, is something of which we are very proud, not least the
many Cirque du Soleil productions which have graced our stage.
Q. What makes every visit to the RAH a memorable experience for
everyone?
First, the exceptional quality of our events obviously plays a
big part. In an auditorium like ours you never feel that far
from the action so you also have a degree of intimacy and
connection between audience and performer, whether its a global
superstar or a stage full of school childrens. Add the sense of
occasion that comes from visiting our magnificent Victorian
building with its rich and unique history, architecture and
archives and the many services that we offer to enhance the
experience from catering to merchandise, whatever your taste or
budget. Combine all of that, preferably with a sprinkle of magic
dust, and I truly believe you have something incredibly special
and unique.
Q. Its not the first time that Cirque du Soleil will perform at
the Royal Albert Hall, in your opinion, what is special about
this relationship with Cirque?
Over the last twenty years, Cirque du Soleil, the Royal Albert
Hall and the period just after Christmas have become completely
intertwined with one another. Every year, the Hall opens its
doors to over 200,000 customers eager to experience the magical
stories and feats of acrobatic brilliance that every show
delivers. I am lucky enough to have seen Cirque shows in big
tops and other venues all around the world and whilst I know Im
biased, I can promise you there is nothing quite so good as
watching a show the Hall, its the perfect design for the
spectacle. The true home of Cirque du Soleil may be in front of
audiences in Montreal but the audience reaction every time tells
me the Royal Albert Hall comes a very close second.
Q. With Quidam in January 2014, Royal Albert Hall will offer the
Cirque du Soleil audience an opportunity to have a unique
behind-the-scenes tour of the Theatre. What will this behind-
the-scenes tour be like ?
Without a doubt a very special and breath-taking VIP experience.
When you watch a show at the Hall, especially an event like
Cirque du Soleil, there is always the fascination with how its
put together and what goes on backstage before and after the
show. This is a unique opportunity to satisfy that curiosity.
From the technical and visual aspects to meeting some of the
performers, this experience is a real treat in store for anyone
who wants to know just how some of those magical memories are
created. Not only that, you get to go backstage at the Royal
Albert Hall, treading in the footsteps of many legends that have
performed at the Hall over the years!
Q. How will this behind-the-scenes tour be different from other
visits that you offer at the RAH?
This tour gives access to the heart of both the Hall and Cirque
du Soleil, above and beyond anything that weve ever offered
before on any show. It truly is a once in a lifetime experience
and one not to be missed.
"A Postcard from Corteo: A Taste of Brasil
"
{Aug.19.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Being a chef for a Cirque du Soleil Big Top touring show is no
small feat! The chef and his staff cook two hot meals a day plus
breakfast for the same people, weeks on end.
Here is the 'Feijoada', a very popular meat and bean dish in
Brazil cooked by the Chef on the Corteo tour.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
o) 1/2 kg black beans (picked and soaked)
o) 2 bay leaves
o) Olive oil
o) Water
o) 1 tbs. coloral or Paprika
o) 250g Dried meat
o) 250g Salted loin
o) 250g Smoked pork rib
o) 250g Portugese sausage
o) 250g Pepperoni
o) 250g Sausage
o) 180g Salted pigs foot
o) 5 tbs. oil
o) 1 cup Fresh chopped bacon
o) 1 onion
o) 5 cloves of garlic
o) 250g smoked pork
o) Salt & Pepper
o) Chopped parsley
o) Chopped chives
o) 1/2 Pigs ear
o) Pork tail
o) Orange juice
o) Cachaça
Preparation:
1. Soak salted meats overnight
2. Cook the beans in water, add the bay leaf, coloral and
a little olive oil.
3. After desalting meats, chop and boil them
4. Add sausages
5. In a skillet, heat oil, brown the bacon, onion and
garlic (careful not to burn the garlic).
6. Once the beans are cooked, drain; add to the meats.
7. Add the rest of the ingredients and seasoning
8. Add orange juice and Cachaça to taste
Serve with white rice, Farofa, braised cabbage and orange.
Tips:
o) When cooking meats, start with the stiffer parts.
o) The pig foot, ear and tail help adding taste and
texture to the broth.
o) Add hot sauce to spice up the meal and enhance the
flavor.
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil }
"TOTEM's Mechanical Gem"
{Aug.26.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Loosely based on a retractable pedestrian bridge in London, the
'scorpion bridge' is a mobile platform that connects the marsh
to the greater stage area. Thanks to its variable geometry and
ingenious design, it adapts to help create the show's many
tableaux.
For example, in one of the clown numbers, the bridge first bends
forward to become a speeding motorboat, it is then transformed
into a airplane in flight, and finally it rises up to become a
rocket ship blasting off into our space.
In another scene, it becomes a totem pole, and during the
'Muscle Beach' ring trio, it unfurls like an Indian carpet in
reference to the Bollywood aesthetic that inspired the overall
look of the scene.
Built of steel and weighing 4,500 kg (10,000 lb.), the bridge's
eight powerful hydraulic motors allow it to rise, descend,
extend, retract and curl in on itself like a scorpion's tail.
Its mirror-like reflective surfaces are made from stainless
steel plates, and the base houses lighting equipment, a laser,
speakers and cameras.
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil | http://goo.gl/IJvuCZ }
---------------------------------------------------
NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter
---------------------------------------------------
{Compiled by Keith Johnson}
---[ ALEGRIA ]---
{Aug.14}
Meet our Stage Managers! These guys take care of calling all the
cues of the show, manage trainings and look after the entire
artistic environment (backstage and on-stage)!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/xXOxwY >
{Aug.19}
Meet our Pmeds! Dave and Helen work with our artists to prevent
injuries, assess problems and provide rehabilitation! They are
quite the dynamic duo!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/0lsnMV >
{Aug.22}
Another answer to your questions fans! Question: What will
happen to all the costumes at the end of Alegria? Answer: All
the costumes will be shipped back to our headquarters in
Montreal to the Heritage team where they will be stored for
future displays/ exhibitions, special events or to keep simply
as reference! You can see that we started collecting some
already!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/1fNJZg >
{Aug.28}
One fan asked: Where will the White Singer and the Clown live
happily ever after after retirement? We asked them and their
answers were: Clown: In the North Pole so the singer would 'fit
in' with her dress and they would adopt a bunch of penguins as
children. White Singer: In a wooden house in Nicaragua covered
in Chocolate! Will they ever decide?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/a1gV1F >
---[ AMALUNA ]---
{Aug.01}
Two of Amaluna's beautiful performers, Peacock Goddess Amy, and
Valkyrie Andreanne, stopped by the 9News Station this morning to
chat with Gary. If you missed it, check it out here:
LINK /// < http://www.9news.com/rss/story.aspx?storyid=348104 >
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/oL1N8Y >
{Aug.08}
Denver! Come check out our Amazon girls and Teeterboard boys in
Larimer Square at lunchtime today!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/5cuLhO >
---[ CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ]---
{Aug.14}
Meet the artist Barry Lowin as he trains to become Trickster in
the touring show KOOZA by Cirque du Soleil. In the first
episode, Barry is facing new challenges.
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oddZx-YfK4 >
{Aug.21}
This is the 2nd episode or our new web series !Meet the artist
Barry Lowin as he trains to become Trickster in the touring show
KOOZA by Cirque du Soleil. In the second episode, Barry is
slowly getting into his character.
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8aGh40xmJ4 >
---[ CORTEO ]---
{Aug.07}
Hoje, no Estádio Nilson Nelson, teremos uma sessão VIP de
Corteo, fiquem ligados por aqui que em breve postaremos as
fotos. Não perca esse espetáculo, em cartaz até setembro na
cidade.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/jlPMFB >
{Aug.09}
Amanhã Corteo fará uma surpresa no ParkShopping Brasília,
preparados? A partir das 12h visitem o shopping.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/fXnJ6l >
{Aug.10}
Artista do Cirque du Soleil visitaram o ParkShopping hoje. Não
percam Corteo! Em Bsb até 8 de setembro.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/YGtLgV >
{Aug.26}
Crianças da escola de Corteo fazem apresentação de fim de ano.
Lindos!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/TAQYhQ >
{Aug.29}
Muita energia e diversão!! Cultura Brasileira apresentada à
família Corteo pelo grupo Batala!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/5l5AAk >
{Aug.31}
Exposição de figurinos Corteo no Shopping Cidade em Belo
Horizonte!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/jHIH1B >
---[ DRALION ]---
{Aug.15}
Check out this video of the Skipping rope artists warming up
before they start their tricks during training.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/pJTxoN >
{Aug.19}
Here is a cool photo of our Artistic director working with the
back up Elements.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Z8RSLS >
---[ KOOZA ]---
{Aug.01}
KOOZA was featured last night on BBC One - Celebrity Masterchef
- segment starts at minute 34 of the video....
