Koozå, the story of an innocent and charming clown who strives to find his own place in the world, is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil. It combines two circus traditions – acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. Between strength and fragility, laughter and chills, and turmoil and harmony, Koozå is an electrifying and exotic visual world full of surprises, thrills, audacity and total involvement. And after more than a year on the road and months of anticipation, as of June 24, 2008, Cirque du Soleil’s newest traveling production finally has an audio/video collection fans can purchase in three ways: in brick-and-mortar stores, in online boutiques and in downloadable form (CD only).
I recently got my hands on these items while taking in Koozå in Chicago over the July 4th weekend, and give now give you my quick, “first blush” review.
From a packaging standpoint, the CD and DVD are interesting to say the least. They are amongst the first in Cirque du Soleil’s catalogue to deviate from the standard plastic CD/DVD packaging normally seen on store shelves, by using 100% post-consumer recycled materials. While the Wintuk CD released last November became the first all-cardboard release, and the “Mystery of Mystère”, “FLOW: a Tribute to the Artists of “O”” and “A Thrilling Ride Through KOOZÅ” documentaries were all released in a similar fashion, the Koozå items here are the first to completely use this process inside out – there is not one piece of plastic inside. This new policy also applies to all of Cirque du Soleil’s programme books and CDs – one of many new programs Cirque has adopted to assist the environment and reduce waste.
Be that as it may, both products sport the signature look of the show – a package doused in purple and splashed only with the colorful show logo. So let’s take a look, shall we?
-{ THE KOOZÅ CD }-
UPC -- 8-43277-01658-5 Catalog -- CDSMCD-10028-2 Run Time -- 68:26 Retail -- $19.50 USD / $19.50 CDN Electronic -- $9.99 full album / $0.99 per track
“The music of Koozå beautifully demonstrates the spirit of the live show with its themes of human connection and fun in a world of duality. With a stream of uplifting songs with timeless influences where forms and styles intertwine seamlessly, the music of Koozå is inspired by the sounds of western pop culture, from 1970s Funk to full orchestral arrangements. It also draws heavily on traditional Indian music.”
Having enjoyed the music live in Chicago, earlier in San Francisco and at its premiere in Montreal, the CD was one I was most anxious to hear. Would it have all my favorite tracks, or would it be like other Cirque show CDs, which pick and chose tracks from the show?) And would it sound like the live show, or would it be an “inspired by” soundtrack like Varekai? If not, would the title track at least have the brass instruments I so loved from the shows opening, or would they be replaced by some strange mixed-up instrument?
There are 18 tracks presented on the CD, which I am pleased to say run through every major piece of music in the show but one — the Hand-to-Hand act-in-rotation. These are (and the acts they accompany):
01. KOOZÅ DANCE (3:28) The Crooner and Skeleton Dance that accompanies the start of the second-half of the show. 02. SUPERSTAR I (2:27) Juggling (Part 1) 03. L'INNOCENT (5:50) The title track for the show featuring a mix of moments from the prologue, opening and ending. 04. ROYAUME (3:40) The incredibly energetic "Charivari" act that opens the show. 05. JUNOON (5:31) Contortion 06. ALAMBRE ALTO (4:59) Double High-wire 07. 16-PAPILLON (5:08) Solo Trapeze 08. PEARL (4:07) Unicycle Duo (Beginning & Ending) 09. CABARET SATÃ (3:12) Unicycle Duo (Middle) 10. AANKH MICHOLI (4:28) Pickpocket 11. DIABLES (3:36) Wheel of Death (First Half) 12. EL PÉNDULO DE LA MUERTE (3:02) Wheel of Death (Second Half) 13. PETIT-JAUNE (1:43) Melody accompanying the Prologue 14. SUPERSTAR II (3:23) Juggling (Part 2) 15. IMPOSTEUR (1:21) A transition piece usually used for the chases. 16. PRARTHANA (4:50) Balancing on Chairs (First Half) 17. DON'T BE AFRAID (3:46) Balancing on Chairs (Second Half) 18. HUM JAISA NA DEKHA (3:53) Teeterboard, the last act of the show.
Composer Jean-François Côté has assembled an assortment of talented musicians for this CD, using a wide array of vocal talents and worldly instruments including the Oud, Duduk and Sitar. Fans may recognize Côté as the former bandleader for both Mystère and “O”. He went on to compose new tracks for Corteo as a guest composer (including Bouncing Beds, Juggling and Paradise), which laid the groundwork for his talents to be tapped for Koozå. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the musicians who perform that music night after night. Besides the main vocalists (Theresa Bailey, Tara Baswani and Cinda RamSeur), it does not appear that any of the tour musicians perform on the CD, with the exception of James Lutz (Trombone, Bass Trombone, Soloist) and Mireille Marchal (Percussion, Human Whistle, Toy Trumpet). This is a shame, but not totally unexpected — since Zumanity, many of the CDs do not feature the actual show band.
