======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.CirqueFascination.com ------------------------------------------------------------ ======================================================================= VOLUME 18, NUMBER 2 February 2018 ISSUE #169 ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. Let's jump right in, shall we? * * * PAN's LABRYNTH BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?!? * * * In a recent interview with Bilboard Magazine, Argentine singer- songwriter Gustavo Santaolalla discusses releasing a revamped version of his 1982 hit "Compañeros del Sendero." He then goes on to tell the magazine about the current state of his projects. Here's where you'll want to pay attention: "The Arrabal show spent a month playing in Boston, always packed and to great reviews, so we've been working to take it to New York in 2018. I've finished working on the music of the Cirque Du Soleil show based on Pan's Labyrinth, and we are currently searching for a director. UM... WHAT?! * * * MORE FROM THE RUMOR MILL * * * Although it's not been made official (as in, there's been no official announced from Cirque du Soleil), by now it's no secret that Cirque is working to bring one of its classic shows back under the Big Top. It's also no real secret what that show is: AL-E-GRIA! Speculation abounds about its premiere date of course, but I believe we might see its relaunch in April 2019 to celebrate the show's 25th Anniversary, which would also be Cirque du Soleil's 35th Anniversary. But we'll see. Remember it's not official until Cirque announces it so this may change at any time! In Late December, Criss Angel announced his intention to close his show - Mindfreak Live! - at the Luxor Las Vegas this coming October. We knew Cirque was working on a replacement show, and an article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal not long after Angel's announcement mentioned the new concept would be an "entirely new avenue of performance" for the company. Now the LVRJ is saying a bit more: the new production would feature, at least in part, top BMX athletes. "Cirque Senior Vice President Jerry Nadal has confirmed no traditional Cirque acrobats in the new show, which has never toured and is fully unique to Las Vegas." Hmm... Rumor rumblings suggest this new concept is going to be more of a stunt-type show. What that actually means is anyone's guess, but it's clear that Cirque du Soleil is daring to be different this time around in Las Vegas. Whether that'll lead to success is also anyone's guess. There's plenty of time for things to change, so stay tuned! And speaking of change... it's clear that VOLTA's DVD has been put on hiatus for the time being and we can only speculate that Cirque is holding onto the DVD pending upcoming changes to the show. It's a prudent move really considering the company filmed and released TORUK-The First Flight very early on and then made some acrobatic changes to the show not long thereafter. Rumors are circulating that VOLTA is about to undergo similar changes (this time a more severe re-working than Toruk received), which would make the VOLTA DVD moot. Considering the recording doesn't represent the show as it exists now, with more drastic change rumored to be coming soon, one has to wonder if anyone would recognize the recording as VOLTA. That doesn't mean I wouldn't want to see it though, okay Cirque? Clean the cobwebs off your On-Demand page and put it up there? An article in MDC (a Spanish-language Event Planners Magazine) has Noted that The Celebrate Project – the Cirque du Soleil Theme Park & Resort project in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – is having its opening delayed yet again from 2019/2020 to 2021/2022. There’s yet more to this delay... Inquiring minds want to know: what happened to Cirque 2018? With Cirque du Soleil putting out a number of crew casting calls just as our December issue was going to print, this little title came out of nowhere to surprise us all. Rumors gave the show an India-based theme (Bollywood comes to mind of course), and a premiere sometime in Montreal. However, since the initial flare-up about this new production, we’ve heard little since. Historically we’d hear about a new production slated to premiere in Montreal during the traditional time frame (April) by now. Tickets would be on sale if nothing else. But so far nothing, which lends credence to the other part of the show’s rumor: that this show for India will premiere and tour exclusively there. As always we’ll have to wait and see. * * * POLSTAR's 2017 YEAR END FIGURES ARE IN * * * POLSTAR's 2017 Year-End figures are in and live music continues to demonstrate its growing popularity, making 2017 a record-crushing year for the concert business. The Top 100 Worldwide Tours alone generated a record $5.65 billion in revenues. That represents a huge, 15.8% increase over the previous year. The total tickets sold by the Top 100 was also a record at 66.79 million. That's up a remarkable 10.4% over 2016. And it was all done with a record average ticket price of $84.63, which is an increase of $3.97, or nearly 5%. U2 did the highest grossing tour worldwide at $316 million and the band's North American segment also topped that chart at $176.1 million. There were 11 tours that generated more than $100 million worldwide as compared to seven tours in 2016. The most successful artists are clearly getting better at recapturing some of the revenue that had leaked into the secondary ticket market. The importance of the growing global concert market is readily evident in an examination of the top 20 venues on the Arena Ticket Sales chart. Only seven are located in the U.S. while five were from the U.K., including The O2 London at No. 1. Two are in Mexico, and there's one each in Germany, Spain, Canada, France, Netherlands, and Belgium. Live Nation was by far the world's largest concert promoter and reported to Pollstar a record 52.5 million tickets sold around the globe. AEG was again a solid No. 2 among promoters reporting 14.4 million tickets sold. OCESA/CIE was No. 3 at about 4 million tickets. SJM was the top U.K. based promoter with nearly 2.4 million tickets sold. So, how did Cirque du Soleil shows do in 2017? World Gross Show AVG Tix AVG Tix Total AVG Cities Rank in Mil Title Price Sold Tix Sold Gross / Shows -------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 $61.8 Kurios $80.66 15,324 766,179 $1,236,000 50/411 28 $60.1 Luzia $84.89 14,448 707,975 $1,226,531 49/403 29 $60.0 Toruk $79.38 24,393 756,191 $1,936,367 31/169 35 $54.2 Ovo $72.52 16,986 747,380 $1,231,818 44/308 41 $48.2 Amaluna $79.97 15,848 602,239 $1,267,336 38/290 47 $41.8 Varekai $61.99 16,458 674,764 $1,020,282 41/282 50 $39.7 Kooza $85.41 12,232 464,816 $1,044,737 38/293 59 $35.9 Volta $74.66 16,042 481,274 $1,197,760 30/246 -------------------------------------------------------------------- $401.7 Million Gross 5,200,818 Tickets Sold * * * LUNA PETUNIA: SEASON FOUR * * * It seems like only yesterday we were reporting that Season Three of SABAN and Cirque du Soleil Media's animated show began airing on Netflix (it was back in December's issue), and now Season Four is streaming on NETFLIX as of February 2nd, but there's a catch. It's not called Luna Petunia Season Four... it's Season One of Luna Petunia: Return to Amazia. "Luna Petunia returns to magical Amazia to add memories to her scrapbook with help from her old pals and a new friend from the Animal Empire - Macy the monkeyphant!" Each episode is 24 minutes long and, as in previous seasons, each contain two segments for you or your young ones to enjoy. The new episodes are: 1. "Macy's Memorable Morning" / "The Color Catastrophe" Luna and her friends work hard to make Macy's first trip to Amazia memorable. Macy learns the importance of listening to instructions. 2. "Fumble Cat" / "Sammy Gets A Big Head" Fellino's Tumble Cat cousin, Catalina, is afraid to be herself. Sammy's ego gets carried away when he's named the funniest person in Amazia. 3. "Keep Calm and Karoo On" / "Runaway Tree" Karoo's so excited for Amazia's annual Harvest Festival that he can't calm down. Macy learns the difference between indoor and outdoor voices. 4. "Warm and Fuzzling" / "Gift Horse" Luna and her friends work together to take care of nine busy fuzzling babies. Amazia's magic turns Karoo's new toy into a real-life runaway horse! 5. "What a Racquet" / "Petunia Sitter" Luna and her friends teach competitive pals that winning isn't everything. The team searches for a new petunia when the portal starts to wilt. * * * IN THE ISSUE * * * We continue our look back at classic show critiques with reviews of Quidam from 1996 and 1997. The following are two quotes from The Montreal Gazette and La Presse at the time Quidam premiered to whet your appetite for more! "As Quidam enters, he hands his blue bowler hat to a little girl, whose parents suddenly ascend skyward in their chairs. The next three hours of acrobatics are thus framed as childhood fantasy with a surrealistic edge. (...) Quidam focuses with microscopic intensity on individual acts. Less can truly be more. Even in the circus biz." – The Montréal Gazette "The ninth production of the Cirque du Soleil is clearly the most theatrical, most beautiful an perhaps most melancholy in the history of this marvellous circus. (...) This story of man’s search for his place in an evolving world is magnificently illustrated with circus acts combining performance skill, poetry, choreography, music and dreams." -- La Presse, Montréal Last, but certainly not least, congratulations are in order to all at CRYSTAL. They celebrated their 100th performance on February 4th. And to the team behind the 3D VR Experience “Through the Masks of LUZIA”. The experience was nominated for a Canadian Screen Awards – “2018 Best Immersive Experience”! Okay, so let's go! /----------------------------------------------------\ | | | Join us on the web at: | | < www.cirquefascination.com > | | | | At CirqueCast: | | < http://www.cirquecast.com/ > | | | | Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): | | < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > | | | \----------------------------------------------------/ - Ricky "Richasi" Russo =========== CONTENTS =========== o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings * La Presse -- General News & Highlights * Q&A -- Quick Chats & Press Interviews o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau * Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets * Webseries -- Official Online Featurettes * Videos -- Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds o) Fascination! Features * "We're Off and Running - A Series of Classic Critiques" Part 10 of 16: Quidam, Part 1 (1996-1997) By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= *************************************************************** LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights *************************************************************** ------------------------------------------------------- Snapchat Launches Exclusive KÀ ‘The Valet' Lens {Jan.09.2018} ------------------------------------------------------- Known for its epic battles and breathtaking martial arts, KÀ by Cirque du Soleil invites Snapchatters to take the stage and debut their inner performer with the launch of a brand-new Snapchat selfie Lens, available nationwide beginning January 9, 2018 at 12am PST for a limited time. In conjunction with the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Snapchatters nationwide can virtually partake in the dynamic action by transforming into ‘The Valet' characters from the captivating acrobatic production. A first in Cirque du Soleil history, KÀ by Cirque du Soleil has partnered with Snapchat on a custom Lens that can be used with a friend to animate Snapchatters' faces and transport users directly into the battle of a lifetime. Check out the KÀ performers using the new Snapchat Lens: http://bit.ly/2D9bvyo How to try on the new Valet-themed Lens in Snapchat: 1) Download the latest version of Snapchat in the App Store or Google Play Store. 2) Open Snapchat to the camera screen. 3) With the camera in selfie mode, tap on a Snapchatter's face to activate the Lens carousel. 4) Swipe over and select the Lens with ‘The Valet' mask. Try it on by yourself or with a friend and have fun Snapping! { SOURCE: Snapchat } ------------------------------------------------------- Cirque Eschews Acrobats in Next LV Production? {Jan.13.2018} ------------------------------------------------------ There are some certainties in Cirque du Soleil's largely abstract world. One is that Criss Angel's "Mindfreak Live!" production closes at Luxor Oct. 28. And there won't be another Cirque-produced magic show taking its place. We've always expected Cirque shows to highlight acrobatics, the "circus" theme of the company's very title… but not so fast. The next production Cirque stages on the Strip will be devoid of the very acrobatics that made the company the dominant production vehicle in the city. "We are working on a new show concept with MGM Resorts, brand-new for the Luxor, and an entirely new avenue for the company," Cirque du Soleil Senior Vice President Jerry Nadal said Thursday at Mandalay Bay, following a preview of a scene from the "One Night for One Drop" charity show set for March 2 at the Michael Jackson One Theater. "No magic, and no acrobats. This is an entirely new avenue of performance for us." Nadal declined to say what "avenue" is being pursued. Cirque has expanded its roster of production shows by acquiring also at and is producing the NFL Experience multimedia and performance attraction in Times Square in New York. The company also combined acrobats and proper musical theater with "Paramour," which closed in April after a yearlong run at Lyric Theater in New York. "We have seven shows in Las Vegas, and eight if you count Blue Man Group, on the Strip, and our challenge is to try to differentiate them," Nadal said. "We need to look at what's next for Cirque," Nadal said, adding that much depends on the company's ownership group, headed up by TPG Capital, which purchased the company from founder Guy Laliberté for $1.5 billion in April 2015. "When our new owners came in, they said, ‘We didn't buy you for what you have been or what you are, we bought you for what you can become.' And that is a global, live entertainment leader." Nadal added that the company is in "growth mode," beyond its purchase of Blue Man Group, a Strip hit since 2000. Cirque has developed an ice-themed production, "Crystal," which premieres in Montreal in December and plays San Diego on March 21-25 (and don't rule out frozen water as a theme for the new Luxor show, either). "We are looking at whatever new product is out there, and we have creative minds that are always looking to branch out," Nadal said. But he emphasized that the company is not seeking to snap up another successful production on the Strip, similar to its purchase of the Blue Men. Asked if Cirque might make a move on existing show on the Strip, Nadal said, "No, not that we're looking at now." "One Night for One Drop," which helps raise money and awareness for Cirque's international water-conversation initiatives, is being staged for the second time at the Michael Jackson One Theater. That venue was selected about a year ago, announced just after the 2017 show at Theater at New York-New York. Though not planned, the show should give a boost to stagnant business at Mandalay Bay after the Oct. 1 shootings at Route 91 Harvest festival. "The show will put the spotlight on Mandalay Bay, and it's been tough on this end of the Strip after Oct. 1," Nadal said. "But we're having big event here for a big cause, and it will put the name of the property back in a positive light. It wasn't planned that way, of course, but we are really happy about that." { SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal | https://goo.gl/MEstpV } ------------------------------------------------------ Where is he now? - Bill Shannon {Jan.16.2018} ------------------------------------------------------ Bill Shannon's artistry can vary movement to movement, even moment to moment. He glides, he skates, he dances. He choreographs and performs for theater and on the street. He breaks boundaries with video installations. It's a list that's varied and unique and one that caught the attention of Chicago-based United States Artists, which has made him one of 45 fellows chosen to receive $50,000. Mr. Shannon received recognition in the dance category. Dance doesn't quite say it all, though. "What I do is interdisciplinary in nature. I'm known for this virtuosic dance performance on crutches and a skateboard and for urban street style dance performances. But the work that I am doing and I think the reason USA Artists recognized my work was for dance and a lot of sociological street-performance material." The United States Artists press release describes the 47-year-old East Ender as "a conceptual, interdisciplinary performance and media artist who creates