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6ZC1Qj9_pc
{Aug.09}
Meet Miron, one of our musicians, a few moments before going on
stage!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/6WDoPi
{Aug.13}
What do you think about these cool aerial pictures of our site
and Big Top in Knokke, Belgium?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/rT0Qn1
---[ MJ IMMORTAL ]---
{Aug.01}
See the show through the eyes of our General Stage Manager. This
is her view every night!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ZU4BUz >
{Aug.08}
Yesterday we taped "The Great Show" for Beijing TV to air this
Sunday August 11 at 9:30pm (China Standard Time). And tonight
we premiere in China at the MasterCard Center in Beijing!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/neq0jJ >
{Aug.11}
Behind the scenes from Beijing TV's "The Great Show", which airs
tonight! Check out this fun behind-the-scene, right before we
hit the stage! Performing on a TV show in Beijing, CHINA! I love
this positive group of friends, we have been touring all
together now for 2 years! And as you can see, we are all crazy,
enjoying what we do every day!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/st5EEb >
{Aug.13}
Behind the Scenes - Take a look at one of the IMMORTAL
characters warming up during the show! Do you know which
character this is?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/CGjOdr >
{Aug.14}
"Euphoria, elation, wonderment, jubilation, madness, rapture,
lunacy, delirium, intoxication, absurdity, and exaltation..."
Those are just a few of the great words SmartShanghai used to
describe IMMORTAL.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/FeL3la >
{Aug.17}
It's a 2 show day! We caught where the artists go to relax in
between shows.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/RE2lIi >
{Aug.18}
Have a listen to Choreographer Travis Payne who recently spoke
to Melbourne's Gold FM about the show and our upcoming visit to
Australia!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/2CiGvv >
{Aug.21}
Ever wonder what it would be like to dance with Cirque du
Soleil? Tina Cannon talks about being a dancer on IMMORTAL as we
prepare for our Australian premiere at Perth Arena in only 4
weeks!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/pZnPBq >
{Aug.29}
Happy Birthday Michael Jackson from Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL
World Tour by Cirque du Soleil!
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMBR9C30WSw >
---[ MJ ONE ]---
{Aug.19}
Enter for chance to see Michael Jackson ONE, plus airfare to
Vegas, a stay at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, and more!
Details here:
LINK /// < http://bit.ly/17ncfan >
{Aug.30}
Last night we celebrated Michael Jackson's birthday with special
performances and more at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/U9LiGD >
---[ MYSTERE ]---
{Aug.02}
Mystere at Macy's Glamorama (4 photos) - Rehearsals for Macy's
#Glamorama are underway!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/rYcXU2 >
{Aug.16}
Have you ever wanted to go behind the scenes of Mystère by
Cirque du Soleil? Watch this behind-the-scenes video:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/9wcDcg >
{Aug.26}
Vegas locals (and rock stars!) Imagine Dragons called our show
the best on the Strip in VEGAS SEVEN's Best of the City issue!
You can read it online here:
LINK /// < http://cirk.me/1femJNC >
---[ "O" ]---
{Aug.09}
Have you ever seen "O" by Cirque du Soleil ? Take a look behind-
the-scenes of the Las Vegas resident show.
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuVduewBMBA >
{Aug.20}
CNN takes a look at our contortionists in the video preview
below, but look out on September 5 for the whole piece!
LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpZFMDxTNz4 >
---[ OVO ]---
{Aug.14}
Taipei Press Conference (15 photos) - Here are few pictures of
our press conference in Taipei. Thank you so much Taiwan for
such a warm welcome! at Shangri la, Far Eastern Plaza Hotel,
Taipei.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Qg6BIp >
---[ TOTEM ]---
{Aug.04}
Step inside the Artistic Tent of TOTEM as artists rehearse right
before stepping on stage under the big top in #Ottawa!
LINK /// < http://instagram.com/?igref=ogexp# >
{Aug.12}
Meet Norman the Neanderthal who participates in linking together
the different scenes of TOTEM with his clumsy antics! What is
your favorite character/act in the show?
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/A9zPFy >
{Aug.18}
It is Artistic Call day at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus;
artists are getting back into their training routines in
preparation for the August 22 Opening Night!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/7UdcYi >
{Aug.20}
We are getting ready for our Columbus Premiere this Thursday and
giving a little cleaning to our beautiful Big Top! Have you seen
it yet at the Ohio Expo Center? Photo credit: Bianca Kalvesmaki
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/vmRknn >
{Aug.20}
Eric Hernandez just recorded a performance for the Saturday
morning newscast of 10TV in Columbus!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/nT1iAu >
{Aug.23}
Singer Christian Laveau and comic actor Pippo Crotti will be on
Daytime Columbus at 12:30pm on NBC4!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/uyCegH >
{Aug.27}
Greg Kennedy about to juggle on ABC6 Columbus!!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/aACFQN >
{Aug.31}
Follow #TOTEM trapeze artist Guilhem Cauchois in his preparation
before his act: 40 minutes of make-up & one hour of stretching
and weight lifting!
LINK /// < http://instagram.com/p/dsYEtaRI7v/ >
---[ VAREKAI ]---
{Aug.12}
Advancing well in the preparation of our dress Rehearsal
tomorrow night, still some fine-tuning to do, but going very
well.
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/fHHMSa >
{Aug.24}
5 Artists visit Tlaquepaque (3 photos)
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/JY3fal >
---[ ZARKANA ]---
{Aug.01}
Zarkana Meet and Greet (4 photos) - Zarkana artists took part in
a meet and greet on July 29 and 30 at ARIA Resort & Casino!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/TSysFK >
{Aug.13}
S'mores at Zarkana (5 photos) - The cast and crew of Zarkana
celebrated National S'mores Day on August 10!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/CeDKj1 >
=======================================================================
COMPARTMENTS -- A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN
=======================================================================
o) DIDYAKNOW - Facts at a Glance about Cirque
o) HISTORIA - Cirque Company History
---------------------------------
DIDYAKNOW? - Facts AboutCirque
---------------------------------
o) Did you know that there are 8 different Old Nostalgic Birds in
Alegria? And all of them have a unique personality and a name! Just
to name a few, we have Gracieuse, Blanche, Valentin, Wilfrid,
Georges-Etienne and more!
o) Since the European arena tour started in August 2011, Alegria's
trucks have travelled over 2 million kilometers across Europe and
Russia! Talk about mileage
o) Did you know that all the shoes in Alegria are checked and re-soled
at least once per week?
o) Did you know that how we travel depends on the distances between
cities? If the bus ride is less than 4 hours, we will be
transported by coach, if not, we charter a flight to our next
destination!
o) Did you know that we hand-dye all the gloves for Alegria's Old
Nostalgic Birds? We buy white satin gloves and then boil them in
purple dye, white vinegar and salt. Check out Gaya, one of our
wardrobe assistants, boiling up a cauldron of Old Bird Gloves!
o) Did you know that Alegria's chefs prepare 1200 meals every week?
o) Dralion is currently in transfer towards Doha, Qatar. Did you know
the entire gear will be ship by boat and in 25 containers?
o) Meet the vocals - L'Âme Force - The voices of Dralion sing an
invented language to which only Cirque du Soleil holds the key.
Their mysterious accents echo down through time: L'Âme-Force
symbolises ultimate harmony between the four elements.
o) Did you know each artist's tools are different, but some can use 25
brushes, 10 different colors and take 60 minutes to apply their
make-up to be show ready?
o) Did you know that during every performance of "O", there are 15
technicians underwater to help the artists, manipulate props, and
more?
o) Did you know that in OVO, the "Skins" are designed to create a
sense of depth, and, through holes and openings, to reveal its
secret life as a home to the insects as each of the skins are
removed in turn. The larger of the two skins covering the world of
OVO measures 75ft wide by 50ft tall!
o) Did you know that OVO's dragonfly wings are evoked by pants made of
veined lace?
o) Did you think that there was more than ten crickets in the cast?
That's because they have detachable legs that break away from their
bodies, which give the impression that there is an insect invasion
going on!
o) Did you know that approximately 36% of the people travelling with
OVO are performers? Out of 150, 130 are employees, including 54
performers, and the rest are official accompanying members (spouses
and children).
o) Did you know that three long poles in OVO (weighing 80 pounds)
evoke dandelion stalks? Their spines allow artists to climb them
like ladders.
o) Did you know that there are 570 props used in The Beatles LOVE? The
smallest of them is Sgt. Pepper's whistle!
o) Did you know it takes 2.5 days to tear down all TOTEM's equipment?
o) Did you know the Forest is a fabulous and mysterious hideaway the
Varekai characters have made their home? Consisting of over 300
"trees" between 4.5 metres and 10.5 metres tall, the forest is also
interspersed with twenty-odd "acrobatic trees" that its inhabitants
can climb up to see what's going on.
