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T h e U n o f f i c i a l
C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r
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http://www.CirqueFascination.com
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VOLUME 16, NUMBER 12 December 2016 ISSUE #155
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Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque
du Soleil Newsletter. It's been a hell of a month...
* * * CIRQUE DU SOLEIL IN MOURNING * * *
« The entire Cirque du Soleil family is deeply saddened by the
accidental death of Oliver Rochette, a LUZIA technician from Quebec,
that happened on November 29th in San Francisco. His immediate family,
including his father Gilles Ste-Croix, one of the founders of Cirque
du Soleil, has been informed of the accident. Our thoughts are with
Gilles, his family, and all Cirque du Soleil employees. »
"I am heartbroken," said Cirque du Soleil CEO, Daniel Lamarre. "I wish
to extend in my name and in the name of all Cirque du Soleil employees
my sincerest sympathies and offer my full support to Gilles and his
family. Oliver has always been a member of our tight family and a
truly beloved colleague."
Mr. Rochette died Tuesday night following injuries sustained in a lift
accident during the set-up for LUZIA at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
Cirque has been working with the appropriate authorities and have
offered their full cooperation. Cal-OSHA, the Division of Occupational
Safety and Health in California, will be investigating the incident.
All performances of LUZIA were canceled from Tuesday, November 29th
through Monday, December 5th. The cast of LUZIA held a wonderful
memorial performance to Rochette on Sunday, December 4th. Regular
performances resumed Tuesday, December 6th at 8:00pm.
But Mr. Rochette's death was one of three accidents involving Cirque
du Soleil personnel in one week. Acrobat Lisa Skinner fractured a
vertebra after falling while performing in the Kooza show in Brisbane,
Australia, on Sunday. On Wednesday, Weiliang Sky Wu, a Cirque artist in
the Ovo show, fell during what is called the trampo-wall act, in which
the performers climb up a wall at the back of the stage. He fell on to
a trampoline. Though he appeared not to be badly hurt, the show was
stopped and he was taken to a hospital. He was released from the
hospital a half hour after his arrival and had only minor injuries.
And, of course, let us not forget about Karina Silva Poirier, who
plunged almost 40 feet to the stage, while rehearsing at La Nouba.
(Karina is doing a bit better we hear, thank goodness!)
Is this a trend? Is Cirque getting soft on safety? Lamarre said his
company does everything it can to make the performers and technicians
as safe as possible, but accidents still happen. Its like asking the
police to prevent a car accident, Lamarre said. Its happened three
time in 32 years of Cirque history. We have a long list of protocols of
what we should be doing." But the bottom line is that there are risks
associated with performing in a circus. And that's true. We here at
Fascination mourn along with Cirque du Soleil, and wish a speedy and
complete recovery for Lisa Skinner, Weiliang Sky Wu, and Karina Silva
Poirier.
* * * VOLTA GETS A CREATIVE TEAM * * *
Last month Cirque du Soleil introduced us to their newest big top
show for 2017 - VOTLA - which was announced to the world via social
media on Friday, November 4th. In addition to the name, we were also
enlightened to the show's story and theme: "WAZ, a popular gameshow
host, has lost touch with his inner self in the pursuit of fame,
pulling others in the trap of instant glory. But as doubt sets in, WAZ
is enlightened by childhood memories as he encounters 'free spirits'
who open doors to his inner soul he has long kept shut. On his high-
voltage search for meaning, will WAZ find the courage to relinquish
his fame, reconnect with his true self, and shine bright? VOLTA tells
a spellbinding story about the freedom to choose and the thrill of
blazing your own trail. Inspired in part by the adventurous spirit
that fuels the culture of action sports, the show weaves the
adrenaline rush of acrobatics into a visually striking world driven by
a stirring melodic score. VOLTA is a story of transformation. It is
about being true to oneself, fulfilling ones true potential, and the
power of the group to make that possible. It celebrates freedom as a
movement."
And while they also told us the show came under the direction of
Bastien Alexandre (Director) and Jean Guibert (Director of Creation),
two Quebec designers who worked together on the Toronto Pan American
Games' opening ceremony, little else about the show's creative team
was released... until now. VOLTAs creative team comprises 13 creators
under the artistic guidance of Jean-François Bouchard:
o) Bastien Alexandre Writer and Director
o) Jean Guibert Director of Creation
o) Bruce Rodgers Set Designer
o) Zaldy Goco Costume Designer
o) Julie Perron Choreographer
o) Martin Labrecque Lighting Designer
o) Thibaut Duverneix Video Content Designer
o) Jean-Michel Caron Sound Designer
o) Anne Séguin Poirier Props Designer
o) Philippe Aubertin Acrobatic Performance Designer
o) Rob Bollinger Acrobatic Performance Designer
o) Jaque Paquin Acrobatic Equipment and Rigging Designer
o) Eleni Uranis Make up Designer
o) Manon Beaudoin Characters guide
But perhaps the most exciting 'creator' of all is the show's composer,
which Cirque du Soleil announced on December 5th: "Were pleased to
announce M83 (Anthony Gonzalez) as the Composer and Musical director
for VOLTA bringing both epic and poetic sound to our newest Touring
show, opening at Vieux-Port de Montréal April 20th!" This is exciting
news! As Jose Perez pointed out: Anthony composed the soundtrack for
the 2013 movie Oblivion, and the bands music has been featured on
films such as Divergent, Insurgent, and The Fault in our Stars. But
perhaps M83s most popular work is the 2011 single Midnight City from
their Hurry Up, Were Dreaming album. The track has appeared in
several commercials, TV shows, and movies. Volta is a contemporary
show brimming with energy, but it is also deeply human and
theatrical, explains writer and director Bastien Alexandre. We were
seduced by Anthonys ability to create melodies that are both epic
and poetic and transcend the heart and soul.
The story of VOLTA is ours, Gonzalez said. It is a tale of a
generation who is calling for change and I was very keen to contribute
to telling this story. I'm deeply honored to be part of the Cirque
team and its a wonderful new challenge in unknown territory for me.
Ultimately, its challenges like this that I find so inspiring and
drive me to make the music that I do." Welcome to Cirque, Anthony!
Interested in learning more about VOLTA? Check out the first TV spot!
< https://www.facebook.com/VOLTA/videos/232417427190091/ >. And, you
can follow VOLTA on...
o) Facebook: facebook.com/VOLTA
o) Twitter: @Cirque #VOLTA
o) Instagram: cirquedusoleil #VOLTA
VOLTA will be presented under the Big Top in Montreals Old Port
starting April 20th, 2017. Cirque Club members can purchase tickets for
these performances online at: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/volta >.
* * * PARAMOUR CLOSING APRIL 16, 2017! * * *
Broadway is making way for Harry Potter, literally.
According to the Montreal Gazette, the cavernous Lyric Theater will
be dramatically reconfigured shedding one-fifth of its seats to
create a home for the most-coveted theatrical tenant of the moment:
the two-part play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which is
expected to open there in spring 2018. Buuuuuut, the theater is
currently occupied by Cirque du Soleil, which spent millions creating
Paramour, its first Broadway production, and who was hoping to keep
running it there. But the Ambassador Theater Group, the British
company that owns the Lyric, was so eager to lure "Cursed Child" that
it is making it financially worthwhile for Cirque to move out.
Were not closing because business is bad, said Scott Zeiger, the
chief executive of Cirques theatrical division, in an interview with
Deadline. They have a timeline for the work they want to do, and
made the request. We had a friendly negotiation, and they made us an
offer we couldnt refuse they incentivized us to go. Asked if the
offer included relocation to another ATG house in the U.S. or abroad,
Zeiger said no, but did add he is in discussions with several theater
owners in New York and abroad who are interested in welcoming this
unique production, including Stage Entertainment for a production in
Germany in 2018.
Reportedly developed at a cost of $25 million, Paramour has been
underperforming at the Lyric, one of Broadways two biggest houses.
Last summer, it shut down for several days to incorporate changes to
improve the story. But last week, when many shows benefited from the
beginning of the Thanksgiving-through-New Years holiday season,
Paramour grossed just over $1 million, barely reaching 60 percent of
its potential. This is the first time in my career that Ive been
asked to move a successful production, Zeiger told Deadline. We
believe in this property and will continue to nurture it.
Close watchers of the Lyric box office could see that the show, with
a large cast and orchestra and significant backstage expenses, was
showing no signs of building an audience or gaining on its weekly
running costs. Most weeks, it took in between $800K and $900k, or half
its gross potential of $1.8 million. We at Fascination have been
looking at Paramour's grosses since its debut, and while we feel the
show is doing okay, it true it isn't living up to its potential. Maybe
relocating the show to another theater in New York, or taking it on a
world-wide tour would be a better option.
Week This Week Potential Difference Seats % Cap
Ending Gross Grosses in Dollars Sold
------------------------------------------------------------------
04-Sep $890,754.60 $1,592,392.00 $337,331.90 10,218 76.99%
11-Sep $892,797.05 $1,805,456.00 $2,042.45 11,122 73.33%
18-Sep $999,384.45 $1,805,456.00 $106,587.50 12,739 83.99%
25-Sep $800,590.15 $1,805,456.00 -$198,794.30 9,744 64.24%
02-Oct $796,008.80 $1,805,456.00 -$4,581.35 9,903 65.29%
09-Oct $929,646.25 $1,805,456.00 $133,637.45 11,024 72.68%
16-Oct $942,631.85 $1,805,456.00 $12,985.60 11,261 74.24%
23-Oct $1,060,597.10 $1,805,456.00 $117,965.25 12,650 83.40%
30-Oct $1,005,388.40 $1,805,456.00 -$55,208.70 12,437 81.99%
06-Nov $884,873.95 $1,805,456.00 -$120,514.45 10,981 72.40%
13-Nov $917,418.25 $1,805,456.00 $32,544.30 11,378 75.01%
20-Nov $883,963.20 $1,805,456.00 -$33,455.05 10,527 69.40%
27-Nov $1,078,535.00 $1,805,456.00 $194,571.80 10,412 68.64%
04-Dec $927,404.50 $1,805,456.00 -$151,130.50 10,356 68.28%
Zeiger said that most of the business for Paramour followed an
industry-wide trend that sees ticket lower advance sales for all but
the biggest blockbusters. The advance for Paramour is $4 million, he
said, all but $100K of it between now and mid-April. We will be sad
to part with Cirque du Soleil, by which time they will have completed
a very successful year on Broadway, said Mark Cornell, CEO of
Ambassador Theatre Group. The fact that Cirque du Soleil chose to
debut its first Broadway show a great achievement at The Lyric,
was an honor for us at ATG.
Paramour will leave the Lyric on April 16, 2017, a year after it
began performances. The Lyric will then close for renovations,
starting in May. By the time we leave New York, based on our level
of business and our deal structure with Ambassador, its going to
be a good deal for Cirque, he said.
Well, that's all I have time for this month. Let's get to the rest!
/----------------------------------------------------\
| |
| Join us on the web at: |
| < www.cirquefascination.com > |
| |
| At CirqueCast: |
| < http://www.cirquecast.com/ > |
| |
| Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): |
| < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > |
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\----------------------------------------------------/
- Ricky "Richasi" Russo
===========
CONTENTS
===========
o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
* La Presse -- General News & Highlights
* Q&A - Quick Chats & Press Interviews
* CirqueTech - The Technical Side of Cirque
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
* Webseries -- Official Online Featurettes
* Videos -- Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds
o) Fascination! Features
* "Casting Q&A's - Meet an Artist, Part 4 of 6"
Edited By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
* INTERVIEW /// "JOHN GILKEY - CLOWN, ACTOR, CHARACTER"
By: The Chapiteau, a Cirque du Soleil Fan Club
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
=======================================================================
CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
---------------------------------------------------
LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights
---------------------------------------------------
CNBC: Cirque offers a new twist for job seekers
{Nov.04.2016}
-------------------------------------------------------
I remember walking out just in awe and wondering how something
like that was made, Skivington recalled. I was thinking, I
want to do that someday, and here I am.
The schedule is rigorous Skivington performs in up to 10 shows
a week, or 470 shows per year on bungees and Chinese poles. But
each performance still has an element of fun.
Cirque allows us to do what we are basically born to do,
Skivington said of herself and her fellow performers. It
provides a great environment to really be yourself, and the
response you get from the audience every night is just
unbelievable.
Those like Skivington who want to join the ranks of the
entertainment industry will see increased opportunities in the
next decade, as its poised to grow by about 6 percent, creating
46,000 new jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Cirque du Soleil will be part of that expansion, looking to
expand its ranks for new and existing shows. The Montreal-based
circus currently employs more than 1,300 artists in 19 shows,
and two to eight projects in development at any given time.
Annually, the circus will bring on 450 new artists 100 will
participate in new creations, and the remaining come on board to
replace other artists in existing shows, according to casting
director Pavel Kotov.
Generally, we are looking for extraordinary talent, Kotov
said. We are looking for people who can do something that you
do not see in the real life. Many roles now are going into more
of what we call a generalist profile multitalented,
multidisciplinary. On Broadway, they call it a triple-threat.'
Social networks have made it easier than ever to market ones
talents online, Kotov said. But that also makes it harder to
stand out and catch the attention of one of Cirques casting
directors, who scour the world looking for the right fit. Yves
Sheriff, Cirques senior artistic scout, said that out of every
100 applications, only about 2 to 4 performers will make it into
the companys talent database to one day receive a coveted
contract.
Its projection, precision and presence, Sheriff told CNBC at
a New York City audition. Presence is very subjective some
have presence, some dont. Precision and projection is something
they learn in school. Casting is based on their capacity to
project in front of 2,000 people.