solo and group choreographies, wearable sculpture, video installation and performance art for galleries, theaters and the street." He has been a Guggenheim Fellow for dance and a Foundation for Contemporary Art Award Fellow for Performance, as well as an aerial choreographer for Cirque du Soleil. His video installations have been show at galleries and museums. He also created the touring piece "Traffic," in which the audience follows him on a bus. He is currently working on a design for wearable video masks as a fellow of the Frank-Ratchye Studio For Creative Inquiry at Carnegie Mellon University. Mr. Shannon also has a knack for physical comedy, which he hopes will land him a spot at the New York City Clown Theater Festival. The Kelly Strayhorn Theater, where he has a residency as the Penn Avenue Creative Artist, has been one of his artistic homes. In May, he will premiere a work titled "Touch Update" there. That process began with a national award from the New England Foundation of the Arts to make a new dance piece, and support from the Heinz Endowments and the National Performance Network. "All three of those have contributed to this one project that is having its premiere at the Kelly Strayhorn New Moves Festival," Mr. Shannon said. "[KST executive director] Janera Solomon really advocating for the project is a big part of it, just for their administration to be behind the project." His works tend to flow into each other, he explained, giving as an example that he has created four works "just on the question of can street dance work in the theater?" That, in turn, grew out of his teenage days as a skateboarder and break dancer in the 1980s. "Those cultural sensibilities, along with my disability, are factors that evolved in my work, along with visual art and video installation art," he said. Mr. Shannon uses crutches to alleviate pressure on his hips caused by a disease known as Legg-Calve-Perthes. In his early days as a street performer, he called himself CrutchMaster, a name he would like to forget. He also was the subject of a documentary, "Crutch." His work as an artist is what he wants people to see, and it is what has brought him recognition such as the United States Artists prize. He said he is grateful because there are few awards for the arts "that would be comparable to a year's basic income." When he got the call from Chicago, he at first didn't pick up. It was a strange phone number, and he was on a three-city tour of Australia, lecturing, leading workshops, creating — business as usual for a most unusual artist. { SOURCE: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | https://goo.gl/WvmsSq } ------------------------------------------------------ What's a Trials Phenom to do after Retiring? {Jan.17.2018} ------------------------------------------------------ CHECK OUT THE IMAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ARTICLE: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=11253 > If today were a normal day at work, Lance Trappe would be painting a Cirque du Soleil mask on his face, slipping into his costume, and warming up under the stage with a series of bunny-hops, side hops, and, if he was feeling frisky, a nose-wheelie pirouette. He'd be listening to the live orchestra booming above while four Chinese girls flip those spinning yo-yo things into the rafters. He'd be track- standing on a hydraulic lift as it hoists him above the stage, and giving the audience heart palpitations by bunny-hopping off it. But today he's sitting on the couch, getting over the flu, and wondering what kind of job comes after the best job in the world. La Nouba, a long-running Cirque du Soleil show at Walt Disney World in Orlando, has come to a close after nineteen years. Lance, a member of the cast for 14 years, is now looking for work. "I'm trying to figure out what the heck I'm doing," he says, hanging out with his dog, Scout, and cats Bella and Simba. "That was a one- job-in-the-world deal." Lance was one of the exotic toys coming to life in an attic–the theme of La Nouba. (The show's name is a twist on the French phrase that means "to party.") His character, the "Dark Rider," was a mysterious foil to his playful counterpart, played by Marcos Paulo DeJesus, a Brazilian BMX champ. When he wasn't catapulting himself off props, Lance was bunny-hopping over terrified tourists plucked from the audience and laid down on stage, and tapping their noses with his front wheel. Translate that to a resume bullet point. It's not like he ever had a normal job. Before he joined the Cirque cast in 2003, Lance was a trials pro on Team Volvo Cannondale, another rare job–even rarer today. Now, at 40, he's in the best shape of his life (when pressed, he can zip a blazing-hot lap on the trails at Mt. Dora and Santos). That's what happens when you take three big drops from a 6-foot platform every show, two shows a day, 478 shows a year, for 14 years. (If our math is correct, that means he has plummeted over 40,000 feet in his career. That's around seven miles–greater than the cruising altitude of most commercial flights.) The last show was held on New Year's Eve, the finale of a 12-show week. The show was sold out, and the audience was electric. "It was like being in the Superbowl," he says. "I've actually ridden at a half-time show for the Philadelphia Eagles, but it wasn't even close. The final Cirque audience was ten times louder." So what ARE the options for a world-class circus performer when the show must no longer go on? "A lot have already packed up and driven to Vegas," he says, but it would have to be a pretty impressive job to make him leave Orlando, which is already far enough from his home state of New Jersey. "I'd like to do more stuff riding, but it's all about social media now." He's been building his @lancetrappe Instagram following with short videos of trials playgrounds from construction sites to bike parks. Who knows, it may progress to YouTube, where his good friend and fellow trials phenom Jeff Lenosky has created a following with his Trail Boss channel, which airs how-to videos for riding the most technical trails he can find. So if you hear of any jobs requiring sick trials skills and mediocre face-painting talent (his assessment, not ours), let him know. In the mean time, he'll be riding outside for a change, wherever and whenever he wants–big piles of rocks, huge concrete pipes, an occasional crane or a stack of wood. And enjoying the advancements in bikes that have transpired over the past 14 years. "Gears and a dropper post," he says. "That's a whole new world." { SOURCE: Bike Magazine | https://goo.gl/Pu615v } ------------------------------------------------------ Cirque du Soleil Tapped CSUN Alum for Comedy {Jan.19.2018} ------------------------------------------------------ Stefan Haves '82 (Theatre) wanted to create something universal, something that would be relatable no matter the audience. With that goal in mind, he realized his creation would have to be nonverbal. His answer? Back Man. Haves begins this act by taking a seat on a block. Then, he removes his shoes, dropping each on the floor with a thud. He places his hands at the edge of the block, grabs onto it, takes two quick breaths, and swings his legs back and over his head so his back is facing the audience but his head is hidden — they laugh every time. Then, he pulls down his shirt to reveal two black dots on his back: his new eyes. His transformation is complete — Haves is now Back Man. Haves twists from side to side. Back Man "looks" to the left and then to the right, inspecting his audience. He shrugs. He pounds his fists in frustration — how can he communicate with the audience with no mouth? He raises his finger — he has an idea! He grabs a pen and a notebook and scratches his "head," as he ponders what to write. He thinks he's got it, so he scribbles the idea but rips the paper from the notebook, crumples it and hits himself on the head for thinking of such a silly idea. And then … he's got it! He writes excitedly and turns the notebook to share the message with the audience: "bye." Haves' creativity and love of performance landed him a job as comic act designer for the world-famous Cirque du Soleil, which uses acrobats, dancers, clowns and contortionists to tell stories. One of Cirque du Soleil's most defining characteristics matches Haves' passion: non-language based (or nonverbal) performance. "Non-language based performance is global, not regional," Haves said. "You can go to an improv show [in Los Angeles] and say something about the Kardashians, and everyone is going to laugh, but if I take that same joke to a festival in [another region], that's not going to work. The interesting challenge to physical theatre and non-language based performance is finding out what we can show that will resonate with everybody." Haves has performed his Back Man act internationally, accomplishing his goal and winning $10,000 on the television show America's Funniest People. He also served as a creative consultant for David Shiner's Tony Award-winning silent clown show Fool Moon and created an adaptation of Jack London's novel The Call of the Wild, in which Haves used stilt walkers and masks to portray the tale's humans. Haves, who joined Cirque du Soleil in 2006, said working for the theatre titan is "a dream come true, in that you can say, ‘I want a 500-pound, 30-foot shoe,' and they will build it for you. The [possibilities] are amazing. But, of course, you have to follow through and be good." As a comic act designer and casting partner for clowns and characters, Haves begins his work by working with creators to flush out a storyline as well as visual and musical themes. Once the storyline is finished, the team creates characters which they cast shortly thereafter. Once the cast is finalized, Haves attends meetings and rehearsals until opening day. CSUN Sparked His Passion The path wasn't always clear for Haves. His passion for performance, he said, was ignited during his sophomore year at California State University, Northridge, when he met an inspirational theatre professor. "I was an undeclared major as a sophomore," Haves said. "My teacher, Antonin Hodek, was amazing and was a national treasure from Czechoslovakia. He taught a class called Mask, Mime and Movement, which was not one of your regular theatre classes. When I saw this guy and took his class, I realized that physical theatre is what I wanted to do." After college, Haves was torn between pursuing his passion for comedy and completing a Master of Fine Arts program he'd started at Brandeis University. Eventually, he moved to Paris, where he worked as a juggler and street clown. As fate would have it, Haves caught the eye of Shiner, the acclaimed Cirque du Soleil writer and director. Shiner, one of the best clowns in the world, according to Haves, asked the street performer to work with him on Fool Moon after seeing Haves' unique vision and style. Years later, the two continued their professional relationship, working together on Cirque du Soleil's KOOZA. The show, which marked a return to the organization's roots, follows the Innocent, a naïve and childlike clown who is pulled into the world of the Trickster, the clown who created the KOOZA world. In the KOOZA world, audiences see acts like contortion, high wires, aerial loops and a 1,600-pound Wheel of Death — powered only by the two artists who leap and counter-rotate in a display of acrobatics and teamwork — which is positioned diagonally, starting at stage left and ending at stage right. The act is a break from the usual symmetry of performance and audience, bringing the action as close as possible to the audience. Not Just Clowning Around In recent years, Cirque experienced the audience's reticence towards clowns. Haves is writing a book, Cirque It, about bringing the spirit of Cirque du Soleil into everyday life. It includes a section on coulrophobia (the fear of clowns), in which he explores the reasons people are afraid of clowns. "I get why people are afraid of clowns," Haves said. "Our culture has demonized clowns: Clowns are equated with serial killers like John Wayne Gacy. In the 1970s, Woody Allen began beating up and making fun of mimes. Then you have Stephen King, who uses clowns to kill and scare people, and then you have a culture in which there's no money or return on being a clown. "I did a clown show where I didn't dress up," he continued. "I dressed casually, juggled and brought people on stage, and I made them laugh. Afterwards they asked, ‘Are you a clown?' and I said, ‘Did you laugh?' Everyone said, ‘Yes,' so I said, ‘Then I'm a clown.'" Beyond his work with Cirque du Soleil, Haves teaches clown classes, employing exercises Hodek taught him at CSUN, such as physical and technique exercises aimed at maximizing the body's efficiency. "[I teach my students] how their physical instrument can express at its optimal level," Haves said. "It's like how we take for granted that our hand can just express ‘stop.' It's how you move your hand to express yourself physically and with intention." Decades after graduating, Haves still fondly recalls his experiences on campus. "CSUN was amazing for me," he said. "It gave students a lot of latitude for creativity and creation if you were motivated." { SOURCE: CSUN Today | https://goo.gl/8fpRbi } ------------------------------------------------------ Acrobat-actor Raphael Cruz, Dies in Paris {Jan.29.2018} ------------------------------------------------------ Raphael Cruz, the American acrobat, clown, actor and musician — who left such a vivid impression with his work in last year's Looking glass Theatre production of Charles Dickens' "Hard Times" —was found dead in a Paris hotel room last week. The cause of death is awaiting results of an autopsy. Heidi Stillman, artistic director of Lookingglass, who adapted and directed "Hard Times," could barely speak when asked about Cruz. "Everything he did just turned to gold," said Stillman. "He was an amazing acrobat, a wonderful piano player, and because of his years in Montreal he spoke fluent French. And he was just the most wonderful person. We had even begun talking about his working on a new circus theater piece." A Lookingglass post on Facebook said: "Our incredibly talented colleague, our beautiful soulful friend, Raphael Cruz, has passed away. We were fortunate to spend the past months with Raphael in "Hard Times," a play about the necessity of art, circus, daring, joy, imagination, and defying gravity – no one personified these qualities better than Raph. He was an absolute delight to work and play alongside, both as a performer and human, and a shining example of the joy that beauty and imagination and play can bring to our lives. Our profoundest condolences to his family and to all who loved him. Le Papillon, you will live forever in our hearts." Born in Vallejo, California, Cruz (who I described in my review of "Hard Times" as "a most enchanting actor-acrobat, who also shrewdly portrays the unctuous little banker, Bitzer"), also was widely known for playing the lead role of Buster, a character inspired by silent film great Buster Keaton, in the cinema-themed Cirque du Soleil show, "Iris." According to an interview published in a Cirque du Soleil newsletter (Fascination!), Cruz began doing Chinese acrobatics when he was 6 and attended a circus school in San Francisco. He practiced the Chinese Pole, hoop diving, general acrobatics, and teeter board for about nine years, and spent much of his childhood also skateboarding in San Francisco and going to piano lessons. Then, at 15, he went with his older brother to Canada's National Circus School in Montreal on the advice of the California co-founders of Les 7 doigts de la main (7 Fingers), the virtuosic acrobatic troupe. After finishing his training he joined Montreal's 7 Fingers as part of the resident cast of "Traces," one of that ensemble's signature shows, and remained with it for four and a half years. Cruz explored other professional opportunities, including cabaret in Germany and a contemporary dance show in Montreal. He played Buster in "Iris" from 2011 to January 2013. He also worked in a Montreal production that was a hybrid of traditional theater and contemporary circus, and went to Sochi, Russia, as assistant choreographer for part of the opening ceremonies of the Olympics there. At the time of his death he was in Paris, working with a modern dance ensemble. { SOURCE: Chicago Sun-Times | https://goo.gl/NKd5Lz } ------------------------------------------------------ Cirque Celebrates 1,000th RAH Performance {Jan.29.2018} ------------------------------------------------------ CHECK OUT THE IMAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ARTICLE: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=11279 > To mark the occasion of its 1000th Royal Albert Hall performance, Cirque du Soleil today announces a special morning performance to be held at the iconic London venue. This extra performance of the current production ‘OVO' will be held on Saturday 24 February 2018 at 11.30am and is the final performance to be announced for OVO's London run. Tickets are available at a special rate of 30% off (excluding hospitality) a limited time only, by entering "1000th" in the promotion code when purchasing tickets via cirquedusoleil.com/ovo. When purchasing from royalalberthall.com enter the promotional code ‘1000th' when prompted. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Wednesday 31 January. With ‘OVO' receiving rave reviews from The Times (‘one of the best- designed extravaganzas in Cirque's huge body of works'), Daily Telegraph (‘breathtaking') and Metro (‘A show packed with wall to wall, floor-to-ceiling highlights'), this additional performance is set to be a fantastic celebration of the legacy that the Royal Albert Hall has had with one of the world's greatest entertainment companies. Since 1996, the company has brought 9 different productions at the Royal Albert Hall (Saltimbanco, Alegria, Dralion, Varekai, Quidam, Kooza, Amaluna, Totem and OVO) that have been seen by over 3 million spectators. "The support Cirque du Soleil receives from the London audiences is wonderful. We also have our own "wow" moments beginning the first time our cast and crew walks into this legendary venue and sees where they will spend the next two months. This awe continues until our final bow. It is an honour to say we perform here," says OVO Company Manager, Heather Reilly. Lucy Noble, Artistic and Commercial Director at the Royal Albert Hall, said, "Congratulations to the amazing Cirque du Soleil on reaching this impressive milestone of 1000 performances at the Royal Albert Hall. Cirque are in prestigious company, with only the BBC Proms, to which we have been home since 1941, and the Royal Choral Society, whose first concert here was in 1871, our opening year, having performed here more times. It is particularly impressive to have reached 1000 shows in just 21 years since their first performance back in 1996. Here's to the next 1000!" The cast of ‘OVO' is comprised of 50 performing artists from 17 countries specialising in a wide variety of jaw-dropping acrobatic acts. This includes Alanna Baker from the UK, who plays the role of the Black Spider in the show. Having trained at Heathrow, she was crowned gymnastics European Champion in 2011 and won Bronze in the World Championships in 2012. Alanna, who has been training since she was five years old has travelled around the world with ‘OVO' to countries as far reaching as Japan and Australia and is now set for a return to her home here in the UK. Having thrilled more than 5 million people worldwide since the show premiered in Montreal in 2009 as a Big Top show, ‘OVO' embarks on a journey, offering the same captivating production as the Big Top performances, but on a larger scale now, visiting major arenas and venues including London's iconic Royal Albert Hall. ‘OVO', meaning "egg" in Portuguese, is a headlong rush into a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement. When a mysterious egg appears in their midst, the insects are awestruck and intensely curious about this iconic object that represents the enigma and cycles of their lives. It is love at first sight when a gawky, quirky insect arrives in this bustling community and a fabulous ladybug catches his eye – and the feeling is mutual. Later this year, ‘OVO' will embark on a brand-new UK arena tour next summer, starting in Liverpool on 16 August 2018, and the show will then visit Sheffield, Newcastle, Glasgow, Nottingham, Leeds, Manchester and finally Birmingham, ending on 7 October 2018. Tickets for the tour are on sale now and can be bought via the Cirque du Soleil website or at www.livenation.co.uk Tickets are on sale now, and for a truly unforgettable Cirque Du Soleil experience a collection of brand-new premium, and VIP experiences for all the family are also available. Tickets can be bought via the Cirque du Soleil website or www.royalalberthall.com or 020 7589 8212. Cirque du Soleil brings ‘OVO' to London's Royal Albert Hall for an eight-week run until 4 March 2018, continuing the UK's longstanding relationship with Cirque du Soleil, one of the world's greatest entertainment companies. Tickets for the morning performance of ‘OVO' at 11.30am on Saturday 24 February 2018 will go on sale at 9am on Wednesday 31 January. { SOURCE: Broadway World | https://goo.gl/x8PAvB } ------------------------------------------------------ Fosun gives Cirque a second shot at Chinese audiences {Feb.02.2018} ------------------------------------------------------ The famous Cirque du Soleil did not exactly bring the house down the last time it attempted to woo Chinese audiences. Lacklustre ticket sales forced the troupe to scrap a resident show, ZAIA, in Macau, less than four years into a 10-year contract with casino operator Sands China. But that was in 2012, three years before Fosun International, China’s biggest private conglomerate and one of the country’s most acquisitive firms, bought a quarter of the Canadian entertainment giant, making it the second-biggest shareholder. That deal has given Cirque du Soleil a renewed confidence in its ability to captivate Chinese spectators. It plans to open a permanent show in Hangzhou, its first in the mainland, and on Thursday premiered its Avatar-themed circus show in China’s southernmost city of Sanya. Sanya, on the southern tip of Haian island, is a go-to winter holiday destination for many Chinese, known for its upscale hotels, beach resorts and nightlife. “This is China’s Hawaii,” said Daniel Lamarre, president of Cirque du Soleil, the world’s largest theatrical producer. “China is now our top priority as we see most of our growth coming from China.” Toruk – The First Flight, a contemporary circus show inspired by the blockbuster film Avatar, is scheduled for a run of 120 performances over 90 days. It took three Boeing 747s and a 777 to get the entire set of Toruk – comprising more than 1,000 individual items – to Sanya. The production is being staged inside a massive temporary arena, capable of seating up to 3,000 spectators, which was built from the scratch in just 22 days. Fosun’s decision in 2015 to buy a 25 per cent stake rejuvenated Lamarre’s ambition of introducing circus theatre culture to China. “We are planning a permanent show in Hangzhou, very much like those in Las Vegas,” he said. “But it will be a story about China. Fifty per cent of the artists and 75 per cent of the crew will be Chinese. I’d like to consider this the real entry to China, thanks to our shareholder Fosun.” Fosun International has been expanding in the tourism segment at a clip in recent years. As well as introducing Cirque du Soleil to China, it has been expanding the French holiday resort chain Club Med, which it bought in its entirety in 2015. Club Med announced last year that it intends to open 20 new destinations near major Chinese cities by 2020. The firm said China is now its second-biggest market, with 200,000 customers in 2017. Qian Jiannong, senior vice-president of Fosun International and president of Fosun Tourism Group, said the demerger between those two entities had been completed in May last year. The group is considering taking the tourism unit to initial public offering (IPO). “The conditions of listing Fosun Tourism are sufficiently met,” he said. “But there is not a timetable which we can disclose yet.” According to its annual report, Fosun International’s “happiness ecosystem”, which comprises its tourism business and other entertainment units, turned a net profit of 516 billion yuan in the first half of 2017, a 37.5 per cent increase from the same period a year earlier. In addition to Club Med, Fosun is also betting on a luxury resort – Atlantis, Sanya – in Sanya to further drive up revenue and profit. Atlantis, Sanya drew inspiration from the Atlantis, The Palm, in Dubai. The Dubai hotel project generates around US$600 million in annual revenue, according to Qian. “We are very positive on the revenues Atlantis Sanya could bring,” said Qian. “We have full reason to believe that it would reach similar revenue targets as Dubai’s Atlantis, The Palm.” { SOURCE: South China Morning Post | https://goo.gl/Av5hxn } ------------------------------------------------------ China's Sanya woos travellers with Cirque du Soleil {Feb.05.2018} ------------------------------------------------------ Sanya, known for its natural tropical landscape in Hainan province, will introduce more world-class attractions to entice visitors throughout 2018. From overseas, the live multimedia immersive show, Toruk - The First Flight, is one of the events that are coming. Produced by Canadian acrobatic dance troupe Cirque du Soleil, a leading producer of spectacular live entertainment, the play has fans across the world. The show, inspired by James Cameron's 2009 film Avatar, has delighted millions of people in dozens of countries since its premiere in Montreal in 2015. The famous dance troupe is staging its dynamic new extravaganza in Sanya for three months from Feb 1. The excitement will take place in a huge tent with a stage that stretches 1,858 sq m and can accommodate an audience of 3,600. A total of 120 performances will be presented until May 1 and the ticket price of this show ranges from 420 yuan ($90) to 1,720 yuan. Organisers say it is expected to attract 300,000 spectators during the three-month run in Sanya. They say this is the best time of the year, as huge crowds of tourists come to the city to enjoy the warm sunshine, romantic beaches and beautiful tropical landscapes. With its growing reputation at home and abroad, Sanya is attracting more investment from the outside world. Leading investment company and Cirque du Soleil business partner Fosun Group is bringing the show to Sanya, a new step underlining its interest in tapping the huge development potential of the city, popularly dubbed as the Oriental Hawaii. Fosun president Qian Jiannong said the show would bring a boost in ticket revenues to Sanya and attract more tourists. "We also want to improve its international recognition by introducing more international brands," he added. In addition to backing the show, Fosun has invested 11 billion yuan to build the Atlantis resort. It said the landmark resort project will provide larger-than-life water play and exotic and marine exhibits, and offer rich dining experiences - along the more than 10km-long stretch of beautiful and quiet beaches at Haitang Bay, planned as a world-class resort area in north-eastern Sanya. Construction of the Sanya Atlantis, the third of its kind in the world after the Atlantis resorts in Dubai and the Bahamas, started in 2015. Located about 28km from downtown Sanya and covering 30ha, the giant entertainment complex will welcome its first guests this year. The province got approval from the State Council to build an international tourism island in 2010. Ever since, the province has striven to internationalise its tourism sector. It has brought in and nurtured high-end tourism products and upgraded services to international standards to ensure better travel experiences for visitors, according to Hainan Provincial Tourism Development Commission director Sun Ying. "Hainan is determined to continue to develop tourism, which is the leading sector of the province's services industry," Sun said. Zhou Ping, deputy director of the commission, said that Toruk - The First Flight would boost Hainan's tourist attractions, which in turn will up their game even more to offer top services to attract investment from premium tourism companies. In 2018, Hainan plans to foster the construction of performance sites in each of its cities and counties. The three major cities of Haikou, Sanya and Danzhou will develop tourism performance industry clusters, said Ding Hui, director of the province's cultural and sports department. { SOURCE: The Straits Times | https://goo.gl/m3uMGh } *************************************************************** Q&A -- Quick Chats & Press Interviews *************************************************************** ------------------------------------------------------ When Dreams Come True: The Career of Viktor Franyo {Jan.15.2018} ------------------------------------------------------ Viktor Franyo is a guy whose face you may have seen before, either behind the clever makeup of his character in Cirque du Soleil’s TORUK– The First Flight (inspired by James Cameron’s AVATAR) as he tours the world, or as the rising star of the Circus Talk commercial we filmed with him in 2015. Franyo has an inspiring story to tell about making his way to the top echelon of the circus industry, and we asked him to tell it to us in his own words in this recent interview while he was on a brief break from touring: Q. How did you get involved with the circus? What made you apply to the Hungarian Circus School and how old were you? When my mom was pregnant with me, a circus came to our village to perform there and the owner asked her if she would like to join the circus. She said no, but it looks like my life was meant to end up in this magical world. When I was seven years old, I saw a circus and later, I heard many stories about how the performers traveling around the world. It was then that I decided I wanted to be an acrobat. My mom tried to get information in my school about circus education but the teacher laughed at us and said I had no chance of getting in to a school like that because it was mostly for the kids of circus dynasties. Three years later, we moved to Budapest and soon after, I saw a commercial on TV about an audition at the Hungarian Circus School. That day changed my life forever. Q. What is your specialty? What were your performing opportunities after graduation? The first three years in the circus school we learned everything on the basic level, like juggling, ballet, pantomime, acting, trapeze and acrobatics. After that, they decided what our strongest ability was and we formed groups and solo acts. During that time, I grew very fast and I got taller and stronger than my classmates. So they decided to make me a porter in a Russian bar group. For the next five years, I was mostly standing on the ground, throwing people in the air and catching them. I was happy to do it, but looking back I’m a bit sad that I missed the chance to learn anything else. My aerial career started only 7 years ago with corde lisse. My first performance alone on stage was in 2011 in New York city. Q. Was it difficult to find a contract right after graduation? How did being a graduate from your circus school help you prepare for seeking employment? As we graduated from the circus school at age 18, we got an agent who worked for Maciva (Magyar Cirkusz es Variete Company) that was part of the Hungarian State Circus. They created a Hungarian Gala and all of the agents came to watch the Budapest Circus Festival. From that, Laszlo Endresz offered us our first contract to work with his show in Blackpool Tower Circus, where the show won the 2002 Best Circus Show in England title. We traveled mostly around Europe and spent 4 awesome years together with our little team that I consider family. Q. How and why did you move to the US? Tell us about your career challenges after you moved. My mom decided to give up her Hungarian life and start a new life in New York. In the summer of 2011, I went to visit her and I fell in love with a beautiful Hungarian girl who lived there. I promised her I’d be back in a month. So I went home, ended all my jobs with the theaters I worked for, sold my apartment and with a student visa I was back in the Big Apple in 30 days as promised. We both were very passionate about our careers and had many challenges in that big city, so our love faded out after a couple months, but I fell in love with the city so much that I decided to live there for a while. I’m grateful for my mom and the many people that helped me along the way. My only dream at that time was to get into a big production as an acrobat. So next to my job and school I trained as hard as I could. With a couple of my friends, we performed on the streets, in the park or subway stations. It was out way to train and make some money at the same time.It was a very busy and challenging time, but I really loved that part of my life. Q. I always adored your positive attitude. How can you keep up that attitude in the most challenging times of your life? I got this positive attitude mostly from my mother. We grew up in a small village in Hungary and she was the one who always dreamed big and that’s how I had so many opportunities at a young age. She always tried to give her best for me and made me feel special. And I believed it so much that it became my reality. When I lived in New York I listened to motivational speeches, and read books in my free time. I learned how others become successful. I think everyone can reach their dream if their believe in it and most importantly, if they’re willing to work and sacrifice almost everything for it. Q. What resources have you used to find jobs while you were in the US? Where and how often did you train to keep in shape? I tried to find as many auditions as I could