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Fascination Issue 220
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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 23, NUMBER 5 July 2023 ISSUE #220
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Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque
du Soleil Newsletter.
* * * MORE LOVE TO COME! * * *
Las Vegas is feeling the love a little while longer. Cirque du Soleil
is expanding its production "The Beatles LOVE" at the Mirage Hotel &
Casino through at least 2024. According to a news release, the show
will continue in partnership with Hard Rock International, which
purchased The Mirage last year. The Beatles LOVE is a musical
masterpiece and raised the bar for live production shows in Las Vegas,
said Eric Grilly, President of the Resident Show Division for Cirque
du Soleil. Were excited this extension gives our show the opportunity
to reach even more audiences, and we thank our hard-working cast and
crew for making dreams come to life.
* * * ALEGRIA HEADED TO LONDON * * *
Cirque du Soleil will return to London with a revival of Alegría in
2024 at the Royal Albert Hall. The internationally acclaimed production
will run from 11 January to 11 February 2024 to celebrate its 30th
anniversary and to mark the European premiere for the revival. "It is
only right that the Royal Albert Hall gets the European Premiere of
the revival of Alegría for a new generation to fall in love with its
magic in a venue that has greatly contributed to its success." Mike
Newquist, President of the Cirque de Soleil Entertainment Group, said
in a statement. First premiering in 1994, Alegría performed to over
14 million people in 40 countries until the end of its 19-year world
tour in 2013. The original production had five successful runs in
London, including at the Royal Albert Hall four times, making the
capital the city Alegria has visited most in the world.
* * * ARTIST INJURED AT "O" * * *
A Cirque performing artist was injured on Wednesday, June 28th, during
a performance of O at the Bellagio, a spokesperson confirmed.
According to a statement, the artist was part of the Barge act and was
injured diving off the floating barge platform during the 9:30
performance. In accordance with our emergency response protocols, we
stopped the show to allow the emergency intervention team of O to
safely bring the artist backstage where they were immediately taken in
good care by the medical team, Ann Paladie, a spokesperson for Cirque
du Soleil said. The artist will continue to be monitored by the O
medical and coaching teams to determine when they may return to their
activities.
* * * CONGRATS BAZZAR! * * *
On the evening of July 7th, BAZZAR celebrated it's 500th performance
in Buenos Aires, Brazil. Congratulations! BAZZAR will soon be in the
United States for a few turns; check out our ITINERAIRE section for
when and where!
Let's get into it...
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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) Fascination! Features
* "THERE'S NOTHING LIKE MIXING A CIRQUE SHOW" - an
Exclusive Interview with David Wallace, head of
PLANS at Cirque du Soleil's "Drawn to Life" [Part 3 of 3]
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
* "LIFE IS A CIRCUS 3: Even More Posts from the Cirque Blog"
By: Cirque's Artists, Editors, and More...
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
***************************************************************
LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights
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The National Circus School Receives a Historic Donation
{Jun.15.2023}
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It was during the 29th fundraising event, held on June 8 at La Tohu,
that Stéphane Lefebvre, President, and CEO of Cirque du Soleil
Entertainment Group, announced a donation of one million dollars to
the National Circus School (NCS). This is the largest donation ever
received in the history of the institution, founded more than 40 years
ago. The National Circus School also took advantage of the event to
officially launch its major fundraising campaign in front of more than
500 representatives of the greater Montreal business people.
Ambitious projects for the National Circus School
This major fundraising campaign aims to raise six million dollars over
five years. These donations will allow the school to pursue its
educational mission according to the high-quality standards to which
it has always aspired, to offer state-of-the-art facilities and to
build a new studio dedicated to research and innovation. The funds
raised will also help to set up a brand-new circus arts initiation
program for schools in Quebec and Canada, aimed at democratizing the
practice and ensuring a greater pipeline of circus artists.
A prestigious campaign board
In addition to the generous donation, Stéphane Lefebvre has also
agreed to chair the campaign board made up of committed volunteers. He
will be supported by:
Anthony Amiel President Corbeil Électroménagers
Michael Fortier Vice Chairman RBC Capitals Markets
Norman John Hebert President and CEO Groupe Park Avenue
Francois Lecavalier Member of the Advisory Board UNSC Power
Karl Tabbakh Associate director, Québec region McCarthy Tétrault
« We are very proud to support the training and development of new
emerging circus artists from Quebec and around the world. We are
convinced that this contribution will act as a lever for the
recruitment of new students, research and innovation in the field of
circus arts, in addition to ensuring the conservation and enhancement
of the heritage, the history and the living memory of this art. With
its reputation and international influence, the NCS is a first-level
partner for the Cirque Soleil Entertainment Group, and we are very
proud to be able to contribute to its development year after year.»
Stéphane Lefebvre, President et CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment
Group.
« We are very proud of the relationship of trust and collaboration
that our two organizations have maintained since the very beginning.
We welcome this exceptional contribution from Cirque du Soleil with
tremendous gratitude. With this gesture, he reiterates the importance
of our institution for the health and advancement of our ecosystem and
supports our ambition to elevate the NCS into a global hub for
teaching, research and innovation in the circus arts. The campaign
announced today carries this vision and will contribute to the
realization of the aspirations of the School. » Éric Langlois,
Executive Director of the National Circus School.
« The entire Foundation team devotes time and energy to supporting the
National Circus School in maintaining its position as an international
leader and as a professional training institution for circus arts, as
a research center for innovation and transfer of knowledge and as a
place of conservation for the heritage of this art. The major campaign
we are embarking on will allow the NCS to remain an important player
in the development and evolution of circus arts. » Anthony Amiel,
President of the National Circus School Fondation.
About the National Circus School
For over 40 years, the National Circus School (NCS) has been training
and developing the new talents of the next generation of circus
artists from Quebec and around the world. Renowned worldwide, the NCS
is also dedicated to research and innovation in the field of circus
arts, in addition to ensuring the conservation and enhancement of the
heritage, the history and the living memory of this art.
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil }
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Meet Who Taught The Last of Us Infected How to Move
{Jun.19.2023}
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Back in April of 2020 before the video game he co-created, The Last
of Us, was a smash HBO series and was simply a cultural phenomenon on
its own Neil Druckmann set a long fan-debated topic to rest. After a
Jeopardy clue about the game referred to its Infected (people
afflicted with the fictional, widespread cordyceps brain infection) as
zombies, Druckmann tweeted, I mean
theyre not zombies (before
adding that the game show reference was still cool). Fast forward a
couple of years, and the Infected are more vividly imagined than ever
on The Last of Us, an Emmy front-runner as balloting begins. And if
its especially clear now that they are, indeed, not zombies and
instead clearly humans trapped by an invasive, deadly fungus one man
deserves particular credit. Over the course of season one, movement
choreographer Terry Notary coached a group of 50 stunt performers,
helping them transform into the Infected after immersing themselves in
a boot camp of sorts in which they learned a technique hes
developed over years of conceptualizing movement onscreen. That work
reached a stunning apex in the Infected influx of episode five,
Endure and Survive.
Speaking to Notary whose most memorable onscreen appearance may have
been his hilarious/disturbing simian turn in Ruben Östlunds The
Square its easy to see why he was able to develop that cohort into
episode fours terrifying horde. A former gymnast turned Cirque du
Soleil performer who found himself working in film almost by accident,
Notary exudes an energy thats part go-get em coach, part beatific
spiritual leader, and he describes his work on The Last of Us more as
existential quest than incredibly taxing physical feat (though, yes,
he acknowledges it was that, too). He spoke to THR about finding the
humanity of the Infected through movement and how one very profound
interaction with a chimpanzee more than two decades ago set him on a
path towards The Last of Us.
Q. Your own professional journey to becoming an in-demand movement
choreographer was an unusual one. How did you get started, and how did
you ultimately arrive in the world of film?
I started as a gymnast and went to UCLA, and right after that I got
called from Cirque [du Soleil] saying, Hey, come and audition. So I
joined Cirque and did that for four years I was in the original cast
of Mystère. Then my wife, who I met in Vegas, got a job as a Rockette,
so we moved to New York and I became a photographer and was directing
circus shows at the same time and performing at the Met[ropolitan
Opera]. I was in my limbo zone like: what am I gonna do, what am I
gonna be? And then Ron Howards company called me and said, Do you
wanna come out to L.A. and work on a film called The Grinch? Like,
yeah, Im comin out!
He brought on five of my friends from Cirque, and we had about five
weeks to play around in Whoville, and what [Howard] liked he said hed
put in the movie. When it came to coaching the extras, I just figured
Id help them like I would have in the circus. And Ron Howard saw that
like, Hey, whats he doing? Oh, hes teaching the extras movement
Call him into my office
I thought I was gonna get fired like,
dude, youre gone, man! But he said, I like what youre doing, and I
want you to teach the whole cast. Well give you a sound-stage and
well call it Who School. I came up with a stupid list of everything
I needed spring floors, unicycles, treadmills, all kinds of mats,
the list went on and on and a week later, it was all there.
And then they called me for Planet of the Apes and asked, Hey, can
you do Ape School like you did Who School? Sure, I can do that! And
that eventually turned into, Can you do superheroes? And it just
became a thing where the more I taught, the more I learned. Seeing the
actors blueprints, what their habits are; Ive developed my own
technique to get through that. I call it de-conditioning, pointing
out all the things that are social behaviors weve been conditioned to
[use]. When you break all that down and wipe it away, you can start
from a clean canvas the neutral body, and thats what you need to
create something original.
Q. Did you take particular lessons away from the Planet of the Apes
movies that helped you develop that technique?
For Planet of the Apes, at first I was trying to imitate apes. And I
just kept asking myself, why is this not working? Then I got to work
with two chimpanzees, Jacob and Jonah, and Jacob and I became friends.
