======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Issue #7 - March 2002 ======================================================================= Quidam. Just mention the name to a Cirque fan and he or she immediately begins to think of the suited man - headless - holding an umbrella. The image is stark and striking and we, like the rest, can't get that image out of our heads. Quidam was introduced to us in 1996 and is still going strong. It has returned to the fans of the United States in a year-long (perhaps longer) North American tour. Its future still remains a mystery just like the man - the Quidam - holding the umbrella. Now, let us take you on a journey through Quidam... ============ Contents: ============ * News & Rumors * The Itinerary (Tour/Show Information) * This Month in Cirque History * Birthday Wishes * Cirque TV * Le Spectacle: "From One Dream to Another - Quidam" (By T. Clay Buck) * Cirque Musique: "Waiting For the Curtain Call" (By: Paul Roberts) * Behind the Curtain: "The Headless Man" (By: Ricky Russo/Paul Roberts) * The Cirque Connection: "Cirque du Ebay" (By: Kimba Barton) * Beyond the Big Top: "Wallpaper... huh!?" (By: Keith Johnson) * Le Spectateur: "Behind the Scenes of Journey of Man" (By: Jen Waldman) * From the Boutique: "Up For Grabs..." (By: Ricky Russo) * Parting Quote * Next Issue * Subscription Information * Copyright & Disclaimer ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ==================================================================== NEWS & RUMORS ==================================================================== News ------ Cirque extends Quidam Run: Due to popular demand, Cirque du Soleil is extending the Miami run of Quidam. Miami is the first stop in Quidam's new North American Tour. The extension will add performances from March 13th through March 17th and tickets are available to Cirque Club members only. < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/ clubcirque/tickets/miami_admission.htm >. Get them while you can, they will be released to the general public soon! Cirque and New York, New York?: There are many rumors floating about regarding whether or not there will be another Cirque show in Las Vegas. Fans have heard that Mystère will fold and Alegría will take its place. We've heard that Mystère will stay indefinitely and there'd just be 3 shows on the strip. Well, it looks like the second option is a possibility. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, the New York, New York casino and hotel have been actively courting Cirque du Soleil founder and president Guy Lailberte to set up another big top on their property. In an article published December 4, 2001, Alan Feldman (Vice President of Public Affairs for MGM Mirage) confirmed that the New York, New York casino hotel is the number one choice for the next Cirque show on the Las Vegas Strip. Where would it go? According to the published article, Cirque could set up a Big Top on-property (Think Nouvelle Experience in 1992 at the Mirage) until a theater could be built for the show. Or, it might move in to the Broadway Theater, which is currently occupied by "Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance". Regardless of the outcome, which has not yet been finalized, one thing remains clear: There has been no announcement from Cirque and a theme has not yet been discussed. We will, of course, keep you up-to- date on this interesting bit of news. Want to read the source article yourself? Go here: < http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Dec-04-Tue-2001/ news/17590736.html >. Quidam to have Post Show Q&A: Ever wanted to meet a performer? Well now you can! For those fans who are a member of the CirqueClub, Cirque's own fan club (www.cirqueclub.com), tickets for this special engagement are exclusively available for purchase. The March 6th 8:00pm performance is set to have this exclusive Post-show Q&A session with the cast and crew of Quidam. You can only purchase the tickets online for this very special event. Do so here and don't delay: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/ clubcirque/tickets/miami_admission.htm >. Wo ist das Mime? (Mime Your Own Business): When many folks first join the Cirque e-Group, they have many questions. One of which is "Where is René Bazinet," clown extraordinaire from Saltimbanco? "What is he doing now?" Well, we found the mime and he is currently doing a show at Roncalli's Apollo Variete Theater in Düsseldorf, Germany. The show, playing every night through March (ending March 31st and being only dark on March 29th) plays every night. The Master Mime MC's the packed show and also sings a few songs and performs a few acts. One of those acts is "Chewing Gum", which René performed on the streets of Paris. René Bazinet has done work all over the world, including a partnership with David Shiner (ex-clown for Cirque in the 1990- 1992 production of Nouvelle Expérience) in a production called "Big Top Clowns". We hope to see more from this multi-talented performer in the future and will keep you updated on his whereabouts as they come to light. Cirque at the 74th Academy Awards!: Released on February 22, 2002 by Cirque du Soleil Marketing, fans and non-fans alike will have a unique chance to see a one- of-a-kind performance by the Canadian circus troupe at the 74th Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, CA. Show producer Laura Ziskin lets us in (a little) regarding what we will see that night: "Cirque du Soleil will be performing a piece that is in a salute to a particular aspect of film we will be honoring." While she will not say exactly what their plans are, it is to be a spectacular production consisting of 30 artists from five different Cirque productions. This "tailor-made" performance was choreographed by Debra Brown with the music composed by Benoit Jutras. The 74th Academy Awards will be telecast on the ABC Television Network on Sunday, March 24, 2002. The show begins at 8:30pm Eastern Standard Time (5:30pm Pacific Standard Time) - Don't miss this opportunity! Got Cirque?: Those amazing people who created a catch phrase with their "Got Milk?" campaign have done it again. Only this time they're giving Cirque performers the milky moustache. Using two of the Mongolian contortionists from "O", the Milk industry gives fans of Cirque du Soleil a unique picture. "Try this at Home**" appears at the upper left of the poster, while a notation appears below right: "** We mean the drinking milk part. Low fat milk helps prevent osteoporosis and keeps your bones supple." We think this is a great idea and hope to see more of this in the future! Elena Lev, Injured: Fans of Elena Lev were disappointed recently when she did not perform her Hoop act in Quidam, as rumored and reported previously. She had joined the Quidam NAT troupe in Miami but was injured early in the run and has not performed. She performs a Hoop manipulation act (similar to Alegría's) with the Hand balancing music (Yes, Olga's) and in Olga's costume. We wish her well and a speedy recovery. Cirque's Costume Balls: An interesting find these Relic Costume Balls are, filled with cuts of costume, sprinkles, and pictures of the cast. Crafted and designed by Canadian Artist Holly Dean, these glass balls are a unique gift to get any Cirque du Soleil fan. They are $25.00 each and later on in the issue, we explore these unique gifts further. Richard Oberacker, Vampire Hunter: Ex-Dralion bandleader and keyboardist Richard Oberacker has keep himself busy since he left the show. He is currently writing the music for a "Dracula" Play that opens in Cincinnati, Ohio the first weekend in March. For further details about this interesting production, please visit: < http://enquirer.com/ editions/2002/02/17/tem_3dracula_musicals.html >. Rumors -------- New Show Name to Be Released? Well, we hope the new show, tentatively titled Cirque 2002 (officially) and "ROM" (unofficially), will soon receive its official touring name. And, we hear it shall by the beginning of April. Sit tight Cirque