======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 Quarterly Compendium - Q4 2006 ------------------------------------------------------------ E X P A N D E D I S S U E ------------------------------------------------------------ ======================================================================= VOLUME 6, NUMBER 4 www.CirqueFascination.com ISSUE #50e ======================================================================= Greetings, and welcome to a very special edition of Fascination!, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. What makes this edition more special than the last? While our last quarterly publication trumpeted the celebration of our fifth birthday; this issue is equally historically important. You may not realize it but this installment is a milestone in our publication history – number fifty. Publication styles, themes and featured writers have come and gone and frequency of circulation may have changed in those years, but our mission has always remained the same. And in fulfilling our mission: over the years we have written a plethora of material on Cirque du Soleil; so much so the numbers astonish even us! What to see some statistics? Since we began publishing Fascination! on a monthly basis in September 2001, we have written a total of 550,387 words on 73,861 lines to make 61,688 paragraphs; a total of 2,805,937 characters (without spacing!) All this translates into 1,317 pages of material creating 3,490 kilobytes of information. Whew… And we’re not through yet! Fascination! is a dynamic medium and as such continues to evolve. For 2007 you will find us in your email boxes a little more often, as we switch distribution frequencies: from a Quarterly publication to a bi- monthly delivery method. Oh, you’ll still find all the up-to-date news and tour information posted directly to our website, that information will just find its way to you a little more often. So, let’s get on with the show! I invite you to visit our website for the latest news, rumors and information about Cirque du Soleil. What you’re reading here is only a collection of what was posted daily on the Fascination website for a specific period of time (in this case July, August and September.) For more current information about Cirque du Soleil’s activities, please visit < www.cirquefascination.com >. And if you’re interested in having our daily postings sent directly to you, don’t hesitate to take advantage of our Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed! Simply use the following URI with your favorite email/news program: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >. /// EXPANDED ISSUE: For this issue we have three news items that were expanded: "So What Does a Cirque Tech Director Think About?", "The Montreal Out-Games a Bust?", and "Staying in Shape the Cirque Way". All three have "[EXPANDED]" in their titles to make it easier to find the newly expanded items. /// - Ricky “Richasi” Russo =========== CONTENTS =========== o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings o) Compartments -- Information on Tour, Online & on-Screen * Télémagik -- Cirque du Soleil on Television * On the Web -- Cirque du Soleil Online * Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information o) Columns –- Behind the Curtain * Birthday Wishes! -- Happy-Happy Birthday! * Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque * Historia -- Cirque du Soleil's History * CirqueTech -- The Technical Side of Cirque o) Fascination! Features * “Beatles LOVE: Where the 3 Extra Minutes Are” By: Ricky Russo – Orlando, Florida (USA) * “Cirque Trivia (from CirqueCon!) By: Keith Johnson – Seattle, Washington (USA) * “CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas! Updates” By: Keith Johnson – Seattle, Washington (USA) o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= LOVE Album Available Soon {Oct.03.2006} -------------------------- According to recent press releases, the album for LOVE, Cirque du Soleil at the Mirage in Las Vegas, will be released in November. An exact date and track listing will be available in the near future. All you need is LOVE! Cirque takes Top Spots in 5th Annual Vegas4Visitors Poll {Oct.03.2006} --------------------------------------------------------- Readers from around the globe took part in Vegas4Visitors.com’s 5th Annual Readers Poll, selecting the top 5 picks in four categories: Favorite Restaurant, Favorite Show, Favorite Attration and Favorite Nightclub. Cirque du Soleil appears in three (3) out of the five (5) slots in the Favorite Show category. They are: o) #1 - Mystère at Treasure Island o) #3 - «O» at Bellagio o) #5 - KÀ at MGM Grand {Source: KTVU/Visitors4Vegas.com} Go to LDI, get Behind-the-Scenes {Oct.12.2006} --------------------------------- According to the Press Release by Business Wire, LDI (or Live Design International) 2006 is “North America’s largest trade show for entertainment technology professionals in the worlds of stage effects, sound and lighting. This year’s show will attract record attendance from the designers of entertainment’s best- known live events, from Cirque du Soleil to the world tours of leading rock bands and acts.” And best of all, attendees to “Backstage Las Vegas 2006? will be allowed “behind-the-curtain” at Cirque du Soleil’s LOVE at the Mirage and KÀ at MGM Grand. LDI 2006 converges on the Las Vegas Convention Center and venues around Las Vegas from October 16th through 22nd! {Source: Business Wire} Guy’s Private Jet {Oct.12.2006} ------------------ Ever wanted to know what kind of jet Guy Laliberte flies in? According to Forbes Traveler/MSNBC, Guy travels in a Canadian- made Bombardier Global Express XRS. About the Global Express XRS from Bombardier’s Website: The Bombardier Global Express XRS corporate jet is the most luxurious, most accomplished business jet ever built, accommodating the desires of the most sophisticated and demanding traveler with no compromises. Building on its Global Express heritage and raising the bar yet again, this extraordinary aircraft offers even greater cabin comfort, enhanced performance and further advanced technology for increased productivity and peace of mind. No other aircraft in its class flies you faster, farther. Balancing comfort, speed and range in a way that maximizes each with agile brilliance, the Bombardier Global Express XRS corporate jet places you at the top of your game and the world in the palm of your hand. Interested? Get a PDF Fact Sheet: < http://www.bombardier.com/en/3_0/3_2/pdf/ global_express_xrs_factsheet.pdf > {Source: MS-NBC} Delirium’s $1.7 Million {Oct.12.2006} ------------------------ So, how much does Delirium make at certain stops? At the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, where Delirium happened to be set-up from September 22nd through 24th, the show earned $1,759,884 in US Dollars. {Source: Billboard BOXSCORE} Cirque Promisses Big Returns in Miami {Oct.13.2006} -------------------------------------- Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald wrote an article this morning touching Cirque du Soleil’s plans for the redevelopment of the Jackie Gleason theater in Miami Beach. This has been an on-going drama; you can read the full article by clicking on the article title below; excerpts follow: Cirque offers Gleason deal BY DOUGLAS HANKS Miami Herald - Oct.13.2006 # # # Cirque du Soleil expects to pay Miami Beach about $9 million a year to take over the Jackie Gleason Theater and build a restaurant and nightclub there, the city said Thursday. That return would be considerably larger than rents pledged by AEG Live and Live Nation, the two concert giants competing with Cirque for the Gleason lease. Cirque wants $55 million in public dollars to fund a $100 million renovation of the Gleason, AEG and Live Nation would spend between $2 million and $3 million to fix up the Gleason at no cost to the city. Cirque wants to create a Latin-inspired version of its stage show at the Gleason, with about 430 performances a year. AEG and Live Nation, the country’s top concert promoters, want to transform the Gleason into a hipper venue for live music and comedy — but with the doors open less than 150 times a year. City Manager Jorge Gonzalez predicted Cirque would generate about $1.5 million a year in parking revenue for a nearby city garage: “Just on that we’ll be making more than what AEG or Live Nation is offering.” Gonzalez said the proposed 15-year deal protects the city, because Cirque would pay rent on gross revenues, not profits. Cirque didn’t agree to a minimum annual payment. Cirque also wants an exit clause that would let it close the show after three years if it loses money for 12 consecutive months. For the restaurants and nightclubs, the exit clause would kick in after five years. {Source: The Miami Herald, Oct.13.2006} LOVE CD Available November 21st {Oct.17.2006} -------------------------------- According to various sources, the soundtrack album to Cirque du Soleil’s LOVE at the Mirage is due to be released on November 20th in the United Kingdom, and November 21st in the United States. The release is a dual CD/DVD format and contains approximately 78-minutes of music. Track Listing: 01: "Because" 02: "Get Back" 03: "Glass Onion" 04: "Eleanor Rigby"/"Julia" (Transistion) 05: "I Am The Walrus" 06: "I Want To Hold Your Hand" 07: "Drive My Car"/"The Word"/"What You’re Doing" 08: "Gnik Nus" 09: "Something"/"Blue Jay Way" (Transition) 10: "Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!"/"I Want You (She’s So Heavy)"/ "Helter Skelter" 11: "Help!" 12: "Blackbird"/"Yesterday" 13: "Strawberry Fields Forever" 14: "Within You Without You"/"Tomorrow Never Knows" 15: "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" 16: "Octopus’s Garden" 17: "Lady Madonna" 18: "Here Comes The Sun"/"The Inner Light" (Transition) 19: "Come Together"/"Dear Prudence"/"Cry Baby Cry" (Transition) 20: "Revolution" 21: "Back In The USSR" 22: "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" 23: "A Day In The Life" 24: "Hey Jude" 25: "Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" 26: "All You Need Is Love" Cirque Pulls Out of Gleason Deal {Oct.19.2006} --------------------------------- According to NBC6 out of Miami Beach, “Cirque Du Soleil has pulled out of the competition for a multi-year contract with the Jackie Gleason Theater.” Quote: “We have been investing for the last 18 months a lot of money and resources, and I cannot responsibly continue to invest without knowing that one day this project will come to fruition,” said Daniel Lammarre of Cirque du Soleil. So, no more Cirque Miami… where to next? {Source: NBC6 Miami Beach} Cirque at 2006 Festival of the Masters {Oct.22.2006} --------------------------------------- On the weekend of November 10-12, Cirque du Soleil will be participating in the Festival of the Masters, a huge happening that transforms Downtown Disney into a vast outdoor art gallery! There will be no entrance fee to Downtown Disney, so come down and meet some of our artists in person as they sign autographs on Saturday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. What’s more, La Nouba characters will be mingling with the crowd on Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. There will also be fun stuff for children including face painting, balloons, and a display at the Cirque du Soleil theatre will feature props and costumes from La Nouba. {Source: CirqueClub Email} Quidam in Seoul {Oct.24.2006} ---------------- In an article published this morning by Chung Ah-young, staff writer for The Korea Times provides a little detail on Cirque du Soleil’s Quidam upcoming performance in South Korea, which I’ve summarized below: o) About 140 performers selected from 19 countries will give a magical performance on an outdoor stage equipped with 2,500 seats. o) Cirque du Soleil was invited to Seoul by Kim Young-kwan, the CEO of Mast Entertainment. o) A teaser performance was performed on Thursday, October 19th at the Millennium Seoul Hilton. o) What: Cirque du Soleil’s Quidam o) When: March 29, 2007 to June 3, 2007. o) Where: World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong, Seoul. o) Ticket reservations will begin Nov. 20. o) Tickets will cost from 50,000 won to 100,000 won. ($52.16 USD and $104.32 USD at today’s currency exchange rate of 1 KRW = 0.00104319 USD.) Read more about these special performances at The Korea Times: < http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/200610/ kt2006102419114611700.htm > Guy Laliberté named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year! {Nov.01.2006} ------------------------------------------------------------ MONTREAL, Oct. 26 /CNW/ - Guy Laliberté, founder and CEO of Cirque du Soleil is the recipient of the Québec region Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2006 award. Mr. Laliberté also received one of seven industry category awards (see below) presented this evening at a banquet and ceremony in Montréal. “Mr. Laliberté possesses a rare combination of passion, vision, innovation and tenacity that have grown Cirque du Soleil from a small group of artists in Québec into a worldwide phenomenon over the past two decades,” says François Dufresne, director of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year program in Québec and partner at Ernst & Young. “He is an exceptional and courageous business leader, who remains committed to the social and cultural development of the communities his company touches,” Mr. Dufresne says. {Source: CNW/Telbec, Oct.26.2006} So What Does a Cirque Tech Director Think About? [EXPANDED] {Nov.01.2006} ----------------------------------------------------------- Project at hand: adjusting the helium in an eight-foot-tall translucent balloon so that the three-foot-tall performer who glides through the air on its string doesn't sink. Or float away. "Helium is surprisingly volatile. If there's too much, she doesn't come down. She's gotten caught up there a few times," Keith Freiter says, pointing to the rafters of a 66-foot-tall tent. And the Cirque du Soleil technical director doesn't even want to talk about holes. It's visions of the acrobat zipping above the audience on a burst balloon that haunt him in his corporate apartment bed at night. Holes and the music. It's beautiful music, yes, but a dollar goes in the jar every time he or his wife, Diane Quinn, director of tour services, is caught humming a tune from "Corteo," the show that has been their life since it debuted in April 2005. That's 18 months ago, but "when you work for Cirque, months start to fall off, and it's cities. I've been with this show since Montreal. Some people have been with it since San Francisco," Freiter says. The site of the old convention center near Chinatown looks today as if Dr. Seuss dropped by to turn a barren, old city block into a gleaming, new pretty one. And for the next month, sometimes twice a day, a sleeping clown will conjure up magical funeral processions for himself, complete with lost loves and angels and childhood friends tumbling on trampoline beds. As the show unfolds, the clown in question replays the scenes of his life in a series of gauzy, fanciful visions. "That's Mary. She's about to