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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 11 November 2018 ISSUE #178
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Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque
du Soleil Newsletter. And it's jam-packed with news and features, so
we better get started!
* * * CIRQUE UNLOCKS THE MYSTERIES OF "AWE" * * *
The celebrated imaginators at Cirque du Soleil whose own work has
been described by critics as "awe-inspiring" partnered with Lab of
Misfits, renowned creative neuroscience group led by human perceptions
expert Dr. Beau Lotto, to conduct an ambitious study on the emotion
of awe. The findings uncovered powerful and potentially far-reaching
dimensions, suggesting that awe may ultimately be what drives our
desire to step forward into a world of uncertainty in search for
answers. Moreover, the study suggests that experiencing awe enables
an apparent ability to raise our risk tolerance, increase our social
behavior and can even reframe who we believe we were in the past.
The word "awe" has been around for nearly a millennium, its
description ranging from dread and fear to admiration and veneration.
Despite permeating our lexicon with phrases such as awe inspiring,
awesome and awe-struck, the illusive and mysterious emotion continues
to spark wonder, curiosity and debate. Awe also seems to be at the
very heart of a constant human quest that sometimes manifests itself
through the countless bucket lists that appear in our social media
feeds.
Guided by the desire to recognize what drives people to pursue
meaningful, pulse-pumping life experiences and understand how people
feel when they see a Cirque du Soleil live performance, the
collaboration between Cirque du Soleil and the Lab of Misfits set out
to answer how and why we experience awe, and its impact on those who
feel it. In the broader context of the future of live entertainment,
Cirque du Soleil was also interested in the role emotions play in
driving people to disproportionately seek communal experiences.
Want to know what they found? Explore the nature of the study as well
as it's key highlights and findings within - you'll find the study's
text in our FEATURES section.
* * * IN BRIEF * * *
From OVO's Facebook Page: "Its now official, OVO will tour through-
out 4 cities in Brazil in 2019!" Check out the ITINERAIRE section
within for the cities the tour will visit!
From the Las Vegas Review-Journal: "The seventh annual 'One Night'
production is set for March 8 at O Theater at Bellagio. The story-
line is carried by the character Drop, an innocent little girl who
leads an adult Everyman through an explanation of why unity,
tolerance and sharing are so important today. The two roles are being
cast now. Celeb guest stars for the show will be announced later."
From Trade Arabia: "A veritable showcase of events and in-mall
activities will mark The Dubai Mall 10 Year Celebrations from
November 4-28. The highlight of the Entertainment showcase is a
mesmerizing sound and light show presented by Lune Rouge, the new
live entertainment company created by visionary entrepreneur, Guy
Laliberté, Founder of Cirque du Soleil. Entitled, Talisman, this
stunning visual experience showcases video, lighting, lasers and
special effects to create and immersive multimedia experience that
will play nightly at Star Atrium.
From the New Zealand Herald: "Cirque du Soleil is returning to
Auckland with Kooza! Five years since Cirque du Soleil dazzled Kiwis
with Totem, Kooza is described as a breath-taking homage to the
traditions of circus. With an international cast of 50 acrobats,
musicians, singers and actors, Kooza follows The Innocent as he
journeys through a colorful world of eccentric characters and white-
knuckle thrills. Kooza premieres at Auckland's Alexandra Park on
Friday February 15, 2019 for a limited run."
* * * GUY LALIBERTE RETURNS WITH PV1 * * *
While we don't normally highlight other companies' productions within
these pages, unless there's a connection to Cirque du Soleil, we're
going to make an exception in this case because Guy Laliberté is about
the biggest connection to Cirque you can get. Next June, Montrealers
will be able to experience a multimedia trip extending from the Big
Bang to a myriad of possible futures inside a pyramid being set up at
the Clock Tower site in the Old Port. Called "Through the Echoes", the
presentation will be the first produced for PY1, the venue developed
by Lune Rouge Entertainment, founded by Guy Laliberté of Cirque du
Soleil fame. Through the Echoes is described as a 60-minute show that
will see the 600-member audience "surrounded by lasers, 360-degree
projections, kinetic video aerial scenery, atmospheric special effects
and spectacular lighting" that will allow participants to "explore the
thread of space and time, from our origins to our possible futures."
When the PY1 venue isn't being used as a multimedia theater, it will
transform into a "next generation" night club. "Through the Echoes"
will be presented from June to September 2019 before going on tour.
Pre-sale tickets are available for a limited time at PY1.co for $29.75
plus fees and taxes. Check out the Press Release within, as well as
piece by The Globe and Mail regarding Guy's return to action in our
NEWS section this month.
* * * DON'T FORGET - KURIOS IN CINEMAS! * * *
Every breathtaking moment. Every larger-than-life detail. This is a
whole new awe-inspiring way to experience Cirque du Soleil. For one
night, Cirque du Soleil in Cinema transports its internationally
acclaimed show KURIOS Cabinet of Curiosities to the big screen. Step
into the curio cabinet of an ambitious inventor who defies the laws of
time, space and dimension in order to reinvent everything around him.
Suddenly, the visible becomes invisible, perspectives are transformed,
and the world is literally turned upside down. Immerse yourself in a
spectacular cinematic experience through never-before-seen angles.
Movie-going just got jaw-dropping! In theaters November 13th!
Okay, so let's go!
/----------------------------------------------------\
| |
| Join us on the web at: |
| < www.cirquefascination.com > |
| |
| At CirqueCast: |
| < http://www.cirquecast.com/ > |
| |
| Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): |
| < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > |
| |
\----------------------------------------------------/
- Ricky "Richasi" Russo
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CONTENTS
===========
o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
* La Presse -- General News & Highlights
* Q&A -- Quick Chats & Press Interviews
o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information
* BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau
* Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues
* Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre
o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets
* Webseries -- Official Online Featurettes
* Videos -- Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds
o) Fascination! Features
* "Underneath an Empty Big Top: Raising the Tent
Part 1 of 2: One, Two, Three, GO!"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
* "DIVA: The Power of Music"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
* "We're Off and Running II, Part 3 of 4: «O»"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
* SPECIAL: "Unlocking the Mysteries of AWE"
A Study by Cirque du Soleil & Lab of Misfits
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
***************************************************************
LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights
***************************************************************
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How Ivanhoé Cambridge and Cirque will Change Retail
{Oct.09.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
The concept, named CREACTIVE Cirque du Soleil, will debut at Ivanhoé
Cambridge's Vaughan Mills shopping centre in Toronto in September
2019. The innovative FEC will increase foot traffic to the malls,
engaging customers in a new and compelling way. It will also broaden
Cirque du Soleil's portfolio to reach new audiences. Blooloop caught
up with Claude Sirois, President of Ivanhoé Cambridge's Retail
division, and Marie-Josée Lamy, producer at Montréal-based Cirque du
Soleil to hear about the collaboration.
* * *
Ivanhoé Cambridge, a real estate company based out of Montréal, is the
subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, one of
Canada's biggest institutional fund managers. It has circa C$300
billion assets under management. Ivanhoé Cambridge, the real estate
division, has around C$60 billion of assets under management, of which
retail is a part. Claude Sirois says: "So Ivanhoé Cambridge represents
around C$17/18 billion assets under management; spread in various
countries, mainly Canada, which is our home. We also have presences in
Brazil and China, and some retail and other projects in Mexico."
The face of retail has been changing. Expanding on this, Sirois says:
"The last few years have seen their share of changes in the ecosystem
of consumption. We hear a lot about e-commerce and its impact on
retail, but I think it's much more than that. The population itself is
changing; a new generation of consumers, the millennials, shop and
entertain themselves differently; then we have the Gen Z generation,
which has never known a world without Internet or YouTube.
"As a fully integrated retail company, we have reinvested a lot of
capital in our shopping centres and retail environments to bring new
experiences to work around fun, food and fashion, which is our way of
thinking about retail. Online shoppers want a different experience
off-line. Consumers are channel agnostic; consumption comes in many
different forms. However when it comes to bricks and mortar, they want
to have a different experience from the one that they would find
online.
"That is the reality, so we are working closely with our retail
partners to bring new experiences to wow the consumer."
In terms of the customer journey, Sirois' initiative centres on
'moments of delight'. He says: "Those moments could be time saved, a
smile, value for money, a gift, just keeping it simple. Essentially,
it is all about removing the friction points for the consumer coming
to our retail environment; so their visit is as pleasant as possible."
Sirois envisions the shopping mall of the future as a convergence of
technology, experience and design: "In terms of technology, we are
only at the beginning. There is a lot of new data management,
technology to serve the consumer. They also help the retailers to
better serve the consumer. Cirque du Soleil is a very good example of
the experience element. It's all about giving those moments that are
pleasant for the consumer. Shopping centres used to be a collection of
products. Now we are moving into a collection of experiences."
The collaboration with Cirque du Soleil is a spectacular instance of
the retailtainment trend, taking consumer-related customer engagement
to a new level.
Explaining how it came about, Sirois says: "In an environment where we
are trying to find distinctive new ways to differentiate our shopping
centres in the market, as we are based out of Montréal, we know the
whole fantastic story around Cirque du Soleil, and we know they know a
thing or two about entertainment.
"So we connected with them. They were exploring the idea of creating
family entertainment centres; we sat down with them, and worked
together."
Sirois was impressed from those initial meetings. He says: "Cirque du
Soleil are so professional, and very disciplined. They approached this
new initiative seriously, and have done full analyses around family
entertainment centres. This fully aligned with our way of analysing
assets, and that is how it came about. We are going to be doing the
first CREACTIVE FEC in Vaughan Mills shopping centre in the city of
Vaughan in Toronto."
The mall in question is 1,200,000 ft.², with an annual footfall of
over 15 million; a figure predicted to rise with the arrival of the
CREACTIVE concept. With CREACTIVE, Cirque du Soleil will bring people
an interactive, behind-the-scenes experience of what Cirque du Soleil
is all about; with a range of physical, artistic, and digital themed
areas.
Sirois says: "There will be, over the next few months, a more detailed
programme around the concept; but the essence of it is really for the
people to be, for a moment, part of the Cirque du Soleil show. It will
be very interactive and, because uniqueness is what Cirque du Soleil
is all about, very different and distinctive from whatever is being
offered in this space at the moment. I don't think anyone can approach
this the same way as Cirque du Soleil. We are very excited about this
partnership."
Marie-Josée Lamy, producer at Cirque du Soleil, details the origins of
the collaboration, a diversification for Cirque: "The initial idea
came from numerous requests that we received over many years from real
estate developers in the retail area; to develop products that would
address the need for more entertainment and more experiences in
shopping malls."
That was part of the concept's inception. She said: "In addition, we
have developed a concept called CREACTIVE which is presented at Club
Med, so what we are really doing is taking this product, which is very
close to Cirque du Soleil's DNA, and adapting it for the retail
environment."
The concept, which is still in the developmental stages, will retain
Cirque du Soleil's iconic identity, Lamy says: "It is based on Cirque
du Soleil, and very close to our core. We want to give the participant
the opportunity to peek behind the scenes and feel what it's like to
jump on the stage of the Soleil; allowing them to try a range of
different types of activities. Obviously, the objective is not to
train them to become artists or performers, but to let them understand
what it's like to work at Cirque du Soleil."
The programming will change from time to time, affording greater
variety and repeatability. On offer will be artistic and acrobatic
activities, supported by technology. Lamy explains: "It's an immersive
environment; it's Cirque du Soleil, so there is a lot of scenography.
And there will be some characters, but it won't be overwhelming in
terms of technology. The technology supporting the experiences, which
could be VR or augmented reality, will be in the background. The
concept is still in development so the specific activities and
supports are not final yet, but that is the idea."
The objective, she says, is to change the energy of retail. "We are
quite confident that the experience will be a great addition to the
transformation of retail into retailtainment." Cirque du Soleil plans
to extend the offering to as many places as possible.
Lamy says: "To start with, we are opening our first FEC in the greater
Toronto area, in the third quarter of 2019. We already have another
one planned for the end of 2019 in Asia, though we cannot yet disclose
where it will be. And we are in discussion with several other
potential partners around the world. We are also discussing further
locations in Canada with our existing partner, Ivanhoé Cambridge."
In terms of the growth of Cirque du Soleil as a company, the CREACTIVE
FEC concept is a means to diversifying their offering beyond big top
and arenas, attracting new audiences specifically a family audience
in the process. There is an increasing, game-led demand to be a
protagonist rather than an onlooker. And the CREACTIVE concept,
offering a range of transformative circus and art activities;
acrobatics, aerial parkour, juggling, bungee; taps into this trend.
Lamy adds: "In addition to reaching new audiences and expanding our
portfolio, this is also a way to offer a different, more active
perspective from the passive spectator experience as well as
creating the ultimate Instagrammable moment."
{ SOURCE: Blooloop }
-------------------------------------------------------
Leo Messi teams up with Cirque du Soleil
{Oct.10.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
FOOTBALL LEGEND LEO MESSI TEAMS UP WITH CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
AND POPART MUSIC FOR THE CREATION OF A NEW SHOW
INTERNATIONAL TOUR WILL LAUNCH IN 2019
Argentinean football player and FC Barcelona star Leo Messi, Cirque du
Soleil Entertainment Group and PopArt Music announce their partnership
for the creation of a brand-new show to be launched in 2019, in
association with Sony Music. Created by Cirque du Soleil, the show
will draw its inspiration from the incredible talent and
accomplishments of the football legend, who embodies the unique spirit
and values of his sport.
"It feels both crazy and incredible that Cirque du Soleil will create
a show based on my life, my passion, my sport", expressed Leo Messi.
"Cirque du Soleil is a family favorite of ours. I have no doubt this
show will amaze people as their shows always do."
After paying homage to some of entertainment's greatest artists, such
as The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Soda Stereo, Cirque du Soleil will
leap into the passionate world of football. The show will celebrate
Messi's legacy in Cirque du Soleil's signature way, highlighting the
rich culture that makes this sport the most popular worldwide.
"We are thrilled to be working with such a living legend. As a world
leader of live entertainment, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group is
becoming the go-to creator of original content and experiences for the
world's top brands," says Jonathan Tétrault, President and Chief
Operating Officer at Cirque du Soleil. "We are convinced that bringing
Messi's legacy to life on stage will touch audiences and speak to all
football fans. Together with PopArt Music and Sony Music, we have the
chance to transcend the sport and present it in a totally new form to
inspire the world."
"It is an honor for PopArt Music to work on a new project with Cirque
du Soleil and Leo Messi. I have no doubt that the creation quality of
Cirque du Soleil will be able to artistically translate the
unparalleled talent that Messi displays in each match, with the
incredible music from the artists of Sony Music, directed by my
talented friend Afo Verde." says Sergio Lavié, co-founder at PopArt
Music. "I am sure that this show will break all records, in the same
way that Messi does in football."
"Leo Messi inspires the world with his outstanding talent not only in
every game he plays but also with his deeply human qualities. It is an
honor for us at Sony Music to team up with the prestigious Cirque du
Soleil and PopArt Music on this fantastic project. We strongly believe
that this show will be enjoyed by sports and art lovers all over the
world." Afo Verde, Chairman & CEO Sony Music Latin Iberia.
More information on the tour stops and dates will be released at a
later date.
Messi joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old, with the Catalan club luring
him from Argentina with the promise of paying to help treat a growth
hormone disorder.
He has since gone on to become the club's most decorated player,
winning over 30 trophies, as well as being named the World Player of
the Year on five occasions.
Now 31 and Barca's all-time top goal scorer with 563 goals, he is
closing on his 650th appearance for the club, with only Xavi Hernandez
(767) and Andres Iniesta (674) having made more.
The captain of the Argentina national team is also putting his name to
a theme park in China, which is due to open in 2020.
www.cirquedusoleil.com/messi #MessiCirque
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil }
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Cirque at The Royal Variety Performance 2018
{Oct.10.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
Actor and one of the UK's best loved comics Greg Davies, is to host
The Royal Variety Performance, in the presence of members of the Royal
family. The event will come from the iconic London Palladium Theatre,
which is hosting the event for the 42nd time. The show promises to be
an unforgettable evening of the best UK and international musical
performers, extraordinary theatre and brilliant comedy as well as a
number of surprises along the away.
Stars lined up to appear include one of the UK's biggest bands, the
multi-award-winning Take That, the West End cast of the phenomenal hit
musical Hamilton, chart topper George Ezra, award winners Clean
Bandit, West End cast of Tina The Tina Turner Musical and the
legendary Andrea Bocelli & his son Matteo.
Also taking to the stage are, Britain's Got Talent winner, comedian
The Lost Voice Guy, a special performance from Rick Astley, comedian
Rhod Gilbert, the mesmerising Cirque du Soleil, plus music from Sigrid
and cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Circus 1903 will be unveiling their
unique and beautifully crafted performances with their extraordinary
elephant puppetry, and there will be more comedy from stand up
comedians Gad Elmaleh and Rod Woodward.
Greg Davies said: "I am delighted to host the Royal Variety. It is a
role that I am wildly unsuited to and I will no doubt offend a great
many people, but my Mum has a voracious appetite for meeting members
of the Royal family and this seems a reasonable price to pay for the
gift of life."
The event is staged in aid of the Royal Variety Charity, whose patron
is Her Majesty The Queen. The money raised from the show helps those
people from the world of entertainment in need of care and assistance.
