======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 11, NUMBER 5 May 2011 ISSUE #88e ======================================================================= =========== 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 * "Cirque Announces Michael Jackson at Mandalay Bay!" By: Cirque du Soleil, Press Room Materials * "Download Cirque Music - Free - Legally!" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) * "Elvis Presley Lives On Through The Mind [EXPANDED] Of Erich Van Tourneau" By: April Savoie - Rockstar Weekly (Special) o) Subscription Information o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= Check Out Dralion's New Image! {Apr.12.2011} ------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil Marketing worked overtime recently to produce Dralion's new poster image. Check it out here: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=2452 > {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil} Check Out ZED's New Image! {Apr.13.2011} ------------------------------------------------- Yesterday Cirque du Soleil released the new poster image for Dralion, now touring arenas across the United States. And now, after digging through some materials on Cirque du Soleil’s press site, we find there’s also a new poster image for ZED – Cirque du Soleil’s resident show at Tokyo Disneyland. < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=2455 > {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil} And IRIS! {Apr.14.2011} ------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil IRIS at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood California also released its new image: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=2458 > {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil} Cirque's Stunt Woman in Chief [EXPANDED] {Apr.15.2011} --------------------------------------------- In a large industrial building on the outskirts of Montreal, 14 Russian trapeze artists and six aerialists gathered for rehearsal in a studio the size of an airplane hangar. They were in the final months of choreographing "Zarkana," Debra Brown's 11th creation for the circus company Cirque du Soleil. The show cost $50 million and opens in June at Radio City Music Hall. "I can't wait to see this," Ms. Brown said as three young acrobats climbed into metal rings suspended from the 75-foot- high ceiling. Frantic drum and piano music blared. The rings spun rapidly, rising and plunging like yo-yos. The women flipped upside down and arched their backs, as agile as spider monkeys. They scissored their legs into full splits, pretzeled themselves into cross-legged positions and dangled by their arms, their bodies whirling like ceiling fan blades. Ms. Brown specializes in creating bizarre, hair-raising stunts that seem physically impossible. In her 25 years with the company, she has helped transform the circus into an art form. She developed a routine with four contortionists who twist their bodies into a single, 16-limbed vehicle. For "O," she choreographed a wild water ballet with a giant tank of water serving as a stage, featuring 85 synchronized swimmers, high divers and acrobats. She discovered that a performer in the show "On Air" could bounce on a trampoline and play the electric guitar at the same time; within hours, they had a routine where he strums and does multiple back flips in a row (his record is 39). "It was in the show the next day," said performer Dominic Dagenais, who declined to give his age because "I don't believe in time." At 56, Ms. Brown shares her performers' energy. On a recent morning, she bounded around Cirque du Soleil's international headquarters, dressed in black yoga pants and a long black scarf that dragged on the floor. She rehearsed with Mr. Dagenais, bouncing and dancing on the trampoline and nearly tumbling into a giant pit of yellow foam cubes. Later, she coached performers on aerial rings, led a dance workshop for 14 Russian trapeze artists and worked on a floor routine with two acrobats. * * * In her nearly 25 years at Cirque, Debra Brown has had to find ways to re-imagine familiar circus tricks. Occasionally, she breaks new ground by developing routines on new or retooled acrobatic equipment. For an act in "Zarkana," Ms. Brown choreographed a routine for a new aerial apparatus a ring, similar to an aerial hoop, that has two smaller loops forming a distorted figure eight at the top. The extra loops allow acrobats to dangle more easily from the top of the ring by hooking an arm or leg through the smaller loop, and to do more elaborate tricks inside the circle. During rehearsal, one young woman hung upside down from the crook of her knee as the ring spun rapidly. Later, she balanced inside the ring and stretched her legs into splits, tucking her head behind one leg. Ms. Brown sparks her creativity by setting limitations. Often, she'll confine routines to a single prop or apparatus. For a while, she was obsessed with dance routines that incorporated a chair. Then it was a wall, then a trampoline an idea that led her to choreograph "Apoge," a 50-minute trampoline ballet. "Freedom is having no choice," she said. Ms. Brown lists Apple co-founder Steve Jobs among the thinkers that inspire her. She said she lives by his advice delivered during his 2005 Stanford commencement speech to stay hungry and stay foolish. * * * An Ontario native, Ms. Brown took up gymnastics when she was 9. After getting degrees in physical education and fine art, she spent eight years training gymnasts for Canada's national team and performed as a dancer and choreographer, blending acrobatics and dance. In her early 30s, Ms. Brown decided to join Cirque du Soleil, which was then just two years old. Today, the company employs 5,000 people, including more than 1,300 performers from nearly 50 countries, and has annual revenues of more than $800 million. When she's creating a new act, Ms. Brown begins by leading the acrobats in improvisation sessions to see what they can do. Often, new tricks emerge. Each morning, she watches video of the previous day's rehearsal. Once there's an "acrobatic skeleton" in place, she works on transitions to turn the series of stunts into a fluid routine. Rehearsal days can last 12 or 13 hours. Routines can come together in as little as a week or take as long as a month or two to finalize. Putting an entire new show together often takes a year. Ms. Brown has been working on "Zarkana" since last November. Shows often continue to evolve once they hit the stage. After a show debuts, the creative team reconvenes to edit numbers and adjust the tricks and choreography. "Improvisation is part of our blood," Ms. Brown said. Ms. Brown generates routines that fit the theme and storyline developed by each show's creator. She sometimes builds entire acts based on a single word or phrase, such as "simplicity" or "heroes." For "Mystere," a permanent Las Vegas-based show about the origins of life, director Franco Dragone asked for an act based on the idea of mating birds. Ms. Brown developed a duet with two dancers in nude-colored bikinis, who perform atop a dome. "Zarkana" is more scripted. The plot centers on Zark, a magician who lost his powers. The creative team has 14 people, including another choreographer working on different routines. Uncertainty plays a big role in Ms. Brown's creative process. Some of the most impressive stunts in a Cirque show come from unscripted moments in rehearsal, when the acrobats are playing around on the equipment. On a recent gray morning, Ms. Brown coached acrobats performing on aerial rings, trapeze and in a floor routine. The aerialists ran through their dizzying sequence on the rings three times before collapsing limply on the mat. "It's definitely really growing," Ms. Brown said cryptically. Later, she coached two young acrobats "circus babies" whose parents are Cirque performers in a routine, guiding them into different improvised contortions. One of the young women stood up and took a wide stance, leaned forward with her torso hanging between her legs, then flipped her torso so that her face and chest faced the audience. "I want to see it fluid," Ms. Brown said. "That's rocking." The other acrobat tried the same contortion, and they practiced it over and over. "It's all about the questions you ask is this possible?" said Ms. Brown. { SOURCE: Wall Street Journal } Backstage at KA [EXPANDED] {Apr.17.2011} ------------------------------------------------- What happens in Vegas no longer stays in Vegas. Where once it was possible to fly to the middle of the desert, get absolutely wrecked on frozen margaritas and warm hookers and then return to civilization as if nothing had happened, today it’s impossible to so much as open a minibar here without someone taking a photo and broadcasting it on Facebook. Savvy to this new reality, even the most shitty hotel on the strip – which is to say, The Riviera – has a Twitter account. And yet, despite the millions of tweets and status updates that flow in and out of Sin City every weekend, Vegas remains a town to which technology simply cannot do justice. For a start, the hotels are temples to physical spectacle, filled with gigantic fountains, exploding pirate ships, gondola rides, showgirls, lions and tigers and reproductions of Michelangelo’s David (oh my). Every bar and casino has a theme – from Jimmy Buffet’s Margaretaville to the preposterous Pussycat Dolls lounge in Caesars Palace. You could spend all day watching clips of this stuff online without even starting to understand what it’s like to be here. Even at the seediest end of the market – which is to say, the sex end – where, traditionally, analogue pleasures; strip shows, adult theaters, even hookers – have lost market share to Internet porn viewed in the comfort of one’s own home, the Vegas sex industry continues to thrive. “Passers” – commission-paid workers handing out flyers for escort services – line the strip, sometime three deep. Every casino worth its salt has a topless review and, of course, Nevada is the only state to offer legalized brothels. To paraphrase a travel-writing cliche, Las Vegas is a city of technological contrasts. Nowhere else on planet earth understands more effectively how to harness technology in order to deliver overwhelmingly physical experiences. And in Las Vegas, no experience better demonstrates that tech-reality hybrid than Cirque du Soleil’s ‘KÀ’. It’s incredible: two giant movable stages move above a gaping void; the main stage (“the sandcliff deck”) rotating from level to vertical and back again while a cast of characters jump and dance and spin and fly on, below and above it. The Los Angeles Times said the show “may well be the most lavish production in the history of Western theater. It is surely the most technologically advanced.” Jim Hutchison has some amazing photos of the sandcliff deck, and the rest of the set, here. But nothing on YouTube can possibly do justice to how it feels sitting in the audience during a performance. Each seat has two speakers built into the back to provide the deeply eerie effect of being surrounded by voices and noise throughout the performance. The entire auditorium is ringed by towering metal gantries, columns and walkways on which, before and during the show, characters stand, shrieking, yelling and playing drums. None of that, though, distracts from the sheer balls-out awesomeness of seeing the giant mechanical stages doing their thing. For a start they move silently – it really is as if they are floating in space. And the physical changes they undergo through the show – flat and covered in sand one moment; a vertical cliff face the next (hence “sandcliff deck”) – is more magical than anything David Copperfield ever managed to pull off. At one point in the show – just because it can – the entire stage turns into a kind of gigantic Microsoft Surface, on which – still vertical – the cast perform a fierce battle scene with horizontal and vertical running, jumping and flying. Each time a character lands, the stage explodes with light and colour. Oh, and then there’s an “arrow” scene, where archers standing on a gantry fire arrows into the vertical stage; arrows which then act as climbing pegs for characters to scale the wall, before jumping 70 feet into the void. Two years ago, I described seeing ELEW playing piano live on stage in San Francisco, and how it underscored for me the thrill of live experiences — and how those experiences will never, ever be replaced by technology. KÀ gave me the same thrill, but with the added bonus of seeing the amazing potential for technology to augment live performance. The technology in KÀ delivers real- world experiences that would have made our theatre-going grandparents’ heads explode. And then things got way, way more interesting. I guess someone at Cirque du Soleil is a fan of TechCrunch because, a few days after I arrived in Vegas, an email arrived from KÀ’s publicist, Jeff Lovari, inviting me to take a “TD tour” of the show. Which is to say, a backstage tour, during an actual performance, lead by KÀ’s technical director, Erik Walstad. Hell fucking yes. And so it was on Wednesday of this week, I found myself standing several stories below seating level, watching a succession of the world’s most talented acrobats jumping 70 feet from the top of a floating stage and landing on giant airbags not two feet in front of me. To explain everything I saw during Erik’s 90 minute tour would probably take me a dozen posts. Instead I’m going to try to cram it all into two: starting here will a few of the raw facts, and then followed up next week (schedules permitting) with a video interview