fans, the waiting is almost over. Next issue we will feature Cirque 2002, reprinting all the news and rumors known about the show prior to its April 24th debut. Stay tuned! ==================================================================== THE ITINERARTY (Tour/Show Information) ==================================================================== [Touring Shows] Alegría: * Now: Singapore 2/28/02 - 3/24/02. * Denver, Colorado: 6/20/02 * Other NAT Tour Stops Unscheduled Cirque 2002: * Montréal: 4/24/02 - 6/2/02 * Québec: 6/27/02 - 7/14/02 * Other Confirmed Stops: - Toronto: Summer 2002 - San Jose: Fall 2002 - San Francisco: Fall 2002 Dralion: * Greater Los Angeles: 3/6/02 - 3/24/02 * San Diego: 4/18/02 - 5/12/02 * Portland, Oregon: 6/12/02 - 7/7/02 * Seattle, Washington: Summer 2002 Quidam: * Miami, Florida: 2/7/02 - 3/17/02 * Charlotte, North Carolina: 3/29/02 - 4/14/02 * Other Stops: - Pittsburgh, PA.: Spring 2002 - Detroit: Summer 2002 Saltimbanco: * Amsterdam: 2/14/02 - 4/14/02 * Barcelona: 4/26/02 - 5/26/02 * Vienna: 7/10/02 - 8/4/02 * Brussels: Fall 2002 * Madrid: 10/31/02 - 12/01/02 * London: 1/7/03 - 1/26/03 [Resident Shows] La Nouba: * Two shows Nightly - Thursday through Monday. * Times: 6:00pm and 9:00pm * Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando. * No performances on Tuesday or Wednesday. * Other than its normal off nights, "La Nouba" is scheduled to be dark on these dates in 2002: - February 3rd through February 6th - April 1st through 4th - May 28th through June 12th - July 22nd through July 25th - September 9th through 12th - October 21st through 24th - December 3rd through 11th Mystère: * Two shows Nightly - Wednesday through Sunday. * Times: 7:30pm and 10:30pm * Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas. * No performances on Monday or Tuesday. * Other than its normal off nights, "Mystère" is scheduled to be dark on these dates in 2002: - February 3rd through February 6th - April 7th through April 10th - June 5th through 9th - August 4th through 7th - October 6th through 9th - December 4th through 17th "O": * Two shows Nightly - Friday through Tuesday. * Times: 7:30pm and 10:30pm. * Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas. * No performances on Wednesday or Thursday. * Other than its normal off nights, "O" is scheduled to be dark on these dates in 2002: - February 18th through 19th - April 29th through 30th - June 19th through 27th - August 12th through 13th - October 14th through 15th - December 4th through 19th NOTE: If you have any information, news or rumors, please email me at: richasi@azlance.com and we'll try and post it to the next issue! ==================================================================== THIS MONTH IN CIRQUE HISTORY ==================================================================== * March 04, 1999 -- Quidam European Tour Began in Amsterdam * March 04, 1999 -- New Tour Name Released -- Dralion * March 06, 2001 -- Alegría opened Melbourne, Australia * March 11, 1994 -- Saltimbanco Japan Tour Began (ended 9/11/94) * March 14, 1999 -- Alegría Film showcased at Santa Barbara Festival * March 18, 1999 -- Saltimbanco opened Sydney, Australia * March 23, 1993 -- Nouvelle Experience CD Released * March 23, 2000 -- Alegría performed 2000th performance (8:00pm/Biloxi) * March 24, 1998 -- Cirque du Soleil Collection CD Released ==================================================================== BIRTHDAY WISHES! ==================================================================== * March 15, 1963 -- Erik Karol (Ex-Singer/Dralion) * March 22, 1969 -- Miguel Herrera (Juggler/Saltimbanco) * March 28, 1967 -- Alain Bergé (Drummer/Saltimbanco) ==================================================================== LE SPECTACLE: "FROM ONE DREAM TO ANOTHEHR - QUIDAM" (By: T. Clay Buck) ==================================================================== By the Summer of 1998 I had seen Mystère twice and one earlier Cirque du Soleil show on a very poor quality VHS tape (it was so bad, I'm not even sure what show it was). So, when posters and newspaper ads began going up all over the city of Chicago announcing the arrival of Quidam, I was on the phone immediately to purchase tickets. Quidam opened July 22, 1998 in the parking lot of the United Center on Chicago's west side - under the shadow and watchful gaze of a statue to Michael Jordan. I was fortunate to see it three times that Summer, and am still in absolute awe of the production. Having seen Mystère, I thought I knew Cirque du Soleil, but nothing compares to that first encounter underneath Le Chapiteau. Quidam marks Cirque du Soleil's ninth production and premiered in Montreal on April 23, 1996. In the words of Franco Dragone, the show's director, it "casts light on our frailty and angst at the dawn of a new century." One assumes that somewhere during the creation of Quidam the concept and preliminary planning for "O" was somewhere in the back of Dragone's mind - or even in the very forefront. But, at least for the time being, Quidam marks the last collaboration of the quintessential Cirque team on a touring production. With Franco Dragone at the helm as Director and Author, it once again brought together the talents of Choreographer Debra Brown, Costume Designer Dominique Lemieux, Lighting Designer Luc LaFortune, Composer Benoit Jutras, and Set Designer Michel Crete all led by their Guide, Guy LaLiberte and Director of Creation Gille Ste-Croix. Quidam, too, in my mind, marks a major turning point in the realization of Cirque productions. From Le Cirque Réinventé through Alegría - and for the sake of this discussion, I refer only to touring productions - this creative team had been building up to the perfection of its concept of combining its incredible circus arts into a complete sensory experience - the co-mingling of lights, sounds, and visuals to tell a complete story thematically unified. Of all of Cirque's productions, Quidam probably accomplishes this feat most effectively. At least in my humble opinion. According to the shows program, the word "Quidam" comes from the Latin and signifies "a nameless passerby, a solitary figure lingering on a street corner, a person rushing past, a person who lives lost amidst the crowd in an all-too-anonymous society." And while the Quidam of the story could be interpreted as its main character, the young girl, the audience leaves believing that, even though they themselves may be the "Quidam" in this Everyman story, there is hope, joy, and a world in which the impossible does exist. Quidam tells the story of a young girl - initially portrayed by Audrey Brison-Jutras, daughter of composer Benoit Jutras - who lives in a drab world, completely bored, and ignored by her parents. A mystical creature enters her life and introduces her to two guides who carry her through a fantastical world of sight and sound until she is reunited with her family, realizing that the world is a beautiful, terrifying place after all. In typical Cirque du Soleil fashion, the show begins while the audience is still gathering. Our guide for the evening, "John," greets the audience as they come through the door, playing with their hair, stealing their tickets, eating their popcorn, and generally causing a nuisance. He is followed by a troupe of characters dressed head-to-toe in white, hooded suits. Of course this group picks an unwilling volunteer from the audience, takes him backstage and brings him out dressed as one of them. John harasses him a little and sends him back to his seat. As the house lights go dim, John takes the stage and plays snippets of songs on an old transistor radio - snippets of songs from previous Cirque productions, at which he sneers and turns up his nose. He reads us our instructions for the evening - no smoking, no pictures, and the like - and then leads us through this incredible story for the next two hours. The show opens on the young girl at home with her parents seated in typical family pose. The father reads the paper, the mother stares vacantly into space, Audrey tries to