If you have no voice, Scream.
If you have no legs, Run.
If you have no hope, Invent.
And if everything were permissible? And if it was the king’s fool who made sense? And if the Big Top became a magical world where the elderly became young and where the kings were clowns! And if you were king for a night! And if that’s what Alegría was, what would you make of it all?
Like a bolt out of life, Alegría thunders forth with an insatiable need to tell its story – the desire for a better world. In developing Alegría, Cirque du Soleil saw around them a society in flux and in constant upheaval. They saw a world of contrasts – power and powerlessness, cruelty and kindness. They saw the paradox of globalization, where a constantly shrinking world left individuals more isolated than ever before. They saw the irony of progress as though the sum of evil and hardship in the world remained forever constant. But through this uncertainty Cirque believed was the glow of the human spirit – unconquerable; resolute in its strength. Thus Alegría sets a stage where old age and youth collide, where a rallying cry-out for change takes shape to shake the foundations of society and force those who control unjustly to see the error in their ways so that together we may build a better tomorrow.
Spanish for “joy”, “elation”, “happiness”, and “jubilation”, Alegría is an impassioned celebration of life in its most primitive form, an evocation of a time when fantasy and magic were integral parts of everyday life – a time when a person’s world was his family, his village, and beyond was the great unknown. Many characters exist in the world of Alegría: court jesters, minstrels, beggars, old aristocrats and children. They are joined by clowns who alone have been able to resist the political upheavals and social transformations of the day. They are witnesses to the passing of centuries and serve as the social commentators for what we are about to witness. Together, they weave a tapestry of life that has been described time and again as Cirque du Soleil’s signature show.
Yes, Alegría gives us the power to transform society. This is the underlying theme to the classic production by Franco Dragone and Gilles Ste-Croix, one that has received international acclaim and wowed over 14 million people worldwide since it premiered in Montréal in the Spring of 1994. Since its birth, Alegría (a $3 Million production) has toured North America (1994-1995), Japan/Hong Kong (1996), Europe (1997-1998), set up residence at the Beau Rivage (1999-2000), been restaged under the big top across Asia/Pacific (2001-2002), North America (2002-2004), Japan (2004-2005), Europe (2006-2007), South America (2007-2008), and the Middle East (2008-2009), before once again embarking on a tour of North America (2009-2011) and Europe (2011-2013) in stadium-like arenas.
And now, after almost 20 years of performing to audiences world-wide, Alegría has bid us adieu. But what a history this show has traced out in those years. We give thanks to Alegria’s cast and crew by taking a look back at all its glorious history.
THE TRUTH OF ILLUSION
- “Why not settle in under the big top, sheltered from the whims of the weather? Come in, you’re invited to the celebration of the palace court. You’ll see how thumbing your nose at things morose can become quite exhilarating indeed.” (Programme Book)
The appeal of the circus is universal. A circus show has the power to touch us, to enchant and amaze us. Ever since Cirque du Soleil’s beginnings, they’ve had this single goal: to astonish us, and leave us breathless. And ever since they re-invented the circus in 1987, Cirque du Soleil was doing just that: showing us that magic is pure and fantasy real, that dreams and reality do collide in the most bizarre and inspiring ways. Alegría builds on this by showing us that all dreams are permitted, we are the King, the poet and the Clown. The stage they’ve set for us is a royal court where imagination reigns, where all the emotions of the soul are expressed, but where joy wins out at the end of our tale…
Alegría is the vision of such an amazing and highly-celebrated creative team: Guided by Founding President Guy Laliberté and led by director Franco Dragone, Alegría was created by the coven of Gilles Ste-Croix (Creative Director), Dominique Lemieux (costumes), Michel Crête (set design), Debra Brown (choreography), the late Guy Desrochers (sound design), Luc Lafortune (lighting), René Dupéré (composer) and Pierre Parisien (Artistic Director).
“Alegría harks back to the travelling family circuses that criss-crossed Europe not so long ago,” said Alegría’s Director, Franco Dragone in an interview for “Truth of Illusion”, a documentary on the creation of the show. “It’s characters, costumes, and performances evoke a time when fantasy was more real and magic was a part of everyday life; a time when each Fool had a King; a time when a person’s world was a family, his village, and beyond was the great unknown. Today the universe has shrunk, but the individual’s isolation has grown. We do not choose to turn back the clock, we cannot change the world. But we can rediscover a magical belief in human tenderness. Perhaps we need to rediscover that true ambition is not to reach for the stars but to stretch a hand to wipe the tear from our neighbor’s cheek.”
