====================================================================== ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 10, NUMBER 6 June 2010 ISSUE #77e ======================================================================= Bonjour et bienvenue! Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. Inside this issue we're very pleased to present to you an exclusive interview with Daniel Lamarre, President and Chief Operating Officer of Cirque du Soleil! We had a chance to sit down with him while we were in Montreal attending TOTEM - you'll definitely want to hear what he has to say! As always be sure to check out the Itinerary section for any last-minute changes and extensions to tour stops (Quidam and Totem come to mind!); however, these dates are subject to change. And also in our OUTREACH section, 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, let's get started! 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 * Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues * BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre * Venue Shows -- Venue & Seasonal Productions o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets * Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub * Networking -- Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Flickr o) Compartments -- A Peek Behind the Curtain * Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque * Historia -- Cirque du Soleil's History o) Fascination! Features *) INTERVIEW /// "Daniel Lamarre: Joining the Circus" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) *) "Some Thoughts on the Evolution of Cirque" By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA) *) "TOTEM in the Press" [EXPANDED] A Special Collection of Reviews in the Press *) "Banana Shpeel - The Reviews are In!" [EXPANDED] A Special Collection of Reviews in the Press o) Subscription Information o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= OYEZ! OYEZ! - Cirque du Soleil Goes Tech: Global iPhone Application Launched June 2nd! {Jun.02.2010} ----------------------------------------------- iPhone users now have Cirque du Soleil right at their fingertips with the launch of its new iPhone application on June 2, 2010. The new Cirque du Soleil application can be found in the iPhone App store under "CirqueSoleil." Cirque du Soleil will join the forefront of entertainment theatre applications as its APP allows users to have a functional, useful resource to book tickets, find shows and have fun with the global mobile world of Cirque du Soleil. Special features include: o) SHOWS -- Delve into the unique world of each of the 21 productions with show information, videos, locations and ticket buying information. The NEAR ME tab in SHOWS uses GPS technology to allows users see the Cirque du Soleil production closest to them. o) PROMOTIONS -- Be the first to see special offers on show tickets and merchandise for your favorite Cirque du Soleil show. o) ABOUT -- Learn more about the history and direction of Cirque du Soleil. o) TRACKER -- Track and earn badges for the shows you have seen and post it on to Facebook to share with your friends. o) CIRQUE CLUB -- Sign up to become a Cirque Club member and receive priority ticket access, special offers, exclusive content and more. o) GAME -- Display your acrobatic ability while playing the interactive game inspired by Cirque du Soleil performances. The Cirque du Soleil APP is available as a free download from Apple’s App Store on iPhone, iPad and iTouch or at www.itunes.com/appstore. BANANA SHPEEL opens May 19th! {May.06.2010} ----------------------------------------------- As reported in Broadway World today, it has been announced that the official opening of BANANA SHPEEL will be held Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 7:00pm at the Beacon Theatre! Previews began on April 29 and performances are scheduled until August 29. Check out what BANANA SHPEEL is all about via their webpage: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/banana- shpeel/default.aspx/ > {SOURCE: Broadway World} Go Behind-the-Scenes with Alegría [EXPANDED] {May.06.2010} ----------------------------------------------- Channel 5, KSDK out of St. Louis, MO, goes behind-the-scenes of Alegría’s Arena Tour, which pulled into town on Wednesday. Although the article discusses the Power Track almost exclusively, the report does go on to mention Alegría will continue to tour North America next year before jumping over to Europe where the show will come to an end in 2012. See it while you can! # # # An international cast of 55 performers and musicians from 17 countries arrived in St. Louis Wednesday for an eight-show run of Cirque du Soleil: Alegria. Alegria premiered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1994 as a "big top" show and made the jump to arena venues in May 2009. The show features acrobatics, synchronized trapeze artists, and a special routine called "Power Track," a choreographed jump and tumble routine performed on a trampoline system hidden beneath the stage floor. Elodie Dufau, one of the Power Track performers, says the trampoline is not as springy as competitive trampoline, but the artists still get plenty of air beneath them, with the male performers getting up anywhere from six to nine feet high. The higher jumps are usually reserved for flips, she says. The Power Track routine is as old as the show itself, says Elodie, so performers only need to know that specific act. With a show running for as many as 16 years, performers do leave the group for one reason or another, but Elodie says new artists are brought in to the troupe. Those new artists will train for up to three months in Montreal, learning their cues and the routine, before joining the touring group. Elodie transferred from another Cirque touring group to Alegria, but trained in Montreal for a month to learn her cues. Alegria will tour in North America for the next year before jumping to Europe, where the show wraps in 2012. The company tours 10 weeks at a time, performing eight shows in a different city each week. Performers are given Mondays off, but rehearse and train on show days. Sheryl-Lynne Valensky, the assistant artistic director of Alegria, works to ensure the show audiences see in St. Louis carries the same artistic quality and dramatic presentation when it first premiered. According to Valensky, the story of Alegria follows the conflict between forces of change and the status quo, represented by youthful angels and old, nostalgic birds, respectively. She hopes audiences go away from the production inspired. "Our show is about the celebration," Valensky says. "The celebration of what the human body can do." Described as a mix of circus arts and street entertainment, Cirque de Soleil launched in 1984 and now has 20 unique shows playing around the world. Valensky says Alegria, a Spanish word meaning "happiness" and "jubilation," features original music and songs, with a six- piece band and two singers, and the story sets it apart from other Cirque de Soleil productions. Every musical arrangement was put together for a specific act in the show, with a variety of different genres, like a traditional ballad with an accordion background. Valensky enjoys taking traditional athletes outside the box when it comes to creating an act or performance. One such performer, the lone participant in the "flying man" act, wears bungie cords around his waist and leaps around the stage. He must be very careful with his movements while catapulting about, when landing and springing off the ground, spinning in the air one way or another. Valensky describes it as a ring routine for men's gymnastics -- on bungies. {SOURCE: KSDK.com} Deans Nominated for Drama Desk Award {May.06.2010} ----------------------------------------------- Broadway Sound Master Classes speaker Jonathan Deans has been nominated in sound design categories for a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for La Cage Aux Folles. “Being recognized by your own community with an award nomination is an honor,” says Deans. “Having been in theatre sound for over 30 years has mainly been a journey of attempted invisibility. If the sound design fits the production, it becomes invisible, giving us the indication that the design is part of the collaboration with its creative layering and support. With the recent addition of the Tony sound award, it has drawn more attention to the sound designer’s finished product, which, generally speaking, is not a bad thing for us all to sharpen our listening skills as sound without focus is just noise.” {SOURCE: Live Design.com} Angel to Attempt Death-Defying Houdini Stunt [EXPANDED] {May.06.2010} ---------------------------------------------------------- Mindfreak magician Criss Angel faces the most dangerous stunt of his career this weekend. If he fails to escape from the chilly waters of the Colorado River at the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, he will drown! Criss will be chained, shackled, handcuffed, wrapped in rope and lowered into the river. “Once submerged, he has only two choices: Escape or drown,” said one of his producers of the A&E series now in its sixth season. “It’s probably the most death- defying stunt he’s ever attempted.” Criss has told me several times of Houdini being his inspiration, and this stunt re-creates one that Houdini mastered in England. Film cameras will roll just before noon Saturday when Lake Havasu Mayor Don Callahan gives Criss a tour by boat. Mindfreak fans and the public are permitted to watch the filming. The Lake Havasu Police Department will have four water units to control boat traffic. Paramedics and rescue divers also will be on hand in case the stunt goes wrong. “It’s the perfect setting for the classic escape,” said Mindfreak producer Michael Soto. This is Criss’s homage to Houdini, the greatest escape artist of all time. Criss, who has been named Magician of the Year five times and most recently Magician of the Century, appears nightly in his Cirque du Soleil show Believe at the Luxor. The Houdini escape episode will air as a one-hour special when the new season premieres in July. Mindfreak is seen in 80 countries and by more than 100 million viewers. { SOURCE: Vegas Deluxe } CKX, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2010 Results {May.11.2010} ----------------------------------------------- Yesterday afternoon a press release was released by CKX, Inc to report their earning results for First Quarter 2010. CKX, Inc. is engaged in the ownership, development and commercial utilization of globally recognized entertainment content. The Company’s current properties include the rights to the name, image and likeness of Elvis Presley, which is licensed for Cirque du Soleil’s VIVA ELVIS production at the City Center. Some interesting tidbits about this announcement concern Cirque du Soleil VIVA ELVIS, and they are: 1. Revenue at 19 Entertainment declined $7.9 million due to $12.1 million in revenue from a one-time limited run television program in 2009, offset by a $4.4 million increase in American Idol revenue. Excluding the prior year terminated license agreement, revenue at the Presley Business increased $2.7 million due to higher licensing revenue and royalty revenue from the Viva ELVIS Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas, which opened in February. 2. The Company reported a loss on its profit participation in the Viva ELVIS Cirque du Soleil show of $0.5 million in 2010 due to certain one-time costs associated with the opening of the show in February, a limited number of performances in the quarter and initial weaker than expected ticket sales in large part due to low occupancy rates at the hotels within CityCenter where the theater is located. This loss is reflected in equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates in the Company’s statement of operations. {SOURCE: MarketWatch, BusinessWire, Comtex, CKX, Inc.} LOVE: No Signs of Aging [EXPANDED] {May.12.2010} ----------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil's Love launched in Las Vegas in 2006 and features music from the Beatles that dates back almost a half- century. However, this tour de force shows no signs of aging; it's a gorgeous multi-media masterpiece, a Vegas gamble on which you can't lose. From the moment the doors are opened at the custom-built Love theatre (a 2,013-seat space at The Mirage Casino, presented in the round), an eerie, otherworldly tone is set. Several screens separate the seats into four quadrants; the air is smoky and colored with blue light. A strange costumed character, a peculiar kind of clown, sneaks up on patrons as they find their seats, blowing puffs of mist on them from an antique lamp. Almost before they can react, he has scampered away to his next victims, easing the audience's transition from the clanging, overly-bright world of Las Vegas into the fictional land of Love. There are 26 musical numbers in the production, all created from The Beatles familiar catalogue. Despite the ubiquity of the songs, there is nothing tired about the sound. Cirque made a smart move in collaborating with Sir George Martin, producer of all but one of the Beatles original records, who arranged the music for Love; in doing so, the production earned the approval of Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as the living spouses of the late John Lennon and George Harrison (all of whom attended the show's premiere in June 2006). Martin incorporated original recordings from Abbey Road Studios, including unreleased versions of The Beatles hits as well as original session dialogue that had never before been released. The soundtrack alone (available on CD from Capitol Records) is a gorgeous sonic tribute to The Beatles. And with speakers mounted within the headrest of each seat, an individualized "surround sound" experience expands each audience member's total involvement with the music. True to Cirque du Soleil tradition, every scene unveils performers appearing in surprising ways and from a multitude of levels – from deep below the stage via elevator or trampoline, from ramps and wires along the periphery of the space, from trapezes and silks flown in from impossible heights over the audience's heads. They ride in on bicycles and skates; they bound in on stilts and under heavy robes. Sometimes they are disguised as flowers or pieces of furniture; in one marvelous moment, they "drive" themselves onstage in a vintage VW bug, only to reveal that they are in fact carrying pieces of the car's exterior, which deconstructs as they dance their fanciful dance. Like all Cirque shows, the visuals in Love are highly stylized, at once whimsical and slightly disconcerting (I was reminded more than once of Tim Burton). Certain scenes are simple and lovely, featuring aerialists, trampoline-jumpers and supernaturally acrobatic roller-skaters. Other moments are packed full of frenzied activity; there is too much to look at, but in a good way. In both cases, there is no shortage of details to discover, from exotic costumery (stilts made from trombones; a human dressed as a functioning accordion; helmets designed to look like Beatles haircuts) to delightful props (teacups that, when raised to the lips, reveal themselves to be bubble blowers) to brilliant staging devices (a line of tiny tricycles, pedaling themselves across the stage with child- sized, empty red rubber boots). While there is a loose storyline – recognizable characters from Beatles lore like Mr. Kite and Lucy in the Sky make appearances – the show dissolves into a brilliant visual soup of otherworldly delights, and plot becomes superfluous. The entire show is entrancing, a 90-minute spectacle that transports the audience into a kind of Wonderland that I, for one, did not want to leave. With the timelessness of the Beatles music, the ageless and unusual design, and the weird and wonderful acrobatics for which Cirque du Soliel is known, Love could easily continue playing, and delighting audiences, for another fifty years. {SOURCE: Broadway World} Cirque Opens Props Workshop in HK, SAR [EXPANDED] {May.12.2010} ------------------------------------------------- Hong Kong (HKSAR) - Cirque du Soleil, a Canadian organization providing artistic entertainment and producing its own costumes and props, today (May 12) announced the opening of its first production workshop in Hong Kong. From a group of 20 street performers in 1984, Cirque du Soleil has grown to employ 5,000 staff, including more than 1,200 artists, from about 50 countries. The company produces costumes and props for its multiple shows staged around the world. Cirque du Soleil Director of Props and Costumes for Asia, Ms Gaebriella Wilkins, said, "The Hong Kong office is a regional office, where we will produce costumes, accessories and hats for different shows around the world. "The excellent pool of talent in the creative industry and a variety of professional service providers in Hong Kong are key reasons why we invested in the city. We will work with local suppliers to localize our collection of fabrics, with printing and dyeing companies to transform fabrics, and with local manufacturers to develop our costume, accessory and that manufacturing capabilities to the highest standards," Ms Gaebriella added. Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong, Mr Andrew Davis, extended his warmest welcome to Cirque du Soleil. He said, "I am glad to learn that Cirque du Soleil finds our local talent helpful in the course of its business development in Hong Kong, Mainland China and the Asian region as a whole. As in many other leading economies in the world, the Hong Kong Government is committed to speeding up the development of our local creative industries. This is why creative industry has been identified as one of the six new economic areas that Hong Kong is keen to drive." Mr Davis added, "The presence of Cirque du Soleil in our city not only enriches the portfolio of our creative industry but also provides an opportunity to empower our young people with the latest knowledge and skills in the creative field." {SOURCE: 7thSpace.com / HK Government} A Few Words with Mr. Schmelkey [EXPANDED] {May.12.2010} ----------------------------------------------- John Soltes, Editor in Chief of independent newspaper "The Leader" had a recent chat with Wood-Ridge native Danny Rutigliano who currently plays Schmelkey in Cirque du Soleil’s BANANA SHPEEL, a twist on Vaudeville. # # # Wood-Ridge native Danny Rutigliano knew from a very young age that all he ever wanted to do professionally was take in the warmth of a theatrical spotlight. Boy has that original dream paid off. The actor, who is a trained singer and dancer, is the ringmaster of Cirque du Soleil's latest production in New York City, "Banana Shpeel," currently playing the Beacon Theater. After performing for 13 years as Timon in "The Lion King" - both on Broadway and in Los Angeles - Rutigliano has now made the jump to a world of acrobats, clowns and vaudeville. "This is such a great situation and a great role and it’s a fun role, too," Rutigliano said recently during a phone interview. "The show has such a vaudeville sensibility, which is something I love to do." In Banana Shpeel which has been in development for some time, Rutigliano plays Schmelky, a fictional producer of sorts who puts on Broadway-style shows such as "The Phantom of the Banana", "Annie Get your Banana" and "Fiddler on the Banana." "You’re coming to see my show," Rutilgliano said of his character. "It’s kind of like a show within a show. I’m always speaking to the audience and welcoming them and introducing the next big entertainment act. It’s a variety show, a Broadway show, a Cirque show. It’s very different from anything I’ve been involved in." Unlike many of the other shows in the Cirque repertory - a repertory that stretches around the world and has been seen by millions of spectators - "Banana Shpeel" is something different for the Montreal-based company. Although each Cirque endeavor follows a narrative trajectory, the actual plot is often an after-thought to the death-defying stunts that take place under the big top. Not so with "Banana Shpeel". First, the Beacon Theaer, which is usually host to concerts, is an intimate venue that is more akin to a Broadway Theater than a circus tent. Plus, as Rutigliano said, "Banana Shpeel" actually has a story, with dance sequences and characters who have acrs from beginning to end. The common denominator is still entertainment. "It's a lot of fun," Rutigliano said. "There's a lot of laughs. There's a bunch of clowns." Like any good Broadway baby - or Cirque baby, in this case - Rutigliano had his start in the suburbs, hoping for that time when he could find success "across the river". From an early age, he knew he would be at home on stage. "Believe me, since I was 4 years old, my mother would yell at me beacuse I wanted to sing Frank Sinatra songs," he said with a laugh. "I did all the school plays, and reached out and did community theater. I followed that path and thank heavens it worked out." Rutigliano, whose brother is the current police chief in Wood- Ridge, has fond memories of growing up in the borough and attending the public schools. His family eventually moved to Bloomingdale in Passaic County and hea headed off to DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne. It was there that the future Broadway star would learn the ins and outs of performing in front of a live crowd. He remembered his first foray into dance instruction. "I walked in. And I was the only male, and I looked around and saw a bunch of females in leotards and tights. So I said 'I'm staying.' And it was one of the best things I did." His current role of Schmelky is a trying one; it requires a performer who acts, sings, dances, and can play host for the night. During the preview period of the show ("Banana Shpeel" officially opens May 19th), Rutigliano performs at night and then rehearses during the day. He said it's a constant process of "tweaking" to make sure all is ready by opening night. "But I love what I'm doing," he said. "Even though it's exhausing." The experience of bringing to life a new Cirque show is so exhausing, in fact, that Rutigliano said he has no time to be sentimental for leaving behind his many years with "The Lion King" family. One similarity he finds between his old job as a pesky meerkat (that's Timon of "Hakuna Matata" fame, for the uninitiated) and his new role as a theatrical producer in a clown's world is that both audiences are made u of the young and young at heart, and everyone in between. "You're going to perform for young children seeing live entertainment for the first time," he said. Of course, there will also be the tried-and-true followers of the cirque fan-base in the crowd. But they may be just as surprised as the youngsters next to them. "This is a unique experience," he said. "It isn't just theater. It's Cirque, but it's Cirque with a twist." { SOURCE: The Leader } Wintuk 2010... Final Season? {May.13.2010} ----------------------------------------------- Madison Square Garden has announced the dates for Wintuk’s 2010 season, which it is billing as the show’s fourth and final in New York City. Wintuk From Cirque du Soleil November 17, 2010 - January 02, 2011 at The Theater at MSG Performances are held November 17, 2010 through January 2, 2011 from Wednesdays through Sundays. Please refer to the performance schedule for details. There are no performances on Monday and Tuesday (with the exception of December 21, 27 and 28, 2010). Wintuk returns to New York for its final season! THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC WITH YOUR FAMILY! Wintuk is an exciting winter adventure for the whole family about a boy’s quest for snow. The show weaves thrilling acrobatics, breathtaking theatrical effects and memorable songs into an extraordinary journey to an imaginary land called Wintuk. The boy and his companions deliver endless excitement, exhilaration and intrigue. Wintuk is playful, musical, and bursts with the energy of the city and the magic of a wonderland. This seasonal story, featuring an international cast of 50 performers from Cirque du Soleil, will return in November for its final season in the heart of the city, to the delight of the whole family. {SOURCE: Madison Square Garden} Banana Shpeel... Pudding? [EXPANDED] {May.14.2010} ----------------------------------------------- According to Broadway World, Banana Shpeel gets its own... pudding! # # # To celebrate New York’s Upper West Side newest theatrical production, Banana Shpeel from Cirque du Soleil, famed Magnolia Bakery has renamed its beloved banana pudding to ‘Banana Shpeel Pudding!’ throughout the run of the show. Producer, Marty Schmelky (Danny Rutigliano), and his longtime wacky assistant Margaret (Shereen Hickman), officially unveiled Magnolia’s brand new ‘Banana Shpeel pudding’ with New York’s Upper West Side friends and customers yesterday, May 12. Almost as popular as the bakery's classic vanilla and chocolate buttercream iced cupcakes, Magnolia Bakery's luscious banana pudding is made with layers of vanilla wafers, ripe, fresh bananas and creamy vanilla pudding. Banana Shpeel is currently in previews at the Upper West Side's beautifully restored Beacon Theatre. The show's official Opening Night is Wednesday, May 19, 2010 and performances are scheduled until August 29. For more information on Banana Shpeel visit www.schmelkyproductions.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Magnolia Bakery Magnolia Bakery is a family-owned and operated business where everything is made fresh from scratch on premises, all day, every day, using the finest ingredients. Open since 1996, the bakery is often credited with starting the modern day cupcake craze with its signature pastel-colored buttercream-frosted versions. Magnolia Bakery specializes in classic Americana baked goods including red velvet cake, icebox cake and banana pudding. Magnolia prides itself on tradition and quality and strives to satisfy loyal patrons while maintaining the integrity of the brand. All Magnolia Bakery locations are certified as Kosher by the United Kosher Supervision. For more information and location hours, visit www.magnoliabakery.com. {SOURCE: Broadway World} Cirque Helps Promote "Project Natal" [EXPANDED] {May.14.2010} ----------------------------------------------- NEW YORK, May 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (VIA, VIA.B), today announced a broad- ranging, first-of-its-kind programming partnership with Microsoft Corp. for Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010 (E3 Expo 2010), the video game industry’s leading trade show. For the first time, only MTV Networks will take viewers inside the spectacular controller-free games and entertainment with "The World Premiere of ‘Project Natal’ for Xbox 360? experience, a spectacular live performance imagined by Cirque du Soleil, and live to the Xbox 360 Media Briefing for game announcements, world premieres and breaking news on the future of the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. "We look forward to making entertainment history again at E3 Expo 2010 and can’t think of a better partner than MTV Networks to exclusively share our news, experiences and Cirque du Soleil’s amazing creativity with an entirely new audience," said Don Mattrick, senior vice president, Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "Project Natal is one of the most exciting new product launches of the year, and MTV Networks is the perfect partner to bring this one-of-a-kind event from Xbox and Cirque du Soleil to its viewers and passionate gamers all across the country," said Rich Eigendorff, chief operating officer, MTV Networks. Heralded by TIME Magazine as one of the top inventions of 2009, "Project Natal" is set to forever change the way we interact with entertainment. In the world premiere experience, the creative visionaries at Cirque du Soleil created a stunning production that brings the idea of controller-free gaming and entertainment to life. Witness an original and exclusively created consumer spectacle that pushes the boundaries of live entertainment with cutting-edge technology, pulsating music, amazing puppetry, futuristic video projection and unbelievable physical dexterity. "The World Premiere 'Project Natal' for Xbox 360" experience, as imagined by Cirque du Soleil airs commercial-free on MTV, Tuesday, June 15 at 3:30 p.m. EDT, and on Nick at Nite, mtvU, MTV Hits and Logo, Tuesday, June 15, at 9 p.m. EDT. SPIKE TV, home to the SPIKE Video Game Awards, the biggest night of the year for the gaming industry, will be the exclusive broadcast home for the Xbox 360 E3 Media Briefing. Set to air live and commercial-free in high-definition on Monday, June 14, at 1:30 