======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 6 June 2011 ISSUE #89e ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. With the summer season now upon us, it's time to turn our eyes to Cirque du Soleil's creative talent as they prepare to debut two new shows for us. In just a few short weeks Cirque du Soleil will premiere two of its newest resident/venue shows to the world: ZARKANA - an irresistibly odd escape into the fantastical and suspenseful world of Zark (Jun 9th) at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and IRIS - a journey through the world of cinematic art (Jul 21st) at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California. Both shows, vastly different yet eerily similar, hold considerable promise for Cirque du Soleil and fans alike. With the lost gamble of Banana Shpeel still hanging in the balance, we at Fascination will be watching intently as these shows make their first curtain calls. We'll be in the audience too! First, for Zarakana, we'll catch one of the last preview shows before the Gala Premiere on Sunday, June 26th. And at IRIS, we'll see how the show has developed after its Gala Premiere, catching the show on Friday, December 2nd as part of CirqueCon 2011: Hollywood! So although we won't be able to say much about IRIS once it premieres, we're sure to have volumes to speak about ZARKANA next issue! Inside the issue this month I'm pleased to say there's a plethora of material from Cirque du Soleil via its CirqueClub outlet. A number of fantastic articles and behind-the-scenes pieces were published there this month, so I urge you all to check them out in our OUTREACH section. In addition to all the latest news items posted to Fascination! Web and, of course, all the pertinent posts on Cirque du Soleil's various social widgets in our OUTREACH section (including updated touring schedules). We're also excited to bring you yet another interview - this time with Mark Ward, a fifteen-plus year veteran of Cirque du Soleil currently keeping the quirky character of John in Quidam fresh and invigorated. Check out what he has to say about his role with Cirque du Soleil through the years within! So, let's get started! Join us on the web at: < www.cirquefascination.com > Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > - Ricky "Richasi" Russo =========== CONTENTS =========== o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues * BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre * Venue Shows -- Venue & Seasonal Productions o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets * Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub * Networking -- Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Flickr o) Compartments -- A Peek Behind the Curtain * Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque * Historia -- Cirque du Soleil's History o) Fascination! Features * "Creation: An Organic Process that Promotes Creativity" By: Cirque du Soleil Press Room Materials * INTERVIEW /// "Mark Ward - A Career Backwards" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) * "Luxe Life Celebrates Michael Jackson" [EXPANDED] By: Robin Leach, A Special Reprint * "Behind the Scenes of 'KÀ'" [EXPANDED] By: Angela Mitchell, A Special Reprint o) Subscription Information o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= Ian Halperin apologizes to Guy Laliberte {May.08.2011} ------------------------------------------------- According to a report in Canadian Press celeb-chasing journalist/author Ian Halperin has offered his apologies to Cirque du Soleil owner Guy Laliberté, as well as to Laliberté's ex-girlfriend and their children for any harm that may have been caused by his book titled Guy Laliberté: la vie fabuleuse du créateur du Cirque du Soleil, published in both French and English in 2009. The book included the kind of salaciouos details that even TMZ tends to overlook about the couple's relationship, as well as other aspects of Laliberté's personal life. Laliberté was not amused. Nor were his lawyers. But now, apparently an amicable agreement was reached, between lawyers, after lengthy negotiations. And Laliberté has accepted the apologies, without offering further comment. {SOURCE: Montreal Gazette} Journey of Man Coming to 3-D Blu-Ray! {May.17.2011} ------------------------------------------------- The world-renowned performance troupe comes to Blu-ray's third dimension in June. In an announcement to retailers, Sony is readying 'Cirque du Soleil: Journey of a Man - 3D' narrated by Ian McKellen for the Blu-ray 3D format on June 7. # # # Acclaimed by an audience of over 23 million worldwide, Cirque du Soleil is a distinctive and remarkable troupe that has reinvented and revolutionized the circus arts. Journey of Man is a breathtaking odyssey that follows the stages of human development from birth to maturity, with each stage presented by a Cirque du Soleil act. The signature Cirque du Soleil celebration of color, light, music, and costume combines with a backdrop of various natural and historical landmarks around the world, creating a triumph of artistry beyond compare. From the opening explosion of light and sound that represents the universe's formation, Cirque du Soleil's Journey of Man leads us through the birth of the Universal Child as it travels from childhood through adolescence and manhood on to maturity. An awe-inspiring feast for the senses, incomparable artistry and stylish elegance make this an adventure of a lifetime. # # # Suggested list price for the 3D Blu-ray is set at only $19.95. {SOURCE: Hi-Def Digest} Cirque Announces ZARAKANA {May.24.2011} ------------------------------------------------- ZARKANA - CIRQUE DU SOLEIL'S SURREAL ACROBATIC SPECTACLE Written and Directed by François Girard - PREVIEW PERFORMANCES BEGIN JUNE 9 AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL IN NEW YORK NEW YORK (May 24, 2011) Cirque du Soleil will present its major new acrobatic spectacle, Zarkana, at the legendary Radio City Music Hall in New York City with performances starting June 9, 2011 for a limited engagement through October 8, 2011. The Premiere performance is June 29, 2011. Proudly presented by iShares, Zarkana is written and directed by acclaimed film and theatre director François Girard (The Red Violin, Silk). Zarkana is an acrobatic rock opera that blends circus arts with the surreal to create a world where physical virtuosity rubs shoulders with the strange. The story follows Zark, a magician who has lost his powers - and the love of his life - in an abandoned theatre populated by a motley collection of off-the- wall characters and incomparable acrobats. He runs into the Mutants, four sirens as sinister as they are fabulous, who are determined to divert him from his quest. Zarkana is a visual vortex set in a slightly twisted musical and acrobatic fantasy universe where, little by little, chaos and craziness give way to festivity and love regained. The diverse cast of more than 75 international artists transports the audience into a fantastical and suspenseful world, blurring the boundaries between the real and imaginary. ABOUT THE DIRECTOR One of Quebec's most highly regarded creators, François Girard is equally at ease in cinema (Silk, The Red Violin), opera, visual arts and theatre and has earned an enviable international reputation over the years. A keen music lover, he is particularly known for the hybrid worlds he creates in which music plays a predominant role. His works are recognized for their great musicality, both in terms of sound and image. This will be his second creation for Cirque du Soleil, following ZED, the Tokyo resident show. THE CREATIVE TEAM Along with François Girard, the creative team consists of the following distinctive talents: o) Guy Laliberté -- Artistic Guide o) Gilles Ste-Croix -- Artistic Guide o) François Girard -- Writer and Director o) Line Tremblay -- Director of Creation o) Stéphane Roy -- Set and Props Designer o) Alan Hranitelj -- Costume Designer o) Nick Littlemore -- Composer and Musical Director o) Debra Brown -- Choreographer o) Jean-Jacques Pillet -- Choreographer o) Alain Lortie -- Lighting Designer o) Raymond St-Jean -- Image Content Designer o) Steven Dubuc -- Sound Designer o) Florence Pot -- Acrobatic Performance Designer o) Danny Zen -- Rigging and Acrobatic Equipment Designer o) Eleni Uranis -- Makeup Designer TICKET INFORMATION Tickets range from $47 to $130 with a limited number of premium tickets available for all performances. Special Offer from American Express(r): Receive a complimentary gift when you purchase Zarkana tickets using your American Express Card. For Preferred Seating and other American Express Cardmember benefits, please visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/amex. SPONSORS iShares is the presenting sponsor of this new production. American Express, Infiniti and Sun Life Financial are the official sponsors. For more information, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com. ======================================================================= 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 Cirque's website: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ >. ------------------------------------ BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau ------------------------------------ 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 31, 2011 Barcelona, ES -- Jan 19, 2012 to Mar 18, 2012 Gijón, ES -- Jul 25, 2012 to Aug 26, 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: Minneapolis, MN -- May 26, 2011 to Jun 19, 2011 Chicago, IL -- Jun 29, 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 Portland, OR -- TBA Brisbane, AU -- TBA Sydney, AU -- TBA Melbourne, AU -- TBA Totem: Pittsburgh, PA -- May 12, 2011 to Jun 5, 2011 Montreal, QC -- Jun 15, 2011 to Jul 31, 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 San Jose, CA -- Mar 1, 2012 to TBA Varekai: Manila, PH -- Jun 22, 2011 to Jul 10, 2011 São Paulo, BR -- Sep 15, 2011 to Nov 27, 2011 Rio De Janeiro, BR -- Dec 7, 2011 to Jan 8, 2012 Belo Horizonte, BR -- Jan 18, 2012 to Feb 12, 2012 Brasilia, BR -- Feb 22, 2012 to Mar 18, 2012 Recife, BR -- Mar 29, 2012 to Apr 22, 2012 Salvador, BR -- May 3, 2012 to May 27, 2012 Curitiba, BR -- Jun 7, 2012 to Jul 1, 2012 Porto Alegre, BR -- Jul 11, 2012 to Aug 1, 2012 Buenos Aires, AR -- Aug 17, 2012 to Sep 16, 2012 Santiago, CL -- Sep 28, 2012 to Oct 28, 2012 ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ Saltimbanco: Asia-Pacific ------------ 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 Russia & Beyond ---------------- Ekaterinburg, RU -- Oct 15, 2011 to Oct 23, 2011 Kazan, RU -- Oct 26, 2011 to Oct 30, 2011 Moscow, RU -- Nov 3, 2011 to Nov 13, 2011 St. Petersburg, RU -- Nov 16, 2011 to Nov 21, 2011 Vilnius, LT -- Dec 15, 2011 to Dec 17, 2011 Riga, LV -- Dec 21, 2011 to Dec 23, 2011 Tallin, EE -- Dec 28, 2011 to Dec 30, 2011 Graz, AT -- Feb 22, 2012 to Feb 26, 2012 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 Malaga, ES -- Dec 1, 2011 to Dec 4, 2011 Santiago, ES -- Dec 7, 2011 to Dec 11, 2011 Zaragoza, ES -- Dec 14, 2011 to Dec 18, 2011 Lisbon, PT -- Dec 21, 2011 to Dec 25, 2011 Granada, ES -- Dec 28, 2011 to Jan 1, 2012 Toulouse, FR -- Jan 25, 2012 to Feb 29, 2012 Nantes, FR -- Feb 1, 2012 to Feb 5, 2012 Lyon, FR -- Feb 22, 2012 to Feb 26, 2012 Toulon, FR -- Feb 29, 2012 to Mar 4, 2012 Nice, FR -- Mar 7, 2012 to Mar 11, 2012 Montpellier, FR -- Mar 14, 2012 to Mar 18, 2012 Strasbourg, FR -- Mar 21, 2012 to Mar 25, 2012 Quidam: 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 Sep 11, 2011 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 Oct 2, 2011 Reading, PA -- Oct 5, 2011 to Oct 9, 2011 Pittsburgh, PA -- Oct 12, 2011 to Oct 16, 2011 Milwaukee, WI -- Oct 19, 2011 to Oct 23, 2011 Washington, DC -- Nov 16, 2011 to Nov 20, 2011 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: 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 Tupelo, MS -- Sep 6, 2011 to TBA Huntsville, AL -- Sep 10, 2011 to Sep 11, 2011 New Orleans, LA -- Sep 14, 2011 to TBA Orlando, FL -- Sep 21, 2011 to Sep 25, 2011 Tallahassee, FL -- Sep 28, 2011 to Oct 2, 2011 Gainesville, FL -- Oct 11, 2011 to Oct 13, 2011 San Juan, PR -- Oct 12, 2011 to TBA Cypress, TX -- Nov 17, 2011 to Nov 20, 2011 Beaumont, TX -- Nov 23, 2011 to Nov 27, 2011 Houston, TX -- Nov 30, 2011 to Dec 4, 2011 Richmond, VA -- Dec 7, 2011 to TBA Kitchener, ON -- Dec 12, 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 & Oct 16, 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 & Nov 13, 2011 Euguene OR -- Nov 15, 2011 Portland, OR -- Nov 18 to Nov 20, 2011 Salt Lake City, UT -- Nov 28, 2011 Las Vegas, NV -- Dec 3, 2011 to Dec 27, 2011 Phoenix, AZ -- Dec 30 & Dec 31, 2011 Boise, ID -- Jan 3 & Jan 4, 2012 Denver, CO -- Jan 6 to Jan 8, 2012 Sacramento, CA -- Jan 10 & Jan 11, 2012 San Jose, CA -- Jan 13 to Jan 15, 2012 Oakland, CA -- Jan 17 & Jan 18, 2012 San Diego, CA -- Jan 21 & Jan 22, 2012 Anaheim, CA -- Jan 24 & Jan 25, 2012 Los Angeles, CA -- Jan 27 to Jan 29, 2012 St. Louis, MO -- Feb 7 & Feb 8, 2012 Houston, TX -- Feb 10 to Feb 12, 2012 New Orleans, LA -- Feb 15 & Feb 16, 2012 Tulsa, OK -- Feb 18 & Feb 19, 2012 Kansas City, MO -- Feb 21 & Feb 22, 2012 Indianapolis, IN -- Feb 24 & Feb 25, 2012 Miami, FL -- Mar 2, 2012 Milwaukee, WI -- Mar 16, 2012 to Mar 18, 2012 Montreal -- Mar 20, 2012 to Mar 22, 2012 Quebec City, QC -- Mar 24 & Mar 25, 2012 Minneapolis, MN -- Mar 27 & Mar 28, 2012 Newark, NJ -- Mar 30 & Apr 1, 2012 New York City, NY -- Apr 3, 2012 to Apr 5, 2012 Uniondale, NY -- Apr 7 & Apr 8, 2012 Philadelphia, PA -- Apr 10 & Apr 11, 2012 Pittsburg, PA -- Apr 13, 14 & 15, 2012 State College, PA -- Apr 24 & 25, 2012 Worcester, MA -- May 16, 2012 Dayton, OH -- Jun 6 & Jun 7, 2012 Columbus, OH -- Jun 9 & Jun 10, 2012 Austin, TX -- Jun 15, 2012 San Antonio, TX -- Jun 23, 2012 Atlanta, GA -- Jun 29, 2012 Montreal, QC -- Jul 6 & Jul 7, 2012 Washington, DC -- Jul 13, 14 & 15 2012 Cleveland, OH -- Jul 17 & 18, 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. 