Whether you’re a casual fan, an enthusiast, a Cirque devotee, a super
fan or an aficionado, Cirque du Soleil has created the perfect event
to satiate your appetites for all things Cirque. It’s called
CirqueWeek and it’s a gathering of Cirque du Soleil fans (a convention
if you will, similar to CirqueCon but organized not by fans but by
Cirque du Soleil itself) that offers unique show and event packages
with exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences.
First announced in 2010 as a collaboration between Cirque and the Las
Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (as a means to bring more
guests to Las Vegas during what is arguably its slowest season for
visitors – winter), the inaugural event proved quite popular. Many
wondered if CirqueWeek is just a one-time happening or if a second
would be bestowed.
By summer 2011 the answer arrived: From December 1st through 10th (ten
days this time, rather than five), the second annual CirqueWeek would
commence with behind-the-scenes Q&As & unplugged performances, meet &
greet photo opportunities with characters, technology demonstrations,
special fan receptions, exclusive performance and dress rehearsal
opportunities, plus, for this year only, the opportunity to be one of
the first to attend Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour and first
ever Michael Jackson Fan Fest!
I was in town for some of the activities surrounding CirqueWeek, as
were many fans of Cirque du Soleil. With the help of fellow fan and
Passionate Barb Lewis (who was also there at most of the event), we
attempt to bring CirqueWeek 2011 to you…
/// WHAT WE MISSED
The REVOLUTION Lounge at The Mirage became Ground Zero for CirqueWeek
activity, from 11:00am through 3:00pm each day. Here Cirque
enthusiasts could mingle with other like-minded fans, pick up their
event credentials (a lanyard and specially designed Cirque Week 2011
badge, which would identify you as a member and grants access to the
special events), get their gift bags (which included an exclusive
full-color program book that highlighted the week’s schedule, a light-
flashing luggage tag, an event logo button, a Cirque Week branded
plastic drinking glass with squirrely sipping straw, and a Cirque Week
T-Shirt). Although alcoholic beverages were not on sale during this
time (nor was the club in its iconic lighting), if you’d never been
inside the REVOLUTION lounge before, this was a cool opportunity!
Since neither Barb Lewis nor I were in town for the first two days of
the event we missed three of the conventions exclusive events…
From 2:00pm until 3:00pm on Thursday, December 1st, we missed a
workshop given by select “O” characters at the “O” Theater at
Bellagio, who saw if fans had what it took to be an “O” artist. Fans
learned how to mime, dance and clown their way across the “O” stage,
and then after the workshop, were treated to a question and answer
(Q&A) session with a number of artists and coaches from the show.
Then on Friday, December 2nd, we missed out on two activities. The
first, a Custom Theater Technology Demonstration and Q&A at LOVE, one
of the most technically advanced Cirque du Soleil theaters in Las
Vegas. Featuring a state-of-the-art sound demonstration through over
6,300 custom-made speakers, The Beatles LOVE theater is a marvel. In
addition, the technical presentation showcased the 11 lifts that make
up the stage, 24 digital projectors, 204 moving lights and much more.
A Q&A opportunity followed featuring experts in the areas of Sound,
Automation, Lighting and Projections, learning all about the technical
aspects of LOVE. The second activity of the day was a welcome
reception for all CirqueWeek attendees held at the REVOLUTION Lounge
at the Mirage (from 5:00pm until 6:00pm). It was a Magical Mystery
Tour we just couldn’t make in time… (We were still at CirqueCon.)
/// DECEMBER 3RD – INSIDE CIRQUE
An Exclusive Peek at the Business Side of the Show
Zumanity Theatre at NY-NY | 12:30pm – 2:30pm
Ever wondered where Cirque du Soleil recruits the performers and
the skilled technicians who make the magic happen night after
night? Ever curious about how they juggle 22 distinct shows
playing simultaneously on five continents? Want the scoop on
what’s next for the company? Find the answers to these
questions, and many more at Inside Cirque: An Exclusive Peek at
the Business Side of the Show. It’s your unique opportunity to
hear firsthand from company President and CEO Daniel Lamarre,
joined by a panel of key executives from numerous departments
from Casting to Marketing, details of the myriad components that
are vital to the success of Cirque du Soleil. Don’t miss out on
this in-depth look at the company from a panel of experts
brought together exclusively for Cirque Week.