p.m. EDT, the Xbox 360 Media Briefing is a blockbuster event where the future of the Xbox 360 system is revealed. Last year's presentation included the debut of "Project Natal," and Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison came together to reveal MTV Games and Harmonix's "The Beatles: Rock Band." Hosted by SPIKE TV's Geoff Keighley from the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, viewers won't want to miss breaking news on "Project Natal" and Xbox LIVE, surprise new game announcements, and world premiere demos of upcoming Xbox 360 exclusive games, "Halo: Reach," "Gears of War 3" and "Fable III." "Xbox 360: The Future Revealed" airs live on Monday, June 14, from 1:30–3 p.m. EDT. MTV Networks' GameTrailers.com will provide live, high- definition video streams on the Internet of both the Xbox 360 Media Briefing and the world premiere of "Project Natal," powered by the global Akamai HD Network platform. In addition, GameTrailers.com will present exclusive live pre- and post-shows for the Xbox 360 Media Briefing on June 14 with additional video game world premieres and announcements. {SOURCE: PRNewsWire} Criss Angel says Make-A-Wish Award Beats All Others [EXPANDED] {May.22.2010} ----------------------------------------------- It was one of the most emotional nights in Mindfreak magician Criss Angel’s life. When Make- A-Wish Foundation officials presented him with an award for being the most supportive celebrity with the organization’s dying children, the tears streamed down his face. “I am a very emotional person,” Criss told me in an exclusive interview after the award presentation at Bali Hai Gold Club as cameras rolled on us for an upcoming Biography special on A&E. The program will air as Season 6 of Mindfreak begins this summer. In recent weeks, as we have reported here at Vegas DeLuxe, the star of Cirque du Soleil’s Believe at the Luxor has been presented with several international magic awards recognizing him not only as multi-time Magician of the Year and Magician of the Decade but also Magician of the Century. Just days before the Make-A-Wish presentation, he also was given the Innovention Award for his contributions in changing the world of magic. “All those have no significance next to this recognition and love from the Make-A-Wish kids,” Criss said. “These children make me smile from ear to ear and teach me that love, health and happiness are the most important things in life. “I meet a child, and neither I nor they know how long they have on Earth. When I was broke and just had a dream, I always thought fame and money was the answer. But it means nothing -- it’s shallow and has no depth once you meet these kids. This is the important work to do quietly and behind the scenes. When you achieve your dream, you have to use what comes with it to help these children. I am so grateful I was raised in a family with a lot of love. “Success for me here means the love that comes from the kids. It grounds me. This work has become most important in my life. The kids think that I’m fulfilling their last wishes and doing them a favor. But in fact they do more for me than I could ever do for them. There is no price on that because you can’t buy that. “An innocent child just wants to be with you. That trumps any fortune, any car, any jewelry. You can’t buy that sincerity of love, friendship and affection with an innocent, pure child. It is very, very tough every time I meet them to know they won’t be with us for very long. It’s heartbreaking that I won’t see them again because their last wish is to meet me or be entertained by me before they go. “I am so blessed to be able to do this and be asked by Make-A- Wish. I say that from my heart.” Criss immediately donated $10,000 to Make-A-Wish at the annual dinner in the Bali Hai Golf Club Center here in Las Vegas. Nine matching donors moved by his emotional words as he accepted the award promptly followed Criss’s goodwill. That $100,000 kicked off the foundation’s fundraising auction. The award was presented with many of the Wish Kids taking part in the ceremony. Criss was previously recognized by Make-A-Wish in 2007 when he received the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award, given annually to its most passionate and hardworking celebrity wish granter. Then Criss revealed that he will start his own Believe Anything Is Possible for Children Foundation this year to fund continuing Make-A-Wish activities. He told me: “Oprah is signed on to help, and a lot of celebrity friends have agreed to help me raise money for Make-A-Wish. We want to make the world a better place for innocent children. I cried my heart out when my father died from cancer. I wish I was smarter, wiser like a doctor, to save these children from dying. I don’t deserve an award for what I do with them. I will just do anything I can, and I ask everybody to do the same. “Caring about these kids has become my priority. Anything I can do for my fellow citizens young or old I will do out of love.” Criss greeted the Make-A-Wish officials and posed for photos at the dinner he attended between his two nightly shows at the Luxor and after a long, hard day of filming for the new Mindfreak season. He summed up for me: “This is what real magic is all about -- seeing a child’s face light up and forgetting completely that it may be the last time. The real magic of love and caring is made from the Man upstairs. That’s the gift from God that makes this all so worthwhile. That’s His ultimate magic.” { SOURCE: The Las Vegas Sun } Cirque du Soleil + Cirque Éloize = a Strategic Partnership {May.25.2010} ----------------------------------------------------------- Montreal, May 25, 2010 - Cirque Éloize is pleased to announce the signing of a strategic partnership with Cirque du Soleil. This partnership will promote the implementation of Cirque Éloize’s development strategy, enabling it to enhance its visibility on the international market. "The partnership with Cirque du Soleil bodes very well for the future of Cirque Éloize, which is arriving at a crossroad in its history. It will enable us to solidify our role as a leader in the creation and marketing of contemporary theatre-based circus performances that combine theatricality and the circus acts. We are proud to have Cirque du Soleil as one of our partners," stated Jeannot Painchaud, President and General Director of Cirque Éloize. "Our strategic partnership with Cirque Éloize is above all a business decision that will strengthen Québec's position as the world capital of the circus arts. This partnership affirms our respect for the unique creative force of Cirque Éloize and firmly shows our support for the existing team, as well as its vision and potential for growth. We also plan to share with our new partner the international business expertise that we've acquired over the years," said Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil. Cirque Éloize has made a name for itself in recent years on the international stage, particularly in Asia. "New markets are opening up to our current and future productions. This partnership with Cirque du Soleil will enable us to take full advantage of these promising markets, and its spinoffs will continue to benefit all of Quebec," continued Mr. Painchaud. Under this agreement, Cirque Éloize will continue to promote the revival of the circus arts while reaffirming its leadership role in creating shows that can easily travel the globe. Two Cirque Éloize productions, Rain and Nebbia, are currently touring Europe and Latin America. {SOURCE: Cirque Éloize} ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Corteo, Koozå, OVO, Quidam, Totem & Varekai} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {Saltimbanco, Alegría, Quidam & Dralion} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, ZAIA, ZED, Believe & VIVA Elvis} o) VENUE - Venue & Seasonal productions {Wintuk & Banana Shpeel} 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/ >. ------------------------------------ BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau ------------------------------------ Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=39 > Corteo: Sendai, Japan -- Apr 21, 2010 to Jun 6, 2010 St. Petersburg, Russia -- Jun 26, 2010 to Aug 8, 2010 Kazan, Russia -- Aug 21, 2010 to Sep 26, 2010 Moscow, Russia -- Oct 9, 2010 to Dec 12, 2010 Koozå: Portland, OR -- Apr 9, 2010 to May 23, 2010 Seattle, WA -- Jun 3, 2010 to Jul 11, 2010 Vancouver, BC -- Jul 22, 2010 to Sep 5, 2010 Calgary, AB -- Sep 16, 2010 to Oct 24, 2010 Miami, FL -- Nov 18, 2010 to Dec 5, 2010 (*) Tokyo, JPN -- TBA (*) Ovo: New York, NY -- Apr 9, 2010 to Jun 6, 2010 Hartford, CT -- Jun 17, 2010 to Jul 11, 2010 Boston, MA -- Jul 22, 2010 to Aug 15, 2010 Washington, DC -- Sep 9, 2010 to Oct 24, 2010 (*) Atlanta, GA -- Nov 4, 2010 to Dec 31, 2010 (*) Quidam: Buenos Aiers, AR -- May 28, 2010 to Jun 27, 2010 Santiago, CL -- Jul 21, 2010 to Aug 15, 2010 Lime, PE -- Sep 3, 2010 to Sep 26, 2010 Bogota, CO -- Oct 9, 2010 to Nov 21, 2010 NOTE: Begins Arena Tour after Bogota! Totem: Montréal, QC -- Apr 22, 2010 to Jul 11, 2010 Québec City, QC -- Jul 22, 2010 to Aug 29, 2010 Amsterdam, NL -- Oct 7, 2010 to Dec 18, 2010 (*) London, UK -- Jan 5, 2011 to Feb 13, 2011 (*) Charlotte, NC -- TBA Pittsburg, PA -- TBA Baltimore, MD -- TBA Montreal, QC -- TBA Toronto, ON -- TBA San Francisco, CA -- TBA Varekai: Cologne, DE -- May 13, 2010 to Jun 6, 2010 Frankfurt, DE -- Jun 17, 2010 to Jul 18, 2010 Oostende, BE -- Jul 29, 2010 to Aug 29, 2010 Zurich, CH -- Sep 16, 2010 to Oct 10, 2010 Barcelona, ES -- TBA ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=1831 > Saltimbanco: Glasgow, UK -- Jun 2, 2010 to Jun 6, 2010 Manchester, UK -- Jun 9, 2010 to Jun 13, 2010 Birmingham, UK -- Jun 17, 2010 to Jun 27, 2010 Newcastle, UK -- Jun 30, 2010 to Jul 4, 2010 Dublin, IE -- Jul 7, 2010 to Jul 18, 2010 Nottingham, UK -- Jul 21, 2010 to Jul 25, 2010 London, UK -- Jul 28, 2010 to Aug 1, 2010 Hamburg, DE -- Aug 19, 2010 to Aug 22, 2010 Dortmund, DE -- Aug 25, 2010 to Aug 29, 2010 Berlin, DE -- Sep 1, 2010 to Sep 4, 2010 Munich, DE -- Sep 8, 2010 to Sep 12, 2010 Milan, IT -- Sep 15, 2010 to Sep 18, 2010 Zaragoza, ES -- Sep 22, 2010 to Sep 26, 2010 Granada, ES -- Sep 29, 2010 to Oct 3, 2010 Madrid, ES -- Oct 6, 2010 to Oct 10, 2010 Lisbon, PT -- Oct 13, 2010 to Oct 24, 2010 Prague, CZ -- Nov 12, 2010 to Nov 14, 2010 Alegría: Sacramento, CA -- Jun 2, 2010 to Jun 6, 2010 Rio Rancho, NM -- Jun 9, 2010 to Jun 13, 2010 Cypress, TX -- Jun 16, 2010 to Jun 20, 2010 Minneapolis, MN -- Jun 23, 2010 to Jun 27, 2010 Toronto, ON -- Jun 30, 2010 to Jul 4, 2010 Winnipeg, MB -- Jul 22, 2010 to Jul 25, 2010 Regina, SK -- Jul 27, 2010 to Aug 1, 2010 Saskatoon, SK -- Aug 4, 2010 to Aug 8, 2010 Edmonton, AB -- Aug 11, 2010 to Aug 22, 2010 Kelowna, BC -- Aug 25, 2010 to Aug 29, 2010 Kamloops, BC -- Sep 1, 2010 to Sep 5, 2010 Victoria, BC -- Sep 8, 2010 to Sep 12, 2010 Tacoma, WA -- Sep 15, 2010 to Sep 19, 2010 Spokane, WA -- Sep 22, 2010 to Sep 26, 2010 Honolulu, HI -- Oct 15, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010 Boise, ID -- Nov 4, 2010 to Nov 7, 2010 Houston, TX -- Nov 10, 2010 to Nov 14, 2010 Phoenix, AZ -- Nov 17, 2010 to Nov 21, 2010 Tucson, AZ -- Nov 24, 2010 to Nov 28, 2010 El Paso, TX -- Dec 1, 2010 to Dec 5, 2010 Oklahoma City, OK -- Dec 23, 2010 to Dec 26, 2010 Quidam: Kingson, ON -- Dec 11, 2010 to Dec 14, 2010 (*) Dralion: Trenton, NJ -- Oct 20, 2010 to Oct 24, 2010 Buffalo, NY -- Oct 27, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010 Reading, PA -- Nov 2, 2010 to Nov 7, 2010 Youngstown, OH -- Nov 10, 2010 to Nov 14, 2010 Windsow, ON -- Nov 17, 2010 to NOv 21, 2010 Oshawa, ON -- Nov 24, 2010 to Nov 28, 2010 Worcester, MA -- Dec 16, 2010 to Dec 19, 2010 Philadelphia, PA -- Dec 21, 2010 to Jan 2, 2011 --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- NOTE: (*) Prices are in United States Dollars (USD) unless otherwise noted. (*) Ticket prices exclude the 10% Live Entertainment Tax, the $7.50 per-ticket processing fee, and sales tax where applicable. 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 - 7:00pm & 9:30pm 2010 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12): o Category 1: $109.00 / $54.50 o Category 2: $99.00 / $49.50 o Category 3: $79.00 / $39.50 o Category 4: $69.00 / $34.50 o Category 5: $60.00 / $30.00 (Limited View) 2010 Dark Dates: o July 7 o September 4 - 8 o November 3 "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm 2010 Ticket Prices: o Orchestra: $150.00 o Loggia: $130.00 o Balcony: $99.00 o Limited View: $93.50 2010 Dark Dates: o June 13 o July 4 o August 11 - 15 o October 10 o December 8 - 21 La Nouba: Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm 2010 Ticket Prices (adults) / (child 3-9): o Category 0: $120.00 / $97.00 o Category 1: $105.00 / $85.00 o Category 2: $85.00 / $69.00 o Category 3: $69.00 / $56.00 o Category 4: $55.00 / $45.00 2010 Dark Dates: o June 1 - 4 o July 27 o September 21 - 24 o November 16 Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday through Sunday Dark: Monday & Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm 2010 Ticket Prices (18+ Only!): o Duo Sofas: $135.00 o Orchestra Seats: $99.00 o Upper Orchestra Seats: $79.00 o Balcony Seats: $69.00 o Cabaret Stools: $69.00 2010 Dark Dates: o June 15 - 16 o July 13 - 14 o August 3 - 8 o September 14 o October 12 - 13 o November 30 o December 1 - 14 2010 Added Performances: o July 15th o September 16th o October 14th o November 29th o December 30th KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2010 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12): o Category 1: $150.00 / $75.00 o Category 2: $125.00 / $62.50 o Category 3: $99.00 / $49.50 o Category 4: $69.00 / $34.50 2010 Dark Dates o June 1 - 8 o September 7 - 11 o November 16 - 17 LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2010 Ticket Prices: o Lower Orchestra: $150.00 o Upper Orchestra: $130.00 o Lower Balcony: $99.00 o Middle Balcony: $93.50 2010 Dark Dates: o June 10 o August 5 - 9 o October 7 o December 3 - 13 ZAIA: Location: Venetian, Macao (China) Performs: Every Day, Dark: Wednesday One to Two Shows Daily - Times Vary 2010 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 2-11): o VIP Seating: MOP$ 1288 / MOP$ 1288 o Reserve A: MOP$ 788 / MOP$ 394 o Reserve B: MOP$ 588 / MOP$ 294 o Reserve C: MOP$ 388 / MOP$ 194 ZED: Location: Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo (Japan) Performs: Varies One to Two Shows Daily - Showtimes vary 2010 Ticket Prices (Non-Peek / Peek Time): o Category 1 ("Premium"): ¥15,000 / ¥16,000 o Category 2 ("Stage-Side"): ¥12,500 / ¥13,500 o Category 2 ("Center"): ¥12,500 / ¥13,500 o Category 3 ("Wide View"): ¥9,500 / ¥10,500 o Category 4 ("Value"): ¥7,500 / ¥7,800 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. 