Welcome to the one-hundred and fiftieth edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter.
Fascination has hit quite an important milestone with this issue – our150th! I wish I had some words of wisdom to impart at this occasion, but to be brutally honest with you, I’ve been so busy with my new house and new baby that, well, I’ve really not had the time to think about what it means to reach this mark. Back in May 2012, when we reached our 100th issue, I entertained the notion of shutting things down, but then changed my mind and suggested keeping a weather eye out for June 2014, because although I could not guarantee that Fascination would be around forever, my renewed interest would push us through to #125. Only then would we reassess the situation. I did reassess and the verdict was to ask me again when we reached the 150th issue. All I can say now is ask me again when we hit #175 because Fascination still following the sun!
Besides us celebrating our 150th issue, we have a few Cirque du Soleil shows celebrating as well. This month marks the 10th anniversary of The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil. (The show launched previews on June 2, 2006 and held its gala premiere on June 30, 2006). On Thursday, July 14th, Cirque du Soleil will officially celebrate this occasion with Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and widows Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison. But fans at home can take part in the festivities in a number of ways too…
o) By checking out some of the new re-branding:
< https://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=8570 >
o) Streaming the LOVE album on your service of choice:
< http://gnikn.us/lovestreaming >
o) Watching a first-look video of the show’s evolution:
< https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCnwkG5GAtQ >
o) And watching the new “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” Video:
< http://vevo.ly/3i6APQ >
NOTE: The evocative video for “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was directed by Dandypunk, Andre Kasten and Leah Moyer, and was shot in the LOVE Theatre and at other locations in Nevada. All effects were created using projection mapping and captured live, in-camera. No post production CGI was used.
In addition to LOVE’s anniversary, on June 4th, JOYA celebrated a momentous occasion – it’s 500th performance! And in celebration of reaching this milestone, a documentary about the show’s creation has surfaced. Check that out here: < https://youtu.be/tSswSZ2uAG4 >. Cirque’s newest touring show reached its 100th performance on Sunday, July 10th. And even OVO is hopping on the happiness wagon, with an invitation to join its re-vamped insect party (now winding its way throughout arenas in North America). You too can look buggy by downloading one of three OVO-themed masks on our website here: < https://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=8436 >. Or you can learn how to make one: < https://youtu.be/zbxFnr_VodU >.
The cast and crew of Varekai were treated to something extra-special last month – they performed at the Vatican! Hand Balancer Anna Ostapenko even had the privilege to meet His Holiness, Pope Francis, after the performance. Check out a video < https://goo.gl/jsa1Y8 > and a picture of the meeting < https://goo.gl/OpWv3v >. This isn’t the first time Cirque du Soleil performed at the Vatican either. On November 10, 2004, the cast and crew of Saltimbanco visited the Vatican while on tour and had a touching meeting with Pope John-Paul II. An engaging special performance was created for the Pope and over 6,000 other spectators. Can you imagine?
If you were curious about what offerings Cirque might have in store aboard the MSC Meraviglia, imagine no longer. With just 12 months to go until the first guests set sail on-board the ship, MSC Cruises – the Swiss-based world’s largest privately-owned cruise line has revealed further details of its first next-generation smart ship. With the first cruise scheduled for June 4, 2017, MSC Meraviglia will feature the ultimate in entertainment, alongside a broad range of dining options and luxurious wellness choices. The highlight of on-board entertainment will be represented by the world leader in artistic performance, Cirque du Soleil, thanks to the exclusive Cirque du Soleil at Sea partnership with MSC Cruises. Two unique Cirque du Soleil shows will be performed on-board in the evenings, 6 nights per week, at the purpose-built Carousel Lounge. In addition, MSC Cruises will offer an exclusive on-site dinner service for up to 100 of the 450 guests booked for the show. MSC Cruises designed a custom-made entertainment venue, the Carousel Lounge, for MSC Meraviglia and its three sister smart cruise ships. Featuring the latest technology, this ground-breaking venue, which has been designed to meet the needs of Cirque du Soleil and its performers, will be a stunning circular performance space with a 180-degree circular glass wall. We’ve touched on this before here (https://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=6801) and here (https://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=6805). Cirque’s offerings begin on July 16, 2017. In the meantime, check out the ship and its itinerary here: < http://mscmeraviglia.com/us/en >.
Soda Cirque, a new touring show based on the life and music of Soda Stereo, is shaping up to be something interesting too. Although I confess to know very little (if anything at all) about Soda Stereo, I am… intrigued by this new show and what of Cirque will blend with it. Over the last few weeks Michel Laprise (the show’s director) has teased bits and pieces via the show’s Facebook page (which we’ve listed in our SOCIAL OUTREACH section), but perhaps the most eyebrow-raising blurb about it all has come from Cirque’s casting team. They put out a call recently for an athlete / circus performer who was able to hold his/her breath under water for at least two minutes, or for an apnea specialist with acrobatic skills. Huh.
Besides the announcement that Cirque du Soleil announced plans for an NFL attraction in Times Square (see the release in our CIRQUE BUZZ news section this month), another thing that makes me go hmmm… is this: On Wednesday, July 6th, Bell Media announced the recipient of their Executive Producer Accelerator Lab Production Apprenticeship position, placing the winner with Marblemedia, an award-winning content creation company. What makes this bit of news interesting is that Marblemedia is working on a primetime series – their first – called ALCHEMY, co-produced with Cirque du Soleil Media. That’s right, the same division behind the LUNA PETUNIA series for kids (the 11 episode series will debut on NETFLIX sometime in 2017) and behind PARADISO, a drama with 20th Century FOX Television. That project, which stems from the first-look deal for scripted series CDS Media inked with 20th TV in January 2015, is said to be in the vein of Moulin Rouge: about a girl pursuing her dream of performing at the Paradiso, the most glamorous nightclub in San Lorenzo (a fictional but contemporary city based on 1950’s Havana). If it makes it, we’ll see it during the 2016-2017 TV season. I’m not sure when we’ll see (or hear hear more about) ALCHEMY.
