====================================================================== ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) T h e U n o f f i c i a l C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r ------------------------------------------------------------ E X P A N D E D I S S U E ------------------------------------------------------------ ======================================================================= VOLUME 9, NUMBER 8 NOVEMBER 2009 ISSUE #70e ======================================================================= Bonjour et bienvenue! Greetings and welcome to the 70th edition of Fascination!, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. Since September 2001, Fascination! has published news, articles, features and histories about our favorite circus, Cirque du Soleil, and this month we have two wonderful product reviews as well as the latest news collected from Fascination! Web and around the globe. For our Featured articles this month - we have two submissions from our own Keith Johnson. The first, a review of Cirque du Soleil Musique's latest album offering: ZED. He'll take you through the ins and outs of the music inside (note for note) as well as the CD's packaging. If you've not heard ZED yet we highly encourage it! Secondly, Keith also brings us his view on the recent "tell-all" book on Cirque guide and founder Guy Laliberté - 'The Fabulous Story of the Creator of Cirque du Soleil' By Ian Halperin'. Although we are not endorsing the contents of the book, it caused quite a stir in both the fan community and behind the curtain at Cirque du Soleil so we couldn't pass up the chance to see what all the comotion was about. Check out Keith's views on the book within. What you won't find inside this month is my before-mentioned start of the series on CirqueCon 2009: Monterrey's fantastic adventure in just last month. I apologize! We'll have that for you soon. As always we have a number of goodies to explore as a clip of interesting and intriguing articles, pictures and videos were shared with the fanbase through Cirque du Soleil's various social widgets. In turn we have collected those to share with you, which you'll find in our OUTREACH section. Well, that about wraps up this intro. Now, onto the issue! Join us on the web at: < www.cirquefascination.com > Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > - Ricky "Richasi" Russo =========== CONTENTS =========== o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * Touring Shows -- Productions under the Big Top * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre * Venue Shows -- Arena & Seasonal Productions o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets * Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub * Networking -- Cirque on Twitter, Facebook & MySpace * Telemajik -- Cirque on YouTube & Television * Gatherings -- CirqueCon, Celebri & More! o) Compartments -- A Peek Behind the Curtain * Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque * Historia -- Cirque du Soleil's History o) Fascination! Features *) "Evoking the Cards - a ZED album review" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) {Issue Exclusive} *) "BOOK REVIEW: Laliberté's 'Fabulous' Story" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) {Issue Exclusive} *) "Guy Laliberte - A Ride of a Lifetime" [EXPANDED] A Special Collection of Articles About Guy's Social Mission on the International Space Station *) "A Chat with Deborah Colker" [EXPANDED] A Special Reprint from Playbill Arts o) Subscription Information o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= Cirque unviels new show name: VIVA ELVIS! {THIS JUST IN} ----------------------------------------------- Elvis and Cirque fans won't have to wait long to see the long anticipated new show at the Aria Resort & Casino located at the brand new Citycenter complex in Las Vegas. The show will open the doors to its 2,000 seat theater in December 2009. It marks the seventh resident Cirque Du Soleil show in Las Vegas. # # # The production pays tribute to Elvis' music and life, fusing dance and acrobatics, live music and iconic tracks, nostalgia and modernity, high technology and raw emotion. In short, the show will be in Elvis' image: powerful, sexy, whimsical and truly unique. # # # For more information and to view some behind the scenes videos of the production, see the shows website: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/elvis > {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil} First Clown in Space [EXPANDED] {Oct.01.2009} ----------------------------------------------- Montreal, Canada, October 01, 2009 -(PR.com)- On September 30, in celebration of his 50th birthday, Guy Laliberté, the billionaire founder of Cirque du Soleil, blasted off into space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. In doing so, he officially became Canada's first space tourist at an estimated personal cost of $35 million. Laliberté's 12-day visit to the International Space Station is his personal "Poetic Social Mission in Space," whose purpose is to educate people on global water issues. On October 9, while orbiting the Earth, Laliberté will host a special 2-hour "artistic happening," entitled Moving Stars and Earth for Water, which will be broadcast from 14 cities around the world. This global spectacle is intended to raise world awareness for water conservation. The theme of the show will unfold as Laliberté reads from a specially commissioned story by renowned Canadian novelist and Man-Booker Prize-winner Yann Martel. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, singers Peter Gabriel and Shakira, actress Salma Hayek, Canadian astronaut Julie Payette, and musical group U2 have already announced their participation in this unprecedented global event. On June 2, 2009, Montreal-based Transit Publishing released the first critical, independent biography of Laliberté entitled Guy Laliberté: The Fabulous Story of the Creator of Cirque du Soleil. Author Ian Halperin, will be available between Sept. 30 and Oct. 12 to answer questions about Laliberté the artist, entrepreneur, and now space traveller. Ian is also the author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson published in July 2009. Guy Laliberté is a Canadian like no other. He left home at age 14 to travel the world as a street performer. Since founding Cirque du Soleil 25 years ago, he has entertained millions of spectators worldwide. His creative genius and maverick business acumen have made him one of the richest people on the planet. On Sept. 23, the 2nd edition of Guy Laliberté: The Fabulous Story of the Creator of Cirque du Soleil was released in Canada and, on the same day, became available in the U.S. for the first time. About the book: Guy Laliberté: The Fabulous Story of the Creator of Cirque du Soleil is available in both English and French editions. Over 50,000 copies have been sold in Canada. The author of this independent biography, former Montrealer Ian Halperin, has also written the flagship book of the summer, Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson, which topped the prestigious New York Times bestseller list and has reached the highest ranks of major book sales lists in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and France. Ian Halperin is a journalist, filmmaker and author of ten books. A specialist in undercover investigations, he contributes to FoxNews.com, E Channel and Court TV. {SOURCE: PR.COM} Expo 2010 - The Canadian Pavilion [EXPANDED] {Oct.01.2009} ----------------------------------------------- The Canadian Pavilion at world expos has always been a “must- see” among national pavilions, and the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 2010 should be no exception. In early 2009, the Canadian government formally accepted its 6,000 square meter pavilion lot in the Americas section of Zone C of the Expo site, one of the largest sites at the pavilion. The Canada Pavilion hopes to welcome more than 5.5 million visitors over its 6-month exhibition period and will be a showcase to the world for Canadian culture, advanced technology and urban development. The creative concept of the design was created by Cirque du Soleil, a major Montréal-based entertainment company, and a household name synonymous with the modern theatrical circus production. Cirque du Soleil is also responsible for organizing the pavilion’s public presentation, producing the cultural program, and developing strategic corporate alliances under the theme, “The Living City: Inclusive, Sustainable, Creative.” The pavilion was designed around an open-air public space as its centerpiece. The design of the pavilion incorporates a performance area, where visitors can watch performances of Cirque du Soleil before visiting the main pavilion area. The overall budget for the pavilion will be CAD$45 million. The pavilion organizers have also designed concepts of environmental protection into the pavilion. Parts of the pavilion’s exterior walls will be covered by greenery and rainwater will be collected by a drainage system for use inside the pavilion. The theme “The Living City: Inclusive, Sustainable, Creative,” developed following consultations and interviews across Canada, is a mirror to Shanghai’s Expo 2010 theme, “Better City, Better Life” and reflects Canada’s history and democratic values. The United Nations has recognized several of Canada’s cities for their fine quality of life. At Expo 2010, the Canadian Pavilion will aim to present Canada as a modern, democratic, bilingual, multicultural country. The Montréal city in Québec Province plans to showcase its Saint-Michel Environmental Complex in the Urban Best Practices Area of the Expo site. The Shanghai Expo invited cities around the world that demonstrate livability, sustainable urbanization, protection and utilization of historical heritages and technological innovation in built environment to display their best practices. SNC-Lavalin Inc, one of Canada’s best-known engineering and construction companies, is responsible for the construction of the Canadian Pavilion. The pavilion was among the first pavilions to undergo construction at the Expo 2010 site. The Department of Canadian Heritage is coordinating Canada’s participation in Expo 2010 in partnership with the public and private sectors. China is currently Canada’s fourth-largest export destination (behind the United States, United Kingdom and Japan) and second- largest source of imports worldwide (behind the United States). Total two-way merchandise trade between Canada and China reached CAD$47.6 billion in 2007. Imports from China into Canada grew by an average of 22 percent annually, compared to 11 percent for exports. As a result, a considerable trade deficit has developed between Canada and China. As Canada’s second largest import trading partner, electrical, electronic and telecommunications equipment, machinery, games, toys and sports equipment were the main goods imported from China. Chinese companies sold CAD$42.6 billion worth of merchandise to Canada last year, up 11.3 percent from 2007. Wood pulp, nickel and organic chemicals are among the top Canadian merchandise exports to China, accounting for 28 percent of total exports in 2007, up from 13 percent in 2003 and 6.7 percent in 1999. China accounts for 5.5 percent of Canada’s total foreign direct investment stock in the Asia-Pacific region and 0.3 percent of its investment worldwide. Similarly, the stock of Chinese FDI in Canada is modest, but rising, reflecting growing Chinese interest in Canadian resource assets. In 2007, the stock of FDI from China reached CAD$616 million, accounting for 1.9 percent of Canada’s total FDI from the Asia-Pacific region that year. With an ever-increasing demand for energy, PetroChina, one of China’s largest state-owned oil companies, recently made a US$1.7 billion investment in privately held oil sands in northern Alberta. This investment gives China a 60 percent stake in two undeveloped oil sand projects in northern Alberta. Expo 2010 in Shanghai will showcase how strategic urban development can help countries offer their citizens a “Better City, Better Life.” The exposition will showcase its vision of urban planning that takes into account the impact on natural resources and the environment. It will also demonstrate how renewing or rebuilding the infrastructure of the past can breathe new life into cities. For Canada, this will be an opportunity to highlight the country’s expertise in the field of strategic urban planning and in many others. The Government of Canada, along with its provincial, territorial, municipal, and private-sector partners, is always looking for new ways to promote our arts and culture, and share the Canadian model of openness, equality and respect for diversity. {SOURCE: China Briefing} Guy Laliberté, Welcome Aboard! [EXPANDED] {Oct.02.2009} ----------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté boarded the International Space Station on Friday morning and promptly donned his signature red clown nose. Laliberté made the two-day journey in a Russian Soyuz craft along with Russian cosmonaut Maxim Surayev and U.S. astronaut Jeffrey Williams before docking with the space station 350 kilometres above the Earth. The hatches opened a few hours later and the three entered the space station, to be welcomed by Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk, who is on a six-month visit, and five other astronauts. Laliberté put on the red clown nose as he boarded the station and brought several other noses for the rest of the crew to wear. He and his fellow space travellers smiled and waved to relatives and officials watching on a screen at Russian mission control as they entered the space station. Laliberté's children and partner, former model Claudia Barilla, broke into applause. "I'm adapting pretty well. I love it," Laliberté told his family in French. Laliberté chatted with his family in French for a while. "Allo, Papou," his son said. "Je t'aime, Papou," said his daughter. "Je t'aime, moi aussi," Laliberté replied. He jokingly apologized to the astronauts on the space station for hogging video conference time to talk to his children. "Sorry, there is five of them," he said. "We were happy he didn't get space sick," Barilla told The Associated Press after the video linkup, cuddling their two- year-old daughter. 9th Canadian in space The 50-year-old circus billionaire reportedly paid $35 million for the trip, which has made him the seventh space tourist and the ninth Canadian in space. He is expected to be the last private paying tourist to visit the station for some time, as NASA mothballs its fleet of space shuttles, and the U.S. space agency relies on Soyuz craft to get back and forth to the space station. The self-dubbed first clown in space, Laliberté has said he will use his 12-day stay aboard the space station to raise awareness of drinking-water problems around the world. While in space, the Quebec businessmen will host the first multimedia event from the station. The two-hour show, called Moving Stars and Earth for Water, will feature former U.S. vice- president Al Gore, and musicians including rock band U2. It is to be carried live on the website onedrop.org. The Canadian entrepreneur founded the One Drop foundation in 2007 to fight poverty by providing access to safe water. Laliberté reportedly started clowning around even before docking with the space station, entertaining Williams and Surayev with a zero gravity soap bubble show while still aboard the Soyuz capsule. Laliberté is scheduled to return to Earth on Oct. 11. Williams, a three-time space traveller who recently became a grandfather, and Surayev, who is on his first space flight, plan to stay in orbit for 169 days. "We are really proud of him," said Surayev's wife, Anna, who watched the docking with their two daughters. "Glad his dream came true, because it took him 12 years to achieve it." Williams and Surayev are scheduled to help continue construction of the space station, where in-orbit work began in 1998. {SOURCE: CBC World News} Cirque Technical Director Joins FIRST [EXPANDED] {Oct.07.2009} ----------------------------------------------- FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a not-for-profit organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people`s interest and participation in science and technology, announced that the internationally- recognized technical director for Cirque du Soleil, Calum Pearson, and Hollywood film and TV producer, Paul Lazarus, have joined the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Game Design Committee to ensure that the game challenges are appealing to all ages and audiences, while at the same time pushing the limits of the students` ability to innovate new robotic designs and applications. The FRC Game Design Committee is responsible for creating the design, the rules, and the annual game challenge and theme, which requires piloting robots in both autonomous and tele- operated modes, while 2 three-team robot alliances collect and score points for a variety of engineering tasks - from lifting and rolling objects to collecting and moving items - on various surfaces. In 2009, team robots where required to play on a slippery surface with