“Alegría was a very personal show for me,” Dragone continues. “I was going through some painful experiences at the time, and wanted to express that pain.” Some of that pain came during the creation of Mystère at Treasure Island, Las Vegas. He found adapting technical demands to the artistic potential of the theater created many problems. “We were [just] getting to understand the big top [and] pow!, [we’re] doing a show in a theater!” And while all of that was happening, the wheels of creation were already churning on the next touring show, informing its basic theme. “It would be sad, heavy, really hard. There would be less color this time,” said Dragone. “But [where I come from] Alegría means that, even when you’re in pain, life goes on. It’s impossible to have only joy. It’s impossible to have only tears. Joy’s always with tears and tears are always with joy. But this show has touched me very much.”
“Alegría, for me, was inspired by history,” admits Gilles Ste-Croix, the show’s Director of Creation. “The Berlin Wall was falling, the old order was changing. We were asking ourselves: what new power structures will replace the old ones? So Franco created two poles of order: the young vs. the old, the rich vs. the poor…”
“I hate power, any kind of power,” Dragone re-affirms. “It’s why I try never, never to abuse with my power. Sometime people think and been casting people out is thing that I scream a little bit too much. Alegría was an exorcism, and there was joy at the end of it.”
The set was built to express the idea of a changing world. “Alegría came out of a process of questioning the whole notion of power and its abuses,” Michel Crête muses. “How can anyone presume to have power over another human being? It’s terrible! So, for me, the dome on the set is a sign of imposing power. We replaced the circles from previous shows with squares, which are more solid, unforgiving. The centre of the tent itself became more important. The characters live within a much more oppressive structure.”
Thus, the Big Top was transformed into the King’s court. An enormous dome overhung the stage, which was surrounded by diamond-shaped paving stones to protect the occupants of the palace as if they were in a fortified castle. Four huge masts supported the dome, bringing to mind the heavy chains of a drawbridge. Two spiral staircases encircled the ring leading downwards, symbolizing the unknown (and enabling the personae to sneak in and out.) A raised platform decorated with stylistic columns and balustrades served as the minstrels’ balcony. There they set up their musical instruments and looked haughtily down on the activities of the world below. Yes, Alegría’s set was an imposing monument, an undefined monolithic structure suggesting an institution of great power and influence. A huge structure, heavy in its connotations yet light in its execution.
The lighting is designed to reflect a nostalgic atmosphere, like that of a 17th-century ballroom. The autumnal tones create the luminous obscurity of the show. “If you look at the Nostalgic Old Birds you really get a feeling of death and decay, which made me think of Autumn,” remembered Luc Lafortune, Lighting Designer. “So I went in that direction with the lighting: the texture of heavy leaves, dark greens, reds, browns. And it works! When the Angels, who are the opposite of all that, come on, the whole place just bursts because of the contrasts.” The beams of light shine through and onto a mesh cyclorama, creating dazzling lighting effects. On the floor, one can discern the head of a salamander, which lives in all four elements.
The lavish costumes for the characters representing the Old Order —Fleur, the Old Birds and the Singers — are made from richly-colored fabrics which are painstakingly hand-detailed with lace, feathers and sequins. They evoke the flamboyant costumes worn by the aristocracy at Versailles and other European palaces of the period. “Alegría is the scream of destiny. The Jester and the Old Birds represent a bygone, pompous era. Their only remaining wealth is their faded nobility. The rich fabrics and colors of the court of Versailles are the expression of this tarnished splendor. Their opposite is the White Angel, representing youth, innocence, and eternity,” said Dominique Lemieux, Costume Designer.
The costumes for the New Order — the gold-clad Bronx, Nymphs and Angels — reflect the same rich tones, with less decoration, but more luminous for these young creatures. The materials are lighter and emphasize the agile bodies of these characters who will take control of the future.
“We’re looking for alternative ways of expression that have normally been expressed through athleticism and tumbling, height and flight and dynamics,” Debra Brown reminds us. “And what else is there that can come out of that apparatus in collaboration with the artists and the dance and the movements and the music.”
The lively and emotional musical score by René Dupéré moves between jazz, pop, tango and klezmer.
“I started from a single idea that came from Gilles Ste-Croix and Franco: the idea that the fools have lost their King,” Dupéré recalls in “20 Years Under the Sun’. “For me, the fool and the king can be two parts of the same individual, mirroring one another. It gave a sort of half-ethnic, half-middle-ages feel to parts of the music.” “Alegría has a kind of European flavor,” Dupéré continues. “So I wanted to go back to our Felliniesque origins. I was a street performer. I played in the streets and there was something very lively, something very emotional. I wanted to go back to the emotion in the music with accordion, a kind of raunchy street voice, and violin and those basic instruments. I also wanted to go back to the music I’m particularly fond of: Rota, Morricone, Vivaldi, Mancini… the Italians!”
