======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 15, NUMBER 7 July 2015 ISSUE #138 ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. After a relatively quiet end to Spring here in the Northern Hemi- sphere, there's been quite a bevy of announcements as of late to start the Summer off with a bang: One Night for One Drop set a date for its fourth annual production: Friday, March 18, 2016 at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Symphony Park downtown Las Vegas. Netflix acquires Luna Petuna, Cirque du Soleil's animated preschool series (a co-production from Saban Brands and Cirque du Soleil Media), to air sometime in 2016. Cirque teases the show it has created for the Opening Ceremonies of the Pan Am Games being held in Toronto. Vidanta, Cirque and Goddard presented "The Celebrate Project", the Cirque du Soleil Theme Park & Resort planned for Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Some tantalizing information was presented in a video, which was later taken down, but what we saw of it proves this is a massive undertaking and could be something very special. We await more details. Cirque du Soleil and PopArt Music, an Argentinean company, announced that they will work jointly with Soda Stereo and Sony Music to create a show inspired by the music and history of the band (A project that has been under discussion for at least two years, Cirque said.) I think of it as a mini-Viva Elvis but we'll have to wait and see. And that Cirque would bring TORUK: The First Flight to China following its North American Tour in addition to launching a new resident show to premiere in early 2018 at Hangzhou XTD in a custom- designed theater. Sacré moo! (That's holy cow to the rest of us...) In tour news: OVO performed their last show under the Big Top in Sendai, Japan June 7th, and officially announced TOTEM would tour the region next. TOTEM is scheduled for Tokyo in February 2016 and will visit all five major cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Sendai over the course of the next 16 months. Tickets go on sale August 8th and you can get more information (soon) at their official website: (http://totem-jp.com). Meanwhile, OVO has gone dark while the show is converted into the Arena format. Rumor has it the bugs will resurface in April 2016 somewhere in North America. Currently the Cirque website suggests OVO will take over the Bell Centre in Montreal next, but, how that schedule will coincide the launch of Cirque 2016, the next touring show (directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca incase you didn't know) that April and with TORUK's tour schedule is unknown as yet. But it's possible OVO will soft-open in a few secondary markets in the United States before "premiering" in Montreal well after the new touring show has moved on to Quebec City and Toronto, but we'll have to wait and see! VAREKAI celebrated its 4,500th performance on Friday, June 26th and Michael Jackson ONE celebrated its 2nd Anniversary in style on Monday, June 29th! And CORTEO certainly surprised us all by extending its farewell tour into Ecuador (and probably finally close in Venezuela). This thanks to a newly formed partnership between Cirque and Main Event Productions, a company based in Venezuela to bring KOOZA to South America in 2016. The new year also brings sad tidings for QUIDAM's 20-year tour around the globe. It's coming to an end on February 16, 2016 in New Zealand. But don't despair... rumors abound that QUIDAM will be presented one last time under the Big Top before its final curtain call, when it visits South Korea later this year and that's something we never thought we'd see again! So if you're inclined to see the show one last time under the big top, its stop in Seoul might be your last chance! Phew, that's a lot to take in for sure. Details on many of these topics (and more) can be found in our NEWS section. In our FEATURES section this month we have a review of the One Night for One Drop 3 Fathom Event that took place on Wednesday, June 10th. Yours truly was unable to attend, but thankfully my good friend Keith Johnson was able to, and he gives us his thoughts about the broadcast and the show within! Then we have Q&A's from two different sources of the Press, which were just too long and unwieldy to be published in our NEWS section : a Q&A with KURIOS's Kit Chatham (Percussionist) and a Q&A with the Wardrobe Team from KOOZA. And last, but certainly not least, we also have a special article collection from Robin Leach who, through his column with the Las Vegas Sun (Vegas Deluxe), explored the world of "On The Record: BAZ", a new theatrical experience from Cirque du Soleil at LIGHT Mandalay Bay, with three separate articles published with the Las Vegas Sun. These are: a Q&A with BAZ actress Ginifer King, a Q&A with BAZ Performers Ruby and Ciaran, and lastly a review of the new spectacle, which we've compiled for you in one SPECIAL: "Robin Leach on 'For the Record: BAZ'" As always we also have the relevant posts made to Cirque's Facebook pages, and updates to Cirque's touring schedule. So, let's get started! /----------------------------------------------------\ | | | Join us on the web at: | | < www.cirquefascination.com > | | | | Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): | | < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > | | | | The Chapiteau-Fascination! Magazine: | | < http://www.cirquefanzine.com/ > | | | \----------------------------------------------------/ - 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 * Networking -- Posts on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter o) Fascination! Features *) "ONE NIGHT FOR ONE DROP: A Fathom Special Event Review" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) *) "Q&A with KURIOS’s Kit Chatham" By: Alex Faubel, via 303 Magazine *) "Q&A with Kooza’s Wardrobe Team" By: Jenny Rogers, via Capital Style *) SPECIAL /// "Robin Leach on 'For the Record: BAZ'" By: Robin Leach, via The Las Vegas Sun o) Subscription Information o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= HuffPo: Sneak Peek at One Night for One Drop {Jun.02.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Cirque Du Soleil owes a lot to water: one of their sexiest and most successful shows is the Las Vegas extravaganza O which makes excellent use of H20. Now they’re going to return the favor by sharing water with the world. The troupe’s founder Guy Laliberté founded One Drop, an organization dedicated to bringing access to safe water to everyone in the world, along with raising awareness for the dramatic difference water can make in people’s lives. One Night For One Drop is the latest event to raise funds for One Drop. This one night only extravaganza is a unique show featuring artists from across Cirque Du Soleil’s many shows. It’s filmed and broadcast to cinemas around the world on June 10. Here’s an exclusive look at some of the acts being created and performed for this special event. Think about how easy it is for you to go online, read about this show, buy a ticket with your credit card and then go see it in a modern, air-conditioned movie theater on June 10. Every step of the way, you’re literally surrounded by faucets and taps and fountains and bottles of water, water everywhere and you never give it a thought. Forget movies and special events like One Night For One Drop. Some 750 million people in the world — one out of every nine people on the planet — can’t even imagine having safe water on tap at their beck and call. Some 2.5 billion people lack improved sanitation that’s linked to safe water. So enjoy this sneak peek at Cirque Du Soleil’s spectacle and think about helping people who would be just as amazed to see the running water in your home. { SOURCE: Huffington Post | http://goo.gl/olu4cJ } Netflix Acquires ‘Luna Petunia’ Kids Series {Jun.03.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Netflix has unveiled Cirque du Soleil — Luna Petunia, the first TV co-production from Saban Brands and Cirque du Soleil Media. The streamer will launch the animated preschool series inspired by the Quebec-based circus troupe as a Netflix original series for kids worldwide in Fall 2016. “With Saban Brands’ history of developing iconic characters that resonate with children, combined with the artistic creativity of Cirque du Soleil, we know Luna Petunia will introduce an engaging world that will have strong appeal across our global members,” Erik Barmack, vp of global independent content at Netflix, said in a statement Wednesday. Cirque du Soleil — Luna Petunia follows the adventures of a little girl named Luna Petunia who plays in a dreamland where she learns how to make the impossible possible. Netflix will debut 11 half-hours of the Canadian series, on which Bradley Zweig (Sid the Science Kid, Krypto) will serve as the showrunner, simultaneously in the U.S. and international territories. Plans are also in the works for a consumer products line from Saban Brands, interactive digital content and a potential live tour. “The Netflix debut of Cirque du Soleil — Luna Petunia will kick off a comprehensive franchise rollout of numerous off- platform extensions,” Saban Brands president Elie Dekel added. Saban Brands, an affiliate of Saban Capital Group, in February 2014 pacted with Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil Media to co- produce kids TV series with online content and merchandising spinoffs. “Cirque du Soleil — Luna Petunia is our first television series for kids and, with distinguished partners like Saban Brands and Netflix, we have no doubt this property will elevate kids’ entertainment by empowering preschool boys and girls to use their own creative potential to make the impossible possible,” Jacques Methe, Cirque Media president, said. { SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter | http://goo.gl/96T7vI } Meet: Odka Byambadorj – KOOZA Contortionist {Jun.04.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- She may only be 19, but Cirque du Soleil contortionist Odka Byambadorj is a seasoned pro. The Mongolia-born performer has been globetrotting with the world-renowned entertainment group since she was 14, and will be performing in Cirque Du Soleil’s KOOZA in Columbus. I had a ton of questions, seeing as how Byambadorj quite literally “ran off and joined the circus” at a young age — something I always threatened my parents with, but obviously never followed through on. Between stretching and practicing her routine, I chatted with the young performer about her experience travelling, life at the circus and how loud American audiences tend to be. “Everyone who does [a circus-inspired act] has the goal of being in Cirque Du Soleil. I started doing contortion when I was eight years old. My grandparents put me in the program because they thought I would like it. My [contortion] coach was working with the show, so I auditioned. It was always my dream goal. I went on tour with my coach, so my parents wouldn’t worry. I was also studying the whole time and I got to come home every three months, so it wasn’t so bad. I’m never homesick though; I love to travel and see new cities every month while I’m working. I’m less nervous with an audience. It’s better to have people watching you perform than practicing alone. One of my first performances was in Tokyo. The crowd claps for you there, but very quietly. They show appreciation by bringing the performers flowers after the show. Right after our time in Japan, we came to America. I remember doing my routine and thinking about how loud the audience was. Americans are very loud at our shows. I’m never scared. I’ve done this act thousands of times. We practice two and a half hours a day, six days a week. Then we train with all the staging for 30 minutes. I’m only nervous when I come back from an injury — I am apprehensive about trying the trick [I was performing when I got injured] for the first time, but that’s it. { SOURCE: Columbus Alive | http://goo.gl/BJeFkf } 7 secrets of KURIOS in Denver {Jun.10.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil wants to once again challenge your imagination and transform your perspective with its new show, Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities. While audiences are always amazed at the performances on-stage, we want to take you behind the scenes to learn seven secrets of how the production is created. Let’s start inside the main tent. Secret No. 1: If the stage seems low, it is. Kurios has the lowest stage of any Cirque du Soleil production. The director wanted the stage to be as close to the audience as possible, explained Cirque du Soleil/Kurios publicist Amelie Robitaille. While this stage doesn’t move like some Cirque stages, the outer ring does have a track where props will move around the stage. Setting up this production is a fast task. It’s all done in six days. Secret No. 2: Those interesting props/curiosities on the shelves next to the stage aren’t fancy creations from the Cirque du Soleil masters in Canada. They’re actually items bought at antique stores and junk yards, then adjusted for the show. “If one breaks, we just go shopping,” said Robitaille. Secret No. 3: There is an 8-person live band for the show that performs right on the stage. The drummer is on one side of the tunnel where the performers enter, the percussionist is on the other side. The singer, guitarist, violinist, accordion player, cellist and the band leader are on the level above the tunnel. Now, let’s go behind the scenes, to the backstage area and the other tents. Secret No. 4: The technical team and the performers each have their own tents backstage. In the technical tent, you’ll notice all the road cases are color-coded. The yellow boxes are for props, the blue boxes for rigging, the black boxes are for sound, the gray boxes for lightning, the purple boxes for automation and the red boxes are for carpentry. You’ll notice many of the cases become table tops and work spaces to save space for traveling. The performer’s tent has rigging and apparatus for training and practicing, an area for massage and injury treatment, wardrobe and makeup. Secret No. 5: When the performers are off-stage, they’re watching the show at the portable tapis rouge (red carpet). Here they can watch what’s happening on stage for their own cues and the shows are recorded so they can review their performance and timing. Notice, the green boxes under the couches? The couches are all in road cases for easy packing and moving. Secret No. 6: While the performers have help with their wardrobe, they have to apply their own makeup. “It takes 40 to 75 minutes,” Robitaille said. However, she said as the show continues week-after-week, the performers are getting faster at applying the required makeup. As for wardrobe, there are three people on tour with the show and four more are hired at each stop to help with washing and ironing the costumes, which is done every day. While the costumes are made in Montreal, the traveling crew handles repairs and adjustments on the costumes and even painting or waxing the shoes. There are 120 different looks in the show and more than 1,000 different pieces when you add up the costumes, ties, gloves, etc… The wardrobe crew even has a color-filled thread box any amateur seamstress would love to have. Secret No. 7: It takes a village to put on this show. There are 109 workers, from 21 nations, who travel with the show. Another 150 people are hired at each stop to help with box office, merchandise, security, wardrobe, janitor work, concessions and the employee kitchen. The employee kitchen and dining room is created by putting four semi-trucks side-by-side. Three chefs travel with the show and they hire prep cooks, dishwashers and others locally to help. While they cook for very fit performers, not everything in the kitchen is diet food. “We offer a lot of deliciousness and desserts,” explained kitchen manager Paola Muller. “We offer options for everyone.” Muller said the items she orders the most of are chicken and bananas. “We go through a lot of bananas,” Muller said. “Athletes eat bananas constantly.” Sundays is a special day behind the scenes. The families of the workers are invited to eat Sunday brunch and their children are allowed in the performers’ tent to play with their parents on the apparatus. { SOURCE: KMGH ABC-7 Denver | http://goo.gl/7o93Ro } Cirque plans spectacular Pan Am Games opening ceremony {Jun.11.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil says the opening ceremonies for July’s Pan Am Games will be one of its biggest shows ever. TO2015’s opening ceremonies are set for the evening of July 10 at Roger’s Centre — which will be known as the Pan Am Ceremonies Venue during the Games — and all 50,000 tickets have already been sold. Bastien, a director with Montreal’s world-famous circus, is remaining tight-lipped about what fans can expect, but did say they’ve been working on the show since 2013. “We love to keep a surprise,” he said. But, as CBC Toronto’s Anne-Marie Mediwake found out from Bastien, this city’s multiculturalism will be on full display as residents from around the world “dance to the same rhythm.” For a sneak peek behind the scenes, check out the video below: LINK /// < http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/ID/2669206468/ > { SOURCE: CBC.ca | http://goo.gl/Zcg1Xl } KOOZA Headed to South America in 2016! {Jun.11.