======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 11, NUMBER 10 October 2011 ISSUE #93e ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter, now broadcasting to you from beautiful Atlanta, Georgia. I say it's beautiful here because we've had nothing but sunny skies and mild temperatures (not to mention mild humidity) ever since our arrival in mid-september. Although this is destined to change (more toward the frigid in the coming months), we're enjoying this time. It's actually Autumn, a season the sunny state of Florida doesn't subscribe to, and it's wonderful. We're looking forward to getting to know our new home here in Georgia... In the meantime there's a lot of Cirque to discuss. From ZED's Eventual departure (and our continued reflections on the show) to Cirque du Soleil's IRIS having its official Gala Premiere, there's quite a bit going on inside this month. We check in with Steve Long who recently returned from a trip to Japan and continue to gather his thoughts on ZED, see what IRIS is all about through materials published in the Cirque du Soleil press room, and hear once again from CirqueCon - if you're a member they'd like your opinion! At press time Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour show also had its premiere in Montreal. We'll check out the reviews of the show and learn a bit about its presentation next time, okay? And if all goes as planned, you'll hear our thoughts about the show in our January 2012 issue (we're planning to attend MJ THE IMMORTAL World Tour at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas for Cirque Week 2011!) As always we've got the latest news items posted to Fascination! Web and, of course, updates to Cirque's tour schedule within. So, let's get started! 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 * Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues * BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre * Venue Shows -- Venue & Seasonal Productions o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets * Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub * Networking -- Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Flickr o) Compartments -- A Peek Behind the Curtain * Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque * Historia -- Cirque du Soleil's History o) Fascination! Features * "Remembering ZED: A Timeless Evocation" Part 2 of 4 - "From A to ZED" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) * "The Last Viewings of ZED" By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA) * "IRIS: A Journey Through the World of Cinema" By: Cirque du Soleil Press Room Materials * "CirqueCon Update #7 - We'd Like Your Thoughts!" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) * "Music Interview: Danny Elfman" [EXPANDED] A Special Reprint from Buzzline o) Subscription Information o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= ZAIA's New Visual {Sep.01.2011} ------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil's Macau resident show ZAIA unveiled a new visual earlier this morning - and it's... colorful. Check out the new visual here: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/wp-content/uploads/2011 /09/NewZaiaViz.jpg > {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil} Cirque Plans Expansion in China [EXPANDED] {Sep.02.2011} ------------------------------------------------- Canadian global entertainment brand Cirque du Soleil plans to use its current ZAIA showcase in Macau as a "springboard" to further its Asian ambitions, President and CEO Daniel Lamarre told Reuters in an exclusive interview in Hong Kong recently... # # # Lamarre said the Montreal-based entertainment company will seek to bring more touring shows to Asia and establish permanent venues in China, India and other countries around the region. "Macau now the way it's developing is attracting a lot of clientele not only (from) mainland China but now we're seeing more and more people coming from India and other countries and I think it will help establish our brand not only in this neighbourhood but across all of Asia and that's the plan, that's the strategy," Lamarre said. He said gambling probably accounts for 90 percent of Macau's activities right now, but expects it to follow the Vegas model where he says gambling has lost its dominance of the city's attractions and entertainment is huge. "So that's why we're here, to help develop the entertainment business not only in Macau but in all of China," he said. Cirque du Soleil's immediate goal is to maintain ZAIA as a flagship showcase in Macau, and will have the potential to grow into multiple shows per day. Vegas now features seven shows per day - excluding Cirque du Soleil's upcoming Michael Jackson show in October. "We hope to have three permanent shows in Macau one day and I see a day where we can have a permanent show in big Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing and who knows," Lamarre said. But first Lamarre said the Cirque plans to begin regularly touring key cities in China in the next 18 months with a view to establishing permanent shows within four years and spreading out across Asia. "We've been to Shanghai once, we've never been to Beijing." He intends to follow a similar strategy in India and elsewhere in Asia. "For India right now, it's the same as China, it's establishing a touring show first then it will probably take four years before we have such a strong presence that we can contemplate having a permanent show (in New Delhi and Mumbai)." In addition, he said Cirque du Soleil wants to build on its positive experiences from previous tours in other Asian cities such as Seoul, Taipei and Manila. "We started in Korea a few years back and we have become a very, very important brand in that country." # # # Watch a video of the interview here: < http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/lamarre-says-cirque-du- soleil-plans-more-china-tours/2011/09/02/gIQAfrsgvJ_ video.html > {SOURCE: Reuters, Washington Post} La Nouba Price Increase {Sep.05} ------------------------------------------------- The annual price increases for Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba are now upon us. The following ticket prices are effective for performances from September 27, 2011 onward: NEW FALL 2011 TICKET PRICES (Category): (adults 10+) / (child 3-9): o) Category Front & Center: $128.00 + tax / $102.00 + tax o) Category 1: $113.00 + tax / $89.00 + tax o) Category 2: $89.00 + tax / $72.00 + tax o) Category 3: $73.00 + tax / $55.00 + tax NOTE: new prices will apply to bookings beginning September 6 2011. If you already have an existing reservation you will not be affected by the new pricing. Previous 2011 Ticket Prices (Category): (adults) / (child 3-9): o) Category Front & Center: $120.00 / $97.00 o) Category 1: $105.00 / $85.00 o) Category 2: $85.00 / $69.00 o) Category 3: $69.00 / $56.00 {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil} Patti LuPone vs. Cirque du Soleil [EXPANDED] {Sep.11} ------------------------------------------------- Wow, so, someone really doesn't like the fact that Cirque du Soleil is trying to make a name for itself in New York City... BUSTY Broadway babe Patti LuPone is not a fan of Cirque. The actress - most famous for making a cameo appearance on the hit TV show 30 Rock, singing this song, and for starring in a play about a lady called Eva - is furious that the company has taken out a five-year lease on Radio City Music Hall because it'll mean people will stay away from Broadway. "You know, I'm very angry at the ticket prices in New York City, and I think it has more to do with greed than it has to do with anything else," she told Metro Weekly. “Cirque du Soleil – it’s the big, bad brother now. My main complaint is that the productions are just too loud. You can’t have an intimate experience in the theater anymore. And that’s what it’s about. It’s really about the unification of an audience, having a collective audience, individually, and listening. And we’re not allowed to listen any more because the sound level is too loud. And, I don’t know where the voice is coming from. It’s not coming from the stage any more. My eyes are looking at the stage, and my ears are searching for the sound that the mouth is producing. So, immediately I’m disenfranchised from my experience. Hair is a perfect example. The revival was just too loud. I remember seeing it originally; it’s an intimate musical. And this — I couldn’t understand any of the lyrics.” {SOURCE: Showbiz Spy} Zarkana's Scenic Design [EXPANDED] {Sep.12} ------------------------------------------------- Live Design recently caught up with Zarkana's scenic designer - Stephane Roy - and talked shop: # # # In taming the huge stage at Radio City Music Hall, French- Canadian scenic designer Stéphane Roy (whose previous designs for Cirque du Soleil include Dralion, Varekai, and Zumanity) reduced the size of the stage to something more manageable yet still majestic. "It's like a temple when you first go into Radio City," Roy says. "The best approach in dealing with this large space was to blend and continue the perspective in the theatre to make it smaller." To do so, Roy used a series of three portals, noting: "Within the third portal, the stage is almost the same size as a Broadway theatre." With Radio City as the framework for the production, everything was large-scale: "Like an opera," says Roy, who used various curtains, from Austrian, French, Kabuki, and Venetian, to punctuate the performance and set the various scenes. "The idea was that the theatre had been abandoned for 75 years," he explains. "We wanted to express the idea of timelessness, we have been there before, we are there now, and will be there again. Everything is mystical, full of memories." With that idea in mind, there are not a lot of set changes, but rather one set that evolves throughout the entire show. "That language allows us to have slow changes," adds Roy. One of the major scenic elements in Zarkana is the 90’x40’ Panasonic LED wall that is permanently installed upstage at Radio City. “We actually thought about not using the LED wall, and not using any electronic media,” Roy explains. Instead he had designed a set based on Gustav Klimt golden tiles to tie into the gold of the theatre. “The room and its art nouveau texture were the priority, but then we thought we could use the LED wall as a breathing element, so we finally added the video,” the designer notes: Then we went wild. “We had the tools, we might as well us them.” Not to mention that Zarkana’s director, François Girard, comes from the film world and was comfortable with the large, cinematic tableaux create for the show. “Girard directed us in terms of the video projection for each tableaux,” notes Roy. “He indicated what kind of images he wanted, and asked how do we fill that space, in terms of content and aesthetics.” From there, it was a three-way collaboration, starting with the director’s vision, then sets and video, working from hand drawings that Roy did, then working on computers, and tweaking colors in the theatre. “The result is a blend of classic scenic painting and state-of- the-art LED,” says Roy. “This blend is important. With only LED the look is too cold, the space seems empty. This works for rock and roll, but in this case we needed a real context. The mix of media makes it more interesting, more emotional.” Once video was determined to be a big part of the production, the creative team decided to also add LED tiles to one of the stage portals. The first portal is opaque, or paint on canvas fabric, while the second one is a transparent light-box with 9” LED tiles behind it, and the third portal is a transparent scrim that can fly it out. “This allows us to have more space for some of the big acrobatic numbers or large set pieces, or even to have a larger image on the back wall,” says Roy. “The color palette set for every number a year in advance,” he adds. “Once we were in the theatre, I collaborated closely with the video and lighting, often staying behind the table as Alain Lortie, the lighting designer, tweaked each scene.” As the concept was always remaining in the same space, the designers didn’t want to change the feeling for each scene, just the look. As a result, Roy designed spaces within a space: “The first space is the cathedral where everything happens,” he says. “The second space, interior of that cathedral for each of the numbers.” One of the big challenges was the historic aspect of Radio City Music Hall: “Zarkana is like a huge Vegas show on tour, yet we couldn’t touch the walls. No screws. We brought a grid and all the mechanics, then had to integrate the set into all that…and it has to fit into a truck,” says Roy, noting that the show is acrobatically very high-end and all the scenic elements are flown in or ground supported. Stage One, in York (UK) built the skeleton for the set, the acrobatic trusses, and the stage floor, while the skin and painted fabrics were al created in Montreal by Dominique Gaucher. “The shop was working on it for a year, painting and sculpting,” Roy points out. “This was easier as the creation was also done in Montreal, and I could visit the Shop. He us an amazing scenic painter, and I have worked with him on many Cirque du Soleil shows, as well as operas.” {SOURCE: LiveDesignOnline} Guy Laliberté, Hotel Owner? [EXPANDED] {Sep.16} ------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté is behind a firm bid to buy and convert the historic Montreal headquarters of Rio Tinto Alcan into a hotel, The Gazette has learned. The deal, which has not closed - and which is now in the buyer’s due dilligence period - would have Laliberté, with the Cirque and a private investor acquire the sprawling Alcan campus in the posh Golden Square Mile for an undisclosed amount, multiple sources say. The minimum bidding price for the campus’s seven buildings - including the old Berkeley Hotel which serves as its main entrance - is $30 million, the sellers’ report shows. In the spring, the global aluminum giant quietly put its Sherbrooke St. W. campus up for sale as a three-year leaseback. News of the campus hitting the market followed a Gazette report that Rio Tinto Alcan was shopping around for about 200,000 square feet of office space as anchor tenant in what would be the first privately funded office tower built downtown in years. Indeed, the spectre of a new tower in Montreal - devoted exclusively to office space - sparked excitement in a real estate community that had seen five towers delivered in downtown Toronto over the past two years alone. Rio Tinto Alcan Spokesperson Bryan Tucker said he could not comment on the sale of the estimated 300,000 square foot headquarters, which he said is confidential. “I can confirm to you that no decision has been made,” Tucker said. Citing industry sources last spring, The Gazette also revealed that Westcliff Group is poised to secure the corporate giant as the main tenant in a LEED-platinum office tower to be built on its site near the ICAO building at the Place de la Cité Internationale. Westcliff president Alan Marcovitz once again declined to comment when contacted this week. Louis Burgos, senior managing director of Cushman & Wakefield Montreal, which is brokering the deal, could not be reached for comment. Although specific plans for a future hotel on the Alcan site have not been revealed, the Cirque has previously flirted with the idea of opening hotels as a way to showcase its acts. In late 2001, the Cirque announced it was considering a $100 million Montreal prototype of what would become several “Cirque Complexes” - a concept featuring a 1,200-seat theater, 300-room hotel, spa and restaurants, that would later be spread to other cities like London and Tokyo, news reports said. A year later, however, Cirque management nixed the idea over concerns that the economic climate - including a downturn in the global hospitality industry - made the venture too risky. The sale of the Maison Alcan site would be a move from Rio Tinto Alcan’s earlier plans to invest millions of dollars to renovate the campus. That pledge - which Tucker insists still remains on the table - stems from an agreement that was both part of Alcan’s 2006 power deal with the provincial government and part of its 2007 takeover by global mining giant Rio Tinto in a blockbuster $38- billion U.S. deal, cleared by Ottawa. Some critics have suggested that the move would be followed by a reduction in Rio Tinto Alcan’s Montreal-based workforce. Last winter, however, a spokesperson for former Economic Development Minister Clément Gignac said Rio Tinto Alcan would still be abiding by the deal, even it moves to another Montreal site as a tenant. “As long as the head office remains in Quebec, it respects the agreement,” the spokesperson told The Gazette. {SOURCE: Montreal Gazette} Check Out: Totem Evolution {Sep.18} ------------------------------------------------- A new souvenir program souvenir program with hard cover including exclusive images, special interviews, a behind-the- scenes look and bonus features for Cirque du Soleil's TOTEM has been produced - check it out! Product's details: o) Metric Size: 26cm x 28.5cm o) Imperial Size: 10.13" x 11.25" o) Number of pages: 98 o) Year: 2011 o) Country of Origin: Canada o) PRICE: $49.00 USD Purchase the deluxe souvenir TOTEM program here: < http://eboutique.cirquedusoleil.com/Products.aspx? Catalog=US&ProductId=512751(CDS Catalog)&CurrentCategory=span1_Category(CDS Catalog)&CurrentSubCategory=span2_MusicDvdBooks(CDS Catalog)#lienImageLarge > {SOURCE: Cirque Boutique} ZAIA Crossroads in Macao DVD Now Available! {Sep.19} ------------------------------------------------- Inspired by the vastness and diversity of the cosmos, writer and director Gilles Maheu soaked up a few dozen cultures to create a show imbued with the different colours and flavours of the world: ZAIA. A great challenge awaits the