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Fascination Issue 173
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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 18, NUMBER 6 June 2018 ISSUE #173
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Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque
du Soleil Newsletter.
Did you know that Kurios celebrated its 1,500th performance in Tokyo,
Japan on May 16, 2018? It did! And there's plenty more to discuss this
month, including...
o) Sep7imo Dia-No Descansaré will have its world farewell this
summer! After it's last show in Paraguay, Sep7imo Dia heads
back to Argentina for a farewell tour to end all farewell tours,
hitting up Cordoba, Rosario, and Buenos Aires one last time.
Sep7imo Dia's final performance is currently scheduled for
Sunday, September 9, 2018!
o) Over at Mystere, "Misha", the enigmatic song track that
accompanied the Aerial Cube performance for so long, is back!
"Misha" was replaced by the song "Nouvel Invol" when Aerial
Cube was replaced with Duo Straps in 2017. We're happy to hear
"Misha" is back in action!
o) By now you know that Alegria is returning. Elena Lev is too!
She has confirmed via her Instagram page that she will perform
Hoops Manipulation for Alegria's 25th Anniversary tour! (See it
for yourself here: < https://www.instagram.com/p/BjqCjN9Ddsx/ >.
o) Remember back in May when Darius Harper (the show's singer)
announced that a VOLTA DVD and CD would be due out soon? The
CD was released, of course, and we know the show was indeed
filmed in Toronto. At one time it's release seemed imminent,
but then it was shelved when the show began to change. Well,
fans residing in Canada can watch this version of VOLTA on Bell
Fibe - NOW. < http://tv1.bell.ca/fibetv1/shows/volta >
o) And speaking of VOLTA, Danila Bim has created a back-up for her
Hair Suspension act - "Evolution: Aerial Hoop". See Danila
performing this act here: < https://youtu.be/l0yFxaIabLo >.
o) There is now a Chinese-language version of Cirque du Soleil's
website: < https://www.taiyangmaxi.cn/ >
o) Sky News Australia recently spoke with the President and CEO of
Cirque du Soleil Daniel Lamarre, who said it is vital to separate
the creative components from 'the business reality'. Mr Lamarre
told Sky News Business that he encourages his business partners
to discuss financial matters with himself, leaving the creators
alone so they can 'continue to be free and bring crazy ideas'.
< https://www.skynews.com.au /details/_5791675398001 >
Oh, and there's more...
* * * LUZIA TO RESIDE TEMPORARILY AT WALT DISNEY WORLD?! * * *
While it seems we will be waiting until at least the second half of
2019 for the Disney Animation-Inspired Cirque du Soleil show to debut
at Disney Springs, we won't have to wait quite that long for a new
Cirque show to perform at Walt Disney World.
In the interim, Cirque Du Soleil's Luzia will perform at Disney
Springs sometime in the Spring of 2019, likely staying for a few
months. This show is one of the traveling Cirque shows performed in a
temporary stadium which travels the world. Cities that Luzia will be
performing in are currently announced through December 2018, but
nothing after that is. Inside sources infer that Luzia should arrive
at Disney Springs by February-March 2019 with an undisclosed end date.
Original plans called for a temporary Cirque Du Soleil show to come to
Disney Springs this Summer (2018), but its appears that Disney would
like to have the third parking garage at Disney Springs completed
before adding something like Luzia that will put a further strain on
the parking situation.
No start date for the Disney-inspired show that will fill the former
La Nouba theater has been announced as of yet either, but it would
obviously be after Luzia departs Walt Disney World.
* * * BROADWAYHD STREAMING SERVICE PICKS UP CIRQUE * * *
According to Playbill: The streaming service BroadwayHD has acquired
ten Cirque du Soleil titles eight live productions and two
documentaries available beginning June 7. "Cirque du Soleil has
completely reinvented the live entertainment experience, and we are
absolutely thrilled to be able to showcase some of their amazing
productions for a new audience," said BroadwayHD co-founders Stewart
F. Lane and Bonnie Comley. "We think that the addition of Cirque du
Soleil to our library is essential to reinforcing our position as the
#1 destination for those looking to enjoy the very best in live
theater." The new releases on BroadwayHD are: Nouvelle Experience (in
SD), Saltimbanco (SD), Alegria (SD), Dralion (SD), Kooza (in HD),
Amaluna (HD), Delirium (HD), TorukThe First Flight (HD) and the
documentaries Thrilling Ride Through Kooza (HD) and Toruk Takes Flight
(HD). This is wonderful news, Cirque du Soleil. Let's see more like
this!
* * * NEW SHOW SCHEDULES FOR BEATLES LOVE AND MJ ONE * * *
As summer begins, the show schedules for two of Las Vegas' top shows,
Michael Jackson ONE and The Beatles LOVE, will change.
Michael Jackson ONE -- Beginning June 12, MJ ONE performances will
take place Thursday through Monday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. with the
show now going dark on Tuesday and Wednesday. Additional dark days
will occur on Aug. 20 28, Oct. 22 -25, Nov. 5-7 and Dec. 11-13.
The Beatles LOVE -- Beginning June 3, LOVE performances will take
place every Tuesday through Saturday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. with dark
days every Sunday and Monday. Additional dark days will occur on Aug.
14 18, Sept. 15, Oct. 20 and Dec. 4 8, 11 15.
* * * CIRQUE, ENTERPRISE RAC & SIR ROSEVELT? * * *
On June 1st, Cirque du Soleil announced a collaboration with
Enterprise (Rent-a-Car) and Sir Rosevelt (a southern pop musical
group) for a one-time-only performance in Denver, Colorado:
Enterprise and Sir Rosevelt are celebrating the people who serve
others through acts of kindness big and small. The epic event is
driven by "paying it forward." It all starts with 10 fans who each get
a unique ticket code and it grows from there, as each of the 10 fans
share their code with three people they think deserve to be celebrated
and so on, until all codes are redeemed. "The concert will be
amazing," the release says. "But the journey there will be even
better."
To say we here at Fascination have many questions about this venture
would be an understatement. And thankfully the teaser website
(https://sharethecode.us/) has a FAQ that clears up quite a number of
them, which we gladly collected to share with you within. You'll find
this FAQ in our NEWS section below (as well as an article from Rolling
Stone that goes into a little more detail about this new event.)
* * * CIRQUE RETURNS TO LONDON WITH TOTEM IN JAN 2019 * * *
Cirque du Soleil is delighted to announce that due to popular demand,
its famous show TOTEM will return to London in January 2019.
Approaching its 10th successful year of touring since its 2010 debut,
TOTEM is a fascinating glimpse into the journey of mankind. It will
open on 12 January 2019 at the Royal Albert Hall and run until 9
February 2019. Totem returns to London after being Cirque du Soleil's
highest selling tour to visit the city before the incredible success
of 2018's OVO. Pre-sale tickets for this spectacular show are
available from 2pm on 4 June via Cirque Club, SKODA pre-sale from 9am
on 5 June, with tickets going on sale to the general public at 9am, 8
June via the Cirque du Soleil website or www.royalalberthall.com or
020 7589 8212.
Okay, so let's go!
/----------------------------------------------------\
| |
| 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 > |
| |
\----------------------------------------------------/
- Ricky "Richasi" Russo
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CONTENTS
===========
o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
* La Presse -- General News & Highlights
* Q&A -- Quick Chats & Press Interviews
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
* "CRYSTAL: Colder Than You Might Like"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
* "Drumming for Cirque du Soleil (feat. Kit Chatham)"
A Special Reprint from Isaac Cavallaro.com
* "We're Off and Running - A Series of Classic Critiques"
Part 14 of 16: Varekai, Part 1 (2002)
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
***************************************************************
LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights
***************************************************************
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American Dream says it will open in spring 2019
{May.10.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
Nowhere is Jersey cynicism more evident than in attitudes toward the
American Dream Meadowlands complex, formerly called Xanadu. But
developer Triple Five Worldwide has a message to the Garden State:
Yes, we really are opening in a year.
The 3 million-square-foot complex will include:
o) an indoor DreamWorks Animation water park
o) a Nickelodeon Universe amusement park
o) Big Snow Indoor Ski & Snowboard Park
o) a 1,350-seat live theater with an exclusive Cirque show
o) a premier Cinemex movie theater
o) Sea Life Aquarium, Legoland Discovery Center
o) Kidzania entertainment zone
o) an NHL-size ice rink
o) luxury retail stores
"It's definitely been a long ... long ... long ... long road," said Paul
Ghermezian, chief operating officer for Triple Five Worldwide. "The
parks alone are 16 acres of entertainment, combined to be the largest
indoor park combo in the world."
Ghermezian spoke to regional business leaders attending the Bergen
Business Expo.
Billed as an entertainment destination and, therefore, mostly open
on Sundays American Dream Meadowlands is slated to have its grand
opening in spring 2019. The water park is the only exception,
scheduled to open that summer or autumn.
Although many forecast dates have passed since Xanadu first launched
in 2003, it's likely this one will happen.
The project was reinvigorated last summer after developer Triple Five
completed a $1.1 billion tax-exempt bond sale in June and secured $1.6
billion in a private construction loan. Construction crews have since
returned to the site, kicking off work on the entertainment complex.
Tony Armlin, vice president for development construction, said area
contractors are among the 1,450 people working at the East Rutherford
site.
Triple Five is spending about $75 million per month soon to ramp up
to $3 million a day and the work is about 56 percent complete,
Armlin said.
"Local labor has been just phenomenal," Armlin said. "By the time we
reach September, when we start heavy construction, there will be 3,000
people on the site. Expectations will be running 24-7. Right now we
are doing two shifts a day, close to seven days a week. We are flying
with work."
Nowhere is this resurgence more evident than in the replacement of the
iconic, technicolor panels covering the exterior. By this time next
year, it will be stark white, matching the 300-foot Observation Wheel.
"Those of you who have passed the site have noticed there isn't really
much of that exterior left," Ghermezian said. "Our goal is always to
create something exciting and new, something modern and world-class,
and the exterior is the first vision of that."
American Dream stands apart from other Triple Five entities The Mall
of America in Minnesota and West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada
because it isn't purely a mall.
"The West Edmonton Mall is 20 percent entertainment, 80 retail. The
Mall of America, emphasizing mall,' is 20 percent entertainment, 80
retail," Ghermezian said. "American Dream, on the other hand, is 55
percent entertainment and only 45 retail."
Just over half of American Dream will be open on Sundays, said Debbie
Patire, senior vice president of marketing.
"We will abide by any Bergen County blue laws, but because we are 55
percent entertainment, 55 percent of our center will be open on
Sundays," Patire said.
Anchored by Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue, the only location in
New Jersey, American Dream's retail element will lean towards
entertainment.
"Within the center, the limited retail that will be there, everything
is flagship," Ghermezian said. "Our tenants are actually required to
have an experience within their store. So your typical Gaps,
Victoria's Secrets, Abercrombies of the world, you need to do
something which makes it unique, which makes it special and really
expresses your brand. And it's more than just retail."
Interior courtyards are designed to host programming and generate
their own buzz, such as the highly Instagram-able Flower Court, which
will include $1.5 million in flowers alone.
The retail section will also include a ring of 15 full-service
restaurants surrounding a park, and a grab-and-go food court.
"Our building is going to have something for everybody. Different
levels of retail, different experiences," Ghermezian said, pointing to
a rendering of a champagne and caviar bar.
"We will also offer unique amenities: hands-free shopping, valet,
concierge services, as well as personal shopping. The detail that has
gone into the luxury areas is really impeccable."
The building is about 80 percent leased, Armlin said.
"Our tourist destination projects, 50 percent of the people who come
to visit are from out of the area. That means new dollars to be
brought to the state and new jobs, and new business opportunities for
our property and, more importantly, for the communities that we are
resident in," Armlin said. "We are not a shopping center. We are an
entertainment destination. We are more like Disney than we are
anything like a retail shopping center. People come to visit us for
days."
The project, formerly Meadowlands Xanadu, has notoriously hit many
snags in its lifetime, including the 2009 bankruptcy of former
developer Colony Capital. It was picked up by Triple Five in 2011. The
New York Giants and Jets filed an injunction in 2011 to stop
construction. The teams, which play in neighboring MetLife Stadium,
were concerned about traffic on game days. A confidential settlement
was reached in 2013.
Bergen County Executive James Tedesco, the former mayor of retail-
centric Paramus, said a trip to Triple Five's Mall of America opened
his eyes.
"I have to tell you I was skeptical, because how many years have we
seen it, driving down the turnpike, not knowing what the outcome was
going to be. I can tell you the outcome is going to be outstanding,"
Tedesco said. "It's going to change the way we think of Bergen County.
This isn't a shopping mall. This isn't a retail center. This is a
destination."
The complicated and oft-delayed $2.8 billion financial package came to
fruition last summer and included over $1 billion from the sale of
bonds, reported to be at no cost to taxpayers and managed through
Goldman Sachs.
Triple Five also received $390 million in tax breaks, as state
officials claimed last summer that the bond sale will generate more
revenue for the state through 20 years.
This spring, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that NJ Transit will invest $4
million to expand rail and bus service to the Meadowlands, given the
anticipated opening.
As part of the 2013 settlement with the NFL teams, NJ Transit agreed
to foot the bill for the expansion of the Meadowlands Sports Complex
rail link and additional buses. In addition, the Turnpike Authority
and Triple Five would contribute toward other elements of a transit
plan.
{ SOURCE: North Jersey.com }
-------------------------------------------------------
STONE, Hommage à Plamondon Album Now Available!
{May.18.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
The soundtrack created for STONE, Cirque du Soleil's Hommage à
Plamondon, has been the subject of high praise since it was enjoyed by
the public at the Cogeco Amphitheater in Trois-Rivières last summer.
So, for the first time, an album featuring the songs from the tribute
show is the subject of a music album release, now available!
Label: XS Music
UPC: 776693161020
Item #: 2048733X
Catalog #: XSCD1610
Release: 5/18/2018 (CAN)
Release: 5/25/2018 (International)
01. "Le parc Belmont" Martha Wainwright (5:45)
02. "Monopolis" Milk & Bone (4:59)
03. "Oxygène" Betty Bonifassi (5:31)
04. "Le monde est stone" Beyries (6:58)
05. "Lili voulait aller danser" La Bronze (4:38)
06. "Ma mère chantait toujours" Marie-Pierre Arthur (3:53)
07. "L'île aux mimosas" Klô Pelgag (3:51)
08. "Je danse dans ma tête" Marie-Mai (4:13)
09. "Call Girl" Valérie Carpentier (4:29)
10. "Tiens-toé ben, j'arrive!" Catherine Major (5:46)
11. "Le Blues du Businessman" Safia Nolin (5:37)
12. "Les sans-papiers" Marie-Josée Lord (3:44)
13. "SOS d'un terrien en détresse" Ariane Moffatt (4:48)
14. "Le monde est fou" Gabrielle Shonk (3:49)
15. "L'hymne à la beauté du monde" Cirque du Soleil (3:34)
* * *
But it wasn't as simple as just placing the music on a soundtrack;
Concalves put in a lot of studio work to adapt the show's musical
pieces for an album. "It was necessary to adapt the music because
sometimes there were breaks or lengths required by the show in the
structure [of the music]. Additionally, I had to remix [the music]
completely [for the album] because the mixing done for a large
amphitheater is very different from one made for an album that will
be listened to at home or in a car."
"In the end, I [feel] that the album stands very well on its own,
detached from the visual of the show. Of course, it is a soundtrack so
people who have had the chance to see the show will [relive the
experience], but it will also be interesting for those who have not
seen it."
Although Conclaves is not convinced STONE is his best work among the
three shows presented at the Cogeco Amphitheater thus far, he is
convinced that this soundtrack deserves to be heard. "In the context
of shows, it's the one I went the furthest away on from musically
because we did not work from master tapes; we had new performers. The
end result definitely deserved to be on an album. For me, it was a
shame to lose this work after only twenty shows. I wanted it to
survive and it's a feeling that people at Cirque also shared."
This does not mean that Cirque will necessarily repeat the same
approach in the future. "It's always case by case," explains
Goncalves. "For example, with the Colocs, we work from original tapes,
which the process more complex because there are a lot of legalities
involved. Every year we wondered if we could release the music for
these shows, considering it as much from an artistic point of view
based on the rights that needed to be secured."
"For Stone, the context was different and it was more justified." That
involved the contribution of fourteen or fifteen performers and it's
certainly the most imposing collective work that has been done on the
side of music."
And you can get it on iTunes in Canada and the United States.
It is also available to stream on Spotify.
{ SOURCE: Le Nouvelliste }
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Cirque Re-locates PARAMOUR to Hamburg Germany
{May.22.2018}
------------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group and Stage Entertainment announced
today that the Broadway Show Cirque du Soleil PARAMOUR will relocate
to Hamburg, Germany's musical metropolis. The hit musical will have
its European premiere at the Stage Theater Neue Flora in April 2019.
After having completed a successful year on Broadway at the Lyric
Theatre, PARAMOUR closed on April 16, 2017 in order for the theater to
undergo some refurbishment. Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group had
discussions with several theatre owners in New York and abroad,
interested in welcoming this production, and decided to work with
Stage Entertainment for a unique production in Germany.
"Following our Broadway debut, we are excited to present PARAMOUR in a
European theatre and are thrilled to realise this project with Stage
Entertainment, the largest musical producer in Europe. We are still
dedicated to New York with the Blue Man Group, the touring show VOLTA
celebrating its opening weekend in Uniondale and the permanent
attraction NFL Experience Times Square," explained Jerry Nadal, Senior
Vice-President Resident Shows.
"Bringing the musical PARAMOUR to the German stage with Cirque du
Soleil is one of the most fascinating and challenging theatre projects
we ever had," said Uschi Neuss, Managing Director of Stage
Entertainment Germany. "The Stage Theater Neue Flora with its spacious
space seems like it was made especially for this breath-taking
production."
PARAMOUR is blending the best of Broadway with Cirque du Soleil's
signature style, to provide a new experience for both traditional
musical theatre goers and Cirque du Soleil's fans. The show has many
of the elements beloved on Broadway: a book-driven love story
narrative, live musicians, and professional actors in lead roles; but
with the Cirque du Soleil aesthetic integrated throughout the show:
visionary production design on a grand scale, world class
entertainment, and acrobatic feats that defy the imagination.