with Erik in which I’ll ask him to explain exactly how everything works. Ok? Ok. Here we go… KÀ took almost a decade from conception to completion. Prior to the show’s opening, the stage from the previous show (EFX) was torn out and then the entire inside of the MGM Grand’s theatre was demolished, leaving just the walls standing. Then diggers excavated a pit deep into the ground to make way for the show’s main “void”, and the years-long task of constructing KÀ’s enormous set could begin. The distance from the lowest depth of the void to the highest point of the “grid” from which acrobats jump, fly and bungee, is 98 feet. The main sandcliff deck stage weighs 50 tons and can rotate 360 degrees and tilt from flat to 100 degrees. Watching the stage move from backstage, you’re struck by the amount of noise it makes: it’s virtually silent, a feat achieved by housing all of the hydraulic machinery on the roof of the building. The lengths taken to ensure the safety of performers are so extreme that they’re almost comical. At the start of the show there’s a brief scene where a cast members walks from one end of the stage to the other. To the audience, it appears like the safest feat in the world – the front of the stage is maybe two feet from the ground. If, however, they could see behind the performer, they’d realize that the drop on the other side of the stage is closer to 20 feet. As a result, as the performer walks, a series of hidden airbags, like those used by stuntmen, inflate and deflate to provide a cushion should he fall. It’s kind of amazing to watch, a bit like Penn and Teller’s classic Sleight of Hand Explained routine. Whenever performers are on any of the gigantic floating stages, an array of airbags – supported by two giant nets – sits up to 70 feet below them, ready to catch them when they land, either deliberately or (rarely) accidentally. Traditional safety nets can’t be used on their own because the performers are falling so fast, they’d simply bounce right back out again. Due to the large number of performers jumping and landing in quick succession, each airbag consists of a number of separate cells, each of which can inflate and deflate independently. When a performer lands, air is forced out of their target cell, which is then instantly re-inflated allowing the performer to stand up and walk away. At some points in the show, this happens several times a minute. In case the power should fail during a show, each of the airback pumps has its own uninterruptible power supply, good for half an hour, ensuring a safe landing even if all else fails. “Half an hour is probably enough time for someone to land” says Erik dryly. The arrow scene, where the sandcliff stage becomes a vertical climbing wall, is a variation of the old carvinal knife throwing trick. When each archer fires his dummy arrow, a matching “arrow” is propelled out of the walls’s surface, giving the illusion that it has hit its target. A little puff of “dust” completes the illusion. After that, though, things get more complicated as performers climb up and down the arrows while more arrows land and others disappear. To ensure the performers’ safety, each arrow (or “peg” as they’re called) contains a sensor which prevents it from shooting outwards if someone is standing or laying on top of it (“otherwise they’d be impaled, which would be bad”). Likewise, the pegs can only contract with less than 20lbs of pressure, so if a performer is still hanging off one, it stays put. And if all that wasn’t enough, the wall also contains a bank of “emergency pegs” which can be shot out to form an escape ladder/bridge if anything goes wrong. Meanwhile, high about the stage, the technical team has come up with some other neat safety innovations. In the event that a wire or harness malfunctions, leaving a performer swinging above the audience, a fail-safe device automatically lowers them down over an aisle. “Otherwise we’d have to evacuate the whole auditorium to rescue one performer”. Each second of the show is perfectly choreographed, with a stage manager calling every cue: every inflated and deflated airbag, every jumper, every movement of the stages. I wore an earpiece during the show and the level of calmness in her voice – as theatrical chaos reigned on stage – was impressive. Even more impressive was hearing cues being given to performers who were in the middle of stunts: many of them wear earpieces too, so they know when it’s safe to perform certain jumps or falls. If you’ve ever watched air traffic controllers at work at a busy airport, you’ll have some idea of the concentration and coordination it takes to call a Cirque show. The KÀ Theatre seems like a world of its own, but it’s still connected in to the MGM fire detection system. Before every pyrotechnic stunt, the stage manager requests that MGM’s fire officer temporarily override the fire detection equipment in the theatre for the duration of the stunt; then it’s switched back on. This happens three or four times in every show. Because fire detection can only be overridden before a fire is detected, if someone actives a fire alarm anywhere in the shops or restaurants surrounding the theatre then all of KA’s pyrotechnic effects have to stop. Given that the closing of the show is a huge firework display, this can be something of a problem. For all the years of technical planning that went in to building the KA theatre, the designers only thought to include one stage elevator. As a result, technical staff and performers alike have to share the same elevator during the show. At one point of the tour, Erik and I shared an elevator up to the aerial grid with a gigantic man dressed as a warrior. It was a little weird. {SOURCE: TechCrunch} C|Net Q&A [EXPANDED] {Apr.17.2011} ------------------------------------------------- If you’re looking for powerful brands in the entertainment business, you’d be hard-pressed to find two with more influence than "Avatar" creator James Cameron and Cirque du Soleil. So the marriage of the two, on a forthcoming movie project Cameron is executive-producing (and that’s helmed by “Shrek” and “Chronicles of Narnia” director Andew Adamson) promises to offer fans a compelling mixture of the Cirque’s unique hybrid of artistry, acrobatics, music, and showmanship and Cameron’s mastery of the latest filmmaking technologies. This partnership is just one of the latest coups Cirque President and CEO Daniel Lamarre can boast of, along with recent collaborations resulting in Beatles-, Elvis-, and Michael Jackson-themed shows. The Cirque has come a long way from its humble roots on the streets of Montreal. These days, it is very, very big business, with 2010 revenues of $800 million and an expected haul of $1 billion this year. From founder Guy LaLiberte's street troupe to today's behemoth that has 22 shows around the world including an amazing seven permanent shows in Las Vegas alone, Cirque du Soleil is clearly one of the most respected brands in showbiz. Look at the Beatles-themed "Love," or the Elvis or upcoming Michael Jackson shows. Some powerful people have made it clear they trust this band of French-Canadians with some of the most valuable content in the history of entertainment. Behind the scenes, Laliberte has transitioned out of day-to-day management, and that responsibility has become the purview of Lamarre. And with new shows opening soon in Los Angeles, New York, and elsewhere, there's never been a more important time for the Cirque to have a steady hand on the wheel. Last week, CNET caught up with Lamarre as he swung through San Francisco on his annual President’s Tour–during which he visits each and every show and all the company’s employees–for a viewing of “Quidam,” one of Cirque’s oldest shows. “Quidam” is also one of three Cirque shows that have been transformed in recent years from traveling with the company’s iconic big top tents to a new-style arena show. And with the show’s rousing music playing in the background as the performers rehearsed, Lamarre explained why he tours the world each year checking in on his empire, and how technology and expansion are taking Cirque du Soleil to the next level, even as it has repackaged some of its oldest hits. Q. Could you start off by telling me a bit about the partnership with James Cameron and Andrew Adamson? Daniel Lamarre: It started with a modest project that we wanted to do. I had the privilege of meeting with James Cameron three months prior to the opening of "Avatar," and I invited him to come to Montreal to visit our studio. By the time he came to Montreal, we were planning to do this 3D movie with Andrew Adamson, and James decided he wanted to join as executive producer. We were flattered that he would accept to get involved, and so here we are, producing a show in partnership with James, and having the privilege of having Andrew Adamson as the director. So it's quite a 5-star team to have James and Andrew working together. Q. This is a movie? Lamarre: This is a 3D movie. The story is very simple. It's a couple falling in love in a traditional circus, and then they fall into a surreal world and they're running after each other and keep losing each other, but they're running from one surreal world to another surreal world, and all those worlds are the seven Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas. Q. What does Cameron bring to it besides his name? Lamarre: He brings his knowledge of technology. Also, James is an adventurer, so we couldn't resist the temptation of shooting from the roof of "Ka" when he was there with his camera, or shooting from the water in "O." He really brought his expertise, because everybody agreed that he is by far the best man in the industry right now in terms of 3D technology. So he's bringing his experience, and he's more involved than we thought he would be, because he's passionate about everything he does. He was with Andrew most of the time that we were shooting this movie. And we were really, really impressed to see how dedicated he was. Q. Is he bringing any of the technology he developed for "Avatar" or his underwater projects to the film? Lamarre: He has his own production company, and that's the technology he's bringing, and we hope it's a beginning of a collaboration with him, because he's so advanced in new technologies that we want to really capitalize on his expertise. I truly believe that one day you will see a merger between [3D film and live shows], or at least you will see 3D technologies influence live shows. And we want to be among the first to use 3D technology in live shows. Q. What would that look like? Lamarre: Let's look at the show we're developing right now for Michael Jackson. As you know, Michael had a huge visual component in his shows, so just imagine a trapeze artist right in front of you, but behind her there are some 3D special effects that will merge with her performance, and give a lot of depth to what she's doing. Maybe you have one trapeze which is live, and maybe you have 1,000 trapezes behind her in 3D. So that's what I mean by merging the 3D technology with the live performance, and that's what we're exploring now. Q. Tell me about the President's Tour. Lamarre: My objective is this. Those people are the people that are in the trenches: the technicians, the artists--they're the ones making the miracle happen every night. And I don't want to be in my office in Montreal gauging what's going on in the world, so that's why I do this annual tour, where I meet all the employees, first to inform them about where we are as an organization, what are our objectives, here's the new projects. And more importantly, I'm here to listen to them. I always say the best benefit of the tour is that if there are some things going wrong somewhere, I'm able to go back to Montreal and fix it. It's very important for me to see all the shows. Are they in good shape, are people happy, is the spirit good, how does the audience react in each market? I cannot manage an organization that is so organic as Cirque du Soleil from my office in Montreal. I have to be where the action is, and the action is happening onstage. “Imagine a trapeze artist right in front of you, but behind her there are some 3D special effects that will merge with her performance, and give a lot of depth to what she's doing. Maybe you have one trapeze which is live, and maybe you have 1,000 trapezes behind her in 3D.” Q. Cirque du Soleil is going through some big transformations, adding different kinds of shows. What do you think Cirque du Soleil will be like in three years or five years? Will we recognize it? Lamarre: When I joined the Cirque 10 years ago, we had 4 touring shows and 3 permanent shows. Today we have 10 permanent shows, 9 touring shows, and we're adding 3 more touring shows in the next few months, so next year, we'll have 22 shows. We said to ourselves, we'll do content diversification, and we did that with shows like the Beatles show and the Elvis show, and now the two Michael Jackson shows--one touring and one permanent. We also did a cabaret show with "Zumanity," and an epic show with "Ka," and a magic show with Chriss Angel. So we diversified the content. And with the Elvis, Michael Jackson, and Beatles shows, we created a new category of show, a hybrid between a musical and a Cirque show, and I think there is still potential for us to grow that segment with other famous artists' catalogues. Q. How "Hollywood" is the new L.A. show, "Iris?" Lamarre: It's more like the history of the movie business than Hollywood, because we didn't want to fall in the trap of, "Why are you using this movie and not this other movie?" and then