artists and craftspoeple of this odyssey, who will have to relearn how to move and communicate. They will explore new territories and make the "Crossroads in Macau" their meeting point. Discover the spectacular and poetic world of ZAIA Bonus Features: - Trampoline and double teeterboard (X-Board) - Chinese poles on globes - Then & now - ZAIA - Experience the unforgettable - Let your talent shine (on stage career opportunities) - A message from One Drop - Subtitles: Chinese (traditional and simplified), English, French, Japanese, spanish - Dolby digital 5.1 Now available in the online Cirque du Soleil boutique for just $25.00 USD! < http://eboutique.cirquedusoleil.com/Products.aspx? Catalog=US&ProductId=512230(CDS Catalog)&CurrentCategory=span1_Category(CDS Catalog)&CurrentSubCategory=span2_MusicDvdBooks(CDS Catalog) > Previews of New 3D Movie Underway [EXPANDED] {Sep.20} ------------------------------------------------- According to the Hollywood Reporter, James Cameron and his team have begun to preview more than a half-hour of new footage from the upcoming Cirque du Soleil 3D movie. The footage, which is said to be stunning, is being shot using a CPG Fusion 3D camera system, used on productions from Avatar to Justin Bieber: Never Say Never to coverage of live events such as the recent US Open tennis championship. The production, which does not yet have a title, is a partnership between Cameron, Adamson and Cirque du Soleil and uses a new story as a device to weave together acts from various Cirque du Soleil shows, such as Ka, with its climatic battle on a vertical stage, and O, the water-themed production that includes an acrobatic act on a ship that floats above the pool of water. “The performers are in jeopardy the entire time,” Cameron said of the shows. “The 3D camera gets right up there with the performers, you feel the height when they are performing 90 feet above the floor. You see the amazing physicality of the performance--the strength, the grace, the beauty.” The multi-camera production was lensed both during actual performances as well as during separate shoots. “We combined all of the newest technology innovation for this production. The footage is spectacular,” Pace said. “CPG delivered ‘Slate2Screen’ services including 23 Fusion 3D systems and a new underwater Fusion 3D system, Fusion H2O/20.” {SOURCE: Hollywood Reporter} Happy Birthday, Zumanity [EXPANDED] {Sep.21} ------------------------------------------------- Yesterday, Zumanity celebrated its 8th Aniversary! And Robin Leach took a moment to reflect on the show's run on the Las Vegas Strip in his latest Luxe Life column. # # # It’s the sexiest and definitely the most erotic of Cirque du Soleil’s seven Strip spectaculars, and tonight Zumanity celebrates its eighth anniversary at New York-New York. The cutting-edge contemporary and adult-themed production has added acts and artists to mark its milestone. Zumanity has become a favorite of Hollywood stars when they visit our Las Vegas playground. Celebrities who have visited this past year include Avril Lavigne and Brody Jenner, Heidi Klum and Seal, Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola, Giuliana and Bill Rancic, David Hasselhoff, Bam Margera and Bachelor Pad cast members. Audience members attending the 8th anniversary show this evening are in for a treat. The first 100 early show guests will receive a commemorative photograph in a meet-and-greet with the artists along with a special gift. The 1,262-seat Zumanity Theater is a seduction unto itself with the only romantic sofas for two in Las Vegas. Kissing, cuddling and making out are definitely encouraged. It's difficult to believe eight years on that some original cast members are still with the show: my favorite dance captain Vanessa Convery, who still takes a midnight bath of milk every show with a handsome hunk; Marcela de la Vega with the gusting Queen of the Wind act; and the primal energy of African dance star Wassa Coulibaly. The new acts and artists include Christopher Kenney as Edie the Mistress of Sensuality; Brandon Pereyda's aerial biker chains act; Jonas Woolverton's Roue Cyr wheel/whip act; Polina Volchek's tissue segment; and Dimitry Bulkin's amazing pole acrobatic balancing stunts. Zumanity, with its international cast of 45 performers in all shapes, sizes, ages, genders and ethnicities, is about an unconventional culture and candid exposition of eroticism that allows emotional freedom, natural beauty and acceptance of differences. In advance of tonight’s anniversary, I went to see the show for the first time in more than a year. It’s still a delicious delight, and now I love the fact that all the artists seem to stay on stage -- somewhat shrouded in the shadows -- providing an even more Eyes Wide Shut atmospheric mosaic of love and lust behind the individual star performing at center stage. The incredible, oversized water bowl act of two sweet, topless girls striking sensual poses while gliding fluidly is the knockout sexy act of anything on the Strip, and you won’t believe Julia Kolosova’s schoolgirl flying hoops routine. Plus, I’m convinced that the heavy breathing and gentle moans of ecstasy from Jill Crook as she is raised ceiling-ward in leather straps and bonds are for real. Talk about auto erotica! Cirque’s traditional circus acts are there, along with the outrageous Botero twins with their strawberries and bananas, and all tied to the theme of seduction and sensuality highlighted by the striptease. The extravagant, erotic Thierry Mugler costumes, magnificent makeup, luscious lighting and extraordinary effects are all punched-up provocatively by nine musicians, two singers and the world’s most controversial contortionist, the unbelievable Arsian Gusengadzhiev. It all ends as two members of the audience are drawn onstage for the orgy finale -- a smorgasbord of sexual positions on a revolving stage. Zumanity is the first sensual show for Cirque, which since its 1984 start has entertained nearly 45 million spectators in 130 cities. Its other shows in Las Vegas are Criss Angel’s Believe at the Luxor, Ka at MGM Grand, The Beatles’ Love at the Mirage, O at the Bellagio, Mystere at Treasure Island, Viva Elvis at Aria in MGM’s CityCenter, plus the upcoming Michael Jackson Immortal touring show and then later residency show at Mandalay Bay. You know how I love the fun facts behind these stage productions. Zumanity has 53 technicians and 14 backstage operators handling the 46 artists onstage. The wardrobe created by 16 designers consists of 99 wigs and hairpieces, and the tallest pair of high heels is 7 inches. More than 4 million guests have seen the show since its Sept. 20, 2003, opening, and it’s still going as strong as ever and now headed toward its 10th anniversary. Congratulations to everybody at Zumanity -- Happy Birthday! {SOURCE: Las Vegas Weekly} LA Times Reviews "IRIS" [EXPANDED] {Sep.27} ------------------------------------------------- The LA Times' "Culture Monster" saw the premiere of Cirque du Soleil's IRIS at the Kodak Theater and reviews the performance: # # # If the flights from Los Angeles to Las Vegas seem slightly less crowded these days, don’t take it as a sign that we’re in a double-dip recession. Cirque du Soleil, the alt-circus company out of Quebec that has grown into a global entertainment phenomenon so lucrative it may be asked to bail out Greece, has set up shop at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, making the trip to see Mystère, Viva Elvis or one of the other Cirque attractions nestled in a casino a little less necessary. Fittingly, "Iris," the new $100-million extravaganza that opened Sunday after a summer run of previews, is a love letter to the art and science of cinema. Unfolding at the venue that hosts the Academy Awards, the show is subtitled "A Journey Through the World of Cinema." But please don't misread this as "A Stroll Through Classic Hollywood." This is a celebration of the imagination of filmmaking through a circus sensibility, which similarly wants to escape the mundane through the fantasy of limitless possibility. Before we tackle the aesthetics of the production (cunningly packaged with just enough daredevil razzmatazz to keep audiences from minding some of the goofy dead spots), let's acknowledge the economic effect of what amounts to a glitzy private-sector stimulus for local businesses. The show, bound to be a major tourist magnet, has already been persuading middle-class hordes to throw credit card caution to the wind. Although the $253 price of VIP tickets is enough to make you queasy, there's something agreeable about having this movie-themed colossus, kinetically scored by composer Danny Elfman, permanently installed in the heart of Hollywood. The subject is a natural one for the company. Motion pictures, when you get right down to it, are what Cirque du Soleil has always specialized in. Tableaux that shrink and surge, twist and tumble are its stock in trade. And as with film, the visual image reigns supreme, even if this French-Canadian style of circus goes in a chimerical direction that's quite a departure from your standard multiplex fare. (Why was that woman wearing a fern where her hair should be, you might find yourself asking? For that matter, what are those antlers doing on that strapping fellow happily prancing about like an uprooted oak?) Directed by Philippe Decouflé, a French choreographer and dancer making his Cirque du Soleil debut, the production often appears to be transforming itself into a Busby Berkeley revue. But before the musical momentum can crescendo, the piece returns to its circus roots with a bit of clowning (probably the least effective part of the show) or some aerial acrobatics. The most ingenious moments pair human performers with their screen avatars, as when floating dancers have their shadows rapidly tracing their choreography. While I’m no connoisseur of Cirque du Soleil, which made its U.S. debut downtown in Little Tokyo in 1987 and has enjoyed, in the pre-show words of founder Guy Laliberté, “an amazing love affair with Los Angeles,” I prefer the company’s stupendous athletic prowess to its artiste pretensions. (Give me "Kà" over "Zumanity” any day!) “Iris” tries to split the difference and sometimes feels indecisive as a result. But when the cluttered stage picture calms down to focus on some transcendent physical feat or graceful multimedia maneuver, tired grownup eyes are instantly brightened with childlike curiosity. The first half of “Iris” concentrates on the shape-shifting magic of the camera. The thematic emphasis seems to be on the birth of a technology and its silent-film infancy. But it’s not easy to identify the figures that are hypnotizing you. These are hybrid organisms, bred by a surreal jokester determined to eradicate any trace of the human safety instinct. Are those two identical-looking blond men with the smooth, muscular bodies twins or are they presenting a double image of masculine adventure as they swing through the air like ballet stars granted the ability to fly? Are those female contortionists piled on what looks to be a film canister rearranging themselves into different geometric shapes to symbolize the transmutation of light and sound into pictures or are they larvae hatching a new kind of insect? And what about those wacky bounders with the trampoline board — are they mad jesters on a Jillian Michaels suicide mission or might they be some crawling garden denizen, as their antennae suggest? The second half of the show takes place on a film set, with a cast of characters out of some occult “Doctor Dolittle.” Elfman’s music, invoking at times an antic Tim Burton car chase through an otherworldly tunnel, intensifies the sense of coordinated pell-mell. There’s so much scurrying, soaring and undulating that I found myself muttering to myself at times, “This is a circus!” Forgive me for losing track of the obvious, but this is theater for those with the attention span of mosquitoes. Cirque audiences like to be distracted, but they also enjoy the opportunity of gazing on a wonderland. (Jean- François Bouchard, director of creation, and the entire design team have certainly succeeded in conjuring an endlessly surprising three-dimensional dreamscape for them.) Decouflé not only staged this company-created effort but has also received writing credit. Yet let’s not be too quick to pin the dud clown show shenanigans on him. They have the loose, bumbling and improvisatory feel of collective authorship. (Full disclosure: Not even the old-fashioned Ringling Bros. men in pancake makeup and lipstick could get me to crack a smile as a kid.) There’s a parody of an award show competition that initially seems pitched to children, but then the humor takes a risqué turn suggesting that its real target is the vulgar brat lurking within every adult. Who knows? Better to focus on the charming saucer-eyed music man, who when not cartwheeling on his piano is falling in love with a woman who can defy gravity even more astonishingly than he can. Before the pharmaceutical companies took over, movies were Americans’ drug of choice, the best remedy for the cares and woes of workaday life. “Iris” is a more luxurious elixir, but in paying homage to the fantasy of film, the show incarnates those same stardust properties that make movies so everlastingly potent. {SOURCE: LA Times} Pre-Order IRIS Soundtrack Today! {Sep.27} ------------------------------------------------- Pre-Order the IRIS Sountrack today at Amazon.com! It's just $18.00 USD. Pre-Order CD Here: < http://www.amazon.com/Iris-Cirque-Du- Soleil/dp/B005P4HK3Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid =1317121154&sr=8-2 > {SOURCE: Amazon.com} Zarkana's Video Design [EXPANDED] {Sep.27} ------------------------------------------------- Live Design recently caught up with Zarkana's video designer - Raymond St-Jean - and talked shop: # # # Raymond St-Jean, image content designer for Zarkana, made his Cirque du Soleil debut with Zaia in Macau (2007-08), and began work on Zarkana two and a half years ago. "We knew had a huge 40'x90' Panasonic LED video wall in-house at Radio City Music Hall, and the set was designed with that in mind," he notes, pointing out that there are three arches, or portals, on the set, one of which is also LED to add to the big screen look in the back. "With the LED portal added to our tool kit, the video encircles the acts as well as provides images behind them. The goal was to fill a huge place with images... and make the overall show one big integrated canvas." There are also three Christie Roadster 20K projectors with ZAP VIP Dual Yokes, and one Christie M 10K for other images, such as the sand screen painter who opens the second act. St-Jean notes that doing research, and working with Cirque du Soleil on Zarkana was "a long, very fruitful creative process. The director had the inspiration for doing a freak show... but it evolved from there to the story of a musician who meets all kinds of unusual creatures," he explains. "Over a series of meetings, we built a visual world around the various acts, including a huge time machine, and I did some research into Steampunk." Fly Studio, a graphics studio in Montreal, worked with St-Jean, who called up images evoking everything from Coney Island to David Lynch, and a giant spider web: “It was an 18-month process to build the images after we designed the overall canvas, they did all the 2D and 3D After Effects, it was great teamwork, and we found our own aesthetic.” St-Jean would bring concepts to Fly Studio, where the animators would start working with images and illustrations, going back and forth with ideas, creating drawings and getting a consensus from the director and other designers before finalizing an idea. “I worked closely with set designer, over the two years,” says St-Jean. “I started early in the process, working with set designer and director...the video is more a part of the set design. To make the video as intrinsic a part of the set as possible, a scrim in front of the LED wall helped make the sets lighting and video all work together as one. The director comes from opera and film, and he had a clear idea and vision for the show. The video is very organic and brings the set alive.” St-Jean explains that is was essential to make sure the decisions in a big show like this are the right ones. “Sometimes are not reversible,” he notes. “So everybody was involved for a long time, it was a long, very integrated design process.” VYV Photon video servers are used to drive the video and the interactivity of the show, and integrate the images with lighting, audio and automation. “With Alain Lortie, who is great lighting designer, we started with the whole set in an arena in Orlando, where the big creative push for the color palette was made,” St-Jean adds. “We spent long evenings playing with the wonderful toys we had at our disposal… the set created by Stephane Roy was made to be transformed by light and video… We played with images and colors, had a lot of fun, and went to NYC. The color palette was rough when we started at Radio City with what we had in Orlando and it evolved as we went along. We chose a certain color palette for each number, then in Orlando played with it… “The 3D animations are hard to change once they are finished,” St-Jean adds. “But the basics were all set in brown golden tones, and the video servers could change colors as we went along with Alain and the director... it was an interesting two- way process, as we changed the palette from the lighting and or the video.” For the ‘wheel of death’ scene, St-Jean designed a large machine with gears in the background, and as he explains, “The video is controlled by the wheel of death itself… there is the notion of interaction between the acrobatic apparatus and the video images,” he says. “There is live interaction with the video— as the wheel turns it makes the video go at the same speed…it