======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 ======================================================================= Issue #35 "There is a Love in me Raging" July 2004 ======================================================================= We're off and running again! It's certainly been an interesting month here behind the scenes at Fascination!, and once again I find myself having to apologize for our untimely release. It does seem like we get later and later each month, doesn't it? I hope our delay has been worth it, and I think you'll agree it has. We have a really great issue in-store for you this month, but then again I always say that. This month we have a wonderful review of Cirque du Soleil's Birthday celebration in Montreal -- Midnight Sun. Our own Wayne Leung took time out of his busy schedule to take part in the festivities, and I think we'll all agree it was a bash to remember! Our review of CirqueCon 2004 Vancouver continues this month with the first evening of the gathering. I'll take you through some of the pains of getting to Vancouver as well as some of the early events we had hoped to experience. Next issue I'll continue with our very special day, by examining the behind-the-scenes tour, the Tapis Rouge Experience and, of course, the show itself. Keith Johnson rings in this month with an analysis of the facts reported in the Cirque issue of the Hollywood Reporter, as well as, reviewing Cavalia, the Cirque-esque horse show. So, let's say we get too it, shall we? We hope you enjoy this issue of Fascination! If you have any questions or comments please feel free to email them to us using the following address: < CirqueFascination-owner@yahoogroups.com >. - Ricky =========== CONTENTS =========== * Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings * CRQ-TV -- Cirque on Television * CRQ.NET -- Cirque du Soleil Online * Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque * Beyond the Bigtop: "Cirque du Soleil's Birthday Bash: Midnight Sun" By: Wayne Leung - Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) * Le Spectacle: "CirqueCon 2004: We're Off and Running!" By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA) * Behind the Curtain: "The Hollywood Reporter Spotlights Cirque" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) * Special Engagement: "A Fan, An Invitation, A Party -- LA NOUBA! (Part Une)" By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA) * The Cirque Connection: "Cavalia Hoofs It" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) * Parting Quote * Subscription Information * Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= Cirque 2005 Tickets On-Sale NOW! -------------------------------- While its premiere is still eight months away, tickets are now on-sale for Cirque 2005, Cirque du Soleil's 2005 touring production! Members of CirqueClub can now purchase a special ticket pre-sale for Montreal and Quebec City! Directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, the show will explore the world of dreams, a dimension somewhere between Heaven and Earth. In the director's words: "Proportions will live in a different, strange dimension: great and small, tragic and ridiculous, the magic of perfection and the charm of imperfection. (...) The mysticism of this show will transcend through the voice, its beauty through movement, its craziness through rhythm, its sensuality through touch, its mystery through gazes, its passion through dance". Cirque 2005 will make its world debut on April 21, 2005 on the shorts of the Old Port of Montreal and will initially run through May 15th. The second stop on the tour is Quebec City from June 23rd through July 10th. [Source: Cirque du Soleil] Mystère Celebrates 5,000th Performance! --------------------------------------- Now in its 10th year at the Treasure Island Casino-Hotel in Las Vegas, Mystère has another reason to celebrate: its 5,000th performance! The commemoration took place during the 7:30pm show on Sunday, June 27th. Fireworks, confetti and balloons were released during the finale to mark the milestone. Mystère previously celebrated its 4,500th performance on Monday, June 16, 2003; its 4,000th performance on Friday, May 24, 2002 at 7:30pm; its 3,000th performance on Saturday, May 27, 2000 at 10:30pm; and its 2000th performance on Sunday, March 15, 1998 at 7:30pm. The Fascination! Newsletter wishes the cast and crew of Mystère the best with many, many more performances to come! Congratulations! WDW Passholder La Nouba Special ------------------------------- Ever wonder, after witnessing the dazzling gymnasts, trapeze artists, bicyclists and dancers of Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba, how they did that? Now's your chance! Walt Disney World Passholders who see La Nouba between July 6th and September 30th, 2004 qualify to attend a Cirque du Soleil Q&A! The best part about it is... you can bring up to 3 guests with you! The event takes places at the Cirque du Soleil theater at Downtown Disney Westside from 1 to 2pm on: July 10, 24; August 7, 21; or September 11, 25. In order to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you must register at least 7 days in advance and save your La Nouba ticket. Only a ticket and a valid Disney World Passholder ID will admit you into the event! To register, please visit the website below: And, if you don't yet have your tickets, you can purchase them now and save 25% on the non-discounted Category 2 seats on select performances between July 6th through August 21st, and August 26th through September 30th. These savings are good for the Passholder and one Guest! [Source: Walt Disney World Passholder Services] MGM/Mirage and Mandalay Bay Resorts Come Together ------------------------------------------------- It was as if a bombshell was dropped on the Las Vegas strip on June 16, 2004, when the announcement was made that MGM/Mirage was bidding to takeover Mandalay Bay Resorts in a whopping $7.9 billion dollar deal. The Mandalay Resort Group currently owns or operates more than 15 casino properties throughout the United States, five of which are premiere properties in Las Vegas: Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, Monte Carlo (50%) and Circus Circus. MGM Mirage currently owns and operates 12 casino resorts located in Nevada, Mississippi, Michigan and Australia. It's portfolio of brands include the Bellagio, MGM Grand Las Vegas, The Mirage, Treasure Island, New York-New York, Boardwalk Hotel and Casino, and Monte Carlo (50%) all located on the famous Las Vegas Strip. The combination of these two massive companies has many worried, but excited about the possibilities. Fascination! wants to know one thing, however, what does all this mean for current and future Cirque du Soleil projects in Las Vegas? For now, those at Cirque are remaining tight-lipped. Only time will tell. However, with three currently running shows with a forth (at MGM-Grand) and fifth (at Mirage) coming soon, the possibilities are endless. Stay tuned! [Source: Las Vegas Sun; Ricky Russo] More Remixes on Their Way! -------------------------- While we thought Solarium was a noble experiment, we wondered whether Cirque would move forward with the concept. According to a feature in the June 15th Hollywood Reporter, they are! Last December, Cirque's 13-year distribution contract with BMG expired. At that time CDS Musique General Manager Ian Tremblay reorganized the division to place control of all its musical properties in-house. They now have distribution deals in place with various companies worldwide for distribution. One of the first releases will be coming in September! "20 Years Under The Sun" is described as a 2-disk CD/DVD combination remix package. Some of the recruited remixers include Louie Vega, Sasha, Tiesto, Francois K, Roger Sanchez, and Alian Vinet. Disk 1 will be a repackage of "Solarium" with its chill-out mixes. The second disk, "Delirium," is a high-energy dance-floor compilation. In fact, Cirque has been "test marketing" some of the new tracks for the set - we're aware of a Louie Vega remix of "Emballa" from Varekai and a Roger Sanches tribal remix of "Kumbalawe" from Saltimbanco that have made their way into the hands of DJ's. But that's not all. Later on, CDS Musique will spin off a subsidiary label devoted to new talent. One of the bands involved will be Quicksound, a Montreal-based percussion troupe. The launch party of this new label will be taking place in early November. Plans for the label also call for extensive tours featuring the label's artists. Now, if they could only get around to releasing the "Zumanity" soundtrack! [Source: Hollywood Reporter, Keith Johnson] "Lovesick" Coming to Bravo -------------------------- Back in March we reported that a documentary on Zumanity, the Cirque du Soleil resident show at the New York-New York Hotel- Casino in Las Vegas, had wrapped. The documentary, entitled "Lovesick", is a very candid behind the scenes look at the making of Zumanity and it is currently set to air on Bravo USA in 2005. Here's what they have to say about it: "Lovesick exposes the challenging production of Cirque's first adults-only show, Zumanity. Viewers are thrown into the turbulent lives of Zumanity's five characters who are each struggling with the show's sexual themes, as well as their own personal dramas. Meanwhile, as a group, the performers struggle to remain focused on the most provocative Cirque show ever staged. Filmed over an entire year, the special covers Zumanity's early rehearsals up through its dazzling opening night at New York/New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The physically and emotionally draining drama behind the scenes only makes Zumanity's debut that much more powerful." Other upcoming, yet to be determined airdate, specials are: Cirque du Soleil Presents La Nouba, and Cirque du Soleil 20th Anniversary Special. [Source: Bravo Networks] In the Ring ----------- Starting in December 2004, observation lounges in at least two of Celebrity Cruise's Millennium-class ships will feature entertainment especially designed for them by Cirque du Soleil in accordance with a partnership agreement earlier released. The concept is said to be called "The Bar at the Edge of the Earth". The first Cirque cruise departs on the Constellation from San Juan on December 4th. For further information visit Celebrity Cruises at the following address: < http://www.celebrity.com >. Is Cirque du Soleil planning more permanent venues? You betcha! Cirque President and CEO Daniel Lamarre recently alluded to no less than three new permanent ventures within the next few years; Tokyo, London and New York City. "I wouldn't want to put a calendar to the construction," Lamarre said in an interview with The Star (www.thestar.com) but I think it's safe to say we will begin work on the Tokyo project very soon." The rumored delay in the debut of MGM Grand/Cirque 2005 has finally been confirmed. Lammare announced that it is indeed true that the new Vegas Show has postponed its opening to either December 2004 or January 2005 due to technical difficulties. And, on July 11th, Zara Tellander sang her last vocals for Cirque du Soleil's Varekai, a position she filled for two years. Zara will be returning to her native Sweden. ======================================================================= CRQ-TV -- CIRQUE ON TELEVISION! ======================================================================= * CIRQUE DU SOLEIL PRESENTS LA NOUBA ---------------------------------- Network: HBO Ole (Latin America) < http://www.hbo-la.tv/ > Aug 14 @ 07:15pm HBO Este Aug 14 @ 09:15pm HBO Oeste Aug 17 @ 05:15pm HBO Este Aug 17 @ 07:15pm HBO Oeste Aug 20 @ 12:00pm HBO Este Aug 20 @ 02:00pm HBO Oeste Aug 23 @ 03:30pm HBO Este Aug 23 @ 05:30pm HBO Oeste Aug 26 @ 11:30am HBO Este Aug 26 @ 01:30pm HBO Oeste [Schedule courtesy HBO-LA and Rodolfo Elizondo from group fanmexicosoleil] * CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: FIRE WITHIN ----------------------------- Network: Vitaya - Belgium (Europe) -- Thursday's at 9:00pm Network: Odyssey Television - Australia -- Wednesday's at 9:30pm Network: Bravo - United States * Episode 1: * Episode 8: Jul 27 at 5:30am Aug 04 at 5:30am * Episode 2: * Episode 9: Jul 28 at 5:30am Not Airing * Episode 3: * Episode 10: Aug 07 at 6:30am Jul 21 at 5:30am * Episode 4: * Episode 11: Not Airing Jul 23 at 5:30am * Episode 5: * Episode 12: Not Airing Jul 24 at 5:30am * Episode 6: * Episode 13: Aug 14 at 6:30am Jul 25 at 6:30am * Episode 7: Not Airing * NOTE: Check your local listings for complete information. Schedule is subject to change. ======================================================================= CRQ.NET -- CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ONLINE ======================================================================= This Month in Cirque Club (By: Keith Johnson) ------------------------- They were sure busy this month, with lots of Anniversaries and firsts to cover. Firstly, an article by our very own Erstwhile Editor Ricky about CirqueCon Vancouver 2004! Anne-Josee gives a compelling first- hand report of being in the crowd for Cirque du Minuit. And Cirque has broken a record! To celebrate Cirque's 20th anniversary by commemorating Gilles Ste-Croix's 90-kilometer stilt walk from Baie- Saint-Paul to Quebec City, 544 people donned stilts and walked their way into the record books! They had to walk at least 100 meters in stilts at least 12 inches high. Cirque Club covers it nicely with three gallery pages. They also have a bit on the Celebrity Cruises deal. There are also more contests! While the contest for Quidam in Aukland, New Zealand has closed; this time it's for the November 4th premiere of Quidam in Brisbane. But you must be a resident of New Zealand to enter and do so by late July, sorry. Finally, in one of the longest articles I've seen on the site, is a great diary-format report of a "Cirque du Monde"-ish gathering of youth from around the world to work on a performance in Sydney, Australia. And there are several new clothes items in the Boutique, with the debut of the "20th Anniversary" line of clothing. In Cirque Club marketing messages, Anne-Josee wrote about Alegria's leaving New York -- "Well, it's hard to believe that we have less than two weeks left of our stay in New York. Our time here is flying by, but we're still managing to squeeze every last "bite" out of the Big Apple! Between cast, crew and staff, we've seen just about every major play on Broadway. Some of our favorites have included Avenue Q, Wicked, De La Guardia, Big Apple Circus and the NYC Ballet Balanchine Tribute. Much like the millions of other visitors, we got to play tourist and fell under the spell of the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square and Central Park. We love what the city has to offer and the diversity of the people found within it. It was in some ways like our tour team-a melting pot of nationalities and cultures. We felt right at home!" She also wrote about Varekai's triumphant advance ticket sale, where they have already sold over 1/3 of all their available seats! "We would like to thank the people of Washington, D.C. for your amazing response. The Cirque Club advance sale for our upcoming engagement with Varekai, our latest touring production, has shocked us! In fact, during last month's Cirque Club exclusive ticket sale period, members in Washington purchased more than 35,000 tickets-a 50% increase in ticket sales compared to our last visit. This increase positioned Washington among our top ten most successful tour stops in North America! Other cities on the list include New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Toronto." Above text reprinted courtesy of Cirque Club. La Presse: ---------- 1. [Father's More than a Big Baby in Mystère -- Las Vegas Sun] < http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sun/2004/jun/18/ 517040607.html > ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= Note that any information in brackets [] is UN-official information and subject to change. [Touring Shows] Alegría: * Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- Avenue of the Arts Dates: July 8, 2004 to Aug 8, 2004 * Toronto, Ontario -- Ontario Place Dates: Aug 19, 2004 to Sep 26, 2004 * Tokyo, Japan: Dates: Oct 29, 2004 to Jan 23, 2005 * Fukuoka, Japan: Dates: Feb 9, 2005 to Apr 3, 2005 * Nagoya, Japan: Dates: Apr 20, 2005 to Jun 12, 2005 * Osaka, Japan: Dates: Jun 25, 2005 to Aug 10, 2005 Cirque 2005: * Montreal, Quebec, Canada -- Jacques-Cartier Pier Dates: Apr 21, 2005 to May 15, 2005 * Quebec City, Quebec, Canada -- Galeries de la Capitale Dates: Jun 23, 2003 to Jul 10, 2005 Dralion: * Vienna, Austria -- Prater - Rotundenplatz Dates: Jun 3, 2004 to Aug 1, 2004 * Antwerp, Belgium -- Gedempte Zuiderdokken Dates: Aug 12, 2004, to Oct 3, 2004 * Madrid, Spain -- TBA Dates: Oct 15, 2004 to Nov 21, 2004 * London, England -- Royal Albert Hall Dates: Jan 6, 2005 to Jan 30, 2005 Quidam: * Calgary, Alberta, Canada -- Currie Barracks Dates: June 24, 2004 to July 31, 2004 * Sydney, Australia -- The Showring, Fox Studios Dates: Aug 12, 2004 to OPEN * Brisbane, Australia -- Kingsford Smith Drive Dates: Nov 4, 2004 to TBA * Auckland, New