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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 20, NUMBER 8 August 2020 ISSUE #199
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VOLUME 20, NUMBER 9 September 2020 ISSUE #200
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Welcome to the... latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial
Cirque du Soleil Newsletter?
There's no need to adjust your screen. What you have in your hands
is a very special issue of Fascination, indeed. It's our first ever
double issue! We've had quarterly and bimonthly issues in the past,
but this issue is truly a daily double - with the news and featured
articles we intended for August's issue (#199) and those for the
current month's issue, September's (#200) all rolled into one.
I agree having a double-issue like this is a little abnormal, but
with Cirque du Soleil still shut down due to COVID-19 (and an on-
going battle to stay solvent and relevant - now with new owners!),
and a plethora of goings on behind-the-scenes here at Fascination!
(i've been out of work since February and have just re-entered the
workforce), blending two issues together just seemed like the best
thing to do.
And in the process look what else happened - we reached our 200th
issue! I wish I had some words of wisdom or an amusing anecdote to
share with you to mark this occasion, as it's quite the milestone,
but I don't. It's been one hell of a year and I just can't muster up
the wherewithal. However, that being said, despite the unknowns
facing Cirque du Soleil at the moment, Fascination! is still going
strong and will continue at least for the foreseeable future. So
to celebrate we have three fantastic featured articles to share with
you this month: first, what do you think defines Cirque du Soleil
musically? Is it lyrics in made-up, fantastical languages or the use
of accordion and saxophone? If you answered yes to either of these
questions, don't be so sure! Most fans would be surprised to know
that... well... read "The Cirque Sound" by Matt Dibrindisi to find
out! Then, come with me as I share a recent dive into the Cirque du
Soleil archives and some of the interesting things I discovered that
totally blew my mind. And last, but certainly not least, is the
first part in a seven part series that takes a look back at the
experiences and oddities that Cirque has announced (or were rumored
to be happening) over the years but never came to fruition.
Let's get into it!
/----------------------------------------------------\
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| < www.cirquefascination.com > |
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\----------------------------------------------------/
- Ricky "Richasi" Russo
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CONTENTS
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o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
* La Presse -- General News & Highlights
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
* "The Cirque Sound: Quidam"
By: Matt Dibrindisi - Northampton, Massachusetts (USA)
* "A Trip Into The Archives"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
* "What Ifs and If Onlys, Part 1 of 7"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
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***************************************************************
LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights
***************************************************************
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Cirque Enters into an Agreement With Its Secured Lenders
{Jul.15.2020}
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Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group (Cirque du Soleil, Cirque, or
the Company) announced today that it has entered into a new
stalking horse purchase agreement (the Purchase Agreement) with a
group of its existing first lien and second lien secured lenders (the
Lenders) pursuant to which the Lenders would acquire substantially
all of the Companys assets in settlement of Cirques first and second
lien debt.
In connection with the entering into the Purchase Agreement with its
Lenders, Cirque and its existing shareholders TPG, Fosun, and Caisse
de dépôt et placement du Québec (the Shareholders) agreed to
mutually terminate the asset purchase agreement announced on June 29
which notably contemplated the creation of a dedicated US$15 million
employee fund to provide financial assistance to terminated employees,
and a dedicated US$5 million contractor fund to pay outstanding
Company obligations to artisans and freelance artists. The
Shareholders proposed agreement, which had set the bar for other
bids, assured a path to survival following the forced closure of all
of the shows resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic by providing the
Company funding, support, and a clear roadmap to relaunch.
The Lenders Purchase Agreement replicates the Shareholders proposal
by providing for the establishment of two funds totaling US$20 million
to provide relief to impacted employees and independent contractors.
It also includes undertakings to maintain the businesses headquarters
and to have its CEO be based in Montréal, Québec.
On June 30, 2020, Cirque filed for protection from creditors under the
Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) in order to restructure
its capital and the Superior Court of Québec (Commercial Division)
(the Court) granted Cirques application. A Court hearing is
scheduled for July 17 during which the Court will be asked to approve
the Purchase Agreement and the sale and investment solicitation
process (SISP).
Subject to the Courts approval, the Lenders Purchase Agreement will
serve as the new stalking horse bid in a SISP supervised by the
Court and the Court-appointed monitor. The Purchase Agreement sets the
floor, or minimum acceptable bid, for an auction of the Company under
the Courts supervision pursuant to the SISP, which is designed to
achieve the highest offer for the Company and its stakeholders.
Throughout this process, the Company is being represented by Stikeman
Elliott LLP, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, National Bank Financial Inc. and
Greenhill & Co.
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil }
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Power and agility: filming the magic of Cirque du Soleil
{Jul.24.2020}
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Contemporary touring circus group Cirque du Soleil is synonymous with
live performances that leave audiences gasping, as acrobats and
artists showcase their spectacular athletic abilities. But how do
filmmakers translate these bold shows to audiences in their homes? As
part of a year-long internship with Getty Images that has seen her
work with stills, video and editing teams, British entertainment
photographer and filmmaker Emily 'Milly' Grange-Bennett documented the
magic of the circus in 4K.
Milly began her year-long internship with Getty Images in October
2019, but her photographic journey has always been rooted in the arts.
"I originally enrolled at the University for the Creative Arts in 2016
to study Fashion Photography, and found myself shooting artists in and
around gig venues for small publications," says Milly who has been a
Canon photographer ever since she picked up her first DSLR, the Canon
EOS 550D (now succeeded by the Canon EOS 800D).
Enticed by the entertainment world, Milly put university on hold and
took the plunge as a freelancer. After a year in the field, she was
ready to restart her studies, and was offered a place at the
University of the Arts London to study for an MA in Fashion Media
Promotion a course she says 'set her up creatively'. She returned to
freelancing after finishing her studies, and began an internship
within the entertainment sector of Getty Images in the UK to further
her experience in the industry.
A 4K video assignment with personal insight
Milly soon secured her dream assignment. "I discovered Getty Images'
partnership with Cirque du Soleil and explained to one of my
colleagues that I was very passionate about Cirque, and that one of
the reasons I became interested in photography and filmmaking was
because I was a trapeze artist myself," she explains.
"They made it happen for me without question. Given an open brief, I
was allowed to brainstorm ideas and develop a concept prior to
shooting. The composer, Jack Kendrew, who I produced the music track
for the video with, was also an important part of the creative
process."
The concept of the stripped-back black-and-white film was to convey
both the mental and physical prowess of a Cirque du Soleil performer.
"As someone who has been a gymnast and in the circus, I was very
interested in the mental and physical strength it takes. I wanted to
document the movement of the body and show the strength in what the
artists do rather than the performance as a whole."
Black and white expression in slow motion
A modern-day circus act is surely a filmmaker's dream, with a rainbow
of costumes and dazzling light displays as acrobats fly through the
air. But Milly wanted to isolate her subjects, move away from colour
completely and slow it down, shooting at about 50 to 60 frames per
second for editing in slow motion.
"I shot in black and white because I wanted the focus to be on the
movement," says Milly. "Colour was a distraction and I wanted to focus
on the body. Seeing the muscles contract in slow motion is not
something you see in real life because these movements are so fast.
Slow motion also gives you more footage to play with.
"Shooting in black and white means you can grade the footage to bring
out highlights and darken shadows, so it almost looks as if the
acrobat is floating," she adds. Milly adapted her settings
accordingly. "I used a standard picture profile to ensure the colours
were quite flat, so I wasn't getting too much contrast that meant it
could be easily changed in post."
Challenges of shooting in low light
For the Cirque du Soleil shoot, Milly paired a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
with a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM (now succeeded by the Canon
EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM) the lens that saw her through many of
her earlier shoots at music gigs. "When I started using Canon's EF 70-
200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, it was a real game-changer for me. I was
able to shoot larger concerts without compromising on focal range,"
she says.
Filming wasn't without its challenges, but Milly could rely on her
setup to cope with the low light conditions, particularly the Canon
EOS-1D X Mark II's exceptionally wide ISO range of 100-51,200 (which
doubles to 100-102,400 in the Mark III).
"Shooting was very difficult as it was fast-paced and I was chopping
between stills and film," she says. "The environment was dark and not
lit for a performance. This affects how you grade, because a higher
ISO means graininess is much more evident.
"The Canon EOS-1D X Mark II is full-frame and shoots in 4K so you can
have a really wide photo or film image and a shallow depth of field. I
was positioned about seven metres from the artist and wanted to catch
the intricate body movements, so the footage was very cropped, which
can lead to unwanted camera shake. Luckily, the Canon EF 70-200mm
f/2.8L IS II USM lens has a 4-stop Image Stabilizer, so I didn't have
to worry too much about stabilisation with my gimbal, which was very
helpful when it came to editing."
The final atmospheric video conveys the spectacle and athleticism of
the circus performers, with the combination of low light, black-and-
white footage and slow motion proving to be an effective mix. Milly is
rightly pleased with the outcome: "The film is probably my favourite
piece of content that I've made at Getty Images so far."