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 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 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 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: $93.50 2011 Dark Dates: o June 6 o August 4-8 o October 3 o December 1-12 2011 Added Performances: o December 28th o December 31st ZAIA: Location: Venetian, Macao (China) Performs: Every Day, Dark: Wednesday One to Two Shows Daily - Times Vary 2011 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 2-11): o VIP Seating: MOP$ 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 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 -------------------------------------- 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 Madrid, ES -- Nov 9, 2011 to Jan 1, 2012 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 --------------------------------------- FROM THE NEVADA OASIS TO YOUR SCREEN: CIRQUE DU SOLEIL PRESENTS "FLOWERS IN THE DESERT" {May.02} As of May 31 through June 12, the Cirque team invites you to tune in to PBS to check out highlights from our Las Vegas shows in a new two- hour special entertainment experience: Cirque du Soleil: Flowers in the Desert. Since 1993, Cirque du Soleil has produced seven original, permanent shows in Las Vegas, creating an exotic garden of delights that has transformed the very nature of live entertainment in this desert oasis. Cirque du Soleil has since challenged its creators and artists to reach new heights of artistic expression and to create darker more sensual flowers in its desert garden. Follow the cast and crew behind the scenes for interviews and backstage footage to explore the creative process behind the performances. Embark on a High Definition ride of mesmerizing performances of Mystère, "O", KÀ, LOVE, and their latest production, Viva ELVIS, as well as sneak peeks of Zumanity and CRISS ANGEL Believe. Only on PBS. Check your local station for dates and times: < http://www.flowersinthedesert.com/stations.pdf > Learn more about Flowers in the Desert: < http://www.flowersinthedesert.com/ > Read the original article: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/cirque-club/news/2011/2011-05-02- flowers-in-desert.aspx > TEAMWORK ON OVO {May.06} By Peter de Baaij, Tour Manager At the end of April, severe rains caused the Ohio River's water levels to reach flood stage in Cincinnati, Ohio. Our OVO team, presently in Coney Island, combined efforts to save the Big Top. Peter de Baaji, Tour Manager for OVO, talks about his team's work and dedication on tour these past few weeks. "Over the past two weeks, I have been privileged to see and be a part of true teamwork. The Ohio River has been playing bad guy with us on OVO since our arrival in Cincinnati. After only two shows, we were forced to tear down part of the kit to keep it safe from the rising water. On Easter weekend, after an initial forecast of the river rising to 56 feet - 4 feet above the lowest part of our site - the river receded and we set everything back up, did validations with the artists on Saturday and were ready for a Sunday show. This however all changed at 6 p.m. on Saturday, when a new forecast and warning from the fire department gave us 3 hours to tear it all down again before the river would close us in. The water was rising so fast that you could see it come towards us. This was the moment when every department jumped up and helped each other out getting everything off the ground to a minimum height of 2 feet. The forecast was for a high of 57.5 feet. This was 1.5 feet above the highest point of the site. The amount of work that was accomplished in 3 hours was astonishing. Clearing the Artistic tent, taking out chairs and bleachers from all lower sections, [moving furniture in the concession tent, rising all electrical including HVAC, backstage sound and all transformers, emptying belly boxes from the trucks. Trucks were brought in at the speed of light to store equipment. About two hours into this tear down we got a radio call that we had a problem with one of the plates holding [the cables and funicular for one of the masts]. Due to the amount of water under the asphalt, this plate was becoming a problem. The decision was made to put a giant tube on the storm drain next to it to release some of the pressure of the water underneath the plate. Many sandbags were needed to keep it all in place and while standing there in 3 feet of water I looked up and saw every single employee forming a human chain to pass down the sandbags, from all technicians and site guys to public services, artistic and tour services. Nobody cared about the cold and dirty water anymore; the only goal was to save our infrastructure. In my ten years at Cirque, I have never been more aware of what teamwork can do. Over the last five days we have set up everything again, and the necessary done validations and trainings. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of everyone involved, we are now ready to reopen the show on Tuesday, May 3. We cannot thank our teams enough for their extreme hard work during these days." Peter de Baaij, Tour Manager On behalf of the Directors' Committee for OVO: Marjon V., Shamayne S. and Sacha B. Read the original article: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/cirque-club/news/2011/2011-05-06- teamwork-on-ovo.aspx > "TOTEM@DÉCOUVERT_" FIRST ORIGINAL WEBSERIES BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL {May.16} See "TOTEM@DÉCOUVERT_", an original documentary webseries by Cirque du Soleil, and meet artists from TOTEM, the live Cirque du Soleil show. The webseries offers a rare personal, perhaps surprising yet authentic look, at the artists embodying the characters inhabiting the imaginary world of TOTEM: Joe, Christian, Denise and Massimo, Pippo, Alya, Dmitry, Louis-David and Rosalie share in turn their joy, challenges and triumphs. View this original webseries exclusively on TOU.TV*, in Canada only. View the webseries' trailer: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/cirque-club/news/2011/2011-05-16- totem-decouvert.aspx > QUIDAM: THE ARENA INCARNATION {May.18} Artistic Director Fabrice Lemire and Senior Artistic Director Richard Dagenais tell us about the transformation process. Q: What is the first thing to do when planning an arena transfer? A: There are two main aspects to consider: our artists and their performance, and the technical side. These factors take on even more importance when the show includes a telepheric, as Quidam does! Let's not forget that the show is 15 years old and has changed over time, while maintaining its original spirit. We had to do the transfer without betraying this. Q: Technically speaking, what were the challenges involved in the transfer? A: We had to adapt all the set elements to facilitate quick set-up and tear-down since arena shows are in town for an average of one week only. The stage also had to be elevated to improve the audience's view, which led to adjusting the height of the telepheric. On this basis, a series of safety and performance adjustments were then required. We also redid the lighting to make sure that the dramatic effects of the big top could be felt in the vaster arena space. Plus the entire sound was redone, and we were greatly surprised to find out that it is better than it was under the big top! Q: What was the greatest challenge in all of that? A: Keeping the "WOW" factor that is specific to Quidam. This is when all the elements of the show work together like they're supposed to. In this regard, we can truly say, "Mission accomplished!" show has a great vibe that can be felt by all. It has kept its soul, and we can all be very proud each night it is performed to a new audience! Read the original article: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/cirque-club/news/2011/2011-05-18- quidam-the-arena-incarnation.aspx > "SECRETS OF SALTIMBANCO" EXCLUSIVE FOOTAGE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE AND TOUR {May.20} Optus, our Presenting Sponsor of Saltimbanco in Australia, has created a very interesting promotional campaign entitled "Secrets of Saltimbanco". Optus has developed behind the scenes footage and interviews to show you the Secrets of Saltimbanco including what happens on opening night. More exclusive footage from the Australian tour will be presented through a series of webisodes to come. Watch the first two episodes: o) Webisode #1 - The premiere < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCSFKD-jJNg > o) Webisode #2 - Costume & Make Up < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=litMKf9Ej8A > For more information, visit www.optus.com.au/cirque Read the original article: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/cirque-club/news/2011/2011-05-19- secrets-of-saltimbanco.aspx > GAIA: PHOTOGRAPHING THE EARTH'S SKIN {May.25} GAIA is the latest tour de force of Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, the first-ever private space explorer to publish a book chronicling his photographic journey. Here in more than 300 pages, Laliberté presents stunning photographs of the Earth taken from 220 miles away during an eleven-day trip in space, with unique views of nearly forty countries. Documents both rare and captivating, his images are natural works of art, rich in color and texture. GAIA showcases the planet we inhabit as it has never been seen before. Learn more, as Guy Laliberté speaks about the GAIA project: < http://www.onedrop.org/en/projects/news/GAIA.aspx > To order a copy of the book please visit: < http://eboutique.cirquedusoleil.com/ > "O" ON DISCOVERY CHANNEL {May.25} The well-known TV show Nerve Center airing on the Discovery Channel recently featured "O". Watch the show here: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/cirque-club/news/2011/2011-05-25-o- discoverychannel.aspx > ALEGRIA: ORIGINAL COSTUME SKETCHES {May.26} On April 21st, 2011, Alegría blew out its 17th candles. Although the show has travelled across five continents and performed for more than 10 million spectators, Alegría has nonetheless preserved its essence and magic. In fact, the artists' costume designs have remained the same since the first time Alegría set foot on stage some 6,220 presentations ago. To highlight its birthday, we pulled out a few of the creators' original costume sketches for Fleur, Bronx and White Singer. See the costumes here: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/cirque-club/news/2011/20110526- alegria-costume.aspx > SOCIAL CIRCUS IN ECUADOR {May.30} The Government of Ecuador, represented by Vice President Lenin Moreno and Cirque du Soleil, represented by Vice-President Global Citizenship Gaétan Morency, signed an agreement on May 23 to develop social circus training throughout the country. For Gaétan Morency, "Laughter is important for these children who have had few opportunities and reasons to smile. Circus arts offer them a safe environment where they can express themselves and learn many important values such as solidarity and self-esteem. " Vice-President Moreno hopes that in the long-term social circus projects will bring communities together, allow the development of local economies and improve living conditions in the country's poorest neighborhoods. The first social circus training will be held in Quito in June with the participation of circus artists and social workers from Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca and Tena. Read the original article: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/cirque-club/news/2011/2011-05-30- social-circus-in-ecuador.aspx > --------------------------------------------------- NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter --------------------------------------------------- ---[ "O" ]--- {May.23} Balloons dropping over the audience after the 6,000th performance tonight! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= 10150205700644417&set=a.98604589416. 