======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 Quarterly Compendium - Q1 2006 ------------------------------------------------------------ E X P A N D E D I S S U E ------------------------------------------------------------ ======================================================================= VOLUME 6, NUMBER 1 www.CirqueFascination.com ISSUE #47e ======================================================================= =========== CONTENTS =========== * Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings * CDS-TV -- Cirque du Soleil on Television * CDS.NET -- What's Up at Cirque Club * LA PRESSE -- Cirque in the Press [EXPANDED] * Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * DidYaKnow? -- Facts about Cirque * Fascination! Features: o) "A Conversation with René Dupéré, Part 1" By: Keith Johnson - October 18, 2005 {Reprint} o) "A Conversation with René Dupéré, Part 2" By: Keith Johnson - February 4, 2006 o) "Cirque du Delirium" By: Paul Roberts - March 8, 2006 o) "CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas Update" By: Keith Johnson - March 21, 2006 * Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= ================= NEWS BRIEFS ================= CDS Arena Tour Dates Announced {Nov.21.2005} ------------------------------ The Press Conference to announce the debut of “Delirium” Cirque’s musically-focused arena tour was Thursday morning. We’ve been looking for info all day on the Cirque site, with no luck. But what we DID find was something on the Clear Channel site cc.com, which is Cirque’s producing partner for this endeavor. The dates announced so far are: Jan 26-28 -- Montreal at the Bell Center Feb 3-4 -- Albany NY at the Pepsi Arena Feb 13-14 -- Buffalo NY at the HSBC Arena Feb 17-18 -- Columbus, OH at the Nationwide Feb 20-21 -- Toronto, ONT at the Air Canada Center Presale emails have been sent to locals in those areas, to access the pre-sale you will need the password SOLEIL. There is also a sample of music on the site, a short remix of “Alegria” getting mixed reviews. Saltimbanco 2006 dates {Nov.21.2005} ---------------------- We received a notice of unconfirmed South American dates for Saltimbanco in 2006 from someone on the Cirque Club Discussion Board. Especially note their extended stay in Sao Paulo Brazil - 2 1/2 months! Saltimbanco 2006 Guadalajara, Mexico -- Dec 2 to Jan 2 TBA, Mexico -- Jan 12 to Feb 14 Santiago, Chile -- Mar 14 to Apr 23 Buenos Aires, Argentina -- May 3 to Jun 11 Sao Paulo, Brazil -- Aug 1 to Oct 15 Rio De Janiero, Brazil -- Oct 24 to Dec 3 La Nouba Raises Prices {Dec.22.2005} ---------------------- Tickets prices for La Nouba will be increasing January 1. Category 1: Ages 10 & Up – $95.00 plus tax (was $87.00) Ages 3-9 – $76.00 plus tax (was $65.00) Category 2: Ages 10 & Up – $77.00 plus tax (was $75.00) Ages 3-9 – $62.00 plus tax (was $56.00) Category 3: Ages 10 & Up – $61.00 plus tax (was $59.00) Ages 3-9 – $49.00 plus tax (was $44.00) Most prices are going up 10%, except adult Category 2 and three (slim $2.00 increases), and Category 1 children (increasing a whopping 16%). Spend New Years Eve at La Nouba! {Dec.22.2005} -------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil will present special New Year’s Eve performances of La Nouba on December 31. Guests will be treated to a champagne toast, a limited-edition full color souvenir program and a special show finale. Tickets for these New Year’s Eve performances are specially priced and are available for sale via the main Disney Reservation Center number by calling (407) 939-7956. Cirque’s “O” Win’s Best of Show! {Dec.22.2005} -------------------------------- Las Vegas travel guide VegasTripping.com has announced the winners of ‘The Trippies – 1st Annual Best of Las Vegas Readers Poll Awards.’ Readers selected from five nominees in 14 categories, with voters hailing from nearly every continent. Categories included ‘best’ and ‘worst’ “Overall Joint,” “Food,” “Casino Tables,” “Slots,” “Video Poker,” “News Story,” “Implosion Rumor,” “Actress In A Las Vegas TV Show,” “Actor in a Las Vegas TV Show,” “Las Vegas Book,” “Entertainer,” “Show,” as well as “Biggest Vegas Pet Peeve” and “Las Vegas Person of the Year.” The overall winner of the 2005 Trippies awards was Wynn Las Vegas, which won top honors in nearly every category it was nominated. The new Steve Wynn resort, Wynn Las Vegas tied another Wynn creation Bellagio for “Best Joint” honors after only 6 months since its grand opening. Conversely, the venerable Big Top on the Strip, Circus-Circus took home the dubious distinction of being “Worst Overall Joint” and “Worst Food”. VegasTripping readers voted The Golden Nugget downtown as having the “Best Table Games” while Palms took “Best Slots” honors. Las Vegas’ McCarran Airport terminal brought the “Worst Slots in Vegas” Award in for a perfect landing. In the Entertainment category, Cirque du Soleil’s “O” (Bellagio) won “Best Show” as Mr. Las Vegas himself, Wayne Newton was voted “Best Entertainer”. In addition to being the gaming capital of the world, Las Vegas is also known as the implosion capital of the world, and VegasTripping readers believe that “Ballys Las Vegas” should be spared the wrecking ball and medieval castle Excalibur (opened in 1990) should be imploded instead. NBC’s “Las Vegas” swept the Vegas TV awards with nods going to Vanessa Marcil, James Caan and “Las Vegas” itself for Best Actress, Best Actor and Best Vegas TV Show. Readers also selected “Rising Prices” as their biggest Pet Peeve of 2005. The days of cheap rooms and cheap eats are gone, replaced by luxury suites and couture dining served up by celebrity chefs. The 2005 Trippies Awards were dedicated to the late Dr. Hunter S. Thompson who’s seminal tome “Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas” won “Best Vegas Book” in a landslide. Cirque Hawaii! {Dec.22.2005} -------------- Waikiki’s newest entertainment attraction is a modern circus in an unusual setting. “Cirque Hawaii” brings 35 international acrobats into what used to be the IMAX Theater on Seaside Avenue. The exuberant young performers of “Cirque Hawaii” are hard at work practicing their acrobatic feats. Soon they’ll be entertaining audiences twice every night with their dazzling one hour and fifteen minute show. Their skills are simply jaw dropping. “They do what humans aren’t supposed to do. When you see it you will understand,” said Vital, Cirque Hawaii choreographer. “We don’t want to give a good production; we want to give a phenomenal production.” Both the creative director and the choreographer of this new show used to perform with Cirque du Soleil. Most of their acrobats are from eastern Europe. They’re doing tricks that I haven’t seen at Cirque du Soleil,” said Mathieu Laplante, Cirque Hawaii creative director. “I was a performer and I see them doing some tricks and I say wow, these guys are good.” Local dancer Corrina Brillon choreographed the Hawaiian piece that opens the show. “It’s a little bit of hula, Tahitian and jazz and acrobats kind of all in one dance,” Brillon said. Nine different acts make up the evening’s entertainment with the help of state-of-the-art lighting, sound and special effects. A storyline about a character who’s just arrived in the islands links the acts together. The show has been constructed around the not-very-circus-like dimensions of the IMAX Theater stage, but that appears to be no handicap. “It is small, but if we use it right, we’ll make it big,” Laplante said. The shows’ producers hope “Cirque Hawaii” will be a Waikiki attraction for years to come. The showings are as follows: Saturday, 7 PM Sunday, 7 PM Monday, 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM Tuesday, 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM *There are 475 seats in theater Price: $65.00 Young Circus Forms Under CDS Coaching {Dec.22.2005} ------------------------------------- For the first time in Singapore, 65 youths and children have put up a circus under the tutelage of a Cirque Du Soleil trainer. Cirque Du Soleil’s community arm, Cirque Du Monde, is a highly successful international programme in circus know-how. Since 1993, the outreach programme has been helping disadvantaged youths worldwide, in South Africa, Belgium, Brazil, Chile and now Singapore. The teenagers have come a long way since they started learning circus routines four months ago. After gruelling and tireless training, these novices are ready for the stage. They may not be a world-class circus act with dramatic stunts but the teenagers certainly know how to combine circus arts with street funk, something which is close to their hearts. Said Chan Bo Rui, a performer in the pyramid routine, “As base we have to train to become stronger so as to carry up and to maintain the safety of those who climb on top of us.” Fairy performer Fawlyana Muhd Fauzi said, “By doing these, your body will also become quite flexible. So you see, I’m so big but I can do the stunts.” The community project is a collaboration between Cirque Du Monde and Singapore’s Beyond Social Services and Tampines Family Service Centre. The team of 44 crew members is headed by renowned Australian trainer Andrea Ousley. Said Ms Ousley, “It really helps people learn about being an effective part of a community because you can’t build a pyramid unless you all work together. The kids actually learn what it is to work together, so hopefully that then translates to the rest of their lives.” The show is expected to tour Singapore’s heartlands in 2006. Taste of Cirque du Soleil? {Dec.22.2005} -------------------------- Tuesday, December 20, 2005 was the official debut of "A Taste of Cirque du Soleil", a new entertainment showcase featuring the magic and wizardry of Cirque du Soleil, created exclusively for Celebrity Cruises. A press release follows: "A Taste of Cirque du Soleil is the result of positive dialogue with our partners at Cirque, combined with valuable feedback from our guests and trade partners," said Celebrity's President Dan Hanrahan. "We are extremely pleased with the outcome, and judging by the standing ovation when we first presented this new concept, we're confident our guests will be thrilled, as well." The result of an exclusive partnership with the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil, the new 30-minute performances will be offered exclusively onboard Celebrity's Constellation and Summit, and feature three acrobatic performances and characters from Cirque du Soleil. "A Taste of Cirque du Soleil focuses on the human element; the simplicity of individual artists' talent, creativity and agility," said Cirque du Soleil President & COO Daniel Lamarre. "It is the true essence, and at the core of, what Cirque du Soleil was founded on." A Taste of Cirque du Soleil is presented twice per cruise on Celebrity's Constellation and Summit in the Celebrity Theatre. There is no charge for the performances. The two ships also house "The Bar at the Edge of the Earth," a lounge designed exclusively for Celebrity by Cirque du Soleil, as well as Cirque du Soleil boutiques - the only such shops in existence other than those operated solely by Cirque. Interview with Dragone {Dec.22.2005} -------------------------- The world of entertainment was a much different planet in Las Vegas when Cirque du Soleil debuted "Mystere" at Treasure Island in December 1993. "There were lots of revues, and showgirls," Franco Dragone said. "I had heard it was a city of depravation -- Sin City." Dragone created "Mystere," whose success has changed the Las Vegas landscape forever. He says he came to the city because of its uniqueness. "What inspired me was that when you come to Vegas, all over the world they know about this," Dragone said. "And I think, I really think, Las Vegas doesn't try to look like other cities -- it is unique." The most spectacular show at the time of Dragone's arrival may have been "Siegfried & Roy" at the Mirage. There were a number of other spectacles, including "Starlight Express" (Las Vegas Hilton); "Enter the Night" (Stardust); and "City Lites" (Flamingo). And sexy showgirls: "Jubilee!" at Bally's; "Splash" at Riviera; "Les Folies Bergere" at the Tropicana. There were several country music shows in town: "Country Tonite" (Aladdin); "Nashville, USA" (at Boomtown, now Silverton); "Hot Rock 'n' Country" (Plaza). But there was nothing on the magnitude of "Mystere," which Cirque followed up with "O" at the Bellagio. Both were brainchildren of Dragone, who left Cirque after the birth of "O" to form his own company, which has created Celine Dion's production at Caesars Palace and "Le Reve," which premiered at Wynn Las Vegas in May. Between "Mystere" and "Le Reve," the Las Vegas entertainment scene has expanded to include such Broadway-like productions as "Mamma Mia!" at Mandalay Bay and even more Cirque shows ("Zumanity" at New York-New York; "Ka" at MGM Grand). The offbeat "Blue Man Group," which recently moved from the Luxor to the Venetian, has proven to be a winner. But not all large-scale productions have succeeded: "We Will Rock You" at Paris Las Vegas closed recently. But just around the corner are "Hairspray" (coming to the Luxor), "Phantom of the Opera" (Venetian) and "Spamalot" (Wynn). Almost from the day it opened there were rumors that "Le Reve" was in trouble. "I, too, have heard some negative talk," Dragone said during a visit to Las Vegas last week. But he denies the show is in danger. "Our attendance is growing all the time," he said. Dragone says a few empty seats don't bother him. He noted that the theater has 2,087 seats to fill, twice a day, which is equivalent to filling one show at the 4,000-seat Colosseum, home of Dion's production. "I am happy with this show," he said. One of the early complaints about "Le Reve" was that it was too dark. "When 'Mystere' debuted, some found the show dark, also," Dragone said. "They didn't think it would work in Las Vegas." That was almost a decade ago, and the production continues to pack the theater. "Le Reve" has gone through some changes since opening, making it much lighter and more audience-friendly. "I agree it was dark. I listened to my audiences," he said. "But four or five years ago, when I first created it, the context was different." But one thing Dragone will never change about this or other shows he creates -- he will not insult the intelligence of his fans. "I really think people are getting smarter and smarter," Dragone said. "The kind of show I want to do, I ask the audience to work. I don't want to lead them by the nose. "I want them to use their own imagination -- I want a primal contact with people, contact with their emotions." He says his goal is to "be honest with the people," "touch their emotions -- and at the same time be spectacular." "When people come to Vegas, they want to be able to go back home and say 'I saw this show -- only in Las Vegas can you see this show,' " Dragone said. Now that Dragone has changed entertainment in Las Vegas, he has his eye on New York. He is creating a musical based on the opera "Carmen." Dragone says the book has been written, and he has chosen a theater. "They wanted that I bring them something from Las Vegas, some kind of spectacular thing," Dragone said. "I think because in New York, all the shows look alike. They all take the same approach -- there is a kind of envy in New York for Vegas." Epson Sponsors CDS 2006 {Jan.03.2006} ----------------------- Toronto, ON, December 22, 2005: Epson Canada Ltd. has announced that it has signed on as official sponsor of over 240 performances of Cirque du Soleil's Canadian touring productions in 2006-2007. The sponsorship includes the touring shows Quidam, Varekai, and a new production slated for spring 2007; as well as Delirium: Turning Music into Motion, which premieres on January 26 in Montreal, QC. Cirque du Soleil is a world-renowned artistic entertainment company based in Montréal, QC. Epson Canada will kick-off its sponsorship with the world premiere of Delirium: Turning Music into Motion, a multifaceted event featuring Cirque du Soleil music remixed. Created and directed by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, it's an urban tale that creates its own "larger-than-life universe where music, dance, and drama intermingle with gargantuan projections". The show will make its world debut at the Bell Centre in Montréal from January 26-29; after which the North American tour will commence, stopping in Toronto on February 20 and 21. Delirium preview video {Jan.03.2006} ---------------------- There's a short ABC behind-the-scenes video of Delirium in rehearsals up on the ABC news site. The direct link is: < http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=1445564 > If that doesn't work, try http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/ and look for 'First Look At New Cirque' Anniversary Collection buyers take note! {Jan.03.2006} ---------------------------------------- We've gotten word that the Cirque 10-disk "Anniversary Collection", is missing the second "bonus" disk contained in the available-separately releases of "La Nouba" and "Varekai". Though the package costs you less than if you purchased the disks separately, there's some good bonus stuff on both of those disks, so be aware. "Headless Guy Getting Out of Town" {Jan.08.2006} ---------------------------------- Quidam, the 40-foot-tall headless statue that stood in front of Roberts Auto Sales on McHenry Avenue for five years, is there no more. But he isn't going far. He will soon reside at The Fruit Yard restaurant and store on Highway 132 between Empire and Waterford. Quidam was dismantled Thursday night after the city of Modesto determined the statue did not meet city sign rules. The fact the statue resided outside the city limit probably left Quidam scratching his head, if he had a head to scratch. It all has to do with the city's sphere of influence, a term for an area that's going to become part of the city in the future. County rules say that any businesses operating in Modesto's sphere of influence must follow Modesto's sign ordinance, said Michael Newton, manager of environmental resources for Stanislaus County. Complaints about the statue were filed with the county's Planning Department and city's Neighborhood Preservation Unit last year, Newton said. The county complaint was forwarded to Modesto, said Rafael Rodriguez, supervisor of the city's Neighborhood Preservation Unit. "It's a free-standing structure intended to attract customers to the lot, so we decided it was a sign," Rodriguez said. Also, a search of city records revealed there were no permits for the statue, he said. There were other problems, Newton said. "We couldn't figure out how it was tethered to the ground," Newton said. "It was tethered to light poles and a utility pole. You can't do that." The statue also was too close to the roadway and to electric wires, both violations of county codes. Doug Roberts, owner of Roberts Auto Sales, said the statue was secured to the ground. The tethering to the light poles was to keep Quidam's umbrella in place, he said. "We would have been willing to address those issues if those were the only issues," Roberts said. "Initially the county didn't have a problem with him but the city didn't want him there." On Nov. 22, the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors ordered Roberts to take down Quidam. Roberts was given until Jan. 13 to do the job or else the county would do it for him, Newton said. "I took it down Thursday evening because the county was going to demolish him," Roberts said. "I wanted to preserve the statue." BUILT FOR CIRQUE DU SOLEIL The statue was built in 1997 out of metal pipes, wire mesh, fiberglass and paint by artists Chris Irish and Greg Cunningham, both of whom worked for JCD Concept 2000 of Turlock. It was built for $30,000 for Cirque du Soleil, a French Canadian theatrical circus. That year, the circus was touring the United States and was using Quidam as its main theme. Although Roberts would not say how much he paid for the statue, he said it was a fraction of its original cost. Quidam is Latin for "someone who is unknown." In literature, the figure of Quidam often represents an anonymous traveler and the journey through life. It's headless because the face usually is represented in art as a bright spot of light. After the circus completed its tour of the Western states, the statue was returned to JCD Concept 2000. Roberts bought the statue in 2001 and put it on his car lot. "We thought it was a unique piece of art and thought others would be interested in seeing it again," Roberts said. It fell over shortly after it was put up and had to be rebuilt, he said. In 2002, the umbrella blew off, Roberts said. The umbrella stayed off until late last year, he added. Thursday, JCD employees took it down. Greg Cunningham, president of JCD, said Quidam simply is traveling to his next destination. "Quidam is going to The FruitYard," he said, "Long live Quidam." Fruit Yard owner Joe Traina said he plans on applying for county permits, anchoring the statue in concrete and putting up a sign explaining the statue's significance. "It's a great looking statue and will be well taken care of," Traina said. Shows Added to Varekai, Miami {Jan.11.2006} ----------------------------- CirqueClub just announced that Varekai's stay in Miami has been extended an additional eight shows. The newly announced dates extend Varekai until February 26, 2006. Tickets are currently only available to CirqueClub members but will go on sale to the General Public beginning Monday, January 16, 2006. Varekai will set up in at Bicentennial Park in Downtown Miami. Cirque Magie Remélangé? {Jan.22.2006} ----------------------- To celebrate the opening of 'Delirium', Cirque Magic is proud to announce its first ever 'special event' program. Beginning January 27th from 8:00P.M. to 5:00A.M. EST Cirque Magic becomes "Cirque Magie Remélangé" (Cirque Magic Remixed) for five nights only. It's the first time all the CDS remixes in the Online Chapiteau cataloge will be played toghter, and there are surprises. Thanks for your support and check it out starting Thursday! Visit Cirque Magic at the following address: < http://www.live365.com/stations/dnmoriarty/> Podcasters Given Exclusive Access to CDS! ----------------------------------------- Two Cirque du Soleil fans in Quebec were granted behind-the- scenes access to Delirium, Cirque du Soleil's traveling musical extravaganza. Julein Smith, one of the bloggers, contacted us recently to get out the word: M-C Turgeon (a pretty famous blogger here in Québec) as well as myself (Julien Smith), have been granted access to blog and podcast for Cirque du Soleil's new event Delirium, whose premiere is happening tomorrow (Thursday). We intend to write, as well as take audio and video, and post them on the web so that fans can take a look at what's going on behind the scenes. We're going backstage at 4PM Eastern Standard Time tomorrow (Friday, January 27, 2006). Take a look at our blog posts: M-C Turgeon (English/French): < http://www.mcturgeon.com/blog/ archives/2006/01/les_blogueurs_d.html > Julein (English only): < http://inoveryourhead.net/?p=357 > {Jan.26.2006} From Corteo to the Olympics {Feb.03.2006} --------------------------- Corteo director Daniele Finzi Pasca has been chosen to create the Closing Ceremonies of the Torino XX Winter Olympics. Several of his creation team from Corteo will also work with him on this new assignment. The press release suggests a ceremony where, "fireflies will be transformed into stars, men will become kites and heroes will be portrayed not as warriors, but as athletes and champions." The ceremonies will be broadcast the evening of Sunday, February 26th. Read the full press release at: < http://sev.prnewswire.com/entertainment/ 20060119/NYTH10419012006-1.html >. Corteo: The DVD! {Feb.06.2006} ---------------- Culver City, CA (January 30, 2006) - A uniquely imaginative and thrilling blend of music, dance, art, theater, circus and acrobatics comes to DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment with the release of Cirque du Soleil's Corteo on April 11, 2006. The DVD will coincide with the opening of "Corteo" in New York City, scheduled for April 25. Cirque du Soleil's shows have thrilled audiences of all ages around the world with their music and dance in inspired combinations. Fans of this latest Cirque du Soleil show can bring all the excitement home at the SRP of $24.96. Cirque du Soleil: Corteo DVD Features: o Through The Curtain, A Behind-the-Scenes Look o A Day in the Life of Two Corteo Artists o Filming "Corteo" o Photo Gallery DVD Statistics: o DVD Catalog #:14253 UPC Code : 0-43396-14253-4 o Total Running Time : 110 Minutes o Rated : Not rated o DVD Order Date: 3/9/06 o DVD Release Date: 4/11/06 o SLP: $24.96 Cruise Lines Play "Me Too!" {Feb.08.2006} --------------------------- As we've mentioned, Celebrity Cruises and Cirque have removed the roaming characters that populated "The Bar at the Edge of the Earth" on two of Celebrity's ships, replacing them with "A Taste of Cirque du Soleil," featuring three acrobatic acts in a 40-minute theater show presented once per cruise. Now another cruise line has joined the "circus arts review" fray. On their ship "Jewel," Norwegein Cruise Line has created "Cirque Bijoux," a theater presentation featuring gymnasts, acrobats and bungee jumpers, given once per cruise. Cruise lines are trying to "break out of the box" of flashy song review shows to appeal to more sophisticated cruisers. Norwegian has also added the Second City improv. comedy troupe aboard two of its shows. On its Caribbean sailings of its Opera and Lirica, cruise line MSC has an unusual troupe known as the Pagliacci (Italian for "clowns") strolling around the ship playing games and giving impromptu skits. (sounds like what we originally thought Pez Erizo would do on the Celebrity ships. But anyway...) But the most interesting idea we read in the Miami Herald article we found described a concept Holland America Line will roll out on several of its ships - a modified dinner-theater. To quote from the article: "Here's the scenario: Once per cruise, the ship stages a single-seating Master Chef's Dinner, with each course accompanied by musical performances. Musicians dressed as chefs sit on the bandstand, showgirl chefs, show-boy chefs and stewards in food-inspired costumes parade into the room to the music of a classical minuet and continue to perform through the dinner. The female lead wears a head-of-lettuce gown." That we'd love to see! Cirque du Soleil Launches Fashion Line {Feb.11.2006} -------------------------------------- Cirque Du Soleil known for its creative extravaganzas, wants to build a fashion and beauty brand. From the Fashion Monitor Toronto: Cirque Du Soleil, the $500 million Montreal-based entertainment empire known for its creative extravaganzas, wants to build a fashion and beauty brand. Cirque Du Soleil plans to launch women's ready-to-wear line this summer, which will be followed by men's wear and children's wear. A Cirque Du Soleil fragrance project is also in the works. Cosmetics is a natural for Cirque - performers are trained to put on their own makeup, which may take hours. Cirque Du Soleil is even considering opening its own fashion stores. The 64-piece womenswear collection for fall-winter 2006 is to be introduced in August 2006 in 300 specialty boutiques worldwide. According to WWD, the collection appeared to be surprisingly wearable. Cirque Rejected {Feb.13.2006} --------------- Two recent news items have brought to light details surrounding Cirque's plans to place a permanent venue in New York City and in Miami, Florida. Earlier in the week the New York City venue was shot down: no special consideration or taxpayer money to bring Cirque to the city. Today, Miami does the same. * * * This week, New York City rejected a proposal by a multi-billion dollar developer to obtain special privileges from the city in order to build a permanent Cirque du Soleil venue. SEIU urges the Miami Beach City Commission to reject a similar proposal from a Florida-based billionaire developer that would require public funds and special privileges from the city to bring a permanent Cirque du Soleil venue to South Beach. According to the New York Times, the New York City Planning Department rejected a proposal by the Related Companies, the sister company of the Related Group of Florida, to obtain a special zoning bonus that would allow them to build both a venue for Cirque du Soleil and a 60-story apartment tower on West 42nd Street. In Miami Beach, the Related Group of Florida, led by Jorge Perez, has also requested special privileges from the city to support a Cirque venue at the Jackie Gleason Theater. The Related Group, which reported sales of over $2.1 billion in 2004, has reportedly asked for up to $85 million in public funds for the project and a 50-year lease at the Gleason with annual rent of $1. The company plans to convert the theater to a Cirque venue and develop a surrounding entertainment complex, which reportedly will include restaurants, a nightclub, and a boutique hotel. SEIU is opposed to the Related Group's Cirque proposal, which it sees as a gross misuse of taxpayer money. We believe that public funds should not be used to: Subsidize billion-dollar companies Underwrite an enterprise that directly competes with existing local businesses that do not receive government support Pay for a multi-million dollar development that was not subject to an open, public bidding process. Guy Laliberté on Forbes List of Billionaires {Mar.12.2006} -------------------------------------------- Forbes Magazine recently released their list of billionaires and it's no surprise that Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is on the top of the list; his net worth has risen to $50 billion, making him the world's richest person. Number 2 slot is Warren Buffet. So where is Guy Laliberté, one of the founding fathers of Cirque du Soleil? Tied for #562 with a net worth of $1.4 billion. It's Official: CDS to open Singapore Show! {Mar.18.2006} ------------------------------------------ As part of an announcement in Singapore to open an MGM Mirage hotel, the hotel-casino operator also announced it would include a permanent Cirque du Soleil production. "Cirque du Soleil's innovative entertainment plays a significant role in our company's reputation for presenting the best possible entertainment available at our Las Vegas resorts," MGM Mirage Chairman Terry Lanni said in a statement. "Our two companies have accomplished some amazing things together and Cirque enthusiastically agreed to join us in our commitment to make Singapore Asia's new entertainment capital." The production would be tailored to Singapore with Asian travelers in mind. "We are confident a resident show in Singapore will quickly prove itself a powerful tourist draw, even more so than our successful touring shows," Laliberte said. "It will become a new, world-class landmark on the Singapore entertainment scene." CulturePulp's "The Secret Cirque" {Mar.24.2006} --------------------------------- Cirque du Comic? In the hands of creator Mike Russel, the answer is a resounding YES! Cirque du Soleil has recently been featured in CulturePulp, Mike's "journalism comic" that appears online and in The Oregonian, a newspaper serving the state of Oregon, as #49: "The Secret Cirque". "This time, we hang out in the backstage encampment at Cirque du Soleil's "Varekai" and interview master balance-contortionist Irina Naumenko." View "The Secret Cirque" at the following direct link: And if you're interested, read the CulturePulp comics archive: < http://tinyurl.com/5tyeo > Flights of Fantasy (Varekai in Australia) {Mar.31.2006} ----------------------------------------- From "Flights of Fantasy", by: Stephen Dunne The Sydney Morning Herald A couple of interesting facts in this article are: * Australia is one of Cirque du Soleil's best markets, and Sydney is the linchpin. * Saltimbanco in 1999 sold approximately 750,000 tickets. * Quidam tour sold approximately 950,000 tickets. * For Varekai, Cirque expects more than 1,000,000 tickets to be sold. * The company has locked in its Australian touring schedule until 2013. * A new show to Australia every 2 years. * Next Show: Dralion in 2009 (starting in Sydney) ================== PRESS RELEASES ================== Cirque du Soleil at the 1st World Outgames? ------------------------------------------- MONTREAL, March 7 /CNW Telbec/ - To mark International Women's Day, the Organising Committee of the 1st World Outgames Montréal 2006 launched today the Outgames "Circle of Women". The goal of the Circle is to promote greater participation by women by encouraging female athletes and teams to register for the various Outgames sport activities and by creating a programme that addresses the interests and expectations of women participants. During previous games, women represented only 30% of registered participants. The Circle of Women is currently composed of women working within the Outgames in a variety of capacities, ranging from competition directors to coaches and officials. These women have taken on the challenge of making the 1st World Outgames a milestone for women's participation in sport, with a goal of having women participants represent a record 40% of overall registrations. "On the eve of International Women's Day, the Outgames are proud to promote our ongoing mission of increasing the participation of women to the highest level ever for an international event combining human rights and sport," said Louise Roy, CEO of Montréal 2006. The Circle of Women will now be part of the 1st World Outgames Circle of Excellence, whose members include, among others, Martina Navratilova, Mark Tewksbury, Nancy Drolet, Myriam Lafranchise, Canadian billiards Champion, Robert Dover, Olympic equestrian sports champion from the U.S., Holly Metcalf, American Olympic rowing champion, and Brian Orser, Canadian Olympic figure skating champion. The 1st World Outgames Montréal 2006 will continue to build on the momentum it has already created, and the number of registered participants and countries represented bodes well for the Outgames' success. The International Conference on LGBT Human Rights, which will be held just before the opening of the Outgames sport programme, will bring together 2,000 delegates and numerous respected speakers from around the world. Major partners have teamed up with the Outgames to ensure the success of the event, including the Governments of Canada and of Québec, the City of Montréal, Tourisme Montréal, Labatt, Bell Canada, Air Canada and Via Rail. Opening and Closing ceremonies with the Cirque du Soleil are currently in the planning stages and the full ceremonies programme will be unveiled soon. For the first time in the history of LGBT sport, the 1st World Outgames will be televised on Canada's national public broadcaster, Radio-Canada, during prime time. Corteo tours with "Mirror Image" Meyer Sound -------------------------------------------- SAN FRANCISCO, March 8 -- Corteo is the title of a new Cirque du Soleil touring production that vividly portrays the funeral of a circus clown as a festive parade with a carnival-like atmosphere. Processions - on stage and careening above it - are woven throughout the story, a theme that prompted placement of an elongated open stage down the middle of the oval "Grand Chapiteau" tent. The resulting split auditorium - with two facing audiences of about 1,000 each - dictated dual mirror-image audio systems. The task was assigned to veteran sound designer Jonathan Deans, and his response to the challenge was a technological tour-de-force comprising 38 self-powered Meyer Sound loudspeakers per side with mixing and control from a common LCS Audio CueConsole. "I simply could not have accomplished my design for Corteo without the LCS console and the Meyer Sound loudspeakers," Deans maintains. "There are too many distinctive elements to the sound in Corteo that would have been impossible to duplicate using a conventional console and passive loudspeakers." Deans acknowledges that the simplest approach to covering the wide, shallow seating areas would have been using conventional clusters mounted on the near side masts. But the resulting angles would have raised the image too high off the stage, so he opted instead to lower the image angle by covering most of the mirror-image auditoriums from the opposite side masts. To maintain precision-directed sound despite the longer throw, he specified four M1D compact curvilinear arrays of six cabinets each as the keystone elements of the system. "The M1Ds worked incredibly well," Deans says. "Using MAPP Online Pro (acoustical prediction software) we were able to aim the arrays precisely to miss the stage and the band pits at the four corners of the stage. We covered most of the seating uniformly, yet cut off right at the last row so we didn't hit the reflective low canvas at the back." Corteo marked the first time Deans had specified M1D arrays for a show, and the results immediately influenced his thinking about main FOH clusters. "I've put them in three new shows already," he remarks, "and a fourth show is coming soon. The M1D is an incredibly high- powered system for such a small footprint, and the fidelity is truly astonishing." With the M1D arrays positioned to miss the musicians and the stage, and with support masts casting acoustical shadows, Deans filled in the coverage with various other Meyer Sound products, including CQ-2 narrow coverage main, UPA-2P compact narrow coverage, and UPM-1P ultra-compact wide coverage loudspeakers. A dozen UPJ-1P compact VariO loudspeakers serve as surrounds, with four more affixed to the masts to take over vocal reproduction whenever "hot-mic'ed" acrobats fly up into the crossfire of the M1D arrays. Deep bass comes from four PSW-2 high-power flyable subwoofers. The self-powered Meyer Sound loudspeakers are fed from an LCS Audio Matrix3 digital audio system, which takes care of all mixing, signal processing and output matrixing chores. Matrix3 gives Corteo precise, automated cue-based mixing capabilities, integrated into a highly customizable and robust system. Configured with six LX-300 digital audio engines at its heart, the show's Matrix3 boasts 80 analog inputs, 64 analog outputs, parametric equalization, dynamics, matrix routing, and custom multichannel surround sound using SpaceMap, the Matrix3's standard software panning tool. Deans finds the system's extreme flexibility essential to the sound design for Corteo. "In Corteo, the sound has to change depending on your angle to the visual," he explains. "That goes back to the need for the LCS system. With both near side and far side to consider on every cue, you have a far greater need for individual inputs and outputs to feed various sets of discrete speakers." Performances of Corteo are mixed from CueConsole, LCS Audio's modular collection of tactile control surfaces for the Matrix3. The CueConsole residing at the show's FOH position consists of three 16-channel Fader modules, two 16-channel Meters modules, and one each of the Transporter and Editor modules. CueConsole's modularity merely scratches the surface of its configurability: faders and buttons on CueConsole modules can be assigned to control any parameter at any time in any cue, and even redefined on the fly. Further, CueConsole modules are clients in the Matrix3's client-server architecture, allowing several of the sound operators for Corteo to mix and save cues simultaneously from anywhere in the Grand Chapiteau using wireless connections from their laptops. While CueConsole is in use at three resident Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil shows ("O", Zumanity and KÀ), Corteo marks its first use in a touring Cirque production. Corteo, Deans' seventh design for Cirque du Soleil, brings him full circle. His first design was for Saltimbanco, another tour under the Grand Chapiteau, while the five intervening productions - the three mentioned above plus Mystere and La Nouba - were created for fixed showrooms. Corteo opened in San Francisco and is currently scheduled to continue touring the U.S. through 2006. About Meyer Sound Meyer Sound's main office and manufacturing facility are located in Berkeley, California, with field offices and authorized distributors located throughout the USA and around the world. More information is available at Tel: +1 (510) 486-1166, Fax: +1 (510) 486-8356, e-mail: info@meyersound.com, or by visiting www.meyersound.com. ======================================================================= CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ON TELEVISION THIS QUARTER ======================================================================= January 2006: There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the United States for January 2006. February 2006: There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the United States for February 2006. March 2006: There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the United States for March 2006. ======================================================================= CDS.NET -- WHAT'S UP AT CIRQUE CLUB ======================================================================= (By: Keith Johnson) Since we last looked Cirque Club has posted a background on boleadoras and early Cirque performer Betty La Commare. The rest of their output has focused on Corteo: a news feature, two desktop wallpapers and two virtual cards, and on the "Goodies" page two interesting video clips from the show, showing tent set up and behind the scenes. And this holiday season they brought back several animated and other virtual cards, allowing more flexibility in sending with a new Cards Manager, with such features as allowing multiple "send to" addressed. Good move! Press Releases has only one item on the premiere of Delirium. The Boutique has some new items (mostly clothing), including some interesting large papier-mâché mirror masks created by Franco Cecamore from Italy. The headpiece is tall at 24" high by 13" wide, and come with three images; the Alegria high bar artists, "O's" comets on the horses, and the "O" lady face picture with the well-known shot of the syncro swimmers, each selling for $450.00 apiece - YOW!. They certainly are beautiful though. KA.com has two articles in a new "First Anniversary" section; one a list of celebrities who have seen KA in the past year, the other with comments from cast and crew. They've also created a new "Promotions" section under "Extras" that will feature news of hotel/show package deals and contests. Zumanity.com has two new pieces as well, profiles of two artists new to the show and a cute Q&A with Ugo Mazin. In Cirque Club marketing messages, it's been a time of promotional offers and special deals: In what looks to be a trend, Cirque is offering a special "two-times only" discount at tent show Boutiques in each city. One example email sets up the premise: "I have a fantastic scoop... On Saturday, February 4 and February 11, the Cirque boutique at the Corteo Grand Chapiteau at Taylor Street Bridge in San Jose will open its doors to Cirque Club members only. What's more, on these two days you will be entitled to 10% off all your boutique finds! Remember, you don't need to show any tickets to take advantage of this offer. All you have to do is visit the Grand Chapiteau between 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. with a copy of this e-mail. Be sure to check out our brand new Spring/Summer collection for 2006 and perhaps pick up something special for your Valentine." The same offer also applies to Varekai in Miami, with the same dates but different times, 9am to 11am. Hotel deal promotional tie-ins seem to be the craze for the romantic month of February, and are mentioned in two of the messages this month. KÀ announced "our first package deal ever, exclusive to Cirque Club members!": "As of today, with just one short phone call you can secure tickets to see KÀ-our latest creation in Las Vegas-and book an overnight stay at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino at the same time. You will also obtain a 20% discount on all Cirque du Soleil merchandise in the KÀ boutique, a $35 dining credit for participating restaurants in the MGM Grand and a $25 credit to visit the Grand Spa. To book your KÀ Package, all you have to do is call 1-800-277-0141 and ask for the KÀ Winter Package at MGM Grand. You will also need the following code to access this offer: MKT024. Please bear in mind that this offer is only valid for performances taking place between today and February 28, 2006. If you've been thinking about taking a break this winter, this may be exactly what you're looking for!" And we got a virtual Valentine's Day caress (and deal!) from Zumanity's Madame: "Hello Darling, I want to wish you an exhilarating Valentine's Day and-even more important-a sensual, candle-lit Valentine's Night. May we all come together on this special occasion to celebrate our passion for things that tantalize the eyes and arouse the senses! In a few short days, I will be sharing 28 dimly lit evenings with all my favorite creatures, including some recent additions to the Human Zoo who have touched me in ways I can't describe. Relax, chéri, I'm just kidding! Let me kiss & tell you about Joanie & Nicolas, and then you can read all about my fifteen minutes with the delectable Ugo Mazin! Oh, by the way, I heard something fabulous that might interest you. If you reserve a room at the New-York New-York from now until the end of my favorite month, you can add on Z PleaZure Package. PleaZure means all you Zumans can enjoy the show, unlimited Zumanitinis, breakfast in bed, a deluxe room upgrade and more for only $159 per couple! Simply call 1-866-815-4365 to book your room and Z PleaZure Package, and enjoy ZUMANITY à deux! Have a simply divine Valentine's, you magnificent creature! (P.S. Z PleaZure Package includes: Two premium tickets to ZUMANITY, Unlimited Zumanitinis at the show and two souvenir glasses, Breakfast in bed (a value of up to $50), Two Spa admissions and A Spa Deluxe Room upgrade. A $350 value, for only $159 per couple!" (Room sold separately) Also in the last two months, Dralion left two cities! First Zurich: "The time has come for Dralion to say goodbye once again! We leave Zurich next week after having spent almost two months in this beautiful city. Although it's always sad to say auf Wiedersehen, we've had the chance to make some good friends along the way... Did you know that Dralion employs over 150 locals in every city in which we make a stop? These valued additions to our permanent staff make all the difference when it comes to explaining local customs and language, and welcoming our guests. They are also great sources of information about restaurants, nightclubs and sites to visit, as they can share their favorite hangouts with us. Thanks to them, we got to sample the best raclette and fondue in Zurich, and we discovered some fascinating places we never would have known about otherwise. The Dralion cast and crew also took advantage of the great Swiss outdoors, parachuting, paragliding, hiking and running everywhere we could. It's also safe to say that most of us managed to eat our bodyweight in chocolate, and believe it or not, we have still have more to eat! We also appreciated the wonderful welcome you extended us, not to mention the fabulous weather you ordered, just for us!" ...And then Bilbau: "Just as the excitement of Christmas and the Nochevieja is calming down in Bilbao, Dralion is gearing up for our move to Seville. Although we are frequently away from our family and friends for long periods, our traveling lifestyle enables us to enjoy celebrating special times of the year with a local flair. We enjoyed a "Dralion