2010 Ticket Prices (all): o Category 1: $160.00 o Category 2: $125.00 o Category 3: $99.00 o Category 4: $79.00 o Category 5: $59.00 2010 Dark Dates: o June 1 o July 6 - 10, 13 - 17 o October 12 - 16 VIVA ELVIS: Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm Preview Performances: December 18th to January 28th 2010 Ticket Prices (Previews / Regular) o Category 1: $149.38 / $175.00 o Category 2: $128.75 / $150.00 o Category 3: $108.13 / $125.00 o Category 4: $86.68 / $99.00 2010 Dark Dates: o July 14 - 29 o September 14 - 16 o November 17 - 25 -------------------------------------- VENUE - Venue & Seasonal Productions -------------------------------------- Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=251 > Wintuk: Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City (USA) Wintuk's 2009 Season has drawn to a close. See you next winter! Banana Shpeel: Location: Beacon Theater, New York City (USA) Schedule: Performances from April 29th through August 29; Days of the week and times vary. 2010 Ticket Prices: o Premium: $199.00 single / $199 group o P1: $110.00 single / $75.00 group o P2: $85.00 single / $60.00 group o P3: $65.00 single / $45.00 group o P4: $45.00 single / $39.00 group Performance Schedule: o Wednesday at 2pm & 8pm o Thursday & Friday at 8pm o Saturday at 2pm and 8pm o Sunday at 2pm & 6pm ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE'S SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub o) Networking -- Cirque on Facebook, Youtube & Flickr --------------------------------------- CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub --------------------------------------- Recently CirqueClub went through a dramatic transformation - refocusing and rebranding their efforts through their web page. Currently a "Beta Version" of the website is up to experience for a short while, but upgrades and new features will be rolling out soon! Stay tuned for new and exciting features! --------------------------------------------------- NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Flickr --------------------------------------------------- --- [ ALEGRIA ] --- {May.13} A little behind-the-scene footage and find out what goes into a Cirque du Soleil show! Alegria - Cirque Du Soleil opens May 12, 2010 at The Sprint Center and runs through the 16th. We got a peek at Wednesday afternoon's practice session and an interview with the show's senior artistic director. (Video by Todd Feeback - May 12, 2010) LINK /// < http://videos.kansascity.com/vmix_hosted_apps/ p/media?id=13821936 > {May.06} Did you know that it takes approximately 200 hours to make 1 Old Bird Costume? They are full of intricate embellishments, textured materials and baroque-style gems. --- [ BANANA SHPEEL ] --- {May.27} The Huffington Post says Banana Shpeel by Cirque du Soleil packs "a lot of fun into a couple hours." | Cirque du Soleil’s latest show, Banana Shpeel, has anything but a light touch. The show blends garish Vegas elements with superbly, if freakishly, talented performers such as foot juggler Vanessa Alvarez and a contortionist trio. The show takes a while to pick up momentum and was weighed down in the first act by too much second rate vaudeville shtick, but the second act was particularly strong with a gravity-defying hand balancing act by Dmitry Bulkin and a delightful Chaplinesque performance by Claudio Carneiro, who picks a woman out of the audience to woo each night for our delight. This was my first Cirque du Soleil show and I was a little nervous having heard about bad reviews in Chicago, but I’m happy to report that they pack a lot of fun into a couple hours. {May.27} Here's a nice look at the show from Broadway Magazine! LINK /// < http://www.broadway.tv/blog/broadway-magazine/brecht- banana-shpeel-and-samuel-beckett/ > {May.21} Banana Shpeel Premiere Yellow Carpet FOTO [16] < http://www.facebook.com/album.php? aid=216525&id=153330866799&ref=mf > {May.21} Fans react to the Banana Shpeel premiere: VIDEO [0:30] /// < http://www.youtube.com/schmelkyproductions#p/ c/CC4534A2B166B709/0/lQalym5mfAU > {May.21} The Hand to Hand Duo from Banana Shpeel takes it to the top...of the Empire State Building in New York to celebrate the show's opening. FOTO [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? pid=5513207&id=153330866799 > {May.19} Banana Shpeel incorporates tap, hip-hop, eccentric dance, and more into its production! Click here for an inside look from the Banana Shpeel choreographer himself, Jared Grimes: VIDEO /// < http://video.msg.com/Home/Banana-Shpeel-Meet-the- Choreographer > {May.19} Tonight is Banana Shpeel Premiere at The Beacon Theatre! Watch Schmelky put the final touches to the show! Schmelk-isode Two: The Slap VIDEO [0:57] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maN1i6cWnSo > {May.19} Go behind the scenes with producer Marty Schmelky and the gang from Banana Shpeel by Cirque du Soleil! VIDEO [1:00] /// < http://video.msg.com/Home/Banana-Shpeel- Behind-the-Scenes-2 > {May.19} Tonight is opening night for Banana Shpeel by Cirque du Soleil! Check out this exclusive sneak peek video of the show! VIDEO [0:55] /// < http://video.msg.com/Home/ Sneak-Peek-Banana-Shpeel > {May.19} Watch Schmelky put the finishing touches on his shpeel before the big premiere tomorrow at The Beacon Theatre! Schmelk-isode One: The Jar VIDEO [0:57] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhHM6o0V6n4 > {May.12} Marty Schmelky Margaret and I were on a photo shoot to capture promotional material for Banana Shpeel all over Columbus Circle, Central Park and the upper West Side. Check out our “On-The- Scene” photo shoot LINK /// < http://schmelky.wordpress.com/2010/05/12/on-the- scene%E2%80%9D-photo-shoot/ > {May.07} Marty Schmelky My assistant Margaret is an important, if not annoying, part of my entertainment empire. She loves Banana Shpeel and only has great things to say about her boss. LINK /// < http://schmelky.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/margaret/ > --- [ BELIEVE ] --- {May.27} Believe is the proud recipient of one of Las Vegas Weekly's "2010 Vegas' Best" for Best Supporting Cast for the fabulous dancers of our show! LINK /// < http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2010/may/27/best- supporting-cast-believe-dancers/ > {May.19} This past weekend, Criss Angel was honored to be the recipient of Innovention's Innovator of the Decade Award! Innovention founder Paul Stone said ...while making the presentation: "The award is given to Criss Angel for advancing the art of magic to new heights with his continual innovation and performance excellence." {May.12} Lighten up the mid-week blues by mixing up one of our signature CRISS ANGEL Believe cocktails, the White Rabbit. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? pid=4121098&id=18869703598 > --- [ KÀ ] --- {May.28} I know our U.S. friends are getting ready for a long, holiday weekend, and we're a few days away from a vacation of our own, but if you're in Vegas tonight, tomorrow or Sunday, come hang out with us! Also, please enjoy Part Deux of KÀ melting the mind of blogger JimOnLight! LINK /// < http://ht.ly/1Pbrj > {May.26} Today's featured blog is JimonLight.com, and here is a link to the first part of a two-part write-up of Jim's visit to KÀ a few weeks ago. Thanks again to Jim for taking the time to visit us, we enjoyed having you and are glad you enjoyed it as well! LINK /// < http://ht.ly/1P2oO > {May.25} We have an extra day of shows this week, so if you're in Vegas for the Memorial Day weekend and looking for something to do on Sunday, call us! Just to give you a few good reasons to come see us again, or for the first time, please enjoy this review from VegasLifeofLuxury.com! LINK /// {May.22} Fun fact: the hydraulic fluid used to move the enormous Sand Cliff Deck is a vegetable-based oil, and when we replace it the used oil gets sent to a bio-diesel refinery. Go green! {May.20} The fun-ness never stops at KÀ! Our extremely talented Props department created a "Speardog" for a fundraiser for a local animal shelter. I don't mean to brag, but it's pretty awesome, and so are they! Don't forget to tune in to National Geographic Channel tonight at 9pm for our "World's Toughest Fixes" episode! FOTO [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? pid=5495291&id=31527171928 > {May.19} Sometimes our characters can't be held by the walls of the theatre, so last night a chase ensued that went all the way to the poolside club at MGM Grand, Wet Republic. Coincidentally there was a Concierge Industry event going on so that worked out well for everyone. Sending great vibes and banana kisses to our friends at "Banana Shpeel" in New York for their premiere tonight! FOTO [5] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php? aid=215636&id=31527171928&ref=mf > {May.12} Ever wondered how you can bring a little bit of KÀ to your next BBQ or get-together? Here's a sweet summer drink you can make to add some Cirque to your next cocktail party! This is an adults- only beverage, please enjoy responsibly. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? pid=5426902&id=31527171928 > {May.08} A member of our sound crew, let's call him "Za-Za" (actually, that's what we call him), put together an elaborate scheme to surprise his girlfriend with a proposal involving props, costumes, artists, and an audience of 90 1st graders. He must really be in love! All together now... AWWWWWWWWWWW!!! FOTO [8] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php? aid=212650&id=31527171928&ref=mf> {May.06} On behalf of the cast and crew, and especially our resident daredevils, Francisco & Sabu Alegria, happy belated Cinco de Mayo! As a Cinco+1 de Mayo treat, here's a short look at the May 20th episode of "World's Toughest Fixes" on the National Geographic Channel (9pm Eastern/Pacific, check local listings.) VIDEO [4:00] /// < http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/ worlds-toughest-fixes/4939/Videos/ 08101_00#tab-Videos/08101_00 > --- [ KOOZA ] --- {May.28} If you pass by Seattle don't miss the KOOZA window display at the 2nd level of Pacific Place Mall - it's your chance to see the costumes and a few accessories closer than ever! FOTO [1] < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? pid=4642766&id=34324811338 > {May.13} THANK YOU Portland! Don't miss your chance to see KOOZA at SW Moody Avenue in Portland - Performing until May 23. Next Stop Seattle at King County's Marymoor Park - opening on June 3! Photo credit: Owen Carey Photography FOTO [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? pid=4532831&id=34324811338 > {May.03} Get an inside look at KOOZA! LINK /// < http://kezi.com/news/local/169369 > --- [ LA NOUBA ] --- {May.25} While the artists are taking a two week break, the crew is hard at work. In addition to stage maintenance, the boutique is being reconstructed, a conference room redesigned, the lobby is getting updated and the theater is getting a shine. We'll be ready for the public on June 8! FOTO [48] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php? aid=170906&id=16315569901&ref=mf > {May.18} We had a blast with Ali Wentworth when she recently spent a day with Cirque du Soleil - clowning around at La Nouba. Check out this spread in the June 2010 issue of O Magazine! FOTO [4] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php? aid=169360&id=16315569901&ref=mf > --- [ MYSTERE ] --- {May.28} Here's a look at Paul Bowler, our aerial cube artist, in action. Head over to Twitter and our @cirque account at 1 p.m. (in just a few minutes!) to ask Paul questions live! FOTO [8] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php? aid=213198&id=18155469918&ref=mf > {May.26} Mystère was honored to have been asked to participate in a fundraiser for a Las Vegas animal shelter last weekend. In order to raise money the shelter auctioned off 'show dogs,' and our Props and Wardrobe teams did a phenomenal job on our Red Bird- dog, congrats everyone! FOTO [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? pid=5439607&id=18155469918 > {May.22} Everyone please join me in wishing a very 'Happy Birthday' to our own Brian Dewhurst! May life bring you as much joy as you bring to everyone around you! {May.15} I should have mentioned that yesterday's photos were taken mid- way through the painting process. Not to fear, the stage is back to blue and all is right with the world! (The photo below was snapped not 5 min. ago.) A huge thanks to Janet Ford! She should have her own TV ...show - "A Woman, a Paint Roller, and a Dream." FOTO [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? pid=5328610&id=18155469918 > {May.14} Life at Mystère never really takes a break, and here's a little peek at all of the hard work our technical team has been doing all week. HGTV ain't got nothin' on our extremely talented stage painter, Janet Ford! Extreme Stage Makeover: Mystère Edition FOTO [9] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php? aid=209631&id=18155469918&ref=mf > {May.12} Ever wondered how you can bring a little Mystère magic to your next BBQ or get-together? Here's a tasty summer drink which, like Mystère, can be enjoyed by the entire family! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? pid=5307632&id=18155469918 > {May.08} After a valiant effort to upload some video, which I'm hoping will magically appear someday, I thought you might also like to see some photos of what happens when you mix fine food and fancy people with a bunch of Mystère characters. (Hint-You get lots of funny looks and laughs!) And yes, that is Johnny Weir amongst the Spermatos! FOTO [16] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php? aid=208261&id=18155469918&ref=mf > --- [ O ] --- {May.07} While sitting out by the pool this weekend, try a cocktail inspired by OUR pool! The Blueberry Splash! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? pid=3817818&id=26000574416 > {May.07} Our poor little Zebra was confused when she saw the Zebra masks hanging in the gift shop! Can you think of a good caption for this picture?? LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? pid=3817695&id=26000574416 > {May.06} We had a great time meeting "O" fans, taking pictures and signing autographs! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? pid=3812839&id=26000574416 > --- [ OVO ] --- {May.19} BOSTON - Press Conference FOTO [8] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php? aid=172255&id=62744104613&ref=mf > {May.05} Live with Regis and Kelly - The Live Stage VIDEO [3:49] /// < http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/ regisandkelly/special/livestage/index.html? bcpid=78294617001&bclid=60437168001 &bctid=82880483001 > --- [ SALTIMBANCO ] --- {May.29} Review: Cirque Du Soleil bring sunshine to Liverpool Echo Arena! LINK /// < http://www.clickliverpool.com/culture/reviews/129263- review-cirque-du-soleil-bring-sunshine-to-liverpool- echo-arena.html > {May.18} Cirque stars get in swing for Glasgow - Evening Times LINK /// < http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/features/cirque-stars- get-in-swing-for-glasgow-1.1025946 > --- [ THE BEATLES LOVE ] --- {May.13} Vegas SEVEN magazine calls LOVE "the most beautiful show on The Strip"...check out the other 49 most beautiful things about Las Vegas! LINK /// < http://weeklyseven.com/ae/2010/may/13/50-beautiful- things-about-las-vegas > {May.12} Check out this review from Broadwayworld.com! LINK /// < http://lasvegas.broadwayworld.com/article/ Las_Vegas_Review_Ciruq_du_Soleils_LOVE_20010101 > {May.11} We made a fun little video about our trip to Wrigley Field to throw the 1st pitch...enjoy! VIDEO [3:01] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php? v=429296000434&ref=mf > {May.10} Watch LOVE performer Robin Peters transform into the "Walrus!" VIDEO [1:14] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php? v=10100101471816549&ref=mf > {May.07} It's 5 o'clock somewhere! Make yourself a "Lovely Rita" in celebration of the weekend ahead! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? pid=4126335&id=14653468665 > --- [ TOTEM ] --- {May.03} Meet Kym Barrett, Costume designer for TOTEM VIDEO [1:42] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIm-DlLQmCc > {May.03} Meet Marina & Svetlana, artists from the Foot juggling act. VIDEO [1:42] /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyO1pJv3SHs > --- [ VAREKAI ] --- {May.27} Check out these pictures of the Varekai cast performance on ZDF TV - Fernsehgarten FOTO [5] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php? aid=183348&id=30414380348&ref=mf > {May.27} Varekai cast was on ZDF TV - Fernsehgarten last Monday! VIDEO [4:20] /// < http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/beitrag/video/ 1051816/Auftritt-von-Cirque-Du-Soleil#/beitrag /video/1051816/Auftritt-von-Cirque-Du-Soleil > {May.08} Varekai big top raising on KSTA WEB TV LINK /// < http://www.ksta.de/portal/videos/index.php? bcpid=14306381001&bclid=3633840001&bctid=83702373001 > --- [ VIVA ELVIS ] --- {May.24} Check out the video below for a special message from Priscilla Presley to all our Viva ELVIS Facebook fans! VIDEO [0:24] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php? v=10100112096679239&ref=mf > {May.24} In honor of Priscilla's birthday today, we thought we'd post a couple of her responses to your questions! Here's one and we'll have the other up soon! VIDEO [0:38] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php? v=10100112214677769&ref=mf > {May.24} And here's the other one! We had a great time talking with Priscilla! Thanks for the questions, everyone! VIDEO [1:18] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php? v=10100112227492089&ref=mf > {May.23} Aaron Felske, Viva ELVIS dancer and filmmaker, created a great video of our rehearsals with Napoleon & Tabitha and our trip to LA for Dancing with the Stars. VIDEO [2:36] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php? v=398624657001&ref=mf > {May.20} The contemporary Las Vegas experience in one new resort,ARIA Resort & Casino features Cirque du Soleil’s new Viva ELVIS(Part One: Viva ELVIS. Part Two coming up: ARIA Resort & Casino and Virgin America.) LINK /// < http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-30274-SF-Theater- Examiner~y2010m5d17-Cirque-du-Soleils-Viva-Elvis-at- new-Aria-Resort--Casino-in-Las-Vegas-pays-musical- tribute > --- [ ZUMANITY ] --- {May.28} A couple of fun facts about our fabulous theatre! The custom built Zumanity theater has 1,261 seats and 50 separate speakers, the strobe lights use 70,000 watts of power in just a few seconds and there are 1,269 light fixtures, which are run by only eight consoles - whew! {May.21} Another Fun Fact Friday! The water in the Water Bowl consistently stays at a temperature of 99 degrees Fahrenheit- this helps the water bowl contortionists’ muscles to remain warm and flexible during the act {May.15} Another fun fact to share with our Facebook fans! Since 2003, the sexy couple in Zumanity’s "Midnight Bath" act have bathed in more than 2,500 quarts of milk. Milk really does do a body good! {May.14} Fun fact Friday! Did you know French fashion designer Thierry Mugler designed all of the costumes for Zumanity? And speaking of costumes... the "Red dress" creation worn by Marcela, Queen of the Wind during “2Men” is a $40,000 couture creation featuring a jeweled bra encrusted with Swarovski crystal! {May.12} Wednesday is a good enough reason to mix up a sexy cocktail! Take some inspiration from our Zumanitini - recipe below :) LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? pid=3989693&id=13931088846 > ======================================================================= COMPARTMENTS -- A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN ======================================================================= o) DIDYAKNOW - Facts at a Glance about Cirque o) HISTORIA - Cirque du Soleil History --------------------------------- DIDYAKNOW? - Facts About Cirque --------------------------------- o) Each year, the Costume Workshop uses over 20 kilometres of fabric from around the globe. o) The majority of costumes are screen-printed by hand. o) Cirque uses Santa Claus wigs to make some of the wigs for "O". o) There are approximately 1,000 costume pieces in Dralion, including headpieces, belts, shoes and so on. o) The colours of the Dralion costumes represent the four elements: blue for Air, green for Water, red for Fire, and ochre for Earth o) All costumes are custom designed for each individual performer at the Costume Workshop in Montreal. The Costume Workshop employs over 250 people. o) The Costume Workshop can turn out more than 500 models of shoes. o) In Varekai, the main set element is a forest in which life is always present; as a result, there are many aerial concepts in the show. Certain trees in the set are flexible enough to allow artists to fly between them. o) A total of 160 people travel with Varekai, of which 56 are performers. o) Over 500,000 red petals have fallen from the Varekai sky... and many more to come! o) Make-up is specially designed for each individual artist, according to their individual features. Performers are taught to apply their own make-up. o) The theatre of ZAIA has a capacity of 1852 spectators. ------------------------------------ HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History ------------------------------------ * Jun.02.2006 -- LOVE Premiered at Mirage (Previews Begin) * Jun.02.2007 -- Ernst & Young named Cirque CEO Guy Laliberté "World Entrepreneur of 2007." * Jun.02.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Glasgow, UK * Jun.02.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Sacramento, CA * Jun.02.2010 -- Cirque du Soleil releases iPhone application * Jun.03.2004 -- Varekai opened Denver * Jun.03.2004 -- Dralion opened Vienna * Jun.03.2005 -- Dralion opened Rotterdam * Jun.03.2008 -- Name of of "Cirque Tokyo 2008" Announced - "ZED" * Jun.03.2010 -- Koozå opened Seattle, WA * Jun.04.2003 -- Alegría opened Calgary * Jun.04.2008 -- Cirque Partners with YuuZoo, Video Sharing Website * Jun.05.2003 -- Saltimbanco opened Cologne * Jun.05.2008 -- Quidam opened Màlaga, Spain * Jun.05.2008 -- Varekai opened Berlin, Germany * Jun.06.2000 -- Dralion opened Denver, Colorado * Jun.06.2002 -- Region 02 DVD release: Dralion * Jun.06.2006 -- Cirque Las Vegas named 6th most popular attraction in US by TripAdvisor * Jun.07.1985 -- 1985 Tour opened in Sher-Brooke [Plateau Parc] * Jun.07.1992 -- Fascination opened Nagoya * Jun.09.1994 -- Alegría opened Ste-Foy * Jun.09.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Manchester, UK * Jun.09.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Rio Rancho, NM * Jun.10.2002 -- Official Title of 13-episode TV series announced - "Fire Within", previously titled "A Fly on the Wall" * Jun.10.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened St. John, NB * Jun.11.2002 -- Alegría Extended CD Released (BMG/CDS Musique) * Jun.11.2009 -- Quidam opened Fortaleza, Brazil * Jun.12.2002 -- Alegría opened Denver * Jun.12.2002 -- Dralion opened Portland * Jun.12.2007 -- La Nouba celebrated 4000th performance [Tuesday, 6:00pm] * Jun.12.2008 -- Corteo opened Vancouver, BC, Canada * Jun.13.1992 -- Saltimbanco opened Ste-Foy * Jun.13.2002 -- Announcement of NY-NY and MGM-Grand Shows * Jun.14.2003 -- Varekai premiered on BRAVO at 8:00pm EST * Jun.14.2005 -- Quidam CD Released (CDS Musique) * Jun.16.1984 -- Official Birth date of Cirque du Soleil * Jun.16.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Gaspé * Jun.16.1995 -- Alegría opened Toronto * Jun.16.2002 -- Dralion burglarized in Portland; stealing $11,000 * Jun.16.2003 -- Mystère celebrated 4500th performance [Monday, 7:30pm] * Jun.16.2004 -- MGM-Mirage and Mandalay Resort Group merged * Jun.16.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Cypress, TX * Jun.17.2010 -- Varekai opened Frankfurt, DE * Jun.17.2010 -- OVO opened Hartford, CT * Jun.17.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Birmingham, UK * Jun.18.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened Toronto * Jun.19.2008 -- La Nouba celebrated 4500th performance [Thursday, 6:00pm] * Jun.19.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened St. John’s, Newfoundland * Jun.20.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Ste-Foy * Jun.20.2002 -- Quidam opened Detroit, Michigan * Jun.20.2008 -- Alegría opened Buenos Aires, Argentina * Jun.21.1985 -- 1985 Tour opened in Ottawa [Plaines Le Breton] * Jun.21.2001 -- Saltimbanco 2000 opened Osaka, Japan * Jun.22.1999 -- La Nouba CD Released in Canada (RCA/Victor) * Jun.22.2001 -- Dralion opened Chicago * Jun.22.2005 -- Entertainment Complexes in Montréal announced * Jun.22.2006 -- Dralion opened Malaga * Jun.22.2006 -- Varekai opened Vancouver * Jun.22.2007 -- Corteo opened Denver * Jun.23.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Bai-Comeau * Jun.23.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Minneapolis, MN * Jun.24.1999 -- Dralion opened Quebec * Jun.24.2004 -- Quidam opened Calgary * Jun.24.2008 -- Koozå CD Released US/Canada * Jun.25.1992 -- Fascination opened Hiroshima * Jun.25.2004 -- Saltimbanco opened Gijon * Jun.25.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Tampa, FL * Jun.26.2005 -- Alegría opened Osaka * Jun.26.2008 -- Koozå opened Chicago, IL * Jun.26.2010 -- Corteo opened St. Petersburg, RU * Jun.27.1989 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Ste-Foy * Jun.27.2002 -- Vaerkai opened Quebec City * Jun.27.2004 -- Mystère celebrated 5000th performance [Sunday, 7:30pm] * Jun.28.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Jonquière * Jun.28.2007 -- Quidam opened Shanghai, China (First time in China!) * Jun.29.1999 -- La Nouba CD Released in US (RCA/Victor) * Jun.29.1999 -- Dralion opened in Toronto * Jun.30.2005 -- Corteo opened Quebec City * Jun.30.2005 -- Quidam opened Perth * Jun.30.2005 -- Varekai opened East Rutherford * Jun.30.2006 -- LOVE Gala Premiere (Previews End) * Jun.30.2008 -- BELIEVE officially delayed (#1) * Jun.30.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Newcastle, UK * Jun.30.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Toronto, ON ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= Within... o) INTERVIEW /// "Daniel Lamarre: Joining the Circus" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) o) "Some Thoughts on the Evolution of Cirque" By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA) o) "TOTEM in the Press" [EXPANDED] A Special Collection of Reviews in the Press o) "Banana Shpeel - The Reviews are In!" [EXPANDED] A Special Collection of Reviews in the Press -------------------------------------------------------------- INTERVIEW /// "Daniel Lamarre: Joining the Circus" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) -------------------------------------------------------------- When it became clear we would be able to add Montreal to our CirqueCon 2010 weekend in New York, our journalistic minds went into high gear. Who in the Cirque organization, we wondered, might be interested in talking with us for Fascination? Thanks to the kindness of our friends inside Cirque IHQ, my wife and I were able to spend the afternoon talking with those we have known from afar but had yet to meet face-to-face. And we were very fortunate to arrange a short bit of time talking with the highest profile person ever to grace these pages in interview form, Mr. Daniel Lamarre (Dan- yell Luh-maarh), President and Chief Operating Officer of Cirque du Soleil. After a wonderful lunchtime spent chatting up several of our Montreal IHQ friends we were escorted to a large elevator in the middle of the building and taken to the third floor. As we ascended floors in the IHQ the atmosphere got quieter, with less of the hustle and bustle found on the ground floor. The third floor is a quiet respite. After being escorted into his office we ended up sitting comfortably around a brown conference table in his smart but modestly-appointed offices on the south side of the building. Mr. Lamarre was very gracious with us, calmly and knowledgably answering our questions in his light French-Canadian accent. We started by asking about his responsibilities and how he came to be in his current position. “[My responsibility is] the overall management of the organization. To use less corporate terms and use Cirque terminology my job is to put in