======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ '/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ '/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 19, NUMBER 11 November 2019 ISSUE #190 ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. There've been a lot of announcements, so, let's get to it! * * * CIRQUE TO RESIDE IN BERLIN, NOVEMBER 2020! * * * Berlin will be the site of the first Cirque du Soleil European resident show, as Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group and Live Nation Entertainment announced. In the winter of 2020, the brand new and exclusive production will premiere at Theater am Potsdamer Platz, where it aims to thrill audiences from the German capital and the metropolitan area along with German and international tourists long term. About 400,000 people per year will be able to witness unique performances, specifically conceived for the Theater am Potsdamer Platz. This original creation of Cirque du Soleil for the city of Berlin is produced in the German capital, where all the creative forces will come together to design an innovative show. This creation is inspired by Berlin itself and its cultural history while keeping the essence of Cirque du Soleil front and center. The entirely new show at Theater am Potsdamer Platz, Berlin's largest and most advanced theater, is a co- production between Cirque du Soleil, which is responsible for the artistic content, and Live Nation, the world´s leading live entertainment company. Live Nation is also the new operator of Theater am Potsdamer Platz. Tickets will go on sale end of November 2019. Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group President and CEO, Daniel Lamarre, says "For Cirque du Soleil, this is a beautiful way of celebrating a 25-year relationship with the city. This new and exciting production is most certainly the best way to highlight the privileged bond we have with Berlin." Marek Lieberberg, CEO of Live Nation in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, has been instrumental in bringing this project to life. "We are excited about this world premiere as we all share the same fantastic vision of inspiring audiences with outstanding events. That's exactly what the new original Cirque du Soleil show at Theater am Potsdamer Platz will achieve. My special gratitude to our partners from Cirque du Soleil for the trust they have placed in us." * * * ARTIST INJURED IN "R.U.N" OPENING * * * A Cirque du Soleil artist was injured after crashing an electric motorcycle in the opening "R.U.N" at Luxor. The performer, whose name is being withheld by Cirque officials, was piloting the bike in the Level Up scene near the end of the show. Sources familiar with the incident reported he suffered a broken collarbone, though his status has not been confirmed. A Cirque spokeswoman, citing the company's policy not to release health information about its artists, said late Thursday that the show stopped so an emergency intervention team could take the injured performer backstage. He was said to be "taken in good care" by the show's medical staff. Level Up features a pair of 12- foot-tall ramps, and the artists — called "motorcycle pilots" by the Cirque team — ascend more than 30 feet in the air. The show resumed after the accident, and is to continue as scheduled. There were also several reported technical snags in the opening of the production, including one that also stopped the performances entirely. * * * CAST & CREATIVES ANNOUNCED FOR "'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE" * * * On October 16th, Cirque du Soleil and The Madison Square Garden Company MSG announced the casting and creative team for the all-new, family production, ‘Twas the Night Before… ‘Twas the Night Before… is an exhilarating spin on the beloved Christmas classic as only Cirque du Soleil could imagine. This festive show about the wonders of sharing and friendship promises to spark lasting memories in the hearts of families this holiday season. Cirque du Soleil's first-ever Christmas show, ‘Twas the Night Before… is a flurry of love, Christmas cheer, rip-roaring fun and hugely lovable characters that will become a new tradition for families to cherish. Join Isabella, a curious girl who's become jaded by the hoopla surrounding Christmas, as she is whisked away to an upside-down, inside-out world where she meets characters inspired by the original timeless poem. Discover what happened before Santa dropped in! The international casting lineup features Tuedon Ariri (Canada) performing the Aerial Hammock; Katharine Arnold (United Kingdom) performing Aerial Cart; Rosie Axon (United Kingdom) and Adam Jukes (England) performing Inline Skating; Louis Chen, Peter Lin, Tim Wang and Alexandar Yu (Taipei) performing Diablo; Michele Clark (United States) performing Hula Hoop; Nicole Faubert (Canada) and Guillaume Paquin (Canada) in Aerial Duo Straps; Quentin Greco (Canada), Jacob Gregorie (Canada), Chauncey Kroner (United States), Timothe Vincent (Canada), Jinge Wang (China),Evan Tomlinson Weintraub (Canada), performing Hoop Diving and Acrobatic Table; Jose Ignacio Flores Lopez (Spain) performing Block Balancing; Alexis Vigneault (Canada) performing Aerical Acrobatic Lamp; and Jenna Beltran, Lyndsay Marie Farias, Kalila Hermant, Samuel Moore, Paul Ross, Diana Schoenfield, Paul Ross and Bianca Vallar, (United States) as ensemble dancers. The creative team consists of Daniel Fortin as Vice President Creation, Manuel Bissonnette as Creative Director, James Hadley as Stage Director & Writer, Genevieve Lizotte as Set Designer & Art Director, Edesia Moreno as Acrobatic Choreographer & Performance Designer, Vinh Nguyen Kinjaz as Choreographer, Jean-Phi Goncalves as Musical Composer, James Lavoie as Costume Designer, Nicolas Brion as Light Designer, and Ben Scheff as Sound Designer. The show is produced by Jayna Neagle under the helm of Cirque du Soleil Producer Marie- Josee Adam and Chief Executive Producer Yasmine Khalil. "We are so excited to announce our cast and creative team for ‘Twas the Night Before… and can't wait to showcase their talents upon the stage in New York this holiday season," said Yasmine Khalil, Cirque du Soleil Chief Executive Producer. "Featuring original acrobatics, spectacular choreography, dazzling costumes, and familiar music sure to strike an emotional chord, ‘Twas is a completely new experience that brings families together to celebrate the holiday spirit." The production makes its World Premiere at The Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State Street, from November 29 through December 8, 2019 for 17 performances then will run at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden from December 12 through December 29, 2019, for 28 performances. Tickets are on-sale now. * * * LAST, BUT NOT LEAST... * * * And last, but certainly not least, we have a couple of important milestones to highlight: - On October 13th, OVO celebrated its 1,000th arena performance! - On October 20th, KURIOS celebrated its 2,000th performance! - On October 30th, LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil beat out "Disney On Ice: Frozen", "Disney On Ice: Chase Your Dreams", "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Symphonic Concert", and "Magic On Ice: Illusion" to win the Lunas del Auditorio award in the Family Show category. Lunas del Auditorio is a recognition granted by the National Auditorium to the best live shows in Mexico. Congratulations! (Cirque du Soleil won the category in 2003, 2004, 2006 for Saltimbanco, 2008 for Quidam, 2012 for Ovo, 2013 for MJ Immortal, 2015, 2016, and 2018.) More? Keep reading! /----------------------------------------------------\ | | | 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 & Highlights * Q&A -- Quick Chats & Press Interviews 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 * Webseries -- Official Online Featurettes * Videos -- Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds o) Fascination! Features * "R.U.N. is not Your Grandmother's Cirque" - A Collection of Articles Celebrating R.U.N's Preview Premiere * Jean David's Quel Cirque, Part 11 of 12: "At the Summit" A Special Series Celebrating Cirque's 35th Anniversary o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= *************************************************************** LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights *************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------- Laliberté to be Honored in the Circus Ring of Fame {Oct.04.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- The founder of the Canadian troupe Cirque du Soleil and three family troupes will be added to the list of famed performers featured in the Circus Ring of Fame on St. Armands Circle in Sarasota in January. The honorees have been selected through a new international nomination and voting process. The Circus Ring of Fame Foundation has announced the class of 2020 includes Guy Laliberte, a former street performer who went on to become founder of Cirque du Soleil, which has transformed the modern circus world with an international array of productions. He also is the founder of One Drop charity and Lune Rouge. The King Charles Troupe, founded in 1958 as a unicycle club in the South Bronx, has entertained audiences for decades with its comedic antics and faux basketball games, will be inducted at the ceremony on Jan. 12. The troupe was featured with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. They will be joined by Los Quiros High Wire Artistry, performed by a family that has earned numerous international awards over six generations. The company received the Golden Clown award at the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival in 2002. The Carillo Brothers High Wire Duo is another award-winning act that spans two generations of fathers who passed on their skills to sons who carry on the traditions. This year's honorees are the result of a new nominating and voting process that included the organization's first global outreach through a new Circus Advisory Council. The new process has been in development for three years, said Bill Power, Foundation chair. "We wanted to find a method of broadening the feedback loop to incorporate voices from the worldwide circus arts community." The Circus Ring of Fame was launched in 1987 to recognize international circus acts and the circus heritage of the Sarasota area. Honorees are displayed on plaques around the pedestrian walkway on St. Armands circle. There are more than 100 honorees, including the five Ringling Brothers, John Ringling North, various members of the Wallenda family, the Cristiani Family, Sylvia Zerbini, Circus Sarasota founders Dolly Jacobs and Pedro Reis, the Derrick Rosaire Family, Clyde Beatty, Gunther Gebel-Williams, Emmett Kelly and Bello Nock. { SOURCE: Sarasota Herald Tribune } ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque R.U.N's to 7Five Brewing Co {Oct.07.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil has announced a partnership between Vegas Golden Knights fan favorite Ryan Reaves' 7Five Brewing Co. and upcoming show "R.U.N" at Luxor. A series of four parody movie posters are being released starting this week, and the posters provide fans with instructions to enter to win VIP access to the grand opening performance of the show alongside Reaves himself. The posters are available as a gift with the purchase of 7Five Training Day Golden Ale at 18 Lee's Discount Liquor locations across Las Vegas. "I've always been a huge fan of Cirque du Soleil so 7Five's collaboration with ‘R.U.N' is a great fit," said Reaves. "I look forward to attending the world premiere with one lucky fan and experience the action unlike ever before on November 14." For more information on the contest, visit RUN7Five.com. ---------------------------------------------------------- MESSI10: A surreal tribute to the Barca legend {Oct.15.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- Lionel Messi looked at Luis Suarez and, in amazement and in unison, they both rose to their feet and applauded what they'd just seen: a tightrope walker pulling out a ladder, placing it on the rope and climbing it with her hands. The Barca pair were sat, front and centre, applauding a scene that was written to highlight his incredible balance in a Cirque de Soleil show based on his career. Messi's had a dazzling career in football — Oct. 16 marks the 15th anniversary of his Barca first-team debut — but how many of his peers, past and present, can boast a spectacle like this? Welcome to Messi10 by Cirque du Soleil. Every scene is a nod to Messi, football mixed with the literal circus. Trampolines, diabolos, acrobatics, Icarian games, vertical ropes, lion dances and a portly referee cast in the false jester role, all of it to pay homage to the Argentinian and his incredible longevity. "There's a No. 10 in all of us," runs the show's tagline, splashed across posters all over the city, from Plaza Catalunya to Barcelona's Sant Joan Despi training base. If you're a little bit lost, let's rewind two years, when PopArt Music, a production company, first approached renowned Canadian circus company Cirque with the idea of producing a show based on Barca's No. 10. The Beatles had been done previously; Elvis Presley, too. There's a show designed around Michael Jackson, but someone from the world of sport? Someone still active in their field? Never. "I thought they were crazy," said Cirque's executive producer, Charles Joron, about his reaction when the proposal dropped on his desk in Montreal. "But I said: ‘OK, I can't say yes or no, because it's so far away from what we've done that we have to sit down and look at it.' The theoretical numbers were there: a huge following [133 million followers on Instagram], the attraction he has and how much of an icon he is, but we had to feel that if we got involved with this we would come out with a winning composition." There was quickly a realisation that, as Joron put it, "translating Messi into Cirque-ese" was easier than they thought. A number of words repeatedly appeared in both languages: speed, vision, balance, effort, strength, skill, dedication. All the magic Messi produces on the pitch could be translated into circus acts. Excitement piqued, the ball was rolling. The globe's greatest circus company and the world's best footballer were set for the collaboration you didn't know you wanted to see. Two years later, the red carpet rolled out for Spanish and Argentinian royalty at Parc del Forum in Barcelona. The setting for the Primavera music festival is now the home of The Messi Show (until December), just over 10 kilometres away from Messi's Camp Nou playground. A huge white construction, 500 metres from the sea, houses two 1500-seater stands, which sandwich a stage representing a football pitch. And on the 10th day of the 10th month — a nod to Messi's shirt number, if you missed it — the curtain went up. Shakira was there to see it. So, too, were actress Paz Vega and some of the cast from Netflix show "La Casa de Papel." Singers Carlos Vives and Nicky Jam were also present, along with Los Cafres, one of Messi's favourite bands. (They also supplied music to the show.) Suarez joined Messi but there was a shortage of footballers in general due to players being on international duty. Barca youngster Ansu Fati attended, as did Barca veteran Jose Pinto. The ex-goalkeeper turned music producer, and one of Messi's close friends, was a valuable go- between for Cirque during the