family" dinner at our hotel on December 24th and even received a surprise visit from Santa Claus himself, loaded with gifts for the kids and the rest of us! We also got to participate in the tradition of eating 12 grapes for luck on the night of the Nochevieja and partied until the wee hours, Spanish style! Other highlights of our stay included a very special behind-the-scenes visit of the beautiful Guggenheim Museum and a day trip to one of the oldest wineries in the Rioja region. Of course, we were happy to get so many great suggestions from our Cirque Club members and took the opportunity to visit many of the local hot spots, thanks to you." Above messages courtesy of Cirque Club. ======================================================================= LA PRESSE -- CIRQUE IN THE PRESS [EXPANDED] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------- "Varekai: The Art of Acrobatics" From: The St. Petersburg Times ----------------------------------------------- At the start of Varekai the stage overflows with bizarre creatures: a green and black lizard, a man in black wearing a helmet topped by a lightbulb, a lavender sprite with a curlicue on its head, a blue reptile sprouting green protuberances. This eye-popping tableau makes it plain that Eiko Ishioka's brilliant, otherworldly costume design is the driving force of the third Cirque du Soleil production to come to St. Petersburg. It opened a month-long engagement under the blue and yellow Grand Chapiteau on Thursday night. After its wild and woolly prelude, Varekai's momentum stalls a bit as the story is established. It is loosely based on the myth of Icarus, who fell to Earth when he flew too close to the sun and the wax holding on his wings melted. In the Cirque version, written and directed by Dominic Champagne, Icarus (Anton Chelnokov) is a Byronic swain in feathery white, who lands in a jungle of shimmering poles. His solo flight, while wrapped in a net, is not very involving, and what passes for the story only intermittently takes hold during the show, which runs 21/2 hours, including intermission. But people don't go to Cirque for the story, though when there is one that actually works (i.e., Quidam), the experience can be especially affecting. They go for the dazzling acrobatics, and Varekai delivers in its second number, with a troupe of high fliers in red and gold, vaulting from the feet of their partners, who are lying on their backs, legs straight up. Cirque performers are superb athletes, and they have a generous, giving attitude that elevates them beyond the self-absorbed world of competitive sports. They are proud of what they can do, and they love to share it with the audience. In an exciting feat of athleticism meshing with art, four strong, fearless women in aquamarine tights descend from high in the big top to perform on triple trapeze. Cirque's supply of diminutive Chinese acrobats seems inexhaustible, and a trio in blue display a typically inventive combination of talents, tossing and spinning bowls on rope in the air while tossing and spinning themselves. Red-clad Georgian dancers blast off to wind up Act 1, moving incredibly fast to the hard-driving beat. Several signature Cirque performers are in the second act, and the finale is sensational. The Atherton twins, Andrew and Kevin, are beautiful mirror images of each other, in black headdresses and skimpy bodysuits, in a soaring aerial straps number. Octavio Alegria is an exuberant juggler of balls, straw hats, bowling pins, whatever. Contortionist Irina Naumenko is a sensual dream in sequins, blending the grace of ballet and the power of gymnastics in hand balancing on canes. Russian Swings concludes the show with an inspired piece of equipment that hurls daredevils through the air onto huge sails, all to pulsating music - except for one exquisitely timed moment of silence. In between acts of derring do, Varekai has a complement of clowns, such as the magician and his frumpy blond assistant, or the balladeer in pursuit of an elusive spotlight. Their routines usually go on too long, but they do provide a breather. Violaine Corradi has composed a lively score, with continuous music by a seven-piece band as well as sound effects ranging from buzzing insects and bird chirps to a jackhammer and bagpipes. The violin and Jew's harp and Andean pipes stay in your ear amid the crashing rock chords. Isabelle Corradi (sister of the composer) and Craig Jennings are the singers, and they bring a zestful spirit to lyrics mostly in a made-up language, a Cirque trademark. If anyone has seen Cirque shows in the past and thinks that there's only so much to be done with acrobatics in the service of art, that, in effect, once you've seen a few trapeze and contortion acts, you've seen them all, no matter how astonishing, then Varekai will come as an exhilarating surprise. Cirque keeps coming up with new thrills. ----------------------------------------------- "Varekai: What Danger Wears" From: The St. Petersburg Times ----------------------------------------------- For the Cirque du Soleil costume designer, comfort isn't key. No, she's after clothes that enhance the thrill and prolong the suspense. Cirque du Soleil shows always draw together an eclectic group of artists, and Varekai, opening today in St. Petersburg, is especially notable for the participation of Eiko Ishioka. The Japanese designer's work, which has appeared in Hollywood films and Broadway shows, is legendary in both the commercial and experimental art worlds. With vibrant colors and fanciful shapes, her costumes make a powerful contribution to the surreal impression of the show, whose acrobatic numbers are loosely constructed around a story line based on the Greek myth of Icarus. Ishioka brought a distinct aesthetic to Cirque, to which she was first introduced by movie director Francis Ford Coppola when he took her to a performance of Saltimbanco some years ago. She was enlisted for Varekai by the show's director, Dominic Champagne, who got in touch with her after reading Eiko On Stage. This coffee-table book of illustrations from some of her movie, theater and opera productions includes her Oscar-winning costume design for Bram Stoker's Dracula, directed by Coppola. The cover shows a closeup of the vivid red, ribbed bodysuit she designed for Jennifer Lopez in The Cell. "My goal is always to create work that is timeless, revolutionary and original," Ishioka said in a 2003 interview with the Los Angeles Times. Born in Tokyo during World War II, she has lived up to her daunting ambition in a remarkably prolific, influential career that started as an art director and graphic designer. In the 1970s, she changed the look of Japanese advertising, publishing and fashion with one sensational campaign after another. Many of these are covered in another sumptuous volume, Eiko on Eiko, which came out in 1983 and became a virtual bible for art directors and designers. The imagery ranges from Faye Dunaway peeling and eating a hard-boiled egg in TV commercials for Parco, an upscale department store, to an atmospheric album cover for Miles Davis, to a brilliant orange poster for the Japanese release of Apocalypse Now. "She is the avant-garde of the avant-garde," novelist Hiroyuki Itsuki said in one of the 15 essays on Ishioka in the book. In the 1980s Ishioka opened her own design studio and eventually settled in New York City. She did more and more theatrical work, including spectacular costume design for a Netherlands Opera production of Wagner's Ring cycle. On Broadway, her set and costume design for M. Butterfly and magician David Copperfield's Dreams & Nightmares were strikingly unconventional. In recent years, Ishioka has introduced her radical vision into some unlikely arenas. She designed uniforms for skiers, ski-jumpers and speed skaters from Japan, Canada, Switzerland and Spain in the 2002 Winter Olympics. She directed the music video for Bjork's single Cocoon. Ishioka's radical sensibility was a good match for Cirque, which wanted to go in a new direction with Varekai, premiered in 2002. But there were practical concerns that had to be uppermost in designing for trapeze artists and other highflying performers. "One of my objectives at Cirque du Soleil is to design costumes that will accentuate and even reinforce the visual and emotional impact of the risks taken by the artists, while ensuring their complete safety," Ishioka said in a news release. She summarized her approach in the Los Angeles Times interview by stating the question she asked herself when pondering the project: "Why don't I design costumes that look dangerous but are actually safe?" In other words, she went on, "If the audience sees the artists wearing costumes that look comfortable, they won't feel thrilled by the performance. Even though the acrobatic artists are performing very dangerous, high-risk acts that will make the audience "ooh' and "aah' for the first few minutes, if the artists look comfortable in what they are wearing, the audience will lose the thrill pretty quickly. I want to design costumes that keep the audience in suspense until the very end of the show." Ishioka had a profound impact on Varekai, not just for audiences but also for other members of the Cirque creative team. As composer Violaine Corradi said, "Eiko is just such an interesting person that she did influence my music. She brings an entire universe with her." ----------------------------------------------- "Varekai: Contorting the Chords" From: The St. Petersburg Times ----------------------------------------------- The composers of Cirque du Soleil's music, like the onstage performers, explore different twists and turns to ensure that each score is unique. "When someone asks me what my musical influences are, I always reply Brahms and Pink Floyd." So declared Rene Dupere, the first composer for Cirque du Soleil. His scores for shows through Alegria in 1994 laid the foundation for what many consider the company's heart and soul. Music is as crucial to Cirque's success as the daredevil acrobatics. Dupere recently returned to the Cirque fold to score its latest and grandest opus, Ka, which premiered in Las Vegas this year. Two composers, Benoit Jutras and Violaine Corradi, have done most of the other shows over the past decade. Corradi scored Varekai, which opens this week under the Grand Chapiteau in St. Petersburg. Dupere's description of his music ranging from classical to progressive rock will resonate with anyone who has searched a record department looking for Cirque CDs. They can be found anywhere from New Age to Soundtracks, Pop to World Music to Shows. Recently I asked Corradi how she would classify Cirque's unclassifiable music. "It's anything but new age to me, because new age is not a disturbing music, disturbing in a good sense," said Corradi, speaking from her studio outside Montreal, home of Cirque headquarters. "For the last 15 years, I've been really interested in juxtaposing traditional instruments with things like electronica; an ancient melodic line with back beats." Along with a conventional lineup of guitar, bass, percussion and keyboards, various strings and winds, the Cirque sound includes an array of traditional and downright odd instruments, often in surprising combinations. On Corradi's first show, Dralion, built around a troupe of Chinese acrobats, the Asian and Middle Eastern feel is enhanced through instruments like the sitar, oud and darbuka, but then the final number features, of all things, Scottish bagpipes. Varekai covers the gamut from salsa to Jew's harp. "I think the landmark of Cirque music is the quest we have to bring to the world textures and sounds that were forgotten, colors people have never heard before," said Corradi, 46, who was born in Italy and raised in Quebec. Her mother was an opera singer, her father a conductor. Her sister, Isabelle, is a longtime singer with Cirque, now in Varekai. Cirque albums have sold more than 3.5-million copies. The biggest seller is Alegria, highlighted by a passionate performance of the title song by Francesca Gagnon. The album spent 65 weeks on the Billboard World Music chart in 1994-95. My favorite show is probably Quidam, with a Jutras score. The chorus of the title song in the finale never fails to move me. Not coincidentally, Quidam was the first Cirque show I saw. "Whatever show you've seen first will definitely stay in your heart longest, like your first love affair," said Paul Bannerman, the drummer for Varekai, speaking from a tour stop near Charlotte, N.C. "Dralion was my first show, and that made me decide I wanted to work for this company." In a time when more and more touring entertainment of all kinds relies on canned music, the presence of a live band in Cirque shows sometimes comes as a surprise to audiences when the musicians come out at the end to take their bows. "With Varekai, other than Ka, we're probably the most hidden band," said Bannerman, one of seven instrumentalists in the show, along with two vocalists and three sound technicians. Varekai (meaning "wherever" in the Romany language of the gypsies), which premiered in 2002, has been acclaimed for the way its sound design, by Francois Bergeron, supports the score. Of course, for all the allure of Cirque's music, the main reason people go to the shows is to watch the eye-popping feats of trapeze artists, contortionists, tumblers and jugglers. Corradi emphasizes that the primary duty of her music is to complement the performers. Unlike a Broadway musical, say, a Cirque score has to have flexibility built into it. "A Broadway show has a certain structure, and the musicians will stick to that structure, as opposed to a Cirque show, where the musicians are at the service of the visual," Corradi said. "They really have to inhabit every millisecond of the acrobatic act. Sometimes an acrobatic sequence takes 10 seconds more, or 30 seconds more, depending on the mood or the strength of everybody onstage, and the musicians have to be able to be in synchronicity with the acrobats. They have to vamp without sounding like they're vamping." Then there's a Cirque trademark, the use of a made-up language for song lyrics. Corradi wrote some of them, but Varekai also includes a fascinating twist on the practice. Verse by Quebec poet Helene Dorion, translated from French into Romany and Spanish, tells a kind of story that is loosely (very loosely) based on the Icarus myth. The arrangements used in recordings are often quite different than those in the shows. The most recent releases, Varekai and Ka, were given elaborate studio productions. For Varekai, which has one of Cirque's most sophisticated scores, the CD was produced by Nitin Sawhney, who has worked with the likes of Jeff Beck, Sinead O'Connor, Sting and Paul McCartney. Ka got the symphonic treatment in its recording, which has a 57-piece orchestra playing on some tracks. Cirque is broadening its musical palette, in part, to appeal to that ever-elusive, much-coveted younger audience. La Nouba, its party- hearty show at Downtown Disney in Orlando, has some hip-hop. Zumanity, an R-rated Vegas show, consists of cabaret and pop songs on sex, like The Good Thing ("But what I really wanna know is what you got in your pants"). In 2007, the company plans to open its fifth Vegas show, using Beatles songs. A new project focuses on music. Delirium, a touring production that premieres in Montreal in January and then goes to two-night bookings in arenas around North America, features high-energy dance remixes of Cirque songs. "They are making it like a big rave party of the 21st century, with singers, dancers, musicians," Corradi said. "The stage is heavier than Madonna's. The set is so big it's crazy." For all the functionality of Cirque's scores, and for all their variety, the music brings an emotional depth to circus acts, a mix of joy and melancholy. "Haunting" is a word that turns up in review after review of the shows. As Bannerman, a 37-year-old Canadian, put it, "The