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Fascination Issue 179
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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 12 December 2018 ISSUE #179
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Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque
du Soleil Newsletter. Let's jump right in...
* * * A CIRQUE DU SOLEIL... WATER PARK? * * *
During a press conference on its booth at IAAPA, WhiteWater (a world
leader in designing and manufacturing complete waterparks) announced
it was partnering with Cirque du Soleil to create a unique new water
entertainment concept. On December 6th, a little of that concept was
leaked (pun intended) to Attractions Magazine: "This water park, if
built, will entertain visitors both during the day and at night. When
the sun is up, guests can enjoy many thrilling water rides and slides.
When the sun goes down, they'll experience an entirely transformed
environment. The water park will morph into a festive venue filled with
music, specialty food and drinks, and illuminated trails that inter-
twine with the main features of the nighttime festivities. The night-
time entertainment consists of 15-minute shows that take place at the
very attractions guests enjoyed during the day. These productions will
feature Cirque du Soleil performers and run multiple times per night.
Created in collaboration with WhiteWater, a water park attraction
manufacturer, is not yet planned for any specific location. Check out
the following post for a few renderings of what this new park might
look like: http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=12212
* * * CIRQUE PERFORMANCE HALL IN MOSCOW TO OPEN IN 2019 * * *
The multi-functional concert hall Amphion is slated to open in 2019
near the Skolkovo transport hub, the Russian State Circus Agency, said
in a statement on their web site on Tuesday. The theater will have the
capacity of 8500 people and will serve as the main venue for Cirque du
Soleil performances. "Amphion Concert Hall, which will become the main
venue for Cirque du Soleil performances in Russia, will open in 2019,"
the report said. Cirque du Soleil will serve as the "anchor tenant" of
the site, where major athletic events and concerts of famous
performers will also take place."The fact that a permanent show Cirque
du Soleil will appear in Moscow, for which a special building will be
built, became known about ten years ago. Moscow will become the first
European city where the permanent Canadian circus show will appear -
until now Europe knew Cirque du Soleil only on tour," the agency said.
The first time the Canadian Circus toured Moscow was in 2009 with its
performance Corteo.
* * * IN BRIEF * * *
Circus was well represented with Royal Variety Performance regular
Cirque du Soleil presenting a sequence from its show Totem, featuring
synchronised juggling unicyclists.
According to casting calls for Cirque du Soleil's newest show about
footballer Leo Messi, the show is to be called TEN. You'll also find
THE JUMP (the show to take over Criss Angel's spot at the Luxor) named
in casting calls too (they're looking for a Freak Show performer...
anyone interested?), as well as a few details about the upcoming show
at Walt Disney World, which the Orlando Sentinel highlighted in an
article we included in this months' news section.
German/French TV channel ARTE will air Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities
on Wednesday, December 26th at 4:25pm
And in celebrations... On November 17th, TOTEM celebrated it's 3,000th
performance. See video here (http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=12200)
On November 18th, TORUK celebrated it's 700th performance. And JOYA
celebrates 4 years. Congratulations to all!
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
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o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
* La Presse -- General News & Highlights
* Q&A -- Quick Chats & Press Interviews
o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information
* BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau
* Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues
* Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre
o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets
* Webseries -- Official Online Featurettes
* Videos -- Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds
o) Fascination! Features
* "Underneath an Empty Big Top: Raising the Tent
Part 2 of 2: Meet the Press"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
* "A Look at Cirque at SEA"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
* "We're Off and Running II, Part 4 of 4: La Nouba (& More)"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
***************************************************************
LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights
***************************************************************
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Acrobats Uncomfortable with Upcoming Saudi Performance
{Nov.14.2018}
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Cirque du Soleil's decision to go ahead with more performances in
Saudi Arabia next month despite international outrage over the killing
of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is creating a malaise within circus
ranks, The Canadian Press has learned. Following stops in Italy,
Germany and Croatia, the Quebec-based troupe will pitch its tent in
Riyadh from Dec. 17-29 in a visit that has been in the works for about
a year.
Daniel Lamarre, the Cirque's president and CEO, is scheduled to be in
the Saudi capital for the show "Toruk," inspired by the James Cameron
film Avatar. But in light of recent events that have sparked an
international political crisis, some artists are asking why the Cirque
is sticking to its schedule.
"The approach is dogmatic, and the message sent by the company is, 'We
are a business, we want to make money and we are an apolitical
company," one Toruk employee, who asked not to be identified because
she fears losing her contract with the Cirque, told The Canadian
Press.
She and another employee decided to share their displeasure after
Cirque founder Guy Laliberté last month expressed his own discomfort
with the decision to perform in Saudi Arabia last September. The
Cirque put on a show in Saudi Arabia on Sept. 23 to mark the country's
national holiday, which was before Khashoggi was killed but during a
diplomatic quarrel between Ottawa and Riyadh.
The Cirque artists said they tried many times to approach the managers
of the tour with their concerns, but they got nowhere.
In recent weeks, the kingdom has faced intense criticism over the
death of Khashoggi, who disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate
in Istanbul Oct. 2. Saudi Arabia first insisted he'd left the
consulate, then said he'd been killed in a fist fight inside the
consulate before finally admitting his murder had been premeditated.
Turkish officials say a 15-man Saudi hit squad including at least
one member of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's entourage tortured,
murdered and dismembered Khashoggi.
One of the Cirque's four pillars, according to its web site, is to
"act as a responsible agent of change in the community." But the
second employee who spoke to The Canadian Press said the operation can
no longer boast of being a change agent. "We are no longer an agent of
change," said the Cirque employee. "We no longer think Saudi Arabia
will take steps to modernize itself. It's a commercial decision. From
now on, the Cirque is nothing more than a business."
The employee said the decision to perform in Saudi Arabia contrasts
with the 2016 cancellation of Cirque performances in North Carolina to
protest a law limiting protections offered to the LGBTQ community.
Marie-Helene Lagace, the Cirque's senior director public relations,
acknowledged that senior management considered cancelling the Saudi
shows despite being bound by a contract. "It would be a lie to say
this hasn't created a malaise," she said. "We've had discussions with
our employees on this.
The reaction to these events has been quite
emotional."
Lagacé said the decision to go ahead with the tour was "very difficult
to take" and added the Cirque had decided to use a "consistent"
approach in its "business decisions concerning all of the markets in
which it offers shows. In (withdrawing) from Saudi Arabia, we would
have to do so elsewhere if we wanted to be consistent," she said,
noting the Cirque performs in more than 60 countries. How could we
justify not going to this country when, potentially, we could go to
other markets where the issues are just as serious? We have come to
the conclusion that what we do in life is perform shows, offer
entertainment that can inspire people. It's important that our
presence in any market on Earth not be a political act."
The employees who contacted The Canadian Press said they will
accompany the troupe to Riyadh because they do not want to have their
contracts cancelled for the rest of the tour, which concludes in
London next June. "For artists who live on contracts, it is hard to
know what will be our next job," one of them said. "And for those who
hope to work long-term with the Cirque, this situation could have
repercussions on their relationship."
{ SOURCE: The Canadian Press }
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Cirque Joins Forces with Sentebale
{Nov.15.2018}
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Cirque du Soleil, the world's largest entertainment company, has long
been committed to using their unique skills to positively impact
people, communities and the planet.
Now, with their touring show TOTEM, they are joining forces with
Sentebale, the charity co- founded by The Duke of Sussex and Prince
Seeiso, to positively transform the lives of some of the world's most
vulnerable children. On the 16th of January, for the premiere of the
show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, the two organisations will
team-up to produce a spectacular night of entertainment with the aim
of raising both awareness and funds for the charity's life-changing
work addressing the mental health and wellbeing of children and young
people affected by HIV in Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi.
The evening will mark the second event in a series of 'Sentebale
Nights', building on the success of the charity's first production; a
partnership with Cameron Mackintosh Productions in August with the hit
musical HAMILTON, which was attended by both The Duke and Duchess of
Sussex amongst other VIP guests and longstanding Sentebale supporters.
Founded in 2006, Sentebale helps the most vulnerable children in
Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi the victims of extreme poverty and the
HIV/AIDS epidemic get the support, tools and education they need to
lead long, healthy and productive lives.
Johnny Hornby, Chairman of Sentebale, said: "At Sentebale, a large
part of our educational work with children and adolescents has
focussed around engaging them through play, entertainment and music.
We're very grateful to everyone at Cirque du Soleil, for giving us the
opportunity to shine a light on the work that Sentebale does to help
children and young adults affected by HIV to live happy, healthy and
productive lives."
{ SOURCE: Broadway World }
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Mastercard and Cirque unveil Priceless Experiences
{Nov.21.2018}
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Mastercard today announced a multi-year deal with Cirque du Soleil
Entertainment Group to be the official partner of Cirque du Soleil
Touring Shows in Canada. Beginning this month, Mastercard will make a
suite of offers and benefits available to cardholders, allowing them
to experience the magic of Cirque du Soleil like never before.
"Mastercard is continually innovating to bring people closer to their
passions in new and exciting ways through our Priceless platform,"
said Shawna Miller, vice president of Marketing and Communications for
Mastercard in Canada. "Our partnership with Cirque du Soleil gives
cardholders unparalleled access to creativity, unique entertainment
experiences, and the inspiration to Start Something Priceless."
Under the partnership, Mastercard cardholders will have access to
Priceless experiences with Cirque du Soleil in Canada including
shadowing a Cirque performer backstage, sharing dinner with the crew,
and attending Cirque Camp to learn performance and artistic skills.
Cardholders will also have access to preferred seating at all shows in
Canada, as well as discounts on Canadian touring shows and Las Vegas
resident shows.
"Mastercard is known for creating Priceless experiences for its
cardholders, and as a world leader in live entertainment, Cirque du
Soleil brings wonder and delight to audiences around the world every
day," Richard Davies, Vice President, Corporate Alliances at Cirque du
Soleil. "Our partnership is a natural fit and we're excited to be
working with Mastercard to create experiences that entertain, inspire
and connect people in meaningful ways."
Benefits available to cardholders under the partnership include:
o) Exclusive Priceless Experiences:
o Walk in Cirque Shoes: shadow a performer backstage, share
dinner with the crew and enjoy a live show from preferred
Mastercard seats
o Cirque Camp: learn Cirque performance and artistic skills,
experience a guided tour, and receive a parting gift
o) 15% off at Canadian touring shows
o) 20% off at Las Vegas resident shows
o) Access to presale windows
o) Access to premiere night tickets
o) Access to Mastercard VIP Experience
o) Mastercard Preferred Seating at shows across Canada
Only cardholders can access Priceless Cities® experiences in Toronto,
Montreal and 42 other Priceless Cities around the globe. To register
for the latest news on Priceless Cities and experiences, visit
www.priceless.com.
{ SOURCE: MasterCard }
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NFL Experience in Times Square will Stay Open for Free
{Nov.22.2018}
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Pint-size football fans in the know are getting their fill of their
favorite pastime for free.
The word hasn't spread widely about this surprising holiday fantasy at
the NFL Experience, an interactive museum spread over 40,000 square
feet in Times Square.
The museum which boasts a simulated game in a 4-D movie theater and
allows users to throw a football to a digital player and tackle a
blocking dummy was supposed to close on Sept. 30 after less than a
year.
After announcing it was "ending its season early," the venue instead
ran an option play, quietly keeping its doors open and waiving its $37
admission fee.
The $40 million joint venture between the league and Cirque du Soleil
will remain open for the rest of the year, according to staffers at
the museum, located at 701 Seventh Ave. and West 47th Street.
"At this time, other partners involved in the project continue to
consider options for extending operations, but no plan has been
solidified," a spokeswoman for Cirque du Soleil told The Post. "The
space remains open to the public, free of charge, during these ongoing
discussions."
The NFL declined to comment. Maefield Development, which bought out
the original partners in the deal including Howard Lorber's New
Valley and developer Steve Witkoff did not return calls.
In September, Cirque said the project failed to meet its financial
goals, adding recently it "will not be involved in the long-term
future of NFL Experience Times Square."
"It's always has been a head-scratcher," said one real estate industry
source, adding that it's the landlord rather than the NFL who's
probably driving the decision to keep the museum open.
{ SOURCE: New York Post }
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Stratford Company Filming Docu on Cirque in China
{Nov.23.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
In a world-first, Montreal's Cirque du Soleil will open a resident
show in China next summer, and Stratford's Ballinran Entertainment
will be tagging along for the ride.
According to the production company's founder, Craig Thompson, his
team and that of Toronto's White Pine Pictures are set to follow 50
acrobats half of which are from China as they prepare for Cirque
du Soleil's The Land of Fantasy, set to open next summer in the
company's first theatre built outside of North America, in the
southern Chinese city of Hangzhou.
"I was invited to go on the Canadian trade mission to China in April
with the minister of Canadian heritage. In Canada and China, the
governments are trying to promote more creative collaboration in all
disciplines film, TV, and culture. Canada has this reputation in
China for being a very creative country, and we've done some work in
China before, and also on the trip was Cirque du Soleil. They were
opening this new theatre in Hangzhou next year, and we started talking
to them on the trade mission, saying, 'Wouldn't it be great if you're
opening your new theatre, and we also did a documentary sort of
following the project," he said
Having already begun filming the acrobats as they train at Cirque du
Soleil's headquarters in Montreal, the Ballinran and White Pine
production crew will travel with them to China in January to capture
the show's development right up until it hits the stage on opening
night.
"Our documentary really isn't about what happens on stage, it's more
about what happens behind the scenes. The casting of the show is
different than any other Cirque du Soleil show. There are 50 acrobats
in the show; half of them are from China, half of them are totally
unfamiliar with English and unfamiliar with the Cirque du Soleil's
style. The rest of them are from about a dozen countries around the
world, so it's really a chance to explore the east-west connection
between China and the rest of the world, and what we have in common,
rather than what we don't," Craig Thompson said.
"So it's a really interesting profile of the people that are part of
the show, leading up to the show itself."
Though a production filmed in China can often take some time to get
going, Koi Thompson, Craig Thompson's wife and a permanent resident in
Canada from China, and a Fanshawe film-making graduate working at
Ballinran, also from China, have helped the production team navigate
the rules and regulations, and the cultural and language challenges
that come with a project of this kind.
Koi Thompson is even producing a Chinese-language version of the
documentary so it can be viewed in China, as well as Canada and other
English-speaking countries around the world.
"I'm sure (the Chinese government and people) are going to embrace
this film when it's released," Craig Thompson said.
The documentary is one of a number of projects with the potential of
capturing international interest that Ballinran has taken on in recent
years in an effort to create a film and television hub in Stratford.
Craig Thompson has also spearheaded such film-related events in
Stratford as Queen of the Square Cinema and Movies Under the Stars.
"I'm really, really pushing to get more film and television production
in Stratford. We've had some examples recently of shows coming to
Stratford to film, but I think there's a real potential for expansion
of the media industry in southwestern Ontario, especially if Toronto
gets more challenging in terms of a place, not only to film, but also
to live," Craig Thompson said.
"For young people who are coming out of journalism school or film
school, getting jobs in Toronto may be ok, but you can't afford to
live there. Stratford is the perfect place for quality of life, we've
got a vibrant arts and culture scene, and I think film and television
is really a natural next step."
{ SOURCE: Stratford Beacon Hearald }
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Hommage #5: Les Cowboys Fringants
{Nov.26.2018}
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The fifth chapter of the Cirque du Soleil tribute series will
celebrate the music of Les Cowboys Fringants, the popular and
critically-acclaimed Quebec band who has rocked the French-speaking
world for two decades. This series is presented exclusively at the
Cogeco Amphitheater in Trois-Rivières. Tickets for sale on November
30th, which you can find here: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/les-
cowboys-fringants.