Zealand -- TBA Dates: Dec 31, 2004 to OPEN * Melbourne, Australia -- TBA Dates: Mar 4, 2005 to OPEN * Adelaide, Australia -- TBA Dates: May 12, 2005 to OPEN * Perth, Australia -- TBA Dates: June 30, 2005 to OPEN Saltimbanco: * Gijon, Spain -- Puerto de Musel / Muelle de la Osa Dates: June 25, 2004 to TBA * Frankfurt, Germany -- Next to the Jahrhunderthalle Dates: Aug 20, 2004 to Sep 10, 2004 * Rome, Italy -- Viale Cristoforo Colombo Dates: Oct 7, 2004 to Oct 24, 2004 * Lille, France -- TBA Dates: Nov 25, 2004 to Dec 26, 2004 * Manchester, UK -- TBA Dates: Jan 6, 2005 to OPEN * Birmingham, UK -- TBA Varekai: * Denver, Colorado -- Pepsi Center Dates: Jun 3, 2004 to Jul 22, 2004 * Boston, Massachusetts -- Suffolk Downs Dates: Jul 27, 2004 to Aug 22, 2004 [May extend to Sep 5, 2004] * Washington, DC -- Grounds of RFK Stadium Dates: Sep 16, 2004 to Oct 10, 2004 [May extend to Oct 24, 2004] * Dallas, Texas -- Fair Park Dates: Nov 4, 2004 to Dec 5, 2004 [May Extend to Dec 19, 2004] * Houston, Texas -- TBA * Austin, Texas -- TBA * Pittsburg, Pennsylvania -- TBA * Baltimore, Maryland -- TBA * Hartford, Connecticut -- TBA * Columbus, Ohio -- TBA * Detroit, Michigan -- TBA * Miami, Florida -- TBA [Resident Shows] La Nouba: * Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm * Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday * Location: Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando (USA) * 2004 Dark Dates: -- July 20th - July 5th -- October 17th - 20th -- August 22nd - 25th -- December 6th - 13th Mystère: * Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm Beginning June 13th: Except Sundays; 4:30pm and 7:30pm * Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday Beginning June 9th: Wednesday - Sunday, Dark Monday/Tuesday * Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) * 2004 Dark Dates: -- August 23rd - 31st -- November 28th -- October 3rd, 6th "O": * Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm * Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark Monday/Tuesday * Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) * 2004 Dark Dates: -- August 9th - 17th -- December 6th - 21st -- October 11th - 13th Zumanity: * Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm * Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday * Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) * 2004 Dark Dates: -- August 15th - 18th -- November 28th - 30th -- October 10th - 13th -- December 1st - 20th ======================================================================= DIDYAKNOW? -- FACTS ABOUT CIRQUE ======================================================================= * Did you know that the German Wheel was invented in 1925 by Otto Fick, and was used as a Nazi propaganda device? That's right! The German Wheel actually became the most practised sport by Hitlerian Youth during the rise of the Nazi Movement. During the 1936 Olympic Games, the Nazi propaganda machine even placed a Swastika in the middle of the wheel. When the Third Reich fell, the Wheel was banned worldwide. It was Israel, in the 1970s, which brought the Wheel out of obscurity and back into the light, making it the more dynamic and artistic sport we know today. * Did you know that the last five touring productions all premiered in Montréal during the same week in April? Saltimbanco premiered on April 23, 1992; Alegría on April 21, 1994; Quidam on April 23, 1996; Dralion on April 22, 1999; and Varekai on April 24, 2002. Cirque 2005 will continue this tradition by premiering on April 21, 2005! Previous tours had staggering premieres, take for example, the 1985 tour, which premiered in Montréal's Old Port on May 14, 1985. ======================================================================= BEYOND THE BIGTOP: "Cirque du Soleil's Birthday Bash: Midnight Sun" By: Wayne Leung - Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) ======================================================================= Twenty years ago Cirque du Soleil was founded by a group of artists who performed on the streets. Appropriately, for the celebration of the company's 20th anniversary the performers returned to the streets from whence they came. Coincidentally, another of Montreal's great cultural institutions, Le Festival Internationale de Jazz de Montréal, also celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. As a special thank-you gift to the members of the public who established these two organizations as cultural icons, the Jazz Fest and Cirque du Soleil joined forces to produce a commemorative concert to close this year's edition of the festival. Produced by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon with the musical direction of Guy Dubuc and Marc Lessard, Soleil de Minuit (Midnight Sun) was described as a meeting of the sun (representing Cirque du Soleil) and the moon (representing the Jazz festival) and resulted in a dream concert for fans of Cirque du Soleil's music. The program handed out at the gates claimed that the evening's show would surround the audience and feature 200 artists, dancers, musicians and singers. The mega-bash took place on the evening of Sunday, July 11, 2004. The city of Montreal closed a length of Ste. Catherine Street spanning several city blocks in front of the Place des Arts performance halls. A large stage was set up at one end of the plaza with sunrays radiating out from the proscenium arch. The main sun stage gave way to a long catwalk that ended in a circular, spinning moon satellite stage. By mid day the crowd had already begun to form at the site and was treated to rehearsals and sound-checks. As the sun set and a warm, humid summer evening began, the crowd grew bigger. By show time the assembled audience would include approximately 205,000 people with hundreds of thousands more watching the event live on television. In the early evening I waded through the densely packed crowd to get as close to the action as possible. About half an hour before the scheduled start time, the stage shuddered to life and lighting effects danced on the curtains and illuminated the rays projecting from the proscenium arch. A slow, tribal percussion beat was played over the sound system to set the mystical mood for the evening's performance. Finally, with an excited roar from the crowd, an announcer heralded the arrival of Alain Simard, founder of the Montreal Jazz Fest and Guy Laliberté, President of Cirque du Soleil. The two gentlemen enthusiastically welcomed the massive crowd. "We wanted to celebrate our respective anniversaries and give you, the people, a gift," said Guy. The large video screens lining the street displayed the title sequence and officially the show began. The camera zoomed in on a character perched on a small stage on top of the Museum of Contemporary Art, overlooking the crowd. Soleil de Minuit's overarching story is about an idealistic and visionary dreamer "Le Rêveur" (played by Paul Ahmarani), a sort of Jules Verne-inspired Fogus Punch who dreams of a solar eclipse and sends out invitations via balloon to tribes all over the world to come and celebrate the meeting of the sun and the moon. It's a slightly corny story but it serves its purpose by tying the disparate elements of the concert together. As a whole the performance was average. It was sometimes reminiscent of Solstrom; the costumes were minimal, and only three of the featured acts were actually from live Cirque du Soleil shows. Contracted performers and second-stringers performed the rest of the numbers. Where the show really shone was as a concert featuring the music of Cirque du Soleil. Several former Cirque du Soleil singers were featured. Laur Fugère (Saltimbanco), Élise Velle (Mystère), Francine Poitras (Saltimbanco), Mathieu Lavoie (Quidam, Varekai), and Francesca Gagnon (Alegría) were all on hand to recreate the songs they performed on the original Cirque du Soleil albums along with an array of guest musical artists from around the world. The experience was an absolute treat for ardent Cirque fans. The original Cirque voices looked like pop stars performing in a show with more spectacle, grandeur and screaming fans than a Madonna concert. Throughout the night the atmosphere was electric. The crowd came to party and party it did, the infectious beat of the music overtook many in the audience who swayed and danced or clapped their hands in time to the music despite being crammed together like sardines. It was an incredible atmosphere. The show starts with a peal from a Taïko drum, calling everyone to the celebration. A tribal procession of dancers and percussionists makes its way onto the stage and a pumped-up