On Thursday, June 23rd, we Cirque fans got the shock of our lives (well, to be honest, the next in a long line of shocks…), and all it took was an article in the New York Times announcing a new project Cirque was undertaking. We didn’t even have to look past the first sentence before clutching our chests, our hearts palpitating (it’s the big one, Elizabeth!): “Cirque du Soleil, known for breathtaking acrobatics, and the NFL, known for bone-crushing hits, today announced plans for an NFL attraction in Times Square, a first-of-its-kind attraction in the heart of New York City.”
WAIT. SAY WHAT?
It may seem an odd pairing – Cirque and the NFL, the article suggested, but the two sides said their partnership made perfect business sense. Cirque would get to align with the US’s most popular sports league (the National Football League) and thus expose the brand to a different clientele, and the NFL would be uniting with a popular entertainment brand with a broad, international following, with the hopes of elevating the brand above some of the mud-slinging it’s gone through lately. As a long-time fan of Cirque du Soleil, I don’t think I buy the combination makes sense – artistically or otherwise – but I’m willing to keep an open mind. “It’s new for us,” said Daniel Lamarre, the chief executive of Cirque du Soleil. And that’s an understatement. But is it really?
When you sit down and think about it, Cirque du Soleil really isn’t a newcomer on the sports scene. Through its Special Events team (now 45 DEGREES), the company has made numerous appearances at sporting affairs over the years –in Las Vegas, for example, characters routinely throw out the first pitch at nearby baseball games; in 2007, Cirque was included at the NBA All-Star Game… Roxane Potvin performed the Canadian National Anthem prior to tip off and a mélange of musical selections (“Blizzard”, “O Makunde” and “Pageant” were heard for the half-time show performance, which included the baton twirling segment from KÀ); in 2010, artists from The Beatles LOVE performed at the NHL Awards ceremony held at the Palms Casino-Resort there; Cirque performed a portion of Viva ELVIS at the 2010 Sprint Cup Series awards ceremony at Wynn Las Vegas, featuring dance, acrobatics and live music in celebration of the king of rock ‘n’ roll; and who could forget the rousing opening ceremonies 45 DEGREES created for the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto?
It might even surprise you to learn that Cirque du Soleil has also been involved with the Olympics. Guy Laliberte and Gilles Ste-Croix were creative consultants in the creation and production of the Atlanta Olympic Games’ opening ceremony. In collaboration with AT&T, the major sponsor for the U.S. Tour at that time, Cirque even brought two acts from Quidam to Atlanta. Hand Balancing was presented as the first part of the Santana concert on July 31st and German Wheel opened Ray Charles’ and Joan Osborne’s concerts, August 1st and 2nd. Almost 10 years later, two performances specially created by Cirque for the organizing committee to help launch the official logo of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. The special presentation, which aired on CTV, were put together from a talented team from “O”, including: seven artists, six riggers, and under the artistic direction of Rob Bollinger (Artistic Director), and Krista Monson (Artistic Coordinator), and under the technical direction of David Chabira (Head Rigger).
So as I say they aren’t new-comers to the sports arena. (I mean, come on, many of the company’s acrobats were once Olympic athletes!)
In the past we’ve reviewed a number of the special events that Cirque has produced, many artistically as rich and interesting as their main productions. Back in April 2014, when Michel Laprise was publically announced as the writer and director of KURIOS – CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, we took a peek into some of the special events Michel had been involved in creating (as he had taken on the role of Special Events Designer in 2006): The Opening Ceremonies of the Montreal Outgames (2006), the launch of Fiat Bravo in Italy (2007), the performance event celebrating Quebec City’s 400th anniversary (2008), the opening show at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Russia (2009), the Opening Ceremonies of the FIBA International Basketball Federation World Championships in Istanbul (2010), and the launch of Microsoft’s Kinect console at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (2010).
With the advent of this newest announcement we thought we’d take a quick look at two other sporting special events Cirque du Soleil has put together: REFLECTIONS IN BLUE for the 2005 XI FINA World Championships in Montréal and the infamous SUPERBOWL XLI PRE-GAME SHOW in 2007.
REFLECTIONS IN BLUE
When a fisherman casts his net, he encounters a beluga, who invites him to see life from the water. At the same time, a young mermaid discovers the sea in all its beauty… and all its dangers.
This tribute to the importance of water in our lives invites a fisherman to see what life is like from the water, showcasing incredible athletic and artistic expression; Reflections in Blue – a unique and magical opening ceremony event developed exclusively for the opening ceremonies of the XI FINA World Championships in Montréal, which took place from July 17th through 31st. On this very special evening the swimming pool was transformed into a fantastic aquatic universe. Spectators were taken to a place where reality meets fantasy as the rites, myths and richness of the sea are interpreted in Cirque’s own special way. But alas, as the opening ceremonies came to an end, so did Reflections in Blue… never to be seen again.