While Cirque du Soleil declined to offer specifics on salaries,
pay can vary widely in the industry. The company said performers
do receive benefits, but they are dependent on the nature and
length of their contracts.
Serenity Smith Forchion, executive director of the New England
Center for Circus Arts, said she has seen wide ranging
compensation. She said she has seen an offer of $50 per night
for long hours of aerial dancing at a nightclub, under an
independent contractor status without health insurance or
unemployment benefits, to $3,000 for a single appearance at a
birthday party for a princess in Dubai, with a bonus at the end
of the show and all expenses paid.
An award-winning artist with multiple acts they can perform in
a variety of settings with a long-range tour contract might earn
in the low six-figures with benefits, said Smith Forchion, who
toured internationally for many years as a performer. The circus
school is based in Vermont, and Smith Forchions students are
employed across the industry.
Skivington, who has a young son, said adjusting to the hours and
the physical stamina needed for performing were among the
initial biggest challenges. She runs often and trains with a
strength coach several times a week the stronger she feels,
the easier each performance is. Like many physical performers,
Skivington also knows her career likely wont last as long as
most do into traditional retirement. Shes still figuring out
what life after Cirque might look like.
I love it, and I would like to do it for as long as I can, she
said. The hard part once you are in is taking care of yourself
you have to make sure you stay in shape to avoid stuff that
can possibly happen. And then once youre in, its finding
something else, too. Not many people have to find two passions
or careers in life the hardest part is finding out what is
next.
{ SOURCE: Kate Rogers, CNBC | https://goo.gl/qjhxGx }
Cirque leaps into new era, aims to land in China
{Nov.07.2016}
-------------------------------------------------------
In the climax of Toruk, the new Cirque du Soleil show inspired
by the 2009 James Cameron blockbuster Avatar, a Navi
adolescent with blue skin and a thrashing tail learns to conquer
his failures as a warrior to become the first of his clan to
tame a flying toruk a giant winged predator and save his
people from catastrophe.
Can Cirque pull off a similar comeback story? As it seeks to
catapult out of a financially difficult period, the 32-year-old
Montreal company finds itself at a strategic crossroads as it
transitions beyond its signature big-top spectacles and Las
Vegas extravaganzas and into new growth opportunities namely,
partnering more with established entertainment properties like
Avatar and expanding into China.
Its a far cry from the quirky troupe of street performers
founded in 1984 in the small Quebec town of Baie-Saint-Paul. One
member, a fire-breather and stilt-walker named Guy Laliberté,
saw broader potential and dubbed the company Cirque du Soleil,
taking it to the U.S. for the first time in 1987 for the Los
Angeles Festival. He grew the company into a global brand and,
in the process, became a billionaire.
The latest changes at Cirque come in the wake of new ownership.
TPG Capital, the San Francisco and Forth Worth-based private
equity firm, acquired a 55% stake in Cirque last year, along
with the Chinese conglomerate Fosun International, which holds
25%. The $1.4-billion leveraged buyout ended the reign of
Laliberté, who retains a 10% share.
Corporate ownership has shifted priorities at the once-
idiosyncratic company known for its colorful acrobatics and
gravity-defying stunts. We are more analytical than we were,
which I think is positive, said Daniel Lamarre, president and
chief executive of Cirque, during a recent stop in Los Angeles.
I dont see making more money as a problem.
After the buyout, people thought TPG would come in and say
cut, cut, cut, he added. To be totally candid, when I went
through this transaction, I was concerned about that.
But Lamarre said that hasnt happened, noting that Cirque
already went through downsizing in 2013 when it laid off 400
employees, or 8% of its workforce, following a number of high-
profile flops, including the early closure of Iris in L.A. In
the same year, the company experienced a major setback when an
aerialist in the Las Vegas show KA fell to her death during a
performance.
Cirque has seen major shake-ups in its executive corridors since
the buyout. Several longtime veterans including the companys
chief operating officer, chief financial officer and head of
publicity have left Cirque in the last year.
Its new COO, Jonathan Tétrault, comes from consulting giant
McKinsey & Co. and oversees all of Cirques shows.
To enhance growth you need to bring new people to the table,
said David Trujillo, a partner at TPG. At the same time, he
said, TPG beefed up Cirques marketing department, adding a new
executive position that didnt exist before. We have
supercharged marketing on social media channels -- something
that Cirque hasn't really done, he said.
Under TPG, Cirque recently introduced demand-based ticket
pricing to its Vegas shows. It is working. We're certainly
seeing an uplift, Trujillo said.
TPG also owns a controlling interest in Creative Artists Agency,
the Hollywood talent behemoth, and Trujillo sits on the boards
of Cirque and CAA. He would like to see the companies work on
licensing the Cirque brand so it's more well-known out there.
Cirque remains privately held and doesnt make its financial
results public. A recent Moodys report stated that Cirque saw
weaker-than-expected global revenue of $756 million in 2015,
down more than 10% from the previous year.
The company derives about half of its annual revenue from
touring shows like Toruk, according to Moodys. The company
took on about $885 million in debt and credit commitments as
part of the buyout last year.
Cirque is projecting 2016 revenue of $800 million to $1 billion
worldwide, Lamarre said.
Some analysts are skeptical.
Im more bearish, said Alina Khavulya, senior analyst at
Moodys. It's a company that doesn't have a history of
operating with so much debt. They will have to run a leaner
operation. And they have a larger stakeholder base to answer
to. Whats more, she added: Private equity doesn't have much
patience for underperformance.
Lamarre said that Cirque has always been profitable, even
during its recent downturn. We never lost money, he said.
Teaming up with well-known entertainment properties has become a
key strategy for Cirque at a time when it faces brand fatigue
and saturation of its core Vegas market. It has seven shows
there, the oldest being 1993s Mystere.
In many ways, Toruk embodies that ambition. The arena show,
developed in collaboration with Camerons Lightstorm
Entertainment, is its first to be based on a movie. It will also
be Cirques first show in mainland China, when a tour kicks off
in 2018.
The show cost more than $30 million to create, Lamarre said.
Thats more than the average touring show. Its closer to the
cost of our permanent shows.
We all knew the fit was perfect, Cameron said in an interview,
describing himself as a longtime fan of the company. When
creating the Navi for the original movie, I was inspired by
the dreamlike indigenous motifs and new languages they make up
the otherworldly exoticism of their shows.
The filmmaker didnt direct Toruk but served as a consultant.
Cirque came up with the idea of creating a prequel to Avatar,
taking place thousands of years before humans set foot on the
moon Pandora.
Lightstorm participated in the development by providing input on
the story arc, visual effects, costumes and more, said Avatar
producer Jon Landau, speaking at at Lightstorms offices in
Manhattan Beach.
Mostly, we were there as the stewards of the franchise the
world of Avatar and world of Pandora, Landau said. That meant
ensuring continuity between the Cirque show and various Avatar
properties, which include video games, a coming Disney World
attraction and the four big-screen sequels that Cameron is set
to direct starting next year.
While the marriage of Avatar and Cirque felt natural, other
partnerships seem less intuitive at first glance: Cirque is
teaming up with the NFL to create a four-story tourist
attraction in Times Square that will feature immersive digital
exhibits designed to draw visitors into the world of
professional football.
There's a little misperception that Cirque only does acrobatic
shows, Trujillo of TPG said. Cirque worked on the 2012 Super
Bowl halftime show and was featured prominently in this seasons
Dancing With the Stars on ABC. If you're an intellectual
property holder, Cirque is the place to go to put it in live
form.
But partnering with famous properties doesnt guarantee box-
office success. While Cirque scored with its shows based on the
music of Michael Jackson and the Beatles, its Viva Elvis show
in Las Vegas closed in 2012 because of weak ticket sales.
Lamarre said Cirque has been working with Disney for two years
on a workshop, but didnt specify the nature of the project.
Weve had quite a bit of experience together, which I hope will
create a breakthrough, he said. Cirques La Nouba has been
running at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., since 1998.
Cirque hopes that Toruk will serve as a beachhead into the
vast Chinese market thanks to the popularity of Avatar, which
grossed more than $200 million in the country. China will
change the face of Cirque, Lamarre said.
The company is working on a new permanent show in the eastern
city of Hangzhou for 2018, and Lamarre said there is great
potential to have a permanent show in Shanghai and one in
Beijing.
He added that Fosun, the Chinese conglomerate that holds a 25%
stake in Cirque, is bringing an intelligence about the market
that I didnt have.
In recent years, Fosun has embarked on a buying spree of foreign
companies in sectors as varied as real estate, insurance and
entertainment. It is a major backer of Studio 8, the film
company founded by Jeff Robinov, the former Warner Bros.
Pictures Group president. Fosun executives didnt reply to a
request for comment.
Fosun's investment strategy is to look at overseas assets that
can have a domestic play and synergy with their domestic
position, said Thilo Hanemann, an economist at Rhodium Group,
where he researches Chinese investment. They want to find an
asset that they can leverage in China.
Cirque recently opened its first permanent office in Shanghai.
It is also expanding elsewhere in the world.
In May, Cirque launched its first Broadway production,
Paramour, but the show had a bumpy start when critics gave it
negative reviews. It is also entering the theme-park business
with a new attraction in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, set to open in
2018.
The new ventures expose the company to a lot of risk, but we
cannot be afraid, Lamarre said. Theres a distinction between
danger and fear. You have to recognize the danger and be humble
about that and thats our attitude.
{ SOURCE: LA Times | https://goo.gl/4hr6o2 }
Injury Highlights Risk of Acrobatics
{Nov.14.2016}
-------------------------------------------------------
Karina Silva Poirier has spent years dazzling audiences with
acrobatic feats, swinging and spinning high above the ground
supported by long, thick ribbons of fabric.
Poirier, 39, put her aerial performances for Cirque du Soleils
La Nouba on hiatus last year during her pregnancy and after the
birth of her 7-month-old son Kyle. Just a couple months after
returning to the avant-garde circus at Disney Springs, something
went horribly wrong.
Poirier somehow came loose from the fabric while rehearsing Oct.
20 for a special event. She plunged head first, almost 40 feet,
to the stage. She was still in the hospital last week after
suffering fractures to her skull and face and swelling in her
brain. A video posted on Facebook from her brother last week
said she was in a coma.
Thankfully, every day what were hearing is, its slight
improvements on a daily basis, said Calum Pearson, vice
president of Cirques resident shows division. Its going to be
a long road.
Her family would not comment. Her husband David, a Cirque
employee, said hes not really allowed to share details.
Profiles show that Karina Silva Poirier, a Brazilian native, was
a sixth-generation circus performer who started appearing in
shows at 4 years old.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is
investigating the accident, one of the more serious ones related
to Cirque du Soleil shows around North America.
Cirque du Soleil is known for its fantastical performances
blending traditional circus acts, such as the flying trapeze,
with theatrical music and artistry. It has done both traveling
shows and permanent ones, such La Nouba, which opened at Disney
in 1998.
Circus stunts are inherently risky.
What we do is, we put our life at risk for your entertainment,
Poiriers brother Alfredo Silva, also a performer who has
appeared on Americas Got Talent, said on a Facebook Live video
trying to raise money for his sister.
Cirques Pearson said his company takes many steps to mitigate
that danger. I think were incredibly strong on our safety
record and our protocols, he said. Others in the industry
agree. Still, there have been injuries, and records show Cirque
has been fined several times for serious safety violations over
the past decade.
In 2007, two aerial silk performers in Cirques Zumanity Las
Vegas show were injured in falls. Pearson described the incident
as the result of artist error. OSHA records do not indicate any
fines stemming from that incident.
OSHA fined Cirque $7,000 after another aerialist, Sarah Guyard-
Guillot, plunged almost 100 feet to her death during a 2013
performance of the Ka show in Vegas. A wire rope attached to
her harness came off its pulley, then scraped against a sharp
edge until it broke, after she had risen faster than usual.
Pearson said the system was redesigned afterward, and it now
stops a performer who is lifting too quickly.
In 2009, a performer died of head injuries after falling off a
trampoline during training in Montreal, where OSHA does not have
jurisdiction.
In Orlando, a Cirque subcontractor died after lighting trusses
being loaded onto a forklift fell on her at the Amway Center in
2011. Records show OSHA cited Cirque in that death and issued a
$10,000 fine for not providing required forklift-operator
training and because the trusses were not stable or safely
arranged. Cirque said its policies required adequate training
and that the company made sure those were reinforced after the
accident.
In Las Vegas, Cirque has also been fined by OSHA for improperly
storing pyrotechnics and for an accident involving a third-party
contractor who fell into an open area.
For its aerialists, Cirque requires lengthy strength training
and conditioning. Some employees are trained as emergency
responders. Rescue plans are devised for each act. Cirque also
builds in layers of safety to its equipment, which undergoes
tests of various dangerous scenarios before artists can use it.
Aerial silk artists such as Poirier, though, dont generally
have backups, such as safety harnesses, because it would become
tangled in the fabrics. A normal aerial silk, theres no safety
wire, said Bill Sapsis, whose rigging company has worked with
Cirque shows. You really cant do that and perform. Instead,
the aerialists wrap the fabrics around their legs and backs as
they ascend and descend them. The maneuvers known as locks
help keep them aloft. Youre relying on the artists expertise
in creating those locks, Pearson said.
Poirier had plenty of that expertise, Pearson said. He described
her as one of the best in the world.
She had been on leave almost a year, returning in August,
Pearson said. Acrobats who take a leave from Cirque must be
reintroduced to performing over a period of weeks or months, he
said. They gradually edge higher, with coaches signing off to
make sure theyve mastered different levels. They work first in
a training room with foam matting underneath. Then they graduate
to the stage, where there is no matting because it would hinder
them from performing other moves. Poirier had recently completed
the process, called integration, during a two-month span.