trailers attached to gather `moon rocks` in a game called LUNACY. "FIRST is pleased and excited that our newest additions to the FRC Game Design Committee will assist us in making sure that the game is not only challenging and full of surprises for all the robotics teams; but also one that is exciting for spectators to watch while they cheer on their favorite school teams," said Bill Miller, Director of the FIRST Robotics Competition program. "Calum and Paul bring both the combined expertise of very technical and very creative aspects in spectator entertainment. Their involvement brings a vast understanding of 21stcentury entertainment value and taps into new visual and sound technologies for a multi-generational, multi-national experience. They are welcome additions to Game Design as we work to develop the most spectacular robotics competition in the world." Calum Pearson is the Senior Director of Technical and Show Support, Resident Shows Division for Cirque du Soleil. He has served as Company Manager for Cirque`s KÀ and was responsible for managing the day to day operations of Cirque du Soleil`s fourth permanent show in Las Vegas with more than 300 cast and crewmembers from 18 countries and a production cost of $200 million. He also has 17years of operations and management experience in the entertainment industry, including many years spent touring with well-known music productions including Bon Jovi and Van Halen, and family acts such as Disney on Ice. Paul Lazarus is a director, producer, and writer of television, film, and theater projects who has worked with FIRST for many years on the production ofthe Chairman`s Award winner videos. He directed and produced the feature film, "Seven Girlfriends," starring Tim Daly, Mimi Rogers, Jami Gertz, and Melora Hardin. He also independently produced "Seven Girlfriends," which was released by Castle Hill Productions and was featured on HBO and Comedy Central. For Dreamworks SKG, he voice directed the animated musical feature, "Joseph," starring Ben Affleck. The new Game Design Committee members for the FIRST Robotics Competition join current members: Bill Miller, Game Design Committee Chair and Director of the FIRST Robotics Competition; Dean Kamen, FIRST Founder and President of DEKA Research; Dr. Woodie Flowers, Chair of the FIRST Executive Advisory Board and Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Dr. Aidan Browne, Lead System Engineer for the Joint Biological Point Detection System produced by General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products; Dave Lavery, NASA Program Executive for Solar System Exploration; Kate Pilotte, FIRST (FRC) Kit of Parts Engineer; Jeremy Roberts, Software Engineer at Qcept Technologies; and Dr. (Captain) Vince Wilczynski, Chief of the Mechanical Engineering Section at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. About FIRST Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills; while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With the support of many of the world`s most well-known companies, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge for high-school students, FIRST LEGO League for children 9-14 years old, and Junior FIRST LEGO League for 6 to 9year-olds. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org. {SOURCE: Reuters} Banana Shpeel Cast Announced! {Oct.15.2009} ----------------------------------------------- Brian Scott Lipton of TheaterMania has noted that ful casting has been announced by Cirque du Soleil for Banana Shpeel, the new semi-resident seasonal show, which will play a six-week run at the Chicago Theater in Chicago, IL from November 19th through January 3rd before moving on to New York City, it's "permanent" home. So, who's in the cast and crew? * * * The show's cast will feature Annaleigh Ashford, Michael Longoria, Claudio Caneiro, Daniel Passer, Patrick de Valette, Gordon White, Wayne Wilson, Dmitry Bulkin, Tuan Le, Vanessa Alvarez, and Joseph and Josette Wiggan, along with Robyn Baltzer, Alex Ellis, DeWitt Fleming, Jr., Luke Hawkins, Kathleen Hennessey, Adrienne Reed, Anthony J. Russso, Melissa Schott, and Steven T. Williams. The creative team includes Serge Roy (director of creation), Jean-Francois Cote (composer/musical director), Jared Grimes (choreographer), Dominique Lemieux (costumes), Patricia Ruel (sets), Bruno Rafile (lighting), and Harvey Robitale (sound). {SOURCE: Theater Mania} Cirque Performer Dies {Oct.18.2009} ----------------------------------------------- Fox News reported late yesterday that a Cirque du Soleil Performer had died in a Montreal hospital a day after falling off a trampoline during a routine training session. * * * The company said the 24-year-old Ukrainian performer - Oleksandr Zhurov - was doing general training exercises for the world- famous circus when the incident happened at their training center. He joined the company a few months ago. Cirque founder Guy Laliberte says he's deeply saddened by the death of the artist. A coroner's inquiry on the circumstances of the accident is under way. Cirque said it will cooperate fully with the investigation. {SOURCE: Fox News} Guy Laliberte to Receive "Dennis Tito Award" [EXPANDED] {Oct.19.2009} ----------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil's Founder, Guy Laliberté, to be honored with the Space Tourist Society "Dennis Tito Award" by Eileen Borgeson and Jeff Allen for his historic visit to the International Space Station arranged by Space Adventures PRLog (Press Release) - Oct 19, 2009 - "Who would not be thrilled at the news that the founder of Cirque du Soleil would be honored by an award you were involved in creating?" commented Eileen Borgeson. Artist Eileen Borgeson and holographer Jeff Allen collaborated to design the Dennis Tito Award for the heroic space tourists who train as astronauts and then return from a visit to the International Space Station (ISS). Eileen Borgeson and Jeff Allen were also excited to find out that Guy Laliberté, also an artist, would host the First Poetic Social Mission in Space during his Sept 30 to Oct 11 visit to the ISS. Guy's "Moving Stars and Earth for Water" event from space took place on October 9, 2009 (GMT) in 14 cities on five continents simultaneously around the world. Each city had an "artistic moment" and unfolded with the presence of artists and world-renowned personalities, including: Al Gore, Peter Gabriel and U2. How appropriate that John Spencer, helmsman of the Space Tourist Society (STS), was the person to tell Borgeson and Allen that Guy Laliberté had just docked at the ISS an hour previously. They had called John Spencer to discuss Guy becoming the seventh honoree of the STS Dennis Tito Award. During the historic 25th Annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC06) Dennis Tito personally presented the first two Dennis Tito Awards to Gregory Olsen (second space tourist) and Mark Shuttleworth (third space tourist.) at the Orbit Awards Event. Mark’s award was accepted by two time commander of the Space Shuttle, Astronaut Colonel Rick Searfoss. Dennis Tito was then surprised with his own award presented to him by the artist Eileen Borgeson who was escorted by Jeff Allen. The Dennis Tito award is two tiered with four sculptures of Borgeson’s featuring the Orbital Muse on the top. Borgeson and Allen created the concept as well as the design. The award was assembled by the fine crafts persons at Saxton Industrial who also manufactured the three sculptures that supported the Orbital Muse. Saxton Industrial also sponsored the initial three Dennis Tito Awards for the ISDC06’s Orbit Awards event. Guy Laliberté and the other three space tourists, Anousheh Ansari, Charles Simonyi (who went to the ISS twice) and Richard Garriott will be honored with their own Dennis Tito Award at the next prestigious Space Tourism Society’s Orbit Awards Event. Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, has also placed a $5,000,000 deposit for a trip to the ISS in 2011. At the ISDC06 event, the ‘holographic crystal’ Orbit Awards, also created by Borgeson and Allen, were awarded to significant astronauts, pioneers and entrepreneurs of the private space exploration community. The list of honorees, included: Buzz Aldrin, first man who walked on the moon, Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, Richard Branson, of Virgin Galactic and everyone’s aeronautical hero, Burt Rutan, designer of the SpaceShip One. Burt Rutan’s SpaceShip One won the $10,000,000 Ansari X Prize for two consecutive Sub-Orbital Flight above 64 miles. Eileen Borgeson is currently designing a selection of Space Explorer Wings for private individuals who take an orbital flight around the Earth which would include the Dennis Tito Award honorees. Borgeson has previously created some Private Astronaut Wings renderings for consideration by the Personal Space Flight Federation. {SOURCE: PRLog.org} Costumes key at Cirque du Soleil [EXPANDED] {Oct.19.2009} ----------------------------------------------- Even with 120 insect-inspired costumes to chose from, Steve Armstrong, the Head of Wardrobe for OVO, the Cirque du Soleil show currently playing in Toronto, doesn’t hesitate when asked to name his favourite. “I’ll tell you, even though it’s the one we worked the most on, it would be the crickets,” says Armstrong, 32, perched in an office chair pulling a needle and thread through layers of bright green fabric. “It’s not because of the colour or anything but the actual conception of the thing.” The costumes themselves are a brilliant triumph of teamwork, artistry and engineering, crafted out of stainless steel, ball joints, plane-grade aluminum, bolts, neoprene, foam, Lycra, nylon and Mytex, a shiny material used to make downhill skiers’ unitards aerodynamic. The first prototype took 75 hours to construct but it took two months of on-stage trials before coming up with the final design that would withstand the continual tumbling and jumping required by the 10 trampolining cricket characters that wear them in every show. “The trampolines were damaging to the costumes. The actual structure didn’t work. But we got lucky enough to have one of the trampolinists who was also an engineer,” says Armstrong, who originally trained in high fashion in Montreal and has been working with the costumes department for 11 years. “So, I said ‘I’m thinking of doing it like this’, and he’d say ‘This is going to break at under pressure.’ It was fun to involve an artist in developing something they’ll be working in.” All the costumes worn by the 53 performing artists are made to each person’s specific measurements at the Cirque’s head office in Montreal and are maintained by Armstrong’s six-person team in their small workshop in the main tent. And keep in mind, crickets aren’t the only things at OVO that are green: o) They use 100 per cent biodegradable detergent to wash the 100 to 250 costumes every day. o) Once the show ends, one full set of each costume is archived and the rest are sent to recycling factories where they are reused in a number of different products, including carpeting. o) The vast majority of fabrics used are from Ontario and Quebec. o) Armstrong’s team uses pedal-powered sewing machines on location for leather repairs; these machines allow them more control over the needle while saving energy. {SOURCE: Metro} Cirque Jubilation... Without the Tent! [EXPANDED] {Oct.20.2009} ------------------------------------------------- As senior artistic director for Cirque du Soleil’s “Alegria,” moving the show from a huge tent to an arena setting was a job he was willing to tackle. Alegria, first conceived in the early ’90s as a traditional Cirque show performed under the Grand Chapiteau, was transformed, with a little help from Smith, to fit into its new home. “Since there’s no big top with this show anymore, we’ve gone from 57 trucks to 15 ... it would take us a week to set up the tent and a week to take it down,” Smith said in a phone interview from his office in Montreal. “Having the show in an arena allows us to reach a whole new audience.” The arena format gives this particular Cirque show more time to travel from place to place — allowing more people from several different locations a chance to enjoy this unique experience. Alegria, a show that Smith said is still relevant for today’s audiences. The relevancy of the show is what continues to draw audiences, Smith said. “We took Alegria all over the world, but we didn’t want to retire it.” The original concept for the show centered around the Internet, something that was just taking hold in the early 1990s. “It focused on how the Internet would have such a huge affect on our lives ... it’s about how the Web has exaggerated the generation gap,” Smith said of the show. “We knew the younger generation would instantly embrace it. It’s very much a reflection of that ... and this generation gap is relevant on every continent.” Smith, a native of England, began his career as a performer. After graduating from the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Performing Arts in London, he worked with several directors and choreographers in the theater world. Eventually he went from performing on stage to trying his hand at directing. This led him to an artistic director position with the “Lido de Paris,” a famous cabaret show in the city. He was tasked to create and direct the show’s first-ever world tour. ‘Alegria,’ which takes its name from the Spanish word for joy and jubilation, is a baroque and operatic production featuring flamboyant costumes, extraordinary lighting and an elaborate set. It is a mix of skill, strength and speed combined with elegant, almost ethereal performances. But getting the job at Cirque du Soleil is really a boring story, Smith said. “I went to their Web page and I applied online,” he said with a laugh. A job offer soon followed, and Smith has been working for the company for about four years. Alegria, which features the classic Cirque elements of acrobatic artists, clowns and beautiful music, takes its name from the Spanish word for joy or jubilation — and this joy is just as important for the performers to feel as well as the audience members. “Every time new artists join the show, we don’t just put them into that hole that was left vacant. We try to take them out of their comfort zones and see what they can bring to the show ... it’s about keeping the show fresh and that magical exchange between the performers and the audience,” Smith said. It’s that very magic that keeps audiences coming back for more. During every Cirque show clowns choose “lucky” viewers to come up on stage, Smith said, and even though it’s a gamble every time, the majority of the time it all works out. “It’s something the audience likes ... everyone enjoys it. People sit there thinking ‘I’m glad it’s not me,’” he said. The clowns are an extremely important part of the show. They give the viewers a chance to “breathe and relax.” The acrobatic performances are definitely tense moments for the audience, he said. This show in particular, in going from a tent to an arena setting, needed to keep all of the elements of a Cirque show without sacrificing the intimacy. “We relit the whole show and everything was restaged,” Smith said. “We had to make it a bit bigger so we didn’t lose the message or atmosphere of Alegria.” Making the show “bigger” was a job Smith was happy to take on, especially with his knowledge of staging and theater. “This job has been fantastic. I’m still awestruck ... and I feel privileged to be here.” Smith, who has traveled all over the world doing what he loves, insists his life is really not all that interesting. “The limitations we have are imposed by our own fears ... I never thought I’d be working for Cirque du Soleil. I had never even been to a traditional circus before.” But Cirque du Soleil is not a traditional circus and the company is not a typical business, either, Smith said. “It would be hard to leave when you work for a company like this, a company that does it right,” he said. “Keeping the shows as good as they can be is their main goal and that’s rare in this industry, especially in these tough times.” Varekai in Moscow Selling Well {Oct.21.2009} ----------------------------------------------- According to Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte and as published by the Associated Press, Varekai has sold 80,000 tickets so far, a debut tour for Cirque du Soleil in this territory. Cirque du Soleil has decided to extend the tour by two weeks thanks to the vast number of sales. Varekai's run in Moscow will now end on December 13, 2009. {SOURCE: Associated Press} A Chat with Deborah Colker {Oct.21.2009} ----------------------------------------------- Matt Blank of Playbill Arts recently sat down with famed Brazilian choreographer Deborah Colker for a chat about the "long overdue" return of her Companhia de Danc?a to New York City this week, as well as her recent work with Cirque du Soleil in OVO. # # # Question: How did the Cirque du Soleil job come about? Colker: We started in 2006. I was in London with my company performing at the Barbican Center. We were performing KNOT. It's a performance about desire, desires that are possible and desires that are not possible. I was there and the vice- president of Cirque