The music of Alegría evokes the passion and intensity of travelling minstrels by using acoustic and percussion instruments including accordion, saxophone, keyboard and guitar. The vocals render the gravelly and genuine voice of the street. But in counterpoint the synthesizer arrangements also reflect the change that is imminent. The music to Alegría is the most successful in Cirque du Soleil’s history. The soundtrack has reached platinum level twice in Canada and was on Billboard Magazine’s hit parade for 55 weeks in the “World Music” category. The title song, Alegría, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1996 in the “Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocal(s)” category.
According to Guy Desrochers, sound designer for Alegría, bringing singers and live musicians to the big top before the age of in-ear monitors posed a special challenge. “A tent is made of vinyl, and vinyl reflects sound. Because, for all intents and purposes, you’re outside, and weather has a huge effect on sound, for instance when the humidity changes. With Alegría, we had to preserve the integrity of acoustic instruments like violins and accordions in that environment. And we had to ensure the singers heard themselves, so monitors had to be pointed to the middle of the tent. The audience gets mixed up in that, and it makes it even harder to point and place the speakers properly.”
They’re all obsessed. They’re all possessed. The spell which has been cast is irreversible. At last, they’ve all gone mad. Mad! They’ve all gone mad, at last… And so it goes. Faster and faster yet, higher and higher still, beyond their wildest dreams and so we go, beyond the point of no return for the sky is no longer the limit. Time is running out in the space of their dreams, however. It seems like a light year ago when they first came to life.
But the old order is trying to keep the curtains drawn, to keep out tomorrow; you’d wish time could come to a halt. You wonder if the vision might be an illusion after all. A blinding darkness for a cast of shooting stars, scanned and telescoped to find their perfect orbit… No. No to this hell on Earth. No to the fears and tears. No to the sadness of many years. A new day is dawning. The future is rushing in. Alegría! Alegría!
Their time is now. And now, the time is right. It is the vigil of the longest night, when the builders of dreams, magicians, engineers, fools and kings are humbled seers, welding their flying machines for the coming of the new dawn… Your time has come. And should we ask who you are, would you remember who you were? Now that you know the mysteries of many lives ago, you may go joyfully to rest for there is music now and a dream to share… there’s music now and Alegría in the air!
THE FOOL AND HIS KING
- The King and the Nobles gathered round to listen. The Fool cleared his throat and began to explain. “It’s really perfectly clear: if I were a King,” said the Fool, “I would need a Fool. And if the Fool were King, then the Fool King’s Fool would truly be a paragon of folly. Folly so foolish as to be wise. Since if the Fool were King, then the King would be Fool and the one would be the other and the two would be one, like the tail and the head, together, to lead the world, because who is boss depends on whether you walk North pointing South or vice versa all relative to which way you look. You see?” And the Nobles and the King could not see so the Fool took a deep breath with just a hint of a smirk and started all over again… “You see, it’s really perfectly clear…”
Step up to the front. Tap your toe to the beat. Let the music move your limbs. That’s right… a step to the right, a step to the left, two steps to the back. It’s not progress, but who cares. Now look around. There she is. Your partner. Let the music move you towards her. She’s playing the game. Play along. Mirror her moves, mirror her moods. Find her eyes with your eyes. Sink into the music, let it carry you. Away. Away and within. Far and deep. Hmmm! It’s so good. You link arms without a thought about who you should be. You let it go. And the music plucks your heart.
A crash of cymbals and the pounding of drums announce a procession… the musicians march into view, creating mayhem wherever they go. They are dressed in white and are followed by a overly rounded man dressed in red: Fleur. In the absence of a king, the Old Birds have only a fool to turn to: Fleur. Fleur is our guide through the world of Alegría, but he is unpredictable, and a dangerous madman who believes he is king. Carrying a magical stick (lit at its tip) ready to show the cruelness and loneliness of the world to us. Fleur struts about like an ill-mannered man before appearing on stage. And then, as he looks out at the spectators who have come to see his play, he takes a deep breath and yells out with all his might: “ALEGRIA!”
“Mirko” fills the air as characters of all shapes, sizes and colors fill the stage. A trio of clowns waddle out and sit upon a suitcase, only to be frightened away by a big bolt of white light. Enigmatic characters in white fill and then leave the stage. The two singers, White and Black, come to us and fill the world with melodies. The Nymphs join the chorus, strutting about in birdlike fashion. We’re introduced to Tamir and little Tamir; followed by the Fire Man. And then the most aristocratic characters of them all: the Old Birds. The nostalgic Old Birds observe the goings-on as though they were still young and beautiful and the future was still theirs. They admire their reflections in mirror less frames, but are only empty shells, shadows of their former selves. They are the old aristocracy, still convinced of their power and beauty. But they are twisted, deformed and ugly.