------------------------------------
HISTORIA: Cirque Company History
------------------------------------
* Sep.01.2003 -- Tapis Rouge CD released (BMG/CDS Musique)
* Sep.01.2003 -- "Parade of Colors" Book Published
* Sep.02.2010 -- La Nouba Integrates New Rope Act (Replaces German Wheels)
* Sep.05.2012 -- Zarkana moves from New York to Las Vegas
* Sep.06.2005 -- "O" CD released in US (CDS Musique)
* Sep.06.2005 -- La Nouba CD released in US (CDS Musique)
* Sep.06.2005 -- Mystère (Live) CD released in US (CDS Musique)
* Sep.07.2012 -- Saltimbanco Arena Closing Announcement Made
* Sep.09.2009 - Name of CirqueVaudeville Released [Banana Shpeel]
* Sep.12.2005 - Zumanity celebrated its 1000th performance
* Sep.14.2010 -- Cirque Announces "Radio City" Show (Zarkana)
* Sep.15.2002 - Fire Within premiered in Canada [7:00pm EST/Global TV]
* Sep.15.2005 - Name of "Cirque MGM" released - KÀ
* Sep.15.2008 - Mystère celebrated 7,000th performance [9:30pm]
* Sep.19.2011 -- "ZAIA: Crossroads in Macao" DVD Available
* Sep.19.2012 -- Google Chrome Experiment "Movi.Kanti.Revo" Debuts
* Sep.20.2003 -- Zumanity Gala Premiere (Previews End)
* Sep.21.2001 - Alegría celebrated 2,500th performance [Brisbane]
* Sep.21.2003 - Cirque wins Outstanding Nonfiction Program award
* Sep.21.2004 - "Le Best of..." CD Released (CDS Musique)
* Sep.22.2002 - Cirque lost Emmys (nominated Jul.18.2002)
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special Alegría
Outstanding Choreography for 74th Academy Awards Debra Brown
* Sep.22.2010 -- Cirque Names "Hollywood" Show (IRIS)
* Sep.24.2008 - Cirque2009 (OVO) tickets go on sale
* Sep.25.2002 - Cirquedusoleil.com won four awards for its website:
"Best of Show", "Experience", "Content & Information",
"Experimental"
* Sep.25.2012 -- IMX Announces a Unique Partnership With CDS in South America
* Sep.27.1994 -- Alegría CD released in Canada (RCA/Victor)
* Sep.27.2003 - Cirque du Soleil HQ Open House
* Sep.28.2003 - Cirque du Soleil HQ Open House
* Sep.30.2009 - Guy Laliberté, Cosmonaut!
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
o) "The Wider World of Cirque-Centric Podcasts"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
o) "Still a BeLIEver?" - BELIEVE Celebrates 5 Years
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) Michael Jackson ONE: "Hope, Love, Unity, 'ONE'"
Special Reprint from MJ World [EXPANDED]
----------------------------------------------------------
"The Wider World of Cirque-Centric Podcasts"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
The podcasting universe is wildly diverse both in terms of audio
quality and skill of the hosts. You can tell some just blast out to
the world hoping to be heard, while others have a passion and
knowledge of their subject that makes them eminently listenable. Some
take pains to create shows with interesting well-researched topics,
while others just watch an episode of a reality show and broadcast
their off-the-cuff review out into the ether.
Being a fan of podcasting, especially of shows dedicated to Las Vegas,
we've previously reported on Las Vegas-centric podcasts that feature
Cirque artists or personnel. (See our previous coverage in February
2010, Issue 73 - http://goo.gl/QvRAVn - and March 2010, Issue 74
http://goo.gl/I96WVT) Strangely, it just recently occurred to us to
check iTunes for additional casts. Come to find there are several,
with some of them interesting with lots of new information (new at
least to us).
Searching "Cirque du Soleil" in iTunes and selecting the "Podcasts"
tab from the results will show a mixture of video and audio podcasts
that mention Cirque in their episode titles. There are close to 50,
all free, but many are short publicity bits, in a foreign language, or
don't divulge new information. Below we encapsulate the Top 8 we
found in ascending order of interest.
Marketing Bump 3 clever marketing tips revealed from watching "OVO"
by Cirque du Soleil
Host Alexi Neocleous (marketingbump.com) Monologue on 3
marketing tips related to Cirque's success
6 minutes 4/1/13
This short monologue discusses the speakers' impressions after
watching OVO. The insights are interesting and gives a look into
Cirque's success from a different perspective.
It Matters From Cirque du Soleil to Simple SenseMeet Will
Will Roberts (willrobertsweeeklytelegram.com) - Rope trick
artist from Viva Elvis
60 minutes 9/20/12
A bit of free-wheeling banter between the hosts, along with varying
audio quality, finally gets into talking with Will Roberts, a humorist
in the Will Rogers vein, who was the rope trick artist in Viva Elvis.
There are a few CDS tidbits here. About halfway through the show it
segues into talking with an English country singer and playing his
song.
Lady Brain InterviewsErica Linz, actress/performer Cirque du Soleil
Erica Linz actress, CDS World's Away
Hosts Steph and Lauren (theladybrainshow.com)
6 minutes 1/3/13
Some interesting notes about casting and shooting the film are
divulged by Erica during this short interview.
HSM PodCasting Lyn Heward, Cirque du Soleil
Lyn Heward Former COO of CDS
Host unknown (podcast.hsm.com.br)
7 minutes 4/26/07
This podcast starts out in Spanish, and then turns to English after a
few moments. The former CDS COO talks about the difference between
gymnastics in the 50's and now, Cirque as a developer of a creative
process, and empowering people and ideas. Short but interesting.
David Essel Alive! XM Radio Show Archives Guest: Kristy Wilson, Ms.
Fitness Universe
Kristy Wilson (kristywilson.com) former performer with CDS
Host David Essel (davidessel.com)
40 minutes 7/20/13
This podcast comes off as the most professional-sounding of the bunch,
being an archive of an XM Radio show. The host is very enthusiastic,
almost sugary in praise of his guest. Kristy, who was a Power
Track/Aerial Cradle artist with La Nouba, really addresses the thought
processes that go into a decision to leave the company. She talks
about feeling tired, how hard the show regimen is on the mind and
body, and having to be always "on." Enlightening. The first part of
this interview is the best.
Massage Podcast Episode 36, Interview with Keith Stiles working at
Cirque do Soleil
Keith Stiles (stilesmassage.com) massage therapist, works with
CDS artists
Host Dawn Adkins with Elaine Calenda (massagepodcast.com)
49 minutes 3/5/12
Keith says he was at the right place at the right time to sign on with
Cirque as a tour massage therapist from 2003-8, as well as working
with Zarkana and Wintuk. The repetitive nature and type of injuries,
recommending care regimens to artists, massage policies (artists each
get 30 minutes per week), and touring life are discussed. And much
attention is given to how therapists are hired (experience is needed
and bring your A-game.) A lot of "I didn't know that" in this good
interview.
Comet Branding Radio Comet Radio Show with special guest Jess Berlin,
Cirque du Soleil
Jess Berlin Manager of Social Media, CDS Las Vegas
Hosts Al Krieger and Sara Meaney
30 minutes (says 45:00, but rest is blank) 3/24/10
Jess talks about originally advocating for bloggers, bringing them the
same recognition within the company as print journalists. She talks
about maintaining the magic or how to not let too much backstage info
out in the coverage they get. Responding on Twitter, the demographics
of the shows Facebook sites and what kinds of content are popular on
them are also mentioned. Really interesting.
Ideafaktory podcast-Daring ideas for innovators IdeaFaktory Podcast
Episode 4: Social Strategies with Cirque du Soleil's Andy Levey
Adam Levey Social Media Director, CDS
Host Steve Faktor (ideafaktory.com)
20 minutes 12/18/12
Host Faktor talks more than any of the other hosts, but his comments
make this more of a conversation and less of an interview. This is
the most interesting podcast of the bunch, as Levey (Levy?) addresses
each topic intelligently. The roles of Facebook and Twitter in
establishing a brand and speaking to an audience of followers, the
reach of Facebook, brand ambassadors and what they mean to a company,
and perceptions of success are all touched on.
In the end I learned more from the IdeaFaktory, Comet Branding, and
Massage podcasts than the others. If you have the 1.5 hours to give,
these three come highly recommended.
Next we'll take a look at the free video podcasts on ITunes.
----------------------------------------------------------
"Still a BeLIEver?" - BELIEVE Celebrates 5 Years
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
"Would you believe nine Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas by 2010?"
That's how one of Fascination's by-lines read on July 6, 2006, as the
unofficial Cirque du Soleil newsletter highlighted a story, published
by the Las Vegas Sun, which reviewed potential plans for the expansion
of Cirque du Soleil's empire in Las Vegas following MGM/Mirage's
purchase of Mandalay Resorts International. The purchase brought,
amongst other properties, the Excalibur, the Luxor and Mandalay Bay
into the MGM/Mirage Resorts fold.
As reported by Las Vegas freelance journalist and podcast host Steve
Friess (at www.thestrippodcast.com), reliable chatter at the time was
that there were preliminary plans for nine Cirque productions on the
Strip by the end of the decade, including a new Luxor show, an Elvis-
themed production at MGM Mirage's Project CityCenter, a production to
replace "Mamma Mia!" once it plays out at Mandalay Bay, and show No. 9
at an unspecified hotel - possibly a children's show at Excalibur to
counter the adult-themed "Zumanity."
In response to inquiries about a permanent production show at the
Luxor Theater, MGM Mirage spokeswoman Jenn Michaels said, "We've been
looking at a number of options for the former 'Hairspray' theater; we
are close to signing a deal and will make an announcement as soon as
we are able to do so." Michaels added that MGM Mirage didn't have
anything to announce regarding headliners and that plans for the
Luxor's entertainment program still needed to be firmed up.
But it was the first time the possibility that Cirque du Soleil would
inhabit a theater at the Luxor had been mentioned. As Criss Angel
BELIEVE celebrates its 5th Anniversary, Fascination! takes a look back
at the show's rocky history.