PARAMOUR is a rapturous and passionate new experience that unites the
signature spectacle of Cirque du Soleil with the storytelling magic
that defines musical theatre. Set in the glamorous world of Golden Age
Hollywood, this groundbreaking event spins the tale of a beautiful
young poet forced to choose between love and art. Featuring a cast
that blends the best in circus arts and musical theatre, PARAMOUR
transports the audience to a world of sublime beauty and emotion as it
walks the exhilarating tightrope of the heart.
About Stage Entertainment
Founded in 1998 by Dutch television and theatre entrepreneur Joop van
den Ende, Stage Entertainment is one of the world's largest theatre
producers and owners. The company has earned a reputation as a first-
class theatrical production company focusing on Europe. Operating in 8
countries and 21 theatres, Stage Entertainment produces some of the
best-known titles in musical theatre. The company stages licensed
productions from its world-renowned partners as well as new, original
productions created entirely in-house. Stage Entertainment employs
more than 3,000 people worldwide, and over 7 million visitors attend a
Stage Entertainment production every year. Today the brand is widely
known for the exceptional quality of its shows and the warm
hospitality extended to its audiences.
Stage Entertainment Germany was founded in 2000. Some 1,700 employees,
13 theatres with a total capacity of 19,000 seats and nearly 4 million
visitors per year make Germany the group´s largest market, headed by
Hamburg with 5 theatres alone and Disney´s DER KÖNIG DER LÖWEN playing
as the longest running show of the group since December 2001.
Currently the German Stage Entertainment portfolio spans KINKY BOOTS,
Disney ALADDIN, LION KING, and MARY POPPINS in Hamburg, THE BODYGUARD
and Disney THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME in Stuttgart, BLUE MAN GROUP
and GHOST in Berlin, Disney TARZAN in Oberhausen and FACK JU GÖHTE in
Munich. ANASTASIA is announced for autumn 2018 in Stuttgart. Stage
Germany also operates own touring productions through Germany,
Austria, and Switzerland, currently TANZ DER VAMPIRE and MAMMA MIA!
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil }
-------------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil, Enterprise RAC & Sir Rosevelt?
{Jun.01.2018}
------------------------------------------------------
On June 1st, Cirque du Soleil announced a collaboration with
Enterprise (Rent-a-Car) and Sir Rosevelt (a southern pop musical
group) for a one-time-only performance at 7:00pm MT, Tuesday, August
7th, at 1stBank Center in Denver, Colorado.
Enterprise and Sir Rosevelt are celebrating the people who serve
others through acts of kindness big and small. The epic event is
driven by "paying it forward." It all starts with 10 fans who each get
a unique ticket code and it grows from there, as each of the 10 fans
share their code with three people they think deserve to be celebrated
and so on, until all codes are redeemed. "The concert will be
amazing," the release says. "But the journey there will be even
better."
To say we here at Fascination have many questions about this venture
would be an understatement. And thankfully the teaser website
(https://sharethecode.us/) has a FAQ that clears up quite a number of
them, which we gladly collected to share with you below:
Q. WHO IS SIR ROSEVELT?
Sir Rosevelt is the southern pop group comprised of Zac Brown, Niko
Moon and Ben Simonetti. Formed in 2015 the band pulls inspiration from
the full-throttle dynamics of electronic and the elasticity of the pop
genre. Both Brown and Moon have been collaborating and writing
together for years, bringing Simonetti into the fold in 2015, rounding
out the style and musical skill that became Sir Rosevelt. In 2016, the
band released their first single, Sunday Finest, off their debut
album. In 2017 Sir Rosevelt released their debut album by the same
name, a new single, Something Bout You, and made appearances in
London, the Byron Bay Bluesfest in Byron Bay, Australia and their
first North American performance in Las Vegas.
Q. ARE TICKETS TO THIS EVENT FREE?
Yes, tickets to the concert are free. Travel is not included. (So, you
have to get yourself there.)
Q. HOW DO I GET TICKETS TO THIS EVENT?
Fans will not be able to purchase tickets to this one-of-a-kind show.
The only way in is to have a code shared with you.
Q. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS CODE SHARING THING?
Only legal residents of the fifty (50) United States plus the District
of Columbia who are 21 years of age or older are eligible to receive
tickets and codes. US territories (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands,
etc.) are not eligible.
Q. HOW DOES THE CODE SHARING PROCESS WORK?
Sir Rosevelt will kick-off the campaign by sharing unique codes with
10 lucky fans. Those fans will receive three codes to then share with
people they want to "pick up" and bring on this journey with them.
Each fan who receives a code will also receive three additional codes
to share until all 5000 codes are distributed. As codes are being
shared, fans will be able to track progress of the codes via
sharethecode.us. Enterprise and Sir Rosevelt are celebrating the
people who serve others through acts of kindness big and small. This
method of code-sharing aligns nicely with Enterprise's model of
"picking people up" throughout this journey of life. Thanks to
Enterprise, people all over will be able to pick up the people who
mean the most to them and bring them to this one-night-only, special
event. Sir Rosevelt is embarking on a new musical journey and it
begins on August 7 in a room full of fans who have made a special
journey to get there. The best / easiest way to view the code-sharing
way of ticketing is thinking of it as paying it forward.
Q. IS THERE AN AGE RESTRICTION?
Yes, you must be 21 years of age or older to attend.
Q. HOW WILL I GET MY PHYSICAL TICKETS?
Tickets will be emailed 48 hours in advance.
Q. CAN I TRANSFER OR SELL MY TICKETS IF I'M UNABLE TO ATTEND?
No. If you cannot attend, please notify us so we can cancel your
tickets and issue them to another fan. Tickets are non-transferable
and must be used by the individual who receives a confirmation email
with his or her name on it. Please be aware that the authenticity of
tickets obtained through any other source cannot be guaranteed.
Counterfeit and other invalid tickets will not be honored. This Event
is a special event and no exchanges can be offered.
Q. IS THERE ASSIGNED SEATING OR HOW WILL I KNOW WHERE TO SIT?
There is no assigned seating. First come, first served upon entry. You
will not be allowed to gather or get in line to attend until 5:00 PM
MT. Doors open at 6:00 PM MT.
Q. HOW MANY TICKETS CAN I GET?
There is a limit of one (1) ticket plus three (3) codes per person.
You must share the codes provided to you with three (3) other
individuals in your life who are deserving, and the codes do not
represent additional tickets for your use.
Q. WHAT ARE THE DETAILS OF THE EVENT?
The concert is being held at the 1stBank Center 11450 Broomfield
Lane Broomfield, CO 80021. The event is being held on Tuesday, August
7, 2018 at 7:00 MT (that's Mountain Time). Doors will open one hour
prior to the event start time, or at 6:00pm MT. 1stBank Center has
3,000 parking spaces located on its grounds. Parking lots normally
open 2 hours prior to doors. Parking is free at 1stBank Center.
Q. WHAT IF I NEED AN ADA ASSISTANCE?
If you are in a wheelchair, require the use of a walker, or have knee,
leg, feet, heart, breathing, or any other conditions that will not
allow for over exertion and you receive a ticket confirmation and need
details on ADA accessibility, please contact the venue at 303-410-
0700.
Q. WHAT EXACTLY DO I NEED TO BRING TO GET INTO THE SHOW?
You will need to present your ticket and a valid government issued
photo ID prior to entering the Event. Tickets can be presented printed
or digitally. Tickets are non-transferable and must be used by the
individual who receives a confirmation email with his or her name on it.
Q. WHAT CAN'T I BRING INTO THE SHOW VENUE?
Alcohol or illegal drugs. Outside food or drinks. Radios, video games,
laser pointers, or musical instruments. Weapons. Cigarettes, cigars or
chewing tobacco. This venue is a tobacco free environment. Hard case
containers. Pucks, balls, or other missile-like objects. Air horns /
whistles. Animals (except service animals). Chemicals. Fireworks,
smoke bombs, etc. Large backpacks, suitcases, beach bags, equipment
bags, etc. Skateboards, roller blades, roller skates, roller shoes,
ice skates, etc. Unapproved pamphlets, handouts, advertisements, etc.
Camelbaks. LED Flashing / Glow Gloves. Selfie Sticks. Or GoPro Cameras
Q. IS THERE FOOD/DRINK AVAILABLE THEN?
Yes, venue concessions will be open during the Event.
Q. CAN I USE MY PHONE/CAMERA TO TAKE PICTURES/VIDEO DURING THE EVENT?
Yes. Photos are okay. No flash photography. No professional cameras
with detachable or telephoto lenses.
* * *
That's it for now. More details forthcoming as they are released from
Cirque, Enterprise, and/or Sir Rosevelt!
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil }
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Rolling Stone on Sir Rosevelt Event
{Jun.02.2018}
------------------------------------------------------
Zac Brown knows the road. He's been on it for decades. These days,
Brown is sharing the highway and the spotlight with two different
sets of co-pilots, balancing his ongoing run as frontman of Zac Brown
Band with a newer electronic project called Sir Rosevelt.
A collaboration with songwriters Niko Moon and Ben Simonetti, Sir
Rosevelt mixes southern pop and dance music into the same package.
It's a sound built upon experimentation and partnership. There are no
rules. No boundaries. Instead, the three members of Sir Rosevelt
embrace their freedom to experiment whether that means fusing
Brown's musical roots to a foundation of pop hooks and digital
programming, or staging unique shows that reach far beyond the typical
concert-going experience.
On August 7th, Sir Rosevelt will team up with Enterprise Rent-A-Car
and Cirque du Soleil for an out-of-the-box performance at 1stBank
Center in Denver, Colorado. The show marks the pinnacle of the band's
partnership with Enterprise, a company whose creative spirit mirrors
Sir Rosevelt's own vision. Central to that collaboration is a unique
approach to ticketing, wherein fans receive unique codes to share with
their friends. Each code represents a ticket, and each ticket allows
admittance into the gig. The show will mark the first time in history
that a large-scale concert is ticketed solely by a band's audience.
Rolling Stone sat down with Sir Rosevelt to talk about the upcoming
show, the innovative Enterprise Rent-A Car partnership and the band's
future plans.
Q. You've been chasing down a new sound with Sir Rosevelt. What has
that journey been like?
Niko Moon: It was during the making of Jekyll + Hyde that Zac started
experimenting with electronic elements. It opened up a whole new
world. He was coming from a more organic background, and now he had
these new colors to paint with. We began talking about the possibility
of doing something outside Zac Brown Band something that was a lot
more electronic. We met Ben when he engineered Jekyll + Hyde, and we
learned he's a phenomenal programmer, engineer and songwriter. That's
how it all got started.
Zac Brown: We started working together on a different project, coming
up with songs and ideas for Jekyll + Hyde. Once the album was
complete, we realized we didn't want it to stop. We wanted an outlet
for freedom and musical experimentation, where you don't have to make
apologies for the places you're going. We've got a lot of energy and
music to put out into the world. The one project wasn't enough for me.
It's fun to get to do both.
Q. The band touches upon multiple genres. Is there a genre you're
particularly excited to explore, but haven't yet?
Ben Simonetti: I'd like to get even more experimental with some of the
drum sounds and main harmonic instruments. We used a lot of southern
instruments on this one. I'm sure we'll do that moving forward, but
we'd also like to expand the color palette of the synths and the
drums.
Q. What can fans expect as Sir Rosevelt continues to experiment and
expand its sound?
ZB: The goal is to get people moving. Sir Rosevelt's live shows are a
lot different from what I do with Zac Brown Band. They involve live
dancers and some performance-art elements that make them very dance-
oriented. It's a different way of connecting with fans. The world of
Sir Rosevelt is a different terrain, where you can drive the car on
the road, or you can take it off-road completely. You try to bring
people on that journey with you, and that ties into the idea of
working with Enterprise. It's all about connecting with people and
bringing them on a trip.
Q. What drew you to the Enterprise "Share the Code. Hit the Road."
partnership?
ZB: Hospitality is one of the things I've built my business upon.
Enterprise does that, too. We're using both of our brands together to
create these unique experiences for fans. They treat people very well
they're number one in customer service in their field and
together, we can pool our resources and create something different
than what anyone has seen. It's great to have a partner that cares
about fans as much as we do.
Q. How does the concert's fan-driven ticketing strategy reflect that
creative spirit?
ZB: What you're doing is creating a story and an experience. It's
important to experiment these days, because the way people communicate
is always evolving. We're giving codes to 10 fans, and each fan can
give codes to two of their friends, and each of those friends can give
codes to two other friends. It's a groundbreaking approach. I know the
grind of touring I've been doing it for a long time and this is
essentially a pop-up show with one of the greatest theatrical
productions in the world. The fans that get to see it will never
forget it. We want to pick people up. We want to allow them to
literally pick up their friends, too, and bring them to the show.
We're putting the power of ticketing into the fan's hands.
Q. How does Cirque du Soleil fit into the picture? How does their
involvement reflect the experimental spirit of Sir Rosevelt?
ZB: Getting to work with Cirque du Soleil has been a massive,
immersive experience. It makes you feel something. It's something I've
always wanted to do, to have those elements of production available to
us, and work with a cast of people who're open to experimenting and
becoming part of the music itself. With Cirque's help, we can really
impact a person's experience.
Q. Beyond this partnership, what else is on the horizon for Sir
Rosevelt?
ZB: Boutique touring, big festivals, new music and new albums. We're
making music that'll take us all around the world.
{ SOURCE: Rolling Stone }
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TORUK Performance Disrupted After Performer
"Hit in the Face"
{Jun.02.2018}
------------------------------------------------------
A Cirque du Soleil performance on Thursday night (May 31) was
disrupted mid-way after a performer was accidentally hit by a
colleague. According to posts on social media, the show Toruk The
First Flight was stopped for about 10 minutes in the middle of the
second act.
"Music stopped. Announcement made and performers exited orderly and
quietly. No reason given so far," said Facebook user Lau Joon-Nie on
Thursday. She later added in a comment on her post that the stoppage
was done "so seamlessly" that she almost thought it was part of the
show. About 10 minutes later, the show resumed, with an understudy
taking over from a performer who had been "hit in the face", said Ms
Lau in an updated post. "The swop wasn't apparent," she added.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, a spokesman for Toruk
said on Friday that a performer had been accidentally hit by another
performer during a choreographed battle scene. "As a precautionary
measure and in accordance with our emergency response protocols, we
stopped the show to allow the emergency intervention team of Toruk
The First Flight to safely attend to our artist, who was immediately
taken in good care by the tour medical team," the spokesman added.
The performer will continue to be monitored by medical and coaching
teams to determine when he can return to his activities, said the
spokesman.
{ SOURCE: Singapore Straits Times }
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Cirque is Studying Audience Members' Brain Waves?
{Jun.03.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil is synonymous with big, jaw-dropping stunts performed
at insane heights and mesmerizing shows. But at the O Theater in Las
Vegas, the theater company is doing something that it has never done
before studying "your brain on Cirque." The company asked a team of
scientists to attach electrodes to audience members' heads and monitor
their brain waves as they watch the performances.
WATCH THE 7 MINUTE PIECE AS AIRED ON NIGHTLINE:
LINK /// < https://abcn.ws/2H9DY7E >
"We're going to be looking at how the different parts of the brain
change in their response and also the connections between those
areas," neuroscientist Beau Lotto said. "It could help Cirque du
Soleil create new shows. ... So, we can see which performances create
awe more likely than others."
The goal is to find out how the brain reacts to the show's most
extreme stunts.
"We have to constantly challenge ourselves and what we think this
information will do is give us the foundation to continue to test and
evolve," said Kristina Henry, Cirque du Soleil's chief marketing and
experience officer.
In a world of entertainment increasingly defined by showmanship, the
bar on what's humanly possible is constantly being pushed and Cirque
du Soleil is hoping to better understand what audiences crave.
"Audiences are changing. We can do so much more than we could when we
started over 30 years ago," said Diane Quinn, Cirque du Soleil's chief
creative officer. "If we had that oh my God' moment then we know that
our audience by and large is also going to come on that journey with
us."
But the challenge is how far to push the limits, when one mistake can
mean the difference between life and death.
"It's a constant period of refinement and iteration," Quinn said. "The
most important thing that we do is the health and the safety and the
welfare of everybody. ... But if there is something that needs to be
refined, of course, we take that into consideration."
And while mistakes do happen, the idea behind the company's massive
performances is to defy death while trying to minimize the risk.
"If you look very carefully at some of the acts, you can see the
safety lines," Quinn said. "What we do is play with the lights, play
with the emotions through the music, play with the setting and the
costumes, of course, and if we keep layering and layering and layering
in a particular act, everybody will be surprised and we can still keep
everybody safe."
All of those layers eventually formulate into a show, and "Nightline"
got an exclusive look inside a creation meeting at Cirque's
international headquarters in Montreal, where the team was developing
the next big performance.
"Our process is two, three years long," said Michel Laprise, the
writer and director of "Kurios" by Cirque du Soleil. "So at the
beginning you have to find a subject, something you want to talk
about, that's so exciting that it will nurture the team."
The creation team puts together a script for performers that is then
tested and rehearsed.
"[It] takes time," Quinn said. "We're training acrobats. We're
teaching people new numbers. We're trying out clown acts that have
never been done before."
At Cirque du Soleil's headquarters hosts practice arenas on site for
performers to train and practice for their shows. The high-wire
performances that are conceived are performed all over the world,
including "La Nouba," a show once based in Disney Springs for Disney,
the parent company of ABC News.
"We often start with something called an acrobatic skeleton,'" Quinn
said. "So we would define, let's say, 10 or 12 or 13 acts, and say,
OK, how does our concept work into that? How do we, how do we weave
the story around some of those amazing acts.'"
From the sets to the costumes, including engineering the fabrics to
embroidering intricate designs, everything for Cirque du Soleil is
handmade and no detail is overlooked.
James Lavoie, one of Cirque's costume designers, said the performers'
outfits need to be visually stunning but also functional.
"You have to make something beautiful that really works in tandem with
an artist's body and with their performance," he said. "It's not just
about creating something beautiful but it's about that kind of
marriage between the artist and their costume."
Performers include acrobats, aerialists and trampoline experts.
Bernard Petiot, Cirque's vice president of casting and performance,
said there are a variety of factors that go into choosing new
performers to join its shows, but it requires a "certain degree of
proven ability" to perform.
"We're looking for someone with maybe five, six, seven, 10 years of
performance," Petiot said. "Obviously, we're looking for someone who
has already reached a level of excellence."