shows are all different, but there's also a binding force. You can hear a song and you'll go, "That's Cirque,' but there's something about it you can't put your finger on." The common denominator is Guy Laliberte, founder and owner of Cirque, a onetime stiltwalker who has become a powerful influence on contemporary fashion and taste. You could argue that his commissioning of scores for shows over more than 20 years amounts to patronage comparable to that of the churches and royalty that backed Bach, Haydn and Mozart, or the opera houses behind Verdi and Puccini. "Guy looks at every level of the show, but there are two main horses that he's riding, because they're his passion: acrobatics and music," Corradi said. "He's always hands-on with music and acrobatics. If it's not up to his standard, we go back to the grindstone." Laliberte has some favorite things. For example, the bandoneon, the instrument central to the Argentine tango, is heard in many shows. "He'll say, "Where's my bandoneon?' when we play something for him," Corradi said. "He loves bandoneon. It gets to your heart, puts you right in this magical feeling, the spirit of circus." So what exactly is the Laliberte aesthetic? First and foremost, Corradi said, "He wants to be surprised. He always says, "Surprise me.' And to surprise him, we have to go into the core of our soul. If we surprise him, who has seen and heard so much, you can be sure that the rest of the world will be surprised." ----------------------------------------------- "The Tech Inside Cirque's Tent" From: C|Net ----------------------------------------------- It's six hours before a performance of the new Cirque du Soleil show, "Corteo," and backstage, computers are controlling a series of dollies hanging from two giant arched tracks bridging the stage. Hanging from the dollies are three massive chandeliers from which acrobats are practicing gyrations and twists. The dollies are the kind of rigging gear seen in just about any circus or theater with acts that require people or props to be elevated far above the ground. But the system running the dollies' deployment--a crucial element of the show, since nearly every act involves one or more performers flying or leaping high into the air--is entirely automated, something that would have been unheard of to Cirque du Soleil's progenitors and that is rare even in some of the Cirque's other shows. "We keep getting smaller and smaller (technological) components," said Michael Wilder, the technical director on "Corteo" and a two-year veteran of "Quidam." "It's always a question of pushing (the technology) as far as we can and giving the creator as much as we can." Most of the show's lighting, for example, is controlled using a protocol called Wireless DMX. The idea, Wilder explained, is that so much action goes on in midair--like the acrobats suspended from the chandeliers--that it would be impossible to use a wired system. Thus, technicians use computers that automatically send signals to hundreds of lights throughout the theater, both in the air and attached to beams or trusses, turning them on or off as needed. Another high-tech, albeit lighthearted, piece of technology in "Corteo" is a set of three small spotlights on wheels that appear during the show and that were designed with lights on swivels that bob up and down, lending them a personality that gets the audience laughing. As simple as the spotlights look, they are directed from backstage by wireless airplane controllers, allowing the stage manager to send them scurrying around the various performers at will. Of course, Wilder said, the system doesn't always work. "Sometimes the frequency goes haywire and (a spotlight) will take off and one of the actors has to go get it," he said. "It's still a live show. Computers still burp and crash." "Corteo," which is showing in San Francisco through Jan. 8, is on its second stop in the U.S. after its April debut in Montreal. It is one of six Cirque du Soleil shows currently touring the world that complement five permanent installations in Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla. Beyond the unique collection of jugglers, acrobats, clowns and trapeze artists in "Corteo," what sets the presentation apart from the company's traveling shows like "Alegria," "Varekai," "Saltimbanco" and "Quidam" is that it's the most technologically advanced touring show the Cirque has ever created, with more than 30 technicians operating the controls that enable the performers to spotlight their sometimes mind-boggling feats of flexibility and synchronicity. Cirque du Soleil first began pushing boundaries in Quebec in 1984. It started taking its acts on the road in 1985, and by 1987 had crossed into America. That's especially true during acts like "Paradise," the opening sequence after the show's intermission, when around a dozen acrobats take turns doing astounding leaps and twists off a 150-foot-long trampoline that spans the stage. During intermission, Wilder explained, the artists and crew race onstage and begin setting up the trampoline. But because the artists leap so high in the air and count on the trampoline to save them in case of a fall, it must be installed with absolute precision. Thus, a computer-controlled motor under the stage pulls the trampoline taut, beginning at each end and moving toward the middle. Once taut, technicians move onto the stage and employ laser-leveling technology that ensures that the trampoline is set up exactly as designed. "The amount we rely on our technicians is amazing," he said. "The artists trust these guys and girls with their lives every day." In any case, as the technology used in "Corteo" and other Cirque show gets more advanced, and more is implemented, Wilder and his crew, as well as their colleagues in other shows, must continually confront a learning curve as they strive to stay as advanced as possible. "You end up pushing your employees," Wilder said. "Our staff has to keep learning and growing with the new technology." ======================================================================= ITINERAIRE - TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= [Touring Shows] Alegría: London, UK -- Jan 5, 2006 to Feb 12, 2006 Milan, Italy - Feb 23, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006 Corteo: San Francisco, California -- Nov 11, 2005 to Jan 8, 2006 San Jose, California -- Jan 19, 2006 to Mar 5, 2006 Scottsdale, Arizona - Mar 17, 2006 to Apr 9, 2006 Delirium (Arena Show): Bridgeport, Connecticut -- Feb 7, 8 & 9 Buffalo, New York -- Feb 13 & 14 Columbus, Ohio -- Feb 17 & 18 Toronto, Ontario -- Feb 20 & 21 Detroit, Michigan -- Feb 23 & 24 Indianapolis, Indiana -- Feb 27 & 28 Kansas City, Missouri -- Mar 3 & 4 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma -- Mar 7 & 8 Houston, Texas -- Mar 10, 11 & 12 Memphis, Tennessee -- Mar 15 & 16 San Antonio, Texas -- Mar 19 & 20 Little Rock, Arkansas -- Mar 22 & 23 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas - Mar 27 & 28 Birmingham, Alabama - Mar 30 & 31 Dralion: Seville, Spain -- Jan 19, 2006 to Feb 26, 2006 Geneva, Switzerland - Mar 10, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006 Quidam: San Diego -- Jan 19, 2006 to Feb 26, 2006 Long Beach, California - Mar 09, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006 Saltimbanco: Guadalajara, Mexico -- Nov 17, 2005 to Jan 1, 2006 Mexico City, Mexico -- Jan 13, 2006 to Jan 29, 2006 Santiago, Chile -- Mar 15, 2006 to Apr 22, 2006 Varekai: Miami, Florida -- Jan 20, 2006 to Feb 26, 2006 Portland, Oregon - Mar 14, 2006 to Apr 23, 2006 [Resident Shows] La Nouba: Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark Sun/Mon Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o January 22 to 30 o March 26 to 28 o May 21 to June 5 o July 30 to August 1 o September 17 to 25 o November 19 to 21 Mystère: Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm Performs: Wed through Sun, Dark Mon/Tue Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o January 2 to 15 o February 5 o March 12 o May 17 to 21 o July 16 o September 13 to 17 o November 12 "O": Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm Performs: Wed through Sun, Dark Mon/Tue Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o February 19 o April 19 to 23 o June 18 o August 23 to 27 o October 22 o November 19 o December 5 to 17 Zumanity: Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark: Sun/Mon Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o February 5 and 21 o April 7 to 11 o June 6 o August 11 to 15 o October 17 o December 8 to 19 KÀ: Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:30pm Performs: Fri through Tue, Dark Wed/Thu Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o January 3 to 14 o March 14 o May 9 to 13 o July 11 o September 5 to 9 o November 7 ======================================================================= DIDYAKNOW? -- FACTS ABOUT CIRQUE ======================================================================= On January 20, 2006, the Miami Herald listed a few "facts" about Varekai. We thought we'd share them: < http://www.miami.com/mld/ miamiherald/ entertainment/weekend/13659943.htm > * Cirque du Soleil began with 20 street performers in 1984 and now has nearly 3,000 employees from more than 40 countries. * The crew travels with 200,000 pounds of equipment in 52 trucks. * Cirque du Soleil brings its own kitchen and school to tour stops. The kitchen serves about 400 meals a day. * Since its premiere in Montreal in April 2002, Varekai has exceeded 1,000 performances. * Two sets of identical twins perform in the show. * There are more than 130 costumes in Varekai. * A team of six full-time people work at cleaning, repairing, ironing and touching up costumes. On March 02, 2006, the website KansasCity.com posted a few facts about Delirium that we wish to share: * "Delirium" employs a cast of 45 - 11 musicians, 18 dancers, six singers, eight acrobats and two actors. In addition, 100 people travel with the show, including 75 technicians and 25 management and artistic support personnel. * The show's two-sided stage is 130 feet wide and 20 feet deep and is designed to turn the arena into two "intimate" (Cirque's wording) playing areas. * The show employs 540 square feet of projection space, including four roll-up screens suspended from the arena's roof. * Special structures above the stage support of 130,000 pounds of equipment. * The production requires three generators. ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= ---------------------------------------------- "A Conversation with Rene Dupere, Part 1" By: Keith Johnson - October 18, 2005 ---------------------------------------------- {Special Reprint from Fascination! Issue #46 - October 2005} Before Cirque du Soleil, the world of circus music was populated by brass bands and marshal music arrangements. Certainly there were occasional forays into the unusual, but it was Cirque that pioneered the concept of bringing more modern, more "world-music" sounds into a circus context. Winning accolades and influencing countless others, it is the music of Cirque du Soleil that, through the ears, prepares the mind for the wonders about to unfold before the eyes. This is a tribute not only to René Dupéré, Benoit Jutras, Violaine Corradi, and other Cirque composers, but also to Cirque's ability to mesh all the elements of circus and stagecraft into a magical whole. Continuing on that tradition, and featuring a 40-member choir and 57- piece symphonic orchestra, the soundtrack CD for KÀ, the latest "resident" show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, has been proclaimed by Cirque du Soleil as their "most ambitious musical project to date." It also marks the triumphant return to the fold of its first composer, René Dupéré (Ren-ay Du-pair-ay). Every Cirque fan with more than a few soundtrack CDs in their collection knows Dupéré's name and have appreciated his music. His sound, with its lyrical nature and ethnic music influences, set the standard for Cirque shows to follow and gave the new circus its distinctive flavor. He has also had quite a successful career outside of the circus, with collaborations with his wife Élise Velle as well as other work. Recently he very graciously took the time to speak with us from a secluded resort in Québec, where he and Élise were working on material for a new project for Élise. In Part One of our two-part exclusive interview, we talk about the new KÀ soundtrack CD, due to be released in the US on October 18 and currently available in the Cirque du Soleil Boutique (item #506615, $19.50 USD). Mr. Dupéré started by explaining how he came to the KÀ project. "My first career was as a teacher, the first job in my second career as composer was for Cirque du Soleil. I worked ten years with Guy Laliberté and the circus and left [after Alegría] in 1994. I wanted to do something other than circus music. But I told [Cirque] that if they had a special project, that wasn't under the big top and wouldn't really include that kind of music that I [would be interested]." "So I worked in different fields of music including movies, television series, advertising, all that stuff. Around the end of March, 2004, Guy Laliberté called and said they were looking for a composer for the KÀ show in Las Vegas. When I asked him what kind of show it was he invited me to a run-through the day after, just before the cast left for Vegas. So I went to the studio in Montréal and watched the run- through and realized that it was a huge show, a live movie on the stage. The idea I had for the music was of a movie soundtrack, a mix between Lord of the Rings and Matrix. I called Guy back and told him my idea was to have the music treated as a soundtrack, and the references to the Lord of the Rings and Matrix seemed to appeal to him, so we agreed on that and I started working." "I started the next morning, with the idea of a movie soundtrack. For two months I stayed at home alone with my computers, composing. Nobody heard a single note, not even [partner] Martin Lord Ferguson or [show director] Robert Lepage. I wanted to propose at least half to two-thirds of the show in terms of demos and sounds that they would like to hear." "I started writing very fast, because I came into the process very late. Normally [the composer is hired] one year before opening night; when I joined the show [in March, 2004] the opening night was supposed to be the end of July. But it was later postponed to November, and we were happy about that (laughs)." Fast forward to May of 2004. "After two months, I had almost two- thirds of the show written in terms of the themes that were used. Then I sent the demos to Robert, and I had Guy and Martin listen as well. The only thing Guy told me was to be careful not to be too dramatic, because the show itself was dramatic. That was good advice, but he had heard only the dramatic music, not the music for the clowns. And there is some comic relief and poetic release in the show. [In the end] it went quite well, and the show is quite balanced in terms of emotion, [with] comic stuff and dramatic music, too." "Then I moved to Vegas, and Robert and I would talk almost every day. I'd adjust things, compose other things and cut things that I had already composed [due to changes in the show]. Just working and readjusting the music for the scenes with direction from the director. And since Martin and I work very fast, we could propose something [new in one or two days]. Then it was just a matter of putting it into the machine and putting the music in the theater. We realized that in two to six weeks we would be able to do any big change. Small changes could be done with the musicians on the spot." Many Cirque fans have been interested in what happens in that maelstrom of activity, the creation process, especially with a show whose scope and ambitions are so large. Dupéré explains, "It's always a work in progress. The difficulty [comes in] making things