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Fascination Issue 174
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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 7 July 2018 ISSUE #174
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Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque
du Soleil Newsletter.
* * * CIRQUE ACQUIRES VSTAR ENTERTAINMENT * * *
The addition of VStar Entertainment Group to its portfolio allows the
Montreal creative powerhouse to expand its audiences with plug-and-
play creative content specifically designed for children and families.
With its integrated live entertainment platform and broad global
distribution network in small theaters, the acquisition of VStar and
Cirque Dreams will contribute to further establishing Cirque du Soleil
Entertainment Group as the world leader in live entertainment for
audiences of all ages.
Building on the successful integration of Blue Man Group over the
last year, today we are taking another decisive step towards realizing
our ambition. While circus arts will always be at the core of our
creative offering, we continue to look for ways to expand and
diversify our portfolio with new forms of entertainment and new
brands, reaching new audiences and expanding our own creative and
production capabilities, said Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. VStar Entertainment Group has a
proven track record and recognized expertise in small theatrical
production, which complements Cirque du Soleils expertise in large-
scale production and global touring. We firmly believe the knowledge
transfer will help us develop our own capabilities in this type of
entertainment and therefore, contribute to growing our footprint in
the live entertainment production industry.
Read more about the VSTAR ACQUISITION within.
* * * CIRQUE ANNOUNCES BAZZAR FOR INDIA * * *
Cirque du Soleil announced the creation of a brand-new touring show,
BAZZAR, destined to open new markets and support the companys ambition
to become the global leader in live entertainment. With its creative
concept as much as its new format, BAZZAR pays tribute to the roots of
Cirque du Soleil for an authentic experience. The show will premiere in
India, a company first, before visiting Greece and various countries in
the Middle East.
After entertaining millions of people in sixty countries over the
years, there are few remaining markets we have yet to visit. BAZZAR
offers us new possibilities to introduce our brand. It enables us to
continue our international growth in markets that offer great potential
such as India and opens the door to exploring the African continent,
said Finn Taylor, Senior Vice-President, Touring Shows.
Read more about BAZZAR within.
* * * CIRQUE TO LAUNCH CREACTIVE FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS * * *
Cirque du Soleil is adding family entertainment centers to its
portfolio of creative projects. The company has developed an
innovative concept of indoor family entertainment experiences
specially designed for retail locations. The recreational centers will
offer a brand new immersive, creative and participative family
experience, where people can stretch their imagination, flex their
muscles, explore newfound circus skills, and take a bow on the virtual
Cirque du Soleil stage.
Our fans regularly express their wish to experience Cirque du Soleil
from an insiders perspective, to peek behind the curtain and imagine
themselves stepping into our artists shoes. With CREACTIVE, we make
that possible by inviting families to jump on stage, offering them
another way to explore our creativity beyond our live shows, says
Marie-Josée Lamy, Cirque du Soleil Producer of CREACTIVE.
Building on the success of Club Med CREACTIVE, currently offered at
Club Med locations in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and Opio, France,
the new indoor centers will be installed in premium immersive spaces
covering approximately 2200 m2 (24,000 square-feet). CREACTIVE will
offer a range of acrobatic, artistic and other Cirque du Soleil-
inspired recreational activities, such as bungee jumping, aerial
parkour, wire and trampolines, mask design, juggling, circus track
activities, dance and more.
This new creative venture fulfills an opportunity that arises from the
transformation of retail around the world, as developers are
increasingly looking to offer entertainment experiences that turn
malls into holistic destinations. As such, the company has partnered
with global real estate leader Ivanhoé Cambridge to launch its first
CREACTIVE indoor center in the world, a unique collaboration which
further consolidates the relationship between Cirque du Soleil and its
minority shareholder, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.
The first indoor CREACTIVE family entertainment center is planned to
open at Ivanhoé Cambridge's Vaughan Mills, located just north of
Toronto, in September 2019. The City of Vaughan is one of Canadas
fastest growing cities located in the heart of York Region and the
Greater Toronto Area. Cirque du Soleil is currently in discussions
with Ivanhoé Cambridge for additional locations in Canada, as well as
with other partners for international markets.
* * * NEW ROSÉ INSPIRED BY CIRQUE LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE * * *
Born out of a partnership between wine innovators Truett-Hurst Winery
and Wines That Rock, LLC, this Cirque du Soleil Rosé is another
example of the innovative and inspiring wine selections that
Albertsons Companies stores are best known for. Albertsons Companies
will carry the Cirque du Soleil Rosé in banner locations across the
United States, including Vons, Safeway, Albertsons, Tom Thumb, Jewel
Osco, Randalls, Shaws, and more.
We are pleased to have been presented with such an opportunity by
Truett-Hurst for our first wine release with this delightful rosé. At
Cirque du Soleil, we embrace those who audaciously want to do, try,
see and feel things differently, and this is one of the reasons why we
agreed to take on this adventure, said Jonathan Tétrault, President
and COO of Cirque du Soleil brand.
We pulled out all the stops and assembled a dream team for this
project. From our master winemakers in France, the luxurious glass
selected for the bottle, to our collaboration with the Cirque du
Soleil team on the elegant label, this project was a dream come true.
The innovative wine team at Albertsons Companies worked with us
closely throughout the project to make sure every detail was
perfected, and to ensure this rosé will be the go to wine of the
season, said Phil Hurst, Co-Founder, President and CEO of Truett-
Hurst Winery.
The limited-edition wine is available at Albertsons Companies stores
and suggested retail is $19.99. Read more about the wine within.
* * * MSC CRUISES ORDERS FIFTH MERAVIGLIA CLASS SHIP * * *
During a ceremony in Saint-Nazaire, France on June 14th, MSC Cruises
announced that it has signed an order with Saint-Nazaire (STX)
shipbuilders of France to build a new Meraviglia-class cruise ship to
be delivered in 2023. The ship will be the fifth in MSCs Meraviglia
and Meraviglia-Plus class, joining Meraviglia, Bellissima, Grandiosa,
and Virtuosa. It will come into service at 1,087 feet-long, just about
the same size as Meraviglia, and will be able to carry 4,816 guests at
double occupancy with 1,704 crew members. MSC expects to christen MSC
Bellissima in Southhampton on March 2, 2019, Grandiosa in Hamburg in
November 2019, and Virtuosa sometime in 2020. Cirque, through its 45
Degrees division, is partnered with MSC Cruises to provide exclusive
Cirque du Soleil-branded entertainment onboard these next-generation
ships. With Sonor and Vaggio performing on Meraviglia currently, and
six more under creation (two for each ship), it stands to reason that
Cirque du Soleil will extend their Cirque at Sea brand to this fifth
as-yet-named ship.
* * * LAST, BUT NOT LEAST * * *
The rest you'll find within our news section this month, but before I
go...
o) On June 19th, Zumanity celebrated its 7,000th performance.
o) On June 21st, Septimo Dia celebrated its 250th Performance.
o) On July 1st, DIVA made its debut in Andorra.
- Pictures: https://www.facebook.com/45degreescirquedusoleil/
posts/1588206887969290
- Video: https://www.facebook.com/45degreescirquedusoleil/
videos/1586928634763782/
o) On July 8th, Kurios said goodbye to Tokyo where more than
535,000 guests had seen the show in just five months!
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 > |
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\----------------------------------------------------/
- Ricky "Richasi" Russo
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CONTENTS
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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
* "We're Off and Running - A Series of Classic Critiques"
Part 15 of 16: Varekai, Part 2 (2003-2004)
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
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***************************************************************
LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights
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Las Vegas Strip stunner: BAZ shutting down July 29th
{Jun.14.2018}
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In Las Vegas production shows, financial numbers trump musical
numbers, every time.
The latest example of that entertainment-industry reality, Baz A
Musical Tour de Force is closing after its July 29 performance at The
Palazzo Theater.
Actors Equity Producer and General Manager Blair Farrington informed
the cast just prior to Tuesdays 8 p.m. performance.
Las Vegas needs more shows like Baz, unique and original shows that
can match the hotels brand standards, said Farrington, a veteran
Vegas producer who also produced the Show in the Sky at the Rio and
the splashy arrivals of Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani at Planet
Hollywood. We provided that, and the numbers have been quite good
lately. But in all these cases, the numbers need to stand on their
own, and ours didnt. At some point, it just comes down to business.
The decision to shut down the production was confirmed Tuesday night
by the propertys PR team. The statement said:
After a solid two-year run, Baz A Musical Tour de Force, will end
its run inside The Palazzo Theatre on July 29. From the very beginning
this show has been special to The Venetian and The Palazzo families.
Having won accolades in Las Vegas and national press alike, Baz
featured some of the best musical talent Las Vegas had ever seen.
We wish all of the shows performers the best of luck in future
endeavors. At this time there are no plans for a replacement.
The cast and crew are said to be devastated, blindsided by the
sudden news, which was handed down at the corporate level. The show
had been produced by, and financially sustained, by the property. A
stage adaptation of three Baz Luhrmann films (Romeo + Juliet,
Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby), the musical opened at Palazzo
under its original title of Baz Star Crossed Love on July 13,
2016.
The show had struggled to sell tickets in its first year, but business
did pick up after the show marked its first anniversary. The cast had
been eagerly anticipating the productions upcoming second anniversary
when the news came down tonight.
Also, Baz had just launched a new marketing campaign in May, and new
costume pieces had just been delivered to the performers, making the
decision even more unexpected.
In a tweet that might well have referred to the sad news, original
cast member Timyra Joi posted at 8:02 p.m., Hmmm. So funny how the
universe works.
Baz originally opened as a For The Record production out of Los
Angeles in June 2015, at Light nightclub at Mandalay Bay. The show
closed the following August as then-club owner and production partner
Cirque du Soleil moved completely out of the nightclub business.
Tuesday nights closing of Baz spells a second lancing of musical
theater on the Strip in less than a week. On Friday, Marilyn! The New
Musical at Paris Theater announced it would be shutting down after
Sundays performance. But unlike Baz, that production Marilyn!
intends to return to the stage on Sept. 4.
Irony further permeates the demise of Baz in relation to Marilyn!
That shows lead, Ruby Lewis (who also starred in the show at Light),
left Baz to take the Marilyn role in the show at Paris. Lewis is
also featured in Bazs the new ad campaign, the photos taken just
before she announced she was leaving the production.
And, Strip stage vet and renowned vocalist Randal Keith, who plays
Darryl Zanuck in Marilyn!, had just accepted the role of Zidler,
full-time, in Baz, where he had performed as swing for the
character. Keith had planned to seamlessly shift to the show at
Palazzo Theater after Marilyn! closed Sunday night. Keiths first
scheduled performance: July 28.
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal }
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Gran Canaria European HQ for 2019 Project
{Jun.15.2018}
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Cirque du Soleil chooses Gran Canaria as European headquarters for
2019 project is pleased to announce its partnership with ExpoMeloneras
to bring its shows to Meloneras Gran Canaria. The entertainment
company and the largest theatre producer in the world, based in
Montreal, announced yesterday that the island of Gran Canaria will be
the European headquarters for its latest run of scenic projects.
Cirque du Soleil chooses Gran Canaria as European headquarters for
2019 projects arrival on the south of Gran Canaria is the result of a
project that they and Expomeloneras have been working on for a year
and a half, and according to Cirque du Soleil chooses Gran Canaria as
European headquarters for 2019 project has also been possible thanks
to the support and collaboration of the City of San Bartolomé de
Tirajana, the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and the Government of the Canary
Islands .
Finn Taylor, Senior Vice President of Shows at Cirque du Soleil Tour
has declared: We are proud to announce our partnership with
ExpoMeloneras and confirm that Cirque du Soleil will bring its shows
under the White Big Top to one of the most visited coastal
destinations in Europe. Meloneras Gran Canaria is situated as a
first class tourist destination. It is the perfect location for our
shows, due to its good climate, its connectivity and its excellent
hotel offer.
The project is set to materialize with a first visit by the White Big
Top in 2019. The tour plan, the show and the exact dates are not yet
confirmed. They will be announced in coming months.
Among the various destinations analyzed, the land provided by
ExpoMeloneras, where the Big Top circus tent will be installed, has
been selected as the best location.
Gran Canaria, due to its excellent air connections with North and
Central Europe, is very much an international island. The tri-
continental geographic position of the Canary Islands, and its
privileged relationship with America, Africa and Europe, is to be a
strategic location base for Cirque du Soleil.
This will be the first such project, and if all goes well there will
be more.