is not pre-programmed. There is a decoder in the middle of the wheel of death, if it stops, the wheel stops, when the wheel goes forward it goes forward, etc.” During the ‘hand balancing’ acrobatic act, the backdrop is a curtain of ropes, with a projection of the performer’s silhouette. “There is a camera filming him, done live, and we project a filmy silhouette onto the rope curtains and LED wall. It is a simple but beautiful moment,” adds St-Jean. “In the high wire act, the idea was to how to use the video to direct the audience to the performer and not distract,” St-Jean continues. “There are snakes coming in to frame the act and look at the act, not take away the audience attention. The snakes react to what’s happening on stage…what’s great is the technology that works so seamlessly, not to make the effects too obvious… but very organic. If you have snakes they should react, but it’s a show, they don’t perform at the same speed every night. This is interactive to what’s happening with the act each night, it’s complex… and beautiful.” As Zarkana comes to a close at the end of each show, the stage is flooded with images of red roses and white clowns, a visually magical moment that reflects the technical, as well as acrobatic artistry, achieved by Cirque du Soleil at Radio City Music Hall. {SOURCE: Live Design} Zarkana's Lighting Design [EXPANDED] {Sep.27} ------------------------------------------------- Live Design recently caught up with Zarkana's lighting designer - Alain Lortie - and talked shop: # # # “I call this the ‘no-focus’ tour,” says lighting designer Alain Lortie, who designed Cirque du Soleil’s new $50 million production, Zarkana, playing at Radio City Music Hall in New York City through October 8. “Zarkana was designed as a touring show and will be reduced in size for arenas,” adds State Kremlin Palace Concert Hall and Theatre in Moscow in February, while the same show, in the smaller arena version, opens in Madrid in November. The magic and mystery of Zarkana, designed as a rock opera, are the purview of Zark, a magician who wanders into a theatre that has been abandoned for 75 years. As he finds his true love and his magical powers return, the theatre is restored to its former glory. Francois Girard, a noted film director (The Red Violin, Silk), is at the helm. In lighting Zarkana’s numerous acrobatic acts, Lortie’s rig of primarily moving lights and LEDs gave him a leg up during rehearsals, as he was also to work straight through without stopping to focus conventional fixtures. “The lighting is primarily for the acrobats,” he confirms. “I built each number around them. I like to build images for the director, and then, through subtraction, take away what’s not needed.” Lortie, who is a very hands-on LD, did his own programming on an MA Lighting grandMA2 console and ran the show until it opened. “I was not shy about using a lot of color,” says Lortie, noting that he has been referred to as “the candy man” for his varied palette. “Zarkana has many colors and many emotions, from the dark side to a golden look on the stage. Everything on the set catches light beautifully, and I added extra saturated colors from the moving lights.” The rig includes a total of 163 automated fixtures: 74 Philips Vari-Lite VL3000 Spot fixtures, 22 VL3000Q Wash units, 14 VL3500 Spots, 42 VL3500 Wash FX Stippled/Buxom units, three High End Systems DL.3s, and eight Martin Professional MAC 301 Wash units. In addition, almost 1,000 LED fixtures are controlled by 40 universes of DMX: 19 Chroma-Q Color Block 2 22° fixtures, 18 Chroma-Q Color Force 48 units, 883 eldoLED PowerPIX 510 5W LED Pixel String with flexible pitch, and 13 Ayrton Color Player 150 3G fixtures. “The LEDs are hidden inside the set in order to create the colorful scenes,” notes Lortie. “One painted backdrop is lit with 18 Color Force 48 units from a pit in the stage.” On the conventional side, 34 ETC Source Four PARs are employed primarily as work lights and 60 ETC Source Four ellipsoidals of varying degrees are used as specials for live interaction with an infra-red video camera. Effects comprise six High End Systems Data Flash and six Wildfire WF-400-S/F fixtures. Solotech provided the lighting gear. For the trapeze act, which has a huge scenic element with spiderwebs, Lortie faced a challenge. “We had to put the lights where we could,” he says, indicating that the main positions for the moving lights are behind the three portals on the stage as well as on overhead electrics. “There is not much room between the portals due to the size of the scenery,” Lortie adds, noting that he used some of the VL3500 Wash FX units as sidelight. “They are very powerful and very efficient,” he says. “It was a challenge to use them as theatrical fixtures, but I was happy with them.” Lortie collaborated with set designer Stéphane Roy, video content designer Raymond St-Jean, and costume designer Alan Hranitelj on the visual complexity of Zarkana. Sébastien Pedneault served as assistant lighting designer while Bill Hopkins is the grandMA board op at Radio City. {SOURCE: Live Design} What Ever Happened to Matthew Cusick? [EXPANDED] {Sep.29} ------------------------------------------------- That's the exact question Kris Coronado of the Washington Post asked and then sought out the answer. We covered the case extensively here at Fascination and we were just as interested to know as well... # # # "The way they treated me, it was like I was a piece of trash." These were the words Matthew Cusick had for his former employer, Cirque du Soleil. In a 2004 story in The Washington Post, the 33-year-old recounted his experience with the world-renowned acrobatic-theater company. In February 2003, Cusick had been hired for "Mystère," the entertainment group's in-house show at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. He was to be a catcher, using his solid 6- foot-2 frame to grab acrobats as they flew off trapezes. Elated, Cusick had quit his bartending and personal training gigs, broken up with his boyfriend and moved from Silver Spring to Montreal to learn his role. During a physical exam, Cusick told Cirque's doctors about his HIV status - a condition he has had since 1993 - and was relieved when the physicians weren't alarmed. "I was like, wow, these people could care less that I'm HIV-positive," Cusick said. "I felt very accepted there." That turned out not to be true. A week later, Cusick was let go, with Cirque officials stating they thought he'd put other performers at risk. Outraged, Cusick took the company to court. Represented by Lambda Legal — an HIV, AIDS and gay rights advocacy group — the self-proclaimed “poster boy for HIV” won a $600,000 settlement. Cirque acknowledged its mistake and even offered Cusick his job back. No way, he said. It’s a sentiment that Cusick, 40, doesn’t think he’d reverse today. He has had no contact with the company since the lawsuit and plans on keeping it that way: “That was quite a large wound, and I think it’s still healing,” he says. Not that he’s wanting for work. He lives in Manhattan — he has moved from Hell’s Kitchen to Harlem — and his days are jam- packed. (“I’ve made a new clock that has 28 hours in the day,” he jokes.) He’s a personal trainer with a handful of clients, and the rest of his time is divided between the Metropolitan Opera and his company KENiMATTix. Cusick has been a frequent performer at the Met since late 2004, tumbling and dancing in the likes of “Macbeth” and “La Bohème.” It was there that he met fellow stunt artist Ken Berkeley, and in early 2005, the pair developed KENiMATTix — and perform choreography in which the pair create amazing positions with their bodies, relying on strength and hand-balancing. He estimates that he and Berkeley perform 12 shows a week for both public events and private parties. As far as his health goes, Cusick says everything is status quo. He has taken Atripla — a pill that combines three HIV treatments in one — since it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2006. “I’m doing fine; I’ve really had no problems. Just still maintaining a healthy lifestyle.” So what’s next? For a man who makes his living by doing dazzling and complicated stunts, the answer is pretty cut and dried: “to live a happy life.” {SOURCE: Washington Post} ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Corteo, Koozå, OVO, Totem & Varekai} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {Saltimbanco, Alegría, Quidam, Dralion & Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, ZAIA, ZED, Believe & VIVA Elvis} o) VENUE - Venue & Seasonal productions {Iris & Zarkana} 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 Cirque's website: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ >. ------------------------------------ BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau ------------------------------------ Cirque 2012: Montreal, QC -- TBA Quebec, QC -- TBA Toronto, ON -- TBA Corteo: Sevilla, ES -- Sep 7, 2011 to Oct 16, 2011 Paris, FR -- Nov 4, 2011 to Dec 31, 2011 Barcelona, ES -- Jan 19, 2012 to Feb 12, 2012 Amsterdam, NL -- Mar 30, 2012 to Jun 3, 2012 Gijón, ES -- Jul 25, 2012 to Aug 26, 2012 Zurich, CH -- Sep 7, 2012 to Oct 14, 2012 Antwerp, BE -- Nov 2, 2012 to Dec 23, 2012 Koozå: Osaka, JPN -- Aug 4, 2011 to Nov 6, 2011 Nagoya, JPN -- Nov 23, 2011 to Jan 22, 2012 Fukuoka, JPN -- Feb 9, 2012 to Apr 1, 2012 Ovo: Calgary, AB -- Sep 7, 2011 to Oct 9, 2011 Mexico City, MX -- Oct 30, 2011 to Nov 20, 2011 Santa Monica, CA -- Jan 20, 2012 to Mar 25, 2012 Portland, OR -- TBA Brisbane, AU -- TBA Sydney, AU -- TBA Melbourne, AU -- TBA Totem: Toronto, ON -- Aug 11, 2011 to Oct 9, 2011 San Francisco, CA -- Oct 28, 2011 to Dec 11, 2011 London, UK -- Jan 5, 2010 to Feb 5, 2012 San Jose, CA -- Mar 2, 2012 to Apr 1, 2012 Atlanta, GA -- May 9, 2012 to Jun 17, 2012 Varekai: São Paulo, BR -- Sep 15, 2011 to Nov 27, 2011 Rio De Janeiro, BR -- Dec 8, 2011 to Jan 8, 2012 Belo Horizonte, BR -- Jan 18, 2012 to Feb 12, 2012 Brasilia, BR -- Feb 22, 2012 to Mar 18, 2012 Recife, BR -- Mar 29, 2012 to Apr 22, 2012 Salvador, BR -- May 3, 2012 to May 27, 2012 Curitiba, BR -- Jun 7, 2012 to Jul 1, 2012 Porto Alegre, BR -- Jul 11, 2012 to Aug 5, 2012 Buenos Aires, AR -- Aug 17, 2012 to Sep 16, 2012 Santiago, CL -- Sep 28, 2012 to Oct 28, 2012 ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ Saltimbanco: Ekaterinburg, RU -- Oct 15, 2011 to Oct 23, 2011 Kazan, RU -- Oct 26, 2011 to Oct 30, 2011 Moscow, RU -- Nov 3, 2011 to Nov 13, 2011 St. Petersburg, RU -- Nov 16, 2011 to Nov 21, 2011 Kiev, UA -- Nov 27, 2011 to Dec 4, 2011 Vilnius, LT -- Dec 15, 2011 to Dec 17, 2011 Riga, LV -- Dec 21, 2011 to Dec 23, 2011 Tallin, EE -- Dec 28, 2011 to Dec 30, 2011 Malmö, SE -- Jan 26, 2011 to Jan 29, 2011 Bratislava, SK -- Feb 15, 2012 to Feb 19, 2012 Graz, AT -- Feb 22, 2012 to Feb 26, 2012 Alegría: Munich, DE -- Sep 28, 2011 to Oct 2, 2011 Salzburg, AT -- Oct 5, 2011 to Oct 9, 2011 Berlin, DE -- Oct 12, 2011 to Oct 16, 2011 Bremen, DE -- Oct 19, 2011 to Oct 23, 2011 cologne, DE -- Oct 26, 2011 to Oct 30, 2011 Frankfurt, DE -- Nov 2, 2011 to Nov 6, 2011 Mannheim, DE -- Nov 9, 2011 to Nov 13, 2011 Malaga, ES -- Dec 1, 2011 to Dec 4, 2011 Santiago, ES -- Dec 7, 2011 to Dec 11, 2011 Zaragoza, ES -- Dec 14, 2011 to Dec 18, 2011 Lisbon, PT -- Dec 21, 2011 to Jan 8, 2012 Granada, ES -- Jan 11, 2011 to Jan 15, 2012 Bilbao, ES -- Jan 18, 2012 to Jan 22, 2012 Toulouse, FR -- Jan 25, 2012 to Feb 29, 2012 Nantes, FR -- Feb 1, 2012 to Feb 5, 2012 Lyon, FR -- Feb 23, 2012 to Feb 26, 2012 Toulon, FR -- Feb 29, 2012 to Mar 4, 2012 Nice, FR -- Mar 7, 2012 to Mar 11, 2012 Montpellier, FR -- Mar 14, 2012 to Mar 18, 2012 Strasbourg, FR -- Mar 21, 2012 to Mar 25, 2012 Manchester, UK -- Apr 4, 2012 to Apr 7, 2012 Glasgow, UK -- Apr 11, 2012 to Apr 15, 2012 Birmingham, UK -- Apr 18, 2012 to Apr 22, 2012 Dublin, IE -- Apr 25, 2012 to Apr 29, 2012 Budapest, HU -- May 17, 2012 to TBA Hambgurg, DE -- May 30, 2012 to Jun 3, 2012 Hanover, DE -- Jun 6, 2012 to Jun 10, 2012 Nuremberg, DE -- Jun 13, 2012 to Jun 17, 2012 Vienna, AT -- Jun 20, 2012 to Jun 24, 2012 Quidam: Albany, NY -- Sep 28, 2011 to Oct 2, 2011 Amherst, MA -- Oct 5, 2011 to Oct 9, 2011 Pittsburgh, PA -- Oct 12, 2011 to Oct 16, 2011 Milwaukee, WI -- Oct 19, 2011 to Oct 23, 2011 Philadelphia, PA -- Nov 10, 2011 to Nov 13, 2011 Washington, DC -- Nov 16, 2011 to Nov 20, 2011 Fayetteville, NC -- Nov 23, 2011 to Nov 27, 2011 Greenville, SC -- Nov 30, 2011 to Dec 4, 2011 Hampton, VA -- Dec 7, 2011 to Dec 11, 2011 Worcester, MA -- Dec 14, 2011 to TBA Toronto, ON -- Dec 20, 2011 to TBA Windsor, ON -- Jan 11, 2012 to TBA Hoffman Estates, IL -- Feb 8, 2012 to Feb 12, 2012 Springfield, IL -- Feb 15, 2012 to Feb 19, 2012 Baton Rouge, LA -- Feb 22, 2012 to TBA Austin, TX -- Feb 29, 2012 to Mar 4, 2012 Dralion: Tallahassee, FL -- Sep 28, 2011 to Oct 2, 2011 Birmingham, AL -- Oct 5, 2011 to Oct 9, 2011 Gainesville, FL -- Oct 11, 2011 to Oct 13, 2011 San Juan, PR -- Oct 19, 2011 to Oct 23, 2011 Santo Domingo, DO -- Oct 27, 2011 to Oct 30, 2011 Cypress, TX -- Nov 17, 2011 to Nov 20, 2011 Beaumont, TX -- Nov 23, 2011 to Nov 27, 2011 Houston, TX -- Nov 30, 2011 to Dec 4, 2011 Lafayette, LA -- Dec 6, 2011 to Dec 8, 2011 Bossier City, LA -- Dec 10, 2011 to Dec 11, 2011 North Little Rock, AK -- Dec 13, 2011 to Dec 14, 2011 Montreal, QC -- Dec 18, 2011 to Dec 30, 2011 Quebec, QC -- Jan 3, 2012 to Jan 8, 2012 Kingston, ON -- Jan 11, 2012 to Jan 15, 2012 El Paso, TX -- Feb 15, 2012 to TBA Colorado Springs, CO -- Feb 22, 2012 to TBA Rio Rancho, NM -- Feb 29, 2012 to TBA Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour: 2011 ---- Montreal, QC -- Oct 2, 2011 & Oct 3, 2011 Ottawa, ON -- Oct 7 & Oct 8, 2011 Hamilton, ON -- Oct 12 & Oct 13, 2011 Detroit, MI -- Oct 15 & Oct 16, 2011 London, ON -- Oct 18 & Oct 19, 2011 Toronto, ON -- Oct 21, 2011 to Oct 23, 2011 Winnipeg, MB -- Oct 26 & Oct 27, 2011 Saskatoon, SK -- Oct 29 & Oct 30, 2011 Edmonton, AB -- Nov 1 & Nov 2, 2011 Vancouver, BC -- Nov 4, 2011 to Nov 6, 2011 Seattle, WA -- Nov 9 & Nov 10, 2011 Spokane, WA -- Nov 12 & Nov 13, 2011 Euguene OR -- Nov 15 & Nov 16, 2011 Portland, OR -- Nov 18 to Nov 20, 2011 Salt Lake City, UT -- Nov 28, 2011 Las Vegas, NV -- Dec 3, 2011 to Dec 27, 2011 Phoenix, AZ -- Dec 30 & Dec 31, 2011 2012 ---- Boise, ID -- Jan 3 & Jan 4, 2012 Denver, CO -- Jan 6 to Jan 8, 2012 Sacramento, CA -- Jan 10 & Jan 11, 2012 San Jose, CA -- Jan 13 to Jan 15, 2012 Oakland, CA -- Jan 17 & Jan 18, 2012 San Diego, CA -- Jan 21 & Jan 22, 2012 Anaheim, CA -- Jan 24 & Jan 25, 2012 Los Angeles, CA -- Jan 27 to Jan 29, 2012 St. Louis, MO -- Feb 7 & Feb 8, 2012 Houston, TX -- Feb 10 to Feb 12, 2012 New Orleans, LA -- Feb 15 & Feb 16, 2012 Tulsa, OK -- Feb 18 & Feb 19, 2012 Kansas City, MO -- Feb 21 & Feb 22, 2012 Indianapolis, IN -- Feb 24 & Feb 25, 2012 Miami, FL -- Mar 2 & Mar 3, 2012 Jacksonville, FL -- Mar 7 & Mar 8, 2012 Raleigh, NC -- Mar 10 & Mar 11, 2012 Charlotte, NC -- Mar 13, 2012 Milwaukee, WI -- Mar 16, 2012 to Mar 18, 2012 Montreal -- Mar 20, 2012 to Mar 22, 2012 Quebec City, QC -- Mar 24 & Mar 25, 2012 Minneapolis, MN -- Mar 27 & Mar 28, 2012 Newark, NJ -- Mar 30 & Apr 1, 2012 New York City, NY -- Apr 3, 2012 to Apr 5, 2012 Uniondale, NY -- Apr 7 & Apr 8, 2012 Philadelphia, PA -- Apr 10 & Apr 11, 2012 Pittsburg, PA -- Apr 13, 14 & 15, 2012 State College, PA -- Apr 24 & 25, 2012 Columbia, SC -- Apr 27 & 28, 2012 Hartford, CT -- May 2, 2012 Baltimore, MD -- May 5 & 6, 2012 Worcester, MA -- May 16 & May 17, 2012 Dayton, OH -- Jun 6 & Jun 7, 2012 Columbus, OH -- Jun 9 & Jun 10, 2012 Nashville, TN -- Jun 12 & 13, 2012 Austin, TX -- Jun 15, 2012 San Antonio, TX -- Jun 23, 2012 Atlanta, GA -- Jun 29 & 30, 2012 Montreal, QC -- Jul 6 & Jul 7, 2012 Washington, DC -- Jul 13, 14 & 15 2012 Cleveland, OH -- Jul 17 & 18, 2012 Chicago, IL -- Jul 20 & 21, 2012 --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- NOTE: (*) Prices are in United States Dollars (USD) unless otherwise noted. (*) Ticket prices exclude the 10% Live Entertainment Tax, the $7.50 per-ticket processing fee, and sales tax where applicable. Mystère: Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday Two shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm 2011 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12): o Category 1: $109.00 / $54.50 o Category 2: $99.00 / $49.50 o Category 3: $79.00 / $39.50 o Category 4: $69.00 / $34.50 o Category 5: $60.00 / $30.00 (Limited View) 2011 Dark Dates: o November 2 2011 Added Performances: o December 30th "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm 2011 Ticket Prices: o Orchestra: $150.00 o Loggia: $130.00 o Balcony: $99.00 o Limited View: $93.50 2011 Dark Dates: o October 9 o December 5-18 La Nouba: Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm 2011 Ticket Prices (adults) / (child 3-9): o Category 0: $120.00 / $97.00 o Category 1: $105.00 / $85.00 o Category 2: $85.00 / $69.00 o Category 3: $69.00 / $56.00 o Category 4: $55.00 / $45.00 2011 Dark Dates: o November 22 Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday Dark: Wednesday & Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm 2011 Ticket Prices (18+ Only!): o Duo Sofas: $129.00 o Orchestra Seats: $105.00 o Upper Orchestra Seats: $79.00 o Balcony Seats: $69.00 o Cabaret Stools: $69.00 2011 Dark Dates: o October 17-18 o December 16-20 2011 Added Performances: o November 23rd o December 31st KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2011 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12): o Category 1: $150.00 / $75.00 o Category 2: $130.00 / $65.00 o Category 3: $99.00 / $49.50 o Category 4: $69.00 / $34.50 2011 Dark Dates: o November 15-16 2011 Added Performances: o November 27 o December 26 o December 31 LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2011 Ticket Prices: o Lower Orchestra: $150.00 o Upper Orchestra: $130.00 o Lower Balcony: $99.00 o Middle Balcony: $93.50 2011 Dark Dates: o October 3 o December 1-12 2011 Added Performances: o December 28th o December 31st ZAIA: Location: Venetian, Macao (China) Performs: Every Day, Dark: Wednesday One to Two Shows Daily - Times Vary 2011 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 2-11): o VIP Seating: MOP$ 1288 / MOP$ 1288 o Reserve A: MOP$ 788 / MOP$ 394 o Reserve B: MOP$ 588 / MOP$ 294 o Reserve C: MOP$ 388 / MOP$ 194 ZED: Location: Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo (Japan) Performs: Varies One to Two Shows Daily - Showtimes vary 2011 Ticket Prices (Non-Peak / Peak Time): o Category 1 ("Premium"): ¥15,000 / ¥16,000 o Category 2 ("Stage-Side"): ¥12,500 / ¥13,500 o Category 2 ("Center"): ¥12,500 / ¥13,500 o Category 3 ("Wide View"): ¥9,500 / ¥10,500 o Category 4 ("Value"): ¥7,500 / ¥8,500 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. 