He was special. He jumped in my arms one day before we were going to
rehearse, and he looked in my eyes, and he literally looked into my
soul. I was like [gasps], Oh my God, I see you! He was looking right
into me. I freaked out. It was a life-changing experience. He taught
me about vulnerability, about gravitas, about strength in
vulnerability, openness, being like a child, power. All at once.
I realized that if I can teach that, then that is my higher purpose in
this world. You can teach people about who they are, where fear comes
from, why it inhibits us and we let it become true. Thats the nemesis
of acting; trying to mask or disguise fear or hide it, or decide what
the end goal is before you get there. I really embrace the idea of
embracing fear and using it as fuel to allow us to go into the
unknown. If you have a loose idea, the path will be organic and it
wont be acting; itll be being. Thats basically what I learned from
an ape.
Q. Im struck by what you said about not imitating an ape but becoming
one. When you have a real-life example of what youre trying to
emulate, thats one thing but when youre coaching an actor in
becoming a fictional being, like one of the Infected on The Last of
Us, theres the added challenge of not just acting like a zombie.
And its very clear, through their movement, that the Infected were
once human, and maybe still are in some way.
Exactly right. Theyre trapped within themselves, looking out from
inside from some distant place. Theres an intelligence to them. They
cant just be bad guys, you have to feel sympathetic to them a bit.
Q. How did you start to think about what their movement style would be
like? Did the show-runners give you a sense of something they wanted?
They gave me all kinds of reference videos for the game, and that was
pretty much it. I had to pay homage to the game, and I watched the
game and the play, but at a certain point it was enough; I didnt need
to see any more. It was about creating chaos but as a cohesive group.
I was thinking of how birds flock and move in ebbing and flowing
patterns, but more in this chaotic, broken cadence, so it felt like in
the chaos there was some inter-connectedness. When I started working
with the actors, I wanted to create a one-minded mentality. When one
person moves, the whole group moves. No one led, no one followed;
there was no ego or self-separation amongst each other. I wanted to
explore the idea of how intelligent the cordyceps is, how [the
Infected] can talk to each other through their roots, how they have
this higher intelligence really, an ability to communicate without
words, rather than being these mindless zombies. There was this
otherness that made them feel dangerous in their collective
camaraderie.
Q. You had ran an Infected bootcamp to train the actors playing
them. What exactly did that entail?
It was about four and a half weeks we had everybody preparing but
that was after a crazy month of casting, like [across] all of Canada
and narrowed down to 50 people. I went through hundreds and hundreds
of videos, then had Zoom calls with each person, saw what they were
about, then met them. It was a long process just to get that core
group I was going to work with, and then the training started.
At first it was just, Everybody sit in a chair. Everyones used to
working really, really hard and being diligent, and it was about
undoing that, getting back to breathing, sitting, presence. It was
mind-blowing for a lot of people to start being present like that and
just allow it. You just dissolve away, and the next thing you know,
youre going, I gotta figure out who I am. Its so simple but so
difficult. Then everyones one group, and were in it, and we can
start the choreography, the techniques and exploring the broken
[movement] cadence and the angles and the tempos and arrhythmic
sensibility that would just surprise you into making mistakes.
Wed go out on these fields I had this huge double soccer field
and wed do a big group warm up. Start with group exercises, flowing
and moving through piles, then breaking off from the piles and working
with each person individually. Building a little village, where Im in
the trenches with them.
Q. Were the actors you cast typically coming from some kind of dance
or movement background?
Stunt background. All stunt players. Cause we needed them to jump over
cars, come out of holes, quadruped, get hit, take shots. Heavy duty.
Some are great movers, some are not. Some guys were incredible at
running and just breaking through. Some guys were great at just
hitting these positions on the ground when they died doing that last
sort of digging in. Some were just great at flowing as a group. Some
guys were great at just taking car hits! [laughs].
Q. We learn over the course of the season that there isnt just one
kind of Infected; there are varieties with different defining
characteristics. Were you figuring out how movement distinguished them
as well?
Yeah. The more evolved they became in their infected state, the more
removed they became; the more they lost the conscious self thats
looking out going, Help me! Im stuck in here! I cant control whats
going on here, Im being taken over! All the way to just being gone,
like the Bloaters.
Q. It seems like really physically taxing work
.
It was freezing cold, and most of those shots were at night. It was
pretty uncomfortable for those guys.
Q. How did they take care of themselves?
Well, the guy at the hotel we were staying at would keep the bar open
early in the morning, so when we got in at 7 a.m., that helped!
(Laughs.) And then wed have Segway races, that helped too. But yes,
we took care of ourselves. Lots of foam rollers, lots of stretching
the next morning, lots of, Okay, how hard are we going today?
Q. Will you be back to work on the movement for season two?
I dont think so, because Im busy this year. Im working on like five
projects right now: two films in India that Im directing action
sequences on; another big series for television, with a show-runner
whose work I really love; a film in England; and a Disney show in the
States Im excited about. Im pretty booked up and busy!
It was a moment in time, and I loved it. And it was great, but [that
team] knows it now, and theyll pull from that pool [of actors who
already trained]. I mean, they did their own training! I just guided
them. Those guys worked so hard on those scenes you see it as one
four-minute scene, but that took two weeks to shoot, all night every
night. Everyone pulled their weight and then some. But we all felt
like, This is gonna be a good show. This is gonna rock.
Interview edited for length and clarity.
{ SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter }
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Cirque alum is one of Hollywoods top movement coaches
{Jun.20.2023}
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Note: This article was published in 2017
Terry Notary helped bring Cirque du Soleil to the Strip as one of the
creators and original cast members of Mystere.
For the past 17 years, hes helped bring everything from Hulks to
Whos, orcs to Navi, and every sort of ape imaginable including
those in this weekends War for the Planet of the Apes to the big
screen as one of Hollywoods top movement coaches and motion-capture
artists.
I wear a few hats when Im on a film. I wear quite a few, he muses.
Im usually performing, choreographing and coaching, and helping all
the other actors with developing and maintaining their characters.
Its a lot, but I like it like that.
Notary, 48, was one of about 15 performers who spent nine months holed
up in Montreal with director Franco Dragone putting together
Mystere. The show opened in 1993 and is still going strong nearly 25
years later at Treasure Island. We had a 10-year contract, Notary
recalls, and I thought, Wow, thats a long time for a show to be
up.
The four-time All-America gymnast at UCLA credits Dragone for
inspiring him to become an artist. Despite having a theater degree,
moving from the regimented world of competitive gymnastics to a place
of artistic expression with Cirque was a life-changing experience for
me, Notary says. It brought me out of my shell.
After four years of performing on fast-track trampoline, teeterboard
and Chinese poles, as well as portraying characters and playing drums,
Notary left Mystere for New York, where he launched a circus
production company and a photography studio. Then he received the
phone call that would change his life.
Leaping from Cirque to movies
Notary and four other Cirque veterans were brought in to create
acrobatic sequences for the Whos in the 2000 live-action version of
How the Grinch Stole Christmas. While on set, Notary began working
with some of the extras to create common motions. After seeing this,
director Ron Howard elevated him to the role of movement coach.
In the ensuing years, hes been a movement coach or choreographer on
blockbusters including X-Men 2, Superman Returns, Transformers:
Revenge of the Fallen, Avatar, Suicide Squad and all three
Hobbit movies. But Notarys specialty has become monkey business.
Since working on Tim Burtons 2001 Planet of the Apes remake, Notary
has been Hollywoods go-to guy for all things simian. Hes portrayed
Rocket, Caesars right-hand man, throughout the new Apes trilogy. He
starred as Kong in this years Kong: Skull Island. He co-stars as
Oleg, a man who acts like an ape, in the Swedish film The Square,
which won the Palme dOr at this years Cannes Film Festival. And hes
choreographing the movements for Dwayne Johnsons Rampage, next
years movie adaptation of the 1980s video game about apes and
monsters destroying buildings.
The ape Zen master
But its his behind-the-scenes work on the Apes trilogy thats
perhaps the most remarkable. Called the ape Zen master by War for
the Planet of the Apes writer-director Matt Reeves, Notary conducts
Ape Camp for all the actors wholl be wearing motion-capture suits
that record not only their movements but their expressions for artists
to render into realistic-looking apes.
Becoming an ape involves much more than simply acting like one. If you
pretend at all, Notary says, Its like, Whoa! Eww! Thats
disgusting. Its almost gross.
Following Ape Camp, Notary begins an intimate, one-on-one relationship
that borders on psychotherapy with some of the main actors.
Basically, we start working the second they walk through the door,
Im working with them, he says. Ill watch how they open the door
and walk over and put their bag down. And Ill start just dissecting
some of the behaviors and patterns that Ill start picking up on and
the energy that Im picking up on from the actor.
A holistic approach
Notarys first step in helping an actor create his character is
breathing and meditation. Its about creating a safe space
immediately so that they understand that this is not about me telling
them what to do, at all. Its about me guiding them into discovering
what they already know about themselves, but its just covered up with
life and stuff. I kind of take the garbage away, and I pull all that
meaningless stuff away and get down to the essence of the self.
Its like cleaning house rather than straightening up, Notary
continues. A lot of actors come in, and they try to straighten up a
character, but then theyve got all that (stuff) underneath the couch
and underneath the carpet and stuffed away in the corner that is
influencing and making that character very similar, if not the same,
as the last character they played.
Part trainer, part life coach, Notary takes a holistic approach to his
movement work. Basically, its becoming a more well-rounded person,
which is what its all about for me, he admits. Its really not
about making movies. If it was, I wouldnt be in the business, because
I feel like what we do, the work we do, is more important to them as
people than it is for the character in the movie.
An unlikely career
Even with 17 years in Hollywood, Notary says he didnt realize this
could be a career just until recently, actually. Every time I work on
a movie, I think, Wow! I get to work on another movie? Wow! Thats
amazing.