{ SOURCE: The Canary News }
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Blue Man Group to Pay $3 Million+ to End Dispute
{Jun.16.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
Ian Pai always felt, he said, that he had played a core role in the
success of Blue Man Group, an avant-garde performance ensemble whose
members appear as bright blue characters and use unorthodox
instruments to create raw percussive music.
He had worked with the ensemble in its early days, he said, serving as
its music director for shows in several cities and helping to compose
some of its music, build sets and create the groups distinctive
instruments, constructed from PVC pipe.
But years after the groups ascendance, which included an Off Broadway
run of more than 20 years, a Grammy-nominated album and annual revenue
often estimated at $100 million, Mr. Pai said he had determined that
the payments he was receiving for what he termed his contributions of
musical compositions and creative work were not what he deserved.
So he sued in 2016, saying he felt betrayed by the groups founders.
Court records indicate that the suit has now been settled with an
agreement in which Blue Man Group will pay Mr. Pai more than $3
million to resolve his claims. As is common in lawsuit settlements,
neither side would discuss the specific monetary figure or other terms
of the agreement that was reached in April to end the case in New York
State Supreme Court.
A reference to the rough size of the payout was included in a separate
lawsuit filed by Blue Man Group against its insurance company,
Ironshore Indemnity, in an effort to force the company to contribute
to the settlement.
In his suit, Mr. Pai had initially sought $150 million in both
punitive and compensatory damages. The court dismissed some of his
initial claims, but the case ended quickly after Mr. Pai took the
stand to testify.
In response to a request for a comment, Blue Man Groups lawyer, Toby
Butterfield, said Friday it was happy to fully and finally resolve
Mr. Pais claims, which Blue Man Group disputed both factually and
legally from the outset.
Mr. Pais lawyer, Robert D. Piliero, also reacted favorably to the
outcome. Ian got to tell his story as the plaintiff, he said Friday.
The defendants, Blue Men, made an offer we could not refuse.
Blue Man Group achieved wide renown as a cultural institution and a
global brand beginning in the 1980s when the concept was hatched on
Manhattans Lower East Side. The groups success in New York spawned
shows in multiple cities, appearances on The Simpsons and wax figure
likenesses at Madame Tussauds in Times Square.
Compared by one critic to benevolent aliens perplexed, faintly
anxious and deliriously fond of making both music and a mess, Blue
Man Group came to be regarded as a must-see for tourists and a symbol
of New York, perhaps not quite on the order of the Circle Line or the
Rockettes, but a bit hipper.
The group was formed by three friends Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and
Chris Wink who came up with an idea for a surreal performance. They
began short sets with homemade props at alternative spaces downtown,
got their first reviews when they played at La MaMa and in 1991 moved
to their permanent home, the Astor Place Theater on Lafayette Street,
where they still perform today.
For three years, the original trio were the only Blue Men, performing
six days a week. But wanting to expand to other cities, they began
training other men (and a few women) for the job. So far there have
been more than 100. And cities like Las Vegas, Orlando, Boston and
Chicago have permanent Blue Man Group productions.
The groups New York real estate holdings include the building that
houses its theater, a rehearsal space and video editing suite, and a
recording studio and instrument creation lab.
Mr. Pai, whose lawsuit identified him as a painter, a classically
trained pianist and a dancer who had performed at Lincoln Center, was
closely associated with members of Blue Man Group in its early days.
He said that he helped compose many of the shows wordless songs and
came to view the original members as friends, joining them on
vacations and attending one of their weddings.
Although he had received hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties
over the years, he said he discovered in 2014 that he had been paid an
amount, 1 percent of the box office, that was far below the industry
standard for what he viewed as his level of contributions.
Though the specific monetary figure has not been revealed, Blue Man
Group said in its court papers in the separate insurance case that it
had agreed to pay an amount greater than the policy limits of
$3,000,000.
The insurance case is continuing. Blue Man Group argues in its
complaint that its insurer, Ironshore, initially would not extend
coverage, saying that Mr. Pais suit echoed claims he had made in a
2014 letter that had not been reported to the insurance company at the
time.
Later, the insurer agreed to pick up 70 percent of the cost of Blue
Man Groups defense, but only a small portion of the settlement
figures under discussion at the time.
A lawyer for the insurance company did not respond to a request for
comment.
{ SOURCE: New York Times }
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Cirque du Soleil Rosé Tasting Notes
{Jun.18.2018}
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The creation of this premium Rosé de Provence required a lot of
savoir-faire. Inspired by the infinite elegance of water, biodiversity
of soil, the mistral wind that keeps the vineyards dry, and the raging
emotions of the sun, grapes are transformed into a poetic ballet of
sublime joy. Like Cirque du Soleil shows, this inspiring wine from the
south of France provides pleasure and celebration, and takes us on an
unexpected journey that lives in the moment but lasts in our memories.
Cirque du Soleil Rosé is a joyous feast for the senses. Cirque du
Soleil embraces those who audaciously want to try, see and feel things
differently. As makers of joy, curiosity and because ordinary just
wont do, this Cirque du Soleil Rosé inspires people to celebrate the
moment, keep life spontaneous and escape the mundane.
Provence is located in the south of France in an area rich in history
and renowned for producing some of the worlds most elegant Rosés.
Winemakers from this region have a combined respect of the terroir and
climate with a desire to produce approachable and fine wines. Bottler
Hostellerie des Vins De Rognes is nestled outside the small town of
Rognes, 15 km north of Aix-en-Provence. The terroir is composed of
limestone clay soil and is blessed with a gentle Mediterranean
climate. Grapes are harvested during the cool hours at night and then
rushed to the winery where they are de-stemmed, crushed and then
chilled to preserve the fresh aromatics.
APPELLATION: Provence
COMPOSITION : Grenache 70%, Cinsault 20%, Syrah 10%
ALCOHOL: 13.0% by vol.
RS: Dry 0.5 g/l
COLOR: Pale Pink
AROMAS: Citrus and floral
FLAVOR: Mixed summer berries and citrus
BODY: Light
This delightful Rosé is a delicate, charmingly pale and shiny pink
rose in the glass with beguiling aromas of small red fruits, giving
way to a beautiful floral range of flavors. This light-bodied wine is
delicate and supple, velvety and fresh with slightly fruity notes
leading to a crisp and refreshing finish. It is revelry in a bottle!
For more information visit cirquedusoleilwine.com.
{ SOURCE: Wines That Rock, LLC }
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Cirque Announces BAZZAR for India
{Jun.21.2018}
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In its continual quest to conquer new markets and support an ambition
to become the global leader in live entertainment, Montreal-based
Cirque du Soleil is set to bring a show to India for the first time in
its 34-year-history. Executives from the company announced on
Thursday, June 21st at Cirque's sprawling headquarters in St-Michel,
that its newest show - BAZZAR - will have its world première in
Mumbai and then play New Delhi this fall with runs in Greece and
various countries in the Middle East.
There are no plans to bring the show to Montreal for a commercial run,
but all concerned did comment: Never say never. However, a rough,
unfinished version will run in Montreal in July, under the Big Top at
Cirque's HQ. If you are a member of the Cirque Club, which is free to
join, you will have a chance to win tickets to see the preview
performance. Some media will also be invited.
"After entertaining millions of people in sixty countries over the
years, there are few remaining markets we have yet to visit. BAZZAR
offers us new possibilities to introduce our brand. It enables us to
continue our international growth in markets that offer great
potential such as India and opens the door to exploring the African
continent, said Finn Taylor, Senior Vice-President, Touring Shows.
One of my big roles over the last almost 20 years has been to take
the shows to wherever weve not gone before. Last year we opened China
and we brought Kooza, our Big Top show, [there], which is obviously
one of the other big markets we werent touring. So we decided we
wanted to tackle India, that we wanted to get a footprint in the
market now, so we can start developing it further as we move through
the next few years.
The company will also return to a more intimate Big Top similar to the
one used in its early years. This new nimble format will allow BAZZAR
to tour with a lighter infrastructure, thus widening its options for
site location (and cost savings of up to 50% over an average touring
Cirque show). Those limitations mean that the performance has been
scaled down too. A typical Cirque big-top touring show tent has a 51-
meter diameter. This one will stretch only 41 meters. About 60 to 70
performers and technicians will put on the show, far fewer than the
usual 100 to 110. And the audience will be more intimate too, at 1,500
people versus the typical 2,500.
Ticket prices will be lower in India compared to the Cirque shows in
North America. Taylor notes that the average ticket price in India for
Hollywood movies is around US$3; ticket prices for the Cirque show
will be about US$45 half what they would cost in a normal western
market. I think the opportunity for us is enormous with Bazzar, said
Taylor. Indias economy is growing year after year. So we wanted to
get in now to be able to establish our brand, to get in early before
everyone else comes and be able to set a footprint.
It remains to be seen whether that price point will stick. With its
population of 1.2 billion people, India has become a major exporter of
information technology services and outsourcing work. But its per
capita income remains below the world average. India is one of those
last big frontiers, Mr. Taylor said. Even if we dont make money the
first year, its worth us going to be able to establish a very
lucrative market in the long run.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Bazzar tells the story of a troupe of acrobats, dancers and musicians
who are creating a show; its a bit of a homage to the early days of
the Cirque du Soleil. Where did Cirque start from? was my main
inspiration, said Susan Gaudreau, the shows director and the person
who came up with the original storyline. I thought about this group
of artists and I thought about (Cirque founders) Guy Laliberté and
Gilles Ste-Croix and how they all got together in the original Big Top
and just would create. I wanted to watch a troupe of artists create
something and the audience would follow them through the creative
process.
The show includes nods to Cirque du Soleil founders Guy Laliberté and
Gilles Ste-Croix, such as fire breathing and stilt walking. They are
combined with impressive scenography, remarkable aesthetics, live
music and acrobatic feats; all of which are key features of a Cirque
du Soleil show. Creating a show specifically to introduce Cirque du
Soleil to a totally new audience is a creative challenge. It pushes
our creators to find our essence and articulate it in a way that is
universally understandable. With its story centered on the creative
process itself and the energy found in the unexpected, BAZZAR shines a
light on what is uniquely Cirque du Soleil," added Gaudreau.
The show is said to be an eclectic lab of infinite creativity where a
joyful troupe of acrobats, dancers and musicians craft an awe-
inspiring spectacle. Lead by their maestro, they band together to
invent a whimsical one-of-a-kind universe. In a place where the
unexpected is expected, the colourful group reimagines, rebuilds and
reinvents vibrant scenes in an artistic, acrobatic game of order and
disorder. Come and claim your place amidst this marketplace of
merriment and creative camaraderie. You just might find that the end
of the story is really only the beginning!
TOUR PLAN
The plan is to take BAZZAR to a number of smaller countries in the
Middle East and then to the space-constrained Greek islands of
Santorini and Mykonos, followed by a return to India next year. After
that, in 2020, Cirque is currently in talks with stakeholders in
Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, and South Africa to bring BAZZAR to the
African continent. The Indian run this fall is one month in Mumbai and
one month in New Delhi.
BAZZAR is Cirque du Soleils 43rd original production since 1984.
Facebook: facebook.com/BAZZAR
Twitter: @Cirque #BAZZAR
Instagram: cirquedusoleil #BAZZAR
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil, Montreal Gazette, The Globe and Mail }
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One Drop Partners w/Contemporary Artists To Raise $15M
{Jun.22.2018}
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In an exclusive collaboration with the Sprüth Magers gallery, and
under the direction of renowned curator and critic Philipp Kaiser, Art
for One Drop will kick off Phillips fall sale season on September 21.
Fifty of some of the most recognized and admired artists worldwide
have graciously donated works of art to the auction, including: Tracey
Emin, David Hammons, Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer, Ugo Rondinone, Kara
Walker, Sarah Lucas, Ed Clark, Jennifer Guidi, Nicolas Party and many
more.
Established in 2007 by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, the One
Drop foundation has 13 active water access projects in Latin America,
Africa and India that will reach over 1.3 million beneficiaries once
completed. But providing access to safe water is only the first step.
One Drops unique approach to international development is
intrinsically linked to the arts, leveraging its knowledge from Cirque
du Soleil in the creation of Social Art for Behavior Change programs.
These locally-inspired social art activities such as theater, murals,
videos and exhibitions foster positive behavior change that empowers
communities to take ownership of the projects over time.