When you sit down for a round-table discussion with customers (a.k.a.
fans) of your business, you never know where the discussion might
lead. For Cirque Aficionados (or Passionates as some of us like to
call ourselves) we like to drive conversations like these beyond the
norms. But that doesn’t mean you can’t teach us a thing or two, and
some of the questions asked of Cirque du Soleil management were quite
interesting:
Q. Where is Cirque du Soleil’s IT Department?
A. Right there in Las Vegas. Cirque du Soleil employs 1210 technical
personnel globally, but the headquarters for this initiative is in Las
Vegas. Recently, managers have been busy interviewing the Japanese
crew following the (then upcoming) closure of ZED to identify their
interests and introducing them to potential opportunities in other
shows. But be advised: if you’re interested in joining the Cirque Tech
Team, you need to have training on the newest everything!
And speaking of ZED’s closure, “Quiche Lorraine” (a fellow CirqueCon
Passionate) asked about how CDS handles placement of personnel from
closing shows. The Director of Personnel was touched that fans cared
that way about how Cirque du Soleil treated their performers. The head
of Personnel stepped up to answer:
A: “I flew to Tokyo and personally met with each person performing in
ZED.” Cirque du Soleil has an internal department that deals
specifically with this issue by speaking with performers about their
opportunities in other Cirque shows world-wide, especially if a show
closes (like ZED) or the performer can’t physically perform their act
anymore (due to age or injury). Cirque does not waste the talent, if
there aren’t any character roles an acrobat is interested in
attempting, performers can move into more behind-the-scenes positions
as trainers, coaches, physiotherapists, Global Outreach staffers,
hotel management, or other roles.
The Director of Zumanity Costuming also answered a few questions from
the audience:
Q. “How many costumes does each performer have?”
A. “In the beginning of the show,” she began, “each performer started
out with just one costume each, with the exception of one performer
who got a new costume after each show (because in each show one leg
gets burned, so two legs a day), and we perform 486 shows a year so
that was a lot of costumes, but eighteen months into the show we
provided multiple costumes per person for greater flexibility.”
Q. “What do you need to be a fashion director at Cirque?”
A. Basically you have to come to Cirque du Soleil as a Fashion
Director, they cannot teach you; however, you can start with the
company as a costume technician, learning the skills required to keep
the costumes in top shape at one show, then move to another and learn
more, and maybe become a Fashion Director once you’ve learned all you
can hands-on. But there’s only one Fashion Director per show, and
maybe one assistant, so competition is fierce.
Q. “What should you include in a resume to Cirque?”
A. EVERYTHING! “Don’t edit yourself and leave something out because
you never know what Cirque du Soleil could be looking for.” You never
know what the company might be looking for in the future (they do keep
your resume and will look over the submissions on a regular schedule,
so don’t skimp on the details (but don’t exaggerate either).
A great example of this is the Personnel head of Zumanity. She was the
former head of Human Resources at New York, New York and wasn’t a good
match for them, so she met with Cirque du Soleil as the company was
loading Zumanity into the hotel and they immediately saw her energy. A
year later she joined Zumanity. So you never know!
But what if you don’t know what you want to do, how do you learn? Is
there a place to intern with Cirque du Soleil?
A. YES! Out of eleven colleges and one high school where Cirque
conducts internships, the University of Las Vegas (UNLV) is definitely
one where Cirque recruits heavily. So definitely check out the
programs available at your college. Cirque du Soleil also keeps track
of its interns, checking in with them to see what they have been
doing. And some actually get hired right out of school!