The star studded spectacular will take place on Monday 19th November
and will be screened on ITV in December. It will be produced by ITV
Studios.
The Royal Variety Performance has been commissioned by ITV's
Commissioning Editor Asif Zubairy. Executive Producers for ITV are
Fiona Clark and Lee Connolly & Executive Producers for the Royal
Variety Charity are Laurie Mansfield, Giles Cooper and Phil Dale.
{ SOURCE: ITV }
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Kidscreen: "Cirque's big top just got bigger"
{Oct.12.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
Get yer' popcorn and peanuts, because Cirque du Soleil Entertainment
Group is climbing into a canon and launching itself into the kids
entertainment business.
The Canadian company acquired Minnesota's VStar Entertainment Group
along with its circus arts subsidiary Cirque Dreams based in Florida
in July. VStar produces family- and kid-friendly theatrical shows,
exhibits, cruise ship shows and outdoor events. The entertainment
production company recently partnered with Nickelodeon on the live
entertainment production Bubble Guppies Live! Ready to Rock, and
produced both PAW Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue and PAW Patrol Live!
The Great Pirate Adventure. Cirque Dreams, meanwhile, produces and
operates family-friendly tours and shows in theaters and at tourism
venues around the world.
"For the past few years, we've been looking for opportunities to
diversify our content," says Daniel Lamarre, president and CEO of
Cirque du Soleil. With the acquisition of VStar, he says Cirque is
reaching new audiences and expanding its creative and production
capabilities. "We are establishing ourselves as a global leader in
live entertainment for kids and families," Lamarre says.
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group currently has 29 shows in
production around the world for audiences of all ages. Moving forward,
Cirque will leverage its network of contacts to expand VStar's
international reach, and work to increase the number of shows VStar
produces, as well as the number of IPs it partners with. "We want to
keep VStar as autonomous as possible," Lamarre says. "What it's
producing is very different, and these shows are incredibly appealing
to its core audience. We respect that."
Beyond the acquisition of VStar, Cirque du Soleil's ongoing efforts to
increase its kids offerings also includes the launch of family
entertainment centers. Creactive indoor family entertainment centers
will feature immersive experiences including aerial parkour,
trampolines, mask design, juggling and dance. The centers are an
evolution of Cirque's Club Med Creactive locations (currently
available in the Dominican Republic and France), with the first
location set to open its doors in Toronto, Canada in September 2019.
An additional five centers are scheduled to follow.
"Creactive and the live shows feed into each other," Lamarre says.
"Creactive is the perfect springboard to launch kids into the Cirque
familythey get to experience what the performers experience. In the
same way, the shows lead families to the entertainment centers because
kids see the performances and want to do it themselves."
And according to Lamarre, the new live shows and family entertainment
centers will also support Cirque's consumer products business. He says
the company will enhance its merchandising program and use VStar's
live entertainment platform and global distribution network to
integrate plug-and-play creative content designed for families into
future shows, including those featuring kid-focused IPs like PAW
Patrol or Bubble Guppies. "Kids will love how immersive these
experiences are," Lamarre says. "They'll want to bring a piece of it
home with them."
{ SOURCE: Kidscreen }
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Bellagio creates life-size chocolate sculpture of "O"
{Oct.12.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
She leaps through the air, splashes through blue waves and glides
through the golden "O". And she's made out of chocolate. A two-person
team at the Patisserie at Bellagio created the six-foot-tall
confection in celebration of the 20th anniversary of "O". ("O"
premiered Oct. 15, 1998.) The sculpture is based on the "O" poster
that features the Cirque du Soleil production's zebras leaping out of
the water and through a golden ring.
Bellagio Patisserie assistant executive pastry chefs Yamilet Hillers
and Jerome Jacob worked for four weeks to complete the sculpture. Chef
Jacob constructed the "O" with crispy rice treats and dark chocolate.
To accomplish the yellow shades, he mixed gold dye with cocoa butter
and diligently spray painted the surface of the "O." He took to sugar
pulling to handcraft the blue waves that splash around the base of the
sculpture. "The water was the big part for me. It was difficult to
make it stand up the right way and give it life," Jacob said. "It was
a challenge."
SEE THE SCULPTURE HERE:
< http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=12066 >
The acrobat is constructed with crispy rice treats and white
chocolate. "She is the character of the zebra," Hillers said. "She's
not the main character in the show but she is on the poster and very
recognizable." Hillers spent over 20 hours hand-painting the acrobat's
striped zebra costume and make-up. "It was a lot of painting upside-
down," she said. "Her curves were kind of hard to work with. But it
had to be done freehanded."
By the numbers:
o) 170: Hours it took two pastry chefs to complete the sculpture
o) 70: Pounds the sculpture weighs
o) 55: Pounds of sugar used for the blue splashes
o) 20: Hours needed to paint the zebra character
The chocolate "O" sculpture is on display atop the Patisserie at
Bellagio through Chinese New Year in February. This is the second
confectionery creation by Hillers and Jacob. They created a chocolate
sculpture of Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury when Las
Vegas' NHL team made the playoffs in April.
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal }
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"X: The Land of Fantasy" by Cirque Announced!
{Oct.23.2018}
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Cirque du Soleil has announced its first resident show in China in
partnership with Chinese real estate leader Hangzhou Xintiandi Group
called "X: The Land of Fantasy". Set to open mid-2019 in the heart of
the Xintiandi CAZ, in Hangzhou, this new resident show will be
presented in an unprecedented state-of-the art theatre offering an
immersive experience that no other audience has ever experienced
elsewhere in the world.
"With today's announcement, we are now solidly and permanently
establishing ourselves in China, with a resident show that was
specially created for Chinese audiences. Our partnership with XTD
enabled us to create a unique-in-the-world entertainment experience
and we want to thank them for their precious collaboration", expressed
Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment
Group.
"XTD is honored to bring this technological adventure to Hangzhou and
host, for the very first time, a Cirque du Soleil resident show in
China. As the developer of Xintiandi Central Activity Zone, where the
theater is located, we are confident this unique entertainment
offering will solidify Hangzhou's position as one of the most
important tourist destinations in China. The show reinforces the
city's very rich cultural offering and emphasizes its status as an
international destination for tourism", said Chairman Liu Wendong of
Hangzhou Xintiandi Group.
Built to host nearly 1,500 spectators, the show theatre is divided in
two sets of intimate revolving bleachers, placing the audience at the
very center of the story and allowing two viewing experiences. This
unique 360-degree perspective opens a new world of creative
possibilities to tell the story and provides a truly captivating
experience for the spectators who follow the action from their seats.
The theater also features a massive 100m-wide main stage, divided in
panels individually controlled to create any configuration imaginable,
allowing the setting to shape-shift as the story unfolds. A
combination of 3D props, video mapping, and trap doors from which
acrobats seem to 'disappear' inside landscapes and return when you
least expect it, will allow for artists to perform gravity-defying
acrobatic acts; all of which are designed to disorient the senses.
Tickets for "X: The Land of Fantasy" will officially go on pre-sale at
this year's Tmall Double Eleven Gala, during a special live
performance by Cirque du Soleil.
About "X: The Land of Fantasy"
"X: The Land of Fantasy" is an epic and thrilling quest to reunite two
ancient kingdoms, Petra (an underground world in the west) and Aria
(an aerial palace in the east), torn apart centuries ago. Harmony
disrupted by a broken seal depicting a 'yin-yang' crest of a Dragon
and Phoenix. The captivating legend is guided by The Watcher, a wise
elder whose mechanical box unleashes the story. One that begins with
two innocent infants, each left on the doorstep of the opposing
kingdom's palace. They both grow to emerge as the hero and heroine who
challenge dangers and fight seemingly invincible forces, in the name
of good for all.
Inspired by a rich storyline, multi-dimensional characters, and
surreal universes, "X: The Land of Fantasy" is an incredible immersive
experience. Driven by high-energy action and acrobatics, rich
symbolism, beautiful poetry and artistry, history is told through two
perspectives: Petra and Aria, through the Hero and Heroine. Two sides
of one story, two cultures discovering each other. No detail is spared
to immerse deeper inside the story and create a surge of adventure for
the whole family, each scene more powerful than the next.
"X: The Land of Fantasy" is Cirque du Soleil's 45th original
production since 1984.
About Hangzhou Xintiandi Group
Hangzhou Xintiandi Group is a city complex operator and a better life
provider. It is determined to be the leader of urban operators, the
pioneer of the central activity zone, the practitioners of the
cultural tourism town, and the builder of urban cultural landmark. The
total assets are 30 billion yuan and the net assets are 10 billion
yuan. Founded in 2008, the group has been deeply nurtured for ten
years with its ingenious operations. It is based in Hangzhou and
operates in key cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen, Chongqing and Xi'an.
The Group takes "quality-oriented, lean operation" as the cornerstone
of the brand, adhering to the overall development idea of "boosting
the city by industrial advancement, promoting industries by city' s
development and attracting talents by business growth". It
concentrates on developing the industry, carefully and meticulously
making products to promote city development and regional prosperity,
help to realize the Chinese dream.
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil }
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Cirque's Saudi Arabia show 'difficult' for Laliberté
{Oct.23.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
In the light of recent geopolitical tensions in Saudi Arabia, Cirque
du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté has expressed some discomfort with the
troop's performance in that country on Sept. 23.
During a meeting with the press on Thursday to unveil details around
his most recent project, Lune Rouge, the businessman was careful to
point out that he no longer holds decision-making power in this
company. "I'm a partner
but I do not make those decisions anymore,"
said Laliberté. "Yes, it does something to me, but it's not me who
decides."
The Cirque show took place before the kingdom became the target of
harsh criticism from members of the international community for the
alleged murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a consulate
in Istanbul, Turkey. Nonetheless, the troupe's performance, which took
place on Saudi National Day, came in the midst of a diplomatic quarrel
between Ottawa and Riyadh which, among other things, provoked the
expulsion of Canada's ambassador by the kingdom.
Laliberté was cautious when asked to comment, saying it was
"difficult" because of the presence of "old friends" in the company
whom he did not want to criticize. "I'm sure that in the current
context Cirque must be uncomfortable because (the deal was reached) at
a time when it seemed that things were going in the right direction
(in Saudi Arabia)," he said. "At some point, do you make a decision to
withdraw or not? It's not my choice."
In 2015, Laliberté sold 60 per cent of his stake in Cirque du Soleil
to U.S. investment firm TPG Capital and 20 per cent to Fosun Capital
Group, a Chinese firm. The Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec
secured a 10 per cent interest, the same amount that the founder
retains.
The businessman is always involved in "creative thinking" within the
company, he said.
{ SOURCE: Global News }
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Humphry Slocombe Creates Cirque-inspired Ice Cream Flavor
{Oct.24.2018}
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Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream is celebrating the upcoming engagement of
VOLTA, Cirque du Soleil's latest Big Top production coming to the San
Francisco Bay Area beginning Thursday, November 15, 2018, with the
creation of a new ice cream flavor. Inspired by the transformative
characters of The Greys and The Freespirits featured in the
production-and paying homage to the adventurous spirit that fuels the
culture of street sports-the limited-edition ice cream flavor features
an Earl Grey ice cream base with a jolt of burnt lemon folded in.
To create the burnt lemon, Humphry Slocombe co-owner and head ice
cream-maker Jake Godby roasted whole lemons in the oven at 400 degrees
until they were completely blackened. The fruit was then pulverized
into a powder and incorporated into the ice cream mixture. The result
is a highly complex flavor profile that melds the rich aromatic taste
of Earl Grey with the tart and smoky flavor of the lemon.
Beginning Thursday, November 1, the VOLTA-inspired ice cream will be
available at all three San Francisco Bay Area Humphry Slocombe
locations (2790 Harrison Street, San Francisco; 1 Ferry Building, San
Francisco; 2335 Broadway, Oakland). In addition, all three locations
will hold an enter-to-win contest during the month of November to win
a 4-pack of tickets to attend VOLTA in San Francisco.
{ SOURCE: Broadway World }
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Curtain to go up in May for "The Land of Fantasy"
{Oct.26.2018}
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Five years after reaching a partnership with a Chinese real estate
developer for a permanent show in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Cirque
du Soleil announced on Wednesday that the show will premier in May in
what it calls "the most expensive theater ever built".
The theater, in a renovated factory on the outskirt of the city, was
built with an investment of 1.5 billion yuan ($220 million) by
Hangzhou Xintiandi Group, a privately owned developer of tourism and
cultural projects across China.
This project is also the biggest investment so far by the company,
which was founded in 2008 and has total assets of 30 billion yuan.
It will also be the Canadian entertainment company's only resident
show in Asia.
"Cirque du Soleil is a global leader in entertainment. And as a global
leader in entertainment, we want this show to be the most popular in
the world," Daniel Lamarre, CEO of the Quebec-based company, said at a
news conference in Hangzhou.
Liu Wendong, chairman of Hangzhou Xintiandi Group, wants the show to
be an attraction that is equally appealing as the city's West Lake, a
UNESCO listed intangible cultural heritage site, for both tourists and
local residents.
He predicted that the show, once it is staged regularly, would attract
100,000 visitors annually to the 1.8-million-square-meter commercial
project developed by the company, where the theater is located. The
project, Xintiandi Central Activity Zone, also has Asia's largest bar
and largest IMAX cinema.
The ticket price of the 70-minute show has yet to be decided. But Liu
said it would be definitely higher than that of the tour shows
performed by Cirque du Soleil in China in recent years, which ranged
from 280 to 1,980 yuan, according to previous online booking records.
The show will be performed twice to three times daily six days a week,
except Mondays.
Tickets for the premier show will be auctioned during e-commerce giant
Alibaba's Nov 11 shopping extravaganza.
With 1,450 seats, the theater has been designed exclusively for the
show. By adopting state-of-art technology, the seating area is divided
into two parts, both capable of revolving at 360 degrees, while
artists perform between them.
The show will be supported by 51 artists, half coming from Asia and
mostly from China, and 75 technical staff. An independent company,
employing around 300 people, has also been established to provide
daily operations for the performance.
Cirque du Soleil and Xintiandi Group will be sharing the ticket
revenue, according to Liu.
In response to his previous projection that China will have five
resident shows in five years, Lamarre noted that he was "evoking the
possibilities of Cirque du Soleil in China" and things are proceeding
"as planned".
"We have seven permanent shows in North America. Considering the size
and potential of China, I think it's a fair plan," he said.
"The live entertainment industry in China today is very much like the
movie business here 15 years ago, ready to pick up," he added.
The occupancy rate of the company's latest touring show in China,
Kooza, is around 70 percent, a result that Lamarre is very satisfied
with but believes has further growth potential.
{ SOURCE: China Daily }
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Cirque du Soleil gives the public a closer look
{Oct.27.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
How does the company that introduced the world to a new kind of circus
continue to push the imagination and bring fantasy to life? They do
the unexpected perhaps blasphemous in the world of magic: they open
their doors to show their secrets.
For one day a year, as part of Canada's day of culture, or journées de
la culture, Cirque du Soleil invites the public to their massive
Montreal headquarters and offers a close-up look at how their shows
are built from scratch from homemade props to makeup to movement,
reports CBS News' Adriana Diaz.
The entertainment empire has humble beginnings. Canadian street
performers, including former CEO Guy Laliberté created Cirque in 1984.
Today, they're a billion-dollar company. Their headquarters is a
kaleidoscope of costumes, characters and clowning around.
At the open house, getting hands-on is highly encouraged.
And the public gets to not just go behind the scenes, but above them,
too, offering access to the show's technical grid where the show hangs
all its equipment from. Each square inch of the grid has to be able to
hold 300 pounds.
"I want them to understand how much work there is behind it. I want
them to understand that we're not an industry. We're artisan," said
Daniel Lammare, Cirque du Soleil's president and CEO.
Cirque du Soleil's head of social action, Anik Couture, oversees the
bring-your-audience to work day.
"It's really an opportunity for us to open our doors a bit like a
Willy Wonka moment. You open the doors to the factory and finally
figure out what's behind those doors and you can see the magic where
it all comes together and creates those beautiful shows," Couture
said.
No golden ticket is required and free entry comes with a tour. There
is only one place fans aren't allowed: the room where Cirque du Soleil
is preparing for its highly anticipated residency in Hangzhou, China,
which opens next year. It's their big foray to a new frontier.
"It's one of our top priorities right now because you have 1.5 billion
potential customers
We're doing the same thing in China today that we
were doing 34 years ago on the corner of the street in Montreal. It's
convincing people that we're offering an artistic content that is
totally different," CEO Daniel Lammare said. "If you want to disrupt
the world, you have to be innovative, you have to be gutsy, you have
to push the boundaries of your creativity all the time."
Lammare offered some advice to the people struggling in the business
world right now: Listen to young people.
"Because when Guy Laliberté founded Cirque du Soleil he was 25 years
old. So listen to the 25 and 20-year-old people that have crazy idea
and that are renegade(s). Because they're the ones that are going to
reinvent the world."
{ SOURCE: CBS News }
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BookMyShow Welcomes BAZZAR With a New Digital Ad Film
{Nov.02.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
Online ticketing player BookMyShow and BBH India have teamed up to
celebrate the arrival of Bazzar, the new original production of the
live entertainment leader Cirque du Soleil, in India with a new
digital ad film.
The digital ad film brings to life the essence of this spectacle with
hand-drawn illustrations and slam poetry and the result is a trippy
film.