Pearson said Cirque still doesnt know why Poirier fell. We
really need to be able to talk to her to be able to understand
what happened, he said.
A fundraising page online has described her injuries: swelling
in her brain and fractures in her head. Last week, she underwent
unplanned surgery to drain fluid that had built up around her
heart and lungs.
{ SOURCE: Orlando Sentinel | https://goo.gl/UYPdQj }
Luna Petunia Gets Her Debut - Friday, December 9th!
{Nov.28.2016}
-------------------------------------------------------
Back on October 11, 2014, Saban Brands and Cirque du Soleil unveiled
their first TV co-production, Luna Petunia, a pre-school series
inspired by the Quebec-based circus troupe. And we've been waiting to
see what Luna Petunia was all about ever since then. Netflix acquired
the series in 2015 and it's now set to air!
Luna Petunia follows the adventures of a girl who lives in our world
and plays in a dreamland where she learns how to make the impossible
possible. A brand new Netflix Original Series in collaboration with
Cirque du Soleil Junior! In the run-up to its debut, the show's
Facebook page has come to life with pictures and descriptions of all
the main characters...
o) LUNA -- With her adventurous spirit, Luna will try anything
at least once. She is a curious, optimistic girl who always
encourages her friends to see their own potential.
o) BIBI BUBBLES -- Bibi is the friendly tour guide of Amazia who
keeps a detailed account of all the happenings in her
scrapbook. She knows a million and one facts about Amazia,
but often forgets some important details!
o) KAROO -- is a curious little koala who likes to touch, feel,
taste, investigate, and put his paws over everything he comes
into contact with.Karoo is playful and curious, with tons of
bouncy energy! He can sometimes be a bit impulsive, but is
always a sweet friend with lots of huggles to share. Hes
affectionate and he just loves Luna. He likes to hang on her
back, which is his favorite place to be.
o) SAMMY STRETCH -- is Amazias resident troubadour, a playful
fellow who enjoys riddles, challenges, and games. Thanks to
his accordion arms and legs, Sammy is always making music and
making up fun songs! Sammy is a musician, magician and an
electrician who speaks his own fun, and certainly silly,
language! He loves playing with his friends and being the
center of attention as much as possible.
Learn more about the world of Amazia at Luna Petunia's website at:
< http://http://www.lunapetunia.com/ >, and via the show's Facebook
page: < https://www.facebook.com/LunaPetunia/ >. All episodes begin
streaming Friday, December 9, 2016, only on NETFLIX in North America.
Brisbane Gymnast Lisa Skinner Falls, Sustains Injuries
{Nov.28.2016}
-------------------------------------------------------
Three-time Australian Olympian Lisa Skinner suffered a
frightening fall Sunday afternoon while performing with Cirque
du Soleil in Brisbane, crashing 6 meters (20 feet) to the stage.
Skinner, 35, was performing an aerial hoop act in the show Koozå
at Skygate when she slipped and plummeted to the stage floor
below, just before 2pm. Shocked audience members watched as crew
rushed to the stage to treat the Albany Creek woman. Paramedics
rushed Ms Skinner, who was stable and conscious, to Royal
Brisbane Hospital where she remained in the emergency ward.
Within a few hours, Skinner posted on social media that despite
some injuries, she was expecting to make a full recovery.
Her mother, Anne Skinner, told River 94.9 on Monday her daughter
was doing well and had suffered a C1 fracture in her neck and
a broken arm. Today she is going to be fitted with what they
call a halo brace to keep her head still
it will take about 6-
12 weeks to heal, she said. Her arms and legs work which is
the main thing and she survived. She should recover but it will
just be a long, hard road at this point.
Skinners mother, Anne, told a Queensland radio station on
Monday that her daughter was lucky after landing on her head.
Cirque du Soleil said the cast and crews thoughts and love
were with Ms Skinner following her fall, adding she was expected
to leave hospital within a few days.
We are happy to report that Lisa is currently stable and in
good condition, Cirque said in a statement on Monday. At this
time, our priority is on supporting Lisa and her family so they
can focus on her recovery.
Ms Skinner said she hadnt seen what happened but understood her
daughter had attempted to catch the hoop around the hip area but
it had landed lower than expected and she couldnt grab it.
There was nothing except air after that, she told radio host
Paul Campion.
Audience member Teagan Barratt, who had front row seats, posted
on Facebook about the incident, which she said was one of the
scariest things she had ever witnessed. She was still and face
down and her head was the first thing that made the impact on
falling which was terrifying, she wrote. When they supported
her and moved her, you could see that she was breathing. That
was I think the most relieving part of the whole ordeal.
The show resumed after Skinners fall, though all audience
members were required to remain seated until paramedics had
taken the injured acrobat from the stage, per Cirque rules.
Jessica Levoeuf from Cirque du Soleil said the circus prepares
for accidents.
Its something that we actually rehearse for different
scenarios every single week at Cirque du Soleil, Levoef said.
The safety and security of our artists and our patrons as well
is always the number one concern. Our first response team
reacted very quickly and the performer is responsive, is safe
and is under great medical care at the moment.
Skinner began her gymnastics career at the age of six and kicked
off her international career in 1995. Lauded for her beautiful
lines and artistry, she competed at the 1996, 2000 and 2004
Olympic Games. At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Skinner placed
eighth in the all-around and on floor exercise, the first
Australian gymnast to ever reach an Olympic apparatus final.
After a brief retirement, she returned to gymnastics in 2002. In
2003, she was a member of the Australian womens squad that won
a historic bronze medal at the world championships in Anaheim,
the first and only world team medal for Australia to date.
Additionally, Skinner was a two-time Commonwealth Games
champion, winning gold with the Australian team and on uneven
bars at the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur.
Skinner joined Cirque du Soleil in 2006, and performed in
Alegría and Quidam. She only recently joined Koozå as it toured
her native Queensland having been on a break in the United
States when she was asked to join Kooza for a few months while
the aerial hoops performer took a few months off. Koozås aerial
hoops act was her first solo performance with Cirque du Soleil
and was also the first time she had performed for her hometown.
{ Brisbane Times & International Gymnast Magazine |
https://goo.gl/RRwQFx; https://goo.gl/Su5ymL }
IATSE Cancels Cirque Protest After Fatal Accident
{Dec.01.2016}
-------------------------------------------------------
IATSE has canceled todays planned protest against the non-union
performance of Cirque du Soleils OVO show in Montreal,
following Tuesdays freak accident that took the life of Olivier
Rochette, the son of Cirque founder Gilles Ste-Croix.
Rochette, a 42-year-old technician with the acrobat troupes
Luzia show in San Francisco, was killed during rehearsals after
being hit in the head with a piece of equipment.
The union, which has been trying to get a contract with OVO in
Montreal, had planned to hand out leaflets at todays
performance but said it canceled the leafletting out of
respect and extends its sincere condolences to all who were
touched by the life of Olivier Rochette. Our collective thoughts
and prayers are with you.
{ SOURCE: CBC }
Cirque makes every effort to keep its staff safe
{Dec.02.2016}
-------------------------------------------------------
Its not the kind of phone call anyone wants to have to make.
In his car on the way home from the premiere of the Cirque du
Soleil touring show Ovo at the Bell Centre Tuesday night, Cirque
chief executive officer Daniel Lamarre learned that Olivier
Rochette, a technician working on the show Luzia in San
Francisco, had been killed that night. He was struck by a
telescopic lift as it was being taken off stage before the show.
Rochettes father is Gilles Ste-Croix, one of the founders of
the Quebec circus and someone Lamarre has worked closely with
for more than a decade. Lamarres next call that night was to
Ste-Croix, who was at his winter home in Mexico.
That was me calling my friend in Mexico and saying, Have you
heard anything?, because I wasnt sure if someone had got to
him before, said Lamarre, in a phone interview Thursday
afternoon from San Francisco. He said: You sound bizarre. What
are you talking about? I said: Please, are you seated? And I
told him. Your son just died. There was a big accident and it
was horrible. And we both (began) crying.
The death was one of three accidents involving Cirque du Soleil
personnel this week. Acrobat Lisa Skinner fractured a vertebra
after falling while performing in the Kooza show in Brisbane,
Australia, on Sunday. On Wednesday, Weiliang Sky Wu, a Cirque
artist in the Ovo show, fell during what is called the trampo-
wall act, in which the performers climb up a wall at the back of
the stage. He fell on to a trampoline. Though he appeared not to
be badly hurt, the show was stopped and he was taken to a
hospital. He was released from the hospital a half hour after
his arrival and had only minor injuries.
If you look at what happened at Ovo (Wednesday) night, that was
a great illustration of how well our (health and safety)
protocol works, Lamarre said. This guy fell, he was not that
injured, but the protocol says if an artist falls, automatically
you immobilize the artist and thats what we did. When something
like that happens, its not the commercial angle of Cirque that
takes priority. Its the human values. So yesterday it wouldve
been easy for us to pull the guy off the stage and just finish
the show, but the protocol says if something like this happens,
you shut down the show, and thats what we did. As the employer
of that employee, I feel good that we did the right thing.
Rochettes is the third death of a Cirque du Soleil staffer
working on a show in the companys 32-year history. Cirque
performer Oleksandr Zhurov died in 2010 after falling off a
device called the Russian swing during a training session in
Montreal. In 2013, acrobat Sarah Guillot-Guyard died when she
fell 30 metres to the floor during the show Ka in Las Vegas.
Lamarre said his company does everything it can to make the
performers and technicians as safe as possible, but accidents
still happen.
Its like asking the police to prevent a car accident, Lamarre
said. Its happened three time in 32 years of Cirque history.
We have a long list of protocols of what we should be doing. In
this situation (in San Francisco this week), we had two very
experienced technicians (operating the telescopic lift) and
Olivier himself who has been with us for 20 years. So you have
probably the best technicians and they were doing what they do
every day.
The Cirque du Soleil has 11 touring shows and nine permanent
shows, with approximately 1,500 artists performing in these
shows, but Lamarre insisted that the performers arent more at
risk just because the Cirque is so much busier. He also denied
there have been any reductions in security measures since the
company was sold to an American equity firm and its Chinese
partners last year.
But the bottom line is that there are risks associated with
performing in a circus.
For sure, theres always a risk factor, said Éric Langlois,
director general of Montreals École nationale de cirque. The
circus performers craft is second nature to him or her and the
artist has to make sure theyre in physical shape to do the act.
But you also have to be psychologically prepared.
Still even the best-prepared performer can have an accident.
There are incidents that happen due to people not paying
attention, Langlois said. Youve done something 100 times, but
its like crossing the street. You suddenly realize you didnt
even check if the traffic light was green or red. So you have a
mistake in the routine. There is no recipe. Its a matter of
being a professional. But it could also be the people around
you. Maybe the person beside doesnt put his or her foot in the
right place and it destabilizes you. All we can do, and we do
that in our training and teaching here, we try to make the
artist conscious of the whole process.
But in a high-wire act or even preparing a circus show, one
wrong move can cause an accident.
For sure there can be a human error, said Maxime Charbonneau,
director of business affairs at the Montreal circus Cirque
Éloize. A trapeze artist can miss one move and they need to be
able to react.
{ SOURCE: Montreal Gazette | https://goo.gl/HYqsEm }
---------------------------------------------------
Q&A - Quick Chats & Press Interviews
---------------------------------------------------
TORUK Producer: We Make Our Content for Audiences
{Nov.01.2016}
-------------------------------------------------------
Landau says the arena show will please die-hard fans: What the
Cirque show does for fans of the film is a great reminder of why
they responded the way that they did. There is a story here in
Toruk of the unlikeliest of heroes rising to occasion and
saving, effectively, an entire planet.
Cirque du Soleils latest touring spectacle, Toruk The First
Flight a massive arena show inspired by James Camerons epic
2009 sci-fi fantasy epic Avatar. Ahead of its L.A. run, The
Hollywood Reporter caught up with one of the key creative
talents producer and Lightstorm Entertainment partner Jon
Landau to talk about the challenges of blending the highest-
grossing film of all time with the well-defined Cirque universe.
Toruk arrives years ahead of the planned Avatar sequels, dated
for release from 2018 to 2023, and its safe to say that
anything associated with the name must aim to cross a pretty
high bar of success. As Toruk artistic director Fabrice Lemire
puts it, People have high expectations because of the brands
associated to the project.
Toruk is described by Cirque as a mythical tale set thousands
of years before the events depicted in the film Avatar, and
before any humans ever set foot on Pandora. Its narrated by a
Navi Storyteller and centers on two Omaticaya boys (Ralu and
Entu) who attempt to save the sacred Tree of Souls when a
natural catastrophe threatens to destroy it.
Q. How did your Cirque relationship first come about, and when
did conversations begin to turn Avatar into a Cirque show?
Jim was up front about Cirque being an inspiration for the world
of Avatar, both in movement and the colors. After the release of
Avatar, they approached us and said, We would like to talk to
you about an Avatar-themed Cirque show. It wasnt yet defined
as to what that would be (yet). Out of those conversations we
made the trip to Montreal, Jim and I. They presented the idea of
doing the show on an unprecedented scale of what they had
previously done doing it as an arena show. Telling a story
that would not conflict with the story worlds of the movies, or
the sequels that we are doing now, but that still holds true to
ethos and theme of the universe. It turned out to be the perfect
fit.
Q. This show follows your previous collaboration on the Cirque
du Soleil film Worlds Away. How pleased were you with that
experience and the performance of the film?
I was only a part of that film tangentially. Jim was more
involved as consultant. The experience of working with Cirque
creatively was great. In respect to how the show performed
on
any of our movies, we can only speak about we pleased we are
with the product that we deliver. How it does at movie theater
is up to so many other people.
