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E X P A N D E D I S S U E
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VOLUME 8, NUMBER 3 MAY/JUN 2008 ISSUE #59e
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Bonjour et bienvenue! Welcome to another exciting edition of
Fascination!, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter.
In this edition we bring together press releases from the three
recently announced Cirque du Soleil productions: Zaia, Cris Angel
BELIEVE and Zed in "ZAIA: 'A Journey Through Time and Space'", "Criss
Angel BELIEVE: 'Do you Believe in Magic?'" and "ZED: 'From A to ZED'".
There are also two issue exclusive feature articles for you to find
this month. The first of these is an interesting peek into Cirque
du Solil's partnership with Circus Knie in 1992, and an overview of
the recently released Koozå DVD and CD! Oh, and out of the Archives
comes a wonderful piece by Paul Roberts who took the plunge into the
world of "offshoot CDs" from current and former Cirque du Soleil
singers and musicians back in 2002.
Also, last month we accidently ran the January/February Cirque history
column again rather than the current period. Therefore, to make up
for our mistake, we've not only include May/June but also March/April!
We apologize for the oversight - there's some really great stuff in
there!
As always be sure to check out the Itinerary section for any last-
minute changes and extensions to tour stops; however, these dates
are subject to change. This period you'll find some rumored dates for
Alegría in Seoul and Taiwan, as well as some future Koozå dates!
That about wraps up this issue. Until next time!
Join us on the web at:
< www.cirquefascination.com >
Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed:
< http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >
- Ricky "Richasi" Russo
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CONTENTS
===========
o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
o) Oyez! Oyez! -- New Show Announcements
*) ZAIA: "A Journey Through Time and Space"
*) Criss Angel BELIEVE: "Do you Believe in Magic?"
*) ZED: "From A to ZED"
o) Compartments -- Information on Tour and Behind the Curtain
* Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information
* Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque
* Historia -- Cirque du Soleil's History
* CirqueTech -- The Technical Side of Cirque
o) Fascination! Features
*) "Cirque du Soleil and KNIE, 1992"
By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
*) "Koozå: 'Live it up' on CD and DVD!"
By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
o) From the Fascination! Archives...
*) "Musicians' Family Tree"
By: Paul Roberts - Hamilton, Ohio (USA)
{Originally Published: Issue #14 - October 2002}
o) Parting Quote
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
=======================================================================
CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Wintuk to... Tour? [EXPANDED]
{May.02.2008}
------------------------------------------
We're getting back into the swing of things here - news wise -
after returning from a weekend in Seattle for Cirque du Soleil's
Corteo. One of the news items released recently that has caught
our eye we find to be very interesting indeed. What might that
be? That MSG/Cirque du Soleil has plans to tour their seasonal
show Wintuk nationally throughout the United States starting
with the 2010 season. From the article:
Madison Square Garden Entertainment's plan to launch a touring
arena version of its Radio City Christmas Spectacular is the
latest move in an increasingly aggressive strategy that will see
the company launch other tours in the next few years. [...] If
the Spectacular tour reaches projections north of $30 million,
it is likely that MSGE will remain bullish in this market. In
fact, a touring version of the MSGE/Cirque du Soleil production
"Wintuk," which debuted in 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at MSG, will
mount a national tour in 2010.
"We believe what our friends at Cirque du Soleil have done for
the circus genre can be applied to other presentations,"
Marciano says. "All venues are always on the lookout for new
content."
With more than $25 million in startup costs, not including
marketing and promotion, the Spectacular tour certainly shows
that MSGE is jumping in with both feet. "We're in it for the
long haul," Marciano says. "And it's not like we're working with
a show that's untested. We're working with one of the biggest
live entertainment draws in the world -- we're just re-creating
it for the arena space."
{SOURCE: Reuters}
NEW Tapis Rouge at LOVE
{May.06.2008}
------------------------------------------
LOVE Tapis Rouge invites you on an exclusive behind-the-scenes
psychedelic journey. Take a contemporary virtual trip into the
world of The Beatles LOVE, while immersed in the ultimate VIP
sensory experience created by Cirque du Soleil!
Be a part of an exclusive reception before the show at The
Beatles REVOLUTION Lounge - created by Cirque du Soleil - only
at The Mirage, Las Vegas.
o) An open bar with hors d'oeuvres and cocktails inspired
by LOVE and The Beatles.
o) Delight in an uniquely-designed, festive, musical
atmosphere inspired by LOVE.
o) Hosts with information about the show and The Beatles,
and backstage video images of the making of LOVE,
hosted by one of its characters.
o) Pick up a specially-designed LOVE gift bag (including a
LOVE souvenir program).
o) Then, experience LOVE itself, in preferred seating.
o) And after the show, enjoy REVOLUTION lounge through a
VIP Entrance with no cover fees (valid for one week
after seeing the show!) and one free drink!
Tapis Rouge for LOVE begins Thursday, June 26, 2008. Tickets are
now on sale and cost $295.00 USD (+ tax).
For tickets and further information regarding the LOVE Tapis
Rouge experience - call 1-866-236-5652.
{SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil}
Alegría in Dubai [EXPANDED]
{May.07.2008}
------------------------------------------
Now here's a surprise - Alegría is going to the Middle East!
* * *
Nakheel, a Dubai World company and one of the world's largest
and most innovative real estate developers, today announced that
Palm Jumeirah will host Cirque du Soleil's world famous touring
show "Alegria" in Spring 2009 as a prelude to the permanent show
which is due to open on the island in Summer 2011.
The announcement, made at Arabian Travel Market 2008, comes one
year after Nakheel and Cirque du Soleil announced a major
partnership to develop a permanent show on Palm Jumeirah. In May
2007, an initial 15-year deal was signed with the two
organizations announcing the intention to jointly design and
build a 1,800-seat theatre that will be home to the first ever
Cirque resident show to be staged outside of the USA and Japan.
Designs for the theatre are underway, as are the plans for the
completely original show, which is being custom produced for
Palm Jumeirah.
The company also announced the location for the permanent show,
which will be housed in Palm Mall, Palm Jumeirah - the major
retail hub at the top of the trunk of the island and one of five
mega-malls which Nakheel announced last month.
Chris O'Donnell, CEO, Nakheel, said: "When we announced the
partnership with Cirque du Soleil to have a purpose built
theatre and unique show on Palm Jumeirah, it created a huge
amount of excitement in the tourism industry and reaffirmed our
intention to make Palm Jumeirah the premier tourist destination
in the region. Plans for the permanent show are going very well
but we did not want Dubai to wait until 2011 to experience
Cirque du Soleil again so we are delighted to be bringing
Alegria to Palm Jumeirah next year."
Alegria, which is Spanish for "jubilation" is one of Cirque du
Soleil's most established shows, having been created 13 years
ago. Currently on world tour, it will play in Taipei before
arriving in Dubai.
Daniel Lamarre, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cirque du
Soleil said: "Alegria is one of our most loved shows and
currently enjoying an extremely successful world tour. We are
delighted to be bringing it to Dubai where we enjoyed enormous
success with our touring show Quidam in January 2007. Quidam's
success led to the long term partnership with Nakheel and we are
sure that Alegria will be even more successful."
Of the announced location of the permanent show, Chris O'Donnell
said: "Palm Mall on Palm Jumeirah will be a major destination in
its own right - a luxury retail, dining and entertainment
destination covering 1 million square feet of space and
including three floors of luxury retail. Having our purpose
built Cirque du Soleil theatre as the anchor attraction will
increase further the appeal of Palm Mall and add to the diverse
set of attractions throughout the island, from Trump
International Hotel & Tower and Atlantis to Golden Mile and the
QE2."
{SOURCE: AME Info}
Koozå CD Now Available
{May.09.2008}
------------------------------------------
Once scheduled to be released on November 1, 2007 along with the
Wintuk CD, we're happy to say that fans no longer have to wait
for the music of Koozå! From Cirque's website:
The music of KOOZA beautifully demonstrates the spirit of the
live show with it's themes of human connection and fun in a
world of duality. With a stream of uplifting songs with timeless
influences where forms and styles intertwine seamlessly, the
music of KOOZA is inspired by the sounds of western pop culture,
from 1970s funk to full orchestral arrangements. It also draws
heavily on traditional indian music.
Cirque du Soleil: Koozå
ZING/Cirque du Soleil Musique
CDSMCD-10026-2
Run Time: 68:26
SRP: $19.50 USD / $19.50 CDN
Track Listing:
01. KOOZA Dance (3:28)
02. Superstar I (2:27)
03. L'Innocent (5:50)
04. Royaume (3:40)
05. Junoon (5:31)
06. Alambre Alto (4:59)
07. 16- Papillon (5:08)
08. Pearl (4:07)
09. Cabaret Satã (3:12)
10. Aankh Micholi (4:28)
11. Diables (3:36)
12. El Péndulo de la Muerte (3:02)
13. Petit-Jaune (1:43)
14. Superstar II (3:23)
15. Imposteur (1:21)
16. Prarthana (4:50)
17. Don't Be Afraid (3:46)
18. Hum Jaisa Na Dekha (3:53)
Currently the CD can only be purchased directly from Cirque du
Soleil at certain on-site tents and, of course, through the
Online Boutique. (It is not yet available through iTunes.)
Get yours today!
La Presse: "A Soleil Surprise" [EXPANDED]
{May.19.2008}
------------------------------------------
Koozå is winning the hearts and minds of folks in Philadelphia
and recently was reviewed by Jonathan Takiff of the Philadelphia
Daily News. His take on Koozå is rather refreshing. From the
article:
Have you grown accustomed to Cirque du Soleil spectaculars that
seem less like a circus and more like a surreal aerial ballet or
Asian action movie fantasy? You know - shows that come saddled
with some convoluted, mystical plotline (at least in the program
book) about the quest for truth, beauty and humanity? Or maybe
you've come to think of Cirque for its permanently installed
mega-productions in Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla., where the tens
of millions of dollars spent on high-tech stage machinery often
dwarfs the mere mortal performers. If so, the most intimate and
circuslike of Cirque shows, newly landed in Philadelphia and
called "Kooza," will really surprise you, thanks to a creator
named David Shiner who's steeped in traditional, one-ring circus
arts.
"I wanted a more traditional show, a show created around the
artists, not on all the stuff around them," explained the
writer/director recently. "I wanted to take the high-tech out of
it, to really get back to the basics."
The costumes are still magnificent, sometimes offbeat and
occasionally a bit unsettling (unless a Broadway-style chorus
line of skeletons and a carpet of dancing rats is your idea of
dreamy).
The world-conscious music coming from the traditional, circus-
styled bandstand also is true to the Cirque performance-art
school. This time, the score mixes a rock core with the spicy
rhythms of Latin America and India, and featuring a singer
Shiner first heard in Mumbai.
But listen closely. Some of the lyrics are in English this time,
not that otherworldly Cirque-gibberish!
Clowns also have more to say in this one show, in recognizable
speech, than this fan has seen collectively in seven or eight
Cirque shows. "We're playing in the U.S., so why not talk in
English?" said Shiner.
Another difference this time, the plotline can be boiled down to
a one-line essence: Innocent, kite-flying fella waves a magic
wand over a box; out pops a jester and we're off to the circus -
a particularly terrific circus - where acrobats and clowns rule
the roost. (But no chickens, or elephants, or tigers.)
By the way, "Kooza" comes from the Sanskrit word kaza which
means both "box" and "treasure."
BORN IN THE USA
David Shiner is U.S.-born - a rarity among the high creative
ranks for the Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil enterprise - and
is best known in the States for his clowning in the film
"Lorenzo's Oil," his guiding role as the original Cat in the Hat
in the Broadway musical "Seussical" and especially for the two-
man, all-mimed show with Bill Irwin, "Fool Moon," "that we
played for three engagements on Broadway in the '90s, and still
talk about reviving a fourth time," Shiner said.
(Irwin, by happy coincidence, is also here in town, through June
15, world-premiering a show at the Philadelphia Theatre Company,
"The Happiness Lecture." He and Shiner have agreed to do a "talk
back" panel discussion, "Not Just Fooling Around," after the
matinee June 7. Admission to the chat is free for all.)
Like Cirque's French Canadian founders, Shiner also started out
a street performer, though in Boulder, Colo. And like them, he's
been quite the globe traveler.
When he couldn't find good work and appreciation in the U.S. for
his funny business, Shiner moved to Paris in 1981, first working
in the streets and then landing jobs clowning in traditional,
one-ring European circus troupes - France's Cirque de Demain,
then Germany's Circus Roncalli (about which he speaks in
especially reverent tones) and then with the Swiss National
company, Circus Knie.
WELCOME TO THE MACHINE
Shiner first made a Cirque connection doing a two-man show with
a company principal, Rene Bazinet. He formalized the
relationship in 1990, joining the cast of Cirque's fourth show
"Nouvelle Experience," which spent 19 months on the road and a
year planted in Las Vegas. "It was actually the very first show
they took to Vegas, for a tented engagement on a hotel parking
lot [at the Mirage] that just went on and on and on."
Now, of course, Cirque du Soleil has five permanent shows
playing the gambling town in customized mega-theaters and two
more installations in the works, including a magic-centric show
opening in September at the Luxor called "Chris Angel -
Believe," and an on-again/off-again Elvis Presley tribute that
hopefully will come together and as well as their amazing
Beatles-themed show, "Love."
There are also 10 more tented Cirque shows floating around the
world, and plans to expand the empire even more, with three big
shows just for Macau, the resort destination off the coast of
Hong Kong.
Shiner agrees that those permanent Vegas ventures are "amazing"
to behold but "a daunting task" for a director - and not really
where his head is at.
"I cut my teeth in the one-ring circus, so it's got a special
place in my heart. That's what 'Kooza' is celebrating. It's
really about the artistry of the performers, the emotion they
create."
CIRQUE, HIS WAY
For sure, there's some staggering, spine-tingling stuff in this
show, starting off with three very young female contortionists
who twist themselves into unbelievable sculptural works. It
hurts just to watch. Shiner calls this magical routine "like
watching living jewelry. It's just so elegant."
The director/writer also is very high on the silver-sequined and
otherwise dazzling Anthony Gatto, calling him "the best juggler
in the world. After I saw him, I had to have him for the show."
And how about that pair of fearless, gravity-defying guys who
run, jump and skip rope inside and atop two wheels spinning at
the ends of a giant rotating pendulum? They don't call it the
Wheel of Death for nothing.
Shiner agrees.
"It's terrifying, a great act, so dangerous. The momentum on
that huge spinning thing is so great. It's so easy to go flying
off, and the dismount, if you do it wrong . . . "
While he offers some input on the acrobatic acts, Shiner's
training and interest really come to the fore with "Kooza" 's
clowns. For a change, the Cirque funny guys aren't just time
killers meant to distract us while the set is being
reconfigured. These merry pranksters seem central to the show's
devil-may-care spirit, often working on the edge in an old
school, slapstick, Keystone Kops-meet-the-Three Stooges vein.
Confetti flies everywhere and so do people. A fluffy dog does a
nasty deed that could easily upset the ticketholders. A slimy
pickpocket artist works his con on a hapless victim pulled out
of the audience.
You're glad it's not you.
NOT ALL'S FUNNY BUSINESS
All went well in our conversation until I dared to ask Shiner if
spectators pulled out of the seats by the clowns were authentic
ticket buyers or "plants" - part of the show. Suddenly, he
became agitated.
"I can't tell you that," he declared. "You don't really want to
know that, now do you? Asking me that is like asking a magician
how he does his tricks. These are wonderful secrets that you
like to keep that way. I won't spoil anything for the audience."
Shiner also argued that it would be disrespectful to the clowns
to share their business. "In the U.S., we tend to dismiss clowns
as simple characters in baggy pants, big shoes, a fright wig and
a big red nose. But in Europe, and with Cirque, clowning is a
highly respected profession for an artist and a highly refined
art. Truth is, it takes years for these guys to come up with a
great 10 minutes of material."
But that's not to say that the clown bits (or the other acts) in
"Kooza" are fixed in stone. "I encourage the performers to keep
trying different things, especially at matinees when there are
lot of kids in the audience," tipped Shiner. "Children are more
generous with their laughter, and more forgiving when something
doesn't go exactly right."
{SOURCE: The Philadelphia Daily News}
Glow in the Dark
{May.22.2008}
------------------------------------------
Wonder what Benoît Jutras has been up to these days? He's
glowing in the dark at Six Flags Adventure Parks!