79108.26000574416&type=1&ref=nf > {May.20} We took "Casual Friday" to a new level when we visited Cirque du Soleil's Resident Show Division offices today! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= 10150203719864417&set=a.98604589416.79108. 26000574416&type=1&ref=nf > ---[ ALEGRIA ]-- {May.18} Toledo_Micah Naruo teaching the art of Fire-Knife dancing to CBS reporter, Mike LaCett LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.10150244136095746.373945.38543815745 > {May.11} Wonderful photos of our touring life: backstage rehearsals, on stage performances, make up before the show, set up and more... LINK /// < http://www.thestate.com/2011/05/07/1810221/ cirque-du-soleil-alegria.html?KeepThis=true&TB_ iframe=true&height=515&width=910 > {May.10} Load-In, Load-Out, 18 trucks, 55 artists... yes! we are opening in Columbia, SC tomorrow @ Colonial Center. LINK /// < http://www.midlandsconnect.com/news/story.aspx? id=613191&sms_ss=gmail&at_xt=4dc9817da721b049%2C0 > {May.08} For Trudy McIntosh (Power Track), "it's the best job in the world" LINK /// < http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=14589082 > ---[ CRISS ANGEL BELIEVE ]--- {May.06} Check out this new radio interview with Criss! LINK /// < http://celebrityradio.co.uk/?p=4037 > ---[ CORTEO ]--- {May.24} Corteo visited yesterday El Hormiguero TV show LINK /// < http://www.cuatro.com/el-hormiguero/videos/ circo-sol-viene-hormiguero/20110523ctoultpro_46/ > --[ DRALION ]--- {May.10} Preparing for this week performances at the Sprint Center - KC LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= a.10150603433425195.687156.39340140194 > {May.03} Read about our Aerial Hoop performer on page 6 of Peak on the Go Mag! Dralion opens tomorrow night at the Rockford MetroCentre LINK /// < http://peak.newsmediacorp.com/ > ---[ IRIS ]--- {May.03} Take in the story behind IRIS and catch glimpses of the rehearsals of this impossible journey through the world of cinema. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php ?v=658191167698&oid=161171830587832&comments > ---[ KA ]--- {May.16} How many of you are in a KÀ mood today? (According to this quiz, at least!) LINK /// < http://www.getcirqued.com/quiz/ > ---[ LA NOUBA ]--- {May.31} 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 > ---[ MYSTERE ]--- {May.12} Only a few days to go before Mystère is back on our regular schedule and ready for summer! Before we started our short break we had pre-pre-pre-Memorial Day burgers delivered curbside to all of our hardworking artists, crew, theatre and office staff. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= a.10150236261314919.360860.18155469918 > ---[ OVO ]--- {May.31} Cirque du Soleil OVO and Toddler Tuesdays event FOTO [26] /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= a.10150199717659614.327304.62744104613 > {May.16} Cirque du Soleil Acrobats Show Off Skills VIDEO /// < http://www.wlwt.com/video/27870503/detail.html > {May.10} Bob Herzog (local 12) tried to learn the Bug Dance VIDEO /// < http://www.local12.com/content/dpf/ default.aspx?videoId=2439391&navCatId=19737 > ---[ QUIDAM ]--- {May.18} Take a look at our new trailer recently shot in Nashville, TN! VIDEO /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnQUJ_AfVo > {May.06} Behind the Scenes of Quidam LINK /// < http://www.ktvn.com/story/14582119/ behind-the-scenes-of-quidam > {May.06} Cirque du Soleil Swings Through Reno LINK /// < http://www.kolotv.com/daybreak/headlines/ Cirque_du_Soleil_Swings_Through_Reno_121258239.html > {May.06} Mysterious World of Quidam LINK /// < http://www.ktvn.com/story/14581737/ mysterious-world-of-quidam > ---[ SALTIMBANCO ]--- {May.25} Some interviews from yesterday's rehearsals in Melbourne. LINK /// < http://media.theage.com.au/entertainment/red- carpet/an-acrobats-life-with-cirque-du-soleil-2385996.html > --- [ TOTEM ]--- {May.27} Behind-the-scenes look at TOTEM in Pittsburgh!! Interview with Pippo Crotti (aka Valentino!) LINK /// < http://www.maniacexchange.com/ > {May.20} PITTSBURGH -- Cirque du Soleil performer Alevtyna Alya Titarenko taught WPXI.com's Carly Noel the TOTEM finale dance. LINK /// < http://www.wpxi.com/entertainment/ 27970413/detail.html > {May.19} The Trapeze Duo on Pittsburgh Live Today!! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v= 10150176422396650&oid=111798252174207&comments > ---[ THE BEATLES LOVE ]--- {May.19} LOVE receives "Best Show" honor from USA Today!!! Celebrating its fifth anniversary in June, the Cirque du Soleil tribute is set to a soundtrack of remastered Fab Four tapes and stars five dozen actors, acrobats, dancers and skateboarders. Says Las Vegas Magazine managing editor Houston: "The sound quality is so good that when I got back to my car on a Beatles high, I immediately ejected my copy of Rubber Soul from the CD player because it sounded like it was recorded inside a tin can. No other show marries music and visuals as well." One reason: Each of the 2,013 seats has three speakers embedded, along with the more than 300 others elsewhere in the theater-in- the-round at The Mirage resort. The show is described by Cirque as a "Beatles Experience" rather than a retelling of the super- group's story. Sole surviving Beatles Paul and Ringo have seen the show. One poignant moment: Eleanor Rigby, played by a 76- year-old actress, drags the bits and pieces of her life across the stage. but LOVE sends audiences home on a high note with a joyous All You Need Is Love. {May.03} A recent addition to the backstage doors at LOVE :) LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= 10150198164368666&set=a.101066423665. 92500.14653468665&type=1&ref=nf > ---[ VIVA ELVIS ]--- {May.23} Last week our head of wardrobe, RuBen asked you a video trivia question. Did you give the correct answer? LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v= 664384346518&oid=167136344108&comments > {May.20} Our head of wardrobe, RuBen, has a video trivia question for you! We'll post his answer next week, but give us your best guess! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v= 10100600170141109&oid=167136344108&comments > ---[ ZARKANA ]--- {May.25} Zarkana Press Conference Photos: LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= a.187951781256719.55201.139797212738843 > {May.24} Video from Zarkana Press Conference: LINK /// < http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/top_stories/139697/ cirque-du-soleil-shares-taste-of-new-show-at-radio-city- music-hall > {May.24} Zarkana Photos: LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= a.187685457950018.55047.139797212738843 > {May.19} Time-lapse footage of the Zarkana set as it was loaded into Radio City Music Hall. This video was filmed over the course of 10 days. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v= 10150182440333640&oid=139797212738843&comments > {May.11} In this video, see artists from Zarkana as they embody their characters while catching glimpses of the set as it comes together. LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v= 10150174226153640&oid=139797212738843&comments > {May.10} Updated Zarkana footage! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v= 10150173349153640&oid=139797212738843&comments > ---[ ZED ]--- {May.31} Hello ZED Fans! Have trouble finding ZED tickets in English? Please see the link below to find your multiple options for purchasing our tickets.The tickets are also available in Chinese and Korean :) Look forward to seeing you all at the theater! LINK /// < http://bit.ly/kwVbjg > ====================================================================== 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) Here's another fun fact as "O"'s 6,000th show approaches: 24 original cast members still perform in the show and 20 original crew still work behind the scenes! o) "O"'s 6,000th show is almost here! Did you know that since we opened, 35 different countries have been represented in our cast and crew? o) Around 1,200 costume and headpieces are used in every performance of "O"! o) "O" fun fact! The high divers dive 60 feet into the pool, which is 17 feet deep. o) Between OSCAR(r) night 2010 and OSCAR(r) night 2011, Kodak Theatre underwent 10 months of major construction to install massive stage lifts required in presenting IRIS(tm). o) Interesting fact: Some set pieces in IRIS are 6 stories high! o) The boat in the Storm scene weighs 1,800 pounds and is completely manipulated onstage by the artists! o) Did you know that over 110 live arrows are shot through the air at each performance? o) Mystère fun fact! There are 800 light cues in the show! o) 11,000 gallons of liquid nitrogen, enough to fill a back yard pool, is stored behind the upstage wall here at Mystère! o) Zarkana Costume Fun Fact! Some costumes were designed specifically for video projections; they will never be seen live on stage. o) Each trapeze acrobat in Zarkana wears over 284 beaded fringes which are individually prepared and secured prior to being sewn to their costume. o) A FUN FACT about the ZED stage. The set takes its inspiration from many eras and influences. Ancient science, the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, the products of the early days of the Mechanical Age, nautical instruments and astronomy. ------------------------------------ HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History ------------------------------------ * Jun.02.2006 -- LOVE Premiered at Mirage (Previews Begin) * Jun.02.2007 -- Ernst & Young named Cirque du Soleil CEO Guy Laliberté "World Entrepreneur of 2007." * Jun.02.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Glasgow, UK * Jun.02.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Sacramento, CA * Jun.02.2010 -- Cirque du Soleil releases iPhone application * Jun.03.2004 -- Varekai opened Denver * Jun.03.2004 -- Dralion opened Vienna * Jun.03.2005 -- Dralion opened Rotterdam * Jun.03.2008 -- Name of of "Cirque Tokyo 2008" Announced - "ZED" * Jun.03.2009 -- Corteo celebrated 1,500th Performance [Nagoya, JPN] * Jun.03.2010 -- Koozå opened Seattle, WA * Jun.04.2003 -- Alegría opened Calgary * Jun.04.2008 -- Cirque Partners with YuuZoo, Online Video Sharing Website * Jun.05.2003 -- Saltimbanco opened Cologne * Jun.05.2008 -- Quidam opened Màlaga, Spain * Jun.05.2008 -- Varekai opened Berlin, Germany * Jun.06.2000 -- Dralion opened Denver, Colorado * Jun.06.2002 -- Region 02 DVD release: Dralion * Jun.06.2006 -- Cirque Las Vegas named 6th most popular attraction in US by TripAdvisor * Jun.07.1985 -- 1985 Tour opened in Sher-Brooke [Plateau Parc] * Jun.07.1992 -- Fascination opened Nagoya * Jun.08.2011 -- LOVE celebrates 5th Anniversary * Jun.09.1994 -- Alegría opened Ste-Foy * Jun.09.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Manchester, UK * Jun.09.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Rio Rancho, NM * Jun.10.2002 -- Official Title of 13-episode TV series announced - "Fire Within", previously titled "A Fly on the Wall" * Jun.10.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened St. John, NB * Jun.11.2002 -- Alegría Extended CD Released (BMG/CDS Musique) * Jun.11.2009 -- Quidam opened Fortaleza, Brazil * Jun.12.2002 -- Alegría opened Denver * Jun.12.2002 -- Dralion opened Portland * Jun.12.2007 -- La Nouba celebrated 4000th performance [Tuesday, 6:00pm] * Jun.12.2008 -- Corteo opened Vancouver, BC, Canada * Jun.13.1992 -- Saltimbanco opened Ste-Foy * Jun.13.2002 -- Announcement of NY-NY and MGM-Grand Shows * Jun.14.2003 -- Varekai premiered on BRAVO at 8:00pm EST * Jun.14.2005 -- Quidam CD Released (CDS Musique) * Jun.16.1984 -- Official Birth date of Cirque du Soleil * Jun.16.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Gaspé * Jun.16.1995 -- Alegría opened Toronto * Jun.16.2002 -- Dralion burglarized in Portland; stealing $11,000 * Jun.16.2003 -- Mystère celebrated 4500th performance [Monday, 7:30pm] * Jun.16.2004 -- MGM-Mirage and Mandalay Resort Group merged * Jun.16.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Cypress, TX * Jun.17.2010 -- Varekai opened Frankfurt, DE * Jun.17.2010 -- OVO opened Hartford, CT * Jun.17.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Birmingham, UK * Jun.18.1993 -- Saltimbanco opened Toronto * Jun.19.2008 -- La Nouba celebrated 4500th performance [Thursday, 6:00pm] * Jun.19.2009 -- Alegría Arena opened St. John's, Newfoundland * Jun.20.1991 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened Ste-Foy * Jun.20.2002 -- Quidam opened Detroit, Michigan * Jun.20.2008 -- Alegría opened Buenos Aires, Argentina * Jun.21.1985 -- 1985 Tour opened in Ottawa [Plaines Le Breton] * Jun.21.2001 -- Saltimbanco 2000 opened Osaka, Japan * Jun.22.1999 -- La Nouba CD Released in Canada (RCA/Victor) * Jun.22.2001 -- Dralion opened Chicago * Jun.22.2005 -- Entertainment Complexes in Montréal announced * Jun.22.2006 -- Dralion opened Malaga * Jun.22.2006 -- Varekai opened Vancouver * Jun.22.2007 -- Corteo opened Denver * Jun.23.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Bai-Comeau * Jun.23.