{ SOURCE: ABC News, Nightline }
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Guy Laliberte is Getting into the Pot Business?
{Jun.07.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberte is getting into the cannabis
business.
Laliberte's Groupe Lune Rouge has announced the purchase of 12.85 per
cent of Ontario firm 48North Cannabis.
Lune Rouge says in a statement it has assessed the market and believes
there is growth potential in the medical cannabis sector.
48North was known as Kramer Capital until this week.
The 12.85 per cent stake represents 10 million shares, and Lune Rouge
also has warrants to acquire an additional 9,550,909 shares that would
boost its interest to 22.4 per cent.
Laliberte founded Lune Rouge in 2015 with the aim of promoting
innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.
The company develops projects and invests in funds with a focus on
technology, arts, entertainment and real estate.
{ SOURCE: National Post }
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Cirque Performs for G7 leaders during Charlevoix summit
{Jun.07.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
World-renowned entertainment troupe Cirque du Soleil will be
providing G7 leaders with some diversion Friday night during their
annual summit, which is being hosted this year in Quebecs Charlevoix
region.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the other leaders, along with their
spouses, will gather around a campfire to watch the show outside the
Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu hotel, where the dignitaries are staying
for the two-day meeting.
Although Cirque du Soleil has become an international sensation, the
G7 leaders will actually be dazzled by local talent, as the international
theatre company comes from the Charlevoix region.
Two street performers began the circus in the arts haven of Baie-Saint-
Paul, Que., about 45 kilometres south of La Malbaie, where the 44th G7
summit is being held.
Also performing Friday as part of the summits cultural program is Kerson
Leong, an internationally recognized solo violinist. Originally from
Ottawa, Leong is currently an artist in residence at the Queen Elisabeth
Music Chapel in Belgium.
Trudeau, U.S. President Donald Trump and other G7 leaders will be
serenaded by a cappella band, QW4RTZ, whose style mixes the musical genres
of pop and classical with a humorous twist.
Finally, chorister Genevieve Jodoin will sing for the leaders and their
spouses. She is known in Quebec for her performances over seven years on
the television show, Belle et Bum.
A mother of three, Jodoin also co-owns an auberge and bistro in Charlevoix
that also acts as a concert hall.
Fridays concert is scheduled to take place between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on
the terrace outside the hotel, which overlooks the St. Lawrence River.
The G7 is composed of Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany,
the United States and Japan. A representative of the European Union is
also invited to the summit, as are other dignitaries from around the
world.
{ SOURCE: Yahoo News }
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Enjoy an Epic Behind-The-Scenes Experience with KÀ 360
{Jun.08.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
Hailed as one of the most epic shows on The Las Vegas Strip, KÀ is
ushering in the summer season with a updated times for its highly popular
open house, dubbed KÀ 360. Designed to bring wonder and delight to fans
in a whole new way, the complimentary open house will take place every
Saturday and Tuesday at 12 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. beginning June 9, 2018.
As part of the experience, guests will enjoy a rare demonstration inside
the theatre at MGM Grand, where they will get an inside look at the
impressive work, inspiration and state-of-the-art technology used in this
stunning $165 million production.
Open House Schedule:
Starting Saturday, June 9, the open house will be available every Tuesday
and Saturday at 12 p.m. and 12:30 p.m.
All open house days and times are complimentary. All ages are welcome.
Please note that the open house is subject to cancellation. To confirm
that days activity, please call the box office.
{ SOURCE: BroadwayWorld }
***************************************************************
Q&A -- Quick Chats & Press Interviews
***************************************************************
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ICYMI: All in a Day's Massage Work at Cirque du Soleil
{May.04.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
At Cirque du Soleil, Acrobats, Contortionists, and Clowns are all in a
day's massage work. Their feats of strength, flexibility and
athleticism seem to defy the boundaries of what the human body can do.
Not surprisingly, the level of their performances translates into a
need for massage therapy. MASSAGE Magazine spoke with massage
therapist Chris Melmoth, LMT, BCTMB, NREMT, who is employed at Cirque
du Soleil in Las Vegas, Nevada, who shares what it's like to work on
these incredible athletes and artists.
Q. Chris, can you tell us about your massage background?
In 2003, I graduated from the Shiatsu Massage School of California as
a Shiatsu-Anma specialist and instructor. I moved to Las Vegas shortly
after. During my first five years in Vegas, I worked various day and
resort spa jobs. In 2005, I began teaching massage therapy and CPR. In
2008, I became the department chair for the massage therapy program at
the former Las Vegas College and began working for Cirque du Soleil.
In 2010, I left the school to focus my energy primarily on Cirque.
Today, I continue to spend most of my time working for Cirque du
Soleil, but also have my own massage clinic set up inside a local
gymnastics school where I offer a variety of private bodywork sessions
and classes, and teach my own specialized form of shiatsu therapy
called Chi Bodywork. I also am a nationally certified EMT, and provide
CPR training to other health care professionals.
Q. How did you get involved with Cirque?
I had been enamored by Cirque du Soleil ever since I saw Alegría in
Santa Monica, California in 1994. As a massage therapist just starting
out, I moved to Las Vegas specifically to work with various types of
performing artists, but after seeing the shows Kà and Delirium, I knew
that I absolutely had to work for this company. A couple of years
after moving to Las Vegas, one of Cirque's artistic directors was
referred to me for massage therapy. After working on her a few times,
she asked me if I wanted to "audition" for the new Criss Angel Believe
show they were opening. Of course I did, and was hired to work on at
that show twice a week. Soon after, I was put on the schedule for Kà,
Zumanity, and Mystère as well. Over the years, I've also worked on the
shows O, The Beatles Love, Viva Elvis, Michael Jackson: One and
Zarkana.
Q. What is it like working with Cirque?
The Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas are called the resident shows,
as opposed to the touring shows that travel around the world. There
currently are seven resident shows in Las Vegas. At one point or
another, I have been on the permanent schedule for all of them. For
the past 10 years, I've worked an average of five nights [for] 20
hours per week. Each show has a treatment cliniccalled Performance
Medicine, or P-Medset up back stage. Each show's P-Med is run by two
or three athletic trainers, also called athletic therapists, and each
employs one to three massage therapists, pilates instructors and
personal trainers. Usually, there are three hi-lo treatment tables set
up in the clinic, one for use by the massage therapist. Most of the
shows have around 80 performers who perform 10 shows per week (two
shows per night). Each artist is offered two 20-minute massage
treatments per week. When I get to work each day, depending on the
length of the shift, I have a list of between seven to 15 artists
scheduled to see me. I begin working a few hours before the first show
starts and continue working up until the beginning of the second show.
My clientele at Cirque includes acrobats, aerialists, martial artists,
baton twirlers, jugglers, hula-hoopers, straps and silks artists,
tramp and teeterboard artists, dancers and musicians, high-divers,
synchronized swimmers, contortionists, trapeze artists, magicians,
comedic actors ... the list goes on and on.
Q. What else do you do?
I also coordinate the massage therapy team for the annual Run Away
with Cirque du Soleil event, which is a charity 5K fun-run that takes
place at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve. There's live Cirque
entertainment, circus apparatuses for kids to experience, arts and
crafts, and many of the artists are present there in costume to take
pictures with the participants.] I usually bring six to 10 massage
therapists that provide post-event sports massage therapy to the
runners. All proceeds support the Springs Preserve and Cirque du
Soleil foundations. Because of my affiliation with various massage
schools in the area, I occasionally train student massage therapists
to do the type of work I do at Cirque. I bring groups of students back
stage to work on the artists and staff. We call these events "massage-
a-thons." We set up 10 to 20 treatment tables in the show's training
room and provide 20-minute sessions to all employees. The students are
carefully monitored by myself, other instructors, and by the P-Med
staff. I do this about once a year, or whenever I can find massage
schools that are interested. It's a rare educational opportunity for
the students to work on such unique physiques, the artists always have
a fun time, and management loves it because everybody gets taken care
of. After the event, the students are usually given seats to see the
show. I truly enjoy working for Cirque. The best parts are the
positive working environment, the ability to truly use my soft tissue
skills, and that there is always something new to learn from
colleagues that I work with regularly.
Q. What are some of the most common issues you treat?
I can get anything from "I slept wrong last night" to "I fell in the
net wrong last night." The simple fact that they do 10 shows per week,
all at optimal performance levels, combined with demanding daily
trainings, ends up keeping them on my table and keeping me very busy.
But I'd say about half of the work I do is related to chronic tension
patterns relative to the job that the artists do every night. So, same
low-back or neck pain complaints that other massage therapists get,
but mine are from hanging upside down in a harness all week, swinging
from the right arm every night, or continually extending the back into
unnatural positions. The other half of my work is related to
rehabilitation from an injury or surgery. I work in collaboration with
the athletic trainers to determine the correct treatment approach for
an artist needing rehab services.
Q. What are your most commonly used techniques?
I deal with a wide variety of issues occurring in all areas of the
body, so it helps to be familiar with the unique body types we have in
the circus, as well as with what each artist does in the show in order
to treat [them] properly. I try to see each show regularly just to
stay aware of the extremely high caliber of athleticism I am dealing
with. My assessment and soft tissue skills must be on point. I have to
be able to very quickly assess each situation and plan the treatment.
The main techniques I use are a combination of myofascial and
neuromuscular approaches, with active, passive and positional release
techniques, and I regularly incorporate isometric contractions into
each session. I also add in cupping massage and instrument-assisted
soft tissue manipulation, whenever appropriate.
Q. Why is it important for Cirque to offer massage therapy to its
artists?
Most of the artists are career athletes that must be in top physical
and mental condition in order to do their jobs. Massage therapy has
proven to be an integral part of their weekly maintenance. Massage
therapists at Cirque not only provide all of the soothing, stimulating
and relaxing massage that everybody loves, but they also provide much
of the clinical soft tissue work that is a standard part of
biomechanical rehabilitation. In essence, massage therapy isn't just a
luxury for them; it's a necessity.
Q. How has working with Cirque artists impacted your own massage
abilities?
Working for Cirque has taught me to establish fast and accurate
assessments and effective techniques. Since I usually have only 20
minutes with each artist, I need toquickly assess the indications and
contraindications, any relevance of referring out, and the most
effective and efficient treatment approach. It has given me a wider
understanding of kinesiology, anatomy and physiology, and the ability
to communicate with other healthcare professionals effectively. I have
learned many facets of sports medicine, such as how to assess and
treat common sports injuries and basic athletic taping. I have also
learned different aspects of injury and surgery rehabilitation and
when the use of electric modalities, such as electric stimulation and
ultrasound, are appropriate. Also, since our artists come from all
over the world, there sometimes is a language barrier that can make
communication difficult. So, I have had to get creative with my
nonverbal skills. For example, one of the most common manual
techniques that I use is active movement combined with compressionbut
without being able to communicate the active movement that I need them
to do, I have been forced to discover passive and positional movements
that are just as effective.
Q. What advice would you give massage therapists who may be interested
in working for Cirque?
You must enjoy working between the hours of 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. You need
to be able to perform deep tissue sports massage therapy for three to
four hours straight on sometimes very large, muscular athletes. It
helps to have a sufficient understanding of kinesiology, anatomy and
physiology, and to be able to communicate with other health care
professionals effectively. I recommend perfecting your assessment and
soft tissue skills and getting proficient in myofascial and
neuromuscular work and active, passive and positional release
techniques, and being able to incorporate isometric contractions into
your sessions. I know its taboo these days to use the word "fix" in
massage therapy, but the reality is that if you aren't able to "fix"
them, they are not going to keep signing up with you, so it's
important to be able to focus intently on the artist in front of you
and give your all.
{ SOURCE: Massage Magazine }
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Kevin Lapierre: A New Life On Ice
{May.08.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
The road to blade life satisfaction can take many turns, one of which
has our friend Kevin Lapierre touring across North America and soon
the world in support of the opportunity he found to perform stunts
on ice for Cirque Du Soleils ice skating and gymnastics showcase,
"Crystal." Trading in his Rollerblade Solos for a pair of Bauer ice
hockey skates, Kevin now performs in several scenes each night and is
the main acrobatic performer in the show's more theatrical maneuvers.
To get the full experience you'll need to see it for yourself, but
read on to hear Kevin talk about life on the road with a well-funded
and well-stocked circus, and how he's managed to turn his blade life
skills into a career.
Q. Hey Kevin, so you got a new gig How did you get teamed up with the
Cirque team?
Sure, man! So... yeah, last January I got a call from Cirque du Soleil
saying that they wanted to do their first ice show. They'd seen my
"ice blading video" and thought I could test out some ideas they had
to make sure they would work.
Q. Do you like, "qualify" for Cirque and they assign you to a show, or
do you try out for a particular show?
Yeah, they knew my name from rollerblading, and they had seen the ice
skate video... so they kind of assigned me to my show after all the try
outs we did.
Q. What did you think when they said "Great, but you'll be on ice
skates?"
I was super down! Because it was something different but close to what
I used to do.
Q. We've seen you grind rails on your custom ice blades but do you
have a lot of experience on ice?
Not really, but I'm from a hockey family my dad and my brother are
great players, and mom likes hockey a lot so I think I kind of have
something built-in for it because I had all the basics covered.
Q. So what's it like being part of an internationally recognized
performance troupe that travels and performs every night?
Pretty crazy man! There are so many things going on at once, but yeah,
it's such a great company, and they take care of you very well so it's
a really good way to spend my time.
Q. Best thing about Cirque?
The catering.
Q. Hardest thing to adjust to?
The schedule.
Q. How about comparing the life of a professional Cirque skater to the
life of a *pro* blader?
It's so different. I'm from a solo sport where you never really have a
coach or insurance or any of the stuff that I have right now with
Cirque. So I can say that I'm grateful that I'm from a rollerblading
background because I appreciate everything more now because it's
something I never had.
Q. What was the training and practice like to get ready for the show?
The workshop and the creation of the show was really intense but very
fun at the same time! Long working hours, but we knew that it was
gonna be a great story to tell and show to the audience.
Q. How many scenes are you in? So how many times do you change
costume?
In a couple and I have four costumes that I go through each
performance.
Q. What's the hardest thing you have to do every show?
I would say just being aware of all the stuff I'm supposed to do to
help other acrobats after my act. So the support stuff.
Q. Have you ever goofed during a show? What happens?
Yeah, it's happened you just get up and continue your line. Like we
use to do in the rollerblading world, hehe.
Q. Do you ever get to blade during your travels? Has all this time on
ice and weird custom ramps helped your blading at all?
It's rare that I have time to rollerblade, but yes, I have some new
muscles that I was not used to working with before.
Q. When this show is done would you consider another Cirque show where
you skated but not on ice skates?
I really don't know! I try to go day by day.
Q. How many other bladers are part of the Crystal show?
We have another great rollerblader from France in my show.
Q. Any advice for anyone that wants to break into that world?
I would say just continue having fun in what you like to do the most,
and if Cirque sees you it's because what you're doing has potential to
mix with the circus world. So you never know!
