======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.CirqueFascination.com ------------------------------------------------------------ ======================================================================= VOLUME 13, NUMBER 10 October 2013 ISSUE #117 ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. There've been some interesting developments this month... Due to complicated routing developments, the estate of Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soleil announced on Friday, October 4th that Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour was unable to play in South Africa as planned during March 2014. Cirque du Soleil commented, "Due to touring logistical reasons we are no longer able to bring The Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour to every market we had scheduled for 2014 and regretfully, South Africa is one of these markets which is very sad indeed. We will however look at re-routing this tour to bring the show back in the future and appreciate our fans understanding and continued support." Although that change was announced, another wasn't: Alegría gets a reprieve! Though don't get your hopes up: it's not for long. For a while now we've reported that Alegria would fold at the end of the year in Madrid, Spain, as that city was the last released on the show's official tour. It seems that is no longer the case. Alegria will now perform its final shows in Antwerp, Belgium from December 26th through 31st. And while Alegria is slipping into the sunset, Varekai will make its Arena debut in Montreal at the end of December, then embark on a new North American tour that will take it to Kingston, Windsor and Hamilton, Ontario before heading into Detroit, Michigan. Check out our ITINERAIRE section for further information on when and where it will appear! In features: last month Fascination took a look at what's currently available in audio podcasts that mention Cirque du Soleil in iTunes. This month we wanted to cover any VIDEOcasts we could pull off iTunes and watch without difficulty. Ellen Lampert-Greaux over at Live Design Online has put together a great five-part story on Michael Jackson ONE entitled "One Singular Sensation", which we've collected into one piece - you'll find it in our Featured Articles section this month. And in honor of O's 15th Anniversary, we'll take a quick dip into the technical and creative side of the production. As always we've got the latest news items posted to Fascination! Web and, of course, updates to Cirque's tour schedule. So, let's get started. We're off and running again! 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 * BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau * Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets * Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub * Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube o) Compartments -- A Peek Behind the Curtain * Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque * Historia -- Cirque Company History o) Fascination! Features * "The Wider World of Cirque-Centric VIDEOcasts" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) * "Fifteen Years of O at Bellagio" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) * "One Singular Sensation: Michael Jackson ONE" By: Ellen Lampert-Greaux - Live Design Online o) Subscription Information o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= A Special Birthday Celebration Performance of ONE {Sep.07.2013} ---------------------------------------------- On Michael's 55th Birthday, Cirque Du Soleil's performance of 'Michael Jackson ONE' in Las Vegas was a very special occasion for many of MJ's Fans. Read an account of this amazing performance from one of Michael Jackson ONE's fans - Betty Byrnes - from her Blog: Michael's Heart. # # # MJ One is an experience like no other; just as Michael Jackson was an entertainer like no other. Where Immortal started the rolling wave of excellence to honor Michael Jackson and his legacy which has traveled around the world... MJ One catapults it to a whole new dimension. I've heard it said Immortal was like the MJ ice cream and cake and MJ One is like a super sized serving with sprinkles, whip cream and cherry on top. There is no way I could ever explain or break down this show song by song. Nor would I want to as it's simply an adventure that truly needs to be experienced personally. Every time I've attended, which is four times now, I've seen and experienced something new from different areas of the theater. As with all Cirque Shows it is changing, evolving as a living thing, creatively growing each time. This fact is so reassuring to me as a huge MJ fan because we all know Michael was a perfectionist. The fact that Cirque du Soleil continues to listen, digest their own creation and change it for the better on a continual basis gives credence to the fact that they highly respect the genius of Michael Jackson and his artistry. When the fans were asked to attend the show and write a review I was absolutely thrilled and honored. Having already purchased a ticket for the MJ One early show and MJ pre-party birthday celebration in Vegas I now would also be attending the very special second show. I had two tickets for the second show and for me it was imperative I needed to invite someone special. I prayed knowing that God had someone in mind for that assignment. I felt it needed to be someone who had not seen the show yet... so they could share this first experience. I wanted to watch the expression on their face as MJ One touched their senses for the first time. I really had no idea what God had in store. I waited for weeks to ask someone and then the doors opened and I knew who would be my special guest... Michael Kiss (MK). A very long time fan of Michael Jackson's, also an MJ impersonator who is performing in Vegas at the V Theater, a member of the Michael Jackson Fans of Southern California (MJFSC) Face Book group and more importantly a friend. He happily felt very blessed to attend the second show with me. # # # Read more of the account here: LINK /// < http://goo.gl/1fLHw3 > {SOURCE: Michael's Heart Blog} Presse: "Staying in Balance" {Sep.08.2013} ---------------------------------------------- If you've ever dreamed about running away to join the circus, Jean-Luc Martin can help with that. Martin, 48, is the founder and executive director of the new San Diego Circus Center (sandiegocircuscenter.org), a Miramar-based school that teaches everything from tightrope walking to aerial arts. Before opening the nonprofit, Martin had plenty of experience under a big top. He did three tours as a Cirque du Soleil acrobat with roles like "The Ugly Old Bird" for the "Alegria" tour. He also used his fearlessness and flexibility working for many years as a Hollywood stuntman. Martin, who lives in La Jolla with his family, explains why circus arts are important. Q: What is the San Diego Circus Center? A: A nonprofit devoted to advancing circus training on the West Coast and enriching the lives of our community by teaching circus disciplines, art and culture. Our curriculum is built for students who want to have fun yet challenge themselves. We have recreational programs as well as professional programs for those individuals who desire to reach a higher level. Q: Why did you decide to open a circus school? A: I was trained by the very best in the circus industry, and there is no school in Southern California that offers the discipline and training that I experienced back in the day, so it just made sense. Being physically active has always been a fundamental part of my life, and after retiring from circus, I was asked surprisingly frequently, "will you please teach me how to do a handstand?" I think with the recent popularity of all yoga practices, people realized how important it is to just be strong with control and that's what I encourage. Q: Why should people care about circus arts? A: Like many of the arts, circus arts give us an opportunity to express our creativity. While not a mainstream sport or activity, circus skills can enhance the students' ability in other mainstream sports. Q: How did you break into the circus business? A: When I was around 20, I saw a Cirque du Soleil performance and I knew then that was my next step in life. Being a rock climber and big-wall climber, I could naturally slackline - which requires balance, not be afraid of heights and I was fairly agile. That was my foundation. Q: How did you get hired for Cirque du Soleil? A: After watching CDS for the first time, I went to their headquarters (in Montreal) searching for information and was directed to Pickle Family Circus in San Francisco. I joined the Pickle Family Circus troupe, trained with them and performed for two seasons. Then I was accepted to the National Circus School in Montreal, where I trained and then was invited to join Cirque du Soleil's European tour. Q: What is the most terrifying thing you've ever done in a circus setting? A: The time when my coach tied a shoe string around my waist and said, "Pretend it's a spotting belt." Q: Did you ever have any close calls? A: We practice a lot before performing a trick, so it really is calculated risks, but there are moments when a trick goes wrong in midair and your reaction is challenged. That's a wake-up call that lasts a long time. Q: What are some films or TV shows that you did stunts for? A: "Batman & Robin," "My Favorite Martian," "The Glimmer Man," "Charmed" and "Melrose Place," the original, where I met my wife (show director, Mara). Q: What is the most terrifying thing you did as a stuntman? A: High falls. I don't like high falls into boxes or air bags. Q: What are skills you teach at the circus school? A: We teach handstands, hand-to-hand balancing with another person, Russian bar, flexibility, tight-wire walking, trapeze and duo trapeze, Lira (hoop) and dance/movement. Q: What's the best advice you ever received? A: Listen to your injuries. Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you? A: That I did not marry an acrobat. Or a juggler. Or a rock climber. Q: Where is the best breakfast in San Diego? A: Pancakes with our kids at home. Q: Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend. A: Taking my son surfing on Sundays while I do my handstand training on the beach. I time my handstands in between the sets. We watch each other. Then, enjoying a family barbecue at home by the pool with my girls. My daughter just might be following in my footsteps. { SOURCE: UT-SanDiego.com | http://goo.gl/yQcnTm } Enchanted troupe: Cirque musician screens performance film, shares stories from travels {Sep.11.2013} ---------------------------------------------- Instead of playing a typical pit orchestra instrument, Suzie Gagnon plays the accordion and has done so for close to two decades. On Tuesday night, Gagnon, a veteran musician for Cirque du Soleil, came to the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, in conjunction with the Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries, to present "Alegría," a film version of one of the many Cirque du Soleil shows in which she has performed. Gagnon held a Q-and-A session with the audience following the screening. Each family-friendly show Cirque du Soleil puts on is meant to bring magic to life through performance art. "Alegría," which translates to "jubilation" in Spanish, tells a story about the passing of time - having the ability to be unaffected by it and the social changes that come with it. Like most Cirque du Soleil performances, the costumes presented in "Alegría" are elaborately colorful, and are worn as acrobats fly on the trapeze, perform trampoline routines and twirl batons on fire. The cast of characters includes kings' fools, minstrels, beggars, old aristocrats and children. The film also shows instances of audience participation, including pulling members of the audience on stage to dance with cast members, further enhancing the viewer's experience at home by displaying how a live performance would be. After the film ended, Gagnon opened the Q-and-A session to the students present at the film screening. She discussed how the troupe and film crew were able to translate a live performance from stage to screen. "We practiced for two weeks to prepare for it," Gagnon said. "We had to learn to move differently because of the nine cameras." Some questions were asked about performing for the shows. As musicians, Gagnon said, they all have to be in tune with not only themselves, but the other artists, as well. To help with timing, each musician has a metronome playing in an earpiece. One student asked if there was anything needed to change with makeup and costumes for the film. "Yes," Gagnon answered, "because there was different lighting that we had to work with." Before every show, Gagnon said she mentally prepares herself by meditating in some way, whether it's by doing tai chi or simply sitting still. Traveling is one of the main components of Cirque du Soleil performances, aside from putting on the actual show. Gagnon said the cast and crew travel by whatever vehicle is most efficient, depending on where the next show is located. "I've been living out of my suitcase for so long. For the newer performers, it's sometimes hard," Gagnon said. "They come in very excited and eager, but as we perform several shows over the year, the excitement dies down a bit." She said the company is like a small city, with more than 50 people working together. They even have a school set up for child performers. Because Gagnon has been with the troupe for so many years, she said the show and its members have become like a family to her. She loves performing on stage - the orchestra is in this particular film version of the show - and in the pit. "I prefer being near the audience, though, because I feel more connected with them," Gagnon said. Although a small number of students went to the event, Julia Newman, a freshman in Newhouse and the College of Arts and Sciences, said she thought the presentation was entertaining and informative. Natasha del Amo, a freshman political science major, agreed, and said the movie and Q-and-A both went well. "I came because it was an extra credit opportunity, but I think I was surprised by how good it was," del Amo said. "It went better than expected." Gagnon will speak again on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Lender Auditorium in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. She will focus on the business side of Cirque du Soleil, as part of the Bandier program. { SOURCE: Daily Orange | http://goo.gl/JQAWcT } La Nouba Celebrates 7,000th Performance {Sep.12.2013} ---------------------------------------------- Congratulations to the cast and crew of La Nouba tonight as they celebrate their 7,000th performance! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/hSrZlu > { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } Cirque Week 2013 is Coming! {Sep.16.2013} ---------------------------------------------- CIRQUE WEEK returns to Las Vegas November 9-16, 2013. Cirque Club members are among the first to find out about specially priced show packages including Michael Jackson ONE, the latest Cirque du Soleil production in Las Vegas and Mystère, the show that started it all. CIRQUE WEEK guests will journey beyond the curtain for once-in- a-lifetime opportunities to experience the music, mystical characters and state-of-the art technology that have made Cirque du Soleil a Las Vegas icon. Be sure to purchase your tickets early and register for the exclusive CIRQUE WEEK events.* Choose your Cirque Week package to Las Vegas' most popular shows: > Browse & book packages: http://goo.gl/xvENLb et access to unique events such Q&A sessions, demonstrations and much more: > View event schedule: http://goo.gl/foMqvt Take advantage of special room rates from Treasure Island or MGM Resorts: > Browse & book a room: http://goo.gl/02UdZv We hope to see you in November! À bientôt ! { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } Cirque Week 2013 - Event Schedule {Sep.16.2013} ---------------------------------------------- o) Treasure Island - TI Las Vegas CIRQUE WEEK Headquarters 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Daily Treasure Island - TI Las Vegas will be the host hotel for this year's headquarters where attendees can pick up their CIRQUE WEEK gift and credential. *The headquarters will be located at the registration desk on the second floor (convention/wedding level) which can be accessed by using the hotel guest elevators. o) November 9, 2013 - Zumanity Zumanity Theatre at New York - New York 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Guests will experience a rehearsal featuring all of the beautiful costumes, custom-designed by famed designer Thierry Mugler, and characters from Zumanity's finale act, Extravaganza. Following the rehearsal, there will be a Q&A with select artists and representatives from Wardrobe who will talk about the fashions of Zumanity. o) November 10, 2013 - "O" "O" Theatre at Bellagio 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Fire! Learn what it takes for the performers and technicians to deal with the intense inferno acts night after night. The live fire demonstration will be followed by an in-depth Q&A. o) November 11, 2013 - Zarkana Zarkana Theater at ARIA Resort & Casino Zarkana cast & crew will put on their teaching caps to give attendees a hands on class in some of the essential parts of the show, both on stage and off. Courses may include Rigging, Clowning, Wardrobe, Music, Juggling/Body Percussion. Class times are: - 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm - 2:45 pm - 3:15 pm - 3:30 pm - 4:00 pm * Each time slot is limited to 100 attendees. Attendees will only be able to sign up for one time slot. Courses are subject to change and will be selected at random. o) November 12, 2013 - One Night for One Drop Mystère Theatre at Treasure Island 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Guests will see footage of the inaugural One Night for ONE DROP, a one-night-only performance in Las Vegas benefitting ONE DROP, the non-profit organization created by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, that strives to ensure that water is accessible to all, today and forever. The show featured more than 230 Cirque du Soleil artists and guest performers such as Jackie Evancho, David Garibaldi, a dance piece choreographed by Sonya Tayeh and an original composition by award-winning composer Danny Elfman. Guests will also have a chance to meet the newly appointed director of One Night for ONE DROP 2014 and get to attend a rehearsal and a sneak preview of next year's performance. o) November 12, 2013 - Mystère Mystère Theatre at Treasure Island 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm The characters of Mystère revealed. Meet the fantastical characters of Mystère and learn about the inspiration and story behind some of Cirque's most beloved characters. o) November 13, 2013 - Michael Jackson ONE Michael Jackson ONE Theatre at Mandalay Bay Resort 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Guests will have the unprecedented opportunity to learn "Thriller" choreography with cast from the show. Please note that no filming or photography will be allowed. Due to the interactive nature of this event, release forms will need to be signed in advance. Please wear comfortable shoes. *Event capacity capped at 200. o) November 14, 2013 - KÀ KÀ Theatre at MGM Grand 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm See a special demonstration of the "Wash-Up" act followed by the chance to get up close and personal with some of KÀ's puppets. Guests will receive a special gift inspired by the act. o) November 15, 2013 - CRISS ANGEL Believe CRISS ANGEL Believe Theatre at Luxor 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Fans will have the opportunity to see an episode of the new Spike TV series "Criss Angel Believe" featuring Criss' crazy stunts and illusions taped live here in Las Vegas! The screening will be followed by a Q&A with select members of the show production team. o) November 16, 2013 - The Beatles LOVE LOVE Theatre at The Mirage 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm & 3:00 pm - 3:45 pm At LOVE, a dance workshop will be hosted by Dance Master Katy Tate and LOVE's Dance Captains. Fans will be able to learn a special routine to their favorite music that is exclusive to The Beatles LOVE production. Release forms will need to be signed in advance. Due to the interactive nature of this event, release forms will need to be signed in advance. Please wear comfortable shoes. *Capacity capped at 50 people / session. 45 minute sessions will be held at 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm. {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil} Cirque 2014 is Coming! {Sep.23.2013} ---------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil teased us today with a minimal splash page for its upcoming Tour 2014 show, scheduled to debut in Montreal sometime in April 2014. Although virtually nothing is known about this new production at this time, it seems Cirque is gearing up to let us know about it soon. Check out the landing page Cirque has set up for the show - http://goo.gl/tv4kcK - and stay tuned for further updates! {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil} Cirque to create Opening Ceremony for TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games {Sep.24.2013} ---------------------------------------------- TORONTO, Sept. 24, 2013 /CNW/ - Canada's globally celebrated cultural icon, Cirque du Soleil, is bringing its special blend of stagecraft, thrilling acrobatic athleticism and colourful cultural pageantry to an original production created especially for the Opening Ceremony of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games. The one-night-only performance, which will be broadcast to hundreds of millions of households throughout the Americas and Caribbean, will take place on July 10, 2015. "Cirque du Soleil is proud and deeply honoured to join TO2015 as a sponsor and Official Creative Partner for the Opening Ceremony of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games," said Yasmine Khalil, director of Cirque du Soleil's events and special projects division. "We are excited to create an original production for this special occasion." For nearly 30 years, Montreal-headquartered Cirque du Soleil has created 34 shows, attended by more than 100 million people around the world. Together, Cirque du Soleil and the TORONTO 2015 Pan American/Parapan American Games Organizing Committee (TO2015) will design the Opening Ceremony. It will showcase not only the Cirque's outstanding troupe of performers, but also Ontario artists and volunteers, who will be recruited from local schools and community organizations closer to Games time. "Cirque du Soleil has an unmatched international reputation for staging some of the most imaginative and mesmerizing shows ever performed," said Ian Troop, CEO of TO2015. "That magic, along with their world-class performers - many former athletes themselves - promises a thrilling Opening Ceremony for the Games that celebrates the wonderful diversity of the Toronto region and all of Canada, as well as the vibrant cultures of the Americas and Caribbean," he added. In addition to its international expertise in producing high- quality, artistic entertainment, Cirque du Soleil also personifies many of the values of the Games, such as collaboration, joy and inclusiveness. Its employees represent 50 nationalities and speak 25 different languages. The touring company is actively involved in promoting social equality and goodwill towards young people. Cirque du Soleil joins previously announced members of the TORONTO 2015 sponsor family, including: Lead Partner CIBC, Premier Partners Chevrolet Canada and CISCO, as well as Official Suppliers Beanfield Metroconnect, Pattison Outdoor Advertising, FUSE Marketing Group, Toronto Pearson International Airport, the Toronto Star, and Official Broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada. Tickets will go on sale mid-2014 and will be available at TORONTO2015.org. About TO2015: The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015) is tasked with the responsibility of planning, managing and delivering the Games. Its mission is to ignite the spirit through a celebration of sport and culture. The TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games will take place July 10-26 and the Parapan American Games August 7-14. {SOURCE: Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games} LiveDesign: "David Finn: Lighting MJ ONE" {Sep.26.2013} ---------------------------------------------- "I am an intuitive designer and find that, even with the best prep, that my instincts will guide me in other directions once I am in the theater with the other artists," says Finn. "I always strive to make sure that I am open enough to follow these instincts. I find that this often leads me in a direction that is extremely satisfying." In Michael Jackson ONE(tm), Finn admits to liking "various numbers for various reasons. "Jam," for example, became a true rock and roll number and we found that we could layer it to death and it just looked better and better," he explains. "There is a lot going on visually in this number. In the end we added a lot of laser work and I think it looks great. Benny Kirkham, my spectacular primary board op, was integral in such moments. I learned a lot from him." Josh Koffman, their second board op, spent nearly four months working with the team on integrated costume and prop lighting and programming. "His work on "Billie Jean" speaks for itself," notes Finn. "Coming from a music background myself -working for 25 years in dance and opera- and having programmers who work primarily in the music business, proved to be a huge success. The work literally fell into place." Finn attributes much of this to with the prep time, noting that director Jamie King and his team of choreographers had 90% of the numbers roughed in during the rehearsal period in Montreal. "Using WISTIA for tracking the choreography on video, we chose Adobe Audition and placed all of the cue points, rhythm tracks, and accents in the music prior to entering the theater," explains Finn, noting that Kirkham then transferred the Adobe Q points into the MA Lighting grandMA console "So starting with cue points and just being able to fill with content and then adjust was a fluid and efficient process," Finn adds. { SOURCE: LiveDesign.com | http://goo.gl/rDEjLB } Amaluna Celebrates 500th