======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ E X P A N D E D I S S U E ------------------------------------------------------------ ======================================================================= VOLUME 9, NUMBER 6 SEPTEMBER 2009 ISSUE #68e ======================================================================= Bonjour et bienvenue! Greetings and welcome to another addition of Fascination!, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. Once again I'm broadcasting to you from Downtown Orlando. Life's changes has prompted me to give up my Cirque pad in beautiful Celebration, Florida (the town that Disney built), which I habited for just a little over a year, but changes all with progress in mind. Our good friend Steve Long checks in with us this month with two articles about his recent trip to Japan. While in the Land of the Rising Sun he caught Corteo on tour and even had some time to see ZED once or twice more. His reflections and reviews of the experiences he had with the two shows are within. This month we have a number of goodies to explore as a clip of interesting and intriguing articles, pictures and videos were shared with the fanbase through Cirque du Soleil's various social widgets. In turn we have collected those to share with you, so don't miss our "OUTREACH" section. And... Interested in joining like-minded passionates of Cirque du Soleil on a group trip? If so, join us at CirqueCon 2009 in Monterrey from September 24th through September 27th for Cirque du Soleil's Dralion! While the sign-up for the majority of the excursions has closed, you can still join the group at the show! Check out CirqueCon 2009 at their website: http://www.cirquecon.com. Well, that about wraps up this intro. Now, onto the issue! Join us on the web at: < www.cirquefascination.com > Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > - Ricky "Richasi" Russo =========== CONTENTS =========== o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * Touring Shows -- Productions under the Big Top * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre * Venue Shows -- Arena & Seasonal Productions o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets * Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub * Networking -- Cirque on Twitter, Facebook & MySpace o) Compartments -- A Peek Behind the Curtain * Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque * Historia -- Cirque du Soleil's History o) Fascination! Features *) "Corteo in Japan" By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA) {Issue Exclusive} *) "ZED, Again!" By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA) {Issue Exclusive} o) Next Issue o) Parting Quote o) Subscription Information o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= LIFE does Cirque's Freakiest Acts! {Aug.03.2009} ----------------------------------------------- LIFE Magazine has published 27 photos of Cirque du Soleil's Most Freakiest acts on its website. Check them out! < http://www.life.com/image/first/in-gallery/31682/cirque-du- soleils-freakiest-acts > {SOURCE: LIFE, CirqueClub} Cirque in Hollywood [EXPANDED] {Aug.04.2009} ----------------------------------------------- The LA Times today discusses bringing Cirque du Soleil to the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, wondering if the idea to do so was a good one considering Cirque celebrated its 25th anniversary in June and plans to open ELVIS in Las Vegas by year's end. They ask, hasn't everyone seen at least one Cirque show by now? The answer... * * * Before the Cirque du Soleil performers pranced onto the outdoor stage in the sweltering heat Sunday, bushels of ice cubes were flung across the wooden floor to cool the surface for the hands and feet of dancers. A crowd of hundreds, hot but patiently watching at the Grove shopping center, cheered as if this safety step was part of the show. Onstage, Sebastien Coin, encased in a yellow striped unitard, balanced his body horizontally on one hand and languidly eyed his rapt audience. As dazzling as the acrobatics was the troupe's ability not to sweat. But then, the entire Cirque du Soleil organization seems not to be sweating anything in Los Angeles -- particularly its ambitious plan to create a show, install it permanently in the Kodak Theatre and present it at least 368 times a year. Of course Cirque du Soleil's billionaire founder, Guy Laliberte, has made a habit of taking chances -- one of his biggest ones being his trip here with his then-fledgling group in 1987 to perform when he had no money to get back to Canada if the show bombed. (It didn't). Now, the company has 19 shows -- nine of them permanent -- and tours the world. Laliberte, who is training in Russia to ride on a Soyuz spacecraft next month, is also well-known for his high-stakes poker playing in Las Vegas. Blogs gossip about his supposed hefty losses. "He's never ever mentioned how much he's lost," said Cirque representative Renee- Claude Menard. "He's a risk-taker." And so, it appears, is the city of Los Angeles. The plan to bring Cirque du Soleil here would require the city to approve a $30-million loan to the owners of the Hollywood & Highland shopping center where the Kodak -- best-known as the home of the Academy Awards show -- is located. The theater would have to be retrofitted for Cirque du Soleil. The money comes from a $350- million federal fund for the city to use on economic development. CIM Group, the company that owns the shopping complex, says the installation of the show would create 858 jobs at Hollywood & Highland in retail, restaurants and entertainment. In addition to the city's loan, CIM would contribute $20 million to the project and Cirque du Soleil would put in $50 million. The City Council is expected to vote to approve the loan today. Council President Eric Garcetti -- whose district includes the shopping center -- has said the show would be a magnet for tourists. Councilman Dennis Zine has been the lone critic on the council, saying initially last week when he first found out about the project that he was concerned about concentrating the $30 million on one venture. "Since then, we've done some research," said Zine, noting that his staff is trying to find out how well the six different and permanent Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas are selling. Zine said he still would probably not vote to approve it -- if he attends the council meeting at all. A reserve police officer, he is scheduled for mandatory training today. But, he added about the project, "I am softening on it." Zine said he was glad to know that CIM and Cirque du Soleil were contributing money to the project. "Would they invest $50 million of their own money if they thought it was going to fail?" asked the councilman, who said he has seen two Cirque du Soleil shows. He wondered if Cirque will be a big draw here. "I imagine if they're going to put $50 million in it, they're going to make it a big draw." But hasn't everyone everywhere seen at least one incarnation of Cirque du Soleil, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary and plans a seventh permanent show in Las Vegas at the end of the year? It doesn't matter, says James Hadley, senior artistic director for Cirque's North American shows. "Our biggest challenge is not about diluting the brand," Hadley said as he stood in the shade watching his performers go onstage at the Grove. "It's letting people know each show is different. People see Cirque du Soleil once and think, 'Well, I can cross that off my list.' One of the reasons we came to the Grove is to show how different each show is." On Sunday afternoon, performers from each of the six Vegas shows performed an excerpt from their shows. The Kodak Theatre show would be new and centered on a history of the movies -- as befits the Hollywood location. And referring to the legendary story of Laliberte's gamble on Los Angeles in 1987, he said, "now to come back to Los Angeles is just a wonderful way to complete the circle." "A lot of the performers in our show are from Los Angeles," said Eric Newton, who plays the cartoonishly fat usher from the Cirque show "Criss Angel Believe." "I'm from Los Angeles . . . Hollywood & Highland has fun stuff. But there's nothing this grand in a place that should have something this grand." Q&A Session with Cast & Crew of OVO {Aug.05.2009} ----------------------------------------------- Are you a member of CirqueClub? Purchase your tickets to the November 28, 2009 8:00 p.m. performance of OVO in San Francisco and participate in an exceptional "Question & Answer" session with the cast and crew of the show - a privilege exclusively reserved for Cirque Club members! For more information: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/ovo/tickets/san- francisco/offers.aspx > {SOURCE: CirqueClub} ELVIS Cast Arrives! [EXPANDED] {Aug.09.2009} ----------------------------------------------- Norm Clark from the Las Vegas Review-Journal took a moment today to welcome the cast members of Cirque du Soleil's newest production -ELVIS - into town! # # # The next incarnation of Elvis arrived in Las Vegas on Saturday. Twenty-two of the 75 cast members of Cirque du Soleil's new Elvis show received a "Viva Las Vegas" welcome at McCarran's international terminal after a flight from Montreal, Cirque's headquarters. Dressed in street clothes, members of the troupe were coming down an escalator near the baggage area when they heard the surprise greeting: a serenade of the theme song from Elvis' 1964 film by more than a dozen colorful characters from "Mystere," "Ka" and "Criss Angel Believe," three of Cirque's six shows in Las Vegas. The new arrivals will have three weeks to find a place to settle before resuming rehearsals. The remaining cast members will arrive over the next couple of days, including an Elvis actor who went to Memphis this weekend for Elvis Week. Among the arrivals was dancer-actor Chris Houston, who is no stranger to Las Vegas. Scotland-born Houston, 31, was a dancer in Celine Dion's show at Caesars Palace and joined her world tour after she left Las Vegas in late 2007. When he isn't dancing he will play Vernon Presley, Elvis' father. "I'm going from the queen of Montreal to the king of rock and roll," Houston said. Production manager Mike Anderson said fans will feel Elvis' presence in the CityCenter theater. The show, directed by former Michael Jackson choreographer Vince Patterson, will feature dancers, acrobats, "a killer band and a lot of guitar elements," Anderson said. Priscilla Presley, who married Elvis in Las Vegas in 1967, was among a VIP group that got a preview of the show last Wednesday. Also attending was CityCenter boss Bobby Baldwin and Robert Sillerman, who purchased 85 percent of Elvis Presley Enterprises in 2004 for $114 million. {SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal} Columbus Dispatch Reviews Saltimbanco [EXPANDED] {Aug.13.2009} ------------------------------------------------ Acrobatics, artistry shine in Cirque du Soleil show - Cirque du Soleil sustains its high level of artistry, acrobatics and exotic showmanship with Saltimbanco, an arena-style touring show that generates as much joy and awe from solo spotlights as epic ensemble acts. A lighthearted and family-friendly variation on the successful Cirque formula that central Ohio has enjoyed with previous tent tours of Dralion, Varekai and Corteo, Saltimbanco opened yesterday to whoops of laughter, astonishment, appreciation and applause in Nationwide Arena. Of the larger acts, the most thrilling are the Chinese Poles, in which performers balance and twist at impossible right angles while climbing and descending symbolic skyscrapers; and the penultimate Bungees, in which four gravity-defying performers bring the second act to a dreamy close. Cirque's oldest tent-touring favorite, conceived by Franco Dragone in 1992, was adapted two years ago to fit the arena format, so it's no surprise that some moments make deft use of the arena's height and breadth. Yet unexpectedly, Saltimbanco is even more theatrical in the charming ways it achieves relative intimacy through crowd- pleasing solo acts and inventive duets. Ivan Do-Duc performs an incredible balancing act on the bicycle with saucy twists and limber reversals. Terry Velasquex juggles balls with an accelerating drama that seems to approach the intensity of a strobe light. Adriana Pegueroles and Eduardo Rodriguez give a stylish nod to Spanish dancing as they whip boleadoras around first in a seductive courtship of counterpoint, then in close accord. Ruslana and Taisiya Bazalii generate beauty as well as a few audience gasps in a graceful duo trapeze act. Spiderman might wonder how the lithe women manage to stay in the air and stay connected, sometimes with only interlocked feet or arms to keep them from falling. Gabor Czivisz and Andrey Zhadan demonstrate singular strength, balance and mutual support in a carefully choreographed and stately Hand to Hand, which becomes an athletic and masculine pas de deux. The clowns are especially amusing with their parodic movements and snap-crackle-popping sound effects. Veteran Cirque fans, though, will come to the conclusion pretty quickly that some of the most crowd-pleasing audience interactions involve deftly structured and