came to the show. She is right arm of [Cirque CEO] Guy Laliberte. He came to see the performance and came to talk with me. I guess it was a long time that they were trying to talk to me- they were looking for me! [Laughs.] Question: They had their eye on working with you already, then? Colker: Yes. I am the first woman to direct a Cirque du Soleil production in 25 years. In 2009 they are celebrating their 25th birthday. # # # Check out the full expanded interview in our FEATURES section this month! {SOURCE: PlaybillArts} "FLOW" Wins a Prix Italia Award [EXPANDED] {Oct.22.2009} ----------------------------------------------- Woody Allen said "80 per cent of success is showing up." Quebec's ARTV showed up at the Prix Italia, a TV, radio and web programming competition sponsored by the Italian national broadcaster RAI, and walked out Saturday with the top award for "Creativity in high definition." Canadians and Americans almost never submit programs to the Prix Italia. They should, because the event is at risk of becoming a Euro media-prize ghetto and needs to become more competitive, that is, more international, to survive. The Prix people are thrilled when North Americans enter. "Flow" was ARTV's winning program. The 52-minute documentary, directed by Oana Suteu Khintirian, was produced by the Cirque de Soleil and was billed as a "metaphorical musing of human presence on the blue planet." I was a judge at the Prix, in another category, and only saw a short clip of "Flow." It was visually stunning. Even though the Prix Italia is hardly known in North America, ARTV should be proud of its achievement. That's because the Prix is one of the oldest, and most prestigious awards in the industry. You don't hear about it because it doesn't come with Hollywood-style glitz, parties and paparazzi. The delegates and judges who attend the Prix are mostly sober minded media buffs in bad suits who appreciate fine programming and are passionate about public broadcasting. No klieg lights for them. But this being Italy, everyone gets treated to fine, wine-soaked meals. {SOURCE: The Globe and Mail} Cirque Celebrates 30 millionth LV Customer! {Oct.22.2009} ----------------------------------------------- On Monday, Cirque du Soleil surprised a Missouri couple attending "Mystere" with a return-trip prize package for being the company's 30 millionth Las Vegas customer. Those kind of promotions aren't unusual - you always wonder how they pin it down to which exact patron - but the numbers do give pause. They remind you of how much Cirque came to dominate Las Vegas entertainment, selling 30 million tickets since "Mystere" opened on Christmas Day of 1993. The company now has 101,950 tickets up for sale on the Strip each week; 10 performances of six titles. Cirque isn't saying how many more seats will be for sale when its Elvis show opens by year's end at CityCenter. But it's unlikely to be less than the smallest capacity room, "Zumanity" at 1,261 seats, so the weekly total will go to more than 114,000 seats. {SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal} "Banana" Slipping on its own Shpeel? [EXPANDED] {Oct.24.2009} ----------------------------------------------- According to a Cirque du Soleil memo that has been circulating in New York, Annaleigh Ashford (of Wicked) and Michael Longoria (of Jersey Boys), who joined the cast of Banana Shpeel with much fanfare, have been nixed from the show, which is to open in Chicago this winter and then move to New York. The memo said that their characters had, in essence, been written out of the show. Apparently, Cirque creative bosses felt there were too many characters with too much dialog and too many songs. The show, the memo suggested, is going to try and rediscover its purer vaudeville purpose. This is Cirque's first foray into the more traditional theater world. Clearly, it's proving a tough transition. Cirque spokeswoman Reggie Lyons confirmed Friday that Ashford and Longoria were no longer in the show, saying that the decision had nothing to do with performers for whom Cirque has high regard. "Our creation process is an organic process," Lyons said. "We figure out what works and what doesn't." In this case, Lyons said, there were too many characters and too many storylines. As originally reported, Michael Longoria, who starred as 'Frankie Valli' in the Broadway production of 'Jersey Boys' was to have portrayed 'Emmett,' an innocent and romantic young actor, while Annaleigh Ashford, who starred as 'Glinda' in 'Wicked' on Broadway and in Chicago, was to have portrayed his love interest 'Katie.' Remo Airaldi, a prolific resident company member of Boston’s American Repertory Theater, is still with the production, though whether his character of 'Schmelky,' a cruel and irritable theater producer remains is not known. Banana Shpeel, presented by Cirque du Soleil and MSG Entertainment, will open at The Beacon Theatre on 11 Feb 2010, following previews from 4 Feb, for a limited engagement running through to 30 Apr 2010. The show opens Off-Broadway directly following its world premiere engagement in Chicago on 19 Nov 2009. Banana Shpeel will feature an international crew of comedic actors: Claudio Carneiro, Daniel Passer, Patrick de Valette, Gordon White and Wayne Wilson. In keeping with Cirque du Soleil’s unique and diverse performers, global talents showcased in Banana Shpeel include Russian hand balancer Dmitry Bulkin, Vietnamese juggler Tuan Le, Spanish foot juggler Vanessa Alvarez, and the American sister-brother tap dance duo, Joseph and Josette Wiggan. Completing the cast is an ensemble comprised of 10 “triple threats”: singer-actor-dancers Robyn Baltzer, Alex Ellis, Adrienne Jean Fisher, DeWitt Fleming Jr., Luke Hawkins, Kathleen Hennessey, Adrienne Reid, Anthony J. Russo, Melissa Schott and Steven T. Williams. The creative team includes Serge Roy (director of creation), Jean-Francois Cote (composer/musical director), Jared Grimes (choreographer), Dominique Lemieux (costumes), Patricia Ruel (sets), Bruno Rafile (lighting), and Harvey Robitale (sound). Under the direction of Band Leader Robert Cookman, the Banana Shpeel original score is performed live on stage by Roland Barber (trombone), Bobby Brennan (bass), James Campagnola (multi-instrumental), Iohann Laliberté (drums), Jean-François Ouellet (saxophone), Peter Sachon (cello) and Scott Steen (trumpet). Banana Shpeel has "a roller-coaster mix of styles that blends comedy with tap, hip hop, eccentric dance and slapstick, all linked by a narrative that ignites a succession of wacky adventures. This is not circus, or a musical or a variety show, or even vaudeville. It is Banana Shpeel!" The show's original synopsis was billed: Banana Shpeel plunges us into the world of Schmelky, a cruel and irritable producer who dangles fame and fortune in front of Emmett, an innocent and romantic actor who has come to audition for him. Emmett soon finds himself trapped in a flamboyant, anarchic world where Schmelky sows terror and reigns supreme. Emmett falls in love with the beautiful Katie and meets a bunch of absurd characters, including the strange Banana Man. But who is this mysterious Banana Man and how can Emmett escape the clutches of Schmelky and his henchmen? { SOURCE: New York Theater Guide, Playbill } KOOZA in Santa Monica [EXPANDED] {Oct.25.2009} ----------------------------------------------- Check out the following article by Entertainment Today's theater reviewer Travis Michael Holder regarding Cirque du Soleil's Koozå at the Santa Monica Pier... * * * As a major fan and consistent correspondent frequently touting the prolific quarter-century run of that Montreal-based phenomenon Cirque du Soleil, I have seen and written about every glitzy, vibrantly multi-hued and multi-textured creation these folks have offered their grateful audiences since 1987, from those original touring tent spectaculars to their current five Las Vegas permanent attractions (and soon to be a sixth, the in- process Viva Elvis at City Center’s new Aria Hotel), to their other permanent productions in Biloxi and Orlando. Now, after furthering the Cirque’s already well-established image for inimitably innovative entertainment by creating shows with something of a storyline, such as KÀ at the MGM Grand and The Beatles’ LOVE at the Mirage, the company’s unstoppable designers have now returned to their first Los Angeles venue with the spectacular new show called KOOZA, setting up their enormous blue-and-gold tent once again on the sand adjacent to the Santa Monica Pier boardwalk. And with KOOZA, the Cirque has refound the roots of what made them so famous: the traditional and beloved traveling circus transformed and reinvented by their collective world-class imagination. Of course, the Cirque gratefully uses no animals to ply their wares, but KOOZA once again blossoms with unearthly aerialists and boneless acrobats who can accomplish things most humans cannot, as well as a goofy, brilliantly slapstick set of clowns who definitely know how to lighten things up between thrills, chills, and hopefully well-rehearsed near misses. According to KOOZA’s writer and director David Shiner, his infectious concoction is “about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad. The tone is fun and funny, light and open. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s very much about ideas, too.” KOOZA starts simply with the Trickster, popping from a gigantic jack-in-the-box on a blank stage to the obvious glee of a wide- eyed young boy holding an enormous kite, who then proceeds to lead his new young friend (and his audience-peeing lifesize dog) into a world of comic and sensual delight which includes jugglers, contortionists, unicyclists, a guy who balances on chairs high into the tippy-top of the tent, teeterboard artists, a troupe of highwire aerialists, and a company of gorgeously costumed players who dance and leap around all the others. Although nothing here is terribly new to Cirque enthusiasts, it matters not, since it is all so welcome once again and all performed so seamlessly — not to mention performed right above our heads, rather than at the distances necessary at some of the company’s permanent shows in oversized Vegas hotels. This is especially true of the heart-stopping Wheel of Death act, a great enduring highlight of KÀ since it first opened in 2005, borrowed here and looking even more death-defying at such close range. If I am not mistaken, the two performers who here leap and counter-rotate within the frantically spinning 1,600- lb. apparatus, fearless acrobatics who exhibit astonishing footwork and teamwork, might just be the original South American twins who originated the act and performed it in KÀ. If not, these guys are just about equally as good. The large onstage band and live singers are also a major asset, expertly translating Jean-Francois Cote’s gorgeous original musical score, which dips easily from 60s pop to Jobim-like Brazilian smoothness to Bollywood-esque cheer, all while the large 19-member company of dancers and acrobats called the Charivari move with precision skill while interpreting Clarence Ford’s striking choreography and wearing Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt’s exceptionally sensuous, brilliantly colorful, and highly whimsical costuming. Perhaps my favorite number of all in KOOZA begins Act Two, when a legion of Day-of-the-Dead-style performers in Vaillancourt’s brilliant Tim Burton-y skeleton costumes do their best 2009 rendition of something that instantly recalls Cab Calloway and his musical descent to Hades from the old Cotton Club days of the 1920s and 30s. Although, at other moments in the show, some of the Charivari troupe’s glittery red-and-gold trimmed outfits quickly bring to mind ornate Christmas decorations from the 1800s, this particular number is right in time and right in place for that spooky, spirited holiday just around the corner known as Halloween. That scene was not only my favorite part of KOOZA because I so love what it so joyously and humorously represents, but also because it provided a special personal moment for me and my equally amused friend Penny Stallings, since the couple behind us, who had screamed and hooted and applauded and loudly yelled “NO WAY!” directly in our poor ears at every opportunity throughout the evening, were suddenly completely silent as the second act began. I turned around to see if they’d left at intermission or were still buying souvenirs and popcorn in one of the Cirque’s busy concessions tents, but there they were: sitting stock-still and amazingly expressionless, as though lifted directly from a print of Grant Wood’s “American Gothic.” Then, perhaps to explain himself in answer to my puzzled look, the husband said, quite loudly, “I hate this Halloween stuff.” And then the wife kicked in her shared opinion, too. “It’s very insensitive to true Christians.” All I can say is: Tee-Fuggin-Hee. Yes, KOOZA, except for what the name evokes in my proudly non- Christian dirty mind, is a wonderful return to Cirque du Soleil’s inspired early traditions. No, there’s not an act you haven't seen before on this stage, I’ll bet, but they’re all done so well, who cares? And even more than that, KOOZA offers all this and still can manage to offend fundamentalist Christians, too. What could be more fun then that? {SOURCE: Entertainment Today} BELIEVE: A Year Later [EXPANDED] {Oct.26.2009} ----------------------------------------------- A year ago this coming Saturday, Cirque du Soleil along with Criss Angel unveiled their collaborative effort - BELIEVE - to quite a number of disappointments. Joe Brown of the Las Vegas Sun was in the audience premiere night and gave the show a scathing negative review. Now it's a year later and he's decided to give the show its "annual checkup". How did it do? # # # Unbelievably, Angel's "Believe" will hit the one-year mark on Saturday. After a blizzard of hype - $100 million investment! Ten-year contract! Criss + Holly 4Ever! - the show opened at the Luxor on Halloween night 2008 to a near-unanimous chorus of boos from reviewers, including yours truly. I was curious about how Angel and Cirque du Soleil might have changed or improved their collaboration in the intervening year, so I bought tickets (including a second seat for just $25) for Wednesday's 7 p.m. performance. Mr. Angel, I'm afraid I've got some bad news. "Believe" now seems a bizarre, stranded artifact of a moment when some people had too much money. The show has been streamlined a bit - no live musicians, fewer aerialists and dancers, less video wizardry - but it hasn't been improved, only diminished. Not much has changed with the overall experience of "Believe": I got it pretty much right the first time around. The gift shop, disappointingly skimpy when the show opened, has been substantially stocked with every imaginable Angel-branded accouterment. But the leading man, the show’s raison d’être, has gotten worse, if that can be imagined. If not exactly humbled by the show’s critical drubbing and lackluster sales, Angel, now the butt of jokes by most other Strip comics and magicians, seems less hubristic than he did a year ago. There’s less swagger and no chest-baring (Angel appears to have put on a few pounds). He looks like what he is — a cape-wearing Long Island schlub with a tragic Jennifer Aniston haircut. Angel is quite literally going through the motions now. The least compelling figure on the Luxor stage, he’s a puzzlingly blank, passive star and centerpiece, pushed and pulled through a series of disappearance stunts by his quartet of clowns and his dueling dark-and-light stage assistants. Mercifully, Angel’s speaking lines, which even a year ago were mostly non sequiturs, have been reduced. Whatever edge or ingenuity exists comes from the Cirque side of the equation. A gallery of lenticular paintings lines the entry to the showroom, equipped with motion sensors so Angel’s disembodied voice says things like “Are you ready?” when you pass by. It’s fun to move back and forth in front of the pictures and make Angel say “Believe!” over and over. “Believe” still has the most beautiful proscenium framing in town, a gilded steampunk fantasia festooned with demonic “Donnie Darko” rabbits. The audio system is state-of-the-art surround sound — you feel as if phantoms are whispering just behind you — even if the music is bombastic and overloud. You’ll come away remembering a handful of images: a shower of red poppies in a storm-gray sky, an outsize, disembodied bunny head that rolls over and tap dances on its ears. And then there’s the chorus line of dancing bunnies — who have just torn Angel’s carcass limb-from-limb in vengeance for all the rabbits sacrificed in the line of magic. But the pacing of the show remains erratic and listless. Angel’s frequent attempts to make the audience cheer (“Are you having fun?” “I can’t hear you!”) were rewarded with noticeably tepid applause from the crowd, which was perhaps at three-quarter capacity. At what would seem to be the big finish, characters from Angel’s nightmare strap him to a gigantic mechanism and saw him in half with a chain saw — even this is greeted with a “so what?” shrug. The failure of the effect can’t even be called anticlimactic — there is no climax in “Believe.” One of the oddest things about this show is that the audience still doesn’t recognize the performers’ curtain call when it arrives, and seem similarly confused about whether the show is actually over. It just sort of dribbles away. This is the sort of thing that a director could have easily addressed, given a year’s time, which leads me to believe that Cirque is just letting “Believe” lie there, hoping unwitting customers will forget the reviews, until someone comes up with a plausible, face-saving reason to shoot it in the head and replace it. {SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun} ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) TOURING - Under the Big Top {Corteo, Dralion, Koozå, OVO, Quidam & Varekai} o) RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, ZAIA, ZED & Believe} o) VENUE - Arena & Seasonal Productions {Saltimbanco, Alegría | Wintuk, Banana Shpeel} NOTE: .) While we make every effort to provide complete and accurate touring dates and locations available, the information in this section is subject to change without notice. As such, the Fascination! Newsletter does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of these listings. .) Dates so marked (*) are not official until released by Cirque du Soleil. For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts, please visit our website < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. --------------------------------- TOURING - Under the Big Top --------------------------------- Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=39 > Corteo: Tokyo, Japan -- Nov 4, 2009 to Jan 24, 2010 Fukuoka, Japan -- Feb 11, 2010 to Apr 4, 2010 Sendai, Japan -- Apr 21, 2010 to Jun 6, 2010 Dralion: Guadalajara, Mexico -- Oct 22, 2009 to Nov 15, 2009 Mexico City, Mexico -- Nov 26, 2009 to Jan 17, 2010 Kooza: Santa Monica, CA -- Oct 16, 2009 to Dec 20, 2009 Irvine, CA -- Jan 8, 2010 to Feb 14, 2010 San Diego, CA -- Feb 25, 2010 to Mar 28, 2010 Portland, OR -- Apr 9, 2010 to May 23, 2010 (*) Seattle, WA -- Jun 3, 2010 to Jul 11, 2010 (*) Vancouver, BC -- Jul 22, 2010 to TBA (*) Houston, TX -- Sep 23, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010 (*) Miami, FL -- Nov 18, 2010 to Dec 26, 2010 (*) Ovo: Toronto, ON -- Sep 3, 2009 to Nov 01, 2009 San Francisco, CA -- Nov 27, 2009 to Jan 24, 2010 San Jose, CA -- Feb 4, 2010 to Mar 21, 2010 Philadelphia, PA -- Apr 8, 2010 to May 16, 2010 (*) New York, NY -- May 27, 2010 to Jul 4, 2010 (*) Hartford, CT -- Jul 15, 2010 to Aug 15, 2010 (*) Boston, MA -- Aug 26, 2010 to TBA (*) Washington, DC -- Oct 14, 2010 to Nov 28, 2010 (*) Atlanta, GA -- TBA Quidam: Belo Horizonte, BR -- Oct 23, 2009 to Nov 22, 2009 Curitiba, BR -- Dec 4, 2009 to Dec 27, 2009 Rio de Janeiro, BR -- Jan 8, 2010 to Feb 7, 2010 Sao Paulo, BR -- Feb 26, 2010 to May 2, 2010 Porto Alegre, BR -- May 27, 2010 to Jul 11, 2010 Buenos Aiers, AR -- Jul 23, 2010 to Aug 29, 2010 Santiago, CL -- Sep 11, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010 Varekai: Moscow, Russia -- Oct 23, 2009 to Dec 31, 2009 London, UK -- Jan 6, 2010 to Jan 24, 2010 --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- NOTE: (*) Prices are in United States Dollars (USD) unless otherwise noted. (*) Price reflected in brackets [] is inclusive of 10% Las Vegas Entertainment Tax where applicable, but does not include Sales Tax. Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=40 > Mystère: Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday Two shows Nightly - o Saturday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm o Sunday: 4:30pm & 7:00pm o Monday - Wednesday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm 2009 Ticket Prices: o Category 1: $109.00 o Category 2: $99.00 o Category 3: $95.00 o Category 4: $79.00 o Category 6: $69.00 o Category 7: $60.00 (Limited View) 2009 Dark Dates: o November 4 "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm 2009 Ticket Prices: o Orchestra: $150.00 [$165.00] o Loggia: $125.00 [$137.50] o Balcony: $99.00 [$108.90] o Limited View: $93.50 [102.85] 2009 Dark Dates: o December 7 - 22 La Nouba: Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark: Sun/Mon Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm 2009 Ticket Prices (adults) / (child 3-9): o Category 0: $117.00 / $94.00 (+Tax) o Category 1: $102.00 / $82.00 (+Tax) o Category 2: $83.00 / $67.00 (+Tax) o Category 3: $67.00 / $54.00 (+Tax) o Category 4: $53.00 / $43.00 (+Tax) 2009 Dark Dates: o No More for 2009 Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm 2009 Ticket Prices (18+ Only!): o Category 1: $135.00 o Category 2: $99.00 o Category 3: $79.00 o Category 4: $69.00 o Category 5: $69.00 (Obstructed View) 2009 Dark Dates: o December 1 - 14 KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Fri through Tue, Dark Wed/Thu Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2009 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12): o Category 1: $150.00 [$165.00] / $75.00 [$82.50] o Category 2: $125.00 [$137.50] / $62.50 [$68.75] o Category 3: $99.00 [$108.90] / $49.50 [$54.45] o Category 4: $69.00 [$75.90] / $34.50 [$37.95] 2009 Dark Dates o No More for 2009 LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2009 Ticket Prices: o Lower Orchestra: $150.00 [$165.00] o Upper Orchestra: $125.00 [137.50] o Lower Balcony: $99.00 [$108.80] o Middle Balcony: $93.50 [$102.85] o Upper Balcony: $69.00 [$75.90] 2009 Dark Dates: o December 1 - 16 ZAIA: Location: Venetian, Macao (China) Performs: Tuesday through Sunday, Dark Monday One to Two Shows Daily - Tuesday: 8:00pm Wednesday: 8:00pm Thursday - Saturday: 7:00pm & 10:00pm Sunday: 4:00pm & 7:00pm 2008 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 0-12): o Category 1: MOP$ 1288 / No Child o Category 2: MOP$ 788 / MOP$ 688 o Category 3: MOP$ 588 / MOP$ 488 o Category 4: MOP$ 388 / MOP$ 288 2009 Dark Dates: o Not Available ZED: Location: Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo (Japan) Performs: Varies One to Two Shows Daily - Showtimes vary 2009 Ticket Prices (all): o Category 1 ("Premium"): ¥18,000 o Category 2 ("Front"): ¥15,000 o Category 3 ("Regular"): ¥9,800 o Category 4 ("Overview"): ¥7,800 2009 Dark Dates: o Not Available BELIEVE: Location: Luxor, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:00pm NOTE: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Children under the age of five are not permitted into the theater. 2009 Ticket Prices (all): o Category 1: $160.00 + Tax o Category 2: $125.00 + Tax o Category 3: $99.00 + Tax o Category 4: $79.00 + Tax o Category 5: $59.00 + Tax 2009 Dark Dates: o No More for 2009 -------------------------------------- VENUE - Arena & Seasonal Productions -------------------------------------- Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=251 > [Arena Shows] Saltimbanco: Copenhagen, DK -- Oct 21, 2009 to Nov 1, 2009 Gothenburg, SE -- Nov 4, 2009 to Nov 8, 2009 Mannheim, DE -- Nov 10, 2009 to Nov 14, 2009 Nice, FR -- Nov 19, 2009 to Nov 22, 2009 Rotterdam, NL -- Dec 10, 2009 to Dec 13, 2009 Geneva, CH -- Dec 18, 2009 to Dec 28, 2009 Barcelona, ES -- Dec 30, 2009 to Jan 10, 2010 Salzburg, AT -- Jan 13, 2010 to Jan 17, 2010 Strasbourg, FR -- Jan 20, 2010 to Jan 23, 2010 Frankfurt, DE -- Jan 27, 2010 to Jan 31, 2010 Nantes, FR -- Feb 2, 2010 to Feb 5, 2010 Innsbruck, AT -- Feb 25, 2010 to Feb 28, 2010 Stuttgart, DE -- Mar 31, 2010 to Apr 4, 2010 Bremen, DE -- Apr 7, 2010 to Apr 11, 2010 Alegría: London, ON -- Nov 12, 2009 to Nov 15, 2009 Greenville, SC -- Nov 18, 2009 to Nov 22, 2009 Augusta, GA -- Nov 26, 2009 to Nov 29, 2009 Hampton, VA -- Dec 2, 2009 to Dec 6, 2009 Worcester, MA -- Dec 9, 2009 to Dec 13, 2009 Montreal, QC -- Dec 18, 2009 to Dec 30, 2009 Quebec, QC -- Jan 5, 2010 to Jan 10, 2010 Detroit, MI -- Feb 4, 2010 to Feb 7, 2010 Indianapolis, IN -- Feb 11, 2010 to Feb 14, 2010 Austin, TX -- Feb 17, 2010 to Feb 21, 2010 Frisco, TX -- Feb 24, 2010 to Feb 28, 2010 Hoffman Estates, IL -- Mar 3, 2010 to Mar 7 2010 Cedar Rapids, IA -- Mar 10, 2010 to Mar 14, 2010 Champaign, IL -- Mar 17, 2010 to Mar 21, 2010 Omaha, NE -- Mar 24, 2010 to Mar 28, 2010 East Lansing, MI -- Mar 31, 2010 to Apr 4, 2010 Cleveland, OH -- Apr 7, 2010 to Apr 11, 2010 [Venue Shows] Wintuk: Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark Monday/Tuesday Exception: December 22nd, 28th and 29th Previews on Wednesday November 11th and 12th at 7:30pm Regular Season begins Friday, November 13th! Schedule: There are currently 87 scheduled performances between Wednesday, November 11, 2009 and Sunday, January 3, 2010 on the following days: o) Mon [2] - 12/28 (2) o) Tue [4] - 12/22 (2), 12/29 (2) o) Wed [12] - 11/11 (1), 11/18 (1), 11/25 (2), 12/2 (1), 12/9 (1), 12/16 (2), 12/23 (2), 12/30 (2) o) Thu [13] - 11/12 (1), 11/19 (2), 11/26 (2), 12/3 (2), 12/10 (2), 12/17 (2), 12/24 (2), o) Fri [11] - 11/13 (1), 11/20 (2), 11/27 (2), 12/4 (2), 12/11 (2), 12/18 (2) o) Sat [24] - 11/14 (3), 11/21 (3), 11/28 (3), 12/5 (3), 12/12 (3), 12/19 (3), 12/26 (3), 1/2 (3) o) Sun [21] - 11/15 (2), 11/22 (2), 11/29 (3), 12/6 (3), 12/13 (3), 12/27 (3), 1/3 (2) Performance Times: Wintuk may perform at the following times throughout its run. Consort the official schedule for exact showtimes: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/Wintuk/ schedule/WIN09_Show_Schedule.pdf > o) Monday: 2:30pm, 7:30pm o) Tuesday: 2:30pm, 7:30pm o) Wednesday: (2:30pm), 7:30pm o) Thursday: (11:00am), (2:30pm), 7:30pm o) Friday: (11:00am), 2:30pm, 7:30pm o) Saturday: 11:00am, 2:30pm, 7:30pm o) Sunday: 1:00pm, 5:00pm / 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm Ticket Prices: Tickets range from $30.00 to $220 based on category and date of performance. Peek and non-peek pricing is in effect. Banana Shpeel: Location: Chicago Theater, Chicago (USA) Schedule: There are currently 59 scheduled performances between Thursday, November 19, 2009 and Sunday, January 3, 2010, on the following days: o) Mon [02] - 12/28 (2) o) Tue [05] - 12/22 (3), 12/20 (2) o) Wed [11] - 11/25, 12/2, 12/9 (2), 12/16 (2), 12/23 (3), 12/30 (2) o) Thu [03] - 11/19, 12/10, 12/17 o) Fri [05] - 11/20, 11/27, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18 o) Sat [19] - 11/21 (2), 11/28 (2), 12/5 (3), 12/12 (3), 12/19 (3), 12/26 (3), 1/2 (3) o) Sun [14] - 11/22 (2), 11/29 (2), 12/6 (2), 12/13 (2), 12/20 (2), 12/27 (2), 1/3 (2) PERFORMANCE TIMES o) Wednesday: 2:00pm, 8:00pm (12pm, 4pm, 8pm on 12/23) o) Thursday: 8:00pm o) Friday: 8:00pm o) Saturday: (12:00pm), 4:00pm, 8:00pm o) Sunday: 1:00pm, 5:00pm TICKET PRICES o) Adults (1-8 tickets): PEAK / WEEKEND: Regular: $48.00, $65.00, $85.00, $98.00 Premium: $150.00 Tapis Rouge: $300.00 NON-PEAK / WEEKEDAY: Regular: $35.00, $45.00, $65.00, $82.00 Premium: $115.00 Tapis Rouge: $275.00 PRE-THANKSGIVING: Regular: $23.00, $30.00, $50.00, $75.00 Premium: None Tapis Rouge: None NOTE: Student, Senior and Group pricing are available. ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE'S SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub o) Networking -- Cirque on Twitter, Facebook & MySpace o) Telemajik -- Cirque on YouTube o) Gatherings -- CirqueCon, Celebri & More! --------------------------------------- CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub --------------------------------------- 25 Years Worth of Stories: Wrestling Match {Oct.08.2009} Rich in stories collected over the years, we share some of them with you today: It was the spring of 1994. My son, aged nine at the time, was on crutches as he had been in a very bad sledding accident. The ushers kindly offered us the very first row of the big top bleachers and we were ready to experience Cirque du Soleil latest creation, Alegría. This was our second Cirque experience, the first one being Saltimbanco. At the time, I was already involved in theatre as I was working as a freelance stage director and production manager. I was attracted to some extent by Cirque du Soleil as everyone was, but it seemed out of reach and, in any case, I wasn't lacking work. The show started and, from the first minute, we were transported by the magic and beauty of Alegría. Then came the strongman act. He was a hulking man who twisted bars of metal and played around with dumbbells. At one point, the ringmaster (Fleur) asked me to come on stage to challenge the strongman (I am 6 feet tall and weigh 150 pounds-not quite the physique required for the task!). Sportingly, I agreed and went on stage. The strongman then asked me to rip up a telephone book and twist a bar of metal; I failed miserably. The ringmaster then showed me the way out and, as I was about to leave the stage, I suddenly had an idea. Before returning to my seat, I turned to the strongman and removed my shirt, revealing my scrawny body. I challenged him to a wrestling match, and the crowd of 2,500 began to applaud, stomp their feet and yell. Naturally, I hit the mat in no time at all; I put my shirt back on and returned to my seat under the warm applause of the entire audience. I was moved and my son couldn't believe his eyes. I told my son that one day I would work for Cirque du Soleil. Two years later I did, and that was 14 years ago. I am still motivated and ready to meet any challenge... unless it involves wrestling! JACQUES MARCOTTE Artistic Coordinator Cirque interpreters at work {Oct.13.2009} In 1997, the only interpreter working for Cirque du Soleil spoke mostly Russian, among a few other languages. Today, there are 38 interpreters working to facilitate communication inside our tower of Babel! To better understand this profession, I have met with Lucie Janvier, Head of the Interpreter Service at Artist Training, and Marie-Odile Pinet, a Cirque du Soleil interpreter for 11 years. COMPLETE CONFIDENCE The work of interpreters generally starts with Casting. "When non-English-speaking artists arrive at the Studio, an interpreter who speaks their mother tongue is assigned to help with the various steps of the newcomers' development at Cirque du Soleil, including contract signing, taxation, medical appointments, fittings, artistic and acrobatic classes, and so on," Lucie explains. Interpreters quickly become guides for foreign artists. "It's surprising how quickly they give us their complete trust in this process, when they are in such a vulnerable position," says Marie-Odile. "I always feel privileged to share this bond with them." For projects in creation, the interpreter assists artists until the premiere. For artists joining a touring show, she stays with them until their departure. "Premieres are my favourite because I get to witness the consecration of the artists I have been working with for months," adds Marie-Odile. "These athletes-turned-artists are now spreading their wings and flying among Cirque du Soleil stars." SHARING CULTURE Interpreters are conveyors of culture first and foremost, and on different levels. Language is a given, but interpreters also teach artists about general and artistic North American culture and about the circus culture. "For example, a Director once asked the artists to put themselves in the shoes of a black person from the Bronx. A North American quickly understands this cultural reference, but it is complete gibberish to a Chinese person. An interpreter must therefore come up with examples that are specific to the artist's culture to make the concept clear," says Marie-Odile Pinet. "The Chinese are extremely polite people, which tends to be one of the biggest problems I have with them," says Marie-Odile. "If their make-up is making them itchy or their costume is uncomfortable, they won't complain because they want to be nice. I therefore need to get them to understand that it is important for them to express how they feel in terms of their work." For Marie-Odile, the ultimate goal is to make artists as independent as possible. Once the show starts, artists no longer have access to an interpreter. This is why it is crucial to teach them the culture and help them learn English as soon as possible. In the end, the faster they learn, the easier it is for them to concentrate on their performance. THE INTERPRETER SERVICE AT CIRQUE * There are 38 interpreters working for Cirque du Soleil, helping artists blend in at our International Headquarters. * The most common languages are Russian, Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese. * The Artist Training department gets an average of 125 artists per week at the studio. * The Interpreter Service is available to all of Cirque du Soleil, in 10 different languages, for business meetings, customer service, contract negotiations, and so on. GENEVIÈVE DORÉ, Special Correspondent --------------------------------------------------- NETWORKING: Cirque on Twitter, Facebook & Myspace --------------------------------------------------- {Oct.01.2009 | ZED} Check out these photos from ZED's 1st Anniversary! Fotos [4]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=155276 &id=41326571163&ref=mf > {Oct.01.2009 | Saltimbanco} Saltimbanco is playing in Turku until October 4. Check out the local article in Finnish!! Read More: < http://www.ts.fi/online/kulttuuri/77247.html > {Oct.02.2009 | Koozå} MERCI Denver! KOOZA last performance in Denver is this Sunday! Heading to Santa Monica at the Pier - Don't miss the blue and yellow Big Top Raising on Friday, October 9 & Premiere October 15! Foto [1]: < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3169597 &id=34324811338 > {Oct.03.2009 | Dralion} Today, here at Dralion we celebrated the Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival! Treats, chinese music, decorations and special games were part of the celebration! Fotos [5]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=324701 &id=39340140194&ref=mf > {Oct.05.2009 | "O"} Had the clowns go work in the IT department at Vegas.com for the day - looks like they might have a second career in the works!! Video: < http://www.vegas.com/exposed/#video > {Oct.06.2009 | Zumanity} Play the brand new online Zumanity game, and see Willie Bronco take off his clothes! So hot. Link: < http://www.ZumanityRoses.com > {Oct.07.2009 | Saltimbanco} Saltimbanco rolled in the Spektrum in Oslo, Norway. The show opens Thursday, October 8. Foto [1]: < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3730146 &id=41245692958 > {Oct.08.2009 | Dralion} Dralion went to visit "La Cola de Caballo". 