An all-new nighttime parade lights up the night at Six Flags
Great Adventure and Six Flags Mexico. Glow in the Park is the
brainchild of world-renowned creative director Gary Goddard, the
mastermind behind a host of major attractions including the
Amazing Adventures of Spiderman, Star Trek: The Experience, and
The Jurassic Park River Adventure at the Universal theme parks.
Goddard has enlisted one of Cirque Du Soleil's premiere
composers, Benoit Jutras, to create the music for the parade.
For float designs, the internationally acclaimed conceptual
parade designer Raul Rodriguez was commissioned. Michael La
Fleur, whose resume includes artistic coordinator for Celine
Dion's "A New Day" in Las Vegas and Imagineer for Disney, will
create fluid choreographed numbers for the Glow in the Park
performers.
{SOURCE: CNN News/NPR}
DELIRIUM Coming to the Big Screen?
{May.22.2008}
------------------------------------------
According to the New York Times, SONY Pictures is tapping into
the motion-picture theater exhibitions niche, currently serviced
by Fathom Events, by creating a competing line of business. Its
first event will be the broadcast of rock musical RENT's final
performance. Cirque du Soleil fans may want to take notice, as
this new unit will also beam DELIRIUM, Cirque du Soleil's
musical experience, to movie theaters later this year. DELIRUM's
final curtain was filmed in London and will also be released to
DVD in the near future.
{SOURCE: New York Times}
Macau Home to new Cirque Regional Office [EXPANDED]
{Jun.04.2008}
---------------------------------------------------
This doesn't come as a surprise to us - Cirque du Soleil's
newest regional offices are now located in the Zhu Kuan Building,
NAPE, Macau. This newest office joins other regional affiliates
in Melbourne (Australia), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Las Vegas
(USA) and, of course, Montreal (Canada).
* * *
Cirque du Soleil, which recently confirmed its first permanent
production, ZAIA, in Macau, has opened an Asia Pacific Regional
Office in Zhu Kuan Building, NAPE, Macau. The new office joins
the companys other offices in Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Melbourne
and the International Headquarters in Montreal. BASE
Entertainment Asia shares the new Cirque du Soleil Macau office
space.
We are extremely pleased to establish a base in Macau and bring
our first permanent production into Asia, said Daniel Lamarre,
President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil. The Asia Pacific
Regional Office will represent Cirque du Soleil throughout the
region, including our permanent show in Macau and Tokyo, Japan
as well as touring shows in Japan, Taiwan, Korea and China.
Cirque du Soleil Asia Pacific Regional Office is led by Alan
Hills, Vice President and Managing Director and Milan Rokic,
Vice President Marketing Asia Pacific. The office currently has
25 staff managing over 400 show employees representing more than
22 nationalities, including Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada,
France, Germany, Hungary, Hong Kong, Italy, Russia, Macau,
Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, and United States.
Cirque du Soleil has to date successfully toured to 13 cities in
Asia, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei and
Shanghai with Big Top productions but ZAIA will be the first
production to be housed within a permanent theatre in the
region.
ZAIA will be presented in a custom-built 1,800 seat theatre at
the Venetian Macau-Hotel-Resort. The combined cost of show
creation and the custom-built theatre for ZAIA is believed to be
in excess of US$150 million.
Preview performances begin July 26, 2008 and the Gala Premiere
will be held Thursday, August 28, 2008.
{SOURCE: AsiaTravelTips.com}
Cirque Partners with YuuZoo [EXPANDED]
{Jun.04.2008}
------------------------------------------
Not to be confused with YouTube, the online video sharing
website; Cirque du Soleil is partnering with YuuZoo to provide
its content to mobile device users. From the TMCNet Article:
Cirque du Soleil, renowned across the world as a traveling
troupe that has performed for as many as 80 million spectators
across 200 cities and five continents, has entered into a
partnership agreement with YuuZoo.
For the first time, as a result of this partnership, the troupe
will be extending their global reach through global mobile
content, media, and advertising provider, YuuZoo. Cirque du
Soleil fans are able to download video excerpts of shows,
graphics, and wallpapers to their mobile devices from anywhere
in the world, using the new service from YuuZoo.
Ron Creevey, president of YuuZoo, said, "One major objective we
have is to expand beyond traditional mobile offerings by
providing our customers with a broad selection of popular,
unique subjects. That's one reason we're very proud to be
associated with such an innovative, creative world brand as
Cirque du Soleil."
In celebration of the new partnership, a mobile promotion
program will award an all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas to five
winners (and one friend each) to see KA, which is an award-
winning Cirque du Soleil show.
Global operator YuuZoo now serves over 1 billion consumers in
North America, Europe, and Asia, giving them the option to
subscribe to a wide range of content and services, all of which
can be downloaded and used on mobile devices. YuuZoos service
is built on an advanced and robust technology platform and
offers an extensive library of content from up to 400 major
global and local content providers. YuuZoo provides access to
its services through billing agreements with more than 160
carriers from up to 50 countries.
YuuZoo also offers targeted advertising opportunities for
advertisers interested in reaching billions of mobile users
across the world. The companys primary offices are in
Singapore, Los Angeles, New York, Beijing, and Helsinki.
Cirque du Soleil started out as a troupe of 20 street performers
in 1984. Today, from its base in Quebec and international
headquarters in Montreal, Canada, the company employs 4,000
individuals, of which 1,000 are artists, from more than 40
countries. The company has received numerous prestigious awards,
including the Emmy, Drama Desk, Bambi, ACE, Gémeaux, Félix, and
Rose d'Or de Montreux.
{SOURCE: TMCnet.com}
Arias with a Twist [EXPANDED]
{June 05, 2008}
------------------------------------------
Wonder what Joey Arias has been up to since leaving Zumanity?
He's returned to New York City (his home)... with a Twist!
[T]he ambitious Arias with a Twist: a collaboration with the
brilliant puppeteer Basil Twist, in which Arias sings roughly a
dozen numbers in a wild variety of settings, from an alien
spaceship to the depths of Hell. The show is the latest chapter
in a book notable for crazy shifts of character. [...] In Arias
with a Twist, he plans to explore his own variety, via songs
that range from the Holiday standard "You've Changed" to tunes
by the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, as well as originals by
Propellerheads' Alex Gifford and several that Arias has
co-written. [...] The musical numbers are built into a wild scenic
adventure that Twist is designing.
* * *
HERE is still under construction. Rows of lights hang like bats
from the ceiling, and set pieces from the refurbished Soho arts
complexs inaugural production, Arias with a Twist, litter the
stage: a foam-board skyline, a gynecological exam table, a kick
line of nude puppets. Joey Arias, dressed in black sweats,
easily navigates the chaos. The notorious singer and drag
artistea fixture of Gothams demimonde for most of the past
three decadeshas been away since 2002. But now hes back, and
HERE is where he belongs.
Leaving town to join the circus is not, as a general rule,
considered a move toward respectability. But when the corporate
megalith Cirque du Soleil lured Arias to Las Vegas to host its
X-rated extravaganza, Zumanity, the decision raised painted
eyebrows all over town. People didnt think I was going to be
able to make it, Arias recalls with pride. They knew about my
past, in bathrooms all over the world. But I blew their minds.
Performing ten shows a week for five years at the New YorkNew
York Hotel & Casino, however, eventually grew old. I started
losing my grip on what I was doing, he says. And my art clock
started ticking. Hence the return to New York, and hence, too,
the ambitious Arias with a Twist: a collaboration with the
brilliant puppeteer Basil Twist, in which Arias sings roughly a
dozen numbers in a wild variety of settings, from an alien
spaceship to the depths of Hell. The show is the latest chapter
in a book notable for crazy shifts of character. Everything has
been a mistake in my life, Arias notes. I never plan things.
But sometimes a left turn becomes the right turn.
There have been many such moves. As a teenager in Los Angeles,
Arias was briefly signed by Capitol Records as part of a teen-
pop band called the Purlies. After moving to New York in 1976,
he fell in with the new-wave pioneer Klaus Nomi, with whom he
backed David Bowie on Saturday Night Live. In the 1980s Arias
performed with the troupe Mermaids on Heroin at Danceteria; in
the 90s, along with fellow drag stars Raven O and Sherry Vine,
he sang for packed crowds at the West Village dive Bar dO.
Along the way, his persona has continually evolved, from
petrified alien to devil and beyond; recently, he has tended
toward Bettie Page fetish gear and a geometric hairstyle, with
Aztec bangs that square off the top of his face. (He describes
himself as a polymorph, a shape-shifter.)
Musically, a major shift came in the 1980s. In England, while
recording an album with Iggy and the Stooges, Arias began what
he calls channeling Billie Holiday while doing a mike check.
The recording crew was stunned, and soon he started modeling his
singing after Lady Days. Something about her voice just
transcended, he observes. You go in, you go out, you dream of
love and of something that youve lost. He began performing in
drag at the 1991 Wigstock festival. I was at a standstill with
the male thing, he says. But the moment I put that dress on,
my life changed.
In Arias with a Twist, he plans to explore his own variety, via
songs that range from the Holiday standard Youve Changed to
tunes by the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, as well as originals by
Propellerheads Alex Gifford and several that Arias has
cowritten. The musical numbers are built into a wild scenic
adventure that Twist is designing. When Basil and I talked
about this show, I had some ideas, Arias says. I knew I wanted
to be abducted by aliens. I knew I wanted to be on acid. And I
knew I wanted a Busby Berkeley something, with a cake and a
million legs and chorus girls. The puppet master has admired
Arias for years. Joey is like a sorcerer, Twist says. He
conjures or connects with this completely other world and makes
everything else melt away.Arias, for his part, is ready to cast
his spell over New York again. When I was in Vegas, I kept
hearing that Manhattan was dead, he says. But the magic is
still here and will always be here. If you feel the magic is
gone, you need to gobecause your magic is gone. New York is
always changing. Youve got to go with the change.
{SOURCE: Time Out New York}
Touché, Cirque du Soleil
{June 05, 2008}
------------------------------------------
From Media in Canada:
Touché!PHD announced yesterday that it has conjured up a two-
year contract with Cirque du Soleil. Effective immediately, the
Montreal-based agency will be responsible for media strategy and
media placement for all the famous circus troupe's Canadian
touring shows.
"Cirque saw in Touché a media partner that best understood our
environment and our reality," explains Marie-Ève Lafrenière,
Cirque du Soleil's media manager for North America touring shows.
"Touché possesses the infrastructure and adapted to Cirque's
challenges with respect to commercial communication."
{SOURCE: Media in Canada}
C|Net Goes Behind the Curtain at La Nouba [EXPANDED]
{June 11, 2008}
----------------------------------------------------
ORLANDO, Fla.-If you've seen the Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas
shows Ka, Love or O, you've probably been led to expect that
every one of the company's performances is full of wonderful
technical achievements. The truth is that it doesn't take that
much technology to make a great Cirque show, as the folks who
put together La Nouba, the Cirque's show here, explained to me
Tuesday.
"La Nouba is all about the artists," said technical director Ken
Ramsey, by way of explaining that I wouldn't be seeing too much
of the uber-tech behind some of the Vegas shows. "The technical
side takes a very silent rest, as opposed to being the spectacle
like in Ka and O. But that doesn't mean La Nouba is a dud. It's
one of the most energetic Cirque shows around, and there is, in
fact, plenty of tech to go around.
We started our tour on the La Nouba stage, where I felt the
presence of dozens of Olympic-caliber gymnasts all around me.
The show's operations production manager, Robert Shuck,
explained that the stage has five lifts built into it, each one
of which can rise out of the floor up to 16 feet.
To prove the point, Shuck got on a walkie-talkie and asked
someone to demonstrate. Seconds later, one of the lifts began to
push up out of the floor, and before I knew it, it was towering
over Shuck.
Not to focus too much on what the lifts look like when they're
above the stage, we next went down into the theater's lower
levels where the lifts live when they're not on display.
And these are no light platforms. According to Shuck, the one
lift I got into requires a 14,000 pound counterweight to get its
30,000 pounds and up to 3,000 pounds of "live load," otherwise
known as performers, to rise.
We started talking about the visit I took last summer to Ka and
how I was told at the time that one of the biggest challenges
facing the Vegas shows is the steady increase in the amount of
interference that makes it hard for that show's crew to
communicate by wireless headsets.
I had figured that was a Vegas problem, but Ramsey and Shuck
explained that the same problem is creeping up in Orlando.
That's because HDTV stations are coming online nearby and
crowding out the available frequency for the kinds of wireless
communications the Cirque needs.
"Everything went to hell," Shuck said. "We (now have to) run
wired headsets until the manufacturers" figure out a solution.
At this point, we headed back up into the theater where the
show's trapeze artists were about to begin their twice-weekly
training exercises.
The best part about that, other than getting to watch these
incredibly gifted athletes perform without hundreds and hundreds
of other people in the room, was getting to see them setting up
the safety net the artists perform above.
It takes the crew about 15 minutes to set up the net during the
training sessions. But according to head rigger Dave Phillips,
the same task takes just a couple of minutes during the actual
show (he attributed that to the fact that it's not the main crew
that does the setup during training). Also, it was pretty clear
that there was a much more relaxed mood going on at that point
than during the show.
Next up, we rode an elevator up to the theater's top floor, the
9th, otherwise known as the "grid."
Here is where most of the rigging is controlled, and this was
Phillips' domain. All around us were various pulley and
counterweight systems, and not a lot of automation. But that's
not a problem for pulling off a great show, Phillips insisted.
"Sometimes low tech is the best stuff," he said, pointing out a
chandelier hanging down from below the grid as an example. He
said that a rigger takes the chandelier off its hook and drops
it down into the theater. It is backed up by a bungie so it has
a slow, smooth motion when it goes down.
"We just couldn't get the right look for it" by using
technology, Phillips said. "Sometimes the best solutions are the
easiest and cheapest."
Another fairly low-tech solution Phillips explained was the
method he and his crew used to design one of the show's sets, a
group of flapping doors that behave a bit like birds.
He said that Cirque management demanded the look, but it was no
easy task coming up with a way to do it. Finally, though, he and
his team settled on a motor system that wags the doors with what
he called "rotisserie action" on the end.
In the 10 years since La Nouba opened, a lot has changed for
Cirque du Soleil. It is now a much bigger organization; it has
basically taken over Las Vegas--with five shows there already
and at least two more in the works, as well as new resident
shows planned for openings in Tokyo and Macao later this summer.
But to people who have worked in the company for years, like
Ramsey, the low-key, small-crew nature of La Nouba is preferable
to the highly structured huge and expensive shows the Cirque is
creating these days.
La Nouba has just 32 crew members, while shows like Ka require
more than 150. "This allows everyone to work a lot closer
together," Ramsey said. And Phillips added, "It gives everyone
an appreciation for what every department does."
Down below, on the theater's seventh floor, is where we finally
encountered the show's high technology.
Of course, this is not the latest gear available to the theater
industry, but pretty much the stuff La Nouba has been using
since it opened. But according to Rob Pooley, head of operations
for the show, that's no big deal.
He showed me Dynatrac, the software used to control the gear
that runs the show's many cues, and said it's the same program
he's been using since the beginning. And, while it once took one
of his engineers three eight-hour shifts to figure out how to do
something that newer software used by the Ka crew could do in 30
minutes, he said there's no need to change the system since La
Nouba itself has barely changed in its ten years.
Our last stop was on the main floor of the theater, and it was a
place I had not gotten to see in all my previous behind-the-
scenes-at-the-Cirque visits: the costume room.
Here, Mary Amlund, the head of wardrobe, and her team of 12, put
constant attention into making sure that the 67 performers in La
Nouba always have perfect costumes.
Amlund explained that there are people in the costume room from
6:30 a.m. until about 12:30 in the morning on show days doing
laundry, inspecting costumes for holes and rips, mending, and
making new outfits. She said the average costume lasts about six
weeks, while some last up to six months.
For a Cirque fan like me, this room was a special treat.
Everywhere I looked were outfits exploding in reds and blues,
gorgeous hats and much more.
And while we talked, some of the costume crew were hard at work,
inspecting every inch of some of the outfits for tears, moving
slowly and methodically as they did so.
Finally, the tour was over, and we emerged into an office space
full of cubicles. It was hard to believe that this was still
Cirque du Soleil.
But then again, even the circus needs office workers.
{SOURCE: C|Net}
A Cirque Buyout?