teasing deceptions. In the opening Adagio, Anna Kachalova, Viktoriya Zherdyeva and Dmitri Shvidki help establish the atmosphere of balletic beauty, colorful personality and almost sensuous dexterity that makes Saltimbanco a feast for the eyes. The show is a feast for the ears, too, which might be even more remarkable. While many Cirque shows are weakened by gibberish that passes for lyrics and even more by mushy, synthetic Euro- pop scores, Saltimbanco transforms a common area of weakness into a strength. The catchy rhythms and lovely melodies embrace rock, jazz and other recognizable musical genres to give fresh support to the usual ethereal singing and playful dancing. Quite rightly, the four-member band is given pride of place at center stage, just above and behind the main performing circle. As for Saltimbanco's advertised theme of evolving city creatures, it's hard to spot, aside from a few crawling "worms." Not that it really matters: The loose themes of Cirque shows are really just symbolic scaffolding for the brilliant performers whose incredible talent brings the otherworldly landscapes to life. At yesterday's opening, only one obvious attempt at an athletic feat failed during the otherwise well-synchronized and rambunctious Russian Swing act. Such a rare mishap reminds viewers that the members of the renowned French-Canadian art- circus are so highly trained that they can make what they do look like fun and sometimes, almost make it look easy. But it's not. {SOURCE: Columbus Dispatch} Send in the Clowns! [EXPANDED] {Aug.14.2009} ----------------------------------------------- The U.S. Women’s Olympic gymnastic team didn’t earn a gold medal in 1996 simply because Kerri Strug landed a vault with a sprained ankle. Nor did John Elway win two Super Bowls for the Broncos all by himself. It’s teamwork that makes magic happen. The spotlight might be on one or two key players, but it takes a dedicated group to create something so beautiful the crowds cheer. And anyone who has seen the wonder — sometimes bizarre, always awe-inspiring — that is Cirque du Soleil will grasp that concept. Teamwork is the essence of the show. “Kooza,” the seventh Cirque traveling show to visit Denver, will entertain audiences under a classic circus tent on the Pepsi Center grounds Aug. 20 through Sept. 27. “What’s amazing is that we draw performers from all over the world and they learn to trust each other,” says choreographer Clarence Ford, 52. ” ‘Kooza’ is going back to what the classic circus is all about, acrobatics and clowning.” What you won’t find in this “classic” circus is a single lion, tiger or bear. And look all you want, there is no elephant in the room. It’s all about athletic people. Flexible, powerful, courageous, hilarious people, says Luc Tremblay, senior artistic director with Cirque. Like the performers you’ll see in Denver and the people behind the scenes, “Kooza” reflects many nationalities. The very name of the show is based on an Indian word. “It means box or small chest. It’s a circus contained in a small box,” says Tremblay, in a phone conversation from his home base in Montreal. As in many a good story, you will be introduced to a melancholy loner, an ephemeral character who plays puppet-master to others, and, of course, a comedic force in numbers, guaranteed to delight everyone from child to senior citizen — the clowns. A little warning? Expect them to be literally in your face. “They’re the ones who really interact with the audience,” says Tremblay, a 53-year-old dancer and choreographer. “The director (David Shiner) was a clown, and he’s dedicated to bringing a love of clowning and humor to our show. “The clowns aren’t aggressive, but they’re rowdy and outrageous,” he says, then bursts out laughing, as if recalling their antics. “Everyone relates to them. Adults love them as much as kids.” When it’s not laughing, it’s likely the audience will be a bit tense, hoping the slender soul tossed high up by his partner won’t land with a thud feet away from the stage. Fear not, audience. This Cirque troupe — a team of dancers, gymnasts and acrobats who will balance, bend and whirl for you — has practiced long and hard. It takes about two years from the start to get a Cirque show on the road. “The high wire, the wheel of death?” says choreographer Ford, who has worked with everyone from musicians to figure skating champions. “I can guarantee, they will have people on the edge of their seats.” Tremblay, the artistic director, echoes the statement. “We make people realize the extent of what the human body can do,” he says. On an elaborate set, you’ll see more than 50 performers from 14 countries perform such feats as balancing on a 23-foot tower of chairs; crossing twin high wires above the stage; juggling balls, hoops and clubs; and flying into the air 30 feet above the stage from a teeterboard. The trapeze artists will have you scoffing at the routine circus acts of old. “There’s a focus on acrobatic acts, and that’s the premise of the show,” Tremblay says. “But it’s also important to us to have emotion conveyed by the artists, so it’s not only pure movement.” The show, he says, explores themes of fear, power and identity. Cirque fans will appreciate another group of pros behind the scenes: the set designers who create a stage, a “Bataclan” so realistic, you’ll forget you’re sitting in a tent that took 11 days to set up. Visit the show, and you’ll be transported from the heart of the Mile High City to a magical town square in Montreal. The artists who create the costumes and paint faces that would make Picasso jealous conjure a wonderland of colorful, exotic creatures. Cirque is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and Tremblay says its founder, Guy Laliberte, is still very much in the scene. “He selects the director, and comes from time to time to each production,” Tremblay says. “He wants to make sure the show reflects his philosophy. He wants to be entertained and moved. This show is back to the basics. It’s what he intended.” {SOURCE: Denver Post} Cirque du Soleil and MJ? {Aug.15.2009} ----------------------------------------------- MONTREAL - A spokeswoman for the Cirque du soleil says the internationally renowned troupe and pop icon Michael Jackson discussed working together last year. Renee-Claude Menard says representatives for Jackson and the circus met last fall about doing a show that would star Jackson, who died June 25. But the idea didn't go anywhere, Menard added. Rumours of the collaboration resurfaced amid U.S. media reports there were plans to move the Neverland ranch to Las Vegas where a museum and theatre would be built in the singer's memory. American media report that Jackson considered mounting a show similar to the Cirque tribute to the Beatles. Jackson visited the Cirque's Montreal headquarters in 2003 and met with president Daniel Lamarre. {SOURCE: Calgary Sun} The Cirque du Soleil Also Rises [EXPANDED] {Aug.16.2009} ---------------------------------------------------- Running Away to join the circus is something Quebec’s favorite export has always encouraged. A pilot project mines the ideas of young designers and engineers who visualize the future in fresh, new ways. One couldn’t come up with more of a win-win scenario. The Cirque du Soleil, arguably Quebec’s most famously creative export, working with a group of Quebec educational institutions to promote innovation in design. They do it through the Cirque’s Centre for Research and Innovation of Performance, CRIP, which focuses on “the development of equipment environment and physical and acrobatic performance.” What better subject matter for industrial design students across the province? So far, in this pilot project set up in May 2008, the Cirque has worked with more than 125 students from the Université de Montréal, the Université du Québec in Montréal and Abitibi- Temiscamingue, Universite de Sherbrooke, the École polytechnique de Montréal, École de technologie supérieure and the Cégep du Vieux Montréal. For the Cirque, it’s an opportunity to consider the acrobatic world through fresh, young eyes. “The young designers and engineers of tomorrow see future acrobatic performance in a different light, visualizing it with concepts they have grown up with,” explains Bernard Petiot, vice-president of casting and performance at the Cirque. Students involved in this collaboration, of course, have an opportunity to work with one of Quebec’s most creative institutions. “For students, it represents a unique chance to rub shoulders with experts and offers the possibility of doing an internship within a stimulating, creative environment,” Petiot says. At the Université de Montreal, students in their final year could choose to work with the Cirque program, says Denyse Roy, a senior industrial design professor. “Their last project lasts a full year, and they have a choice of programs in which to register when they arrive in September,” she says. Four of them signed up with the Cirque du Soleil. Roy can find graduates from her U de M classes at Bombardier, Renault and well-known industrial design offices in China and other parts of the world. One of the graduates of the program is CRIP director Garry Savage.“He had different mandates,” Roy says, “and ours was to rethink the acrobatic equipment in a vision of 2025, to stay on a mechanical level, not to go into electronics.” The four students did their basic research in the fall and wrote reports on five concepts, Roy says. Finally, they created two usable prototypes and two mock-ups. “Those were big pieces of equipment. For instance, student Bianca Lee Vaillancourt has done a huge double ring, nine feet high with a stable trampoline. The double wheel rolls around and the trampoline remains horizontal. We did a mock up for that one, and for another, by student Mireille Houle, where the trampoline is suspended from the ceiling.” One of the prototypes, by student Marc-André Labelle, was “a stick with which you can do juggling and when you put it on the ground, it can make a foot, and the athlete can stand or walk with it. Student Alexe G. Séguin-Carrier created a project called toy, something halfway between a chair and a scaffold.” Not only did the students have a chance to describe their projects on the university’s website, but when the projects were unveiled in April, 1,500 people came to see them. “This project is really to encourage the ongoing emergence of new ideas and it’s a stimulating challenge for the students,” Savage says. “Honestly, I have to tell you that normally when the Cirque presents a project, the problem is not to find someone to do it, it’s to choose the right one.” What’s especially interesting, he points out, is that the Cirque does not operate like a manufacturing company. We produce shows, and from there we have to develop new acrobatic equipment and there’s no need to use a specific methodology. We work with the artist, with the human capacity, and for that we have to develop specific equipment.” At the Cirque, there is a long process from conception to creation, Savage says. “We know that these ideas will change so much from the beginning to the end, which could be a few years, depending on the equipment. We have a fantastic platform to help those students push their creativity.” There’s ample supply of great ideas among students, he believes. “What I notice in students is that they’re so creative, it’s incredible, I’m always surprised about the creativity they have. It’s just marvelous to see that,” he says. Maybe their creative ideas can’t be turned into reality by Cirque designers, but they are challenged nevertheless by the process of innovation, Savage says. “It’s really an open process, not just under one person. You have to have a lot of exchange.” So the main objective isn’t to build the designs, he says, although that remains a possibility. Rather, the main point of the exercise is to create a platform to exchange, to be open about innovation. “We already have internships, and from this program a lot of things can happen.” The Cirque du Soleil takes its role as a creator of opportunity in innovation very seriously, Savage says. They offer prizes for innovation. “They have been generous,” Roy acknowledges. “The Cirque du Soleil is an industry of shows, the culture is invention, beauty, creativity and fantasy, which is very rare.” Nevertheless, it is an industry, one in which the students can strive to work, once their ideas move from the intangible and pedagogical to reality. “They have to follow the entire process, from initial research to real prototype,” Roy says, “and finally they arrive at the exhibition. In those cases, they have learned a lot and learned to deal with that kind of client, who is very atypical.” The various institutions with which the Cirque collaborates offer added creative dimensions, Savage says. For instance, the École polytechnique students can use engineering to work on something creative and different. And the universities they have begun discussion with will add another dimension: McGill University’s engineering school and Concordia’s multimedia department. {SOURCE: Montreal Gazette} ZED soundtrack revised release dates {Aug.18.2009} ---------------------------------------------------- Thanks to a kind source inside Cirque, we've just