In addition, Cirque du Soleil representatives spoke a lot about the
Cirque culture and how it exists everywhere within the company. To
help express this to the audience most tangibly, they played a video
showcasing all of the departments found at Cirque du Soleil
Headquarters. They also spoke a little about Cirque du Monde, Cirque’s
Global Outreach initiative. Did you know that Cirque du Soleil directs
80% of its charitable funds to youth at risk? Here another video
helped express the lengths Cirque du Soleil has gone to remain
committed to this cause: there are 30 separate youth programs that
Cirque supports just in Brazil alone, demonstrating to young people –
through Circus arts – that they can believe in themselves.
And last, but not least…
Q. “What happens when performers and celebrities meet?”
A. When famous people come to see Cirque du Soleil shows, whether it’s
in Las Vegas or under the Grand Chapiteau throughout the world, and
they want to go backstage to meet the performers… something strange
happens. Both groups are so in awe of each other they hardly know how
to act! Celebrities become like kids at the circus and the performers
turn shy! But some, like Janet Jackson (who also gave her blessings
for MJ The Immortal), take it a step further. Before Janet goes out on
tour she brings a busload of her people to see Mystère so they can
understand creativity.
Whodathunk?
/// DECEMBER 4TH – BUNGEE DEMONSTRATION
Bungee Demonstration and Costume Q&A
Mystère Theatre at Treasure Island | 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Look up! It’s a bird… it’s a plane… it’s the Mystère Bungee
Warriors! Enjoy an exclusive demonstration of the bungee act at
Mystère and a chance to talk to the artists who take flight ten
times each week. There will also be colorful costumes on display
and our Head of Wardrobe will be on hand to talk about the
bungee costumes and the challenges of maintaining costumes for
this very acrobatic show.
Mystère (which just reached its 8,500th performance recently and also
celebrated their 18th anniversary at Treasure Island – on Christmas
Eve) is my all-time favorite Cirque du Soleil show, and being given
the opportunity to watch the bungee artists rehearse while also
getting hands-on with some of the costumes meant this was one panel I
could not miss. And though I was stuck in traffic on the roads behind
the casinos usually reserved for servicing (thanks in large part to
the closure of Las Vegas Boulevard, a.k.a. “The Strip”, for the
marathon running later that evening), we didn’t miss one minute of it,
arriving at the doors to the Mystère Theater just in the nick of time.
As costuming was the main topic of this panel, we were greeted by the
Head of Wardrobe – Tamara, and her assistant – Julie and in the
process learned quite a number of interesting facts about the costumes
of Mystère.
o) Every costume starts in Montreal, and are the same designs as
those created at the beginning of Mystère, but costume
maintenance occurs locally, especially for fragile pieces
that may need replacing daily. The annual budget for the show
is a little over $1 million USD, so they must be resourceful.
o) The Mystère costume crew is twice as big as those found at
other Cirque du Soleil shows, with a crew of twenty working
between 8:00am and Midnight each performance day, supporting
the seventy-five to eighty artists and technicians Mystère
employs.
o) Therefore, the Head of Wardrobe, whose job it is to secure
all costume needs before the next show, is the last to leave
after any performance.
o) A performer can use up to six costumes throughout a
performance, portraying up to eleven different looks during a
show. Every performer has two costumes each and it can take
up to sixty-five costume pieces to achieve those eleven
variations.
o) All those changes mean a lot of sweat, which means a lot of
laundry. Though machine washed (as 90% of the costumes are
made from Lycra stretch material), no costume is dried in a
conventional dryer. All costumes are placed where fans blow
them dry. Every item, including shoes, is washed at least
weekly. But it does wear out the clothes: the florescent die
in the Chinese Poles costumes don’t last that long – up to
three weeks before the garment needs to be replaced.
o) With all that laundering and use the costumes take quite a
beating, but costume fit is very important at Mystère (and at
Cirque in general) as it’s a safety issue. For example, if a
Chinese Poles garment is not properly fitted, it could snag
on the poles when a performer is expecting to slide, causing
an accident or a wardrobe malfunction.