{June 16, 2008}
------------------------------------------
Over the weekend, an article within ThisIsMoneyUK suggested that
Cirque du Soleil had been approached by a Dubai-based investor
for a £1 billion investment (or buy-out) of its operation, which
would give the fund a "significant" stake in the company. While
surprising news, here's some other tidbits from the article that
are equally fascinating:
o) Cirque du Soleil has annual sales of about £350m and
attracts ten million visitors a year, making it one of
world's richest entertainment businesses alongside
Disney and the UK-based Merlin Entertainments, which
runs Madame Tussauds and the London Eye.
o) Its Quidam show in 2007 was the most successful single
entertainment project ever to be staged in Dubai, with
more than 100,000 people attending the month-long run.
o) It is estimated to have drawn 80 million spectators in
more than 200 cities in five continents since 1984. The
permanent shows generate about £100m a year. The
international tours are on average 90% sold out and
contribute another £180m.
o) The company has no debt and makes 20% profit margins,
half of which Laliberte ploughs back into expansion and
research on new show formats.
This morning, however, Bloomberg released a brief statement by
Cirque du Soleil in response to the news: An unidentified Cirque
representative said it was "rumor and speculation" that the
company had been approached by Istithmar, a leveraged-buyout
firm affiliated with Nakheel, the newspaper said.
{SOURCES: ThisIsMoney.com, Bloomberg}
Cirque: Not For Sale...
{June 17, 2008}
------------------------------------------
"Cirque Du Soleil is not for sale..."
Renee-Claude Menard, director of Montreal-based Cirque's public
relations, stated in an e-mail.
This comes after speculation from a British press report
claiming that there had been several bids, including a Dubai-
based holding company that was "in talks" with Cirque about a
possible "buy-out".
"The Cirque du Soleil is a very attractive business and we
regularly receive offers from individuals or companies. So
occasionally, rumors and speculation of our sale abound, In this
case, it is just that, rumour and speculation." Menard said.
{SOURCES: AFP, The Canadian Press}
"All Together Now" Coming to DVD
{June 18, 2008}
------------------------------------------
Just in case you missed it, Apple Corps Ltd. & Cirque du Soleil
will release the feature-length documentary "All Together Now"
on DVD on June 24, 2008!
NOTE: THE RELEASE HAS BEEN DELAYED UNTIL AUTUMN 2008
What should we expect when the DVD is finally released? Here
are some tidbits about the upcoming release from
beatles.fanfire.com:
o) Total Running time: 128 minutes (this includes the 84 minute
documentary "All Together Now" and other bonus features).
o) Sound is presented in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and
Dolby Digital Stereo.
o) Bonus Features include:
- "Changing the Music" (22:00): A behind-the scenes look
at the decision-making process for the "LOVE" concept
and music production.
- "Music In The Theatre" (07:00): A look at the process of
creating the "LOVE" show's unique audio design.
- "Making 'LOVE'" (09:00): A backstage pass to explore the
design of "LOVE," including the art direction, costumes,
props, screen imagery and the use of The Beatles' voices
in the "LOVE" stage production and its soundtrack.
See a Preview Here (YouTube):
< http://youtube.com/watch?v=t2Q91LjUYkY >
{SOURCE: Beatles.Fanfire.Com}
The NYTimes Becomes "Twist"ed [EXPANDED]
{June 20, 2008}
------------------------------------------
Earier this month we wondered what Joey Arias, former Zumanity
Diva, had been up to since leaving the show and found out he
returned to New York City (his home)... with a Twist! "Arias with
a Twist" opened on Wednesday and the New York Times had a peek
into this newest incarnation of fabulous Joey Arias:
Eat your heart out, Madonna. The chanteuses who play Madison
Square Garden and football stadiums have never experienced the
imaginative heights of spectacle with which Basil Twist
surrounds Joey Arias in Arias With a Twist, which opened
Wednesday night at the newly renovated Here Arts Center.
Mr. Twist is the inspired puppet master who, a decade ago,
turned wet pieces of cloth into a Folies Bergère-style corps de
ballet in his head-tripping interpretation of Berliozs
Symphonie Fantastique, set in a giant aquarium. Now he returns
to the scene of that career-making triumph, the Dorothy B.
Williams Theater, to ply his surreal magic on the venerable
downtown drag show.
Mr. Arias, a cross-dressing vocalist notable for the weight of
his false eyelashes and his gift for replicating the raspy wail
of Billie Holiday, returns to New York after doing time in Las
Vegas as a mistress of ceremonies for the racy Cirque du Soleil
show Zumanity. And while the stage he commands at Here is, in
size, but a fraction of the one he played at the New York New
York hotel, it cannot be said that he has hit the small time.
Thats because Mr. Twist, along with an accomplished technical
team, has whipped up a vast enchanted troupe of effigies from
a marionette supper-club combo to a life-size chorus line of
plump, plumed dancers to back up Mr. Ariass song stylings.
Well, perhaps back up is not quite the way to put it, since Mr.
Twists creations have a way of stealing the spotlight, even
when theyre in the shadows.
This show even has a spotlight that steals the spotlight, a
roving disc of illumination that shrinks and expands
capriciously, a diva unto itself, before the curtain goes up.
(Ayumu Saegusa did the lighting.) There are, in fact, an
assortment of curtains, which part and fall and drop teasingly,
like Salomes veils.
Finally they uncover Mr. Arias, looking like the vintage pin-up
model Bettie Page in dominatrix mode, strapped to a giant,
rotating silver wheel and being probed by ghostly aliens. The
script, devised by Mr. Arias and Mr. Twist, uses this very close
encounter as a dropping-off point for a series of earthly, and
often earthy, adventures.
These include Mr. Arias tumbling through space and landing in a
glorious Edenic rain forest; eating a magic mushroom that takes
him straight to hell; stalking Manhattan as a 50-foot woman;
and, at last, arriving at a cozy little boîte to sing soulfully
before being propelled into the dizzying realm of a Busby
Berkeley fantasy number.
The apparitions that show up in these locales are often
delightful (the blissful marionette jazz ensemble) and sometimes
sinister (the giant slithering serpent in the rainforest).
Flowers blossom before your eyes; white-gloved hands, ice cream
cones and cymbal-banging monkeys float through the air; and what
looks like the entire island of Manhattan materializes as a sky-
scraping Oz.
Did I mention the rotating wedding cake? And how about those
giant dancing devil puppets, which move like Las Vegas chorus
boys? Their outsized assets include flailing phalluses, a
reminder that though children might find much to revel in here,
this is definitely not a kiddie show.
Mr. Ariass dialogue, delivered in a deadpan mix of little-girl
breathlessness and big-girl worldliness, will sound familiar to
anyone whos seen a New York drag show during the last few
decades. (I didnt even get his phone number, Mr. Arias sighs
after dancing with the devil.) And of course he sings, with
varying effectiveness, pop standards (All by Myself), acid
rock (Kashmir), a charming original composition by Alex
Gifford (Jungle of Eden) and, most memorably, the Holiday
standard Youve Changed.
As an actor Mr. Arias is not a seamless illusionist. Were
always aware of the big lug beneath the Joan Crawford maquillage
and Thierry Mugler corsets. But in a way, this makes him the
perfect escort into Mr. Twists wonderland.
Mr. Arias registers as a figure of solid human flesh aching to
be transported into a world of celluloid dreams. Costumes and
makeup can only take a fellow so far. Thats where Mr. Twist
comes in, with a fluid mise-en-scène that allows Mr. Arias
and, vicariously, you and me to go the distance, all the way
over the rainbow.
ARIAS WITH A TWIST
Created by Joey Arias and Basil Twist; directed by Mr. Twist;
lighting by Ayumu Saegusa; sound by Greg Duffin; video design by
Daniel Brodie; costume concepts by Thierry Mugler, designed by
Chris March; musical arrangements and production by Eliot
Douglass and Jean Houle Francoise; songs by Alex Gifford;
production stage manager, Neelam Vaswani; produced by Barbara
Busackino. Presented by Heres Dream Music Puppetry Program and
Tandem Otter Productions in association with Johnnie Moore. At
the Here Arts Center, 145 Sixth Avenue, at Dominick Street,
South Village; (212) 352-3101.Through July 13. Running time: 1
hour 10 minutes.
WITH: Joey Arias, Oliver Dalzell, Randy Ginsburg, Kirsten
Kammermeyer, Matt Leabo, Jessica Scott and Lindsay Abromaitis
Smith.
{SOURCE: New York Times}
Cirque Goes Blu
{June 24, 2008}
------------------------------------------
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment - the distributor of Cirque du
Soleil spectacles on DVD, through its subsidiary Columbia/Tri-
Star, has announced that beginning September 2, 2008 Cirque du
Soleil goes Blu - Blu-Ray that is:
Starting with CORTEO, and hopefully continuing through the
catalog (as sales allow, I'm sure), Cirque du Soleil's filmed
specials will be released on Blu-Ray HD discs! Details as far as
specifications, special features and price are forthcoming.
{SOURCE: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment}
It's Official - 'Believe' DELAYED
{June 30, 2008}
------------------------------------------
Rumors have been floating around the mill over the past few
weeks that Criss Angel's show BELIEVE would be delayed due to
some unforeseen circumstances and now there's finally truth to
that rumor. From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Cirque du Soleil announced this morning that the debut of "Criss
Angel - Believe" will be pushed back two weeks. Ticketed
previews that were to begin on Sept. 1 now will begin Sept. 12.
The private party to mark the "official" debut has been pushed
from Sept. 12 to Oct. 9. Spokeswoman Anita Nelving says
technical delays made the cast about five weeks late moving into
the custom theater at the Luxor from an off-Strip warehouse. The
move will affect 14 shows that already were on sale. Early birds,
mostly from Angel's fan club, will be given corresponding seats
at other performances or get refunds if they can't be in town on
the new night. Anyone holding tickets should call 1-800-557-7428.
{SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal}
=======================================================================
OYEZ! OYEZ! -- NEW SHOW ANNOUNCEMENTS
=======================================================================
Within...
o) ZAIA: "Journey Through Time and Space"
o) Criss Angel BELIEVE: "Do you Believe in Magic?"
o) ZED: "From A to ZED"
------------------------------------------------------
"ZAIA: Journey Through Time and Space"
{ Press Releases }
------------------------------------------------------
Macau, China - May 29, 2008 - ZAIA was unveiled today as the name of
the very first permanent Cirque du Soleil production set to open in
Asia. ZAIA will be presented at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel in
Macau and will hold its Gala Celebration August 28, 2008 to coincide
with the 1st Anniversary of its host resort-hotel, with preview
performances beginning July 26, 2008.
Cirque du Soleil is a Canadian-based global entertainment company
providing high-quality artistic entertainment. Cirque du Soleil
productions have played to almost 80 million spectators in over 200
cities on five continents. In 2008, Cirque du Soleil will present 17
shows simultaneously throughout the world. Each production fuses
innovative acrobatics, theatre, dance and music with spectacular
costumes, lighting and make-up. Cirque du Soleil has successfully
toured to 13 cities in Asia, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul,
Tokyo, Taipei and Shanghai with Big Top productions but ZAIA will be
the first production to be housed within a permanent theatre in the
region.
THE NAME
ZAIA is about the dream of a young girl who journeys into space.
The title, ZAIA, comes from a Greek name meaning "life" and is
also reminiscent of "Gaia," the living, self-aware, spirit of
earth.
"We are extremely excited to bring this unique show to the Cotaï
Strip as our first permanent step in China," said Daniel Lamarre,
President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil. "The creative challenge
is very interesting for us as this area has yet to be developed
for its entertainment offers. Thanks to our partnership with Las
Vegas Sands, we are anxious for Asian audiences to discover this
Cirque du Soleil production.
"We are both proud and delighted to be partnering with Cirque du
Soleil and bringing this internationally acclaimed production to
Macau and to its first ever permanent base in Asia," said Mr.
Mark Brown, President of Sands Macao and The Venetian Macao-
Resort-Hotel. "Cirque du Soleil will surely give the people of
this region a chance to experience wholly unique and world-class
entertainment, an aim to which we are also committed."
THE SHOW
ZAIA is about a young girl who journeys into space on a strange,
yet familiar voyage of self-discovery. As she travels, she
encounters the beauty of humanity and eventually brings it back
with her to share with the inhabitants of earth.
ZAIA presents a young girl's perception of the stars and planets,
space and infinity, all populated by a panoply of fantastic,
literally out-of-this-world creatures. ZAIA is a show that
highlights dance, movement and aerial acrobatics, soaring to the
farthest reaches of space and human beauty.
ZAIA will be presented in a custom-built 1,800 seat theatre at
the Venetian Macau-Hotel-Resort. The combined cost of show
creation and the custom-built theatre for ZAIA is in excess of
$USD150 million.
Preview performances begin July 26, 2008 and the Gala Premiere
will be held Thursday, August 28, 2008.
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Guy Laliberté Guide
Gilles Ste-Croix SVP, Creative Content
Gilles Maheu Writer/Director
Neilson Vignola Director of Creation
Guillaume Lord Set Designer
Dominique Lemieux Costume Designer
Violaine Corradi Composer and Musical Director
Martino Müller Choreographer
Jeff Hall Acrobatic Choreographer
Rob Bollinger Acrobatic Performance Designer
Guy Lemire Acrobatic Equipment & Rigging
Jimmy Lakatos Projections Designer
Raymond Saint-Jean Projections Designer
Steve Dubuc Sound Designer
Nathalie Gagné Make-up Designer
Leonid Leykin Clown Acts Designer
SHOW SCHEDULE
The preview period for ZAIA will be from July 26, 2008 to August
27, 2008. During this preview period there will be no shows on
Mondays and Tuesdays and the show schedule will be irregular.
Please consult the most current show schedule at
www.cirquedusoleil.com.
The Gala premiere is scheduled for August 28, 2008. Regular
performances will begin August 29, 2008.
Regular performances for ZAIA will run Tuesday through Sunday.
On Tuesdays and Wednesdays the show time will be at 8p.m. On
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays the show times will be at 7p.m.
and 10p.m. On Sundays, shows will be at 4p.m. and 7p.m. There
will be no shows on Mondays. Please consult the most current
show schedule at www.cirquedusoleil.com. Schedule is subject to
change without notice.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets on sale May 30, 2008!
Adult ticket prices: MOP$1288, MOP$788, MOP$588, MOP$388
Children* ticket prices: MOP$688, MOP$488, MOP$288
*Children: Aged between 2 and 11
To reserve tickets:
Phone: Macau - (853) 2882 8818 / Hong Kong - (852) 6333 6660
Online: www.cirquedusoleil.com
In person: The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel Box Office
THEATER AND SET
"For me, ZAIA is an inner journey through time and space. The
set, in which arcs and perspective lines predominate, evokes the
viewpoint of a human eye looking through a large observatory
telescope. "
- Guillaume Lord, Set Designer
The Theatre:
The ZAIA Theatre is reminiscent of ancient architectural
telescopes such as Jaipur in India and the vast stone Mayan
observatories of Central America. It is not a planetarium as
such, however it contains many visual cues and references that
add to the show's underlying theme of cosmic exploration.
In keeping with the primary theme of a journey into space,
verticality is an important component of the show and the
theatre was designed with a higher than 80-ft/24-meter ceiling
and the set elements are intended to recreate the experience of
being in space - an experience that is both mysteriously alien
and strangely familiar. This is a timeless journey from through
the stratosphere and beyond, while keeping an eye on Earth.
The Set:
When the audience enters the theatre, one of the main set
elements, a gigantic sphere, appears to be a chandelier and the
house is illuminated by light sources at ground level, creating
the effect of a deep dark cave. When the sphere is revealed in
all its constantly-changing glory following the opening number,
its full scope and the effect of its trajectory over the heads
of the audience is nothing less than stunning.
The proscenium is made up of several layers that create a sense
of depth through perspective lines and curves made of bronze
that converge on the single focal point located at the centre of
an enormous sun-like gong set against the backdrop, known as the
"Star Drop," which recreates the night sky with 3,000 fiber
optic "stars." Designer Guillaume Lord used a star map to give
the Star Drop an accuraterepresentation of the constellations
at the exact location of the theatre.
Some figures:
o) The theatre has a capacity of 1,852.
o) The Proscenium is 88' high and 97' Wide.
o) The 12,221 sq. ft. Star Drop measures 121' x 101'.
o) The polished bronze-plated Gong Sun has a 20' diameter.
o) The 25'-diameter Sphere moves on three axes. It
consists of an aluminum exoskeleton covered in Lexan
and weighs 4,000 lbs. It contains 6 projectors that
beam integrated images through a full 360 degrees.
o) Above the audience the Oval Track transports performers
and set elements (such as the 600-lb ice blocks) on
148' x 95' 5 chariots that weigh 800 lbs.
o) It takes 30-40 backstage technicians to operate the set.