2011 Ticket Prices (all): o Category 1: $160.00 o Category 2: $130.00 o Category 3: $109.00 o Category 4: $89.00 o Category 5: $59.00 2011 Dark Dates: o December 6-17 VIVA ELVIS: Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2011 Ticket Prices o Category 1: $175.00 o Category 2: $150.00 o Category 3: $125.00 o Category 4: $99.00 2011 Dark Dates: o November 8-12 2011 Added Performances: o November 27th o December 26, 31 -------------------------------------- VENUE - Venue & Seasonal Productions -------------------------------------- IRIS: Location /// Kodak Theatre, Hollywood, CA (USA) < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/iris/ tickets/los-angeles.aspx > Performances /// Times: Performances are held from Tuesday through Friday at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm & 8pm (with the exception of Saturday December 24 at 1pm), and Sundays at 1pm (with the exception of July 24 & 31 at 6:30pm) and 6:30pm. There are no performances on Monday. 2011 Dark Dates: o October 10-19 o November 24 o December 5, 6, 7, 25 Tickets /// Preview Performances (July 21 - September 24): o Category Premium - $203.00 USD o Category 1 - $100.50 USD o Category 2 - $78.00 USD o Category 3 - $59.25 USD o Category 4 - $33.00 USD Weekday Matinees: o Category Premium - $253.00 USD o Category 1 - $123.00 USD o Category 2 - $93.00 USD o Category 3 - $68.00 USD o Category 4 - $43.00 USD Saturday Matinee & All Evening Performances: o Category Premium - $253.00 USD o Category 1 - $133.00 USD o Category 2 - $103.00 USD o Category 3 - $78.00 USD o Category 4 - $43.00 USD ZARKANA: Location /// New York, NY -- Jun 9, 2011 to Oct 8, 2011 Madrid, ES -- Nov 12, 2011 to Dec 31, 2011 Moscow, RU -- Feb 4, 2012 to Apr 8, 2012 Performances /// Full Schedule: < http://static01.cirquedusoleil.com/en/~/ media/shows/zarkana/pdf/new-york-schedule.pdf > 2011 Dark Dates: o October 3 ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub o) Networking -- Cirque on Facebook, Youtube & Twitter --------------------------------------- CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub --------------------------------------- MJ THE IMMORTAL WORLD TOUR PRODUCTION JOURNAL {Sep.09} ------------------------------------------------- Club Cirque gives you all access to the production journal of the Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour! Join Greg Philliganes, Musical Director, as he reveals musical scoops of the upcoming production. Learn all you need to know about the creation team working on the musical legacy of Michael Jackson. Watch episodes: < https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/cirque-club/news/ 2011-09-01-mjtiwt-production-videos.aspx > FIVE WAYS TO STAY IN TOUCH {Sep.17} ------------------------------------------------- Offline, or away from your email for a bit, don't miss a second of the magic of Cirque du Soleil! CirqueClub has five ways for you to always stay in the know... o) RSS Feed: http://cirk.me/oIVt8E o) Facebook: http://cirk.me/qJNeKr o) Twitter: http://cirk.me/oHawbj o) You Tube: http://cirk.me/qsQjhY o) iPhone app: http://cirk.me/olxuJz Click and keep in touch! LEARN ALL ABOUT THE MARTIAL ARTS OF KÀ {Sep.28} ------------------------------------------------- "Don't try this at home." That's what two of the martial arts experts of Cirque du Soleil say about the feats you see in KÀ at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. It sounds like obvious advice when you consider the nine-story KÀ Theatre, which the performers use in every acrobatic way imaginable (assuming you have a wild, death-defying imagination). Drawing inspiration from martial arts These KÀ performers were talking about the ancient Chinese martial arts tradition called Wushu and the stylized form of fighting-turned dance called Chinese opera. Both involve sharp weapons; and both should be only tried under the supervision of a trained professional. And yet when you watch the Pageant, the opening scene of KÀ, the performers make their moves so gracefully, so lightly, so easily that it's hard not to be inspired to try a little spear juggling when you get home. Such is the magic of KÀ. A touch of Brazil Fortunately, Capoeira — the third form of martial arts displayed in KÀ — is something audience members can try at home. You can learn enough about the Brazilian form of dance fighting to have fun in four or five practice sessions. And it's a great workout for people who think the gym is boring. Three forms of martial arts combine to create edge-of-your-seat excitement. Here's how to tell them apart: Wushu. According to Jian Zeng Jiao from China, Wushu embodies the spirit of the warrior. Jian who plays the General in KÀ, says that Wushu is divided into defense and attack movements. Watch for a low stance, high speed tricks, high jumps and falls. Power, energy and tension are always kept at a high level. But in the end, Wushu is all about the discipline of the mind. Capoeira. Although the precise origin is uncertain, many say that this lyrical form of martial arts originated among African slaves in Brazil who were not allowed to train, so they hid the fighting movements in the steps of dance. Sao Paulo native Gabriel Nogueira, who does acrobatics and capoeira in KÀ, describes Capoeira as a game of improvisation. Look for break- dancing flowing into acrobatics, rolls onto the floor and fluid, sweeping, dancelike motions. Chinese Opera. Created to be performed, this type of martial arts took moves from Wushu and made them even more beautiful than they already were. In KÀ, the most immediatly visible example of Chinese Opera is in the beginning scene when a team of performers juggle “opera sticks” for the imperial Court. Although it looks deceptively easy, performer Ge Bai from China says the act is difficult to practice and requires extensive training. He says it takes continual focus of the mind and hands, not to mention perfectly coordinated teamwork with the other performers. --------------------------------------------------- NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter --------------------------------------------------- ---[ ALEGRIA ]--- {Sep.30} Added 4 new photos to the album Alegria in Munich_2011 LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set =a.10150389175495746.414038.38543815745&type=1 > {Sep.20} Added 3 new photos to the album Load In_Stuttgart, DE. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set =a.10150375057975746.411135.38543815745&type=1 > ---[ CORTEO ]--- {Sep.20} Corteo on Canal Sur! LINK /// < http://www.canalsuralacarta.es/television/video/el- circo-del-sol-en-sevilla/7369/11 > ---[ DRALION ]--- {Sep.02} Added 17 new photos to the album Santo Domingo, DR Press conference. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set =a.10150793636245195.742486.39340140194&type=1 > {Sep.02} Happy Birthday Guy Laliberte from Dralion! LINK /// {Sep.11} Photos and pictures of Dralion in Huntsville, AL LINK /// < http://photos.al.com/4462/gallery/cirque_du_soleil_- _dralion/index.html > {Sep.17} Dralion's Orlando native performer Amanda Orozco returns home this week! Dralion by Cirque du Soleil will perform for the 1st time in Orlando at the UCF Arena opening on Wednesday! LINK /// < http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_stage_ theat/2011/09/amanda-orozco-is-flying-high-in-cirque-du- soleils-dralion.html > {Sep.21} It's opening day for Dralion at the UCF Arena! Today marks the 300th performance of Dralion in Arena. Happy 300th performance everyone!!!! {Sep.29} Dralion in Tallahassee, FL LINK /// < http://www.fsunews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis= CD&Dato=20110928&Kategori=FSVIEWGALLERIES&Lopenr= 109280809&Ref=PH&odyssey=mod%7Cgalleriespic%7Cfrontpage > {Sep 30} Did you know we recently incorporated a new character in Dralion? Let us introduce you Kàla. He is closely related to the Little Buddha and represents the movement of time. LINK /// ---[ IRIS ]--- {Sep.08} Take a look at our new collection of IRIS merchandise! Exclusive to Facebook fans: Get 10% off this new collection. Use promo code: IRIS10CDS. Visit our shop tab for more details! LINK /// < http://cirk.me/pQI2DP > {Sep.19} Behind-the-scenes: View from inside Kodak Theatre during a rehearsal for the show.. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set =a.173536262684722.34125.161171830587832&type=1 > {Sep.24} Preparing for the Premiere of IRIS - View from Hollywood Blvd. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= 256763291028685&set=a.173536262684722.34125. 161171830587832&type=1&ref=nf > {Sep.29} See what the artists see! A view of from the stage. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= 258727184165629&set=a.173536262684722.34125. 161171830587832&type=1&ref=nf > ---[ KA ]--- {Sep.01} Here's a pop quiz about some of the special effects in the show. In the show's opening scene when the tribe of Archers ambush the Imperial Court there are three types of arrows used in the attack - live arrows shot by Archers, arrows fired by air cannons offstage, and one other type of arrow. Can you tell us what it is? The answer to yesterday's trivia question is: projections! There are also arrows shot out of the Tatami deck and one that's part of the Empress' costume, so technically it's five types of arrows! {Sep.19} Who am I? I am beautiful, accomplished and brave. I'm desired by the villains, but I'm not interested in them. When I fall for the Twin Brother I find my loyalties unexpectedly divided, and realize I'm in a battle of wills with my doting father. A: The Chief Archer's Daughter ---[ KOOZA ]--- {Sep.23} Good day to all English speaking Kooza friend in Japan! If you are having a hard time buying tickets to see our show, please click on this link : LINK /// < http://www.fujitv.co.jp/events/kooza/ global/ticket/index.html > ---[ MJ THE IMMORTAL ]--- {Sep.05} Good Morning America talks about Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour. Only a month left before the world gets to see the show. Are you excited? LINK /// < http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/cirque-du-soleil- tribute-michael-jackson-gma-pop-14411281 > {Sep.06} Hear from the show's Director of Creation Chantal Tremblay as she speaks about the dance and acrobatic elements that are part of the show. LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PqKOC4B94o > {Sep.19} With 13 days to go before our World Premiere, a special group of Michael Jackson fans fly into Montreal for an exclusive look at rehearsals of the show! LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aLCP_imvI8 > {Sep.20} Now 12 days 'til the show premieres to the World! Coverage of our Michael Jackson fan-preview continues with them meeting the show's Executive Producer and the Estate of Michael Jackson. LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wezssw17bcc > {Sep.21} 11 days and counting to our World Premiere! See these Michael Jackson fans as they set foot in the venue's performance area and hear them react to their first look at the show's set-up! LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQun4vEeeZY > {Sep.22} 10 days to go! These lucky Michael Jackson fans meet Musical Designer Kevin Antunes and Choreographers Rich and Tone Talauega. LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZanc5uesQQ > {Sep.23} Premiering in 9 days! After having a look at the show, these Michael Jackson fans chat with Musical Director Greg Phillinganes. LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxWxCJxsX2A > {Sep.28} The count down to premiere continues with just 4 days to go! As rehearsals continue until then, performer Gianinni interviews cast mates on their experience on the show. LINK /// < http://www.vimeo.com/28703485 > {Sep.29} Down to 3 days 'til Premiere! Hear what these Michael Jackson fans think of the show they have previewed. LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoLsTeCBX3I > ---[ MYSTERE ]--- {Sep.15} Time for another installment of Mystère Mystery Character Thursday! Franco Dragone, writer/director of Mystère, describes me this way: A geological oddity of trembling flesh who craves to be human. Who am I? A: The Mountain {Sep.22} Check out our Tumblr, where we've uploaded a video from the Magic Event with Desigual! LINK /// < http://cirk.me/ouXWPF > ---[ QUIDAM ]--- {Sep.09} Quidam in the Boston Globe: LINK /// < http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2011/ 09/09/cirque_du_soleils_quidam_is_an_adventure_ of_aerial_imagery/ > {Sep.15} Quidam in the State College papers LINK /// < http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2011/09/15/ Cirque_du_Soleil_perform_at_BJC.aspx > LINK /// < http://live.psu.edu/story/55103 > {Sep.16} Backstage with Cerceaux artist in State College LINK /// < http://wearecentralpa.com/fulltext- centralpalive?nxd_id=306307 > {Sep.29} Quidam in the Albany papers: LINK /// < http://blog.timesunion.com/localarts/cirque-du- soleils-quidam-the-times-union-center-92811/18294/ > LINK /// < http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2011/09/29/ entertainment/doc4e840dff923b2755155282.txt > ---[ SALTIMBANCO ]--- {Sep.01} Take a behind-the-scenes look at Saltimbanco LINK /// < http://passport.jetsetter.com/index.php/2011/08/31/ behind-the-scenes-of-cirque-du-soleils-saltimbanco/ > {Sep.20} Saltimbano in Shanghai Daily: LINK /// < http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/ ?id=482961&type=Feature > {Sep.22} Saltimbanco well received by the Chinese audience!! Last night Opening show! LINK /// < http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzA2Mjc0NjQw.html > {Sep.29} Saltimbanco in Shanghai Daily Again! LINK /// < http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/ ?id=483765&type=Feature > And China Daily: LINK /// < http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/sunday/2011-09/25/ content_13786462.htm > ---[ THE BEATLES LOVE ]--- {Sep.02} Added 24 new photos to The Beatles LOVE at Dodger Stadium. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= a.10150320453003666.326726.14653468665&type=1 > {Sep.16} Want to get a bird's eye view of the LOVE crew setting up for the show? Well now you can with the "Cirque Inside Access" tour. Tickets available at BestofVegas.com, details available at LINK /// < http://www.bestofvegas.com/Cirque-Du-Soleil-Insider- Access-Show-Tickets/ > {Sep.21} Who am I? I'm a glamorous, albeit rebellious, daughter of wealth and propriety. I seek to find what money cannot buy, soaring to new heights only after I meet the brutish Fireman. The ultimate conduit between reaching for the stars and keeping my feet planted firmly on the ground is the Fireman. A: LUCY {Sep.30} Today at the RSD office we had a cake war and the theme was Guy Laliberté's birthday! Check out this cake, which reminisced Guy's exploration to the moon! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= 10150355155148666&set=a.101066423665.92500. 14653468665&type=1&ref=nf > ---[ TOTEM ]--- {Sep.21} Fitness Tips from Totem's performers LINK /// < http://www.marilyn.ca/Video.aspx#clip535991 > ---[ ZAIA ]--- {Sep.19} BRAND NEW - 2-min Promotional Video of ZAIA !!! I know you all can't wait to see the new look of ZAIA. Enjoy !!! LINK /// < http://youtu.be/4hF8YZfz7j8 > ---[ ZED ]--- {Sep.06} Just posted more photos from Tokyo Girls Collection! You can see so many people were watching us! Thank you! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= a.10150429705331164.450200.41326571163&type=3 > ---[ ZUMANITY ]--- {Sep.15} Our fabulous Edie talks Las Vegas Pride in the latest issue of CityLife! LINK /// < http://lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2011/09/15/ news/local_news/iq_47313586.txt > {Sep.16} We don't think our amazing Hand to Hand artists could look anymore gorgeous on the cover of the latest issue of Las Vegas Magazine (LVM)/VEGAS2GO! See the link below to read up on our 8th anniversary and how we keep the show spicy! LINK /// < http://lasvegasmagazine.com/2011/09/16/ the-edge-of-desire/ > {Sep.22} Added 29 new photos to the album Zumanity's 8th Anniversary. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= a.10150325034663847.364583.13931088846&type=1 > ======================================================================= COMPARTMENTS -- A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN ======================================================================= o) DIDYAKNOW - Facts at a Glance about Cirque o) HISTORIA - Cirque du Soleil History --------------------------------- DIDYAKNOW? - Facts About Cirque --------------------------------- Facts: o) Did you know the "O" Winches used to fly the performers have a maximum line pull of 1000lbs at a maximum velocity of 15 feet per second with a 2G acceleration? o) Did you know that the automation in Believe has over 3 miles of network cable, which has the ability to move people or scenery at 10' per second? o) Did you know that the word most chosen by audience members during the Premonition Illusion in BELIEVE is 'love'? o) Did you know that CRISS ANGEL Believe contains more than 40 illusions, which includes Harry Houdini's death-defying upside down strait jacket escape? o) Did you know there are more than 100 combined years of magic show experience among the Illusionaires at CRISS ANGEL Believe! o) Did you know that IRIS features 603 lighting features? o) Do you know what inspired this cinema-themed show to be called IRIS? The word "iris" refers to the colored part of the eye as well as the adjustable opening - or diaphragm - that controls the amount of light that passes through o) Did you know the Projection crew for IRIS, headed up by Olivier Simola and Christophe Waksmann, is the largest in Cirque du Soleil History? o) Did you know the Kodak Theatre, the new home of IRIS, was initially custom-built in November of 2001 to serve the enormous technical needs of the live worldwide television broadcast of OSCAR night? o) Did you know there are over 80 motorized winches (lifting machines) in IRIS that require only 2 people to operate? Some can lift up to 1,200 pounds at speeds of 10 feet per second! o) Anne-Séguin Poirier, Props Designer for IRIS, also credits as costume designer for the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic games. o) Did you know Seventy specialists worked more than 35,000 hours to produce the first full set of KÀ costumes? o) The Wheel of Death in the Slave Cage scene weighs 10,000 pounds, and is comprised of two independent sets of circular "cages" that rotate around a common axle. The movement is completely controlled by the artists in the "cages" o) There are 14 "trees" in the Forest scene and they're made of corrugated steel tube. Each has a diameter of four feet, is up to 80 feet tall, and weighs up to 3000 pounds. o) Michel Crête designed the seven cloud-like Fabulous Figures that decorate the ceiling of La Nouba's showroom. They measure 30 feet in length and are constructed of copper tubing and wrapped in mesh. o) Did you know The Mystère Wardrobe department applies more than 2,500 sequins to the Bungee Girl costumes by hand? It takes about 20 hours to re-sequin just one costume. o) The Mystère Props team goes through 5,712 red balloons (or Fünftausendsiebenhundertzwölf Luftballons for you Nena fans out there) each year to fly the Baby Girl from the stage to the ceiling. No wonder they're always out of breath! o) Dancers in VIVA ELVIS can be expected to run up to 15 flights of stairs per show - that's 150 flights per week! Could you keep up? o) Did you know VIVA ELVIS finale has 90 wigs and 45 of the Elvis headpieces in the show? Each wig and headpiece is custom made to fit each performer's head. And we have plaster casts of each performer's head for fittings! o) Did you know there are 112 costume changes within the first 3 songs at VIVA ELVIS? o) Did you know the superheroes bouncing on the trampolines in VIVA ELVIS happens an average of 180 times per show? After 700 shows, that's 126,000 bounces! o) The Return to Sender flag in VIVA ELVIS is made of real long underwear and boxer shorts, adding up to a total of 224 lbs of laundry! ------------------------------------ HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History ------------------------------------ * Sep.01.2003 -- Tapis Rouge CD released (BMG/CDS Musique) * Sep.01.2003 -- "Parade of Colors" Book Published * Sep.01.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Berlin, DE * Sep.01.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Kamloops, BC * Sep.02.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Albany, NY * Sep.03.1987 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Las Angeles * Sep.03.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened Boston * Sep.03.2009 -- Ovo opened Toronto, ON * Sep.03.2010 -- Quidam opened Lima, PE * Sep.04.2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Brussels * Sep.04.2008 -- Koozå opened Boston * Sep.05.2005 -- Cirque held 5th Run Away with Cirque du Soleil 5k Run and 1 Mile Fun Walk at Paseo Verde Park in Henderson * Sep.06.2005 -- "O" CD released in US (CDS Musique) * Sep.06.2005 -- La Nouba CD released in US (CDS Musique) * Sep.06.2005 -- Mystère (Live) CD released in US (CDS Musique) * Sep.08.1985 -- 1984 Tour opened Montréal * Sep.08.1989 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Santa Monica * Sep.08.1995 -- Alegría opened Boston * Sep.08.2005 -- Dralion opened Zurich * Sep.08.2006 -- Corteo opened Boston * Sep.08.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Munich, DE * Sep.08.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Victoria, BC * Sep.09.1988 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Washington DC * Sep.09.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened in Boston * Sep.09.1999 -- Saltimbanco opened in Perth * Sep.09.2005 -- Quidam opened Singapore * Sep.09.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Syracuse, NY * Sep.09.2009 -- Name of CirqueVaudeville Released [Banana Shpeel] * Sep.09.2010 -- OVO opened Washington, DC * Sep.11.1990 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened San Jose * Sep.11.2008 -- Quidam opened Barcelona, Spain * Sep.12.1986 -- Le Magie Continue opened Toronto * Sep.12.1997 -- Alegría opened Vienna * Sep.12.2003 -- Varekai opened Los Angeles * Sep.12.2005 -- Zumanity celebrated its 1000th performance * Sep.13.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Chicago * Sep.13.1996 -- Saltimbanco opened Zurich * Sep.14.2001 -- Quidam opened Zurich * Sep.14.2007 -- Alegría opened Curitiba, Brazil * Sep.14.2010 -- Banana Shpeel opened San Francisco, CA * Sep.15.1995 -- Saltimbanco opened Düsseldorf * Sep.15.2002 -- Fire Within premiered in Canada [7:00pm EST/Global TV] * Sep.15.2005 -- Name of "Cirque MGM" released - KÀ * Sep.15.2008 -- Mystère celebrated 7,000th performance [9:30pm] * Sep.15.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Milan, IT * Sep.15.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Tacoma, WA * Sep.16.2004 -- Varekai opened Washington DC * Sep.16.2008 -- Corteo opened Ottawa * Sep.16.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Amherst, NY * Sep.16.2010 -- Koozå opened Calgary, AB * Sep.17.1998 -- Alegría opened Zurich * Sep.17.1998 -- Quidam opened McLean * Sep.17.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena Tour Begins in Europe * Sep.17.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Stockholm, SE * Sep.17.2009 -- Dralion opened Monterrey, Mexico * Sep.17.2010 -- Varekai opened Zurich, CH * Sep.18.2009 -- Quidam opened Brasilia, Brazil * Sep.19.2002 -- Varekai opened Philadelphia * Sep.19.2003 -- Saltimbanco opened Zurich * Sep.20.1989 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Santa Monica * Sep.20.2001 -- Saltimbanco opened Yokohama * Sep.20.2003 -- Zumanity Gala Premiere (Previews End) * Sep.21.2001 -- Saltimbanco opened in Yokohama * Sep.21.2001 -- Alegría celebrated 2,500th performance [Brisbane] * Sep.21.2003 -- Cirque wins Outstanding Nonfiction Program award * Sep.21.2004 -- "Le Best of..." CD Released (CDS Musique) * Sep.22.2002 -- Cirque lost Emmys (nominated Jul.18.2002) Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special - Alegría Outstanding Choreography for 74th Academy Awards - Debra Brown * Sep.22.2005 -- Varekai opened Hartford * Sep.22.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Zargoza, ES * Sep.22.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Spokane, WA * Sep.23.1999 -- Dralion opened in Santa Monica * Sep.23.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Helsinki, FI * Sep.23.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Rochester, NY * Sep.24.2008 -- Cirque2009 tickets go on sale! * Sep.25.2005 -- Corteo opened Minneapolis * Sep.25.1996 -- Quidam opened in Santa Monica * Sep.25.2002 -- Cirquedusoleil.com won four awards for its website: "Best of Show", "Experience", "Content & Information", "Experimental" * Sep.25.2008 -- Varekai opened Vienna, Austria * Sep.26.2002 -- Quidam opened Cleveland * Sep.27.1994 -- Alegría CD released in Canada (RCA/Victor) * Sep.27.2001 -- Dralion opened in Philadelphia * Sep.27.2003 -- Cirque du Soleil HQ Open House * Sep.28.2003 -- Cirque du Soleil HQ Open House * Sep.28.2006 -- Quidam opened St. Louis * Sep.29.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Granada, ES * Sep.30.1997 -- Quidam opened Denver * Sep.30.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Turku, FI * Sep.30.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened State College, PA * Sep.30.2009 -- Guy Laliberté, Cosmonaut! ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= o) "Remembering ZED: A Timeless Evocation" Part 2 of 4 - "From A to ZED" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) o) "The Last Viewings of ZED" By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA) o) "IRIS: A Journey Through the World of Cinema" By: Cirque du Soleil Press Room Materials o) "CirqueCon Update #7 - We'd Like Your Thoughts" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) o) "Music Interview: Danny Elfman" [EXPANDED] A Special Reprint from Buzzline --------------------------------------------------------- "Remembering ZED: A Timeless Evocation" Part 2 of 4 - "From A to ZED" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) --------------------------------------------------------- Shocking news hit the Cirque du Soleil fandom around Noon on Sunday, July 24th- ZED, Cirque du Soleil's resident show in Tokyo, Japan would cease operations and close as of December 31, 2011 - and it was the proverbial shot heard around the world for Cirque fans. It was no surprise to learn that ticket sales and attendance had plummeted since the 2011 Tokoku earthquake and tsunami, and Oriental Land Company (OLC), Cirque du Soleil's partner in Japan, said the decision to close the show amounted to just that - low attendance and a bleak overall outlook on the show's future. Thankfully this will not be the last time we hear from the world of ZED, as pieces of the show will be salvaged and used to upgrade VIVA ELVIS and MYSTERE on the Las Vegas Strip. While we absorb the full impact and meaning of this closure, and contemplate the knowledge that we may never again see ZED staged whole, I'd like to take a moment to reflect upon my experience with ZED and highlight the fascinating characters and acts we'll now miss once the final curtain is called. * * * When I last left you, my friend (and fellow Cirque du Soleil fan) Rich Alford and I had entered the ZED theater complex on the afternoon of November 8, 2008 in triumph, though huffing and puffing from the walk, with only a few moments to spare before the curtain would rise again on ZED, Cirque du Soleil's then newest resident production. We had found ourselves at Tokyo DisneySEA that morning as hosts to a CirqueCon lunch for a table of eight patrons at Magellan's, then made our way to the Theater for the afternoon performance. When we arrived, though, we were in for a bit of a shock: our seats were occupied, and our tickets were issued in error! With about a minute before curtain call and with the box office on the phone to Kyoko Hasegawa (our friendly contact at Cirque Tokyo), they found us alternative seats, which we took quickly, settling down to gaze over the white canvas that keeps the world of ZED tightly wrapped. As a CirqueCon Passionate, I had quite a good look at it the day before... The journey from A to ZED began with an announcement on April 7, 2005 that Cirque du Soleil came to an agreement with the Walt Disney Company and Oriental Land Co., Ltd (the company that administers Tokyo Disneyland Resort) to open a permanent theater in Tokyo. Ground was broken on the $140 million USD, 2,000 seat project on April 18, 2006 and blessed by a Shinto priest from nearby Seiryu shrine. By October 1, 2007, construction was far enough along to announce the show would officially open on October 1, 2008, during the Resort's 25th Anniversary celebrations. "ZED" became the show's official name on June 3, 2008 (though it had been leaked to the fandom some time before the official announcement). ZED would go on to premiere on time to rave reviews and spectacular attendance. Since its premiere (and over 1,000 performances), ZED has proven to be very popular and reached the one-millionth guest milestone faster than any other show in Japan. However, the effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami event, which took place on March 11, 2011, greatly changed the business environment for the theater (and all of Japan). Based on a review of the expected results and the long-term viability of the show, it was mutually agreed on July 25, 2011 to indefinitely close the Cirque du Soleil Theater Tokyo and cease performances of ZED as of December 31, 2011. The show, which premiered on October 1, 2008, marks Cirque du Soleil's twenty-second production overall, the first permanent theater and show in Japan and its first permanent venture outside of North America. The story of ZED blossoms in an environment that recalls antique astronomical and navigational instruments set in an ancient cosmos that is at the same time new and somehow familiar. In fact the set takes its inspiration from many eras and influences: ancient science, the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, the products of the early days of the Mechanical Age, nautical instruments and astronomy all play a part in creating an atmosphere of solidity and tradition, floating in space that looks toward the future. As an example, on the floor of the stage is a representation of the Milky Way, with symbols referring to the different phases of the moon, and star placements. An alphabet of 26 symbols, known as the Zed Alphabet, appears throughout the set and spells out the periodic table of the elements as well as other words related to the production. And five spheres of various diameters, each displaying their own special effects, form a miniature representation of an Astrolabe - a micro world that reflects the macro world. Made mostly of steel, the suspended astrolabe weights 19,504 kilograms (43,000 pounds) and is fitted with a net that can deploy and retract as needed. The theater is quite unique as it is the first permanent Cirque du Soleil Theater outside of North America (they're either located in Las Vegas or Orlando). It opened after about two years of construction and a total business cost of 14 billion yen. The distinctive Theatre roof formed with polyhedrons is designed in the image of a circus tent, the very beginnings of Cirque du Soleil. It is specifically designed to harness the sun's rays from any direction and its glass exterior definitely presents an appearance befitting Cirque du Soleil, the Circus of the Sun. By the numbers: the building stands about 35 meters high, has approximately 5,400 square-meters of building area and 14,000 square-meters of total floor space to get lost on. Inside is equally impressive. Cirque du Soleil Tokyo's stage is one of the largest in Japan with a width of about 35 meters, a depth of about 20 meters, and a height to the ceiling of about 21 meters. The open, semi-circular stage thrusts out into the audience allowing guests to feel even closer to the action. A grid above the audience covers about 1,700 square meters of the ceiling and can support a load of 750 kilograms per square meters. This grid is used for special mechanical equipment and devices that make possible various stage effects. Such as the "basket" winch from Fisher Technical, a custom ten horsepower counterweight assist winch that provides the means for rigidly securing a four ton piece of scenic and acrobatic equipment through an enormous range of loading conditions; the "net" winches, used to deploy and tension the safety net system for the trapeze (It is a two stage machine, with the first stage rotating a large drum to pull the stage width net into its initial slack position. After engaging a huge ratchet backstop on the first stage, the second stage drives a large ball screw to pull the entire winch system backward (riding on heavy duty FTSI FastTrack) to put over 7 tons of tension on the net); and the "vortex" winches that breathe life into the breathtaking opening curtain effect (done using 25 hp motors coupled with huge drums that are over eight feet in length and four feet in diameter. At over 25 linear feet per second, the drums collect almost an acre of fabric in the blink of an eye!). Underneath the stage is one of the world's largest trap rooms with a depth of six meters. All these elements make it possible to present a show that can only be staged at a permanent theater. The theater's 2,170 seats are arranged around the semi-circular stage with the seats at the back of the theater about 30 meters away, giving the audience a sense of being close to the action. The seats at the front of the theater are designed to allow a good view of Cirque du Soleil's spectacular aerial acrobatics and other effects by having seat backs that recline and extra space between rows. All the seats have cup holders so that guests can enjoy refreshments while they watch the show. These elements all help provide a comfortable and enjoyable ambience in the theater. To ensure that the highest quality performance can always be presented, the backstage area includes dressing rooms that can accommodate a total of 70 performers, a training room for physical care and treatment, and a rehearsal room with a 10-meter-high ceiling where acrobats can rehearse. Also backstage are acrobatic and other equipment, a metal workshop for maintaining special equipment, and a costume shop where costumes are maintained. TO BE CONTINUED... Next time: discovering the theme of ZED and the characters that play in its world. --------------------------------------------------------- "The Last Viewings of ZED" By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA) --------------------------------------------------------- It's hard to believe that I've seen ZED for the last time. Those last viewings on August 11 and August 13, 2011 