Q. Avatar is an epic, and Cirque shows are equally epic. Whats
the first step in attempting to translate a film of this
scale to the stage? Is it the story?
What weve been doing with 20th Century Fox is that weve taken
control of franchise development. What happens inside a studios
umbrella specifically people who deal with franchise-type
stuff they have to worry about 20 movies in one year. We want
to worry about one franchise for 20 years. We work in great
collaboration with them and keep them apprised with what we are
doing. One of the things we challenge our partners to do
whether its Cirque or Disney with Pandora is not to tell the
stories of the movie. We do that. But we challenge them to come
up with unique stories that are consistent with work we have
established in our films.
Q. Do you think this Toruk show will help whet the appetite for
Avatar fans who are itching for the new installments?
What the Cirque show does for fans of the film is a great
reminder of why they responded the way that they did. There is a
story here in Toruk of the unlikeliest of heroes rising to
occasion and saving, effectively, an entire planet. It draws
people into the diverse and beautiful world of Pandora, and that
not only satiates a yearning for people who are fans of the
film, but for people who are not fans of the film. It introduces
them to the world.
Q. The reviews have ranged from absolute raves to the not-so-
raves in The New York Times. How closely do you pay attention
to reviews?
Not at all. I would like you to go back and read the first
review that was ever published about Titanic, which slammed
Titanic. We make our content for audiences. Of course we want to
reviewers to like it because they, too, are audience members.
But the voice of people en masse is more important than any
single critic who might or might not comment on something. What
Cirque set out to do (with Toruk) is not to present a
traditional Cirque show. The goal was the antithesis of that.
This is a new paradigm of what Cirque is presenting in arena
show. It still has all of waking-dream qualities that any Cirque
show has, but presented in very different format.
Q. The story of the summer at the box office really has been
under-performing sequels, possibly in part due to the length
of time between installments. Whats your take on that,
heading into delivering new Avatar installments?
Anytime someone looks at something like these under-performing
sequels, they are missing the bigger issue. Whatever was new
wasnt working for audience they went after. If you look at the
number of years between first Terminator and the second, that
was quite a large window that didnt impact peoples enjoyment.
Jim Cameron has done two sequels, and I would argue that both
times the sequels lived up to, if not exceeded, the originals.
We are setting out to make standalone cinematic experiences so
that people feel the movies fulfill expectations or exceed
expectations no matter how long the gap was. People get into a
trap when they say that just because this movie was successful
we should make a sequel, without asking, Is there a story here
to tell? Is there a sequel is worth making? As we got into our
own development, we realized there was enough of a story not
only for three but for four movies.
{ SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter | https://goo.gl/v6TeFK }
Dominic Cruz Loves Life on Road with Cirque du Soleil
{Nov.11.2016}
-------------------------------------------------------
Dominic Cruz didnt have to run away to join the circus. He was
encouraged to pursue a life under the big top.
Cruz, 23, a former Vallejo and Benicia resident, has a featured
role in Cirque du Soleils Luzia, which stops in San Francisco
beginning Thursday and continuing through Jan. 8. Luzia will
be in San Jose in February for a run through March 3. The
performances will mark the first time some family and friends
will see Cruz perform with Cirque du Soleil. For others, it will
be the first time in several years seeing Cruz perform.
Born in Vallejo, he moved to Benicia in middle school. He left
there at 17 to attend the National Circus School in Montreal.
Cruz expects a group of 35 in the stands Nov. 21. Theres no
pressure there, he said, with a chuckle. During his first year
of studies, he and childhood friend Marta Henderson created a
duo hoop diving act. Cruz graduated with a double major in hoop
diving and Chinese pole in 2014. Cruz and Henderson started
their careers performing with Montreal-based company Cirque
Eloize, the Chicago Midnight Circus and by doing special events
with 45 degrees, a division of Cirque du Soleil.
The pair, and five other hoop divers, joined forces in 2015 to
create their own circus troupe called Back Pocket. The name came
from the groups desire to take something ordinary and make it
extraordinary, Cruz said. It could be something as normal as
finding a movie ticket in a back pocket, Cruz said. It could
mean so much to one person and nothing to someone else.
Before Back Pocket launched its first project, the call came
from Cirque du Soleil. Luzia premiered in April in Canada.
Since then, hes done more than 200 performances. And, hes
loved every minute. Were treated super well, Cruz said. We
have so many amenities.
During shows in Toronto, the performers were provided with
apartments as well as public transportation. They really take
care of us, he said, noting that there is food provided by an
on-site kitchen daily as well as physiotherapists around the
clock.
While in the Bay Area, Cruz will stay in housing provided by
Cirque du Soleil. The show wraps up about 10 p.m., he gets out
about 10:30 p.m. and can walk to the provided lodging in San
Francisco in about 15 minutes. Doing as many as 10 shows a week,
not having to commute is best, he said.
Cruz is the son of Annabelle Cruz, director of VOENA Childrens
Choir (the name is an acronym for Voices of Eve N Angels). That
love of performing was passed on to Cruz and his brothers, who
are also involved in the circus world. Hes committed to Cirque
du Soleil through the end of 2017. What happens after that
remains to be seen, he said. Theres also the possibility of
continuing with Cirque du Soleil. They are very organized with
negotiations, Cruz said.
Back Pocket performers use treadmills in Luzia to launch
themselves through hoops. Continuous movement with flying, is
how Cruz describes it. Ittakes Cruz about 40 minutes to get
into makeup and costume. For Luzia, he wears a bird costume
that was a puzzle in the beginning. They are ingeniously
made, he said of the costumes.
The show takes the audience to an imaginary Mexico. It features
a cast of 44. Cruz calls Canada home, but he misses the
tranquility of Benicia as he travels around the world. He loves
exploring new towns. On his days off, he explores the
performance city and sits down with his fellow Luzia
performers at a coffee shop or bookstore.
We make the city our own, he said.
{ SOURCE: Daily Republic | https://goo.gl/49nblt }
Q&A w/Maya Kesselman Luzia Hoops Diver!
{Nov.18.2016}
-------------------------------------------------------
Q. You went to Brandeis School of San Francisco for eight years
and now you are a cast member in Luzia, the newest show from
the famous avant-garde Cirque du Soleil. How did you get
started in the circus world?
I studied at the Circus Center in San Francisco. My mom says
that it was a Hanukkah present of my first trapeze lesson when I
was 10. I went to my first one, and that was what I wanted to
do for the rest of my life.
Q. Do you have a specialty or a favorite apparatus? What do you
do in Luzia?
Now I do hoop diving and Chinese pole there are two separate
poles, theyre about two meters apart, and theyre covered in a
thin rubber and so basically what you do is you climb the pole
and do tricks. Theres a lot of different roles that I play in
Luzia. They hired me and my European partners as a group because
were all hoop divers, and we can do pole also. Then we arrived
for the creation and they put us on giant treadmills. So we do
hoop diving on treadmills. That and the Chinese pole number are
our main parts. Throughout the rest of the show I make
appearances in various costumes. Im a bird, Im a girl in a
dress, Im a lizard creature; Im versatile in this show. Im a
child on a soccer field. I also wear a disco ball dress swimming
suit.
Q. Was Cirque du Soleil an ambition of yours?
For a long time, the epitome of success for circus artists is
Cirque du Soleil. I didnt know that there was anything else to
aspire to. And then I moved to Europe and saw that theres a
bunch of other things to do and ways to do circus, so it kind of
opened my eyes. I performed for four years around Europe with my
two European partners. And then we were called to do Cirque du
Soleil.
Q. Is there a story to this show? What are the themes and
inspirations?
The whole show is inspired by Mexican culture. What I can take
away from the story is theres a main character, a clown. He
jumps out of a plane over this mystical, magical place and just
gets plopped down and then he gets taken through all of the
different numbers. At the end he has the choice to leave or
stay.
Q. You do things that look impossible to us mere mortals. Are
there acts in the show that look impossible to you?
A thousand times yes. We have amazingly talented people doing
insane things that I would never attempt to do. Theres people
who are doing soccer freestyling. Theres a contortionist; I
cant do that. Theres people flying from one swing to another
in the air, and I cant do that. Theres a lot of respect
between all of us for the different disciplines.
Q. Cirque du Soleil was founded in Quebec, and its a pretty
international operation. I understand youre multi-lingual.
Is that a big help?
Circus makes the world feel so small. You know this person here,
this person there. I learned French because I came to Montreal
for a year. I learned Spanish in high school, and I have a
Spanish partner who spoke no English or French when we started
together. I can go anywhere and kind of get by. Theres a lot of
Latinos in our show. I cant imagine not being able to speak
with them in their mother tongue. It helps me to know them as
people.
Q. Growing up, how did you balance the intense worlds of Jewish
life and circus life?
I used to say that I lived in two worlds: my circus world and my
Jewish world. I went to Sunday school and did performances on
the weekends and had to do a bat mitzvah in the middle of that.
I loved both worlds equally. I went to Israel when I was 16. And
I went to Camp Tawonga. My Jewish world has definitely taken a
backseat. But the nice thing about being Jewish is youll always
be Jewish. Id go home for Passover with my family and bring the
two European guys I was working with and teach them all about
the seder.
Q. How does it feel to have been away for years and to come home
performing with such a famous group?
All these people of these two worlds that I grew up in, they
know its my passion but they dont know what Ive been up to.
Being able to come back and show them what I do and share it
with them is big for me.
{ SOURCE: J-Weekly | https://goo.gl/NFyhuR }
BWW | Q&A w/ Toruks Laura Silverman
{Nov.23.2016}
-------------------------------------------------------
BroadwayWorld Sacramento spoke with Cirque du Soleil
spokesperson Laura Silverman about the innovative technology and
puppetry of Cirques latest arena show, TORUK The First
Flight, a story-driven prequel to James Camerons Avatar.
Q. How did Toruk come about?
Cirque du Soleil and James Cameron worked together before in
2012 on the film Worlds Away. It was around this time that
Cirque approached James Cameron with the idea to create a live
production inspired by his movie. And James Cameron has been
quoted as saying how some of the movements of the Navi in the
film were inspired by Cirque du Soleil artists. So, right from
there, it seemed like a really great collaboration. From there,
they spent a lot of time trying to figure out what exactly the
show would look like, if it would take place after Avatar, if it
would be a recreation of the film, and ultimately they decided
to go with a prequel. The story takes place 3,000 years before
the events happened in Avatar. They decided to go that way for a
couple of reasons, one being from an actual production
standpoint, we only have Navi in our show. Theres no actual
avatars. Theres no humans. The Navi are 10 feet tall, and if
we were having both, we would need to be able to show the
difference in size. But also, they were really excited to be
able to go back and elaborate on a mythical tale thats slightly
mentioned in the film. At the end of the film, Jake Sullys
character rides the Toruk, the giant flying creature, and our
story follows a journey of three Navi teenagers and culminates
with the very first Navi to ride the Toruk.
Q. Were there other people from the film involved in the
creative process?
James Cameron and John Landau, who was a producer for the film,
were creative guides. There was a woman named Julene Renee who
was the motion capturer for most of the actors in the film, and
she worked with all of the artists in our show during the
creation, teaching them the Navi movements. They had classes
almost every day for about a month or so. They also worked with
Paul Frommer, who is the linguist that created the Navi
language, to have lessons from him on the language. Everything
that was created for the show James Cameron and John Landau
werent necessarily involved with the day to day of the creation
process, but everything that youll see in the show was approved
by them.
Q. There must have been several details to fill in for the
history and background of this world.
Hey first got together to bring this idea about in March 2011.
From then until July 2015, so about four years is when they
narrowed down what the show would look like, whether it would be
in an arena, a residential, a touring show under the big top.
The creators, Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, they were really
at the helm of it. And their background, as well, was in
multimedia production. So, one of the big highlights of our show
is the projection use and the stage setup, and how were able to
use projections to bring to life Pandora. So, a lot of that
inspiration came from them, as well. Like any Cirque show, its
a long process to get it to where it is before the first
performance. And once the artists arrived in July of last year,
they started having the classes.
Q. Cirque has always been creative in the technology it uses.
Theyre very innovative, always trying to push the boundaries.
One of the things that really sets Toruk apart is that were
doing that really with the technology being used. Were using
the entire arena floor, about 50,000 square feet. When you see
it during the day, all of the set is this gray color, but when
the audience is at the show, it all comes to life with the use
of projections. We have 40 projectors that hang in the grid.
Three projectors overlap the same image to create a clear, crisp
image. With that, were using another technology called Black
Track, and that technology basically uses sensors that are put
on the main characters costumes, as well as some of the puppets
used in the show, and it creates a pre-programmed spotlight. We
have no live spot operators. It allows us to follow their
movements more swiftly and also spot more artists at one time.
But theyre using that technology on some of the set pieces. At
the very back of the set, we have two large inflatable tree-like
structures, and on those trees are also those black track
sensors, and that allows the video projection to move with the
trees. It creates this really immersive experience, especially
in an arena setting. Were recreating all of these different
landscapes across Pandora, so its also helping to tell the
story. Youll see a rainforest landscape, and then a desert, and
then a river, and waterfall. At different moments weve had
people question how we were getting the water in and out so fast
because its so lifelike.
Q. How does the puppetry work?
Weve had large puppets in other shows, but this is the first
time that we hired puppeteers. Thats because they are such an
integral part of the show. We have six puppeteers, and they
bring out all of the creatures that live on Pandora. The Toruk
actually requires all six puppeteers working together. That
puppet is probably the most unique because its operated like a
reverse marionette. The puppeteers are below bringing life to
it, and then the puppet is hooked in by an automation team and a
3D flight system, its able to fly through the arena.
