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Fascination Issue 018 expanded
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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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E X P A N D E D I S S U E
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Issue #18e "Live to Cirque; Cirque to Live" February 2003
=======================================================================
Hello and Welcome! Hey, wait a minute, what happened to "Bonjour et
bienvenue!"? Well, as Canada is bi-lingual, so too shall this
Newsletter heading. At least as long as erstwhile editor Ricky Russo
is away! This month the fingers of staff writer Keith Johnson type
these words while Ricky is on holiday in Europe continuing his "Le
Grand Tour." We'll hear from him a little later, but for this issue
the inmates are running the asylum!
/// EXPANDED ISSUE: Originally appearing as a link in the ON THE WEB
section this month, a link to a number of interviews with Quidam
artists by the St. Petersburg Times. Unfortunately these interviews
have disappeared from the web, but thankfully we've been able to
rescue the text and present it in this expanded issue of Fascination.
You'll find it under the EXPANDED SELECTION column in our monthly
FEATURES section. ///
============
Contents:
============
* Cirque Buzz: News, Rumours & Sightings
* CirqueTV: Cirque du Soleil On-Screen
* Oyez, Oyez!: Cirque Online
* Itinéraire: Tour/Show Information
* Historie: This Month in Cirque History
* Anniversarie: Birthday Wishes to Cirque Alumni
* The Cirque Connection:
"Festival International du Cirque
de Monte-Carlo" (By: Arnold Perizonius)
* Le Spectacle:
"Houses of Cirque, Part 1: Les Théâtres I"
(By: Ricky Russo)
* Beyond the Bigtop:
"Awards du Cirque" (By: Paul Roberts)
* Behind the Curtain:
"The Techie Geek" (By: Jen Waldman)
* Le Spectateur:
"Which songs on the CD?"
(By: Keith Johnson and Paul Roberts)
* Expanded Selection:
"Quidam Artists Interviewed"
(By: The Saint Petersburg Times)
* Parting Quote
* Next Issue
* Subscription Information
* Copyright & other legal stuff
=======================================================================
CIRQUE BUZZ: NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Icarus Grounded
---------------
Those who have seen Varekai know the vital role the character of
Icarus (portrayed by Anton Chelnokov) plays in the show.
Unfortunately, due to injury, Anton isn't currently performing
the role or its "Flight of Icarus" aerial net routine. We're
told that when he recovers he will return to the role (rumor has
it he is out with a broken arm or arm injury), but it's unknown
know how long that will be. In the meantime another performer
has taken on the role of Icarus, though he doesn't perform the
aerial net act. Any readers who have seen the show lately are
invited to write us with their impressions of how this changes
the meaning and drama of the show's storyline. We wish Anton a
very speedy recovery, and thanks to Terry F. for first making us
aware of this.
Also, while it has been rumored that Olga Pikhienko
(Handbalancing) was also out with an injury, our understanding
is she is still performing her role.
Jean Besnard, 47
----------------
On Friday, January 10, 2003, Jean Besnard passed away in
Belgium; he was 47 years old. Jean worked with Cirque du Soleil
on and off for many years, starting with Mystère as a third of
the Michael Moshen-created "Manipulation" act with friends
Steven Ragatz and Patrick McGuire. He moved with the act to
Quidam's North American Tour in 1996, leaving before the Tour
ended. He returned to Cirque du Soleil as an Artistic
Coordinator for Cirque's latest show Varekai. He will be missed.
[Source: www.psoui.com, Katie, Ricky Russo]
Chairs "Fall" at La Nouba
-------------------------
Initially reported in the fan forums of CirqueClub, it has now
been confirmed. There has yet to be an official announcement
from Cirque du Soleil but we can now report that Vasily
Demenchekov and his Balancing on Chair's Act is no longer with
the show. His act has excited audiences in two Cirque du Soleil
productions (Nouvelle Experiénce, La Nouba) and his absence will
be missed. While Mr. Demenchekov isn't retiring as a performer,
he has decided to leave the show to perform special events. Word
from La Nouba's offices is that he already has several events
lined up for the year! A new "balancing act" is being integrated
into the show as of mid-January, and by press time should have
its debut in the show. What changes are in store? We'll have to
wait and see... [Source: Robbee Rents, Ricky Russo]
Ebon Grayman in Silk?
---------------------
Fans of Alegría got a glimpse of Ebon Grayman's (Fleur) "man in
silk" act in one of the behind-the-scenes interviews on the
show's DVD release. He is now performing the act in place of
"Flying Man" Alexandr Dobrynin, who is currently out of the show
due to injuries. [Source: Patty McSherry]
Varekai Broadcast Announced
---------------------------
Cirque has now announced (in the "On Screen" section of their
Website) the TV premiere of Varekai. It is currently scheduled
for broadcast Saturday, June 14th, the same day as a "Fire
Within Marathon." Both of these will be on Bravo. So what's
the video like? Our friend Martin Frenette wrote in to say he
saw a sneak preview of the new Varekai video, due to be released
this summer! He writes, "the result it really great! There are
some special camera angles, such as the Russian Swings where you
have a view from the swing itself, and sometimes in the aerial
acts you get a view looking down on the act from the top of the
Big Top. Some moves are replayed in slow motion also. Anyway,
it's really nice!" By the way, you can also see a shot of one
of the DVD's menus at < www.audiomedia.com/bc/usa-4/htm >.
[Source: Cirque du Soleil.com, Martin Frenette]
Workout, Cirque-Style (Part Deux)
---------------------------------
Looking for another workout? Last month we reported on an
exercise video for expectant mothers developed by Karyne Steben,
renowned for working with Cirque du Soleil's Saltimbanco and
"O". This month, Roderick has found us another workout video -
"RopeWork" by Rene Bibaud, performer and coach for Cirque du
Soleil. Learn about both of her rope-skipping videos - "RopeWork
for Kids" and "The RopeWork Jump Rope Workout" at these websites
(who also sell the video's): < http://www.activevideos.com/
jumprope.htm > and < http://shop.store.yahoo.com/
exercisexpresshopping/jumropinvid.html > [Source: Roderick
Mariano, Ricky Russo]
Balagan at Beau Rivage
----------------------
What is "Balagan"? Besides being Russian for "Marketplace
Circus," Balagan is a "cirque-style" production by Dreamcast
Entertainment, described as a group of artists "originating from
the incomparable creative environments of Cirque du Soleil, the
Moscow Circus, and world wide showrooms." Their mission is to
be the premiere source of avant-garde "corporate and special
event entertainment" in the world. Among the Cirque alumni
appearing in Balagan are Mikhail Matorin (Cube Act -
Alegría/Mystère), Elena Lev (Hoops - Alegría/Quidam), Chris
Lashua (German Wheel - Quidam), and comedian Diane Wasnak (Baby
Girl - Mystère). You can take part in the dream at the Beau
Rivage Hotel-Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi for $19.95 or $24.95
plus tax from now (started January 14th) until May 18th! To
learn more about Balagan and Dreamcast Entertainment, visit
their websites at: < http://www.cirquestyle.com/ > and <
http://www.dreamcastent.com/ >. [Source: Beau Rivage, Dreamcast
Entertainment; Ricky Russo]
Cheval Theater says "Whoa!"
---------------------------
Cheval Theatre, the horse-themed show created by Gilles Ste-
Croix, former Director of Creation for Cirque du Soleil, has
cancelled their 2003 tour citing financial concerns. In a press
release on their site < http://www.chevaltheatre.com/html/
site_en/fr/center.htm > Ste-Croix is quoted as saying, "Despite
strong reviews and ticket sales, the tremendous expense of
maintaining this level of production, especially in an uncertain
economy, has been challenging. We need to take a strong look at
how we want to proceed. But for now the tour is on hold."