Who are Les Cowboys Fringants? From Wikipedia
Les Cowboys Fringants are a folk rock music group formed in 1995 in
Repentigny, Quebec. They perform Québécois néo-trad music (modernized
Quebec folk music with a rock flavour) and draw on country music. They
have an international underground following, especially in France,
French-speaking Belgium and Switzerland. Band members hail from the
Montreal suburbs of Repentigny and L'Assomption. The entire band
collaborates on the lyrics, although guitarist Jean-François Pauzé
often contributes more than the others.
Les Cowboys represent an important part of modern Québécois music.
They are part of the néo-trad movement that appeared in Quebec around
the turn of the 21st century, and they embody a resurgence of
political songwriting (after the drought of the 1980s and parts of the
1990s, political songwriting had been a victim of Post-Referendum
Syndrome). As the néo-trad movement adapts Quebec folklore into
contemporary crafts, the political message of the band is a re-
occurrence of 1970s chansonnier activist messages of left-wing
solidarity and, recently, sovereignism, although in a more distinctly
modern way. They also sometimes adopt a minimalist and dadaesque
style, a trend of the Quebec music scene of the 2000s a decade of
voluntary simple yet nonetheless quite intelligent and joual lyrics,
therefore subversive and akin to a sort of lyrical naïve art. (The
1970s did see the first wave of voluntary joual art, like the songs of
Robert Charlebois and Aut'chose, and the plays of Michel Tremblay,
although not as willingly exaggerated. This is present even more in
the music of Les Trois Accords, Les Denis Drolet, and Daniel Boucher,
or in "Carole", the song by "Pépé et sa Guitare").
The usual subject matter of the group includes: environmentalism,
poverty, anguish and family troubles, as well as the denouncing of
consumerism, exploitation, state-controlled gambling, cynical
government attitude and political apathy. While some of those subjects
are serious in appearance, they are often treated in a light manner,
sometimes even in a fun, amusing and ironic way. The band also deals
with themes of Quebec history, Quebec independence, suburban life,
childhood and adolescence, kitsch, relationships and sports. Their
songwriting is renowned for having woven an elaborate tapestry of
fictional characters with interpersonal relationships, and sometimes a
number of these characters appear in more than one song. Much like
their writing, the clothes of the male members of the band are quite
unique, sometimes purposely normal or kitsch and something of a
postmodern, second degree artistic statement.
The band themselves are noted fans of Passe-Partout composer Pierre F.
Brault and have performed shows in his honour. They have also been
influenced by French singer Renaud, and his songs with political
messages and local popular language (for Renaud, the French argot).
Many of the idiosyncrasies of their music stem from Marie-Annick
Lépine, a versatile musician, who makes the band line-up distinct from
the conventional guitar-bass-drums-singer. Her talents contribute to
the vivacious sounds of instruments like the violin, mandolin and
accordion. She has also worked on the Dumas album Le cours des jours.
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil, Wikipedia }
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Casting call gives clues to new Disney World show
{Nov.30.2018}
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A casting notice posted this month offers a few clues to the new
Cirque du Soleil show scheduled for Walt Disney World.
Montreal-based Cirque issued a casting call for a youth or adult who
could play a 12-year-old Caucasian girl. Other requirements: The
performer's height must be between 4 feet and 5 feet and she must have
a slim figure. The announcement asks that that auditioners have
professional acting experience, and notes that skills in drawing,
other performing arts or athletics such as gymnastics, dance and
circus arts are an asset.
The character is described as the lead character of the new show,
whose name has not yet been announced, and said to be "sensitive on
the inside, yet fearless on the outside."
Disney World has been without a Cirque show since the long-running "La
Nouba" closed Dec. 31, 2017. The tent-like theater that housed "La
Nouba" is still a distinctive part of the skyline at the Disney
Springs area of shopping, dining and entertainment.
Previously, Disney and Cirque announced the show will "draw its
inspiration from Disney's heritage of animation" and "will celebrate
Disney's legacy of storytelling in Cirque du Soleil's signature way,
with a tribute to the one-of a kind craftsmanship that makes Disney so
extraordinary."
The timing also indicates it will still be quite a while until the new
show is ready for an audience. The casting notice indicates the
successful auditioner will need to be available beginning in September
2019 for a minimum of two years. Depending on how long the show
rehearses, the earliest a new show could open would be in time for the
holiday season next year.
Matt Simon, the vice president of Disney Springs, told the Sentinel
this month he was impressed by the progress being made on developing
the show.
"I can tell you that the concepts that I've seen for Cirque du Soleil
are like none I've ever seen before," he told Sentinel reporter
Dewayne Bevil. "They are world-class and completely unexpected but
truly capture an emotion and feeling that you can never feel anywhere
other than on a Disney property."
For more on auditioning for the new show, go to cirquedusoleil.com /
casting and click on the "jobs" button at the top of the page.
Other job postings list the following timeline:
o) September 9 to November 29, 2019: Training in Montreal
o) December 16, 2019 to March 19, 2020: Rehearsals in Orlando
o) March 20, 2020: Stage performance in Orlando
{ SOURCE: Orlando Sentinel, Cirque Casting }
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MSC Reveals New Cirque at Sea Shows for MSC Bellissima
{Dec.05.2018}
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MSC Cruises has revealed today details of the two new Cirque du Soleil
at Sea shows that are being created specifically for MSC Bellissima.
The breath-taking shows will be called SYMA Sail beyond Imagination
and VARÉLIA Love in Full Color and will be available exclusively to
MSC Bellissima guests, following her launch in March 2019.
The long-term partnership between MSC Cruises and Cirque du Soleil
first began in 2013 and has since set new standards in live
entertainment at sea. The partnership, in total, will result in eight
original shows that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world,
exclusively on MSC Cruises' Meraviglia generation ships coming into
service between 2017 and 2020. MSC Meraviglia was the first ship to
debut the new Cirque du Soleil at Sea concept with the launch of the
two shows VIAGGIO and SONOR last June. Work is already underway for
MSC Grandiosa, launching in November 2019, and MSC Virtuosa, launching
October 2020.
Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises' Executive Chairman commented, "The
partnership with Cirque du Soleil is truly special. With the creation
of Cirque du Soleil at Sea we wanted to bring our guests the very best
in onboard live entertainment and more importantly something that they
would not be able to see anywhere else in the world. As a family
company, all of our strategic partnerships are built on shared values
and a shared vision a true collaboration from beginning to end. With
Cirque du Soleil at Sea we wanted to bring yet more innovation to our
entertainment offering, and this began with the bespoke design and
construction of the state-of-the-art entertainment lounge the only
such venue at sea through to the creative development of the shows,
where we are involved every step of the way from early conception
right through to final delivery of the shows."
Yasmine Khalil, Chief Executive Producer, Cirque du Soleil &
President, 45 DEGREES stated, "We are thrilled to embark on our second
MSC Cruises ship as we pursue Cirque du Soleil's journey at sea. We
could not have wished for a better partnership where thanks to the
purposely built theater, the Carousel Lounge, our teams can unleash
their creativity and continue to push the boundaries of entertainment
at sea. Joining VIAGGIO and SONOR, our first two shows on MSC
Meraviglia, Cirque du Soleil continues to reinvent itself through an
intimate theater experience, where two new shows are created
exclusively for MSC Bellissima which promise to take MSC Cruises'
guests on an entirely new journey. We look forward to revealing some
of the details of these 2 new shows."
TWO ORIGINAL SHOWS TO SURPRISE AND DELIGHT MSC BELLISSIMA GUESTS
Mr Vago continued, "It is really quite incredible that we will develop
together eight original shows, two for each of the initial four
Meraviglia class ships. Every element of each show is unique from the
concept and storyline, the characters, the costumes and make-up
through to the music, staging and sound effects. This is unparalleled
within the cruise industry and means that guests are able to
experience original, truly distinct and spectacular Cirque du Soleil
at Sea shows only on board our Meraviglia generation ships."
SYMA Sail Beyond Imagination takes viewers on the epic journey of a
young sailor, brimming with imagination. On this bold expedition, he
braves the elements, plunges into troubled waters and discovers the
mysterious island of his dreams, populated by surreal, and colorful
creatures. We all carry our own imaginary island inside of us, so what
are you waiting for? SYMA awaits. Immersive video images, an original
set design, bioluminescent lighting and acrobatic feats make SYMA an
unforgettable show.
VARÉLIA Love in Full Color puts a futuristic twist on a traditional
medieval tale. It traces the arduous course of an unconventional
courtship between a princess with distinctive violet skin and a
charming hero who is blind. Their budding romance is thwarted by a
villain who, in a fit of madness, kidnaps the royal. With the help of
his friends, the brave young hero formulates a plan to rescue his
beloved. Delight in the acrobatic feats, the laser show and the unique
set design of this futuristic medieval tale.
STATE-OF-THE-ART ENTERTAINMENT VENUE
The Carousel Lounge is a purpose-built entertainment venue hosting
just over 400 guests each night and specially designed for the needs
of the Cirque du Soleil at Sea artists. Creating an immersive and
intimate spectacle for MSC Cruises guests, the space allows viewers to
fully connect with the artists. With an investment of 20 million each
(approx. $22.7MM USD), the lounge features state-of-the-art technology
and high specification technical features to deliver an exceptional
and memorable entertainment experience for guests. The 360° rotating
stage is set in the middle of the lounge with seating all around to
maximize the viewing experience.
The central stage also rotates, meaning guests can see the action from
different angles during every performance. Another important element
to the impressive stage layout is a 131-ft.-long LED screen, which is
integral to each show and creates an immersive performance. Cirque du
Soleil performances are renowned for their aerial acts, and special
rigging has been developed on board to enable the artists to perform
their impressive aerial acrobatics. The shows on board MSC Bellissima
will feature additional new and exciting special effects and features.
Positioned at the aft of the ship on deck 7, the Carousel Lounge
offers stunning views of the ocean. Guests can enjoy the beautiful
views and pre-show entertainment while having dinner or sipping a
cocktail before the performance starts.
FINAL PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY
The artists for the new shows have now been cast and, after training
at Cirque du Soleil Headquarters in Montreal, Canada, the team will
soon embark on board MSC Bellissima where final preparations will be
underway. All of the artists have been carefully selected for their
special performance skills and the specific needs of the two shows.
The performers have also been trained to the high standards required
of Cirque du Soleil performers.
BOOKING INFORMATION
Cirque du Soleil at Sea is a pre-booked experience for guests with
competitive rates and can be booked in advance, or on board during the
cruise, if availability allows. Guests can either book to enjoy a
three-course menu of palate-pleasing dishes served before the show
($39). Or sip on a specialty cocktail ($17) and enjoy the pre-show
that begins 30 minutes before the start of the Cirque du Soleil at Sea
performance.
{ SOURCE: MSC Cruises }
***************************************************************
Q&A -- Quick Chats & Press Interviews
***************************************************************
-------------------------------------------------------
Fashion designer Zaldy talks Cirque, 'Drag Race' and SF
{Nov.15.2018}
-------------------------------------------------------
Fashion and costume designer Zaldy Goco has worked with superstars
ranging from Britney Spears and the Scissor Sisters to Gwen Stefani
and Lady Gaga on their spectacular three-ring concerts and world
tours, but his latest project is quite literally his biggest circus of
all.
"'Volta' is my third Cirque du Soleil show after the two Michael
Jackson shows I designed, but this is also my first proper tent show,"
says the 52-year-old designer, who was born Salvator Goco and attended
St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco. "It was fun to go to that
kind of setting in the round it's a real traveling circus." The
Chronicle spoke with Zaldy, as he's known professionally, about his
work for the new production, opening in San Francisco's AT&T Park Nov.
15, as well as his time as a bi-gender model in the 1980s. Zaldy also
spilled the tea on his long, Emmy-winning collaboration with drag
superstar RuPaul.
Q. What's the style story for "Volta"? One group of performers seem
very vivid, while the other is more subdued.
There's different performer families in the show that I got to help
define. Some were multicolored, called the Free Spirit Family, another
was called the Grays. It was about families coming together. The Free
Spirit Family are meant to be an evolved group that lived off the
land. I asked, "Where do they shop?" I wanted it to be sustainable,
upcycled-looking, bags, and backpacks and netting get cobbled together
in a look with hand techniques like braiding, things you'd do on your
own. They're the colors of life, of being out in the sun.
Q. How did growing up partially in the Bay Area influence your desire
to go into fashion?
In school, I was a mix of preppy meets skater. After high school, I
met people outside of school that were more glam and into Prince. It
got me out there into playing around with myself as the muse. When I
moved to New York, I started doing shoots with Steven Meisel and
Steven Klein and people thought I should be a model. I became a model
and a drag queen. It sort of entered my life without my thinking, and
I went with it.
Q. What was modeling like in the late 1980s and early '90s?
The experience was many things. Remember also that I was a special
model you could hire me as a boy or a girl. I was androgynous. I
wanted to work for Thierry Mugler as a designer but ended up as one of
his models. It was so glamorous then; fashion shows weren't as
available as they are now. When I walked for Mugler in Paris, it was
in a production with Diana Ross, Tippi Hedren and Patty Hearst. That
would never happen today! Then you get to the set full of supermodels:
Linda (Evangelista), Christy (Turlington), women who I only saw in
George Michael videos. It was the height of glamour. My first shoot
for (agency) IG was with Kate Moss, I mean, that was WOW.
Q. Your work with RuPaul on "Drag Race" has won you two Emmy Awards.
After 10 years, is it hard to think of new gown concepts for each
show?
I remember when Ru approached Matthu (Anderson) and I. We were with
Susanne Bartsch in Japan for a party, and Ru asked us to be his image
designers. I had no idea what the responsibility would be, but of
course we said yes. It was a great working relationship that really
hasn't changed; the joy and respect is still the same. We knew we were
pushing buttons but it was all for fun. Now it's all been elevated
into a new arena with these awards. It's pleasantly unexpected to find
ourselves here. It's remarkable the 11 seasons I've done of "Drag
Race" and "All Stars" that the deep trust of knowing someone's shared
progressive vision is still there. I don't sketch, we don't do
fittings I just design them and send them, and Ru wears them. That's
how much we got "Drag Race" down. It's almost telepathic.
Q. What else is currently in the works?
Ru and I are shooting a new series called "AJ and the Queen" on
Netflix by Michael Patrick King, who also created "Sex and the City."
I'm doing sketches for that Ru and I are left alone to create the
best character with the looks for each episode. We get to do things on
a scripted show I wouldn't do on "Drag Race." I'm also creating some
custom looks for Katy Perry on "American Idol," and we just started
work on Gaga's Vegas residency. It starts Dec. 28; the looks will be
really big.
{ SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle }
=======================================================================
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 Jan 6, 2019
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
Singapore, SG -- TBD
Luzia:
Mexico City, MX -- Nov 8, 2018 to Dec 23, 2018
Houston, TX -- Jan 11, 2019 to Feb 24, 2019
Orlando, FL -- Mar 8, 2019 to Apr 21, 2019
New York City, NY -- May 3, 2019 to Jun 9, 2019
Hartford, CT -- Jun 19, 2019 to Jul 7, 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 22, 2019
Geneva, CH -- May 9, 2019 to Jun 2, 2019
Gran Canaria, ES -- Jul 5, 2019 to Aug 4, 2019
Dusseldorf, DE -- Dec 19, 2019 to Jan 19, 2020
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:
Frankfurt, DE -- Nov 28, 2018 to Dec 3, 2018
Zagreb, HR -- Dec 7, 2018 to Dec 9, 2018
Riyadh, SB -- Dec 17, 2018 to Dec 29, 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
Manchester, UK -- Jun 20, 2019 to Jun 23, 2019
London, UK -- Jun 26, 2019 to Jun 30, 2019
OVO:
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:
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
Tupelo, MS -- Jan 10, 2019 to Jan 13, 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
Frisco, TX -- Jun 13, 2019 to Jun 16, 2019
Philadelphia, PA -- Jun 20, 2019 to Jun 23, 2019
Kingston, ON -- Jul 3, 2019 to Jul 7, 2019
Erie, PA -- Jul 10, 2019 to Jul 14, 2019
Charlotte, NC -- Jul 17, 2019 to Jul 21, 2019
Manchester, NH -- Aug 1, 2019 to Aug 4, 2019
Portland, ME -- Aug 7, 2019 to Aug 11, 2019
Moncton, NB -- Aug 14, 2019 to Aug 18, 2019
Saint John, NB -- Aug 21, 2019 to Aug 25, 2019
Halifax, NS -- Aug 28, 2019 to Sep 1, 2019
CORTEO:
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
Reno, NV -- Mar 21, 2019 to Mar 24, 2019
Inglewood, CA -- Mar 27, 2019 to Mar 31, 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
Boston, MA -- Jun 19, 2019 to Jun 30, 2019
Baltimore, MD -- Jul 3, 2019 to Jul 7, 2019
Leipzig, DE -- Oct 23, 2019 to Oct 27, 2019
Frankfurt, DE -- Oct 30, 2019 to Nov 3, 2019
Nuremberg, DE -- Nov 6, 2019 to Nov 10, 2019
Graz, AT -- Nov 13, 2019 to Nov 17, 2019
Stuttgart, DE -- Dec 18, 2019 to Dec 22, 2019
Mannheim, DE -- Dec 25, 2019 to Dec 29, 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.
"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 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
---------------------------------------------------
*) GOING FULL CIRQUE
A Broadway dancer leaves fame, friends and family behind for the
dream of flying as an aerialist with Cirque du Soleil.
o) EPISODE 1: The Beginning {Nov.13}
The raw, real and unfiltered story of broadway dancer turned
aerialist Reed Kelly as he chases his dream of flying with the
most famous circus in the world.
LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/GoingFullCirque/videos/494692574372124/
o) EPISODE 2: Meeting Victor {Nov.14}
No pain, no gain! Dancer Reed Kelly takes his first steps at
becoming an aerialist on this week's episode.
LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/GoingFullCirque/videos/936702713196897/
o) EPISODE 3: Try, Fail, Try Again {Nov.22}
This week on Going Full Cirque, Reed Kelly learns that getting a
irborne is no easy matter.
LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/GoingFullCirque/videos/183631229256030/
o) EPISODE 4: Trust the Process {Nov.29}
Stress, adrenaline and panic...it's audition day on Going Full
Cirque! Follow Broadway dancer turned aspiring aerialist Reed
Kelly as he checks out the competition.
LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/GoingFullCirque/videos/2167350990258441/
o) EPISODE 5: Starting to Fly {Dec.05}
One week less to train and a surprise visit? Don't miss this
emotional episode where Reed Kelly puts his newfound skills
to the test.
LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/GoingFullCirque/videos/640912276310874/
*) THE POWER WITHIN
In this exclusive YouTube series in which we partnered up with
Panasonic Batteries, each episode conceptually makes parallels with
Cirque du Soleil shows, acts and artists from Corteo and LUZIA and
to the attributes of Panasonic Batteries: Power and Reliability,
Endurance, Sustainable Lifestyle, Longevity, and Energy.
o) EPISODE 1: "Power & Reliability with LUZIA" {Nov.30}
How do the Adagio artists at LUZIA use power and reliability
to ace their act?
LINK /// https://youtu.be/zgTQipMldaM
o) EPISODE 2: "Sustainable Lifestyle with LUZIA" {Dec.07}
How does Cirque du Soleil maximize the longevity of each
artist's careers?
LINK /// https://youtu.be/8uC_G7SZXos
*) IMMERCIRQUE
Welcome to IMMERCIRQUE, our VR180 YouTube series where we take
you on an immersive journey with our Cirque du Soleil artists
as they prepare to perform for their act
o) EPISODE 2: "VOLTA Hair Suspension in VR180" {Dec.03}
Follow VOLTA Hair Hanging Artist, Danila Bim, backstage in
training, makeup, costume, and then in a final exclusive
performance just for you!
LINK /// https://youtu.be/Jjsd-6O9GD0
*) WE ARE VOLTA
o) EPISODE 1: "Tour Life" {Nov.05}
LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/VOLTA/videos/2228689954124660/
o) EPISODE 2: "What is Unique About Volta?" {Nov.19}
LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/VOLTA/videos/196491601255434/
o) EPISODE 3: "Joining Cirque" {Dec.03}
LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/VOLTA/videos/355252758370843/
---------------------------------------------------
VIDEOS: Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds
---------------------------------------------------
o) BAZZAR: The Complete Making Of...
LINK /// LINK /// https://youtu.be/AaIS5QQpic8
o) TOTEM 2018 Trailer
LINK /// https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7zDfWDZs5o
o) "O" Music Video - "Jeux d'Eau"
LINK /// https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3uM7Ssm1i0
o) VOLTA 2018 Trailer
LINK /// https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzt7nOh-SiE
o) KA Music Video - "Flight"
LINK /// https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRnx4JFtMlE
o) International Gymnasts Review Mystere
LINK /// https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HonMSU85oU4
o) Inside the Mind of Corteo's Director
LINK /// https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN6_XfyjnrU
o) LUZIA's Music Video - "Alebrijes"
LINK /// https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lm0J8sMPzo
o) Alegria's Acrobatic Skeleton - Your Questions Answered
LINK /// https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29CsGQZmHsU
o) Icarian Games in JOYA? A Day in the Life...
LINK /// https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUoRmw5N798
o) KURIOS Music Video - "Monde Inversé"
LINK /// https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvhUMZMOJ58
o) CRYSTAL: Meet Mary Siegel - Figure Skater
LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/CrystalbyCirqueduSoleil/videos/714800202231743/
o) CRYSTAL: A Look at the show's Load-in/out Crew
LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/CrystalbyCirqueduSoleil/videos/1382762135200867/
o) CRYSTAL: Meet Julien Duliere - Freestyle Skater
LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/CrystalbyCirqueduSoleil/videos/452596748600536/
o) TORUK 5@5's with...
- Greta Mayer: https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/videos/307494313417568/
- Julian Gimmler: https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/videos/314253552740263/
- Elia Aymon: https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/videos/1523636601114738/
o) JOYA Celebrates 4th Anniversary
- https://www.facebook.com/JOYA/videos/2147705995260002/
- https://www.facebook.com/JOYA/videos/2283663878311555/
o) MYSTERE's Live Band
LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/Mystere/videos/499436383877680/
o) Toast to LOVE: The VIP Experience
LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/TheBeatlesLOVE/videos/982653588586094/
o) AMALUNA's Feature Fridays...
- Head Coach: https://www.facebook.com/Amaluna/videos/2015017935225011/
- Cali: https://www.facebook.com/Amaluna/videos/276737472961716/
- Technical Directors: https://www.facebook.com/Amaluna/videos/355945671842381/
- Amazons: https://www.facebook.com/Amaluna/videos/2196305030644061/
- Operations Team: https://www.facebook.com/Amaluna/videos/247952485900799/
o) KOOZA: Meet the Artistic Director
LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/MASTENTER/videos/330694477697610/
o) KURIOS: Michel Laprise Answers Fan Questions
LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/kuriosbycirquedusoleil/videos/2174978995879803/
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
o) "Underneath an Empty Big Top: Raising the Tent
Part 2 of 2: "Meet the Press"
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
o) "A Look at Cirque at SEA"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) "We're Off and Running II, Part 4 of 4: La Nouba (& More)"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
------------------------------------------------------------
"Underneath an Empty Big Top: Raising the Tent
Part 2 of 2: Meet the Press"
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 2: MEET THE PRESS
----------------------
Now it is time for press availability by the company manager. One of
the publicists asks who will be asking questions. One of the cameramen
suggests himself to which the publicist responds, "You win!"
A woman walks to a spot in front of the cameras, dressed in all black
withgrey sneakers, with an orange safety vest with "HR" written in
marker on the lower left pocket. She's about 5' 6" and plus-sized
with a slightly husky voice. Her yellow hardhat is affixed with a
yellow plastic carnation taped close to her left ear. Her name is
Heather Reilly and she is the company manager, friendly but no-
nonsense. Standing in front of the cameras with the newly raised tent
as the backdrop she is fitted with a microphone for sound and sticks
the transmitter into the left rear pocket of her jeans.
"Welcome to Marymoor Park and the LUZIA tent raising today," she
begins. "What you just saw was about 100 people altogether that were
inside and outside the tent to raise the roof, so to speak, so we can
now get ready to install LUZIA and be ready for opening on [March]
30th, [2017]. We're looking forward to that, and the weather is
cooperating with us today so it's super good."
The question is asked how much effort is required to raise the tent,
and to please describe the process."We were last in San Jose,
California and it took a couple of days for us to get our trucks up
here. [It takes] 65 trucks of equipment altogether in order to make
this happen. The last two days we started preparation. First of all
by putting up the masts. Once the masts are up we raise the central
part which is called the cupola and hang the canvas. And today what
you saw was the tent poles being put in place by manual labor. It's a
big push, it takes a few minutes and now we are ready to install the
rest."
Does weather play a factor? "Weather is a huge factor for us. In
fact, when LUZIA opened about a year ago, we delayed our big top tent
raising because it was -40° and a huge blizzard! So weather can play a
factor. Wind is a big factor for us, it could lift the tent, so we
need to make sure that we're watching out for what's going on. But
today conditions are right."(When fully anchored, the tent can
withstand gusts of up to 120km/h (75 mph).)
Tell us what happens from this point going forward? "For the next
couple of days it takes us seven days [of setup] before our first
performance [we will be] putting in the stage, all of the equipment
needed for putting on the show. Around that is a grandstand with 2,600
seats for all of our guests. And then all the infrastructure around
it; our entrance tent, our artistic tent, kitchen, our offices, so
there is a lot of work."
What is the biggest obstacle during set up? "That's a good question.
We are so used to different obstacles that we're pretty good at
conquering anything that comes our way. We can manage weather, we
manage heat and cold with air-conditioning and heating so there are no
problems there. The rest is just having people come. So we need to get
everybody here and the magic will happen inside."
You say you have about 150 people on-site, are these all staff that
travel with you? "On site here we have 115 [Cirque] people; there are
44 artists and about 70 staff, who are all the technicians as well as
all the behind-the-scenes staff. We also hire people locally. So [for
example] we are in the setup process and there is local labor that is
working with us. Those people will go off and do other projects and
come back again when we tear down. But we also have local staff that
are our ushers and work in our front-of-house and box office, so there
really is a large influx of people that are local that are working
with us as well. We actually double our workforce everywhere we go."
What happens to your footprint after you leave? "After we leave
Marymoor Park gets this wonderful pad back. We've actually had a very
good relationship [with Marymoor] over the years, we have used this
place many times. It was a partnership between Cirque du Soleil and
Marymoor Park to build this actual pad. It's used for a number of
events while we're gone, and every couple of years we come back and
put the circus back in place. So it's got a good lifespan."
When we talked with Eric Chalifour Site Analysis Manager with Cirque
for our July, 2012 article "Before the Circus Comes to Town"
(http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=3334) we learned that, for
Seattle, the size that has hosted Cirque du Soleil tents for several
shows has been a specially-constructed 48,500 square foot pad of
asphalt about 15 miles east of Seattle in Marymoor Park in the city of
Redmond. (http://www.kingcounty.gov/recreation/parks/inventory/
marymoor.aspx). (This map makes a special note of the pads location.
https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/gis/web/VMC/recreation/
marymoor_park_map_web_16.pdf).
In the article, Mr. Chalifour discussed how the Marymoor Park site is
different from many of the other types of sites they use, and how the
site was created. "I was there personally at Marymoor Park. At the
time it was a soccer field and they decided to develop the area into a
park event area. They told us we were the biggest event they would
have so if they build their [site] according to our specs they would
be able to receive any other event. So we gave them our
recommendations and they did the job according to our specs. They
filled the place with gravel and added asphalt over a huge area to
allow us to install our stuff. It has several fire hydrants, a sewer
connection to catch our wastewater - the whole system is there. And
after the work had been done we sent a guy to survey the site and it
was perfectly done. It's already perfect for us. And they can also use
it for other events."
Back at the LUZIA site, the cameraman asks another question. You have
about 100 people in this process that you must coordinate, how do you
prepare for that?"Our tent master Alex is literally a master of that.
It's all about communication. Everything is put in place to begin with
and we know exactly what needs to happen, and it's about having people
in the right place at the right time so that the push is a coordinated
effort. We need to make sure that the poles are going in sequentially
so that nothing goes out of place or falls back down. It's all about
people knowing where to be and what to do at the right time. We've
been doing this for 35 years so we're getting pretty good at it."
Are tickets still available? "Absolutely, tickets are still available!
The best place to go is the Cirque du Soleil website,
CirqueduSoleil.com, and select your best seats and we will be happy to
greet you all. It's good to be back in the Seattle area, here in
Redmond. Thank you all so much for coming out today!"
That signals the end of the video media section of the press
conference. It takes a moment for the microphone attached to Ms.
Reilly to be removed. It is now 1:25pm. Now the print and Internet
reporters get their chance to question her further. She repeats her
name. She currently lives in Ottawa, Canada but grew up in Trail,
British Columbia just over the Canadian border, 100 miles north of
Spokane, Washington(the major Washington city on the east side of the
state), so she says she is used to this neck of the woods.
Prior to this where were you working? "I've been with Cirque now just
over 15 years. My background is as an elementary school teacher who
ran away and joined the circus 15 years ago. You never know where life
is going to take you! I would never have guessed that coming from a
little town like Trail B.C., that I would ever be traveling the world
with the circus. So you never know."
How many people do you employ for the full entire run? "Over the
course of the run it takes about 200 people every day to make this
happen. So about 115 people from Cirque - 44 artists, 75 staff - and
we also hire local staff to be in our box office and our ushers,
merchandise, food and beverage, all those people are local people. So
that doubles our workforce to about 200 people every day."
How do you hire local staff? "Local people are all hired through
Adecco, a local temporary agency.[Adecco (.com) is the national temp
agency that Cirque contracts with for much of their temporary labor,
with many local branches throughout the country.] If people are
interested they can get in contact with them. We don't do the
recruiting ourselves, they make referrals to us. So we use local
agencies."
Have you guys been able to take people away from here to join the
circus? "Run away and join the circus? People join all the time! A
lot of people we call them 'followers' travel from city to city; if
they have friends in the next city they can come and work with us
again. Over time, though, some people have joined us and become
permanent staff members, absolutely."
What's the most exciting city you've been able to visit? "I've been
all over the world. Quite honestly there's no one favorite. Of course,
Seattle is like coming home for me; it's always good to be back in
this area. But I've been able to work in Japan and Europe and Russia;
so many different places. For me it's about seeing the different
people and having the excitement of what we do come to them that makes
it all worthwhile."
Do you ever get a chance to just sit down and watch the show? "I
watch the show almost once a week. Not necessarily the whole show, but
I'll go in and watch parts of it; if an artist is doing something new,
if we've added a new act or changed something, I want to go in and see
what happens. But it's not so much watching the show, it's watching
the audience and their reaction. There are certain things in the show
and I don't want to give too much away that get great audience
reaction. It's fun to see what they're responding to."