Q. How long does it take to load all these piece into each city?
Our load in is about 12 hours, and thats just to build
everything. On top of that, our video team will come in and
focus all of the video, which takes about three hours, and then
our lighting team will come in and focus all of the lights as
the day goes on.
Q. What can audiences expect from the production in how it tells
the story?
With our other shows, the language is usually a gibberish
language. In this one, the artists are speaking Navi, but then
we also have an English speaking storyteller, which is another
first for this show. And because this show is so story driven,
that was really important for us to be able to bridge the gap
with the audience and have the storyteller bring the audience
into the action and help translate the Navi language. The show
really stands out from other Cirque shows because of the very
specific story we are telling. In other shows, the acrobatic
acts are the focus and the story is usually there to support the
acrobatics, but heres its kind of the opposite.
Q. What are some of the acts that are specific to this
production?
This show is very theatrical. Its the journey of these three
Navi teenagers. They learn that Pandora is in danger and they
go on this quest to prevent that from happening. On the way they
meet all these different clans. We created several different
acrobatic apparatuses specifically for this show, because they
had to be integrated into the story. In the first act youll see
an apparatus similar to a high bar, and youll see several
different artists swinging and jumping off of it. We also have
quite a bit of aerial in this show. We have aerial ropes, which
we call vines, that represent the Navi swinging and hanging
from the tree vines. We have a really beautiful number called
the bone structure, which was a balancing act. It also features
a contortionist. Other artists are doing acrobatics on the
structures. And we have another apparatus called motorized
poles. They bend and they swing and they twist. We also feature
a boomerang artist and indoor kites, which is quite unique. The
show is really family friendly. The colors really keep young
children engaged, and the story is simple enough that they can
follow along.
{ SOURCE: Broadway World | https://goo.gl/ONzxQs }
---------------------------------------------------
CirqueTech -- The Technical Side of Cirque
---------------------------------------------------
How Cirque Created Its First-Ever Touring Water Show
{Nov.19.2016}
-------------------------------------------------------
If youve ever seen Cirque du Soleils fantastic Las Vegas show
O, you no doubt marveled at the complexity of performances
taking place in and out of water, and the way the shows
creators managed to make a large tank appear and disappear as
needed.
Now imagine incorporating that complexity in one of the famous
Montreal circus companys traveling acts, and youre ready to
take in Luzia, its newest, and perhaps most ambitious road show
ever.
Debuting in the United States this week in San Franciscolike
many traveling Cirque shows, it opened initially in Montreal and
TorontoLuzia is described as a waking dream of Mexico, a
wondrous world that inspires you to explore your senses,
enveloped in light and nurtured by rain.
Founded in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a global powerhouse
with 21 different shows worldwide, including nine on tour and
eight in Las Vegas alone. Theres no doubt that descriptions of
its shows are often difficult for the average person to parsein
truth, many people enjoy Cirque performances simply for the
terrific acrobatics, soulful music, and even the clowns, and not
because of its charming, but often inscrutable backstories.
Although the Cirques touring effort, Amaluna, incorporates what
is essentially a human-sized bowl of water, Luzias creators
decided early on that the new production would become Cirques
largest-ever traveling water show, Marshall Spratt, the shows
assistant technical director, told Fast Company.
Of Luzias 12 acts, fouror fully one thirdutilize water in one
way or another. Theres a 3,000-liter pool built under its
stage, and a system that effectively rains on the performers,
with images appearing in that water curtain thanks to a
computer-controlled system.
Benjamin Courtenay, a 23-year-old Canadian solo artist who
performs above and in the water in Luzia, said the show is the
first time hed worked with water, and that learning to do so
presented a challenge.
Courtenay explained that the water made the stage a bit slippery
and that hed had to be very conscious of how he moved. Hed
initially been worried that his hands might slip from the loops
at the end of the straps he swings from. But in the months since
Luzia was conceived, hes overcome those fears.
This is some of the most fun Ive had, he said. I like
working with something thats a challenge, or thats different.
I dont like getting too comfortable. I like something that
makes me be there, [makes me] be present.
Its one thing to maintain a water tank like the one used in the
Cirques O, permanently installed at the Bellagio. Its quite
another to make sure that a traveling system is kept in working
order and safe for everyone involved.
According to Spratt, Cirques leadership has learned a number of
things from O and Amaluna over the years that were critical to
making sure it was possible to incorporate water as tantamount
to a central character in Luzia.
It begins with a check first thing every morning, and last thing
at night, to make sure the water system is working properlythat
the temperature is holding steady, that the chemical balance is
correct, that pressure is right, and that UV filters are doing
their job. Theres also a full system check once a week, Spratt
said.
At any given moment, the pool under the stage holds about 3,000
liters, while a tank in a shipping container behind Luzias big
top holds another 3,000. All that water comes from city
resources, and as water is used and discarded, it is diverted
into the shows grey water systems for things like its public
toilets to minimize waste. All told, Spratt said, Luzia adds a
few hundred liters a day.
Whats most important, Spratt emphasized, is that the system is
safe for everyone involvedfrom the performers who work in and
around the water to the audience members who sometimes get a
little bit wet. No one wants anyone to get sick from exposure to
unclean waterand to date, no one has, he said.
Still, if there were numerous simultaneous system failures, its
possible to imagine that the shows directors would conclude
they have to yank the water element and continue without them.
In that sense, Spratt pointed out, it would be much like if
Luzias jugglers were unavailabletheres always a contingency
plan for continuing without a character if necessary. After all,
with tens of thousands of tickets sold and nine performances a
week, the show very much does have to go on.
So far, though, everythings been fine, and that means theres
room for a little humor.
Inside the shipping container where the shows 3,000-liter tank
sits, its a tight fit. The large pipes that go in and out of
the tank are very warm, and alongside a couple of gallon jugs of
chlorine theres boxes of used filters that would look familiar
to anyone with a jacuzzi.
In fact, Spratt notes that on more than one occasion, hes
dipped his feet in the warm water inside the tank. If you
picture some chill music playing in the background, you can
almost imagine the crew hanging out here as if it was a hot tub.
So, Spratt joked, I have to keep the techs from drinking beer
in here.
{ SOURCE: FastCompany | https://goo.gl/qDwkko }
Go Behind the Scenes of Luzia with TechCrunch!
{Nov.21.2016}
-------------------------------------------------------
When the folks at Cirque Du Soleil invited TechCrunch to check
out some of the technology behind its latest show, Luzia, they
just couldnt say no. "We try to get to every Cirque show that
comes to the Bay Area, so this was like getting a glimpse into
Santas workshop."
"Theyve built all kinds of incredible stuff for this show, from
a monstrous treadmill that runs the length of the stage, to a
dynamic waterfall wherein each drop is independently controlled
to rain images of flowers and birds down from the bigtop, to a
dress covered in flowers that subtly bloom to life. It all comes
together to help elevate the show without overpowering its human
element; it compliments the performers, but doesnt distract
from the absurd, superhuman-level stuff theyre pulling off
night after night."
"We asked if we could bring a camera along, and they were open
to it so join us for this rare behind the scenes look!"
< https://techcrunch.com/d8a046cc-412e-473a-9ef7-cf04f0314295 >
{ SOURCE: TechCrunch }
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
{Amaluna, Koozå, Kurios, Luzia & Totem}
o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues
{Varekai, TORUK, OVO & Séptimo Día}
o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre
{Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE,
MJ ONE, JOYÀ & Paramour}
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/ >,
or for a more comprehensive tour listing, visit our Itinéraire
section online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=6898 >.
------------------------------------
BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
------------------------------------
Amaluna:
Dusseldorf, DE -- Nov 11, 2016 to Dec 29, 2016
London, UK -- Jan 12, 2017 to Feb 26, 2017
Vienna, AT -- Mar 9, 2017 to Apr 17, 2017
Rome, IT -- Apr 30, 2017 to May 7, 2017
Koozå:
Brisbane, AU -- Nov 24, 2016 to Jan 8, 2017
Melbourne, AU -- Jan 20, 2017 to Mar 26, 2017
Perth, AU -- Apr 13, 2017 to May 7, 2017
Manila, PH -- Jun 25, 2017 to Jul 30, 2017
Kurios:
Miami, FL -- Dec 10, 2016 to Jan 29, 2017
Dallas, TX -- Feb 17, 2017 to Mar 26, 2017
Houston, TX -- Apr 6, 2017 to May 21, 2017
Winnipeg, MB Jun 2, 2017 to Jun 25, 2017
Portland, OR Aug 28, 2017 to Oct 8, 2017
Vancouver, BC Oct 19, 2017 to Dec 31, 2017
Luzia:
San Francisco, CA -- Nov 17, 2016 to Jan 29, 2017
San Jose, CA -- Feb 9, 2017 to Mar 19, 2017
Seattle, WA -- Mar 30, 2017 to May 21, 2017
Denver, CO -- Jun 1, 2017 to Jul 9, 2017
Chicago, IL -- Jul 21, 2017 to Aug 20, 2017
Phoenix, AZ -- Sep 22, 2017 to Oct 22, 2017
Totem:
Nagoya, JP - Nov 10, 2016 to Jan 15, 2017
Fukuoka, JP - Feb 3, 2017 to Mar 19, 2017
Sendai, JP - Apr 6, 2017 to May 21, 2017
Brussels, BE -- Aug 31, 2017 to Oct 29, 2017
Paris, FR -- Nov 2017
VOLTA:
Montreal, QC -- Apr 20, 2017 to Jun 11, 2017
Gatineau, QC (Ottawa, ON) -- Aug 3, 2017 to Aug 27, 2017
------------------------------------
ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues
------------------------------------
Varekai:
Strasbourg, FR -- Nov 30, 2016 to Dec 4, 2016
Paris, FR -- Dec 7, 2016 to Dec 11, 2016
Lille, FR -- Dec 14, 2016 to Dec 18, 2016
Lisbon, PT --Jan 5, 2017 to Jan 15, 2017
Seville, ES -- Jan 18, 2017 to Jan 21, 2017
Gijon, ES -- Jan 25, 2017 to Jan 29, 2017
Sheffield, UK -- Feb 2, 2017 to Feb 5, 2017
Dublin, IR -- Feb 8, 2017 to Feb 12, 2017
Newcastle, UK -- Feb 15, 2017 to Feb 19, 2017
Leeds, UK -- Feb 22, 2017 to Feb 26, 2017
Birmingham, UK -- Mar 1, 2017 to Mar 5, 2017
Nottingham, UK -- Mar 8, 2017 to Mar 12, 2017
Glasgow, UK -- Mar 15, 2017 to Mar 19, 2017
Copenhagen, DK -- Mar 23, 2017 to Mar 26, 2017
Lyon, FR -- Apr 13, 2017 to Apr 16, 2017
Amsterdam, NL -- Apr 20, 2017 to Apr 23, 2017
Bratislava, SK -- Apr 27, 2017 to Apr 30, 2017
Bucharest, RO -- May 3, 2017 to May 7, 2017
Budapest, HU -- May 12, 2017 to May 14, 2017
Prague, CZ -- May 19, 2017 to May 21, 2017
Sofia, BG -- May 26, 2017 to May 28, 2017
Ljubljana, SL -- Jun 2, 2017 to Jun 4, 2017
Vilnius, LT -- Jun 8, 2017 to Jun 10, 2017
TORUK - The First Flight:
Sacramento, CA -- Nov 30, 2016 to Dec 4, 2016
Portland, OR -- Dec 7, 2016 to Dec 11, 2016
Vancouver, BC -- Dec 14, 2016 to Dec 18, 2016
Edmonton, AB -- Dec 22, 2016 to Dec 26, 2016
Inglewood, CA -- Jan 12, 2017 to Jan 15, 2017
Las Vegas, NV -- Jan 18, 2017 to Jan 22, 2017
Wichita, KS -- Jan 26, 2017 to Jan 29, 2017
New Orleans, LA -- Feb 1, 2017 to Feb 5, 2017
Guadalajara, MX -- Feb 10, 2017 to Feb 12, 2017
Mexico City, MX -- Feb 16, 2017 to Feb 19, 2017
Monterrey, MX -- Feb 23, 2017 to Feb 25, 2017
Cleveland, OH -- Mar 3, 2017 to Mar 5, 2017
Philadelphia, PA -- Mar 8, 2017 to Mar 12, 2017
Hartford, CT -- Mar 15, 2017 to Mar 19, 2017
OVO:
Montreal, QC -- Nov 29, 2016 to Dec 4, 2016
Kingston, ON -- Dec 7, 2016 to Dec 11, 2016
Grand Rapids, MI -- Dec 14, 2016 to Dec 18, 2016
Detroit, MI -- Dec 22, 2016 to Dec 25, 2016
Kansas City, MO -- Dec 28, 2016 to Jan 1, 2017
Sioux Falls, SD -- Jan 4, 2017 to Jan 8, 2017
Loveland, CO -- Jan 11, 2017 to Jan 15, 2017
Colorado Springs, CO -- Jan 18, 2017 to Jan 22, 2017
Tulsa, OK -- Jan 25, 2017 to Jan 29, 2017
Spokane, WA -- Feb 16, 2017 to Feb 19, 2017
West Valley City, UT -- Feb 22, 2017 to Feb 26, 2017
Rio Rancho, NM -- Mar 1, 2017 to Mar 5, 2017
Lubbock, TX -- Mar 8, 2017 to Mar 12, 2017
Cedar Park, TX -- Mar 15, 2017 to Mar 19, 2017
Laredo, TX -- Mar 22, 2017 to Mar 26, 2017
Corpus Christi, TX -- Mar 29, 2017 to Apr 2, 2017
Oklahoma City, OK -- Apr 6, 2017 to Apr 9, 2017
El Paso, TX -- Apr 12, 2017 to Apr 16, 2017
Jacksonville, FL -- Aug 2, 2017 to Aug 6, 2017
Salzburg, AU -- Oct 18, 2017 to Oct 22, 2017
Leipzig, DE -- Oct 25, 2017 to Oct 29, 2017
Hamburg, DE -- Nov 1, 2017 to Nov 5, 2017
Berlin, DE -- Nov 8, 2017 to Nov 12, 2017
Mannheim, DE -- Nov 15, 2017 to Nov 19, 2017
Cologne, DE -- Nov 22, 2017 to Nov 26, 2017
Stuttgart, DE -- Nov 29, 2017 to Dec 3, 2017
Nuremberg, DE -- Dec 6, 2017 to Dec 10, 2017