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Minneapolis, MN * Jun.24.1999 -- Dralion opened Quebec * Jun.24.2004 -- Quidam opened Calgary * Jun.24.2008 -- Koozå CD Released US/Canada * Jun.25.1992 -- Fascination opened Hiroshima * Jun.25.2004 -- Saltimbanco opened Gijon * Jun.25.2009 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Tampa, FL * Jun.26.2005 -- Alegría opened Osaka * Jun.26.2008 -- Koozå opened Chicago, IL * Jun.26.2010 -- Corteo opened St. Petersburg, RU * Jun.27.1989 -- Cirque Réinventé opened Ste-Foy * Jun.27.2002 -- Vaerkai opened Quebec City * Jun.27.2004 -- Mystère celebrated 5000th performance [Sunday, 7:30pm] * Jun.28.1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Jonquière * Jun.28.2007 -- Quidam opened Shanghai, China (First time in China!) * Jun.29.1999 -- La Nouba CD Released in US (RCA/Victor) * Jun.29.1999 -- Dralion opened in Toronto * Jun.30.2005 -- Corteo opened Quebec City * Jun.30.2005 -- Quidam opened Perth * Jun.30.2005 -- Varekai opened East Rutherford * Jun.30.2006 -- LOVE Gala Premiere (Previews End) * Jun.30.2008 -- BELIEVE officially delayed (#1) * Jun.30.2010 -- Saltimbanco Arena opened Newcastle, UK * Jun.30.2010 -- Alegría Arena opened Toronto, ON ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= o) "Creation: An Organic Process that Promotes Creativity" By: Cirque du Soleil Press Room Materials o) INTERVIEW /// "Mark Ward - A Career Backwards" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) o) "Luxe Life Celebrates Michael Jackson" [EXPANDED] By: Robin Leach, A Special Reprint o) Behind the Scenes of 'KÀ' [EXPANDED] By: Angela Mitchell, About Entertainment --------------------------------------------------------- "Creation: An Organic Process that Promotes Creativity" By: Cirque du Soleil Press Room Materials --------------------------------------------------------- From its founding in 1984, Cirque du Soleil has chosen to put creation at the very heart of everything it does and to give it free rein. Cirque du Soleil has never stopped growing, and creation is the key driving force behind this growth. Over the past 25 years, some 200 creators have contributed their talent and vision to imagine the 30 or so shows that Cirque du Soleil has created since its inception. Invoke, provoke and evoke The creative mission of Cirque du Soleil is centred on three verbs: invoke, provoke and evoke. The ultimate goal of the creation process is to craft productions that invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke emotions in the audience. At Cirque du Soleil, this process is very organic-that is, while it operates within clear parameters, it is also influenced by the creators on the creation team and their respective experience. Each new production is first assigned a Director, a Production Manager and a Director of Creation, who is in charge of liaising with freelance creators and the various Cirque du Soleil in-house teams such as Casting, costume workshops and coaches. This trio will develop a preliminary idea based on a guideline formulated by artistic guide, Guy Laliberté. Once the basic concept has been determined, other creators join the creation team. This will usually include a set designer, a costume designer, a composer, a choreographer, a lighting designer, a sound designer, an acrobatic performance designer, a rigging and acrobatic equipment designer, and a few other specialists depending on what is required for the development of the show. Once the main theme has been defined, an "acrobatic skeleton" (i.e. the acts that will comprise the show) is developed. Floor acts, aerial acts, solos and group acts will make up the show, depending on the production's primary intent. Room for discussion The concept of a show then takes form based on extensive exchange and discussion among members of the creation team. Between each of these sessions, the creators retreat to work individually on developing ideas in greater depth, produce sketches, compose music, and so on, and then come back to the table to combine the fruits of their labour. This leads to new conversations and orientations. The concept of a show is constantly evolving and being fine-tuned as the discussions take place, right up until the premiere and even beyond. As all these exchanges are taking place and during the development of the set and costume element prototypes, the Casting Department is called on to find the artists who will bring the show's concept to life. The Casting team, which is involved from the outset of the process, will suggest artists to the Director either based on specific requirements or proactively, i.e. artists with a special profile discovered in auditions with the potential to enhance a show. Sometimes a concept is changed or improved based on the artists proposed by the Casting team. The creation period may take from one to three years, depending on whether it is a touring or resident show, and according to the very nature of the show to be developed. The technical parameters for touring shows are different than those for resident shows. Touring shows must take into account the set-up and tear-down of infrastructures, for instance. Resident shows, on the other hand, may require a new theatre to be designed and built based on specific artistic parameters. The length of the process varies according to these parameters. International Headquarters in Montreal - The initial incubator Cirque du Soleil International Headquarters in Montreal is the starting point for all new creations. Creation meetings, costume and set design, as well as the first rehearsals are held here. Artists from all over the world arrive in the city to begin exploratory workshops and rehearsals eight to nine months before the premiere. The creation team settles down in Montreal for a few months to fine-tune the concept, right up until the transfer to the big top or theatre for the last months of rehearsal and the adaptation of staging elements in the final venue. Laying the groundwork upstream As it produces two to three new shows a year, Cirque du Soleil must develop ideas on the periphery of creation, upstream. This brainstorming work-which is done to seek out new talent, develop acts and identify new areas of knowledge and technology-now also calls on external resources. Cirque du Soleil has established strategic alliances with educational institutions, including polytechnics and circus schools, to feed its inspiration and stock its cupboard of ideas. Acts and equipment are now thought out, tested and assessed several months in advance. Based on assessment results, certain ideas will be developed further in order to potentially incorporate them into a show. Some 50 act concepts are now under study, and 15 or so have come to fruition. Cirque du Soleil is privileged to be able to attract renowned creators with the desire to collaborate on various projects. The company offers them stimulating creation platforms in which exploration and innovation are the watchwords-and in turn, these creators allow Cirque du Soleil to innovate through their vision and diverse influences. ------------------------------------------------------- INTERVIEW /// "Mark Ward - A Career Backwards" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) ------------------------------------------------------- When the arena tour of Quidam recently visited Everett, Washington, my wife and I had the opportunity to revisit a show we first saw during the first CirqueCon in 2004. One of the pleasant surprises was to find that Mark Ward, who was kind enough to be part of the first CirqueCon post-show Q&A years ago, was still performing the role of John. With the increasing number of older big top shows being converted to the arena format we have often wondered what was involved in the process of conversion. And who better to ask than someone who has been on both sides - the big top and the arena. Mr. Ward fills that role perfectly! Mark Ward (Word with the "a" as in "ha," not Wohrd with the "a" as in "war") was born December 11, 1965. In his youth he trained in ballet, all types of dance, gymnastics, and classical piano. He joined Cirque du Soleil in June of 1993 at the age of 27; this month marks his 18th anniversary with the company. It wasn't his first thought to go for the role of John, though, he explains. "[In 1998] I'd just finished working for five years in Mystére as an original member [Ed. Being with the show since its premiere on December 25, 1994]. I did bungee, the Red, White & Blue Bird, ball walking, Japanese taiko drums, dancing, fast track, a little bit of everything - I had seven characters. Because it's a large company what I've found over the years is that if you would like to learn something, if you have the gumption, they're more than willing to teach you another art, which is fabulous, I think that's fantastic. They hired me as a dancer with acrobatic capabilities and I've learned so many other things." "I had aspirations to be an acrobat in Saltimbanco. But at the time I was approached by Gilles Ste-Croix who thought I would be a good candidate for the role of John in Quidam. So I took his advice and accepted the part and now I've been in the role for 12 years." Mark is the only other person to have played John, following on after role creator John Gilkey, who performed the role for three years in North America and [the first] two months of the European tour. How does his "John" differ from Mr. Gilkey's "John?" "I just say we're two different people! (laughs) Some things that John did worked for him but didn't work for me. He was able to be a lot more stern in his character and still get laughs. I found when I did that it didn't work so well. I don't know why it didn't work but I didn't feel comfortable and I just didn't feel I was getting the same reactions. So I treat John more as a kid trapped inside of a man's body." "As a principle character you have to be open and flexible and be ready to change and sensitive to what the audience is giving you. Because what worked in Japan may not work in the United States or in South America and vice versa. There are just different things that you learn along the way and you have to be flexible." Different Yet The Same Having been part of Quidam for a large portion of its big top life, we wanted to find out from Mr. Ward about converting a Cirque show from big top to arena format. They first found out, "a little over a year ago [Ed. While on tour in South America] that they were thinking about it; they tried to give people a heads up. Everyone knows that the plan now is that the older shows that have been in existence longer will at some point go to arenas. So we knew that after Alegría [went to arena format] that we would go at some point. Dralion [Ed. which was created after Quidam] went before us so we were prepared for it." But that didn't mean this would be a totally new experience for the artists and crew. "We had done a small arena tour in the UK [Ed. For 8 weeks in Feb-April of 2009, visiting Liverpool, Belfast, Newcastle, Birmingham, Manchester, Dublin, Sheffield and Glasgow], and performed in the Royal Albert Hall [Ed. In Jan-Feb of 2009]. So we had some experience with Quidam in arenas, but [now] it was going into arenas full-time." They plunged right into the conversion process immediately after drawing the curtain on Quidam's big top life. "We really didn't have a break because [after closing in Bogotá, Columbia on Nov 21, 2010] we did a six-week arena tour in Canada at the end of last year [Ed. From Dec 11, 2010 - Jan 16, 2011] with the cast we had for the South America tour. We played Kingston, Montréal, Québec City and Chicoutimi. Then in January we stopped because we had a 60% new cast of artists. So we went to training in Montréal for two weeks where we met new members of the show. Then the whole group went to Nashville and trained there for six weeks, to get everything together. We just basically [rehearsed] the full show from beginning to end for everybody - technical, artists, and everybody - to get an idea of how it runs and put things together from top to bottom. For us it was like being in a theater built for us because they set up a stage in Nashville and we used that space every day for over a month." "Then we immediately started on the arena tour leg that we're on now. The first city was Vancouver, Canada [Ed. On March 9, 2011], this full leg is ten cities [Ed. Essentially going from north to south along the West Coast of the US, ending in Sacramento on May 15.]" It came as a surprise to us that none of the original creative team were involved in the conversion process, given what Cirque has previously said about consistent checkbacks by the creators to ensure artistic integrity. "Franco (Dragone, show director) did a revamp in 1999 but hasn't been back since. [Ed. The revamp was done in May '99 while the show was in Amsterdam preparing for its video recording, three years after its premiere in Montréal on April 23, 1996.] Benoit (Jutras, musical composer) comes in periodically to check on things. [But] we have our own team of directors who work in Montréal full- time. We have our stage managers, we have our show director, we have our artistic director, and we have all those people that are working with us 24-7." A few press reviews of the arena-format version of Quidam have suggested that the tone and underlying drama have been massaged (one used the word "lightened") to work for a larger audience. Not so, Mr. Ward responds, "It's still the same Quidam; it's still the exact same show that was created by Franco Dragone." But there have been changes to address some of the challenges presented by this style of touring. "For instance, we don't have a school traveling with us anymore so we don't have underage children. We used to have four little girls doing the diabolo act, and now they're adults from 18 to 20-something." "It's the same with Zoé. She's really really small and from the stage people think she's a little girl. She's like 20-21 but she's actually a small girl. A lot of people meet her and they're like, "Oh my gosh, I thought you were 15 years old!"" "The only thing with the diabolos is [they're adults with] more sophisticated costumes, more sultry if you will, and the movement is different. But all the other acts are the same, the costumes are the same, the tempo, the story and ending are the same. It isn't "lighter." For me it's the most human show. There's a darker side to it, but we still have the comedy elements we've always had." Does the larger theater space mean he has to approach the role of John differently? "I had a full career in musical theater, ballet, acrobatics and music before I joined Cirque du Soleil so I know this kind of thing. Of course they give everyone notes on how you have to reach everyone in the arena. But for me my job, my main purpose, is connecting with the people. So that doesn't change, it's just now there are more of them. I remind myself all the time that there are more people. So there are some things that I would have done more intimately that I make bigger, or I allow more time to register far away. But it still reads." Life On The Road The arena touring model brings its own new set of challenges and opportunities for not only the company but the artists and crew as well. "One thing we don't have is the intimacy of the big top. But what you gain in arenas is the ability to have more people see the show at one time. And [visit] smaller markets. But it could also be a large city that doesn't have the capability of supporting a big top. It could be a big international city [such as] Prague where you have all these ancient buildings, where are you going to put a big top? However, if they have [arenas], you can introduce a whole new set of people to the world of Cirque du Soleil. And that's what the arena tours are doing which is actually very exciting." Having performed in each Mr. Ward has an informed perspective on the different type of show models. "If you [work for] a permanent show you can more easily have a family life. You can go to school, you can have your kids there, you can do whatever and it's more of a "normal" life. You can do things during the day with your family and you have your two shows a night from 7 to 12 like a regular days work, and you have two days off. So for people who are more family oriented or want to stay in one place it might be beneficial for them to consider a permanent show." "With a [big top] touring show you're hitting more countries, but you still have a chance to have a family and kids with you. But you don't have the privilege of being home as you would at a permanent show." "The arena tours are just faster than all those put together. You have a day of travel, Sunday night. I have my days off and I see the city on Monday and Tuesday. I usually work out in the gym on Tuesday, in my hotel or in my room or onsite. [I work out] four times a week. And I do 8 shows a week. However, we usually do 8-10 weeks then have two weeks off. So I have several two-week vacations in between the legs." "It just depends on the person, how old you are, where you are in your life at that moment. I've done my whole career backwards, I started with a permanent show, then I went on a big top tour, and now I'm with an arena tour. I actually love the schedule and the quick pace of it." What does he see as the greatest challenge in arena touring? "I guess the switching [from one touring style to another]. Because with the big top you're in a city for [from] six weeks to sometimes three months depending on the size of the city. But [with arenas] I guess the most is sometimes three weeks in a city. Normally you have five days in a city, you do eight shows, and you leave Sunday night on a plane or by bus for the next city. For the first couple of weeks it takes a bit of getting used to but after a while you like it and enjoy it because of the fast pace." "Actually it hasn't been a challenge for me. I find that I see more of the cities now that I have two free days of doing nothing. And I find that I've been able to research and really get into these cities and get to know them. Whereas when I was in a city for longer I'd say, "Oh, I'll get around to doing it," and then I was leaving before I get to know it." "With the arenas you have to take advantage of what it is, but I like it a lot. Just the opportunity to travel to more countries and visit more cities. I love it." Any favorite places? "It's hard to say, I like so many places. I loved Europe. I loved Spain, Denmark, Switzerland. London was great. I loved Argentina, I live in Buenos Aires. There are so many great cities in the States. They all have their own special things, it depends on what happens there." Prepared and Challenged His role as a principle character in a Cirque du Soleil show means Mr. Ward is often on the short list of people asked to meet the public and participate in such things as Meet & Greets and Question and Answer sessions. It's an aspect he relishes. "We know that we're touching people, we get that feedback and it's our life's blood. But sometimes when we do [one-on-one] things it gets us a little bit closer to people. In South America we were able to get to know [groups like] Cirque Nation [Ed. A South American Cirque du Soleil fan group]. It's very overwhelming to say the least, it's a beautiful thing." In fact, Mr. Ward was a part of the genesis of CirqueCon! While attending a performance of Quidam in Vancouver back in 2004, our 31 first-ever Passionates were treated to a post-show Q&A with several artists, including Mr. Ward. It was that experience in Vancouver that spurred our imaginations to consider other trips to other (in some cases exotic) locales (check us out at www.cirquecon.com). When we mentioned this to Mr. Ward we had our most surprising moment of our talk - he remembered! "There was a question and answer for that I remember. And I remember a question from one of the guys there, he asked, "Isn't it true that you were Quidam?" I thought it was very surprising, really sweet [that someone would remember]." And it was true! "I said that [the character of] Quidam is not a prison sentence (laughs). When I joined Quidam in 1999, John Gilkey went across with us to Europe. During the time John was working I did all kinds of stuff in the show. I did animation, I did the ballerina but they didn't want me to point my toes and I said I couldn't do bad dancing. So they kicked me out [of the part], they said I looked too much like a real ballerina!" (laughs) "One tidbit of information that a lot of people don't know is that during the show you can have up to three people playing Quidam, including girls. People think it's the same person, but we have three different times he appears and most times it's three different people! [When] they were going to do the live filming of the Quidam DVD John [Gilkey] was still there and I wasn't going to start [playing John] until two and a half months later. But Franco was working with everyone and I said, "You know what, Franco? I would really love to help out and be a part of the DVD. Let me be Quidam!" So I'm Quidam on the DVD." Finally, as our time was winding down, we wondered what words Mr. Ward might have for aspiring artists. "It's almost cliché to say "dream your dream." Know what you want to do and make sure you give yourself the steps to get there. Give yourself goals, a far off goal but also goals you can reach easily. If someone says no, go to the next person that's going to say yes." "If you want to be in Cirque du Soleil come to impress, have your stuff ready and be flexible. Come not only with what you think you want to do but be open to other things. Come prepared but also be ready to be challenged and to meet that challenge." "But I also like to say - you know what, the reality is that we forget who we are in life. I've been around long enough to know that I survived before Cirque du Soleil and I will survive after Cirque du Soleil no matter what I'm doing. I just happen to be lucky enough to be in this company and it's been amazing to me and it's changed my life. But I also know that if I weren't in Cirque du Soleil I would be doing something else that would make me happy as well. But I've been privileged enough to be in Cirque du Soleil." "That's what you need to be true to yourself as an artist. Whether it's with Cirque du Soleil or anyone, you have to find those things that get you out there, get yourself noticed and make yourself happy." "Because in the long run it has to be you." My sincere thanks go to: Mr. Ward for spending time with us, Chantal Côte, Corporate PR Manager, "Our" Jessica Leboeuf, Quidam publicist, and my wife LouAnna for putting up with my sometimes obsessive hobby. ------------------------------------------------------- "Luxe Life Celebrates Michael Jackson" [EXPANDED] By: Robin Leach, A Special Reprint ------------------------------------------------------- Robin Leach jumped right into the world of Michael Jackson in celebration of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour coming to Las Vegas. Check out his four-part series from his Luxe Life column here! PART 1: MICHAEL JACKSON FAN-FEST DETAILS ---------------------------------------- Neverland Ranch that have never been seen publicly, photo opportunities in re-created sets from Jackson videos and a behind-the- scenes look at the creation of Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour. There will be a main stage featuring contests and Q&A sessions with members of the creative team from Immortal and Michael’s other associates. “In addition, the Fan Fest will give visitors the opportunity to play and compete against others 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 one-of-a- kind event,” one of the organizers said. The Michael Jackson Fan Fest will be open to those who want to participate in it and to ticket holders of the touring show. Fan Fest will be set up in the Bay East and West Halls of Mandalay Bay Convention Center. This week, we’ll post our interviews with the partners of Team Michael Jackson involved with the new Cirque du Soleil shows headed here -- the touring show and the new permanent residency show opening in 2013 as part of an MJ Zone at the resort. First up is a rare and revealing interview with the co-executor of the estate, attorney and former manager John Branca. Robin Leach: When you took on this enormous responsibility, I think it’s safe to say that at that moment, neither his family nor his fans understood what your role was. You’ve not only polished the reputation, you’ve protected the reputation, and you’ve built an enormous industry going forward. When you sat down those first moments after his tragic death and said I am the co-executor of the estate, what was in your mind to achieve for the man you once managed? John Branca: That’s a big question. First of all, when that job was handed to me, I was thankful because a lot of Michael’s fans were really supportive. They had felt that since I’d been there with him since January 1980 that John McClain and I were the right co-executors for the job. So that gave me some confidence, but we had to prove ourselves, and there were a lot of challenges. The fact that I’d worked with Michael on and off for 30 years and that I had come to know him so well in terms of his business approach gave me a big advantage. I kind of felt like I knew what to do right from the start. I think if somebody brand new had come in, it would have taken them a year or two just to figure everything out. But John McClain went to high school with Michael, I worked with him on and off for 30 years. It almost seemed natural. It didn’t seem like, “OK, we have to figure this out.” It was just once the judge handed the baton to us, we just started running. The one thing that I think made it easy was our decision to authorize and release the movie This Is It because when I saw that footage, I realized, in my