When you finally decide to go home for good where is home going to be?
"That's a really good question. Right now it's a wonderful house just
outside of Ottawa. If that will be where I end up finally, who knows?
Who knows what adventure will come next? So we'll see."
How do we get tickets? "The best way to get tickets is online, at
CirqueduSoleil.com. There's a link to all the shows, like LUZIA.
They'll be links for Redmond, and people can choose the dates that
they want to attend. And from there they can see the seats they want,
it's a really interactive website. We [also] have a box office that's
available on-site; it's open about two hours before the show. But the
faster, easier way is online."
If you were to tell a kid that they could work in one profession
within the realm of the circus, what would it be? "Oh wow! In the
realm of the circus? I think I would be a clown. That would be my
recommendation. It's hard, it's not easy. Because you have to interact
with absolutely everybody that's there, and sometimes you're alone on
stage. But you do get to see everybody and everybody is there to see
what you're doing. But really there are a lot of [jobs], you can be a
chef, an accountant, a technician, there's all sorts of stuff to do."
A woman asks how many seats are in the arena 2,600.How many days are
your running? They are in town until May 21 [2017]; over the course
of the run more than 100,000 people will come see the show.
Could you bring kindergartners or elementary school children?
"Absolutely, our show is really for all ages. And we do have a lot of
children that come. This is a very fun show, there are a lot of
colors, a lot of music, so all ages enjoy it."
Is there any kind of preshow? "Not activities so much. We have our
entrance tent area for people to look around, merchandise and such to
look at. But as far as other activities not so much. Before the show
itself starts there's some animation that happens on stage, just to
get the audience warmed up."
A man asks about the flags on the masts. "Well, we are from Québec,
so that's our roots. So the four flags are the national flag of
Canada, the Québec provincial flag because we're based in Québec, our
corporate flag, and then our host flag. Which in this case is the
American flag. And when the big top entrance tent is up - which is
actually where we're standing [we'll have a] parade of flags that
looks a little bit like the Olympics, and those are all the flags of
our nationalities. But in the middle will be the Washington state
[flag] as our host. Flags are a big part for us."
Now it looks like the rest of the media has finished asking their
questions, so I decide to make my move and sneak one of my own in.
Something unique to LUZIA that hasn't been mentioned yet, something
not often asked. What extra challenge does the additional element of
water add to set up and maintenance? She's pleasantly surprised, it
seems she doesn't often get that kind of specific question at these
press gatherings. "That's a really good question! The water element
is not set up yet. There is a truck in back that holds 2,000 gallons
of water. So the biggest part is getting that and the piping that goes
with it installed, making sure there's no leaks along the line."
She notices I am wearing an "O" shirt, the first Cirque show to use
water as a creative element. "It was a big challenge in the
beginning. It's a lot easier to work with water in a theater where
everything is climate controlled and environmentally perfect. In
Montréal it was25-30 [degrees] when we set up. Pipes burst, [there
was] ice everywhere, it was hard to keep water warm. Now we know what
we're doing. [But] it took a long time to figure out. The insulation
of the pipes, the way to handle the water, how hot we need to keep it
in the tank because it loses temperature as it goes through the
system. We need to make sure that it's still warm enough when it hits
the artists. So those were really big learning curves."
"Since then, a lot of what we've learned has been how to maintain the
system. For instance, the water is chlorinated and goes through all
kinds of filters, etc. We found that the chlorine was leaching metal
out of the fabrication. [The nozzle system used to create the water
patterns seen in the show have] never been used in this kind of
acrobatic way before, it's always been used in a mall or some other
kind of display. But the metal leaching out was plugging the holes [in
the water nozzles] and was causing them to stay open, and we had
terrible drips and leaks. So they literally took the whole thing
apart, all 200 spigots, to [try to] figure out what was going wrong.
Then we ordered all new ones and again we saw the corrosion happening
and realized that that was what the problem was. So now we need to
find that right balance of - how do we keep the water as clean as we
need to and not damage it, or is it just a matter of cleaning the
system more often?" Since she has been with the show since creation,
she was involved in the decision process for all these issues.
As we're talking a jackhammer punctures the air with its voice, making
it very hard to hear(and to transcribe the recording afterwards). Do
you have much of a problem with water spillover into the audience?
"No, the audience doesn't get wet at all, there's no splash zone. We
thought in the beginning maybe we were going to have to do that, but
no there is no splash at all."
Was water the biggest challenge for you? She laughs. "Absolutely the
biggest challenge in this show. We have a turntable, which other
shows have. We have projections [like other shows]. We don't have any
trapdoors or anything like that because there's too much mechanics
underneath. Learning to use the water was the biggest - not obstacle,
but new challenge that we had. As Cirque develops new shows we get
better and better at new technology, but no one had ever done this.
We've got it now, we understand it now, but it was fun at the
beginning."
Now the questioning seems to be finished. The jack-hammering continues
on an occasional basis. The rest of the media breakaway and prepare to
pack up to leave the site. I, however, cannot leave without asking Ms.
Reilly about the usual order in which things happen in a site setup,
since I now seem to have her to myself.
In noting the already-raised artistic tent, Ms. Reilly says, "That
went up yesterday. A few things happened a little out of order for
us, because we had trucks delayed for a couple of different reasons
and some timing things. Some of our trucks didn't arrive as quickly
as they should have. So they've done things in a slightly different
order. The artistic tent is normally not finished by now, but it is
[for the Seattle set up]. They've started the VIP tent; we have a new
VIP structure [that goes] here (she points to painted lines on the
ground). They just pulled out the cupola truck." The cupola (placed
on top of the tent) takes up one full-length truck, which we had just
walked around moments before. "Next they will start to work with the
stakes inside, those are all needed for technical. They'll [also]
load in the stage and put up the sidewalls; those will go up pretty
soon so that they can keep some heat inside. The stage will be done
by Sunday evening, Monday they will finish all of that - the artists
are on-site Tuesday, so we have to be stage-ready for them by then.
And then we'll [be doing] things Tuesday and Wednesday, and the show
opens on Thursday."
At this point Francis approaches, anxious to release his company
manager back to other duties. We walk away from the raucous jack-
hammering towards the exit gate. Of arriving back in the northwest,
she says, "It felt so good driving up from San Jose, the closer we got
we'd see those BC license plates, and it was like, 'Oh, I'm almost
home'."
Are there others who are from the area? "Kelly MacDonald, one of our
artists." She is the acrobatic flyer in the Adagio number, and Cirque
is using her in many of the public relations availabilities while in
the city. "And a couple of our staff, so there are several folks that
feel like they are home now."
Is there something you're interested in seeing while you're here?
"It's like being home. It's those familiar places. I have a car on
tour so I can get around a little bit more. I'll head into the city a
couple of times, and I may take a quick trip to my hometown. I don't
have any family there anymore but a lot of friends, it's been awhile
since I've been there."
What are your hours like during this setup period? "I work from my
apartment most of the time until we get our office installed. But I'm
more of a day person during set up than when the show is running. It's
usually ten-hour days, it just kind of naturally happens that way.
Right now I'm sort of 9 to 6-ish. Also, since our headquarters is in
Montréal [3 hours ahead of Seattle] that throws off timing just a
little bit. So it's sometimes easier for me to work earlier in the
morning. Like now, I'll work earlier in the morning to have meetings
with them and stop earlier in the day. During the run itself I'm not
here every night for the show but [when I am] I usually don't leave
before eight. I wait until the show gets started and then leave after
that. And it's usually pretty easy to do a ten-hour day. It's also
easy to stay a lot longer, too."
I mention that the two things I am most interested in seeing are the
water element and the male contortionist. She laughs.
"Alexey[Goloborodko(https://www.facebook.com/alexey.goloborodko.18)]is
second to none in contortion. I have worked with an awful lot of
contortionists, but never anyone like Alexey. Women tend to be more
flexible, but Alexey is something else. And the water is used in a lot
of different ways. Especially the first sort of wild moment of it, and
then seeing it at different times."
While on the topic of water we talk about the rain. "It was going last
night, and I thought it was going to be miserable. Last week it
rained so hard on the guys[during the site marking session] got
absolutely soaked. They have rain gear, but even rain gear was not
enough. One of our guys, and I don't know if he got it here or where
he got it, but he basically had a dry-suit type of jacket that was up
around his neck so he could stay dry. But it was a mess."
This is her second time visiting the Marymoor Park asphalt pad with a
Cirque show. So she is aware that, despite our local parks system
building the site to Cirque's specs, gravity and bad angles means
rainwater funnels right through the concessions tent area. "Yes, right
through. But now we have flooring all through our concessions tents,
so it should keep peoples feet a little dryer. The panels are
interlocking and it's all carpeted, so it's a very fancy tent now."
At this point we finally must part. We say our goodbyes, and I wish
her luck with the weather. She says, "Thank you for being a fan, and
the good stuff you guys do. I learn stuff from you guys sometimes
before I hear it in other places." I reply that with our multiple
sources, especially through artists social media. we tend to hear
things that quickly get spread throughout the fandom. She then
mentions the good work being done by José, the founder of CirqueCast
(.com).
We move back to the entrance gate where I surrender my vest and hard
hat. It is now 1:37pm the whole experience taking less than 45
minutes. The site continues to be a beehive of activity: forklifts
puttering, jackhammers hammering, people walking, shouting and
pointing. But the further I move away from it the more peaceful, and
organized, it looks. Now it's a little colder, and a little rainy,
and I take some final pictures.
The tent poles now prop up the circumference of the tent. The top
isn't quite at full 19-meter (62 feet) height yet, but it is close.
It will soon be accompanied by the other structures that make up a
Cirque du Soleil site. And the artists, technicians, and patrons that
make the magic happen.
With that, I trudge back to my car in the cool March afternoon.
{fin}
------------------------------------------------------------
"A Look at Cirque at SEA"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
------------------------------------------------------------
On November 9, 2015, MSC Cruises announced a long-term partnership
with Cirque du Soleil to create a total of eight brand new shows
exclusively for MSC guests aboard the cruise line's next-generation
Meraviglia-class ships that would set "new standards in live
entertainment at sea" in multi-million dollar, ground-breaking
entertainment and dining venues. "We have found in MSC a long term
partner with a clear vision about trends in the cruising industry and
a strong desire to be the leader by bringing entertainment on board to
a whole new level," said Yasmine Khalil, President 45 DEGREES. "For
Cirque du Soleil, this is what inspires us and provides us with a
great creative challenge that we require for each new relationship and
project that we embark on."
Back in 2013 Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, is
said to have had a vision to take the entertainment offered on board
his ships to the next level. Since MSC Cruises seeks to work with
innovative, world-class leaders, it was only natural to approach
Cirque du Soleil. The 4,500-passenger MSC Meraviglia, the initial ship
in the class, is the first cruise ship ever to feature a multi-million
dollar, ground-breaking entertainment and dining venue able to meet
the unique needs of Cirque du Soleil also whilst at sea.
With Cirque du Soleil and MSC Cruises having just announced its next
pair of shows for the MSC Bellissima (due to launch in March 2019), we
thought taking a look at the first two shows created for this
partnership were in order (and a bit overdue if we're being honest...)
THE CAROUSEL LOUNGE
-------------------
Cirque du Soleil was tasked to create two shows, each with a different
concept, ambiance, storyline, costumes and make-up. The two very
different, contrasting shows VIAGGIO and SONOR each lasting 40
minutes, are performed twice a night for six nights in the ship's £20m
Carousel Lounge high-tech theatre.
The Carousel Lounge was designed by MSC Cruises together with the
Architect Marco De Jorio to meet these very specific needs. Equipped
with the most cutting-edge technology and special rigging, the 10,760
sq ft, 450-seat space is very intimate - one of the smallest venues
for Cirque du Soleil - but one that enables the performers to deliver
sublime performances, making the interaction between the guest and
performers for the exclusive enjoyment of MSC guests even more
special.
The name carousel was chosen to convey the combined spirit of MSC
Cruises offering unforgettable experiences and of Cirque du Soleil's
unique performances, conjuring up festive and magical emotions. A
carousel is associated with childhood memories of festive outdoor
fairs. And there is something inherently captivating about a carousel
- The music, colours, lights, and movement all combine in a unique,
breath-taking experience. But it's not just about the visual
experience for MSC Cruises, they're also in it for the gastronomy a
well: "We wanted to elevate the experience even further for our guests
and for this we have worked hand in hand with the creative team from
Cirque du Soleil to create the first Dinner & Show experience on our
fleet," said Gianni Onorato, Chief Executive Officer of MSC Cruises.
The dinner experience is a gastronomic delight, where every detail
from the table settings, the costumes, the music and visual effects
through to the menus have been specially designed to complement each
pre-show experience. The dining experience starts one hour before the
show performance begins and is a treat for the senses with surprise
animation from performers, live music, stylish table settings topped
off with a table d'hôte three-course menu of eclectic creative dishes.
The dining experience to complement SONOR guests is invited into a
parallel world where culinary creations will not only trick the eye
but the senses, whilst VIAGGIO immerses guests in a universe of
colour, testing the imagination of guests from beginning to end. Other
guests can enjoy a Cocktail & Show experience that will begin 30
minutes before the performance starts and will include a specially
designed signature cocktail and tempting treats.
CREATING THE TWO SHOWS
----------------------
Creating a cruise show brings up some unconventional theatrical
considerations. "You have to keep that high level that Cirque offers
of acrobatic performance, but you're not on flat unmovable land," said
Susan Gaudreau, show director of Cirque du Soleil at Sea. "It upped
the level for us a little bit." Plus, space on a cruise ship is
limited. The intimate Carousel Lounge can accommodate 413 spectators,
a fraction of the big-top settings that can seat up to 2,500. The
setting called for added creativity. "The trapeze wouldn't work
because the ceiling is a lower height than what a big top is,"
Gaudreau said. They had to find other ways to move performers through
the air, such as using aerial tracks and creating a carousel that
transports them.
That wasn't the only challenge. Gaudreau and Marie-Hélène Delage,
creative director of Cirque du Soleil at Sea, knew that they were
limited to one theater, one cast and one crew, but they needed to
create two unique shows with their own costumes and concepts. "We
wanted them to be as different as possible," Delage said. "Not only in
aesthetics but also in the acrobatic performance." That meant they
needed to find a range of abilities in anyone they hired, so that they
could call on a particular circus talent in the first show - say,
juggling - and then another in the next show - say, aerial work - to
keep the productions distinct and audiences enthralled. "If you came
to both shows you would not even recognize the same artists; you
wouldn't even know it was the same team of designers that created the
two shows," Gaudreau said.
She said that the shape and size of the venue helped her dream up each
show. "Viaggio" is the tale of a painter following his muse and
discovering a world of color and imagination, and Gaudreau was
inspired to use the Carousel Lounge's expansive LED screen as a blank
canvas to paint his masterpiece. The story of "Sonor" was inspired by
the theater's immersive sound system, and the narrative about a hunter
pursuing his prey is driven by rhythm and music. "The sound system was
so amazing I was like, 'Wow, I've got to do something with sound.'
That was my main trigger," Gaudreau said.
While audiences shouldn't expect any heavy nautical themes at the
shows, Gaudreau says they should look for a wink to the unique
setting: "We call it 'a little kudos to life at sea.'"