Access to safe water is one of the most important ways to support the
development of communities around the world and Phillips is honored to
work with One Drop on this important auction, said Edward Dolman,
Chief Executive Officer of Phillips. We are truly grateful for the
outpouring of generosity we have seen from some of the most important
artists working today. The works of art they have donated have never
been offered at auction and we are confident that they will bring
additional awareness to this vital initiative.
Benefiting safe water projects in Latin America
The funds raised on September 21 at Phillips for Art for One Drop will
benefit One Drops life-changing work in Latin America, namely through
its Lazos de Agua program centered on Social Art for Behaviour Change
that will help transform the lives of more than 200,000 people in
Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia and Paraguay, through
sustainable access to safe water and sanitation.
With the Art for One Drop charity auction, incredibly generous
artists, art dealers, galleries, art advisors and Phillips are joining
us to say out loud that we need and want to change the world in a bold
and positive way, said One Drop founder Guy Laliberté. 2.1 billion
people worldwide lack safe drinking water at home. We are coming
together to continue reducing that staggering number. Seeing this
ambitious project come to life has further propelled my passion for
art and my belief that art, in its many forms, can be a strong
catalyst for change.
Art for One Drop will be held on Friday, September 21, 2018 at 6pm at
450 Park Avenue in New York City. For more information visit:
www.artforonedrop.org.
{ SOURCE: Look to the Stars }
-------------------------------------------------------
45 DEGREES Wins Two Applied Arts Magazine Awards!
{Jun.29.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
45 DEGREES has won not one but two Applied Arts Magazine Awards.
The first, in the category of "Craft Motion/Animation - Series" is for
the video content created and produced for Helene Fischer's LIVE
2017/2018 Tour.
The video content designed for Helene Fischer, one of Germanys the
most acclaimed pop artist, was inspired by time. The semi-circular
screen lends itself to the initial images of a stylized clock. The
objective was for the video content to play an integral part of the
story by creating a customized series of video clips using innovative
in-camera effects, each equally bold and refined and holding a unique
beauty on their own.
45 DEGREES / Cirque du Soleil in collaboration with 4U2C and Baillat
Studio Executive Creation Director: Daniel Fortin Creative Director:
Patricia Tremblay Stage Director and Writer: Mukhtar Omar Sharif
Mukhtar Executive Producer: Olivier Goulet Video Content Designer:
Jean-Sébastien Baillat Chief Executive Producer: Yasmine Khalil
Executive Production Director: Patrice Poulin Project Director: Lydia
Brown Assistant Director: Manuel Bissonnette Artistic Coordinator:
Marc-André Goulet Production Director: Jan Mylle Technical Director:
Ian Donald Project Manager: Alexe Mercille-Gagné Motion Graphics
Artist: David Baril, Maxime Boisseau Programmer: Hugo Ralet Associate
Creative Director: Andréanne Dumont Shooting and Director of
Photography: Davai Senior Marketing Director: Céline Payelle
LINK /// < https://www.appliedartsmag.com/winners_gallery/design/?
id=204&year=2018&clip=1 >
The second, in the category of "Poster - Series" for their presence at
the 2018 Bal du MAC.
The objective was to create a series of posters for an immersive
experience that invites guests to delve into a universe under
permanent surveillance inspired by George Orwell's dystopian novel,
1984. They were designed to support the propaganda campaign, using
evocative symbols of censorship and surveillance to create a strong
visual identity, sometimes inspired by the aesthetics of prison bars
in the most literal sense, and sometimes by the dehumanization that
such a system represents.
45 DEGREES / Cirque du Soleil Chief Executive Producer: Yasmine Khalil
Executive Creation Director: Daniel Fortin Creative Director: Frank
Helpin, Patricia Tremblay Art Director: ÉMilie Lagacé Design Director:
ÉMilie Lagacé Illustrator: Filip Hodas Senior Marketing Director:
Céline Payelle Account Manager: Myriam Jean-Baptiste
LINK /// < https://www.appliedartsmag.com/winners_gallery/design/?
id=264&year=2018&clip=1 >
{ SOURCE: 45 Degrees, Applied Arts Magazine }
-------------------------------------------------------
Cirque Acquires VStar Entertainment & Cirque Dreams
{Jul.05.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
VStar Entertainment Group is a live entertainment provider producing
theatrical shows, exhibits, cruise ship shows and outdoor events.
VStar is best known for its children and family shows showcasing
popular brands from Nickelodeon and Spin Master, such as PAW Patrol.
Over nearly four decades, it has built an impressive footprint in the
global entertainment industry, presenting over 39,000 performances in
more than 40 countries, reaching over two million guests annually. On
its own, PAW Patrol Live Race to the Rescue toured in 250 cities in
18 countries on 4 different continents in 2017.
VStar has a history of growing through partnerships with great
entertainment brands and we are always on the lookout for the next
transformative opportunity. We now find ourselves on the brink of our
next chapter and only a global producer like Cirque du Soleil could
help us achieve our vision. Their expertise in the live entertainment
industry is unparalleled and it is an honour to join forces with their
organization, said Eric Grilly, CEO of VStar Entertainment Group.
Cirque Dreams, founded by Broadway Director Neil Goldberg and
established in Florida, is the entertainment groups circus arts
division which successfully produces and operates tours and shows in
theatres and various popular touristic venues through partnerships
with Norwegian Cruise Line and Gaylord Hotels, among other business to
business opportunities. I have always admired the creative forces
behind Cirque du Soleil and could not wish for a better partner to
continue developing Cirque Dreams. I look forward to contributing my
creative mindset to the companys evolution, added Cirque Dreams
President Neil Goldberg.
DIVERSIFYING THE PORTFOLIO
--------------------------
Lamarre said Cirque Dreams expertise in the production of shows in
theatres and tourism hot spots will help broaden the Cirque du
Soleils portfolio. The Cirque sells about 13 million tickets a
year, Lamarre said. Our acquisitions since last year have added
another four million to our sales.
While terms were not disclosed, Mr. Lamarre said the transaction is
worth several million dollars.
The deal puts Cirque du Soleil in third place in the live
entertainment industry after Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and
Anschutz Entertainment Group Inc. as the circus arts company seeks to
diversify its production and expand globally. Which, in terms of
position, is great because we think there is room for someone to
consolidate the live entertainment market, Lamarre said. And were
seeing ourselves as that consolidator.
And the Cirque hasnt finished diversifying.
We have an amazing distribution machine, touring in 450 cities around
the world with each show that we develop, he said. This distribution
machine can distribute more than just Cirque. We want to be able to be
in a market for as long as possible. Thats why were looking for
shows that are different from the ones we currently have in our
portfolio.
Cirque du Soleil is already one of the worlds biggest live
entertainment producers, offering shows in 450 cities every year, and
Lamarre says the Blue Man Group has increased its international
presence thanks to the backing of the Cirque distribution network. He
believes the same thing will happen with the VStar properties.
Its a new era because our new owners have the resources that help us
accelerate our growth. Our strategy is very clear to develop more
and more new markets around the world and also at the same time to
bring new artistic content, which is all good news for Montreal
because were creating jobs and you have an organization based here
that is growing at a rapid pace that makes it exciting for all of our
employees, including myself. For our artists, it means more creative
challenges.
For us, its clearly an entry into the world of childrens shows.
Obviously, a lot of families are coming to Cirque du Soleil shows, but
we have never targeted kids specifically and with VStar, thats their
specialty. They have an amazing partnership with Nickelodeon
the
most popular property is PAW Patrol. I didnt know that much about it
until I spoke to my grandkids. Its a huge franchise for kids. So we
think there is great potential with them and with their kids
expertise to expand all the kids properties we can acquire together
and distribute internationally. My grandkids love it, so I will be a
hero with my grandkids when I tell them.
VStars Cirque Dreams is specialized in the tourist business, with
cruise shows and productions at Gaylord Hotels and in small theatres
across the U.S. With this diversification, some fear the Cirque may
stray from its main mandate of producing artsy circus shows, but that
is not the case, Lamarre says.
We are going to produce more Cirque du Soleil shows than ever
before, Lamarre said. So the core business remains a very important
development axe of our business. We have a lot going on in China, we
have new shows in development. The mandate we have from our new owners
is to become the global leader of live entertainment and in order to
do that, if you dont want to put too much pressure on the core
business, its by adding other types of content to acquire new
audiences.
The Cirque used to produce one new show a year, which meant they
usually had two new shows in the pipeline at any given time. Now the
circus is producing three new shows a year, which means they have
about 10 productions in different phases of development now.
WHO IS VSTAR?
-------------
VStar Entertainment Group is a leading entertainment company and
producer of unforgettable live experiences for audiences in the U.S.
and internationally. From concept through activation, VStar imagines
and creates custom tours featuring original content, and licensed,
branded tours that provide highly engaging entertainment for fans of
all ages. With nearly four decades of expertise in all aspects of
event production and management, VStar delivers turnkey, in-house
solutions for theatrical shows, interactive exhibits and brand
activations. VStar also creates custom-fabricated mascots and
costumes, large-scale sets, scenery and 3-D installations, serving as
a valued resource for professional sports teams, Fortune 500 companies
and experiential marketing agencies. Headquartered in Minneapolis,
VStar has presented more than 39,000 live performances across 40
countries, and entertains nearly two million guests annually. Current
VStar tours include PAW Patrol Live! Bubble Guppies Live, Cirque
Dreams and Discover the Dinosaurs: Time Trek. Previous VStar (formerly
VEE Corporation) productions include Sesame Street Live, Barney, Bear
in the Big Blue House, Curious George, Dragon Tales, and Kidz Bop
Live! For more information, visit www.vstarentertainment.com.
WHO IS CIRQUE DREAMS?
---------------------
Since 1993, Cirque Dreams has integrated a robust knowledge platform
combining theatre, circus arts and imagination into quality family
entertainment and shows for Broadway, Norwegian Cruise Line, Gaylord
Hotels, Armed Forces Entertainment, theatre tours, theme parks,
casinos and venues worldwide. Popular titles include Cirque Dreams
Jungle Fantasy, Cirque Dreams Holidaze and Cirque Dreams Unwrapped.
For more information, visit www.cirqueproductions.com.
Interestingly, in December 1999, Cirque du Soleil sued Florida-based
Cirque Inc. in federal court accusing the company of trademark
infringement, trademark dilution and unfair competition practices.
Cirque du Soleils claim was that Cirque Inc.s productions were too
similar and confused patrons by using the moniker Cirque. Cirque
Inc. disagreed with this view, arguing that Cirque, which means
circus in French, was a generic term and therefore not subject to
trademark. The motion brought by Cirque du Soleil was denied and the
court therefore ruled that Cirque du Soleil could not lay claim to the
term Cirque, which the company felt had become synonymous with its
brand and a protectable trademark. Cirque du Soleil appealed that
decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco in April
2004, but Cirque du Soleil lost the appeal. And now, fifteen years
later, they own the company they once sued.
{ SOURCES: Cirque du Soleil, PRNewswire, Globe and Mail, Montreal
Gazette, Bloomberg, Deadline }
***************************************************************
Q&A -- Quick Chats & Press Interviews
***************************************************************
-------------------------------------------------------
All The Vegas Podcast: Brandon Pereyda of Zumanity
{Jun.26.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
Brandon Pereyda is a rare being in the Vegas entertainment scene, a
born-and-raised Las Vegas native who performs in one of the most
perennially popular production shows on the Strip. A self-trained
aerialist, Pereyda has contributed one of the most thrilling acts in
Cirque du Soleils Zumanity for almost 10 years now, flying above
the stage and over the bewildered audience from his customized chain
apparatus. Its sexy and daring and beyond memorable, and for Pereyda,
its still as intense as the very first time he took the Cirque stage.
Its still something I have to prepare for mentally for a couple
hours every day and I still get nervous every single time, he says.
But once I drop in its like this second persona kicks in, this
rockstar inside of me just comes out and Im like, okay, here we go.
Then its over before I remember. Its like being shot out of a
cannon.
We also talk with Brandon about growing up in Las Vegas at Palo Verde
and Centennial high schools, dropping out of college to join
Chippendales, breaking into the generational world of the circus arts,
getting tied into knots while perfecting his first tissu act, getting
the call from Cirque while pumping gas, the ever-present element of
danger that comes with being an aerialist and much more.
