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T h e U n o f f i c i a l
C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r
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http://www.CirqueFascination.com
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VOLUME 13, NUMBER 12 December 2013 ISSUE #119
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Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque
du Soleil Newsletter.
Did you catch the Cirque du Soleil float at the Macy's Thanksgiving
Day Parade? What did you think of the performance? Did it represent
what you'd find at a Cirque du Soleil show or did you find it lacking?
While it was exciting to see Cirque du Soleil's events team once again
in action, I'm forced to turn attention to more sobering events
instead: this month marks the final performance of what can arguably
be called Cirque du Soleil's signature show: Alegría. On the day the
final performances begin, another of the Cirque's shows celebrates a
milestone: fifteen years of La Nouba at the Cirque du Soleil Theatre,
Downtown Disney West Side. We're going to help celebrate La Nouba's
15th birthday with a little look back at its creation, the show as
originally presented, and more. We'll say goodbye to Alegría with its
own look back next month.
This month we have the first part of a fantastic interview with
Cirque's Social Media Director Andrew Levey. What does Mr. Levey do?
What is Cirque du Soleil's current social outreach program? And what
future are they planning for? Keith brings us those answers and more.
As always we've got the latest news items posted to Fascination! Web
and, of course, updates to Cirque's tour schedule (check it: Michael
Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour is headed back to the United States!
Varekai's North American Arena Tour dates are trickling out and more!)
So, let's get started.
Join us on the web at:
< www.cirquefascination.com >
Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only):
< http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >
- Ricky "Richasi" Russo
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CONTENTS
===========
o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information
* BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau
* Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues
* Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre
o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets
* Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub
* Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube
o) Fascination! Features
* "GETTING SOCIAL: An Exclusive conversation with
Cirque's Social Media Director - Andrew Levey"
(Part 1 of 2)
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
* "LA NOUBA: Still Living it Up!"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
o) Subscription Information
o) Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Zarkana Performer Falls During Performance
{Nov.02.2013}
----------------------------------------------
During the 7pm performance of Zarkana last night an artist
performing in the "Wheel of Death" act slipped and fell off the
wheel. The show was halted and the artist was transported to UMC
where he is in stable condition and is expected to be released
from hospital in the next few days...
In keeping with the company's long-held policy of not releasing
names of artists injured during performances, Cirque is not
formally identifying the performer who was injured. However,
sources close to the show with knowledge of the incident said
the injured performer is longtime "Wheel of Death" artist Junior
Delgado, who has performed the act in "Zarkana" since it opened
at Aria in November 2012 and also was in the cast during the
show's run at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
Facebook conversations (some of it translated in Spanish) on the
page of Delgado's fellow "Wheel of Death" performer Carlos Marin
Loaiza indicate that Loaiza checked in (the Facebook version of
checking in) to UMC on Friday night with Delgado after the
incident and that Delgado underwent successful surgery on his
leg.
The injuries do not seem serious, and Cirque says "Wheel of
Death" is to return to the show upon the artist's return, with
an aerial "straps" act in its place. In the "Wheel of Death"
scene, two performers run and even skip rope atop and inside a
pair of spinning wheels rotating high above the stage. The act
is popular among Cirque productions, and, as its name indicates,
is a high-risk endeavor.
{ SOURCE: Cirque Facebook, Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/XUfhIr }
Cirque 'surprised' at timing of OSHA report
{Nov.04.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil officials have expressed "surprise" that OSHA
leveled its findings in the investigation into the death of "Ka"
artist Sarah Guillot-Guyard before either Cirque or MGM Resorts
had an opportunity to issue their formal appeals into the
conclusions of the government safety agency.
There have been reports that the "Ka" team was caught off-guard
that the findings were made public, with six citations issued
against Cirque and three against MGM Grand by OSHA investigators
before either company had a chance to formally address those
conclusions.
In an email, Cirque spokeswoman Renee-Claude Menard clarified
the company's view of this process: "We were surprised but not
concerned, and since we have been cooperating fully with OSHA
since the beginning, we will continue to do so during the appeal
process." OSHA Public Information Officer Teri Williams said the
agency commonly issues its findings before appeals are heard,
citing examples across the country where employees were killed
on the job and the results of the investigation were delivered
before employers made any appeal.
MGM Resorts spokesman Gordon Absher also was asked about the
appeals process and said the resort company has "no concern. We
are cooperating fully with OSHA and following the process per
their guidelines."
Menard also was asked specifically about OSHA's citation as it
related to the training of Guillot-Guyard, who on the night of
June 29 fell 94 feet to the floor while ascending up the show's
movable stage during the production's "Final Battle" scene.
Investigators concluded that the 31-year-old mother of two known
as "Sasoun" fell after the wire rope connected to her harness
was "severed due to the rapid ascent of the performer,
ultimately causing the rope to be freed from the sheave/pulley
and scraping against a shear point." That thin wire had scraped
against the sharp edge of the disk in the pulley, breaking the
rope and causing her to fall.
Guillot-Guyard had reportedly just moved to a new "track," in
that scene, in which a lineup of costumed, harnessed Spearman
Warriors are pulled up the stage in its vertical position. After
a training period reported to be three months, Guillot-Guyard
was performing on that particular track for the first time in a
live performance on the night she died, although she had
performed in the scene regularly for more than eight years.
Asked to verify that version of events, Menard said only, "I
can't answer at this time since it is linked to the appeal
process."
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/T18MX3 }
4U2C: A New Player in Visual Design
{Nov.06.2013}
----------------------------------------------
MONTREAL, Nov. 6, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Founded in the spring of
2013, 4U2C marks today its official entry in the world of visual
design. At its helm are Yves Aucoin and Stéphane Mongeau who
between them combine half a century of experience in the
entertainment business. 4U2C specializes in design and
production of visual content environment by combining video,
lighting, set, special effects, and sound plus, it offers
adapted services in design, coordination and in production for
every event.
The visionary of this new adventure and a peerless designer,
Yves Aucoin has gathered over his career a solid reputation in
the world of show business as well as numerous awards including
in 2006 from Live Design Individual Awards for his work on the
Celine Dion show and LOVE from Cirque du Soleil, both presented
in Las Vegas. His experience on the musical scene has brought
him to create visual and scenic environment for some of the
biggest names in the music business like Celine Dion, Garou,
Véronic Dicaire, Johnny Hallyday, Florence Foresti at Bercy
plus, recently for the French musical production of Robin Hood.
For his part, Stéphane Mongeau started his career in theater
community where he worked for about 10 years gathering an
experience strong of over 100 creations. For the last 12 years,
he was part of the Cirque du Soleil team where he worked as Vice
President of Production and Executive Producer. Over the course
of his career, Stéphane has collaborated with different creative
forces including Robert Lepage, Dominic Champagne, François
Girard, Michael Curry, Diane Paulus and Mark Fisher to name a
few.
'We are extremely happy to associate ourselves in this new
adventure which we hope will create some of the most ambitious
projects. With our new team of young creators, the play field is
enormous and filled with promises,' both said.
The birth of 4U2C is the result of different conversations
between its two masterminds, François Ménard, President of
Solotech, and Guy Laliberté, Founding President of Cirque du
Soleil. As per François Ménard, 4U2C is located at the
intersection of what has made both companies world-renowned:
Cirque du Soleil's creativity and Solotech's high tech.
'Our customers here and elsewhere can now find the best of both
worlds under one roof in our facilities and permanent studios
specifically designed to push the boundaries of theatrical
creativity', François Ménard commented.
Based in Solotech headquarters in Montreal, 4U2C counts on a
permanent creative team of graphic designers, 3D specialists,
video mapping and lighting. The team also has at its disposal a
HD studio equipped with a green screen.
Since its beginning in the spring of 2013, the 4U2C team has
produced conceptual visuals for Celine Dion, Cirque du Soleil,
Véronic Dicare (Voice) in Las Vegas as well as contributed to
the most recent show by humorist Rachid Badouri (Rechargé).
For Yves Aucoin, 4U2C is a door wide open on exploration and
discovery of new ideas! For more information on 4U2C, visit
www.4u2c.com.
{ SOURCE: Digital Journal | http://goo.gl/oEGNla }
Cirque Debuts DREAMSEEKER for Macy's Parade
{Nov.07.2013}
----------------------------------------------
For thirty years, Cirque du Soleil has been known for its
innovative take on live entertainment, mesmerizing more than 100
million people around the world. This Thanksgiving the renowned
company will captivate millions of Parade spectators with its
display of incredible artistry during an exclusive performance
and the debut of the visually-stunning float, DREAMSEEKER by
Cirque du Soleil, in the 87th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day
Parade.
"The imagination of millions of Macy's Parade fans will soar
once again as they marvel at the incredible new creation from
Macy's Parade Studio on behalf of Cirque du Soleil," said Amy
Kule, executive producer of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
"This magnificent new float, the first entry from Cirque du
Soleil, combines their extraordinary artistry and acrobatics
with the creative and technical mastery of Macy's Parade
magicians. Both teams have collaborated to create a visually
exciting float that will serve as the stage for incredible
performances along the streets of New York and live from 34th
Street. As they always do, the performers from Cirque du Soleil
will dazzle the audience. We are honored to have them join the
Parade."
See the Float's design here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/E2ZWA5 >
At more than 52-feet long, 23-feet wide and 35-feet high, the
ship is the one of the longest, tallest and widest floats in the
Parade. Cirque du Soleil collaborated closely with the Macy's
team on the design of the float, constructed by the artists of
Macy's Parade Studio. The giant ship will seem to take flight
thanks in part to hulking antique wings, and comes complete with
custom-designed trampolines and Chinese poles. As it glides
through the streets, spectators will get a glimpse of an entire
crew instantaneously springing into action, leaping at the
opportunity to touch people's hearts and to reignite their
dreams. Fans along the route and in homes across the nation will
be in for an incredible spectacle as the troupe of more than 20
acrobats and characters perform unbelievable feats of fantasy.
"It is quite exciting to work with the Macy's team on this
project," said Benoit Lusignan, Creative Content Designer of
Cirque du Soleil Special Events. "Our mutual skills mesh
together very well and we share the same commitment to
impeccable design and entertainment. We are thrilled to create
one of the grandest floats ever exhibited at the Parade, and to
collaborate so closely with Macy's experienced team," Benoit
added.
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil }
Details on Next "One Drop" and CirqueWeek
{Nov.08.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Earlier this year, Cirque du Soleil dancer Mukhtar O.S. Mukhtar,
who portrays Indian love god Krishna in Cirque's "The Beatles'
Love" at the Mirage, choreographed Guy Laliberte's first One
Night for One Drop water spectacular, and now this week he's
been named director and conceptor of the second-annual show to
be held March 21 at "Michael Jackson One" Theater in Mandalay
Bay.
Whereas the one-night-only Bellagio performance March 22 focused
on water acts, I've learned that Mukhtar's vision for the new
production is "desertification, a land where there is no water."
He told me today: "I started on the project two months ago, and
the full creative team has now been put together to bring it to
life. Rehearsals will start this coming week, and the building
of original acrobatic equipment starts. Everything will be
original - the music, the costumes, the story, the elements.
"It's totally different from the first one, which was a series
of acts, whereas this will be a story from start to finish as
one main character serves as our navigator on a journey
supported by other artists. He wants to discover the problem as
to why there isn't water - and solve that.
"The desertification is one of the four elements. There will be
an act with rain, but we have to keep some secrets for the night
of the performance. My inside title for the show is One Thought,
One World, where we shape our thoughts to create the world we
want to live in - I'll only show water at the end of his journey
at the end of the show."
Our full interview with more details will be posted next week.
Mukhtar tells me that he has been directing, choreographing and
dancing for more than 12 years, fulfilling his childhood dream
of becoming a performer. Born in Saudi Arabia, he attended the
University of Westminster in my hometown of London, where he
studied forensic science but trained as a dancer/choreographer.
His hip-hop company Plague was one of the most successful in
Britain and in 2003 won their first U.K. Streetdance
Championship, defeating 25 other companies for the title of
being the best in Britain. In 2005, Plague danced to first place
at the World Hip-Hop International Championships in Los Angeles.
His company still holds the title as the only U.K. crew to have
ever won the award.
It was there that Cirque execs discovered him and recruited him
to play the role of Krishna. After also creating elements in
"Love," he choreographed a special Cirque production in Germany
and on a hiatus from "Love" acted in his first Bollywood movie,
"Sing Is King," and choreographed and performed in the 2008
Beijing Olympic opening and closing ceremonies.
Four years ago, Mukhtar returned to Las Vegas and became
involved in Cirque's first 3-D movie, "World's Away," and
continues to perform as Krishna and understudy two principal
characters, The Walrus and Dr. Robert. He also is in the process
of directing a two-hour original show for Absolut vodka and Sid
Lee, which will tour Brazil and land in New York next year after
his One Night for One Drop show.
Next Tuesday afternoon, Cirque guests will have the first
opportunity to meet Mukhtar in the "Mystere" showroom at
Treasure Island when he will present the first video imagery of
his ideas for the show.
Last year, more than 230 artists from every Cirque show on the
Strip joined with teen singing sensation Jackie Evancho, real-
life mermaid Hannah Fraser, painter David Garibaldi, dancer
Sonya Tayeh and composer Danny Elfman for One Night for One
Drop.
Mukhtar promises even bigger and better: "We will have 60 to 80
artists this time, which is less than the previous 230, but
that's all we need for this concept. We're hoping many more
celebrities will be involved, though, and two or three will
actually be integrated into the storyline of the show. I
guarantee it will be totally different from the first one
because of the full storyline," he told me.
His appointment comes as Cirque celebrates its 20th anniversary
of shows on the Strip with the fourth-annual behind-the-scenes
look at casts, crews and performers. Cirque Week starts Saturday
at "Zumanity" in New York-New York, where the cast will let
visitors watch rehearsals before a Q+A and showcase of the
Thierry Mugler fashions of the sensual show. On Sunday,
performers and technicians at "O" in Bellagio host a Q+A with a
fire-on-water demonstration.