Since May of 2001 Cheval had been touring continuously,
including two engagements in Las Vegas. But the Las Vegas show
on January 5th will be it's last for the foreseeable future.
(If you bought tickets for either their Los Angeles or San
Francisco future engagements, there is reimbursement information
at the page quoted above.) Too bad. Thanks to Rico from Miami
and Steven from Circusnews.com for making us aware of this.
It's only 11 Months Away!
-------------------------
It seems we aren't even into 2003 before we hear (thanks to
Roderick Mariano) about a 2004(!) Cirque Wall Calendar. It's to
be published by Harry N. Abrahms, the same people that brought
you Cirque's 2003 Wall Calendar, and will be available the
beginning of July. If you want to order it now (for $10.36 plus
shipping), go to this link at (hold on, it's a long one),
< http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-
/0810979500/qid=1041349439/sr=1/002-9965244-7786458 >.
=======================================================================
CIRQUE TV: CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ON-SCREEN!
=======================================================================
The entire February 2003 schedule for Cirque du Soleil appearances on
BRAVO, their U.S. Network affiliate, consists of Fire Within. Visit
www.bravotv.com for up-to-date information. All times are Eastern and
Pacific. Check your Cable or Satellite TV provider for exact channel.
By the way, have you checked out the Cirque section on the Bravo site?
At < www.bravotv.com/cirque > the section comes packed with video
clips and bios of the "cast," a special Cirque on Bravo electronic
newsletter you can sign up for, even a detailed Episode Guide to
previous episodes. Good work!
* CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: FIRE WITHIN
-----------------------------
Episode 5: Episode 8:
Feb 2 @ 12:00pm Feb 17 @ 9:00pm
Feb 3 @ 01:00am Feb 18 @ 12:30am
Feb 18 @ 7:30pm
Episode 6: Feb 23 @ 12:00pm
Feb 3 @ 9:00pm Feb 24 @ 1:00am
Feb 4 @ 12:30am
Feb 4 @ 7:30pm Episode 9:
Feb 5 @ 10:00pm Feb 24 @ 9:00pm
Feb 6 @ 1:30am Feb 25 @ 12:30am
Feb 9 @ 12:00pm Feb 25 @ 7:30pm
Feb 10 @ 1:00am Feb 26 @ 10:00pm
Feb 27 @ 1:30am
Episode 7:
Feb 10 @ 9:00pm
Feb 11 @ 12:30am
Feb 11 @ 7:30pm
Feb 16 @ 7:00pm
Feb 17 @ 1:00pm
Coming up: Cirque has also announced (in their "On Screen" Section) a
"Run Away with Cirque Du Soleil Week" June 2nd through the 5th, and a
"Fire Within Marathon" along with the TV premiere of "Varekai" on June
14th, all on Bravo
=======================================================================
OYEZ, OYEZ!: CIRQUE ONLINE
=======================================================================
This Month at Cirque Club
(By: Keith Johnson)
-------------------------
The Cirque du Soleil site is all over their participation in the Monte
Carlo Circus Festival. CirqueClub also has articles on entering New
Orleans (Dralion) and Houston (Alegria), as well as the festival
results. The Press Releases section discusses the US release of the
Varekai soundtrack (for a time the CD was ranked #105 according to
Amazon - but check out the reviews for some fun opposing viewpoints).
They also have two releases about the Monte Carlo festival, regarding
the announcement of the acts and more details of the results. But
don't fret, we've taken all the Monte Carlo coverage and condensed it
into one article with extensive comments from someone who was there!
One thing we can't copy in these pages though, you'll just have to go
to CirqueClub and experience for yourself. They have streaming video
of the Press Conference held January 8 '03 to announce the acts from
Dralion they were entering. The videos include the complete acts for
Pas De Deux, Skipping Ropes, and Viktor Kee's juggling, as performed
on a makeshift stage in one of their headquarters performance spaces.
It also includes comments from spokespeople, though they aren't in
English despite being labeled "Bilingual." The streams can be viewed
in Windows media at either 56K or 300K speeds. Go check it out at <
http://performance.cirquedusoleil.com/dralion/conference_a.html >.
I have a T-1 line at work, and the 300K versions of these streams are
fabulous. The music track is solid mono sound of the pre-recorded
music tracks, without hall ambience and audience noise. This is
especially nice for Viktors act, whose music has yet to be officially
released in a studio version. Yet, here it is in all it's glory,
beginning to end, though only in Mono.
While we're at it, we should also remind you that the Varekai Press
Conference of April 2 '02 is still available at <
http://live.cirquedusoleil.com/varekai/conference_a.html >. While
there's lots of talking by the execs it is indeed bilingual, being
translated as necessary. They also have the Pas De Deux, Icarian
Games and Aerial Straps acts covered, with music tracks that sound
more like those played in the show than on the soundtrack CD. These
streams are also available in Windows Media at 56K and 300K, with an
additional option of 300K Quicktime.
On The Web
(By: Ricky Russo)
-----------------
Scouring the Internet is a fun pastime for many, sometimes leading to
interesting pages and sites, to locations you hadn't thought of
before.
1) < http://www.denisegonzalez.com/ >
Fans will recognize Denise as one of the female singers in Quidam
(Zoë). Denise is currently 14 years old and calls the United States
home. She will be touring with Quidam through the Japanese tour. You
can also learn that directly from her with "A Message from Denise." On
her web site you can learn a little bit about her background, purchase
her CD, see some photos of her in and out of makeup and even email
her! [Source: Paul Roberts]
2) < http://courseware.gsd.harvard.edu/2002/fall/1301.html >
Ever wanted to go to school to study Cirque du Soleil? In the Fall of
2002 you could have! The Department of Architecture at the Harvard
Design School offered a course entitled "Sighting the Cirque du
Soleil". The curriculum dealt with the hotel-complex project that
Cirque planned to build in downtown Montréal, which would include "a
large performance theatre, (at which all new productions will be
premiered), experimental theatres for development of productions that
incorporate new technologies, a yet-to-be-defined media centre that
will allow dramatic connection between the local [aspects], and the
Cirque du Soleil's growing global realm." [Source: Ricky Russo]
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE: TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
(Note: The main bits of news here this month are two new additional
stops for Alegria, in Canada! Rejoice British Columbians; Cirque is
finally coming back to Vancouver. We also saw recently that Cirque
removed approximate arrival dates of many future stops for their shows
from their Website. We'll continue (for this month at least) to list
the previous information, but as you know itineraries can change
quickly. Just look at Alegria!)
[Touring Shows]
Alegría:
* Dallas, Texas -- at Fair Park
Dates: Jan 23, 2003 to Feb 23, 2003
* Houston, Texas -- at George R. Brown Convention Center
Dates: Mar 6, 2003 to Mar 30, 2003
* Austin, Texas: Spring 2003
* Calgary, Alberta, Canada (NEW!)
* Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (NEW!)
