REVIEW /// “ZARK Invades Las Vegas”

After planting the first of many flowers in the desert surrounding Las Vegas, Cirque du Soleil worked diligently to expand their empire beyond that gambling Mecca by attempting resident shows in cities like Orlando, London, Tokyo, Miami, Singapore, New York City, and Shanghai. Although many of those ideas failed to materialize, Cirque did manage to break into both the Asian market (with 2008’s ZAIA in Macau and 2008’s ZED in Tokyo) and the New York City market, by forming a partnership with Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSG), as announced on November 20, 2006. That first New York City show, 2007’s Wintuk, went on to garner a certain level of success for Cirque before its final season, which led to further discussions between the two.

On April 29, 2009, the New York Times ran a story reporting that Cirque and MSG had come to an agreement on Cirque’s future in the City: “In February 2010, Cirque plans to bring a new show to the Beacon Theater in Manhattan for a multiple-month run that it hopes will become an annual institution. And in 2011 Cirque is to establish a four-month summer extravaganza in Radio City Music Hall as a warm-weather counterweight to the ‘Christmas Spectacular’ – sans Rockettes, but populated with acrobats and clowns. These will be in addition to the company’s touring tent productions.”

The February 2010 production became the ill-fated BANANA SHPEEL, of course. The 2011 production became ZARKANA. With ZARKANA now poised to enter the Las Vegas market permanently – and begin the next phase of its existence – we decided to take a quick look back at the news surrounding the show.

SUMMER EXTRAVAGANZA?

Rumors regarding the show’s director began to crop up not long after the initial announcement, settling early on with François Girard who had just come off of a hugely successful opening of Cirque du Soleil’s ZED in Tokyo. But would he do it?

When we next heard from Cirque and MSG (on September 14, 2010) he was confirmed to direct. On October 26, 2010 Cirque du Soleil trademarked the name ZARKANA and by November 9, 2010, announced it and the show’s theme to the world:

Zarkana – one part acrobatics and one part rock opera with a penchant for the macabre – is a visual vortex set in a slightly twisted musical and acrobatic fantasy universe where, little by little, chaos and craziness give way to festivity and love regained.

The story follows Zark, a magician who has lost his love and, with her, his powers. As he cries and begs for her return he is plunged into a world (inhabited by surreal creatures and populated by a motley collection of off-the-wall characters and incomparable acrobats. His friends, the White Clowns, come out of hiding to try and help him put together a show, but nothing works the way he wants: His magic powers are out of control because Lia, Zark’s assistant, is missing. Without her, there can be no magic – she is the love of his life!
But also within the theater are the Mutants, four sirens as sinister as they are fabulous – The Pickled Lady, Mandragora, Kundalini and Tarantula – and they are determined to seduce him, diverting him from his quest.

In the lyrical, fantastic world of Zarkana, the setting – an abandoned theatre where Zark once found success several years earlier – is a character in its own right. The walls breathe, move and sing. The main set elements consist of three sweeping arches – all sculpted by hand – representing three of the four mutants who try to divert the magician Zark from his quest.

The first arch represents Kundalini the Snake Lady, whose world is populated by dozens of slithering snakes. It’s the largest of the three arches and is decorated with more than 150ft of hand painted resin “snakes” which started out as Styrofoam sculptures that were used to create molds for the liquid resin. The second arch, which also serves as a video screen, harbors Mandragora, a plant-like creature that comes to life with “arms” extending out like scissors nearly 100 feet. The third represents the Pickled Lady, a video-based creature with six arms who lives in a large pickle jar.

The overall aesthetics were inspired by the Art Nouveau movement of the last century, as well as the works of Gaudí and Klimt, while many of the organic shapes in the set elements are a nod to the master French glassmaker and jeweler René Lalique. Upon this setting a number of acrobatic feats are staged, they are: Juggling, Ladder Trio, Rope Duet, Flags, Russian Bar, High Wire, Cyr Wheel & Cerceaux in the first half; Sand Painting, Flying Trapeze, Wheel of Death, Hand Balancing, and Banquine in the second. Here’s a more detailed look using some materials directly from Cirque du Soleil:

Juggling — While the White Clowns keeps the beat and the whole theatre comes to life, a juggler tosses balls in the air and bounces them off the ground and a variety of surfaces to create sounds – which she even accompanies with tap-dancing steps!

Ladder Trio — A cry rings out: Sleepy Child is imprisoned on her perch. The White Clowns, aided by three ladder specialists with a confusing mastery of balance, come to her rescue. But it’s too late… Sleepy Child turns into the Pickled Lady in front of our eyes!

Rope Duet — Two artists perform a graceful duet of fantastic moves on Spanish Ropes whilst Mandragora sings from the top of the arch to attract Zark’s attention, in order to snatch him away from Lia.

