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Fascination Issue 222
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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 7 September/October ISSUE #222
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Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque
du Soleil Newsletter.
* * * LUZIA HEADED TO AUSTRALIA! * * *
It's official! Luzia is coming for a 2024-2025 national tour, visiting
Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane and Sydney. These performances
will highlight the 25th anniversary of Cirque du Soleil in Australia.
* * * KÀ CELEBRATES 8,000 PERFORMANCES * * *
It's been a big year for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. This year
marks the 10th Anniversary of Michael Jackon ONE at Mandalay Bay,
the 25th Anniversary of "O" at Bellagio, and the 30th Anniversary of
Mystère at Treasure Island. Recently, Cirque du Soleil celebrated
another milestone - KÀ at MGM Grand celebrated 8,000 performances on
Saturday, September 23rd! "8,000 shows on the Las Vegas Strip is an
astounding accomplishment, made possible by our incredibly talented
cast and crew over the past 18 years," said Eric Grilly, President,
Resident Shows Division and Affiliate Shows Division at Cirque du
Soleil Entertainment Group. "We look forward to many more years of
astonishing audiences with the incredible story of KA." Since the show
opened, more than 960,000 fireballs and 720,000 pyrotechnic devices
have been fired and over 880,000 arrows have been shot through the
air. There are also more than 500 props and seven puppets in the show.
It took artists and crew members 1,300 hours just to create the crab
puppet.
* * * ALEGRIA & CRYSTAL CELEBRATE 1,000 PERFORMANCES * * *
On September 4th, ALEGRIA: In a New Light, celebrated its 1,000th
performance since premiere. And on September 24th, CRYSTAL celebrated
a milestone too - its 1,000th. Since creation in 2017, CRYSTAL has
performed in 20 countries and 137 cities.
* * * ONE NIGHT FOR ONE DROP IS BACK * * *
Steve Aoki will take the stage as the headlining performer at One
Night For One Drop at Marquee Nightclub inside The Cosmopolitan of Las
Vegas on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Additional performances by entertainment
superstars Neon Trees, Just Kool Featuring: The Iconic Robert "Kool"
Bell of Kool and The Gang along with The Legendary Mohamed Moretta and
an appearance by artists from Cirque du Soleil, strip icon Lorena
Peril and the ladies of FANTASY. Presented by MGM Resorts
International, Cirque du Soleil and in partnership with One Night for
One Drop's official carrier Air Canada, the transcendent evening will
be filled with dining, dancing and a specially curated tasting with
fine wines and spirits from world-renowned estates. Steve Aoki known
for his collaborations with Bulgari, BMW and BTS will perform for
guests at this year's highly anticipated event. The night's
entertainment headliners will help the crowd raise funds for the One
Drop Foundation and contribute to ensuring sustainable access to safe
water for millions of people around the globe. The evening will
feature a live auction including the premiere item, LAFFITE
AUTOMOBILI's flagship model, LAFFITE LM1, the first "Le Mans-type"
hypercar of the modern era to be produced for road use. Making
history, LM1 will be the first of 24 produced from January 2025,
specially designed by designers Fabrizio and Giorgetto Giugiaro (GFG
Style Design Studio in Torino) engineered and manufactured in
collaboration with L.M.Gianetti at their Torino production plant. Sir
Jackie Stewart, OBE, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees,
Race Against Dementia, offers a personal Formula 1 Experience at
Silverstone during the 2024 British Grand Prix, perfect for any race
enthusiast. In addition to the live auction, guests will have the
opportunity to enjoy a specially curated wine tasting from the most
coveted estates including Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, Opus
One, Domaine Faiveley and many more.
* * * CIRQUE IN LONDON PERMANENTLY? * * *
It's a tale as old as time! A permanent Cirque du Soleil residency in
the City of London has been a dream for the company ever since hopping
the pond and finding success there with Saltimbanco in 1997. It has,
as of yet, been unable to make that particular dream a reality. So
the recent announcement that Cirque could soon have a permanent UK home
at iconic London venue The Saville Theatre has certainly raised
eyebrows here at Fascination. Located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the
heart of London's West End theatre district, the 110,000 sq. ft, Grade
II listed the Saville opened its doors in 1931 with a play "For the
Love of Mike." It was subsequently home to live performances and known
for hosting the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, The Who and Jimi Hendrix,
before being converted to a four-screen cinema in its later years.
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group has confirmed it is exploring the
Saville as its first permanent home in the UK. Perhaps this... (oh,
I've lost count) time's the charm?
Back in 2000, Fascination! explored a number of "what if" scenarios -
announcements about shows, permanent locations, or other ideas that
Cirque du Soleil intended to explored but were scrapped for various
reasons - in a 7-part series; one of these articles spoke about
the numerous times Cirque in London has come up over the years. (I
guess I'll have to update that one now...) So, if you're interested
in learning more about the history of Cirque residing in London, I
invite you to read the except within this month's issue. And if
you're interested in reading more about these what if possibilities,
check out the entire series beginning in issue #199/200, August/
September 2000.
* * * CIRQUE DU SOUND LAUNCHES! * * *
Cirque du Soleil has a new project and it sounds pretty awesome!
It's called CIRQUE DU SOUND and it's a sonic trip exploring creativity
itself. "For decades, you've witnessed the boundless creativity,
innovation, and imagination of Cirque du Soleil on stages across
the world," writes Maxim Potvin, Cirque du Soleil Blog editor. "Now,
the creators behind Cirque are taking you on a new kind of journey
through the theater of the mind!" Cirque du Sound is a sonic trip
from the outer edges of the universe to the inner folds of humanity.
Hosted by renowned director and Cirque du Soleil Creative Guide,
Michel Laprise, Cirque du Sound immerses you in a series of profound
dialogues with modern visionaries in art, science, nature, philosophy,
and everyday wonder. And you can check out the first three episodes
right now! Learn more in our CIRQUECONNECT (Outreach) section this
month.
So, let's get into it!
/----------------------------------------------------\
| |
| Join us on the web at: |
| < www.cirquefascination.com > |
| |
| Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): |
| < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > |
| |
\----------------------------------------------------/
- Ricky "Richasi" Russo
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CONTENTS
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o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
* La Presse -- General News & Highlights
o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information
* BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau
* Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues
* Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre
o) CirqueConnect -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets
* Life is a Circus (Posts from the Official Blog)
* Other Outreach (Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds)
o) Fascination! Features
* "CRYSTAL in Australia!" - A Review
By: Kerry Hennigan, Australia
* "On The Thames" a Cirque du Soleil 'What if?'
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
* CIRQUE DU SOUND: Meet the Host & Guests
By: The Cirque du Soleil Blog
* "CDS: Growing the Business with High-Flying Operations"
By: SAP Software Solutions
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
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***************************************************************
LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights
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Review: Cirque soars high with circus show Kooza
{Aug.31.2023}
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If you're going to run away to join the circus, especially Cirque du
Soleil, you'd best have an amazing skill or talent.
It's a requirement for any Cirque show — and Kooza, which runs in the
Big Top Tent at Stampede Park until Oct. 8, is no exception. Whether
it's a clown, acrobat or contortionist, every artist in Kooza is jaw-
droppingly talented and a great performer as well, though some not as
obviously so.
In the first half of the show, the high-wire act is easily the most
spectacular. The five artists who hail from Spain and Colombia are all
members of an extended circus family and they know how to elicit gasps
and cheers from their audiences. It's billed as a double-wire act
because there are two wires, but it's not until all five men
congregate on the top wire that things get mind-bending. Two of the
men riding bicycles are joined by a yolk that is a mini wire, and on
top of that, the fifth man balances on a chair much to the disbelief
of the audience, especially when he allows it to sway.
By comparison, Dmytro Dudnyk and Anastasiia Shkandybina on the
unicycle seem tame, except that Dudnyk eventually ends up balancing
Shkandybina on his head. It's a feat that rivals anything on that high
wire.
Japanese aerialist Mizuki Shinagawa performs an intricate ballet on
the aerial silks that's so beautiful to watch that you almost forget
how much skill and practice this act requires, and how exquisitely it
has been choreographed.
Contortionists never cease to amaze because everyone knows the limits
of flexibility in their own bodies. The three young women from
Mongolia who perform in Kooza are not just inconceivably flexible but
also incredibly strong. At one point, one of the women bends to make a
table of her body and balances the other two on her stomach.
The Wheel of Death, an astonishing act, opens the second half of
Kooza, and it is easily the most exciting. Jimmy Ibarra Zapata and
Angelo Lyezkysky Rodriguez, who hail from Colombia, run, jump, tumble
and sway inside a pair of huge spinning wheels in the air. That's
enough to get an audience fired up to an almost deafening roar, but
then they swing themselves onto the outside of these spinning wheels,
once again running, jumping, skipping and tumbling. It's an adrenaline
rush, not just for them, but for the audience as well.
The Wheel of Death is the centrepiece of an elaborate dance sequence
featuring spectacular costumes to recall the Mexican holiday Dia de
los Muertos. It's visually spectacular.
The Wheel of Death is a hard act to follow but that's the assignment
for Aruna Bataa from Mongolia and Wei-Liang Lin from Taiwan. Batta
manipulates as many as a dozen hoops at one time and Lin manipulates a
device known as diabolos, which is like a highly sophisticated yoyo.
To their immense credit, they each had the audience cheering and
begging for more.
There's even a showstopping drum solo from Israeli musician Eden
Bahar, reminding us of the work of the band in the back tower to
provide continuous background music.
Kooza is not just a showcase for acrobats but also for clowns, and the
more than a dozen in Kooza delight adults as much as they do children.
They are the warm-up artists as the audience enters and their hi-jinx
are a delight.
Vocalists Joanie Goyette and Kathryn Holtkamp have the most
unappreciated roles in the show because they have to try to sing over
a band that often overpowers them, especially in the first half of the
show.
Visually and technically, Kooza is a stunner, the perfect compliment
to the international talent on display. From the moment you enter the
Big Top compound, you're greeted with a real carnival atmosphere.
{ SOURCE: The Calgary Herald }
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Sun Life reaffirms partnership with Cirque du Soleil
{Aug.31.2023}
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Sun Life Financial Inc. and Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group today
reaffirmed Sun Life as the proud Presenting Partner of Cirque du
Soleil Touring Shows in Canada.
From walking the tightrope between saving and spending, to the
vanishing act that may occur in bank accounts at the end of the month,
many Canadians are experiencing their own juggling act. In today's
economic environment, planning for a secure financial future has never
been more important. That's why through reaffirming its partnership
with Cirque du Soleil, Sun Life's is aiming to inspire Canadians from
coast to coast to achieve their biggest dreams, while leaving the
circus act to the professionals.
"Cirque du Soleil is a shining example of making the impossible,
possible through creativity, collaboration, and preparation," said
Jacques Goulet, President, Sun Life Canada. "With this partnership,
we're inspiring Canadians to take the same approach when planning for
their future. Financial health is critical to overall wellbeing, but
for many Canadians, it can feel like a daunting challenge. By
planning, leveraging creative solutions, and working with the right
team, Canadians can achieve their biggest dreams, including lifetime
financial security. Sun Life was born in Montreal and has a long and
proud history in the region, including over 2,500 Quebec Employees who
are dedicated to making life brighter for our Clients. We are proud to
continue our partnership with Cirque du Soleil to inspire more
Canadians to achieve their dreams."
Increasing financial security is a key pillar of sustainability at Sun
Life. Through innovative products and services, proactive education,
and improved access to and use of insurance and wealth products, Sun
Life is committed to supporting Canadians' financial security and
wellbeing in a rapidly evolving world. Yesterday, at the Cirque du
Soleil headquarters, 10 young people aged 11 to 12, from Maison
Kekpart de Longueuil were given the opportunity to test their
acrobatic skills and dream big. With guidance from circus artists,
participants discovered the intrigue of the aerial hoop, mastered
physical strength, and embarked on a journey of teamwork like never
before. They also toured behind the scenes at the Montreal-based
International Headquarters, learning a few of the secrets behind the
entertainment company's outstanding international success. At the
event, each youth was surprised with a gift from Sun Life to help them
take the first step in investing and achieving their dreams. They also
had the opportunity to speak with a Sun Life advisor about the
importance of planning for the future.
"At Cirque du Soleil, our commitment goes beyond the performance,"
said Stéphane Lefebvre, Chief Executive Officer, Cirque du Soleil
Entertainment Group. "We are thrilled to reaffirm our partnership with
Sun Life to foster long-lasting relationships with Canadians in a
creative and inspirational manner. The natural synergy between our
brands presents an amazing realm of opportunities for the future."
Cirque du Soleil has redefined how the world views live entertainment.
Sun Life wants to redefine how Canadians view their financial futures.
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil }
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The Next Gen of Cirque Comes to the DMV with "Echo"
{Sep.01.2023}
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District Fray went behind the scenes with the cast of "Echo" before
their Under the Big Top performances from September 6 to October 22 in
Tysons, Virginia.
"We put the ‘what' factor in your face and let you digest it as an
audience — we don't try to hide it."
I'm standing with Fabrice Lemire, artistic director for Cirque du
Soleil's "Echo," trying to give him my full attention while watching
performers complete perfect backflips midair behind him and catching a
flurry of stunning costumes and makeup artistry in my peripheral
vision. When I apologize for being so easily distracted by this
behind-the-scenes glimpse of their latest show in the Cirque du Soleil
Montreal Grand Chapiteau just hours before their next performance,
Lemire chuckles with a knowing glance, then continues.
"What's new is we're revisiting something old," he says, walking me
through what makes Cirque du Soleil's 20th Big Top production and 51st
show in its 40-year history stand out from the rest.