entertain herself and engage her parents. A knock at the door brings a character straight from a Magritte painting - a headless man, a Quidam, carrying an umbrella, who drops his hat in the center of this family scene. Thunder rolls, lightning flashes, and the family is carried away in one of the most amazing feats to occur under the Big Top. The entire ceiling of the tent is covered in a track that lifts characters and set pieces to the stage and carries them off. In blissful ignorance, the parents are carried off still in their chairs, seemingly unaware of what is taking place around them. At the same time, our young heroine's guides to this fantastical world are introduced - John, who we have already met, and hilariously portrayed originally by American comedian John Gilkey, and Fritz, an always-smiling, impish character brought to life by Austrian Karl Baumann. These two cohorts carry the young girl through adventure after adventure, beginning with the phenomenal German Wheel act by Chris Lashua. The Wheel rolls into place in what was the living room, and Lashua carries it through a series of rolls, twists, and turns that defy explanation. It flips from side to side, and returns to a straight vertical. It rolls across the stage at dizzying speeds. Lashua guides this huge apparatus through varying tricks in a display of athleticism unlike anything seen before - some even with his hands held calmly behind his back. What is also incredibly unique and well-done in Quidam is the transitions between the acts. Each act follows one after the other, yet the interludes between each one continue the through- line of the story. Each performer in the troupe plays many different roles throughout the show, helping to tell the story and further it along. I saw the show three times during its Chicago run, and each time the acts were placed in different sequence - on some occasions a certain act would be left out completely and replaced by another, a typical occurrence during the touring shows. Each time, though, the transitions were flawless and continued the through-line in a perfect way. (For this article, I am using the order of the acts as they are presented in the video, filmed in Amsterdam, which is my memory of the first time I saw it. Some of the performers had changed, but the acts were still the same). As the acts progress, the Quidam's world becomes more fantastical, more chaotic, and more beautiful. After the German Wheel rolls off, the troupe returns to the stage running, leaping, dancing across it with the young girl, Audrey, taking in all she can. Her parents appear, still in oblivion, her father with his head pushed through the newspaper lost in the confusion. Performers traverse the stage in a chorus of Audrey look-alikes, teasing her and John alike, while the remainder of the troupe come on with varying sizes of drums - from small, tinny snare drums to the large, thundering taïko drums, now an essential part of any Cirque production. Through this group come the four young girls carrying their Diabolos who perform a quartet of juggling by tossing them across the revolving stage, forming pyramids and seeming- impossible uses of the ropes and spinning tops. In one of the most beautiful uses of the stage, at the end of the act, the four girls spin their tops up ropes hanging from the ceiling of the tent, from which drop in synchronization streamers of white and blue. As they run off, again our troupe of performers comes through as we watch the Father traverse the tent suspended from the giant track, seemingly walking on air. I recently watched the video again, and while this particular segment appears there, it can't compare to what it looks like live. As our eyes gaze toward the top of the tent, a cocoon of red silk comes from behind the orchestra at the front, and the amazingly beautiful Isabelle Chassé performs the Aerial Contortion in Silk. To the best of my knowledge, this act had never been performed in a Cirque du Soleil show previously. For everyone in Chicago who had seen the show, this became the penultimate act of the evening. Not only is it an athletically astonishing act, but in context it was so hauntingly beautiful, performed to "Let Me Fall" from the soundtrack, but sung in Cirquish language. This act has been used again by Cirque in various forms, particularly in Dralion (jaded Chicagoans responded with, "Oh, we saw that three years ago"), but was particularly stunning in the red silk of Quidam. As a trio of Mother look-alikes, all dressed in red, come to carry Isablle off after her performance, they are followed by the remainder of the troupe who begin the languid Skipping Ropes section - at first a simple display of athletic prowess, led by soloist Renee Bibaud - then morphing into an eclectic, energetic display of skill and timing as the entire troupe performs together. The video shows a nice shot from the ceiling of the tent in an almost Busby Burklee display of symmetry. The Skipping Ropes were followed by the Aerial Hoops. I remember this being the most terrifying, dizzying act of the performance. The hoops, suspended from the overhead track, whirl in a blur as the trio of performers manipulate and climb over them. With intense synchronization and precision the performers twirl the hoops and stop them on cue, using the air and the stage to propel them around. I remember hearing after Quidam had left Chicago and moved on to Atlanta that one of the performers had fallen during the show. She was back on within two or three days. Following the Aerial Hoops came the Handbalancing act, performed by Olga Pikhienko. Elevated on a small platform and carried by the ever-revolving stage, she tackles pose after pose on the delicate poles in an ever-increasing display of difficulty. This was one of the most typical "circus" acts in Quidam, but was also one of the most virtuoso performances. After her leaving the stage, our guide John returns in his hilarious display of marksmanship with a set of darts. He wears a target on his head and tosses darts in the air to land on the target. Of course he misses, to our great amusement, and leaves the stage in a howl of agony as the overhead track brings a series of ropes onto the stage, each with a performer attached, high over our heads. And thus begins the incredible Spanish Web act, with acrobats climbing up and down the ropes, tying them around their bodies and flying through the air. In the live performance, the climax of this act was the character of Fritz, constantly wanting to be involved and meeting everything with a smile, climbing the ropes as the porter on the ground begins to spin the rope. Fritz flies off, attached to the main rope only by his ankle, flying and laughing hilariously over heads. Additionally, the character of the Father was a principal soloist in the Spanish Webs act, portrayed by Daniel Touchette. He was the one who originally tied the rope in many loops around his body, ultimately letting it roll him precariously down to the ground. As a part of the story, this act began the transformation of the Father character into a more open, carefree person. After the Spanish Webs have left the stage, our friend John returns and performs the bit that got him noticed by Cirque du Soleil in the first place. According to him, he had been begging Cirque du Soleil to hire him for years, but to no avail (More information about him is available at www.JohnGilkey.com). John performs a fun juggling act with a ball and a hat stand to the incomparable singer Yma Sumac's "Gopher." It is a light-hearted moment of frivolity and fun in this crazy mixed-up world of Quidam. A recurring element of Quidam is the nameless, faceless, ubiquitous characters dressed from head to toe in white medical-looking suits. These characters come in and out of the show, as they had participated with John at the very beginning, in various ways. After John leaves the stage they come rolling out in a group, form a clump in the middle and out of their midst come the next two performers, Yves Decoste and Marie-Laure