"Zarkana" at Aria will become a university course on Monday with
attendees getting hands-on instruction for rigging, clowning,
juggling and body percussion. On Tuesday after Mukhtar's
introductions, the fantastical characters of "Mystere" take to
the stage to share the inspiration for the two-decade-old
beloved characters.
On Wednesday, guests will be taught 'Thriller" choreography at
"Michael Jackson One." There will be a special display and
manipulation of puppetry at "Ka" in MGM next Thursday, and Criss
Angel hosts a Q+A with members of his production team at
"Believe" in Luxor after a special screening of an advance
episode of his new Spike TV hit, also titled "Believe."
Cirque's special week ends next Saturday, Nov. 16., at "Love"
with a dance workshop hosted by Katy Tate and the show's dance
captains teaching fans a routine to Beatles music.
Cirque founder Guy Laliberte and President Daniel Lamarre will
be on hand to meet fans and media next week to help promote One
Night for One Drop, which is Guy's nonprofit that strives to
ensure that water is accessible to all for the future. Guy
himself has pledged to donate $100 million over 25 years, and
since it began in 2007, more than $41 million has been raised
and already given 25,000 people in different lands access to
water.
His debut $1 million World Series of Poker tournament "Big One"
buy-in resulted in a $5.7 million donation in 2012 for the
charity; Guy gifted his own fifth-place winnings of $1.8
million. Several of those $48 million players, including $18
million winner Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari, are expected
to reunite with newcomers for the second edition when it starts
over three days on June 29 at Caesars Palace. Capped at 56
players, the top prize could be $20 million-plus, and its final
July 1 table will be televised live.
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/EW2gZU }
MJ Immortal Returns to North America in 2014
{Nov.10.2013}
----------------------------------------------
"Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour," which recently
became the ninth-top-grossing tour in history, will return to
North American arenas in 2014, Billboard can exclusively reveal.
"We're in the process of fiercely booking it," Cirque du Soleil
senior VP of touring shows Finn Taylor says. "We're mostly
trying to do new markets so we can bring the show to new
audiences, but there are some repeats of our more successful
markets from the first tour."
Created in a partnership between the Michael Jackson estate and
Cirque, "Immortal" will visit small to full-size arenas in the
United States, Canada, Mexico and perhaps South America,
beginning in March. The Cirque-promoted North American tour will
perform in about 40 cities, but specific routing details weren't
available at press time.
John Branca, who serves as co-executor of the Jackson estate
with John McClain, says the upcoming "Immortal" performances
could be slightly different from what audiences have already
seen.
"I could see retooling the show in some ways and switching up
some elements, but overall the format would stay very similar,"
Branca says. "There are certain numbers we might redo, but I
don't think we would change the entire format."
In August, "Immortal" will once again visit Mexico City's
Palacio de los Deportes, where it experienced some of its most
lucrative business after grossing $13.2 million from 14
performances in 2012, according to Billboard Boxscore.
"We're positive we can sell another maybe 120,000-140,000
tickets in a second run," says Renato Herrera, executive VP at
concert promoter OCESA, which operates the venue.
Herrera says there are also talks about taking "Immortal" to
smaller arenas in such South American markets as Colombia,
Argentina and Brazil.
Additionally, Cirque is in discussions with international
promoters about bringing "Immortal" back to various parts of the
world. With 407 shows under its belt, the trek has visited 25
countries on four continents. International dates haven't been
confirmed beyond a lengthy run in Dubai, which goes through mid-
January 2014.
"It's very tough to do one-offs with this show, because we have
to bring all of the equipment with us," Taylor says. "We have to
work on establishing some kind of regional leg or regional tour
before we can get anywhere. There might be one or two Asian
cities that want us, but we need six or seven to make it
worthwhile."
{ SOURCE: Billboard.com | http://goo.gl/i0TUP5 }
Behind-the-Scenes at 'Amaluna' (VIDEO)
{Nov.10.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Cirque's new touring show, Amaluna, is in town. Stark Insider
was invited for a behind-the-scenes look at the new production
which features a 25-foot evolving center stage (that weighs
6,000 pounds), acrobatic winches and at least one couple
hopelessly in love. So I headed to the blue and yellow Big Top
(located by AT&T Park). There, in a sprawling micro-village of
tents, myriad hallways and energetic artists and staff, I
discovered a markedly different kind of Cirque du Soleil show
(see video below for an inside look).
Yes, you'll definitely revel in jaw-dropping artistry, and
incredible feats of human performance. Cirque's hallmarks are on
wonderful display in Amaluna.
But this time the proceedings, so far as I could tell from
rehearsals and a few brief performances for the press, feel
almost unplugged, for lack of a better word. No visual effects
are used in Amaluna. That design choice means the focus is
squarely on the performers.
Another interesting twist: director Diane Paulus told me that
75% of the cast are women. "The gauntlet that was thrown down
was to make it a homage to women," she added. Given
Shakespeare's The Tempest served as inspiration for the story
that makes a lot of sense. After all, this is an island governed
by goddesses. As the story goes, a group of men wash up on
shore. Romance ensues. But, does romance conquer all?
Cirque is not only known for its amazing human feats and
acrobatics, but also, perhaps even more so, for its stunning
visuals. Peacocks served as color inspiration for Amaluna.
Imagine a peacock's tail being used as a paint brush. Rich
swaths of greenish blues. Violets. Golds. Those color themes are
carried through the entire production, from costumes and
lighting, to the stage floor and even makeup. Visuals, once
again, will not disappoint.
Check out the video here:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/dyn8nc >
{ SOURCE: Stark Insider | http://goo.gl/dyn8nc }
ZARKANA to Close for Refresh
{Nov.14.2013}
----------------------------------------------
As we previously reported, Cirque is temporarily closing ZARKANA
at Aria to give it a bit of a refresh. The show is scheduled to
close at the end of December (it's planned vacation time) and
remain closed through January. ZARKANA will re-open in February
with new music, new characters and new acts.
The Las Vegas Sun's Robin Leach has some details, which we
highlight below:
I've learned that characters will be added as part of the
changes along with new music and a new acrobatic act. "What was
dark and mysterious and enthralled audiences in New York and
Russia will give way to a lighter and more comedic show for Las
Vegas audiences," I was reliably told.
"The new-version reopening in February will definitely be
different - a marked change," I was told.
Cirque said in a just-released statement: "Cirque du Soleil
recently celebrated the first anniversary of 'Zarkana's'
residency in Las Vegas. A historic aspect of the Cirque artistic
philosophy is to constantly renew and refresh productions. For
'Zarkana,' we will combine this with routine maintenance, which
will result in the show remaining dark for the month of January.
"On its return in February, guests will find an invigorated
'Zarkana' with many of the same features that have made it so
popular, along with new enhancements, making it even more
exciting and vibrant."
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/vH72XG }
"What a lift Cirque gave Handling firm"
{Nov.19.2013}
----------------------------------------------
GRIMSBY Handling Specialty's contribution to Cirque du Soleil's
O show at the famed Belagio hotel in Las Vegas has gone unseen
by the 20 million or so spectators who've watched the spectacle
over 15 years.
But that's the idea.
The Grimsby company built four hydraulically powered lifts that
raise and lower the four-piece stage within an approximately
6.7-million litre pool. The lifts have a capacity of a
staggering 454,000 kilograms. .
It was a massive and risky undertaking for the company at the
time but it helped Handling gain the confidence to spread beyond
its niche in the automotive sector.
It's never looked back.
Indeed, company president Tom Beach credits diversifying beyond
automotive as the reason Handling is around to celebrate its 50
anniversary this year. Handling Specialty designs and builds
equipment to lift, tilt, rotate and move heavy objects during
manufacture, testing, maintenance or repair across a range of
sectors, everything from jet fighter engines and locomotives to
nuclear reactors and amusement park attractions.
After several downtowns in the 1990s and into the 2000s, Beach
says the company embarked on a strategic plan to diversify its
customer base into other areas, including entertainment,
transportation and energy.
In 1990, 90 per cent of Handling's business was in the
automotive sector. It is now less than 10 per cent but revenue
has grown.
Customers include a lot of blue chip names: Bombardier, Boeing,
Lockheed Martin, NASA, GM, BMW, Polaris, Ford, Mercedes Benz and
Disney.
"We have to raise the bar and move our capability index out. If
you don't, you're on a slippery slope ... We are staying in our
wheelhouse but pushing the envelope out."
The diversification allows the company to weather downturns in
sectors because others will be strong. The hottest sector is
aerospace now but the entertainment industry is flat.
Beach says without the diversification strategy in place, the
company would have been in trouble during the last recession,
which battered the auto sector.
Handling is still diversifying by searching for inroads into
mining, oil and gas and shipbuilding.
Handling is already on a tear, tripling its engineering
department and doubling its manufacturing capacity over the last
couple of years. Total employment is 70.
The company also opened a second manufacturing plant in part of
the former Siemens plant on Burlington Street in 2011 to handle
extremely large jobs.
The facility has a much higher ceiling with overhead cranes and
wide open floor space to allow large assembly.
That was crucial when Handling built eight lifts to move a $23-
million, 6,500-square-foot stage for the water-based acrobatic
show The House of Dancing Water in the Chinese territory of
Macau. That project, submerged in a 16-million litre pool, was
the biggest in the company's history. It took two years of
engineering and manufacturing to build and complete its
installation.
Beach says he's often struggled to explain to others the breadth
of what his company can do.
Then marketing director Mary Haurilak came up with a motto that
works quite nicely: "We build big things to help our customers
build big things."
As he chats, Beach climbs on a bright yellow mobile locomotive
jack for a photo. Four of these working together will lift up to
a 100-tonne rail car to change wheels or perform undercarriage
repairs.
Workers in the shop are assembling the heavy steel frames,
motors and controls for wheel change lifts for Bombardier's
light rapid trains. The first order went to Saudi Arabia. This
group is going to São Paulo, Brazil.
Welders, millwrights and assemblers in the shop work on projects
from start to finish, says Beach, who joined the company 30
years ago and eventually became a minority owner.
"They aren't doing piece work. They work on something from the
beginning and bring it to life. They take pride in that."
Further back in the plant, workers are welding and assembling an
order of 60 manually guided vehicles that will be sent to a
Polaris factory in Poland that builds ATVs, snowmobiles and
personal watercraft.
The wheeled platform has a lift in the centre to hold the
vehicle under assembly and the entire unit, about the size of a
billiard table, can be raised, lowered and steered.
Beach says there is a growing market for automatically guided
vehicles that move along a marked path on their own. That path
can be marked with tape that can easily be reconfigured. The
system is already used in a Pratt Whitney plant in Quebec.
"The assembly process is faster and more safe and there is less
fatigue for workers."
Beach and a majority share partner sold Handling Specialty to
the Chicago-based Whiting Group of Companies in July 2011.
Whiting, whose Canadian headquarters is in Welland, has
interests in locomotives, metal processing and potash.
Aside from taking on some of Whiting's locomotive work, not much
changed after the ownership switch, says Beach.
Handling began with George Machan, a Yugoslavian immigrant who
was selling hoists to auto repair shops. He got the idea for
floor lifts to take engines in and out of cars. He started
building scissor lifts in his garage in 1963.
By 1980, the company had moved to Grimsby and began the journey
to building custom lifts. There have been some painful lessons
along the way, says Beach.
"We keep fighting and we never quit. We have clients today who
we did a horrific job for, but they are still with us because we
didn't quit. We fight and we fight until we have it fixed."
{ SOURCE: The Spec | http://goo.gl/eT5Mke }
Hot Tickets for November 20, 2013
{Nov.20.2013}
----------------------------------------------
HOT TICKETS is a weekly summary of the top acts and ticket sales
as reported to VT PULSE. Following are the top 20 concerts and
events, the top 5 in each seating capacity category, which took
place between Oct. 22-Nov. 19.?
Cirque du Soleil's touring properties are well represented on
this week's chart. Three Quidam stops in Germany made the chart,
including Oct. 23-27 at Lanxess Arena in Cologne with a nearly
$2 million gross, Oct. 30-Nov. 3 at Festhalle Messe Frankfurt
with an attendance of more than 22,000, and Nov. 6-10 at
Westfalenhalle Events Centre in Dortmund. Cirque du Soleil
Dralion stopped at O.A.K.A. Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens,
Greece, Oct. 29-Nov. 3, and the Big Top Tent Totem tour came to
Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, Calif., for a 33-show run that
grossed more than $4 million. Next, Cirque du Soleil Totem
travels to Orange County Great Park in Irvine, Calif.
** 15,001 or More Seats
3) Cirque du Soleil Dralion
Gross Sales: $1,952,065; Venue: O.A.K.A. Olympic Indoor Hall,
Athens, Greece; Attendance: 28,660; Ticket Range: $161.49-
$37.68; Promoter: Cirque du Soleil, Lavris; Dates: Oct. 29-
Nov. 3; No. of Shows: 10
4) Cirque du Soleil Quidam
Gross Sales: $1,946,773; Venue: Lanxess Arena, Cologne,
Germany; Attendance: 22,629; Ticket Range: $107.25-$42.90;
Promoter: Cirque du Soleil, MLK; Dates: Oct. 23-27; No. of
Shows: 7
** 10,001-15,000 Seats
1) Cirque du Soleil Quidam
Gross Sales: $2,089,240; Venue: Festhalle Messe Frankfurt;
Attendance: 22,777; Ticket Range: $107.66-$37.68; Promoter:
Cirque du Soleil, MLK; Dates: Oct. 30-Nov. 3; No. of Shows: 7
2) Cirque du Soleil Quidam
Gross Sales: $1,534,028; Venue: Westfalenhalle Events Centre,
Dortmund, Germany; Attendance: 17,095; Ticket Range: $107.65-
$48.44; Promoter: Cirque du Soleil, MLK; Dates: Nov. 6-10;
No. of Shows: 7
** 5,000 or Fewer Seats
2) Cirque du Soleil Totem
Gross Sales: $4,114,899; Venue: Big Top Tent at Port of Los
Angeles, San Pedro, Calif.; Attendance: 44,733; Ticket Range:
$150-$45; Promoter: Cirque du Soleil; Dates: Oct. 11-Nov. 10;
No. of Shows: 33
Check out the source for the other, non-Cirque entries.