creation process. He also wrote two tracks for the spectacle. Messi and his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo, were the real red-carpet attraction, though. They even left the kids at home. "They'll come another night," Messi said. Messi chose not to see anything prior to the premiere, but he had been involved in the development of the show, which isn't biographical but rather celebrates his achievements, his talent, his fans and his family. "The first thing Messi said to me was, ‘I'm glad you're not focusing on my life story, because there are commercials that do that, everyone does that. You've taken a different direction, which even interests me,'" said the show's writer and director, Mukhtar Omar Sharif Mukhtar. Mukhtar met with Messi another four times after that first meeting. "As a fan, if you know Messi, you know he's very quiet and doesn't like to talk about his personal life," adds Mukhtar. "My initial thought was that it would have nothing to do with his personal life. It was Messi that said: ‘I want my family integrated into the show because they've been important to who I am today.' That took me back a little bit. Then I asked him more about what he wanted us to celebrate. He just said: ‘It's great what you're doing, but try and celebrate my achievements more than anything.' "We don't want to celebrate him like a god, we don't want to worship him and he has the same feelings as well." So how did Mukhtar, a football fan growing up in England, manage all that? He used his hip-hop background to fuse football and acrobatics to kickoff. Freestylers juggle balls and Icarian performers incredibly juggle bodies in a dance-off-style scene in a dressing room. Other scenes celebrate Messi's many attributes: The tightrope walker represents his balance, people are flung into nets high above the stage to signify more than 600 career goals to date, an artist climbs a rope ladder toward the sky to visualise the pressure of taking a penalty, a traditional Chinese act of lion pillars are a tribute to Messi's vision and somersaults end with Messi's celebration, index fingers pointing to the sky in memory of his grandparents. Messi winced as the contortionist performed. After taking a dive, a calamitous medical team repeatedly drops him as they carry him off on a stretcher. He proceeds to twist his body into eye-popping positions, turn his head where he shouldn't and pop bones out of joints. Audience members were peeking through the gaps in their fingers. The scene ended with an ovation from Messi. There's the referee, a stumpy chap with a squeaky voice and a whistle who knew how to tickle Messi's humour. A ball is nearly always present, as is the No. 10, but the rest is pure surrealism: There's also a streaker, a robot football, a customised six-axis industrial robotic arm and plenty more going on throughout a circus of two halves. Each one is 45 minutes long, of course. Mukhtar insists the show is unique to Messi, even if some of it can be applied more generally: "Look at, say [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic: His show would be completely different if we were trying to do one, or David Beckham, who has a lot of fashion. With Messi, there was a certain sense of honesty that I had to take from him because that's what I saw when I met him. And even though he is where he is right now, he still feels he has a lot more to accomplish. He's still breaking records, he still feels he's not done enough. "That's what inspired me the most, knowing that he's still going. I want that to be felt in the show." Meanwhile, scenes overlap with montages of Messi goals, Messi moments and Messi animation on the scoreboard. Two huge ‘Messi 10' shirts suffocate the stands at one stage, a Barcelona one and an Argentina one, La Albiceleste blue-and-white colours falling over Messi's head on the night as "Dia de Partit," a famous Barca chant, rings out. The show ends with Golden Balls dropping from the sky and one final banner carrying that slogan: "There's a No. 10 in all of us." "It's about idolising Messi's hard work and telling people: ‘It's not just him, you can do it, too, if you put in all the effort and work that we see in this show,'" Mukhtar says. "That message is for whatever you do in your life. It's triggering the No. 10 within you, whatever that X factor is. Whether you're a doctor, or a policeman or whatever, you can do it, if you put everything into it." No Messi story can be totally complete without a Cristiano Ronaldo comparison. Have Cirque positioned themselves in the game's eternal debate? "My answer is quite simple: [Messi] had the vision to have a show created about him," Mukhtar, a Manchester United supporter, laughs. "He had the vision. Anybody could have come to us and say, ‘Let's do a show about Ronaldo,' but they didn't, they came to us and said, ‘Let's do a show about Messi.' I am glad to be doing a show for Messi. I like the poetry of Messi's life and I am happy to be celebrating that." Joron imagines it will be difficult to find someone as worthy as Messi for another sport-inspired Cirque show. "You have to have something that's at that level," he says. "So once you've done Messi, you start looking around and there aren't many others that can say, ‘Do me, do me.'" While Ronaldo's PR appears much more polished, Messi now has a circus to add to a theme park that will open in China in 2020. Messi's already immortalised on the pitch, but he's now actively embracing the theatrics off it, too. { SOURCE: ESPN } ---------------------------------------------------------- Cosmos & Exentricks – AT SEA For MSC Grandiosa! {Oct.17.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- MSC Cruises revealed today details of the two brand-new and original Cirque du Soleil at Sea shows coming exclusively to MSC Grandiosa. In COSMOS, Journey to the unbelievable, guests will experience a breathtaking voyage across the galaxy with a brave astronaut on a quest for self-discovery. Audiences of EXENTRICKS, Expect the unexpected, will be caught off guard at every turn in this high- spirited spectacle. Each Cirque du Soleil at Sea show is an original, never-before-seen production, and Cirque du Soleil is constantly pushing their creative boundaries, reinventing their processes, challenging the status quo and exploring new territories to create inspiring experiences to delight MSC Cruises guests. Andrea Gangale, Senior Vice President Product Development & Guest Experience, MSC Cruises said, "When we set out to work with Cirque du Soleil, our objective with this exclusive partnership was to take our onboard entertainment to yet another level and to deliver to our guests even more best-in-class entertainment. As the delivery of the third MSC Cruises ship featuring Cirque du Soleil at Sea approaches, each new show that we launch is ever more unique and original, giving our guests a breathtaking and memorable entertainment experience." Yasmine Khalil, Chief Executive Producer Cirque du Soleil & President 45 DEGREES commented, "For each new MSC Meraviglia class ship, we aim to deliver new and innovative content which further enriches the Cirque du Soleil at Sea portfolio. With these two entirely new productions, COSMOS and EXENTRICKS, we debut a never-before-seen performance, the "Ginger Rope" while also bringing more interactivity and, for the first time, call on audience participation. These will certainly be two must-see shows, exclusively on MSC Grandiosa." The new acrobatic performance ‘Ginger Rope' in COSMOS sees three artists use a unique acrobatic apparatus developed specifically for the show. Aerialists will fly gracefully in orbit on the rotating stage on moving ropes embodying rings around the planets. Combining an exhilarating blend of flips and spins all around the Ginger Ropes, MSC Cruises guests will lift off into the fantastic world of COSMOS! For the first time for any Cirque du Soleil at Sea show, EXENTRICKS will put guests in the center of the show with audience participation playing a vital role in the story, bringing MSC Cruises guests closer to the artists than ever before. As they interact with these extravagant and fun characters, guests will enjoy edge-of-your-seat acrobatics. ABOUT THE TWO NEW SHOWS COSMOS — Journey to the unbelievable: Reach for the stars alongside the young explorer as he connects with his spirit of adventure, traveling through the stars and his childhood memories before landing on the realization that sometimes you need to travel far to come home. The co-pilots on this fantastic voyage are a galaxy of illuminating characters who are every bit spaced-out and other-worldly as they are kind and friendly. COSMOS explores the feeling of traveling at night on the high seas on a majestic cruise ship. Imagine you're on the open sea and you look up to gaze at the stars. The view is both mind- boggling and mesmerizing. The vastness of the sky is as fathomless as the deep blue ocean underneath. EXENTRICKS — Expect the Unexpected: Led by a colorful cast of quirky characters, it's all hands-on deck as you could very well be invited to jump right into the action! The excitement begins as a stylish and orderly extravaganza before suddenly careering off course into a hilarious pageant when the star performer is suddenly unable to continue. Scrambling to find a replacement, the Master of Ceremonies holds auditions. Experience action and a world of wondrous theatrics, surprising acrobatics, and a wave of mischief that promises to bring out the eccentric side in everyone. EXENTRICKS is inspired by the essence of the circus arts with big colorful characters brimming with style, personality and amazing abilities. The strength of the characters and the energy of the show are inspired in part by high- voltage, pop-culture fashion. CUTTING-EDGE ENTERTAINMENT VENUE The Carousel Lounge is a purpose-built entertainment venue holding just over 400 guests each show, one of the most intimate venues for any Cirque du Soleil produced shows. This venue was specially designed to meet the needs of the artists as well as bringing guests closer to a spectacular display of acrobatic flair and artistic finesse. State-of-the-art technology is added to each new ship, designed specifically to accommodate each show. On MSC Grandiosa, the addition of 80 kinetic LED spheres offer a change to the atmosphere of the Carousel Lounge at specific moments during the shows and to create a large array of visual effects. The moving LED lights are spread across the space to provide depth and a visual background for the audience sitting across the room. The 360° stage is where the lounge derives its name as it rotates like a carousel with special rigging for impressive aerial acrobatics. For MSC Grandiosa, the design team was looking for a way to bring more focus on solo ground acts, the solution came as a new 6.5 ft. lift in the center of the existing turn table to raise the performance above the stage floor. This new lift will be used during the juggling act for COSMOS and the contortion act on EXENTRICKS. BOOKING INFORMATION The new shows form part of MSC Cruises' long-term partnership with Cirque du Soleil, the world-leader in live entertainment, to offer a truly unique onboard entertainment experience not rivaled anywhere else at sea. The partnership totals eight original shows to be created exclusively for MSC Cruises' Meraviglia generation ships. MSC Meraviglia hosts VIAGGIO and SONOR and MSC Bellissima is home to SYMA and VARÉLIA. These new shows, COSMOS and EXENTRICKS, will launch on MSC Grandiosa in November. Work is already underway for MSC Virtuosa's two shows ahead of her launch in October 2020. Cirque du Soleil at Sea can be booked before the cruise with a special online discount or booked once on board. Guests can either book to enjoy a three-course menu of palate-pleasing dishes served before the show ($39). Or savor a specialty cocktail ($17) and enjoy the pre-show that begins 30 minutes before the start of the Cirque du Soleil at Sea performance. { SOURCE: MSC Cruises } *************************************************************** Q&A -- Quick Chats & Press Interviews *************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------- Artist's small stature celebrated as circus evolves {Oct.01.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- When Rima Hadchiti got the call to audition for Cirque du Soleil, it was an area of work she had avoided since entering the entertainment industry at four years of age. For little people, the world of circus performance had not always been the "celebration" it was in Cirque's latest production, Kurios. "I always steered away from circus because I wanted to not go into the norm of what short people usually step into," she said. "I have a lot to say and I like to say it in an artistic way. It's my voice and it's my art and if I can't do art, I can't live, it's part of who I am." At 100 centimetres tall and weighing 18 kilograms, Hadchiti is one of the 10 smallest people in the world. Hadchiti, who appeared as a contestant in Big Brother in 2008, said it was her character "Mini Lili" who shifted her long-time aversion to the circus. "I did a bit of research on the character and was able to work quite closely with the producers and directors of the show," she said. "We were able to put a little bit of change to the character and more layers through it." Playing a 1920s Persian madam in the production, which was due to hit Australian shores for the first time on Wednesday, Hadchiti used her small stature to her advantage. "I watched a lot of old movies, I did a lot of character work based on opera singers and watching their mannerisms and tried to connect with that," she said. "And so doing that as a short person, as well, it questions the grandness of a personality with their gestures versus the eye … I'm feeling her presence as a grand madame but she's quite a short person, so your brain is getting tricked; you're questioning things and that's the goal of the character." Written and directed by Michel Laprise, Kurios is the tale of a fictional world and features acrobats, contortionists, hand- puppeteers, yo-yo masters, musicians and clowns performing to a gypsy jazz, electro swing type soundtrack. It features a cast and crew from 20 countries. Hadchiti, who joined the production in 2016, said Australian audiences would see the "creme de la creme" of circus performers from across the globe. "It's a very unique show and this is like a United Nations of a family," she said. "It's full-on talented, dedicated artists [who] have sacrificed their whole lives to circus." { SOURCE: Sydney Morning Herald } ---------------------------------------------------------- Interview with Shelli Epstein from LUZIA {Oct.02.