Marzdi Kalianiwala, SVP, Marketing and Business Intelligence,
BookMyShow, said, Cirque du Soleil Bazzar is about infinite
creativity that they bring alive through their unbelievable
performances. This immersive theatrical experience is a brilliant mix
of state-of-the-art costumes, captivating music and impressive staging
which is something that has never been seen before in India. We wanted
to bring alive this creativity through an innovative digital ad film
while staying true to the nature of the show.
Russell Barrett, Chief Creative Officer and Managing Partner, BBH
India, added, Cirque du Soleil Bazzar is a mind-blowing entertainment
extravaganza and we needed to communicate that in an animation film.
Nothing can equal the brilliance of actually catching a show but we
wanted to capture how people who watch the show would feel, or
describe it. The slam voiceover helped in creating the mood and gives
the film a unique Big Top announcement feel.
Cirque du Soleil Bazzar is an eclectic lab of creativity where a
troupe of acrobats, dancers and musicians craft an awe-inspiring
spectacle. Lead by their maestro, they band together. In a place where
the unexpected is expected, the colourful group imagines, builds and
invents vibrant scenes in an artistic and acrobatic game.
The high-energy excitement, collision of sounds and colours, and
meeting place of diverse characters like a traditional bazaar,
inspired the name of the show. Bazzar, the spelling is slightly
different, where the double zz represents the time loop one senses
during the adventure.
SEE THE ADVERT FILM HERE:
< https://youtu.be/jmPDeWjH15c >
Credits:
o) Agency: BBH India
o) Chief Creative Officer & Managing Partner: Russell Barrett
o) CEO and Managing Partner: Subhash Kamath
o) Creative Directors: Sapna Ahluwalia, Yohan Daver
o) Art Director: Sapna Ahluwalia, Akshata Kale
o) Copywriter: Yohan Daver, Siddharth Shah
o) Illustrator: Shirin Kekre
o) Animator: Karl Gonsalves
o) Business Director: Anish Kotian
o) Senior Business Partner: Khadija Attarwala
o) Business Partner: Rachit Koradia
o) Head of Production: Khvafar Vakharia
o) Agency Producer: Rahul Prakash, Rahul Kulkarni
o) Strategy Director: Yudhishthir Agrawal
o) Strategy Partner: Pranoy Kanojia
o) Music Production House: Mothership Studios
o) Music Post Production: Mothership Studios
o) Executive Producer: Kashif Menon
o) Producer: Pulkit Sankhala
o) Sound Engineer: Amith Gupta
o) Voice Over: Roshmin Mehandru
o) Music Composer: Arjun Nair (AurMaango Productions)
{ SOURCE: Book My Show }
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Lune Rouge and Guy Laliberté to Launch PY1
{Nov.05.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
Next June, Montreal will be home to a spectacular first- of-its-kind
attraction: an innovative and transcendant entertainment venue shaped
as a pyramid. The PY1 experience is an original concept developed by
Lune Rouge Entertainment (founded by Guy Laliberté), which will make
its international debut on the Clock Tower site in Montreal's Old
Port. Starting June 2019, PY1 will present Through the Echoes, the
first show produced for the pyramid.
AN EMBLEMATIC VENUE, PRESENTING VIBRANT AND MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES
PY1 is an entirely new entertainment concept, offering a multi-sensory
experience and representing the first traveling venue by Lune Rouge
Entertainment. Iconically shaped as a giant pyramid, PY1 is a
spectacular marvel of innovative technology and a unique playground
for multimedia experiences combining high tech with the talent of the
greatest digital creators.
THROUGH THE ECHOES, A FIRST IMMERSIVE PRODUCTION
Next June, PY1 will host the first touring immersive production
created by Lune Rouge Entertainment. Au-delà des échos/Through The
Echoes, designed by multidisciplinary artist Gabriel Coutu-Dumont, is
an immense 60-minute multimedia show. Audience members will be
surrounded by lasers, 360-degree projections, kinetic video aerial
scenery, atmospheric special effects and spectacular lighting.
Immersed in high-quality soundscapes, they will explore the thread of
space and time, from our origins to our possible futures, as if in a
waking dream.
"Through The Echoes will be a totally immersive experience, a
technological and emotional odyssey which tells the story of life from
the Big Bang until today," explained Guy Laliberté, the founder of
Lune Rouge. "The audience will play the main role and take center
stage," summarized Stéphane Mongeau, President and CEO of Lune Rouge
Entertainment.
Guided by the stars, whose primitive celestial energy is part of us
and everything around us, the 600 audience members will experience a
dreamlike journey to the edge of the universe, from planet to planet,
from the birth of the first cellular environments to complex organic
systems, from the dawn of life to that of technology, on a quest for a
better tomorrow and for possible futures.
With four possible configurations providing space for up to 1,000
people, the pyramid is a platform designed for the general public,
with the ability to incorporate augmented reality experiences. After
hours, the structure will morph into a next generation nightclub
venue, offering a breathtaking and experiential multimedia
environment. Surrounded by amazing sound and visual effects, guests
will enjoy unique performances by carefully selected DJs.
Through The Echoes will be presented in Montreal from June to
September, 2019, before going on tour. Pre-sale tickets are available
at PY1.co for $29.75 + fees + taxes (for a limited time only).
ABOUT LUNE ROUGE
Lune Rouge Entertainment rallies industry experts and seasoned artists
around innovative tech and artistic projects. It develops highly
immersive entertainment experiences and explores new creative horizons
through projects in Quebec and abroad. Lune Rouge Entertainment
creates joint, innovative works using a mix of talents, cultures,
theatrical techniques, and technologies. Lune Rouge Entertainment is
an entity of the Montreal company, Lune Rouge.
{ SOURCE: Press Release }
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Guy Laliberté Eyes a Comeback with New Business Bets
{Nov.05.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
Guy Laliberté has never been much for convention. The Cirque du Soleil
founder chose a barren site next to a giant garbage dump for the
company's corporate headquarters and he likes to relax by playing
high-stakes poker. Now, following a brief respite from business, he's
back with new plans that are as unexpected as ever.
Three years after cashing out of the Cirque in a $1.5-billion deal
that saw the circus empire sold to Texas-based TPG Capital and China's
Fosun Capital Group, Mr. Laliberté is putting his capital to work in
new ventures under holding company Lune Rouge. While some of them flow
out of his knack for dazzling entertainment, others are a departure,
proving that at the age of 59, the showman still has an appetite for
risk.
"I'm going back into action as a creator and entrepreneur," Mr.
Laliberté said in an interview in late October, during which he gave a
sneak peak of his plans in between drags on Gauloises cigarettes at
Lune Rouge's offices. "I always need a purpose."
The flashiest project is scheduled to launch next June in Montreal's
old port. Dubbed PY1, it's a new take on live performances, an art Mr.
Laliberté has perfected over more than three decades. But instead of a
big-top tent filled with acrobats, the enterprise centres on a seven-
storey travelling pyramid where the show is avant-garde multimedia.
Think lasers, 360-degree projections and atmospheric special effects.
The PY1 team has commissioned an initial production from a Montreal
multi-disciplinary artist that it intends to take on tour. Presale
tickets cost $30. The team wants to build a bank of such productions,
eventually incorporating technology that will allow audiences on site
to experience augmented reality. That means introducing digital
elements on top of their actual physical environment, which they will
be able to see with special glasses.
After the shows, the $15-million pyramid becomes a high-tech night
club or concert venue with maximum room for 1,000 people. Mr.
Laliberté said Lune Rouge is weighing partnerships with key developers
working on technological interactivity, such as Plantation, Fla.-based
Magic Leap Inc.
"The next year, 18 months is about proving my concept and show
profitability," Mr. Laliberté said. Then he'll decide how to scale up
operations.
Another project is called United Memory Archive (UMA), which is a
business that allows people to document an individual's life. There's
a secure website a virtual vault where you can build a digital
profile of someone through audio, video, photos or text. The first two
gigabytes of data are free. Anything more than that comes at a cost.
The company will also sell urns, which it calls "artefacts,"
personalized with the information contained in the vault. Ranging in
price from $200 to $20,000, they feature little or no digital
technology because it will likely become obsolete over time ("Try and
play a cassette tape now," Mr. Laliberté says. "It's problematic.")
Rather, the artifacts feature durable elements such as metal tablets
containing engraved text. UMA has a partnership with the creators of
the Rosetta disk, a three-inch-wide nickel disk with nearly 14,000
pages of information microscopically etched onto its surface.
"Over time, the passing of an individual has become something
tremendously uncomfortable for our society," said Lune Rouge executive
François Plamondon. "We're saying 'No, we have to approach it in a
different way and think of it more as a river of life, of continuity,
of memory.' "
Lune Rouge's nerve centre is the Maison Alcan, a downtown complex made
up of seven buildings in Montreal's Golden Square Mile district, which
it bought in 2016 for about $50-million. The site is a mix of
architectural styles, much of it protected with heritage status by the
Quebec government.
Mr. Laliberté has already restored one building for Lune Rouge's
headquarters. His plans for the rest include starting a non-profit hub
called Zú, described as a place entertainment entrepreneurs in the
fields of content creation and technology can build out their projects
in a supportive and eclectic environment. He's calling on governments
and private-sector partners to contribute to that effort.
With Cirque du Soleil, Mr. Laliberté parlayed a small fire-breathing
act into a worldwide circus dynasty, repurposing a 200-year-old form
of entertainment in the process. His new plans are underlined by a
conviction that technology is opening up a window of opportunity in
live entertainment and immersive, collective experiences. The Cirque
founder says he has spent $200-million so far on all of Lune Rouge's
endeavours, which also include buying art and real estate. At the
moment, he has about 350 full-time employees and collaborators. That
number will likely rise as more projects come to fruition.
Louis Patrick Leroux, an English professor at Concordia University who
co-edited a book on Quebec's circus companies, said while he did not
know what to make of Mr. Laliberté's mourning business, the touring
pyramid idea has "all the hallmarks of what made his initial success:
creating an unexpected demand for a hybrid form of entertainment no
one knew they wanted until it was offered to them."
In his quest to reinvent himself and begin cementing a legacy, Mr.
Laliberté seems to have launched himself down an ambitious road with
the potential to gobble up enormous resources and money. Sooner or
later, he acknowledges, he will likely need to bring a strategic
investor on board. "I'm rich, but I have my limit."
{ SOURCE: The Globe and Mail }
***************************************************************
Q&A -- Quick Chats & Press Interviews
***************************************************************
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Meet Abou Traore Luzia's Footballer
{Oct.15.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
While many of us have seen famous soccer players break into dance in
celebration of a hard earned goal on the field or a breakdancer who
weaves a few ball tricks into their act, the idea of a performance
sport that intertwines soccer skills and dance at a professional level
is relatively new. Those in the know refer to it as 'Freestyle
Football,' and former Guinean soccer player Abou Traore is among the
top performers in this amazing discipline.
Regardless of whether he's performing for street crowds or in front of
the audiences of thousands of people attending Luzia, the hit
international Cirque Du Soleil show he's performed with since 2016,
Abou Traore moves with flawless style, stamina and grace, and the
smile never once leaves his face.
After spending a decade playing soccer semi-professionally for the
clubs ES Parisienne, MFC Montrouge, Paris FC and Paris Saint Germain,
Abou took his soccer ball to the streets in 2011 and began
experimenting with a new style of performance art. Blending his
athleticism and technical soccer skills with fluid movement, dance and
astonishing choreography, Abou'sinnovative freestyle football
performances quickly turned him into an international celebrity.
Though being chosen as a lead performer in the mesmerizing Cirque Du
Soleil show Luzia has undoubtedly put Abou in the spotlight, his
groundbreaking talent had begun earning extensive attention well
before he joined the show.
Some of the tricks that have made Abou so exciting to watch are his
signature moonwalk move, where he glides across the floor with the
ball on his head, and his windmill trick, which is inspired by the
eponymous breakdance move, but brings the added difficulty of gripping
a soccer ball between his flexed foot and shin only to move it around
to other parts of his body as he flows through the move.
When asked what gets audiences most excited, Abou says "It is when I
mix breakdance moves with the ball. "Every time the audience is wowed
because they don't think it's possible. Some people think I have glue
on my feet to hold the ball, so I did it barefoot to prove it."
From the moment Abou began performing on the streets, fans couldn't
get enough of him; and they made sure to spread the word through
social media. With onlookers around the world capturing countless live
videos of Abou working his magic, his profile rose exponentially.
In 2013 the social media buzz around Abou landed him his first
"professional" job when the entertainment company Brazil Fever
discovered him through a YouTube video. They signed Abou on as a part
of the act and he began performing at high-profile events across
France as a lead member of the Brazilian Samba performance troupe. At
the same time, he was consistently being invited to perform regularly
on major television shows airing across multiple continents alongside
his brother Iya Traore, who is another key figure in the discipline of
freestyle football.
Becoming a celebrated figure on the small screen, Abou wowed German
audiences when he performed on the popular RTL TV series "Unschlagbar"
aka "Unbeatable," a challenge series that earned No. 1 ratings and
averaged 3.89 million viewers per episode. Japan got a taste of his
impressive skill when he performed on Nippon TV, and his presence in
France grew even more when he was invited to perform on NRJ12's hit
series "Le Mag."
Moving from performing for street crowds to international audiences
through major televised events, Abou's journey is a rare and inspiring
success story. Since 2016 he has continued to impress audiences across
Canada, the U.S. and Mexico with his agility and magnetic stage
presence through his performances in over 700 shows with Luzia. He
even performed in front of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, and
last year he was invited to speak at Google about the show.
Inspired by rich Mexican culture, Luzia weaves elements of light (luz)
and rain (lluvia) into it's succession of highly stylized acts, and
when Abou takes the stage, audiences know something special is coming.
The only performer on stage at the beginning of the act, Abou
playfully moves around with his soccer ball revealing a little sliver
of his skill.
He says, "The audience is very interested because at first, there is
no music, and they are not ready to see football in a Cirque show."
He is then joined by football freestyler Laura Biondo. Together, the
two performers enact a scene of a boy and girl playing ball in the
street, each inspiring one another to push their skills further,
followed by their solo performances. A soundtrack of laughter and
children's voices plays in the background, and a palpable feeling of
wonder and joyful innocence is felt as they move across the stage. The
38th show that Cirque Du Soleil has put on since 1984, Luzia has
received rave reviews.
In promotion of the show, Abou has performed live on the Toronto
morning show "Breakfast Television," FOX 31 News in Denver, Colorado,
"The Late Late Show with James Corden" on CBS, Access Hollywood Live,
and more. He's also been featured in a plethora of popular newspapers
and online platforms including Montreal's Metro, The Chicago Tribune,
The Globe and Mail, The Orange County Register, Redmond Reporter, 303
Magazine, and countless others.
Since the beginning of human history there has been a drive to use
performance as a means of expression and a way to unite communities,
and that's no different today. Right when we think that we've
innovated as far as we can, someone like Abou Traore breaks onto the
scene and shows us something completely new and previously
unimaginable. Though it is safe to say that most people around the
world probably didn't know much about this performance discipline
prior to Abou Traore's arrival on the scene, with all the attention
he's received from media outlets across the globe for his powerful
performances over the last few years, he's turned freestyle football
into something that is now recognizable on a global scale.
{ SOURCE: Merinews }
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Meet Stephane Allard Corteo Violinist
{Oct.18.2018}
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As a classically trained musician, Stephane Allard didn't imagine
himself a circus performer especially not one in clown makeup and
full costume but that is now his life in Cirque du Soleil's Corteo.
The violinist studied in Quebec City and at the Berklee College of
Music in Boston, Mass., and was freelancing in Montreal when Cirque
first entered his world on a day in 2002. A composer contacted him,
asking him to create a piece of music for Cirque's Varekai show, which
ran from 2002 to 2013 as a big top show and from 2013 to 2017 as an
arena show.
Allard said he wasn't ready to tour at that point and only did shows
near his home in Montreal and Quebec City. "And then I let it go
until 2009, when I was called in as a replacement for Cirque's Corteo
show in Japan," he said. "That was supposed to be for six months, but
it ended up being three years and then it was extended."
Corteo, which is coming to Kamloops in its return as an arena show
next week, started off as a big top show in 2005, running until 2015.
The show tells the story of a clown, Mauro, on his deathbed, who
imagines a parade of characters and scenes from his past, as Allard
put it.
That parade features acts like the acrobatic ladder, where a ladder
specialist interacts with a floating angel while keeping up an
unnerving balance. Another is the helium dance, which features a
tender and poetic moment between the dreaming clown and his clowness,
who floats attached to large balloons. "It just brings the audience
into a theatrical world of fun and comedy," Allard said.
Allard is primarily a musician in the show, but his new life as a
clown also brings with it "something different," which the performer
said he appreciates, leading him to explore new opportunities the show
presents. "And what's even newer for me, I'm doing a backup act," he
said.
Allard said he appears in the first act of the show and that it feels
"just fantastic" when he's on stage. But what the performer really
appreciates is touring with the show's acrobats, downplaying his own
role in comparison. "For us musicians, you can say it's an easy job,
yes and no, but we don't have to go during the day and work our act.
We go there for soundcheck, we warm up and play and it's good," he
said.
"The acrobats have to go early, and they do their act and they work
hard and that's what the people will see. When they perform, they are
really into it."