* Portland, Oregon: Spring-Summer 2003
* Seattle, Washington: Summer 2003
* San Francisco, California: Fall 2003
Dralion:
* New Orleans, Louisiana -- at Zephyr Field
Dates: Feb 6, 2003 to Feb 23, 2003
* Raleigh, North-Carolina -- at Triangle Town Center
Dates: Mar 13, 2003 to Mar 30, 2003
* Baltimore, Maryland: - Harbor Point (at Inner Harbor)
Dates: April 11, 2003 to April 27, 2003
* Montreal, Quebec -- at Jacques-Cartier Pier
Dates: May 15, 2003 to Jun 15, 2003
* Cincinnati, Ohio: Summer 2003
* Hartford, Connecticut: Summer 2003
* St. Louis, Missouri: Summer 2003
* Nashville, Tennessee: Fall 2003
* Tampa, Florida: Fall 2003
Quidam:
* Tokyo, Japan
Dates: Feb 7, 2003 to May 5, 2003
* Nagoya, Japan
Dates: May 21, 2003 to Jul 6, 2003
* Osaka, Japan
Dates: Jul 19, 2003 to Aug 31, 2003
* Fukuoka, Japan
Dates: Oct 22, 2003 to Dec 7, 2003
Saltimbanco:
* London, England -- at Royal Albert Hall
Dates: Jan 7, 2003 to Feb 9, 2003
* Bilbao, Spain -- at Zorrozaurre
Dates: Feb 26, 2003 to April 6, 2003
* Geneva, Switzerland -- at Plainpalais
Dates: Apr 18, 2003 to May 11, 2003
* Cologne, Germany -- at Cologne-Deutz
Dates: June 5, 2003 to June 29, 2003
* Oostenade, Belgium -- To Be Determined
Dates: Jul 24, 2003 to Aug 17, 2003
Varekai:
* San Jose, California -- at Water Company on Delmar Avenue
Dates: Jan 16, 2003 to Feb 23, 2003
* Atlanta, Georgia -- at Cumberland Galeria
Dates: Mar 6, 2003 - Apr 6, 2003
* New York, New York -- at Randall's Island Park
Dates: April 24, 2003 to June 8, 2003
* Chicago, Illinois: Summer 2003
* Los Angeles, California: Fall 2003
* Orange County, California: Fall 2003
[Resident Shows]
La Nouba:
* Location: Downtown Disney @ Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL
* Two shows Nightly - 6:00 and 9:00pm
* Tuesday through Saturday - no performances Sunday and Monday
* 2003 Dark Dates are as follows:
- February 2nd through 5th
- March 23rd through 25th
- May 11th through 25th
- July 13th through 16th
- September 7th through 9th
- October 26th through 29th
- December 7th through 15th
Mystère:
* Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas, Nevada.
* Two shows Nightly - 7:30 and 10:30pm
* Wednesday through Sunday - no performances Monday and Tuesday
* 2003 Dark Dates:
- March 2nd through 5th
- April 13th through 15th
- June 2nd through 10th
- August 3rd through 6th
- October 5th through 8th
- December 1st through 16th
"O":
* Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada.
* Two shows Nightly - 7:30 and 10:30pm
* Friday through Tuesday - no performances Wednesday or Thursday
* 2003 Dark Dates:
- February 24th through 27th
- April 21st through 24th
- June 18th through 26th
- August 11th through 14th
- October 13th through 16th
- December 3rd through 18th
=======================================================================
HISTORIE: THIS MONTH IN CIRQUE HISTORY
=======================================================================
* February 03, 2000 -- Dralion opened San Francisco, California
* February 04, 1988 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Santa Monica (again)
* February 06, 2003 -- Dralion opened New Orleans, Louisiana
* February 07, 2002 -- Quidam opened Miami, Florida
* February 07, 2003 -- Quidam opened Tokyo, Japan
* February 08, 1996 -- Saltimbanco opened Hamburg, Germany
* February 09, 2001 -- Saltimbanco opened Fukuoka, Japan
* February 14, 2001 -- Dralion opened Miami, Florida
* February 14, 2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Amsterdam, Netherlands
* February 22, 1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Cosa Mesa
* February 22, 2000 -- Alegría: Le Film CD released
* February 25, 1988 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Calgary
* February 25, 2001 -- Quidam opened Manchester
* February 26, 2003 -- Saltimbanco opened Bilbao, Spain
* February 28, 2002 -- Alegría opened Singapore
=======================================================================
ANNIVERSAIRE: BIRTHDAY WISHES TO CIRQUE ALUMNI!
=======================================================================
* February 04, 1969 -- Vasyl Besha (Body Skating/Varekai)
* February 06, 1964 -- Eric Newton (Spanish Webs/Quidam)
* February 11, 1980 -- Olga Pikhienko (Hand Balance/Varekai)
* February 11, 1980 -- Marie-Eve Bisson (Aerial Hoops/Quidam)
* February 13, 1965 -- Anton Valen (Clown/Alegría)
* February 15, 1977 -- Geneviève Bessette (Aerial Hoop/Dralion)
* February 16, 1974 -- Jade Kindar-Martin (High Wire/La Nouba)
* February 22, 1969 -- Nicky Dewhurst (Moha Samedi/Mystère)
* February 25, 1979 -- Romech Mourtazov (Russian Swings/Varekai)
* February 28, 1972 -- Natalya Bashkatova (Dancer/La Nouba)
=======================================================================
THE CIRQUE CONNECTION:
"Festival International du Cirque de Monte-Carlo"
(By: Arnold Perizonius)
=======================================================================
Cirque walks away with Silver Clown and more in Monte Carlo!
Four acts from Dralion were specifically selected by Monaco's Prince
Rainier to appear at the 27th Festival International du Cirque de
Monte-Carlo, a circus festival which took place from January 16th to
23rd, attracting 25,000 visitors. More than 25 Cirque artists and
support personnel were on hand at the competition, in addition to Lyn
Heward Cirque COO, and Guy Laliberte, CEO. The four acts presented
were Juggling (Viktor Kee), Single Handbalancing (Zhao Yashi), Aerial
Pas De Deux (Colette Morrow and Igor Arefiev) and Hoop Diving. Agnès
Sohier (singer) and Dioman Jeanne Gbou (African Dancer/Gaya) also
accompanied the artists. A Cirque press conference regarding their
entries in the festival (with extensive and intriguing performance
footage) can be found at < http://performance.cirquedusoleil.com/
dralion/conference_a.html >.
In the past Cirque has been presented with numerous awards from this
festival. How did they do this year? Very well, as all four acts won
awards!
* Viktor Kee's juggling took a Clown d'argent (Silver Clown)
award, in addition to the Greta Alessio award and the Special Price of
the Russian State-Circus Company "Rosgoscirk".
* Zhao Yashi's single handbalancing took the Princesse
Antoinette of Monaco cup (given to the youngest performer at the
festival), and the Prix de l'Academie du Cirque.
* Collett and Igor's Aerial Pas De Deux won the Special Prize of
Monte-Carlo Television.
* And the Hoop Divers took the Gandley Award.
The jury for the festival, made up of circus arts professionals from
all over the world, included:
Prince Rainier 3rd of Monaco (President of the judges)
Princess Stephanie of Monaco (Vice-President)
Arlette Gruss, Owner of the French Circus Gruss
Franz Czeisler, Owner of Mexico's Tihany Circus
Itsvan Kristof, circus President from Budapest
Carol Gandley, from the U.K.'s World Class Productions
Victor-Hugo Cardinali, Owner of Portugal's Cardinali Circus
Yu Sik Kim, Managing Director of China's National Circus
of Pyong Yang
The festivals Gold, Silver and Bronze clown awards are the most
coveted. There are also a multitude of smaller awards, given by the
same jury, and named for the individuals, companies or clubs which
sponsor the award.
We are fortunate that Netherlands Cirque fan and Fascination! Reader
Arnold Perizonius attended this years festival (his third), and saw
Cirques performances in a festival context. Here he gives us his
impressions!
In a star-act-studded, two-show festival, Cirque du Soleil juggler
Viktor Kee won a Clown D'Argent (Silver Clown). You might think that
only one major award for the 5 Dralion acts that Cirque sent to Monte
Carlo is a poor result, but it indicates that the artistic level of
circus acts worldwide has improved dramatically.
The Festival International du Cirque de Monte Carlo is in its 27th
year. It owes its founding to the Prince of Monaco Prince Rainier the
3rd, and this year took place in a new, giant, permanent chapiteau
near the waterfront. During two performances the worlds best circus
acts, both human and animal, competed for the prestigious Gold (Clown
d'or), Silver (d'argent) and Bronze (de bronze) clowns.