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- British-Israeli performer Shelli Epstein plays the Running Woman in Cirque du Soleil's Luzia. The show, dubbed ‘A Waking Dream of Mexico' is the company's latest to tour to the UK, opening at the Royal Albert Hall in January 2020. It also marks the thirty year anniversary of Cirque du Soleil in the UK. Shelli has played this role for over three years, from when the show opened in April 2016, touring with it ever since. The character is inspired by the Tarahumaras, a native Mexican tribe known for their ultra long-distance running abilities. In the magical-realism of Cirque du Soleil shows, she is also a monarch butterfly, and stars on the production's poster. Her main circus discipline in the show is Russian Swing, a large, floor-mounted swing from which multiple acrobats gain altitude. They then leap from it, performing impressing somersaults before landing on another synchronized swing. London Theater 1 spoke to Shelli, who couldn't be more excited to perform in her native London. Q. Luzia is described as a "Waking Dream of Mexico"? Yes! We got to actually perform in Mexico and once we were there it was so funny it was like, that's like Luzia, that's from the show! It was just absolutely clear to me they did an amazing job of representing the country in such positive ways: the music, the colour. It's just a really special show. Q. The mission of Cirque du Soleil is to invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions of people around the world. How do you bring in that dream-brain stuff, not thinking- brain? Yes, that's right. Honestly, you just have to come and see it and you when you feel it for yourself it really is something quite special. There's a lot of powerful, strong imagery through the show what makes the whole thing really stunning in a way that I just don't know how to describe. Honestly you do have to come and just see it. Q. They say there's a particular way to understand formal dance like ballet. Is that true of circus? I think with circus there's more openness to interpretation. I mean, if you have never been to Mexico I think you can do some research on some of the symbols that we have here and there throughout the show. But they are subtle, it's not like in your face. So people could look into that, but besides that just be present, just enjoy it and take what we give. Q. So will people miss things? There are some subtleties thought the show, like there are things in the background. You can come and watch the show again and notice something else that didn't catch your eye the first time which is the beauty of seeing the performance more than once, but I think everything is out there, we're not hiding anything. Q. Are the costumes and set are a big part of making the show? So my character for example, I'm a monarch butterfly and that represents migration. The company is Canadian and the theme of the show is Mexico so it connects with the migration of the monarch butterfly from Canada to Mexico. My character is also an ultramarathon runner from the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico, hence why she's called the running woman, and I have body paint that matches what they have. Q. And you have to do a lot of running? Yeah, I do run a lot throughout the show. And I wouldn't want it any other way. Q. Is there a transformation you need to go through to become that butterfly? Kind of, once I've put my make up on I'm no longer Shelli any more. I am, once I'm on stage, someone else. I am this character. We have a very good connection. Q. You have to put your make up on yourself? Yes I do! Can you imagine one person doing 46 artists' make up every day. There wouldn't be enough time! Q. Are you a pro at that? At my own make up? Yes. If you try to give me someone else's, it's back to square one. Q. Talking of migration – you're a Londoner. How is coming home? Oh my gosh, I can't! It's just so surreal, the fact that I get to perform in front of the people who've watch me growing up doing gymnastics from my gym club, to my school, my parents, family, friends that I've gone away to pursue this career and come home, and for them to actually see me in my element. It's a dream. They've supported me my whole life, encouraged me. It's me being able to return the favour – to show them what came out of it. The fact that I am coming home I get the love and support of the people who are here, but I also have the love and support of the people I work with, we are like a little family. But when I say little, we're a lot of people. We're like a big family. Q. A Cirque du Soleil show typically tours with around 125 people in total across all the different professions. Some describe it as a travelling city. How is that as an experience? It is incredible. It is like a little city. The thing is it does get a bit suffocating. We are on top of each other. We work six days a week. We hang out together because more or less in most cities we don't really know people, that's why the fact that when I am coming home I'm going to have that normal life and see other people who I know, because as much as I love my circus family it's exciting to come home. But I'm also excited to bring everyone here and show them where I'm from! Q. Are you the tour guide while they're in London? Maybe, we'll see. I don't know the city as well as I used to, but I'm excited to fall in love with London all over again. Q. When were you last here for a good period of time? Almost 8 years ago. Q. And how do you enjoy the travelling side? We work six days a week. Monday is our day off in the week and that's when I try to explore the city and make the most out of the travel aspect of the job. More often than not people are tired, but I'm only in certain places for such a short amount of time I'm really trying to get the most out of each place. Q. Can you tell me about your past in gymnastics? I was a gymnast from the age of four to eighteen, now I'm classified as a professional acrobat. It kind of intertwines, but acrobatics is more into the circus world. The first job I did they really transformed me from gymnast to performer, teaching me these different apparatuses and that's how I became a circus performer. Q. And with circus you don't just rehearse for a few weeks like a play? No. I had three months training for my discipline of Russian Swing and then we had three months of the creation and then we premiered. That already feels a lifetime ago. Once the show has opened we continue to train! With my discipline I train three times a week, and I do a backup discipline as well that I train twice a week. We're always training because it is such a high-demand on the body and there's a risk factor. We have to take the precautions to implement safety so we train a lot. We don't rehearse the show every day because we perform it every day but practice our disciplines on a regular basis. Q. How does that creative process work? We have a director. We have some influence, but more or less the director already has an idea of what they want and they're just putting the puzzle pieces together to create their vision. We're there to help. Sometimes we can be like, ‘Oh, maybe this will be better,' and they might take that into consideration. Q. And Cirque du Soleil is celebrating 30 years in the UK. How do you keep that established vibe but make it new? It's interesting. We have some traditional disciplines like contortion and juggling. But even with those Cirque du Soleil adds their magic and has flair. There are acts you've seen before, that you're familiar with, but shown in a completely new, different light. There's also acts that the UK will never have seen in a Cirque show, for example there's a huge rain curtain that will never have been used before and the acts that perform under it are amazing. Q. How does Cirque du Soleil interact with the smaller circuses, like those having a bit of a heyday in London right now? Circus is certainly growing. They're not little, they're just smaller companies, and they're just as good. Most of them come with different styles, more contemporary-based. It's a different experience. They're both just as intimate. If you're working with less people you're on top of each other, just with less people. If you work with a bigger company, there's more people that you spend your time with. But more or less you end up with the same experience. Q. And if you hadn't run away to join the circus, what would you be doing right now? I always said I wanted to be a stunt double, a circus performer, or on the West End stage. So still performing. It was always towards the performing industry. Q. And are you happy where you've ended up? Absolutely, I couldn't be happier. { SOURCE: London Theater 1 } ---------------------------------------------------------- Q&A: Anja Wyttenbach from "O" {Oct.25.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil's "O" has achieved some truly magical milestones recently, celebrating its 20th anniversary in December of 2018 and then passing the 10,000-show mark on Sept. 1. Anja Wyttenbach has been a part of this iconic Las Vegas production since day one. Born in Basel, Switzerland, the acrobatic and versatile performer, a veteran of touring circus productions, was developing some innovative aerial acts in Montreal when the creators of "O" came calling. "It was right place, right time," she says of being awarded the role of Aurora in the game-changing show that premiered on Oct. 17, 1998, at the newly opened Bellagio. "Everyone was taking a chance on something new and you don't know what to expect." Q. Today, "O" is such a big part of Cirque and Las Vegas. What was it like in the beginning? It was pretty crazy and very intimidating at first. I remember seeing the theater being built before Bellagio was open, when I came to town and was apartment hunting. The pool wasn't filled and they had my trapeze hanging over it. They were laying it all out. But doing the actual opening shows, it felt like being a movie star. There were 500 reporters from all over the world in the first few rows and everyone was dressed up. That was more than 20 years ago, so it was a little different then. It makes me think of how lucky we've been and had such super audiences. For something like 10 years, we were 99 percent sold out. Q. You balance on your head above the pool. Has your role changed much over the years? It's evolved a little. "O" does have a little bit of a story, but it's subtle, and (writer and director) Franco Dragone wanted it that way. You have Philemon coming out of the audience and getting thrown into the elements, and I'm Aurora, sort of his fantasy, and he sees me here and there. He has other friends but as he grows in the show, he has more independence; he's not this lost child anymore. It's still such a beautiful show. Q. When you're on the trapeze, it's really a climactic moment in this magical experience. What's nice is that it's a quiet act but very impressive. I think it stands out because everybody is usually very quiet at that moment—in a show that's very hectic. I used to do a bicycle act and then I started doing head-balancing on my partner's head on this unicycle. That's not very easy either, but that's how I got into it Q. It sounds impossible, and your act in "O" looks impossible. How different does it feel to balance upside down? It is different but it's like any acrobatics or even doing yoga in that once your body gets used to it, you just do it. The trapeze is very different from the floor. The floor is unforgiving. I prefer the trapeze. When I first started this act, it was super hard because the cables (for the trapeze) are extremely heavy and every move I'd make would give way to that cable, and it throws you off. Now I don't feel it anymore, but when I train my backups, they can feel it. Q. You'll be training more performers now that "O" is about to move to seven nights a week. I think that will be better for me. My backup now gets only two shows a week so she'll get to work more. I'm looking forward to that. I really do enjoy it still. I think the big swing goes about 30 miles per hour and I start out at 45 feet up. It's a cool feeling. It keeps you on your toes, even after thousands of shows. { SOURCE: Brock Radke, Las Vegas Magazine } ---------------------------------------------------------- ‘Women aren't funny'? Tell that to clown Kelsey Custard {Oct.29.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- When Kelsey Custard was studying at San Francisco's Clown Conservatory school a decade ago, she and some of her female colleagues were advised by a guest teacher that they were simply unteachable. "We were told that women aren't funny, so he wasn't really going to teach us because he didn't think we could make it," the 35-year-old Sacramento native told 48 Hills. "He just taught the boys how to do hat tricks and cane tricks and things and told us we could learn if we wanted, but we weren't funny." Custard managed to get the last laugh when, within a year of graduating, she was hired by Cirque du Soleil for the Candian-based circus production company's KA show in Las Vegas. After six years, she scored a coveted spot — one of six from an audition pool of 80 — in the international touring company of Amaluna, which opens for a two- month engagement under the Big Top at Oracle Park starting Nov. 3. She has since toured with the show internationally and even met the Pope. What Custard finds so exciting about Cirque du Soleil's 33rd production, written and directed by Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus, is that it's a female-centric show, about a magical island named Amaluna ruled by goddesses and lunar cycles and featuring a cast made up mostly of women. Drawing from tales from Greek and Norse mythology, Mozart's The Magic Flute, and Shakespeare's The Tempest, its story centers on Queen Prospera and her daughter Miranda, whose love for a brave young suitor is repeatedly tested. I spoke to Kelsey Custard, who plays Miranda's nanny in the show, about her journey from a Theater Arts major at UC Santa Cruz to one of Cirque du Soleil's premiere clowns, the difficulties of making it in the male-driven field of clowning, and how Amaluna can inspire the next generation of young women to be their best selves. Q. How did you go from a Theatre Arts major at UC Santa Cruz to a Clown at Cirque du Soleil? I had always been in theatre for a long time and didn't know that the circus was actually a job that you could have. But when I went to college for theatre, I took a clowning class with a teacher and former clown named Patty Gallagher who's been my mentor ever since and felt like I came home. I had always gotten the funny character, side character, and mother character and never that cute little ingenue like Juliette. Then when I found clowning, I understood that I always got those funny roles and different roles because my talents are a little different than most actors. So because of that clowning class, I decided to pursue that and realized that it could actually be a job and a career. Q. I read that in your audition pool for Cirque du Soleil, you were the only one of 40 women to win a clown spot. I was the only woman who made it at that audition. There are other female clowns at Cirque, but only a small few. It's hard for female clowns in the business, in general. It's a male-driven business and people think that they want male clowns and often don't want to hire female clowns. These are the things we face as women in general in any business. We're taught that men are stronger and better than us. But we're fighting and showing that we can do it just as good, if not better. Q. Some people love clowns and others fear them. What appeals to you about clowns? I love their honesty. Clowning is a vulnerable art. You have to put yourself out there in a way. In theatre, you have to hide who you are and take on a completely different character, but in clowning, it has to come from you, from your own flaws and fears. I think people are scared of clowns because they feel vulnerable and watching [clowning], they can see themselves within it and people don't like that. They get very scared when you point out their own flaws. But for me, I find it hard and incredible and fun to put what I'm