MINDFREAKED
-----------
By the mid-2000s, the ever-increasing Cirque du Soleil empire
constantly looked at ways to expand their horizons and do for other
entertainment mediums what they did with circus: reinvent it. This
line of thinking led to many projects from hotels and entertainment
complexes to creating arena concerts, musical revues and resurrecting
vaudeville, but one of the oft-thought areas of amusement that the
company considered was the re-invention of the magic show. Like the
circus, magic is a source of wonder, amazement and the unexpected
ripe for a Cirque du Soleil makeover. But however hard and deep Cirque
researched and developed their concept they either decided they
couldn't do it, or understood that magic was a personality-driven
medium (think Penn & Teller, David Copperfield and Siegfried & Roy)
and the project dropped. But when illusionist Criss Angel's star began
to rise as his show Mindfreak became increasingly popular, all parties
involved began to talk giving birth to what would ultimately become
CRISS ANGEL BELIEVE BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL.
Questions regarding the necessity of having yet another magic show on
the Strip, even if produced by Cirque du Soleil, and just who the
magician would be began almost immediately. Criss Angel's name the
star of A&E's magic series Mindfreak was immediately rumored. But
who was this Criss Angel?
In brief...
Criss Angel had one of the highest advance tickets sales of off-
Broadway productions during his fourteen month 600 performance run of
"Criss Angel MINDFREAK" which he created, produced, directed and
starred in. Criss Angel MINDFREAK (the television show) was at the
time scheduled to film its 70th episode in its third season shot
exclusively at The Luxor. Publishing house Harper Collins was
releasing Criss' highly anticipated first book, Criss Angel MINDFREAK:
Secret Revelations in April 2007. Criss had also been named 2001,
2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008 Magician of the Year (by The Academy of
Magical Arts), making him the first five-time and back-to-back
recipient ever to be awarded these most prestigious accolade. Criss
was also unanimously selected as the recipient of the 22nd Louie Award
for outstanding achievement in the art of magic. Recently, Criss had
also added acting to his resume, guest starring in an episode of
"CSI:NY".
But internally, Cirque du Soleil already knew who Criss Angel was;
they'd already begun developing a magic-based concept with MGM-Mirage
by August 2006 with François Macerola, named Executive Producer, Guy
Caron as Creative Director and Nancy Malette, as Production Manager.
By that December most of the creative team had come together, running
a few technical and dance workshops (December 1st, 2nd, and 4th) to
get the creative juices flowing. On December 6, 2006, Serge Denoncourt
(Director), Guy Caron (Director of Creation) and Criss Angel met with
Guy Laliberté to present the show's concept. And what a concept: it
was the first time the entire production process would take place in
Las Vegas, it was Cirque's first magic-based show, and it was the
first Cirque show with a celebrity starring in the lead role. Although
the show concept was approved one director would not go forward with
the project: Guy Caron. After a period of prolonged reflection, Guy
Caron decided to withdraw from Luxor 2008 concentrate on the
development of new Creative Content projects. (Did he perceive just
how challenging a magic show with Angel would be?) Pierre Phaneuf, an
Assistant to the Vice-President of Creative Content and New Project
Development, would take over the position (and see the project to its
conclusion).
By mid-March 2007 a detailed design of the set, stage and all its
elements were due, and Eiko Ishioka was scheduled to present
preliminary costume designs (she would later be replaced by Mérédith
Caron). In April construction bids on the theater renovation were due
and demolition of the old fixtures set to begin. And by May the
illusions workshops would begin.
And the wheels kept turning...
Then according to Vegas Pop's Luxe Life column by Robin Leach, Cirque
du Soleil was on the verge of making an announcement about the oft-
rumored Criss Angel "magic show" sometime around March 15, 2007:
"It's now official that Cirque du Soleil will present
'Mindfreak' magician Criss Angel in a $100-million+ magic
spectacular as first reported in LUXE LIFE. The news is imminent
and a countdown of just four days has begun. LUXE LIFE has
learned that invitations will be issued to TV crews and
journalists within 24 hours to meet at the Luxor on Thursday,
Mar. 15 at 2PM for the actual announcement with Cirque
executives from Montreal and Luxor president, Felix Rappaport,
along with other MGM officials also in attendance."
March 15th came and went without any announcement; Luxe Life reported
that the conference had only been postponed.
But on March 22, 2007, Cirque du Soleil and MGM/Mirage announced their
next co-production: Cirque Luxor (not the official name,) featuring
the magical talents of Criss Angel. An article in Variety noted a few
facts about the announcement at the time: "The production purportedly
will cost $65 million USD. The amount covers the cost of theater
renovations and creation expenses. It will be the sixth permanent
Cirque show on the Las Vegas Strip (Cirque Elvis 2009 will be the
seventh.) It is the first time Cirque will feature a star performer.
From the announcement:
Always on the lookout for the next artistic challenge, Cirque du
Soleil is working with Criss to fuse his revolutionary illusions
and mind-blowing artistry with acrobatics, dance, puppetry,
music and poetry to tell a story, taking audiences on a bizarre
and fascinating journey.
Re-inventing the traditional magic show has been a long-standing
desire of Guy Laliberté, Guide and Founder of Cirque du Soleil.
Five years of extensive research and development were spent
exploring the world of magic and how to re-define the
experience.
The crucial element, a young, edgy and talented artist and
mystifier, was found in Criss Angel. With his incredibly unique
creativity, Criss is now working with the experienced team of
Cirque du Soleil creators led by Director Serge Denoncourt to
bring this dream to life.
"I wanted to distance myself from the swimsuit-clad babes and
cheapo variety acts, and do a more theatrical magic show, with
emotion. Something that would reflect the aesthetic of the
Italian theatre," said Denoncourt. The director considers
illusionist Criss Angel currently the best in his field, a genre
that has seen nothing new since David Copperfield in the '80s.
"But if we hadn't hit it off so well, we wouldn't work together.
We're both really happy. We don't want a show that's too clean,
too rigid, too cute. We want to be a little more provocative,"
acknowledges the director. "Because I love magic, because I love
Criss, and because I love Cirque du Soleil, we will bring to
Vegas a different magic show. And I say it's about time!"
Since he was six years old, Criss Angel has immersed himself in
a multitude of art forms, from performance artist to mystifier
and provocateur. Since then, a relentless work ethic combined
with talent, skill and vision has made Criss one of the most
provocative artists of our day. From creator, producer and
performer in his television series, specials and live shows,
Criss has redefined the term "artist" for the 21st Century.
"When I first met Guy Laliberté, I said, 'Guy, you reinvented
the circus and the poetry you create is unlike anything the
world has ever seen. Imagine if we could reinvent magic like you
reinvented the circus.' That is my dream, that is my quest, and
that is exactly what we are going to do when we open up this
show."
"I've spent 15 years creating and evolving a concept that the
world of entertainment has never seen," said Criss Angel. "Now,
I'm thrilled to be working with Cirque du Soleil and Felix
Rappaport and his amazing team here at the Luxor to create an
experience that goes beyond even my wildest expectations. I am
confident that this collaboration will culminate in what is
destined to become one of the most exciting shows Las Vegas has
ever seen and redefine magic in the same way Cirque du Soleil
has redefined the circus."
Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil, said,
"This production represents a new, distinctive type of creation
for Cirque du Soleil. We believe there is a market for an
unconventional magic show with production values audiences have
come to expect from Cirque du Soleil."
Gilles Ste-Croix, Senior Vice President of Creative Content at
Cirque du Soleil said " Cirque du Soleil has always worked with
an acrobatic foundation for each of our shows; with The Beatles
LOVE we were privileged enough to have The Beatles music as our
center; with this project - magic will be at the core. We are
excited to combine our years of research and creative expertise
in the areas of staging, lighting, sound design, projections,
costume and make-up design with Criss Angel's one of a kind
experience as a creator and performer of illusion, special
effects and magic."
Felix Rappaport, President and COO of Luxor Resort and Casino,
said," This partnership represents a new era for Luxor. Cirque
du Soleil and Criss Angel will bring a distinctive element to
the property. We are thrilled Luxor is the place their
creativity will come together."
CRACKS IN THE MIRROR?
---------------------
"Cirque du Soleil has taken out a huge insurance policy to cover
its first headliner, illusionist Criss Angel. Vegas Confidential
has also learned that Cirque is working on a Plan B in the event
that the 'Mindfreak' star is not able to carry out his
commitment to do 4,000 performances in the $100 million
production at Luxor over the next 10 years. The show is to open
in late July."
The blurb above, from Norm Clark of the Las Vegas Review-Journal in
early 2008, raised a lot of eyebrows. It would be the first indication
that all was not well with the partnership even in this early stage,
although nobody understood that fully at the time. Indeed, many long-
time Vegas entertainment journalists began to ask: how much Cirque is
too much? Mike Weatherford of the Review-Journal posed that very
question in an article for his paper. Indeed fans and followers of
Cirque have been asking that very question since Zumanity premiered in
2003. Renewed concern came in part from the 20% stake in Cirque du
Soleil that Nakheel and Istithmar World of Dubai purchased on August
6th:
The Dubai money should aid the "acceleration of our
development," Cirque's president, Daniel Lamarre, noted. [...]