been made aware of the revised release dates for the ZED soundtrack (composed by René Dupéré) and the Canadian release for ZAIA (composed by Violaine Corradi). We had been told August 25, but that was put on hold. Here are the new dates! U.S. - Already enjoying the ZAIA soundtrack, US fans will be the first to hear the brilliant music of the Tokyo resident show, as ZED will be released to the United States first on October 13, 2009. CANADA - ZAIA fans have been waiting patiently but will be richly rewarded on October 20, 2009. But you'll have to wait for ZED, which will be released in Canada on December 8, 2009. Behind the Scenes @ Koozå [EXPANDED] {Aug.20.2009} ---------------------------------------------------- It started with a group of 20 street performers in a small town near Quebec City in Canada called Baie-Saint-Paul. Today, there are over 4,000 employees from 40 different countries that work for Cirque Du Soleil. Cirque has grown tremendously since its humble beginnings in 1984, and on Friday, August 21st the newest touring show, Kooza, opens in Denver. You’ve most likely seen the giant blue and yellow tents that fill up the Pepsi Center parking lot, and hopefully you’ve already purchased your tickets, because Cirque shows tend to sell out. I was lucky enough to get a chance to go backstage during a rehearsal for their upcoming show, and I am now very excited to give the Examiner.com readers a chance to go behind the scenes at Cirque du Soleil. It is an interesting blend between traditional circus tents and high-tech wizardry, when you enter the big top. All around, workers were very busy making sure everything was set up, safe, and tested. In the center, some of the performers were in rehearsal, fresh off the plane and ready to start their next leg of the tour. Ganjuur Boldbaatar, one of the performers from Mongolia took a few minutes to chat with me. He is a 3rd generation circus performer, his grandfather and his father both were circus performers before him, and now he is in his 6th year with Cirque Du Soleil. This was is his first time in Denver, and he is very excited to open this weekend. “We have such a great show. Every city people have different responses and emotions, but our show is really rock and roll. We have such great acts. Well, I’ve never seen it because I’m in it, but I believe it because I’ve seen the audiences reaction. They are always standing up and screaming so loud. I think Denver is going to have a really good time with this show.” There is something quite beautiful about people from so many different countries coming together and performing for the same goal. The Cirque mission is to invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions of people around the world. This mission seems to be carried through by every person that I saw working that day, and something that Boldbaatar agreed with as well, “We represent 17 different nationalities within Kooza under the Big Top. We do this beautiful thing and as an artist I get to work with all different kinds of professional people and see different cities and countries. I meet new people and see new cultures. I’m very lucky that this is my job.” Of course it isn’t just the performers that infuse Cirque with all of this beauty and energy. Every detail from the lighting to the set to the costumes is designed and carefully crafted by artists with a similar goal. The costumes, designed by Marie- Chantale Vaillancourt, are inspired by many different things. According to a press release from Cirque Du Soleil, she takes her inspiration from graphic novels, Mad max movies, the painter Klimt, time travel movies, India, and Eastern Europe. With all of the rapid costume changes in the show, she even researched the quick-change techniques of magicians to create her own stage magic. “The challenge,” Vaillancourt says, “was not so much the quick change itself as the fact that the artists are performing acrobatics and forming into a human pyramid at the same time as the transformation and they can use only their thumbs to pull off the trick.” There are more than 175 costumes and 160 hats in the show, the design elements will astound the audience. They include fiber optics and LEDs molded in translucent resin to diffuse the light. The skeleton costumes are even specially designed so that when the performers hit them against each other, they create a musical rhythm. Where else will you find all of this in just one show? Cirque Du Soleil has been here a few times before, and they’ve always been welcomed with open arms. Denver is a city that has a growing arts community and a growing reputation for excellence in the arts, so it is only natural that a huge touring company like Cirque would be back. Kooza is here through September 27th, so be sure to get your tickets right away while you still can. {SOURCE: Denver Theater Examiner} New "Yellow Submarine" in 3-D? {Aug.20.2009} ---------------------------------------------------- A number of entertainment sources are reporting this morning that Walt Disney Entertainment and Director Robert Zemeckis are in negotiations to remake the psychedelic 1960's toon "Yellow Submarine", starring The Beatles: # # # Disney and Robert Zemeckis are looking to catch the wave of Beatlemania, floating a new 3-D "Yellow Submarine" for the big-screen, with merchandising in tow and prospects for spinning off both a Broadway musical and a Cirque du Soleil stage production. Disney hopes to have the film ready to premiere around the 2012 Summer Olympics. The deal has been months in the making, with armies of Blue Meanies - er, lawyers - sorting out the complicated rights clearances necessary to remake the 1968 psychedelic toon. Key to the deal is Zemeckis’ access to 16 classic Beatles tunes, ranging from the title song to “Baby You’re a Rich Man,” “All You Need Is Love,” “When I’m 64,” “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Zemeckis plans to use the 3-D performance-capture format he utilized on the upcoming “A Christmas Carol,” in which Jim Carrey plays Scrooge as well as the ghosts that haunt him. His ImageMovers banner would produce. Though the Beatles broke up in 1970, interest in their music has remained high, as reflected in such recent projects as Julie Taymor’s “Across the Universe” pic and Cirque du Soleil’s “Love” production in Las Vegas. September will bring a flurry of remastered Beatles albums and the release of vidgame “The Beatles: Rock Band,” which incorporates some 45 of the band’s songs. The storyline of the original “Yellow Submarine,” directed by George Dunning, was set in Pepperland, an undersea paradise protected by Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. When the band is captured by the music-hating Blue Meanies, a soldier is sent to Liverpool to fetch the Fab Four, who hop in the submarine and save the day. The Beatles appeared only in the film’s closing live-action scene. Actors provided the voices for the animated incarnations of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. After months of legal music rights wrangling, Robert Zemeckis has won the battle for Pepperland - he can make a new version of Yellow Submarine. It'll come as no surprise that he's planning to give it a fully 3D, performance capture-based makeover, and with the backing of Disney, he plans to have it finished for summer 2012. Zemeckis has access to some 16 Beatles tunes, including 'All You Need Is Love', 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' and 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band'. It's not known how much of the original, psychedelic plot - which saw music-loathing Blue Meanies capture Pepper and his musical team, with the Fab Four coming to the rescue in the titular craft - will be maintained for the new pic. Because this is the Mouse House, it's naturally not happening in a vacuum - the plan is to spin the new movie off into the likes of a Broadway musical and a Cirque du Soleil show... {SOURCE: Variety} ZAiA Celebrates One Year Anniversary! {Aug.21.2009} ---------------------------------------------------- You can join the cast of ZAiA in celebration of its 1st anniversary on Friday, August 28 at The Venetian in Macao, Cotai Strip. The evening begins with a pre-show cocktail, where you are invited to come face-to-face with the Cirque du Soleil performers themselves! Then, you can watch the spectacular special first anniversary performance. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Cirque du Soleil both on and off the stage! For more information: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/zaia/ > Chris Pierce, Koozå Chef [EXPEDIA] {Aug.27.2009} ---------------------------------------------------- Recently the Denver Cooking Examiner took a few moments to sit down with Koozå Chef Chris Pierce. So, how many calories does a Cirque du Soleil artist need? * * * To get ready to see Kooza, not as in the show, but the Kooza kitchen I got in Cirque du Soleil mode with a little help from makeup artist Laura Bisio over at MAC in the Cherry Creek mall. As Cirque du Soleil’s writer and director, David Shiner says about Kooza, the latest production now on tour at the Pepsi Center Grounds, “The tone is funny, light, and open.” And after meeting with Chef Chris Pierce who travels across country to keep the performers and crew well nourished, I’d say the same thing about him. Pierce is funny, he keeps their meals light, and he openly welcomed me into their large mobile kitchen to share what is on the healthy menu. Chef Pierce’s response to how many calories a day the artists need, “It varies for each performer, but they do eat a lot.” And looking across the prep tables, I’d say he was right. Yet the quantity equals quality. Tables were lined with salad stations, fresh fish, and lean cuts of organic meat. He said they go through 15 pounds of fish a day and 20 pounds of red meat a day. When asked if they can have dessert? “Yes, they can. They mostly crave heart healthy dark chocolates.” Pierce, previously a chef in Boulder’s Q's restaurant is glad to be back working in Colorado due to the abundance of farmer’s markets and organic farms. Next stop, Santa Monica where he already is planning to have a man on foot scouting ahead before they get there for the freshest of produce, fish, and meat. I asked if he had any special secret foods that would allow us Kooza fans to contort into such limber positions. His response, “No, that’s hard work and genetics.” Come taste for yourself, as the show runs through September 27. Bon appétit to the chef of the acrobats! {SOURCE: Examiner.com} Update: Cosmonaut Laliberté [EXPANDED] {Aug.27.2009} ---------------------------------------------------- Curious to know how training for Guy Laliberté's poetic mission into space is going? Canada's Sun-Times checks in with the Cosmonaut-in-training in Star City, Russia: * * * With only 33 days left before he blasts into space, Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte is in the final intensive stages of becoming a cosmonaut in Star City, the Russian space program's training facility. Since May 10, the billionaire Quebec businessman has been living at this former military base located 32 km outside of Moscow. Star City, more of a small town with its school, service station and one restaurant, has been the home to the cosmonauts since the 1960s. Fully dressed in his blue spacesuit and helmet, Canada's first space tourist makes the trip from his apartment to the Yuri Gargarin Training Centre every day by bicycle. With the launch set for September 30, the training now dominates his every waking hour. "On average, I've slept four or five hours a night since I got here," said the smiling 49-year-old, who still manages to look upbeat and in shape despite the lack of shuteye. It's no holiday in Star City. A small army of professors are in charge of the training, running between eight and 12 hours. Two weeks before liftoff, Laliberte and his crewmates, Russian Federal Space Agency commander Maksim Surayev and NASA flight engineer Jeffrey Williams, will be under strict quarantine. On launch day, the three of them will board the Soyuz TMA-16 rocket's tiny launch module, where they will stay seated throughout the liftoff. Only after three hours of flight in this nine cubic metre space will they be able to move into the next module, where the water, food and toilets are located. The two-day voyage will end when they dock at the International Space Station (ISS). "About 80% of astronauts or cosmonauts take between 24 and 48 hours to adapt, and often it ends with medication (and) injections," Laliberte said. Once aboard, the crew will go over emergency measures one more time before getting settled in to their busy routine in orbit. "I'm only a visitor, so I'll probably sleep on the couch," Laliberte said with a laugh. In addition to the small tasks he will be expected to perform while on the ISS, Laliberte plans to continue filming a documentary he's been working on and deliver a poetic message to Earth (an ambitious project that he promises will be on a worldwide scale). He will also spend time taking pictures of his home planet, but doesn't think he'll be able to beat the 85,000 photos Williams took on his last trip. Laliberte is slated to return to earth with two other crew members