Rather than try to create additional magic around a classic technique,
the native Parisian says "Echo" invites you to just take it for what
it is. This minimalist approach is a welcome deviation from the norm
for the Cirque du Soleil team and "Echo" performers, who speak with
collective pride about going back to basics with a laser-sharp focus
on the physical acts.
District Fray was invited to visit Cirque du Soleil's international
headquarters in Montreal this summer for a sneak peek of "Echo" before
51 artists and their creative team relocate to Northern Virginia. From
September 6 to October 22, the cast and crew will put down temporary
roots in Tysons, Virginia with performances in the Under the Big Top
tent.
Two days of learning about the massive global operation run out of HQ,
experiencing the palpable preshow buzz backstage in the Grand
Chapiteau and absorbing the excitement of the hometown audience during
a live performance as "Echo" neared its 100th show in Montreal all
paint a vivid picture of authenticity around the iconic entertainment
group's ethos.
"What I see is the audience leaves the show lifted," Lemire says,
noting "Echo" has had the most successful immediate reaction he's ever
experienced from the Big Top crowd among his past Cirque du Soleil
productions. "We must be doing something right for the time we are
currently in with the public we have. It speaks to them — no
question."
Audiences are matching the "Echo" cast's energy. This aggregate of
wildly talented up-and-comers who are mostly in their early to mid-20s
and span 19 nationalities — with one-fifth of the troop hailing from
Ethiopia — represent the next generation of circus artists. Whether
they're making their Cirque du Soleil debut or returning with a
renewed sense of purpose, they're breathing new life into traditional
disciplines and embracing a collaborative approach to this production.
"These are really old disciplines we weren't seeing for such a long
time," says double hair suspension artist Charlotte O'Sullivan, who
plays one of the two Firefly characters with her partner and fellow
double hair suspension artist Penelope Scheidler. "That was very
clever of Cirque to approach artists at this level who had tested the
limits of these disciplines, and bring them to a production like this
to really show what we're doing. People believe these are new
disciplines, which is so great because it means we reinvented them."
The Toronto native says what audiences notice first is the beautiful
aesthetic of "Echo" and how unique it is within the Cirque du Soleil
canon.
"You have this mix between [characters] who look like people and are
wearing suits and those who are totally covered as animals — almost
like moving set pieces. Those things alone are totally different [than
other Cirque shows]."
While the plot line of "Echo" leaves much open to interpretation, the
gist is that a young woman named Future, played by Washington Trapeze
artist Louana Seclet, explores a fantasy world where she connects with
animals and nature. But when she finds a mysterious cube, how the
natural world and technology collide and coexist comes to the
forefront. Seclet, who grew up in the French countryside, says
audiences can choose to see "Echo" simply as a version of "Alice in
Wonderland" or as complex and layered as George Orwell's "1984" — a
kind of choose-your-own-adventure visual experience.
"While the show is more futuristic and minimalist in its ideas, it's
really raw in the ways we bring the acts," she says. "You see the
human performance. You see the risk. We don't replace the human acts
with projections. The projections and technology support the human
performance."
This juxtaposition between an old-school approach to the pure
physicality brought to bear by each performer and the sheer volume of
technical elements implemented onstage is a bit of an enigma to Lemire
and his cast. The combination of the two somehow works to create a
show that's contemporary yet nostalgic, complex yet simple, avant-
garde yet classic.
The 52nd cast member with by far the highest price tag is the cube
itself, towering onstage at the height of a two-story apartment
building. The "heart of the show" requires 10 video projectors to
cover it along with the stage and artists, rotates on a central pivot
to move upstage and downstage, and can even float above the Big Top
stage.
"This is my first time using the technology of projections," Lemire
says. "We are rethinking the way we work with these elements —
including the cube itself. We can create so much dimension and depth
by just having a simple box in the middle of the floor. There is
nothing in this show that holds your hand and tries to take you to a
fairy land. You sit and watch something evolve in front of you: a big
box. How much can we have that box converse with you?"
The human cast is eager to find new ways to connect with audiences,
too. "Echo" is introducing the new guard of Cirque du Soleil
performers to the world, bringing their camaraderie to the stage as
they perform familiar disciplines with originality and passion.
Seclet says one of the best compliments she's received as Future is
being thanked by audience members for her onstage generosity, and how
much emotion she puts into her trapeze performance.
"I'm really excited to see how people in the United States and
Washington, D.C. react to the show," she says. "We are a young cast
and we want to show the world that we do what we love and we are happy
about it."
{ SOURCE: District Fray Magazine }
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Cirque Artistic Director Reveals the Magic Behind CRYSTAL
{Sep.03.2023}
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Cirque du Soleil's artistic director has spoken about the thrills,
challenges, and behind-the-scenes antics of their latest
groundbreaking show CRYSTAL.
Brisbane-born Rob Tannion, who has spent 26 years overseas and
recently returned to his roots, expressed immense joy at the company's
grand return to Oz.
It's been a remarkable journey since their last Sydney performance of
KURIOS back in 2019.
‘Everything's going well, rehearsals are on track, and everyone's in
high spirits. It's bucket-list moments for many,' he told Daily Mail
Australia. The show, specifically created for arenas, promises an
immersive 270-degree viewing experience, ensuring there's not a bad
seat in the house.
Tannion promises a show designed to encapsulate the entirety of the
audience. ‘It's about the connection between the performer and the
audience,' he shared. But this isn't just any show – it's Cirque du
Soleil's very first acrobatic show on ice, making the stakes
extraordinarily high.
With performers doing risky acrobatics on ice, the challenge is
magnified. ‘There's a perceived danger,' Tannion explained. ‘We're
doing high-level acrobatics on ice, and all shoes have around 40
spikes underneath to help them. The integration process for performing
over ice is complex.'
‘Imagine being told to execute complex acrobatic feats on ice. The
danger is always there, and it's a challenge our artists have risen to
splendidly,' he chuckled.
Having joined the company in 2019, Tannion has dedicated his heart and
soul to Crystal. Later this year, he'll transition to a ‘big top'
show, offering a different perspective on the Cirque experience. The
magic doesn't solely rest on the aerial acrobatics or death-defying
stunts, but in the narrative of the show and the universality of its
appeal.
‘You can be anywhere in the world and still be able to tell a story,'
Tannion beamed.
With 25 nationalities and 23 language groups involved, the rehearsal
could be in English, Spanish, or French. ‘We all speak circus,'
Tannion said, a testament to the universality of their art.
But what goes into maintaining the magic?
‘My role as the Artistic Director is really ensuring the show's
quality,' he added. From managing technical glitches to sudden
injuries, Tannion's role is to ensure that every performance is
nothing short of spectacular. A true backstage maestro, he has
multiple show versions ready to adapt to any unforeseen challenge.
Asked about the challenges and pressures, Tannion admitted the
stressful moments are backstage and the goal is to remain calm, clear,
and ensure seamless communication with the entire team. When the
curtains close and the audience leaves with awe in their eyes, that's
the real reward for him.
Given Tannion's rich dance background and experience in choreography
and direction, he's no stranger to the performing arts. ‘[Joining the
circus] was an accident,' he laughed. ‘But working with a giant like
Cirque du Soleil, the ability to weave narratives that transcend
boundaries and languages is a remarkable experience.'
Tannion also shed light on his role as Artistic Director, one that
sounds just as thrilling as the high-flying stunts on stage. ‘It's
about ensuring that every performance is seamless, spectacular, and of
the highest quality. There are times when we have mere seconds to
adjust and adapt, but when the audience leaves with ‘that was amazing'
on their lips, it's all worth it.'
Indeed, the circus may seem like pure magic, but for Tannion and his
team, it's a combination of meticulous planning, an intimate knowledge
of the show, and, of course, a whole lot of passion.
Dazzling acrobat Harley McLeish also spilled the beans on the magic
behind the show, his icy adventures, and a journey that began with a
school newsletter. For Harley, the acrobat, slipping into ice skates
was a chilly challenge. ‘Everybody's tried ice skating at one point or
another. And you think, yeah, I can do it,' Harley chuckles. But
meeting the figure skaters made him realise, ‘We don't know what we're
doing.'
Thankfully, their icy counterparts were more than willing to help.
‘It's a fun thing to add into the repertoire,' Harley beams,
reminiscing about the couple of months of skating classes they had.
Juggling Dreams: Circus Calling from Childhood!
The call of the circus echoed early for Harley. Starting with juggling
and walking on stilts in a youth circus at 10, it wasn't long before
he was trading university dreams for global circus tours. ‘By the time
I finished high school, that's it,' he recalls. China to Montreal,
Harley's circus journey has taken him across continents and amidst
some of the best talents. ‘It's an amazing team that we have,' he
enthuses.
Ice-Tumbles, Show Jitters, and Behind-the-Scenes Rituals!
For all his prowess on stage, Harley candidly admits that it wasn't
always smooth sailing. The anxiety before performances was real, often
leaving him feeling sick. But the magic begins the moment he steps on
stage. ‘Once you're out there, you don't have time to be stressed,' he
says, emphasising the importance of training and repetition.
Oh, and for those curious about those icy falls? Harley admits to a
few slips but credits his shoes with spikes (crampons) for preventing
any major tumbles. ‘My job is to stand on the ground and stop other
people taking big falls,' he grins.
{ SOURCE: The Daily Mail }
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Behind the Scenes of ECHO in Wash DC
{Sep.11.2023}
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For Cirque du Soleil's "ECHO" show, it's all about Ruby.
Ruby (which comes from Rubik's cube) is the massive, two-story cube
that serves as the centerpiece for the circus company's production. On
display at Tysons, Virginia's Under the Big Top venue until Oct. 21,
"ECHO" tells the story of the connection between humans and the animal
kingdom. And Ruby sits at the very center, anchoring every act and
artist while bouncing light in the form of projections.
"ECHO," which is supposed to be the most technically complex
production in Cirque du Soleil history, takes place in and around the
cube. Ruby measures 23 by 23 feet, weighs 12 tons, has motors in each
wall and can move up and down the stage. In total, 40 blocks of
different materials make it up, and Assistant Technical Director Sarah
Morales said that each piece must be placed in exactly the right spot.
"As much as all the squares look interchangeable, they absolutely
cannot go anywhere aside from where they're supposed to go and you
don't have the time or space to fix it," Morales said.
This centerpiece has to support 40 artists at one point during the
show, with the help of five winches (a mechanical device that holds
wire rope) and 16 lines of wire rope. The top hosts a lightbox with
approximately 1.6 miles of LED strips. At the same time, 10 projectors
(placed all around the tent and requiring their own infrastructure
built by the team) showcase imagery to support the artists during the
show.
All in all, putting this traveling show together requires about 26
technicians. When the trucks roll up — everything travels with the
team — it takes about five or six days to go from an empty parking lot
to bringing the artists in for training sessions.
But this show is a little different than others. "ECHO" was originally
set to hit the stage in 2020 until COVID-19 put everything on pause.
For this show, though, Morales said it worked out because as the most
technical show Cirque du Soleil has ever done, the creative team was
able to take a lot of notes from the technician and redesign elements
that weren't quite working.
"I very strongly believe it's the only reason it is as successful as
it is," Morales said. "We got a second go at it, we got a second
iteration and there's things that we wouldn't have had time to fix
before that we have time to fix now."
Behind the projections and wire drops for artists are two heads of
automation as well as another technician who splits between automation
and rigging (how equipment or performers are suspended onstage).
Previously, the Cirque teams used a manual joystick to control all of
a show's elements. To power the show, Cirque uses a platform called
TAIT Navigator, which has a mix of software and hardware elements for
machinery, lighting, audio and more. The technicians have the power to
manually override and take control if necessary, but Navigator has
better precision, according to Assistant Head of Automation Dalen
Vigil. That means the show can do more elements at a faster pace and
do bigger flights because technicians can tell the system exactly what
they want.
Navigator is huge in the performance industry, Vigil said; it is
currently being used for Taylor Swift's Eras tour and was employed in
Rhianna's Super Bowl Halftime Show. It's ideal for shows like this, he
noted, because it has a level of accuracy and consistency that humans
can't quite achieve.
"When I hit the go button, that winch is going to go to the exact same
place, at the exact same time, every single time," Vigil said. "In
terms of artist comfort, they know exactly what's going to happen and
in terms of the artistic look, it's always going to look the same."
That consistency is necessary for a number of reasons. But it also
helps with a goal of "ECHO:" making sure everything is identical for
every single show.
"Our goal is to put on the highest level show every night, but make it
the same," Morales said. "If you see it the first week we're here and
somebody else sees it the last week that we're here, you saw the exact
same show."
If all of that wasn't enough technology, the show also features
firefly drones that fly all over the tent. The fireflies are powered
by motors within their bodies and flown through joysticks, and they
fly by the motor making the wings flap just like real fireflies,
Morales said and feature a small light that makes them glow.
With everything behind the scenes required, Morales said that the
director decided to add a technical bow at the end of the show.
"We did it and the roar from the crowd was super cool because for me,
like yes, they're applauding those technicians but they're it's a
moment to acknowledge the entire technical aspect — the whole machine
behind it," Morales said.
{ SOURCE: Technical.ly }
----------------------------------------------------------
Meet Emma Horvath, Alegría Stage Manager
{Sep.12.2023}
----------------------------------------------------------
Emma Horvath is a stage manager and show caller with Alegría by Cirque
du Soleil. In addition to working in both Cirque du Soleil's Resident
Shows and Touring Shows divisions since 2017, Emma has been a key
member of the production team for a variety of special events,
independent circus performances, and community-based projects around
the world.
Q. What is your favorite part of Alegría?
It's hard to pick. I love the music, the lighting and the circus
performances. I think my favorite part is when all the elements come
together to create a really big storytelling moments. Like the snow
storm or the flying trapezes at the end when everybody is watching. I
love the storytelling on it.