------------------------------------------------------
"Criss Angel BELIEVE: Do you Believe in Magic?"
{ Press Releases }
------------------------------------------------------
WHY BELIEVE?
On his death bed, legendary magician and escape artist, Harry
Houdini told his wife the following; "After my death, many
people will claim that they are still able to communicate with
me. If their claims are valid, they will be able to tell you a
code word - that word is BELIEVE.
ABOUT THE SHOW
CRISS ANGEL Believe(tm) will be a haunting exploration deep inside
the inventive mind of mystifier Criss Angel as he hovers between
the land of the living and a surreal world uniquely woven
together by the distinctive imaginations of Criss Angel and
Cirque du Soleil.
Unlike traditional magic-themed shows, CRISS ANGEL Believe(tm)
transcends any preconceived notion of what it means to be truly
emotionally engaged by the arts of mysticism and illusion.
Imagine a fantasy, an allegory, a highly theatrical tableau of
mood, reverie and emotion set against a backdrop of dreamlike
darkness and light.
Criss Angel stars as a surreal, enigmatic Victorian Noble. Along
a path of imaginative exploration, he encounters Kayala and
Crimson, two women who represent different aspects of femininity,
four bizarre Ushers, who will introduce the audience to the
baroque theater of Criss's mind and a high-energy troupe of
characters and dancers who mix a multitude of styles into a
high-energy visual feast, punctuated by moments of grace and
sensuality.
The stunning illusions in CRISS ANGEL Believe(tm) will not be
presented as stand-alone elements, but as interdependent
components using heightened imagery, fantastical creatures and
impossible feats of legerdemain, which will all be integrated
into the dazzling, colorful fabric of the story.
TICKETS
The show will hold its Gala Premiere on September 12, 2008, with
preview performances beginning September 1, 2008.
CRISS ANGEL Believe will be performed Friday through Tuesday
with no shows on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Beginning September 1,
there will be two shows nightly at 7p.m. & 10p.m. Please consult
the most current show schedule at www.cirquedusoleil.com/
crissangel and www.crissangel.com. Schedule is subject to
change without notice.
Ticket Information: Tickets are on pre-sale to Cirque Club
members, Criss Angel Loyals and Luxor Insiders starting April 17,
2008. Ticket prices: $150, $125, $99, $79, $59 plus tax. All
preview performances* will be discounted 25 percent.
To Reserve Tickets: During the pre-sale period tickets will be
exclusively available to Criss Angel Loyals, Cirque Club members
and Luxor Insiders. These groups can purchase tickets online at:
www.cirquedusoleil.com/crissangel and www.crissangel.com.
Following the pre-sale, an announcement will be made outlining
when tickets will go on sale publicly.
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Guy Laliberté Guide
Gilles Ste-Croix SVP, Creative Content
Criss Angel Illusions Designer/Star
Serge Denoncourt Director & Co-Writer
Pierre Phaneuf Director of Creation
Christiane Barette Associate Director of Creation
Ray Winkler Set Designer
Mérédith Caron Costume Designer
Éric Serra Composer, Musical Director & Arranger
Wade Robson Choreographer
Jeanette Farmer Lighting Designer
Francis Laporte Images and Projection
Jonathan Deans Sound Designer
Jaque Paquin Acrobatic Equipment & Rigging
André Simard Acrobatic Performance
Michael Curry Props & Puppets Designer
Nathalie Gagné Make-up Designer
------------------------------------------------------
"ZED: From A to ZED"
{ Press Releases }
------------------------------------------------------
URAYASU, CHIBA (JAPAN), June 3, 2008 - Oriental Land Co., Ltd. and
Cirque du Soleil are pleased to announce that "ZED" will be the
title of the new original show to be performed at the Cirque du
Soleil Theatre Tokyo, which will open at Tokyo Disney Resort(r) on
October 1, 2008.
ABOUT THE SHOW
ZED is a living poem, a timeless evocation that draws on the
Tarot and its arcana, an imaginary world that conjures the
vitality of the human condition and holds up a mirror to our
true selves. The central, larger-than-life character Zed
represents all of humanity in all its guises, from wisdom to
folly, from discovery to adventure.
Zed grows as he discovers the world on his journey of initiation.
Through this undertaking the people of the sky and the people of
the earth are trying to connect with each other; through Zed,
they come together.
The world of the arcana, in which ZED finds its inspiration,
teems with life and vibrant characters, including the Great
Goddess, The Fool, The Sphinxes and the Satyrs - all engaged in
a lyrical odyssey to the heart of the human experience.
Performance Time -- About 135 minutes (including a 30-minute
intermission)
Official Website -- www.zed.co.jp (PC and cell phone)
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Guy Laliberté Guide
Gilles Ste-Croix SVP, Creative Content
François Girard Writer and Director
Line Tremblay Director of Creation
François Séguin Set Designer
Renée April Costume Designer
René Dupéré Composer and Arranger
David Finn Lighting Designer
Debra Brown Choreographer
Jean-Jacques Pillet Choreographer
François Bergeron Sound Designer
Scott Osgood Acrobatic Equipment & Rigging Designer
Florence Pot Acrobatic Performance Designer
Eleni Uranis Make-up Designer
SUPPORTERS
Special Presenting Sponsor -- JCB Co., Ltd.
Sponsor -- Family Mart Co., Ltd.
Support -- Canadian Embassy, Quebec Delegation in Japan
Special Cooperation -- Japan Airlines International
Planning Cooperation -- Disney
Production -- Cirque du Soleil
Hosting Company -- Oriental Land Co., Ltd.
SET DESIGN
"The scenic atmosphere of ZED evokes the pinnacle of the High
Renaissance and the dawn of the Mechanical Age."
-François Séguin
The Astrolabe:
To establish the set design concept, designer François Séguin
started with a form inspired by the astrolabe. His underlying
intention was to fill the whole stage as if it were a frame from
a film, and in terms of aesthetics, his design evokes the High
Renaissance and the Mechanical Age.
Brass and copper components, precision engineering, painstaking
craftsmanship and scientific ingenuity combine to create the
impression that the audience is actually inside - and sometimes
outside - a complex mechanical astrolabe floating in space.
The set takes its inspiration from many eras and influences.
Ancient science, the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, the
products of the early days of the Mechanical Age, nautical
instruments and astronomy all play a part in creating an
atmosphere of solidity and tradition, floating in a space that
looks toward the future.
Diderot's Encyclopedia, which began to be published in 1751,
also informed the designs. "Diderot, the first French
encyclopedia, codified knowledge and is filled with images of
mechanical devices," says designer François Séguin.
The Scenic Environment:
When the audience first enters the theatre, the set is wrapped
in a large sheet and the auditorium gives no clues or visual
cues as to where they are or where the show is situated.
The spectacular imagery is revealed when the cover is whisked
away in a sudden, sweeping gesture by a character inspired by
The Fool in the Tarot. This dramatic moment instantly plunges
the audience into an environment that recalls antique
astronomical and navigational instruments set in an ancient
cosmos that is at the same time new and somehow familiar.
In keeping with the physical dimensions of the theatre and the
themes of the show (in which one community of characters
inhabits the sky and the other community is earthbound), the set
emphasizes verticality as a visual reinforcement to the
narrative, as well as meeting the demands of the show's
acrobatics.
While the materials are unquestionably rich, the colors -
suggesting an antique patina of burnished metals and polished
wood tones - are intentionally somewhat monochrome and muted,
and the look is quite dark, reminiscent of 19th century
interiors. The objective is to focus more attention on the
performing artists than on their surroundings.
Since this is a Cirque du Soleil show, the set must also
accommodate a large amount of acrobatic rigging, lighting and
sound equipment, and designer François Séguin decided to
integrate it into the set as much as possible, rather than
impose it on the décor. His design minimizes the visibility of
all the winches, rigging, cables and the setting up needed to
perform complex acrobatic numbers.
Some Details:
o) Made mostly of steel, the suspended astrolabe weighs 19, 504
kg (43,000 lbs).
o) The enormous 10m globe, which can move vertically, is
decorated with meridians and parallels and fitted with a net
that can deploy and retract as needed.
o) Winches hidden inside the globe are used to transport the
artists, stage equipment and acrobatic equipment throughout
the show.
o) On the floor of the stage, there is a representation of the
Milky Way and symbols referring to the different phases of
the moon.
o) A door leading under the stage is installed inside a book
that the clowns Oulaï and Nalaï find at the beginning of the
show. When they open it, they plunge inside, literally
engulfed by the pages.
o) The Vortex, the white canvas that wraps the stage at the
start of the show, comprises more than 5,600 square meters of
material. Two motors pull it at a speed of six meters per
second, making the entire surface vanish in 25 seconds.
o) During the Birth of the Sky scene, the set features a
firmament of thousands of stars. To achieve this effect the
vault of the Astrolabe is covered with 3,500 LEDs and the
floor of the stage has more than 900 fiber optic points of
light.
o) An alphabet of 26 symbols, The Zed Alpha, was created for the
production. It appears in the set design and shows the
periodic table of the elements as well as words related to
components of the show.
o) Five spheres of various diameters, each displaying its own
special effects, form a miniature representation of the
Astrolabe - a micro world that reflects the macro world.
=======================================================================
COMPARTMENTS -- INFORMATION ON TOUR AND BEHIND THE CURTAIN
=======================================================================
o) ITINÉRAIRE - Tour/Show Information
o) DIDYAKNOW - Facts About Cirque
o) HISTORIA - Cirque du Soleil History
================
ITINÉRAIRE
================
NOTE: The information presented below is for historical purposes only.
For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts,
please visit our website < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >.
Alegría:
Rio de Janerio, Brazil -- Dec 27, 2007 to Jan 27, 2008
Sao Paulo, Brazil -- Feb 7, 2008 to May 4, 2008
Porto Alegre, Brazil -- May 15, 2008 to Jun 8, 2008
Buenos Aires, Argentina -- Jun 20, 2008 to Jul 27, 2008
Santiago, Chile -- Aug 8, 2008 to Sep 21, 2008
Seoul, South Korea -- TBA
Taipei, Taiwan -- TBA
Dubai, UAE -- Spring 2009
Corteo:
San Diego, California -- Jan 11, 2008 to Feb 3, 2008
Portland, Oregan -- Mar 1, 2008 to Apr 13, 2008
Seattle, Washington -- Apr 24, 2008 to Jun 1, 2008
Vancouver, BC -- Jun 12, 2008 to Jul 20, 2008
Calgary, AB -- Jul 31, 2008 to Sep 7, 2008
Ottawa, ON -- Sep 16, 2008 to Oct 26, 2008
Miami, Florida -- Nov 13, 2008 to Dec 28, 2008
Tokyo, Japan -- Feb 4, 2009 to May 5, 2009
Dralion:
Tokyo, Japan -- Jan 25, 2008 to Apr 6, 2008
Fukuoka, Japan -- Apr 23, 2008 to Jun 15, 2008
Sydney, Australia -- Jul 17, 2008 to Aug 17, 2008
Canberra, Australia -- Oct 23, 2008 to Nov 16, 2008
Brisbane, Australia -- Nov 27, 2008 to Jan 11, 2009
Perth, Australia -- Jan 28, 2009 to Mar 29, 2009
Melbourne, Australia -- Apr 9, 2009 to Jun 14, 2009
Koozå:
San Francisco, California - Nov 16 to Jan 20, 2008
San Jose, California -- Jan 31, 2008 to Mar 16, 2008
Hartford, Connecticut -- Apr 1, 2008 to Apr 27, 2008
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- May 8, 2008 to Jun 15, 2008
Chicago, Illinois -- Jun 26, 2008 to Aug 3, 2008
Boston, Massachusetts -- Sep 5, 2008 to Oct 19, 2008
Washington, DC -- Oct 30, 2008 to Dec 7, 2008
Atlanta, Georgia -- Jan 2, 2009 to Feb 15, 2009
Baltimore, Maryland -- Spring 2009
New York, New York -- Spring 2009
Quidam:
Mexico City, Mexico - Nov 16, 2007 to Jan 13, 2008
Monterrey, Mexico - Jan 17, 2008 to Feb 10, 2008
Veracruz, Mexico -- Feb 27, 2008 to Mar 16, 2008
Lisbon, Portugal -- Apr 20, 2008 to May 25, 2008
Màlaga, Spain -- Jun 5, 2008 to Jul 13, 2008
Alicante, Spain -- Jul 24, 2008 to Aug 31, 2008
Barcelona, Spain -- Sep, 11, 2008 to Oct 19, 2008
Brussels, Belgium -- Oct 30, 2008 to Dec 21, 2008 (*)
London, England -- Jan 7, 2009 to Feb 22, 2009 (*)
Varekai:
London, UK - Jan 6, 2008 to Feb 3, 2008
Amsterdam, NL -- Feb 28, 2008 to May 25, 2008
Berlin, Germany -- Jun 5, 2008 to Jul 13, 2008
Oberhausen, Germany -- Jul 31, 2008 to Sep 14, 2008
Vienna, Austria -- Sep 25, 2008 to Nov 9, 2008
Madrid, Spain -- Nov 20, 2008 to Dec 28, 2008
Bilbao, Spain -- TBA
Seville, Spain -- TBA
Hamburg, Germany -- TBA
Oostende, Belgium -- TBA
Zurich, Switzerland -- TBA
Munich, Germany -- TBA
[Arena Shows]
Delirium:
Oberhausen, Germany - Feb 1 & 2
Hanover, Germany - Feb 5 & 6
Bremen, Germany - Feb 9 & 10
Stockholm, Sweden - Feb 13 & 14
Turku, Finland - Feb 16 & 17
Zurich, Switzerland - Feb 25 & 26
Budapest, Hungary - Feb 29 & Mar 1
Berlin, Germany - Mar 6
Nurnberg, Germany - Mar 8 & 9
Milan, Italy - Mar 11, 12 & 13
Turin, Italy - Mar 15, 16 & 17
Birmingham, UK - Mar 22 & 23
Liverpool, UK - Mar 25 & 26
Paris, France - Mar 31 & Apr 1, 2
Antwerp, Belgium - Apr 5 & 6
Glasgow, UK - Apr 9 & 10
Belfast, UK - Apr 12
London, UK - Apr 17, 18 & 19
(Delirium's final curtain call was in London)
Saltimbanco:
Quebec, Quebec - Jan 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8
Chicoutimi, Quebec - Jan 16, 17, 18 & 19
Detroit, Michigan - Jan 23, 24, 25, 26 & 27
Cleveland, Ohio - Jan 29, 30, 31 & Feb 1
Memphis, Tennessee - Feb 20 & 21
Charlottesville, Virginia - Feb 26, 27, 28, 29 & Mar 1
Little Rock, Arkansas - Mar 4, 5, & 6
Shreveport, Louisiana - Mar 8 & 9
San Antonio, Texas - Mar 12, 13, 14, 15 & 16
Laredo, Texas - Mar 18 & 19
Corpus Christi, Texas - Mar 21 & 22
Wichita, Kansas - Mar 26, 27, 28, 39 & 30
Omaha, Nebraska - Apr 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6
Des Moines, Iowa - Apr 10, 11, 12 & 13
Moline, Illinois - Apr 15, 16, 17 & 18
Cedar Rapids, Iowa - Apr 23, 24, 25, 26 & 27
Alberquerque, New Mexico - May 14, 15, 16 & 17
Boise, Idaho - May 21, 22, 23, 24 & 25
Victoria, BC - May 29, 30, 31 & Jun 1
Kelowana, BC - Jun 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8
Kamloops, BC - Jun 11, 12, 13, 14 & 15
Edmonton, Alberta - Jun 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Jun 25, 26, 27, 28 & 29
Regina, Saskatchewan - Jul 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6
Winnipeg, Manatoba - Jul 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13
Kansas City, Missouri -- July 16, 17, 18, 19 & 20
Newark, New Jersey -- Aug 7, 8, 9 & 10
Toronto, Ontario -- Aug 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23 & 24
Hamilton, Ontario -- Aug 27, 28, 29, 30 & 31
Amherst, Massachusetts -- Sep 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7
Buffalo, New York -- Sep 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14
Trenton, New Jersey -- Sep 17, 18, 19, 20 & 21
Minneapolis/St-Paul, Minnesota -- Sep 24, 25, 26, 27 & 28
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Oct 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
Highland Heights, Kentucky - Oct 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12
Honolulu, Hawaii - Oct 30, 31 & Nov 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
11, 12, 13, 14, 15 & 16
[Resident Shows]
NOTE: (*) Prices are in United States Dollars (USD) unless otherwise
noted.