Gaining unique insight from Getty Images
During her time at Getty Images, Milly has also been photographing
live music performances and shooting video clips of film premieres on
the red carpet. During London Fashion Week, before her internship
started, she would hang around outside the venues to try to photograph
models walking in and out of the shows. "I would catch them, and
interact with them, which has an essence of red carpet photography.
When I applied for the internship at Getty Images, I explained that I
was very interested in this dynamic of catching people in
transitional periods to get something original."
Milly has used her red carpet experiences with Getty Images to grow
her skill set. "Shooting this kind of event is a challenge," she says.
"It forces you to think on your feet about how to pull unique content
from your subjects. I've learnt not to position myself too centrally,
or you end up capturing two halves of a moment. I position myself at
the side of a photo pit, where the celebrity is less distracted and
more likely to give you the time you need.
"You have to get to grips with your kit and how you present yourself.
On the red carpet, I've been doing lots of slow-motion clips of
celebrities, looking at my LCD screen for framing and composition, but
mainly maintaining eye contact with my subject so I stay fully
engaged."
CHECK OUT THE IMAGES FOR THIS ARTICLE HERE:
https://www.canon-europe.com/pro/stories/filming-cirque-du-soleil-getty/
{ SOURCE: Canon Europe }
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Cirque's new owners eye next leap: the home audience
{Aug.28.2020}
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Toronto private equity firm Catalyst Capital Group Inc. scooped up
Cirque du Soleils debt this past spring at barely half its face
value. Now, its betting it can restore the famed circus troupe to its
past glory by imposing greater financial discipline and bringing its
live entertainment to your screens at home.
A Quebec Superior Court on Thursday confirmed that an offer by
Catalyst and a group of roughly 15 other senior creditors is the
designated bid for the sale of the company and its emergence from
bankruptcy protection after no other bids materialized. The lenders
are buying Cirque in a transaction valued at about US$1.2-billion,
including a US$375-million injection of new money available when the
deal closes and the elimination of about US$900-million of debt. In
exchange, the lenders will receive 100 per cent of the equity of
Cirque.
At first glance, its an anti-climactic end to a saga that Cirque
founder Guy Laliberté predicted would be a battle royale for control
of the entertainment giant. But a drama did play out behind the scenes
one Catalyst says tested the creditors resolve as Cirques former
owners manoeuvred against them to try to keep control of the company.
Were pretty excited about the future, Catalyst managing director
and partner Gabriel de Alba said in an interview with The Globe and
Mail, in which he discussed the sale dynamics and how Cirques owners
are thinking about the potential for their investment. What we bring
is
a fresh set of eyes to challenge the historical thinking and come
up with more optimal ways to run the business while still protecting
the creative core from Quebec.
Cirque filed for creditor protection on June 30 in Canada and shortly
afterward in the United States as a stretched balance sheet finally
snapped after revenue fell to nearly zero in the spring. The company,
which depends on big crowds paying often big sums to watch its
acrobatic live shows, shut down 44 productions and laid off 4,679
employees on March 19 to comply with government-mandated bans on
public gatherings.
Recapitalizing Cirque gives the company the leeway to move through the
pandemic and emerge reinvigorated while bringing employees back,
according to Mr. de Alba. He said Cirque will focus first on reopening
its permanent shows in Las Vegas. The company counts on a partnership
with casino operator MGM Resorts for about 35 per cent of its US$950-
million annual revenue, according to a Moodys Investors Service
estimate.
But Catalyst is looking beyond Cirques traditional model of selling
tickets for live performances. A big part of the new ownerships plans
for the circus troupe involves monetizing its unique brand of
entertainment by delivering it into the home digitally.
Youve seen that Disney is bringing some theatrical shows to [its
subscription-based, video-on-demand service] Disney+, like Hamilton,
with great success, Mr. de Alba said. I foresee that Cirque shows
can also be part of these types of streaming platforms.
Cirque will also partner with industry leaders working on non-scripted
entertainment, Mr. de Alba said. Examples of such reality shows that
have had commercial success are NBCs Americas Got Talent and
American Ninja Warrior.
There are a lot of options that were never explored outside the live
event business as well as they could have been, Mr. de Alba said.
The digitization of the content and the [intellectual property] is
certainly something that will feed into the next evolution of Cirque
du Soleil.
Catalyst is a private equity firm run by Toronto financier Newton
Glassman that specializes in buying the secured debt of undervalued or
distressed companies. The company has raised several funds with more
than US$4.3-billion in capital commitments from university endowments,
charitable foundations, pension plans and other clients, according to
its website.
Making Cirque viable means taking lessons from the mistakes made under
the previous ownership of U.S. private equity fund manager TPG
Capital, Chinas Fosun International and the Caisse de dépôt et
placement du Québec, while emphasizing the main elements of past
success such as the Las Vegas shows, Mr. de Alba said. Its an
understanding of the core drivers of the business while at the same
time having a very disciplined approach to investing capital, he
said.
The new owners have pledged to keep Cirques headquarters in Quebec
for at least five years. Mr. de Alba insisted theyre sensitive to the
connection of the company to its Quebec roots.
Catalyst had an eye on Cirque early on, both because of its
international reputation and because of its capital structure. TPG
took control of the privately held circus troupe in 2015 through a
leveraged buyout, acquiring most of the company with Fosun and the
Caisse from Mr. Laliberté. Cirque then borrowed more money to acquire
productions such as the Blue Man Group and mount new shows, but
earnings did not climb at the same pace, leaving the company exposed
when the COVID-19 crisis hit with its full impact.
Catalyst started building its position in March, Mr. de Alba said. He
wouldnt say what it paid but Cirque debt was changing hands for
between 40 and 50 cents of the face value of first-lien debt at the
time. (First-lien debt-holders are the first to be repaid, ranking
above all other lenders.) The other major creditors are largely U.S.-
based, and include collateralized loan obligation (CLO) funds run by
U.S. asset managers CBAM Partners and BlueMountain Capital.
When Cirque failed to make interest payments in late March on its
first-lien credit facilities, and TPG and its two partners moved to
transfer some of Cirques trademarks and intellectual property into a
separate holding company they controlled in exchange for a $50-million
loan, lenders faced their first test. As Catalyst saw it, TPG was
trying to jump from being an equity investor to achieve creditor
standing with direct access to some of Cirques collateral.
That is not appropriate because that movement of assets has specific
restrictions, especially when a company is on the verge of insolvency,
which was the case, Mr. de Alba said. He said he took on a leadership
role within the first-lien lending group, giving them conviction in
a negotiating strategy to win back the collateral and have their debt
recognized for its full value.
TPG has said the asset transfer was approved by an independent
committee at Cirque and that it was essential as collateral for the
$50-million loan from the three owners, which it called emergency
financing that would otherwise be unavailable given the disruption
caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The creditors eventually put up the
money in a commitment backstopped by Catalyst.
A second surprise came when Cirque filed for bankruptcy protection and
unveiled an initial bid by TPG, Fosun and the Caisse for the company
that offered US$300-million to restart the circus troupe while paying
lenders a fraction of what they are owed. Behind closed doors, the
lenders were already in talks with Cirque on their own bid, with
negotiations taking place even during the weekend before the filing,
Mr. de Alba said.
Maybe what they were hoping to do was to test if the lender group
had the willingness and the ability to recapitalize the company and
put new money in, Mr. de Alba said. And I guess they were thinking
that CLOs, because they have these structural limitations, were not
going to be able to commit to funding the amount required for the
reopening plan.
The formal sales process for Cirque started with five qualified
bidders, including offers from the TPG shareholders and the first-lien
creditor group, according to the latest report by Ernst & Young,
Cirques court-appointed monitor. Two other bidders joined shortly
afterward, the monitor said. In the end, no one was able or willing to
match the Catalyst-led offer.
Its sad. Im not happy with the situation, Quebec Economy Minister
Pierre Fitzgibbon told a legislative committee last week, echoing
similar concern from other politicians in the province that Cirque
will be without a local shareholder in its ownership ranks for the
first time since its founding in 1984.
The minister said the outcome for Cirque is a reflection of an excess
of liquidity in the system that gave the lenders the ability to mount
a bid whose value was nevertheless too much and too risky for anyone
else. His government offered a US$200-million loan to Cirque in May,
before it filed for bankruptcy protection.
I didnt think at the time that the creditors would do this but today
they have money, Mr. Fitzgibbon said. My worry is that Catalyst is
not aligned with the interests of the government.
. If they do what
they say, its not so bad. But the problem is we have no assurance of
that.
Mr. de Alba, however, appears acutely aware that Cirque is a symbol of
Quebecs success abroad. And hes talking growth, not dismantling.
Ive had a constructive dialogue with some of [Cirques] artists and
artisans just for them to feel encouraged, re-energized and supported,
that they have owners that care about them bringing their creative
juices, Mr. de Alba said. Ultimately, the driving force of success
is going to be to continue to deliver these worldwide acclaimed
performances.