Q. What part of Alegría would you like to recommend?
I wouldn't want to recommend too much because I want them to be
surprised. I think the best part of Alegría is to be surprised. But I
would say, if you are wondering if you should come to the show, come
if you want to see a really joyful performance from a diverse group of
performers and technicians and something that will stick with you for
a long time.
Q. What was the hardest part during the rehearsal?
For this show, I was not a part of the original creation rehearsal
process. We rehearse on a day-to-day basis when we want to add new
things or change something. The hardest part I think is paying
attention to all the small details. Because in my job, we coordinate
the difference at departments to make sure we have everything we need
for the rehearsal. So everyday, we're sending out a schedule
information on what's going to be in the show, who is needed to be at
each rehearsal. So staying on top of that is challenge. But we have a
great team. We all work together and cover each other.
Q. How about comparing to other Cirque du Soleil's productions you
have involved with?
I used to work at Mystère in Las Vegas. I also was on tour with
Crystal before and I think Alegría is that we see different parts of
the show, big group acts and small solos and duos. You saw sort of a
special version today with here. In Japan, we have many different acts
in rotation because we knew so many shows. We don't want people to get
too tired and worn out. So we have a variety of acts coming through
today. You saw a show that had more solos in it than usual. Sometimes
we have more group acts and they all are wonderful so come back and
see it again! We also have longer rehearsal days now because we have
all these extra acts. Also, if you were to look at my calls script,
you would see that I have the main acts that were in the show when we
were in North America, and then the additional backup and rotational
acts that we sort of switch out every day, depending on what's in the
show. So we do have to stay really alert and we sort of do a different
show every day.
Q. When you have a such a hard time, how do you manage it?
When I start to feel a little bit down or a little bit stress, I think
what really brings me back is, I'm lucky I get to call the show, so I
get to see the audience and to hear the audience reactions and see
everybody enjoy Alegría and enjoy our work. That's really rewarding.
In fact, last week, we had a group of full house from a school, middle
school and high school students, and they were so excited to see the
show. Reacting loudly and with enthusiasm and it was a real gift for
us.
Q. What do you think is the best part being part of Cirque du Soleil?
There are two parts right there. The shows and The people. I get to
meet people I never would have met working for Cirque du Soleil. I
never would have traveled to Japan, maybe I would have gone on
vacation, but I wouldn't get to spend nine months here. Just looking
at my colleagues right now, and I'm looking at people from probably
eight different countries, who speaks just as many different
languages, people of different specializations who share our knowledge
together. And it's not just a circus performance. We get to create
worlds with the set and the lighting. We get to take you from the
forest to the underground, to the palace, all around this world of
Alegría. So both of them are very special to me.
Q. How did your career with Cirque du Soleil start?
When I was in university, I studied stage management. And when I
graduate it I was lucky enough to get an internship with Cirque du
Soleil. So I went to Las Vegas for 3 months. I worked at the show,
Zumanity as an intern and I got to learn from that stage management
team. And then, I went out into the world, have had some more stage
management experiences, and grew my career a bit. And then after a
while, I was hired at Mystère in Las Vegas, full-time. I started as an
assistant stage manager. So I was running the backstage tracks and
working on the schedule and the office task. And then at Mystère, I
learned calling a circus show. Calling this types of shows is more
intricate and more challenging than calling just a play or a musical
because you hold people's life on your hands. So I I got that
education at Mystère and that was really wonderful. And then, I wanted
to explore the touring world and go out and travel and see the world.
So I joined first Crystal and now Alegría.
Q. Anything you want to try in Cirque du Soleil?
I know that I've been really fortunate to work on several shows that
have a long history. Mystère and Alegría are some Cirque du Soleil's
oldest shows. And I would like to try doing something newer or
creating a new show or working on the the frontier of Cirque du Soleil
even. Trying out what's new and what hasn't been done before.
Q. What's your future career goal?
I think my future career goal would probably be to continue to work
with incredible people making art. But maybe to make art in a way that
feeds those communities that don't have as many advantages, people who
might not get as much arts education, otherwise students or people who
don't have as much access to buy tickets to Cirque du Soleil. I would
really love to use the skills that I have from stage management,
project management, event management to impact the world in a positive
way.
Q. Do you have any advice for those who admire you or admire your job?
I would say, be true to what brings you happiness in your career. It's
great to have goals and aspirations. But at the end of the day, what's
going to give you the life that you want, is to follow what makes you
happiest. Not what makes you the most money or the biggest amount of
prestige. But if you really want to work for Cirque du Soleil, I would
say, get involved with circus arts in whatever way you can. And try to
meet as many people as you can. Almost every job I've gotten has been
because I knew somebody who knew somebody who could introduce me to
the right person so that I could show my value to the right person.
{ SOURCE: Broadway World }
----------------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil Permanent U.K. Venue on the Cards
{Sep.19.2023}
----------------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil could soon have a permanent U.K. home at iconic
London venue The Saville Theatre, which is being revived and restored
by Yoo Capital.
Located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the heart of London's West End
theatre district, the 110,000 sq. ft, Grade II listed the Saville
opened its doors in 1931 with a play "For the Love of Mike." It was
subsequently home to live performances and known for hosting the
Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, The Who and Jimi Hendrix, before being
converted to a four screen cinema in its later years. Yoo Capital
acquired the site in October 2021 with a view to revive the venue.
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group has confirmed it is exploring the
Saville as its first permanent home in the U.K. The live entertainment
group is looking at the Saville as a venue that "would complement
Cirque du Soleil's annual Royal Albert Hall residency and offer
theater-goers a more intimate space to enjoy incredible performances
all year round."
Eric Grilly, president, resident and affiliate show divisions at
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, said: "We see a unique
opportunity to bring back live entertainment to a beloved venue with
fresh content and new ideas."
Well-regarded architecture firm SPPARC is leading the proposed
masterplan designs to accommodate Cirque du Soleil's intended needs as
well as the wider conversion plans that will look to incorporate a
boutique hotel by luxury lifestyle and hotel brand citizenM and a food
and beverage offering provided by Incipio Group.
Following public consultation, Yoo Capital – a real estate firm that
has invested over £2.5 billion ($3.1 billion) into central London
since its formation in 2010 – will submit planning permission when all
elements have been considered and finalized.
Lloyd Lee, managing partner, Yoo Capital, said: "We are committed to
contributing this beautiful building back into the wonderful tapestry
of live performance around the West End by revitalising its theatrical
and hospitality history in a modern way. It has been relatively
forgotten and underinvested in comparison to its sibling theaters and
the buildings along Shaftesbury Avenue. Our plans will look to
optimise benefits to the local community and the West End theatrical,
live entertainment and hospitality industry."
Trevor Morriss, principal architect at SPPARC, added: "Having not
operated as a theater for over 50 years, SPPARC is privileged to
design a theater space that will rekindle the free-spirited creativity
that made it a special venue for a great many globally celebrated
performers."
Klaas van Lookeren Campagne, CEO at citizenM Hotels, said: "We strive
to foster a sense of community throughout the development process and
into our operations, by featuring local artists in our spaces,
supporting community initiatives, and heroing locals in our campaigns
and through art displays on our buildings. We're looking forward to
bringing our affordable luxury concept to our new neighbours in Soho."
{ SOURCE: Variety }
----------------------------------------------------------
Bellagio, ‘O' Celebrate 25-year Anniversary
{Oct.03.2023}
----------------------------------------------------------
The iconic Bellagio Hotel and Casino and Cirque du Soleil's "O"
celebrated their silver anniversary at the Clark County Government
Center Tuesday morning.
The Bellagio opened on Oct. 15, 1998, and has been a Las Vegas staple
ever since.
The Clark County Commission honored the 25-year milestone with a
proclamation, speakers, and a snippet of a show for the showstopping
36-story hotel and casino.
With nearly 4,000 rooms and amenities, Bellagio and Park MGM President
and Chief Operating Officer Ann Hoff said the level of luxury didn't
exist before.
"Bellagio redefined sophistication in the market of Las Vegas and
paved the way for others to do the same," Hoff said.
The Italian-inspired hotel has an impact on pop culture with several
film and TV cameos and on Las Vegas culture.
"Like our fountains, the conservatory, an art program in the Bellagio
Gallery of Fine Arts that rivals some museums around the world, and of
course, ‘O'," Hoff said.
"O" has sold more than 19 million tickets and its performers have
dazzled audiences more than 11,000 times.
The fountain's water is recycled from underground wells. It has put on
more than 180,000 shows.
An employee who has been with the casino since it opened shared his
thoughts.
Mark Sirota worked at the Mirage before transferring to the Bellagio.
He said he has never missed a day of work in 34 years.
"Nothing compares to the Bellagio," Sirota said. "I am still thrilled
and blessed to be there."
Sirota started as a butler and in food and beverage. He's now a
longstanding table games floor supervisor. The walls are rich with
stories, and celebrities past and present have stayed. Sirota said his
favorite celebrity encounter was meeting Robin Williams.
People travel far and wide. Hoff said the best is yet to come.
The Bellagio was built on the former site of the Dunes Hotel and
Casino.
Steve Wynn and his company purchased the property. The structure was
imploded to make way for the resort which cost $1.6 billion. The
world's most expensive resort at that time.
Wynn sold Bellagio in May of 2000 to MGM.
{ SOURCE: KLAS Las Vegas }
----------------------------------------------------------
How WFM Helps CDS Balance Artistic Ambition & Creativity
{Oct.11.2023}
----------------------------------------------------------
Human Resources and talent management professionals all over the world
will tell you they are jumping through hoops when it comes to managing
today's workforce. But for one of the world's leading entertainment
companies, managing a workforce and top talent that has to actually
jump through hoops is quite another story.
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group is known for its world-class
performance artists, acrobats, dancers, and musicians that delight
audiences across the globe with pure creativity in motion. Founded
with the vision of attracting the best talent from all over the world,
the company allows the world's best creative minds, craftspeople, and
experts to collaborate and experiment in creating new acts that ignite
imaginations.
During the global health crisis, Cirque du Soleil saw the need to
adapt and diversify its offering beyond live shows. To remain
resilient, it widened its portfolio of brand experiences across 3D
immersive and filmed entertainment, premium content, gaming, and
beyond.
To become a diversified global entertainment brand beyond live stage
shows, Cirque du Soleil chose to undergo a complete HR transformation
using SAP SuccessFactors solutions. The company needed to raise the
bar and move beyond manual recordkeeping by optimizing its core HR
operations in the cloud. It also called for a reimagining of how the
HR team supported Cirque du Soleil's people, moving from a data entry
and recordkeeping mindset to a strategic focus.
To become a diversified global entertainment brand beyond live stage
shows, Cirque du Soleil chose to undergo a complete HR transformation
using SAP SuccessFactors solutions.
The goal was to pave the way for more engaging experiences, enabling
its people to focus on artistic development and creativity without
being weighed down by administrative paperwork. Transitioning to
automated and streamlined core HR processes with self-services would
also free the HR team from manual data entry and help ensure Cirque du
Soleil was compliant globally.
This allows them to focus on more strategic tasks, such as revamping
the annual salary increase process, from end to end.
"With SAP SuccessFactors, we can enable a better employee experience
and a process that's more accurate and secure," said Sylvia Poulin,
talent systems manager at Cirque du Soleil.
As an entertainment company, Cirque du Soleil's workforce includes
everyone from traditional office staff, performance artists, and
technicians as well as a large number of contract-based workers. To
help it better understand the breadth of its workforce, including on-
call and contract labor, the company captured information from every
worker assigned to different shows in the SAP SuccessFactors Employee
Central solution.
Now, instead of complicated spreadsheets and manual counts, the team
at Cirque du Soleil can quickly generate reports on demand. This
reporting gives the team a true sense of the people assigned to
specific projects and also the type of workforce it employs for
different events.
In addition, when the company tours from country to country, it needs
to consider the various complex workplace and privacy laws regulated
in those different locations. This amounts to a huge juggling act on
the administrative side to ensure compliance with specific
jurisdictions.
Functionality offered by SAP SuccessFactors solutions allows Cirque du
Soleil to manage roles-based permissions and give workers access to
specific information they need, ensuring compliance with data security
and confidentiality regulations. When fully implemented, all the
company's workers, even those contracted for a specific timeframe,
will be able to receive important and timely company communications.
As part of its HR transformation, Cirque du Soleil is also reimagining
its compensation management processes, building strategic compensation
programs and offering powerful self-service functionality. With
automated statement generation and notifications for salary increases
and bonuses, the company no longer relies on outdated manual
workflows.
With stronger data integrity and governance, Cirque du Soleil can
reduce the risk of errors and can take advantage of automated
processes and information workflows to manage its talented people. As
its HR team transitions from using spreadsheets, it is also
continuously identifying ways to eliminate manual work by automating
with SAP SuccessFactors solutions to improve employee experiences.
This includes satisfying environmental, social, and governance (ESG)
goals by launching initiatives around diversity, equity, inclusion,
and belonging. The company also plans to fast-track new hire processes
by implementing the SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding solution.
SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central is the cornerstone of Cirque du
Soleil's reimagined core HR strategy.
"SAP SuccessFactors has given us a purpose to unite. It's a central
place to drive processes for the entire HR team," said Dominique
Bensadoun, senior director of global compensation and HRIS at Cirque
du Soleil. "At first, we focused on simplifying our information. Now
we're moving forward with more automation so our users can easily
understand what's happening in the business."
{ SOURCE: Forbes }
----------------------------------------------------------
An ‘O' celebration: 25 facts on 25th anniversary
{Oct.12.2023}
----------------------------------------------------------
"O" turns 25 this weekend. It is not the first Cirque du Soleil
residency production on the Strip, following "Mystere's" opening on
Christmas Day 1993. But the critically acclaimed "O" is the company's
undisputed box-office champ and flagship production.