{ SOURCE: ONE Rollerblading Magazine }
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
{Amaluna, Koozå, Kurios, Luzia, Totem & Volta}
o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues
{TORUK, OVO, Séptimo Día, Crystal & Corteo}
o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre
{Mystère, "O", Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, MJ ONE & JOYA}
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
------------------------------------
Alegria-25th Anniversary:
Montreal, QC -- Apr 18, 2019 to Jul 21, 2019
Gatineau, QC -- Jul 31, 2019 to Sep 1, 2019
Toronto, ON -- Sep 12, 2019 to Dec 1, 2019
Amaluna:
Santiago, CL -- May 31, 2018 to Jul 1, 2018
Lima, PE -- Jul 22, 2018 to Aug 12, 2018
Quito, EC -- Sep 6, 2018 to Sep 23, 2018
Bogota, CO -- Oct 26, 2018 to Dec 16, 2018
Buenos Aires, AR -- TBA
Koozå:
Hong Kong, CN -- Apr 19, 2018 to Jun 3, 2018
Changsha, CN -- Jun 29, 2018 Aug 19, 2018
Kurios:
Tokyo, JP -- Feb 7, 2018 to Jul 8, 2018
Osaka, JP -- Jul 26, 2018 to Oct 29, 2018
Nagoya, JP -- Nov 22, 2018 to Jan 27, 2019
Fukuoka, JP -- Feb 15, 2018 to Mar 31, 2018
Sendai, JP -- April 2019
Luzia:
Washington, DC -- Apr 12, 2018 to Jun 17, 2018
Boston, MA -- Jun 27, 2018 to Aug 12, 2018
Guadalajara, MX -- Aug 30, 2018 to Sep 16, 2018
Monterrey, MX -- Oct 4, 2018 to Oct 21, 2018
Mexico City, MX -- Nov 8, 2018 to Dec 23, 2018
Totem:
Malaga, ES -- Jun 1, 2018 to Jul 1, 2018
Alicante, ES -- Jul 20, 2018 to Aug 19, 2018
Zurich, CH -- Sep 5, 2018 to Oct 14, 2018
Paris, FR -- Oct 25, 2018 to Dec 2, 2018
London, UK -- Jan 12, 2019 to Feb 9, 2019
Vienna, AT -- Mar 9, 2019 to Apr 7, 2019
VOLTA:
Uniondale, NY -- May 17, 2018 to Jul 1, 2018
Oaks, PA -- Jul 12, 2018 to Aug 5, 2018
Seattle, WA -- Sep 14, 2018 to Nov 4, 2018
San Francisco, CA -- Nov 15, 2018 to Jan 6, 2019
San Jose, CA -- Feb 13, 2019 to Mar 17, 2019
------------------------------------
ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues
------------------------------------
TORUK - The First Flight:
Singapore -- May 24, 2018 to Jun 3, 2018
Bangkok, TH -- Jun 14, 2018 to Jun 24, 2018
Beijing, CN -- Aug 1, 2018 to Aug 12, 2018
Shanghai, CN -- Aug 16, 2018 to Aug 26, 2018
Rotterdam, NL -- Oct 11, 2018 to Oct 14, 2018
Oberhausen, DE -- Oct 17, 2018 to Oct 21, 2018
Cologne, DE -- Oct 25, 2018 to Oct 28, 2018
Hamburg, DE -- Oct 31, 2018 to Nov 4, 2018
Berlin, DE -- Nov 7, 2018 to Nov 11, 2018
Turin, IT -- Nov 15, 2018 to Nov 18, 2018
Bologna, IT -- Nov 22, 2018 to Nov 25, 2018
Frankfurt, DE -- Nov 30, 2018
Zagreb, HR -- Dec 7, 2018 to Dec 9, 2018
Barcelona, ES -- Jan 18, 2018 to Jan 27, 2018
Madrid, ES -- Jan 30, 2018 to Feb 3, 2018
Pamplona, ES -- Feb 6, 2019 to Feb 10, 2019
Milan, IT -- Feb 14, 2019 to Feb 19, 2019
Antwerp, BE -- Mar 14, 2019 to Mar 17, 2019
Vilnius, LT -- May 22, 2019 to May 26, 2019
Munich, DE -- Jun 5, 2019 to Jun 9, 2019
OVO:
Tolyatti, RU -- May 30, 2018 to Jun 3, 2018
Ekaterinburg, RU -- Jun 6, 2018 to Jun 10, 2018
Sochi, RU -- Jul 12, 2018 to Jul 29, 2018
Liverpool, UK -- Aug 16, 2018 to Aug 19, 2018
Sheffield, UK -- Aug 22, 2018 to Aug 26, 2018
Newcastle, UK -- Aug 29, 2018 to Sep 2, 2018
Glasgow, UK -- Sep 5, 2018 to Sep 9, 2018
Nottingham, UK -- Sep 12, 2018 to Sep 16, 2018
Leeds, UK -- Sep 19, 2018 to Sep 23, 2018
Manchester, UK -- Sep 26, 2018 to Sep 30, 2018
Birmingham, UK -- Oct 3, 2018 to Oct 7, 2018
Dublin, IE -- Oct 10, 2018 to Oct 14, 2018
Belfast, IE -- Oct 17, 2018 to Oct 21, 2018
Lille, FR -- Nov 8, 2018 to Nov 11, 2018
Bordeaux, FR -- Nov 14, 2018 to Nov 18, 2018
Toulouse, FR -- Nov 21, 2018 to Nov 25, 2018
Montpellier, FR -- Nov 28, 2018 to Dec 2, 2018
Strasbourg, FR -- Dec 5, 2018 to Dec 9, 2018
Nantes, FR -- Dec 12, 2018 to Dec 16, 2018
A Coruna, ES -- Dec 21, 2018 to Dec 30, 2018
Murica, ES -- Jan 16, 2019 to Jan 20, 2019
SÉPTIMO DÍA - NO DESCANSARÉ:
Inglewood, CA (Los Angeles) -- May 3, 2018 to May 6, 2018
Asuncion, PY -- Jun 20, 2018 to Jun 23, 2018
CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE:
London, ON -- Jun 14, 2018 to Jun 17, 2018
Hamilton, ON -- Jun 20, 2018 to Jun 24, 2018
Youngstown, OH -- Jun 27, 2018 to Jul 1, 2018
Baltimore, MD -- Jul 5, 2018 to Jul 8, 2018
Estero, FL -- Jul 12, 2018 to Jul 15, 2018
Sunrise, FL -- Jul 18, 2018 to Jul 29, 2018
Orlando, FL -- Aug 1, 2018 to Aug 5, 2018
Greenville, SC -- Aug 8, 2018 to Aug 12, 2018
Raleigh, NC -- Aug 15, 2018 to Aug 19, 2018
Greensboro, NC -- Aug 22, 2018 to Aug 26, 2018
Hershey, PA -- Aug 29, 2018 to Sep 2, 2018
Sioux Falls, SD -- Sep 20, 2018 to Sep 23, 2018
Grand Forks, ND -- Sep 26, 2018 to Sep 30, 2018
Winnipeg, MB -- Oct 3, 2018 to Oct 7, 2018
Green Bay, WI -- Oct 11, 2018 to Oct 14, 2018
Des Moines, IA -- Oct 17, 2018 to Oct 21, 2018
Wichita, KS -- Oct 24, 2018 to Oct 28, 2018
Oklahoma City, OK -- Oct 31, 2018 to Nov 4, 2018
Tulsa, OK -- Nov 7, 2018 to Nov 11, 2018
Norfolk, VA -- Nov 29, 2018 to Dec 2, 2018
Cincinnati, OH -- Dec 27, 2018 to Dec 30, 2018
CORTEO:
Loveland, CO -- May 31, 2018 to Jun 3, 2018
Oshawn, ON -- Jun 21, 2018 to Jun 24, 2018
Ottawa, ON -- Jun 27, 2018 to Jul 1, 2018
Kingston, ON -- Jul 4, 2018 to Jul 8, 2018
Saint Catharines, ON -- Jul 11, 2018 to Jul 15, 2018
Bridgeport, CT -- Jul 18, 2018 to Jul 22, 2018
Nashville, TN -- Jul 26, 2018 to Jul 29, 2018
Jacksonville, FL -- Aug 1, 2018 to Aug 5, 2018
Charlotte, NC -- Aug 8, 2018 to Aug 12, 2018
Louisville, KY -- Aug 15, 2018 to Aug 19, 2018
Indianapolis, IN -- Aug 22, 2018 to Aug 26, 2018
Duluth, GA -- Aug 29, 2018 to Sep 2, 2018
Fresno, CA -- Sep 20, 2018 to Sep 23, 2018
West Valley City, UT -- Sep 27, 2018 to Sep 30, 2018
Victoria, BC -- Oct 4, 2018 to Oct 7, 2018
Vancouver, BC -- Oct 10, 2018 to Oct 14, 2018
Kelowna, BC -- Oct 17, 2018 to Oct 21, 2018
Kamloops, BC -- Oct 24, 2018 to Oct 28, 2018
Lethbridge, AB -- Oct 31, 2018 to Nov 4, 2018
Minneapolis, MN -- Nov 8, 2018 to Nov 11, 2018
Cleveland, OH -- Nov 15, 2018 to Nov 18, 2018
Quebec City, QC -- Dec 6, 2018 to Dec 9, 2018
Toronto, ON -- Dec 12, 2018 to Dec 16, 2018
Montreal, QC -- Dec 19, 2018 to Dec 30, 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
Extra Performance Dates:
o Mon, Dec 31, 2018 | 4:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Single Show Dates (7:00pm Only):
o Sunday, May 20, 2018
o Thursday, May 24, 2018
o Monday, Nov. 26, 2018
o Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018
2018 Dark Dates:
o Wednesday, Apr 11, 2018
o June 2 - June 6, 2018
o Saturday, Sep 29, 2018
o October 27 - 31, 2018
"O":
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 9:30pm
Special Performance Dates:
o Tue, Jul 17 - 7:00pm & 9:30pm
o Tue, Oct 09 - 7:00pm & 9:30pm
o Tue, Dec 11 - 9:30pm only
o Mon, Dec 31 - 4:00pm & 6:30pm
2018 Dark Dates:
o June 2 & 3
o August 6 - 14
o September 16
o November 26 - December 11
o December 27
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
LOVE:
Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2018 Dark Dates:
o August 14 18
o September 15
o October 20
o December 4 8, 11 15
MICHAEL JACKSON ONE:
Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Thursday through Monday - Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2018 Dark Dates:
o August 20 28
o October 22 -25
o November 5 - 7
o December 11 - 13
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)
=======================================================================
OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS
=======================================================================
o) WEBSERIES -- Official Online Featurettes
o) VIDEOS -- Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds
---------------------------------------------------
WEBSERIES: Official Online Featurettes
---------------------------------------------------
*) CIRQUE IT OUT
Hosted by Gold & Silver Medalist 2016 Olympics - Artistic Gymnastics,
Winner of 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 23, NY Times Best Seller
- Laurie Hernandez. Tune in and follow along with us every week as
we go through different workouts with Cirque du Soleil athletes and
their coaches.
o) EPISODE 7 - Pilates Exercises with Laurie Hernandez {May.09}
In Episode #7 of our Fitness Series, CIRQUE IT OUT, we have a
very special guest, Olympian Gold Medalist, Laurie Hernandez,
who will be led by The Beatles LOVE Artist and Pilates
Instructor, Sara Knaur in a Pilates workout with the use of a
Reformer, a Resistance Strap, and with no equipment.
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/neqNaFPQWC0 >
o) EPISODE 8 - Flexible Dislocation Artist Workout {May.16}
In Episode #8, come get flexible with, Araz Hamzayev, our
dislocation artist from Zumanity and Bre Dudzik, Cirque du
Soleil Performance Conditioning Specialist, in this new
episode of #CirqueItOut.
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/3K1ceuROxo0 >
o) EPISODE 9 - Synchronized Swimmer Training and Exercises {May.23}
In Episode #9, discover Michelle Theriault's fitness routine.
She is our synchronized swimmer from "O" and we will follow
her workout led by Leland Barker, Cirque du Soleil Performance
Conditioning Specialist.
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/9y_4xAJEjKQ >
o) EPISODE 10 - Routine with KÀ Acrobat & Capoeira Artist {May.30}
In Episode #10, discover Vitor Silva dos Santos' fitness
routine. He is our acrobat and capoeira artist from KÀ and
we will follow his full body workout led by Mat Miller,
Cirque du Soleil Performance Conditioning Specialist.
*) ASK CIRQUE!
ASK CIRQUE! is a BRAND NEW SERIES that will take fans backstage
and behind the scenes of all Cirque du Soleil Shows. However,
this series is different from all of Cirque's other behind the
scenes videos - because YOU, the audience, rule the show! What
questions have you always wanted answered? Now is your chance!
Comment on any social media platform and tag #AskCirque. What
are you waiting for? Join the hosts Fabienne Daigle and Carla
Sifoni (CDS Content and Social Media advisors)... they are
ready to answer!
o) EPISODE 10 {May.21} (Season Finale!)
1) Mei Mei Bouchard Amaluna Artist
2) Loukas Jones VOLTA artist
3) Michel Laprise Art Director
4) Mary Siegal CRYSTAL Artist
5) Erin Cervantes - Corteo Artist
6) Rick Tjia Talent Scout
7) Aaron Jelske - KOOZA Artist
8) Trey Forsyth Cirque du Soleil at Sea Artist
9) Aleksei Goloborodko LUZIA Artist
10) Clément Chaboche JOYA Artist
11) Yukako Yokoyama Sep7imo Dia Artist
12) Samuel Roy Talent Scout
13) Nico Busso Sep7imo Dia Artist
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/IqgAdU1L4fA >
o) SPECIAL {May.28}
In the SPECIAL EDITION of 'ASK CIRQUE!', artists, cast
and crew from the fan-favorite show Alegría will be
answering your questions! Ask away and you just may be
featured in the video!
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/W5f6U8KB0Tg >
*) MUSIC VIDEO w/LYRICS
o) Amaluna - "Run" {May.15}
Run
Facing the time
Running for my life
Waiting for the end
And I'm
Waiting for someone
To run along my side
Wasting no more time
Run
Turning time around
Waiting all my life
To feel alive again
Bridge
oh...
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/WdnAfnss4pk >
o) Kurios - "You Must Be Joking" {May.22}
Every cloud has a silver lining
You check this!
I've got, I've got tears of joy,
cloud has a silver lining,
You must be joking,
Inside out, Inside out,
You must be joking,
It's music to my ears,
A fool's paradise,
Every cloud has a silver lining,
You check this!
I've got, I've got tears of joy,
cloud has a silver lining,
You must be joking,
You check this!
You must be joking,
It's a Fool's Paradise,
It's music to my ears,
It's music to my ears,
You check this! You check this!
You must be joking,
Over the moon,
Itchy feet, Itchy feet,
Over the moon, Itchy feet,
You must be joking,
A Fool's Paradise,
I'm walking in the air,
It's music to my ears,
It's music to my ears,
I'm walking in the air,
I'm walking in the air,
You must be joking,
You check this!
Every cloud has a silver lining,
It's music to my ears,
A Fool's Paradise.
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/Go8xt2eb1Uo >
o) OVO - "Flea Girls" {May.29}
Irarêohi
É o que vou cantar
É o que vai fazer
Eu flutuar
Nem sei pra onde devo ir
Ou o que é que eu vou achar
Mas não vou parar
Iraiêohi
A vida é uma só
Quero me ver sorrir
E flutuar
Iraêohoôhi
É o que vai me levar
Diz que eu fui mas vou voltar
Ver o sol
Nadar por todo o mar
E vou provar tudo que há
Pra se viver
E depois voltar
Só pra te ver
Pra te contar
Te ver sorrir
Vamos voar
Voir le soleil
Et traverser les mers
Partir pour tout voir, tout vivre, m'épanouir
Et m'en revenir
Pour te revoir
Te raconter
Et t'embrasser
Vamos voar
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/V-NbFjXj9V4 >
---------------------------------------------------
VIDEOS: Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds
---------------------------------------------------
*) CIRQUECAST is BACK for SEASON TWO!
o) SEASON 2 EPISODE 3 - CirqueCast at Crystal!
May 9, 2018
On this episode of CirqueCast, we explore the world of
Crystal, Cirque du Soleil's newest arena production, which
is performed entirely on ice. Watch to learn more about the
show from Crystal's publicist, Julie Desmairas, and don't
miss our exclusive interview with Crystal acrobat Emma
Stones.
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/TpJSh8cEWrE >
*) OTHER VIDEOS
o) Watch How 5 Gymnasts Became Cirque Artists! {May.10}
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/pr3Ra73eKcE >
o) The World Of... LOVE {May.11}
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/mz-mSxXAvXw >
o) Global Commitment at Cirque du Soleil {May.14}
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/2cOfJnAaSok >
o) All About Cirque du Soleil on YouTube {Jun.04}
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/rCCDWycpkFg >
o) 1 Hour Non-Stop of "Querer" from Alegria {Jun.05}
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/OsXE53BwinQ >
o) The Creative Process of Cirque du Soleil at Sea
LINK /// < https://www.facebook.com/45degreescirquedusoleil/
videos/1546065005516812/ >
o) VOLTA's Performance on NBC's TODAY Show
LINK /// < https://t.co/MCoqBF7ROk >
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
o) "CRYSTAL: Colder Than You Might Like"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
o) "Drumming for Cirque du Soleil (feat. Kit Chatham)"
A Special Reprint from Isaac Cavallaro.com
o) "We're Off and Running - A Series of Classic Critiques"
Part 14 of 16: Varekai, Part 1 (2002)
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
------------------------------------------------------------
"CRYSTAL: Colder Than You Might Like
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
------------------------------------------------------------
What is so special about Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, British
Columbia that they get all the Cirque du Soleil shows both Grand
Chapiteau and Arena? When a city just as cool and metropolitan and
Cirque-friendly, Seattle, Washington, just 150 miles north (or south),
hasn't seen an Arena show since Delirium? Is it the water?
We have heard that Cirque promises arena promoters that no big top
show will appear in a market within six months of an arena show
(though we're not sure if that means six months on either side of an
appearance for a year total, or three months on either side for six
months total). And we know that Cirque comes back around every two
years or so to its custom-built asphalt pad in Redmond's Marymoor
Park. But, still, there should be time slots available, one might
think, for Cirque to put in an appearance at one of our area's several
accommodating arenas.
The seeming embargo on Seattle-area arena shows means that when a
Cirque arena show makes its way to the Pacific Northwest, it will
usually go to Portland and skip Seattle for Vancouver or Victoria, BC
(sometimes the other way around). And so it was for the first Cirque
ice show, Crystal. Meaning that, once again, we needed to shlep down
to Portland to the MODA Center. (This is also the arena that hosts
the Portland Trailblazers NBA basketball team another feature
Seattle lacks. Could the two be related? Could Cirque also be angry
over the loss of the Seattle Supersonics (now in Oklahoma City)?)
The MODA Center is located across the river from the main part of the
city, but is easily accessible by their light rail transit system.
It's a city with a talent for urban planning Seattle just hasn't
latched onto yet. It's nice-sized arena is perfect for Cirque arena
shows we saw Toruk here when it visited (since it, too, skipped
Seattle).
This being Cirque's first attempt at a show on a frozen ice surface,
we were curious which side would prevail, the Cirque side or the ice
show side? We don't partake of the "Disney On Ice" Feld spectacles
that come to town yearly, or the "Stars On Ice" athletic shows. So
though we didn't know what expectations to have on the ice show side,
we certainly knew what to expect from the Cirque side. And with
ticket prices on par with other arena shows, we were expecting a
CIRQUE show more than an ICE show.
Upon entering, we perused the souvenir "mini-boutique." The things on
sale here were in many ways different from what we were expecting.
The most desirable item, a furry hoodie sweatshirt was only available
in small. They had fake "snowflakes," a keychain, small bits of
jewelry, and other items that we thought would appeal to the younger
girls in the audience.
Then there was the program.
This program is thinner and smaller than typical programs, and is
radically different. It is designed as a "creative journal" meant to
challenge and inspire the reader to become more creative. There are
NO pictures of acts here. No attempt to memorialize the linear flow
of the show in pictures or any other writing. It is, instead, a
series of "exercises" meant to draw out creativity.
-- Describe a situation where you felt stuck / how did you feel /
what did you do to feel free?
-- Write down everything you can think of relating to the word
"imagine."
-- Draw yourself as a fish.
OK. This is certainly a different expression of a souvenir book.
There are pictures of the artists, and credits, and a few Cirque ads,
but that's it. This is not a "souvenir program" as we have come to
expect it. It is the least representative souvenir of any Cirque show
we've seen (and I include the Zumanity and Varekai CD soundtracks in
that list). Sadly, this didn't set us up well for the show to come.
Nice try, but I don't want homework from a program book, I prefer
pictures of the acts that trigger memories of the show.
Like Toruk, the "stage" for Crystal takes up the arena floor. There
is a setpiece at the back of the arena that houses ramps, platforms,
hidden doors, and projections. A teleferique spans the back half of
the stage, allowing performers to float from the setpiece to about the
middle of the floor. That turns into a nice piece of stagecraft, as
it is used creatively several times. There are several ramps and
jumps through the setpiece and on the perimeter for feats of jumping.
So, is this a Cirque ice show, or an ice show created by Cirque du
Soleil? It seems to us to be an amalgam of both, with some of each's
benefits.
Remember when I said we don't go to Disney On Ice? Our expectations
were more along the lines of skating coverage we see on TV, which is
more competition-based, with more challenging choreography. As such,
we were expecting more challenging and daring technical skating (a
triple jump perhaps?) than there was. A lot of moving around the ice,
a lot of "expressing," but not much excitement.