{ SOURCE: The Globe and Mail }
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What Inspires Actor, Cirque Performer and Avant-Garde
Vocalist Dina Emerson?
{Sep.10.2020}
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If youve seen Cirque du Soleils Mystère or O sometime in the past 20
years, odds are good you heard Dina Emersons gorgeous, haunting
mezzo-soprano voice soaring over the acrobatics. But her siren song
reaches further than that. The endlessly versatile performerwho came
to Las Vegas from Santa Barbara, by way of New York Cityhas done lots
of Downtown work, too. Shes performed several shows with Majestic
Repertory, including its recent genre-busting (and safely distanced)
Majestic Drive-Thru Theatre series, and gave some of her magic to
Vegas Theatre Companys Men on Boats. At one key moment in that
gender-flipped dark comedy, Emerson simply hummed an improvised tunea
character beat pulled directly from the scriptand transported those
raucous proceedings into the realm of the ethereal.
Currently homebound and, like too many of us, between paying gigs,
Emerson talked to the Weekly about her sandwich of Cirque
engagements, experimenting with her talents and why shes sticking
with Vegas.
How did you become a singer? Were you born with it? I would say no, I
was not born with this voice. I was a theater person, an actor, and I
had one of those crazy transformative experiences when I was a
teenager, when I heard my high school choir do a concert in the old
mission. We had a genius choir director who could get a sound out of
these crazy teenagers that you just couldnt even believe. And my
whole life just went, whaaaat? I have to sing. And I worked really,
really hard for many years trying to develop the ability to sing, and
I didnt have an easy time technically.
Very few people are born
being able to do something technically amazing without practicing. But
then, when you really get somewhere, it seems like you didnt have to
practice. Its like this fantastic illusion.
So, yeah, I wasnt a songbird from Day One, but I wanted to do it so
much. And then I figured out what I liked to do vocally and what I was
really good at, because Im not good at everything. Im a terrible pop
singer, absolutely ghastly. But Im good at opera, and I can sing what
they call world music, fusion-y stuffwhich was kind of perfect for
the older Cirque shows.
It translated beautifully to that Old Shady moment in Men on Boats.
Have you done any other local productions with which we may not be
familiar? Well, until 2017, I was working full-time at Mystère, so I
wasnt really able to do much other work. But after I left in 2017 I
worked with Vegas City Opera, which was called Sin City Opera at the
time; and did Kurt Weills The Seven Deadly Sins, which was really
great; that was a co-production with Cockroach Theatre. Then I did a
play with A Public Fit, Small Mouth Sounds, and then two years ago I
did Animal Farm with Troy [Heard] at Majestic. When I left Cirque, I
really wanted to try and find like the acting part again, which I
hadnt done much of in 25 years. Its been really wonderful to sort of
squish those two things together again, like do some real straight
acting and also hybrid [work].
Oh, yeah! I also did the Lab at Super Summer Theater; we did the
concert version of A Midsummer Nights Dream. Then, for a year, I was
back at O until it shut down. So, Im really grateful to be involved
in things pretty regularly.
Who have been some of the biggest influences on your creativity? There
are two avant-garde vocalists who completely made me who I am:
Meredith Monk, who I worked with in New York, and Diamanda Galás. I
dont know if your readers will know those two, but I would say look
them up. Theyre the two pillars of my whole journey as a vocalist.
Its funny. Once I moved out here, it was like another chapter, and a
lot of people, at least at Cirque, dont know about that world at all.
And so many, many years went by where I didnt really talk to anyone
about avant-garde music. Its been kind of nice to go back to those
roots.
Who fires you up locally? I really love what Troy is doing at
Majestic, what hes doing with immersive theaterIm super into that
now. I love how hes trying to pivot during this time and just figure
out something that we can do thats not Zoom (laughs). And Im really
excited by RADAR, what Brent [Holmes] and those guys have been doing.
When RADAR was still happening live, Id go all the time; it was so
great. They could just do anything in real time. Ive actually done
some soundtracks for Brent recently; Im getting into sound design
now.
Is that how youve you kept yourself occupied during the pandemic?
Yeah. Ive always been a bit obsessed with how sound can tell a story
which is typical sound designer-speakbut I never actually learned how
to use the equipment or the software very well. So now, Ive been
getting tutoring from somebody in Logic, and Im learning how to
actually put my ideas into an audio landscape. I have a plan to write
a 30-minute show thats like a 30-minute audio trip. You would put it
on your phone or device, with your own earphones; then you would go to
wherever the location is, which would be outside, and you could see
the live elements [of the show] from far away. Its kind of like a
movie soundtrack, except that youre going to see something live, but
safely. Im writing that now for the fall, when its cooler and we can
go outside again (laughs).
What do you do to feed your creative impulse? Im a huge reader, have
been since I was a kid. My parents would get mad at me when I was
little, because I would be reading instead of looking out the window
on trips. So, in a weird way, the pandemic has been not the worst for
me because I just have been reading up a storm. The problem with that
is, things get too overly introverted, because in essence, everything
I do is about live performance. Weve been watching a lot of stuff
because we cant go to shows; before all this happened, if I wasnt
performing, then [my husband] Keith and I would go see a show. We
would just go see something every night, you know?
But, yeah, these days I read and I definitely listen to music. Ive
been reading a lot of Black Lives Matter books, sociology. Ive been
in a study group for about eight weeks now, and its very, very
important to me. And I just started this same book by Charlie Kaufman,
the screenwriter; he wrote a novel called Antkind, and its absolutely
crazy. Its 750 pages long, and its like indescribably weird. I love
a 750-page book; just bring it on. I love science fiction; the thing
will probably have some kind of science fiction aspect, but Im not
quite sure what yet. But a Neal Stephenson book can be 900 pages and
just be so great.
What are your favorite places to go to get inspired? The Arts
District. And I really love Seven Magic Mountains. Its kind of a
perfect place
a perfect little abstract, magical Vegas simulacra.
And I like going hiking, but I dont do it enough. But to get really
inspired, I like to see people performing and creating stuff. Thats
harder now, because we cant do that. When we did the [Majestic]
drive-thru project, it was like a bright light, being able to see a
few people that I really care about and make something.
Do you have a treasured memory of your time with Cirque? In 2000, I
got the job to replace the singer at O for six months. I had never
been to Las Vegas. When I got here, it was 95 degrees and I didnt
know what the heck was going on. And the first thing that they do is
give you a ticket to sit in a really good seat in the theater and
watch the show. If youve ever seen O, you know that the beginning is
spectacularly mind-blowing. I was sitting there watching that happen,
and I thought, what have I gotten myself into? I had done a lot of
work, but this was so extravagantly magical. I felt this overwhelming
sense of wonder and happiness.
What kind of Las Vegas do you hope to see when this crisis has passed?
What should we be doing now, to make a solid post-COVID future? Well,
I dont know if any help is going to come from our state government,
but the local venues that have live performance need help so badly.
Any kind of support, to get them through to whenever we can gather
again. And I dont know where it would come from, but what I would
really like is to see more creative music happening here. Thats the
one thing I feel is really missing, because theres great bands,
classical music and EDM or whatever, but what we dont seem to have is
artsy, weird music; people really just experimenting.
Perhaps when
Meow Wolf gets goingthat kind of hybrid stuff is what theyre known
for.
But you still believe in Vegas; that hasnt changed. Yes. When I first
came to town 20 years ago, it was supposed to be for six months, and
then it ended up being two years, and then 20 years. I never, ever
thought that this would be where I would put roots, but Im completely
in love with Las Vegas now. I want to be a part of anything that makes
this a great place to be.
The thing is, everyones kinda in the same boat
Everybodys on pause.
So what Im hoping is that since everyone is so stuck, then that means
that were all gonna come out together in a huge rush of creativity.
That doesnt address paying the bills until then, and Im really sorry
about that, but Im hoping that because we are all in this together,
that we will walk out of it together.