The show's formal silver anniversary celebration is Sunday night at
the Bellagio Theatre. We'll dive in (as it were) with a list of 25
facts about "O" as it turns the calendar:
25: The show is performed in a 1.5-million-gallon, man-made lake.
24: The stage is 25 feet deep.
23: The production has notched about 11,350 performances.
22: A total of 1,200 costumes and headpieces are used in every
performance.
21: The theater is based on a 14th-century European opera house.
20: The show's name is from "eau," French for water.
19: During a marketing campaign for "V — The Ultimate Variety Show" at
the V Theater at "the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood
Resort, producer David Saxe produced a series of videos satirizing
Cirque. The clips featured a character named "Eau" and were a
spoof of the Mac vs. PC commercials airing at the time.
18: Cast members and the theater are featured in Imagine Dragons'
video for "Sharks," issued in 2022. As of this week, the video had
amassed almost 106 million views.
17: More than 60 technicians and 12 scuba divers work behind the
scenes on "O."
16: Seventy-seven performers are employed by the production.
15: The character engulfed in fire is called L'Allumé, a drifter who
seems oblivious to the fact that he has been set aflame.
14: The long-haired characters who appear in nearly every scene are a
team of synchronized swimmers known collectively as the Nage.
13: The theater's Art of Richard MacDonald gallery exhibits more than
100 bronze sculptures, including 20 life-size works, along with
original drawings, paintings and limited-edition prints.
12: Air vents under each seat keep the temperature at 72 degrees.
11: Twenty-six underwater speakers are installed in the stage.
10: Musicians play inside glass booths to protect their instruments,
some of which are 100 years old.
9: An erhu, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument, can be heard in
the "O" soundtrack.
8: Sixty loads of laundry are done each night.
7: All the figures in the four-horse carousel are constructed from
fiberglass, with a propeller and steering mechanism to allow
artists to navigate through the water.
6: The heaviest prop, the clown house, weighs more than 7,000 pounds.
5: The theater uses 222,956 feet (more than 42 miles) of cable.
4: About 19.1 million tickets have been sold over 25 years, surpassing
the 18 million sold by all-time Broadway champ "Phantom of the
Opera."
3: This was the first production ever in Las Vegas to command a $100
ticket price when it opened in 1998 (the joke at the time was, when
people saw the ticket price, they went "O!").
2: The show was an inspiration for Celine Dion's "A New Day …" Dion
and Rene Angelil partnered with "O" writer-director Franco Dragone
to create the groundbreaking residency production at the Colosseum
at Caesars Palace.
1: In 2001, Paul McCartney and George Harrison visited "O" to scout
the production for a Beatles-Cirque show being discussed at the
time. That show was, and is, "Love."
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal }
----------------------------------------------------------
Cirque Launches Artist Influencer Network
{Oct.12.2023}
----------------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group announced today a new offering
with the launch of the Cirque du Soleil Artist Influencer Network, a
platform that connects brands with the company's diverse talent roster
to create influencer-style content. The network will host over 1,500
artists at launch, totaling over 35 million followers across nano,
micro, and macro audiences within the network.
Offering creative talent from all corners of the world, Cirque du
Soleil will support and prioritize the amplification of their artists
by connecting them with brand partners that match their values,
passions, skills, and aesthetics to produce social-first content that
resonates with their target audiences. Understanding the value their
creative talent brings beyond each performance, the Artist Influencer
Network was created as another outlet for artists to express their
creativity and connect with fans through their individual passion
points.
"At Cirque du Soleil, our commitment to creativity and wonder extends
beyond the stage. We've witnessed significant organic social growth
and interest among our on-stage artists, technicians, and other
creative employees over the past two years," stated Christopher Bower,
Head of Global Brand & Social at Cirque du Soleil. "The Artist
Influencer Network represents the next natural progression, providing
brands with access to our exceptional roster of individuals who offer
original content and unique perspectives."
Talent will span diverse backgrounds and age demographics and across
verticals such as acrobatics, fitness/wellness, family & kids, travel
and comedy. In addition to the Talent, the Artist Influencer Network
will supply brands with social media experts ready to oversee a
seamless process from start to finish by supporting artist
identification, onboarding, creative strategy, project management
culminating in custom content, paid distribution and success metrics.
The Cirque du Soleil Artist Influencer Network will be available
beginning today, October 12th across social media platforms. For more
information, please contact partnerships@cirquedusoleil.com.
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil }
----------------------------------------------------------
ECHO Bringsa Bold New Style to the Famed Big Top
{Oct.12.2023}
----------------------------------------------------------
Acrobats catapult through the air, whirling around a colossal white
cube wearing sculptural animal masks and street style-inspired
tailored suiting. Cirque du Soleil's 20th big top production, Echo,
which premiered this fall in the U.S., showcases gravity-defying feats
of the human body. Weaving together a storyline about relationship
between humans and animals, Echo is the company's first new show since
the pandemic. And the creators have come back with a completely
refreshed style, a streamlined minimalist feel that makes the stage a
runway for polished, high-performance fashion.
The show's two central groups of characters are paper animals and
paper people. Costume designer Nicolas Vaudelet created suits in white
fabric made to resemble crumpled paper — a huge departure from
Cirque's usually more ornate style.
The symbolism is subtle. The fabric's wrinkles, he said, give the feel
that these characters' lives are still being crafted. Pops of
fluorescent color differentiate the humans from the animals. All of
the acts are performed on a stage with video projections of nature,
fire and a band of live vocalists, creating an effect that is cool and
more relatable.
Vaudelet started his career in haute couture. He has worked with
fashion houses including Alexander McQueen, Christian Lacroix and
Jean-Paul Gaultier, with whom he developed the costumes for Madonna's
"Confession" tour. But circus, he says, is a totally different world.
"In couture you can do a lot, but in circus you can do even more. We
don't have limits on creativity."
And as a costume designer, he added, he can also take more time to
create. Echo's production was halted in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Vaudelet used that period to reflect and refine. "We never stopped
working. I would say the costumes have been four years in the making."
Production resumed in 2022 and the show was finally unveiled for the
first time in Montreal, last spring, where the company is
headquartered. It has been the highest selling show to premier in the
history of Cirque du Soleil.
At their headquarters in Montreal, Cirque's atelier and wardrobe
department is made up of a team of more than 200 employees who work on
the research and development for all of the company's shows. This
includes milliners, shoemakers and wigmakers. Costumes are all created
in house from beginning to end, including developing fabrics.
"The shape and pattern of a look may seem simple, but in a circus
world, there are a lot of details and technicalities behind every
detail," said Vaudelet. "A lot of research that goes into it."
For Echo, Vaudelet spent a great deal of time developing the textured
fabric for the suits, which acrobats wear as they perform some of the
company's most complicated maneuvers. The design team developed a thin
but strong polyester treated to be matte with stretchability that
allowed for the acrobats to move freely.
The material also had to go through several tests for durability so it
can withstand the rigor of 10 shows a week.
Another big design challenge for Vaudelet was putting acrobats in full
head coverings. The teeter board artists wear animal headpieces while
propelling through the air on narrow boards, one of the most dangerous
acts to pull off. "We have to make sure their vision is never
compromised in any way," Vaudelet said. The headwear is developed
using medical grade materials to ensure they are lightweight and stay
in place throughout the complex movements.
"Montreal is like a big laboratory. We do a lot of testing," Vaudelet
explained. Printing on white fabric with bright colors, such as the
neon orange used in the show, led to unanticipated issues. "We washed
it and the orange bled all over. So this type of simple thing took a
lot of trial and error."
The footwear for the show is created by Cirque's own shoemakers or
purchased from athletic footwear brands like Asics and New Balance.
Those are then modified with covers so the original shoe is not
visible.
The atelier also uses 3D printers to make everything from the buttons,
to show props.
Because the costumes for the shows have to remain consistent as they
tour around the world, creating everything in house ensures the best
results. A library in the atelier catalogues the tens of thousands of
fabrics and colorways created over the years.
"The magic is we are working for a show, we are not selling any of
this. We just want beautiful silhouettes and characters. That's the
difference between traditional fashion and costumes. We are not
presenting a collection for buyers," Vaudelet said. "We want to create
characters that look beautiful on a stage and together tell a story.
Echo is a show that should make you feel like you're are walking in a
dream."
After the U.S. premier in Washington, D.C., the Echo big top will move
to the Miami area at the end of October, followed by four other cities
this year.
{ SOURCE: WWD.com }
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
{Alegría INAL, Kooza, Kurios, Luzia, Bazzar, ECHO, and
'TWAS THE NIGHT}
o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues
{Crystal, Corteo, Messi10, OVO}
o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre
{Mystère, "O", LOVE, MJ ONE, JOYA, Drawn to Life,
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
Malaga, ES -- May 31, 2024 to June 23, 2024
Alicante, ES -- July 16, 2024 to August 4, 2024
Seville, ES -- September 28, 2024 to October 27, 2024
Madrid, ES -- December 4, 2024 to January 6, 2025
Kooza:
Vancouver, BC -- October 21, 2023 to December 31, 2023
San Francisco, CA -- January 17, 2024 to March 10, 2024
San Jose, CA -- April 18, 2024 to May 26, 2024
Kurios:
Knokke, BE -- July 27, 2023 to August 27, 2023
Brussels, BE -- September 7, 2023 to November 5, 2023
Paris, FR -- November 16, 2023 to January 7, 2024
Munich, DE -- January 26, 2024 to February 25, 2024
Dusseldorf, DE -- March 8, 2024 to April 7, 2024
Luzia:
Seoul, SKR -- October 25, 2023 to December 17, 2023
Melbourne, AU -- March 24, 2024 to May 5, 2024
Adelaide, AU -- June 9, 2024 to June 30, 2024
Perth, AU -- July 25, 2024 to August 18, 2024
Brisbane, AU -- September 25, 2024 to October 27, 2024
Sydney, AU -- November 24, 2024 to January 15, 2025
Bazzar:
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:
Washington, DC -- September 6, 2023 to October 22, 2023
Atlanta, GA -- November 5, 2023 to January 21, 2024
Miami, FL -- February 22, 2024 to April 7, 2024
Toronto, ON -- May 8, 2024 to July 21, 2024
TWAS THE NIGHT:
Minneapolis, MN -- November 24, 2023 to December 3, 2023
St. Louis, MO -- November 29, 2023 to December 10, 2023
Phoenix, AZ -- December 15, 2023 to December 24, 2023
Baltimore, MD -- November 24, 2023 to December 3, 2023
Chicago, IL -- December 7, 2023 to December 28, 2023
Milwaukee, WI -- November 24, 2023 to November 26, 2023
New York, NY -- December 7, 2023 to December 28 2023
------------------------------------
ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues
------------------------------------
CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE:
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 21, 2023 to Dec 31, 2023
Detroit, MI -- Jan 4, 2024 to Jan 7, 2024
Hershey, PA -- Jan 11, 2024 to Jan 14, 2024
Pittsburg, PA -- Jan 18, 2024 to Jan 21, 2024
Frisco, TX -- Feb 7, 2024 to Feb 11, 2024
Fort Worth, TX -- Feb 15, 2024 to Feb 18, 2024
Cedar Park, TX -- Feb 21, 2024 to Feb 25, 2024
Tucson, AZ -- Feb 29, 2024 to Mar 3, 2024
CORTEO:
Mexico City, MX -- Oct 4, 2023 to Oct 15, 2023
Monterrey, MX -- Nov 2, 2023 to Nov 5, 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 Jan 14, 2024
Seattle, WA -- Jan 17, 2024 to Jan 20, 2024
Loveland, CO -- Jan 25, 2024 to Jan 28, 2024
Beaumont, TX -- Feb 16, 2024 to Feb 18, 2024
Baton Rouge, LA -- Feb 22, 2024 to Feb 25, 2024
Houston, TX -- Feb 29, 2024 to Mar 3, 2024
Jacksonville, FL -- Mar 7, 2024 to Mar 10, 2024
Greensboro, NC -- Mar 14, 2024 to Mar 17, 2024
MESSI10:
Buenos Aires, AR -- Oct 5, 2023 to Nov 12, 2023
Caracas, VE -- Feb 21, 2024 to Feb 25, 2024
OVO:
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
Zagreb, HR -- Jan 25, 2024 to Jan 28, 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
Lille, FR -- Mar 7, 2024 to Mar 10, 2024
---------------------------------
RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre
---------------------------------
Mystere:
Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday
Variable Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2023 Dark Days:
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) 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) 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) 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) October 16, 2023
JOYA:
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) October 27 - 31, 2023
o) November 3 - 7, 2023
o) December 18 - 19, 2023
=======================================================================
CIRQUECONNECT - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS
=======================================================================
---------------------------------------------------
LIFE IS A CIRCUS: Posts from the Official Blog
---------------------------------------------------
o) COLLECTING CIRQUE DU SOLEIL'S HISTORY
BY: Antoine B Cotes, TikTok Influencer | September 15, 2023
I was young back then, very young indeed. My memories are
fuzzier now, but I clearly remember being in my stroller, in
front of the imposing blue and yellow Big Top. I was four years
old—you'll have to forgive me! My mother later shared with me
the rest of that first experience. What better than a little
Cirque du Soleil story during a family dinner? She laughs and
says that on the way home from the show, I twirled the cords of
my coat to imitate the boleadoras number I'd just seen. We went
back to the Old Port almost every year. It became my springtime
tradition, my favorite thing to look forward to (and I still do,
even at 35!). I can just picture my mom sitting in a chair by
the kitchen phone, handset to her ear, calling the Cirque box
office to buy our tickets for their latest creation. The
excitement that came with that famous call was the harbinger of
a great passion that would continue to grow over the years. Few
people know that in my early teens, I would produce my own
circus shows for my family. Some stuffed animals were the
acrobats, while others took on the role of singers or even
technicians. I hung sheets from the basement ceiling to create a
backstage area. It was serious stuff, with a trapeze, a
tightrope and a teeterboard. I even created programs and tickets
that I printed and handed out to my family members. My brother
kindly contributed by filming the show with the school
camcorder, for posterity's sake! It was quite a production,
believe me! (In case you're wondering, yes, there's still
evidence of these many performances in my parents' basement. And
no, you won't be seeing those VHS recordings!)