but I didn’t really find a platform like Circus Talk where I can search for everything in one place. Usually, I heard about them on social pages or when friends sent me messages. But many auditions were only for citizens of the US. Twice I flew to Vegas for an audition but got the same answer: it was easier to hire a local then a foreigner. When I arrived in New York, I started my training at Circus Warehouse where they made me feel at home right away. They always welcomed me, even in the hard times. When I wasn’t able to pay for training, they offered me free classes and kept me progressing and learning. I also trained in many other smaller facilities. The circus community is awesome. It’s always a big family, even if you are far away from your home. Q. How did your big break come? In 2014, I won a grant by the STREB – GO! Emerging Artist Commissioning Program and created a 15 min show with my 8-year-old friend Mark Kiss. In the summer of 2014, the artistic director of the Abu Dhabi Ferrari World offered me a stunt job for their upcoming show where I had to perform on a 16 meter wall. In the story my character Agent Cavallino had to save the planet every day. We performed that show three times a day and it was so much fun. Finally, I was concentrating only on my performing career! Q. How did you get to Cirque du Soleil? Halfway through my contract with Ferrari World, I got an email from Cirque du Soleil asking for some extra audition videos for their upcoming show TORUK– The First Flight. The first time I auditioned for Cirque du Soleil was 10 year prior to that. We had a casting audition with my Russian bar team in Budapest and it was an awesome mind blowing experience! Ever since then, I updated my profile yearly and stayed connected with the casting team. But I never really had a real plan of which show I wanted to join. So when they contacted me about TORUK I was super excited because it’s based on the movie Avatar which I admire a lot. And I could totally see myself as a Na’vi alien from another world! Q. How did you feel when Cirque offered you the job? It was definitely one of the happiest day of my career. I had finally reached the level to be part of the biggest and most famous circus company on the planet. Thousands of people’s dreams fell into my hands and what I always believed about hard work paying off became a reality. Q. Now that you are on tour, what do you do to stay physically and mentally strong? Living on the tour can be challenging. Our team is not only our work group, but also our family. We train for the show daily and we push each other’s limits much as much as we can. We learn from each other and pick up new disciplines on the road. I also try to find local gymnastics, aerial studios, parkour or ninja warrior parks, and high diving classes so I can continue improving myself. I also try to learn online. Last year, I finished my Personal Trainer course so I could challenge myself not only physically but mentally. I love doing yoga and sometimes I meditate as well to keep my body and mind in a healthy balance. Q. We appreciated from the beginning that you believed in the CircusTalk concept and committed to be the artist in our intro video. What do you think about CircusTalk as a resource for artists? It was an honor to be part of that revolutionary project. I was really proud to be the artist you chose. I really liked the webpage and I wish I had that resource when times were challenging so I could get easy information about the whole circus industry around the world. The platform is very well made and easy to access. Q. What is your advice for emerging circus artists who dream to get into a big production likeTORUK– The First Flight? Dream big and never give up on it. Work hard every day and put all your energy and heart in it and success will come. You can easily follow Cirque du Soleil artists on social media. Check out their training and lifestyle. Don’t forget to update your profile in the databases. And don’t give up when it doesn’t happen right away. To get into a show, you have to be perfect in many criteria–not only on your skills. Be patient and your time will come if you are around long enough. Q. What are your future circus plans? I’ve always been a leader type of guy. So on TORUK – The First Flight, I became a captain of three acts. I’m organizing the schedules and the rotations for the shows. Later, when my body doesn’t feel like performing anymore, I would maybe like to move to a bigger scale and be an artistic director. Working with other people always makes me happy and it’s a great way to challenge and bring out the best in each other. On the other hand, I really like to work on the technical side as well. As a young artist I learned how to build a tent and do my own rigging. Later, I worked with a big Hungarian production for 6 years and I became a technical director where I organized full load in and load out for arenas and big tops with over 10 trucks and running a staff of 30 people. I also have dreams that I can’t talk about yet, but just like the dream that I’m living now, hopefully soon enough you might be able to see it. { SOURCE: Circus Talk | https://goo.gl/NFSv8C } ------------------------------------------------------ Why some athletes take talents to Disney on Ice, Cirque du Soleil {Special Reprint} ------------------------------------------------------ Alexandra Young has been skating since she was just 2 years old. She competed for years on a pairs team with her older brother, Matthew, winning a silver medal in the novice division of the 2010 Canadian national championships. A goal was to skate in the Olympics one day. "Of course," she said. "It's every athlete's dream to go to the Olympics." Young never achieved that goal and retired from competition three years ago. She is still skating though, and with a partner, Eric Palin. Rather than being picked apart by stern judges looking for every tiny mistake, the two are costumed as Barbie and Ken and performing wonderful spins, twists, jumps and lifts in front of joyful, adoring fans in a traveling Disney on Ice production. "We do lots of fun tricks out there," Young said. "Ken picks me up a couple times. We have so much fun together. Coming from a pairs skating background in my competitive life, it was a dream to me to transition from competition skating right to the show. ... I loved Barbie dolls as a little girl, and I was so excited that I was going to get the opportunity to play the role of Barbie." Young and Palin are among many competitive skaters from all over the world -- ranging from the U.S. and Canada to Russia, Ukraine and Spain -- who have used their well-honed athletic skills to transition into the entertainment field. And it isn't only skaters who make such a move. Competitive gymnasts, synchronized swimmers and divers have been finding second careers in Cirque du Soleil's extravagant international circus shows. There are 20 former Olympians currently performing in Cirque du Soleil productions -- eight in the Las Vegas production of "O" alone -- and many more have done so over the years. The company recruits the athletes via the Internet and by scouting at competitive events. "The Olympic level in gymnastics is the best because your technique has to be perfect, your execution has to be perfect, your mental strategy has to be perfect, your physicality must be perfect," said American Elise Ray, an Olympic bronze medalist and former Cirque du Soleil performer. "And Cirque is the best of the best in the performing world." * * * INSPIRED BY British gold medalists Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, Kira Geil got into skating as a child and competed in ice dancing for years. She was born in Wales but relocated to Austria, where she won multiple national titles. She competed in the world championships twice but never reached the Olympics. After retiring from competitive skating in 2014, Geil coached for a while, until fellow skaters encouraged her to try Disney on Ice. She currently performs in the "Worlds of Enchantment" touring show as a background cast member in the "Frozen," "Little Mermaid" and "Toy Story 3" segments. "It's fun, actually. ... In relation to competition, it doesn't feel so restrictive," she said. "When I competed, it was, 'I have this to do and do it this way, and it has to be exact.' And [in shows] I feel I can have fun with what I do -- or more fun in shows than in competition." While performing has an element of fun, that doesn't mean it isn't demanding. Ray auditioned for Cirque du Soleil after winning a bronze medal in the women's team all-around at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and competing for the University of Michigan. She went through two four-month training trials at Cirque's Montreal headquarters before earning a spot in the "O" show in Las Vegas and later the Beatles-themed "Love" production. "I was very new in the circus world, even though I was best at what I was doing in my discipline in gymnastics," said Ray, who is now the gymnastics coach at the University of Washington. "When I got to the circus world, oh man, I was the new kid on the block. So much to learn and a completely different world. ... It was the time of my life. That work was some of my favorite work I've ever done." It took Ray a month of training to master one particular move: doing a flip after being tossed in the air by a trapeze artist and then grabbing his hands again. "It was very tough to learn because the technique is very different from gymnastics," she said. "It was very challenging. There is a huge learning curve, but it was so fun and so challenging to learn something brand-new." For Ray, competing at the Olympics was "just terrifying" because there was so much pressure. "It was just hard, very hard," she said. "But performing in front of an audience is so fun. It's so invigorating. We would do 10 shows a week, two shows a night. And so that's a lot. And you do the same show every night. "People would say, 'Don't you get bored doing it over and over? How do stay up for it?' But as soon as you step on the stage -- instant energy! The audience enlivens you. Some of the best feelings are being out there on a stage performing in front of a big audience. It just felt good in my soul." Jenna Randall isn't a gymnast, but she also made the leap from the Olympics to "O." Randall was a synchronized swimmer for Great Britain in the 2008 and 2012 Games before joining Cirque. She originally planned to perform for only a couple years, but she has enjoyed it so much that she now aims to stay with the show as long as her body allows. "It's a great platform to expand your creativity in your sport and learn lots of different things and get to know lots of different people from all over the world with different experiences," she said. "It's a really cool, fun place to work. And it's just amazing that I can call this work." * * * PERFORMING TWO TO THREE shows a day before a live audience filled with costumed children and excited parents is a change from skating or vaulting in front of judges who are scrutinizing every move you make. "When you're competing, the judges don't wish for you to do errors, but they're looking for them. And the small errors can be absolutely costly in competition," Geil said. "You do a small error here, and nobody really notices. And that's where the pressure is off you. I like it. Not that I didn't enjoy competition, but there is just that ease of presentation here." The differences go beyond the stress of being judged, "Worlds of Enchantment" performance director and former competitive skater Brian Santiago says. "Competing is very taxing on your body, very physically and mentally demanding," he said. "Coming into the show, you don't have to skate yourself into the ground like a competitive skater." Randall says she didn't really notice the crowd when she was competing at the Olympics because she was so focused on doing her routine as perfectly as possible. The Cirque experience is much different. "There's a more intimate connection you have with the audience," she said. "You're really trying to draw them into this world that you're trying to create and have them enjoy the experience. There are moments when you are super close to the audience and able to look at them and play with them a little bit. It's more exciting and intimate." Part of the excitement is the costumes. While competitive skaters often wear flashy garb, it's designed with ease of performance in mind. That isn't always the case for the Disney on Ice cast. "When you make the costumes for a competitive athlete, it's always like, 'How can we improve the costume to make you feel comfortable and make sure nothing is in the way?'" Young said. "Whereas here, the costumes are designed to make the character look exactly as it does in the movie so the character looks authentic. "There are so many different costumes. Sometimes they are a little longer or you have a big skirt, but we all adapt really well, and I think once you get used to the costume, you don't even know it's there anymore." When asked what it must be like to skate in a more complicated costume, such as Olaf the Snowman, Young is less forthcoming. "Olaf is Olaf," she said. "He comes, and he skates with us. He's made of snow, and he's got a big carrot nose, and he's got some branches for arms." * * * AS FUN AS SUCH a career can be, there are risks, just as there are in athletic competition. Three-time Australian Olympic gymnast Lisa Skinner had been with Cirque du Soleil for nearly a decade when she fell during a performance this past November and fractured a C1 vertebrae. She reportedly is recovering well and is in good spirits. "It's dangerous work," Ray said. "You're doing a lot of aerial acrobatics." Ray fell into the water a couple times during performances, but the only significant injury she suffered was a sprained ankle while she and the rest of the "O" cast were moving among the audience. Nonetheless, Ray thoroughly enjoyed her three years performing and tells her Washington gymnasts to consider a career with Cirque du Soleil. "Especially if I see in them that little performance bug -- oh God, I recommend them," she said. "I tell them, 'Make a video. See what happens. Go live in Montreal for couple months.' I try to encourage them all to get into it. ... It's so cool. It's such a nice transition out of our sport." Winning an Olympic medal and competing for your country are precious, but performing in Cirque du Soleil or Disney on Ice certainly can be more fun than sitting nervously in the "kiss and cry" zone, worrying the judges are about to give you a terrible score. For Geil, the response from "Worlds of Enchantment" audiences has been, well, enchanting. "Particularly when they sing along," she said. "It's these moments that stand out to me. I will stand backstage and listen to the crowd. I love these moments. The other skaters always laugh at me. 