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Weekly }
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
{Alegria, Bazzar, Koozå, Kurios, Luzia, Totem, Under the
Same Sky, and Volta}
o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues
{OVO, Crystal, Corteo, AXEL, Messi10}
o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre
{Mystère, "O", Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, MJ ONE, JOYA, Paramour
X: The Land of Fantasy, Drawn to Life, and NYSA }
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
------------------------------------
Alegría-In a New Light:
Portland, OR -- Jun 4, 2021 to Jul 18, 2021
Denver, CO -- Aug 6, 2021 to Sep 12, 2021
Bazzar:
Not Currently Scheduled
Koozå:
Zurich, CH -- TBA
Brussels, BE -- TBA
Washington, DC -- Jul 21, 2021 to Sep 19, 2021
Kurios:
Melbourne, AU -- TBA
Adelaide, AU -- TBA
Luzia:
Madrid, ES -- Rescheduled
Barcelona, ES -- Jan 21, 2021 to Feb 21, 2021
Messi10:
Not Currently Scheduled
Totem:
Rome, IT -- Mar 17 2021 to Apr 25, 2021
Milan, IT -- May 5, 2021 to Jun 20, 2021
Under the Same Sky:
Montreal, QC -- Apr 22, 2021 to Aug 15, 2021
VOLTA:
Not Currently Scheduled
------------------------------------
ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues
------------------------------------
OVO:
Beijing, CN -- TBA
Shanghai, CN -- TBA
Shenzhen, CN -- TBA
Guangzhou, CN -- TBA
CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE:
Hanover, DE -- Sep 22, 2021 - Sep 26, 2021
Leipzip, DE -- Sep 29, 2021 - Oct 3, 2021
Nuremberg, DE -- Oct 6, 2021 - Oct 10, 2021
Cologne, DE -- Oct 13, 2021 - Oct 17, 2021
Oberhausen, DE -- Oct 27, 2021 - Oct 31, 2021
Munich, DE -- Nov 4, 2021 - Nov 7, 2021
Frankfurt, DE -- Nov 10, 2021 - Nov 14, 2021
Stuttgart, DE -- Dec 1, 2021 - Dec 5, 2021
CORTEO:
Vilnius, LT -- Nov 26, 2020 to Nov 29, 2020
Moscow, RU -- Mar 26, 2021 to Apr 25, 2021
Saint Petersburg, RU -- May 19, 2021 to May 23, 2021
Lille, FR -- Jun 10, 2021 to Jun 13, 2021
Antwerp, BE -- Jun 17, 2021 to Jun 27, 2021
London, UK -- Jun 30, 2021 to Jul 11, 2021
Dublin, IE -- Jul 14, 2021 to Jul 25, 2021
Palma de Mallorca, ES -- Aug 6, 2021 to Aug 15, 2021
Nice, FR -- Aug 19, 2021 to Aug 22, 2021
Vienna, AU -- Sep 1, 2021 to Sep 5, 2021
Aix-en-Provence, FR -- Oct 27, 2021 to Oct 31, 2021
Monpellier, FR -- Nov 4, 2021 to Nov 7, 2021
Leeds, UK -- Oct 27 to Oct 30, 2022
AXEL:
Not Currently Scheduled
Messi10:
Buenos Aires -- Being Rescheduled
---------------------------------
RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre
---------------------------------
JOYÀ:
Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Shows restarted on July 3, 2020
X: THE LAND OF FANTASY
Location: Hangzhou, China
Performances of "X: The Land of Fantasy" staged on
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays starting June 3, 2020
=======================================================================
OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS
=======================================================================
o) CIRQUECONNECT SPECIALS
Enjoy a front-row seat to awe-inspiring moments of the larger-
than-life shows, with never-before seen angles that can only be
experienced on your screen.
- SPECIAL #17: BEHIND THE CURTAIN-CRYSTAL {Jul.17}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKO3cI2nN1A&t
- SPECIAL #18: 60 MINUTE SPECIAL-TORUK {Jul.24}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCyP9DjFS_w
- SPECIAL #19: BEST OF JUGGLING {Jul.31}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTpd7Xd1DA0&t
- SPECIAL #20: BEHIND THE CURTAIN-TORUK {Aug.07}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch_9zu7oDZ8&t=3s
- SPECIAL #21: BEST OF CLOWNING {Aug.14}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbvduREHx8g
- SPECIAL #22: 60 MINUTE SPECIAL-MYSTERE, "O", KA {Aug.21}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVY1-nH-fVU
- SPECIAL #23: BEHIND THE CURTAIN-KOOZA {Aug.28}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbonB9lpM40
- SPECIAL #24: BEST OF DANCING {Sep.04}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX7nyoWBPdA
- SPECIAL #25: BEST OF TRAMPOLINE {Sep.11}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9IIo6AUnXc
o) THE CIRQUE LIFE PROJECT
The mission behind The Cirquelife Project it to keep the
performing arts world alive during these difficult times.
- EPISODE 1: "They Threw Him So High!" {Jul.01}
https://youtu.be/rw4y6df7XQo
- EPISODE 2: "She's Hanging By Her Hair?!" {Jul.08}
https://youtu.be/QyahU2SPUcs
- EPISODE 3: "He's Blindfolded!" {Jul.24}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3LJLYQ4IX0
- EPISODE 4: "Crew Ship Contortion" {Jul.30}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBIUDkhjAjo
- EPISODE 5: "We Got Emotional" {Aug.06}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1-VzUCJf0
- EPISODE 6: "Cirque du Soleil Artists React" {Aug.13}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_I2Wyr4mog
- EPISODE 7: "She Was Buried Alive!" {Aug.20}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXmbehoiaTk
- EPISODE 8: "Worldwide Talent Show" {Aug.27}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxwlRe_ev6U
- EPISODE 9: "Killing Me Softly" {Sep.03}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be43F3qQ5ZE
- EPISODE 10: "The Top 100 Circus Artists" {Sep.11}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-xoic8eSbM
o) OTHER VIDEOS
- Celebrate X: The Land of Fantasy's Anniverary
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=296805001646900
- Paramour's Hand-to-Trapeze Act (Complete)
https://www.facebook.com/audrey.labeau/videos/10159067995323783/
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
o) "The Cirque Sound: Quidam"
By: Matt Dibrindisi - Northampton, Massachusetts (USA)
o) "A Trip Into The Archives"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) "What Ifs and If Onlys, Part 1 of 7"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
------------------------------------------------------------
"The Cirque Sound: Quidam"
By: Matt Dibrindisi Northampton, Massachusetts (USA)
------------------------------------------------------------
What defines Cirque du Soleil musically?
Is it lyrics in made-up, fantastical languages? Is it the use of
accordion and saxophone? What about now-classic keyboard sounds like
Quidams music box, Dralions vocal samples or Saltimbancos complex
percussion? Well, most fans would be surprised to know that most of
these defining Cirque sounds are actually factory presets from Roland,
Korg, E-MU and more, used both onstage and on shows official
soundtracks.
From The San Francisco Chronicle: Working from musical mood
sketches he had done months before, Jutras wrote much of the Quidam
music in the three weeks before the show opened. Often I have to
rewrite the piece totally to fit the natural rhythm of the act, he
said. You either try to accentuate that rhythm or play against it,
which can be really nice. The music has to enhance the rhythm and
emotion of each act, as well as the theatrical mood of the piece as a
whole. [1]
Synth manufacturer Roland had the contract as the official digital
instruments supplier for both the original North American tours (NAT)
of Alegria and Quidam and presented clinics with Cirque musicians and
singers Mathieu Lavoie and Isabelle Corradi, demonstrating how they
use Roland technology. [2]
A few notes before we take an in-depth look at the synth sounds of
Quidam:
A few of Rolands synths go by different names than virtual
counterparts available through Roland Cloud, such as the JD-990, which
is digitally available as Anthology 1993 (the listed presets are found
on Vol. 1) All Sound Canvas listings refer to the menu interface as
part of the Sound Canvas VA VST (virtual studio technology)
Standard refers to what Roland calls the basic wave group, which
consists of waveforms first introduced on the JV-1080.
Et maintenant
mesdames et messieurs
QUIDAM.
JV-1080/Standard: Wave 68: Music Box the first digital instrument
were introduced to- besides Benoit Jutrass signature metal clangs,
personally recorded by Jutras for his additions to Mystere- is this
simple, delicate music box in Atmadja, which largely comes to
represent Zoe. This instrument continues to appear sprinkled
throughout the show in songs such as Steel Dream/Straps and Corde
Lisse/Spanish Webs.
http://www.cirquefascination.com/newspix/Samples/QuidamMusicBoxSample.mp3
JV-1080: Wave 490: Tubular Theres no mistaking the chimes of these
bells; they first appear as John dances in Fathers shoes and recurs
throughout, most notably as dramatic accents on Corde Lisse and
Banquine.
http://www.cirquefascination.com/newspix/Samples/QuidamBellSample.mp3
Sound Canvas (VA): Organ > Accordion Fr. A classic Cirque sound that
first appeared in Quidam and continued to be used in La Nouba. This
deliciously cheesy waveform appears throughout the show, but most
notably on Skipping/Zydeco, where it gets its own rapid-fire keyboard
solo (which Ive included and is absolute murder to play as intended,
as I can attest to. You digital musicians know what Im saying when I
say thank god for quantization).
http://www.cirquefascination.com/newspix/Samples/QuidamAccordionSample1A.mp3
JV-1080/Standard: Wave 127: Nylon Gtr C + Wave 487: Vibes This
custom combination makes up the carnival-esque chords and melody of
Marelle.
http://www.cirquefascination.com/newspix/Samples/MarelleGtrSample.mp3
JD-990: JDs Sentiment this plucky stereotypical Far East-tinged
synth is used for dramatic percussive accents in Enfants dAcier /
Diabolos.
http://www.cirquefascination.com/newspix/Samples/DiaboloSentimentSample.mp3
JV-1080: 4 Pole Bass A simple, bouncy synth bass as featured in
Enfants dAcier
http://www.cirquefascination.com/newspix/Samples/Quidam4PoleSample.mp3
JV-1080: 128voicePno A fairly plain MIDI piano used for the swirling
intro on Seisouso and Parc Papillon, although this rather thick piano
was replaced on the latter song by a lighter electric one on later
tours.
http://www.cirquefascination.com/newspix/Samples/SeisousoPianoSample.mp3
JD-990: Radio One of the most recognizable sounds of Quidam is an FX
loop, repeated short bursts throughout the show, most notably in Cloud
Swing and Misere/Banquine. (For the longest time, I thought this was a
sound effect on some library- imagine my surprise when I found it on
Anthology 1993!)