Mesnage, to do the Statue or Vis Versa act. Reminiscent of similar acts in other Cirque shows, this duo balancing act is a Cirque trademark, particularly beautiful in Quidam as a counterpoint to some of the more frantic performances. It is slow and languid and displays the great strength and concentration it takes to perform it. It was designed by Yves Decoste especially for Cirque du Soleil. It also is one of the first times we see equal strength between male and female. In many cases, this act is performed by two men supporting each other, but the Quidam act shows equal strength between the different genders. Another unique act to Quidam follows with the Cloud Swing performed by Petra Sprecher of Switzerland. It is essentially a trapeze of rope, there is no solid bar in the middle, and Petra uses it in much the same way. It is a much more 'violent' performance than that of the Vis-Versa, and plays an important counterpoint to the slower elements of the show. At one extended point of the swing, Petra seemingly falls off the trapeze, attached only by a small guide-wire to her leg. But from the audience's perspective it looks like she's falling off completely. She regains her balance and continues flawlessly. The final act of Quidam is the Banquine, an incredible balancing and acrobatic act involving the whole troupe. They toss each other madly about the stage forming towers of four people high, and in daring jumps from one group to the other, landing on only the joined hands of the porter. This performance was also used in Cirque's IMAX Journey of Man film. It is, perhaps, the signature act of Quidam and features performances completely unlike anything else. It of course leads to the resolution of the show, with Audrey uniting with her joyful parents. The Quidam appears again and takes back his hat, proving that the magical world is really the world we live in and that all these fantastic experiences are part of it as well. Quidam has undergone many changes in its six-year history - performers have come and gone, acts have been replaced time and again, clowns have left and come back and left again. John Gilkey left the European tour for a time and even did a stint in Dralion - oddly enough while the show was playing Chicago. Karl left and rumor has it may return for the new North American Tour. Many others have contributed to this phenomenal production, and it is certainly a great pleasure that North American audiences will once again get to experience Quidam. Perhaps the show is best summed up in the words of the title song from the Soundtrack - "There's nothing left, there's nothing right, there's nothing wrong. I'm one, I'm two, I'm all yet none of you. The truth, the lies, the tear, the laughter, the hand and the empty touch. Here I am, alone, waiting for the curtain call." ==================================================================== CIRQUE MUSIQUE: "WAITING FOR THE CURTAIN CALL" (By: Paul Roberts) ==================================================================== When I first saw the "Quidam" video in 1999, I kicked myself for not catching this incredible show during its first North American tour but now "Quidam" has returned so I flew to Florida to witness this incredible show with fellow Fascination writer, Ricky Russo. After entering the brand new blue and yellow swirl tent, we found the re-released "Quidam" CD (Catalog #: 74321 -91493-2) for on sale at the boutique. The CD features two bonus tracks recorded live in Amsterdam in 1999 by the same orchestra that appears on the video: Martin Egan (bandleader, guitars), Audrey Brisson-Jutras and Richard D. Price (vocals), Josèe Campeau (cello), Geneviève Dubé (violin), Ali LaBelle (keyboards), Raynald Masse (drums), Yves Turgeon (saxophone. keyboards), with François Lamoureux providing additional guitars. Bonus track "Misère" accompanies the Banquine act and is a different arrangement than both the live version from the video and the "Journey of Man" version. The first part of the song is extended and, to my disappointment, my favorite passage is only played once. In the live version, a passage that includes a melancholy violin line played over a steel drum-like keyboard sound is heard three times. On "Journey of Man" this passage is played twice, the bonus version only includes it once. The melody line is so sadly sweet that I can't understand why it gets played less with each new release. Bonus track "Enfants d'acier" accompanies the Diabolos act and is similar to the live version. This energetic tune features a staccato keyboard line reminiscent of the Asian Koto instrument. The bridge dramatically decelerates and includes Zoë singing a lonely melody line soon joined by the male singer. Then the dynamics build back up while the Diablo girls perform their solo acts. The song fades out with an arpeggio keyboard pattern over clanging bells as the girls place the diabolos on the hanging stings to signal the climatic ending. The balance of the CD's songs and enhanced program are identical to the original release. I noticed something interesting in the souvenir program's cast section. There are four female singers listed with two titled as "singer/character" and two titled as just "singer." The two singer/characters are Gabrielle Cloutier (our night's Zoë) and Amélie Landry and the two (just) singers are Shilôh Sheray Gagnon and Kathy Samman. Makes me wonder if the two singer-only girls provide vocals for when Zoë is off stage or maybe they are training to be future Zoës. The live show followed the video fairly closely with a few clown acts added. I finally experienced one of my favorite Cirque du Soleil acts: Isabelle Chassé's aerial contortion in silk accompanied by "Let Me Fall." This act, as it represents child birth, took me back to the miracle of my daughter's birth. I tried to cover my tears but failed. Another passionate scene took place prior to intermission as the Banquine performers released their airy hearts (Red Balloons). Unfortunately, this act is eliminated from the video. The first act after intermission included a teasing beginning. The powerful intro to the hand balancing song erupted and I thought that maybe we'd see Elena Lev's new manipulation act. When I noticed the generics bringing red balls to the stage, however, I knew that Edward Skwirsky's juggling act would take its place. The intro morphed into the growls found at the start of the song "Rivage" This song was combined with an unknown song that, like "Rivage", featured the male and female vocals sung in octave harmonies. Mr. Skwirsky's act provided some incredible juggling that should be more than just a replacement act. The rest of the show flowed similarly to the video and when the title song awoke me from my dream state, I dreaded The End. As the orchestra played the song's climax, a voice announced the artists' names as they circled the stage. I marveled at my heroes once again. "Quidam" provoked so many emotions that afterwards I felt stunned and I had to explain my silence to Ricky: "I feel so lost and I'm numb in my Cirque du Soleil Zone." ==================================================================== BEHIND THE CURTAIN: "THE HEADLESS MAN" (By: Ricky Russo/Paul Roberts) ==================================================================== "You know Mark, that was me calling your name out there." "Oh yeah?" Mr. Ward said, as he bent down to sign my newly acquired Quidam 2002 NAT programme. "Usually everyone just calls me John, because of my character name. But when I heard my own name..." Oh wait, I'm getting ahead of myself here! When some Cirque fans gather, all hell can break loose. They pine over the performers, scream at the stage and clap when called upon. They are the folks every performer loves to see. So when Cirque du Soleil received two of these rabid fans in not one, but two of their shows in the span of two days... watch out! On Thursday, February 21st, I received a visitor to my home in Orlando, Florida. It was none other than staff writer and good friend Paul Roberts. We