{ SOURCE: Venues Today | http://goo.gl/8bzV6e }
Preview of first workshop for 2014
One Night/One Drop show
{Nov.27.2013}
----------------------------------------------
The first workshop for the new One Night for One Drop show for
Cirque du Soleil's world water charity is underway, and Vegas
DeLuxe has the first photos.
It was a friendly and enthusiastic session for One Night show
director Mukhtar Mukhtar and production manager Russ Petroni.
Twenty dancers and performers, along with other non-Cirque
artists who also attended, represented six Cirque shows on the
Strip.
Our thanks to contributing photographer Tom Donoghue, who
captured the high-energy action and spirit at the three-hour
session in the Broadway Hall dance studio.
Mukhtar told the performers: "This really is a workshop, not an
audition. We just want you to have fun." He performed a hip-hop
routine that will be included in the one-night-only One Night
show and then taught it to the dancers.
Andre Kasten, who will be a guest choreographer for One Night,
performed a contemporary piece with the dancers hoping to win a
spot in the production set for Michael Jackson One Theater in
Mandalay Bay next spring.
Said Mukhtar: "Throughout the afternoon, there was improv with
props, and we finished up with a freestyle where all the dancers
were able to show their own personal style to the team of
choreographers and directors.
"After this workshop, I am very excited about all the different
talents and the diversity of the performers. They seem very
hungry and truly can see the big picture of what I have in mind
for One Night for One Drop."
VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY HERE:
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/V1qbT9 >
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun }
=======================================================================
ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
{Amaluna, Corteo, Koozå, OVO, Totem & Tour 2014}
o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues
{Quidam, Dralion, MJ Immortal & Varekai}
o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre
{Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE,
Believe, Zarkana & Michael Jackson ONE}
NOTE:
.) While we make every effort to provide complete and accurate
touring dates and locations available, the information in
this section is subject to change without notice. As such,
the Fascination! Newsletter does not accept responsibility
for the accuracy of these listings.
For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts,
please visit Cirque's website: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ >.
------------------------------------
BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau
------------------------------------
Amaluna:
San Francisco, CA -- Nov.13, 2013 to Jan 12, 2014
San Jose, CA -- Jan 22, 2014 to Mar 2, 2014
New York, NY -- Mar 20, 2014 to May 18, 2014
Boston, MA -- Jun 4, 2014 to Jul 13, 2014
Washington, DC -- Jul 31, 2014 to Sep 21, 2014
Atlanta, GA -- Oct 3, 2014 to Nov 30, 2014
Cirque 2014:
Montreal, QC -- Apr 24, 2014 to Jun 6, 2014
Quebec City, QC -- Jul 24, 2014 to Aug 17, 2014
Toronto, ON -- Aug 27, 2014 to Oct 26, 2014
Corteo:
Curitiba, BR -- Nov.8, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013
Rio de Janeiro -- Dec 26, 2013 to Feb 23, 2014
Porto Alegre, BR -- Mar 6, 2014 to Apr 13, 2014
Koozå:
Paris, FR -- Nov.23, 2013 to Jan 19, 2014
Munich, DE -- Jan 31, 2014 to Feb 23, 2014
Amsterdam, NL -- Mar 13, 2014 to Apr 13, 2014
Vienna, AT -- May 9, 2014 to Jun 1, 2014
Dusseldorf, DE -- Nov 6, 2014 to Nov 23, 2014
Ovo:
Taipei, TW -- Nov.19, 2013 to Jan 5, 2014
Tokyo, JP -- Feb 12, 2014 to Apr 13, 2014
Sendai, JP -- Apr 23, 2014 to Jun 7, 2014
Osaka, JP -- Jul, 17, 2014 to {Nov.2, 2014
Nagoya, JP -- Nov.20, 2014 to Feb 1, 2015
Fukuoka, JP -- Feb 21, 2015 to TBA
Totem:
Irvine, CA -- Nov.21, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013
Santa Monica, CA -- Jan 17, 2014 to Feb 23, 2014
Portland, OR -- Mar 27, 2014 to May 4, 2014
Vancouver, BC -- May 15, 2014 to Jun 15, 2014
------------------------------------
ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues
------------------------------------
Alegría:
Valencia, ES -- Nov.28, 2013 to Dec 1, 2013
Gijon, ES -- Dec 4, 2013 to Dec 8, 2013
Santander, ES -- Dec 11, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013
Madrid, ES -- Dec 18, 2013 to Dec 22, 2013
Antwerp, BE -- Dec 26, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013
(Closing in Antwerp, Dec 29, 2013)
Quidam:
Malaga, ES -- Dec 5, 2013 to Dec 8, 2013
Zaragoza, ES -- Dec 11, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013
Sevilla, ES -- Dec 18, 2013 to Dec 22, 2013
A Coruña, ES -- Dec 25, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013
London, UK -- Jan 4, 2014 to Feb 16, 2014
Brussels, BE -- Feb 27, 2014 to Mar 2, 2014
Toulouse, FR -- Mar 5, 2014 to Mar 9, 2014
Strasbourg, FR -- Mar 12, 2014 to Mar 16, 2014
Toulon, FR -- Mar 19, 2014 to Mar 23, 2014
Montpellier, FR -- Mar 26, 2014 to Mar 30, 2014
Lyon, FR -- Apr 2, 2014 to Apr 6, 2014
Rouen, FR -- Apr 30, 2014 to May 4, 2014
Berlin, DE -- May 7, 2014 to May 11, 2014
Nuremberg, DE -- May 14, 2014 to May 18, 2014
Hanover, DE -- May 21, 2014 to May 25, 2014
Bremen, DE -- May 29, 2014 to Jun 1, 2014
Hamburg, DE -- Jun 4, 2014 to Jun 8, 2014
Luxembourg, LU -- Jun 11, 2014 to Jun 15, 2014
Tel Aviv, IL -- Aug 7, 2014 to Aug 16, 2014
Dralion:
Milan, IT -- Nov.27, 2013 to Dec 1, 2013
Geneva, CH -- Dec 4, 2013 to Dec 8, 2013
Basel, CH -- Dec 11, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013
Barcelona, ES -- Dec 18, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013
Lisbon, PT -- Jan 1, 2014 to Jan 12, 2014
St. Petersburg, RU -- Jan 22, 2014 to Feb 2, 2014
Chelyabinsk, RU -- Feb 7, 2014 to Feb 16, 2014
Kazan, RU -- Feb 21, 2014 to Mar 2, 2014
Moscow, RU -- Mar 6, 2014 to Mar 16, 2014
Minsk, BY -- Mar 20, 2014 to Mar 23, 2014
Hernig, DK -- Mar 27, 2014 to Mar 30, 2014
Malmö, SE -- May 1, 2014 to May 4, 2014
Glasgow, UK -- May 8, 2014 to May 11, 2014
Sheffield, UK -- May 14, 2014 to May 18, 2014
Birmingham, UK -- May 22, 2014 to May 25, 2014
Dublin, IE -- May 28, 2014 to Jun 1, 2014
London, UK -- Jun 4, 2014 to Jun 8, 2014
Manchester, UK -- Jun 11, 2014 to Jun 15, 2014
Granada, ES -- Jul 23, 2014 to Jul 27, 2014
Bilbao, ES -- Aug 16, 2014 to Aug 24, 2014
Palma de Mallorca, ES -- Aug 28, 2014 to Sep 6, 2014
Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour:
Dubai, UAE -- Dec 20, 2013 to Jan 14, 2014
Worcester, MA -- Feb 28, 2014 to Mar 1, 2014
Amherst, MA -- Mar 4, 2014 to Mar 5, 2014
Rochester, NY -- Mar 10, 2014 to Mar 11, 2014
Baltimore, MD -- Mar 18, 2014 to Mar 19, 2014
Fairfax, VA -- Mar 21, 2014 to Mar 22, 2014
Philadelphia, PA -- Mar 25, 2014 to Mar 26, 2014
Trenton, NJ -- Mar 28, 2014 to Mar 29, 2014
Varekai:
Bossier City, LA -- Dec 13, 2013 to Dec 14, 2013
Montreal, QC -- Dec 20, 2013 to Dec 30, 2013
Kingston, ON -- Jan 17, 2014 to Jan 20, 2014
Windsor, ON -- Jan 23, 2014 to Jan 26, 2014
Hamilton, ON -- Jan 29, 2014 to Feb 2, 2014
Detroit, MI -- Feb 5, 2014 to Feb 9, 2014
Youngstown, OH -- Feb 12, 2014 to Feb 16, 2014
Frisco, TX -- Feb 19, 2014 to Feb 23, 2014
Cedar Park, TX -- Feb 26, 2014 to Mar 2, 2014
Beaumont, TX -- Mar 5, 2014 to Mar 9, 2014
Baton Rouge, LA -- Mar 12, 2014 to Mar 16, 2014
Pensacola, FL -- Mar 19, 2014 to Mar 23, 2014
Pittsburgh, PA -- Mar 27, 2014 to Mar 30, 2014
East Lansing, MI -- Apr 2, 2014 to Apr 6, 2014
Knoxville, TN -- Apr 9, 2014 to Apr 13, 2014
Oshawa, ON -- May 21, 2014 to May 25, 2014
Lonson, ON -- May 28, 2014 to Jun 1, 2014
Providence, RI -- Jul 2, 2014 to Jul 6, 2014
---------------------------------
RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre
---------------------------------
Mystère:
Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday
Two shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm
2014 Dark Dates:
o TBA
2013 Added Performances:
o December 27
"O":
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm
2013 Dark Dates:
o December 3 - 17
2013 Added Performances:
o December 24
o December 31
La Nouba:
Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday
Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm
2014 Dark Dates:
o TBA
Zumanity:
Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm
2014 Dark Dates:
o TBA
KÀ:
Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2014 Dark Dates:
o TBA
2013 Added Performances:
o December 30
LOVE:
Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2013 Dark Dates:
o December 11-26
2013 Added Performances:
o December 10
BELIEVE:
Location: Luxor, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:00pm
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.
2013 Dark Dates:
o December 17 - 24
2013 Added Performances:
o December 25 & 26
ZARKANA:
Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm
2014 Dark Dates:
o TBA
2013 Added Performances:
o December 26
MICHAEL JACKSON ONE:
Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA)
Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday
Two Shows Nightly: 7:00pm and 10:00pm
2013 Dark Dates:
o December 5 - 20
=======================================================================
OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS
=======================================================================
o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub
o) Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube
---------------------------------------
CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub
---------------------------------------
"A Holiday Q&A with Pedro Aviles"
{Nov.23.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Pedro Aviles, a dancer/choreographer from Michael Jackson ONE,
shares what it's like to celebrate the holidays with the show
crew in Las Vegas, and adds a few holiday favorites from his
native Puerto Rico.
Q. What is your role in Michael Jackson ONE?
I am a Dance Performer Artist and the choreographer of the 787
Crew * show section and the 'Can You Feel It' number and Dance
Captain of the show.
Q. How long have you been performing with your dance crew? What
does your crew mean to you?
My dance crew is more than a product of my Dance Company in
Puerto Rico. It is my family here in Las Vegas and the reason I
continue to pursue my dance career.
Q. What will your holiday celebration look like this year in Las
Vegas?
How will it be different from home? Our crew is trying to plan
special activities so we don't feel so far away from our
families. The Cirque du Soleil schedule is really busy during
the holidays because when a normal person takes a holiday break
it's us that entertain them. It will be totally different
celebrating this holidays apart from our families and homes
because the traditions that we have in Puerto Rico are full of
warmth and joy. It's something that will affect us a little bit
if I don't try and recreate the activities with the family that
we have here as 787 Crew.
Q. All the 63 performers in your show are from different
countries. What is it like to celebrate the holidays in such a
multicultural environment?
Our cast is truly unique. The beauty of having access to all the
different members of the cast is that you learn a little from
their cultures. You can learn different meanings for things you
do at home, find out why they have certain customs and see they
different ways they celebrate. We find a way to have a great
holiday environment, bringing in food to the Green Room, etc.
Q. How do you say "Happy Holidays" in Spanish?
In Spanish you just say 'Happy' and add the day that you are
celebrating: Feliz Navidad (Merry Christmas), Feliz Año Nuevo
(Happy New Year), Feliz día de los Reyes, Feliz día de los
Padres, Feliz Semana Santa etc. If you want to translate the
exact words 'Happy Holidays' you would say: Feliz Dias Festivos!
See more of the Q&A (with pictures) here:
http://goo.gl/gcPNz0
{ SOURCE: CirqueClub | http://goo.gl/gcPNz0 }
"Celebrating the holidays on the High Bar"
{Nov.24.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Caoliang Wang, a performer from Jilin, China, dazzles audiences
each night on the High Bar in TOTEM. Read his holiday Q&A where
he shares his thoughts on celebrating the holidays away from
home.
Q. Favorite Holiday Food?
Coming from Northern China, we cook many Korean meals and
dishes. I especially like the dumplings we eat for Chinese New
Year.
Q. Favorite Holiday Song?
I like Jingle Bells, but really it could be any holiday song. I
love the atmosphere of the holidays in general.
Q. Favorite Holiday Movie?
I like Home Alone which always plays on TV during the holiday
Season. I watched it on tour.
Q. What is a tradition you NEED to maintain every year?
It is very simple, I want to gather around great food with close
friends, or in this case my second family from TOTEM.
Q. What is your most beautiful memory of the holidays on tour?
I spent some time at some of my TOTEM friends` homes in the past
few years. It is great for me to experience another culture and
spend time with my friends and their families. You discover new
traditions and see how they grew up, which is amazing.
Q. What does holiday season represent for you?
For me, it is a season to think about the people you love and
spend quality time with them. It is also a season that feels
warm because everybody gets closer. It also represents time for
resolutions for the new year and thinking about the year that is
about to end.