after two years, your show is outdated. So we decided to go the way of the history of movies first, and then pay tribute to some genres of movies. So in 10 years it will still be accurate because it's not tied into a specific moment in the history of movies. Q. And you're taking over the Kodak Theater, former home of the Oscars? Lamarre: It's amazing. Just in front of the Kodak Theater, there are 18 million tourists just walking by on the Walk of Fame, so we believe there is really a market to be captured there, because people go there, walk on the Walk of Fame, and then there's nothing to do. Now, hopefully, they will walk into the theater and see a show that has the potential of becoming a flagship. I never in the past had so much support from a city and a community. The Hollywood community is behind us. The Los Angeles community is behind us. Because there's never been a permanent show in Los Angeles. So everybody hopes we will become the flagship of the city. Q. You've got 22 shows, including 7 in Las Vegas, and you're adding more. But the world economy is not in good shape. Is this sustainable? Lamarre: We took a very gutsy position: right in the middle of the economic crisis, we decided to continue to grow. And we think that this is going to work, because we had the financial solidity to do that, and we could pick the best markets when it was tougher. But we don't think that we're at maturity yet as a product. Because there are still a lot of countries that we have not visited yet. Q. What about Las Vegas, which has been hammered by the recession? Lamarre: We've been very lucky that we have such a dominant presence in Las Vegas. It means that we have a huge power position when it comes to ticket sales. If you try to buy a ticket for "O" tonight, we may say, "We're sorry, 'O' is sold out, but we can sell you a ticket for 'Ka' or 'Mystere.'" The group effect played in our favor and despite the financial crisis, we sold over 4 million tickets in Las Vegas last year, so we're still in very good shape there. Q. Tell me about the idea to do the arena shows, to do "Alegria," "Quidam," and "Saltimbanco" in arenas instead of the big top. Lamarre: The idea came from our frustration with not being able to visit secondary markets. Because for a big top show, you have to sell at least 100,000 to 120,000 tickets, so you need to be in big cities, otherwise it won't work. And we keep receiving comments from people in smaller cities saying, "You never visit us, we would love to see Cirque to Soleil." And by adding arena shows, we have added close to 175 new cities around the world where we've never been before. And what's happening is that those cities sometimes will develop so much of a fan base that it will then justify going back with a big top show. Q. So what would you say is the difference between the Cirque and other circuses? Lamarre: I like to think that we have created a new category of show. Because, try to describe to a friend that has never seen a Cirque show, how do you describe it? You will start by saying, "Oh, by the way, it's not a circus show." But there are acrobats, and there are dancers, and the music is important, and the costumes are different, and the scenography is different. So I like to sum that up by saying, "You know what? It's Cirque du Soleil. Q. I read that Cirque du Soleil brought in $800 million in revenue last year, and you're hoping for $1 billion this year. Is that right? Lamarre: Yes. And I think the three new shows might change our life, because if they're successful, just adding one permanent show, like Los Angeles, if it's successful, it would change our profitability. And Michael Jackson, I just don't know how great it's going to be, but we sold 200,000 tickets in 24 hours, so it's an amazing success ahead of us. And each individual show can change our life dramatically. {SOURCE: C|Net Blogs} Vote on NEW Zumanity Posters {Apr.19.2011} ------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil, through its Zumanity Facebook page, released concepts for new images for Cirque’s more “sensual” show: Zumanity. So what do you think? Check out the new posters here! (Facebook): < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? fbid=10150166050298847&set=a. 10150166050123847.307047.13931088846 > Cirque MJ at Mandalay Bay! [EXPANDED] {Apr.20.2011} ------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil, Mandalay Bay and the estate of Michael Jackson announced Wednesday that “an unparalleled and extensive relationship” will be unveiled at a press conference next Wednesday. “A permanent celebration to The King of Pop in Las Vegas” will be announced, according to a press release. The three parties announced last November that “The Immortal” world tour would include a Dec. 3-11 engagement at Mandalay Bay. Wednesday’s press conference will open with comments from Jerry Nadel, Cirque’s senior vice president of resident shows division before a panel of four representatives fields media questions. The panel participants will be Daniel Lamarre, President and Chief Operating Officer of Cirque du Soleil; John Branca, co- executor of The Michael Jackson Estate; Jamie King, writer and director of "The Immortal" world tour; and Chuck Bowling, president and chief operating officer of Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. The tour will begin in Montreal in October and travel to select North American cities for the first leg. It is anticipated the rest of the schedule and other cities will be announced at the press conference next week, along with details of the "permanent relationship" with Mandalay Bay. {SOURCE: Norm! Las Vegas Review Journal} Cirque at Old Amway Arena [EXPANDED] {Apr.21.2011} ------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil rehearses ZARKANA inside the old Amway Arena in Downtown Orlando... # # # Gymnasts hurtle through the air where concertgoers used to wait for beer and nachos. Peering from an Orlando Magic poster, Dwight Howard’s face stares over rows of colorful costumes, while women intently work at sewing machines. Where basketball players once worked out, makeup artists apply eye shadow to acrobats. For the past few weeks, Cirque du Soleil has taken over the discarded Amway Arena, and the corridors are once again humming with energy. “It is absolutely wonderful,” said Alan Johnson, Orlando venues executive. Not only was Johnson pleased to see the building in use again, the city has received a financial windfall through the deal. Cirque du Soleil pays $2,500 per day plus expenses to rent the arena, Johnson said, but that isn’t the full financial impact. “Two hundred employees and contractors from out of town are staying in our hotels, eating in our restaurants,” said Johnson. About 100 Central Floridians have worked on the project as well. “Considering we didn’t count on revenue from that space during this time, it’s a great economic boost,” Johnson sai Cirque du Soleil executives were thrilled to find the space. They are developing “Zarkana,” a show that will debut at New York’s Radio City Music Hall in June. But filling Radio City’s giant stage meant creating a set too big to fit in Cirque’s facilities in Montreal. “We put it all together here for the first time,” said the production’s technical director, David Churchill. “We needed somewhere with high ceilings and no support beams in the way.” Cirque, which began loading its equipment into the arena Feb. 28, also needed a space that would be available for two months. It was not an easy combination of factors. “There was a big search,” said artistic director Ann-Marie Corbeil. At one point, an airplane hangar in Canada was considered. “I thought, ‘in the middle of winter? That’s going to be fun,’” she said. Corbeil had personal reasons for favoring Orlando: She spent nearly a decade working at the Downtown Disney resident Cirque show, “La Nouba,” as the original general stage manager and later artistic director. “I was really happy to go back to my old home,” she said. Churchill was pleased that because of the arena’s impending demolition, his team was allowed more leeway in adapting the facility for Cirque’s use. For added stability, the rigging constructed to practice aerial stunts was sunk into holes drilled into the floor. That caused a surprise when the drills ran into the pipes that carried glycol to freeze the floor for hockey and skating shows. Workers patched the pipes and carried on. After an engineering study, Cirque also reinforced the roof so it could support hanging 300,000 pounds of scenery. “It has been perfect,” Churchill said. “There’s plenty of space; the facilities here are fantastic.” The arena will be demolished by December to make way for the Creative Village, a 20-year project to develop housing, educational institutions and high-tech businesses on the site. For now, though, creativity of a different sort is on display. Men walk a high wire on scaffolding erected on the old arena floor. On the concourse, a woman delicately applies paint to a pair of shoes, while another costumer dyes fabric. Friday, Cirque will begin packing up more than 40 tractor- trailers to head north. “We will finish here with an idea of what the show exactly will be,” Corbeil said. “It’s always exciting.” {SOURCE: Orlando Sentinel} ‘O’ Tour Enhances Appreciation of Cirque's Creativity [EXPANDED] {Apr.22.2011} --------------------------------------------------- That’s gotta be one of the biggest “O(h) … no” moments in Las Vegas show history, right there. It’s down in what they call the light tunnel of Cirque du Soleil’s “O.” Victor Rybushkin is sharing a view of the liquid stage from underwater, through submarine-type portals in the depths of Bellagio. The portals are made of 4-inch composition glass, he tells a small tour group. Four is a key number, because they almost settled for 2. Then he shows the group why it’s good they didn’t. “They were working in the pool and somebody put a light in there,” he explains. But someone went home and left the light floating underwater. “The next day, they come in and they smell something. They can’t find it, so they came down here, and they find out the light burned about 2 inches of this glass,” he says, pointing to a big blister in the window. The 2 remaining inches kept 1.5 million gallons of water from flooding the room and the electrical panels in it, and perhaps other backstage areas. * * * “O” lived to tell the tale, at least through the mouth of Rybushkin, who spent 11 years prowling these corridors as an original cast member. Cirque’s superstar Las Vegas title is said to be a show with no stars, but that’s not true. The star is the stage itself. You can even book some quality time with it, thanks to these backstage tours on Fridays and Saturdays. The tours are run by Entertainment Benefits Group, a third-party ticket vender operating outlets around town as Tickets & Tours. The $260 upgraded ticket — about $88 more than the show alone, but including perks beyond the tour — is also available for Cirque’s other steady hit, “Love.” But it’s “O” that serves as a constant reminder of the sky’s- the-limit imagination that fueled the Strip back in 1998. The theater went up at the same time as Bellagio itself. The grand plan was a shape-shifting liquid stage with a giant, automated revolving wheel overhead; details of the actual content were fine-tuned on the fly. “The first thing I remember when they brought us all in on one of the first days, and they turned on the lights in the pool. Nothing was ready yet,” recalls Rybushkin, a competitive diver from Volgograd, Russia. “They just kind of played with the lifts and showed us the colors in the pool. We were like, ‘Wow. They could do the show with just the pool. They don’t even need us.’ ” That turned out to be a modest assessment from a guy who learned how to jump off a 60-foot high dive several times per week, before giving it up in 2009. “During the show we’re not just jumping from here,” he says from the backstage deck where the tour group gets to peer down from the same height as a busy crew of technicians. “We run and climb the ladder first. And when you’ve got 60 feet of climbing and turn around and have to jump off, that makes it even more difficult.” What went through his mind before each plummet? “I have my little prayer before I go.” * * * Rybushkin has a safer gig now, offering tours of the place where he sat on the green room’s waterproof furniture between shows, and where he met his wife, Anna, who still performs in the show as a trapeze artist who balances on her head and swings. He trades bursts of information in his Russian accent with congenial American co-guide Trinity Price. She has never dived 60 feet, but juggles a classroom of first-graders at Matt Kelly Elementary School. Peeking backstage can drain the magic out of many a show. Props fold into storage areas. Costumes are always more garish in normal light. And the hallways with sign-in sheets and time clocks are always … well, as Brad Pitt quipped in “Ocean’s Eleven”: “They say taupe is very soothing.” But the “O” tour only seems to enhance appreciation of the nightly clockwork involving 85 performers who speak at least 16 languages. You see their training room and the wing space of the stage where they stand under shower heads or space heaters to stay warm. You see costumes drying under giant blasters; each performer runs through at least four per show. Everyone comes on to the set dry, and everyone leaves wet. You learn that the pieces of the stage had to be hand-drilled with thousands of holes, because nobody made one that way. “The water from the pool is not going anywhere. It’s the actual stage that has so many holes, that’s why the water goes through the holes. The water just stays in the pool. It doesn’t drain anywhere,” Rybushkin explains. You see where scuba divers hover underwater to steer performers clear of the hydraulic lifts when the pool is full of bubbles, and the ropes they sometimes use to steer themselves. “But everyone knows the show so perfectly that even with closed eyes, you can find where you go,” Rybushkin says. It’s an amazing place to visitors, but just like home to him. { SOURCE: Mike Weatherford, Las Vegas Review Journal } ÉQUIFOLIA at TOHU 2011! {Apr.27.2011} ------------------------------------------------- 800 children from the Saint-Michel neighbourhood to be introduced to equestrian circus at TOHU this summer! A partnership between Cirque du Soleil, the Fédération équestre du Québec via its Équi-Qualité-certified members and TOHU will introduce children of the Saint-Michel neighbourhood—among the most at-risk in Canada—to equestrian circus. ÉQUIFOLIA, an activity aimed at Saint-Michel day camps, will be offered at TOHU in July. ÉQUIFOLIA is a series of Cirque-style equestrian games that will allow participants to learn while having fun. The project aims to achieve psychomotor, social and relational objectives via a safe, fun experience filled with humour, creativity and poetry. Gaétan Morency, Vice-President of Global Citizenship, explains: “The project is in line with continuing efforts to develop the Cité des arts du cirque and its spinoffs for the community by seeking to make Montreal an international circus arts capital.” Respect, discipline, cooperation, attention, patience, self- confidence, the ability to be assertive but tactful, physical fitness and sense of responsibility are just some of the benefits to be gained by spending time with horses. Since horse-riding is at the root of circus arts, and in the broader aim of eventually incorporating equestrian art into the Cité des arts du cirque, this pilot project is a perfect fit with TOHU’s threefold mission of Circus, Earth and People. {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil} ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Corteo, Koozå, OVO, Totem & Varekai} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {Saltimbanco, Alegría, Quidam, Dralion & Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, ZAIA, ZED, Believe & VIVA Elvis} o) VENUE - Venue & Seasonal productions {Iris & Zarkana} 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: Madrid, ES -- Apr 2, 2011 to Jun 5, 2011 Valencia, ES -- Jun 16, 2011 to Jul 10, 2011 Alicante, ES -- Jul 28, 2011 to Aug 28, 2011 Sevilla, ES -- Sep 8, 2011 to Oct 9, 2011 Paris, FR -- Nov 4, 2011 to Dec 30, 2011 Barcelona, ES -- Jan 19, 2012 to Mar 18, 2012 Koozå: Tokyo, JPN -- Feb 2, 2011 to July 18, 2011 Osaka, JPN -- Aug 4, 2011 to Oct 10, 2011 Nagoya, JPN -- Nov 23, 2011 to Jan 22, 2012 Fukuoka, JPN -- Feb 9, 2012 to Apr 1, 2012 Sendai, JPN -- Apr 19, 2012 to Jun 3, 2012 Ovo: Cincinnati, OH -- Apr 21, 2011 to May 15, 2011 Minneapolis, MN -- May 26, 2011 to Jun 12, 2011 Chicago, IL -- Jun 30, 2011 to Jul 31, 2011 Calgary, AB -- Sep 7, 2011 to Sep 25, 2011 Seattle, WA -- Nov 17, 2011 to Dec 22, 2011 Santa Monica, CA -- Jan 20, 2012 to Mar 25, 2012 Mexico City, MX -- TBA Totem: Pittsburgh, PA -- May 12, 2011 to Jun 5, 2011 Montreal, QC -- Jun 16, 2011 to Jul 17, 2011 Toronto, ON -- Aug 11, 2011 to Sep 4, 2011 San Francisco, CA -- Oct 21, 2011 to Dec 18, 2011 London, UK -- Jan 6, 2010 to Jan 29, 2012 Varekai: Seoul, SKR -- Apr 6, 2011 to May 29, 2011 Manila, PH -- Jun 22, 2011 to Jul 10, 2011 São Paulo, BR -- Sep 15, 2011 to Nov 27, 2011 Rio De Janeiro, BR -- TBA Belo Horizonte, BR -- TBA Brasilia, BR -- TBA Recife, BR -- TBA Salvador, BR -- TBA Curitiba, BR -- TBA Porto Alegre, BR -- TBA ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=1831 > Saltimbanco: Asia-Pacific ------------ Perth, AU -- Apr 21, 2011 to May 8, 2011 Adelaide, AU -- May 12, 2011 to May 22, 2011 Melbourne, AU -- May 25, 2011 to Jun 5, 2011 Hobart, AU -- Jun 15, 2011 to Jun 19, 2011 Brisbane, AU -- Jul 8, 2011 to Jul 17, 2011 Newcastle, AU -- Jul 20, 2011 to Jul 24, 2011 Sydney, AU -- Jul 27, 2011 to Aug 7, 2011 Wollongong, AU -- Aug 17, 2011 to Aug 21, 2011 Auckland, NZ -- Aug 25, 2011 to Sep 4, 2011 Russian Tour ------------ Ekaterinburg, RU -- Oct 15, 2011 to Oct 23, 2011 Kazan, RU -- Oct 26, 2011 to TBA Moscow, RU -- Nov 2, 2011 to TBA St. Petersburg, RU -- Nov 16, 2011 to TBA Alegría: North American Tour ------------------- Southaver, MS -- Apr 27, 2011 to May 1, 2011 Roanoke, VA -- May 4, 2011 to May 8, 2011 Columbia, SC -- May 11, 2011 to May 15, 2011 Toledo, OH - May 18, 2011 to May 22, 2011 Louisville, KY -- Jun 9, 2011 to Jun 12, 2011 Nashville, TN -- Jun 15, 2011 to Jun 19, 2011 Tampa, FL -- Jun 22, 2011 to Jun 26, 2011 Jacksonville, FL -- Jun 29, 2011 to Jul 3, 2011 Raleigh, NC -- Jul 6, 2011 to Jul 10, 2011 Florence, SC -- Jul 13, 2011 to Jul 17 Sunrise, FL -- Jul 20, 2011 to Jul 31, 2011 Charlotte, NC -- Aug 3, 2011 to Aug 7, 2011 Estero, FL -- Aug 10, 2011 to Aug 14, 2011 European Tour ------------- Oberhausen, DE -- Sep 7, 2011 to Sep 11, 2011 Leipzig, DE -- Sep 14, 2011 to Sep 18, 2011 Stuttgart, DE -- Sep 21, 2011 to Sep 25, 2011 Munich, DE -- Sep 28, 2011 to Oct 2, 2011 Salzburg, AT -- Oct 5, 2011 to Oct 9, 2011 Berlin, DE -- Oct 12, 2011 to Oct 16, 2011 Bremen, DE -- Oct 19, 2011 to Oct 23, 2011 cologne, DE -- Oct 26, 2011 to Oct 30, 2011 Frankfurt, DE -- Nov 2, 2011 to Nov 6, 2011 Mannheim, DE -- Nov 9, 2011 to Nov 13, 2011 Quidam: Ontario, CA -- Apr 27, 2011 to May 1, 2011 Reno, NV -- May 4, 2011 to May 8, 2011 Sacramento, CA -- May 11, 2011 to May 15, 2011 London, ON -- Jun 2, 2011 to Jun 5, 2011 Hamilton, ON -- Jun 8, 2011 to Jun 12, 2011 Wilkes-Barre, PA -- Jun 15, 2011 to Jun 19, 2011 Ottawa, ON -- Jun 22, 2011 to Jun 30, 2011 St. John's, NL -- Jul 6, 2011 to Jul 10, 2011 Saint John, NB -- Jul 13, 2011 to Jul 17, 2011 Halifax, NS -- Jul 20, 2011 to Jul 24, 2011 Providence, RI -- Jul 27, 2011 to Jul 31, 2011 Hershey, PA -- Aug 18, 2011 to Aug 21, 2011 Baltimore, MD -- Aug 24, 2011 to Aug 28, 2011 Amherst, MA -- Sep 7, 2011 to TBA State College, PA -- Sep 14, 2011 to Sep 18, 2011 Fort Wayne, IN -- Sep 21, 2011 to Sep 25, 2011 Hartford, CT -- Sep 28, 2011 to TBA Reading, PA -- Oct 5, 2011 to TBA Pittsburgh, PA -- Oct 12, 2011 to TBA Milwaukee, WI -- Oct 19, 2011 to TBA Washington, DC -- Nov 16, 2011 to TBA Fayetteville, NC -- Nov 23, 2011 to TBA Greenville, SC -- Nov 30, 2011 to TBA Hampton, VA -- Dec 7, 2011 to TBA Worcester, MA -- Dec 14, 2011 to TBA Toronto, ON -- Dec 20, 2011 to TBA Dralion: Green Bay, WI -- Apr 29, 2011 to May 1, 2011 Rockford, IL -- May 4, 2011 to May 8, 2011 Kansas City, MO -- May 11, 2011 to May 15, 2011 Abbotsford, BC -- Jun 2, 2011 to Jun 5, 2011 Eugene, OR -- Jun 8, 2011 to Jun 12, 2011 Portland, OR -- Jun 15, 2011 to Jun 19, 2011 Victoria, BC -- Jun 22, 2011 to Jun 26, 2011 Penticon, BC -- Jun 29, 2011 to Jul 3, 2011 Edmonton, AB -- Jul 6, 2011 to Jul 10, 2011 Saskatoon, SK -- Jul 13, 2011 to Jul 17, 2011 Winnipeg, MB -- Jul 20, 2011 to Jul 24, 2011 Frisco, TX -- Jul 27, 2011 to Jul 31, 2011 Indianapolis, IN -- Aug 3, 2011 to Aug 7, 2011 Atlanta, GA -- Aug 25, 2011 to Aug 28, 2011 Duluth, GA -- Aug 31, 2011 to Sep 4, 2011 Albany, NY -- Sep 7, 2011 to TBA Syracuse, NY -- Sep 14, 2011 to TBA Binghampton, NY -- Sep 20, 2011 to TBA Glens Falls, NY -- Sep 24, 2011 to TBA Portland, ME -- Sep 28, 2011 to TBA Cypress, TX -- Nov 17, 2011 to TBA Beaumont, TX -- Nov 23, 2011 to TBA Springfield, IL -- Nov 30, 2011 to Dec 4, 2011 Richmond, VA -- Dec 7, 2011 to TBA Montreal, QC -- Dec 19, 2011 to TBA Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour: Montreal, QC -- Oct 2, 2011 & Oct 3, 2011 Ottawa, ON -- Oct 7, 2011 to Oct 8, 2011 Hamilton, ON -- Oct 12 & Oct 13, 2011 Detroit, MI -- Oct 15, 2011 London, ON -- Oct 18, 2011 Toronto, ON -- Oct 21, 2011 to Oct 23, 2011 Winnipeg, MB -- Oct 26, 2011 Saskatoon, SK -- Oct 29, 2011 Edmonton, AB -- Nov 1 & Nov 2, 2011 Vancouver, BC -- Nov 4, 2011 to Nov 6, 2011 Seattle, WA -- Nov 9 & Nov 10, 2011 Spokane, WA -- Nov 12, 2011 Portland, OR -- Nov 18, 2011 Salt Lake City, UT -- Nov 29, 2011 Las Vegas, NV -- Dec 3, 2011 to Dec 27, 2011 Phoenix, AZ -- Dec 30, 2011 Boise, ID -- Jan 3, 2012 Denver, CO -- Jan 6 & Jan 7, 2012 Sacramento, CA -- Jan 10 & Jan 11, 2012 San Jose, CA -- Jan 13, 2012 Oakland, CA -- Jan 18, 2012 San Diego, CA -- Jan 21, 2012 Anaheim, CA -- Jan 24, 2012 Los Angeles, CA -- Jan 27 & Jan 28, 2012 St. Louis, MO -- Feb 7, 2012 Houston, TX -- Feb 10 & Feb 11, 2012 New Orleans, LA -- Feb 15, 2012 Tulsa, OK -- Feb 18, 2012 Kansas City, MO -- Feb 21, 2012 Indianapolis, IN -- Feb 24, 2012 Miami, FL -- Mar 2, 2012 Milwaukee, WI -- Mar 16, 2012 Montreal -- Mar 20, 2012 to Mar 22, 2012 Quebec City, QC -- Mar 24 & Mar 25, 2012 Minneapolis, MN -- Mar 27, 2012 Newark, NJ -- Mar 30, 2012 New York City, NY -- Apr 3, 2012 to Apr 5, 2012 Uniondale, NY -- Apr 7, 2012 Philadelphia, PA -- Apr 10 & Apr 11, 2012 Pittsburg, PA -- Apr 13 & Apr 14, 2012 State College, PA -- Apr 24, 2012 Worcester, MA -- May 16, 2012 Dayton, OH -- Jun 6, 2012 Columbus, OH -- Jun 9, 2012 Atlanta, GA -- Jun 29, 2012 Montreal, QC -- Jul 6 & Jul 7, 2012 Washington, DC -- Jul 13, 2012 Cleveland, OH -- Jul 17, 2012 --------------------------------- 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 2011 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) 2011 Dark Dates: o May 8-11 o July 6 o September 3-7 o November 2 2011 Added Performances: o July 14th o December 30th "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm 2011 Ticket Prices: o Orchestra: $150.00 o Loggia: $130.00 o Balcony: $99.00 o Limited View: $93.50 2011 Dark Dates: o June 12 o August 10-14 o October 9 o December 5-18 La Nouba: Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm 2011 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 2011 Dark Dates: o May 17-28 o July 26 o September 20-24 o November 22 Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday Dark: Wednesday & Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm 2011 Ticket Prices (18+ Only!): o Duo Sofas: $129.00 o Orchestra Seats: $105.00 o Upper Orchestra Seats: $79.00 o Balcony Seats: $69.00 o Cabaret Stools: $69.00 2011 Dark Dates: o June 21 o August 26-30 o Septembre 2-6 o October 17-18 o December 16-20 2011 Added Performances: o November 23rd o December 31st KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2011 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12): o Category 1: $150.00 / $75.00 o Category 2: $130.00 / $65.00 o Category 3: $99.00 / $49.50 o Category 4: $69.00 / $34.50 2011 Dark Dates: o May 31 - June 4 o July 12 o August 30 - September 7 o November 15-16 2011 Added Performances: o May 29 o November 27 o December 26 o December 31 LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2011 Ticket Prices: o Lower Orchestra: $150.00 o Upper Orchestra: $130.00 o Lower Balcony: $99.00 o Middle Balcony: $93.50 2011 Dark Dates: o May 16 o June 6 o August 4-8 o October 3 o December 1-12 2011 Added Performances: o May 18th o December 28th o December 31st ZAIA: Location: Venetian, Macao (China) Performs: Every Day, Dark: Wednesday One to Two Shows Daily - Times Vary 2011 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 2-11): o VIP Seating: MOP$ 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 2011 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 / ¥8,500 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. 2011 Ticket Prices (all): o Category 1: $160.00 o Category 2: $130.00 o Category 3: $109.00 o Category 4: $89.00 o Category 5: $59.00 2011 Dark Dates: o June 7-14 o September 6-10 o December 6-17 VIVA ELVIS: Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2011 Ticket Prices o Category 1: $175.00 o Category 2: $150.00 o Category 3: $125.00 o Category 4: $99.00 2011 Dark Dates: o May 10-11 o July 5-16 o September 13-14 o November 8-12 2011 Added Performances: o May 29th o November 27th o December 26, 31 -------------------------------------- VENUE - Venue & Seasonal Productions -------------------------------------- Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=251 > IRIS: Location: Kodak Theatre, Hollywood, CA (USA) Performs: Opens July 22, 2011 Times: TBA 2011 Ticket Prices Previews: Category 0 = $203.00 Category 1 = $100.50 Category 2 = $78.00 Category 3 = $59.25 Category 4 = $33.00 Weekday Matinee: Category 0: $253.00 Category 1: $123.00 Category 2: $93.00 Category 3: $68.00 Category 4: $43.00 Saturday Matinee: Category 0: $253.00 Category 1: $133.00 Category 2: $103.00 Category 3: $78.00 Category 4: $43.00 ZARKANA: Location /// New York, NY -- Jun 9, 2011 to Sep 4, 2011 Moscow, RU -- Feb 2, 2012 to Apr 26, 2012 Performances /// 2011 Dark Dates: o June 13-15, 20-22, 27-28 o July 4, 11, 18, 25 o August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Ticket Prices /// Previews: Category 1 = $250.00 Category 2 = $120.00 Category 3 = $70.00 Category 4 = $47.00 Fri Eve, Sat Mat, Sat Eve, Sun Mat: Category 1: $300.00 Category 2: $130.00 Category 3: $75.00 Category 4: $52.00 Tues Eve, Wed Mat, Wed Eve, Thurs Eve, Fri Mat, Sun Eve: Category 1: $250.00 Category 2: $130.00 Category 3: $75.00 Category 4: $52.00 ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE'S SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub o) Networking -- Cirque on Facebook, Youtube & Twitter --------------------------------------- CLUB CIRQUE: This Month at CirqueClub --------------------------------------- FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF VIVA ELVIS: ONE YEAR OF 'HIT MOMENTS' {Apr.13} From the very beginning of his career, hearing Elvis sing was an unforgettable, spectacular experience for millions of people. Viva ELVIS—a tribute to his work and life—continues to bring those magical moments to us all. To mark the show’s first anniversary on February 19, a few colleagues on the production decided to share their best memory of Viva ELVIS so far—their “number one” moment. “We travelled to the UK to perform on a television show called Strictly Come Dancing [to promote Viva ELVIS]. This experience was a highlight for me. When we were presented with the opportunity to go to England during the cast’s week long vacation, I wasn’t confident that we could accomplish this feat. However, everyone’s willingness to give up their vacation as well as the artistic and technical support was overwhelming! I am grateful to be part of such an amazing team!” - Ann Paladie, Publicist “The number one moment for me was the night that company management planned an event after the show for the entire cast and crew, old and new, to watch the video of the show’s very first Lions’ Den. [This is when Viva ELVIS was presented in whole for the first time to Guy Laliberté.] We sat as a group with a soda and bucket of popcorn to watch what we had been working on so hard to complete. For once, there were no e- mails, phone calls or stage announcements—we were able to just sit and absorb the actual show on the screen. For me, it was the first time sitting in the house and actually watching the show. It’s amazing how far we’ve come.” - Charles McCafferty, Assistant Head of Automation “During creation, after a particularly hard week, there was a random night when the majority of the crew got together at a local bar. It was the first time that we all hung out and got to know each other with more than just a nod in the hallway. It was, for me, the night that we began building this amazing community that we have.” - Dawn Marie Bernhard, Wig and Makeup Technician “One of my favorite memories that marked the first year of Viva ELVIS was when we went to Los Angeles to perform on the television show Dancing with the Stars. They flew us to L.A. on our very own private plane and we didn’t even have to check through security! We rehearsed Blue Suede Shoes on set at the CBS Studios, and it felt surreal to be where so many great artists and performers had been before. Performing on the show was truly an adrenaline rush because the studio audience, especially our friends and family, were extremely energized and loud! From beginning to the end, this will be an experience I will never forget.” - Noëlle Ménard, Artist “I have many great memories of our first year here at Viva ELVIS! I am very proud of the whole team and all we have done to get this show up and running. I often think of the night the performers first came to the building. As the lifts were raised to the stage with all of us technicians on it, we were greeted by the overwhelming applause of the performers in the house. There was so much excitement and pride in the air. It was very memorable.” - Stephanie Weiss, Assistant Head of Lighting “I would have to say that my highlight was when rap-artist Snoop Dogg came with his family to see the show. He is not the typical artist that you would expect to be influenced by Elvis; but in the elevator down to his car, he told his son: ‘I take you home and let you listen to some more. This man started it all.’ That really put Elvis’ reach and importance into perspective. We are caring for a very precious cargo.” - Tony Ricotta, Company Manager SHARE WITH US HOW CIRQUE DU SOLEIL INFLUENCES YOU! {Apr.14} We have been collecting letters that you, dear Cirque Club members, have sent to us over the years. Here as thanks for your kind notes and to highlight what a few of you shared about how Cirque du Soleil has inspired your everyday lives: Cirque Du Soleil is all about moving the body in an artistic and creative way and it had inspired me to use that creative method to help my patients increase their functional mobility [by applying] principles of strength, endurance, and flexibility into the treatments with my patients. - Physical therapist, Cirque du Soleil fan since 2000 It has shown me infinite creativity is possible with my own artistic work. Not to be afraid of trial and error and to lead with the heart rather than the mind. - Aspiring magician, Cirque du Soleil fan since 1993 Cirque du Soleil has inspired me to be more creative, to see past the ordinary, and reach for the extraordinary. It’s helped me to find humor in everyday situation. To see the humanity in others and appreciate their differences. In a world of conflict and divisiveness, Cirque du Soleil made the world a bit friendlier. - Cirque du Soleil fan since 1986 Often, I’ve taken the visual cues of Cirque artists as a jumping off point for my work – The colors of their extravagant costumes, the sounds and rhythms of their music, even the emotions they make me feel. - Graphic designer, Cirque du Soleil fan since 2004 It seems like forever that I have been telling my students "Think outside of the box!" It was not until I saw my first Cirque du Soleil that I realized that "the box" was within my own mind. Cirque to me is the embodiment of "I can, and I will." To me, and my clients, the body with its imperfections is no longer an excuse for not exercising the extremes of the mind. You have taught me, to teach my people, that nothing is as it seems, and that they can surpass any disability by allowing their mind to transcend reality. - Director of a Disabled Veteran Training Facility, Cirque du Soleil fan since 2006 Your notes are inspiring and we hope to hear more on how Cirque du Soleil influences you. Thanks and please continue sharing with us! MEET GABRIEL DUBE-DUPUIS GENERAL STAGE MANAGER OF QUIDAM {Apr.19} Gabriel Dubé-Dupuis, general stage manager of Quidam, shares some of his experiences with Cirque du Soleil and previews the show for Fanny Kiefer on Shaw TV's Studio 4 in Vancouver, Canada. Watch the Video: < http://www.youtube.com/embed/zgWpkvMLvtI > YOUR BEHIND THE SCENES THROUGH OUR NEW EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS! {Apr.26} Your request for more behind the scene footage was heard, Cirque Club Members! We present to you a series of new exclusive videos in which a few of our Cirque crew members share about their different roles in the process of bringing magic to life night after night. See firsthand what it is like to work backstage on tour. Alegría invites you behind the scenes with 3 videos... o) Inside Alegría - Backstage Community: Meet Alan Parry, General Stage Manager, and Michael G. Smith, Senior Artistic Director. Hear them talk about the importance of the collective energy of the cast, and see a glimpse of the atmosphere backstage before the show begins. < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/cirque-club/news/2011/2011-04-26- exlusive-new-videos/inside-alegria-backstage-community.aspx > o) Inside Alegría - Make-up: Meet Natalie Gagné, Make-up Designer, and Elodie Dufau, Power Track Character. Hear them describe the make-up process artists go through for every show. < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/cirque-club/news/2011/2011-04-26- exlusive-new-videos/inside-alegria-make-up.aspx > o) Inside Alegría - Power Track act: Meet team members of the Power Track act as they talk about their work as an ensemble on the show. < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/cirque-club/news/2011/2011-04-26- exlusive-new-videos/inside-alegria-power-track.aspx > And one for Corteo... o) Head of Wardrobe for Corteo: Julie de Carufel, Head of wardrobe for Corteo, talks about the role of the wardrobe team on tour. < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/cirque-club/news/2011/2011-04-26- exlusive-new-videos/inside-corteo-head-of-wardrobe.aspx > --------------------------------------------------- NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter --------------------------------------------------- ---[ "O" ]--- {Apr.12} "If there’s one show that’s a must-see in Vegas, “O” is it." LINK /// < http://jetsetextra.com/the-extra/featured/las-vegas- g-rated-fun-in-the-city-of-sin.html > ---[ ALEGRIA ]--- {Apr.28} Live from Memphis! We visited "the King", the Sun Studio, were special guests @ Redbirds Baseball Game, Red Man invited as the Honorary Duckmaster at The Peabody... And now, we offer you our show! Alegria! LINK /// < http://livefrommemphis.com/theintruder/9061-review- cirque-du-soliels-qalgeriaq > {Apr.23} Happy 17th Birthday Alegria! FOTO [3] /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.10150219797450746.361826.38543815745 > {Apr.20} Thanks to your warm welcome Biloxi! LINK /// < http://www.sunherald.com/2011/04/16/3033396/alegria- returns-to-coast.html > {Apr.16} Sneak Peek into our world, our daily reality! VIDEO /// < http://vimeo.com/20622375 > {Apr.12} Every week we hand paint all the shoes, making sure their colors are bright and perfect. We count more than 150 pairs on tour. FOTO [3] /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.10150210432735746.352196.38543815745 > {Apr.10} Alegria: "It's like a two-for-one special at a supermarket on Venus." LINK /// < http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/arts-and- entertainment/features/Witness-Alegria-Before-it-Passes- Through-Town-Cirque-du-soleil-boardwalk-hall- 119476454.html > ---[ CRISS ANGEL BELIEVE ]--- {Apr.27} Did you see Criss' new commercial last night? LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFpKyGZUCyw > ---[ CORTEO ]--- {Apr.20} Cirque du Soleil cast on ABC.es VIDEO /// < http://www.abc.es/20110418/cultura/rc-troupe-cirque- soleil-201104180028.html > {Apr.10} Corteo en Informe Semanal: Cirque du soleil desde dentro! LINK /// < http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/informe- semanal/informe-semanal-emocion-bajo-carpa/1069698/ > {Apr.08} Corteo en Telemadrid.... LINK /// < http://www.telemadrid.es/?q=programas%2Fbuenos-dias- madrid%2Fel-circo-del-sol-en-madrid > {Apr.07} Cirque du Soleil cast on ABC.es VIDEO /// < http://www.abc.es/20110407/cultura-teatros/abci- circo-201104070453.html > ---[ DRALION ]--- {Apr.30} Seen in the Green Bay Press Gazette website this morning! Dralion has 4 more shows to go at the Resch Center in Green Bay! LINK /// < http://greenbayhub.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/ 20110430/GPG0506/110430009/-Dralion-soars-stunning- precision?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Cimg%7CFRONTPAGE > {Apr.29} Stay tuned for more behind the scenes visuals on Fox 11 in Green Bay, WI! LINK /// < http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- snc6/226410_10150587034610195_39340140194_ 18904929_2332992_s.jpg > LINK /// < http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- ash4/225736_10150587037635195_39340140194_ 18904954_883170_s.jpg > LINK /// < http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- snc6/229126_10150587121655195_39340140194_ 18905885_1235599_s.jpg > {Apr.28} Setting up at the Resch Center in Green Bay! LINK /// < http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- snc6/222953_10150586147895195_39340140194_ 18895891_6730994_s.jpg > {Apr.26} The Alliant Energy Center doors are open for tonight's performance of Dralion in Madison. See backstage preview! LINK /// < http://www.nbc15.com/ > {Apr.25} Getting ready for 2 performances at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison!!! Woohoo! LINK /// < http://host.madison.com/entertainment/arts_and_ theatre/article_77adaab2-3a16-5223-91b4-9c4c6cf87414.html > {Apr.24} Behind the scenes at the Peoria Civic Center LINK /// < http://www.centralillinoisnewscenter.com/news/local/ A-Crash-Course-At-Cirque-Du-Soleil-120524014.html?vid=a > {Apr.18} Dralion to perform in Quad Cities and opens on Tuesday at the I Wireless Center for 2 shows only!!!! Come see us! LINK /// < http://qctimes.com/entertainment/arts-and- theatre/theatre/article_88c4a970-661e-11e0-84fd- 001cc4c002e0.html > {Apr.10} Amazing show last night at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City! Only 2 shows to go! LINK /// < http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/ article_c2d20f2b-83aa-5130-846a-951b3e61a759.html > {Apr.09} More photos from today's rehearsal at the Tyson Events Center. Only 2 shows to go in Sioux City, IA LINK /// < http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/collection_ 782abfcc-cd74-52b4-8887-f6018dd95792.html > {Apr.09} Getting ready for tonight's premiere of Dralion at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, IA. LINK /// < http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/app/videos/? id=79420131 > {Apr.05} Ready to go in Fargo, ND! Dralion is opening tonight at the FARGODOME! Three performances only. LINK /// < http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/ 314697/group/Life/ > {Apr.03} Dralion by Cirque du Soleil added 8 new photos to the album Celebrating Dralion 4000th performance. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.10150515488870195.653621.39340140194 > ---[ IRIS ]--- {Apr.19} The first video glimpses of IRIS rehearsals in Montréal. Experience cinema in a whole new light with IRIS! Previews begin July 21, exclusively at Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles - tickets on sale here: http://bit.ly/cdsirisst LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php? v=654778446818&oid=161171830587832&comments > ---[ KOOZA ]--- {Apr.28} How many of you brought your kids to work for "Take Your Child to Work" Day? Here at KÀ we played host to kid-at-heart Paul Carr from TechCrunch. I'm happy to say he plays well in the "cork"-box with the other kids. LINK /// < http://techcrunch.com/2011/04/24/backstage-at-cirque- du-soleil%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98ka%E2%80%99-part-two-our-stage-is- the-worlds-largest-giant-kitchen-drawer-tctv/ > {Apr.14} So we hear there's going to be a big pageant-like wedding soon in another kingdom far, far away. Here in the world of KÀ we have our own pageant celebration 10 times each week, and recently a local writer and martial arts instructor gave us their take on that opening scene. LINK /// < http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/blogs/ cleverboy/2011/apr/08/slo/ > {Apr.08} Last week we invited KÀ artists and staff to bring their families and friends to the theatre to see where we work everyday. Playing in the cork seemed to be the highlight for children of all ages! Fun fact: After more than 3,000 shows, KÀ has dumped over 6 million pounds of cork after each beach scene! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.10150231354636929.352786.31527171928 > ---[ LA NOUBA ]--- {Apr.28} There are so many fun photos to share! We'll add a few here and there so you can get an insider's view of life at La Nouba. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.10150164531974902.304524.16315569901 > {Apr.15} It had been a while since I first saw the Cirque du Soleil show at the Walt Disney World Resort called La Nouba. Okay, it had been 12 years. But after you’ve seen a show once, do you really need to see it again? In the case of La Nouba, the answer is yes. LINK /// < http://theorlandoblog.com/2011/04/13/la-nouba-seeing- it-again-for-the-first-time/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_ source=twitterfeed > ---[ MJ IMMORTAL ]--- {Apr.29} The first-ever Estate-authorized ‘Michael Jackson Fan Fest’ will give fans an up-close look at Michael Jackson memorabilia, items from Neverland Ranch, a behind the scenes look at the creation of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour with Q&A sessions with members of the creative team, and more! LINK /// < http://bit.ly/lqHd78 > {Apr.28} Catch the first-ever Estate-authorized ‘Michael Jackson Fan Fest’ during Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour visit at Madalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas starting December 3, 2011! LINK /// < http://bit.ly/kAn4NL > {Apr.04} Greg Phillinganes and Kevin Antunes, Musical Director and Musical Designer for Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour, talk about Michael's musical dynamics and their excitement to be working on this show celebrating Michael. LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4Sh57GRe60 > ---[ MYSTERE ]--- {Apr.14} Slightly less well-known than Christmas or Thanksgiving is International Moment of Laughter Day, which is today! We decided to bring a moment of laughter to some of our friends in Las Vegas who work hard every day selling tickets to our shows. Tell us something that made you laugh today! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.10150210473794919.341252.18155469918 > ---[ OVO ]--- {Apr.27} Dont give up on 'Ovo' just yet. Assuming the water recedes as expected, 'Ovo' will resume Tuesday, officials said, with enough shows to accommodate anyone who had a ticket for a canceled performance. LINK /// < http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110427/ ENT07/304270111/Cirque-du-Soleil-adds-performance? odyssey=mod > {Apr.24} Rain Closes Cirque du Soleil and Racetrack LINK /// < http://www.local12.com/News/Local/story/Rain-Closes- Cirque-du-Soleil-and-Racetrack/bKVnca-SSEKe79w2QgijvA.cspx > {Apr.04} Opening in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 21, 2011. Some of the 'bugs" from the show stopped by Cincinnati's Opening Day parade to interact with the crown and teach the Bug Dance. LINK /// < http://www.vimeo.com/21811587 > ---[ QUIDAM ]--- {Apr.28} Great behind the scenes pictures from Ontario, CA local photographer David Bauman LINK /// < http://www.pe.com/multimedia/slideshow/2011/ 20110428_cirque/pages/01CIRQUE28J.html > {Apr.22} Backstage with Quidam LINK /// < http://losangeles.broadwayworld.com/videoplay.php? colid=229218 > {Apr.20} Quidam in Long Beach FOTO /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.10150164357152046.291057.35752277045 > {Apr.07} Quidam Food story in the San Francisco Chronicle LINK /// < http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa% 2F2011%2F04%2F07%2FDD3P1IKV1V.DTL > {Apr.06} Scene from Rehearsal of Cirque du Soleil's Quidamsfist.com Before Cirque du Soleil's Quidam opens tonight at the Cow Palace, this acrobat defies gravity during a taut routine. Kudos to you, sir. LINK /// < http://sfist.com/2011/04/06/scene_from_bare- chested_rehearsal_o.php > ---[ SALTIMBANCO ]--- {Apr.26} Spectacular circus skills that milk every heart-in-the-mouth Moment | CIRQUE du Soleil began life in Canada in 1982. It did away with wild animals, aiming to give buskers the profile they deserved under the big top, which it did with theatrical flair LINK /// < http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/ spectacular-circus-skills-that-milk-every-heart-in-the- mouth-moment/story-e6frg8n6-1226044138858 > {Apr.23} Happy 19th birthday Saltimbanco!! It all started on April 23, 1992!! 12million spectators later, Saltimbanco is still going strong!! {Apr.20} Opening tomorrow night in Perth! Forget everything you know about the Challenge Stadium, the show looks great! Very intimate venue! LINK /// < http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/ video/watch/24967812/ > {Apr.18} See Saltimbanco's Cyclist! LINK /// < http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- ash4/216018_10150217385957959_41245692958_ 8580113_1638305_s.jpg > ---[ TOTEM ]--- {Apr.15} Behind-the-Scenes look with the Crystal Ladies artists in TOTEM LINK /// < http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/region/ baltimore_city/cirque-du-soleil-comes-to-baltimore > {Apr.15} Head of Wardrobe LIVE on Good Morning Maryland! LINK /// < http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/entertainment/head-of- wardrobe-shows-off-cirque-du-soleil-totem-costumes > {Apr.13} Check out the videos of FOXDC LIVE backstage at TOTEM from Cirque du Soleil in Baltimore this morning! WATCH the TOTEM costumes with Publicist Émilie Nadeau, LISTEN to the TOTEM music with Band Leader Charles Dennard and ENJOY the manipulation act backstage with artist Greg Kennedy! LINK /// < http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/mornings/holly_live/holly- morris-cirque-du-soleil-041311 > {Apr.09} Cirque du Soleil’s TOTEM wows Baltimore City | Don’t worry about the aspirational narrative. It’s merely a loose framework for a colorful, glittery and fast-paced series of acrobat and trapeze acts performed on a stage so small that just about everybody is right in front of, and sometimes in, the action. LINK /// < http://baltimoreguide.com/http:/baltimoreguide.com/ cirque-du-soleils-totem-wows-baltimore-city/ > {Apr.09} Cirque du Soleil's 'Totem' opens | Cirque du Soleil's "Totem" opened April 6 in Baltimore under the trademark blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau at Westport Waterfront. LINK /// < http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bal- cirque-totem-opening-pictures,0,6748514.photogallery > {Apr.07} Totem Cake! < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=204067022947329&set= a.111837202170312.12495.111798252174207&type=1&ref=nf > ---[ VIVA ELVIS ]--- {Apr.08} Check out this video and get to know Kristin & Michael who perform Suspicious Minds...and are World Champions! VIDEO /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php? v=10150159978927002&oid=167136344108&comments > ---[ ZARKANA ]--- {Apr.28} Our new TV spot begins airing in the NYC area on Monday - but here is an early look just for our Facebook fans! VIDEO /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php? v=10150163580093640&oid=139797212738843&comments > {Apr.28} Zarkana Character Photos FOTO /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.179594145425816.48352.139797212738843 > {Apr.07} Discover the delightfully twisted story behind Zarkana and take in glimpses of the rehearsals of this epic spectacle set out to take audiences into a highly-acrobatic fantastical and suspenseful world. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php? v=651513549698&oid=139797212738843&comments > ---[ ZED ]--- {Apr.24} Thank you so much KOOZA, for coming down to our dress rehearsal and giving us cheer from the house!! We love you!!! FOTO /// < http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- snc6/224990_10150274411686164_41326571163_ 9419125_5105408_s.jpg > {Apr.22} ZED starting from TOMORROW!! April the 23rd!!! We will be waiting for your at the theater! FOTO /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.10150271618136164.394825.41326571163 > {Apr.06} While we are in Macau, one of our family "ZAIA", celebrated their 1000 performances. We would like to send them our congratulations and best wishes. After their 1000 performances, ZAIA, KOOZA and ZED, 3 shows from Cirque du Soleil took a photo together on the stage. We were pleased to be in part of their special day. FOTO /// < http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- ash4/208492_10150254674086164_41326571163_ 9229963_1504003_s.jpg > ---[ ZUMANITY ]--- {Apr.26} New Zumanity Posters Round 2 | We've added Round 2 of our new Zumanity creative into this album so you can vote for your favorite. Leave a comment under your most loved poster, and we will tally the votes. The poster with the most votes will compete with the poster selected from Round 1. Why vote? Because the winning poster will be distributed to fans at a select showing of Zumanity in the near future. Voting starts now and ends on Saturday 4/30. Remember, a comment or a like counts so vote today! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.10150173172128847.320873.13931088846 > {Apr.25} And the winner of Round 1 of the new Zumanity Poster is.... FOTO /// < http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- snc6/215758_10150172047463847_13931088846_ 6786757_1891987_s.jpg > {Apr.18} New Zumanity Posters Round 1 | We've added Round 1 of our new Zumanity creative into this album so you can vote for your favorite. Leave a comment under your most loved poster, and we will tally the votes. The poster with the most votes will compete with the poster selected from Round 2. Why vote? Because the winning poster will be distributed to fans at a select showing of Zumanity in the near future. Voting starts now and ends on Saturday 4/23. Remember, a comment or a like counts so vote today! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.10150166050123847.307047.13931088846 > {Apr.12} Zumanity Performs at Jeffrey Sanker's White Party LINK /// < http://www.mydesert.com/article/20110403/ LIFESTYLES0109/104020344/White-Party-draws-performers- valley-enlists-their-support-gay-issues > FOTO /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.10150160439308847.305596.13931088846 > ====================================================================== 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) Didyaknow all of the 150 technicians and 85 cast members at "O" have scuba certification? 14 technicians work underwater during every performance. o) Didyaknow that each of the four carousel horses in the show weighs 750 pounds (340 kilograms)? o) Some set pieces in IRIS are 6 stories high! o) Close to 50 people are part of the costume creation unit responsible for delivering all 200 costumes needed for the show. o) Did you know that the heads of the 72 artists in IRIS are scanned and 3D printed in order to produce all of the hats and wigs in the show? o) There are six different body tattoo designs on the unitards worn by the Archers and Spearmen in KA! o) Did you know that all KÀ artists apply their own make-up, and it takes from 45 minutes to two hours to complete. o) The sound system at KÀ by Cirque du Soleil weighs 43,868 pounds. o) Did you know? Director and choreographer Jamie King has helped create some of the hottest touring shows ever for superstars including Madonna, Rihanna, Celine Dion, Britney Spears and Pink. o) Is your desk a little cluttered? You could be looking at part of a Mystère costume! Piano Wire, Fishing line, Urethane and metallic gift paper are some of the unusual items used in the costume shop! o) Here's a fun fact to make those of you who may have spilled your lunch down your shirt feel a bit better: the Chinese Poles unitards last an average of three weeks. o) If the show cable in Mystère was laid out end to end, it would stretch from Treasure Island on Las Vegas Blvd. to the Californian border. (A Spermato or two would really liven up that drive, don't you think?) o) The lighting and electrical grid in our theatre is 80 feet above the stage. For you baseball fans out there, that's only 10 feet less than the distance between home and first! What would the Mystère roster look like? Red Bird on the mound? o) LOVE fun fact! The Culbutto (Fireman's) Ladder weighs 1,500 lbs. – 500lbs for the ladder and wheels, and another 1,000lbs of counterbalance weight. o) LOVE fun fact! The VW Bug Crash/Breakaway Car is much more expensive than a real car. It has no internal parts, is so light the entire car can be pushed with one finger, and the 11 sections are all held together with magnets. o) Viva ELVIS fun fact! The American flag used in the Return to Sender scene is comprised of 48 boxer shorts, 207 long johns and the weight of the laundry is 224 lbs! o) Let's spice up Hump Day with a Zu fun fact: There are more than 5,500 costume pieces worth over $6 million at the fabulous Zumanity! That's what we call some pricey pieces ;) ------------------------------------ HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History ------------------------------------ * May.01.1986 -- Cirque Performs at Expo 86 in Vancouver * May.01.2003 –- Cirque nominated for Drama Desk Awards: Outstanding Set Design in a Musical – Stephane Roy Outstanding Costume Design – Eiko Ishioka Outstanding Sound Design – Francois Bergeron Unique Theater Experience - Varekai * May.02.2000 -- Journey of Man (IMAX) premiered in USA * May.02.2000 -- Journey of Man CD Released in US/Canada (RCA/Victor) * May.02.2006 –- Cirque announced Macau permanent production * May.02.2007 –- Cirque announces Dubai 2010 show * May.04.2006 –- Dralion opened Valencia * May.04.2006 –- Varekai opened Seattle * May.05.2006 –- Saltimbanco opened Buenos Aires * May.05.2010 –- Alegría Arena opened St. Louis, MO * May.06.2004 –- Quidam opened Vancouver * May.06.2004 –- Alegría opened New York City * May.06.2009 –- Saltimbanco Arena opens Gainesville, FL * May.07.1987 -- Le Cirque Réinventé Premiered in La Salle * May.08.1990 -- Nouvelle Expérience Premiered in Montréal * May.08.2006 –- Cirque announced Elvis-themed productions * May.08.2008 –- Koozå opened Philadelphia, PA * May.08.2009 –- Cirque “Vaudeville” Announced/Presale * May.09.2002 -- Quidam opened Pittsburgh * May.09.2008 –- Koozå CD unofficially Available * May.10.2007 –- Alegría opened Saint-Denis, France * May.11.1986 -- Cirque leaves Expo 86 * May.11.2000 -- Saltimbanco Pacific-Northwest Tour Began (Portland) * May.11.2007 –- Corteo opened Columbus, Ohio * May.11.2007 –- Cirque Celebrates 20 Years in Los Angeles * May.12.2005 –- Quidam opened Adelaide * May.12.