But each time Cirque opens a show on the Strip, there is a
renewed gap between the company's ambitious plans and the
skeptical local reaction. Talk to Cirque, and you hear something
like this: "Give me as many venues as you have, and I'll find
the right creators," Lamarre says. "When I walk into our
creative center in Montreal, there are more ideas than there are
theaters available to us." Talk to Las Vegas locals and others
in the show community, and you hear something like this: "The
Cirque shows are wonderful, but enough already. Isn't there
anything else out there?"
The reason for the insurance policy became clear when it was announced
that on Wednesday, July 30th 2008, Criss Angel would attempt to escape
from the Spyglass Hotel in Clearwater Beach, Florida before it
imploded all on live television: "There's 550 sticks of dynamite
that will be below my feet, there's a helicopter that needs to hover
30 feet above the roof. If I don't make it through the handcuffs, five
locks and four doors in no more than three minutes and 30 seconds - if
I'm one second late, that helicopter needs to leave without me. Who
knows, I could trip, I could have trouble picking a lock."
And how happy was Cirque with this stunt? "Cirque is not very happy
about my decision to do this because they have a lot of money invested
in me and in the show. They would prefer that I don't do it. Whether I
kill myself or twist my ankle, it would still have a detrimental
effect -- obviously one more than another -- on us opening. And
there's a lot of money that ticks away every day that show's not open
and we're not ready to roll. So they don't want me to do it. They're
not happy with this decision."
Angel did attempt the stunt, and survived of course, crawling away
from the wrecked building after seemingly missing his helicopter
getaway. (It was also one of the lamest "escape" attempts we've ever
seen. No attempt was even made to suggest some sort of "magic" was
involved...)
beLIEve
-------
A year after rumors of discord between Cirque and its new star
personality began circulating (they really didn't want him doing the
implosion stunt) the name of the new show was announced by Cirque (on
April 17, 2008) BELIEVE and we got our first glimpse of its
presentation:
On his death bed, legendary magician and escape artist, Harry
Houdini told his wife the following; "After my death, many
people will claim that they are still able to communicate with
me. If their claims are valid, they will be able to tell you a
code word - that word is BELIEVE."
CRISS ANGEL Believe, from Cirque du Soleil is a haunting
exploration deep inside the inventive mind of mystifier Criss
Angel as he hovers between the land of the living and a surreal
world uniquely woven together by the distinctive imaginations of
Criss Angel and Cirque du Soleil seen exclusively at Luxor Las
Vegas.
Unlike traditional magic-themed shows, CRISS ANGEL Believe
transcends any preconceived notion of what it means to be
emotionally engaged by the arts of mysticism and illusion. A
fantasy, an allegory, a highly theatrical tableau of mood,
reverie and emotion set against a backdrop of dreamlike darkness
and light.
Criss Angel stars as a surreal, enigmatic Victorian Noble. Along
a path of imaginative exploration, he encounters Kayala and
Crimson, two women who represent different aspects of
femininity. Along his path he also discovers four comical Ushers
who introduce the audience to the baroque theater of Criss'
mind. Also part of the production is an intense troupe of
characters and dancers who mix a multitude of styles into a
high-energy visual feast, punctuated by moments of grace and
sensuality.
The stunning illusions in CRISS ANGEL Believe are not presented
as standalone elements, but as interdependent components using
heightened imagery, fantastical creatures and impossible feats
of legerdemain, all of which are integrated into the dazzling,
colorful fabric of the story.
Criss Angel BELIEVE was slated to celebrate its gala premiere on October
31, 2008, chosen because every Halloween for 10 years following Harry
Houdini's death, his wife held a vigil to test the legitimacy of people
who claimed to be able to communicate with Houdini. To claim success
they needed to say the code word BELIEVE.
But would fans of Criss Angel be able to hold a vigil for him on Halloween?
THE CURLY SHUFFLE
-----------------
Just weeks after Cirque du Soleil and MGM/Mirage made the official
announcement about BELIEVE, its thematic content, and when the show was
slated to premiere, rumors began circulating that the show would have to
be delayed for "unforeseen circumstances". By June 30, 2008 some truth to
those rumors became known: Cirque du Soleil announced that the debut of
"Criss Angel Believe" would be pushed back two weeks. Ticketed previews
that were to begin on Sept. 1 would begin Sept. 12. The private party to
mark the "official" debut had been pushed from Sept. 12 to Oct. 9.
Spokeswoman Anita Nelving said technical delays made the cast about five
weeks late moving from an off-strip warehouse into the custom theater at
the Luxor.
The move affected 14 shows that already were on sale but they would
not be the first.
On September 8, 2008, Mike Weatherford in the Review-Journal had some
interesting things to say about the cause of the latest delay for the
Criss Angel show:
With [KA and LOVE], the main goal of previews was to make tweaks
or changes based partly on audience reaction, Cirque spokeswoman
Anita Nelving explains. If automated props or sets broke down in
the course of things, everyone took it in stride. This time
illusions are involved and "there are elements that can't be
worked out during previews," she says. If a technical gaffe
exposes how a trick is done, that's a real problem. "This is the
first time we've created a show of illusion, and we
underestimated the amount of time we needed." On the other hand,
a member of the show's production staff reports (through a third
party) that "Believe" is "just out and out boring," and that the
illusions are more of the close-up variety that don't hold up in
a large theater.
Then the show was delayed yet again. On September 17, 2008, just mere days
before the show was set to begin its original set of preview performances,
came official word of yet another delay. The $100-million showcase would
now publically debut at the Luxor on October 31st according to the
Review-Journal with a gala premiere to happen sometime after...
"I can't imagine a more fitting night all year for Criss than
Halloween, the night that marks the 82nd anniversary of the
death of his and the show's inspiration, Harry Houdini," Angel's
publicist, Steve Flynn, said. "Believe" originally was scheduled
to open publicly on Sept. 12.
Publicists for Angel and Cirque say the magician and show's
director, Serge Denoncourt, insist every aspect of the technical
show, which includes illusions, acrobatics and pyrotechnics, be
perfect before it opens, and more time was needed.
The latest decision to delay the premiere was announced Saturday
after more than 400 Cirque employees and artists took in a
performance Friday. The creative team met afterward and it was
then decided to move the premiere to Oct. 31 and restore the
preview period to its original timeframe.
Organizers first delayed the premiere in late June because of
apparent technical difficulties. The premiere was then
rescheduled for Oct. 10. Further "enormous complexities" were
cited on Sept. 2 as the schedule for preview performances was
pushed back a second time. While the change didn't affect the
Oct. 10 premiere, the decision effectively axed the first two
weeks of preview performances.
Saturday's announcement restores the preview period to its
original five-week run, with the first performance taking place
Sept. 26. "The preview period is an important part of our
creative process as it allows the show to develop in front of a
live audience," Cirque du Soleil spokeswoman Anita Nelving said.
"Believe" will blend Angel's illusions with the costumes and
acrobatics that are part of Cirque du Soleil productions. Angel
will give about 5,200 performances over the next decade. His
contract will see him perform five nights a week for the next 10
years, with an additional five-year extension option.
JUST A PEEK...
--------------
On September 18, 2008, with public previews still a week away, Cirque du
Soleil sent out a little peek into the world of illusionist Criss Angel
to whet our appetites so we'd BELIEVE:
"Clear your mind; recognize the principles of being, and feel
yourself being transported into a fantastical world of
surreality. Allow a visionary journey to begin where the child
within you is reborn, setting free the wonder and amazement of
your own imagination. Feast on this imaginative vision.
Experience the reality of what you see on stage but remember
reality is only what you think you see. This mystifying
adventure is nothing more than an allegory which tells the tale
of one man's search for love and meaning as he attempts to
decipher his existence within a multifaceted vortex of reality
and illusion. Immerse yourself in a metaphysical dreamlike state
where dancing rabbits and similar oddities are the norm. Magic
is now reborn. Prepare yourself for an intimate celebration of
art forms bleeding together to create a virtual landscape of
Illusion, song, dance movement and mysticism. All pre-conceived
notions of truth and existence be left at the door. What you're
seeing may not be real.
Don't believe your eyes.
Welcome to CRISS ANGEL Believe."
o) The Ushers Luigi (Martin Boisvert), Lars (Abdelkader
Chelef), Slim (Mariano Nicolas De Yorio) and Maestro (Mateo
Amieva).
o) Kayala (Elena Serafimovich) a wondrous beauty draped in
white.
o) Crimson (Aminah Abdul-Jillil) a monster of nightmarish
proportions.
o) Lucky, the Rabbit in "Homage to the Rabbits."
o) Other Characters The Dolls (Gigi, Taz and Charissa), Hyena
(a rabbit gone rabid), The Paparazzi (with cameras ablaze),
The Crowmen (black birds to prey on the weak), Grand Master
Tronik (a grand and beastly puppet), Mole (a creature of the
underworld), Zangelica (half girl, half rabbit, all legs),
Dega (a young rabbiteer), Auntie B & Father Luminus.
o) Dancers Deirdre Barnes, Liana Blackburn, Angela Brickhouse,
Matt Carroll, Pamela Chu, Hiroaki Kumagi, Martha Nichols,
Donnell Flanrico Quaker, Logan Schyvynck, Sherisse Springer,
Ben Susak, Jesse Weafer, Bruce Weber, Shigeki Yamada, and
Sara Zanelletti.
o) Musicians Elvis Lederer (Guitar), Jose Pepe Jimenez
(Percussian, Electronic Percussion & Drums), Nitza (Singer),
and Jean-Francois (Djeff) Houle (Bandleader, Bass &
Electronics)
TRAIN WRECK?