Many of the acrobatic acts wore shoes, not skates, and the shoes that
were specially developed for the show allowed the artists to do nearly
anything they could do on a normal stage. And the added choreography
was interesting. But perhaps it was the distance from the stage ice
floor, we didn't feel drawn in to the performance. There was pre-
recorded dialog to clue us in to what was going on, but it was
occasionally garbled or hard to hear.
The acrobatics were fun and well skilled, including acts we didn't
expect. Juggling on ice, how do you do that consistently? We found
the second act better than the first in that department, especially a
banquine-type act with a few scary moves that was quite impressive.
The music was also really good and well mixed. The inclusion of
current songs ("Chandelier" by Sia being the most obvious) was an
interesting change. It was re-arranged in a more laid-back "alt
loungey" (is that a word?) style for which the vocalist (who never
appeared on stage that we saw) was perfectly suited. There was also a
woodwind player and a guitarist, though most of the tracks were pre-
recorded. So why not a CD yet come on, Cirque, where is it? If
Volta and Toruk can have one, why not Crystal? [EDITOR'S NOTE: A CD
and DVD are on the way!]
Overall, it's a good show for an ice show. The audience at our
performance seemed to appreciate it. A woman sitting next to us had
never seen a Cirque show before (are there still people like that out
there?) and loved it. We decided not to see the show again the
following day, an indicator that it wasn't truly special to us, as the
best Cirque shows can be. The melding of the "ice show" aspects with
the "cirque show" aspects was nice, but there didn't seem to be enough
of either for us to appreciate.
I recently read a review of the show recently that mentioned the
powerful effect the show had on the writers' children, how they looked
up to and identified with the Crystal character. I could see how the
show had been tailored to younger members of the audience, especially
with its overt narration that made plain what was happening onstage,
and the workbook style of the program book. We did note, though, that
for our Saturday 8pm performance we did not see many children in the
audience.
We wish Crystal lots of success as it tours the world. With its ice
hockey arena layout it will have its choice of cities - nearly
anywhere - to play in. We just wish it was more of a Cirque show than
an ice show.
------------------------------------------------------------
"Drumming for Cirque du Soleil (feat. Kit Chatham)"
A Special Reprint from Isaac Cavallaro.com
------------------------------------------------------------
Although Isaac Cavallaro had yet to personally meet Kit, he'd read and
heard so many positive things about his musicianship, he simply had to
reach out to him. Ironically they were both currently working in
Japan, so if their schedules aligned, they hoped to meet up in Tokyo
between performances. As you may have gathered from the title, Kit is
a full-time drummer with Cirque Du Solei and has been for over a
decade. This blog shares Kit's advise on preparing for a cirque
audition, the key skills working for the company and his approach to
staying healthy on the road (given that he hasn't missed a single show
350+ shows a year for 13 years!). Kit has taken the time to really
think about his responses so I encourage you to take the time to read
them, come back to them and sit with them as there is a wealth of
knowledge found in his responses. Thanks for joining us, and enjoy the
interview.
Q. Can you please share how long you've been working with Cirque and
what your positions have included so far?
I've been working with Cirque for over 13 years now. I started out in
the beginning of 2005 with the creation of Corteo and I developed the
role as drummer, percussionist, and stage performer. Since it was the
creation, I was able to incorporate many of the areas of percussion
and drumming I've experienced in to the role. I toured with Corteo up
until the summer of 2009 when I left to start the creation of Viva
Elvis by Cirque that was a resident show in Las Vegas. On Viva Elvis I
was the percussionist but also incorporated my stage experience with
me for the role. Viva Elvis ran up until the very end of August of
2012 and when it closed I started working on Zumanity and Mystere both
at the same time but in a part-time capacity. For both of these shows
I was strictly playing drumset but not for very long as I got
contacted by Cirque for another show. In the beginning 2013 I was
contacted by Cirque to see if I was interested in touring with Kooza
as percussionist on their European tour. Literally a couple of weeks
after me agreeing to go on tour with Kooza and even before me actually
stepping foot on the show, Cirque contacted me to see if I was
interested in doing a new creation that would later become Kurios. I
agreed to the new show but still did Kooza from June of 2013 up until
the beginning of Kurios creation in January of 2014. With Kurios I
helped develop a stage drum feature in the opening act of the show.
For Kurios I primarily played drum set, as the sound track of the show
was moving away from a big world music influenced show and more fuzed
with the styles of early European and American music from the 1900s.
Also, with Kurios I'm the Assistant Bandleader so a few times a week
I'll call the show and control Ableton that controls the flow of the
show.
Q. How did you get involved with Cirque?
I actually saw the Cirque show, La Nouba, back in 2001 when I was
working as the solo snare drummer/percussionist on the development of
the touring Broadway show, Blast! in Orlando, Florida. While we were
putting together the production of the show we were also performing a
small excerpt of the show at Disney's Epcot Center. Disney got us
tickets for La Nouba and I totally dug the music. At that point one of
my apartment mates was Paul Bannerman since he was also working on
Blast! He actually ended up leaving the show early due to some VISA
issues, but we definitely keep in touch. A year later he actually got
the job as the original drummer for Varekai. He contacted me and told
me that I needed to send Cirque my materials and audition. So.. I did.
At the end of 2002 while I was still on tour with Blast!, Cirque
invited me to come to Las Vegas to do a live audition. I did the
audition while on a short break from Blast! and quickly went back to
touring with Blast!
Later in the beginning of 2003 I even did a new creation with the same
company called Cyberjam that opened and performed in London's West
End. When that show ended in 2004 I went back to my hometown of
Atlanta, Georgia to freelance, teach, and get married. While I was
actually teaching a percussion class, Cirque called me to see if I
knew of anyone that would be willing to do a new creation in January
of 2005. I was a little confused, and I said: "yes, me!". They had
always gotten me and another percussionist friend of mine already
working at Cirque confused. Within a matter of weeks I had signed a
contract, started to prepare for the move to Montreal in less than 3
months, and the rest is history.
Q. What would you say to a drummer interested in working with Cirque?
For example, how should they prepare themselves and what should
they expect?
When someone is interested in Cirque and they ask me about sending in
their materials to Cirque, I'm usually straight forward (in a good
way) and tell them that Cirque gets hundreds of auditions a year and
that they need to make sure their videos and CV are the best it can
possibly be. I tell them that it's important to stand out in a
positive way and have a lasting impression. It's not about
demonstrating blazing chops and "how many notes I can fit in a 2 beat
fill" on the Cirque audition reel, but you need to have a great vibe
(musically and personally) and more importantly have your tracks fit
and support the music. I can't tell you how many people have sent me
their vids to check out and it's been all about showing off and not
about doing what is best for the music. Definitely, show off on your
personal demo reel, but on the Cirque music really try to do what is
best for the music. You definitely need to be your biggest critic when
watching and listening to your material and be completely honest with
yourself. Remember, there are hundreds of players who are trying like
yourself to get into Cirque and you're basically competing with them
all.
All drummers and percussionists who want to be a part of Cirque need
to know that it is important to develop a certain set of skills that
will help them be able to do what is needed to be a Cirque
drummer/percussionist. You really need to be flexible to quick changes
and even respond at a moments notice musically to changes and action
punches. I always tell drummers that having good improvisation skills
and quick musical reflexes are very important with Cirque. The artists
on stage are humans and make mistakes, so you need to be able to adapt
to the quick changes and make it sound like it was planned. Spend a
lot of time working on improvisation and just being as creative as you
can be on your instrument. This quality will be very helpful
especially in a live audition.
Also, those interested in joining Cirque should really make sure they
don't try and skip steps. You really need to make sure that you gain
the knowledge and work experience that comes from learning from
experienced teachers/players and actually getting your hands dirty by
doing a lot of gigs. Don't get me wrong, I've seen so many young
drummers/percussionist who are extremely talented but have only spent
time in the practice room and not actually gigging. They need to get
out and get their "musical calluses" by learning all those things you
don't learn in the practice room. Like how to use IEM's, how to set up
a monitor mix, how to play with a click/backing tracks, how everything
is mic'd and types of mics, how to communicate musically, and
especially how to play and work with others. Not only is this going to
help you out, but it's going to make your resume/CV look more
impressive.
Q. What's your favourite thing about playing drums in Cirque?
I will not lie, it's awesome to get paid to play for a living (I'm
very fortunate), but to get the opportunity to not only be on stage in
front of thousands every night to share your passion AND to contribute
myself creatively & musically to a show is pretty awesome and
humbling. I've been very fortunate to do 3 creations with Cirque in
which they have allowed me to contribute my input and talents to
create a very unique and special role to the show.
Q. How many other instruments have you used during your time at
Cirque? Were any of them ones you hadn't already spent time working
on?
This is a hard question, but I'll try to list them all. In Corteo I
had drum set (V-drums), tabla, congas, djembe, cajon, udu, darbuka,
riq, bongos, bodhran, and small trinkets in the pit (I'm sure I might
be missing something), and on stage I played marching snare and some
Brazilian/marching influenced percussion. In Viva Elvis I had 4 huge
moveable percussion rigs that all had congas, timbales, bongos, toms,
cymbals, bass drums, e-perc, and many other handheld instruments, but
I also played marching percussion, cajon, and even a custom built
washboard on stage during certain songs in the show. One of my set-ups
for 2 songs in the show literally had a wall of bass drums and bass
drums all around me.
In Zumanity and Mystere is was pretty much drum set and e-perc. In
Kooza I played a lot of djembe and darbuka along with pandeiro, bass
drum, e-perc, and bunch of handheld trinkets (shakers, tambourines,
etc.). It was a nice challenge with Kooza with making djembe and
darbuka sound very different in songs since they were used so much. I
actually used different hand techniques to get the drums to sound like
other instruments.
Here on Kurios I actually do a lot of drum tricks that I developed
while in Blast! on a table, suitcases, and even the actual stage
during the beginning of the show when I'm featured on stage. When I'm
not on stage I play drum set and e-perc. I even bandleader the show a
few times every week since I'm Assistant Bandleader. This is a great
challenge as I have to not only use all four limbs for playing, but I
also have to open my talkback with my left heel, talk on the talkback
while playing, trigger Ableton to move to the next section, and more
importantly make it sound as if I was just drumming to the audience.
For me, there hasn't been an instrument requested for me to play that
I haven't already studied. A lot of this has to do with the fact that
I've done just as many creations as I have fill-in spots. I have
however had experience teaching people who have been hired by Cirque
to play something that they haven't done before. This is usually only
the case when the player has the ability to cover pretty much all of
the roles and shows the talent & ability to quickly learn the part
they aren't as familiar with. The advise I have for anyone put in the
situation to play something they have never played before is to be
honest. Don't say you can play something because when it is put in
front of you the truth will eventually come out. If you're honest and
say that you are willing to learn and work hard to achieve what they
need then you will go farther and more than likely earn their trust &
respect.
Q. What's the hardest part of working for Cirque?
The makeup... it has to be the makeup! Honestly, the hardest part for me
about working for Cirque is doing 350+ shows a year and being away
from friends and family. In my case my wife and two kick-ass dogs.
Most of my family lives in Atlanta, GA where I'm from, but my wife,
dogs, and I now live in Las Vegas since we moved there for Viva Elvis.
But back to the makeup... it is a part of Cirque that is hard for me to
deal with. Don't get me wrong, I feel that I'm really good at it and
have even been featured in a magazine for my makeup skills, but I feel
like it takes a big chunk of time out of my process that I could
easily be doing more productive things like practice. Depending on the
show it's taken me anywhere from 20 minutes on the really fast side to
almost an hour.
Q. What would you say are the key skills you need to be successful
working with Cirque?
I touched a little on this before, but I'll definitely say it again.
It is really important to be able to quickly respond to changes and
make it so smooth that no one in the audience realizes that there has
been a sudden change. A key skill that you really need to have is the
ability to be very consistent. I feel this is a key skill for
musicians to have but especially any live musician. We are not in a
studio where we can have multiple takes and attempts. The audience
member who is watching the show will probably never see that show
again live so you will only get one shot to make it have a lasting
impression on someone.
Another really important key skill that I believe you should have is
not even a performance driven skill. You just need to make sure you
are humble and there to serve the music. Also be humble to the point
that if the composer or bandleader asks you to do something, you do
it. You don't have to agree with it and you of course can have a
dialogue with them about what you feel, but don't be dismissive or not
open try new and crazy things. Understand you are there to serve the
big picture for the show and the music, and not to show how fast or
how many crazy licks you can play. I live by a quote I heard from
Bruce Lee, "Simplicity is the key to Brilliance". This will help you
very much in music. Don't get me wrong, I work on my chops just as
much as the next person, but I understand that there is a time and a
place for those chops and that space is a lot of times one of the best
tools to help let your music shine and breath.
Q. Could you outline the greatest challenges you've faced during your
time with Cirque? For example, is it being away from family, or not
getting injured etc.
Both of these are definitely the greatest challenges. It's really hard
to be touring and not be able to attend one of your dearest friend's
wedding or a special holiday gathering with your family. Back in 2007,
my grandfather passed away while I was on tour with Corteo. I actually
flew out at 5am in the morning after a show the previous night, got
picked up at the airport by my dad, went to the funeral, and then was
driven back to the airport by my wife who was there for the funeral. I
literally was there for maybe 6 hours and then I was back on the plane
because I couldn't miss a show... there was no backup for me. Being away
from family definitely wears on you. Being away from my wife and two
dogs is honestly the hardest thing I do and the reason I travel home
as much as I possibly can and on every break. I'm lucky to be with a
very special person who knows and understands my passion for music and
performing is very special for me.
So far in my 13 plus years with Cirque I haven't missed a show and I'm
definitely knocking on wood right now. I really try to stay in good
physical shape so that I can not only stay healthy, but I can maintain
the physical nature of performing on stage. I've endured many little
injuries on and off stage over the course of my years with Blast!,
Cyberjam, and Cirque. I actually got mugged by a gang of guys while on
vacation at the very beginning of Corteo's tour and suffered multiple
broken bones in my jaw and bruising to my body. Luckily I had time to
heal enough on the remaining part of the vacation to get back to the
shows when they started up. My jaw was wired shut for 6 weeks and I
was on liquid only diet, but I was still able to drum and perform on
stage and in the pit. Just back in 2016 I even herniated my back while
performing here on Kurios. Luckily it happened right before a week off
so I had time to get it evaluated, start a physical therapy program,
and have things managed so I could still do my stage performance and
drumming. It hasn't always been easy, but I put just as much, if not
more, time on physical health as I do percussion & drumming. I feel
that it kind of keeps me young... kind of.
Q. Do you get time to practice while you're on the road with Cirque?
I do get to practice and actually, travel with a lot of practice
materials with me on tour. I'll be completely honest though, I don't
practice nearly as much as I'd like and definitely not as much as some
of my fellow Cirque drummers. After talking and performing with some
of my Cirque drum brothers, many show or tell me they practice 3+
hours a day. I feel a little bad when seeing this but also inspired. I
really try to make the most of the little time I do practice and
usually have a certain goal for that session that I want to attain. My
free "music" time is usually divided into a little practising, working
on music with my little mobile studio that I travel, and writing /
arranging for bands. I do try to scope out what drummers /
percussionists live in the cities I'm travelling to and try to arrange
lessons or hangs with them. For example, right before coming to Japan
while I was in Vancouver our last city in North America, I studied
with Reid Maxwell who is a world champion Scottish Pipe drummer with
the SFU Pipe Band. Last time I was here in Japan in 2009 I studied
taiko with one of the top taiko drummers and ensembles here in Tokyo.
I'm a firm believer that you never stop learning and the knowledge you
get from this will only improve other aspects of your skills.
Q. How much of your time do you spend at your home between touring?
Definitely not enough! This all depends on the tour schedule, but I
fly home as often as I can. For example, when we were on tour in North
America we would spend an average of 8-10 weeks in each city. In
between cities we usually get around 6-7 days off and once a year get
a 2-3 week "annual leave" in between cities. The annual leave is
basically our main vacation time. While here in Japan we get a little
longer off between cities but we spend longer in each city. We
actually spend over 6 months in Tokyo and even got a week off in the
middle of the city. I flew home for that and even though I had some of
the worst jet lag ever, it was worth it.
Q. What is a day in the life like for a Cirque drummer in your
experiences?
This really all depends on the drummer and whether you're touring or
on a resident show. I'll try and give you my typical day on tour. For
a one show day, I'll usually sleep in a just a little later (maybe
around 9:30-10am) and then I'll do my morning ritual. For me, that is
getting some caffeine (Coke Zero and not coffee... coffee would send me
to outer space) and a simple breakfast. Then I would go and either
work in my little mobile studio or do some practising while also
watching quality TV like Family Guy, American Dad, Bob's Burgers, etc.
I'd do this up until just after lunchtime. After lunch, I normally
would hit the gym or go for a run (all depending on where we are and
the accommodations). After this, I'd go jump in the shower and get
ready to leave for site around 5 6pm. Depending on how far the site
is from where we are staying, my schedule would also change. Typically
our call-time to site, which is also when we do sound check, is an
hour and a half before the first show. Once a week we have a meeting
called "Tapis Rouge" (meaning Red Carpet) where we go over details for
the week and whatever company news that needs to be shared. This is
usually done on the first day of the week and before sound check.
Usually, I'll start my makeup after sound check or even before if I
end up on site with time to do so before sound check. Each show has
been a little different as the amount of time needed to do the makeup
depends on the makeup design. On Corteo, it took me about 40 minutes
to do the makeup. On Viva Elvis and Kooza it only took me only 20
minutes. Here on Kurios, it takes me about 30 minutes to do the make-
up. I'll be very honest again, the makeup is probably my least
favorite thing to do in Cirque. I just wish I had all that time to
practised warmup for the show instead. Then it is show time... I knock
it out the best as I can and then see where the night takes me.
Usually, I'll go back to my little studio to work or just chill in the
apartment, but sometimes I'll go and have a drink or two at the bar
with some of my co-workers. When we have a 2 show day, everything is
the same except I'll wake up earlier, spend only a little bit of time
working on stuff, hit the gym or run, and then head to the site by 1
or 2 pm.
Q. How varied is the drumming between the all the shows you've done
with Cirque?