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil’s KOOZA, originally scheduled to tour cities throughout South America beginning in 2015, began an impromptu 3rd North American Tour (which is happening as we speak) instead as the original tour plan fell apart at the last minute. However, it appears all the details have been worked out and KOOZA will begin touring in South America – under the big top – in 2016! # # # The Cirque du Soleil is pleased to announce that in 2016 made KOOZA first tour under the Big Top in South America, in a newly formed partnership with MAIN EVENT PRODUCTIONS a company based in Venezuela. KOOZA, originally created in 2007, is the latest production of the Big Top Cirque du Soleil will visit South America from the first visit to the continent in 2006. MAIN EVENT PRODUCTIONS is a sports and entertainment company highly respected and well established in Latin America, with headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela . The company has been extremely active in recent years, producing tours such as Il Divo, Aerosmith, Justin Bieber , Miley Cyrus and Madagascar , to name just a few. The KOOZA tour will benefit from the new partnership that Cirque du Soleil has recently completed MEP, will be responsible for promoting the productions of Cirque du Soleil tour by Uruguay , Argentina and Chile. { SOURCE: PRNewswire | http://goo.gl/e7FHF8 } One Night for One Drop 4 Set for March 18, 2016 {Jun.12.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- The fourth-annual Cirque du Soleil “One Night for One Drop” spectacular has been set for next March 18. For the first time, Cirque will move the benefit show from one of its Las Vegas theaters to the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Symphony Park downtown. Cirque officials are in final-review stages of submissions from volunteer directors, and the “winner” will be selected in two weeks. Then preparations for the new fundraiser will get underway. This year’s third event raised more than $6 million with the production at “The Beatles Love” theater in the Mirage with guest John Legend. “We’re going to try and have everything in place, as well, for the fifth production in 2017 so that we always stay one full year ahead of ourselves,” I was told. Members of the “Love” cast were at the Phantom Events/AXS screening Wednesday night of the filmed version of the most recent “One Night for One Drop” at Regal Cinemas in Village Square. Its director, Mukhtar O.S. Mukhtar, flew in for the screening from Monterrey, Mexico, where he is busy creating a Cirque project there. Jerry Nadal, Cirque’s senior VP of resident shows worldwide, told me that more than 400 movie theaters nationwide screened “One Drop” on Wednesday night. The theatrical film is breathtakingly beautiful and shot sensationally. It’s not the same heart-stopping thrill of watching it live, but the drama and extraordinary skills of Cirque’s athletes, dancers and performers is magnified and draws even more appreciation for their amazing achievements. The artists were mic’d for the filming so that the audience had a sense of their accelerated breathing during the most dangerous of their stunts captured in the close-up zooms. “It is really beautiful to have a permanent record now of what was a miraculous, one-night-only show,” summed up Jerry. { Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/DLq5Ss } Cirque/AEG’s “Outbox AXS” and Veritix to Merge {Jun.13.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Outbox AXS (“AXS”), founded in 2011 by partners AEG, Cirque du Soleil and industry veteran Jean-Francoys Brousseau, and powered by AXS.com, and Veritix, a leading innovator in digital ticketing, event marketing and relationship management applications, will merge. The announcement was made today by Bryan Perez, President & CEO, Outbox AXS and Samuel Gerace, CEO, Veritix at the Sports Business Journal’s Sports Facilities & Franchises Conference and 5th annual Ticketing Symposium. The combined entity will partner the consumer-focused interface and ticketing platform of Outbox AXS, including AXS Invite and the AXS Waiting Room with Veritix’s industry-leading season ticket management technology and its inventive Flash Seats digital, ID-based ticketing technology. “This partnership is about more than ticketing,” said Bryan Perez, President & CEO, Outbox AXS. “It’s about combining the best technology and services to create the only platform in the industry that engages with consumers beyond ticketing through every phase of the event lifecycle.” With more than $2 billion of combined transactions annually, Outbox AXS will now have a significant market share in North American sports, providing select ticketing services to almost 25% of NBA teams and one-third of all MLS teams, as well as an extensive presence in other domestic and international sporting events and franchises. Originally launched in 2006 by Gerace and NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers Majority Owner and sports technology investor, Dan Gilbert, Veritix’s innovative and groundbreaking strategy in the ticketing industry enjoyed immediate success managing ticketing for dozens of venues along with empowering teams from the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, AHL, Hockey Canada, NASCAR, NCAA and DI-III College Athletics programs. Founded by two of the world’s leading content providers in AEG and Cirque du Soleil, Outbox AXS now adds Gilbert to its ownership ranks resulting in a combined entity supported by the resources and global strength of the more than 120 venues owned or controlled by AEG as well as content produced by AEG Live, the world’s second largest live entertainment promoter, and Cirque du Soleil, the most important producer of live entertainment in Las Vegas with 8 original productions in addition to extensive international touring operations. Adding an additional professional sports owner to an ownership roster which includes AEG, the largest corporate owner of sports teams in the world, will grow the company’s relationships throughout the sports world and ensure a state of the art mindset for platform innovation. The new organization will also rely on other investments and technologies owned or developed by the partners including Carbonhouse, a leading developer of websites and mobile apps for venues, AXS Advantage, a proprietary “big data” consumer marketing platform for venues and teams, Examiner.com, the highly trafficked citizen journalism website and stakes in Gimbal, the world’s leader in proximity services and Bypass, the venue industry’s leading supplier of cloud-based food and beverage point-of-sale systems. “This is an exciting moment for Veritix and for all the teams, venues and organizations that believed in the value of innovating and evolving the platform that helps them run their businesses and create great experiences for fans,” stated Samuel Gerace, CEO, Veritix. “Our role in this industry has always been about more than ticketing and now we have a partnership that accelerates our vision of empowering teams and venues with the best solutions to drive insights and fan delight.” Today’s announcement establishes AXS as the only fully integrated platform that empowers venues and sports franchises to run their own business operations while building a direct brand relationship with their loyal fans. The platform provides clients with fully trackable data as tickets pass from primary to secondary markets and from one fan to the next. Through its full event lifecycle solution set, AXS will manage every aspect of the ticketing, in-event and post-event experience. “Today’s merger was able to take place because we have two industry leading organizations with a shared vision of empowering venues, teams and fans with the best technology, tools and insights, adding the most value to the entire event experience. AXS now has the infrastructure and market share to provide the most complete experience for live entertainment venues and fans,” Perez continued. { SOURCE: PR Newswire | http://goo.gl/QHEFk3 } Soda Stereo Imagined by Cirque du Soleil? {Jun.14.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Quebec-based Cirque du Soleil and PopArt Music, an Argentinean company, announced that they will work jointly with Soda Stereo and Sony Music to create a show inspired by the music and history of the band. This project has been under discussion for the past two years. Modeled on Cirque du Soleil productions The Beatles LOVE and Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour, which draw their inspiration from the life and work of musical icons, this new creation is expected to premiere in Buenos Aires in 2017 and will tour in Latin America. The project is endorsed by the Ministry of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires. To confirm this creative agreement, the PopArt Music team and Soda Stereo travelled to Cirque du Soleil’s creative studios at the company’s International Headquarters in Montreal. # # # In their own words: ”After Soda’s comeback tour in 2007, it was hard to think of something beyond that… Now, thanks to Cirque du Soleil, a new world opens up for us, filled with renewed expectations. This is very touching.” – Charly Alberti ”We’ve always paid close attention to stage design in our shows. But for the first time, apart from being in the best possible hands, we will be able to enjoy our music and the images it inspires… this time as spectators.” – Zeta Bosio ”As members of Gustavo’s close family, this new proposal fills us with enormous pride. We believe this is a fabulous tribute to the work of my brother.” – Laura Cerati, sister of Gustavo Cerati and Director of JJC Ediciones Musicales “Having the opportunity to work with the material of such an iconic band that have touched so many people in Latin America is truly an honor. We are very inspired and look forward to delving into the band’s fabulous musical world.“ – Jean-François Bouchard, Cirque du Soleil Creative Guide ”The creators of The Beatles LOVE and Michael Jackson ONE are now imagining a new show inspired by Soda Stereo. Although we’ve been working in secret for two years, and we still have two more before the premiere, I already consider this a dream come true.” – Daniel Kon, Manager of Soda Stereo and Director of Triple Producciones “It is an honor for us to be part of this fabulous project. This is, without a doubt, another milestone in the incredible career of our dear Charly, Zeta and Gustavo.” – Afo Verde, Chairman & CEO, Sony Music Latin Iberia? ”For PopArt Music, being involved in the co-production of this show with Cirque du Soleil, one of the most important entertainment companies in the world, is a true honor and a unique experience. We were confident that we could achieve this, and now it has become a reality.” – Diego Saenz, CEO of PopArt “The dedication and immense professionalism of the PopArt team makes this project very appealing and we are already very hard at work imagining what the audience will discover in 2017.” – Charles Joron, Executive Producer at Cirque du Soleil. VIDEO /// < http://youtu.be/vHtjHe2leWw > { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil | https://goo.gl/4rCpau } QUIDAM Final Show: February 21, 2016 {Jun.15.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- It’s not only been rumored for quite some time, but quite expected… Quidam will have its final performance on February 21, 2016 in New Zealand. Quidam’s Senior artistic director Denise Biggi said the long- running show had been extremely successful in an article for the Canberra Times, but that that the show was now on the final leg of its very long run. Australia and New Zealand are to be the last stops. “Once we come to you it will soon afterwards actually be the end of the Quidam run. Quidam will be finishing February 21 in New Zealand. The show has now been going for 19 years and it’s a very, very successful show,” she said. { SOURCE: The Canberra Times | http://goo.gl/nR2V3y } Billboard on “Soda Spectacular” {Jun.15.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil is creating a show inspired by the music and story of Soda Stereo. Set to debut in March 2017 in Buenos Aires, the spectacle will be the first Cirque de Soleil production based on a Latin artist, coming after previous tributes to Michael Jackson, The Beatles and Elvis Presley. “The sequence of Elvis, Los Beatles, Michael Jackson and now Soda Stereo is tremendous,” Zeta Bosio, the bassist of the legendary Argentine rock trio, told the Buenos Aires newspaper Clarín during an interview from Montreal. “The contract has been signed and the project is in motion.” Bosio was in Montreal together with Soda drummer Charly Alberti and Laura Cerati, the sister of Soda frontman Gustavo Cerati, who died in 2014 after going into a coma four years earlier. Soda Stereo, which gained popularity with their fresh pop-rock sound in 1980s Argentina, went on to enormous success throughout Latin America and, eventually, the Latin U.S. The band broke up in 1997 and staged a come-back tour a decade later, attended by millions of fans. “Soda is over,” Alberti told Clarín’s Walter Domínguez. “Gustavo is gone, one of the three of us is missing. There is no more Soda as far as producing new things is concerned. But what there can be is this … I always remember a conversation that we had with Gustavo when we were preparing the comeback. [He said] ‘Enough, let’s not fight anymore. We will always be Soda. Let’s enjoy the moment.’ What’s coming now is something different, based on our music. With our participation, produced by a group of people who don’t need an introduction or explanation. Whatever they do is spectacular.” Bosio and Alberti said that the show will feature Soda’s songs and touch upon the story of the musicians and the times and the city that gave birth to the band. “We are trying to transmit [to the Cirque de Soleil producers] each era, what each of us was searching for, what motivated us to do things,” Zeta said. “And also we’re telling them a lot about the people, the participation of the public, of this Latin component. They are trying to understand all of that, because they are trying to create a show that is faithful to what Soda represented. We are trying to take them through the world of Soda, so that the show won’t be just the music of Soda and something removed from it. We want all of the emotion that we generated to be reflected in the show.” The show will be a co-production between Cirque de Soleil, leading Argentine music promoter Pop Art and Triple, Soda’s production company. Pop Art CEO Diego Saenz reveled to Clarin that the soundtrack to the live theatrical event will feature remixes by Alberti and Bosio of early material by the band, including Soda Stereo songs that have never before been released. Cirque de Soleil and the Argentine producers plan to tour the Soda spectacular after its first run in Buenos Aires. { SOURCE: Billboard | http://goo.gl/wq6Elg } Moody’s reveals details of $1.5 billion Cirque deal {Jun.15.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- TPG Capital and its partners are putting $630 million into their purchase of Cirque du Soleil after agreeing to buy the acrobatic troupe from founder Guy Laliberte for $1.5 billion in April, according to a report released Wednesday by Moody’s Investors Service. In addition to that equity, TPG, Fosun Capital Group and Caisse de depot et placement due Quebec, a Montreal-based pension fund, are borrowing $885 million in loans and other commitments, according the report. Cirque received a B2 credit rating, five levels below investment grade, from Moody’s. Cirque, known for its ethereal acrobatic performances, produces nine resident shows in Las Vegas and Orlando, Florida and nine traveling productions. It had $845 million in revenue last year, according to the report, with an earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization margin in the mid-teens, Moody’s said. Laliberte, 55, was a street performer who founded Cirque with a grant from the Canadian government in 1984. He’ll retain a 10 percent stake in the business. Cirque’s near-term revenue and profit are expected to remain flat, as its core business is mature and some new shows have misfired, according to Moody’s. The new investors plan to seek more partnerships with third parties, introduce more affordable performances and further the company’s geographic expansion. { SOURCE: Business News Network | http://goo.gl/rIoAIw } CORTEO Not Closing in Mexico After All! {Jun.15.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- It seems there’s been a change of plans… and CORTEO, which was rumored to be closing in Mexico City on November 22, 2015 after a very successful 10-year run, will now keep going on. How much longer we don’t yet know, but CORTEO is now scheduled to visit Quinto, Ecuador following its time in Mexico! Corteo in Quinto, Ecuador begins November 19, 2015! { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } VIDEO /// Cirque: The Pan Am Journey begins… {Jun.15.