Q. Which traditions do you cherish most from your country?
I cherish the celebrations of the Chinese New Year, to spend
time with the family and go watch the fireworks. I also love
watching New Year TV shows on Chinese television, which I
haven't done in 5 years.
{ SOURCE: CirqueClub | http://goo.gl/N903HR }
"A Holiday Q&A with the Cast of Alegria"
{Nov.25.2013}
----------------------------------------------
It's holiday season at Cirque du Soleil and the cast and crew of
Alegria will gather to inspire audiences while they celebrate
this special time with their show 'family'. Check out these
holiday Q&As!
# # #
** Zebastian Hunter (Albury, Australia)
Q. Favourite Holiday Food?
Raclette or Fondue
Q. Favourite Holiday Song?
All I want for Christmas is You!
Q. Favourite Holiday Movie?
The Nightmare before Christmas
Q. Favourite tradition?
Drinking gluhwein!
Q. What is your most beautiful memory of Holidays on tour?
Beer Olympics on NYE 2010! Even though it was a drinking event,
it brought everyone together. Another memorable one was the NYE
Fireworks we had in Lisbon.
Q. What does represent the Holidays season for you?
Mass-marketing/ consumerism. I haven't been home for Christmas
since I've been performing (about 10 years) so all I see is
Christmas being marketed all over! It seems like when you're not
with family, that's all you notice.
Q. Where are you from and what are the traditions you cherish
the most from your country?
Christmas BBQ's on the beach! It's summer in Australia at
Christmas
# # #
** Alexander Andreasen (Aarhus, Denmark)
Q. Favourite Holiday Food?
Flæskestey - it's the Danish version of roasted pork with a
scrumptious crust on the exterior. The plate is traditionally
served with caramelized round potatoes and red cabbage.
Q. Favourite Holiday Song?
Jul på vesterbro (Christmas in Vesterbro) - a Danish song
Q. Favourite Holiday Movie?
Home Alone!
Q. Favourite tradition?
When I was back at home and still in my gymnastics club, we'd
have a soccer match every Christmas Eve.
Q. What is your most beautiful memory of Holidays on tour?
Christmas Tree right in the studio at IHQ (Cirque du Soleil''s
International Headquarters)
Q. What does represent the Holidays season for you?
Family
Q. Where are you from and what are the traditions you cherish
the most from your country?
Denmark. We'd be around the Christmas tree singing carols while
walking around the tree and the children would come and grab
gifts from under the tree and unwrap them.
# # #
** Malika Alaoui (Lausanne, Switzerland)
Q. Favourite Holiday Food?
Gruyère and any Swiss cheeses, cold meat platters and La Bûche
de Noël!
Q. Favourite Holiday Song?
Silent Night
Q. Favourite Holiday Movie?
Le père noel est une ordure
Q. Favourite tradition?
Give a gift to mom - Christmas is very important to her!
Q. What is your most beautiful memory of Holidays on tour?
Secret Santa - it allowed people to come together and make new
friendships
Q. What does represent the Holidays season for you?
Family (even if I haven't spent it with them in years!)
Q. Where are you from and what are the traditions you cherish
the most from your country?
Switzerland. The youth (typically ages 16 - 22) would parade the
streets of the villages with tambourines and go door to door and
they would be invited in for a small glass of white wine (legal
drinking age is 16 in Switzerland), so by the end of it. Well,
you can imagine!
# # #
** An DeWin (Olen, Belgium)
Q. Favourite Holiday Food?
Christmas Log
Q. Favourite Holiday Song?
Jingle Bells!
Q. Favourite Holiday Movie?
Home Alone - we'd always watch this at Christmas
Q. Favourite tradition?
Say what you are grateful for to family and friends
Q. What is your most beautiful memory of Holidays on tour?
The first Christmas I spent with Fred in 2010. It was also the
first Christmas that I didn't have to spend 'alone' (aka without
my significant other on tour).
Q. What does represent the Holidays season for you?
Family
Q. Where are you from and what are the traditions you cherish
the most from your country?
Belgium. One month or so before Christmas, St Nicholas was said
to come by the house so we'd have to leave out a shoe with a
carrot for his horse and a beer for him! If you did, then he
would bring you candy and toys.
{ SOURCE: CirqueClub | http://goo.gl/3cjqrz }
"Holiday on Tour with Totem Publicist"
{Nov.25.2013}
----------------------------------------------
Ever wondered what it's like to be on tour with Cirque du
Soleil? TOTEM publicist Francis Jalbert chronicles his
experiences in a Q&A and adds his special insights on spending
the holidays away from home.
Q. What is life on tour like? Advantages? Challenges? What do
you like the most?
Touring with TOTEM so far has been the most amazing experience
of my life on many levels. It is a cultural and human experience
like no other, as I travel around the world with a group of 120
people who come from 20 different countries and range from 18 to
57 years old. This group is the only stability I have in my
life, as I move from hotel rooms to corporate apartments and
from one community to the next. The artists, technicians and
employees I work and travel with have become my family.
Joining tour is an adjustment, as you learn to live with
separation from your friends and family and find your place in a
new group of people who have completely different cultural
backgrounds than yours. Through your integration, you learn so
much about yourself and others and your vision of the world
opens up; it seems that there are no boundaries anymore, that
the world truly is a playground as you travel around and now
have friends from the 4 corners of the planet.
For me, this opportunity is an amazing professional challenge
attached to a lifestyle that I totally embrace. I love the
family feeling of the tour and feeling that I contribute in
making 2,600 audience members dream every night in the Big Top.
I love the environment, working with artists that always want to
push forward their limits and share all their passion with the
crowds; it is very inspiring and motivating. I get to see the
world and never fall into a routine.
Touring life is intense and comes with ups and downs that are
increased by the non-conventional lifestyle we live. It can be
tough sometimes dealing with the absence of stability, the close
proximity with friends and co-workers, the absence of separation
between work and personal life and the disconnection from your
social circle back home. In the end, I can guarantee that the
positive elements upstage the challenges.
I truly believe I am lucky and have one of the best jobs in the
world, promoting an incredible production and traveling around
with genuine inspiring people, it makes me grow and evolve at a
speed I would have never thought possible.
Q. How do you feel about celebrating the holidays on tour?
Holidays on tour are bittersweet for me. I am very happy to
celebrate this special season with my touring family, although I
miss being with my parents, extended family and friends in
Montreal. I can guarantee that I will be using Skype a lot
between December 24 and January 1st. Mailing gifts is not as fun
as being able to share those moments with your loved ones. The
tour management is great in trying to make us feel home by
organizing holiday celebrations and spreading the holiday joy. I
will still be filled by the excitement the holiday season
brings!
Q. You are originally from Canada. This year you will be
celebrating the holidays in California. How will it be different
for you?
It will be my first holiday season on the beach! For me, it is
unreal to celebrate Christmas without snow and spending a few
days on the ski hills. I am looking forward to seeing how people
celebrate over here and be able to wear fewer layers on my way
to the Christmas party! We have some Californians on tour and I
hope I will get to try some of the local traditions.
Q. The cast and crew of TOTEM come from 20 different countries.
What is it like to celebrate the holidays in a multicultural
environment?
It is a great opportunity to learn about each other's cultural
traditions and exchange fond memories. It seems thateverybody
gets closer as the holidays approach. Also, when we are in
cities where some cast and crew members have relatives, we get
to see how locals celebrate and take part in their get-
togethers.
Q. What are the traditions from your country (Canada) that you
bring with you on tour?
Good question! This year I would like to organize a gift
exchange challenge as I used to do back home and I'm hoping to
decorate my hotel room with ornaments and a small Christmas
tree.
Q. How do you say "Happy Holidays" in French?
Joyeuse Fêtes!
{ SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil | http://goo.gl/zJ58K3 }
Cirque floats at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!
{Nov.25.2013}
----------------------------------------------
November 28, 2013 Cirque du Soleil was at the Macys Thanksgiving
Day Parade in New York. Experience the magic, through
CirqueClub's photo gallery!
See pictures here!
LINK /// < http://goo.gl/tSSULX >
{ SOURCE: CirqueClub | http://goo.gl/tSSULX }
---------------------------------------------------
NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter
---------------------------------------------------
{Compiled by Keith Johnson}
---[ ALEGRIA ]---
{Nov.05}
Check out the November issue of easyJet Inflight Magazine which
features 6 profiles of our amazing artists! Be sure to also
check out the 'making of' video on the last page!
LINK /// { http://goo.gl/WSYxJg }
{Nov.07}
Hey Nottingham! Check out some of live shots of yesterday's
performance at Capital FM Arena. Do you have your tickets to see
this show before it leaves the UK?
LINK /// { goo.gl/DbrVfL }
{Nov.09}
To the 2013 championship athletes for tumbling and trampoline,
Alegria's veteran championship athletes want to wish you all
good luck!
LINK /// { goo.gl/muiAw6 }
{Nov.22}
It's the final countdown to the end of Alegria and we are
getting very special visits from very special people! Yesterday,
Gilles Ste-Croix, one of the original creators and Creative
Guide for Cirque du Soleil paid Alegria a visit!
LINK /// { goo.gl/Fbb0fk }
{Nov.28}
#Alegria would like to wish Happy #Thanksgiving to all
Americans! We are thinking of you and celebrating in Valencia!
Our fabulous catering team prepared us an all-American meal!
LINK /// { goo.gl/k8AcQC }
---[ AMALUNA ]---
{Nov.12}
It's Dress Rehearsal day here in San Francisco and we were very
lucky to have our wonderful and talented Diane Paulus talk to
the local media about the wonders of Amaluna. Looking forward to
seeing you here soon, San Francisco!!
LINK /// { goo.gl/iyjwCI }
{Nov.19}
We kicked off week two with an in-depth look at Amaluna on KFOG
radio station this morning. Check out the podcast:
LINK /// { goo.gl/3KBLnZ }
{Nov.23}
Amaluna's carpenter JF led the kids of the Amaluna school in a
painting workshop today. A great way to celebrate the sunshine
in San Francisco!
LINK /// { goo.gl/vCcdcf }
---[ CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ]---
{Nov.01}
We spotted Yahia Icheboudene and Robyn Houpt from #OVO as they
were training in #Montreal last week.
LINK /// { goo.gl/0KGzX3 }
{Nov.05}
Ever wonder what a day at the Cirque du Soleil headquarters in
Montreal looks like? Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look,
courtesy of our partner Xerox. (3 episodes)
LINK /// { www.youtube.com/watch?v=rix8pyOKxdA }
{Nov.14}
Some Cirque du Soleil performers had the opportunity to train
with Red Bull athletes during the Red Bull High Performance
Exchange. Check it out!
LINK /// { goo.gl/rkHdJm }
{Nov.19}
We're thrilled to be part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
for the first time! Watch a sneak peek of our float!
LINK /// { goo.gl/NIExS2 }
{Nov.20}
Don't miss us in the Macy's #Thanksgiving Day Parade! In the
meantime, take a sneak peek at our float!
LINK /// { www.today.com/video/today/53599360 }
{Nov.28}
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has started! Watch this
exclusive footage of the rehearsal while you're waiting in your
pajamas for our float!
LINK /// { www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPuLE7Hcqk4 }
{Nov.28}
Check us out at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade! - 87th Macy's
Thanksgiving Day Parade (6 photos). Look up on the sway pole!
You'll find a clown looking for a new land of performance.
LINK /// { goo.gl/koRJLD }
{Nov.29}
We were so excited to be performing at the Macy's #Thanksgiving
Day Parade yesterday! Did you watch it? Here are some photos of
this magical event!
LINK /// { goo.gl/aYrJ9j }
---[ CORTEO ]---
{Nov.08}
Olá Curitiba, hoje é nossa premiere! Estamos ansiosos para vê-
los em nossa grande tenda branca no Expotrade, em Pinhais!
LINK /// { goo.gl/4upyx7 }
{Nov.14}
Você pode visitar a exposição dos figurinos do Corteo no Park
Shopping Barigui.
LINK /// { goo.gl/rlHwAT }
{Nov.17}
Hoje, o jogador de volei Giba, visitou e aproveitou com sua
familia o Corteo em Curitiba.
LINK /// { goo.gl/p8eUyD }
{Nov.23}
Apresentação do ato juggling hoje, ao vivo, direto do parque
Barigui. - with Andrey Kolesnikov.
LINK /// { goo.gl/DstMdr }
{Nov.28}
Apresentação do Corteo no Park Shopping Barigui. Ajudando na
decoração de Natal?!
LINK /// { goo.gl/Y8s2RZ }
---[ CRISS ANGEL BELIEVE ]---
{Nov.15}
It's Cirque Week here in Vegas and we're participating with a
screening and Q&A with Criss at Luxor Hotel and Casino!
LINK /// { goo.gl/4IAurY }
{Nov.19}
Ready, set, levitate! Take a photo levitating like Criss Angel
and tweet it at @SpikeTV using #Angeling for a chance to win a
trip to Las Vegas to see Criss Angel BeLIEve from Cirque du
Soleil live at Luxor. Rules: ow.ly/qZk2L.
LINK /// { goo.gl/0xvbWi }
{Nov.19}
A group shot from last week's Cirque Week event at Believe!
LINK /// { goo.gl/D8oqez }
---[ DRALION ]---
{Nov.02}
Did you know most of our performers will visualize their act
before doing their act in the show. Here is a photo of our hand
balancing artist a few minutes before performing her act in the
show. - with Ohanis Cristina Braca Lamus and Dilinuer Kadier.
LINK /// { goo.gl/2kX4Uu }
{Nov.08}
We are opening tonight in Rome, Italy! The crew is currently
doing the last preparations for tonight's show.
LINK /// { goo.gl/bDA7aS }
{Nov.15}
We had the privilege to meet the kids from the ACLI III Millenio
Program in Rome. The performers of Dralion shared their skills
and tricks on the aerial hoop, trampoline, in juggling and did a
very unique clown workshop. Everyone had a lot of fun and will
keep great memories!
