======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) T h e U n o f f i c i a l C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r ------------------------------------------------------------ E X P A N D E D I S S U E ------------------------------------------------------------ ======================================================================= Issue #29e "Meega Na La Queesta!" January 2004 ======================================================================= We're off and running again! Ever wonder where that phase comes from? Believe it or not it comes from Cirque's past, or what I fondly refer to as "Cirque Lore." At the beginning of each early tour, buried in the text of the programme, Cirque founder and president Guy Laliberte used to provide a little introduction (as we do here) about the mission statement of Cirque du Soleil. Sometimes he discussed the growth rate of Cirque, how it had grown in leaps and bounds over the past year, and other times he'd discuss the upcoming plans for the company, albeit with few details. The introductions would invariably start out "we're off and running again!" and boy would that grab your attention! Remember, tours used to only run for a short period of time (maybe a year or two), not the multi-year stages they run in now. And each year Guy would be upbeat about Cirque du Soleil, where it's been and where it's going. Cirque du Soleil back then was different than it is now. Today, it's a multi- million dollar corporation that runs shows, not tours. It's changed, grown, perhaps not always for the better. Some of you may have recognized that Fascination! also uses this phrase to start off each of its issues. While we may not be starting a new tour, we are always off and running to provide you the latest news and reviews in Cirque du Soleil fandom. This issue we have a couple of updates for you, one on the Cusick case. Many of you may remember that it was Cirque du Soleil's turn to rebutt the charges made by Cusick. Also, there is word that Cirque is being sued from other of its artists; you can check out both this issue. Also, Wayne checks in with the second and third episodes of SOLSTROM, Cirque du Soleil's variety series, currently airing only in Canada on the CBC. And, if you're interested in joining us for CirqueCon Vancouver 2004, please be sure to check out our initial announcement! We hope you enjoy this issue of Fascination! /// EXTENDED ISSUE: There's only one expanded item this month, but it's an interesting interview with Mario D'Amico, CMO of Cirque du Soleil that appeared in Reveries Magazine in January 2004. You'll find it under the EXPANDED SELECTION column in our monthly FEATURES section. /// - Ricky =========== CONTENTS =========== * Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings * CRQ-TV -- Cirque on Television * CRQ.NET -- Cirque du Soleil Online * Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque * Le Spectacle: "The Cusick Case -- Cirque's Rebuttal" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) * Télémagik: "Weathering the 'Strom: Cirque du Soleil Solstrom, Part 2" By: Wayne Leung - Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) * Special Engagement: "CirqueCon Vancouver 2004 is on!" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) * Le Spectateur: "Cirque at the Masters: A Q&A Review" By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA) * Expanded Selection: "An Interview with Mario D'Amico, Cirque CMO" From Reveries Magazine, January 2004 * Parting Quote * Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= Cirque Negligent? ----------------- Maria Do Carmo Lorador, former hand-to-hand performer on the Quidam tour, has filed suit with Cirque du Soleil saying the company was negligent for forcing her to perform with injuries. Lorador claims she suffered shoulder and elbow injuries during Quidam's European tour (between the fall of 2000 and summer of 2001), which required extensive surgeries to repair. However, Lorador claims to have been forced to perform injured (on January 3, 2001) and has not been able to work since. Lorador is seeking a total of $225,000 in damages and back disability payments from Cirque du Soleil and its insurer Lloyd's of London. This suit follows a string of lawsuits beginning with Alexey Dem'yanov, a former Russian gymnast, who's contact was terminated after he became injured during training after his schedule was boosted to 15 times a day. Dem'yanov filed suit against Cirque in September 2003 claiming more than $190,000 in damages and lost wages. [Source: CBC, Bravo.ca, Canada.com, Wayne Leung; Ricky Russo] Up, Up and Away --------------- Like the red curtain at the beginning of the show, ticket prices for Cirque du Soleil's "O" production are on the rise... again. Starting April 1, 2004, ticket prices for Lower Orcehstra sections 102 and 104 will be $150 (including tax). Section 103 is currently $150. [Source: Bellagio Ticket Office; Ricky Russo] Mystere Special Show -------------------- Anyone going to Las Vegas, please mark your calendars. If you plan to see Mystère, take note: there will only be one showing on Sunday, February 1st - the 10:30pm performance! Tickets for Mystère are currently $95.00 (including tax). [Source: Treasure Island; Ricky Russo] Cirque du Rockeil? ------------------ Do Cirque du Soleil and Rocky Horror make you wet with antici...PATION? If you answered yes, did you know the two have something in common? A mass of dedicated fans, true, but in 2005, you'll be able to see both in the same place: Las Vegas. To celebrate the 30th Aniversary of the Rocky Horror Picture Show's theatrical release, Midnight Insanity - a dedicated Rocky Horror fan-group from California - has organized "Cirque du Rockeil", a major convention to be held at the Frontier Hotel for fans and "Virgins" alike! Don your fishnets and get ready, because Dr. Frank-N-Furter and his band of Transylvanians are going to invade Las Vegas beginning June 23, 2005! It's also interesting to note, as the theme of this issue seems to be regarding recent lawsuits against Cirque, that Cirque du Soleil has taken to serve a cease and desist warning against Midnight Insanity for the use of their logo and name to promote the Rocky Horror convention, advising that the "Cirque du Rockeil" logo and name may confuse patrons in Las Vegas. This action comes while Cirque du Soleil currently has a pending trademark infringement lawsuit with Cirque, Inc., a small entertainment company based in Florida that also performers a circus-like act. The lawsuit hinges on whether the courts agree that the "Cirque" in Cirque du Soleil has become synonymous with the Montreal based company or not. Regardless of the outcome, Cirque du Soleil is actively protecting its brand. In anycase, to find out more about Midnight Insanity and "Cirque du Rockeil", visit their convention site at: < http://www.midnightinsanity.com/CirqueDuRockeil/ >. [Source: Midnight Insanity; Ricky Russo] Cirque Amongst the Top Films of 2003 ------------------------------------ While films like "Finding Nemo", "Pirates of the Carribbean" and "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" hold the first, second and third spots respectively on a list of Top 250 Grossing Films of 2003, compiled by Variety's Anthony D'Alessandro, Cirque du Soleil too has irked out a mention... as the 250th top grossing film for the year. That's right! Journey of Man IMAX, released by Sony Classics in 2000, grossed $900,784 (US) for 2003. Not bad for a movie in a small handfull of theaters! [Source: Variety; Ricky Russo] ======================================================================= CRQ-TV -- CIRQUE ON TELEVISION! ======================================================================= * CIRQUE ON CANADIAN TV --------------------- Network: CBC Footprint: Canada Website: http://www.cbc.ca/cirquedusoleil/ * Sunday's at 8:00pm -- SOLSTROM! * CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: FIRE WITHIN ----------------------------- Network: Vitaya Footprint: Belgium (Europe) Website: http://www.vitaya.be/ Note: Every Thursday at 9:00pm Network: Odyssey Television Footprint: Australia Website: http://www.odysseytelevision.com/html/default.asp Note: Every Wednesday at 9:30pm * NOTE: Check your local listings for complete information. Schedule is subject to change. ======================================================================= CRQ.NET -- CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ONLINE ======================================================================= This Month in Cirque Club (By: Keith Johnson) ------------------------- The folks at CirqueClub HQ have understandably settled back a bit from the frantic pace we discussed last month. Only three new articles have appeared in the News section; one on the manufacturers of the "costume ball ornaments," a review of La Nouba as it passes the five- year mark, and a history of trampoline and fast track including an artist profile. The Solstrum section continues to be lively though, with the latest episode's ("Ghostly Wind") content up on the site well in advance of its January 18th airing on CBC. We also have to mention, since we didn't last month, how much fun we find the "Solstrum" section. It gives some good information without giving too much away. And the "Challenge" is a lot of fun, the payoff "Goodies" are worth the try. The only thing we might