This year two acts won a Golden Clown; the unbelievable trapeze act
"The Flying Girls" from North Korea, and teeterboard act "Puzanovi"
from Russia. In addition to Viktors juggling act, Silver Clowns also
went to the very funny Russian comedian Jigalov, lion & tiger trainer
Alexander Lacey from the UK, a Russian Bar act performed by an
acrobatic group from Shanghai, and the Bingo Theatre group from
Russia's Kiev circus with a entertaining charivari (acrobatic
tumbling) act. Bronze clowns went to Franco Knie with his son Franco
Jr. from Switzerland and their seven elephants, and Jurgen and Maaike
Probst from Germany with two animal acts, involving baboons and farm
animals.
Split between the two shows, the Cirque du Soleil "Dralion" acts
(Single Handbalancer, Aerial Pas De Deux, charivari (acrobatic
tumbling) opening act, Chinese Hoop act, and Victor Kee the juggler)
had to compete against very powerful and talented acts from all over
the world. For the first time in several years, a high number of
animal acts became prizewinners; all of them presented in a very
friendly and respectful way.
In many presentations it was clear to see the influence that Cirque du
Soleil has had on the Circus world over the past ten years. Music,
costumes, lighting and choreography all played a part. Sometimes it
almost looked like a direct copy of Cirque, but with many of the acts
it was done in a very original manner. What those acts may have
lacked in style was more than made up for in their quality.
In a Cirque show, thematic, dramatic and visual elements can smooth
over acts of sometimes varying quality, leaving one with an
overwhelming unified visual experience. One could say that in a
Cirque show the quality of the individual acts is less important then
the whole show. Here it is your act alone, your skill at your
discipline, and your ability to perform it with flair and without flaw
that matter.
Competing against the other acts at the Festival, not all the Cirque
acts had the outstanding quality of the final prizewinners. The
energy, staging, and presentation were all there, but in the judges
eyes only Viktor Kee had more than that . Were they entertaining?
Certainly. But were they stunning? No, not this selection of acts
from Dralion, at least in direct comparison to the festivals other
acts. It might also have to do with the fact that Chinese acts are
well known to European audiences and wouldn't be considered that
artistically original.
The Golden Clown winning trapeze act, the Flying Girls, were so good
they almost created an uproar. Their act was breathtaking, secure and
unbelievably skilled. The 4 man-4 young women team performed the best
flying trapeze act I have ever seen! And so thought the jury.
This years festival proves that presentation, pushed forward by Cirque
du Soleil, together with the contents of the acts, in most cases from
"original" circus artists (those for whom circus arts were their first
training), makes these festival performances a very powerful
combination. So many powerful acts are hard to see in a single show,
and that makes the trip to Monte Carlo each year more than worthwhile.
=======================================================================
LE SPECTACLE:
"Houses of Cirque, Part 1: Les Théâtres I" (By: Ricky Russo)
=======================================================================
Cirque du Soleil's main houses of performance have been, are
currently, and will remain to be the formidable "Grand Chapiteaus".
But in the early 90's a fusion of design and intuition thrust Cirque
into a new era where their creations were also presented in permanent
venues, multi-million dollar theaters specially designed for their
productions. In our exploration of "The Houses of Cirque", we will
peek into each of these houses - from Big Top to Theater. We begin
with the Treasure Island ("Mystère") theater. We'll follow up with the
Bellagio ("O"), Walt Disney World ("La Nouba") and Beau Rivage
("Alegría") theaters. Then we'll move on to the various signature big
tops, either all white, white and gold, or blue and yellow (striped or
swirled), used on their world-wide tours.
Researching the creation and implementation of the theater and set
designs for Cirque is no easy task, but in doing so one will find two
prevalent names: Michel Crête and Scéno Plus. Michel Crête has been
Cirque du Soleil's scenographer, or one who "paints the scene" using
the art of perspective representation, for many years now and is
hailed as a talented, one-of-a-kind individual. Monsignor Crête came
to Cirque in 1986, putting his knowledge of creation and design to use
as Costume Designer. In his tenure, he created stunning and innovative
(not to mention colorful) costuming for Le Cirque Réinventé (1987-
1990) and Nouvelle Expérience (1990-1993). But "within a few years,"
says the Cirque du Soleil website, "he traded fabric for the media of
wood, metals and plastics." The change resulted in many stunning sets
for both Cirque's permanent and traveling shows.
In 1992, Michel Crête left the world of fabric behind and designed the
sets for the mega-production known as Fascination (a combination of Le
Cirque Réinventé and Nouvelle Expérience) that appeared as a special
limited engagement in Japan. He went on to design the sets for
Saltimbanco (1992), Mystère (1993), Alegría (1994), Quidam (1996), "O"
and La Nouba (1998). Through it all, Michel has worked closely with
Scéno Plus, a Canadian company founded in 1985 with the quest to be
innovative in their design and construction solutions, for the
realization of his visions.
The first vision of this partnership was the Treasure Island showroom,
a beautiful 1541-seat theater within the $430 million expansion of the
Mirage Casino-Hotel in Las Vegas. Rumored to cost approximately $20
million, the theater comes complete with comfortable seats, a
wonderful view for all, and an interesting story of compromise with
its design. You'll find the theater in the back of Treasure Island
through a couple of sets of white and red wooden doors, but you won't
mistake their purpose; for beyond the ornamented doors lies Mystère, a
mega-production by our favorite circus.
The theater has several interesting points about it, many of which are
too technical to discuss here. However, one of the first things people
notice upon entering is its openness. The Treasure Island theater
lacks a divider, or curtain, between stage and audience that is
usually found in most theaters. Thus the stage is completely open to
the audience, allowing the action to be thrust upon them. This was the
goal from the initial meetings between the Mirage staff and
Cirque/Scéno. The idea was to make the environment feel as if you were
in the intimate setting of a Big Top. Did they do a good job, or what?
In fact, upon further study you'll find that there's also no
Proscenium Arch, the technical name for that division. The lack of
this arch is what gives Mystère its life, but it almost wasn't to be.
The Mirage staff feared that without this arch (i.e. a more "standard"
design) they would have to shut the entire space down for costly
modifications if the show had failed. Because of this, the theater
almost didn't get built. Thankfully, quick thinking came up with a
series of catwalks built into the ceiling of the theater that allow
for quick (and relatively cheap) modification to a normal theater.
Without the arch, however, there also would be no "fire curtain," a
fire-retardant cloth made to help contain smoke, heat and flame in
case of a fire. This absence meant that the theater would not adhere
to the fire code, which the Fire Marshals could not understand.
Cirque/Scéno had to haul in a scale model of the theater to the fire
marshal's office just to get approval!
There were other problems to overcome as well. In the original plans,
Cirque/Scéno envisioned a series of lifts that would raise and lower
the performers at will. In order to incorporate the lifts, they would
have to be buried in the ground. But Las Vegas sits on a crust of what
is called "caliche," soil particles that have been fused with lime.
This fusion created a substance that is as hard as (if not harder
than) cement, which made burrowing into it quite difficult and costly.
Since they couldn't dig down in the bedrock without elevating the
costs of the theater prohibitively, the solution is actually one of
the most ingenious and visible parts of the Mystère experience - the
Deux Machina.
The stage floor sits on specially designed spiral-shaped lifts called
"Spiralifts". The Spiralifts were designed by Gala, a division of
Montreal's Paco Corp., and employ a "coiled, flexible, flat steel
spring that expands with the insertion of a thin, vertically-oriented
spiral steel band." This allows for big savings in space while
providing a rock-solid system for lifting and lowering stages. The use
of the Spiralifts also meant that they wouldn't have to spend a lot of
money digging through the tough, solid ground, which greatly pleased
the Mirage developers.