happen with the technology, because things are so big, you can't make changes [quickly]. For example, if you want to change the lighting for one scene and you have 2000 lights it's quite a chore, you can't do that in two hours. For some people it was a little difficult to work in that kind of "work in process." I had no problem." And working with show director, Robert Lepage? "I've known Robert for 20 years. I saw his first show ("Circulations") in Québec City 25 years ago. I really had fun working with him because I like people who are able to explain their demands. If they want something, and they can give you the right explanation, they give you a direction, like a movie director. And working that way with Robert was really interesting." Critical to the endeavor is Mr. Dupéré's partner, Martin Lord Ferguson. "He's my co-arranger and mixer. He's a fantastic mixer; he's been working with Pro Tools since he was a kid. I'm the composer and arranger, and he co-arranges with me and makes the sound bigger than I would have been able to. He's a very important person for me because when you do this kind of show - even if the music is really good - if it doesn't sound good, it shows." In prior interviews, Dupéré has commented that Cirque du Soleil is made up of 10% gamblers. We asked what gambles have been taken with this show. "The gamble of putting on a $200 million USD show (the theater and the show) and hoping that it will work is a big gamble. On my side the gamble was to include pre-recorded music in a live show. I wanted to include a choir and symphonic orchestra, with live musicians playing along with those tracks." "We have 32 tracks of audio on a hard disk running with the show, and nine musicians playing live. [The tracks are loaded in] a machine that allows you to move from one part of a song to another [seamlessly]. That was the biggest challenge, because you don't want the machine to crash in the middle of a show. It was really a technical feat to accomplish, and it works very well." To accomplish that feat, they first had to record the samples. "We recorded the orchestra and chorus in two steps. The biggest part of the music was done in Montréal in August, 2004. Then I realized I could put more choir in the Forest and Cliff scenes. So I came back to Montréal after the previews started (on November 26), and in December we recorded more choir music, which we put [into the show] in January, just before opening night." How are the 32 tracks of pre-recorded audio prepared for playing in sync with a band in an unpredictable, live show atmosphere? Mr. Dupéré explained the process. "We first recorded the symphonic orchestra and choir on 32 tracks. Then we'd cut the songs into chunks of music. We'd cut a chunk from Bar 1 to Bar 8, and from Bar 8 to Bar 10, and another from Bar 10 to Bar 27. If you have a melody that lasts eight bars, you know you can't cut the melody in two. But you can repeat the last two bars of the bridge after that section two, three, four times depending on what's happening on the stage. So, if at Bar 10 we have a problem, and we want to repeat Bars 8 to 10 [the conductor pushes a button] and it goes back to Bar 8. Otherwise it would continue non-stop." "The hope is to not have to repeat any sequence because everything will go fine. But if you want to improvise on a sequence you just repeat that one chunk and when you're finished you just let the music go. The beauty is that you can cross fade from one section to another, from one bar to another, from one song to another, as long as you have previewed it. We desperately needed that kind of [technology] because we wanted to use those 32 pre-recorded tracks in the show." "The machine we use is called a Symphonia. It's already widely used in musicals in New York." And it's versatile. "For instance, if the oboe player is sick you can just replace him with a sampler. The machine follows the music, it can slow down and speed up, and you can switch from one section to another. In KÀ, we have a sampled symphonic orchestra and a sampled choir. And we have a lot of percussion played live by the band. And [we can be] flexible throughout the show." But when it came time to record the soundtrack CD, they didn't just go back to those original 32 tracks of orchestra and choir. They recorded entirely new tracks with a new orchestra and chorus, to be mixed in with the already recorded samples. "The CD soundtrack was recorded at Paramount [about mid-July to early-August, 2005]. We can put these recordings into the show if needed, but the show sounds very good with the very special samplings that I used. And we did a lot of mixing between our samples and the [newly recorded] real orchestra so [the CD] sounds bigger. We took the best of both worlds." They did not use the shows live musicians or singers, however. "We didn't have time to go to Vegas and add [them] to the CD. The opening night was February 3rd, 2005, and we started working on the CD the week after. With rehearsing in the afternoon and performing two shows a night, five nights a week, they are exhausted. It would have been a chore for them to do the CD." "We wanted to do something else with the singers as well. The CD is telling the story a certain way and the show is telling it another way [with the added visual element]. We didn't really want the same singers because we treated some songs quite differently; we even transposed a couple of things." Some fans have wondered, if a recording doesn't include the musicians involved in the creation process, can it truly be representative of the show? Dupéré notes that, "We didn't want to [replicate] the show on the CD. Because the format is different we added things that were intended more for the CD than the show, and the editing of the songs is different. But the color is the same. So you have orchestra, choir and percussion, and we added little spices on top of that." Mr. Dupéré has said that soundtrack CD's should be "inspired by" the shows yet be able to stand on their own. Fans have suggested that the last couple of CDS releases, Varekai and Zumanity, have seemed to be on the outer edge of that in terms of taking the original source material and going in a somewhat different direction. Mr. Dupéré agrees, noting, "We were aware of that, we knew that Zumanity and Varekai were, I wouldn't say bizarre mixes, but were [different in] the conception of the CD itself. I think it's even more obvious with Zumanity, because "inspired by" is written on the CD cover. We didn't want that to be written on the KÀ [CD cover]." "Although there are 16 pieces of music [on the CD], there are 10 to 12 that are really in the color of the show. You can recognize not only the color of the show but the moment where that music is used. And I thought that was obviously the way to do it. This is a show soundtrack, not a [pop soundtrack] with songs, a lot of airplay, techno stuff. Maybe we could [alter the songs] for radio airplay, but that wasn't our purpose. Not that we didn't want airplay. But basically the format is a soundtrack so it has to reflect the color of the show. Since the features of the music are the symphonic orchestra and choir we couldn't avoid them (laughs). It was the only way to treat the music." There are also three "conventional" songs at the end of the CD. The first one, "If I Could Reach Your Heart" is sung by wife Élise Velle, and there are two additional "bonus" tracks, "We've Been Waiting So Long", and "Reach for Me Now." "We realized there wouldn't be any songs that would be [suitable] for airplay. So we tried to include some songs without interfering with the concept we had for the soundtrack. It was important for us that the CD goes from track 1 to 14, and the last song, sung in English and an invented language by Élise, is the end of the CD, and it's sort of a turning point to go somewhere else. Then [there are] seven seconds of silence and this leads to the other two bonus songs that are in English. We really wanted to treat those last two songs like bonus tracks, because that's what they are." "They don't reflect the show because their purpose is to [carry on] themes that are in the show, but give another color. So the music has another color and the singer is different. "We've Been Waiting So Long" is based on the melody from "Shadowplay", and "Reach for Me Now" is based on the melody of "Deep." When played with a piano, sort of a Vangelis type of sound, it's the same song in a different musical world." In fact, it's wife Élise that brings the CD full circle by singing "If I Could Reach Your Heart," which is based on the melody of the first track she also sings, "O Makunde." "It "loops" the CD. And after that there are two songs that are something quite different." Is there any music missing from the CD that he wanted to include? "There were a couple of things I would have liked to include. At the very beginning of the show there's a sort of "once upon a time" music. But we didn't know where to put it, because we really wanted the CD to start with Élise singing "O Makunde", and ending with the English version of that and the two bonus tracks. So I didn't really know where to put this "once upon a time" song." While that didn't fit the concept of the CD as it was envisioned, they might still see the light of the laser. "We might do something for the first anniversary of KÀ next February. We might do a sort of an anniversary album and include two or three extra things, we haven't decided yet. I would include that "once upon a time" music and maybe a medley of different songs that are not used in the CD but are used in the show." What does Dupéré believe are the roots of KÀ's music? "I think this is more of a soundtrack than anything else. The roots would be my classical training and studies, and ethnic music. I've always been crazy about ethnic music. And some modern influences like techno and hip-hop, though they aren't really present, are in the show and are on the CD as well." And how would René Dupéré define his own music, what's his signature? "Modernity and lyricism, I think. I've often said it's a mix of Pink Floyd and Brahms. I also tell people that I'm sort of a romantic 19th century musician with 20th century technology." "And I must say that world culture is a part of my music, because I'm really aware of cultures, music from around the world. [Beginning when] I was seven my parents taught me about music. We had opera, and we had Cuban music from the fifties; Perez Prado, Xavier Cugat, that kind of mambo music. I remember being exposed to all kinds of music. And when I went to college there were priests that were really aware of different kinds of music, from Japan to Yugoslavia to Bulgaria, and they had us listen to [it all]. So I've been in contact with a lot of different musical cultures from early on and I think it shows in my music. With classical structure, that's really important to me." ---------------------------------------------- "A Conversation with Rene Dupere, Part 2" By: Keith Johnson - February 4, 2006 ---------------------------------------------- In Part One of our exclusive interview with Cirque du Soleil composer René Dupéré we focused on the music and soundtrack CD of KÀ. Here the 60 year-old Mr. Dupéré (who just celebrated a birthday) speaks about other projects and interesting bits of Cirque musical history. The first recorded piece of Cirque musical output was a 45 by Cirque house band La Fanfafonie, with "Le Cirque du Soleil" and "Le Funambule." After expressing astonishment we knew of it, Mr. Dupéré discussed its origins. "We were not with the circus at that time. We were meeting every year, in Baie-Saint-Paul where Cirque was founded, a big gathering of street performers and musicians. I believe it was in 1984, and with Guy Laliberté we chose those two songs, both of which I wrote. There also was one called "Percuefonie" but it wasn't on the 45. There was another 45 we did too, just for Fanfafonie. We just went into a studio and did it, in one night with a friend mixing. And that was it. I think about 1000 copies were made, I don't know how many we sold (laughs)." Less rare is the first version of the "Cirque du Soleil" LP (Naga 1187). Most of the selections were re-recorded three years later to become the "second version" of the album that appeared in the US on RCA (RCA 62523). "Between 1987 and 1990 a lot of acts changed. By 1990 the CD was no longer reflecting the music of the show. So we had to change a couple of things. I wasn't there at that time, the other composer, Benoit Jutras (Ben-wah Joot-rah) did. He also arranged the first piece of the [Naga] '87 CD ("Ouverture"), an overture that was inspired by Mozart's "Magic Flute." It was a nice thing he did, quite neat." Saltimbanco also enjoyed a re-recording, but for different reasons, and again at Cirque's urging. "They approached me. And the changes we brought to the CD we also brought into the show, new loops and string samples." "[The original recording of Saltimbanco] had the flavor of the 90's. There were a couple of things that I didn't really like, such as the harsh guitar sounds with the big fuzz of the 90's. [And] the percussion and ethnic flute samples were passé as a sound. I wanted to keep the essence of the music, not to change the music in itself, but to change a bit of the orchestrations and soften it a little bit. There was a lot of compression that we put on the voices [originally], so we loosened the voices. And we redid the ethnic flutes and percussion, keeping the ones that were really interesting and adding a little more percussion. And redoing all the synthesized string samples with real string samples. It was a matter of refreshing the whole thing and bringing it into the 2000's without changing the meaning of the music." Long-time readers will remember we broke news of the "first" Canadian reissue of the Alegria soundtrack (BMG 73442, 2002) being channel- reversed. (That is, what was originally in the left channel is now in the right channel and vice-versa.) It's a correction, or mistake, that has continued to today. Though Mr. Dupéré wasn't aware of the change, he isn't bothered. "You should try to experience it with somebody who's never heard the music. It's not like a symphony orchestra, where I have a big problem if I hear the strings on the right and the double bass on the left. But I didn't listen to the new version, so I'm really surprised." If given the opportunity to re-imagine the Alegria soundtrack, he wouldn't be as radical as with Saltimbanco. "Actually, if I had the opportunity, I would keep most of the music that has been recorded and remix it. I wouldn't change a lot in terms of the music because it's really up to date. I would change the bonus tracks, because they were recorded under the big top. That was one of the reasons I said yes to re-doing the Saltimbanco soundtrack, because I wanted to entirely re- do the bonus tracks which for me sounded awful. And it's the same with the Alegria bonus tracks, they don't sound the same when compared to the rest of [the music]." "I would retouch the mixing and mastering and change a few small things. But in terms of the music I'm really quite satisfied. It's different, it has a more European flavor than Saltimbanco, which has a jazz fusion and rock sound. It has passed the test of time without being [out of date]. It's timeless." Though there are several pieces of music in Alegria that have never been officially released, he doubts he would include them if given the opportunity. That would include "Sisyphe," the music for the swing handbalancing act, though he doesn't recognize it by that name. "I can't relate to the title. Besides the music that's in the show, I composed three or four more pieces while it was on tour. One for a solo trapeze, one for a handbalancing act, and one for a diabolo." The opportunity to write new music as new acts are brought into a show isn't common, however. "It happened three times on Alegria, I