ask for is a bit more detailed info on the performers that aren't Cirque regulars, though that might be hard for CirqueClub to come by. We should also note that it's a good idea to check out the Boutique every now and again. Though they are slow to add things, and don't carry all the items available at individual shows, occasionally they will come up with some interesting things. We'd love to see show posters offered again, and were told months ago that they were very close to being added. We understand shipping is the issue, that it's difficult to find a way to ship them so they arrive undamaged. We hope they get around to solving this problem and offer posters sometime soon. On the Web (By: Ricky Russo) ----------------- Usually, this column highlights some of the strangest things I've come across while searching the Internet for Cirque information. And while this column doesn't always appear in Fascination, this month doesn't disappoint if you happen to like the strange and unusual. If you're ready, take a bite out of La Nouba -- that's right, La Nouba! Not only is it the name of one of Cirque's permanent shows but it's also a spreadable jam! "La Nouba" is a Sugar Free, all Natural product made without artificial colors or flavors with less than 5- grams of Carbohydrates per serving! Fascination is in no way endorsing this product; I just found it funny to come across Jam, when what I was looking for was the name of a cast member! You can find this product here: < http://www.vitacost.com/Store/Products/ ProductDescription.cfm?SKUNumber=830842000216 >. Admittedly, only one of the items this month could be cataloged as a "strange" Cirque-du-Soleil-like find on the web, while the other is usually what I love to find. Thus I'll leave you this month with one final bit; a pictorial souvenir of an Alegría in-store even by Rainpalm Services. There are only six pictures here but their stark clarity and their impromptu nature provide an excellent visual into what an Alegría in-store event is like. Check out these wonderful pictures at: http://www.rainpalm.com/Alegria01.htm >! ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= Note that any information in brackets [] is UN-official information and subject to change. [Touring Shows] Alegría: * Miami, Florida -- Bicentennial Park Dates: Jan 9, 2004 to Feb 8, 2004 * St. Petersburg, Florida -- Tropicana Field Dates: Feb 19, 2004 to Mar 7, 2004 [May extend to March 14, 2004] * Atlanta, Georgia -- Cumberland Galleria Dates: Mar 25, 2004 to Apr 11, 2004 [May extend to Apr 18, 2004] * New York City, New York -- Randall's Island Park Dates: May 6, 2003 to June 6, 2004 * Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- Avenue of the Arts Dates: July 8, 2004 to July 25, 2004 * Toronto, Ontario -- Ontario Place Dates: Aug 19, 2004 to Sep 12, 2004 [* Japan Possible Dates: Oct, 2004 to Nov 2005] Dralion: * London, United Kingdom -- Royal Albert Hall Dates: Jan 9, 2004 to Feb 15, 2004 * Amsterdam, Netherlands -- Next to Amsterdam Arena (P2) Dates: Feb 27, 2004 to May 2, 2004 * Vienna, Austria -- TBA Dates: Jun 3, 2004 to Jul 11, 2004 * Antwerp, Belgium -- TBA Dates: Aug 12, 2004, to Sep 19, 2004 Quidam: * Tokyo, Japan Dates: Dec 24, 2004 to Apr 4, 2004 * Vancouver, BC, Canada -- Concord Pacific Place Dates: May 6, 2004 to May 30, 2004 [May extend to June 13, 2004] * Calgary, Alberta, Canada -- Currie Barracks Dates: June 24, 2004 to July 18, 2004 [May extend to August 1, 2004] Saltimbanco: * Seville, Spain -- Recinto Ferial Dates: Jan 16, 2004 to Feb 12, 2004 * Lyon, France -- Clos Layat Dates: Mar 5, 2004 to Mar 21, 2004 * Milan, Italy -- Area Spettacoli di Milano Dates: Apr 29, 2004 to May 16, 2004 * Marseille, France -- TBA * Rome, Italy -- TBA * Lille, France -- TBA (Note: Basel, Switzerland has been removed from the itinerary) Varekai: * Orange County, California -- Orange Co Fair Grounds Dates: Jan 16, 2004 to Feb 29, 2004 [May extend to March 7, 2004] * San Diego, California -- Qualcomm Stadium Dates: Mar 18, 2004 to Apr 4, 2004 [May extend to Apr 18, 2004] * Phoenix, Arizona -- Westworld of Scottsdale Dates: Apr 29, 2004 to May 16, 2004 [May Extend to May 23, 2004] * Denver, Colorado -- Pepsi Center Dates: Jun 3, 2004 to Jun 27, 2004 [May extend to July 11, 2004] * Boston, Massachusetts -- Suffolk Downs Dates: Jul 28, 2004 to Aug 22, 2004 [May extend to Sep 5, 2004] * Washington, DC -- TBA [Possible Dates: Sep 16, 2004 to Oct 24, 2004 / Tickets may go on sale Mid Mar, 2004] * Dallas, Texas -- Fair Park Dates: Nov 10, 2004 to Dec 5, 2004 [May Extend to Dec 19, 2004] [Resident Shows] La Nouba: * Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm * Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday * Location: Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando (USA) * 2004 Dark Dates: -- February 1st - 4th -- August 22nd - 25th -- March 14th - 17th -- October 17th - 20th -- May 2nd - 5th -- December 5th - 13th -- June 20th - July 5th Mystère: * Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm * Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday * Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) * 2004 Dark Dates: -- February 2nd, 3rd -- October 5th, 8th -- April 6th, 9th -- December 3rd - 7th -- June 4th - 8th -- December 10th - 14th -- August 3rd, 6th "O": * Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm * Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark Monday/Tuesday * Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) * 2004 Dark Dates: -- February 16th - 18th -- August 9th - 17th -- April 19th - 27th -- October 11th - 13th -- June 21st - 23rd -- December 6th - 21st Zumanity: * Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm * Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday * Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) * 2004 Dark Dates: -- February 8th - 11th -- October 10th - 13th -- April 18th - 21st -- November 28th - 30th -- June 6th - 12th -- December 1st - 20th -- August 15th - 18th ======================================================================= DIDYAKNOW? -- FACTS ABOUT CIRQUE ======================================================================= -- Did you know that Zumanity's Gala Premiere (September 20th) party cost $1 million, and was held on the rooftop of the New York-New York parking garrage? -- Did you know that when the Ballet on Lights act in Dralion first premiered with the show it was the first time the routine had been seen outside of China? -- Did you know that Alegria is the top selling Cirque album to date? Yes, with over 800,000 copies sold. Quidam is next with about 500,000 sold. ======================================================================= LE SPECTACLE: "The Cusick Case -- Cirque's Rebuttal" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) ======================================================================= While there has been no judgement announced in either the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission complaint filed by Lambda Legal, or the San Francisco Human Rights Commission complaint regarding the firing of HIV-positive gymnast Matthew Cusick (decisions on both cases should be coming this month), we were able to get results on some of our research. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission kindly made available to us a copy of their November 21 complaint and Cirque's December 12 response (through their legal representative Kamer Zuker Abbott of Las Vegas). We thought you'd be interested in some excerpts. In the complaint, signed by Larry Brinkin, Senior Contract Compliance Officer, the Commission alleged four complaints, to wit: "1. That Cirque du Soleil does not and will not hire people with HIV to be porters, acrobats, or performers on Chinese poles; "2. That this policy does or would apply to other positions identified by the company as being "unsafe" for co-workers or members of the public should people with HIV be hired. "3. That this policy applies to productions taking place on City-owned property; specifically, Parking Lot A at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco. "4. That this policy was demonstrated by the termination of Matthew Cusick, a self-identified man with HIV, from a Cirque du Soleil production in Las Vegas." The letter asks for a response and paperwork backup from Cirque to include (paraphrasing here): * Policies regarding employment of HIV-positive individuals. * Positions for which HIV-positive people would not be hired. * Documents written by medical authorities which recommend not hiring HIV-positive people for positions such as Cirque has. * Other companies policies supporting the idea of not hiring HIV- positive people. * "Universal precautions" policies in place at Cirque. * Questions concerning how Cirque knows the HIV status of its employees for positions where the company believes HIV to be an issue. Pretty much a laundry list of requests for proof of denial of the complaints. Cirque responded to the letter on December 12 (written by Scott Abbott). In addition, two senior vice-presidents met with the Commission in San Francisco on December 15. There's been some confusion in the fan community over why United States laws would effect a Montreal, Quebec, Canada company. The entity involved here is "Cirque du Soleil America, Inc." which, among other things, is the company under which La Nouba, Mystere, and O are managed. Since