Honestly, this is like night and day from each show. In Corteo, I
played about 60% drum set and 40% percussion. The drum set was V-drums
but all my percussion was acoustic. If you've ever spent a lot of time
on V- drums or any electronic drum set, you have to change your
approach since the rebound and action are all different. Also, you
don't have the ability to get all the possible timbres out of an
electronic drum as you can an acoustic. I even developed a swiping
motion when I hit the cymbals as it would allow my stick to travel
through the rubber pad as close to a real cymbal. Luckily I play with
a very open hand technique so I didn't have to change much with
drumming on mesh heads. You have to be careful on those as it's like
playing on a tennis racket. With playing in Corteo and developing the
drum score, I really had to be sensitive to the situation. Since the
drum pit was literally 2 feet away from the actual audience, I had to
make sure the sound fit the score but also didn't kill the audience.
When I went to Viva Elvis, I knew going in that I was going to be the
percussionist and there was going a drummer for the show. I actually
put in for both roles but said my preference was to be the
percussionist. I honestly consider myself more of a percussionist than
a drummer, but since I do both I feel I have a better understanding of
how to play with a drummer. There are so many percussionists and
drummers who really don't know how to adapt their parts when they are
playing with a percussionist or drummer. It's so important to have a
great musical and verbal dialogue with your counterpart and I was very
fortunate to have Benoit Clement who is an amazing drummer. I miss
playing with that guy! Like I mentioned earlier, I played a wide
variety of percussion stuff which dove into my personal vocabulary of
drums and percussion.
With every show that I've done, I feel that I really bring all my
drumming and percussion influences in one way or another to the show.
In the three creations I've done I was lucky to work closely with the
creators and add my input and musical voice to the mix. In the three
shows that I've done where I wasn't the original guy, I basically
became a chameleon trying to make the cast not even realize that
anything had changed or that I was there. Over time and with working
with the bandleaders of these shows, I would slowly put myself into
the part and give it my voice while still maintaining the integrity of
the song.
Q. Are you involved in any other projects outside of Cirque? Music or
non-music related?
Totally. I still do as many recordings for other musicians as my
schedule and touring will allow. This is hard sometimes when I know I
have only a week at home in my home studio and all I want to do is
chill on the couch with my dogs during the day. I try to plan only 1
or 2 small music projects while I'm home. When I first started touring
years ago I would plan my schedule way in advance booking live gigs
and as many sessions as I can, but as in life my priorities have
changed and my down time is pretty crucial for my mental well being.
I recently just finished working with a show in Mexico writing,
developing, and even recording the percussion score while helping the
composer create a unique sound for the show. I actually even flew home
on a 2 day show break where the composer came to my house and we
recorded almost all of the percussion for the show. That was tough
since I had just finished a 10 show week, flew home for two 8+ hour
days in the studio recording anything and everything. I now usually
try to spend more time on my couch with the dogs than I do in the
studio, but if I have to work in the studio the dogs are usually right
beside me judging my musical discussions.
I'm actually in the process of creating and producing an educational
YouTube series with a few buddies of mine. It will be for all ages and
give insights on many different styles and methods form those who are
some of the best in their field. I'm very excited about it as we are
making it something unique to the drumming community and not only
teach but also highly entertain the masses. I hope to have it
completed and launched in the next 6 months.
Q. Regarding the digital world, how much time and energy do you invest
in social media/online presence vs. face to face meetings,
networking and branding etc?
Although I do a little of the social game and have a website that I
haven't updated in forever, I do make a point not to spend too much
time on it. I feel that real connections are still the way to go to
make solid career moves, but I have made some positive connections on
social media. . I also feel that learning on Skype is way too 2-
dimensional and you lose a bit of the hands-on learning. I do have a
few students that I have taught in person that I will touch upon
Skype, but when I do Skype sessions they are more like consultations
and ways for me to help them seek out the right people. This is just a
personal opinion and I have many friends who make a good portion of
their income doing this.
I do however spend time on YouTube watching a lot of drumming /
percussion, educational, and music vids. I wish I had a resource like
this when I was younger. I can't tell you how many VHS tapes I wore
out or how many DVDs I eventual scratched by watching the hundreds of
times trying to figure out stuff. On the flip side I fortunately, know
what I'm looking for with the videos, but there, unfortunately, is a
lot of bad, or I should say misguided material on there too.
Q. What's the most valuable career investment you've made to get to
where you are now?
Hmm... Definitely that I married the right woman!
Q. Is there anything you wish you did differently that in hindsight
you feel would've positioned you better?
I wish I would have actually practised in college and spent less time
playing video games, eating pizza, and doing all that stupid stuff you
do while in college. I feel that if I would have actually taken that
time to spend practising then I would have been much further than I am
today. Although I didn't practice, I did gig a lot in college and
spend a great deal of time in ensembles like marching band, wind
ensemble, orchestra, steel band, African ensemble, percussion
ensemble, and jazz band. Although I regret not spending the time, I
did have a lot of fun in college. Maybe too much fun.
Q. Have you ever wished you weren't a musician or felt stuck?
Never... I knew since I started piano and then drums at an early age
that music was what I wanted to do.
Q. Do you/did you spend timetranscribing other musicians?
Yes! I feel that this is one of the most important ways for you to
develop a style or feel to playing a certain way. There's no way for
you to play a certain style in the original feel if you don't first
listen to it and don't try to immolate what you hear. Here is the
short list of drummers/percussionist I transcribed in the past (I also
transcribed other instrumentalists as well): Buddy Rich, Tony
Williams, Steve Gadd, John Bonham, Max Roach, Poncho Sanchez, Neil
Peart, Tito Puente, Giovanni Hidalgo, Airto, Trilok Gurtu, Changito,
Mamaday Keita, Horacio Hernandez, Zakir Hussain, Glen Velez, Peter
Erskine, Weckl, Vinnie, and I can go on and on for sure.
Q. Did you ever have an 8 hour a day practice schedule before working
full time?
Unfortunately NO... well I take that back. Back in college with only
days before my major solo recitals, I would practice and sleep in the
practice room. I was a bit of a procrastinator and lazy in college (as
I kind of mentioned earlier) and I would wait to the last minute to
put it all together. My competitiveness wouldn't keep me from having
the biggest and most elaborate recitals from anyone in the past, but I
had to at least pull myself together and put out a killer show. Again
looking back, I wish I would have grown up a little quicker and not
partied as much.
Q. If you could only practice three things what would they be?
Seriously not going to happen unless I was stranded on an island with
only 3 percussion instruments. What got me into percussion is all the
cool instruments and all the varieties of sounds.
Q. Where would you like to be in 5 years?
Hopefully off of tour (unless it was for a major tour that only went
out for a few months and the money was great), still playing for a
living, and being able to sleep in the same bed every night. I still
have a bunch of goals that I want to attain and my plan is to have
them done within the next 5 years. You'll just have to stay in touch
to know what these are.
Q. If you had to play in one band only, who would it be?
Peter Gabriel has always been one of those guys I'd love to play for.
Ever since I saw the video of the Secret World tour I was kind of
hooked. Like most drummers/percussionists, I'd also love to play with
Sting or Paul McCartney. I would also love to just play drums in a
great organic rock band with just 4 guys playing everything live. I
just wouldn't want to do the whole van tour like back in the college
days.
Q. Do you have any other interests outside music?
Yeah, I'm very big into running. I run on average 6+ miles a day and
around 30+ miles a week. It's kind of my meditation time where I think
about all the things I'd like to do and also brainstorm on future
things. Also, I'm really into traditional Southern American BBQ and
craft beer. I usually BBQ (that is cook things for a really long time
and a low temperature not directly over the flame as opposed to
grilling which is right over the flame) something every time I go home
on my smoker. You can't beat a nice BBQ'd Pork Shoulder, Ribs, or
Brisket. As far as the beer, I actually used to homebrew beer when I
was full-time in Vegas. I actually keep a log of all the different
beers that I've tried all over the world and even photo them. I'm
definitely a beer nerd.
Q. If you could simply up and pivot to another job entirely, what
would that be?
Honestly, I'm still trying to figure this one out. I'll definitely
have to let you know when I finally figure it out. Any suggestions?
Q. What would you say to up and coming drummers who wish to have a
fulfilling career as a full-time musician?
Practice, Practice, and Practice. Get with a good teacher and learn
all you can from them. Then practice all of that teachers techniques.
Then, find another good teacher and do the same. Even if his
philosophies contradict that of the other, it's great to see how
different teachers approach the same instruments. Rinse and Repeat...
and countinue to Rinse and Repeat. I've had so many great drum
influences on playing and technique that I feel like my hands don't
have a standard playing style. I also feel like I can play very
comfortably in all of these styles. Now I just focus on the approach
that feels most comfortable and will give me the sound I'm going for.
For example, after studying contemporary rudimental drumming, jazz
drumming, orchestral drumming, Scottish pipe band drumming, Basel
drumming, and many ethic percussion stick approaches, I can make my
hands shift back and forth easily and while achieving the sound I
want. I can't tell you how many times I use a Senegalese sabar
technique on hihat while playing drum set.
Another big thing I tell students is that just like any job, to do
music full time you have to know what people are paying for. In high
school and college, I spent a lot of time practising and playing 4
mallet marimba. Don't get me wrong, I loved it but I rarely play the
marimba these days. Usually, if I'm doing a clinic at a school I'll
jump behind the marimba and hash out some of the old pieces I once
played, but as far as getting paid to be a full-time marimbist is
unheard of. Most of the great marimbist are teaching as their main
gig. I usually tell college students to relay think about what they
truly want to do for a living and then portion out their practice time
to reach that goal. If your goal is to play with Cirque then you
should spend more time on drum set and what I call commercial
percussion and less time on those things that are only slightly used.
If you want to find out more about Kit head to:
< http://www.kitchatham.com >
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"We're Off and Running - A Series of Classic Critiques"
Part 14 of 16: Varekai, Part 1 (2002)
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
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A few months ago, as I was flipping through a few classic Cirque du
Soleil programme books (as is my wont), I was happily caught off-guard
by a brief history of the company that it had written about itself in
Saltimbanco's original European Tour programme, published sometime in
1996. Not because the historia was in English, French, and Spanish,
but rather I found the wording a bit more colorful... haughty... than what
you'd find from the company today. Something about its whimsical and
heady nature spoke to the way Cirque du Soleil saw itself then,
containing a youthful verve and arrogance that is simply no longer
present. When did Cirque lose this dynamic sense of self, this
liveliness, and vivacity about its past, present, and future?
Unfortunately, not long after. Thereafter the speak becomes less joie
de vivre and more lié aux affaires, and Cirque du Soleil turns from a
rag-tag band of street performers into a bona fide corporate entity
right before our very eyes. This is not a new revelation - far from
it in fact - but this re-discovery struck a chord of curiosity within...
How did others see Cirque du Soleil during this period?
Think about it: as Cirque's multitude of shows travel around the globe
in either arenas or under the big top, at each stop, in each city,
there is a write-up in the local press. Sometimes the coverage is just
a brief blurb about the show and its theme, occasionally there's a
short interview with a performer, a stage hand, or creation director,
and other times it's an assessment of the show itself, evaluating its
technical and acrobatic merits with what had come through before. But
the reviews we see today are too current, discussing these shows
through a contemporary lens; shows that have/had 15 to 20 years
touring the globe, shows we would refer to as "classic" or
"signature". What I'd become interested in knowing was what some of
the first reviews, peeks, and evaluations of these shows were as they
took their first steps across North America. How did the press see Le
Cirque du Soleil in 1998, 1994, 1990, 1987?
It was time to peck through the archives.
What I found was extraordinary, and more than I expected. And I'm
sharing these discoveries here in Fascination through a series of
collections, beginning with the 1987 tournée of Le Cirque du Soleil
(better known today as Le Cirque Réinventé), and continuing on from
there. In this installment, we look at reviews and other articles
from Varekai's premiere year.
# # #
WORLD-BEATING CIRQUE RETURNS TO HOME STAGE
By: Graeme Hamilton | National Post
By: Paul Chiasson | The Canadian Press
April 23, 2002
Inside the blue-and-yellow big top on Montreal's Old Port, beneath the
elaborate stage, Olga Pikhienko waited patiently for her cue one
afternoon last week. "It's cold down there," the star acrobat and
contortionist reported during her brief dinner break. "We're so bored
we're singing songs now."
Ms. Pikhienko, 22, would finally get her chance to emerge through the
trap door and rehearse her act later that night, and tomorrow she and
more than 50 other performers will burst on to stage as the Cirque du
Soleil makes its long-awaited return to the city it calls home.
Creators promise the show will be anything but boring.
After a three-year absence from Montreal, the Cirque du Soleil's
distinctive tent, redesigned in a swirl of colour and expanded to seat
2,600 people, again dominates the waterfront. More than ever, the
Cirque returns as a conquering hero.
Last month, the outfit that redefined circus with its first
performances 18 years ago landed a coveted spot during the Academy
Awards, seen by 1.6 billion people. When the new show, Varekai, makes
its world premiere tomorrow, it will become the eighth Cirque du
Soleil show playing around the world. It is expected more than seven
million people worldwide will attend a Cirque performance this year.
The circus's success means it can have its pick of the top stars from
Europe and Asia. "This circus is the most famous," said Ms. Pikhienko,
who comes from a Russian circus family and first performed with Cirque
du Soleil in 1996. With one of the main acts in the new show, she
knows it would be hard to reach higher in the world of circus
entertainment. "I could maybe go to Hollywood," she said with a laugh.
When the Cirque began in 1984, nobody involved had dreams of
Hollywood. Funded by the Quebec government as part of the celebrations
of the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's arrival in Canada, it
began as a collection of Quebec street performers who imagined a
circus without the conventional elephants and lion-tamers.
Now Guy Laliberté, the co-founder and chief executive, is among
Canada's 100 richest men, with a net worth of $700-million, according
to a recent estimate. He is the only known former fire-eater to have
been invited to address the Montreal Chamber of Commerce. When he
spoke to the business group this month about his vision for the
development of Montreal's cultural industries, he refused to begin his
speech until the assembled business titans donned the red clown noses
distributed on the tables.
It's that challenge of retaining the heart of the circus while playing
in the global big leagues that sometimes leaves Mario D'Amico feeling
like a high-wire artist. "If I had the right answer to that, I'd sleep
a lot better at night," said Mr. D'Amico, the Cirque's vice- president
of marketing, when asked how far the circus can keep expanding before
it becomes Disneyesque instead of daring.
"Go see one of our shows and tell me if it feels like a corporation
produced it, or if it feels like a group of seven or eight passionate
people produced it," he said. "As long as we keep that feel inside the
big top, that's our guarantee against business-ification."
As director of creation for Varekai, it is Andrew Watson's job to make
sure the excitement remains. As he watched a recent rehearsal, Mr.
Watson, a former trapeze artist, said it is a constant challenge.
"After all of the shows we've done, with all of the different acts,
how do you make a show with nine or 10 different acts that are
completely different?" he said. "We try to make a show that will touch
people, give hope to people."
As he spoke, his attention suddenly wandered. A young acrobat was on
the stage receiving attention from a physiotherapist after injuring
herself. Already he has had to adjust an act called Icarean Games,
starring three young Spanish brothers, after one of the brothers
dislocated his shoulder during rehearsal. "People are doing extreme
things. That's the nature of our business," Mr. Watson said.
With two permanent shows in Las Vegas and one in Orlando, Fla., the
Cirque is more of a presence in the United States than in Canada.
After a seven-week run in Montreal, Varekai will pack 1,000 tonnes of
equipment into 45 tractor-trailers and hit the road. After stops in
Quebec City beginning June 26 and Toronto beginning Aug. 1, the show
heads south for a planned three-year tour of the United States.
Mr. D'Amico said Montreal, where the Cirque has its head office next
to a garbage dump, remains the preferred launching pad for new touring
shows. Part of it is the practicality of being close to headquarters,
but there is also a sentimental desire to give Montrealers the first
look.
Mr. D'Amico expects the Montreal performances will be close to sold
out. Attending a show is like a vote of confidence in a homegrown
world-beater. Mr. D'Amico said that immediately following the Cirque's
Oscar-night performance, there was a jump in ticket sales in Montreal
that he interpreted as a sign of pride: "People said, 'Wow, Cirque du
Soleil made it to the Oscars. Let's go out and buy a ticket.'"
* * * * * *
ICARUS MAKES CIRQUE HIGH ART
By: Pat Donnelly | Montreal Gazette
April 26, 2002
Leaving the tent after Wednesday night's opening of the Cirque du
Soleil's Varekai, I felt happily swept away by the random, dazzling
beauty of it all.
The crowd was still shouting and clapping, the acrobats still
cheerfully accepting their just due, and the moon hung high and round
over the Old Port, shedding its grace on the waters.
So many things are right about Varekai, down to the perfect locale and
the ideal time of year for a show that's a bacchanalian celebration of
multiple art forms.
This is the Cirque's 14th live production. And while it might not be
the grandest (that would be the watery O in Las Vegas), nor the
flashiest (that would be Saltimbanco), it certainly is one of the most
ravishing - and theatrical. Its theme of Icarus, the ancient Greek who
flew too close to the sun, touches very close to the soul of the
sunshine circus itself.
Wing envy plays a large part in audience appreciation of circuses,
particularly the aerial acts. We'd all love to soar with the birds.
Here Icarus, in the slim form of Russian acrobat Anton Tchelnokov,
falls to Earth and is trapped like a butterfly by forest creatures.
Stripped of his wings, he's lifted high within a net to do an aerial
act that explores the very essence of freedom.
This act sets a heroic tone that's followed up by the bravado-laden
Icarian Games, a frenetic number that involves bodies twirled foot-to-
backside by performers reclining on specially designed chairs. Then
the diminutive heartwarmers arrive, three young jugglers who twirl
ropes with glass dishes attached to the ends. They move like
quicksilver.
When the Atherton twins (Andrew and Kevin), looking like super ravens,
swoop high above the crowd on ropes they invoke a sense of
otherworldly awe. And the Georgian dance number, with its rousing
battle scene, brings the first half to a thrilling conclusion that
helps us forget a couple of lame clown interludes along the way.
(Pretending to blow a woman's head off might be grotesquely
fascinating, but it's not funny.)
Varekai, which employs the talents of two choreographers, Michael
Montanaro and Bill Shannon, is the most dance-happy Cirque yet, with
acrobatic finesse sometimes giving way to the kind of meaningful
moments expected from quality dance companies.
