On December 30, 2012, after more than 20 years of touring around the globe, Cirque du Soleil’s Saltimbanco will have its final curtain call. Charged with highly contagious energy, Saltimbanco was a pioneering production and has served as a true ambassador for Cirque du Soleil. Since 1992, Saltimbanco has visited 205 cities across 41 countries. The only show to have spanned five continents, it was performed in more than 150 cities that hadn’t previously played host to a Cirque du Soleil show. Having now toured for 20 years, Saltimbanco has been seen by 14 million spectators. CirqueClub is celebrating Saltimbanco’s legacy with a series of insights – “The Saltimbanco Journey”. Part One took a peek into the performer’s story and Part two (below) checks in with the sights and sounds…
An illuminated world
During a visit to New York, the Director of Creation Gilles Ste-Croix and the Set Designer Michel Crête came across a tree emerging from the top of a skyscraper. Imagining that the tree had grown through the building, they contemplated the influence of nature on life and the importance of life in the city.
«We wanted to shed a new perspective on urban life and explore a territory that was unfamiliar up until that point.»
– Michel Crête, Set Designer
The colours of the future
The dynamism, diversity and unbridled energy of the big city and its exuberant fauna are expressed in the colours of the costumes in Saltimbanco. As far from gloomy as possible, the dazzling array of primary colours — magenta, cyan, yellow and green — convey the effervescence and buzz of the metropolis.
«This production leaves the audience with the same lasting impression as one would have looking at a wheatfield after discovering Van Gogh’s work.»
– Franco Dragone, Director
An invented, universal language
Saltimbanco is the first Cirque du Soleil production to feature the human voice, although it is not spoken in a specific language. Apart from an operatic song with an Italian base from the thirteenth century, the lyrics in the “invented language” are derived from Arab, Swedish and German influences with the aim of amplifying the evocative power of the music.
«The music used in Saltimbanco is not a narrative composition. Instead its musical influences aim to convey the melting pot of people and cultures that can only be found in the city.»
– René Dupéré, Composer
The various faces of Saltimbanco
Saltimbanco offers an optimistic vision of urban life. The vibrant and light-hearted nature of the characters, represented in particular by their make-up, conveys the vision of the production, creating the characters’ identities and portraying their infectious joy.
«I work with lighting and the face. Using these basic elements, magic can be created.»
– Nathalie Gagné, Make-up Designer for Cirque du Soleil
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{ SOURCE: CirqueClub }