'What are you doing? You don't need to be here?' I'm just listening to the crowd. It's these moments that stand out the most for me. "It's fantastic. There's just one big smile." { SOURCE: ESPN | https://goo.gl/A1Lhg5 } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Amaluna, Koozå, Kurios, Luzia, Totem & Volta} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {TORUK, OVO, Séptimo Día, Crystal & Corteo} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, MJ ONE & JOYA} 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. For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts, please visit Cirque's website: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ >, or for a more comprehensive tour listing, visit our Itinéraire section online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=6898 >. ------------------------------------ BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau ------------------------------------ Amaluna: Rosario, AR -- Feb 14, 2018 to Feb 28, 2018 Buenos Aires, AR -- Mar 15, 2018 to Apr 1, 2018 Cordoba, AR -- Apr 26, 2018 to Apr 29, 2018 Santiago, CL -- May 31, 2018 to Jun 14, 2018 Lima, PE -- Jul 22, 2018 to Aug 12, 2018 Quito, EC -- Sep 6, 2018 to Sep 16, 2018 Koozå: Beijing, CN -- Dec 15, 2017 to Feb 11, 2018 Senzhen, CN -- Mar 2, 2018 to Mar 18, 2018 Hong Kong, CN -- Apr 19, 2018 to Jun 3, 2018 Kurios: Tokyo, JP -- Feb 7, 2018 to Jun 3, 2018 Osaka, JP -- Jul 26, 2018 to Oct 29, 2018 Nagoya, JP -- Nov 22, 2018 to Jan 27, 2019 Fukuoka, JP -- Feb 15, 2018 to Mar 31, 2018 Sendai, JP -- April 2019 Luzia: Los Angeles, CA -- Dec 8, 2017 to Feb 11, 2018 Costa Mesa, CA -- Feb 21, 2018 to Mar 25, 2018 Washington, DC -- Apr 12, 2018 to May 13, 2018 Boston, MA -- Jun 27, 2018 to Jul 29, 2018 Monterrey, MX -- TBA 2018 Guadalajara, MX -- TBA 2018 Mexico City, MX -- TBA 2018 Totem: Seville, ES -- Jan 25, 2018 to Mar 11, 2018 Barcelona, ES -- Mar 23, 2018 to May 6, 2018 Malaga, ES -- Jun 1, 2018 to Jul 1, 2018 Alicante, ES -- Jul 20, 2018 to Aug 19, 2018 Zurich, CH -- Sep 5, 2018 to Oct 14, 2018 Paris, FR -- Oct 15, 2018 to Dec 2, 2018 VOLTA: Tampa, FL -- Feb 14, 2018 to Mar 18, 2018 East Rutherford, NJ -- Mar 29, 2018 to Apr 22, 2018 Uniondale, NY -- May 17, 2018 to Jun 10, 2018 King of Prussia, PA -- TBA 2018 Seattle, WA -- TBA 2018 ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ TORUK - The First Flight: Sanya, CN -- Feb 1, 2018 to May 1, 2018 Bangkok, TH -- Jun 14, 2018 to Jun 24, 2018 Cologne, DE -- Oct 25, 2018 to Oct 28, 2018 Hamburg, DE -- Oct 31, 2018 to Nov 4, 2018 Berlin, DE -- Nov 7, 2018 to Nov 11, 2018 Turin, IT -- Nov 15, 2018 to Nov 18, 2018 Bologna, IT -- Nov 22, 2018 to Nov 25, 2018 Frankfurt, DE -- Nov 28, 2018 to Dec 2, 2018 Zagreb, HR -- Dec 7, 2018 to Dec 9, 2018 Pamplona, ES -- Feb 6, 2019 - Feb 10, 2019 OVO: London, UK -- Jan 7, 2018 to Mar 4, 2018 Antwerp, BE -- Mar 8, 2018 to Mar 11, 2018 Hanover, DE -- Mar 14, 2018 to Mar 18, 2018 Oberhausen, DE -- Apr 5, 2018 to Apr 8, 2018 Krakow, PL -- Apr 13, 2018 to Apr 15, 2018 Gdansk, PL -- Apr 19, 2018 to Apr 22, 2018 Saint Petersburg, RU -- Apr 28, 2018 to May 5, 2018 Moscow, RU -- May 8, 2018 to May 20, 2018 Kazan, RU -- May 23, 2018 to May 27, 2018 Tolyatti, RU -- May 30, 2018 to Jun 3, 2018 Ekaterinburg, RU -- Jun 6, 2018 to Jun 10, 2018 Sochi, RU -- Jul 12, 2018 to Jul 29, 2018 Liverpool, UK -- Aug 16, 2018 to Aug 19, 2018 Sheffield, UK -- Aug 22, 2018 to Aug 26, 2018 Newcastle, UK -- Aug 29, 2018 to Sep 2, 2018 Glasgow, UK -- Sep 5, 2018 to Sep 9, 2018 Nottingham, UK -- Sep 12, 2018 to Sep 16, 2018 Leeds, UK -- Sep 19, 2018 to Sep 23, 2018 Manchester, UK -- Sep 26, 2018 to Sep 30, 2018 Birmingham, UK -- Oct 3, 2018 to Oct 7, 2018 Dublin, IE -- Oct 10, 2018 to Oct 14, 2018 Belfast, IE -- Oct 17, 2018 to Oct 21, 2018 Lille, FR -- Nov 8, 2018 to Nov 11, 2018 Bordeaux, FR -- Nov 14, 2018 to Nov 18, 2018 Toulouse, FR -- Nov 21, 2018 to Nov 25, 2018 Montpellier, FR -- Nov 28, 2018 to Dec 2, 2018 Strasbourg, FR -- Dec 5, 2018 to Dec 9, 2018 Nantes, FR -- Dec 12, 2018 to Dec 16, 2018 A Coruna, ES -- Dec 21, 2018 to Dec 30, 2018 SÉPTIMO DÍA - NO DESCANSARÉ: San Jose, CR -- Feb 14, 2018 to Feb 25, 2018 Guatemala City, GT -- Mar 10, 2018 to Mar 18, 2018 Coral Gables, FL (Miami) -- Apr 18, 2018 to Apr 22, 2018 Inglewood, CA (Los Angeles) -- May 3, 2018 to May 6, 2018 Asuncion, PY -- Jun 20, 2018 to Jun 23, 2018 CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE: Rio Rancho, NM -- Feb 7, 2018 to Feb 11, 2018 Cedar Park, TX -- Feb 14, 2018 to Feb 18, 2018 Phoenix, AZ -- Mar 8, 2018 to Mar 11, 2018 Tucson, AZ -- Mar 14, 2018 to Mar 18, 2018 San Diego, CA -- Mar 21, 2018 to Mar 25, 2018 San Jose, CA -- Mar 28, 2018 to Apr 1, 2018 Portland, OR -- Apr 4, 2018 to Apr 8, 2018 Abbotsford, BC -- Apr 11, 2018 to Apr 15, 2018 Penticton, BC -- Apr 18, 2018 to Apr 22, 2018 Prince George, BC -- Apr 25, 2018 to Apr 29, 2018 Red Deer, AB -- May 2, 2018 to May 6, 2018 Saskatoon, SK -- May 16, 2018 to May 20, 2018 Medicine Hat, AB -- May 23, 2018 to May 27, 2018 CORTEO: New Orleans, LA -- Mar 2, 2018 to Mar 4, 2018 Houston, TX -- Mar 8, 2018 to Mar 11, 2018 Milwaukee, WI -- Mar 29, 2018 to Apr 1, 2018 Rockford, IL -- Apr 5, 2018 to Apr 8, 2018 Columbus, OH -- Apr 12, 2018 to Apr 15, 2018 Knoxville, TN -- Apr 19, 2018 to Apr 22, 2018 Lexington, KY -- Apr 27, 2018 to Apr 29, 2018 Cincinnati, OH -- May 3, 2018 to May 6, 2018 Chattanooga, TN -- May 10, 2018 to May 13, 2018 Lincoln, NE -- May 17, 2018 to May 20, 2018 Broomfield, CO -- May 24, 2018 to May 27, 2018 Loveland, CO -- May 31, 2018 to Jun 3, 2018 Oshawn, ON -- Jun 21, 2018 to Jun 24, 2018 Ottawa, ON -- Jun 27, 2018 to Jul 1, 2018 Kingston, ON -- Jul 4, 2018 to Jul 8, 2018 Saint Catharines, ON -- Jul 11, 2018 to Jul 15, 2018 --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- Mystère: Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday Two shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm Extra Performance Dates: o Fri, Jan 26, 2018 | $35 Dress Rehearsal @ 7:00 p.m. o Fri, Feb 02, 2018 o Mon, Dec 31, 2018 | 4:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. Single Show Dates (7:00pm Only): o Wednesday, Mar. 7. 2018 o Thursday, Mar. 8, 2018 o Sunday, May 20, 2018 o Thursday, May 24, 2018 o Monday, Nov. 26, 2018 o Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018 2018 Dark Dates: o Wednesday, Jan 3, 2018 o January 13 - 24, 2018 o Sunday, Feb 4, 2018 o Wednesday, Mar 14, 2018 o Wednesday, Apr 11, 2018 o June 2 - June 6, 2018 o Saturday, Sep 29, 2018 o October 27 - 31, 2018 "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 9:30pm Special Performance Dates: o Tue, Feb 20 - 7:00pm & 9:30pm o Tue, Jul 17 - 7:00pm & 9:30pm o Tue, Oct 09 - 7:00pm & 9:30pm o Tue, Dec 11 - 9:30pm only o Mon, Dec 31 - 4:00pm & 6:30pm 2018 Dark Dates: o February 4 o March 2, 5 - 13 o June 2 & 3 o August 6 - 14 o September 16 o November 26 - December 11 o December 27 Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm MICHAEL JACKSON ONE: Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Two Shows Nightly - Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2018 Dark Dates: o January 3, 4, 10, 11 o January 17 - February 4 JOYÀ: Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday One/Two Shows Nightly: 9:00pm (Weekdays) 7:00pm & 10:15pm (Fri, Sat & Holidays) ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) WEBSERIES -- Official Online Featurettes o) VIDEOS -- Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds --------------------------------------------------- WEBSERIES: Official Online Featurettes --------------------------------------------------- *) ASK CIRQUE! ASK CIRQUE! is a BRAND NEW SERIES that will take fans backstage and behind the scenes of all Cirque du Soleil Shows. However, this series is different from all of Cirque's other behind the scenes videos - because YOU, the audience, rule the show! What questions have you always wanted answered? Now is your chance! Comment on any social media platform and tag #AskCirque. What are you waiting for? Join the hosts Fabienne Daigle and Carla Sifoni (CDS Content and Social Media advisors)... they are ready to answer! o) EPISODE 1 {Jan.22} In the first episode, Daniele Lamarre, Cirque du Soleil's CEO and President fields the first question from Massimo Cantarelli (via YouTube): "You have amazing performances in your shows, how will you interpret the show of the future? And how will your company evolve?" Mr. Lamarre's response: "First and foremost, Cirque du Soleil has been known for many, many years being on the edge. I think in the future you will see a lot of new technologies: virtual reality, virtual characters, 3D technologies - a lot of technologies that are going to enhance the human performance. Human performance will remain in the center of all of our shows, but I think we're going to be able to add by having new technologies. About our company: our company is growing at a very, very rapid pace right now. I see diversification. Geographically, we are going to diversify ourselves by having a much stronger footprint in China. And we're also going to diversify in terms of content. We just bought Blue Man Group that is going to entertain people around the world with a new type of show. We're going to have the NFL Experience in New York City that is going to bring all the NFL fans through the creativity of Cirque du Soleil. And we're also going to have a new show, which is an ice show called Crystal that is also going to bring new type of shows. So a stronger company that is keeping its soul, and the soul of Cirque du Soleil is creativity. We're just going to expand with a lot of new, creative platforms." Next, Betsy Zander (Sep7imo Dia Artist) answers what she likes best about performing (SPOILER: The audience's reaction). Kurtis Sprung (Eggman in LOVE) answers what do performers do to relax and wind down after a performance (he likes to sit on the couch and relax with his cats). Didi Negron (Amaluna drummer) answers how can a fan make their dream come true and become a drummer for Cirque du Soleil (have fun, show your passion, show that you really love to drum). Mark DeCoste (Assistant Costume Designer) answers where inspiration comes from for costume designs. Charlotte Sumain (VOLTA Artist) answers what dancers, acrobats, and other performers eat to keep their energy up during a long day or week of shows. Pien Xin, Wang Shaohua, and Su Shan (Ants in OVO) answer where they sleep on the road (which they didn't really answer beyond getting their own separate rooms!) Jack Atherton (Crystal Hand-to-Trap & Banquine Artist) answers how often do artists train (RE: A lot). Yvonne Tousek-Renne (Acrobatic Talent Scout) answers a question about auditioning for Cirque. Bill May ("O" Artist) answers how much he likes to interact with the crowd (RE: a lot, it's what gives him energy to do the show). And Angelica Bongiovonni (Luzia Artist) gives her best advice to those who want to be part of Cirque du Soleil (RE: learn from your failures). LINK /// < https://youtu.be/ZEOLK-yvOBY > o) EPISODE 2 {Jan.29} Michel Laprise, Director of Kurios: Cabinet of Kuriosities, Sep7imo Dia: No Descansare, and one upcoming project that he cannot talk about, fields the first question of Episode 2: "What things to you see to create a complete show? What is your thinking? How can I create my own show?" from Infinite Fall via Instagram. His response: "I like your name because creation is like that... you just fall, you know, and you have to trust that the destiny will catch you. Now if you choose to create something, it should be something personal because the more personal you are the more you will connect with the universal audience. So, you have to work a lot - especially at Cirque du Soleil - because you are going to deal with acrobats who have worked since age 5 like multiple hours every single day. So, you have to work; It's not easy. It's super enjoyable, but you have to commit yourself to that. And to create a show, it's a way of life... you walk in the street, the way you look at life, you have to be open, you have to notice things. So to create your own show: you have to accept that it's not just your show... it's the audience show, it’s your colleagues' show, it's not just yours." Nicolas Pires (The Tracker in TOTEM) answers a question about how much he likes crowd interactions during and before the show (he likes meeting people). Jennifer Marcus (VOLTA Artist) answers what she likes about living on the road (she loves exploring new places). Rick Tjia (Talent Scout) talks about turnover and auditions. Kelly McDonald (LUZIA Adagio Artist) answers what she likes best about performing. Saulo Sarmiento (Sep7imo Dia Artist) answers how long he practiced before being accepted into Cirque du Soleil (from age 12; he was accepted at 30 years of age). Elise Tellier (Corporate Publicist) answers a question about the first ever Cirque du Soleil show. Yoda Jones (Michael Jackson ONE Artist) answers a question about artists keeping up their energy. And Zabato Bebe (CRYSTAL Artist) answers what he likes to do to relax and wind down after a performance. LINK /// < https://youtu.be/VKmWeib4kg8 > o) EPISODE 3 {Feb.05} In this episode, Leon Kupferschmied (Talent Scout) tells us what the audition process is like. Jonny Stranks (Sep7imo Dia Artist) talks about how many hours he trains. Paco Domínguez (JOYA Musician) answers whether musicians have to read music (yes, of course). Shelli Epstein (LUZIA Running Girl) tells us to follow our dreams as the best advice she can give to young circus artists. Vladimir Novotny (TOTEM Artist) tells us how long and how much he trained to be part of Cirque du Soleil. Marc Antonio (OVO Percussionist) answers how a fan can make his dream of drumming for Cirque come true. Frédérique Gagner (Public Relations Manager) takes on the loaded question of whether or not Cirque uses live singers and musicians in their shows (RE: YES) Nali Richards (KURIOS Kitchen Manager) talks about what the acrobats like to eat. Tuguldursaikhan Nenzen (Amaluna Artist) speaks about her favorite moments performing. Steven Ross (Senior Publicist) answers which of the Cirque's shows has been the most seen up to now (Answer: MYSTERE is the oldest, but "O" has been seen by more than 15 million people, making it the most seen show). Haley Vitoria (KOOZA Aerialist) answers how artists from different languages and backgrounds talk to one another. And last but not least Araz Hamzayev and Dima Shine (Zumanity Artists) answer whether or not acrobats have special diets (ANSWER: YES). LINK /// < https://youtu.be/kb3hC9-p3zA > *) OVO ON TOUR OVO has 100 people from 21 different countries, working closely together to create a unique experience. Get a glimpse of what it's like to be on tour with OVO by Cirque du Soleil and come behind the scenes to meet the artists who contribute to creating this amazing show night after night! o) EPISODE 1 - Get Up Close and Personal {Jan.05} LINK /// < https://youtu.be/PDoStucwT6g > o) EPISODE 2 - A Day in The Life of the Crickets {Jan.13} LINK /// < https://youtu.be/gWIzpxgo9rc > o) EPISODE 3 - The Making of OVO's Wardrobe {Jan.18} LINK /// < https://youtu.be/JDH_wP88Xng > o) EPISODE 4 - True Chemistry in a Duo Aerial Straps Act {Jan.25} LINK /// < https://youtu.be/iVzKMdY4iqY > o) EPISODE 5 - Handbalancing: Feats of Courage & Strength {Jan.31} LINK /// < https://youtu.be/WfQEpyBIjAk > *) MUSIC VIDEO w/LYRICS o) KA - "Pageant" {Jan.16} Stava Oïmare ava stava Kojténié iva millia Oïtare ava stava Kojténié iva millia Atsumara con jarra Atsomoura ‘n stava Atsumira in cella Stava millia in jarra Oïmare ava stava Kojténié iva millia Stava millia in jarra Oïtare ava stava Atsumara con jarra Atsomoura ‘n stava Atsumira in cella Stava LINK /// < https://youtu.be/w8vmF6tbU1k > o) «O» - "Nostalgie" {Jan.23} svo té yé so va ka ya es nia bo své da nya ko esto yo krounia té své djabo nya telté yiou nya kronya esto yo své gayé dé né krapkolé sékou nya sonio es konia kraya esto nyou né yaka soyé to si kraya kounia tou lou svo té yé so va ka ya es nia bo své da nya ko esto yo krounia své djabo (bis, ces deux couplets) svo té yé so va ka ya es nia bo své da nya ko esto yo krounia té své djabo nya telté yiou nya kronya esto yo své gayé dé né krapkolé sékou ya sonio es konia kraya esto nyou né yaka soyé to si kraya kounia tou lou svo té yé so va ka ya es nia bo své da nya ko esto yo krounia své djabo LINK /// < https://youtu.be/wdpvsjD0KNI > o) Mystere - "Kunya Sobe" {Feb.06} Kunya sobé mani yévo sadey Kunya sobé mani yévo Yéké soola modié vo Yéké soola sébotié Yéké soola modié vo Yéké soola sévié Yéké soola modié vo Yéké soola sébotié no Yéké soola modié vo Yéké soola sévié Yeh! Kunya sobé mani yévo sadey Kunya sobé mani yévo Kunya sobé mani yévo Kunya sobé mani yévo sadey Kunya sobé mani yévo sadey Kunya sobé mani yévo Yéké soola modié vo Yéké soola sébotié no Yéké soola modié vo Yéké soola sévié Yeh! Kunya sobé mani yévo sadey Kunya sobé mani yévo Kunya sobé mani yévo Kunya sobé mani yévo sadey LINK /// < https://youtu.be/KCTRWmBtJZE > --------------------------------------------------- VIDEOS: Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds --------------------------------------------------- *) CIRQUECAST CIRQUECAST is BACK for SEASON TWO! CirqueCast is a Vodcast (that's video podcast) for Cirque fans by Cirque fans – featuring artist interviews, Cirque headlines, and the inside scoop to your favorite Cirque du Soleil shows! Join your hosts José Pérez (TheChapiteau), Richard "Richasi" Russo (Fascination!), Ian Rents (Hardcore Cirque Fans), and new addition Max Olson, as we bring you a behind-the-scenes look into Cirque du Soleil, complete with discussions and the latest Cirque news. o) SEASON 2 EPISODE 1 – News and Rumors February 4, 2017 Join us on Episode 1 of Season 2 where we discuss the most recent show closings, upcoming Volta changes, rumors on the La Nouba replacement show, and a retired Cirque du Soleil show possibly being resurrected! And watch until the end for details on our giveaway! LINK /// < https://youtu.be/EN58r9F4HBg > *) AMALUNA FEATURE FRIDAY o) Meet the Moon Goddess: https://www.facebook.com/Amaluna/videos/1761983270529631/ o) Meet The Lighting Team: https://www.facebook.com/Amaluna/videos/1787124698015488/ o) Meet the Clowns: https://www.facebook.com/Amaluna/videos/1798466196881338/ *) CORTEO IS BACK! o) Daniele Finzi Pasca gives exclusive details! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/dfiWRX > o) Meet Artist Aurelie Dauphin LINK /// < https://goo.gl/j59wFR > o) Meet Tournik Artist Hideto Okuzawa https://www.facebook.com/Corteo/videos/10155155705601179/ o) Meet Tournik Artist Iulian Ion https://www.facebook.com/Corteo/videos/10155172574491179/ o) Meet Juggler Johan Juslin https://www.facebook.com/Corteo/videos/10155190905516179/ *) OTHER CIRQUE VIDEOS o) CRYSTAL: Meet Artist Emma Stones LINK /// < https://goo.gl/Q8UgSH > o) LUZIA: Waterproof Trapeze & Cyr Wheel Makeup {Jan.08} LINK /// < https://youtu.be/6L8v-xvc_Ic > o) Luzia's Aleksei Goloborodko on Jimmy Kimmel Live LINK /// < https://youtu.be/VCYQGUVnxio > o) Go Behind the Scenes of OVO at the Royal Albert Hall LINK /// < https://goo.gl/JUjD3p > o) TORUK: What's it like to be a puppeteer? LINK /// < https://goo.gl/udc7FH > o) TORUK 5@5 in Dubai w/ Francois Gravel LINK /// < https://goo.gl/HFhRKn > o) TOTEM: Behind the Scenes in Barcelona LINK /// < https://goo.gl/krdmjy > o) VOLTA's Baton twirler Jennifer Marcus LINK /// < https://goo.gl/Jnofme > o) Circus Performance Statistics with Cirque du Soleil LINK /// < https://youtu.be/WfA1hCcC3VA > This cool video dives into the math/physics of acrobatics. Here are the stats presented within... - 65 feet free fall (KA, Battlefield) - 44 MPH into Bag (KA, Battlefield) - 360-degrees of motion (Luzia, Contortion) - 720-degrees of rotation (Kooza, Trapeze) - 4 1/2 rotations per second (Amaluna, Valkryies) - 25 foot drop, pulling 4.06g's (Ovo, Trampoline) - 14.8 mph, an 8.1 foot jump (La Nouba, Trampoline) - 11.5 mph acceleration, pulling 2.6g's (Wheel of Death) - Drop 34.45 feet per second (Kooza, Wheel of Death) - 37 mph into net (Kurios, Acro Net) - 3.05 sec air time, 45 feet drop (Kurios, Acro Net) - 15 feet hands to hands ("O", Bateau) - 2 1/2 hits per second (KA) - 130 lbs, 600 newtons of force (OVO, Contortion) - 22 mph, maximum 9.19g's (LOVE, Mr. Kite Scene) - Angular Velocity, 333° per second (LOVE) - 23 feet high, 1800° angular rotation in 2.4s (Kooza) o) Magic Makeup Mashup by SEP7IMO DIA Artists! {Jan.15} LINK /// < https://youtu.be/cV4JHVBenWY > o) Cirque du Soleil gets ready to RRRRUUUUMBLE {Jan.21} LINK /// < https://youtu.be/T-1i_JdWzek > ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= o) "We're Off and Running - A Series of Classic Critiques" Part 10 of 16: Quidam, Part 1 (1996-1997) By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) ------------------------------------------------------------ "We're Off and Running - A Series of Classic Critiques" Part 10 of 16: Quidam, Part 1 (1996-1997) By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) ------------------------------------------------------------ A few months ago, as I was flipping through a few classic Cirque du Soleil programme books (as is my wont), I was happily caught off-guard by a brief history of the company that it had written about itself in Saltimbanco's original European Tour programme, published sometime in 1996. Not because the historia was in English, French, and Spanish, but rather I found the wording a bit more colorful… haughty… than what you'd find from the company today. Something about its whimsical and heady nature spoke to the way Cirque du Soleil saw itself then, containing a youthful verve and arrogance that is simply no longer present. When did Cirque lose this dynamic sense of self, this liveliness, and vivacity about its past, present, and future? Unfortunately, not long after. Thereafter the speak becomes less joie de vivre and more lié aux affaires, and Cirque du Soleil turns from a rag-tag band of street performers into a bona fide corporate entity right before our very eyes. This is not a new revelation - far from it in fact - but this re-discovery struck a chord of curiosity within… How did others see Cirque du Soleil during this period? Think about it: as Cirque's multitude of shows travel around the globe in either arenas or under the big top, at each stop, in each city, there is a write-up in the local press. Sometimes the coverage is just a brief blurb about the show and its theme, occasionally there's a short interview with a performer, a stage hand, or creation director, and other times it's an assessment of the show itself, evaluating its technical and acrobatic merits with what had come through before. But the reviews we see today are too current, discussing these shows through a contemporary lens; shows that have/had 15 to 20 years touring the globe, shows we would refer to as "classic" or "signature". What I'd become interested in knowing was what some of the first reviews, peeks, and evaluations of these shows were as they took their first steps across North America. How did the press see Le Cirque du Soleil in 1998, 1994, 1990, 1987? It was time to peck through the archives. What I found was extraordinary, and more than I expected. And I'm sharing these discoveries here in Fascination through a series of collections, beginning with the 1987 tournée of Le Cirque du Soleil (better known today as Le Cirque Réinventé), and continuing on from there. This month we continue on with 1996 and 1997's reviews of Quidam. # # # IN THE TENT OF ENCHANTMENT By: Laurie Winer | LA Times September 28, 1996 The Montreal-based theatrical, emotional, animal-free international circus has returned with a new show, "Quidam," having its American premiere under the big top at the Santa Monica Pier. While the audience is still finding its seats, the emcee (a Kramer-esque John Gilkey) selects a victim from the crowd, who is immediately whisked away by a group of white-coveralled assistants to a backstage destination. When next we see our missing audience member, moments later, he is also white-suited, and following cues as to how to act from his captors, who are busy picking a new victim out of the crowd. It's a brilliant case of using the audience as found art, with additional built-in "1984"-ish points about assimilation and social control. This is Cirque humor at its best, spontaneous, surprising and serious all at once. "Quidam" is Latin for an unknown or anonymous person, but the show's characters are actually less obscure than the impenetrable bird-people seen in "Alegria," the troupe's last outing here, two years ago. Bouncing back from the pretension-overload of that show, "Quidam" offers a clear view of the Cirque's unique chemistry, made from atmospheric lighting, fantastic novelty acts from around the world, impassioned and often haunting pop music with flecks of North African, Italian and French influences, and amazing acrobatics. In the hands of director Franco Dragone, every action is perfumed in an aura of intense mystery. A clown act breaks up the show between the more serious "artistes." The Cirque has searched the world and never found a clown to match the American David Shiner, whose audience-participation segments in 1990 were small masterpieces of performance art. The three clowns here (called Les Macloma) come from a more prescribed European tradition. Though they fiddled a lot with balloons, they lacked an essential lightness. The main clown, looking like Salvadore Dali in a blue tutu, persuaded an audience member to carry a precious violin to another clown, and then broke it and blamed the audience member for breaking it. He got nary a smile from his quarry. Some of the novelty acts are so novel you may not even know what the performers are doing. You do know, however, they are doing it well. Four Chinese girls wearing upside-down silver funnel hats (a la the Tin Man) perform the most astonishing wooden spool act you will ever see. One girl tosses one way up into the air, does two backward flips and the splits and then catches her own spool plus someone else's on a string. Performer Chris Lashua rides inside an 8-foot wheel by using his stretched-out body as a spoke, performing acrobatics simultaneously. When he balances the wheel on its rim in what seems like slow motion, he seems to defy several laws of nature. A man and a woman (Yves Decoste and Marie-Laure Mesnage) perform "Main a Main," a hand- balancing act in which they use their almost naked bodies as sculpture, hanging from each other and meticulously building shapes that seem to be achieved only through super-hero strength. Apocalyptic music invites us to view them as Adam and Eve, or Man and Woman. No one will ever accuse the Cirque of taking its artists lightly. "Quidam" hangs its virtuosity on a framing device, a little story told without dialogue. A young girl, whose parents are lost in their own worlds, becomes bewitched by the arrival of a man with a bowler hat and an umbrella, but no head. When she takes his hat, a Magritte-ish talisman for adventure, her parents are whisked away and she enters the world of enchantment--the acts of the Cirque du Soleil. The sight of this family searching for each other throughout the evening injects a note of melancholy. The girl (Audrey Brisson-Jutras), daughter of the show's composer, Benoi^t Jutras, sings periodically in the unclouded soprano of a young boy destined for the castratti. Finally, the house troupe of 14 performs "banquine"--a complex acrobatic routine that beautifully combines Olympic-quality gymnastics with a choreographic sensibility (Debra Brown). Dressed as iconographic war refugees (the understated fanciful costumes are by Dominique Lemieux), the troupe easily builds four-people-tall towers even as they form piles of human missile launchers, sending somersaulting human missiles landing onto other human piles. The Cirque provides a densely theatrical atmosphere that asks the audience to view unusual mastery as metaphor, to seek and to find the mystery and the meaning in all of this derring-do. As in most nonlinear art, the specific emotion is left up to you. * * * * * * REVIEW: CIRQUE DU SOLEIL'S QUIDAM By: Jonathan Taylor | Variety September 30, 1996 When Cirque du Soleil first emerged in 1984, seemingly from some dream world, the French Canadian troupe offered spectacular proof that magic really does exist. This street-bred theater/circus company offered feats, passion and grace that seemed beyond us mere mortals. With Cirque's newest production, "Quidam," we have proof that magic has its limits. While this show still puts other circuses and performance art companies to shame, compared to the standards of previous Cirques, this is something of a letdown which won't keep crowds from filling the bigtop, and cheering enthusiastically on the production's three- year North American tour. By now, the Cirque du Soleil format is well- established: After some initial audience taunting from the principal clown (this year it's John Gilkey, a promising comic who is nonetheless still David Shiner-Lite), the show then moves to the main stage, where characters playing ordinary people are drawn magically into the world of the circus. The program unfolds through a series of acts some by the house troupe, others by performers from around the world linked by the thinnest of plots and held together by a troupe who are equal parts charming and menacing. With "Quidam," the menacing aspects are more pronounced. The show opens with the house troupe in white body suits that look like quarantine outfits, and during several other acts, there is an unmistakably apocalyptic feel. Even the plot structure is unsettling. A young girl (11 -year-old Audrey Brisson-Jutras, daughter of music director Benoit Jutras) is lured from her boring family by Gilkey and other clowns, including a headless, umbrella-holding body that is the show's logo, into the magical circus world. The plot, however, isn't what crowds around the world come to see: It's the incredible performers who defy gravity, death and various other laws of physics. "Quidam's" problem apparent only to those who've experienced the previous shows is that too many acts this year seem earth-bound. From the house troupe's not especially challenging jump-rope routine, to aerialist Petra Sprecher (who seems more adept at swinging than flying), to a thoroughly uninspiring trio of clowns Les Macloma too many acts in "Quidam" seem better suited to busking on the nearby Third Street Promenade. Cirque du Soleil acts should soar, and too many this year don't. That's ironic, since flight seems to be one of this year's themes. Set designer Michel Crete has created a spectacular stage, with five overhead rails that appear to be merely decorative but turn out to be the conveyance that flies the acts onto the stage. It's a brilliant bit of stagecraft, bringing the acts in airborne, providing at least an initial sense of wonder. And in quite a few of the 13 acts that performed Thursday (the elevated hand balancing a gymnast featured in the program was a no-show), the magic is apparent. Aerial contortionist Isabelle Vaudelle twists, wraps and suspends herself from a ceiling-to-floor-length piece of red fabric. In keeping with the end-of-the-world theme, she at times seems to be encased in a burial shroud. Maybe it's because she frequently looks distressed, or maybe it's because at other times she so effortlessly seems to float above the stage, you are enraptured by her. Just as captivating is the act called simply Manipulation, in which two performers toss, balance, roll and, well, manipulate, shiny red balls. At first it seems like a fairly mundane act, but the more things they do with the balls (sometimes they seem light as air, sometimes leaden, sometimes bouncy, sometimes fragile), the more compelling the act is. Best of all, though, is one that is again seemingly simple. Called Main a Main, Vis Versa, the act features a man and a woman (Yves Decoste and Marie-Laure Mesnage) who perform a slow, sensuous, impossibly strenuous act of strength and balance. Their bodies powdered a cadaverous white, they fulfill our desire for superhuman feats, her body stretching out parallel to the ground while only her shoulders rest on his body. Then, in contradiction to the usual strong-man/lithe-woman formula of most circuses, she lifts him as he floats over the ground. Adding to the somber yet thrilling mood are the members of the Cirque company who watch all of this while suspended from the roof of the tent, wearing long, flowing white gowns. They seem like angels, or saints, or perhaps martyrs, watching those mortals below struggling against the laws of nature. It is chilling and uplifting all at once, and ranks with the best of previous Cirque acts. One other act is especially notable: the house troupe's Banquine, in which 14 performers execute precise gymnastic and strength routines, sometimes flying through the air, sometimes building human towers four-people high. The fact that it is a classic circus act in fact its roots go back to the Italian Middle Ages detracts not at all from the skill and expertise these artists manifest. Underscoring all of this is Jutras' evocative music, Luc Lafortune's mood-establishing lighting and, in particular, Franco Dragone's skilled direction: He brings the acts on and off the circular stage and keeps various clowns and actors onstage throughout, sometimes merely observing the action, sometimes providing a counterpoint to it. All of this proficiency will leave the inevitable large crowds going home satisfied. Even after a dozen years, there's nothing else like Cirque du Soleil, and even in this sub-peak effort, there are substantial rewards. But there's no getting around the fact this show is short of magic, and magic is what we expect from this company. * * * * * * CIRQUE DU SOLEIL SPREADS SUNSHINE AROUND GLOBE By: Janet Weeks | Deseret News October 2, 1996 Add a French accent (OK, French-Canadian) to a guy explaining the difference between allegory and surrealism and the meaning of certain Latin phrases and - voila! - you've got the recipe for Instant Pretension. Right-Not really. In fact, despite his penchant for dead languages and deep discussions, Gilles Ste-Croix, artistic director of the phenomenally popular Cirque du Soleil, is not smug in the least. After all, he's a former stilt-walking fire-eater from the streets of Montreal who never bothered to have the gap between his front teeth corrected. He just sounds a little hoity-toity because he has a lot to boast about. Since its founding in Quebec 12 years ago, Cirque has become one of the most successful performing arts franchises on the planet. The U.S. opening of Cirque's ninth and latest show, "Quidam," took place last month at the Santa Monica Pier. followed by a celebrity-studded premiere. A brief explanation for the uninitiated who may think Cirque du Soleil has something to do with suntan lotion: Translated as "Sunshine Circus," Cirque du Soleil is an artfully staged, orchestrated and performed showcase of international acrobats, contortionists, clowns and high-flying aerialists. And these days, it's more. Cirque is also a global empire, with four shows running simultaneously on three continents and plans in the works for three permanent theaters, including an aquatic arena in Las Vegas. To keep up with its rapid growth, Cirque is also building a $30 million headquarters complex in Montreal to house its 350 permanent employees. As its very first performer, Ste-Croix has been instrumental in Cirque's blossoming from a cultish art-crowd thing to a mainstream hit with a line of merchandising that would do Disney proud. The key to the company's success, he says, is constant evolution. No two shows are alike, although each is based on acrobatics. For instance, "Quidam" (a Latin word meaning "stranger") departs from its predecessors in that it's the first Cirque show set in reality, says Ste-Croix. Other shows, which have been produced every two years since 1984, have been set in the world of allegory and fantasy. " 'Quidam' is totally different from what we've presented up to now," he says. "The show rests on acrobatics still, and our glitter is there. But the theatrical play and emotional setup is different. It's more based