======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 16, NUMBER 1 January 2016 ISSUE #144 ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. A new year begins and with it new hopes and dreams for us and for our friends at Cirque du Soleil. But while they said a teary goodbye to Corteo in mid-December, will say a heart-felt goodbye to Quidam in February, and a more shocking goodbye to Zarkana Las Vegas in April, Cirque du Soleil is lining up new entertainment for us to enjoy this year, and for years to come. In fact, not long after we put our last issue to bed, Cirque posted a casting notice for a Senior Technical Designer for a project called "Dubai 2018". This piqued my interest so I took a look at all the postings and put together a brief list of the upcoming projects we currently know about and from what part of the Cirque du Soleil Group they come: - ON THE RECORD: BAZ rumored return in 2016 (CDS Theatrical) - LUZIA for April 2016 (Creations Meandres) - PARAMOUR for April 2016 (CDS Theatrical) - CHARLEBOIS/HOMMAGE in July 2016 (45 Degrees) - THE WIZ on BROADWAY for 2017 (CDS Theatrical) - SODA CIRQUE for March 2017 - CIRQUE 2017 for April 2017 (Creations Meandres) - LA FORGE AUX ETOILES for 2017 (45 Degrees) - MSC CRUISES for 2017 (45 Degrees) - DUBAI 2018 for 2018 - HANGZHOU RESIDENT for 2018 - THEME PARK/RESORT for 2018/2019 (Sandbox) Learn more about a few of these in our news and features sections this month. Additionally, in the days leading up to TORUK-The First Flight's premiere at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Brendan Kelly of the Montreal Gazette dove into the World of Pandora, publishing several articles about TORUK's creators, the cast, and more - including a review of the show! Check out his fantastic work within. We've pooled it all together in one spot for easy reading! And while we continue our look back at Guy Laliberte's Poetic Social Mission - part 5 of 8 - we also hear from three Cirque fans as they take in shows and concepts around the world. First, there's "The Trickster" with a review of CREACTIVE at Punta Cana, followed by "MungoJerrie"'s review of La Nouba on December 12th (the B-Boy act had just been put in place), and finally Aiden Lam gives us a new peek at Amaluna, in Paris on December 15th. 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 > | | | \----------------------------------------------------/ - Ricky "Richasi" Russo =========== CONTENTS =========== o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings * La Presse -- General News for the Month * Q&A –- Quick Chats & Press Interviews * Special Engagement –- More In-depth Articles o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau * Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets * Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub * DidYaKnow? -- Facts About Cirque * Networking -- Posts on Facebook & Other o) Fascination! Features * LOOK BACK: Guy Laliberte's Poetic Social Mission PART 5 of 8: "T-30 Days and Counting" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) * SPECIAL /// "TORUK-The First Flight Premieres" Written By: Brendan Kelly, The Montreal Gazette * FANS REVIEW CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: - “CREACTIVE at PUNTA CANA” – by “The Trickster” - “LA NOUBA w/B-BOYS” - by “MungoJerrie” - “AMALUNA in PARIS” - by Aidan Lam o) Subscription Information o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= --------------------------------------------------- LA PRESSE – General News for the Month --------------------------------------------------- Flip Through the Official The Wiz Live! Playbill {Dec.01.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- Just like the Playbill theatre fans know and love from attending live theatrical experiences on Broadway and around the country, our exclusive and official The Wiz Live! Playbill puts the complete cast, creative team, song list and more at your fingertips. You can peruse bios and previous credits of the cast and crew, see pictures and videos from the production process and read about the development of this exciting new live television musical. It’s a must-see for theatre fans and anyone excited about The Wiz Live! Check out the Playbill here: LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ewaWWG > The Official The Wiz Live! Playbill was created and designed by Sarah Jane Arnegger and Logan Culwell using PLAYBILLder, a platform that lets you build your very own Broadway quality Playbill program! Use PLAYBILLder to engage and build your audience with tools to inform friends and family of production information. Share your Playbill virtually, promote your show through social media, distribute programs in your theatre and much more! { SOURCE: Playbill.com } 45 Degrees Presents: Charlebois, a hommage {Dec.01.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- Next Summer, the Amphithéâtre Cogeco of trois-Rivières will present the second Cirque du Soleil homage series tribute, created and produced by 45 Degrees. The show is based on the musical work of Montreal native Robert Charlebois, a Francophone Canadian author, composer, musician, performer and actor. According to Wikipedia, among his best known songs are Lindberg and Je reviendrai à Montréal. His lyrics, often written in joual, are funny, relying upon plays on words. He won the Sopot International Song Festival in 1970. Tickets for the 20 performances starting on July 13, 2016 (and running until August 13, 2016) are currently on sale at: http://bit.ly/cirquecharlebois { SOURCE: 45 Degrees } The Wiz Live Comes to DVD December 22nd! {Dec.08.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- Thursday’s live telecast of The Wiz Live! delivered hit ratings, averaging a 3.4 rating, 11 share in adults 18-49 and 11.5 million viewers overall to dominate the night for NBC. It was the network’s best Thursday average in total viewers, excluding sports, since September 2014, and nearly tripled NBC’s best 18- 49 Thursday average, excluding sports. It was also NBC’s highest-rated night for any night of the week, excluding sports, in 11 years, since November 2004. Also included on the DVD will be the NBC special, The Making of The Wiz Live, featuring the behind-the-scenes story of producing this live television event! In addition to the The Wiz Live! on DVD, the previously unreleased Diana Ross album, Diana Ross Sings Songs from The Wiz, a rare 1978 recording that features Ross singing every role from the classic movie musical, is out now via all digital retailers. DVD TECHNICAL INFORMATION Street Date: December 22, 2015 Selection Number: 61174714 Layers: Dual Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Sound: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Run Time: 2 hours 12 minutes { SOURCE: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment } BAZ Returns February 14th {Dec.09.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- According to Robin Leach, of “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” fame who also pens a couple of columns for the Las Vegas Sun, the musical salute to director Buz Luhrmann’s movies “Strictly Ballroom”, “Romeo + Juliet”, “Moulin Rouge”, and “The Great Gatsby” will return to audiences on February 14, 2016, following the construction of its new theater at Palazzo. { SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/xufBCs } New Pictures & Video of Cirque du Soleil Theme Park {Dec.09.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- The Goddard Group, the developers of the Cirque du Soleil Theme Park along with Grupo Vidanta, released a couple of “blue sky” renderings of the park. These are different than the many we featured in our article about the - “The Celebrate Project – An Amazing Destination!” back in August (which you can read here: http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=6427). The first is a blue sky illustration by Christopher Smith that will give you a taste of just how incredible the world’s first Cirque du Soleil water park will be when it debuts at Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta in 2018! The second is an illustration by design master John Horny depicting one of the incredible attractions Goddard is developing for the world’s first Cirque du Soleil resort. See these new images here: LINK /// < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=7052 > Check out a “teaser” video here: LINK /// < https://youtu.be/WlLj_k-TBQ0 > { SOURCE: Goddard Group, YouTube } 45 DEGREES Celebrates First Year {Dec.12.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- It has already been a year since we embarked on this journey, and what a journey it has been! I’ve been asked countless times, why launch 45 DEGREES, why create a new company and a new brand when our activities were successful within Cirque du Soleil. It was precisely based on the success we reached as Cirque du Soleil Special Events that the idea of 45 DEGREES was born. We called ourselves 45 DEGREES, as it is the latitude where our offices are located and the ideal temperature (in Fahrenheit) to serve champagne! We wanted to give ourselves the latitude – to create the most memorable events using Cirque du Soleil’s expertise and the latest technological trends, as well as use our attitude – and dare to create the unimaginable. Over this past year, we’ve created a strong team on every front and have allowed ourselves to provide the creative strength and production capabilities to our clients for exceptional projects. We engineer moments for all senses. We see things in ways never thought possible; not for what they are, but for what they could be. In 2015, 45 DEGREES has had the opportunity to create and produce spectacular events while collaborating with top teams close to home and across the globe. For this, I thank all of you. Here is to another creative, stimulating, boundary breaking year! Long live 45 DEGREES. Yasmine Khalil, President 45DEGREES { SOURCE: 45 Degrees } What is C:LAB’s The Glassbox Project? {Dec.13.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- The GLASSBOX project was developed to test emergent screen and image technologies for the stage. GLASSBOX is able to combine streaming video and graphics on its external surface, as well as onto objects or performers placed within the box. It was custom- built through an assemblage of transparent LCD screens, programmed light and video projectors as well traditional LCD screens. GLASSBOX expands our toolkit, creating illusionary and immersive performance spaces located at the intersection of screens, performers and magic! VIDEO /// < https://youtu.be/w8O0r1KbHas > Project Team: Yves Aucoin, Philippe Chiasson, Francis Corbeil, Bernard Fouché, Karl Gaudreau, Arthur Joron, Agnieszka Kubik, Rémi Lapointe, and Stéphane Mongeau. { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } CORTEO Says Goodbye {Dec.13.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- We are grateful to all those who have joined us in this fantastic journey. o) Corteo has been in 19 countries, 64 cities o) Traveled 108,316 km o) Have been born more than 50 babies o) They have thrown over 809,380 chickens to the stage o) Valentyna has smacked Grigor more than 10,000 times o) We’ve occupied more than 500,000 room in 150 different hotels o) We’ve released 300 pounds of confetti o) Corteo has used over 5,000 trucks to mobilize the show Finally, Corteo is moved after having received the love and support of more than 8.4 million people around the world, want to thank you and share all our love and joy from half the world. Check out a goodbye video here: < https://www.facebook.com/Corteo/videos/10153275977626179/ > { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } Cirque du Soleil Media Presents: “Toruk Takes Flight” {Dec.14.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- New documentary offers unprecedented look at the creation of the new Cirque show inspired by James Cameron’s Avatar Bell and Cirque du Soleil Media announced a unique documentary about the creation of the new Cirque show, TORUK: The First Flight, inspired by James Cameron’s Avatar, which has its world premiere at Montréal’s Bell Centre on December 21 and will be presented in Toronto as of January 7, 2016. The documentary, Toruk Takes Flight, is available now only on Bell Fibe TV community channel TV1. “We are proud to team up with Cirque du Soleil to bring Fibe TV1 viewers behind the scenes to witness the creation of this eagerly awaited new Cirque experience,” said Nicolas Poitras, Vice President, Bell Residential Services. “Original community content like this exclusive documentary is another of the unique benefits of Bell Fibe TV.” In Toruk Takes Flight, viewers will meet Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, the writers and directors of TORUK: The First Flight; Jean-François Bouchard. the show’s creative guide; Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté; and the director of Avatar, James Cameron. Viewers will also go behind the scenes with several of the production’s main designers and performers and witness their struggles and uncertainties as the pressure builds towards the launch of this unprecedented multimedia experience. Toruk Takes Flight is directed by-award winning Montreal film maker Adrian Wills, who received a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video for All Together Now, a documentary on the creation of another Cirque du Soleil show, The Beatles – LOVE. TV1 can be found on channel 1 of the Fibe TV programming guide or on the Fibe TV app. Toruk Takes Flight will be available in the TV1 on-demand community folders, currently including Montréal, Toronto, Québec City and Ottawa. With shows such as Sound & Vision, Toronto Song Project and Made in Montréal, TV1 provides Fibe TV subcribers a variety of informative and inspiring community content about food, entertainment, sports, people and places in their city from a range of independent producers. For more information about Toruk Takes Flight, please visit Bell.ca/Toruk. { SOURCE: PRNewswire | http://goo.gl/Vld41Y } Follow Cirque on Snapchat! {Dec.17.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- Snapchatters, Cirque wants to snap with you! Add them: CIRQUESNAP for Cirque du Soleil exclusives. { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } The Wiz Coming Home to Broadway – 2016-2017 Season {Dec.21.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- In December 2015, NBC’s THE WIZ LIVE! re-introduced the world to the magic of this beloved musical. Next season, THE WIZ will return to Broadway for the first time in over 40 years! Featuring acrobatic wizardry by Cirque du Soleil, this is a whole new Oz – and a soulful reminder that there’s no place like home. Cirque du Soleil already has a teaser page up about The Wiz on Broadway here: < https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/the-wiz > On the page they have a few glimpses from The Wiz Live: o) Meet Erick Heppell – Performance Design and Acrobatic Coach LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQov4FPOGEQ > o) Meet Emmanuel Jacquinot – Coach and Movement Design LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkHexQs5go0 > o) Meet Sylvia Gonzales – Artistic Coach LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvmYdrHcbMA > o) Meet the Artists LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwlhB1HjvW8 > You can also follow the news about The Wiz on Broadway at their dedicated Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WizTheMusical And Twitter: https://twitter.com/WizTheMusical { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } Buy TORUK Merchandise, Meet TORUK Artists! {Dec.27.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- Interested in meeting one of the TORUK artists? With select merchandise purchases you have the chance to meet an artist after the show! Check out the arena merchandise stands for more info. { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } Check Out These JOYÀ Visual Concepts {Dec.30.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- Check out these wonderful new JOYÀ visual concepts... FOTOS /// < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=7223 > “We executed an advertising proposal for JOYÀ, the resident Cirque du Soleil show in Riviera Maya, focusing on an overall concept involving the alchemy, the five senses of perception, and five teachers of the show. In addition to the challenge of including and highlighting the culinary experience that exists in the theater, we also had to create new graphics with inspiration and closeness with the other Cirque du Soleil shows, different from JOYA’s today.” I think they succeeded! { SOURCE: Behance } Check Out These Great Rehearsal Photos of JOEL! {Dec.30.