I find once I'm in the theater I can't help but look at the set and
ceiling. A simple thing the ceiling is, but here too Cirque/Scéno
provided something beautiful and interesting. The ceiling is a cloth
mural specially crafted by Sky Art out of Colorado. The print on the
cloth is just as fanciful as the production below it - a fantasy map
of the world with ships at sea! And hidden up in that sea of ships is
the O-Daiko drum, the heartbeat of Mystère! The set is also an
interesting piece of mechanics, consisting of a hunk of metal as a
backdrop that can be rotated by a simple flip of a switch.
The 10 musicians are housed on either side of the stage, with drums
and percussion on the left and everyone else on the right. A
sophisticated communications computer allows the musical director to
speak with all the musicians and a monotone "click track" keeps
everyone in sync. Underneath the stage is a round turntable that can
revolve at 10rpm, and of course those slinky-lifts. Believe it or not,
the Mystère set still retains some of the elements that were part of
the theme first presented to Caesar's Palace back in 1991 (Caesar's
turned them down, but Mirage called soon afterward). For example,
Crête says that the set "suggests Ulysses, and the mythical obstacles
he had to overcome on his own journey. The two towers represent Scylla
and Charybdis, two of the perils Ulysses faced". All the trappings of
Rome.
Many challenges faced the design team for Cirque du Soleil's first
theater, but one by one everyone worked to resolve these issues no
matter how heated the debates became. The addition to The Mirage,
Treasure Island, opened on October 26, 1993. Though the public had to
wait another two months to have a seat in the theater, patrons were
lined up on Christmas Eve to bear witness to a unique event in Cirque
du Soleil's history. In 1994, Scéno Plus was awarded the Las Vegas
Best Theater of the Year award for their ingenuity. Not bad for their
first Cirque outing, wouldn't you say?
[To Be Continued...]
We'll continue our peeks into the "Houses of Cirque" next time with
the Bellagio theater ("O"), the Walt Disney World theater ("La Nouba")
and the Beau Rivage theater ("Alegría").
SOURCES:
*) "The Making of Mystère and its Space" -
http://www.cc.utah.edu/~gem16460/cirquedusoleil/mystere.html
*) Gala/Paco Corp - www.galainfo.com
*) Cirque du Soleil Website - www.cirquedusoleil.com
*) The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth
Edition.
=======================================================================
BEYOND THE BIGTOP:
"Awards du Cirque" (By: Paul Roberts)
=======================================================================
It's the time of year for the many annual awards shows, and what
Cirque du Soleil fan could ever forget last year's greatest Oscars
show ever? I cried harder than Halle Barry when the Bungee Girls made
their plunge over the stars of the entertainment industry. These real
stars of entertainment wowed these grossly rich and famous people, and
I felt proud to know their names. To commemorate the performers of
Cirque du Soleil, I have created my own awards show: The Cirqueys!
Since this is my show I am sole judge (sorry), and like any awards
show I'm sure there will be disagreements. The categories are: Best
Act, Best Character, Best CD song (from the studio soundtrack), best
live song (usually a song not on the original CD or a different
arrangement of an original song), Best Musician (but not necessarily
the best in a shows band - see if you can discover the pattern in my
total list of musicians), and ending with Overall "Best Of"
Categories.
And the envelopes please...
Saltimbanco:
------------
Best Act: Double Trapeze (The body-slide-foot-catch is climatic)
Best Character: Rene Bazinet's creation: le Baron (Funny, spooky,
whimsical all in one package)
Best CD Song: Amazonia
(The song's many dynamics are a microcosm of a Cirque show)
Best Live Song: Rave Up (One of Cirque's most energetic songs)
Best Musician: (ex) Guitarist Yvonne Caultier
(My favorite guitarist - period)
Mystère:
--------
Best Act: Bungee Ballet (It's the tassels)
Best Character: Brian le Petit
(If he can make just one audience member mad, his job is done)
Best CD Song: Kalimondo
(The choir just echoes in my memory each time I listen)
Best Live Song: Misha (A beautiful modern classical music arrangement
with haunting melody lines)
Best Musician: Bassist and Stick player Jean François-Brissette
(The Stick is a very difficult instrument to master)
Alegrìa:
--------
Best Act: Fast Track
(Energetic, comical, and emotional with perfect accompaniments)
Best Character: Fleur (Everybody loves a fool)
Best CD Song: Alegrìa
(Three languages sung over a melody that sticks in your head)
Best Live Song: Malioumba (As haunting as it gets)
Best Musician: Accordion player Suzie Gagnon
(The only sole accordion player in all of Cirque)
Quidam:
-------
Best Act: Banquine (Pure art)
Best Character: (tie) John and Boum Boum
(John's antics were pre-Cirque and Boum Boum is a lovable fright)
Best CD Song: Séisouso (One of Cirque's most emotional songs)
Best Live Song: Quidam (The best closing song of all Cirque shows)
Best Musician: Violinist Sébastien Savard (Lightning fast fingers)
"O":
----
Best Act: Bateau (The apparatus is the real star)
Best Character: Eugen (How does he get his legs to bend that way?)
Best CD Song: Désert (A modern classical music gem)
Best Live Song: Accompaniment to the High Dive act (title
unknown)/Journey of Man (The combination of these two songs are
remarkable: the High Dive's whimsy tune to Roxane Potvin's peak)
Best Musician: Erhu player Lei Qiang (A master of an unusual
instrument for this part of the world)
La Nouba:
---------
Best Act: Ariel Ballet in Silk (Highly emotional)
Best Character: (tie) Green Bird and Les Cons
(Major comic relief from these five characters)
Best CD Song: Rêve Rouge (A true lullaby)
Best Live Song: Rêve Rouge/A Tale (Accompanying the Ariel Ballet in
Silk, these two songs are about as opposite as can be: lullaby and
hip-hop, but they work so well together)
Best Musician: Keyboardist and Trumpet player Benoît Glazer
(A fine bandleader)
Dralion:
--------
Best Act: Ariel Pas de Deux (Where woman triumphs over man)
Best Character: Oceane (Her dances are entertaining)
Best CD Song: Ballare (Ex-singer Erik Karol at his best)
Best Live Song: Kee Momma
(Viktor's song that he brought to the show - dance away)
Best Musician: Wind instrumentalist Claire Tremblay (Wind instruments
are an important aspect to the overall sound in Dralion)
Varekai:
--------
Best Act: Russian Swings
(The audience reaction: Ooh. Aah, oh my God!)
Best Character: Le Vigie
(John Gilkey has created another masterpiece character)
Best CD Song: El Pèndulo (Could be a hit in modern discos)
Best Live Song: Moon Licht
(Zara Tellander shines with this beautiful melody line)
Best Musician: Drummer Paul Bannerman (It takes a lot of stamina to
play drums in this show night after night)
Movies:
-------
Best Large(st) Screen film: Journey of Man
(Complete with the obligatory IMAX motion sickness sequence).
Best Cirque du Soleil movie: Alegrìa le film (Suffer the children,
until they are touchingly rescued by our hero Frac).
Best Movie Soundtrack: Alegrìa le film
(Many songs should have made the pop charts).
Best Actor in a Cirque movie: Rene Bazinet
(As "Frac," the mime-face tattoo deserves recognition).
Best Supporting Actor in a Cirque movie: Brian Dewhurst
(As "Old Taps," light on his feet even with bottle in hand).
Best Actress in a Cirque movie: Elena Lev
(As "Sassie," she even has a couple of lines).
Best non-Cirque du Soleil Performer Cameo in a Cirque movie: Whoopie
Goldberg (As "Illegitimate Clown Baby," how could you not love that
Cheshire Cat smile?).
(All Actors/Actresses above from "Alegria le film.")
Bests of Shows:
---------------
Overall best Cirque du Soleil singer: Francesca Gagnon - Alegrìa (The
voice above all angels); with honorable mention to Audrey Brisson-
Jutras - the original Zoe in Quidam (Such power from a young lass).