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Learn what goes into creating a one-night-only live performance as Cirque du Soleil Creative Director Jean Guibert talks about the creative planning process for the Pan Am Games Opening Ceremony on July 10. VIDEO /// < https://youtu.be/xWbbYysrn0c > Transcript: Cirque has done ceremonies in the past, but never the whole thing. It’s actually the very first time Cirque has had the chance to work on a complete show for a big sporting event like that. (JEAN GUIBERT: Creative Director, Pan Am Games Opening Ceremony) We’re more used to doing shows with like 40, 50, 60 performers. In that case, we’re talking about hundreds and hundreds of performers, in a big stadium. So, it’s very different, but at the same time, that’s the same artistry that we’re trying to convey, with just a different scale. Basically, we started our creative journey one year ago, and my job very early on has been to build a team of very talented professionals… lighting designers, composers, costume designers, makeup designers, sound designers… all these talents need to embrace the authentic vision that we like to call internally “Cirque du Soleil avant-garde”. So, it the pure, perfect balance of experienced people, but also trying to bring to the table very new artist, very fresh talent starting with a white page, and building a dream as big as possible and then working hard to make this dream come true. Everybody as Cirque du Soleil here is extremely excited by this unique opportunity. And we’re very, very proud to be creating this show in our country, in Toronto, for the Canadians, but also for the rest of the world. It’s a big adventure for us and we’re very thrilled and excited to be working on it. { SOURCE: YouTube } Cirque du Soleil sets sights on China… again {Jun.16.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil will bring its upcoming “Avatar”-inspired show to China in 2017 and open a permanent 1,400-seat theater in the city of Hangzhou the following year, executives said Monday on the sidelines of the Shanghai International Film Festival. # # # The Canada-based Cirque sold a majority stake earlier this year to U.S. private equity fund TPG and Chinese insurance and finance conglomerate Fosun, which is moving rapidly into such areas as entertainment, travel and healthcare as China’s middle class expands. Fosun has invested in Studio 8, the new film production company headed by former Warner Bros. studio chief Jeff Robinov, as well as in Chinese studio Bona Film. Fosun also purchased Club Med this year. The Avatar-themed show, called “Toruk,” is slated to open in Canada in December, then tour North America before arriving in China. “Avatar” was the first film to gross more than $200 million in China, and Daniel Lamarre, chief executive of Cirque du Soleil, said that made it the “right show to enter China with because ‘Avatar’ had huge success in this country.” “In the next five years, you’ll see a lot of Cirque in China,” Lamarre said. Director James Cameron, who is involved with creating “Toruk” and is working on several “Avatar” sequels for 20th Century Fox, appeared by video at Monday’s announcement. Jim Gianopulos, 20th Century Fox chairman, also was on hand in Shanghai for the event; the studio is a partner in the live show. The move is Cirque’s second major attempt at cracking the Chinese market. Starting in 2008, the company had a show, “Zaia,” at The Venetian in the gambling hub of Macao, a semi- autonomous Chinese territory that is the only place in China where casinos are legal. But unlike in Las Vegas, where Cirque’s highly stylized, theatrical acrobatic shows have had tremendous success, Macao proved a disappointment for the company. Most visitors to Macao prefer to gamble rather than attend shows and performances. “Zaia,” in a 1,800-seat theater, lasted about 3½ years. PRESENTATION /// < http://goo.gl/1vUpCD > “I think we were too early in the market in Macao,” Lamarre said Monday. “I was walking in the casino, and there were 75,000 people in the casino, but only 300 in the theater. “Macao still was and is a gambling city,” he added. “Today, there is not a market” for entertainment there. This time, the company is taking a step-by-step approach with the help of a new shareholder, Chinese conglomerate Fosun International Ltd. “China is our No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 priority in the next few years,” Mr. Lamarre said. About 20% of Cirque’s acrobats come from China, he said. “We’ve been bringing Chinese acrobats around the world,” said Mr. Lamarre. “Today, we’re becoming a Chinese citizen.” Lamarre said the Hangzhou show, which will be at the heart of a large real-estate development, would have a “local flavor” but still be a “Cirque show.” Cirque plans to open an office in Shanghai in September, and will be designing and producing a permanent show in the Xintiandi commercial complex in Hangzhou. The Canadian firm will be partnering with Hangzhou Industrial Investment Group and a Fosun subsidiary for the show, which will take place at a warehouse that would be converted into a 1,400-seat theater. Hangzhou was chosen as the location for the permanent show because of its reputation as a cultural destination, as well as for residents’ strong consumption habits, said Fosun’s chairman, Guo Guangchang. It’s easy to build a theatre, but difficult to come up with good content, said Mr. Guo. “Don’t underestimate consumers’ consumption potential in China,” Mr. Guo said. “Entertainment will make of a smaller portion of Chinese household expenses as incomes rise.” Broadway-style shows and other large-scale live entertainment are seen as major new growth areas as Chinese authorities push to develop “cultural industries” across the country, often granting favorable land development rights to companies that pledge to include theaters, theme parks and other such venues in their projects. DreamWorks Animation is working with Chinese partners to build a theater, dining and entertainment district in Shanghai called Dream Center, opening in 2017, while developer and theater owner Dalian Wanda partnered with former Cirque director Franco Dragone, opening a production called the Han Show in a special- purpose theater in the central city of Wuhan last year. But initial ticket sales for that show have reportedly been slow. Lamarre said Cirque was conducting extensive market research and said it would learn from its mistakes and those of others. “People want a Western brand but a local flavor,” he said. “Franco might have taken it a bit too far” in the Chinese direction, he added. Cameron executive produced at 3-D film in 2012 for Cirque, called “Worlds Away,” but the movie never screened in China. Lamarre said he was hopeful that with Fosun’s involvement, the film now will be shown in mainland theaters. Cirque, which sells about 12 million tickets a year — more than all Broadway shows combined, according to Lamarre — has 10 resident shows around the world, including eight in Vegas. In addition, it has 19 shows traveling worldwide. About 20% of Cirque’s performers, Lamarre added, are Chinese; the country has a long tradition of training skilled acrobats. Monday’s splashy announcement ceremony included a brief performance from Cirque cast members, including a bra-and-bikini clad performer who balanced upside-down on the shoulders of a man likewise wearing only briefs. Guo Guangchang, chairman of Fosun, said the company’s investment in Cirque was part of its strategy of promoting happiness and being “on trend.” He suggested the company saw opportunities to create more films based on Cirque content, and vice versa. “Chinese people,” he said, “not supposed to just work very hard, they should also enjoy life. … What the future middle class lacks is quality content.” With China’s middle class now numbering several hundred million — and expected to double to 500 million or 600 million in the coming years, the chairman added, Fosun wants the “best in class” lifestyle experiences and content for Chinese consumers. { SOURCE: LA Times, WSJ | http://goo.gl/URy38n, http://goo.gl/4egtLC } PR: "Fosun Introduces Cirque Brand in Shanghai” {Jun.17.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Today, China’s leading investment group, Fosun, teamed up with Cirque du Soleil (“Cirque”), the world’s leading producer of high-quality live artistic entertainment, to introduce the Cirque du Soleil brand to Chinese audiences at its Happy and Fashionable Lifestyle Global Forum, at the Shanghai Himalayas Center’s Daguan Theater. This is the first time Fosun introduces the world-renowned entertainment brand in China following the joint investment in Cirque by Fosun and TPG announced last April. Two months ago, Fosun partnered with TPG to become Cirque’s largest strategic partner in order to facilitate the entertainment company’s global business development. Fosun expects that this strategic investment will enable Cirque to access the Chinese market more quickly and develop unique, high quality productions. First Cirque du Soleil Projects in China At a joint press conference at the Fosun Happy and Fashionable Lifestyle Global Forum, Fosun and Cirque du Soleil announced their ongoing programs in China, including a permanent show to be created and produced by Cirque in partnership with Hangzhou Industrial Investment Group. The production is scheduled to premiere in early 2018 at Hangzhou XTD in a custom-designed theater. Hangzhou Industrial Investment Group and Fosun Group’s Oriental Merchant Development Co., Ltd. are co-investors in this project in Hangzhou XTD. China Tour: TORUK – The First Flight, inspired by James Cameron’s AVATAR Inspired by James Cameron’s film AVATAR, the show TORUK – The First Flight is currently in creation. The world premiere of this production will be held in Montreal, Canada this December and the show will be introduced in China in 2017 by Fosun and Cirque following its North American tour. Synergy in the Happy and Fashionable Lifestyle Sectors Fosun’s investment in Cirque du Soleil is another important initiative in the group’s investment strategy involving global leading brands such as Club Med, Atlantis Hotel in Sanya, Thomas Cook, Folli Follie, St. John, and Studio 8. A significant portfolio company in Fosun’s integrated investment platform within the happy and fashionable lifestyle sector, Club Med has already set up its global partnership with Cirque du Soleil to pilot and rollout Cirque du Soleil featured amusement parks in Club Med resorts for the first time. As the first Club Med/Cirque du Soleil project, CREACTIVE is officially opening today in Punta Cana, Club Med’s resort in the Dominican Republic. The original CREACTIVE experience invites vacationers to participate in a variety of acrobatic and artistic activities. Guests will be fully immersed in a fantastically colorful and imaginative environment that is custom designed to encourage both adults and children alike to learn new skills and have fun under the supervision of Cirque du Soleil trained staff who will help them progress and discover unexpected new abilities. Guo Guangchang, Chairman of Fosun Group said: “As the premier brand in Canada, Cirque du Soleil plays a leading role in the global entertainment industry. Our partnership with Cirque is a milestone in our company’s cultural entertainment business and a major step in the implementation of Fosun’s investment model of “combining China’s growth momentum with global resources.” This initiative is fully aligned with our strategic deployment in the happy and fashionable lifestyle industry. We believe that Fosun’s superior resources will help propel Cirque’s business growth in China, and bring the entertainment company’s world- class performing arts to Chinese audiences.” Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil said: “We’re very pleased to join Fosun as a strategic partner. Three months after the announcement, Cirque du Soleil’s China office will open in Shanghai, so we will be in close proximity with our partner, ready to take advantage of synergies within Fosun’s portfolio of amazing brands. We look forward to cooperating with Fosun to promote our unique Quebec cultural heritage via Fosun’s experience and expertise in China, and to help take China’s business growth to a new level.” With the continuous growth of consumer demand in the Chinese market, Fosun will be paying increased attention to investments in the fashion & lifestyle and health industries. With a focus on consumption upgrading, the group is enhancing its global industrial integration capability, intent on cultivating and building world-class platforms that capitalize on health and lifestyle trends in China and the world. Meanwhile, Fosun will implement an ecosystem layout strategy within the fashion & lifestyle and health industries, fostering improved collaboration, sharing and integration with relevant resources. { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil | https://goo.gl/Zg6mG0 } Cirque du Soleil founder set to open restaurant- theatre complex in Ibiza {Jun.21.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté and culinary wizards Ferran and Albert Adrià are set to open their highly anticipated, multi-sensory gastronomic theater in Ibiza this month, a dining concept designed to shatter the boundaries that compartmentalize food, music and art in their own little silos. At Heart Ibiza, inside the Ibiza Gran Hotel, there will be lights. There will be music. And there will be food. All at once. Divided into three distinct spaces — Terrace, Supper and Club — the sprawling restaurant entertainment complex accommodates up to 1,000 people and is described as a cultural, musical, artistic and gastronomic theme park for adults. And given that the project — the fruit of 10 years of discussion and brainstorming — is under the creative direction of Laliberté and the Adrià brothers (whose shuttered Spanish restaurant elBulli is considered the culinary birthplace of avant-garde, ‘deconstructivist’ gastronomy) you can bet that envelopes will be pushed, imaginations stretched and palates challenged. Think body-painters, dancers, international electro DJs, interactive 3D art, virtual reality installations, and world flavors all set to timed choreography that changes every day. At Supper Heart, for instance, the dining experience becomes operatic, with dishes presented to their own original soundtrack that speeds up and slows down the tempo of the meal. At Heart Terrace, the all-you-can-eat buffet concept is turned into an ambient street market set across 1,500 square meters, along with bazaars and food stalls that offer international cuisines. Guests are also entertained by roving live performance art. And Club Heart is pitched as the underbelly of the resort, where Cirque du Soleil comes in. Every night, international DJs will spin electro tracks to the choreography of light shows, video projections, and live performances from Cirque du Soleil. Walls and spaces will be furnished by avant-garde art from international artists such as Takashi Murakami, digital artist Miguel Chevalier, Gim Hong Sok and Rafael Lozano. When teasing the project last year, Albert Adrià described the multi-disciplinary Heart Ibiza as a cultural and artistic amusement park for adults that will have a global impact. The multi-disciplinary dining concept is in line with a growing trend that aims to elevate food to a theatrical experience. One of the pioneers of “gastro-opera” is French chef Paul Pairet, whose Shanghai restaurant Ultraviolet opened in 2012 and engages all the senses via atomizers, projections and music. Following Pairet’s cue, El Celler de Can Roca in Girona Spain also created a culinary opera titled “El Somni” in which a 12- course meal was accompanied by image projections, performing arts, singing, electronica and 3D. Heart Ibiza opens June 30. Admission to Terrace starts at €80 ($112); the Supper experience is €150 ($209) and tickets to the Club are €50 ($70). { SOURCE: CTV.ca | http://goo.gl/YElyQr } TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay in Montreal {Jun.25.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Bernard Petiot, Vice-President, Casting and Performance at Cirque du Soleil, and Sylvie Fréchette, synchronized swimming Olympic medalist and former performer, coach and creator at Cirque du Soleil, will represent Cirque during the Montreal leg of the Toronto 2015 Torch Relay on Sunday, June 28. They are among the 3,000 torchbearers participating in the Torch Relay in over 130 communities on a distance of 5,000 kilometres on the road and 15,000 km in the air between May 30 and July 10. Bernard Petiot will be at 950-978 Rachel Street East at 11:21 am, and Sylvie Fréchette will be at 3815-3819 Calixa-Lavallée Avenue at 11:26 am. The torch relay will make its final stop on July 10 at the Opening Ceremony of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games. Cirque du Soleil is creating and directing the Opening Ceremony. The Opening Ceremony : an original, large-scale production Specially created by Cirque du Soleil for the Opening Ceremony of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games, this two-and-a-half-hour, one- night-only performance will be broadcast to hundreds of millions of households throughout the Americas and Caribbean. This production will not only showcase Cirque’s outstanding troupe of performers, but also Ontario artists and volunteers, who have been recruited from local schools as well as artistic and community organizations including The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canada’s National Circus School, Canada’s National Ballet School and Toronto Dance Theatre. The show will feature 625 artists in total. { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } Varekai Celebrates 4,500th Performance! {Jun.26.