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- Based on the below it seems JOEL has: hoop manipulation (Elena Lev style), aerial hoop (Varekai style), rola bola (Kurios style), Aerial Straps, Korean Plank, Unicycle Duo, Ladder, Diabolos (a trio), Handbalancing (on some kind of split wooden cane structure), Juggling (lighted balls and also clubs), Trampo Wall, and Aerial Cross Wheel. With a few puppets. Take a look! FOTOS /// < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=7232 > VIDEO /// < https://youtu.be/-SnF-F73mp8 > VIDEO /// < http://www.1tv.ru/i_video/107307 > { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil RUS Facebook, YouTube; Urgant Show } Complete Casting Announced for PARAMOUR {Jan.04.2016} ------------------------------------------------------- Complete casting has been announced for Cirque du Soleil’s new Broadway show Paramour. The company will feature a cast of 38 singers, actors, dancers, and internationally renowned aerialists, acrobats, and circus arts performers. The cast and creative team represent 13 different countries (Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Belarus, Canada, China, Cuba, France, Poland, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States), spanning five continents. The production is claiming that this will be the most internationally diverse production to originate on Broadway. Staged by French director Philippe Decouflé, the musical production will blend “the best of Broadway with Cirque du Soleil’s signature style.” Paramour is set in Golden Age Hollywood, where a young poet is forced to choose between love and art. Bradley Dean will play A.J., the director; and Ryan Vona will play Joey, the composer. Dean’s New York credits include A Little Night Music, Spamalot, The Last Ship, Doctor Zhivago and Evita on Broadway; A New Brain at Encores!; and The Fantasticks Off-Broadway. Vona played Andrej in Once on Broadway. They will join the previously announced Ruby Lewis, who has appeared in national tours of Gypsy, Grease, Jersey Boys and We Will Rock You, who will be making her Broadway debut in Paramour’s lead role. She has appeared in Cirque du Soleil’s For The Record: BAZ, a post-modern cabaret inspired by the films of director Baz Luhrmann. The cast will also include Tom Ammirati, Andrew Atherton, Kevin Atherton, Lee Brearley, Yanelis Brooks, Sam Charlton, Martin Charrat, Nate Cooper, Katrina Cunningham, Myriam Deraiche, Kyle Driggs, Jeremias Faganel, Amber Fulljames, Steven Trumon Gray, Tomasz Jadach, Rafal Kaszubowski, Reed Kelly, Denis Kibenko, Joe McAdam, Raven McRae, Sarah Meahl, Amber J. Merrick, Sheridan Mouawad, Amber Pickens, Justin Prescott, Fletcher Blair Sanchez, Matthieu Sennacherib, Bret Shuford, Blakely Slaybaugh, Sam Softich, Amiel Soicher, Amber van Wijk, Bruce Weber, Tomasz Wilkosz, and Zhengqi Xia (Da Qi). Under the artistic guidance of Jean-François Bouchard (creative guide), the creative team includes Pascale Henrot (associate creative director), West Hyler (associate creative director and scene director), Jean Rabasse (set designer), Philippe Guillotel (costume designer), Bob & Bill (composers), Andreas Carlsson (composer), Daphné Mauger (choreographer), Patrice Besombes (lighting designer), Anne Séguin Poirier (props designer), Olivier Simola (projection designer), Christophe Waksmann (projection designer), John Shivers (sound designer), Shana Carroll (acrobatic choreographer and designer), Boris Verkhovsky (acrobatic performance designer), Pierre Masse (rigging and acrobatic equipment designer), and Nathalie Gagné (makeup designer). Paramour will begin preview performances on Saturday, April 16, and open on Wednesday, May 25, at the Lyric Theatre. Also... o) Check Out Paramour’s Set! < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=7057 > o) See a Costume Rendering of Paramour's "Leading Lady" < https://goo.gl/YDA1BV > o) Exclusive Broadway.com Preview of PARAMOUR < https://youtu.be/wXYkDAOa3UE > o) Paramour wishes us a heart-souring holiday season! < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=7199 > { SOURCES: Theater Mania, Broadway World, Broadway.com, Playbil } --------------------------------------------------- Q&A –- Quick Chats & Press Interviews --------------------------------------------------- Meet Taryn Wa, Kooza Tapis Rouge Chef {Dec.03.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- With Kooza back in Vancouver, VanCityBuzz had the opportunity to experience Tapis Rouge and speak with Taryn Wa, the Tapis Rouge chef. Q. How long have you been working with Cirque Du Soleil in Western Canada? We’ve been catering the VIP Tapis Rouge tent, um this is the third show that we’ve done, so for the past 3 years. Q. What were you inspired by when creating this menu for KOOZA? What we like to do is take a look at each of the acts; we look at the visuals from each act as well as the whole theme of the show and see what we can come up with menu wise from there. We find our inspiration on a few different levels. Q. Besides the menu, what other parts of the VIP experience did you design? The whole creative part of our work isn’t limited to just the menu; we also came up with all of our serving pieces as well as the uniforms for our servers. Q. Tell us about a standout element of the KOOZA VIP experience that you think is really special. Actually someone told us that this was one of the best things they’ve ever eaten and it was our mini plated entree at the chef station in the VIP tent. It’s a glazed beef short rib with potato puree, black garlic smear, and shaved black radish. It’s delicious, perfect for the season, warm, comforting, and is also presented very elegantly. The inspiration for how this dish looks was actually from an act in KOOZA where people in skeleton outfits are dancing. So the dish is completely black and white with no other colours present. For food to look like that is really visually striking, but then it actually tastes great as well! Q. What would be another a “must try” item from the KOOZA VIP menu? Our desserts are also really great and were inspired by a whimsical circus theme. We have an amazing pastry chef named Steven; he’s French and makes amazing macarons! There’s also this one dessert item that looks like a caramel apple. It’s a little profiterole with a red crunchy topping and is glazed to look really shiny like a caramel apple, but not at all. Q. Anything else you’d like to say? This is absolutely the best way to see KOOZA. You get to come in, have some drinks, have some great food and mingle beforehand. You get amazing seats and during intermission you get to come back for dessert, tea and coffee. It’s just a really great experience being in that little tent. You know everybody in there is just having an amazingly fun time; the guests, our servers, our staff, our chefs, everybody loves it and it’s just a really great vibe. { SOURCE: Vancity Buzz | http://goo.gl/QVAOLX } A Chat With Michel Laprise {Dec.11.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- The first time Michel Laprise encountered a Cirque du Soleil show, he was a young boy in Québec City. Exploring a Downtown market with his father, Laprise was tempted by, as he puts it, “a strange kind of music.” “I was a kid following a pied piper,” he says. Laprise stumbled across one of the performance troupe’s early shows. “Back then, there weren’t any security or guards. I went right up to the canvas tent and lifted it up.” What he saw changed his world. Québec City, as Laprise describes it, is a place where “Everyone wears the same shoes; a very suburban place,” but the show’s diversity—and excitement—spoke to him. “I told my dad I wanted to see the show that same night. I saw it again the next night,” he says. “I went off to boarding school after that, but if it were up to me, I would’ve seen that show six times in a row.” The memory of Laprise’s first Cirque encounter faded—“Life happens,” as he puts it. But shortly after completing drama school in London and Milan, he was given an opportunity. The Montréal-based performance group was looking for a talent scout, and Laprise, with his intimate contacts in the world of theater, fit the bill. “I thought I’d do it for a few months and see the world,” he says. A decade and a half later, he is one of Cirque’s rising stars. Laprise is now helming his first full-throated Cirque du Soleil show. One of its “Big Tent” productions, which travel from town to town, Kurios will be stationed at Dodger Stadium from now through Feb. 7. While the style of Cirque has become ubiquitous— even the subject of parody—Laprise sees this production as a return to form for the revolutionary performance enterprise. “I want to get back to what made Cirque original. We were street performers at first,” he says. Acts working the streets have a different—and usually more demanding—set of goals. Unlike a traditional show, your audience does not expect that you’re coming, they do not have to pay attention, and you must alter the course of their day—get them to stop and enjoy your art— before you get any compensation. At its soul, street performance is about surprising and delighting an audience, because, as Laprise puts it, “Your livelihood depends on it.” Cirque du Soleil, which was founded in 1984, has very much outgrown its spontaneous roots. With residencies dotting Las Vegas, and a cavalcade of performers awing audiences on almost every continent, it’s one of theater’s most successful ventures. How does a group so familiar surprise the jaded? “I drew from the unusual,” says Laprise, adding that the new show’s twist on a Steampunk aesthetic—a mix of Victorian works and sci-fi whimsy—was inspired by turn-of-the-century optimism. “The late 19th century was a time of wonder, when people were becoming more in touch with their humanity,” says Laprise. “Suddenly, with the gramophone, music could travel. Electricity seemed magical. I see our time as a parallel of the Victorian age,” he explains. The story of Kurios, like most Cirque shows, was long in development. Laprise says that a typical show takes two years of planning—never mind the actual rehearsals—before it comes into form. The story of Kurios follows an inventor who has amassed an impressive amount of trinkets, most of which he does not understand. In an attempt to unravel their meaning, he opens a portal between our world and another dimension. But instead of traveling elsewhere, the inventor is greeted by a string of otherworldly creatures, each of which embodies a facet of discovery—wonder, joy, trepidation and imagination. “I want the audience to leave the show questioning their reality,” says Laprise. “At one point we have a number involving chairs, and they’re used as props in a dance. I want the audience to come away and look at something that ordinary, and think about it in a different way.” Laprise, who currently lives in Montréal, represents a renaissance in Cirque du Soleil. With its ever-expanding list of residencies, drawing upon a list of musical influences as diverse—and profitable—as Michael Jackson and The Beatles, the company has become a staple of North American Theater. As its Vegas roster grows, the company is investing in off-the-wall shows like Kurios, whose main influence, as Laprise puts it, is “French Steampunk”—an aesthetic that doesn’t even return relevant results on a google search. Laprise, who is openly gay, began working at Cirque as a talent scout, reorganizing the interview process to highlight the best and most spirited performers. Laprise thought the gig would only last a few months, but he stayed with the company for a few years. After becoming familiar with the inner workings of the company, Laprise asked Guy Laliberté, the founder and creative director of Cirque du Soleil, for the chance to direct his own show. “He told me, ‘Are you crazy?’ which of course was a great vote of confidence,” says Laprise. Laliberté made him the Special Events Designer, which covered Cirque’s more commercial venues— unveilings at Microsoft, integrations with Québec City’s 400th anniversary—before assigning him a touring show. Laprise also served as a creative director for Madonna’s 2012 Super Bowl halftime show, and directed her MDNA Tour. “Madonna is hysterical. When my accent was bigger,” says Laprise, whose way of speaking very much pins him as a French Canadian, “she would crack up when I spoke. She sends me flowers on my birthday. She’s a very smart performer.” This is the first of several shows he has planned for Cirque du Soleil, and its run so far has been a success. Though it’s not customary for a director to travel with a show, Laprise makes a point to show up to as many performances as possible. “More than anything I’ve been involved with, this show recharges my batteries,” says Laprise. When asked what he wants audiences to take away from the show, he’s concise. “I want them to feel as if anything is possible. I want them to feel joy.” With a show as breathtaking and unique as Kurios, Laprise is sure to succeed. { SOURCE: Frontiers Media | https://goo.gl/DSVawd } Q&A /// Meet TORUK’s Daniel Crispin {Dec.28.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- A Brisbane man swapped his shirt and tie for blue body paint after he was confirmed as the principal actor in Cirque du Soleil’s latest show, inspired by James Cameron’s Avatar. Having graduated from a diploma in teaching and learning in 2014, Daniel Crispin, 28, was put on placements in various Brisbane schools to get classroom experience, with his passion for acrobatics continuing after school hours. He worked as an acrobatic instructor at Flipside Circus in Brisbane’s north every afternoon and trained vigorously every evening for his role in Cirque du Soleil’s TORUK – The First Flight. “I had only completed my placements and internships at the beginning of this year, what made training for this show incredibly exhausting as placement hours are 100 per cent unpaid,” Daniel said. “If I could fit in 90 minutes of focused work I would be very happy.” Daniel said it was “hard to put into words” how he felt when he found out he’d been named as the principal actor of the show. “It has been my dream and a goal for a decade to work at Cirque du Soleil,” he said. “To be a part of such an amazing team and to take a bow in front of 8000 people and receive a standing ovation as the main character goes beyond what my dreams ever could have imagined.” As a child, Daniel practised Taekwondo and had always had “an awe for all things acrobatic”, moving from competitive sport to performance art after “realising his legs were too short to reach Olympic glory”. After high school, Daniel travelled across the United States, teaching acrobatics at summer camps, before returning to Australia to graduate, on a scholarship, from the National Institute of Circus Arts in 2010. A major shoulder reconstruction in 2013 put his dreams on hold for a while and Daniel undertook a graduate diploma in teaching and learning, to ensure he had a plan B for the future. “I am appreciative of the career I have and every single day I step on stage I am auditioning for the right to have such an incredible life,” he said. “There will be a point that my body cannot keep up with the physical demands of acrobatics, which is something I am at peace with.” For now though, Daniel is embracing all that life has to offer, travelling to new cities every five days with the largest theatrical producer in the world – something which could last for up to 10 years. Daniel has performed for Madonna and featured on reality TV show Australia’s Got Talent and said he would like to continue performing on stage or screen for the rest of his life, in whichever capacity his body allows. “I have aspirations to work as a creative and artistic director at Cirque du Soleil and I am always working on side projects of visual art, music and stage and screen projects.” { SOURCE: Brisbane Times | http://goo.gl/46qRNQ } --------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT –- More In-depth Articles --------------------------------------------------- Get Interactive with the TORUK-The First Flight App! {Dec.11.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- TORUK – The First Flight gets interactive with a new app! SAP, in their latest collaboration with Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil, is moving beyond logistics to provide audience members with an interactive spectator experience that brings involvement to a whole new level. The first-of-its-kind app enhances the overall show experience and enables audience members to be part of the action before, during, and after the performance. Full of surprises, the application allows you to immerse yourself deeper into the world of Pandora and interact with the events taking place on stage, as well as to explore Pandora, the alien world where the story takes place, and more. And it’s available for both Apple and Android users! # # # SAP and Cirque du Soleil announced a new, breakthrough digital integration for the highly anticipated production TORUK –The First Flight. Through a collaboration with longtime technology partner SAP, TORUK – The First Flight will be the first Cirque du Soleil show that will allow – and encourage – spectators to use their mobile devices during the show. By leveraging technology from the SAP HANA® platform, the TORUK – The First Flight mobile app enables spectators to become part of the show before, during and after the performance. While there were worries about distracting the audience and disrupting the experience, Louis Malafarina, head of corporate partnerships at Cirque du Soleil, says that the company’s creative team was “supportive from the start.” Since beginning to develop the app last summer, SAP has worked to create an immersive, 3D experience without overshadowing the circus experience, says Malafarina. A number of effects ended up on the cutting room floor, including a photo based activity that just didn’t mesh with the project’s objectives. Using real-time analytics and geospatial capabilities, SAP’s technology is able to map the entire arena and who’s in it. “Ultimately, we’re measuring the interactivity of the audience members and the various sections they’re sitting in,” says Adam Novek, client partner, innovative business solutions at SAP. He calls the app “an enabler between the audience and the show,” which allows the show’s controllers to bring an on-stage effect back to audience members in real time based on how the users are engaging with it on their phones. Entering into completely uncharted territory lent this collaboration an air of opportunity and innovation while also presenting numerous challenges to the team, according to Bill Keays, strategic science and technology advisor for Cirque. Known unknowns, like venue bandwidth, combined with the nuts and bolts of functionality across myriad operating systems and tight timelines mean success “is all in the details,” Keays says. He explains that ultrasonic sound is used to trigger push notifications in the app, a workaround to overcome wi-fi dead zones in cavernous stadiums and the potential for data overloads when sending information to hundreds of phones at precisely the same moment. “This immersive digital technology brings Cirque du Soleil fans closer to the action and creates a more powerful experience for spectators of the incredible new show TORUK – The First Flight,” said Maggie Chan Jones, chief marketing officer, SAP. “We’re proud to bring technology from SAP HANA front and center, giving audience members an opportunity to interact with the characters and special effects on their mobile devices throughout the production.” Before spectators even enter the arena, they can download the TORUK – The First Flight mobile app to receive ticket and show information and immerse themselves into the world of Pandora to learn more about the characters and mythical storyline inspired by James Cameron’s movie “Avatar.” Throughout the performance, the SAP HANA platform will facilitate communication between spectators and the show’s visual effects control system, creating a personalized experience delivered directly to their mobile devices based on their interaction with the app and location in the theater. This is accomplished through native and high-performing spatial processing capabilities in the SAP HANA platform, which provide functions that seamlessly analyze and process geospatial information in real time. After the show, spectators can continue to engage with TORUK – The First Flight through interactive images, videos and content that extends their experience. “When we set out to create a show that provided an unparalleled audience experience, we knew SAP would be the right partner to make that happen,” said Louis Malafarina, senior director, Corporate Alliances, Cirque du Soleil. “We believe the TORUK – The First Flight mobile app will help enhance the overall spectator experience, bringing fans deeper into the world of Pandora in ways they never thought possible. We look forward to continuing to work with SAP to develop new, innovative experiences for audiences of our future shows.” TORUK – The First Flight represents the most recent technology collaboration between SAP and Cirque du Soleil. Since 2001, SAP has helped Cirque du Soleil become one of the largest entertainment companies in the world. By implementing a wide range of SAP solutions, Cirque du Soleil continues to simplify its global operations including finance, human resources and procurement systems, helping streamline its business logistics and drive rapid growth. o) CHECK OUT PICTURES OF THE APP HERE: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=7072 > o) GET THE NEW APP HERE: - APPLE: https://goo.gl/Kvgclz - ANDROID: https://goo.gl/m87Xxp { SOURCE: SAP, Cirque du Soleil, Tech Vibes } ZARKANA CLOSING! Last Show April 30, 2016 {Dec.16.