======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 7, NUMBER 2 MAR/APR 2007 ISSUE #52 ======================================================================= Bonjour et bienvenue! We have a marvelously fully-packed issue in store for you this period - we hope you enjoy it! Besides containing all the latest news and sightings posted to the Fascination! Web throughout the months of March and April, we also have expanded coverage surrounding WINTUK at Madison Square Garden, Saltimbanco’s upcoming Arena Tour, the Luxor/Criss Angel show announcement, and on Koozå, Cirque’s latest touring production, through the use of Press materials. You’ll find a wealth of information about these exciting new productions within the "OYEZ-OYEZ" section of this issue. I’m also very enthused to bring you some real treats in our Features section this period, thanks to the wonderful folks at Cirque Tribune. Ever wanted to chat with Alan Silva (Tissu performer in Zumanity) and Kevin and Andrew Atherton (Aerial Strap performers in Varekai)? Danielle Wall did just that, and through special permission from Cirque Tribune, we’re able to reprint her exciting interviews here for your enjoyment. But that’s not all. Fascination! alum Wayne Leung posts his thoughts about Koozå from a preview performance in Montréal, we explore the innocent’s world of Koozå (set, acts, costumes and characters) through press materials, there’s five in-depth entries in the CirqueTech and four in the DidyaKnow columns to enjoy, and, of course, our Cirque milestones listings. Oh, and be sure to check out the Itinerary section for any last-minute changes to tour stops and extensions -- especially the new information pertaining to Wintuk, Saltimbanco Arena tour, Koozå, Quidam in Mexico, Alegrìa in Brazil, and Varekai in Europe! And now for the obligatory ending... I invite you to visit our website for the latest news, rumors and information about Cirque du Soleil. What you're reading here is only a collection of what was posted daily on the Fascination website for a specific period of time (in this case July, August and September.) For more current information about Cirque du Soleil's activities, please visit < www.cirquefascination.com >. And if you're interested in having our daily postings sent directly to you, don't hesitate to take advantage of our Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed! Simply use the following URI with your favorite email/news program: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >. - Ricky "Richasi" Russo =========== CONTENTS =========== o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings o) Oyez! Oyez! -- New Show Announcements * Saltimbanco Arena Tour * Cirque Luxor / Criss Angel Show * Wintuk at Madison Square Garden o) Compartments -- Information on Tour, Online & on-Screen * Télémagik -- Cirque du Soleil on Television * Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information o) Columns -- Behind the Curtain * Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque * Historia -- Cirque du Soleil's History * CirqueTech -- The Technical Side of Cirque o) Fascination! Features * "KOOZA Unveiled" (A Special Article Comprising Texts from the Cirque du Soleil Press Room.) * "My Thoughts on Koozå" A Personal Review of a Preview Performance By: Wayne Leung - Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) * "An Interview with Alan Silva of Zumanity" A Special Interview Reprint from Cirque Tribune By: Danielle Wall - Southern California (USA) * "A Chat with Kevin and Andrew Atherton of Varekai" A Special Interview Reprint from Cirque Tribune By: Danielle Wall - Southern California (USA) o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= Cirque Announces MSG Show! {Mar.07.2007} ---------------------------- From the Cirque du Soleil Website: # # # A young boy lives in a city where the arrival of winter has brought long shadows and intense cold - but no snow! He interacts with an extraordinary cast of high-energy urban street characters, including skaters, dancers and talking marionettes. But when the snow doesn't arrive, he embarks on a quest with companions to find the snow and bring it back where it belongs. The adventurers journey to an imaginary Arctic - a world without sunlight - where they encounter the rich culture of the People of the North and extraordinary giant characters made of ice. When at last the sun returns, they fly home on the wings of a giant crane and unleash an epic snowstorm. The show is playful and full of the exuberance of youth. Above all, it's funny. A cast of 50 artists blend thrilling circus arts, breathtaking theatrical effects, and memorable songs, weaving them into a seasonal, meaningful story that resonates with the whole family. Some Facts: o) The show will run for ten weeks, each winter, beginning in 2007 for the next four years. o) Previews for the 2007 season will be presented from November 1 to 4. o) The official season will run from November 6 2007 to January 6 2008. o) The show will last 90 minutes and there will be a 20 minutes intermission. o) Find out more information and purchase tickets at Cirque du Soleil's official page to their new Winter Tale by using this link. Luxor Show Announcement Imminent? {Mar.11.2007} ----------------------------------- According to Vegas Pop's Luxe Life column by Robin Leach, Cirque du Soleil is on the verge of making an announcement about the oft-rumored Criss Angel "magic show" to be housed at MGM- Mirage's Luxor casino/resort. From the article: It's now official that Cirque du Soleil will present 'Mindfreak' magician Criss Angel in a $100-million+ magic spectacular as first reported in LUXE LIFE. The news is imminent and a countdown of just four days has begun. LUXE LIFE has learned that invitations will be issued to TV crews and journalists within 24 hours to meet at the Luxor on Thursday, Mar. 15 at 2PM for the actual announcement with Cirque executives from Montreal and Luxor president, Felix Rappaport, along with other MGM officials also in attendance. {Source: VegasPop/LuxeLife} Cirque Show Canceled {Mar.16.2007} ---------------------- According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, Cirque du Soleil canceled its stop of Delirum in Colorado Springs in spite of tickets selling well: "Delirium, a Cirque du Soleil Live Music Concert," which was scheduled for May 27 and 28 at the World Arena, was canceled Thursday. A tour spokeswoman said it would be rescheduled, but no date has been set. The cause of the cancellation? Warren Epstein of the Gazette reported: Amy Jacobs, the spokeswoman for the tour, blamed the cancellation on a scheduling conflict at the World Arena, saying it had double-booked and remained committed to another act. But Eudora O'Brien, a spokeswoman for the World Arena, said there are no other acts booked for those dates. The closest act on the World Arena's schedule is country star Martina McBride, on May 25. You can read the full article here: < http://www.gazette.com/onset?id=20216&template=article.html > {Source: Colorado Springs Gazette, Mar.15.2007} Criss Angel Announcement Posponed {Mar.21.2007} ----------------------------------- Last week's press release purported to announce the Criss Angel show at the Luxor did, of course, not occur. Luxe Life reports it has only been postponed: The big Cirque du Soleil show announcement at the Luxor that was recently postponed has been rescheduled for this Thursday, Mar. 22. The announcement is expected to finally confirm months of LUXE LIFE reports officially naming Criss Angel as the show's star. The media alert for the press conference mentions that the 'featured artist of new production to make a special presentation.' {Source: Luxe Life, Mar.20.2007} Students Learn the Ropes {Mar.21.2007} -------------------------- Rene Bibaud, five-time world rope jumping champion, and former Cirque du Soleil performer, met and greeted students at Ben Franklin Elementary in Rochester, Minnesota. The Post-Bulletin wrote a piece on this: Out of breath, but grinning after an hour-long jump roping skills session led by Bibaud, fifth-grader Abby Martinson was even more excited about jumping. "I liked learning new tricks," she said. After learning tricks like "The Mad Dog" and "The Pretzel," the students attempted "The Wheel," one of the same moves Bibaud performed during her four years with Cirque du Soleil. {Source: The Post-Bulletin, Mar.19.2007} Cirque Tidbits {Mar.27.2007} ---------------- From the Las Vegas Sun: Take these broken wings...: The one segment that has made me grimace in "Love" at the Mirage is the "Blackbird" scene, the stupid slapstick comedy interlude that is all spoken-word and no music. The scene's original centerpiece (who played Dr. Robert in the production), Fabio Esposito De Castro, left the show in November to be with his family in Brazil. He has since been replaced with another Brazilian performer, Claudio Carniero, who is a lot less heavy-handed, and, thus, funnier in that scene. The segment has also been shortened, and the moment where one of the costumed blackbird characters poops on Dr. Robert's face has been mercifully removed. More hijinks from Cirque: Empire Ballroom comic hypnotist Michael Johns, who fronts "Hypnosis Gone Wild" nightly at 11, was in the audience Saturday night at "O" at the Bellagio and found himself in a bit of role reversal. As the show opened, the dancing clown character (insert your own Bush Administration joke here) pulled Johns onstage and coerced him into dancing for the audience. "It wouldn't have been so bad if it had been a showgirl," said Johns, whose show is built on such audience participation. More on Cirque Luxor {Mar.28.2007} ---------------------- On March 22, 2007, Cirque du Soleil and MGM/Mirage announced their next co-production: Cirque Luxor (not the official name,) featuring the magical talents of Criss Angel. A recent article in Variety, however, noted a few facts about the production which I'd like to share: The production purportedly will cost $65 million USD. The amount covers the cost of theater renovations and creation expenses. It will be the sixth permanent Cirque show on the Las Vegas Strip (Cirque Elvis 2009 will be the seventh.) It is the first time Cirque will feature a star performer. CREATIVE TEAM: Serge Denoncourt -- Director Pierre Phaneuf -- Director of Creation Ray Winkler -- Set Designer Eiko Ishioka -- Costume Designer Daniel Ezralow -- Choreographer Michael Curry -- Props and Puppet Designer Criss Angel -- Illusions Designer Jeannette Farmer -- Lighting Jaque Paquin -- Rig and Acrobatic Material Francis Laporte -- Projection Jonathan Deans -- Sound Designer Nathalie Gagné -- Make-up Designer LA/SFO: Wanna Join the Cirque? {Apr.02.2007} -------------------------------- Broadway World announced over the weekend that Cirque du Soleil will be hosting auditions for dancers in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay markets in May 2007. So if you're a dancer and have dreamt about joining the Cirque - this could be your opportunity! Curious about the goings-on at Cirque du Soleil auditions? So were we! Fascination was invited to cover Cirque du Soleil's auditions in 2005 when they were held in the Seattle, Washington area. And you can read all about them in our special 4-part series written by Keith Johnson & LouAnna Valentine, which we will reprint from our archives in our next issue! Check out Quidam in Seoul {Apr.02.2007} --------------------------- Interested in seeing the Grand Chapiteau set up in Seoul, South Korea? Check out the following article by The Korean Times. Within you'll find a picture of Quidam's Grand Chapiteau setup in the Chamsil Sports Complex in Souther Seoul. Cool! < http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/200704/ kt2007040118480511710.htm > Cirque Coach Accused of Indecent Behavior {Apr.09.2007} ------------------------------------------- From the Daily Telegraph: "AN acrobatics coach with the acclaimed Cirque du Soleil circus group allegedly exposed himself and rubbed his groin against a female cleaner in a serviced apartment in Canberra. The future of Italian national Giuseppe Bello, 62, with the world famous circus is under a cloud after he faced charges on the weekend including an act of indecency without consent and common assault. Cirque du Soleil is currently in Canberra with its show Varekai." Read more of this story at the following link: < http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21523159-2,00.html > Saltimbanco Back On Tour {Apr.10.2007} -------------------------- After a brief respite, Saltimbanco, Cirque du Soleil's celebrated 1992 production, is once again back on the road - only this time you'll catch it only in Arenas! The tour begins July 31, 2007. About Saltimbanco: Saltimbanco-from the Italian "saltare in banco," which literally means "to jump on a bench"-explores the urban experience in all its myriad forms: the people who live there, their idiosyncrasies and likenesses, families and groups, the hustle and bustle of the street and the towering heights of skyscrapers. Between whirlwind and lull, prowess and poetry, Saltimbanco takes spectators on an allegorical and acrobatic journey into the heart of the city. Tour Dates: London, Ontario - Jul 31, Aug 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 Ottawa, Ontario - Aug 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 Halifax, Nova Scotia - Aug 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19 St. Johns, Newfoundland - Aug 23, 24, 25 & 26 St. John, New Brunswick - Aug 30, 31, Sep 1 &2 Greensboro, North Carolina - Sep 19, 20, 21, 22 & 23 State College, Pennsylvania - Sep 26, 27, 28, 29 & 30 Other tour dates and locations will be announced soon. Stay tuned! Cirque to Announce Cirque2007 Today! {Apr.11.2007} -------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil will host a press conference on April 11, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. (EDT) under the blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau on the Quays of the Old Port of Montreal to announce its new big top touring production. At the event, a montage of several acts will be performed, the creative team will be presented and the show name and visual will be unveiled. Directed by David Shiner, the show is energetic, compelling, funny and slightly provocative and tells of the encounter between characters living in two parallel worlds, plunging you into a wild universe that will make you laugh and move you." We'll hear from Guy Laliberté, Cirque du Soleil Guide & Founder; David Shiner, Writer and Director of the new touring show; and Serge Roy, the Director of Creation for Cirque2007. The name of the production, which has oft rumored to be Lalilu (a fan speculation in some circles,) will also be announced. Can't make it to the press release and have a Ku-Band Satellite dish receiver? Catch CNW's B-Roll Satellite footage of the press conference from 3:30pm until 4:00pm EDT on Satellite AMC 3, 87.0° W, Transponder C-14 with a downlink frequency of 3980 vertical. Audio will be carried on both 6.2 and 6.8 subcarriers. < http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2007/ 11/c3832.html > {Source: CNW Newswire, Apr. 11.2007} It's Official - Cirque2007 is: KOOZA {Apr.11.2007} -------------------------------------- KOOZA tells the story of The Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world. KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil: It combines two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor. The Innocent's journey brings him into contact with a panoply of comic characters such as the King, the Trickster, the Pickpocket, and the Obnoxious Tourist and his Bad Dog. Between strength and fragility, laughter and smiles, turmoil and harmony, KOOZA explores themes of fear, identity, recognition and power. The show is set in an electrifying and exotic visual world full of surprises, thrills, chills, audacity and total involvement. We'll be doing a full review of what Cirque du Soleil has to offer about the world of KOOZA just as soon as we have a moment to catch our breath. In the meantime, you can explore this new exciting world at the Cirque du Soleil Website. {Source: Cirque du Soleil} Cirque Announces Alegría Tour in Brazil {Apr.23.2007} ----------------------------------------- As previously rumoured, Alegría will follow in Saltimbanco's footsteps by visiting South America. Six cities in Brazil were recently added to the itinerary. Dates will follow as the tour throughout the region firms up. So far, the announced cities are: o) Curitiba, Brazil o) Brasília, Brazil o) Belo Horizonte, Brazil o) Rio de Janerio, Brazil o) Sao Paulo, Brazil o) Porto Alegre, Brazil It's Official: "Winter Tale" is WINTUK {Apr.24.2007} ---------------------------------------- An Enchanting Winter's Tale About a Boy's Quest to Find Snow A boy named Wintuk lives in a city where the arrival of winter has brought long shadows and intense cold - but no snow! He interacts with an extraordinary cast of high-energy urban