THE COLORFUL VIAGGIO
--------------------
VIAGGIO is the story of a passionate and eccentric artist who hears
the call of his Faceless Muse, a woman he has attempted to paint many
times but always in vain. Mysterious and seductive, she beckons the
Painter to boldly cross the threshold between reality and illusion
into the vivid landscape of his unbridled imagination where he will
finally complete his masterpiece. Animated by the music from his old
radio, each stroke of the Painter's brush reveals the details of his
grandiose tableau. Electrifying colors fill the theatre with
intriguing motifs and rich textures. A majestic aerial performance
comes to life and the artists weave a vivid tapestry, transforming the
theatre into a canvas. A lyrical duo of dancers mirrors the amorous
interplay between the Painter and his Faceless Muse. Suspended high
above the crowd, jugglers enter the scene and become part of this
surrealist artwork, multi-colored acrobats soar through hoops, and
ladders reach for the heavens, celebrating the artist's impossible
quest. The space around the Painter becomes a living canvas for his
imaginary world. Before our very eyes, a masterpiece comes to life.
Scenes
------
o) Painter's Studio -- Character/choreography
o) Wind Tunnel and colurs -- A-frame ladder flight with aerial silks
o) Transition Aerial to Juggling -- Video
o) Transition Bike -- Rigged double bike
o) Brotherly Brushes -- Juggling
o) Cloud Transition -- Video
o) Painter's Reflection -- Hand to Hand Acro Duet
o) Shadows transition -- Video
o) The Painter's Act -- Acro Ladder
o) Introduction to Finale -- Panels with choreography
o) The Masterpiece -- Charivari
o) Salut -- Bows
Characters
----------
The tale of the Surrealist Painter, who, in pursuit of his haunting
yet Faceless Muse, steps boldly into the surreal and magical landscape
of his own unfinished painting, and discovers that both artistry and
inspiration come in many varied and fantastical forms. The VIAGGIO
characters are inspired by the surrealist world, which are represented
by the Painter (Real) and the Muse (Surreal). The others characters
are an interpretation/representation of a surreal object.
o) The Painter -- An eccentric and passionate artist. The Painter is
the heart of the story. In search of discovering his Faceless Muse, he
journeys through the illusionary and vivid world of his surrealist
imagination in order to complete his Masterpiece.
o) The Muse -- Alluring yet always elusive to the Painter, the
Faceless Muse is graceful and poetic. Enticing the Painter to cross
the threshold between reality and imagination, the Faceless Muse
guides him through a voyage of magical discoveries. After she reveals
herself to him, he can complete his Masterpiece.
o) The Brotherly Brushes -- Two loud, expressive brothers, who speak
an indecipherable language. These characters evolve from a classical
"British Gentlemen" look and feel (tweed suit, vintage style). They
have two very distinct personalities from one another. They are
argumentative with each other yet work together despite the fact that
they can never agree on anything.
o) The Colors -- Aerialists represent the paint colors with which the
painter works. As they move dramatically through the air, their
costumes create a visual movement of flying color and texture.
o) The Portals -- Cheer and stunts represent the motion of the paint
moving across the canvas. They are portals between the real and
surreal worlds.
Costume & Makeup Designs
------------------------
The main inspiration being the surrealist imagery, the designer used
the surrealist archetypes and actual clothing looks. Magritte was also
a big inspiration, with its Derby hats and Classical men's suits,
butterflies and blue sky and clouds. Prints are used throughout,
adding to the "surrealist" theme of the show, along with all sorts of
bold colors: red, to represent the intensity of the Muse, pink, green,
yellow, orange in addition to the colors in nature sky blue, grass
green and cloudy white.
o) The Painter -- The main character of the show, the painter lives in
the real world. He is a real man saturated by the pigments and colors
that he works with. This is reflected in his make-up, which is natural
with splashes of color.
o) The Muse -- The Muse starts with a painting of a woman's face
hidden by a giant butterfly, wearing a red dress with mermaid legs,
blending the butterfly with the beta fish wings. Supported by the
show's female characters, portrayed by creatures midway between the
sky and the ocean. She is the current piece of art of the painter. She
is a dream that can never fully be created in his mind. The Muse is
his inspiration, his masterpiece, the image that keeps him striving to
stay true to his work. A formation of childhood memories; his first
love, his mother. She is part painting, part woman, part mermaid.
Inside her dress is a memory of a sunset hidden that is reflecting all
the way to her face. This sunset and the colors are reflected in her
make-up design.
o) Portals -- These characters are inspired by their costumes and
surrealist art. The key to the concept of the makeup design was to
have different painting techniques to fit with the story of the show.
Some designs feature washing effects, others stippling or flicking
even dabbling. The point was to convey the feeling of a work of art in
the make-up of every artist.
o) Brotherly Brushes -- They are theatrical, comical characters. They
are human brushes with different colors; one is green the other
orange. Their moustaches are painted on to fit with the surrealist
theme. The tip of their eyebrows and moustaches are dipped in their
respective color just like a paint brush. Their moustaches have
flicked the paint on their cheeks to create freckles.
o) Colors -- The make-ups for these characters is designed in accord
with their respecting costume and character colour. The Green artist
is also a Portal character so her make-up has been adapted a little
for the two characters.
o) Hand to Hand / Colors -- For the Hand to hand/ Colors characters,
their make-up is an hybrid between two different roles they play in
the show. The main role they play is the reflection of The Painter and
The Muse in a dream vision of The Painter. The Blue artist is an
hybrid between The Muse and the Color concept. The Orange artist has
the orange blending a little more discretely than the other Colors men
and the blue painted line only on his jaw line.
THE SONIC SONOR
---------------
With sound at its heart, SONOR takes us on an auditory adventure with
dancers, acrobats and characters, all moving to a rhythm. Its beat
stimulates the senses and fuels our emotions. Main character Sonor, a
playful, elusive virtual character, first appears in the form of a
single sound. Continually altering in appearance, Sonor guides the
audience through the show and instigates all that is seen and heard.
His nemesis, the Sound Thief, explodes into life and takes on a
strangely human form. The Sound Thief traps and steals sounds,
accumulating them like treasures and uses them as playthings for his
own amusement. In their struggle over sounds, Sonor and the Sound
Thief lead each other through a series of unique and captivating acts,
taking our senses along for the ride. Sound is the ultimate winner of
this joyous battle and is transformed into a symphony of artistic and
acoustic movements. SONOR conjures a world of unique sensations,
astonishing sounds, bold music and immersive projections. It
culminates in a grand finale for the senses.
Scenes
------
o) The Opening -- Video
o) Sound Thief -- Character work
o) Motion of Sound -- Cyr Wheel
o) Transition: Sound Throwing -- Character work
o) Visual of Sound -- Straps and Vertical Dance
o) Transition: "Ne me quitte pas" -- Character work
o) Human Symphony -- Beatbox Number
o) Seeing through Movements -- Dance Number
o) Artistry of Sound -- Hoop act and walking globe
o) Vibration of Sound Finale -- Acro Partner Stunts and Dance
o) Salut -- Bows
Characters
----------
The thread throughout the show is the playful interaction between a
virtual character and the Sound Thief. The virtual character Sonor
loves to tease the Sound Thief by playing games with him.
Sonor is represented by a video image a likeable, light, abstract,
and morphing character that is always elusive to the Sound Thief. This
image has a specific sound that is heard throughout the show. During
the Human Symphony Act, Sonor is personified (becomes embodied) in the
Beatboxer.
Sonor is a playful, visual character that interacts with the audience
through video projection, lighting paths and sound trajectories.
Comparable to the circus ring master, he instigates what is heard and
seen and he leads the audience into a musical journey. Continuously
altering its appearance throughout the show, Sonor guides the audience
through an auditory voyage full of rich and unimaginable acts.
o) Sound Thief -- Expressive and charismatic; the Sound Thief's
motivation is to take everything he can hear and store it within his
body. In constant interaction with Sonor, whom he wishes to capture,
The Sound Thief can either project or accumulate sound through the
physical movements of his body. A physical dancer/mover, his character
is dark in appearance and he is always surrounded by smoke.
o) The Tribe -- The SONOR artists are seen as a support for the sense
of Sound. Seen as a tribe, they all have their own particularities but
together they are all linked, personifying sounds imagined and
captured by the Sound Thief.
Costume & Makeup Designs
------------------------
The main goal was to create costumes that would replicate real-life
clothing, creating a 'tribal-futuristic-avant-garde' collection. The
chicness of greys is explored throughout - cold greys and warm greys,
with shiny and mat fabrics, creating a multitude of combinations,
creating a subtle but rich palette.
The beauty of this choice of greys, reacts to the light in an amazing
way, the costumes literally becoming the color of the light - if the
light is a cold color, the cold greys react to it and vice-versa for
the warm colors.
The Sonor character represents purity and the opposite pole to the
Sound Thief. All dressed in white, with a glittering skin tone motifs
creates the effect of a soft lace.
The Cyr wheel costume is more on the classical side, in shades of
grays, with a snake motif, a costume which illuminates when the UV
lights are turned on, bringing abstraction to the human shape,
becoming a luminous star twirling infinitely.
o) Sound Thief -- This character gets very close to the different
sounds that provide him with energy but sound is a very powerful
element so that when he gets too close to the sounds he can get
burned. To represent this, the make-up has been designed to represent
a burned mask around his eyes. This is covered by a high collar for
some of the show.
o) Artistry of Sound (hoops) -- This character is very light and very
pure. She is simple and young. She possess the silver element of
sound, which is very small and refined. To show how this sound is
channeled, the make-up design features a small line from her lips
through to her throat.
o) Cyr Wheel -- This artist is spreading the sound through the UV
light reflecting from his costume. The white arched lines on his face
are creating a perfect UV sphere as he is fabricating sound energy
true to his act.
o) The Tribe -- This concept for this show is modern and contemporary.
The lines for the make-up had to be clean, inspired by the fashion
runway but not too futuristic. The artists represent a tribe living in
a parallel universe but they are human. Their costumes are similar but
with personalized touches on each and this inspired the approach for
the make-up designs. So the makeup has similar themes but is
personalized for each artist featuring decoration with different
geometric styles. Theses shapes represent sound being captured by each
artist. They can feel, breathe and communicate through the decoration
close to their ears. Theses shapes placed close together create a
sound energy.
MUSIC: AN INTROSPECTION PROCESS
-------------------------------
"When it comes to doing music for Cirque du Soleil, inspiration is a
big deal since you don't write music on images like you would do for
TV or Cinema. You have to start working before seeing anything, so the
inspiration must come from something else than the visual. Basically,
all the inspiration comes from the director, in these cases, Susan
Gaudreau. Susan described the content of the scenarios of the two
shows. She talked about the specific energy that she wanted to emanate
for each scene. Afterward, with this information, I imagined these
scenarios like movies in my head, and I simply did music for these two
movies. Then, there is the question of style. With my previous
experiences with Cirque, I always wondered where should I situate the
work stylistically: should it be traditional? Should it be modern?
Well, I had the unique opportunity here to go into each of these
directions.
Viaggio
-------
Viaggio is telling the story of a painter, linked to the surrealist
period. This called for neo-classical style, music featured during the
surrealist era. Poulenc, Ravel, Debussy, Satie are all French
composers who were an inspiration for this. Also, French music like
"valses-musettes" from performers like Patachou and Frehel were also
inspirations. These are references, with strong melodies played by
accordions and violins, that have, for sure, also inspired Yann
Thiersen in Amelie Poulain, but in our case we chose a more classical
approach rather than pop.
The melodies in this project remain extremely important; the
orchestration is always colorful and calls a lot to the imagination.
To express « surrealism», I used sometime, like these composers, a few
soft dissonances or weird harmonic juxtapositions, which creates a
feeling of strangeness, but most of the time, when used with major
chords, just a feeling of magic. The task here was to stay on the
joyful and colorful side of the spectrum, as requested by Susan for
this show. The light use of touches of piano, harp, celesta and
glockenspiel also brings touches of magic here and there.
I also used syncopations like the ones we find in modern dance or
house music, but here used by classical instruments, for example, like
the clarinets we find in the The Brotherly Brushes. The envelope is
completely classical but the content is basically dance music and,
most satisfyingly, often brings the audience to handclap."
Sonor
-----
The concept for Sonor was that the sound would be at the heart of
everything. Hence, sound here is very important. That somewhat
abstract aspect naturally oriented the style toward a more modern
direction. Electronic music gives so many possibilities with playing,
transforming and even creating new sounds, that it became an obvious
choice. However, the real concern that electronic would bring a cold
ambiance brought the idea to add human sounds in every numbers. This
"human" participation was meant to balance the warmth of the show and
to bring an organic and friendlier side. Human panting, breath,
shouts, singing and other body sounds like clapping and kiss sounds
are all displayed in various ways during the show. The sound
characterizing the entity of Sonor was thought to be Morse-code-like
by Susan, which can symbolize communication. At the same time, I
thought of using 'Sine' wave for Sonor, the simplest and purest form
of sound waves, which, funnily, happened to be used originally for
Morse codes."
MAXIME LEPAGE
Composer & Music Director for VIAGGIO and SONOR
MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM
----------------------
MARIE-HÉLÈNE DELAGE
Creation Director
Marie-Hélène started her career in the entertainment industry in 2001
as a customer services trainer and merchandising viability consultant
for Cirque du Soleil. She quickly evolved towards the artistic and
event production side, where she played the roles of Assistant
creative director, Project manager, General stage manager, Artistic
coordinator and Assistant stage director working on projects like:
Love (Las Vegas 2006), opening act at the Super Bowl in 2007, Les
Chemins invisibles (Québec 2009), Pan-American Games Opening
ceremonies (2015), JOËL (Barvikha, Russia 2015). Her experience goes
beyond Cirque du Soleil, acting as the Assistant creative director for
Productions du Piano Sauvage, a Quebec-based entertainment production
company, for 8 years, followed by a stint at Moment Factory as
Production coordinator for Madonna's MDNA Tour. She also collaborates
with Cirque Éloize's special events team. Acting as Creative Director
now for Cirque du Soleil at Sea productions, Marie-Hélène takes with
her an extensive experience in the creative process of circus-
entertainment shows, having played the roles of Assistant production
director for Cirque Éloize's Cirkopolis (2012), Assistant to the
Executive and Creation director and production project manager for
their Music-Hall de la Baronne (2013) production, as well as Assistant
Stage director and General Stage Manager for their Saloon (2016)
production.
SUSAN GAUDREAU
Show Director
Throughout her 30-year career in the performing arts, Susan Gaudreau
has taken on numerous roles behind the scenes in the circus, special
events, film, television, and dance milieu. In 2005 she joined Cirque
du Soleil as an Artistic coach, collaborating with designers on Cirque
du Soleil's Michael Jackson ONE, Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL, Zarkana
and Amaluna. In 2014, she was a designer for KURIOS-Cabinet of
curiosities. Since 2013 Susan has been designing and directing special
events and shows for numerous Montreal based companies, including 45
DEGREES.
JAMES GREGG
Choreographer
Colorado born, Oklahoma raised. James Gregg has produced choreographic
work for many dance companies in North America. Winner of prestigious
awards such as the 2015 Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship Award,
his choreography work has also been recognized by the Ballet Austin's
New American talent, the Milwaukee Ballet's Genesis Choreographic
competition and by the International Choreographic Competition at
Festival des Arts in Saint-Sauveur, Quebec. As a performer, James has
worked with Bodytraffic, Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, Aszure &
Artists, Rubberband Dance Group and River North Dance Company,
interpreting the works of renowned choreographers such as Victor
Quijada, Barak Marshall, Aszure Barton, Crystal Pite, Rodrigo
Pedernieras, Frank Chauves, Danny Ezralow, Mauro Bigonzetti, Annabelle
Lopez Ochoa, Cayetano Soto, and more. James' work has been featured in
several music videos, feature films and TV documentaries and specials.
Elton John, I am Lyon, Kresha Turner, Ils Dansent, On the road, and
Soul Survivors are some of the people James has worked with. His
biggest interest is to create movement from the inside out, exploring
the different paths and routes through which the body can move.