And thus Alegría begins!
SYNCHRO TRAPEZE
The Old Birds are the mainstays of Alegría; they’ve lived in the palace for as long as it has existed. Courtiers without a court, they are a reminder of the unchanging guard and as such they infect the show, as they do the world, like a plague. These bird-like characters have grown old and forgotten, and yet they think of themseleves as fresh, new and beautiful. We find one sitting in front of a mirror, admiring itself, as they always seem to do, when something spectacular happens: a young woman appears in the reflection. And then a man. And the two walk through the mirror and into the realm where voice – above all – is repressed. But their voice will not be silenced. For the moment they step into this world a great and thunderous voice fills the air, singing out against sorrow and the madness of man in “Vai Vedrai”.
Vai vai banbinno vai vedrai vai… “Go child, go and you will see,” the White singer hails, as the two young performers ascend into the heavens. As they do so, the sorrowful voice of the singer touches us. Oh mio fanciullo vedrai, vai vedrai che un sorriso. Nasconde spesso un gran dolore. Vai vedrai follia del uomo… “Oh my child you will see, you will see sorrow. It often hides a great pain. And Madness, you will see the madness of man…”
The Syncro Trapeze and the animation that accompanies it is a wonderful start to the show. Youthful and carefree, this duo swings from the heavens above. Their symmetrical dance in the air captures the energy in each breath of life. Perched on their individual trapezes, two graceful aerialists perform an awe-inspiring display of harmony and beauty. In this breathtaking routine, the daring duo defies the law of gravity with incredible mid-air twists and maneuvers, building to a crescendo of aerial feats. Their performance is a slow realization of the struggles and indignities present in today’s society. They react to this raw emotion, tossing themselves from the safety of their bars – only to catch themselves with their feet. Then get up to do it over and over again, signaling to us we can break free…
FAST TRACK
The Syncro Trapeze artists give way to a group of energetic, swift moving acrobats spun in silver and gold (“The Bronx”). The Bronx are young and tough. They are the next generation, ready to topple the old order and take power from the weak Old Birds. Individually and as a gang, their acrobatic prowess on the Fast Track is a measure of their power. They are strong, but also sensual and graceful. They are both an imposing force and a celebration of youth. This ethereal group of performers soar in the air executing lively gymnastic and tumbling displays in unison and in counterpoint, reaching astounding heights and speeds on an elongated overlapping trampoline that magically appears from within the stage. Like medieval warriors penetrating the depths of a mythical forest, the tumblers not only demonstrate their undeniable acrobatic prowess and strength, but also their grace in a dance whose manner is unique to Cirque du Soleil.
Joining The White Singer for the first time is her alter ego, The Black Singer. The Singer in White is a symbol of all that was good in the old order. She is the storyteller who echoes in song everything she sees around her. The Singer in Black is the Singer in White’s alter ego. There is a wickedness about her. In her elegant black dress, she hides many secrets in her dark heart. Their harmony on this beautiful theme is spine tingling. But, just as the listener is lulled into a trance, “Irna” returns with more power to complete the Fast Track act’s climax.
SHOUDER-POLE WIRE
Alegria’s clowns perform “Bird on a Wire” before fluttering away for the Shoulder-Pole Wire act. Enlightened with “Kalendero”, the number is performed by a team of two artists in two separate groups: Group 1 consisting of Shi Yanping and Liu Lu, while Group 2 consists of Kang Kui and Zheng Li Sha. Both performers take the stage with one holding the pole on her shoulder while the other flipped in the air on its thin wire line above. Tamir appears when he is needed, only to disappear once he has fulfilled his mission, stands by in case help is needed. His wide grin and sparkling eyes are windows into a generous soul.
STRONG MAN
Guarding the Nymphs, nubile young women with wings, is the Strong Man. He is ever present in the world of Alegría and is a man you never want to meet. Reminiscent of the Strong Man acts of traditional circus culture, Alegria’s gentle giant bends bars of steel, juggles 34 kilo weights and even lifts 340 kilos with his bare teeth. In spite of his obvious strength, two less timorous birds fly onto his “perch” and playfully challenge his fortitude. At first, he plays a little tug of war with the Old Birds over a steel bar. But then, he summons all his strength and bends the bar around his shoulders and head. After that amazing show of strength, he is presented with a cage and inside, all the Old Birds stand. He must lift them all! But then, as he prepares to lift the Old Birds, Tamir and Little Tamir join in the fun and with his back to them all, he lifts them off the ground! An amazing show of strength!
