THECHAPITEAU FASCINATION! MAGAZINE
ISSUE
5
FEB/MAR 2015
FERNANDO MIRO EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH VAREKAI’S NEW ICARUS PLUS TWO ADDITIONAL EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS:
AGNES SOHER - DRALION ISABELLE CORRADI - VAREKAI
CONTENTS
CIRQUE BUZZ NEWS, RUMORS & SIGHTINGS ITINÉRAIRE TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION TCF! FEATURES "LE GRAND CONCERT: CELEBRATING 30 YEARS THROUGH MUSIC” “A FIRST LOOK AT LUNA PETUNIA” BY:KIDSCREEN.COM "JOYA: WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT IT?" INTERVIEWS ISABELLE CORRADI - VAREKAI’S CHANTEUSE FERNANDO MIRO - VAREKAI’S NEW ICARUS AGNÈS SOHIER - DRALION - L'AME-FORCE COPYRIGHT & DISCLAIMER
Welcome to the latest edition of TheChapiteau Fascination! It’s certainly been an interesting time since we’ve last spoken. Le Grand Concert has come and gone, the Boutique still hasn’t re-opened, and Zumanity came out of its extended dark period to… no changes at all? I guess we just can’t trust everything we hear on the Internet. That being said, by mid-month Cirque did drop us a little interesting news: it signed a first-look deal with 20th Century FOX Television to develop live-action prime-time scripted projects. “Our goal with this partnership is not to televise our live performances, but rather create content in the primetime scripted arena that will elevate the genre by drawing from Cirque’s creative vision,” said Jacques Méthé, President of Cirque du Soleil Média. Just exactly what that means at this point in time is unknown, but Cirque’s previous foray into scripted television didn’t quite go so well. SOLSTROM was not a hit by any stretch of the imagination, although it did provide us an interesting look at talent outside of the Cirque. Another TV deal taking flight is Cirque du Soleil and Saban’s Luna Petunia. Inside you’ll find a piece by kidscreen.com where they provide a “first look” into the new animated project!
In January we bid adieu to Dralion, but before the show closed we were able to speak with Agnès Sohier, a Canadian singer who toured the show and had formed part of the L’Ame-Force duo for nearly 15 years. The show may be gone, but get to know a bit more of Agnès’s life and find out how she joined a show that was originally meant for one male singer! In addition, we have a few thoughts about LE GRAND CONCERT, which we was able to see via a web-based Quebec TV Broadcast, and tried to get an idea what people were saying about JOYA down in the Rivera Maya. Do they like it? Find out within! Speaking of closings, as Varekai winds its way across North America to finish up its arena tour here, rumors have been circulating about its future in Europe and beyond. To put it simply: the rumor states Varekai will close during the summer of 2016 after a very short European Tour (and arena tour overall). The reason for its premature end wasn’t part of the mill, but even Wikipedia has picked up on this gossip, so it has to be true, doesn’t it? Reports of Kooza returning to the United States for a brief period circulated about recently too and they’ve just come true. (We hope you’re ready Columbus, Ohio – See the dates in our Itineraire Section!) And there are rumblings that IRIS may be close to resurrection for Cirque’s new permanent residence in New York City (New York Post columnist Michael Riedel quoted unspecified sources
suggesting Cirque du Soleil is looking to take over the Lyric Theatre on Broadway in the spring). So who knows! Nothing is official at this point, but it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that Varekai would close early. Could it be because AVATAR is slated to begin touring in arenas by year’s end? Is it because OVO is due for conversion into an arena format soon? Would there be too many arena shows by that point? (Quidam is expected to close in 2016 as well.) Or could it be that Cirque is having a hard time lately finding profitable and available locations for its arena shows? Considering a February 22nd report that Cirque’s reported a 33.6% drop in revenues from its European Tours, it seems likely the company is having troubles finding profitable locations. So no wonder arena tours are getting shorter and shorter! To prove that, we pulled together some arena tour data to compare and contrast each of the arena show tours to date. To give a baseline, we re-traced Saltimbanco’s arena tour with focus on the number of months the show spent in a particular market and which markets it visited throughout its run, and then compared Saltimbanco’s tours to each subsequent arena conversion (Alegria, Quidam, Dralion, MJ Immortal, and Varekai). We ignored DELIRIUM for this analysis because as it was Cirque’s first arena show – and a proof of concept and a specialty tour to boot, it would skew the analysis.