scared about myself or what I feel uncomfortable about onstage and make people laugh and have them enjoy it. Q. I always thought that the fear comes from not being able to fully see what they look like. That is the other side of the fear. There's the fear of the shapeless costume and the makeup that completely takes over and the noses and the feet that are huge. What I love about Cirque's clowns is that we are a little more human. In this show, in particular, you really see how human they are, which helps you see how funny life can be when things go wrong. I don't think we're the kind of clowns that people are afraid of, but you never know. Q. How would you describe your character in Amaluna? I'm kind of Miranda's nanny caretaker. I probably took care of her when she was really young and kind of help everything run on our island. So I'm kind of a maid, nanny, and butler. I take care of everything on the side for our royal family. Q. Why is Amaluna's emphasis on women and telling their stories especially important in 2019? One of the things I think is so important is our effect on young women specifically, girls that are coming of age in this day and age. I think it's important to come see a show where they can see powerful women on stage, women with muscles, women playing rock guitars, and women being funny and beautiful. It's really important for them to see that they can do whatever they want and that we can do whatever we want. It's been a hard road for women, especially in the US. These days it seems even harder, so we need to band together as women and show young women that they can do whatever they want. Q. With Amaluna coming to San Francisco for three months starting in November, what's it like to be performing back in the city that you currently call home? I am so excited to come back to San Francisco. For me, it's a dream to be able to perform a show like this at home and I consider San Francisco to be my home now, because it's where I went to clown school. It's where most of my friends live. For me, it's going to be such a huge and exciting thing because I get to share it with people that would never get to see it. When you're out in the world and having all these amazing experiences — my husband's not with me, my dog's not with me, and my family can't see the show. So to be able to go home and do it and have my family and friends and everyone see it and just be in San Francisco for two-and-a-half months, it's going to be so magical. I'm going to eat all the burritos. My favorite burrito in the whole world is El Farolito on Mission and 24th. I dream about it and can't find a burrito like that anywhere else in the world. { SOURCE: Joshua Rotter, 48Hills } ---------------------------------------------------------- Q&A w/Catherine Audy, Aerialist in Alegría {Nov.07.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- Ask any human what they wish their one superpower could be and you'll find flying at the top of pretty much everyone's list. For aerialists at Cirque du Soleil, this far-fetched fantasy is an everyday reality. Swinging through the sky on their trapezes, dangling from their foot in one strap and somersaulting into the arms of their partner. How do these amazing artists find the courage to go through with these maneuvers? Daily Hive talked to aerialist Catherine Audy from Cirque du Soliel's Alegría, currently touring in Toronto, to see how she does it. Audy ignited her love for the craft early on, thanks to the close proximity of a circus school to her home growing up. "I started at the circus when I was about 12 years old and I just liked it. So I kept adding hours to my schedule every week." It wasn't long before the circus was part of Audy's every day. "I would get to school in the morning and then do circus all afternoon and night. I never really asked myself the question if I wanted to do circus. It was just so much fun that I never stopped." It was at these training sessions that Audy met her current partner in Cirque du Soleil's Alegría, Alexis Trudel, and the two have been doing circus together ever since — for the last ten years. "People say it looks easy but that's because we've been doing it for so many years. It's the best job ever. It's a great feeling. I really don't get tired of it," she explains. So what is involved in the rigorous training routine? "You do an hour of training a day and then you do the show at night. It's a lot. We do around nine shows a week." Audy says her and her partner don't necessarily need to practice their routine, since they've been doing it for so long, but that their training consists mainly of regular physical activity, like working on their flexibility. Besides the training involved, how does Audy find the bravery to do something so electrifying — with no safety net? "The only safety that we have is this trust for each other. So we need to trust each other 100%. And we actually really do. I really put my life in his hands — literally. But I enjoy it. Trusting each other is the most dangerous part." Although it might look easy, Audy says one of the biggest misconceptions of being an aerialist is that because they're doing it so often that they just get used to it. "I don't get used to flying." The other misconception? That her and her aerialist partner's chemistry translates into real life. "A lot of people ask if we're married. When you see the act you would think that we are because it's a really great love story. It looks real but we are just really good actors." Debuting in 1994, Alegría is one of Cirque du Soleil's original productions, and 2019 celebrates its 25th anniversary. It is one of the company's most popular shows of all time — its theme song, which was nominated for a Grammy, is the most listened to Cirque Du Soleil song on YouTube. Given this 25-year milestone, the show's entrancing story about resilience and hope has been updated to be even more spectacular than ever. This special anniversary edition of Alegría is distinctively different from the original production — with new costumes, set design, acrobatics, and music, while still keeping with the enchanting characters and artistry that made it famous. It's surely not one to miss, even if you're one of the 14 million who have already seen Alegría in all its glory. For Audy, being a part of the production has been one of her goals. She says, "It was a dream years ago to become an artist at Cirque du Soleil. but when we were called for Alegría, it was the cherry on top. It was my favourite show — the most beautiful show Cirque du Soleil ever made." As for her most terrifying moments in the show? "There's one flight that I particularly like in the act. It's very fast and we really do fly. Alexis just holds me by one hand. I really like that one because it's a great feeling and I like to hear the audience scream a little bit." To see Audy and her partner fly in real life, grab your ticket to the epic 25th anniversary of Alegría, running now until November 24 under Toronto's Big Top at Ontario Place. { SOURCE: Daily Hive } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Alegria, Amaluna, Bazzar, Koozå, Kurios, Luzia, Totem, Volta, and Cirque 2020} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {OVO, Crystal, Corteo, AXEL, Messi10, 'Twas The Night Before} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, MJ ONE, JOYA, Paramour, X: The Land of Fantasy, and R.U.N} 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 ------------------------------------ Alegría-In a New Light: Toronto, ON -- Sep 12, 2019 to Nov 24, 2019 Miami, FL -- Dec 13, 2020 to Jan 26 2020 Houston, TX -- Feb 29, 2020 to Mar 22, 2020 Austin, TX -- Apr 22, 2020 to May 17, 2020 Chicago, IL -- Jun 3, 2020 to Jul 12, 2020 Washington, DC -- Jul 23, 2020 to Sep 27, 2020 Vancouver, BC -- Oct 15, 2020 to Jan 10, 2021 Amaluna: San Francisco, CA -- Nov 3, 2019 to Jan 12, 2020 Sacramento, CA -- Jan 22, 2020 - Feb 23, 2020 Bazzar: Riyadh, SA -- Nov 1, 2019 to Dec 7, 2019 Punta Cana, DO -- Jan 29, 2020 to Feb 23, 2020 Cirque 2020: Montreal, QC -- Apr 23, 2020 to Jun 21, 2020 Koozå: Madrid, ES -- Oct 24, 2019 to Jan 5, 2020 Seville, ES -- Jan 15, 2020 to Feb 23, 2020 Lyon, FR — Mar 19, 2020 to Apr 13, 2020 Tel Aviv, IL -- Jun 4, 2020 to Jun 30, 2020 Zurich, CH -- Sep 4, 2020 to Sep 27, 2020 Kurios: Sydney, AU -- Oct 2, 2019 to Dec 29, 2019 Brisbane, AU -- Jan 10, 2020 to Feb 9, 2020 Melbourne, AU -- Mar 12, 2020 to Apr 13, 2020 Adelaide, AU -- May 29, 2020 to Jun 7, 2020 Perth, AU -- Jul 15, 2020 to Aug 2, 2020 Luzia: Vancouver, BC -- Oct 3, 2019 to Dec 29, 2019 London, UK -- Jan 12, 2020 to Mar 1, 2020 Moscow, RU -- Mar 19, 2020 to Apr 12, 2020 Gran Canaria, ES -- Jul 7, 2020 to Aug 23, 2020 Totem: The Hague, NL -- Oct 11, 2019 to Dec 8, 2019 Düsseldorf, DE -- Dec 18, 2019 to Jan 26, 2020 Munich, DE -- Feb 13, 2020 to Mar 15, 2020 Rome, IT -- Apr 1, 2020 to Apr 19, 2020 Milan, IT -- May 21, 2020 to Jun 21, 2020 VOLTA: Atlanta, GA -- Oct 10, 2019 to Jan 5, 2020 Los Angeles, CA -- Jan 18, 2020 to Mar 8, 2020 Costa Mesa, CA -- Mar 18, 2020 - Apr 19, 2020 Denver, CO -- Apr 30, 2020 to Jun 7, 2020 ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ OVO: Panama City, PA -- Nov 12, 2019 to Nov 17, 2019 Guatemala City, GT -- Dec 3, 2019 to Dec 8, 2019 Norfolk, VA -- Dec 27, 2019 to Dec 29, 2019 Augusta, GA -- Jan 2, 2020 to Jan 5, 2020 Charlotte, NC -- Jan 8, 2020 to Jan 12, 2020 Tallahassee, FL -- Jan 17, 2020 to Jan 19, 2020 Pittsburgh, PA -- Jan 23, 2020 to Jan 26, 2020 Phoenix, AZ -- Feb 20, 2020 to Feb 23, 2020 Boise, ID -- Feb 27, 2020 to Mar 1, 2020 San Diego, CA -- Mar 5, 2020 to Mar 8, 2020 El Paso, TX -- Mar 12, 2020 to Mar 15, 2020 Edinburg, TX -- Mar 19, 2020 to Mar 22, 2020 Lafayette, LA -- Mar 25, 2020 to Mar 29, 2020 Greensboro, NC -- Apr 2, 2020 to Apr 5, 2020 Savannah, GA -- Apr 8, 2020 to Apr 12, 2020 Knoxville, TN -- Apr 15, 2020 to Apr 19, 2020 Frisco, TX -- Apr 23, 2020 to Apr 26, 2020 Fort Worth, TX -- Apr 30, 2020 to May 3, 2020 CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE: Moscow, RU -- Nov 22, 2019 to Dec 8, 2019 Saint Petersburg, RU -- Dec 11, 2019 to Dec 15, 2019 Kazan, RU -- Dec 19, 2019 to Dec 22, 2019 Ufa, RU -- Dec 25, 2019 to Dec 29, 2019 Ekaterinburg, RU -- Jan 1, 2020 to Jan 5, 2020 Riga, LV -- Jan 15, 2020 to Jan 19, 2020 Krakow, PL -- Jan 23, 2020 to Jan 26, 2020 Gdansk, PL -- Jan 30, 2020 to Feb 2, 2020 Minsk, BY -- Feb 6, 2020 to Feb 9, 2020 Kiev, UA -- Feb 13, 2020 to Feb 16, 2020 Sheffield, UK -- Mar 6, 2020 to Mar 8, 2020 Glasgow, UK -- Mar 11, 2020 to Mar 15, 2020 Aberdeen, UK -- Mar 19, 2020 to Mar 22, 2020 Belfast, UK -- Mar 25, 2020 to Mar 29, 2020 Manchester, UK -- Apr 1, 2020 to Apr 5, 2020 Birmingham, UK -- Apr 8, 2020 to Apr 12, 2020 Nottingham, UK -- Apr 15, 2020 to Apr 19, 2020 Amhurst, MA -- May 15, 2020 to May 17, 2020 Trenton, NJ -- May 20, 2020 to May 23, 2020 Lausanne, CH -- Sep 9, 2020 to Sep 13, 2020 Leipzig, DE -- Sep 23, 2020 to Sep 27, 2020 Nuremberg, DE -- Oct 14, 2020 to Oct 18, 2020 Frankfurt, DE -- Nov 13, 2020 to Nov 21, 2020 CORTEO: Frankfurt, DE -- Oct 30, 2019 to Nov 3, 2019 Nuremberg, DE -- Nov 6, 2019 to Nov 10, 2019 Graz, AT -- Nov 13, 2019 to Nov 17, 2019 Brussels, BE -- Nov 21, 2019 to Nov 24, 2019 Paris, FR -- Dec 12, 2019 to Dec 15, 2019 Stuttgart, DE -- Dec 18, 2019 to Dec 22, 2019 Mannheim, DE -- Dec 25, 2019 to Dec 29, 2019 Lisbon, PT -- Jan 3, 2020 to Jan 12, 2020 Granada, ES -- Jan 15, 2020 to Jan 19, 2020 Zargoza, ES -- Jan 22, 2020 to Jan 26, 2020 Vitoria-Gasteiz, ES -- Jan 29, 2020 to Feb 2, 2020 Santiago de Compostela, ES -- Feb 5, 2020 to Feb 9, 2020 Santander, ES -- Feb 12, 2020 to Feb 16, 2020 Bordeaux, FR -- Feb 21, 2020 to Feb 23, 2020 Antwerp, BE -- Mar 13, 2020 to Mar 22, 2020 Vienna, AT -- Mar 25, 2020 to Mar 29, 2020 Montpellier, FR -- Apr 2, 2020 to Apr 5, 2020 Aix-en-Provence, FR -- Apr 8, 2020 to Apr 12, 2020 Lille, FR -- Apr 16, 2020 to Apr 19, 2020 Copenhagen, DE -- Apr 23, 2020 to Apr 26, 2020 Herning, DE -- Apr 29, 2020 to May 3, 2020 Stockholm, SE -- May 7, 2020 to May 10, 2020 Gothenburg, SE -- May 13, 2020 to May 17, 2020 Leeds, UK -- Jun 18, 2020 to Jun 21, 2020 London, UK -- Jun 24, 2020 to Jul 5, 2020 Dublin, IR -- Jul 8, 2020 to Jul 12, 2020 Palma de Mallorca, ES -- Aug 7, 2020 to Aug 16, 2020 Nice, FR -- Aug 20, 2020 to Aug 22, 2020 Helsinki, FI -- Oct 1, 2020 to Oct 4, 2020 Turku, FI -- Nov 18, 2020 to Nov 22, 2020 AXEL: Jacksonville, FL -- Nov 7, 2019 to Nov 10, 2019 Roanoke, VA -- Nov 14, 2019 to Nov 17, 2019 Worcester, MA -- Dec 5, 2019 to Dec 8, 2019 Quebec City, QC -- Dec 12, 2019 to Dec 15, 2019 Montreal, QC -- Dec 19, 2019 to Dec 29, 2019 Detroit, MI -- Jan 2, 2020 to Jan 5, 2020 Milwaukee, WI -- Jan 9, 2020 to Jan 12, 2020 Tulsa, OK -- Jan 16, 2020 to Jan 19, 2020 Cincinnati, OH -- Jan 23, 2020 to Jan 26, 2020 Kansas City, MO -- Jan 30, 2020 to Feb 2, 2020 Nashville, TN -- Feb 6, 2020 to Feb 9, 2020 Greeneville, SC -- Feb 13, 2020 to Feb 16, 2020 Columbus, GA -- Feb 20, 2020 to Feb 23, 2020 Prescott Valley, AZ -- Mar 19, 2020 to Mar 21, 2020 Las Vegas, NV -- Apr 3, 2020 to Apr 5, 2020 Everett, WA -- Apr 9, 2020 to Apr 12, 2020 Tucson, AZ -- Apr 17, 2020 to Apr 19, 2020 Rio Rancho, NM -- Apr 23, 2020 to Apr 26, 2020 Eugene, OR -- May 14, 2020 to May 17, 2020 Spokane, WA -- May 21, 2020 to May 24, 2020 Messi10: Barcelona, ES -- Oct 10, 2019 to Jan 4, 2020 Buenos Aires, AR -- Jun 11, 2020 to Jul 5, 2020 'Twas The Night Before: Chicago, IL -- Nov 29, 2019 - Dec 8, 2019 New York, NY -- Dec 11, 2019 - Dec 29, 2019 --------------------------------- 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 "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday NOTE: Starting January 2020, "O" performs 7 Days a Week Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 9:30pm Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm MICHAEL JACKSON ONE: Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday - Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 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) PARAMOUR: Location: Stage Theater New Flora | Hamburg, Germany Performs: One/Two Shows Nightly... X: THE LAND OF FANTASY Location: Hangzhou, China R.U.N: Location: Luxor Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday - Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) VITORI - MOVING PIECES Moving Pieces takes an exclusive look behind the scenes at VITORI by Cirque du Soleil, a Cirque du Soleil Events & Experiences show for Malta. *) EPISODE 1: In this episode, we reveal how the beauty and history of Malta inspired the concept of the show. LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=518633485379366 *) EPISODE 2: Why is Cirque du Soleil creating a customized performance for Malta? We're speaking with Yasmine Khalil and Daniel Fortin, two Cirque du Soleil executives, to find out. LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2502643699967911 *) EPISODE 3: Let there be light! Discover the artistry behind the lighting of VITORI. LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=555135455060177 o) PASCAL SIOUI on RUN Back in 2017, we created a show case; a new kind of show for Cirque du Soleil.. it was at the time ''THE_JUMP'', now R.U.N. Acting as technical director, we build the set in the Studio C. - Video 1: https://www.facebook.com/Psioui/videos/10158280633334305/ - Video 2: https://www.facebook.com/Psioui/videos/10158306066759305/ o) OTHER VIDEOS - 4U2C Shows Off RUN Video Projection https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1644482352352854 - Corteo Musician