street characters, including acrobats, dancers and talking marionettes. But when the snow doesn't arrive, he embarks on a quest with three companions - a female shaman who's lost in the city, a shy man destined to discover his courage and the shadow of a young girl - to find the snow and bring it back where it belongs. The adventurers journey to an imaginary Arctic - a world without sunlight - where they encounter the rich culture of the People of the North and extraordinary giant characters made of ice. When at last the sun returns, they fly home on the wings of a giant crane and generate a swirling snowstorm. The show is playful, musical, bursting with the energy of the city and the broad sweep of nature. A cast of 50 performers weaves thrilling circus arts, breathtaking theatrical effects and memorable songs into a meaningful seasonal story that resonates with the whole family. Learn more about WINTUK at Cirque du Soleil's website: www.cirquedusoleil.com {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil} Guy a Finalist in World Power Tour Championship Game {Apr.27.2007} ------------------------------------------------------ According to Bodogbeat.Com, a poker blog, billionaire Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Lalimberté has become one of the final six poker players at the WPT World Championship tournament. The prize? A $3.97 million dollar payday. In only his third tournament after picking up the game 16 months ago, Guy Laliberté has shown at the poker tables this week the same focus he's used to develop his Cirque entertainment empire, outlasting more than 630 poker players to begin play today at the TV final table with the third most poker chips ($4,690,000). Laliberté, 47, started with cash games at the Bellagio and got to know some of the high-stakes players who frequent the poker room and learned by watching them play. He took that knowledge and entered a $2,500 super-satellite at the Bellagio earlier this month to win his seat into the WPT World Championship. Guy Laliberté currently stands as #3 with $4,690,000 in winnings. In comparisson, Paul Lee holds the top of the chip count chart with $11,828,000 in winnings. Good luck Guy! {SOURCE: Bodogbeat.com} Sorry Guy, It Just Wasn't In The Cards... {Apr.30.2007} ------------------------------------------- A few days ago we reported that Guy Laliberté was one of the six finalists in the World Poker Tour Championships sitting as the #3 chip holder, unfortunately we must announce that he did not win. Second place rival Carlos "The Matador" Mortensen won the $3.97 million pot and has become the first player to win both the WSOP Main Event and the WPT World Championship. But Mr. Laliberté didn't do that badly: he came in fourth place for a $696,220 payout. {SOURCE: Bodogbeat.com} ======================================================================= OYEZ! OYEZ! -- NEW SHOW ANNOUNCEMENTS ======================================================================= o) Saltimbanco Arena Tour o) Cirque Luxor / Criss Angel Show o) Wintuk at Madison Square Garden ----------------------------------------- Cirque Announces Saltimbanco ARENA TOUR {Mar.08.2007} ----------------------------------------- After 14 years touring under the big top, SALTIMBANCO BEGINS A NEW LIFE IN ARENAS Montréal, March 7, 2007 - After touring for 14 years, playing to a total audience of over 9.5 million, the show Saltimbanco was presented under the big top for the last time in December, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the summer of 2007, Saltimbanco will begin a new life when it embarks on a tour of over 40 arenas in Canada and the United States. The first stop is scheduled for the end of July, in London, Ontario. Re-staging the show is not without its shares of challenges for the creation and production teams. The arena environment offers a new intimate configuration and changes were necessary. Creative challenges: The entire team is making changes to the staging in order to adapt the production to the new venues, all the while ensuring that the artistic integrity of the show is preserved. New artists also had to be hired and trained to complete the show's house troupe. The new Saltimbanco team will complete the re-staging in five months, with a troupe of 46 artists. Production challenges: The production crew will have to meet some technical challenges of its own. The most important has to do with setting up and tearing down the set. For a show under the big top, these operations usually take 9 days (for setup) and 2.5 days (tear-down). But for the Saltimbanco arena show, setup will have to be done in 9 hours and tear-down, in 2 hours! To meet this challenge, the team had to rebuild the stage and adapt the set to make these maneuvers faster - all with a new technical crew. Saltimbanco under the big top and in the arena: Big Top o) 6 cities per year o) 6 to 7 weeks per city o) 8 to 9 shows per week o) 2,500 guests per show o) Setup of the whole site in 9 days o) Tear-down in 2.5 days Arena o) 44 cities per year o) 6 to 7 days per city o) 6 shows per week o) 4,500 guests per show o) Setup of the set in 9 hours o) Tear-down in 2 hours About Saltimbanco: The colourful baroque characters immerse the audience in a fantasy world inspired by the multicultural, urban lifestyles of city dwellers. The world première of Saltimbanco was held in Montreal on April 23, 1992. During its 14-year tour, Saltimbanco visited more than 60 cities around the world with over 4,000 performances under the big top. Between whirlwind and lull, prowess and poetry, Saltimbanco takes spectators on an allegorical and acrobatic journey into the heart of the city. Saltimbanco is a characteristic Cirque du Soleil show inspired by the urban fabric of the metropolis and its colorful inhabitants. Decidedly baroque in its visual vocabulary, the show's eclectic cast of characters draws spectators into a fanciful, dreamlike world, an imaginary city where diversity is a cause for hope. The Name -- Saltimbanco - from the Italian "saltare in banco," which literally means "to jump on a bench" - explores the urban experience in all its myriad forms: the people who live there, their idiosyncrasies and likenesses, families and groups, the hustle and bustle of the street and the towering heights of skyscrapers. Urban Life -- When the show was created in 1991-1992, it was estimated that migration to cities would continue to rise. This idea is the premise on which Saltimbanco is based. Cities are networks of inter- relationships, but they are also networks of paradoxes, and this is precisely what the show's characters, acts and costumes build upon. The Colors -- The liveliness, diversity and unbridled energy of big cities and their inhabitants are conveyed through the colors of Saltimbanco's costumes and set elements. City life is often perceived as bustling and exciting, light years away from gloom and inertia. The bright, primary printer's colors-magenta, cyan, yellow and green-call to mind the buzz of the metropolis. Acts and Characters: Adagio (based on acrosport), Chinese poles, juggling, boleadoras (percussion instruments), Russian swing, hand to hand and bungees are the language the characters of Saltimbanco use to assert their identities. The cosmopolitan and allegorical characters epitomize the diversity of groups that make up the city. The spectator journeys with them at the heart of an imaginary city brimming with optimism. The Vers multicolores (or multi-colored worms) are symbols of conventionality. They all look the same in their unadorned costumes. The Vers masqués (or masked worms) are faceless and nameless. They are followers who never question the rules. The Baroques are independent, daring, a touch anarchistic and are true urbanites. They revel in all the city has to offer and live for the moment. This colorful group of characters, including the Baron, Eddy and the Sleeper, interact with one another under the eye of the Ringmaster who guides the spectator on this whirlwind journey into the heart of the city. Saltimbanco's Path -- The world première of Saltimbanco was held in Montreal on April 23, 1992 with a cast of 36 performers. During its 14-year tour under the big top, the show visited some 75 cities on five continents, for a total of more than 4,000 performances. With a cast of 47 performers from 15 different nationalities, Saltimbanco was reconfigured for its tour of large arenas. Re-staging was done over a period of 21 weeks. The tour will stop in about 40 cities each year, with a message as relevant and powerful today as it was when it was created. Saltimbanco in Numbers o) During its 14-year tour, Saltimbanco played to a total audience of over 9.5 million all over the world. o) The technical team is made up of 18 technicians not counting other employees who manage artistic and administrative operations, as well as the many truck and tour bus drivers. o) Additional technical staff (about 60 people) is hired locally in each city to set up and tear down the site. o) For a show under the big top, it usually takes 9 days to set up the infrastructure of the whole site and 2.5 days for tear-down. With Saltimbanco's arena tour, setup will take 9 hours while tear-down will take only 2 hours! {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil Press Room} ------------------------------ Cirque Luxor Show Announced! {Mar.23.2007} ------------------------------ CIRQUE DU SOLEIL AND LUXOR PARTNER TO PRESENT A NEW LIVE EXPERIENCE FEATURING CRISS ANGEL OPENS SUMMER 2008 Las Vegas, NV - March 22, 2007 - Cirque du Soleil and Luxor today announced a new show featuring Criss Angel, directed by Cirque du Soleil, set to open Summer 2008 at Luxor Resort and Casino. Always on the lookout for the next artistic challenge, Cirque du Soleil is working with Criss to fuse his revolutionary illusions and mind-blowing artistry with acrobatics, dance, puppetry, music and poetry to tell a story, taking audiences on a bizarre and fascinating journey. Re-inventing the traditional magic show has been a long-standing desire of Guy Laliberté, Guide and Founder of Cirque du Soleil. Five years of extensive research and development were spent exploring the world of magic and how to re-define the experience. The crucial element, a young, edgy and talented artist and mystifier, was found in Criss Angel. With his incredibly unique creativity, Criss is now working with the experienced team of Cirque du Soleil creators led by Director Serge Denoncourt to bring this dream to life. Since he was six years old, Criss Angel has immersed himself in a multitude of art forms, from performance artist to mystifier and provocateur. Since then, a relentless work ethic combined with talent, skill and vision has made Criss one of the most provocative artists of our day. From creator, producer and performer in his television series, specials and live shows, Criss has redefined the term "artist" for the 21st Century. "I've spent 15 years creating and evolving a concept that the world of entertainment has never seen," said Criss Angel. "Now, I'm thrilled to be working with Cirque du Soleil and Felix Rappaport and his amazing team here at the Luxor to create an experience that goes beyond even my wildest expectations. I am confident that this collaboration will culminate in what is destined to become one of the most exciting shows Las Vegas has ever seen and redefine magic in the same way Cirque du Soleil has redefined the circus." Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil , said, "This production represents a new, distinctive type of creation for Cirque du Soleil . We believe there is a market for an unconventional magic show with production values audiences have come to expect from Cirque du Soleil." Gilles Ste-Croix, Senior Vice President of Creative Content at Cirque du Soleil said " Cirque du Soleil has always worked with an acrobatic foundation for each of our shows; with The Beatles LOVE we were privileged enough to have The Beatles music as our center; with this project - magic will be at the core. We are excited to combine our years of research and creative expertise in the areas of staging, lighting, sound design, projections, costume and make-up design with Criss Angel's one of a kind experience as a creator and performer of illusion, special effects and magic." Felix Rappaport, President and COO of Luxor Resort and Casino, said, " This partnership represents a new era for Luxor . Cirque du Soleil and Criss Angel will bring a distinctive element to the property. We are thrilled Luxor is the place their creativity will come together." CREATIVE TEAM: Serge Denoncourt -- Director Pierre Phaneuf -- Director of Creation Ray Winkler -- Set Designer Eiko Ishioka -- Costume Designer Daniel Ezralow -- Choreographer Michael Curry -- Props and Puppet Designer Criss Angel -- Illusions Designer Jeannette Farmer -- Lighting Jaque Paquin -- Rig and Acrobatic Material Francis Laporte -- Projection Jonathan Deans -- Sound Designer Nathalie Gagné -- Make-up Designer Cirque du Soleil is world-renowned for its distinct brand of theatrical entertainment. Since its founding in 1984, Cirque du Soleil has thrilled over 50 million spectators in more than 130 cities on five continents. In Las Vegas , Cirque du Soleil has a privileged partnership with MGM MIRAGE to create and present unique and innovative productions. The production at Luxor will be the sixth Cirque du Soleil show at an MGM MIRAGE property, joining Mystère, "O", ZUMANITY, KÀ and The Beatles LOVE. For more information, visit the Cirque du Soleil website at www.cirquedusoleil.com. Criss Angel is one of the most remarkable talents of our time and his fan base continues to grow. He had the highest advance tickets sales during his fourteen month 600 performance off-broadway run of "Criss Angel MINDFREAK" which he created, produced, directed and starred in. Criss Angel MINDFREAK (the television show) is currently on schedule to film its 70th episode in its unprecedented third season shot exclusively at The Luxor Hotel and Casino. Prominent publishing house, Harper Collins will be releasing Criss' highly anticipated first book, Criss Angel MINDFREAK: Secret Revelations in April 2007. Criss has been named 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008 Magician of the Year, making him the first five-time and back-to-back recipient ever to be awarded these most prestigious accolades. Criss was also unanimously selected as the recipient of the 22nd Louie Award for outstanding achievement in the art of magic. Recently, Criss has added acting to his long and distinguished resume, guest starring in an episode of the critically acclaimed "CSI:NY". More information on Criss can be found at www.crissangel.com Providing a striking visual on the Las Vegas Strip, the 30-story Luxor Resort & Casino is an architectural wonder boasting the world's largest atrium, measuring 29 million cubic feet. This 4,408-room resort features a wide variety of entertainment, award-winning restaurants and state-of-the-art gaming. Luxor offers the provocative adult revue, FANTASY, and the hilarious comedy of Carrot Top. The property also includes 20,000 square feet of convention space, a spa and wedding chapel and is connected to Mandalay Bay through Mandalay Place - a collection of 41 unique boutiques and restaurants. Luxor is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM MIRAGE(tm). For more information and reservations, visit the web site at www.luxor.com, or call toll free at (800) 288-1000. ------------------------------ WINTUK - Press Release {Apr.24.2007} ------------------------------ Cirque du Soleil, MSG Entertainment and BASE Entertainment Are Proud to Announce the World Premiere of Wintuk Presented by Delta Airlines Exclusively at the Theater at Madison Square Garden November 1, 2007 - January 6, 2008 An Enchanting Winter Tale About a Boy Named Wintuk, and His Quest to Find Snow and Adventure Tickets On Sale Sunday, April 29 at 9 a.m. NEW YORK-(BUSINESS WIRE)-Cirque du Soleil, MSG Entertainment and BASE Entertainment are proud to announce the world premiere and official name of the brand new Cirque du Soleil production, Wintuk, presented exclusively at the Theater at Madison Square Garden from November 1, 2007 - January 6, 2008. Experience the excitement of Wintuk with the whole family, only in New York this holiday season, and share the enchanting winter tale of one boy's quest to find snow and adventure. "This is a real first for MSG Entertainment and Cirque du Soleil," said Jay Marciano, president, MSG Entertainment. "The debut of Wintuk this holiday season marks the first time that these world-class entertainment companies will unite to present a Cirque du Soleil production, created exclusively for the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Premiering only in New York, we look forward to entertaining audiences with Wintuk throughout the holidays for the next several years." Wintuk is an enchanting winter tale about a boy named Wintuk and his quest to find snow and