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Congratulations to the cast and crew of Cirque du Soleil’s Varekai, who celebrate 4,500 performances since the show’s debut in Montreal on April 24, 2002… tonight! { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } Cirque announces participation of Arts Organization in Pan Am Games Opening Ceremony {Jun.26.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil announced today four distinguished Canadian arts organizations will participate in the Opening Ceremony of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games on Friday, July 10 in Toronto. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canada’s National Circus School, Canada’s National Ballet School and Toronto Dance Theatre will showcase their unique artistic talent in specific scenes of the Opening Ceremony. As the Official Creative Partner for the Opening Ceremony, Cirque du Soleil is designing and producing this exclusive “one night only” original production, which is its largest special event to date. This special production will be experienced live by more than 40,000 spectators in the Pan Am Ceremonies venue at 1 Blue Jays Way in downtown Toronto, and by millions of TV viewers globally. In Canada, the Opening Ceremony can be watched live on CBC/Radio-Canada (check local listings). “In the hopes of leaving a mark on the national artistic community, it has been a significant objective for Cirque du Soleil to involve Canadian creative forces in the Pan Am Games Opening Ceremony,” explained Jean Guibert, Creative Director for 45 DEGREES, the Cirque du Soleil Special Events Company, delivering the Opening Ceremony. “The Opening Ceremony will showcase the rich diversity, creative talent and generous, welcoming nature of this great region. We’re thrilled to see our nationally acclaimed cultural institutions embracing this unique opportunity to showcase local talent to a global audience and be part of an unforgettable TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games,” said Saäd Rafi, chief executive officer, TO2015. { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } Road Tovr Goes Inside “Inside the Box of KURIOS” {Jun.30.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Inside the Box of Kurios is a brand new VR experience from Felix & Paul Studios which gives you a brilliant view of a Cirque du Soleil performance that’s been specially tailored for virtual reality. If you’ve got Gear VR, you’ve got a free ticket to this world-class performance. Much has been said about virtual reality’s ability to put users in the front row of amazing experiences—whether that be a concert, performance, or sporting event—but Inside the Box of Kurios does one better, it actually puts you directly on stage where you are the focal point of the entire cast of this spectacular performance. When I stepped into Inside the Box of Kurios, which is available for free right now on Samsung’s Gear VR headset, I was overwhelmed with all the action. I wasn’t quite sure where I should be looking. All around me were performers not only doing interesting things, but usually looking directly at me. Eventually I came to realize that with so much to look at, I had the privilege of ‘directing’ the experience. In fact, you can watch the performance several times over and still find new and interesting things each time. Whether it be the grandiose moments—incredible contortionists performing atop a giant mechanical hand—or more intimate ones—a performer adorned with concentric rings moving about the stage like a robot—there’s something to see in every direction. The 10 minute experience was captured in 360 degree audio and stereoscopic video for virtual reality by Paul Raphael and Félix Lajeunesse of Felix & Paul Studios, the same duo behind one of my favorite VR experiences, Strangers with Patrick Watson (also available on Gear VR), and several other live-action VR experiences. The pair collaborated on direction with Michel Laprise, the Writer and Director of the full Cirque Du Soleil show, Kurios Cabinet of Curiosities, upon which the VR experience is based. Make no mistake, Inside the Box of Kurios is not a watered-down afterthought; the act makes use of 35 of the troop’s performers in full costume and makeup. Cirque du Soleil Media Producer André Lauzon tells me that they didn’t just plop a VR camera down on stage during a rehearsal of the usual stage performance. “We completely recreated the choreography to adapt it to VR. Adding and modifying acts as well,” Lauzon said. “For instance, the box sequence is completely new, just for VR. Going from an audience of a couple of thousands to an audience of one… [we adapted] the language of the circus to the language of virtual reality.” Lauzon says that the experience’s longest segment, captured as a single shot with no edits, is a whopping eight minutes. Quite an impressive feat given that the production eschewed the tools of standard filmmaking—like cuts, camera changes, and camera movement. Inside the Box of Kurios opened with me inside of a large wooden crate with characters pulling away boards and peering inside, like I was the latest delivery of the act’s zany roster of characters. As this view faded into the next scene, the box had apparently been opened, putting me directly on stage as a top- hatted man, with what appeared to be a diving bell for a stomach, approached me. With a knock on the hatch atop the vessel, out popped a little woman adorned with a fur scarf and fancy ’20s clothing. Speaking gibberish, she seemed to greet me. In the back left and right of the stage were platforms housing artists with various instruments who scored the scene live as the action unfolded. As curious characters dropped from the ceiling and emerged from the darkness around me, a giant mechanical hand rolled onto center stage. Atop the hand was a series of wriggling appendages, silhouetted by a bright backlight. As the stage lights came up, I could see that the appendages were actually the arms of four women that were intertwined with one another, resembling a mass of flesh more so than individual people. As they unravelled themselves I could see that they were dressed in striped and dotted skin tight outfits with fin-like membranes adorning the lengths of their arms and legs; they moved fluidly about the mechanical hand, performing a series of incredible contortions as they stacked atop one another. It was clear that the contortionists were the main act at this segment of the experience, but all around me were other characters doing equally interesting things. A man in a lab coat sat atop a huge chair behind me, observing the scene and occasionally marking his notes; the top hatted man with the diving bell stomach walked around me flapping a soft-covered book up and down like a butterfly; the fancily dressed little woman sat in a chair off to my right with a phone to her ear, laughing and pointing as she watched; an exhaustive list would go yet further. After the contortion act, the hand reeled away from the stage with the performers returning to the entangled form from which they came. At this point a man dressed like a genie of sorts, with a glowing bulb atop his head, approached directly in front of me and began to wave his arms about, speaking to me without moving his mouth. Whereas the rest of the sound from the scene was coming from around me, I could hear the voice of this character ‘inside’ of my head, as though he was communicating telepathically. I watched as he motioned to extract my thoughts and ushered forth the next act which opened with a train prop pulling onto stage and out of it popped a huge new cast of characters dressed in 19th century garb. Around me had coalesced a gypsy-jazz style group of musicians who scored the scene. A female singer, audibly to my right, noodled in a foreign language to an upbeat rhythm of double bass, accordion, banjo, and more, while the characters in front of me danced about and drummed on luggage from their train ride. A juggler took center stage briefly, impressively mixing a cane into his pin juggling, even at one point being pulled high up into the air on a wire while continuing to juggle. As I turned to see the band around me, I could clearly hear their respective instruments more clearly in front of me, or to the side as I was looking forward at the main action. Many of the band members were watching the action too but would occasionally look over at me and gesture with a nod or a smile. The climax of the event came as the music switched into high gear and the train-goers created a continuous circular walkway of chairs by lining them up one after another as a slender woman in a dress and sunhat skipped across them. This moment was wonderfully choreographed, directed, and filled with action—a genuine spectacle—with the viewer right at the heart of it all. As quickly as they came, the troop was rushed away by the little woman as though they were late for another train they had to catch. As everyone else was shuffling to the exit at the back of the stage, the woman looked directly at me and said “You’ll always be with us,” quickly turning her back and walking ever so properly directly away from me, silhouetted against the illuminated exit, leaving me with a unique view that wouldn’t be possible without this perfectly positioned VR perspective. The only issue I had with Inside the Box of Kurios was the lack of fast-forward or rewind capabilities so that I could seek to my favorite parts without watching the entire 10 minute performance. Otherwise, it was clear to see how Felix & Paul’s proprietary camera tech has improved since Strangers with Patrick Watson, with the video quality and stereoscopy looking better than ever. If you’ve got a Gear VR handy, Inside the Box of Kurios is your (free) ticket to a world-class VR Performance—enjoy! { SOURCE: Road Tovr, http://goo.gl/nleLus } Sennheiser’s MobileConnect Makes its U.S. Debut on Stage with La Nouba {Jun.30.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Audio specialist Sennheiser debuted its new MobileConnect streaming solution in the U.S. at a recent performance of Cirque du Soleil’s spectacle production La Nouba, held in Downtown Disney during InfoComm 2015. During the event, Sennheiser hosted 50 top A/V consultants for an exclusive social gathering, followed by a demonstration of MobileConnect in the ultimate performance environment: a Cirque du Soleil stage. The event was held against the backdrop of a record-breaking InfoComm exhibition that ‘WOW’ed more than 39,000 attendees and A/V decision makers representing 108 countries around the world. La Nouba, which is performed ten times a week in a custom-built theater that seats 1,650 patrons, has been running since 1998. During the performance on June 17, which coincided with InfoComm 2015, Sennheiser guests were invited to experience its new MobileConnect streaming solution first-hand. MobileConnect is an innovative technology designed to provide unprecedented capabilities and features to the hearing and visually impaired. “When we approached Cirque du Soleil with our MobileConnect solution, they liked the concept of having their patrons utilizing their own devices and headphones,” said Frederick Girard, sales director, system integration, at Sennheiser. “Even though they have assistive listening devices on site, our solution reduces the logistical challenges of picking up and dropping off these devices, while ensuring a positive theatrical experience for the hearing and visually impaired.” “Additionally, Cirque du Soleil’s team immediately spotted potential interruptable foldback (IFB) applications and was eager to test MobileConnect’s capabilities backstage, in the green room and other production areas,” Frederick said. Sennheiser guests were treated to dinner at House of Blues before being provided with a pair of headphones and instructions on how to download and use the MobileConnect, which takes just 2 minutes. “MobileConnect requires next to no training to use — it is a very simple solution that is easy to operate and understand,” Girard said. Among the A/V consultants on hand were Sergio Molho, partner and director of international relations for Highland, NY-based Walters-Storyk Design Group, a leading acoustic firm and audiovisual integrator. “With its new MobileConnect technology, Sennheiser is helping theatrical productions, live sporting events, church services and other kinds of activities become more meaningful for people with disabilities,” said Molho. “Our firm, WSDG, routinely handles installations at major sports facilities and theaters around the world. MobileConnect is a solution whose time has come, and we will be exploring possibilities to integrate this on our future projects.” During the La Nouba production, Sennheiser worked with Cirque de Soleil’s production crew and FOH sound technicians to create two separate channels on the MobileConnect application: one capturing all of the stage microphones, the other capturing the stage microphones plus the production intercomm. The 50 attending Sennheiser guests were able to effortlessly toggle between both channels and listen to ‘behind the scenes’ production calls. “I was personally very excited to look around and see our customers engaging the MobileConnect system,” said Girard. “The low latency of the system, ease of use and flexible feature set worked flawlessly, as expected. Moreover, it seemed very natural for audience members to be using such a system — it was a genuine live test of the technology and everything seemed to fit.” { SOURCE: AV Network | http://goo.gl/HQEb36 } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Amaluna, Corteo, Koozå, Totem & KURIOS} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {Quidam, Varekai, TORUK & OVO} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, Believe, Zarkana, MJ ONE & JOYÀ} 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: PortAventura, ES -- July 3, 2015 to Aug 23, 2015 Brussels, BE -- Sep 10, 2015 to Oct 25, 2015 Paris, FR -- Nov 5, 2015 to Dec 13, 2015 London, UK -- Jan 16, 2016 to Feb 14, 2016 Corteo: Mérida, MX -- Jun 25, 2015 to Jul 12, 2015 Guadalajara, MX -- Jul 30, 2015 to Aug 16, 2015 Mexico City, MX -- Sep 3, 2015 to Sep 27, 2015 Quito, EC -- Nov 19, 2015 to Dec 3, 2015 Koozå: Columbus, OH -- Jun 4, 2015 to Jul 5, 2015 Virginia Beach, VA -- Jul 16, 2015 to Aug 16, 2015 Austin, TX -- Sep 2, 2015 to Sep 27, 2015 Vancouver, BC -- Oct 29, 2015 to Dec 13, 2015 Kurios: Denver, CO -- Jun 11, 2015 to Jul 26, 2015 Chicago, IL -- Aug 6, 2015 to Sep 20, 2015 Costa Mesa, CA -- Oct 15, 2015 to Nov 29, 2015 Los Angeles, CA -- Dec 10, 2015 to Feb 7, 2016 Atlanta, GA -- Mar 3, 2016 to May 8, 2016 Totem: Adelaide, AU -- Jun 11, 2015 to Jul 12, 2015 Perth, AU -- Jul 31, 2015 to Sep 20, 2015 Singapore, SG -- Oct 28, 2015 to Nov 22, 2015 Tokyo, JP -- February 2016 Osaka, JP -- TBA Nagoya, JP -- TBA Fukuoka, JP -- TBA Sendai, JP -- TBA ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ Quidam: Tel Aviv, IL -- Jul 2, 2015 to Jul 16, 2015 Bangkok, TH -- Jul 29, 2015 to Aug 3, 2015 Seoul, SK -- TBA Canberra, AU -- Dec 11, 2015 to Dec 20, 2015 Wollongong, AU -- Dec 23, 2015 to Jan 2, 2016 Hobart, AU -- Jan 6, 2016 to Jan 10, 2016 Newcastle, AU -- Jan 15, 2016 to Jan 24, 2016 ** FINAL SHOW: February 21, 2016 in New Zealand ** Varekai: Ottawa, ON -- Jul 2, 2015 to Jul 5, 2015 Baltimore, MD -- Jul 8, 2015 to Jul 12, 2015 Boston, MA -- Jul 15, 2015 to Jul 19, 2015 Fairfax, VA -- Jul 22, 2015 to Jul 26, 2015 Duluth, GA -- Jul 29, 2015 to Aug 2, 2015 Tampa, FL -- Aug 5, 2015 to Aug 9, 2015 Sunrise, FL -- Aug 12, 2015 to Aug 23, 2015 Nashville, FL -- Aug 26, 2015 to Aug 30, 2015 Toronto, ON -- Sep 2, 2015 to Sep 6, 2015 Berlin, DE -- Oct 8, 2015 to Oct 11, 2015 Leipzig, DE -- Oct 14, 2015 to Oct 18, 2015 Stuttgart, DE -- Oct 21, 2015 to Oct 25, 2015 Mannheim, DE -- Oct 28, 2015 to Nov 1, 2015 Vienna, AT -- Nov 4, 2015 to Nov 8, 2015 Dortmund, DE -- Nov 11, 2015 to Nov 15, 2015 Cologne, DE -- Nov 18, 2015 to Nov 22, 2015 Innsbruck, AT -- Nov 25, 2015 to Nov 29, 2015 Munich, DE -- Dec 2, 2015 to Dec 6, 2015 A Coruña, ES -- Dec 22, 2015 to Dec 28, 2015 Barcelona, ES -- Jan 1, 2016 to Jan 10, 2016 Valencia, ES -- Jan 14, 2016 to Jan 17, 2016 Malaga, ES -- Jan 21, 2016 to Jan 24, 2016 Vitoria-Gasteiz, ES -- Jan 27, 2016 to Jan 31, 2016 Lyon, FR -- Feb 3, 2016 to Feb 7, 2016 Hamburg, DE -- Feb 10, 2016 to Feb 14, 2016 Luxembourg, LU -- Feb 17, 2016 to Feb 21, 2016 Hanover, DE -- Feb 24, 2016 to Feb 28, 2016 Bordeau, FR -- Mar 10, 2016 to Mar 13, 2016 Montpellier, FR -- Mar 17, 2016 to Mar 20, 2016 Nice, FR -- Mar 23, 2016 to Mar 27, 2016 