Plays on Biggest Accordian in the World https://www.facebook.com/Corteo/videos/2135248510103377/ - CRYSTAL: Backstage with Acrobatic Rigger Jose Angel Sandoval https://www.facebook.com/CrystalbyCirqueduSoleil/videos/2425781174334597/ - CRYSTAL: Meet Morgane Tisserand https://www.facebook.com/CrystalbyCirqueduSoleil/videos/460113084609140/ - JOYA: Meet Flor Aracama and Nico Busso / New Dup Rings artists! https://www.facebook.com/JOYA/videos/1166540943546390/ - RUN: Meet Michael Schwandt - The Multifaceted Stage Director https://www.facebook.com/runtheshow/videos/722455731562545/ - RUN: Meet Tyler Bates - The Composer https://www.facebook.com/runtheshow/videos/490382421513716/ - RUN: See how the Ashop Crew is bringing RUN to life https://www.facebook.com/runtheshow/videos/540846943397014/ - ALEGRIA: Meet Elena Lev, Hoops Artist https://www.facebook.com/Alegria/videos/942358382795622/ - See Amaluna's Sound Team in Action https://www.facebook.com/cirquejobs/videos/2307017262709072/ - MESSI10 artists answer 10 burning questions about the show... https://www.facebook.com/cirquejobs/videos/434226433882329/ - For the first time ever, we're experimenting with the wearable technology WIMUPRO, in collaboration with Barça Innovation Hub and RealTrack Systems, to collect data on Messi10 by Cirque du Soleil artists' real-time physical activity... https://www.facebook.com/cirquejobs/videos/663010840857245/ - Life is Beautiful / Walk the Moon https://www.facebook.com/CirqueduSoleil/videos/474484243149135/ - See Spot Dance! For its first exploration, Boston Dynamics and Nextasy, the Innovation Lab of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, have done some tests to evaluate Spot’s capabilities. Looking forward to how things evolve! https://www.facebook.com/CirqueduSoleil/videos/408792636476031/ ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= o) "R.U.N. is not Your Grandmother's Cirque" - A Collection of Articles Celebrating R.U.N's Preview Premiere o) Jean David's Quel Cirque, Part 11 of 12: "At the Summit" A Special Series Celebrating Cirque's 35th Anniversary ---------------------------------------------------------- "R.U.N. is not Your Grandmother's Cirque" - A Collection of Articles Celebrating R.U.N's Preview Premiere ---------------------------------------------------------- When you ask people to describe Cirque du Soleil, the first thing they mention is acrobatics. Their eyes grow wide as they try to demonstrate thrilling moments involving death-defying – yet beautifully- choreographed – leaps and dives and how-can-they-possibly-do-that movements. Las Vegas' new Cirque du Soleil show, "R.U.N," opens on October 24 at Luxor – and it's a game-changer. There are hardly any acrobatics in the show, and those are performed by riders on electric motorcycles. "We are definitely doing something different," laughed director Michael Schwandt, one of the most well-respected stage directors in the world and creative director of the new hit TV show, "The Masked Singer." "We're taking an iconic brand and changing audiences' perceptions of it." The groundbreaking new show draws its inspiration from action movies and graphic novels, and is Cirque du Soleil's first live action thriller. The story follows a striking bride as she leads a series of fast-paced chases, brawls and stunts through the city's fictional underbelly. "R.U.N" is dark and edgy, and it immerses audiences in a gritty urban environment that – thanks to set designer Bruce Rodgers and his team – feels so real, you'll forget you're in a Las Vegas resort. And that's before the show itself even begins. Here's a collection of articles discussing R.U.N whilst it is in previews. FORBES: "RUN is not Your Grandmother's Cirque" ----------------------------------------------- "It's all about transitions," explained Rodgers. "We gradually move you out of the casino, where you're drawn in by the logo itself, into a mirrored space reflecting infinity, then through a graffiti-filled underpass. You walk over real manholes that wobble a little, interact with props, hear the sounds of the city and pass sights that you'll revisit during the show. Best of all, it's all Instagrammable." "R.U.N" is unlike any Cirque du Soleil you've experienced, making you feel like you've entered another world rather than simply gone to see a show. Renowned graffiti collective, ASHOP, created the street art in the lobby, the merchandise shop, the theater and even the bathrooms, giving "R.U.N" an unparalleled authenticity – along with major street cred. "The hardest part was keeping everything dirty and flawed," said Rodgers. "For most shows, you want perfection but, for "R.U.N," we had to redo anything that looked too clean and polished. It was an unusual challenge." Every space in the theater is put to use, so audience members are literally immersed in "R.U.N." Characters ride down the aisles on to the stage, and, at its highest point, the action takes place 34 feet over the crowd. The technology is astounding, with a 120 feet by 50 feet video screen boasting almost 23 million pixels, and four robotic cameras, four miniature cameras and 20 handheld cameras sending video to 19 projectors capable of 30,000 lumens each – but all of it is used to support the creativity of the storytelling rather than the other way around. Projection is a huge part of the show and, according to Schwandt, it's used in different ways in every chapter to keep it fresh. "It may move a scene, create an environment or offer a perspective change." With its innovative approach, "R.U.N" lives up to – and maybe even surpasses – the gold standard performance level audiences have come to expect from Cirque du Soleil. It introduces the brand to a whole new demographic – and that's a daring feat in itself. Las Vegas Sun: "A First Look at R.U.N" -------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil and Luxor offered the first real look at new resident show "R.U.N" to a select group of guests and members of the media Tuesday afternoon, making good on the promise of a new action-packed direction for Cirque by performing two exciting acts from the show ahead of its opening night on Thursday. "If you're expecting to see our trademark acrobatics in a dream-like, impressionist world, you're in the wrong place," said show producer Gabriel Pinkstone before introducing a wild performance simulating a car chase across the Nevada desert. "'R.U.N' is going somewhere completely different. We're drawing on a profound expertise in human performance and spectacular stagecraft, but ‘R.U.N' is exploring new territories. We like to joke that ‘R.U.N' is what happens when the stunt people send the acrobats out for coffee and then lock the doors behind them." She described the new show as a celebration of the action-thriller genre as popularized in movies, graphic novels and video games. But while there may be plenty of action in other Cirque productions on the Las Vegas Strip, the framework and esthetic of "R.U.N" is something new and different. Stunt work is the core of each performance, which include riding electric motorcycles, high falls, combat, pyrotechnics and special effects, set against the backdrop of a fictionalized, amped-up version of Las Vegas itself. Tuesday's sneak peek also displayed innovative technologies at play in the production. As fighters jumped on top of the "moving" vehicle during the car chase to attack its inhabitants, projections on screens behind and in front of the action added depth and motion to the scene and more scenery was splashed across two huge projection surfaces stretching along the theater's walls. "R.U.N" integrates extensive live footage and pre-shot video on those vast surfaces, helping to create a more immersive experience. It's all part of the show's approach to storytelling, which was crafted in a completely different way by Cirque du Soleil. "In a more traditional Cirque show you would start with an acrobatic skeleton of the show, where you have a lineup of the different acts you're looking to show," said creation director Stefan Miljevic, who also directed the film sequences in the show. "We started the notion of a story, of following a hero on his quest up until its resolution. The idea was to find a way to integrate the performances so they can fuel the story. That was a new way of thinking [for Cirque]." The show's creators took inspiration from classic graphic novels and highly stylized action films like "V for Vendetta," "300" and especially "Sin City," which led to a connection with one of that film's directors, Robert Rodriguez, who ended up writing the story for "R.U.N." Composer Tyler Bates, who created music for "300" and other popular action and horror films, crafted an original score and adapted existing music to create a hybrid electronic-rock sound for "R.U.N." "Musically it's a very different world than what you hear from Cirque du Soleil," said show director Michael Schwandt. "It's very heart- pounding, driving music and that's really the pulse of our show." The second scene unveiled Tuesday occurs late in the show, a motorcycle stunt spectacular that sets the tone for the final confrontation between "The Hero" and "The Groom." Teams of bikers roamed the theater's aisles before swooping across the stage, defying gravity by sliding up steep ramps and blasting over the stage and performing motocross competition-style stunts. "We really were given permission to break the mold," Schwandt said. "Taking an opportunity like this with a company that has such a strong performance history and being asked to break the rules and try something new is an amazing opportunity and has been super exciting for us." "R.U.N" makes its debut at 7 p.m. October 24 and will eventually settle into a regular performance schedule at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday at Luxor. The world premiere grand opening is scheduled for November 14. LVRJ: "Exploring the Stunts, Sounds, and Story" ----------------------------------------------- The last time Cirque du Soleil launched a new show in Las Vegas was more than six years ago. Michael Jackson One officially premiered on June 29, 2013, at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, and audiences knew exactly what to expect. The Beatles Love was already seven years into a historically successful run at the Mirage and served as the blueprint for another colorful production combining Cirque's trademark theatrics with the familiar and beloved catalog of a music icon. There's no Instagram account for Michael Jackson One or The Beatles Love. There's a Cirque du Soleil page with images and info for its various Vegas shows and other globe-trotting touring productions, but the Montreal-based entertainment company hasn't always used trendy social media platforms to promote individual shows and events. But check out /runtheshow on your 'gram and you'll get a whole lot of behind-the-scenes video footage and character exploration teasing R.U.N, the latest Cirque creation, set to open October 24 at Luxor. The vastly different approach to marketing this show demonstrates just how far Cirque is stepping out of its box. "This is so different from what people expect from Cirque du Soleil onstage. The production value is so amped up and some of these things have never been done onstage," says Lou D'Angeli, vice president of marketing and public relations for the resident shows division. "While R.U.N is the first live-action thriller for us, it's kind of the first live-action thriller, period." It was known that Cirque du Soleil was developing something new to fill the 1,500-seat theater at Luxor vacated last year by illusionist Criss Angel's Mindfreak Live—originally a collaboration with Cirque titled Believe—but when R.U.N was officially announced in April, the focus was on the things that would not be part of the new show: circus-style acrobatics, avant-garde clowning and subtle, ethereal storylines. Explaining what R.U.N actually will be—and more importantly, generating buzz—requires new tricks and tools. "This is much more pronounced because of the way the show is formatted," D'Angeli says of the marketing strategy, which has included videos showing fight training in Montreal and interviews with performers playing the main characters. "There are identifiable and marketable characters: the Professional, the Bride, the Groom. They all have identities, which is why we created an Instagram for it and did other things we typically wouldn't do, to push that identity out there and give people that idea that this is really not what you've seen before from us." We'll know very soon just how far Cirque has pushed itself to create R.U.N, but we already know there are at least three elements that distinguish its 10th resident production on the Las Vegas Strip from everything that came before. There's the action, a stunt-driven strategy in the vein of a big-budget, CGI-filled Hollywood blockbuster. There's the music, an edgy rock 'n' roll soundtrack composed by Tyler Bates, known for his work on 300, Guardians of the Galaxy and John Wick. And there's a clear-cut plot complete with narration, a hard-driving storyline written by action and horror filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, director of El Mariachi, From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City and Machete. THE STUNTS Rob Bollinger is a former competitive diver who worked in the stunt industry before joining Cirque du Soleil as part of the original cast of Mystére at Treasure Island in 1993. He's also worked as artistic director for O at Bellagio and as a coach and coordinator for various acrobatic-themed acts and shows around the world Bollinger serves as a performance and action designer for R.U.N, collaborating with veteran stunt coordinator and five-time world karate champion Jean Frenette (who has worked on hundreds of movies and TV shows including X-Men, Deadpool 2 and Jack Ryan) to choreograph the grittier, more frenetic fight sequences and high-flying stunts that will define the new production. "Every show is different; every acrobatic act is different. This is a more story-driven show that has allowed me to tap into my stunt experience in a different way than I have before, and I've really enjoyed that," Bollinger says. "If I look back and compare my roles as a designer and coordinator and director, this one is definitely unique. I've been much more involved at the creative table, developing the concept and designing the action. It's a very immersive project." Bollinger uses the word "immersive" to describe both the creative process—which brought in many artists and consultants from the Hollywood stunt community—and the anticipated experience for the audience. The action of R.U.N is supposed to surround you, as if you've somehow walked into a movie or graphic novel. "A stunt by itself is really nothing. It needs a story, and it needs to have a purpose; then it becomes of value," Bollinger says. "All the stunts we're doing aren't just thrown out there, like, let's light someone on fire or jump off a high place. Each has a purpose in telling the story. "We also wanted to make sure we're being true to the stunt community. Having been a part of it, I want to know that if a stunt person comes to see the show, he or she is thinking that it's really done well, that those are not fake falls. We wanted to incorporate anything you'd see in a film into this show, with the understanding that we have to do this 10 times a week, do it safely and do it night after night and year after