adventure. Wintuk lives in a city where the arrival of winter has brought long shadows and intense cold - but no snow! He interacts with an extraordinary cast of high-energy urban street characters, including acrobats, dancers and talking marionettes. But when the snow does not arrive, he embarks on a quest with three companions - a female shaman who's lost in the city, a shy man destined to discover his courage, and the shadow of a young girl - to find the snow and bring it back to where it belongs. The adventurers journey to an imaginary Arctic - a world without sunlight - where they encounter the rich culture of the People of the North and extraordinary giant characters made of ice. When at last the sun returns, they fly home on the wings of a giant crane and generate a swirling snowstorm. The show is playful, musical, and bursting with the energy of the city and the broad sweep of nature. A cast of 50 performers weaves thrilling circus arts, breathtaking theatrical effects and memorable songs into a meaningful seasonal story that resonates with the whole family. "This new creative challenge for Cirque du Soleil is very inspiring," said Gilles Ste-Croix, Cirque's senior vice president of creative content. "Creating a new show based on a family-oriented storyline and theme has made us look at different artistic forms. We're using large- scale puppetry and transforming traditional acrobatic numbers into fun and games experienced from a child's perspective. We really hope Wintuk's tale will create a sense of child-like wonderment in the audience." Cirque du Soleil will experience many firsts with its new production at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Wintuk has been designed exclusively for the Theater at Madison Square Garden - Cirque du Soleil's first permanent address in New York for a show presented outside the Big Top. Additionally, Wintuk will be the first Cirque du Soleil show created specifically for a family audience. People of all ages will identify with the lead character Wintuk, and his quest to find snow and adventure. And Wintuk will be the first Cirque du Soleil production to be built around a specific precisely-defined premise: the theme of winter. With all of these firsts the new production is certain to amaze everyone from longtime Cirque du Soleil fans to those experiencing the excitement of Cirque for the very first time. This new production marks the first time director, Richard Blackburn, has worked with Cirque du Soleil. Blackburn is a leading theatrical creator, playwright, director and actor-manager. His shows are probably best known for combining actors with oversized marionettes and sets, and integrating a wide variety of multimedia techniques into his productions. In 1979, he became the artistic director of Le Théâtre de la Dame de Coeur (TDC) in Upton, Quebec. Richard has also worked on overseas assignments with TDC, notably in Singapore for the opening ceremonies of Esplanade Theatres on the Bay in 2002 and as part of Expo 2005 in Japan. Director of Creation Fernand Rainville, has worked in Quebec theatre as a distinguished actor and director since 1985. In addition to his long list of stage credits, Fernand co-directed the bilingual Montreal production of Les Misérables and has worked extensively in television. He also co-directed the opening ceremonies of the Montreal 2005 - XI FINA World Championships and created and directed the Cirque-produced pre-game show at the 2007 Super Bowl in Miami. Delta Air Lines, one of the world's leading international airlines, is proud to be the presenting sponsor of Wintuk, performed exclusively at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. The new 4-year partnership further establishes Delta's long-term relationship with Cirque du Soleil which began in 2006 when the airline served as presenting sponsor of Corteo in Atlanta, Ga. Since that time, Delta launched a worldwide partnership with Cirque du Soleil, serving as the official airline of Cirque du Soleil performances in Düsseldorf and Frankfurt (Germany); and London (England) in 2006 and 2007. Ticket information Cirque du Soleil's Wintuk will thrill audiences this holiday season, playing for a limited period from November 1, 2007 - January 6, 2008 only at the Theater at Madison Square. Tickets for Wintuk go on sale on Sunday, April 29, 2007 at 9:00am and are available through thegarden.com and Ticketmaster.com or by calling at 212.307.1000. Prices range from $30 - $99. Cirque du Soleil From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a major Quebec-based organization providing high- quality artistic entertainment. The company has over 3,500 employees from over 40 different countries, including 900 artists. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to close to 60 million spectators in over 100 cities on four continents. In 2007, Cirque du Soleil will present 14 shows simultaneously throughout the world. The company has received such prestigious awards as the Emmy, Drama Desk, Bambi, ACE, Gémeaux, Félix, and Rose d'Or de Montreux. Cirque du Soleil International Headquarters are in Montreal, Canada. For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com. MSG Entertainment MSG Entertainment (MSGE), the live entertainment arm of Cablevision Systems Corporations, is a worldwide entertainment company recognized for its signature event production. In addition to the nearly 700 entertainment concerts and events that take place each year at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Beacon Theatre and the Expo Center at MSG, MSGE produces shows across America. MSG Entertainment's live events include The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, as well as seven productions of The Christmas Spectacular outside of New York. Additional information about MSG Entertainment is available on the Web at www.thegarden.com and www.radiocity.com. Madison Square Garden, L.P. is owned by Cablevision Systems Corporation, and includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the New York Liberty (WNBA); the Hartford Wolfpack (American Hockey League); MSG Entertainment; MSG Media, which is comprised of MSG and FSN New York; and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area. BASE Entertainment BASE Entertainment is an intellectual property based operating company and live entertainment studio with offices in New York, Las Vegas, and Houston. BASE develops, produces and manages intellectual properties which reach audiences through various platforms, including live, digital, broadcast and licensing. BASE Entertainment partners include Brian Becker, Scott Zeiger, and Clarity Partners. Co-founders Brian Becker and Scott Zeiger have 45 years combined experience in the live entertainment industry. Becker previously served as Chairman and CEO of Clear Channel Entertainment (CCE), the world's leading producer and promoter of live entertainment events. Zeiger previously served as Chairman and CEO of CCE's North American Theatrical division and the CCE Productions Group. Clarity Partners, L.P. is a private equity firm focused exclusively on investments in media, communications, and business services. Clarity's current portfolio includes Vue Entertainment, Oxygen Media, Crescent Entertainment/Village Roadshow Pictures, Liberation Entertainment, and ImpreMedia. BASE Entertainment's current projects include Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular, Gordie Brown and Wayne Brady "Making It Up" at the Venetian, STOMP OUT LOUD at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, the Planet Hollywood Theater for the Performing Arts and the recent Broadway hit Martin Short - Fame Becomes Me. Contacts Cirque du Soleil Chantal Côté, 514-723-7646, ext. 7326 Senior Publicist chantal.cote@cirquedusoleil.com **Artwork available upon request or Madison Square Garden Entertainment Mikyl Cordova, 212-631-4337 Vice President, Public Relations Mikyl.cordova@thegarden.com or Liz Bishko, 212-465-6360 Director, Public Relations elizabeth.bishko@thegarden.com {SOURCE: BusinessWire, Apr.24.2007} ======================================================================= COMPARTMENTS -- INFORMATION ON TOUR, ONLINE, AND ON-SCREEN ======================================================================= o) ITINÉRAIRE - Tour/Show Information ================ ITINÉRAIRE ================ NOTE: The information presented below is for historical purposes only. For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts, please visit our website < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. [Touring Shows] Alegría: London, UK -- Jan 5, 2007 to Feb 11, 2007 Barcelona, Spain -- Feb 22, 2007 to Apr 29, 2007 Saint-Denis, France -- May 10, 2007 to July 15, 2007 Gijon, Spain -- Jul 26, 2007 to Aug 26, 2007 Curitiba, Brazil -- TBA Brasília, Brazil -- TBA Belo Horizonte, Brazil -- TBA Rio de Janiero, Brazil -- TBA Sao Paulo, Brazil -- TBA Porto Alegre, Brazil -- TBA Corteo: Atlanta, Georgia -- Dec 15, 2006 to Jan 28, 2007 Dallas, Texas -- Feb 9, 2007 to Mar 11, 2007 Houston, Texas -- Mar 22, 2007 to Apr 29, 2007 Columbus, Ohio -- May 11, 2007 to Jun 10, 2007 Denver, Colorado -- Jun 22, 2007 to Jul 22, 2007 Los Angeles, California -- Aug 23, 2007 to Sep 23, 2007 Orange County, California -- Nov 8, 2007 to Dec 9, 2007 San Diego, California -- TBA Dralion: Neuss, Germany -- Dec 7, 2006 to Jan 7, 2007 Tokyo, Japan - Feb 7, 2007 to May 6, 2007 Sendai, Japan - May 23, 2007 to Jul 8, 2007 Osaka, Japan - Jul 25, 2007 to Oct 14, 2007 Nagoya, Japan - Oct 31, 2007 to Jan 6, 2008 Fukuoka, Japan - Apr 23, 2008 to Jun 15, 2008 (*) Koozå: Montreal, Quebec -- Apr 19, 2007 to Jun 24, 2007 Quebec City, Quebec -- Jul 5, 2007 to Jul 29, 2007 Toronto, Ontario -- Aug 9, 2007 to Sep 2, 2007 Saint Paul, Minnesota -- Oct 4, 2007 to Oct 28, 2007 San Francisco, California -- TBA San Jose, California -- TBA Quidam: Dubai, UAE -- Jan 4, 2007 to Feb 28, 2007 Seoul, South Korea -- Mar 20, 2007 to Jun 3, 2007 Shanghai, China -- Jun 28, 2007 to Aug 26, 2007 Guadalajara, Mexico -- TBA Mexico City, Mexico -- TBA Monterrey, Mexico -- TBA Varekai: Auckland, New Zealand -- Jan 5, 2007 to Feb 18, 2007 Canberra, Australia -- Mar 15, 2007 to Apr 8, 2007 Melbourne, Australia -- Apr 19, 2007 to Jun 24, 2007 Adelaide, Australia -- Jul 5, 2007 to Jul 29, 2007 Perth, Australia -- Aug 17, 2007 to Sep 23, 2007 Antwerp, Netherlands -- Oct 30, 2007 to Dec 2, 2007 London, UK -- Jan 10, 2008 to Feb 3, 2008 Amsterdam, Netherlands -- Feb 29, 2008 to May 4, 2008 [Arena Shows] Delirium: Detroit, Michigan - Jan 24, 25 & 27 Grand Rapids, Michigan - Jan 31, Feb 1 & 2 Moline, Illinois - Feb 7 & 8 Minneapolis/St-Paul, Minnesota - Feb 9 & 10 Fort Wayne, Indiana - Feb 14 & 15 Chicago, Illinois - Feb 17, 18 & 19 Kansas City, Missouri - Feb 21, 22 & 23 Ames, Iowa - Feb 24 & 25 Green Bay, Wisconsin - Feb 28 Peoria, Illinois - Mar 1 & 2 Madison, Wisconsin - Mar 4 Indianapolis, Indiana - Mar 7, 8 & 9 Wichita, Kansas - Mar 12, 13 & 14 Oklahoma City, Illinois - Mar 15 & 16 Charlotte, North Carolina - Mar 21 & 22 Birmingham, Alabama - Mar 24 & 25 Shreveport, Louisiana - Mar 27 Batton Rouge, Louisiana - Mar 28 New Orleans, Louisiana - Mar 29 & 30 Raleigh, North Carolina - Apr 1 & 2 Miami, Florida - Apr 4, 5, 6 & 7 San Antonio, Texas - Apr 20, 21 Corpus Christi, Texas - Apr 22 Monterrey, Mexico - Apr 27, 28, 29 & 30 Saint Louis, Missouri - May 4, 5 & 6 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - May 10, 11, 12 & 13 Spokane, Washington - May 16 & 17 Salt Lake City, Utah - May 19 & 20 San Diego, California - May 23, 24 & 25 Glendale, Arizona - May 26 & 27 Little Rock, Arkansas - May 31 Nashville, Tennessee - Jun 1 & 2 Greenville, South Carolina - Jun 6 & 7 Atlanta, Georgia - Jun 8 & 9 Charleston, South Carolina - Jun 10 Richmond, Virginia - Jun 12 & 13 Buffalo, New York - Jun 15, 16 & 17 Albany, New York - Jun 19 & 20 Washington DC - Jun 22, 23 & 24 Machester, New Hampshire - Jun 26, 27 & 28 Boston, Massachusetts - Jun 29, 30 & Jul 1 Rotterdam, Netherlands - Sept 13, 14 & 15 Hamburg, Germany - Sep 18 & 19 Helsinki, Finland - Sep 22, 23 & 24 Stockholm, Sweeden - Sept 28 & 29 Oslo, Norway - Oct 1 & 2 Mannheim, Germany - Oct 5 & 6 Manchester, United Kingdom - Oct 8 & 9 Birmingham, United Kingdom - Oct 11 & 12 Sheffield, United Kingdom - Oct 13 & 14 Munich, Germany - Oct 19 & 20 Vienna, Austria - Oct 22 & 23 Budapest, Hungary - Oct 30 & 31 Cologne, Germany - Oct 2 & 3 Zurich, Switzerland - Nov 5, 6, 7 & 8 Pesaro, Italy - Nov 10 & 11 Milan, Italy - Nov 13, 14, 15 & 16 Turin, Italy - Nov 18, 19, 20 & 21 Saltimbanco: London, Ontario - Jul 31, Aug 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 Ottawa, Ontario - Aug 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 Halifax, Nova Scotia - Aug 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19 St. Johns, Newfoundland - Aug 23, 24, 25 & 26 St. John, Newbrunswick - Aug 30 & 31, Sep 1 & 2 Greensboro, North Carolina - Sep 19, 20, 21, 22 & 23 State College, Pennsylvania - Sep 26, 27, 28, 29 & 30 [Resident Shows] NOTE: (*) Prices are in United States Dollars (USD) unless otherwise noted. (*) Price reflected in brackets [] is inclusive of 10% Las Vegas Entertainment Tax where applicable, but does not include Sales Tax. La Nouba: Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark: Sun/Mon Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm 2007 Ticket Prices (adults) / (child 3-9): o Category 0: $112.00 / $90.00 o Category 1: $97.00 / $78.00 o Category 2: $79.00 / $63.00 o Category 3: $63.00 / $50.00 2007 Dark Dates: o January 14 to 22 o March 18 to 20 o May 30 to June 4 o July 29 to July 31 o September 23 to October 1 o November 25 to 27 Mystère: Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm EFFECTIVE JANUARY 20, 2007 (for performances January 21st on) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday Two shows Nightly - o Saturday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm o Sunday: 4:30pm & 7:00pm o Monday - Wednesday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm 2007 Ticket Prices: o Category 1: $95.00 [$104.50] o Category 2: $75.00 [$82.50] o Category 3: $60.00 [$66.00] 2007 Dark Dates: o January 4 to 19 o February 4 o March 21 o May 3 to 11 o July 11 o September 1 to 7 o October 31 "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm 2007 Ticket Prices: o Orchestra: $150.00 [$165.00] o Loggia: $125.00 [$137.50] o Balcony: $99.00 [$108.90] o Limited View: $93.50 [102.85] 2007 Dark Dates: o April 9 to 17 o June 10 to 12 o August 6 to 14 o October 7 to 9 o December 3 to 18 Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm 2007 Ticket Prices (18+ Only!): o Sofas: $129.00 USD [$141.90 USD] (Sold in pairs) o Seats: $99.00 USD [$108.90 USD] (Lower Orcestra) O Seats: $79.00 USD [$86.90 USD] (Upper Orchestra) o Balcony: $69.00 USD [$75.90 USD] o Stools: $69.00 USD [$75.90 USD] 2007 Dark Dates: o February 4 o April 2 to 10 o June 4 to 6 o August 1 to 7 o October 15 to 17 o December 4 to 19 KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday Tue, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:30pm EFFECTIVE JANUARY 23, 2007 (for performances January 24th on) Performs: Fri through Tue, Dark Wed/Thu Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2007 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12): NOTE: Category locations change based on Early vs Late Show o Category 1: $150.00 [$165.00] / $75.00 [$82.50] o Category 2: $125.00 [$137.50] / $62.50 [$68.75] o Category 3: $99.00 [$108.90] / $49.50 [$54.45] o Category 4: $69.00 [$75.90] / $34.50 [$37.95] 2007 Dark Dates: o January 9 to 22 o March 20 o May 15 to 19 o July 17 o September 11 to 15 o November 13 LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:30pm 2007 Ticket Prices: o Lower Orchestra: $150.00 [$165.00] o Upper Orchestra: $125.00 [137.50] o Lower Balcony: $99.00 [$108.80] o Middle Balcony: $93.50 [$102.85] o Upper Balcony: $69.00 [$75.90] 2007 Dark Dates: o January 18 o February 11 and 12 o March 5 o April 19 to 23 o June 14 o August 16 to 20 o October 11 o November 29 and 30 o December 1 to 10 Wintuk: Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark Monday/Tuesday Multiple Shows Daily - Wednesday: 2:00pm, 7:30pm Thursday: 11:00am, 7:30pm Friday: 2:00pm, 7:30pm Saturday: 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm Sunday: 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm 2007/2008 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 2-12): Wednesday & Sunday: o Category 1: $99.00 / $89.55 o Category 2: $65.00 / $59.95 o Category 3: $40.00 / $36.45 Thursday, Friday & Saturday: o Category 1: $200.00 / $180.45 o Category 2: $110.00 / $99.45 o Category 3: $75.00 / $67.95 o Category 4: $50.00 / $45.45 Previews for the 2007 season will be presented from November 1 to 4. The official season will run from November 6, 2007 to January 6, 2008. ======================================================================= COLUMNS - BEHIND THE CURTAIN ======================================================================= Within... o) DIDYAKNOW? - Facts