Now hes expanding his behind-the-scenes work by directing the second
unit on motion-capture pioneer Andy Serkis version of Jungle Book.
Notary and his good friend Serkis have made nine movies together,
including the Apes trilogy, in which Serkis portrays the lead ape,
Caesar.
Without Terry, apes wouldnt feel so alive, Serkis said in a
statement. He teaches you movement skills, but more than that, he
teaches you how to just be and not feel you have to over-show
anything.
Together, theyre helping prove to the world that motion-capture work
is every bit as legitimate as any other form of acting.
When people see us on set, theyre, like, Oh my God, you guys are
really actors, Notary says, still with a bit of disbelief. And
its, like, Yeah!
Becoming a superhero
Using motion-capture technology, Terry Notary portrayed The Hulk in
2008s The Incredible Hulk. Now, hes working with current Hulk Mark
Ruffalo on his movements on the Atlanta set of Avengers: Infinity
War and its still untitled sequel.
He also spent two weeks with Josh Brolin, developing his motions as
the villainous Thanos.
Something that you invent from scratch is really, really fun. Super
rewarding, Notary says. Its super challenging, though.
And each character is approached with a different physicality in mind.
For The Hulk, Notary says, his whole thing is this gravitas, this
bigness driven from the back. Some characters are driven by the knees.
Some characters are driven by the gut. Like, dwarves are just gut-
driven.
Notary also provided the motion-capture work as Tim Roths Abomination
in The Incredible Hulk, and he brought The Silver Surfer to life in
2007s Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer. With the upcoming
Avengers sequels, hes adding two more comic-book characters to his
resume.
The way Marvel swears its actors to secrecy, Notary cant talk about
his roles. But hell be portraying Groot as well as one of Thanos
closest allies.
Im playing a couple of characters, Notary says, careful not to
violate any of the terms of his contract. Im really happy about
that.
{ SOURCE: The Las Vegas Review-Journal (2017) }
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MJ ONE Celebrating a Spectacular 10 Years in Las Vegas
{Jun.25.2023}
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Among the countless thrills found on the Las Vegas Strip, few shows
have captivated audiences like Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du
Soleil. Over 10 years and more than 4,000 performances, MJ ONE has
etched its name into the thriving landscape of Vegas entertainment.
By the time it debuted at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on June
29, 2013, Cirque du Soleil had already carved out a sensational
reputation with long-running favorites Mystère and O, and the
pressure to build on that legacy was felt by everyone on the MJ ONE
creation team.
It seemed unattainable, says Igor Zambelli, a slackline artist whos
been with the show since day one. Now looking back, weve really come
a long way to create this history for ourselves. Were part of
continuing the legacy of Michael Jackson, and the amazing history of
Cirque in Las Vegas. Today, the show draws visitors five nights a
week from around the world, making it one of the best-selling shows in
Las Vegas.
The dedication to craft that defined Michael Jacksons career is
apparent in every aspect of MJ ONE, from monumental songs and dance,
to groundbreaking music videos, to his unmistakable influence on the
world of fashion.
The costumes are so iconic, says Wardrobe Supervisor Veronica
Vazquez. You expect that when you see a Michael Jackson show. You
cant do Smooth Criminal without seeing an element of that pinstripe
suit. In fact, each outfit is painstakingly designed to pay homage to
King of Pops sense of style. From the crystal-embellished glove, to
his fedora to rhinestone white socks, every thread of MJ ONEs
wardrobe embodies his timeless fashion statements.
This immense respect for details amplified by the Michael Jackson
ONE cast, crew and creators, brings the show to life. Thousands of
elements, from intricate costumes to props, are brought together to
make a production that defies expectations.
Now in its 10th year, this dynamic collaboration between the music and
legacy of Michael Jackson and the extraordinary production and
acrobatics of Cirque du Soleil stands on its own. With an electrifying
fusion of acrobatics, dance, and visuals that embody the showmanship
of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson ONE continues to astound and
inspire visitors from throughout the world.
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Magazine }
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O Performer Injured in New Act
{Jun.29.2023}
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A performer in Cirque du Soleils flagship show has been hospitalized
after a harrowing incident Wednesday night.
An artist in O at Bellagio was injured, taken from the stage on a
stretcher and underwent emergency surgery following an accident in the
9:30 p.m. performance.
Multiple sources familiar with the show, speaking under the condition
of anonymity, have identified the injured performer as diver Kyle
Mitrione. Cirque representatives declined to confirm the identity of
the injured cast member.
Mitrione reportedly fractured his neck in the incident and underwent a
five-hour emergency surgery overnight that is said to be a success.
The 35-year-old artist was reportedly coherent, and could move his
extremities, when he was taken from the theater.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration spokeswoman Teri
Williams said Thursday afternoon the agency will investigate the
incident. Cirque complied with OSHA regulations, reporting an injury
that requires hospitalization within 24 hours of the incident.
Williams said OSHA officials will be dispatched to the O theater to
conduct an inspection.
In such cases, an official visits the work site to review injury and
illness logs, read training records, evaluate the employers safety
and health plan, review the work area where the incident took place,
collect photos and video of the incident, and conduct interviews with
employees and company safety officials.
Cirque spokeswoman Ann Paladie confirmed Thursday morning that an
artist had been injured during Wednesdays production:
An artist who is part of the barge act was injured diving off the
floating barge platform. In accordance with our emergency response
protocols, we stopped the show to allow the emergency intervention
team of O to safely bring the artist backstage where he/she was
immediately taken in good care by the medical team.
As always in the case of an accident, the artist will continue to be
monitored by the O medical and coaching teams to determine when they
return to their activities.
The show is continuing its usual schedule at Bellagio. Cirque
officials met with cast and crew Thursday afternoon to update
Mitriones condition, and offer mental-health counseling to the
employees.
According to sources on the scene of Wednesdays O show, Mitrione
was involved in a new act in the production, called Island. The number
has been in the show for two weeks.
In the routine, a performers stand on top of one anothers shoulders
to form two three-person pyramids (two males at the bottom, a female
at the top). They then dive into the aquatic stage.
A pair of two-man acts then appear at the back of the stage. Those
performers back-dive into the water and onto a lift the Island
that rises from the water after the performers dive in. But the timing
of the act was off, as the artists reportedly dove in as the Island
was rising to the top of the water.
One artist suffered scrapes on his chest and abdomen, and the other
Mitrione struck his head on the platform. The show was then
immediately halted, the curtains drawn, and Mitrione was strapped to a
stretcher and taken from the theater.
The performance resumed after the performer was treated in the venue,
with an announcement to the audience in the 1,800-seat theater that
the performer was OK.
Mitrione is part of the extended Las Vegas entertainment family. His
wife, Karolina Melska, is an aerialist who performs in Fantasy on
Mondays and has also been featured in the Cirque-Beatles Love show
at the Mirage.
As is evident across social media, Mitrione is an experienced athlete
and stunt performer who joined O two years ago as it returned from
the pandemic shutdown.
Mitrione has been a member of the Red Bull Cliff Diving extreme stunt
team, as hes advanced his career with Cirque in Las Vegas.
In his collegiate career, Mitrione was a standout platform diver at
Purdue University. According to the PurdueSports.com website, Mitrione
was named the Boilermakers swimming and diving team co-captain in
2009-2010, and an honorable mention All-American in 2008-2009.
Mitrione was also a two-time All-American at his hometown Haddonfield
(N.J.) Memorial High School, and two-time New Jersey state champion
who led his school to the 2004 state championship.
The incident occurred 10 years almost to the day when Cirque suffered
its only fatality in a Strip production. On June 29, 2013, Ka
performer and French acrobat Sarah Guyard-Guillot fell some 95 feet
from the shows rotating stage into the pit after the cable connected
to her harness snapped.
In 2020, just weeks before the pandemic shutdown, OSHA investigated
two accidents in Cirque shows.
In January of that year, an artist in O fell 15 feet from the shows
Russian Swing apparatus and suffered multiple fractures to his back
and ribs and damage to his kidney and lungs and required
hospitalization.
The following February, an aerial artist in Love fell some 20 feet
to the stage during the shows closing number and suffered injuries to
his arm and back, along with internal injuries. He was treated on
site, hospitalized and returned to the show
O is Cirques signature production and top-selling show, performing
two times a night, five nights a week, dark Mondays and Tuesdays. The
show celebrates its 25th anniversary in October, in a string of
landmarks for the Strips predominant production company. Michael
Jackson One celebrates its 10th anniversary Thursday. Mystere marks
its 30th anniversary on Christmas Day.
{ SOURCE: John Katsilometes, Las Vegas Review-Journal }
----------------------------------------------------------
Behind The Scenes: Cirque du Soleil Corteo
{Jul.01.2023}
----------------------------------------------------------
It was a family reunion like no other. After a two year hiatus, the
performers of Cirque du Soleil Corteo came back together post-COVID,
ready to resurrect this newest Cirque show. Before them lay several
weeks of rehearsal, in which they rehone their skills, relearn their
moves, and regain their confidence in themselves and in each other.
The moments of elation upon seeing each other for the first time in
months are nearly overshadowed by the feelings of excitement and
trepidation at beginning Corteo anew.
Cirque du Soleil Corteo premiered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 2005.
Corteo is a story about a man named Mauro (played by Mauro Mozzani).
Mauro is a clown in a circus. One night, he dreams about dying and
imagines what his friends might do to remember him and celebrate his
life. (Corteo, or cortege, in Italian, is a joyous procession.)
The celebration is what you would expect of any Cirque show: a parade
of gravity-defying exhibitions of grace, dexterity, strength, and
stamina, executed by a multi-national cast of jugglers, acrobats,
aerialists, clowns, singers, dancers, actors, and musicians.
Ultimately, Corteo is a story about love and hope. The story is told
in the universal languages of expression music, performance, and
emotion.