When Tatiana Gousarova and Oleg Ouchakov pair off like figure skaters
without the blades under Montanaro's guidance the emphasis is on the
romance of the pas de deux, not the flexing muscle. The group number
Body Skating that opens the second half is mostly dance, too. But the
combination of South African-flavoured music, technicolor costumes and
and exotic characters gives it a Disneyesque (The Lion King) feel.
Best to stay out of that jungle.
Its follow-up, a solo dance on crutches by Vladimir Ignatenkov, is
unique and darkly moody but too understated to register. Circus skills
find their most enthralling balance with the choreography in the
Triple Trapeze number performed by Stella Umeh, Zoe Tedstill, Cinthia
Beranek and Helen Ball, who embody spider- goddesses with sensuous,
interwoven moves. And again, with Olga Pikhienko's exquisitely
graceful hand-balancing act. She's the diamond in Varekai's tiara.
Although Varekai is a breakthrough that moves way beyond its 1999
predecessor, Dralion, it shares a mild case of that show's malady:
clown-humour deficiency. Claudio Carneiro is at his best in his Ne Me
Quitte Pas solo, performed in pursuit of an elusive spotlight.
Colleagues John Gilkey and Rodrigue Proteau offer an amusing answer to
the question of how many clowns it takes to change a lightbulb.
But Mooky Cornish treads too near the edge of pathos to do real
satirical damage in the 1950s kitsch numbers she performs with
Carneiro - as a swami who can't keep his armpit rugs in place. They're
better as mock vendors in the pre-show crowd interaction.
But any faults Varekai might own get blown into oblivion by the
pageantry and mad Russian daring of its grand finale. Bodies fly
through the air in all directions, dangling on ropes, bounced off
swings and tossed into movie screens. Suddenly all the disparate
elements of the productions, from Violane Corradi's eclectic music to
Eiko Ishioka's stunning costumes, come together in one wild,
anarchistic romp. This is where director Dominic Champagne really
shows his flair for postmodern cabaret.
Eager to share the rapture? Varekai's Montreal run is rapidly
approaching sell-out point.
But this year the Cirque is selling "last-minute" house seats, at top
price ($70) on a first-come, first-serve basis 30 minutes before the
show starts. If you still can't get a ticket for Varekai in Montreal,
try its next stop in Quebec City, opening June 27, or Toronto, opening
Aug. 1.
* * * * * *
CIRQUE FANS ABOUT TO BE DAZZLED - AGAIN
By: Janice Kennedy | The Ottawa Citizen
April 29, 2002
Canada's circus of the sun, the Cirque du Soleil, is used to bringing
out the stars. Ever since the Quebec-based troupe first toured its
special brand of artistic genius to audiences beyond its national
borders in 1987, word has spread like quicksilver: "this is a must-see
show, entertainment that will sweep you away and steal your breath
into the bargain."
As a result, 33 million people worldwide have taken in a live Cirque
show since 1984; the company, with its various resident and touring
companies for its different productions, has received a ton of awards;
and the Cirque du Soleil has become an international phenomenon.
Even the most jaded Hollywood types, stars who believe they've seen it
all, have walked away from a Cirque performance in Las Vegas or Los
Angeles or New York shaking their heads in pure and deferential
wonderment. Those stars, and the company's other fans around the
world, are about to be dazzled again.
Cirque du Soleil has just premiered its newest show, the first in
three years. Varekai opened last week to ecstatic audiences in
Montreal, the company's home base, and will play there (in the big
yellow and blue tent at the Old Port) until June 16. From there, it
heads off to a two-week run in Quebec City at the end of June, and
three weeks in Toronto starting Aug.1. After an autumn stop in
Philadelphia, it's California-bound.
The show is a glorious, two-hour celebration of all that is most
engaging, moving, inspiring, beautiful -- all that is luminously
transcendent -- about the unfettered human imagination. Directed by
Dominic Champagne, this highly theatrical, intensely artistic Cirque
production weaves its spell in and around a loose narrative line.
On Stéphane Roy's stylish set, a forest encircled by a surreal
stairway to some kind of heaven, an Icarus figure flies too close to
the sun and falls. But unlike the Greek myth, he does not plunge to
his death in the sea, or even land on a dreary piece of soul-
destroying earth. Instead, he finds himself, wounded and seeking
redemption, in a fantastic forest peopled by strange creatures (all
decked out in Eiko Ishioka's arresting costumes).
There, the dance of good and evil, of hope and human triumph, is a
choreography of exotic beauty, strange creatures and dazzling derring-
do. He finds himself, in other words, in the world of pure
imagination. The word "varekai" means "wherever" in the old Romany
language of the gypsies, according to Cirque publicity. The show "pays
tribute to the nomadic soul, to the spirit and art of the circus
tradition, and to those who quest with infinite passion along the path
that leads to Varekai."
That is the bare bones of it. What happens in the time between the
Icarian fall and the inevitable redemption is the magnificent result
of the whole raison d'être of the Cirque du Soleil: to create a
panoply of brilliantly original illusions effected by artistry and a
breathtaking athleticism formed of strength and grace.
That is a much-abused word, "breathtaking," but there is nothing else
in the language quite up to describing the effect on Cirque audiences.
Before Varekai audiences are rendered breathless by the show's
stunning finale -- where the soaring bodies of Russian acrobats in
beautiful costumes defy earthbound gravity, hurtling into giant silk
screens, and the multitude in the tent can only stand, awestruck, and
cheer themselves hoarse over the impossible heroics of the artists in
front of them -- before all that, they are treated to sequence after
sequence that leaves them gasping, shaking their heads, and invariably
wondering, "How did they DO that?"
In the nowhere/everywhere world of Varekai:
- The young Icarus (Russian aerial contortionist Anton Chelnokov) puts
on a show of incredible grace and strength as he performs a mid- air
ballet -- wrapped in a net, his only support;
- In the "Icarian Games," showcasing a classic circus act, the bodies
of men are effectively juggled into the air, launched by the feet of
prone men, on whom they then land, time and time again;
- Three young boys (Yang Junping, He Bin, Li Siguang) toss spinning
meteors into the skies, twirling about with elegant energy as they
catch them, over and over, after their dizzying fall;
- The brothers Atherton, as well as four women and a triple trapeze,
show that it is possible to create living, moving art -- floating
sculptures -- in the insubstantial air;
- Georgian dancers prove that dazzling balletics are not only found in
the Bolshoi;
- High camp makes an appearance in the persons of Claudio Carneiro and
Mooky Cornish, a pair of slapstick clowns whose mostly-funny shtick is
an assertive reminder of the tackiness that is the antithesis of
Cirque-style circus;
- Ethereal music (the composition of Violaine Corradi) combines with
lighting and make-up, and choreographers Michael Montanaro and Bill
Shannon's masterful movement designs, to create a world that really is
magic.
What is remarkable is that the show, in the spirit of all that gives
Cirque du Soleil its impetus, is a truly universal masterwork. Not
only does it feature the achievements of creative minds and performers
from across the globe, it is dependent on no language but that of the
human spirit in the joy of unconfined artistry.
Varekai is the best kind of circus: carnival colours, boundless
energy, beauty, laughter, amazement, spectacle -- and nary a
mistreated animal in sight. This triumph of the imagination, in other
words, is pure Cirque du Soleil.
* * * * * *
MORE THAN MERE SPECTACLE
By: Paula Citron | Globe and Mail
July 27, 2002
'Cirque du Soleil is a place where creators come to create," says
Andrew Watson, "and where the impossible becomes possible." The
British-born, former trapeze artist is a perfect example of that
maxim.
When he joined the company in 1987 as an acrobat, Watson could not
have imagined that one day he would achieve the pinnacle of Cirque du
Soleil invention. He is director of creation for the company's new
show, Varekai, overseeing the production from inception to
performance. The Montreal premiere of Varekai in April did not mark an
end to Watson's involvement. The creative team continues to refine and
hone Varekai's artistic vision.
Varekai is a show of firsts. The previous 13 Cirque productions were
all produced by the same core creative team. When Cirque founder Guy
Laliberté asked Watson to head Varekai, it signalled a conscious
decision that the company encourage new risk-takers. Says Watson, "Guy
is driven by the philosophy of creation, and I think he felt that
perhaps Cirque had become too settled into one artistic direction."
Watson's background with Cirque involves stints as director of casting
and artist training, as well as artistic co-ordinator and artistic
director, all necessary skills in his new job. He is 43, and for his
creative team, has surrounded himself with other mostly
fortysomethings. Of his 13 hand-picked colleagues, the director,
costume designer, choreographer, specialty choreographer and clown-
acts designer are new to the Cirque family. The lighting designer has
been promoted from assistant, the set designer, composer, and
projections designers have each worked on one other Cirque show,
leaving only the rigging, sound, aerial acts and makeup designers as
the old hands. As well, most of the 50 artists, representing 13
countries, have never worked with Cirque before.
Watson and his choreographer, Michael Montanaro, discussed the
creative high of their grand adventure at a downtown hotel. Montanaro
is the quintessential example of what motivated Watson's choice of
visionary team members. Before closing his company, Montanaro Danse,
in 1994, the American-born, Montreal-based choreographer was well-
known as a multidisciplinary dance experimenter, incorporating new
technology, particularly video, into his pieces. In order to work on
Varekai, he took sabbatical from his post as acting chair of Concordia
University's contemporary dance department. One major tasks was
creating movement that would give artistic continuity to the circus
acts without detracting from the skills themselves. "The performers
already have a unique entertainment dynamic," he explains. "I had to
find ways to blend their individuality into an ensemble."
It takes between 16 months and two years to put together a Cirque
show, with a budget in the neighbourhood of $17-million to $25-
million. The heart of Cirque du Soleil is the magical blend of circus
and theatrical artistry, taking what is essentially a variety lineup
of specialty acts, and weaving them seamlessly into a narrative with
both poignancy and humour.
Varekai's genesis began with iconoclast Montreal director/playwright
Dominic Champagne, chosen by Watson for his imaginative productions
that are as much visual spectacle as they are text-based theatre,
including acclaimed adaptations of Cervantes's Don Quixote and Homer's
Odyssey. Champagne wrote the Varekai scenario which he then took to
the creative team for brainstorming sessions in December of 2000. He
is also the show's director.
Champagne's theme, in his own words, is humankind's eternal journey
between dreams and disillusions, which is also the soul of Varekai.
His storyline revolves around a man, Icarus, who falls from a great
height into a strange country, and is helped by the characters he
meets to find the courage to fly again. The other main characters are
the exotic, entrancing Olga, who becomes Icarus's mentor and muse, the
wise, old Guide whose mission is to inspire change, and Skywatcher, a
mad scientist who is the collector of the world's memories and an
interpreter of signs.
The challenge for the creative team was to translate this scenario
into stage reality, particularly creating the environment that would
be the backdrop for the story. Both Watson and Montanaro vividly
recall the moment of epiphany in which set designer Stéphane Roy
unveiled the primitive model that would become Varekai's enchanted
golden forest and meadow, dominated by a an immense bird-like, aerial
catwalk.
Discussions began with impulses, focusing on fragments of ideas culled
from aspects of Champagne's vision, such as the fraternity of people
who live on the road and make their home wherever they are. This led
to the idea of the Romany people, or Gypsies. In fact, the working
title of the show was "Rom," which was finally rejected as being to
impersonal. After endless research, the title became Varekai, the
Romany word for "wherever," which the team saw as a magical world
where anything could happen.
Thus, circus acts would have to be found that could rise out of this
environment, feeding the metaphor of finding the courage to fly. "We
looked at the previous Cirque shows and decided that our point of
departure would be what hadn't been done before," Watson says.
Montanaro adds, "Our goal was not to make Varekai better than other
Cirque productions, but different. We didn't want to be a reflection
of past glories."
For example, Watson was determined to have Icarian games, the time-
honoured circus tradition of human juggling that has, in recent years,
fallen into decline. The catapult, lying on his back with his legs in
the air, uses his feet to throw, spin, turn and catch a colleague,
like a juggler would his balls and clubs. "It fit into our theme,"
Watson says. "Icarus can't walk, while these people use their legs to
move others."
The Icarian games of Varekai, however, are like no other. It is now a
group act for 12 people, surrounding the traditional Icarians with
three mixed couples whose backgrounds are sports acrobatics, acrobatic
dance and apache dance, thus building a scene that is intense,
exciting and dangerous -- a perfect foil for the Earth-bound Icarus.
Two unusual segments include ethnic dance from the Republic of
Georgia, and body skating.
The Cirque is all about risk and experimentation, some of which works
and some of which doesn't. Watson's idea of using Teflon as surface
material for the body skating is a dazzling effect, but his plan to
use a backpack built into the costume instead of the traditional
Icarian games chair-like support is a disaster. Nonetheless, Varekai
will be Cirque's first "multimedia" show with fully-integrated video
projections throughout.
"There is in Varekai a narration one can bond with," Montanaro says.
"It presents the hope that although life may be difficult, you can
overcome adversity. That is why Cirque has always been more than mere
spectacle. Its productions radiate camaraderie and humanity."
* * * * * *
LACK OF INNOVATION CLIPS VAREKAI'S WINGS
By: Ray Conlogue | Globe and Mail
August 3, 2002
Rating: ***
Varekai, which opened Thursday night at Ontario Place, is the newest
in Cirque du Soleil's widening roster of spectacles. The troupe is now
running eight different shows throughout the world, twice as many as
in 1996, and needs to recruit 300 new acrobats and artists every year
to support them.
Fans of the Cirque will be happy to know that Varekai, for the most
part, keeps up the high standards. It has a gorgeous, evocative
setting -- an imagined rain forest, with highly plumaged inhabitants -
- and boasts several spectacular acrobatic performances that match the
high standards of earlier shows.
However, there is a higher percentage of apprentice acts. Every show
has these: acts that look good but don't yet quite hit the bell. To my
eye, having seen four earlier shows, Varekai has more of these acts
than it should.
It's also the first Cirque show by young Montreal director Dominic
Champagne, an avant-garde artist hired to take the organization in a
fresh artistic direction.
Artistically, though, there's little evidence that this has happened.
Instead, Champagne's work seems to underline how formatted the
Cirque's shows have become.
Varekai (from the Romany word for "wherever") begins with a wild howl
of tropical bird song as the lights gradually reveal a forest of
bamboo-like steel poles as high as 10 metres tall, some with
attachments permitting acrobats to climb them monkey-style. It
backgrounds a broad, open play area equipped with turntables, trap
doors and even an elevating platform.
Enter the Guide, the superb Quebec clown Rodrigue Proteau. Bird
plumage sprouts from his waist, accenting his naked, athletic upper
torso and remarkably plastic mouth. Seduced by the surrounding bird
song, his face registers sudden dismay as an airplane thuds overhead.
He rolls a Rube Goldberg contraption onstage, grabs the invisible
airplane/truck/motorcycle and stuffs it into one end, honks and drums
on various controls, and transforms the racket of civilization into --
more bird song.
The Guide, a cranky nature spirit, kibitzes and skirmishes through the
evening with Skywatcher, a black-clad scientist with a light bulb
screwed into his head. Skywatcher (John Gilkey) often flaps about with
man-made wings, which provides a carnivalesque echo and mockery of one
of the show's acrobat centrepiece acts, Anton Chelnokov's sensitive
take on the Icarus myth.
This is probably Champagne's most successful intervention as a theatre
director. Some of his other ideas, such as having a bride, a groom and
wedding attendants dance through a Russian swings routine, don't make
any sense and amount to little more than bubblegum for the eyes.
Most Cirque shows have a theme with some artistic meat on it: whether
Saltimbanco (society's love-hate relationship with artists), Alegria
(the struggle of the powerful and the powerless), or Quidam (the
inability of parents to share their children's sense of wonder).
Varekai is about our separation from nature. Like all Cirque shows, it
flirts with a little darkness and finishes strongly upbeat. But the
weakness of some of the acts impairs the overall consistency of the
show.
The Guide, for example, is brilliantly funny and thematically on-key.
But the other featured clowns, Claudio Carneiro and Mooky Cornish, do
a series of standard routines disconnected from the rest of the show.
The best, perhaps, is the old standby of the inept magician (instead
of coming out of his hat, the rabbit races across the stage and falls
into a hole) and his deficient assistant (Cornish, blond and
overweight, stylishly parodies the vamp poses of the customary shapely
assistant and makes a pass at the audience volunteer). The worst is
Carneiro as a singer who must chase a malevolent spotlight that shines
anywhere except on him.
The outstanding acrobat acts, apart from Chelnokov's Icarus, are also
Russian. Olga Pikhienko does a superb hand-balancing act supported on
three walking sticks set into the stage, and an 11-man team does the
most ambitious Russian swing routine the Cirque has attempted. The
three-man swings have been redesigned to look like spaceships from the
movie Alien, and when the lead acrobat is hurled from the swing he
reaches an altitude I haven't seen before, landing at high speed
against a huge fabric backdrop. Composer Violaine Corradi's take on
various ethnic music styles goes right over the top in this case, with
thundering Slavic dance rhythms to accompany the high-flying acrobats.
The whole show clocks in at just over three hours. It's to Champagne's
credit that the energy level rarely flags. But the innovation level
isn't quite what it needs to be.
* * * * * *
REVIEW: VAREKAI
By: Richard Ouzounian | Variety
August 16, 2002
"Varekai," the 13th production from Quebec-based Cirque du Soleil,
faces a problem born of the company's massive success. In recent
years, the company's touring shows have had a hard time matching the
level of dazzle found in Cirque's sit-down attractions in Las Vegas
and Disney World. The latest show, directed by company newcomer
Dominic Champagne, is no exception.
When Cirque first burst onto the scene in 1984, it was a refreshing
concept: a circus free from animals, sawdust and sleaze. Instead of a
cheap carnival atmosphere, it offered something sleeker and finer,
with a continental flavor. It became the perfect entertainment for
indulgent boomers and their families.
As the years went on, this brainchild of Guy Laliberte grew more and
more impressive. Lighting, costumes, sets and music all became part of
a seamless whole, and by the mid-'90s, shows such as "Alegria" had
reached a breathtaking level of artistry.
But it's hard to keep reinventing the wheel, even if that wheel is a
unicycle ridden 200 feet in the air. Cirque du Soleil's solution was
to create permanent homes where it could mount sit-down runs of even
more spectacular shows.
This led to "Mystere" and "O" in Las Vegas (two more are on the way
there) and "La Nouba" in Walt Disney World, all of which have proved
to be phenomenal success stories.
It's difficult to maintain that ever-increasing level of excitement
with the touring shows, however.