JD-990: Ghosts Another iconic sound featured heavily in the show,
Ghosts is most prominent in Statue as the only sound in the act apart
from the intense double-thud underscoring each new dramatic position.
http://www.cirquefascination.com/newspix/Samples/QuidamRadioGhostsSample.mp3
JV-1080/Standard: Wave 220: Dulcimer A Percussive patterns on
Badauds (Diabolos entracte), Johns darts act and Banquine.
http://www.cirquefascination.com/newspix/Samples/QuidamDulcimerSample.mp3
JV-1080: Steel Away Providing intricate patterns for suspenseful
sections on Misere/Banquine, this velocity-sensitive guitar patch
produces both light notes and percussive ones (at full velocity) on
the 1 and 4 beats of this 6/8 piece.
http://www.cirquefascination.com/newspix/Samples/BanquineSample.mp3
Korg Wavestation: Glider What is right and what is wrong? Karma
karma
One of everyones favorite Quidam sounds, this soaring
crescendo first sounds when the Blanches storm the stage in the
opening and signals the beginning and end of Cloud Swing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4TO3X4mtrI
Sound Canvas (VA): Ethnic (Drum Kit) Quidam only uses a handful of
samples from this kit, namely a shaker and tabla-type percussion for
the rock section of Let Me Fall and another tambourine-esque shaker
for the percussion patterns of Corde Lisse.
http://www.cirquefascination.com/newspix/Samples/QuidamEthnicKitSample.mp3
NOTES:
[1] https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/The-Sounds-of-the-Circus-
Benoit-Jutras-fills-2847332.php
[2] http://claudechaput.com/ac/
------------------------------------------------------------
"A Trip Into the Archives"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
------------------------------------------------------------
Researching a company with a history like Cirque du Soleil's can lead
you - if you're not careful - down a huge rabbit hole. Imagine
starting a search for information on one specific topic only to end up
diving into the archives to chase down a dozen other interesting
leads, more mysterious and unbelievable than the last. The end result
of these archival journeys is usually something that shakes the
foundations of what I know, or thought I knew, about Cirque du Soleil
and its shows.
Take, for instance, Nouvelle Experience.
As fans of Cirque du Soleil, we're familiar with Nouvelle Experience's
basic acrobatic skeleton -- Contortion, Korean Plank, Solo Trapeze,
Fil de Fer, Aerial Straps, Intermission, Trapeze Volant, Antipodism,
Russian Bar / Trampoline / Cradle, and Balancing on Chairs -- thanks
to the 1991 recording made in Toronto. But would it surprise you to
know that this was not the initial order of acts for Nouvelle
Experience? Because it shocked the hell out of me. On one of my recent
archival searches I ran across a review of the show from its premiere
in Montreal and it showed quite a different show!
The first half features several airborne acts, of which the most
spectacular is Vladimir Kechaje's. There is no attempt to hide the
thick straps used, a la Peter Pan; the marvel of the act is
watching Kechaje wrap himself in the straps, and soar about the
huge tent like an Icarus waiting for a fall. Kechaje seems from
another planet - in part because of his somber, grand entrance
wearing nothing but a sequined jockstrap - and it is the Cirque at
its other-worldly best. Also from the Soviet Union is Vassily
Dementchoukov's superb balancing-chair act, and from China, Wang
Hong - billed as "Magic Feet of the Orient" - using her tootsies to
spin umbrellas and shawls, all the while smiling winsomely. Anne
Lepage's solo trapeze act is almost as lyrical as the work of
Kechaje and, in the tumbling category, the acrobats who bounce
through the air with double somersaults are first-rate. In the
second act, four young girls make up the contortionist act. Aged 10
to 14 and students at the National Circus School in Montreal, they
are as supple as uncooked pretzels, and perform a variety of
stomach-churning movements with aplomb. But the show almost
came to a halt when the net for the five-member French trapeze
troupe refused to descend from the ceiling for the final act. The
glitch only served to heighten expectations. Which was unfortunate,
as the act turned out to be poorly focused and anticlimactic. The
net was kept hopping as the flying leapers missed their connections
again and again.
Did you catch the differences? Contortion opened the second half of
the show, not the first, and Trapeze Volant CLOSED out the show.
The fact that Cirque du Soleil's shows are not final at premiere
shouldn't be a huge revelation to anyone. For those who've made the
trek to Montreal know how much a show can change even by the next
night's performance. But I've always believed this type of change was
more of a recent phenomenon, not something that affected the pre-
Alegria Cirque shows, and yet... here we are.
Of course the next question that comes to mind is: why did Cirque du
Soleil change the running order of Nouvelle Experience in the first
place? The answer, I think, is quite simple. Recall that the net gave
the troupe some trouble according to the review from Montreal - it
refused to descend from the ceiling on cue. Subsequent reviews in
Montreal and Seattle, the show's next stop, mentioned similar issues
with the net. Therefore, moving Trapeze Volant into the opening slot
of the show's second half helps solve that problem - techs would have
all of intermission to get the net properly into position (and be sure
it could be retracted so the show could go on). This change meant that
Contortion, which appeared to have opened the second-half of the show,
needed to be moved. It became the new opening act of the show whilst
another act - in this case Vassily's Balancing on Chairs act - moved
to the end of the show as its new finale.
What is not clear is precisely when these changes went into effect.
Opening reviews on Nouvelle Experience's 3rd stop - San Francisco
note the show in the order that we know and love today. So, the
changes were ready for California, but could have been implemented
during the Seattle run. We may never know for sure.
But this isn't the only interesting tid-bit found in these archival
dives.
I had my knowledge about Saltimbanco shattered on another such journey
after coming across an article in the Montreal Gazette dated April 11,
1992 talking about the show, which was about to launch in the Old Port
within a couple of weeks:
It was makeup-testing day at the Cirque du Soleil, and British
acrobat Sue Brent looked like a punk rocker at Halloween. Her face
was aflame with multicolored greasepaint. Her jet-black hair was
tied up in a ponytail on top of her half-shaven head. But
appearances can be deceiving. Brent is a former elementary- school
teacher who quit, at age 30, to seek a more creative lifestyle.
First she studied the trombone. Then she signed up for a course in
clowning. From there she progressed to street shows, and finally
circuses. Now, at 34, she performs the "cloud swing," the most
dangerous aerial act in the latest version of the Cirque du Soleil.
Brent wasn't able to demonstrate her act that afternoon; she had
displaced a neck vertebra the day before. So she described it
instead, while devouring lunch in the Cirque's gourmet-quality
employee cafeteria.
"It's the ultimate liberation," she said. "There's a U-shaped rope,
rigged about 11 meters high in the tent. You swing on it standing
up and then you do tricks like wrapping it around your feet and
diving off. In the traditional circus it's a real macho, men-
dressed-in-Tarzan-knickers act. There's no safety wire. It's a
high-risk act." Does she carry good insurance? "In the circus, yes.
But not if I get hit by a car," she replied cheerfully as she left
for an appointment with the Cirque's resident masseur Pietro
Biondo.
Cloud Swing!? In Saltimbanco!?
Again, as fans of Cirque du Soleil, we're intimately familiar with the
acrobatic flow of the show... and a Cloud Swing act was never in the
run. So, with just 22 days left until premiere, what happened?
The obvious clue here is that the artist became injured during
rehearsals and could not demonstrate her act to the press. Its
possible then that she didnt recover in time for the shows premiere
on April 23rd of that year. Though why the act did not go on to be re-
integrated into the show afterwards appears lost to time (at least
publicly, the artist nor the act is mentioned in association with
Cirque again); however, another article dated September 12, 1991
mentions Brent departing a circus in Edinburgh, Scotland, having
assigned herself too much importance in the company. So it's
possible she clashed with Dragone and/or other artists and creators
and was let go to solve that problem. The writer of the Cirque article
does mention that the day they visited the site, rehearsal schedules
were "torn asunder" due to some unspecified personal conflicts in the
cast. Perhaps she was part of that conflict. Or, the company could
have also determined that it was not ready to accept the insurance
risks of the act itself and did not give her a contract.