place the right conditions for the creators of Cirque to be able to create the best shows there are. Therefore, I have to make sure that everything we do within this building, within this studio, supports the creative and production process. The other thing I have to do is ensure the sustainability of Cirque du Soleil. Bringing new projects, bringing new shows, and protecting all those jobs of people that are very very passionate about what they do. That’s how I see my mandate.” His first encounter with Cirque founder Guy Laliberte, though, occurred many years earlier. “It’s a funny story. I was a partner in a public relations firm (National Public Relations) in Canada, and in 1986 I was doing a mandate for Guy Laliberte but he couldn’t pay me. He came into my office and said, “Daniel, I’m sorry. We have no money, we’re brand new. I don’t know what to do with this.” And I [tore up] the invoice and said, “Forget about it, because what you’re trying to do is so amazing. I wish you the best of luck.” “Years later [Cirque] had become successful. I sold my firm because I was becoming the president of a television network (TVA, Quebec’s largest private TV broadcaster). I called Guy and said, “I would love to have the TV rights for Cirque du Soleil.” They were hugely successful by then and he said, “Daniel, it would be impossible. This international firm is looking after those rights.” And I said, “No problem. I just wanted you to know that if ever they are available I am interested.” “The following day I received a copy of a note to the guy who was in charge of the TV rights at Cirque saying, “This guy helped me out years ago. He wants the TV rights, do what you have to do.” And I was really touched by that, first that he remembered and second that he was moving on it. So we started to see each other a little more regularly because of the TV shows that we were working on for Cirque.” “Five years later he called me out of the blue. He was in London and he said, “Daniel, I had this amazing flash last night.” And I said, “Yeah, what was it?” And he said, “You’re going to join the circus!” (Laughs) And I said, “Whoa, Guy, I have a job. I’m happy. I’m not sure about that.” And the rest is history. Three weeks later I was joining Cirque and I’ve been here for nine years, starting my tenth year. It’s been an interesting story, Guy and I, because we knew each other without really knowing each other. And now we’ve been working together more than nine years.” With the company carefully tended by Mr. Lamarre, “Guy wants to stay away from the day-to-day [operations] of the business, to make sure that his creative juices are there. So my job is to make sure that he works as little as possible, that he continues to travel the world to find new treasures for our organization. Because that’s one gift he has that very few people in the world have.” Mr. Lamarre has presided over a vast expansion of the Cirque du Soleil brand around the world in the form of not only new shows but new show models. These include re-purposing older shows so they can play in arenas (Cirque calls them “venus”) in smaller cities that Cirque hasn’t previously played. They have discovered a new style of show with the dance-centered “Love” and “Viva Elvis.” And with “Banana Shpeel” they are developing a show that will play in heritage (older) proscenium theaters (ground that competitor Cirque Productions has covered for many years). This expansion has brought with it some hard-learned lessons. “I think what we’ve learned is that people understand our brand, which is positive but which brings limits. For instance when we opened “Zumanity” people were expecting to see a “Mystere” type of show and were very disappointed. So now we have to be careful how we manage expectations, that people understand that our creators like to try something new. We have to educate people about that, and in some cases we downplay the brand or use a different brand. That is a conversation we are having internally. We have been through that with “Zumanity” and we are going through it with “Banana Shpeel” because it’s a different type of show. But, mind you, I was at the show last night (opening night in New York City) and I thought that the reaction of the public was quite encouraging.” Referring to the challenge of expanding into new parts of the world, such as with ZAIA in Macao he commented, “The toughest parts of the world for us are places like France, Italy and China where there is a huge tradition of traditional circus. When they see the name “Cirque” they think of a traditional cirque, and it takes us a while to educate people about how different we are from their circus. That’s the biggest challenge. After they have discovered that we’re not a circus but we are theatrical and we are different, I think we will be very very successful.” Moving to questions we as fans have been wondering about, we asked about changing the running time of ZED. We had been told that a 90- minute show was the original artistic vision but that Oriental Land Company (who manages the theater, concessions, and food and beverage) had requested an intermission in order to help meet their income projections. This was accommodated by Cirque, though its’ critical success in its 2-act form made fans wonder why other resident shows are based on the 90-minute model. It was even more surprising when ZED was changed to a 90-minute show. We wondered why and where the original 90-minute model came from. “At the beginning [it was] a casino issue, because after an hour and a half they wanted people to go to the gambling floor. But through ZED we have experienced that it makes a lot of sense, because we have so much technology involved and the experience is so sensorial, that having an intermission for theater shows was a bit of a downer.” “As in the casino business, where after 90 minutes people want to go back to the gaming floor, at Disney after 90 minute shows people want to go back to the theme park or to other attractions. So it made more sense in this environment to have a 90-minute show.” The change also makes it easier to sell ZED as part of travel packages offered to busy Japanese tourists, for whom the Tokyo Disney Resort is quite a jaunt out from the city and something to be carefully planned. With Cirque’s interest in expanding internationally we were keen to ask about whether fans around the world should expect the Cirque video catalog to be issued into their DVD region? “As we expand geographically, [DVD product is] also a way [we present ourselves]. We’re expanding geographically more and more now which will force us, in a positive way, to make sure that our shows are available.” The success of “La Nouba” on DVD has been, in Mr. Lamarre’s words, “Very very positive” and has improved ticket sales. With that and the filming and broadcast of “KA” on German television fans curiosity was piqued about the possibility of resident shows being issued on DVD. It was our understanding Cirque’s contract with MGM/Mirage forbids issuing videos of shows, but not according to Mr. Lamarre. “It’s not by contract, it’s more the philosophical approach of the casino. They’re afraid we will lose clientele, which as a matter of fact, is totally contrary [to what we’ve found]. Because when we put our shows on video it entices people to come to the show.” In the biggest piece of news to come out of our short time together, we were happy to learn there are plans to bring “ZAIA” and “ZED” to DVD for the American market! “Yes definitely. That’s something we’re exploring right now. ZAIA will come first, but yes.” But it doesn’t mean every Cirque production will see the light of day on video. For example, a finished video for “Delirium” was booked into cinemas as a special event. Why not put it out on DVD since it’s already done? “There’s no plan for that now. The problem is that we are creating and producing so many shows at such a rapid pace that we don’t want to have too many DVD’s in a market where DVD’s are getting tougher and tougher to sell. The DVD market is decreasing at a very rapid pace, so it’s a business decision to not bring out too many DVD’s. And if I’m bringing [out a] DVD, I want the DVD [to be] of an actual [current] show, to help promote the show. And since Delirium is no longer in presentation it isn’t a priority of ours.” (I think we can safely assume that will also apply to “Wintuk,” seeing as how it’s in its final year at Madison Square Garden.) What direction, then, will future DVD releases take? “The one thing right now that might change our lives is 3-D. You know, Cirque du Soleil has not been a great product for television. But people who have seen Avatar, for instance, are saying, “Wow! These are the textures of Cirque du Soleil characters that are in shows.” And now all of the sudden all of the major studios are talking to us, saying they want to do something with Cirque du Soleil in 3-D. So that should accelerate the number of new shows that we produce, not only on DVD, but in 3-D. That’s something we’re exploring right now.” How does Cirque measure success? Is one show more popular than another? “For touring shows it has nothing to do with the quality or the popularity of the show, it has to do with markets. And obviously when you open more and more markets the latest show is the most popular one, because our brand is at maturity and we’ll sell more tickets of any new show we produce.” “There are shows that seem to be better received in [particular] countries. For instance there were a lot of questions about Dralion when we opened in Montreal. But it broke all ticket sales records in the United States, for reasons that were unclear. It was very very popular and had a broad appeal in America.” “OVO was a great surprise to us because when we decided to do OVO we never thought that the show would be so appealing to kids. But when you think about it it makes a lot of sense, because with the insect theme of the show it has a huge appeal to kids. So in touring shows I would say that they all have been big successes for different reasons.” “For permanent shows, obviously the amazing success of “O” is alone in its league. There has never been a show that has been clearly sold out for so many years. That’s a first in the history of entertainment. But now we have “LOVE” that is at about the same level of success, and “KA” and others, but “O” remains in a very specific and exclusive situation.” All too soon, our time was drawing to a close. But we wanted to make sure we asked the President of Cirque du Soleil what he thought was the best BUSINESS decision Cirque has ever made. “Definitely Vegas. People don’t realize it, but at the time there was a lot of controversy within the organization. I wasn’t here but I’ve heard so many stories. People and artists were asking Guy, “What are we going to do in Vegas? Vegas has nothing to do with the artistic values of Cirque.” And Guy had this famous answer, “I’m going to plant a flower in the desert.” And I think that sums it up, because today we have more than a flower, we have seven flowers, soon eight. So I think that was the real breakthrough of the organization.” My sincere thanks go to: Mr. Daniel Lamarre, for so graciously spending time with us, Chantal Côte, Corporate PR Manager, And my wife LouAnna for sitting in on the interview, and putting up with my sometimes obsessive hobby. -------------------------------------------------------------- "Some Thoughts on the Evolution of Cirque" By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA) -------------------------------------------------------------- We Cirque fans are a finicky bunch, aren’t we? We want everything just so. We follow their every move. We complain when they stray. What makes us so disgruntled? When TOTEM was announced (and then the Michael Jackson collaboration) I joined in on the discussion briefly at Cirque Tribune, posting a few comments about the two concepts and about Cirque in general. On the board, most agreed that TOTEM was a departure from Cirque du Soleil’s latest offerings and looked upon the show as a “savior” of the original avant-garde concept; however, the announcement of the Michael Jackson shows created more than a platform for further disagreements, it created a whirlwind of dissent – fans of many years were preparing to “turn their backs” on Cirque du Soleil over the announcement. Why? The answer in short: Cirque du Soleil was no longer the perceived Cirque they remembered and enjoyed. Watching the company evolve from an avant-garde circus troupe, staging esoteric shows in mysterious worlds, into a full-fledged entertainment company where avant-garde circus was but just one aspect of their business, was just too much to bear. The decisions of those brave few made me examine my own level of commitment and in doing so I learned a little bit about myself, my expectations of Cirque and their ever-evolving company. Although my thoughts on the subject are obvious, permit me to share these jumbled thoughts with you. First and foremost, what we as Cirque fans, just like fans of any property or universe (such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, etc.), have to understand is that things constantly evolve. And that Cirque du Soleil has always been an evolving entertainment business. Think of the many steps along the way: Nouvelle Experience, the first real transition between the ring and the theater; Saltimbanco, the change from dark to light; Mystère, the first resident show that angered many of the first few followers (how dare they discard the Grand Chapiteau?); Quidam, where Benoit Jutras took over musically; Dralion, a two-fold evolution with the departure of Dragone AND a purchase-for-play show; with Zumanity, the first "other side" of Cirque du Soleil; Delirium, the concert and arena show; LOVE, the musical; Wintuk; the seasonal; and BELIEVE, the train-wreck. Cirque has lost fans and followers at each step. As we’ve seen with Cirque recently, they’re pursuing different avenues of entertainment – from eroticism (Zumanity), to a moving motion picture (KÀ), to a musical extravaganza (LOVE, VIVA ELVIS, MJ), to Vaudeville/Variety (Solstrom, Banana Shpeel) while also attempting to keep the status quo (Koozå, ZED, ZAIA, Ovo, Totem). They’re branching out beyond what we as fans would consider their creative core. Strangely enough, though, they’ve been doing it for quite some time now. One could