do 10 back flips in a row," Freiter says, nodding to Mary Sanders, a former Olympic rhythmic gymnast climbing onto an oversize antique bed. Actually, she does 11, and she'll do them twice as fast onstage. Freiter has time to stand and watch for a minute because his tightest deadline has just passed. It's 2 p.m. on Monday, and now, six days after the show's 63 tractor-trailers have rolled into Washington, the set is ready for rehearsals. It took 31 full-time technicians, 15 specialists from Cirque headquarters in Montreal and 90 local workers putting in 15-hour days to get to this point. And from now on, it's about precision -- the perfect amount of helium, exact angles of 260 overhead lights and more concrete poured beneath one end of the "artistic tent," where performers practice and take turns with a physical therapist. If the floor isn't absolutely level, well . . . Freiter doesn't like to think about it. "Any time an artist gets hurt, that's the worst thing," he says, looking toward the ground. It happened twice during the last run in Boston. Cirque is a show of humans twisting themselves into unnatural positions at frightening heights, and maybe accidents are unavoidable, but it's Freiter's job to make sure they don't happen because something went wrong on his set. Seated two rows back from the stage, with wraparound sunglasses perched on his head and a scruffy beard growing in around an existing goatee, Freiter looks the part of a modern-day pirate. Lifestyle-wise, that might as well be the case. Though he has a home -- a "beautiful little condo on the St. Lawrence River" -- he has slept there only six times in the past 19 months. His stories start with phrases like, "One time, on the way to work, I stopped by the Grand Canyon . . ." "For me, it's a cross between theater and old-world circus," Freiter says. "But it allows you to do all sorts of things you never thought you'd do . . . see places you never thought you'd see." The show plays for four to six weeks in each city, so there's a chance to explore new places in ways he couldn't while touring with other theater companies. And, at the advanced age of 43, Freiter has earned himself the nickname Papa Smurf, seeing his young, tool-belt-wielding workers through summer-camp-style romances that don't have the easy ending of a farewell kiss on parent pickup day. There's a lot of camp in life at Cirque. Everyone eats together in an on-site kitchen that serves 300 meals a day. Cliques form and un-form among the 150 people on tour. Schedules are strict and nostalgia is abundant. Freiter is still on the set when the show is underway, maintaining the equipment, checking the helium and putting out technical fires. Sometimes he'll sit through two shows a day, go home and watch the televised version on Bravo. There's a custom at Cirque, one that Freiter initially railed against: Theater technicians appear onstage at the end of each performance. Now, nine cities in, he thinks they deserve the applause. "Without sounding really hokey, there's nothing like hearing an audience," he says. "I get goose bumps every time." {Source: Washington Post, Oct.27.2006} A Note About Cirque 2007 {Nov.03.2006} ------------------------- CirqueClub make a small announcement regarding Cirque 2007 this afternoon. An excerpt follows: Even though there are very few things I can share with you for now, I’ve got one big secret for you: advance tickets are now on sale! Performances in Montreal will take place from April 26 to May 27, and in Quebec City, from July 5 to July 15. The Fab Four also available in 5.1 Surround {Nov.09.2006} -------------------------------------------- Like you, I am anxiously awaiting the CD/DVD release of Cirque du Soliel: LOVE at the Mirage, which will make its appearance on November 21st worldwide! Some brief facts about the album’s pending release to whet your appetite: The Love album encompasses 26 tracks remixing 37 classic Beatles tunes. Two versions of the album will be available upon release: a standard CD version with a run-time of 78-minutes and a DVD 5.1 surround sound special edition 2-disc set containing 81-minutes of music. And for you audio/video-philes: “the DVD audio is presented in high-resolution 96/24 5.1 surround. The DVD-Video part carries 5.1 surround in DTS and Dolby Digital as well as a PCM stereo mix.” You can pre-order either version through Amazon.com: o) Standard CD - $12.88 o) CD/DVD Combo - $19.88 Track Listing: 01: "Because" 02: "Get Back" 03: "Glass Onion" 04: "Eleanor Rigby"/"Julia" (Transistion) 05: "I Am The Walrus" 06: "I Want To Hold Your Hand" 07: "Drive My Car"/"The Word"/"What You’re Doing" 08: "Gnik Nus" 09: "Something"/"Blue Jay Way" (Transition) 10: "Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!"/"I Want You (She’s So Heavy)"/ "Helter Skelter" 11: "Help!" 12: "Blackbird"/"Yesterday" 13: "Strawberry Fields Forever" 14: "Within You Without You"/"Tomorrow Never Knows" 15: "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" 16: "Octopus’s Garden" 17: "Lady Madonna" 18: "Here Comes The Sun"/"The Inner Light" (Transition) 19: "Come Together"/"Dear Prudence"/"Cry Baby Cry" 20: "Revolution" 21: "Back In The USSR" 22: "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" 23: "A Day In The Life" 24: "Hey Jude" 25: "Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" 26: "All You Need Is Love" Rain at LOVE {Nov.09.2006} -------------- Here’s an interesting tidbit for you IT professionals from Mix Online regarding the computer systems at LOVE and what they run: The entire range of Rain Recording digital audio/video workstations for the PC platform—all of which now include the new Intel Core 2 Duo architecture—is now available in Europe from Rain Recording’s new London-based production center. Rain Recording works closely with leading software and hardware manufacturers to develop its systems. Rain Recording was recently brought in to make sure that the computers for the Cirque Du Soleil production, The Beatles Love show in Las Vegas, Nev., run smoothly. “At the heart of the audio system are two Rain Recording Element 64 custom-built PCs with a Tascam GigaStudio,” says music playback engineer Gavin Whiteley. “We selected Rain because it’s the best, most complete system for this application.” {Source: Mix Online, Nov.07.2006} Blue Man Group coming to Orlando? {Nov.09.2006} ---------------------------------- While this is not directly related to Cirque du Soleil, it is because of their production at Downtown Disney that Universal is considering Blue Man Group to their property. Central Florida News 13, a Bright House Networks media outlet, reporeted on this story this morning: An expansion of Universal Orlando’s City Walk complex will bring a new Broadway-style show to Orlando. The Blue Man Group’s Las Vegas based production company tells News 13 a similar show is coming to Universal Orlando. To accommodate the show, part of the inside of sound stage 18, the now shuttered Nickelodeon production facilities, will be converted into a state of the art theater. The addition of the entertainment act is aimed at keeping higher-end entertainment dollars at Universal. They want to compete with Downtown Disney’s Cirque Du Soleil production. There is no word yet on when the Blue Man Group Universal Production is slated to open. Universal will officially announce more details at a press conference today. {Source: Central Florida News 13, Nov.09.2006} Cirque Wins Another Award {Nov.10.2006} -------------------------- On November 9, 2006, the Billboard Touring Awards, which are based on box-office figures, were given out in the Grand Ballroom at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. And Cirque du Soleil’s Delirium won in the following NEW category: “Creative Content.” Congrats Delirium! Cirque at Madison Square Garden? {Nov.20.2006} --------------------------------- According to a recent press release, Cirque du Soleil and Madison Square Garden Entertainment will present an as yet named theater production specifically for the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York City! An excerpt follows: # # # NEW YORK, Nov. 20 /CNW Telbec/ - Madison Square Garden Entertainment and Cirque Du Soleil have announced a joint partnership to present New York’s very first theater production of Cirque Du Soleil at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. The announcement was made today by Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil; Hank Ratner, vice chairman of Madison Square Garden and Cablevision Systems Corporation; and Jay Marciano, president, Madison Square Garden Entertainment. The yet unnamed Cirque production is being created specifically for the Theater at Madison Square Garden and will run for ten weeks, each winter, beginning in 2007 for the next four years. While creative details of the show will be announced in the new year, it will have a narrative thread and storyline designed to present the theme of Winter. The creative team will use traditional stage techniques and the very latest in theater technology to bring the audience of nearly 5,000 as close as possible to the performers. There will be an emphasis on color, music and comedy as well as the customary circus arts the public has come to expect from Cirque du Soleil. # # # {Source: CNW Telebec, Nov.20.2006} Diesel becomes Sid Lee? {Nov.20.2006} ------------------------ It’s true! Diesel Marketing, which has a marketing affiliation with Cirque du Soleil, recently changed its name to Sid Lee — why? Keith McArthur of the Globe and Mail wrote about it and an excerpt from his article follows: # # # When executives at the Montreal ad agency formerly known as Diesel went recruiting at a New York design school last year, they were stymied by a case of mistaken identity. Instead of attracting the graphic designers they were looking for, their recruitment table was flooded with fashion designers eager to work at the jeans company that shared their name. The new name — Sid Lee — is an anagram of Diesel, which keeps the company rooted in its past, Mr. Bouchard says. But the name change is also symbolic of the company’s evolution from a communications agency to what he describes as a “commercial creativity” group. # # # {Source: Globe and Mail, Nov.20.2006} Beatles Coming to iTunes? {Nov.27.2006} -------------------------- Fortune: Apple close to landing exclusive iTunes Store deal with The Beatles -- Monday, November 27, 2006 - 09:12 AM EST “While details remain to be worked out, Fortune has learned that iTunes is close to a deal to bring the Beatles catalog online. Apple Computer is said to be angling to become the exclusive online music store for the Beatles for a limited window of time. Other music stores, such as Microsoft’s MSN and Rhapsody, have courted the Beatles over the years to no avail, but it appears Apple is close to getting first dibs on the band’s hits,” Tim Arango reports for Fortune. Arango reports, “When reached by Fortune, an Apple spokesman responded that the company does not comment on ‘rumor and speculation.’ If the deal goes through, it will mark a Nixon- Brezhnev-worthy truce - with the band’s record label, Britain’s EMI Group, serving as a peacemaker - between Apple Computer’s Steve Jobs and Neil Aspinall, the onetime Beatles road manager who is now guardian of the band’s business interests under the rubric Apple Corps.” “At a recent industry conference, David Munns, head of EMI North America, said the Beatles would be available online ’soon.’ The parties were hoping to make a splashy announcement to coincide with the Nov. 21 release by EMI’s Capitol Records of ‘Love,’ a mashup of Beatles songs that serves as a soundtrack to a Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil production. That didn’t happen. Apple Corps declined to comment,” Arango reports. “As Fortune went to press, numerous deal points were still being hammered out. According to a music industry executive apprised of the talks, the parties were discussing how lengthy a window of exclusivity iTunes might get and how many tens of millions of dollars Jobs - who is said to be personally involved in the discussions - will commit to an advance for the band and marketing costs,” Arango reports. Arango reports, “Also being discussed is whether the band would be willing to take two steps at the same time and endorse the iPod by allowing its music to be used in a commercial. Another scenario making the rounds is the prospect of the Beatles following U2’s example with a branded iPod. “If the Beatles were in an iPod ad, that would be humongous,” this executive said.” {Source: CNN.COM} Delta Airlines and Cirque du Soleil in Partnership {Dec.12.2006} --------------------------------------------------- ATLANTA, Dec. 12, 2006 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) (PRIMEZONE) — Delta Air Lines is officially launching its two-year global partnership with Cirque du Soleil by welcoming the Canadian-based troupe to its hometown, Atlanta, as it presents Corteo(tm) of which Delta is presenting sponsor. Corteo is the troupe’s latest live touring show, opening for a limited engagement in Atlanta on Friday, Dec. 15 under the Grand Chapiteau at Atlantic Station and will thrill audiences through Jan. 28. To celebrate Corteo’s engagement in Atlanta, as well its worldwide partnership with Cirque du Soleil, Delta hosted a special performance by Cirque du Soleil at the Delta Air Transport Heritage Museum today. The unique, gravity defying performance took place around “The Spirit of Delta,” the airline’s employee-purchased Boeing 767, which is being transformed into the museum’s newest exhibition space. “We are thrilled to partner with Cirque du Soleil to help them bring the spectacular Corteo performance to our hometown of Atlanta,” said Joanne Smith, vice president of Marketing for Delta. “The magic continues as we support other Cirque du Soleil performances across North America, Europe and Latin America. We know our worldwide customers will be delighted with these innovative and theatrically awe-inspiring shows.” In addition to serving as the presenting sponsor of Corteo in Atlanta, Delta is the official airline of Cirque du Soleil in Dusseldorf, Germany (Dec. 7 - Jan. 7), London, England (Jan. 5 – Feb. 11), and Monterrey, Mexico (Sept. 27 - Oct. 28) and Mexico City, Mexico (Nov. 8 - Dec. 23). “Cirque du Soleil is thrilled to partner with Delta as we both strive to offer our patrons a high-quality experience, whether seated on an aircraft or under the Grand Chapiteau. We essentially share the same goal; to take to our guests on a distinctive journey,” stated Mario D’Amico, vice president of Marketing at Cirque du Soleil. {Source: Delta Airlines, Dec.12.2006} Cirque at the Superbowl? {Dec.12.2006} ------------------------- While Prince is rumored to be the half-time show entertainer, Cirque du Soliel’s name has been dropped as possible pre-show entertainment for US Football’s premiere sporting event - The Superbowl. It is an unlikely venue but stranger things have ocurred. The Superbowl is played this season on February 4, 2007 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida. The CBS network will once- again televise the game. See your local