{ SOURCE: Kamloops This week }
-------------------------------------------------------
BAZZAR Inspired by Musicians that Perform on Streets
{Oct.19.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil, world's largest entertainment company, will be
making its debut in India with its all-new property BAZZAR this
November. A lesser known fact about Cirque is the talent showcase of
live music and its blend with the entire performance. More so, every
beat, every tune that you hear during a Cirque performance is unique
and composed by Cirque du Soleil itself. To dig deeper in terms of
music used in Cirque, Simon Carpentiar (Music Composer) has given a
few details, check them below.
Q. Can you please explain the different kinds of music genres brought
out by Cirque du Soleil?
The music created for each Cirque du Soleil reflects its theme and
help set the tone for it. A score is written by a composer for shows
that feature original music, as opposed to pre-recorded soundtracks by
major artists like The Beatles and Michael Jackson. Musicians and
singers perform the score live and must be ready to adjust the tempo
or improvise to follow the pace of the artists on stage.
Q. What were the challenges you have faced while working on the music
for Cirque Du Soleil BAZZAR?
While creating the music, I picture myself in the street playing music
for people. The music of BAZZAR is fun, accessible and dreamy. It's
all based on very simple instruments like piano, guitar and vocal. We
blended all these things to write the score and make it as fun as
possible to make it melodic with lots of energy.
Q. Is there any live music? If yes, then which are the instruments
used in the performance?
BAZZAR features live music with one singer and two musicians on stage.
The music is the kind that makes you want to get up and dance and
makes you leave the Big Top singing the melodies.
Q. Where is the music inspired from?
The music is inspired by musicians that perform on the streets, the
musicians play and array of instruments that keeps the music feeling
very joyful and grass roots. I would describe it as a fusion between
folk and electronica. It is the kind of music that makes one stomp
their feet and clap.
Q. How according to you does music help in making the show stand out?
The music is the kind that makes you want to get up and dance and
makes you leave Big Top singing the melodies. Inspired by musicians
that perform on the streets, the musicians play and array of
instruments that keeps the music feeling very joyful and grass roots.
I would describe it as a fusion between folk and electronica. It's the
kind of music that grabs you right away and that you walk out and you
sing the melodies.
Q. Some lesser known facts you would like to share on the music behind
Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR?
In Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR, the live band is composed by two musicians
within the troupe that are always playing, live. With live music,
singing, and a 'ghost DJ' who is never seen but heard, the result is a
super groovy, universal, supercharged pop soundscape. Folk-electronica
ear-candy, created with four main instruments: Baritone sax, acoustic
guitar, dreamy melodic piano, and soulful vocals. Hits of ukulele,
various flutes, and simple banjo, amplify the spirit of sidewalk
entertainment. A soulful singer brings poetic, female energy within
the musical craze. Combined with live musicians, their total
performance makes music an equally visual experience, bringing fans
closer to the action within the intimate big top setting.
Q. Cirque du Soleil would be performing in India for the first time,
what are your thoughts on it?
While we have been entertaining millions of people for over 30 years
in more than 60 countries, we continue to look for new markets and new
audiences. We're happy to finally present ourselves and our creativity
to the Indian audience also we're eager to see what their reaction
will be.
{ SOURCE: Radio and Music }
-------------------------------------------------------
VOLTA star gives back to kids Aspiring to Join Circus
{Oct.19.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
Bradley Henderson lithely climbs up the pole and turns his body upside
down before stopping it on a dime. There is a striking ease to the way
he contorts himself with masterful precision on this Monday afternoon.
It's standard fare for the seasoned circus performer who is starring
in Cirque du Soleil's "Volta," which opens at San Francisco's AT&T
Park on Nov. 15. But today his casually awe-inspiring physicality is
on display for the young students of Circus Center in San Francisco.
The day is a homecoming for Henderson, who flew into the city the
night before, not only because he grew up in Nob Hill but also because
this gymnasium, a playground of sorts and nonprofit class space for
budding circus performers and enthusiasts, launched his career.
"Every time I come back home, I try to make it through to this gym
because this is where it all started," Henderson says, sitting atop
the second-story bleachers overlooking the space. The place hasn't
changed much, but it always looks smaller each time he returns, though
that might be a reflection of the places Henderson has been since
leaving.
Long before joining this internationally touring show under Cirque du
Soleil's Big Top the company's trademark massive blue-and-yellow
circus tent Henderson trained here throughout his childhood until he
was 18, when he went to study at the Quebec Circus Arts School.
"I was doing gymnastics when I was 8 years old," Henderson, 34, says.
"It was kind of competitive, and I didn't really love it. And then my
mom found Mr. Lu Yi. He (taught at) this old church on Potrero Hill."
The Circus Center, known then as the San Francisco School for Circus
Arts, soon moved to its current location, and Henderson, along with
his brother and sister (both of whom also have performed in Cirque du
Soleil's "Luzia"), followed Lu, whom Henderson still refers to with
reverence.
"He's this circus legend, and he taught me pretty much everything
growing up, all of my fundamentals," Henderson says of Lu, who now
serves as artistic director emeritus at the center. "I did Chinese
hoop diving, Chinese pole climbing, teeterboard, pretty much a lot of
things you see in this gym."
Henderson uses those same skills now in "Volta" as one of the show's
shape divers. The show boasts a spectacular range of acts rooted in
the spirit of street sports, from double Dutch rope skipping and BMX
to Henderson and his team's hoop diving acrobatics.
"Our act in particular, we're almost trying to bring it back to street
performing, where we rile up the crowd," he says. "We stack these
hoops on top of each other, and we do crazy tumbling tricks to get
through the hoops without knocking them over."
It's an electrifying role, Henderson says, engaging the crowd to
become invested and performing during a turning point in the show a
tale of self-acceptance where the cast's gray feathers are shed for
one's true colors.
Performing on these high-caliber stages (Henderson sat down during a
rare two-day break for the touring show) for the iconic circus brand
is a peak of sorts for Henderson, who is performing in his first
Cirque du Soleil show. But his story is no anomaly coming out of
Circus Center.
Following along the young students' warmups and being handily
defeated in a handstand competition this afternoon, Henderson is a
guest in a class instructed by Kris Carrison, a 15-year alum of Cirque
du Soleil.
"We've been training people at a very high level for many years, and a
lot of those folks have gone on to start other studios around the
country, have gone on obviously to perform," says Barry Kendall, the
nonprofit's executive director. "We have alumni of our program who are
part of that rich circus tradition."
The tradition is rooted in the city. The Circus Center was founded by
members of the Pickle Family Circus, the famous San Francisco troupe
(it included members like Bill Irwin, who would go on to become a Tony
Award-winning actor) that was fundamental to the renewal of the circus
arts in America. "When I had seen their shows, the Pickle Family
Circus was starting this tradition," Henderson says, recalling seeing
the troupe perform as a child.
This history and pedigree has kept Circus Center a vital, surviving
institution, attracting world-class instructors within the small but
global world of circus, while also helping students like Henderson see
potential careers in the art.
Returning home, Henderson hopes he might do the same. Inside Circus
Center, young students look on as Henderson spins in circles, his body
controlled tightly inside a large metal Cyr wheel. He's less
reflective on his own journey than on what his story might do for the
next generation.
"If anybody is seeing themselves through me, then I think it's a good
thing," he says. "It gives these kids here that are training really
hard something to look forward to."
{ SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle }
-------------------------------------------------------
Eirini Tornesaki Shares Her Singing Secrets
{Oct.31.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
When Cirque Du Soleil casting called me to announce that I was the
chosen singer for the new 2014 Cirque production Kurios, there was one
thing I was really worried about; whether I would be able to cope with
singing up to 10 shows per week. I would be the only singer in the
show and singing for the majority of the two-hour show, and like I
said, up to 10 times per week!
Since I was a child, I have experienced constant vocal challenges. I
had a cyst on one of my vocal folds that later formed a sulcus, and a
mucosal bridge, which were probably of genetic origin. On top of that,
I have chronic asthmatic bronchitis and allergies. Of course you can
imagine the limitations in range, volume, stamina, and the
disappointments that came along with all of that. Despite the
challenges, I was always passionate about singing and I was determined
to make it my profession. So I went to college for vocal performance
and was committed to learning as much as possible about the anatomy of
my voice, and exploring its potential. After all, this is my
instrument and I have to work with what I was given.
In 2014, I spent a three-month show creation period in Montreal at the
Cirque Du Soleil headquarters, where I was training with a vocal coach
for two hours each day on top of rehearsing for the show. Then I
toured North America, completing 1,074 shows in three years.
I want to share with you how I maintained my vocal health, so that
these tips may help you:
1. Warm up and Warm down Before the show I warmed up my voice for
2030 minutes. After the show, while I was removing my make-up or
on the way home, I did a gentle warm down.
2. Sleep Absolutely necessary for vocal recovery! I aimed to sleep
eight and a half hours every night.
3. Diet A healthy and nutritious diet is essential for a singer, and
everyone needs to find what works for them. One thing I personally
eliminated from my diet was dairy products. Dairy may coat your
throat and produce excess mucus in your system and it makes it
harder to sing with a clear tone and maintain pitch. I also limited
sugar as it rips off the energy needed for singing. I was also
taking a multivitamin daily. Another important aspect was allowing
enough time between eating and singing, as well as never eating too
close to bedtime, to avoid acid reflux.
4. Water I consumed about three liters (101.4 fl oz) of water daily.
The way I measured it was by filling and consuming my 1 liter (33.8
fl oz) water bottle three times throughout the day.
5. Alcohol, Smoking, Coffee I did not drink much alcohol or smoke at
all. On rare occasions I enjoyed one drink after the last show of
the week. Coffee was a lot more difficult. Coffee is my guilty
pleasure! I always have one in the morning, but never more than one
cup per day, because it can dehydrate you. Its also acidic, so it
is usually not recommended for singers.
6. Talking I avoided talking too much during the day and talking
loudly. I also avoided going to bars, clubs, or other loud places.
Sometimes I would be on complete vocal rest on my day off (Monday).
7. Physical Exercise I did body weight exercise and stretching. A
singers body needs to be strong but also flexible, so it is
important to keep that balance. I practiced yoga daily as it
increases circulation and improves your posture.
8. Nasal Rinsing & Steaming I used a Neti Pot daily for nasal
showers to help with congestion and reduce allergies and I steamed
my vocal cords with boiled water around two to three times a week,
(especially after the weekend when I performed two shows per day)
9. Pace Yourself Our artistic director always reminded us to
distribute our energy. I tried to distribute it amongst the 10
weekly shows, and this took me a few months to figure out.
Initially I felt drained by halfway through the week, so I learned
to pull back a little.
10. Mental Health Working long days, repetition, tiredness, and
being away from loved ones can affect your mental health. Thats
why its important to check in with yourself and your feelings,
take care of your mental health and do other things you enjoy,
besides work. In every city we performed in I found a yoga studio
or a dance class where I could relax. I also studied songwriting
with Berklee Online while I was on tour! I completed a Specialist
Certificate in Songwriting and really enjoyed engaging my brain
and creativity with this different activity when I was not
performing.
I know all this may sound like a lot, but these were all gradual
adjustments and lifestyle changes that I developed in three years. It
was an incredible learning process that I will keep with me for the
rest of my professional life. All the sacrifices were really worth
the effort, because the feeling of achievement after 10 shows in a
week is indescribable! Also, I just want you to know that these
strategies are what worked for me personally; they are tools, not
rules. Everyones voice and body are different and I just happened to
have extra sensitivity with my vocal cords so I needed to make these
choices.
Please dont hesitate to contact me at info@erinimusic.com if you
would like to share your own experience with me, or if you have any
questions about these techniques. I wish you all good health and happy
singing!
{ SOURCE: Berklee College of Music }
=======================================================================
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:
Bogota, CO -- Oct 26, 2018 to Dec 16, 2018
Dallas, TX -- Jan 23, 2019 to Feb 17, 2019
Phoenix, AZ -- Mar 15, 2019 to Apr 14, 2019
Bazzar:
Mumbai, IN -- Nov 15, 2018 to Dec 9, 2018
New Dehli, IN -- Dec 25, 2018 to Jan 6, 2019
Koozå:
Seoul, SK -- Nov 3, 2018 to Dec 30, 2018
Auckland, NZ -- Feb 15, 2019 to Mar 3, 2019
Kurios:
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:
Mexico City, MX -- Nov 8, 2018 to Dec 23, 2018
Houston, TX -- Jan 10, 2019 to Feb 3, 2019
Orlando, FL -- Mar 7, 2019 to Apr 21, 2019
New York City, NY -- May 2, 2019 to Jun 9, 2019
Totem:
Paris, FR -- Oct 25, 2018 to Dec 30, 2018
London, UK -- Jan 12, 2019 to Feb 26, 2019
Vienna, AT -- Mar 9, 2019 to Apr 7, 2019
Geneva, CH -- May 9, 2019 to Jun 2, 2019
Gran Canaria, ES -- Jul 5, 2019 to Aug 4, 2019
VOLTA:
San Francisco, CA -- Nov 15, 2018 to Feb 3, 2019
San Jose, CA -- Feb 13, 2019 to Mar 24, 2019
San Diego, CA -- Apr 3, 2019 to May 5, 2019
Chicago, IL -- May 18, 2019 to Jul 6, 2019
Denver, CO -- Jul 19, 2019 to Aug 25, 2019
Atlanta, GA -- Sep 13, 2019 to Nov 30, 2019
------------------------------------
ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues
------------------------------------
TORUK - The First Flight:
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 28, 2018 to Dec 3, 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
Lyon, FR -- Feb 20, 2019 to Feb 24 2019
Bratislava, SK -- Feb 28, 2019 to Mar 3, 2019
Krakow, PL -- Mar 6, 2019 to Mar 10, 2019
Antwerp, BE -- Mar 14, 2019 to Mar 17, 2019
Moscow, RU -- Apr 19, 2019 to May 5, 2019
St. Petersburg, RU -- May 8, 2019 to May 12, 2019
Helsinki, FI -- May 15, 2019 to May 19, 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
Zurich, CH -- Jun 12, 2019 to Jun 16, 2019
OVO:
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
Lisbon, PT -- Jan 3, 2019 to Jan 13, 2019
Murica, ES -- Jan 16, 2019 to Jan 20, 2019
Belo Horizonte, BR -- Mar 7, 2019 to Mar 17, 2019
Rio de Janeiro, BR -- Mar 21, 2019 to Mar 31, 2019
Brasília, BR -- Apr 5, 2019 to Apr 13, 2019
São Paulo, BR -- Apr 19, 2019 to May 12, 2019
CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE:
Tulsa, OK -- Nov 7, 2018 to Nov 11, 2018
Norfolk, VA -- Nov 29, 2018 to Dec 2, 2018
Washington, DC -- Dec 5, 2018 to Dec 9, 2018
Miami, FL -- Dec 13, 2018 to Dec 16, 2018
Tampa, FL -- Dec 19, 2018 to Dec 23, 2018
Cincinnati, OH -- Dec 27, 2018 to Dec 30, 2018
Baton Rouge, LA -- Jan 3, 2019 to Jan 6, 2019
Kansas City, MO -- Jan 16, 2019 to Jan 19, 2019
Columbus, OH -- Jan 23, 2019 to Jan 27, 2019
Milwaukee, WI -- Jan 30, 2019 to Feb 3, 2019
Regina, SK -- Feb 7, 2019 to Feb 10, 2019
Edmonton, AB -- Feb 13, 2019 to Feb 17, 2019
West Valley City, UT -- Mar 7, 2019 to Mar 10, 2019
Ontario, CA -- Mar 13, 2019 to Mar 17, 2019
Bakersfield, CA -- Mar 20, 2019 to Mar 24, 2019
Sacramento, CA -- Mar 27, 2019 to Mar 31, 2019
Stockton, CA -- Apr 3, 2019 to Apr 7, 2019
Everett, WA -- Apr 10, 2019 to Apr 14, 2019
Duluth, MN -- Apr 19, 2019 to Apr 21, 2019
Omaha, NE -- Apr 24, 2019 to Apr 28, 2019
Madison, WI -- May 1, 2019 to May 5, 2019
Peoria, IL -- May 8, 2019 to May 12, 2019
Grand Rapids, MI -- May 15, 2019 to May 19, 2019
Saginaw, MI -- May 22, 2019 to May 26, 2019
CORTEO:
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
Worchester, MA -- Jan 3, 2019 to Jan 6, 2019
Detroit, MI -- Jan 10, 2019 to Jan 13, 2019
Pittsburgh, PA -- Jan 16, 2019 to Jan 19, 2019
Evansville, IN -- Jan 23, 2019 to Jan 27, 2019
Memphis, TN -- Jan 31, 2019 to Feb 3, 2019
Raleigh, NC -- Feb 7, 2019 to Feb 10, 2019
Bossier City, LA -- Feb 14, 2019 to Feb 17, 2019
Cedar Park, TX -- Feb 20, 2019 to Feb 24, 2019
Portland, OR -- Mar 14, 2019 to Mar 17, 2019
Tucson, AZ -- Apr 3, 2019 to Apr 7, 2019
Rio Rancho, NM -- Apr 11, 2019 to Apr 14, 2019
Topeka, KS -- Apr 18, 2019 to Apr 21, 2019
St. Louis, MO -- Apr 24, 2019 to Apr 28, 2019
Cedar Rapids, IA -- May 1, 2019 to May 5, 2019
Dayton, OH -- May 8, 2019 to May 12, 2019
Windsor, ON -- May 15, 2019 to May 19, 2019
Hamilton, ON -- May 22, 2019 to May 26, 2019
London, ON -- Jun 13, 2019 to Jun 16, 2019
---------------------------------
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 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, Dec 11 - 9:30pm only
o Mon, Dec 31 - 4:00pm & 6:30pm
2018 Dark Dates:
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 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 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)
PARAMOUR:
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Begins April 9, 2019!