on the street." The idea came from a discussion of the coming end of the century, he says. "We try to feel where the world is at and where we are at in the world," he says of Cirque's creative decisions. "We are at the end of the millennium and have the possibility to communicate with anyone, but we are more individually isolated. "We don't know our neighbors, but we can speak with people in Russia with our computers. That's the paradox we're living." More than 50 performers, ranging in age from 11 to 45, make up the cast of "Quidam." Hailing from such far-flung places as the former Soviet Union, China, Europe and Indiana, the performers include experts in aerial hoops, skipping ropes, "Spanish webs" (overhead ropes), trapeze, hand balancing, juggling and spinning. Original music has been composed by Benoit Jutras and will include singing by 12-year-old Audrey Brisson-Jutras, the composer's daughter. And while Ste-Croix stresses the importance of each show's theme, the reality for Cirque is that it probably could pick any old motif and still sell seats. Tickets for the Santa Monica run - which is deliberately open-ended - are selling at a clip of about 2,000 a day. Many of those ticket buyers are repeat customers, part of Cirque's enormously loyal following. When asked what percentage of the Canadian-based circus' audience of 10 million worldwide are returnees to the big top, Ste-Croix says: "There are probably 100 who don't come back." He's exaggerating, sure, but not by much. Cirque du Soleil could be called "Club du Soleil," and its audience might just as well be members. One such admirer is "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek, a Canada native who has seen several Cirque productions. "The great thing about the Cirque is that they come up with a new concept every time, so you're not going back to see the same show." Clearly pleased with the success of his home-country fellows, Trebek says Cirque could not have originated in the United States because bottom-line financial concerns would have killed it. "One of the advantages that Canada has is the duality of the culture – English and French with a great deal of European influence thrown in. As a result, they are capable of experimenting without worrying about attracting the monster audiences that Americans concern them-selves with. In French Canada, they say 'Hey, let's put together a good show and, hey, we might even make a buck.' " Ste-Croix agrees. He says he studied architecture in college but decided he was "missing the point of my life" and turned down the high-money career to pursue the life of a street performer. He ended up a fire-breather, stilt-walker and slack-rope climber. "You smell like an old engine for a couple of days," he says of fire- eating. "Sure, it was not big money, but it was a very satisfying experience." In fact, the success of Cirque worries Ste-Croix. Can the company keep its artistic integrity while juggling four shows and building theaters in Berlin and Las Vegas? "It's difficult," he says. "I was a half-hour late because I was on the phone with Montreal dealing with problems. (Growth) might weaken our strength. When there was only one show, and we had two years to create a new one, it was easy. I don't have so much time now." But he says fears that the show has suffered are unfounded. For the most part, success has only attracted more interesting acts and pushed the quality level higher. Cirque auditions routinely attract 400 performers or more, from which the company chooses perhaps 10, he says. It's that devotion to the truly talented that keeps legal secretary Rob Briner of Santa Monica coming back to Cirque. He's missed only two productions in the last 12 years. "People return because they know it's going to be a great show," Briner says. "Cirque succeeds in creating an intimate, unique environment. They incorporate everything into a theatrical theme. They use color and sounds and lights and movement. It's a combination of circus and theater." Briner says he also looks forward to Cirque's humor, an element of the show sometimes eclipsed by the flashier acrobatics. * * * * * * A REAL, SCARY GUY: JOHN GILKEY By: Jan Herman | LA Times January 29, 1997 He patrols the stage of Cirque du Soleil with a forbidding eye and a spectral smile. He is an austere, lantern-jawed figure whose thatch of hair, sprouting like a coxcomb from his shaved head, lends him an eerie foppishness. This personnage extraordinaire has an insinuating presence throughout the latest Cirque production, "Quidam," opening tonight at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. But while he embodies the millennial tone of the show--alternately frightening and whimsical--as much as anyone in it, the man behind the clown makeup sees his style in terms of the ordinary. "I'm a scary kind of guy, but my whole performance is European, which means it's based in reality," said John Gilkey, a native Californian. "I don't have a big red nose. I don't have a fright wig. You look at me, and I'm believable." Despite Cirque's well-earned reputation for the fantastic, Gilkey contends that his character "could walk around on the street, and you might think I'm kind of strange. But I'd belong there somehow." In "Quidam," Gilkey's role partially focuses on his relationship with central figure Audrey, a little girl who is taken on a tour of the world and shown what it will be like when she grows up. "My take is that the world is not going to be easy," he said in a backstage interview in Santa Monica, where Cirque last stopped on its North American tour. "There are some really difficult things about the world--and I'm one of them." Even so, neither his unnamed character nor "Quidam" itself--Latin for "something known but unnamed"--is as simple as that. One of the distinctive aspects of this show is that, like most Cirque productions, it is not written down and therefore is easily kept ambiguous. "The script does not exist on paper," Gilkey confirmed. "It exists in the minds of the creators. The rehearsal process is about the creators as much as the story. The director, Franco Dragone, is a provocateur. He impresses upon us his impressions of what the show could be. It's up to us after that. We interpret and develop our characters in combination with him and the costume designers, the acting coaches, the choreographers." Still, Gilkey, 30, had played a similar character--"same look, same costume, more naive"--before joining Cirque du Soleil in January 1996, when "Quidam" went into rehearsal. (It had its world premiere in Montreal in April '96.) "Yes, this baby pays the bills," he said, fingering his stiff, single tuft of hair. "Best career move I ever made. I think of it as 'modern geek.' I did variety shows and comedy clubs with this look." Gilkey, who wears glasses when not performing, got his start by learning to juggle as a junior high school student in Los Altos, his Bay Area hometown. Through high school, he recalls, he was competing in festivals and making money on the side, entertaining at company parties and picnics. * * * Lacking athletic talent, he says, he took up juggling because he "wanted to be the best in school at something." Later, when he realized he was a good but not great juggler, he shifted focus. "I decided to become a geek," he said, recounting that he dropped out of UC Santa Cruz for full-time performing, with the proviso that if he wasn't making a living after two years he would go back to college. "I began to work on personality, on stage character, on putting the importance on creativity and clowning instead of on technical skills." His professional career started with the Circus Minimus, a small Bay Area troupe, followed by the Pickle Family Circus, which is based in San Francisco and tours the country. The Pickle, having evolved partly out of the San Francisco Mime Troupe, was the first American circus to exploit the intimate, one-ring atmosphere that has long been familiar to European audiences. It was the same theatrical impulse toward small troupes of offbeat, streetwise performers that gave birth to such touring companies as the Big Apple Circus and Cirque du Soleil. Gilkey sent an audition tape in 1990 to Cirque, which had emerged as the most spectacularly successful of these circuses. His tape went "on file," he says. Then he went to Switzerland and worked for the Theatre Dmitri, a group of seven performers run by a celebrated Swiss clown. It was there that he honed his skills in physical comedy. Theatre Dmitri, operating from the town of Verscio, played chiefly in Switzerland, Germany and Italy. Back in the States two years later, Gilkey performed around the country in comedy clubs and auditioned for Cirque "on a whim," live, in November 1994. "I was working in L.A., and the circus was in Santa Monica," he remembered. "I did my audition right here. Almost a year later they call me up: 'Can you come to Montreal for a callback with the director?' So I went up there. They were considering people for the personnage roles. And here I am." Gilkey grinned. Nobody in his family has ever given a hint of theatrical inclinations, he said, let alone circus skills--unless it's Mark Twain, who, he's been told, is a distant relative. His father is an electrical engineer; his mother recently retired as circulation and marketing director of Sunset magazine. One older brother is a computer programmer, the other a sportswriter. "Just about everybody has come to see the show," Gilkey said. "And they talk about everything--'This was great; that was great'--but not about me. So I don't know what they think of my performance." * * * Perhaps they don't mention it because Gilkey makes things look so easy. When, for example, he dances with a coat tree, it is one of the show's most enchanting and understated highlights; he evokes the seamless grace of no less a paragon than Fred Astaire. "I'm not there to display tricks," Gilkey said. "I guess I could make the dance look as difficult as a trapeze act. In fact, it's harder than it looks. But that's not the purpose for me. Everything I do is about character, about something emotional that comes out of a situation. The European clown works from his internal life. He works from the inside out, and that's where I'm coming from." * * * * * * BREKING THE TENSION - QUIDAM ENTERTAINS WITHOUT RELYING HEAVILY ON BREATHAKING THEATRICS By: Jan Herman | LA Times February 5, 1997 "Quidam," the latest touring production of Cirque du Soleil, represents the beginning of a new cycle of shows differing in scope and expectations from the last. Compared with the efforts of the previous cycle--which consisted of "Nouvelle Experience," "Saltimbanco" and "Alegria"--this one seems scaled more to human size, its theme and variations less otherworldly. To be sure, there is a millennial tone--alternately mysterious and whimsical, always moody--embodied by surreal images reminiscent of Magritte's. Most notable are the headless figure wearing a raincoat and holding an umbrella, the man floating through space with his head framed in a newspaper and the recurring use of homburgs as ordinary emblems of the strange or supernatural. But "Quidam"--the title is Latin for something or someone known but unnamed--has only a mild tension. Lightning and thunder notwithstanding, the apocalypse of the weird seems designed to entertain without drawing too much attention to awe-inspiring theatrics. While there is a story line about a young girl, Audrey, who takes leave of her parents' living room and goes on a journey in the company of clowns, the weave of the story is so loose as to be nonexistent. Plot is more or less forgotten until the end of the show when, as a reminder, she is reunited with her parents. Never forgotten, however, is the sense that "Quidam" is circus as theater. That has been true of all Cirque productions. The differences from the past are just a matter of degree. First-time Cirque-goers are likely to be awe-struck, regardless. All of us may be glad that the show is basically the same one that played at the Santa Monica Pier, the company's last stop before going on hiatus for the winter holidays. But it's fresher, tighter and more invigorating. The Chinese juggling act is gone and hasn't been replaced, entailing a palpable loss of exotic delicacy. But there are plenty of spectacular aerialists and acrobats to minimize the departure. Also, the vacation may have put some added spring into the house company's step. The acrobats executed with brilliant precision Sunday night, and they injected all the gymnastic choreography with evident joy. Some specifics: In the first act, the rugged grace of Chris Lashua's "German Wheel," the contortionistic hand-balancing of Olga Pikhienko, the aerial maneuvers of Isabelle Vaudelle in a red sash and the speedy midair hoop traffic of Genevieve Bessette, Martyne Dube and Emilie Grenon-Emiroglou had the rapt audience bursting into spontaneous applause. In the second act, the intense concentration of a body-balancing act, "Vis Versa," planted at ground level by Marie-Laure Mesnage and Yves Decoste, offered proof that gravity may be exploited as well as defied. Their slow-motion feats made for ample drama. Not that the second act lacked dizzying heights or high velocity. It had the house troupe's rope-climbing aerialists in "Spanish Webs," the "Cloud Swing" of Petra Sprecher (who was oddly underappreciated for the risks she took) and stunning leaps and balances performed by the floor gymnasts of the house troupe's "Banquine." Juggling has come so far these days that unless it's done with armed nukes or an incredible number of objects, it's a commonplace of street performance. "Quidam" works a variation on juggling with "Manipulation" by Patrick McGuire and Steven Ragatz, who have put together a delicate ballet of red balls, blue homburgs and silver trays. Because Cirque du Soleil prides itself on taking the art of street performance to a higher level, it's worth mentioning that jumping rope helps stitch "Quidam" together not just as the house troupe's number, "Skipping," but as a throwback to the schoolyard athletics of young girls such as Audrey. Also keeping the seams in line are the clowns: "Les Macloma," a corny trio whose European-style antics with balloons, a would-be musician and a violin provoked the requisite combination of nostalgia and laughter; and the "Quidam" major domo, John Gilkey, who has a light touch working the crowd and an eerie foppishness in character. The fabric that makes this show a magic carpet, however, is the artful amalgam of music, design and lighting, without which this production would be a mere collection of circus acts. The score and orchestration this time out are especially alluring: Haunting lyric vocals with medieval-like chorus, plaintiff cello with raucous soprano sax, folksy accordion with propulsive drums. "Quidam" may not be the biggest or best of Cirque du Soleil's productions, despite what is to this listener the most attractive music so far, but it still keeps the promise of past outings and continues a tradition not to be missed. * * * * * * THE SOUNDS OF THE CIRCUS By: Jesse Hamlin | San Francisco Chronicle April 5, 1997 Benoit Jutras had never even seen a circus when he landed a gig in 1987 as the bandleader for a fledgling Montreal troupe called Cirque du Soleil. Jutras had just gotten a master's degree in composition from the Montreal Conservatory of Music, where he was deep into the music of Luciano Berio and other contemporary classical composers. Suddenly he was playing keyboards for acrobats, contortionists and clowns. "I didn't know anything about the circus," says Jutras, who began writing music for the spectacularly successful Cirque du Soleil in 1990. Now one of the most in-demand circus composers in the world, he scored Cirque's latest theatrical production, "Quidam," which opens at Oakland's Jack London Square May 29 and moves to San Jose in late July. His eclectic score, parts of which are featured on an RCA Victor CD that came out in December, casts a wide net. A MIX OF MUSIC It mixes the swelling strings and choruses of classical music with thumping rock beats and synthesized metallic sounds, African rhythm loops with Arabic melodies. There are Gypsy-tinged folk songs, old- time circus sounds and spacey waltzes, a Zydeco tune, syrupy pop songs and a slashing tango inspired by the late Argentine bandoneon master Astor Piazzolla. "I'm working with acrobats from all over the world, so I really wanted a wide range of music to represent different cultures," said the affable French Canadian, lunching on fettuccine and mussels at a Jack London Square eatery the other day. His brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail and a silver loop dangled from his left ear. "Quidam" -- the French word for an anonymous person -- "is about the reality of where we are in 1997, in big cities, isolated in the crowd," said Jutras, 33. "It deals with the fragility of the human being, and the coldness of the city. I explore that musically. "That's why we decided to use a child's voice (sung by Jutras' 