Discovering how these various avenues can evoke emotion and how those
emotions translate throughout the body.
NADIA RICHER
Acrobatic Performance Choreographer
Animated by the movement of the body and the soul, Nadia Richer has
had a passion for circus art and dance since she was little. A high
level athlete in gymnastics, she graduated from the National Circus
School of Montréal, which gave her a solid base for her carrier as a
multidisciplinary artist, with Deborah Brown, Cirque du Soleil and
Cavalia, which she followed on a world tour for five years. She also
collaborates on other major projects and events. Her interest for
dance and circus art have led her to explore various aspects of this
industry, both on stage and behind the scenes. Nadia has worked as a
trainer, coordinator, assistant and choreographer for six years now
for Cavalia and Cirque Eloize. In addition to her every day work with
the circus artists succession at the National Circus School, as a
coach in acrobatic and aerial disciplines.
PIERRE MASSE
Equipment and Acrobatic Riggings Designer
After several years in the profession, in the entertainment industry,
Pierre Masse joined Cirque du Soleil in 1996 as an automatization
consultant for Quidam. His skills as Assistant Acrobatic designer and
Technical Director have been highlighted on a number of projects, such
as Complexe Cirque, Sport Extrême Aréna, and Cirque du Soleil shows:
Varekai, Zumanity, KÀ, Love, CRISS ANGEL Believe. He subsequently held
the position of equipment and acrobatic rigging designer for the shows
Totem, MJOne, JOYÀ, Toruk and Paramour.
ALEXANDRE PICOTTE
Lighting Designer
Born in Montréal, Alexandre was fascinated by light and the art of
lighting from a very early age, producing his first lighting concept
for a theatre troupe at the age of 16. Alexandre graduated with a
theatre production diploma from the Saint-Hyacinthe CEGEP in 1994.
Right out of school, he was asked to join the, then young, Cirque du
Soleil team, as Head of the lighting department, overseeing the
multinational's various creations. In 2009, Alexandre founded Lumière
Verte Inc., a company that specializes in visual and lighting
concepts, using his passion for lighting to personally brand each of
his projects. The quality of his work has given him a very enviable
reputation, his unique way of branding large artistic projects with a
palpable theatrical feeling having given him the opportunity to work
with some of the biggest circus creators as well as with many dance
and theatre companies. He has been amongst a selected group of
lighting designers involved in many special events created by Cirque
du Soleil, 45 DEGREES, La Cité de l'Énergie in Québec, the École
Nationale de Cirque de Montréal and Moment Factory.
ALEXIS LAURENCE
Multimedia Designer
Merging art and technologies in his scenic and video designs, Alexis
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, an International Festival of
Digital Creativity. Alexis authored the video design on ID and
Cirkopolis by Cirque Éloize; the scenic and video design for Scalada
VISION, 45 DEGREES in Andorra; the video signature for Montreal's
QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES; the artistic and video direction on various
TV shows in Quebec and has contributed to a number of video
environments such as IGLOOFEST, the Montreal Pavilion for the Shanghai
International Exhibition as well as the international concert tours
for DJ Sasha and the Mexican band ZOE.
MAXIM LEPAGE
Composer & Music Director
After finishing his studies in music at the University of Montreal,
Maxim Lepage started his career as a composer working in the colorful
world of VRAK TV (children and teens specialty TV channel), theatre
and video games. It was his two albums, signed under the name of
Monsieur Max: Oncle Bijoux (Uncle Jewelry)(2006), Ida & Gaspara
(2010), that got him noticed by the duo Lemieux-Pilon, with whom he
went on to work on several projects as an audio designer and/or
composer: Cintinuum presented at the Planétarium, Territoires
Oniriques at MBAM (Montreal Museam of Fine Arts), Icare at TNM
(Théâtre du Nouveau Monde, Montreal) as well as Cité Mémoire, a huge
audio-visual project that celebrates the 375th-year anniversary of
Montreal. He began his collaboration with 45 DEGREES by composing and
designing the music/SFX for the gigantic Opening ceremonies of the Pan
American Games in Toronto in 2015, followed, in 2016, by La Forge aux
Étoiles at the Futuroscope in Poitier (France).
JEAN-MICHEL CARON
Sound Designer
Working in the sound designing field for more than 20 years, Jean-
Michel Caron has been creating sound environments for more than six
years, for numerous special events designed by Cirque du Soleil.
Currently, Jean-Michel has taken on the role of sound designer for
VOLTA, after being sound co-designer for Kurios Cabinet des
Curiosités in 2014. He has also participated in diverse productions
with the new studio Moment Factory, including Ode à la Vie, a
multimedia show presented on the facade of the Sagrada Familia in
Barcelona in 2012. He has also collaborated on some exhibitions and
theatre projects in Québec. In his early days with Cirque du Soleil,
Jean-Michel participated in several creations as a sound project
manager and sound engineer. Subsequently he was appointed assistant
sound designer for OVO, Zarkana, TOTEM, and Amaluna and lately Toruk
from Cirque du Soleil. Since 2012, Jean-Michel has been teaching sound
at the Alma High School.
LIZ VANDAL
Costumes Designer
As an "architect of the body in extreme movement", her costumes reach
the ultimate goal: "Equilibrium between esthetics and technique", as
beautiful as they are functional. Liz Vandal started her career as a
fashion designer. Self-taught, she entered the universe of clothing
twenty-five years ago. From dazzling beginnings she brought her
originality to the rigorous domains of dance, circus, cinema and
special projects. Vandal joined forces with Yveline Bonjean and Réal
Houle, together, building a company of excellency.
Great partnerships link Liz Vandal with numerous choreographers and
dance companies around the world: Edouard Lock; Compagnie Marie
Chouinard; Margie Gillis; José Navas; Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de
Montréal; Le Ballet National du Canada; The Washington Ballet;
Mannheim Theater; Stuttgart Ballet (Germany); l'Opéra de Paris;
Göteborg Theater (Sweden). Vandal explores all domains of show
business, from creating costumes for The Backstreet Boys 'Black 'n
Blue Tour', to films including 'The Lathe of Heaven' directed by
Philip Haas and Quebec's Director Manon Briand's 'La Turbulence des
fluides'.
Vandal enters the circus' world, designing flamboyant insect costumes
for OVO, the 25th Cirque du Soleil show; CIRKOPOLIS, a Cirque Éloize
creation; and the opening duo for 'LES 7 Doigts de La Main's
'Tryptique'.
Collaborating with multi-national IGT (International Gaming
Technology) in Las Vegas, Vandal created AVATAR costumes approved by
Jon Landau and 20th Century Fox. As a design, innovation, production
and team synergy consultant, Liz offers her services to Sportswear
multinational Oxylane, owner of Decathlon stores to develop avant-
garde products. As the company continues to expand, an incomparable
opportunity leads Vandal's creativity to Azerbaijan for the first
European games in June 2015 where she designed an incredible 3000
costumes for the closing ceremony.
MARYSE GOSSELIN
Make-up Designer
Since 2003, Maryse has collaborated in twelve creations with Cirque du
Soleil. It's in 2014 that she holds the key makeup artist position
with TORUK THE FIRST FLIGHT. Following this production's insightful
experience, Maryse designed the make-up for LUZIA. Being a makeup
designer outside the walls of Cirque du Soleil as well, Maryse has
worked on various theatrical productions in Montreal, most recently at
the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde for the play Around the World in 80 days
by French novelist Jules Vernes. She also created and produced the
makeup designs for the play Pinocchio that was held at Place des Arts
and also for the play The Adventures of Baron Munchausen at the
Denise-Pelletier theater. In the event world, Maryse has developed
concepts for 45 DEGRESS and is currently working on the make-up design
for their next project in collaboration with MSC Cruises.
------------------------------------------------------------
"We're Off and Running II, Part 4 of 4: La Nouba (& More)"
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 (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 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 or the Company itself? What
interesting blurbs did we uncover about Mystere, "O", or La Nouba?
Enough, as it turns out, for "We're Off and Running II", a four-part
sequel series to conclude with a few articles about La Nouba, Journey
of Man, and Fire Within.
# # #
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL IS SET TO RISE AT DISNEY
By: Cory Lancaster | Orlando Sentinel
December 8, 1998
When Cirque du Soleil debuts in two weeks, Walt Disney World will have
its first Broadway-caliber show - with ticket prices to match.
The international theater company, based in Montreal, has built a
reputation in such places as New York City and Las Vegas for combining
acrobatics and theatrics into elaborate stage productions.
But in Central Florida, the French name (pronounced SERK-dew-so-lay,
and translatedas Circus of the Sun) likely will sound foreign to
many.
In fact, Cirque officials acknowledge they will have to increase their
name recognition to fill the 1,671-seat theater at Disney for two
shows a day, Wednesday through Sunday.
"It will take time to educate people to the product," said Jacques
Marois, general manager of Cirque's Americas Division. "According to
what we've seen before when we open a show, the interest will build
pretty fast."
Cirque officials are mum about the production here, called "La
Nouba," which in French means to party or live it up. The $40 million
stage production debuts Dec. 23 in the circus tent-shaped building at
Downtown Disney West Side.
The show will bring to six the number of Cirque productions worldwide,
each of them with a different theme. In Las Vegas, the "O" show
revolves around water with a swimming-pool stage. "Quidam," a
touring show now in Atlanta, is about social isolation. In it, a young
girl wanders alone through life, meeting dancers, acrobats and circus
performers.
Disney and Cirque signed an agreement that makes them partners in the
90-minute production. Although the agreement lasts 12 years, both
companies expect the partnership to last a lot longer.
"We plan to play here for at least 20, 30 years," said Cirque's
founding director, Guy Laliberte.
Under the partnership, Disney built and owns the theater, which cost
$27 million. Cirque paid for the show - including costumes, sets,
props, lighting and audio and other equipment - which cost $13
million, Laliberte said.
Disney will handle advertising and some other business matters. In
exchange, the two will share ticket revenue.
"It is 100 percent Disney's job to see that these tickets sell,"
Marois added.
Tickets to "La Nouba" will cost $59.89, including tax, for adults
and children 10 and older. For children younger than 10, tickets will
cost $47.91.
The prices make Cirque the most expensive ticket at Walt Disney World,
exceeding the price of theme parks (by $15), club-hopping at Pleasure
Island and virtual-reality games at DisneyQuest. Few other events in
Central Florida command such a price.
Neither Cirque nor Disney sound nervous about the ticket prices. In
Las Vegas, where Cirque performs two productions, tickets range from
$70 to $100.
And industry observers don't think they should be nervous.
"I think there's definitely a market here," said Steve Baker,
president of Baker Leisure Group, a theme-park consulting company in
Orlando. "I don't think the price would be that prohibitive.
Conventioneers are here. Groups are here. It's going to be a status
symbol to say you're going to the show."
Cirque enters a growing market of after-hours activities vying for
tourists. It will compete not only with attractions at Disney World
but also with Church Street Station, Pointe Orlando, Universal
Studios' upcoming CityWalk and smaller attractions, such as Skull
Kingdom and various dinner shows, such as Arabian Nights.
Disney officials said they wanted Cirque to come to Downtown Disney
for years. To Disney, the show continues efforts to offer a wide range
of entertainment that caters to families, couples without children and
senior citizens.
Historically, Cirque relied on word of mouth to attract people to its
shows. But for "La Nouba," it has a potential client base of
millions of Disney visitors a year, plus customers from around
Florida, Marois said.
Cirque also will have the Disney marketing machine behind it. Some
advertising has begun, but the big marketing push will occur closer to
Jan. 28, the official premiere of "La Nouba." Cirque officials say
they will tweak the show for a month before the official debut.
If the show is successful, Cirque likely will join in other
partnerships with Disney around the world. "We're all looking at this
project as the first of many others," Marois said.
For "La Nouba," Cirque employs 120 people here, including about 65
performers - mostly gymnasts - from Russia, France, China and the
United States.
* * * * * *
A CIRCUS OUTSIDE THE RINGS
By: Elizabeth Maupin | Orlando Sentinel
January 1, 1999
Imagine a man riding a bicycle upside-down across the sky.
Imagine a circus parade of Federico Fellini's film grotesques, the
blank-faced men in bowler hats of the artist Rene Magritte, the
floating brides in the paintings of Marc Chagall.
Imagine all that, and you may have an idea of the wonders of La Nouba,
the new Cirque du Soleil extravaganza at Downtown Disney West Side.
Housed in a 1,671-seat theater designed to look like a circus tent, La
Nouba promises to become a powerful magnet for Central Florida's out-
of-town visitors as well as a beloved home-town institution - the kind
of show locals will return to time and time again for years to come.
This is the 11th full-scale production for Cirque du Soleil, the
hugely successful Montreal company that was founded by street
performers in rural Quebec in 1984.
A no-animals circus that blends traditional acrobatic and clown acts
with extravagantly high-tech design, Cirque du Soleil ("Circus of the
Sun") now has one production touring Europe, another crisscrossing
America, a third touring Asia and the Pacific and two permanent shows
in Las Vegas.
La Nouba, which opened to the public Dec. 23, will not have its
official opening until Jan. 28, and some bugs remain to be worked out.
Snafus snarl the box office, swarms of people push to get through the
understaffed doors, and hard-working ushers are spread too thin.
Programs will not be available until late January, ushers say, and the
90-minute show itself - especially, word has it, an ever-changing
finale - seems to be still in flux.
Yet audiences are paying full price ($56.50 plus tax for adults) for
tickets, and many Orlandoans do not want to wait until the end of
January to know what's up.
What's up, in fact, is the whole world in La Nouba, a phrase that
derives from the French idiom "faire la nouba," meaning to party or
to live it up. (One dictionary links the phrase with "to hold a
wedding," which figures significantly in this production.)
A woman balances on one hand on a man's shoulders on a wire high above
the stage. A pair of men scale the side of a building by leaping from
a trampoline. The sky becomes a forest of stars or a sea of eerily
floating window frames, and alien creatures in orange skullcaps soar
through the air.
If you describe La Nouba not as a two-ring or three-ring circus but as
a circus with an infinite number of rings, you're getting close.
Closer, still, would be a circus in which the performers refuse to
stay inside the ring or to color inside the lines.
Indeed, color runs riot inside Cirque's spacious high-tech arena,
where the seats are arranged in half a circle around the stage and
just about everybody has a good view. The acrobats' extravagant
costumes come in brilliant turquoise or fiery reddish-orange; the same
reddish-orange flows from on high in lavish swaths of fabric in the
show's most striking scene. Many of the performers are clothed so
neutrally, in flowing cloaks or in Lycra, that you can't tell if
they're men or women; even their shaved heads, hoods and skullcaps add
to the mysterious feel.
The show's traditional circus acts are impressive - the high-wire and
trapeze artists, the man who balances on a tower of eight precarious
chairs with what looks like a lighted birthday cake on his head. The
two clowns are child-pleasers, although their antics will seem tame to
many adults (and a sequence in which they're garbed in spacesuits
falls flat). And four tiny Asian girls who twirl large wooden spools
on strings - sort of giant yo-yos run amok - have to be seen to be
believed.
But the glory of La Nouba is the stranger sights, the otherworldly
images and the eerie melodies in minor keys. Two men fit themselves
into giant hoops and glide this way and that while an army of beings
in the anonymous attire of Maoist workers march across the stage and a
rubber-limbed strong man skulks weirdly here and there. A little
chandelier tumbles from the rafters; a toy train passes through; and a
silent observer lounges in a window that floats by on air.
In one thrilling sequence, the stage floor glides back to reveal an X-
shaped trampoline. Two other trampolines are dropped from the flies,
and close to two dozen orange-garbed jumpers catapult like flames
through space.