Overall best act: (tie) Quidam's Banquine, (The purest act in all of
Cirque du Soleil, with its exclusion of any props or safety gadgets,
it is just human agility and beauty). And Varekai's Russian Swing
(The most death-defying and intense act in all of Cirque du Soleil).
Best Director: Franco Dragone (For his intimidation).
Overall best Cirque du Soleil show: This is a tough one; I love each
and every production, but I choose Alegrìa because it was the tenth
anniversary show and the pageantry is just extraordinary.
Lifetime Achievement Awards:
----------------------------
Musician: Pierre Dubè, the extraordinary percussionist in Mystère, who
unfortunately performed his last Mystère show on December 31, 2002.
Performer: Vasily Demenchukov, the incomparable Chair Balancer in La
Nouba and originally in Nouvelle Experience. With his departure, La
Nouba will never be the same.
And what awards show would be complete without the mention of the "Red
Carpet," er, "Tapis Rouge" attendee's exquisite costumes that were
designed by Michele Crete, Dominique Lemieux, François Barbeau, and
Eiko Ishioka.
=======================================================================
BEHIND THE CURTAIN:
"The Techie Geek" (By: Jen Waldman)
=======================================================================
The Techie Geek becomes "just Jen" for a minute.
I got only one question for the Techie Geek column this month and it
doesn't even belong in a Techie Geek column. However, the question
really made me stop and think, so I'll address it here. "Why do you
like Cirque so much?"
The answer would actually be "I don't like it that much," but before
you send me hate mail, let me stress that this answer is relative to
what follows!
I like Cirque du Soleil because of Lillian Leitzel. Lillian Leitzel
was an aerialist with Ringling Brothers circus starting in 1914. She
worked the Roman Rings, separating her arm from he shoulder and
swinging her body over her arm repeatedly until she reached 100. Her
dominant arm was overdeveloped and she had a famously quick temper. I
was 11 years old when I first read about her, and it captured my
imagination and inspired me to read more about circuses. Usually I
just read about Leitzel, but one day I came across a magazine article
about Cirque du Soleil, which I mentally pronounced "Cirque du So-lee-
il". I quickly forgot the topic of the article, but not Cirque du So-
lee-il. To this lonely fifth-grader they seemed like magic words,
something I had heard of that the other kids had not. A magic circus
about which I knew nothing.
Four years later, I was looking at tapes in a record shop when I came
across the title "Nouvelle Experience." Thinking it might come in
handy for a French class project, I pulled it off the shelf. The
cover listed the artist as "Cirque du Soleil." Cirque du So-lee-il!
Those three mispronounced words, magic words from the fifth grade were
staring up at me. I had to have this tape.
The song "Meandres" got me. It was in 7/4 time signature, interesting
enough but there was a mysterious quality that had me hooked. This
music had a plot! One of my school friends had seen the show on TV
and told me that "Meandres" accompanied a contortionist act.
Suddenly, this 15-year-old with scoliosis and cerebral palsy
desperately wanted to be a contortionist.
I began regular pilgrimages to the record shop to get more Cirque
music. Saltimbanco, and then Alegria, which prompted my sister to
tease me for not liking "normal music" (and then to steal the CD).
The videos cemented my fan status. To actually see young people
striving for perfection in their art made me want to strive for
perfection in my talents, even though I did not know what my talents
were. I continued to be obsessed with Cirque all through college. I
collected articles, souvenirs, programmes, everything. I memorized
cast and crew names and random facts. And I waited for the day when I
would finally get to see Cirque "live!"
Oddly enough, my interest in Cirque became less voracious after seeing
Alegria for the first time. I stopped searching eBay and no longer
rushed to the store the minute a new CD was released. After I saw
Alegria again in New Zealand, I gave away a lot of my Cirque
memorabilia. Even though Dralion will come to my area, I will only
see it if I get a temporary job there. I haven't even heard the
Varekai music yet.
So this is what I mean when I say I don't like Cirque "that much." I
like it, I really do! But just as relationships between people
change, my relationship with Cirque has changed. I know that it's
there when I want it but I don't think about it 24/7 any more. I
can't do that AND focus on the rest of my life, and my life now needs
me to focus. Cirque was my only "friend" during my lonely
adolescence, but now I don't need to lean on it so heavily. However,
when I have a little money for a treat, I always get Cirque music or
books.
My answer then is, "I don't like Cirque as much as I used to when I
was a rabid fan. But I grew up with Cirque and it helped me get
through some very bad times, and that's why it is important to me."
Thank you for your question, Becca.
(If you have questions for the techie geek, email
techie_geek@anonymous.to)
=======================================================================
LE SPECTATEUR:
"Which Songs on the CD?" (By: Keith Johnson and Paul Roberts)
=======================================================================
As we reported last month, Cirque du Soleil has hinted they may
release a 5-song Live EP of selections from Varekai. This CD would be
released in Spring only to CirqueClub members.
We started to debate amongst ourselves just which songs might or
should be included on this CD, especially if it's restricted to only
five songs. And we thought this "debate" might be fun to fit into the
newsletter. So Paul Roberts and I decided to take it on!
KEITH:
Paul, I think there are really two issues here. First is the direct
question, What would we suggest be included on the 5-song Live CD? I
think the answer to that depends on which you think is most important,
music not included on the "soundtrack" CD, or songs whose arrangements
sound radically different on the soundtrack. But I also think there
is a more fundamental question, why issue this Live CD in the first
place? I think the latter question is actually more interesting.
When the Varekai "Creator's Notebook" was first issued, with the
"Gitans" and "Icarians" tracks on it's special CD-Rom, I assumed that
the resultant CD would be in keeping with Cirque's previous pattern,
that being the soundtrack would sound roughly like it would live (with
some variation). When the soundtrack finally did come out, it sounded
so different from the music as played live that it bothered me - it
wasn't the "aural souvenir" I was hoping for. In my case I was
hearing the soundtrack after seeing the show.
Who is the intended market for a soundtrack CD? I think the obvious
primary audience for movie or show soundtracks divide into two groups
- those who have seen the show and want the music, or people who have
not seen the show but want to know what the music is like, perhaps
with plans to see it later. Except for the instance with "pop"
soundtracks where folks may be motivated to buy a CD for a particular
song they hear on the radio, with no plan at all to see the show/movie
(a situation I would say won't happen with Cirque).
My feeling is that this soundtrack doesn't serve either audience well,
but that it wasn't necessarily intended to. Those who have seen the
show tend to dislike the soundtrack I've noticed, due to it being so
very different in sound and arrangement from the music as played in
the bigtop (to see proof of this, just check out the Varekai CD
reviews at Amazon.com). Those who haven't seen the show tend to take
the CD on it's own terms and like it for what it is. (I wonder
whether they'll still feel the same once they've seen the show.)
Myself, I feel it's a nice album of music, though it almost falls into
the category of "Inspired by". It isn't a "bad" album by any means,
it stands on it's own, it's just my feeling that its interpretation of
the score is too radical for it's primary audience. Though previous
albums have incorporated sounds not played live (through use of a
symphony orchestra or strings, for instance), I feel that the
arrangements/orchestrations here are too far afield.
One could argue what responsibility a CD purporting to be a soundtrack
has to be a relatively accurate recreation of the show the buyer has,
or will, see. But if the soundtrack doesn't serve the soundtrack
audience, who is it for, and why take such an approach? My feeling is
that they're trying to appeal to the International World Music CD
buyers market. In other words, a major market for this product is
people who by and large will not see the show, but only hear the
music.
If that's true, will changing their approach in this manner provide
them greater return, greater profit? I think this is a bold move in
trying to expand the Cirque du Soleil brand, following on the heels of
their success with the Dralion CD on the World Music market. But
they're risking alienating their base of customers, those who know of
Cirque and are inclined to go to their shows and buy their CD's. They
are doing so by producing a "soundtrack" album that is significantly
different from the show it is intending to represent.