decided to meet face to face this first time to experience Quidam in Miami. But before that milestone could be reached, we settled down for an exciting party - La Nouba. Anticipation swept through both of us as the hours slowly dripped by (dripped, being a pun, as it rained and rained and rained all day). Once our show time finally came around on Friday the 22nd - we lit up with glee (rain or not). The two of us were blessed to have front row center seats... "Hey Ricky," Paul said. "So where are we seated again?" "Section 103, Row A, Seats 5 & 6... why?" "Just checking." Yes, it was hard to believe that we had front row center tickets... but, hey, magic can happen! And thus the first night of our "Cirque-y Weekend" began. La Nouba was as great as ever (Paul and I even received a wink from Bruce... or Stacey - the Wheel Twins - during their performance), but there were a few differences in the show I'd like to point out now. We will be reviewing La Nouba in a later issue so I don't want to give the entire show away now. For those who do not wish to know anything about La Nouba, please skip the bulleted lines. * The beginning of the show has somewhat changed. The Festival of Characters that begins the spectacle was augmented with an accordion, instead of the sound of a lone trumpet. While this did not take away from the spectacle of the many characters parading before us, the accordion did seem out of place and took away from the subtle yet poignant sound that opens La Nouba. * The Fastrack, which is as great as ever, features the four Les Cons - the nuttiest and funniest set of characters Cirque has ever produced - who took to pounding on drums and cymbals to augment the flying acrobats as they jumped their way down the track. (I believe I saw this the last time too, and it had slipped my mind, but still worth mentioning). * The Singers. All eyes (and ears!) were on the singers this night, at least for Paul and myself. This was the first time either of us had seen the show since Dessy and O'Neill left. Naturally, there was a lot of trepidation on our parts regarding the new singers. While Dessy and O'Neill are hard acts to follow, the two who took their place have taken up the gauntlet left by their predecessors and made the show their own. The male singer was as awesome as O'Neill with a wide range of vocals. The female singer - an African American female - filled Dessy's shoes brilliantly; through her range, while adequate, seemed pressed. All in all, the new singers pass with flying colors. * Another new cleaning lady was present. Boy, they sure go through them, don't they? One thing I didn't like about this cleaning lady was that she did not care to go through the "marching motions" that pushes her off stage in the first place. She just walked off... Yet even through we saw La Nouba, the entire weekend really centered around seeing Quidam in Miami. Paul and I had been anticipating this day for weeks -- no months, and in less than 12 hours the lights would dim, the music would come up and Karl, John and Zoë would run amok on stage. If all went to plan, it would be the first time either of us saw Quidam live. Sure, we'd watched the DVD with fascination, but with the troupe in Europe, we never thought we'd be privileged enough to actually get to see the show. Weeks beforehand Paul ordered tickets for Quidam while I handled the front row engagement for La Nouba, so everything worked out. Our journey to Miami from Orlando that Saturday was a four hour tour. (Sing with me.. "A Four Hour Tour... a Four Hour Tour..."). It rained the whole way down but that didn't dampen our spirits. Those were kept afloat by listening to Cirque music on the entire journey - compilations from all the shows, then Mystère live. In fact, they lifted even more once we saw the new Blue and Yellow swirled big top sitting by the bayside. This image was beautifully accompanied with the final celebratory chords of Mystère's "Finale". We pulled into a parking space not far away from the big top set up at Bicentennial Park. Since we had plenty of time, we walked across the busy street (Biscayne Boulevard) to a place called Bayside - an outdoor shopping and dining area. We had something to eat at a Hard Rock Cafe and by the time it became 7:00pm, we bore the wind that had picked up and high-tailed it over to the big-top. There Paul and I purchased hundreds in Cirque merchandise (okay, so I'm exaggerating); like new Quidam programmes, the new Quidam CD with 2 extra tracks, and a few other Quidam knickknacks. Within a half-hour, it was finally time to enter the big- top. As we were about to enter the big top, through Door Number 1 (as it were), I stopped and turned to Paul. "Relish this moment my friend," said I, "We are about to see Quidam!" The two of us probably looked strange paused outside the big-top doorway, but we didn't care. After reflecting on the journey undertook so far, we stepped in. "Oh Yeah!" Paul exclaimed as we neared the top of the stairs that would eventually lead us down to our seats. The tracks from Quidam's ceiling were clearly visible and once we peeked over the bodies of people ahead of us, the stage came into view. It looked just like it was supposed to. Mom and Dad's chair were there. The door that would admit Quidam, John and Karl into this realm were present. There was even a weird looking radio gleaming in the intense light provided by the stagehands above. Everything was as it should be, except for John! For a while, he didn't show up but when he did, the crowd roared. Just as for most of the European Tour, the character known as "John" was played by Mark Ward (formerly of Mystère (1993-1998)). His radiant energy filled the big-top like no other (except, perhaps, John Gilkey himself!). And, like John Gilkey's "John", he was dressed in a purple suit and armed with comedic genius. He played with the audience, stealing their popcorn at times, and even having a few of the Generic people of Quidam come take an audience member away! During the pre-show (as many fans like to call it), Mark walked by our choice seats many times. "Hey Mark!" I yelped as the follicly challenged character dressed in purple passed by my seat. He proceeded to pass me, but but only by a couple of steps. Ah-ha! I had his attention. He turned then, upon hearing his real name, and gave me this confused looking smile and a raise of an eyebrow - kind of like Spock in Star Trek when he's surprised by something fascinating and unexpected. Little did I know that particular meeting wouldn't be our last. After a few minutes of torture (to those not in the know), he returned on stage where he began to fiddle with the radio left there. As in history past, it played such tunes as Kumbalawé from Saltimbanco, the title track from Alegría (which "John" heaved over) and an explosive track from Nouvelle Expérience. Finally fed up with the selection, he turned and began to welcome us to the big top. The usual restraints were given: No Smoking, No Flash photography, No Filming of Any kind, and the like. Nothing new there. And then, the big top became silent. A buzz filled the air. "Ladies and Gentlemen... Quidam!" The show from there went off without a hitch. I would, however, like to highlight the changes seen from the DVD version of the show (from Amsterdam): * Zoë, unfortunately not played by Audrey Brisson-Jutras (as we well knew it wouldn't be... but it couldn't hurt to dream), was masterfully played by a new singer: Gabrielle Cloutier. Dressed in a classy Red Dress, she danced, hopped and did everything to capture her parents' attention. * It was nice to see Karl Bauman back as "Karl", reclaiming his namesake character. The character had been known as Fritz and Target throughout the European Tour, as new actors and actresses played the part. * John was... John. Doing his thing. All the pieces seen on the DVD were there: The Ring Balancing, the Hoola Hoop, the Dart and the Coat Rack. Mark Ward masterfully played the character. It didn't matter whether he was John Gilkey or not! The only difference