Flags — Witnessing Zark’s distress, the Latin Lovers juggle flamboyantly colored flags and toss them high in the air in an attempt to attract Lia’s attention and signal to her that her lover has returned.

Russian Bar — The White Clowns come charging back on stage while the Russian Bar performers show off their skills. Projected high into the air from a single bar supported on the shoulders of powerful porters, the vaulters perform complex acrobatic movements with multiple somersaults and twists before landing back on the bar to spring into their next takeoff.

High Wire — While Kundalini sings, accompanied by a chorus of fire-breathers, a quartet of high wire artists – with amazing balance and precision – move at high speed on their wire, running, performing breathtaking somersaults and creating column formations. Sometimes perched on a pole held by two partners, sometimes skipping or dancing on one foot, the tightrope walkers execute their routines one by one.

Cyr Wheels and Cerceaux — Pokus is being chased through a strange world by the extraterrestrial Jovians! Seven artists perform a group number on Cyr wheels while others hang in the air, twisting and turning through hoops to create a dizzying tableau that fills the stage.

Sand Painting — The Oracle, a character played by an accomplished sand painter, summarizes the events of the first half of the show in beautiful artistic pictures, and gives a brief preview of the story that is about to unfold next through her art of manipulating sand.

Flying Trapeze — When Tarantula appears in the middle of her enormous web, clowns emerge from cocoons to invade it. Acrobats launch themselves off platforms in acrobatic flight formations and are then caught by the skillful hands of the porters. This unique number with a classical aesthetic involves 12 performers in three aligned corridors, allowing simultaneous criss-crossing flights to create an incredible visual effect.

Wheel of Death — The Mad Scientist wants to test his quantum machine, but his experiment will yield unexpected results. Two Wheel of Death artists, one of them wearing a full head mask at one point, leap into action on their apparatus to perform jumps with amazing speed, control and teamwork. The wheel at the front of the stage is powered solely by their physical strength.

Hand Balancing — In a moment of poetry and grace, an artist performs a series of elegant figures, seemingly effortlessly transferring his weight from one arm to another as he smoothly twists and swirls on a slippery surface.

Banquine — In a number that showcases the amazing agility of the human body, 15 artists perform acrobatics and create human pyramids in a spectacular sequence of perfectly synchronized aerial crossovers.

Zarkana would go on to have its official press release on May 24, 2011, begin preview performances on June 9th and end its fantastic run in New York City on September 4, 2011, but before the curtain fell for the show’s inaugural run in the city, Cirque du Soleil already had a plan in place for its next stop…

ZARKANA AT THE KREMLIN?

When Cirque announced on December 2, 2008 its intention to expand into the Russian market, fans wondered what that might mean for the company and its future productions. The press release regarding the Russian expansion mentioned that Cirque was looking at developing many forms of entertainment in the Russian Federation, which could include “big top and arena touring shows, special events, media partnerships and eventually a permanent show.”

    “We are excited about the Russian market.” said Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil. “Russians are some of the world’s most sophisticated cultural citizens. The opportunities are limitless to create and provide high quality entertainment throughout Russia. We are seeing a bold cultural renaissance in Russia and we are committed to helping take this renaissance to the next level. From small and intimate special events to multi-million dollar permanent shows, we are interested in finding ways to bring world class entertainment to many Russians.”

Cirque du Soleil partnered with George and Craig Cohon to create Cirque du Soleil Rus., a Russian LLC company having exclusive rights to the Russian territory. George is the Founder of McDonald’s in Canada and Russia and Craig built Coca-Cola’s first operations in Russia in the early 1990s. Cirque du Soleil Rus is a Russian Company and will be lead by Russians for Russians.

    “We see a fantastic opportunity to partner with many organizations throughout Russia.” said George. “Cirque is an international company that just happens to be headquartered in Canada. The international appeal of this one-of-kind brand is sensational. It is at the forefront of the entertainment scene and building the business with Russians in Russia will help take Cirque du Soleil to the next level.”

    Gilles Ste-Croix, Senior Vice-President of Creative Content at Cirque du Soleil explained: “We began working with the artistic and circus community of Russia as early as 1989. At that time we were just a very young company and we had just one production touring in North America only and we were creating a new production for 1990. We had noticed the great talent of both acrobatic and circus artists from Russia at a festival in Paris and we wanted to integrate and show case this unique talent in our upcoming show. That is how it all began. Today, we have 400 artists from Russia and many others contributing throughout the company.”

The company’s first step was to bring Varekai to Moscow in 2009, which premiered to great fanfare. Cirque du Soleil followed up Varekai’s visit with Corteo in 2010 and Saltimbanco in 2011. Zarkana, which would play in New York City for only a few months out of the year, needed other cities to visit, and Moscow in early 2012 seemed the most logical choice.