For the performing troupe, the journey back to the Cirque homebase of
Montreal for rehearsals may be reminiscent of those initial auditions
that they all went through so many years before. Performers from all
over the world execute the most complex of live productions.
Expectations run extremely high, as the Cirque name has become
synonymous with stellar and incomparable performances. So far, the
reunion is successful. Its extraordinary, exclaims Senior Artistic
Director Alison Crawford. They came back in fitter shape than when
they left. So, its really, really exciting!
The intricacies of each act even the transitional portions between
acts had already been decided many months ago, before COVID shut the
show down. So part of the challenge was to refresh everyones
recollections of those things and rebuild the muscle memory that
enables the performers to step into and out of each phase of the show
smoothly and automatically. The variety within and between acts puts
the performers in constant motion, whether they take center stage or
not. All key movements are choreographed, with the performers adding
their own nuances, keeping things fresh and seeming spontaneous.
Behind the scenes, even more is going on. If youve ever wondered how
spotlights can so precisely follow the performers who are darting
around the stage with seemingly wild abandon, heres the secret:
Artists may wear transmitters that are connected to the lighting
system. These allow lights to literally track those performers exact
locations at all times. Along with lighting, railways and walkways are
built high above the stage to float performers over the crowd, and to
provide lofty exits for the airborne talent.
The Construction Department creates props, from giant balloons to
bouncy beds to rotating chandeliers, all fabricated to meet the needs
of the production style while being functional apparatus for acrobats
and aerialists. The Wardrobe Department stocks over two thousand
costumes. They are prepared, adjusted, mended, and cleaned to
accommodate every performers needs. Of course, every costume is
uniquely tailored to each individuals needs. The Makeup Department
develops and documents each characters makeup look. As in any
traditional circus, performers are expected to apply their own makeup.
So what does it take to be a part of Cirque Du Soleil Corteo? More
than half of all Cirque performers come from a sports background. Many
are former Olympians. That said, prospective Cirque performers need to
be ready to transition to a new and unique phase of physical and
mental training. Were really, really conscious of not wanting to
pluck athletes out of sports, says Cirque Director of Casting, Stacy
Clark. They need to be done. It needs to be post-competitive. They
need to be emotionally ready to put sports behind them. Even after
the best physical specimens are selected, many will fall by the
wayside simply because they are not good performers. Singing, dancing,
synchronized movement, and stage presence will make or break even the
best athletes who are vying for the few available spots in the
production.
If it is crystal clear that Cirque may live and die by the
uncompromising stamina of their most physically fit troupe members,
could there possibly be anyone else they might raise to the same level
of importance? But of course: the clowns! The most memorable
performers of any Cirque show are apt to be the clowns. They are the
emotional glue that holds the story together. They are also employed
to provide fun segues between acts, scurrying out at the end of one
act, stumbling through a well-rehearsed, but seemingly improvised
comic skit, only to scamper off as the next act takes the stage.
Clowns need to be physically dexterous, with the ability to convey a
vast array of emotion in their facial expression and the contortions
of their bodies. Speaking is pretty much optional when you practice
the universal language of pantomime. In Corteo, the main character,
Mauro, is a clown; as is his best friend, the Giant Clown and the
ever-present White Clown. Corteo, itself, is a figment of a clowns
dream. Through Mauros dream we are transformed to the depths of human
emotion while experiencing the height of entertainment. Expect nothing
less from Cirque du Soleil.
{ SOURCE: Splash Magazines }
----------------------------------------------------------
Les costumes dEcho du Cirque du Soleil
{Jul.01.2023}
{Translated from the original French by Paul LeBarr
thank you!}
Echo, Cirque du Soleils new show, is breathtaking by the athletic
exploits of the artists, but also by the technical prowess of the
costumes.
My exchange with Nicolas Vaudelet, the costume designer, confirmed
that the simpler it seems, the more complex it is. With this new
production, the team developed a more refined and contemporary
stylistic approach, far from the usual ornamentation of Cirque
costumes. We could almost say a fashion aesthetic. Some might even
fall for several looks of the show while the tailor approach comes
from the suit to the trench coat and the short jacket.
A few weeks after the world premiere of the show, Nicolas continues to
work on the costumes. There are always small changes to make, there
are sometimes new artists, you always have to think about back-ups,
etc. A show never ends, we always continue to refine things, and
fortunately, because it allows us to leave creation slowly, explains
Nicolas Vaudelet.
Review of the different Echo costumes with Nicolas Vaudelet.
Echo begins as Future and his dog Ewai go on stage. They are dressed
in suits printed with a blue sky dotted with white clouds. The two
artists are in symbiosis, Ewai is a domesticated wolf-dog who takes
the colors of the human, of his master. In the original idea, the
character of Future represents, through the clouds, the dream, the
future.
Weve seen the cloud print a lot. It came from Magrittes inspiration
and surrealism, before Louis Vuitton published it in his show! Cloud
print is difficult to work with, because it can quickly make poor
quality. A cloud too bright on stage, its cheap! Moreover, the
costumes of Future and Ewai are cut from different materials to meet
the needs of the two artists. It was very annoying, but it makes
sense. It works well, a surreal print in a monochrome universe, says
the costume designer.
The banquine number and human frame is the most colorful of all.
There are no two colors like this. The outfielders, who are closer to
the light, wear warm shades, while the artists on the ground wear cold
shades. We thus want to accentuate the aerial aspect of the number,
says Vaudelet.
The double troubled manipulation number is the comic portion of the
show. The two protagonists represent the era of industrialization.
The red orange, orange with fluorescent, is a synthetic color that
represents consumption and trade. Their hat is a nod to the English
businessmen of the 1940s, says the costume designer.
The costumes of the hair suspension number are bold, because the
fireflies light up. Its very new to integrate electronics into an
acrobatic act, because its very fragile, you have to protect the
connections. It was also necessary to strip the two artists as much as
possible while respecting the aesthetics of the show, says Vaudelet.
The pieces he is most proud of are the masks. I am very attached to
all masks. We explored things we had never done before. Usually, we do
not put masks on acrobats for reasons of safety, performance and not
to take humanity away from artists. Designing a goat, antelope or bull
mask while clearing lateral vision and maintaining the characteristics
and volumes of each species was perilous, says the creator.
The cartographer is a mysterious character, he wears a suit, whose
silhouette dates from another era. He is our explorer and architect.
Its silhouette is that of the 19th century to which a print of the
game tie the dots was applied. You have to work with the artists
body and personality. It has gone through several stages of creation
and it will soon evolve to yet another. Since Piotr Kopacz has
beautiful arms, we will show them. In addition, the jacket is short to
lengthen his legs, says Nicolas Vaudelet.
Echos costumes are made of Cirque du Soleils usual visual invoice.
They are both simple and minimalist, moving away from the costumed
look. The Circus is used to having a richness in costumes, a certain
baroque aspect in ornaments, prints and embroidery. It is an
aesthetics that is recognizable. It was therefore a challenge to
follow this idea of simplification, almost fashion in the costume,
says Nicolas Vaudelet.
The white suits, whose fabric looks like crumpled paper, are
impressive, because this type of clothing is not associated with the
circus universe. It was a technical challenge. So we tried in Tyvek,
the material used for painters dogs, but it was impossible with the
daily maintenance in the washing machine. The Circus is also the
genius of the workshop, which is a magnificent laboratory. We did
pleat tests on polyester fibers to achieve the desired effect, shares
the costume designer.
Simplification does not work every time. There really has to be a set
and all the designers have to be in the same bath. The simplification
of the costume, without the genius of Martin Labrecque with lighting,
the staging of Mukhtar O.S. Mukhtar and Andrew Skeels choreographies,
it wouldnt work, he says.
{ SOURCE: Journal de Montreal }
----------------------------------------------------------
Shakeup in O Management After Performer Injured
{Jul.05.2023}
----------------------------------------------------------
A week after one of its accomplished, experienced artists was injured
onstage in O, Cirque du Soleil has announced two senior officials
are on leave from the show.
In companywide, internal memo issued Wednesday by Cirque President of
Resident Shows Division Eric Grilly, the company announced Senior
Company Manager Tony Ricotta and Senior Artistic Director Pierre
Parisien are on leave from the show.
Grilly also met with the shows cast and crew at O Theatre at Bellagio
late Wednesday afternoon to tell them the news in-person.
The management shakeup is the result of injuries suffered by O
artist Kyle Mitrione in Wednesdays 9:30 p.m. performance. The memo,
with Cirques sunburst logo letterhead, began with the subject line,
Update and changes following June 28th incident.
No timeline was given for how long the two sidelined officials would
be away from the production. But Parisien e-mailed what seemed a
farewell note to the cast Tuesday.
The creative official said he would be with the Orlando production
Dawn To Life for two weeks. He added, I needed a little bit of time
to process everything that has happened to me in the past three
weeks, and thanked the crew for all of the great work we did
together during the years I was there.
The company has already assigned officials to fill the two open slots.
Claude Bourbonniere is stepping in as senior company manager, working
with the just-appointed Senior Artistic Director Tim Smith.
Mitrione, a former champion diver out of Purdue University, was
injured while performing a back-dive during the Island number, an act
put into the show two weeks before the incident. Mitrione hit the
Island landing with his head as the set piece rose from the shows
aquatic stage.
Mitrione reportedly fractured his neck and was taken from the theater
on a stretcher, and underwent a five-hour, emergency surgery late
Wednesday night. The show paused as he was treated onstage and taken
from the theater, then resumed. O has not missed a performance
because of the accident.
Mitrione is reportedly conscious and aware of what happened. Sources
on the scene say he was coherent after the incident and able to move
his extremities. A fundraising campaign has been launched to assist in
meal prep for Mitriones family (Venmo @mikeWynn2 is one of the
donation portals).