Whatever the circumstances surrounding her departure from Saltimbanco,
it stands to reason she was around long enough to have her Clown Swing
act integrated into the shows flow. But where? Since theres no
official word on this matter, any answer to that question is open to a
lot of conjecture. Obviously the house troupe acts like Chinese Poles
and Russian Swings are shoo-ins, as they represent a huge aspect of
the show's cast (not to mention its signature pieces). Even Bungees
was an early integral part of the show's line-up, so we need to look
at one of the individual or specialty acts to see if any of them were
late additions. But this supposes, however, that Brent and her Cloud
Swing act was replaced, rather than removed entirely from the line-up.
The April 1992 article goes on to say that "Brent is just one of 38
acrobats, clowns and jugglers who will be performing in Saltimbanco."
And that "This year's lineup includes top talent from Russia, England,
Portugal, Cuba, Germany, the Dominican Republic and China." Those
passages suggest that the Lorador Brothers (Hand-to-Hand), Sun Hongli
(Double Wire), and Miguel Herrera (Juggling) were already part of the
line-up, as they're from Portugal, China, and Cuba respectively.
(Hongli was even mentioned by name in that article; The Lorador
Brothers in the photo credits.) The Steben Sisters (Trapeze) were also
there from the beginning, as they came to Cirque du Soleil in 1990 and
were then subsequently trained at the National Circus School.
Therefore, we're left with Nicolai Tchelnokov, Galina Karableva, and
Anton Tchelnokov's double-feature of Adagio Trio and Vertical Rope,
and Boleadoras by Malamba (Ann Bernard, Hélène Lemay, and Francois
Beausoleil).
Even though Adagio is not pictured or mentioned anywhere in the 1992
Saltimbanco programme book (as printed in April 1992), there's no
doubt that Adagio opened the show (its also mentioned in the
reviews). And there are a number of press reviews from Montreal - and
beyond, really - that mention Vertical Rope and its accompanying song
"Pokinoi" in them. (In fact "Pokinoi" was getting quite the radio play
in Los Angeles.) Additionally, the Tchelnokov's are seen in the
behind-the-scenes documentary "Saltimbanco's Diary", so theyre
obviously not late additions to the line-up. What we don't see early
on is Boleadoras. They're not mentioned in the programme book nor are
they mentioned inreviews, however, if one watches the aforementioned
"Saltimbanco's Diary" documentary you can see the act is clearly being
rehearsed, so... why aren't they in the show?
Well, heres where more supposition comes into play: its obvious that
Saltimbancos Diary was filmed not long before premiere and during
premiere, as some footage of an early performance is interjected
throughout. So if Malamba were brought in days before premiere to
substitute for Cloud Swing, they may not have been ready to perform in
the show. At least not ready until later in Montreals run when the
press wouldnt have been as attentive to the shows changes (and
therefore little coverage provided.) Interestingly, Boleadoras is
mentioned almost exclusively in reviews as Saltimbanco wound its way
across the United States while virtually all mentions of Vertical Rope
disappear, although both are published acts in the 1993 Programme
Book.
Additionally, an article from the Montreal Gazette dated November 4,
1994, mentions Saltimbanco's special performances there before the
show took off to Europe. Within the article they say "The only
completely new act is a boleadoras number performed by two very Latin-
looking Quebecoises, Anne Bernard and Helene Lemay, with Francois
Beausoleil on percussion." This tells me that Boleadoras was not in
the Montreal run at all. Either way, learning that Cloud Swing was
considered for Saltimbanco blows the mind. Now, I wonder, which song
it would have used. Pokinoi doesn't sound right for a Cloud Swing
act... but "Rave Out" does!
But wait, theres more! Montreals French-language newspaper La Presse
also spoke with artists on April 11th, and mentioned another English-
born acrobat in its article that we never saw perform Rose Zone. Ms.
Zone, as a quick internet search advises, is a modern solo
contortionist known for her artistic poses and elaborate costumes.
Though I have not been able to determine why she was not selected for
Saltimbancos final line-up, its possible that her contortion act
while good on its own may not have ultimately been what the creators
wanted as a follow-up to the quadruple act that performed in Nouvelle
Experience.
As exciting as it is to find out that Nouvelle Experience was in a
different order in the beginning and that a discipline first seen in
Quidam was seriously considered for Saltimbanco, this next find is
equally mind-blowing. Imagine my surprise as I read the below passage
from The Toronto Star dated June 18, 1995, regarding Cirque du
Soleils performance there:
Among the featured performers, there is a decided emphasis on
aerial work, apart from the two 10-year-old, Mongolian
contortionists. After the overture, the show moves into some fairly
standard - which is not to say unimpressive - trapeze work. And it
closes with a high bar act by The Flying Lev, an eye-spinning
ensemble of six soaring Russians. More novelly, French performer
Isabelle Vaudelle slides up and down two strips of cloth, at times
turning herself into an approximation of a human hammock, and
Russian Mikhail Matorin mixes suspension and twirling in an
original routine involving a wire cube.
Did you catch that? Yeah, Isabelle Vaudelle... in Alegría...
performing her signature aerial silk act we thought we saw first in
Quidam. O.M.G. The Globe and Mail from June 19th mentions her:
Two of its most remarkable acts are single acrobats who seduce as
much as they astonish. Hanging by his hands from gymnast's rings,
Russian acrobat Mikhail Matorin manipulates a huge, metal, cube-
shaped frame with his head and feet, giving the illusion that he is
tumbling about inside a box. The French acrobat Isabelle Vaudelle
has just joined the Cirque and her Drape act is a show-stealing
North American premiere. Suspended from a long, red banner, she
wraps herself in the fabric, twisting her body into astonishing
positions.
And The Globe and Mail would also feature her in an article dated July 8th:
Isabelle Vaudelle, 22, is a native of France who appears to be the
classic circus performer in that she ran away from home at age 18
in order to become a member of the theatre world's rarest
societies. [She] has been with Cirque only since June 16, which is
when Alegria opened at Ontario Place in Toronto. When this show
closes, Vaudelle returns to France where she says she will likely
find a new job in a short period of time, [performing] the same
number wherever she goes. Vaudelle [was] approached to bring [her]
signature act to Alegria, a show whose theme of life as a composite
of oppositions (birth/death, good/bad, and light/dark) allowed for
exploration of the human condition. [Hers is] a solo piece in which
she hangs upside down from the ceiling wrapped in a piece of red
cloth. [In the act,] the imagery of a woman cradled in a swath of
scarlet fabric suggests a tumultuous nativity. Her brief stretches
and precarious balance are images symbolic of life as fragile and
uncertain. The dead-weight drop of her body at the end looks like
death as a brute finality. Of the meanings in her work, Vaudelle is
reticent to elaborate. She says, speaking in French, that her body
creates the imagery first; her mind finds reason in what she has
done after the fact.
To find that Isabelle Vaudelle played Alegría before being featured in
Quidam absolutely blew my mind. How did I not know this? But now that
we know that she was brought on for Torontos run of Alegría (June 16
to July 9, 1995), a number of questions come to mind: Why was she
brought on? Who did she replace? Where in the show did her act
perform? And to what music?
Although I cant say for sure, my educated guess is that she came on
as a replacement for the Shoulder-Pole act during Torontos run. I
conjecture that the artists in the act may have had VISA issues and/or
problems preventing them from crossing the Canadian border again for
just a short period of time (the show would go back to the United
States following Toronto), therefore, the Shoulder-Pole artists had an
extended vacation whilst they brought in another act to fill-in. (And
what an act!) As for her placement in the show
I would suggest she
popped right in the Shoulder-Pole slot, following Synchro Trapeze,
FastTrack, and a clown bit. As for the music she performed to? Its
possible she performed to Kalandéro, but it doesnt strike the right
chord. Then again Im used to hearing/seeing her perform to Let Me
Fall so I might be a little biased.
These are the kinds of things I run across as I research topics on
Cirque du Soleil. Sometimes the things I find are mundane, but
sometimes
why they shake the very core of what I and others know
about the company and its productions. And that, my friends, is why I
do it!
Until next dive!
------------------------------------------------------------
"What Ifs and If Onlys, Part 1 of 7"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
------------------------------------------------------------
Over the years Cirque du Soleil has announced or was rumored to be
working on a wide variety of interesting advancements beyond circus
shows, their traditional core product. Some of these new opportunities
were in the realm of music, some in television, some as new experience
concepts, and some in the realm of... say what?!
Back when we were approaching our 100th issue (in 2012, gosh, has it
really been eight years?), I thought about all the quotes, blurbs, and
past announcements we covered in Fascination of new products, venues,
or avenues of adventure the Cirque intended to explore. I wondered
which of these came to fruition and which had quietly remained hidden
behind the curtain at Cirque HQ in Montreal. I uncovered many examples
in my search through our news archives - some that had come readily to
mind while others I had completely forgotten about, and couldn't wait
to touch on further - and then organized those findings into a three-
part celebratory series leading up to Fascination's publication
milestone.
In Part One of that series, we explored a number of rumors and
announcements regarding "permanent" or "resident" shows made through
the years that didn't pan out. In Part Two, we examined announced
and/or rumored media potentials from the company from filmed shows
and books to new music CDs many of which never saw the light of day.