(*) Price reflected in brackets [] is inclusive of 10% Las Vegas
Entertainment Tax where applicable, but does not include
Sales Tax.
La Nouba:
Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA)
Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark: Sun/Mon
Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm
2008 Ticket Prices (adults) / (child 3-9):
o Category 0: $121.41 / $96.92
o Category 1: $105.44 / $84.14
o Category 2: $86.27 / $69.23
o Category 3: $69.23 / $55.38
2008 Dark Dates:
o January 22 to 26
o March 25
o May 20 to 24
o May 27 to 312
o July 29
o September 23 to 27
o November 18
Mystère:
Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday
Two shows Nightly -
o Saturday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm
o Sunday: 4:30pm & 7:00pm
o Monday - Wednesday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm
2008 Ticket Prices:
o Category 1: $95.00 [$104.50]
o Category 2: $75.00 [$82.50]
o Category 3: $60.00 [$66.00]
2008 Dark Dates:
o January 3 to 18
o February 3
o March 12
o May 1 to 9
o July 9
o September 4 to 12
o November 5
o December 24
"O":
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
2008 Ticket Prices:
o Orchestra: $150.00 [$165.00]
o Loggia: $125.00 [$137.50]
o Balcony: $99.00 [$108.90]
o Limited View: $93.50 [102.85]
2008 Dark Dates:
o February 10
o April 7 to 15
o June 8
o August 11 to 19
o October 12
o December 8 to 23
Zumanity:
Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
2008 Ticket Prices (18+ Only!):
o Sofas: $129.00 USD [$141.90 USD] (Sold in pairs)
o Seats: $99.00 USD [$108.90 USD] (Lower Orcestra)
O Seats: $79.00 USD [$86.90 USD] (Upper Orchestra)
o Balcony: $69.00 USD [$75.90 USD]
o Stools: $69.00 USD [$75.90 USD]
2008 Dark Dates:
o Feburary 3
o February 19 & 20
o April 6 to 14
o June 9 to 11
o August 3 to 11
o October 14 & 15
o December 1 to 16
KÀ:
Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Fri through Tue, Dark Wed/Thu
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2008 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12):
NOTE: Category locations change based on Early vs Late Show
o Category 1: $150.00 [$165.00] / $75.00 [$82.50]
o Category 2: $125.00 [$137.50] / $62.50 [$68.75]
o Category 3: $99.00 [$108.90] / $49.50 [$54.45]
o Category 4: $69.00 [$75.90] / $34.50 [$37.95]
2008 Dark Dates
o January 13 to 28
o March 16 to 19
o May 11 to 19
o July 13 to 16
o September 7 to 15
o November 2 to 4
LOVE:
Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:30pm
2008 Ticket Prices:
o Lower Orchestra: $150.00 [$165.00]
o Upper Orchestra: $125.00 [137.50]
o Lower Balcony: $99.00 [$108.80]
o Middle Balcony: $93.50 [$102.85]
o Upper Balcony: $69.00 [$75.90]
2008 Dark Dates:
o February 3 & 4
o February 11
o April 1 to 9
o May 12
o June 12
o July 29 to August 6
o October 9
o December 2 to 17
Wintuk:
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City (USA)
Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark Monday/Tuesday
Multiple Shows Daily -
Wednesday: 2:00pm, 7:30pm
Thursday: 11:00am, 7:30pm
Friday: 2:00pm, 7:30pm
Saturday: 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm
Sunday: 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm
2008 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 2-12):
Wednesday & Sunday:
o Category 1: $99.00 / $89.55
o Category 2: $65.00 / $59.95
o Category 3: $40.00 / $36.45
Thursday, Friday & Saturday:
o Category 1: $200.00 / $180.45
o Category 2: $110.00 / $99.45
o Category 3: $75.00 / $67.95
o Category 4: $50.00 / $45.45
Information regarding the 2008 season is not yet available.
ZAIA:
Location: VENETIAN, Macao (China)
Performs: Tuesday through Sunday, Dark Monday
One to Two Shows Daily -
Tuesday: 8:00pm
Wednesday: 8:00pm
Thursday - Saturday: 7:00pm & 10:00pm
Sunday: 4:00pm & 7:00pm
PREVIEW PERFORMANCES - July 26th through August 27th
GALA PREMIERE - AUGUST 28, 2008
2008 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 0-12):
o Category 1: MOP$ 1288 / No Child
o Category 2: MOP$ 788 / MOP$ 688
o Category 3: MOP$ 588 / MOP$ 488
o Category 4: MOP$ 388 / MOP$ 288
BELIEVE:
Location: Luxor, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:00pm
PREVIEW PERFORMANCES - BEGIN SEPTEMBER 12th
GALA PREMIERE - OCTOBER 9th, 2008
NOTE: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by
an adult. Children under the age of five are not permitted
into the theater.
2008 Ticket Prices (all):
o Category 1: $150.00 +tax
o Category 2: $125.00 +tax
o Category 3: $99.00 +tax
o Category 4: $79.00 +tax
o Category 5: $59.00 +tax
2008 Dark Dates:
o September 8 & 9
o September 13
o November 5 to 13
ZED:
Location: TOKYO DISNEYLAND, Tokyo (Japan)
Performs: Varies
One to Two Shows Daily - Varies
PREVIEW PERFORMANCES - August 15th through September 30th
GALA PREMIERE - October 1, 2008
2008 Ticket Prices (all):
o Category 1 ("Premium"): ¥18,000
o Category 2 ("Front"): ¥15,000
o Category 3 ("Regular"): ¥9,800
o Category 4 ("Overview"): ¥7,800
=================================
DIDYAKNOW? - Facts About Cirque
=================================
o) Did you know that Gilles Ste-Croix, Senior Vice President of
Creative Content at Cirque du Soleil, worked on and opened a new
equestrian show in 2007? The show is "SAKA" and it is the second
equestrian show for Gilles; he presented "Cheval Theatre" from 2001
until 2003. The name Saka evokes a group of nomadic tribes of the
same name that inhabited the plains of central Asia in 4000 BC.
These peoples, who still have descendants in Iran, India, Pakistan
and countries bordering Russia and China, were the first to
domesticate horses to be ridden or harnessed.
o) Did you know that Cirque du Soleil produced award winning toys?
That's right! The Cirque du Soleil toys collection won in the "Best
Product of the Year" in Fit Pregnancy Editors' Choice Awards in
2007 for its Twisterella toy. The Choice Awards are a once-a-year
selection covering a variety of cateories: safety, usefulness,
cool/unique and fun toys by Fit Pregnancy magazine.
o) Did you know that Cirque du Soleil "got the ball bouncing" at the
56th NBA All-Star Game in Las Vegas on Sunday, February 18, 2007?
"Several artists from KÀ dazzled the audience with a spectacular
display of acrobatic martial arts inspired by the opening moments
of the show. Then Roxane Potvin, then lead singer of "O", performed
the national anthem.
o) Did you know that Varekai runs on biodiesel? Varekai's launch was
the first time that biodisel was used in Cirque du Soleil's power
generators on tour. Cirque explains that, "unlike traditional
diesel, biodiesel is partly a renewable resource. It is made from
vegetable oil, recycled cooking oil or animal fats; it is usually
mixed with traditional diesel in a proportion of 2% or more." At
the time of launch, Varekai was using 20% biodiesel in its
generators.
o) Did you know that Cirque du Soleil won an award for its "Patience"?
On Wednesday, November 9, 2005, Cirque du Soleil was honored with
the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction's Coup de coeur
(Jury's Pick) award for set structure known as "patience" in Corteo.
This arch-shaped set element is 33.5 meters long, self-supporting,
and specifically designed to withstand the many setup and teardowns
of touring.
====================================
HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History
====================================
[March]
* Mar.01.1988 -- Le Cirque Reinvene opened Santa Monica (third time)
* Mar.01.2008 - -Corteo opened San Diego, California
* Mar.04.1999 -- Quidam European Tour Began in Amsterdam
* Mar.04.1999 -- New Tour Name Released -- Dralion
* Mar.04.2005 -- Quidam opened Melbourne
* Mar.05.2004 -- Saltimbanco opened Lyon
* Mar.06.1997 -- Alegría opened Amsterdam
* Mar.06.2001 -- Alegría opened Melbourne, Australia
* Mar.06.2002 -- Dralion opened Los Angeles
* Mar.06.2003 -- Alegría opened Houston
* Mar.06.2003 -- Varekai opened Atlanta
* Mar.07.2007 -- Madison Square Garden Show "Winter Tale" Announced!
* Mar.07.2007 -- Saltimbanco "Arena Tour" Announced!
* Mar.09.1995 -- Saltimbanco opened Amsterdam (European Tour Began)
* Mar.10.2006 -- Dralion opened Geneva
* Mar.11.1994 -- Saltimbanco Japan Tour Began (ends 9/11)
* Mar.11.2007 -- "O" celebrated its 4000th performance [Sunday, 10:30pm]
* Mar.13.2003 -- Dralion opened Raleigh
* Mar.14.1999 -- Alegría: Le Film showcased in Santa Barbara
* Mar.14.2003 -- La Nouba celebrated 2000th Performance [Friday, 6:00pm]
* Mar.14.2006 -- Varekai opened Portland
* Mar.15.1998 -- Mystère celebrated 2000th Performance [Sunday, 7:30pm]
* Mar.15.2006 -- Saltimbanco opened Santiago, Chile
* Mar.15.2007 -- Varekai opened Canberra, Australia
* Mar.17.2003 -- IBM and Cirque come together in 3-Year Partnership
* Mar.17.2005 -- Dralion opened Barcelona, Spain
* Mar.18.1999 -- Saltimbanco opened Sydney, Australia
* Mar.18.2004 -- Varekai opened San Diego
* Mar.19.2002 -- Saltimbanco Extended CD Released (BMG/CDS Musique)
* Mar.19.2006 -- Quidam opened Long Beach
* Mar.20.2007 -- Quidam opened Seoul, South Korea
* Mar.22.1996 -- Alegría Japanese Tour (until Sep. 8, 1996)
* Mar.22.2005 -- Zumanity CD Released (CDS Musique)
* Mar.22.2007 -- Corteo opened Houston
* Mar.22.2007 -- Cirque Luxor (Criss Angel) Announced!
* Mar.23.1993 -- Nouvelle Expérience CD Released in Canada (RCA/Victor)
* Mar.23.1999 -- Alegria: Le Film CD Released in Canada (RCA)
* Mar.23.2000 -- Alegría celebrated 2000th performance [8:00pm/Biloxi]
* Mar.24.1998 -- Cirque Collection CD Released in US (RCA/Victor)
* Mar.24.2002 -- Cirque performed at the 74th Academy Awards
* Mar.24.2004 -- "The Bar at the Edge of the Earth" opened
* Mar.25.2004 -- Alegría opened Atlanta
* Mar.28.1995 -- Alegría opened New York City
* Mar.29.1994 -- Mystère CD Released in Canada (RCA/Victor)
* Mar.29.2002 -- Quidam opened Charlotte
* Mar.30.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened New York City
* Mar.30.2000 -- Quidam opened Valencia, Spain
[April]
* Apr.01.2003 -- "Varekai: Cirque du Soleil" Book Published
* Apr.01.2008 -- Koozå opened Hartford, CT
* Apr.02.1998 -- Alegría opened Barcelona
* Apr.02.2002 -- Name of "Cirque 2002" Announced - Varekai
* Apr.02.2003 -- BRAVO announced Cirque Variety Series ("Solstrom")
* Apr.04.2001 -- Dralion opened in New York
* Apr.04.2006 -- M.A.C. became Official Cosmetic Supplier
* Apr.04.2006 -- Cirque inked 3-year TV deal in UK
* Apr.05.1996 -- Saltimbanco opened in Amsterdam (again)
* Apr.05.2001 -- Quidam opened in Antwerp
* Apr.05.2005 -- Name of "Cirque 2005" Announced - Corteo
* Apr.06.2000 -- Dralion opened in San Jose, California
* Apr.06.2006 -- "O" selected "Favorite Production Show" by "What's On,
The Las Vegas Guide"
* Apr.06.2006 -- Cirque outsourced IT Department to CGI Group
* Apr.08.1988 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened San Francisco
* Apr.08.1998 -- Quidam opened New York City
* Apr.08.2005 -- Saltimbanco opened Paris
* Apr.09.2004 -- Varekai opened Pittsburg
* Apr.10.2007 -- Cirque announced Saltimbanco Arena Tour
* Apr.11.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened New York City
* Apr.11.2003 -- Dralion opened Baltimore
* Apr.11.2006 -- "The Spark" Book Published
* Apr.11.2007 -- Name of "Cirque 2007" Announced - Koozå
* Apr.13.1989 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Miami, Florida
* Apr.15.2008 -- APM Music Launches New Film Trailer
Library with Cirque du Soleil Composers
* Apr.16.2003 -- SOLSTROM began filming in Montréal
* Apr.17.2008 -- Name of "Cirque Luxor" Announced - "Criss Angel: BELIEVE"
* Apr.18.2002 -- Dralion opened San Diego
* Apr.18.2003 -- Saltimbanco opened Geneva
* Apr.18.2006 -- Ground is broken on Tokyo Permanent Production
* Apr.19.2006 -- Cirque announced "LOVE" at The Mirage
* Apr.19.2007 -- Varekai opened Melbourne, Australia
* Apr.19.2007 -- Koozå Premired in Montréal
* Apr.20.2001 -- Saltimbanco 2000 opened Nagoya, Japan
* Apr.20.2005 -- Alegría opened Nagoya, Japan
* Apr.20.2008 -- DELIRIUM's final curtain call [London, UK]
* Apr.20.2008 -- Quidam opened Lisbon, Portugal
* Apr.21.1994 -- Alegría premiered in Montréal
* Apr.21.2005 -- Corteo premiered in Montréal
* Apr.22.1999 -- Dralion premiered in Montréal
* Apr.22.2003 -- Cirque announced "Zumanity" at NY-NY
* Apr.23.1992 -- Saltimbanco Premiered in Montréal
* Apr.23.1996 -- Quidam premiered in Montréal
* Apr.23.2005 -- La Nouba celebrated 3000th performance [Saturday, 9:00pm]
* Apr.23.2008 -- Dralion opened Fukuoka, Japan
* Apr.24.1997 -- Quidam opened Santa Monica
* Apr.24.2002 -- Varekai premiered in Montréal
* Apr.24.2003 -- Alegría opened Austin
* Apr.24.2003 -- Varekai opened New York City
* Apr.24.2007 -- Name of "WinterTale" Released - Wintuk
* Apr.24.2008 -- Corteo opened Seattle, Washington
* Apr.26.2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Barcelona
* Apr.26.2008 -- Artisans de I'maginarie: The World of Cirque du Soleil
is staged in Omotesando Hills, Tokyo
* Apr.27.2000 -- Mystère celebrated 3000th Performance [Thursday, 10:30pm]
* Apr.27.2006 -- Alegría opened Rome
* Apr.27.2006 -- Corteo opened New York
* Apr.29.1997 -- Quidam opened in Santa Monica (again)
* Apr.29.2004 -- Varekai opened Phoenix
* Apr.29.2004 -- Saltimbanco opened Milan
* Apr.30.1999 -- Alegría: Le Film premiered in Québec
* Apr.30.2003 -- Alegría celebrated 3000th Performance [8:00pm/Austin]
[May]
* May.01.1986 -- Cirque Performs at Expo 86 in Vancouver
* May.01.2003 -- Cirque nominated for Drama Desk Awards:
Outstanding Set Design in a Musical - Stephane Roy
Outstanding Costume Design - Eiko Ishioka
Outstanding Sound Design - Francois Bergeron
Unique Theater Experience - Varekai
* May.02.2000 -- Journey of Man (IMAX) premiered in USA
* May.02.2000 -- Journey of Man CD Released in US/Canada (RCA/Victor)
* May.02.2006 -- Cirque announced Macau permanent production
* May.02.2007 -- Cirque announces Dubai 2010 show
* May.04.2006 -- Dralion opened Valencia
* May.04.2006 -- Varekai opened Seattle
* May.05.2006 -- Saltimbanco opened Buenos Aires
* May.06.2004 -- Quidam opened Vancouver
* May.06.2004 -- Alegría opened New York City
* May.07.1987 -- Le Cirque Réinventé Premiered in La Salle
* May.08.1990 -- Nouvelle Expérience Premiered in Montréal
* May.08.2006 -- Cirque announced Elvis-themed productions
* May.08.2008 -- Koozå opened Philadelphia, PA
* May.09.2002 -- Quidam opened Pittsburgh
* May.09.2008 -- Koozå CD unofficially Available
* May.10.2007 -- Alegría opened Saint-Denis, France
* May.11.1986 -- Cirque leaves Expo 86
* May.11.2000 -- Saltimbanco Pacific-Northwest Tour Began (Portland)
* May.11.2007 -- Corteo opened Columbus, Ohio
* May.11.2007 -- Cirque Celebrates 20 Years in Los Angeles
* May.12.2005 -- Quidam opened Adelaide
* May.13.2006 -- La Nouba celebrated 3500th performance [Saturday, 6:00pm]
* May.13.2006 -- Dralion celebrated its 2500th performance [Valencia, Spain]
* May.14.1985 -- 1985 Tour Began in Montréal [Vieux-Port de Montréal]
* May.15.1997 -- Alegría opened Munich
* May.15.2003 -- Dralion opened Montreal
* May.15.2008 -- Alegría opened Porto Alegre, Brazil
* May.17.2005 -- Solarium-Delirium CD Released (CDS Musique)
* May.18.1986 -- Le Magie Continue opened Sherbrooke
* May.18.1987 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Sherbrooke
* May.18.1989 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Chicago
* May.18.2000 -- Quidam opened Bilbao
* May.18.2003 -- Cirque loses Drama Desk Awards (nominated 5/1/03)
* May.18.2006 -- Quidam opened Ottawa
* May.19.1995 -- Saltimbanco opened Munich
* May.19.2006 -- Varekai opened Baltimore
* May.20.1999 -- Alegría premiered permanently in Biloxi, Mississippi.