Munich, DE -- Dec 13, 2017 to Dec 17, 2017
SÉPTIMO DÍA NO DESCANSARÉ:
Buenos Aires, AR -- Mar 9, 2017 to May 14, 2017
Cordoba, AR -- May 25, 2017 to May 31, 2017
Lima, PE -- Jun 17, 2017 to Jun 21, 2017
Santiago, CL -- Jul 19, 2017 to Jul 27, 2017
Bogota, CO -- Sep 3, 2017 to Sep 23, 2017
Mexico City, MX -- October 2017
Guadalajara, MX -- November 2017
Monterrey, MX -- December 2017
Select US Cities -- 2018
---------------------------------
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
2017 Dark Dates:
o January 7 - 19
o February 5
o March 8
o May 6 - 10
o July 12
o September 9 - 13
o November 8
Special Performance Dates:
o Fri, Dec 30, 2016
o Fri, Jan 20, 2017 | Dress Rehearsal 7:00 pm
o Thu, Apr 6, 2017
o Thu, Aug 17, 2017
o Fri, Nov 24, 2017
o Fri, Dec 29, 2017
o Sun, Dec 31, 2017 | 4:30pm & 7:00pm
2017 Single Performance Dates:
o Fri, Jan 20 | 9:30 pm
o Sun, Jan 29 | 7:00 pm
o Fri, Mar 03 | 9:30 pm
o Sat, Mar 11 | 7:00 pm
o Sun, Mar 26 | 7:00 pm
o Sun, Apr 02 | 7:00 pm
o Sun, Apr 09 | 7:00 pm
o Sun, Apr 16 | 7:00 pm
o Sat, Jun 17 | 7:00 pm
o Sun, Aug 13 | 7:00 pm
o Sun, Oct 01 | 7:00 pm
o Fri, Oct 20 | 7:00 pm
o Sun, Oct 22 | 7:00 pm
o Fri, Dec 08 | 7:00 pm
"O":
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 9:30pm (as of Aug 12, 2015)
2016 Dark Dates:
o November 28-December 13
La Nouba:
Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm
Zumanity:
Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
KÀ:
Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark Thursday/Friday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2016 Dark Dates:
o November 23
LOVE:
Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
MICHAEL JACKSON ONE:
Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Two Shows Nightly - Dark: Wednesday/Thursday
Schedule: 7:00pm & 9:30pm on Friday, Saturday, Monday & Tuesday
4:30pm & 7:00pm on Sunday
JOYÀ:
Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
One/Two Shows Nightly:
9:00pm (Weekdays)
7:00pm & 10:15pm (Fri, Sat & Holidays)
PARAMOUR:
Location: Lyric Theater, Broadway, New York City
Performs: Wednesday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday
*** CLOSING APRIL 17, 2017 ***
One/Two Shows Daily:
2:00pm (Wednesday)
7:30pm (Thursday & Monday)
8:00pm (Friday)
2:00pm & 8:00pm (Saturday)
2:00pm & 7:00pm (Sunday)
=======================================================================
OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS
=======================================================================
o) WEBSERIES -- Official Online Featurettes
o) VIDEOS -- Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds
---------------------------------------------------
WEBSERIES: Official Online Featurettes
---------------------------------------------------
*) LUZIASELF - THE WEBSERIES
o) EPISODE 0: THE TEASER
November 9, 2016
LUZIAself is a collection of portraits highlighting the
unique stories, passion and dedication of some LUZIA
artists.
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/hBJyt-0nq5s >
o) EPISODE 1: HOOP DIVING
November 16, 2016
In episode 1, LUZIAself with our Hoop Diving acrobats
from San Francisco! Get to know the personalities lying
under the feathered costumes and wings!
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/lVn6P8ryHvk >
*) C:LAB WORKSHOP SERIES
o) EPISODE 13: ICE SKATING
November 21, 2016
In the Workshops series, Cirque du Soleil explores a new
acrobatic repertoire by reaching out to athletes from
other disciplines. In this video, a professional off-ice
skater is brought in to work with coaches and a strap
artist a first at Cirque du Soleil. Together they
explore ways to fuse Off-Ice Skating and the Strap act.
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/ny_nRS1I_vU >
*) "O" BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
o) EPISODE 1: SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING
November 9, 2016
Swim 17 feet under water with "O" by Cirque du Soleil's
synchronized swimmer, Christina Jones, as she talks about
her passion for synchronized swimming and her experiences
in performing at the "O" theater in Las Vegas, Nevada.
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/hzG2_vQFuMI >
o) EPISODE 2: HOOP ACROBATICS
November 16, 2016
Take it from "O" by Cirque du Soleil's hoop captain Pierre
Cottin. The beauty of being above water is the ability to
fly. See how the beauty of acrobatics and gymnastics are
combined to create the the visualizing stunning hoop act.
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/q-XPSl_xFnY >
o) EPISODE 3: THE WATER STAGE
The artistry of the show doesnt just happen on stage. The
real magic happens underwater. Discover what (and who) lie
beneath the surface of the 1.5 million gallon pool featured
in "O" by Cirque du Soleil.
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/xMCJAqR4XUk >
o) EPISODE 4: THE PRODUCTION
December 7, 2016
Discover your personal emotional journey with "O". This
isnt just our story. It is also your own unique story. A
story that touches on your emotions, as expressed through
the element of water. A story about your journey of self-
expression, feeling, and escaping.
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/uE9KxvgG5oI >
---------------------------------------------------
VIDEOS: Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds
---------------------------------------------------
*) CIRQUE TAKES ON THE MANNEQUIN CHALLENGE
What is the Mannequin Challenge you may be asking yourselves? The
Mannequin Challenge is a viral Internet video trend where people
remain frozen in action like mannequins while a video is recorded,
usually with the song "Black Beatles" by Rae Sremmurd playing in the
background. The hashtag #MannequinChallenge was used for popular
social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. News outlets have
compared the videos to bullet time scenes from science fiction films
such as The Matrix. Like many other memes it caught fire throughout
the social realms of the Internet, spreading far and wide. And Cirque
du Soleil naturally picked up the mantle. Check out their amazing
Mannequin Challenge videos!
o) JOYA -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lzFY5t0Roo
o) KA -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83x_Q04WUD8
o) KURIOS -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFSq8xrsjl0
o) LA NOUBA -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2iuck2Jn9Q
o) LOVE -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUQFC3KTYWA
o) LUZIA -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_iqOOZqC3c
o) KOOZA -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjF8glhazME
o) MJ ONE -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaG7vNs9I7w
o) MYSTERE -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDyE-vX2dRE
o) OVO -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhvIdk3CDsg
o) TOTEM -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTSbxbYVhQM
o) VAREKAI -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqrG7jjxQ9Y
o) VOLTA -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZKCQQr4DZU
o) ZUMANITY -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJdRV40vgnA
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
o) "Casting Q&A's - Meet an Artist, Part 4 of 6"
Edited By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) INTERVIEW /// "JOHN GILKEY - CLOWN, ACTOR, CHARACTER"
By: The Chapiteau, a Cirque du Soleil Fan Club
------------------------------------------------------------
"Casting Q&A's - Meet an Artist, Part 4 of 6"
Edited By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
------------------------------------------------------------
Ever wonder what it would be like to become a Cirque du Soleil artist?
Of course you have! Who hasnt? Wonder no longer! Through a series of
interviews on their casting website, Cirque du Soleil invites us to
get to know some of their performers (past and present), and discover
how each of them went from a career as an athlete, circus performer,
instrumentalist, singer, dancer, actor, clown, or in another specialty
to becoming a Cirque performer. Theyre fantastic reads if youve had
the pleasure, and if you havent, well, dont despair. Weve collected
all 30 artist interviews for you to peruse in this series, which, due
to the page count, well publish in six parts. In September, we began
with Q&A's from Anthony Gatto, Claudel Doucet, Denise Stefanie
Gonzalez, Eric Scribner, and Eve Castelo Branco. Then Hassan El
Hajjami (Hip-hop & Breakdance), Jean-François Houle (Bandleaders),
Jeanne Dioman Gbou (Ethnic & Traditional dance), Julia Lopatkina
(Acrobatic gymnastics), and Kristin Allen (Gymnastics) in October. We
continued last month with: Lionel Hamel (Stringed instruments), Lisa
Skinner (Artistic gymnastics), Marco De Santi (Extreme sports),
Melissa Urbano (Martial arts), and Michael Joseph Hachey (Stringed
instruments). And now here in Part Four: Miho Kono (Synchronized
swimming), Miro Lacasse (Physical Actors), Noriko Takahashi (Diverse
abilities), Odmaa Bayartsogt (Other disciplines), and Oleksandr
Pylypenko (Athletes).
# # #
MIHO KONO
Japan | Synchronized Swimming
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT PRIOR TO JOINING?
1997, 1999 Fina Cup - silver medal
1998 World Championship - silver medal
1996 Olympics - bronze medal (Team Japan)
Q. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND PREVIOUS TO JOINING CIRQUE?
I was synchronized swimming for 13 years and a member of the
Japanese National Team for 5 years.
Q. WHEN DID YOU JOIN CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
Summer 2000.
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE ORGANIZATION?
My coach knew a performer at Cirque du Soleil and advised me to
send my resumé.
Q. WHAT KIND OF AN EXPERIENCE WAS YOUR AUDITION?
It was totally different from what I had been doing in
synchronized swimming. It was a new experience that was both fun
and enjoyable for me.
Q. HOW DID YOUR INTEGRATION GO IN THE SHOW?
Integration was difficult at first because of the different
cultures and languages, but with time it got easier.
Q. HOW DOES BEING PART OF A CIRQUE DU SOLEILSHOW ALLOW YOU TO EXPRESS
YOURSELF IN YOUR DISCIPLINE?
Because we are no longer in competition mode" we get to explore
different ways of expressing ourselves in the water.
Q. WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT BEING PART OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
I like that we get to create emotions and sensations in the
audience.
Q. HOW DID THE TRANSITION GO BETWEEN YOUR FORMER CAREER TO YOUR
CURRENT CIRQUE CAREER?
That was easy because I was synchronized swimming before I
joined O".
Q. WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AN ARTIST TO JOIN CIRQUE?
I believe Cirque du Soleil is the best of the best and allows us
to make the most of our talent in doing our jobs.
Q. HOW IS LIFE IN LAS VEGAS?
Its great. I find it motivating here because I can always see
an event.
Q. ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?
Join us!
* * *
MIRO LACASSE
Canada | Actor
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT PRIOR TO JOINING?
I spent 11 years acting and creating in both live theatre and
film.
Q. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR ARTISTIC BACKGROUND PREVIOUS TO JOINING?
I have been an actor and creator since 1996.
Q. WHEN DID YOU JOIN CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
I joined KÀ during its creation in December 2003.
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE ORGANIZATION?
I first got to know Cirque du Soleil 20 years ago at a festival
in Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec.
Q. WHAT KIND OF AN EXPERIENCE WAS YOUR AUDITION?
I was part of a closed laboratory to explore and propose
variations for the role of Counselor". It was very powerful to
work on the writing for this kind of character and very
physically taxing.
Q. HOW DID YOUR INTEGRATION GO IN MONTREAL AND IN THE SHOW?
It was very interesting to see the theatrical universe meet the
Cirque universe, and incredible to watch the worlds of acrobatic
performance and storytelling come together.
Q. HOW DOES BEING PART OF A CIRQUE DU SOLEIL SHOW ALLOW YOU TO EXPRESS
YOURSELF IN YOUR DISCIPLINE?
Robert Lepage gave me creative carte blanche so I had a
wonderful and very stimulating opportunity to be a part of the
creative team
lots of ideas, lots of effort, lots of patience,
but mostly lots and lots of love!
Q. WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT BEING PART OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
I love the exchange between individuals from different
nationalities and backgrounds that bring a great variety of
experience and artistic skill along with their rich
personalities.
Q. HOW DID THE TRANSITION GO BETWEEN YOUR FORMER CAREER TO YOUR
CURRENT CIRQUE CAREER?
One day at a time
In particular I had to learn to deal with my
fear of heights because I was to be part of an acrobatic act
happening 100 feet in the air. But I managed to conquer my fear
with patience, perseverance and a lot of support.
Q. HOW IS LIFE IN LAS VEGAS?
7 AM: Make breakfast,
8:45 AM: Take my kid to school,
Between 9 AM and 2:30 PM: Take care of some household duties,
and if possible a short nap,
2:45 PM: Pick up my child,
4:15: Time to go to work,
5 to 11:20 PM: KÀ
12:15 AM: Go back home
2:00 AM: Go to bed.
* * *
NORIKO TAKAHASHI
Japan | Baton Twirling
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT PRIOR TO JOINING?
I performed 15 times at the Baton Twirling World Championships
where I won 6 gold medals in the Individual Senior Womens
division and 1 gold medal in the Senior Pairs division.