were wonderful. There had been a couple of casting changes and a couple of artists were absent from their group routines but the show was still strong. The aftermath of the March earthquake in Tohoku did result in a major change to the show, however, the deployment of an airbag below the high wire act, just in case the stage and high wire started shaking in the middle of the act. It's one thing to consider the odds of an earthquake shaking things while you're a couple of stories above the stage, it's another to have a major quake followed by numerous major aftershocks bringing into focus the actual possibility of an earthquake induced fall. The resident creative team, most of whom were involved in the superbly realized change of ZED from a two-act show to a one-act show, once again worked their magic with the process of deploying and then taking down the airbag. Someone seeing the show for the first time would have had no idea that anything had changed from the first days of performance. The change had the added benefit of emphasizing the character of the Shaman and his role in creating the world of ZED. His actions bringing out the airbag carried over into more activity on the Shaman's part as he brought the other aspects of the ZED world into being. I think I have seen about 20 different Cirque du Soleil (CDS) shows and while I acknowledge that seeing live performances is a very personal thing, one person may love a show that another person sees as just ordinary - for me, ZED is one of the strongest shows, residential or touring, that CDS is currently presenting. The creation of the world of ZED was well done, the artistic base of the show is strong enough to weather changes in cast and acts. I think ZED could have challenged Mystere in terms of longevity. But on December 31, 2011 it will be done. ZED was the product of a particular artistic purpose (to create a residential show in Japan) and the product of a particular collection of artistic talent and insight at all levels of creation and performance. I look forward to the day when artistic purpose and artistic talent once again combine to create a show that I would travel to the far side of the world to see again. Afterthoughts The Oriental Land Corporation (OLC) press release talked about a review of the business conditions for their collaboration with Cirque du Soleil (CDS). As it was OLC that made the initial announcement of the closing and as the Tohoku disasters were so fresh in our minds it was easy for me to assume that this was a decision primarily made in Japan in reaction to the difficulties the country was facing. After my visit to Japan, though, it struck me that Cirque du Soleil may have had reasons to question the value of continuing ZED as well, such as a change of business plans and the increasing cost of operating in Japan. During CirqueCon 2007, Orlando!, when ZED was in development in Montreal, we learned of a plan to build a number of Cirque du Soleil theater spaces using the La Nouba Theater as a template. This would allow the possibility for shows to rotate among theaters. There was also the move to create permanent resident shows outside North America, starting with Macao, Tokyo and Dubai. Cirque Theatre Tokyo, the host space for ZED, was the only other theater built using the LaNouba stage footprint, the Dubai show never materialized and no other locations were added to the list. Now what we're seeing are shows developed for existing theater spaces with an emphasis on increasing the overseas touring model, both by finding new venues for existing shows and creating new shows that will travel internationally from early on in the tour, with the intent to perform in venues of various sizes, not just big tops. With this shift in business plan could come a shift in support for shows created under the old business plan, especially shows that are running into difficulties, like an increase in operational expenses. When ZED was being developed the returns were probably generated using a Yen exchange rate of something a little better than 100 Yen to the U.S. Dollar. When CirqueCon 2008, Tokyo! occurred the rate was about 97 Yen to the U.S. Dollar and it kept dropping as time went on. For the first half of 2011 the exchange rate was in the low 80's and in August, when I went over, it was trading just under 77 Yen. If the CDS artists and staff were being paid in Yen, then Cirque du Soleil was having to pay more in Dollars to achieve the same amount in Yen. If the pay was in Dollars converted to Yen then CDS was having to provide financial supplements so that people could live. The cost of OLC provided services was also increasing in Dollar terms. OLC might have had reasons other than the earthquake damage and the reliability of electricity, I'm thinking attendance. Not just attendance at performances of ZED, but attendance at Tokyo Disneyland Resort overall. I'm not sure how CDS approaches repeat attendance at its shows. How much of the total audience for a particular show is going to be one- time only guests? How much will be people returning a few times to see the show again? How much will be passionate fans purchasing seats at locations all over North America, or even all over the world? For the various Disney parks though I'm fairly certain that there is an emphasis on bringing the same visitors back again and again over time. In the early afternoon of August 16, I returned to the Tokyo DisneySea park in Tokyo Disneyland Resort, having first visited it in May of 2010. The park was crowded, popular rides had waits of 150 minutes, many other rides had waits of 50 minutes. At the Mediterranean Harbor, a large body of water for the staging of extravaganzas just inside the main entry to the park, people were already gathering for the afternoon performance of "The Legend of Mythica." This involved a dozen or more tricked out motorized barges, with a dozen decorated skidoo type watercraft running around, easily a hundred cast members in full costume with synchronized choreography at locations all around the Harbor. No sign of anything being held back in terms of production values. There was also a nighttime program called "Fantasmic!", which involved different tricked out motorized barges but less cast members as the nighttime aided the visual technology. Again, there was no sense of anything being held back in production. In fact in a September article in the Japan Times online it's noted that attendance had started to return in May of 2011 with July attendance matching that of the year before. (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi- bin/nn20110902f2.html). Neither of these extravaganzas were staged during my visit in 2010 and it's likely that next year there will be something entirely different plying the waters of Mediterranean Harbor. To bring back the Guests, all the Disney parks need to create new things for the Guests to see and enjoy on repeat visits. It's possible that, even as they were creating a special ticket, (a full fare ZED ticket with a reduced cost ticket to either Tokyo DisneyLand or Tokyo DisneySea) OLC was wondering how long a show that does not change could bring repeat business to a place that changes on a regular basis. Both Oriental Land Corporation and Cirque du Soleil were probably reconsidering their long term commitment to ZED well before March 2011, and the Tohoku disasters gave them an opportunity to sit down and review the long term viability of the show in light of far more than the damage resulting from the natural and man-made disasters that had impacted the country. For me, ZED was the primary reason to make the journey out to the Tokyo Disneyland Resort every year since 2007. That doesn't mean I won't visit the next time I'm there, just that visiting won't have the priority it had before. I'll be focusing on Cirque du Soleil performances at venues closer to home. --------------------------------------------------------- "IRIS: A Journey Through the World of Cinema" By: Cirque du Soleil Press Room Materials --------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil and CIM Group presented the world premiere of IRIS, a new resident production created exclusively for the Kodak Theater at the Hollywood & Highland Center, home of the Academy Awards, on September 25th. Proudly presented by Sun Life Financial, IRIS is written and directed by French stage and film director, artisitc director, dancer and choreographer Philippe Decouflé. Let's take a journey into the world of cinema with IRIS... ABOUT THE SHOW A poetic phantasmagoria inspired by the world of cinema, IRIS presents an imaginary journey through the evolution of cinema - from the foundations of the art form to the bustle of the soundstage - through optical effects and film genres. IRIS transposes into a language of dance and acrobatics all of cinema's splendor, inventiveness and, above all, its sense of wonder. When the two young heroes - Buster and Scarlett - find themselves plunged into the joyful chaos of a film set, their escapades transport the spectator into a kaleidoscope of movement, moods and images supported by an orchestral score. Buster is a melancholy composer in search of true love. Somewhere between reality and make-believe, he spots the girl of his dreams: Scarlett, a naïve actress who longs to become a movie star. But will Buster and Scarlett find each other in the real world? IRIS conjures up a place between motion and picture, light and sound, that shifts constantly between reality and make-believe, to explore the limitless possibilities of cinema. By combining dance, acrobatics, live video, film footage and interactive projections, the show illustrates both the mechanics of cinema and its extraordinary power to deceive the eye. THE CREATIVE TEAM Cooperation with others is essential to Philippe Decouflé's process. In 1983 he gathered together a group of artists and artisans who have been with him ever since as members of his dance company DCA, which has created scores of playful and fantastic productions that represent a veritable revival in contemporary dance. In 1992 Philippe created the magnificent opening and closing ceremonies of the Albertville Olympic Games. Watched by two billion viewers, this work earned him an international reputation. Philippe Decouflé also created the show Désirs that has been running at the Crazy Horse Saloon in Paris since 2009. IRIS is his first show with Cirque du Soleil. Along with Philippe Decouflé, the creative team consists of the following distinctive talents: o) Guy Laliberté -- Artistic Guide o) Gilles Ste-Croix -- Artistic Guide o) Philippe Decouflé -- Writer and Director o) Danny Elfman -- Composer o) Jean-François Bouchard -- Director of Creation o) Pascale Henrot -- Associate Director of Creation o) Jean Rabasse -- Set Designer o) Philippe Guillotel -- Costume Designer o) Daphné Mauger -- Choreographer o) Patrice Besombes -- Lighting Designer o) Anne-Séguin Poirier -- Props Designer o) Olivier Simola -- Projection Designer o) Christophe Waksmann -- Projection Designer o) François Bergeron -- Sound Designer o) Boris Verkhovsky -- Acrobatic Performance Designer o) Shana Carroll -- Acrobatic Performance Designer o) Pierre Masse -- Acrobatic Rigging and Equipment Designer o) Nathalie Gagné -- Makeup Designer THE ACTS Through visual language, acrobatics and choreography, all interwoven with the narrative of the show, IRIS brings the splendor, inventiveness and sense of wonder of cinema to the stage. Aerial Straps Duo In an atmosphere of light and shade, two acrobats soar through the air suspended from single or double straps. They take off high above the stage and land with grace and fluidity, delivering a performance that makes one think of an aerial hand-to-hand number. Shadows and Contortion In an evocation of shadow stories played out on prehistoric cave walls - the very beginnings of what eventually would become cinema - four contortionists adopt striking poses and undulate like dancing flames. The flexibility of their movements is amazing as they are transformed into living sculptures. Hand to Hand Two porters launch their partners into the air to perform stunning feats requiring absolute mastery and control. Generated live by their every move, the kaleidoscopic projections above the acrobats decompose motion to add a poetic dimension to their number. Filmstrip In a choreography that calls for high-speed precision, performers advance from one frame of film to the next to create the illusion of continuous movement. Kiriki (Icarian Games) The principle of Icarian games - one of the oldest circus arts disciplines - calls for a porter lying on his back spinning an acrobat with his feet. This dazzling number features eight acrobats who literally blur the lines between reality and the impossible as they push the act far beyond its traditional boundaries with cool daring. Movie Set Controlled chaos reigns over a succession of highly visual numbers and audacious plunges as a bold allusion to various aspects of filmmaking. The choreography brings the circus disciplines of teeterboard, Spanish web, Russian bars, aerial silk to floor gymnastics and original choreography. Trapeze and Broom Manipulation An artist on stage manipulates his broom while above him, a trapeze artist - the embodiment of his dream - performs with fantastic artistry. Their interaction turns into a gentle complicity. Trampoline (The Rooftops) In a tribute to gangster movies and to the work of stunt actors, trampolinists deliver a number packed with thrills on the roofs of buildings, multiplying their astounding leaps, flips and glides in a non-stop action movie atmosphere. Hand Balancing Playing the part of the show's heroine Scarlett, a young woman balancing on canes performs a number infused with romanticism, subtlety and sinuous strength that captures the already conquered heart of Buster. Before it's over, they will share a tender kiss. Aerial Ball In an aerial bungee ballet that pays tribute to 3D movies, women in costumes studded with crystal dive and soar in unison from the ceiling above the audience in a thrilling, swirling flight. COSTUMES Cut! Print! Sew! In a brilliant tribute to cinema, the costumes in IRIS are the result of a visual exploration of a broad range of themes connected with the invention of cinema: the taking of pictures and the recording and transmitting of sound and light. Designer Philippe Guillotel conducted extensive research into the history of cinema to devise concepts which some 250 artisans brought to life in the costume workshop at Cirque du Soleil. It took him three years of intensive research to complete the project. He searched the Musée des arts et métiers in Paris - where you can find everything from the first chronophotographic gun to the earliest sound projector - from top to bottom. He also screened innumerable films including the works of Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin and Georges Méliès, as well as the first films made with Thomas Edison's pioneering cinema inventions. The costumes he designed let IRIS follow the major stages in the evolution of color in film, from black and white and sepia, through Technicolor and colorization to the deliberately saturated colors of films like Dick Tracy. Giving Substance to the Machinery of Cinema The symbiosis between the costumes and the technical inventions of cinema is particularly striking in the half-human/half machine 'hybrid' characters. One of these creatures wears a skirt reminiscent of the praxinoscope, one of the first animation devices. Based on the stroboscopic effect, this costume illustrates the decomposition of movement. The circular structure of the skirt reveals - through slots as it rotates - two boxers in action. Philippe Guillotel created unusual costumes for a wide range of hybrid characters: o) Two "camera men" whose costumes include a camera mounted on their head or chest. o) A " sound man" wearing a large carbon fiber cone. o) A "screen man" whose costume conceals a 135 sq. ft. screen that comes out of his stomach. o) A character whose costume is inspired by the first sound equipment used to detect the sound of bombs in war. Some of these costumes have a useful function in the show, such as the two hybrids fitted with cameras that capture the action on stage. "I'm a devoted fan of Jules Verne's universe with all its mechanical gears and rivets," says Philippe Guillotel. "When I see an old wood and brass camera I immediately want to make a costume. And I want everyone who sees the IRIS costumes to immediately think of one word: cinema." Material Benefits Philippe Guillotel usually singles out five or six materials per show which he uses in every possible way. For IRIS, these included soft Lycra which can be made to look woolly or glossy, silk stretch nylon, which drapes well and can be printed with reflective designs, and natural cottons and linens. For Philippe, the fabric is less important than the body of the artist. "You can imagine the best costume of the world, but if the dancer or acrobat doesn't wear it well, the effect will be lost," he says. "The IRIS dancers have magnificent bodies, and it is this beauty that I have tried to emphasize." That is certainly the case with the acrobats whose costumes were inspired by corsets that were fashionable in the early 20th century, plus a little nod to Roman times. Even though he used a lot of leather for the corsets, Philippe relied mainly on modern fabrics and high- tech materials such as carbon fiber for their protrusions - for reasons of flexibility, comfort and lightness. Focus on Costumes o) The influence of Dick Tracy is front and center in the number that pays tribute to gangster movies. The artists who leap up and down the buildings from trampolines hidden in the stage floor are wearing bright red, yellow and blue tartan suits. o) In the Aerial Ballet number the costumes of the bungee- jumping "diamond women" are studded