Nantes, FR -- Nov 16, 2016 to Nov 20, 2016 Toulouse, FR -- Nov 23, 2016 to Nov 27, 2016 Strasbourg, FR -- Nov 30, 2016 to Dec 4, 2016 TORUK - The First Flight: Lafayette, LA -- Nov 20, 2015 to Nov 22, 2015 Montreal, QC -- Dec 21, 2015 to Jan 3, 2016 Auburn Hills, MI -- Jan 22, 2016 to Jan 24, 2016 North Little Rock, AR -- Feb 19, 2016 to Feb 21, 2016 North Charleston, SC -- Feb 26, 2016 to Feb 28, 2016 Tulsa, OK -- Mar 25, 2016 to Mar 27, 2016 Kansas City, MO -- Apr 1, 2016 to Apr 3, 2016 Louisville, KY -- Apr 29, 2016 to May 1, 2016 Cincinnati, OH -- May 5, 2016 to May 8, 2016 Hamilton, ON -- May 20, 2016 to May 22, 2016 London, ON -- May 27, 2016 to May 29, 2016 Providence, RI -- Jun 3, 2016 to Jun 5, 2016 Raleigh, NC -- Jun 24, 2016 to Jun 26, 2016 OVO: Rumored to begin touring in Arenas in April 2016! --------------------------------- 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 2015 Dark Dates: o July 15 o September 10 - 18 o November 11 Added performances in 2015: o December 31 (only 7 pm performance) "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm 2015 Dark Dates: o June 14 o August 3 - 11 o October 11 o November 30 - December 15 Added performances in 2015: o December 29 La Nouba: Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm 2014 Dark Dates: o November 2 - 5 o December 7 - 9 Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm (Only 7:00pm on the following days in 2015: January 20, May 8, May 15, May 19, May 20, and December 31) 2015 Dark Dates: o August 16 - 31 o October 31 o December 6 - 14 Added performance in 2015: o December 27 KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm (Only 7 pm performances on May 9, 16 and June 21) 2015 Dark Dates: o August 5 o September17 - 25 o November 18 LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm (Only 7:00p.m. performances on May 15-16, June 19-21, December 31) (Only 4:30p.m. & 7:00p.m. performances on July 4) 2015 Dark Dates: o July 28 – August 5 o September 15 – 17 o October 20 – 22 o December 1 – 16 Added performances in 2014: o December 30 CRISS ANGEL BELIEVE: Location: Luxor, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2015 Show Schedule: o Wednesday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm (only 7:00pm on January 7, February 4 - 25, September 30) o Thursday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm (only 7:00pm on January 8-29, December 31) o Friday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm (only 7:00pm on January 9–30, February 6, February 20 – 27, March 6 – 13, May 1 – 22, June 5, June 19, September 11–25, October 2–9, October 23–30, December 4 11, December 25) o Saturday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm (only 7:00pm on May 2–16, June 20, July 4, October 31) o Sunday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm (only 7:00pm on February 8–22, March 1–15, April 26, May 24, June 7, June 21, September 13–27, October 4–25, November 1–8, November 22–29, December 6–13) 2015 Dark Dates: o August 31 – September 8 o November 9 – 17 o December 14 – 22 Added Performances in 2015: o December 29 ZARKÀNA: Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2015 Dark Dates: o July 14 o September 6 - 14 o November 10 Added Performances in 2015: o December 28 MICHAEL JACKSON ONE: Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Two Shows Nightly - Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Schedule: 7:00pm & 9:30pm on Friday, Saturday, Monday & Tuesday 4:30pm & 7:00pm on Sunday 2015 Dark Dates: o August 11 o October 14 – 22 o December 15 Added performances in 2015: o August 19 o November 25 o December 30 JOYÀ: Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday One/Two Shows Nightly: 9:00pm (Weekdays) 7:00pm & 10:15pm (Fri, Sat & Holidays) ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= {Compiled by Keith Johnson} ---[ AMALUNA ]--- {Jun.02} Do you want to know our Balancing Goddess a little better? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/pUlqrF > {Jun.06} While they are getting ready for tonight's show, our sailors wanted to send you this selfie! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/s9HE57 > {Jun.18} Cirque du Soleil is returning to London with Amaluna. The show will premiere on Friday, January 15 at the iconic Royal Albert Hall. It will also mark Cirque du Soleil’s 20th year at the famous venue. For this special occasion, the artists wanted to invite you personally to see the show. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/bFnqTZ > {Jun.26} Ever wonder what the raising of our white BigTop looks like? Here's your shot. Opening next week at PortAventura! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/knRu58 > ---[ CORTEO ]--- {Jun.02} A view from the musician’s corner. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/ogcphX > {Jun.06} Since we will soon be in Merida, here is a greeting from one of our singers! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/spe9L9 > {Jun.15} A short from inside the tent after its raising. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/jY7qbg > {Jun.16} Corteo inside and out! The loading team in the big tent! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/Yssc7n > {Jun.17} Today was the hanging of one of the more significant of Corteo’s show, the wonderful hand-painted curtain. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/zNYG44 > {Jun.19} The artists finally arrive in Merida, today beginning the installation of their training apparatus in the tent. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/YUc4eV > ---[ KOOZA ]--- {Jun.01} As the Columbus premiere nears, take a glimpse behind the scenes of KOOZA with WBNS-10TV LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Ofzz8l > {Jun.04} Warming up before our KOOZA premiere tonight in Columbus! Ready to discover our daring world? LINK /// < https://goo.gl/Xm2Aak > {Jun.09} Fun morning for our colleague Catalina, Technician Applications Management. She spent time with a makeup artist who needed a guinea pig to practice new tricks. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/tO2yr9 > {Jun.18} KOOZA artists visited Buckeye Gymnastics in Columbus yesterday to share tips and tricks about what it takes to become a Cirque du Soleil artist! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/X5ocCZ > {Jun.23} Behind the scenes from yesterday's KOOZA takeover at the Columbus Clippers game! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/gZyGJX > {Jun.26} Great behind the scenes shot of KOOZA artists, Irina Akimova and Joey Arrigo, performing live on TV today. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/7Opkle > ---[ KURIOS ]--- {Jun.06} Beautiful day at the Denver Chalk Art Festival where local artist Christina Jalaly has started drawing KURIOS inspired chalk art. Check back later to see the final product! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/T1CEfZ > {Jun.11} Thanks for the high Denver, you were surreal! A huge THANK YOU from the cast and crew of KURIOS on Premiere night! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/ZX8QEc > {Jun.26} Did you see KURIOS on FOX31 KDVR.com this morning with Greg Dutra? LINK /// < https://goo.gl/m0Y2U9 > {Jun.26} Check out our KURIOS mobile box office space at Larimer Square. If you haven't purchased your tickets, stop by here for a special offer! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/Piykiq > ---[ QUIDAM ]--- {Jun.02} Here is a quick look behind the scenes with Live Nation! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/Avp7NQ > LINK /// < https://goo.gl/VN0hQq > {Jun.03} Our Quidam characters are taking over Stockholm! Opening tonight at Stockholm Globe Arenas. Don't miss your chance to witness the magic of Quidam! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/b2XQvA > {Jun.11} Quidam is the first Cirque du Soleil show to EVER play in Krakow! We're really excited for opening night tomorrow at Tauron Arena Kraków. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/m0KRU2 > LINK /// < https://goo.gl/tZRTpx > {Jun.17} It's always so much fun to bring Quidam characters out in the streets to meet the locals and take pictures. Today we were out on the Pier in Sopot... What an amazing place! We met so many nice people, can't wait for the show to open tomorrow night at ERGO ARENA! Here are a few photos... LINK /// < https://goo.gl/GxoAzm > LINK /// < https://goo.gl/At2sOa > {Jun.18} More stunning photos from our promenade on the Sopot Pier. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/fl6zE6 > ---[ TORUK ]--- {Jun.04} See how TORUK - The First Flight artistic visions are brought to life in the material world! LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2_ql07U-08 > {Jun.10} This is the time for the artists of TORUK to show the creative team the movements that they have learned! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/eY05zK > {Jun.18} Hold on tight! We're finding ways to reach new heights. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/goIupD > {Jun.25} Our ascent to success. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/dyohOO > ---[ TOTEM ]--- {Jun.10} We have now landed in Adelaide and are all ready for our Premiere tonight! Are you as excited as we are? LINK /// < https://goo.gl/r6cu0Y > {Jun.11} Intermission selfies from last night's Adelaide Premiere! We are very excited to now be opened in South Australia!! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/5Vjnx7 > {Jun.16} Lost in Adelaide's Urban Jungle... hopefully they'll find a taxi and be back by show time! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/bCPcFr > LINK /// < https://goo.gl/wGVmKX > {Jun.23} Cirque du Soleil is returning to Singapore with a Big Top production after 10 years of absence...and we are the lucky ones to be going! Valentino and the Frogs can't wait to see you starting 28 October next to Marina Bay Sands! Pre-sale now opened to Cirque Club members and through M1! LINK /// < www.m1.com.sg/m1totem > LINK /// < https://goo.gl/53ve0N > {Jun.25} Sound is an important part of the TOTEM experience, with 88 speakers bringing the live music and natural sound effects to the ears of the audience! "For TOTEM I created a multi-source sound environment to produce an all-enveloping ambiance,” says Jacques Boucher, Sound Designer. One technician sits in the middle of the audience at the Front for the sound heard through the speakers, while another one is in a booth backstage taking care of the in-ear monitors of the live musicians and singers. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/ffWHPI > LINK /// < https://goo.gl/36QNvO > {Jun.29} There are 750 costume pieces featured in each TOTEM performance that are all hand-made in the workshop at the Cirque du Soleil International Head Quarters in Montreal. Three permanent wardrobe staff and 3 locals take care of the costumes on a daily basis, making sure they are ready for show time. The costumes that are washed on a daily basis are replaced every 6 months - a massive detailed-oriented operation! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/KHfH5o > LINK /// < https://goo.gl/zjh1uN > LINK /// < https://goo.gl/S0MXVp > ---[ VAREKAI ]--- {Jun.20} Today we bid farewell to a very special person who has taken Varekai to the next level and touched the hearts of everyone on this show! Fabrice, we will miss you! Best of luck with TORUK! Enjoy your special cake! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/ZQQc5Z > {Jun.20} Hey Canada! Varekai will be visiting a few more markets before its official departure from North America! If you're hesitating, read this review from The Globe and Mail and hope to see you soon in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, or Toronto! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/1Lu0TU > ---[ CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ]--- {Jun.01} Almost 20 years of preparation created this book, "The Little Auguste Alphabétique" fresh off the printing press! This book is the first universal dictionary of clowning. A new reference tool which we are pleased to have been able to contribute. Congratulations to author Yves Dagenais for the creation of this unique book. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/0sYKFl > {Jun.02} Time for a wallpaper change? LINK /// < http://cirk.me/1QnloXm > {Jun.17} The NEST is an immersive experience created by C:LAB, the creative laboratory of Cirque du Soleil. It will be on display at Arsenal Montréal from June 19 to September 13, 2015 as part of E-Merge expo. LINK /// < https://instagram.com/clab_by_cirquedusoleil/ > ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= o) "ONE NIGHT FOR ONE DROP: A Fathom Special Event Review" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) o) "Q&A with KURIOS’s Kit Chatham" By: Alex Faubel, via 303 Magazine o) "Q&A with Kooza’s Wardrobe Team" By: Jenny Rogers, via Capital Style o) SPECIAL /// "Robin Leach on 'For the Record: BAZ'" By: Robin Leach, via The Las Vegas Sun ------------------------------------------------------------ "ONE NIGHT FOR ONE DROP: A Fathom Special Event Review" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) ----------------------------------------------------------- When the first One Night for One Drop performance for charity took place in Spring 2013 in the Bellagio “O” Theatre, it was recorded with multiple cameras and available as a stream for a short time afterward for a very affordable donation of $5.00. Of course, my wife and I took advantage of the stream to watch the show, a powerful effort utilizing the built-in aquatics of the “O” stage to talk about water (or, more precisely, the problems with obtaining it). While we don’t know how much money was brought in by the stream, we thought it would be enough to encourage One Drop to make the second One Night event, in 2014 from the Michael Jackson One Theatre available in the same way. So it was surprising when it wasn’t. Thinking that they didn’t make enough money off the streams to make another broadcast profitable, we weren’t too hopeful about the third effort, from The Beatles Love Theatre. Then we found out that instead of making it available as a stream, it was going to be available two months after the performance for one night, one show only at local theatres as part of Fathom Events! An interesting idea, but what kind of return would it bring? Using Fathoms website (www.fathomevents.com) it wasn’t hard to find a few theatres within driving distance, including one less than 2 miles away. And the price of $15.00 per ticket was totally reasonable as well. Arriving at the theatre, we were debating how many people would come to such an event in our small suburban theatre. I thought 10, my wife thought 30. We were both wrong, as 20 people made it for the screening, mostly couples. The screen was showing several featurettes on water before the broadcast, which started promptly at 7:30pm. It went right into the performance, and ended exactly 90 minutes later. The multiple cameras covered the show well, not missing any of the action. It did, however, also show that the Love theatre was not sold out. The picture quality was good, what you’d expect of a “live” theater broadcast. Sound was also good, with a few moments where the surrounds came alive. There were a few odd things to the broadcast. There was no footage of John Legend, who performed during the show; the broadcast had a clumsy edit where he would have appeared. The only “guests” shown were dance troupe Quixotic and cellist Philip Sheppard. And the end had this weird pre-filmed montage of dancing that didn’t seem to fit. For Cirque fans like us it was well worth the time and effort to find a theatre. While I had some trouble finding how water connected into the shows acts, it was fun to see them use the many lifts of the in- the-round Love stage. The Atherton Twins from Zarkana had a nice aerial strap routine early in the show. Another interesting piece was a baton twirler whose baton created images in the air as the baton twirled – very nice. Some great performances by Cirque artists, but I needed a little more explanation of how it all connected. Next year marks a change for the event, moving away from Cirque theatres (likely a necessary move due to the sale of controlling interest in the company). One Night for One Drop 2016 will take place March 18, 2016 at the Smith Center in Las Vegas Symphony Park. While we hope to one day be able to see a One Drop charity performance live, a stream or a theatrical special event broadcast like this one is a fine substitute. ------------------------------------------------------------ "Q&A with KURIOS’s Kit Chatham" By: Alex Faubel, via 303 Magazine ------------------------------------------------------------ Ever wondered what builds the tension and creates the emotions that accompany the amazing feats and acrobatics in any Cirque du Soleil show? Or about how they raise the hairs on your neck or make you gasp at any moment? The music is an essential part of the show and with every new tour, Cirque brings a whole new flavor of music to the atmosphere. The music does more than lend to the show’s visual aesthetics, it makes you feel something more than you may have thought possible