Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter.
Cirque du Soleil unveiled its newest show “Messi10” with a world premiere on Thursday, October 10th (10/10, get it?) at the Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain. Messi and other stars lined the red carpet for the first show, which by all accounts was a huge success for both Cirque du Soleil and Messi. Cirque set the show up like a soccer match: it lasts for 90 minutes and is divided into two 45-minute halves. The stage is also designed to look like a soccer field. Acrobats perform alongside some video clips of Messi’s career highlights, honoring the all-time great. Check out a collection of articles in our FEATURES section this month about MESSI10’s premiere. And for those interested in knowing even more about the new show, keep an eye out for a new documentary – “Messi Cirque: The Creation of Messi10 by Cirque du Soleil” – which will premiere on Rakuten TV on November 21st… For a sneak peek at what this documentary holds, check this link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=422006568667941.
Something new is on the horizon! Cirque du Soleil is thrilled to announce its new Big Top production, written and directed by renowned artist and stage designer Es Devlin. In Cirque du Soleil 2020, the audience will be touched by uplifting acrobatic choreography, startling physical theatre and moved by the vibrant musical score, all infused with the warmth of human interconnection. Through Director Es Devlin’s exceptional creative lens, high-level acrobatics are woven within a striking and disruptive visual universe.
This new big top experience invokes the power of the human performance and communal experience which remain at the heart of all Cirque du Soleil creations. It is a meeting of visual art and human performance, a hymn to the vibrant communal experience that only a live show can offer. Cirque du Soleil invites fans to meet under the Big Top in Montreal’s Old Port starting April 23rd, 2020 and share the experience of this new surprising and joyful live gathering.
Creation Director Chantal Tremblay said that the “intention for this show is to surprise the audience with something bold, daring and visually exciting.” The show offers a “fresh creative take on what we are.” Vice President of Creation, Daniel Fortin adds that “in working with iconic visual artist Es Devlin to lead this new creation, we are committed to making a strong and absolutely distinctive creative statement in 2020. This show marks not only the start of a new decade but also an exciting new era for Cirque.” Writer, Director and Set Designer, Es Devlin explains further: “At the roots of Cirque are exceptionally skilled humans performing at the limits of what is humanly possible. There are no words, no text. But the strongest story is understood: 2000 people all willing someone not to fall. It’s a potent communal experience, a travelling tent full of 2000 strangers, all realizing at once that when it comes down to falling or flying, we all want the same thing.”
Renowned visual artist Es Devlin lives and works in London. Her multi-disciplinary practice spans solo sculptural exhibitions in London and Miami, avant-garde theatre in New York, experimental opera in Vienna, iconic stadium pop shows and Olympic Ceremonies in London and Rio. Devlin’s practice originated in small scale theatres in London, progressed through The Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Opera House, and onto global opera houses, the Metropolitan Opera, New York and La Scala, Milan. She has conceived large-scale touring shows with Beyoncé, U2, Adele, The Weeknd and Kanye West as well as collaborations with the theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli and the actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Amongst her many current projects, Devlin is designing the UK Pavilion at World EXPO 2020.
Es Devlin is joined by…
o) Yasmine Khalil — Executive Producer
o) Dan Fortin — Vice President, Creation
o) Gabriel Pinkstone — Producer
o) Es Devlin — Writer, Director and Set Designer
o) Chantal Tremblay — Creation Director
o) Lucie Janvier — Production Director
o) Nicolas Vaudelet — Costume Designer
o) Jade Pybus — Composer
o) Andy Theakstone — Composer
o) Daniel Cola — Human Performance Designer
o) Jaque Paquin — Acrobatic Equipment Designer
o) Lynne Page — Choreographer and Collaborating Director
o) John Clark — Lightning Designer
o) Jacques Boucher — Sound Designer
o) Jérôme Delapierre — Projection Designer
Cirque 2020 will be the company’s 51st original production and 20th Big Top Show. Tickets are on sale now!
• BUY TICKETS HERE: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/2020
• WATCH THE TEASER HERE: https://youtu.be/6mDEzRoaTTg
• LEARN MORE ABOUT ES DEVLIN HERE:
• Website: https://esdevlin.com/
• TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeOadxT7kPA
• Netflix: “Abstract: The Art of Design” Documentary In Season 1 Episode 3: “Es Devlin: Stage Design”
JOYÀ will begin its sixth season at Vidanta Riviera Maya with new acts, new makeup and costumes, and a new culinary menu. Some notable changes include: A new and exciting act of “Aerial Rings Duo” performed by Argentine artists Flor Aracama and Nico Busso, will be the first of its kind and an exclusive to Cirque du Soleil JOYÀ. “Performing on the spiritual scene, the eloquence, beauty and strength of this duo are captivating and uplifting. We have restructured and reprogrammed the technical specifications of the stage to show their capabilities,” said Joël Bergeron, artistic director of Quality at Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. A new comedic number will feature an additional moment of spontaneity, including audience participation. “It is an element often played at Cirque du Soleil shows because it transforms the audience from spectator to participant in a fun and exciting way,” Bergeron said. And a new culinary experience created by Alexis Bostlemann, Vidanta’s corporate chef. Bostlemann and his talented team created a much more unique dining experience to take the senses to the next level. “Cirque du Soleil JOYÀ is a unique multi-sensory experience, inspired by Mexico. A great example of this is the gastronomic component of the show, something that cannot be found in any other Cirque du Soleil show in the world. We are sure that with the surprises and additions we have prepared for this sixth season, JOYÀ will be an even more fun and interactive experience for our visitors,” said Norma Preciado, director of Entertainment Marketing and Lifestyle of Grupo Vidanta.
And last, but certainly not least, we have a couple of important milestones to highlight:
• MJ ONE celebrated its 3,000th performance on October 3, 2019
• CRYSTAL celebrated its 600th performance on October 4, 2019
• AXEL premiered preview shows on October 4, 2019
More? Keep reading!
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