=======================================================================
OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS
=======================================================================
o) WEBSERIES -- Official Online Featurettes
o) VIDEOS -- Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds
---------------------------------------------------
WEBSERIES: Official Online Featurettes
---------------------------------------------------
*) BAZZAR: BEHIND THE SCENES
In this NEW YouTube series, 'BAZZAR: Behind The Scenes', discover
the journey of how BAZZAR came to life. Tune in bi-weekly to
follow us around from training at the Cirque Headquarters to
planning for our debut in India!
o) SPECIAL - BAZZAR Artists Get Ready for Premiere
As our BAZZAR artists prep for our World Premiere in India,
find out what they're most looking forward to!
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/yRnzHfQMOIQ >
o) EPISODE 5 - On The Road
In episode 5, our artists get ready to hit the road!
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/3iIm6zTtON0 >
o) SPECIAL - What is Mallakhamb?
For the first time in Cirque du Soleil history, performers
Rajesh Mudki and Kalpesh Jadjav, both from Mumbai, display
strength and technical feats in an act of mallakhamb in the
newest touring show, BAZZAR - also performing in India for
the very first time! Mallakamb, also known as a Wrestler's
pole, is an ancient sport with a combination of yoga, wrestling
and acrobatic. Discover more about our two artists' stories!
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/7S59YASYaUI >
*) ASK CIRQUE: EXCLUSIVE SCOOP ON ALEGRIA'S RETURN
We heard your Alegría questions and NOW we have the ANSWERS
about the Iconic show's return! In this SPECIAL EDITION of
'ASK CIRQUE!', artists, cast and crew from the fan-favorite
show Alegría answer your questions! .
VIDEO 1 /// < https://www.facebook.com/CirqueduSoleil/
videos/2215178852095315/ >
VIDEO 2 /// < https://youtu.be/qGb5-9W1wpY >
Some notes to share having watched these videos...
- Set design will be modified. Downstage will remain the
same, as Power Track will be integrated into the design
as before. However, expect some changes to upstage
including but not limited to the bandstand and dome.
- Power Track, as mentioned, will be in the show. A number
of La Nouba artists were hired for the act.
- High Bar as well (with a twist, the creators said.)
- Russian Bar as well (also with a twist)
- (And we know Elena Lev will be in, with Hoops Manipulation)
- But, Aerial Cube will NOT be in the show; however, the song
"Ibis" will - to a new act that the creators are confident
will blow us away.
- And it looks like Contortion is out, replaced with a Hand-
to-Hand act if the pictures on the wall behind the creators
is accurate.
- There will also be a Duo Straps, Fire, and Trapeze act.
- Singers have not been hired yet, but there will be 2. And
they'll be characterized more than they were in the past -
holding as yet undefined roles. [An October 25th casting call
went out saying the company is "looking for a professional
Female Singer of African heritage to join the cast of the
revisited version of our touring show Alegria. Are you highly
charismatic with a solid stage experience and strong abilities
to interpret soul-funk musical style?" Um... soul-funk? In
Alegria?]
- And while we'll hear some of our favorite tunes, some will
be remixed. (All I can think of is Nova Alegria from DELIRIUM,
but surely not that remixed.) [NOTE: in the second video, the
following answer was provided for a similar question about
the show's iconic soundtrack and it's availability on CD:
"All of the show's songs will be reworked, rearranged, re-
orchestrated, and updated."]
*) MUSIC VIDEO w/LYRICS
o) TOTEM - "Thunder" {Oct.23}
HE ------ NI YÉ NA
EL DO NO YO YÉ SU MA
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/Ss-PrV1CaXw >
---------------------------------------------------
VIDEOS: Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds
---------------------------------------------------
o) The Making of LOVE and Foster the People at Life is Beautiful
The Beatles LOVE performed "Hey Jude" with Foster the People
at the Life is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas. Here's how The
Beatles LOVE prepared for the BIG performance! Plus, exclusive
interview with Foster the People.
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/ufB3gcIi6r0 >
o) Cirque does Halloween (Step-by-step Makeup Tutorials)
- Crystal Skull Makeup
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/ltlMrnEjTZY >
- Pop Art Zombie Makeup
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/Qqu5Zkna5m4 >
- Creepy Doll Makeup
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/Ovnp12yCV58 >
o) "O" 20th Anniversary Fun Facts
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/Eo3MuH--2gs >
o) People are Awesome - CirqueWay for a Day (KA)
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/HS_4O7XCtCI >
o) Happy International Artists Day 2018
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/YuV3cymKhCQ >
o) Mystere Official 2018 Trailer
LINK /// < https://youtu.be/8f3V62Nndvg >
o) Meet Corteo's New Whistler: Geert Chatrou
https://www.facebook.com/Corteo/videos/2673098746037250/
o) Meet Crystal's Love Interest: Jerome Sordillon
https://www.facebook.com/CrystalbyCirqueduSoleil/videos/108601346733522/
o) TORUK 5@5 w/Tiago Figueiredo
https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/videos/588644804906750/
o) TORUK 5@5 w/Maritza Melo Zambrano
https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/videos/526648227762392/
o) TORUK 5@5 w/Charles Couture
https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/videos/560416867742367/
o) Meet Amaluna's Scene Director
https://www.facebook.com/Amaluna/videos/268027487160875/
o) Meet Amaluna's Sales Team
https://www.facebook.com/Amaluna/videos/2258862077678660/
o) Meet Amaluna's Band
https://www.facebook.com/Amaluna/videos/277464916198223/
o) Meet the Automation Team
https://www.facebook.com/Amaluna/videos/1021255661387211/
o) Kurios: Glimpse of Behind the Scenes Life
https://www.facebook.com/kuriosbycirquedusoleil/videos/176091953316373/
o) Kurios: Celebrating Half-Way Point in Japanese Tour
https://www.facebook.com/kuriosbycirquedusoleil/videos/296966981029567/
o) TOTEM: Adapting an Act
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a50PGTzaK8
o) VOLTA Artists Take Over Seattle Space Needle
https://www.facebook.com/VOLTA/videos/247090979286402/
https://www.facebook.com/KIRO7Seattle/videos/1439982186134959/
https://www.facebook.com/VOLTA/videos/260649567969181/
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
o) "Underneath an Empty Big Top: Raising the Tent
Part 1 of 2: One, Two, Three, GO!"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
o) "DIVA: The Power of Music"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) "We're Off and Running II, Part 3 of 4: «O»"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) SPECIAL: "Unlocking the Mysteries of AWE: A Study"
A Study by Cirque du Soleil & Lab of Misfits
------------------------------------------------------------
"Underneath an Empty Big Top: Raising the Tent
Part 1 of 2: One, Two, Three, GO!"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
------------------------------------------------------------
Walt Disney, in describing the layout of his game-changing theme park,
took to describing the tall architectural highlight of the lands off
the spokes of Disneyland as the "weenie" the thing that drew the
guests eye and enticed them to enter a particular land.
For Cirque du Soleil the "weenie" is the circus tent, or as they
prefer to call it the "Grand Chapiteau." Usually visible from
arterials or freeways where they can be seen by hundreds of thousands
of potential patrons each day they silently announce the arrival of
the Circus of the Sun. Cirque even uses the construction of the tent
in each city as a piece of publicity, inviting media to attend "tent
raisings," another way of getting free press on the evening news.
After years of seeing those quick bits of news on local TV, we decided
to see what goes on at one of them ourselves. And for that we chose
LUZIA.
PART 1 - ONE, TWO, THREE, GO!
-----------------------------
Friday, March 24th, 2017, 1pm PT, Marymoor Park, Redmond, WA
It is a cool, cloudy day, with temperatures in the 50's. It had
rained the night before so all the surfaces glisten, and small puddles
shine here and there. I approach the chain link fence that encircles
the asphalt pad that Cirque will use as its headquarters. The gates
to the main entrance, large enough to accommodate trucks, are locked
off. But there is a smaller gate to its right, with a specially-
poured asphalt footpath that leads off the main road and over a patch
of grass. A young lady greets me at the entry gate. "Are you media?"
she asks. "Close enough," I reply. She points me to a tarp-covered
area connected to a portable office, where everyone checks in.
I ask for and am introduced to Francis Jalbert, LUZIA publicist and my
contact. "Welcome to LUZIA," he greets cheerfully. He's tall, trim,
energetic, in his late 20's with short black hair under his hardhat
and a French-tinged accent."Thank you for letting me watch," I reply.
"My pleasure," he responds. After signing in, I am directed to a box
containing hardhats of various colors and orange reflective vests.
Another person reminds me to please keep the vest (stamped with the
show logo on the back) and hat (not) on as long as I am on-site and
return them when I am done. We are, after all, at a construction site.
They also provide me with a media badge; a triangular sticker with the
name of the show, the word "Media," and the date handwritten in marker
on the bottom. As I am doing this there are conversations in French
going on around me.
Another publicity person asks the assembled camera crew if they would
like to film the outside of the tent, so they have a comparison.
There are three TV cameras here: KOMO Channel 4 (komonews.com), the
ABC affiliate, KING Channel 5 (king5.com), the NBC affiliate, and KCPQ
Channel 13 (q13fox.com), the Fox affiliate. A radio station is also
represented, soft rock KWRM-FM 106.9 (warm1069.com). Also, there is
local weekly The Redmond Reporter (Redmond-reporter.com) (Marymoor
Park, where Cirque is setting up shop, is situated in the city of
Redmond). There are also a couple of what appear to be bloggers
present, though I don't get their names or who they write for.
And then there's me. I stand back a step or two to take it all in.
After getting set up with the vests and hats there is a long pause as
we wait.
In front of us the tent. It rests like a half-inflated tire; you
know it's there, but it isn't good for anything without more work.
The top cupola sits about two-thirds of the way up the four 15 meter
(82 feet) tall masts and the swooping curve of the canvas leads to the
outside walls. The blue metal poles that will soon be pushed into
place are attached to the canvas but rest inside the canvas circle.
The lowest the canvas reaches is about four feet off the ground.
Forward of the tent the top conical-shaped cupolas for the concessions
tent are already in place at the top of their respective masts.
Hanging down as it is, one can't easily see the specially-painted
pattern on the canvas. The LUZIA press kit describes the white color
of the tent and the pattern painted on it thusly: "LUZIA marks the
first time Cirque du Soleil presents a production under a Big Top
featuring printed patterns directly related to the theme of the show.
The patterns evoke the association between Cirque du Soleil (the sun)
and Mexico (the word originates from Mtztli, meaning 'moon', and
Xuctli which means 'middle') and symbolize the meeting of two
celestial bodies: the sun and the moon. A bird's eye view reveals the
path of the stars that spiral out from the centre of the Big Top the
symbolic meeting point between earth and sky, sacred and human."
The rest of the site is busy but pretty barren of structures.
Interestingly, the artistic tent is fully assembled; I had thought it
would be built after the main tent (I would later find out why.)
Sprinkled across the asphalt and lining the perimeter of the chain
link fence that marks the limits of the built-to-Cirque-spec asphalt
pad are many boxes and containers poles here, pallets of seats over
there, attaching cables there, hot dog machines, popcorn makers,
beverage refrigerators behind that. A couple of forklifts scurry
around the site, occasionally moving an item from one area to place it
gingerly at another. Items seem specifically placed, each having its
own unique location on the asphalt items closer to the tent being
needed sooner than items closer to the fence line. Despite its
clutter, it LOOKS organized.
While we wait I strike up a conversation with a nearby Cirque
employee. This person having years of experience at the company, I
ask a question on many fans minds but hard to get feedback on: Have
they noticed any difference since Cirque was purchased by the private
equity firms (TPG and Fosun). "A little bit. Not so much with
creation of the shows; TPG is very well aware that their expertise is
not in that side of the arts. What's changed more is how we approach
business decisions. Now that there's a different type of Board of
Directors, now that there's a group of investors that are looking at
the numbers differently, in my opinion we've become a smarter
business. We were managed very well, managed with heart, we were
passionate about what we did. But they brought in an expertise
through their advisors and such that have really made a difference in
that sense." So the creation process has remained the same? "That's
all the same. There hasn't been any change in that, because again
they know that's where our domain is."
Eventually Francis comes forward, he explains to all of us what will
happen next. First, he says, we'll go inside the big top so we can see
the poles that support the big top going up. It takes about five
people to put up each pole. Afterwards we'll go outside where the
company manager will be available. She will be able to answer
questions about the tent, the space, and anything else we'd like to
ask. He mentions the 65 trucks that take the show from town to town.
He talks about some of the upcoming stops and mentions that the
average lifespan of a Cirque show is 10 to 12 years. He himself has
been with the company seven years.
He cautions the camera people that it will be dark inside the tent and
to adjust their cameras accordingly. One camera crew person asks if
they can shoot the trucks as they move around the site, Francis
responds that that would be fine but there is not a lot of movement at
any one time. It's kind of like a ballet; one element gets moved in,
then another, then another over the setup.
Eventually Francis gathers the group to go underneath the big top for
the tent raising. "Inside the tent you will see four main masts, and
we ask that you stay within the line of those four masts. The way we
do it is kind of a domino effect, so we start on one side and push the
poles up and then move on to the next section. You can move around
within the box but don't move beyond the box. Keep in mind it is a
construction site. There is some height restriction when you enter so
watch your head."
As we walk toward the tent Francis pulls me aside to ask about Teatro
Zinzanni (zinzanni.org). The cirque-influenced dinner theater in a
round spiegeltent had to close to make way for more apartments as part
of Seattle's Amazon-influenced burst of growth. The site on which
Teatro Zinzanni sat is only about a half-mile from several Amazon-
occupied buildings so the land is quite valuable, much more than a
nonprofit circus organization can afford. (In an ironic twist, the
land was owned by another arts organization, The Seattle Opera(.org)
and leased to Zinzanni for years in a sweetheart deal.) It had long
been a performance space where many past and future Cirque artists had
performed, it is a sad loss. Some months after LUZIA would leave
town, however, Zinzanni would find temporary residence space on the
asphalt we are now walking on, where LUZIA will perform in another
week.
We approach the tent single file. In a couple of places we must step
over Yellow Jacket-brand power cable protector troughs, where thick
power cables snake across construction walkways. The raised ramps, I
note, are custom made with the Cirque du Soleil logotype on them. The
canvas at the door 2 entrance hangs down about 4 feet above the
asphalt, we have to duck under as we enter. The empty space inside is
huge and dark, cavernous, the underside painted the same navy-blue
color of the poles. In seven days the show will be ready, seating and
staging in place, lighting and sound adjusted, ready for performance.
But now it is a large empty space. Sounds reflect from throughout the
tent, rebounding and echoing, making any communication from farther
than a few feet away difficult to understand.
The team from Cirque heads us towards the center of the tent between
the four masts and asks us, for our own safety, to not move beyond the
perimeter of the masts. In the center along with us sits a long
rectangular black road case box on top of a flatbed trailer, about the
width of the cupola above. I believe this is part of the unique-to-
LUZIA water apparatus that will be hoisted later, after they kick out
crowing seagulls that have already found refuge in the rafters.
From our position in the center of the tent we can look outward toward
the entire 51-meter (167 feet) tent circumference. The 10-foot tall
metal poles, painted navy blue, are prepositioned facing inward into
the tent and attached to the canvas at the other end. If you consider
the entrance to the artistic tent to be 12 o'clock on the clock face
they will start their process at two o'clock and proceed clockwise
until all the poles have been placed.
Gathered together to put up the poles is a group of around 40-50
people, maybe more, all bedecked in hardhats and orange vests which
say "Rhino" on the back. It takes about 65 people to put the tent up,
Francis explains. They hire 50 locally and the rest are Cirque crew.
We try to listen as they are instructed by one of Cirque's set up
crew, who speaks loudly in a French-tinged accent. His voice
reverberates through the tent; there is nothing else to absorb the
sound so the echo is strong. The workers are positioned in groups of
five around 10 of the polls. "I am going to count 1-2-3-GO," he
explains, "and on GO everyone pushes their mast into position." His
other notes to the crew are impossible to make out, being swallowed up
and spat back at us several times over.
The cameramen push to the limits of the invisible perimeter so they
can get the best shots. I hang back to allow the TV cameras space.
When I snap a picture with my flash on it makes the reflective tape of
the workers vests glow white.
The man supervising the pole set-up crew asks, "You guys ready?"
Immediately a couple of the pole teams start pushing, but prematurely.
For a moment there is general confusion and laughter. The boss gathers
his crew again and gives more explicit instructions. "Are you ready?
One, Two, Three, GO!"With that command everyone pushes on their poles,
making a loud scraping sound that screams underneath the canvas. It
takes less than 10 seconds to bring the poles to their upright
position.
The media gathered between the masts observes carefully, all eyes and
cameras watching the setup crew. After the first set of poles are in
place the group moves on. Less than a minute after the first set of
poles are placed they start pushing the second set. Again, the
cacophonous scraping noise consumes the tent.