at any given moment. The music creates the emotions that flow from audience members as they watch things they never thought humanly possible. Cirque du Soleil is bringing Denver a new show, called Kurios, filled with curiosities that flow through the human brain, as well as those you never even thought to imagine. The show’s Denver run begins tonight and reviews so far are calling it one for the books. From the costumes and acrobatics, to the timed musical arrangements that are as complicated as a full-length movie score at times, create an experience of magic and otherworldly imagination. But the music doesn’t just happen–it takes months of preparation, timing, memorizing and getting a feel for the performers’ each and every movement. In short, the attention to detail these people must have is incredible. I had the pleasure of interviewing the band’s drummer and assistant leader, Kit Chatham, who gave us the inside scoop on the wonderful world of Cirque du Soleil. Q. How does the collaboration for the type or sound of the music to be used come about? Kit Chatham(Drummer): The initial stages of developing the show’s “sound” are between the director, the creation team, and the composer. From there they work out what style(s) of music they want to explore and the potential sound palette. This also usually includes figuring out the instrumentation of the band for the show. Q. Audience members are watching the show, but what really brings the tension is the music, how do you all make that happen? Using musical tension to enhance and support the physical tension on stage can be done in many ways. The classic example of this used in circus for centuries is the traditional drum roll. Just like everything else in the circus, things have advanced quite a bit in technology and acrobatic feats over the years as well as how the music follows the action and supports the show. The use of dynamics, rhythmic development and suspense chords are very powerful ways to enhance the tension. Placing one or a combination of these strategically in the music at the same exact time of the action on stage makes the listener’s ear want to resolve and strengthen what their eyes are seeing and body is feeling inside. If suddenly drop to a low volume and change to a dissonant chord, it creates this mood of unknowingness and is a dramatic way to signify something’s about to happen. The longer we hold that chord at a lower dynamic, the more tension we can create. From there, we can build and grow dynamically and rhythmically accelerate to create this build in energy and drive to the apex of the performers trick or amazing feat. Just like with the movie ‘Jaws’, John Williams uses two notes to create tension, the first note wanting to resolve to the next, growing dynamically and slightly speeding up to the point of his attack. Q. Does the music stay the same from show to show or is there ever any room for a more off-the-cuff set? Yes and Yes. The overall musical composition including the main melody and harmonies for each song that accompanies a specific act always remains pretty much the same, but the arrangement, musical structure and song length can change show to show. This all depends on the artists on stage and what’s going on behind the scenes. The music has to be able to stretch, move around and jump ahead in a moment’s notice to accurately follow what’s going on stage live. If an artist misses a trick and has to redo it, we have to follow precisely with that and go back to the music for the trick preparation. As a band, we try to be prepared for anything that might happen. But at the end of the day, it’s still a circus and new surprises can pop up at any time. That is what makes playing with Cirque a unique challenge and always keeps it fresh and exciting. I always tell people that the music to a Cirque du Soleil show is a living, breathing and evolving soundtrack that is never exactly the same from show to show. Q. Timing is essential in this show, how difficult is it to monitor every move and apply the right sound? You’re absolutely right! Timing is not only essential, but crucial in Kurios. Being the drummer and assistant bandleader, timing is probably one of my most important roles. Just like how the music structure follows the act, the timing of the impact points in the act are crucial to the music being supportive and synchronized to the action on stage. As the drummer, I apply most of the impacts that happen within the musical phrases of the act. The sound fx we use to do this not only has to match the tonality and style of the song, but also the physical dynamic of the action being represented. For a larger musical impact, we can actually change to a new musical section to emphasize the action or can have a full band impact to really make it dramatic. To make sure we apply these impacts at the right exact time, we have to not only keep our eyes glued to the performer(s) on stage, but also know their body language to know when it’s time to change or even if something’s not right. To be really precise and be prepared for what might come, we have to know the performers’ movements backwards and forwards. Also regarding timing of the music, about just over 90% of the show is performed with a Click Track. A Click Track is basically a glorified musical term for a metronome that is played into all of our in-ear monitors. This makes sure that we always supply the correct tempo for the performer on stage and not play things too fast or too slow. This is a way to keep you from playing too slow if you’re tired or too fast if you just drank a Mountain Dew. Q. Has a trick ever come late or early or just been completely different and somehow affected the music in succinct? Missing a trick, doing a trick slightly earlier or even being behind on doing a trick does happen. Like mentioned earlier with the music being a “living soundtrack”, the music form and length will change to accommodate if any of these should arise. To allow us to do that, the music is structured in a way that we have musical options and a musical road map. Given the advanced nature of everything working together in the show, like music, lighting, sound and automation, there is never the chance for a performer to do a trick that is completely new or different without making sure everyone is aware and prepared. Usually if a performer wants to incorporate a new trick or modify an existing trick, we will have a video session to work that into the show and work with all departments to make sure we are on the same page. We definitely like to keep the surprises to things that are out of out control and not someone trying something new without communicating everyone. Q. How many people are playing in the band at any given moment? There are 8 members in the band and at any given moment all 8 can be playing together. This can be tricky since not all of the band can see each other due to our placement in the big band structure called ‘the Turbine’ or if musicians are on stage. The Turbine is the big engine structure in the back of the stage and is a focal point on the stage. We also use at times accompanying tracks that allow us to thicken the score to more than 8 people as well as add unique sounds to the musical compositions. But that being said about the use of some tracks, the music in the show can also be as simple and eloquent as only one individual playing. Q. Have you tried to learn any cool acrobatic tricks? Yes, but it didn’t go so well. When I first joined Cirque over 10 years ago with the creation of Corteo, I was amazed at the act Roue Cyr. It’s basically just a human sized ring that you can manipulate and spin while doing acrobatic moves on. I started working on it with one of the artists for a while and after an unfortunate incident involving my fingers and the big circular pole rolling over them I decided to retire from my roue cyr career. Q. What’s your favorite part of being on the road with this type of company as opposed to just in a musical band? Having done a wide variety of touring from Broadway tour, band tours, jazz festival tours and Cirque Big-Top tours, this type of touring with a Cirque Big-Top show allows you more time in a city to really explore everything great about the city and dive into its culture. Instead of spending just days maybe a week in a city, we get to spend on average 7 weeks in each city. Having been here many times with other shows like Blast! at DCPA in 2002 and Cirque’s Corteo in 2007, I look forward to enjoying all the great craft beer here, catching a movie night at Red Rocks, running the trails around this great city and even catching a baseball game or two (even though I’m an Atlanta native and huge Braves fan!) Well, all of that and the health benefits and insurance. Q. What would you like to say to anyone who is maybe on the fence about seeing the Kurios show? After performing now with 6 Cirque du Soleil productions and being apart of 3 Cirque creations, I can easily say that this is one of the best shows by Cirque and you don’t want to miss this show. Or you could tell me where you are and I’ll just push the fence… just kidding. But seriously, you shouldn’t miss out on this show. It’s something special. SOURCE: < http://goo.gl/uznis0 > ------------------------------------------------------------ "Q&A with Kooza’s Wardrobe Team" By: Jenny Rogers, via Capital Style ------------------------------------------------------------ There’s something very surreal—and very cool—about coming across the bright-blue-and-gold big top currently located on the city’s west side. It looks totally out of place, of course, but that’s kind of what the circus is all about, right? Moments of surprise are par for the course. Cirque du Soleil’s “Kooza”—a totally wild take on the traditional circus—is in town through July 5, and the wardrobe team was kind enough to give Capital Style a peek into their trippy world. Heads of wardrobe Collette Livingston and Jason Brass shared what it’s like on tour, what goes into the elaborate costumes and just how many hours it takes to craft a rainbow-hued wig. (The answer? Sixty). Q. Describe a day in the life for the Cirque du Soleil wardrobe team. Collette: Well, there are two different shifts; there’s a morning shift and a night shift. The morning shift preps for the show—makes sure all the ironing is done, all the repairs are done, everything’s been passed back and ready for the show—while the night shift’s primary job is to make sure the show is ready and everything goes smoothly. Q. How many costumes are in the show? Collette: There are about 1,500 costume pieces in each show. That includes the hats, wigs, shoes, unitards. In the back stock, then, we have more than double that—in case something happens and for when we get new people in. There are about 200 shoes used in each performance. Q. Not new for each performance? Collette: Thank God, no! A lot of people have at least three costume changes, so that’s why there are so many shoes. Q. How long does an individual piece take to make? Jason: It takes about three months to get a new costume from the workshop in Montreal, from its ordering date to its arrival date on tour. So, when we need something quicker, we pull from back stock. But we can’t always do that. All our costumes, shoes and wigs are custom-made for each artist; they take about 300 measurements of the body for each performer—including a digital scan of the body, like when you’re at the airport. We do the body measurement and then still take the tape measurements to ensure it’s so precise, so accurate. Everything is built in Montreal, so the technology allows us to still keep that quality and accuracy even for artists across the world. Q. What about masks? Jason: We have a new digital scanner in Montreal; they put little dots all over the face and then scan it. We used to do this process by casting a head in plaster; it would take a couple hours, and the artist would have to sit in the chair and have plaster poured on them while they breathed out of a straw. Now, we’re able to do it digitally and then print (the mask). It’s about half the weight, too. And, if I need a duplicate, I just order it instead of putting the artist through that process gain. Technology plays a part in all that we do with the costumes. Q. What are the special design elements that help the performers do all they need to do? Collette: I think one of the best examples is our contortionist costume; from a distance, it looks like it has gold chains on it, but that’s actually elastic. So, while they performer is bending, you get the look of chains and jewelry with the stretch. We have to repair this almost every day, because the chains do snap. And we add some grips of rubber that’s dyed to match the fabric. There are a lot of hidden items that help, but we try to get as close to the designer’s sketch as we can. For this, (the designer) wanted jewelry, so we said, “OK, we’ll do jewelry, but we’ll make it out of elastic and rubber.” Jason: Our No. 1 function here is safety. A normal chain would not be safe for the artist, so that’s what we and our technicians in Montreal do: create new techniques that create the look while keeping it functional and safe. Q. Do you have a favorite? Jason: I think we all do! Collette: My favorite is the trapeze coat; it’s a yellow coat that has a bustle and is super traditional circus. I think that’s what I like most about it. And it’s got a bit of Mad Max in it, when it’s paired with the wig. Jason: This is the Death Liberace coat, which opens the second act of the show. There are over 1,500 rhinestones on this jacket. Collette: 1,947. And the mask is great for this one. It’s sort of our Day of the Dead piece. Q. What inspired the aesthetic? Collette: The idea with Kooza is to go back to (circus) tradition. But there are so many influences: the Day of the Dead, (Gustav) Klimt, Indian influences, military influences, toy soldiers … there are a lot of influences that together create the world of Kooza. Q. What’s the most elaborate costume in the bunch? Jason: There are a lot of little tricks in the show. There’s one costume—we won’t reveal the secret—that you see right at the beginning. The artist changes from black-and-white to color. It’s a very complex piece to build. Collette: The Trickster’s costume is one continuous stripe. The pattern of the stripe is created individually for each performer. Q. The skeleton costumes are creepy; is the show OK for kids? We get a lot of kids in attendance, and we’ve never had a bad reaction! The skeleton act is probably the creepiest, though. But then we have the sort of Vegas-style skeleton. SOURCE: < http://goo.gl/DH2JIH > ------------------------------------------------------------ SPECIAL /// "Robin Leach on 'For the Record: BAZ'" By: Robin Leach, via The Las Vegas Sun ------------------------------------------------------------ Robin Leach of “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” fame has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past 15 years giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground, through his column with the Las Vegas Sun: Vegas Deluxe. This month he explored the world of "On The Record: BAZ", a new theatrical experience from Cirque du Soleil at LIGHT Mandalay Bay, with three articles: a Q&A with BAZ actress Ginifer King, a Q&A with BAZ Performers Ruby and Ciaran, and lastly a review of the new spectacle, which we've compiled for you here: PART 1: Q&A with Actress Ginifer King ------------------------------------- Broadway and Hollywood actress Ginifer King says that Las Vegas has presented nearly everything when it comes to entertainment, but her castmates and she in “For the Record: Baz” vow that we haven’t seen anything yet. Their show opens at Light in Mandalay Bay on June 19 (also the grand- opening night of Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn at Caesars Palace and the first night of the 2015 Electric Daisy Carnival at Las Vegas Motor Speedway), and Ginifer says: “You don’t even know what’s going to hit the town. “It’s a 360-degree theatrical experience. The audience and you are not sure what you’re in for, and all of a sudden an entire world explodes. The first five minutes, your head will be spinning because so many things will be happening.” For Ginifer, her run on the Strip is a dream come true. For one of her castmates, Justin Mortelliti, it’s a homecoming as he was a lead in “Rock of Ages” at the Venetian for two years. He’s acted in several of the “For the Record” shows in Los Angeles. The cast there has been expanded for the move from Hollywood to Las Vegas: Constantine Rousouli, Ciaran McCarthy, Ruby Lewis, Olivia Harris, James Byous, Jason Paige, Zach Villa, Derek Ferguson, Briana Cuoco and Amy Ryerson. Here’s my Q+A with a very excited Ginifer: Q. This is a very wacky theatrical show being performed in a nightclub and not a theater? I’m so excited to get to Las Vegas! It’s all of my dreams coming true. You don’t even know what’s going to hit the town. Everyone’s so excited. Q. When you say all of your dreams are coming true, what dreams did you have? As a child, I’ve always loved performing live. My parents were so wonderful always taking me to New York City and Las Vegas to see all of