And in the show's piece de resistance, a man in white trousers seizes
a pair of voluminous orange streamers and flies through the air like a
bare-chested Icarus - while four women wind themselves in other
streamers, are lifted high and then fall miraculously to midair. It's
a glorious sight, like a cluster of children dangling in the long
sashes of a Japanese kimono or like the wings of incredible
butterflies. Images like that make all of us children again.
* * * * * *
CIRQUE ENTERS MOUSE'S BIG TOP
By: Andew Paxman | Variety
January 25, 1999
The nuptials between the Mouse House and French-Canadian performance
troupe Cirque du Soleil appeared to be getting off to a rocky start at
Disney World in the fall.
Cirque was, in its customarily improvisational fashion, way behind in
rehearsals for "La Nouba," the permanent show it was prepping for
Downtown Disney, a new entertainment and dining zone on the grounds of
Disney World, roughly akin to Universal Studios' CityWalk in
California. Slated to begin previews on Dec. 23, ahead of a Jan. 28
grand opening, "La Nouba" was to be the centerpiece of Downtown
Disney.
The suits at Disney were understandably nervous. "You'll never be
ready on time," some moaned. "You must be feeling a lot of pressure,"
muttered others, loosening their own collars.
The match itself is a bizarre one: a control-obsessed, English-
speaking corporate giant paired with a control-obsessed, French-
speaking bunch of former street performers.
"We don't work from scripts, and a lot of things in this show were
'found' just as we were in final rehearsals. Towards the end, our
level of tension always becomes very high," concedes Jacques Marois,
Cirque's Montreal-based production VP.
"I don't doubt that some people at Disney were uncomfortable about the
way we work," Marois adds. "But whenever doubts arose, someone from
the creative side of Disney would say 'Let me explain what Cirque is
all about.'"
In the spirit of it'll-be-all-right-on-the-night, "La Nouba" has
preopened to ecstatic reviews from the Florida press. Since there's
nothing remotely like it in the Orlando area, where nocturnal
entertainment is at any rate pretty limited, this adult-skewed $20
million production is already looking like a home run.
Perhaps that's no surprise, as the contrast in corporate cultures is
less than it seems. Cirque may maintain an aura of rag-tag charm, but
its convictions are strictly capitalist: Annual revenues have jumped
from $30 million in 1994 to $150 million in 1998.
Much of that increase derives from Cirque's move into permanent shows,
of which "La Nouba" is the third. In Las Vegas, another unlikely
domain for the ex-street urchins, "Mystere" debuted in 1994 and the
water-themed "O" bowed in October.
Just like Disney, Cirque is keen to exploit all windows, including
merchandising. The Canadians didn't need Disney to suggest that the
Orlando venue include a store selling Cirque T-shirts, jackets and so
on, says Downtown Disney VP Karl Holz.
Around 10% of Cirque revenues now derive from merchandising, says
Marois, and there are plans to spin off action-figures from "La Nouba"
-- which has no discernible narrative but is more character-based than
previous Cirque productions.
"The inspiration is somewhat from the accomplishments of Disney. And
we can learn from Disney about merchandising, but learning doesn't
mean copying -- we want to do it with our own kind of originality,"
Marois says.
Such expansionism has led Pierrot Bidon, founder of avant-garde French
troupe Archaos, a competitor, to call Cirque "the McDonald's of
circuses." But Cirque officials insist that none of their shows are
cloned; unlike "Cats" or "Riverdance," there's only one place to see
"La Nouba" and only one troupe performing each of its distinct touring
shows.
What's different about "La Nouba" is that it sets a new standard for
Cirque's ability to joint venture. Talks with Columbia Pictures in the
late 1980s were reportedly derailed by Cirque's insistence on creative
control, a first look at a Disney collaboration in the early 1990s
went nowhere, and nothing came from an episodic TV drama that the
circus planned with fellow Canucks Cinar and CTV in 1996.
Moreover, Cirque's first film, the Canada-France-Holland co-production
"Alegria," has been sitting on a shelf for a year. The $7 million pic
will finally get a Quebec release via Alliance in April, but word is
that the feature has played down Cirque's trademark acrobatic daring
for the sake of a meandering, sappy storyline.
Disney, to its credit, has given Cirque a remarkably free rein. "We
built the theater -- which was designed by Michel Crete, the set
designer from Cirque and helped with the marketing and ticket sales.
Otherwise the input from our side has been minimal," Disney's Holz
says.
"There's been no interest from Disney to compromise our creative
integrity. They want to see us flourish," says Marois. "We've had to
admit that some of our preconceived ideas about Disney were totally
wrong."
* * * * * *
REVIEW: CIRQUE DU SOLEIL LA NOUBA
By: Jack Zink | Variety
February 8, 1999
A Cirque du Soleil presentation of a performance in one act written
and directed by Franco Dragone. Musical director, Benoit Glazer.
Choreographer, Debra Brown. Sets, Michel Crete; costumes, Dominique
Lemieux; lighting, Luc Lafortune; music, Benoit Jutras; sound,
Francois Bergeron, Jonathan Deans; director of creation, Gilles Ste-
Croix. Opened, reviewed Jan. 28, 1999. Running time: 1 HOUR, 30 MIN.
Eschewing the elaborate trappings of "O" at Las Vegas' Bellagio
resort, the Cirque du Soleil creative team returns to nouvelle circus
essentials for "La Nouba" at Walt Disney World. Though it meets
today's standards for ornate production value, the $13 million
attraction plays out on a human scale that focuses on the performers.
Choreography by Debra Brown to music by Benoit Jurras bends Franco
Dragone's fairy tale concept to a theatrical context. "La Nouba"
gratis a childlike carnival foreground to a backdrop reminiscent of
Fritz Lang's 1927 filmic urban nightmare "Metropolis," replete with
techno-funk and hip-hop. The cumulative effect is much edgier than one
expects from Cirque, and especially Disney.
The show opened for previews Dec. 23, without a featured bicycle act
that joined the show two days before the Jan. 28 gala premiere. A few
other significant design changes also took place during the month-long
break-in, culminating in the slick visuals and acrobatic finesse that
is Cirque's trademark.
Recent years have seen a spate of specialty acts and floor shows crop
up around Orlando's theme parks, many for the budget tourist crowd.
"La Nouba" puts Disney squarely, if belatedly, in the front of that
theme-show market and should prove another popular component of the
still-growing Cirque empire.
Cirque's first permanent, freestanding venue features a large thrust
stage with orchestra and mezzanine sections arrayed in a horseshoe
around it, without balconies. The stage platform sits above a 16-foot
pit whence the scenery rises.
The theater is situated at one end of the theme park's Downtown Disney
section, a large shopping and nightclub district adjacent to Disney
World's burgeoning hotel strip.
"La Nouba" runs the requisite 90 minutes, though interest begins to
dissipate somewhat after 75 (the standard running time of traditional
floor shows, and apparently for good reason). Major acts include an
opening Roue (German Wheel) performed by two acrobats garbed like
mummies in Day-Glo wrap, a highwire duo, a balancing act on chairs, a
trademark cirque "aerial silks" routine and a house trapeze troupe.
The climax is an inventive trampoline act using the majority of the
65-member cast.
The title is drawn from the French idiom "faire la Nouba," which
translates "to live it up" or "to party." Dragone says his fairytale
blueprint was altered during rehearsals to juxtapose the dreamy new-
age circus formula against a harsh, regimented, industrial-age
reality. Choreographer Brown flanks the colorful cirque characters of
"La Nouba" with a cadre of "urbanites" in monochromatic costumes (by
Dominique Lemieux), performing aggressive hip-hop routines in
militatistic alignments.
Michel Crete's sets spit up from the floor -- black lacquer derricks
and in one case the shell of a rotting tenement or factory, upon which
the denizens cavort in terpsichorean delight both with and without
trampoline assist. The set pieces are overhung by a collection of huge
impressionist and cubist paintings and frames.
Jutras' score, while new-age puree at the top, comes with hefty chunks
of source material embedded below the cream. Underlying the
traditional circus elements are vintage heraldry, minstrelsy and
chanson. Those bleed into the puree along with the aforementioned
techno-funk (plus various other permutations of electronica) and,
especially, the hip-hop used as the basis for much of the ensemble
choreography. Superimposed over all are scat-like vocal intonations
hauntingly performed by Dessy and O'Neil Langlois.
* * * * * *
DRAGONE'S ALEGRIA THE FILM
By: Edna Tromans
January 1998 | Saga Magazine
Franco Dragone, the director and great creative mainspring of the
fabled Cirque du Soleil has the reputation of being a Pied Piper among
showbusiness folk. The most elusive of entertainers, who are normally
non-committal and hard to pin down, are ready to follow him anywhere.
Francis Ford Coppola, the celebrated film maker who made Godfather
wants to work with him. So does actor Robin Williams. And every time
Whoopi Goldberg runs into him she offers her time and services in her
own individual way. Something like, "Hey Franco, when are we going to
party?"
The subject of all this interest is an unassuming 42-year- old
Italian-born director with a charismatic personality. Dressed from top
to toe in black with dark eyes and a thick crop of ink-black hair,
Franco looks like a soulful artist dedicated to his work and, almost
mournfully, he agrees that he concentrates on his working activities
to the exclusion of almost all else.
Twice married and father of two sons, he says, "I feel regret deep
regret about not being a better husband and father. I once said to
my son Lucas, 'Shall I give it up? I don't spend enough time with
you.' " His son urged him not to think of it. Now 16, Lucas got his
reward when he bobbed up as production assistant alongside his father
on Franco's first film, Alegria which he made last summer.
During filming, Lucas' mother Antoinette Capettas was also a beautiful
and friendly presence on the set, accentuating Franco's own deeply-
held belief that,"Once these important relationships are formed, even
after a divorce they remain precious and still last a lifetime."
The Cirque performers form a second kind of family, one with whom he
travels throughout the world and many of them were cast in the film
which was shot on location in Amsterdam and Berlin.
The same troupe is appearing at London's Royal Albert Hall this month
where it will be playing to packed houses in the Cirque du Soleil's
theatrical production of Alegria. Later in the year the film of the
same name will be playing in selected cinemas.
In the film with a screenplay written by Franco and producer Rudy
Barichello the magical universe of the Cirque du Soleil becomes the
backdrop for a tender love story between a street performer and the
lead singer of a travelling circus. René Bazinet stars as the love-
struck mime artist who falls for a young gifted singer, played by
Julie Cox, a dazzling English actress who once played the late Diana,
Princess of Wales in the TV production A Prince's Story.
The role of her father is played by Frank Langella who had barely
taken the last curtain call in Noël Coward's Present Laughter on
Broadway before he hopped on a plane for Amsterdam and the film
location of Alegria.
Was it Franco's work with the Cirque that so impressed Frank Langella?
This dazzling circus of human performers has no animals in the ring
and achieves its spectacular effect from a dramatic mix of art,
gymnastic skills and street theatre. It was understandable that
someone as knowledgeable about the theatre as Langella could be drawn
to the magic created inside the Big Top.
"It was actually because of Franco himself," says Langella.
"I knew about the Cirque, of course. My children had seen it and loved
it. But as soon as Franco walked into the room I thought, 'Yes, I want
to work with this director.' There are just a few people who can
create that effect."
Langella now lives and works chiefly in New York after years in
Hollywood in such films as John Badham's Dracula and Mel Brooks' The
Twelve Chairs and Diary of a Mad Housewife. Big films with
considerable budgets. Nothing like that with Alegria, and Langella
says, "There's no financial profit for me with a movie like this. I do
it because I love the project. It's not noble on my part. It's
survival, I think. It's a way each day to wake up and think, 'I'm
working on some worthwhile material' that gives me a reason for saying
I'm an actor. I might as well test those abilities on something like
this as opposed to, 'Don't move or I'll shoot.' "
The film is budgeted at about 10 million Canadian dollars, a mere
fraction of the cost of a big Hollywood action movie and, as a first-
time director, Franco is subdued about the costs. Like a new boy at
school he listens attentively to the dangers of running over budget
but in fact each day of the week with the Cirque he is handling
productions that can soar beyond 60 million dollars. Until two years
ago his own parents had no idea of the scale of his productions. They
saw a show of his at Las Vegas and marvelled, "You did this?"
Great success has overtaken the Cirque. From its humble beginnings as
the brainchild of a group of street performers in Montreal, it grew to
become the actual Cirque du Soleil in 1984, and from a few dozen
artists it has now expanded to include nearly 300 artists worldwide.
In 1998 it is creating two new permanent theatre projects: its first
aquatic show in Las Vegas and another show in Orlando, Florida. Next
stop is Asia, where the Cirque is opening in Singapore, in addition to
a permanent show in Berlin in the year 2000.
And all this, everyone generally agrees, is largely because of Franco
Dragone.
On the set of his first movie, his own demands appear surprisingly
modest.
Franco doesn't seem to realise that the question of the director's
trailer might even be a deal-breaker in some Hollywood contracts. No
trailer has been allocated. He just didn't get around to asking for
one and when he needs to hold a private conversation during filming he
humbly asks one of his cast if he might borrow his or her caravan.
He is as beguiled by this whole new process of filmmaking as his son
Lucas. "A whole new box of magic tricks to play with" is how he
describes it. He scoops up a handful of the paperwork that streams
every day into the film's production office. The day's call sheet.
Transport movements. Script changes.
"It wasn't until I saw it written down for the first time that I
realised what was involved," he says. "I'd never seen anything like
this before."
His ingenuousness wins him friends because he remains one of the team.
There is nothing dictatorial about his approach. "I don't want to give
orders and tell people what to do," he says. "I create an environment
in which people can express themselves."
At the age of 65, Brian Dewhurst, a Mancunian performer and mime
artist, is happy to be playing his first speaking role in Alegria. He
plays Old Taps, a café owner and retired performer who can still go
through all his physical paces, tap-dancing and standing on his hands.
Now living in Las Vegas, Brian comes from three generations of circus
performers and knows Franco well from his 10 years at the Cirque.
"Franco is the spirit of the Cirque," he says. "He brings great depth
to each of the productions. It's not just a matter of putting on a
show. He has great respect for the playing space and what he puts in
has to be of an exceptionally high standard."
Franco Dragone himself came to the circus from a background in
theatre. His collaboration with theatrical companies across Europe led
him to integrate theatre and circus through new forms of expression.
He has directed all but one of the Cirque's internationally acclaimed
award- winning shows that have won worldwide recognition. His aim
throughout has been to create not only dazzling shows with surprise
and beauty but for them to be about something. While his film is spun
out of imaginative images that delve into the world of dreams and
nightmares, it remains rooted in reality. A sub-plot of his story
Alegria tells the plight of children who are exploited for adults'
gain as they toil for a pittance: today's story of many millions of
children who are being exploited worldwide.
He says, "I won't direct a movie or a show if I don't feel something.
I want to transmit ideas to others. I want to say, 'Please take time
to think, just once, about the atrocities that are done everywhere;
take time to think about a child. You can always participate to change
ugliness.' " He puts a different twist on the word Alegria "In Italy
when someone dies in the family we say, allegria. It means, 'Let's go.
Life must go on.' "
He wrote the part of the disillusioned mime artist for René Bazinet,
an internationally renowned mime artist and clown who toured for four
years with one of the Cirque's productions. Traditionally there is a
sadness about the character of the clown, and Franco detected a
pervasive melancholy in the personality of René himself. "It's why I
wanted to create this character for him," he says.
Away from the set, René appears subdued, but he chuckles when a clown
a street entertainer with baggy trousers and red blob for a nose
appears at his table with a harmonica and a powerful tenor voice and
is persuaded to leave only when René offers him a fistful of change.