opinion, that people would see Michael in a different way. They would see Michael the perfectionist, they would see the reason why he was a great artist. At the same time, you would see his humanity. Michael did not talk down to his musicians and his dancers. He was a very gentle but demanding human being. We felt if we put this movie out, people would see Michael in a whole different way, and fortunately that was the case. And it went on to become by far the most successful concert documentary movie of all time. As busy as he was, I’m certain he got time to see the video shot of himself from those final rehearsals. I’m sure he did review it to study it to see which parts he might want to do better. I don’t know for a fact, but I’m pretty sure he reviewed some of it, although not all of it. RL: Do you get any criticism, or if there was any, how did you answer it about making so much money out of his name? First of all, I’m presuming some of that moneymaking was forced on you because of his large debts that had to be straightened out. JB: We viewed our obligation as really to Michael, in terms of his legacy and his work, and then to his mother and his children. And what we wanted to do over time was to be able to put the Estate into a condition where eventually when it was handed over to his own three children down the line, it would be in much better shape than when we inherited it. So it’s our job to generate income. If we sat around and did nothing, it would be a disservice. RL: Do you eventually relinquish this work, and then it goes to the three children? JB: Down the road. Well down the road. Under Michael’s trust, which is confidential, there is a date at which when the children reach a certain age, the assets get distributed, and as is typical in high income, high-network families, you don’t turn it over too soon. You wait until the kids are older. RL: So they have to be well over 21. If Michael was witness to everything that’s going on now, with what you’ve done, what you’ve managed to achieve, do you think he would approve and it would all have his blessing? JB: I think so. I think that because of the many conversations I’d had with him over the years. It wasn’t so much that he spoke about his own immortality, but he spoke about his legacy. I met with Michael the week before he passed away, and we had an agenda to go over about future affairs. A couple of months before, he had said through his manager Frank DiLeo that he wanted me to start thinking things, ideas, so when I came into that meeting, I had an agenda with a lot of ideas. I left knowing which ones Michael wanted, and so what we have done is what he wanted anyway. The other thing is that John McClain had said to me, if we went to Michael and said let’s put out a film of your rehearsal footage, he would have said, “Are you of your mind?” Michael was a perfectionist, so purely rehearsal footage would have been a no. But if we’d said to him, ‘Michael they’re gonna pay you X amount of money, and it’s going to be the most successful concert film ever, and the album will go to No. 1, and it’s going to outsell Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber combined, what do you think then? He would have instantly said, “Where do I sign?” RL: This meeting that you had a week before he passed. Was it in any way a premonition, or in getting ready to fly to London for an extended stay with This Is It, was it just being protective and the normal case of keeping one’s life in order? JB: I had not been working with Michael since 2006. I had resigned. But in 2009, he signed up for the This Is It concert tour. I said to myself humbly, “I’m not sure that there’s anybody else that can help Michael achieve what he wants to achieve. Not artistically, because he was the master with that, but business-wise. I called the AEG people and his manager to simply let Michael know if he wanted any help and had the interest, I’m here for him. I got the calls back, and they said Michael wants you to implement a plan. So over the course of a couple of months, we gave it a lot of thought, and I was ready to meet him on the Wednesday -- never thinking for a moment he would be dead that weekend. It was far more about helping him have a plan from the concerts. The timing was totally coincidental … it was not a premonition. Those outlines, however, became our blueprint for protecting and ensuring his legacy. It’s what he wanted to do anyway. RL: Would he have wanted this amazing partnership with Cirque du Soleil? JB: I took Michael to his first Cirque show. We went together back in the early ’80s. It was a tent show in a Santa Monica parking lot next to the pier. He loved it! We had to go backstage after because he wanted to say hello to all of the entertainers. He was a huge Cirque fan. He saw every one of the Cirque shows. He went to Montreal to see Cirque headquarters and watch all the performers at work. In his way, he is now working with Cirque, which is something he always wanted to do. RL: Your prediction for Cirque’s arena tour and for the second show and the Neverland re-created museum of memorabilia here -- a prediction on it all? JB: My philosophy is you do the best you can in creating what you’re creating. And if you do a good-enough job and it’s Michael Jackson and Michael’s music with Cirque and Jamie King, well, the results speak for themselves. RL: Final question: You worked with him for a long period of time. What was his genius, what was it about him that had that mega appeal to connect with everybody around the world? Did he even understand it himself? JB: Michael’s genius was multifaceted. He started out as this incredible young singer and dancer that then got molded through the Berry Gordy Motown music factory into becoming the consummate entertainer. He then started to write his own music. Who knew he was a songwriter? Then after Off the Wall, he started to produce his own music. He produced “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” with Quincy Jones and co-produced “Bad.” His talent kept unfolding and growing -- part of it because he was so driven to perfection and he studied the other greats. The other part was an innate likability about him. You read stories of great artists with egos, and nobody wants to be around them. That was not Michael. Michael was a great artist and a great genius, and everybody loved him. RL: I had the privilege of having a Chinese dinner with him one night at the Wynn hotel here. He was the most regular, likeable guy in the world. BJ: Exactly, and then when he was ready to go onstage, he went to another level of superstar. John told me that Michael has 32 million friends on Facebook and that his older brother Jackie Jackson is very involved with the Estate. “Jackie has been working with us at the estate on many projects, including developing a very high-end leather jacket line inspired by Michael’s videos that will be available retail at the MJ Zone in Mandalay Bay,” he said. Tomorrow, we’ll post the conversation with Jackie, along with how Mandalay Bay President Chuck Bowling plans to set up his hotel for the experience. Later in the week, our interviews continue with Immortal director Jamie King and Cirque President Daniel Lamarre. John summed up: “We are thrilled to establish Michael’s home away from home here at Mandalay Bay. Very few fans would ever get to visit Michael’s Neverland Ranch because of its remote location. But millions of Michael’s fans will now come to Mandalay Bay to hear Michael’s music and experience Michael in many other ways. “When we think about Fan Fest, Michael was always a fan of Beatles Fest, Elvis Week, Star Wars conventions, and he used to say, ‘Someday I want to have my own fan convention.’ Michael’s fans have told us they also want the same thing, so we are thrilled to accomplish another one of Michael’s objectives. We look forward to working with our partners to make happen all the things Michael himself wanted.” PART 2: JACKIE JACKSON, MANDALAY BAY HEAD DISCUSS MJ PLANS ---------------------------------------------------------- Michael Jackson’s older brother Jackie Jackson is convinced that the late King of Pop is fully supportive of all the Cirque du Soleil show developments and the two productions set for Mandalay Bay starting in December. “He’s definitely watching over this. He’s going to be alive in everybody’s minds for all the years to come now. He lives on,” Jackie said. “Michael would have loved what’s going on now for his legacy. He always loved the business and the entertainment all his life. He loved the flash. He loved Las Vegas. He loved Cirque and saw every Cirque show they produced. “I still remember the very first Cirque that came out. He called and told me, ‘Jackie, you’ve got to see this show.’ And he flew me out, and we saw the show together and from then on he saw every show. He loved Guy (Laliberte), the Cirque founder, and the whole Cirque show family. He loved them, so he really wanted to be a part of them. … He’s a part of it right now with these shows. It all fulfills his own dreams, and I believe he knows all about this and would be very proud and happy with it.” Jackie told me that the first Michael Jackson: Immortal show that arrives at Mandalay Bay on Dec. 3 is a traveling rock concert spectacular. “The second show will be permanently housed at Mandalay Bay. They will be completely different in the way they look and feel, even though Michael’s songs will be the same. “Obviously, because people want the hits in both. I can’t get into the other show right now because there’s going to be surprises about it, and I don’t want to give anything away. All kinds of things will be going on with the permanent show and the memorabilia zone.” His line of leather jackets from Michael’s own designs will be launched in about five weeks on Amazon and will be among items for sale in the Michael Jackson Zone to be opened at Mandalay Bay. Mandalay Bay President Chuck Bowling is the executive who has to reconfigure his hotel gaming floor for the Michael Jackson invasion. “We have a reputation around the world for providing the best in dining, the best in nightlife and for many, many years have provided the highest quality of entertainment. Our sister MGM resort hotels are homes to the most successful entertainment brands in the world largely due to our partnership with the creative geniuses at Cirque De Soleil. We are ready for this. We are confident of its success, and we know Michael Jackson will be at Mandalay forever. “This relationship started back in 1992 with a tent show behind the Mirage. But since then, the Las Vegas Cirque shows have attracted millions of people from around the world annually and have set every imaginable record for attendance in longevity. The shows know no boundaries, they appeal to people from all walks of life, language is not a barrier, home country is not a factor. “Simply put, there’s a Cirque show for every kind of fan. In recent years, Cirque has partnered with such powerful bands as The Beatles and Elvis Presley, and that left only one other … who could join this extraordinary group -- Michael Jackson! “We’re honored that the relationship here at Mandalay Bay will ensure it is home for all things Michael Jackson. … Michael stood in a category all his own. Over his lifetime, he achieved and sustained a level of success that transcended any one genre or any one audience. Michael is an international icon renowned for his music, his dance, his mystique and his style. “The world lost an extraordinary entertainer, but through the eyes of the creative geniuses at Cirque De Soleil, Michael will now live on in many new ways, for new audiences for years to come. That’s a wonderful gift to us all. We look forward to welcoming the world here in the coming months and years to enjoy experiences unlike anything Las Vegas has seen before.” And the incredible logistics involved? Cirque will keep the 1,800-seat Lion King Theater when they move in Dec. 31, but everything else changes. “We’ve begun thinking about the process of putting all three elements together: theater, interactive space, the MJ Zone with the ultra lounge and retail. The logistics of it are still in design. … We’ll clearly create an amazing experience inside of the showroom that we’re starting to define now. “So far, we have not developed a firm budget -- not even really a tentative budget. We’ve got ideas in the background, but it wouldn’t be accurate to quote you anything, but we’re working on that. Certainly multi-, multi-million dollars. We’re only going to do the right thing, like Cirque and MGM resorts have always done: always first class. Add the Michael Jackson element, it can only be one thing, which is top-of-the-line first class. “We are very excited about all the Michael Jackson elements that will elevate the total brand of Mandalay Bay. We know it will further our entertainment footprint not only in Las Vegas but also all over the world. This is an important message that Las Vegas is more than alive and well. … This will bring hope.” Vegas DeLuxe tomorrow continues the interviews with the Cirque and MGM executives planning the two shows with a sit-down with writer, director and choreographer Jamie King and his status with the touring Immortal. On Thursday, it’s a wrap with Cirque President Daniel Lamarre. PART 3: DIRECTOR JAMIE KING REVEALS SHOW SECRETS ------------------------------------------------ One-time Michael Jackson tour dancer Jamie King is the man now entrusted with writing, directing and choreographing the upcoming 5- year run of Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour. The premiere is in October in Cirque du Soleil’s hometown of Montreal, and then 33 performances follow on the Strip starting Dec. 3 at Mandalay Bay. An interview with Michael Jackson Estate co-executor John Branca was posted Monday, talks with older brother Jackie Jackson and Mandalay Bay President Chuck Bowling were posted yesterday, and it’s a wrap tomorrow with Cirque du Soleil head honcho Daniel Lamarre. Jamie said there’s no doubt that the Immortal show will be “the biggest in the world.” He explained: “We’re embarking on a hugely massive show. About 9 months ago, Cirque asked me to devise, scheme, put together a show that would be the biggest show in the world as only Michael Jackson would do it. That has now all become the Immortal tour, and I told Guy (Laliberte, Cirque’s founder), ‘absolutely, I’d love the opportunity.’ “I was chosen by Michael Jackson to be a dancer on the Dangerous Tour. So for me it has all come full circle, not only perform with and for him but now to actually immortalize Michael in a showcase. It blows my mind and keeps blowing my mind every day. In about 6 months, the show will open: Oct. 2. My heart just skipped a beat when I said 6 months, although we’ve been working on it for 9 months putting it together creatively with an amazing all-star team. “We have acrobats , performers, dancers and musicians from everywhere around the world -- many of the musicians actually worked with Michael on previous tours. It’s an all-star A-Team of people who have worked with Michael, been around Michael, experienced Michael. We have found the people that Michael would love. “Over the next 6 months, we’ll be putting the show together in Montreal. I will move there from Los Angeles to Montreal and begin the production phase so the show really comes to life. That’s all the props, costumes and full music design. For me, it’s like a kid in a candy store. I may be the director and writer of the show, but I’m not doing it alone. Michael is my co-director the whole way, as if he’s kind of watching and leading me and guiding me in what story to tell. “I was taken on a trip to Neverland with Cirque, and it really blew my mind. In that moment being at Neverland and really seeing this kind of place that Michael called home and really didn’t share with the rest of the world, we decided to make our environment for the Michael Jackson: Immortal Tour and show set in Neverland. How cool is that right? Now when you go to the show, you’ll actually be able to experience Neverland. It will come to life before your eyes in the arena. That’s the setting, that’s the environment, and that’s what we’re making happen as rehearsals begin in three weeks. “Even though Michael is not there physically, his spirit will be there completely in the show, with his essence and his music. His lyrical content of those songs become our narrator for the show. In the entire show, you are hearing Michael lead us on this journey through Neverland understanding the mystery, the magic, the innocence of Neverland, but also of him, too. We get to uncover, discover and sometimes rediscover everything we knew about Michael and wanted to know about Michael. “There’s lots of surprises -- I didn’t know Michael was a poet. I knew he was a great songwriter. But in researching and learning everything I could about Michael in this short time, I did learn that he was a great poet, also a great artist. He made great drawings throughout his life. So the show will reflect that he was a great artist, a great performer, a great showman, a great human being. When he was my boss, he treated us dancers like gold and wanted us to be the best. Now I get to show Michael’s talents and humanity in Cirque’s Immortal Tour.” Jamie continued during the lengthy, one-on-one chat: “We had castings in New York, Los Angeles, Canada and video auditions from around the world. We have the full cast and crew in place. The stages are already being built.” He’s directed tours for Madonna, Ricky Martin and Britney Spears and in fact sends Britney’s new Femme Fatale Tour off on the road next month. “I don’t know how many trucks will go out for Immortal, but it will be more than the 24 that went out for Madonna and Britney. They’ve taken the most so far. I haven’t had to concentrate on the traveling logistics. I was just told to build the best show that could be built, and they’ll figure out a way to make it work for the road and the arenas.” After some persuading, Jamie revealed where the show begins and ends in Michael’s life. “To sum it up, this is the Michael Jackson show. It’s everything Michael in the way of Thriller and Off the Wall. Michael the icon. There are nods back to the Jackson Five, his beginnings, when he was with his brothers and his family. Those nods will be there, but this is really based on Michael’s catalog and less about the Jackson Five catalog. Michael’s children and his family have all been really supportive to this point. “It will be a 90-minute spectacular with 30 songs. The only way I can do that is by mashing up certain songs, remixing certain songs with others so you feel like you’re getting the Michael song. … I’m planning to use some video footage from This Is It that we didn’t get to see all the way in the theatrical concert film. I have access to that, and I’ve kind of re-jigged it. Also, there’s some choreography that wasn’t really seen realized in This Is It, and I’m going to use that in the show, as well. But let’s be clear: There are no This Is It tour dancers and no musicians. We have members of The Bad Tour and The Victory Tour, the older Michael Jackson shows. “It will come off looking and feeling as if it’s Michael on tour. We’ll have that element for sure -- that’s what my cache is -- I put on rock spectacles, pop spectacles, and Michael was the best at that, so that element is 100 percent there. What’s cool is now we add in the theatricality that Cirque du Soleil provides. So it’s really going to be a hybrid that no one’s really seen before. It’s like rock meets Cirque. “The only thing I can tell you until you see it for yourself is that we find our way transported into Neverland as part of the opening. The arena becomes Neverland, so the audience gets transported into this world of Neverland. In my heart, I know what needs to be told is that purity, that humanity of Michael Jackson, that vulnerable side that a lot of people really didn’t get to see, that childlike heart that was so beautiful and so pure. That’s what I really want the audience to feel and leave with. “We all know what the showmanship of him, what that looks like, the artistry, the great performer … and we’ll get all that for sure. But his heart and his purity and his humanity are definitely something I’m allowed to touch on. We want it to look like a great collaboration of the Cirque world and the Michael Jackson rock and roll world. “This is a really big show because there are so many entities. It’s bigger than big, if you know what I mean. It’ll be the biggest show in the world.” PART 4: CIRQUE CEO DANIEL LAMARRE TALKS VEGAS, MGM AND MJ --------------------------------------------------------- The Michael Jackson: Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil four-part interview series began Monday with John Branca, co-executor of The Estate of Michael Jackson, followed by Jackie Jackson, older brother of Michael, and Mandalay Bay President Chuck Bowling on Tuesday and writer, director and choreographer Jamie King yesterday. The interviews wrap up today with Cirque CEO Daniel Lamarre’s overview of Immortal, which arrives at Mandalay Bay on Dec. 3 for a now-33- performance engagement. Here is Daniel’s overview in his own words. Michael Jackson has been very, very generous to Cirque du Soleil. He saw all of our shows, and he would always say good things about Cirque du Soleil. Having the credibility of an amazing artist like that certainly has contributed to our success. But I will never forget the one day that Michael came to our studios in Montreal. Our 5,000 employees were thrilled to host him, and today I have the feeling that all of Cirque du Soleil wants to pay tribute to Michael as Mandalay Bay becomes the home of Michael Jackson in many, many ways. First our new arena tour starts in December. It will be on tour in North America for two years, and as it goes off on the global leg, we will open the permanent show at Mandalay Bay in early 2013. We are going to put a lot of effort to bring to life a tribute to Michael Jackson with a lot of new technologies that will be involved in the new theater. But that alone is not good enough. We thought that people would want to see more of Michael, and we are developing an event that is going to be called The Michael Jackson All Access. We are right now exploring all of that with Ubisoft. Their creation of the Michael Jackson interactive dance game has had an amazing success, selling millions and millions. They’re going to be our interactive partner in this new experience. We’re also going to have in December at Mandalay Bay a Michael Jackson Fan Festival in conjunction with the Immortal Tour. It will allow the fan to really have the opportunity to go behind the scenes of the show itself. We’re also going to have a Michael Jackson Lounge. So all those elements of content will ensure that his presence is very well recognized. He is the No. 1 personality, so we don’t want to disappoint all those fans who are going to come from all over the world to see the Michael Jackson experience. We have been blessed during all these years to have this amazing Las Vegas partnership with MGM, and now again Cirque De Soleil has the opportunity to realize a new dream. To have the privilege to work with the Michael Jackson Estate is also amazing. This project would have not been possible without the great collaboration of MGM, particularly Chuck Bowling and his Mandalay Bay team -- a very dynamic organization. The co-executors of the Michael Jackson Estate have allowed us to develop in a very short period of time a lot of partnerships on all fronts in order not only to pay tribute to this great, great artist but also to meet the expectations of all Michael’s fans. The touring show will be the closest you can get to a rock concert. The permanent show will be much more intimate, with a lot of new technologies and effects to immerse people in his world. We will also have the interactive zone, where we would like to re-create the spirit of Neverland there. A fan in the interactive experience could actually dance to “Thriller” with Michael in the same video. We’re experimenting with everything possible interactive and 3D. Ubisoft has sold millions of videos of Michael, and we know that people want to dance to his music. That’s what we will deliver in the dream Michael Jackson environment. Our ultimate goal is to give you the full sense and feel of what Neverland was. We don’t know quite yet know where the M.J. Zone will be located in Mandalay Bay, but the show itself will definitely go into The Lion King theater with an early 2013 premiere. We’re going to refurbish the theater quite a bit. MGM and ourselves are going to invest in that, which will take some time. We are designing right now. The Lion King will end Dec. 30, and then we just walk in the theater the next day and start. Our experience is that it always takes 18 to 24 months to make it happen, and later when the designs are completed, we can set the premiere date. But it will still have 1,800 seats and two shows nightly. We won’t be able to bring the touring show back to Mandalay Bay, as we have requests from promoters all over the world, and we want to give fans around the world the opportunity to see that show. In North America, I think two years will be the ultimate run because when the permanent show opens, I want the permanent show to become the exclusive show in North America. The arena show will go off to Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and beyond and will probably run five years! The logistics of it are crazy. We have to hire engineers to make sure the roof of all the arenas can sustain the weight of the equipment we’re shipping in 25 amazing trucks. The cast will fly from city to city while the trucks move by road and ship. It is by far the largest traveling show Cirque has ever undertaken. It’s almost like if you have three casts. Normally we have