The talented musicians you will find on the CD are: Richard Beaudet (Tenor Saxophone), Jocelyn Couture (Trumpet), Jean Frechette (Baritone Saxophone), Guy Pelletier (Flute, Piccolo), Michel Dubeau (Duduk), Guy Dubuc (Piano, Keyboards, Vibes), Rémy Malo (Bass, Double Bass), Marc Lessard (Bass, Percussion, Drums), Benoît Groulx (Conductor), Ligia Paquin (Viola), Pierre Beaudr (Trombone, Euphonium), Sheila Hannigan (Cello), Caroline Lizotte (Harp), Carla Antoun (Cello), Marie Josée Arpin (Violin), Yukari Cousineau (Viola), Pascale Gagnon (Violin), Uwe Neumann (Sitar), Ismail Hakki Fencioglu (Oud) , Mark Simons (Clarinet) and Shen Qui (Ehru)
And some of those names are recognizable from other Cirque du Soleil projects, such as: Richard Beaudet (who appeared on Alegría and Saltimbanco 2005 CD), Jocelyn Couture (Alegría), Guy Palletier (Corteo), Michel Dubeau (Saltimbanco 2005), Benoît Groulx (Corteo), Kigia Paquin (Corteo, Zumanity), Pierre Beaudr (Corteo), Shelia Hannigan (Corteo), Caroline Lizotte (Corteo), Carla Antoun (KÀ, Alegría, Corteo, Quidam and Delirium), Pascale Gagnon (Corteo), and Ismail Hakki Fencioglu (Corteo).
Besides missing the live band, my only other complaint is that many of the tracks seem over-produced. There’s “inspired by” (like Varekai and to some extent Corteo) and then there’s taking tracks in a totally different musical direction. The latter is what we get here. This is achieved by adding instrumentation that was not originally part of the song’s live construct or added to “punch up” what was otherwise a great, basic track all on its own.
For example, using Erhu, a two-stringed instrument of Chinese origin, in front of “Diables” and in other tracks, while haunting and beautiful, takes away the initial mystique of the track when heard live. Slowing down the pace of “L’Innocent” is another example, although it is one of my favorite tracks from the CD. I must also admit that I enjoy the funkilicious entrance to “Superstar I” – it makes me think of the theme of the movie “Shaft” every single time! The magnificent piano chords accompanying the Balancing on Chairs segment – “Don’t be Afraid” – is another personal favorite. However, I can’t understand the reasoning behind using Michael Halvarson (PickPocket) as a vocalist for the Skeleton Dance song (“KOOZÅ DANCE”) — what is up with that?
The music to Koozå is not only available on CD, but was also simultaneously released electronically via iTMS (Apple’s iTunes store) and Amazon Downloads, so there are a variety of avenues for fans to find, purchase and collect this music.
And if the music alone isn’t a good enough reason to rush out and purchase the actual CD, perhaps the fact that the package turns into a neat koza (the Sanskrit word meaning “box,” “chest” or “treasure,” for which the show was named) for you to display your CD in will motivate you. Now that’s a cool feature!
-{ THE KOOZÅ DVD }-
UPC -- 8-43277-01738-4 Catalog -- 509941 Video -- 1.78:1 Wide screen Audio -- English 2.0/5.1/DTS Run Time -- 120 Minutes (Main Feature) Directed by -- Mario Janelle
The moment you pick up the DVD, “The Trickster,” played here by Jason Barrent, beckons you into the world of Koozå, inviting you to slip off the discs covering keeping wraps on this amazing show. What you’ll find inside is another cardboard package, doused in purple and splashed only with the colorful logo of the show. But open this book carefully, because — WATCH OUT! — the DVD pops right out at you! Literally!! This truly is a “puzzle box.”
Created by Pierre Desmarais (Art Design) and Michel Dalpé (Graphic Design), you’ll find even more surprises as you look inside. Even the disc’s silkscreen label blends seamlessly into the DVD’s package, as the image of the Trickster on the disc is also underneath it. You’ll find the second disc tucked away in a hidden cubby, guarded securely by The King, played by Gordon White. His compatriots flank the other side of the page while nestled overhead is Michael Halvarson’s PickPocket character.
Since Disc 1 is the easiest one to grab first, let’s look at it:
DISC 1: THE SPECTACLE
One of the first things you’ll notice when popping this disc into your DVD player is… the lack of menu controls. Cirque du Soleil Images or perhaps SONY Home Entertainment, for some unknown reason, has decided that disabling your fast forward, next chapter, and/or menu button features at start up was an excellent idea. I don’t like it because it forces me to see the warnings and notices I don’t need to see as a respectable consumer. The point of having a menu button is for it to immediately take me to the disc’s menu, but I digress. Thankfully, though, the wait is just slightly less than 30 seconds before the Bataclan comes into view – the Main Menu.
On the main menu you have your standard selections: PLAY SHOW, PERFORMANCES, AUDIO SETUP, and BONUS FEATURES.
PLAY SHOW will, of course, begin the 2-hour program of Koozå which was magnificently shot in high-definition (and it shows!). There are camera tricks at play here, including slow motion and replay (in Wheel of Death, High Wire, etc.) but these are sparse and used well. Sound is top notch, as it appears to have been taken directly from the soundboard; however, the mix of vocal to instrumentation is somewhat off – the vocals seem much, much louder than the accompanying instruments. Lighting, on the other hand, is as presented on tour – extra lights do not appear to have been installed. And other than bits and pieces throughout the performance, the only large chunk of footage missing here is the pounding drum solo directly after the Wheel of Death act.