"I know what has to be done to be left alone," he says. For many years
he was a street artist in Paris, struggling to make a living in a city
that he found fiercely competitive and often unfriendly.
There was also a lot of partying, he says, and a bohemian way of life
to which he was highly drawn in his twenties. "Living in Paris and
pretending to be Parisian means almost being debauched, I guess," he
says. "There was a particular period around the late Seventies when I
was full of red wine and into indulgence on a big scale. I could do a
street show any time I chose, weather permitting, and party the rest
of the time. I used to hang out with a prominent group of street
artists. There were many raucous nights. Too many. My body is my tool
and if it does not function I can't work. I can't support myself."
In 1980 a year that is deeply etched on his memory because of the
fundamental changes it brought he was overtaken by personal
disaster. He contracted hepatitis and for six months he couldn't work.
"I was sick. I had no money, my girlfriend left me and I had to spend
my last few francs on a few kilos of rice," he says. "I was in bed,
all alone in a garret in Paris. There were flies everywhere. Every day
there were more and more of these little flies in my tiny apartment.
They were driving me mad. Then one day I found a white worm exploding
in the rice in the larder. Now I couldn't even eat. It was enough to
make me want to jump out of the window.
"In fact, there was a logical reason for it all. There was an open tin
of cat food lying somewhere on a shelf, but I didn't realise it at the
time. I was in a dreadful state. I thought I was going mad. I thought.
'What have I done wrong to find myself in such a predicament?' "
It marked the beginning of the end of René's days as a wild young man
and took him into the realms of an important new friendship with a
tutor and mentor named Annette Lask, who gave him the confidence he
needed. It was she who illuminated some of the areas which were giving
him such difficulty. Through her he discovered a new discipline, the
Feldenkreist exercises, which taught him how he could conquer the
physical limitations of his body. Performing the exercises showed him
how he could move with precision and economy and trained him in the
easy rhythmic movement which he uses to great effect in the Big Top.
"She also made me aware of what I was doing to myself and where I was
heading which was right down the drain," says René. "She made me see
I was on a self-destructive course and made me question a lot of
things about myself and my background."
It is his unexplained background that niggles away at him. He
possesses extraordinary talents and has little idea where they came
from. He has never known his father, who was a circus performer and
moved on to some unknown destination shortly after he was born. He
knows his name William Dégé and that he came from Essen in
Germany.
René was born in Bochum, Germany on April 26, 1955 and lived in and
around Essen until he was 16, when his mother, Ellen Fiener, remarried
and the family moved to Canada. At that point he was flung into high
school speaking not one word of English or French. He is now fluent in
both languages but before he mastered them, as a solitary child he
used to go for long walks in the park where, for his own amusement, he
learned to imitate birds. That was when he mastered the idiosyncratic
squeak that has become his professional trademark in the Big Top.
He was always able to make people laugh. Following graduation he
studied theatre in Montreal where a teacher, detecting a particular
ability to communicate using his body, encouraged him to specialise in
mime.
Unconsciously, he was already following in his father's footsteps.
Among his most treasured possessions is a snapshot of himself as a
four-month-old baby being held in a firm one-handed grip in the
typical manner of circus folk by the man who was his father. Shortly
afterwards William Dégé disappeared. No one knows where.
Although his mother was briefly in touch with him in later years, he
remains a stranger to his son who has taken numerous trips to their
old home town to try to find him. Perhaps by now, René estimates, his
father is in his mid to late seventies.
"He was a very clever performer," says René. "My mother told me he
could play three or four harmonicas at the same time. It feels so
strange. I have never met this man but I have his talent. I don't know
him but I've turned out exactly like him. It's hereditary. It's all in
my body. He is the missing link. If I could find him it would be the
moment of my life."
Over 15 million people have seen the Cirque worldwide. The chances are
that the audiences for the movie Alegria will dwarf that number. Is
there a chance, he wonders, that William Dégé might be one of them and
that he might perhaps find the person who provides the missing link in
his life?
It would mean even more to him than the shot at screen stardom offered
by Franco Dragone.
* * * * * *
STORMS BATTER CIRQUE'S IMAX VENTURE
By: Susan King | The LA Times
May 19, 2000
During the four-month production of the new Imax 3-D adventure,
"Cirque du Soleil Journey of Man," the cast and crew were at nature's
mercy, battling rain, snow, wind and nearly freezing water
temperatures.
"It was an uninsurable film because we were victim to any weather
condition," says producer-writer Peter Wagg. "We were also locked into
the artists' performance schedules."
Celebrating human spirit with the artists and music from the
enchanting Cirque du Soleil, the 40-minute film follows the stages of
human development from birth to maturity with each stage introduced by
a Cirque act, including the taiko drummers from "Mystere" in Las
Vegas; the graceful synchronized swimmers of "O" in Las Vegas; the
bouncing Bungees from "Mystere" and "Saltimbanco"; the Cube Man from
"Mystere"; and the Statue Act from the European tour of "Quidam."
"Journey of Man," which opens today, was developed by Wagg, the
managing director of Cirque du Soleil Images, the audiovisual-
multimedia division of the Canadian company.
"It's my responsibility to attempt to take the magic of a live Cirque
du Soleil experience to other mediums," he says. "The most challenging
and ambitious was to take a Cirque du Soleil experience into the
immersive world of the Imax large-format 3-D, because that's as close
as you can get to the reality of a live show."
But Wagg didn't want to simply film one of Cirque's eight live shows
currently in performance around the globe.
"This [format] allowed us to go into whole new areas and consequently
write a visual story line that used all of the wonderful benefits of
Imax and fused it with the artistry of Cirque. That's why we went to
all of those spectacular locations [including the Valley of Fire in
Nevada, the Redwood forests of California and Berlin's Brandenburg
Gate] and took our artists out of the big top and put them into
locations that worked within the story line and reflected those
different stages of the journey of man."
Director Keith Melton added a continuity to the story line and gave it
"some sort of an internal logic to what the acts mean. I also had to
figure out how to make all of this work from a stage experience to a
film experience, and that meant adapting a lot of things along the
way."
Melton used two types of 3-D camera, the primary one being the Imax
Solido twin camera, which weighs a whopping 400 pounds when the base
of the camera is added. "It's two cameras put together, and it runs
about 3 1/2 minutes worth of film at 24 frames per second," he says.
The other camera used was an Iwerks 70-millimeter 3-D rig.
Because of the various locations, the production was constantly on the
move. "There was a lot of down time in between but, to give you an
idea, traditional feature films maybe shoot 20 setups a day, and we
were lucky if we got seven setups a day," says Melton.
The Imax camera takes a "ridiculous" amount of light to get any depth
and focus. "It is also a lot more meticulous because you see things
pretty much as the eye sees the world," Melton says. "Everything was
carefully designed in terms of color, lighting and color contrasts."
The synchronized-swimming sequence was shot in the ocean off the
Bahamas where the water temperature was nearly freezing at the time.
The camera had to be placed in a huge waterproof encasement.
"It literally took a mini-crane to lift it off the boat and into the
water and then back out again," Melton recalls.
"The swimmers could hold their breath when we were shooting these
complicated moves for about 30 seconds," he says.
To make it easier for the swimmers, the sequence was designed as a
series of montages. "Fortunately, I was a diver. I had an underwater
whistle--one beep would mean the camera would start, the second would
mean these very long [air] regulators would be pulled from the mouths
of the swimmers who were in position, and as soon as the regulators
were clear, the third beep began the performances. We were down there
four to five hours a day."
Equally arduous was the Cube Man sequence, which was shot over several
bitterly cold December nights at the Valley of Fire State Park north
of Las Vegas. The performer Mikhail, who wears next to nothing, had to
endure wind and snow while spinning a cube 65 feet up on one of the
rocky cliffs.
"We had these huge cranes to get the cameras up there," says Melton.
"We literally had to gel him down, which sapped the heat from his
body." "
Huge generators were brought in to light the scene, as they also were
for the forest sequence. Because the forest was so dry, the art
department brought in hundreds of fern plants to brighten the
surroundings.
"We literally art directed the forest," says Melton. "We shot the
Bungee sequence next to a parking lot that we covered and dressed."
The haunting, surreal Statue Act features a couple performing a
balancing act on a lily pad. Melton's location scout found the perfect
location at a reflecting pool at an estate called Green Gables in San
Mateo in Northern California.
The 60-by-120-foot pond was in bad shape, so all the water had to be
drained. "We built this huge structure just underneath the surface and
we put our dolly track and our lily pad on a wood block," notes
Melton.
Save for the opening title sequences and a few other scenes, Melton
limited the 3-D effects. "Overall, we tried to keep it very
performance-based, as Cirque is. . . . It would weaken the power of
what they do if we embellished it with too many effects."
* * * * * *
CIRQUE'S FIRE WITHIN LUKEWARM AS A DRAMA
By: David Kronke | LA Daily News
January 7, 2003
If you've seen a Cirque du Soleil show, you know they're extravaganzas
of jaw-dropping acrobatic bedazzlement, of real-life special effects -
- human bodies doing things human bodies shouldn't be able to do.
Cirque du Soleil: Fire Within, alas, scarcely represents as high-
flying an achievement as a live performance. This behind-the-scenes
documentary series follows the evolution of a Cirque show, from the
recruitment of new talent to training, choreography and rehearsals.
There's also very mild backstage drama provided by the performers'
personal lives playing out in the severe apartments of the Cirque's
projects-like residences.
Ultimately, Fire Within calls to mind what they say about sausage --
you may enjoy it, but you really don't want to see how it's made. Not
because the procedure is so grisly, in this case, but so determinedly
tedious.
As the series opens, narrator Christopher Dyson, reading from series
creator Lewis Cohen's portentous script, grimly intones, "Not all who
started on that journey made it to the end." Huh? Did they kill some
mimes? Dyson's voice, choked with grim emotion, should be narrating
documentaries about the Balkan genocide, not a show about clowns and
acrobats getting ready for a circus.
Fire Within skimps on the trademark Cirque stunt work in egregious
favor of banal discussions and observations from the troupe's members
and trainers. For example, one trainer notes somewhat less than
scintillatingly of a new recruit, "If you say to him, 'Do something,'
he'll try and do it." Another issues this proclamation: "For me, life
is movement; movement is life." Oh, jeez.
Cirque solemnity spills over into the narration, which offers its own
inanities. Describing a talent scout searching for singers, Dyson
marvels, "Her first day, she sees more than 36 candidates." So that
would be 37 candidates?
Acrobats and gymnasts describe their craft as prosaically as I
herewith describe mine: "When I type, it's a little challenging,
because your fingers have to go on the right keys on the keyboard or
else it all turns out all wrong and then you'll have to use the delete
key and fix it all."
Actually, a delete key might have come in handy early in the
conception of Fire Within. Eventually, the series will show a full-
blown performance, but until then, the backstage drama hardly amounts
to any drama at all.
* * * * * *
DOCUMENTARY CIRCUS
By: Virginia Heffernan | Slate Magazine
March 6, 2003
For two months now, a cool, understated weekly series has chronicled
the making of Varekai, the most recent production from Cirque du
Soleil, which opened last August in Toronto. The series, Cirque du
Soleil Fire Within (Bravo, Monday, 9 p.m. ET), tunes into the
banalityand venalityof the lavish fantasy produced by the Cirque
dreamweavers. At the same time, it provides a low-key reminder of the
formal differences between documentary and reality TV.
In this show, the castcircus performers, mostlydo not wear
microphones. The big tent they pass through is full of irregular light
and shadow, denied the warm pink-gold of studio lights. The performers
are almost never presented in one-person "singles"; rather, they
cluster in pairs or small groups. Interviews are conducted on the fly,
with no styling. And, in the tradition of documentaries of the '60s
and '70s, there are, it seems, no head slatesno clap to signal to the
crew that a scene has "begun." Rarely, if ever, does anyone appear to
move in deference to the filmmakers.
The one to whom they defer is someone else entirely: Guy Laliberté,
the fearsome founder and owner of the circusthe paradigmatic ring
leader. Bald, with a formidable skull and a taste for breath spray,
Laliberté decides, autocratically, which acts work and which fall
flat. He spits, declaims, fires people. On Monday's show, he presided
over what the troupers call "The Lion's Den"a grueling preview of
Varekai for Laliberté and his 500-person entourage of "Cirque
insiders." The show enters the Lion's Den a mere 15 days before it
premieres. Until this moment, Laliberté has seen the show in bits and
pieces; tonight he gets the whole shebang. The impresario was expected
to be ruthless in his judgment, and he was.
Since the first episode of Cirque du Soleil Fire Within, Varekai
changed drastically in rehearsals. Acts were dropped; new ones were
brought in; people were sent home. Gareth, a fretful gymnast, fled the
circus for London, only to return and have his act cutand then
restored. Months into rehearsals, Adrian flew in from Romania to
ululate. Raquel and Stella, the triple-trapeze girls, were firedand
then brought back with a new mandate. Throughout, Oleg and Tatiana,
two lead dancers, have been the big top's king and queen. But tonight,
before Laliberté, the show's stars may become its flops, and vice
versa.
"It's almost the feeling before sex, before this show. I feel the same
in my stomach, right here," Oleg gloats, pressing his fingers onto his
unyielding abdominals. "It's a nice feeling."
The documentary then runs through smudged-looking fragments of the
show, which is loosely organized around the legend of Icarus. As
Dominic Champagne, the director, has explained earlier, in a speech
that was only technically not in French:
"A man is dying, and he's sure he's dead. And all the family around
will remind him, no, it's not the end of something. It's the beginning
of something else. This show is just about that. The lesson that
everybody has to share with them is that something else is possible."
Icarus crashes down. Strange creatures gather, their bodies twisted.
Lovers dance. People are thrown around in nets. Adrian makes strange
sounds. Heaven, it seems, is loud and Gallic.
Midway through the episode, Laliberté renders his verdict: The show is
boring. Out with sensualityand in with what Michel Laprise, who
begins instantly booking replacement acts, calls "danger." Oleg and
Tatiana are cut from the premiere. ("We are very upset, of course.")
Gareth and Ashley are demoted to supporting cast. And, finally,
Adrian, a bearlike tenor among the young, ripped gymnasts, is told to
leave town. A new singer is already on his way to Montreal.
The Romanian packs up to leave, sporadically addressing the camera.
"The Cirque is an exceptional place to be for some people," the big
man mutters, as, in black silhouette before a broad window, he folds
clothes, a cigarette hanging from his lip. He draws, then exhales,
staring straight on"But it's a prison for others." Un prison pour les
autres.
We are far from The Real World or The Family. This is straight-up
European psychodrama, but it takes little elitism and no dense
Europhilia to enjoy it. Cirque du Soleil Fire Within is saturated with
pathos, a story about earthbound people who produce spectacles in the
air. In keeping with their show, their troubles are Icarian in nature:
They fly, and they fall. There is hubris and comeuppance.
Still, because the series is so meticulously under-produced, voices
get lost intermittently in ambient soundthe strange tent din of
bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy, wails, electronica, the grunts of acrobats.
Visually, too, the old-fashioned vérité style takes some time to
readjust to. With the costumes, the makeup, and the general chaos of
the crowd, it's hard at times to get a fix on someone. But Cirque du
Soleil Fire Within is well worth watchingespecially the last few
episodes, as opening night approaches.
If Married by America and The Family have left you sure that real
documentary is dead, let the excesses of circus showmanshipand purist
filmmakingremind you, as the director Champagne says of the show,
that we're not at the end of anything. This is Le Cirque: Jugglers can
be booked. Or fired! Something else is possible!
{fin}
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 18, Number 12 (Issue #179) - December 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.
{ Dec.07.2018 }
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