As a long-time fan of Cirque du Soleil I’m not quite sure what to make of all the projects outside of what I would consider the company’s core offerings. On one hand I applaud the company’s desire to expand beyond what they already know, pushing into new forms of entertainment and expression as to not to appear stale. On the other hand, some part of me wishes they’d stop the TV shows, special events, and other forms and get back to what they’ve already proven to excel at: big top shows. But there’s no denying Cirque is finding success in these new projects.
PARAMOUR is a perfect example. The cast album of PARAMOUR was recorded on June 29th and 30th and it will showcase all 10 signature songs including “Hollywood Wiz,” “The Honeymoon Days of Fame” and “Everything (The Lover’s Theme).” Scott Zeiger, President and Managing Director of Cirque Theatrical said, “Audiences have been loving the show each night at the Lyric Theatre and have been asking our staff where they can purchase the music. The creation of this album will allow everyone to take that experience home and re-live their favorite moments.” Look for the album to be released later this summer. Otherwise, the show continues to do well financially, or at least well enough:
Week This Week Potential Difference Seats % Cap Ending Gross Grosses in Dollars Sold --------------------------------------------------------------------- 17-Apr $190,773.60 $191,599.00 $0.00 1,897 100.05% 24-Apr $1,018,941.65 $1,149,594.00 $828,165.05 10,623 93.38% 01-May $1,065,771.30 $1,172,274.00 $46,829.65 11,043 97.07% 08-May $1,074,995.70 $1,367,653.00 $9,224.00 11,443 86.22% 15-May $464,021.20 $781,516.00 -$610,975.50 6,197 81.34% 22-May $907,800.25 $976,895.00 $443,779.05 9,213 97.18% 29-May $1,126,943.25 $1,805,456.00 $219,143.00 13,731 90.53% 05-Jun $1,024,449.62 $1,805,456.00 $102,493.63 12,000 79.11% 12-Jun $1,093,610.45 $1,805,456.00 $69,160.83 11,279 74.36% 19-Jun $971.039.25 $1,805,456.00 -$122,571.20 10,251 67.58% 26-Jun $1,000,730.25 $1,805,456.00 $29,691.00 10,756 70.91% 03-Jul $1,000,312.40 $1,805,456.00 -$417.85 11,748 77.45%
But if you’re going to see PARAMOUR any time soon, you’ll want to know this: Jeremy Kushnier, who plays A.J. Golden in Paramour will take a two-week hiatus from the show from July 10-24. Assuming the role for the two weeks will be cast-member Bret Shuford. During his break from Paramour, Kushnier will film a new feature titled “The Idea of Manhood”, the debut motion picture from his brother, writer/director Serge Kushnier. The movie tells the story of “two old friends who unexpectedly spend a day together and end up debating each other’s shortcomings,” according to press notes. “The conversation and day go places neither of them predicted.” Fellow cast member and understudy Shuford’s Broadway credits include “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, “The Little Mermaid”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “Amazing Grace”. He can also be seen in the film “The Wolf of Wall Street” and the web series “Submissions Only”.
And speaking of shortcomings, Jose Perez has an update on TORUK: “TORUK – The First Flight, Cirque’s Avatar inspired show, premiered December 2015 to mixed reviews, with most negative comments coming from fans expecting to see a “typical” Cirque du Soleil show. If you’ve seen TORUK, you very well know this is not your typical Cirque show – and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Maybe it’s the fact that two new shows have premiered after TORUK (Paramour and LUZIA), but it seems the negative reviews have died down a bit. Fewer negative comments, however, doesn’t mean that the show doesn’t need to evolve. In fact, some new elements and acts are being added to TORUK! An aerial straps/rope act is now being presented in the Tree of Voices number, as well as contortion in the Anurai Scene. But perhaps the most interesting number being added to TORUK, is a Boomerang act in the Kekunan Scene. The acts are currently in the show, though they haven’t been officially announced as they are still being fully implemented. Expect to hear and see more about the new acts soon! There also appears to be a possible Fire-Knife Dance act, but we didn’t get confirmation if this has been implemented in the show yet. Lastly, a quick update on the show DVD – no updates, unfortunately. Although the DVD was filmed back in January, the company has not released any additional information or provided a DVD release date. We have no choice but to anxiously continue waiting, but in the meantime, you can now purchase the show’s official program (but on site only)!”
Oh and one more thing: CirqueCast Episode #5 – “The Ever Expanding Big Top” – is now out! Join us as we discuss the recent Paramour reviews, the new Criss Angel Mindfreak Live show, and all the news regarding Cirque’s huge planned expansion in the not so distant future. Also, we have our first CirqueCast Giveaway! Watch this episode to find out how you can win a Zarkana program and bag! Check us out here: < https://youtu.be/tcGiSAkoYA8 >. And stay tuned for these exciting upcoming episodes: In Episode 6, Jose and I discuss our views on LUZIA, which we saw live in Montreal on the evening of May 24th and May 25th (we published a huge overview of the show last month). And then, in episode 7, we take you behind-the-scenes at LUZIA, and talk with three of the show’s wonderful cast-members: Devin Henderson (Hoops), Kelly McDonald (Adagio), and Rachel Salzman (Cyr Wheel). And in episode 8, a discussion with Alain Vinet, the Director of Cirque du Soleil Musique, from his studio at the International Headquarters!
So, without further ado – let’s get started!
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