dance remix of "Birimbau" from Mystère shakes the earth with Élise Velle singing the exotic melody. The stage fills with dancers and percussionists who radiate an immense energy to the crowd. After the raucous introduction, a string section (the I Musici chamber orchestra of Montreal) is heard filling the air with the opening strains of "Il Sogno di Volare", the theme to Saltimbanco's Bungee Ballet. The curtains part and Francine Poitras is revealed dressed like a galactic empress from Star Trek in a black dress and tall hat. The beautiful operatic aria has never sounded better then when accompanied by live strings. As soon as the aria winds down we see Chris Lashua of Quidam inside a German Wheel being borne to the stage on the shoulders of four porters. Chris proceeds to perform his dazzling wheel act to the rowdy, Cajun-inspired song "Zydeko" from Quidam, complete with Mathieu Lavoie playfully scatting, yelping and giggling. As the act climaxes with Chris spiraling perilously, the wheel erupts into a shower of fireworks until he is upright again, a spectacular surprise ending for the act. When the sparks die down we find an accordion player seated on stage, Francesca Gagnon appears wearing a red dress and assumes the role of a jilted lover. She begins to sing "Querer" while two dancers perform a dynamic and violent pas de deux. The choreography is a little over- the-top but it provides a fitting illustration for the theme of a song sung with so much aching emotion by Francesca. The song ends and the dancers embrace. Meanwhile, drums pound out the rhythm of "Bamboo" from Dralion and Chinese lion dancers fill the stage. Midway through the song DJ P-Love starts mixing beats into the live percussion and scratches up a storm with spectacular results. Next, Brazilian singer Daniela Mercury joins Mathieu Lavoie to sing "Emballa" from Varekai. Keeping with the theme of the Brazilian- inspired song, performers take to the stage in mock battle, showcasing the Brazilian form of martial arts called Capoeira. The crowd's attention is then drawn high above the ground to a man dangling from Le Rêveur's perch and performing an aerial act of twists and figures using nothing but a hanging rod. The song "Le Rêveur" from the Varekai album fills the air and Youssou N'Dour, acclaimed world music artist and the "voice of Africa" walks down the catwalk in a flowing black and red robe. Youssou lends his unique touch and golden voice to the vocalizations of the song. Meanwhile another act progresses onstage - a woman thrashes and writhes while trapped inside a Plexiglass box. The two acts are supposed to contrast the freedom of flight with the suffocation of imprisonment, but the aerial act is too understated and the glass coffin number too overstated to get the point across. Nonetheless, the music is the number's saving grace. Continuing the African motif, the music breaks into a remix of Sun Drum Fun from Varekai (a variation on the Carmen Rizzo Toumany remix featured on the Siddharta Spirit of Buddha Bar Vol. 2 compilation, which sounds nothing like the live version). Youssou N'Dour continues his vocalizations backed up by an African choir. Meanwhile, a group of performers on stage and in the windows of the adjacent Hyatt Regency hotel perform a slow and graceful tai chi. A simple but beautiful performance follows as Québec's Jorane sings "Marelle" from Quidam while accompanying herself on the cello. Performers on stilts roam the stage and Le Rêveur is spotted pulling a very long red silk scarf out from under his coat. Daniela Mercury returns and joins Jorane and Mathieu Lavoie in a rendition of El Péndulo from Varekai. A team of acrobats runs around the satellite stage while manipulating a woman attached to a flying rig at the end of a lever. Unfortunately, the apparatus is much too clumsy and awkward to effectively convey the freedom of flight, especially compared to the images of the Atherton twins that the music conjures. But the song is beautifully sung and the music once again saves the act. A boring clown act follows where a guy dressed like the Quidam character repeatedly runs into a Plexiglass wall. Unfortunately, the routine falls flat with the audience as well. Soon, a brigade of bagpipers marches onto the stage and leads the orchestra into "Simcha" from "O" featuring Mathieu, Élise and Francine with Laur singing the lead. The same team of acrobats who performed the flying harness now execute choreography, running up repeatedly against Plexiglass wall and forming figures. The act is supposed to be artistic but just comes off as silly. Fortunately, "Simcha" sounds spectacular with the brass section laying it down together with the accents from the bagpipes. One of the evening's highlights comes when Mathieu Lavoie takes centre stage, looking smashing in a burgundy suit, and sings the English version of "Let Me Fall" from Quidam. Isabelle Chassé is hoisted high above the crowd and performs her Aerial Contortion in Silk act with the fabric blowing dramatically in the breeze. At the conclusion of the song the band transitions into the fast, second movement of the version used in the live show. Mathieu vocalizes the guitar riffs while Isabelle writhes and contorts frantically in the red fabric, a brilliant presentation of this dramatic act. The next number is one of the biggest crowd-pleasers of the evening. Joseph Dominick Bauer performs on the Wheel of Death (think hamster wheel attached to a long pendulum about 30 feet high). This act was featured in the Cosmic Disco episode of Solstrom. Accompanying the wheel of death; a thundering dance remix of "Mer Noire" from "O" rocks the audience. The crowd cheers, dances and claps rhythmically to the infectious beat while "ooh"-ing and "ahh"- ing the death-defying act. Next, the audience is treated to an all-time Cirque du Soleil favourite. Yves Descost and Marie-Laure Mesnage take to the spinning centre platform to perform their Vis-Versa Statues act from Quidam. While the act is amazing to experience in a big top with a crowd of 2,600 in rapt attention, the act is sublime when 200,000 watch in quiet reverence. The taïko beats periodically and the orchestra strikes up "Reveil." After a moment of solace it's time to start the party up again. As a remixed version of "Oscillum" fills the air the crowd dances and sways while the stage ignites with a team of artists wielding fire wands. The fire jugglers and fire breathers create an inferno on stage. The scene reminds me of an expanded version of the fire act originally featured in Zumanity with its veiled references to S&M in the costume treatment. After nearly two full hours, the time has come for the end of the show. A voice rings out over the speakers, "Alegría". The crowd erupts into a cheer, as Francesca Gagnon emerges dressed in the full White Singer costume from Alegría. She beckons us to sing along and we gladly oblige. The familiar strains of Cirque's signature song fill the air, many in the crowd sing along while waving little souvenir cardboard suns in the air. Snow machines perched on top of buildings create a gentle flurry and as the song climaxes fireworks are set-off from building rooftops, a spectacular finale to a magical concert. The crowd erupts into a loud ovation at the end of the song. As "Mirko" from Alegría fills the air, a giant inflatable moon is tossed into the audience where the crowd proceeds to play catch with it. The artists and several costumed characters from Cirque du Soleil's shows take the stage for a final bow. The singers end the show leaving us with a chanted version of "Horéré Ukundé" and the crowd disperses. Leaving the massive event I remember feeling strangely satisfied. It wasn't the greatest Cirque show I had seen by a long shot but what made the experience so special was being in a crowd with so many other fans and participating in a communal celebration of these two homegrown organizations that bring magic into our lives. It was an experience that I'll keep with me for a long time to come. Let it be known that Cirque du Soleil knows how to throw a great party! (Editor's Note: The show was also broadcast on CBC from 9:30-11:30pm on Sunday, July 11th. Since it ran over 15 minutes, many VCR's didn't catch the end, and most in America didn't see it at all. But fear not! According to Cirque's "On Screen," Cirque du Minuit is scheduled to be broadcast on Bravo Network on Friday, November 19th.) ======================================================================= LE SPECTACLE: "CirqueCon 2004: We're Off and Running!" By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA) ======================================================================= It's