11- year-old daughter, Audrey). It expresses that fragility. And I use a lot of metal sounds. I sampled sounds in a metal shop, hitting all kinds of metals with a hammer." Working from musical "mood" sketches he had done months before, Jutras wrote much of the "Quidam" music in the three weeks before the show opened last year. "Often I have to rewrite the piece totally to fit the natural rhythm of the act," he said. "You either try to accentuate that rhythm or play against it, which can be really nice. The music has to enhance the rhythm and emotion of each act, as well as the theatrical mood of the piece as a whole." The clowns, for example, are cast as traditional circus characters, set amid the contemporary Cirque du Soleil. When they appear, Jutras evokes "the circus sounds of the past" with the waltzing "Carrousel," scored for soprano sax, accordion and the synthesized sound of a "cheesy organ" that suggests a calliope. Jutras mastered this sort of traditional circus music composing for Circus Knie, one of Europe's biggest circuses. He's also written for the Canadian Fantasy Circus in Japan and New York's Big Apple Circus. There's twice as much music in the show as on the CD, and it's got a lot more edge, Jutras says. "The music in the show is more harsh, there's more metallic sounds, more electric guitar. The thought was that without the images, the music would maybe be a little too harsh." ADDING WORDS The CD also adds lyrics to songs that in the show are sung without words, like chants. "That was the choice of the producer of the CD," Jutras said, "to make them sound more like pop songs; in the show, it's less commercial." The CD features a live string section and chorus. In live performances, where the music is played by a six-piece band, the chorus is taped and the strings are synthesized. The synthesized sound "is not as good, for sure," Jutras said. "But in the Big Top, which is not a theater, it's OK, it works." Director Ridley Scott and his brother Tony liked the "Quidam" score so much they hired Jutras to write the music for their forthcoming TV series, "The Hunger." Whatever else he does, Jutras plans to stay with Cirque. "There aren't a lot of jobs where you get paid this kind of money to compose music and not have to compromise too much," he said. "It's a really good gig." * * * * * * OLE' FOR SOLEIL! By: Robert Hurwitt | San Francisco Chronicle May 30, 1997 Playfully childlike and frankly sensual, mysterious, thrilling, funny and enchanting - often all at the same time - Cirque du Soleil's "Quidam" opened Thursday in the company's blue-and-yellow big top in Jack London Square. The good news isn't just that the Cirque has returned to the Bay Area after a three-year absence. Even better, the magic is back. A child's dream of a circus - the show's theme as well as its accomplishment - "Quidam" is a confection of captivating design, quirky comedy, intriguing music and breathtaking feats. It's fast, smooth and ingenious, an almost seamless fantasia of whimsically costumed characters drifting or cavorting about the stage between and during the major acts. Wherever theeye wanders, there's something to catch the imagination. Not that most eyes are going to want to wander from most of these performers. From its first local visit in 1988 - all through the years when it still pitched its tent on the west side of the Bay - the Montreal-based Cirque has always featured an impressive international array of circus acts. Those assembled for its first Oakland stand – midway through the three-year "Quidam" North American tour - are simply sensational. Chris Lashua (of Massachusetts), to take just the first example, is astonishing in an act called the "German Wheel." He rolls into the ring in what looks like two giant metal hula hoops, connected by 6- foot-long bars - and he rolls around, vertically, diagonally, close to horizontally, almost wobbling to a stop like a falling top, but righting his wheel in faster and faster spins controlled only by a twist of the hips or inclination of his body. Scarcely have you recovered from his performance when four charming Chinese girls - Wu Di (11), Yuan Siqi (11), Zhao Xin (11) and Zhao Xue (10) - dressed as fantastical little, funnel-hatted tin men, turn the children's game of "Diabolos" into an act of extraordinary skill. That's the game where you toss and catch a spinning spool on a string held between two sticks. But you've never seen anybody handle those toys with anything like the expertise of this quartet. It's not enough that they execute a bouncy dance to a quick tempo as they toss the spools high in the air and catch them. Nor that they start tossing the spools back and forth without missing a beat. The next thing you know, they're somersaulting, doing backflips or leaping onto one another's shoulders as they toss and catch. And they make it all look as if they are just having a wonderful time. Then there's aerial contortionist Isabelle Vaudelle of France, wrapping an amazingly lithe body in and all around a billowing column of red silk. Contorting her limbs and form in impossible combinations high above the ring, stretching the fabric to the contours of her torso or executing breathtaking trapeze routines, her act is both a thriller and a sensual celebration of the human body. So, too, late in the second act, is the "Cloud Swing" of Petra Sprecher of Switzerland. Using a long rope as a V-shaped swing, her corn-row braids flying, Sprecher is an ebony Wonder Woman, heart- stoppingly tumbling and catching herself with her knees or ankles high in the air. In another stunning aerial act, Canada's Emilie Grenon- Emiroglou performs a captivating, spinning ballet with a suspended hoop. No less awesome, in its way, is "Vis Versa," a slowly evolving balancing act performed by the almost naked Marie-Laure Mesnage of France and Yves Decoste of Canada. Their well-muscled bodies achieve seemingly impossible combinations of strength and balance in cantilevered living sculptures. Impressive in a quieter vein is the deft, delicate red ball and curved metal sheet manipulation of Patrick McGuire and Steven Ragatz (an act developed by the extraordinary juggler Michael Moschen). Throw in some thrilling ensemble acrobatic work - quick variations on skipping rope; a tumbling finale with performers flipping onto each other's shoulders in three- and four-high human pyramids - and you've got almost enough for an ordinary circus. But not for Cirque du Soleil. Longtime Cirque director-author Franco Dragone (assisted by Gilles Ste-Croix, artistic director Andrew Watson and choreographer Debra Brown) frames the acts in a loose tale of a child (12-year-old Audrey Brisson-Jutras, an impressive vocalist) rebelling against the tedium of her parents' humdrum existence. The acts may all be figments of her imagination, but they put her mother (Nicolle Hope Liquorish) and father (the comically acrobatic Daniel Touchette) through some odd, presumably life-altering, routines. Veteran Cirque costumer Dominique Lemieux creates a fanciful wonderland of casually sensual, comical and fantastical designs. Set designer Michel Cre^te has devised a brilliant five-track ceiling scaffolding to move the acts in and out gracefully. The pulsating, wittily varied, remarkably eclectic score - performed live - is by Benoi^t Jutras. All that's missing is clowning as hilarious as Denis Lacombe or David Shiner contributed to earlier Cirque shows. The French clown trio Les Macloma is serviceable at best - annoying as often as funny. Fortunately, the show has the services of Pickle Family Circus alumnus John Gilkey as a quirkily original, genuinely comical, juggling ringmaster. Fortunately, too, "Quidam" has an air of childlike wonder and bemusement that ties it all together and makes us see its odd world through fresh eyes. * * * * * * QUIDAM CONJURES A SHADOWY SUBCONSCIOUS WORLD By: Steven Winn | San Francisco Chronicle May 31, 1997 Cirque du Soleil has always ravished the eyes and ears of the beholder. Now it's flirting openly with the subconscious. "Quidam," the French Canadian troupe's entrancing new circus entertainment that opened Thursday at Oakland's Jack London Square, haunts, startles and flickers like a fevered dream. An evening that begins a little groggily finally soars. A headless man drops a bowler hat to the floor. That sets off a fierce lightning storm and sends projected clouds scudding onto the swooping inner surfaces of the company's jolly blue-and-yellow tent, across from the Amtrak station. A wistful children's tune accompanies a skip- rope scene done in pools of dying light. Luc Lafortune's resourceful lighting furnishes the stage to more effect than Michele Crete's minimal set designs. One aerialist, Isabelle Vaudelle, gets borne away like Jesus in a pieta after her routine inside a cocoon-like red sheath overhead. Another, Karl Baumann, prances about cheerfully despite sharp martyr spines that pierce his torso and legs -- he's a modern commedia Saint Sebastian. Members of the 50-odd-member troupe parade onto the stage dressed like masked and hooded workers in some plague-riddled industrial realm. Shrouded women flit through the light and vanish. Surrealists will feel right at home in director Franco Dragone's imagination, fired by Magritte and Balthus and even Goya in the show's extraordinary climax. "Quidam" -- it's pronounced "key- dahm" and means "nameless passer-by" -- opens brightly lit patches in its shadowy dreamscape. The three clowns of Les Macloma, popping up from trapdoors, get plenty, perhaps too much, stage time. One sports a blue tutu over yellow tights. Another wears a perpetually startled expression and equally astonished side tufts of horizontal hair. John Gilkey, the lantern-jawed San Francisco clown who ran off to join the Cirque, does a gentle pas de deux with a silver coatrack. Only a coatrack might consent to dance with a man whose hairdo looks like a giant mustache that's migrated to the top of his head. Gilkey is a recurring presence in "Quidam," which tells, however wispily, a story. A father, mother and daughter are levitated out of their mundane life into a quest that finally brings them home. But this is a break from the more lyrical and celebratory tone of previous touring Cirque editions -- "Alegria," "Saltimbanco," "Nouvelle Experience." The sound of helicopter blades and gunfire, heard here in fleeting bursts, had no place in those shows. "Quidam's" defining scene comes in "Vis Versa," a male-female strength duet. As Yves Decoste and Marie-Laure Mesnage somberly lever their bodies into steely cantilevered combinations, several motionless figures trailing great long shrouds track forward overhead on the mighty arched truss that spans the tent. Another silent soul, head bowed, slowly circles the stage on a turntable. "Vis Versa" expands organically, its mysterious dirge-like logic reinforced by the thunderous percussion blasts in Benoit Jutras' score. The show's live music invokes klezmer, jazz, Scottish bagpipes, Irish reels and more under its glossy pop sheen. In the ensemble acrobatics of "Banquine," the show reaches a thrilling conclusion. Dressed like tattered ragamuffins (by designer Dominique Lemieux), the troupe launches three pure-white figures from out of their huddled gray mass. Then they become transcendent themselves, leaping and flipping onto higher and higher towers of their comrades. "Quidam" doesn't have the exuberant springiness of past shows. There are no trampolines or elastic Russian bars. Instead the circle dominates -- the "German Wheel" that Chris Lashua sets spinning and wobbling across the stage like a giant coin; the sinuous Emilie Grenon-Emiroglou in her aerial hoop; the Chinese yo-yos dancing in midair from rope to rope of four agile young girls dressed all in silver. Those four Diabolos, with their impossibly fast moves and perpetually jogging legs, set the first act in motion. The show does stall from time to time. But in the second act, the momentum feels inexorable. The Oakland site, acquired when Crissy Field and other San Francisco locations proved unworkable, is a happy one for the Cirque. The nearby trains are a minor distraction, but those rumbling tremors might even be fitted into this show's dark-glass vision of electric storms and industrial menace. * * * * * * ON A HIGH WIRE, CIRQUE BALANCES PURE ART, POP ART By: M.S. Mason | Christian Science Monitor October 22, 1997 Once again, Cirque du Soleil reminds us that there's more to the circus than lion tamers and the flying trapeze - there's the circus as art. The company from Montreal is touring the United States with a new show: "Quidam" (Latin, meaning in this context, an anonymous face in the crowd). With 53 performers - acrobats, clowns, and no animal acts - "Quidam" manages to tell a kind of story without nailing down a narrative too firmly. A little girl sits and broods with her bored parents, whose benign neglect has made the child certain she has already seen everything. A stranger appears at the door - a ghostly, headless character in a top coat, umbrella, and blue bowler. The stranger gives the child the hat, and when she puts it on, her parents fly off (their chairs are wired and actually fly up) leaving the girl to begin a quest in search of wonder. Along the way she sings a lovely hunting song. She sees astonishing sights such as an aerial contortionist whose grace defies gravity and reason, angels flying through the air, and rope jumpers' tricks that sparkle with the life of childhood memories. Young women on aerial hoops make trapeze artistry look banal by comparison, while little Chinese girls astonish and delight us with their dexterity on the "diabolos" (an elaborate string and yo-yo game). In this circus theater, all kinds of acrobatic acts, including a fabulous Russian team dressed in apocalyptic rags, draw admiration and exhilaration from the audience. Each artist demonstrates courage and skill, grace and humor - and all in the service of one unified vision of wonder and beauty meant to honor the human spirit. Visually stunning, it is like Chagall meets Fellini. And all is yoked together by the comic antics of a brilliant clown - one of the girl's guides through mystery. Since Cirque du Soleil sprang into being 13 years ago, 15 million people around the world have thrilled to its special magic. It has won dozens of awards in Canada, the US, and Europe and has found critical and popular success everywhere it has been, including Asia. The big top holds an astounding 2,500 people, and still manages to maintain a surprising intimacy. Artistic director Andrew Watson says creator Franco Dragone starts out with a feeling, a phrase, a single word. With "Quidam," he began with the idea of each person's individuality despite the appearance of anonymity in a crowd. "When we sat down in the beginning [of the 'Quidam' project]," explains Mr. Watson, "we had become aware of enormous numbers of displaced people - and these groups of people have names to describe them: 'the homeless' or 'the refugees.' But these groups are all made up of individual people who have their own histories, who have their own lives - yet in our eyes they are all lumped together. So at the top of the show, the family is dispersed, and everyone is in white. Bit by bit we discover each other as individuals." The development process is a collaboration with the artists built upon the feeling Mr. Dragone is trying to elicit. Asked why he thinks the show raises viewers' spirits, composer Benoit Jutras says, "It's close to pure art." He explains that the open, collaborative spirit among artists serves a unified vision as they draw inspiration from one another. Watson echoes Mr. Jutras's emphasis on openness. "The artists try so hard to create an open-ended experience that even the words used in the songs are often just invented language," he says. "When you put words [to the show], you are narrowing the experience quite a bit." A successful marriage of pop art and high art elements, "Quidam" is more than a good time. "It is deeper than that," says Watson. "The pop art element is the circus acrobatics, which transcends all cultures and ages - every one of us can understand circus acrobatics. To feel frightened, exhilarated, amazed by dexterity - is for ever and ever – and nearly every country has a circus. But Franco has something to say about life." # # # That's all for in this issue, but there's still a little bit more! o) Issue #170, MAR 2018 - Quidam, Part 2 (1998) o) Issue #171, APR 2018 - Dralion, Part 1 (1999-2001) o) Issue #172, MAY 2018 - Dralion, Part 2 (2001-2003) o) Issue #173, JUN 2018 - Varekai, Part 1 (2002) o) Issue #174, JUL 2018 - Varekai, Part 2 (2003-2004) o) Issue #175, AUG 2018 - Varekai, Part 3 (2005) ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 18, Number 2 (Issue #169) - February 2018 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (C) 2001-2018 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., All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. { Feb.08.2018 } =======================================================================