Speaking of VHS tapes, I've always collected anything remotely
related to Cirque du Soleil. I had in my possession a small
collection of VHS tapes with the Quebec TV broadcasts of
Saltimbanco, Quidam and Dralion. These tapes played on a loop in
the VCR for years. I didn't realize it, but they were the first
items in my collection. Pretty sweet, you've got to admit! I've
since acquired official VHS tapes of the shows I love, but I
keep them in their original packaging to protect them. I also
treasured my show tickets, which I kept in a little envelope
tucked away in my bedside table. Sweaters, caps, posters, you
name it. As I got older, I began to take an interest in rarer
items, such as the famous denim jacket, straight out of the
'90s, with the Soleil embroidered on the back. It's definitely
my favorite collector's item. I wear it often—even at the risk
of damaging it—because I think life experience gives it a little
je ne sais quoi. Some of the items in my collection are much
older, rarer and more fragile. I have a few official programs,
coveted collectors' items, dating back to 1986 and 1987. It's
fascinating to leaf through them and see how much Cirque du
Soleil has changed since then. I should also mention the very
chic Alegría fanny pack, perfect for carrying the essentials
around. I recently added several items from the latest show,
Cirque du Soleil ECHO, to my collection: a hooded sweatshirt, a
cloud-print pouch, a reusable bag and an ornament for my
Christmas tree. I'm happy to say that my little collection of
Cirque du Soleil items keeps growing. I'm already burning with
excitement to see what I'll manage to find next. Who knows what
special treasure that might be?
o) I BUILT AN ENTIRE CIRCUS WITH MY CHILDREN... ON ROBLOX!
BY: Valérie Lévesque, Gamer & Streamer | September 19, 2023
If you have school-aged children, you have certainly heard all
about Roblox. I have two of my own, aged eight and ten, and they
love this app. As a content creator in the world of video games,
I had no choice but to test it out for myself to understand the
phenomenon and discover the various experiences offered on the
platform. As a result, I was often able to play with my children
and have a blast as a family! Cirque du Soleil Tycoon is an
immersive experience where you can build and manage your very
own show under the Big Top. It includes interactive challenges
and mini-games, characters from the show you can discover and
explore behind the scenes of Cirque du Soleil ECHO. Watch
acrobatic performances, dress up your avatar with unique virtual
items inspired by real ECHO costumes, and unleash your
imagination in true Cirque du Soleil fashion! Come be part of
the Cirque du Soleil community on Roblox, where extraordinary
adventures await.
As soon as we entered the experience, we knew that what we were
about to create was going to be completely wild. The amount of
exclusive items and custom visual elements make Cirque du Soleil
Tycoon stand out from other experiences offered on Roblox. It
shows incomparable attention to detail, a signature of Cirque
creations. Having played several experiences of the same type on
Roblox, I sometimes get the impression that it's redundant.
Fortunately, Cirque du Soleil Tycoon is a breath of fresh air on
the platform. I greatly appreciated the developers' creativity
that helped them design a unique and enchanting world! My
children loved every step of creating the ECHO show while also
being able to discover the behind-the-scenes secrets. It's
surprising to know that so many people are involved in
organizing a Cirque du Soleil show. In fact, in-game, you need
to hire employees to fill the same positions as those occupied
by staff, artists, and technicians who provide unforgettable
moments for spectators under the Big Top. It creates wonderful
family discussions about the circus world and live show. That's
what I love most when I get involved in children's new
interests: there's always a way to make it a fulfilling
experience all around. My kids enjoyed being able to watch the
show, which is presented on stage once the Big Top is complete,
and it made them want to attend a live performance in Montreal!
Tell your children about Cirque du Soleil Tycoon, they can add
the new game to their Roblox library and have fun for hours.
Roblox is a free and multiplayer online immersive experience
platform for children and teenagers. It's a sandbox-like
application that allows anyone with access to a computer to
program an experience themselves and share it with players
around the world. The platform includes many types of
experiences, as well as popular video games, such as obstacle
courses (obbys), tycoons (simulations), shooting games, escape
games, and several others. Any player can enjoy their favorite
type of experience. Users control their own avatar when visiting
the experience. They can change their appearance by buying a
variety of items like hats, clothes, or even faces. They can
purchase these objects with Robux, the virtual currency used on
Roblox. The Roblox and Cirque du Soleil Tycoon worlds are
accessible on PC, Xbox, tablets, and mobile phones!
o) HOW TO PRONOUNCE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
BY: Cirque Editorial Team | October 5, 2023
The words Cirque du Soleil inspire others to see, hear, and feel
performances that defy conformity (it's in our DNA). But how do
you pronounce Cirque du Soleil, really? Our shows have many
names, and some of the pronunciations aren't always obvious.
Some might even surprise you! Read along to learn how to
pronounce our show names so that by the end of this article, you
can shout it with us: Cirque du Soleil! HOW DO YOU SAY CIRQUE DU
SOLEIL? You aren't alone — many struggle with pronouncing Cirque
du Soleil at first. We've heard ‘Circus Olay,' "Serk Doo
Soolie," and ‘Cirque Soooolay' to name a few. But once you learn
how to pronounce the name, you'll never forget it. Cirque du
Soleil is French, which is why you can't just cobble together
the English sounds for each letter and get the right
pronunciation. The phonetic spelling of Cirque du Soleil in
English is "surk-doo-so lay." "Surk" rhymes with "lurk." "Doo"
rhymes with "boo." "So" rhymes with "go." "Lay" rhymes with
"hay." Put this string of words together and you get Cirque du
Soleil. The French name Cirque du Soleil translates to Circus of
the Sun in English.
Here are some others...
KÀ -- The phonetic spelling of KÀ is simply "kah." It rhymes
with "rah." This one is fairly easy to pronounce, though you
wouldn't be the only one to trip over the two-letter
construction. KÀ is commonly mispronounced online — many AI
recordings pronounce it similar to how you'd say "Kansas,"
because they confuse the KA in KÀ with the abbreviation for the
state. Don't let the AI fool you.
KOOZA -- The phonetic spelling of KOOZA by Cirque du Soleil is
"koo-zah." "Koo" rhymes with "too." "Zah" sounds similar to "ta"
or "da" from "ta-da," and believe us, KOOZA is magical!
MESSI10 -- The phonetic spelling of Messi is ‘meh-'see.' Then,
you add the number 10, or ‘ten.' Our production of Messi10 by
Cirque du Soleil is based on the story of professional soccer
player Lionel Messi. If you know how to say his name, you can
pronounce the show's name.
OVO -- The phonetic spelling of OVO by Cirque du Soleil is "oh-
voh." Both syllables of the pronunciation rhyme with "go."
Michael Jackson ONE -- This Cirque du Soleil is named after the
King of Pop himself. In the order they appear, the phonetic
pronunciation is: "My-kuhl" "Jahk-son" "Won"
ALEGRIA -- The phonetic spelling of Alegría is "ah-leg-ree-ah."
The "ah" sounds like the first part of "apple."
BAZZAR -- A bazaar is a type of market, typically found in
Middle Eastern or Asian countries. To pronounce our show name
BAZZAR, you say "bah-zar." The first syllable rhymes with "rah"
and the second syllable rhymes with "car."
ECHO -- English speakers will be pleased to learn that ECHO is
identical to the English word "echo," which is pronounced "eh-
kow."
KURIOS -- This show is pronounced differently than the English
word, "curious." Pronouncing the show correctly sounds like:
‘ku-ree-ohs'
CORTEO -- To pronounce this Cirque du Soleil show, start with
the word, "core." Then add "tay-oh" — it sounds like "day-oh!"
You get the phonetic spelling of "core-tay-oh."
JOYÀ -- JOYÀ is pronounced exactly like the Spanish word. When
you put it all together, you get "ho-ya."
LUZIA -- LUZIA is a person's name, meaning, "the one who is born
at daybreak." Its origin is Portuguese. The "z" makes a buzzing
"zzz" sound, so you end with a pronunciation sounding like,
"loo-zee-ah."
CRYSTAL -- "Crystal" is an English word, and the show name is
the same. The phonetic spelling of CRYSTAL is "kri-stl" or
"krist-uhl." That said, Cirque du Soleil CRYSTAL is anything but
ordinary.
"O" -- "O" by Cirque du Soleil is pronounced similarly to the
letter, "o", or "oh." More than a letter, "O" brings together
the grace of water and world-class divers, synchronized
swimmers, and acrobats to create something unlike anything
you've seen before. But, chances are you've seen its name
before. The name comes from the French word for water, which is
"eau" and pronounced similarly but shorter.
MYSTERE -- This famous production is named after the French word
that translates to "mystery." You pronounce it by saying "mee-
stair."
DRAWN TO LIFE -- Drawn to Life by Cirque du Soleil is pronounced
exactly as it looks in English. In the order they appear, the
phonetic pronunciation is: "Draw-uhn" "Tew" "Lyfe"
TWAS THE NIGHT --- Our first holiday show, ‘Twas the Night
Before is based on the classic poem "A Visit from Saint Nicolas"
and will have you counting down the days until Christmas. In the
order they appear, the phonetic pronunciation is: "Twuhz" "The"
"Nyt" "bee-for"
MAD APPLE -- This New York-inspired production is chaotic, wild,
and lively, but its pronunciation is a lot more tame. The
phonetic spelling of Mad Apple is "mad" (rhymes with "bad") and
"ah-puhl."
LOVE -- This show, named after the fab four group of musicians,
is pronounced: "The" "Bee - tuls" "Luhv"
The good news is you can visit the big top whether or not you
can pronounce the show's name. View upcoming shows and come say:
"hello," "bonjour," "hola," or simply flash a smile.
---------------------------------------------------
OTHER OUTREACH: Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds
---------------------------------------------------
o) CIRQUE DU SOUND
A great creative idea can come from anywhere, at any time. The
trick is – knowing how to spot it. Cirque du Soleil is widely known
as a beacon of creative thinking. For decades, they've thrilled
audiences with imaginative, interdisciplinary live experiences
drawing creative inspiration from art, science, nature, philosophy,
and the magic of everyday life. Cirque du Sound is a brand-new
podcast from the creative minds at Cirque du Soleil. It's an
immersive sonic trip exploring the creative ideas at the root of
some of Cirque du Soleil's most beloved shows. Do you want to bring
more creativity into your work, or your life? Join host Michel
Laprise, renowned director, and Creative Guide at Cirque du Soleil,
for deep-dive conversations with modern visionaries from all over
the globe. Conversations bent on widening the definition of
creativity, all while looking through the unique ‘cirque-oscopic'
lens of Cirque du Soleil.
* EPISODE 1: Sympathy for the Devil, with Screenwriter John August.
https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/cirque-du-sound-episode-1
Screenwriter and director John August (Charlie & The Chocolate
Factory, The Nightmare Before Christmas) is known for creating
wildly imaginative storylines where darkness and light get turned
upside-down. He joins Michel Laprise for a chat about character
evolution, story-worlds, and stories that challenge our
understanding of darkness. Together they discuss Alegría, a
Cirque du Soleil show exploring themes of light vs. darkness, the
thirst for change, and "sympathy for the devil".
* EPISODE 2: The Magic of the Every-day, author Luis Alberto Urrea.
https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/cirque-du-sound-episode-2
Open your eyes to magic, and you will find it all around you. A
conversation featuring award-winning and best-selling Mexican-
American author and journalist Luis Alberto Urrea (Goodnight
Irene, The Hummingbird's Daughter, The Devil's Highway) in
conversation with Michel Laprise about the inspiration to be
found in adopting the lens of magical realism, ghosts, and
miracles - and by looking at life in all its subtlety, chaos,
and splendor. Together they explore the infinite possibilities
of a blank page and the things we might find in the world if we
only had the eyes to see. Following themes from LUZIA, a Cirque
du Soleil show filled with light, rain, and the culture of
Mexico.
* EPISODE 3: Creative Rites, with anthropologist Wade Davis
https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/cirque-du-sound-episode-3
The rite of passage is at the heart of the hero's journey.
Understanding it is crucial to understanding humanity, and
essential to many forms of creative storytelling. Award-winning
anthropologist Wade Davis is a rare combination of scientist,
scholar, poet, world-traveler, and passionate defender of all of
life's diversity. He joins Michel for a deep conversation about
the creative and cultural significance of the rite of passage,
across cultures and throughout history, and delves into the
significance of today's modern "rites". Together, they discuss
KÁ, a Cirque du Soleil show with themes of rites of passage, and
self-discovery.
With each episode linking back to a central theme found in popular
Cirque du Soleil shows, Cirque du Sound broadens your definition of
creativity through a unique 'cirque-oscopic' point of view. Listen
in and open your mind for 12 utterly unique episodes of the Cirque
du Sound podcast. Check out this new and exciting podcast on the
platform of your choice:
-) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/
1g1xGigNbUbHg6LeIzjBKy?si=22c56a189dd244d3
-) Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/
cirque-du-sound/id1707221236
-) Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/
aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jb2hvc3Rwb2RjYXN0aW5nLmNvbS9hamJpYm9HeA
-) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CirqueduSoleil/podcasts
-) Cirque Blog: https://link.chtbl.com/cirque-du-sound-blog
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
o) "CRYSTAL in Australia!" - A Review
By: Kerry Hennigan, Australia
o) "On The Thames" a Cirque du Soleil 'What if?'