after 12 days in orbit. The Cirque founder, who says he paid around $35 million for the experience, is the seventh such space tourist and will likely be the last private visitor to the ISS for some time. NASA will increasingly require the use of the Soyuz rockets after they officially retire the Space Shuttle program in 2010. {SOURCE: Owen Sound Sun-Times} Dragone Documentary Screens in Montreal [EXPANDED] {Aug.31.2009} ---------------------------------------------------- Franco Dragone has altered the boundaries of theatre. The visionary creator and director behind a dozen Cirque du Soleil productions - Saltimbanco, Mystère, Alegria, Quidam, O and La Nouba among them - Dragone dreams in three dimensions. Dragone brought an avant-garde element to Céline Dion's A New Day in Vegas. He has had ballet dancers bring new meaning to underwater erotica in La Rêve, a non-Cirque revue also staged in Vegas. But there is another side to the man who has had contortionists contorting body parts never contorted before in mega-glam, mega- budget spectacles. Dragone feels a huge debt of gratitude to the small Belgian working-class town that welcomed his Italian immigrant family when he was just a kid. Dragone's base of operations is now La Louvière, Belgium, an area once rich in steel and coal mines, but now experiencing hard times and high unemployment. He also seeks to bring some world-class culture to the place by staging a surreal take on Othello. But while he wishes to eschew the glitz so indigenous to his Vegas / Cirque du Soleil offerings, Dragone is no less a hard- driving perfectionist in breathing life into Othello than he was in O. Though most concur Dragone is one of the most creative souls in the universe, consensus is that he is also one of the most complex. Manu Bonmariage, a fellow Belgian and documentary director, had set out to unmask and demystify the man in Looking for Dragone, which makes its local debut Tuesday at the Montreal World Film Festival. And he succeeds. What transpires is a fascinating, warts-and-all peek into the inner workings of the dynamo that is Dragone. Bonmariage spent two months tailing Dragone, from Las Vegas to La Louvière to Macao. The gloss of Las Vegas is much in evidence. But it's the grit of La Louvière that stands out most. Bonmariage is on hand from the get-go as Dragone mounts Othello, Le Passeur in La Louvière. It's a challenge. Dragone has high expectations from his charges. They rebel against his modernist, Vegas-like approach. He is undaunted. Ever the taskmaster, he brings his actors to tears in conveying his vision. This is the sort of behind-the-scenes interplay that rarely surfaces. But Dragone and his cast are only too willing to share their feelings with Bonmariage, who was also the doc's cameraman. It all makes for most compelling and instructive viewing. While Dragone may have strong socialist leanings, he makes no bones about trying to inject a little capitalism into economically depressed La Louvière. His mantra is: Profits create investment and employment. So while he wants to bring a little theatre to the town, he also plans on making his Othello a financial success. Unlike most artistic visionaries, Dragone believes culture and commerce can co-exist - quite happily. Dragone remains surprisingly unaffected by the excesses to which he has been exposed in Vegas. He appears totally devoted to his wife and young son, to whom he imparts this message: "Without love, there is no life." It goes without saying that the same applies to no life without dreams in the Dragone home. Bonmariage has long been intrigued by Dragone. "He is such a unique individual," he says, in Montreal for the doc's festival debut. "He is a man of the people who never changed in spite of becoming one of the biggest figures on the world stage. He had dreams and he followed through on them. Yet he never turned his back on his community. His concern for his fellow man far outweighs his desire for fame and fortune." Bonmariage admits he's in awe when perusing Dragone's CV As one of Dragone's friends, the head of the Belgian Socialist party, mentions in the doc: "If I were to read his resumé, we'd be here all night." But Bonmariage feels Dragone's gift is in having brought a little culture to the masses as well as the elite. "There is no question that he is tough on his actors and collaborators, but he has a vision of what he wants to create and he won't compromise on that level," Bonmariage notes. "But that doesn't mean he's a tyrant. He's simply a passionate man." As is rather evident in the doc, Dragone gave Bonmariage carte blanche in shooting. "I was very clear with him," Bonmariage says. "I told him my goal was not to make a movie about a saint, but rather just to make a movie about a man. Which is precisely what he wanted, too." Though Dragone had no say in the film's final cut, Bonmariage screened it for him first. So how did Dragone feel about the doc? "He told me that if he didn't like it, he would simply say: 'Thank you and goodbye.' But that if he did like it, we would eat fine Italian cuisine and drink champagne all night long." Dragone must have given the flick two thumbs up. The two ended up eating fine Italian food and knocking back the champers all night long. {SOURCE: Montreal Gazette} ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) TOURING - Under the Big Top {Corteo, Dralion, Koozå, OVO, Quidam & Varekai} o) RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, ZAIA, ZED & Believe} o) VENUE - Arena & Seasonal Productions {Saltimbanco, Alegría | Wintuk, Vaudeville2009} NOTE: .) While we make every effort to provide complete and accurate touring dates and locations available, the information in this section is subject to change without notice. As such, the Fascination! Newsletter does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of these listings. .) Dates so marked (*) are not official until released by Cirque du Soleil. For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts, please visit our website < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. --------------------------------- TOURING - Under the Big Top --------------------------------- Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=39 > Corteo: Osaka, Japan -- Jul 29, 2009 to Oct 18, 2009 Tokyo, Japan -- Nov 4, 2009 to Jan 24, 2010 Fukuoka, Japan -- Feb 11, 2010 to Apr 4, 2010 (*) Sendai, Japan -- Apr 21, 2010 to Jun 6, 2010 (*) Dralion: Monterrey, Mexico -- Sep 17, 2009 to Oct 11, 2009 (*) Guadalajara, Mexico -- Oct 22, 2009 to Nov 15, 2009 (*) Mexico City, Mexico -- Nov 26, 2009 to Jan 17, 2010 Kooza: Denver, CO -- Aug 20, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009 Santa Monica, CA -- Oct 16, 2009 to Dec 20, 2009 Irvine, CA -- Jan 8, 2010 to Feb 14, 2010 San Diego, CA -- Feb 25, 2010 to Mar 28, 2010 Portland, OR -- Apr 9, 2010 to May 23, 2010 (*) Seattle, WA -- Jun 3, 2010 to Jul 11, 2010 (*) Vancouver, BC -- Jul 22, 2010 to TBA (*) Houston, TX -- Sep 23, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010 (*) Miami, FL -- Nov 18, 2010 to Dec 26, 2010 (*) Ovo: Toronto, ON -- Sep 3, 2009 to Nov 01, 2009 San Francisco, CA -- Nov 27, 2009 to Jan 24, 2010 San Jose, CA -- Feb 4, 2010 to Mar 21, 2010 Philadelphia, PA -- Apr 8, 2010 to May 16, 2010 (*) New York, NY -- May 27, 2010 to Jul 4, 2010 (*) Hartford, CT -- Jul 15, 2010 to Aug 15, 2010 (*) Boston, MA -- TBA Washington, DC -- Oct 14, 2010 to Nov 28, 2010 (*) Atlanta, GA -- TBA Quidam: Salvador, BR -- Aug 13, 2009 to Sep 6, 2009 (*) Brasília, BR -- Sep 18, 2009 to Oct 11, 2009 Belo Horizonte, BR -- Oct 23, 2009 to Nov 22, 2009 (*) Curitiba, BR -- Dec 4, 2009 to Dec 27, 2009 (*) Rio de Janeiro, BR -- Jan 8, 2010 to Feb 7, 2010 (*) Sao Paulo, BR -- Feb 26, 2010 to May 2, 2010 (*) Porto Alegre, BR -- May 27, 2010 to Jul 11, 2010 (*) Buenos Aiers, AR -- Jul 23, 2010 to Aug 29, 2010 (*) Santiago, CL -- Sep 11, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010 (*) Varekai: Hamburg, Germany -- Aug 28, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009 (*) Moscow, Russia -- Oct 23, 2009 to Dec 31, 2009 London, UK -- Jan 6, 2010 to Jan 24, 2010 --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- NOTE: (*) Prices are in United States Dollars (USD) unless otherwise noted. (*) Price reflected in brackets [] is inclusive of 10% Las Vegas Entertainment Tax where applicable, but does not include Sales Tax. Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=40 > Mystère: Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday Two shows Nightly - o Saturday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm o Sunday: 4:30pm & 7:00pm o Monday - Wednesday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm 2009 Ticket Prices: o Category 1: $109.00 o Category 2: $99.00 o Category 3: $95.00 o Category 4: $79.00 o Category 6: $69.00 o Category 7: $60.00 (Limited View) 2009 Dark Dates: o September 3 - 11 o November 4 "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm 2009 Ticket Prices: o Orchestra: $150.00 [$165.00] o Loggia: $125.00 [$137.50] o Balcony: $99.00 [$108.90] o Limited View: $93.50 [102.85] 2009 Dark Dates: o October 4 o December 7 - 22 La Nouba: Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark: Sun/Mon Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm 2009 Ticket Prices (adults) / (child 3-9): o Category 0: $117.00 / $94.00 (+Tax) o Category 1: $102.00 / $82.00 (+Tax) o Category 2: $83.00 / $67.00 (+Tax) o Category 3: $67.00 / $54.00 (+Tax) o Category 4: $53.00 / $43.00 (+Tax) 2009 Dark Dates: o September 20 - 28 o November 17 Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm 2009 Ticket Prices (18+ Only!): o Category 1: $135.00 o Category 2: $99.00 o Category 3: $79.00 o Category 4: $69.00 o Category 5: $69.00 (Obstructed View) 2009 Dark Dates: o September 7 - 8 o October 19 - 21 o December 1 - 14 KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Fri through Tue, Dark Wed/Thu Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2009 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12): o Category 1: $150.00 [$165.00] / $75.00 [$82.50] o Category 2: $125.00 [$137.50] / $62.50 [$68.75] o Category 3: $99.00 [$108.90] / $49.50 [$54.45] o Category 4: $69.00 [$75.90] / $34.50 [$37.95] 2009 Dark Dates o September 6 - 12 o November 10 LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2009 Ticket Prices: o Lower Orchestra: $150.00 [$165.00] o Upper Orchestra: $125.00 [137.50] o Lower Balcony: $99.00 [$108.80] o Middle Balcony: $93.50 [$102.85] o Upper Balcony: $69.00 [$75.90] 2009 Dark Dates: o September 1 o October 6 - 8 o December 1 - 16 ZAIA: Location: Venetian, Macao (China) Performs: Tuesday through Sunday, Dark Monday One to Two Shows Daily - Tuesday: 8:00pm Wednesday: 8:00pm Thursday - Saturday: 7:00pm & 10:00pm Sunday: 4:00pm & 7:00pm 2008 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 0-12): o Category 1: MOP$ 1288 / No Child o Category 2: MOP$ 788 / MOP$ 688 o Category 3: MOP$ 588 / MOP$ 488 o Category 4: MOP$ 388 / MOP$ 288 2009 Dark Dates: o Not Available ZED: Location: Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo (Japan) Performs: Varies One to Two Shows Daily - Showtimes vary 2009 Ticket Prices (all): o Category 1 ("Premium"): ¥18,000 o Category 2 ("Front"): ¥15,000 o Category 3 ("Regular"): ¥9,800 o Category 4 ("Overview"): ¥7,800 2009 Dark Dates: o Not Available BELIEVE: Location: Luxor, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:00pm NOTE: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Children under the age of five are not permitted into the theater. 