Q. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND PREVIOUS TO JOINING CIRQUE:
I began baton twirling in 1976 and performed for the first time
in an international competition in 1982.
Q. WHEN DID YOU JOIN CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
I started in Montreal in February 2004.
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE ORGANIZATION?
My first encounter with Cirque du Soleil was when I went to see
their first show to tour Japan called Fascination".
Q. WHAT KIND OF AN EXPERIENCE WAS YOUR AUDITION?
I started my role in KÀ as the show was being created and did
not end up having to go through any auditions or workshops. I
was truly happy to be a part of the creation of a new show under
the guidance of its wonderful creator.
Q. HOW DID YOUR INTEGRATION GO IN MONTREAL AND IN THE SHOW?
Everyone involved was so amiable; it made it easy right from the
beginning.
Q. HOW DOES BEING PART OF A CIRQUE DU SOLEIL SHOW ALLOW YOU TO EXPRESS
YOURSELF IN YOUR DISCIPLINE?
I feel I am able to open up more than before.
Q. WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT BEING PART OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
I get to meet many wonderful people and have a chance to share
my passion with others.
Q. HOW DID THE TRANSITION GO BETWEEN YOUR FORMER CAREER TO YOUR
CURRENT CIRQUE CAREER?
Because I love learning new things, I didnt find it difficult
at all. Whats more, the training I received taught me to
believe that nothing is ever too difficult to handle.
Q. WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AN ARTIST TO JOIN CIRQUE?
I feel Cirque has helped me improve myself and fulfill my
potential. Also, I have found encouragement in the friendships I
have forged here.
Q. HOW IS LIFE IN LAS VEGAS?
Las Vegas is one of Americas most amazing cities. There are
impressive natural wonders nearby, and there are so many ways to
have a good time!
* * *
ODMAA BAYARTSOGT
Mongolia | Contortion
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ACROBATIC ACHIEVEMENT PRIOR TO JOINING?
2001-2002 Golden Circus Festival in Italy 2nd place
Performed at the 2000 Expo in Germany
Sweden circus festival in 1998 1st place
Bravo Bravisimo" festival in 1997 in Italy 2nd place
Q. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND PREVIOUS TO JOINING CIRQUE:
I started contortion when I was 8 years old and practiced for 2
years. After that I became a professional artist and went on to
perform in Asia and Europe for 7 years.
Q. WHEN DID YOU JOIN CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
May 2005
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE ORGANIZATION?
In Mongolia in 2003, I did an audition for Cirque du Soleils
casting department.
Q. WHAT KIND OF AN EXPERIENCE WAS YOUR AUDITION?
I had never experienced anything like it before and had so much
fun!
Q. HOW DID YOUR INTEGRATION GO IN THE SHOW?
My integration into the show went very smoothly and didnt take
very long. I started at O" in May and was performing in the
show by July.
Q. HOW DOES BEING PART OF A CIRQUE DU SOLEIL SHOW ALLOW YOU TO EXPRESS
YOURSELF IN YOUR DISCIPLINE?
Being a part of O" has helped me reach the top level of my
discipline.
Q. WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT BEING PART OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
Everything!
Q. HOW DID THE TRANSITION GO BETWEEN YOUR FORMER CAREER TO YOUR
CURRENT CIRQUE CAREER?
It was seamless.
Q. WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AN ARTIST TO JOIN CIRQUE?
Just to go to one of the Cirque shows and you will feel the
professional artistry!
Q. HOW IS LIFE ON TOUR/IN LAS VEGAS?
Working in Las Vegas is very, very cool. Life was very hectic
when I was touring and now I feel more settled.
* * *
OLEKSANDR PYLYPENKO
Ukraine | Artistic Gymnastics - High Bar
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT PRIOR TO JOINING?
Reached Master of Sport Level
Q. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR ATHLETIC BACKGROUND PREVIOUS TO JOINING?
I began formal training in gymnastics at age 7 and continued
training until I was 18.
Q. WHEN DID YOU JOIN CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
I began as an artist in Alegría in 2001 then joined Mystère at
the end of 2005.
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE ORGANIZATION?
I heard about and went to a Cirque audition in Kiev. Following
the audition I was invited to general formation but had to wait
until I turned 18 to get my passport.
Q. WHAT KIND OF AN EXPERIENCE WAS YOUR AUDITION?
It was a little stressful because being at general formation
didnt guarantee I was going to get a job and the training
really pushed me out of my comfort zone.
Q. HOW DID YOUR INTEGRATION GO IN MONTREAL AND IN THE SHOW?
I was given the opportunity to slowly grow into my role in
Alegría and I already knew a lot of the artists there from
general formation, so it went well. When I joined Mystère I
didnt know as many people but my integration was far easier.
Q. HOW DOES BEING PART OF A CIRQUE DU SOLEIL SHOW ALLOW YOU TO EXPRESS
YOURSELF IN YOUR DISCIPLINE?
By combining my gymnastic skills with the artistic direction of
Cirque du Soleil I get to show the audience something amazing
every night.
Q. WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT BEING PART OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
The energy you get back from the audience is amazing. You do
your performance and people get a great feeling out of it, but
the energy they give back is that much more.
Q. WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AN ARTIST TO JOIN CIRQUE?
You are given the chance to express yourself on stage every
night where you get to share something amazing with the
audience. And you actually get paid to have fun.
Q. HOW IS LIFE IN LAS VEGAS?
Life in Las Vegas is good, your schedule allows time to take
classes at the local university or just enjoy what the city has
to offer.
# # #
Stay tuned for more pieces of this series coming soon! In Part Five:
Paulo Lorador (Balancing), PJ Bogart (Diving), Raphaël Sanchez
(Keyboards), Ross Gibson (Tumbling), and Sabú Alegría (Wheels). And in
the final installment: Suo Liu (Martial arts), Tumelo Michael" Moloi
(Other dance styles), Vanessa Convery (Jazz & Tap dance), Zara
Tellander (Female vocals), and Zeng jiao JIAN (Martial arts).
------------------------------------------------------------
INTERVIEW /// "JOHN GILKEY - CLOWN, ACTOR, CHARACTER"
By: The Chapiteau, a Cirque du Soleil Fan Club
------------------------------------------------------------
John Gilkey is an actor/clown from California who is known by many
Cirque du Soleil fans thanks to his memorable characters in Quidam and
Varekai. Back in 2015, John took some time to talk with our friends
over at The Chapiteau about how he got into acting and clowning, his
history with Cirque du Soleil, and his current projects at the time.
We intended to publish this interview at the time it happened, but,
hey, better late than never, right?
# # #
Q. What do you consider yourself, an entertainer, an artist, a clown?
What would you call yourself?
That's a really hard question for me to answer. I go back and forth a
lot on that. Certainly early on I never thought of myself as a clown.
I always felt that was something that was kind of difficult to attain
because I sort of held it in sort of a lofty place, that idea of what
a clown is and I never considered myself ready for that, maybe. And I
guess I still hesitate to use the word today. I don't know, anytime
people ask me what I do I just end up rambling and I never make any
sense and they walk away from me. Yeah, let's say I'm a performing
artist. And I guess I draw from lots of different inspirations, places
for inspirations, so I don't necessarily fall into a particular
category. I think. It's hard to tell from my point of view, obviously,
but I think I kind of bring different things together.
Q. Where were you born?
I was born in Northern California in the San Francisco bay area.
Q. Is that where you're right now?
No. I live in Los Angeles now, in Hollywood. I came down here to LA
for Iris, but I stayed here after it closed.
Q. When did you start performing? When did your career start?
Pretty young. I was performing by the time I was 13. I was juggling
then. I learned to juggle when I was 10 and I played around with that
for a while. When I was 13, I think the first show I did was my junior
high school talent show with a friend of mine who was also a juggler.
So in my teens, I started doing little shows here and there, little
company picnics. I didn't really do any birthday parties, really. I
think I did one. And competitions, I was competing in these juggling
competitions; the International Jugglers Association that had sort of
regional and national competitions. That's where I began. It wasn't
until I got to the Pickle Family Circus when I was 20 that I started
to learn more acrobatics and clown and stuff like that.
Q. Do you still juggle?
Hardly. Rarely. I kind of miss it, but it's funny, I don't know. I
don't have the occasion to do it so much. It was also back then it was
a very social activity for me. I would meet up with people at least
once a week and juggle and I just don't have a group here in LA that I
get together with to juggle. And I guess I spend more time on the
acting/clown type stuff now. My juggling balls are like by my bed and
every once in a while I pick them up and juggle right before I go to
bed. That's about it. Just to prove I can still do it, I guess.
Q. When you were juggling, before you started acting, did you think
you would be on the stage juggling as opposed to acting?
When I was younger, I never could have imagined stopping to juggle. I
thought I'd be doing that for sure the rest of my life because it was
so central to everything I did, to who I was. I never could imagine
growing out of it, but I did. I found limitations in the juggling
pretty early on, actually. When I was just starting out I was super
into learning the hardest tricks and juggling the most amount of
objects and that kind of thing, but pretty soon I realized two things:
I didn't necessarily have the natural talent for high skill juggling
and also I felt there was a limitation in what I could communicate to
the public if I was just focusing on the technical aspect of juggling.
So early on I started to move towards character and more the
performance, let's say the artistic side of it the creative side of
it. And that seemed to set the course for the rest of my career as I
moved away from skill based routines as time has gone on and I've shed
all of that and I'm doing more and more now character based stuff. We
can call it clown if we want.
Q. Did you go to an acting school? How did you start?
No. I'm super lucky because as I say, when I was 20, I started to work
for the Pickle Family Circus and for people who don't know, this
circus was a very important circus sort of in the evolution of modern
circus. In the states it was the first one ring no animal circus and
it was heavily focused on clowns. In particular three clowns: Larry
Pisoni, Geoff Hoyle and Bill Irwin. Bill Irwin has gone on to become
the most famous of those three. They're all sort of equally talented
clowns. So this show that I joined and I spent four years there,
that's where I began to learn a more broad performance skill set. I
arrived with the ability to juggle and a little bit of performance
skill that I sort of just picked up along the way. In the Pickles, I
learned everything I needed to learn. It was like my university, in a
way. In fact, I dropped out of university right before I joined the
Pickles and I spent four years in the Pickles. So that was my school.
I never went to any traditional schooling. I took an acting class in
university for one quarter, but I never did any sort of focused
training. When I say the Pickles, I was learning from the people I was
learning with and the directors and the choreographers and things like
that. I did do one one-month class workshop on clown from a guy named
Ronlin Foreman who teaches at the Dell'Arte school in Northern
California. This was a turning point for me because even though I've
been sort of dabbling in clown and character stuff at that point, this
was the point where I was sort of directly introduced to the
challenges of clown and sort of more of the history of modern clown
relating back to Jacques Lecoq who teaches the sort of physical
theatre in Europe. So that one month at Dell'Arte was what sort of
careened me off into a more focused clown direction. And that one
month with Ronlin was the only real sort of direct clown training I
had, besides all the on the job stuff I picked up.
Q. And what year was that?
I joined Pickles in '87 and I did the workshop with Ronlin in 1990.
Q. And after that did you start doing any solo work or did you join
some kind of company?
Yeah. So after Pickles, I went directly to Switzerland where I joined
a theatre group called Teatro Dimitri. Dimitri is a famous Swiss clown
who has a school and a performance company that tours around Europe
and I went into the performance company. There were seven of us.
Basically, we just toured around for two years performing two
different shows there. Super physical. It was more of a time for me to
focus on my acting and clown type skills and I was diminishing the
reliance on the circus skills and focusing more on the acting and
clown.
Q. When did Cirque du Soleil happen?
After I left Dimitri, I had a couple of years where I was performing
as a solo artist and that's where I created the version of my dance
with the coatrack that I do in Quidam. I'd been doing that for many
years but different versions of it. It was evolving. So in that time
right after Dimitri and I came back to the States, I created the
version of that that was eventually used in Quidam, as well as this
thing with the hoops and the dart. All that was created in this two
year period between Dimitri and Cirque du Soleil. So in that time I
was performing variety shows and comedy clubs, mostly in the States, a
little bit in Europe. I'd auditioned for Cirque in '95.
Q. Was it a general audition or were they specifically looking for
someone for Quidam?
It was general. It was in LA in the tent. Alegria was here in LA. It
was funny, it was mostly dancers and actors, I guess. They were sort
of focusing on dancers and characters. At that point I was still
thinking of myself more as this juggler type person that I didn't
really know where to fit in in the audition. They would ask everybody
to raise their hand, which are you a dancer or actor?' I didn't feel
like I fitted in with either of those, but they had us all do a lot of
dance choreography, everybody at the beginning of the audition. I was
really having trouble keeping up; I'm not a dancer. I can move, but
I'm not a dancer. But I was having fun and they loved it. I guess I
looked like a complete idiot trying to do all the choreography, and
they loved it. The director she came up to me and said, "Oh, keep
doing what you're doing. It's great. It's great." After a while they
broke us into two groups and I thought, "Oh, good. Finally, I made it
through the dance and I can go with the actors. I'll be more
comfortable over there." And they called out everybody's names, "Ok,
these guys stay here with the dancers and these guys go with the
actors." They didn't call my name. I said, "Don't you want me to go
with the actors?" They said, "No, no, no. We want you to stay with the
dancers." But that turned out really good because that contrast
between these really highly skilled dancers and then me, highlighted
my lack of skills and my goofiness, I guess. So their casting lady,
Dominique, she really responded well to that. She took video tapes
from that and she was pushing hard with Franco who directed Quidam.
She pitched me to him based on that audition and it wasn't until year
later
I'd call her every once in a while and she's like, "We're still
very interested. We're still very interested, but we don't know yet."