Show
Start
End
Mo
Tour
Show
Start
End
Mo
Tour
Saltimbanco
7/31/2007
8/23/2009
25
NAT
MJ Immortal
10/2/2011
9/2/2012
25
NAT
9/17/2009
3/42009
18
Europe
10/12/2012
4/21/2013
6
Europe
3/9/2011
4/3/2011
1
Africa
5/9/2013
1/14/2014
8
Asia/Pac
4/21/2011
9/4/2011
5
Australia
2/28/2014
8/31/2014
6
NAT/Mex
9/21/2011
9/9/2012
12
World
10/10/2012
12/30/2012
2
NAT
Thus looking at the chart above, Saltimbanco visited 5 different markets – North America, Europe, Africa, Australia, “World” (as it bounced around from market to market), and North America again before the final curtain call. The data shows Saltimbanco spent most of its time in North America (27 months total), secondly in Europe (18+ months), and so on. By the end of its tenure, Saltimbanco spent 63 months touring throughout the world’s arenas, or the equivalent of 5.25 years.
The special nature of the show almost precluded me from considering it – on average arena shows spend about 5 days per city for approximately 7 performances, the MJ Immortal Tour only performed 1-2 days per city with a very limited number of performances – but considering it did visit other markets besides North America and Europe it felt a worthy contender. But the data on its tour continues the trend: arena tours are getting shorter and shorter. In fact Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour clocks in at only 31 months, or 2.58 years long. That might not be so shocking considering the trouble Cirque had getting the show booked and its turbulent tour itinerary later in its run (although it seemed to make boo-coo bucks!), it’s fascinating never-the-less because Varekai’s tour could be shorter!
Show
Start
End
Mo
Tour
Show
Start
End
Mo
Tour
Alegria
5/27/2009
8/14/2011
27
NAT
Varekai
12/13/2013
9/6/2015
21
NAT
9/7/2011
12/29/2013
27
Europe
10/8/2015
7/XX/2016
9
Europe
Alegria was the next show to undergo conversion, and the data on its tour makes quite the contrast to Saltimbanco’s. The show visited only two major markets during its time (North America and Europe) but spent an equal amount of time in each (roughly 27 months). There’s nice synergy there, but why didn’t it tour around the globe like its predecessor? Either way its tour was cut short – at 54 months – or the equivalent of 4.5 years. Since both Dralion and Quidam were put on the road virtually in tandem, we’ll look at them together…
Show
Start
End
Mo
Tour
Quidam
12/22/2010
8/11/2013
32
NAT
9/5/2013
4/20/2016
31
Europe
10/20/2010
12/23/2012
26
NAT
2/6/2013
10/20/2013
8
World
10/20/2013
9/6/2014
11
Europe
10/2/2014
1/18/2015
3
NAT
Dralion
Quidam had quite the healthy tour, didn’t it? It spent just as much time out there as Saltimbanco did – 63 months, or the equivalent of 5.25 years – but like Alegria, Quidam only visited two major markets: North America and Europe – Why? Dralion didn’t fare as well: even though it visited more markets than Quidam (North America and Europe before bouncing around other markets of the world), its arena tour only lasted approximately 48 months, or just 4 years. Are we seeing a market saturation trend? Is Cirque finding it hard to market shows in this format to arenas it’s previously visited? Is it finding many stops unprofitable? Are there too many shows touring at once? Probably all of the above! The tour of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL is even bleaker:
As it stands Varekai’s North American tour will come in at approximately 21 months in length, much shorter than any of the previous shows in this format. Furthermore, if the July 2016 rumor holds true, Varekai will spend only 9 months touring Europe. Wow! That means Varekai’s life-span will only be 30 months, or 2.5 years beyond the Grand Chapiteau. That’s three years less than Saltimbanco or Quidam! Taking a look at Cirque’s arena tours like this also begs the question: why has Cirque ignored Australia, Japan and other markets in the Asia-Pacific region? Additionally, why hasn’t an arena show visited South America? Are there just not enough appropriate venues? Are there not enough interested parties to bring those types of shows in those markets? I really cannot say. But if