LINK /// { goo.gl/9eVzhw }
{Nov.16}
Backstage action!!! Have a look at our juggler warming up
minutes before the show starts in Rome!
LINK /// { goo.gl/Lcb5xH }
---[ KOOZA ]---
{Nov.15}
A very cool video of our visit to Nikulin's orphanage in Moscow!
LINK /// { www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ASmIErEk40 }
{Nov.21}
Kooza site in Paris!
LINK /// { goo.gl/DU3qLk }
{Nov.26}
Cool backstage pictures published in LE PARISIEN
LINK /// { goo.gl/xN7HR7 }
{Nov.26}
Here's a sneak peak of an amazing photo shoot we did in Moscow
for ALLURE Magazine. Photographer: Morgan Norman.
LINK /// { goo.gl/PKcLlM }
---[ LA NOUBA ]---
{Nov.04}
La Nouba's Diabolos performed during the Orlando Magic half-time
show against the Brooklyn Nets yesterday!
LINK /// { goo.gl/KBjqda }
---[ MJ IMMORTAL ]---
{Nov.01}
The IMMORTAL Band. Led by Musical Director Darrell Smith, this
spectacular 11 piece band brings alive the music and lyrics of
Michael Jackson, playing to his original vocals.
LINK /// { goo.gl/349629 }
{Nov.02}
Caught backstage - a beautiful Gnome and Swan before they take
the stage!
LINK /// { goo.gl/mO4Dth }
{Nov.04}
Underneath a gorgeous rainbow, the crew loaded 40 containers for
the long haul to Dubai. Thanks to all our fans that came out in
Australia and New Zealand - it was an amazing seven weeks!
LINK /// { goo.gl/wYZ5jC }
{Nov.07}
Did you know that the giant shoes directly reference Michael
Jackson's famous penny loafers? They are eight feet long and
created from orthopedic foam with a vinyl skin.
LINK /// { goo.gl/e6w7EE }
{Nov.15}
Did you know that the voice of Naomi Campbell and elements of
the song In the Closet were blended into the intro of the
Dangerous scene?
LINK /// { goo.gl/tQN7hK }
{Nov.18}
The bat costumes are made of ultra lightweight paper used for
shipping parcels. The huge, lifelike gold wings create a
stunning effect. Do you know what number they are from? (Answer:
Thriller)
LINK /// { goo.gl/Yr5BrY }
{Nov.21}
The IMMORTAL crew loads the show at about 10 hours. Check out
this awesome time lapse from load-in at Allphones Arena in
Sydney.
LINK /// { www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdnzo-mF8W4 }
{Nov.25}
The total video projection surface in the show is more than
5,300 square feet. That's larger than a basketball court!
LINK /// { goo.gl/Mso1zc }
{Nov.28}
Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!
LINK /// { goo.gl/qPyfbD }
{Nov.30}
There are 124 people on tour, which represents 17 different
countries. What country do you think the most people hail from?
LINK /// { goo.gl/sswkyT }
---[ MJ ONE ]---
{Nov.13}
Teaching Cirque Week attendees a familiar dance at our theatre!
LINK /// { instagram.com/p/gq-u-xxI_M/ }
{Nov.13}
The final product for #CirqueWeek at Michael Jackson ONE - on-
stage with show conditions!
LINK /// { goo.gl/BulRC5 }
{Nov.14}
Tomorrow night, Carlos Santana will be joined onstage by special
guest Gina Gleason for a couple songs during his headlining show
at House of Blues Las Vegas. Gleason currently plays lead guitar
as "The Muse" in Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil at
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
LINK /// { goo.gl/RUuBbg }
{Nov.18}
We're celebrating the upcoming Soul Train Awards on BET with a
Michael Jackson ONE sweepstakes! Info and entry here (US only):
LINK /// { goo.gl/sRSWr8 }
{Nov.21}
Thanks to InVEGAS Magazine for awarding us best new show in
their #InVegasAwards!
LINK /// { goo.gl/p2sOsa }
{Nov.25}
The Michael Jackson ONE sweepstakes in celebration of the Soul
Train Awards on BET wraps up this week, so enter while you can!
Info and entry here (US only):
LINK /// { goo.gl/ZgnfwC }
---[ MYSTERE ]---
{Nov.04}
Last month, Mystère by Cirque du Soleil performed with Imagine
Dragons at Life is Beautiful Festival - here's a look at the
performance and how it all came together!
LINK /// { www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMDbY996c34 }
{Nov.13}
Cirque Week 2013 is going on now and here's the Mystère event!
LINK /// { goo.gl/1OIccW }
{Nov.13}
The reception for Cirque Week 2013 is underway with artists from
Mystère at Gilley's Saloon, Dance Hall & Bar-B-Que in Treasure
Island Hotel & Casino!
LINK /// { goo.gl/DNNWYT }
---[ "O" ]---
{Nov.08}
Not your typical perspective on "O"!
LINK /// { goo.gl/oVcfdr }
{Nov.10}
Cirque Week - Fire demonstration and Q&A at "O"
LINK /// { goo.gl/yQ7Twj }
---[ OVO ]---
{Nov.07}
Ni Hao Taiwan! Today we welcomed some of the local media to meet
the with the cast and crew of OVO! Deborah, our Head of
Wardrobe, always enjoys talking to the journalists and explained
her passion for the OVO costumes.
LINK /// { goo.gl/x2LhJe }
{Nov.07}
OVO Japan Press Conference (5 photos) Konichiwa! Yesterday OVO
had its press conference to announce the 10th Cirque du Soleil
Big Top show to visit Japan. We presented a 7 minute performance
of Diabolo and Ants with a special appearance of the Foreigner.
LINK /// { goo.gl/MYL3kV }
{Nov.09}
OVO invades the streets of Taipei (17 photos) Ni Hao Taipei!
Did you miss the OVO artists riding the U-Bikes in the Taipei
streets yesterday? Here are some pictures of the event. Make
sure you keep an eye open, you never know when you might see
some OVO insects on the street!
LINK /// { goo.gl/9UkvpH }
{Nov.14}
Hello Taipei! Only few days before the Asian Premiere of OVO! We
are doing some final touch ups to make sure everything is
perfect for this special evening. Will you be there?
LINK /// { goo.gl/GzY5bA }
{Nov.19}
Hello Taipei! After a break of 156 days, the cast and crew of
OVO are happy to be back! Thank you Taipei! It was an amazing
Premiere!!!
LINK /// { goo.gl/sVPuZ5 }
{Nov.22}
Hello Taipei! The famous Taiwanese singer and dancer Jolin Tsai
was in the audience on Thursday night. She liked the show so
much that the cast of OVO invited her backstage after the show
for few pictures!
LINK /// { goo.gl/O5tUe7 }
{Nov.29}
Our new Foreigner, Hiro, is getting ready for tonight's show! We
hope the crowd will be as fantastic as the previous nights!!!
LINK /// { goo.gl/LICrLp }
{Nov.30}
Diabolo Performance at Taipei 101 (4 photos) - Hello Taipei! Did
your miss our the performance of our Firefly and Black Spider at
Taipei 101 mall? Here are some pictures of the event.
LINK /// { goo.gl/wP0kbv }
---[ QUIDAM ]---
{Nov.03}
We hosted a big Halloween party this year with a costume
contest. Prizes were attributed to The Best Home-Made, The
Scariest, The Funniest and Best overall...
LINK /// { goo.gl/OsdAWW }
{Nov.06}
Opening in Dortmund tonight!
LINK /// { goo.gl/TR5blm }
{Nov.15}
Cerceaux rehearsal in Mannheim
LINK /// { goo.gl/6Owp7H }
{Nov.17}
Danke Germany! Goodbye and see you again in 2014.
LINK /// { goo.gl/pXB28Y }
---[ THE BEATLES LOVE ]---
{Nov.16}
The Beatles LOVE dance workshop is underway at #CirqueWeek
inside The Mirage Hotel and Casino!
LINK /// { goo.gl/by5PoN }
{Nov.25}
Now that they've been found, five of the subjects from Ringo
Starr's "Kids in the Car" photograph visited LOVE at The Mirage
Hotel and Casino this weekend!
LINK /// { goo.gl/eg3ttg }
---[ TOTEM ]---
{Nov.01}
It is anniversary week on TOTEM! High Bar artist Riki Fujimaki
received his one-year anniversary Cirque du Soleil jacket!
Congrats Riki! Stay tuned, tomorrow we will be celebrating the
20-year anniversary of one of our cast members!
LINK /// { goo.gl/azeXuZ }
{Nov.02}
Congratulations to a special artist, Russian Bar porter Tamir
Erdenesaikhan, who is celebrating this week his 20-year
anniversary with Cirque du Soleil! Tamir joined the company in
October 1993 to take part in the creation of Alegria by Cirque
du Soleil and develop the mimics and personality of a character
named after him, Tamir! In 2009, after 15 years with Alegria,
Tamir joined the creation of TOTEM and has been traveling the
world with us ever since!
LINK /// { goo.gl/Y72QzG }
{Nov.03}
Hola amigos de Los Angeles! Roller Skaters Massimo Medini and
Denise Garcia-Sorta met with Elva Saray from ACCESO TOTAL LOS
ANGELES last week! Watch their interview and a few tricks on
Telemundo tomorrow morning at 10am!
LINK /// { goo.gl/9pFUU3 }
{Nov.04}
Here is one of the results of the photoshoot we did with Coast
Magazine and Orange County Register a few weeks ago! We are
featured on the cover of the November issue! TOTEM opens in
Irvine on November 21!
LINK /// { goo.gl/47on0q }
{Nov.07}
Our Aerial Ring performers, Gael, Olli, Yann and Alya, visited
Muscle Beach in Venice, CA, the location that inspired their
act! 5 performances left in San Pedro before moving on to Irvine
and Santa Monica!
LINK /// { goo.gl/KYn5wI }
{Nov.10}
We are packing up in San Pedro! After a short break, the TOTEM
characters will be back under the big top at the Orange County
Great Park in Irvine, CA starting November 21!
LINK /// { goo.gl/b6lrDA }
LINK /// { goo.gl/AOvjVT }
{Nov.12}
If you could get lost in one part of the world of TOTEM like the
Orange County Coast Magazine model, which act/scene would you
pick?
LINK /// { goo.gl/GbWc8A }
{Nov.15}
Our big top is now up at the Orange County Great Park Festival
Site in Irvine, CA! Performances from November 21 - December 29;
we are excited to be spending the Holiday Season in OC! Photo
credit: Pascal Sioui
LINK /// { goo.gl/3p9MHX }
{Nov.18}
Picture of our incantation rehearsal for our appearance on The
Tonight Show with Jay Leno!! Watch our performance live tonight
on NBC at 11:35pm/10:35c.
LINK /// { goo.gl/EhVRTE }
{Nov.18}
We are in full rehearsal mode on set for The Tonight Show with
Jay Leno!!
LINK /// { goo.gl/9BrH5G }
{Nov.19}
TOTEM on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (4 photos) - The TOTEM
cast performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC on
November 18, 2013.
LINK /// { goo.gl/4syusX }
{Nov.20}
Are you ready Irvine? TOTEM opens tomorrow at the Orange County
Great Park Festival Site! Photo credit: Gael Ouisse
LINK /// { goo.gl/TylMYw }
{Nov.21}
You can now watch online our Monday appearance on The Tonight
Show with Jay Leno; a nice teaser of our live experience! TOTEM
opens tonight at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine; we are
excited to be back under the big top!
LINK /// { www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrsEQ-kyFzE }
{Nov.22}
Bates The Neanderthal is doing a great job at catching up with
technologies at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno!
LINK /// { goo.gl/2gQxTr }
{Nov.25}
We are taking you behind the scenes of a packed day of PR
activities from the an artist's perspective! Follow Eric
Hernandez, Hoop Dancer, as he meets with more than 25 Southern
California reporters and performs in various TV studios all in
one day! Video credit: Sean Hernandez
LINK /// { www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSOW5imwMWI }
---[ VAREKAI ]---
{Nov.04}
Varekai is coming back to #Montreal ! To celebrate its return in
December, we transformed one of our local fan into a Varekai
character. Where have you seen Varekai ?
LINK /// { goo.gl/EdRsyd }
{Nov.05}
Our team is getting ready to participate in the mexican tv show
"HOY". Wish us luck!
LINK /// { goo.gl/6Y4W4U }
---[ ZARKANA ]---
{Nov.01}
Zarkana performers behind-the-scenes during the filming of
#LastVegas. See Zarkana in Last Vegas - now in theaters
everywhere!
LINK /// { goo.gl/D6PPtc }
{Nov.02}
During the 7pm performance of Zarkana last night an artist
performing in the "Wheel of Death" act slipped and fell off the
wheel. The show was halted and the artist was transported to UMC
where he is in stable condition and is expected to be released
from hospital in the next few days.
{Nov.09}
It's shocking how time flies! Today we celebrate one year at
ARIA Resort & Casino!
LINK /// { goo.gl/Osdwny }
{Nov.11}
Zarkana University is currently in session for this year's
Cirque Week!
LINK /// { goo.gl/gIeLrT }
{Nov.22}
Backstage at last night's Latin GRAMMYs with Leslie Grace!
LINK /// { goo.gl/Y49ohN }
---[ ZUMANITY ]---
{Nov.11}
This year's Cirque Week kicked off at Zumanity this weekend! To
keep up with Cirque Week, check out @Cirque on Twitter!
LINK /// { goo.gl/9DB2tX }
{Nov.13}
Did you catch Dima on LIVE with Kelly and Michael this morning?
LINK /// { goo.gl/bNjM6R }
=======================================================================
FASCINATION! FEATURES
=======================================================================
o) "GETTING SOCIAL: An Exclusive conversation with Cirque's
Social Media Director - Andrew Levey" (Part 1 of 2)
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA)
o) "LA NOUBA: Still Living it Up!"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
"GETTING SOCIAL: An Exclusive conversation with Cirque's
Social Media Director - Andrew Levey" (Part 1 of 2)
By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washigton (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
How companies find and market to their audience has changed
drastically in the almost 30 years since Le Cirque du Soleils' first
performances. It used to be that marketing was limited to print, radio
and television. Now it has completely changed, with the Internet
becoming a vital tool in reaching out and touching the fan and
customer base.