PAUL:
I'm assuming that the Varekai CD was released to be a stand-alone
album, inspired by Varekai, but not exactly the soundtrack to the
show. The follow-up 5-track live CD could be similar to the
Saltimbanco, Alegria, and Quidam Canadian CDs, where the CDs were re-
released with two live tracks added.
At first I had a hard time liking the Varekai CD since I had seen the
show in person three times and knew the music fairly well, but
eventually I fell in love with it. As with all Cirque du Soleil
music, I find that I can listen to a certain CD to fit the mood I'm
in. Now with Varekai, I have a different type of music to enjoy when
I'm in the mood for the "Euro-techno" sound. But I agree with you,
Keith, that the soundtrack CD is not a real representation of the live
music. Even some of the sung melody lines from the CD are different
from the live melody lines.
KEITH:
I agree with you, Paul. As a stand-alone work the CD is very good. I
like the "Euro-Techno" feel and more subdued textures as compared to
other Cirque CD's. I just don't think it captures the show music very
well. And that leads us to the next question, why are they issuing
this 5-track CD in the first place? My feeling is it's an attempt to
appease their core fans, through their fan club outlet CirqueClub.
PAUL:
Ultimately, I wish the whole show would be re-released live, but as
far as the five songs, I'd like what is not included on the CD: 1) The
accompaniment to the Solo on Crutches act is one of my favorite live
songs with it's creepy, gothic sound; 2) The Georgian Dance's song
features a high energy rhythm; 3) The Icarian Games' "Icarians"
includes a frenzied drum pattern behind wailing synthesizer patches
that match the act; 4) The Body Skating's accompaniment is another
Caribbean-inspired happy, upbeat tune; and 5) The Acrobatic Pas de
Deux's song has an unusual assortment of sitars and thumping bass
patterns.
I hope, however, that the five songs will be new and not taken from
the Press Release show early last year and/or the two tracks from the
"Creators' Notebook." Give us fresh music, please!
KEITH:
Paul, why release a "live" show soundtrack on CD, when the Video/DVD
will do the same thing? I'm not sure what that would accomplish,
other than dilute the market for the "original" soundtrack.
In this case, because the audience for this EP are members of
CirqueClub, we can safely assume these are Cirque du Soleil fans, and
as such are automatic candidates to buy the CD. So I also agree that
for this limited edition CD the first selections chosen should not be
those already on the soundtrack CD.
Though I disagree that these should not be the "demos" heard at the
Press Conference or in the "Creator's Notebook." Indeed, these
represent "truer" arrangements of the show's music and would lack
audience noise and applause. The freshness of the music would come
from its absence from the official CD!
In addition to your choices, which I agree are worthy, I would like an
"un-narrated" version of Rain One. This crucial piano theme recurs
throughout the show, and it would be nice to have an instrumental
version of it. I'd also suggest including the Opening and Closing
"Gathering" gypsy music. The soundtracks' "Resolution" track tries to
invoke "Gathering's" feel, but doesn't quite succeed. I'd also like
to have the Russian Swing rhythm as heard in the show - but how much
can you do with just a rhythm?
I hope Cirque does follow through with their plans to issue a 5-track
CD for Varekai. Any release of this type is welcome!
PAUL:
I have to admit that anything and everything Cirque releases will be
added to my collection. It is difficult for me to criticize the
musical aspects of Cirque du Soleil since they have not disappointed
me as of yet.
Well, that's the debate. Now we'll just have to wait and see!
=======================================================================
EXPANDED SELECTION:
"Quidam Artists Interviewed" (By: The St. Petersburg Times)
=======================================================================
With its colorful costumes, atmospheric lighting and mesmerizing
music, Quidam is a dreamscape, a fantasy world under the big top. It's
also a string of bravura circus acts -- an aerial contortionist,
acrobats who create a human pyramid, poised little girls who do
amazing things with the Chinese yo-yo known as the diabolo, clowns and
more.
Quidam has everything but lions, elephants and other animals, which
don't appear in any productions by Cirque du Soleil, the Quebec troupe
making its West Florida debut this week. However, unlike some Cirque
shows, this one has a story of sorts, with recognizable characters and
an emotional arc that runs through the performance.
"It's hard to describe the show," said cast member Denise Gonzales.
"It's not musical theater. It's not a play. It's not a circus. What
makes it different from other Cirque shows is we look like real
people. It's not so abstract."
Gonzales, a 14-year-old from Southern California, was speaking before
a performance in Cleveland in October. She plays a girl named Zoe, who
is restless and bored with her parents. Zoe sets the tale in motion
when she puts on a purple bowler tossed to her by a headless figure
with an umbrella.
"I think putting on the hat is finding my own imaginary world,"
Gonzales said.
Quidam, a Latin word pronounced key-dahm, suggests an anonymous
passerby in the scenario of director Franco Dragone. The show, which
premiered in 1996, has several meanings. On the one hand, it's a
young-girl-coming-of-age fable in the tradition of The Nutcracker,
Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. But it's also meant to be a
commentary on the turn of the millennium.
"I think it's about being a person who's living atthe end of the 20th
century, a highly mechanized century where it's difficult to have your
own identity," said Lyn Heward, chief operating officer of Cirque's
creative content division at its Montreal headquarters.
Heward, referring to the headless, umbrella-toting Magrittelike figure
as "the Quidam," continued:
"What does the Quidam represent? Not just an imaginary creature living
in the mind of Zoe but also a reflection for all of us. How do the
Quidams -- and everybody in that show is a Quidam -- find that moment
to shine or sparkle, to light their match in the period of eternity?"
The Quidam story line is loose, with lots of room for different
interpretations -- or no interpretation at all.
"It's not important for you to understand the story," said Serge Roy,
artistic director of the show. "I think what we're trying to do is
suggest things so you can create your own story."
Quidam also contains some subtle touches. The clowns, a French trio
called Les Macloma, incorporate a bygone style into their performance.
"The clowns have a little bit of nostalgia," said Welby Altidor, a
Cirque talent scout who works out of Montreal headquarters. "In all
the productions before Quidam, we had very modern clowns. Here, we
wanted to give a little tribute to clowns from the 18th, 19th century,
this great tradition of French clowns, of Russian clowns, so we have
something that is a little bit of this world that doesn't exist
anymore."
Still, as theatrical as Quidam is, with its suggestion of a narrative
and references to circus history, it mainly succeeds on the strength
of feats of derring-do. Many Cirque officials regard the finale, a
number called Banquine, as their favorite act in all the company's
shows.
In Banquine, a 15-member Slavic group uses no equipment or props as
they throw each other high in the air to form a human pyramid.
"They're doing sensational stuff, but it's all 100 percent manmade,"
Heward said. "That is where you really see the best acrobats working
together as a solid, sensitive team. It is unadulterated human energy,
human composition. It's the purest of the acrobatic forms."
Quidam was the eighth of 13 productions by Cirque du Soleil since its
founding in 1984. All are solidly grounded in the circus tradition,
but in their increasingly sophisticated melding of acrobatics with
music and theater, they have brought a new generation into the big
top.
Young people raised on computers, electronic music and film are a
prime audience.
"We're in an era of high stimulation," Heward said. "You get all of
these kids coming up, the first generation of computerites. My son and
daughter are 22 and 24. When they go to a show, they expect to be more
stimulated than we were. I would satisfy myself at their age with a
beautiful ballet like the Kirov, but they expect far more than that.
They expect high performance. They expect visual stimulation: moving
parts and technology. They don't read books, but they still want to
hear and see a story."
In that respect, Quidam is Cirque at its best.
* * *
ISABELLE CHASSE
Born: July 17, 1976, Canada.
Act: As an aerial contortionist, Chasse performs on red silk banners
high above the floor of the big top. She doesn't use a safety line.