these amazing performers and shows growing up. To have the opportunity in my career to have been on Broadway with people like Bernadette Peters and Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner, and now to get to go to Las Vegas and star in a show that is a celebration of one of my favorite film directors (Australian Baz Luhrmann) in one of my favorite movies. I love Las Vegas. I think the whole town is going to enjoy the theatricality and all the sexiness that is the show. We have been coming to Las Vegas over the years. Most recently, one of my favorites was when Garth Brooks was doing his one-man show at the Wynn. That was one of the best concerts I’d ever seen, and to see it so stripped down in such a place where things are usually flashy and shiny, it was a wonderful juxtaposition. He’s such an entertainer. Of course, all of the Cirque shows, “Love” was one of my favorites. I’m a huge Beatles fan. Just the way they married the music with all the aerial things and all their acrobatics and the way they tell the story just floors me. It’s a whole new way of telling a story. That’s what really attracted me to “For the Record: Baz” — it’s a new way of telling a story. Very immersive, very exciting. Q. Did you see the show “Absinthe” at Caesars Palace? When I wrote that your show was coming here, I said the only way that I can describe it without having seen it is that it sounds like Joel Grey from “Cabaret” wandered into “Absinthe” one night plastered out of his mind. No, I haven’t seen “Absinthe” yet, but I will. I think you could feel confident with your description. Q. How do you describe “Baz” from working on the inside of the show? It is like a modern cabaret. It’s a 360-degree theatrical experience. We’re taking movies and celebrating them through their soundtrack. It’s almost like you’ve wandered into the best basement cabaret experience. The fourth character to all of us is the audience, and you’re not sure what you’re in for and all of a sudden an entire world just explodes. The first five minutes, your head will be spinning because so many things will be happening. You literally would have walked into the party scene in “The Great Gatsby.” It’s just all of the movies flowing in and out of each other. It’s the nightclub that we today dream of because you are experiencing it along with us. It’s so sexy, it’s so exciting, and it’s so different. You’re not just observing. You’re a part of it. It’s happening all around you. Q. When you first heard of this concept before you really knew what it was, what was your initial reaction to it? I thought this is probably going to be really cheesy, and I’m not sure that any live performance can do his movies justice because I’m such a big Baz Luhrmann fan. So throughout the experience and when I went to go see one of their first shows, it’s unbelievable how you were taken away from any kind of thoughts in your day. You’re just swept up in the magic. The people who I’m performing with are some of the best singers I have ever heard, some of the best performers. It’s really spectacular to see such talented people performing some of the best scenes, some of the best songs ever written. It’s magic. I was onboard right from Day 1. Q. Is it just because it’s Baz Luhrmann, or is it because of the way that the translation of his hit movies have been wrapped up together that makes it work? Well the “For the Record” series is not just Baz Luhrmann. With this show specifically, the theatricality and the way his movies are shot, they’re just so gorgeous. They have such a beautiful way of taking that off the screen and making it come to life, so it naturally lends itself to be very theatrical. But what’s exciting is getting all these movies that people recognize … the stories are told in a new story, in a way that all of these star-crossed lovers are woven together. It’s not like you’re just going to watch “Moulin Rouge: The Musical” or “The Great Gatsby: The Musical.” It’s its own show. It is its own homage to all things Baz Luhrmann. With “For The Record,” they’re able to do this with many movie directors. “The Quentin Tarantino Show” is unbelievable, and “The John Hughes Show” is so fun and takes you back to those ’80s teen films. They’ve really done a wonderful job with this series of completely transforming you to another time or era or place. You get so wrapped up, that’s why we have so many people here in Los Angeles who keep coming back to see it. We have people who flew in from Australia to see our show because they’d heard about it. It’s one of those things that initially, it’s hard to explain because it is so new. There’s not really a definition for it It’s so different, it’s not your traditional Broadway show, it’s not your traditional Las Vegas show. It’s a total immersive experience. Q. I used the word wacky. Can you give me three words similar to it that would describe it? I’m guessing eccentric would be one. Eccentric could work. I would probably say delicious. I would say imaginative. I would say spectacular. Q. You know that in Las Vegas, the nightclub business has sucked a lot of money out of the theatrical side of entertainment. Scott Zeiger from Base, now the head of the Cirque du Soleil theatrical division who’s bringing your show here, believes that what you’ve created in Los Angeles is a way to get people back into theater before they go to nightclubs. How do you feel about that? Well what’s really cool out here in Los Angeles where we’re performing at DBA in West Hollywood is the party continues, and that’s something that’s really been fun. The show out here is two hours, but for 90 minutes of it it’s like having a club experience, and that’s so exciting. You’re so wrapped up that the party just continues. When the show is done, it’s seamless the way they transform that room, and all of a sudden it becomes a club and a party, and the audience is encouraged to stay. People stay and more people come later. Maybe they’ve seen the show before but had gone out to dinner but wanted to be a part of the show’s club party. It’s a really wonderful party before a club. It’s the best pre-party you could ever imagine. One of my favorite things is to say to someone who’s never been, “I promise you, you will love this, and if you don’t, I will pay for your ticket.” Then they end up staying until 3 a.m. when the club closes. Q. Is everybody in your cast excited about coming to Las Vegas to do this residency? Oh my gosh, are you kidding? Our producer just got married this past weekend, so all of us were in Connecticut for the wedding and we could not stop talking about it. That’s all we talk about now: We can’t wait to get to Las Vegas and bring the show and share it with the audience. It’s a new place that we haven’t done the show before. Q. You touched on Quentin Tarantino, John Hughes. “Baz” is one of a series of “For the Record” shows that are being done, but how long has “Baz” been running in Los Angeles? “Baz” has been running on and off for about four years. The show has really been like an American Dream in that is started out just a small idea and it was very bare bones in the beginning. We would get up and maybe people would sing songs and maybe perform a scene, and each time they’ve brought “Baz” back, they’ve refashioned it to make it a little bigger and grander. So it hasn’t been running simultaneously for four years, but we’ve done four versions of it, and usually it runs about nine months. It feels like it’s always running, but we have taken little breaks. The demand for the show out here is unbelievable. People love “The Baz Luhrmann Show.” It’s so sexy and romantic and tragic. it’s all those emotions people love feeling in a 90-minute span. Q. Have you been with the show from the beginning? Not from the very beginning. When I moved out to Los Angeles, they were probably on their second show. They had done Tarantino and then John Hughes. A friend mentioned the “For The Record” shows and said I should check it out. I went but was skeptical. Instantly, though, I was hook, line and sinker. I’ve definitely been around a good solid 3 1/2 years, close to 4 years, and it’s been awesome. His shows are fantastic. I feel like I’m a part of something major. Q. Major quirky? Major quirky, yes, but it’s also how you can describe me. It’s like a band of mischiefs who’ve all come together to create this fabulous theater experience that is completely immersive and so exciting. Q. Did you get to meet Baz Luhrmann when he came to see the show that he had nothing to do with? Isn’t that crazy? I unfortunately didn’t see him when he came, which has been the sadness of my heart because I’m such a huge fan. He loved it. After the show, of course you’ve seen his quote, “It’s f$%*&#! awesome!” I think it was overwhelming for him in a way. I have been there when the other directors have come. When they experience their films and their body of work in this very different way, it’s like a lifetime achievement award, like you’re watching your entire career and body of work happen in front of you in a very sensational kind of way. It can be overwhelming; it’s exciting. Baz really loved it when he came. I hope he comes to the opening in Las Vegas. I think he will be so proud of how the show has grown and just to be a part of this. Q. Has there been talk about changing anything for Las Vegas? Adding something or removing something? Well I know that we’re adding me coming down in a swing from the ceiling in sparkling diamonds, so I am beyond excited about that. There will be technical elements that are really exciting that will be added to the show that we weren’t able to do in DBA that Light and Cirque are providing for us, so we’re able to take it to the next level. There are going to be a lot more effects, and with the lighting we’ll be able to tell the story with more elements but still keep it the same. There will be more cast members for the Las Vegas show. We’ll use all of the video screens to create original film-type aspects that will go along with it. We’ll use Light’s entire back LED light screen, as well, to set the mood. DBA, the nightclub here in Los Angeles, is about 6,000 square feet, and we’re moving to Light, which is about 38,000 square feet, so we have to use all those elements to really fill the room. Q. What did you do before you went over to this weird world of Baz? I had the most fun career right out of college. I was in “Gypsy” on Broadway with Bernadette Peters and was able to play Gypsy Rose Lee over 40 times. It was probably the most wonderful way to begin a career. I played Shelby in “Steel Magnolias” with Delta Burke and Christine Ebersole, and I did “Cyrano de Bergerac” on Broadway with Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner. While I was doing “Cyrano,” Jennifer was very instrumental and encouraging me to get out to Los Angeles and start doing TV and film, so after I’d covered all of the “Law and Orders” in New York, I said, “It might be time to come out here.” I got to do Chris Colfer’s first feature “Struck By Lightning.” I had a wonderful role in that. For the last two years, I’ve been a series regular on the Nickelodeon show called “The Haunted Hathaways,” which has been a physical comedian’s dream. It’s been so much fun. I’ve played a handful of serial killers on “Criminal Minds.” I’ve had a very fun career in that I don’t just sit down in one specific genre. I’ve been very blessed to move around and get to do all different kinds of things. I’m originally from Texas. My personality is just as big as my home state. I moved to Chicago for a hot second right after college, and while I was in Chicago I booked “Gypsy” in New York City. So New York and L.A. have been my home for the majority of my adult years. Q. How old were you when you knew you wanted to be an actress — or a comedy actress? Gosh, that started at a young age. At church we were doing this musical called “Why,” which was about a bunch of kinds asking why do we have to go to church, and people would just laugh every time I was onstage. It hit me like, “Oh my gosh, I can handle this.” My brother was very athletic, and I got very tall very early, so they automatically put me in sports. But I knew that when I was on the basketball court and I was looking out into the audience that I was more interested in performing than playing basketball. I knew very early that the stage and being in front of a camera are where I was meant to be. Q. The show has an open-ended run at Light? Yes. We’re so excited about moving the show to Las Vegas that we’re hoping that it will be home for quite some time. It’s not going back to L.A. after a limited number of performances. There will be another “For the Record” in L.A., eight “For the Records” in total. There are eight shows already created, and there are new directors who are still excited about creating new shows, but “Baz” will only be in Las Vegas. The speed at which these shows go, there’s just not a dull moment. It’s really exciting. I hesitate to use the word overwhelming because a lot of times people use that in a negative connotation, but it is in the best way possible and most exciting way overwhelming, like your heart will burst. Q. It’s a case of the audience just letting it go, right? Yes. The best thing I would say to someone who’s never seen one of his shows is to let go of any kind of expectation, know that you’re getting ready to go on the most fabulous rollercoaster of a ride, and be open and have a couple of drinks and laugh. Let go of any inhibitions, any expectations. It is not like anything you’ve ever seen before. I promise that you will love it, and if you don’t, you can come backstage and I will pay for your ticket.” * * * Ginifer is kidding, of course, but said her promise that we’d love it is real. Her colleagues and she move here in one week to get ready for their June 19 opening night. PART 2: Q&A with Performers Ruby and Ciaran ------------------------------------------- Onstage they are star-crossed lovers Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan in the new spectacular “For the Record: Baz” opening in previews at Light in Mandalay Bay on Friday. Offstage, Ruby Lewis and Ciaran McCarthy are enjoying a real-life romance, but they’ve got a serious, three- strike warning for theatergoers when their 360-degree, immersive theatrical concert experience opens June 26. Ruby, who plays Daisy in the part rock show, part musical theater, part nightclub spectacle, has been a member of the Los Angeles company of For the Record for the past three years in 10 of its productions. She’s appeared in “Desperate Housewives” and “Rules of Engagement” and recently toured starring in the Queen rock theatrical “We Will Rock You.” Ciaran originated the role of Gatsby in the L.A. production of “For the Record: Baz” and appeared in the John Hughes and Quentin Tarantino theatrical mashups too. He appeared on “NCIS: Los Angeles” and toured in “The Wedding Singer.” On Monday, the cast was in the final run-throughs before getting ready for today’s dress rehearsals in makeup. Last-minute adjustments were being made to lighting cues and video-wall scenery. The 90-minute production has an ensemble cast of true triple threats and a knockout six-piece band for audiences to take a wild, captivating ride through the cinematic and musical films of Australian director Baz Luhrmann. “Romeo + Juliet,” “Moulin Rouge” and “The Great Gatsby” are threaded together in love to collide in the concert mashup with an epic soundtrack. “Turning popular cinema into immersive entertainment is the perfect match for Las Vegas in a hot nightclub,” said Scott Zeiger, president of Cirque du Soleil theatrical that’s bringing “Baz” to Mandalay Bay. Earlier when the cast moved to Las Vegas, I interviewed lead actress Ginifer King for an inside look at the custom-stage-designed show that will envelop audiences in a wild, nightly celebration. Just how wild will this underground spectacle be? It became a major part of my conversation with Ruby and Ciaran: This looks incredibly complicated, Ruby, doing a theater show in a nightclub. This is like testosterone nightclub. Steroids nightclub. Q. What’s it like working inside Light? It has its challenges, but it’s basically everything we’ve ever wanted the show to be. It’s meant to be immersive, and this place makes that so possible. Besides having 3D elements like rain, it really gives the audience a full sensory experience, which is what we always wanted to be able to do. Q. I was watching the lighting scene with all the candles just now. Is that an altar? Yes, that represents Juliet’s altar when she takes the dram of poison and kills herself. The two of you are a couple in the show and real life. Let’s talk about the relationship in the show first. You are what to him in the show? I play Daisy Buchanan, so we really do get to be very close during the show and have some intimate moments. We are told that we have really fine chemistry, so that was good to hear! I’ve heard interviews where actors say they don’t have good onstage chemistry with their significant others for some reason even though they’re together, so we really pat ourselves on the back. Q. Are you acting, Ciaran, or are you just being real? It’s real. She’s great and