HOOPS
Fleur calls to the Old Birds, who rush the stage. One by one they come out, each holding a metalic hoop. Seeing it as more of a toy than anything else, they try and manipulate it around their waists, but it falls to the ground. Too lazy to pick them up, the Old Birds leave the hoops. Fleur smiles again when a young girl appears. In her yellow form-fitting costume with delicate brocade accents, her head topped with tight yellow curls; she is a graceful performer as well as a stunning beauty. She is youth personified. Combining the grace and agility of a gymnast with the flexibility of a contortionist and the dexterity of a juggler, the enchanting elfin-like performer weaves her way through a myriad of ever-spinning hoops. She’s all a-glow in the limelight!
SNOWSTORM
The Snowstorm is a unique clown act that has more sorrow in it than laughter. Performed to the song “Nocturne”, the clown with the white tuft of hair shows us all his sorrows. He appears with a tattered suitcase, chugging along the train tracks left on the floor. When he arrives at his destination, he opens the suitcase, pulls out a dress coat and hat, and hangs them up. He then begins to brush off the coat when it mysteriously comes alive!
The two cling to one another in comfort, but there’s malice afoot as the mysterious friend slips a letter into the clowns pocket. A train whistle interrupts them and the Clown takes off.
When he arrives at his intended destination (his hat smoking), the clown finds the letter in his pocket. As he reads it, his smiles turn to frowns. He is so saddened by the contents of the letter he tears it up and throws it into the sky. Snow begins to fall alongside the pieces of the letter. The clown is alone in the world. Sad, the clown begins to walk away but is confronted by a blast of wind. The wind blows harder yet; the snow blinding us all.
FIRE DANCE
Fire is an essential part in any society. Here, Cirque uses fire to show turmoil and upheaval in the world. Performed by a wonderful artist from the Pacific Islands, the entire stage bathes in the glow of his flame. He takes the fire sticks from the gold and silver dressed Fast Track artists and lights it with his hands. With a Polynesian flair, the fire blurs in rings of light stopping only long enough for him to wash the fire over his skin. After twirling one such stick, he is brought another and the adventure begins all over again. Tribal and magical – this authentic ritual dance is performed with the pulsing rhythm of congo drums by an artist weaving his baton-like fire knives around his entire body, from his feet to his palms to his mouth, in a seductively dangerous dance.
In the end, a clown appears and uncovers a single candle, which he had hidden under his clothes. Mocking the previous performance, he moves the candle from side to side, up and down, and around his arms. And in a finale to rival all finales, the clown wets his fingers and snuffs out the candle light, burning himself. Intermission is upon us.
AERIAL CUBE
The second act of Alegría opens with a flurry of activity. The White Singer, in all her beauty, is drawn to the men in the audience. After teasing a couple, she selects one and takes him up on stage. The two dance until the Strong Man – the protector of Alegría – roars onstage and takes the man back to his seat. Then a clown on horseback rides by carrying a letter in his hands. He tries to deliver it to the Singer in White but everyone grabs for it. The letter passes from the Clown to Fleur to Tamir to the Strong Man back to the Clown before he rides off.
A man bolts into the forefront, signaling the end of the clownish antics. The stage once again tints Orange as this new performance sets to take hold. A virtuoso who can turn a simple cube into an object of beauty. Mind over matter, light over darkness, the cube man in a seemingly effortless manner dominates his instrument. Shunning open shows of strength in favor of the more subtle artistry evoked by sensual masculine movement, the performer manipulates the cube while suspended in the air or, in a stunning flurry of light, on the ground. Strong yet tender, natural and surreal the cube man evokes a higher authority in search of life’s force.
RUSSIAN BARS
The White Angels are the graceful guardians of Alegría. Agile, confident and daring, the angels are the youth of tomorrow who have alighted in the palace from the heavens. Their bearing is regal, their arms – like wings – are always poised elegantly at their sides.
Dressed all in white, with breastplates of woven gold and their noses painted red, the Angels support one another as they take turns tumbling through the air on the Russian Bars. Amazing acrobatic flyers are thrust into the air from a single, double or triple bar that is perched on the sturdy shoulders of powerful catchers. The sure-footed flyers perform multiple synchronized somersaults and mid-air twists at an unbelievable pace. The Russian Bars requires a high level of concentration and mutual trust between the performers. Each flexible bar measures two to six inches in width.