LISTEN/WATCH HERE:
< https://youtu.be/8hX49LBA4pQ >
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Weekly }
-------------------------------------------------------
Eleni Uranis: A Cabinet of Subconscious Curiosities
{Jun.28.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
The big top passed through Portland, Ore., last year with Cirque du
Soleils Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities. One of the first things you
notice about Kurios steampunky design is its centerpiece. A clock is
positioned up high, visible for all to see. Auspiciously set to 11:11,
it doesnt take long to realize, as the show gets going, that time has
stopped and we have been transported. According to a few
numerologists, 11:11 is a significant moment because it gives you
access to the mysteries of the universe and the deepest parts of who
you are and what is true. It is synchronistican opportunity to
reflect and focus on your highest potential. The Kurios universe
quickly becomes an amusement park for the senses.
The Victorian fantasy realm of Kurios (with some cues taken from Fritz
Langs 1927 science-fiction movie Metropolis) slowly comes into focus
and you begin to see where the subconscious mind intersects the
conscious mind, where an elaborate, fanciful dream becomes realityor
parallel reality as Cirque is so adept at creating. The industrial
looking stage is overtaken by a host of gadgets and thingamajigs like
flying machines, oddly shaped musical instruments and a gramophone,
along with provocative characters wandering about a laboratory: Klara
the Telegraph of the Invisible, The Curiosistanians, The Kurios robot,
Nico the handyman, The Seeker, Mr. Microcosmos and Mini Lili. All of
whom are festooned in dreamy costumes and tantalizing make-up.
Which brings us to the shows make-up artist, Eleni Uranis. Kurios
marks Uranis seventh show as make-up artist with Cirque, having
started with the company in 1989 as assistant costume designer. It was
in 2004 when she joined Cirques make-up workshop, and saw her ideas
spring to life in Dralion. And in 2005, Uranis designed the make-up
for Reflections in Blue, the show Cirque produced for the opening
ceremonies of the 11th FINA World Aquatic Championships.
The creative process is long, Uranis says. It takes about two years
to develop a concept. And I arrive six to eight months before opening.
I work closely with the director and costume designer. Before
designing the make-up, however, Uranis explains that she needs to see
the face of the performer who will wear the make-up. I do three or
four tests of the make-up, she adds, before locking down a design.
Kurios has a large cast of 44, which is typical of a Cirque du Soleil
show. Once Uranis and the director have agreed on the right look for
the show, she begins to train all performers in technique and
application of the make-up design. Most of the acrobats, she says,
unless they have worked with Cirque before, do not have experience
applying make-up. So, its a lengthy teaching process that involves
two additional assistants, to ensure the performers know how to be
precise and nuanced when executing the design. Once the make-up is
approved, Uranis takes photos so the performer(s) can practice. They
can use the image(s) to refer to until they have perfected the make-up
application themselves, which takes about an hour.
Kurios, which takes place in a wacky Fellini-esque universe that
somehow feels like our own, but with an abstract magical flare and,
one could argue, expanded impression of consciousness. And part of the
challenge, according to Uranis, was to keep the characters human but
invoking a feeling of something different in each of them, of a world
that is both familiar and foreign simultaneously. The other challenges
with Cirque shows (and Kurios is no different) are two-fold. One is to
make sure the character make-up can be seen and has impact from far
away, according to Uranis. The biggest thing that changes are the
shapes and detail, Uranis says of playing large venues. Distance
will change those. Another is that she likes to have a deep
understanding of the psychology behind each character. I need to
invent stories about the character(s). The (performer) and I need to
have an understanding of their psychology. Delving into a characters
feelings and thought processes gives Uranis a roadmap to the overall
design and color palette she chooses. When I design something, she
says, I try not to do whats been done before.
As the lights dim and the Kurios macrocosm unfolds, Uranis skill and
passion for make-up and theatricality help sweep the audience into an
upside down world full of invention and new perceptions, where time
ceases to exist and anything is possible.
{ SOURCE: Make-up Magazine }
-------------------------------------------------------
Joey Arrigo brings Waz to life in VOLTA
{Jun.30.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
The amazingly flexible and insanely acrobatic artists of Cirque Du
Soleil are known to be experts at their artistry. But what brought
them to the Cirque family is exciting. Michael Cook from Out in Jersey
sat down with Joey Arrigo, who portrays Waz in the latest Cirque Du
Soleil production Volta. It kicks off at the Philadelphia Expo Center
on July 12, 2018. He and Arrigo chatted about what its like playing
Waz in Volta, how dancing can truly make you shine, and why everyone
should learn to accept their own proverbial blue feathers.
Q. You are playing the role of Waz in Cirque Du Soleils Volta. Tell
me about your path to this role.
My path to this role was a big one. It kind of came at me at a time in
my life where I was using the character development of Waz in Volta
kind-of at the same time. The overall theme of our show is self-
acceptance and self-love. Waz is a character who needs to feel that
within himself. He needs to accept every bit of himself and love
himself for who he is. That is when we can really free our spirit. I
feel that it really came at a time in my own life where I could use
this character to use lessons in my own life. It was a big moment for
both myself and for Volta all together. I feel a lot of us in the show
took this message and it inspired us to create the show that we have
today.
Q. For you personally, it sounds like the role of Waz came at truly
the perfect time.
Absolutely. I feel that it came as a really great push for me
artistically to be able to create a character, and to perform a
character, who is not strong, right from the beginning. The character
kind of digs deep within himself and explores that vulnerable side.
Showing vulnerability is a really big step towards gaining power. I
think that really shows a great journey for someone who is broken
down. It builds themselves up, back to strength. As many main
characters of movies, stage and shows, they go on that journey. And
that is what really brings an audience member in. Its relatable.
Everyone can learn something and be inspired by Wazs story. Whatever
their metaphorical blue hair is, Waz has his blue feathers that he is
insecure about. Everyone has their blue feathers that they themselves
are insecure about. Everyone wants to free themselves, and learn to
love themselves.
Q. As a performer, what do you think your own blue feathers are?
As a performer-so many things. I will say that over years of
performing, I have gotten rid of many insecurities in my life. Now
after this long life of performing, I dont have a ton of things that
I am insecure about. I have learned to really take myself seriously as
an artist and a performer. And I share exactly that with my audience
every single day. I think as we grow up and learn about who we are, we
sometimes question choices we make artistically and choices we make
personally. It is all about coming together with those things. I would
not say that I am really insecure about anything with myself anymore.
And I think that is why I am able to tell this story. There are no
real scripts with me. Its definitely what you see is what you get.
Its all out on display for everyone.
Q. Were you always a fan of the Cirque du Soleil shows before joining
the company?
When I was five years old, my parents had one of Cirque Du Soleils
first shows, titled Nouvelle Experience on VHS. I think it was their
show from the mid to late 80s. Watching it in my living room I was
already inspired. I knew what Cirque Du Soleil was, and I loved that
they brought the energy of the circus to almost the feeling of a
Broadway show. They brought so much heart to the circus and things
that make people so happy and love so much. I always knew that one day
I wanted to be a part of this show at some point in my life. There was
a clown on this VHS tape. And as a five year old I had no idea what
was going on. I just knew that he was very entertaining. Sixteen years
later and I get a call from Cirque to join Kooza. And I went to
Europe, starting in Vienna Austria. The night of my first show my
artistic director told us good luck, and dont be nervous. He said
the creator of the show is here tonight. I was obviously nervous. But
all went well and I had a fantastic evening, and a great show. The
creator of Kooza, David Shiner, came back stage and I put two and two
together. He was the clown from the VHS tape in my living room all
those years ago. I got to be in his show. I said when I was five years
old, I wanted to be in that, and I was. It is everything that I wanted
and more.
Q. What is it like being such a big a part of Volta?
I hold the responsibility very high on my shoulders to be a part of
this show, as well as to be one of the characters. Being a part of
Kooza, before this, I was able to honor what is a traditional Cirque
Du Soleil show. It was full of traditional circus art and kind of
followed the theme of what traditional Cirque Du Soleil can bring to
someone; a magical world full of acrobatics that stun you and it feels
like a traditional circus. Coming into Volta we are doing the exact
opposite. We are taking a story line that is extremely modern day and
relatable to our audience, rather than a mystical magical world that
people have come to expect from Cirque. We felt that it was now time
to give them something real. To be a part of that adventure and almost
that lift of trying something new. It was super adrenaline pinching
for us all during the entire creation. Ialso hold the responsibility
high on my shoulders.
Q. So, is it fair to say that Volta is not just story based. Its also
character based?
Our show is story based. And it is about how much we can relate to our
audience and how much our audience can take away. That relies on me
and how I am expressing not only Wazs feelings, but also my own.
Because they do parallel so much. Its an emotional journey every time
I get on stage, and a different one at that every day. I am very proud
to be a part of this show. Our show has gone through so many things
when it comes to the side of creation. We have reinvented it so many
times, even in the past year. I have loved being a part of that
process. Knowing what works and what did not work. And knowing the
potential that this show has for a very long run in the future.
Q. This is not the first large production you have been a part of. You
worked with Mia Michaels on So You Think You Can Dance right?
I did! That was actually one of my first jobs. I got very lucky that I
had a connection through a friend-of-a-friend who said that Mia
Michaels needed an assistant. Mia and I began our relationship when I
was sixteen. And I worked with her on and off through the next five
years until I joined Cirque. Mia was probably one of the people who
inspired me the most. She made me view dance in a real way for the
first time. I think as a child growing up as a dancer, it's all about
learning your left foot from your right. And then you learn your
bodys awareness and figuring out this instrument that you are growing
into. Not only are you learning about the body you have, but you are
learning about the body you are growing with. As you gain your adult
body, you move differently and dance differently. Your experiences
have been different. Mia was the first person who taught me how to
take my life, and how I feel, and bring that into a very structured
technique of dancing and to make it art. Her influence on the art that
I do will stay with me forever. I think she is brilliant and any
dancer would be lucky to work with her.
Q. So, Mia taught you not just dancing, but about life?
Your spirit, your soul is what is going to let you shine as a dancer.
As cliché as some of those words can be, she also would use the term
that you body is just your earth suit. This is the suit that I inhabit
right now. But my soul is something that is way stronger than that.
Dancing from your soul, and giving from your soul, is what is going to
make you shine, and make you an individual. It will make you, you.
Q. If you had to look five years down the line, where do you want to
see your career go?
I feel like I am standing here with many roads in front of me for the
next five years. This company allows you to dream so big. Because I
have been a part of this creation for so long I know what it takes to
create a show with this company. Im interested in seeing it from the
other side and looking at it from a directors point of view. I have so
many opinions when it comes to the look and the aesthetic of our show.
And I look at the overall feel of what our audience is going to take
away. That is how I see myself at some point in my life in a
directors position no matter where that may be. I have also thought
about stepping into a choreographers role. Ive done a lot of
choreography for myself, which is very different than doing it for
other people. Dancers or acrobats that dont have a dance background,
and making them look fantastic through that is different. A lot of my
choreography comes from competitive dance studios that compete all
over the country. I have done a lot of work with that. A big dream is
to take the company that I have already worked for, and love, and put
my magic on these stages. That is two of two thousand places I see
myself going.
Q. There are so many little boys that may be coming to the show that
want to be dancers, and have not told their parents or feel
comfortable expressing that. If you could tell those little boys
that want to be a performer, like you are, what would you tell
them?
I am 26-years-old now! It was not that long ago that I was that little
boy. It was only about 22 years ago. I grew up in a time where I dealt
with a little bit of bullying or backlash from people who did not
understand what I wanted to do, or where I wanted to take my life.
That all circles around to self-acceptance and self-love. The naive
nature of being a child just really allows us to do that. We naturally
follow our hearts. If our heart is beating strong enough for
something, we just go for it. No matter what the implications or what
people will say or think. We know that this is something that is going
to make us happy. If it is something that you really really love, you
have to do that. Follow your heart. I never understood anyone who got
themselves into a situation, or a life, or a job that they did not
love. Our time on earth is limited. And you are only going to be that
ten year old dreaming little boy once. You are only going to be 16
once. And you are only going to be in your twenties, one time. Do it
the right way. If you have a passion and something is filling your
heart and sparking your interest, take it! Slap it on the head and run
with it because it can be all yours.