2009 Ticket Prices (all): o Category 1: $160.00 + Tax o Category 2: $125.00 + Tax o Category 3: $99.00 + Tax o Category 4: $79.00 + Tax o Category 5: $59.00 + Tax 2009 Dark Dates: o September 8 o October 12 - 19 -------------------------------------- VENUE - Arena & Seasonal Productions -------------------------------------- Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=251 > Saltimbanco: Stockholm, SE -- Sep 17, 2009 to Sep 20, 2009 Helsinki, FI -- Sep 23, 2009 to Sep 27, 2009 Turku, FI -- Sep 30, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009 Oslo, NO -- Oct 8, 2009 to Oct 11, 2009 Aalborg, DK -- Oct 14, 2009 to Oct 18, 2009 Copenhagen, DK -- Oct 21, 2009 to Nov 1, 2009 Gothenburg, SE -- Nov 4, 2009 to Nov 8, 2009 Mannheim, DE -- Nov 10, 2009 to Nov 14, 2009 Nice, FR -- Nov 19, 2009 to Nov 22, 2009 Rotterdam, NL -- TBA Geneva, CH -- TBA Barcelona, ES -- TBA Salzburg, AT -- TBA Strasbourg, FR -- TBA Frankfurt, DE -- TBA Nantes, FR -- TBA Alegría: Albany, NY -- Sep 2, 2009 to Sep 6, 2009 Syracuse, NY -- Sep 9, 2009 to Sep 13, 2009 Amherst, MA -- Sep 16, 2009 to Sep 20, 2009 Rochester, NY -- Sep 23, 2009 to Sep 27, 2009 State College, PA -- Sep 30, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009 Pittsburgh, PA -- Oct 7, 2009 to Oct 11, 2009 Philadelphia, PA -- Oct 13, 2009 to Oct 16, 2009 Reading, PA -- Oct 20, 2009 to Oct 25, 2009 London, ON -- Nov 12, 2009 to Nov 15, 2009 Greenville, SC -- Nov 18, 2009 to Nov 22, 2009 Augusta, GA -- Nov 26, 2009 to Nov 29, 2009 Hampton, VA -- Dec 2, 2009 to Dec 6, 2009 Worcester, MA -- Dec 9, 2009 to Dec 13, 2009 Montreal, QC -- Dec 18, 2009 to Dec 30, 2009 Quebec, QC -- Jan 5, 2010 to Jan 10, 2010 Detroit, MI -- Feb 4, 2010 to Feb 7, 2010 Indianapolis, IN -- Feb 11, 2010 to Feb 14, 2010 Austin, TX -- Feb 17, 2010 to Feb 21, 2010 Frisco, TX -- Feb 24, 2010 to Feb 28, 2010 Hoffman Estates, IL -- Mar 3, 2010 to Mar 7 2010 Cedar Rapids, IA -- Mar 10, 2010 to Mar 14, 2010 Champaign, IL -- Mar 17, 2010 to Mar 21, 2010 Omaha, NE -- Mar 24, 2010 to Mar 28, 2010 East Lansing, MI -- Mar 31, 2010 to Apr 4, 2010 Cleveland, OH -- Apr 7, 2010 to Apr 11, 2010 Wintuk: Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark Monday/Tuesday Exception: December 22nd, 28th and 29th Previews on Wednesday November 11th and 12th at 7:30pm Regular Season begins Friday, November 13th! Schedule: There are currently 87 scheduled performances between Wednesday, November 11, 2009 and Sunday, January 3, 2010 on the following days: o) Mon [2] - 12/28 (2) o) Tue [4] - 12/22 (2), 12/29 (2) o) Wed [12] - 11/11 (1), 11/18 (1), 11/25 (2), 12/2 (1), 12/9 (1), 12/16 (2), 12/23 (2), 12/30 (2) o) Thu [13] - 11/12 (1), 11/19 (2), 11/26 (2), 12/3 (2), 12/10 (2), 12/17 (2), 12/24 (2), o) Fri [11] - 11/13 (1), 11/20 (2), 11/27 (2), 12/4 (2), 12/11 (2), 12/18 (2) o) Sat [24] - 11/14 (3), 11/21 (3), 11/28 (3), 12/5 (3), 12/12 (3), 12/19 (3), 12/26 (3), 1/2 (3) o) Sun [21] - 11/15 (2), 11/22 (2), 11/29 (3), 12/6 (3), 12/13 (3), 12/27 (3), 1/3 (2) Performance Times: Wintuk may perform at the following times throughout its run. Consort the official schedule for exact showtimes: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/Wintuk/ schedule/WIN09_Show_Schedule.pdf > o) Monday: 2:30pm, 7:30pm o) Tuesday: 2:30pm, 7:30pm o) Wednesday: (2:30pm), 7:30pm o) Thursday: (11:00am), (2:30pm), 7:30pm o) Friday: (11:00am), 2:30pm, 7:30pm o) Saturday: 11:00am, 2:30pm, 7:30pm o) Sunday: 1:00pm, 5:00pm / 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm Ticket Prices: Tickets range from $30.00 to $220 based on category and date of performance. Peek and non-peek pricing is in effect. Vaudeville2009: Location: Chicago Theater, Chicago (USA) Schedule: There are currently 59 scheduled performances between Thursday, November 19, 2009 and Sunday, January 3, 2010, on the following days: o) Mon [02] - 12/28 (2) o) Tue [05] - 12/22 (3), 12/20 (2) o) Wed [11] - 11/25, 12/2, 12/9 (2), 12/16 (2), 12/23 (3), 12/30 (2) o) Thu [03] - 11/19, 12/10, 12/17 o) Fri [05] - 11/20, 11/27, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18 o) Sat [19] - 11/21 (2), 11/28 (2), 12/5 (3), 12/12 (3), 12/19 (3), 12/26 (3), 1/2 (3) o) Sun [14] - 11/22 (2), 11/29 (2), 12/6 (2), 12/13 (2), 12/20 (2), 12/27 (2), 1/3 (2) PERFORMANCE TIMES o) Wednesday: 2:00pm, 8:00pm (12pm, 4pm, 8pm on 12/23) o) Thursday: 8:00pm o) Friday: 8:00pm o) Saturday: (12:00pm), 4:00pm, 8:00pm o) Sunday: 1:00pm, 5:00pm TICKET PRICES o) Adults (1-8 tickets): PEAK / WEEKEND: Regular: $48.00, $65.00, $85.00, $98.00 Premium: $150.00 Tapis Rouge: $300.00 NON-PEAK / WEEKEDAY: Regular: $35.00, $45.00, $65.00, $82.00 Premium: $115.00 Tapis Rouge: $275.00 PRE-THANKSGIVING: Regular: $23.00, $30.00, $50.00, $75.00 Premium: None Tapis Rouge: None NOTE: Student, Senior and Group pricing are available. ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE'S SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub o) Networking -- Cirque on Twitter, Facebook & MySpace o) Gatherings -- CirqueCon, Celebri & More! --------------------------------------- CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub --------------------------------------- 25 Years of Stories! - A Fairy Tale Proposal {Aug.25.2009} MAY LENG YUEN - Assistant to the Senior Vice-President of Resident Shows Division /// When Alegría was in Vancouver, it was touring in the majestic-looking white big top. One beautiful, sunny late Saturday afternoon, there was a slight commotion at the staff entrance; a horse trailer had driven up and a knight in shining armour was approaching the Security booth. The knight wanted to ask permission to use the big top as a backdrop for his marriage proposal to his girlfriend. After Security agreed to this unusual request, the horse was led out of the trailer and the knight saddled up to wait for his bride- to-be. When she arrived and walked closer, her mouth dropped open; rose in hand and surrounded by an audience of Alegría employees, the knight dismounted, took his bride’s hand and, on bended knee, proposed. We all clapped when she said “Yes.” As stories go, this has to be a modern-day setting for a fairy- tale proposal. Saltimbano Life in Arenas - Travel & Lodging [EXPANDED] {Aug.24.2009} For the third installment of "Life in Arenas," we'll be looking into something that is very important to any touring person: where they will be staying, and how they will be getting there. I've been touring with Cirque du Soleil for 5 years now. I was on Varekai for 4 years, and I can easily tell you the name of each property I stayed in, in order of city visited, as well as where the Tour Services trailer was located on the site. Since I've joined Saltimbanco, I can barely remember which city I was in last week, let alone the name of the hotel I called home. One of the thrills of touring arenas is how fast things move. But pace is not the only thing that differs from touring with the big top to visiting arenas when it comes to travel and lodging. Because the big top kitchen trailer doesn't change, the layout is always the same. You always know where to find the bread, the milk, the salad bar, etc. With arena shows, we change venues practically every week and our catering area is rarely ever the same shape or size. Finding "the essentials" can therefore be tricky at times. The most solicited person on Saltimbanco, Amanda Gee, is the first person to be called Travel and Lodging Coordinator on an arena tour. Like all of us, she loves the "accelerated" lifestyle the arena tour offers. The variety of work is something that she really enjoys. In a 10-week span, she'll work on something very detailed, like creating rooming lists, to something more general, like arranging flights for transfers. Add to that the organizing of tour break travel every 10 weeks or so for 90 people, giving shuttle drivers indications on where to park… she never stops! But Amanda says her job is rewarding. Once we've arrived in a new city after a smooth transfer, and everyone has settled into their rooms, and the shuttle has left for its first run on load- in morning, she feels a great sense of accomplishment. I asked Amanda what the ideal situation would be for her, work- wise. "Well, we'd get on a bus right after the show on Sunday night, go directly to the next city, and arrive in time to have a drink in the lobby bar. We'd stay in the city for over a week, and would be within walking distance of the venue." As for the worst possible scenario, here is what she says: "It would have to be a split week (meaning the show is performed in two cities in the same week) when we'd need shuttles in each city to get to the venue, on top of transferring by plane. Thankfully, this has not happened!" Marie-Hélène Lowe Special Correspondent --------------------------------------------------- NETWORKING: Cirque on Twitter, Facebook & Myspace --------------------------------------------------- {Special | Vaudeville} Cirque du Soleil has created a special splash page for its new Vaudeville production scheduled to preview this fall in Chicago and has teased us fans with interesting behind-the-scenes peeks and interviews regarding the production. CIRQUE DU SOLEIL EXPLORES A NEW ENTERTAINMENT GENRE Monday, July 27, 2009 Each week, sneak a peek behind the scenes of a brand new genre for Cirque du Soleil. From the arrival of the artists in Montreal until its premiere at The Chicago Theatre in November 2009, follow the creation process of this new production via our exclusive news, pictures and videos. < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/vaudeville/ creation-journal/sneak-peek/video-gallery/video.aspx > DISCOVER THE NEW SHOW Tuesday, August 04, 2009 This week, writer and director David Shiner and director of creation Serge Roy talk about launching an entirely new genre of show for Cirque du Soleil. Click below for a sneak peek at this production, which features a new take on the art of Vaudeville < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/vaudeville/ creation-journal/discover/video-gallery/video.aspx > A NEW TAKE ON TAP Tuesday, August 04, 2009 Luke Hawkins and Melissa Schott, two dancers from our upcoming show, brought us into their rehearsal studio. They took some time to explain the major role dancing plays in this new production, and to show off their own specialty: tap dancing. See our new take on this dance style in our exclusive video. < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/vaudeville/ creation-journal/tap/video-gallery/video.aspx > A VENTURE INTO VAUDEVILLE Wednesday, August 12, 2009 This week, David Shiner introduces us to the world of vaudeville. He explains what this art form consisted of and delves into its origins. < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/vaudeville/ creation-journal/venture-vaudeville/video- gallery/video.aspx > DEFINING VAUDEVILLE: THE COMIC ARTISTS' POINT OF VIEW Tuesday, August 25, 2009 Wayne Wilson and Daniel Passer, two comic artists in the show, share their own interpretation of what vaudeville is. Funny, that's not how David Shiner explained it... Absurd... surprising-in short, an interview that truly captures the spirit of this new show. < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/vaudeville/ creation-journal/defining/video-gallery/video.aspx > {Special | ELVIS} A word from the director of the show and the director of Creation Vincent Paterson, Director, and Armand Thomas, Director of Creation, tell us about their background and their role in the creation of this major production. They give us a summary of the show's story, and Vincent tells us about his first encounter with Elvis's work. Vincent Paterson's Presentation: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/elvis/videos/gallery- creators/video-gallery/video1.aspx > Armond Thomas's Presentation: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/elvis/videos/gallery- creators/video-gallery/Video2.aspx > A Peek at the Shows content: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/elvis/videos/gallery- creators/video-gallery/Video3.aspx > Vincent Dives into the world of Elvis: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/elvis/videos/gallery- creators/video-gallery/Video4.aspx > # # # {Aug.03.2009 | "O"} Yesterday was a beautiful day in LA! In honor of the 25th anniversary of Cirque du Soleil, visitors at The Grove were treated to performances by all 6 Vegas Cirque shows. Here's ours! Fotos [10]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=93886&id= 26000574416&ref=mf > {Aug.06.2009 | ZAiA} Check out these media interviews with ZAIA! Fotos [4]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=96555&id= 34277887388&ref=mf > {Aug.06.2009 | ZAiA} JURKARI Fit to fly, a gym workout inspired by Cirque du Soleil, has been launched by Reebok in Hong Kong. Five ZAIA artists performed at the launch press event. Fotos [19]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=96552&id= 34277887388&ref=mf > {Aug.12.2009 | LOVE} Pictures from the Lady Madonna performance at The Grove. Fotos [12]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=100241&id= 14653468665&ref=mf > {Aug.13.2009 | ZED} Pictures of the fabulous performance held at the Landmark Tower in Yokohama on August 5 2009 with our musicians, Johanna, Kevin, Seishi and David. Fotos: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=138627&id= 41326571163&ref=mf > (More Pictures can be found on Flickr. See our Flickr list!) {Aug.17.2009 | Koozå} Koozå opens in DENVER this Thursday at Pepsi Center Grounds under the blue and yellow Big Top. Go backstage and get a sneak peek with CBS 4! o) Sneak Peek: < http://cbs4denver.com/video/?id=59669@kcnc.dayport.com > o) Raising Big top: < http://cbs4denver.com/video/?id=60759@kcnc.dayport.com > {Aug.18.2009 | Koozå} An interactive promotional stunt held in Denver last weekend encouraged people to audition to become the next "Be a KOOZA STAR". | Click on the link to view and vote for your favorite performance and register to win a pair of tickets to see KOOZA from Cirque du Soleil in Denver starting August 20 at Pepsi Center Grounds! Link: < http://www.beakoozastar.com/ > {Aug.19.2009 | Mystère} Hey Mystère fans, here's a deal you can't refuse! Who says you can only wear your heart on your sleeve? Cirque du Soleil ** 91 Dodge Steath Custom Car ** Link: < http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/1328737205.html > {Aug.21.2009 | Mystère} Croft, our Artistic Director, and two of our dancers (Hanifa Jackson & Bernard Gaddis) spent some time with our friends at KTNV Ch. 13 here in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. KTNV was feeling generous so they shared it with their viewers as well. Enjoy! < http://www.ktnv.com/global/Category.asp?c=164911&autoStart= true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=4017842&flvUri= > {Aug.21.2009 | Wintuk} Creating the Wintuk wonderland Video [0:38]: < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v= 125306066422&ref=mf > {Aug.21.2009 | KÀ} Our good friends at KTNV Channel 13 Las