When we were researching iTunes podcasts concerning Cirque for our
review article (available here: http://www.cirquefascination.com/
Issues/Issue116.txt ) the two most interesting had to do with how
Cirque uses Social Marketing:
Comet Branding Radio - Comet Radio Show
Jess Berlin - Manager of Social Media, CDS Las Vegas
Hosts Al Krieger and Sara Meaney
30 minutes (says 45:00, but rest is blank) - 3/24/10
Jess talks about originally advocating for bloggers, bringing them the
same recognition within the company as print journalists. She talks
about maintaining the magic or how to not let too much backstage info
out in the coverage they get. Responding on Twitter, the demographics
of the shows Facebook sites and what kinds of content are popular on
them are also mentioned. Really interesting.
Ideafaktory podcast-Daring ideas for innovators - IdeaFaktory Podcast
Episode 4: Social Strategies with Cirque du Soleil's Andy Levey
Adam Levey - Social Media Director, CDS
Host Steve Faktor (ideafaktory.com)
20 minutes - 12/18/12
Host Faktor talks more than any of the other hosts, but his comments
make this more of a conversation and less of an interview. This is
the most interesting pod-cast of the bunch, as Levey addresses
each topic intelligently. The roles of Facebook and Twitter in
establishing a brand and speaking to an audience of followers, the
reach of Facebook, brand ambassadors and what they mean to a company,
and perceptions of success are all touched on.
After listening to both pod-casts, we were curious as to how a brand
with such a unique emotional visual product as Cirque du Soleil works
with social media, and how they interface with their more dedicated
fans. So we contacted one of the pod-cast interviewees, Mr. Andrew
Levey (LEE-vee), 33, who took time out to speak with us.
Mr. Levey didn't originally start out in Social Marketing. "My
background is in investment banking and finance where I spent two
years, but I didn't enjoy it. And I consequently figured out what I
wanted to do with my career and got to a point where I found I really
enjoyed [working with social marketing]." His first job in his new
profession was working for a nightclub hospitality company. "It was
really at the advent of MySpace. We started developing a lot of
promotion and word-of-mouth through MySpace and Facebook. This was in
2005-2006 and that was really my first experience with it. And it was
cool, it was science and it was social, it was fun and a unique
experience. And it was like being a pioneer in a field that hadn't
existed at the time."
His responsibilities within Cirque are easily stated but large in
scope, and involved a relocation. "I've transitioned from Resident
Shows Division (in Las Vegas) to the mother-ship - the International
Headquarters (in Montréal) - so it's been fun."
"Within my role we oversee Cirque Club and all of our Cirque media
channels. And as people say, news doesn't break it tweets. So we're
always making sure that we have ourselves on the pulse of anything
that happens so we can work with Chantal (Côté - Cirque Corporate PR
Manager) and RC's (Renée-Claude Ménard, Senior PR Director) team to
make sure we convey the proper messaging for the brand. Or we convey
messaging that we receive from fans or celebrities or whomever to the
appropriate parties to say; this is what people are saying, and this
is something that either needs to be addressed or is something that is
going on in the world of Cirque."
In the ongoing tradition of Cirque job titles, his is a mouthful. "I
actually have a new Cirque title that I've only held for three months
- Director of Customer Relationship Marketing. Before that I was
Senior Manager of New Media and Analytics for the Residential Shows
Division. Long titles and no one knows what they mean." (Laughs) "My
current responsibilities are redeveloping our consumer program, and
when I say "consumer program" I mean Cirque Club, what it is and what
it needs to become."
With so many different social channels to monitor, no workday is
typical. "Honestly for me at Cirque, and I think it's like this for
many other departments, is that there really isn't a typical day. We
are at a point right now where we are launching a lot of projects, t's
a great opportunity and a perfect storm of a lot of cool new and
exciting things happening at once. So it just depends on the day, on
what's due, what the deadline is, what's planned versus what's not
planned and how we should react to things that aren't planned."
How many Cirque shows has he seen, we wanted to know? "That's a tough
question. I saw my first Cirque show, Mystere, when I was 13 years
old. In 1995 I saw Alegria. And then I saw Quidam in 96-97. So I was a
fan and had no idea that I would ever work here. And since then I've
seen every resident show, open or closed, probably about seven or
eight times each. And then I've seen a few of the newer touring shows;
Amaluna, Michael Jackson Immortal. That's really it for touring shows,
I haven't seen too many new ones, I'm missing Kooza, Varekai, and
Totem."
Extending the Experience
------------------------
Social Marketing has become a vital way for Cirque to communicate and
market to its fans and potential ticket buyers. But it hasn't always
had a united coherent strategy for doing so, which presented an
opportunity for Mr. Levey. "For us [Social Marketing] is a way to have
a one-on-one relationship with our consumer. Cirque Club is a good
tool for doing that, e-mail marketing is a great tool for doing that.
But nowadays people really trust and feel more close to a brands
Facebook or Twitter account then they do getting an e-mail, which is
rather impersonal."
"So through social media our goal is to get you closer to the brand
and extend your Cirque experience. When you go to a Cirque show,
whether it's in a big top, arena, or a resident show, [when you add
up] the commute, dinner, and post-show time you're looking at a four-
hour experience. We want to figure out how we can extend that
experience for you. How do we get you excited in advance? How do we
get you talking about it during intermission? And how do we extend it
from the show? We've found that platforms like Facebook, Twitter and
even YouTube are the most efficient and fastest ways to reach our
consumer and interact with them."
Part of Mr. Levey's purvue is to apply science and analysis to
Cirque's social media, creating actionable data that can be digested
and acted upon. He also sees it as a way to target specific audience
groups. "That's really the beauty of social media. You need
traditional channels like television and print, etc, but [with social
media] we can really talk to a specific person."
"[So we can say,] okay, we're going to place this billboard that's
going to target everyone that drives frequently in the area. But
through social media channels we can have a campaign that's [much more
targeted]. We could target messaging more towards (and I'll just throw
out a hypothetical here) married couples who live in this region that
are also interested in these types of arts. And we can test it; we
sent this message towards single men 25 to 35 who live in this area,
did it resonate (garner interest)? So for us it's a really interesting
way of testing messaging and getting messaging out there in very cost-
efficient ways."
"And you can change it in real time. As opposed to something where you
spend a lot of money on it and you place it and it has to sit there
for a month and you either don't know the results, or by the time you
want to change it you have to start the process all over again. With
social media we can run a campaign and know within an hour whether it
performed, and we can change it."
We at Fascination have focused exclusively on the written word to
communicate our interest and share our knowledge about Cirque. But as
far as content that gets the most response, photos and videos convey
what this very visual brand does best. It is print, us for example,
that are the dinosaurs - the future is visual. "What we see through
our social media channels is that photos and video are what our fans
love and really engage with. And it could be a photo of the most
minute piece of costume that people obsess over. Or it could be a
video that shows, for example, how a head mold is made. There are
things like that that just amaze people. You go to a show and you
think, how did they do that, how did they make that piece? And those
are the things that we find work the best, our fans love that."
Spreading the News Around
-------------------------
Cirque has spread its web presence over several platforms.
There are a few YouTube channels for videos:
o) http://www.youtube.com/user/cirquedusoleil
o) http://www.youtube.com/cirquelasvegas - for Las Vegas Shows
o) http://www.youtube.com/user/CirqueDuSoleilRus - in Russian
Some videos are also posted directly to Facebook where Cirque
maintains a separate page for each show as well as a corporate Cirque
du Soleil page and one for casting, desiring to establish each show as
it's own "brand" within the Cirque universe.
Pictures are also placed on Facebook, but sometimes they use:
o) Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/CirqueduSoleildotcom
o) Instagram - http://web.stagram.com/n/cirquedusoleil/
They're also on Twitter in several places:
o) @Cirque - the main corporate feed
o) @CirqueClub - For Cirque Club
o) @Dance_at_Cirque - Casting and audition notices
o) @thelightvegas - the Light nightclub at Mandalay Bay
o) @CDS_Russia - in Russian for Russians
And if that wasn't enough, they're also on:
o) Google+: https://plus.google.com/117560566693154728562/
o) Tumblr: http://cirquedusoleil.tumblr.com/ (with some
hilarious comments below pictures in the hashtags.
Delightful!)
There are also pages on these as well, though they haven't been
updated in awhile:
o) FourSquare: https://foursquare.com/cirque
o) MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/cirquedusoleilmusicians
In general, the audience Cirque is trying to reach (the "average"
customer profile) are women between the ages of 25 and 45 who are
college-educated and have a higher level of income. That isn't to say
that Cirque doesn't also appeal to men, or people younger or older,
just that the largest segment of their ticket buying public fit that
profile.
The audience they speak to depends on the platform. "Facebook is more
regional depending on where we are and who's responding. But we see
within Facebook a lot of Latin American fans. We frequently see the
comment - when are you coming to Mexico or Brazil or Argentina?
They're very passionate so we see a lot of those fans."
"Twitter is different because it's more real-time than Facebook. So we
see a huge variety of fans. Especially people who tweet about the show
at intermission or tweet [after the show]. And that is a huge
opportunity for us to really talk to our fans."
"Think about it - any product you buy, how often do you get to talk to
the brand? That's a cool thing, it's a validating experience. If I
went to a hockey game and I tweeted about the Canadians and they
tweeted back to me I would think, wow, that's pretty cool! They care
about me or they wanted to respond to me. To say [in response to a fan
tweet], what you [said about] when you saw the show, we're going to
favorite it or we're going to talk to about it, or we're going to say
that's great to hear, tell us more. Or that we're going to take your
input and will solicit it to the right people. And for us that is
really the biggest opportunity within Twitter."
"The part I enjoy most about what we do now is that there were
situations in the finance world where I'd work on a project and it
would go to 18 different levels and I never knew if it saw the light
of day. Whereas where I'm working now we get to talk to the consumer
about something that's amazing, that is an emotional product. We
aren't selling aspirin or deodorant, we're providing them with an
experience."
Facebook Friends
----------------
Of all the platforms they use, "We've seen that Facebook is our most
effective tool in terms of social marketing, it really drives ticket
sales. Because you can get so granular and targeted."
In the pod-cast interview, Mr. Levey stated that one could usually
only reach 14-16% of your audience on Facebook. "What that means is
when you post something on Facebook not everyone sees it; not 100% of
your friends see it, not 100% of the people that follow you as a brand
see it. That's based on Facebook's algorithm, on an affinity score of
how often you engage with the person or with the brand, how "close"
you are. It's also a way for [Facebook] to sell ad real estate. And
they know that you're going to need to bridge that gap. You don't want
to reach just 10% of your audience, you want to reach as close to 100%
as possible. So for Facebook they turn that into an opportunity for
you to either target non-followers or target your own followers to
boost that to 20%, or 30%, or 40%. That's where that opportunity is
and that's the value proposition for their sales mechanism and their
advertising revenues."
Just as important as communicating to your audience is tracking how
effective your efforts are. That helps determine whether the return
(in ticket sales revenue) is greater than the expenditure (in effort
and dollars). In the pod-cast, Mr. Levey said recent efforts yielded
results from 6x to 16x return-on-investment. With today's analytical
tools it is possible to analyze and parse your audience into smaller,
highly focused segments. "But that's a little bit harder, and that's
actually the project we're working on now, really fleshing out that
database and understanding who people are. Facebook elicits so many
actions from you as a consumer we can target based on those actions -
everything that you like, every activity that you have. From the
business facing standpoint, all those actions translate back into a
model that someone can either target or advertise towards or use to
figure out [who] the people are we want to talk to and [who] are the
people we don't want to talk to. So we really use our social channels
to figure out how we get the relevant messaging to the relevant people
and how we send something that is relevant to [one person] but may not
be relevant to [another]. Because we can't just message the same
message to everybody anymore." This results in their ability to post
or advertise directly to a person with a message that will be seen
within their news-feed.
But the response Cirque usually gets from its Facebook followers
generally fall into two, more mundane, categories. Most of the
comments are either variations of "I Love This Show," or "Please Come
to my city," and isn't a very relevant discussion of what's posted.
Mr. Levey agrees. "I think that's a very good point. I remember we
canceled Zarkana in New York due to Hurricane Sandy. So we posted that
due to inclement weather we were canceling [some performances of]
Zarkana. And the first five responses were not, "I have tickets, I
need to get a refund," but were more like, "We love this show! I've
seen it five times! When are you coming here?""
"Facebook's good to engage with our fans. But when we actually want
responses from them, or want feedback, it might not be the most
appropriate tool. So we're trying to figure out what that tool is and
how we reach out to our fans. What do you think about this? Or what is
your favorite moment of this? Sometimes we do that on Facebook and we
get some responses, but to filter through it is very challenging. So
we're trying to figure out where the best spot for that is."
Maintaining more than 20 separate Facebook pages means challenges, one
of which is the frequency of posting. In a quick analysis we at
Fascination! pulled together (and will elaborate on in a future issue)
we found that, on average, Big Top shows post twice as often as
Resident shows, and Arena shows outpost Resident shows by an
additional 20%. KÀ, La Nouba, Zumanity and Believe post on average
less than twice per month, the Big Top shows mostly keep to the
average of 5 (except Totem which overachieves at 12), and the Arena
shows come in at an average of 8 (except Quidam which under-performs
at an average of 3). Are some posting too much, or are some posting
too little? "It's a tough balance and we don't think there's a perfect
equilibrium. They're different situations. With the touring shows, if
it's an arena show you're in a different city every week. So [in
order] to be relevant you really have to post a lot. You want to tell
people - hey you know what we're in Brazil now, or we're in Minnesota
now. With the resident shows there isn't that traveling activity so
sometimes there's not a lot of news. And honestly sometimes there's
nothing to update."