Performance! {Sep.29.2013} ---------------------------------------------- Amaluna - Cirque du Soleil celebrates 500 shows today! Congratulations on a wonderful achievement and enjoy the delicious cake made by our friends at The Buttered Tin here in Minneapolis. Here's to 500 more! Check it out! LINK /// < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=4199 > { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil Facebook } New Series - Criss Angel: BeLIEve - to Premiere Tuesday, October 15 on SPIKE {Sep.30.2013} ---------------------------------------------- WITNESS THE METHOD TO CRISS ANGEL'S MAGIC WITH HIS NEW SERIES STARTING TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15 AT 10 PM ET/PT Eleven Weeks, Eleven Epic Illusions That Get Viewers To "BeLIEve" Guest Appearances by Shaquille O'Neal, Ice T, Ludacris, Randy Couture, Michael Strahan and More New York, NY, Sept 30, 2013 - Criss Angel sets out to confirm that he is the greatest magician of all time in his new weekly series "Criss Angel BeLIEve" which premieres on Spike starting Tuesday, October 15 at 10 PM, ET/PT. Over the course of 11 weeks, Angel will perform epic demonstrations that will feature incredible acts of magic, death-defying escapes, fearless exhibitions and astonishing physical feats that challenge the very laws of nature. For more than a decade Criss Angel has been revolutionizing the art of magic, and in his new series Angel will take his performance and magic to a whole new level. Each episode will focus on Angel's quest to perform a fresh, bold and mind-blowing demonstration. For the first time in any magic programming, Angel will take viewers "behind the curtain" for an intimate and revealing look at the creative process behind his magic. Viewers will get unprecedented access to Angel's "think tank" where his team brainstorms, debates, constructs and helps him execute the most spectacular magic, illusions and escapes in history. Angel's career, and in some cases his life, are on the line as he attempts to perform demonstrations never contemplated or successfully attempted, by any magician in history including a real "Bullet Catch," "Cement Grave," "Blindfolded Beam Walk," "Double Straight Jacket Escape" and his most controversial demonstration ever, "Raising the Dead." Throughout the season Angel will be joined by a number of his friends including Randy Couture, Ice T, Ludacris and Shaquille O'Neal as they witness the impossible, forever questioning their perception of reality. Fans are encouraged to join in the "Criss Angel BeLIEve" conversation by following @SPIKETV and @CRISSANGEL on Twitter and using #CrissAngelBeLIEve. Biographies on Criss and his team, photo galleries and highlight videos can be found on Spike's dedicated "Criss Angel BeLIEve" destination online, believe.spike.com and on CrissAngel.com. There users can also find full episodes and blog posts, which will be updated throughout the season. For additional series updates, follow Spike on Facebook and on Instagram. "Criss Angel BeLIEve" created, executive produced and directed by Criss Angel for APWI, Inc., David Baram and Erich Recker for LBI Entertainment. Sharon Levy is Executive Vice President of Original Series, Chris Rantamaki is Senior Vice President of Original Series and Hayley Lozitsky serves as the Executive in Charge of Production for Spike TV. Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the- scenes information and photos. { SOURCE: TVByTheNumbers.com | http://goo.gl/Y85y6z } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Amaluna, Corteo, Koozå, OVO, Totem & Varekai} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {Alegría, Quidam, Dralion & MJ Immortal} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, Believe, Zarkana & Michael Jackson ONE} 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. 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 ------------------------------------ Amaluna: Minneapolis, MN -- Sep 26, 2013 to Oct 20, 2013 San Francisco, CA -- Nov 15, 2013 to Dec 219, 2913 San Jose, CA -- Jan 22, 2014 to Feb 9, 2014 New York, NY -- Mar 20, 2014 to May 18, 2014 Boston, MA -- Jun 4, 2014 to Jul 13, 2014 Cirque 2014: Montreal, QC -- Apr 24, 2014 to Jun 6, 2014 Toronto, ON -- Aug 27, 2014 to Oct 26, 2014 Corteo: Belo Horizonte, BR -- Sep 19, 2013 to Oct 27, 2013 Curitiba, BR -- Nov 8, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013 Rio de Janeiro -- Dec 26, 2013 to Feb 23, 2014 Porto Alegre, BR -- Mar 7, 2014 to Apr 13, 2014 Koozå: Moscow, RU -- Sep 7, 2013 to Oct 31, 2013 Paris, FR -- Nov 23, 2013 to Dec 23, 2013 Munich, DE -- Jan 31, 2014 to Feb 16, 2014 Amsterdam, NL -- Mar 13, 2014 to Apr 13, 2014 Vienna, AT -- May 9, 2014 to Jun 8, 2014 Ovo: Taipei, TW -- Nov 19, 2013 to Jan 5, 2014 Tokyo, JP -- Feb 12, 2014 to Apr 13, 2014 Sendai, JP -- Apr 23, 2014 to Jun 7, 2014 Osaka, JP -- Jul, 17, 2014 to Nov 2, 2014 Nagoya, JP -- Nov 20, 2014 to Feb 1, 2015 Fukuoka, JP -- Feb 21, 2015 to TBA Totem: Long Beach, CA -- Oct 11, 2013 to Nov 10, 2013 Irvine, CA -- Nov 21, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013 Santa Monica, CA -- Jan 17, 2014 to Feb 9, 2014 Portland, OR -- Mar 27, 2014 to May 4, 2014 Vancouver, BC -- May 15, 2014 to Jun 6, 2014 Varekai: Mexico City, MX -- Sep 19, 2013 to Nov 11, 2013 (Going Arena: December 2013) ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ Alegría: Newcastle, UK -- Oct 17, 2013 to Oct 20, 2013 Leeds, UK -- Oct 23, 2013 to Oct 27, 2013 Liverpool, UK -- Oct 30, 2013 to Nov 3, 2013 Nottingham, UK -- Nov 6, 2013 to Nov 10, 2013 Lille, FR -- Nov 13, 2013 to Nov 17, 2013 Bordeaux, FR -- Nov 20, 2013 to Nov 24, 2013 Valencia, ES -- Nov 28, 2013 to Dec 1, 2013 Gijon, ES -- Dec 4, 2013 to Dec 8, 2013 Santander, ES -- Dec 11, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013 Madrid, ES -- Dec 18, 2013 to Dec 22, 2013 Antwerp, BE -- Dec 26, 2013 to Dec 31, 2013 (Closing in Antwerp, Dec 31, 2013) Quidam: Innsbruck, AT -- Oct 2, 2013 to Oct 6, 2013 Salzburg, AT -- Oct 9, 2013 to Oct 13, 2013 Munich, DE -- Oct 16, 2013 to Oct 20, 2013 Cologne, DE -- Oct 23, 2013 to Oct 27, 2013 Frankfurt, DE -- Oct 30, 2013 to Nov 3, 2013 Dortmund, DE -- Nov 6, 2013 to Nov 10, 2013 Mannheim, DE -- Nov 13, 2013 to Nov 17, 2013 Malaga, ES -- Dec 5, 2013 to Dec 8, 2013 Zaragoza, ES -- Dec 11, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013 Sevilla, ES -- Dec 18, 2013 to Dec 22, 2013 A Coruña, ES -- Dec 25, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013 London, UK -- Jan 4, 2014 to Feb 2, 2014 Toulouse, FR -- Mar 5, 2014 to Mar 9, 2014 Strasbourg, FR -- Mar 12, 2014 to Mar 16, 2014 Toulon, FR -- Mar 19, 2014 to Mar 23, 2014 Montpellier, FR -- Mar 26, 2014 to Mar 30, 2014 Lyon, FR -- Apr 2, 2014 to Apr 6, 2014 Berlin, DE -- May 8, 2014 to May 11, 2014 Nuremberg, DE -- May 14, 2014 to May 18, 2014 Hanover, DE -- May 21, 2014 to May 25, 2014 Bremen, DE -- May 29, 2014 to Jun 1, 2014 Hamburg, DE -- Jun 4, 2014 to Jun 8, 2014 Luxembourg, LU -- Jun 11, 2014 to Jun 15, 2014 Dralion: Beirut, LB -- Oct 10, 2013 to Oct 13, 2013 Athens, GR -- Oct 29, 2013 to Nov 3, 2013 Rome, IT -- Nov 8, 2013 to Nov 17, 2013 Turin, IT -- Nov 21, 2013 to Nov 24, 2013 Milan, IT -- Nov 28, 2013 to Dec 1, 2013 Geneva, CH -- Dec 4, 2013 to Dec 8, 2013 Basel, CH -- Dec 11, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013 Barcelona, ES -- Dec 18, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013 Lisbon, PT -- Jan 1, 2014 to Jan 12, 2014 St. Petersburg, RU -- Jan 23, 2014 to Feb 2, 2013 Kazan, RU -- Feb 26, 2014 to Mar 2, 2014 Minsk, BY -- Mar 20, 2014 to Mar 23, 2014 Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour: Brisbane, AU -- Oct 2, 2013 to Oct 6, 2013 Melbourne, AU -- Oct 9, 2013 to Oct 13, 2013 Adelaide, SA -- Oct 15, 2013 to Oct 17, 2013 Auclkand, NZ -- Oct 30, 2013 to Nov 3, 2013 Dubai, UAE -- Dec 20, 2013 to Jan 14, 2014 Johannesburg, SA -- CANCELED Varekai: Montreal, QC -- Dec 20, 2013 to Dec 30, 2013 Kingston, ON -- Jan 16, 2014 to Jan 19, 2014 Windsor, ON -- Jan 22, 2014 to Jan 26, 2014 Hamilton, ON -- Jan 29, 2014 to Feb 2, 2014 Detroit, MI -- Feb 5, 2014 to TBA Feb 9, 2014 --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- Mystère: Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday Two shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm 2013 Dark Dates: o November 6 2013 Added Performances: o December 27 "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm 2013 Dark Dates: o October 6 o December 3 - 17 2013 Added Performances: o December 24 o December 31 La Nouba: Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm 2013 Dark Dates: o November 5-6 Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm 2013 Dark Dates: o TBA KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2013 Dark Dates: 2013 Added Performances: o December 30 LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2013 Dark Dates: o October 10 o December 11-26 2013 Added Performances: o December 10 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. 2013 Dark Dates: o November 26 - 30 o December 17 - 24 2013 Added Performances: o December 25 & 26 ZARKANA: Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2013 Dark Dates: o November 5 2013 Added Performances: o December 26 MICHAEL JACKSON ONE: Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly: 7:00pm and 10:00pm 2013 Dark Dates: o October 9 o December 5 - 20 ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub o) Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube --------------------------------------- CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub --------------------------------------- "10 Years of Zumanity | Meet Alan J. Silva" {Sep.13.2013} ---------------------------------------------- Zumanity, The Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil is mostly about the pleasures of the flesh, but for many viewers it also serves as a heartfelt journey. Aerialist Alan J. Silva expresses unrequited-then requited-love as he flirts with his paramour, eventually finding himself suspended by nothing but narrow silk sheets that drape straight down from the theater's high ceiling. For Silva, the act of him soaring above the crowd represents that anything can be attained - even impossible love. "When the audience [first] sees me," he says, "They never expect that I will fly through the air." Silva, 30, is a sixth-generation circus performer and always knew he was going to stay within the family business. He began performing at 6, as many children in circus families do, as a tumbler and eventually learned to maneuver on any number of the highflying acts that would wow audiences: the trampoline, straps, Russian bar, and flying trapeze with his sister, brother and father. But it wasn't until he saw another Cirque du Soleil aerialist in La Nouba on the silks, or Tissu, that he knew this was the discipline he was going to pursue. Trained on the straps and trapeze, Silva applied those techniques to Tissu. At the time, "there wasn't anyone doing silks in [his native] Brazil, so I was the first Tissu act." His performance life with silks began in 1998 and he has been flying high with Zumanity ever since it opened in 2003, even meeting his wife Bethany, who works in wardrobe, while in the show. A seasoned veteran of not only Zumanity but also the demanding circus arts, Silva has long been well-conditioned to stay aloft during his aerial maneuvers. His chiseled physique is derived from a lifetime of rigorous training. "I grew up preparing my body to perform and now it's a matter of maintaining," he explains. "doing 10 shows each week keeps me in shape. Stretching and warm-up are very important." And through the rigorous schedule, Silva knows that even if he decides not to fly night after night, he'll always be an entertainer. "I never found anything that I would leave circus to do," he jokingly admits, "like I never said 'Oh I want to be a veterinarian.'" { SOURCE: Cirque Club | http://goo.gl/mOtXzB } "10 Years of Zumanity |Meet Antonio Drija" {Sep.25.2013} ---------------------------------------------- Zumanity is hilled as The Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil, but one could easily argue that it's also one of its most humorous productions. From the pre-show banter between the show's resident sex therapists, Dick and Izzy, the crowd is already in stitches long before the first erotic acrobatic act takes place on stage. The man you can credit for tickling your funny bone is Antonio Drija, who has been with Zumanity since its inception 10 years ago. Between Zumanity's unbelievable feats of acrobatic artistry, Drija, who plays the gigolo character, provides the comic foil that gives the show its heart. For Drija, his main philosophy when he interacts with the audience is to simply go with the flow. "I apply the 'action-reaction' factor with the audience. Being spontaneous is one of the characteristics of this role." In a company that's renowned for having an international cast, Drija has the distinction of being the first artist to come from Venezuela. Being a part of Cirque du Soleil is an ongoing education on how to be a citizen of the world, he says. "The experience of sharing our culture is priceless. It may sound cliche, but we are a real family, we accept each other because it is simple: there's love. As a Venezuelan, I'm very proud to be the first to plant the yellow, blue and red flag." And when asked what his favorite act of the show is, Drija laughs, "It's like asking, which parent do I love more? [That's] impossible to answer. Every act is unique, special and different." While the cast may change and new acts may replace older ones, after 10 years, Drija says the essence of the show remains the same. "Zumanity is sensual and sexual done in good taste, representing Cirque in its highest level and quality". { SOURCE: Cirque Club | http://goo.gl/kyyr3k } --------------------------------------------------- NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter --------------------------------------------------- {Compiled by Keith Johnson} ---[ ALEGRIA ]--- {Sep.05} Today, Alegria had Romanian reporter Alex Bogdaiy from PRIMA TV come try his luck on the trapeze! He was a true superstar and might consider a career as a Trapeze artist! Tune into the evening news on PRIMA TV tonight for the end result! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/zpAcDy > {Sep.06} Today, Alegria hosted 45 children from PARADA, a non-profit organization in Romania that supports homeless children, young people and their families. We dressed them up, had them try their hand at juggling, tumbling and even Russian Bars! Thank you to everyone from PARADA for allowing us to give a little bit back. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/9FZlnu > {Sep.26} One fan asked us: How do we assemble the Power Track (trampoline)? The simple answer is that it's just like a jigsaw puzzle! All the pieces are labeled with a number and a letter and they all fit in together and secured in place with a giant coffin-lock key but it's best explained with some photos! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/wMmmmP > {Sep.27} Yesterday we had a visit from Alegria's youngest babies, both under 3 months old! It was so nice to have these bundles of joy backstage with us. Congrats to our artists Maxim and Andrey for their new adventures into fatherhood! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/sCkCD1 > ---[ CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ]--- {Sep.05} Our make-up artists at Montreal International Headquarters often learn new techniques from different shows. Did you know that they often test these on Cirque du Soleil employees? You never know what you can find in our office! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/XFovWr > {Sep.05} End of season sale! Enjoy up to 50% OFF on the 2013 spring- summer collection Desigual inspired by Cirque du Soleil! LINK /// < http://cirk.me/17zBXIj > {Sep.06} It's harvest time ! Did you know that our International Headquarters in Montreal has its own garden? The vegetables grown there are then used in our cafeteria. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ZhDpxc > {Sep.18} Summer is almost over in Montréal! Last few days to enjoy the outdoor volleyball field at our Headquarters. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Y9mf7U > {Sep.20} The 6th annual ONE DROP Race was held yesterday in Montreal. Cirque du Soleil employees raised money to support ONE DROP Foundation. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/T3dGeJ > {Sep.20} Every Cirque du Soleil artist has a replica of their head in our workshops so the hat makers and wig masters can create comfortable custom-made accessories. Until recently a cast was made, but we now use a scanner to create the replicas. Here are some images of the old process. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/3MCqHZ > {Sep.24} Here's a sneak peak of artists rehearsing in our studio in Montréal. Do you know the name of this discipline? (Answer: Teeterboard) LINK /// < http://goo.gl/k8sVtd > {Sep.26} Trampo-bed, real bed, it's easy for our technicians to get confused. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/XRfaFc > {Sep.27} Yesterday employees of Cirque du Soleil Headquarters had the opportunity to test their acrobatic skills. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/SK7Z3z > ---[ DRALION ]--- {Sep.02} Have you seen our billboard near the Forum de Beyrouth in Beyrouth? We love it! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/xbhMWq > {Sep.15} The cast and crew have arrived in Doha, Qatar! The crew is currently loading in at the Aspire Dome. 4 days until the Premiere of Dralion in Doha! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/BLldFZ > {Sep.19} 1.5 hours before the Premiere of Dralion in Doha, Qatar! Here the trampoline team practiced their skills earlier this afternoon. Have a good show everyone! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/cPS5zF > {Sep.24} Come meet Yao (Fire) and Gaya (Earth) at Lagoona Mall this afternoon around 5:00PM and this evening at City Center around 6:45PM. Here is a short video of Yao getting ready for today's appearances! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/4LrLUZ > {Sep.25} Come meet the performers today at Lagoona Mall, Landmark Mall at 6:00 PM and City Center at 7:00 pm. Only 6 shows to go in Doha! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/cEsvPb > ---[ KOOZA ]--- {Sep.13} Yesterday, in Moscow, we went to the Urgant TV show (Russian version of the Jay Leno show)...the result: LINK /// < http://urgantshow.ru/page/25708/23795 > {Sep.13} Photo shoot in Moscow - Earlier this week we did a photo shoot with some KOOZA performers for a Russian magazine...here you've some pictures we took during the day.... LINK /// < http://goo.gl/WLfZxc > {Sep.19} Pretty cool KOOZA picture gallery published in Moscow: LINK /// < http://www.ridus.ru/news/109053/ > {Sep.22} Kooza training with Russian synchronized swimming Olympic team! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/MU7XUZ > ---[ LA NOUBA ]--- {Sep.12} Tonight La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil will be celebrating 7,000 performances! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/7YP4el > {Sep.13} Last night La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil celebrated their 7,000th show to a standing ovation! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/MPLMPc > ---[ MJ IMMORTAL ]--- {Sep.17} Percussionist Bashiri Johnson, Drummer Jonathan 'Sugarfoot' Moffett, Bassist Don Boyette, and Vocalist Fred White are all part of the amazing IMMORTAL band. They also all previously played with Michael Jackson. We caught them backstage, getting excited for our Australian premiere tomorrow night at Perth Arena! LINK /// < ttp://goo.gl/3eU2qL > {Sep.20} A Current Affair visited us in Perth yesterday to get a behind the scenes look. They were specially guided by Dancers Gianinni Semedo Moreira and Loukas 'Leeco' Kosmidis. Check it out! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/j18vzP > {Sep.21} Our wardrobe team is busy studying the show makeup so they can teach it to the artists for them to apply themselves! The perfect students for this project just happened to be another Wardrobe Assistant, an Acrobatic Rigger, a Production Rigger, and a Travel and Lodging Coordinator! It's all about team work! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ueqq0w > ---[ MJ ONE ]--- {Sep.12} On October 16, Michael Jackson ONE and Gibbon Slacklines are sending a slackline athlete to break a world record 63 floors up at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, and then our theatre will host the World Slackline Federation Slackline World Cup Finals the next day! For more info on both events: LINK /// < http://www.gibbonslacklines.com/Vegas > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/hQr3Qk > {Sep.21} Ever wonder what an artist sees while they're performing? Watch this video from the artist's point of view as they rehearse the trampoline act in Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGyr-8QBTTw > ---[ MYSTERE ]--- {Sep.12} A Choreographers' Showcase is coming up in October at the Mystère Theatre in Treasure Island Hotel & Casino! Check out the event below for more info! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/dIvW7o > {Sep.19} A Spermato tries their best to get in the spirit of Talk Like a Pirate Day over at Treasure Island Hotel & Casino! LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oyaxK9FhNE > ---[ O ]--- {Sep.09} CNN's The Art of Movement featuring "O" aired this weekend! Check out highlights and clips at the link below! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/tGedq8 > ---[ QUIDAM ]--- {Sep.04} After 3 weeks off and an international transfer, QUIDAM is back at work. Looking forward to seeing you, Europe! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/MWqYWM > {Sep.18} Quidam is opening its 2014 tour plan with _______________ playing at the ___________________ here is a little teaser... Can you fill in the blanks? (Answer: London and Royal Albert Hall) LINK /// < http://goo.gl/RN3313 > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/MGsEV9 > {Sep.26} QUIDAM trip to London (8 photos) LINK /// < http://goo.gl/prIFLj > ---[ THE BEATLES LOVE ]--- {Sep.04} Forbes takes you behind the magic of our show with a look at the technical elements from some of the people that make it happen every night! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/79q7UC > {Sep.11} We're excited to be a part of the Life is Beautiful Festival and now you can take advantage of a special Cirque du Soleil package to attend! Check out the link for more info! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/TDIhDc > ---[ TOTEM ]--- {Sep.03} Snapshot form a rehearsal of our Hand-to-Hand act which will be performing tomorrow on Daytime Columbus on NBC4 at 12pm! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/dqcnyC > {Sep.13} The Columbus Dispatch published a story about the transition Finnish Aerial Rings artist Olli Torkkel went through when he left gymnastics to join TOTEM! Read it here: LINK /// < http://cirk.me/13WKbwZ > {Sep.14} Our technical team is getting ready for the Columbus tear-down! This will be the last one of our friends Eric, Gabriel, Jon and Spencer! Good luck in your new projects, TOTEM will miss you!! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/O6EskA > ---[ ZARKANA ]--- {Sep.11} Happy Webs-day from Zarkana - Get it? Because it sounds like 'Wednesday?' No? OK, we'll do better next time. {Sep.13} Zarkana at Macy's #Glamorama in Los Angeles on Sep 12, 2013! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/gIH6rI > {Sep.20} Zarkana at Macy's #Glamorama in San Francisco on Sep 19, 2013! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/YOcqGY > {Sep.24} It's finally cooling off (...slightly!) here in Vegas, so we've got a blanket of Zarkana performers to keep you warm! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/VivkjD > ---[ ZUMANITY ]--- {Sep.10} There are two versions of this photo shoot, we'll let you imagine what stands in place of the bananas in the other one! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/VgG11Q > ======================================================================= COMPARTMENTS -- A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN ======================================================================= o) DIDYAKNOW - Facts at a Glance about Cirque o) HISTORIA - Cirque Company History --------------------------------- DIDYAKNOW? - Facts About Cirque --------------------------------- o) All together, the artists wear 331 multi-layered costumes during every performance of The Beatles LOVE! o) It takes a total of 250 hours a week to keep the costumes at Varekai impeccable on tour. o) Did you know one costume look in Dralion can be made up of between 3 to 8 individual items? o) Do you know how many performers there are in Dralion's Diabolo act? (Answer: 4, though often just 3) o) Alegria has 171 lighting cues, 103 moving lights and 2 follow spots. The power it takes to run the show is equivalent to approximately running 6 houses. On top of all that, we have about 1.5km of cables just for lighting! ------------------------------------ HISTORIA: Cirque Company History ------------------------------------ * Oct.01.2002 -- La Nouba goes 2-tiered seating * Oct.01.2003 -- Varekai Premium CD Released (CDS/Musique) * Oct.01.2008 -- ZED Gala Premiere in Tokyo * Oct.02.2007 -- Dralion celebrated its 3000th performance [Osaka, Japan] * Oct.05.2010 -- Banana Shpeel's Tour is Canceled * Oct.07.2003 -- Region 01 DVD release: Alegría and Varekai * Oct.09.1992 -- The Saltimbanco CD was released in US (RCA/Victor) * Oct.09.2001 -- Region 01 DVD Release: Journey of Man (also VHS) * Oct.11.1994 -- The Alegría CD released in US (RCA/Victor) * Oct.13.2009 -- ZED Album Released * Oct.18.2005 -- KÀ CD released (CDS Musique) * Oct.19.1998 -- "O" premiered at Bellagio, Las Vegas * Oct.19.2004 -- "Tapis Rogue: Solarium" CD Released (CDS Musique) * Oct.19.2008 -- Guy Laliberte awarded honorary doctorate by Université Laval in Quebec City, Quebec * Oct.20.2003 -- "Cirque for Life" film even in Portlan, Oregon * Oct.20.2007 -- Zumanity celebrated its 2000th performance * Oct.20.2008 -- "All Together Now" Documentary screened in theaters * Oct.21.2008 -- "All Together Now" Documentary released on DVD * Oct.22.2003 -- Canadian premiere of Varekai on CBC * Oct.22.2006 -- Quidam NAT 3 Ended. * Oct.26.1999 -- Dralion CD released in Canada (RCA/Victor) * Oct.26.2001 -- New Musical Director "O" (John-Paul Gasparelli) * Oct.28.1997 -- Cirque Collection CD Released in Canada (RCA/Victor) * Oct.29.2007 -- Guy Laliberte announces One Drop Foundation * Oct.30.2001 -- Region 01 DVD Release: Le Magie Continue, Saltimbanco, Cirque Réinventé, and Baroque Odyssey. * Oct.31.2008 -- BELIEVE gala premiere in Las Vegas * Oct.xx.2001 -- CirqueClub premiered ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= o) "The Wider World of Cirque-Centric VIDEOcasts" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) o) "Fifteen Years of O at Bellagio" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) o) "One Singular Sensation: Michael Jackson ONE" By: Ellen Lampert-Greaux - Live Design Online ---------------------------------------------------------- "The Wider World of Cirque-Centric VIDEOcasts" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) ---------------------------------------------------------- Last month Fascination took a look at what's currently available in audio podcasts that mention Cirque du Soleil in iTunes. This month we wanted to cover any VIDEOcasts we could pull off iTunes and watch without difficulty. Searching "Cirque du Soleil" in iTunes and selecting the "Podcasts" tab from the results will show a mixture of video and audio podcasts that mention Cirque in their episode titles. There are close to 50, all free, but many are short publicity bits, in a foreign language, or don't divulge new information. Below we encapsulate the interesting videos we found in ascending order of interest. CHRISTOPHER KNELL - Still Alive and Living in Burbank The Making of The Beatles Love 49 minutes - 10/13/07 While it looked like this would have been the most interesting, and longest, of the bunch, we couldn't download it, which was the case with several of the videos. STARK INSIDER Cirque du Soleil - Quidam at San Jose 1 minute - 03/24/11 This quick video feels like out-takes, with several background shots. No new information here, just some interesting shots. CITY OF SASS Cirque du Soleil clip 1 minute - 04/25/09 Shot backstage, this involves a rather rotund guy (Jake Rossevillo?) trying out bungee. Comes straight out of the "Cirque comes to town and laces up local TV feature host/ess in a costume and has them try out an apparatus with embarrassing and hilarious results - great for local publicity!" school. Though it looks like it took place in a permanent training setup - La Nouba perhaps? But here it is one uninterrupted take which conveys the joy and fear of trying something new. STYLE STUDIO - Fashion Video from Style.com Cirque du Soleil 4 minutes - 6/12/09 This is a short, slickly-produced video focusing on the costumes of Love. There are several nice close-ups, including of the Mr. Piggy costume. The Walrus gets some nice close-up on-screen time as well. FEAR NO ART CHICAGO Behind the Scenes with Cirque du Soleil 7 minutes - 07/25/12 Has ads at the beginning, but then delves into several short interviews by Elysabeth Alfano done at Dralion. In a good interview, Amanda Orozca-silk performer shows off her bruised hands. They also talk with Head Coach Michael Ocampo. WHY MATH? Episode 1 - Cirque du Soleil (Dralion) Rigging 5 minutes - 10/09/12 Good, fun, fast paced. Kurt McLaughlin-Production Rigger shows off a CAD drawing. The idea is to show young people how math is used in various real-life circumstances. WHY MATH? Episode 13 - Cirque du Soleil planning 3 minutes - 02/04/13 Another good episode (from the same Dralion engagement as Episode 1) for encouraging math literacy. Lauren Thompson, Event Manager at the John Labatt Center talks about planning and load-in. # # # These six are all interesting for their own reasons and will only take up 20 minutes of your time, and you might just learn something new about Cirque du Soleil. And by the way, if you have heard or seen podcasts featuring Cirque du Soleil, send the references along to us and we'll mention them. And learn more interesting things ourselves! ---------------------------------------------------------- "Fifteen Years of O at Bellagio" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) ---------------------------------------------------------- What immediately comes to mind when you hear someone exclaim "Oh!?" Do you wait for some kind of follow-up; a signal that the person who expressed it will expound upon something he or she just discovered? Or do you let yourself drip into a world without limits - a theatrical encounter with the possibilities and symbols of water: calm and nurturing, playful and sustaining, unpredictable and merciless? Most will be the former - unknowing, unseeing... but for you, a fan of Cirque du Soleil, you then are the latter and your thoughts will have become submerged in Cirque du Soleil's aquatic production of "O", at the Bellagio. For you the mere utterance of the show's title conjurers up a barrage of chaotic images, spectacular performances, and heart- wrenching melodies. You've leapt into a world without limits, dove into a tribute to the magic of the theater - from the simplest street performance to the most lavish of operas - and plunged into the wonder, terror, and joy of "O" where anything is possible! On October 19, 1998, the red curtain whisked away for the "first" time and 1800 patrons watched in awe as the stresses of every-day life ebbed away and were replaced with the dreamlike world of "O". In celebration of the show's 15th Anniversary, come with us now as we dive into Cirque du Soleil's watery world... An Intr"O"duction ------------------ "When we started to work on "O", we were really encouraged to dream large-scale. Steve Wynn wanted a show on a stage the size of a football field, on which guests at the Bellagio could windsurf, too! Of course, eventually, we had to work within the realm of the possible, and make decisions. But the show is still a big experience." - Gilles Ste-Croix (Spectaculara) Our story of "O" has somewhat a familiar beginning. At first glance, "O" is nothing more than another Cirque du Soleil production inside a fancy theater built to specifications for a hotel project on the Las Vegas strip. When you take a second glance, "O" becomes much, much more. Every aspect surrounding the creation is finely tuned; detailed to exactness. It seems almost inconceivable that within a $1.6 billion dollar hotel resides a production never before attempted - never before imagined even... until Cirque gave it a try. In 1993, Cirque du Soleil planted what they called a "flower in the desert" with Mystère, which began with the failure of discussions with Caesar's Palace two years prior, Steve Wynn's journey to Toronto to catch a live Cirque performance, and the staging of "Nouvelle Expérience" on the grounds of the Mirage for a year. With Mystère firmly entrenched in the hearts and minds of Las Vegas patrons, it would be only a matter of time before the sands once again became fertile and another flower could be planted in the desert. Cirque du Soleil found its lush, productive sands during the development of the Bellagio, approaching Steve Wynn about doing a production at his newest hotel, but not in the manor in which you would think. Believe it or not, in the early stages of the Bellagio's development, it wasn't exactly clear exactly how Cirque du Soleil would contribute to its entertainment offerings. There were two schools of thought, and two questions surrounding them: would there be a theater show similar to what was already featured down the road at Treasure Island, or would there be a show on the resort's lake that was to be built? Both ideas were heavily considered ("Wynn's original idea was to have boats floating in a pool as big as a football field," remembers Michel Crete, Cirque's principal scenic designer. "We had to scale the idea back when we realized that our goal wasn't to dominate the seas, but to play in the water."), but in the end Steve Wynn decided on having his like and elegant fountains, and Cirque, well, they went on to create the most remarkable theater show seen up to that time. It proved to be harder than they ever imagined. The "O" Theater, at Bellagio ---------------------------- "The pool in "O" represents a source, a pond-like sanctuary protected by a garden, an intimate place where the sunlight shines through the forest leaves, creating translucent, stained- glass colors. It speaks to me of the coexistence of nature and man, of the elements and the technology used to bring them together." - Michel Crete (Spectaculara) "O", a phonetic play on the French word for water - "eau", is a baroque world filled with disturbing images, impressive acrobatics and amazing technical intent. The theater built for the show, Cirque's first (and at present only) aquatic show, is also a revolutionary conceptual space. Designed and created by Cirque du Soleil, Sceno Plus and Atlandia Design over a 2 1/2 year period (February 1996 to July 1998), the 1800 seat theater reflects the style of a 14th century European opera house with tiered, balcony seating. Reportedly costing $70 million US, it sports a number of innovative theatrical constructs making the 1800-seat space the first of its kind. What makes the theater so special? It is 12 stories high, 42 meters wide, houses a 5.5 million liter (1.5 million gallons) pool for its stage, a 12 meter wide mirror, 27 meter high curtain of 18.5 meter Plexiglas and an 18 meter high diving dower all in a 155,300 square-feet of space! You'll find the Bellagio Theater tucked away in a seemingly normal looking hallway on the casino floor, but nothing can prepare you for what you'll see inside - a marvel of innovation masked by exquisite beauty and detail. Take for example the Cupola, or rounded ceiling vault. At some point your eyes will dart the 12-stories skyward and you'll find a breathtaking ceiling washed in turquoise, indigo and blue. But take another glance... underneath that beauty lies an innovate framework of galvanized metal mesh with a trellis (or frame of latticework) that allows for an infinite array of lighting effects to be used. Cirque uses this space to place scores of different colored lights to not only light the theater but also the stage below. The translucent look is achieved with two layers of galvanized metal mesh lit from behind with GAM 725 (turquoise), GAM 890 (deep indigo) and Lee 161 (steel blue) gels. The Cupola also comes with a space used for overhead performances, which is utilized during the beginning of the show. A custom flying winch by Fisher Technical makes the performance possible. While the ceiling itself is a wonder to behold, how many of you have sat with mouths agape as the curtain is drawn back into the depths of the theater for the show's explosive beginning? If so, you're not alone. The curtain impresses many who have seen the show. So, how does it work? That amazing feat is done by another winch by Fisher that draws back at a speed of 15-feet per second! At that velocity one would imagine the curtain would flutter noticeably. But believe it or not, Cirque keeps the curtain from fluttering with a series of weights that hold it in place timed to release with the curtain's upward motion. This keeps the curtain taught throughout the entire drawback sequence. The curtain itself is nylon, approximately 50 feet high by 100 feet wide, and light in weight. To the casual observer's eye, however, it looks like luxurious velvet because "it's lit exquisitely." Two ropes from the winch attach to the curtain (which is really two pieces) at the center. When the signal is given the winch starts pulling, the hooks at the top of the stage release, and the curtain (and audience) is swept away. The curtain is pulled up smoothly onto a large roller. The custom-built winch that pulls the curtain resides high in the grid rigging over the stage. Weighing around 500 pounds and about 5 1/2 feet in height, its 8-foot winding drum (with high sides to take up the curtain) acts as a big sewing spool, powered by a 20-horsepower SEW EuroDrive induction motor mounted vertically. Once activated by a technician holding a joystick touch screen, it takes just 6 seconds for the curtain to be whisked away completely. This curtain is pulled up to reveal yet another curtain that floats on top of the pool and is pulled aside to reveal the water. The winch used is a Fisher 20- horsepower F200 model that draws back at a speed of 14-feet per second. It moves away to reveal another innovation of the theater, the pool itself. (Consequently, the curtain at the end of the show is guided back into place by a system of wires and traveling guides.) [If you're interested in learning more about the Curtain, read our special exposé - "Secrets of the 'O' Curtain" - by Keith Johnson: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=1723 >] The stage consists of a 150-foot by 100-foot pool reaching a depth of 25 feet. While the pool itself is an interesting marvel, haven't you ever wondered how the pool becomes a stage? Below that liquid surface lies a series of hydraulic lifts built specifically by Handling Specialty of Grimsby, Ontario. There are seven of these lifts, consisting of four primaries and three auxiliaries, each with a 1-million pound capacity holding up the 53x90 foot main stage surface. Each platform these lifts support measures 1,000sq feet and can quietly travel (thanks to special sonic probes) from a depth of 17-feet 3-inches below water level to 18-inches above, moving separately or together at a rate between 5 and 25 feet per minute. Each lift is powered by three hydraulic rams, each with a 100,000 pound weight capacity, and use in its hydraulics a biodegradable vegetable oil. The rubber floor of the lifts is custom- designed and fitted with a resilient rubber-like material (fiberglass combined with sports matting with PVC) in a series of 4-foot by 8-foot panels. Each panel contains 5,000 plus holes to allow water to pass as the stage is raised or lowered. But the speed of their disappearance and sudden reappearance can fool you into thinking that the lifts and the stage are quite light. In fact, the combined weight of the system is a hefty 460,000 pounds! 