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- We have been informed of the new plans for the theater space at ARIA. We have informed our Artists and Staff (today) that Zarkana will end its fantastic journey on the 30th of April (2016). We will of course use our best efforts to redeploy as many employees as possible. As MGM Resorts International’s preferred creative content provider we remain in discussions with them for any future possibilities on property. More than 3 million people have enjoyed Zarkana in nearly 5 years since its début at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Since its opening at ARIA on November 9th, 2012, Zarkana has played over 1,400 times. WHY IS ZARKANA CLOSING? That’s a good question. The answer is… The Aria needs more convention space: Cementing its position as one of North America’s premier destinations for large-scale meetings and events, ARIA Resort & Casino announced today a major expansion of its award-winning LEED Gold-certified convention center. The $154-million project will deliver an additional 200,000 square feet of technologically advanced, flexible meeting space across four stories, highlighted by stunning indoor/open-air spaces and a glass-enclosed venue with dramatic views of The Park and spectacular new Las Vegas Arena. With the completion of the expansion, ARIA will feature more than 500,000 square feet of superior meeting space for its luxury clientele. Construction is scheduled to begin in May 2016 with anticipated completion in February 2018. “Convention business at ARIA is booming, and demand is currently exceeding the space we have available,” said Bobby Baldwin, ARIA’s president & COO. “Hosting large meetings and conventions is a core part of our business; as our clients’ needs grow, we are committed to grow with them.” ARIA’s new convention space will maintain MGM Resorts International’s commitment to build all new venues to LEED Gold standards or better, creating one of the most expansive high- end, environmentally friendly meeting facilities in the world. Already an established leader in this area, ARIA has integrated environmentally responsible practices and services for all meetings, conventions and events, earning it a prestigious five keys from Green Key Global’s Eco-Rating Program. Tony Yousfi, ARIA’s vice president of sales, said, “Our guests expect luxurious offerings and will be wowed by the new convention space. With the addition of this elite 200,000- square-foot venue, ARIA exponentially increases the spectrum of events and services that can be hosted at our AAA Five Diamond resort.” The first level will feature an open ballroom with ample pre- function spaces, and access to an exclusive loading dock for events that require sizable displays. Versatile indoor-outdoor breakout rooms which provide meetings flexibility to enjoy the Las Vegas weather while conducting business will highlight the second level, while the third level will offer a large ballroom as well as naturally lit pre-function spaces connecting to ARIA’s existing convention center. The facility’s top floor is set to become one of Las Vegas’ most unique meeting venues as it complements a vast ballroom with a striking outdoor patio that can accommodate receptions for up to 2,000 guests. The top-floor patio will feature stunning views overlooking The Park and Las Vegas Arena, both of which are slated to open in April 2016. The new convention space will take the place of the location currently occupied by Cirque du Soleil’s production of Zarkana, so it has to close. { SOURCES: Cirque du Soleil, ARIA | http://goo.gl/oZOqmE } 20 Years of Cirque du Soleil at the RAH! {Dec.14.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- When Cirque du Soleil returns in January with its incredible production Amaluna, it will mark the 20th anniversary of the association between the Royal Albert Hall and the Canadian circus troupe world-renowned for its slick and daring acrobatic shows. Before 1996, when Cirque brought its show to the domed Hall for the first time, its touring shows had been largely restricted to a travelling big top. Such a grand venue may seem like an unlikely upgrade from a tent, but performers and audiences immediately embraced the idea of transferring the dizzying spectacle into the Royal Albert Hall. For such an extensive 5,000 capacity auditorium, the Hall has a unique feeling of intimacy, which has lent itself very well to Cirque shows. The tiered audience is never far from the action – if you’re perched in the higher seats, Cirque performers are at eye level or above rather than distant specks. Positioning shows within the incomparable space of the Hall means that Cirque tweaks its touring shows for up to nine months before their arrival – this can include fitting extra supports beneath the stage, reducing the size of some structures and finding new points of focus for the performers’ eyelines to execute moves with pin-sharp accuracy. Since 1996, Cirque has staged 17 seasons at the Hall, totaling almost 850 performances. Each of its seven shows (the forthcoming Amaluna will be the eighth), has transformed the Hall with totally new feats, themes and sounds. These include the breathtaking spectacle of supple bodies contorting into unbelievable positions, the astounding precision of aerial performances and leaps, mind-boggling juggling and daredevil high-level moves on the spinning “wheel of death”. VIDEO /// < https://youtu.be/SCcT5I8X38s > # # # SALTIMBANCO – The relationship between the Royal Albert Hall and Cirque du Soleil began in 1996 with Saltimbanco, a show which brought together more than 50 performers from around the world. The cast performed in a set modelled on an urban environment, where they wowed audiences in the Hall for the first time with jaw-dropping skills, trapeze, pole-balancing, juggling and clowning. So popular was the show that it returned the following year, and was repeated in 2003. ALEGRIA – Alegria has been the most frequently-staged Cirque show (performed in 1998, 1999, 2006 and 2007). The show takes its name from the Spanish word for joy, and it features performances from a palette of colourful characters around a theme of the delicate generational balance between the old order and the new order. DRALION – The next show brought to the Royal Albert Hall was Dralion – a truncation of dragon and lion, symbolising a meeting of east and west (performed in 2004 and 2005). In this show the ancient elements of earth, air, fire and water were given human form and voyaged through a magical futuristic dimension. VAREKAI – Varekai, staged in 2008 and 2010, imagined what would have happened if Icarus had not crashed not into the sea after flying too close to the sun, but had instead landed in a magical land of thick forests and fantastic creatures. QUIDAM – Quidam, which was staged in 2009 and again in 2014, is a show seen through the eyes of a bored youngster, ignored by her parents, who seeks escape in an imaginary world. She meets a vivid cast who encourage her to free her soul. (FASCINATION NOTE: Quidam’s 1999 tour in London was performed under the big top at Battersea Power Station). TOTEM – In Totem, performed in 2011 and 2012, the stage was constructed to resemble an island in the shape of a turtle shell and illustrated, through a visual and acrobatic language, the evolutionary progress of species. KOOZA – Kooza, Cirque’s most recent London show (visiting in 2013 and 2015), let audiences follow the story of a naïve young clown trying to find his place in the world. The canopy above the stage’s centrepiece “Bataclan” took 60 projectors to illuminate in order to create the extraordinary lighting effects. AMALUNA – The relationship shows no signs of ending, with Amaluna extending the association further when it arrives in the Hall in January. { SOURCE: Royal Albert Hall | http://goo.gl/d1tHJI } Meet La Nouba’s New Acts: B-boys and Aerial Bamboo {Dec.16.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- The three young men spin and twist and jump and flip. Dressed in vivid purple and blue, they create splashes of color among the drably dressed automatons that surround them onstage. In grays, khaki and tans, those drudges march as one, arms swinging mechanically, knees raised together. But not the colorful trio. Sometimes excitingly in sync, sometimes surprisingly freestyling, they offer a subversive spirit among the percussive beats. B-boys have come to “La Nouba,” Cirque du Soleil’s high-energy showcase of circus arts that has run at Walt Disney World since 1998. The athletic dance is one of two new acts in the show — and it’s the opening number. “It’s not a soft and sexy dance — it’s strong, it came from the streets,” says b-boy Dmytro Li. “I see a similarity to martial arts.” The b-boys spin on their heads and unfold their bodies to flip up off their backs with seeming ease. These are moves born in inner-city neighborhoods — and that’s exactly the vibe show director Daniel Ross wants. “‘La Nouba’ is a fairy tale but it starts with the idea of the big city,” he says. “We wanted something powerful and urban, but when you watch them you think, ‘How is this possible?’ That’s what b-boys share with the circus.” The B-Boys are Jean Carlos Lloret, Josh Ortiz and Dmytro Li. The other new act, a romantic aerial performance that’s both spellbinding and heart-stopping, is worlds apart from the aggressive energy of the b-boys. Spouses Alexander and Ekaterina Abramov say their love of performing is an extension of their love for each other. “We say it’s a love story that we project to the audience,” Ekaterina explains through an interpreter. “We are describing the story with the tricks we do in the air.” Called aerial bamboo, the traditional Chinese circus art is rarely performed today — “you can count the number of top professionals on one hand,” Ekaterina says. “Bamboo” remains only in the act’s name: The couple’s pole-like apparatus, suspended from the theater ceiling, is now made of stainless steel. In one remarkable sequence, Ekaterina dizzyingly spins with unnerving speed, supported by the strength of her partner. Joining “La Nouba” brought the Abramovs, who hail from Moscow, to the United States for the first time. “There are very good people here,” Ekaterina says. “Everyone is helping us.” Other firsts: This is the first b-boy act to appear in a Cirque show, and the first time this particular trio has performed together. “We feel each other very well,” Li says. “Maybe that was luck.” Born in the former Soviet Union, Li performs as the “Flying Buddha.” All the men sport nicknames, a defining aspect of b-boy culture: Bronx-born Josh Ortiz is known as “Incredible Josh.” Jean Carlos Lloret, a Puerto Rico native who grew up near Boston, is called “Bebo.” The guys were born in the 1980s, when break dancing exploded into pop culture. But they are quick to point out that true b- boying is different than what Hollywood portrayed in glossy movies such as “Flashdance.” “There’s a whole language to b-boy,” says Ortiz. “It’s from the original culture of hip-hop.” Like many before them, the guys discovered the b-boy world as a way to escape their everyday lives. “We grew up very poor. We didn’t have anything. School was terrible,” says Ortiz, who comes from a family of b-boys. “I channeled all my anger at everything into dancing.” Li, who credits Bruce Lee as an inspiration, had a martial-arts background — and preconceived ideas. “My mentality was that dancing is only for girls,” he says. As a teen, he had a change of heart when he observed other kids busting moves at summer camp. His reaction: “What is this? I want to do this!” The boys’ personal stories helped them stand out among the dozens hoping for a chance to join “La Nouba.” “What tipped the balance is what they had to say,” Ross says. “These guys were unique, and they were touching. They had something to give.” Their achievements helped, too: Lloret came in third on television’s “America’s Best Dance Crew” show in 2010 and appeared on “So You Think You Can Dance” and the film “Step Up Revolution.” Ortiz also appeared in “Step Up” movies and performed with Janet Jackson and Jennifer Lopez. Li has made TV and film appearances and has a string of victories in international competitions. The Abramovs have years of experience working in circuses in their homeland. They learned the intricate combination of balance and flexibility required for aerial bamboo about a decade ago from retiring Russian artists. “They were looking for a young couple to take over,” Ekaterina says. Her husband adds, “It’s a really rare act so they didn’t want it to disappear.” The two, who married in 2010 after 10 years of dating, have performed in Egypt, Spain, Italy, Thailand and Israel. They had been in discussions with Cirque du Soleil about working together for years — waiting until the right show came along. The grace and “poetic moments” of their act make them the perfect counterpoint to the b-boys, Ross says. To integrate the new segments, which replace the jump-rope and high-wire acts, Cirque brought back the original choreographer, composer and lighting designer of “La Nouba.” Newcomers to the show won’t realize it has changed, Ross says, but updates “can be an occasion to push a show forward.” SEE IMAGES OF THE NEW ACTS HERE: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=7261 > EARLIER: B-BOY ACT INTEGRATED (December 12th) < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=7068 > EARLIER: FIRST PICTURE OF AERIAL POLE (December 25th) < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=7202 > { SOURCE: The Orlando Sentinel | http://goo.gl/8nVQDC } Could This Be Luzia? (Probably Not.) {Dec.30.2015} ------------------------------------------------------- I ran across something interesting this afternoon, as I poked around the Internet looking for new information about Cirque du Soleil – a character and acts list for LUZIA. The information that I’m about to share with you was originally posted to WikiNews on December 11th, and then promptly deleted. Much of it is very suspect (Mister Fish, really? And sounds a lot like KURIOS with some wish-listing added too), but there could be a few nuggets of truth in there to make reading this worthwhile. We know that Hoop Diving is in the show as an example. If nothing else it will give us a few good laughs, right? So without further ado... CHARACTERS o) McLeach: a poacher, is on a quest in which he creates a machine to travel into another dimension to find the place where the possible and the impossible meet. o) Richo the Hummingbird: Richo’s Hummingbird costume allows him to bend way down or stand way up so he can be at eye level with absolutely everyone. o) Mr. Fish: An authority figure, Mr. Fish is the leader of the group. This serious chap is the embodiment of technological progress. o) Cody the Lion: Cody can receive alpha waves by turning on her heels and pointing her lion skirt in various directions. ACTS o) Juggling: An artist performs juggling infused with breakdancing and modern dance o) Bungee: A group of artists bounce and swing from the ceiling to the ground and back on bungees. o) Hand balancing: An artist performs handbalancing on canes. o) Contortion: The four wriggling artists execute a series of pyramids and figures using the Rainbow as a platform. o) Russian swing: Acrobats propel themselves high into the air with three sets of Russian swings and dive down into the Rain. o) Rola