argue they’re not doing a good job at that. I personally don’t mind Cirque branching out into unknown territory (in fact, I welcome it). Don’t churn out a show just for the sake of it – take the time to do it right. And above all, be different! We've all often wondered where Cirque du Soleil was heading. Now we know – for better or worse, Cirque du Soleil has moved on from “the Dragone Era” into new forms of entertainment and there’s no stopping them. I am probably one of the few who love Koozå (because I understand the type of show it represents) and one of the few who feels OVO and SHPEEL have a chance if-and-only-if they can pull it together. I'll see shortly. But, yes, I too can see the difference in production value between a Quidam and an OVO, between Mystère and ZAIA, or between Saltimbanco (which still has it after all these years) and a Wintuk. And although I hold my reservations about the MJ show (I enjoy MJs music and adore LOVE so I'm curious about it and ELVIS), even I realize Cirque today is not Cirque from yesterday. Most of what sets shows during the “Dragone era” apart from those created today is the attention to detail. Most of what you see out of Saltimbanco, Mystère, Alegría, Quidam, “O” and La Nouba are tightly wrapped shows. They’ve benefitted from the same creative team. They’ve also benefitted from one person’s vision, which is then allowed to be upgraded and spilt over from one show to the next. If Saltimbanco is a “happy” show, then Alegría is “sad”. And if Alegría is “sad”, Quidam is “angry” and “scared” all at once. Furthermore, if Alegría shows us how refined Cirque became, Quidam shows an emotional de-evolution, wearing its emotions on its sleeve. What we normally see out of these shows is an all encompassing theme that has great depth, a thematical element that isn’t obvious. To me that is what Cirque is missing today. Even with shows like Varekai or Corteo, which actually do better to adhere to the “Dragone” standard (IMO, Corteo over Varekai), their themes are still more recognizable. If you’re not sure... explain what Mystère, Alegría, or Quidam are about beyond what you see on its surface... then explain what Varekai, Corteo, Koozå and OVO are about and you’ll get what I mean. Koozå is a great show. OVO is too. But they exist only within the confines of their own production. The earlier shows had a more esoteric quality to them, existing beyond the theater or the Grand Chapiteau in a way that’s hard to explain. Perhaps it’s just personal bias. I understand that every company, just like every person, must evolve, but I am allowed not to particularly like what it has evolved into. Just like many folks no longer care what Disney has evolved into, or Apple, or Google, or any company. I feel saddened by the fact that I may never again experience the Cirque of old. And for some that's too much to bear. Maybe one day Cirque du Soleil will come to the understanding that it is over-reaching and will contract. Perhaps one day they’ll say “wouldn’t it be great if one group of creators could create all our shows”, making each one (and the next) just that much better. Even if that wish should never come true, I’m still in it for the long haul. I'm not planning to "turn my back" on Cirque... not just yet. Although my feelings for Cirque du Soleil and my level of involvement in the fandom change constantly – the announcement of yet another LOVE clone doesn’t help matters – I am curious about Hollywood 2011, Radio City 2011, and VIVA ELVIS (which has premiered but I‘ve not yet seen); I wonder what’s up with Dubai, Shanghai, and the Arena shows; and whether or not another touring show is on the horizon... and see what the future holds. In the end I may find that I only like one aspect of what Cirque du Soleil has become (such as touring shows and resident shows like ZED) and perhaps that will do. For dozens of others, it's just the last straw. Can't say I blame them. But if TOTEM and BANANA SHPEEL have taught me anything, it is to expect the unexpected and to just enjoy the shows for what they are, not for what you wish they would be. -------------------------------------------------------------- "TOTEM in the Press" [EXPANDED] A Special Collection of Reviews in the Press -------------------------------------------------------------- The Canadian Press has seen TOTEM and now they speak! I apologize for the delay in posting but I was up enjoying the show myself! Here’s what a few of the most known press outlets in Canada have said about Totem: "Dramatic Difference in Lepage's TOTEM" FROM: The Toronto Star ------------------------------------------ The greatest artist is not necessarily the one who does something first, but the one who does it for the 47th time and makes it feel like the first. That’s the best way to describe what Robert Lepage has done with Totem, the latest show from Cirque du Soleil. There are two kinds of Cirque shows. The “permanent” ones, meant to run for a decade or more in Las Vegas, Orlando, or Macau and the “touring” ones, which travel around the world for an equally extended period of time. The magnificent Lepage first partnered with Cirque on a permanent show in Las Vegas in 2005, when he did Ka, their mind-blowing martial arts fairy tale. But when it was announced that he was mounting the touring Cirque show for 2010, a lot of people were dubious. The budgets for these shows were much smaller, the technical restrictions more stringent. Could Lepage thrive within such a tight set of constraints? The answer is definitely yes. It’s almost as if the fairly rigid form forced Lepage into a different kind of freedom. Yes, Totem is similar to the other Cirque touring shows in many superficial ways, but the final result is dramatically different. There is a central playing area, an audience on three sides and one overarching structure to define the action. In Totem, it’s the skeleton of a giant turtle, which underscores Lepage’s theme of following mankind on its evolutionary journey from its amphibious roots. Sometimes it dominates the action, but at other moments it simply hangs in the air, providing a visual counterpoint to the varied busyness below. Like any Cirque show, Lepage’s Totem is filled with acrobats, jugglers, contortionists and gymnasts. But the difference is that each of these has a distinctive personality in Lepage’s world. There is an increased sexuality, a heightened sense of individual awareness, an overall sensation that everyone on the stage is unique and there for a special reason. As Lepage tracks mankind’s journey, he makes room for the egotist, the exhibitionist, the solitary voyager and the psychotic visitor. Some ride roller skates, some soar through the air on high-tension cables, others ride glance beams or reach for trapezes. One of the most astonishing things is the way that Carl Fillion’s set finds room for everyone and allows the earthbound dancers and the sky- high gymnasts the same freedom. There is an increased sensuality to Lepage’s work here, which raises the stakes on what could have been frequently bloodless gymnastic exercises and lets us forge a deeper connection with the artists who are on an emotional as well as a physical journey in their work. And the often banal and humourless comedy sequences are given new point and perspective by allotting them to characters who have something at stake in the sexual games on display. The overall effect is both shocking and reassuring, allowing us to treat the characters in Cirque’s world as complex human beings instead of asexual clowns. For once, the opening tour in Montreal will not be followed by an automatic visit to Toronto. The lucrative European market has called for Lepage’s work and Totem will play in Amsterdam and London before moving on to Canada sometime in 2011. But make no mistake, Totem is well worth waiting for. Robert Lepage redefines every art form he touches and the Cirque du Soleil touring show is no exception. Totem is the proof. "Robert Lepage + Cirque = Totally Awesome" FROM: The Globe and Mail --------------------------------------------- Watching a Cirque du Soleil show is always an otherworldly experience. The performances just seem so strange, standing in defiance of gravity, probability and most logic. Then there's the Cirque's Warholian mash-up, collapsing the finest performance-art skills and kitschy circus routine, high and low art, into one. The Cirque's latest collaboration with Quebec City-based writer- director Robert Lepage is no exception. In Totem, a troupe of astonishingly talented Cirque performers take us through a series of very loosely connected sketches, all of them zany, some more memorable than others. As expected with Cirque shows, there's a New Agey concept that's supposed to tie everything together: The press kit transmits the message in what could perhaps best be described as Cirquespeak: "Somewhere between science and legend, Totem explores the ties that bind Man to other species, his dreams and his infinite potential." Whatever. Esoteric thematic aspirations aside, Cirque does what it does best with Totem - it delivers the goods. The first act is so strong it threatens to peak too soon. The troupe leaps from one sketch to the next. There's plenty of trapeze action, with players seeming to float effortlessly through the air, a homoerotic swimsuit competition in which two buff boys show off their muscles for the audience, and a gonzo unicycle act in which riders toss metal bowls onto each other's heads. It's as crazy as it sounds. Lepage has chosen to alternate between sketches that feature the iconography of exotic cultures - for which he seems to have great reverence - with others that feature western cultures personified by clowns. It's hard to tell if there's some underlying point; as much fun as Cirque shows are, their use of ethnic and native stereotypes are occasionally a bit cringe-worthy. We are meant to stand in wonder as two people who appear to be aboriginal roller-blade on a box, one carrying the other on his head, to a musical score performed by what sounds like the Buddhist Tabernacle Choir. (When watching Avatar, I wondered if James Cameron's rendition of the noble savage hadn't been inspired by a Cirque show.) While the second act had highlights, including a dizzyingly romantic high-wire act in which a man and woman fall in love on the trapeze, there were also some points that lagged. Given the outstanding strengths of act one, the evening felt a tad top-heavy. But these are minor quibbles. For the most part, Totem shows us the essence of Cirque's success: its outstandingly talented performers. Their frantic, gravity-defying antics leave you enthralled, and in touch with your inner valley girl. Simply put, they're, like, totally awesome. "From Conception to Evolution, TOTEM is a Hit" FROM: The Montreal Gazette ------------------------------------------------- With the Cirque du Soleil, there's no such thing as a bad circus. Which is why an astounding 160,000 tickets to the new touring show Totem were sold before last night's media opening. People trust the company that reinvented the circus to come up with a good show, no matter who is directing it. And this time, the director is Robert Lepage, another Quebec-grown global phenomenon. Although this is Lepage's second collaboration with the Cirque (the first was Ka in Las Vegas), it's the first to be seen in Montreal. Totem is an entertaining, fast-paced circus, with an upbeat soundtrack and ravishing visuals, showcasing an impressive array of acts, many of them in the "wow" category. Although the stated theme is evolution (with a Darwinian bias), the creationist phrase of "intelligent design" springs to mind as applied to the show itself. Carl Fillion's set is brilliantly conceived, simple as a turtle's shell, as complex as a scorpion's backbone - which serves as the inspiration for the unfurling "scorpion" bridge used to represent everything from a speedboat to a rocket during the show. Meanwhile, the cinematic images of Pedro Pires create living backdrops of ocean waves, swamps or volcanoes. Kym Barrett's costumes, too, are strikingly original, widely variegated, some sprouting leaves or feathers. Her patchy cosmonauts glow in the dark during the moonscape Russian Bar number. Totem begins with a sparkling mirror man descending, and a giant turtle's shell losing its skin. This reveals a skeletal shell used for a bouncy group acrobatics number that seems to erupt out of a sweat lodge, wherein reptilian-clad performers are holding a revival meeting. This poetry in frenzied motion serves as a set-up for the first episode of Nakotah Larance's light-footed hoop dance. (Not to worry - this charismatic performer returns after intermission.) In Totem, thanks to Lepage, scene transitions flow, conflict sparks drama, and clowning is integrated into the theatricality of it all. Suddenly we're at a beach where a skinny nerd in shades (Italian clown Pippo Crotti) competes against two handsome beach boys with magnificent abs for the attentions of a girl (Alevtyna Titarenko) who soars high on suspended rings, along with the boys. Frisbees are thrown here, too. A wink from choreographer Jeff Hall, who once was Canadian Frisbee champion. Later, a fisherman clown (Mikhail Usov) rows onto the stage, sets up a barbecue, juggles eggs and transforms a plastic bag into a swan. Juggling, whether by hand or foot, with hoop or ball, is the dominant form in Totem. Five Chinese girls on tricycles do a stunning number tossing golden bowls and catching them on their heads. Glamorous twins (Marina and Svetlana Tsodikova) twirl mats on their feet. A ringmaster/toreador twirls silver batons. And a bearded Darwin-like scientist juggles fluorescent balls inside a giant plastic funnel while music is made of test tubes and beakers - after illustrating the mathematics of boxes. On the fixed trapeze, Louis-David Simoneau and Rosalie Ducharme flirt and bicker as they tussle in the air, adorable as naughty kittens. Massimiliano Medina and Denise Garcia-Sorta defy gravity as they spin on roller skates on a small, round stage, dressed in bridal-white Amerindian costumes, after arriving by canoe. (Mixing anthropology and circus does make for some odd moments. But Larance and singer-drummer Christian Laveau are genuine, representing authentic aboriginal culture.) This witty, cleverly crafted Totem is diverting throughout, ending with a hand-clapping