Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter.
Wow, do we have a great issue for you all!
Cirque du Soleil’s ECHO launched in Montreal on Thursday, April 27th to much fanfare; the atmosphere was festive under the Big Top! “It was with great excitement and enthusiasm that numerous political, cultural, and sports personalities walked the red carpet at the grand premiere. The 2,500-seat Big Top was packed to the rafters to applaud the 51 artists of ECHO.”
ECHO (three years in the making) is the company’s 20th creation under the Big Top, distinguished by its bold visuals and contemporary aesthetic that highlight spectacular acts performed by artists at the top of their game. As determined as ever to dazzle us, Cirque du Soleil once again manages to surprise us with a show that combines poetry, performing arts and high-flying acrobatics, exploring the precious balance between humans, animals and the world they share. Future, the protagonist, invites us into a fantasy world where she meets animal and human characters. Driven by the spirit of collaboration, they join forces to rebuild their planet little by little and create a better world. ECHO is a show that plunges the audience into a universe of a thousand and one colors, wonders and possibilities on the themes of inventiveness, hope of youth and the importance of empathy.
And you can explore this new world within through a couple of featured articles this month. First, a small collection of reviews of the show’s first steps, and then, the full text of the show’s Press Kit, which’ll take you into the show’s creation, and perhaps shedding some light on the show’s mysteries. Beware, though, as spoilers abound the show abound here!
As a primer, check out Cirque du Soleil’s making-of mini-series here:
00: “Preview” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xr5N1E_39o
01: “A New Start” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnabHar4k1I
02: “Artist Adrenaline” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYmIU8qa888
03: “The Cube” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgRDiuiuOD8
04: “Costume and Staging” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KBzzHPB9zQ
05: “Studio’s Final Touch” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ4xIjRb4r4
Cirque du Soleil has announced a number of special event shows since we last spoke. First, there’s VIZION, the second in the so-called “best-of” series o shows, which opened on Thursday, April 27th at King Adbulla Sports City near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This new creation follows FUZION, which played in Jeddah last year. Next, there’s “GUY! GUY! GUY!”, the seventh in the company’s HOMAGE SERIES that pays tribute to Quebec artists. This new creation is a joyful and colorful celebration of hockey legend Guy Lafleur, who “infused his imagination on the ice to create an electrifying game.” It will make its debut at the Amphithéâtre Cogeco in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec on July 19, 2023. And Cirque du Soleil invites you to check into extraordinary at FESTA, a make-believe hotel in the heart of the Andorran mountains where wonder and imagination come to play. With celebratory storytelling, colourful characters and epic acrobatics, FESTA will draw you into a world with no limits and leave you feeling uplifted like never before while paying tribute to the vibrant beauty and culture of Andorra. Shows begin July 1st! More exciting news, however, might be Cirque’s recent announcement of a partnership with Outrigger Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel to bring a new multi-year resident show to Honolulu, Hawai’i. Anticipated to open in late 20204, the show will “fuse the world-renowned acrobatics and innovation that Cirque du Soleil is known for with the natural beauty and unique culture of the islands.”
And in addition to all the other latest news and finds about Cirque du Soleil online, we’re pleased to present the first part of an exclusive interview with with David Wallace, head of PLANS (that’s Projections, Lighting, Audio, Networking & Special Effects) at Cirque du Soleil’s “Drawn to Life” at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida!
So, let’s get into it!
TEXT FILE — https://www.cirquefascination.com/Issues/Issue218.txt