Saturday, May 22, 2004, and it's breakfast time down at Douglas House, a beautiful old Victorian-style Bed and Breakfast on Cambie Street near the heart of Downtown Vancouver, BC. We're just on the other side of the Cambie Bridge and the old Expo center on West 13th Avenue. I currently occupy room number two, a small yet cozy single room with a Queen sized bed, my own sink, a television and a couple of chairs on the second floor of the house. It's raining a bit now, but that doesn't seem to dampen the spirits around here. Chatter fills the air as many of our group has awakened to the sounds and smells of mealtime. Right across from me at the table is Simon Chavez, a twelve year-old here with his dad Todd (from Idaho). He's had his head stuffed in his Game Boy Advance console ever since he arrived. Keith Johnson (from Seattle, Washington) is currently tormenting young Simon about his unrelenting Game Boy playing, which Simon is cleverly not having anything of. Joining Keith is his wife LouAnna, her aunt Barb Houde, cousin Shelly Blakeslee (from Missoula, Montana), and his father-in-law Calvin Davis (from Spokane, Washington). Oh, and here comes Jeff Tolotti (from Virginia) and Danielle Wall (from Ontario, California) who are staying in nearby Cambie Lodge, another wonderful Bed and Breakfast. They represent but a small fraction of the folks I've met thus far, and have yet to meet, as this gathering goes on. What gathering? Why, CirqueCon Vancouver 2004 of course! 30 fans of Cirque du Soleil came together in Vancouver from across North and Central America to celebrate not only our friendship, but also Quidam. Quidam, which comes from Latin for "a nameless passerby," is Cirque du Soleil's ninth production, which premiered in Montreal on April 23, 1996. Since then it has been heralded as one of Cirque du Soleil's quintessential productions, showing us that we are all Quidams in one form or another. "It could be anyone, anybody," the show's programme allows. "Someone coming, going, living in our anonymous society. A member of the crowd, one of the silent majority. One who cries out, sings and dreams within us all." In the world of Cirque du Soleil's Quidam, the one who cries out is Zoë, a young girl who fumes because she believes she's seen everything there is to see, experienced all there is to experience. For her, the world has lost all meaning. Her anger, sharp and unforgiving, shatters her little world and soon she finds herself in the universe of Quidam. Within this universe she finds she is not alone; Zoë is joined by a joyful companion (Target) and a more mysterious character (John) that will attempt to seduce her with the marvelous, the unsettling, and the terrifying. It's the marvelous that draws us, the Cirque "Passionates," to Vancouver for this inaugural CirqueCon. It's been organized chaos since we arrived, with our plans changing up to the very last minute. But we're quite excited to be here. Cirque du Soleil has some wonderful experiences waiting for us today, but last night was one of the best evenings I've had with people I've never met before in my life. Last Night (the 21st), around 5:30pm, we welcomed our guests and friends in style with a Cocktail/Show & Tell hour, which turned out to be great fun. There were many of Cirque's older programmes and press kits to look through. Keith brought his Wallpaper books and there were a variety of other rare Cirque goodies to show off. The food (including meats, cheeses, and of course Applets and Cotlets) catered by Keith's wife, LouAnna and was simply delicious! I met many of the Con's participants at the Cocktail Hour; including but not limited to: Roderick Mariano (from Virginia), Albert Tsai, Shanna Shih, Taylor Jeffs & Steven Rodriquez (California), Dave Lee (Georgia), Gary & Jill Chapman (Oregon), and Rafael & Angelica Serrano (from Tijuana, Mexico!) We drank "Cirque du Rosé" wine, regaled our friendships, and even handed out a few gifts -- our own home-produced CirqueCon programme, a two-CD set of rare Cirque music and badges with everyone's name on them! It was a taste of things to come... To be honest, Keith and I almost missed the Cocktail Hour ourselves! Why? Thank the Canadian border agents. Honestly, I think the border agents wanted to give a couple of unsuspecting American guys a hard time. Imagine the two of us pulling up to the Canadian/USA border through the truck crossing on Pacific Highway in Blaine with passports in hand and a timetable to keep. At first things seemed to be going well, however, the border agents seemed confused about the 40 programs and 80 CD's we had sitting out in the open in the backseat. "You're giving these away? You're not making any money? They aren't commercial?" Overloading the intelligence of the border-crossing officer we had to park and take a form into the customs building for review and explain the entire situation to someone slightly more evolved. Great. We were detained nearly 45 minutes as they schlepped us from one building to the next with rudeness prevalent, recanting our story to 3-4 more people along the way. The last woman we spoke with (after getting our paper stamped and cleared by the commercial office) was very anxious and intent to find some kind of infraction to charge us with. She tore out the entire contents of Keith's trunk (which was packed very full). She came back into the building with the 6-pack of Cirque du Rosé wine we had for the Cocktail Hour. I watched as she strutted her way from the car into the building via a side door, a smug look about her. "Okay my little Cirque fans," she hailed. "What's this? You said you had only four bottles of wine and this is six." Problem is; she didn't bother to look at the bottles. While it's true there were six in the pack, four were Cirque du Rosé wine, while the other two were sparkling water/cider type drinks and non-alcoholic. Once she realized that she threw the case down upon the counter and bid us a hasty farewell. "Okay, well, BYE!" After collecting our IDs from the agent, we grabbed the wine, repacked the car and returned to the roadway, clear for takeoff. Unfortunately that wouldn't be our only problem getting into Vancouver. We ran into traffic just before the George Massey tunnel -- it was backed up to one lane; therefore we took an alternate route over the Alex Frasier Bridge (on Canadian Route 91). It put us well out of our way (by about 10 miles or so) but it was the only other option open to us. But we made it to the party, and I think it was a great success. Later, as the Cocktail party started to settle down (and as more of Jeff's party went off to that evening's performance of Quidam) it was decided amongst Keith's group to head on down to a restaurant entitled Brothers, in Gastown -- an area where the city of Vancouver began. It's said Gastown was established in the same year that Canada became a nation (1867) and is named after "gold prospector, riverboat captain and saloon keeper John 'Gassy Jack' Deighton." Its old, historic and an interesting place. If I had to compare Gastown to a place I've before visited, I would have to say it is (at least in spirit) similar to the Jacques Cartier Square in the Old Porte of Montreal. As for Saturday, there's so much planned that I find I'm already super excited! 