from Mark's "John" and John's "John" came in the Coat Rack Dance - Mark doesn't juggle! * Les Macloma, the clowns, were inspirational! Only appearing one time on the DVD, I wasn't sure how these bizarre clowns were going to fit in but I have to say I enjoyed every appearance! Their last one, however, had to be the funniest of them all: playing musical notes on balloons! * Elena Lev did not perform (see the News & Rumors section on why). Her performance was replaced by the Juggler, the secondary act performed by a lone man using red colored soccer balls. * Isabelle Chassé! Yes, she performed and her performance was simply amazing. Those ghostly characters that accompany her from the rafters gave me the willies. Neither Paul nor myself wanted this amazing show to come to a close, but two and a half hours later, the Generics revealed themselves and the show came to an end. The crowd gave a standing ovation, as usual, and made their way out slowly. Paul and I, however, remained in our seats. We wanted to hold on to the experience of Quidam for as long as possible. After a few long minutes, the big-top cleared out all for a group next to us. These people caught the ushers attention. "I'm sorry ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the bigtop." I could see then that a few stagehands had hopped up on stage and were preparing to put the set to sleep for the night. "Oh we're with Chris," one of the ladies in the group said to the usher. And the usher left. Unbeknownst to us, Chris Lashua, who performed his amazing single German Wheel Act, was standing right next to us. We didn't even see him walk by! It was strange to see him there, actually, because he didn't have his signature stringy blond hair! It was cut short and dark! Not wanting to hang around there, we decided to see if we couldn't get closer to the stage. Sure enough, we made it down there without anyone noticing us (I think they thought we were with the Chris Lashua party too). After a while, he took them on a backstage tour. I wish we could have made it backstage - I could imagine the clowns wandering about, the Banquine artists flipping in the air in practice, or even a few artists packing it up for the evening. But, as we were about to turn away, I placed my hand down on the Quidam stage. The event wasn't filled with any words or fanfare... it was simply a gesture to bring closure to the evening. La Nouba was my first Cirque du Soleil show but Quidam was the first Cirque show I had music for. I envisioned the show from the music (sometimes correctly, sometimes not) but it was always Quidam over all other shows that I had most wanted to see. Finally it had come to be. The stage was rather cold, I remarked to myself. It brought me out of the daze I was in since the show had ended. After a few more seconds of just holding my hand there, I removed it and turned to leave when standing there next to us was Mark Ward! Neither of us had heard him come up and before long we got to chatting about the show, his turn in Mystère and the filming of Quidam (with him stuck in the Quidam suit). We asked for his autograph and he graciously accepted. "You know Mark, that was me calling your name out there." "Oh yeah?" Mr. Ward said, as he bent down to sign my newly acquired Quidam 2002 NAT programme. "Usually everyone just calls me John, because of my character name. But when I heard my own name I was surprised. I tried to ignore it but it just surprised me." I was amazed he even remembered. We shook hands, talked a bit more than parted ways. Paul and I left the confines of the bigtop in high spirits. The four- hour drive back we had planned for the evening (now being 11:15am) seemed easy. The Cirque-y Weekend came to a close with a bang, instead of a whimper. Thanks to all Cirque employees that made La Nouba and Quidam such an enjoyable experience! ==================================================================== THE CIRQUE CONNECTION: "CIRQUE DU EBAY" (By: Kimba Barton) ==================================================================== Step right up folks to the world's favorite online auction! You can buy or sell almost anything but livestock on ebay, including trains, planes and automobiles. But what do we want to look for? Cirque du Soleil items, of course! My entire Cirque collection, save a few gifts, was purchased on ebay, and I was able to acquire a few items CdS was no longer selling (at least at the time). You can find any of the Cirques videos, DVDs and CDs on ebay, but it is even more fun to look for rare items. Old programs, T-shirts, and press kits are among these, but occasionally, a Cirque employee will sell some really exclusive stuff. You can look on ebay without having an account, but if you want to buy or sell, you'll need to sign up. As with any auction- it is "Buyer Beware". Some people advertise falsely, and others simply do not know what they have. Some 'exclusive' items are not all that exclusive. You are able to ask the seller questions, and I advise doing this before buying anything. The key sometimes is the search. As I mentioned, some people don't know what they have. I usually start by typing in "Cirque" in the search box. This way I'll see almost any listed CdS item, plus some that are not. You could also try "circus", but you'll get about 90 pages to look through instead of 10. You can also get very specific in your search. Most experienced sellers will list the item several ways so it comes up in more than one search. Auctions run for 3, 7 or 10 days and the seller can include a "Buy It Now" option. The seller sets the bid increments and can set a reserve price as well as shipping charges and methods of payment. There are several strategies to bidding, but that is beyond the scope of this article. (Besides, I'm not giving mine away!) Ebay is helpful if you have questions. I walked myself through without much help at all, and ebay adds new features from time to time. The important thing is--KNOW WHEN TO STOP. I know people that get so caught up in the bidding, they end up paying way more than they should for something they don't need. I also know a few people that buy this n'that very cheap, but are writing $1500 in checks a month for all of it. So do be careful and don't get addicted. Here are some of our favorite Cirque du Soleil items recently seen or purchased on ebay: - Original Saltimbanco Program - Saltimbanco Sleeveless Sweatshirt - Pewter Le Baron - 1985 Show program, in French - 1986 ("Le Magie Continue") Show Program - Le Cirque Réinventé CD; original release 1987 - Fascination! Program - Alegría Live in Fairfax (A Special Cirque Employee Issued CD) - Saltimbanco Live Recording, Employee Christmas Issued - Bottle of wine given to Cirque employees for the New Year with a note in French and English - Special Saltimbanco Program with insert of performers autographs - The Complete "O" Promotional Video Thanks to Ricky Russo, Lynn Nakayama and Paul Roberts for sharing their ebay purchases with me! ==================================================================== BEYOND THE BIG TOP: "CIRQUE AND WALLPAPER... HUH!?" (By: Keith Johnson) ==================================================================== Wallpaper is not something that immediately springs to mind when one thinks of Cirque du Soleil. But that hasn't stopped Seabrook Wallcoverings, Inc. from creating wallcovering designs "mystic and unique, inspired by the movements and grace of the human body" under the name of Cirque du Soleil. Well, that's not really the total truth. Seabook only distributes the Cirque book, they didn't create or manufacture it. The credit actually goes to a Toronto Canada firm, Blue Mountain Wallcovering, who employed a designer who goes under the moniker of Tzaddi!, Llc. ("Tzaddi" actually means "fish hook" in Hebrew, and is an important term in Tantric yoga, being the path leading between the second (Ego/Territorial) and the fourth (Sexual) brain circuits. For what it's worth. Anyway...) The book "Cirque du Soleil Collection, Volume A; A Fantastic Journey" is