Mystere is the show Cusick was fired from, and CDS America signed the contract for the space at the Pacific Bell parking lot in San Francisco, United States law and San Francisco ordinance apply. In the letter Cirque denies each of the complaints. They have no policies concerning HIV-positive people, or positions they wouldn't be qualified for. To do so, the letter states, would be a direct violation of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). But the letter does go on to state, "The ADA's protections...are not absolute, however. A disabled individual must be able to perform the essential functions of the job he holds or desires with or without a reasonable accommodation. In addition, the safety and well-being of a disabled individual, as well as his non-disabled counterparts, is a significant concern to all employers..." Then comes the paragraph that Lambda Legal, Cusicks' lawyers, has zeroed in on for ridicule. "With respect to Alegria," says the letter, "...there are many employment positions which would be suited to an individual with HIV (provided other job qualification standards are met). For example, given the touring aspect of the "Alegria" show, Cirque contracts with a temporary staffing service to provide candidates to fill positions in the city where the production will be showcased. In the case of "Alegria" these positions include dishwashers, dining room attendants, prep cooks, box office staff, box office assistants, ushers, hosts/hostesses, food and beverage staff, public sales assistance, merchandising staff and hawkers. Any one of these positions could be filled by an individual with HIV because the jobs to not involve constant bodily contact with others and a high degree of potential injury with possible bodily fluid exposure. As a matter of fact, Cirque does currently employ individuals with HIV." A footnote for the paragraph states, "Artists and crew for the show are not hired in the touring city, such as San Francisco, inasmuch as these individuals are part of the show's regular staff. Rather, these positions are filled by individuals who are hired from around the world and trained in Montreal." Responding to this paragraph, Lambda Legal quickly put out a press release. "Even 20 years ago, Cirque du Soleil's comments would be suspect. Today, they are shockingly ignorant," said Hayley Gorenberg, Lambda Legal's AIDS Project Director, who represents gymnast Matthew Cusick, who Cirque fired because he has HIV. "If Cirque du Soleil ran the Lakers in the 1990s, Magic Johnson would have been transferred to wash dishes in the stadium restaurant after he disclosed his HIV status. We've always said Cirque du Soleil is illegally keeping people with HIV out of certain jobs, despite sound science and common sense, and now Cirque has confirmed that. Whatever Cirque's formal policies are, it blocks people with HIV from positions where they can safely perform, and that's discrimination. There has never been a case of an athlete transmitting HIV during performance or competition. Our client's dream job is to be a performer, not a dishwasher. Because he's qualified to be a performer and can do that job safely, that's the job he should have." Another interesting quote comes from Cirque's "Conclusion," where Mr. Abbott states, "Cirque is currently in discussion with Mr. Cusick's attorneys to try and resolve that matter. To that end, we have made various offers to Mr. Cusick, which include employment, and are awaiting news from his attorneys in this regard." As an exhibit in response to the complaint, Cirque supplied a copy of a page from their "Human Resources Policies and Tour Rules For Artists" (updated Feb 2003). Under item six, which discusses Equal Employment Opportunity, Cirque does indeed state that they shall not illegally discriminate against anyone because of, among other things, "mental or physical disability." They are very clear that they "...will hire, train, promote, and compensate artists only on the basis of skill, ability, reliability and performance." Cirque's case all along was that Cusick posed a hazard to other performers and audience members in the positions he was hired for. Cusick's side has been quick to point out that many studies involving contact sports have shown that risk of infection is very low. But Cirque provides what may be the clearest explanation of their concern yet, even though it may be veiled. In discussing how HIV-positive people would be hired as temp workers, the response says, "...because the jobs do not involve constant bodily contact with others and a high degree of potential injury with possible bodily fluid exposure." There, in a nutshell, is the general case they have to make to the EEOC. But they will need to be more specific to counter the other sports-oriented studies. They will need to make the case that it's the combination of the three elements: * Constant bodily contact (complete support of a fellow performer by hand-to-hand grasping while swinging on a trapeze for up to five seconds), * High degree of potential injury (from grabbing bars and hand holding, as well as fingernails cutting hands), * And possible fluid exposure (from open calluses or wounds on fellow performers coming in contact with a freshly-opened, bleeding wound on Mr. Cusicks hands for that mentioned 5-second period of hand-holding.) ...combined together which make an HIV-person unsuitable for, in particular, the high bar catcher position. They need to be able to make the case that the risk of disease transfer is much higher, given the circumstances, than the other contact sports studies have shown. We'll report on the findings in either case when they're made available. ======================================================================= TÉLÉMAGIK: "Weathering the 'Strom: Cirque du Soleil's Solstrom, Part 2" By: Wayne Leung - Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) ======================================================================= As Cirque du Soleil fans watched the second and third episodes of the company's new variety series we've had the opportunity to see Solstrom take shape. Although certainly not the most creative of Cirque's enterprises, the series nonetheless presents interesting circus acts that we may not otherwise have the opportunity to see. However, if there's one thing the series is consistently lacking it is presentation. The overall artistry is nowhere near as strong as it is in Cirque's live shows. With the large amount of time available in each episode of Solstrom the series could present full versions of Cirque acts never before filmed. Instead it crams too many mediocre acts into each episode. The time allotted for any particular number is shortened. Despite the variety of acts available, episodes have already started featuring variations of the same acts. Each of the first few episodes features an aerial silk act. There have also been multiple hand balancing and juggling acts. When Cirque brings back a familiar act in a subsequent live show the inventive staging, artistic context, music, costumes and choreography refresh it. In Solstrom, the overall sameness of the episodes means they feel repetitive. Also, the adaptation of certain acts from Cirque's live shows is done sloppily; taking an originally beautiful act and changing the costuming and/or music, effectively ruining it. Forget trying to fit the act into the context of the episode, the context rarely works anyway. Cirque could have filmed disparate individual acts from its shows and other circus shows and it would have worked to greater effect. What follows are my impressions from the second and third episodes of Solstrom. Episode 2: Once Upon a Wind (original air date: December 7, 2003) ------------------------------------- In the second installment of Solstrom mad scientist/astronomer Fogus Punch (John Gilkey) tracks two solar wind characters (Gaya from Dralion and Quidam from Quidam) to a London library. The costuming and set dressing suggest that it is the 1930s or 40s. A boy is combing the shelves looking for a storybook. Gaya influences his decision by huffing solar wind onto a particular book which jumps out at the boy. It is an adventure/comic book filled with the stories of action heroes. The boy checks the book out and takes it home. The next morning Gaya emerges in the boy's family's kitchen and the solar wind blows apart the binding of the book so the magic infused pages fly out the window and disperse all over town. Those who pick up the pages fall under the solstrom's spell. While the first episode landed with a klunk due to some major artistic and pacing problems, the second episode hits the ground running and is able to build up some momentum. Overall this episode is a great improvement over the first. The quality of the individual acts is more consistent, the story arc, although still weak, is more cohesive and better developed. Even the music has improved. Though still overly reliant on synthesizers the original music, written by Sylvain Charles Grand and Dominique Grand, possesses a hint of the simple charm of the very early Dupéré compositions (circa Le Cirque Reinventé). The artistic presentation of the episode borrows from the themes of Quidam and Varekai though they aren't as effectively developed as in those shows. During the episode a family's ho-hum daily existence is transformed into a fantasy of adventure stories