According to his LinkedIn profile, Ricotta is company manager over O
and Mad Apple at New York-New York (We first met the official in
2011, when Zarkana was being developed for then-Zarkana Theater at
Aria). Parisien has been with Cirque since 1994, and has worked on
Mystere, Criss Angel Believe, Ka, and Love, along with O.
The show is under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), the federal-governments labor-safety agency.
OSHA spokeswoman Teri Williams reiterated Wednesday that the agency is
investigating the show. The official said in an e-mail that Nevada
OSHA has up to six months to issue a citation, but that each case is
unique and the timeframe is based on the complexity, availability of
business reps and employees required for interviews, among other
variables.
Cirque PR rep Ann Paladie declined to comment on Mitriones care and
condition, or how the company is organizing any relief to the family
to offset medical-related expenses.
Paladie said in an e-mail message:
Out of respect for Kyle, and to ensure compliance with applicable
medical privacy laws, we are not able to share details about his
personal health condition, but please be assured that we are providing
the best possible care and support for him as well as his family.
Of the OSHA inspection and review of the production, Paladie said,
While we cannot discuss the details because the investigation remains
ongoing, we are cooperating fully with OSHA. We are hiring an external
consultant to do our own internal investigation as well.
Grillys memo noted that two members of the Cirque human resources
department would be on-site to communicate with cast and crew. The
document indicated the company is looking into a range of workplace
issues at O, and encouraging the cast and crew to be open and
forthcoming in the information shared.
{ SORUCE: John Katsilometes, Las Vegas Review-Journal }
----------------------------------------------------------
Comedian Harrison Greenbaum Says 'Nothing's Off
Limits' in MAD APPLE
{Jul.06.2023}
----------------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleils Mad Apple, which just passed its first anniversary
at New York-New York, is unlike anything weve seen on the Strip from
the groundbreaking theatrical company, and first-timers will realize
that even before comedian Harrison Greenbaum drops the F-bomb. Its 80
minutes of music and mayhem paying homage to New York Citys nightlife
and culture, and that includes no-holds-barred stand-up from
Greenbaum, a Harvard grad and Andy Kaufman Award winner.
Q. What was your first impression of the opportunity to work in a
Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas? I had just seen O at the Bellagio,
so I think my first thought was, Have they seen me in a Speedo?
But in all seriousness, everything happened so fast: Mad Apple was
about to have its first performance, and they needed a last minute
fill-in for the main comedy role, so I got a call on a Saturday night
asking if I could be on a plane the next morning. I said yes, packed
three pairs of underwear and was off to Vegas. The show went really
well, so they asked me to stay for the next show, then for the rest of
the week, and before I could get back on the plane, I had an offer to
headline the show for the next year and a half. I still havent had
enough time to process that Im the first stand-up comedian to star in
a Cirque show in 38 years, because Cirque basically kidnapped me, and
I still need more underwear.
Q. Your comedy is obviously edgier than what weve seen in Cirque
shows until now. What was the process in developing what you can and
cannot say?
One of the non-negotiables I had when joining the show was that there
couldnt be any restrictions on what I could or couldnt say. Im a
nationally touring comedian and magician, and I think that freedom is
one of the most important parts of me being able to do my job, so I
wasnt about to give that up. Thankfully, and to Cirques credit,
theyve trusted me to do whatever I want, which also speaks to what
kind of show Mad Apple isif you want to have authentic New York
comedy in the show, the only rule you can have is that you have to go
out and kill as hard as possible. I have a list of words that Im the
first Cirque performer in history to have said, and it keeps growing.
I could tell you the list, but I dont think you could print any of
them.
Q. Is there another level of naughtiness that you can go to in your
other gigs?
My approach to the show and Cirques goal for my performances are the
same: When Im onstage, we want the audience to feel like theyre at a
New York comedy club. That means that the level of naughtiness at Mad
Apple isnt really different from any of my other gigs. If anything,
because I have free rein in a Cirque show, I sometimes feel like I can
be even naughtier, since Im the only Cirque performer thats
basically allowed to make fun of the fact that hes currently in a
Cirque show! Nothings off-limitssex, politics, religionthe whole
thing. In fact, I got my first death threat doing religion jokes on
this show and my response was, You want to kill a Jew for what he has
to say? Where have I read that story before.
Q. What have you learned about living and performing in Las Vegas this
first year?
There are four seasons in Las Vegas: cold, surprisingly cold, May, and
the surface of the sun. Also, not everything is open 24/7, but Golden
Tiki is, so definitely go there. Did I mention the heat? Its very hot
here. Now that Ive lived in the desert for a year, I realize that
when the Jews were wandering the desert for 40 years, Moses probably
spent most of that time telling the other Jews, Dont worry, its a
dry heat.
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Weekly }
----------------------------------------------------------
Mysterious World of Cirque du Soleil: Behind the Magic
{Jul.08.2023}
----------------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil is a Canadian entertainment company and the worlds
largest theater production company. Known as Canadas National
Treasure, it is the fastest growing, highest-earning and most popular
art group in the world today. Corteo is a centerpiece play from Cirque
that combines elegant aerial acrobatics and shocking theatrical
performances. Corteo means cortege in Italian, which means a
process of joy and refers to a happy team imagined by the clown,
Mauro, who envisions that his own burial will take place amid a
carnival atmosphere and be attended by tender angels. The show
contrasts the grand with the intimate, the silly with the tragic, and
the beauty of perfection withthe appeal of imperfection. It also
emphasizes the strength and vulnerability of the clown as well as his
knowledge and generosity to represent the aspect of humanity that
exists in each of us. Corteo is guided through a timeless ceremony in
which fantasy teases reality with music, which is both poetic and
mischievous. This drama brings theater fans the joy and fun that
belongs to the theater world, as well as being in a mysterious space
between heaven and earth.
The Corteo Cirque Du Soleil World Tour came to Boston last month. .
Sampan had the exclusive opportunity to get a first look at the stage,
cast rehearsal, costume room, and a backstage tour with Props
Technician Kevin Chuang before the their premiere show at the Agganis
Arena. Chuang, born in Hong Kong, graduated from The Hong Kong
Academy for Performing Arts, majoring in props. He recalls his origin
story:
It was a Cirque Du Soleil Asia tour in Macau. I saw an internal
recruitment for a prop technician, so I applied immediately, because
there happened to be more than 10 acrobats from mainland China at that
time. I speak Mandarin, Cantonese and English fluently and can help
actors and staff to communicate better. I was lucky to get the job at
that time, and this is how I started my journey with Cirque du Soleil.
It has now been for 13 years.
I remember one time in North America, there were some problems with
the prop truck. The truck arrived at the scene only two hours before
the performance, which required the whole team to work well together,
under high pressure and a tight schedule to build the stage and get
ready with all the props. We usually need to check all the props at
least 2-3 hours before the performance. Like the premiere show at 7
oclock tonight, the team had to prepare in advance we arrived at 10
oclock this morning.
Every time we tour different places, we have to make some adjustments
depending on the venue. With a show like tonight in an Arena, the
props department will merge with the carpentry department, about 5-6
people. The carpentry department is responsible for building the stage
and the screen, and the props department is only me this time.
Corteo Cirque Du Soleil has about 120 participants in total, and
there are about 50 actors, 34 professional athletes, some are Olympic
level, representing 27 nationalities and 17 languages. About 20-30 are
backstage technicians, basically divided into props, carpentry,
sounds, lighting, wagging, trapeze, chefs, costumes, stage management,
office assistant, etc. Every department needs to be responsible for
its own work to ensure that every detail is close to perfect. The most
important thing between the different departments is trust and that
they do not delay each other.
Our crew members are from different countries and we often travel to
different places and cities. I need to adapt to a new environment and
working styles. I like meeting people from different backgrounds,
learning languages, enjoying food and experiencing various cultures.
After a few years of touring, many crew members will join different
shows or tours. I am lucky to have made some great friends over the
years.
A few years ago, Cirque du Soleil toured back to my hometown Hong
Kong. It was the first time my family and friends came to see the
show. I was very proud to show them my work. There are not many crew
members who come from Hong Kong and can tour with Cirque du Soleil,
maybe only about 5 people from the Hong Kong area.
Every time I call my family, they always ask me when I will be back
home. I miss them so much! My family sees I am doing the things I love
so they are all very supportive. Usually after a twelve week tour, we
will get about a 2 week break, and the manager will arrange for us to
travel home. After the tour in the U.S, we will go to Mexico in
October. My plan is to visit my family after that. Hopefully I can buy
a ticket that only stops at two places, but most likely need to
transfer three times to be able to get back to Hong Kong.
During the past two years of the pandemic, the tour was paused. Until
April last year, the Corteo Cirque Du Soleil team started rehearsing
for a month in Croatia and Australia, and then continued the tour in
Europe.
Chuang continued: Corteo is a show that leads the audience into a
magical world and temporarily away from reality. The staff behind the
scenes are like magicians, presenting fantasy and joy in the best way.
I love my job, I dont feel like Im working at all, I enjoy it every
single day! Its amazing to be able to be part of creating a magical
world and be able to present on the stage. When you hear the laughter
and applause, you know that you have accomplished your goal. We set
up the stage in the middle and will divide the audience into two sides
in Agganis Arena, which is very close to how we stage our big screen
show. The acrobats, the actors and the musicians work very well
together it is
perfect. Corteo will tour in the U.S this year and I
hope everyone will come to enjoy it.
We celebrated the 18th anniversary of Corteo Cirque Du Soleil two
weeks ago. We ate, sang and danced together. Every dream will have a
beginning and an end, and I am very lucky to live in one of them every
day.
{ SOURCE: Dongdong Yang; Sampan }
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
{Alegria INAL, Koozå, Kurios, Luzia, Bazzar}
o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues
{Crystal, Corteo, Messi10, OVO}
o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre
{Mystère, "O", LOVE, MJ ONE, JOYA, and Mad Apple}
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/ >.