distributed by Seabook to accounts and designers nationwide. I was able to find a copy in my local Home Depot in their "Contemporary" section. It's 250 pages (originally released June 2001, and available until approx. June 2003) are an interesting experiment in graphically presenting some of the feeling and emotions of Cirque. The front cover is impressive, a Cirque performer in full regalia, and proclaims enigmatically "spirit and body, shadow and light, between earth and sky I tumble, spinning arabesques, kaleidoscope fantasy." All of the samples inside are pre-pasted, washable, peelable paper-backed vinyl. The book is being marketed and promoted mostly to upscale designers, for use in homes of people who might have a bit more money to spend than, well, me. There are seven "series" or "groups" of designs in the book, with each series having between 4 and 7 sets of "coordinates" each (a coordinate is two or more wallpapers that coordinate with each other in color or design). While its impossible to properly convey what the designs look like, here's a quick summary: KINETIC - 8 coordinates - A mélange of lines with no real shapes or shadows. The words "Invoke" and "Provoke" are incorporated within. The paper comes in gold, green, or blue/gold. The picture on the introductory frontplate features performers from "O." FUSION - 4 coordinates - Done with Japanese-style brush strokes, with the strokes depicting human figures such as dancers and acrobats. The words "Fusion" and "Cirque", appear throughout. Very oriental looking. Available in silver/gold/white, dark green, gold, and dark red. FREEDOM - 5 coordinates - Swirling circular images. Available in orange, red/green, blue green, green/purple, and yellow/light green. TRANQUILITY - 5 coordinates - This has an aquatic feel, looking like light filtered through water. It has a thick wavy line zig-zagging through the pattern and borders. The frontplate picture also features performers from "O." Available in blue/green/gold, dark blue, and rust red. NOBLESSE - 7 coordinates - Has a cloud-like feel, with a tree-like squiggle throughout the pattern. The frontpiece features the Sprites from "Alegría." Available in red/purple, yellow/purple, and blue/rust red. WISDOM - 4 coordinates - Here is imagery reminiscent of cave paintings. The borders have leaping and posing character likenesses. The frontpiece features "Mystère." Available in reddish brown and yellow gold. EUPHORIA - 5 coordinates - Features flower images, it has some small figures in the border, and in variations on the wallpaper itself. Available in blue/purple, green/gold and purple. You can see how my attempts at description can't possibly do the designs justice. Like Cirque itself, seeing them is the best way to appreciate this unique product. In addition to multiple colors of wallpaper and borders within each design, the designs also feature upholstery-style fabric! This way an entire room, including the furniture, can be coordinated together. As you might guess, this stuff doesn't come cheap. The wallpaper itself comes in rolls 27" wide by 9 yards long, covering 60 square feet, and with a list price of $68.00 per double roll (you can only buy them in sets of two rolls). The borders vary in width, but cost $34.00 for a 5-yard spool. The fabrics are 72% polyester, 28% cotton blends, 56" wide, and cost $50.00 per yard. Decidedly upscale. (Though the clerk at Home Depot told me that their sale price was, on average, half of the "list price" shown in the catalog. Hmm, that makes it a bit more affordable.) If you'd like to see these wallcoverings for yourself, check out . (choose their "Seabrook Designs" page, then select "Cirque du Soleil", there are several sample pages there.) Or, call 800- 238-9152 to find a distributor near you (be aware, their database is strictly based on zip code so have several handy. Some of their larger national accounts include Rodda Paint, Sherwin Williams paint stores, Lowe's, and Home Depot.) An interesting note is that there is no mention I could find of this product on the Cirque Official website. You might think that if Cirque was trying to "expand their brand" by licensing their imagery into other markets, they would be trumpeting this through their own communications. Then again, if all they're doing is receiving a licensing fee for their images, it might be up to the manufacturer to "get the word out." By the way, we've just found out that several of the Cirque patterns have been chosen to adorn some new sets being built for the daytime soap opera "Days of our Lives." They haven't hit the screen just yet, if we get news of their debut we'll let you know. ==================================================================== LE SPECTATEUR: "BEHIND THE SCENES OF JOURNEY OF MAN" (By: Jen Waldman) ==================================================================== "Thank Goodness I still buy VHS" DVD is great. The picture, sound quality, and of course "extras" offered make for a great experience. So naturally, I do not own a DVD player. Most of the time, this means I miss out on all of those extras that DVD-owners love. But recently, the tables were turned. When Journey of Man first came out on VHS and DVD, most of the people who reviewed the DVD were disappointed by the lack of extras--there were only the standard Cirque du Soleil trailers included. A few months later, I received the Journey of Man video. A sticker on the box declared in big letters "Includes Behind-the-Scenes Featurette!" What?! My lowly VHS version includes an "extra" that was NOT on the DVD? Amazing! So-- here is my review of "behind-the scenes" for those people who do not have this featurette, and for those people who do not own the movie at all. Before the actual Journey of Man feature proper, there are some movie trailers. The first trailer is not for Cirque du Soleil at all. It is for the Chinese movie "The Road Home" and contains no dialogue, just music. Unlike many movie trailers today that tell you what the movie is all about (so you don't have to see it), the trailer for "The Road Home" does not give many clues about the plot. But it is lovely, using only images and music to entice us to see a film about which we know nothing. Clever. The second trailer is for the Saltimbanco tour. It is narrated by a deep, echoing voice that sounds as though it may belong to Rene Bazinet. It also features a brief clip of the corde lisse act, which is not shown in the video version. It is a very short clip, but a good one. Then comes an advertisement for the Dralion video. Not the tour, just the video. It has a narrator, some critic's blurbs superimposed on the film...fairly standard stuff, really. Not an imaginative trailer at all. Last but not least is a trailer for the Quidam video. There is the standard narration, the kind that just gushes about how great the show is. (It is a good show, don't get me wrong. The narration was merely uninspiring). The music underscoring in the trailer does not seem to be from Quidam. It is actually a little like the Trampoline music from Nouvelle Experience. The choice of non-Quidam music is interesting, as is a little "negative image" of the finale that is flashed up on the screen for a moment. Not an amazing trailer, but a solid one. As Journey of Man itself was reviewed in past issues of "Fascination!", let us skip now to the Behind-the-Scenes featurette at the end. The featurette is only 6 minutes long, but it fills the entire six minutes with the sort of things one would want from a "behind-the-scenes" showing: interviews, discussions about the logistics of filming Cirque on IMAX, off-camera silliness...the list goes on. A longer featurette would have been wonderful, but they crammed a lot into the 6 minute time frame. The featurette is sort of a documentary/advertisement. It has a narrator who sets up each section and also does the "coming soon to a theatre near you" voiceovers. For this reason, one can assume that the featurette was not made for the video, but for a theatrical trailer release. We begin