In addition to Lyn Heward, Director of Creation, Guy Caron acted as the show’s Director, and was assisted by Fernand Rainville. A number of other Cirque collaborators put their touches on the unique show too. And, contrary to what one might think, this was not a remake of “O”. “Our goal,” explained Lyn Heward, “[was] to recall the rituals and myths that have grown around water, and to showcase their richness. While in ‘O’ we touch on two of the disciplines featured in competition at the championships (synchronized swimming and diving), we’ve never worked with swimming or water polo. But here, all four disciplines are represented.”
The Show
A series of tableaux taking place in, on and above water will follow the fisherman and the mermaid through their discovery of water. “We’ll see the element from its own point of view,” explained Lyn, “and not from a human one.”
The Water Tree is where Reflections in Blue begins. It represents the essence of life… in the water. As you took your seat you will notice reflections of the scene before you projected onto the giant screen and you will gradually realize that you have become immersed in an exotic underwater world. Then the sun rises, bathing the scene in warm yellow light as its rays penetrate the water bowl to reveal a beautiful adolescent girl. She frolics and dances in her small universe, the only world she has ever known. She jumps out and looks around then dives right back in. But she soon begins to feel too confined in her bowl… This highly original vision gave us, among other things, the following scenes:
The dream of walking on water (a tight-wire stretched over the water);Playing in the water (a water polo game between aquatic creatures!);The seduction of water (a contortion act under the midnight sun);The sensuality of water (bungee presented as diving);A final act where swimmers embodied schools of fish.Nearly 150 members of Montreal aquatic sports teams performed in the show, in addition to ten artists from other disciplines, including tight-wire and bungee. The athletes from the 170 participating countries were also greeted with a Cirque du Soleil touch. Would you be surprised to know during the parade of athletes they were walking on water?
Event Pictures
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Performers
Sébastien Allard, Sam Alvarez, ZorigtkhuyagBolormaa, Eliane Bonin, Mason Davis, Delly Di Lauro, Sébastien Duval, Chantale Gallant, AkianGuadette, ManonGautheir, CharlyneGuay, RedaGuérinik, Ronnie Le Grand, Isabelle Michon-Campbell, Isabela Moraes, Carolina Moraes, Patrick Paquette, Didier Pasquette, Laurence Racine-Choinière, Karl Sanft, StéphaneVerdie, and Anatoly Zalievsky, along with 200 volunteers.
Creative Team
Lyn Heward Director of Creation & Executive Producer
Bob Whelan Production Manager
Guy Caron Director
Fernand Rainville Assistant to the Director
Jean-François Bouchard Set Designer
François Barbeau Costume Designer
Denise Sauvé Choreography
Debbie Brown Choreography
Martin Lord-Ferguson Music Arranger
Jacques Paquin Acrobatic Rigging Designer
Steve Dubuc Technical Director
Éric Villeneuve Projection Designer
Alain Lortie Lighting Designer
Harvey Robitaille Sound Designer
Eleni Uranis Makeup Designer
Michael Curry Puppet Designer
Patricia Ruel Props Designer
SUPERBOWL XLI PRE-GAME SHOW
While some special productions turn out to be amazing, once-in-a-lifetime events you never want to forget (like ‘Reflections in Blue”) others, well… I think you’d like to forget, such as the Superbowl XLI Pre-Game Show event. Rumors of what Cirque du Soleil’s next “special” performance would be hit fans like a ton of bricks (much like the current NFL announcement did) – Cirque performing at the… what? THE SUPERBOWL?! Could it be true? Throughout the autumn months of 2006 fans debated back and forth, some believing the rumors, others not. But then on January 9, 2007 rumor turned into reality…
Cirque du Soleil and Miami-based artist ROMERO BRITTO will team to celebrate South Florida and football in an unprecedented performance in the Super Bowl XLI pregame show on CBS at Dolphin Stadium in South Florida on Sunday, February 4, the NFL announced.
Inspired by Brazilian street theater, sixty professional performers and hundreds of students will invade the stadium with a high-energy extravaganza of music, dance, gymnastics and circus arts linked by a splashy, multicolored football theme. The Cirque du Soleil performers will be a living, breathing canvas for Britto, whose signature pop-art has come to define the color and vibrancy of South Florida.
The objective of the performance is to heighten the excitement of the game and encourage the fans to root for their teams. The performance will focus on the spirit of competition as two groups of percussionists in stylized team colors perform powerful acrobatic choreography to energize and inspire the players and the audience.
Palm trees, ocean waves, fishes, helmets, footballs, birds and flowers share a unifying visual signature by renowned pop-artist Romero Britto, and Grammy Award composer/performer Louie Vega supplies the red-hot music (with his Elements of Life Orchestra featuring vocalist Anane) in a shimmering setting that climaxes with gigantic images portraying the rival team colors and emblems.