Bola: An Aviator balances on tubes on a platform suspended in mid-air. o) Flying Trapeze: Completing more than a dozen tricks in little more than six minutes, the Catchers have a particularly difficult job as they spend the majority of the performance upside down with little break in between. o) Shoulder pole wire: An original Alegría act, it featured a young performer who balanced a long pole on their shoulders with a tight wire platform on top. On this wire, a younger performer flipped, turned and leapt always keeping their balance. o) Teeterboard: Three feuding artists send each other flying high in the air in this energetic act. o) Hands Puppetry: The performers present a story of a person who hip-hops, swims, and later falls in love, using their hands as puppets dressed up in miniature shoes and hats. o) Hoop Diving: Acrobats jump through a tower of hoops, which is sometimes light. Take all this with a huge grain of salt! { SOURCE: WikiNews Archive } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Amaluna, Koozå, Kurios, Luzia & Totem} 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/ >, or for a more comprehensive tour listing, visit our Itinéraire section online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=6898 >. ------------------------------------ BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau ------------------------------------ Amaluna: Paris, FR -- Nov 5, 2015 to Jan 3, 2016 London, UK -- Jan 16, 2016 to Mar 6, 2016 Amsterdam, NL -- Mar 17, 2016 to May 1, 2016 Frankfurt, DE -- May 11, 2016 to Jun 12, 2016 Knokke-Heist, BE -- Jul 14, 2016 to TBA Koozå: Montevido, UY -- Mar 9, 2016 to Mar 20, 2016 Buenos Aires, AR -- Apr 21, 2016 to May 8, 2016 Next Stop: Australia Kurios: Los Angeles, CA -- Dec 10, 2015 to Feb 7, 2016 Atlanta, GA -- Mar 3, 2016 to May 8, 2016 Boston, MA -- May 26, 2016 to Jul 10, 2016 Washington, DC -- Jul 21, 2016 to Sep 18, 2016 New York City, NY -- Sep 30, 2016 to Nov 27, 2016 Luzia: Montreal, QC -- Apr 21, 2016 to Jul 16, 2016 Toronto, ON -- Jul 28, 2016 to Oct 16, 2016 San Francisco, CA -- Nov 10, 2016 to Jan 22, 2017 Seattle, WA -- Feb 2, 2017 to Mar 26, 2017 Calgary, AB -- Apr 6, 2017 to May 21, 2017 Totem: Tokyo, JP -- Feb 03, 2016 to Apr 10, 2016 Osaka, JP –- Jul 14, 2016 to Oct 2, 2016 Nagoya, JP –- Nov 10, 2016 to TBA Fukuoka, JP –- Feb 2017 to TBA Sendai, JP -– Apr 2017 to TBA ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ Quidam: 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 Aucland, NZ -- Feb 5, 2016 to Feb 14, 2016 Christchurch, NZ -- Feb 17, 2016 to Feb 26, 2016 ** FINAL SHOW: February 26, 2016 ** Varekai: 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 Antwerp, BE -- Mar 2, 2016 to Mar 6, 2016 Bordeaux, 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 Moscow, RU -- Apr 14, 2016 to Apr 24, 2016 St Petersburg, RU -- Apr 27, 2016 to May 8, 2016 Kazan, RU -- May 11, 2016 to May 15, 2016 Chelyabinsk, RU -- May 18, 2016 to May 22, 2016 Togliatti, RU -- May 25, 2016 to May 29, 2016 Sochi, RU -- Jun 2, 2016 to Jun 5, 2016 Zaragoza, ES -- Jun 29, 2016 to Jul 3, 2016 Santander, ES -- Jul 3, 2016 to Jul 10, 2016 Granada, ES -- Jul 13, 2016 to Jul 17, 2016 Murcia, ES -- Jul 20, 2016 to Jul 24, 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 Paris, FR -- Dec 6, 2016 to Dec 11, 2016 TORUK - The First Flight: Toronto, ON -- Jan 7, 2016 to Jan 10, 2016 Quebec City, QC -- Jan 14, 2016 to Jan 17, 2016 Auburn Hills, MI -- Jan 22, 2016 to Jan 24, 2016 Houston, TX -- Feb 11, 2016 to Feb 14, 2016 North Little Rock, AR -- Feb 17, 2016 to Feb 21, 2016 North Charleston, SC -- Feb 26, 2016 to Feb 28, 2016 Sunrise, FL -- Mar 3, 2016 to Mar 6, 2016 Miami, FL -- Mar 10, 2016 to Mar 13, 2016 Tampa, FL -- Mar 17, 2016 to Mar 20, 2016 Tulsa, OK -- Mar 24, 2016 to Mar 27, 2016 Kansas City, MO -- Mar 30, 2016 to Apr 3, 2016 Oklahoma City, OK -- Apr 6, 2016 to Apr 10, 2016 Louisville, KY -- Apr 28, 2016 to May 1, 2016 Cincinnati, OH -- May 4, 2016 to May 8, 2016 Columbus, OH -- May 11, 2016 to May 15, 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 Duluth, GA -- Jun 15, 2016 to Jun 19, 2016 Raleigh, NC -- Jun 22, 2016 to Jun 26, 2016 Ottawa, ON -- Jun 30, 2016 to Jul 3, 2016 Denver, CO -- Jul 21, 2016 to Jul 24, 2016 Lincoln, NE -- Jul 27, 2016 to Jul 31, 2016 Chicago, IL -- Aug 3, 2016 to Aug 7, 2016 Brooklyn, NY -- Sep 7, 2016 to Sep 11, 2016 Newark, NJ -- Sep 14, 2016 to Sep 18, 2016 OVO: Lake Charles, LA -- Apr 8, 2016 to Apr 10, 2016 Baton Rouge, LA -- Apr 14, 2016 to Apr 17, 2016 Greensboro, NC -- Apr 20, 2016 to Apr 24, 2016 Cleveland, OH -- Apr 27, 2016 to May 1, 2016 Syracuse, NY -- May 4, 2016 to May 6, 2016 Philadelphia, PA -- May 11, 2016 to May 15, 2016 Bangor, ME -- Jun 2, 2016 to Jun 5, 2016 Bridgeport, CT -- Jun 8, 2016 to Jun 12, 2016 Hartford, CT -- Jun 15, 2016 to Jun 19, 2016 Atlantic City, NJ -- Jun 22, 2016 to Jun 26, 2016 Charlotte, NC -- Jul 6, 2016 to Jul 10, 2016 Portland, ME -- TBA --------------------------------- 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 2016 Dark Dates: o January 2 – 13, 2016 o February 7, 2016 o March 16, 2016 o May 7 – 11, 2016 o July 6, 2016 o September 10 – 14, 2016 o November 9, 2016 Special / Limited Performances: o March 12, 2016 (7pm Proceeds Donated to One Drop) o June 18, 2016 (Only 7pm performance) o June 19, 2016 (Only 7pm performance) o December 29, 2016 (Two Shows) "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm 2016 Dark Dates: o February 7, 2016 o March 18 o April 11-19 o June 12 La Nouba: Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm 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) 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) 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) CRISS ANGEL BELIEVE: Location: Luxor, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm ZARKANA: Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm ** UNTIL APRIL 30, 2016 ** 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 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 ======================================================================= o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub o) DidYaKnow? -- Facts About Cirque o) Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube --------------------------------------------------- CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub --------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil Webseries ------------------------------------------------------ *) THE STORY OF AN ENCOUNTER: LUZIA Cirque du Soleil's 38th original production - ‘LUZIA” - is a new touring show under the big top. The name LUZIA fuses the sound of “luz” (light in Spanish) and “lluvia” (rain), two elements at the core of the show’s creation. This new webseries, which will begin in 2016, documents the show's creation. o) EPISODE 0: THE TEASER December 18, 2015 Have a sneak peak at Cirque’s new web-series for 2016: The Story of an Encounter! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/eH9z7b > *) KURIOS ABOUT... Two new episodes of the Kurios About... webseries were posted this month. Follow the cast and crew of KURIOS on tour, and find out what hides in their Cabinet of Curiosities. From the Big Top to Costumes, Make-up, Food and much more, the 12 episodes KURIOS About The Webseries gives fans a behind-the-scenes peek at the Cirque du Soleil’s 35th creation. Explore our universe and reality from the eyes of an insider, see the artists and the staff work with devotion to make the show happen day after day and discover how unique our on tour lifestyle is. o) EPISODE 6: THE FOOD December 1, 2015 Here in the KURIOS Kitchen, we are the total opposite of a typical restaurant: The menu changes but the clientele stay the same. Find out how we keep the moral of the cast and crew of KURIOS high every day. LINK /// < https://youtu.be/N1P1MKAImxg > *) KA: BEHIND THE BLOCKBUSTER o) EPISODE 1: THE THEATER December 1, 2015 The KÀ theatre was the first live performance space to incorporate speakers into every seat. With more than 5,000 speakers, over 3,000 lighting instruments, and truly impressive moving platforms, the theatre at MGM Grand in Las Vegas is one of the most phenomenal stage accomplishments Cirque du Soleil has ever achieved. This video describes every major performance space used in KÀ. LINK /// < https://youtu.be/csS2N5YDtu4 > o) EPISODE 2: WARDROBE TOUR December 16, 2015 KÀ’s Head of Wardrobe, Eric Wood, gives us a sneak peak at the costumes, wigs, and makeup in the wardrobe department for the show. Each KÀ performance involves approximately 1,600 costume pieces, 16 wigs, and 20 loads of laundry! Watch Eric share the story behind some of the outfits and reveal interesting details about the unique approach Cirque du Soleil takes to costume creation. LINK /// < https://youtu.be/GJyzAmgmJP0 > o) EPISODE 3: THE MUSIC December 29, 2015 The music in KÀ combines epic, cinematic moments with super high rock’n’roll energy. In this video, KÀ’s Musical Director and Conductor describes the process of what he calls “real- time film scoring”. Go behind the scenes with him and the off-stage band of KÀ by Cirque du Soleil to experience the extraordinary, powerful music of the show. LINK /// < https://youtu.be/8PTXxJxMJUc > --------------------------------------- DIDYAKNOW?: Facts About Cirque --------------------------------------- o) Did you know: Over 110 different make-up colors are used by JOYA's artist in the show? It’s definitely worth seeing them in person! o) Did you know: Seventy specialists in Montreal’s Cirque du Soleil headquarters worked more than 35,000 hours to produce the first full set of costumes for KA? o) Did you know: The material of the trench coats worn by the “Smooth Criminal” characters in MJ ONE is made of a high-end French fabric woven from a plastic material? When the rhythmic gymnasts do cartwheels, their coat seem to hang in the air, emphasizing their graceful, swirling motions. o) Did you know: The costume department for Mystere created plaster heads of each artist? This is done to insure a proper fit and prevent their hats and wigs from falling during the performance. o) Did you know: It takes 21 trucks to move Varekai's equipment from city to city? --------------------------------------------------- NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter --------------------------------------------------- {Compiled by Keith Johnson} ---[ AMALUNA ]--- {Dec.19} The Royal Albert Hall but together a nice little Christmas video featuring various artists, including Amaluna! You can watch it here! VIDEO /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozPnQ7T0XQY > ---[ CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ]-- {Dec.03} Here's a sneak peek of some of the Cirque acrobatics you'll see during The Wiz Live. VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/WH4PPU > {Dec.04} Last night’s The Wiz Live featured some amazing acrobatics by Cirque artists. See how they got ready for the show in the video below and learn more about the upcoming Broadway revival: VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/2a0aI4 > {Dec.21} Introducing the first ever “Cirque Sessions” from backstage at the TORUK premiere at Centre Bell in Montreal! VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/JD5VtH > {Dec.23} Experience the backstage view of our artists in warm up, minutes before showtime. VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/EtcO5Q > {Dec.30} Always dreamed of trying pole dancing? What are you waiting for? Here is how it feels to spin upside-down! VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/cE0smC > {Dec.31} 2015 has been an exciting year for us! Check out some of the year’s top moments. VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/ao6de3 > ---[ CORTEO ]--- {Dec.01} Last two weeks of Corteo in Quito. FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/puipQM > {Dec.06} Angelita checking her "look" for the show today! FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/PL7Fi2 > {Dec.10} We only got 7 shows! All lots are members of the bar high send much love. FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/6CSVHn > {Dec.11} We have 5 shows and 3 days for the grand finale! The group of paradise sends a lot of strength!!!! FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/wNNLbM > {Dec.12} We’ve only got 3 shows in 2 days, and we remember every single detail. FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/TyZzGY > ---[ JOYA ]--- {Dec.04} Would you like to know more about the technical side of our show? Discover interesting data in this month's edition of SoundcheckMx magazine. [ED NOTE: Spanish Only!] LINK /// < http://goo.gl/GDT3sz > ---[ KOOZA ]--- {Dec.13} Check out hour our Trickster trains to perfect his jump outside the box move! VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/5yXkW4 > {Dec.24} Happy Holidays to each one of you from KOOZA! FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/Zgr2LH > ---[ KURIOS ]--- {Dec.11} Our characters were happy to participate in the ABC 7 Spark Of Love event today, bringing gifts from our cast and crew. FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/8QDXfb > {Dec.17} KURIOS premiered in Los Angeles last week and it was a great celebration with the Angelinos. Here is a little recap video of our evening! VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/2zOrYF > {Dec.24} Feliz Navidad, Happy Holidays from the cast KURIOS! VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/E7Udm3 > ---[ LA NOUBA ]--- {Dec.08} Ready for show and tell? Here’s a fun little story all about Pablo and Pablo! VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/xRkTZc > ---[ "O" ]--- {Dec.29} In the theatre of your mind, who will you choose to play? In this theatre, who will you choose to play with? VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/wbmE7O > ---[ QUIDAM ]--- {Dec.10} Here it is... the first Quidam Premiere of our last leg. Our Ringmaster Mark is ready to start the show. FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/rQbyH2 > {Dec.23} Getting ready for the show, guess what's on our minds? FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/4g3eEE > {Dec.28} How do you spend your time off at the beach? Our Banquine team spent it paying homage to the lost art of Beachobatics! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Kkr51t2 > {Dec.31} HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2016 will be a special year for Quidam and we are kicking it in style, on the beach doing what we do best. Standby year 2016 and show #6351. GO! FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/jhpxNQ > ---[ TORUK ]--- {Dec.06} Thanks Allentown for making our visit an unforgettable one! FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/BtBB21 > {Dec.08} Behind the scenes with a few of the incredible technicians that help bring TORUK to life every show! FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/WmKwVO > {Dec.10} How many puppeteers does it take to bring the TORUK to life? FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/CpGqED > {Dec.21} Montreal, the wait is finally over! The artists are ready for our world premiere. Are you? VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/f3CRVK > {Dec.21} It's been a long road to our world premiere for our artists and tonight they finally make their big Cirque hometown debut. See how they’re feeling about the big night! VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/bmQgkk > {Dec.21} Merci, thank you Montreal! VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/wPPQ5t > {Dec.23} Couldn’t make it to our world premiere? See what the buzz is all about! VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/XUeTzz > {Dec.23} The reviews are in! Among them, Le Devoir calls TORUK the most successful marriage between circus, theater, and cinema! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/0ok6wo > {Dec.26} A calm backstage right as the show begins FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/AuKq8I > {Dec.29} Cirque du Soleil is innovating with TORUK. See why. VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/vMhHv2 > {Dec.30} Getting into character. Do you know what his name is? (Answer: Ralu) FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/j1Gn3s > {Dec.31} From our family to yours... VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/maJ62D > ---[ TOTEM ]--- {Dec.12} Tonight marks the last performance of original cast members Alevtyna Titarenko (Rings Trio/Hand-to-Hand) and Gael Ouisse (Rings Trio/Hand-to-Hand/Escalade) who are moving on to new adventures! Best of luck and keep shining on and off stage!! FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/UfB2gZ > FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/C7Vloy > {Dec.13} Thank you Singapore! We are sarying goodbye tonight to key members of the tour who are moving on to new projects! Thank you for everything Yang Jie, Josh, Alya, Gael, Etienne, Mi Jang, Jordyn, Angie, Kevin, Gabriel, Pete, Corinne, Bianca, Dominique, Annie-Claude, Jake, Daniel, Philippe, Sarah, Mariana, Cleisson, Toni, Philip, Hrsto, Marc, Sparky, Réjean and Lyne! {Dec.14} Ever wondered how it is when our artists fly home for the holidays? FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/X92F9X > {Dec.16} Looking for fitness exercises to start the new year? What do you think of Oyuna's push-ups? VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/kSiGui > {Dec.22} Our Japanese house is going up! In Japan, Cirque du Soleil shows perform in a custom-made dome which is raised with cranes and is made to resist earthquakes. We can't wait to see you in our new home, starting February 3rd in Odaiba! FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/hELs1O > {Dec.23} Even though we're off on vacations at the four corners of the planet, we wish our fans from around the world Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays! May this magical season make your wish come true! VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/vh368S > {Dec.26} Singapore Tatler featured last month an 8-page Fashion Photo Story shot at the Big Top with some of your favorite acts and characters. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/G2rWkJ > ---[ VAREKAI ]--- {Dec.02} Ready for Opening night at the Olympiahalle München! (ED: Look at the space between the “floor” seats and the "grandstand" seats!) FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/32HMye > {Dec.20} We are delighted to begin our tour in Coruna. VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/viD8FP > {Dec.21} Join us in wishing TORUK-The First Flight a fantastic world premiere and a wonderful tour! Best of luck to all cast and crew. VIDEO /// < https://goo.gl/rKh6SG > {Dec.25} Its business as usual for the cast of Varekai in A Coruña on this Christmas day! Merry Christmas to all of you who follow our adventures around the world. {Dec.30} Today was a very special day! We did a function at La Pedrera-Casa Milà in Barcelona! It was wonderful! Stay tuned for more photos. FOTO /// < https://goo.gl/rg55ap > ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= o) LOOK BACK: Guy Laliberte's Poetic Social Mission PART 5 of 8: "T-30 Days and Counting" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) o) SPECIAL /// "TORUK-The First Flight Premieres" Written By: Brendan Kelly, The Montreal Gazette o) FANS REVIEW CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: - “CREACTIVE at PUNA CANA” – by “The Trickster” - “LA NOUBA w/B-BOYS” - by “MungoJerrie” - “AMALUNA in PARIS” - by Aidan Lam ------------------------------------------------------------ LOOK BACK: Guy Laliberte's Poetic Social Mission PART 5 of 8: "T-30 Days and Counting" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) ------------------------------------------------------------ Six years ago, on September 30, 2009, a civilian became a spaceflight participant aboard Soyuz TMA-16, a manned flight from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Joining two members of the Expedition 21 crew – Russian cosmonaut Maksim Surayev (Commander, from the Russian Federal Space Agency, FSA) and NASA Astronaut Jeffery Williams (Flight Engineer) – was Guy Laliberté, who paid approximately $35 million USD for his seat through the American firm Space Adventures, becoming the first Canadian space tourist in the process. Besides fulfilling a life-long dream, Laliberté’s spaceflight was dedicated to raising awareness on water issues facing humankind on planet Earth, making his spaceflight the first – in his words – “poetic social mission” in space. And much of this experience was captured on film and recently spun into a feature-length documentary entitled TOUCH THE SKY. While the documentary is a compelling visual look into the experience, the adventure was also captured by Laliberté himself in the form of an online journal. At the time these events were originally taking place, we here at Fascination were more concerned with the happenings here on Earth – with BELIEVE, ZAIA, ZED, OVO, VIVA ELVIS, and BANANA SHPEEL – so we didn’t give much thought to this endeavor. However, thanks to the recently discovered documentary (the aforementioned TOUCH THE SKY), we recently re-discovered a text-copy of this journal in our archives, which allows us to explore this extraordinary time in Cirque du Soleil’s history in more detail. Thus in this series we’ll be taking a look back at Guy’s Poetic Social Mission through his eyes, from the journal, in monthly installments, taking you through the initial steps Guy undertook all the way through to the launch and landing. In Part 1, "The Countdown Begins" we listened as Guy took us through his first steps. In Part 2, "Training Kicks Up a Notch", Guy got settled in, and passed a few essential tests. In Part 3, "Getting My Hands Dirty", Guy gets down into the nuts and bolts of his training. In Part 4, “From Training to Reality”, Guy gets a bit more hands on with the actual equipment he’ll be flying in. And now we continue with September’s logs... there’s only 30 days left to go! # # # POST 59 | DAY 158 - September 01, 2009 FEELING SICK I slept badly and woke up with a sore throat and a slight fever. Uh- oh. That’s all it takes for me to become paranoid. I start asking myself all sorts of questions. Why do I have these symptoms? Is it the pressure? The lack of sleep? I absolutely refuse to have come this far for nothing! As this is really not a good time to be sick, I prepare myself an anti-flu cocktail: Benylin, homeopathic flu buster, NeoCitran, Vicks… the whole kit and caboodle! So I could get some rest, I immediately called Renée-Claude to cancel the interviews that were scheduled with journalists that evening. I also decided to cancel the weekend I had planned with friends in Moscow to celebrate my 50th birthday. I wasn’t willing to take the risk of some more nights of poor sleep that would further weaken my immune system. Taking my glazed look along with me, I nonetheless dragged myself to our workout session in the ISS! Given the limited space, my partners reacted quite strongly to the not-so-subtle scent of camphor I was wearing! I told them I was fighting the flu and was afraid of being contagious, but they didn’t seem to worry… Perfect timing: according to our schedule, we were supposed to finish at 6:00 p.m. but we finished at 1:00 instead (well, Jeff and I, that is). So I went back to my apartment to rest and was able to take a very sudorific 2-hour nap! Then the telephone started ringing non-stop and I worked on the last details of the press conference. * * * POST 60 | DAY 159 - September 02, 2009 MY 50TH BDAY My last posts come to you a bit late and I’d like to apologize for this delay. Organizing the September 2nd press conference kept me quite busy, but I have lots to tell you about this special day. I hope you enjoy reading about it in the 3 posts I’ve prepared, which cover days 159, 160 and 161. According to my schedule for Wednesday, I was only starting my day at 11:00 a.m., which was lucky for me since the bout of fever and the sweating the night before had disturbed my sleep. My eyes still looked dull when I woke up but that didn’t keep me from being in good spirits: it was my birthday! Poking my head outside the door, I discovered magnificent scenery: the first rays of the sun shining through the mist rising off the lake. I took a few minutes to express my gratitude to life for everything it had given me over the last 50 years. And I made myself smile by placing an order for 50 more of the same, all the while being fully aware that life has been very good to me so far: no matter what lies ahead, I’ve already received more than my share of blessings. After my workout at 6:00 p.m., I immediately contacted the team in Montréal and we went over all the details together. Then, I headed to the cottage where my film crew is staying and where everything was set up for the press conference. * * * POST 61 | DAY 160 - September 03, 2009 PRESS CONFERENCE My last posts come to you a bit late and I’d like to apologize for this delay. Organizing the September 2nd press conference kept me quite busy, but I have lots to tell you about this special day. I hope you enjoy reading about it in the 3 posts I’ve prepared, which cover days 159, 160 and 161. Since the press conference was broadcasted live on the Web, we were all a bit anxious since this type of transmission is complicated to do from here. The technicians were nervous and so was I. After all, I would be announcing an event that I’m proud of, all the more so because we had little time to set it up. I was proud of my team and happy to unveil the details to all. I truly believe that it’ll be terrific. A technical problem arose a few minutes after starting the press conference. Luckily for us, we had allowed for a delay! The technicians were quick to act and we took everything from the start. I had a lot of information to give in French AND in English, in addition to answering the many questions asked. Overall, everything went well but I’ve come to realize that, despite my experience, press conferences are not the form of interview where I feel most at ease! After the conference, my team came out with champagne to celebrate my birthday so, even though I was tired, I took the time to enjoy it with them. I also tasted a wine that’s as old as I am! It felt odd to discover that a 50-year old wine can retain its qualities… I hope the same can be said of me! ;-) I also received a very nice surprise from the staff back at my office. They had put together a whole “outer-space special” on video to mark my 50th birthday, which really made me laugh! And then the film crew made us all laugh with their montage of bloopers shot last week when Claudia and the kids came to visit me in Star City! To top it all off, Vladmir, the cottage owner, came with his 2 grandchildren to give me a present, a clown doll, which I found really adorable. I headed back to my room early, my heart filled with joy, touched by everyone’s thoughtfulness. When I stepped into my room, I saw that I had received quite a lot of birthday calls, text messages and e-mails but I was just too exhausted. I’m sorry for not answering you all but I think that if I had, I’d still be at it right now! Before calling it a day, I briefly went on the Internet and was happy to see that the conference seemed to have reached its goal. * * * POST 62 | DAY 161 - September 04, 2009 “OFFICIAL” BIRTHDAY DINNER My last posts come to you a bit late and I’d like to apologize for this delay. Organizing the September 2nd press conference kept me quite busy, but I have lots to tell you about this special day. I hope you enjoy reading about it in the 3 posts I’ve prepared, which cover days 159, 160 and 161. I woke up feeling much better. It looks as though I was able to get rid of this flu. I was also scheduled to start quite late that day, which was perfect. I had feared a very intense and busy week but, as it turned out, it was the least demanding week in terms of training hours: a beautiful birthday gift! We had an exam in the afternoon and everything went well for our team. We also had very interesting meetings with experts who will be taking part in our mission. At the end of the day, I was interviewed by a correspondent from La Presse, a Montréal daily, followed by an “official” birthday dinner organized by Geneviève, with my cosmonauts/astronauts, part of the Space Adventures team, the film crew, and so on. It was a quiet evening, but very pleasant, with more delicious Armenian shashliks on the table! Of course, in keeping with Russian tradition, we raised our glasses many times throughout the meal. One toast from Max and Jeff touched me deeply. I’m truly proud and honoured to do this trip with these two wonderful people and delighted to see that our relationship is getting stronger every day. The meal ended with my favourite Russian crepe cake, complete with cream and strawberries, that I’ve managed to resist since my arrival in Star City—but not today! My film team then presented me with a video montage (a secret request from Geneviève!) of birthday wishes from friends and family members, and even from the ISS team! This beautiful token of friendship is proof to me that the small gestures are those that make us live the most intense emotions. The evening came to an end quite early because my 2 two partners had a centrifuge test the next day. Oh, how I sympathized! I did offer them an exchange (their centrifuge test for my vestibular test in Baikonur), but they didn’t accept. It’s strange that no one wishes to exchange anything for the vestibular test, don’t you think? And so I went to bed early, my head filled with all those lovely video messages and my heart filled with love. * * * POST 63 | DAY 163 - September 06, 2009 QUIET WEEK-END As soon as I got up on Friday, I went for a swim before my class on communication methods and an exam on how to install our seats and pack our effects on board the Soyuz. Once my week was over, I felt completely drained but happy, and was looking forward to a quiet weekend. And so, on Saturday, September 5, I took advantage of my time off to clean my mess (clothes, food, paperwork and so on), go through my backlog, return my calls, get a massage… Though I would have loved to see my friends in Moscow, it was wise of me to stay put and be productive instead (while keeping nice and quiet!). By the end of the day, my apartment looked spick-and-span. And I slept like a bear in winter! On Sunday, I had planned to rearrange the music in my iTunes (this is a hobby of mine that I hadn’t done in quite a while), but I was very disappointed to discover that my application wasn’t working! Since it was Sunday, there were no technicians available, so my project ended right then and there. :( As it was nice outside, I used my free time to go for a long walk, then I filed photos, made a few more calls and watched some movies. All in all, not a bad thing! I guess this goes to show you that things usually happen for a reason… Sadly, I don’t have any pictures of bed sheets to show you this week since I happened to be bedridden on the day when the cleaning is usually done. They weren’t able to make my bed, so they left me with the same sheets (and my germs…) as the week before. * * * POST 64 | DAY 164 - September 07, 2009 PREPARING FOR SIMULATIONS Big week ahead! This is our final week of exams and a very important moment for the team since each one of us will be tested by members of the commission, Energia and all the other partners. To receive permission to fly and be approved as a flight crew, good grades are essential! It’s also a question of honour, since it involves the team’s reputation. I’m trying to remain calm and focused—I don’t want my team to lose points because of me! Together, on Monday morning, we reviewed our work plan for the simulation exercise aboard the ISS, including each member’s responsibilities, the sequence to follow, etc. In the afternoon, we prepared for the simulation exercise aboard the Soyuz. Though this day was a statutory holiday in Canada and the United States, just a glance at the state of my room would tell you that it was definitely not a work-free day for me! As usual on Monday evenings, I had lots to do, which I handled as quickly as possible since I needed to go over all my course material and mentally prepare myself. The key is to remain focused throughout the next two days. * * * POST 65 | DAY 165 - September 08, 2009 SIMULATION IN THE ISS Before I describe my day, let me briefly explain to you the procedure that precedes a simulation exercise. First, we report back to the members of the commission in the big room where the simulator is located. (Today, there were a lot of people.) First, we salute our instructors, then the hank-ranking officials (called the Big Bananas by the people here!). According to protocol, the three of us must remain standing, facing a table on which lay our flag and several envelopes. One of the crew members must choose an envelope, which all three of us sign and then hand back to one of the officials. This envelope contains a “surprise” exam that is added to our work plan, to test how well we do when faced with an unusual situation. Let’s just hope we won’t be ejected from the building one day! Today, our simulation exercise in the ISS started out slowly but surely. We dealt with a few communication problems, some of our equipment broke down and we had to extinguish a fire (no less!). All we needed to top it all off was a battle with Darth Vader! Usually, when we have simulation days such as this one, we get together afterwards for lunch with the backup team, and we use this time to continue our preparations for the afternoon. At lunchtime today, though, the backup team didn’t show up—we found out they hadn’t finished their simulation exercise in the Soyuz. Needless to say, we were quite puzzled! And so, to get back to the procedure, the officials watch us all day and, at the end, they give us their comments. This is sometimes followed by some debating, since we’re allowed to explain the reasons behind our decisions. Today, we were given a perfect mark: 5 out of 5! Once this was over, we went to see what was going on with the backup team, who were in the Soyuz while we were in the ISS. They were in the process of receiving their marks. This was interesting for us since they made a few mistakes that would certainly be useful for us the next day… In the evening, I had interviews, meetings and videos to prepare for the mission log. I still had a good night’s sleep and was feeling well rested the next morning. * * * POST 66 | DAY 166 - September 09, 2009 SIMULATION IN THE SOYUZ On Wednesday, the simulations continued and we followed the same protocol here as for the ISS simulation: we put our spacesuits on, stood facing the table, picked an envelope and off we went for another simulation—in very good spirits. I had less tasks to carry out this time since the exercises were intended more for the commanding officer and the engineer. Once again, we received a perfect mark: 5 out of 5. We were proud as peacocks! Following tradition, the two crews (us and the backups) invited the officials for drinks and hors d’oeuvres once the two simulations were over. We raised our vodka-filled glasses to this and to that… and it didn’t take long before we were all hugging, congratulating and thanking each other, paying compliments and offering words of support. It also didn’t take long for the clown in me to be slightly tipsy! What followed afterwards was probably the most dangerous part of my training: pedaling my way back to my apartment, safe and sound! Keeping my balance was quite a challenge, as was avoiding all the obstacles on my path that the vodka had conveniently erased from my mind: holes in the road, wild—and truly terrorizing—dogs… and I forgot all the rest! When I finally made it to my apartment, I succeeded in calling my love