And so it goes, repeating and repeating, in a clockwise direction
around the circumference of the tent. While this is happening Francis
engages me in conversation. We talk about the incorporation of water
into the show and how the audience reaction to LUZIA is similar to the
response to one of our favorite Cirque shows, KURIOS.
Almost precisely five minutes later, after six sets of pushes, all the
poles have been slid into place. A round of applause erupts from the
workers. With the poles in place they move on to other tasks. Many
work with ratchets attached to a few of the 550 stakes previously
hammered into the asphalt, tightening up the slack guy wires, notching
the canvas taut against the just erected pole.
With the visual part of our show over we are escorted out and past the
perimeter of the tent spray painted in yellow on the asphalt, not
needing to stoop as we did when we entered. We are relocated to an
area in front of but a bit of a distance away from the tent, where we
are gathered in a line, with cameras facing forward towards the tent.
As the tent set up continues, a couple of forklifts noisily putter
around the site moving equipment into the tent.
* * *
TO BE CONTINUED... Next time we'll describe what happens at the press
availability after the tent raising.
------------------------------------------------------------
"DIVA: The Power of Music"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
------------------------------------------------------------
Music is at the heart of this show and follows the timeless hits of
the Divas whose songs shaped our lives. Songs that have guided us
throughout the years, in moments of folly, of sadness, of celebration,
and of joy; DIVA is a unique opportunity to rediscover them all. Roze,
our venerable and omniscient protagonist, will lead the way in this
journey through the music, all while unveiling the essence of what
makes a true diva.
Immerse yourself in the unparalleled musical repertoire and the
spirited, signature acrobatics of Cirque du Soleil. Experience a show
like no other, where the celebrated hits of the past decades are
played to the rhythms of neo-soul and pop, all showcased with a fresh
modernity. Amazing acrobatics, the modernity and glamour of the
dressing room, internationally acclaimed musical rhythms and
incredible set design are just a glimpse of what awaits you in this
edition of Cirque du Soleil in Andorra.
THE CONCEPT
-----------
As a passionate, vivid ode to the greatest female vocalists, DIVA
explores the transformational power of music and dusts off musical
favorites of yesteryear and today which have been immortalized by the
undisputed queens of music. This magnificent work delves deep into the
soul of a diva, Roze, an omniscient woman in her prime who reveals the
innate qualities held by all great singers. She is strong-willed,
unapologetic and irreverent, fierce and rebellious to her core,
gushing with charisma. Despite her relentless nature she still has a
vulnerable side and is disarmingly candid. Indeed, she is the
archetypal diva. DIVA invites the audience into a bold, surreal yet
modern world where they are taken on an emotional musical journey,
emblazoned with neo soul, pop and hip hop. Replete with acrobatic
flourishes and breathtaking choreography, DIVA presents the talents of
twenty-four fabulously energetic artists, with two singers and a DJ
drummer among their number. Discover the legacy of the great divas of
music through the eyes of Cirque du Soleil.
SCENEOGRAPHY Alexis Laurence returns to Andorra with a surprising
scene interpretation. He has imagined a rose-tinted monochrome
backdrop to evoke a contemporary, modern feel. To immerse the audience
in Roze's mind, the set designer plays with sizes and illusions,
inventing a surreal world that magnifies the characters and carries
the spectator from memory to memory.
MUSIC Jean-Phi Goncalves has created an original score for DIVA
showcasing some of the greatest hits to have left an indelible mark on
the collective psyche and which form part of any female vocalist's
repertoire. The score is supported by a DJ drummer and two singers who
infuse life into the music on stage, while exclusive covers colored by
soul, pop, hip hop and gospel are integrated into this powerful,
rhythmic spectacle. 'Diva' starts with 'La vie en rose' by Edith Piaf,
and in fact, the rose is the dominant color throughout the show.
'Diamonds' by Rihanna puts the climax on the show.
COSTUMES The seasoned Nicholas Vaudelet is in charge of wardrobe for
DIVA. His quasi-operatic interpretation marries fashion with
streetwear, granting a modern, glamorous flavor to the show's visual
style. The fluid, floating dress he has designed for Roze underlines
the diva's elegance and inner strength.
LIGHTING Fresh from his experience in circus performances, concerts
and fashion shows, Christophe Brière, armed with his luminous palette,
constructs a dynamic, raw visual in his use of angles, shadows and
tangents. As a disciple of lighting suprematism, he bestows a striking
angular dimension on the scenery which accentuates the body.
ACROBATICS The acrobatic choreography in DIVA finds full reflection
in Roze: dazzling, colorful, daring, sometimes fierce, sometimes
understated, always with panache. The show is a fusion of acrobatic
urban dance and high-flying circus acts. The arts of trampwall, aerial
straps and contortion play out next to krumping and voguing among
other dances; all tuned into the female form in which ferocity and
strength is fully embraced.
CREATIVE TEAM
-------------
Allow us to introduce you to the people and artists who have made DIVA
possible. A fantastic team whose tenacity, dedication and passion for
their work have led to the creation of a spectacle that will leave you
breathless. Not only will they enable you to relive the greatest hits
of the most famous divas; they'll also transport you to another era,
to another time.
o) Executive Director, Creation Daniel Fortin
o) Co-Director & Choreographer Lydia Bouchard
o) Co-Director & Acrobatic Choreographer Sonya St-Martin
o) Set Designer Alexis Laurence
o) Music Composer Jean-Phi Goncalves
o) Costume Designer Nicholas Vaudelet
o) Lighting Designer Christophe Brière
o) Makeup Designer Audrey Toulouse
Now, let's learn a bit more about them...
ALEXIS LAURENCE
SET DESIGNER
Merging art and technologies in his scenic and video designs, Alexis
Laurence, creates, crafts, animates, generates and invents engaging
visual environments. Specializing in media art and experiential
design, Alexis has shaped innovative and creative solutions for nearly
two decades. Namely, he has created dozens scenic designs for the
Mexico City and Montreal editions of MUTEK International Festival of
Digital Creativity. Alexis authored the video design on ID and
CIRKOPOLIS by CIRQUE ÉLOIZE; the scenic and video design for VISION by
Cirque du Soleil in Andorra; the video signature for Montreal's
QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES; the artistic and video direction on various
TV shows VOTRE BEAU PROGRAMME, DANS LES MÉDIAS, BELLE & BUM, C'EST DU
SPORT, PIMENT FORT, FORMULE DIAZ ) and contributed to a number of
video environments such as IGLOOFEST, the Montreal Pavilion for the
Shanghai International Exhibition (GSM) as well as the international
tours for DJ Sasha and the Mexican band ZOE.
AUDREY TOULOUSE
MAKE-UP DESIGNER
Audrey Toulouse is a professional makeup artist with more than 14
years of experience in HD, artistic, airbrush and special effect
makeups. Currently working at Cirque du Soleil, she specializes in
makeup designs for new and upcoming shows. Her more recent designs can
be seen in the show Reflekt, in the advertisement campaigns Skoda
Spain and Skoda Prague as well as in multiple private events, each of
these designs stamped by Cirque du Soleil. Audrey distinguishes
herself by her outstanding makeup, hair and teaching skills, which she
applies in both the theatrical and television sectors. Her talent has
led her to take part in international productions, set in more than
twenty countries. Creative, reliable, passionate and with an excellent
capacity to adapt, she is extremely perceptive and receptive to any
kind of creative guideline that comes her way. MOMENT FACTORY
(Germany) - Cruise | SPECTRA - Star Water | LCQ PRODUCTION CANADA -
Les Misérables| LCQ PRODUCTION CANADA - Elvis Story | and many more
CRISTOPHE BRIERE
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Christophe BRIERE started his career in lighting as an operator almost
15 years ago. After several years during which he worked for major
events, he became the co-founder of Atelier V3, a company specializing
in the creation of sound, light and video for shows and events. Since
2011, he has been collaborating with the director of photography
Philippe CERCEAU in the lighting and scenography of fashion shows for
the greatest fashion houses including Dior, and Louis Vuitton, where
he built up strong technical and artistic knowledge. The
multidisciplinary quality offered by Atelier V3, led him to work on
interactive projects combining the sound and light, such as at the
Cop22 in Marrakech, the Lyon Festival of Lights and several video
mapping projects. In 2017, he accompanied Cirque du Soleil on the
creation of REFLEKT as part of Expo Astana in Kazakhstan. As a
passionate of lighting, he considers light as both visible and
invisible, being able to offer a frame, to strike the material, to
create an atmosphere and to punctuate the global concept.
DANIEL FORTIN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CREATION
A multidisciplinary visual artist, Daniel Fortin began his career in
1990 as Artistic Director and Graphic Designer at Tam Tam Publicité
and MusiquePlus. In 1992, he founded the renowned EPOXY studio, and
opened offices in Montreal and Paris, where he served as President and
Creative Director for more than 15 years. On the international stage,
Marc Foster entrusted him with the credits of the film STAY; The Sony
company invited him to Tokyo in his research laboratory to develop
user interfaces; And Disney mandated him to carry out advertising for
his Space Mission at Epcot Disney World in Orlando. His work for
Interactive Digital Snow, which he coproduced with the Daniel Langlois
Foundation and was also in charge of creation, has been displayed in
several museums around the world. He was awarded with the Olivier of
Stage Direction for his work on the Mike Ward's expose show and was
then entrusted the staging, the artistic direction and the scenography
of several shows and galas, notably Dans le champ (Claudine Mercier),
Chien (Mike Ward), Pas trop catholique (Cathy Gauthier) and La soirés
des Jutra 2014. Since September 2014, Daniel has been Executive
Director, Creative at 45 DEGREES, where he directs creative teams on
local and international projects such as: The Hommage Series in Trois-
Rivières, the opening ceremony for the Pan American Games in Toronto,
Storia in Andorra, the opening of the NBA All-Star Game and several
others worldwide.
JEAN-PHI GONCALVES
MUSIC COMPOSER
Jean-Phi is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer from the
Canadian music scene. He studied classical and jazz music at the
Angoulême Conservatory in France, which he then followed with studies
in jazz and pop from Dummondville College in Canada, and went on to
perfect his craft by taking Master Classes in New York, USA. His
extensive training and musical research pushed him progressively
towards electronic music. He began his career accompanying many
renowned French-Canadian artists, including Dumas, Ariane Moffatt,
Martin Léon, Daniel Bélanger, as a touring musician. His undeniable
experience, soon established him as a major talent in the music
industry. He is a founding band member of Plaster (with Alex McMahon
and François Plante - Félix Award for Electronic Album of The Year,
2006), as well as the musical group Beast, alongside Betty Bonifassi,
whose album received a gold record certification in Canada and
prodigious international acclaim. Beast received a nomination at the
Grammy Awards in 2009, and continues to perform at some of the biggest
international music festivals in the world. Jean-Phi pursued
collaborations with Ariane Moffatt, Diane Dufresne, Jean-Pierre
Ferland (adaptation/remix), and many more French-Canadian artists. He
has also collaborated with international artists like INXS and Lauryn
Hill. Jean-Phi was equally sought after to compose music for
advertisements, films (Filière 13), documentaries (Urbania 1 & 2),
shows (ID - Cirque Éloize), etc., which led him to discover his new
passion. He started his own company: XS, La Petite Boîte à Musique,
where he and his team are dedicated to writing musical scores.
Recently, he worked on various TV series: he adapted and produced 5
songs for HBO's Big Little Lies and created the whole musical theme of
Radio Canada's Hubert et Fanny. To this day, Jean-Phi continues to
take on projects with great energy and enthusiasm, whether it be for
his company or with his friends. For four consecutive years he has
collaborated with 45 DEGREES, Cirque du Soleil's events and special
projects company, as Musical Director for the Série Hommage, a tribute
show series presented in the city of Trois-Rivières, Canada.
LYDIA BOUCHARD
CO-DIRECTOR AND CHOREOGRAPHER
Lydia Bouchard's artistic career is highly diverse and creative.
Coming from the world of classical dance, she has worked with renowned
chorographer Jean Grand-Maître of the Alberta Ballet Company and the
illustrious opera creator Renaud Doucet. In 1998 she launched a
successful career in performing arts that brought her into contact
with many well-known artistic directors and choreographers. Driven by
a desire to work professionally, she got into musical theatre and has
worked with important Canadian companies like Mirvish and Jacobson
Entertainment, Just For Laughs and Drayton Entertainment. Lydia
Bouchart joined the Cirque du Soleil special events division
(currently known as 45 DEGREES) in 2009, and there she discovered the
passionate universe of circus arts. This has been an opportunity for
her to bring together her talents as a dancer and interpret her take
on adagio routines to delight spectators worldwide. Following her 17
years as an independent artist, Lydia has taken to staging and
choreography with enthusiasm. She is involved with multiple projects
and is now adding another production to her résumé as co-director and
choreographer of the show DIVA, which Cirque du Soleil will be
presenting in Andorra in summer 2018.
NICHOLAS VAUDELET
COSTUME DESIGNER
Nicholas Vaudelet was trained by the most prestigious fashion houses:
Christian Lacroix, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Sonia
Rykiel, and Jean Paul Gaultier. With the latter, he participated in
the design and development of costumes for the "Confession Tour" of
Madonna and flamenco dancer Joaquin Cortes. After a vast experience in
Seville as art director of the century-old house "El Caballo", where
he won the L'Oreal award for the best collection in 2009, he created
costumes of the Spanish National Ballet. For this work, he was named
as "Best Costume Designer" in the Max of 2014. In the same year, he
met the famous director, Franco Dragone. For him, he designed 600
costumes that made up the dressing room of the Parisian Cabaret Lido,
and those of Taboo 3 and 4 in Macau, the Russian singer Philipp
Kirkorov in the Kremlin in Moscow, the "Daï Show" in XiShuangBanna,
Rixos World park and hotel in Turkey. This period, which runs to the
end of 2016, clearly marks Nicolas' predilection for the creation of
stage costumes. As of January 2017, he continued this activity in
Canada with Scéno-Plus for MGM Macau, Vallarta Adventures for "Savia"
directed by Gilles Ste-Croix, Cirque du Soleil and 45 DEGREES for the
European Tour 2017-2018 of the German singer, Helene Fischer, the
inauguration and closing of the "Dubai World Cup" Nicolas has not
abandoned the creation of his own collections and he continues to
dress many cinema and show business celebrities.
SONYA ST-MARTIN
CO-DIRECTOR AND ACROBATIC CHOREOGRAPHER
Sonya St-Martin, who was born from parents performing in the same
field, got passionate about circus arts from an early age. The scene
had already been a part of her life by the time she was 11. She worked
as an acrobat for Cirque du Soleil, first in the Saltimbanco show
(1992), then in Alegria (1995 and 1996). Due to an injury, Sonya was
forced to temporarily set her passion aside and look for other jobs.
She went back to school and got a degree in cultural and corporative
events from École du Show Business in Montreal. In 2000, she returned
with the strong intention of devoting herself entirely to performing
arts. Once she had her diploma, Sonya became the tour director, art
director and then general manager of the Cirque Eloize's RAIN show.
Then, she became the art director of the Cavalia show created by the
company of the same name. Her career then took her all around the
world, where she had the chance to collaborate in several major events
including the opening of the Place des Festivals in Montreal (live
event), the opening ceremony of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in
Azerbaijan (2012), FIFA Istanbul, Allavita and Reflekt shows of Cirque
du Soleil, respectively presented as part of the World Expo in Milan
(Italy) and Astana (in Kazakhstan) and JOYA, the resident show of
Cirque du Soleil in Mexico. In 2018, she added a new creation to her
portfolio: she signed the production of the Diva show that Cirque du
Soleil will be performing in the Principality of Andorra.
* * *
DIVA, paying tribute to some of the greatest divas of all time, played
in the principality of Andorra from June 30 - July 29, 2018, and is
due for a encore in Summer 2019.
------------------------------------------------------------
"We're Off and Running II, Part 3 of 4: «O»"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
------------------------------------------------------------
In "We're Off and Running", the 16-part series that we concluded last
month, Fascination! explored some of the first reviews, peeks, and
evaluations of Cirque du Soleil's touring shows (from Le Cirque
Réinventé through to Varekai) as they took their first steps across
North America. Sometimes the coverage was just a brief blurb about the
show and its theme, occasionally there was a short interview with a
performer, a stage hand, or creation director, and other times the
article was an assessment of the show itself, evaluating its technical
and acrobatic merits with what had come through before. Although we
narrowed our series to focus on touring shows that had hit the road
before Fascination began publication (with the exception of Varekai),
what of Cirque's signature resident shows? What interesting blurbs did
we uncover about Mystère, "O", La Nouba or even the company itself in
the course of our investigation? Enough, as it turns out, for "We're
Off and Running II", a four-part sequel series to continue... right
now with early articles about «O».
# # #
HOLDING THEIR BREATH AS THE CURTAIN RISES
By: Bruce Weber | New York Times
October 15, 1998
Underwater, 17 feet down, on the bottom of the pool that serves as the
stage at the theater of the new Bellagio Hotel, the divers were
shooting craps. Ordinarily, even though they're mostly unseen by the
audience (they're never offstage, just under it), these are the
busiest performers in the new Cirque du Soleil extravaganza "O," which
opens here Oct. 19.
They're the underwater traffic cops who keep the submersible acrobats
from colliding, the underwater guide dogs who keep the synchronized
swimmers supplied with air as they wait to make their vertical
entrances, and the underwater carpenters who attach and disengage the
stanchions for the apparatus that launches athletes aloft and the nets
that catch them when their flights are errant.