Be that as it may, fans have been a little less than forgiving regarding the show’s opening and closing, which was shot not in the big top but in a Toronto lakeside park (where the show itself was filmed live under the big top). While this footage represents mere seconds (and is quite nicely tied into the theme of the show: innocence), it does cut out the normal interaction of The Innocent and his kite on stage, which has struck a chord with many. Regardless of whether you see this change as good or bad, Cirque has done something similar in the past (remember the Everypeople from Le Cirque Réinventé invading a fruit market in that video?) albeit not for quite some time. Otherwise, this is a very solid presentation of Koozå that I can’t wait to enjoy over and over again!
PERFORMANCES is the chapter list where you’ll find the show accessible via chapters split into three pages — Page 1: Introduction, Charivari, Contortion, Trapeze, and Unicycle Duo (accompanied by the Contortion music “Junoon”). Page 2: Clown Magic, Highwire, Crooner and Skeleton Dance, Wheel of Death and Pickpocket (featuring “Cabaret Satã”). And Page 3: Juggling, Balancing on Chairs, Teeterboard and Finale and Credits (featuring the Double Highwire music “Alambre Alto”).
SUBTITLES is controlled by our gaggle of clowns and you’ll find the standard fare here: English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese, Portugues and no subtitles.
With AUDIO SETUP, Sasha swings on her trapeze and The Innocent stands by with his kite for protection and offers us three audio settings: Dolby Digital Stereo (2.0), Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS 5.1. “Petit-Jaunne” plays in the background.
BONUS FEATURES features Heimloss the robot – “Zzzap! Shhhwap! Krrrrritch!”. That’s robot speak for insert disc 2 to enjoy the bonus features!
DISC 2: THE BONUS FEATURES
Slip this disc out from its “hidden” side pocket to reveal the face of The Innocent, played by Stéphen Landry. Start it up and quickly find your way to the discs main menu. The main menu here once again features the Trickster and the Koozå Bataclan with the celebratory opening tune of the show (“L’Innocent”) playing, and five main selections: A THRILLING RIDE THROUGH KOOZÅ, WHEEL OF DEATH: THE ART OF RISK, PROMOS, SUBTITLES, and DVD CREDITS.
o) “A Thrilling Ride through Koozå” (46:03) — Starting in early 2007 and taking us through to the official premiere, “A Thrilling Ride through Koozå” is everything a documentary should be and more! We hear, from Director David Shiner, the ideas and thoughts behind what kind of show he was looking to create (one that brought us back to Cirque roots – thrills, chills and emotions) and all the work that he put in to conceiving a show of this caliber. We’re taken on the journey the costume, make-up, and set designers must undergo in order to bring the spectacle to life. We see the artists as they train for their parts, as well as settle into every-day Cirque life. And what did Guy think about the show a month before the first public performance? Watch and see! This bonus feature, much like the text I used to describe it, was just as it was on the single DVD released in December 2007.
o) “Wheel of Death: The Art of Risk” (11:00) is a featurette on the Wheel of Death and the art of risk one has to master to use it. Featuring the two talented artists in this act, Carlos Enrique Marin Loaiza and Jimmy Ibarra Zapata (both from Columbia, South America), we learn a little about what makes them tick, whether or not they’re afraid when they get on the Wheel of Death (they are and not at the same time) and what keeps them doing these dangerous stunts night after night after night. Oh, and if you ever wonder if they’re looking at you squirming in your seat and covering your eyes during their performance? They are! And they love it!
Under PROMOS, the two Wheel of Death performers await us. And with their tension building music (“Diables”) in the background, they open up three more selections for us: “Koozå Promotional Spot”, “Looking for Talent”, and “Join Cirque Club”.
KOOZÅ PROMOTIONAL SPOT is the same 22-second promotional video you would see in the concessions tent while waiting for the show to begin or at intermission. Too bad the spots for the other shows aren’t here too; they’re quite nice.
LOOKING FOR TALENT is a short video showcasing the Cirque du Soleil casting experience. It’s less than a feature but more than a promotional spot; if anything it’s a one-minute commercial for the Cirque du Soleil casting department. It appears in fact to be the new Casting site set to video!
JOIN CIRQUE CLUB is a standard quick video promo about joining CirqueClub, which has been seen on other DVD special features and/or promotional CDs.
Under SUBTITLES, Zhang Gongli appears atop his chairs with the soothing chords of his acts music (“Don’t be Afraid”) in the background. Here you can choose between English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese, Portugues and no subtitles.
DVD CREDITS is something most people ignore but we pressed on and found a quick run (non-pausable) of the folks at Cirque du Soleil Images and Richmond Studios responsible for putting the DVD together, as well as, copyright credits for the images used.
And that is the bonus disc for the Koozå 2-disc DVD set.
The Koozå DVD is available on-site and through the Cirque Online Boutique for $29.00 USD/CAN.