But a year later they finally invited me to Montreal to what was
essentially a callback audition. It was a workshop with Franco few
people that they were considering to bring on as characters. There
were about seven or eight of us and we did a couple of days of
workshops. And then they offered me the job basically that night.
Maybe it was only one day and that night they called and offered me
the job. It was a long wait, but then suddenly, weirdly, it happened
right away.
Q. So at that time, the company was fairly young. I'm curious, back
then was it a popular company as far as entertainment? Did you know
about Cirque du Soleil?
For me, I knew about Cirque from quite early on. As I said, I was with
the Pickle Family Circus from '87. In '87 we were performing in Los
Angeles with the Pickle Family Circus and Cirque du Soleil came to Los
Angeles as part of the LA Theatre Festival. So we were both in LA at
the same time. This was the very first time that Cirque du Soleil had
come to the US. It was their third year in existence. We had a friend
that was with the Pickles in previous years but was now with Cirque du
Soleil, so we went to see her in that show. I was blown away, really
blown away. I knew right then and there that that was what I wanted to
do. There was a guy in the show, his name as Mark Prue. He was
brilliant, this guy. He was sort of the main character of that show. I
thought that guy was just so cool and the show was beautiful, just so
beyond anything I'd ever seen that I decided that was what I wanted to
do. So for the next 9 years until '96 when I was actually hired,
everything I did was aimed at preparing myself to work in the Cirque
du Soleil. So I knew from relatively early on that that was something
I wanted to do.
Q. Did you create the character of John?
Mostly. The thing that we changed was the easiest way of saying is
like the status of the character. When I arrived, the character look
was the same, we kept the routines and the look, but I was a more
naive character, sort of younger, more naive, more innocent and Franco
pushed me into ahigher status more authoritative, stronger, more
driving kind of enlightened character. He kept saying, You're
illuminated.' I had much more experience than anybody else [the other
characters] on stage, was the idea. That was a big adjustment in terms
of the inner workings of the character. I came in and I was kind of a
smaller body and I was small steps and he was always trying to get me
to big steps and to really take the space because he was pushing me
into that role of the ringmaster, essentially. Even though it's not a
traditional ringmaster, dramaturgically, it's that position of the
ringmaster that I held, so I had to be a much stronger character for
that.
Q. Was there an inspiration behind John?
Not from my point of view and I don't think from his either. For me,
it was something that just developed over time. Something that just
sort of evolved organically. Knowing the way that Franco works, he
doesn't write anything. Everything that he develops is from
improvising with his cast. It's more of a process of devising and
discovering characters and movement. I know he had some inspirations
for the show in terms of tone and look, things like that, but nothing
specific about my character, that I know of.
Q. How long did you tour with Quidam?
About three years.
Q. And then from there?
After Quidam I did about half a year of special events with Cirque.
Then there was a failed attempt at a TV show. Before Solstrom, there
was another TV show that was supposed to happen. I was going to be one
of three hosts/writers of that show. I worked on that for about 6
months.
Q. What kind of show was it supposed to be?
That's a good question. There were different things that we
considered. The thing that we were focusing on at the point when they
pulled the plug was essentially a live variety show. You'd film the
show in front of a live audience. You had these three hosts that would
do bits. We had sort of life themes and we brought in different Cirque
type acts from around the world, both from within Cirque du Soleil
shows and outside Cirque du Soleil shows. It's a real pity we didn't
get to do it. It was going to be cool. It's a bummer because we had
some really good ideas and some really talented people involved. It
makes me sad. But they pulled the plug on it and eventually it became
Solstrom. But Solstrom is way different then what we'd imagined for
this other one.
So I was doing that and as soon as they pulled the plug on that
basically I happened to be in the right place at the right time. They
wanted to replace the original clowns of Dralion rather suddenly so
they had to do something. It happened very quickly. It was all within
three week period of time where they asked me to do it. I brought it a
friend of mine who we'd already talked about working together, so this
was sort of the perfect opportunity. I went to New York
This is
Gonzalo I'm talking about. So Gonzalo and I created these two numbers
very quickly in New York and brought them back to Montreal, showed
them to the director, Guy Caron, and they accepted the acts. We flew
to Miami and shortly thereafter we were in the show with these new
numbers. The ones in the DVD, that's [sic] the original clowns, Les
voilà. So after they left, we brought in completely new characters and
two new acts. The two acts that they were performing
they did four
acts in the show, Les voilà. Two of the acts were their acts that they
owned and they took those away with them when they left Dralion. We
replaced those two acts with two new acts of our own. We also
performed modified versions of the other two acts that Les voilà had
created with the original clown director.
Q. As far as Dralion and Quidam, would you say that it was very
different? Because in Quidam you were the main character.
Yeah, exactly. In Dralion I was more of a straight clown. I mean,
Cirque
I don't know if they still do this but they kind of use to
draw a distinction between characters and clowns. Initially I was
supposed to be a character in Quidam because there were already these
three guys who were going to provide the clown material. In the end,
in Quidam, I sort of straddled both. I did some character work and
clown work. In Dralion, it was strictly clown. It was all comedy. One
of the things that the characters do in the show is that they provide
a through line and they drive the momentum of the show, but in Dralion
that was not my responsibility.
Q. After Dralion, what did you do?
So Varekai was in early stages of creation when I finished Dralion. I
sort of threw my hat in the ring because I wanted to be involved in
Varekai because I'd heard they were basing this show partly on this
artist that I was really into and that I had been super inspired by.
This guy, Robert Parkeharrison, he's a photographer. I was totally
into this guy's stuff and I wanted to do something based on this guy's
stuff and then I learned that Varekai was going to use that as
inspiration for that show and I thought, "Oh, this is perfect!" I kind
of threw my hat in the ring for that show but they different plans;
they had another guy they wanted to hire, so they said no. I hung out
for like a month in Montreal just trying to rub shoulders and network
and be at the right place at the right time but they said "No, no. We
don't want you." So I drove back to California from Montreal and in
two weeks they called and I had to go back and do Varekai. I had
signed another contract for something else so I was only available for
the first year of Varekai. I went back a month later. I flew back to
Montreal and I started the creation process for Varekai.
Q. You said because you had another contract you could only be with
Varekai for a year?
Yeah. When they said no to me for Varekai, at that point I had this
offer from Franco Dragone to work with him. I was very upfront with
Cirque. I said, "Look, I have this offer from Franco and there are
certain things about that that are really appealing and if you guys
were able to offer those things to me as well, then I would consider
staying here." In the end, they said, "No. We don't want you. We don't
have a place. We don't need you." So I said ok, thank you very much
and I told Franco that I'd like to work with him. Let's do it. Then
two weeks later Cirque came back and said, "Oh, we do want you after
all." But in the end it worked out fine. I came back and did the one
year of Varekai and that was super fun and I got to work with Franco
as well.
Q. The Skywatcher, you created that character, right?
Yes. Although, for that character and that show, it was one of the
first shows after Franco left Cirque. So, the creation process was
beginning to evolve into a different format, into a different shape as
it was when Franco was there. For this show, for example, directed by
Dominic Champagne, he had a script for the show. It wasn't a real
typed script and it wasn't obviously based on text, but he had an idea
pretty good idea of the story and certain events he wanted to have
happen. So he had an idea of what the Vigie, the Skywatcher was, much
more than what Franco had for what I did in Quidam. For Varekai, there
was more of a skeleton for me to work with in terms of the character.
I went obviously back and forth a lot with Dominic. We shaped it
together and it evolved quite a bit from what he originally imagined.
But it was a very different process with Dominic.
Q. So then you went to work with Dragone?
Yeah, on the Le Reve project for the Wynn Hotel in Vegas.
Q. This was for clowns as well or characters?
Well yeah, clowns, supposedly. I was hired as the clown conceptor so I
was in charge of conceiving the bits and casting a team of seven
clowns with the clowns sort of developing these bits for the show. In
the end we sort of made a distinction between some of the actors
made some more clown type and some more character type. That's
essentially what the project was. We started out
we had seven months
of rehearsals. Way too much. Way too much rehearsal. We spent about
three and a half months in Belgium and three and a half months in
Vegas before we opened, developing the characters, the look, the
numbers and all of that.
Q. How long were you in Le Reve?
Well I didn't perform. I was just in the creative team. I was there
for a couple of years in pre-production and then as I say, about six
or seven months for the creation period and then a couple of months
after it opened. I did actually performed a little bit in the show
because one of the guys was injured, so I went in for maybe a dozen
shows or something like that. But essentially, I was on the creative
team only.
Q. After Le Reve
After Le Reve a did lots of stuff. Little here and there, smaller
projects. Nothing too exciting. Just kind of more experimental stuff,
maybe I can say. I spent a lot with the big shows and the big budgets
you have to please a lot of people and you have to create material
that's sort of aimed at a large general audience, so I was having fun
experimenting with more far out ideas that might have a smaller
audience but that might be creatively super interesting. I still, even
now, spend a lot time doing that.
Q. So let's talk about Iris. I think it closed prematurely
Yeah, they were having trouble finding a public from the very
beginning. It was difficult to get enough people in there. Sadly.
Q. What was the name of your character?
Oh, that's a good question. What was the name of my character? I don't
think I had a name. That must have been one of my problems. It was not
maybe the best character I ever created. I don't know that I ever
named it. Isn't that funny?
Q. But I think, for example, in Quidam and Varekai and even with the
clowns, it seemed like you had a lot more stage time or presence. I
feel that in Iris we didn't really get to see you that much. Or
maybe there was so much going on that you didn't really get to
stand out like in these other shows.
No, you're absolutely right. I mean, there's various reasons. There
were five, for one thing, so there was a lot of us. We also, we didn't
have a lot of direction. That's putting it kindly. We didn't have
another direction. And in fact, something that happened early on,
because of this lack of direction
I didn't want this to happen but it
happened
I was sort of put in charge as the group/clown leader, let's
say. Sort of unofficial leader. As the leader, the guy who was sort of
pushing and guiding us, it was impossible to look after myself and
everybody else. It would feel weird to put myself at the center if I'm
the guy leading. That doesn't feel fair. So I was really trying to
help support everybody else, so I ended up diminishing myself. And so
not only am I not in there that much, and you could say that about the
other characters too because there are five of us, but the main
mistake I made I think was that I put myself in a role where I was
serving everybody else in almost every scene and that meant that there
was a lack of consistency from my character. It was very difficult to
understand who I was and what my relationship was to the show and even
what my relationship was to the other people in the show because it
was always changing. I feel that was because I couldn't direct myself
very well as well as guide everybody. And by everybody, I mean the
five clowns. So I kind of took a back seat in that show.
Q. I guess I wasn't wrong
No, you're absolutely right. And I think many people would agree. I
think lack of stage time is putting it nicely. I think there were
other problems, it's just that I wasn't very clear and particularly
interesting.
Q. Which of these Cirque du Soleil characters that you created or you
portrayed is your favorite?
That's hard. My first show that I performed in was Quidam. So just
like somebody who's a fan who goes to see the shows and their first
one they see it's their favorite, there's a very special place for
Quidam, obviously for me. And in a way also, Quidam was the show that
most represented me, I think. I think it was the closest to me and
that I was able to maybe be my most personally creative in that show.
Q. I think there's something very endearing about that character John.
Yeah, it's definitely one that when people speak to me, it's the one
that people remember the most. It was really really a remarkable show.
It's hard to beat that. But it's true, sometimes I was frustrated with
Varekai and that character and I had my doubts. I had a lot of doubts
about that character and what I was doing in that show. I'd gone for
years without watching the DVD or anything and I went back and looked
at it and I was like, "Oh, man. That's not bad. That's a pretty cool
character after all. Why was I so troubled about that character at
that time. He's a great character." So, I love the Varekai character
as well. Same for Dralion. They're all different. I'm proud of that,
that they're different. They've all got something to offer.
Q. Where can we see John Gilkey today and do you think we'll see you
in a Cirque du Soleil show soon or maybe in the future?
At the moment I'm working in LA teaching, which I'm really, really
enjoying. I'm taking in all this stuff that I've learned from my
circus experience and all of that and sort of sharing that with actors
and comedians in LA. That's going really well. It's super fun and
people are getting turned on to this sort of new take on how to
perform comedy. That's super exciting. From the classes, we've
developed a performance company called Wet The Hippo. You can check it
out online, WetTheHippo.com. There's also the classes. I also have a
website for that, theidiotworkshop.com. Those are my focus points now.
We're performing twice a month in LA doing our full show as Wet The
Hippo. I don't have a big spot in that show, I'm kind of directing the
show as it goes on. In terms of my Cirque relationship, you never
know. They sort of always called when you least expect it. I
definitely miss being on stage with Cirque. Particularly, we were
talking about Iris and that was a bit frustrating for me because I
didn't feel at home in that character. It didn't feel like it was my
best work, so I definitely want to get back on stage with Cirque and
create a character that really fulfils my need. I hope that happens. I
hope there's a place for that. And I think there might be some sort of
coming together with Wet The Hippo and Cirque du Soleil. I think that
would be ideal. That the stuff that we're discovering with Wet The
Hippo can serve and fold into Cirque du Soleil somehow. I think
there's a real strong connection to be found there. So that's what I'd
say to keep your eyes open for that kind of thing.
# # #
Read and HEAR this fantastic interview on The Chapiteau's Website:
< http://www.thechapiteau.com/interviews/john-gilkey/ >
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 16, Number 12 (Issue #155) - December 2016
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (C)
2001-2016 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
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submissions become the property of the "Fascination! Newsletter."
"Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way with Cirque du
Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are Copyright (C) and
are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil, Inc., and
Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright
infringement intended.
{ Dec.10.2016 }
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