12:00pm -- Meeting with Cirque Merchandising 01:30pm -- Backstage Tour of Quidam 04:30pm -- Spaghetti Factory Group Dinner in Gastown 08:00pm -- Quidam, Group Show 10:45pm -- Q&A with Artists 11:30pm -- Possible Drink with BJ Well... my French toast has finally arrived so its time to put down the pencil and eat. Keith's party will be headed out to Stanley Park this morning and I'm in on that. So, I guess I better tuck in! (To Be Continued...) ======================================================================= BEHIND THE CURTAIN: "The Hollywood Reporter Spotlights Cirque" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) ======================================================================= Cirque has been popping up in some interesting places lately. One of them is a special 30-page section in the Hollywood Reporter's "International Edition" of June 15-21. The issue sports a full-color cover portrait of Skywatcher, Guide, Olga, and Anton posing in front of the Varekai Tent. The back cover is a mosaic of 49 character faces from all Cirque shows. Inside the issue, in addition to the "congratulatory" ads normally taken out by associates, vendors, and others associated with the "honoree" (Cirque du Soleil in this case) are 13 pages of features, including: * An overall view of the company and it's current status * Interviews with CEO Guy Laliberte and COO Daniel Lamarre * A visit to the training center, and the casting process * Articles on the Production and Costuming departments * Discussion of the new circus arts complex, Tohu, which will open this September across from the Cirque IHQ * Plans for Cirque du Soleil Musique The articles, written by Irene Lacher, Etan Vlessing, and Ada Guerin, aren't for the most part very long - most of them only run one full page. Yet there are several new finds in those pages. Allow us to run down some of them for you... * Guy Laliberte on how he would describe his management style: "Much more hands-off but completely aware of everything that is happening. I have a great team around me, and they know how I work and what I need to know. Creatively, I am a little more hands-on, but then again not in the complete creative process. That's why the creators chose to call me "Guide" some time ago. I like to not be too involved in the beginning and during the process so as to keep this fresh look and be able to give constructive recommendation on the final production." * President and COO Daniel Lamarre on brand identity and the Cirque audience: "We spend a fair amount of time understanding our brand. We know what we want to be, but we have to respect how our consumers perceive us. The research on our brand is very touching and puts an additional responsibility on our shoulders. People are expecting us to do things, to be innovative - they recognize values that they don't see anywhere else. They understand we are creative-driven, so if we became a business, they would be disappointed. They don't want us to be a corporation; they see us as street performers. They like to see us as nomadic, as people traveling around the world - and we are. We're trying to make sure everyone in the world sees our shows." * Cirque's formula for success? Partly it includes the following: * Don't let budgets or purse string-minders dictate content. * Invest heavily in research and development, but steer clear of conventional market research about what audiences say they want to see. In fact, don't worry about audiences, just express yourself. * Embrace risk. * Never, ever relinquish creative control, no matter how much money is on the table. * There are currently three creative teams working on productions at the Cirque IHQ, including a show for 2006. * Cirque invests 70% of its profit back into developing new creative content. Half of that money goes into research and development, more than double what the average corporation invests, according to Lamarre. The shows produce 85% of the $100 million a year the company nets on $500 million in annual revenue. * MGM Mirage has the exclusive contract to partner with Cirque on shows in "gaming jurisdictions." Though the article indicates they are still talking with Cirque and other suppliers about a replacement for the Siegfried & Roy show, MGM Mirage is talking with Cirque about possible shows at properties in Asia and the United Kingdom. (See "In the Ring" in this issue.) * Luc Plamondon, VP Production, and Eleni Uranis, Assistant Costume Designer tell an interesting tale of the development of costume technology for "O". A week after the show opened, costumers found that chlorine was ruining the elasticity of the hand-painted sheer netting of the costumes. Corsetry fabrics were tried, but they were too heavy. So every three weeks they would try something else. A year later they hit on a Lycra netting that allows water to pass through so that air pockets don't form inside the suits. Early on in production, performers started developing skin disorders. With their costumes and the technology in the pool, the artists came into contact with aluminum, steel, plastic, wire, rubber - "a big bowl of soup with a lot of chemical interactions," Plamondon says. Another complication was oil microbubbles leaking out of the underwater hydraulics causing vision problems. Changing the pool chemicals only changed the colors of the costumes! So, working with chemists at a Montreal textile school, they were able to fine-tune the pool's chemicals six weeks later. ======================================================================= BEHIND THE CURTAIN: "A Fan, An Invitation, A Party -- LA NOUBA! (Part Une)" By: Ricky Russo - Orlando, Florida (USA) ======================================================================= On June 2, 2004, Cirque du Soleil together with the Walt Disney Company celebrated La Nouba's 5th Anniversary, and yours truly was invited along to join in the fun. Imagine my surprise when I returned home from CirqueCon 2004 in Vancouver to find the invitation from Publicist and PR representative with La Nouba here in Orlando, waiting patiently in my email's inbox. "La Nouba, presented by Cirque du Soleil exclusively at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, is celebrating five amazing years! We would be very honored if you could join us! You are invited to join us for the 9pm performance of La Nouba on June 2, 2004, followed by a celebration with the cast and crew! (There's RSVP information). Thank you for your continued support of Cirque du Soleil. We look forward to seeing you at La Nouba on June 2!" I left for Downtown Disney on the 2nd full of excitement, unsure of exactly what to expect upon my arrival. It felt like electricity was in the air; I was anticipating the experience so much that my palms were sweating. What would it be like? Would they do something special during the show? What would happen afterward? Would I really get to meet the cast? All these questions and more surfaced in my mind at one time or another. Once I arrived I immediately located the media check-in table, which was located along the backside of the theater. I was at a loss for words when I walked up to the press agents. Concerned was more like it, because I really didn't know under what pretence they had me placed on their lists. I'm not official "media" in the true sense of the word (unlike many of the other folks there) so I was a little curious, and spoke with trepidation. I needn't have worried; my credentials were already on hand in an envelope marked with my name. The credentials consisted of a lanyard with an ID Tag featuring a black background with a headshot of one of the Les Cons at the top and "Celebrating 5 years! La Nouba June 2004" underneath in varying font sizes and varieties. Below that was the space for my name and what resided there drew a smile: "Richasi" was on top in bold and below that "Ricky Russo." Too cool! Accompanying the credentials was an itinerary sheet, which detailed the evening's events, as follows: 5:30pm -- Show Seating Time 6:00pm to 7:30pm -- Special La Nouba Performance 8:00pm to 10:00pm -- Dinner at BET Soundstage Club, Pleasure Island 10:00pm to 1:00am -- Post Production Party, Bongo's Cuban Cafe, 2nd Floor. This was but a fraction of what the press and other honored guests were able to experience throughout the day, as I found out. It was unfortunate I wasn't able to come earlier, but I was extremely happy and honored just to be considered, mind you. Here's what I missed: 11:00am -- Celebration Moment, Cirque du Soleil Theater Exterior 12:00pm to 1:30pm -- Behind-the-Scenes lunch with the Cast 1:30pm to 4:00pm -- La Nouba Media Experiences It was really that last one I was the most interested in. I wondered what exactly were the media allowed to do? Were they given backstage tours? (Most definitely.) Were they allowed on stage? (Possibly.) Did they get to try their hand in some acts? (Surely Not... right?) Wrong! I learned this while speaking with a newspaper writer out of the Tampa Bay area. He was filling me in on the entire special "goodies" the press were able to take part in during that Special Media Experience time I missed. Not only were they able to take backstage tours and climb up into the rafters and see the scaffolding, but also received the opportunity to tumble on the FastTrack! He regaled me with tales of some of the media personnel who were overanxious to try, and some who were just too frightened to attempt it. As for me, if I had been there, I think you know what I would do. I would be all over that FastTrack in a heartbeat! Though I have no formal training (ok, I have absolutely no training at all), I think just being given the opportunity to tumble would have been more than enough. What an experience, no? Before long it was time to enter the theater -- the pre-show was about to begin, so I took my seat in Section 204, Row HH, Seat 10. The view from this seat