o) Such malfunctions became more prevalent after Cirque was
forced to change suppliers for the Lycra – they found the
Chinese Poles artists were comfortable performing when the
costumes went on (as they were perfectly fitted for them),
but the costumes began to stretch as they performed, reacting
to their ever increasing body heat and thus began to snag!
o) And what of other types of costume maladies, how are those
dealt with? When the show is ON that evening, dressers come
in around 4:00pm to address colored tags an artist has placed
on their garments.
o) Pink tags mean that the costume needs some special attention
when being washed and therefore the Wardrobe department knows
what to look for. A Yellow tag means “caution”, even more
attention is required here – there might be a tear. A green
tag is used to indicate a biohazard, such as a blood or some
other bodily fluid (besides sweat). And costumes tagged in
red are dead.
o) Maintenance can be performed at anytime, but generally is
done during the four weeks throughout the year Mystère is
dark. Bungee artists costumes require a lot of touch ups due
to the “spaghetti strings” (as they call them) that have to
be trimmed in such a way so that they don’t wrap around the
artists (or the trapeze) in flight. But that has happened
before – during a show – preventing the aerialist from
performing their act.
And then our attention turned to the Bungee artists, who were taking
their seats on the trapezes above our heads. Carl, the head coach for
the Bungees, talked us through the rehearsal while the artists got
settled. He explained that every bungee artist has another number they
perform in the show, such as being part of the Trampoline or Chinese
Poles, or appearing as one of the show’s esoteric characters, making a
cue or some other kind of appearance. And for every on-stage bungee
performance artist, there’s another in the catwalks above the stage
assisting – making them swing and/or helping adjust the bungees
themselves when they’re out of sync, a point that was demonstrated to
us when the Warriors failed to meet up in the middle.
In fact, part of today’s rehearsal was training new assistants, who
will put the swing in their performance. It was a little rough as
timing is everything – pull too softly, too hard or not in sync and
the performance will be off. Of course, a number of other factors can
make the performance go awry. For example, the bungee cords are
natural rubber and are affected by humidity. The length of the cords
for the start of the act is set dependent on the measured humidity in
the theater. The humidity at the start of this practice was 11%. To
prepare the artists for the chest-to-chest finale, 26 inches were
added to the length of the cords near the end of the act, but it
wasn’t enough.
Safety is, of course, paramount at Cirque du Soleil and even the
bungee artists have earwigs (small ear phones) to hear cues (such as
“pull” and “release” to the assistants above). Those calling the cues
see the performers at all times through an intricate closed-circuit
camera setup and communicate over four distinct channels: A, B, C and
D. The main show is called off Channel A. Lighting cues are done
exclusively through Channel B. Channels C and D are available for the
band and other needs, should they arise. Do they ever get
interference? Why, yes they do! In fact the show recently had to
change some of their audio channels because they were being flooded
over by an expansion of the local police channels. Can you imagine
getting a call on a robbery while you’re attempting a flight?
Following their practice routines we had a moment to chat with a few
of the bungee artists who were asked how much their headpieces weighed
and about any discomforts they might feel tumbling about over our
head. One warrior said they experience no discomfort during the week –
“This is my playground!; however, we ‘see stars’ after coming back
from an extended break.” The other warrior said, “Spinning in the
direction we’re used to is fine but spinning a hula hoop would make us
sick!”
Oh, and the headpieces weigh about six pounds each.
Following the rehearsal and Q&A session, the fans were granted a
marvelous chance to examine actual Mystère costumes and props up
close. These included wigs and headdresses from various characters,
shoes of all shapes, sizes and colors, props (such as the candelabra),
a Bungee, Trampoline (Spermatoza), and other dancers’ costumes, and an
Asticots mask (the Chinese poles double-faced character). And if you
were lucky enough (as Nicole and I were), you could even have tried on
one of these costumes – and head pieces! – and become one of Mystère’s
fantastic characters!
* * *
The Mystère panel was totally awesome, and I couldn’t have asked for
anything more out of the experience (except to pound on a taïko drum
please?), but CirqueWeek continued on. And we’ll pick up with the
Zumanity Rehearsal and finish out the week’s activities next time!