------------------------------------
BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
------------------------------------
Alegría-In a New Light:
Osaka, JP -- July 14, 2023 to October 15, 2023
London, UK -- January 11, 2024 to February 11, 2024
Barcelona, ES -- March 20, 2024 to April 14, 2024
Madrid, ES -- December 4, 2024 to January 6, 2025
Koozå:
Denver, CO -- July 5, 2023 to August 13, 2023
Calgary, AB -- August 25, 2023 to October 8, 2023
Vancouver, BC -- October 21, 2023 to December 31, 2023
San Francisco, CA -- January 17, 2024 to March 10, 2024
Kurios:
Knokke, BE -- July 27, 2023 to August 27, 2023
Brussels, BE -- September 7, 2023 to October 8, 2023
Paris, FR -- November 16, 2023 to December 17, 2023
Luzia:
Frankfurt, DE -- June 13, 2023 to July 23, 2023
Seoul, SKR -- October 25, 2023 to November 12, 2023
Bazzar:
Buenos Aires, AR -- June 23, 2023 to July 30, 2023
Oaks, PA -- September 26, 2023 to October 22, 2023
San Antonio, TX -- November 5, 2023 to December 3, 2023
Charlotte, NC -- December 16, 2023 to January 14, 2024
St. Petersburg, FL -- February 22, 2024 to March 24, 2024
ECHO:
Montreal, QC -- April 20, 2023 to August 20, 2023
Washington, DC -- September 6, 2023 to October 22, 2023
Atlanta, GA -- November 5, 2023 to January 21, 2024
TWAS THE NIGHT:
St. Louis, MO -- TBA
Baltimore, MD -- November 24, 2023 to December 3, 2023
Chicago, IL -- TBA
Milwaukee, WI -- November 24, 2023 to November 26, 2023
New York, NY -- TBA
------------------------------------
ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues
------------------------------------
CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE:
Auckland, NZ -- Jul 4, 2023 to Jul 9, 2023
Brisbane, AU -- Jul 21, 2023 to Jul 30, 2023
Sydney, AU -- Aug 3, 2023 to Aug 13, 2023
Melbourne, AU -- Aug 17, 2023 to Aug 27, 2023
Adelaide, AU -- Aug 31, 2023 to Sep 3, 2023
Perth, AU -- Sep 15, 2023 to Sep 24, 2023
Windsor, ON -- Nov 30, 2023 to Dec 3, 2023
Oshawa, ON -- Dec 7, 2023 to Dec 10, 2023
Hamilton, ON -- Dec 14, 2023 to Dec 17, 2023
Montreal, QC -- Dec 22, 2023 to Dec 31, 2023
Hershey, PA -- Jan 11, 2024 to Jan 14, 2024
Pittsburg, PA -- Jan 18, 2024 to Jan 21, 2024
CORTEO:
Ottawa, ON -- Jun 28, 2023 to Jul 2, 2023
Kingston, ON -- Jul 6, 2023 to Jul 9, 2023
Saint Paul, MN -- Jul 13, 2023 to Jul 16, 2023
Sacramento, CA -- Aug 3, 2023 to Aug 6, 2023
San Jose, CA -- Aug 9, 2023 to Aug 13, 2023
Oakland, CA -- Aug 17, 2023 to Aug 20, 2023
San Francisco, CA -- Aug 23, 2023 to Aug 27, 2023
Palm Springs, CA -- Aug 31, 2023 to Sep 3, 2023
San Diego, CA -- Sep 6, 2023 to Sep 10, 2023
Phoenix, AZ -- Sep 13, 2023 to Sep 17, 2023
Wichita, KS -- Nov 9, 2023 to Nov 12, 2023
Dayton, OH -- Nov 16, 2023 to Nov 19, 2023
Cleveland, OH -- Nov 22, 2023 to Nov 26, 2023
Omaha, NE -- Nov 30, 2023 to Dec 3, 2023
Winnipeg, MB -- Dec 7, 2023 to Dec 10, 2023
Regina, SK -- Dec 14, 2023 to Dec 17, 2023
Saskatoon, SK -- Dec 21, 2023 to Dec 24, 2023
Edmonton, AB -- Dec 27, 2023 to Dec 31, 2023
Penticon, BC -- Jan 4, 2024 to Jan 7, 2024
Victoria, BC -- Jan 11, 2024 to Feb 14, 2024
Baton Rouge, LA -- Feb 22, 2024 to Feb 25, 2024
Jacksonville, FL -- Mar 7, 2024 to Mar 10, 2024
MESSI10:
Salta, AR -- Jul 14, 2023 to Jul 29, 2023
Buenos Aires, AR -- Oct 5, 2023 to Nov 5, 2023
OVO:
San Sebastian, ES -- Jul 19, 2023 to Jul 23, 2023
Gijon, ES -- Jul 26, 2023 to Aug 6, 2023
Gran Canaria, ES -- Aug 12, 2023 to Aug 20, 2023
Amsterdam, NL -- Sep 7, 2023 to Sep 10, 2023
Rotterdam, NL -- Sep 14, 2023 to Sep 17, 2023
Bordeaux, FR -- Sep 21, 2023 to Sep 24, 2023
Turin, IT -- Sep 28, 2023 to Oct 1, 2023
Berlin, DE -- Oct 5, 2023 to Oct 8, 2023
Zurich, CH -- Oct 11, 2023 to Oct 15, 2023
Bratislava, SK -- Oct 19, 2023 to Oct 22, 2023
Pesaro, IT -- Oct 26, 2023 to Oct 29, 2023
Bologna, IT -- Nov 2, 2023 to Nov 5, 2023
Florence, IT -- Nov 8, 2023 to Nov 12, 2023
Lyon, FR -- Nov 15, 2023 to Nov 19, 2023
Toulouse, FR -- Dec 7, 2023 to Dec 10, 2023
Granada, ES -- Dec 13, 2023 to Dec 17, 2023
Lisbon, PT -- Dec 20, 2023 to Dec 30, 2023
Santiago, ES -- Jan 3, 2024 to Jan 7, 2024
Zaragoza, ES -- Jan 10, 2024 to Jan 14, 2024
Lausanne, CH -- Jan 18, 2024 to Jan 21, 2024
Vienna, AT -- Feb 1, 2024 to Feb 4, 2024
Budapest, HU -- Feb 8, 2024 to Feb 11, 2024
Bucharest, RO -- Feb 15, 2024 to Feb 18, 2024
---------------------------------
RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre
---------------------------------
Mystère:
Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday
Variable Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2023 Dark Days:
o) July 21, 2023
o) September 8 thru 12, 2023
o) November 10, 2023
"O":
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Wednesday through Friday, Dark Monday/Tuesday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2023 Dark Days:
o) August 16-20, 2023
o) October 22, 2023
o) November 29-30, 2023
o) December 1-3, 2023
o) December 6-10, 2023
KA:
Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark Thursday/Friday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2023 Dark Days:
o) August 16, 2023
o) October 21 - 25, 2023
o) November 18, 2023
o) December 13, 2023
LOVE:
Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
Age Requirements:
- Children under 5 not permitted.
2023 Dark Days:
o) July 4 & 11, 2023
o) September 5-9, 2023
o) September 12-16, 2023
o) November 18, 2023
o) December 25, 2023
MICHAEL JACKSON ONE:
Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Thursday through Monday - Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2023 Dark Days:
o) August 10 - 14, 2023
o) October 16, 2023
JOYÀ:
Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
DRAWN TO LIFE:
Location: Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Two Shows Nightly - 5:30pm and 8:00pm
MAD APPLE:
Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
Age Requirements:
- Children under 16 not permitted.
- Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult
2023 Dark Days:
o) August 21 22, 2023
o) October 27 31, 2023
o) November 3 7, 2023
o) December 18 19, 2023
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
o) "THERE'S NOTHING LIKE MIXING A CIRQUE SHOW" - an
Exclusive Interview with David Wallace, head of
PLANS at Cirque du Soleil's "Drawn to Life" [Part 3 of 3]
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
o) "LIFE IS A CIRCUS 3: Even More Posts from the Cirque Blog"
By: Cirque's Artists, Editors, and More...
----------------------------------------------------------
"THERE'S NOTHING LIKE MIXING A CIRQUE SHOW" - an
Exclusive Interview with David Wallace, head of PLANS
at Cirque du Soleil's "Drawn to Life" [Part 3 of 3]
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
For our last two issues weve been having a conversation with Mr.
David Wallace - Head of PLANS (Projections, Lighting, Audio,
Networking & Special Effects) for Cirque du Soleils Drawn to Life in
Orlando. This month we conclude our conversation, learning about the
other aspects of Mr. Wallaces creativity, and his feelings on his
lifelong passion.
HIS OTHER LIFE(S)
-----------------
So far, weve focused on Mr. Wallaces experiences with Cirque du
Soleil, but there are other sides to his efforts in the audio realm.
There's a whole other side to my life, sound and system design for
museum exhibits. Have you heard of the exhibit at the Kennedy Space
Center, where the space shuttle Atlantis is hung in the air with its
cargo bay doors open? I did the sound for everything in there, except
the main theater which was designed and mixed by another company.
(See a description at: https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/explore-
attractions/shuttle-a-ship-like-no-other/featured-attraction/space-
shuttle-atlantis ). I was also the sound designer for CSI: The
Experience. (which has closed, a page with info can be seen at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSI:_The_Experience ). I have a whole
list of things that aren't on my LinkedIn page, the immersive stuff.
Another big project that we did, that was years in the making, was
the creative work on Battle Stations 21 which is a naval destroyer
simulator. [Located at U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command in Great
Lakes, IL - a page on this can be found at:
https://www.chickrussell.com/case-studies/battle-stations-21/ ] I had
a blast, I got to record every sound a Destroyer makes. I took my
Neumann KU100 binaural head [ https://en-de.neumann.com/ku-100 ]. I
walked the entire ship and tried to record everything binaurally as
well as with shotgun microphones or small diaphragm condenser mics.