was spot on, dead center, right behind the soundman by a few rows. I couldn't have asked for a better seat on such a short notice. When the lights dimmed, and after the safety announcement was played, the characters paraded themselves before me and it was like those two years since I'd last seen the show had melted away. I was transported back to 1999, my first viewing of La Nouba, and reveled in history. You see, La Nouba was my first live Cirque du Soleil show, and it helped spawn something in me that has been going strong for five years now. So, it was somewhat fitting that not only was I celebrating my 5- year Anniversary as a Cirque du Soleil fan, but was also celebrating La Nouba's 5th Anniversary in-house! The show itself was very good and enlightening, such a contrast to Quidam in Vancouver. I loved watching the characters hang on the mountain set in various poses during the acts. I watched the Green Bird and The Red Dancer many times and found myself watching the secondary visuals much more than the primary acts! Some things even surprised me, like the fact that Krystian's "Le Titan" character spit fire during the opening sequence, sending an enormous fireball stream skyward. Or, how the Green Bird performed on a small pendulum swing during the trapeze act, instead of chasing its small flower around. This change must have occurred some time ago, after original Green Bird Elena Day left, but since it had been about two years since I'd seen the production, this was the first time I'd seen it. It's actually very poignant, because it allows the flightless bird a chance to fly. During the silk act I watched the Pierrot Dancer and the Ballerina dance their emotional ballet and became teary-eyed near the end of their dance when the Ballerina left him for the Flying Man, walking away from his embrace. It was gut wrenching to see him hang his head and turn away in sadness and disappointment, and equally so when she returned to him. I still say La Nouba's Silk act is one of the best Silk acts I've seen in Cirque. Not necessarily because of the emotion it provokes, but the overall presentation. The entire palate is filled with the color red from the silk, and the artists a mixture of white and blue. It's just sweet stuff. It was my first performance of La Nouba with the new "chair-balancer", Rokardy, and his act is very interesting. For those of you who have yet to see the show, he replaces Vasilly Dementchoukov, a veteran of Cirque du Soleil (he performed the same chair-balancing act in Cirque's 1990 production Nouvelle Experience). While Vasily balanced only on chairs, Rokardy takes this discipline a step further by balancing on a chair, a clock, a baby carriage and just about anything else he can find laying around. And then there were the singers, embodied and full of life. They weren't nearly as strong as I would have hoped but on par with previous vocalists. At one time, though, I caught myself doing the "hand maneuver" made famous by Jeff Tolotti (a fellow fan) in anticipation of the female singer's entrance. All too soon the production came to a close, but it would be an ending not soon forgotten. For during the final stanza and last curtain call hundreds of multi-colored balloons were released from the rafters, covering everyone in the audience! Balloons were flying, hands were clapping, and whistles were blowing and through it all I stood, misty- eyed, as the phase "La Nouba 5th Anniversary" was projected on the asylum wall. It was truly a birthday bash. But the show was just one act of a three-ring circus that night. In our next issue I'll conclude my experience with La Nouba's 5th Anniversary Celebration by taking you through the Dinner at the BET Soundstage Club at Pleasure Island and the Post Production Party at Bongo's Cuban Cafe. Stay Tuned! ======================================================================= THE CIRQUE CONNECTION: "Cavalia Hoofs It" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) ======================================================================= As you might remember, Fascination! covered the rise and untimely fall of "Cheval Theatre," Gilles Ste-Croix's attempt to mix horsemanship with Cirque-quality showmanship. Rising from the ashes, and with some of the equipment, of that failed partly-Cirque-financed production comes a new show (produced by another Cirque veteran) that attempts the same thing, Cavalia - "A Magical Encounter Between Man and Horse" (www.cavalia.net). It recently passed through Seattle, and my lovely wife and I had a chance to check it out. Created and produced by Normand Latourelle, one of the founders of Cirque du Soleil (and with them up to 1990), it is a show described by Mr. Latourelle himself as, "Cirque du Soleil with horses." Publicity materials say that he had a long-standing dream of doing a show involving horses, which came to pass after being introduced to renowned French trainers (and equestrian co-directors of Cavalia) husband and wife team Frédéric Pignon and Magali Delgado. After first touring in Montreal, Toronto, San Francisco and Los Angeles, Cavalia chose the Seattle area as the fifth stop on its tour - possibly because of the success of prior Cirque productions here. Interestingly, the tour itinerary is a little erratic, as the next stop after this is back in the Bay Area - Oakland starting August 5th (dates beyond that are unknown)! Their initial strategy is to announce only one week of dates and announce date extensions as tickets are sold. Kind of like Cirque in that way, but while Cirque might initially announce 3 weeks of dates Cavalia initially announced only one. They plopped their tent into the same huge parking lot Cirque used for their last two appearances, in the suburb of Renton. Needing to house some 30 horses on-site, the site footprint is larger than that of a Cirque site. And not only that - the all-white four-spire tent is North America's largest, a 26,624 square foot behemoth standing more than 100 feet high, taller and wider in diameter than a typical Cirque tent. Ticket prices also took a bit of a leap. Whereas Cirque's price topped out in the $65.00 range, Cavalia is charging $73.00, no doubt because of all the hay the horses need. And if you are in the mood to give them even more of your money, they also have a VIP Experience similar to Cirque's Tapis Rouge, which includes a visit to the stables. Prices for souvenirs are also inflated, but more on that later. I won't go into too much background of the show here - one merely has to type in "Cavalia" (or cavalia.net) or "Normand Latourelle" in a search engine to find plenty of articles, features, and photographs from other stops on the tour. What follows are my and my wife's (and also her father's) impressions and comments. We pulled into the parking lot (charging $8.00, less than the $12.00 Cirque charged) with plenty of time to take in the concession tents and site. Turns out we needed the time, but for a different reason. Cavalia uses one large tent as its combination concessions/souvenir tent, through which all patrons must pass before having their tickets taken. This was a massive bottleneck as the line extended 4 people thick through the tent and half way into the parking lot! The line moved quickly, however it was certainly not as smooth as Cirque's two- entrance approach. The concession tent had plenty of places to sit, though few were partaking of the average food and beverage choices offered there. The souvenir area was busier. This is one place where Cavalia has tried some things differently. The program, for example. Instead of a standard "book-type" souvenir program that Cirque would sell for $12.00 USD, your $20.00 USD gets you a "portfolio" arrangement, housing 22 - 10" x 16" one-sided "posters". Only one page is double- sided, with an introductory poem by Latourelle and the shows credits. Another page lists the acts; the rest are a combination of black and white and color pictures of the cast with their horses. Several are of star trainers Pignon and Delgado, but most all the acts are represented here. An interesting approach, as this allows young girls (a *big* audience for this show) to pin up their favorite pages as posters. While one could suggest the $8.00 premium for poster-sized pictures is worth it, I can't say the same for the soundtrack. For what Cirque charges $18.00, Cavalia wants $25.00. And I can't say that the CD is very good, as it is more downbeat and contemplative in nature than I found while watching the show. I was hoping for more of the exciting pieces of music, but they aren't here. Other than those basic souvenir