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) CIRQUE DU SOUND: Meet the Host & Guests
By: The Cirque du Soleil Blog
o) "Growing the Business with High-Flying Operations"
By: SAP Software Solutions
----------------------------------------------------------
"CRYSTAL in Australia!" - A Review
By: Kerry Hennigan, Australia
----------------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil's Crystal is the first visit to Adelaide, South
Australia, by a Cirque show since the pandemic saw the cancellation of
the Australian tour of Kurios, and it was a big, exciting "welcome
back" to "the city of churches" with a large crowd attending the
matinee session on Saturday 2 September 2023. Crystal - Cirque's first
ever ice show, debuting in 2017 - took over the Adelaide Entertainment
Centre where I had my first live experience of the celebrated
Montreal-based entertainment troupe. The show was Saltimbanco (revised
version), which I loved, little knowing the many other Cirque
experiences I would subsequently have that would surpass it in the
years that followed.
Crystal certainly does not disappoint, and it is one of those few
Cirque shows where the storyline is fairly easy to follow, helped by
occasional narration (in English) as Crystal, a young woman desperate
to get away from her safe, humdrum life, falls through the ice when
out skating. She tumbles down to an underworld where her imagination
opens up new experiences for her, new opportunities to express herself
and change her life. Think ‘Alice through the Looking Glass' but
replace "Alice" with "Crystal" and the "looking glass" with an ice
arena and you'll know what to expect.
The clever, daring feats we've come to expect from Cirque are present,
with the added excitement of being performed on ice – or above it.
Which means, of course, all the performers are wearing skates. It's
impossible not to admire such talent, which not only has to possess
traditional circus skills, whether it be juggling, balancing, swinging
or something else, but which has to be done in skates, on ice, under
constantly changing lighting effects.
The set and set dressings are rendered atmospheric by these changing
kaleidoscopes of colours. It provides Crystal with essential
atmosphere and drama for each scenario that is presented. The same
must be said of the music, always a very special part of the Cirque
experience. For Crystal, the live musicians lead us from scene to
scene with the audience clapping in time when prompted by the beat of
fiddles and piano accordion. What did surprise me was the inclusion of
some non-Cirque contemporary pop songs which slot into the show with
great effect and help heighten the viewer's emotions. At least they
did for me, because I knew them all well i.e. "Chandelier," "Sinner
Man," "Halo" and "A Beautiful Day."
Sadly there was no soundtrack CD on sale at the souvenir kiosk in the
lobby, but I did bring home a copy of the program – something I've
purchased for every Cirque show I've ever seen. My collection of
programs from shows I've attended not just in Adelaide, but in
Melbourne, Hong Kong, London, Sacramento, Las Vegas (especially Las
Vegas!) and Orlando provide a way to refresh my memories of all those
magical Cirque du Soliel moments I've been blessed to experience.
Crystal has now been added to the collection, and I anticipate many
more to come.
----------------------------------------------------------
"On The Thames" a Cirque du Soleil 'What if?'
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
Rumors of Cirque setting up in this fantastic city are almost as old
as resident shows themselves, and some of the earliest regarding
London stretches back to the late 1990s. It's no secret that following
their explosive 1987 premiere in Los Angeles and subsequent conquering
of North America, that Cirque du Soleil had set their sights on
Australia, Japan, and Europe. But each was met with a few challenges.
While it would take some time for the Cirque and Japanese interests to
hammer out a deal (they would sign with Fuji in 1991 for a unique tour
the following year), and a planned Australian tour of Le Cirque
Réinventé for early 1988 fell apart late in the discussions (keeping
the continent down-under Cirque-free until Saltimbanco's visit in
1999), Cirque did attempt its first European Tour in 1990. London was
the start of a two-year tour that was supposed to take Le Cirque
Réinventé to Paris, Barcelona, and other European cities.
"We are a little bit nervous about Paris especially," said Danny
Pelchat, the circus's general manager and international advance man,
in an interview. "Actually, very nervous." Much was riding on the
success of this tour; Cirque's successes in North America kept
multiplying their operating costs. The more people they drew, the
bigger they got, adding on acts and paying more for the venues where
they pitched their tent. As costs increased, so did the circus'
dependence on larger markets which could sustain such a large
infrastructure. Those markets were found on the international scene,
prompting Cirque officials to admit bluntly that they had to succeed
in Europe if the Cirque was to survive. "We're shaking a bit in our
boots -- but maybe that's good for us," Guy Laliberté said.
Taking a distinctively North American success story to more blas
audiences in Europe was a tall order. The main reason the
European trip was such a gamble was that the Cirque had to chalk
up an 85-per-cent attendance rate in a 1,600-seat arena to break
even. Under the 2,500-seat big-top used in North America, the
break-even rate was just 65 per cent. So the Cirque had to fill a
greater percentage of seats in Europe without the benefit of the
recognition factor it had garnered in North America. Asked what
would happen if the European stand was not a success, Pelchat
replied: "That can't happen. Period." But if the unthinkable did
happen, "there are always back doors" to save the day. One option
would be to move the show to Italy or Germany, where success was
more guaranteed. Why not go there first? Because playing it safe
was boring, they said. Not the Cirque du Soleil way.
Unfortunately, the tour was a complete disaster, cut short by a heat
wave, war, and indifference. Cirque du Soleil returned to North
America with their tails between their legs. Although Cirque had hoped
to be successful and tour Nouvelle Experience there, the company would
not attempt Europe again until Saltimbanco made inroads in 1995. By
that time, Cirque du Soleil would have its first resident show in Las
Vegas, with attempts to place them in Vancouver (1994), Toronto
(1994), and Berlin (1996), and with new announcements for a second
residence in Las Vegas (1996) and Walt Disney World (1996).
It made perfect sense that Cirque du Soleil would want a permanent
presence in London too. But unlike the other potential residences
mentioned so far, London is a far more complicated story because it
rears its head often, and becomes mixed into a number of different
proposals over the years.
The first time we'd hear about Cirque adding London to its growing
list of homes away from home was on February 3, 1997. The Montreal
Gazette published a blurb that mentioned a Hong Kong-based developer
said Cirque du Soleil had agreed to locate a troupe at a giant leisure
and entertainment complex it was building in South London.
"The contract hasn't been signed, but the two parties have agreed
in principle," says Andrew Dowler, a spokesman for the developer,
Parkview International. Dowler said the deal is subject to
Parkview getting planning permission to build extra facilities on
its site, home of the abandoned Battersea Power Station. But if
the deal has been all but clinched, the Cirque du Soleil isn't
saying. A company spokeswoman would neither confirm nor deny the
deal. "Nobody here is going to tell you anything about this,"
said the woman, who would not identify herself.
The article went on to state that Parkview expected to receive
preliminary planning approval by March 1998 and could then begin
construction by the end of the year. The projected completion date was
around the turn of the millennium. The company saw Cirque du Soleil as
an integral part of its plan to develop the 12-hectare site, located
at Battersea, on the Thames about three kilometers from the Houses of
Parliament. Parkview's plans included a 32-screen cineplex, rides,
restaurants, hotels, offices, and a train station to link the complex
to London's transportation network. The project was expected to cost
about $1 billion USD.
But little was said about the project for more than three years until
a May 2000 interview with Sc no Plus, the performance space design
firm from Montreal that mentioned they were working on the "huge, if
slow-moving" project at Battersea. It wasn't until December 11, 2000,
when Laliberte unveiled a strategy to develop and open "Entertainment
Complexes" in major entertainment capitals of the world, was the
London project made official.
"Over the years, we have collaborated with creative people from
around the world to conceive, devise and realize our shows. With
the Cirque du Soleil Complexes, we intend to expand our platform
by bringing together an ensemble of innovative ideas and talent
under one roof and applying them to a physical location. We
envision our Complexes as international meeting places where
patrons will be inspired and entertained in the spirit of
celebration and festivity. We want to surround our public with
artful living," announced Laliberte.
The complexes would be a unique fusion of drama and design, of
architecture and the arts. They would be a place where technology,
tourism, arts and leisure converge, and would provide a year-round
base for Cirque du Soleil in the form of a permanent theater in the
host city. Laliberte added, "We want to situate our patrons in the
moment by creating an environment, a microcosm, where no detail is
expendable in the profound belief that every detail is part of the big
here and now. We believe this to be a natural extension of our mission
statement: invoke the imagination, provoke the senses, and evoke the
emotions of people around the world."
Planning was underway to develop four to six of these complexes within
the next ten years, the release said, with the first being planned for
The Battersea Power Station site in London at a price tag of 500m.
Built in 1930, Battersea Power Station is believed to be the largest
brick building in Europe. Its size, its four tall chimneys, and its
prime location on the south bank of the River Thames have combined to
make it one of London's most recognizable landmarks. In the 1970s, it
featured on the album cover for Pink Floyd's "Animals". Despite its
renown, however, the station has stood empty since 1975. And there
have been plenty of revitalization projects for the site over the
years, none of them working out. Guy Laliberte, called the Power
Station project a "massive and truly exciting challenge."
He continued, "To me this building continues to radiate the energy
that it used to convert. It is a hugely powerful symbol. We want to
reflect that energy and power in helping to create an environment and
destination that will excite the imagination and stimulate the senses.
The success of Cirque du Soleil is founded on radical thinking-not
just the acts that appear in our shows but the whole entertainment
experience. For the first time ever we have the opportunity to apply
that radical thinking to a project of this size and scope." But why
London? "London is the entertainment capital of the world, so that is
why we want a home here for Cirque du Soleil. We want [to build] an
entertainment complex using traditional businesses--restaurants,
hotels, spas--and challenging them with new creative content. Like we
did with the Cirque--taking the traditional and twisting it."
As previously stated, Cirque du Soleil formed a strategic alliance
with Parkview International, owners and developers of the site, and
would advise on artistic content for what became one of the largest
urban redevelopment projects in Europe. The Parkview Group Holdings,
controlled by the Hwang Family, originally established a construction
and development business in Taiwan in 1949. Since then, the Family has
specialized in major integrated developments, principally in the Far
East and, most notably, their flagship Residential Development in Hong
Kong. Cirque du Soleil aimed to contribute their own special brand of
lateral thinking, working alongside the site's planners, designers and
architects.
Talking about the alliance, Parkview's President, Mr. Victor
Hwang, said, "Cirque du Soleil's imagination, style and creative
energy will help provide the stimulus to build what will be a
truly innovative environment. We are delighted that they are
going to join a select team that is driving the renaissance of
this London icon and the city's South Riverside."
Work on the site was to begin within six months of the announcement
with an opening date in 2004. The plans called the dilapidated
building to be converted into a 2,000-seat auditorium, a ballroom, a
cinema, and two hotels. One of the hotels would be conventional. The
other, Mr. Laliberte said, would be a "Generation X" hotel that
offered entertainment as part of the experience. "The butler in the
morning serving you coffee might have a face that makes you crack up
laughing or you might be in the elevator and someone will climb out of
a little door in the lift and have a chat with you." A spa at the
complex will be inspired by the baths of ancient Rome and include
festivities, music and food, although it will stop short of offering
orgies, Mr. Laliberte said. One of the plant's four chimneys would be
turned into an observation tower with the others being used for
technical equipment.
The redevelopment has been an on-again off-again affair for years. In
1987, the future looked bright. John Broome, then chairman of Alton
Towers (a theme park in Staffordshire, England, near the village of
Alton), promised to bring 7,000 visitors an hour to an Edwardian-
themed amusement park there, but his vision was doomed. Broome set off
with gusto, ripping the roof off and tearing out the interior, but
costs for the project steadily rose as huge amounts of asbestos and
sulfur damage to the brickwork were found. The costs soared past 240m
(out of an initial estimate of 34m), forcing Broome to sell Alton
Towers to keep his dream alive. When costs reached 300m, the
contractor Sir Alfred McAlpine pulled out. The scheme finally ran out
of funding in 1989 owing 75.8m and, in 1993, the receivers sold the
debts to Parkview for about 10m. But still the project languished,
this time because of wrangles over planning consent. Victor Hwang,
president of Parkview, said: "I've seen three prime ministers come and
go and not a single brick has been laid on this project."
Victor Hwang first saw Battersea power station as a schoolboy. Huang
said he recognized the potential of the Battersea site from the moment
he saw it. His plans for it easily rival Broome's for ambition. He
says: "It was a very quick decision; we were aware of the site but we
closed the transaction taking over the bank debt within 48 hours of
coming to see it. We convinced ourselves that it would become a
remarkable development because the position is so good. It is right
across the river from Kensington and Chelsea." He was also attracted
by the iconic status of the power station, which is instantly
recognizable to anyone who has visited London. Hwang remembers it from
trips to London made when he was a 13-year-old Taiwanese schoolboy
sent to boarding school a long way from home in north Wales.
The plans for Battersea were masterminded by Michael Lowe of Arup
Associates, the architects and engineers, and Sir Philip Dowson. The
project encompasses the development of 37 acres of prime riverside
land on which the giant relic stands, as well as the refurbishment
scheme by two firms of architects, Benoy and Nicholas Grimshaw &
Partners, for the power station itself. And it seemed that this
proposal a better chance of success, than many others But... it never
happened. By September 8, 2001, in an article highlighting the
achievements of Sc no Plus, there was a small section mentioning some
of the projects the company was in on that fell by the wayside. Within
it mentioned the company being called upon by Cirque and Parkview
International to devise a redevelopment plan for the Battersea
project, only to have the partnership fall apart. What that article
does not make clear is whether the partnership between Sceno and
Cirque/Parkview fell apart or the partnership between Cirque and
Parkview. Considering it was a piece on Sc no Plus the more likely
outcome was that the partnership between Cirque and Sc no soured here.