Champagne, Montreal's avant-garde staging wizard best known for his
productions at Theatre du Nouveau Monde, has shaken up the format
slightly, imbuing it with increased sensuality and losing some of the
artsy preciousness that pushed shows like "Saltimbanco" over the edge.
On the other hand, the thematic thread running through "Varekai" seems
more tenuous than that of some of its predecessors. Not all the
elements are well integrated. A young man named Icarus falls to Earth,
loses his wings and is forced to wander through a surreal forest full
of vagabonds and gypsies. ("Varekai" means "wherever" in the Romany
language.) At the end of his journey, he encounters a spirit of light
named Olga and marries her.
All of this, of course, is just a framework on which to hang,
admittedly, some of the most dazzling acts Cirque has ever produced.
The Atherton Brothers (Andrew and Kevin) perform an amazing display
called "Aerial Straps," in which they swing perilously above the arena
suspended by leather wrist bands, uniting into one being, then
dividing and hurtling into space.
Olga Pikhienko brings sheer poetry to her hand-balancing on canes, in
which she folds her body back and forth into ever more unlikely
configurations. And Octavio Alegria stretches the juggling envelope
enormously, utilizing his hands, feet, head and most memorably
mouth. There are also astonishing group displays of Body Skating and
work on the gravity-defying Russian Swings that has to be seen to be
believed.
But in between, there are pedestrian slices of testosterone-charged
Russian dancing that could have wandered in from "The Ed Sullivan
Show," some young Chinese jugglers who are not quite good enough and a
pair of clowns recycling ancient material from "La plume de ma tante."
Director Champagne also doesn't seem to know how to keep the narrative
thread together tenuous though it is and young Icarus (who is
sensitively portrayed by an amazing Russian contortionist named Anton
Chelnokov) frequently vanishes from our sight for far too long.
The wedding finale is vintage Cirque du Soleil, an explosion of sound
and color, in which the whole is much greater than the sum of its
parts. It leaves the audience in a blissed-out state of exaltation;
the totally sold-out Toronto run is a testimony to the positive
feelings it engenders. Still, "Varekai" proves the franchise needs a
strong directorial hand.
* * * * * *
CAPTURING THE CIRQUE ON AIR
By: Laura Bracken | Playback Online
September 16, 2002
As if a bamboo forest, Russian swings, a falling angel and a dancing
firefly aren't enough to round out the more than 50 performers and
150-person tour staff on Cirque du Soliel's Varekai, add lighting
rigs, dollies, 10 high-definition cameras, a mobile HD unit and an 80-
person film crew to the mix and you've got a real circus.
Cirque du Soleil Images, the multimedia arm of the Quebec performing
arts institution, has taken on the ambitious task of shooting for DVD
and broadcast its fourth Cirque du Soliel production, Cirque du Soleil
Presents Varekai, exec produced by VP multimedia Vincent Gagne with
producer Martin Bolduc, and coproduced with U.K.-based Serpent Films.
It is the first time since 1991 that a Cirque show has been filmed
live in Canada.
The crew, shooting in Toronto Aug. 31 to Sept. 3, recorded four full
live performances from 32 different angles with 10 HD cameras
carefully positioned throughout the big tent, as well as two days of
inserts, producing more than 80 hours of footage to be digitized and
later broadcast on CBC, Radio-Canada and Bravo! in the U.S.
The big tent, usually packed full of dedicated Cirque fans, stands
empty on a Tuesday afternoon as the film crew, whose mission it is to
extend Cirque's reach beyond its live audience into film and
television, is privileged to a private performance.
Precariously thin netting suspends the protagonist of Cirque's newest
touring show high above the stage in the tiptop of the big tent
erected on the grounds of Toronto's Ontario Place. Below, a lone
cameraman shooting close-up inserts stands directly under the
performer as he suddenly drops to just inches above the stage in his
net cocoon.
The performance is part dance, part drama and all astonishing artistic
and athletic talent. Varekai, which means wherever' in Romany Gypsy
language, tells the story of a man who loses his wings and falls into
a magical world at the mouth of a volcano.
The challenge for director and editor Nick Morris, who sits inside the
mobile HD unit viewing images on 10 LCD screens as the cameras record
the evening's performance, is making the film distinct but faithful to
the magic of the live performance. He says he is careful not to assume
everything will look good on film just because it is such a remarkable
show to watch live.
The most excruciating challenge is everyone already thinks this show
is fantastic,' says Morris, who also directed the Emmy Award-winning
Cirque du Soleil Presents Alegria. You don't want anyone to say the
DVD didn't quite capture the live show.'
Because the performers make their acts look so easy, Morris takes
extreme close-ups that are intended to convey to viewers the
incredible strength and skill of the performers. For example, a
woman's hand gripping the triple trapeze, the muscles in her hands and
forearms strained to the limit, white-tipped fingers gripping the
trapeze, as she holds herself and a co-performer 15 feet above the
stage.
I don't think there's a place in the tent where we haven't had a
camera. [But] for Cirque du Soleil, the audience always comes first,'
says Morris, explaining how this project differs from live music
performances he has filmed in the past, where the placement of cameras
took precedence over the audience's view.
When Morris met with Bolduc, DOP Barry Dodd, Serpent producer Rocky
Oldhan and TV lighting designer Mike Sutcliffe, to view Varekai's
debut in Montreal and develop a strategy for the filming last June,
one of the first things they had to do was submit plans for where
cameras would be positioned, reserving blocks of seats so as not to
obstruct the views of any audience members months later in Toronto.
Dodd's task as DOP is to capture the fantastical live performance
without missing a beat, while at the same time adding new magic and
depth. The atmosphere and the ambience created at Cirque du Soliel
are magical. We have to create magic like they do,' says Dodd, who has
shot four of Cirque's performance specials, including Cirque du
Soleil Presents Quidam. There are clever touches of brilliance all
over the place and the hardest part is to transpose that energy and
magic on the small screen.'
This is the first show Dodd has done on HD, and he says it requires
more thought. Because HD absorbs so much light, Dodd subtly filters
the back of the lens to make the pictures softer and more filmic. But
this makes focus more difficult, he says. HD is an exact art.'
Dodd and his crew are not the only film unit on set. Producer Fiona
O'Mahoney's four-person crew is backstage shooting a documentary to be
included as part of the DVD, which features each of the 54 performers,
focusing on 10 to 12 of them more in-depth, giving the viewer a sense
of how performers, from 13 different countries, ended up in the
circus.
The 90-minute performance art special, budgeted at $2.3 million, will
be delivered to broadcasters in December. The DVD and video,
distributed by Columbia TriStar, should be released in early 2003.
Cirque series preems on Global
Meantime, Cirque du Soleil The Fire Within, a 13 half-hour documentary
series that premiered on the Global Television Network Sept. 15, is a
unique behind-the-scenes chronicle of the creation of Varekai.
Shooting began in June 2001 as hopeful artists arrived in Montreal for
auditions, and continued through to the end of Varekai's Montreal run
in July 2002.
Cirque du Soleil The Fire Within is the first time the Cirque has
allowed a camera crew to film detailed preparations for a new show.
The production team shot more than 1,000 hours of original footage
using two camera crews on location in Montreal, New York, Dallas,
London, Paris and Sofia, Bulgaria. Each episode took nine weeks to
edit, says Galafilm president Arnie Gelbart, who exec produced with
Gagne and Marie Cote of Creations Musca, a subsidiary of Cirque du
Soleil Images.
Producers are Gelbart and Bolduc. Lewis Cohen is the series' director,
with additional directing by Bachir Bensaddek. Valerie Beaugrand-
Champagne is the series' creative producer and story editor. The North
American broadcasters are Global, French-language arts specialty
channel ARTV (Cirque du Soleil sans filet) and Bravo! USA. Gelbart
says the observational' series keys on the human element of drama,
comedy, love and loss, work and play. Tension mounts as production
demands deepen and the show gets closer to opening night in April
2002.
The show's behind-the-scenes look also includes session profiles of
technicians, administrative staff in the Cirque's casting and
marketing departments, choreographers and head coach Boris Verkhovsky,
live show creators Dominic Champagne and Andrew Watson and Guy
Laliberte, president and CEO and founder of Cirque du Soleil, who is
also Varekai's creative guide. It's really interesting to work with
people who want to do new stuff all the time. I'm glad they like what
we do because we brought some originality to it and it could have been
somewhat more pedestrian,' says Gelbart.
Cirque du Soleil The Fire Within is budgeted at $3.2 million, with
support from the Canadian Television Fund Licence Fee Program. Granada
International out of London has world rights. Both Bravo! USA and
Granada are among Cirque du Soleil's established international media
partners.
* * * * * *
CIRQUE TWEAKS VAREKAI FOR US PREMIERE
By: Jonathan Takiff | The Philadelphia Inquirer
September 19, 2002
When the typical circus comes to town, the public relations people
invite the media to interview the star acrobat, put on clown makeup or
spend a day scooping up behind the elephants. When Cirque du Soleil
wants to drum up attention for a visit, it sends ahead its
philosophical director of creation, Andrew Watson, and equally high-
minded lighting designer, Nol van Genuchten.
Their pleasure is to talk about the "artistic process" - Cirque du
Soleil's ongoing mission to rewrite the rules of circus arts. Most
especially, to challenge the imaginations of performers and viewers
alike "to realize our dreams," said Watson.
Clearly, Cirque du Soleil is not your father's three-ring circus.
Philadelphians learned that last fall when the Montreal-based
organization first visited our town, setting up its tents at Broad
Street and Washington Avenue.
Presented in an intimate, 2,600-seat theater with the audience wrapped
270 degrees around the stage, Cirque is almost as much performance art
or aerial ballet as it is European-style, one-ring circus. Mime and
exotic world-beat music, plus highly imaginative costumes, scenery and
lighting add to the mystique.
And there are no animals to add to the, um, mustique.
While it took this theatrically minded, globe-hopping organization 17
years to land here, the response Cirque enjoyed from the Philadelphia
ticket-buying public for its "Dralion" show was so magnifique, Cirque
decided to make an unusually fast return visit.
They're treating us to the U.S. premiere of their 14th touring show.
"Varekai" opens tonight at the same site as last year's show. The
show's title - pronounced ver-ay-kie - means "wherever" in the Romany
language of the Gypsies and is intended as a "tribute to the nomadic
soul," said van Genuchten.
Personifying the spirit is a winged character named Icare (first
cousin to the mythological Icarus), who lands at the lip of a volcano,
where he discovers and then chases the flightly love of his life
through a magical and oft-perilous rain forest. Along the way, he
encounters more than 100 odd characters and witnesses amazing events
imbued with mythological and poetic significance.
Among them are an amazing contortionist (Russia's Olga Pikhiekno)
hand-balancing on poles, a pair of androgynous "birds" (Andrew and
Kevin Atherton) who swoop and meld in perfect synchronicity over the
audience, and a troupe of magical "body skaters" who glide across a
slippery floor with no blades attached to their feet.
Also exploding before our eyes are a troupe of feisty Georgian
dancers, limber Asian tumblers and heart-stopping Russian high-swing
adventurers risking midair collisions. And, of course, there are
regular visits from a pair of wacky clowns, Mooky and Claudio, the
show's most overt bow to circus tradition.
While a "fantasy world" set has become the standard for all Cirque
extravaganzas (eight different productions are currently touring the
United States and beyond), Watson and van Genuchten stress that the
execution this time is different. "To sharpen our edge, we reached
outside the Cirque organization for creative talents who've never
worked in circus before," said the British-born Watson, himself a
former trapeze artist.
The noted Quebecois theater director Dominic Champagne is a first-
timer, "which is why this show has more narrative than other Cirque
shows," Watson explained. The spectacle also has (judging from the
Canadian reviews) a tad more sensual allure than Cirques past - though
not so much that you shouldn't bring the kids.
Choreographer Michael Montanaro heads the dance department at Quebec's
Concordia University and had never worked with talents who steadfastly
refuse to let their feet touch the ground.
Seasoned Japanese costume designer Eiko Ishioka and "scenographer"
(set designer) Stephane Roy "are well-known in the world of opera,
dance and film, but circus novices," said van Genuchten, "while sound
designer Francois Bergeron had done theater and installations,
underground things..."
"Varekai" performers, from 13 countries, were similarly called upon to
broaden their perspectives and skills.
"This is not a show where you just come in, do your number and then
disappear till the grand finale, when you return to parade and wave to
the audience," Watson stressed. "Here, you are called upon to play
characters, to dance throughout the show. A small percentage of
performers don't like the extra effort involved, but most find it
liberating. After I did my first Cirque show as an acrobat, I couldn't
go back to doing traditional circus."
So how will Cirque du Soleil top this one?
"We want to enlarge our span of involvement in entertainment and
hospitality in general, creating environments and the content within
them," said Lyn Heward, Cirque's president and CEO of creative
content. Toward that end, Cirque recently announced the addition of
two productions to its pair of permanent Las Vegas offerings, in
partnership with MGM Mirage. "The first will open next July 31 - and
neither will be a circus show," teased Watson. "All I can say is,
we're branching out."
Also on the works for a possible 2005 opening is a Montreal hotel
where all the staffers are Cirque entertainers. Would you like a hand-
stand with your martini, Monsieur?
* * * * * *
CIRQUE SWINGS HIGH YET AGAIN IN VAREKAI
By: Robert Hurwitt | San Francisco Chronicle
November 11, 2002
The show went on Friday afternoon under the yellow-and-blue Grand
Chapiteau big-top of Cirque du Soleil. That had to be even more of a
relief for the producers and performers than for the audience that
arrived at the Pacific Bell Park parking lot during a lull in the
first big storm of the season -- and later would have to struggle
through heavy traffic to leave as hordes arrived for the Rolling
Stones concert in the stadium.
Thursday's opening of the Cirque's "Varekai" had been canceled due to
gale force winds. The wisdom and irony of that decision -- the first
such Cirque cancellation since '95 -- soon became clear. "Varekai"
begins with a lyrical evocation of the fall of Icarus (Russian
aerialist Anton Chelnokov) and the aerial rigging and catwalks,
integrated into the tent's structure, look too complex to warrant
taking chances.
Aerial acts make up a large part, though by no means all, of the
thrills in "Varekai." Wonder-inducing acrobatics, hand-balancing and
human catapulting provide the rest. But thrill is never the primary
reason to catch a Cirque du Soleil show. A seamless blend of skill and
imaginative eye-candy design, wrapped in pulsating music and a
semblance of a mystical-humorous story, is the hallmark of the group
that redefined high-end, new age circuses in the late '80s.
"Varekai" fills the bill pretty well. It isn't as magical as some of
the Montreal-based Cirque's earliest creations or the child's-dream of
"Quidam" seen here in '97. But it avoids the trap of preciousness the
Cirque has always been prone to, as well as the ponderous rock-
concert-gone-wrong flaws of "Dralion" two years ago.
Created by director Dominic Champagne, Cirque founder Guy Laliberte
and "director of creation" Andrew Watson -- with a host of designers -
- "Varekai" is a generally fast-paced, eye-pleasing, buoyant
entertainment that flies by almost too quickly (the 2 1/2-hour running
time includes a half-hour intermission). If the clowns aren't as funny
as in "Dralion," the less impressive acts aren't as oversold.
Eiko Ishioka's wildly creative form-fitting costumes -- a jungle of
insanely colorful half-human lizards and people with bulbs or
tentacles growing out of their heads -- form a visual feast against
the forest of bamboo poles and rickety, rain-forest-like catwalks (an
amazing set by Stephane Roy). Violaine Corradi's score -- brightly
played (if a tad over-amplified) by Michel Cyr's seven-piece ensemble
and hauntingly sung by Zara Tellander and Mathieu LaVoie -- is
eclectic, pulsating and generally charming, especially compared to her
relentless techno-wash score for "Dralion."
The story, such as it is, is pretty bogus. The loose concept has
something to do with Icarus falling into a jungle full of strange
creatures and surviving to fall in love with a gorgeous winged lizard
named Olga (Russia's Olga Pikhienko, who executes an awesome,
sinuously sensual act of hand- balancing and contortions). It's better
forgotten. Too much effort spent trying to figure out how the acts fit
into the plot only detracts from their impact.
Chelnokov is breathtaking in his aerial twists and turns in a net he
twists into a rope as he tumbles from great heights -- as are the
English aerial strap artists Andrew and Kevin Atherton, creating
angular statuesque poses as they spin high above the arena. Mexico's
Octavio Alegria juggles pins and soccer balls with impressive
dexterity and tops himself juggling Ping-Pong balls with his mouth and
turning straw hats into boomerangs.
A trio of Chinese boys -- He Bin, Li Siguang and Yang Junping --
execute amazing feats of tumbling while tossing whirling ropes with
metal balls at their ends. A quartet of beauties from England, Brazil
and Canada slide over one another and turn into human trapezes in
another aerial act.
There are some slow spots. An acrobatic dance on crutches (Vladimir
Ignatenkov of Russia) is underwhelming, as is a dull routine with
projections on a big cloth balloon by John Gilkey, formerly of the
Pickle Family Circus. Gilkey, who plays a gangly crackpot inventor
with weeds growing out of his pants, is much funnier in a number of
other routines. Riding a zany bicycle of parallel giant wheels, or
devising a madcap method of changing a lightbulb, he outclasses the
amusing, deft but uninspired clown routines of Claudio Carneiro and
Mooky Cornish.
Any such lapses are easily forgiven when the Cirque shifts into high
gear with the incredible dexterity of the international troupe of male
acrobats tossing and catching one another high in the air with their
feet -- or the astonishing Russian swings finale of men flying from
fast-swinging platforms to land on others' shoulders or catapult
themselves sprawling into canvas walls. "Varekai" isn't circus magic,
but it's mostly a treat.
# # #
That's all for in this issue, but there's still a little bit more!
o) Issue #174, JUL 2018 - Varekai, Part 2 (2003-2004)
o) Issue #175, AUG 2018 - Varekai, Part 3 (2005)
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 18,Number 6 (Issue #173) - June 2018
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (C)
2001-2018 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a
subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter
can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or
translated without the consent of the "Fascination! Newsletter." By
sending us correspondence, you give us permission (unless otherwise
noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without remuneration. All
submissions become the property of the "Fascination! Newsletter."
"Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way with Cirque du
Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are Copyright (C) and
are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil, Inc., All Rights
Reserved. No copyright infringement intended.
{ Jun.08.2018 }
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