items, Cavalia also had the typical selection of shirts and caps. The prices for these seemed on par with Cirque, but their presentation was lacking. In a more typical "touring-show/concert" type of presentation, all of the merchandise was behind the tables in the area, where only the employees could fetch them. In addition, there were no prices to be found anywhere in view! "How much is X?" rang out so much it almost formed a chorus! This is bad show - if you aren't going to put the merchandise where people can touch and compare them (encouraging additional sales), at least put big placards of how much things cost where they can be seen and read easily. I don't know, but perhaps someone was embarrassed at the high prices charged. Enough about the souvenir tent. After your tickets are taken at the admission choke point, you are directed to one of the eight doors to the tent. The tent is formidable from up close; it just seems to go up and up and up! Its height and width are impressive when you are next to it. While the extreme side doors lead to ground-level seats at the front, most of the other doors lead to vertigo-inducing scaffolding stairs that must be ascending before coming out at the top of the seating area. This, too, is quite different from a Cirque show. Instead of in the round, Cavalia's 1800 seats go straight across the front stage area, like bleachers in a high school gym (a Cirque show will typically have around 2200 seats). In fact that's just what it looks like, except that there are individual plastic seats with backs (but, like Cirque, no armrests) and the bleachers are rather steeply raked. The top rows (about 26 rows back) are high up in the air, but all seats still allow a good view of the shows proceedings. It just may be a hike to get to your seats and back! Having ascended the metal staircase to the top of the seats, one might get the impression the rest of the shows design would be architecturally stark. Not so, at least from what you can see before the show starts. What is seen at the beginning of the show is a wide dirt track straight across the front of the "stage". Other than some small props, that's it! Pre-recorded music plays while people are seating. When show time approaches, there's no fussing with "Animation" to get you into the mood. After a short safety announcement, the lights dim and the show begins! And you begin to understand why there are no clowns or characters to entertain you beforehand, as the show subtly begins to wrap you in its extraordinary world. It also may be because, in fact, there are no clowns! High-quality video projectors shine moving images on curtains on either side of the stage in an impressive display. Soon afterward, a trio of acrobats run and tumble across the dirt stage, followed by the first "Gasp!" moment of the show. Two stallions, one white and one black, run completely at liberty from one entrance and stomp and play on the stage. Not controlled by human handlers, they are free to behave in any way that suits them. It is as though you were watching these magnificent creatures in the wild, playing and running on the plains. As during Cirque shows, music plays constantly. The music mix quality was so good that for much of the first act I thought the music was pre-recorded. It is only later that the musicians are shown behind screens at the back of the stage, proving that they are indeed playing the music live. I should have thanked the house sound mixer, he did an excellent job. The soundtrack is rather new-agey with subtler dynamics predominant, though it has moments of grand bravado. And that music accompanies a fascinating fusion of extraordinary horse (and human) behavior. Soon after this opening piece, curtains draw back to reveal the entirety of the "stage" - in reality an oval dirt track for the horses to run on. Now it becomes obvious why the tent must be so large; the stage and seating area is easily a third again as large as a Cirque show. In addition, video projections across the panorama of the back stage wall set the scene of each act - from a Coliseum, to a forest, to a field. These projections make an impressive statement. However, a backlit projection on an occasional center-stage water curtain is less effective, as the projector light is so bright as to blind the eyes. The horses have developed a powerful bond with their trainer/handlers, responding to subtle finger and hand gestures almost imperceptible to the audience. Circus arts are also brought into the mix. There is a bit of fast track, ball balancing, bungee, and 3-man acrobatics as well as Chinese pole and aerial straps; all done while horses reside somewhere in the tableau. The acrobatics are well done, and pleasing to watch, but sometimes feel out of place, or "added in" to the mix. They are also not quite Cirque caliber. Several acts stand out. A woman attached to a cable does a pas de deux with a horse and rider that is quite pretty. Near the end of the first act there is a "race" between three pairs of horses that run so close in tandem that the rider can stand atop their bare backs at full gallop, one foot on each horse. There is an astounding segment of trick riding, in which horses and riders zip from one side of the stage to the other, demonstrating tricks in a contest of one- upmanship. And after the show ends, the audience leaves the tent while three brown horses stay onstage, not flinching one bit at the commotion, calmly munching on treats hidden in the dirt. The real stars of the show are, of course, the horses. Especially touching are the segments between Pignon and his "stars" Templado (a Lusitano white stallion with the longest flowing mane of the bunch, who even has his own hard-cover book for sale), and Aetes. These are tender moments between trainer and horse, and the respect and absolute trust the animals and trainer have for each other is very evident. These are the most powerful parts of the show, illustrating the potential of a symbiotic relationship between man and animal. Though I would have switched the last slower segment between Pignon and Templado with the more energetic trick-riding segment that precedes it, giving the crowd a bang-up finale. One comes away from the show impressed with its technical aspects, especially the video projections and sound. Also impressive is the interplay between trainers and horses. Less impressive are the "circus arts" acts, but that could be because of our familiarity with Cirque excellence. Is it worth the extra premium they are asking for tickets? For anyone who has ever loved a horse, the answer would of course be yes. And if horses aren't your thing, there is the grand technical wizardry of the show itself. Just think twice about the $25.00 soundtrack. ======================================================================= PARTING QUOTE ======================================================================= "Alegría means that, even when you're in pain, life goes on. Alegría was an exorcism, and there was joy at the end of it." - Director Franco Dragone ======================================================================= SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ======================================================================= Fascination! is a monthly newsletter, available only through sub- scription. To subscribe, please send an email to: < CirqueFascination- subscribe@yahoogroups.com >. To unsubscribe, please send an email to: < CirqueFascination-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com >. To view back issues, please visit our Yahoo! Group address at: < http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CirqueFascination/ >, login using your Yahoo! ID (required) and select the Files menu option. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at: < CirqueFascination- owner@yahoogroups.com >. Have a comment, question or concern? Email the Fascination! Newsletter staff at: < CirqueFasincation-owner@yahoogroups.com >. We are anxious to hear any and all comments! ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= "Fascination!" is Ricky Russo, Keith Johnson, Paul Roberts, and Wayne Leung. "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2004 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or translated without the consent of the "Fascination! Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission (unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination! Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil, Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. =======================================================================