About Cirque o) HISTORIA - Cirque du Soleil History o) CIRQUETECH - The Technical Side of Cirque ================================= DIDYAKNOW? - Facts About Cirque ================================= DidyaKnow? - What is Available in the Cirque Music Catalog? {Mar.03.2007} ------------------------------------------------------------ (From the CirqueFAQ) [4.5] What is available in the Cirque du Soleil's Music Catalog? [Currently Available] o) Saltimbanco (2005) o) Delirium o) Mystère (Live) o) Corteo o) Alegría o) LOVE (Capitol/Apple) o) Quidam o) Le Best Of o) "O" o) Solarium-Delirium o) La Nouba o) Tapis Rouge: Solarium o) Dralion o) Alegria: Le Film o) Varekai o) Journey of Man o) Zumanity o) KÀ [Out of Print] o) Fanfafonie 45 (LP) o) Saltimbanco (1994) o) Cirque du Soleil, Vol 1 o) Saltimbanco (Extended) o) Cirque du Soleil, Vol 2 o) Alegría (Extended) o) Nouvelle Expérience o) Quidam (Extended) o) Collection o) Varekai (Extended) o) Mystère DidyaKnow? - Party Diggs: La Nouba's Costumes, Part 1/2 {Mar.23.2007} -------------------------------------------------------- For this edition of DidyaKnow we've rummaged through Fascination's archives to pull together a few interesting tidbits about La Nouba's costuming: o) A silicone application is applied to 40 percent of the costumes to ensure they are durable, fit tightly and dry quickly. o) Five sewing machines and hundreds of spools of thread are working full time to fix-up costumes. o) Eighty loads of laundry run every night in five "tracks" - headpieces, shoes, garments are washed by different people while two people bag and hang items once they're cleaned. o) Fans were installed on the ceiling of the laundry room to dry delicate items. o) Headpieces are dried on wire frames. o) Three people work all day pressing costumes. o) Plaster casts are taken of each performer's entire head to ensure headpieces fit properly, originals of which are kept in Montreal while copies are used in Las Vegas. o) Performers are taught how to apply their makeup in Montreal and are given personalized guidebooks with step-by-step instructions so they can apply their own make-up before shows. o) The wardrobe department handles over 300 costumes and headpieces every day. Most of the 67 artists performing in La Nouba wear three different costumes per show. o) The story of La Nouba contains two types of families or groups: the urban people and the circus people. The circus characters are denoted by bright, neon colors and the urbanites by dark, gray and muted tones. {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil} DidyaKnow? - Party Digs: La Nouba's Costumes, Part 2/2 {Apr.6.2007} --------------------------------------------------------- For this edition of DidyaKnow we've rummaged through Fascination's archives to pull together a few interesting tidbits about La Nouba's costuming: o) For La Nouba, Costume Designer Dominique Lemieux created 30 different costume concepts, blending historical and traditional circus attire with original contemporary styles. Lemieux drew at least 10 different designs for each costume concept. o) Many of the performers in La Nouba undergo a metamorphosis indicated by a dramatic costume change. Some principal characters have several costume layers, which are revealed as the story unfolds. o) An example of this transformation can be seen in the urban costumes. To personify the city dwellers, Lemieux chose textured natural fabrics such as hemp. The urban characters begin in dark, muted blues, reds and greens and end up in white, billowing, and fairy-like outfits. o) Dark fabrics with fluorescent color accents are used in La Nouba to provide high-contrast images with the addition of black lights. The Roue allemande (German Wheel) costumes were designed to resemble marionettes while highlighting the artists' anatomy. o) The red flame costumes are made of pleated silk and stretch velour o) The Grands volants (Flying Trapeze) costumes are both tribal and androgynous with elaborate collars, head ornaments, and tutu skirts for the male performers. o) Inspired by the Pierrot or classical clown, Les Cons (The Nuts) are dressed simply in white to signify their naïve and innocent character. o) The wardrobe department employed ten technicians to custom- dye the costume materials for La Nouba. These include fabric, real and synthetic hair, feathers, horsehair and leather. o) As in all Cirque du Soleil productions, plaster head molds were cast for each of the artists to insure that their wigs, masks and headpieces fit perfectly. This process takes about four hours per head. A total of four different wig-styles were created for La Nouba. Each wig takes one person approximately 70 hours to make. o) The costumes for La Nouba were created in a record eight-week period from October 24 to December 23, 1998 at the costume workshop located in the Cirque du Soleil theater. {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil} DidyaKnow? - Are Mystère and Mystère (Live) CDs different? {Apr.20.2007} ------------------------------------------------------------ (From the CirqueFAQ) [4.5.3] Are Mystère and Mystère (Live) different? Before the Cirque du Soleil Musique releases in 2005, little confusion existed between these two titles; however, after the CDS Musique releases, one title was dropped -- "Mystère" -- and the other renamed -- "Mystère Live" to "Mystère" -- but the latter is still the live recording. To help clarify: In 1994, RCA/Victor released the studio recording of the production Mystère, entitled "Mystère." Two years later (in 1996), RCA/Victor released a live compliation of the show it entitled "Mystère Live." While both albums were distributed under the RCA/Victor and BMG/Cirque du Soleil Musique alliances, the original studio (1994) album was not selected for distribution under the Cirque du Soleil Musique label (created in 2004). Instead, Cirque du Soleil chose to rename "Mystère Live" to simply "Mystère" and change the album artwork. The studio recording featuring musical compliations by René Dupéré from the original debut of Mystère is no longer in production or available in the Cirque du Soleil Musique catalog. ==================================== HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History ==================================== [March] * Mar.01.1988 -- Le Cirque Reinvene opened Santa Monica (third time) * Mar.04.1999 -- Quidam European Tour Began in Amsterdam * Mar.04.1999 -- New Tour Name Released -- Dralion * Mar.04.2005 -- Quidam opened Melbourne * Mar.05.2004 -- Saltimbanco opened Lyon * Mar.06.1997 -- Alegría opened Amsterdam * Mar.06.2001 -- Alegría opened Melbourne, Australia * Mar.06.2002 -- Dralion opened Los Angeles * Mar.06.2003 -- Alegría opened Houston * Mar.06.2003 -- Varekai opened Atlanta * Mar.07.2007 -- Madison Square Garden Show "Winter Tale" Announced! * Mar.07.2007 -- Saltimbanco "Arena Tour" Announced! * Mar.09.1995 -- Saltimbanco opened Amsterdam (European Tour Began) * Mar.10.2006 -- Dralion opened Geneva * Mar.11.1994 -- Saltimbanco Japan Tour Began (ends 9/11) * Mar.13.2003 -- Dralion opened Raleigh * Mar.14.1999 -- Alegría: Le Film showcased in Santa Barbara * Mar.14.2003 -- La Nouba celebrated 2000th Performance [Friday, 6:00pm] * Mar.14.2006 -- Varekai opened Portland * Mar.15.1998 -- Mystère celebrated 2000th Performance [Sunday, 7:30pm] * Mar.15.2006 -- Saltimbanco opened Santiago, Chile * Mar.15.2007 -- Varekai opened Canberra, Australia * Mar.17.2003 -- IBM and Cirque come together in 3-Year Partnership * Mar.17.2005 -- Dralion opened Barcelona, Spain * Mar.18.1999 -- Saltimbanco opened Sydney, Australia * Mar.18.2004 -- Varekai opened San Diego * Mar.19.2002 -- Saltimbanco Extended CD Released (BMG/CDS Musique) * Mar.19.2006 -- Quidam opened Long Beach * Mar.20.2007 -- Quidam opened Seoul, South Korea * Mar.22.1996 -- Alegría Japanese Tour (until Sep. 8, 1996) * Mar.22.2005 -- Zumanity CD Released (CDS Musique) * Mar.22.2007 -- Corteo opened Houston * Mar.22.2007 -- Cirque Luxor (Criss Angel) Announced! * Mar.23.1993 -- Nouvelle Expérience CD Released in Canada (RCA/Victor) * Mar.23.1999 -- Alegria: Le Film CD Released in Canada (RCA) * Mar.23.2000 -- Alegría celebrated 2000th performance [8:00pm/Biloxi] * Mar.24.1998 -- Cirque Collection CD Released in US (RCA/Victor) * Mar.24.2002 -- Cirque performed at the 74th Academy Awards * Mar.24.2004 -- "The Bar at the Edge of the Earth" opened * Mar.25.2004 -- Alegría opened Atlanta * Mar.28.1995 -- Alegría opened New York City * Mar.29.1994 -- Mystère CD Released in Canada (RCA/Victor) * Mar.29.2002 -- Quidam opened Charlotte * Mar.30.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened New York City * Mar.30.2000 -- Quidam opened Valencia, Spain [April] * Apr.01.2003 -- "Varekai: Cirque du Soleil" Book Published * Apr.02.1998 -- Alegría opened Barcelona * Apr.02.2002 -- Name of "Cirque 2002" Announced - Varekai * Apr.02.2003 -- BRAVO announced Cirque Variety Series ("Solstrom") * Apr.04.2001 -- Dralion opened in New York * Apr.04.2006 -- M.A.C. became Official Cosmetic Supplier * Apr.04.2006 -- Cirque inked 3-year TV deal in UK * Apr.05.1996 -- Saltimbanco opened in Amsterdam (again) * Apr.05.2001 -- Quidam opened in Antwerp * Apr.05.2005 -- Name of "Cirque 2005" Announced - Corteo * Apr.06.2000 -- Dralion opened in San Jose, California * Apr.06.2006 -- «O» selected "Favorite Production Show" by "What’s On, The Las Vegas Guide" * Apr.06.2006 -- Cirque outsourced IT Department to CGI Group * Apr.08.1988 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened San Francisco * Apr.08.1998 -- Quidam opened New York City * Apr.08.2005 -- Saltimbanco opened Paris * Apr.09.2004 -- Varekai opened Pittsburg * Apr.10.2007 -- Cirque announced Saltimbanco Arena Tour * Apr.11.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened New York City * Apr.11.2003 -- Dralion opened Baltimore * Apr.11.2006 -- "The Spark" Book Published * Apr.11.2007 -- Name of "Cirque 2007" Announced - Koozå * Apr.13.1989 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Miami, Florida * Apr.16.2003 -- SOLSTROM began filming in Montréal * Apr.18.2002 -- Dralion opened San Diego * Apr.18.2003 -- Saltimbanco opened Geneva * Apr.18.2006 -- Ground is broken on Tokyo Permanent Production * Apr.19.2006 -- Cirque announced "LOVE" at The Mirage * Apr.19.2007 -- Varekai opened Melbourne, Australia * Apr.19.2007 -- Koozå Premired in Montréal * Apr.20.2001 -- Saltimbanco 2000 opened Nagoya, Japan * Apr.20.2005 -- Alegría opened Nagoya, Japan * Apr.21.1994 -- Alegría premiered in Montréal * Apr.21.2005 -- Corteo premiered in Montréal * Apr.22.1999 -- Dralion premiered in Montréal * Apr.22.2003 -- Cirque announced "Zumanity" at NY-NY * Apr.23.1992 -- Saltimbanco Premiered in Montréal * Apr.23.1996 -- Quidam premiered in Montréal * Apr.23.2005 -- La Nouba celebrated 3000th performance [Saturday, 9:00pm] * Apr.24.1997 -- Quidam opened Santa Monica * Apr.24.2002 -- Varekai premiered in Montréal * Apr.24.2003 -- Alegría opened Austin * Apr.24.2003 -- Varekai opened New York City * Apr.24.2007 -- Name of "WinterTale" Released - Wintuk * Apr.26.2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Barcelona * Apr.27.2000 -- Mystère celebrated 3000th Performance [Thursday, 10:30pm] * Apr.27.2006 -- Alegría opened Rome * Apr.27.2006 -- Corteo opened New York * Apr.29.1997 -- Quidam opened in Santa Monica (again) * Apr.29.2004 -- Varekai opened Phoenix * Apr.29.2004 -- Saltimbanco opened Milan * Apr.30.1999 -- Alegría: Le Film premiered in Québec * Apr.30.2003 -- Alegría celebrated 3000th Performance [8:00pm/Austin] ========================================== CIRQUETECH: The Technical Side of Cirque ========================================== CirqueTech - "O" Soundscape, Part 1/3 {Mar.2.2007} --------------------------------------- In 1999, LiveDesign Media took a "plunge" into the underwater world of Cirque du Soleil's "O", and in the process uncovered a great many secrets about how this technical marvel functioned. In this installment of CirqueTech, we're going to take a look at some of the material LiveDesign published; specifically, the equipment used to help bring sound the show night after night. "O" Soundscape, Part 1/3: (1) Lexicon PCM 90 processor (1) Lexicon LARC controller (1) Littlite L2-SM gooseneck lamp w/power supply (1) Middle Atlantic MRK-37-26 37U equipment rack (1) Middle Atlantic SPS-37-26 side panels for MRK-37-26 (1) NEC TBD LCS-compatible 17" monitor (1) NEC TBD PC-compatible 17" monitor (1) Opcode MidiEngine 8Port MIDI interface (1) Panasonic SV-3700 digital tape deck (1) Sony AN-820A antenna for receivers (1) Sony WRR840A diversity tuner (1) Sony WRT-810A handheld wireless mic (1) SPL custom six-bay house mix rack (1) SPL console table and support (1) Tascam 122 MKllI cassette deck (2) TBD monitor/keymount arms (1) XTA DP 200 processor (1) Yamaha MLA-7mic-to-line amplifier (1) Aphex 107 tube preamp (1) Aphex 120A ADA (1) Behringer 2642 console (1) Behringer HA 4000 Power-Play headphone amp (1) Bitree B48C-HNOST/EC patchbay (1) Crest 6A LMX power supply-spare (1) Crest CA-6 amp (1) Crest LMX (52 inputs/22 individual outs) (1) Garwood System III in-ear monitor system (1) JL Cooper MLA 10 MIDI amp (1) Leitch AMD-880 1x8 distribution amp (1) Leitch FR-844 card frame (1) Lexicon PCM 80 processor (1) Littlelite L2-SM (3) Middle Atlantic MRK 44-31 44U equipment racks w/side panels (1) Middle Atlantic SLIM 5 5-14 14U equipment rack w/side panels (1) Middle Atlantic SLIM 5 5-21 21U equipment rack w/side panels (1) Middle Atlantic SLIM 5 5-8 8U equipment rack w/side panels (1) Proco IT-8A Octal balancing transformers (1) Renkus Heinz 81/9 speaker SOURCE: "The Wizardry of O: Cirque du Soleil Takes the Plunge Into an Underwater World" - Feb 1, 1999 12:00 PM, Ellen Lampert-Greaux - LiveDesign Media CirqueTech - "O" Soundscape, Part 2/3 {Mar.16.2007} --------------------------------------- In 1999, LiveDesign Media took a "plunge" into the underwater world of Cirque du Soleil's "O", and in the process uncovered a great many secrets about how this technical marvel functioned. In this installment of CirqueTech, we're going to take a look at some of the material LiveDesign published; specifically, the equipment used to help bring sound the show night after night. "O" Soundscape, Part 2/3: (1) Sony MDR-575 ear drivers (1) Sony MDR-V900 headset (1) SPL console table and support (1) Vega AN723 antenna (1) Vega M-724 multicoupler Vega R662 receivers (1) Vega T677H body transmitter (1) Vega T687H handheld transmitter (1) Yamaha Promix 01 mixer (1) AKG 414 (1) AKG 747 (1) AKG C408 AKG C414TLll tubes (1) AKG C547 BL (1) Beyer M380TG (1) Beyer M88 (1) BSS AR 416 (1) BSS AR116 DI box (1) BSS AR117 Phantom Power Modules (1) Countryman B3 mic w/Vega connector (1) Countryman Isomax headset mic w/ XLR (1) Crown PCC 160 (1) Electro-Voice N/D 757 (1) Sennheiser MD441 drum overhead (1) Sennheiser MKH40 (1) Shure 404 PTT mic (1) Shure 565 switch mic (1) Shure SM10A-CN (1) Shure SM58 AKG KM 259 short tripod stands w/boom arms AKG KM 270 regular tripod stands w/boom arms Atlas AD-11 female flanges and AD-12 male flanges, AD5 coupling, and 6" nipple (1) Anchor AN1000 self-powered monitor (1) JBL120 Control 23 Speaker (white) Renkus Heinz BPS 15-2, C-2, CE 153/9, 40/6, 42/7, and Trap Jr./9, speakers w/rigging points (1) Renkus Heinz SR 81-12/BEL speaker (2) Sound Advance CT12FH speakers w/baffles SPL custom rigging hardware (1) BGW BGWFSP10 rackmount computer (1) BGW ICHK-G801U rackmount keyboard (1) BGW RMME rackmount monitor enclosure (2) Bitree B48C-HNOST/EC patchbays (1) Crest CKS 1200-2 power amp (1) Crest CKS 200 power amp (1) Crest CKS 400 power amp (1) Crest CKS-1600-2 power amp (1) Crest NC-IPN programmable gain input (1) Crest NC-JTH Hub (1) Crest NC-MIDI MIDI interface Crest NC-NXS NEXSYS function controls and NC-SW-3.0 NEXSYS software SOURCE: "The Wizardry of O: Cirque du Soleil Takes the Plunge Into an Underwater World" - Feb 1, 1999 12:00 PM, Ellen Lampert-Greaux - LiveDesign Media CirqueTech - "O" Soundscape, Part 3/3 {Mar.30.2007} --------------------------------------- In 1999, LiveDesign Media took a "plunge" into the underwater world of Cirque du Soleil's "O", and in the process uncovered a great many secrets about how this technical marvel functioned. In this installment of CirqueTech, we're going to take a look at some of the material LiveDesign published; specifically, the equipment used to help bring sound the show night after night. "O" Soundscape, Part 3/3: (1) Crest NS-BUS-1 Server (1) NEC TBD PC-compatible 14" monitor (1) Renkus Heinz X24 controller (1) Clear-Com 501 single-channel beltpack (1) Clear-Com 502 dual-channel beltpack (1) Clear-Com CC-1022 self-powered rackmount speaker Clear-Com CC-250, CC-26, and CC-85 headsets (1) Clear-Com HS-6 handset (1) Clear-Com KB-111A speaker station (1) Clear-Com MS 812 12-channel master station (1) Clear-Com MX 840 assignment panel and PS 454multi-channel power supply (1) Clear-Com RM 220A two-channel remote station (1) Clear-Com RM 440 four-channel remote station (1) Clear-Com WP-2 wall panel (1) Clear-Com YC-36 "Y" adapter HME HS4-2 double-sided headsets SPL custom intercom fuse system and 15" headset extensions, required cable and "stupid" correction (1) Vega Q OLUS/6 wireless system (1) Yamaha MLA7mic-to-line amp Bitree video patchbay and patch cords Bi-Tronic rackmount and BNC to BNC patch cords (2) Blonder Tongue BIDA 450-50 remote distribution amplifiers (1) Blonder Tongue RMDA 450-50 distribution amplifier (1) Blonder Tongue XRS-2 two-input passive combiner (1) Blonder Tongue XRS-4 Low-Loss one-to-four passive splitter (1) Blonder Tongue XRS-8 Low-Loss one-to-eight passive splitter (1) Bogen 3028 camera mount w/C-Clamps (1) DX DHP-533II 16-input passive combiner (1) DX Communication DSM 140B+ (1) Ikegami ICD500 color camera (1) Leitch AMD-880 1x8 distribution amplifier (1) Leitch FR-883 four-slot card frame (1) Panasonic CT 20G12 19" color TV receiver/monitor Panasonic CT-1384VY and CT-1384Y 13" TV receiver/monitors (1) Panasonic WJ-220R video switcher (1) Panasonic WJ-B03 rack frame fill Panasonic WV7230D and WV- 7330 pan and tilt (1) Panasonic WV-CP410 color camera Panasonic WV-LZ80/2, WV- LZ81/6A, and WV-LA2 lenses RMS 1090M-12, 1090M-16, 1090M-20, 1090M-24, 1090M-6, and 1090M-9 Taps w/RMS 2002/MM two-way splitter (1) Scopus IR-2000 infrared illuminator (1) Shure M367 mixer SPL custom housing for remote distro. Amplifier and required cable for 75ohm terminators (1) Clark Synthesis 329F4 Underwater Speaker (1) Crest CKS 200 150W power amplifier (1) Sartek Industries custom submersible b/w camera w/ varifocal lens (1) Sartek Industries custom-submersible color camera w/ varifocal lens Sartek Industries accessory kits Neutrik speaker cable and barrels AC Cable cable and quad boxes Sescom IL-19s Furman PL Plus power conditioners Galaxy Cricket phase checker Loftech test equipment Motorola GP300 Walkie-Talkies w/ chargers Sennheiser RI-100 receivers and SI 1013 and SZI 1029 modulators (1) Shure FP 12 headphone amp SPL custom panels SOURCE: "The Wizardry of O: Cirque du Soleil Takes the Plunge Into an Underwater World" - Feb 1, 1999 12:00 PM, Ellen Lampert-Greaux - LiveDesign Media CirqueTech - KÀ Tech Specs, Part 3/4 {Apr.13.2007} --------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil has been, over the years, very guarded about the technical aspects of its productions and in the past it was quite rare to receive a glimpse into what made each show tick. But no longer. Today we can explore the many facets of these shows, from its theme to the brand of speaker or light shining overhead; including this list provided by Cirque du Soleil. In this edition of CirqueTech, we explore the third of four of these KÀ Tech Specs: Lighting, Audio and Costumes and Makeup. KÀ Tech Specs, Part 3: LIGHTING o) There are 24 dimmer racks and 2 portable dimmer packs with 24 dimmers for a total of 2260 dimmers. o) The lighting system requires 22,528 control channels to operate it from 10 specialized lighting computer consoles running on a fiber optic backbone. o) There are 436 custom LED fixtures just for lighting the post and beam structure front of house, capable of producing over 1,000,000 different colors. o) 44 automated luminaries - moving lights. o) 3,228 total lighting fixtures. o) There are 130 color scrollers capable of up to 32 colors each. o) There are 12 follow-spots run by 8 technicians. o) The lighting system uses 2.2 million watts of power - if all lights are on at once. o) One fixture uses 70000 watts of power and produces a lightning effect. o) There are three 18000 lumen video projectors that are computer controlled and interactive via three different systems with the artists on stage. AUDIO o) To fill the KÀ Theatre with sound takes 524,150 total watts of amplifier power pumping an intricately layered mix of sound effects and music to 4,774 loudspeaker drivers in 2,139 cabinets. o) The sound system weighs 43,868 pounds. o) The main audio system covers 1,980,000 cubic feet of air space. o) Every seat in the KÀ Theatre has two speakers built into its headrest which allows sound effects to be targeted, manipulated and customized to any of 16 seating zones. COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP o) Seventy specialists worked more than 35,000 hours to produce the first full set of KÀ costumes at the Cirque du Soleil headquarters in Montreal. o) All costumes, head pieces (wigs and hats) and shoes are custom-made for the 75 KÀ artists. o) There are approximately 400 pairs of shoes for the artists. o) There are 15 wigs used in the show. o) The body imprints on the blue Forest costumes are taken from one male and one female KÀ artist. o) There are six different body tattoo designs on the unitards worn by the Archers and Spearmen. o) One Forest hat takes 40 hours to make. o) The Spearmen shoes are created to look like they aren't wearing shoes, with molded rubber toes affixed to a show base. o) All KÀ artists apply their own make-up, and it takes from 45 minutes to two hours to complete. o) There are three make-up technicians who airbrush the faces of artists for each performance. o) Many artists glue Austrian crystals to their faces as part of their make-up. o) The Chief Archer character has the most complex make-up application, with 43 steps and 22 different brushes. {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil Press Room} CirqueTech - KÀ Tech Specs, Part 4/4 {Apr.27.2007} --------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil has been, over the years, very guarded about the technical aspects of its productions and in the past it was quite rare to receive a glimpse into what made each show tick. But no longer. Today we can explore the many facets of these shows, from its theme to the brand of speaker or light shining overhead; including this list provided by Cirque du Soleil. In this edition of CirqueTech, we explore the final set of these KÀ Tech Specs: its Special Effects, Props and Puppets, and Rigging. KÀ Tech Specs, Part 4: SPECIAL EFFECTS o) During the pre-show, approximately 120 fireballs are discharged. These fireballs measure 30 feet in height and reach temperatures of 1200° Fahrenheit. o) Many of the fog effects in KÀ are created using liquid nitrogen, which has a temperature of approximately -300° Fahrenheit. By mixing it with hot water, a low fog effect is created. o) KÀ has a 13,000 gallon storage tank for liquid nitrogen. o) For the Forest scene, a mist curtain is created that is 60 feet wide and falls 75 feet. The mist system is softened water run through very fine nozzles at 2500 pounds per square inch. o) For the Mountain Tribe scenes, snow machines and fans float very fine soap suds through the air to make a very convincing snowfall. o) 119 pyrotechnic devices are fired throughout the show. PROPS AND PUPPETS o) The Props and Puppet Department is responsible for more than 500 individual props, 10 larger-than-life puppets, 21 mini puppets, and six butterflies. o) The Stick Bug puppet is over 16 feet long and is operated by two artists. o) The Snake is over 80 feet long, but the head only weighs five pounds, so that it can be easily manipulated by the artist inside. o) An estimated 1,300 hours went into making one crab puppet, which is worn by an artist in a back bend position. o) The spears are made of rattan from China, which is chosen for its durability and flexibility. o) Over 110 live arrows are shot through the air at each performance. The artists spent many hours in training to learn proper archery techniques. RIGGING o) There are more than 160 harnesses for the artists, comprised of 21 different types. o) Each harness is hand-fitted to the individual artist and is inspected weekly, daily, before and during each show. o) Acrobatic safety nets are used for artists falling less than 20 feet. For falls over 20 feet, air bags are used in addition to the safety nets. o) There are a total of 18 winches used to pull two safety nets into the many different configurations needed for the show. Each winch rope (5/8" diameter) has a tensile strength of over 50,000 pounds. o) The forest grid (truss, catwalk and track system that supports the scenic elements of the Forest scene) and its component parts weigh over 50,000 pounds. {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil Press Room} ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= ------------------------------------------------------ "KOOZA: Unveiled" Information about Cirque du Soleil’s new touring show from the archives of Cirque du Soleil ------------------------------------------------------ Koozå, whose name is inspired by the Sanskrit word "koza," meaning "box," "chest" or "treasure," tells the story of a melancholy loner (The Innocent) in search of his place in the world and through his search we are taken on a journey through strength, fragility, laughter, turmoil and harmony. Koozå also represents a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil. It combines two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and the art of clowning - to tell its tale and in the process give us thrills and chills. We will explore the fantastic world of Koozå through the archives of Cirque du Soleil’s press room. Here you’ll find the original press release announcing the production, information on its fabulous yet low-tech set, Koozå’s wonderful costumes, and its acts, characters, and creators. KOOZA: The Press Release ------------------------ CIRQUE DU SOLEIL UNVEILS KOOZA WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY DAVID SHINER Under the blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau on the Quays of the Old Port Montreal, April 11, 2007 - The latest Cirque du Soleil touring show, KOOZA, will have its world premiere under the Grand Chapiteau on the Quays of the Old Port of Montreal on May 3, 2007. KOOZA is the 20th Cirque du Soleil production and joins the 12 others currently running throughout the world. The Name -- The name KOOZA is inspired by the Sanskrit word "koza," which means "box," "chest" or "treasure," and was chosen because one of the underlying concepts of the production is the idea of a "circus in a box." About KOOZA -- KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil that combines two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor. "KOOZA is about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad," says the show's writer and director David Shiner. "The tone is fun and funny, light and open. The show doesn't take itself too seriously, but it's very much about ideas, too. As it evolves we are exploring concepts such as fear, identity, recognition and power." The show starts with The Trickster bursting onto the scene like a jack-in-a-box right in front of The Innocent, and that is just the first of many surprises to follow. The Innocent's journey brings him into contact with a panoply of comic characters such as the King, the Trickster, the Heimloss, the Pickpocket, the Obnoxious Tourist and his Bad Dog. Between strength and fragility, laughter and smiles, turmoil and harmony, KOOZA explores themes of fear, identity, recognition and power. The show is set in an electrifying and exotic visual world full of surprises, thrills, chills, audacity and total involvement. Cast and acts -- Several of the 50 performing artists in the show have received awards from important circus arts competitions, notably in juggling and trapeze. The show presents an unprecedented approach to the High Wire and a breathtaking Wheel of Death - an act that Cirque du Soleil has never before presented under the big top. The Creators -- The show brings together the following team of 13 Creators, several of whom are working with Cirque for the first time. David Shiner -- Writer and Director Serge Roy -- Director of Creation Stéphane Roy -- Set Designer Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt -- Costume Designer Jean-François Côté -- Composer Clarence Ford -- Choreographer Martin Labrecque -- Lighting Designer Jonathan Deans -- Co-Sound Designer Leon Rothenberg -- Co-Sound Designer Rogé Francoeur -- Props Designer Danny Zen -- Acrobatic Equipment and Rigging Designer André Simard -- Acrobatic Performance Designer Florence Cornet -- Makeup Designer North American Tour -- Following the Montreal run, KOOZA will travel to Quebec City and Toronto before touring the USA. Before leaving Montreal for Quebec City, Cirque du Soleil is adding nine final performances from June 20 to 24. Tickets for these performances will be available as of Saturday, April 14 at 9:00 a.m. online at www.cirquedusoleil.com or by calling 514 790-1245 or 1 800 361-4595. Sponsors and Partners -- Desjardins Group is the presenting sponsor of the 2007 Canadian tour of KOOZA. CGI, Infiniti, Delta and Celebrity Cruises are the official sponsors. The media partners are Radio-Canada and CTV. KOOZA: The Set -------------- "I wanted to capture the essence of circus itself by creating a scenographic environment that offers true proximity to the audience and where the danger is palpable." - Stéphane Roy KOOZA's set evokes a public square that metamorphoses into a circus ring. The circular stage provides the audience with excellent sight lines through 260 degrees. There has been no attempt to conceal or disguise the acrobatic equipment. The structure of the big top is always in full view. Everything is done out in the open with simplicity and transparency in order to concentrate the audience's attention on the artists and the acrobatic performances. The stage is dominated by one major set element, a traveling tower called the Bataclan, which alters the configuration of the performance space as it moves. The Bataclan moves artists in and out of the spotlight, serves as a bandstand and is flanked by two curved staircases. The decoration of the Bataclan is inspired by Hindu culture, Pakistani buses and Indian jewelry. The giant fabric structure, called the Void that overlooks the Bataclan was printed with motifs inspired by the internal structure of leaves to give it a decidedly organic look. The "sails" that frame the Bataclan can be opened and closed like the petals of an enormous flower by just two people using ropes and pulleys. The surface of the stage is decorated to look like a starry sky, and in the center ring is a graphic representation of the sky in Montreal on the night of the first public performance. The stage is ringed by recessed lighting units that cast a warm glow up into the faces of the performers, much like the footlights of a 19th-century theatre. KOOZA: The Costumes ------------------- "It's been a great challenge, but it's also full of traps. You don't want to exaggerate or slip into creating a caricature when you're trying to capture a character." - Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt For KOOZA Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt has drawn on a wide variety of sources of inspiration: everything from graphic novels, the painter Klimt, Mad Max movies, time-travel movies, India and Eastern Europe. She was also inspired by clock movements, tin soldiers, marching band uniforms and children's book illustrations. All this merges to create a look that alludes to Alice in Wonderland, Baron Munchaüsen and the Wizard of Oz. There are many rapid costume changes during the show and Marie- Chantale researched magicians' quick-change techniques to create costume magic of her own. In the Charivari number the garments switch from gold to red in a fraction of a second. The challenge, she says, was not so much the quick change itself as the fact that the artists are performing acrobatics and forming into a human pyramid at the same time as the transformation and they can use only their thumbs to pull off the trick. Marie-Chantale had percussion instruments made out of molded carbon for the Skeleton costume. They look and sound like bones when the performers hit them against each other to create a musical rhythm. The "Bad Dog" costume proved to be another huge challenge because the performer wearing it has to be able to move the dog's ears, stick its tongue in and out, dribble and wag its tail. The "Rat Cape" is a costume that creates the illusion that rats are running down a performer's body before disappearing into a trap. This would be relatively easy in a film, but it's a lot more difficult to achieve live on stage. Following a long period of trial and error, the final Rat Cape costume is made up of 150 fake fur rats with crystal eyes to catch the light. The running effect was inspired by the mechanism of vertical blinds and several of the rats are fitted with little wheels to make them seem even more alive. For the Juggler's costume Marie-Chantale found a fabric made of mirrored squares that reflect the light and make him look like a living disco ball. The effect is so dazzling she was actually afraid he might blind himself when he moves his arms. There are more than 175 costumes and 160 hats in the show - 1,080 items in all, including all the shoes, props, wigs and so on. The designs include truly spectacular luminous