think it happened once or twice on Saltimbanco (for solo trapeze and a balancing act). They try to keep the same acts even if the people change. That wasn't the case with Cirque Réinventé or Nouvelle Expérience. But since Saltimbanco they've kept the same music in the show, there's not a lot of new music that's needed." The music of the shows is very important to Cirque, and there are strict guidelines to preserve its integrity. "When there is any change they want to make they have to have my approbation. All the changes that were made to Saltimbanco, using the new loops and new instruments, I received a DVD [to approve]." "Besides that, I go to each tour two times a year. It's almost one week every time I go, so I can listen to the show five, six, seven times and rehearse with the musicians. There is a lot of care about how the music is treated." Music written for Cirque shows has also taken on a life outside the traveling tent and permanent theater. Josh Groban made a hit out of Quidam's "Let Me Fall." The company experimented with remixing for the two-CD set "Solarium/Delirium" (CDS Musique 10021). There is a whole new Cirque show, "Delirium," using music as the basis for the visuals (as opposed to the other way around). And before that, "Soleil de Minuit (Midnight Sun)," a collaboration between Cirque and the Montréal Jazz Festival (www. montrealjazzfest.com), rocked the streets of Montréal. "The Jazz Festival brings hundreds of thousands of people to the streets," Mr. Dupéré notes, "and cops are happy because nothing happens. People are quiet, there are no problems whatsoever." But we were surprised to hear that that street celebration of Cirque music wasn't the first; another one-time-only performance occurred ten years prior! "Alegria [had been] a big hit in Québec, in Canada they old 200,000 units, which is double platinum for us. There were lots of articles in newspapers and so on." "In 1995, the year after Alegria was released, people were really crazy about the music and about [Cirque]. So the Jazz Festival asked Cirque du Soleil to work with them to put together a show that would feature circus acts, lighting, effects, and my music. There were 200,000 people in the streets. It was a blast! People were listening to the music as if they were in church, nobody was talking." "I started off the concert by playing tuba. Somebody read a letter from my mother on stage saying how proud she was. It lasted more than two hours. We had a 55-piece orchestra. Our singers were Élise Velle from Mystère, Francesca Gagnon from Alegria, and Francine Poitras from Saltimbanco. And in the end all 200,000 people in the streets were singing "Alegria" - what a choir! It was an incredible night." "Midnight Sun was different interpretations of the music, changing the orchestration and arrangement. The orchestrations were made by two guys from Montréal, they did a good job. But I wasn't actually involved with the show. It was more modern, more actual, more visual than 10 years ago. But I think '95 was more intense and moving in that the music was more like it was on the CD's. Sometimes when you listen to the same thing you like it played differently, but sometimes you like to hear the real thing. In the streets in 1995 we were closer to the content of the CD's. I wouldn't say it was the only reason people were moved, but I think it helped." In addition to several albums with his companion of 14 years and wife for three, Élise Velle, and his other projects (some of which are noted on their newly designed website, www.creationsnetza.com) Mr. Dupéré also composed the soundtrack to the Canadian television series, "L'ombre de L'épervier" (Analekta 8812). "In English it means, "The Shadow of the Hawk." There's a saying where I come from that when you see the shadow of the hawk on the ground, and you look up and you don't see the hawk, something bad will happen soon." "It's about fishermen in the 20's who lived close to my home town. They were treated almost like slaves by a big company. The company "owned" the village and paid the fishermen with coupons that allowed them to buy things but only in company-owned stores, they couldn't go anywhere else. And the man and woman in the show decide that [they've had enough], and rebel against the company. We did 23 hours of the series, 13 hours the first year and 10 the second." We noted there were some pretty musical ideas expressed on the CD which we wished had been developed into a longer form. "I wish I had the time to do that, [but] because it's TV, they didn't have any budget. We didn't have the means to record with real instruments, so I did it on my own [with] synthesizers. It was fun, really fun." Musical ideas of the present are in the forefront for him now. "Actually, today we're working with Élise on a new CD for her. We're looking for sort of a "Buddah Bar" sound. We're foreseeing [releasing it] either next Spring or Fall, it'll depend on all the things we're working on. We're thinking of probably using a couple of songs from "Voyage", [which] was released in Québec only. It'll have a little bit of French, a little bit of Spanish, but will mostly be in invented languages because that's one of our trademarks." Speaking of musical interpretations, how does he feel about "Solarium/Delirium?" "I was really pleased with what they did with "Delirium". I wasn't crazy about "Solarium," it could have been a lot more creative than it was. It's a matter of interpretation though; somebody else could have different feelings and I don't mind. I was pleased with "Delirium" because it has what I think is good about Cirque du Soleil, imagination and audacity. Especially with "Kumbalawé", that way of putting things almost out of pitch, major/minor, was just great." Cirque has recently released the "Le Best of" Collection (CDS Musique 20022). He's well represented with five tracks, including "Égypte" from the no longer available studio version of Mystère. How would he populate a René Dupéré "Best Of"? "Everything I pick [would be] mostly ethnic stuff." From the first "Cirque du Soleil" CD: "Trapeze" "Limp Bizkit [sampled that track], their song was called "Get Ya Groove On" (from "Electric Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water," Interscope 490759, 2000). They used 16 bars of music and put a rap on top. It was fun to hear that." From Nouvelle Expérience: "Éclipse" "Because of that beat, like Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo à la Turk". From Saltimbanco: "Kumbalawé," "Horéré Ukundé" and "Il Sogno di Volare". From Alegria: "Alegria," "Querer," and "Nocturne". From Mystère: "Égypte" and "Caravena" (available only on the studio version). From "Voyage" (Netza 1440, 1995): "Ismya Vova," "Mayalah," "Naked Trees," and "Argentina en la piel". "I listened to ["Argentina"] the other day with Élise because we're thinking of doing a couple of things in Spanish." From "Xotika" (Netza 1751, 1998): "Windspirits," "Passione," "Moon," and "Earth," "with the tiger roaring. And all the classic, sort of Brahms stuff." From "Le Belle est Dans Ton Camp" (Netza 1441, 2001)" "Passage du Hasard," "Lits de Papier," and "À Tous Ceux...". "The songs that I like most among all I have composed are "Argentina en la piel" (from "Voyage"), "Alegria," and "Funambule" (from the Fanfafonie 45). ["Funambule" is] one of my favorite melodies. I wouldn't say it's the best one, but it's one of my favorites because it reminds me of souvenirs and remembrances and nice things that happened [in the early days]." One of the nice things was an early friendship with Cirque CEO Guy Laliberté. We asked Mr. Dupéré, who is 15 years Laliberté's elder, for his impressions. "[He's like] a hawk or an eagle, up in the air and seeing everything." "It's really special here in Canada. I grew up in a different time in the history of Québec. I spent a long period of my life, including when I was a teenager and when I was an adult teaching kids, trying to [convey] what we were like as Québecers. That kind of separatist movement that we were part of. When I was younger we were trying to establish something here in Québec, because there was resentment against English people, for political, social, financial reasons. And that resentment could have been right or wrong, expressed or not expressed. I don't think Guy felt that because he was from another generation where people were sure about their own identity, [they don't] have to show that [they] are Québecers. He knows that he is and that the planet is open to him. And it was. And it lead to a kind of world vision. Watching him I realized that the planet was open to me also." "And he's great at both finance and art. He can go from one to the other with equal strength in both fields. It's a crossover between two different worlds that's quite rare. And he's a very faithful man, faithful to his friends." How far ahead is Mr. Dupéré's life planned job-wise? "It's not, it's never been. I don't know what "career" means. I have to say "no" more often than "yes." Though I must say I'm not a workaholic. I can work very hard for long periods, but when I stop, I stop. For example, we're in a suite here (in Québec), overlooking the lake, and I have all my synthesizers on the table, but I still feel like I'm on vacation. Because I can tame them, I'm the boss. (laughs) And usually I never work past five or six o'clock at night. At five I can just close up shop and have dinner with my wife, enjoy the evening. But I can get started at five in the morning." Having achieved many things in life, one has eluded him - playing cello! "But there's so much [else] to do. When I was 40 I wanted to learn something new, something I'd never done. I [had a choice] between learning Japanese and playing cello, and I decided to learn Japanese. I've since forgotten everything because I didn't get much of a chance to practice. But I can order sushi in a sushi bar with a lot of gestures and some monosyllables." (laughs) Drawing the interview to a close, we asked what words of wisdom he might have for young artists. "The act of creating," he responded, "doesn't have to hurt, it can be fun. For me it's always been fun. If it's not fun there's a problem." "Last June I received a PHD in Music (an honoris causa doctorate) from my alma mater (Laval University) in Québec City. And they asked me to talk. I spoke about five words that I felt were critical to success in life: Passion, Craft, Courage, Chance, and Talent." Speaking about two of those words, he elaborated, "There was courage because it took courage to do what we did with Cirque du Soleil. I left a job as a teacher, making good money in 1981 to become a composer - it took courage to do that, too. And chance, because if Cirque du Soleil had not been in Los Angeles in 1987 maybe we would not be talking today." Finally, we had to ask a person who has brought so much joy to the ears and hearts of so many people, what brought him joy? "Love. Family. Food. Wine. Nature. Silence. Friendship. I'm not sure about the order though." CONCERT ALERT! Dupéré and Velle in concert: During our interview, Mr. Dupéré mentioned an upcoming concert appearance! "In Québec our music has been played by two symphonic orchestras, with Élise singing. And there are two more [coming up]!" "The next one is February 11th (in Chicoutimi, a city 100 miles north of Québec City). It's an interesting way to bring our music to the people. We do some stuff from "Xotika," one song from "Voyage," and one song from "La Belle est Dans Ton Camp". The rest of the music is from Cirque shows, including three pieces from KÀ: "Storm," "Flight," and "Shadowplay"." The second will be April 27 and 28, 2007 (you read that right, next year) in Québec City. Can't say we didn't warn you. Though we don't have any other information on either of these events right now, if we're hear anything more we'll let you know in a (news)flash! My sincere thanks go to: Mr. René Dupéré, for so graciously spending time with us, Denis Barnabé, Sales and Marketing Manager (for the initial contact), and Micheline Nalette, Media and Communications Coordinator (for arranging the details), both from Cirque du Soleil Musique, And my wife LouAnna for putting up with my sometimes obsessive hobby. ---------------------------------------------- "Cirque du Delirium" By: Paul Roberts - March 8, 2006 ---------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil stole my idea - how dare they! I once wrote an article for the Fascination! newsletter (Issue #30, February 2004, available in our Back Issues section) about creating a Cirque music cover band and now we have Cirque du Soleil's Delirium, where the music is the focal point of the show. At first I had mixed, or should I say re-mixed, feelings because I have to admit that the dance mix songs from the "Solarium" and "Delirium" CDs were not very appealing to me. That is, until I got used to them. After an inside source assured me that Delirium's re-mixed music was actually more "Urban" World Beat than Dance Beat I realized that Cirque has never let me down and I just needed to experience this event. Also with nearby Columbus, Ohio, being the fifth city on the tour, I had a chance to see this brand new Cirque du Soleil show ahead of hundreds of die-hard fan acquaintances. Sorry friends, I had to rub that in. When the show premiered in late January in Montreal, and as it started touring, the reviews seemed to lean towards disappointment, mainly because the reviewers expected Cirque's usual acrobatics, flounes, and circus dare-devilry. I refused to let their negative thoughts deter my excitement. After all, the most important aspect of Cirque du Soleil, for me, is the music. I took my daughter, Tara; met our friend, Kim (a.k.a. Kimba, who we serendipitously met through an on-line Cirque du Soleil fan group); and also met Ryan (a.k.a. KaliWolf, a longtime on-line acquaintance through several fan groups) for the first time. We were four hardcore fans mixed in with several thousand or so Newbies. We felt special. When we walked into Nationwide Arena on Saturday, February 18, 2006, the hockey floor-length stage seemed a bit garish with its four large screens at the ends of the stage and overhead tacking that kind of reminded me of a straightened-out Quidam crown. Piped-in songs from the "Delirium" studio CD provided a surprising overture, being that a couple of these would soon be played live. The very talented and lovely Nitza warmed up with one of the most powerful voices I have ever heard. I hoped she might sing "We've Been Waiting So Long" and "Reach For Me Now," from the "KÀ" soundtrack, but no such luck. The five songs she sang, however, provided an energy that causes me to be impatient about the arrival of her upcoming album. A few musicians from the Delirium "house band," accompanied her with some amazing prefaces of what was to come. Other than Nitza's crystal, clear voice, other highlights included a searing bouzouki solo from Predrag "Pedja" Mano; some haunting melody lines from violinist, Andrée-Anne Tremblay; and a fierce duel between two tabla drummers. She received polite applause from the then-sparse crowd, but I hope she realized that she truly is amazing. The Delirium website states: "To select the 20 songs, a committee of 11 Cirque du Soleil directors and creative minds was convened. They each compiled a list of their top songs from Cirque du Soleil's musical catalogue of over 500 songs. From those, with the collaboration of musical director, producer and arranger Francis Collard and musical content associate producer Ian Tremblay, a final list of music was established." Our show actually consisted of 18 songs as changes and refinements are apparently ongoing in the early stages of the tour. The famous Cirque- ish language that is normally included in Cirque du Soleil's music has been replaced by actual lyrics. Many penned by Robbie Dillon, who wrote the lyrics for several songs on the Zumanity soundtrack. At first I was