In the end it wouldn't matter too much. On December 3, 2002, Cirque du
Soleil announced that, faced with an economic downturn in the
hospitality industry, it would abandon plans to open a series of hotel
complexes around the world, including in London. The Battersea
project appeared off the books. Not much more was heard about residing
in Europe until Cirque President and CEO Daniel Lamarre in July 2004
alluded to no less than three new permanent ventures within the next
few years; Tokyo, London and New York City. "I wouldn't want to put a
calendar to the construction," Lamarre said in an interview with The
Star, "but I think it's safe to say we will begin work on the Tokyo
project very soon."
The Tokyo project became ZED in 2008, of course, which unfortunately
folded at the end of 2011. The New York City announcement ultimately
became WINTUK in 2007, which also ended its run at the beginning of
2011. London had remained elusive though rumors abounded.
Like this one from The Stage: On April 18, 2006, Cirque du Soleil was
said to be in negotiations about a possible residency at the O2, the
multi-million-pound sports and entertainment complex being built on
the site of the former Millennium Dome in Greenwich. Under the deal,
the Canadian circus troupe would have a regular show at a 1,800-seat
theater that would form part of the new venue. Illustrations showing
how the finished O2 would look were announced and a completion date of
July 2007 was given for the project. But while the O2 arena would
eventually come together, Cirque's involvement did not.
On November 15, 2010, an interesting blog post came up at Sky News HD,
a component of BskyB in London, which suggested Cirque du Soleil was
now actively looking for a permanent home in London through an
advisory firm. Guy Laliberte had appointed Allen & Co, a specialist
media and entertainment advisory firm, to identify prospective
partners who could help establish a permanent residence for the
acrobatic dance troupe-cum-circus in London. Mr Laliberte said: "We
are working hard trying to find a place in London. We have been
looking all over for 10 years. Eventually, we will be at the right
place at the right moment with the right real-estate developer. We
have looked at the O2. It has been part of the discussion." David
Campbell, the chief executive of AEG Europe, which owns the O2,
confirmed the talks: "We have looked at it and it's just a question of
getting the right business model. It's not imminent but it's not been
dismissed."
And as of 2020 there's still been no word, and no permanent residence
in London. Just hopes.
----------------------------------------------------------
CIRQUE DU SOUND: Meet the Host & Guests
By: The Cirque du Soleil Blog
----------------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Sound is a new creative podcast by Cirque du Soleil that
explores the boundaries of creativity itself through 12 Cirque-themed
conversations with visionaries across a spectrum of disciplines. Below
meet Michel Laprise, Creative Guide at Cirque du Soleil and the host
of the brand-new podcast, as well as his first three guests:
Screenwriter and Director John August, award-winning Mexican-American
author and journalist Luis Alberto Urrea, and anthropologist and
storyteller Wade Davis:
MEET MICHEL LAPRISE
Michel Laprise is the Creative Guide at Cirque du Soleil and the host
of the brand-new podcast Cirque du Sound.
Q. Could you please introduce yourself in a few words?
I am the creative guide of Cirque du Soleil. I'm also a director, so,
I oversee questions related to the creative vision. I assign the
directors and the creative teams their mandates, while also
accompanying them on their beautiful journey to create amazing shows.
I will give my expert advice on other artistic expressions (that some
people call products) we have in the company, and represent the voice
of creators, I like to say, at the level of the executive committee.
Q. If you had to pick your favorite Cirque du Soleil show, which one
would it be?
My favorite show is the one I am creating at the moment. Always. I
love creation and "favorite" makes it sound like the other shows are
not as important. They're all very important – not just the ones I'm
working on, all our shows are. I was presented some projects last week
to give feedback on and they're just so unique. Our objective is
always to make sure that each creation is distinctive from everything
else we do. I am as passionate about the show I saw on set last
Thursday, the one I saw in rehearsal on Friday and the one I worked on
10 years ago!
Q. Can you tell us a bit about what sparked your interest in creation
and what lead you to become the Creative Guide at Cirque du Soleil?
What sparked my interest in creation is my childhood because I was
bored! I wanted to see things with a different outlook, combining
things or putting them in relationships in different ways. That way,
they would be more interesting or reveal themselves to my
consciousness, my eyes, my senses. I also wanted to disobey, get out
of the norm, and just explore because it's fun. I like the spirit of
adventure. Later on, I got interested in the creative processes of the
shows I was seeing at international festivals. Loving to hear about
how people create shows, it was natural for me to find my own way to
contribute and create at Cirque du Soleil. It really started when I
was working in casting and got interested in the artist's evolution
process, which became a bit more creative. I developed the audition
process to be more like workshops. That led me to expand that to
events and then to core shows.
Q. By now, you must be used to being on the creative side of your job.
How did you feel about stepping into a new pair of shoes as the
host of Cirque du Sound?
Taking on the role of host was a privilege, a new perspective and
different point of view to meet these amazing guests. I'm learning a
lot: I love to say that at Cirque du Soleil, it's a constant human
school. We learn about life, we learn about art, about society and
about humans. This was all a big learning experience. I really enjoyed
that.
Q. In the live entertainment industry, it's easy to pinpoint where
creativity is applied. In a broader sense, what does creativity
mean to you?
Creativity, to me, is a mindset. It's a way to look at things, a way
to listen. It's constant, it's nonstop. Creativity is when I wake up,
only to really look at things. I see the trees, see how people behave
with each other, their body language, the things they do that makes
sense and the things they do that don't make sense. There's poetry
everywhere. I'm a strong believer that we are in a paradise, we just
need to see it again. Sometimes it might be tough, but you have to
remember that we're really fortunate. We have to keep in mind that art
is there to celebrate the beauty of humans and nature. When there's a
hardship, there's beauty in that. When a human is experiencing a
problem, there's beauty because it reveals the human courage.
Creativity is not only for the creative people. We can all be
creative. Like when you step out of your comfort zone, not to take a
risk, but to access a balance. The way to find this balance is
sometimes to reach out to the people around you. They might help you
to find what you're looking for. In a way, this search balance makes
you connect with other people. It encourages you to collaborate, and
that's very good. I used to say it's a "group thing". It's a
collective effort, and that's why it's so much fun.
Q. What kind of surprises can the audience expect in Cirque du Sound?
We tried to be very spontaneous. There are scripted questions, but I
tried – in my learning process of being the host of a podcast – to
stay alert at all times to catch the moments that would be gold.
Sometimes (or maybe often!), I will go off script, and I'll jump on
the opportunity to ask the guest to expand on what they're expressing.
The great thing with Cirque du Sound is that we would always go over
time during recording, because our fabulous guests had so many great
things to share with us. I can't wait for everybody to listen to it.
# # #
MEET JOHN AUGUST
John August is a screenwriter and director, and a guest on the brand-
new podcast Cirque du Sound.
Q. Could you please introduce yourself in a few words?
My name is John August. I'm screenwriter who's also worked on
Broadway. Some of my credits include Big Fish, Charlie's Angels, and
Aladdin.
Q. If you had to pick your favorite Cirque du Soleil show, which one
would it be?
While O wasn't my first Cirque show, it was the first one where I
remember just going slack-jawed in disbelief. I've now been backstage
—both below the water and high in the catwalks. It's astonishing from
every perspective.
Q. Can you tell us a bit about what sparked your interest in writing
and what motivated you to pursue screenwriting?
I've always written. In college, I was pursuing a journalism degree
until I found out that writing for movies was an actual job. I moved
to Los Angeles, read hundreds of scripts, and got started.
Q. Once-in-a-lifetime transformative experiences are often part of
your movies – did you have one yourself that has shaped your view
of the world?
It's helpful to think of ourselves as heroes undergoing an epic
journey, but we should remember the transformation keeps happening.
I've stayed curious and open, which has led to lots of great
opportunities and challenges.
Q. It takes a village to make a movie; how do you navigate creative
differences and maintain a cohesive vision when working with
directors and producers?
At the start of a project, I try to make a note to myself about what
the movie means to me, and why I'm writing it. Through all the ups and
downs, that note becomes the touchstone. Anything canand will change,
but that initial vision persists.
Q. Writing can be a powerful tool for social change. Do you ever feel
a moral obligation to address certain issues through your work, and
if so, how did you navigate that process?
As a gay Boy Scout growing up in 1970s Colorado, I was constantly
scanning movies and TV for people like me. I feel a responsibility to
represent people, settings and ideas that don't often show up on the
big screen.
Q. What do you hope your legacy will be in terms of the emotions and
ideas your work has conveyed?
Life can be a struggle, and my movies don't shy away from showing the
hard bits. But I believe the greatest gift you can give someone is
hope.
# # #
MEET LUIS ALBERTO URREA
Luis Alberto Urrea is an award-winning Mexican-American author and
journalist, and a guest on the brand-new podcast Cirque du Sound.
Q. Could you please introduce yourself in a few words?
I am Luis Alberto Urrea and I am an author, a speaker, a university
professor, activist, husband, dad and grandpa. I was born in Tijuana
to a Mexican father and an American mother. It has made me feel like a
citizen of the world and set my agenda in my writing career.
Q. If you had to pick your favorite Cirque du Soleil show, which one
would it be?
I LOVED Kurios. The illusions were amazing, the music had to be
downloaded, the overall talent next level. The steampunk ethos caught
me in all the right places. That show was a wonder. I am also a great
fan of Luzia because it captured my Mexican soul and expressed the
emotions and wonder I feel every time I go back there.
Q. Can you tell us a bit about what sparked your interest in writing
and what motivated you to pursue this creative avenue?
I was saved by story, no other way to explain this. I was rescued as a
child from dire straits by books. How fortunate to be in a family that
worshipped books. And, though we had little money, my mother knew the
priceless value of a library card. I did not believe that someone from
my station in life and cultural roots would ever be an author. But
when that muse touches you, you can't help but practice what you love.
Such shamans as Leonard Cohen and Ursula K. LeGuin set fire to my love
of words. When you surround yourself with magicians like that, you
can't help but want to learn – and practice – the magic yourself.
Q. Your works often blend various cultural and literary influences.
Could you discuss how your dual heritage has shaped your creative
style?
I don't believe any of us come from hermetically sealed culture. My
personal heritage is made up of my mother's English roots in early
America with a strand of Hungarian and my father's Mexican side that
includes a strong dose of Irish and Basque migrants and Indigenous
Mexican culture. All of this was present in our small apartment –
which was in a blue-collar barrio, itself a mix of various migrant
cultures. All of these strands – including the music I listened to and
the books I read – make up my ethnicity as well as my creative
impulses. Because I was always listening and paying attention, I could
not help but be influenced by all the colors and cultures surrounding
me in glorious explosions of creativity.
Q. Your writing is known for its vivid descriptions and emotional
resonance. How do you approach the task of evoking sensory
experiences and deep emotions in your readers?
I need to establish an emotional intimacy with my readers to have any
hope of connection. That means I have to be vulnerable and as honest
and open as possible. I often tell my writing students that they need
to fill their pens with love or don't bother picking them up. No
pretention allowed because pretention is sheer ego and ego leaves no
room for art. It's about love. I believe that every time I scribble in
a notebook.
Q. Well-written characters often grapple with moral dilemmas and
ethical choices. How do you approach creating multi-dimensional
characters who face these challenges authentically?
Ursula K. LeGuin once told me: "Writers are the raw nerve of the
universe. They need us to go feel things and then come back and remind
them what it means to be human." In a real way, it is an alchemy of
translation: my goal is always to remind my readers of their humanity
– and more importantly to embrace the humanity of the other.
Q. What do you hope your legacy will be in terms of the emotions and
ideas your work has conveyed?
There is no them, there is only us. That has been my mantra always.
# # #
MEET WADE DAVIS
Wade Davis is an anthropologist and storyteller, and a guest on the
brand-new podcast Cirque du Sound.
Q. Could you please introduce yourself in a few words?
My name is Wade Davis. I'm a writer and an anthropologist, I suppose
I'm also a filmmaker and a photographer, but mainly a storyteller.
Q. If you had to pick your favorite Cirque du Soleil show, which one
would it be?
It has to be Sép7imo Día - No Descansaré, inspired by the music of
Soda Stereo. That's how I first met Michel Laprise. It was a really
fun project in which he asked me to help envision what kind of
universe there would be if it was all informed by the metaphors and
the symbols of that band. Of course, we suggested all kinds of things,
but I don't think any of it got into the show. Somehow, Michel thought
it was all wonderful and we became good friends through that. I find
him simply inspirational as a creative artist and as a human being.
Q. Can you tell us a bit about what sparked your interest in
anthropology and what motivated you to pursue this field of study?
I always believed that vocation is simply a lens through which you see
the world for a while, and only for a time. So, in that sense, I've
had many hats in my life, from botanical explorer to hunting guide to
park ranger to Whitewater guide to photographer, filmmaker,
anthropologist… I think my interest in culture began during my youth.
I grew up in Quebec during the time of Two Solitudes, when English and
French didn't really speak to each other. I was raised in an English
suburb of Montreal, Pointe Claire, which is sort of stuck like a
carbuncle on the back of an old Francophone village. Cartier boulevard
literally divided the two worlds. My mother would send me to get
groceries or cigarettes in a little corner store owned by a wonderful
old Francophone couple on the other side. I would sit on one side of
Cartier boulevard, look across the road, and think: "wow, right across
there, it's another religion and another language and another way of
thinking and being." I wondered: why can I cross this road? – that
prohibition wasn't for my family who were very kind, generous, and
beloved in the community. But it was from my society itself. And I
think, in a way, I've been crossing that road ever since.