Vegas invited us to their studio last week for a chat and some feats of strength. Here's Adrian Porter, our head coach, talking about what it takes to become a performer at KÀ, and artists JJ, Ma Chao and Yanan doing what they do best! < http://www.ktnv.com/global/Category.asp?c=164911&autoStart= true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=4043975&flvUri= > {Aug.21.2009 | BELIEVE} Dancer Bruce Weber was FIERCE this morning on KTNV, ABC Ch 13 Las Vegas! Check it out! < http://www.ktnv.com/global/Category.asp?c=164911&clipId= 4063110&flvUri=http://flash.video.worldnow.com/ktnv/ KTNV_2108200910560113573_6053431B.flv&topVideoCatNo=0& autoStart=true&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag= homepage&clipFormat=flv > {Aug.23.2009 | Koozå} A sneak preview - Denver - Slideshows < http://www.westword.com/slideshow/view/28214743/1 > {Aug.26.2009 | Wintuk} Check out these costume sketches! Fotos [8]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=298047&id= 98244255320&ref=mf > {Aug.27.2009 | Koozå} Meet Colette Livingston and learn how she keeps the KOOZA performers on their feet! Video: < http://www.cobizmag.com/videos/view/cirques-cobbler- keeps-performers-on-their-feet/ > {Aug.27.2009 | LOVE} Check out these LOVE photos from one of our favorite photographers - Tomas Muscionico Fotos [10]: < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=144221&id= 591001048 > {Aug.28.2009 | La Nouba} Two artists in La Nouba, Mark Griffith (Powertrack/Trampoline artist) and Ryan Weston (Red Pierrot), were inducted into the 2009 USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame at a ceremony held in Dallas, Texas on August 14! The U.S. World Championships Team for men's double mini-trampoline claimed the double-mini team world title at the 1999 World Championships in Sun City, South Africa. The members of the team were: Karl Heger of Rockford, Ill.; Mark Griffith of Orlando; Byron Smith of Lubbock, Texas; and Ryan Weston of Orlando. Mark is the 2000 U.S. trampoline champion and earned U.S. titles in double mini-trampoline in 1996 and 1999. In addition to his team gold medal at the 1999 World Championships, Mark finished seventh in double mini. Ryan, the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team alternate, is an eight-time U.S. trampoline champion (1996-99, 2001-04) and a four-time U.S. synchronized trampoline champion (1999, 2003-05). Congratulations, Mark and Ryan on this fantastic achievement!! {Aug.29.2009 | Mystère} A few of you have been asking for updates to the Man-in-the-Box photos, please bear with us while we work out some technical difficulties on our end and we promise to have new photos up soon! In the meantime, please enjoy this behind the scenes in Cirque du Soleil's Mystere in Las Vegas Video [7:12]: < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4OXdDYunIo > {Aug.29.2009 | "O"} In case you missed the performance at KTNV yesterday! < http://www.ktnv.com/global/Category.asp?c=164911&autoStart= true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=4082517&flvUri= > {Aug.30.2009 | OVO} A cool link about the Big Top going up in Toronto! Read More: < http://www.thestar.com/videozone/687495 > {Aug.31.2009 | Koozå} Watch Chris Parente on FOX-TV Denver chatting with KOOZA artist Corine Latreille and trying the low wire with Angel and Vincente Quiros from the KOOZA high wire act! < http://www.kdvr.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=5757e1b6-55ee-46ff- b1ec-cf8bc5d39421&cat=31405f9f-3a3d-41f0-b7e3- de9b919503fa&src=front&title=Everyday%20Dish > ------------------------------------------- TELEMAJIK: Cirque on YouTube & Flickr ------------------------------------------- [FLICKR] Website: < http://www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/ > Cirque du Soleil released 13 images through its Flickr photostream in the month of August, which showcase ZEDs special performance and costumes from Koozå. Check them out here! o) ZED, Landmark Tower in Yokohama Pictures of the fabulous performance held at the Landmark Tower in Yokohama on August 2009 with our musicians, Johanna, Kevin, Seishi and David. - www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3814019595/ - www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3814828972/ - www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3814829054/ - www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3814019885/ - www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3814019909/ - www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3814829146/ - www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3814020043/ o) Koozå Costume Sketches - www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3859388274/ Charivari - www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3858600995/ Pickpocket - www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3859388310/ Skeleton - www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3859388486/ Innocent - www.flickr.com/photos/cirquedusoleildotcom/3859388568/ Death - La Mort [Twitpic] Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas hit the road for Los Angeles to Perform at the Grove! They took a couple of pictures, which they shared with us on Twitpic, Twitter's picture repository. Flyer: < http://twitpic.com/bi2ot > LOVE: < http://twitpic.com/civ8a > < http://twitpic.com/cji2d > Mystère: < http://twitpic.com/cjlxa > "O": < http://twitpic.com/cjscb > Zumanity: < http://twitpic.com/ck8h5 > < http://twitpic.com/ck9i8 > Fan Sets: < www.flickr.com/photos/lschreur/sets/72157621812186267/ > < www.flickr.com/photos/41103949@N02/sets/72157621945027174/ > < www.flickr.com/photos/madmojo/sets/72157621929451012/ > [YouTube] o) Watch exclusive footage of Cirque du Soleil, from its humble beginnings to todays spectacular events! [8:31] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnMqkKBVmUs > ======================================================================= COMPARTMENTS -- INFORMATION BEHIND THE CURTAIN ======================================================================= o) DIDYAKNOW - Facts about Cirque o) HISTORIA - Cirque du Soleil History --------------------------------- DIDYAKNOW? - Facts About Cirque --------------------------------- o) DidYaKnow the army costume in Koozå features more than 400 individually-sewn metallic flaps to create the effect that it is armored? o) DidYaKnow that the set for Alegría was built to express the idea of a changing world? According to Cirque "the Big Top has been transformed into the King's court. An enormous dome overhangs the stage, which is surrounded by diamond-shaped paving stones, and protects the occupants of the palace as if they were in a fortified castle. Four huge masts support the dome, bringing to mind the heavy chains of a drawbridge. A raised platform serves as the minstrels' balcony." o) DidYaKnow that every artist has to learn to apply their make up for the show? The Young Girl's make up in Wintuk has 25 steps! o) DidYaKnow that the "Patience" apparatus in Corteo is a massive arched technical structure made of steel which dominates the interior of the Grand Chapiteau? It is one of the most complex set elements in the show and is used to transport various scenic elements and pieces of acrobatic equipment on and off stage from above. The Patience has two rails that traverse the Grand Chapiteau. Each rail is fitted with four platform-like carts to carry the scenic and acrobatic elements. The eight carts have a lifting capacity of 1,000 lbs and a top speed of four feet per second. The Patience is 41 feet above the stage at its highest point. It is entirely self-supporting and could be set up anywhere. o) DidYaKnow that all microphones used by the orchestra and performers in "O" are first fed to Aphex Model 107 microphone pre-amps, located in a backstage equipment room? With a technology called Tubessence, the 107s supply an added level of warmth to these signals before they are sent to the Cadac F-type front-of-house mixer. o) DidYaKnow that, for Saltimbanco, Dominique Lemieux began drawing the costumes in March of 1991, with only the agreed upon principal theme, Urbanity, to go on? Only three of the designer's original 100 sketches actually became costumes because individual performers are not selected until later in the design process. The Worms, who symbolize the bottom of society, are very similar in appearance to one another, while the Baroques are all very different and represent what the Worms may become. "The Worms are like the history of Man--who they were before the cities existed and what they become in the cities," Lemieux explains. Lemieux designed masks that were created from Pododiflex, a plastic used in the medical field. The material becomes very flexible in hot water and shapes easily; when placed in cold water, it then becomes very hard. Once shaped, the masks are dipped in latex to make them smooth and then are painted. ------------------------------------ HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History ------------------------------------ * Sep.01.2003 -- Tapis Rouge CD released (BMG/CDS Musique) * Sep.01.2003 -- "Parade of Colors" Book Published * Sep.02.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Albany, NY * Sep.03.1987 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Las Angeles * Sep.03.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened Boston * Sep.03.2009 -- Ovo opened Toronto, ON * Sep.04.2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Brussels * Sep.04.2008 -- Koozå opened Boston * Sep.06.2005 -- "O" CD released in US (CDS Musique) * Sep.06.2005 -- La Nouba CD released in US (CDS Musique) * Sep.06.2005 -- Mystère (Live) CD released in US (CDS Musique) * Sep.08.1985 -- 1984 Tour opened Montréal * Sep.08.1989 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Santa Monica * Sep.08.1995 -- Alegría opened Boston * Sep.08.2005 -- Dralion opened Zurich * Sep.08.2006 -- Corteo opened Boston * Sep.09.1988 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Washington DC * Sep.09.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened in Boston * Sep.09.1999 -- Saltimbanco opened in Perth * Sep.09.2005 -- Quidam opened Singapore * Sep.09.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Syracuse, NY * Sep.09.2009 -- Name of CirqueVaudeville Released [TBD] * Sep.11.1990 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened San Jose * Sep.11.2008 -- Quidam opened Barcelona, Spain * Sep.12.1986 -- Le Magie Continue opened Toronto * Sep.12.1997 -- Alegría opened Vienna * Sep.12.2003 -- Varekai opened Los Angeles * Sep.12.2005 -- Zumanity celebrated its 1000th performance * Sep.13.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Chicago * Sep.13.1996 -- Saltimbanco opened Zurich * Sep.14.2001 -- Quidam opened Zurich * Sep.14.2007 -- Alegría opened Curitiba, Brazil * Sep.15.1995 -- Saltimbanco opened Düsseldorf * Sep.15.2002 -- Fire Within premiered in Canada [7:00pm EST/Global TV] * Sep.15.2005 -- Name of "Cirque MGM" released - KÀ * Sep.16.2004 -- Varekai opened Washington DC * Sep.16.2008 -- Corteo opened Ottawa * Sep.16.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Amherst, NY * Sep.17.1998 -- Alegría opened Zurich * Sep.17.1998 -- Quidam opened McLean * Sep.17.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena Tour Begins in Europe * Sep.17.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Stockholm, SE * Sep.17.2009 -- Dralion opened Monterrey, Mexico * Sep.18.2009 -- Quidam opened Brasilia, Brazil * Sep.19.2002 -- Varekai opened Philadelphia * Sep.19.2003 -- Saltimbanco opened Zurich * Sep.20.1989 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Santa Monica * Sep.20.2001 -- Saltimbanco opened Yokohama * Sep.20.2003 -- Zumanity Gala Premiere (Previews End) * Sep.21.2001 -- Saltimbanco opened in Yokohama * Sep.21.2003 -- Cirque wins Outstanding Nonfiction Program award * Sep.21.2004 -- "Le Best of..." CD Released (CDS Musique) * Sep.22.2002 -- Cirque lost Emmys (nominated Jul.18.2002) Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special - Alegría Outstanding Choreography for 74th Academy Awards - Debra Brown * Sep.22.2005 -- Varekai opened Hartford * Sep.23.1999 -- Dralion opened in Santa Monica * Sep.23.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Helsinki, FI * Sep.23.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened Rochester, NY * Sep.24.2008 -- Cirque2009 tickets go on sale! * Sep.25.2005 -- Corteo opened Minneapolis * Sep.25.1996 -- Quidam opened in Santa Monica * Sep.25.2002 -- Cirquedusoleil.com won four awards for its website: "Best of Show", "Experience", "Content & Information", "Experimental" * Sep.25.2008 -- Varekai opened Vienna, Austria * Sep.26.2002 -- Quidam opened Cleveland * Sep.27.1994 -- Alegría CD released in Canada (RCA/Victor) * Sep.27.2001 -- Dralion opened in Philadelphia * Sep.27.2003 -- Cirque du Soleil HQ Open House * Sep.28.2003 -- Cirque du Soleil HQ Open House * Sep.28.2006 -- Quidam opened St. Louis * Sep.30.1997 -- Quidam opened Denver * Sep.30.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Turku, FI * Sep.30.