So, I have a whole bunch of really cool binaural sound effects from
traipsing through a destroyer, it's pretty amazing.
The opportunity came to him at the same time he was manning the sound
board at La Nouba. While I was at Cirque, I had formed a [side-]
business, there was a creative group in Orlando that I started working
for. From 2002 to 2019 I was working with Bob Weis
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-weis/ ) and his company, Bob Weis
Design Island Associates, Inc. (www.design-island.com, though it
doesnt work). Later on (in 2016-stepping down at the end of 2021)
Bob Weis went on to be the president of Walt Disney Imagineering.
Around 1994 he had left Disney and had a creative company designing
exhibits and things and I was basically his sound designer. Once La
Nouba was operating on a 40 to 45 hour a week [schedule], that's how I
filled the rest of my creative time.
I would do the sound design, [and] the composer that did most of the
composing work with me was Alex Clements (.com), who was a keyboard
player at La Nouba but is now the keyboard player at O as well as
teaching at the University of Las Vegas. We would always get set up
to do things. We had one client that was a winery in China, and we
ended up recording an orchestra out of Moldavia and we were [watching
via an] ISDN line. He was chatting with the conductor, and we were
recording a 60-piece orchestra in Eastern Europe. [Then we did the]
editing and sound design in Orlando and shipped it to China to be
installed, it was fascinating.
And I still do that, but of course once I started working on Drawn to
Life there was just no time.
We mentioned earlier that Mr. Wallace taught a class on film mixing
while Drawn to Life was shuttered during the pandemic. In a later
email exchange, he elaborated on his experience in the field and
teaching. My other passion is mixing audio for media, especially
using the surround field to immerse an audience in the experience. I
have 4 feature length movies to my credit as the re-recording mixer
(the person that mixes all the sound effects, dialogue, and music
together for the final product), and hundreds of shorts, ads, and
museum exhibit media pieces.
When we shut down for COVID I took a position at FIRST Institute
(first.edu), a technical school in Orlando Florida, teaching location
audio and post-production sound effects design and mixing. The
pleasure of teaching the creative and technical requirements for media
production was an extremely rewarding experience. The best part was
the joy when I walked into the classroom every day, the students
taught me how to be adventurous and look at creative endeavors with
the eyes of a child. Try things, dont follow the same path youve
taken for decades, forge into the creative swamp and spend some time
in the unknown! Best lesson ever, still grateful for those students
energy and excitement.
STAYING IN THE MOMENT
---------------------
As the interview was winding down, we got to our usual closing
interview questions. In terms of Cirque shows, I have seen probably
14 or 15. How many total have I watched? Thousands! And he does
have his favorites. Certainly, Drawn to Life is my current love, but
La Nouba has a special place in my heart. I think it was because it
was Franco Dragone and the original design and concepteurs from
Cirque. It was right after O and was the final show they did as a
group. There's so much of that show I adored.
If we're talking about Vegas my favorite show has got to be the
Mystere. I still think Mystere captures the spark of Cirque. Even
though some of the other shows have a lot of modern technology, and KA
has that incredible stage and all those elements, there's something
about Mystere that I adore. So those would be my two biggest [resident
show] favorites.
As for touring shows, Saltimbanco is my favorite Cirque tent show.
It was the first show I saw live [In Toronto in June/July of 1993] and
was pure magic. The acts, the music, the costumes, and creativity
showed off an elevated sense of circus/theatre arts that I had never
experienced. From that moment on I wanted to be part of that world.
His favorite piece of Cirque memorabilia is also one of this writers,
It has to be my bag that is made from [Cirque tent canvas]. (an
example can be found at: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/
cirque-du-soleil-messenger-bag-401094118 ) That is totally my
favorite piece of memorabilia from Cirque.
What does he wish he had more time for? In a perfect world, I would
have time to go to the last few remaining locations on Earth where you
could record something without hearing humans or technology. If I
could have the time to do anything, it would be to go to - I don't
know, [maybe] Tierra del Fuego or the Antarctic or the North Pole
and just record ambiances. Like Gordon Hempton, the Sound Tracker [
www.soundtracker.com ], my hero.
He had an interesting answer to what inspires him, I'm inspired by
the artists and certainly the danger, the risk. That is my work
inspiration in so many ways because they remind me of a couple of
things. They remind me to play, that life is playing. In our funnest
moments as children we're playing, usually involving monkey bars or
trees - the things that would now make parents cringe when they're 20
feet up in an oak tree climbing away. But when I think back on those
times, it reminds me that that's who we were as people. And somewhere
along the way we tend to forget - we say, I'm not going to climb that
tree anymore. So, when I see artists doing what they do and their
interactions, that's inspiring to remember that the best results come
when we're free and feeling like we're playing like children. Of
course [from that] you get inspiration for life.
Staying in the moment, is his greatest challenge, he says.
Especially with technology these days, whether it's your iPhone or a
show system, there is so much data being created, there are so many
data points that we're being hit with, so many screens in our face.
When we're scrolling through social media or focusing on screens and
data too much, we tend to live in the past or the future. [My
challenge is] getting past that and realizing that I need to be in the
moment, for work and life. Sometimes I just have to put the
technology aside and focus on the moment and go out in nature. Hence
my mention of nature so many times; I find that it grounds and centers
me and puts me back into the moment where I'm supposed to live as
opposed to the past or the future. And so, I find the biggest
challenge is trying to remain centered and grounded and just get away
from all the technology.
And his words of wisdom for those wanting to go into the technical end
of theater (or, really, any performing arts position)? I view it as
a bit of a calling. In my youth we used to joke I'm in theatre for
a quick buck and then I'm out. And that was because, for those first
few years, depending on where you're working it can be challenging
because it's not a highly paid career choice. So, my best advice is,
if you're dedicated to it because you feel it's whats calling you,
then go for it and be prepared for a lot of hard work. But the
tradeoff, like most things, is youll have some incredible experiences
working with some incredible people. And sometimes that is in lieu of
some of the monetary gains. There'll be personal enrichment, personal
education. But if you're looking for a career choice that has a
larger monetary impact, this may not be the one for you.
Working with a team to achieve a goal, that is where Mr. Wallace finds
his greatest satisfaction. My greatest work satisfaction is seeing
the technical teams succeed. With Cirque every show is different,
every show has challenges, but we manage to get through. So, success
for us is normal in a lot of ways. It's how we develop as a team, and
seeing the success of developing better ways, more efficient ways,
simpler ways of achieving the technical results that we get, that just
absolutely thrills me.
# # #
My sincere thanks go to: Mr. Wallace for so graciously spending time
with us; Janette Vazquez, Communications Manager, Drawn to Life;
Nadira Sookram; And my wife LouAnna for putting up with my sometimes-
obsessive hobby.
This article is dedicated to Karen Mogster, big-time Disney and Cirque
du Soleil fan.
REFERENCES
-----------
For a good history of La Nouba, see:
https://www.richasi.com/Cirque/LaNouba/index.html
For a good overview of Drawn to Life, see
https://www.richasi.com/Cirque/Drawn/index.html
And of course, tickets to (and more information about) Drawn to Life
can be found at: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/drawn-to-life
ENCORE - REAPER
---------------
As a little added bonus to our interview with Mr. Wallace we present a
recommendation. This writer is looking for audio workstation software
that isnt outlandishly expensive and can mix in 5.1 surround sound.
Mr. Wallaces recommendation was instant. Reaper. [a digital audio
workstation, found at: reaper.fm] It will cost you $60. And I would
put it up against ProTools (https://www.avid.com/pro-tools , $100 per
year) any day of the week. Its extraordinary.
Ive switched to Logic (www.apps.apple.com/logicpro ) because I have
it on my Mac and I use it with Ambisonic stuff like the Sennheiser mic
(the AMBEO VR Mic - https://en-us.sennheiser.com/microphone-3d-audio-
ambeo-vr-mic) which records 4 channels but you can convert it to 5.1,
as well as the binaural stuff. Integrating some of the new spatial
audio in Logic has been really well done. So, I'm playing in that
world right now, but once I figure things out it will be very simple
to convert that into Reaper.
It's for PC or Mac. You can get a free demo version where everything
works [for 60 days]. And eventually you'll [say], This is so worth
the 60 bucks. It's absolutely an incredible piece of software. You
could do anything; 5.1 mixing, 7.1 mixing, 10.2. You can do any
format you want. It's way more stable than ProTools ever was, and it
costs hundreds of dollars less. It also has a wide selection of free
plug-ins that are excellent.
Given the cost of ProTools, I know lots of people, tons of
professionals who have moved to Reaper because they're tired of the
expense with these companies moving to monthly subscriptions. (Avid
wants $100.00 per year for ProTools.) It's just getting ridiculous.
----------------------------------------------------------
"LIFE IS A CIRCUS 3: Even More Posts from the Cirque Blog"
By: Artists, Editors, and More...
----------------------------------------------------------
From life outside the big top to peeks behind the curtain, Cirque du
Soleil has started a blog to allow fans to get up close and personal
with their fascinating talent as well as a look at the know-how that
goes into giving a Cirque show its spark the kinds of things you
might not get to see from beyond the stage. Here are a few more of
the recent posts that we found interesting to share!
# # # # #
THE SEARCH FOR KA
BY: Maxim Potvin, Blog Editor | April 4, 2023
A story of epic proportions will unfold right before your stunned
eyes, at the MGM Grand Las Vegas Hotel. KÀ by Cirque du Soleil tells
the adventure of a lifetime for our main characters, two siblings,
twins, destined for something bigger than they could ever imagine. We
have a lot to celebrate this year and we felt like KÀ had more than
deserved a place in the spotlight, since its turning 18 years old in
2023. Are you familiar with this explosive production?
A STORY OF REGAL PROPORTIONS
Headed to a pageant held in their honor, the royal twins partake in a
playful joust of swordplay. Little did they know, from the challenges
awaiting them on their course across a territory at war, conflict
would arise within the two and make them face the duality of KÀ. While
at the pageant, an ambush attack by the antagonists of this epic tale
the Archers and Spearman separates the twins who need to make
their way back to each other and defeat their kingdoms enemy.