75 of us went and it was great. We also went to visit Santiago. beautiful area! Foto [1]: < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=9383670 &id=39340140194 > {Oct.09.2009 | Winutk} Join us in Times Square, on the pedestrian walk way (btwn 45th & 46th Streets) on Tuesday October 13 at 11:00 am for a Wintuk sneak peek including a special performance of the dynamic Hoops act. With the flexibility of a contortionist and the skill of... a rhythmic gymnast, artist Elena Lev will present a mind- boggling yet graceful performance with hoops spinning all around her body. Additionally, a hula-hoop expert will lead the public in a workshop as they attempt to learn some new moves and tricks. Read More: < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=9006952&id=98244255320 > {Oct.09.2009 | LOVE} Our new friend Guy Kawasaki got a rare backstage glimpse into the inner workings of LOVE @ The Mirage. Check out these fantastic videos and pics! Link: < http://holykaw.alltop.com/behind-the-scenes-tour -of-the-beatles-love-ci > {Oct.09.2009 | Koozå} Check out these pictures of the Big Top Raising of KOOZA at the Santa Monica Pier! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3191509&id=34324811338 http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3209573&id=34324811338 {Oct.13.2009 | Winutk} At 11am on Tuesday, October 13, Wintuk overtook almost an entire city block in Times Square for our Hula Hoop Event! Countless New Yorkers joined us to watch Elena Lev perform her act from Wintuk and then stayed to learn how to Hula Hoop on their own as Sheryl Wilson from Fitnotics led the crowd in a Hula Hoop class! Fotos [11]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=321847 &id=98244255320&ref=mf > {Oct.14.2009 | Koozå} Our KOOZA cast and crew have just arrived at the Santa Monica Pier. Check out our KOOZA Big Top at the beach in Santa Monica! Foto [4]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=161583 &id=144074117500&ref=mf > {Oct.18.2009 | Banana Shpeel} Check out this new behind-the-scenes video from Banana Shpeel by Cirque du Soleil. Coming to The Beacon Theatre in February! Video: < http://www.stumbleupon.com/s/#2Xjjlc/ www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/banana-shpeel/creation- journal/pub.aspx/ > {Oct.19.2009 | Winutk} There was a lot of twirling and twisting around Times Square on Tuesday. Members of the new Cirque du Soleil show “Wintuk” were out in force showing off their skills—much to the delight of passers-by. [Matilda Tracy, New York City Resident]: “I just really enjoy hula hooping.” The snowballs, as they’re called, put on quite a show, and put a smile on many a face. [Frosty, Wintuk Snowball]: “I’m from Wintuk, Cirque du Soleil.” There were snowballs small and tall. And the most famous of them all was rhythmic gymnast Elena Lev. So how does she do all those tricks? [Elena Lev, Wintuk Artist]: “Just flexibility and know your body pretty well. At this point I am just having fun and my body kind of just works together with me.” People’s faces lit up watching her perform. [Elena Lev, Wintuk Artist]: “That’s my goal because I love being on stage and it’s about how people react and how the people look at it and I love to connect and hear what they think about it.” [Matilda Tracy, New York City]: “Well it was really fun because it has clowns and it also has acrobatics and a lot of other things.” The grand finale of her performance was the slinky made up of about 30 hoops. [Elena Lev, Wintuk Artist]: “It’s your whole body moving at the same time. You just need to know your body pretty well, and it takes a little bit of concentration and challenge in it, but then it’s fine. It’s easy.” {Oct.19.2009 | Dralion} Last Thursday at 1pm, the White Big Top went up in Guadalajara! Fotos [5]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=332177 &id=39340140194&ref=mf > {Oct.20.2009 | Saltimbanco} Saltimbanco is setting up inside the Copenhagen Forum! The show will be there for two weeks !! Fotos [3]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=153738 &id=41245692958&ref=mf > {Oct.20.2009 | Alegría} Arena's Largest Show Set Up For Eight Performances! Read Review: < http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1285309&title=Arena%27s%20Largest %20Show%20Set%20Up%20For%20Eight%20Performances > {Oct.21.2009 | Zumanity} Halloween is almost here! Will your costume be SCARY or SEXY?! Tell us! And if you need ideas, check out the posted article with DIY costume tips from our Cirque makeup and costume people! Read More: < http://www.shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/cirque-du-spooky- last-minute-costume-tips-for-kids-from-cirque-du-soleil- 528321/ > {Oct.21.2009 | Saltimbanco} A little taste of Saltimbanco at Good Evening Denmark !! The show opens tonight in Copenhagen! Video: < http://go-dyn.tv2.dk/video.php/id-25895126.html > {Oct.22.2009 | ZED} Check out the updates on ZED's official Youtube site! Link: {Oct.22.2009 | Dralion} Dralion is getting ready for its Premiere tonight in Guadalajara! Have a look at the artists preparing backstage. Fotos [5]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=333432 &id=39340140194&ref=mf > {Oct.23.2009 | Saltimbanco} Good words for Saltimbanco in the Copenhagen press !! 5 out of 6 stars ! Read More: < http://www.berlingske.dk/scene/goegl-og-poesi-i-forum# > {Oct.23.2009 | Quidam} Quidam is preparing for its Premiere in Belo Horizonte tonight! Check out some pictures from last night's Dress Rehearsal. Fotos [4]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=133061 &id=35752277045&ref=mf > {Oct.27.2009 | ZAiA} Watch Peter Rabbit, street drummer from NYC at ZAIA Theatre! Video [0:43]: < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php ?v=101565266531287&ref=mf > {Oct.27.2009 | ZAiA} All 75 artists of ZAIA performed at Tennis Showdown 2009 last Sunday. The cast also took a group photo together with star players Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Yuki Bhambri and Ryan Harrison ! Fotos [4]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=118500 &id=34277887388&ref=mf > Fotos [6]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=118488 &id=34277887388&ref=mf > Backstage, getting Ready: Fotos [8]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=118494 &id=34277887388&ref=mf > {Oct.28.2009 | LOVE} Fun video feature from backstage at LOVE! Featuring interviews with Sugar Plum Fairy (Michael Moloi), Skater (Rafael Lima) and Artistic Director (Kati Renaud). Check it out! Video [4:28]: < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php ?v=195122560434&ref=mf > {Oct.28.2009 | Dralion} 4 Elements Characters of the show, visited Tlaquepaque yesterday and had tones of fun! what a beautiful place to visit Fotos [5]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=336308 &id=39340140194&ref=mf > {Oct.29.2009 | Dralion} Check out this really cool picture taken Tuesday on our outting in Tlaquepaque! Foto [1]: < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=9704745 &id=39340140194 > {Oct.30.2009 | La Nouba} Carla Weaver from the wardrobe and make up department at La Nouba created these ghoulish looks. Can you guess who these La Nouba artists are? Fotos [8]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=118173 &id=16315569901&ref=mf > {Oct.30.2009 | Quidam} Meet Artist Jailton Carneiro. He joined the Picadeiro Circo Escola in 1989, and it was during some castings held in Brazil in 1999, that Jailton was scouted by Cirque du Soleil and there began his story with us. Read More: < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3425915 &id=35752277045 > {Oct.31.2009 | BeLIEve} Happy 1st anniversary to CRISS ANGEL Believe, one of Cirque du Soleil's 6 theater shows (soon to be 7) in Las Vegas! ------------------------------------------- TELEMAJIK: Cirque on YouTube & Flickr ------------------------------------------- [FLICKR] Website: < http://www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/ > Athough also avaialble through Facebook, Cirque du Soleil released a small number of images through its Flickr photostream this month, showcasing Wintuk on the streets of New York City. Check them out here! New York, NY - 10/13/09 - Cirque Du Soleil's Wintuk gets hip for winter with a hula hoop event in Times Square. Cirque du Soleil and MSG Entertainment host a sneak peek of the smash-hit winter show Wintuk, which will return for performances at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden from November 11, 209 - January 3, 2010. Wintuk artist Elena Lev presents a mind-bogging yet graceful performance with hoops spinning all around her body, then a hula-hoop expert leads the public in a hula hooping workshop. -< www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/4030426764/ > -< www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/4029671459/ > -< www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/4030426368/ > -< www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/4029671099/ > -< www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/4029670907/ > -< www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/4029670659/ > [YouTube] {Oct.08.2009 | Mystère} For our good friend Jay Martinez, and anyone else who may have missed it, Mystère was featured on last night's episode of "America's Next Top Model." Don't forget to smile with your eyes! [7:56] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DKbV39aoVE > {Oct.13.2009 | Wintuk} Watch a clip of our Wintuk event in NYC that happened this morning! [0:27] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db_XVTQgn6c > {Oct.14.2009 | ZAiA} Edited version of the Trampoline Performance @ Great Hall - Venetian Macau. Watch our artists celebrating the BIG day of ZAIA! Enjoy!! [2:03] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emB5m6fyO5E > {Oct.26.2009 | LOVE} Check out this video of the LOVE Skaters "auditioning for a job" at Vegas.com! Pretty funny... [2:10] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIlYPoKTg20 > {Oct.29.2009 | Wintuk} Meet with Cirque du Soleil show characters as they take over the streets of New York! [0:37] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U7-JfKpFcE > ------------------------------------------- GATHERINGS: CirqueCon, Celebri & More! ------------------------------------------- CirqueCon: < http://www.CirqueCon.com/ > With the highly successful CirqueCon 2009: Monterrey even now behind us, we're already looking forward to New York City (with the possibility of another destination as well) in 2010. We'll be gearing up on this one shortly and will make an announcement as soon as we can. Hang in there! Meanwhile, to help keep in touch we've launched a Facebook page for CirqueCon, which you can find here: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/CirqueCon/272446895013?ref=nf > ======================================================================= COMPARTMENTS -- INFORMATION BEHIND THE CURTAIN ======================================================================= o) DIDYAKNOW - Facts about Cirque o) HISTORIA - Cirque du Soleil History --------------------------------- DIDYAKNOW? - Facts About Cirque --------------------------------- o) Didyaknow that Alegría travels with more than 200 costumes, 300 pairs of shoes, 100 wigs and 22 Old Birds masks? o) Didyaknow The largest set element in OVO is the wall, which is set against the rear of the stage? The performers climb on it, disappear into it and use it as a stage, a platform and a launching pad. The Wall measures 60ft wide by 20ft tall and is made of just two moveable components. It is supported only on the sides to allow a floor with built-in trampolines to slide in and out like an enormous drawer. o) Didyaknow, in 2009, over 600 performers will receive customized training in the Creation Studio? o) Didyaknow that Alegría's White Singer is the storyteller who echoes in song everything she sees around her? She sings of melancholy and despair, of joy and happiness. Her luminous white gown is exquisite - underneath a bodice and skirt-frame adorned with jewels and pearls, is miles of flowing crinoline. In her dress and long white gloves, she moves like a delicate porcelain doll in a jewelry box. o) Didyaknow that over 2,500 costume items from Saltimbanco travel from city to city in more than 50 road cases? Many sets of costumes are available for any type of incidents! o) Didyaknow the boat in the Storm scene in KÀ weighs 1800 pounds? It is completely manipulated onstage by the artists. . o) Didyaknow the over-sized animal puppets-dogs, birds and ice giants are costume hybrid devices worn by the performers to help create the magical world of Wintuk? The two large bird puppets stand over 14 feet tall with a 10-foot wing span. The height is created by the artists wearing stilts. o) Didyaknow there are over 540 LED lights in the SUN from HERE COMES THE SUN at LOVE? Magical! o) EXTRA: How well do you know the Artists on Quidam? can you name the 4 Brasilian Artists and what Act they perform? Answer: Jailton Carneiro, Denise Wal, Graceline de Moura Oliveira and Rafael Munhoz are the 4 Brasilian Artists on Quidam, and all 4 are performing in the Spnish Webs Act as well as Skipping Ropes. ------------------------------------ HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History ------------------------------------ * 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.01.2008 -- ZED Gala Premiere in Tokyo * 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.02.2007 -- Dralion celebrated its 3000th performance [Osaka, Japan] * 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.07.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Pittsburg, PA * Oct.08.1992 -- Saltimbanco opened Santa Monica * Oct.08.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Oslo, Norway * 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.09.2009 -- Guy Laliberté will make an announcement from space concerning ONE DROP. * 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.12.2007 -- Quidam opened Guadalajara, Mexico * Oct.13.2005 -- Alegría opened Tokyo, Japan * Oct.13.2009 -- ZED Album Released * Oct.14.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened in Washington DC * Oct.14.1998 -- Saltimbanco opened Ottawa (Special Performances) * Oct.14.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Philadelphia, PA * Oct.14.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Aalborg, DK * Oct.15.2004 -- Dralion opened Madrid, Spain * Oct.15.2008 -- Alegría opened Seoul, South Korea * Oct.16.2009 -- Koozå opened Santa Monica, CA * 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.19.2007 -- Alegría opened Brasilia, Brazil * Oct.19.2008 -- Guy Laliberte awarded honorary doctorate by Université Laval in Quebec City, Quebec * Oct.20.2003 -- "Cirque for Life" film even in Portlan, Oregon * Oct.20.2007 -- Zumanity celebrated its 2000th performance * Oct.20.2008 -- "All Together Now" Documentary screened in theaters * Oct.21.2008 -- "All Together Now" Documentary released on DVD * Oct.21.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Reading, PA * Oct.21.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Copenhagen, DK * Oct.22.2003 -- Canadian premiere of Varekai on CBC * Oct.22.2003 -- Quidam opened Fukuoka, Japan * Oct.22.2006 -- Quidam NAT 3 Ended. * Oct.22.2009 -- Dralion opened Guadalajara, MX * Oct.23.2008 -- Dralion opened Canberra, Australia * Oct.23.2009 -- Quidam opened Belo Hoizonte, Brazil * Oct.23.2009 -- Varekai opened Moscow, Russia * Oct.25.1988 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Montréal * Oct.25.