* May.20.2007 -- Quidam opened Seoul, South Korea (first time in Korea!)
* May.21.2003 -- Quidam opened Nagoya
* May.21.2004 -- CirqueCon 2004: Vancouver Began (through 5/24)
* May.22.1992 -- Fascination Premiered in Tokyo (Until Sep.)
* May.22.1998 -- Alegría opened Hamburg
* May.23.2007 -- Dralion opened Sendai, Japan
* May.24.2002 -- Mystère celebrated 4000th performance [Friday, 7:30pm]
* May.25.1988 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened New York City
* May.27.1999 -- Alegría: Le Film premiered in Netherlands
* May.28.1987 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Montréal
* May.28.1999 -- Saltimbanco opened Brisbane, Australia
* May.28.2003 -- BRAVO sneaks Varekai - Midnight to 2:00pm
* May.29.1986 -- Le Magie Continue opened Montréal
* May.29.1997 -- Quidam opened Oakland
* May.29.2001 -- Alegría opened Sydney, Australia
* May.29.2008 -- Name of "Cirque Macao 2008" Announced - "ZAIA"
* May.30.2006 -- Varekai celebrated 1500th performance [Tues, 8:00pm/Seattle]
* May.31.1996 -- Saltimbanco opened Stuggart
* May.31.2001 -- Quidam opened Hamburg
[June]
* Jun.02.2006 -- LOVE Premiered at Mirage (Previews Begin)
* Jun.02.2007 -- Ernst & Young named Cirque du Soleil CEO Guy Laliberté
"World Entrepreneur of 2007."
* Jun.03.2004 -- Varekai opened Denver
* Jun.03.2004 -- Dralion opened Vienna
* Jun.03.2005 -- Dralion opened Rotterdam
* Jun.03.2008 -- Name of of "Cirque Tokyo 2008" Announced - "ZED"
* Jun.04.2003 -- Alegría opened Calgary
* Jun.04.2008 -- Cirque Partners with YuuZoo, Online Video Sharing Website
* Jun.05.2003 -- Saltimbanco opened Cologne
* Jun.05.2008 -- Quidam opened Màlaga, Spain
* Jun.05.2008 -- Varekai opened Berlin, Germany
* Jun.06.2000 -- Dralion opened Denver, Colorado
* Jun.06.2002 -- Region 02 DVD release: Dralion
* Jun.06.2006 -- Cirque Las Vegas named 6th most popular attraction in
US by TripAdvisor
* Jun.07.1985 -- 1985 Tour opened in Sher-Brooke [Plateau Parc]
* Jun.07.1992 -- Fascination opened Nagoya
* Jun.09.1994 -- Alegría opened Ste-Foy
* Jun.10.2002 -- Official Title of 13-episode TV series announced -
"Fire Within", previously titled "A Fly on the Wall"
* Jun.11.2002 -- Alegría Extended CD Released (BMG/CDS Musique)
* Jun.12.2002 -- Alegría opened Denver
* Jun.12.2002 -- Dralion opened Portland
* Jun.12.2007 -- La Nouba celebrated 4000th performance [Tuesday, 6:00pm]
* Jun.12.2008 -- Corteo opened Vancouver, BC, Canada
* Jun.13.1992 -- Saltimbanco opened Ste-Foy
* Jun.13.2002 -- Announcement of NY-NY and MGM-Grand Shows
* Jun.14.2003 -- Varekai premiered on BRAVO at 8:00pm EST
* Jun.14.2005 -- Quidam CD Released (CDS Musique)
* Jun.16.1984 -- Official Birth date of Cirque du Soleil
* Jun.16.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Gaspé
* Jun.16.1995 -- Alegría opened Toronto
* Jun.16.2002 -- Dralion burglarized in Portland; stealing $11,000
* Jun.16.2003 -- Mystère celebrated 4500th performance [Monday, 7:30pm]
* Jun.16.2004 -- MGM-Mirage and Mandalay Resort Group merged
* Jun.18.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened Toronto
* Jun.19.2008 -- La Nouba celebrated 4500th performance [Thursday, 6:00pm]
* Jun.20.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Ste-Foy
* Jun.20.2002 -- Quidam opened Detroit, Michigan
* Jun.20.2008 -- Alegría opened Buenos Aires, Argentina
* Jun.21.1985 -- 1985 Tour opened in Ottawa [Plaines Le Breton]
* Jun.21.2001 -- Saltimbanco 2000 opened Osaka, Japan
* Jun.22.1999 -- La Nouba CD Released in Canada (RCA/Victor)
* Jun.22.2001 -- Dralion opened Chicago
* Jun.22.2005 -- Entertainment Complexes in Montréal announced
* Jun.22.2006 -- Dralion opened Malaga
* Jun.22.2006 -- Varekai opened Vancouver
* Jun.22.2007 -- Corteo opened Denver
* Jun.23.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Bai-Comeau
* Jun.24.1999 -- Dralion opened Quebec
* Jun.24.2004 -- Quidam opened Calgary
* Jun.24.2008 -- Koozå CD Released US/Canada
* Jun.25.1992 -- Fascination opened Hiroshima
* Jun.25.2004 -- Saltimbanco opened Gijon
* Jun.25.2008 -- Alegría celebrated 5000th performance
[Wednesday, 8:00pm, Buenos Aires]
* Jun.26.2005 -- Alegría opened Osaka
* Jun.26.2008 -- Koozå opened Chicago, IL
* Jun.27.1989 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Ste-Foy
* Jun.27.2002 -- Vaerkai opened Quebec City
* Jun.27.2004 -- Mystère celebrated 5000th performance [Sunday, 7:30pm]
* Jun.28.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Jonquière
* Jun.28.2007 -- Quidam opened Shanghai, China (First time in China!)
* Jun.29.1999 -- La Nouba CD Released in US (RCA/Victor)
* Jun.29.1999 -- Dralion opened in Toronto
* Jun.30.2005 -- Corteo opened Quebec City
* Jun.30.2005 -- Quidam opened Perth
* Jun.30.2005 -- Varekai opened East Rutherford
* Jun.30.2006 -- LOVE Gala Premiere (Previews End)
* Jun.30.2008 -- BELIEVE officially delayed
==========================================
CIRQUETECH: The Technical Side of Cirque
==========================================
Corteo SoundScape
------------------
In January 2006, Meyer Sound ran an article about Corteo and the sound
equipment it provided -- "Corteo tours with 'Mirror Image' Meyer Sound
Systems and LCS Matrix 3" -- and we'd like to point out a few passages
within for our CirqueTech column this period:
o) Corteo uses 38 self-powered Meyer Sound loudspeakers per side
with mixing and control from a common LCS Audio Cue Console
o) To Maintain precision-directed sound despite the longer throw,
Deans specified four M1D compact curvilinear arrays of six
cabinets as the keystone elements of the system.
o) M1Ds use MAPP Online PRO acoustical prediction software
o) M1Ds are positioned to miss the musicians on stage, coverage
is filled with CQ-2 narrow coverage main, UPA-2P compact
narrow coverage and UPM-1P ultra-compact wide coverage
loudspeakers.
o) A dozen UPJ-1P compact VariO loudspeakers serves as surrounds,
with four more affixed to the masts to take over vocal
reporduction whenever "hot-mic'ed" acrobats fly up into the
crossfire of the M1D arrays.
o) Deep bass comes from four PSW-2 high-power flyable subwoofers.
o) The loudspeakers are fed from an LCS Audio Matrix3 digital
system, which gives precise, automated cue-based mixing
capabilities.
o) Configured with six (6) LX-300 digital audio engines,
Corteo's Matrix3 boasts 80 analog inputs, 64 analog outputs,
parametric equilization, dynamics, matrix routing, and custom
multichannel surround sound using SpaceMap, the Matrix3's
standard software planning tue.
o) Corteo is mixed from CueConsole, LCS Audio's modular
collection of tactile control surfaces for the Matrix3. This
consists of 3 16-channel Fader modules, two 16-channel Meters
modules, and one each of the Transporter and Editor modules.
{SOURCE: Meyer Sound, January 2006}
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
Within...
o) "Cirque du Soleil and KNIE, 1992"
By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, FLorida (USA)
o) "Koozå: 'Live it Up' on CD and DVD!"
By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, FLorida (USA)
-------------------------------------------------------
"Cirque du Soleil and KNIE, 1992"
By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
-------------------------------------------------------
"1992 -- Cirque du Soleil crosses the Pacific and makes a name for
itself in the Land of the Rising Sun with Fascination, a collage of
the best acts from past shows. The show opens in Tokyo and then moves
on to seven other cities, for a total of 118 performances in four
months. Meanwhile, in Europe, Cirque du Soleil joins forces with
Switzerland's Circus Knie and stages a show in over 60 towns
throughout the country. In North America, 1992 sees Cirque du Soleil
make its Las Vegas debut when Nouvelle Expérience kicks off a year-
long engagement under a big top at the Mirage Hotel. Already juggling
several productions, Cirque du Soleil adds a monument to its
repertoire of shows: Saltimbanco. Premiering in Montreal, this latest
production begins a lengthy tour of North America."
# # #
We've all seen it. Anyone who has scanned the 24-year history of
Cirque du Soleil has come across this paragraph; a footnote in
Cirque's vast history. Fascination. Knie. Nouvelle Expérience.
Saltimbanco. When you read the passage it's hard to deny that 1992 was
arguably one of Cirque du Soleil's most expansive, if not important,
years in its early history. Truly, for the first time Cirque du Soleil
was going global and I find it an interesting year because it includes
some of Cirque du Soleil's most mysterious ventures: Fascination in
Japan and a partnership with KNIE in Switzerland. Over the years fans
have shed a lot of light upon Fascination, a combination of Le Cirque
Réinventé and Nouvelle Expérience, but little has ever been said about
the collaboration with Circus Knie. Until now.
But to understand how historical 1992 had been for Cirque du Soleil,
one has to travel back more than 20 years to 1981. That year a new and
exciting union of street artists and performers called the "Club des
Talons Hauts" (the "High-Heels Club") was formed. This non-profit
company was founded on principle alone: "to promote circus arts and
street performers" by banding together to perform for the masses. And
in doing so this new organization went on to produce Cirque du Soleil
during its earliest performances at Les Echassiers de Baie St-Paul
(1981-1983) and Fête Foraine de Baie St-Paul Le Rendez-vous des
amuseurs publics (1982-1984)
In June 1984, Cirque du Soleil officially came together in part by
contributions and summons by the Québec government. Their name -
meaning "Sun Circus" or "Circus of the Sun" - was created by the
troupe's founder and guide Guy Laliberté. Once armed with an identity,
Cirque du Soleil came together to celebrate the 450th anniversary of
Jacques Cartier's (1491-1557) arrival. For the festivities, Cirque du
Soleil presented a very special show in Gaspé, the same place Mr.
Cartier's voyage took him so long ago as he desperately tried to find
a land route through to the Orient. The show was a smash success and
the artists, invigorated by its reception, took their creation on the
road and visited a handful of cities nearby: Baie-Comeau, Baie St-Paul,
Québec, Magog, Hull, and Sorel et Montréal.
Following on the heels of their Grand Tour success (1984 and 1985
tours), Cirque du Soleil revamped their young show into Le Magie
Continue. With a new title and attitude Cirque set off once again on a
tour of their native homeland. This seasonal tour visited a handful of
Canadian cities - seven in all (Sherbrooke, Montréal, Québec, Saint-
Sauveur, Longueil, Ottawa, and Toronto). Cirque also had the
distinction of being part of the festivities surrounding Expo'86 in
Vancouver, representing their Canadian heritage and homeland. The
magic and fantasy continued to follow them wherever they went
propelling Cirque du Soleil to new heights in attendance and success.
That success also allowed them to take risks - for the first time in
Cirque history an invitation was extended to the Chinese government to
have a team of its most talented acrobats take part. That invitation
grew into the Spinning Meteor performance (seen in Le Magie Continue)
and a life-long partnership with the Chinese arts.
Unfortunately that success was short-lived after a trip to Niagara
Falls left the Cirque virtually penniless. And in what is now a famous
story of luck and survival on their first ever visit to the United
States, Cirque du Soleil packed up its trucks and drove to the state
of California with barely enough money for gas on the trip over, and
absolutely nothing to bring them home again. Gambling everything,
Cirque du Soleil presented Le Cirque Réinventé (or We Reinvent the
Circus) at the Los Angeles Festival in 1987 and became an instant
success. That success followed them to San Diego, Santa Monica and
beyond.
Cirque du Soleil would, of course, continue and expand the Le Cirque
Réinventé concept in 1987, 1988, 1989, and into European markets
beginning with London and Paris in 1990. But while audiences in the
United States went head-over-heels for this "sun circus", the troupe
was met with less than enthusiastic response in Europe. Undeterred,
Cirque would continue to try and break into the European market, which
brings me back to the paragraph above and the topic at hand: the 1992
partnership with Circus Knie, the national circus of Switzerland,
which merged Knie's elephants and horses with Cirque du Soleil's
Technicolor costumes and exciting acrobatics.
* * *
KNIE -- four letters in red sprawled across an otherwise all-white big
top (with red accoutrements around the sides) announced the coming of
Circus Knie this particular year, 1992.
While Cirque du Soleil used a blue and yellow striped big top for its
tours (and a white and gold big top for Nouvelle Expérience's special
engagement at the Mirage), Circus Knie used its signature red and
white colored big top for its national tour. And much like the sets
and stages for the early Le Cirque Réinventé presentations, "KNIE
Presents Cirque du Soleil" continued to use the same proscenium setup,
through modified to be larger for use by the circus' traveling animals
(horses and elephants).
Most of Cirque du Soleil's top creative names were at the helm of this
new venture, too. Guy Laliberté (Guide), Daniel Gauthier (President),
Guy Caron (Artistic Director), Benoît Jutras (Composer and Musical
Director), Michele Crête (Costumes), Luc Lafortune (Lighting), André
Caron (Set Designer) and Gilles Ste-Croix (Director of Creation). And
there were a few new names, too, such as: Pierrette Venne (Assistant
Artistic Director), Marcelle Gravel (Costumes) and Allison Brierly
(Choregoraphy).
Our Chef de Piste, or Ringmaster, was none other than James Keylon,
who fans might recognize as one half of the Alfredo and Adrenaline
comedic duo. James took over the role of Chef de Piste from Cirque
veteran Michael Barrette in 1989 and continued with the show until its
final curtain call.
The dynamic duo of Alfredo and Adrenaline are also no strangers to
Cirque du Soleil's stage. Adrenaline (Francine Côté, Canadian)
performed with La Ratatouille in Cirque du Soleil's 1985 "Le Grand
Tour" and in the 1990 European tour of "Le Cirque Réinventé". Alfredo
(James Keylon, USA) performed with Adrenaline at Cirque's G7 Halifax
special performance and in 1995-1996, when they brought their musical
talents to Mystère due to Benny LeGrand's absence.