year. That's been a delicate and important process." There are combat and falls and fire and stunt work in plenty of other Cirque du Soleil productions, but R.U.N's action should be more realistic and palpable. There will be motorcycles flying over the stage and steering through stunts you'd normally see in an arena motocross competition. "It's crazy," D'Angeli says. "We built out a stage to be the same size as [Luxor's] in Montreal to show how it happens, and I was blown away there. But seeing it here, these motorcycles flying over and coming down through the audience and all over the stage, it really feels like this huge production in this intimate setting." The volume of stunts will also set R.U.N apart from the Cirque family of shows—and probably from everything else in Las Vegas—something Bollinger realizes when asked about the pace of the production. "Not every scene or chapter of our show has … well, now that I'm thinking through it, they all pretty much do," he laughs. "It does have that emotional EKG, if you will, as you go through the show, that heightened sense of drama that scales back as the mood and the vibe changes, then it brings it back up. It takes the audience on a nice journey." THE SOUNDS Music is essential in changing those moods and vibes and transporting the audience through the journey of any Cirque du Soleil experience. Outside of the obvious Beatles and Michael Jackson tunes in their respective shows, Cirque productions in Las Vegas are known for sublime, celestial soundtracks that frame the drama onstage without moving too far into a defined genre. Tyler Bates played a few thousand live shows with rock bands before becoming one of the most in-demand musicians, writers and producers across the spectrum of film, television and video games. His breakthrough gigs came when he scored Zack Snyder's films Dawn of the Dead and 300, and he has collaborated with Rob Zombie on music for The Devil's Rejects and Halloween. Think of the sounds of those movies and then think about the music of Mystére and O. It's a considerable contrast. "The thing I really love about Cirque is how emotional it is and how much those shows have a tendency to open portals for thought and emotion," Bates says. "Depending on the show you see, there are a lot of things that happen to the audience. For me as a composer and producer, this [project] is very rare air." Bates says the music in R.U.N is inspired by early creative conversations with show director Michael Schwandt and creative director Stefan Milijevic that included questions like "how hard can we go physically" and "how far can we push the audience musically" to build an emotional range for the show. "It's been interesting," he says. "It's also been in a constant state of flux while working out the details of the show and the timing of each performance. The timing of the stunts in this show is very critical. We have to know all those things and funnel them into the music." While the pieces of the score range from eight to 14 minutes long, and there are plenty of complicated tempo and key changes, Bates says the music "sounds like me, but I can't say there's a specific film reference we've discussed." The Cirque creative team was compelled as much by Bates' hybrid electronic-rock production work with artists like Marilyn Manson and Bush as by his movie music, so while it may be natural to think of R.U.N as a live-theater version of an action film, it might be more accurate to describe it as a graphic novel coming to life. "It was hard not to be inspired by every piece of concept art they've shared with me and [by] the theater itself. What they've done there is really fantastic," Bates says. "I think there's some relatability to some movies I've done like John Wick or Hobbs & Shaw, but it's tipping more toward the fun, graphic-novel side of things. It vacillates. Sometimes it's a little more inside your head, and other times it's full-on action in your face. I found that to be really interesting and exciting to move through those states of consciousness, so to speak." THE STORY R.U.N is set in a sort of fictionalized version of Las Vegas, director Michael Schwandt says, because Cirque wanted to take inspiration from the city where it has set the benchmark for entertainment. In order to set a new standard for storytelling, the company connected with one of the most distinctive auteurs of his generation, Robert Rodriguez. "It was a super-collaborative process with Robert," Schwandt says. "We had identified the stunt disciplines within the show and a layout of certain scenes we wanted to feature, and we had a rough road map when he came on. But from the beginning it was all about collaborating with him to find the best story, not only in a way that would translate to the live show but also to support the performances in this show." So what happens in R.U.N? You have to buy a ticket to find out. One thing that's clear is that unlike other Cirque du Soleil productions, in which characters and scenery push things forward—often in a dreamy, passive way—action drives this show. "We're definitely aiming to be more direct," Schwandt says. "We're guiding the audience with the use of voice-over narration which we hope keeps them invested in the journey from scene to scene, and the performance in each scene supports the storyline. Everything is interconnected and for the most part follows a linear story. We hope you're not only following that journey but really invested in the main characters. Sometimes it might be a little too obvious." Schwandt has collaborated with Cirque once before in producing a performance for television, but this will be something new for him. "I have a tendency to be involved in projects where companies are trying something they haven't done before, and I welcome the challenge," he says. "I think the landscape of entertainment options is diversifying, and this is a valid and important step. Cirque is acknowledging there is a different way to bring what they do to the table in a new platform, a new entertainment experience, and it's very smart on their part." As a stage director and entertainment developer and producer, Schwandt has had a hand in TV projects like The Masked Singer, American Idol and America's Next Top Model; concerts and tours by Kendrick Lamar, Katy Perry and John Legend; and diverse live productions like LA Live's New Year's Eve show with Drake and Diplo, the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards and the Ringling Bros. Circus Xtreme arena tour. Even with that wild spectrum of experience, he says there are "absolutely more differences than similarities" between R.U.N and anything he's done before. "I've pulled from experiences across a greater swath of project types, kind of grasping at things I've done from a super wide range more than ever before, because there are a lot of new challenges for me in this realm. Stunts in general is a new realm; I've done circus work before, but nothing to this level. One thing that's unique is the way we're structuring this performance as less about individual acts or numbers and more about a scene and an environment and a vibe." He points out that some of the "acts" in R.U.N might last 10 to 12 minutes, "a long time to sustain a particular performance or energy. It's not just stunt fighters for three minutes; it's hand-to-hand combat, weapons specialists, motorcycle riders, fire specialists—all of these elements integrated into once scene, 25 to 30 people to make one collective wow moment that spans 10 minutes. It's one of the most challenging projects I've worked on." R.U.N will also use a massive amount of video content to complement the action onstage and to contribute to the storytelling. Cirque du Soleil is using everything in its toolkit to create another visual spectacle in a different way, while aiming for the same emotional resonance that makes its Las Vegas shows so memorable. "The whole synergy of pulling together video, music and stunts has been super-exciting. We're really trying to find something new for the audience within each environment we're creating," Schwandt says. "It's very challenging for us but also super-rewarding." LA TIMES: "Cirque bets big with ‘R.U.N'" ----------------------------------------- The motorcyclist speeds up a 12-foot-tall ramp, catapulting himself more than 35 heart-stopping feet in the air. Midway through the jump, he fearlessly slips his hands off the handles, arches his back and cinematically thrusts his arms into a victory sign before safely landing 40 feet away. For the next hour, four cyclists will zip back and forth, taking turns testing the limits of gravity. These death-defying feats are taking place not on a movie set or in a competitive arena but within the confines of the 1,463-seat theater inside the Luxor hotel and casino. The stunt riders are rehearsing for "R.U.N," the new Cirque du Soleil show that begins performances Thursday, Oct. 24, leading up to its official premiere Nov. 14. As with everything in Las Vegas, the stakes are high. Six years have passed since the Canadian theatrical company has introduced a new show on the Vegas Strip, and the time has come to find a fresh vehicle to electrify audiences. Cirque is looking for ways to attract ticket buyers who may have grown weary of acrobats, trapeze artists, contortionists and clowns. More important, the company hopes to attract and develop the next generation of audience members — younger fans, raised on video games and action movies. And that means reinvention. "First and foremost, we wanted to have something very, very different from anything else we had done," Chief Executive Daniel Lamarre said in July from his office overlooking the Cirque campus in Montreal. "If you look at the movie industry, what's working? Action movies," he says. "We think there is a huge potential for teenagers, kids and people in their 20s who love action movies, who, when they hear that Cirque du Soleil is doing a livethriller show, will want to see it." Since Cirque first hit the strip in 1993 with "Mystère" at the Mirage Hotel & Casino, it has raised the bar on Vegas entertainment, pushing creative limits higher with each subsequent show: the aquatic "O," the sensuous "Zumanity," the battlefield antics of "Kà," "The Beatles Love" and "Michael Jackson: One," which are currently playing, as well as "Criss Angel Believe," "Viva Elvis" and "Zarkana," which have closed. The price tag for "R.U.N" will be about $62 million, Cirque says, making it one of the company's most expensive Vegas shows. This gamble comes at a time when tourism for the city has remained relatively stagnant, according to figures from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. But Lamarre is undaunted. "Every show is a risk," he says. "We're in a risky business by definition." Since Cirque was founded in 1984 by street performers Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix, Cirque has become the largest theatrical producer in the world. Its big-top touring shows have been presented in 450 cities in 60 countries. Among its newer offerings are an ice show, a touring show based on the film "Avatar," a collaboration at Disney World featuring Disney characters and a presence at resorts and theme parks in Mexico. In 2015, a majority interest in the company was sold to TPG Capital, a private equity firm, in a deal reportedly valued at $1.5 billion. Since then, the company has expanded its reach and diversified its holdings with the acquisition of Blue Man Group and Minnesota-based VStar Entertainment group and its Florida-based circus arts subsidiary, Cirque Productions, which produces Cirque Dreams shows. This year it added the Illusionists magic troupe to its portfolio. In 2016, Cirque made a $25-million bet on Broadway with the Hollywood- themed show "Paramour." Like other attempts at cracking the New York market — "Banana Shpeel" in 2010 and "Zarkana" the following year — "Paramour" wasn't able to find a steady following. Most weeks, its box office take was between $800,000 and $900,000, half of its gross potential of $1.8 million, and it closed a year later after 31 previews and 366 performances. Cirque has since remounted the show in Hamburg, Germany. Last year, an aerial performer fell to his death during a Cirque performance in Florida. It was the fourth death of a Cirque company member since 2009. So it may be surprising that Cirque is venturing into seemingly risky territory with its newest show in Las Vegas. With "R.U.N," Cirque is diverging from the core circus arts that made it famous in favor of a 40-person cast of stunt drivers, martial arts experts, pyrotechnic performers and freak-show artists. "R.U.N" will be heavy on video and projections, with live video shot by a camerawoman onstage integrated into the story. Much of the action will take place in the audience. And for the first time, Cirque has brought in a writer to create a defined story line and script. "What became very clear to all of us is that with this type of show, we want to leave less up to interpretation," says "R.U.N" director Michael Schwandt. "We want people to understand the context of the scene: Why does he hate him? Why are they fighting right now? Why is this escalating to this point? When you have understanding of some context, it makes what you're watching a lot better. You can root for someone." Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, whose body of work includes action thrillers such as "El Mariachi," "Sin City" and "Machete," was tapped to write the script. Though he was busy with his own film projects, Rodriguez jumped at the opportunity to collaborate on something new. "I'm not used to having to follow a story in a Cirque show," Rodriguez says, "so I thought it would be a unique opportunity — a modern film noir." Like a graphic novel, "R.U.N" unfolds in chapters, each with a distinct voice and musical style. The plan was always to put on a stunt show, Schwandt says, but the concept and packaging evolved before they settled on the story line, which revolves around two rival gangs facing off in the dark, seedy underground of Las Vegas. A wedding gets interrupted and a chase ensues. The title of the show can be read as "run" or "are you in?" "At the end of the day, it's a very gritty, romantic love story," Schwandt says with a laugh. "It's a really dark and gritty love story." The actors don't speak onstage. Instead, the show relies on voice-over narration, projections and other devices. "There are times when it should feel like you're reading the pages of a graphic novel, so things are popping up onscreen," Schwandt says. "That's a way for people to continue following the story without having to hear the narration all the time." The script significantly changed the development of the show, says Rob Bollinger, who oversees the stunt and action performances with Jean Frénette and was involved in the early development of "R.U.N." Traditionally, Cirque builds an "acrobatic skeleton" for each show, then finds ways to develop a story around that, says Bollinger, who worked years as a film stuntman before joining Cirque as an original cast member of "Mystère." Flipping the process gave the stunts new urgency. "You can see somebody do a stunt, and it's amazing by itself — but it's just a stunt. When you put it in the context of a story — when you're helping to tell a story or you're helping to develop a character — then the stunt has some real meaning and purpose," he says. "That's the goal for this show: We're trying to find the stunt sequences that really help to develop a character." For the music, Cirque hired Tyler Bates, former lead guitarist for Marilyn Manson, who in recent years has made a name as a film and television composer, creating hard-charging scores for such features as the recent "Fast and Furious" spinoff "Hobbs & Shaw," "300" and the "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "John Wick" films. He describes his music for "R.U.N" as "a modern amalgam of musical styles from the past 30 years." Bates worked closely with Schwandt to compose music that also serves character and story development. "The music is designed to speak to the various chapters of the show," Bates says. "The introduction of dialogue and having more of a detailed story line and the expression of a character's inner thoughts is definitely informing the music in a significant way. The dialogue has made me rethink some things and understand some dynamics the show didn't necessarily have imbued in it when I came onboard." Schwandt, a co-creator of "The Masked Singer," is no stranger to large, complex productions. He's overseen shows ranging from Michelle Obama's 2013 "Let's Move" campaign kickoff event to live performances for Nike and Reebok to concert tours for Kendrick Lamar, Katy Perry and Avril Lavigne. But juggling the many aspects of this Cirque production presented unique challenges, many of his own design. "Oftentimes in dance, there's chunks of people who learn the same choreography. That's not the case here," he says. "Every single person has to be choreographed differently. When you have 25 people fighting onstage, that's 25 people who have to be choreographed. They're doing completely different things. Even in scenes that have dancers, we have little synchronized choreography — and that's by choice." Because of the need for precision, every movement and bit of action is carefully clocked in the 75-minute show. Bollinger has made sure even the motorcycle jumps are timed down to the second. A challenge, Schwandt says, is that many of the performers come from the stunt or martial arts world and don't know how to count beats or read music. And some — like the motorcyclists — can't even hear the music because of their helmets. He had to create visual cues. In turn, Rodriguez has tweaked dialogue and Bates has adjusted the music to accommodate pyrotechnic scenes, martial arts sequences or set changes that require more stage time. "R.U.N" is billed as an action thriller but Schwandt has avoided the temptation to go overboard with the stunts, video projections or other visuals while still providing something new for the audience to discover within each scene. "If you do too much fighting over and over again throughout the show, it can become repetitive and you have what is called ‘fight fatigue,'" he says. "You get desensitized to it because you're seeing so much fighting." He had Rodriguez write in what he refers to as "quiet moments," laughing slyly as he notes, "Quiet doesn't necessarily mean less impactful or less suspenseful. We have a few ‘quiet' moments that are pretty intense." Though Cirque is breaking out of its mold with "R.U.N," some of the most familiar elements of its shows will remain. The characters' facial makeup and costumes still embody the dreamy quality of its other shows, but with darker hues and harsher lines, taking their inspiration from street gangs and futuristic action films. Tattoos, piercings and realistic scars have been added to the makeup effects. All of the costumes are handmade in the Cirque headquarters in Montreal from fabrics that are hand-printed or hand-dyed. Even the belts, buttons and shoes are handcrafted with the show's specific elements — such as pyrotechnics and cyclist stunts — in mind. These familiar aspects are woven into the darker, cinematic feel of the new show. Audience members will begin to sense this even before they enter the theater. Set designer Bruce Rodgers has transformed 65,000 square feet of space outside the theater into a graffiti- covered, neon-lit alley scene packed with visuals and projections that ticket holders must pass through to get to their seats. No detail was too small to address. A collective of a dozen graffiti artists from Montreal was brought in for 12 days to tag the walls, layer upon layer. "A lot of people don't get this close to graffiti in real life," Rodgers says. The floor is designed to resemble cracked cobblestone and concrete ("The contractors we have are trained to do perfect work, but we threw out the rule book and made them learn how to make bad asphalt") and several lights flicker. ("All our neon signs have little glitchy things to them. We want it to feel like nothing is too perfect.") When it came time to add a manhole cover to his street scene, Rodgers went straight to the Neenah Foundry in Wisconsin, which has manufactured millions of the iron disks seen on streets around the world. Along the path are interactive stops including a telephone booth, a tattoo parlor and a car wreck. "Everything is designed for Instagram," Rodgers says. "We've been tweaking lighting so everyone looks good when they take their selfies." In the weeks before the first public performances of the show, the creative team was still adapting, adjusting, testing, timing and tweaking. "The biggest constraint has been time. We're still dialing in the story," Schwandt says. "That's going to be a process all the way until we open the show. Right now, with the time we have left, everyone just wants to know what they're doing, to lock it in. Then, once the cast gets more comfortable, they'll want to try new things to raise the bar even more." LA TIMES: "Why is Robert Rodriguez writing Cirque?" --------------------------------------------------- The call from Cirque du Soleil came out of the blue. "They said they were working on an action show, an action-type show," says Robert Rodriguez, the filmmaker best known for the neo-western "El Mariachi" and the dark, graphic novel-inspired "Sin City," as well as the "Spy Kids" franchise. Wrong number? Rodriguez would be among the first to admit he isn't someone most people would associate with the Montreal-based company known for its trapeze artists, contortionists, clowns and high-flying acrobats. But when Cirque was developing the concept for "R.U.N," its latest live-action show in Las Vegas, his name was, in fact, the one that kept popping up. "We went to ‘Sin City' as a reference a lot, stylistically, and we just thought, OK, let's get in touch with who is behind this and just see," says "R.U.N" director Michael Schwandt. "Sometimes you just have to go to the source. You have nothing to lose but someone telling you no, right?" Rodriguez's answer was a resounding yes. "I got very excited, and I told my agent, I'd love to work with them," he says by phone from his studio in Texas. "I've been going to Cirque shows over the course of their history. Whenever they would come tour through Austin, I would do an exchange where I would take some of my actors or kids who were working with me to see them — see behind the scenes — and then we'd bring their performers over to my studio, and they would see us filming or things like that." As writer for "R.U.N," Rodriguez is making Cirque history. The production marks the first time Cirque has incorporated a full narrative and script into a show. It also marks a change in direction for Cirque, which will feature motorcycle stunt riders, martial arts experts and pyrotechnic performers in place of its core circus-style acts. "R.U.N" begins previews Thursday and officially opens Nov. 14 at the Luxor hotel and casino. The fast-paced thriller is set in the underbelly of Las Vegas and incorporates iconography of the city into its narrative. "A wedding is interrupted and a guy is running for his life, and we don't know why. We don't know what he's done, what he's risking and why they are after him," Rodriguez says, adding, "I don't want to give away too much." He came on nearly a year after Cirque first decided to create a show involving Hollywood-style stunt performers. Schwandt had mapped an outline, taking desired elements of stage action and stringing them together in story form. Rodriguez took those scenes and refined them, making tweaks to give reason to the action. "They had a loose idea of what was going to happen. I had freedom, but I wanted to work with what they had because I thought the set pieces were great," he says. "We need to follow the Hero all the way through, so from the very beginning, we need to find his voice." It's a process that Rodriguez is familiar with from creating his 2010 action film, "Machete." "It's been really interesting trying to reverse-engineer something based on action and ideas they've come up," he says. "I made a fake trailer for ‘Machete,' just as a fake trailer. People loved the trailer and said, where's the movie?' For five years, I heard that question again and again. Finally, I said, let's make a movie. But I wanted to include every shot from the trailer in the movie, so I had to reverse-engineer the trailer to figure out how those shots would work in an actual story. The limitation that comes from that was so exhilarating." Cirque Chief Executive Daniel Lamarre says Hollywood was an obvious place to seek out a writer for the show, and Rodriguez was a natural choice: "The storytelling was more important with this than in other shows, so we needed someone who had a movie background." The challenge for the filmmaker was juggling his "day job" with the demands of writing — and rewriting — parts of "R.U.N." Rodriguez is known in the industry for his hands-on approach to his work, immersing himself in all aspects of the process, even composing music for some of his movies. When the Cirque offer came, he was busy with other projects, but he didn't hesitate to take on this job. "You just have to start something you're excited about," he says. "You don't know how you're going to do it, but you'll start getting momentum. Then before you know it, you're making time where there was no time before. It just starts being magically created by yourself." Again, Rodriguez was squarely in the middle of filming when Cirque approached him about scripting a special presentation for a July event at Comic-Con in San Diego. The segment, which featured aspects of the actual show, was the first introduction of "R.U.N" to the public. "Even though I'm in the middle of production, I made the time," he says, "because I love the project." Last month, Rodriguez finally found an opportunity to sit in on a rehearsal in Las Vegas. For the most part, he had been working off of video clips sent to him from the creative team as they pieced together the show, first in Montreal and then in Vegas. By chance, "R.U.N" composer Tyler Bates, who was conducting his work in Los Angeles, attended the same run-through — or "stumble-through" as Cirque creatives call it — so the two were able to compare notes and adjust dialogue or music to fill out scenes based on stunt sequences or set changes. "Once I saw it with Tyler's music, it's like, oh, you don't need to be jabbering all the time. You can totally tell what's going on," Rodriguez says. "Minimalism is best. It's such a spectacular show to watch, visually." During his visit, he says, the creatives began experimenting with some of the tools and language of graphic novels, replacing a projected thought bubble or a description on screen in the style of a graphic novel. "There's so much to work with: You have screens, scrims, projections. It's really unique," he says. Rodriguez says he's prepared to continue to refine the script, and he plans one more trip to Vegas as the opening drew closer. "There's sections that I haven't seen yet," he says, "and I have to make sure the dialogue is working just right. Then if I need to come up with anything else, I'll just come up with it. "So, no pressure," he says, laughing. "No pressure at all." ------------------------------------------------------------ Jean David's Quel Cirque, Part 11 of 12: "At the Summit" A Special Series Celebrating Cirque's 35th Anniversary ------------------------------------------------------------ Today a consultant in creativity and event marketing, Jean David was one of the pioneers of Cirque du Soleil, where he led the marketing department for 15 years (from 1984-1999), introducing the magic of the Grand Chapiteau to the whole world. During his tenure, David distinguished himself through innovative methods by commercializing the Big Top and introducing its magic to other cultures on four continents. A man of vision but also a determined entrepreneur, Jean David acted as Vice President of Entertainment, Sales & Marketing at the WYNN Hotel in Las Vegas before moving to India for 18 months, where he led a pre-feasibility study for the creation of an innovative project: the Mumbai International Creative Center, an international resort centered around the theme of creativity. In his 2005 book - "Quel Cirque!" ("What a Cirque!") - David offered his views on leadership and revealed the innovative qualities that contributed to Cirque du Soleil's enormous success in marketing, management, creation and exploration. There was only one problem... it was written in his native French. Thankfully, David himself translated and web-published an English-language version of his book and we've collected the relevant Cirque-related chapters for this 12-part series. Jean David's "Quel Cirque" is a fantastic read and as Cirque du Soleil celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, we thought this would be the perfect year to share these texts with you. So, without further ado, Quel Cirque! # # # Early in the spring of 1995, we got a call from Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, asking us to perform at the G7 conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was a little inconvenient. Normally Cirque du Soleil didn't take part in special events. Besides, it would mean quickly putting together a show with artists and technicians, setting up a big top, and rehearsing so that we could offer a quality product. The operation would also entail marshalling considerable human and material resources. It would also require much work and organization. Still, we knew that the seven world leaders represented countries that had the majority of our customers, so we thought we should make a special effort. And it was our prime minister making the request. After assessing the feasibility of the project, we were inclined to accept. But there was an ethical issue about the government picking up the tab. It was no secret that Canadians were heavily taxed. Citizens might question the relevance of spending over a million dollars for the project. We didn't relish the idea of finding ourselves in the midst of a controversy. So we accepted to do the project on one condition: the private sector had to foot the bill. And we weren't fooling! After a little back-and-forth, the government agreed. Two Canadian corporations, Bombardier and Air Canada, undertook to sponsor the event and share the expenses. The Halifax summit offered us a splendid opportunity to conduct a vast public relations operation with the 3,000 journalists gathered from around the world to cover the event. I assembled a team consisting of publicity staff from our Montreal headquarters and from our North American, Asian, and European divisions. So we could communicate in French, English, Spanish, German, and Japanese. We were in the