she is really open and vulnerable, and it’s pretty much Ruby when I see Daisy onstage. She gives me the things that I see every day, and I react to that. Ruby: A lot of times in the scenes in the show, the characters are experiencing loving being together and feeling fortunate to be together. So it’s very easy for us to feel fortunate to be together in that moment. That’s why it seems so real. Q. Did the two of you meet in the show, or did you know each other before the show? We met as a result of theater, but it wasn’t this For the Record show. We were doing “9 to 5” in a regional theater production. Q. And then both of you were hired for this show? Yes. I had been doing the For the Record shows for several months when I met him, and I thought he was just a perfect fit for the company as a triple threat. I brought him to see one of the shows; he fell in love with it. He submitted a tape, and it was a no-brainer. He was hired. I didn’t have anything to do with that, though! Q. So you meet in regional theater, you get him interested in “Baz,” and now, Ciaran, how do you avoid being on top of each other day and night? I think communication is very important. We try to approach it with a very encouraging positive. We don’t give each other notes. We don’t tell each other how the other could improve their performance. It’s the No. 1 rule in relationships and acting. Ruby: I think the show in Los Angeles is such a creative outlet and joy for both of us. We get to go together, experience it together, and then we get to come home and talk about how much fun it is and how fortunate we are to have this showcase. It’s become a mutual joy. Q. Is it tough to separate it when you go home after you’ve been in love for 90 minutes publicly? Yeah, we’re in what we call the bubble. It’s hard to get out of the bubble, especially if there’s not a whole lot else going on. Q. How long have the two of you been together? Since January 2013. We’re not married yet. Q. Have you thought about a Las Vegas wedding? The more weddings I go to, the more I think about eloping, but my mom would be so upset! Ciaran: Being an actor and artist is always so challenging. I think we want to have a good solid job or two underneath our feet when we take that plunge. A couple of TV shows wouldn’t hurt. Q. So your reaction when you heard you were moving to Las Vegas with the show was what? Excited! We have been wanting to see this brand explode nationally. It’s such a cool concept, there’s nothing like it anywhere, and we thought what a great place to expose what we’re doing. What a great platform in one of the greatest entertainment capitals of the world to see this new, exciting, cutting-edge brand enter into entertainment. Q. In Los Angeles, you have four rotating director’s shows, and here in Las Vegas we get the best? Is that the idea? I think it’s the best one. I think it’s the best concept, the best conceived, and I also think that Baz Luhrmann’s films work the best together. It’s a mashup. I think this is the best-constructed show we have. I think it’s the cleanest and has the best art. Ruby: It’s gut wrenching. People come, and they don’t realize just how emotional they can become seeing live theater. I think it takes people by surprise. Q. This is new theater? This is theater to get kids back into theater because nightclubs have stolen them away? Yeah. I fear for the regular proscenium theater because immersive theater is where it’s at. Attention spans are getting smaller, and people want to feel like they’re in it, and that’s exactly why this brand is taking off. Not only is it just creatively brilliant, but also it lets you be a part of it. Even as far as allowing people to take photos and hashtag them, even that becomes part of the experience. Q. I’m not being overly dramatic, but what wrecked normal theater — nightclubs or social media? I don’t know. I blame video games! Ciaran: It could have been both. It’s becoming a high art. It’s like theater as we know it, musical theater, what we grew up learning and loving is almost becoming like opera in terms of it becoming an elite thing to do. You put your nose up about going to the theater. That’s not how it was created. It was for the people, the masses, the blue- collar entertainment realm. Q. How do you think Las Vegas theater audiences who are tuned into Cirque du Soleil are going to react and relate to this? I think something that this show has that some Cirque shows may not have is the through line and the storyline in which you immediately attach to these characters and you go through the journey with them; a full story arc. People forget how much they love storytelling. It’s easy to watch tricks and to be in ooh and ah over people who are doing death-defying stunts, but what we do is we get in there and we get down to the emotional core of why people love the theater and entertainment. They can relate to it. And relive movies. People love these movies; they love quoting them. Q. But how do you deal with a rowdy audience drinking and partying at the same time? Ruby: We embrace it, and we encourage it. Ciaran: We ask the audience to be respectful, and generally they are. They know the moments when they can jump in and say a line or sing along with a song, and we encourage it. In many ways, it works our improv muscles because we have to be on guard that people are going to be willing to play, and we want it. It reminds them that they’re involved; they’re part of this. Q. So it’s a little bit like “Rocky Horror” with the audience screaming along at the movie? Ruby: Yes, absolutely, and it can throw you off. Ciaran: It can depending on what’s happening. I remember one time we were in a big fight scene with Daisy, Gatsby and Tom, and then someone’s cell phone kept going off. We’re used to it, we’ll move on, but at one point our Tom Buchanan turned around and said, “Alright, who’s got the phone?” He stayed in character, and it became this whole ordeal to try to find the phone because this woman lost it, and it was constantly ringing through the whole scene. The audience loved it and just started howling, and we get right back into it and we go. That happens all the time. It makes the audience feel like they’re really a part of this. Just don’t be belligerent; pick and choose the times when you blurt out. When Tina is dying, it’s probably not the best time to start screaming. Q. And you don’t mind waiters running around pouring drinks or people getting up to go to the bar? Ruby: No. When we first started, it was a dinner theater. Ciaran: When you first move from the traditional proscenium theater and you come into this environment, it is alarming. It’s way more collaborative than the typical proscenium show because there are so many other moving elements. So things like wait staff then become part of our team, and we start to become familiar with the guys pouring the drinks. Q. So every night is completely different? There’s a consistent show, but little touches here and there will definitely be different depending on the audience. Q. Is that scary for an actor? Is that fun for an actor? Is it challenging? What is it? It can be challenging. You want certain things from certain audiences. You want John Hughes audiences to be filling in the lines so I can turn around and I don’t have to say them because the audience already hit the punch line. It can be challenging, but it keeps you on your toes. Once you lose that idea of how it’s going to go and let the audience move you and take you, I think you become a better performer for it. Ruby: The euphoria that I feel being onstage rather than being behind a camera is it’s a give and take between the audience, and this is the ultimate form of that. If someone is crying, you can see it so clearly, and it becomes an immersive experience for us, too. Q. Finish this sentence in terms of the two of you onstage, then finish this same sentence with the two of you at home in the kitchen. Love is … Daisy and Gatsby have quite a heart-wrenching situation, but it’s organic. They really do love each other. Ciaran: I would say my character has a different love than you have. I would say my character can’t help but love you, therefore love would be obsessive, and in him it’s impossible because he thinks he has it, but he doesn’t. I liked him in the movie. I didn’t like her. I was like why wouldn’t you leave him? He doesn’t love you like Gatsby loves you. Ruby: Her love is very impulsive and it’s fly by night and completely destructive. Q. So we’ve got love is obsessive for Gatsby and love is fly by night and impulsive for Daisy, but now at home love is … Ruby: Love is effortless. Ciaran: Love is wonderful. It’s reciprocal. Q. One final question. What do you do if your Las Vegas audience gets out of control? I mean they’re drinking. In L.A., you may stop drinking at 2 a.m., but here there is no stopping. Ruby: Well there comes a point where our improv skills don’t work, and we have to get a security guard. There’s a policy. It’s like two strikes, three strikes you’re out. If you act up too many times, you’ve got to go. Q. Can an actor tell that to a member of the audience? Ciaran: Oh, absolutely. Third time we would tell a security guard it’s too much, they’ve crossed the line, either tell them to stop and if they don’t, they’ll be removed. Q. That may well happen in Las Vegas! It’s happened before. We encourage you to partake and have a good time, but just recognize the sense of the arc of the show. Our producers don’t like to call it theater — immersive experience is what they’re calling it. Q. How’s everything going so far on this immersive entertainment project? Four days to your first preview. No complications? It’s complicated. I mean that’s a 60-foot screen, so it’s got different types of video and different types of projections, so they have to come together, as well as the sound, as well as a brand new band, as well as a new stage and new environment for us because the staging is different than we do in L.A. We’ve cut some things in the show. We’ve fine-tuned the show. There are a lot of moving pieces and variables, and it is going to be epic. It’s just taking a second for all the pieces to fall into place. Ruby: There are a lot of new technical elements that we’re having to juggle. Every time we see something come together, the excitement is just through the roof because we know the potential for this show is so great that people will feel like they’re in a dream. Ciaran: There’s nothing in Las Vegas like this. We can’t wait until Las Vegas finds out what’s been building and brewing in L.A. because people who come see the show are obsessed. We have crazy fans who would follow the show anywhere, so we’re pumped to put it on in a much bigger scale. It deserves it. It’s so unique and very, very special. Ruby: We’re sticking to the same formula and injecting a little more Las Vegas. PART 3: "On The Record: BAZ", A Review -------------------------------------- What an extraordinary production. It isn’t theater, yet it’s the best spectacular you might ever sit down two hours for to watch. Call it the ultimate cabaret-style musical. Call it the party before the nightclub-DJ parties. The music, dancing and energy are frenzied - a pulsing and throbbing high-speed locomotive that roars through the night. This “For the Record” is “Baz”! The story of “For the Record: Baz” is, well, a whole other story. In fact, three stories of star-crossed love all mashed up and crisscrossing one another in glorious confusion. There’s even a duke and a showgirl prostitute. But trying to figure out if you are in Paris in the 1890s, New York’s Long Island in The Roaring ’20s or Verona Beach in the ’90s is irrelevant and unnecessary. Just know that Light nightclub and its LED walls in Mandalay Bay are the perfect setting for “Baz,” which has it all — murder, suicide, death, poisoning. “Baz” summed up in two words: “Truly unique.” This flamboyant, captivating cabaret showcase is exhilarating, happy, thrilling, riveting, sexy, sassy, mesmerizing and thoroughly entertaining — and for the performers more energetic running, sprinting, jogging, walking and jumping than any cast has ever tackled before while still singing full pelt and acting the script. They perform from every nook, cranny, corner and even the ceiling of Light, where “Baz” celebrated its grand opening Friday night. The lighting displays are dazzling, although, with the dizzying speed of the performers, it’s going to be tough to keep the spotlights trained on them perfectly during the nearly two-hour spectacle. Australian Baz Luhrmann is the highly talented and praised avant-garde creator and director of the hit movies “Strictly Ballroom,” “Romeo + Juliet,” “Moulin Rouge” and “The Great Gatsby” among his 15 director and 13 writer credits. He currently has an untitled Elvis Presley project in development. “For the Record: Baz” is presented by Cirque du Soleil’s new theatrical division headed by Scott Zeiger, who brought “Phantom — The Las Vegas Spectacular,” “Jersey Boys” and “Peepshow” to the Las Vegas Strip. “This vision of turning popular cinema into immersive entertainment is the perfect match for Las Vegas,” he said. Our thanks to Denise Truscello for her amazing gallery of opening- night photos. Baz was originally performed in a bar-club in Los Angeles as part of revolving shows saluting directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and John Hughes in mashups of their movies. Everybody from Barbra Streisand to Rumer Willis have fought for tickets, so much so that Rumer even wound up a guest in the Los Angeles cast run. The incredible color, nostalgia and romance of Baz’s movies come to life right in front of your eyes. You are immersed in the action. The performers are above, below and around you, and they encourage you to join in by singing, dancing and talking. Get a drink from the bar, and you’ll find the actors there, too. They hang from poles, over railings, they leap up steps and zoom from the ceiling. Twice the performers landed in my booth, and a third and fourth time I had to park their champagne and scotch at my table. Not only is it difficult to describe the storyline, but also it’s unnecessary because it’s whatever you make of it. This isn’t “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” but similar. It’s not “Absinthe” but just as edgy. Like those two unusual winners, “Baz” claims top title in the new territory of nightclub-entertainment productions — and no backbeat thump from wheels of steel. It’s postmodern cabaret. Baz said after he saw the tribute to his films: “Simply f*cking amazing.” It was the only way to say it. The producers don’t want to use the word Broadway musical because its connotation here isn’t a big-ticket seller on the Strip. But I will tell you that the singing is above Broadway quality — majestic, thrilling voices matched with a band that powers through the night with force. It’s difficult to single out the stars of this ensemble because they are all triple-talent threats, but big bravos to Ginifer King, Constantine Rousouli, Ciaran McCarthy, Ruby Lewis and Jason Paige, who toured with Blood, Sweat and Tears for a year as the group’s lead singer. The six-piece band is a blast as they rock the nightclub playing “Young and Beautiful,” “Lady Marmalade” and the epic “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody.” Talk about the joint jumping! It’s 1,000- megawatt electricity. Over celebratory champagne, Ginifer told me: “This has been an unbelievable experience. Our first-week audiences for previews and the premiere have been fantastic. They’ve cheered, shouted and applauded, and it’s all better than we dared dream. We’re on fire, they’re on fire, and we are all having a ton of fun.” Whoever thought you would witness a sexy two-man, one-woman tango inside Light? The players hold nothing back in their dedication to this part rock concert, part nightclub and part musical theater all mixed in a full-force explosion. “Baz” is a reinvention of cabaret for a new generation and was created by producer Shane Scheel, director Anderson Davis and musical director Christopher Lloyd Bratten. Bravo to Las Vegas’ own Otto Ehling, who whips up the band’s frenzy from his pulsing, pounding piano and Roger Ross on drums who doesn’t miss a beat. You may well walk out of “Baz” dazed still wondering what you just saw, confused trying to untangle the twisted plots and/or exhausted from the cast’s physical workout, but you will walk out saying that you experienced a glorious night of song-and-dance entertainment at its finest. You also will be telling your friends about the experience. The cast encourages you to take photos and hashtag them while enjoying the show. Times have changed for theater, and “Baz” is the best of the changes. * * * This special was comprised of three articles from Robin Leach's Vegas Deluxe column on the Las Vegas Sun: http://goo.gl/Nv6XQl, http://goo.gl/ccN2KQ, and http://goo.gl/1lycTZ. ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 15, Number 7 (Issue #138) - July 2015 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2015 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. { Jul.06.2015 } =======================================================================