10 months of research went into the creation of the surface. But the lifts are only part of the innovation. Many of the problems with the show's development came because of the water itself. Ask yourself a couple of questions: How would the noise of the splashes be contained? How could the temperatures between the water and the air be comfortable for both the performers and the patrons? How could the smell of chorine be contained? How could a stage of water be lit without reflection? How would the performers hear the music to make their cues? How to keep costumes from disintegrating from the pool's chemicals? And how would they breathe? The solutions are novel in their own right. The undesirable noise of waves splashing against the sides of the pool is absorbed by a series of different sized pebbles scattered around the ring (or gutter) of the pool. These rocks, used in conjunction with special matting from 3M called Nomad, help absorb the waves, and thereby the noise. Another problem is masking activity. An aquatic masking system that makes the pool form and bubble is created by more than one mile (6000 feet) of perforated hose, mounted on the bottom of the pool. The perforations allow bubbles to form, which serve to mask any underwater activity. A team of 14 divers works every show. Not only do they help out the acrobats to make their mark, but they're also there in case of an emergency. You'll only see them once - and that's a scripted point in the show! The 87-degree Fahrenheit water is counter-balanced with a special HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning) system developed by Cirque and Sceno Plus in conjunction with Dupras & Ledoux of Montreal pumps 55-degree Fahrenheit air directly under each seat. This mixture of air keeps the humidity down while resulting in a more comfortable seating area temperature of 72 degrees. Using Bromide in the water averts the chlorine smell. "We went through a lengthy testing process for all of the costumes in "O". The first time we tested our costumes in the Olympic pool here in Montreal, they exploded! We understood right away why bathing suits are sewn together differently. We built a little pool five feet deep in the Montreal studio, and every cutter had a little bucket in which they soaked their material, to see how it would react. When the synchronized swimmers started testing the costumes at the Bellagio, we noticed that all the glowing beads were disappearing, and we didn't know where! One day, someone opened the pool filter ... and found 3,000 beads!" - Yves Fournier (Director, Costume Department) Lighting the pool required experimentation with different lighting angles and techniques, since water is highly reflective and filters light differently than air. In the end the design team used 1,815 lighting instruments in the show - including spotlights, cans (standard theatrical lights) and scrollers (lights with multiple colors) - using more than four million total watts of light in their design. Testing designs took more than two years but installing the system would take even more thought - 288 of those would be underwater lights - how to mix electricity and water safely? How about in a specially created tunnel! The tunnel consists of eleven four-inch thick windows of Plexiglas, able to withstand both water pressure and heat from the lights, which allows for the safe installation of electric cables under the water. All in all, 222,956 feet of cable were used in the lighting installation, a length of almost 42 miles. As for sound, in addition to speakers throughout the theater, twenty- four underwater speakers are used. These speakers, provided by Clark Synthesis, are bolted to custom mounts and have a total capacity of 12,000 watts. They supply increased frequency response and increased energy transfer by acting as a soundboard. Two of the mounted speakers and be moved closer to the cast by the in-water crew, so the swimmers can still hear cues and music when aquatic masking is activated. The musicians are housed on either side of the stage in booths, which allows for acoustic isolation for better sound, and has the additional benefit of protecting the instruments from the humidity of the pool. Consequently, the pool is drained annually for maintenance and when it's done it drains into the Bellagio Lake raising the water level one inch. It takes twelve hours to fill the pool again. Interestingly enough, though, the pool is below the water table and tries to float when there is no water in it; therefore, a slab of concrete 12 feet thick holds the pool down! There are many other technical advances of Cirque du Soleil's theater at the Bellagio that remain secret behind Cirque's closed doors. And perhaps that's the way it should be. Giving away too much takes away from the marvel of the show, does it not? But as we move on in our understanding of this aquatic habitat, permit me one more fact about the theater: for their collaboration, Cirque du Soleil and Scéno Plus were awarded New York's prestigious Eddy Entertainment Design Award in 1998, the Canadian Institute for Technology's Award of Technical Merit in 1999, and the Las Vegas Best Theater of the Year Award for their ingenuity. The Characters of "O" --------------------- "The challenge of mixing water, land, acrobats, swimmers and divers on a stage-and finding a place where everyone could move dramatically-was mostly technical. But "O" gave rather than took energy. The level of collaboration was absolutely invigorating." - Debra Brown (Spectaculara) Now that we understand the space and stage in which our story takes place, let us take a moment now to view the many faces you'll find strutting across its watery stage. At first glance each of these characters appears to be on their own journey, and perhaps, in their own time as our play progresses; yet together they provide a wonderful insight into this strange odyssey. Eugen (La Vieux) -- He is our guide and the guardian of the theater. Eugen is strong, yet vulnerable. He knows all and provokes us to see the dark side of "O". His ghostly orchestrations take us on a timeless journey through different worlds as he makes his own transformation from dark to white. His is the cyclonical part of life where everything becomes new again. Guifà (Philemon) -- He is the young Sicilian boy we see at the very beginning of the show, and throughout its creation. He is a curious fellow and it's that curiosity and a quest for adventure that transports him (and us) to a magical realm where all his hopes, fears and dreams come true. He is a willing prisoner in this kaleidoscopic domain-the witness who is everywhere and every man. Aurora -- Graceful, fragile and inaccessible, she represents the quest: she stands for fantasy and desire. Guifà catches sight of her in the prologue, pursues her whenever he sees her, and finds her again in the epilogue. Les Comètes -- The comets are noble and sexy, tinged with madness as they soar through the air and fall from the heavens. Dressed in red, they belong to the theater, universe, and cosmos. They are everywhere and yet they are nowhere. Le Travesti (The Transvestite) -- He wears the clothes of a wicked woman; coos, hisses and murmurs. His primal cries resound throughout the theater. The Organ Grinder -- He is a strong man and organ player. A gentle giant is he, always ready to lend a hand. He follows Guifà wherever he may go. The Petite Dancer -- She dances to the music of the Barbary organ, and has always danced. Le Voleur (The Thief) -- He is a masked character with many faces. Sometimes a clown, sometimes a body guard; he plays with fire. L'Allumé -- The human torch is a pyromaniac who enjoys pleasing the crowd. He's just passing through, popping up out of nowhere, not worried that he is on fire. The Zebras -- They are playful and bright; constantly realigning themselves to maintain balance in a stormy universe. When together, they smooch; separated, they seek one another. They are for eternity existing in the kaleidoscope world of "O". Les Mariés (The Bride) -- Lost and abandoned, the bride is searching for something -- a key to her existence. Reflections ----------- "For me, "O" represents life and all the mysteries of the universe. But it also represents the theatre, which is a marvelous machine mankind has created to understand himself and his universe. Theatre allows us to explore the mystery, and "O" is our attempt both to praise theatre and to push it beyond its limits." - Franco Dragone (Spectaculara) "O" is the brainchild of Franco Dragone and Gilles Ste-Croix, the backbone of every Cirque du Soleil show from its earliest beginnings. It is their guidance and determination that we have "O" and the beautiful theater it plays in. Sitting within the theater is also a treat in itself. The redness of the seats contrasts with the beautiful colors of blue, green and white plastered on the ceiling above you. Its silk-like fabric never wavers against the blown air of the theater, and that contrasts with the bright red fabric of the shows curtain, draped across the entire stage. And it is the stage that grabs our eyes immediately, and to our first introduction of the characters that will play out their hopes and dreams before us. The first person we see is Guifà, a young Sicilian boy. His curiosity about what lies ahead and his never-ending quest for adventure become the center point of the journey we, as spectators, are about to undertake. There's something about the red curtain that draws us to it, and him. It covers the entire stage, shutting us out from a wondrous world we know nothing about. But as curious as Guifà is, we are as well. O, the world's the stage they say Upon which mortals strut and play Until the final hour of day Until the curtain calls O. Look! Out from the red curtain that has been draped over the stage comes a white hand -- a ghoulish hand. There! There! Did you see? "What does it want..." you wonder. But it's not a what, but a who. The hand beckons to Guifà to come closer to it. His curiosity once again begat the best of him, and he gets a bit too close. The hand grabs the unsuspecting man and drags him behind the curtain. And just as we begin to worry about the man, another jumps out at us. He is malformed, hunched over and dressed as a gentleman - we shall call him Eugen. This man takes a moment to look us all over, and then, he calls for the young man to make his re-appearance. "Ladies and Gentlemen," Guifà cautiously lets out. "Welcome to the Cirque du Soleil Theater." He begins to advise us of the rules of the theater, going on about smoking, emergency exiting, and other such rules. And as he finishes, returning the parchment of paper the before mentioned rules were printed on to the malformed man Guifà begins to levitate. Stricken with fear, he suddenly realizes that he is about to enter an unforeseen world: a realm where dreams are experienced, a realm where anything is possible. Higher now he has risen above the theater stage and soon, he begins to retreat backward taking with him the red curtain that has kept us from the world behind it. Guifà, his curiosity getting the best of him, is about to enter the world Eugen has prepared for him. He is about to enter the world of "O", taking us with him. And doth the winds blow... Words can hardly express the feeling one finds as the red curtain quickly disappears into the opening world of "O". It made the hair on my arms stand on end. It is such a powerful image that, to each person, means something different. Nevertheless, the world that Franco Dragone and Gilles Ste-Croix have created for us has opened its doors to our wanting eyes. We are now committed to experience everything Guifà experiences. We are now locked in the dream world with him. And in his hopes, fears and dreams that will be acted out on stage, we will be experiencing our own. O, to sing with all my heart Caress you with my soul, my art Embrace you as my counterpart Until you turn away O. Turn away we shall not. After the amazing opening curtain, the senses are overloaded with a horde of different acts. They range from the classic circus performance to interesting one-of-a-kind creations, made special for this production. The acts include: Nage (Synchronized Swimming) Just as water is essential to all life, the swimmers' graceful presence during the acts and transitional segues, is central to "O". At the heart of the production, the swimmers provide the necessary link between the elements of fire, earth, air and water. Choreographed