media centre. As a result of this successful operation we came away with a better grasp of the international reach and scope of our activities. Undoubtedly, for us the highlight of the summit was meeting the G7 leaders. Forty-five minutes before the show began, a cocktail party was held in a tent adjacent to the big top. Our sponsors, Guy Laliberté, Daniel Gauthier, his wife Hélène Dufresne, and I were invited to join the leaders, and their finance and foreign affairs ministers. This brief event turned out to be very interesting! We chatted with John Major and Helmut Kohl. President Clinton confided to us that at their first session, Prime Minister Chrétien had distributed the event program and everyone was delighted to learn that Cirque du Soleil would be performing. Bill Clinton also described us to the other leaders because he was the only one who had seen a show. In fact, he'd seen two of them. Meeting French President Jacques Chirac was even more interesting. After exchanging greetings, Mr. Chirac asked us why we weren't performing in France on a regular basis. I replied that we'd been venue hunting in Paris for a long time, but that none of the sites proposed by city bureaucrats met our criteria. When I mentioned that we'd called his office when he was still the mayor of Paris, he admitted that he'd heard of our request and said he was sorry he hadn't given our project the attention it deserved. He reminded us that he was involved in a presidential campaign and that he had a full schedule. He was kind enough to encourage us to contact the bureaucrats again. Thanks, Mr. President! People You Meet --------------- As the proverb goes: "Traveling forms youth!" The world is round, so we might as well travel around it. I like to think that the average lifespan of human beings should be as long as it would take to cross all the continents on foot! I'm a people person; I enjoy meeting them, and talking to them. Very early on, when I was still in my early twenties, I found out that business trips were far more stimulating than tourist trips. When you're a tourist in a foreign country, your contact with people is always too brief: taxi drivers, hotel janitors, restaurant employees and clerks are generally friendly enough but they're busy doing their jobs. When I travel on business, I meet many people in a profession that I love. I spend hours listening, discussing, negotiating, and trying to understand. I have to get my point of view across while finding some common ground for agreement. This vital professional exercise has given me much satisfaction. It gives me the opportunity to get to know people from very different cultures. Such diversity and surprising similarity! You could never have such an enriching experience as a mere tourist. In my travels around the world, I've been lucky enough to meet extraordinary people involved in a multitude of interests and pursuits. I've tried to get to know them as well as I can and to see what makes them stand out. I've made many friends. Often, these relationships were of brief duration because of distances and commitments, but in no way did time diminish the quality of our friendship. I've learned that human beings have much in common, that they share the same legacy, and that they'll be facing the same challenges in the future. We're all headed in the same direction. Daring to Dare -------------- Hong Kong is an island, a metropolis, a place right out of an adventure tale. One day, we found ourselves in this little beehive of activity with our big top in magnificent Victoria Park, an incredible site in the heart of the city. To say the least, the project was ambitious. You can well imagine that we didn't pitch our tent there without a lot of preparation. Fortunately we had the support of Swire Properties; without them I'm not sure we would have come to the island. Our installation and preparations coincided with Hong Kong's retrocession to Chinese sovereignty. A feeling of exuberance marked the countdown; the atmosphere was electric. It was also a period of uncertainty. Some people feared that they were witnessing the final days of freedom, but most were optimistic, confident that Beijing would want to reap the benefits of the island's booming economy. Our show received an extraordinary welcome. Our VIP service catering to customers desiring more personalized treatment proved to be very popular on the island. Our experience in Hong Kong marked another stage in our development since it was the first time we performed before predominantly Chinese audiences. We were rather proud of the fact. Surprise! --------- Our first visit to Washington attracted a great deal of interest. We were doing business with the Abe Pollen group. A major local producer, involved in a multitude of activities, gave us a lot of support. Washington is a fascinating and dynamic city. As the nation's capital, it is governed by a plethora of rules and regulations. Pollen and the Canadian embassy helped us set up on the Mall, an area of great historical significance. An expanse of parkland in the center of the city within walking distance of the White House, the Mall stretches from the Lincoln memorial to the US Capitol. Senators could observe us from their windows. To comply with the regulation banning commercial activity on the Mall, we set up ticketing on the adjacent street, about 20 yards from the reception tent. It was a bold move. We liked to take chances. Besides in terms of location, the place met our requirements. Cirque set such high occupancy objectives that we took pains to find the most coveted venue, offering the most visibility. In so doing, the company differed from traditional circuses, which usually set up in the suburbs for economic reasons. For the Washington premiere on the Mall esplanade, the big top overflowed with the who's who in American politics. In addition there were ambassadors, financiers and, of course, the cultural elite. It was also the first time AT&T acted as our major sponsor. For the occasion, the giant corporation had invited every key business associate in Washington. As usual there was an intermission. In the reception tent, we had installed a raised floor. The Mall's esplanade was made of grass, so we needed a floor to protect the public in case of rain. Just before the second half began, when most of the spectators were coming back to the big top, the floor collapsed. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and most of the witnesses to the accident were either Cirque du Soleil or AT&T employees. There was no drama and no diplomatic incident. No ambassador or senator disappeared under the floor. Within minutes, a bevy of technicians, led by Richard Bouthillier, the big top and technical expert, set to work rebuilding the entire floor. It was a race against time. The second part of the show lasted only 50 minutes and spectators would be passing through the reception tent to exit the site. We had quite a scare but it all worked out in the end. The premiere was a huge success; the reviews were excellent. Noting the location of the big top opposite the Capitol, the journalists commented that now there were two circuses on The Mall. Room For Everyone ----------------- New York is a huge city that has something for every taste. It was an important stage in our quest to conquer the American market. In fact, a documentary entitled, Un cirque en Amérique (A Circus in America), recounting these pivotal events in Cirque du Soleil was directed by Montreal journalist Nathalie Petrowski and produced by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). There is no shortage of competition for the entertainment dollar in New York. So the circuses tried to avoid direct competition. The operators were careful not to hurt the others. We even exchanged tour plans. The idea was very simple: avoid putting anyone at risk. Yet one day, circus-goers could choose between Ringling Brothers at Madison Square Garden, the Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center, and Cirque du Soleil in Barry Park opposite Wall Street. Many people feared the worst, but in the end, none of the circuses suffered by this strange encounter of the three kinds. After all, the shows addressed different clienteles. Their advertising campaigns were a study in contrast. They crossed each other's path but they didn't compete. In describing the situation, journalists remarked that the three companies complemented one another. The circuses had clearly demonstrated that the market could accommodate a few circuses, especially in New York. Thirst for Renewal ------------------ Producers whether they were American, Japanese, German, French, Dutch or English, often asked me whether we had other artists, troupes or cultural products to offer them. The entertainment world has an insatiable appetite for innovative products of quality. Paradoxically, in the global village the entertainment industry is becoming homogenized. Yet, globalization also has its positive sides. It also permits the expression and the manifestation of the world's cultures. Huge corporations were involved in the formation of vast strategic alliances in the 1990s, the deployment of major communication networks and the rapid development of the Internet. Facilitating the emergence of new cultural content was essential to the survival of these corporations. People are more educated and better informed than ever before. They're becoming increasingly discerning about their entertainment. For over 20 years, every Western society has witnessed declining interest in, even a rejection of values espoused by traditional institutions. Instead, there has been a growing emphasis on personal ethics. These rules or standards of personal conduct are in keeping with individual aspirations principally related to the need to have true quality of life. Around the world, people are also increasingly critical of the omnipresence of American culture. But Hollywood has yet to understand that if you keep hammering the same nail, you'll end up damaging the building. Everywhere on the planet, there's a need for renewal and a clear desire to be exposed to other cultures. Culture is the lifeblood of our soul. We must create a new business dynamic based on both individual and group expression for the betterment of society. Indeed the future of society is inextricably linked to the fostering of its citizens' creative potential. Can it be done? Ultimate Branding ----------------- The most valuable asset a company can possess is to be perceived to be an innovative enterprise by the public — innovation is the ultimate branding. And observers are unanimous that Cirque du Soleil is innovative. A reputation for innovation opens many doors. People believe you have the capacity to meet any number of their needs. Cirque du Soleil's experience in Las Vegas and with Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is a vivid illustration of the power of innovation. In the early 1990s, the Las Vegas market was undergoing rapid growth. This adult destination drew millions of tourists every year. But the clientele had evolved. Gaming aficionados had gotten married; they'd taken time to have children. Sure, they wanted to keep visiting Vegas, but they wanted to bring their families. So the hitherto adult destination was seeking to reposition itself to appeal to a new demographic. To send a clear message that the town had truly changed, promoters proposed a diversity of projects. One of these involved boldly innovative Cirque du Soleil whose product matched the spirit of renewal sweeping Las Vegas. No sooner said than done; Cirque du Soleil became a fixture in Vegas. In the late 1990s, on the other side of the United States, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida was in full expansion. Millions of tourists were flocking to it every year. Unlike Vegas, Walt Disney World, a family destination, wanted to enhance its appeal to the adult clientele. Having built immense infrastructures to accommodate major conferences, Disney was now a preferred destination for millions of adults. These adults who had come without children were looking for suitable entertainment. The Disney people proposed a variety of projects. They called on Cirque du Soleil who offered the ideal product to meet their needs. They provided Cirque permanent residency in the Downtown Disney section. No sooner said than done; Cirque du Soleil became a fixture in Orlando. Disney and Vegas, pursuing two very different positioning objectives, found one solution: Cirque du Soleil. Such is the power of innovation! Beware the Technocrats ---------------------- People often ask me, "What are the biggest problems Cirque du Soleil has faced?" Apart from growth, meddling technocrats were our biggest problem. Then just when the company was growing rapidly, the bosses decided to hire management specialists to guide us through the development process. They became consultants or senior executives in the company. They wasted our time in meetings, discussing theories they'd learned by rote at university. Their ideas contributed nothing because they were already obsolete. These technocrats devised five- year plans that just weren't viable. It was unbelievable! These so-called experts created a lot of confusion; they were useless. They had complete disregard for our needs. While claiming to work within a system that was already functioning they insisted on imposing their own. They knew nothing about our shows, the public, and the company's turnover. They couldn't relate to the raison d'être of the organization. Worse still, they did everything in their power to distance us from it. The new art of organization: wasting time together. Someday, I'd like to meet the guy who invented it. The technocrats had no idea what we were doing. They did everything in their power to impose their theoretical notions of what a big organization should be, and they did it with the bosses' backing. Eventually I realized that these consultants had been hired merely to compensate for a lack of confidence and leadership skills on the part of some senior executives. When you talked to these people, you always came away with the same feeling: "There must be something I haven't understood." And suddenly you felt less intelligent than you were when you got up in the morning. Meanwhile, the technocrat was happy as a lark, and went strolling down the halls adorned with works of art to his office to prepare his report. It was my most painful experience at Cirque du Soleil, and I know there were others who felt the same. Unfortunately, you find these technocrats throughout society. What's really appalling is that they're products of our educational system. They leave our universities with the blessing of their thesis director and the education minister. Our educational system must be in sorry shape to inflict individuals with so little humanity on the job market. There's a fascinating book by Patricia Pitcher that explains the role these individuals play in organizations. The title: Artists, Craftsmen and Technocrats. Read it and then you'll be able to pick them out. The hunt is on! To Be Concluded... ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 19, Number 11 (Issue #190) - November 2019 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (C) 2001-2019 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., All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. { Nov.10.2019 } =======================================================================