{ SOURCE: Out in Jersey }
=======================================================================
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:
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:
Changsha, CN -- Jun 29, 2018 Aug 19, 2018
Kurios:
Osaka, JP -- Jul 26, 2018 to Oct 29, 2018
Nagoya, JP -- Nov 22, 2018 to Jan 27, 2019
Fukuoka, JP -- Feb 15, 2019 to Mar 31, 2019
Sendai, JP -- Apr 19, 2019 to May 29, 2019
Luzia:
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
Houston, TX -- Jan/Feb 2019
Orlando, FL (WDW) -- Mar/Apr 2019
Totem:
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:
Oaks, PA -- Jul 12, 2018 to Aug 5, 2018
Seattle, WA -- Sep 7, 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:
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
Prague, CZ -- May 31, 2018 to Jun 2, 2019
Munich, DE -- Jun 5, 2019 to Jun 9, 2019
OVO:
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:
Cordoba, AR -- Jul 27, 2018 to Jul 29, 2018
Mar del Plata, AR -- Aug 3, 2018 to Aug 5, 2018
Rosario, AR -- Aug 17, 2018 to Aug 19, 2018
Buenos Aires, AR -- Aug 31, 2018 to Sep 9, 2018 (FIN)
CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE:
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:
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 Monday, Nov. 26, 2018
o Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018
2018 Dark Dates:
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 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 11 - 25min Lower Body w/ Mystère Performer {Jun.13}
In Episode #11, discover Kristina Ivanova's fitness routine. She
is our artist from Mystère and we will follow her full body
workout led by Artemis Scantalides, Cirque du Soleil Performance
Conditioning Specialist. Exercises: Crocodile Breathing, Quad
Stretching, Hands and Knees Rocking, Cat Cow Tilt, Hip Rocks,
Half Kneeling, Goblet Squats, Hip Hinges, Hanging Leg Raise,
L-Sit, Floor Leg Raise, Kettlebell Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift,
Wall Assisted Handstand Hold, Side Lunges, Side Planks, Box
Jumps, Kettlebell Swings, Single Leg Squats, Lateral Skater Jumps
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/xHsOzIgO68I >
o) EPISODE 12 - Work Out & Train Like a Cirque Performer {Jun.20}
In Episode #12, discover Pierre Cottin's fitness routine. He is
our Aerial Specialist from "O" and we will follow his full body
workout led by Artemis Scantalides, Cirque du Soleil Performance
Conditioning Specialist. Exercises: Diaphragmatic Breathing, Head
Nods, Egg rolls, Cat Cow Tilt, Hip Rocks, Arm Circles, Pilates
Glute Bridges, Floor Hollow Pull, Side Planks, Relaxed Hangs,
Active Hangs, Hollow Hangs, Pull Ups, Hanging Leg Raises, Hand
Walkouts, Wall-Assisted Handstands, Kettlebell Carries
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/5mS6AdcSSHE >
*) MUSIC VIDEO w/LYRICS
o) KÀ - "O Makundé" {Jun.12}
Solo
Kunda o makundé
Oupo djire
Choeur
Umma kunda o makundé
Solo
Kunda o makundé
Toumido djoure
Choeur
Umma kunda o makundé
Solo
Tamali yet matsura
Choeur
Si koudali yet matsure
Ounde
Solo
Tamali yet ma
Choeur
Si koudali yet matsure
Tutti
Kunda o makundé
Oupo djire
Umma kunda o makundé
Kunda o makundé
Oupo djire
Umma kunda o makundé
Kunda o makundé
Oupo djire
Umma kunda o makundé
Tamali yet matsura
Si koudali yet matsure
OUNDE
Tamali yet ma
Si koudali yet matsure
Solo
Tamali yet matsura
Si koudali yet matsure
Ounde
Tamali yet mat
Si koudali yet matsure
Tamali yet mat
Koudali o makundé
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/8ijsLo3yj_k >
o) VOLTA - "To The Stars" {Jun.19}
Leaving the city
Playing with the key
Possibility
There's no one else but me
No one else but me, here
Leaving the city
I've been to the bay
Turning off the dark men
Falling for my new sun
I'm leaving you the cold
I'm burning up the grey
I'm leaving you the cold
And I'm sending you a sign
Mm-
Mm-
Mm-
Mm-
Something has changed within me
Nothing will ever be the same
I'm done playing with logic
Of someone Else's game
Leaving the city
Floating over the bay
Turning off the dark moon
Falling for my new sun
I'm leaving you the Cold
I'm burning up the grey
I'm leaving you the cold
And I'm sending you a sign
Oh-
Oh-
Woah-
Oh-
Hey Oh-
Hey Oh-
Oh-
Oh
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/ss8JPR9o_cI >
o) Zumanity - "Meditation" {Jun.26}
Love is beautiful, fierce, and strong.
An insatiable, all-consuming fire. A lion pacing
on the red hot embers of desire. Love is
a thirst thats never quenched, a sacred
flame that cant be drenched by icy showers
of sobriety or a society strangled by
notions of propriety.
So what kind of love is this, this love that
dares not speak its name? This love that
hangs its head in shame? Is this so-called
love even worthy of its name?
True love doesnt lie, it doesnt hide, and it
will never be denied the right to sing
its furious song in the sad, empty streets
from dusk til dawn. Love laughs at fear
and cries out its name for all to hear.
Love is beautiful, fierce and loud.
But most of all, love is PROUD.
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/-wmtxGRCd_0 >
o) Alegría - "Vai Vedrai" {Jul.03}
Vai
Vai bambino vai vedrai
Vai
Vai piccino vai vedrai vai
Vedrai
Dove mancha la fortuna
Non si va piu con il cuore
Ma coi piedi sulla luna oh mio fanciullo
Vedrai
Vai vedrai che un sorriso
Nasconde spesso un gran dolore
Vai vedrai, follia dell uomo
Follia
Del uomo senza driturra vai
Follia
Dei guerrieri senza paura vai
Follia
Dell bambino pien di vita
che giocando al paradiso
Dall soldato fu ucciso mio fanciullo
Lovai
Vai vedrai che un sorriso
Nasconde spesso un gran dolore
Vai vedrai follia dell uomo
Follia
Vai vedrai che un sorriso
Nasconde spesso un gran dolore
Vai vedrai follia dell uomo
Lovai
Vai vedrai che un sorriso
Nasconde spesso un gran dolore
Vai vedrai follia dell uomo
Vai
Vai bambino vai vedrai
Vai
Vai piccino vai vedrai vai
Vedrai
Dove mancha la fortuna
Non si va piu con il cuore
Ma coi piedi sulla luna oh mio fanciullo
Vedrai
Vai vedrai che un sorriso
Nasconde spesso un gran dolore
Vai vedrai, follia dell uomo
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/SSYlGMgGZgw >
---------------------------------------------------
VIDEOS: Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds
---------------------------------------------------
o) New 2018 Show Trailers
- Corteo: < https://youtu.be/FaSQeX3HJzw >
- Amaluna: < https://youtu.be/rBpkHsLsDRM >
- LOVE: < https://youtu.be/hIJZAfyRlD4 >
o) Cirque du Soleil's Happy 34th Birthday Video
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/t4R4cVWiuW4 >
o) Cirque Celebrates World Music Day
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/9DmaQR8PeVI >
o) Behind the Scenes with CRYSTAL
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/4q76r1yA2cY >
o) From Dance to CIRCUS: In Residence with Edgar Zendejas
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/-a50PGTzaK8 >
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
o) "We're Off and Running - A Series of Classic Critiques"
Part 15 of 16: Varekai, Part 2 (2003-2004)
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
------------------------------------------------------------
"We're Off and Running - A Series of Classic Critiques"
Part 15 of 16: Varekai, Part 2 (2003-2004)
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
------------------------------------------------------------
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 second year.
# # #
CIRQUE'S NEWEST TOURING SHOW DESCENDS ON GEORGIA
By: Julie Phillips Jordan | Athens Banner-Herald
March 1, 2003
Cirque du Soleil shows seem effortless. Performers glide through the
air, climb, balance, juggle, dance and contort their bodies with
fluidity and grace, awing the audience. The Montreal-based Cirque du
Soleil was formed in 1984, and exclusively uses human performers in
its shows, creating through their acrobatics a world where virtually
anything is possible.
The road to creating this seeming effortlessness is part of the job of
Michael Montanaro, choreographer for Cirque's latest touring show,
"Varekai," which opens at the Grand Chapiteau at Cumberland Galleria
in Atlanta on March 6 and runs through April 6.
Having spent much of his career as a dance choreographer, Montanaro
said in a recent interview he's found it challenging to bring together
the different acrobatic elements of a Cirque du Soleil show. "My
responsibility is to connect everything together, so in some sense,
each piece fits within the context of what the director wants,"
Montanaro said.
In the case of "Varekai," director and writer Dominic Champagne
created a story based on the mythical figure of Icarus, whose wings
fashioned of wax and feathers melted when he flew too close to the
sun. The character of Icarus in "Varekai" is played by Russian artist
Anton Chelnokov, who performs dives and contortions in a net that
holds him captive following his descent to earth.
There's much more to the show, though, and while the plot ultimately
remains somewhat artistically abstract, Montanaro said the challenge
is linking the many different performance acts together. "Varekai"
performers run the gamut, from the Acrobatic Pas de Deux - a blend of
ballet and acrobatics between two performers, to Aerial Straps, in
which two "flyers" are suspended by wrist straps and glide above the
stage in a synchronized aerial dance.
There's also body skating, where artists create the illusion of
skating on a slick surface; Georgian Dance, in which performers from
the Republic of Georgia perform their traditional dances, recalling
their countrymen's struggle to dominate their land; handbalancing on
canes, showing off the strength and flexibility of Russian artist Olga
Pikhienko as she contorts and balances herself atop canes; Russian
swings in which acrobats are propelled into the air and caught by
their partners; juggling; triple trapeze and more.
"We have a team of designers, too, all working on the many different
aspects of the show, so it's hard, in the end, to say who came up with
what - it's such a collaborative effort," Montanaro said of the
overall show.
Montanaro said his work in contemporary dance prepared him for his
role with Cirque. And when he got the call in 2001 that he'd been
invited to work with the world-famous Cirque du Soleil, "I was
ecstatic," he said with a laugh. "A chance to be a part of the
creative team for a company with such a world-class reputation, and
for redefining the circus arts, I was just amazed."
Among the acts in "Varekai," is body skating in which the performers
use graceful movement to create the illusion of skating. Other acts
include aerial straps, triple trapeze, juggling, Georgian dance,
Russian swings and more. He added, though, that he was a little
overwhelmed at first. "I spoke to some other people who'd been with
Cirque, and they said the best thing to do is for the first couple of
months, just sit and watch. ... And even now, every time I see it -
even after working on the show and putting it together - I'm still as
amazed as I was the first time."
Carmen Ruest agreed. Working in the casting department as a talent
scout, Ruest searches for performers for the organization's shows.
Currently there are eight different Cirque du Soleil shows in
production; five of those are touring productions while three are on
permanent location - "Mystere" and "O" in Las Vegas and "La Nouba" at
Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. "Every year there's about 25
percent replacement, and there's also always a new show in creation,
so it's a great deal of work," Ruest said.
Having been with the casting department full time for eight years,
she's seen it grow from a department of five to 31, which has helped
ease the load a bit. Still, she said, there's the challenge of travel
- trying to get to all corners of the globe at any given time to check
out performers. "But," she said, "it's all worth it. Because when you
see a show, there's something magical about it, something that makes
you believe that everything is possible. I believe that myself," she
said.
* * * * * *
VAREKAI WOWS WITH VISUAL WONDERS
By: Joseph Jeong | Georgia Tech
March 14, 2003
"The circus is in town, the circus is in town, but this is not your
father's circus anymore!" If Cirque du Soleil wanted to use a cliché
slogan, that could be it. But Cirque du Soleil is anything but trite,
hence it doesn't have to resort to using gimmicky catch phrases to
capture its audience. Its colorful and extravagant acts do that well
enough without any help from marketing.
The latest production by Cirque du Soleil is called Varekai
(pronounced ver-ay-'kie), which means "wherever" in the Roman language
of the gypsies. Written and directed by Dominic Champagne, Varekai is
the story of a young man Icarus, who falls from the sky and finds
himself in the extraordinary world of Varekai, a place deep within a
forest, at the summit of a volcano, where the extraordinary can be
ordinary. It is here that Icarus discovers a whole new world of
possibilities and even love.
Varekai is an extravagant and colorful experience that pushes not just
Icarus' mind to the limits, but also the audience's. The moment one
enters the trademark blue and yellow Grand Chapiteau, it is as if one
is transported to a whole new world of color, sound and even physics.
Amazing acrobatics defy gravity, while the color and sound assault
one's senses to their limits in the world of Varekai.