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Washington DC * Oct.25.2007 -- Varekai opened Antwerp, Belgium * 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.26.2006 -- Corteo opened Washington, DC. * 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.29.2007 -- Guy Laliberte announces One Drop Foundation * Oct.30.2001 -- Region 01 DVD Release: Le Magie Continue, Saltimbanco, Cirque Réinventé, and Baroque Odyssey. (Also released on VHS) * Oct.30.2008 -- Koozå opened Washington, DC. * Oct.30.2008 -- Quidam opened Brussels, Belgium * Oct.31.2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Madrid * Oct.31.2007 -- Dralion opened Nagoya, Japan * Oct.31.2008 -- BELIEVE gala premiere in Las Vegas * Oct.xx.2001 -- CirqueClub premiered ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= Within... o) "Evoking the Cards - a ZED album review" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) {Issue Exclusive} o) "BOOK REVIEW: Laliberté's 'Fabulous' Story" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) {Issue Exclusive} o) "Guy Laliberte - A Ride of a Lifetime" [EXPANDED] A Special Collection of Articles About Guy's Social Mission on the International Space Station o) "A Chat with Deborah Colker" [EXPANDED] A Special Reprint from Playbill Arts ------------------------------------------------------- "Evoking the Cards - a ZED album review" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) {Issue Exclusive} ------------------------------------------------------- When my wife and I first heard (and saw) the brilliant ZED at the Cirque du Soleil Theater Tokyo back in November, 2008 as part of CirqueCon 2008: Tokyo! we were enthralled by the beauty of the René Dupéré score. As he says in the ZED Program Book: "I'm very intuitive and instinctive in my approach. Once I'd read François Girard's script for ZED I responded right away, and I often find that my first responses are better than the second ones. What I'm looking to capture is the colour of a show, and how to express that colour musically. I take inspiration from all kinds of musical sources but my style is more European than North American." The Program Book also makes mention of the scores Mediterranean, Caucasus and Ireland influences, saying it includes "frequent incursions into the strange, injection emotion and fire into the major arcana." We hoped that when it was finally adapted for album it would contain much of the power and emotion we heard in Tokyo. When we heard "The World's Meet" on the Cirque compilation set "25" (Cirque du Soleil Musique CDSMCD-10030-2, 2009) we were pleased and hopeful - the song fully managed to convey the power and beauty of one of the best moments in the show with a great arrangement and a stirring chorus finale. But we were concerned that, as with the Dupéré score of KA, the CD wouldn't include the ZED creation band and musicians, consisting of: Kevin Faraci - Singer (Abraka & Kernoon) - United States Johanna Lillvik - Singer (characters Noui & Erato) - Sweden Michel Cyr - Keyboards, Bandleader - Canada Patrick Kelly - Guitar - Canada Darrell Craig Harris - Bass - United States Paul Lazar - Violin - France Paul Hanson - Bassoon - United States Mario Labrosse - Drums - Canada Ron Wagner - Percussion - United States But after talking with Cirque Musical Director Alain Vinet (see Fascination issue #67-August 2009) and hearing the Violaine Corradi- composed score for ZAIA (Cirque du Soleil Musique CDSMC-20029, 2009 and note our interview with Violaine Corradi in Fascination! issue #69 - October 2009) we were encouraged they'd make the "right" decision and record the creation band for the album. We just had to wait and see but the waiting was hard, especially after the originally announced release date came and went. Finally, on October 13, 2009, the US had its first opportunity to hear whether album producers Martin Lord Ferguson & Ella Louise Allaire succeeded. The album (Cirque du Soleil Musique CDSMC-20031, 2009) will appear in Canada on December 8. The album consists of the following tracks, along with the album times and the acts they go with: 1. First Incantation (2:14) - Show Opening 2. Birth of the Sky (5:37) - Bungee 3. Reaching Up (4:59) - Chinese Poles w/trampoline 4. Blue Silk (4:37) - Aerial Silks 5. High Temptation (4:55) -High Wire 6. Vaneyou Mi Le (4:34) - Banquine 7. ZED in Love (4:49) - Aerial Straps 8. Kernoon's Fire (4:30) - Juggling 9. Mirror of the Two World's (4:35) - Baton Twirling 10. The World's Meet (6:36) - Hand to Hand 11. Fiesta (4:50) - Trapeze 12. Hymn of the Worlds (3:23) - Charivari and Show Finale Total playing time: 55:50 All the songs were written by René Dupéré except "First Incantation," "Vaneyou Mi Le," "Kernoon's Fire" and "Fiesta" which were written by: René Dupéré, Ella Louise Allaire & Martin Lord Ferguson. To quote from the Producers Note on the CD packaging: "Attempting to put the emotions of Tokyo's resident Cirque du Soleil show, ZED, into music was both an incredible and challenging experience. Using the live band, string orchestra, choir and various singers, we wanted first and foremost to bring out the unique emotions and the feeling of traveling through different worlds evoked by the show's rich palette, thus allowing the listener to continue the journey through the music. We juxtaposed musical elements that initially might have appeared from different genres. These varied tones finally took an inviting turn and created an evocation of which we are particularly proud." First things first - is it the creation band? Happily YES! The fantastic ZED creation band plays throughout with only a few exceptions, interestingly enough having to do with vocalists. We'll use the numbers from the official order above to make distinctions. Singers Lillvik and Faraci sing lead vocals throughout. Exceptions are Ella Louise Allaire on 6 and 11, and in a signifigant exception Martin Lord Ferguson on 8, "Kernoon's Fire." Both add "additional vocals and vocal effects" to several tracks but these don't distract from the front and center lead vocals. Throat singer Matt Becks sings in the introductions to 1 and 9. A 50-member choir adds to several of the songs. The childrens choir from FACE school chimes in on the finale "Hymn of the Worlds." To address a concern expressed by fans, I note that the lead vocals are clear and upfront in the mix and not overly diluted with effects or additional side vocals. The only additional solo musician is Jean-Marie Benoit who adds classical guitar to 7. The Bel Canto de Bratislava string orchestra appears on 7 of the albums tracks adding a well-recorded full string section, sounding more like KA than ZAIA. The album was a multi-national affair, with the ZED band and vocalists being recorded in Tokyo, the chorus in Canada and the orchestra in Slovakia. Putting the songs into the order they appear in the show comes up with the playlist below. The approximate length of time the act takes in the show is listed after the act. 9b. Mirror of the Two Worlds (from 2:34-4:35) Animation Music - 5:00 1. First Incantation (2:14) - Show Opening-2:00 * Combining of the two halves of ZED (1:00) has no known title, does not appear. 2. Birth of the Sky (5:37) - Bungee-4:15 * Birth On Earth - Lasso - This song does not appear on the CD-show length 8:00 * Clown act here (3:45) has no music 3. Reaching Up (4:59) - Chinese Poles w/trampoline-6:15 4. Blue Silk (4:37) - Aerial Silks-5:00 5. High Temptation (4:55) -High Wire-9:15 8. Kernoon's Fire (4:30) - Juggling-6:45 * Going to Intermission clown act (1:00) has no music * Entre'act (played for the last ten minutes of intermission) has no known title, does not appear. 6. Vaneyou Mi Le (4:34) - Banquine-9:15 7. ZED in Love (4:49) - Aerial Straps-5:45 9a. Mirror of the Two World's (0:00-2:34) - Baton Twirling-3:00 10. The World's Meet (6:36) - Hand to Hand-8:15 * The clown act of playing with the Shaman's pole (3:00) has no known title, does not appear. 11. Fiesta (4:50) - Trapeze-10:45 * Closing of the Storybook (4:15) has no known title, does not appear. 12. Hymn of the Worlds (3:23) - Charivari and Show Finale-6:35 The track order of the CD follows the show pretty closely, with little missing music. The arrangements sound full and complete and hit all the major sections of the pieces (which can be played multiple times in performance to fit the act on stage). The biggest omission is that of the lasso act music - it is a major part of the first act of the show. On the other hand, the music for the Entre'act is more of a jazz instrumental that is played while the audience is returning to their seats after intermission and really isn't vital to telling the show's story. Still, the 55 minutes of music on the CD leaves the possibility of 20 or so minutes more (as shown by the recent ZAIA soundtrack), so the songs could easily have been included. I'm always in favor of filling out a CD, especially in the case of soundtracks, so this disk gets a "C" (average) on the Value scale. The packaging is similar to ZAIA; a tri-fold cardboard package with the booklet in the left-hand pocket and the CD (featuring Johanna in her outfit from "Birth of the Sky") on the right. Blue is the predominant color. There are also messages from the composer and producers. The Program Book credits Dupéré as Composer and Arranger, with Martin Lord Ferguson as Musical Director and Co-Arranger. Ella Louise Allaire handled Orchestrations and Arrangement for the Chorale. So how does the music match up to the powerful show? Pretty well, in this reviewers opinion. A quick run-down of the albums tracks with some notes: "First Incantation" brings in the main theme carried by bassoon, with throat singing to begin. "Birth of the Sky" is Johanna's showpiece and she sings clearly throughout, with strings adding power to the theme. "Reaching Up" has some nice jazz solo breaks, but some compression artifacts detracting from the climactic finale. "Blue Silk" puts its emphasis on the guitar and the blending of the duet vocals. With "High Temptation" the orchestra adds a lot, perhaps too much, diluting the band of much of its punch. The fast pacing of the tune reflects the fleet footing of the performers on the high wire. "Vaneyou Mi Le" has producer Allaire singing lead in a switch, but her voice is out of place here compared to Johanna's clear tones. "ZED in Love" is a slower finely crafted piece. "Kernoon's Fire" is a puzzlement. It's out of place from the order of the show and includes Ferguson's vocals instead of Kevin's. Again, the lower tones of the singers vocals here seem out of place compared to the rest of the album. We have since learned, through a posting on Kevin's mailing list quoted on Cirque Tribune, that the vocal sung in the show is mostly improvised by Faraci himself. "It was a directorial decision that the vocal line I wrote fits the character for the show," Farraci wrote, "and since putting my version on the album would be a conflict of interest with the rest of René's music, I was not asked to record that song." This explanation is interesting since four songs, including "Fire," already have co-writers. To have listed Farraci as another co-writer of "Kernoon's Fire" and have him sing his improvised vocal line on the CD would have been keeping with the "spirit" of the show at least, and not in this writer's opinion been a "conflict of interest." My biggest complaint with the musical arrangement comes next, with "Mirror of the Two Worlds." In performance this song comes full-force with powerful drumming from the beginning. It is also short - the baton twirling act it accompanies is only about 3:00 long - and when the song and act come to an end so soon you almost feel let down. When the chorus comes out of the surround speakers in the theater it's a chilling moment of power you wish could be longer. The CD plays it straight with the arrangement of the song though reducing the sound of the drums in the mix. The appearance of the chorus is still chilling (the first chilling moment we had listening to the CD), but you really want the song to be expanded upon. It's not like there wasn't time available on the CD, I really would have preferred another couple of minutes of arrangement here. Though it reflects the show pretty closely I think it was a missed opportunity. On the same track is a bit of the music from the Animation, which could be considered the "Overature." I would have preferred this as it's own separate track, perhaps arranged with the music from the "Entre'act." "The World's Meet" is exactly the same as it appears on "25." Though now I notice that percussive consonants in the vocals make a distracting slapback sound in the vocal reverb. We love the tinkling wispy ending but it isn't long enough, it could have taken more time to fade - this is true of several tracks on the album. "Fiesta" sets up a nice groove that stays there and cooks throughout. The better of the two ZED pieces to appear in the Cirque Audition Kit MP3's was, to me, "Charivari," which morphed to become one of the sections of the show finale. I really enjoyed the chorus vocals as presented there, which the CD version omits. However, the chorus at the beginning of "Hymn of the Two Worlds" is the second chilling moment of the album. It has a beautiful choral sound and brings the album to a powerful close. Though note to the producers; it would be OK if you left more low-frequency subwoofer rumble in with the big booms at the end of songs - it would really be fun to feel the boom as you do in the show. Other flaws are noticeable but minor. There are several obvious edits within some of the songs. (With 20 spare minutes of space, why did they bother?) And there are some scuffling sounds noticeable in the background at the choral beginning of "Hymn of the Two Worlds" that could have been corrected. Bottom line: Yeah, I have nits to pick, but overall they got this one RIGHT. The brilliant music of this brilliant show has been pretty accurately translated to this disk. The enhancements to the creation band sound are interesting and, I feel, appropriate. My wife and I are seriously considering whether this CD replaces "O" as our favorite Cirque soundtrack. After some time traveling other musical avenues (Varekai, Zumanity, remixes, Delirium) Cirque is coming back to their core. ZAIA, ZED, and the compilation "25" signal a back-to-basics approach that this Cirque fan applauds. ------------------------------------------------------- "BOOK REVIEW: Laliberté's 'Fabulous' Story" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) {Issue Exclusive} ------------------------------------------------------- While there has been much written about Cirque du Soleil the company, not much has been written about the people who helped make the company. With his ascension into the ranks of billionaires and higher profile as a space tourist, it was only a matter of time before a biography, authorized or not, would attempt to illuminate the life of its founder, Guy Laliberté. The book is: Guy Laliberté: The Fabulous Story of the Creator of Cirque du Soleil By Ian Halperin // Transit Publishing, 2009, 226 pages (ISBN: 978-1- 926745-15-2) $25.00 // www.transitpublishing.com Halperin has written several pop culture books, including two on Kurt Cobain ("Who Killed" and "The Murder of") and three on supermodels (talking about their "dark side" and "deadly world"). In the latter, as he comments in these pages, he slept with several supermodels while gathering research undercover. His most popular book was "Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson" (published BEFORE the singers death it should be noted). He also has a celebrity gossip website, www.ianundercover.com and if pictures on the site are to be believed is never without sunglasses. The book dedication reads: "To anyone who has ever performed on the street and thought it wasn't possible to go further in life." Part I discusses Laliberté's and Cirque's history up to Dralion. Part II involves Laliberté's (and Halperin's) relationship with Rizea Moriera (more on her later). Part III deals with his parties, development of the show with The Beatles that became LOVE, and later shows. There are five pages of generic pictures. Halperin writes from a personal angle, often injecting himself into the storyline (Halperin and Laliberté's children played together for years). Halperin also identifies with Laliberté in that both were roving buskers in their youth. Overall, the book does present a balanced view of its subject, listing positive attributes and accomplishments while also documenting the "other side." Trying to tell the Laliberté's story invariably involves telling Cirque's story. Some time in the book is given to drug use and sexual exploits in Cirque's early years. This Halperin has gleaned from talking with former employees and friends of the circus in numerous interviews scattered throughout the book. There are also vivid descriptions of some of the more lavish parties Laliberté has been known to throw, in a chapter previously excerpted in Maclean's Magazine. Long work hours and low pay for performers are also discussed. The book makes mention that this was eventually rectified when Gilles Ste- Croix became director of Human Services. Around the same time Normand Latourelle tried to take Cirque over, which resulted in him being bought out for $75,000 and $200,000 for the Admission ticket network. (We've known this happened, but the amount has not been previously public.) Much coverage in the book (and perhaps the reason the book was written in the first place) is given to Rizia Moreira, mother to three of Laliberté's five children. The book documents her story thoroughly, though she doesn't come off well in the telling. Halperin speculates that by wooing her when she was very young and spending freely on her, Laliberté created a "monster" that demanded only the finest and most expensive things and threw fits