"And sometimes there's content that is re-purposed or we find that we
just posted [something similar] a month ago and people are going to
know. [It's] something that we're trying to figure out because we know
that there's that discrepancy between shows that post 2 to 3 times a
week versus some shows where you don't have any updates."
And some shows by their very nature are just difficult to create posts
for. Zumanity for example; it has the most-tech savvy followers of
any of Cirque's shows, yet posts near the least. But there's a reason
for that. "That's a tough show to message within social media. The
Facebook page is gated (age-restricted) because of the nature and
topic of the show. It's very difficult because there's a lot of stuff
from that show you can't really publish on Facebook, there's certain
acts you can't publish. So it's a very fine line that we have to walk
with certain shows in specific scenarios."
# # #
Next month, in the conclusion of our interview, Mr. Levey discusses
how to navigate your way through bad news, how they plan to reach out
to fans, and upcoming plans for Cirque Club. Don't miss it!
----------------------------------------------------------
"LA NOUBA: Still Living it Up!"
By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
----------------------------------------------------------
The evening of May 8, 1999 is a date I shall never forget.
From Section 205, Row LL, Seat 17 I was about to be indoctrinated into
the world of Cirque du Soleil for the very first time. To tell you the
truth I had my reservations about seeing the show. Its cost was
astronomical to me back then, and I wasn't into the theater like many
of my friends were at the time. I was afraid I would be bored out of
my skull. But I was told Cirque du Soleil would be worth the price of
admission... not to worry. And boy they were right! From the very
first moment the show began I was completely mesmerized. It didn't
matter that I was soaked to the bone (my friend and I had spent the
entire day in the rain at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom). It was
of little consequence that my head throbbed with a pounding headache.
And it was of little significance that we were as far away from the
stage as one could get (well, almost.)
All that became relevant in those 90 minutes was the artistry and
pageantry of the performers that danced upon the stage before, and the
skills of the musicians who played above me. For it was truly once
upon a time... a door opened before me and two worlds collided. Dreams
clashed with reality. The mundane mixed with the marvelous. It was no
longer possible for me to tell where one world began and the other
ended. I had truly entered the realm of La Nouba and the dominion of
Cirque du Soleil. It glowed with spellbinding intensity; a vibrant
kaleidoscope of artistry and daring; a splash of iridescent genius. I
now knew the color of imagination...
My heart leapt! I would see La Nouba again just twenty-one days later
(it was even better the second time!) and again on the 4th of July
(Yep, I was hooked!). I would even go on to build a website, launch a
newsletter, and even help organize gatherings for like-minded
friends... Well, you know all that. It's hard to believe that this
month marks La Nouba's 15th anniversary - can you believe that? It
seems like it was only yesterday I watched Disney and Cirque build the
theater at what was then the new Downtown Disney West Side, endured
the incessant gushing about Cirque from a good friend of mine until I
gave in and went to see the show with him (you keep on preaching,
man), and then had my life changed for the better.
What I didn't know at the time was how hard Cirque's creative team
worked to give birth to the show.
Once Upon a Time...
-------------------
"Once upon a time... A door opened and two worlds collided.
Dreams clashed with reality. The mundane mixed with the
marvelous. It was no longer possible to tell where one world
began and the other ended. This new place was called La Nouba."
"La Nouba was the fruit of 10 years of negotiation, and the
fulfillment of long-standing ambition on the part of Disney to include
Cirque du Soleil in its roster," writes Tony Babinski in Cirque du
Soleil: 20 Years Under the Sun.
Truth told Disney wasn't the only entertainment conglomerate
interested in Cirque du Soleil in its early days. Once Le Cirque
Réinventé became a hit out in Santa Monica it quickly became the talk
of Hollywood. Laliberté was courted by Columbia Pictures to make a
movie about Cirque du Soleil and its characters. Dawn Steel,
Columbia's president at the time, threw a party to announce the deal,
but Laliberté, well... "They were seating all the stars, and I was
basically put aside," he says. "They just wanted to lock up our story
and our brand name and walk around like they owned Cirque du Soleil. I
walked right out of the party, called my lawyer and told him to get me
out of the deal."
Disney honcho Michael Eisner and Casino mogul Steve Wynn came calling
too... but Guy had already learned his lesson. And in 10 years time so
did Mr. Eisner. Disney head Michael Eisner remembers that negotiations
with Cirque were long and complex, because Cirque insisted on
retaining creative independence. His solution was to let Cirque have
it. "I've been dealing with the movie business for a long time," says
Eisner in the documentary "Run Before You Fly", "and when you have a
Spielberg or a George Lucas or others of that level, you let them have
creative control. With Cirque du Soleil and Guy Laliberté, you create
a financial box, and you let them do it!"
And so after years and years of negotiations, on July 12, 1996 Cirque
du Soleil announced that it had reached a long-term agreement with the
Walt Disney Company for a new circus-style theatrical show to be
housed within a 70,000 square-foot free-standing theater (to seat up
to 1,650 patrons), which would be constructed at the Walt Disney World
Resort in Orlando, Florida. "A brand-new production with an
international cast of more than 70 performers will take to the stage
the magic of Cirque du Soleil. The length of the agreement between
parties is extended on a 12-year period and the first Walt Disney
World performance will premiere in November 1998," the post announced
but little in the way of the show's vision was known. Faced with being
in the midst of a fairy tale world once upon a time, what would you
do? You come up with your own fairy tale of course!
"After working on previous Cirque shows I turned around one day and
realized that life had gone by, "Franco Dragone reminisces, "and I
hadn't seen my children grow up. I wanted to re-connect with youth, to
show my 19-year-old son that I was still hip. The idea became to see
how Cirque could live in a modern, urban environment. I was also very
aware that we were setting up a show in Disney's territory, so to
speak. I wanted La Nouba to integrate that fact: we were going back to
the world of childhood and fairy tales."
Every member of the creative team remembers coming to La Nouba feeling
depleted after working straight through a challenging string of
previous shows. Mystere, Alegria, Quidam, and "O" had all been
overlapping productions. Somehow, Cirque had also found time to put
together a film production inspired by Alegria in the same period. The
group's fatigue when they came to La Nouba was compounded by the fact
that there was very little time to put the show together. Their
collective response was to plumb the energy of youth, long the motor
of Cirque du Soleil's inventive power. La Nouba "was made under
exhaustion," admits Laliberte in Babinski's book. "What helped us get
through it," he continues, "was to make the show a tribute to all the
teenagers in the world, which injected a lot of energy into it."
"With La Nouba we really [went for] an urban, young energy. So we
turned to hip-hop," says Debra Brown. She turned to Clarence Ford, a
prolific dancer, choreographer, teacher and film director from
Toronto, and invited him to take part in the studio workshops and
contribute some of his choreographies for La Nouba. "[He] gave us some
essential hip-hop training. If it weren't for him we would have had to
find a completely different way of moving."
Benoit Jutras (Composer) and Luc Lafortune (Lighting Designer) drew
from the same pool of inspiration: "We wanted a very urban show, but
it had to be a modern kind of urban, not like something out of Fritz
Lang's 'Metrpolois'. That's why you see '.com', 'shift', 'delete',
barcodes and [so forth] on the walls... for the high-tech element." As
for the music? It rocks!
Dominique Lemieux (Costume Designer), on the other hand, drew her
inspiration from the world of fairy tales: "The idea of La Nouba for
[me] was really like returning to childhood, to that time when you
huddle together and try to live out your future on a smaller scale, in
your imagination. You ask yourself what will I be, a worker, a
ballerina? We tried to have fun, scare ourselves, like we were kids,
too, and to touch human tragedy with our fingertips. It meant adopting
a different method from the start. For the first time, I started to
draw on black pages with white crayons. The characters are born from
the dark, from dreams and fairy tales, to reflect the human condition
today."
The story of La Nouba contains two types of families or groups: the
urban people and the circus people. The circus characters are denoted
by bright, neon colors and the urbanites by dark, gray and muted
tones. Costume Designer Dominique Lemieux created 30 different costume
concepts, blending historical and traditional circus attire with
original contemporary styles. Lemieux drew at least 10 different
designs for each costume concept. Many of the performers in La Nouba
undergo a metamorphosis indicated by a dramatic costume change. Some
principal characters have several costume layers, which are revealed
as the story unfolds. An example of this transformation can be seen in
the urban costumes. To personify the city dwellers, Lemieux chose
textured natural fabrics such as hemp. The urban characters begin in
dark, muted blues, reds and greens and end up in white, billowing, and
fairy-like outfits.
"Normally, the artists are willing to go beyond what they would
normally do," Lemieux muses. "In La Nouba, we had created these
transvestite characters for the Russians to play, to give the show a
cabaret feel. And they really, really resisted doing it! But, in the
end, they agreed: and they do a wonderful job!"
The costumes for La Nouba were created in a record eight-week period
from October 24 to December 23, 1998 at the costume workshop located
in the Cirque du Soleil Theater.
And speaking of the theater...
A Kaleidoscope of Imagination...
---------------------------------
"For me, the dark attic in La Nouba is terribly important.
Because, in the dark, anything can happen. You can have flying
bats and terrors of all kinds in the dark. In the attic of our
imaginations, all these characters exist." - Gilles Ste-Croix
(Spectaculara)
The La Nouba performance space is a collaboration of four entities:
Cirque du Soleil, Scéno Plus, Walt Disney Imagineering and the
Rockwell Group. All four worked together to design and construct what
would be Cirque du Soleil's first freestanding theater built
exclusively for their needs. Armed with a budget between $20 and $30
Million (USD), Scéno Plus designed the approx. 75,000 square-foot
(7,000 square-meter) drum-shaped theater that is a wonderful testament
to both structure and beauty and a shining example of ingenuity and
design.
On the outside, the Cirque Theater is like a "castle" standing
prominently on the shores of its kingdom, in this case on the shores
of Village Lake in Downtown Disney's West Side. The structure,
accented in white Teflon-coated canvas fabric, stands approximately
160 feet tall from the concrete sidewalk to the tops of its spires.
Atop the theater rests the namesake of the company in big blue
lettering and even higher still, the castle is topped with four
fluttering flags featuring the famous sun logo of Cirque du Soleil.
And while the outside is something to marvel, the interior is no less
so.
On the inside of this concrete-canvas behemoth, on the second floor,
rests its performance space. Like many of Cirque's theaters, the first
thing you'll notice upon entering is the set and out-in-the-round
stage. The set, which has been referred to as an "Elizabethan-style"
stage due to its symmetrical style, is said to be reminiscent of a
well-traveled path or trail. While that may be true, many see the
insane nature of an asylum, and certainly that too is true. That
asylum-esque nature is created with a 60×200 foot trellis construct
made of PVC panels and scrim, which allow for wonderful projection and
shadow play conjuring up uncanny images of Orwellian reminiscence. The
wonderful backdrop is overshadowed by mountainous outcroppings,
jetting up from the floor on either side. These rocks stand
approximately 60-feet tall and are constructed of hard steel, but
padded using wood and bleached velour (a velvet-type material.)
Even the showroom seats are abound with detail; modeled after old-
fashioned auditorium chairs, these seats are steel and wood
constructed and covered in red velvet. They were built by American
Seating of Grand Rapids, Michigan especially for La Nouba. But look up
from your red-colored seats and see the seven cloud-like "Fabulous
Figures" that decorate the ceiling of the showroom; their whimsical
dance about the tops of the theater forever captured. These "figures"
are manufactured out of copper tubing and wrapped in mesh and measure
approximately 30-feet in length. You may not know, though, that these
fanciful leapers were designed by Michel Crête, the set designer.
You may spot the musicians next, resting upon two platforms housed in
the 75-foot towers rising on either side of the stage. Separated but
not disconnected from the performance, these musicians play the
various notes of La Nouba's live music. They do so by staying
connected via a complex audio system that allows each musician to
speak with the bandleader, their other band mates and take direction
if something were to happen. Usually the tick of a metronome is heard
throughout their setup to keep everyone on the same beat and time. The
platforms themselves are nothing more than steel planks welded
together (among other various pieces) and contain an external elevator
(which performers rise and lower from during the show.
The stage has many technological achievements also.
The retractable Power Track, as it is called, is 60 feet in length and
fully automated, which means computers control the retraction (at 2-
feet-per-second) of this enormously powerful trampoline. But don't let
that quick retraction fool you into thinking the floor is light; it's
not, it weighs over 10,000 pounds! The Power Track was specially
designed by Cirque du Soleil (and Paco Corp.) to allow the performers
to jump higher and faster than ever. The PowerTrack is the next
evolution of the FastTrack as seen in Alegría. Ironically the
PowerTrack became so popular that it was installed in Alegría, taking
the old FastTrack's place.
The stage comes alive during the performance by a set of elevators
commonly referred to as lifts. There are five in all, resting just
below the stage surface. The ascent and descent of these lifts are
controlled by numerous motors (45 in all!) that must be in complete
working order for the lifts to even function. The five lifts
themselves rise to a maximum height of 16-feet; the center stage lift
is also capable of descending 16-feet below the stage for a 32-feet
range of motion! And they each have a 3,000 pound weight capacity. The
stage itself is protected by an impact-resilient material called
"Mondo Sport Floor" applied over wood in order to avoid injuries to
the acrobats and dancers.
Two télépheriques (or tracks) installed along the back wall of the
stage are 78-feet (24-meters) above the ground and are capable of
moving props, scenery and acrobatic equipment during the show at 4-
feet-per-second. These tracks provide an easy system for moving
objects in and out of view of the spectators. You'll find various
strange props, lights and chairs gliding by throughout the various
acts including "The Grand Monument," a 40×30 foot structure of
aluminum and painted scrim.
The set is fully automated as well. The 25×60-foot Trapeze Net
(designed by Doug Kiddell of Cirque du Soleil), for example, is
protracted and retracted by eight motors, including two 40-horsepower
tensioning winches with up to 5,000 pounds of force. Not one soul
comes out to set up or tear down the trapeze net. Additional set
pieces are operated using a motorized counterweight system, such as:
the trampolines (which descend from the ceiling), the flying doors (of
which there are 9), the petite fenêtre volante (or New York Window,)
two pedestal platforms and the four trapeze grips.