On February 11, 2011, Cirque du Soleil Rus and Kremlin Palace announced the arrival of Zarkana for February 2012:

    “Creating this brand new show Cirque du Soleil has taken an unprecedented move to design its full magnitude to suit only two venues in the world – Radio City Music Hall in New York and Kremlin Palace in Moscow”, – said Craig Cohon, Vice-Chairman Cirque du Soleil Rus. “The creative thinking of Cirque du Soleil to embody in the scale of this production together with the significance of the theater will make this a cultural event for entire Russia and beyond”.

    According to Petr Shabolatay, General Director and Art Director, the State Kremlin Palace, “Kremlin palace always aimed at sustaining the European level of performance at its stage. Partnership with Cirque du Soleil perfectly fits into this pattern and makes us impatient for the Zarkana performance”.

Zarkana would also visit Spain (November 12 to December 31, 2011) before its Moscow engagement (February 4 to April 8, 2012); however, following its return to New York City (June 6 to September 2, 2012), Zarkana would chart a new path…

VIVA LAS VEGAS?

On November 24, 2011, shocking news from the Las Vegas Sun reverberated throughout the Cirque du Soleil community: Citing poor ticket sales, MGM Resorts International was exercising its three-year contract clause and asked Cirque to replace Viva Elvis at Aria by the end of 2012. “As attendance levels have not been meeting expectations, we have asked our partners at Cirque du Soleil to replace the show,” a company statement said. “We will work closely with Cirque as we explore future entertainment options.” This was the first time that Cirque, which has come to dominate the big-production showrooms on the Strip, had been asked to close a show since arriving in Las Vegas in 1993 with “Mystere”, but it would not be the only show the company had been asked to close.

Four months later, on March 7, 2012, Cirque du Soleil and MGM Resorts International announced – citing that with more than 1.2 million guests being awed by the show and it being touted by the press as “Aah-Inspiring” (The New York Times) and “Truly spectacular, awe-inspiring, gorgeous and stunning” (New York Post) – they had found their replacement for Viva Elvis: ZARKANA.

    “Zarkana is a production of the perfect size and scope for the beautiful theater at ARIA. With a high level of acrobatic performance, the show has garnered public appeal around the world. We are pleased that visitors to Las Vegas will be able to experience the show and feel that Zarkana is a perfect complement to the portfolio of Cirque du Soleil shows on The Strip,” says Cirque du Soleil President and CEO Daniel Lamarre.

    Bill McBeath, ARIA’s President and COO, said, “We look forward to welcoming the cast and crew of Zarkana later this year. We’re certain they will love their new home and we’re equally certain that audiences from around the world will be wowed by this incredible production.”

But why Zarkana? Mike Weatherford of the Las Vegas Review-Journal found out:

    “We have the luxury today with ‘Zarkana’ to bring a sure bet,” said Daniel Lamarre, Cirque’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We know this show is working, we know this show is successful and we owe it to our partner to bring a sure bet. People are not going to compare it to (the other [Las Vegas] shows),” Lamarre added. “I guess that was the first criteria.”

    “Zarkana” was chosen over “Zed,” which Cirque had to close in Tokyo because of the ravaged tourist economy, or the third option of creating a new show from scratch. “Zed” was deemed “a little bit too traditional and not distinctive enough for this market,” Lamarre said. “Zarkana” uses video more prominently than most Cirque productions and is a love story framed around English-language songs by Nick Littlemore.

    Beyond that, when CityCenter CEO Bobby Baldwin saw it in New York, “he was probably ready to start talking contract by intermission,” MGM Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman said Wednesday, the day after the board of directors signed off on the deal.

Elvis sang his rock-and-roll farewell on August 18, 2012. The first preview performances of ZARKANA are slated to begin November 1, 2012 with a gala premiere on November 15, 2012, but what we’ll see in Vegas is a slightly different show. Sachi Fujimori from NewJersey.com described the changes:

    The revamped version of the high-flying rock opera is sung entirely in “Cirquish,” the imaginary language of Cirque du Soleil. After the show debuted in English last year, producers realized that their tale of a magician searching for his lost love was better told in their peculiar patois. “There’s a freedom in an invented language,” said art director Ann-Marie Corbeil. “It lightens the show so much. It brought it much better life and optimism.”

    The second change is in timing. The new version is an uninterrupted 90-minute thrill ride, as if a circus from Mars and Tim Burton’s dreams were shaken together in a snow globe. Removing the intermission, said Corbeil, allows audiences to get lost in the story more easily. “You can go into that adventure non-stop, and when it’s done you can say, ‘I was really brought somewhere else,’ ” she said.

“No intermission is mostly driven by business,” said Francois Girard, the show’s director, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. “I like the no intermission version. It’s high energy theater, you don’t want your audience to stop and eat popcorn because the energy gets lost. Some artists have been replaced and there’s normal, natural improvement. You’ll see a tighter show, a better show.”

Will Zarkana be successful at ARIA?

The adventure continues…