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened State College, PA ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= Within... o) "Corteo in Japan" By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA) {Issue Exclusive} o) "ZED, Again!" By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA) {Issue Exclusive} ------------------------------------------------------- "Corteo in Japan" By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA) {Issue Exclusive} ------------------------------------------------------- This past Spring I made my annual trip to Japan and took the opportunity to see Corteo again, this time in the first part of its Japan tour. I had first seen a Cirque du Soleil show during the time I was living in Japan, the 1994 tour of Saltimbanco, and have been a great fan ever since. Following then is a description of some of the differences I've seen in a Japan tour vs. a North American tour, followed by a personal review of the performance. One of the major differences is the tent. Instead of the familiar yellow and blue spirals the tent is dark blue with horizontal white stripes. Where the North American tents are held up by towers and poles the Japan tent has a ribbing of tubular metal, undoubtedly because of earthquake concerns, so there is no problem of partially obstructed seats. There is a significant difference in ticket pricing arrangements. In the North American arrangement the 100 sections at and near center are the most expensive while the 200 sections at and near center are, for the most part, slightly lower. (The 100 and 200 side sections becoming less expensive.) With Corteo Japan the person sitting in the front row of Section 100 is paying the same ticket price as the person sitting in the back row of Section 200. Prices only start dropping when you got to the smaller side sections. You're talking about US$120 on a weekday and about US$130 on a weekend and holiday for the majority of the seats under the big top. And they're selling out shows at those prices! (There doesn't seem to be any Tapis Rouge service as part of the Japan tour.) The program for the Japan tour is generally larger and glossier than the North American version. It has your usual performance photos, intros and statements from the key creators. This program has a neat variation on the headshots of the artists, with both their regular headshot and a headshot in costume and makeup. The Japanese program also includes in-depth interviews, detailed information on the making of the show and a guided tour behind the scenes courtesy of a Japanese national performing in the show. The US$20 Japanese program goes beyond photos and becomes a detailed source of information about the show and its creation. And we can't forget the celebrity comments and endorsements of the show. Concessions are where the Japanese tour truly shines and true Cirque du Soleil fans could find themselves going into hock purchasing all that's available. There were more than six different Corteo related t- shirts as well as caps and masks. There's also a vast collection of stationery items; pens, mechanical pencils, regular pencils, decorated "clear folders" for holding documents, post cards, and small notebooks. You could buy key chains including a small stuffed Mauro clown doll and cell-phone straps. There were also towels; face towel size in various colors, long thin "muffler" towels and bath towels. You could have a Cirque du Soleil themed bath room if you wanted! And there is packaged food to take home. The Japan tour concession stands benefit from the Japanese concept of "omiyage," souvenirs that you bring back to the people who weren't fortunate enough to be able to travel with you. There are cookies and chocolates and Corteo shrimp-flavored rice crackers. Many of these items come in containers that can be reused. I purchased a draw string-type bag of cookies just for the traditional Cirque logo on the outside. Curiously, I didn't see any 25th anniversary material for sale. Nor did I see any flyers or advertising for Cirque du Soleil Tokyo's resident show, ZED. (Probably because ZED has different sponsors.) There were DVD's of Cirque du Soleil shows available, including Corteo, and a special made-for-Japan 'Corteo behind the scenes' DVD for about US$50. Now to the performance of Corteo itself. I'd first seen the show during its Randall Island, NY performance, twice in one day as a matter of fact as I was going to be headed to Japan a few days later. Having seen Daniele Finza Pasca's work with Cirque Eloize I was looking forward to the performance and was not disappointed. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the Japan performance, as was the Japanese friend attending with me. As I recall the beginning in New York, a couple of artists were in the audience doing little things. I remember these great sprays of water, clown tears from one of the artists. Then they went back stage and the show began with a funeral procession that evolved into a parade of characters. In Japan, it seemed as though more than half of the artists were in the audience doing things, it was almost a street festival-type atmosphere. Then they went backstage and the show began but the street festival energy carried over and the procession very quickly became the parade of characters. The focus on Dead Clown Mauro's bed was quickly lost. I knew from before why they were trying to restrain the giant man but I don't know if the Japanese audience understood or simply saw that as part of the parade. I see Corteo as a collection of opposites, floor vs. air, big vs. small, low energy vs. high energy, each complimenting the other in the course of the show. To my mind the energy contrast was lost at this performance, things were running in high energy from the start and that affected the early acts if not the whole show. It all seemed a little rushed. The thing is that I don't think that it would have taken much to quickly bring down the high energy of those pre-show activities and prepare artists and audience for the funeral procession. The Bouncing Bed routine was fun, though probably a little rushed. I didn't think to ask my Japanese friend about her reaction to the act. Traditional Japanese beds are futons laid out on the floor at night and folded up and put in a closet during the day. Not a lot of bounce there. However, there are numerous western style homes all throughout Japan and western style beds. Still, I don't think the notion of kids jumping on a bed is as common in Japan as it is in North America. The first act progressed and came to the Golf routine. I loved this in New York, a wonderful, almost silent film-like piece of slapstick comedy. The use of physical comedy and sound here being quite a challenge for the golf ball as she only has her head and face to work with. Quite successful in NY. Alas, sometime after the NY performances the golf ball started talking with lines like, "I'm allergic to golf!" Verbal comedy is easier than physical comedy for getting laughs and that line probably got great laughs during the North American tour but in Japan, where the primary language is not English? Once you've lost confidence in the ability of physical comedy and sound to achieve a laugh I guess all you can do is soldier on with your lines until you're performing for English speakers again. Where the golf routine got wordy for me, the Helium Dance act with Valentyna and Mauro was wonderful. The two had learned simple Japanese words and, more importantly, learned how to inflect those words to wonderful comic effect. When they find themselves performing in an English speaking country again they may find it difficult to recreate that comedy, just because of the differences in how English and Japanese can be expressed. Somewhere along the line they had the raining rubber chickens routine. It was wonderful in New York, the Loyal Whistler stomps on and through the performing space and says, "I hate chickens." I'm thinking to myself, "What's this all about?" and then during the following juggling routine rubber chickens start raining down on the performers. When the act is finished the chickens are swept into a central hole and the next act begins. A wonderful piece for me because it was a surprise and because it was short. Alas, sometime after New York the rubber chickens became a running gag through the whole show, with rubber chickens even appearing in the pre-show 'street festival.' Some might like it, but for me, in this instance, less was much more effective. The Teatro Intimo performance in the second act seemed to fall victim to the loss of energy contrast I sensed at the beginning. In New York, this act started a little disorganized and then descended into chaos. In Japan, it started chaotic and got worse. On two different occasions after the show my Japanese friend mentioned that she didn't see any reason at all for having that act in the show. Tourik finished off the show as impressively as I remember in New York. Then came a rather unusual second curtain call with some of the crew running in from the sides and one dropping down from above. A rather interesting change. Having worked in professional theater, I know how easy it is for the audience to forget all the behind-the- scenes people that are so vital to making a show happen. (It's a little like that part in "O" where the underwater platforms come up and the SCUBA crew gets temporarily beached.) Don't know if that could become a standard part of curtain calls going forward or whether that is something that can only be done in this show because of the unique design of the Corteo stage. The performance was well appreciated by the Japanese audience. The male singer sticks out for me because in New York I remember wondering where the male singer was. I recall the flamenco style setup, with singer and guitarist below the high wire act, but for some reason I thought that the White Clown was the primary male singer for Corteo. In Japan it was quite evident who the male singer was. (On the Cirque du Soleil web site they show this man in a blue themed costume when they talk about singers for Cirque du Soleil performances. Honestly, I never knew what show this character was from until I saw Corteo in Japan.) In recalling all the Cirque du Soleil shows I've seen it seems to me that the male or female singer who appears on stage as a character has taken on a difficult task. As with opera it is not enough to sing well, not enough to remember your stage directions, not enough to be present on stage, the singer also has to be a "presence" on stage, as much of a "presence" as any of the other acts. And though I felt that he tried I just didn't get the sense of the Corteo male singer being a presence on that stage. I've had similar experiences with the replacement singers in Dralion and Varekai. The male and female singers for ZED are, for me, examples of presences on stage. My disappointment with Corteo in Japan led me to once again ponder how Cirque du Soleil manages its touring shows, especially now that they're taking the long run tent shows and turning them into arena shows. How does Cirque pass on the original creative intent of the show? As the show changes and evolves, how does Cirque keep it connected to its "roots," if you will? My understanding is that a show is staged by the Director and Creative Team, let run for a few months and then there is a final "fixation" session after which the Director and Creative Team move onto other projects and the show heads off in its own direction. When there was only one director for all Cirque shows this might not have been much of a problem, but recent shows have different directors with different approaches to the performance arts. In the case of Corteo, how does the show retain those unique aspects of the performance that make it a Pasca created and directed production? Just a thought. ------------------------------------------------------- "ZED, AGAIN!" By: Steve Long - West Hartford, Connecticut (USA) {Issue Exclusive} ------------------------------------------------------- My annual trip to Japan this past May was a little different. In the previous two years I'd taken time to scout out the Tokyo Disneyland Resort and Cirque Theater Tokyo area as part of preparations for CirqueCon 2008: Tokyo, held last November. With that wonderful event in the past I was taking time this trip to once again see ZED, Cirque du Soleil's Tokyo resident show. Besides the performance attended by all CirqueCon members during that special November 2008 trip I took in two more viewings, and during this recent trip I saw ZED three more times. When I first saw ZED I came away with the feeling that this was the most "human" of the Cirque du Soleil shows that I had ever seen. By "human" I'm not referring to the theme, "A living poem at the heart of human adventure" but rather to the kinds of acts chosen for the show. When I saw the touring show, Kooza, there was a high wire act with a staged mishap. One artist leaps over another, misses the landing, catches himself but his cap falls to the stage. You wouldn't know it's staged on the first viewing, it's only evident when you see the show a second time. It takes a great deal of skill to be able to stage that sort of mishap and not get yourself killed. I admire the artist for that skill but when I realized that it was a staged incident the show lost some of its magic as far as I was concerned. In contrast, during the high wire act in ZED there