CONTORTION
One of the most celebrated performances in Cirque du Soleil’s Alegría are these small, delicate bird-like creatures – two contortionists who bring this refined Mongolian circus art to the stage. Perched on a seemingly weightless table which rotates slowly as they perform, the duo executes both impressive and imaginative feats of flexibility and balance. The fluid movements are masterful, as they manipulates into extraordinary sculpted forms. Sometimes they move in “mirror image” to each other, sometimes together, and sometimes supporting each other one on top of the other.
FLYING LEV (HIGH BAR)
Human dreams taking flight, borne by the hopes of a new millennium. This High Bar apparatus was especially designed by Andrei Lev and Choreographed by Pavel Brun just for Alegría. (A duel-version of this apparatus appeared in Mystère beginning in 1995). The pendulum movement of the cradle emphasizes that time continues and never stops passing. The benefits outweigh the risks, for the adventure is the reward. Three high bars set more than 40 feet above the stage form the aerial playground for daring acrobats to fly to and from the arms of mighty catchers, suspended by their knees on a cradle swing. The astounding act, performed by Russian acrobats culminates in a death-defying plunge into the net.
“Querer” and Little Tamir fill the set-up time for the act, as Little Tamir and a bird fly through the air. But, a couple of minutes thereafter, “Icare” fills the big-top and eight men climb up one by one to their perch atop the big-top. One by one, they flip and turn around the apparatus before letting go and placing their future in the hands (literally) of the catchers.
EPILOGUE
Almost as soon as it started, Alegría – the cry for help; of contrasting worlds: those who have power suppressing those who do not – comes to a close. Change has begun; the Human Spirit lives on. The White Singer fills the stage with the show’s signature song:
Alegría, come un lampo di vita
Alegría, come un pazzo gridar
Alegría, del delituso grido.
Bella ruggente pene, seren.
Come un assalto di gioia, Alegría!
I see a spark of life shining, Alegría
I hear a young minstrel sing, Alegría
A Beautiful roaring scream of joy and sorrow,
so extreme. There is a love in me raging,
Alegría! A joyous, magical feeling!
The Old Birds are once again on stage with their glassless mirrors. The artists step back through and the Old Birds dance about. Performers fill the stage and bow. As the performers retreat, the Strong Man steps forward and roars a beautiful roaring scream and the lights dim.
Alegría comes to a close.
ON TO ASIA & EUROPE
- We have no illusions. The children of the streets will not see Alegría. Laughter is still a luxury they cannot afford. Tonight, our cries of joy will become screams of rage because millions of young hearts will again freeze in the gutters of our goodwill. May Alegría become a rallying cry for those of us who still have a voice. (Europe Tour Programme Book)
Cirque du Soleil celebrates its 10 year anniversary in staging Alegría, and true to tradition, the two-year North American tour is launched in Montreal. Meanwhile, Mystère continues to create a sensation in Las Vegas. And Saltimbanco? Saltimbanco embarks on a six-month run in Tokyo that attracts a great deal of attention (and spectators; 557,851). It’s clear from these numbers that Cirque du Soleil has quite an audience in Asia. So by 1996, while Saltimbanco continues to conquer Europe, Mystère runs strong in Las Vegas (getting revamped in the process), and a fourth show is launched in Montreal (Quidam), Alegría finishes up its triumphant 13-city North American Tour and prepares for a three-city tour of the Pacific region, specifically Tokyo and Fukuoka, Japan and Hong Kong.
Alegría would change in the process.
Both Aerial Cube and Shoulder-Pole Wire acts went missing from the line-up. While Shoulder-Pole would never be seen again, Mikhail Matorin (the act’s creator) would take his performance to Mystère (as part of that show’s revamp). In its stead, Cirque presented “Flying Man in Silk” by Russian artist Yuri Maiorov (who also performed Russian Bars and FastTrack at the time). Described as “Strong yet tender, powerful yet light, natural yet surreal – the Flying Man shuns open shows of strength in favor of the more subtle artistry evoked by sensual masculine movement and the rich flow of silk…” – Yuri would go on to perform his act through both Japanese cities and Hong Kong in 1996, transfer to Mystère for a time in 1997, then become part of La Nouba’s creation in 1998 (He most recently retired from La Nouba, passing on the act to a much younger man.)