dance number - the catchiest Cirque tune since Alegria. -------------------------------------------------------------- "Banana Shpeel - The Reviews are In!" [EXPANDED] A Special Collection of Reviews in the Press -------------------------------------------------------------- BANANA SHPEEL opened to the public on Wednesday, May 19th - the reviews are rolling in! Some of them good, some not, but all agree the show is much better than when it premiered in Chicago. See what they have to say... "Cirque's Salvages Banana Shpeel" FROM: The Toronto Star ------------------------------------ After Cirque du Soleil saved their last show, Viva Elvis!, from the jaws of disaster, I suggested that they should replace Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny in our affections. Well, following the turnaround they’ve effected on their latest project, Banana Shpeel, I can only suggest that they be appointed to Barack Obama’s cabinet and he’ll never have trouble getting any legislation passed again. This self-styled “vaudeville show” opened in Chicago last December to the worst reviews since Judas Iscariot. The show was called “unfunny, creepy and depressing” by the Chicago critics and it played to one-third houses throughout its run, which is unheard of in the capacity-only world of Cirque du Soleil. Other managements might have cancelled, but not Cirque. They gritted their teeth, girded their loins and sent back the clowns. That was the problem, you see. The original Banana Shpeel was made up exclusively of the one element that most of us dread seeing in any Cirque show: the clowns. Can you imagine how Chicago squealed when faced with two hours of unfunny French mimes trying to wreck comedic havoc on their Midwestern souls? Exactly. But my smart colleague on the Chicago Tribune, Chris Jones, while hating what he saw, cautioned against dealing Cirque out so early. They postponed the New York opening. Many times. It almost got to be a joke with the Manhattan media, but Cirque prevailed. They had a vision, dammit, and even though it might have changed, it would still get onto the stage. Well, on Wednesday night, the new improved Banana Shpeel opened at the beautifully rococo Beacon Theater on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Is it a disaster? Certainly not. Is it a flop? Far from it. Is it something totally different than Cirque has ever done before? Exactly. They’ve taken a generous portion of their own particular legerdemain, mixed it with a healthy dose of old-style vaudeville, dressed it with a sensual sauce that Bob Fosse surely would have recognized, and offered it up as an evening’s entertainment. The bottom line: It works. Banana Shpeel is an amusing, engaging, pleasing way to spend two hours in the theatre. Because the Beacon has no fly galleries, there are no acrobatics, but there are still Cirque gymnastics. We also get a fair dose of funny verbal comedy, mainly thanks to Danny Rutigliano, who plays the M.C. “Marty Schmelky” with the right mix of Montreal brass and Manhattan gas. Ultimately, it’s a fun night, filled with more interpersonal activity than one usually sees at Cirque, but enough spectacle to make any observer feel at home. It’s a new kind of stylistic show, but one that still embraces the basic aesthetics of the old. At this point in Cirque’s career, it’s something worth cheering. What could have been five steps backwards is now two steps forward. Damned clever, those folks from Baie St. Paul. But then again, they always are. "Cirque's Clown Show Works but Never Wows" FROM: The Globe and Mail --------------------------------------------- With its new show Banana Shpeel, Cirque du Soleil ambitiously set out to reinvent vaudeville the way they once did circus. What they've ended up with, however, feels like a reinvention of The Muppet Show with clowns in the place of Kermit and his cohorts. Since it began previews in Chicago last fall, this entertainment experiment from the Canadian kings of circus has garnered headlines for its troubled gestation - a revolving door of creators and cast, abysmal early reviews and a New York opening that was pushed back by weeks and then months. Now finally officially open at the gorgeously restored Art Deco Beacon Theatre on Broadway, what has emerged at the end of the difficult development process is a variety show - featuring circus, comedy and dance - that is also a parody of a variety show, complete with glimpses of the "behind-the-scenes" antics. (All that's missing is a very special guest star.) Instead of a friendly and easily frustrated frog, our host is short, gruff producer Martin Schmelky (Danny Rutigliano, from Broadway's The Lion King), who introduces every performance as "the greatest act I've ever seen." He's assisted by a pair of emcees (Daniel Passer and Wayne Wilson), wearing bowlers and baggy pants, and a tall, emphysemic assistant (the very funny Shereen Hickman). When a series of three "clowns" conspicuously planted in the crowd invade this "Cirque de Schmelky" show, Schmelky blows his gasket. "This place is infested with clowns!" he yells in a line that will certainly be thrown back in this show's face by some critics. Schmelky's conversion from cruel to kind provides a through-line to a string of individual acts billed as "a riot of ha-has, la-las and ta- das." The ta-das are, unsurprisingly, the highlights. They are supplied by circus performers who, in a welcome change for Cirque (perhaps inspired by its individualistic competitor Les 7 doigts de la main), are introduced by name. Early in the show, Vanessa Alvarez wows by juggling a guitar on her feet and then stuns by standing on her head and spinning strawberry- swirl carpets on the ends of all four of her limbs. Later, Dmitry Bulkin, a Russian muscleman whose rippling abdominals made him an instant hit, astounds with a "pole dance" that would send Newton back to the drawing board. There are also a hat juggler, a pair of hand-to- hand gymnasts and a trio of contortionists - all talented, though curiously presented in order of most to least impressive each half. The la-las aren't quite as hot. Simon Carpentier's compositions are an unfocused mishmash ranging from wordless swing to an R&B-inflected show tune to New Age arias complete with Cirque's customary nonsense lyrics. Jared Grimes choreography is heavy on tap dance that's too often frenetic, and too infrequently elegant. Dominique Lemieux's costumes for the chorus lines are a visual cacophony, notably the disco flapper dresses that glow-in-the-dark. Bruno Rafie's lighting for these sequences is absolutely beautiful, but there's a problem when you're noticing the richness of the hues on the scrims during the big dance numbers. As for the ha-has, they're hit or miss. The double act of emcees is unfailingly unfunny - insipid Abbott and Costello-inspired patter, foam sledgehammers to the groin - until they are split apart. The three clown invaders are more entertaining: Patrick de Valette, who looks like the long-haired Lone Gunman from The X-Files; Claudio Carneiro, who looks like Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords; and Gordon White, who looks like Christopher Lloyd. De Valette is just the strangest human you've ever seen, running around in his underwear like a crazed gecko. Carneiro, meanwhile, has both the best and worst jokes of the show: His short, deaf-puppet routine is genius, but a mimed dinner date with an audience member is uninspired and drags on interminably. Banana Shpeel has been through the creative grinder and, especially in the dance numbers, it shows. The final result does work in its way, but it doesn't wow. "Cirque Pours on Plenty of Old-Fashioned Razzle-Dazzle" FROM: Theater Mania ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil pours on plenty of old-fashioned razzle-dazzle in the company's latest extravaganza, Banana Shpeel, now making its long- delayed debut at the Beacon Theatre. Following a brief comedic prologue, we get a big, flashy opening number, and at various points in the proceedings, dancers come on for some energetic routines, choreographed by Jared Grimes. Dominique Lemieux's colorful costumes have appeal, and there's a slickness to the overall look of the show, which is written and directed by David Shiner. However, the evening as a whole ends up being only mildly entertaining. Presented as a show within a show, Banana Shpeel is presided over by Shmelky (Danny Rutigliano), a theatrical impresario who is bringing us his "Cirque du Shmelky" with the aid of sidekicks Wayne (Wayne Wilson) and Daniel (Daniel Passer) and secretary Margaret (Shereen Hickman). While their comedic routines might have worked as a way to bridge the various circus acts within the show, Shiner has imposed a clunky and somewhat unoriginal storyline that bogs down the entire two-and-a- half-hour production. In it, Shmelky starts out as a grouchy tyrant who is constantly yelling at his employees, and then turns over a new leaf. The conversion occurs in the first act finale, during a song (featuring lead vocals from Alexis Sims) whose lyrics can barely be heard over the too-loud band. And while there are inevitable second act complications, things end pretty much as you might expect. Part of the problem is that Rutigliano lacks the kind of overwhelming stage charisma needed to make the part work. Similarly, the verbal banter between his assistants could use more comic punch. As for the rest of the show, the audience does get to see a couple of impressive acts, although not as many as one might like. The highlight is a routine by Dima Shine (Dmitry Bulkin), a Russian hand balancer, who starts off in a Pierrot costume, before stripping most of it off to better display his muscular physique. The performer seems to defy gravity, moving with a balletic grace and a sensuous beauty. Also impressive are a trio of contortionists (Imin Tsydendambaeva, Ayagma Tsybenova, and Lilia Zhambalova) whose bodies twist and intertwine in ways that you might not think humanly possible. Other acts have some impressive moments, but tend to go on too long for their own good. This is particularly the case with juggler Tuan Le, and an initially charming clown routine featuring Claudio Carneiro, Gordon White, and a female audience volunteer. Sadly, the show does not contain any kind of aerial routine, which is often a highlight of these circus-style productions. "A Veritable Banana Split of a Show" FROM: Variety ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque de Soleil slipped on a “Banana Shpeel” of its own making when it opened its vaudeville-inspired, legit-bound extravaganza in December at the Chicago Theater. The dire reception caused the February 4 New York premiere to be postponed again and again while the Cirque wizards unzipped the banana and painstakingly patched it back into shape. Easier said than done; but the delays and the Cirque/MSG bankroll have allowed writer/director David Shiner to turn this fruit salad into a veritable banana split of a show, with three creamy scoops topped by gloppy fudge and plenty of nuts. The nuts in question are the clowns and comics. None of that low pratfall and squirting-flower-in-the-face stuff here, or very little of it. As Mr. Shiner has demonstrated in the past (most notably in his Tony Award-winning collaboration with Bill Irwin, “Fool Moon”), he is of the thinking-clown school. His current charges mix the broadest humor with slyly dry stuff which has you laughing from both sides of your seat. Danny Rutigliano heads the cast as Marty Schmelky, the producer of the show. (The program gives Schmelky Productions full credit, with a thick pencil crossing out “Soleil” in favor of “Cirque du Schmelky.”) Rutigliano, a long-time Timon of “Lion King,” plays the megalomaniacal showman as if he were Danny DeVito doing Jackie Gleason. He partners with the droll Shereen Hickman as his secretary Margaret, wearing a wig constructed with thirteen pencils. He is backed up by a group that includes Gordon White as the world’s oldest mime; Patrick de Valette, as a pencil-thin modern dancer with stringy blond hair, lime shoes, turquoise kneesocks and orange underwear — nothing more; and Claudio Carneiro, who has a great second-act set piece as a playboy on the make. Daniel Passer and Wayne Wilson provide more traditional clowning, as Schmelky’s assistants. The machinations of Shiner and friends since their December debacle include the replacement of the original Schmelky with Rutigliano; adding the role of Margaret, the one female principal; and replacing the music with a new score by Simon Carpentier, which is played by an energetic live band of eight. Show fits like a glove in the Beacon, which Madison Square Garden Entertainment bought in 2006 as an adjunct to the much larger Radio City Music Hall. Legendary showplace had deteriorated into something of a dump; now, thanks to the $16 million restoration, it is perhaps the most resplendent showplace in the city. “Banana Shpeel” is playing the standard Broadway eight-a-week schedule (with two Sunday perfs replacing Monday and Tuesday nights). Show is booked until August 29 — certainly the longest Beacon stint in memory — after which it departs on a major city tour. Also on hand is the typical assortment of cirque circus acts, some stronger than others. There are also several dance interludes from choreographer Jared Grimes, including a black light number, which is very good by either circus or Broadway standards. Dominique Lemiuex’s costumes and Bruno Rafie’s lighting are especially effective here. But it is the clowns — and Mr. Shiner’s wide-ranging comedic scope — that make “Banana Shpeel” such a boisterously winning funfest. ======================================================================= SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ======================================================================= Fascination! is a monthly publication, 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 Subscribe via Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News) use the following: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >. 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 10, Number 6 (Issue #77) - June 2010 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2010 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. { June.07.2010 } =======================================================================