Background: Joined Cirque at 13 as part of a four-girl contortion act,
appearing in Nouvelle Experience, Fascination, Saltimbanco. She has
been in Quidam five years.
What scares her: "It's not scary to me. I've always been comfortable
with heights. It's actually almost a liberating feeling. But once in a
blue moon, I'll get scared before I go on, and I have no idea why.
It's very random. I try to find the pattern -- some people get nervous
for a premiere; or for girls, they get nervous relating to their
menstrual cycle -- but for me I have no idea what happens. One day
I'll just be up there and think, 'Oh, my God, this is really high.
What am I doing up here?' But it's a mind game, in a way. You just
have to focus. Your body, after doing it so many times, tells you it's
all right. If I just stop listening to those voices in my head and
listen to my body, it's going to be smooth and natural."
Why she is sometimes restless with Cirque: "It's difficult to do the
same show for a very long time and feel your performance is genuine.
As a person you change and evolve and have different desires. Having
to do the same show every night doesn't allow you to evolve. There's
so much structure around the product, the show, that it's difficult to
express those changes in yourself. As a performer, it's a desire that
I have to express myself. It's hard to do it when the act doesn't
change."
Her new venture: Chasse and other Cirque members recently formed a
small circus troupe in Montreal called Les 7 Doigts de la Main ("Seven
Fingers of the Hand"). To allow her to pursue other projects, she
appears in Quidam just six months a year.
Why she likes Cirque: "It's rare as a performer that you have 2,500
people watching you every night, so you have a great platform. But it
presents you with certain restrictions, so for me it's important to
have the freedom to go off and experience other things. At the same
time, it's important to have stability, and I really enjoy the way
they treat us here."
MARK WARD
Born: Dec. 11, 1965, United States.
Background: Former member of Chicago City Ballet and Ballet Chicago.
Joined Cirque in 1993 and was in Mystere in Las Vegas for five years
before going on tour with Quidam.
Character: Ward plays the surrealistic MC John, who guides a girl
named Zoe on a magical journey of discovery.
Book read recently: House of Sand and Fog, a novel by Andres Dubus
III.
What he likes about playing John: "The important thing about this role
is that I have the opportunity to reach out and touch the audience. I
like to think of myself as the element of intimacy. I'm the one who
can reach out and shake you, or sit down beside you. There's the
fourth wall kind of thing happening, and I'm allowed to break that."
What he likes about Cirque: "The job stability is great. It's also
great to know that we have eight different productions and that if I'm
not happy in this one, I know I can audition for another show. The
door is always open."
What his social life on the road is like: "As far as meeting people,
when you see me onstage, you'll see I'm totally different from my real
self. John is a very crazy character; I think of him as a kid trapped
inside a man's body. In front of 2,000 people, I can be a total ham.
But one on one, it's a little different; that's when I get scared. I'm
pretty much a loner."
YVES DECOSTE and MARIE-LAURE MESNAGE
Born: Nov. 24, 1961, Canada (Decoste); Oct. 12, 1965, France (Mesnage).
Act: Vis Versa Statue, a slow-motion body sculpture that requires
strength and teamwork.
Background: Decoste originally performed the act with a male partner
in Mystere. Before joining Cirque, Mesnage was a gymnast and dancer.
They have worked together eight years.
Relationship: Decoste and Mesnage were a couple in the 1990s, but they
broke up and now are friends. Neither is married.
What it was like to perform together after the relationship ended: "We
had some fights when we split, but I always had the peaceful moment
with Yves onstage," Mesnage says. "We're very good friends. We've
passed though a lot of good and hard times. We've learned a lot
together."
How the act has changed: "In the beginning we were using more
strength," Decoste says. "We were not as fluid as we are now. In time
you realize that you don't have to use so much of your personal
strength, but you use the coordination with the other person."
What the act means: "We're about the same size, and we try to play
even," Decoste says. "We like to show equilibrium between the two
sexes. We're trying to be very human onstage. It's more spiritual than
sexual; it's all about peace in the world, balance."
* * *
Name: Mark Ward
Age: 36
Home: Texas
Role in Quidam: John, the navigator
Years with Cirque du Soleil: Nine, four with Quidam
"I have the opportunity to reach out and touch the audience. I like to
think of myself as the element of intimacy. I'm the one who can reach
out and shake you, or sit down beside you. That's the fourth wall kind
of thing happening, and I'm allowed to break that."
Name: Jason Papp
Age: 28
Hometown: Hamilton, Ontario
Role in Quidam: Boom-Boom, a.k.a. La Mort
Years with Cirque du Soleil: Four
"I'm a character whose soul has left him and is struggling between
life and death. I'd guess you'd call it purgatory. I'm from the darker
side of human relationships, an evil seduction. I'm the bully on the
playground."
Name: Elena Lev
Age: 20
Hometown: Moscow
Role in Quidam: Contortionist with 10 hoops
Years with Cirque du Soleil: Eight, one with Quidam
"I've been traveling since I was a baby" with circuses. "My mother
(Elena) was my coach. Cirque du Soleil hired my father (Andrei). He
does the high bar (trapeze). All my friends and family are in the
circus. My act was created by me and my parents. I've been doing it
for 10 years. It's something of my own; I can change it if I want to.
I like my life. If I was reborn, I'd go to the same direction."
Name: Mireille Goyette
Age: 21
Hometown: Quebec
Role in Quidam: Rabbit; skipping ropes and Spanish Webs
Years with Cirque du Soleil: Four
My character "is looking for love all the time. She plays with guys,
someone who likes to tease. She never knows if the one she has is the
good one, so she goes to someone else." On her dressing room mirror,
Goyette always writes, in lipstick, Life is Too Beautiful to Let It
Pass By.
Name: Elena Kolesnikova
Age: 26
Hometown: Volgograd, Russia
Role in Quidam: Banquine, a group of 15 performing synchronized
acrobatics
Years with Cirque du Soleil: Seven
"I am a flyer. For me it's normal, because I did this all my life. The
good thing is we can see the world and we can see the people"
traveling with the show. "When you travel a lot, it's part of your
life. My daughter, Anastasia, was born two years ago. She's in Russia.
My sister takes care of her. That's good for her to be home in Russia.
She learns how to speak Russian, and she plays with all the kids. I
miss her. When we talk on the phone, she shows me things. She shows me
her dress, because she thinks I can see her."
Name: Alexandre Maiorov
Age: 30
Hometown: Yaroslavl, Russia
Role in Quidam: Banquine
Years with Cirque du Soleil: Seven
"I'm a catcher. A catcher has to catch a flyer and throw the flyer. We
are like choreography. For me, it was always sports. Not only
acrosports but soccer, gymnastics, basketball. At 7, the coach came to
see us (at school) and asked us to try acrosports. My parents (Leonid,
a retired builder, and Galina, who works as a retail clerk) said, "If
you want to go to acrosports, go.' When I was young, I only wanted to
be a good sportsman. Now, Cirque du Soleil is my dream. And my dream
is true."
=======================================================================
PARTING QUOTE
=======================================================================
"Even when you're in pain, life goes on..."
- Franco Dragone
=======================================================================
NEXT ISSUE...
=======================================================================
Hear all about Saltimbanco at the Royal Albert Hall and more from the
conclusion of Ricky Russo's "Le Grand Tour"! Also, the Techie Geek,
and much, much more!
Have a comment, question or concern? Email the Fascination!
Newsletter staff at: < CirqueFasincation-owner@yahoogroups.com >.
We are anxious to hear any and all comments!
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
======================================================================
"Fascination!" is Ricky Russo, Keith Johnson, Paul Roberts, Jen
Waldman and Wayne Leung.
"Fascination! Newsletter" Copyright (c) 2003 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
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Newsletter". By sending us correspondence, you give us permission
(unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without
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Newsletter". "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way
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Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil,
Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright
infringement intended.