via Skype (I don’t think I was extremely coherent) and then plopped onto my bed fully dressed! At least I wasn’t aware of being attacked by mosquitoes that night. But maybe I killed them all with my new extra-strength vaporizer: my vodka-laced breath! * * * POST 67 | DAY 167 - SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 BEGINNING OF OFFICIAL CEREMONIES On Thursday, September 10, my mind and body were able to function normally once again after a good shower. Today was another formal day, starting with a meeting with the high-ranking officials in Star City. Today (and I know you’ll have a good laugh at this one), is also the beginning of a series of important official ceremonies where I’ll be required to wear a tie! I congratulated myself for having snatched a few during my last weekends in Moscow and was relieved to find a black one that perfectly matched my black jacket. :) However, I needed the kind help of a “tie-knot” expert—Marsel to be specific! Once the briefing with the high-ranking officials was over, we headed over to the White Hall for the projection of a slide show displaying all the training we’ve followed. Then, we went back to the office where the doctor gave us certain instructions and handed us an anti-virus kit that included hand soap and alcohol—no, not vodka—wipes, since we will be put in semi- quarantine as of tomorrow. Without cutting ourselves off from others, we will have to avoid crowds, not shake hands with someone who seems ill and disinfect our hands often. So, if one of us refuses to shake your hand, this may be a sign that you should see a doctor! The doctor’s visit was followed by the press conference where, once again, I was asked a lot of questions. We then went on to the Star City museum, in Gagarin’s old office, for another tradition that involves signing the book that contains all the signatures of astronauts, and adding a personal message. I wrote a line that means everything to me: “Today, I feel like the Little Prince.” Afterwards, we all went to Moscow to visit the Red Square. The visit started in a very touching fashion: we laid flowers on the grave of certain cosmonauts, including Gagarin’s. We also did a private visit of the Red Square buildings. This was very pleasant, since the wives, the children and the guides were with us. I was the only one without his family, so needless to say, I missed them even more. The visit over, my teammates were officially on a 5-day vacation. As for me, I’ll have to wait till Christmas unfortunately. :( I spent a part of the evening in interviews with the Russian press to talk about the Poetic Social Mission as well as the Varekai show that starts in Moscow next October 23. I wanted to make the most of my time in Moscow, so I invited my coordinator, Geneviève, my film crew, and one of the Cirque du Soleil partners in Russia, Craig Cohon, to the Nobu restaurant to celebrate this last step in the examination process. I was pleased to have them taste new types of sushi (though Geneviève, of course, insisted on having maki!) and some good bottles of sake. We were so drowsy on our way back to Star City that I think our snores were powerful enough to push the minibus forward! That night, I had the weirdest dreams since I started training, and I tossed and turned so much that I hardly slept. Luckily, I didn’t dream about dying of suffocation under a sumo wrestler! The fact that I’m about to start another chapter of this adventure probably explains why I’m so restless. * * * POST 68 | DAY 168 - SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 SURVIVAL COURSE I woke up a bit confused on Friday, dragging my feet after an almost sleepless night. My training that day was difficult: it was our survival course and practice that would teach us emergency techniques should the Soyuz land in water or in the mountains or catch fire… The toughest practice was in the afternoon, after the simulation exercise in water. This was the first time we were testing the Soyuz in a sort of real-life situation, i.e., with all our luggage around us and the doors closed. Noting the little space available gave me a little shock—and the fact that we had quite an imposing trainer in between us added to this claustrophobic feeling! So for 2 hours, the exercise involved removing our spacesuit, and putting on a jumpsuit, then another one (a winter one, this time), a waterproof suit, then our life buoy. And there you have it! What you should also know is that we had to change in a space about the size of one person. I think I lost 2 kilos during this exercise! All this took place with the rescue team (the first members to arrive on the scene after a landing), in an old warehouse where older Soyuz spacecraft and flags of the Soviet Union are stored. After this experience, I enjoyed a wonderful 2-hour swim in cool, soothing water. A sheer delight! And, just to stay on the topic of water, my day ended with a ONE DROP board meeting. * * * POST 69 | DAY 170 - SEPTEMBER 13, 2009 I AM READY! I almost (and I do say ALMOST) had a weekend off, but no! The only moment of relaxation consisted of a massage on Saturday, September 12. After this 90-minute break, I went over the last details of our show Poetic Social Mission: Moving Stars and Earth for Water with my creative director, Fernand Rainville, and the executive producer, Martin Dignard. What’s great is that new artists have confirmed and I find it really encouraging to have such strong support. For certain cities, the show is really well organized and for others, we see that there’s still a lot to do. Luckily for me, I don’t have any hair left on my head to tear out! But it’s all part of the challenge and we knew what to expect, so we’ll deal with it! On Sunday, we had a little brunch in the American cottage: a good breakfast and Bloody Marys! The atmosphere was very relaxed and friendly, but I had to leave early because I had a work session in the afternoon to film the backup sequences for our show. The work session finished right on time: I was able to listen to the Italian Grand Prix and talk via Skype to my oldest son, who was celebrating his birthday. I then listened to a few films and went to bed for a nice long sleep. The week went by so fast. I’m eager to leave for Baikonur now and to start preparing myself mentally for the launch. I can’t wait to live these last moments of preparation. I really am ready! * * * POST 70 | DAY 171 - SEPTEMBER 14, 2009 IN THE WATER So here we are finally! Only a few days before our departure for Baikonur! On Monday, September 14, Barbara and I had our last course (actually, the second part of last Friday’s course). It consisted in helicopter rescue operation simulations in the Hydrolab. The training facilities here are similar to those we saw in Houston. First of all, we underwent a brief medical examination (blood pressure, heart rate and so on) followed by a short theoretical preparation. The three simulations consisted in a ground exercise with our survival suits on, then a helicopter rescue exercise wearing our spacesuits and, to finish, a rescue-at-sea exercise during which we had to wear our water suits over 3 layers of clothing. Everything went smoothly and we were even able to have a few laughs! As I was leaving the Hydrolab, I bumped into a group of Quebecers whose visit of Russia included a stop in Star City. We talked a bit and took a group picture. It was a really pleasant encounter. This was followed by an interview with Radio-Canada, a 2-km swim and, to top it all off, a Cirque du Soleil board meeting. Of course, I also had to continue packing my bags! * * * POST 71 | DAY 172 - SEPTEMBER 15, 2009 OFFICIAL VISIT Tuesday, September 15, was another “protocol and tie” day, since it was our official visit with Mr. Anatoly Perminov, head of Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency. The main and backup crews were both present. While we were waiting for Maxim and Sasha (the other commander), who were on their way back from a weekend in the country, we thought of escaping to McDonald’s but our doctors wouldn’t let us! To think that this is the first time I feel like eating junk food since I arrived here and it’s forbidden! We ended up in the Roscosmos canteen, which was just as well. Our afternoon at Roscosmos was very pleasant, filled with good discussions, pictures, congratulations, gifts, etc. That evening, I took part in a Noyau créatif(creative nucleus) of Cirque du Soleil held in Montréal, then made a few phone calls since my objective was to settle all work-related issues during the next two days. This was a “last call” of sorts since I wouldn’t be speaking to my team until possibly a week after my return to earth. I’m well prepared in terms of physical, theoretical and technical training. It’s now time for me to prepare myself mentally. Everyone here tells me to rest well, so I followed their advice that night and had a good night’s sleep! * * * POST 72 | DAY 173 - SEPTEMBER 16, 2009 LAST DAY IN STAR CITY On Wednesday, September 16, we had a brief medical follow-up in the morning then met the medical heads to review the medical procedures with them. That afternoon was another busy one for me: shooting of special images with my film crew, a final training on the various camera equipment with Marsel (also a professional photographer) from Space Adventures and with Alain, one of my cameramen, a long meeting with Fernand Rainville and many personal calls. Since I had been told that the pool in Baikonur wouldn’t be available, I also took this time to swim a few laps. I finished the day with a teleconference meeting at 9:30 p.m. with Frank Devine (he was in the ISS, I was in one of the Star City buildings) to explain to him the segments that would involve his participation during the October 9th event. My bags were all packed and I was ready for the big trip! I was filled with all sorts of emotions, ranging from relief to excitement. # # # TO BE CONTINUED... Next month we’ll continue with “Departure for Baikonur” (September 2009, Pt 2), “Moving Stars and Earth for Water” (On Orbit), and finishing up with “Back on Earth – Mission Success!” Stay tuned! ------------------------------------------------------------ "TORUK-The First Flight Premieres in Montreal" Special Reprint By: Brendan Kelly, Montreal Gazette ------------------------------------------------------------ What follows is a series of articles written by Brendan Kelly (save one, the last), which were published in the Montreal Gazette in celebration of TORUK-The First Flight’s premiere there. THREE VIEWS OF LIFE ON PANDORA ------------------------------ Gabriel Christo, who plays the Na’vi character Ralu: “This has much more of a storyline (compared to other Cirque shows), and being a lead, I’m on stage 95 per cent of the time, and that requires a lot of awareness. It also requires a lot of cardio. It’s also a big amount of responsibility. We’re speaking Na’vi, and the more we learn, the more we’re going to add into the show. We know there are Avatar fans coming to the show that know Na’vi, so we can’t just make up words. We have to really know it. Na’vi is my fourth language. I speak Portuguese, Spanish, English and a little bit of Na’vi. I learned all these languages with Cirque because we travel everywhere.” One of the challenges for Patrick Martel (left, with Viperwolf and set designer Carl Fillion) is that a Toruk puppet is “not a 3D image. It’s a real object.” Patrick Martel, puppet designer: “The challenge when you’re creating something that was seen in the film Avatar is that the audience has seen these creatures before and they’ll recognize them, and they have to feel the same pleasure they had when they saw them in the film. The other challenge is it’s not a 3D image. It’s a real object. The challenge for the new creatures who were not in the film is to make sure the puppets fit in the Avatar universe.” Costume designer Kym Barrett had to keep in mind she was creating for Na’vi characters, “who are much taller and slimmer.” Kym Barrett, costume designer: “The idea of trying to create those kinds of colours on stage was a challenge, and also to create for Na’vi, who are much taller and slimmer. So that was the technical challenge. We’re not recreating the movie. We’re creating the world of the past, the archeological beginnings of the movie. So that gave us a little more freedom.” TORUK-AT A GLANCE ----------------- The latest Cirque du Soleil show, Toruk — The First Flight, inspired by Canadian director James Cameron’s 2009 blockbuster film Avatar, has its official world première Monday at the Bell Centre, though it was road-tested for several weeks in smaller markets in Louisiana, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. It will then tour arenas across the continent until at least September, with runs scheduled in 26 other cities. But if Toruk writer-directors Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon are feeling the pressure, they’re certainly doing a good job of hiding it. We were sitting recently in a lounge at the Cirque’s massive world headquarters in St-Michel, and the two seasoned Montreal multimedia creators looked mighty relaxed, talking about the lengthy creative process behind this ambitious reboot of the most successful movie ever made — a strange tale of human-like creatures on a moon named Pandora, far from Earth. This is a huge deal for the Cirque. It is the company’s first major production since founder and chief shareholder Guy Laliberté sold his controlling interest in the Montreal-based circus to a U.S. private equity firm and a Shanghai-based company this year. And it comes after a bumpy couple of years for the Cirque — the show Zaia closed in Macau, China in 2012, and then Viva Elvis bit the dust, becoming the Cirque’s only failure in Las Vegas. There were also 400 layoffs in 2013, most of them at the Montreal headquarters. Some producers might favour the tried-and-true given all this pressure, but not Cirque du Soleil. Toruk messes with the classic Cirque formula big-time. I saw a 30-minute excerpt in Bossier City, La., in late October, and this is not your father’s Cirque. In the past, the company’s shows have had thin poetic storylines, and the focus has always been on the show-stopping acrobatic acts. But not here. Toruk has a relatively straight narrative by Cirque standards, and it even has a narrator, who will speak on stage in English (and also in French in Montreal). That’s a first for the circus. Another first is that several performers will have microphones and will be speaking in the Na’vi language that was invented for the film. It’s a high-wire act (pun intended). On one hand, it’s very different from the usual Cirque fare; on the other hand, it’s not at all a stage recreation of Avatar. “It’s a challenge and it’s a risk,” said Lemieux. “But we have to take risks or we just end up repeating the same recipe from one show to the other,” added Pilon. “The Cirque has the audacity to try something different and to bring something theatrical to this show. But it’s a hybrid, between the circus, cinema and theatre.” Lemieux underlines that, yes, there is more of a story than in most Cirque shows and, yes, there is narration for the first time, but it’s only four or five pages of text in the whole show, he notes. So Toruk is not a play. The story takes place 3,000 years before the film — Laliberté’s idea — and so there are no humans, no Jake Sully. The main characters are three Na’vi teens — Ralu, Entu and Tsyal — who are on a mission to find Toruk, a giant red and orange predator who rules the skies over Pandora. Another innovation is the use of life-sized puppets that depict creatures from Avatar — including Viperwolves and Direhorses — and some other creatures invented by the Cirque team. “The Cirque always comes to us when they want to renew themselves,” said Lemieux. Lemieux and Pilon have worked on several Cirque productions, notably Delirium, Midnight Sun and Michael Jackson ONE. “Delirium was their first arena show and the Cirque wanted to do something different,” said Lemieux. “It had techno music and had a different esthetic look. And they also wanted to do something different with Toruk. “We want to spark people’s imaginations. That’s our job. We have to communicate our enthusiasm for the show to our performers, and their job is to communicate that enthusiasm to the public. That enthusiasm is for beauty, for nature, for humanity. That’s what the Cirque celebrates. I rediscovered that when we presented Toruk in the U.S. You look at the audience — they watch violent films and TV shows, and all of a sudden they’re in front of something that demands imagination. There’s something European about it.” Of course, Toruk has that arty Euro flavour that’s been the Cirque’s bread and butter since the troupe began wowing audiences in the mid- ‘80s. But it’s also based on a big Hollywood movie. “The challenge is to respect the work of James Cameron,” said Pilon. “The challenge is to create something in an arena. That’s a big constraint. Every arena is different. And it’s big. So we have to create something intimate and spectacular in a gigantic space. What’s unusual is there’s a story, a narrator, and we’re not in a theatre. We’re not at Place des Arts. We have intimate moments and it’s in an arena, a place where you go to see hockey games or big rock shows. So we’re giving them something they don’t normally get in arenas.” A Q&A WITH MICHEL LEMIEUX AND VICTOR PILON ------------------------------------------ Michel Lemieux: There are moments of theatre. But it’s not theatre. It’s more of a fable, a tale, than it is a play. There are four or five pages of text in 100 minutes. There are one or two phrases here and there. I sat in the audience (during the previews in the U.S.) and I saw people watching the Storyteller even when he wasn’t talking. He tells the story sometimes without words, with gestures. And there’s a warmth in his voice. It’s almost like your grandfather telling you a story. MG: What is it in Avatar that made