And in Part Three, we explored what could have been in regards to
projects beyond Cirque du Soleil's traditional space entertainment
and media and dove into the realm of other experiences Cirque
attempted to provide. It was a satisfying look back at what could have
been from Cirque du Soleil, if only...
As we began to approach our 200th issue I began to ponder those "what
ifs" and "if onlys" again and wondered: would it be interesting to
revisit that original idea and present new findings on old and new
topics alike? Turns out... yes! And we've organized these findings
into a new seven-part series that mixes together announcements of new
show concepts and/or places that Cirque wanted to set up residence, to
projects for the large and small screen, to experiences and other
oddities that were announced but didn't quite come to fruition. So,
without further ado, let's jump in, rediscover and share what Cirque
du Soleil announced but then quietly disappeared over the years.
CIRQUE, IN THE SKIES?
---------------------
Cirque du Soleil's track record in creating variety content
specifically for television is mixed at best. The company received
numerous accolades for its reality series FIRE WITHIN (2002),
detailing the trials and tribulations of creating VAREKAI. But it
received an equal amount of animosity for its follow-up series
SOLSTROM (2003) for being too childish and not up to the level of
quality seen from other Cirque projects. Disgruntled, Cirque focused
its efforts elsewhere. A decade later Cirque du Soleil would attempt
to re-embrace television in a mighty big way with equally mixed
results (LUNA PETUNIA and BIG TOP ACADEMY), but first let's set the
stage because the Fire Within and Solstrom specials definitely weren't
the company's first attempts in making productions specifically for
television.
In the good old days, Cirque du Soleil filmed its shows for television
consumption, usually for HBO and/or CBC specials, eventually releasing
the production to the home-video market. Through Télémagik, Cirque du
Soleil's visual media subsidiary, fans of the Cirque were able to
enjoy "Le Cirque Réinventé" and "Nouvelle Expèrience", not to mention
a number of unique and interesting documentaries about those shows
("Quel Cirque", "Saltimbanco's Diary", "The Truth of Illusion" and
"Full Circle") and the company itself ("Baroque Odyssey") from the
comfort of their living rooms. "Saltimbanco", filmed during its 1993
stopover in Atlanta, would become the last show produced for
television and Télémagik would fall into relative obscurity. The
hiatus was self-imposed, however, as Cirque du Soleil decreed that as
long as a show was still performing live they would never film it
and/or release it. However, the story of Cirque du Soleil on
television does not begin or end with Télémagik.
Two earlier recordings were made for television broadcast by Le Club
des Talons Hauts, Inc., the company producing Cirque du Soleil at the
time. The first, a video of the 1985 Tour (called "Cirque du Soleil-
Tournée 1985"), was originally distributed by the Multimedia Group of
Canada in collaboration with Téléfilm Canada, Les Productions
Fildefer, and with participation of La Société Radio-Canada (better
known in the English-speaking world as the Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation, the CBC). The second, a recording of the 1986 Tour ("La
Magie Continue"), was originally released as a 90-minute special on
VHS and Betamax on July 1, 1987 via mail order from Les Entreprises
Radio-Canada (the CBC, again) or was available at the exit of the Le
Cirque Réinventé big top. Both have retroactively come under the
Télémagik banner, though only "Le Magie Continue" has ever been re-
released (but that's a story for another time.)
Formed in 1987 under the direction of Hélène Dufresne, Télémagik's
purpose was to promote Cirque du Soleil and, eventually, involve
itself in television and film projects whether or not they were
connected with the Cirque. Although Télémagik executed the first part
of its mission (the promotion of the Cirque) quite well, it hungered
to expand on the second - independent filmmaking. Jean David, the
troupe's marketing and communications vice-president, even confirmed
this desire to the Canadian press on more than one occasion. But
nothing seemed forthcoming until May 13, 1994, when CINAR (a Montreal-
based studio that was heavily involved in children's entertainment)
announced that it had committed to the creation of two new large-scale
projects, both designed for the international market.
But only one of those projects is of interest to us, as CINAR said it
had signed an agreement with Cirque du Soleil to create and produce a
primetime series, years before Fire Within or Solstrom were even
thought of. "This production will highlight the world of the circus:
its fascinating universe, its success, its acts, life behind the
scenes, etc.," the announcement said; "We've been pursuing Cirque for
a year," says Cinar's Micheline Charest. "I'm convinced we have a gem
here."
Although the format was still sketchy, professional actors would hired
to play circus performers. Dramatic episodes would focus on the
"aspirations and disappointments" of people testing themselves against
the tremendous physical demands of circus life, says Charest. Also,
because Cirque personnel come from all around the world, "there will
be cross- cultural characters" and possible story focus on the
loneliness of creating a life on the road far from one's homeland.
Actual Cirque performers would also play dramatic roles, says Charest.
"We'd like to do the series for Access or Prime Time (in the United
States)," she adds. But marketing the show internationally will not
mean watering down its Montreal origins, she adds. "I like that the
Cirque is Montreal, and that it won't be a show about just any circus,
but about our Cirque du Soleil. A little touch of nationalism, but
don't quote me on that." Intriguing stuff to be sure, but the public
heard no more until a June 9, 1995 article highlighted not one, but
three projects Télémagik was working on:
o) Airlines around the world next year might get Cirque du Soleil
"In the Skies" to show passengers: 20 segments of 15 minutes
each of Cirque acts. Four episodes have been filmed. The rest
would wait for sales to enough airlines to make it commercially
viable.
o) Zealously guarding their valuable franchise, Cirque officials
are slowly developing a fictional TV series with Montreal's
CINAR Films and rejecting what Jean David calls "lots of movie
offers we have on the table." The projected TV series about a
circus on tour initially was planned for Radio-Canada, CBC's
French network. "We had written several episodes, but that was
expensive and difficult to finance," says Dufresne. "We've
started over again in English with CINAR to interest
broadcasters (not only in Canada)."
o) A plan for Cirque to leap onto the world's biggest movie
screens, via a mooted co-production between Imax Corp. and
Japan's Fuji-TV (Cirque's co-sponsor in Japan), foundered over
what Dufresne calls the lack of private financing promised by a
third party in Canada. But, she says, "We're having
discussions."
By October 1995, the CINAR drama had a name and a broadcaster, which
were highlighted in this very brief blurb: "Baton Broadcasting Inc. of
Toronto has reached an agreement with Telemagik and Cinar Films Inc.
to develop a 60-minute episodic dramatic television series based on
the circus Cirque du Soleil. The drama, to be entitled simply
'Cirque', will portray people involved in a travelling circus." But
that's where the trail goes cold... other than a few more mentions of
something being "in development" ("I don't like to talk about things
in development," Charest says. "What matters is what gets produced.
We're working on a series based on Cirque du Soleil. But who knows? It
might take me four years to put it together."), nothing further is
ever said about "Cirque" by either CINAR or Baton Broadcasting. Cirque
du Soleil did obviously continue discussing the IMAX film idea but "In
the Skies" also dropped off the radar - no pun intended.
ROCK'N'ROLL
-----------
Make no mistake, Cirque du Soleil today is a hot commodity. Everyone
wants the Cirque to help anchor a project, or to make their exposition
a unique happening. That's the whole reason why the Special Events
team was created in the first place! A number of items we'll talk
about in this series were definitely within the realm of possibility,
as Cirque du Soleil themselves had press releases about them, or the
rumors themselves were so credible there was no question that Cirque
had the concept in development. But before we get into those, let me
whet your appetite with a couple that are a little more off-the-wall
than your average rumor, and certainly raised a lot of eyebrows here
at Fascination!
For instance... take this little blurb we published in June 2017:
Robin Leach, an entertainment reporter and writer out of Las Vegas
(though he's best known for hosting the television series "Lifestyles
of the Rich and Famous" from 1984 to 1995), had heard a couple of
"rock related" whispers... "Are Cirque du Soleil execs taking a hard
look at staging a new Las Vegas show centered on the antics and
adventures of the legendary heavy metal group Mötley Crüe?" he asked.
SAY WHAT?! Robin was usually on top of things with regards to Vegas
entertainment, but this one... if it was true at one time just never
went anywhere nor was mentioned again.
To be fair, Cirque du Soleil did once attempt to get into the
Rock'n'Roll business by acquiring a 20% equity-stake in Rock in Rio
USA, a music festival held for two weekends in May 2015 where more
than 100 acts representing the best music of America, Britain, and
Brazil would entertain hundreds of thousands of fans. This concept,
modeled on the legendary music festival celebrations in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil, and Lisbon, Portugal would occupy at a 37-acre plot
on MGM Resorts land from Circus Circus to the edge of Sahara Avenue
opposite SLS Las Vegas called the City of Rock. Unlike other music
festivals, the creators wanted "Rock Streets" where audience and
artists could interact in a 500-foot area featuring 20 homes filled
with shops, restaurants and a stage.