listings for kick-off times. The Montreal Out-Games a Bust? [EXPANDED] {Dec.12.2006} ----------------------------------------- The First World Outgames, not to be confused with the Gay Games, is likely to be the last. The homosexual sporting event, held in Montreal this past summer and paid for with generous donations of funds from taxpayers, is bankrupt. The games organization faces a $2.09-million debt after first predicting a 200,000 surplus. Altogether, the games lost over $5 million. According to the French-language TV channel LCN, the event’s organizing committee is under bankruptcy protection. The committee has thirty days to try to satisfy its creditors, including the celebrity spokesmen who touted the event in the press. Retired tennis star and gay-athlete icon Martina Navratilova is reportedly still owed half the $39,384.32. Olympic swimming champion Mark Tewksbury who lent his name for the publicity is owed $1,055 and Cirque du Soleil is waiting for $48,209.30. The games, whose motto was “social change through sport”, took place from July 26, 2006 to August 5, and was supported in part by a $3 million donation from the Province of Quebec. The Montreal Gazette reports that many suppliers for the games were left unpaid when the government refused to step in to pay the bills. The Outgames recorded a deficit estimated to be $5.3 million. The Gazette reported that as of the middle of November, the website of the World Outgames had been shut down and voicemail was answering the phone. In addition to the province of Quebec, the games’ sponsors included the city of Montreal, the Government of Canada, pharmaceutical giant, GlaxoSmithKline, Air Canada, Labatt Brewing Company, and Bell Canada. The games were open to anyone who applied to participate with no qualifying requirements for competing and were held in connection with an international conference on homosexual political activism. {Source: Life Site News} Millions for Delirium {Dec.15.2006} ---------------------- According to UPI the Rolling Stones won top tour title for the 2006 season, but Cirque du Soleil’s Delirium was also a top earner, finding a spot in the top 10 (at number 6 actually.) Exactly how much did this Cirque du soleil extravaganza end up earning? A cool $78.5 million for the touring season. Not bad at all. Delirium’s second touring season begins January 24th in Detroit, Michigan. All You Need is “GrandMa” {Dec.19.2006} ------------------------- Two grandMA consoles and two grandMA light are used in the production “Love”, a co-production of Cirque du Soleil and Apple Corps Ltd. celebrating the musical legacy of The Beatles. Lighting Designer Yves Aucoin, assisted by Karl Gaudreau and Robert Brassard, employed an extensive number of moving lights, LEDs to light the stage, lifts going up and down and foggers to camouflage the lifts. The amount of DMX channels dictated that they go with the grandMA. Love features HD video projections with 100-foot digital, moving images and a panoramic surround sound system. The grandMA’s control an array of equipment for the show, including 28 Green Hippo Hippotizer media servers which permit eight different layers of HD images on a curved, translucent screen, a lighting rig featuring more than 200 Vari*Lite spots and washes, 200 Color Kinetics LED fixtures and 22 MDG foggers. During the creation, Aucoin assisted by Gaudreau and Brassard, each manned a grandma console strategically-placed around the space. With everything networked on the grandMA, one person can run the show, another can update a cue live. Since the new theatre at The Mirage has ETC Net2 nodes installed for DMX distribution, the grandMA was required to output the ETC Net2 protocol. The grandMA speaks both languages at the same time. “It is always an honor to participate on a technical level with the Cirque. They push the envelope to its limits while pursuing their artistic vision. This is the first show that Yves has used the grandMA on, and I am pleased that this was the only console that did not impose technical limits on his art. The grandMA network allows them to control 32 universes of ETC Net2 with no noticeable latency,” comments Bob Gordon, President and CEO of A.C.T Lighting the exclusive distributor of the grandMA systems in North America. {Source: MA Lighting Press Release} Staying in Shape the Cirque Way [EXPANDED] {Dec.19.2006} ------------------------------------------ Six nights a week, 62 performers with Cirque du Soleil twist, bend and contort their bodies during a two-hour show. It's dangerous work and there is a high risk of injury. CNN Medical Correspondent Judy Fortin spoke with physiotherapist Michelle Sinclair, the woman who helps the performers stay healthy. Q: What does a physiotherapist do? Sinclair: For Cirque, it involves having to integrate all the doctor's appointments and keeping all the athletes healthy ... a whole range of things because I am the only medical person here. It goes from the warm-ups to the cool-downs, coughs and colds. Q: What kind of injuries do you see? Sinclair: We get a lot of trauma because it's a high acrobatic show. We get a lot of ankle sprains and trauma from the seesaw, lots of knee injuries, but we also get a lot of shoulder injuries because of the high bar. We get a lot of wear and tear and fatigue injuries too, which is more demanding to treat because it requires a lot for rehab, exercising and discipline. Q: How many performers are injured right now? Sinclair: Right now there are about 15 ongoing injuries, but only two or three [performers] are out of the show. Those still in the show will modify their act or the heavy lifting, depending on the injury. On a very bad day or week, it could get up to 10 people who are out, and that is big deal for the other actors left in the show because they have to do extra. Then they get injured because they are fatigued, so in that scenario it's a vicious circle. Q: How do the performers physically prepare for the show? Sinclair: Every artist has an individual program, tailored to their act and their bodies. They work on their own, and unless they get an injury, then we'll change it just for them. They warm up every day. About three or four times a week they do their individual exercises and programs just to keep themselves in shape and prevent overuse injuries. Q: Do they have a cool-down routine after the show? Sinclair: They do their own individual cool-down because some of the acts finish in the first five minutes. The high bar is the last act and they do their own cool-down, but for most, just walking around is enough to cool them down. We don't have a group stretching session after the show. Q: Do you have any special tips for performers? Sinclair: Listening to their bodies is the main factor. They are pretty good because most are Olympic athletes, so if they are feeling sick or tight, I will recommend they come in and have them work with a massage therapist. If they start to neglect [their bodies], that's when injury starts to happen. You can't do anything about fatigue doing 10 shows a week for six or seven weeks. You are bound to get some fatigue. Q: How do they keep up their energy? Sinclair: Nutrition is a big part. They're all educated and know what to eat from being a gymnast or acrobat. They are very sensible and limit nights out to when they are off. They get enough sleep and rest in between shows. {Source: CNN} Cirque on TV in Dubai {Dec.29.2006} ---------------------- MBC to air Cirque du Soleil shows Posted: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 Press Release: TradeArabia News Service # # # MBC Group, a leading Middle East broadcast network, has signed an exclusive cross-channel agreement with Cirque du Soleil, a leading live entertainment company, to broadcast a number of Cirque du Soleil shows. It will also hold a competition whose winner will get a free trip to Las Vegas, USA to see Cirque’s latest show. According to the terms of the agreement, MBC is the official television sponsor for Cirque du Soleil, which is bringing its production of Quidam to the Middle East for the first time early next year. Extraordinary productions of Cirque du Soleil, including Dralion, Alegría, Saltimbanco, and Varakei are scheduled to be aired on MBC Channel’s 1 at the end of December and throughout 2007. In addition to this, MBC 4 will be highlighting Quidam in Dubai with two-hour specials on the magic of Cirque. “It makes perfect sense for the world’s leading live entertainment company, Cirque du Soleil, to choose nothing less than the best to share their magic with people across the region. With unparalleled production quality and an enthusiastic, world-class team who are also the biggest Cirque fans, we are proud to be the exclusive TV partner for this event,” said Andrew Maskall, marketing manager, MBC group. During the Quidam run, MBC will air promotions and also run a SMS competition for viewers, with the grand prize being free airline tickets to Las Vegas to watch one of Cirque’s newest and most spectacular productions, ‘Love’, a collaboration between Cirque du Soleil and the Beatles. “Cirque is bringing imagination, beauty and magic to Dubai and MBC will make sure that no one misses out,” concluded Maskall.- TradeArabia News Service {Source: Trade Arabia, Dec.27.2006} BMW Sponsors Cirque in Dubai {Dec.29.2006} ----------------------------- BMW sponsors Cirque tour of Dubai Posted: Thursday, December 28, 2006 Press Release: TradeArabia News Service # # # BMW Group Middle East and AGMC, the sole importer for BMW and Mini in Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, are official sponsors for the Cirque du Soleil Dubai Tour. The tour is on from January 4 to February 18, 2007. “Supporting cultural events in our local communities is a key focus for BMW Group, and we are proud to be supporting this unique performance phenomenon in Dubai,” said managing director, BMW Group Middle East, Guenther Seemann. This is the first time the highly acclaimed spectacle Quidam by Cirque du Soleil will be performed in the Middle East, and promises to surprise and delight audiences with its thrilling combination of acrobatic artistry, technical expertise, extravagant design and exceptional music. “It’s an instinctive partnership for us to support this world- class tour - a natural synergy exists between BMW and the passion, elegance and quality of the Cirque du Soleil artists and their ability to perform as a whole,” said General Manager of AGMC, Stathis I Stathis. AGMC BMW customers are being invited to enter the world of imagination, with the opportunity to purchase two tickets for this outstanding event at a special discount, courtesy of AGMC. {Source: Trade Arabia, Dec.28.2006} ======================================================================= COMPARTMENTS -- INFORMATION ON TOUR, ONLINE, AND ON-SCREEN ======================================================================= o) TÉLÉMAGIK – Cirque du Soleil on Television o) ITINÉRAIRE – Tour/Show Information ================= TÉLÉMAGIK ================= January 2006 ------------- There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the United States for January 2006. February 2006 -------------- There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the United States for February 2006. March 2006 ----------- There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the United States for March 2006. April 2006 ----------- CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: CORTEO Network: CBC Canada ------------------------- o) April 2 (Sunday) at 8:00pm CIRQUE-A-THON Network: Bravo USA ------------------------- o) April 2 (Sunday): 10:00am - Dralion o) April 9 (Sunday): 10:00am - Alegría o) April 16 (Sunday): 10:00am - La Nouba o) April 23 (Sunday): 10:00am - Quidam May 2006 --------- There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the United States. June 2006 ---------- There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the United States. July 2006 ---------- There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the United States. September/October 2006 ----------------------- CIRQUE-A-THON Network: Bravo USA o) September 28 (Thursday): .) 12:30pm - 2:30pm — Varekai .) 2:30pm - 3:00pm — Fire Within Episode #9 .) 3:00pm - 3:30pm — Fire Within Episode #10 .) 3:30pm - 4:00pm — Fire Within Episode #11 .) 4:00pm - 4:30pm — Fire Within Episode #12 .) 4:30pm - 5:00pm — Fire Within Episode #13 .) 8:00pm - 10:00pm — Corteo .) 10:00pm - 12:00am — Varekai o) September 29 (Friday): .) 12:00am - 2:00am — Corteo .) 2:00am - 4:00am — Midnight Sun o) October 5 (Thursday): .) 1:00pm - 3:00pm — Alegría .) 3:00pm - 5:00pm — Corteo .) 8:00am - 10:00pm — La Nouba .) 10:00pm - 12:00am — Corteo o) October 6 (Friday): .) 12:00am - 2:00am — Alegría .) 2:00am - 4:00am — La Nouba ================ ITINÉRAIRE ================ NOTE: The information presented below is for historical purposes only. For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts, please visit our website < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. [Touring Shows] Alegría: London, UK -- Jan 5, 2006 to Feb 12, 2006 Milan, Italy -- Feb 23, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006 Rome, Italy -- Apr 27, 2006 to Jun 24, 2006 Amsterdam, Netherlands -- Jul 14, 2006 to Aug 20, 2006 Brussels, Belgium -- Aug 31, 2006 to Oct 15, 2006 Madrid, Spain -- Oct 27, 2006 to Dec 20, 2006 London, UK -- Jan 5, 2007 to Feb 11, 2007 Barcelona, Spain -- Feb 22, 2007 to Apr 9, 2007 Saint-Denis, France -- May 10, 2007 to July 15, 2007 Gijon, Spain -- Jul 26, 2007 to Aug 26, 2007 Cirque2007: Montreal, Quebec -- Apr 19, 2007 to Jun 3, 2007 Quebec City, Quebec -- Jul 5, 2007 to Jul 22, 2007 Toronto, Ontario -- Aug 9, 2007 to Sep 2, 2007 Corteo: San Francisco, California -- Nov 11, 2005 to Jan 8, 2006 San Jose, California -- Jan 19, 2006 to Mar 5, 2006 Scottsdale, Arizona -- Mar 17, 2006 to Apr 9, 2006 New York, New York -- Apr 27, 2006 to Jul 2, 2006 Chicago, Illinois -- July 14, 2006 to Aug 27, 2006 Boston, Massachusetts -- Sep 8, 2006 to Oct 15, 2006 Washington, DC -- Oct 26, 2006 to Nov 26, 2006 Atlanta, Georgia -- Dec 15, 2006 to Jan 28, 2007 Dallas, Texas -- Feb 9, 2007 to Mar 4, 2007 Houston, Texas -- Mar 22, 2007 to Apr 15, 2007 Columbus, Ohio -- May 11, 2007 to May 27, 2007 Denver, Colorado -- Jun 22, 2007 to Jul 8, 2007 Dralion: Seville, Spain -- Jan 19, 2006 to Feb 26, 2006 Geneva, Switzerland -- Mar 10, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006 Valencia, Spain -- May 4, 2006 to June 11, 2006 Malaga, Spain -- Jun 22, 2006 to Jul 30, 2006 Berlin, Germany -- Aug 30, 2006 to Oct 5, 2006 Frankfurt, Germany -- Oct 19, 2006 to Nov 29, 2006 Neuss, Germany -- Dec 7, 2006 to Jan 7, 2007 Tokyo, Japan -- Feb 7, 2007 to May 6, 2007 Sendai, Japan -- May 23, 2007 to Jul 8, 2007 Osaka, Japan -- Jul 25, 2007 to Sep 9, 2007 Nagoya, Japan -- Oct 31, 2007 to Jan 6, 2008 Fukuoka, Japan -- Apr 23, 2008 to Jun 15, 2008 Quidam: San Diego -- Jan 19, 2006 to Feb 26, 2006 Long Beach, California -- Mar 09, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006 Ottawa, Ontario -- May 18, 2006 to Jun 25, 2006 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- Jul 6, 2006 to Aug 13, 2006 Cincinnati, Ohio -- Aug 24, 2006 to Sep 17, 2006 St. Louis, Missouri -- Sep 28, 2006 to Oct 22, 2006 Dubai, UAE -- Jan 4, 2007 to Feb 10, 2007 Seoul, South Korea -- Mar 20, 2007 to Jun 3, 2007 Shanghai, China -- Jun 28, 2007 to Aug 26, 2007 (*) Monterrey, Mexico -- Sep 27, 2007 to TBA (*) Mexico City, Mexico -- Nov 5, 2007 to TBA (*) NOTE (*): Unconfirmed Dates Saltimbanco: Guadalajara, Mexico -- Nov 17, 2005 to Jan 1, 2006 Mexico City, Mexico -- Jan 13, 2006 to Jan 29, 2006 Santiago, Chile -- Mar 14, 2006 to Apr 22, 2006 Buenos Aires, Argentina -- May 5, 2006 to Jun 12, 2006 Sao Paulo, Brazil -- Aug 3, 2006 to Dec 10, 2006 Saltimbanco's Curtain Fell Dec 10, 2006. Varekai: Miami, Florida -- Jan 20, 2006 to Feb 26, 2006 Portland, Oregon -- Mar 14, 2006 to Apr 23, 2006 Seattle, Washington -- May 4, 2006 to Jun 11, 2006 Vancouver, BC -- Jun 22, 2006 to Jul 23, 2006 Sydney, Australia -- Aug 10, 2006 to Oct 29, 2006 Brisbane, Australia -- Nov 9, 2006 to Dec 16, 2006 Auckland, New Zealand -- Jan 5, 2007 to Feb 18, 2007 Canberra, Australia -- Mar 15, 2007 to Apr 8, 2007 Melbourne, Australia -- Apr 19, 2007 to May 20, 2007 Adelaide, Australia -- Jul 5, 2007 to Jul 22, 2007 Perth, Australia -- Aug 17, 2007 to Sep 16, 2007 [Arena Shows] Delirium: 2006 ---- Bridgeport, Connecticut -- Feb 7, 8 & 9 Buffalo, New York -- Feb 13 & 14 Columbus, Ohio -- Feb 17 & 18 Toronto, Ontario -- Feb 20 & 21 Detroit, Michigan -- Feb 23 & 24 Indianapolis, Indiana -- Feb 27 & 28 Kansas City, Missouri -- Mar 3 & 4 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma -- Mar 7 & 8 Houston, Texas -- Mar 10, 11 & 12 Memphis, Tennessee -- Mar 15 & 16 San Antonio, Texas -- Mar 19 & 20 Little Rock, Arkansas -- Mar 22 & 23 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas -- Mar 27 & 28 Birmingham, Alabama -- Mar 30 & 31 Atlanta, Georgia -- Apr 2, 3 & 4 Jacksonville, Florida -- Apr 6 & 7 Tampa/St. Pete, Florida -- Apr 9 & 10 Raleigh, North Carolina -- Apr 12 & 13 Tallahassee, Florida -- Apr 15 & 16 Orlando, Florida -- Apr 18 & 19 Fort Lauderdale, Florida -- Apr 21, 22 & 23 Charlotte, North Carolina -- Apr 28 & 29 Columbia, South Carolina -- May 02 & 03 Greensboro, North Carolina -- May 6 & 7 Nashville, Tennessee -- May 09 & 10 St-Louis, Missouri -- May 12 & 13 Minneapolis/St-Paul, Minnesota -- May 16 & 17 Des Moines, Iowa -- May 19 & 20 Montreal, Quebec -- Jun 16, 17 & 18 Toronto, Ontario -- Jun 23 & 24 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -- Jun 29 & 30, Jul 01 Atlantic City, New Jersey -- Jul 7 & 8 Baltimore, Maryland -- Jul 14 & 15 Worcester, Massachusetts -- Jul 21 & 22 Hershey, Pennsylvania -- Jul 25 & 26 Hartford, Connecticut -- Jul 29 & 30 Charlottesville, Virginia - Aug 01 Cleveland, Ohio -- Aug 03, 04 & 05 Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- Aug 18, 19 & 20 Grand Forks, North Dakota -- Aug 23 Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada) -- Aug 25, 26 & 27 Denver, Colorado -- Aug 30 & 31, Sep 1 & 2 Las Vegas, Nevada -- Sept 8 & 9 Phoenix, Arizona -- Sep 11 & 12 Los Angeles, California -- Sep 15, 16 & 17 Fresno, California -- Sep 19 & 20 San Jose, California -- Sep 22, 23 & 24 Los Angeles, California -- Sep 27, 28 & 29 Seattle, Washington -- Oct 3 & 4 Vancouver, BC (Canada) -- Oct 6 & 7 Calgary, Alberta (Canada) -- Oct 10, 11 & 12 Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) -- Oct 13, 14 & 15 Portland, Oregon -- Oct 19 & 20 Omaha, Nebraska -- Oct 24 & 25 Louisville, Kentucky -- Oct 27, 28 & 29 East Rutherford, New Jersey -- Nov 3 & 4 New York City, New York -- Nov 8 & 9 Uniondale, New York -- Nov 11 & 12 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- Nov 16, 17 & 18 Hampton, Virginia -- Nov 21 & 22 Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) -- Nov 24 & 25 2007 ---- Detroit, Michigan — Jan 24, 25 & 27 Grand Rapids, Michigan — Jan 31, Feb 1 & 2 Moline, Illinois — Feb 7 & 8 Minneapolis/St-Paul, Minnesota — Feb 9 & 10 Fort Wayne, Indiana — Feb 14 & 15 Chicago, Illinois — Feb 17, 18 & 19 Kansas City, Missouri — Feb 21, 22 & 23 Ames, Iowa — Feb 24 & 25 Green Bay, Wisconsin — Feb 28 Peoria, Illinois — Mar 1 & 2 Madison, Wisconsin — Mar 4 Indianapolis, Indiana - Mar 7, 8 & 9 Wichita, Kansas - Mar 13 & 14 [Resident Shows] La Nouba: Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark Sun/Mon Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o January 22 to 30 o March 26 to 28 o May 21 to June 5 o July 30 to August 1 o September 17 to 25 o November 19 to 21 2007 Ticket Prices: o Category 0: $112.00 (adults) / $90.00 (child 3-9) o Category 1: $97.00 (adults) / $78.00 (child 3-9) o Category 2: $79.00 (adults) / $63.00 (child 3-9) o Category 3: $63.00 (adults) / $50.00 (child 3-9) 2007 Dark Dates: o January 14 to 22 o March 18 to 20 o May 30 to June 4 o July 29 to July 31 o September 23 to October 1 o November 25 to 27 Mystère: Performs: Wed through Sun, Dark Mon/Tue Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o January 2 to 15 o February 5 o March 12 o May 17 to 21 o July 16 o September 13 to 17 o November 12 EFFECTIVE JANUARY 20, 2007 (for performances January 21st on) Performs: Sat through Wed, Dark Thr/Fri Two shows Nightly - o Saturday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm o Sunday: 4:30pm & 7:00pm o Monday - Wednesday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm 2007 Ticket Prices (taxes not included): o Category 1: $95.00 USD o Category 2: $75.00 USD o Category 3: $60.00 USD 2007 Dark Dates: o January 4 to 19 o February 4 o March 21 "O": Performs: Wed through Sun, Dark Mon/Tue Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o February 19 o April 19 to 23 o June 18 o August 23 to 27 o October 22 o November 19 o December 5 to 17 2007 Ticket Prices (taxes not included): o Orchestra: $150.00 USD o Loggia: $125.00 USD o Balcony: $99.00 USD o Limited View: $93.50 USD 2007 Dark Dates: o n/a Zumanity: Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark: Sun/Mon Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o February 5 and 21 o April 7 to 11 o June 6 o August 11 to 15 o October 17 o December 8 to 19 2007 Ticket Prices (taxes not included): o Stools: $69.00 USD o Seats: $99.00 USD o Sofas: $129.00 USD 2007 Dark Dates: o February 4 KÀ: Performs: Fri through Tue, Dark Wed/Thu Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:30pm Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o January 3 to 14 o March 14 o May 9 to 13 o July 11 o September 5 to 9 o November 7 EFFECTIVE JANUARY 23, 2007 (for performances January 24th on) Performs: Fri through Tue, Dark Wed/Thu Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2007 Ticket Prices (taxes not included): o Category 1: $150.00 (adult) / $75.00 (child 5-12) o Category 2: $125.00 (adult) / $62.50 (child 5-12) o Category 3: $99.00 (adult) / $49.50 (child 5-12) o Category 4: $69.00 (adult) / $34.50 (child 5-12) 2007 Dark Dates: o January 9 to 22 LOVE: Performs: Thr through Mon, Dark Tue/Wed Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:30pm Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o June 26 o July 1 o August 15 to 23 o October 19 o November 28 to December 13 2007 Ticket Prices (taxes not included): o Lower Orchestra: $150.00 USD o Upper Orchestra: $125.00 USD o Lower Balcony: $99.00 USD o Upper Balcony: $69.00 USD 2007 Dark Dates: o January 18 o February 11 and 12 o March 5 o April 19 to 23 o June 14 o August 16 to 20 o October 11 o November 29 and 30 o December 1 to 10 ======================================================================= COLUMNS – BEHIND THE CURTAIN ======================================================================= Within... o) BIRTHDAY WISHES - Happy-Happy Birthday! o) DIDYAKNOW? - Facts About Cirque o) HISTORIA - Cirque du Soleil History o) CIRQUETECH - The Technical Side of Cirque ================= BIRTHDAY WISHES ================= [October] 10/01/1978 Marie-Michelle Faber Chandeliers Corteo 10/01/1983 Ekaterina Arnaoutova Acrobat/Rope Contortion LOVE 10/01/1988 Gabrielle Cloutier Singer/Character Quidam 10/02/1968 Oxsana Vintilova Adagio Saltimbanco 10/02/1970 Shana Carroll Bungee/Trapeze Saltimbanco 10/02/1976 Artur Milon Plank/FastTrack/Poles Mystère 10/02/1986 Ruslana Bazaliy Duo Trapeze Saltimbanco 10/02/1986 Taisiya Bazaliy Duo Trapeze Saltimbanco 10/03/1969 Ebon Grayman Character / Silks Zumanity 10/03/1974 Dongmei You Lights/ Teeterboard Dralion 10/05/1973 Alexandre Pestov Banquine/Skipping Ropes Quidam 10/05/1977 Lance Trappe Cycles La Nouba 10/06/1974 Natalia Pestova Spanish Webs/Ropes Quidam 10/07/1966 Mikhail Chamanaev Swings / Poles Saltimbanco 10/07/1972 Nataliya Grybova Hoops / Solo Trapeze «O» 10/07/1975 Donna Stevens Cloud Swing Quidam 10/07/1976 Shayne Courtright German Wheel Quidam 10/07/1982 Kasper Falkesgaard Power Track Alegría 10/08/1963 Igor Jijikine High Bar Mystère 10/09/1966 Sha Yan Balancing on Chairs Fascination 10/09/1968 Christian Sylvestre Musician (Guitar) Dralion 10/09/1978 Laëtitia Bodin Spanish Webs/Ropes Quidam 10/09/1980 Valérie Boucher Synchro Swimming «O» 10/10/1960 Serguei Chachelev Clown La Nouba 10/10/1970 Viktor Kee Juggling Dralion 10/12/1965 Marie-Laure Mesnage Statue Quidam 10/12/1973 Igor Zoloutkhine Russian Swing Varekai 10/12/1990 Darya Vintilova Solo Trapeze Saltimbanco 10/13/1967 Paul Bowler Aerial Cube Mystère 10/13/1972 Alexandre Maiorov Ropes/Banquine Quidam 10/13/1973 Vincent Schonbrodt Bateau/Cadre «O» 10/13/1981 Maxim Levantsevich Russian Swing Varekai 10/13/1983 Denys Tolstov Handbalancing Alegría 10/14/1967 Amélie Demay Hand-to-Hand Réinventé 10/14/1971 Tatiana Louchina PowerTrack La Nouba 10/14/1976 Javier Santos Leal Icarian Games Varekai 10/14/1987 Wenchao Lu Multiple Acts Dralion 10/15/1951 Ron Feather Musician (Percussion) Alegría 10/15/1972 Alexi Kondratev FastTrack/Bars Alegría 10/15/1986 Irina Milko PowerTrack Alegría 10/17/1976 Kelly Ann Cabrera Dancer Mystère 10/17/1979 Lucy Pascoe Spanish Webs / Ropes Quidam 10/17/1980 Zhang Wei Multiple Acts Dralion 10/18/1955 Wayne Hankin Musician (Wind) Varekai 10/18/1961 Soizick Hébert Clown Dralion 10/18/1970 Anna Shelper Solo Trapeze Alegría 10/19/1964 Guennadi Tchijov Character (Sleeper) Saltimbanco 10/19/1968 Vladimir Sosnine Plank / Poles Mystère 10/20/1966 Lise Nadon Musician (Violin) Mystère 10/20/1969 Michael Brown Fire «O» 10/20/1971 Elena Spitsyna Banquine / Ropes Quidam 10/21/1972 Holly Rollins Silk / Hoops La Nouba/Quidam 10/21/1976 Lorenzo Pisoni Character (Moha Samedi) Mystère 10/21/1989 Junping Yang Water Meteors Varekai 10/22/1953 Gilles St-Amand Musican (Drums) Mystère 10/22/1964 Victor Bouriak Flying Trapeze La Nouba 10/22/1974 Jonathan Cole Boum-Boum / Hoops Quidam/«O» 10/22/1976 Lisa Simes Cadre / Bateau «O» 10/23/1943 Skip Wusnack Gatekeeper KÀ 10/23/1958 Galina Karableva Adagio Trio Saltimbanco 10/23/1979 German Sokolov Multiple Acts Mystère 10/23/1981 Wang Shoubo Multiple Acts Dralion 10/23/1986 Peng Rui Handbalancing Dralion 10/24/1961 Yingchun Pan Drums Dralion 10/24/1969 Daniel Licaciu Poles / Plank Mystère 10/24/1973 Dimitrii Arnaoutov Bungee / Swings Saltimbanco 10/24/1978 Laurence Racine Contortion Fascination 10/25/1979 Maxim Erilov Flying Trapeze La Nouba 10/25/1985 Pedro Santos Leal Icarian Games Varekai 10/25/1985 Ramon Santos Leal Icarian Games Varekai 10/26/1966 Yevgen Plotnikov Poles / Swings Saltimbanco 10/26/1973 Valerii Simonenko Russian Swings Varekai 10/26/1975 Fang Cao Lights / Teeterboard Dralion 10/26/1989 Siguang Li Water Meterors Varekai 10/26/1990 Lu Lu Diabolos La Nouba 10/27/1959 Stephen Poulin Musician (Keyboards) Dralion 10/27/1966 Vladimir Jikh High Bar / Poles Mystère 10/27/1967 Victoria Demenchukova Character Nouvelle 10/27/1977 Evgueni Tarakanov Russian Swings Varekai 10/27/1978 Yuliya Eremina Barge / Swings «O» 10/27/1981 Denis Gircha Banquine / Ropes Quidam 10/28/1969 Pavel Pronine High Bar / Poles Mystère 10/28/1975 Tamir Erdenesaikhan Character (Tamir) Alegría 10/28/1976 Tomasz Wlezien Hand-to-Hand Saltimbanco 10/29/1964 Carlos "Rokardy" Diaz Chair Balancing La Nouba 10/29/1976 Wei Chen Double Wire Saltimbanco 10/29/1980 Zhou Chun Mei Multiple Acts Dralion 10/30/1958 Nathalie Gauvin Singer Mystère 10/30/1970 Paul Cameron Poles/Plank/Trampo Mystère 10/30/1977 Irina Syrova Barge / Swings «O» 10/30/1978 Sébastien Savard Musician (Violin) Quidam 10/31/1941 Yuri Medvedev Clown Alegría 10/31/1957 Johnny Filion Clown (Les Voila) Dralion 10/31/1960 Cécile Ardail Aerial Hoops «O» 10/31/1979 Vladimir Fomine Ropes/Banquine Quidam [November] 11/03/1964 Sylvian Côté Musician (Violin) Quidam 11/04/1964 Lin Yung-Biau Character (Yao) Dralion 11/04/1968 Vasyl Ohorilko Russian Swing Varekai 11/04/1969 Charles Dennard, Jr Musician (Keyboards) Alegría 11/05/1967 Pavel Bragantsev Flying Trapeze La Nouba 11/05/1977 Yan Xuesong Chinese Poles Mystère 11/05/1977 Yingjing Wang Hoop Diving/Dralions Dralion 11/06/1975 Serguei Okhai Ropes/Banquine Quidam 11/06/1977 Stiv Bello Icarian Games Varekai 11/06/1983 Cheri Tabushi Haigh Character (Twin Brother) KÀ 11/06/1984 Audrey Brisson-Jutras Singer (Zoë) Quidam 11/07/1951 Luis Perez Percussion Mystère 11/07/1964 Mikhail Matorin Aerial Cube Alegría/Mystère 11/07/1967 Mireille Marchal Musician (Percussion) Alegría 11/07/1971 Robin Finck Musician (Guitar) Quidam 11/08/1960 Lei Qiang Musician (Ehru) «O» 11/08/1977 Dongguo Wang Multiple Acts Dralion 11/08/1980 Li Zhengang Multiple Acts Dralion 11/08/1984 Nomin Tseveendorj Contortion Alegría 11/09/1960 Carmen Piculeata Musician (Violin) Varekai 11/09/1963 Serguei Voskovykh Russian Bars / High Bar Alegría 11/09/1964 Albert Abdoulov Ropes / Banquine Quidam 11/10/1971 Nathan Henderson PowerTrack La Nouba 11/10/1979 Mikhail Terskikh Flying Trapeze La Nouba 11/11/1984 Wang Yan Multiple Acts Dralion 11/12/1957 Christian Paré Musician Alegría 11/12/1960 Huang He Balancing on Chairs Fascination 11/12/1971 Ursula Haczkiewicz Bungee / Chinese Poles Mystère 11/12/1988 Huang Yang (Unknown) Alegría 11/14/1970 Kvichia Tetvadze Georgian Dance Varekai 11/15/1972 Andrea Ziegler Dancer / Target Mystère/Quidam 11/15/1983 Polina Mourtazova Triple Trapeze Varekai 11/15/1986 Li Weikuan Multiple Acts Dralion 11/16/1969 Lucian Codilean High Bar Mystère 11/16/1971 Grygoriy Duchenko PowerTrack La Nouba 11/17/1968 Richard Oberacker Musician (Keyboards) KÀ 11/17/1983 Sandrine Deplanque Synchro Trapeze Alegría 11/18/1964 Mikhail Petrov High Bar Alegría 11/18/1968 Flavie Hahme Boleadoras Saltimbanco 11/18/1975 Claudine Bourdages Singer Alegría 11/18/1989 Xinxin Liu Water Meteors Varekai 11/19/1963 Serguei Samoded Russian Bars Alegría 11/19/1969 Darren Pelio Cycles La Nouba 11/19/1970 Liu Yungtao Balancing on Chairs Fascination 11/19/1972 Adir Ionov Bateau/Cadre/Swings «O» 11/19/1972 Dominique Poulin Webs / Ropes Quidam 11/20/1969 Serhiy But Plank/Poles/Trampo Mystère 11/20/1974 Octavio Alegría Juggler Varekai 11/20/1979 Wellington Lima Trampo/Character La Nouba 11/21/1969 René Bibaud Skipping Ropes Quidam 11/21/1969 Julien Cottereau Character (Eddie) Saltimbanco 11/22/1989 Liu Sisi Diabolos Quidam/La Nouba 11/23/1964 Miguel Zamarripa Musician (Drums) Mystère 11/24/1961 Yves Décoste Statue/Vis Versa Quidam 11/24/1965 Benoit Lajeunesse Musician (Violin) La Nouba 11/25/1959 Francois Guay Musician (Violin) Dralion 11/25/1969 Stephen Gregory Bland