------------
"I've spent 15 years creating and evolving a concept that the
world of entertainment has never seen," said Criss Angel in a
release by Cirque du Soleil. "Now, I'm thrilled to be working
with Cirque du Soleil and Felix Rappaport and his amazing team
here at the Luxor to create an experience that goes beyond even
my wildest expectations. I am confident that this collaboration
will culminate in what is destined to become one of the most
exciting shows Las Vegas has ever seen and redefine magic in the
same way Cirque du Soleil has redefined the circus."
Criss Angel BELIEVE had its first "Lion's Den" performance on
September 12th, opened its doors to preview performances on the 26th
and by the 30th, reviews were pouring in: everything from "horrible"
to "terrible" and all points in between. It was clear that BELIEVE was
nothing short of a train-wreck, but the coup de grace - DOUG ELFMAN's
article from the Las Vegas Review-Journal - seemed to sum it up
nicely:
Criss Angel fans flew in from as far away as London to see his
new Cirque du Soleil show open at the Luxor on Friday. The
verdict by many? Creatively, "Believe" is a possibly
unsalvageable "waste of time" and a "dead end" that literally
bored some audience members to sleep. On Saturday night,
reaction was even worse. "Everyone in the bathroom was chanting
'bull-'" from the urinals, Damon Ranger of Chicago told me
Saturday. "It was absolutely awful. You can 'Believe' how bad it
is because it's terrible!" People streamed out of the theater
on Saturday screaming about how poor it was. A group of six
women was led by a woman yelling furiously, demanding their
money back. "Dude, it's a train wreck," Ranger said. On a scale
of 1 to 10, he declared "Believe" a zero.
Here's what they saw, as described on Wikipedia:
Premonition -- Criss comes towards the audience and throws his
wristband into the crowd. Once a spectator catches it, Criss has the
person tell their name, where they're from, and to pick any word out
of the English language. A small, locked box (always within the view
of the audience) is then lowered from the top of the stage, where
Maestro opens it and brings its contents - a clear plastic jar with a
piece of paper in it - to Criss and the selected audience member. Much
to the amazement of the audience, the paper contains the name,
location, and chosen word of the participant.
Tesla Coil -- Criss is suited up in a chainmail outfit as a very large
Tesla coil is presented onstage. Criss goes to enter the cage
surrounding the coil, but Crimson has other plans. She turns the power
to the coil all the way on, causing sparks to fly and the theatre
lights to go out. A pained shout is heard from Criss, and he writhes
on the ground in pain as human-sized rabbits in doctor's coats lift
him onto a gurney and roll him offstage.
Lucky and Homage to the Rabbits -- A small rabbit appears on a large
projection screen, desperately trying to escape. It makes its way out
and hops onto a box, taking a small microphone and discussing Cirque
du Soleil show rules and how it is now going to take over the show.
While assuring the audience that no animals were harmed during the
production of the show, a large light burns out and falls from the top
of the stage, crushing Lucky and killing him instantly. The Ushers
come out to find Lucky, placing him on the front of the stage as
multiple rabbits come out to dance for their fallen friend. While they
dance, Lucky's corpse is taken away, only to be replaced with Criss'
body on a gurney. Crimson, who seems to be leading the dance, rips
Criss' form off of the gurney and onto the floor, where all of the
rabbits fight over it to get a piece. They then dance around with his
limbs, head and torso, before being shooed away by the Ushers.
Humbodik -- The Ushers reassemble Criss, before running offstage to
get "the machine". Crimson reappears, dancing for the body of Criss
while the machine is brought out. Criss' body is then lifted from the
ground, before being engulfed in CO2. After the CO2 is blown away, we
see Criss, whole again.
The Dolls -- Three dolls - Gigi, Taz and Charissa - appear, dancing
seductively while they dress Criss.
Doves -- Criss does some sleight of hand with doves, before he
disappears into a cloud of CO2, reemerging with his own pair of wings.
He levitates above the stage for a few moments, before disappearing
into the stage.
Poppy -- Grit, a rabbit, appears on the stage and performs some
contact juggling, while a large rabbit hops onstage to watch him. Two
men dressed up as poppies come out and spin around, as a very large
poppy is brought onstage. Suddenly, the poppy opens to reveal a
beautiful woman clad in a white unitard. She performs some aerial
acrobatics as Criss appears through a trapdoor in the middle of the
stage. He stands on a platform made of thorns, staring up at the woman
in awe, a hand clutching at his heart. The woman descends from her
flower into Criss' arms. The two embrace before she gets off of the
platform.
Scarecrow -- Two men in white, billowy skirts wave large white fans
before Criss, hiding him from view. When he is show again, he is
shouting in pain, as Crimson is crawling through his body. Kayala
hides behind the Ushers, who urge her to save Criss. She goes to run
offstage as Crimson exits Criss' body, but Crimson catches her and
begins to strangle Kayala. Criss has escaped his thorny prison, and
runs over with a large white cloth to protect Kayala. He makes Kayala
vanish under the white cloth, as Crimson makes herself vanish under a
red cloth. Criss rips the red cloth away to reveal a burning tree. He
then runs offstage to follow Kayala.
De Kolta Chair -- The four Ushers appear on the dark stage with
flashlights, looking for Criss. They come upon many rabbits, before
Zangelica appears onstage with a baby carriage. The doll-sized Criss
and Kayala appear from the carriage, before Lars picks up the smaller
Criss and sits him on a chair. Lars and Maestro then lift a cloth over
the chair, allowing Criss to reappear as normal. Maestro then begs him
to perform his "favorite trick", the De Kolta chair. Kayala, a chair,
and a large box are then brought onstage. Criss places a purple cape
over Kayala, having her move her hands before she disappears. The box
is then opened to reveal her.
Dance-off -- Multiple Moles appears onstage and begin to dance. Criss
and Kayala run offstage as the Ushers begin to play Rock, Paper,
Scissors to decide who will dance against the moles. Each dances in
turn, the most notable being Lars break-dancing on his head.
Tronik -- Criss and Kayala return, and the Ushers begin to haggle them
about their romance. Criss only smirks and replays that they "can kiss
the monster", the monster being a lurking Tronik. Kayala runs offstage
as Criss and Maestro run into the audience, Lars, Luigi and Slim
running offstage to get whips and shields. Criss goes back onstage and
defeats Tronik with magic. The creature staggers back for a moment,
before regaining itself and heading toward Maestro, who cowers. The
creature then removes its arms and torso, revealing Criss inside.
Metamorphosis -- Crimson appears onstage and begins to seduce Criss,
along with partially undressing him. He is then thrown into a wooden
crate, while Crimson and her minions writhe upon the stage, tying up
the crate. Crimson then climbs atop it, hidden in a cloud of CO2
before a firewall goes off. Criss then appears atop the crate, and
begins to open it, revealing a straight-jacketed Crimson inside.
Wedding -- Kayala is revealed, wearing a white wedding gown with a
huge train following her. The Ushers come out to congratulate her as
Criss is seen to appear atop the wall of the train. He then begins to
walk down it, marrying Kayala after his descent. The two proceed to
kiss as the Ushers pose for photographs. A large pool of blood begins
to form on the gown's train, growing large with each flash of the
camera. Finally, the gown is ripped from Kayala. A spotlight shines on
Crimson and her paparazzi, before Criss is illuminated, Kayala lying
on the ground next to him.
Paparazzi -- Criss and his Ushers fight to keep the paparazzi away
from Kayala's lifeless form, the paparazzi dancing with Crimson before
the wind blows them away. Criss mourns for Kayala before the Ushers
take her away. A large projection of Crimson appears before Criss,
knocking him to the ground.
In Two -- A large, mechanical-like table is rolled out, along with
figures sharpening chainsaws on it. Criss is chased offstage by a
Crowman, before one of the Dolls brings him back on and throws him
upon the table. Crimson takes a chainsaw from one of her henchmen as
Criss is bound and shackled to the table, before sawing him in half.
Blood and gore spill out everywhere, each half of Criss' now-lifeless
body pulled in separate directions offstage.
Funeral -- The Ushers come out and mourn over Criss, placing red roses
on his grave. Crimson walks out with a Crowman and a wheelchair,
spitting on Criss' grave before throwing her black rose on the ground.
She is then covered by a blanket on the wheelchair and spun around so
that she is no longer facing the audience. More mourners bestow roses
upon Criss' grave as Kayala comes out in a black mourning gown,
placing her white rose gently upon her beloved's grave. A large scrim
comes down upon the stage before the wheelchair begins spinning. The
figure seated removed the blanket, revealing Criss. He turns around to
look at the characters of his surreal adventure, but the lights have
gone dark and they are no longer visible. He then turns back to the
audience, his whisper of "Believe" echoing throughout the theatre.
ANGEL or DEVIL?