Musically you'd have found the Cirque du Soleil orchestra seated with
Benoît Jutras at the keyboards, turning out the familiar ethereal
music from Le Cirque Réinventé. Surrounding him were Germain Borque
(on keyboards), Stéphane Gariéty (saxophone and keyboards) Rhèal
Jutras (bass) and François Jutras (percussion).
Now that we have the venue and some of its players set up, what's
showing inside?
The theme still centered on a small group of people, called Ordinary
People, dressed in everyday clothes, milling about and exchanging
looks of amazement with each other at where they had found themselves.
Joined by the King of Fools and the Queen of the Night they produced
the atmosphere from which the transformed people played out their
destiny. And with the help of the ringmaster (transformed into Ti-
Claude), the Ordinary People are guided toward their destiny - our
destiny - through these amazing performances:
THE PINGUINS (Korean Plank) -- This team of dynamics acrobats
included: Angelo Ballan (France), François Barré (Canada), Linda
Belanger (Canada), Luc Dagenais (Canada), Ghyslain Guay (Canada), Roch
Jutras (Canada), Luis Knie Jr. (Swiss), François Lefebvre (Canada),
Stéphanie Lemieux (Canada), John Luke Martin (USA), Robert Nesser
(Swiss), Gerald Regitschnig (Swiss).
THE EQUESTRIAN TABLEU (Horses), featuring:
o) PAS DE DEUX by Mary-Jose Knie and Robert Neeser.
o) ACROBATIC HORSE RIDING (L'écuyére à panneau) by Geraldine-
Katarina Knie
o) LA VOLTIGE (Stunt Flying) by Masha Dimitri and Luc Dagenais
SLACK WIRE -- Masha Dimitri. Masha Dimitri was only 6 when she made
her first appearance in the ring with the Knie Circus in Switzerland.
After studying in Hungary at the Budapest Circus School until 1981,
she returned to Switzerland and soon graduated from the Dimitri
Theater School, where she studied wire-walking with Szilard Szekely.
Masha subsequently worked with the Pickle Family Circus of San
Francisco and the Gruss French National Circus in Paris. Perfect
balance and balletic grace characterized Masha's use of her preferred
instrument, the slack wire. Masha was featured in the 1987 version of
Le Cirque Réinventé.
RHYTHMIQUE GYMNASTICS -- Vesta Geshkova and Eli Milcheva. These
gymnasts manipulate hoops, ribbons, and balls with elegance. Eli
Milanova Milcheva was born in Targoviste, Bulgaria in 1971. By age 18
she gained the World Championship title in the Rhythmic Gymnastics
world in Sarajevo, 1989. Her compatriot, Vesta Veselinova Geshkova,
born in Sofia in 1971 became the overall European champion in Athens
in 1987. The costumes are somewhat reminiscent of the Saltimbanco
Rhythmic Gymnastic fabrics used in rotation during Saltimbanco's
European Tour.
THE HORSE TANGO -- Ever see a horse tango? Mary José and Fredy Knie,
Jr. present just that - le tango â cheval!
HAND TO HAND -- Molded in their multicolored costumes, Sophe Ferrero
and Virgile Peyramaure deliver a mind-boggling le main a main, the
precision of which competes only with the natural forces of the Earth.
TOWER ON WHEELS -- Starting with four, then six and up to thirteen, as
they circle the ring and climb one after the other onto the bicycle,
these performers piece together a moving sculpture that branches
upward like a tree. Inspired by the Chinese, the Tower on Wheels was a
staple of Le Cirque Réinventé throughout its entire run. The brilliant
thing about it is that such an incredibly difficult feat of balance
looks so easy, but it's not! Featuring: Angelo Ballan (France),
Francois Barre (Canada), Linda Belanger (Canada), Sophie Ferrero
(France), Vesta Geshkova (Bulgarie), Ghyslain Guay (Canada), Roch
Jutras (Canada), Geraldine Knie (Swiss), Francois Lefebvre (Canada),
Stephanie Lemieux (Canada), John Luke Martin (USA), Eli Milcheva
(Bulgaria), Ramon Neeser (Swiss), Virgile Peyramaure (France), Guo
Ping (Chinese Swiss), Patricia Reynier (France)
TRICK CYCLING -- Angelo Ballan spent seven years with Le Cirque Gruss
and three years with Cirque Roncalli before joining the Cirque du
Soleil in 1989. He presented his fabulous trick unicycling act in Le
Cirque Réinventé in its final two tours and continued here with Cirque
Knie. You'll find him trying to manage balloons and balance cups on
his head, which is no small feat.
SOLO TRAPEZE -- Hung with ease from her trapeze, Patricia Reynier
(from Toulon, France) balances herself high above the stage.
And last, but certainly not least...
DUO TRAPEZE -- Adapting their routine to Cirque du Soleil's quirky
style, the Collins Brothers (Collin Eschenburg and Mathias Fischer)
present a duo trapeze number that is not only interesting, but highly
comical!
* * *
"KNIE Presents Cirque du Soleil" toured in the following 60 cities and
towns across Switzerland from March 20th through November 29th:
March
-----
o) Rapperwil -- Mar 20 to 22
o) Uster -- Mar 23 to 25
o) Wattwil -- Mar 26 & 27
o) Galrus -- Mar 28 & 29
o) Frauenfeld -- Mar 30 & 31
April
-----
o) Kreuzlingen -- Apr 1 & 2
o) Schaffhausen -- Apr 3 to 5
o) Arbon -- Apr 6 & 7
o) Altstatten SG -- Apr 8 & 9
o) Chur -- Apr 10 to 12
o) Buchs SG -- Apr 13 & 14
o) Winterthur -- Apr 15 to 21
o) Wil SG -- Apr 22 & 23
o) St. Gallen -- Apr 24 to 29
May
---
o) Zurich -- Apr 30 to May 28
o) Wettingen -- May 29 to 31
June
----
o) Buiach -- Jun 1 & 2
o) Liestal -- Jun 3 & 4
o) Basel -- Jun 5 to 18
o) Solothurn - Jun 19 to 21
o) Tavannes -- Jun 22 & 23
o) Delemont -- Jun 24 & 25
o) La Chaux-de-Fonds -- Jun 26 to 28
o) Neuchatel -- Jun 29 to Jul 2
July
----
o) Langenthal -- Jul 3 to 5
o) Grenchen -- Jul 6 & 7
o) Willisau -- Jul 8 & 9
o) Olten -- Jul 10 to 12
o) Zofingen -- Jul 13 & 14
o) Windisch-Brugg -- Jul 15 & 16
o) Aarau -- Jul 17 to 19
o) Lenzburg -- Jul 20 & 21
o) Reinach AG -- Jul 22 & 23
o) Luzern -- Jul 24 - Aug 7
August
------
o) Burgdorf -- Aug 8 & 9
o) Langnau BE -- Aug 10 & 11
o) Bern -- Aug 12 to 27
o) Geneve -- Aug 28 to Sep 16
September
---------
o) Nylon -- Sep 17 & 18
o) Yverdon-les-Bains -- Sep 19 & 20
o) Bulle -- Sep 21 & 22
o) Payerne -- Sep 23 & 24
o) Biel -- Sep 25 to30
October
-------
o) Moudon -- Oct 1
o) Lausanne -- Oct 2 to 14
o) Vevey -- Oct 15 to 18
o) Aigle -- Oct 19 & 20
o) Martigny -- Oct 21 & 22
o) Sion -- Oct 23 to 25
o) Sierre -- Oct 26 & 27
o) Brig -- Oct 28 & 29
o) Thun -- Oct 30 to Nov 2
November
--------
o) Interlaken -- Nov 3 & 4
o) Fribourg -- Nov 5 to 8
o) Zug -- Nov 9 to 11
o) Brunnen -- Nov 12 & 13
o) Altdorf UR -- Nov 14 & 15
o) Locarno -- Nov 16 to 19
o) Lugano -- Nov 20 to 25
o) Bellinzona -- Nov 26 to 29
* * *
"Meanwhile, in Europe, Cirque du Soleil joins forces with
Switzerland's Circus Knie and stages a show in over 60 towns
throughout the country."
It's amazing that reading a simple sentence buried in a footnote of
Cirque's vast 24-year history set me off on this humble quest.
Although, in the end, perhaps it shouldn't be - it wasn't the first
time I'd dove into a Cirque-based subject based on a mere sentence,
and I dare say it won't be the last. It's fascinating to learn a
little bit more about Cirque du Soleil, and even more rewarding to
share it.
While this article covers only a small fraction of what the Knie tour
with Cirque was all about, you can get a glimpse of it thanks in part
to a Switzerland-based Cirque du Soleil fan site: CircusDream. Using
the link below, you can flip through the entire "KNIE / Cirque du
Soleil" programme book, scanned by the site's proprietor. Macromedia
FLASH is required. ENJOY!
< http://www.circusdream.ch/cds/index.php?
option=com_wrapper&Itemid=43 >
-------------------------------------------------------
"Koozå: 'Live it Up' on CD and DVD!"
By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA)
{Issue Exclusive}
-------------------------------------------------------
Koozå, the story of an innocent and charming clown who strives to find
his own place in the world, is a return to the origins of Cirque du
Soleil. It combines two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and
the art of clowning. Between strength and fragility, laughter and
chills, and turmoil and harmony, Koozå is an electrifying and exotic
visual world full of surprises, thrills, audacity and total
involvement. And after more than a year on the road and months of
anticipation, as of June 24, 2008, Cirque du Soleil's newest traveling
production finally has an audio/video collection fans can purchase in
three ways: in brick-and-mortar stores, in online boutiques and in
downloadable form (CD only).
I recently got my hands on these items while taking in Koozå in
Chicago over the July 4th weekend, and give now give you my quick,
"first blush" review.
From a packaging standpoint, the CD and DVD are interesting to say the
least. They are amongst the first in Cirque du Soleil's catalogue to
deviate from the standard plastic CD/DVD packaging normally seen on
store shelves, by using 100% post-consumer recycled materials. While
the Wintuk CD released last November became the first all-cardboard
release, and the "Mystery of Mystère", "FLOW: a Tribute to the Artists
of "O"" and "A Thrilling Ride Through KOOZÅ" documentaries were all
released in a similar fashion, the Koozå items here are the first to
completely use this process inside out - there is not one piece of
plastic inside. This new policy also applies to all of Cirque du
Soleil's programme books and CDs - one of many new programs Cirque has
adopted to assist the environment and reduce waste.
Be that as it may, both products sport the signature look of the show
- a package doused in purple and splashed only with the colorful show
logo. So let's take a look, shall we?
-{ THE KOOZÅ CD }-
UPC -- 8-43277-01658-5
Catalog -- CDSMCD-10028-2
Run Time -- 68:26
Retail -- $19.50 USD / $19.50 CDN
Electronic -- $9.99 full album / $0.99 per track
"The music of Koozå beautifully demonstrates the spirit of the live
show with its themes of human connection and fun in a world of
duality. With a stream of uplifting songs with timeless influences
where forms and styles intertwine seamlessly, the music of Koozå is
inspired by the sounds of western pop culture, from 1970s Funk to full
orchestral arrangements. It also draws heavily on traditional Indian
music."
Having enjoyed the music live in Chicago, earlier in San Francisco and
at its premiere in Montreal, the CD was one I was most anxious to
hear. Would it have all my favorite tracks, or would it be like other
Cirque show CDs, which pick and chose tracks from the show?) And would
it sound like the live show, or would it be an "inspired by"
soundtrack like Varekai? If not, would the title track at least have
the brass instruments I so loved from the shows opening, or would they
be replaced by some strange mixed-up instrument?
There are 18 tracks presented on the CD, which I am pleased to say run
through every major piece of music in the show but one -- the Hand-to-
Hand act-in-rotation. These are (and the acts they accompany):
01. KOOZÅ DANCE (3:28)
The Crooner and Skeleton Dance that accompanies the start of
the second-half of the show.
02. SUPERSTAR I (2:27)
Juggling (Part 1)
03. L'INNOCENT (5:50)
The title track for the show featuring a mix of moments from
the prologue, opening and ending.
04. ROYAUME (3:40)
The incredibly energetic "Charivari" act that opens the
show.
05. JUNOON (5:31)
Contortion
06. ALAMBRE ALTO (4:59)
Double High-wire
07. 16-PAPILLON (5:08)
Solo Trapeze
08. PEARL (4:07)
Unicycle Duo (Beginning & Ending)
09. CABARET SATÃ (3:12)
Unicycle Duo (Middle)
10. AANKH MICHOLI (4:28)
Pickpocket
11. DIABLES (3:36)
Wheel of Death (First Half)
12. EL PÉNDULO DE LA MUERTE (3:02)
Wheel of Death (Second Half)
13. PETIT-JAUNE (1:43)
Melody accompanying the Prologue
14. SUPERSTAR II (3:23)
Juggling (Part 2)
15. IMPOSTEUR (1:21)
A transition piece usually used for the chases.
16. PRARTHANA (4:50)
Balancing on Chairs (First Half)
17. DON'T BE AFRAID (3:46)
Balancing on Chairs (Second Half)
18. HUM JAISA NA DEKHA (3:53)
Teeterboard, the last act of the show.
Composer Jean-François Côté has assembled an assortment of talented
musicians for this CD, using a wide array of vocal talents and worldly
instruments including the Oud, Duduk and Sitar. Fans may recognize
Côté as the former bandleader for both Mystère and "O". He went on to
compose new tracks for Corteo as a guest composer (including Bouncing
Beds, Juggling and Paradise), which laid the groundwork for his
talents to be tapped for Koozå. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said
for the musicians who perform that music night after night. Besides
the main vocalists (Theresa Bailey, Tara Baswani and Cinda RamSeur),
it does not appear that any of the tour musicians perform on the CD,
with the exception of James Lutz (Trombone, Bass Trombone, Soloist)
and Mireille Marchal (Percussion, Human Whistle, Toy Trumpet). This is
a shame, but not totally unexpected -- since Zumanity, many of the CDs
do not feature the actual show band.
The talented musicians you will find on the CD are: Richard Beaudet
(Tenor Saxophone), Jocelyn Couture (Trumpet), Jean Frechette (Baritone
Saxophone), Guy Pelletier (Flute, Piccolo), Michel Dubeau (Duduk), Guy
Dubuc (Piano, Keyboards, Vibes), Rémy Malo (Bass, Double Bass), Marc
Lessard (Bass, Percussion, Drums), Benoît Groulx (Conductor), Ligia
Paquin (Viola), Pierre Beaudr (Trombone, Euphonium), Sheila Hannigan
(Cello), Caroline Lizotte (Harp), Carla Antoun (Cello), Marie Josée
Arpin (Violin), Yukari Cousineau (Viola), Pascale Gagnon (Violin), Uwe
Neumann (Sitar), Ismail Hakki Fencioglu (Oud) , Mark Simons (Clarinet)
and Shen Qui (Ehru)
And some of those names are recognizable from other Cirque du Soleil
projects, such as: Richard Beaudet (who appeared on Alegría and
Saltimbanco 2005 CD), Jocelyn Couture (Alegría), Guy Palletier
(Corteo), Michel Dubeau (Saltimbanco 2005), Benoît Groulx (Corteo),
Kigia Paquin (Corteo, Zumanity), Pierre Beaudr (Corteo), Shelia
Hannigan (Corteo), Caroline Lizotte (Corteo), Carla Antoun (KÀ,
Alegría, Corteo, Quidam and Delirium), Pascale Gagnon (Corteo), and
Ismail Hakki Fencioglu (Corteo).
Besides missing the live band, my only other complaint is that many of
the tracks seem over-produced. There's "inspired by" (like Varekai and
to some extent Corteo) and then there's taking tracks in a totally
different musical direction. The latter is what we get here. This is
achieved by adding instrumentation that was not originally part of the
song's live construct or added to "punch up" what was otherwise a
great, basic track all on its own.
For example, using Erhu, a two-stringed instrument of Chinese origin,
in front of "Diables" and in other tracks, while haunting and
beautiful, takes away the initial mystique of the track when heard
live. Slowing down the pace of "L'Innocent" is another example,
although it is one of my favorite tracks from the CD. I must also
admit that I enjoy the funkilicious entrance to "Superstar I" - it
makes me think of the theme of the movie "Shaft" every single time!
The magnificent piano chords accompanying the Balancing on Chairs
segment - "Don't be Afraid" - is another personal favorite. However, I
can't understand the reasoning behind using Michael Halvarson
(PickPocket) as a vocalist for the Skeleton Dance song ("KOOZÅ DANCE")
-- what is up with that?
The music to Koozå is not only available on CD, but was also
simultaneously released electronically via iTMS (Apple's iTunes store)
and Amazon Downloads, so there are a variety of avenues for fans to
find, purchase and collect this music.