Varekai is split into 15 acts, seven before the intermission and eight
after, and it is bookended by the two best acts: "Flight of Icarus"
and "Russian Swings." "Flight of Icarus" is a subdued opening act that
introduces the protagonist. It is a stunning display of aerial
acrobatics that depicts the fall of Icarus from the heavens. "Russian
Swings" is, of course, a more vibrant and colorful finale that
celebrates the rebirth of Icarus in the world of Varekai, but its
aerial acrobatics are just as breathtaking and amazing.
If you have never been to a Cirque du Soleil performance, you should
try to catch this unique act before it leaves town. It's an experience
worth the price of admission and then some.
* * * * * *
WHAT'S NEW UNDER THE ELEPHANT-FREE BIG TOP
By: Bruce Webermay | New York Times
May 1, 2003
Cirque du Soleil, which has turned an original mix of performance
elements into an international entertainment franchise, is back in New
York with its latest show. Called "Varekai," which, according to a
program note, means "Wherever" in the Gypsy language, Romany, it has
set up a literal camp under colorful circus tents at Randalls Island
Park in the East River, where it will remain through June 22.
The new show, on a three-year tour, is one of eight different Cirque
du Soleil extravaganzas currently touring or planted in Las Vegas and
Orlando, Fla. By now the company's signature is set in stone, and
"Varekai" follows the formula. It's a collage of choreography and
circus arts, flamboyant costuming and set design, world music and New
Age spirit. Though the level of artistry is high as ever, there is
undoubtedly a staleness infecting the show as a whole. Dervishlike
Georgian dancers, an adolescent Asian trio of bola jugglers; a
menagerie of posing trapeze artists: at one point the man sitting
beside me mumbled, "I think I saw some of this 30 years ago on 'Ed
Sullivan.' " Though that's a little harsh (not to mention off by a
decade), the point is well taken.
As usual there is supposed to be a theme invoked or a story told by
the show -- Dominic Champagne, the director, also gets credit as the
writer -- though also as usual the narrative so hazy as to be
inconsequential. The best guess here is that "Varekai" involves an
innocent young fellow's arrival in a strange land, where he comes of
age and eventually finds love. In the opening act the young man, in
white (Anton Chelnokov), descends from the rafters swathed in a
fisherman's net; the effect is not unlike that of Jane Krakowski's
entrance in "Nine," though Mr. Chelnokov's dazzling and gorgeous
midair solo is considerably more acrobatic if nowhere near as
salacious.
The final scene is a wedding of sorts, with gymnasts launching
themselves from violently rocking swings into the seeming
stratosphere, all in celebration of the nuptials of Mr. Chelnokov and
his lady, Olga Pikhienko, an impossibly flexible young woman whose
specialty is supporting herself with one hand, balancing on a cane
upside down.
In between, there is a variety show that includes a couple of pairs of
clowns. One pair -- Claudio Carneiro and Mooky Cornish -- is very
funny, especially in a routine in which the trim Mr. Carneiro plays a
mediocre magician and the heavyweight Ms. Cornish, in a short purple
teddy, his clumsy assistant. There is also a fine and amusing juggler
(Octavio Alegria).
"Varekai" is generally at its best when it treats gravity with
indifference. An aerial bungee cord ballet is performed with
spectacular daredevilry by two brothers, Andrew and Kevin Atherton,
whose physiques, costumes and embraces nonetheless give the
breathtaking act a suggestive homoerotic charge. There is, however,
show-offy repetition in almost everything, and there is hardly an act
in "Varekai" -- which is, at two and a half hours, itself too long --
that wouldn't benefit from being trimmed by a couple of minutes.
Stéphane Roy's set, with tall spiky stilts spread across the rear of
the stage, suggests a forest of bamboo, or a louse's-eye view of a
porcupine's hide. It's dramatically lighted of course in other-worldy
fashion, by François Bergeron; and the costumes by Eiko Ishioka,
mostly made out of latex for the sake of the gymnasts, complete an
environment that is part Middle Earth, part outer space and part
superhero comic book. The eclectic music, written by Violaine Corradi
and played very loudly by an eight-piece orchestra, is of the
pretentious sort that testifies to its own magnificence and encourages
spectators to roar in response.
* * * * * *
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: VAREKAI
By: Barbara and Scott Siegal | Theater Mania
May 1, 2003
No matter what anybody tells you, there is no story to follow in
Cirque du Soleil's new show, Varekai. There is a theme, which is
flight, or at least man's intrepid efforts to leave this earth however
briefly. But trust us: The only narrative in this show is the one that
you make up in your own head. Still, as a collection of acts that
genuinely defy gravity, the show is utterly mesmerizing. And except
for one decidedly unfunny clown with foliage growing out of his pants,
almost every act is original, exciting, and unforgettable.
In other words, Cirque du Soleil is back. If you know what the troupe
does, and if you know that you love it, then all you need to be told
is where the hell it's taking place. Seriously, when was the last time
you went to Randall's Island Park in the East River? One wonders how
they came up with this location, but people are getting there: The
tent was packed the night we saw the show, and the run of Varekai has
already been extended for an extra nine performances through June 22.
For those of you who don't know much about Cirque du Soleil, let's
start with the name -- translation, "Circus of the Sun." It's
appropriate in the sense that this is one extremely hot circus. And
while it may not have three rings like Ringling Bros. and Barnum &
Bailey, what the Cirque people do is so special and so popular that
the real ring here is the one at the cash register.
People will pony up to see a circus without circus animals because the
human animal is by far the most trainable -- and the most willing to
risk his or her neck for a meal. Lord knows, no other animal would be
so foolhardy as to attempt some of the dangerous stunts in this show.
For example, there's Anton Chenokov performing stunts high up in the
air without a net. Well, that's not entirely true; he does have a net
but it isn't beneath him. He hangs from it! Yes, all of his
spectacular mid-air acrobatics take place in and around a man-sized
piece of netting. The act is called "Flight of Icarus" but might as
well be called "Net Profit."
Olga Pikhienko uses her hands to balance herself, upside down, on
canes -- and that's just the premise of her act. Where she takes it
from there will leave you slack-jawed in amazement. Most of the acts
in Cirque du Soleil will cause you to ask yourself what possessed
these people to learn such peculiar stunts. Yet there is something
totally liberating about an act called The Russian Swings, whose
members catapult themselves high up into the air where they hit huge
pieces of cloth or canvas and then come sliding back down to earth.
It's absolutely joyful to watch, and it sure looks like fun.
Among the other particularly breathtaking acts are two brothers who do
their stunts hanging and swinging from straps on their wrists. There
is a very impressive juggler and two whirling-dervish types who end
their act with a thousand-mile-a-minute swordfight of clanging blades
and shields. And, happily, there is another clown who does a hilarious
bit of searching for a wandering spotlight while he aptly sings "Ne me
quitte pas" (translation: "Don't leave me").
The show was written and directed by Dominic Champagne. Need we tell
you that it bubbles? Champagne should toast his collaborators: Eiko
Ishioka designed the costumes for this kaleidoscope in which all of
the performers are clad in colorful, oftentimes playfully nutty
outfits. Stephane Roy devised a set that has the look of an ultra-
modern forest. Nol van Genuchten designed lighting that ranges from
the intensely atmospheric to the spectacular; the tent is invaded by
what seems like swarms upon swarms of fireflies during one sequence,
and the effect is stunning.
One caveat: In order to cram as many people as possible into the
Cirque tent, the seats are so narrow that they're downright
uncomfortable. We may be among the shortest, smallest-boned (dare we
say thin?) critics in New York, but even we felt like sardines. Of
course, this won't be a problem for small children, and we should note
that the sightlines are great; each row is a step up behind the one in
front. But adults should bring a spatula and a lot of butter to get
themselves into their seats.
We are told that, in the language of the gypsies, "varekai" means
"wherever." Dominic Champagne may have one idea of what that has to do
with this show, but we think it means that "wherever" Cirque du Soleil
puts up its tent -- even on Randall's Island -- audiences will follow.
* * * * * *
CIRQUE TOUJOURS!
By: Richard Corliss | TIME
June 12, 2003
The chasm couldn't be wider between those who love Cirque du Soleil
and those who love to hate it. In any discussion (argument, fistfight,
Gulf War III) about the Montreal-based circus, there's no DMZ. I'd
call the rival groups the Cirques and the Squares except that the
anti-Cirque faction has claimed the hip ground. For them, Cirque du
Soleil is just a pretentious name for a pretentious circus troupe too
chintzy to pay for animals.
On the white painted face of it, the Cirque-haters have a few points.
Who is uncomfortable mocking mimes? Who wants to see the strutting of
street performers you would flee from if they performed on your
street? Who enjoys the threat of being yanked from the anonymous
discomfort of a wooden seat to be the butt of a clown's slapstick
raillery? Who hopes that all this medieval merriment will be encased
in two hours of New Age music? And who is ready to pay $95 a ticket
for the privilege? The expected antiphonal response: "Nobody" times
five.
Many savvy folks of my acquaintance would rather endure a colonoscopy
supervised by Michael Moore humming Reba McIntire songs than attend
the new Cirque extravaganza "Varekai" (now playing on Randall's Island
in New York City), or read about the show in their own magazine. I not
only know these people; I work for some of them. So, humbly, I defer
to their worldly wisdom.
And fervently, I say they're wrong. Not simply because I'm the
official Cirque du Soleil reviewer for TIME magazine, but because each
of the debating points can be concisely and conclusively rebutted. To
wit:
The lack of animals? No loss: humans are easier to train, and they
come potty-trained; they only thing missing here is the stench of
elephant dung. The mimes and clowns? They consume maybe 15 mins. of a
two-and-a-half-hour show; and in "Varekai" two of the three clown
spots provide inspired comedy. The audience participation? Should you
be chosen, you'll be spared the humiliation that would be your lot on
any TV show no Simon Cowell will sneer your efforts into
embarrassment. The world music? It evokes a world of music, from
Ladysmith Black Mambazo to "Hava Na Gila," but it's really just the
pumping pulse to the acrobatic artistry awaiting you. The price? It's
about the same as for a Broadway musical, and kids get in for 30%
less. (Their enraptured thanks should cover the cost.) As for the
seats: if your butt isn't cushion enough, bring a pillow.
I can understand the resistance of my cooler friends to the Cirque
trappings, though to me the forest tones of "Varekai" have their own
humid enchantment. But beneath Cirque is a circus, a demonstration of
acrobatic skill and sorcery: humans doing, 10 times a week, what most
humans can't do. Viewers who fail to be impressed, moved by the
performers' dedication, their strength and finesse, are beyond blasé.
They're emotionally inert. (Except, of course, for my friends and
employers at TIME. They have unusually high standards.)
Some of you don't need my badgering, since more than 6 million people
have seen a Cirque du Soleil show. And if you don't live near one of
the 10 cities where "Varekai" will be playing this year or next, tune
in to the Bravo network Saturday (the 14th) for a TV version of the
show. It's preceded by a half-dozen Cirque specials, which give you a
hint of the wonder that Guy Laliberté and his alchemists have been
manufacturing for nearly 20 years. But just a hint: the TV shows don't
come close to capturing the in-person Cirque sensation. You can't lock
magic in a box.
GYPSY IN THEIR SOULS
Each Cirque show has a different, often arcane name, to match the hazy
twists of the "plot" that binds the show's dozen acts. "Varekai" has
no such obscurantist aims. Andrew Watson, the writer-director, spells
it out in the press notes and house program. The word "Varekai" means
"wherever" in the Romany language appropriate for the theatrical and
circus gypsies who have come from all over the globe to Montreal, only
to wander across North America for the show's three-year run.
Here's the story line (which seems translated, sometimes poetically,
sometimes whimsically, from the French): "Deep within a forest, at the
summit of a volcano, exists an extraordinary world a world where
something else is possible. A world called 'Varekai.' From the sky
falls a solitary young man, and the story of 'Varekai' begins.
Parachuted into the shadows of a magical forest, a kaleidoscopic world
populated by fantastical creatures, this young man sets off on an
adventure both absurd and extraordinary. On this day at the edge of
time, in this place of all possibilities, begins an inspired
incantation to life rediscovered."
The show comes to life, slowly, gradually, like a jungle dawn. A dozen
creatures (members of the company, costumed by renowned Japanese
artist Eiko Ishioka) prance or creep across the verdant stage. (The
scenic designer is Stéphane Roy.) A half-dozen others clamber halfway
up the tall bamboo shoots. Somnambulist images take shape, suggesting
the paintings of Magritte and Bosch, the stately stagescapes of Robert
Wilson. This is the circus, not of your memory but of your artistic
bachelor uncle's dreams.