by Debra Brown and Olympic gold-medallist Sylvie Fréchette, the synchronized swimming team is made up of 17 world-class swimmers. Duo Trapeze Two aerialists perform their dance in the air, sharing a single trapeze designed to co-exist with the water and machinery of the Bellagio Theatre. This visually stunning mirror image reflects the special bond shared by the twins performing the act. Their breathtaking maneuvers and feet-to-feet catches emulate the beauty of harmony and complete trust. La Barge (Banquine): With amazing strength and fearlessness, this team of talented acrobats performs atop a floating raft in the Barge act. The core group is comprised of eight world champion women with a background of sport acrobatics. Their act combines inventive gymnastic performances with the traditional circus act of banquine and the balletic prowess of adagio. Blending these skills with water completes this lively act, which also includes synchronized swimmers and Olympic divers. Bateau: Charting the course of life and the pursuit of dreams, this steel frame ship floating above the water provides the platform for this truly unique display of acrobatic timing and strength. At the foundation of the Bateau (French for "boat") is the traditional circus discipline of the aerial cradle act incorporated with gymnastics parallel bars for the very first time. While the Comets anchor the bateau, it begins to swing back and forth under the power of the acrobats. And together, the flyers and catchers create an amazing display of timing, strength and agility. Feu (Fire): The rage of fire and the purification of water are blended into one - and then displayed throughout the "O" Theatre in this brilliantly visual act. Incorporating ancient folklore and martial arts, this act invokes rituals from around the world including Hawaii, Samoa, New Zealand and Australia. The fire act was conceptualized and transformed by artists with different backgrounds, from performance companies to street theatre. Incorporated in the act is the amazing fire stunt of Ray Wold. Russian Swing: Pleasure, envy, passion and temptation are everywhere during the honeymoon celebration. Drawing its inspiration from the many wedding chapels of Las Vegas, the church bell atop the largest swing beckons all to join the party... of life, love and death. The cast includes expert divers using three sets of Russian swings. The swinging movement creates a different trajectory of flight, presenting a unique challenge even for the most seasoned diver. Moving from ground level to the highest point at 32 feet creates a momentary weightlessness at zero gravity, followed by tremendous acceleration down to the water. Cadre: Struggling to maintain balance in a stormy universe - the zebras constantly realign themselves, hanging on until the very end. Resembling a playground jungle gym, this giant aerial frame was created by Cirque du Soleil specialists to facilitate choreography and gymnastics in an aerial space between the sky and the water. Performed by the same group as the Bateau act, the entire number takes place suspended in mid-air. High Dive: A group of four world-class high divers leap from 60 feet above the ground into a small exposed section of the pool. The dive team is made up of cliff and exhibition divers. Washington Trapeze: The Washington Trapeze is unique because unlike the traditional rope- hung trapeze, it is built on a fixed metal frame and swings in a long pendulum motion. The difficulty of this act is heightened as the trapeze is attached to a revolving carousel, which descends from the grid at four feet per second. This segment fuses slack wire and tightrope elements with the high technology of the "O" Theatre Contortion: Hailing all the way from Mongolia, these four girls have been performing since the age of eight. Their graceful body language and lithe movements underline the balletic perfection of the female form. Their arrival from above and their aquatic surroundings add a new dimension to this long-held circus tradition. Cerceaux (Hoops): This act fuses dizzying aerial choreography with powerful gymnastic routines. Water is incorporated as both an atmospheric and a choreographic element. This traditional circus act is reinvented with the addition of water and its relationship to the sky. Epilogue: O, the circle, O the cycle O la vie, an ode to the O water of life Please carry me O. We see Eugen, our grotesque theater guide, who serenades a beautiful young woman from his piano. As he plays the theme to this realm, "O", he and his love slowly disappear beneath the waters of the stage - his stage. This gesture by Eugen and the movement of the music that accompanies his disappearance is so powerful that it draws the most stern of people to tears. Me included. Eugen has changed so much from the beginning of the show, literally from dark to light (you can see this in his costuming - a black suit in the beginning to a completely white gown seen at the end). All is still again but the music plays on... Then, a basket falls from the sky. As this basket floats down the river of "O", we soon realize that it's not just a basket, but part of a hot-air balloon that has fallen. And as this balloon floats away, behind it are the artists -- sitting, waiting, and watching. Moments later, the wind picks up again and with it, pulls a red fabric from the basket. Slowly, but surely, the red fabric fills the stage - forever locking the mysterious and wondrous world of water from us. To the scores of silent alchemists Who wreak their joy in darkness and the light Bringing magic to life We bow most humbly O. # # # "The show is about femininity," says Dominique Lemieux, the show's costume designer. ""O" is about drama, theatre. It deals with love, marriage, birth, death, and rebirth. "O" is the cycles of life represented through a theatrical experience. "O" is about splendor, about encountering splendor." The fantastic story of "O" centers around an unsuspecting theatre-goer named Giufa - our unwitting guide through this magical realm. When Giufa is chosen to give the show's opening speech, the curtain is suddenly swept away carrying him high up into the air. As his laughter echoes through the theatre, the stage dissolves to reveal an aquatic universe teeming with amphibious creatures and larger than life characters. The incredible adventure has begun. On the other side of the proscenium, Giufa is no longer a mere onlooker, but a witness, a conspirator, an actor in a world that changes constantly before his eyes. While Giufa guides us through "O", each spectator undertakes his or her own odyssey. "O" frees us to lose ourselves in a world without limits - where dreams are not only encouraged, but where they come true. Become lost in "O" again... Happy 15th Anniversary to the cast and crew of this remarkable show. May there be many, many more! ---------------------------------------------------------- "One Singular Sensation: Michael Jackson ONE" By: Ellen Lampert-Greaux - Live Design Online ---------------------------------------------------------- Michael Jackson is in the house, or at least he's in the theatre at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, where Cirque du Soleil's latest resident show celebrates the King of Pop in a new immersive musical experience, Michael Jackson ONE(tm), which opened during the summer, was written and directed by Jamie King, with sets and props by François Séguin, costumes by Zaldy Goco, projections by Raymond St-Jean and Jimmy Lakatos, sound by Jonathan Deans, lighting by David Finn, and a special "Man In The Mirror" Pepper's ghost sequence designed by Michael Lemieux and Victor Pilon. PART 1: A NEW VENUE ------------------- The Mandalay Bay theatre was renovated à la Cirque du Soleil by architect Troy Moser in collaboration with theatre consultants Auerbach Pollock Friedlander, whose first step was to improve sightlines. "Our work improved egress paths and ADA accommodations," explains Len Auerbach, principal-in-charge. "Integration of overhead technical areas required modification of the audience area ceilings, reconfiguring and lowering of the forestage grid, and performer acrobatic catwalks. We developed the integrated torm, designed new lighting and sound positions, and coordinated the sidewall video screens with the acoustic treatment." Jaffe Holden served as acoustic consultants. The stage is equipped with three major lifts and five high-speed pop- lifts in the forestage area, which can launch a performer 6' above the stage level. Mechanization over the audience includes tracks and trolleys plus a variety of hoists. The track, trolleys, and pop-lifts were provided by Stage Technologies, and the main stage lifts, with Serapid drives, were provided by Handling Specialties. Stage Technologies also provided the automation system. "The Michael Jackson ONE venue is our seventh Cirque du Soleil project, and each time we have been challenged by the unique concepts of an innovative and technically savvy client," adds Auerbach. "All of the show concepts have tested us in different ways. That's what makes me so enthusiastic to collaborate with Cirque du Soleil." PART 2: SOUND DESIGN -------------------- A veteran sound designer for Cirque du Soleil, Jonathan Deans listened to the songs and watched the images to bring the experience of Michael Jackson's music videos to the stage for Michael Jackson ONE(tm) at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. "The show is Michael's music and dance moves, with Cirque du Soleil elements to add a twist to it," says Deans, who went to numerous concerts to refresh himself with concert sound, as his goal was to "recreate the feeling of going to a concert, not a showroom or a theatre. Most people remember seeing Michael on video or if they were lucky enough to see him in concert." Having designed The Beatles Love for Cirque du Soleil, Deans notes that was like being "in the studio with The Beatles or inside their heads, but for Michael Jackson, it's as if you were on stage with him. Even in the studio, he performed on a raised platform while he was recording. For his solo tracks, you hear his energy, as if he were live on stage. The saving grace of Michael Jackson was Michael Jackson," adds Deans, who set out to capture that energy. "It's as if the audience captures it as well and as if they had a live Michael Jackson experience, as close to a concert as you can get without him being there." Deans recalls seeing Jackson perform in Australia. "He was so captivating," he says. "It was mesmerizing-his energy, his style. I have massive respect for that kind of performer, the music, the legacy." In recreating Jackson's signature sound, Deans had to respect the demographics of the audience, from five to 95 years old. "I had to be careful of the sound levels. How loud is too loud? From Cirque's side, too loud; from the rock side, not loud enough-it's a delicate balance." Yet the show is in a theatre, not a stadium or an arena, so Deans found "there has to be theatrical dynamics for an audience that is captive for 90 minutes and the proper environment level-wise, and we have to respect how much a person can take physically and legally. You want them to leave on a high, not as if they spent 90 minutes in the ring with Mike Tyson pounding on their ears." In Love, Deans had George Martin to approve the finite mix, and the remaining band members to confirm its accuracy. Yet he notes, "With this show, we could carry on playing with it forever-so many more multi-tracks. The only limitation was that Michael wasn't there to say, 'Yes, that's how it should be.'" Deans placed three speakers in each seat-5,412 custom left-center- right speakers divided into 24 zones-like he did at Love, but this time, his goal was "to help create an arena kind of feel, rather than an in-your-head sound. In addition to speakers in the seats, there is a very large surround system on the walls of the theatre," he notes. A total of 175 Meyer Sound loudspeakers include 16 Galileo 616 processors for system control, 24 Micas for left-right array, 38 JM- 1Ps for the center cluster, and 12 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements. The FOH console is a Meyer Sound D-Mitri digital audio platform, with 120 inputs and 120 outputs at 96kHz, all connected digitally on a fiber-optic Optocore backbone. Solotech provided the gear and installation, and the system is cared for by Cirque du Soleil's audio head Aaron Beck and his crew. The Meyer Constellation system with 41 microphones and 144 speakers is used to create 17 user presets with maximum room reverb time of 4.5 seconds. "Constellation is used very heavily to create the concert feel, and the space and depth and dynamics of the music and the room itself," explains Deans. "When the audience applauds and cheers, it sounds as if they are in an arena. This is a concert-style performance, so you believe that's where you are. We wanted to enhance the concert experience, recreate a concert atmosphere in a theatre, which is more complicated than concert sound. In my world, I don't want to make sound simply loud enough to be heard. There has to be other motivation for it." Playback is via MOTU Digital Performer 8 on dual Apple Mac Pros with RME HDSPe MADI FX PCI Express cards running 64 channels each. "Musical