is a point where an artist attempts a back flip on the high wire. I've seen the show six times now, sometimes the artist sticks the landing on the first try, sometimes he misses the landing and catches himself, succeeding on the second try. The artist's obvious intent is that he land it the first time and the audience is with him in the hope that he succeeds. It is not just the high wire act that is displaying difficult moves, the ZED trapeze act has all sorts of twists and turns and somersaults between release and catch and there are some amazing things done in the Banquine performance. The combination of trampoline and Chinese Poles is unique and, because of the small size of the trampoline, calls for great precision when people bounce flat out on that surface. The lasso and juggling acts aren't as physically dangerous but the ropes and Indian Clubs can sometimes have a mind of their own so the artists have to be able to adjust in a split second. With these acts I see ZED as walking the thin line between what is humanly possible and what it not, the thin line between success and failure for an act. The humans in the audience are drawn into what the humans are doing on-stage, hoping for the artists success and in that process creating an experience unique to that particular performance. When I saw ZED for the fifth time it suddenly struck me, every time the artists appear on stage they create magic for the audience. You can see the show two times in two days, or you can see ZED twice in one day and still be drawn into what has been created because there is something truly unique to that performance happening on stage. When a person has a favorite show it's because they are drawn into the magic of that show every time they see it. For me ZED is one of those shows, KA and MYSTERE being two others. With ZED one can describe the show but, as some Japanese guests have commented, one really needs to experience the show to really understand what it's all about. So I encourage people to travel to Japan (as someone who has lived there for years I think it's a wonderful country to visit) and while there take the time to see at least one performance. There is a link on the main Cirque du Soleil web site or you can go directly to < http://www.zed.co.jp/home_en.php >. There you can learn how to get tickets and how to access the theater. As with most resident shows there are no bad seats in the house, each section and seat gives you a unique view of what's happening on stage. (I just recently learned that H.I.S. Japan Travel is also selling tickets for ZED, their English language web site can be found at < http://nippon.his.co.jp/entertainment/zed/top_en.htm >.) As with touring shows there is food and a Boutique offering a wide selection of merchandise. The English language side of the ZED web site, under "About the Theater" offers you a glimpse of the Boutique and its offerings. I'll only note here that the ZED Boutique, like its touring brethren, benefits from the Japanese notion of "omiyage," souvenirs that you bring back to those who weren't fortunate enough to travel with you. I've taken up the tradition myself finding that Cirque Tokyo chocolates and Mille-Feuille pastries are popular at work. The souvenir program, like the programs for the touring shows in Japan, offers more than photos and intros to the key players in the creation of ZED. There are interviews and a great deal of background information on the creation of the show and on the history of Cirque du Soleil itself. While checking out the Japanese side of the ZED web site early on I came across something likely unique to ZED, an electronic bulletin board to which guests post comments about the show they've seen or about their hopes for the show they are about to see. There's no reply capability as in a forum, people simply post their comments. (This section was recently revised from a chronological listing of posts to a series of Shockwave animated ZED tarot cards, each displaying a single guest comment.) As usual for Japan there is a section for celebrity comments about the show. These celebrity comments are translated for the English language side of the web site but the non- celebrity guest comments are found only on the Japanese side. They offer a fascinating look into the Japanese audience for ZED. Here are some samples that I've translated. Hamakko / Male / Age 26 To put this in one word... would be greatly troublesome. There is no single word for the impressions made. Words cannot express the intensity of the imagination, the joy. You can only know what it is to be immersed in this by seeing it live. There is merit to seeing it many times. Nicomama / Female / Age 23 I saw ZED 10 days before my baby was born! Those DOKIDOKI (heart pounding excitement) and WAKUWAKU (joyful excitement) feelings were conveyed to the baby as well, I think. In a little while when the baby is bigger I want our family of three to go again! Yukkii / Female / Age 24 I was moved in a way beyond what I imagined, thank you so very much!! There were goose bumps that kept appearing. I called out "WAA!" (a sound of excitement). Without thinking I said "KYAA!" (a sound of sudden surprise). In those two hours I forgot to blink, what with all that I was seeing! In an instant I became a great fan. I will definitely be coming back to see you again! Miya / Male / Age 24 Going to see the show on February 23! My girlfriend said that she wants to see ZED so I'm planning to surprise her for her birthday! I'm looking forward to the day!! Hide / Male / Age 33 Went with my six year-old child. At first I was worried that the child would lose interest, at the end I was sitting next to a child slightly moved to tears. It was the absolute best. HOPON / Female / Age 28 When all is said and done, Kevin-san and Johanna-san, the two singers are the most powerful. I'm still tremendously impressed by how those crystal-like singing voices were integrated into the whole of ZED. So, too, with the seven-member live band. It was a very luxurious two and a half hours. LOVE-ZED / Male / Age 45 On October 19 my parents were beckoned to ZED for the fourth time. At 70 years old the two of them have really come to like ZED. The day after I sent the tickets they called and said, " Thank you! ZED is delightful for people our age to see many times. We're looking forward to it." The reason is they can't get enough of the DOKI DOKI [heart pounding excitement] feeling. Sometimes when Banquine's Elena stands at the top they close their eyes. They also enjoy seeing the Aerial Trapeze every time. Parents and child together. As the CirqueCon 2008 members prepared for traveling to Japan there was a question about how the Japanese audiences would respond to the show. Once there we found the audience reaction and support of the artists to be much like our own during the show attended by the CirqueCon group. A couple of days later though I learned something new as I found myself one of only a few people giving the artists a well deserved standing ovation at the end of the performance. In North America such an apparently lackluster response would indicate that the audience did not enjoy the show as much as the Director, creative team and artists would have liked but that was not the case here. The artists did their initial curtain call and then a second curtain call. After they'd left the stage the second time the audience's applause didn't die down as I would have expected in North America. Instead the strong applause went on and on, calling the artists back to the stage for a third curtain call. It was, if you will, a sitting - standing ovation. In the six ZED shows I've seen there have always been three curtain calls, with or without a massive standing ovation. This is wonderful because it means that both singers have time to get to the stage and join the other artists. As I have noted elsewhere, being an on-stage singer for a Cirque du Soleil production is a difficult task. Like in opera it's not enough to sing well, it's not enough to remember the stage directions, it's not enough to be present on stage, you have to be a "presence" on stage. Both Johanna Lillvik and Kevin Faraci are presences on and above the ZED stage and based on the performances I saw this past May I feel that they have been maturing into their roles. I remember in November of 2008 seeing Mr. Faraci as Abraka, manhandling these two curtains hanging behind him and I was thinking, "What is that all about?" Now in that same scene he stands tall, clearly in command of all that is going on around him. There's even a very short gibberish conversation between him and Zed that helps establish his command of the scene. It is inevitable that someday one or both of these artists will move on and I hope Cirque du Soleil will have singers of equal talent available to replace them. Change is inevitable and with ZED, like with other recent Cirque du Soleil shows I've seen (such as Corteo in Japan), I wonder how Cirque du Soleil will pass on the original creative intent of ZED to replacement artists, keep ZED connected to its creative roots and maintain those unique aspects that make it a Francois Girard created and directed production? For those who saw the show in November of 2008 there have been changes since. There was some new costuming. I believe they redid the costumes of the couple that assist with setting up and undoing the stabilizing lines for the high wire act. They also assist with the juggling act. I think there was more choreography for them as well. The bit where the two clowns cause a giant flower to grow on stage has been cut and now the flower just grows prior to the start of the double straps act. During this year's visit I was fortunate to get a partial tour backstage between shows. One of the interesting parts of the tour was the "cylinders" below stage There is a large open area in the center of the ZED stage that is used many ways, the lead character falls into it at the beginning and a number of acts come up in this center area, including the Hand to Hand act near the end. The "cylinders" are large round set pieces that fit into place below stage and are then raised as necessary. You can see what I'm talking about at this YouTube link < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPrstQ6d9Yo >. One of these cylinders contains the platform for the Hand to Hand act. Normally both Yves Decoste and Marie-Laure Mesnage are brought up from below stage on this beautifully designed set piece. For one of the performances that I saw, though, Mr. Decoste was brought up from below and Ms. Mesnage was lowered down from above. It was a beautiful expression of one of Francois Girard's core themes for ZED - the joining of the two worlds of sky and earth - so much so that it brought tears to my eyes. For the next performance they did the entrance as before, but I'm hoping that someday I'll be able to see the Hand to Hand act begin with the joining movement again. As noted before, ZED is one of my favorite Cirque du Soleil shows and like so many Japanese guests have said, I also want to see ZED again. My "To Do" list for next Spring's trip to Japan starts like this, 1) Buy round trip ticket to Japan 2) Buy tickets to see at least two performances of ZED. ======================================================================= NEXT ISSUE ======================================================================= Next issue we catch up with Violaine Corradi, composer of Cirque du Soleil's mega production in Macau, China - ZAIA! An exclusive interview by our own Keith Johnson! ======================================================================= PARTING QUOTE ======================================================================= "I can have an idea, and when it's evaluated, I can't believe how expensive it is. Every idea we had for Mystère seemed to cost more than $100,000. And I'd say, 'We built a show for that much in '84!' But we spend the money because we want to keep the show of the highest quality. It is the point of the arrow of what we do." -- Gilles Ste Croix (1994) ======================================================================= SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ======================================================================= Fascination! is a monthly newsletter, available through subscription via Yahoo! Groups or on the World Wide Web in text format at the newsletter's website: < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. To subscribe, please send an email to: < CirqueFascination- subscribe@yahoogroups.com >. To unsubscribe, please send an email to: < CirqueFascination-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com >. To view back issues, or other online Newsletter content, please visit us at: < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. Have a comment, question or concern? Email the Fascination! Newsletter staff at: < CirqueFasincation-owner@yahoogroups.com >. We are anxious to hear any and all comments! ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 9, Number 6 (Issue #68) - September 2009 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2008 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. { Sep.05.2009 } =======================================================================