Cirque is known for its aerial daredevilry, and it has never before
used a pool in its show. During this particular afternoon rehearsal,
everything was copacetic underwater, but a mechanical foul-up above
ground had left the divers restless. A couple of them leaned back on
their air tanks, using them as rocking chairs on the bottom of the
pool. Another played with his oxygen regulator, blowing ropy, smoke-
ring-like bubbles and watching them rise to the surface.
And then the dice came out, three divers taking turns flinging them
and watching them tumble in slow motion and settle on the bottom. Very
silly. Very Vegas. It was also high-spirited, semisurreal and visually
arresting - in other words, very Cirque.
"It's amazing what people will do when they're bored underwater," said
Alan Goldberg, Cirque's director of aquatics. He shrugged; it was just
one more lesson for Cirque about its new medium, which has been a
source of challenge and discovery since the show's conception four
years ago.
It is the water that is the significant new element of "O," though
there are other aspects of the new show that mark a step forward for
Cirque - most prominently a "telepherique," a computerized mechanical
system suspended 60 feet above the liquid stage that synchronizes the
movement of scenery on and off the water, lifts and transports artists
and props and makes many of the show's effects possible.
"O," of course, is a play on the French word for water - "eau" - and
the show is, well, saturated in it. It took a while for the troupe to
adjust.
"The water, the water, we were so anxious, so scared about the water,"
said Franco Dragone, the show's chief designer. "Everything you put in
it, it changes. The water eats things. And it could be very, very
dangerous. Now we say, 'Oh, the water was fantastic,' but it had an
influence on everything."
The art of Cirque du Soleil has always been difficult to describe,
though "living tapestry" is not a bad phrase.
The 14-year-old troupe has grown from a 13-member company based in
Montreal to a corporation with nearly 2,000 employees and five
different performing companies. It is a circus only of sorts, with
acrobats and clowns and vivid, energetic music, but no animals.
It is a ballet of sorts as well, with expressive body movements and
the suggestion of a narrative without words, but with airborne, death-
defying flips and cannonballs instead of gravity-defying leaps and pas
des deux.
It is visual art, too, of a kind, with weird painted tableaux made of
costumes and bodies and magic effects and scenery, suggestive of
paintings by the likes of Hieronymus Bosch and Joan Miro except that
the elements are more than likely to rearrange themselves.
Creating all of this was made considerably more complex by the
addition of water, which seeped into every aspect of the show's
planning and design.
All 75 performers had to be trained for underwater work. All the
makeup and costumes had to be waterproof. Originally the creators
thought that rehearsing underwater would cause a rash of ear
infections. Those didn't materialize, but every time one person got a
cold, a lot of other people did, too.
The team of 16 synchronized swimmers, most recruited from the
precision-oriented world of competition, had to learn to be more
creative and less robotic.
They had to grow comfortable dodging underwater platforms that were
being raised and lowered to varying heights during each performance,
not to mention staying out of the way of acrobats who at various times
plunge into the water from great heights. And they had to learn to
swim through visual effects like colored lights, bubbles and, when a
curtain is covering the water surface, darkness.
"It's dangerous; I would like to say it's not," said Sylvie Frechette,
the coach of these "nageurs," who won a gold medal in solo swimming
for Canada in 1992. Ms. Frechette, who coaches the team as well as
performs on it, recalled that "the first time we had to go under the
curtain, it was pitch black."
"You had to hold onto a rope, and trust the divers with the regulators
to supply you with oxygen," she said. "Some of the girls were in
tears."
For the acrobats, the water put a damper on their ordinary travel with
the greatest of ease. For one thing, they could no longer use chalk on
their hands to smooth their grips on trapezes and other aerial
equipment; rather, they ended up wearing fingerless leather gloves and
adhesive spray to keep them from losing hold; that altered their
technique.
And they simply weren't used to working wet. Because swimming is
aerobically more stressful than flying, it was impossible for them,
once they did their first water landings and had to swim to make an
exit, to repeat and repeat and repeat routines.
One act, involving acrobats being lifted from the water on spinning,
stainless-steel hoops, had to be junked, because the hoops, revolving
speedily in the air-conditioned theater air, chilled the gymnasts
enough that it not only made them uncomfortable but it put them at
risk.
"It was so cold we were cramping," said Phillip Chartrand, a former
Canadian Olympic gymnast who has been a Cirque member for nine years.
He added that with their low body fat and dense musculature, athletes
like him make unnatural swimmers. "I am more a bird than a fish," he
said. "I'm not bad in the water as long as I keep moving. But once I
stop, I sink."
The idea for "O" began to take shape four years ago, when Dragone and
Guy LaLiberte, one of the founders of Cirque, met with Stephen Wynn,
the casino owner, to discuss the creation of a new show to fill the
theater he planned to build at his dream palace, the Bellagio.
Another Cirque show, "Mystere," was already ensconced at Treasure
Island, Wynn's hotel and casino just down the Strip, and the new show
was to be bigger, more thrilling, more inventive, more expensive.
"He asked us, 'Do you have any crazy ideas that might make another
show for me?"' LaLiberte recalled. "The original concept was related
to both water and fire. That's what we threw at him." Wynn's initial
reaction was positive, LaLiberte added; Wynn wanted to build the
biggest water show ever, with an artificial lake the size of three
football fields beneath a cover of some kind.
"But slowly we got back to the concept of working with water within a
theater," he said; the fire idea was eventually set aside as too
dangerous for an indoor venue. But for what the Cirque creators had in
mind, the demands on the theater would be enormous.
The stage needed to be liquid at times, for divers and swimmers, and
solid at times for dancers and gymnasts and clowns; the space had to
accommodate high dives and huge scenery backdrops; the telepherique
needed to move gymnasts and props not only up and down and upstage and
downstage, but also in curved and circular patterns.
The result was a $70 million theater (the production itself cost
another $20 million) with 1,800 seats, 145 feet from the bottom of the
pool to the apex of the domed ceiling. The pool, 25 feet at its
deepest, 150 feet at its longest and 100 feet at its widest, holds 1.5
million gallons. There are seven underwater lifts.
And whatever thrills the show itself may hold for the audience, there
is a whole other show under way beneath the surface. With the lifts,
the bubbles and the lights penetrating the depths and as many as 50
performers beneath the surface at one time, either on their way to the
wings or on their way to the surface - plus the twelve divers who are
there to insure their safety - it almost seems like a city unto
itself.
"When they have the bubbles going, it's like diving in a champagne
glass," said Kim Cochrane, one of the divers. "When the lifts are up,
it's like diving in a mechanical metal forest. It's beautiful. But
you're constantly watching people."
Ms. Cochrane said that more than once the team has probably saved a
life, righting a disoriented acrobat and getting him or her to an air
hose before panic set in.
"The two biggest challenges of the water are safety and
communications," said Phyllis Schram, the production stage manager,
who calls the cues during the show from a booth high in the rear of
the theater.
Through light signals triggered by the divers and verbal
communications with the head of the dive team underwater, Ms. Schram
keeps track of entrances and exits by performers and equipment and the
rising and falling of the underwater lifts, so that if a cue is missed
by either man or machine, she can hold up the underwater traffic
pattern and prevent a disaster.
"You can have nightmares thinking that the lift might not be down 16
feet," she said, "when the divers are going off the high dive."
Though there have been the usual mishaps that occur when great
athletes push themselves to their limits, there have been no
disasters. That is as it should be, said Pavel Brun, the artistic
director for the show, "as long as we are smart enough not to fight
with the water but to cooperate with it." Still, no one who joins
Cirque - or even attends it - is entirely risk-averse.
"I think it's safe," said Goldberg, the aquatics director, who before
joining Cirque was a lion tamer. "But I spent 20 years of my life
putting my head in a lion's mouth. You can make it so safe it's like
playing bingo. Who wants to see a show like that?"
* * * * * *
"O" WHAT A SPLASH
By: Jon Carroll | San Francisco Chronicle
October 21, 1998
The new Cirque du Soleil production at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas
is called "O," which is both a description of the oval pool that
dominates the stage and a pun on the French word for water.
"O" is a rich visual dessert, a souffle of water and dreams and daring
and passion. It presents astonishing tableaus and startling images: a
man on fire calmly reading a newspaper; a grand piano slowly sinking
beneath the waves; carousel horses floating in air; flashes of red
fabric hurtling across the sky like banshees.
However much it cost -- estimates range from "a bundle" to "don't even
ask" -- "O" puts all the money right on the stage. It is Fellini on a
grand scale, Magritte with ma chinery. When it works -- and mostly it
does -- it's like nothing else on Earth.
(It should be noted here that my daughter is employed by the Cirque du
Soleil; she is performing as a trapezist in "Saltimbanco," which is
playing in Ottawa. You are asked to allow fully for this bias; I've
tried to do the same.)
Dominique Lemieux's costumes are used profligately; some astonishing
creations (like the singer with a 20-foot dress who floats briefly
above an acrobatic ensemble early in the show) are seen for less than
a minute. The music of Benoit Jutras is his best circus score ever.
The stage designs of Michel Crete, like the haunting "Africa" section
and the constantly rotating aerial grid, take elderly circus sets and
make them fresh again. Special mention to Andre Simard's great ghost
ship in the sky, an outrageously dramatic setting for some pretty
ordinary acrobatics.
Unlimited money, unlimited freedom; sometimes it works. The Cirque was
started in 1984 by three street performers who might fairly have been
called hippies. Today it is the largest theatrical production company
in the world, with eight shows running in various parts of the world.
Remember that the next time you hand out spare change.
Two elaborate bits of machinery dominate the stage. The first is the
pool, 150 feet by 100 feet at its full extension. Sections can be
raised or lowered, so at times the stage can be completely dry, at
other times shaped into peninsulas or islands.
The bottom of the pool is constantly moving up and down; the
"telepherique," a sort of giant circulating gantry crane 60 feet above
the stage, moves back and forth at a more stately pace. It carries
performers, changes sets, lumbers overhead with a strange elephantine
majesty, a character in its own right.
There's a trade-off here; the performers often get lost in the high-
concept techno-dreamscapes.
INTIMACY SACRIFICED
Director Franco Dragone went for the big effects; in the process, he
lost some of the intimate contact with the audience. The fourth wall
is rarely broken here, and then badly -- the performers are in their
own world, working by their own rules; it often seems as though they
cannot hear the applause.
The best acts penetrate the barrier. Karyne and Sarah Steben are still
the best twin trapeze act in the uni verse, and if their entrance is
too cluttered, the latter half of their act is as breathtaking as
ever. (I've seen them perform maybe a dozen times; I would still fork
over big bucks to watch again.)
The entire fire sequence, which features an eerie overhead mirror the
size of a condo, two Samoan torch dancers and the aforementioned
flaming citizen, seems impossible even as it's going on. The joyous
Russian swing, with members of a "bridal party" propelled into the air
in gymnastic attitudes, is explosive and original.
The clowns are bad, but then the Cirque clowns are always bad -- not
since David Shiner in "Nouvelle Experience" has there been much in
spired low comedy in the Cirque. Russian clowns (which is what we have
here) are funny the way "Waiting for Godot" is funny, the way the last
ember of hope in the drowned fire that is Western civilization is
funny.
AMAZEMENT AND BEAUTY
The high-diving act, despite its tedious use of a stooge "picked" from
the audience (not even bad magicians do that anymore), is flat-out
terrifying. And the show teems with other small moments of random
amazement and beauty.
"O" doesn't mean anything, of course -- Cirque shows never mean
anything, despite what it says in the programs -- but the dream logic
is just fine. It's an alternative universe anyway; who knows what
motivates people to act as they do?
There are two big problems with "O." One is that it does not really
have an end. There's nothing that approaches the soaring, operatic
bungee number that closes "Saltimbanco" or the angry, post-apocalyptic
acrobatics (still the best circus act I've ever seen) that put an
exclamation point at the end of "Quidam."
The final fade-out in "O" is a powerful image, but it pushes the
audience away rather than drawing it in. You take your catharsis
piecemeal. Ineffable sadness is all very sophisticated, but it's a
hard thing to carry as you walk away from a circus.
Second: It's a fragile show. The machinery is complex and
temperamental. I saw three performances; in none of them did every
major piece of equipment work right. In the show most of the critics
saw, the ending fell victim to busted pool risers, and the improvised
finale was inevitably limp.
In the other show that night, both the risers and crane went bust, and
the performers were reduced to vamping on the fringe of the stage,
calling on their old street-performer skills.
It was bittersweet, as though the Cirque, now totally devoted to
advanced technology, had returned for a moment to the days when a guy
in a funny hat could juggle one object and make you smile.
* * * * * *
'O'-WESOME
By: Meissa Schorr | Las Vegas Sun
October 21, 1998
The big "O" received a standing "o" from the crowd at the Bellagio on
opening night earlier this week.
Just like the fountains outside the casino, the newest Cirque du
Soleil production show is making a big splash inside.
For the multitudes who swear allegiance to Las Vegas' long-running
Cirque production "Mystere" at Treasure Island, "O" is a less ominous,
more soothing production, like a day at the spa for the soul. Maybe
it's all the mist wafting out into the audience.
It probably isn't anything especially groundbreaking as far as the
actual acts go -- sure, there was a girl who balanced on the top of
her head while swinging on a trapeze, a man engulfed in flames, some
Mongolian contortionists who performed unnatural acts and a group of
high divers who plunged 60 feet into the pool below.
All are Cirque-worthy, but what really raises the bar with this
production is the addition of the 150-foot long, 25-foot deep liquid
stage.
The notion that the water is the real star of the show is shown by
these facts: The hotel spent four years and $70 million designing and
constructing the 1,800-seat theater -- and $20 million on the show
itself, which is expected to enjoy a 10-year run.
Cirque, a Quebec-based company that has created 10 shows over 14
years, has never attempted an aquatic show before.
"O," of course, is a phonetic play on "eau" -- the French word for
water. Cirque, never a troupe to miss an opportunity to elaborate,
notes in the playbill that water is also symbolic of the circle of
life, rhapsodizing: "O the circle, o the cycle, o la vie, an ode to
thee o water of life, please carry me." (Oh, puleeze.)
As the man responsible for creating all of Cirque's productions,
designer Franco Dragone told the New York Times last week that the
decision to incorporate water had an "influence on everything," from
electrical lighting to costume design.
Cosutmes had to be made of water-friendly materials such as silicon
and -- would-you-believe-it? -- bull hide. As any woman knows, water
is the mortal enemy of long-lasting makeup, so all the makeup in "O"
had to be waterproof.
To allow the cast members to wait in the wings, so the speak,
underwater, all are SCUBA certified. Below the surface, cast members
use air provided by divers. (Sure, it seems highly treacherous in the
imperfect world of theater, and there have already been a few close
calls, but one hopes that Cirque technicians have devised a foolproof
plan.)
The pool itself holds 1.5 million gallons of water (kept a balmy 82
degrees Fahrenheit) for the performers to freely enter and exit. The
theater's temperature has been adjusted so that it would be cool
enough for the audience in the seats, but warm enough for wet
performers onstage.
Instead of a raised tank, such as the one on stage at the Riviera's
"Splash," the "O" water's surface only begins at stage level, with a
base that rises and falls to constantly change the depth of the pool
from an inch down to 25 feet deep. Most of the use of the water takes
place at surface level, with performers either diving into the water,
brushing its surface as they swing from trapeezes, or appear to "walk
on water" when the surface is made shallow.
The cast of 74 includes a fabulous squad of 16 Esther Williams-style
synchronized swimmers -- led by former Olympian gold medalist Sylvie
Frechette -- who kick off the show by wiggling their legs at us from
underwater.
Some of the highlights of the show's underwater "breath-defying" acts
include the Bateau (boat) act, performed on a steel frame of a ship
swinging back and forth across the high seas, sort of like the
"Pirates of Penzance" gone gymnastic.
Another crowd-pleaser is the exuberent Russian Swing act, an homage to
the chapels of Las Vegas featuring girls in bridal gowns and their
bridegrooms taking the plunge off swinging teeter-totters into the
water.
Also of note for a Las Vegas showroom is the use of an eclectic
international live band of 10 musicians, including a Chinese violin,
Colombian guitar, Medieval woodwinds, and bagpipes, and featuring
lovely music composed by Benoit Jutras. It's a compelling Andrew Lloyd
Webber-sounding score with a greater sense of urgency and a chorus
echoing in the background.
(I know the company is Canadian and the show is French and it is set
at the Italian Bellagio, but would it kill them to ever set a song in
English words? Not that it really matters anyway -- according to one
viewer, all the lyrics are gibberish anyway, whatever the language).
Described by one critic as being in a Salvadore Dali painting come to
life, "O" must be enjoyed for what is is: a visual orgy. Those who try
to understand it are doomed to be tormented, advised another. Meaning
is arbitrary anyway -- you see whatever you want to see in it, one
theater-goer said. You must understand "O" is not: brain food.
The only annoyance is when Cirque forgets that and tries to find
deeper significance, offering up platitudes and psycho-babble, such as
the Hallmark-worthy comment offered up by Cirque designer Franco
Dragone, who describes "O" as "an homage to the theater, the place
where we try to entertain all of humanity. For it is in the theatre
where humanity tries to understand itself."