Swing/Barge/Dive «O» 11/25/1973 Allister Booth Swing/Barge/Dive «O» 11/26/1963 Wang Jingmin Double Wire Saltimbanco 11/26/1970 Bruce Bilodeau German Wheel La Nouba 11/26/1970 Stacey Bilodeau German Wheel La Nouba 11/26/1970 Nicolas Dupéré Bungee/Swing/Poles Saltimbanco 11/27/1961 Elise Guay Musician (Woodwinds) «O» 11/27/1964 Temur Koridze Georgian Dance Varekai 11/27/1966 Zdzislaw Pelka Poles/Plank/Trampo Mystère 11/28/1977 Aliaksei Buiniakou Russian Bars Alegría 11/28/1978 Tuuli P. Räsänen Synchro Trapeze Alegría 11/29/1976 Faon Shane Ropes/Webs Quidam 11/29/1978 Adrian Isac Bateau/Cadre «O» [December] 12/01/1971 Vladislav Dounaev PowerTrack La Nouba 12/01/1981 Elena Lev Hoops Alegría 12/02/1960 Nikolai Chelnokov Adagio Trio Saltimbanco 12/02/1963 Terence J. Bartlett Hoops/Cadre/Swing «O» 12/02/1964 Benoit Glazer Musician (Keyboards) La Nouba 12/02/1964 Martin St-Pierre Musician (Violin) Mystère/Quidam 12/02/1980 Olga Chalachova Poles/Plank/Trampo Mystère 12/03/1960 David Lebel Character (Le Con) La Nouba 12/03/1965 Paulo Lorador Handbalancing Mystère 12/03/1974 Benjamin Pring Character (Yao) Dralion 12/03/1983 Rachel Kmetko Bateau/Cadre «O» 12/04/1967 Stéphane Miermont Synchro Swimming «O» 12/04/1979 Zhou Yitao Multiple Acts Dralion 12/05/1966 Guennadi Novikov FastTrack/Plank/Trampo Mystère 12/06/1974 Patrick McGuire Manipulation Quidam 12/06/1976 Caroline Franc Cycles Fascination 12/06/1980 Mirelle Goyette Webs/Ropes Quidam 12/06/1981 Jianfeng Xu Chinese Poles Saltimbanco 12/07/1961 Richard Price Singer Quidam 12/07/1979 Mei Lin Teeterboard Dralion 12/08/1964 Vladimir Zibrov Bateau/Swings «O» 12/08/1966 John Gilkey Characters Quidam/Varekai 12/08/1982 Sha Zhu Double Trap/Teeterboard Dralion 12/09/1952 Gary Jacobson Gatekeeper KÀ 12/09/1973 Alexandr Dobrynin Flying Man Alegría 12/09/1974 Daniel Gutszmit Hand to Hand Saltimbanco 12/09/1974 Jacek Gutszmit Hand to Hand Saltimbanco 12/10/1973 Darren Bersuk Aerialist Delirium 12/11/1965 Mark Ward Character (John) Quidam 12/11/1978 Christine Cadeau Skipping Ropes Quidam 12/12/1954 Orlando Conceiçao Musician (Percussion) «O» 12/12/1955 Rénald Laurin Character (Fleur) Alegría 12/12/1975 Pete Mitchell PowerTrack La Nouba 12/13/1961 Patricia Cauwenberge Boleadoras Saltimbanco 12/13/1973 Milan Krejci High Bar/Poles Mystère 12/13/1980 Julie Choquette Contortion Fascination 12/14/1972 Isabelle Larose Bungee/Poles/Swing Saltimbanco 12/14/1981 Matthew Dial PowerTrack Alegría 12/15/1969 Alexander Clements Musician (Keyboards) «O» 12/15/1971 Valeriy Kharun Acrobat (The Fireman) LOVE 12/15/1981 Meng Shan Balancing on Chairs Fascination 12/16/1979 Laurent Michelier Poles/Swings Saltimbanco 12/16/1986 Ganna Ostapenko Multiple Acts Varekai/Salt 12/17/1952 François Dupuis Character (Bebe) Mystère 12/17/1954 François Myrand Musician (Director) Nouvelle 12/17/1979 Émilie Emiroglou Aerial Hoops Quidam 12/17/1982 Gyulnara Karaeva Water Bowl Zumanity 12/18/1972 John Maxson Barge/Swings/High Dive «O» 12/18/1972 Josée Campeau Musician (Cello) Quidam 12/19/1962 Élise Duguay Musician (Cello) Fascination 12/19/1983 Maria Markova Juggling Saltimbanco 12/19/1990 Meng Wu Diabolos La Nouba 12/20/1960 Sun Ying He Chinese Poles Mystère 12/20/1979 Evguenia Rochtchina PowerTrack Alegría 12/20/1980 Xiaoming Gao Lights/Teeterboard Dralion 12/21/1954 Gong Zengli Balancing on Chairs Fascination 12/21/1962 Adriana Pegueroles Boledoras Saltimbanco 12/22/1972 Caroline Blanc-Brude Synchro Trapeze Alegría 12/22/1979 Meng Xie Diabolos Quidam 12/23/1963 Philippe Chartrand Hoops/Bateau/Swings «O» 12/23/1968 Hélène Lemay Boledoras Saltimbanco 12/24/1960 Susan Daly Singer Saltimbanco 12/24/1961 Karl Baumann Character (Target) Quidam 12/24/1974 Chloe Maigre FastTrack Alegría 12/26/1973 Dergin Tokmak Solo on Crutches Varekai 12/26/1978 Caroline Glass Musician (Wind) Dralion 12/27/1967 Guillermo Cardoso Barge/Cadre «O» 12/27/1971 Marek Haczkiewicz Poles/Plank/Trampo Mystère 12/28/1967 Nathalie Noël Singer Alegría/Zu 12/28/1970 Cédric Casanova Character (Sleeper) Saltimbanco 12/28/1971 Qing Cai Lights/Teeterboard Dralion 12/29/1965 Guto Vasconcelos Character Dralion 12/29/1967 Oleg Fedossov Barge/Swings «O» 12/30/1959 Lionel Hassin Flying Trapeze Nouvelle 12/30/1967 Gregg Curtis FastTrack Alegría 12/30/1976 David Simard Musician (Drums) Alegría 12/30/1980 Richard Tovo Fire Alegría 12/31/1956 France La Bonté Character (Mme Corp) Nouvelle 12/31/1972 Dmitri Beliaikov Swings/Poles/Character Saltimbanco {Source: The CirqueTribune Database} ================================= DIDYAKNOW? – Facts About Cirque ================================= Didyaknow? - Cirque in Print {Oct.06.2006} ---------------------------------------------- Didyaknow, besides its own show programme books, there have been at least nine (9) books or publications released about Cirque du Soleil over the years; they are: o) “Cirque du Soleil” (1994) o) “La création d’un spectacle” (1996) o) “Wings” (1999) o) “O, Cirque du Soleil at the Bellagio” (2001) o) “Varekai, Cirque du Soleil” (2003) o) “Parade of Colors” (2003) o) “20 Years Under the Sun” (2004) o) “Dreams of the Solo Trapeze” (2004) o) “The Spark” (2006) Cirque du Soleil has also produced calendars - although not regularly – in 1996, 2003 and 2007. Didyaknow? - Cirque Awards IV: The Emmy & ACE {Oct.20.2006} ---------------------------------------------- Didyaknow that Cirque du Soleil has been nominated for various awards for its television performances in the United States? In this column we’re going to look at two such awards: the Primetime/Daytime Emmy Awards and the Cable Ace awards. # # # From 1978 until 1997, the CableACE award was an honor bestowed upon its nominees to recognize excellence in American Cable Television programming. The Ace was created to counter the Emmy, which while honoring excellence in television programming, did not recognize Cable TV efforts at the time. The award has since been discontinued as the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has recognized Cable Television programming equally with its on-air counterparts. Cirque was nominated and won one such award: 1989 – “Best Variety Special or Series” Cirque du Soleil: The Magic Circus The Emmy Awards, are an entertainment production honor awarded in the United States by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. These prestigeous honors have been awarded each year since 1949 and Cirque du Soleil over the years has been nominated for twelve (12) such Emmy Awards in the following categories: 1989 – “Outstanding Special Events” Cirque du Soleil: The Magic Circus 1992 - “Oustanding Variety, Music or Compedy Program” Cirque du Soleil II: A New Experience 1992 - “Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction for a Drama/Variety Series” Cirque du Soleil II: A New Experience Sylvain Brault, Lighting Director 1992 - “Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Miniseries or Special” Cirque du Soleil II: A New Experience Vidal Beique, Editor 1993 – “Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program” Cirque du Soleil - The Tonight Show w/Jay Leno 2000 - “Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special” Cirque du Soleil: Quidam 2001 - “Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special” Cirque du Soleil: Dralion 2001 – “Outstanding Costumes - Variety or Music Program” Cirque du Soleil: Dralion - Francois Barbeau 2001- “Outstanding Directing - Variety or Music Program” Cirque du Soleil: Dralion - David Mallet 2002 - “Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special” Cirque du Soleil: Alegría 2002 – “Outstanding Coreography” Cirque du Soleil at the 74th Academy Awards – Debra Brown 2003 – “Outstanding Nonfiction Program – Alternative” Cirque du Soleil: Fire Within And which of these have they won? 1989 – “Outstanding Special Events” Cirque du Soleil: The Magic Circus 1992 - “Oustanding Variety, Music or Compedy Program” Cirque du Soleil II: A New Experience 2001 - “Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special” Cirque du Soleil: Dralion 2001 – “Outstanding Costumes - Variety or Music Program” Cirque du Soleil: Dralion - Francois Barbeau 2001- “Outstanding Directing - Variety or Music Program” Cirque du Soleil: Dralion - David Mallet 2002 – “Outstanding Coreography” Cirque du Soleil at the 74th Academy Awards – Debra Brown 2003 – “Outstanding Nonfiction Program – Alternative” Cirque du Soleil: Fire Within Didyaknow? - Premiere Dates {Oct.27.2006} ----------------------------- Ever wonder when some of your favorite Cirque du Soleil shows made their grand premiere? Wonder no longer in this weeks’ “Didyaknow?” column! Year Production Premiere Date City 1984 Le Grand Tour Jun.16.1984 Gaspe 1985 Le Grand Tour May.14.1985 Montreal 1986 Le Magie Continue Apr.20.1986/May.18.1986 Sherebrook 1987 Le Cirque Réinventé May.07.1987 La Salle 1990 Nouvelle Expérience May.08.1990 Montreal 1992 Saltimbanco Apr.23.1992 Montreal 1992 Fascination May.22.1992 Tokyo 1993 Mystère Dec.25.1993 Las Vegas 1994 Alegría Apr.21.1994 Montreal 1996 Quidam Apr.23.1996 Montreal 1998 «O» Oct.19.1998 Las Vegas 1998 La Nouba Dec.23.1998/Jan.28.1999 Orlando 1999 Dralion Apr.22.1999 Montreal 2002 Varekai Apr.24.2002 Montreal 2003 Zumanity Jul.31.2003/Sep.20.2003 Las Vegas 2004 KÀ Nov.26.2004/Feb.03.2005 Las Vegas 2005 Corteo Apr.21.2005 Montreal 2006 LOVE Jun.02.2006/Jun.20.2006 Las Vegas 2007 Cirque 2007 Apr.26.2007 Montreal So, why do some shows have two premiere dates? In the case of Le Magie Continue, Cirque du Soleil originally performed at Expo 86 in Vancouver before beginning their Canadian tour. Thus, the official start of the 1986 tour isMay 18, 1986. In the case of La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ and LOVE, Cirque du Soleil staged preview performances of these two productions before their official Grand Opening/Gala Premiere. Therefore, public performances began on the first date, but an official premiere celebration did on occur until the second. Didyaknow? - Cirque Awards V: The Drama Desk {Nov.03.2006} --------------------------------------------- The Drama Desk award was founded in 1955 as the Vernon Rice awards to, as one writer on Wikipedia put it, “to recognize shows produced off- Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and in legitimate not-for-profit theaters, in addition to Broadway shows.” Therefore the Drama Desk is a celebration of all theater productions in New York and Cirque du Soleil, who has played New York numerous times, has been nominated as such in the following categories: 1991 – “Unique Theatrical Experience” Cirque du Soleil: Nouvelle Expérience 1998 – “Unique Theatrical Experience” Cirque du Soleil: Quidam 2003 – “Outstanding Costume Design” Eiko Ishioka - Cirque du Soleil: Varekai 2003 – “Unique Theatrical Expierence” Cirque du Soleil: Varekai 2003 – “Outstanding Sound Design” Francois Bergeron - Cirque du Soleil: Varekai 2003 – “Outstanding Set Design – Musical” Stephane Roy - Cirque du Soleil: Varekai Okay, so, how many of these awards has Cirque won over the years? 1991 – “Unique Theatrical Experience” Cirque du Soleil: Nouvelle Expérience 1998 – “Unique Theatrical Experience” Cirque du Soleil: Quidam DidyaKnow? – Saltimbanco Facts, Part I: The Kitchen {Dec.08.2006} ---------------------------------------------------- On December 11, 2006, the curtain fell once again on Saltimbanco, Cirque du Soleil’s 1992 production celebrating life. Created as an antidote to the violence and despair typical of the 20th century, this phantasmagorical show proposes a new vision of urbanity, overflowing with optimism and happiness. To mark this point in time, Fascination presents the following facts from the Cirque archives in three parts – Part 1: The Kitchen, Part 2: The Village on Wheels, and Part 3: The Final Call. Part I: The Kitchen Did you know the Saltimbanco Kitchen… o) ... serves up to 400 meals a day, 6 days per week? o) ... staff consists of 13 people: 1 kitchen manager, 3 cooks, 1 garde manger, 3 locally hired dining room assistants, 2 locally hired prep cooks and 3 locally hired dishwashers? o) ... makes it’s own cakes, muffins and pastries every day? o) ... serves an average of 146,000 croissants for breakfast every year? o) ... provides the cast and crew with 31,200 liters of different juices a year? o) ... prepares 7,300 kilos of meat, and 73,000 kilos of potatoes a year? o) ... has daily menus influenced by the French, Canadian, Italian, South-East Asian, Spanish vegetarian, Dutch, Australian, Russian, Chinese, Swiss and German cuisine as well as by local restaurants and markets? o) ... serves typical dishes in every city prepared by local chefs following the local culinary traditions? o) ... offers an all-day salad bar with a choice of fruits, cold cuts, cheeses and salads besides the regular meals? o) ... has a dining room that is made up of 6 trailers and allows 80 people to be seated comfortably at once? o) ... has 2 large terraces in the summer for cast and crew to eat outside? o) ... serves breakfast 08h30 to 12h00, lunch from 12h00 to 17h00 and dinner from 17h00 to 21h30? o) ... can provide seating for 80 people at the same time, and the dining room is composed of six trailers. o) ... prepares desserts and pastries just for the troupe every day? o) ... sets up two large patios in the summertime so that the show’s cast and crew can eat outside? o) ... at least once in each city it visits, the Saltimbanco tour kitchen serves local specialties to let Cirque personnel try out local culinary traditions? DidyaKnow? – Saltimbanco Facts, Part III: The Final Call {Dec.22.2006} --------------------------------------------------------------- On December 11, 2006, the curtain fell once again on Saltimbanco, Cirque du Soleil’s 1992 production celebrating life. Created as an antidote to the violence and despair typical of the 20th century, this phantasmagorical show proposes a new vision of urbanity, overflowing with optimism and happiness. To mark this point in time, Fascination presents the following facts from the Cirque archives in three parts – Part 1: The Kitchen, Part 2: The Village on Wheels, and Part 3: The Final Call. Part III: The Final Call Did you know that… o) ... Saltimbanco is an old Italian word for street artist? o) ... Saltimbanco is Cirque du Soleil’s longest running show? The show has been on the road since 1992! o) ... Saltimbanco was directed by the Italian Franco Dragone? o) ... Saltimbanco has been enjoyed by over 7 million people worldwide? o) ... The international cast of Saltimbanco totals 50 artists, aged from 9 to 51 years old, and from 15 different countries: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, China, Germany, Hungary, France, Mongolia, Netherlands, The Ukraine, United Kingdom, Poland, Romania, Russia, and USA? o) ... All together 125 people from 22 different nationalities are currently on the road with the European tour of Saltimbanco, including a team that takes care of their travel and lodging arrangements? o) ... Cirque du Soleil employs 125 local people as temporary staff in each city? o) ... The bell that opens the Saltimbanco show weighs 100 kilos? o) ... 