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Kansas City, MO * May.13.2006 –- La Nouba celebrated 3500th performance [Saturday, 6:00pm] * May.13.2006 –- Dralion celebrated its 2500th performance [Valencia, Spain] * May.13.2009 –- Saltimbanco Arena opens Tallahassee, FL * May.13.2010 –- Varekai opened Cologne, DE * May.14.1985 -- 1985 Tour Began in Montréal [Vieux-Port de Montréal] * May.14.2008 –- Saltimbanco Arena opened Albuquerque, NM * May.15.1997 –- Alegría opened Munich * May.15.2003 –- Dralion opened Montreal * May.15.2008 –- Alegría opened Porto Alegre, Brazil * May.15.2009 –- Cirque opened Eurovision Song Contest Finale * May.17.2005 -- Solarium-Delirium CD Released (CDS Musique) * May.18.1986 -- Le Magie Continue opened Sherbrooke * May.18.1987 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Sherbrooke * May.18.1989 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Chicago * May.18.2000 –- Quidam opened Bilbao * May.18.2003 –- Cirque loses Drama Desk Awards (nominated 5/1/03) * May.18.2006 –- Quidam opened Ottawa * May.19.1995 -- Saltimbanco opened Munich * May.19.2006 –- Varekai opened Baltimore * May.19.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Salt Lake City, UT * May.20.1999 -- Alegría premiered permanently in Biloxi, Mississippi. * May.20.2007 –- Quidam opened Seoul, South Korea (first time in Korea!) * May.20.2009 –- Saltimbanco Arena opened Jacksonville, FL * May.20.2010 –- Saltimbanco Arena opened Sheffield, UK * May.21.2003 –- Quidam opened Nagoya * May.21.2004 –- CirqueCon 2004: Vancouver Began (through 5/24) * May.21.2008 –- Saltimbanco Arena opened Boise, ID * May.21.2009 –- Corteo opened Nagoya, Japan * May.21.2009 –- Criss Angel likeness unveiled in wax at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas * May.21.2010 –- Banana Shpeel official Gala Premiere * May.22.1992 -- Fascination Premiered in Tokyo (Until Sep.) * May.22.1998 –- Alegría opened Hamburg * May.23.2007 –- Dralion opened Sendai, Japan * May.24.2002 –- Mystère celebrated 4000th performance [Friday, 7:30pm] * May.25.1988 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened New York City * May.26.2009 –- ZAIA, Alegría Remastered CDs Released * May.26.2010 –- Saltimbanco Arena opened Liverpool, UK * May.26.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Fresno, CA * May.27.1999 -- Alegría: Le Film premiered in Netherlands * May.27.2009 –- Alegría Arena Tour Beings [Halifax, NS] * May.27.2009 –- Saltimbanco Arena opened Sunrise, FL * May.28.1987 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Montréal * May.28.1999 -- Saltimbanco opened Brisbane, Australia * May.28.2003 –- BRAVO sneaks Varekai – Midnight to 2:00pm * May.28.2010 –- Quidam opened Buenos Aires, BR * May.29.1986 -- Le Magie Continue opened Montréal * May.29.1997 –- Quidam opened Oakland * May.29.2001 -- Alegría opened Sydney, Australia * May.29.2008 –- Name of “Cirque Macao 2008” Announced - “ZAIA” * May.29.2008 –- Saltimbanco Arena opened Victoria, BC * May.30.2006 –- Varekai celebrated 1500th performance [Tues, 8:00pm/Seattle] * May.31.1996 -- Saltimbanco opened Stuggart * May.31.2001 -- Quidam opened Hamburg ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= o) "Cirque Announces Michael Jackson at Mandalay Bay!" By: Cirque du Soleil, Press Room Materials o) "Download Cirque Music - Free - Legally!" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) o) "Elvis Presley Lives On Through The Mind [EXPANDED] Of Erich Van Tourneau" By: April Savoie - Rockstar Weekly (Special) ------------------------------------------------------- "Cirque Announces Michael Jackson at Mandalay Bay!" By: Cirque du Soleil, Press Room Materials ------------------------------------------------------- MICHAEL JACKSON CELEBRATED IN LAS VEGAS – Mandalay Bay, Cirque du Soleil and The Estate of Michael Jackson confirm plans LAS VEGAS – Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino President and Chief Operating Officer, Chuck Bowling, Cirque du Soleil President and CEO, Daniel Lamarre and Estate of Michael Jackson Co-Executor, John Branca confirmed the venue for a permanent Michael Jackson production at Mandalay Bay and announced new aspects of the creative relationship in a press conference held today at the resort. Production has begun to evaluate the transformation of the resort’s theater and identification of the creative team for the show, which is slated to open in the spring of 2013. Chuck Bowling said: “The world may never again know a force in entertainment of the caliber of Michael Jackson. On behalf of the entire Mandalay Bay and MGM Resorts International teams, we are deeply honored and humbled to be home to incredible entertainment celebrating his legacy for new generations to come. Daniel Lamarre added: “We are excited about creating this new Michael Jackson production for MandalayBay. Michael Jackson is creatively inspiring for Cirque du Soleil artisans and creative teams. There are so many common creative elements between us that it is a pleasure to imagine this new production. It is also very exciting that we will be presenting Michael Jackson The IMMORTAL World Tour at >MandalayBay for an extended run this December and Jamie King and the creative team are promising us a pop rock spectacular to kick things off grandly.” In addition to the permanent show opening in 2013, the extensive relationship will include many facets certain to mesmerize new and lifelong Michael Jackson fans alike: MICHAEL JACKSON THE IMMORTAL WORLD TOUR Opening December 3 at Mandalay Bay, Michael Jackson The IMMORTAL World Tour will perform in Las Vegas for an extended run on its highly anticipated North American tour. This extended stop will allow fans from all over the world to converge on Las Vegas, the perfect international destination for visitors to discover the new home of Michael Jackson, and experience the pop rock extravaganza imagined by Jamie King. THE MICHAEL JACKSON FAN FEST To kick-off the tour stop in Las Vegas, fans will have the chance to experience the legacy of Michael Jackson in a whole new way during the first ever Estate-authorized Michael Jackson Fan Fest taking place for a limited time only at Mandalay Bay beginning December 3, 2011. This experience is expected to include a wide variety of elements such as an up-close look at Michael Jackson memorabilia, items from Neverland Ranch, photo opportunities in recreated sets from historic Michael Jackson videos, a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Michael Jackson The IMMORTAL World Tour, a main stage featuring contests, Q&A sessions with members of the creative team from Michael Jackson The IMMORTAL World Tour as well as other associates of Michael Jackson, giveaways and more. In addition, the Fan Fest will give attendees the chance to compete against one another in contests centered around the recently released UBISOFT video game “Michael Jackson The Experience.” An interactive, engaging, and immersive design will create a larger- than-life environment for all Fan Fest goers and promises to be a unique event. The Fan Fest will be open for 4 hours before Michael Jackson The IMMORTAL World Tour shows on December 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14 in Mandalay Bay’s Bayside Exhibit Halls. In the case of two-show nights, the Fan Fest will have two sessions open to the public at separate starting times. Ticket and session information will be announced in the coming weeks and www.MichaelJacksonFanFest.com will offer up-to-the-minute updates on the Fan Fest. Said John Branca and John McClain, Executors of The Estate of Michael Jackson: “We are thrilled to establish Michael’s home away from home at Mandalay Bay. Because of its remote location, few people will ever get to visit Michael’s Neverland Ranch. But millions of Michael’s fans will be able to hear Michael’s music and experience him in tangible and exciting new ways at Mandalay Bay. We are especially excited that the Estate has authorized the first Michael Jackson Fan Fest, something Michael’s fans have been calling for and something Michael always wanted for his fans. We look forward to working with our partners – Mandalay Bay, Cirque du Soleil and MGM Resorts International – in implementing these exciting projects.” MICHAEL JACKSON ALL ACCESS Mandalay Bay also will be the permanent home of a creative collaboration from The Estate of Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soleil aimed at giving fans a unique encounter with Michael’s artistic genius, sense of wonder and humanitarian spirit. Just as Michael Jackson The IMMORTAL World Tour and the newly announced permanent show at Mandalay Bay will open the eyes and ears of the world to experiencing Michael’s music in a whole new way, this permanent exhibit will take fans, new and old, on a journey to the next level by giving them the opportunity to access Michael Jackson – the consummate performer, the philanthropist and the person – in entirely new ways, in part using the most state-of-the-art interactive technology. This experience is expected to spark memories, inspire hope and help us discover new things about Michael and ourselves, engaging minds and inspiring hearts. MICHAEL JACKSON LOUNGE The Michael Jackson Estate and Cirque du Soleil will create the Michael Jackson Lounge – a space that will bring to life Michael’s music in an atmosphere celebrating his career and legacy. {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil} ------------------------------------------------------- "Download Cirque Music – Free – Legally!" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) ------------------------------------------------------- For the Cirque music fan who might like to sample tracks from albums you don’t already own, there aren’t many legal options. Sure, there are 30-second song samples out there, and the occasional downloadable free track, but not much else. But now, for those lucky enough to be members of a participating public library system, there is www.freegalmusic.com! Freegal is a service that sells standard MP3 downloads from the Sony music catalog to library systems, who make them available to their patrons for free. (Your tax dollars at work!) We couldn’t find a complete listing of all the libraries participating, but a partial list includes: o) Birmingham, AL o) Scottsdale, AZ o) San Jose, CA o) Santa Clara, CA o) Douglas County, CO o) Orange County, FL o) Louisiana Libraries, LA o) Saint Paul, MN o) Princeton, NJ o) Las Vegas, NV o) New York, NY o) Multnomah, OR o) Nashville, TN o) Seattle, WA o) Eau Claire, WI There are likely a multitude of others – check with your local library. Once you have a library card from a participating library you use your library card number and pin code to log onto the Freegal site at www.freegalmusic.com. There you can access literally hundreds of thousands of songs from hundreds of artists. The catch is you can only download a small number (usually 3) per Monday-Sunday calendar week. The site has some peculiarities. It is sorted by first name, so Cirque du Soleil is under “C”, as is Charlie Daniels, Carlos Santana and Crystal Bowersox. And for some mysterious reason the tracks can be listed quite out of order (not in track or alphabetical order). Some CD’s are also listed more than once. That doesn’t mean there are no current hit tracks though. A “Top 10” list on the main page shows the top tracks being downloads from the TV show “GLEE.” The new soul singer Adele is also high on the list. The listings include artists from around the world, old and new, of all musical genres. Truly something for everyone! What Cirque du Soleil albums does Freegal have on offer? Virtually all of them! Nearly all of the Cirque canon is available here, from the “second edition” of the first Cirque du Soleil album, through to Zaia and Zed. The collections are here as well, including Collection, Solarium/Delirium (which also has the Ian Pooley remix of “Lubia Dobarstan” also available on iTunes) , Le Best of, and 25. Also available are the variations, such as Mystere Studio and Live in Las Vegas, and both versions of the Saltimbanco CD. It even has the Journey of Man soundtrack. There are a couple of notable omissions. The service doesn’t include the first CDS CD (before they signed with RCA and rerecorded it). There was no CD of Totem when we looked. No Beatles Love or Viva Elvis. And their version of Alegria strangely only includes three tracks, “Alegria,” “Vai Verdrai,” and “Querer” – the rest of the CD is missing. The downloads are 256KBS, perfect for most uses, and have no digital rights management applied so they can be copied or transferred on a whim. If you’re within a participating library system, can work with the weekly download limit, and are patient enough to download a tiny amount of tracks each week, over time you could have quite the collection. A great way to sample the breadth of Cirque music, a little bit at a time, for free. And legally to boot! ------------------------------------------------------- "Elvis Presley Lives On Through The Mind [EXPANDED] Of Erich Van Tourneau" By: April Savoie - Rockstar Weekly (Special) ------------------------------------------------------- The King and the circus have pulled all the stops for this one! Cirque Du Soleil, the world renowned entertainment act, has combined its talents with the King of Rock n Roll’s repertoire to create the stage production ‘Viva Elvis’; the story of Elvis Presley. This collaboration between the extraordinary human circus act and the voice that birthed Rock n Roll, can be experienced at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. If your path is not destined for Vegas, you can still enjoy the musical highlights with Viva ELVIS- the Album; the complete and re-worked mix of Elvis’ chart toppers from the ‘50s, his movie soundtracks, live stage acts from the “’68 Special,” and the famous Las Vegas performances of “Burning Love," "Suspicious Minds," "Blue Suede Shoes" and "It's Now or Never". Cirque du Soleil recruited Canadian producer Erich Van Tourneau, as the Musical Director and Arranger for both; ‘Viva Elvis’ on stage and ‘Viva Elvis’ the album. He was responsible for modernizing the classic sounds of the 50’s through to the 70’s and Rock Star Weekly spoke with him about the process. Q. What an honour it must be to be involved in the Elvis Cirque show and Viva Elvis – The Album. Absolutely, Cirque and Elvis changed the face of music so it was a total privilege to have worked on this project with these pioneers. Q. How did you get involved – was there a process to be accepted? I was asked to do a pitch, so I worked on 2 songs; Hound Dog and One Night with You. They flipped out when they heard ‘One Night with you’. Q. Was it a different process to create music for the show and the album? The main difference between the show and the album is really an esthetic one. The show has a live band, so I wanted to keep some space for the band on the album. I wasn’t limited on that level. I used as many samples as I could to create that kind of ethereal finish of Elvis live. I think that’s the main difference, on the album you have way more samples coming from the Elvis world. Q. What was the first thing you did to get acquainted with Elvis? First I contacted collectors around the globe because it was imperative to listen to everything he recorded during his career. I bought over 900 albums and listened to all of it over 8 months. It was a gigantic task but that was the first thing I wanted to do was to be respectful of Elvis Presley who devoted his life to his music. Q. How long did the whole process take? I worked on the arrangements for the show for about 2 years. I made the arrangements for about 35 songs. For the album, I had about 4 months, so it was pretty fast to work on the album. Q. Did you feel a bond with the King after a while? It was there before because my parents are hard core fans. Elvis Presley music was always playing around the house. I remember going to my Uncle’s place and the ‘Comeback 68’ was playing in loop. Elvis was in my life before the project. I feel like I have a bond. I was listening to music from the 30’s and the 40’s,( the golden gate quartet) before this project. Q. Was there a vision or goal when making the album? The mandate was the same for the show and the album; which was to bring Elvis back for 2010, to contemporize the repertoire. My philosophy for working on the songs was to revamp an old black and white movie from the 50’s and try to bring that movie in HD format. I was adding new colours around Elvis’ voice, a bit like the Technicolor technique. Q. Was there pressure on you to create the first Elvis studio album in 33 years and also on his 75th birthday? I felt a bit of pressure at the beginning of the project when I was working on the show, arranging the songs. At the beginning I felt it was impossible that I was working on that project. It was so big. But after a few moments, you need to concentrate, get your hands on the song and try your shot. Q. When you were listening to all his recordings, you must have heard some intimate moments on some of those tapes. Elvis between takes was always jamming different songs and was often jamming gospel, only the piano and his voice. They were very intimate moments. Q. Was there a surprising thing you heard on the tapes that either made you laugh or surprised you? I laughed all the way through. Elvis was really, really funny. He had a unique sense of humour. I never heard him mad, he was always laughing. Q. How involved was Elvis Presley Enterprises in the making of the album? Elvis Presley Enterprises helped us by giving us access to a lot of different audio tapes and masters. It’s like having access to the holy grail of Rock N Roll. Q. It must have been nice to have access to all that? I was in New York two years ago with Ernst Jorgensen who is almost a bible himself. We were listening to master vocal tracks from Elvis. I remember listening to ‘Suspicious Minds’; Elvis was almost crying in this delivery, it was amazing! Q. Was it hard to try and keep the original vibe and emotion of the song and change the music style? The heart of the project is Elvis’ voice. People are really attached to Elvis’ voice, so I try to keep the melodic line and keep his voice intact and just paint new colours around him. Q. What do you think it was about Elvis that makes his music so timeless? I think Elvis had the best songwriters of his time. He had the best songs and best songs can stay forever. * * * I want to quickly go through the album song by song to find your inspiration for it and why you chose the music style: - Opening The opening was constructed from the song ‘Memphis Tennessee’. It was an Elvis beat, contagious and growing on you and that sound coming from when he was born in ’35. It was the way I saw this piece, the frantic feel before the show. - Blue Suede Shoes I am proud of ‘Blue Suede Shoes. Elvis was eclectic with his taste in music. I like the Delta feel of the harmonica with the mix of that urban beat. The vibe comes from a guitar riff from another Elvis song called ‘Plantation Rock’. There is a sample of that song at the end of Blue Suede Shoes and that was the centerpiece. - That’s All Right The rhythm section was my inspiration because the groove is already in the song. At the time; Elvis had no drummer (in ’54), and I was really hearing that Indie rock groove, so I went for that. - Heartbreak Hotel It’s very much like the original but it’s played with a different attitude. I wanted to pay tribute to a version of ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ with the Dorsey Brothers. Elvis was in a white suit and it’s an amazing performance. My inspiration was the big band sound. - Love Me Tender I wanted to do a type of folk song with it, to keep the feel but bring a more cinematic feel to the song. It’s very theatrical. - King Creole I wanted to do a ragga song. It was about the beat. It was constructed around the beat and I wanted to have a ragga vibe. - Bossa Nova Baby The original is so strong. The vocals are so strong and I think it's one of the best songs vocally of Elvis. It’s amazing the groove and the energy he is bringing into the song, so I constructed around that. I wanted it to have a lounge feel; groovy and slick, to keep the vibe of the 60’s. - Burning Love I wanted to do a rock song with it. My inspiration was to see Elvis on stage doing this song in 2010. I was picturing him with the band in Vegas, jamming with big drums, like Keith Moon. - Memories When I heard the strings of memories, they were so touching and beautiful that I wanted to construct an ’in between’ with that song that could bring us into the romance section, because ‘Cant Help Falling In Love’ from the show is in the romance section when Elvis and Priscilla get married. - Can’t Help Falling In Love I started the song on the guitar in a very soulful way. I wanted to bring in an R&B beat of Bill Withers, but modern. With the female voice in the song it’s really strong and it’s really nice to have a duet with this one. The tone of Elvis’ voice is completely amazing. I began to play gospel piano at the end while incorporating the song ‘Love Me’. It’s one of my favorite moments in the album. - You’ll Never Walk Alone I wanted to have something intimate. It is an introspective feel. I was picturing Elvis at Graceland; 5 am jamming on the piano. - Suspicious Minds I constructed this song around Elvis’ voice because his vocal is so strong. He is almost crying. I tried to keep the original beat. I wanted to keep a modern and heavy feel to the song. * * * Q. As we mentioned before you have some songs as a duet, how did you pick the female voice to do the duet with Elvis? The singers on the album are from the show. It was a natural decision to have them on the album. Q. What is your personal favourite Elvis song? I like the songs from the early years; ‘Mystery Train’ or ‘Lawdy, Miss Clawdy’; the songs with Scotty Moore and Bill Black. Q. It was mentioned earlier that Elvis was always around you while growing up, so was Elvis a musical influence for you? I have a lot of inspiration but there is a lot of stuff in the back of your head that you are not conscious of. I am sure Elvis is in there in relation to the way I look at music, for sure. Q. How did you get involved in sampling? I started 15 years ago, I bought this old Akai S1000; (a 16-bit professional stereo digital sampler) and began to play. I immediately understood there were a lot of things you could do with this thing, so I was a fan. I still am to this day. Q. What is it about sampling that is a challenge for you? You can create an entire world with just a frame or a sound byte or create another world by adding one second to that sound byte and playing that very sound byte on the keyboard. It’s like creating new worlds with a tiny sound byte. To me, that’s amazing! Q. What is most satisfying about what you do? It’s not just incorporating a nice tone or a nice sound, but to really stay true to Elvis’ roots. Sampling is only a tool. It’s not the conclusion, it’s only the beginning. Q. Any chance there will be more Elvis albums or is this it? For me this album is really a volume one! Q. How about you. Are there other artists you want to re-image? I’ve worked 3 years on this project and have so many thoughts of my own. I don’t want to work on other artists for the rest of my career. This was an honor, a privilege and amazing opportunity to work with the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, and if there is another album I would like to work on that, but I have so many good ideas that I want to explore on my own and would prefer to go in that direction instead of trying the same thing with another artist. # # # As Erich van Tourneau, claims to be planning some well deserved time off, he still intends to continue to work on the show. He refers to it as a work in progress, but his dedication and love for this project has inspired everyone else to label it a masterpiece. Be sure to experience the tribute fit for a King! ======================================================================= SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ======================================================================= Fascination! is a monthly publication, available through subscription via the World Wide Web in text format at the newsletter's website: < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. To subscribe, please visit our website and enter your name and email address in the "About Fascination" box and press Subscribe. You'll receive an email to confirm your selection. Once confirmed you'll be added to our mailing list. 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/ >. Join us on the web at: < www.cirquefascination.com > Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 11, Number 5 (Issue #88) - May 2011 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2011 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or translated without the consent of the "Fascination! Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission (unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination! Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil, Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. { May.10.2011 } =======================================================================