Who is Robert Britto?
Romero Britto is a Brazilian neo-pop artist, painter, serigrapher (silk screen printer), and sculptor. He combines elements of cubism, pop art and graffiti painting in his work, using vibrant colors and bold patterns as a visual expression of hope and happiness. Born in Recife, in Northeast of Brazil, Britto lived an extremely modest childhood while growing up among a big family of eight brothers and sisters. However, Britto’s innate creativity allowed him to fill his life with images of a bigger and more beautiful world beyond his own. Self-taught at an early age, he painted what he saw and what he imagined on surfaces such as newspapers, cardboard or any scraps that he could find. With an inordinate passion to excel, he prospered academically. Still, Britto’s artistic nature eventually led him to seek experiences outside the classroom. In 1983, Britto traveled to Paris where he was introduced to the works of Matisse and Picasso. After exhibiting in a few galleries and private shows, Britto was encouraged to travel to the United States where Pop Art was flourishing. Britto has lived in Miami, Florida since 1989. Shortly after Britto arrived in the United States, Michel Roux, founder of Absolute Vodka’s Absolute Art Ad Campaign, happened by Britto’s first studio in Coconut Grove, Florida. Roux quickly asked Britto to reinterpret the famous bottle, which would be published and seen by millions, and the rest is history.
One Day, One Game, One Dream?
According to the production team, the show would be based around the “One Day, One Game, One Dream” theme adopted by the football contest, referring to the entire South Florida region working together to win and then present the Super Bowl; it would need to last nine minutes, but team would only have four minutes to set up and just two minutes to tear down; and it would feature 350 artists, 278 of them volunteers. And it would go something like this: while a circular stage was being set up, cartoon-like characters dressed in football uniforms would work the crowd, inviting them to join in a noise-making competition. Then a percussion fight of the kind we saw in DELIRIUM between two teams teams, fitted out by Romero Britto in the colors of the Colts and the Bears, would do battle. Other artists, mostly from Saltimbanco, would then fly from Russian swings to simulate place kicks, soaring over goals of footballers’ heads. Meanwhile, fast track artists – from La Nouba – would tumble their way down a section of the field through fields of inflatable palm trees. Err, um, okay?
Getting setup was a bit of a challenge. All week the production team had been glued to the weather. Mother Nature’s mood swings had a significant impact on rehearsals, not to mention the logistics of this major challenge. Strong winds can make the Russian swings flyers fly, but not quite the way Cirque du Soleil intended. Not to mention the rain showers, which made the natural turf football field very slippery for artists conducting their “extreme cheerleading” routines. The field was swarming with people during a first “plenary” session. Fast track artists were having fun masquerading as bathers, while those on the Russian swings tried to cope with the whims of the wind – and find reference points for themselves in an utterly blue sky. While all this was going on, Fernand Rainville and Geneviève Dorion-Coupal were explaining the rudiments of group movements – to music and in harmony – to some very young-looking groups of extreme cheerleaders.
One of the major concerns for Cirque was to make sure the natural turf was not damaged. Therefore, acrobatic equipment had to be modified to ensure that weight is uniformly distributed on the ground. The artists’ shoes, the stilts of the giant pink flamingos – all had to be adapted to make sure that nothing will sink into the surface, to protect both the field and the artists’ safety. And speaking of the pink flamingos… the Wednesday before, Patricia Ruel did an inventory check of the 350 costumes produced for the occasion and proceeded with fittings for the “Tropical Birds.” Well, only nine artists were able to try out their costumes. The remaining ten had been sent to the Wildlife Department by agents at the Memphis sorting center of Ciruqe’s shipper, FedEx! When they saw the words “tropical birds” on the box, they were obliged to follow procedures to ensure that no birds were being mistreated. The costumes finally arrived safe and sound on Thursday.
Event Creators
Jacques Méthé Executive Producer
Fernand Rainville Director and Director of Creation
Patricia Ruel Set, Props and Costumes Designer
Geneviève DorionCoupal Choreography design
Daniel Cola Acrobatic Coach
Gabriel Pinkstone Project Aassistant
Linda Dupuis Production Manager
Marie-Josée Adam Coordination
Jocelyne Fortier Cordination
Marie-Hélène Delage Cordination
Stéphane Lemay Technical Director
Jean-François Tremblay Assistant to Technical Director
Isabelle Girard Accounting
The show did go off without a hitch, but it’s safe to say it wasn’t the most well received special event presentation… especially by Cirque du Soleil fans. Even so, Cirque du Soleil would be invited back to the Super Bowl, this time through a collaboration with Madonna for her first Super Bowl Half-Time show in 2012’s Super Bowl XLVI, but that was more Madonna than Cirque. It should be interesting to see what comes of the Cirque/NFL collaboration! (Maybe the inflatable flamingos and palm trees will be on display!)