and action heroes. We begin in the family's home at breakfast. The parents busily prepare for work while the child flips through his storybook. Dad leaves to catch the bus while the child looks at a page with a drawing of a Wonder Woman-like comic book heroine. His mom, in the midst of folding a red towel, transforms in a flash into the heroine from the book and the towel becomes a long silk "cape" which she uses to perform a wonderful aerial silk act. Mom is played by Ginger Ana Griep Ruiz from La Nouba. Though only a supporting performer in the Aerial Ballet act in the live show, Solstrom gives this highly talented aerialist the opportunity to perform some high-calibre skills on the aerial tissue apparatus. Though similar acts have appeared in numerous Cirque du Soleil shows I couldn't help but marvel at the masterful skill possessed by this particular performer. She delivers one of the most dynamic performances of the series so far. After Mom has landed we check in with Dad who is waiting for the bus. A figure with a familiar "face", the headless Quidam, walks by and inspires one of the gentlemen at the bus stop to find delight in manipulating the light fixture from a nearby street lamp (actually a small blue ball). The man exhibits his dexterity as he rolls the ball across his body, bounces it on his head and his briefcase. He then adds more balls and starts to juggle. The "suitcase juggling" is performed by Steven Andrew Ragatz, a veteran Cirque performer who was part of the Manipulation trio seen in previous incarnations of Mystère and Quidam. We join Dad's co-workers dressed in suits and wearing bowler hats, either in homage to or directly copying the thematic elements of Quidam (which are inspired by the paintings of surrealist René Magritte), as they arrive for work at a large accounting office. The workers sit in a room with ranks of desks each with an old-fashioned manual adding machine on the corner. They settle in and synchronously work in a rhythmic choreography meant to symbolize the monotony and uniformity of the work-a-day world. Overseeing the workers is the grumpy Ebenezer Scrooge-like boss, the cantankerous foible of this week's episode, played by Cirque alumnus Rodgrigue "Chocolat" Tremblay of Le Cirque Réinventé. As a page from the magic book sails in from a window a male and female employee simultaneously reach to pick it up. When they touch the sheet their business attire melts away into swanky leather garb, invoking images of John Steed and Emma Peel from the British television series the Avengers. Played by Sara Joel and Stephan Choinière the duo takes the concept of an office romance to dazzling new heights by performing a sizzling balancing/adagio act to a British spy film score. This performance is an adaptation of the Body2Body act the pair performs in Zumanity. In Solstrom, the performers are fully clothed and the sexually explicit choreography is toned down for a PG audience. Though not overtly sexual the act is still beautiful and sensually performed by this talented pair. Back at home, Mom leaves for work and Grandpa arrives to baby sit the boy. Grandpa is a little mischievous himself and as soon as Mom is gone he invites two friends over to play poker. However, Gaya transforms the three gentlemen into foot jugglers. This acrobatic group known as Les Castors consists of three brothers aged 54, 58 and 60. While Russian/Ukrainian dance music plays the trio reclines on chairs and juggles diverse items back and forth including basketballs, rolled carpets, a child's bed and even each other. Eventually the men settle back down to finish their poker game, neglecting the Boy who sneaks out in search of his parents. Back at the office Dad sneaks in late. However another encounter with the magic book has caused the office to become overgrown with jungle foliage. One employee transforms into an Indiana Jones-type character. A large wooden ball comes rolling through the office. Our adventurer hops on top of it and scampers across the room, performing a series of flips all while remaining on the ball, much to the chagrin of the increasingly agitated boss. The performer is Frédéric Barrette a 2003 graduate of Montreal's École Nationale de Cirque (National Circus School). From the chaos of Dad's office we cut to the quiet museum where Mom works. We happen upon a janitor who is looking at an ancient Egyptian artifact and daydreaming. A page from the magic book floats by and suddenly the Janitor is transformed into a cat burglar. He dons a black cap and sprays mist at the artifact's enclosure. Laser beams protecting the exhibit are revealed. The burglar realizes the only way to get to his loot is from above. Hence, he climbs up a Spanish Web (vertical rope) and attempts to swipe the treasure. Jonathan Morin (part of the Spanish Web team in Quidam) makes a dramatic plunge from the ceiling, the rope tied around his body arresting his fall at the last possible second. Before he can make the grab a visitor walks by and he quickly scampers back up the rope. When the coast is clear he plunges again and again, each attempt foiled by a passer-by. This is one of the most inventive adaptations of an existing Cirque act featured in the series so far. Back at the office, the workers leave for their lunch break and Scrooge is left alone with his beautiful assistant. He is in love with her though she adores another man. In an attempt to win her heart Scrooge presents his assistant with a gift; a pair of ballet slippers. She slips them on and the two dance a comic pas de deux mock ballet during which the boss strips down to his underwear. The dancers are real-life husband and wife Rodrigue Tremblay and Nicollette Hazewinkett. Upon the return of his employees the Boss drops his love-interest and quickly scrambles to put his clothes back on. Back at the museum Mom receives a huge crate with a new exhibit inside. She signs for the shipment and leaves. As the deliveryman pries open the crate he magically transforms into a warrior, dressed in an ancient Roman-style costume similar to that worn by the Aerial Strap artist in Nouvelle Expérience. The crate contains a large stone with a sword embedded in it. Could the sword be Excalibur? Could our warrior be King Arthur? The performer uses the sword as a hand balancing cane and demonstrates his extraordinary strength by performing an agile series of poses and balances on the cane, not touching down until the end of the act. The hand balancer is the remarkably talented 18-year-old Dimitri Prudnikov. Mom observes a painting which has slowly changed during the course of the day and as she is turned away Quidam walks by and she disappears. Returning to the office we find that it has become even more of a jungle as the foliage grows thicker, and the office workers start to shed their suits in favour of more tribal attire. Some wear their ties as headbands. The boy arrives and finds his father. Overjoyed to see his son the father picks him up but they are affected by Gaya's solar wind and we find them performing a beautiful adagio/hand-to-hand act similar to the one performed in Saltimbanco. The boy, possessing all the grace and flexibility of a young Anton Chelnokov, precariously balances on his father in a variety of poses in a beautiful performance. The storybook has not yet finished wreaking its havoc on the office. Another page inspires Tarzan to materialize. Played by Igor Zaripov, Tarzan flies through the air in a high-flying aerial strap act. The 20-year-old performer displays remarkable gymnastic ability. Finally, Gaya and Quidam emerge at the office. Mom is transported there as well and the office workers transform into a funky dance tribe and party late into the night. As "Aborigenes Jam" (the Hoop Diving song from Dralion) strikes up the tribe accentuates the music with a variety of percussion instruments, and the Amazon warriors join the party as a group of female fire jugglers dance to the beat. The finale is performed by BAM, a street percussion group and Walkyries, a group of fire jugglers who are a product of the 2002 Cirque du Monde outreach program. Episode 3: "Wind of Freedom" (Original air date: December 14, 2003) -------------------------------------- After showing a glimmer of potential in episode two, Solstrom comes crashing back down with its third installment. Entitled "Wind of Freedom" the premise finds Boum-Boum from Quidam descending on a prison and inspiring inmates to escape via various fantastical means. Unfortunately, the concept doesn't work at all. It's simply too far fetched to be achievable without descending into the absurd. The style and presentation is a confused mess and the low-production values, shoddy scripting and weak artistry all but ruin this installment. Don't get me wrong, the individual acts are no less spectacular in this episode but the context is just so ill-conceived and poorly executed that it constantly distracts from the performances, and the viewer can only think about how ridiculous it all looks. This is disappointing given the potential of the powerful "freedom" theme which Cirque has used evocatively in acts such as Varekai's Flight of Icarus, Alegría's Flying Man and Mystère's Aerial Cube. The sheer visual poetry in the presentation of these numbers turns them into powerful metaphors for the struggle of the captive who yearns to break free. It is this artistry that is painfully