with nearly one million Swarovski crystals. In the air, the artists themselves are not as visible as the brilliance of the stones, which give their bodies a smooth and bright look. o) The costumes worn the by the Icarian Games "Kiriki" characters are an evocation of costumes in the films of Georges Méliès. o) The hybrid Furniture Characters are artists whose costumes make them look exactly like pieces of living room furniture: two chairs, a lamp, a table and a moose head on the wall. At one point, as part of a movie, they all come to life and unfold in a matter of seconds. o) Some costumes pay tribute to various professions and crafts associated with cinema, including screenwriters, makeup artists, cinematographers, carpenters, decorators, painters, electricians and lighting designers. SET, PROJECTIONS AND MUSIC To create the cinematic world of IRIS a great many elements have to come together, play off each other and create a coherent environment of sights and sounds on the 9,600 sq. ft. stage of the majestic Kodak Theatre. Set The set design by Jean Rabasse provides the physical framework for the action and effects of the show. The sets' infrastructure occupies a space that spans 122 ft. from the high grid to the bottom of the pit, and conceals a lift with a capacity of 20,000 lbs that rises and descends 34 ft. below the stage at a rate of one foot per second. His first decision was to avoid direct references to specific films, actors or directors, and to take a playful, universally accessible approach to creating a world of cinema. The set also had to provide a meeting place for acrobatics, circus arts, dance and projections. And it had to do so in such a way that cinema techniques and live performances could blend together. What Jean wanted to express was a love, not just of cinema, but of the whole process of film-making, from the technicians to the sound stage, to the nuts and bolts of the machinery and equipment The set suggests a fairground attraction inspired by Coney Island where movies were screened to an audience for the first time. Cinema Emerges from the Shadows Jean Rabasse's concepts go beyond simple references to the paraphernalia of the film set. They complement performances by artists whose goal is to connect with the emotions of the audience. For Jean, the shadows on prehistoric cave walls were the beginnings of what would eventually be called cinema. The stories they told engaged the intelligence and the emotions as much as they appealed to the eyes. And so it is with IRIS. The show starts with shadows before bursting into color. The elements of positive and negative are essential components of film; they are also the names of the two giant figures flanking the stage. Above, the motto "In Motion We Trust" sums up not only the theme of moving pictures, but also the constant action of the show. The second act plunges into a rapid-fire succession of familiar film genres, and the set transforms just as rapidly to supply each number with a backdrop that supports the story elements through distinctive visual references such as costumes, hairstyles and the outlines of figures silhouetted in windows - as well as providing all the structures and anchor points needed for each act. The Color Palette Some sequences, such as the Rooftops trampoline number vibrate with bright saturated colors and the sharp contrasts of shadows and silhouettes. However, The show's overall color palette leans more toward earth tones - muted oranges and yellows. It has to be, to ensure that the vitally important projections are clearly visible from every seat in the vast Kodak Theatre. Props The result of extensive research and an exploration of the effects of scale, some of the IRIS props have taken on a life of their own. Resembling the contents of a cabinet of curiosities, they are variations on the themes of sound, optics, light and smoke. These little devices represent the beginnings of cinema and the mechanical inventions that made its development as an art form possible. Light sources and ingenious machines, as well as panels, ladders, beams and chairs, take on personality traits, transforming them into characters that give life to the artists who operate them. Projections Projection Designers Olivier Simola and Christophe Waksmann used a wide variety of unconventional materials in their concepts, including stretch plastic and micro-perforated tulle. The stage, the set elements and, in one comic sequence, even the artists' bodies and costumes are used as projection surfaces. The content of the projections is largely driven by movements of the live performers, and much of the time it is impossible to tell what is real and what is artificial. Early in the show, real-time projections of acrobats' performances capture their movements as trails of still images - in very much the same way that frames of film create the persistence of vision effect that we see as motion pictures. The result is a living decomposition of movement that takes on a luminous life of its own as an ever- changing abstract kaleidoscope above the action. The IRIS projections are widely varied in both technical approach and content. Early in the show, a performer appears in a costume reminiscent of the praxinoscope, one of the first animation devices. Based on the stroboscopic effect, this costume illustrates the decomposition of movement. The circular structure of the skirt reveals - through slots as it rotates - two boxers in action. The virtual traveling scene seamlessly mixes live performance captured on camera with a succession of projected make-believe sets and props that take the artists from the streets of LA to outer space. And the Pursuit Race sequence recreates the menacing atmosphere of a classic 1940s Hollywood gangster flick as a set-up for the Rooftops number that is the closest the show comes to presenting an actual film to the IRIS audience. To achieve all this, and more, Olivier and Christophe used eight large 15,000-lumen video projectors for the main projections, six for the rear projections and four installed high above the stage to throw images onto set elements on either side of the stage. Music Danny Elfman's music for IRIS is primarily orchestral, combining both large and small ensembles throughout the show. Its melodies contain references to many genres of film - at times grandiose and stirring, at times playful and light, sometimes surrealistic, frequently action- packed and often humorous and surprising. The choice of the orchestral approach reflects the fact that over 95 per cent of film music since the 1930s has been scored for full orchestras, and this imparts to the Cirque du Soleil show a sonic connection between circus and film, via strings, brass, harps, flutes, clarinets, bassoons and so on, as opposed to the sounds of a jazz or rock ensemble. TICKET INFORMATION Tickets range from $43 to $133 (VIP tickets are available at $253). Tickets can be purchased on line at www.cirquedusoleil.com/IRIS or by calling 1-877-943-IRIS. For parties of 12 or more, contact Cirque du Soleil group sales by calling 877-504-7164. For Preferred Seating and other American Express(R) Cardmember benefits, please visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/amex. Sponsors Sun Life Financial is the presenting sponsor of IRIS. Infiniti and American Express are the official sponsors of this new production. About Cirque du Soleil From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a major Quebec-based organization providing high- quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,500 performing artists from close to 50 different countries. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in nearly 300 cities on six continents. For more information, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com. To find out more about the One Drop Foundation, visit www.onedrop.org. About KODAK Theatre Kodak Theatre is the crown jewel of the Hollywood & Highland Center, a retail, dining and entertainment venue located in the heart of historic Hollywood. The theatre opened in November 2001 and soon became known to more than one billion people across the globe as the first permanent home of the Academy Awards(R). Kodak Theatre was designed by the internationally-renowned Rockwell Group to be as glamorous as its onstage artists and celebrity guests, yet capable of serving the enormous technical needs of a live worldwide television broadcast on Oscar(R) night. For more information visit: http://www.kodaktheatre.com About Sun Life Financial Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth accumulation products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Chartered in 1865, Sun Life Financial and its partners today have operations in key markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China and Bermuda. In the United States and elsewhere, insurance products are offered by members of the Sun Life Financial group that are insurance companies. Sun Life Financial Inc., the holding company for the Sun Life Financial group of companies, is a public company. It is not an insurance company and does not offer insurance products for sale in the United States or elsewhere, and does not guarantee the obligations of its insurance company subsidiaries. Product offerings may not be available in all states and may vary depending on state laws and regulations. As of June 30, 2011, the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of $492 billion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com. Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF. --------------------------------------------------------- "CirqueCon Update #7 - We'd Like Your Thoughts!" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) --------------------------------------------------------- Greetings, Passionates! Keith here with some Cirque-related activity possibilities for our upcoming CirqueCon 2011: Hollywood! weekend. While we're in Los Angeles, we thought we might take advantage of a couple of local attractions that have a Cirque connection. Take a look at these two activities and if you are interested please let us know with an email to Hollywood@cirquecon.com. If there is sufficient interest we will move ahead with arrangements. For both outings we would take your ticket money ourselves and purchase tickets through their Group Ticket office. KODAK THEATRE TOUR - $10.00 USD/PSN. This is the public tour of the theatre that houses IRIS. (It is of course located in the Hollywood & Highland shopping complex, as is our Group Meal.) It would take 30-40 min and takes you through the public areas of the theatre only. There is NO access to backstage or any areas Cirque has control over. The primary focus of this tour is the Oscars and Academy Awards. You can see more about the tour here: < http://www.kodaktheatre.com/ theatre_tours.htm > We would schedule this for FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, we believe at some point between 12Noon and 2pm. We will work with Cirque and the theatre to make sure that any "special Cirque activities" (not quaranteed) won't conflict with the tour. (We'd like to schedule them to happen close to each other.) "LOVE" EXHIBIT AT THE GRAMMY MUSEUM - $10.00 USD/PSN. The Grammy Museum is located in downtown LA in the LA Live complex (which also houses the Staples Center and the Nokia Theatre). A Google map showing its location is here: < http://maps.google.com/maps? f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=800+W.+Olympic+Blvd.+Los+Angeles+90015&sll=37.0625, -95.677068&sspn=48.822589,60.029297&ie=UTF8&z=17&iwloc=addr > Zoom out a bit and you can see that it's a short drive from Hollywood south on the 101 & 110 freeways. But you can also get there on the Metro Red subway line that services the Hollywood and Highland Shopping Center. 10 stops later, after a 20-minute ride, get off at 7th Street/Metro Center and after a short walk - you're there! The Museum is four floors of cutting-edge exhibits honoring all forms of music and the people who make it, from the creators and musicians to the producers and engineers. The LOVE special exhibit is a couple of display cases of costumes and an introductory film about the show that was shot in 3-D! There will also be a special exhibition about George Harrison on display while we are there. You can see more about the exhibit here: < http://www.grammymuseum.org/interior.php? section=exhibits&page=beatles_love > Tickets would be available at the Will Call desk of the Museum (in your name) starting Tuesday, November 29. You would be able to pick up your tickets and enjoy the museum at your convenience. Depending on how many people are interested we might schedule an "official" outing, likely Thursday, December 1 at some time between Noon and 4pm. Do either of these sound interesting to you? If so, please let us know by sending an email to Hollywood@cirquecon.com and telling us how many tickets of which kind of activity you would like. If there is enough interest, we will respond with information on how to buy tickets. HAVE YOU GOT YOUR HOTEL ROOMS/SHOW TICKETS/GROUP MEALS? - Our exclusive deals for tickets and hotel rooms are still available, through the links we've sent to members previously (see more about our deals at our website, www.cirquecon.com ). Don't wait too much longer before reserving, when the hotel reaches a certain occupancy level the offer will expire. And don't forget our group meal on Friday evening at The Grill, which we told you about in our last email. WE WANT YOUR STORIES! One of our members favorite sections of our Program Book is our "Member Stories" section. Cirque fans love to hear about other Cirque fans doing Cirquey things. How could we stop now? As we have done with our other Program Books (viewable in our "Artifacts" section), we would like to gather your Cirque stories. Here's the deal. Send us your story about an experience you had, a story involving Cirque, your feelings about Cirque, how you were introduced to it - anything that involves Cirque du Soleil. As Cirque said for their "Cirque du Soleil and Me" contest a few years ago, "Tell us of a memory, an anecdote or a special moment you have had with Cirque du Soleil... Think back over your fondest memories and then write a brief story to share..." And it would be especially interesting if it occurred at a CirqueCon! Rules? Your text must be creative, original and true. You will receive no compensation or prize other than the joy of seeing your words published. If you want to use your text later for some other purpose, be our guest. We'll take your submissions, edit them and put them in the Program Book. The more the better! We'll do everything we can to include everyone's story. If you have pictures to illustrate, please send them along as well. We Passionates enjoy hearing other's experiences. Send them to Hollywood@cirquecon.com, by November 10, 2011. Thank you again for believing in us. In the meantime, Live Passionately! Keith, Lucy and Ricky Your CirqueCon '11: Hollywood! Team www.cirquecon.com Hollywood@cirquecon.com --------------------------------------------------------- "Music Interview: Danny Elfman" [EXPANDED] A Special Reprint from Buzzline --------------------------------------------------------- It’s hard to think of a performance venue that Danny Elfman’s music hasn’t conquered, be it the rock stages where Oingo Boingo reigned, the movie theaters where Elfman’s scores to Real Steel and Restless are playing, the television sets where his theme for The Simpsons hasn’t stopped, or the concert halls whose ballet dancers have pirouetted to Elfman’s gossamer percussion. Just about one location remains that Danny Elfman would be a natural to shine under, and that’s The Big Top. Ever since his early days in the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a madcap percussion akin to circus music has been an Elfman trademark, continuing through numerous Boingo songs to the nightmarish clowns of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice’s demonic carousel, and the Penguin’s twisted fairway minions in Batman Returns. Even when there’s no cackling clown on hand, the very nature of calliope music seems part of Elfman’s DNA, his hellzapoppin rhythms jumping through soundwaves like a trapeze act. Now Danny Elfman has at last come home to the place he was always meant to be for Cirque du Soleil’s live carnival of movie love called Iris, which has a likely infinite run at the Kodak Theater at the Hollywood & Highland complex. It’s more than fitting that the town’s most popular ringmaster has gotten his chance to inspire absurd clowning and death-defying feats right next to the Chinese Theater -- the heart of people’s imagination for all the romance and adventure that movies represent at their purest dream state. And it’s this iconography that Iris beautifully taps into. Without ever specifically naming classic movie titles, the Cirque’s always-stunning staging has dancers evoking the rites to summon King Kong, acrobats trampolining about a film noir cityscape straight out of Rear Window, then recreating the De Mille-ian bustle of a backlot soundstage. As his dynamic music provides the impossible synch points for these performers, Elfman’s tribal beats, haunting violins, hard-broiled jazz, ethereal choruses, and gossamer bell magic also evoke the sum total of his prolific scoring career, bringing to mind images of Edward Scissorhands, Dick Tracy, Nightbreed, Black Beauty, and Standard Operating Procedure, among his many soundtracks. Yet the astonishing range of the whimsical, savage, and modernistic styles on display are utterly unique to themselves, inspiring breathtaking leaps and dances from the Cirque performers, all with the same fervor that Elfman’s music has taken listeners on their own flights of fantasy. But perhaps most impressively on stage in Iris is how Elfman and Cirque go beyond conjuring film’s greatest images to playing the magic