Q. Can you share some of the most memorable experiences that have
shaped your understanding of culture and biodiversity?
I had a modest and humble mother who told me, when I was 13, that
Spanish was the language of the future. She worked all year as a
secretary in an elementary school to earn enough money to allow me to
join a small group of students the school master planned on taking to
Cali, Colombia in the summer of 1968. Most North Americans had never
been in an airplane. And if they did, it would take them to London or
Paris. South America was a very far way away at that time and for the
other lads going with me. I was the youngest at 14 and the others were
around 16, even 17. Perhaps, some of them succumbed to what Colombians
call "mamitis", which is homesickness. As I, by contrast, felt like I
had never had. It felt as if I had finally found my home. I became
very engaged and turned on by the intensity of life in Latin America,
and the quiet sort of understanding of the frailty of the human
spirit.
Q. Cultural research can sometimes raise ethical questions,
particularly regarding cultural appropriation. How do you approach
these challenges, and what advice do you have for researchers
working in culturally sensitive contexts?
I've always thought that this term was rather patronizing in itself.
We have this idea that indigenous cultures are frail and delicate, and
have to somehow be protected from us. My experiences quite the
opposite. I've always found these societies to be dynamic living
peoples, not drifting away from history, as we would say, but in fact
being driven out of existence by identifiable forces. That's actually
an optimistic observation because, if human beings are the agents of
cultural destruction, they can be the facilitators of cultural
survival. It's my experience in the field that if any indigenous
group, society or culture does not want someone around, they let that
be known and the person is pretty much gone by dawn. The key thing
about doing fieldwork with another culture is to find a metaphor or
the means through which you can break down the barrier between the
people with whom you find yourself living as a guest, and those with
whom you'd like to live as a friend. What allows you to do that is
never bravado. It's always empathy and love, you know, the same traits
that would make one welcome in any village.
Q. Your advocacy for the preservation of cultural diversity has been
widely recognized. How do you envision your legacy in terms of
inspiring others to safeguard indigenous knowledge and traditions?
Well, I don't advocate the preservation of anything except the
preservation of jam! You don't preserve culture: it is, by definition,
dynamic. All cultures are always in a process of change, dancing with
new possibilities for life. The issue isn't to freeze people in time,
like some kind of cultural specimen. It's to find ways that all people
can benefit from the genius of modernity. The issue isn't the
traditional versus the modern, but the rights of independent people to
choose the conditions of their lives. And so, you cannot expect a
young Haida boy to be like his grandfather, any more than you'd expect
you to be like your grandfather. If you think of the values, for
example, that your great-grandfather held in regards to women, race,
gender, or sexuality, there's probably not a single one of the
certitudes that that great-grandfather held, that you would normally
fully agree with, but most of what he believed, you would find to be
morally reprehensible today. That doesn't mean he was a bad guy. He
was a product of his times and deserving of your affection and respect
and love. But you are not like him any more than a young Haida of
today is identical to in values and actions to his own great-
grandfather. The whole question is not about preserving anything. It's
asking what kind of world we want. To live in a monochromatic world of
monotony or polychromatic world of diversity? The gift of indigenous
people is not to suggest that they be frozen in the past but rather
than the very existence of other visions of life, other ways of
thinking, particularly in terms of one's relationship to the natural
world, puts the lives of those of us – in our own limited cultural
lineage – who insists that we cannot change, when we all know we must
change the fundamental way in which we inhabit the planet. If you're
raised to believe a mountain is a pile of rock ready to be mined or a
forest just cellulose ready to be logged, you're going to have a very
different relationship to that environment than a kid in the Andes
raised to believe that a mountain is a deity that will direct his or
her destiny. It's how the metaphor the lens plays out, with hugely
different consequences in terms of the ecological footprint of a
people.
----------------------------------------------------------
"Growing the Business with High-Flying Operations"
By: SAP Software Solutions
----------------------------------------------------------
While audiences discover the extraordinary, Cirque du Soleil and SAP
continue to work behind the scenes to run many of its operational
processes including travel and expense management, the purchase of
goods and services, and running its core financial, operational and HR
systems.
49 current shows around the globe.
>4,000 employees worldwide.
81 nationalities of employees.
EXPLORE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL'S JOURNEY WITH SAP
-------------------------------------------
"To keep amazing our audiences around the world, we knew we
needed to re-imagine our whole business and its digital
foundation."
-- Philippe Lalumière, Vice President of Information Technology,
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group
THE CHALLENGE: RE-IMAGINING INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS
As the leading brand in live entertainment, Cirque du Soleil has to
meet spectators where they are all around the world. This means
shipping the big top and the entire tour, orchestrating travel for
1,300 artists, and making sure all goods and services are on site.
Cirque du Soleil's staff of nearly 4,000 have a massive job to make
all of the supportive operational processes look as coordinated as the
artists on stage. To become a diversified global entertainment brand
beyond live stage shows, Cirque du Soleil chose to undergo a complete
HR transformation using SAP SuccessFactors solutions. The company
needed to raise the bar and move beyond manual recordkeeping by
optimizing its core HR operations in the cloud. An entertainment
company as vast and as far reaching as Cirque de Soleil also requires
only the most intelligent solutions to provide clarity and
transparency on expense and travel management.
"SAP SuccessFactors has given us a purpose to unite. It's a
central place to drive processes for the entire HR team. Now
we're moving forward with more automation so our users can
easily understand what's happening in the business."
-- Dominique Bensadoun, Senior Director of Global Compensation
and HRIS, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group
SOLUTION: JUGGLING APPLICATIONS TO TRANSFORM A COMPLEX BUSINESS MODEL
RISE with SAP has put Cirque du Soleil in the driver's seat to
accelerate its transition to a cloud-first business. This provides the
best possible platform for growth, innovation, and expansion. SAP
Ariba and SAP Concur are at the core of this digital transformation.
By integrating people and processes seamlessly, Cirque du Soleil can
focus on its biggest priority: the spectator. Cirque du Soleil is
moving beyond using SAP SuccessFactors simply to keep records and
data. With stronger data integrity and governance, Cirque du Soleil
has reduced the risk of errors and is taking advantage of automated
processes and information workflows to manage its talented people.
With the help of Concur Travel & Expense, Cirque du Soleil is equipped
to make informed decisions to keep their business running at its best
every day. With over 6,000 trips a year, 40 flights a day and
thousands of room bookings a month SAP Concur solutions enable Cirque
du Soleil to navigate global compliance, negotiate better rates with
suppliers and simplify expense reporting for its staff and performers.
SAP Ariba solutions help Cirque du Soleil manage the thousands of
costumes and custom-built equipment that make the shows so special. To
take audiences beyond expectations and feel the deepest emotions,
Cirque de Soleil procures everything from niche make-up, stage
equipment, pyrotechnics and countless never-seen-before commodities
from global suppliers. Innovating even the most complex, centralized
systems allows Cirque du Soleil to successfully orchestrate and
deliver shows that go beyond one's wildest imagination.
"With SAP Concur, our workload is now cut in half. The data
flows easily and transparently through the system. We focus more
on the control than the process itself. It reduces my level of
stress."
-- Chantale Périgny, Accounts Payable Manager
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group
THE RESULT: EXPANDING IN THE CLOUD
Cirque du Soleil's intelligent enterprise strategy is helping the
company gain the kind of operational efficiency it needs to drive
future growth. A heightened employee experience will facilitate
ambitious plans to diversify their business, with all of this
happening in a financially sustainable manner. SAP SuccessFactors is
enabling a centralized tool with a purpose to unite, integrate and
drive processes. All users can now readily access accurate and secure
data in real time to understand what's happening in the business. SAP
S/4HANA Cloud now provides Cirque du Soleil an integrated platform for
streamlining business functions such as finance and merchandising
across its international operations. Relying on SAP Concur, as part of
their overall intelligent enterprise journey; RISE with SAP, Cirque de
Soleil is achieving operational excellence with a compliant and
transparent spend management system at the core of their business
processes. Given a high degree of complexity with their procurement
and sourcing requirements, Cirque du Soleil found that SAP Ariba and
SAP Business Network have the digital muscle to allow them to perform
at the highest level. It is time to discover the extraordinary.
"Guided Buying makes it easy. The end user selects the
preferred supplier, orders what they need and receives it on
time. It is up to 5x faster than our previous system and has a
positive financial impact."
-- Stéphanie LeRoy, Procurement Senior Director
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group
"SAP has been a trusted advisor for more than 20 years and RISE
with SAP represents a critical next step in allowing us to
continually evolve our business."
-- Stéphane Lefebvre, President & Chief Executive Officer,
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group
SAP HELPS CIRQUE DU SOLEIL RUN BETTER
-------------------------------------
Key business outcomes and benefits:
o) Established a cloud-based platform with the security,
flexibility, and scalability needed to support future growth
o) Improved control over core business functions, such as finance
and merchandising
o) Increased quality and speed of purchasing decisions with near-
real-time visibility into the complete purchase process
o) Standardized the process for worldwide travel and expense
o) A centralized HR tool with a purpose to unite, integrate, and
drive process
Featured solutions and services:
o) RISE with SAP comprises key products and services from SAP and
its partners to help customers migrate to the cloud with a
leading modular cloud ERP.
o) SAP S/4HANA Cloud is a comprehensive ERP system with built-in
intelligent technologies, including AI, machine learning, and
advanced analytics.
o) SAP Ariba solutions help large and midsize companies realize
o) fast time to value in the cloud.
o) SAP Concur solutions connect travel, expense, and invoice
management for total visibility and control.
o) SAP SuccessFactors solutions offer individualized experiences
and strategic software that empower employees to reach their
potential.
THREE TIPS FROM CIRQUE AND SAP FOR INNOVATION AND AGILITY
---------------------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil, the world-famous international performance company,
had a mammoth task to get back on the road at the end of the pandemic.
Before lockdown, it had 5,000 people working across 32 shows in 60
countries. When the world restarted, it had to reboot its spectacles
around the world. The Canadian-born circus group took the opportunity
to transform its digital backbone with the help of long-term partner
SAP, starting with an exhaustive digital audit.
Along the way, the company learned some important lessons that can
help other businesses embed agility and innovation into their DNA.
TIP 1: USE DATA AND INSIGHTS TO DRIVE TRANSFORMATION
For Cirque du Soleil, the end of the pandemic was a springboard to a
new way of operating, after it made a commitment to diversify its
business beyond the stage. "To do that, we had to learn who we are,"
says Nickole Tara, Cirque du Soleil's chief growth officer.
The company undertook extensive research across 20 of its main markets
and asked its fans what they wanted to see. It also explored what
Cirque du Soleil meant to its fans and how to develop new products,
including some with a home away from its traditional stages. "We
learned that 80% of our audience wanted us to create immersive
experiences," Tara says. "They wanted something they could take part
in, that had elements of gaming."
As a result, in 2024 Cirque du Soleil will launch its first immersive,
walk-through, participatory gaming-led experience, in Montreal. The
show, which will tour the world, has been designed to appeal to a new
audience of young people, which was a data-led decision. Research
uncovered that, while the average age of a circus audience member is
42, someone taking part in an immersive entertainment experience is on
average 21.5 years old. "We're experimenting with a new audience who
are uncharted territory for us," Tara says.
Cirque du Soleil has also ventured onto the Roblox platform, which
attracts about 60 million daily active users, with a build-your-own
circus gaming experience. The game involves constructing a big top,
training artists and performers and even creating a food and beverage
experience. "We're extremely excited about the future and what it will
bring," Tara says.
TIP 2: LEAD WITH PURPOSE WHEN TRYING NEW THINGS
Another insight that emerged from Cirque du Soleil's research was that
fans wanted it to lead with intention and be a creative leader, even
when there was risk involved. "That gives us the freedom to try new
activities," Tara says. She says a unique aspect to disassembling a
business and rebuilding it is the ability to be purposeful when
rebuilding. "This was a silver lining of the pandemic. We could learn
about ourselves and our future."
For example, Cirque du Soleil was able to move to a leaner operating
model, with a reduced headcount, especially at the corporate level.
"It means our IT team is very focused on efficiencies," Tara says. An
early adopter of SAP's cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP)
software, Cirque du Soleil is already enjoying significant gains
thanks to the platform, such as in the way invoices are processed. "I
know our CFO is very pleased," Tara says.
Peter Maier, SAP's vice-president of strategic customer engagements,
says the platform gives companies the potential to access valuable
data and insights to optimise the opportunities available to them. "It
allows you to measure business performance and deliver true benefits
for your corporation," he says.
TIP 3: USE TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE BUSINESS AS USUAL
At any one time, Cirque du Soleil has dozens of show companies moving
around the world, all managing a huge number of costs across hotel,
food and beverage needs and much more, all of which are expenses that
require constant reconciliation. Tara says: "We use SAP Concur for
bookings and to maintain a synonymous cost infrastructure around the
world. It helps us rationalise costs and understand in real time how
inflation impacts us. Now that we have that information, our CFO can
hedge the currencies to which we're exposed, which has a significant
positive impact."
The data that SAP's cloud ERP offers Cirque du Soleil also allows it
to more accurately manage its talent. "It helps us aggregate our
workforce and achieve success from an onboarding and motivational
perspective," Tara says. "It also makes a difference to our workforce
plans and for maintaining company KPIs and goals. The amount of data
we now have to make decisions from, and the ability it gives us to
react in real time, has been exceptionally impactful."
Learn more at:
https://www.sap.com/about/customer-stories/cirque-du-soleil.html
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 23, Number 7 (Issue #222) - September/October 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.
{ Oct.13.2023 }
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