when she didn't get her way. She comes off as spoiled and needy, however justified she might feel in her anger over how she was treated. Also a factor in Moreira's behavior was Laliberté's insistence on not marrying. Quebec's civil code states a common-law union does not confer the same rights as legal marriage. Even though they may be together for years, non-married couples have no claim on the assets of the other person. This could be a large part of the motivation for Moriera's actions and feelings. Nevertheless, Laliberté comes across as a very caring person, reaching out to Moriera repeatedly. Many others talk about his kindness and compassion. This point is made later in the book, where after taking up poker he was involved in a game with poker player David Benyamine in December 2007. Realizing he had the upper hand with a $1.2 million dollar pot at stake, Laliberté tried to talk Benyamine into backing out. "I can afford to lose this. You can't." It was only when player Doyle Brunson remarked to Benyamine, "One day in his life represents your whole life," that Benyamine relented, taking Laliberté's bailout offer and losing only $47,000. In the second printing reviewed here, an additional post-scriptum has been added including a sordid tale sent to Halperin after publishing of the first edition mentioning Laliberté's bedroom prowess. Halperin also documents Laliberté's efforts to stop the book prior to and after publishing. While fun to read on a superficial level, the book is not well documented. It includes no bibliography, research notes or index, just a listing of names cited. Neither is it well proofread, as editing and typesetting errors appear throughout the book. Some parts of Cirque's (and thereby Laliberté's) story are glossed over or omitted entirely. It skims over the beginnings of Cirque. For example, it talks about the conscious decision to exclude animals but doesn't mention Laliberté's duck Foin-Foin who appeared with him in early performances. Halperin documents the troupes' early journey to Niagara Falls but doesn't discuss the business failure that resulted. There is no mention of Nouvelle Experience's taking up residence in The Mirage parking lot in Las Vegas in 1993. (This early success, it has been suggested, would convince Laliberté that Vegas could be a goldmine for Cirque.) Some mention is made of "O" but no mention of the delays in opening the resort and the show. It mentions ZAIA only in passing and has no mention of ZED. On the other hand, it talks at length about LOVE, crediting Laliberté as the moving force behind it (which seems likely). Mention is made of the firing and lawsuit of Matthew Cusick, but no mention is made of the trademark infringement lawsuit Cirque du Soleil brought against Neil Goldberg and his Cirque Productions, which Goldberg won. With books of this type, there is often an aura of "Can I believe this?" Since it contains no documentation of its claims, it's left up to the reader to believe the words within. This isn't a business book concentrating on the company, but at the same time isn't a tell-all-expose book. One comes away feeling the book treats the man in a balanced and fair way, showing his drive and compassion while also exploring his need for control and power. The overall impression of Laliberté one comes away with is very positive. If you want to know more about the MAN, this book is occasionally interesting. There are several bits of I-didn't-know-that knowledge spread through its pages. (For example, Laliberté's will stipulates one third of his assets will be distributed to his children, one third to Cirque, one third to a charity of his choice, with nothing for his female companions.) Much of it comes off as quickly written and not thoroughly researched as shown by its lack of documentation. It's for the truly interested only, or else the US$25.00 will seem like a waste. It still would be very interesting for someone to take an academic look at the BUSINESS of Cirque du Soleil, with a thorough analysis of the way it runs a creative-product organization and remains highly profitable. (The book "The Spark" had none of the financial data or behind-the-scenes stories one would find in such a book.) But with Cirque's press shyness and zealous desire for control of its image that book might be some time in coming. (And why should it need to - as Halperin's book often points out Cirque is a private company, unbeholden to stockholders and by extension the public at large.) Halperin's propensity to write multiple books on the same subject (Cobain, models) prompts us to wonder if there will be another Cirque do Soleil book from Halperin. Of course, if Mr. Laliberté wants to call and set the record straight on anything contained in the book, we'd be happy to give him all the space he wants right here in Fascination!. He has our email. ------------------------------------------------------- "Guy Laliberte - A Ride of a Lifetime" A Special Collection of Articles About Guy's Social Mission on the International Space Station ------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte's recent ride into space has been chronicled in many media outlets across the world. Here is a small sample of articles relating to Guy's "Poetic Mission" in space: Cirque Tycoon Savours Space Ride of a Lifetime From: Reuters, UK ------------------------------------------------ Canadian circus billionaire Guy Laliberte said on Tuesday his return to Earth in a capsule engulfed by flame was the ride of his lifetime. Laliberte, the founder of "Cirque du Soleil", landed last Sunday wearing his trademark clown's red nose after spending two weeks in space during which he hosted a show linking singers, dancers and celebrities in 14 cities to raise awareness about the scarcity of clean water on Earth. For the 50-year-old, who reportedly paid $35 million (22 million pounds) for his space trip, it was his ride back to Earth that provided the most thrilling show. "Mission accomplished," a relaxed and smiling Laliberte, a former street performer now worth an estimated $2.5 billion, told a news conference at Russia's space training centre outside Moscow. "That was the ride of my lifetime." The ascent to the International Space Station (ISS) was more of "an emotional and spiritual" encounter with something new, he said. "But coming back was really a ride!" "You are going down and you are going through these blue layers and ... you start to see the sparks, and it's an amazing spectacle. For me as an entertainer, this was an amazing show." "I'd go up there right away to just do it again, because it was such a great physical and adrenaline kick for me." Laliberte returned from the ISS with Russian Gennady Padalka and U.S. astronaut Michael Barratt both of whom had spent almost seven months at the outpost. He said he had tried to entertain the station's crew, though he confessed there was strict discipline on board which limited his clowning. "For a person like me, who goes into such a busy environment, the last thing you want to do is to hit and damage some kind of equipment there," he said. "So my first steps there were very careful and actually day after day I was able to be in a more playful environment." Laliberte was the seventh space tourist to pay for a ticket to the ISS to enjoy weightlessness and the view back to Earth. But with the U.S. space shuttles to be retired next year or early in 2011, Russia now bears the brunt of sending crews and cargo to the ISS and Moscow says it does not know when the next wealthy tourist could fly into space. "The space crew has now been expanded to six persons, and only professionals are to be launched," Sergei Krikalyov, head of Russia's space training centre, told the news conference. "No new launches of space tourists are planned in the near future," he said. Guy Laliberté blasts off for One Drop in Space From: Ethioplanet ----------------------------------------------------- Canadian Guy Laliberté, who started out as an accordion player but went on to found the world-famous Cirque du Soleil, ranks 261 in the Forbes list of the World’s Billionaires for 2009. Which is why he can afford to pay the Russians $35 million for a journey into space. Early this morning, he blasted of from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a rocket-powered trip to the international space station. “I’m not a scientist,” Russia Today had him saying recently. “I’m not a professional cosmonaut and astronaut. What I’m bringing up there is what I am. And what I am is an artist, I’m creative and I think I’m a person with a pretty high spirit. “So I’m going to crack jokes on these guys while they’re sleeping, tickling them.” A Russian Soyuz rocket is currently on its way en route to the station where Laliberté will live for nine days. However, although he’s lucky enough, and rich enough, to be able to embark on this kind of adventure, there’s a more serious side to it. Laliberté is also a philanthropist who in 2007 created the One Drop foundation to ensure everyone has access to water. On the foundation web site, “When I founded ONE DROP, it was (or rather, it still is) desperately urgent to do something to protect water,” he blogged on Monday. Our objectives target action on the ground, educational projects (such as AQUA, which several cities have expressed an interest in) and raising awareness. I could have done all that in traditional philanthropic ways or even step by step as we did with Cirque du Soleil, but we don’t have 25 years to save the cause of water! And besides, I wanted a different sort of foundation, something that sets us apart and incorporates art. ONE DROP is already acting in practical terms, but in the project of going into space, I saw an innovative opportunity, reflecting the image of Cirque du Soleil and my own image, too. Of course there is an element of risk, but that’s in my nature—and taking risks is an integral part of my company’s culture as well. Right from the start, I knew that such a project wouldn’t get unanimous support, but I was willing to take the chance. And anyhow, I wanted to go into space! The stars seemed to be perfectly aligned so that I could take my gang at Cirque and ONE DROP along with me. What’s more, the international coverage we are getting at the moment seems to support the fact that it’s the right thing to do; I wouldn’t have been able to reach so many people so quickly by doing things the traditional way. Beyond the audacity of the project, I know that this mission is upsetting some of you from an ecological point of view. I am already committed to respecting the environment in my everyday life, so of course I was worried about offsetting my carbon footprint for my flight into space. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Cirque du Soleil in the same year was just perfect timing! I make no bones about it: of course this project gives the company high visibility as an events organizer. This free, worldwide event is in step with the humanitarian journey already embarked on by Cirque du Soleil. In fact, 1% of the company’s income goes towards helping young people: Cirque du Monde, our status as donor to La TOHU and our assistance in the St-Michel neighbourhood—not to mention our support for young artists. As far as I’m concerned, this $35 M is another investment, one that has led to interesting partnership requests for ONE DROP. Will the end result be what we hoped for? In the short term, there are encouraging signs. In the medium and long term, we’ll have to wait and see! However, I believe that the spin-off effects will make things easier for other projects out there that support the cause of water. Of course, it is thanks to my own financial situation that I have been able to experience such an adventure. And yes, I am also making a personal dream come true through this mission. I’m having an enriching experience with a fascinating community. And from your feedback, I am so happy to see that the drops are gathering together to create a magnificent wave! – P2pne Canadan Space Tourist Hosts Space Show From: The Washinton Examiner -------------------------------------------- A former stiltwalker and fire-eater is stealing NASA's space show. Cirque du Soleil founder Guy LaLiberte met with journalists Thursday and previewed his upcoming space station visit. He will rocket into orbit from Kazakhstan this fall as a paying tourist. Laliberte says he won't be playing with any fire in space, for obvious reasons. But he hopes to try some acrobatics in weightlessness and may teach his crewmates a card trick or two. As Laliberte talked up creativity, art and safe water for the world's poor, the astronauts in orbit worked to place experiments on the new front porch of Japan's space station lab. Was Guy's 10-Day Stay A Success? From: The Canadian Broadcasting Company --------------------------------------------- Canadian space tourist Guy Laliberté says his 10-day stay at the International Space Station successfully drew attention to his work to guarantee access to clean water worldwide. The Cirque du Soleil founder used part of his trip to stage a two- hour, multi-city show from the station on Friday to help raise awareness of global drinking-water problems. The time on the space station was an effective "marketing tool to put the One Drop Foundation on the map," Laliberté told reporters at Russia's cosmonaut training centre outside Moscow on Tuesday. The 50-year-old Quebec entrepreneur founded the One Drop Foundation in 2007 to fight poverty by providing access to safe water. "Mission accomplished," Laliberté said. "I still have to evaluate the impact internationally, but so far it looks like a great success." Laliberté reportedly paid $35 million US for the 12-day trip. He returned to Earth in a Soyuz space capsule on Sunday with Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and NASA astronaut Michael Barratt, who had spent six months on the space station. Padalka jokingly told reporters that the crew aboard the space station enjoyed "complete freedom and democracy, except for anarchy" during Laliberté's stay there. Laliberté was the seventh private citizen to blast into space and the ninth Canadian in space. He is expected to be the last private paying tourist to visit the station for some time, as NASA mothballs its fleet of space shuttles and the U.S. space agency relies on Soyuz craft to get back and forth to the space station. The one-time stilt-walker and fire-eater said that he experienced only one scary moment during his return trip to Earth, as the Soyuz capsule re-entered the atmosphere and plunged toward the planet. Before returning to Earth, Laliberté had told reporters that watching the Earth from up above helped him appreciate the environment even more. He called the space trip a life-changing experience. "It's worth every penny and more, I believe, because over and above doing it for myself, there's a lot of other stuff that's going on," Laliberté said. "Laliberte Describes His 'Amazing Ride'" From: Red Orbit -------------------------------------------- Following his recent trip into space, Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte recalled the journey as "an amazing ride." "Everything was an amazing ride and I would go back up there right now to do it again," Laliberte told reporters at a press conference outside Moscow. Laliberte, 50, spent about $35 million to reserve his spot on the Soyuz. He said the price of admission was "worth every penny and more," because he was able to raise awareness of his cause aimed at highlighting the situation of water on earth through the foundation One Drop. During his 12-day mission aboard the International Space Station, he took part in a two-hour Webcast featuring former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Irish rock group U2 and others. The Webcast was aimed at gaining attention and support for the One Drop Foundation. "I never denied this was a moment to create awareness toward the situation of water in the world, toward foundation One Drop," said Laliberte. "I don't have 25 years, the world doesn't have 25 years to address the situation of water, so I think this was a great opportunity to combine a personal dream also, and having a greater benefit than just coming in space." Laliberte returned to Earth Sunday, donning his red clown nose, alongside Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and NASA astronaut Michael Barratt. He told reporters that the return trip from space to earth was the ride of his lifetime. "You start to see the sparks for the first time and there's all these colors, and it's an amazing spectacle," he said. Space-Directed Show Has a Universal Message From: The Montreal Gazette ---------------------------------------------- Guy Laliberté’s Poetic Social Mission into space was transmitted live to the world last night, with help from an international star-studded cast preaching the value of one of our planet’s most precious resources. The two-hour show, titled Moving Stars and Earth for Water, was broadcast on TV and the Internet via Laliberté’s charity foundation, Onedrop.org. It began with a word from the Cirque du Soleil founder floating in zerogravity aboard the Russian spaceship Soyuz TMA-16 somewhere above the Earth. “Hello, everyone. Welcome