“A Review of KÀ Extreme”
By: Rich Alford – Seattle, Washington (USA)
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When asked to review this DVD at first I was thrilled. As I started to actually write I found it was going to be much more difficult that I thought. I wanted to give a moment-by-moment description (almost a transcription) which, frankly, would have been a huge injustice to it. Instead, I’ll share a few highlights to give you an idea of what to expect (and what not to expect).
For me, Cirque du Soleil’s KA is far and away THE best Cirque show in Las Vegas. I have a great affection for Mystere and “O” and feel they are absolutely spectacular. Zumanity is what it is but, that’s another story. KA is something so different, inventive and moving that it’s taken the top spot as my favorite show. When the KA Extreme DVD became available, I rushed to get it. My initial hope was that it would be in the vein of “Fire Within.” While it’s not that, it IS (in my opinion) very well done, very interesting and provides a lot of insight from the directors, actors and acrobats. I found it to be informative and interesting and has me wanting to see KA, yet again, to look for little details that the DVD has brought to my attention.
The DVD has two main chapters, the KA Extreme documentary and “Bonus Features”. The KA Documentary is a compilation of discussions with the Director and Creator of KA, Robert Lepage, and other creators, “behind the scenes” folks, and artists from the show. We get insight from Lepage as to how he came up with the vision of a show with inverted worlds and anti-gravity. We hear from Mark Fisher, Theatre and Set Designer for KA, how the theater came together and how everyone worked to deliver a show performed not on a stage but in a void.
We see the renovation of the KA Theater at the MGM Grand and get some insights as to its design and function. One VERY interesting aspect of the theater is the stage used in the void. The main stage, a 25X50 foot platform weighing more than 100 thousand pounds, can go completely vertical, rotate, spin, raise, lower and move in almost every direction. We see the moment the cast is introduced to the stage and get a glimpse of their excitement as they see it all come to life. We also see some of the particular safety measures and challenges this show has given the designers and how, as usual, Cirque has come up with innovative solutions. Jonathan Deans, Sound Designer, speaks about how big a part sound plays in the production. He mentions there are in excess of 2,400 speakers in the auditorium, and how they can have sound come at you, go through you, come from you, come down from above, how there can be direct sound, direct music, and on and on. I got the impression that the sound design for KA was much more ambitious than the other shows. As a Software Engineer, I found the comments of Holger Forterer, Interactive Projections Designer, very interesting. I wasn’t aware that the visual effects, such as the bubbles and the textures of the stage were interactive projections, very advanced technology. When he said, “…we plugged in the numbers and it just worked, we’re not sure why…” I was amazed.
We hear from the designers and directors of every aspect of the production, from lighting and rigging to costume, makeup and technology, to name a few. We learn of the challenges they faced and the innovative and creative solutions they came up with to create the world of KA. I enjoyed hearing “tidbits” from these folks. I learned, for example, the working name of the production (before KA) was “Duality,” and the creators insights into why that name was meaningful (you’ll have to watch the DVD). Much of this type of history and information is scattered through the DVD.
We hear from several of the artists and acrobats talking about the enormity of the production, how it feels to be a part of a show of this size and caliber and how they had to overcome their own personal fears to perform “in the void”.
There are many excellent visuals from the production as well as rehearsals. We see behind the scenes and learn a few of the secrets that make this show so amazing. While no documentary could ever be “complete”, this one gives enough insight to provide a little more understanding of the origins of the show as well as an appreciation for the work you see (and the work that goes on behind the scenes). I absolutely recommend this DVD to everyone. I believe it’s totally appropriate to see the DVD before seeing the show itself. Anyone who sees the DVD and hasn’t seen the show will find themselves even more excited to actually experience KA. And if, like me, you’ve already seen KA a few times, you’ll be ready to back and experience it again.
The DVD also includes these Bonus Features:
The Creators of KA – 3 minutes – Basically a photo album of the people, who created, directed and supported the production. There are also some interesting original concept drawings
Excerpts of the Music of KA. – There are two songs, “Cliff” (6 minutes) and “Baton” (3:30), both composed by René Dupéré and are featured on the KA CD. (Note that the DVD states that the versions are preliminary and may differ from the final CD version, so these could be considered “early mixes.”)
Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas – A preview video (similar to what’s played in the gift shops) from each of the Cirque shows in Las Vegas. Each show gets about 1:30 to 2 minutes each, for a total of about 7:30.
Cirque on DVD – 4:45 – Previews of the current catalog of Cirque DVD’s available.
Cirque du Soleil Music – 1:00 – An advertisement for the current catalog of CD’s available.
Cirque Club – 0:30 – An advertisement to join with a cool advertisement about the web site.
I felt my money was well spent by adding this to my Cirque DVD collection. While there is never really enough, what there is I found to be informative and enjoyable. Seeing the “behind the scenes” efforts of the artists and crew, learning of the visions and dreams of the creators and getting a glimpse of the work that went into this production just makes it all the more special and “personal.” Not only did I get “my monies worth,” I think I’ll get more value and enjoyment out of the next time I see KA.