Additionally, in 2003-2004, Ebon Grayman who had been performing the character of Fleur at the time (and had also been a member of the Bronx FastTrack team before that), created and performed his own Flying Man in Silk act as an act-in-reserve. Although no longer performed (since Ebon has moved on from Cirque), his act was not only full of strength, but unending grace. (You can see him practice this act on the Alegria DVD Behind-the-Scenes Feature, but I’m getting ahead of myself here…)
Tight Wire was another addition to the show. It made its first appearance during the Japanese Tour (1996) and continued through to Hong Kong that same year. “Reminiscent of a young girl thoughtfully playing out her game of hopscotch, the artist is a study in nimble, dexterity and relaxed grace. Balanced on a wire measuring less than two centimeters in diameter, no one breaks her concentration or disturbs the lively pace of her intricate footwork for she is in a world which only she commands.” The act was performed by Molly Saudek, a young artist from the United States, and was not employed when Alegría went to Europe (1997-1998). When Alegría returned to Japan/Hong Kong in 2004-2005 (as Alegría 2), those extra elements were once again added. One of those was a “Slack Wire” act performed by Yang Huang, a young artist from China. When Alegría moved on to Europe for the second time (2006-2007), Slack Wire did not continue.
The final new act to be introduced to Alegría during this period is Samuel Tétreault’s Hand-Balancing number, which the programme book described thusly: “Like the stately spires of a medieval cathedral, this elegant equilibrist reaches to evermore lofty heights seeking not only the challenge of the rarefied air but some illusive deity. Whether on the ground or precariously perched, the performer is dexterous on one hand or two. His style is simple and pure, as unwavering as the tower which protects the throne.”
One Alegría reached the shores of Europe in early 1997, Saudek’s Tight Wire and Maiorov’s Flying Silks would be replaced, and Aerial Cube would make its triumphant return under native Australian Paul Bowler, who learned the art directly from the act’s creator. (While Paul was busy on tour, Mikhail took up residence at Mystère.)
Paul, of course, would continue on until the end of the European Tour. Tétreault’s Hand-Balancing act would also. But even more drastic changes were coming to Alegría. On April 29, 1998, Cirque du Soleil and Mirage Resorts announced that Alegría would find a permanent home at the Beau Rivage.
THE BEAU RIVAGE ENGAGEMENT
- “Come to a place where genuine Southern hospitality and charm go hand in hand with meticulous service…”
Situated on the salty-shores of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Steve Wynn’s Beau Rivage sported 1,780 “elegantly appointed” guest rooms and 66 luxurious suites, which come with either a spectacular view of the Gulf of Mexico or of the Bay. And under the 32-story tower was a 78,000 square-foot casino, twelve restaurants, a full spa, a salon, a shopping promenade, a marina, a pool, and a sandy white beach – all for your pleasure. The final price for all this luxury? $800 million. And that isn’t a lot considering the Bellagio cost double that amount.
With the Beau Rivage’s opening on March 16, 1999, came another collaborative effort between Wynn’s Mirage Resorts and Cirque du Soleil – the fourth such venture. Nouvelle Experience began the partnership in 1992 when it was presented in the white and gold Big Top on the grounds of The Mirage. Mystère solidified that partnership in 1993 (at Treasure Island), which “O” extended in 1998 (at Bellagio). And after much discussion, Cirque du Soleil and Steve Wynn settled on Alegría to set up stakes at the Beau Rivage. But not just under the Big Top, oh no… within was a 1,552 seat theater reflecting the “warm welcome inspired by the climate of southern France.”
For those who bore its splendor, the design of the venue was simple and elegant, featuring a wonderful splash of color. And, unlike the “O” theater the Alegría Theater was ornamented with an elegant display of the show’s name – right above the door. Inside, the ceiling was a vibrant shade of blue, representing the skies of the village Alegría played upon. Here, Sky Art also provided designs for a 15,000 square- foot mural “reminiscent of Claude Montet’s water paintings.” Below the skies were the theater seats, bright yellow, creating an allegory of the beaches where the Beau Rivage was founded. And then there were the walls, adorned in oranges and reds, bringing meaning to the rising and setting sun.
Besides the wonderfully adorned space, the Beau Rivage Theater incorporated a no-proscenium arch design quite similar to its Mystère counterpart. Like the Treasure Island Theater, the Beau Rivage Theater also had no obstructive poles, providing a limitless viewpoint to all spectators. The set and stage retained its familiar squarish form, complete with the Fast Track built into the floor. Overhead an enormous dome that for designer Michel Crête signifies “a sign of imposing power,” which reflects the theme of the show – an allegory about power; who has it and who does not.
For the Beau Rivage engagement the show would go under the knife, cutting several segments previously seen on tour (such as the Aerial Cube and Strong Man), updating the Fast Track to something a little more reminiscent of the choreography seen in “Alegria: Le Film”, and re-ordering the flow of the acts slightly to accommodate the missing acts. What audiences got was a highly truncated version of the show (at 90-minutes) that ran through seven still-amazing acts: Syncho Trapeze, Hoops (by Elena Lev), Fire/Knife Dance (by Isaac Samuela), Russian Bars, Fast Track, Contortion (by Chimed Ulziibayar and Tseveendorj Nomin), and Aerial High Bar, clinching the show.