60 liters of paint were used to cover the colourful stage of Saltimbanco? o) ... A great variety of fabrics and materials was used for the 600 Saltimbanco costumes among which, lycra, cotton, silk, polyester, velvet, leather and moleskin? o) ... Saltimbanco includes 110 head pieces and 150 pairs of shoes? o) ... On average the artists need one to two hours to do their own make-up? o) ... Saltimbanco has hosted many celebrities including, Boris Becker, Bryan Adams, The Supremes & The Temptations, Jean- Paul Gaultier, Roman Polanski, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and Depeche Mode? ==================================== HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History ==================================== [October] * Oct.01.1996 –- Alegría opened Fukuoka, Japan * Oct.01.2002 –- La Nouba goes 2-tiered seating * Oct.01.2003 -- Varekai Premium CD Released (CDS/Musique) * Oct.02.1987 -- Cirque Réinventé opened San Diego * Oct.02.1990 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Paris * Oct.02.2003 –- Alegría opened Portland * Oct.02.2003 –- Dralion opened Mexico City * Oct.04.2002 –- Dralion opened Sacramento * Oct.06.1994 –- Alegría opened Santa Monica * Oct.07.2003 –- Region 01 DVD release: Alegría and Varekai * Oct.07.2004 –- Saltimbanco opened Rome * Oct.08.1992 -- Saltimbanco opened Santa Monica * Oct.09.1992 -- The Saltimbanco CD was released in US (RCA/Victor) * Oct.09.2001 –- Region 01 DVD Release: Journey of Man (also VHS) * Oct.10.1990 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Santa Monica * Oct.10.2001 -- Alegría opened in Adelaide, Australia * Oct.10.2002 –- Alegría opened Mexico City * Oct.11.1994 -- The Alegría CD released in US (RCA/Victor) * Oct.11.2000 -- Dralion opened in McLean, Virginia * Oct.12.1995 -- Alegría opened Washington DC * Oct.12.2000 -- Saltimbanco 2000 opened Tokyo, Japan * Oct.13.2005 –- Alegría opened Tokyo, Japan * Oct.14.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened in Washington DC * Oct.14.1998 –- Saltimbanco opened Ottawa (Special Performances) * Oct.15.2004 -– Dralion opened Madrid, Spain * Oct.18.2005 -- KÀ CD released (CDS Musique) * Oct.19.1998 -- "O" premiered at Bellagio, Las Vegas * Oct.19.2004 -- "Tapis Rogue: Solarium" CD Released (CDS Musique) * Oct.19.2006 –- Dralion opened Frankfurt * Oct.20.2003 –- “Cirque for Life” film even in Portlan, Oregon * Oct.22.2003 –- Canadian premiere of Varekai on CBC * Oct.22.2003 –- Quidam opened Fukuoka, Japan * Oct.25.1988 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Montréal * Oct.25.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Washington DC * Oct.26.1999 -- Dralion CD released in Canada (RCA/Victor) * Oct.26.2000 –- Quidam opened Frankfurt * Oct.26.2001 -- New Musical Director "O" (John-Paul Gasparelli) * Oct.27.2005 –- Varekai opened Charlotte * Oct.27.2006 –- Alegría opened Madrid, Spain * Oct.28.1997 -- Cirque Collection CD Released in Canada (RCA/Victor) * Oct.29.1987 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Santa Monica * Oct.29.1998 –- Quidam opened Atlanta * Oct.29.2004 –- Alegría opened Tokyo, Japan * Oct.30.2001 –- Region 01 DVD Release: Le Magie Continue, Saltimbanco, Cirque Réinventé, and Baroque Odyssey. (Also released on VHS) * Oct.31.2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Madrid * Oct.xx.2001 –- CirqueClub premiered [November] * Nov.01.1996 –- Alegría opened Hong Kong * Nov.01.2004 -- "20 Years Under the Sun" Book Published * Nov.02.2004 –- Region 01 DVD Release: Fire Within and La Nouba * Nov.02.2006 –- Saltimbanco opened Rio de Janiero, Brazil * Nov.03.1999 –- Quidam opened Madrid, Spain * Nov.03.2005 –- Quidam opened Hong Kong * Nov.04.2001 –- Dralion wins 3 Emmys: Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Musical Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program * Nov.04.2004 –- Quidam opened Brisbane * Nov.04.2004 –- Varekai opened Dallas * Nov.05.2002 -- Varekai CD released in Canada (BMG/CDS Musique) * Nov.05.2002 –- NBC purchased BRAVO, the Official Network of Cirque in the United States. * Nov.06.2003 –- Alegría opened San Francisco * Nov.07.1996 -- Saltimbanco opened Frankfurt * Nov.07.1997 –- Alegría opened Dusseldorf * Nov.07.2002 –- Varekai opened San Francisco * Nov.07.2002 –- Varekai canceled in San Francisco due to Wind Gusts * Nov.06.2002 –- Quidam opened Tampa Bay * Nov.08.1987 -- Cirque Réinventé (Vol 1) CD Released (Nâga) * Nov.08.1994 -- Cirque Réinventé CD Released in US (RCA/Victor) * Nov.08.1994 -- Mystère CD released in US (RCA/Victor) * Nov.09.1999 -- Dralion CD released in US (RCA/Victor) * Nov.09.2006 –- Varekai opened Brisbane * Nov.10.1992 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened in Las Vegas * Nov.10.1995 -- Saltimbanco opened Vienne * Nov.11.2005 –- Corteo opened San Francisco * Nov.12.1996 -- Mystère Live CD released in US (RCA/Victor) * Nov.12.1998 –- Alegría opened Frankfurt * Nov.13.2002 –- Dralion opened Phoenix * Nov.13.2003 –- Cirque presented at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto to Honor Prime Minister Jean Chrétien * Nov.15.1993 -- "Cirque du Soleil" 10th Anniversary Book Published * Nov.16.1995 -- Alegría opened Atlanta * Nov.16.2001 -- Dralion opened Dallas * Nov.17.2005 –- Saltimbanco opened Guadalajara * Nov.18.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened Atlanta * Nov.18.2005 –- Dralion opened Bilbao * Nov.19.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Atlanta * Nov.19.1998 -- «O» CD Released in Canada (RCA/Victor) * Nov.19.2001 –- Region 01 DVD Release: Inside La Nouba * Nov.19.2002 -- Alegría premiered on Bravo at 8:00pm EST * Nov.20.1989 -- Cirque Réinventé opened San Diego * Nov.20.1997 –- Quidam opened Houston * Nov.21.1993 -- Nouvele Expérience closed in Las Vegas * Nov.21.2006 –- LOVE CD Released in US (Capitol Records) * Nov.22.2001 -- Quidam opened London * Nov.22.2005 –- Saltimbanco opened Mexico City * Nov.24.1998 -- «O» CD Released in US (RCA/Victor) * Nov.25.1999 -- Saltimbanco opened Singapore * Nov.25.2004 –- Saltimbanco opened Lille * Nov.26.2004 -- KÀ Premiered (Preview Performances Begin) * Nov.28.1989 –- Cirque Réinventé opened Phoenix * Nov.28.2002 –- “Run Before You Fly” documentary premiered on BRAVO * Nov.28.2003 –- Saltimbanco opened Valencia * Nov.29.1991 –- Nouvelle Expérience opened Atlanta * Nov.30.2000 –- Dralion opened Atlanta * Nov.30.2002 –- “Fire Within” premiered on ArTV in Canada * Nov.30.2003 –- “SOLSTROM” premiered on CBC * Nov.xx.1999 –- Region 01 DVD release: Alegría: Le Film * Nov.xx.2001 –- Quidam celebrated 2000th performance [Zurich] [December] * Dec.01.2005 –- Varekai opened St. Petersburg, Florida * Dec.02.1999 -- Dralion opened Irvine, California * Dec.03.2002 –- Cirque abandoned “Complexes Cirque” project * Dec.04.2001 –- NY-NY announced as next new Cirque show site. * Dec.04.2003 –- Varekai opened Ponoma * Dec.04.2004 –- Varekai celebrated 1000th performance [Saturday/Dallas] * Dec.05.2001 -- Alegría opened Perth, Australia * Dec.07.2006 –- Dralion opened Neuss, Germany * Dec.10.2006 –- Curtain fell on Saltimbanco – Rio de Janiero, Brazil. * Dec.15.2000 –- Quidam opened London * Dec.16.1999 -- Alegría: Le Film premiered in Singapore * Dec.16.2001 –- Dralion celebrated its 1000th performance [1:00pm/Dallas] * Dec.17.2002 -- Varekai Split-Track CD Released (BMG/CDS Musique) * Dec.19.2005 –- “O” wins “Best of Show” at “The Trippies – 1st Annual Readers Poll Awards” at Las Vegas travel guide site VegasTripping.com * Dec.20.2004 -- "Dreams of the Solo Trapeze" Book Published * Dec.20.2005 –- “A Taste of Cirque du Soleil” entertainment showcase for Celebrity Cruises announced * Dec.23.1998 -- La Nouba premiered at WDW (Preview Performances) * Dec.24.1993 -- Mystère premiered at Treasure Island * Dec.24.2003 –- Quidam opened Tokyo, Japan * Dec.26.2001 -- Dralion celebrated 1000th performance [Wed, 1:00pm/Dallas] * Dec.27.2000 –- Region 02 DVD Release: Quidam * Dec.28.1989 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Phoenix, Arizona * Dec.31.2004 –- Quidam opened Auckland ========================================== CIRQUETECH: The Technical Side of Cirque ========================================== CirqueTech: Performance Spaces-Alegría at Beau Rivage {Nov.10.2006} ------------------------------------------------------ From May 20, 1999 until October 2, 2000 Cirque du Soleil found a home at the Beau Rivage casino-resort on the Gulf Coast in Biloxi, Mississippi, “a place where genuine Southern hospitality and charm go hand in hand with meticulous service.” The Beau Rivage was Steve Wynn’s then-newest resort (now held by MGM/Mirage) and with its opening on March 16, 1999 came another collaborative effort between Wynn and Cirque du Soleil. Within this $685 Million (USD) resort hid a 1,552 seat theater reflecting the “warm welcome inspired by the climate of Southern France,” and it became the premiere showplace for Cirque du Soleil’s Alegría for over a year. For those who bore its splendor, the venue’s design was simple and elegant, featuring a brilliant mélange of color. The ceiling was a vibrant shade of blue, representing the skies of the village upon which Alegría played; the walls were adorned in tones of reds and oranges, intended as a glorious sunrise and sunset; the seats a sandy yellow, an allegory for the beaches of the Gulf Coast upon which the Beau Rivage was founded; and the carpets a dark blue, reminiscent of a shade Henri Matisse used in his paintings – an artist from which the designers drew their inspiration. Accompanying is a bright-yellow ceiling mural - a 15,000 square-foot frieze crafted by Sky Art of Colorado, who also designed the ceiling mural for Mystère in Las Vegas – for the sun. Besides the wonderfully adorned space, the 52,000 square-foot Beau Rivage Theater incorporated a no-proscenium arch design quite similar to its Mystère counterpart. And like the Treasure Island Theater, the Beau Rivage Theater also had no obstructive poles, providing a limitless viewpoint to all its spectators in its 270-degree seating arrangement. But I bet you didn’t know that the seats were a little cozier than those found with its Las Vegas counterparts; the span from one arm chare to the next, which is 42-inches at Mystère and «O», was only 39-inches at Alegría! The set and stage retained its familiar square-ish form, complete with the Fast Track built into the floor. Overhead an enormous dome that for designer Michel Crête signifies “a sign of imposing power,” which reflects the theme of the show - an allegory about power; who has it and who does not. Cirque explained the symbolic nature of the set on their website in 1996, which stated: “The set was built to express the idea of a changing world. The Cirque du Soleil Theatre has been transformed into the King’s court. An enormous dome overhangs the stage, which is surrounded by diamond-shaped paving stones, and protects the occupants of the palace as if they were in a fortified castle. Four huge masts support the dome, bringing to mind the heavy chains of a drawbridge. Two spiral staircases encircle the ring and enable the characters to sneak in and out… A raised platform serves as the minstrels’ balcony. There they set up their musical instruments and look haughtily down on the activities of the world below.” On the technical side, the lighting system included 900 ETC Sensor dimmers (10 racks of 90), two Strand 550i consoles, 425 ETC Source Four ellipsoidals, 80 Wybron Coloram II scrollers, and 10 Clay Paky Stage Zoom luminaries. Production Arts/PRG installed the Ethernet hub that ran the enormous rig. The sound system included a Midas XL3 console, 67 JBL 4892 and 4893 speakers, 45 JBL amplifiers (MP A600s and 1100s,) JBL DSC 260 & 280 processing equalizers, and 10 Klark Teknik DN3600 graphic equalizers. Live Design reported that the total cost of the theater was $19.4 million USD, with $4 million alone dedicated to technical equipment. Perhaps some of that money went to the theater’s ornamented display of the show’s name – right above the door. On October 2, 2000, Alegría packed up its troubles and prepared for a journey to a continent it had never before played - Australia. Today, the “Beau Rivage Theater” has survived the devastation that Hurricane Katrina brought to it in the summer of 2005 and has been completely renovated for more standard fare – small musical productions, headlines and comedy acts. While the theater no longer appears as it did when Alegría played there, the production did have one major milestone occur at the Beau Rivage – on Thursday, March 23, 2000 at 8:00pm, Alegría celebrated its 2000th performance. {Sources: Live Design, Cirque du Soleil, Beau Rivage} “Performance Spaces: Alegría at Beau Rivage” is an updated excerpt from a previously presented article series entitled “The Houses of Cirque,” published by the Fascination Newsletter in three parts on February, June and November 2003. CirqueTech: Illuminating KÀ, Part I {Nov.17.2006} -------------------------------------- Stage Directions magazine, known for getting down into the grit and grime of productions, dove into the technology that went into constructing Cirque du Soleil at MGM-Grand, or better known to us as KÀ, for its January 2005 issue. In continuing our look into the equipment and technical know-how that helps illuminate our favorite Cirque du Soleil productions, Fascination presents the following information about KÀ’s lighting equipment from that issue of Stage Directions in three parts — Part 1: Dimming and Control Systems, Conventional Fixtures, and Arc Sources & Followspots; Part 2: Moving Lights, Effects Equipment, Other Items, Scrollers & Dousers and Projection Equipment; and Part 3: The Design and Production Team. Illuminating KÀ, Part I o) DIMMING AND CONTROL SYSTEMS .) 24 - Strand SLD 96 way dimmer racks .) 2 - Strand 550i control consoles .) 2 - Strand 510 control consoles .) 3 - Strand 520 control consoles .) 2 - Wholehog II Moving Lights consoles .) Power Relay System by Douglas Relay .) DMX/ Ethernet Distribution Network by Strand .) Electrical Distribution Devices by Strand o) CONVENTIONAL FIXTURES .) 36 - ETC SOURCE FOUR 5° .) 74 - ETC SOURCE FOUR 10° .) 138 - ETC SOURCE FOUR 19° .) 120 - ETC SOURCE FOUR 26° .) 65 - ETC SOURCE FOUR 36° .) 61 - ETC SOURCE FOUR 50° .) 24 - ETC SOURCE FOUR ZOOM 15-30° .) 24 - ETC SOURCE FOUR ZOOM 25-50° .) 12 - SELECON INCANDESCENT BODY .) 12 - SELECON 90 DEGREE BARREL .) 417 - Altman PAR 64s .) 12 - Altman PAR 36 9-LITES .) 4 - James Thomas PAR 64 9-LITES .) 48 - ETC SOURCE FOUR PAR .) 104 - ETC SOURCE FOUR PARNEL .) 10 - James Thomas PAR 36 ASHTRAY .) 1 - James Thomas PAR 46 .) 12 - Strand CODA 500W .) 15 - Altman SKY CYC .) 48 - McMaster - 1549K13 HALOGEN QUARTZ LIGHT (Black) .) 12 - MR-16 MINISTRIPLIGHTS .) 7 - T-3 STRIPLIGHTS .) 9 - Altman 500 WATT FRESNEL .) 389 - Mole Richardson 650 WATT MOLEFAY .) 8 - Mole Richardson 5000WATT SKYPAN .) 830 - Mole RIchardson 650 WATT NOOKLIGHT .) 99 - Mole Richardson Custom 4-Lite Moleeno (w/500W PAR64 MFL lamps) o) ARC SOURCES & FOLLOWSPOTS .) 4 - Robert Juliat ARAMIS 4.5-8DEG 2500W HMI FOLLOWSPOT .) 4 - RObert Juliat IVANHOE 9-21DEG 2500W HMI FOLLOWSPOT W/Stand .) 2 - Mole Richardson 5K TUNGSTEN MOLEBEAM TYPE 8331 .) 2 - Pani BEAMPROJECTORS .) 8 - Robert Juliat D’ARTAGNAN HMI 2500W 9-26 .) 