director Kevin Antunes would make a mix in the control room and bring it into the theatre, and we would collectively listen to it," says Deans, who worked closely with playback engineer Glenn Erwin and associate sound designer Brian Hsieh. "Most of the mix elements and movement were done in DP, then fed to the Meyer LCS system to take over and extend it further." Everything is playback, with just two live performers, a female singer and a female guitarist. "The singer is generally flying in the air; she never sings on the deck," explains Deans. "The guitarist is on stage. Both are incredible. The guitarist worked with Michael Jackson's guitarist for an authentic sound. In fact, she is so good that people thought she was miming, so she changes a few things to let people know she's live." PART 3: LIGHTING DESIGN ----------------------- "Our mandate was to create a theatrical performance," says David Finn of the lighting design for Michael Jackson ONE(tm) at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. "Jamie King had just finished the touring version of Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, which was a true concert-style performance, and both he and [Cirque du Soleil founder and CEO] Guy Laliberté were keen to create a piece that had a theatrical arc story- wise, musically, and visually. Jamie comes from the pop world, so I knew I had to have rock 'n' roll elements in the plot." So Finn went for the flexibility of a repertory theatre plot, along with arrays of fixtures in key positions that could fill the space with stunning visuals. PRG, A.C.T Lighting, 4Wall Entertainment Lighting, Solotech, and Entertainment Lighting Services provided the gear. More than 100 Clay Paky Alpha 1500 Profiles are the primary rep fixture in the plot. "We filled the Alphas with probably one of the largest gobo catalogs ever used in one show," notes Finn, adding that "the Alphas fill the space-FOH, cats, box booms, over forestage, on all four electrics, and on a boom set-up that includes a 20'+ high number one boom that rolls on and offstage as we wanted to have it fully exposed for some of the more rock sections of the show." Clay Paky's Sharpy was Finn's choice for key placement for rock 'n' roll arrays. "We lined them up on four flying ladders at the rear of the space, as well as fill the number one electric and booms with them, essentially building a grid that could fill the proscenium opening," he explains. "We finished by placing them in a forestage trough and two niches left and right, cut into the side stages that wrap into the house. These units provide great air looks and act beautifully for forestage shins. We filled out the overheads with 18 Alpha Wash 1200s that were picked up from another Cirque show." Martin Professional Atomic strobes with Atomic Color scrollers are used for accents and effects, with the Rosco Miro Cube fixture for set integration. Finn calls them "punchy, small, and compact-a 4? cube with great dimming, great color with RGBW." Assistant lighting designer and project manager Josh Hind coordinated the plot and equipment, as well as designed positions and supervised the theatre's renovation. "I would be remiss if I didn't mention the lighting cue count," says Hind, "which, when I left the theatre, was at 13,551. Our programmer, Benny Kirkham-who was, coincidentally, the Vari-Lite programmer for Michael Jackson in the '90s-says this is probably the most complex programming ever done on the [MA Lighting] grandMA. Having watched the whole process, I'm inclined to agree. The LEDs in the custom costume and set element programming represent about six months of work that ran concurrently to the programming of the main show. So, when we mention that we had over 7,000 LEDs, we feel like we've earned the right to brag a bit. Because of the complexity of the pieces, we ended up programming most of those 7,000 individually." The lighting adds to the emotion of the show in a big way. "Judging by our audience reactions every night, whether they notice the lighting or they don't, I think we help to make the ride a thrilling one," says Finn. "The performers are spectacular, which means that it is impossible to upstage them. We could push every moment, and we did." In terms of collaboration with the video team, Finn points out, "There really is no choice but to find yourselves on the same page ultimately. We took turns taking the lead on various numbers, and we all adapted to the looks that were clearly looking great," he explains. "Some of the numbers had basic video content well before we entered the theatre. This allowed me to prep my looks and palettes accordingly. It was a true give-and-take process. If you are working with consummate theatre professionals, everyone has the ultimate goal of making the moment fit to concept, direction, and staging." PART 4: PROJECTION DESIGN ------------------------- The video design took a large team of talented designers working extremely quickly for Michael Jackson ONE(tm) at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Longtime collaborators Raymond St-Jean and Jimmy Lakatos led the team, which needed to roll with the punches while creating complicated and riveting imagery. While Lakatos considers his purview to be "video scenography," St-Jean designs the images and graphic language of the piece. "My skill is more to make sure the integration of the content will be efficient," Lakatos says. St-Jean and Lakatos brought in collaborators at Fly Studio, including Jean-François Talbot, to generate the actual imagery and content. When they came on board, St-Jean and Lakatos worked with set designer Francois Séguin, who had already designed a lot of black surfaces and, as Lakatos says, "that was the first thing we needed to rethink." Because the show was to be created with projectors (rather than LED scenery), the designers had to keep contrast ratio in mind throughout the process. Lakatos explains that LED walls have other problems. "In 2006 or '07, we did Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveShow tour. When we met Justin, he told us he didn't want to use an LED screen because it was too powerful. He wanted something more subtle so that he could be the main character of the show." Lakatos considers working with projection as a more "feminine" approach. "More and more, you need to discuss a lot with the lighting designer so that light doesn't 'destroy' the image," he says. "David Finn is a marvelous lighting designer who really understands well how to work with us." The idea, of course, is to maintain both the project image and the mood evoked by the light without having to sacrifice either. In ONE, there is an LED screen that had been purchased for Cirque's recently closed Viva Elvis, but it is dimmed for much of the show. The original design of ONE was meant to "evoke the presence of Michael," but both the Jackson estate and the creators of Cirque du Soleil really felt that there needed to be a more palpable presence of Michael. From the beginning, the end of the piece was meant to culminate in a Pepper's ghost effect, which would conjure Jackson dancing with the live performers onstage. But eventually, footage from Jackson's videos also became part of the video design of ONE. As ideas developed, Lakatos and St-Jean worked with words and images to create the visual language of the piece with King. Then they worked with 2D illustrators and guided them through many images. As St-Jean explains, "Once we get the image that is pretty close to what we want, we take the illustration to the 3D animators to do modeling. We cannot start 3D animation without being sure of what we want to do." Because the whole show was set to Jackson's music, the design could be timecoded, which made it easier for the motion-graphic animators. According to St-Jean, they had to "find ways to integrate [Michael] into numbers." The original design for "Smooth Criminal," for example, had 3D animations of buildings with just a silhouette of Michael, but the team ended up using the original music video imagery in the onstage "billboards" in projected scenery. They had to figure out ways to put Michael into the existing edit as though it was planned. Says Lakatos, "Our goal was making sure that the content could be integrated into our scenery." The projection and video team uses various projectors from Christie: 16 Roadster HD20Ks, six HD6K-Ms, and three HD10K-Ms; a Roadster HD20K and a Roadie HD35K for specials, along with the Daktronics LED wall, five Samsung LED flat-screen TVs, and seven other LCD TVs. The system runs via 12 VYV Photon media servers controlled by a VYV controller. Lakatos is a big fan of the VYV system, which he first used on the Timberlake show and allows him to use realtime 3D mapping. He calls it his "realtime paint box-just amazing-able to do anything you want." They also collaborated with video designer Dago Gonzalez, and Lemieux and Pilon, who created the Pepper's ghost effect. Technomedia Solutions provided the gear, with Andrew Atienza as project manager. PART 5: SET DESIGN ------------------ Michael Jackson ONE is the second collaboration between Canadian set designer Francois Séguin and Cirque du Soleil. At the outset of the project, Séguin began working with theatre consultants Auerbach Pollack Friedlander as they approached the renovation of the theatre, following the closing of Disney's The Lion King. Unfortunately, not long after the conversations began, the project was halted for budgetary reasons for approximately six months. "When I came back, it was more like a road show," Séguin says. Unlike other Cirque du Soleil shows housed in their own custom-built theatres, ONE harkens back to touring Cirque projects like Alegria, Totem, or Varekai, and the theatre at the Mandalay Bay is smaller than most Cirque venues. The biggest difference between ONE and Séguin's other Cirque collaboration (Zed in Tokyo) was beginning with the subject matter. Usually, Séguin explains, "a circus is about a boy and girl who meet, get separated, travel on a journey, and find a happy ending. But ONE follows the journey of four misfits who discover and are transformed by Michael Jackson's music." Séguin's first collaboration with King was a fruitful one. The entire team listened to a lot of Michael Jackson to really delve into the material and "find the spirit of the show." King came with a list of songs he wanted to include and from which the team created a musical structure. Each song had a theme, goal, or reference to famous video, and sometimes that meant that the scenic setup might determine the song order. According to Séguin, this created a kind of in-one structure to the puzzle of figuring out the show. "One of the defining principles of the design is to support fast changes without being literal. The proposed solutions were more like a Broadway show with traditional scene changes than some other Cirque projects," he says. The largest evolution of the piece came in the increasing introduction of Michael Jackson's image. Originally, the show was meant to evoke Michael's spirit, but as the show evolved, his physical image became more and more central to the design. This drastically shifted the video design, which, of course, had ramifications on the scenery, but the essential set design was already complete by the time these changes occurred. The system of four moving towers in the set came quite early. The towers move, twist, and transform from a street or into a structure for acrobatics. Performers jump from the towers and walk a slack line slung between them. There are three levels for the dancers, and, as Séguin points out, the structures are a "big support for lighting." Originally intended to be motorized, the towers are moved by performers, a change motivated by budget but seamlessly incorporated into the flow of the show. Because so much of circus performance depends on the safety and usability of structures like Séguin's towers, it was necessary to have the towers finished as early as possible in the development of the piece. Built by Montreal shop Scène Éthique, the towers, as well as at least 60% of the show's elements, were used in the rehearsal studio in Montreal. Scène Éthique is probably best known for building the "machine" for Robert Lepage's monumental Ring Cycle at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City (additional scenery was built by Hudson Scenic, as well as a number of other shops). # # # Michael Jackson ONE puts the pop idol back on stage in a blaze of lights, sound, and imagery that The Chicago Tribune calls "a strikingly beautiful and emotional show," a fitting tribute to a star whose album Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time, selling over 50 million copies. Part 1: "A New Venue" - http://goo.gl/htjP0V Part 2: "Sound Design" - http://goo.gl/8v8Vpl Part 3: "Lighting Design" - http://goo.gl/obdnxI Part 4: "Projection Design" - http://goo.gl/Y304Vz Part 5: "Set Design" - http://goo.gl/J3cak6 ======================================================================= 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 13, Number 10 (Issue #117) - October 2013 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2013 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.06.2013 } =======================================================================