absent from this episode of Solstrom. The episode opens with a group of prisoners in an exercise yard. The solstrom inspires them to break out into an energetic dance/percussion session. The troupe is known as Beat and their performance draws inspiration from shows such as Bring in 'Da Noise Bring in 'Da Funk, Tap Dogs and Stomp. A new prisoner is brought in; lanky Varekai clown Claudio Carneiro. He plays a clichéd bumbling idiot character and seems to give a rather subdued performance without an audience's energy to feed him. One young man placidly bounces a ball against a wall in a classic "prisoner" image. The solar wind inspires the young man, 19 year-old Vladik Miagkostoupov, to perform an energetic contact juggling act. He dances and writhes while juggling and manipulating up to seven balls. This young performer exhibits talent and skill reminiscent of Dralion's Viktor Kee. Next, Troupe Khaylatov of the Great Moscow State Circus performs one of the most high-level acrobatic acts I've ever seen. One performer balances a 9.5 meter (approximately 30 foot) pole on his shoulder on top of which another performer is perched. They perform some skills similar to Chinese Poles performers, if the poles were simultaneously being balanced on the shoulders of porters. Though amazing, the uninspired presentation of the act makes it less than enthralling. Without the music, costumes, lighting, sets, choreography and drama usually present in Cirque du Soleil's live shows even this spectacular act seems dull. In the absence of artistic elements the act is just a meaningless bunch of tricks and despite the skill of the performers, I found that it dragged on and got tired quickly. Claudio winds up in the prison infirmary. The patient in the adjacent bed is inspired by the solar wind to leap up and perform a dance on crutches. Bill Shannon is a New York dancer/choreographer who turned his reliance on crutches into a new form of dance. Inspired by hip- hop and break dance Bill perfected his "Shannon Technique" for dancing on crutches which, until Cirque commissioned him to choreograph a piece for Varekai, only he practiced. Bill is amazingly agile on the cumbersome crutches and performs moves that are far more advanced than his protégé in Varekai is capable of. But the performance in Solstrom is devoid of any deep evocative power since it is not presented in a dramatic context like it is in Varekai. A short slight-of-hand card routine performed by magician Étienne Vendette follows. Claudio is then hauled to his cell which he shares with a strange fellow; Zumanity dislocation artist Mukhtar Gusengadzhiev. Mukhtar presents his human-pretzel bone-displacement dance which demonstrates his extreme flexibility. We cut to an adjacent cell where one inmate wrangles loose the bars on his window, but before his escape Boum-Boum's puff of solstrom transforms the bars into balancing canes. The prisoner, played by former Alegrìa artist Samuel Tetreault, performs a hand-balancing act taken from his current show Les 7 doigts de la main. Meanwhile a group assembles in the courtyard. One prisoner taunts Claudio by stamping down on one side of a bench and sending Claudio's shoe on the opposite end flying into the air. The solar wind turns the bench into a Korean Plank and the group members (from Mystère) propel each other higher and higher on the apparatus. I adored this act when presented in Mystère but in Solstrom the unimaginative costumes and bland music diminish its impact. The episode closes with La Nouba performer Yuri Maiorov attempting a helicopter escape. He ties bed sheets to a rig lowered by a hovering chopper but before he makes his escape Boum-Boum's magic has him soaring across the prison yard performing an Aerial Ballet in Silk. I usually adore aerial silk acts; they are among my favorites in any show where they are featured. However, in the context of Solstrom they don't have the same evocative power. Whereas in the theatre the aerialists fly over the heads of the audience and evoke a sense of wonder and other-worldly awe, on television they simply don't have the same effect. Without the spatial reference of the theatre the viewer can't appreciate the act in the same way and unfortunately it becomes flat on screen. Solstrom is to Cirque du Soleil what a buffet is to dining; you get quantity over quality. There's a lot of stuff but none of it is very good and everything is watered down. A good Cirque du Soleil production is very much like a gourmet meal at a fine restaurant; presentation is everything. In this case I expected Cordon Bleu and got Kentucky Fried Chicken. Many fans were concerned when Zumanity was in the works that Cirque would somehow damage its own image with the release of a show that so seemingly strayed from its tradition. This is the risk the company takes when targeting a show to a specific audience. However, whereas I found Zumanity to be an intense, evocative and well thought out expansion of Cirque's artistic capabilities, providing a strong complement to the company's existing repertoire, I feel Solstrom is derivative and poorly crafted. This time I feel that Cirque rested on its laurels instead of pushing the envelope and charging into uncharted territory. The company squandered the potential of the new television series and merely stuck its name on an inferior product. I certainly would not have bothered watching this program if it did not carry the Cirque du Soleil banner and I am indeed concerned about any potential lasting effects in releasing this show to a wide audience. It's not at all representative of the artistry and quality Cirque is capable of, and if Solstrom were the first I had ever seen of the company I would not have been impressed in the least. Nor would I have been inspired to shell out the money to see their live shows. There are several areas where Solstrom needs work. Firstly, the series needs a director (or directors) with a clear artistic vision and an eye for visual storytelling. There are so many talented directors on the avant-garde of film that Cirque could have hired to make the series innovative instead of inane. Higher production quality is a must. If Cirque is going to produce a television series it should do it right and that means investing the necessary time, resources and money. I would have liked to see a much more film-like visual quality with scenes shot "on-location" as well as in a studio, as they did with Journey of Man. There is a painful need for better art direction and cinematography. The music would be much more effective if it were written by a more seasoned composer. What are Benoit Jutras and René Dupéré doing nowadays anyway? Furthermore, instead of synthesizers they should spring for a full scoring orchestra. And, perhaps most importantly, they should scrap the irritating, pointless narration and re-think the Sesame Street-does- Cirque style. When it comes to Cirque du Soleil productions it is the presentation and artistry that matter most. The company shouldn't feel that it needs to pander to appeal to a wide audience. What sets Cirque du Soleil apart in the world of circus arts is the company's exacting eye for detail, its keen sense of artistry and its ability to create thought-provoking imagery. All of these elements are noticeably lacking in Solstrom. The series may pass for entertainment but it has certainly not achieved the level of art. It grieves me to say it because I love this company, I want it to succeed and continue to create wonderful, artistic shows. But Solstrom is nothing special. Anybody can simply throw together a collection of circus acts and produce a show. Sadly, I feel this is what was done with Solstrom. It is missing the very essence of what makes Cirque du Soleil great. It neither invokes the imagination, provokes the senses nor evokes the emotions. Keep in mind however, that this is merely my own opinion after seeing the first three episodes. There is certainly the hope and possibility that the show may improve in subsequent installments. I encourage readers to watch for themselves and form their own opinions. Perhaps I may turn out to be a harsher critic than most. If some fans truly enjoy the show then I am glad. What I've seen of Solstrom so far just doesn't really appeal to me. ======================================================================= SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT: "CirqueCon Vancouver 2004 is on!" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) ======================================================================= Calling all Cirque du Soleil fans, as well as their friends and family! Interested in a weekend getaway? One that would also include your hobby of Cirque du Soleil in the process? How about staying with a group of other avid Cirque du Soleil fans from across the country?! Join us for CirqueCon Vancouver 2004, the first unofficial gathering of Cirque fandom! After being offshore for all of 2003, Quidam's only stops in North America for 2004 are Vancouver, BC and Calgary, Alberta Canada. Some Cirque fans insist Quidam is one of if not the best Cirque touring show with its darker theme and subtext. This is the perfect opportunity to see it again - or for the first time - and have some fun as a group! It all began with Cirque fan Jeff "sfogviper" Tolotti proposing, on the Cirque du Soleil Yahoogroup, a gathering during Quidam's Vancouver, BC run. His initial suggestion turned into a specific weekend - Friday, May 21 through Sunday, May 23, 2004, taking in the 8pm performance of Quidam on Saturday evening May 22nd. That weekend Cirque fans from across the country will be convening in Vancouver (some are even flying into Seattle, renting cars, forming carpools and driving up). Once the date was set, other wheels began turning. Erstwhile Fascination! publisher Ricky "Richasi" Russo brought the newsletters sponsorship to the endeavor, enthusiastically lending his support along with that of writer Keith Johnson. Keith, who had previously organized group trips from his home base of Seattle, WA to Orlando, FL (15 people) and Anaheim, CA (22 people), had something special in mind. He had his eyes on two Bed and Breakfast lodges that he thought would be just perfect for our gathering. So he reserved both of them exclusively for our use! What's in Vancouver? - Well, Cirque of course! But there's also: * The beautiful Stanley Park * Cable tram rides up Grouse Mountain * The Capilano Suspension Bridge * Many interesting museums * The nightlife of Granville Island * Cosmopolitan shopping on Robson Street * The old charm of Gastown * International eating * And much more! But being part of a group tour doesn't mean you have to do everything the group does. We've found that small sub-groups tend to form and scatter in various directions during the day (one to a museum, another to shopping for example), coming together as a group only in the evening for major events (such as Quidam). But staying in one facility allows those groups to form, people to "tag along," and provides an environment where experiences can later be shared. As well as being an experience in itself! Come Stay With Us! The Douglas House and Cambie Lodge Bed and Breakfasts are our "official" lodging facilities. Both are about a mile from where Cirque will stake their tent. These cozy turn-of-the- century houses are in a quiet residential neighborhood but still very close to the cosmopolitan downtown of Vancouver. Since the houses are older, they are not ADA-accessible. There are stairs to climb, several flights if your room is on the top floor. But the intimacy, character and charm of these two homes-turned-inns and their closeness to the Cirque tent-grounds easily make up for any inconvenience of stair-climbing. And there's plenty of free on-site parking! As you would expect at a bed and breakfast, the rooms are cozy and comfortable. The staff is first-rate and speaks several languages. And the breakfasts (included in the per-night rate) are hearty and fun, taken in the kitchen with the staff and your other housemates. As of press time, rooms in the Cambie Lodge and a few in the Douglas House Annex are available. All rooms have at least one queen bed and cable TV. Most of them even have their own private bathroom! Rates vary, but the per-night rates (including 17% tax) range from $68.00 USD / 88.00 CDN for smaller "loft" rooms, to $123.00 USD / 158.00 CDN for Annex Building "Penthouse Suites", with most rooms running $96.00 USD / 123.00 CDN per night. That may sound like much more than a "Motel 6" type rate. But one needs to remember these rooms are in downtown Vancouver, during the middle of their summer tourist season, and *include all taxes*. Indeed, for what you get these rates are very reasonable. Want More Info? - Check out Jeff's "Official" CirqueCon Vancouver 2004 Web Page at < http://members.cox.net/sfogviper/quidam/lodging.html > for more information and a listing of the rooms currently available. Want to see some pictures? Check out < http://www.dougwin.com/html/douglas.html > for descriptions and pictures of rooms similar to those in the Cambie Lodge. (The Cambie Lodge rooms and the Douglas House Annex Suites are not included there and don't have their own pages, but those pictures will give you some idea of the accommodations.) Please note, this does not mean rooms are available, see below. Want to join us? - Just follow these simple steps... * GET YOUR TICKETS: Get your tickets for Quidam first! (Saturday, May 22, 2004, 8pm) As of press time, the Vancouver Quidam tickets were still being sold only to CirqueClub members, so you'll need to be a member of CirqueClub and log on through their website. * CHECK OUT THE ACCOMODATIONS: Check out Jeff's "Official" CirqueCon Vancouver 2004 Web Page at < http://members.cox.net/sfogviper/quidam/lodging.html > for more information and a listing of the rooms currently available. Also check out < http://www.dougwin.com/html/douglas.html > for pictures of similar rooms. * CONTACT KEITH FOR AVAILABILITY: Contact Keith Johnson at 206-284- 8516 (Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Pacific Time, answering machine other times) or via kj@gmnameplate.com (a phone call is preferred). Talk with Keith about what room you want. NOTE this is the only way to get a room at these Bed & Breakfasts for this weekend. You CANNOT get them by calling the lodges directly. * KEITH WILL CALL THE HOUSE AND RELEASE THE ROOM TO YOU. - Keith will confirm room availability and advise you. * YOU CALL THE BED & BREAKFAST AND PUT THE ROOM ON YOUR CREDIT CARD. Then you're all set. That's all there is to it! And get set for a once-in-a-lifetime Cirque-ey weekend. We'll have further "progress reports" on CirqueCon as we get closer to May. ======================================================================= LE SPECTATEUR: "Cirque at the Masters: A Q&A Review" By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA) ======================================================================= 10:45pm It was well into the evening by the time I had returned home from work, and little did I know that something special was waiting for me within my email inbox. It was a Wednesday evening in late October as I recall, and I wasn't too anxious to check my email that night. I'm not sure why, but it had been a tiring day on the job and all I really wanted to do was relax for a bit without the fuss of answering incoming mail or navigating a bunch of spam messages. But I checked it anyway. And there it was; the reply I had been waiting for... On October 23, 2003, Cirque du Soleil La Nouba and Cirque Club released a statement to its members -- an invitation to a Question & Answer session with artists at the Cirque du Soleil Theater at Downtown Disney's West Side in Orlando, Florida. The first 500 respondents to this special invite would be able to attend the event taking place on Saturday, November 8th, during the weekend long Festival of the Masters art celebration at Downtown Disney. The notice came during the day; I was at work and completely unawares. Imagine the shock when I received the message, and realized it was hours after it had been made public. Certainly there'd be no way for me to attend this special session now, as hundreds of thousands of people are members of Cirque Club and no doubt at least 500 of them (or more) responded. But I sent in a reservation request anyway. My hopes rested on the nice people at Cirque Club and my quaint reply: "Here's hoping I'm one of the 500 respondents". A week passed and there was still no reply. I had given up hope that I had somehow squeaked in; that I was the 500th respondent. At 10:45pm on Wednesday October 29th, I was not in the best of spirits. But something was about to happen that could change all that. I received a reply from Cirque Club. My eyes darted over the contents of the email quickly. What did they have to say -- were they full? My eyes fell over the first line: "Hi there Ricky!" That was a promising start... most people just call me Richasi, which is just fine by me, but I was shocked to get a personal response. My eyes dashed below the salutation and for a moment I was ready for the worst. "Actually, we're already full," the message read. Yeah, I was prepared for that. No problem, I thought, there'd be other times. "But, under the circumstances," the message continued, "we are willing to make an exception just for you!" What? Did I read that correctly? Yes, thanks to the lovely ringmasters at Cirque Club, I and two guests -- Paul Keila, a friend of mine from Tampa, Florida who has seen La Nouba, but hasn't has his horizons expanded by other Cirque performances yet; and Cedric Pansky, originally from Denver, Colorado but now living in Orlando, Florida and is largely responsible for introducing me to Cirque du Soleil) -- were squeezed into a slot and before I knew it we were on our way to a wonderful afternoon with Cirque du Soleil artists! Since we are based in Orlando we didn't have to travel far to take part in this experience. A 20-minute trip in the car and we were standing in front of the massive Cirque du Soleil castle. But, let's dispense with the personal narrative and get on with the reporting. Festival of the Masters is Disney's acclaimed annual showcase of art, culture and cuisine and has been running in Downtown Disney for the past 28 years. "Some 150 award-winning visual artists will transform Downtown Disney into a vast outdoor gallery with an entertaining mix of fine arts, live entertainment, delicious food and fun for the whole family," says the Disney press release on the event, and Cirque du Soleil was one of those artists. For their part, Cirque presented special acts on the Friday and Saturday afternoons of the festival -- Diabolos, Cycles, German Wheel and