The JR Clancy Company of Syracuse, New York installed the 44-line set
rigging system and 35 of the winches used for these props. The lifts
were designed and installed by Showmotion of Connecticut in
partnership with Disney Ride and Show Engineering. Westsun Scenic
Edge, Inc. of Winnipeg actually designed and installed the computer
control system, which makes the space come alive using a Windows NT
based program called Dynatrac.
With fixed tiered seating in a 180-degree semicircle around the stage,
the auditorium has neither a proscenium arch nor an architectural
ceiling, which makes it similar to many of Cirque's other theatrical
ventures. To some, the first glimpse provides the image of a
traditional big top; to others, it is Cirque du Soleil's greatest
achievement. Regardless of how you see it, it is a one-of-a-kind
structure for Cirque du Soleil in that it's Cirque's first stand-alone
theater complex, but also a self-contained Cirque world. What do I
mean? For the first time, a show space, ticket booths and Boutique
(which Scéno Plus also designed) are housed directly in the same
complex.
Michel Crête, Set Designer, sums it all up thusly: "La Nouba is a show
that occupies two spaces at once: the world of the modern urban
centre, and the world of childhood dreams and visions. In La Nouba,
these worlds are not mutually exclusive: they blend endlessly, one
into the other. Railroad tracks lead to fairy tales, factories become
castle ramparts, and magic continually explodes into the mundane. The
set of La Nouba is like a factory, or a childhood attic filled with
dreams and nightmares. You never know for sure whether you're in the
world of fantasy or reality. Ordinary objects very quickly become
fantastical, like the upside-down bicycle. That's why doors, windows,
are so important: you're always in-between. It's deliberately open,
deliberately layered. How you see it depends very much on you as a
spectator."
On December 23, 1998, just a few short weeks after the Las Vegas
premiere of "O" (Cirque du Soleil's second resident show) the lights
dimmed, the audience hushed and a shock of electric excitement filled
the air in the La Nouba Theater for the very first time. It was the
culmination of a tremendous amount of hard work, blood, sweat and
tears, and a vigorous production schedule that saw the birth of three
shows in the span of seven months, but it wouldforever leave a
lasting mark on Cirque du Soleil's legacy. Now it's time to confront
the mundane and monochromatic, the ordinary and every-day. And in a
dull, grey urban world, set the spark of childhood dreams and
imagination aflame. Enter La Nouba.
Sit Back, Relax and Enjoy...
----------------------------
"Ladies and Gentlemen - welcome to Cirque du Soleil. During this
performance smoke effects will be used, but these are harmless
to your health. The use of video equipment, and especially flash
cameras, is strictly prohibited because of the danger it
presents to our acrobats. In case of an emergency, please stay
calm and proceed to the nearest exit - here, here, here, and
here. The ushers will direct you. And now, sit back, relax and
enjoy... La Nouba!" (La Nouba's Opening Narration)
The lights dim down and the audience becomes still now; a shock of
electric excitement filled the air as any previous vociferations come
to a sharp end. And then the unforgettable sound of a lone trumpet
fills the theater, as the Festival of Characters enter, one by one,
and introduce themselves to us. The Trumpeter, himself a prince in
this fairy tale, brings with him a wonderful medley of personae and a
signature melody that warms the heart. We're introduced to L'Oiseau,
the colorful green bird; Les Danseurs, a man and woman in love; the
Flying Man, who will soar into our hearts on a band of red silk; the
Balancer, colorfully dressed from head to toe, complete with a cat's
tail; an Acrobat in Red, forever tumbling, he stokes the party; Le
Promeneur, shuffling about with an ever present smile; and the Titan,
a menacing, threatening man. They vanish as quickly as they come, and
once again the theater falls lifeless, and dark.
The quiet is disturbed, not by the harrowed scream of a demented
creature or of a maiden in distress, but of the chime of a doorbell.
Ding dong. Ding dong. The door creeks open, a column of light shines
through, outlining the form of a lady, a rather round and lifeless
creature, whose job it is to clean and sweep the floors around her.
She is the cleaning lady, representing the everyday man or woman, no
doubt. But as she goes about her duties, oblivious of the world she
has entered, the creatures of this fantastical realm are beginning to
stir. The Green Bird tiptoes behind her; sensing a movement, she turns
but there's nothing to be found. But then... startles at a man riding
a bicycle upside down across her field of vision. And before her eyes
(and ours) more and more weird and wonderful apparitions begin to
materialize: two sleepwalking fools canter by; a small train pulls in
to station, and the cries of a hungry, estranged wolf mix with the
howls and sirens of warning to announce the coming clash of dream and
nightmare.
Unable to hold back any longer, the insane world of La Nouba pours
forth and spills upon the stage before us. Startled, we all peer at
the newcomers as they stream steadily from the opened door. Caught up
now as she is in their world, we march forward to their militaristic
tune. Fantasy and reality are merging before our eyes and we are lost
to make heads or tails of either.
La Nouba is an unforgettable journey through this universe - at once
threatening and exhilarating, frightening and familiar. La Nouba is
the story of all stories, the site of all mysteries, where dreams and
nightmares sleep side by side. La Nouba is memory, individual and
universal. It beckons to us, challenges us to uncover passions we
thought we'd lost long ago. Here, anything is possible.
As mentioned before, La Nouba contains two types of families or groups
and throughout the ride the magic and fantasy of the colorful Cirques
(circus people) clash with the monochromatic world of the Urbains
(urbanites). But as in fables, it is not so much this contrast as the
interplay between these two groups which sparks our curiosity and
feeds our imagination. From this encounter is born fear and ecstasy.
From this encounter is born La Nouba:
Roue allemande (German Wheel)
What started as a popular gymnastics exercise in Germany has become a
crowd-pleasing act for Cirque du Soleil. Six-and-a-half feet in
diameter, the wheel consists of two metal hoops joined at six points.
Identical twin brothers turn and spin the wheels while performing
gravity-defying somersaults and acrobatics. Though both were featured
in Cirque du Soleil's Nouvelle Expérience, this is the first time they
performed together as a duo.
Funambule (High Wire)
The Funambule act takes place on a 90-foot, half-inch wide steel wire.
With remarkable balance and precision, a high wire walker ascends to a
height of 34 feet above the stage as his partner descends from the
theater's eighth level to the fifth on a diagonal wire. The
performers' breathtaking maneuvers include head balancing, and death
defying somersaults. Using two different types of bicycles, one of the
high wire walkers executes a wheelie and later crosses the wire while
carrying another artist on his shoulder. This amazing team is
comprised of three acrobats who are life-long students of the
discipline.
Diabolos
The diabolo, or Chinese yo-yo, is a children's game first introduced
into the realm of the arts in Cirque du Soleil's Quidam. This
entrancing act features four young Chinese performers. Holding two
sticks linked by a string, they slide, juggle and toss a musical
wooden spool while performing flips in the air. Demonstrating
increasingly difficult maneuvers, the artists attempt to outdo each
other in dexterity and ingenuity.
Vélos (Cycles)
This act gets rolling with a BMX wizard whose difficult maneuvers
never fail to mesmerize the public. His technical twists, gymnastic
turns and spins on one wheel are highlighted in incredible tricks such
as G-turns, boomerangs and mega-spins, all accompanied by lots of
footwork. The second half of the act features yet another artist whose
feats are equally astonishing. His hard-to-believe stunts include
riding over obstacles without ever putting his feet down, jumping off
high platforms, hopping up and down steps and into the audience on one
wheel, and even jumping over an artist and a guest before literally
plunging into the bowels of the stage.
Cadre aérien (Aerial Cradle)
The aerial cradle looks like a door and is a perfect example of equal-
opportunity strength and agility. This amazing athletic display
features elements of traditional circus aerial cradle with a unique
and special difference - the male and female artists take turns
supporting one another 34 feet above the stage.
Ballet Air et Soie (Aerial Ballet in Silk)
In a stunning display of grace and strength, the artists become one
with the ribbon of red fabric that cradles them. This breathtaking
aerial dance requires immense agility and flexibility, and allows the
performers a wide latitude of acrobatic and artistic expression.
Equilibre sur Chaises (Balancing on Chairs)
Vasily Dementchoukov's famous chair act was a hit in Cirque du
Soleil's Nouvelle Expérience in 1992. For 11 years now, he has defied
gravity and the laws of physics while balancing precariously on a
stack of eight chairs, atop a table, 25 feet in the air - all the
while carrying a spinning birthday cake lit with candles. For La
Nouba, Vasily's act is performed on a rising platform increasing his
maximum height to 41 feet above the stage.
Grands Volants (Flying Trapeze)
Four pendulum-like swings, on two different levels, carry a team of
perfectly synchronized aerialists 53 feet above the stage. This
innovative bi-level rigging enables the trapezists to create a
visually arresting exhibition of rhythm and athleticism. Timing is
key when all four trapezes are swinging in tandem and the aerialists
switch places - barely inches away from colliding.
Power Track/Trampoline
This act in La Nouba takes ordinary trampoline and power track
performance to a new level. The stage is set on fire in this high-
energy acrobatic display of phenomenal timing and spatial awareness.
Artists jump, flip and otherwise dance upon the trampolines while
their comrades take turns walking up the walls on a representation of
a high-rise building, complete with windows. The color melds with the
surrounding performance... and that pounding you hear in your ears?
That's your heart, as a trio shares the same trampoline and misses
each other by just a hair.
Epilogue
During the run of the program, the cleaning lady makes an appearance
to woo a frog that has jumped on stage. Led to believe it's a prince
in disguise, she captures the bouncing creature and kisses it. She
leaves with her head full of dreams. But we see her agony is not
without reward. The frog was a prince indeed! The green carpet is
rolled out to them as the two reappear to share with us their
consummation into holy matrimony. A flash of folly is thrown at them
and the two turn and return into the confines of the open door. Sergeï
and Balthazar, our two clowns, closely follow our happy couple as they
"mow" the green carpet back into submission. Reality and fantasy once
again go their separate ways and the party known as La Nouba comes to
a close...
The Color of Imagination...
---------------------------
Ahh yes, that's how I remember La Nouba! Isn't it a great show? Alas,
La Nouba, like the rest of Cirque du Soleil, is constantly evolving -
from new performers and upgraded equipment - no one show is ever the
same as another. And La Nouba has not been immune to change.
Vasily Dementchoukov perched atop his stack of chairs for the very
last time in 2003, retiring from Cirque du Soleil (and performance in
general) after many long and prosperous years. In his stead, Carlos
Rodriguez Diaz (Rokardy) - a Cuban-born gymnast who turned heads while
participating in several international circus festivals - joined the
production and completely transformed his solo act. Rokardy completely
transformed his solo act for La Nouba, which was integrated in the
show on January 24, 2003.
The artist stacks furniture he has found in the imaginary attic of La
Nouba in order to light a chandelier, which mysteriously rises just
beyond his reach every time he tries to get to the last candle.
Rokardy defies gravity and the laws of physics as he balances
precariously on a stack of six chairs, two books, and a baby carriage
atop a table elevated 16 feet in the air. When he finally manages to
reach the chandelier, Rokardy, who is now 34 feet in the air,
surprises by hand-balancing atop his stack, before lighting the last
candle.
He would stay with La Nouba for six years, leaving only to perform a
variation of his act in Viva Elvis in Las Vegas (2009-2012).
His leaving brought even bigger changes to La Nouba: For the start of
the 2010 season, both Balancing on Chairs and German Wheel
performances were retired. They were subsequently replaced with an
opening Skipping Rope routine (a presentation from Quidam, whereby the
Urbains perform rigid rhythms in monochromatic tones, giving way to
vibrant dance and acrobatics in a steady stream of solo, duo and group
jumps and formations), and with the addition of Anthony Gatto, juggler
extraordinaire.
He's the only juggler in the world to have been awarded the Golden
Clown of Monte Carlo, a highly prestigious performance award, and he
holds or shares a few juggling records, such as: the most rings
juggled and caught (at least twice) and the most clubs juggled.
Besides rings and clubs, Anthony is also a whiz at balls, juggling up
to nine! Here he juggles all three from hand-to-hand, from arc-to-arc
and into home-built props and other receptacles. Quite simply, he's
earned the title of being the best in the world.
Of course Anthony Gatto needed a more permanent home for him and his
budding family than Koozå could provide (it's hard to tour with a new
baby), and the Bilodeau brothers? They just needed a change of pace.
Bruce and Stacey had been performing with Cirque du Soleil since the
tour of Nouvelle Experience (then went on to Fascination and Mystere
before landing at La Nouba).
Alas, regardless of whether you remember La Nouba with Vasily
Dementchoukov's famous chair act, balancing on chairs with Rokardy, or
have seen it more recently with jumping Urbaines and juggling Gatto
it's still one heck of a show!
Happy 15th Birthday La Nouba - Keep living it up!
Some other milestones...
December 23, 1998 - First Public Performance
January 28, 2999 - Opening Night (Media Gala Premiere)
February 28, 2000 - 500th Performance
February 2, 2001 - 1000th Performance (6:00pm)
March 14, 2003 - 2000th Performance (6:00pm)
April 23, 2005 - 3000th Performance (9:00pm)
May 13, 2006 - 3,500th Performance (6:00pm)
August 10, 2006 - 5 Millionth Guest
June 12, 2007 - 4,000th Performance (6:00pm)
June 19, 2008 - 4,500th Performance (6:00pm)
July 10, 2009 - 5,000th Performance (9:00pm)
July 29, 2010 - 5,500th Performance (9:00pm)
August 13, 2011 - 6,000th Performance (6:00pm)
September 12, 2013 - 7,000th Performance (6:00pm)
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COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
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Fascination! Newsletter
Volume 13, Number 11 (Issue #119) - December 2013
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c)
2001-2013 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
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infringement intended.
{ Dec.07.2013 }
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