you think, “OK, I can make a show out of this”? Victor Pilon: It’s the whole idea that we’re all connected. That we have to respect each other, that we have to respect nature. If you destroy nature, you’ll destroy yourself. ML: There’s a political aspect, too. The idea that we have to all unite. That we have different cultures, but we have to come together to find solutions to save the planet. MG: How do you guys situate Toruk in your own work, given that you have been creating multimedia shows for years? ML: For us, it always has to be “un coup de coeur.” If we’re going to spend a couple of years of our lives working on something, we don’t want to just do it for the gig. Whether it’s something we initiate ourselves or if a producer asks us to do a project, we don’t want to just do it for money. That’s really sad. We do it because the show has values in it that are important. We both have houses in the country and we’re really into nature and we think we have to take care of it. It’s fragile. So we have to talk about that. We had a “coup de coeur” for this. We had one for Shakespeare’s The Tempest (the basis for their show of the same name), for Norman McLaren (the filmmaker who inspired their show Norman). VP: For me, there’s no difference between doing a show for the Cinquième Salle of Place des Arts on Norman McLaren and doing a Cirque show. We’re aware the venues are different, that the audiences are different. But the work we did with Norman nourishes our work with the Cirque. ML: Filmmakers make films that are often quite different from film to film. MG: But there are some filmmakers who make films that have much in common. VP: When we did the retrospective of our work at the (Montreal) Museum of Fine Arts last year … ML: We saw videos of our shows from the past 30 years. And my fear was that there would be no link between them. But I watched the videos and I saw an evolution. You see the same themes, the same colours, the same esthetic, in a little show, in a Cirque du Soleil show, in a show on the street for 200,000 people. And people who know us will see our signature in Toruk. MG: What is that signature? ML: It’s an integration of different media. We’re purists of multidisciplinary art. There are people that do theatre and add a little video. There are people who do dance who add a little theatre. Us, we put all of these things on the same level and then we integrate them. MG: You have that in common with the Cirque. They mix up art forms too. They’re not really a circus — they produce shows with a bit of the circus, with dance, with music. VP: It’s really about what we have to say and how we’re going to move the audience. CAMERON SAYS AVATAR AND CIRQUE ARE A NATURAL FIT ------------------------------------------------ For James Cameron, the creation of a Cirque du Soleil show inspired by his film Avatar is a natural. In fact, he feels Toruk — The First Flight, which has its world première Monday night at the Bell Centre, is a natural part of the ongoing creative process in the Avatar franchise. The Canadian filmmaker is deep into work on three sequels to the 2009 blockbuster set on the faraway moon Pandora, and he says it’s even possible that Toruk will have some artistic influence on the upcoming movies. “I think there are some nice ideas that were developed by the artists on Toruk,” Cameron said in an interview at a downtown hotel Monday morning. “I tell my artists, ‘Hey, make sure we’re not ignoring what they’ve done.’ Why wouldn’t it be a creative feedback loop? They fed on our designs. There are a few things I liked in the costume design. So it’s nice for me to see how other people interpret the Na’vi world and the world of Pandora.” The first Avatar sequel is scheduled to hit theatres at Christmas 2017, with the following films opening in 2018 and 2019. All three will be shot simultaneously. “Christmas of ’17 is the target,” Cameron confirmed. “At least, that’s what we’ve announced. But I don’t consider that to be as important as the fact that when we get all three films done, we drop them a year apart. I call it a meta-narrative that runs across the three movies. Each film stands alone, but it also tells one much larger story. “We have design more or less finished, which is an enormous task. It’s been about a two-year task. (We’ve finished) all the creatures and the landscapes, and the new worlds within the world of Pandora that you see. The writing is ongoing, but almost finished. Technical development is done. Stages are done. Infrastructure. So we’re really poised to start after the first of the year.” The links between Cirque du Soleil and Avatar actually stretch back to before the first movie was completed. While working on Avatar, Cameron invited Cirque CEO Daniel Lamarre to come down and visit him and his colleagues. Cameron told Lamarre how he had been influenced by the Cirque while developing the Na’vi characters for the film. They even hired a former Cirque performer to advise the actors on how to move with the grace of the troupe’s artists. “It’s a closing loop now,” said Cameron. “I was inspired by the Cirque du Soleil shows, with their celebration of human physicality, with their made-up culture, their made-up languages, that sense of a wondrous transport to a different world. It was very much in my mind when I was creating Avatar. “I got to know the Cirque guys when I was finishing the film and we started talking about other projects, which led to making a 3D film together, called Worlds Away. Then they came to me and said, ‘We want to adapt Avatar to a show.’ They weren’t sure at that time if it was an arena show or a tent show. And I said, ‘This is perfect. We absolutely should work together.’ So now they’ve closed the loop.” Toruk is written and directed by seasoned Montreal multimedia creators Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, and the Cirque team came up with the novel idea of setting the show 3,000 years before the events of the film. So humans have not yet arrived on Pandora. Instead, the show tells the story of the giant predator Toruk, who rules the skies of Pandora, and three Na’vi teens who set out to save the moon. “(Cirque founder) Guy Laliberté is very clear,” he said. “He says, ‘I don’t like Hollywood. I don’t like how they think. I don’t like those guys. But I like you guys, and I like what you created with that movie.’ “For me, it was a no-brainer. I’d already worked with them on Worlds Away, and I’ve always loved what they do. I learned to appreciate their creative culture, which is very much not the way Hollywood works, and I actually think we in the Hollywood community could learn an awful lot from how the Cirque operates, in the way it celebrates the artist and gives them free rein. “For them, it was a huge leap of faith. They’re doing something very experimental and very risky — which is, they’re applying narrative to something that before was very free-form and kind of surreal and whimsical at times. Now they were applying the rigour of actually telling a story, and that meant instead of having a series of specialist vignettes, they now had to create a troupe of actor/performers. They’d never done that before, and so not only did they need to be good acrobats, they had to act, do dialogue, do scenes. There’s a narrative storyteller. This is all new stuff for them. “So they’re starting to play by the rules of the stage show, like a play, and yet they still had to hold on to what was definitively Cirque in the minds of their fans.” # # # Dive into TORUK – The First Flight by Cirque du Soleil, a live multimedia immersive spectacle that brings to the stage the breathtaking world of James Cameron’s AVATAR. Hear Cameron talk about how AVATAR and Cirque both celebrate the beauty of physical prowess. Listen to show writers and directors / multimedia directors, Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon and playwright Olivier Kemeid explain the mythical tale they imagined about three youngsters who set out to save the Tree of Souls after a volcanic eruption, and about the first Na’vi to ever ride the great predator that rules the Pandoran sky. VIDEO /// < https://youtu.be/H416arSJBw8 > MONTREAL GAZETTE'S REVIEW ------------------------- The Cirque du Soleil’s new touring arena show Toruk – The First Flight, which had its world premiere Monday night at the Bell Centre, is chock full of stunning visuals, stirring choreography and maybe the most eye-popping set ever seen at the Habs rink. There are many pleasure to be had. The story, sadly, is not quite as captivating. It is inspired by Canadian filmmaker James Cameron’s blockbuster hit Avatar and like that movie, it is set on the faraway moon named Pandora. But it’s a prequel, taking place some 3,000 years before the action portrayed in the film. As promised, this is indeed the most narrative show the absurdly popular Montreal circus has ever delivered. For the first time ever, the Cirque has a narrator on stage and The Storyteller, played by Montreal actor Sébastien Dodge, delivers a recap of the action every few minutes. In fact, the use of a real language is also a first for the Cirque. Dodge speaks in French for the Montreal run, though there are two shows with English narration (Dec. 23 and Dec. 28). Toruk heads out on a tour across North America after the Bell Centre run and naturally the narration for the other dates, other than in Quebec City, will be in the language of Shakespeare. While we’re on the subject of the Bard, let’s just say that the writing here is a notch or two below Shakespeare’s wordplay. I know, I know, it’s unfair to compare most anyone to the world’s most famous playwright but the fact is that the writing here just quite literally brings the Cirque back down to Earth. Until now, the Cirque shows always had the loosest most threadbare of stories and we never cared because we were having so much fun soaking up the dazzling acrobatic acts and the Cirque’s innovative oh-so- Québécois blend of avant-garde theatre, modern dance and bopping world-music. There is little of that classic Cirque fare in Toruk. Yes there’s dance and music, much of it quite beautiful, but don’t go expecting the kind of show-stopping high-wire acts that have been the outfit’s calling card since the very beginning. Now the story is front-and-centre, written by co-directors Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, with the help of playwright Olivier Kemeid. And how do I put this politely? Well let’s just say it doesn’t bear careful scrutiny. At the start, there’s a giant volcanic eruption on Pandora and it looks like the sacred Tree of Souls is to be destroyed. That’s when two Na’vi teens, Ralu (Gabriel Christo) and Entu (Guillaume Paquin), best buds since childhood, decide they will be heroes and go seek out the Toruk, a giant predator of the skies, to save Pandora. Along the way they will hook up with a young woman Tsyal (Giulia Piolanti) who is initially reluctant to join the trek but eventually returns in a canoe to pick them up and continue on towards Toruk. There is also much dialogue between the three of them in Na’vi, the language made up for the film, and the performers have microphones, also novel for the Cirque. The show kicks off in high style with a highly-charged sequence powered by the energetic percussion work of Daudet Fabrice Grazai but it’s really in the second act that you begin to fully appreciate the handiwork of Lemieux and Pilon who have crafted an astonishing multi- media spectacle using 40 video projectors that showcase the visuals on a 20,000-square-foot surface. There’s a tremendous moment when visuals of waves wash through the crowd and then crash on to the set. And those same projectors create one stunning visual tableau after one, in effect producing a new decor for each scene. Lemieux and Pilon have spent the past couple of decades dreaming up wonderful shows that mix every media imaginable, some with the Cirque, many in other settings, and so it’s no surprise that the real force of the show is that heady blend of visual flair and poetic stage smarts that’s always been their trademark. Set designer Carl Fillion has done a magnificent job of re-creating Pandora with a set that takes up almost the entire ice surface, anchored by the giant Omaticaya Home Tree and a rock island jutting up from the ground. Then there are Patrick Martel’s giant puppets, these strange surreal creatures operated by puppeteers usually in full view, or in the case of the Direhorses, with two guys inside the horse puppet, with their legs standing in for the horse’s legs. I couldn’t help thinking it was a little like that genius moment in Monty Python and The Holy Grail when the guys are pretending to be horses and making the horse-clopping sound by banging together coconuts. There’s also a bunch of kite sequences that are like nothing you’ve ever seen before. You just don’t normally think of choreographing the motion of kites and it somehow works. In other words, kudos to choreographers Tuan Le and Tan Loc. And hats off to Lemieux and Pilon for creating this visual feast. No one does awesome sound-and-light show like these Montreal hipsters. But where was the story editor? Where was the voice of reason to step in and tell the Cirque creative team – hang on a second, this text simply isn’t strong enough to use as the foundation of a two-hour show and, more to the point, much of it doesn’t even really make sense. Like what is it with the sacred objects the three teens are searching for? If you know what that’s all about, let me know. GLOBE AND MAIL: 2 OUT OF 4 STARS -------------------------------- When Cirque du Soleil was new, there was novelty in a circus that focused entirely on the human body, with no animals to tame or do tricks with. In that sense, it’s a surprise to find that the dominant figures in the newest Cirque offering are giant animal puppets. Toruk – The First Flight spins off from Avatar, the 2009 blockbuster film set on a remote tropical moon crowded with flying dragons, viperwolves and hammer-headed dinosaurs. The show, which opened in Montreal’s Centre Bell on Monday, is a troubling redface spectacle in which the human performers spend much time handling puppets, not so much doing the kind of acrobatic feats for which Cirque became known. Avatar told the story of blue indigenous humanoids under siege by rapacious humans, and of a white disabled ex-Marine who achieves the Grey Owl-ish fantasy of becoming more native than the natives. Toruk is set before the invaders arrive, and the Na’vi people are threatened this time with destruction by natural forces. The show has the narrative structure of an adventure video game, in which two Na’vi warriors must collect five sacred objects to save their people. Along the way, they encounter a menagerie of beasts from Avatar, including flying banshees, six-legged horses and Toruk, the biggest flying predator in the sky. The real stars of Toruk are the designers: Patrick Martel (puppets), Carl Fillion (set and props) and Alain Lortie (lighting). The show’s vast scenic projections make the craggy playing area a constantly changing world of wonders, culminating in a virtual flood that sweeps across the stage from projected waterfalls. The human participants, who are supposed to be three metres high, often look puny in this milieu. Those who aren’t manipulating savage dogs or giant flowers mostly scamper about and do decorative flips and leaps, occasionally climbing up something to spin or somersault onto a mat. It’s pretty small beer by Cirque standards, though the tableau at any given moment looks like the best National Geographic photo feature that you will never see. Even the protagonists have little to do once the quest gets rolling, other than to mime fear or astonishment as the next big puppet floats in. The heroes become part of the audience, like Marie and the Nutcracker watching the pageant of dances in the second half of The Nutcracker. There’s no dramatic tension, because we know the lads will win somehow, and because the puppets and a ponderous narrator impose a stately rhythm on the show. Toruk is made for Avatar fans who want to see its world recreated in an arena, and who may be content to see how inventive writer-directors Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon can be about ticking off specimens from the film’s flora and fauna. As a fantasy about indigenous people, however, Toruk is obnoxious to a degree that Avatar wasn’t. The Na’vi in the film were facing naked colonial violence, and an explicit threat of cultural genocide. You could see the movie as an environmental parable about the kinds of colonial relationships still active in many parts of the world, including Canada. But there are no white people in Toruk, and in their absence, the whole elaborate spectacle descends into redface. This kind of redface doesn’t recycle negative stereotypes of native people, only the noble ones. Toruk presents a fabricated indigenous society of a kind that many white people would like to see in the world. It leaves out everything that may seem alien or threatening about real indigenous people. The imaginary Indian, to borrow a term from historian Daniel Francis, has a long history in Canada, but as our new Prime Minister says, this is 2015. Anyone who has any inkling about what’s in the recently issued Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will have a hard time accepting Toruk as a benign entertainment. It’s also propaganda, for a continued state of willed oblivion about real indigenous societies. SOURCES: http://goo.gl/GXux0T, http://goo.gl/6wMnXg, http://goo.gl/HoFppH, http://goo.gl/AM2BKq, http://goo.gl/TtnW17 } ------------------------------------------------------------ FANS REVIEW CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: “CREACTIVE at PUNTA CANA” – by “The Trickster” “LA NOUBA w/B-BOYS” - by “MungoJerrie” “AMALUNA in PARIS” - by Aidan Lam ------------------------------------------------------------ CREACTIVE at PUNTA CANA by: The Trickster Hey folks, I've