Trampoline -- outside of the theater under the big Cirque du Soleil logo on a makeshift performance space of carefully laid-out and meticulously cleaned carpeting. Cirque also offered face-painting opportunities with their make-up artists and a small peek at props and costumes from their resident show La Nouba. Fascination!'s involvement in the affair was only the Question & Answer period scheduled for the CirqueClub members, but imagine my surprise when I walked up to the building and found actual performances staged for the public eye! (I hadn't known about these beforehand.) The first one was the German Wheel twins, Bruce and Stacey Bilodeau, both long-time alumni of Cirque du Soleil. The pair were displaying the intricacies of the German Wheel discipline by performing various tricks -- like setting up the wheel, jumping in and out, standing on top, spinning the wheel, and various other snippets of their live performance. All the while the pair were speaking to a relatively large-sized audience getting laughs from their jokes and applause for their antics. I found Bruce and Stacey to be wonderful spokesmen for Cirque's Festival of the Masters outing, as they were gracious (thanks for the picture guys!) and fun to watch! The second performance was the Diabolos, performed by four wonderfully talented and cute girls from China. This performance was more structured than Bruce and Stacey's German Wheel thanks in part to the girls' coach, which dictated jabout every move they made. The girls flipped, tossed and handled their Diabolo's with exquisite timing and precision, only having lost the diabolo once or twice due to the wind. But when the wind died down, and "Jardin Chinois" playing in the background, the girls gave the audience an extra special treat... they performed their entire routine from start to finish. What a way to finish! Inside, Cirque du Soleil provided to the select few a third performance: the Question & Answer period. This was the event I was waiting for -- the chance to step inside the La Nouba theater without having to pay for the privilege; to see the theater lit without its ambient lighting; to sit with 500 other Cirque du Soleil fans and watch as the questions flew. I was also anxious to know who would join us, as even the guests were kept secret from the group. Stepping into the theater without the show's ambient lighting makes for a world of difference. Steel structures come out in full glory where only darkness was before. Catwalks are fully visible where only slight glimpses could be seen. And doors and hallways illuminated where I had not expected them to be. Through all the lost illusion though, seeing the theater this way was exciting and my eyes were everywhere -- to the ceiling, the stage, the set -- everywhere. They couldn't drink in the sights fast enough but saw plenty never-the- less. (Including a new high-wire artist being trained.) More to the point were the artists that volunteered (or were selected) to take part in this special Q&A. They were Benoit Glazer, Band Leader, Trumpet and Keyboard player from Canada; Stacey Bilodeau, German Wheel artist from the United States; and Ginger Ruiz, Tissue artist from the USA. The three were accompanied by a La Nouba press agent and watchdog. She was present only to make sure the artists didn't answer a very sensitive question. Now, one might expect that a room full of Cirque du Soleil fans would generate some very interesting questions. And, perhaps if this were the Cirque du Soleil Yahoo Group that would have been the case. As it was, many of the questions asked of the artists were general: What do you do for Cirque, do you like your job (the answer was always "why, of course we do!"), what is your background, where did you study, and the like. I almost cheered at one patron who asked how much the performers make in salary, but our watchdog headed off that question. As for yours truly, did he ask any questions? No, I did not. And you know, I'm not entirely sure why. I mean, it was the perfect venue to ask some really pressing questions, like how Cirque plans to answer charges of discrimination and why ticket prices always seemed to be on the rise. But, in the end, all I ended up confirming was that Benoit Jutras was composing more music for Cirque du Soleil projects, and that information was volunteered. In the end, even if the questions weren't the most thought out or in- depth I can safely say that Paul, Cedric and I did have a good time. I mean, how often do you get to interact with Cirque du Soleil artists or see performances for free? I want to send my thanks, yet again, to the ring mistresses of Cirque Club who made the VIP session possible. Without you I would have been standing outside! For anyone interested you can see pictures of the German Wheel and Diabolo's performances, as well as, some nice inside shots of the theater during the Q&A by pointing your browser to the Photo Section at at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ CirqueFascination/ - once signed in click "Photos" on the left-hand side, then click on "Issue #29" to see the pictures! ======================================================================= EXPANDED SELECTION: "An Interview with Mario D'Amico, CMO of Cirque du Soleil" From Reveries Magazine, January 2004 ======================================================================= "On a very ephemeral level, we're about the renewal of hope," says Mario D'Amico, chief marketing officer of Cirque du Soleil. "Everything we do is about the human body's ability to surpass itself physically, artistically or emotionally." On a less ephemeral level, Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil is about the renewal of entertainment. A circus? Yes, of course. But it is a circus that has astonished its audiences by challenging their imaginations. "We're a bit like Apple Computer's open architecture," suggests Mario. "We don't tell people, through our shows, how to feel." Cirque's stories aren't linear. Sometimes there aren't even any stories -- unless, of course, you want to see a story. Go agape over the acrobatics, or look for a larger meaning. Either way is okay. What began in June of 1984 as a not-for-profit enterprise featuring a nomadic troupe of street artists led by founder Guy Laliberte is now a global sensation driven by more than 2,100 employees, deploying eight, separate, hand-crafted shows worldwide. Cirque is a for-profit company now, although one percent of the company's take goes to support teens in distress. They have a program called Cirque du Monde, where Cirque sends trainers and coaches into underprivileged neighborhoods to teach kids how to walk on stilts, do trapeze, tumble and juggle. Then they can set up their own little traveling shows -- make a little bit of money, renew a little bit of hope. Cirque's own hopes, actually, are currently set on some intriguing line extensions, perhaps involving hotels and restaurants, anchored by entertainment complexes. Might not have to look much further than Cirque's own headquarters to imagine how that might go. Two huge training gyms, each the size of a small airplane hangar, are right smack in the center of company headquarters. So if you're an accountant -- or a marketing person -- sitting at your desk, you've got this huge, huge window in front of you, through which you can watch your co-workers practicing maybe a Russian swing act while you're working on your budgets. Sure sounds like a fun place to be, and Mario D'Amico plainly loves every minute of it. He has been with Cirque for three years now. His background was in advertising and marketing, having started out in the marketing department of a food company in Canada before joining ad agency Scali, McCabe Sloves. After that it was eleven years with Publicis in Montreal. Then Cirque du Soleil came calling. How lucky can you get? * * * Verbatim: Q. Mario D'Amico, Cirque Du Soliel How is working in a dream factory different than working in an ad agency? It's actually incredibly different and in fact I'm shocked every day at how different it is. Here, the creators that create are really true artists in the sense that they're not necessarily thinking of an audience when they're creating. They are just expressing themselves, their emotions, their angst, their preoccupations, and their worries. They're creating for themselves. That there's a public out there that's willing to buy a ticket and come see the result of that creative effort is almost secondary. The way the creative teams work is a very introverted process. That's very different than the process in the ad agency world. Creative people at agencies are creating with a client in mind, usually, with a budget in mind, and with definitely a target audience in mind. It couldn't be more different here at Cirque. Q. Does that kind of intense creativity put extra pressure on you to make sure that the marketing is just as creative? Yes. That is, actually, our biggest challenge. We are so well known for the creative product that we put on stage that I've got to find ways to be just as creative with the way that I portray the image of this company to the public. That's a daunting challenge because I don't think I can reach those levels. I can only be so creative when I'm putting an ad in the newspaper, basically telling people that the show is in town, buy your tickets, here's the phone number and