the acrobats. Now we have the acrobats, the dancers, the musicians and all the video team behind the amazing production. There will be a huge component of video in that show, and that comes with a lot of equipment, a lot of technicians, and that’s why it’s going to be so big. It’s the most exciting project ever for Cirque. Guy (Laliberte, Cirque’s founder) and I were shaking our heads the other night when you realize that the three most iconic music stars in the history of music, The Beatles, Elvis and Michael Jackson, have all selected Cirque du Soleil to do a show. This is the ultimate thrill for us. When Michael came to visit our studios in Montreal, as I said at the beginning, he wanted to do a show with us. Now that will finally come true, but much bigger than we ever envisioned when we first talked with him. ------------------------------------------------------- Behind the Scenes of 'KÀ' [EXPANDED] By: Angela Mitchell, About Entertainment ------------------------------------------------------- The technology used to create the moving stages at KÀ cannot be found anywhere else in the world, and that also sets KÀ apart through our ability to change the audience’s perspective of the stage. In most shows, the audience is on the same plane as the performers; the performers move forward and backward from the audience’s view. KÀ adds a vertical dimension and a “Z” axis. It basically rotates the stage so that the audience’s perspective is that of looking down on the action. Below is my interview with the creative team behind Cirque du Soleil's Darkest show... KA. # # # Q. What unique challenges did it pose from a production standpoint? Jeff Lund, Company Manager: KÀ is a show of superlatives. There are a lot of “first”, “only” and “one of a kind” elements. The Gantry Crane, Tatami Deck, and Projection systems were all essentially prototypes that had to be assembled, reconfigured, troubleshot and made to work in the theater while creating a world-class show in the same space. Cirque du Soleil’s shows are synonymous with Vegas, and KÀ, which takes place at the MGM Grand, may be the most dramatic and intriguing show of the bunch. Cirque du Soleil's KÀ brings to life a story that transcends place and time with an intensely dark and theatrical landscape. The show combines a staggering amount of production and creative risk, and features an innovative blend of acrobatic feats, Capoeira dance, puppetry, projections and martial arts – all taking place within a void and in the air, without a traditional proscenium stage in sight! I had the chance to talk with several of the creative talents behind KÀ about meeting the show’s unique challenges and bringing its dark and beautiful world to life. Q. What sets KÀ apart from other Cirque du Soleil shows? Jeff Lund, Company Manager: KÀ is set apart from other Cirque du Soleil productions by telling a linear story through the use of martial arts, death-defying, high-level acrobatics, state-of-the-art technology, and pyrotechnics. The production of KÀ took about three times as long as a typical Cirque du Soleil show due to the fine tuning and reconfiguring of the technical equipment such as the Gantry and other elements that had never been used before. Even though KÀ has been in operations for six years, it is still extremely challenging from a technical perspective. Our sixth anniversary was actually February 3, 2011. Q. Happy Anniversary! That’s great to hear – especially as Las Vegas and Cirque du Soleil are almost synonymous nowadays -- a Cirque du Soleil show is one of the 'must-hit' events for Vegas attendees. Why is Cirque du Soleil such a good fit within Vegas entertainment? Jeff Lund, Company Manager: Tourists come to Las Vegas with high expectations of beautiful hotels, world-class restaurants, amazing shows, and an escape from reality. The city is known to be over-the- top, and Cirque shows provide that same level of experience the city does. Tourists want to see something they have never seen or experienced before. Cirque du Soleil now produces seven completely different shows on the Strip that offer audiences ninety minutes of awe-inspiring performance and escape from reality. Q. What sets Vegas apart as a show (and production) location? Jeff Lund, Company Manager: Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas are set apart by the scale and scope of the productions. Everything in Las Vegas is larger than life. Cirque du Soleil shows fit right into this model, and are part of the 'wow' factor that people have come to enjoy. Everything in Vegas is done to the extreme, so a show that is more grandiose than anything else is an obvious fit. For that reason alone, Vegas is the perfect location. Q. What advantages (and disadvantages) does Vegas offer to productions like KÀ? Jeff Lund, Company Manager: Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world, with over 30 million tourists a year. KÀ is a large theater that produces two shows nightly, five nights a week. Vegas’ ability to draw that many tourists a year is a huge advantage to sustaining long term success with regards to occupancy. Q. What was the inspiration in the direction for KÀ as a show? Marie-Hélène Gagnon, Artistic Director: Robert Lepage directed KÀ. It was his first Cirque du Soleil show, and he also recently created and directed our newest touring show, TOTEM. He is most well-known as a film and theatre director, particularly opera, and is the director of the Metropolitan Opera’s current production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, the first installment of which premiered in 2010, with the next installments premiering over the course of their 2011/2012 seasons. He has always been very interested in Asian culture, and has a profound knowledge of Shakespeare’s work, as the structure of the storyline proves. He also has a strong interest in architecture, which is the basis of the scenic treatment. Q. Who designed the lighting for the show, and how much lighting equipment is used for each show? (How many lights, spots, gels, etc.?) Nils Becker, Lighting Director: The lighting for KÀ was created by Luc Lafortune, who has designed the lighting for more than a dozen Cirque du Soleil touring and resident shows. There are more than 3,300 light fixtures in the show, and I would guesstimate that we use over 900 gels per year, so about 5,400 over the past 6 years. Q. Who designed the sets and gorgeous set pieces for KÀ? And how many props are used in KÀ overall? JanNelle Rivers, Head of Props & Puppets: The theatre and sets were designed by British architect Mark Fisher, who is most well-known for his large-scale rock concert tour stage designs for Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, and U2, including their current 360° Tour, and the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2006 Olympics in Torino and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. KÀ was Fisher's first collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, his second being our newest Las Vegas resident show, . There are approximately 113 different props in the show (not including puppets), but if you count individual units for props such as arrows – of which 84 per show are fired by artists and 57 per show are fired by air cannons – the number goes up to just over 600. Q. The costumes for KÀ are amazing -- tell me about them. And how many costumes are there overall in the KÀ costume area? Eric Wood, Head of Wardrobe: The costumes were designed by Marie- Chantale Vaillancourt, who has collaborated with director Robert Lepage on several of his productions since 1989. KÀ was her first Cirque du Soleil show, and she also designed the costumes for one of our most recent touring shows. For KÀ, there are 10,385 total active costume pieces, including 1,600 costume pieces and 16 wigs actively used in each performance. (There are a total of 63 active wigs to cover duplicates and understudies.) One of the show’s main characters, the Twin Sister, uses four different versions of her costume in each performance. There are 59 costume designs, for which 467 different fabrics are used. Each costume is made specifically for the performer who wears it, so for the Spearman/Spearwoman and Archer costumes, which are meant to look like bare skin covered with tribal tattoos, there are 22 skin tone colors to choose from to match the performers skin color. To give you one example of the intricate detail involved in creating the costumes for the show, there are 8,500 rhinestones on the costume for the Firefly Boy character. There are three artists for that character (one primary and two understudies), and each has two active costumes and two back-ups, so that’s 102,000 rhinestones for one character look. Q. That's amazing. All those little details, that can add up to something huge when it comes to staging the performance! Meanwhile, who manages the production each night? Marie-Hélène Gagnon, Artistic Director: The Artistic Director is present every night. The calling of the show comes from a team of six Stage Managers, led by a General Stage manager. The full Artistic team, which includes Coaches, Performance Medicine and Stage Management, is made up of twelve people. From the technical side, there are an Operations Production Manager, Technical Director, and also the Heads of all departments involved: Costume, Props, Lighting, Sound, Automation, Rigging and Special Effects. All together, it takes about 100 technicians to run the show, plus about 95 technicians on Day Crew who perform all of the theatre’s daily maintenance. Q. That's one of the things I love about the performance process -- that it often takes more people backstage than there are performers actually upon the stage to make it all work. Meanwhile, who came up with the beautiful and imaginative storyline for KÀ? It's got a little more darkness than we often see in Cirque shows. Marie-Hélène Gagnon, Artistic Director: The Director, Robert Lepage, created the original story of KÀ. Q. So many Cirque du Soleil shows have this almost mythic look and feel. Their storylines seem to arise from these universal ancient themes and legends -- is this a common goal in the creation of Cirque shows (not just KÀ)? Marie-Hélène Gagnon, Artistic Director: There are differences, specific to the creator of each show. But Cirque always works in the direction of inner emotions, human impulses, dreams and images that talk to the deeper part of human beings. Q. How many performers appear in KÀ? And from how many countries? Marie-Hélène Gagnon, Artistic Director: There are 76 artists in the cast from 16 countries. The countries currently represented at KÀ are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Mongolia, Russian Federation, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and United States. Q. What sets Cirque du Soleil apart in how they approach and produce a show from a technical standpoint? Marie-Hélène Gagnon, Artistic Director: Each show produced conveys its own images and universe, and what it wants to say. In the case, for example, of our newest Las Vegas show, VIVA Elvis, which draws from the life and music of someone we knew and loved, it has its own treatment of those images and story, and uses them as the inspiration for Cirque du Soleil to create an experience using unique imagery and strong physical expression. Q. Cirque du Soleil is truly a worldwide brand of its own. How did the show market and promote KÀ? Did the producers do anything new or different in KÀ's promotion, or to bring in audiences? Jordan Fiksenbaum, Vice-President of Marketing & Public Relations, Resident Shows Division North America: Each of our Las Vegas productions has a dedicated marketing team that collaborates to determine marketing, public relations and promotional initiatives, to help distinguish the individual production. As KÀ is an elaborate technical production, the team has utilized that theme to help generate opportunities to help promote the production, including marketing efforts to reach a tech-savvy audience. In past years, we have worked with the online gaming community to promote the production, created behind-the-scenes broadcast media opportunities on the G4 Network and for shows such as “Modern Marvels” and “World’s Toughest Fixes” that showcase the extensive operational effort that the KÀ backstage crew undertakes to manage the day-to-day activities. We have also utilized (and continue to utilize) the presence of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to educate tech-focused audiences and media guests about the production. # # # This was fascinating. Thanks to the entire KÀ team for giving me so much great insight into the thought behind staging the show. ======================================================================= 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 6 (Issue #89) - June 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. { Jun.08.2011 } =======================================================================