And if the music alone isn't a good enough reason to rush out and
purchase the actual CD, perhaps the fact that the package turns into a
neat koza (the Sanskrit word meaning "box," "chest" or "treasure," for
which the show was named) for you to display your CD in will motivate
you. Now that's a cool feature!
-{ THE KOOZÅ DVD }-
UPC -- 8-43277-01738-4
Catalog -- 509941
Video -- 1.78:1 Wide screen
Audio -- English 2.0/5.1/DTS
Run Time -- 120 Minutes (Main Feature)
Directed by -- Mario Janelle
The moment you pick up the DVD, "The Trickster," played here by Jason
Barrent, beckons you into the world of Koozå, inviting you to slip off
the discs covering keeping wraps on this amazing show. What you'll
find inside is another cardboard package, doused in purple and
splashed only with the colorful logo of the show. But open this book
carefully, because -- WATCH OUT! -- the DVD pops right out at you!
Literally!! This truly is a "puzzle box."
Created by Pierre Desmarais (Art Design) and Michel Dalpé (Graphic
Design), you'll find even more surprises as you look inside. Even the
disc's silkscreen label blends seamlessly into the DVD's package, as
the image of the Trickster on the disc is also underneath it. You'll
find the second disc tucked away in a hidden cubby, guarded securely
by The King, played by Gordon White. His compatriots flank the other
side of the page while nestled overhead is Michael Halvarson's
PickPocket character.
Since Disc 1 is the easiest one to grab first, let's look at it:
DISC 1: THE SPECTACLE
One of the first things you'll notice when popping this disc into your
DVD player is... the lack of menu controls. Cirque du Soleil Images or
perhaps SONY Home Entertainment, for some unknown reason, has decided
that disabling your fast forward, next chapter, and/or menu button
features at start up was an excellent idea. I don't like it because it
forces me to see the warnings and notices I don't need to see as a
respectable consumer. The point of having a menu button is for it to
immediately take me to the disc's menu, but I digress. Thankfully,
though, the wait is just slightly less than 30 seconds before the
Bataclan comes into view - the Main Menu.
On the main menu you have your standard selections: PLAY SHOW,
PERFORMANCES, AUDIO SETUP, and BONUS FEATURES.
PLAY SHOW will, of course, begin the 2-hour program of Koozå which was
magnificently shot in high-definition (and it shows!). There are
camera tricks at play here, including slow motion and replay (in Wheel
of Death, High Wire, etc.) but these are sparse and used well. Sound
is top notch, as it appears to have been taken directly from the
soundboard; however, the mix of vocal to instrumentation is somewhat
off - the vocals seem much, much louder than the accompanying
instruments. Lighting, on the other hand, is as presented on tour -
extra lights do not appear to have been installed. And other than bits
and pieces throughout the performance, the only large chunk of footage
missing here is the pounding drum solo directly after the Wheel of
Death act.
Be that as it may, fans have been a little less than forgiving
regarding the show's opening and closing, which was shot not in the
big top but in a Toronto lakeside park (where the show itself was
filmed live under the big top). While this footage represents mere
seconds (and is quite nicely tied into the theme of the show:
innocence), it does cut out the normal interaction of The Innocent and
his kite on stage, which has struck a chord with many. Regardless of
whether you see this change as good or bad, Cirque has done something
similar in the past (remember the Everypeople from Le Cirque Réinventé
invading a fruit market in that video?) albeit not for quite some
time. Otherwise, this is a very solid presentation of Koozå that I
can't wait to enjoy over and over again!
PERFORMANCES is the chapter list where you'll find the show accessible
via chapters split into three pages -- Page 1: Introduction,
Charivari, Contortion, Trapeze, and Unicycle Duo (accompanied by the
Contortion music "Junoon"). Page 2: Clown Magic, Highwire, Crooner and
Skeleton Dance, Wheel of Death and Pickpocket (featuring "Cabaret
Satã"). And Page 3: Juggling, Balancing on Chairs, Teeterboard and
Finale and Credits (featuring the Double Highwire music "Alambre
Alto").
SUBTITLES is controlled by our gaggle of clowns and you'll find the
standard fare here: English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese,
Portugues and no subtitles.
With AUDIO SETUP, Sasha swings on her trapeze and The Innocent stands
by with his kite for protection and offers us three audio settings:
Dolby Digital Stereo (2.0), Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS 5.1. "Petit-
Jaunne" plays in the background.
BONUS FEATURES features Heimloss the robot - "Zzzap! Shhhwap!
Krrrrritch!". That's robot speak for insert disc 2 to enjoy the bonus
features!
DISC 2: THE BONUS FEATURES
Slip this disc out from its "hidden" side pocket to reveal the face of
The Innocent, played by Stéphen Landry. Start it up and quickly find
your way to the discs main menu. The main menu here once again
features the Trickster and the Koozå Bataclan with the celebratory
opening tune of the show ("L'Innocent") playing, and five main
selections: A THRILLING RIDE THROUGH KOOZÅ, WHEEL OF DEATH: THE ART OF
RISK, PROMOS, SUBTITLES, and DVD CREDITS.
o) "A Thrilling Ride through Koozå" (46:03) -- Starting in early 2007
and taking us through to the official premiere, "A Thrilling Ride
through Koozå" is everything a documentary should be and more! We
hear, from Director David Shiner, the ideas and thoughts behind what
kind of show he was looking to create (one that brought us back to
Cirque roots - thrills, chills and emotions) and all the work that he
put in to conceiving a show of this caliber. We're taken on the
journey the costume, make-up, and set designers must undergo in order
to bring the spectacle to life. We see the artists as they train for
their parts, as well as settle into every-day Cirque life. And what
did Guy think about the show a month before the first public
performance? Watch and see! This bonus feature, much like the text I
used to describe it, was just as it was on the single DVD released in
December 2007.
o) "Wheel of Death: The Art of Risk" (11:00) is a featurette on the
Wheel of Death and the art of risk one has to master to use it.
Featuring the two talented artists in this act, Carlos Enrique Marin
Loaiza and Jimmy Ibarra Zapata (both from Columbia, South America), we
learn a little about what makes them tick, whether or not they're
afraid when they get on the Wheel of Death (they are and not at the
same time) and what keeps them doing these dangerous stunts night
after night after night. Oh, and if you ever wonder if they're looking
at you squirming in your seat and covering your eyes during their
performance? They are! And they love it!
Under PROMOS, the two Wheel of Death performers await us. And with
their tension building music ("Diables") in the background, they open
up three more selections for us: "Koozå Promotional Spot", "Looking
for Talent", and "Join Cirque Club".
KOOZÅ PROMOTIONAL SPOT is the same 22-second promotional video you
would see in the concessions tent while waiting for the show to begin
or at intermission. Too bad the spots for the other shows aren't here
too; they're quite nice.
LOOKING FOR TALENT is a short video showcasing the Cirque du Soleil
casting experience. It's less than a feature but more than a
promotional spot; if anything it's a one-minute commercial for the
Cirque du Soleil casting department. It appears in fact to be the new
Casting site set to video!
JOIN CIRQUE CLUB is a standard quick video promo about joining
CirqueClub, which has been seen on other DVD special features and/or
promotional CDs.
Under SUBTITLES, Zhang Gongli appears atop his chairs with the
soothing chords of his acts music ("Don't be Afraid") in the
background. Here you can choose between English, Spanish, French,
Japanese, Chinese, Portugues and no subtitles.
DVD CREDITS is something most people ignore but we pressed on and
found a quick run (non-pausable) of the folks at Cirque du Soleil
Images and Richmond Studios responsible for putting the DVD together,
as well as, copyright credits for the images used.
And that is the bonus disc for the Koozå 2-disc DVD set.
The Koozå DVD is available on-site and through the Cirque Online
Boutique for $29.00 USD/CAN.
=======================================================================
FROM THE FASCINATION! ARCHIVES
=======================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------
"Musicians' Family Tree"
By: Paul Roberts - Hamilton, Ohio (USA)
{Originally Published: Issue #14 - October 2002}
-------------------------------------------------------
For me, the most important aspect of Cirque du Soleil is the music.
No matter what mood I find myself in, there is a Cirque du Soleil
soundtrack to accompany it. I had to have more, however, and with so
many talented Cirque du Soleil singers, musicians, and composers, I
dug deep to discover a plethora of branches available. Following are
several offshoot CDs from current and former Cirque du Soleil
troubadours that I either own or have come across in my explorations.
Included are brief descriptions of the sounds that I have had the
pleasure of experiencing.
Paul J. Bannerman (current Drummer in Varekai)
A former member of the Broadway show "Blast!", Mr. Bannerman has
recorded on nearly twenty CDs and his impressive resume can be found
in the Recordings section of his website: www.pauljbannerman.com.
With the upcoming arrival of the highly-anticipated "Varekai" CD,
Paul's talents will be showcased to all Cirque du Soleil lovers.
Violaine Corradi (Composer for Dralion and Varekai):
"Bears: Original Motion Picture Score" - Release Date: October 30,
2001- Silver Wave; ASIN: B00005QK1I
This IMAX film soundtrack also features music by Madalyn Blanchett,
Claude Carmichael, Lyle Lovett, Bobby Read, and Joanne Shenandoah. A
few months ago my daughter, Tara, saw this film and said to herself,
"Some of this music sounds like it'd fit in Dralion" so she perused
the credits and excitedly informed me of her discovery. Go to
www.amazon.com (search: Bears: Original Motion Picture Score) and
listen to the sample of "Polar Bear Dancing/Wolf" and you can hear how
easily Tara recognized Violaine's influence.
René Dupéré (Composer for Cirque du Soleil through Alegria)
With Èlise Velle (ex-singer in Mystère):
"Voyage" - CHACD: 888 - September 1996
This is an extraordinary collection of songs featuring one of the most
talented singers on Earth. The CD also includes former Cirque du
Soleil musicians: Carla Antoun (Cello), Marc Belanger (Violin), Jean-
Marie Benoit (Guitar), Andy Czerny (Accordion), Philippe Dunnigan
(Violin), Marc Langis (Bass), Francine Lupien (Violin), Dominique
Messier (Percussion), Paul Picard (Percussion), Christian Prévost
(Violin), Joey Sommerville (Flugelhorn/Trumpet). Although the music
is quite different from Cirque du Soleil standards, there are moments
of old inspirations, especially the closing song "Berceuse Chinoise"
that fades out with a haunting melody line sung by Èlise over a tribal
Täiko drum cadence. This CD can be purchased through www.hmv.com and
www.archambault.ca/store/default.asp.
René Dupéré/Èlise Velle:
"L'Ombre de l'épervier" - Analekta: AN28812
A soundtrack to the film of the same name that can be purchased
through www.hmv.com and www.archambault.ca/store/default.asp (thirty
second samples of five songs are available on Archambault's site).
Francesca Gagnon (current Singer for Alegría):
Francesca (one of the best known Cirque du Soleil singers) has
released three solo CDs:
"Magie" - Capital Records - 1986 (no longer available)
"Francesca" - Trans Canada - 1988 (no longer available)
"Au Delà des Couleurs" - BMG France and BMG Québec- 1999
Her website in French is: www.ifrance.com/francescag.
John-Paul Gasparrelli (current Musical Conductor/Keyboardist for "O")
Prior to joining "O", Mr. Gasparrelli played keyboards for the house
band at the Bellagio's Fontana Bar. I'm sure in passing I had heard
him tickling the keys without realizing that this great musician would
eventually be playing music from my favorite Cirque du Soleil
soundtrack. His "smooth jazz-oriented" CD, "Moonlight" (Maus: 61325-
4554-1 - released November 2000) is available through
www.johnpaulmusic.com, which also includes another impressive resume
of several musical projects. "Moonlight" includes a version of Bruce
Hornsby's hit song "The Way It Is."
Nathalie Gauvin (Singer for Mystère)
"Cirque de la Mer Original Soundtrack") Distributed by Sea World.
Nathalie sings and Mystère keyboardist, Brigitte LeClerc, is credited
for writing the lyrics to this soundtrack that sounds similar to the
music of early Cirque du Soleil.
Benoit Jutras (Composer for Mystère through La Nouba, including the
soundtracks "Journey of Man" and "Alegria le Film")
Listed at Benoit's website: www.benoitjutras.com, are the following
recordings: "Francesco il Musical" which is the soundtrack for the
production of the same name in a permanent theatre located in Assisi,
Italy. He also wrote the music for the cable series "The Hunger." A
year or so ago, I sent Benoit an email asking what he and daughter,
Audrey, were up to. Surprisingly, he responded and said that he is
working on a project that will include Audrey. I know I am not the
only one waiting for this to be realized.
Eric Karol (ex-Singer for Dralion):
Dralion just hasn't been the same since the flamboyant-and one of the
nicest Cirque du Soleil performers I've ever met-Mr. Karol left. His
website: www.erik-karol.com, includes a catalogue section that lists
several CDs and vinyl that, unfortunately, are no longer available.
His musical project, Le Cabaret des Éléments, features a collaboration
with his musical partner, Éric Signor. The sound samples in the
website reveal a techno-electronic feel with Erik providing the wide-
range vocals that Cirque du Soleil fans have come to love.
Brigitte LeClerc (ex-Keyboardist for Mystère):
"Fratata" - Analekta: AN28830 - 2000
An incredible jazz-flavored CD with the talented Brigitte playing
piano. Being in Mystère helped her raise enough money to realize her
dream of releasing this CD. The collection of fusion-laced songs
features most of the live Mystère band including singer, Nathalie
Gauvin, whose scat vocals compliments the musicians' free form styles.
The CD can be purchased through www.hmv.com and
www.archambault.ca/store/default.asp. The description in Archambault
says it best: "For everyone who loves jazz, Latin-jazz, cabaret, pop,
rock, blues. Brigitte Leclerc, an accomplished musician, has created
great lyrics and music which she performs along with her sidekicks in
a warm and colorful way...For the creation of this album, there were
no rules. Brigitte simply expressed herself in an idiom that inspired
her and used colors that made her jive."
Irene Marc (ex-singer in Alegria and singer on the "Alegria le Film"
soundtrack): Irene Marc, the bewitching voice heard in the "Alegria le
Film" soundtrack, sings for a group called The Groove Kings. Along
with composer/guitarist Howard Forman, The Groove Kings blend pop
sounds with a rhythm and blues...uh...groove. The version of the song
"Alegria" on the film soundtrack (which incidentally, I heard before
the original version) has The Groove Kings feel. Their CDs and song
downloads can be found at their website: www.visual-music.com/
groovekings.html. They have released two CDs: "The Groove Kings" -
ASIN: B00000JLS4 - February 1993 "Into The Groove Age" - ASIN:
B00000JGN7 - October 1996
Luis Perez (ex-musician in Mystère: percussion, pan flute, vocals, and
sound illustrations): "Tales of Astral Travelers" - Domo Records:
72438-46195-2-7 - August 1998 . A review of this wonderful CD was
featured in the Fascination! Newsletter Issue #12 (August 2002). I
purchased the CD on Amazon.com.
Francine Poitras (ex-singer in Saltimbanco):
"Free Willy 3: The Rescue - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" -
Uni/Varese Sarabande: ASIN: B00000151K - July 1997
Yep, our beloved Saltimbanco ex-singer went on to bigger and better
(?) things.
Èlise Velle (ex-singer in Mystère): Èlise also released a couple of
solo CDs, which can be found on: www.netza.com (a website in French
that features bios on Netza artists, including René Dupéré): "La belle
est dans ton camp" - 2001 - Netza: NET21441 (This CD also includes
René Dupéré and lyricist, Boris Bergman). "Xotika" - 1999 (This is a
soundtrack for a Holiday on Ice show).
For those of you-like me-that just can't get enough Cirque du Soleil
music, we are blessed with many options from these talented creators.
I am sure there are many more offshoots available and if anyone cares
to share any that were not included, please let us know.
=======================================================================
PARTING QUOTE
=======================================================================
"When I first met Guy Laliberté, I said, 'Guy, you reinvented
the circus and the poetry you create is unlike anything the
world has ever seen. Imagine if we could reinvent magic like
you reinvented the circus.' That is my dream, that is my quest,
and that is exactly what we are going to do when we open up this
show."
-- Criss Angel
=======================================================================
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
=======================================================================
Fascination! Newsletter Compendium
Volume 8, Number 3 (Issue #59) - May/Jun 2008
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c)
2001-2008 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., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright
infringement intended.
{ Jul.14.2008 }
=======================================================================