just returned from a stay at Club Med Punta Cana, where I of course attended Creactive every day. In a nutshell I thought it was a lot of fun and I tried lots of activities that I've seen in shows. The staff (aka. GCs) are really professional and nice. It was a short stay but here are some activities I got to try: Flying Trapeze: The usual at Club Med. You don't actually do any catching unless you prove to be really talented. Trampoline: I have a trampoline in my garden, but I've always wanted to experience the circus trampolines. And it was amazing. You barely need to push on your legs and you're already flying up high. The staff really teach you basic techniques to get it right. Aerial Silks: This was quick but I wanted to see what it felt like. So I climbed it and the GC taught me the footlock and some poses using that footlock. I knew it was a stretchy fabric but it was even stretchier in real, and it hurts much less then Spanish Webs. Vertical Wall: This was totally inspired from KA, and TORUK seems to have one too. Except here at Creactive it's not a hard wall, it's a massive stretched net, like a massive vertical trampoline. They teach you basic tricks like bouncing off it and then doing side flips. They also teach you how to run sideways on the wall, which is quite hard as you're not allowed to push or else you bounce and flip and it's just a mess. And I heard it was hard; so true! You don't feel it right after, but your abs hurt for the next day or two. It's also really hard to keep your balance on this wall. Acro Bungee: This was probably my favorite activity. First the GCs teach you the basics of how to do a front flip and a back flip. And it's much more complex than just kicking your legs. They then hoist you up pretty high, and then you gotta do the pulling on the bungee to bounce. And at first, before doing your first flip, you get really scared because you're really high up, but once you flip, you realize it's actually not that hard and that you just need to have arm strength and concentration. I ended up doing double back and front flips. This is the activity where I really felt like I was on stage; so cool. Doing flips on the bungee was really fun. Juggling: Now I did this because it wasn't my age groups turn to do the big activities yet, so I decided to learn how to juggle 3 balls. The GC is really talented. He makes you do a bunch of drills to ensure you work on coordination. And I actually managed to juggle for a few seconds! SHOW: On every Sunday night, they have a Creactive show. It's a basic storyline of a hotel guest that wants to try the activities. And the GCs showcase all the activities with Cirque music. The flying Trapeze guys were real good! They all were good. They're all probably in the database. Now there were some activities that I didn't try or that weren't available on the days I was there. i.e. Aerial Hoop, German Wheel. All the non-acrobatic activities I didn't do. (Face painting, Mask Making, dancing). The also do bungee games for small children. One thing that I didn't like was that apart from Saturdays, you only had an hour at Creactive, as it was separated by age groups. But apart from that it was really amazing and if any of you are planning to go to Punta Cana, try out the Club Med! The Creactive space is really nice. FUN FACT: The acrobatic master of Creactive was an artist at Cirque for 16 years. Flying Trapeze at Mystere and then La Nouba. He is the only artist at Cirque that has caught a quadruple flip on trapeze. It's great to see they put experienced people in their projects. Basically every day, the mornings are one hour for young children, one hour for young adults/teens. Then in the afternoon there's 2 hours available for 18+. Saturdays is family day for 2-3 hours in the morning, and afternoon is the usual 2 hours for 18+. So there's no sign up needed. You go, see what activities they offer on that day (Flying Trapeze is every day) and you go to what you want to do. The trapeze always has a little line, but the setup is big meaning sometimes they run two trapezes at a time. For the other activities, there was sometimes no one as I was first, or there was 2- 3 people. Then this depends on how full the resort is because the week I went, half of it was closed for renovation. Also, from what I saw, if you're waiting in line and the hour for your age group has passed, they will try and fit you in, a.k.a dig into their break times, they're really nice. You can do as many activities as you want! One day I did: Juggling, Trampoline, and Aerial Silks. But the activities won't last 30 min. For most, it depends on how tired you get and how many people are waiting. And remember, you get tired quite quickly because it's hot and humid outside. But once I did see a girl do aerial hoop for a good 20 min, there was no one waiting and she was quite good, so the GC was showing her a bunch of different poses. And if there's an activity you want to try and you don't like it, it's fine, you can just do it for 1 minute and then leave. Honestly I'm not sure about the non-acrobatic activities, but I know that on the schedule, they usually have one a day. For the age groups however, I'm not sure, don't want to promise you anything. # # # LA NOUBA December 12, 2015 By MungoJerrie To celebrate successfully completing my first semester of grad school, I decided to pop over and see La Nouba on Saturday evening. This was my first Cirque show, back in July 2010, and since I have seen it four times. It’s by far my favorite show. I love the music, the immense amount of characters, the theme (which seemed appropriate), and the show has always been represented by unique acts. As we all know, La Nouba is undergoing some drastic changes and I had the pleasure of catching a glimpse of the new “B-Boys” act, better known as breakdancing! Like my previous viewing in 2013, everything seems to be in tip top shape. I especially enjoyed the new clown duo (we recognize them from Alegria); it was nice to genuinely laugh along. There’s so much life breathed into the production and even in an era where Cirque has been chipping away at the smaller details, almost all the ‘background’ that takes place during every act remains. I will say, though, it did feel as if the acts progressed at a much faster pace than I remember. But the show didn’t let out until almost 7:45pm, so perhaps I imagined it. The show is almost 20 years old and yet, it doesn’t feel stale. I think that’s the beauty of why we love Cirque du Soleil. Opening/B-Boys: Still remains my favorite opening to any Cirque show, save for Dralion perhaps. The slow reveal of the attic’s mysterious inhabitants is wonderful and pure Dragone era Cirque. The new B-Boys act officially debuted last night, which was certainly exciting. I have never seen a break dancing act live before, so I don’t really know how to describe it other than, its break dancing. It reminds me of a very high paced acro-sport, but that’s far from what it actually looks like. Initially, I was apprehensive of this dance style coming into the show, but it fits the “live it up” theme well. It is composed of three male performers and they owned that stage. I wasn’t too fond of the costumes but an act of this nature requires a looser fitting garment. The only odd thing? Four male Urbanites ride around the stage on remote controlled skateboards during the act. Not sure what this represents, but it did add a new dimension to the number. High Wire: One the best acts in any Cirque show. Everything from the act itself to the park like atmosphere created onstage is sublime. Liama continues to be a standout track and Sellane (sp?) is a phenomenal vocalist! Very happy I was able to see this before they remove it. Hopefully, Cirque will reinvent Liama for the new act, much like they did for B-Boys. Diablo: Not as exciting as in previous viewings. I believe there is a new group performing because it wasn’t polished. That’s not a criticism since this is a high octane act that requires tons of mastery. I think a few more weeks and they’ll be in tip top shape. BMX: Another one of my favorites and one we haven’t seen replicated in any other show, to my knowledge. The performer has a new costume which is dark lime and orange-ish in color, with a pair a black shorts worn over the outside. No new stunts here. Aerial Silks: Again, one of my favorite acts in any Cirque show! The staging is magnificent, A Tale is always amazing live (I almost always scream when that slow beat drops), and it’s an all-around sexy act! Rola-Bola: My very first time seeing this act live and also my very first time hearing A La Lune! LOVED IT! The performer brought the house down!! A real nail-biting combination of juggling and balancing, you can tell the entire cast enjoys this act very much. Le Titan and the Green Bird support throughout. Flying Trapeze: Flawless as always! PowerTrack/Trampoline: Such an energetic way to end the show. It really encapsulates the “live it up” theme of La Nouba. # # # AMALUNA in PARIS December 15, 2015 By: Aidan Lam This is my first show review so bear with me (especially since this was my first time seeing Amaluna live, having only seen it once on DVD before)... So I watched the DVD and in all honesty really disliked it. Amaluna had the worst clowns, the opening few acts were dull and the music for some acts weren't suitable BUT having heard about the numerous and drastic changes to the show, I decided to give it a go and my instincts paid off. The new changes have completely remodeled the show for the better and it is amazing! *Opening: The opening remains consistent with the DVD, and the music, red cloth and 'dance number' (idk what to call it) is still a wow factor. *Hoop Diving: This is the NEW act I was most looking forward to and it was pretty good! So the lizards come on stage and for most of the trick used the hula hoops to jump through, which I found disappointing considering the guy holding the hoop kept moving it last second to help the jumper... But this was an act they were trained to do as a secondary thing after Icarian (I'm pretty sure it's the Iris guys). The new music is much more suitable now and the final two jumps are done on Dralion style hoops which brought me back to that glorious show. The last jump itself has 6 hoops ontop of each other, similar to that of Dralion so I think they brought back that one Dralion artist into the show to do those two jumps while the rest was done by the Iris icarians. 8/10 *Aerial Straps: The acts I believe has added the storm goddess as a fourth artist. The three in blue (as per the DVD) still go around the periphery of the stage whilst the storm goddess (similarly dressed but in black) does tricks down the centre. Usually I find aerial acts boring (especially silks) but this was really interesting, especially with them flying up to podiums on the lighting columns and flying over the audience. 9/10 *Clowns: The clowns are now Miranda's nanny (Mainha) who is NEW. They replaced the clown in the yellow drapes with a slightly plump lady with a broom, similar to the cleaner in La Nouba. The act centres around a flirtatious game between her and Romeo's master (Papulya). These new clowns are better than before because it no longer has the pregnancy scene (which I found irrelevant and plain weird) but instead their is LOTS of kissing and Papulya staring at her bum which I still wasn't a huge show. Seriously, I know there was the Kooza clown petition which was a bit extreme, but this act was borderline MA 15+ and I didn't laugh once, as I did for other clowns eg Dralion), but it was much better than the original amaluna clowns. 3/10 *Peacock Dance: This act was fascinating in the way the artist twisted her body, reminiscent of the 1000 arms and stick dance. It serves as a short interlude before the next act which I liked because if it went on for too long I would get tired of it, but it was perfect in its length and I found the dance as enchanting as Romeo did! 8/10 *Aerial Hoop/Singing: This act never ceases to amaze. The brilliant voice of Marie Michelle Faber all whilst combined with her graceful athletics in the air is pretty special. Amaluna will probably struggle to find someone else capable of all those things in one. Our show didn't see the moon structure, instead she just came down on the hoop, which was a little disappointing but if you didn't know the show, it would seem normal. 8/10 *Waterbowl/handbalancing: Our Miranda was performed by the backup artist, a Mongolian girl with probably the longest, ad most difficult to pronounce name so I'll just call her Miranda... She had great chemistry with the Romeo on stage and really captured the childlike quality associated with the plot line (which is much less strong in the new version). Her handbalancing was well executed, but I've seen it time and time again. This particular one was almost identical to a shortened Dralion one. I've never seen the Waterbowl live before this and I don't think much of it even now. There isn't much acrobatics involved, just diving into the bowl then jumping out again, however I did like he last part when Miranda is in the tank and Romeo sees her from outside. It reminds me of the fish tank scene of Romeo and Julliet in the Luhrman movie and the obvious connotations of their love story. 6.5/10 *Uneven Bars: I always thought this act was good, but I hated the old music. Luckily the show’s creators did too and have changed it to a new song (sorry, but I don’t know what it's called). The acrobatics are amazing as always, however the absence of trampoline (as in Totem) makes the artists much more static, and the close proximity of the bars doesn't let them do as any jumps, then when they remove the middle two, the outer ones are too far apart for them to swing from one to the other as I would've liked but considering there was no trampoline, it was very good, especially with the new music. 8/10 *Teeterboard: This act was extremely well executed, as per the DVD. The platform behind it allows the artists to get more height and so do bigger and better jumps. This reminded me of the Dralion teeterboard and I love it. This being said, since Dralion is more single jumps, I preferred that to the long buildups to the jump in Amaluna which slowed the pace a little. 7.5/10 *Stick Balancing (Manipulation): This is the same as the DVD and boy was it a hit for me. At times the sticks wobbled a bit too close for comfort but every time she managed to control it and everything went smoothly. I was extremely nervous through the majority of the act and hardly dared to breathe. That being said, the stupid "singer" kept sighing deeply throughout the song (during the quiet parts she acts as wind or something, but is so harsh that it sounds like a mini hurricane) and I was worried it would scare the hell out of the artist and cause the sticks to fall. Luckily the artist somehow ignored the singer's "musical interruptions" which was my only criticism of the act (I'm referring to the singer, not the artist’s ability to ignore her just to clarify). 8.5/10 1000 Arms and Sticks: This act was really interesting and I haven't seen anything like it live before. The only problem is that unless you are looking from the exact front of it, you don't get to appreciate the spectacle of one person with many arms. Unfortunately for me where I was sitting, even though the stage turned, when it was facing me, nothing was happening on stage for the split second everything was lined up. Luckily it wasn't a long act and the music suited the dance number well. 6.5/10 Chinese Pole: This solo artist was very talented, but I found it lacked the scale and impact from the music Saltimbanco had. If I hadn't seen Saltimbanco before, I think I would enjoy it more, but I keep comparing it to the extremely powerful act which was one of my all-time favs. Still, considering there was only one pole and one artist, it was brilliantly done. 7.5/10 Juggling: It was Victor Kee. Need I say anymore? His acting is amazing as Cali and the fluidity of his body is amazing. The juggling itself was even better than Dralion with more variety than it. I found it all too short! But that's probably because I love his act! The fire ball was really good as a final act, but because it only lasts 2 rounds, I think a more powerful finale could be a 8 or 9 ball juggle as is in Zarkana... Still, I'm so glad I got to see him before he leaves the show, next year I believe. 8.5/10 Icarian Games: This final act was nothing short of spectacular! The Iris style Icarian was really interesting to see live, although I think the Varekai one is still more interesting when they do the repeated loops of the man on the guy in the chair (simply because that trick in Varekai lasts at least double the time). Also I was extremely disappointed that one of the tricks they did was a guy doing a backflip from one person'a shoulders down to the lying down catcher. He missed the landing and fell off the catcher. They simply moved on and didn't retry the trick which was VERY un-cirque-like and unacceptable! Other than that however, they were faultless and extremely good. The audience were very supportive when he fell, but I've seen numerous videos eg Quidam's banquine or Totem's unicycle bowls where they redo the trick when they stuff up and I was surprised they didn't even try to get it right this time. 8.5/10 ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 16, Number 1 (Issue #144) - January 2016 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (C) 2001-2016 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or translated without the consent of the "Fascination! Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission (unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination! Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are Copyright (C) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil, Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. { Jan.05.2016 } =======================================================================