coats and hats made with fiber optics and LEDs molded in translucent resin to diffuse the light - with this delicate fabric, each coat takes 60 hours to make and the hats involve 30 hours of painstaking work. One army costume features more than 400 individually-sewn metallic flaps to create the effect that it is armored. KOOZA: The Acts --------------- Charivari The 19 artists of the House Troupe burst into action off the top of the show, combining acrobatics, rapid-fire costume changes and rebounds from three miniature trampolines set in the stage. The act highlights include human pyramids, bodies flying through the air and a "crash bash" - a daring dive into a circle of fabric inspired by the "Nalukauq," the traditional Inuit game of "Blanket Toss" and the landing mats used by firefighters. Contortion Young performers work in harmony and unison to bring a new approach to the art of contortionism. What sets this number apart is the artists’ innovations in movements and position, their speed, and the way they work as a team to create tableaux of sculptural beauty. Solo Trapeze The trapeze is installed stage left to stage right - a Cirque-created innovation. But the act goes beyond the stage setting and the artist’s display of physical mastery. There is drama in the personalities as she interacts with The Trickster, and that adds even more dynamic undertones to the visual thrills and delights. Duo Unicycle A twist on the classic unicycle number introduces a passenger to the action. The two performers create a pas de deux in constant motion around the stage in a combination of balance, acrobatic control, physical strength, choreographic grace and a spirit of partnership. Highwire The twin high wires criss-cross diagonally stage left to stage right at 15 and 25 feet above the stage, and the four tightrope walkers add their own tension to the 6,600 pound load on each rope. Wheel of Death KOOZA’s 1,600-pound Wheel of Death rotates at heart-stopping speeds, powered only by the two artists who leap and counter-rotate in a death-defying display of fearless acrobatics and astonishing teamwork. Like the Highwire, the Wheel of Death is positioned diagonally stage left to stage right in order to break with the usual symmetry and bring the action as close as possible to the audience. Juggling Balls, hoops, and clubs fly in unprecedented numbers and at speeds that the eye and the brain can’t easily process. And they don’t just pass from hand to hand, they arc and fly into waiting props and receptacles with a seemingly impossible accuracy. This juggling act has been called, quite simply, the best in the world. Chairs Balancing The equipment is as simple as it gets: eight chairs and a pedestal. But in this act, the artist uses them to create a 23-foot tower on which to perform a balancing act that displays the human body at the very peak of condition and muscular control. Teeterboard The Teeterboard flings artists into the air, where they execute quintuple twisting somersaults - and that’s just the prelude for acrobats doing the same thing over 30 feet above the stage with double and single metal stilts strapped to their legs. KOOZA: The Characters --------------------- The Trickster Charming and sophisticated, The Trickster is a sublimely quick and agile being, a genius who knows all about the world of KOOZA because he created it. He appears and disappears at will and there’s electricity in the air each time he arrives on stage. He created this world for The Innocent and keeps a watchful eye out for him. He teases him, and plays tricks on him with his powers, but it’s The Innocent’s own subconscious that leads the dance... The Innocent The Innocent is a naïve and melancholy loner carried off into The Trickster’s world. Outwardly childlike, ingenuous and simple, he is eager to get to know the new world he’s in, but as soon as he uses The Trickster’s powers he discovers an unexpected and jarring environment, a reflection of his soul. The King The King is the king of fools, the most burlesque of all the characters. His hair is tousled and his crown has a mind of its own as he tries desperately to gain the respect of those who are crazier than himself. Clowns The two Court Clowns are The King’s foolish footmen, his indispensable sidekicks in the extravagant adventures in the realm of KOOZA. The Pickpocket The Pickpocket is a wily criminal in the guise of a clumsy clown. He makes improbable balloon animals and is constantly on the run from a pair of cops. And he almost always manages to give them the slip. He’s a master scam artist and he’ll steal the shirt off your back in no time at all! Heimloss The very strange Heimloss lives beneath the stage where he’s in charge of the mechanical machinery that gives life to everything in the hidden world of KOOZA. The Bad Dog In this crazy world, even The Dog is nutty. He chases everyone, barks and is impossible to control. The word "training" means nothing to him. But like everyone else he’s drawn to The Innocent and becomes his playful, over-the-top companion. ------------------------------------------------------ "My Thoughts on Koozå" A Personal Review of a Preview Performance By: Wayne Leung - Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) Posted: Apr.21.2007 on CirqueTribune ------------------------------------------------------ [This post contains some minor SPOILERS] I just got back from the second preview performance of Koozå. Unfortunately, since Jason is injured and Ross hasn't been integrated yet there was no Trickster tonight, and the show really suffers without one of its main characters. The staging was all adjusted for the absence of the Trickster so I'm looking forward to going back and seeing the show the way it was "intended" with a full slate of characters. Overall, this show has some of the most high level acrobatics in Cirque du Soleil, however, at least right now, it also has the weakest artistry and overall presentation I've ever seen in a Cirque show. Koozå is all about death-defying stunts, there were a lot of edge-of- your-seat moments, like when the performer on a highwire 30 feet about the stage without a safety harness or net, fell after a jump and just managed to catch the highwire to avoid falling and breaking his neck . . . this aint no cheap fake-out Corteo highwire slip business, it's the real deal. Four individual acts received standing ovations: Highwire, Wheel of Death, Juggling and Teeterboard but as for the artistry . . . what artistry? There was none to speak of. The show lacks a unifying concept, it's clunky, there's no fluidity, the characters aren't well developed and it basically feels like a random assortment of circus acts thrown together without any integration into a theme. The imagery was weakly defined and random, varying between pseudo Dr. Seuss to Tim Burton (Nightmare Before Christmas) to Vegas lounge act. There wasn't any semblance of story or purpose to any of the show. The choreography was absolutely atrocious, I mean it was embarrassingly bad. The performers seem a little more confident in the execution of the choreography than at conference time but the design of the choreography itself is really amateurish, the dancing looks like a bad high school musical. The music was disappointing, most of the music doesn't have a lot of structure, there aren't a lot of well-defined melodies, the arrangements sound very generic pop/rock. And because of the weak artistic integration most of the acts don't perform to the music, it's basically just background music most of the time. The music has none of the evocative qualities and creativity we've heard from past Cirque composers. But if Corteo was any indication, most of the music for the show will probably be re-written anyway which is a good thing in this case. The musicians are all very talented, it just doesn't seem like they're given much to work with in this show. The singers are pretty good; Theresa has a strong, soulful voice, Tara was a little less confident but still sounded good, however there are very few vocals in the score right now. The costumes are very well done for the most part. Even if a few seem odd and out-of-place, the infamous Juggler's costume (which admittedly doesn't look as tacky in real-life) and the Chair Balancer performing in a Sumo thong. Some of the costumes are very gimmicky and they're creative but because of the lack of a unifying theme they're just flashy for the sake of being flashy. Given that David Shiner is the Director, the comedy in the show is surprisingly weak. There are a lot of slapstick pratfalls, probably too many (as amusing as it is to watch someone getting bitch slapped by a raw pork chop, it's considerably less funny the 378th time). There are plenty of pick a schmuck out of the audience bits but none of them come anywhere close to the quality of Shiner's brilliant numbers featured in Quidam. The best comedy bit was definitely the Pickpocket. The rest of it was pretty boring. The show did have some moments that I thought had a lot of potential to be expanded into something better. Daria Vintilova performs her trapeze act wearing a bad-ass rocker chick costumes (she looks like she stepped right out of a Guns 'N Roses video) and with a little more character development and choreography she could really take that act to the next level but right now it's a far cry from the beautifully evocative solo trapeze act she performed in Saltimbanco. With the right music and choreography the Duo Unicycle has the potential to be something beautiful and moving instead of just a run- of-the-mill circus act. The Mystic Pixies have a very strong technical act (although, only 3 of the 4 performed tonight, this may be a usual thing so that the fourth can be rotated in and out) but the music and choreography do nothing for the act and the presentation is extremely weak compared to say, contortion in Alegría or even the act in Nouvelle Ex. There is one beautiful moment in the finale with The Innocent but it falls just short of being truly moving because there wasn't enough character development throughout the course of the show for it to be meaningful. Other than that the show was completely devoid of emotion . . . well unless you count "OMIGOD he's gonna fall and break his neck" an emotion. On a general note, there are a lot of numbers that are a bit too long and tend to make the show drag. So right now I'd say Koozå needs a tonne of work. It is a pretty good circus show but it's an extremely weak "Cirque" show. Without massive changes I don't see it as being anything more than an expensive "stunts" spectacular. While the show has an amazingly high acrobatic calibre just about every other aspect is very sub-standard for a Cirque du Soleil production. --------------------------------------------------- "An Interview with Alan Silva of Zumanity" A Special Interview Reprint from Cirque Tribune By: Danielle Wall - Southern California (USA) --------------------------------------------------- Danielle and the staff at Cirque Tribune were very gracious in granting Fascination! permission to print their interview with Alan Silva of Zumanity, and for that we extend our gratitude. If you get a chance, please check out Danielle's original post of the Interview and the comments it has received at CirqueTribune: < http://www.cirquetribune.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3746 > # # # Alan Silva is an aerial artist with Cirque's resident show, Zumanity, located at the NYNY Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Many thanks to Alan and John McCoy for your time! Alan Silva Interview - Friday, January 5, 2007, 5:00 pm ------------------------------------------------------- D: We're here with Alan Silva. Thank you for meeting with me, I appreciate it. A: Thank you. D: (Looking at John, Zu's Publicist) He's my first guinea pig. A: It's gonna be good. D: Well, what we want to find out from you is some basic information about what it is to be a Cirque performer. I'm doing these interviews not only with performers, but also with technicians and behind the scenes personnel. So we can get a kind of well rounded view of how things work out. So if we could start out, just tell me a little bit about your background. A: My background... I'm from traditional circus family. I was born in circus, I'm sixth-generation of my family. So I was born in circus and I started training when I was 4 years old, like general training, little bit of everything, every discipline. D: Just with your family? A: Yeah, I started training with my father and grandfather. And after that I started to do different disciplines and do a little bit of ballet and gymnastics and acting. D: Anything strike you right off the bat when you were younger as far as something you really wanted to get into? A: Well I always liked to do aerial stuff. That's why I ended up doing tissu. I did other aerial stuff like corde lisse and trapeze. But I like tissu. It is really something that caught my attention. D: When did you start doing a lot of tissu specifically? A: Specifically tissu? I think about 10 years ago that I do tissu. D: You are 24, right? A: I'm 24. D: I knew you were a couple years younger than me. A: I'm 24, so it's been a while. (Laughs) D: Yeah, that's a long history for an artist. A: Yeah. D: Where were you born exactly? A: I was born in São Paulo, in Brazil. D: And I noticed your sister just recently got into the company as well. A: Yes, my sister, she is at La Nouba right now. D: Is she enjoying it? A: Yes, a lot. She loves it. Which is funny, she is doing the same thing as me, she does tissu. D: Is that what she really likes to do as well? A: Yeah, she loves to do tissu and actually we did tissu together for a while in Brazil. A duet. And then after, we separated when we got different contracts. D: So you are used to doing partnered tissu acts? A: Yes, I used to do it. For tissu and trapeze as well and different kind of acts. D: You've been doing this particular act since the show started. A: Yeah, since the show opened. They called me to do tissu act. I was working solo before, and when they called me to sign the contract they asked me if there was a possibility to do a duet with another girl, which was Olga. But I'd never met Olga before, so we had to go to Montréal to train together for a couple of months and build the act. D: So you were able to get comfortable with her before coming to Las Vegas? A: Yeah, we got to know each other before. Which was great. D: And now you are working with another partner still, right? A: Yes, now I am working with another partner. Her name is Abigail. And she's been good, really good. D: Has there been any major problems or adjustment issues with switching partners so suddenly? A: Yeah, we have to do adjustments because when you are used to working with one person and you have to work with another person it's, of course, a lot different because it's a different person and a different way of moving, but we did a few adjustments, but the act is pretty much the same. And now we are getting better, like getting to know each other better and I think it's growing. D: When you first joined the show were you contacted by Cirque or did you send in your information to Cirque? A: I sent my information into Cirque, but it was a long time ago. I sent a résumé and videos and photos and they contacted me and asked me to do an audition. And then I passed the audition and then after 2 years they called me to do Zumanity. D: Okay, so you went into general formation first? A: No. Directly for the creation process. D: That's interesting. Now that you have been with the show so long, one of the last few original people, can you tell me a little bit about your specific role and the character you play in the show? A: Well my character, people call me "Little Prince" in here, but it doesn't really have a name. They call my character by my name, Alan. My character is a boy that falls in love with this pretty girl, now played by Abby. And I try to catch her attention through the whole show. But for us it's like impossible love, especially for me there is this taboo for being a little man, little person, it's like people think you can never can get true love from this beautiful tall woman. D: Stereotypes. A: Yeah, stereotypes. It's to prove that it can be different and each person can be sexy and find your true love, doesn't matter who you are or how you are. And then I chase her throughout the show and she sees me but she doesn't realize that she really loves me and I really love her. By the end of the show when the act comes together we finish together. D: Since the show began has there been any major changes or adjustments to the choreography or to your part in the show? A: Yeah there's been a few changes. D: I know there have been many smaller changes... A: A lot of small changes, and to my character not much change, but through all the show they did a lot of changes. D: Mostly choreography type stuff? A: A little change. If you go back to the beginning when we did the