hurry, because tickets will run out soon. But then there are other media that allow more creativity. Actually, the Web is one of those media that has allowed us to go a little bit further because it can deliver a Cirque experience online. Q. Other than the Internet, are there any specific marketing techniques that you've found especially effective? Our events -- our premieres -- are the pinnacle of our marketing activities. We invite the right people and we provide the right environment for those people. They then go out and tell all of their friends that they can't miss this incredible spectacle that's in town. Our premieres are very much in keeping with the image of our product. We also have an act called "The German Wheel." It's basically this huge, huge wheel that's propelled by a person inside of it. When we opened in Charlotte we had "The German Wheel" go on the Loews Motor Speedway. That made people do kind of a double take, you know? It's our way of integrating our world with the local world of where we're actually performing. In San Diego, we did the same thing on an Aircraft Carrier. Q. So you try to infiltrate the local popular culture, be it at a speedway or on an aircraft carrier. Yes. When we come into a community, we try to do a good job of really penetrating and integrating ourselves into that community for the short period of time that we're there. We build relationships with all of the artistic groups in any community, the educational groups. We often will do charity events, where we'll give away a certain number of tickets to local charities so that they can raise funds. We do a lot of that sort of non-sexy, but really important, grass roots marketing. We think that's really at the core of what we're all about when we come into a city. The last thing we want is to be seen as people who take the money and run. I think we're really good at meaningful relationships at all levels with our product. We don't think we could ever compete in a 30 second commercial with the show that you're going to see. So all we are really trying to do in our TV commercials is pique your interest. More often than not, our public is overwhelmed and then they do the job for us. The word of mouth that we get is incredible. That's worth a lot more than any ad that I could place. Q. You've now got competition from what we'll charitably call "copycat circuses." How do you deal with that? We don't really deal with it. We think we've created an art form -- a lot of people give us credit for being the creators of this art form. We really removed the dust off of the old, traditional circus, re- infused it with other disciplines and removed the animal component. We think our product speaks for itself. We will react if people are copying us, if people are benefiting from our success in a copyright infringement sense. But other circuses that have been inspired by the type of work that we do -- you know what -- more power to them! Great. We think that actually is good for the category of what we’ll call the more modern circus. Q. About a year ago there was talk about Cirque Du Soleil opening hotels, spas, museums, and so forth. Is that still in the works? Yeah, yeah, it's still in the works, still very much in the works. We think that we can surround our patrons with more than just a show. We've had one creative platform, which has been the live stage. That's been our playground for the last 17 or 18 years and we'd like to try different playgrounds. We'd like to see what a Cirque du Soleil Hotel would look like. What would that be like? Q. I give up. What would that be like? Well, we're still designing it! We don't know! Right now we've got an internal team here working on a prototype that hopefully will see the light of day at some point. There's going to be a hotel, there's going to be a spa, there's going to be a restaurant and there's going to be obviously a theatre with the show inside. A Cirque du Soleil hotel experience might be one where characters that you see in our show live in this hotel and come in contact with the patrons in some as-yet undefined way. Maybe as you're checking into the lobby of this hotel, there are some trapeze artists just performing their number and doing their thing without even expecting you to necessarily look or applaud or whatever. But they're providing you with some entertainment while you're doing something very mundane. Maybe a restaurant can have an entertainment component to it where the people who are serving the food are also the people who will be performing while you're eating. So there are all kinds of crazy ideas that are being looked at. But it's really based on trying to make that playground a little bit bigger, and having a totally different playground. We will have a prototype completed we would think by the end of this year actually, and then we'll see. We're just having a lot of fun with it right now. Ultimately, we intend to shop around and see if another company that knows more about bricks and mortar thinks our ideas make sense. Q. What do you look for, typically, in an alliance? We look for companies that understand that there are image enhancement opportunities by associating themselves with us. Without sounding cocky, I don't think there are that many brands that would elevate us to different levels. So we don't look for that in a partnership. We look for partners and brands that understand us and that demonstrate to us that they are going to use our images in a way that's respectful of our brand and in a way that we think is going to enhance and help our business. Q. You did a sponsorship deal with American Electric Power that would seem a very unlikely alliance. What was the thinking there? What we were thinking basically is that, first of all these people have a tremendous respect for our brand. They're also talking to markets that we don't really talk to -- high-end, Fortune 500 type of people and businesses. Those people come to our shows but we, as an organization, can't afford to actually market to those people. So getting our name in front of a different target audience was something that made sense for us. AEP is in an industry that's somewhat controversial. But we don't want people to judge the business that we're in and we don't think we really want to judge the business that other people are in. We're comfortable that AEP, within its industry, is abiding by standards and codes that are determined by its industry. We're not really in the business of saying that you're in the wrong industry or that your industry is this or that. So that’s basically it. Q. So what is it like, Mario, to work in a dream factory? It's a really interesting experience. You'll see people in tights walking by, next to graphics people, next to accountants, next to IT people, and it just really looks like one of these "we are the world" type of places! So it's really exciting. We're on the outskirts of the city, next to an old dump, basically. We grow our own vegetables. Rather than having plants and flowers, we have broccoli and corn. When harvest comes, we distribute it to our employees. What employees don't take we distribute to the local community. We're actually in the second- or third-poorest neighborhood in Montreal. So, one of the deals we made with the city when we decided to build our head office here was that the city invest in certain infrastructures around it that would be for the good of the community -- things like hockey rinks, parks, bicycle paths, basketball courts. It's nice to see that the area around our office here becoming greener and with more trees, and just more activity around. So, yeah, it's a pretty special place. There basically is no dress code here -- it's just whatever makes you comfortable. It's a pretty laissez faire sort of environment. We have a wonderful cafeteria believe it or not, with a choice of three incredibly gastronomic meals every day, different every day. Our chef used to be the chef of the outgoing Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney. So yeah, we're pretty lucky. ======================================================================= PARTING QUOTE ======================================================================= "In the city there are men, women and children. In the city there are those who have much and those who have nothing; those who go unnoticed and those who disturb. In the city there are those who have eyes but can't see, ears but can't hear. In the city there are those who are not accounted for, and there are the heroes of the everyday struggle. In the city there's a kind of wildlife, from the beggar to the painter and the street entertainer, that brings enchantment to our world on the road to disenchantment. And, in the city, there is Saltimbanco..." - Saltimbanco Programme (2003) ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= "Fascination!" is Ricky Russo, Keith Johnson, Paul Roberts, and Wayne Leung. "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2003 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or translated without the consent of the "Fascination! Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission (unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination! Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil, Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. =======================================================================