of movie creation itself. Rarely has music been so inextricably tied to a Cirque show, or so different from their musical approach at that. Where Hollywood is striving for new dimensions of audience involvement, Iris and its music truly make us part of a living, joyful screen, with Danny Elfman’s music capturing the bliss of its flickering, magical light that makes us dream of the stars. Q. How would you describe the impact of circus music on your life and your music? Well, what can I say? I grew up with red hair and was called Bozo the Clown all through elementary and junior high. So I guess I was pre- ordained to have something to do with the circus from the very beginning. I hope what I’m doing right now with Iris is just a bit more sophisticated than the music Bozo might have used for his show. Q. What was your experience like writing for other mediums than film before you got to Iris? I’ve just done two commissions in the last 26 years of writing for film, which was Serenada Schizophrana for the Composers Orchestra, and Rabbit and Rogue for Twyla Tharp. It was ironic that my third time out, writing outside of film, would be about the subject of film, at least surrealistically speaking. But over the course of almost three years of working on the project, Iris became a story that was inspired by the “idea” of cinema. The show’s creator, Philippe Decoufle, was designing extravagant visual images and set pieces, but every group of performers was completely unique from each other. You’ve got the specific needs of the Russian “hand to hand” balancing artists -- they’re two couples -- two men and two women -- who are balancing on each other’s shoulders and flipping from person to person. How they move is completely different compared to the Mongolian acrobats, who are used to doing their act while paying no attention to the music at all. So I had to really learn that it wasn’t writing for a group of performers, but writing for a dozen very individual performers, each with very different needs. I began to think more about really designing things for them this past year, which was a new and very unexpected challenge, like customizing music for the Atherton twins, who begin the show on the high wire. That approach also led to me realizing that our lead acrobat was a pianist as well, which meant I could write a piano part for him. It was all really cool, but very much not what I expected. Q. Before composing Iris, what was your impression of the Cirque shows and how music was used in them? I had seen a number of Cirque shows and thought they were great. I particularly loved going to Las Vegas to see their shows. I’ve watched O, KÅ, and Love several times. I also saw their equestrian show, Cavalia, not too long ago, in Burbank. I always had a feeling that their music was of a certain specific nature, which wasn’t the kind of music I really did. Then things began happening in a weird way that would lead me to Iris. It all started three years ago in New York, when a friend who represented my concert music called about a show he wanted to take me to. It was this dance thing, so I said, “Okay, great.” I meet him outside of the theater where he then tells me we’ll be seeing a solo artist. I told him, “Oh my God. You’re taking me to a solo fucking dance show? I’m going to die. This is going to be so boring.” I just couldn’t believe it. The idea of watching one dancer for two hours seemed just impossible. But this show turns out to be absolutely fantastic, just remarkable. It was by this artist named Philippe Decoufle, and I said right at that moment, “Man, I’d love to work with him someday.” It wasn’t even six months later that I get a call from my agent, Richard Kraft, saying, “We’ve been approached by Cirque du Soleil about doing a show.” When I asked him, “Why me?” Richard told me that it was because it was a show inspired by the cinema, and that it was going to run in Los Angeles. I asked Richard whose show it was. He said, “It’s by someone you’ve never heard of, this obscure French director, Philippe Decoufle.” Then it was an immediate “Yes!” from me. There was really nothing left to decide because I loved the Cirque shows, and I loved this guy. I was really curious to see what he’d come up with. Q. You got your start with The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, which was like an avant-garde rock circus. Did that make it easier for you to do a show like Iris? Yeah, but I’d have to correct you because The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo had no rock and roll. We had no electronic instruments. In fact, for almost a decade that I was in the group, I didn’t even listen to music recorded after 1938. All of the music for the Mystic Knights was driven and inspired by Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Django Reinhardt, Igor Stravinsky, and Darius Milhaud. It was all early 20th century inspirations. My first performing experience wasn’t even with the Mystic Knights. It was in Paris with my brother Rick at Le Grand Magic Circus, a kind of avant-garde musical theatrical troupe directed by Jerome Savary, who ended up becoming the director of the National Theater in France. Rick was already a part of that troupe. I was on my way to Africa, and I had only picked up a violin four months earlier. He heard me practicing and he hired me, and I toured with them. So you could say that I started with a troupe that had the name “Circus” in their title. The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo was directly inspired by Le Grand Magic Circus. It was Rick’s own take on what they were doing, but reinventing it in a much broader American sense with burlesque and a nod to early vaudeville -- all the kinds of things that Rick loved. And because I loved old music, Rick made me musical director. Yet the Knights were far from being a “rock circus” because there were no amplified instruments allowed in the show. I played trombone, violin, guitar, and West African percussion. Everybody else in the troupe had to play three instruments, preferably one string and one brass instrument, so we could double between them like a string ensemble or a brass band would. The other thing I did in the Knights was fire-breathing, which was also a talent of Guy Laliberte, who owns Cirque du Soleil. So it all definitely came full circle in a weird way when I became part of Iris. Q. I just want to make this clear. Anyone going to see Iris will not be seeing Danny Elfman breathing fire as part of the show... I will not be breathing fire in the show. What you will hear me doing is singing the introductory cautionary announcements. Q. Did Iris’s acts exist before your music, or did the music exist before the acts? It was both. I’d written quite a bit of music before there were any acts to see. By the time they started rehearsals, Philippe was already applying my pieces to some of the acts. Then, when I started going to rehearsals in Montreal, I got an idea about how I’d need to change my music for the requirements of the different performers. Take the piece I’d composed for the Atherton twins, who fly over the audience at the very beginning of the show. It’s an amazing act, yet my music didn’t have the right vibe for them. But it turned out the trapeze artists really enjoyed that music, so I took the piece I’d originally written for the twins and reapplied it for the trapeze, all while starting from scratch for the Athertons. The piece I’d written for them was too delicate, especially because what they were doing was more masculine. So their music needed a different kind of a feel with a little more of a beat. I was constantly reinventing my score like that, greatly elaborating on the music and redesigning it for the artists when I began to learn what their needs were. Q. What’s the importance of alternating the more furiously percussive pieces with the slower ones so there isn’t a continuous barrage of energy? We just kind of developed a flow as the show came together. It was hearing where we wanted the music to be very aggressive, dreamy, or going for more sporadic percussion. Each piece has its own thing, and as it all came together, it just seemed to develop its own connective tissue. Q. When you score a film, the timings you had for their images are never going to change. But while you have the freedom of live performance in Iris, the music still has to remain in perfect synch for them. That was an enormous challenge. I have to say that, in the whole last year leading up to our first dress rehearsals, I began to think more and more that this was an idea that couldn’t possibly work, especially because Cirque du Soleil had never attempted anything like it before. We had no template to follow or look at. I went through quite a few sleepless nights thinking that maybe I’d just took them down a horribly wrong road. Even in the first couple of weeks, it seemed to me as if I’d created a monster. Then there was a point where the show actually started to click and pull together. I also had to realize the difference there would be from recording the music on a sound stage and then getting it to sound right in the Kodak. I’m used to mixing in five-channel stereo for film. The Cirque’s sound system has something like 21 channels. It’s not like anything I’d do for a movie soundtrack. That really meant a lot of work to design the sound in the room -- a solid month of figuring it out every single night. I was also mixing every single show for the first month. Then, after that performance would wrap, we’d continue working from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 in the morning. It was an incredible effort to figure out how to incorporate the live musicians. Nobody could help me with it. I had to really wing it. Fortunately, the Cirque has good sound people. They were patient and did whatever it took to it make it right, even if we had to stay there until sunrise. It was a fantastic level of commitment from them to get it working by the end. Q. How do you think the music of the show embodies your own score repertoire? I don’t know how Iris relates to my other work, because it was all just improvisational, where I’d be grabbing from this and that style. But there are a few moments where I was referencing a specific cinematic moment, especially in the rooftop scene where I wanted to reference the Latin elements of West Side Story. It worked for a scene that looked like a gang fight between cops and robbers, so it made sense there. Q. A particular highlight of Iris for me is where dancers recreate the optical illusion of film itself, where they embody moving frames. It was difficult, at first, to musically achieve that. What I’d written was too short for that segment, and the performers had to loop the music over and over to get the right length. I felt so bad for these people who had to spend months and months with this single piece of music, over and over again -- seven and a half minutes looped from about a minute and a half! It must have made them insane. So I got back to the drawing board and started taking what they had, elaborating on to create a whole new piece of music. And it turned out that was one of the scenes in the show that was significantly cut down during rehearsals. Q. Do you have a favorite act, musically or visually? Not really. There are certain acts where I hold my breath every time I see them, particularly the Atherton twins. What they’re doing always makes me grip the sides of my chair in horror, because they’re holding on to each other with just one hand each, with no safety harness or strap, 30 feet in the air. It’s always fun watching the Chinese acrobats and the contortionist, who are just so precise and amazing. They nail it every night, listening and replicating what the music is doing. And it’s never the same two nights in a row. The simplicity of the trapeze artists is absolutely pure. But the West Side Story trampoline sequence is one of the most insane acts, which is something people don’t realize. There’s a tremendous amount of intricacy in how they’re all going off of these rooftops onto the trampoline, and then back up on the rooftops while not killing each other. They make it look a lot easier than it is. Ten of them are going on and off at different moments, and at any moment, the slightest bit of timing being off could make them collide. Q. Iris definitely has it all over Spider-Man the Musical, but thankfully without the accidents. In that respect, what is it for your music to have the “power” of life and death? It’s a whole different thing. When I saw, in the first dress rehearsal, one of the performers in the “hand to hand” act almost get killed... In fact, I thought she did get killed. The accident happened because of a miscommunication. It was a simple thing of somebody leaping off somebody else’s shoulders and grabbing her feet. But she went into one routine, and he went into another, and she slammed her head into the stage. The thing is you don’t need to be suspended 40 feet up for this type of thing to happen. Every moment is dangerous. It requires absolute perfection in communication. I had never seen anything like that before. It was like sitting in a theater and watching an actual car accident or train wreck happen in front of your eyes. They stopped the show and carried her off unconscious on a stretcher. The owner came out and sent us all home. He just said, “This is our life. This is the circus. We’ll meet tomorrow and start again.” It was that reminder that this is the real shit. This is not the movies. Every single night, the performers put their asses on the line. They’re absolutely extraordinary. This show, more than any Cirque show I’ve ever seen, is absolutely reliant on humans. Very little of it relies on the set. KÅ and O are these incredible pieces of engineering, but you also get the feeling that, if anybody did twist their ankle or get hurt, there would be somebody else to fill their place the next day. In this show, I would say it’s 95% humans doing their thing very, very carefully. Almost all of them are irreplaceable. In that sense, I think this is the most “old school” circus show that Soleil has ever done. Q. Iris is going to be at the Kodak for a very long time. How do you see the music and the show developing through the years? I really have no way of anticipating that. I’m told, in the normal Cirque world, that it’s when things settle after the opening that they start to develop one or two alternating acts. That means, if somebody gets injured, they have to have some act to put in that person’s place. Iris has no alternates right now. Already in the last two months, there’ve been acts that have been down for three or four days at a time. But as they come up with replacements, I imagine I’ll have to score them. So I see Iris as a constantly moving thing -- an entire show that depends on the fragility of human tendons and ligaments. I have no doubt I’ll be called in again and again to make adjustments, changes, or to write new music for some new piece that will be going in. Q. Even though it’s not a movie, Iris is very much about the images in movies that we instantly recall through music. In that respect, what do you think Iris has to say about the importance of music in the movies? I don’t know if Iris is saying anything important about music in film. I think the show’s music just speaks for itself. While it has nods to movies like West Side Story and King Kong, there are also moments that are just from my own imagination -- one that’s filled with film music. So I figured that, without even trying, Iris’s music would sound cinematic, whether I want it to or not. That’s just because it’s the way I’m wired. Q. Now that you’ve conquered “the big top” under the Kodak, what’s your next musical Mount Everest outside of the movie screen? Next on my wish-list would be chamber music. It was my desire this year, before it got too busy, to be able to compose a small chamber piece for piano and percussion. It’s something I hope to do soon. Q. What’s one of the things that stands out for you about the whole experience of Iris? I didn’t think it would take me this long to say that one of my greatest moments was rushing into a rehearsal one night, I was late, and I’m driving down to the parking lot where they had special areas for the Iris customers. The guard was saying “Are you here for the circus?” I flashed my badge and said, “I’m in the circus!” As I was running upstairs, I asked myself if I really just said that. And wow, I did. I screamed, “I’m in the circus!” furiously to some parking lot attendant. It took me this long to be able to say that, and I didn’t expect that to happen at this point in my life. ======================================================================= SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ======================================================================= Fascination! is a monthly publication, available through subscription via the World Wide Web in text format at the newsletter's website: < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. To subscribe, please visit our website and enter your name and email address in the "About Fascination" box and press Subscribe. You,ll receive an email to confirm your selection. Once confirmed you,ll be added to our mailing list. To Subscribe via Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News) use the following: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >. To view back issues, or other online Newsletter content, please visit us at: < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. Join us on the web at: < www.cirquefascination.com > Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 11, Number 10 (Issue #93) - October 2011 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2011 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. { Oct.05.2011 } =======================================================================