premier of the show and if you go back and look at the act and the choreography and the tricks, it has changed. We added some different tricks with skill levels higher than we used to have. And plus the choreography and everything. D: So you are adjusting the skill level as you get more comfortable with it? A: As we get more comfortable with it and as the show grows, as well, we grow as well, we keep growing with the show and we feel like we need to, you know, keep improving our ways. D: Change. Keep things from getting dull. A: Exactly! And keep things fresh. (Laughs) It's good. D: Especially with being with the show for so long. A: Yeah, you have to. D: How much say do you have in the changes? How much say do you have in making the changes to the choreography? A: It takes a while. I remember there was one trick we were training for 7-8 months before adding to the show. D: Was that something you came up with? A: It was something that both me and Olga and our coach, Martina, three of us we think of something, we study it and we see if it can work and then we bring it into rehearsal and we try in rehearsal and if it's not good we keep trying to make it better so we can work it into the show. And of course it has to be approved by the director and the coordinators and everything. D: Yeah, I've heard a lot of the changes they have to go through the higher echelons. Next, I'm going to change tracks a little bit. Have you ever been to Las Vegas before you joined the show? A: Never! D: Never? A: Never. I never went out of my country. D: Really? Just traveled locally? A: Just locally in Brazil in many different circuses and shows and theaters. My first time I went out of my country was to go to Montréal to do the creation for the show. D: What did you think of Montréal? A: It was beautiful, it was great. It's cold. (Laughs) D: Yeah. (Laughs) A: But it was great, everybody was so good and to be in the headquarters of Cirque du Soleil for the first time, I was amazed by it, and to see how they create the shows and how it works there, it was just amazing. For me it was a dream. D: Something huge. A: It was huge. And as well, when we came to Las Vegas, I was amazed. And the first time we came into the theater they were just finishing building because they rebuilt the whole theater and I was like... my jaw dropped. It was great. D: A little different than a traveling troupe, huh? (Laughs) A: (Laughs) Oh yeah, much different, believe me, much different! D: What time of year were you in Montréal? A: I was there for 3 to 4 months. D: What time of year, like winter? A: I went on the 21st of April, 2003. D: So it was still pretty chilly. A: Yeah it was a little bit. D: Well you got a little bit of the summer. I've heard that's when the best time to go is. A: Yeah, it's beautiful, it's beautiful. D: When you moved down to Las Vegas, how did you go about adjusting to the city? It's a lot different than normal US cities. A: Yeah, a lot different, especially coming from Brazil. But we were so busy with the show and we were rehearsing a lot and training a lot that you don't realize that you automatically start to adapt with the city because you have so much to do and train and the shows. Automatically, it wasn't hard. D: Is it something you like to get away from now that you've been here for so long? A: Well I like to be here especially because of my job and I have friends here, and it's a good city. But sometimes it's good to go away for a vacation. D: Get away from it all? A: Yeah. (Laughs) D: Again relating to your work with Cirque, do you have any particularly enjoyable or unejoyable aspects of the work. Specifically within the show itself? A: I enjoy a lot of the show because I think if I didn't enjoy the show, I wouldn't be here. Yeah because that's the best part of it, you have a good job, you know, you are in a place where most of the artists want to be. D: That's very true. A: And you are here and you are doing what you like to do. In my case, I am doing what I love to do. It's performing on the stage and doing aerial and acrobatics and that's the most enjoyable thing for me. D: Is this work on stage in a theater, do you prefer it over the traveling lifestyle of a traveling show? A: Sometimes I miss the traveling show, and not at the same time. Because it has the good and bad parts of it. I think because I have never been stopped in one place for a long time before, and I think just because of that sometimes I miss it a little bit. But since we get to travel a lot and like, vacation and you can go anywhere you want and so it's still something you can do on your vacation time instead of being in a touring show. D: Do you think it's a little less stressful being in one place? A: It's less stressful, it's much more quiet, you have all your things here and don't need to be traveling from one place to another. It's much more... comfy. (Laughs) D: Not living out of your suitcase. (Laughs) A: It's much more comfy, it's much more comfortable. D: I know that you've been having problems with your shoulder. A: Yes, I have. D: And it's something that's been going on ever since I've known you. A: Yes, I know. D: How's is that going right now. A: Well it's much better right now. I did the surgery and after that I did rehab and it has improved a lot. It's been a year ago. But it's like... injuries is something that is... it's normal being in Cirque and being an acrobat or a gymnast, it's so normal, everyone has injuries. D: Oh yes. It can be a career breaker, though, at times if it's bad enough. A: Yeah. D: How do you feel about that? A: Well it's something that you expect and you have to try to take care of it before it becomes a big, you know, problem. So you always have to think like that. D: Is the problem, specifically with your shoulder, is that something you caught earlier on before a major injury happened or did you have an episode of injury such as torn cartilage or something happen during training or a show? A: Yes, I start to feel during training a little bit in the shoulder, and sometimes during the show and then I went to physio, our physiotherapists, and they start to take care of this and doing treatments and everything. And when we saw that this could become a bigger problem they sent me to a specialist and that's when we decided to do the surgery before it becomes something worse. D: It's not been giving you problems recently? A: Right now it's been good. So far so good. (Laughs) D: Fantastic! That's good to hear. What about your plans for in the future once you are unable to continue as an acrobat? A: Yeah, I know because and acrobat's life doesn't go too far! D: It's not as long, yeah! (Laughs) A: But I have many plans inside the company, as well. I think I'll improve my acting skills and, I don't know, maybe take singing classes and... D: So possibly become a character actor? A: Character, yeah. Because here in this show I'm a character acrobat anyway. And I can keep going as a character. D: Are you planning on staying with Cirque? Do you want to continue your work with them or just in theater in general? A: Well I would love to continue my work with them but it's something that you don't know in the future how it's going to go. D: Exactly, I understand that! A: But it's one of my plans, but, yeah, like I said, you never know what's going to be the future. D: One last question. We always hear about various incidents that occur with people, funny events or interesting events that performers come across with audience members or fans inside and outside of the show. Have you had any specific incidents occur where you've had a very amusing or weird happening with an audience member or fan? A: Weird? I cannot say weird. D: No? A: No. For me especially it never happens. It's just sometimes it's funny, but you know, sometimes you finish the show and you are just walking to the garage and people stop you and fans and people that watch the show. And they say so many good things to you and they always congratulate your job and Cirque du Soleil, always. And sometimes you hear like kind of weird things, like the other day two guys just stopped me and were like, "Wow you were really great in the show," and I was like, "Wow, thank you very much!" And he was like "Yeah you did a good job, you really turned me on." I was like... "Okaaay." It means I did a good job! (Laughing) D: (Laughing) Not something you expect to hear, though, huh? A: Yeah, sometimes you hear that though, but it's pretty normal because like, guys, girls, you know. It's a general audience. D: It's that type of show! A: Yeah, and you hear everything. But it's always good compliments. It's not like any weird, weird situations. D: Well your character itself doesn't really have all that much interaction with the audience. A: Yeah, not as much. Because in the show my character has eyes for only one girl, which is Abby now playing the role. So I try to keep my character. Some people don't understand when I do Animation I walk through and I walk by them and I kind of ignore a little bit because my character, I don't want to see anybody else, I just want to see my girl, so you gotta keep the character. That's why I don't have too much interaction. D: That reminds me of something else. I haven't seen the show since they changed Animation to the end. A: Okay. Animation to the end? D: Extravaganza, I'm sorry. How is that going? A: It's good. I think it was a very good change. D: Really? A: Yeah, because it's something that they came up with in the creation of the show, Extravaganza, they always wanted to put at the end of the show. But it was something that it didn't work with the costume changes and all the quick changes that we had, so they decided to put at the beginning of the show. Which it was great as well. D: Yeah I enjoyed it at the beginning. I haven't seen it since it's been changed so I can't comment on it right now. A: Yeah, some people like it better because after seeing the whole show, at the end when they have Extravaganza they really realize and recognize the persons at the end for what they did and the characters. D: Do you feel it gives it more of a specific ending? A: Oh yeah, it gives it more of a specific ending. It's like a huge parade at the end. And it shows each one of the Zumans. I think it was a great change to the show. D: Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing it again since the changes. This show is always changing, so, it's one of the few you can see over and over again and always see something different. A: You can see it so many times and always something different! D: Fantastic! Well that's all I have, thank you for meeting with me. It was good to see you again. A: It was good to see you too. It was a pleasure. ------------------------------------------------------ "A Chat With Kevin and Andrew Atherton of Varekai" A Special Interview Reprint from CirqueTribune By: Danielle Wall - Southern California (USA) ------------------------------------------------------ Danielle and the staff at Cirque Tribune were very gracious in granting Fascination! permission to print their interview with Kevin and Andrew Atherton of Varekai, and for that we extend our gratitude. If you get a chance, please check out Danielle's original post of the Interview and the comments it has received at CirqueTribune: < http://www.cirquetribune.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4134 > # # # A Chat With Kevin And Andrew Atherton ------------------------------------- Q. As kids, did both of you train in gymnastics together? I realize that gymnastics is a mostly individual sport. Were you both competitive with each other in and/or outside of the gym and competition? We are both quite competitive individuals by nature anyway. We would often use each other's strengths in and out of the gym to better our own work. We have a very competitive streak in us, which we still use to this day. Q. What was your favorite and least favorite apparatus? Why? (Kevin) I was pretty much an all around gymnast, and my ability on each apparatus was quite even. My best results in competition were always on the parallel bars, though. If I had to choose my least favorite apparatus I would probably say the high bar. (Andrew) Unlike Kev, in training the high bar was the apparatus I enjoyed the most. I would thrive off the adrenaline rush I got when releasing and re-grasping the bar. In competition though, this would have to go to the rings. Rings were by far the most successful apparatus in my gymnastics career. The least favorite, both in training and competition, would have to go to the vault. My strengths were certainly not in my legs. Q. Have you ever had interest in other sports? If so, which ones? Whilst growing up we were into many different sports. Coming from a very sporting family and town, we were encouraged to try as many different sports as possible. This is how we came to discover gymnastics. We were seven years old. Whilst training and competing in gymnastics, however, we were discouraged from participating in other sports. Especially sports in which there is a high risk of injury. Even now, working with the Cirque du Soleil, we try to avoid these... even if the desire to do them is strong. Q. Working at Cirque, you are two of the few performers that have a perfect attendance record. Have you ever had to work through a serious illness during a show, or does your lifestyle keep you healthy enough that you haven't had a problem with illness? We're big believers in setting goals in life. This was one of our goals when joining Varekai. There have definitely been moments when one of us or the other has had to go onto the stage feeling less than one hundred percent. However we're very strong believers in not only the power of the mind, but also in giving our bodies the best possible chance to do what we demand of it. Saying this, we work very hard to maintain our health and fitness. IT'S DEFINITELY NOT LUCK. Q. Do you have any other goals you've set for yourselves while working with Cirque? We have many goals. We like to keep them between the two of us though. Maybe we're a little superstitious that way? Q. Has doing a strap act for so long caused any problems with your wrists and/or shoulders? If so, how have you dealt with that? We took the initiative to seek out the best possible advice with regards to body preparation and injury prevention long before we began to create the aerial straps act. We knew that in order to perform an act such as this eight to ten times a week for many years meant we would have to be in the best shape possible. Now we have a specific program designed to maintain our shoulder strength and flexibility. Q. Not many people know that you went into Cirque already planning on doing a strap act. How did you assure that this is what you would be doing during the hiring and creation? Two years before joining Cirque du Soleil we both started to think about this act. When asked during the audition what we would like to do with the company our response must have been pretty clear. There were no assurances and it was not until a year later that we discovered we would be given the chance. We were performing in a Tom Stoppard play at the Chichester Festival Theatre. On completion of our contract there we were flown straight to Montréal to begin the creation of Varekai. Q. Each of you being portrayed as a mirror image of the other in your act, how do you augment your routines to keep both sides of your body in equal strength and proportion? It's true that we do use one arm more than the other during our performance with Varekai. If we weren't careful the right side of our bodies would develop much more than the left side. We compensate for this by incorporating a specific weights training program into our weekly routines. The use of free weights helps us rebalance our muscles and our bodies. Q. We recently had a question on CT asking about the food that the performers eat. Can you tell us what your food regimen is? Did you have help from nutritionists at Cirque or was this information you brought with you from your gymnastics training? We're regularly questioned about our eating habits. People are always seeking that hidden secret or that miracle solution. Luckily for us we had parents who taught us the importance of healthy eating. Of course as we grew up and sport began to play a major role in our lives, our knowledge of food in relation to fitness grew. We view food as a fuel that will help us both enhance our performance and prolong not only our careers, but also our lives. We don't consider ourselves experts on the subject of nutrition. What we view as the rights foods for ourselves may not be the right food for others. Personally we try to eat six, small meals a day that are high in protein content. Especially following a workout or a show. We do not cut any major food groups out, like carbohydrates, which are important to sustain our energy levels. We also make sure we're continually hydrated by drinking water regularly. To "diet" is a concept we