In this Rousseau reverie are a myriad of forest denizens, animal,
vegetable and that one human. Five creatures seem an amalgam of
species: they walk on stilt-stalks. Another keeps time with an
invisible paddleball. A beige bird walks carefully, as if hunters
might capture and crate it at any moment. And then the boy appears,
wrapped or rapt in a suspended net, a bas-relief painting against the
living mural of the forest's residents. This is a place of illusions,
false perspectives, trap doors; performers execute their dazzling
routines, then disappear into holes that suddenly open on the stage
floor.
As I said, it's a circus at heart with stunts that suspend all laws
of geometry, physics and credulity. Who dreams up these murderously
tough muscle ballets? For example, a two-man routine in the first act:
I'll lie on my back and stick my feet up. You jump up onto my feet
and, using them as a platform, do 32 somersaults and landing on your
feet, and mine, each time. The "water meteor" trio that follows has
three Chinese boys (none older than 13, and all looking years younger)
twirling large yoyos, sort of, on a kind of jump rope; for the climax,
one boy holds the other two while the degree of difficulty accelerates
to the googol power. (Then they vanish into holes.)
I say, "Send in the clowns," and you ask to be excused. But thin, sad-
faced Claudio Carniero (from Brazil) has an easy gift for playing the
incompetent impresario, and his assistant, pudgy blond Mooky Cornish
from Canada, makes for a fine foil and out-smarter. In the first act
Carniero drags a spectator into a ramshackle magic routine and makes
him disappear, never quite managing to hide him behind the cheap
curtain. (At the end of the routine, Cornish tries diving down one of
the stage holes but gets stuck.) In Act II he is a torch singer, lip-
synching the Jacques Brel ballad "Ne me quitte pas" while trying to
stay in the range of a very slippery spotlight. His ruses become more
elaborate, more desperate, crescendoing to a lovely capper: that the
spotlight has been controlled, "Duck Amuck"-style, by Mooky. An
interlude of beautifully calibrated silliness.
I've left out the most gorgeous, soaring pieces of "Varekai." Some
things have to be experienced, and if poetry is what's lost in
translation, Cirque is what beggars description. Another warning: In
this synopsis, I may have got a few of the details wrong. Truth is, at
a Cirque performance I sometimes forget to take notes. Under the blue
and yellow tent I misplace my pencil and my critical scruples. For two
hours I become a kid, gaping up at miracles of physical strength and
elasticity, splendors of stagecraft. I envy the young children who see
"Varekai." Like "the Lion King" on Broadway and "Finding Nemo" in the
plexes, it is the perfect introduction to the empyrean of popular art
the wisest gift a parent could bestow.
MY NORTH AMERICAN IDOLS
The tone of much critical discourse in matters of popular culture is
indulgent derision. TV reviewers join the rest of America in watching
the weekly trudge of reality TV contestants the idiot daredevils,
quavering singers, annoying tykes, the people who are shocked that
their neighbor has made a botch of renovating their rec room and
profess to find some nugget of entertainment truth beyond the ken of
professional writers and actors. (Cirque had its own fling into
docudrama, a Bravo series, "The Fire Within," that followed several
Cirque hopefuls through the arduous audition process. Just say it
wasn't the company's finest half-hour.)
I can't summon even an awful fascination for these adventures in
condescension. I watch a TV show or movie, go to a show, listen to
music, to discover something smarter, funnier, more sublime than I
could imagine creating. Stupid, boring, embarrassing: those I can do
on my own. Call me old-fashioned, but I want what Jean Cocteau
demanded of a work of art. Astonish me!
Cirque du Soleil does just that, year after year, in every new show.
Some more than others: none of Cirque's tent spectacles matches
"Mystere" and "O," the permanent productions at the Treasure Island
and Bellagio resorts in Las Vegas. I wrote it two years ago, and I
still believe it: those are the two great theatrical experiences of
the past decade. (And on Aug. 14th, a new show, the sexy "Zumanity,"
will open at Vegas' New York New York hotel.) But if "Varekai" is
dwarfed by the Vegas epiphanies, it towers over most films, Broadway
shows and even the finals of "American Idol." It has an otherworldly
grace and magnificence that, after two viewings, still astonishes me.
Skeptical New Yorkers, you have until July 6 to prove me wrong.
Chicago (July 17 to Aug. 17), Los Angeles (Sept. 12 to Oct. 5) and
Pomona (Dec. 4 to 28), you're next. Take the Cirque challenge,
wherever. I warrant that any suspicions you bring to the tent will
dissolve in the radiance. And when someone asks you to name all the
things wrong with "Varekai," you'll be as quiet as a ... mime.
* * * * * *
VAREKAI WHIPS AUDIENCE INTO FRENZY
By: Chris Jones | Chicago Tribune
July 21, 2003
The Cirque du Soleil has morphed from a cool little Canadian circus
aimed at arty hipsters to a long-lived mainstream entertainment brand
with annual revenues in excess of $500 million and a slew of copy-cat
pretenders to its throne. And yet this remarkable operation somehow
manages to constantly reinvent itself and thrill Cirque neophytes and
veterans alike.
"Varekai," the newest tented attraction to arrive in Chicago, departs
from the Cirque's dominant aesthetic over the years. And those first
attracted to Cirque's dreamy brand of surrealisme may miss some of the
quiet thoughtfulness of such gorgeous early shows as "Nouvelle
Experience." But times change --and quicken. "Varekai" is a loud,
dazzling and thoroughly beguiling family show that whipped its
opening-night audience into a veritable frenzy.
One can tell "Varekai" is the work of a troupe now rooted in Las
Vegas. Even the clowns eschew noses and oversize clothing in favor of
a fabulous cabaret deconstruction performed to "Ne Me Quitte Pas." If
the roots of "Saltimbanco" were street performers, the roots of
"Varekai" are in grand, inter-disciplinary spectacle with a huge
budget. Given the number of people who have already seen its long-
running shows in custom-designed Vegas facilities, Cirque knew that
the tent pole has to be raised to a new level of high-tech energy. And
"Varekai" delivers.
But look closely at this show and you can see the influence of the
Blue Man Group (not coincidentally, also a Vegas fixture). The show
catches fire early in the first act with Icarian Games. At first, the
act looks like a highly skilled but conventional fusion of human
catapults and catchers. But the performers stare at each other (and
the audience) with such emotional intensity that one's investment in
their acrobatic routine turns into an emotional engagement. When they
wobble or stumble, one's ready to leap up there and swoop the guys up
in a protective embrace.
Then just when the crowd has become a collective emotional wreck,
Cirque trots out a trio of impossibly shrimpy guys who whirl ropes
with metal "meteors" attached to their ends as if they were Dickensian
urchins trying to get out of the workhouse.
"Varekai" plays around evocatively with the story of Icarus and is
suffused with notions of wings, danger and flight. The backdrop is a
series of long poles, evoking everything from grassy reeds to stilts.
But the great strength of this remarkable piece of entertainment is
the quality of its acts.
In a circus review, that may sound like a statement of the obvious.
But at Cirque, the acts are only a minor part of the overall equation
-- Cirque likes to create unifying (if oblique) narratives that
emphasize its house performers in their whimsical costumes. Usually,
those visuals dominate the experience. Longtime attendees at this
circus tend to have favorites (mine remains Franco Dragone's "Mystere"
in Vegas). But it's very much a matter of individual taste, depending
on which metaphors one finds most resonant.
I've preferred other visuals to those that infuse "Varekai." But never
has Cirque toured a collection of acts like this one. Juggler Octavio
Alegria manipulates objects with remarkable dexterity. And a dazzling
Russian act in the finale involving two moving swings and a pair of
massive white sheets is the most thrilling of mobile spectacles.
Cirque has moved with the times. But it still maintains its one
inviolate and brilliant rule -- no overt references to any pop-culture
icon outside of itself. And it keeps the omnipresent metaphor that has
sustained it all these years: the act of watching. You can find weird
spectators in every corner of le big top -- staring and marveling,
willing one to do the same.
* * * * * *
A CIRQUE-ULAR JOURNEY IN VAREKAI
By: Evan Henerson | LA Times
September 11, 2003
We could try to explain Cirque du Soleil's "Varekai" ... but then we'd
have to bewilder you. Still, if you insist ...
"It's about brotherhood and, I would say, transmutation," says
composer Violaine Corradi. "You will see there is a love story between
the myth of Icarus - our Icarus - and a caterpillar."
Uh-huh, OK. Would-be aviators of Greek mythology and insects. Got it.
How about you, Dominic Champagne. You're the director - perhaps you
can enlighten us further? There's this blue and yellow big top outside
that arena where the Lakers play their home games. What precisely is
going on inside?
"The fall of Icarus is the starting inspiration," says Champagne,
referring to the myth of the young boy who fashioned a pair of wax
wings and then flew too close to the sun. "It's quite beautiful, the
idea that the closer you get to the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of
Eden, the closer you get to the light, you're facing also the danger
of being burned. That type of lesson you can apply to many different
levels of your personal experience.
"I don't think we can explain everything or keep the knowledge of
things in little drawers or cans where everything is totally
understandable."
That's Cirque du Soleil for you. Try a little surrealism with your
gravity-defying acrobatics. And bring the kids.
By now, nobody should expect lion-taming, trick horses or human
cannonballs from Cirque du Soleil, the Montreal-based company whose
product - many would argue - is a circus in name only. More than 15
years after the company opened the Los Angeles Festival - and with
eight Cirque shows in circulation around the globe from Japan to Las
Vegas - the Cirque is back in Los Angeles.
Featuring more than 50 nationalities from more than a dozen countries,
"Varekai" opens Friday at Staples before moving on to the Pomona
Fairplex and the Orange County Fair and Exposition Center in early
2004. L.A. is the show's eighth stop.
Expect no animals in "Varekai," which premiered in April 2002. Several
acts are inspired by traditional elements of circus performance,
including juggling, trapeze artistry and the Icarian games (aka humans
beings juggling other humans on their feet). Yes, there are clowns:
Claudio Carneiro and Kathleen "Mookie" Cornish playing a pair of
hopeful ushers who desperately want to join the act, performing every
cliched possible circus act ... badly.
For "Varekai" (pronounced Veray-kie, the word means "wherever" in the
Romany language of the Gypsies), Champagne and director of creation
Andrew Watson assembled an entirely new creative team. Champagne hails
from the world of theater, costume designer Eiko Ishioka is an Oscar-
winning film costumer. Corradi has scored films and set the works of
several Quebec poets to music.
"There's an inherent risk-taking in bringing in a different creative
team. That's huge," says Watson, who was a trapeze acrobat with Cirque
du Soleil before moving behind the scenes. "When you're working with a
lot of people, some of whom you don't know, some of whom have never
been in Cirque before, you have to be very accepting of other people's
processes. It's a circus show, and we never pretend it's not a circus
show," he continues. "The most important thing is to create a show
that has its own identity."
And precisely what kind of an identity will "Varekai" have? Well, the
show is set within a forest at the summit of a volcano - in a realm of
infinite possibility. A young man - our modern Icarus - parachutes in
and begins a fantastical journey. In no particular order, those acts
include:
-- Acrobats balancing by hand on canes and a solo dance performed on
crutches.
-- Acrobats twirling ropes with "water meteors" attached to the ends.
-- The flight of Icarus, performed in a net by contortionist Anton
Chelnokov.
-- Body skating and Georgian dancing.
To a person, the members of Cirque's creative team maintain that the
company's avant-garde weirdness is like catnip to artists looking to
flex their creative muscles. And it's not easy.
"As a spectator and a professional playwright, I wondered if it was
possible to tell a story in an acrobatic circus show," says Champagne.
"I had to go through the experience, and I realized it was quite
difficult to tell a story out of a circus. The dramatic and poetic
source of inspiration helped me to create the universe that is now
'Varekai.' "
Put another way, the appeal of jumping out of a familiar realm to work
Cirque is a kind of ...
"Freedom!" sings Corradi, who is scoring her second Cirque du Soleil
show. "A show like 'Phantom of the Opera' - and I'm not judging - you
can see the same show in London or New York. When you see a show like
what Cirque does, you feel this very dynamic and organic body moving.
It's more demanding to the artist and creator. As an artist, you have
to want to always challenge yourself."