with a shot of a Banquine acrobat filming the camera (and us) with a small palmcorder. Nice. The featurette includes brief interviews with actors and production crew alike. Peter Wagg, the producer and co-writer of the film, states that the IMAX production team is trying to "raise the bar" of IMAX in order to draw more attention to large- format filmmaking and Cirque du Soleil was the best way to do that. Brian Dewhurst (the Old Man) states that he thinks the large format "brings the public right into the circus." Other people interviewed include the director Keith Melton; Reed Smoot, the director of Photography; Co-producers Antoine Compin and Chris Horton; Boris Verkhovsky, the Banquine coach; Warren Conley, the Bungee coach; project manager Andre Ducas; and cast members Chris van Wagenen (Youth) and Mikhail Matorin (Cube Man). Three acts are highlighted in the featurette: the Banquine, the Bungees, and the Cube Man. The Banquine segment explains how the performers have to work on a marble floor with no mats, and though this is dangerous for them, they ask for retake after retake when they are not satisfied with their performance. The Banquine was partially restaged and re-choreographed from the Quidam original in order to "flow" better for the film. Other points of interest are the clips of the acrobats warming up and marking through tricky portions of the Banquine such as the towers and pyramids. The Bungees segment is comparatively short. In it, the interviewed people proclaim that it is the best version of the act that they have seen, and how pleased they are that the acrobats are not limited by a ceiling. The props and scenery people set the scene by adding brush and moving plants, and bungee artists practice in full costume, makeup, baseball caps and fleece jackets. This segment is the disappointment of the featurette because nothing is said about how the bungee cords are rigged into the redwoods, or what sort of work is going into the scene. The last segment is the Cube Man, Mikhail Matorin. In the middle of the night, in the middle of the desert, Matorin is preparing to fly toward and over the large camera--only the wind is too strong. Chris Van Wagenen and Brian Felton explain how everyone is at the mercy of Nature and can only wait. "Why do something easy when you can do something difficult?" A very good segment. At the end, the Old Man does a little dance and walks hand in hand with the children, and the narrator invites us to come along for the Journey of Man. It's a solid featurette. Again, a longer one would have been appreciated, but the 6 minutes that are shown are worth it. And if you want to see the Flounes goofing off, the Child hanging in mid-air and teasing the cast, and if you would like to hear what the Youth's voice sounds like... don't get rid of your VCR just yet. ==================================================================== FROM THE BOTIQUE: "UP FOR GRABS..." (By: Ricky Russo) ==================================================================== Believe it or not, Cirque du Soleil has produced and licensed some interesting pieces for fans to collect. From bronze statues costing thousands of dollars to masks representing Mystère, Saltimbanco, Alegría and Dralion. While wandering around the Boutique here in Orlando after the La Nouba performance on Friday (2/22/02), I noticed a few changes and a couple of new items that every Cirque fan should own. Firstly, the La Nouba boutique is selling the newly released video's and DVDs from Columbia/Tri Star, as well as other previously released DVDs again. The titles are: Quidam, Saltimbanco, Dralion, Journey of Man, Baroque Odyssey, Alegría: Le Film and Inside La Nouba. Absent from this list were Nouvelle Experience, Le Cirque Réinventé, and Le Magie Continue, which surprised me. The Cirque boutique did not sell or display the fact that there was a new Quidam CD available (nor did they have it for sale) but all the other CDs were still prominently displayed. Again, there were a couple absent: Mystère (not the Live CD, but the 1994 studio CD), Nouvelle Experience and Le Cirque Réinventé. Is Cirque embarrassed about its older shows again? Despite some of the omissions, I was inspired when I found a unique little item called a Relic Costume Ball. You might have heard about them (as I believe they were available at Christmas) but this had been the first time I'd seen them (or paid them any attention). These glass balls are called Faerie Rounds and the story behind them is as follows: "Did you know that faeries have a habit of collecting Everything? They consider small, colorful scraps of paper extremely tantalizing and price, above all, those precious bits adorned with calligraphy. They have been known to spend hours trying to figure out what the writing says... they don't speak our language, you see. These precious scraps of paper are suspended temptingly inside a delicate glass ball, creating an attractive ornament..." And that's exactly what Cirque du Soleil, in cooperation with Holly Dean (the designer), have done. They have turned these Faerie Rounds into Relic Costume Balls, filled with scraps of costume cloth, sparkles, pictures of the La Nouba cast (the one I saw for Quidam had pictures of the Quidam cast) and a special message in calligraphic writing. They are simply amazing! You can order these special ornaments from the La Nouba boutique only (for La Nouba) and at the Quidam big top (for Quidam only) as they are not available online or anywhere else other than within the big top's merchandise tent. For more information on the designer, please visit Holly Dean's website at: < http://www.hollydean.ca/ >. And for more specific information on the Faerie Rounds, visit: < http://www.igs.net/~greyweather/faeround.htm#anchor1819442 >. ==================================================================== PARTING QUOTE ==================================================================== "Will I ever have the courage of my imagination?" - Quidam ==================================================================== NEXT ISSUE... ==================================================================== Quidam is definitely a one-of-a-kind experience, but next issue we'll take a look at another: Saltimbanco. A classic in its own right, Saltimbanco has been continuously staged since 1992 and is Cirque's oldest - still performing - show to date. We'll take a look at the show from its beginnings through to its new European Tour. Also on the agenda for next issue is a preview of Cirque 2002, Cirque's new show set to debut in Montreal on April 24, 2002. Don't miss our next issue! Thank you for reading! Please tell us what you think! Email us at either richasi@azlance.com or the Yahoo Groups email address: CirqueFascination-owner@yahoogroups.com. We do listen and are anxious to hear your comments! ==================================================================== SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ==================================================================== This is a monthly newsletter, published the first of each month available only through subscription. To unsubscribe, please send an email to: < CirqueFascination- unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com >. If you would like to re-subscribe in the future, you can do that automatically by emailing: < CirqueFascination-subscribe@yahoogroups.com >. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at: richasi@azlance.com. ==================================================================== COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ==================================================================== The "Fascination! Newsletter" is Copyright (c) 2002, by Ricky Russo and is a product of the Fascination! Cirque du Soleil Fan club and its writers. No portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, posted to any website, mailing list, published, or translated without the consent of the Fascination! Newsletter staff. 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.