8 - Robert Juliat D’ARTAGNAN HMI 2500W 18-38 .) 8 - Robert Juliat D’ARTAGNAN HMI 2500W 30-50 .) 1 - LTM SUPER 12/18KW HMI FRESNEL (Used) WITH 100' CABLE .) 14 - Selecon PACIFIC MSR .) 10 - 5-13 ZOOMSPOT .) 2 - Mole Richardson MOLEPAR 4000W HMI, TYPE 6641 .) 2 - ARRI 6000W HMI DAYLIGHT THEATER FRESNEL .) 2 - Strand 4KW HMI DAYLIGHT FRESNEL .) 4 - Hubble SFMM MARINER 400W {Source - Stage Directions: January 2005} CirqueTech: Illuminating KÀ, Part II {Nov.24.2006} -------------------------------------- Stage Directions magazine, known for getting down into the grit and grime of productions, dove into the technology that went into constructing Cirque du Soleil at MGM-Grand, or better known to us as KÀ, for its January 2005 issue. In continuing our look into the equipment and technical know-how that helps illuminate our favorite Cirque du Soleil productions, Fascination presents the following information about KÀ’s lighting equipment from that issue of Stage Directions in three parts — Part 1: Dimming and Control Systems, Conventional Fixtures, and Arc Sources & Followspots; Part 2: Moving Lights, Effects Equipment, Other Items, Scrollers & Dousers and Projection Equipment; and Part 3: The Design and Production Team. Illuminating KÀ, Part II o) MOVING LIGHTS .) 12 Clay Paky STAGE PROFILE PLUS SV .) 20 Vari*lite VL-3000 WASH .) 12 Vari*lite VL-3000 SPOT o) EFFECTS EQUIPMENT .) 12 - Martin ATOMIC 3000 STROBE .) 4 - Martin ATOMIC 3000 STROBE .) 1 - LIGHTNIN GSTRIKE 70K FOCUSABLE .) 11 - ROSCO IMAGE PRO .) 4 - GAM FILM FX .) 18 - City Theatrical EFX 3+ (Incl. 2 Disks, type #5225 & Art Glass type #5255) .) 42 - GAM TWIN SPIN GOBO ROTATOR .) 11 - Rosco DOUBLE GOBO ROTATOR o) OTHERS .) 526 - ColorKinetics COLORBLAST 6 .) 116 - ColorKinetics POWERSUPPLY PDS 150 E, for colorkinetics .) 48 - Hubbel ZV/ZB ZIPLINE SERIES (Blue Light) .) 43 - ENCAPSULITE TWIN LAMP CONTROL BOX .) 82 - ENCAPSULITE 48 INCH TUBE (White) .) 6 - 50' 5-LIGHT INCANDESCENT STRINGLIGHT .) 2 - Mole Richardson SENIOR SIZE LITEWATE LOW STAND TYPE 418181 .) 2 - MGM 19” DECORATIVE FRESNEL .) 3 - Mole Richardson 14? DECORATIVE FRESNEL .) 5 - McAllister - 12? DECORATIVE FRESNEL .) 3 - McAllister - 10? DECORATIVE FRESNEL o) SCROLLERS & DOUSERS .) 10 - Wybron SCROLLER POWER SUPPLIES .) 112 - Wybron COLORAM II 7.5 .) 25 - Wybron COLORAM II 10 .) 7 - Wybron LARGE FORMAT .) 1 - Wybron THE SCROLLER FOR 6K HMI FRESNEL .) 14 - Wybron ECLIPSE I 2K MODEL for the 18PACMSR513HR units .) 10 - Wybron ECLIPSE I 5K MODEL FOR Molepar, Mariner(2), 6k, 4k Fresnel .) 2 - Wybron ECLIPSE II 5K MODEL FOR MOLEBEAM .) 1 - LTM GRADALUX ELECTRONIQUES for 18KW Fresnel o) PROJECTION EQUIPMENT .) 3 - Barco ELM R18 DLP Projectors .) 2 - Dell Precision 650 Workstations .) 3 - Wybron ECLIPSE I .2K MODEL Dousers .) 2 - Cisco 3550 Network Switches .) 2 - 4 way DVI Video Signal Amps {Source - Stage Directions: January 2005} CirqueTech: Illuminating KÀ, Part III {Dec.01.2006} -------------------------------------- Stage Directions magazine, known for getting down into the grit and grime of productions, dove into the technology that went into constructing Cirque du Soleil at MGM-Grand, or better known to us as KÀ, for its January 2005 issue. In continuing our look into the equipment and technical know-how that helps illuminate our favorite Cirque du Soleil productions, Fascination presents the following information about KÀ’s lighting equipment from that issue of Stage Directions in three parts — Part 1: Dimming and Control Systems, Conventional Fixtures, and Arc Sources & Followspots; Part 2: Moving Lights, Effects Equipment, Other Items, Scrollers & Dousers and Projection Equipment; and Part 3: The Design and Production Team. Illuminating KÀ, Part III o) LIGHTING DESIGN TEAM .) Lighting Designer - Luc Lafortune .) Projections Designer - Holger Forterer o) LIGHTING PRODUCTION TEAM .) Associate Lighting Designer - Nol van Genuchten .) Assistants to the Lighting Designer - Paul Copenhaver, Alexandre Tougas .) Moving Lights Programmer - Hubert Tardif .) Lighting Consultants - Auerbach, Pollock, Friedlander o) INFRASTRUCTURES TEAM .) Cirque du Soleil - Luc Plamondon, Gabriel Pinkstone, Don MacLean, Eric Listen, Rick Dobbie, Jeanette Farmer .) General Contractor - Marnell Carrao and Associates .) General Foreman - Randy Kuiper .) Electrical Engineering - JBA and Associates .) Project Lead - Dave Magdefrau .) Electrical Contractor - Bombard .) Electric, Foreman - Ron Hatter .) Lighting Equipment Supplier - 4th Phase, Las Vegas .) Project Manager - Maggie Bailey .) Lighting Cable Supplier - TMB Associates o) OPERATIONS TEAM .) Lighting Director - Jeanette Farmer .) Assistant Lighting Director - Nils Becker .) Lighting Operations Crew - Larry Carrasco, Selina Davenport, Chris Escher, Cliff Gutierrez, Danny Grose, Gabriel Hernandez, Martin Isaac, Bernie Lehman, Curt McCormick, Jon Mytyk, Majid Khazal, Liz Koch, Chris Kortum, Jeff Kyrish, Alan Pilukas, Stuart Pitz, Jon Pullen, Doc Roth, Tony Saurini, Mike Wescoatt, Susan Wilson. {Source - Stage Directions: January 2005} CirqueTech – Saltimbanco Facts, Part II: The Village on Wheels {Dec.15.2006} --------------------------------------------------------------- On December 11, 2006, the curtain fell once again on Saltimbanco, Cirque du Soleil’s 1992 production celebrating life. Created as an antidote to the violence and despair typical of the 20th century, this phantasmagorical show proposes a new vision of urbanity, overflowing with optimism and happiness. To mark this point in time, Fascination presents the following facts from the Cirque archives in three parts – Part 1: The Kitchen, Part 2: The Village on Wheels, and Part 3: The Final Call. Part II: The Village on Wheels Did you know that... o) ... Saltimbanco’s “village on wheels” consists of a box office, a kitchen, even a school and various offices housing departments such as: administration, production, artistic, technical, public services, communications and tour management? o) ... 7 days of intensive work are required for the set-up; dismantling takes 2 days? To accomplish both tasks 6,000 man hours are needed. o) ... Cirque du Soleil’s “village on wheels” holds 3 different tents: the Grand Chapiteau, the entrance tent and an artistic tent? Together they occupy a total surface of 3.263,50 m²? o) ... The entire area of this “village on wheels” covers 20,000 m²? o) ... the Grand Chapiteau is 17 meters high and the 4 four masts are 25 meters high? o) ... the Grand Chapiteau has a diameter of 50 meters and seats 2,500 spectators? o) ... 134 side poles and 450 pegs are necessary to anchor the Grand Chapiteau? o) ... the Grand Chapiteau is set up by 80 people over a 12 hour period? o) ... 4,500 m² of asphalt is used as a base for the Grand Chapiteau and the public spaces? o) ... the power for the “village” comes from 3 generators of 350KW each? The village is completely self-sufficient except for water and telephone lines. o) ... a total 28.5 kilometers of cable is used? 3.5 km of cable is used for lighting, 2.5 km for sound, 10 km for electricity, 1.5 km of telephone wire and 11 km of steel cable. o) ... to mount Saltimbanco through Europe 64 unites on 58 trailers carrying 850 tons of equipment are needed? o) ... the Show support consists of 24 people: 1 Artistic Coordinator, 1 Technical Show Director, 2 physiotherapists, 2 coaches and the show crew consisting of 2 people for lighting, 2 for sound, 5 backstage technicians, 2 riggers, 1 head carpenter, 1 prop person, 2 stage managers, 3 costume shop workers? o) ... the whole technical department employs electricians, plumbers, welders, site and tent maintenance personnel? CirqueTech – Performance Spaces: Mystère {Dec.29.2006} -------------------------------------------- Of course, it’s difficult to fully comprehend the cosmic chorus that is Mystère without fully appreciating the space within these sprites jump and play. Researching the creation and implementation of the theater and set designs for Cirque is no easy task, but in doing so one will find two prevalent names: Michel Crête and Scéno Plus. Michel Crête has been Cirque du Soleil’s scenographer, or one who “paints the scene” using the art of perspective representation, for many years now and is hailed as a talented, one-of-a-kind individual. Monsignor Crête came to Cirque in 1986, putting his knowledge of creation and design to use as Costume Designer. In his tenure, he created stunning and innovative (not to mention colorful) costuming for Le Cirque Réinventé (1987- 1990) and Nouvelle Expérience (1990-1993). But “within a few years,” says the Cirque du Soleil website, “he traded fabric for the media of wood, metals and plastics.” The change resulted in many stunning sets for both Cirque’s permanent and traveling shows. In 1992, Michel Crête left the world of fabric behind and designed the sets for the mega-production known as Fascination (a combination of Le Cirque Réinventé and Nouvelle Expérience) that appeared as a special limited engagement in Japan. He went on to design the sets for Saltimbanco (1992), Mystère (1993), Alegría (1994), Quidam (1996), “O” and La Nouba (1998). Through it all, Michel has worked closely with Scéno Plus, a Canadian company founded in 1985 with the quest to be innovative in their design and construction solutions, for the realization of his visions. The first vision of this partnership was the Treasure Island showroom, a beautiful 1541-seat theater within the $430 million expansion of the Mirage Casino-Hotel in Las Vegas. Rumored to cost approximately $20 million, the theater comes complete with comfortable seats, a wonderful view for all, and an interesting story of compromise with its design. You’ll find the theater in the back of Treasure Island through a couple of sets of white and red wooden doors, but you won’t mistake their purpose; for beyond the ornamented doors lies Mystère. The theater has several interesting points about it, many of which are too technical to discuss here. However, one of the first things people notice upon entering is its openness. The Treasure Island Theater lacks a divider, or curtain, between stage and audience that is usually found in most theaters. Thus the stage is completely open to the audience, allowing the action to be thrust upon them. This was the goal from the initial meetings between the Mirage staff and Cirque/Scéno. The idea was to make the environment feel as if you were in the intimate setting of a Big Top. Did they do a good job, or what? In fact, upon further study you’ll find that there’s also no Proscenium Arch, the technical name for that division. The lack of this arch is what gives Mystère its life, but it almost wasn’t to be. The Mirage staff feared that without this arch (i.e. a more “standard” design) they would have to shut the entire space down for costly modifications if the show had failed. Because of this, the theater almost didn’t get built. Thankfully, quick thinking came up with a series of catwalks built into the ceiling of the theater that allow for quick (and relatively cheap) modification to a normal theater. Without the arch, however, there also would be no “fire curtain,” a fire-retardant cloth made to help contain smoke, heat and flame in case of a fire. This absence meant that the theater would not adhere to the fire code, which the Fire Marshals could not understand. Cirque/Scéno had to haul in a scale model of the theater to the fire marshal’s office just to get approval! There were other problems to overcome as well. In the original plans, Cirque/Scéno envisioned a series of lifts that would raise and lower the performers at will. In order to incorporate the lifts, they would have to be buried in the ground. But Las Vegas sits on a crust of what is called “caliche,” soil particles that have been fused with lime. This fusion created a substance that is as hard as (if not harder than) cement, which made burrowing into it quite difficult and costly. Since they couldn’t dig down in the bedrock without elevating the costs of the theater prohibitively, the solution is actually one of the most ingenious and visible parts of the Mystère experience - the Deux Machina. The stage floor sits on specially designed spiral-shaped lifts called “Spiralifts”. The Spiralifts were designed by Gala, a division of Montreal’s Paco Corp., and employ a “coiled, flexible, flat steel spring that expands with the insertion of a thin, vertically-oriented spiral steel band.” This allows for big savings in space while providing a rock-solid system for lifting and lowering stages. The use of the Spiralifts also meant that they wouldn’t have to spend a lot of money digging through the tough, solid ground, which greatly pleased the Mirage developers. I find once I’m in the theater I can’t help but look at the set and ceiling. A simple thing the ceiling is, but here too Cirque/Scéno provided something beautiful and interesting. The ceiling is a cloth mural specially crafted by Sky Art out of Colorado. The print on the cloth is just as fanciful as the production below it - a fantasy map of the world with ships at sea! And hidden up in that sea of ships is the O-Daiko drum, the heartbeat of Mystère! The set is also an interesting piece of mechanics, consisting of a hunk of metal as a backdrop that can be rotated by a simple flip of a switch. The 10 musicians are housed on either side of the stage, with drums and percussion on the left and everyone else on the right. A sophisticated communications computer allows the musical director to speak with all the musicians and a monotone “click track” keeps everyone in sync. Underneath the stage is a round turntable that can revolve at 10rpm, and of course those slinky-lifts. Believe it or not, the Mystère set still retains some of the elements that were part of the theme first presented to Caesar’s Palace back in 1991 (Caesar’s turned them down, but Mirage called soon afterward). For example, Crête says that the set “suggests Ulysses, and the mythical obstacles he had to overcome on his own journey. The two towers represent Scylla and Charybdis, two of the perils Ulysses faced”. All the trappings of Rome (although Scylla and Charybdis are the names of sea monsters in Greek mythology.) Many challenges faced the design team for Cirque du Soleil’s first theater, but one by one everyone worked to resolve these issues no matter how heated the debates became. The addition to The Mirage, Treasure Island, opened on October 26, 1993. Though the public had to wait another two months to have a seat in the theater, patrons were lined up on Christmas Eve to bear witness to a unique event in Cirque du Soleil’s history. In 1994, Scéno Plus was awarded the Las Vegas Best Theater of the Year award for their ingenuity. Not bad for their first Cirque outing, wouldn’t you say? This excerpt is a special rewrite of an earlier article series entitled “The Houses of Cirque,” published in the Fascination! Newsletter in June 2003. ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= --------------------------------------------------- “Beatles LOVE: Where the 3 Extra Minutes Are” By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA) --------------------------------------------------- Ever since the release of the Beatles/Cirque du Soleil LOVE CD I’ve immersed myself in Beatlesmania, as my girlfriend can attest. I’m reading everything I can get my hands on, learning about the infamous edits and anomalies that exist in their music and allowing the CD unprecedented continuous play in both my car and house. Unfortunately the DVD has not received the same treatment — I don’t have 5.1 in my car I’m sad to say. Thus I began to wonder where the 3 extra minutes were. If you’re unsure of what I speak, recall that Capitol released two editions of LOVE on November 21st — a 78-minute CD and an 81-minute DVD. Therefore, with a little time on my hands I decided to do a quick time-comparison between the two. Where are those little extra minutes hiding? You’ll find them in tracks 20 and 21 - “Revolution” and “Back in the U.S.S.R.” respectively. Those with a keen eye will discover that both “extended” track times equal their original “White Album” (in the case of “Back in the U.S.S.R.”) and/or “single” (in the case of “Revolution”) durations and, therefore, feature a more complete mix of the song in question. Such as? Using “Revolution” as an example, the DVD version features all three verses of the classic song, whereas the CD mix omits the third and final verse (”you say you’ll change the Constitution…”) You’ll find similarities with “Back in the U.S.S.R.” as well. So, there you have it. Goo Goo G’Joob! Below are the results of my time-comparison between the DVD and CD versions of LOVE. Please ignore the difference in seconds in some of the tracks, as these are errors in track start/stop times from the DVD and are minor. Trk CD DVD Start DVD Fin DVD # Time Time Time Time ============================================== 1 2:44 00:00:00 - 02:43:00 2:43 2 2:05 02:43:00 - 04:48:00 2:05 3 1:20 04:48:00 - 06:09:00 1:21 4 3:05 06:09:00 - 09:15:00 3:06 5 4:28 09:15:00 - 13:43:00 4:28 6 1:22 13:43:00 - 15:05:00 1:22 7 1:54 15:05:00 - 17:00:00 1:55 8 0:55 17:00:00 - 17:54:00 0:54 9 3:29 17:54:00 - 21:24:00 3:30 10 3:22 21:24:00 - 24:46:00 3:22 11 2:18 24:46:00 - 27:04:00 2:18 12 2:31 27:04:00 - 29:36:00 2:32 13 4:31 29:36:00 - 34:07:00 4:31 14 3:07 34:07:00 - 37:15:00 3:08 15 4:10 37:15:00 - 41:25:00 4:10 16 3:18 41:25:00 - 44:43:00 3:18 17 2:56 44:43:00 - 47:40:00 2:57 18 4:18 47:40:00 - 51:57:00 4:17 19 4:45 51:57:00 - 56:42:00 4:45 20 2:14 56:42:00 - 60:06:00 3:24 21 1:53 60:06:00 - 62:41:00 2:35 22 3:46 62:41:00 - 66:27:00 3:46 23 5:08 66:27:00 - 71:34:00 5:07 24 3:58 71:34:00 - 75:33:00 3:59 25 1:22 75:33:00 - 76:55:00 1:22 26 3:38 76:55:00 - 80:34:00 3:39 --------------------------------------------------- “Cirque Trivia (from CirqueCon)” By: Keith Johnson – Seattle, Washington (USA) --------------------------------------------------- As part of our Thursday Meet & Greet at CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas! (www.cirquecon.com) there was a trivia contest. The winner got a VIP package at a premiere of their choosing. The contest is over and the prize has been awarded (and the winner contacted). But here are the questions; care to take a shot? (There is no prize for getting the most answers correct.) 1. What is the most commonly injured body part for Cirque du Soleil artists? 2. What country does not allow CIrque du Soleil to fly their national flag? What does Cirque fly in its place? 3. What 8 cities in the world has Cirque du Soleil visited and sold over 200,000 tickets in a single run? 4. What is the house number shown next to the front door on the clown house in “O”? 5. How many artists are there in “O” AND how many of them are required to be NAUI/PADI certified? For copying and answering, here are some question keywords... 1. Most injured body part? 2. Can’t fly national flag? What instead? 3. 8 cities selling over 200,00 tickets? 4. Clown house number in “O”? 5. Total artists in “O”? How many NAUI/PADI certified? *** STOP *** Here are the answers to our Cirque Trivia Quiz given at CirqueCon (taken from a CirqueCon email): CIRQUE TRIVIA - We know we know, you want the answers to the Trivia Quiz, right? We’ve got ‘em! The winner (noted below) has been contacted, but here are the questions and answers, as kindly supplied by Mr. Michael Bolingbroke, Vice-President of Shows, Cirque du Soleil: “Thank you all for your answers to the quiz, all were incredibly well- informed - you put me to shame! For your information the correct answers were as follows: Q1: The most frequently injured part of the body is the ankle. About half of you got this right, other popular answers were knees, backs and fingers! One point for the correct answer. Q2: The country that has not and does not allow us to fly their flag is Singapore (one point), and in its place we fly the Cirque flag (one point). A further point was awarded if you knew that we actually didn’t fly the Quebec or Canadian flags in Singapore either – replacing them with Cirque flags, so that we actually fly four Cirque flags. My favourite incorrect answers were The Vatican for the country and a ’skull and crossbones’ for the replacement flag! One of you suggested that the flag was replaced by a wind propeller - I like that idea! Q3: Our touring shows that have sold more than 200,000 tickets in a single run are: Paris, Mexico City, Sydney, Tokyo, Nagoya, Los Angeles, New York and Amsterdam. We of course allowed Santa Monica for Los Angeles. We also allowed Sao Paulo, which has sold over 200,000 tickets although the performances had not all happened as of last week. One point per correct city. The most popular incorrect answers were Montreal (the most sold in Montreal was Corteo last year with 199,680 tickets!) and London (where we never sell more than around 150,000 per run because we are time restricted by the Royal Albert Hall - that’s also the reason why we return annually). Q4: The door number on the clown house in “O” is 39 - every single person got this right! One point for the number. Q5: The mistake you all made was asking the artists how many of them there were in their show!! Because depending on who you asked, you got a different answer! Our website and programme are also a bit out of date! The correct answer is 82 and we allowed any answer from 80 to 85 inclusive (one point). The number needed to be qualified as a scuba diver (PADI or NAUI) is 68 - all artists except our 10 musicians and 4 contortionists. One point for 68 - we allowed anything from 65 to 70 inclusive - and an extra bonus point for knowing about the musicians and contortionists. So the total number of available points was 16 and three of you scored 9! Jerry Nadal drew the winner from the three (under my watchful eye) and she is Jill Colsch who’s Group of four will be our guests at a premiere of her choice over the next year. (KJ note: She was with Noelle Pflum, David Chandler and Jeff and Hanelle Meier.) Congratulations to Jill and thank you to everyone else who took part. It was a pleasure to meet you all - I look forward to CirqueCon 2007. Mike” ... And thank YOU, Mr. Bolingbroke, for creating that special quiz and prize package. --------------------------------------------------- “CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas! Updates” By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) --------------------------------------------------- Update: Post Con #1 ----------------------- Greetings Cirque Passionates! A tired but happy Keith J calling. LouAnna and I got back into Seattle Tuesday night. Ricky arrived in Orlando early Monday morning. And Rich is traveling from Vegas to Seattle by car and should be home this weekend. We are all tired but very happy with CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas! And from talking with fellow Passionates you are, too. WE MADE THE PAPER! - There was an article about us in Tuesday's Las Vegas Review-Journal. There even had pictures, you might see yourself. Check it out at... http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Sep-26-Tue- 2006/living/9820406.html (But hurry, it will only be up for a week!) SEND US YOUR THOUGHTS - Please take a few minutes to tell us how the weekend was for you. Both the good and the not-so-good. Every email will be forwarded to Cirque du Soleil. Feedback is as important to them as it is to us. What was the best part? What could be improved? What could you have done without? WE WANT TO KNOW! WE NEED YOUR PICTURES AND VIDEOS - We are working on collating our pictures and videos, which we hope to take the form of a DVD to be sent this fall. We'd like to include as many pictures from as many different people as possible. We especially need to know, whenever possible, who is in the picture. If you would like to share your pictures with others, please contact us and we'll work out a way for you to provide us access to them. This isn't the last you'll hear from us. As we gather comments and formulate future plans, we'll keep you in the loop. On behalf of all of us - Rich, Ricky, LouAnna and myself on the Committee, and Lisa, Carrie, Meredith and all the folks who worked so hard at Cirque du Soleil to bring you such unprecedented access - I'd like to thank you for being interested in CirqueCon. We don't know what the future holds, but we're glad you all were a part of it. We hope you agree, as was said to us several times, that it was a weekend that will never be forgotten. More to come! :) Update: Post Con #2 ----------------------- Greetings, Cirque Passionates! Keith here with the second of our follow-up messages. ANOTHER MEDIA MENTION - Last week we told you about the article the Las Vegas Review Journal published about CirqueCon (which has moved off the "Recent Editions" search page, use "Search The Archive" for "CirqueCon" to find it. We've gotten another article, this time from Cirque themselves in CirqueClub! (You're all member's, aren't you? It's free.) The article is on the Main News page under "Latest News" entitled, "CirqueCon 2006 ... Bonjour Las Vegas!" and is a great brief overview of our entire weekend. Check it out at www.cirqueclub.com. EMAILS COMING IN - Your Emails have been flooding in to us and to CDS. We still appreciate your thoughts and comments, complimentary and constructive, about the weekend. Every email you send to us with a comment or suggestion will be forwarded to our contacts at Cirque. One we wanted to share wasn't from a member talking to Cirque but, rather, the other way around. In responding to one of our members emails, one of the hardest-working Cirque organizers noted: "I just hope that you and the rest of the CirqueCon members had a worthwhile experience and one that you hopefully won't forget. I'm a little sad that it is over. While it was an extra work load, it was worth it! ...it definitely reminded us what a fabulous company we work for." As we all know, it is a fabulous company indeed! :) BUTTONS - Folks who didn't get all the special CirqueCon-created buttons are asking about extras. We gave our spare show buttons to representatives of the five shows on Monday, to be given to their ushers, staff, crew, and artists. It was the least we could do for such wonderful consideration. However, if you are missing a button or two, Rich has offered to make replacements for the cost of the button plus shipping. Let us know what your needs are and we will quote the cost. GROUP PHOTOS - We have a few copies of the Love, O, and Mystere group photos left. If you are truly missing one of them, we will be happy to send them for the cost of shipping and proof of ticket purchase. MEET AND GREET AUCTION/RAFFLE RESULTS - Everyone who attended the Meet & Greet on Thursday knows how much work Cirque put in to make it memorable. From being able to speak with high-level Cirque executives to the food and drink it was a home run. That applied especially to the fantastic array of 34 packages of items for the silent auction benefiting the Street Teens Building Fund. All but three of the packages were snapped up, for an average bid amount of $160.00. The Poster Collection and "O" Package tied for the most bids at 16, but the prize for highest winning bid goes to the Mystere package - $300.00! The breakdown of donations was: o) $4,975.00 from the auction o) $1,570.00 from the raffle o) $100.00 in outright donation o) $6,645.00 total!! Remember, Street Teens is a 501C3 non-profit organization, with a tax ID number of 88-0480633. So your donations are tax-deductible! We received the following note from Lisa Preston, Executive Director of Street Teens (the beneficiary of the Meet & Greet proceeds): "Dear Friends: On behalf of Street Teens and the homeless children we serve, I want to thank you so much for your extreme generosity. Your contribution in the amount of $6645.00 is truly overwhelming. Words can't truly express our appreciation for your kindness and compassion for our kids. Your contribution will be an immense help in assisting Street Teens reach our goal of purchasing our facility. With support like yours, these kids will have the opportunity to put their lives together and have a better chance for a successful future. Again, thank you so much for supporting our mission. It was a pleasure to meet you all and I look forward to seeing you again soon." MORE TO COME - We're still processing our experience in Vegas, and thinking about future directions, which might take a few months. We're also looking into some way of preserving and distributing our collective memories of the weekend. (We can still use your pictures and video in that effort, if you haven't notified us already.) Many of you have written that the most powerful part of the CirqueCon weekend was meeting new friends from all over the country who understood your passion and shared it. Our lasting legacy, in addition to the warm memories, will be the new friendships made and contacts established by Passionates with other Passionates. Not bad, if you ask me. We'll be talking again soon. Keep the memories warm! Update: Post Con #3 ----------------------- Hello Cirque Passionates! Keith here with Cirque-ey Holiday greetings. We know things can get very busy this season, but we wanted to thank you again for believing in the CirqueCon concept and vacationing in Vegas. We're still working on organizing ourselves and plans for our next event. We're also working on a post-convention surprise we can't announce just yet, but which we could use your help with. How? Remember, we are very interested in any pictures or videos you'd like to share! We've gotten several submissions so far but we can always use more (you may have a photo of something we haven't seen). We have many ways you can send them to us, and it doesn't matter if you have a little or a lot - we'd like it all! If you have anything you'd like to share with other Passionates, please contact us at info@cirquecon.com as soon as possible. The four of us (myself, Lucy, Ricky and Rich) would like to wish you the Happiest of Holidays, and we WILL be talking in the New Year. {fin} ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Quarterly Compendium Volume 6, Number 4 (Issue #50) – Q4 2006 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2007 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. { Jan.23.2007 } =======================================================================