* * * * * *
HIGH-FLYING VAREKAI A STEP UP FOR CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
By: Pam Kragen | San Diego Union-Tribune
March 24, 2004
Cirque du Soleil takes to the skies in grand fashion with its latest
theatrical export, "Varekai," now playing through mid-April under its
fanciful blue-and-yellow tent at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium.
The aerial- and dance-themed circus stage show has all of the markings
of its Cirque predecessors --fanciful costumes and makeup, live
singers, state-of-the-art lighting and mystical circus acts -- but it
raises the quality bar an extra notch.
"Varekai" is a big improvement over "Dralion," the Chinese acrobat-
themed Cirque show that visited Del Mar in 2002. The "Varekai" acts
are much shorter in length, there's more variety in the program, and
the caliber of the performances is much higher (most of the "Dralion"
acrobats wore safety wires and their acts were sloppy). "Varekai" also
boasts the most elaborate and beautiful costumes, light and set
elements ever created in Cirque's 20-year history.
So what is "Varekai" (which means "wherever" in the Gypsy language of
Romany)? My guess is that the action takes place in a mythical
oversized swamp where the characters onstage represent the wildlife in
and around the water. Acrobats in bug and lizard-like costumes perch
high atop swaying metal poles like grasshoppers on reeds (the program
calls it a volcanic forest, but I saw no trees or volcano). Fish, sea
creatures and marine plants cavort in a colorful underwater dance. And
aerialists dressed in elegant feathered headdresses soar overhead like
birds. Into their midst drops the mythical Greek character Icarus, his
wax wings melted by the sun, and the action begins.
"Varekai" features an international cast of nearly 50 performers --
including acrobats, aerialists, dancers, contortionists, a juggler and
a troupe of strolling and backstage musicians. There's a quartet of
gibberish-speaking clowns, and there's even a disabled acrobat who
performs a pommel horse routine/dance on his crutches. The troupe is
accompanied by talented singers Zara Tellander and Craig Jennings, who
perform the pulsing New Age score in a nonsensical language that
blends French and English.
The show has many high points, including Anton Chelnokov's nifty
aerial ballet inside a suspended net; an impressive (if repetitive)
tumbling/balancing act called "Icarian Games"; a high-spirited
Georgian dance (three Russians perform fast-paced folk dances and
battle with sparking swords); a high-flying finale featuring Russian
gymnasts leaping and cart-wheeling from a see-sawing swing into
pinpoint landings; and the gorgeous aerial duet of British twins
Andrew and Kevin Atherton, whose soaring act on the aerial straps is
perfectly conceived and executed. Less inspiring are overlong aerial
hoop and contortion acts, as well as the ho-hum "Water Meteors" act in
which a trio of petite Chinese acrobats tumble about while they spin
ropes weighted at either end with rubber balls.
One visual effect of the show is so spectacular it has a program entry
all its own -- the "Cloud," a cloth, helium-filled, cloud-shaped
balloon that floats over the stage, illuminated from within by a
ghostly kaleidoscope of moving colored lights and images of flying
birds. Another dazzling light effect involves swarms of buzzing green
gnats that fly over the audience (accomplished through neat special
effects wizardry).
Gordon White, as a bare-chested wood sprite, leads the clown troupe
through a mostly cliched and often-confusing series of slightly funny
bits between the circus acts. The only bit that really works (and
works hilariously well) is "Ne Me Quitte Pas," in which clown Stiv
Bello plays a cheesy French cabaret singer trying desperately to keep
up with an ever-darting spotlight.
The show runs two hours, 30 minutes, with intermission. Some dark
elements in the show, a few creepy costumes and frequent lighting
blackouts may frighten sensitive small children, but the costumes,
clowns and onstage action will enthrall most anyone.
* * * * * *
VAKREAI SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS
By: R. J. Donovan | ON Stage Boston
August 8, 2004
With vibrant music and a sensual fusion of drama and acrobatics,
Cirque du Soleil has returned to Boston -- this time with Varekai,
meaning wherever in the language of the universal wanderers. More
than 50 artists from 30 countries are represented in this years
innovative production.
Set in a lush forest, Varekai is inspired by the mythical tale of
Icarus who flew too close to the sun.
Here, the young man falls from the sky into a kaleidoscopic world
filled with fantastic birds, bugs and assorted creatures. While his
flight through the air may have been aborted, his journey on the
ground is both surreal and amazing.
As Icarus, Anton Chelnokov is stripped of his wings but rises in the
air in a fishnet that he uses to display an almost effortless
strength. He sails to the peak of the yellow and blue tent and soars
above the forest floor only to spiral down to earth once again.
Icarus betrothed is played by Irina Naumenko, a lithe and limber
contortionist who balances on canes in a segment that (to her credit)
is almost too painful to watch.
Throughout the vibrantly costumed two hour show, the audience is
treated to any number of spectacular presentations. Three youngsters
(Liu Xinxin, Wang ZhinXhen and Zhang Cheng) each twirl twin water
meteors suspended from ropes. Four shimmering green females (Helen
Ball, Cinthia Beranek, Juliana Countinho and Sophie Olfield) work a
triple trapeze. And six tumblers (Stiv Bello, Roni Bello, Javier
Santos, Pedro Santos, Oleana Durnyeva and Mariya Kanatnykova) engage
in Icarian Games, involving one member of each team reclining back on
a tipped board to wildly toss, twirl and spin a respective partner
with his feet.
Dergin Tokmak offers a masterful solo ballet on crutches while Octavio
Alegria juggles everything from boomerang-ing straw hats to ping pong
balls.
Although all the performers are exceptional, one act is really quite
unusual. Dressed in mirror-image black leather outfits, brothers
Andrew and Kevin Atherton present an aerial act suspended from wrist
straps. Whether gracefully soaring as one unit or presenting a mid-air
reflection of one another, they are remarkable.
Comic relief is supplied by Jordi Deambulants and Joanna Holden. The
duo works the crowd as the audience enters, returning during the first
act as an Aladdin-like magician and his hapless assistant. Corny and
incredibly amateurish, theyre so awful, theyre good. Deambulants
returns in the second act as greasy lounge singer who cant seem to
stay in his spotlight. At the conclusion of the number, we see the
spotlight attendant is none other than Holden, who has victoriously
ruined the act.
Saving the best for last, Varekai comes to an eye-popping finale
with 13 Russian acrobats on two gigantic balancing-swings. They are not
only propelled back and forth between the swings but fly up to the
rafters only to be caught in huge spandex-like sails. Its a definite
crowd pleaser.
Even the slightest detail is important in a Cirque du Soleil show and
Varekai is no exception -- right down to the fireflies that float
through the darkness and the pre-show sounds of water dripping in the
rain forest. Production values are top notch throughout, with Eiko
Ishioka's fanciful jewel-toned costumes and Nathalie Gagne's intricate
make-up providing a treat for the eyes.
* * * * * *
CIRQUE CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY WITH VAREKAI
A Chat with Nicolette Naum and Stephane Roy
August 31, 2004
The world Varekai means "wherever" in the Romany language of the
gypsies, the universal wanderers.
This latest touring production of Cirque du Soleil 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."
Nicolette Naum, artistic director, and Stephane Roy, set designer, for
Cirque du Soleil were online Tuesday, Aug. 31, at 11 a.m. ET to
discuss the theatrical piece, its choreography, acrobatics, unique
sets and the skill of the international cast.
Midway through the discussion, Nicolette and Stephane had to leave for
another interview. Touring publicist Chantal Blanchard stepped in and
finished the discussion.
A transcript follows.
* * *
Q. Nicolette and Stephane, welcome to washingtonpost.com. We're glad
to have you with us and look forward to your Washington show at RFK
Stadium. Will the show be done in tents? How will all that work?
Cirque du Soleil will be performing one big top tent that will
accommodate 2,600 people. Around the tent there are five smaller tents
for VIPs, refreshments, socializing, entertainment, etc. It'll be like
a little village all around, like modern gypsy. It'll have its own
ambience and will no longer be like a stadium. It will reflect the
theatrical, poetic, familial energy that Cirque du Soleil represents.
Q. Please explain Varekai, the show.
Varekai means wherever and it's about survival. It's about human
beings that gather together into a forest finding a new place,
searching for food, gathering together, and this family is expecting a
huge event to happen and this event is the fall of Icarus. It's the
journey of Icarus who lost his wings. In this journey all with all
those human beings around he learns to walk. Everyone in this family
shows to Icarus what human beings can do and what can result when they
put their creativity and energy together.
Q. What different countries are represented by your performers? Is it
true that your group was scouting the Olympics for future
performers?
In this show Varekai there are acrobats who were in the Olympics in
Atlanta or in Sydney and they're amazing. Last week we had members of
Cirque in Greece at the Olympics interested in some of the athletes to
possibly join us in the future. In Varekai, there are 25 performers
who were in the Olympics in Sydney and Atlanta who are now working for
Cirque du Soleil. Overall, 40 countries are represented in Cirque du
Soleil. Varekai represents 13 countries.
Q. How does one become a member of Cirque? What skills do you have to
have? Is it a big organization? Do you recruit?
The casting department travels around the world constantly. They go
see the Olympics, they go see festivals, they visit athletic
organizations. In all the shows we have high-level athletes, world
champions. We have dancers, actors, musicians, performers who come
from traditional circuses. The performers in our show have their own
specialties which can be tumbling, gymnastics, diving, sport
acrobatics, just to name a few. We are based in Montreal. People do
apply with us. They send their resumes, videotape and we invite them
to audition. We look for excellence in our performers. We look for
something that is unique. The whole company has about 3,000 employees.
We have nine different shows going on now at the same times in various
parts of the world. Four of them are permanent shows, three in Las
Vegas, one in Orlando and we have five touring shows: One in Japan,
one in Australia, two in Europe and us in America.
Q. How did Cirque evolve? As an alternative circus? No animals?
It started out in Baie St. Paul in Quebec with street performers who
all worked on stilts and they were called the High Heels Club and it
is now a big company that employs, as we said, 3,000 people from all
over the world. We concentrated on human beings and what they can do
as opposed to animals in the circus. In a sense, human beings offer
more possibilities than doing a show working with animals. We like to
say the impossible is possible. The shows are a whole made up of the
staging, the lighting, the costumes, the performances ... Because if
you come to see a show there's no emcee. There's no spoken words. It's
a made-up, invented language. So if there's a trapeze to set up, that
set up becomes part of the show, the storyline, part of the whole
emotion of the show.
Q. I loved the Bravo series "Fire Within" that followed the
development of the Varekai show. Do you have any quick updates
about the performers we watched become part of the show, like
Stella and Gareth?
Stella has moved on. She left the production in December. She's now
settled in Los Angeles and she's working there. Gareth is back in the
U.K. and he's also making a living there.
Q. Listening to the music used in the performances, I'm impressed with
the "world music" concept -- but I can't determine what languages
are being used or specifically what countries are being
represented. Can you shed some light on the music being used in the
performances?
The language is an invented language. Sometimes you might recognize an
accent that sounds Italian or Spanish or any other language but that's
just for effect. The music is very world beat. Our composers are from
the province of Quebec and Quebec, like the rest of Canada, is very
much influenced by the planet -- the rest of the world. That's why
there are Arabic sounds, Georgian sounds, African sounds, Hawaiian,
from everywhere.
Q. What is the culture of Cirque du Soleil like? How much of life is
traveling, maintaining a normal life with family and physical
training? Are you part of a union and what are some common issues
(good or bad) that many in the organization face?
There are 200 people traveling together. Out of that there are 56
acrobats or performers and then there are 80-90 technicians, logistics
people and then you have our administrative and tour services people.
Then we have our kitchen with five cooks. We have a school for the
performers' children. We have husbands and wives and kids in our
touring company. It is a little community. Nobody lives on site. We
all live in corporate apartments. We try to become citizens of the
cities we're in in the six to eight weeks that we're in the particular
city. Back home at headquarters in Montreal, everyone lives like
everybody else would in any other city. We have no union. One thing
that you find out traveling with people from so many different
countries is that everyone has issues but things always work out and
it's very mind-opening to work around people from all these different
cultures.
Q. Are audiences different, say in Europe as opposed to the U.S.?
We are fortunate enough that they do respond respond as
enthusiastically and warmly as the people in the U.S. but we have to
say that the American people are very loud and we love it. Yeah,
definitely.
# # #
That's all for in this issue, but there's still one last installment
to go!
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 7 (Issue #174) - July 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
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"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.
{ Jul.10.2018 }
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