Rock Street USA used the imagery of New Orleans, its culture and music
as its backdrop with a diner, parked Cadillac, street-side cafes, jam
sessions, the blues and dozens of street-dance styles with an official
crew. Rock Street U.K. featured the heritage of music from Great
Britain and Ireland on a street created to resemble Londons Camden
Town and Irelands Grafton Street with houses inspired by traditional
Irish and English pubs and shops. And Rock Street Brazil captured the
warm and colorful culture of Brazil featuring some of the country's
most charismatic. Had it been successful, Rock in Rio USA would be
held again in 2017, and again in 2019, but it was not meant to be. The
inaugural Rock in Rio USA was not successful, so the convention in
2017 did not occur and there have been no further plans for future
gatherings.
A VANCOUVER RESIDENCE?
----------------------
Cirque du Soleil did not start out as a company that was comfortable
staying in one place for long. As self-proclaimed "Merchants of
Happiness", it was harder to "follow the sun" and bring joy to the
masses if you're standing still waiting for them to come to you. And
the nascent Cirque was not one to stand still. After conquering
English-speaking Canada (which they accomplished following Expo '86 in
Vancouver) and later the United States in 1987 (at The Los Angeles
Festival), an offer to reside permanently in Las Vegas was just a pipe
dream. But by 1992, Cirque du Soleil was performing five days a week
there with Nouvelle Experience at Steve Wynn's Mirage Resort and
Casino. The contrast between the Cirque's high-concept circus art and
the glitzy artlessness of the desert city is obvious. But officials
say it's a natural union. "There is no contradiction," Guy Laliberté
said. "I believe in marriages of money and art. People say you have to
be in pain and suffering for art but I don't believe that."
The decision by the Cirque to set up a permanent base in the United
States was a major step forward and highlighted its profound evolution
from a group of street performers almost wholly dependent on
government grants to a profitable worldwide concern with hundreds of
employees. "It's a very simple deal," explained Jean David.
Negotiations with Caesar's had been under way for several years, but
fell through at point of signing. When the word got around Vegas that
the Cirque was no longer under the yoke of the Roman Empire, the
phones began to ring. David said the Mirage won out because, "They
offered the best deal and they were the quickest."
It's been both a profitable and lucrative partnership ever since.
Because of the exposure and success in both Las Vegas and later
Orlando, Cirque du Soleil is frequently used as a "cultural bonus" for
real estate projects world-wide, even if the company hasn't entered a
formal agreement with the developer or is even aware of the venture.
The company also receives a constant stream of proposals from
developers eager to lure the Cirque to their towns or resorts. "The
conversation generally stops cold when we explain that it costs $100
million to build a theater and $40 million to develop a new show,"
Lamarre muses. Only the hardy, deep-pocketed few then persist. Like
Casino moguls...
In March 1994, Cirque du Soleil was a venerable three-ring circus
wonder. In addition to prepping Alegría for premiere in Montreal,
there was Mystère, just permanently anchored in Las Vegas, and
Saltimbanco opening in Tokyo, following Fascination's fantastic
introductory run. But there was more on the horizon. On March 9th, the
Montreal Gazette reported that Mirage Resorts Inc., headed by Steve
Wynn, had just won a bid to build a casino in Vancouver. And part of
the deal was a permanently installed Cirque du Soleil-produced show.
The casino proposal began when the federal Vancouver port authority,
which paid for half the $300-million Canada Place convention center,
realized the burgeoning cruise-ship business had outgrown its single
terminal. Unwilling to spend more public money on an expansion, yet
more unwilling to lose the cruise ships to Seattle, it called for
private-sector tenders for redevelopment. Four proposals were short-
listed and all contained a casino.
Wynn got involved after Canadian construction magnate Jack Poole
introduced himself while in Las Vegas attending a rodeo. The result of
the meeting was a joint venture in which Mirage would finance and
manage the Vancouver resort complex, while holding 49 per-cent of the
equity. The rest would be held by B.C. businesses, public and labor,
and the casino would be owned and regulated by the provincial
government. (The development included two cruise-ship terminals, a
1,000-room hotel and a convention center; the controversial casino
represented only 5 per-cent of the proposed building area. Two
theatres would be constructed, including one devoted exclusively to
Cirque du Soleil.) The proposal did not expose the taxpayer to any
risk, would create 15,000 permanent jobs, and would generate some
$256-million in annual tax revenues to all levels of government. But
there was a catch: the B.C. government was still debating whether or
not to legalize for-profit casinos in the province.
On June 28, 1994, Wynn made his first public appearance in Vancouver,
telling 600 business people at a Board of Trade meeting that Vancouver
was ripe for a "value-added" resort that took advantage of the city's
natural beauty. Wynn said he was not interested at all in operating a
casino in Vancouver if it didn't complement other entertainment
activities. That is why Mirage wanted to build a $25 million theater
inside the center to house Cirque du Soleil. But he also acknowledged
the project couldn't go ahead without the revenues a casino would
generate.
Wynn, who had been in Vancouver for three days meeting with planners
and the media, expressed frustration that people were focusing on the
casino to the exclusion of the project's other beneficial aspects.
"We don't think of it as a casino. I can't keep saying that enough
times. If this was just a casino, we wouldn't be here. I don't
trust casinos. They're not enough. A slot machine or a blackjack
table has as much dynamic appeal as a telephone pole." Wynn devoted
much of his luncheon speech to complimenting Vancouver on its
scenery and explaining how the Seaport project would enhance the
city's reputation. "I know that if you give anybody any excuse to
come here, they will. Make no mistake about it. The reason I want
to come to Vancouver is because Vancouver is magnificent. We don't
make Vancouver. Vancouver makes us. But we do give Vancouver an
aspect and a facet to its personality that is tested and
worthwhile."
But his words fell on mostly deaf ears. The Globe and Mail, who was
covering the developments out of Toronto, suggested their brethren
were just a bit xenophobic and suffered from an outbreak of hypocrisy
arguing against the project. Why? Gambling was already legal in B.C.,
where 18 casinos, government lotteries, race tracks, and charity
bingos raked in about $1.5-billion a year. Demand for gambling
exceeded supply.
"But the plan to develop a casino and cruise-ship terminal on the
harbor-front, right next to the five white sails of Canada Place, has
tapped the city's thick vein of bucolic xenophobia," they said. The
prospect of a private-sector casino had thrown churches, charities,
hotels, and elected officials into a tizzy, and the newspapers were
filled with warnings about Vancouver turning into a Vegas North.
"Given that these same churches, charities, and governments relied on
their monopoly over gambling for revenues," the paper continued. "They
couldn't be more convincing if they called for a crackdown on
prostitution while selling sex charters to Bangkok."
"I get up each morning," says Paul Manning, vice-president of the
joint venture, "and pray for this thing to stay alive long enough
for the public-hearing process." The opposition is visceral and
seems to revolve around Mr. Wynn, even at the punter level. The
company's own polling shows that three-quarters of B.C. residents
surveyed would like the casino if it brought all the promised
benefits, but 68 per-cent have reservations if it is to be operated
by a Las Vegas croupier.
A month later, Mirage official Alan Feldman said the company was
frustrated at how the provincial government had greeted their $750
million project. He said the company hadn't formally asked if it
should pull out, but the time was approaching when it would reconsider
its commitment. "If we continue to get stony silence from the
government about its willingness to review this proposal, we will have
to ask ourselves that question, about whether or not this is a proper
place for our shareholders' money," he said. "We're at the point now
where we have to make some decisions. I mean, my God, how much money
are we going to spend here?" The company has already spent $750,000 on
architect's fees, polling, public information brochures and site
planning."
Furthermore, Feldman said the company was absolutely frustrated that
it could not get a hearing with the province or participate in the
government's review of gaming policies. In response, the government
said the Mirage project was never supposed to be part of the policy
review and that it would have to wait, like others with proposals,
until the review was finished. "When we announced the [gambling]
review, we said we would not be addressing individual proposals," said
Mike Hughes, communications director for the government services
ministry. "We have not entertained applications on a specific basis,
but once this review is complete and a policy has been put in place,
the government will begin reviewing proposals."
After six months of abuse and indifference, Wynn and his partners
"temporarily suspended" the project, and it was never heard of again.
The NDP completed its gambling review in the fall of 1994. It rejected
a destination resort and casino, and instead proposed allowing video
lottery terminals in the province's bars instead. Not that it mattered
to Wynn much. By November 1994, he announced the launching of his next
multimillion-dollar casino in Las Vegas - The Bellagio - with the
Cirque as regular headliners. This new show would feature "watery
acrobatics and fireworks, presented in a specially designed, 1,500-
seat water theatre." It took a while, but "O" would go on to debut at
the Bellagio in October 1998.
To be continued...
=======================================================================
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
=======================================================================
Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 20, Number 8 (Issue #199) August 2020
Volume 20, Number 9 (Issue #200) September 2020
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (C)
2001-2020 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.
{ Sep.16.2020 }
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