---------------
The initial preview performance was not received well; audience
reactions were thoroughly negative. The show opened to equally harsh
reviews, citing a lack of the magic Angel is known for as well as a
confusing and uninteresting theme; reviewers felt neither Angel nor
Cirque du Soleil were able to perform their capabilities. By December
17, two months into the show's run, the Luxor was offering a 40%
discount on show tickets. In lieu of quotes from theater critics, by
January 2009 the Believe website used positive critical quotes from
selected celebrities, including Angel's then-girlfriend, Holly
Madison. Over the next year many reviews of the show would share
roughly the same sentiment though the show continued to fill seats
well enough (but whether it was making money or not remained to be
seen).
Criss also had his fair share of run-ins with the press and
celebrities alike. After Cirque spent some weeks tweaking the show,
blogger and television personality Perez Hilton attended a performance
on Friday, April 17, 2009. During the show, Hilton used his Twitter
account to message over half a million of his subscribers "We are 20
minutes in and Criss Angel's Vegas show, Believe, is unbelievably
BAD!", as well as other criticism. As the show was ending, Angel
singled out Hilton, had him stand up, and declared to the audience
that "We have the world's biggest douche-bag asshole in the house!" To
which Hilton replied "Thanks for the free tickets." Hilton, who is a
fan of Cirque du Soleil, later noted that "until 'Believe,' Cirque has
had an incredible track record of excellence. I have seen all of their
Vegas shows and loved them all."
In the aftermath of the incident, Cirque du Soleil, but not Angel,
issued an apology to Hilton, as well as anyone else present in the
family-oriented show. Speaking also on behalf of hotel owner MGM
Mirage, Cirque du Soleil called Angel's remarks "inappropriate and
disrespectful", noting that "Cirque management will address such
behavior privately with any of its artists to ensure it will not
happen again." The Vegas media reaction was strongly against Angel,
who was viewed as having broken a major taboo among casino employees
in the largely tourist economy by insulting a guest, notably during an
economic downturn. Angel had even threatened Norm Clarke of the
Review-Journal over some of his comments, suggesting he promised to
take out his other eye (Norm wears an eye patch).
Criss Angel was becoming a bad boy, and a very visible liability to
Cirque du Soleil's brand. By December 14, 2009, though, according to
Robin Leach's column for the Las Vegas Sun, Criss Angel was in the
process of integrating seven new "extraordinary" illusions into
BELIEVE, hoping to stem the negative press.
He has already been rehearsing all of them during the day and
performing his shows at night. Now he's waiting for Fire and
Building Department approvals to add them into the show. Luxor
President Felix Rappaport confirmed the delay in adding the
illusions. "We'd hoped it would be December, then January, but
now realistically with the additional building changes and the
show coming up to code in every aspect, all the inspectors say
Criss can have everything in place for March in time for new
marketing and promotion."
WHAT NOW?
---------
With all the reaction to the debut and first performances of the show,
it was obvious to fans that something had gone wrong and that changes
would be in the offing. From what had been heard by rumor this had
been happening all during the creation process, with Angel battling
with Denoncourt and Cirque over the direction of the show. If there
was a general conclusion to be drawn from most of the fan reaction, it
was that the show was too much "Cirque" for Criss Angel Mindfreak fans
and too much "Mindfreak" for Cirque du Soleil fans. Trying to
straddle this middle ground, it couldn't succeed with either audience.
Another area of contention was the entire approach of the show, which
had Angel attempting a stunt which would go "horribly wrong" resulting
in transporting him (and thereby the audience) into the fantasy realm
where he would take on the persona of the "Victorian Noble." The
problem with the approach was it was inconsistent; once Angel was in
the Noble persona he would perform an illusion only to then directly
address the crowd in the present as Criss Angel. He would go into the
fantasy realm and back out again several times during the show, with
no resolution of the plotline of his character. (Unlike the show of
Ziegfried & Roy, who used a similar fantasy/reality motif but kept the
fantasy sections distinctly separate from each other and reality.)
Changes were coming. But the changes were slow to arrive, leading
some to think nothing was being done. It was actually that, when
dealing with two creative organizations (Angel and Cirque) more time
needed to be taken to make sure all parties were satisfied with the
new direction. It also took a long time for construction and
rehearsal, as props and stage changes needed to be made to very tight
tolerance. New illusions were incorporated into the show over time,
but by then the reputation of the show had been established.
After a bit more than a year of performance it was decided that
Cirque's approach was not working, and that Angel's original approach
would better fit his persona. This meant jettisoning nearly all of
the "Cirque-ey" elements; Angel's Victorian Noble character, the
continuing fantasy plotline, the multiple types of dancing rabbits,
various characters, and live music. It was decided to focus strongly
on Angel and his interaction with the audience, and adding more
illusions to the show. But change again was slow (taking more than a
year), as instead of releasing artists immediately it was done as
contracts expired, leading to the dancing contingent shrinking and
shrinking over a period of time until just a couple remained (until
their contracts expired).
The debut of "Version 2.0" of Criss Angel Believe is hard to pinpoint,
as Cirque has never "re-launched" the show or made a point of its re-
invention. Our best guess is that most all the elements of the new
show were in place by May, 2010. The show is now largely devoid of
"plot," and has become a showcase for large-scale illusions featuring
Angel (over 30 new illusions were added). Some of the characters
(Ushers, Kayala, and Crimson) appear in a reduced form, and the music
is now all pre-recorded (though it sounds to be original music). But
that's not all... in short order, according to Robin Leach, a new
opening is coming for BELIEVE (to celebrate the second half of the
show's 10-year contract) and a potential new "revolutionary
levitation" act, which has reportedly taken him nearly two decades to
perfect. What's the trick? He will levitate many people from the
audience simultaneously to float with him.
I guess we'll have to see it to believe it!
----------------------------------------------------------
Michael Jackson ONE: "Hope, Love, Unity, 'ONE'" [EXPANDED]
Special Reprint from MJ World
----------------------------------------------------------
Entering Las Vegas via the southern tip of Las Vegas Boulevard, the
first impressive building to greet us was the Mandalay Bay resort,
stupendously displaying a single word across the top floors Michael!
Mandalay Bay means business in landing Cirque Du Soleils masterpiece
Michael Jackson ONE, as their keynote, resident show and their
advertisement campaign reflects this. Taxis, carriages on the mini-
monorail connecting Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur, and the latest
edition of the MLife Magazine all carry the significant, essential
image of the show. Michael is impossible to miss in Vegas!
When you enter the Mandalay Bay resort, you are hit by the elegance of
the casino and the prominent signage to the Michael Jackson ONE
theatre, where the ONE Cirque show plays almost nightly. ONE in
the short time since its official premiere in June, has gained the
critical recognition of fans, press and saged Vegas visitors alike, as
THE show to see in Vegas!
They are not wrong! The show is not being over-hyped at all as the
overall emotion I felt as I reluctantly left the theatre was WOW! Or
as they would say in America AWESOME!
Okay, I could be accused by some, as having a biased view, being a
seasoned fan and a member of the MJWN News team, but I can objectively
state Michael Jackson ONE has the WOW factor!
During visits to Vegas in recent years I have seen many Cirque Du
Soleil productions, two dedicated to the music of other famous
musicians, and in my opinion ONE excels in many ways, mainly due to
Michaels music, Cirques exciting interpretation of Michaels
incredibly talented dancing and creativity, plus his message to the
world, which are the underlying creative force separating this piece
from its peers, resulting in the outstanding, dazzling show it is!
As you approach the Michael Jackson ONE theatre, there are long
banners adorning the walls images of Michael in Black Or White
pose, which is the significant emblem of the show! Others show
performers from the cast.
On one side Michael artefacts are displayed, which are on loan from
Michaels Estate, and I noticed most of the audience stopped to
scrutenise and admire Michaels loafers and sparkling red jacket. Also
here is the ONE shop which sells a wide range of merchandise, from
fedoras to t-shirts and trench coats to fridge magnets there is
something to suit most peoples taste and pocket.
Along the wall is a panoramic series of photos of Michael performing
his signature Billie Jean, which are breath-taking in their size and
importance. As I gazed at these iconic photographs I recalled the
emotions I felt when Michael performed his famous Moonwalk, during
Billie Jean on stage at Wembley and around the world, wowing
audiences with his strength and dynamic moves! Michael was a special
person with the ability to mesmerise an audience!
Many people took the opportunity to photograph themselves alongside
these
. little did they know what was waiting for them once stepping
through the theatre doors into Michaels world!
As you turn inwards towards the theatre doors there is yet another
large dynamic photo of Michael pointing, plus I was able to glimpse
the doors which are decorated with jacket fasteners very Michael in
design!
Once in the theatre foyer, the atmosphere changes to excitement, plus
anticipation
here there is so much attention to detail before you
even start experiencing the show itself including all ushers dressed
in Michael-style, gold-braided outfits including fedoras! I commented
to one attendant;
I bet you never thought youd wear that uniform to work! To which he
replied; I always knew Id work for the man one day, I am honoured
Mam!
A strong feeling of respect and reverence for the main man, Michael,
is very evident from all attendants, ushers, cast members and
completes the vibes of the show itself.
After being greeted at the theatre doors, and given the red-carpet
treatment you are instantly invaded by red-coated, black fedora
wearing papparazzi, as you are caught up in Michaels world and the
innovation of the ONE show. This is how it feels to be famous!