to the International Space Station,” Laliberté began. “I am an artist, not a scientist.” The show, he explained, was “the only way I can make a significant contribution to this mission.” The “mission” is his 12-day, $35-million joyride around the planet. He talked of how “water touched me and inspired me. Water is the source of life. A child dies every eight seconds because of contaminated water.” Those sentiments were expanded upon by former U.S. vice-president Al Gore and environmentalist David Suzuki. The show moved to Cirque headquarters at the TOHU in Montreal, where astronaut Julie Payette and author Yann Martel began to recite Martel’s multilingual fable of the sun, the moon, the Earth and the adventures of a lone drop of water. The narrative, from which the show got its title, would be picked up by other guests throughout the evening, providing a unifying thread to the proceedings. A performance by Cirque acrobats and trapeze artists followed. Over to Johannesburg and Durban, South Africa, where Peter Gabriel and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Wangaari Maathai continued the tale. In Rio de Janeiro, it was the turn of Brazilian singer-songwriter and minister of culture Gilberto Gil. Off to Paris, where Quebec star Garou, France’s Patrick Bruel and others performed a melodramatic song by Luc Plamondon over striking aerial images of water. In Mexico City, Salma Hayak spoke before ceding the stage to singer Lila Downs. Cut to pop star Shakira in New York, a song by soprano Tiffany Speight in Sydney, Australia, and British soul siren Joss Stone, performing from London. Dispatches from Marrakech, Mumbai and Osaka added to the event’s globetrotting variety show feel. Pacing was erratic at times but things flowed remarkably smoothly overall. An exchange between Bono (on stage from a U2 concert in Tampa, Fla.) and Laliberté, near show’s end, fell flat. But ensuing footage from U2’s 360 tour provided a much-needed boost of energy. It all culminated with the Cirque in Moscow, bringing Laliberté’s at once self-promoting and philanthropic mission full circle. “All for water, and water for all,” he said, putting on his red clown nose. “Peace.” Cirque Founder Calls Trip to Space A Success From: The Associated Press ------------------------------------------------ The Canadian billionaire told reporters at the cosmonaut training center outside Moscow that his trip to the International Space Station was an effective "marketing tool to put the One Drop Foundation on the map." The trip cost Laliberte $35 million. The one-time stilt-walker and fire-eater said that he experienced only one scary moment during the his return trip to Earth, as the Soyuz capsule re-entered the atmosphere and plunged toward the planet. Laliberte returned to Earth Sunday with Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and NASA astronaut Michael Barratt. Padalka jokingly told reporters that the crew aboard the space station enjoyed "complete freedom and democracy, except for anarchy," during Laliberte's stay there. "Surprisingly, everything went smoothly," he said. Barratt pointed out that he was for at time one of two physicians aboard the orbiting laboratory. "Having two doctors aboard was a bit dangerous for the crew," he joked in Russian. ------------------------------------------------------- "A Chat with Deborah Colker" A Special Reprint from Playbill Arts ------------------------------------------------------- After nearly a decade, famed Brazilian choreographer Deborah Colker and her Companhia de Dance - a return to New York Oct. 22-25. The energetic artist recently spoke to Playbill Arts about the long overdue engagement, as well as her recent work with Cirque du Soleil. Since founding Companhia in 1994, Colker has created nine full-length pieces for her troupe- each one taking an average of two years to meticulously plan and construct. Born to a musical family in Rio De Janeiro, Colker began as something of a music prodigy, playing with an orchestra by the age of 14. She would go on to study piano for over a decade (a skill she will demonstrate to New York audiences in one of the evening's movements), play volleyball for a time and study psychology for six years. All of these elements - love of sports, music and overall artistry - heavily inform her work. In the time since she last brought her Companhia to the Big Apple, Colker has found time to serve as a guest choreographer for the Berlin Ballet - Komische Oper, create a piece for the 2004 Carnival and take home the U.K.'s prestigious Olivier Award for her work on Mix in 2001. Most notable among recent achievements, Ms. Colker has had the honor of being the first woman to create a show for Cirque du Soleil. Her Ovo, a Brazilian-dance themed journey into the world of insects, opened in Canada to great acclaim. When we spoke, it had recently been announced that the show will soon be touring the United States, including a New York engagement in May and June of 2010. For the time being, Colker is focused on her current date with City Center. For this visit she has chosen 4 X 4 from her repertoire. 4 X 4 is a collaboration between dance and visual art. Works by Brazilian artists of different times are transformed into dance. Cantos (Corners), based on Cildo Meireles; Mesa (Table), Chelpa Ferro; Poinho (Some People), Victor Arruda; and Vasos (Vases), Gringo Cardia, are choreographies that bring images to life. The company explores the concepts of restraint, gentleness, limitation, daring, transparency and above all, clarity. Music is other vertex in the artistic love triangle formed in 4 X 4 – the performance also offers Deborah Colker herself on the piano, interpreting a Mozart sonata, in the piece entitled Meninas. A CHAT WITH DEBORAH COLKER Q. You're in Brazil right now? I am in Brazil. I was in New York, and after that I went to Toronto. I stayed for one week because the performance that I directed for Cirque du Soleil, Ovo, is performing in there. I am very happy. I just heard that Ovo is coming to New York next May 2010! It was good because I did the premiere in Montreal, and then I went to Toronto to see their performance, and I loved it. They are amazing, it's a great dance, and the audience loved the show! I was very happy. I knew that the show would go to San Francisco, but I didn't know that it would perform in New York. Q. How did the Cirque du Soleil job come about? We started in 2006. I was in London with my company performing at the Barbican Center. We were performing KNOT. It's a performance about desire, desires that are possible and desires that are not possible. I was there and the vice-president of Cirque came to the show. She is right arm of [Cirque CEO] Guy Laliberte. He came to see the performance and came to talk with me. I guess it was a long time that they were trying to talk to me- they were looking for me! [Laughs.] Q. They had their eye on working with you already, then? Yes. I am the first woman to direct a Cirque du Soleil production in 25 years. In 2009 they are celebrating their 25th birthday. Q. Cirque shows tend to be more acrobatically-inclined. Is that the case with Ovo or is it more of a dance piece? Ovo is a performance piece. I signed on as the writer, I wrote the story, I directed and I am the choreographer. I signed on for three things in the show. Really, it's a love story. Guy asked me to do a show with a nature theme, nature and biodiversity. I chose insects as a theme. They said okay, and they liked my idea. I relate the insects with the acrobats, the way that they climb, the way that they fly, the way that they float, the way that they jump. I jumped inside the insects' walls and changed the scale. Insects are very small compared to human beings. I did the show inside the scale of the [insect world]. Inside this world is the community of insects. There is one insect that is a foreigner. He arrives in this community inside a big egg. All of the insects are totally interested in this egg and they steal it. This foreigner is a crazy fly, and he is trying to get his egg back. During the time that he is trying to do this, he falls in love with a ladybug. She's American, a New Yorker! She's very funny. There are two stories [in Ovo], one about the egg and the love story. This is a show that has a story that everybody [can relate to]. Even a child will see Ovo and understand it. It's a community of insects and it's a love story. The egg is a metaphor for many things: hope, love, knowledge... We must never break the egg. All of the artists onstage are acrobats, and every one is a dancer. When I choreographed the show, it was not only the positions but the scenes inside the numbers. And I created some new numbers. Really, I think that this show features a lot of dance, a lot of movement. The action and movements are working together all the time. And also, there are a lot of Brazilian songs! Q. Was the music composed ahead of time? It's a special composition. I brought in Berna Ceppas, who works with me in my dance company. He has been working with me [for a long time], and I fought a lot to bring this guy in to compose for me. The music of Cirque du Soleil is usually within a single style. With Ovo we change completely. Q. So it's largely Brazilian music? Yes. Not only Brazilian, but we brought a lot of rhythms and sounds from Brazil. For example, in Ovo we have a forro dance. We have one number written from Mato Grosso, which is in the center of Brazil, a kind of dance [specific to that region]. We have samba from Rio, we have funky carioca… Q. I know with Cirque you're not really able to develop the piece during rehearsals to the extent that you usually like to. Was that difficult, having to prepare so much ahead of time? It was a long process. I began this process in 2006 and began the work in 2007. I worked with them for two and a half years. What I could do with them, I worked them from September until May. I had moved to Montreal from December until May as we rehearsed. I stayed for five months. Because I work with my company all the time and [was splitting my time] between the company and Cirque du Soleil, this last year I traveled to Montreal 12 times!! From Brazil! Can you believe it? [Laughs.] It was a long trip. It's really different from my company. With my company, all of the creative process is done together- the conception, the artistic elements, etc. I'm working with the sets, with the lights, with the costumes, with the music. It's everything together. We usually spend between two years and three years to create a performance for my company. What happened with Cirque du Soleil, it was quite the same but it was different. We began at a table [working] on the intellectual conception and the aesthetic, working on the ideas. After a year and a half I went back to begin practicing. This was a huge challenge. I love to explore movement and space. Since the beginning of this process I began to think about space. Space is the residence between the dialogue and the dance. In the past I would create something on paper, build the set and then begin to dance. With my company we create and develop it together. Q. Now, you're returning to New York with your company for the first time in almost 10 years. How did you choose 4 X 4 as the piece to present this time? The performance that I did last time was ROTA, which means "Root." After 4 X 4 I created two more performances. I have KNOT and I have CRUEL, which is my newest one. We decided to bring 4 X 4, I think, for many reasons. It's an emblematic performance. I think it represents a lot about my vision. I think that with 4 X 4 I began to make some important changes. I've worked with space a long time, but with 4 X 4 the space is used in a different way. The spaces in 4 X 4 have a lot of metaphor and a lot of [new ways] to relate to the dance. This work we developed differently. With this work I began to make a lot of changes, especially in my conceptions- to [approach the work] not only like a choreographer but like an artist, like a director. I began to make many changes. We've traveled [the piece] a lot with the company, not only in the U.S. but also to Europe, China, Singapore, New Zealand… We have been to Kennedy Center many times, but it has taken nine years to come back to New York! Q. You did 4 X 4 at Kennedy Center about six years ago. Do your pieces tend to change over time? I've changed many things. [Dance] is something alive, no? Sometimes the dancers change, or sometimes I change. It's really [a lot of work]. We rehearse every day for 7 hours and 45 minutes. Every day! We do ballet class everyday; we do contemporary class most days. It's about passion. But I usually change the pieces because of the change in my dancers. Here, I changed the costumes, for example, in the third choreography of the first act. It's called Poinho. The theme is that it's a huge painting. It is so big and so colorful, so I thought that it was good, with the costumes, to have only one color. Also, there is a dance in the second act which we began with two dancers. Now we use four dancers. Q. This is the Mozart piece? Yes, now it's four dancers. Q. And you will be playing the piano for that part of the performance. That's right. I'm not a concert pianist. I am someone who studied piano as well as dance. It's very unpretentious. In 4 X 4 I relate all of the pieces, all of the choreographies, with some visual arts and space and movement. The beginning of the second act is the only moment where it's an empty stage. It's only the piano and the dancers and the simplicity of the music. Little by little, all of the dancers in the company begin to build the Vases configuration. We need to bring to the stage 90 vases. They are brought on one by one. And they need to be precise because we dance through them and around them. And then we suspend these vases from the floor and we dance under them. That's why they need to be placed so precisely on the stage, spaced exactly one meter vertically and one meter horizontally. Q. How many members of the company are performing in this piece? 17. It's really exciting for the dancers because it's really something that is a huge risk. It's the risk of delicacy. Nobody dies, but if one vase falls [gasps] it's a different kind of danger. [Laughs.] But everybody is breathing together. Q. For anybody who isn't familiar with your work, would you say there is a particular theme or a message to this piece? Really I am just fascinated with that relationship between movement and space, and I love the relation between visual arts and dance. I think that 4 X 4 is a performance about restriction and limitations. It is also about our lives living in the big cities of the world. These restrictions and limitations, this is something that we are living in these cities. More and more we have more people, more cars and less space! We need a lot of concentration. The piece is about needing to learn to work in this space and how, through creativity, we can find our way to dance inside this reality that we have to deal with. Q. Are you working on anything new at the moment? I've begun to create a new performance with my company. I've spent a few years working on Cirque du Soleil and liked it very much. Now I'm thinking of telling new stories. I need to grow as an artist. I like to research and develop a lot and I spend usually 2 years minimum to create a performance. Q. Well thank you for taking the time to talk to us. We're looking forward to having you back in New York. I just want to say this: It's taken us 9 years to come back to New York, but I hope that people did not forget us! New York is a city that is the big capital to play. I have two sensations [about performing in New York]. One is that it's a big responsibility. The other is that it's a big honor and pleasure. I'm counting the days! I'm nervous and afraid, almost like when we have a birthday and throw a party and we fear that nobody will show up! [Laughs]. Q. I think you'll have no problem finding an audience here! Good! I will sleep better today! ======================================================================= SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ======================================================================= Fascination! is a monthly newsletter, available through subscription via Yahoo! Groups or on the World Wide Web in text format at the newsletter's website: < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. To subscribe, please send an email to: < CirqueFascination- subscribe@yahoogroups.com >. To unsubscribe, please send an email to: < CirqueFascination-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com >. To view back issues, or other online Newsletter content, please visit us at: < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. Have a comment, question or concern? Email the Fascination! Newsletter staff at: < CirqueFasincation-owner@yahoogroups.com >. We are anxious to hear any and all comments! ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 9, Number 8 (Issue #70) - November 2009 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2009 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. { Nov.07.2009 } =======================================================================