Fortunately, the twin sister is saved by her Nursemaid, escaping the
fight on a boat. The twin brother, less fortunate, is left behind.
Wounded and at the mercy of their soon-to-be captors, hell have to
find his own way of escaping the Chief Archers den. Many dangers are
lurking in the shadows and many new friends will momentarily cross
their path on their journey to victory.
PYROTECHNICS, PUPPETS and GRAVITY-DEFYING DECORS
Jaw-dropping acts are a common occurrence at Cirque shows. Not to play
it off like its nothing, but anyone whos been to this spectacle can
tell you that they were left completely amazed by what they
experienced. KÀ takes things a bit further! Our 9-story-high theater
is a sight to behold. Its humongous size allowed our creative team to
go all out with the latest technologies and special effects that leave
audiences in awe and wonder. Some elements of the show border on the
immersive territory something that Cirque is dabbling more and more
in! Each of the 1,950 seats of the theater are outfitted with a pair
of speakers in the headrest. This allows sound effects to be targeted,
manipulated, and customized to any of the 16 seating zones. The stage
is a masterwork of engineering on its own. It can tilt through 100
degrees and rotate a continuous 360° while artists are performing.
This is the secret to a successful illusion: the vertical battle scene
that gives a unique top-view perspective to the spectators. Now you
might understand why the theater is so vast. High ceilings also means
that we could safely include pyrotechnics amongst the special effects.
Throughout the performance, 120 fireballs and 90 pyrotechnic devices
are fired. These red-hot fireballs reach 30 feet upwards and
temperatures of 1,200°F. Cirque is committed to never using real
animals in their productions. To keep this oath, while also
integrating the imagery of the animal kingdom, 7 larger-than-life
puppets were created and included in the show. One crab puppet that
took 1,300 hours of work to complete, an 80-foot-long snake and a
myriad of smaller puppets are amongst the many animals brought to life
by our artists. The giant sea turtle, part of the beach scene, rolls
around in yet another surprising illusion. Using sand would prove to
be too challenging to manage and clean up for the crew, we opted to
mimic the texture with 1 ton of granulated cork.
HOW TO ATTEND?
Visit KÀs show page to see when the next performances are and grab
the best seats in the theater. To make your night with Cirque du
Soleil at MGM Grand Las Vegas even more memorable, you can opt for the
Royal VIP Experience and enjoy exclusive perks!
See you in Vegas!
# # # # #
CELEBRATING 26 YEARS OF CIRQUE AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL
BY: Maxim Potvin, Blog Editor | February 8, 2023
Weve been lucky enough to bring amazement to Royal Albert Hall for
the past 26 years. After so many years, we can say that we broke many
records and reached many goals during our tenure at the Hall. Heres a
look back at our many accomplishments in London. Over the last quarter
of century (yeah, its really been that long!), weve had the pleasure
to visit London yearly, ever since we first set foot at the Hall. This
historic theater has played host to many Cirque performances over the
years, creating a lasting bond between the two. Each time we visit it
always turns out to be noteworthy. We create memories for both our
team and our audience, and we leave London filled with joy and ready
for our next destination.
When it All Started -- We still look back fondly on the first time we
performed at Royal Albert Hall. Back in 1996 (oof, were old!), Cirque
was not yet a household name in Europe, and Saltimbanco taking over
the Hall was definitely something that would be remembered. It was
such a hit that the show returned the following year, and went back
one last time in 2003, totaling 113 performances.
Alegrías Record Residency -- After more than 5000 performances since
it premiered, its safe to say that Alegría is a worldwide phenomenon.
Out of these, a whooping 179 were done at Royal Albert Hall over four
sets of representations. A personal record for Cirque at the Hall!
KURIOS Big European Premiere -- Our latest achievement has just
started its 2 months residency at the Hall. KURIOS Cabinet of
Curiosities is now beginning its European tour with a series of shows
in London. Our steampunk-inspired show is right at home in the
historic theater whose remarkable decor perfectly matches the shows
look and feel.
No Show is Too Big -- Crossing the ocean with a full show could seem
like an immense task to neophytes. Fortunately, years of experience
have made us expert packers so much so that Marie Kondo would swoon
at our meticulously organized containers. Even with this skill in our
back pocket, it was quite a challenge to bring KURIOS overseas. If you
didnt know, KURIOS Cabinet of Curiosities is our biggest show, in
terms of structure and moving parts. We even had to retrofit our rig
to be able to use it securely at the Hall. Its actually been a common
occurrence for us as shows transition from Big Tops to arenas and
theaters when touring.
Locking in Our 1000th Performance -- 26 years of shows at the Hall
quickly added up and led us to our 1000th representation. The honor of
passing this major number belongs to OVO, in 2018. Performing over 73
times at the Hall, our cast and crew had the pleasure of being the
ones to celebrate this accomplishment. Kurios will bring this total
over a whooping 1300 total performances for Cirque du Soleil with its
current run!
Relaunching the Tours in Europe with LUZIA -- The pandemic certainly
left its mark on Cirque du Soleil. Thankfully, we managed to bounce
back and resume our activities around the globe, back in 2022. The
relaunch wasnt a piece of cake, and we have much to be proud of, but
being able to bring LUZIA across the pond and start touring was the
cherry on top.
Participating to Our 10th Royal Variety Performance -- 2022 ended on a
high note for our artists as they got the chance to get on stage for
the latest Royal Variety Performance. This yearly televised program
brings together diverse acts and numbers to put a sensational show
together.
Not to toot our own horn, but our latest participation was far from
our first. Weve been part of the showcase of talents many times,
having the chance to do what we do best on different stages across
London and stunning audiences with our acts.
# # # # #
THE BIG TOP: OUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME
BY: Maxim Potvin, Blog Editor | March 15, 2023
For many, as soon as our eponymous tents peak on the horizon, it is an
unmistakable sign that something extraordinary is about to unfurl on
their city and will leave awe and memories behind. Years of experience
for our crews made it very possible for us to travel around whole
continents with all we need to put on a show. From the floorboards to
the four flags towering over the Big Top, we bring everything with us.
ATTENDING MONTREAL'S PUSH
Artists, employees, and yours truly gathered in the Old Port of
Montreal on March 1st to watch the Big Top rise from the ground for
the 26th time on Jacques-Cartier Pier. Slowly but surely, Cirque du
Soleil ECHOs world premiere is growing nearer. One of the most
crucial steps ahead of the launch was to rebuild the stage and decor,
brought in from the practice studios, at the Montreal International
Headquarters. This way, artists can familiarize themselves with the
full set inside the freshly raised Big Top, including the backstage
areas. We wouldnt want our performers and crew getting lost on their
opening night!
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
Raising the Big Top is not quite like setting up a camping tent.
Though imaginative people could find similarities, the 7-days process
requires the help of shortterm local employees to give a hand to the
crew that travels with the show a bit more complex than planting
pickets on a camping ground, right? All this manpower comes together
to raise the Big Top in three stages: First, after the 4 masts have
been installed and outfitted with their four flags we always fly the
Quebec, the Canadian, the Cirque du Soleil, and local flags of the
city were visiting the roof is laid out on the ground and hooked to
a system on pulleys high up on the masts. The crew uses levers
simultaneously around the tent to crank the cables and bring it to its
desired height. The second step is to solidify the suspended structure
and anchor it to the ground. Going clockwise around the tent, the crew
pushes hundreds of metal poles up to support the roof. It is a very
dangerous and demanding task that requires collaboration and
precision. To make sure everything weve worked on stays in place,
the Big Top is bolted into the ground by 1,000 4-feet-deep stakes.
Finally, before moving on putting the rest of the site together, the
crew completes the outside of the Big Top by affixing the walls of the
tent.
ALL IS CALCULATED AND NOTHING IS UNACCOUNTED FOR
Nothing is left to chance under our Big Top. Artists need a sturdy and
trustworthy structure to perform on. A single missing screw from the
rig could potentially lead to a life-threatening injury, and we want
to avoid this unfortunate outcome at all costs. Since the devil is in
the details, our team thought out and finetuned many elements of the
Big Top to meet the different standards of multiple departments. For
example, the white colored canvas helps counter the effects of the
sun, by reducing greatly our energy consumption and minimizing
greenhouse gas emissions. Of course, these choices led us to enroll
experts to help us achieve our goals. The artistry of making Big Tops
is a very rare trade nowadays, because fewer touring circuses around
the world perform under tents. Since 1984, Cirque du Soleil canvases
have been hand made by t at La Tour du Pin in France, at the Ferrari
Workshops. It takes 14 artisans and between 10 and 12 weeks to craft
the signature Cirque du Soleil canvas.
IT FEELS BIGGER ON THE INSIDE
From ground level to the top of the highest mast, we reach an imposing
height of 85 feet, giving us the possibility of raising the roof to 60
feet high. Even though its built with heavy-duty materials, its
still a tent, but the way its constructed, and the canvas used, make
it robust enough to withstand winds up to 75 miles per hour. From
afar, you might not get how big the structure is. Once you enter the
Big Top, the sheer size of the construction might strike you. Both
tall and voluminous, the space of ECHOs Big Top was designed to
accommodate over 2,500 seats. A big step up from our first Big Top,
used all the way back in 1984, that could only fit 800 spectators!
Care to see the imposing structure for yourself? Many of our touring
shows are making their way around the globe with their very own Big
Top.
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 23, Number 5 (Issue #220) July 2023
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (C)
2001-2023 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.
{ Jul.14.2023 }
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