concerned about the new words, but I knew that in general most people attending would not be familiar with the original content. I accepted the necessity of "standardizing" the lyrics. What I didn't realize, however, was that the actual song titles would also be modified for most of the songs. An update on Cirque's website revealed six of the new song titles. Delirium's band and singers consists of: o Dessy Di Lauro-vocalist o Jacynthe-vocalist o Juliana Sheffield-vocalist o El Hadji "Elage" Diouf-vocalist and percussion o Karim Diouf-vocalist and percussion o Elie Haroun (from the group, Gaïa)-vocalist, guitars and percussion o Ric'key Pageot-band leader and keyboards o Raffaele Artigliere-percussion o Sacha Daoud (from the group, Gaïa)-drums o André Faleiros (from the group, Gaïa)-basses o Predrag "Pedja" Manov-bouzouki, oud, tambura and guitars o Alexis Messier-guitars o Jacques "Kuba" Seguin (from the group, The Odd Lot)-trumpet, flugel horn and percussion o Kullak Viger Rojas (from the group, Gaïa)-percussion o Andrée-Anne Tremblay-violin Spoiler alert: Following is the song list (in order) with the old title (if applicable) and its original show in parenthesis, plus a review of musical and visual highlights: "Ombra" (from Dralion) - To begin, a very short intro of the "Ombra" opening instrumental passage, without vocals. "Too High" (Spiritual Spiral from Dralion) - Dessy Di Lauro, the expressive original vocalist for La Nouba, sang with spirited passion while gliding across the stage on a domed platform that housed several drums built into the sides. The percussionists rotated around this platform while beating the drums. This seemed like something Stomp might integrate into one of their shows. "Birimbau" (from Mystère) - Once again, a short version with no vocals that was more like a set-up song for the appearance of the musicians, who rolled across the stage standing on moveable platforms. "Time to Go" (Mountain of Clothes from Alegrìa le Film) - This was the most surprising song to me since it isn't included in an actual Cirque du Soleil show. Singer Jacynthe flew in overhead wearing a sparkling, spiral gown. To me she sounded similar to Irene Marc, the original singer of the studio version. Alexis Messier shined with an energetic wah-wah guitar solo that would make Jimi proud. After the song ended, Kimba, Tara and I (Ryan had a seat in another section) looked around at the listless crowd and agreed that out of the 20,000 or so people, only the four of us knew what we were listening to. They all just had no idea; we felt special once again. "Bridge of Sorrow" (Nostalgie from "O") - A beautiful version of this dynamic, warm song from "O." Mr. Dillon's lyrics fit wonderfully with the swaying arms projected on the stage-covering screens. The spine- tingling 3-D sight proved once again that Cirque always has something extraordinary up their sleeves. "Bour Mowote (apparently this has been renamed again)" (Africa from "O") - "Africa" appears on both the "Solarium" (twice) and "Delirium" CDs and yet another rendition is born. One of the Diouf brothers sang it nicely, but in a lower register than Toumany Kouyaté from "O." The projection of alien flowers rendered an exotic ambience that took you to places unknown. And...was it me, or did an alluring aroma start filling the air? Being Cirque du Soleil, I wouldn't be surprised if they pumped some special scent into the atmosphere. "Saloum" (Le Rêveur from Varekai) - Vocalist Juliana Sheffield made her first appearance that also included an amazing hand balancing performance from Andrey Koltsov. This song also featured Jacques "Kuba" Seguin playing a melodic flugelhorn solo while floating in a ring high above the stage. "Battle" (Not sure of the origin, but this sounded like a cross between Mystère's Taïko and Dralion's Bamboo) - Needless to say this was a percussion song that, for me, turned out to be the highlight of the show. During this onslaught of every performer pounding away on drums and running around like they were possessed, I realized that one of the signature trademarks of all Cirque du Soleil shows is the appearance of a percussion number. La Nouba has an actual trap set drum solo, Quidam has the performers playing various sized drums, one of Varekai's Georgian Dancers pounds on his own personal drum, and so on. It is only fitting that a show featuring the music of Cirque incorporates the most intense Cirque percussion number right in the middle of the concert. "Someone" (Patzivota from Varekai) - Similar to Varekai's lightning bugs, twinkling small lights appeared to be hovering above the stage. But soon, performers began to grab the lights, which were on the end of straps, and they flew out over the audience. Except for the familiar opening melody line that was easily recognizable, I really don't recall too much of the actual song, as I was mesmerized by the flyers. "Alone" (Querer from Alegrìa) - Cirque du Soleil's most romantic song began with Jacynthe singing by herself on stage behind red drapes. The song then morphed into a tango similar to the version performed during the Midnight Sun celebration. I love Mr. Dillon's chorus: "I fly...Looking down from the sky...On a world that's so small...You can't touch me at all...I'm too high." "Desejo" (Emballa from Varekai) - This just simply rocks, Latin style. I remember hearing "Emballa" the first time with Tara and we looked at each other in bewilderment at that bizarre chorus. This song is one of my favorite tunes to sing (when no one else is listening, of course). The live version featured an energized Rhodes electric piano-like solo from Ric'key Pageot that made the Latin beat even jazzier. And to boot, one of the climax visuals of the show was Dessy being lifted in the air wearing a 30-foot "volcano dress." At the end of the song, performers placed stakes at the bottom of her skirt to fashion a Grand Chapiteau that housed the dancers partying to the rhythms; a nice homage paid to the roots of Cirque. When the excitement died down, Jacques "Kuba" Seguin played a subtle, muted flugelhorn solo that lead into the next famous tune. "Let Me Fall" (from Quidam) - So Columbus, how many of you thought this was a Josh Groban song? The Delirium version seemed a little rushed with Elie Haroun attempting the difficult vocal part. It is nearly impossible to duplicate Mathieu Lavoie and/or Mr. Groban, but I admired his effort. This version featured another great guitar solo by Mr. Messier and I hoped for the dynamic ending that is included in Quidam and Midnight Sun. Unfortunately, it ended with the final vocal line like the studio version. "Cold Flame" (Oscillum from Varekai) - The powerful Russian Swings song from Varekai, but with lyrics. Irina Akimova provided a very nice hoop manipulation that rivaled anything performed by our fave, Elena Lev. The hoops she used were colored in a rainbow sheen that reflected off the lights (like Mystère's cube) and as she spun them they appeared to be a solid, shimmering ball. Nice effect. "One Love" (Polkinöi from Saltimbanco) - I'm happy to say that this version was similar to my favorite song from the "Delirium" studio CD, but of course with new lyrics. The stage-covering projection screen featured some eerie images of animated people walking in and out of doors that were connected by a conduit-like line. A pulse throbbed throughout the circuitry. "Lifeline" (El Péndulo from Varekai) - El Péndulo has one of my favorite melody lines of all Cirque songs and I always thought it could be easily transposed into a hit number with real lyrics. My feeling became reality with this version that stayed fairly true to its original form. A four man Banquine act that seemed perfect for any Cirque production accompanied the song. "Time Flies" (Mer Noire from "O") - In my opinion, possibly the best song of the night. Four of the singers huddled together on a platform singing magnificent harmonies. The decelerated bridge that featured a solo female lead also included a backing electronic sequencer that floated nicely around the melody line. Then Andrée-Anne Tremblay kicked in with an aggressive violin solo that brought the song back to the main theme. "Kumba" (Kumbalawé from Saltimbanco) - "Kumba" is my least favorite re-mixed song from the dance CDs, but I loved the echoing voices included in the live version. From the energy exposed by nearly all the cast, I knew, that the night would soon be closing... "Nova Alegrìa" (Alegrìa from Alegrìa) - The End. "A joyous, magical feeling" brought to life in an abbreviated version of Cirque du Soleil's most famous song. Even though I cried at the end of Alegrìa while Francesca sang this in her beautiful, operatic, raspy voice; I stood and danced with my daughter and my friend in celebration of yet another enchanted Cirque du Soleil experience. There was no encore. I was happy to see Karl Baumann - as Balloon Boy Bill - backing a Cirque du Soleil production. I feel that his original Target/Fritz character in Quidam has never been unseated. My only minor disappointment was the venue itself. Nationwide Arena is perfect for the Blue Jackets hockey team, but I missed the intimacy of the Grand Chapiteau. Too bad the whole audience could not have fit under the volcano dress. Hats off to Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, the creators and directors of Delirium. Like all the Cirque du Soleil creators before them, they are simply gamblers (something I can certainly relate to) going against what is the norm or popular or expected. I was amazed at how many people showed up for this show and even though at first most seemed clueless, not too many left before the end...and a rousing, standing ovation came from all. The souvenir program's credit page includes this summation of our beloved Cirque du Soleil with an excerpt from "Lifeline:" "Everyday is lifetime, we all walk a fine line between the earth and sky, take a stand at the frontline, keep reaching for the sky." ---------------------------------------------- CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas Update! By: Keith Johnson - March 21, 2006 ---------------------------------------------- CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas! will now take place between Thursday, September 21 and Sunday, September 24, 2006. As you might remember, when we first approached Cirque du Soleil about gathering in Las Vegas to see the new Mirage/Beatles show (and the others, too) they suggested we come a few months later than our original proposal of early June. As I said when we announced our August dates, "Cirque has said they would like us to come after the Beatles show opening so they can "focus their energies" more towards our group." I also said, "Of course, this timeframe could all change... so nothing is in stone yet." How prescient those words have turned out to be. Due to circumstances beyond CirqueCon and the CDS Resident Shows Division's control, the Beatles show will now be dark (no shows) during our planned weekend of August 16-20, 2006. Though the Premiere Gala will still be June 30, changes in the creation process have meant that their first "dark week" must be moved. This isn't a decision made lightly, but isn't all that unusual. Plans change all the time during a shows' creative development, as CDS Las Vegas told us in an email they asked we share with all of you: "As you can imagine no creation of any Cirque du Soleil production is ever the same. During this particular creation process of the new production at The Mirage, it has become necessary to change the extended dark period. We apologize as we realize this change means the CirqueCon dates must adjust. We hope as Cirque fans you will understand and we will endeavor to ensure your visit to our productions in Las Vegas will be one you will never forget!" Good news in all of this is Cirque's commitment to welcoming us, understanding the inconvenience this is causing, and renewing their commitment to their most devoted and understanding fans (that's us!) to make our time in Las Vegas memorable. CIRQUECON 2006 DATE CHANGE: Faced with this new reality CirqueCon had choices to make. We have decided that CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas! can be the truly exciting, amazing, once-in-a-lifetime event we know it will be only if all five permanent Vegas shows are playing while we are there. Therefore, we have decided to move our convention weekend to the next available date when all five shows will be running. With four of the five shows taking "dark weeks" during Aug-Sept (and avoiding Labor day weekend altogether), we are moving our dates forward by one month. CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas! will now take place between Thursday, September 21 and Sunday, September 24, 2006. THE REVISED SCHEDULE: Further, we are dropping Wednesday as an "official" day, in the hope that it might be easier for more of you to attend all our events. Otherwise, our schedule stays basically the same: Thursday, September 21: The Official CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas! Meet and Greet (T.I.) "O" (Bellagio) - 10:30pm Friday, September 22: Beatles Show (Mirage) - 7:30pm Mystère (T.I.) - 10:30pm Saturday, September 23: KÀ (MGM Grand) - 7:30pm Zumanity (New York-New York) - 10:30pm There will also be, as previously mentioned, "special Cirque stuff" to be scheduled throughout the weekend. When we know more about what it is, you'll be the first to know! WHAT ABOUT OUR HOTEL? We will continue to have rooms at our "official" hotel, the Treasure Island (T.I.) albeit with a moderate price change. (Our original dates were during the Las Vegas "soft" season, whereas September through Thanksgiving is considered a "busy" season). Rooms are now available for our new dates, which are: From Monday, September 18 through Wednesday, September 27, 2006 EXCLUDING Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23, 2006 1-2 people: $109.00 USD/night (approx. $119.00 USD with taxes) 3 people: $139.00 USD/night (approx. $152.00 USD with taxes) 4 people: $169.00 USD/night (approx. $184.00 USD with taxes) For Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23, 2006 ONLY 1-2 people: $159.00 USD/night (approx. $173.00 USD with taxes) 3 people: $189.00 USD/night (approx. $206.00 USD with taxes) 4 people: $219.00 USD/night (approx. $239.00 USD with taxes) You can now place your order or modify your reservation with the T.I. using the procedure outlined in our prior email. BUT I CAN'T MAKE IT DURING THAT WEEK! We certainly understand there may be members who cannot make it during our new dates. We will gladly honor all requests for membership refunds for the full (non-prorated) $20.00 amount until September 15, 2006. If you desire a refund please send an email to info@cirquecon.com. And if, at a later time you find you can join us, we will happily welcome you back! WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON? With another month now available, we and Cirque have additional time to work hard to make CirqueCon 2006 an incredibly special time for one and all. With fans gathering from all over North America and The World to meet and share in their passion for Cirque du Soleil, and with the company welcoming us "behind their mask" (so to speak), it will be a weekend you won't soon forget! We hope to have more to announce soon, including information on tickets, activities, and other "special goodies" for our members. Again, on behalf of Cirque du Soleil and CirqueCon, we regret any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them in the CirqueClub Forum on our website, www.cirquecon.com, or by sending a private email to info@cirquecon.com. ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Quarterly Compendium Volume 6, Number 1 - Q1 2006 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2006 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.12.2006 } =======================================================================