(Frankly, Franco, if you're looking to learn something about humanity
from the theater, taking in a play by Arthur Miller or Anton Chekhov
will do you more good than watching bodies fip in midair though hoops,
but to each his own.)
But forgive Cirque for its high-minded aspirations. If you're looking
to see an example of the latest outlandish vision Las Vegas has to
offer, or been raring for a sequel to "Mystere," "O" won't disappoint.
The first show in Las Vegas to reach the "double 00" -- the big $100
ticket price -- "O" will undoubtedly have you opening your wallet wide
-- and your jaw even wider.
* * * * * *
CIRQUE SETS NEW HIGH MARK IN WATERY DEPTHS
By: Gary Dretzka | Chicago Tribune
October 29, 1998
"O," the title of Cirque du Soleil's inaugural show at the new
Bellagio hotel here, derives from the French word for water ("eau")
and a concept of infinity inspired by the shape of the letter itself.
But "O" could just as easily represent what spectators will be heard
uttering repeatedly during the troupe's wet-and-wondrous performance.
All together now, "Ohhh, my..."
Like a Salvadore Dali painting come fully to life on an enormous
three-dimensional canvas, the production is a water-borne
phantasmagoria that defies easy description and analysis. More than
any previous staging in the French Canadian company's 14-year-old
history, "O" blurs the lines between the worlds of circus, dance,
drama, sports and technology, filling the theatrical horizon with more
disparate sights and sounds than the mind can absorb at any one given
moment.
Yes, the usual roster of acrobats, trapeze artists, clowns,
contortionists and New Age musicians are on hand to thrill, enchant
and challenge audiences with their physical strength and aesthetic
cunning. What is completely unexpected, however, is how effectively
director Franco Dragone is able to pay homage to the history of the
theater -- and tell stories of life, love and death -- on a stage
that's rock solid one minute and completely liquid the next.
Just as the Bellagio rises skyward from a monumental plinth alongside
a manmade lake, the conceptual foundation of "O" is provided by a 1.5-
million-gallon pool of water (not, to be sure, an aquarium to be
stared into like some Weeki Wachee Spring mermaid attraction). The 74
spritely members of the cast perform in, on and above this turquoise
stage, whose depth and shape are controlled by a computerized system
of submergible panels and platforms. While this mechanical marvel --
which operates in concert with an overhead conveyor built to transport
people, scenery, rigging and a midair carousel -- lends dexterity to
the imaginations of the creative team, the entertainers never become
slaves to the technology.
In a set the size of an airplane hangar, it takes all kinds of magic
to keep the 90-minute show afloat. The fun, as usual with Cirque,
starts even before the house lights are dimmed. Clowns wander through
the tiered, 1,800-seat theater, causing mischief and introducing
customers to the production's aquatic theme by picking volunteers to
help combat a leak dripping from a pipe in the high, wire-mesh dome.
Before too long, an angel descends from the ceiling and an inquisitive
boy, Guifa, moves toward an arm extended from a seam in the gigantic
swathe of red fabric that covers the proscenium arch. A ghostly guide,
Eugen, makes the curtain disappear in a whoosh, revealing the surface
of the pool and an enormous surrealistic backdrop. The ethereal sound
of the Cirque orchestra heightens, as Guifa, Eugen and several other
eccentric characters scamper around the edges of the water. Costumed
mannequins drop from the rafters and a corps de ballet of synchronized
swimmers emerges feet first from the depths.
If all anyone knows of synchronized swimming is what they've seen
performed in the bright glare of an Olympic pool or in a "Saturday
Night Live" parody, they'll be stunned to discover how lyrical the
sport can be when freed from the chains of judged precision. Under the
direction of Cirque choreographer Debra Brown and gold-medalist Sylvie
Frechette, the 16 world-class swimmers have metamorphosed from
athletes into artists -- as have the high-altitude platform divers,
who also appear several times during the show.
The dozen or so acts that follow will be familiar to longtime fans of
Cirque, even if the context isn't: Contortionists bend and twist their
bodies into impossible shapes while floating on an ice floe; trapeze
artists dangle high above the stage, using the pool as an escape
route; acrobats catapult themselves into the pond, while striking a
pose; and island dancers juggle fire, before a clown bursts into
flames before our eyes.
Depending on the position of the submerged platforms at any given
time, the many provocatively costumed characters seem to sprint across
the surface of the water or disappear deep into the pool, where they
are directed to air masks by stagehands in scuba gear. Eugen floats
past us in an upside-down umbrella, as a sudden rainstorm changes the
climate of the house in an instant.
Providing the dramatic backdrop for all of the activity on and above
the stage are huge, patterned fabric dividers worthy of a Christo
installation and a constantly shifting tableau of surrealistic images
-- from the River Styx one moment to the African veld the next. It is
a set in nearly continual motion, from the first swim to the final
bow, when the cast is lowered into the depths.
It has taken four years and more than $95 million to bring this
aquatic spectacle to life in the parched desert. Of course, Las Vegas
(also home to Cirque's enchanting and fabulously successful "Mystere")
is the only city in the world with enough money, tourists and chutzpah
to attempt such an adventurous endeavor, so there's virtually no
likelihood that "O" ever will go on the road.
Tickets are expensive ($90 and $100), but nothing in Las Vegas is the
bargain it used to be. "O" is as spectacular and inventive a live show
as you're likely to find anywhere in the world right now -- right up
there with Broadway's "The Lion King" and "Ragtime" -- and the money
invested in the project is clearly visible in the product.
# # #
TO BE CONCLUDED: Next time our four-part sequel series will conclude
with a few articles about La Nouba, Journey of Man, and Fire Within.
------------------------------------------------------------
SPECIAL: "Unlocking the Mysteries of AWE"
A Study by Cirque du Soleil & Lab of Misfits
------------------------------------------------------------
They say there are five senses... Weve untapped a sixth, center
stage. Where emotions run wild, spirit sings free, and all that you
feel is pure, incredible, AWE.
ABSTRACT
--------
Cirque du Soleil was on a mission to better understand awe, a word
that has been used to describe everything from gravity-defying stunts
to breathtaking natural wonders and even its very own performances.
Surprisingly, however, little is known about awe. Working with the
neuro-designers and scientists at Lab of Misfits, the entertainment
company set out to learn more about this marvelously murky emotion,
creating a clearer picture of what, exactly, audiences experience
during its shows a clearer picture that ultimately unfolded in the
form of an actual neural snapshot of awe. As part of the study,
audience members were outfitted with state-of-the-art EEG brain caps,
recording their neural responses during live performances of O in
Las Vegas. Participants also went through a series of perception and
psychological tests to probe the higher psychological and behavioral
impacts of awe.
The results revealed an emotion so powerful and all-consuming it has
the emotional might to recast our past selves as being more immersed
in wonder than once believed. In addition, awe floods the brain with a
desire to connect with humanity, muting pre-conceived notions and old
stereotypes and opening us up to new solutions and opinions, fueled by
a near obsessive curiosity to explore new possibilities. This
collection of findings has far-reaching implications in an
increasingly anxious and polarized world, as well as in the still-
emerging fields of mindfulness and meditation.
INTRODUCTION
------------
It happens when basking in a multi-colored sunset, soaring through the
air in a free-falling skydive or standing struck by the beauty of a
master artists painting.
AWE
The word awe has been around for nearly a millennium, its
polymorphous description ranging from dread and fear to admiration and
veneration. Despite permeating our lexicon with phrases such as awe-
inspiring, awesome and awestruck, the illusive emotion continues to
spark wonder, curiosity and debate among philosophers, poets,
psychologists, neuroscientists and everyday people.
Some 7,000 books explore the emotion of awe or feature it in the
title, along with millions of videos, speeches, songs, product names,
reports, articles, definitions, memes, posts, images and quotes
containing the word. Yet, surprisingly, little is known about this
mystifying emotion.
Until now...
Since 1984, the imaginative minds at Cirque du Soleil, one of the
largest entertainment companies in the world, have created
entertainment experiences that both astonish and fascinate fans.
Over the years, surveys aimed at better understanding why audiences
repeatedly and passionately attend Cirque du Soleil shows revealed
one, overriding response: the feeling of awe. This common
impression, both powerful and puzzling, ultimately sent Cirque du
Soleil on an unprecedented quest to understand the enigmatic emotion
of awe.
IN PURSUIT OF AWE
What is awe? What causes it? How does it impact those who experience
it? Most importantly, what behavioral or psychological benefits does
it foster, if any? These are just a few of the questions explored
during the groundbreaking Science of Awe study in hopes of deciphering
the elusive emotion.
The findings uncovered powerful and potentially far-reaching
dimensions, suggesting that awe may ultimately be what drives our
desire to step forward into a world of uncertainty and unknowns in a
fearless search for answers. Moreover, experiencing awe enables an
apparent ability to raise our risk tolerance, increase our social
behavior and even reframe who we believe we were in the past.
THE STUDY
---------
Guided by the desire to understand how people feel when they see a
Cirque du Soleil live performance, the entertainment company first had
to better comprehend awe. So, the group partnered with the renowned
creative neuroscience collective Lab of Misfits (lead by human
perceptions expert Dr. Beau Lotto) to conduct an ambitious study of
awe. Going beyond the traditional survey-based studies, the Science
of Awe combined advanced brain-monitoring technology with live Cirque
du Soleil performances and artificial-intelligence software designed
especially for the study to capture and measure awe.
During 10 Cirque du Soleil performances of O in Las Vegas, a total
of 280 audience members participated in the experiment, some of which
wore state-of-the-art EEG brain caps, enabling study administrators
to record the neural responses of 23 different awe moments during
the show. All participants were asked to respond to a series of
perception and psychological experiments before and after the show, or
were prompted via an iPad to report any feelings of awe, providing
scientists with deeper psychological and behavioral insights.
So clear and consistent were the resulting EEG brainwave graphs in
terms of an identified awe signature, scientists were able to create
an artificial intelligence system that accurately determined when an
audience member was in a state of awe simply by analyzing their
respective EEG chart.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS AND FINDINGS
---------------------------
THE DISRUPTIVE POWER OF AWE
In a world where we are bombarded with enough daily information to
overload a laptop within a week and marketers pitch products in six-
second video formats to audiences checking their mobile phones nearly
50 times a day, capturing human attention is the equivalent to
threading the communications needle. Yet somehow awe packs enough
disruptive punch to pull show-goers into a shared experience that
makes audience members feel more emotionally connected to the people
around them, turning the performances into a form of spectacular
group hug, rather than an isolated, individually experienced
entertainment moment.
Resulting data also shows an amazing reduction of activity in the
prefrontal cortex among audience members watching O. Minimized
activity in this region is significant, since it helps us respond to
the outside world, including weighing conflicting thoughts,
determining good versus bad and evaluating consequences to current
behaviors.
Reduced action in this area also suggests an emotion so stimulating
that it can snatch our focus from ever-chattering internal thoughts
and consume us in the moment, immersed in a kaleidoscopic experience
of dazzling sights and sounds.
A closely related revelation to this was the notable increase in the
default mode network, a brain function most commonly associated with
self-related thinking, such as meditation or mindfulness, which
involves deeply focused or centered thoughts leading to relaxation
and other therapeutic benefits.
Those seeking to command attention, deliver a message or impact an
audience in a memorable way would be wise to incorporate awe-inspiring
experiences for a greater chance at breaking through the cacophony of
brain-clutter and the 24/7 social media world that demands our
attention.
PRO-SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND A MORE OPEN POINT OF VIEW
Following O performances, participants were given what is called an
Identification With All Humanity (IWAH) psychological test. They
were asked to position a circle identified as self within proximity
to another circle described as other audience members or wider social
groups. Those who had experienced awe during the show tended to place
the self circle closer in proximity to the wider group circle,
suggesting that those who are in awe may become more open and
inviting to the outside world and feel more empathetic overall.
Participants were also asked to rate how much they agreed with various
statements aimed at measuring their need for closure in their
cognition or thinkingas opposed to ambiguity. Those who reported
being in awe expressed a decreased need to be right. This suggests a
willingness to receive information in a less biased manner, while also
being more open-minded about pre-conceived notions and old
stereotypes.
Subsequently, this group may be more receptive to ideas or
possibilities that were once considered inconceivable quite an
intriguing finding in a world that seems to be growing less tolerant
of diverse opinions, cultures and lifestyles.
RISK TOLERANCE AND A LEAP INTO THE UNKNOWN
During a post-show experiment called the BART test (Balloon Analogue
Risk Task), which involved the pumping up of a computer-generated
balloon, subjects were asked to push a button to inflate a balloon as
much as possible before it popped. The more people risked blowing up
the balloon the more play money they would earn. But only if it didnt
pop. Each balloon, however, was calibrated to pop at different
pressure points, making it impossible to predict and thereby
increasing the element of risk.
The audience members who experienced awe were more willing to risk
blowing up the balloon than those who did not. It appears that awe
works as a manifold, lowering our need for cognitive control and
reducing our fear of risk. This ultimately contributes to an increased
curiosity and overall desire to step into the unknown.
Interestingly, it is this unbridled curiosity that some of the
greatest leaders have used to motivate and inspire people. Dont be
trapped by dogmawhich is living with the results of other peoples
thinking, Apple founder Steve Jobs urged students during his now
famous commencement address at Stanford University. Adding, Dont let
the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice.
This greater aptitude for risk-taking, along with the innate curiosity
spurred by awe, might also manifest in more original thinking.
In fact, that same curiosity and unmitigated risk-taking is what lead
a young, fearless street performer named Guy Laliberté to found Cirque
du Soleil, turning it into a bastion for daring, avant-garde
performers around the world.
AWE CAN REFRAME OUR PAST AND RECALIBRATE OUR FUTURE
Perhaps the most striking study discovery was awes apparent ability
to recalibrate our feelings about the future and reshape our
perceptions about the past.
Prior to the show, subjects were asked how strongly they agreed with
the phrase, I feel wonder almost every day. They were then asked the
same question after the show. Following the performance, audience
members not only expressed an increased anticipation for wonder in
their future, but surprisingly claimed to have had more awe in the
past, based on their previous responses to the I feel wonder phrase
before seeing the show.
At a time when tomorrow is too late, one job isnt enough and social
media watches and judges our every move, people face infinitely more
stress than awe these days.
In fact, in the U.S. alone, those who admit to experiencing at least
one symptom of stress in the past month jumped from 71 percent to 75
percent in 2017 (American Psychological Associations 2017 Stress in
America survey) in respect to this societal landscape, the potential
therapeutic nature of awe cannot be overlooked. Awes ability to
recalibrate the mind and awash it in wonder could have profound
effects. This becomes even more plausible when one considers that a
brain on awe reflects characteristics strongly associated with those
induced by psychedelics, reinforcing the hypothesis that awe may one
be used to foster psychological wellness.
Awes ability to recalibrate the mind and awash it in wonder could
have profound effects.
CONCLUSION
----------
Awe is an emotion-packed paradox illusive and subtle yet prevalent
and powerful.
It can recalibrate the amount of wonder we anticipate in our future,
while reshaping the perceptions of our past selves. It can immerse
beholders in a focused, all-consuming experience, while simultaneously
making them more aware of and connected to the people around them.
In a world that sometimes feels infinitely divided, awe represents a
promising countermeasure; its mind-jolting impact on the brain having
the power to shake people free from preconceived notions and the
oppressing need to be rightall while sparking an almost irresistible
urge to jump into the unknown and discover something new.
Drafting off one of the fastest growing trends today, awe could
conceivably evolve into the next dimension of mindfulness, a modality
now practiced by everyone from Wall Street CEOs to athletes and
college students to Buddhist monks. Awes ability to quiet or reduce
activity in the prefrontal cortex (responsible for the executive
function of the brain, such as planning, judgment and decision-
making), while increasing activity in the default mode network (most
commonly associated with self-related thinking), acts as a one-two
punch against the inevitable outside distractions and ever-present
mind-chatter that permeate our world, preventing us from focusing our
internal thoughts.
Most importantly, however, for the curious minds at Cirque du Soleil,
the study offers long-awaited insights and understanding about a once
nebulous word that for decades has been used by fans and critics alike
in a valiant and earnest attempt to describe the indescribable: Cirque
du Soleil performances.
Though there is still much to learn about the prismatic nature of awe
and its psychedelic-like characteristics, at least the entertainment
company now has a deeper understanding about what has so consistently
and passionately driven people to its shows throughout the years.
Deciphering the true impact of awe lead Cirque du Soleil on a
scintillating journey of understanding and discovery. The lessons and
learnings uncovered during this remarkable study are now available to
all artists and creators as well as anyone seeking to do more than
just entertain, but transform audiences in memorable and lasting ways.
And what better ti me for the trailblazing entertainment company to
share some of the mysteries behind an emotion that has the potential
to open our minds, make us closer to people around us and increase our
tolerance of risk and new opinions, than in a seemingly polarized
world where collaboration, the promise of possibility and an openness
to new ways of thinking is the most fruitful and universally
productive path forward.
And that... is awesome.
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 18, Number 11 (Issue #178) - November 2018
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (C)
2001-2018 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a
subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter
can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or
translated without the consent of the "Fascination! Newsletter." By
sending us correspondence, you give us permission (unless otherwise
noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without remuneration. All
submissions become the property of the "Fascination! Newsletter."
"Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way with Cirque du
Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are Copyright (C) and
are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil, Inc., All Rights
Reserved. No copyright infringement intended.
{ Nov.09.2018 }
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