Audiences in Mississippi didn’t “get” the show, or Cirque du Soleil for that matter, as patrons in Las Vegas had undoubtedly had – much to the chagrin of both Cirque and Mirage Resorts. And thanks to Saltimbanco’s re-staging and tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1999, and a return to Japan (as Saltimbanco 2000), Alegría’s time on the Gulf Coast was as short as its truncated running time; it was going back on tour under the Grand Chapiteau!
BACK ON TOUR
- A low wall surrounding a field flowing with waves of wheat, shimmering with shocks of sunlight, stands silent sentinel to a man, old and infirm, dancing, crazed and crooked, with arms akimbo. Beating time with a tired twig, he serenades the serene sky: mother of my mother, father and friend feast on this wonderful wheat, generous gift of my God. The Old Man’s cracked cackle careens over the wall and wails into the nearby vale where a goat grazes. The butt of the beast bolts up to listen to the lament of the drunken devout. With a moist mouth and a goat’s gaze the beast bellows a bleat of enamored emotion. The Old Man and the Ram rhapsodize a crazy cantata. (Programme Book)
Alegría packed up its troubles on October 2, 2000 and prepared to conquer new markets, beginning with Australia. The re-staging would forever change the show, though, making it darker, heavier, more powerful.
Although some acts missing during the Beau Rivage engagement would be re-integrated into the line-up (such as the Strong Man), others would be retired forever: Elena Lev, who’d been with Alegría since the very beginning, would retire from Cirque (for a while – she’d later return for the show’s filming, to replace Hand-Balancing in Quidam for a time, and even star in Wintuk and Zaia, before those shows closed.) Elena Lev’s Hoops Act was replaced by a Manipulation number: “The enchanting performer combines rhythmic gymnastics, flexible contortion, deft juggling and graceful ballet into one act. Using silver hoops and beautiful silk ribbons, she dances and leaps across the stage as the music plays on.”
Aerial Cube, which was not presented at Beau Rivage, would be represented on tour now as “Flying Man”: “Combining the elasticity of the bungee with the power of the gymnastic rings, the artist soars through the air while performing acrobatic feats. His awe-inspiring performance is a combination of incredible skill, agility and strength. His sculpted physique is imposing, yet he is tender and graceful.” And Hand-Balancing would return as an act-in-reserve, performed by young Ukrainian Denys Tolstov: “Using his incredible strength and his great abilities in ballet and contortion movements, he executes slow figures on canes of different heights. The tallest cane is at 1m 90 from the stage.”
And later, when Alegría returned to Japan/Hong Kong in 2004-2005 (as “Alegría 2”), extra elements were once again added into the show: A “Slack Wire” act performed by Yang Huang, a young artist from China. And once again “Aerial Cube”.
When Alegría moved on to Europe for the second time (2006-2007), “Slack Wire” did not continue. (But occasionally an Aerial Cube act was seen in rotation.) Another act-in-rotation was kept in reserve too: a jugging number by Victor Moiseev, a young artist from the Russian Bars number, who just wanted to have a solo act of his own. Attaining a high level by creating original movements and tricks with the balls, he succeeded to manage his own place in the show.
And the song played on…
* * *
Fifteen years after its birth, Alegría was given a fourth life. Once again thanks to Saltimbanco, the show would be reborn in 2009 as an arena construct, setting out across North America and Europe with one-week engagements at a time. And, yes, ushering in even more changes – new acts such as the Cyr Wheel and Hand-Balancing (which was integrated int the main course of the show rather than set in reserve), and some simplifications too – but the song still played.
Until now.
It’s hard to believe that Alegría’s journey is now over. That we’ll never get to see this amazing, fantastic, and classic expression of Cirque du Soleil’s prowess under the Grand Chapiteau ever again. Or will we? Only our friends at Cirque du Soleil know for certain. Who knows what may happen in five… or ten years down the road. If a set of young acrobats may want to resurrect Saltimbanco one day… we can only hope Alegría may follow. In the mean time we’ll miss you, and thanks!
Thank you. Thank you to the Makers of Rules. To the Breakers of Backs. To the sincere Autocrats. To the false Democrats. To the Builders of Walls. To the Painters of Lines. Thank You. Thank you again. To those who Tattoo Numbers. To those who point fingers. To those who count their greed. To those who split by color. To those who smile their lies. Thank you. Thank you so very much. Please, step into the Spotlight. Let us take your picture. To immortalize you. To thank you. Let us engrave your faces into our album of infamy. So that we may never forget. So that we may never accept. Viva L’Alegría!