Papparazzi are everywhere, stopping audience members in their tracks
invading their Privacy!
Stairs lead to the theatre, its walls etched with Michaels song
titles and silhouette paintings of famous Michael poses! Every
opportunity is tastefully taken to introduce the audience to Michaels
realm and into the mood for the show of a lifetime!
The demographics of the audience were diverse from fans sporting
fedoras to vacationers wearing shorts, enjoying the experience of a
live Vegas show! Diverse in culture, origin and expectation very
much like the audience at one of Michaels tour shows!
Once inside the theatre, I settled in my well-positioned seat
central and towards the rear of the front section, which by the way
arent just the ordinary seats, as there are speakers that vibrate the
entire music theme several decibels higher than it would normally
play. Brilliant as a total fan of Michaels music!
As I gazed around the auditorium, absorbing our surroundings it was
difficult to take everything in as there is so much going on!On
either side of the stage were structures, reminiscent of the
Dangerous album cover and tour stage, plus large video screens
flashing ridiculous newspaper headlines before us, making ludicrous
statements and using evocative vocabulary such a LIAR, however,
superimposing pictures of the audience itself!! Fun!
You are immediately focussed on one element of the show invasion of
privacy, which everyone deserves in their private time, unlike the
life Michael faced during his privileged life of superstardom and the
sad downside of worldwide fame! Papparazzi continued to pop up
spontaneously with their large cameras and flashlights, even as people
innocently chatted, abruptly a paps head would lean over their
shoulders completely out of the blue most peoples reaction was
laughter or total shock! The sound of rumbling incessantly beat in the
background to the papparazzi antics.
Meanwhile there on the stage before us was a magnified, swirling,
floating image of a fedora, a pair of sunglasses, a sparkling sequin
encrusted glove, not forgetting the sparkling socks and loafers,
around a single upturned stool, surrounded by spotlights
.Michaels
signature, iconic emblems!
A Neverland timepiece was projected onto the stage which housed these
icons of Michaels career which symbolised an era! Meanwhile Privacy
reverberated around the theatre becoming increasingly intrusive.
Everyones attention suddenly turned as out of the blue, a kafuffle
started as four young people the misfits started to mingle with
the audience, trying to sit in their seats and squeeze past, even
climbing over seats, papparazzi immediately homed in on them as they
ran towards the side of the stage, whence they disappeared into the
Dangerous world!
Ladies and Gentlemen! No flash photography, cameras or recording
devices to be used during the performance! Cirque Du Soleils ONE
began
There is so much to this amazing fast-moving show that I dont wish to
spoil it for anyone planning to book in the future, but I will
highlight some segments, in no particular order. (To be honest its
all worth a mention, but the element of surprise adds to the shows
effects! Dont wanna be a party-pooper!)
Where to start?
The guitarist aka Jennifer Batten (lookalike) takes the stage early in
the production Michael loved Jennifer on stage and her inclusion
speaks multitudes of the understanding and thoughtfulness that has
gone into this Cirque Du Soleil production.
In the opening sequence we are introduced to the evil elements of the
world a pack of journalists who have dog-shaped masks on. They
flashed red neon words such as evil, hate, fear, greed, envy across
their chests they are there to prevent the four young misfits from
finding Michaels hat, sunglasses, socks and loafers and glove which
will give them special, magical powers to dispel evil forces. Anti-
tabloid messages feature strongly in this musical, which reflects
Michaels own experience.
BAD, Smooth Criminal, Jam, In the Closet, they are all there
maybe not all in full but sound-bites and mixes! The costumes are
Michael inspired with a twist the colours are captivating fedoras
of all shades are well featured and of course the bling very showbiz
and very Michael! The choreography and dancing is exact and reflect
the perfectionist Michael was himself.
This is best replicated in They Dont Care About Us including the
video planned for This Is It and the very military, accurate
choreography, performed with precision but as all fans understand
Michael was enthralled by the military and uniforms. The sound of the
drums resounding around the auditorium whilst the prison version of
the TDCAU short film was played, for me, was a ground-breaking
moment for audiences around the world. The understanding behind the
presentation of Michaels music is truly remarkable. I would hope that
Michael would be more than satisfied with the efforts of all involved.
Thriller is just amazing as dancers appear from below ground, zombie
aerialists appear from above and ghouls lumber up the aisles,
surprising the audience as they shamble and lurch past. Zombies
surround you from every direction! All are dancing and performing that
stellar Thriller dance sequence to the loud, thumping beat of
Thriller! The video screens show scenes from the new footage Michael
created for This Is It! I have to add that the audience reaction to
this was heart-rendering as they gasped and clapped!
The Way You Make Me Feel I think Michael would have loved this
sequence. Michaels fans loved his strut as he wooed the girl in the
video and tour performance of this song well wow these Cirque ladies
can certainly move and strut their stuff, in their suggestive figure
hugging costumes! The music is played at full-blast and is definitely
an audience pleaser! I loved it! So up-lifting too!
Stranger In Moscow Mother Earth floats above you entwined and
surrounded by twinkling stars whilst sitting on a crescent shaped moon
she sings above us, she is beautiful, aerialists surround her as
clusters of twinkling lights. Katherine Jackson, Princess Diana and
Elizabeth Taylors images flash onto the background screen, Michaels
voice is heard asking us Will you be there in my darkest hour, in my
deepest despair? Suddenly raindrops/snowflakes begin to rain down
upon the audience very moving and full of anguish the audience
feels Michaels gloom.
Billie Jean I find it hard to find the right words to describe
this segment of the show well there is one AWESOME! The costumes,
including the built in lights, the stage-lighting, the choreography,
including wall walking as in Michaels Ghosts they are all there
and Michael moonwalking the one and only Moonwalker this is
fabulous, an earth-shattering moment in the show! People gasped,
cried, wowed and were totally moved! Well done Cirque!
Dirty Diana hmmmm fabulous pole dancing at its best! That girl
has got muscles on muscles enough said!
The audio and visuals are dynamic to say the least Cirque have
definitely raised the ante in this production, as did Michael himself
always wanting to Reach For The Stars! Its astounding. The visuals
are state of the art as is the sound production, which tears right
through you!
I wished I had pairs of eyes all around my head because there was so
much going-on, above, below, to the sides and behind you that you must
try not to miss any of this fast-moving action! Its everywhere.
I enjoyed the playfulness of the four misfits as they searched for
their iconic Michaelie pieces. The humour that is added such as the
glove slapping one across the face is all part and parcel of Michael.
His fun-loving, joke-playing attitude to life. This was well-received
by the audience! Mime played a part here too and paid homage to
Michaels admiration and love of Marcel Marceau.
Man In The Mirror has always been one of my favourite Michael songs
and this part of the show raised my saddest emotion, as I witnessed
Michaels hologram dancing with earnest amongst the performers. One
moment he was there and then disappeared in a sprinkling of golden
magic dust only to reappear again and again and again! A magic moment!
At the close of the song Michael the man dissolves into Michael the
child the inner child The Man In The Mirror!
Michael himself is a strong force throughout this loving, thoughtful,
incredibly creative, explosive depiction of his music and legacy
whether in the form of video shots, his voice, his dancing, his
iconic, history making musical legacy and not least, his humanity.
The audience understands from the offset that this show is Michaels,
as no performer plays Michael he plays himself! The theme promotes
all the positive elements of Michaels character and personality which
captured the worlds attention, through generations, and continues to
do so. There are few entertainers who have a charismatic soul and
energy Michael did, so reflected by the army of dedicated, devoted
fans who continue to understand his magic, his love and understanding
of people.
Of course Michaels message of healing the world, hope, love, unity
and harmony we are all one are the strongest themes that this show
leaves behind in my thoughts! The staging of the giving tree, the
inclusion of Speechless and Earth Song have the desired effect
upon the audience. Michael felt this yearning for a loving world very
strongly and it was a recurrent theme in his writings and music. ONE
achieves its mantra of We Are One.
ONE suggests that the media got him so wrong and their
misinterpretation is annulled by this Cirque adaption, if people allow
it to. There will always be those doubters but the audience who shared
this experience were mesmerised, MESMERISED by this up-beat, fast-
moving show. No-one can deny Michaels musicianship, his talented
dancing and creativity so ably interpreted by Cirque Du Soleil, unless
they live in a world devoid of music, pathos, humanity and a fun-like
approach to life!
As the show drew to its finale the audience were on their feet,
dancing, clapping and singing along. The cast received a well-earned
and well-deserved standing ovation as performers interacted with them
as the audience yelled for more! What a fantastic addition to the
Vegas realm of Entertainment and Im sure ONE will command the strip
for years to come!
Cirque Du Soleils cast of aerialists, incredible dancers, street-
dancers, pole-dancers and all the awe inspiring theatrical effects,
pyrotechnics and illusions they are known for, accompany Michaels
amazing catalogue of music, providing a truly memorable, emotional,
supreme experience this Michael Jackson and Cirque Du Soleil
collaboration is an event not to be missed!
Recommendation: Dont sit too near the front and be aware that this is
an action-packed show that takes place all around you!
Overall verdict: Outstandingly brilliant!
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 13, Number 09 (Issue #116) - September 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
with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are
Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil,
Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright
infringement intended.
{ Sep.06.2013 }
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