strongly disagree with. Instead we would prefer to promote any regime as a lifestyle change. Eating habits that one intends to continue for the rest of their lives. Q. I know you both have a fondness for chocolate, and Andi, you have told me that you enjoy good bread. How do you incorporate these foods into your lives? Anything in moderation isn't bad for you. Well not anything!! Q. Have either of you ever had any interest in performing a specific act or on an apparatus other than straps? We always knew we wanted to perform the aerial straps. It's a discipline we felt we would be very inventive on, and still now feel we can push further. Creation is something we love and we will always welcome the opportunity to try something new. If given the chance to be involved in a new Cirque du Soleil creation, we would like to explore new avenues of performance also, including dance and character work. Q. You are two of the only performers I know that enjoyed the creation process. Others seem to dread it and even say they'd never do it again. What about this process do you enjoy? Once Varekai was on the road we both thought we too would never want to do another creation. It's a process that forces you to expose your vulnerabilities and to confront your personal fears. There's something very special about creation though. We take pride in knowing that when the time does come for the two of us to leave Varekai, we will do so knowing that a part of us will always remain here. Q. Do either of you have any hobbies? (Kevin) I love business. When I'm not working or training I am often working on different aspects of my investments. Whether that's doing the accounting for our real estate investments, tax documents or researching other types of opportunities. I love it. I'm also trying to learn a little French. I find it quite challenging though. Languages were never my strong point whilst at school. (Andrew) For the last six months I have been taking Spanish lessons. Like my brother, languages were never my strong point but I am enjoying the challenge. I also have a great teacher. Carmen! Muchas gracias por tu ayuda. When not studying or working there is nothing I like more than to ride my bike. It brings me a sense of freedom that you often need when working on tour. Q. What have been your top 3 cities that you've visited? Any specific reasons why you liked them so much? (Kevin) New York City, San Francisco, and Miami. New York City is just an amazing place to me. It's a city with so much to offer. I love the fact that you can experience so much diversity in just one place. I remember being so excited to visit San Francisco when Varekai performed there in 2002. I wasn't disappointed at all. Having a big passion for real estate and architecture, San Francisco to me was a dream. Miami offers a completely different lifestyle to New York City and San Francisco. Especially South Beach. The pace of life there is a lot more relaxing. It's also the place I got engaged. I could live there in a heartbeat. Q. May I ask who popped the question first? (Kevin) I did! I took him to our favorite restaurant in Miami where the entire staff knew of my plans. I'm so happy he said "yes". (Andrew) Miami was definitely a stand out city for me. The way of life out there is indescribable. You can do as much or as little as you want to. Just the way I like it! Living and working out there is definitely one of my future goals. Los Angeles and New York also hold fond memories for me, but this had a lot to do with the friends I made in these cities. That's another benefit touring life has to offer. You get the opportunity to make so many amazing friends. Q. Have either of you considered going back to school for any reason in the future? (Kevin) I do miss studying actually. And yes, I would love to go back to school sometime in the future. If I did I would probably pursue something in the field of finance or business. Mathematics was my preferred subject at school. (Andrew) If in the future I am lucky enough to become financially independent then returning back to school is something that I would definitely consider. I always love to learn. Q. What subject(s) would you study Andi? It would have to be something relating to my passion for sports, the human body, and nutrition. I would consider this to be my hobby outside of Cirque. Q. I've known of your interest in wine since I first met you guys back in 2004. What was it that got you interested in wine in the first place? Wine by its nature is a very sociable interest to have. We both like nothing more than having friends over to our place for some good food, good wine and great conversation. Q. Is there any one person who has been instrumental in your wine education? We would have to thank Greg Gorman for this. Those who don't know of Greg, he's a photographer from Los Angeles. He also happens to be a very good friend of ours. While performing in LA in 2003 we had the opportunity to shoot with Greg as part of a television documentary in which Greg shared his knowledge and expertise in the field of digital photography. Although Greg's biggest love affair is with the camera, he also has a passion for wine. Having shared many amazing bottles ourselves with Greg and his friends, we too developed an obvious interest in the subject. Q. What type of wines do you prefer? Color and variety? Depending on the menu for the evening we will drink both red and white wines. The pairing of the wines with the food is extremely important as the flavors of both can be enhanced greatly when the pairing is right. That isn't the case when we're dining with Stella Umeh though. Stella only drinks red wine. If she's with us, red it is. Q. Do either of you have a favorite brand and/or year? Not particularly. While traveling we will usually try wines of various grapes from local regions. As we're in Australia at the moment the choices are endless. Australia has some amazing wines. Q. When did your interest in real estate and investment first come about? We would have to credit our father for this. He owned quite a few properties himself and passed on his knowledge of the subject to the two of us. We began investing in real estate at a relatively young age. I think we were twenty years old when we bought our first property. We were still amateur gymnasts at the time. Obtaining the funds to finance the purchasing and renovation of the property was the biggest challenge we faced. They say that the first one is always the hardest. It was. Q. Do you still own that first property? We do. When we bought it, it was pretty much a derelict, unlivable house. We, along with our father took three months to re-build, renovate and decorate it. Those three months were amazing. They gave us the opportunity to work and learn from him. Something we had not been able to do whilst being involved in gymnastics. That house is so much more to us than just bricks and mortar. Q. What consists of an "ideal property" for you? (Kevin) I once had a meeting with a real estate agent from Montréal when we began to look for our first investment there. It lasted about ten minutes. I decided he wasn't the right person for the job when he said to me "You really don't have to like the building that you're investing in. As long as the numbers work out, and at the end of the month you're making money, that's all that matters". I have to say that for me I have to love the building. Even if the passive income from the property were high, if I didn't have a love for it, I would not have the motivation to work for it. (Andrew) Personally when looking for the next investment property I am often drawn towards older buildings. Not only do they have a lot more character in them. As my father would often say "They are built to last." Q. Does knowing you like the property come to you right away, or have you had properties that you didn't like initially but have "grown on you" after time? We both rely on instinct. We've learned to trust it in every aspect of life. All our properties we have liked from first seeing them. Or at least have liked the idea of what they can become. Q. Does location play a big part in your choices? If so, do you follow the market or have your own preferred areas? Location is really the number one factor depending on what our objectives are. We recently bought two investment properties in San Antonio, Texas. We have never even been there. We decided to buy there after working with an amazing realtor from Las Vegas, Steve Bland, who also works as an artist in the show "O". He had done months and months of research on the area and had decided that San Antonio was a great place to invest for the future. Having looked at all the research with Steve we decided to that this was an opportunity not to be missed. Steve certainly knows his business. Q. Were these properties in San Antonio the first ones you've bought without actually visiting the site? If so, did it make the decision harder for you? Yes. They were the first we'd purchased without actually visiting the place in person. Our realtor did send us over a hundred photographs of each property. We knew what each looked like in great detail. We knew the geography of the surrounding areas. We knew we liked them. The decision wasn't hard at all. Q. What types of properties do you invest in? We try not to limit ourselves to one particular property type. To date we own and manage several single-family homes in both the US and the UK, and four apartments in Montréal, Canada. Maybe in the future we will choose to invest in retail buildings or even hotels. Who knows? Q. What are your preferences in styling and design when you consider a house or building? That depends on whether or not the property will be used as an investment, or for personal use by one of us. Not everyone will share our personal tastes in design and architecture. Q. What design influences did you use in the renovation of your own home in Montréal? (Kevin) When Michel and I took on the renovation of our apartment in Montréal, it was quite a project. Thankfully we share identical visions when it comes to design. We both have a passion for modern architecture and design. We took much of our inspiration from the Japanese approach to living. Each space has its own specific function and purpose. Michel often laughs at me, as I'm a little obsessed with minimalism. I'm certainly not a collector. We also like to use natural light wherever possible. Therefore we have many oversized windows and doors. Q. I've discussed the issue of global warming and "green" living with Kevin quite a bit in the past. Andi, do you follow these issues in the news as well? Of course! The issue of global warming is a prominent and very real one that our world is facing. Nowadays it is virtually impossible to turn on the television or open a newspaper and not see something mentioned on the subject. Q. What are your thoughts on these issues? The environment has always been an issue for us. Even at a very young age we were very aware of the impact our actions could have on our surroundings. Only back then the stakes didn't seem quite as high, and our surroundings felt a lot smaller. Without getting too political we feel that everyone can do something to combat the issues we're facing with our planet, and hopefully reverse the affects we have already begun to see today. We have a responsibility within our own lives to learn the many changes we can make, however big or small to manage issues such as drought, disease, global warming and much more. The thing people need to know is that the smallest change can have the biggest impact. Q. Do you see it having an impact on the real estate market and your own choices in properties when buying? As awareness increases, changes are happening at every level of the real estate market. From the products we buy for our own homes to the materials used in new constructions or developments. People are realizing that this is their responsibility and as a result the green movement grows. A large goal of ours is to one day be involved in our own real estate development project. When we do, we will make sure that this project works in conjunction with its surroundings and has minimal negative affects on the environment. Q. How has the "green" movement affected your own lives? We choose to live a lifestyle that reduces, as much as we can, our carbon footprints. We very rarely use any mode of transport other than our bikes and our feet. If we have to use another method of transportation we will try whenever we can to utilize the public system. At home we use energy efficient appliances and light bulbs and control the heating with the use of digital thermostats. Our next project is to build a green roof on the property in Montréal. This is another fast growing area of property development, and one that excites us both very much. Q. What about children? Do either of you plan on having or adopting children in the future? (Kevin) Having children is something that Michel and I have spoken about at great length. I know that Michel will be the most amazing father to our children. As to when, how many and by what method, we're not sure yet. (Andrew) I would definitely love children to be a part of my future at some point. I love children! Right now though, I feel I have so much more I want to do in life and with my career in Cirque du Soleil. Until I have achieved all of my goals here, it would be selfish of me to plan otherwise. Q. After five years on tour and living and working in so many different places and societies, where do you see yourselves settling down and calling home in the future? (Kevin) Why limit yourself to one place? Home can be in more than one location. Personally, when I retire I would like to spend my summers in Montréal, which is a city that holds so many charms to me. My winters? Somewhere warm I guess. Maybe a beach house in Miami. For those reading who have experienced a Montréal winter, you'll know where I'm coming from. (Andrew) There are many cities that I have visited over the last 5 years that I could quite easily call home. It would be difficult for me to select just on of them. I do not wish to restrict myself to locate in one particular place at this time. Wherever work takes me I will go. Q. It seems that after all this time with Varekai, Montréal has become a sort of "home base" for you. Would you agree? We would agree. We both adore that city. Q. Have either of you found yourselves having to adapt a great deal to live and work in certain countries? We've both been traveling our whole lives. The largest adaptation will come when we're no longer touring. To not have that change of scenery every few weeks will be an adjustment in itself. There has always been a strong desire in both of us to experience new cultures. I think we'll continue to do this for the rest of our lives. Even once we settle down somewhere. Q. What are some of the more "extreme" cultural differences you've encountered in your travels? Living on a Cirque du Soleil tour is like living in the most culturally diverse city in the world. It's amazing to have so many different nationalities, cultures and beliefs all under one big top. Here with Varekai we have about seventeen different nationalities. We haven't counted the flags around the big top for a while. It can be challenging sometimes. Some behaviors or beliefs are often not understood entirely by others. One thing is very important though. That we all work together, with respect for one another. Q. Do either of you find yourselves comparing life in other locations to where you grew up in England, or do you prefer to just "go with the flow"? It's very important to us that we always remember where we came from. Wigan will always be the place we grew up, and as a result will always have a special place in our hearts. Comparisons are something we try to avoid, as each different city or town we visit holds its own unique qualities. We try to find the best in every one of them. Q. What do you miss most from where you grew up in Wigan? Fish & Chips, Pies (Wigan has great pies)...... Oh, and Family. * * * A great many thanks to both Kevin and Andrew Atherton for taking the time to work with me on this interview for us at CT. I am lucky to be able to call you friends and I look forward to seeing what you both get up to in the future. Thank you especially to Kevin for the occasional "kick in the butt" to make me realize I can do better! {fin} ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Compendium Volume 7, Number 2 (Issue #52) - Mar/Apr 2007 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2007 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or translated without the consent of the "Fascination! Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission (unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination! Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil, Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. { May.20.2007 } =======================================================================