Saltimbanco can visit Australia and MJ Immortal can tour Japan and other Asian markets, then it stands to reason other converted shows could as well, doesn’t it? Alas the answer might be very simple: those markets were just not profitable enough for Cirque to return converted shows there, and/or the markets may not have wanted them to return there. That still doesn’t answer why South America is ignored, but alas perhaps there’s just not the proper facilities to house a Cirque arena show there… but I can’t believe that’s true! Maybe it’s not worth converting shows anymore? Now on to the good news! A few new projects were announced: HEART Ibiza collaboration with the Adrià Brothers – acclaimed restauranteurs in Spain. (It’s a partnership we’ve eluded to twice in the past and now it’s really happening), and Sama-Sama, a business partnership between Cirque du Soleil and Sama-Sama Creative Labs for the production of the first Sama-Sama Live Experience. And hold on to your hats folks, but according to Amazon.ca, the special show that would never be filmed and released to home audiences, then was later broadcast via the web (in edited form and only to Canadians), is due to be released on Blu-ray/DVD next month. What exciting new thing could this be? Why Cirque du Soleil’s 30th Anniversary Grand Concert, of course! Amazon.ca has a pre-order page up and running for “Cirque du Soleil – The Great Concert/ Le Grand Concert Blu-Ray + DVD (Bilingual)” for $22.50 CDN (http:// goo.gl/V0EiuC). The release date is listed as April 21, 2015 so it’ll be here soon! Don’t miss all the latest Cirque news, as well as our awesome features, including 3 exclusive interviews!
CIRQUE BUZZ NEWS, RUMORS & SIGHTINGS
CIRQUE 'TESTING' 3D PRINTER TECHNOLOGY TO DESIGN ITS SHOWSTOPPING COSTUMES
Cirque du Soleil is using 3D printers to assist with costume design in a “testing phase”, the world-renowned circus production has revealed. The company is piloting the cutting-edge technology to ensure the 18,000 costumes it creates every year for its performers fit perfectly, it revealed during a behind-thescenes tour in Montreal, Canada. Traditionally designers moulded a bust of its performers by making a cast but now hopes to use 3D technology to speed up the process. Cirque Du Soleil currently uses Handyscan 3D devices to "scan" the hundreds of clowns, gymnasts and actors to create a resin bust of performers which their costumes will be fitted to. While it already has 3D printers on the premises, it hopes to invest more in the “very expensive” printing once the density of material and price is more market friendly. Founded in Quebec 30 years ago, Cirque Du Soleil uses IT onand off-stage to wow audiences and streamline backend business processes.
It uses SAP for its CRM, procurement, HR and finance processes and despite its presence across five different continents it runs these functions centrally from the Montreal headquarters. Cirque du Soleil’s chief operating officer, Charles Décarie, emphasised that IT and technology runs the show, which needed “a sound management and operational foundation firmly in place if the creativity is to have any chance to flourish and grow. That foundation is the part that the audience never sees. Today, I would say more than ever, growth is synonymous with innovation at Cirque Du Soleil," he said. Décarie, a former SAP employee added: “We have over 150 million spectators in about 300 markets, or cities, on five continents. Cirque Du Soleil was founded in rural Quebec about 30 years ago by what I would call a ragtag bunch of hippies without any business experience at the time. We had 73 employees and now we employ and manage a payroll of 4,000 employees with 50 nationalities, speaking 25 languages - many of whom are in the road right now or in the air taking shows to audiences.”
SOURCE: TechWorld
Says Goodbye!
After 15 years, Dralion has enchanted close to 11 million fans while visiting more than 150 cities in 30 countries in North America, Central America, South Africa, Europe, Japan, Russia, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. After performing 5035 shows, its time to say goodbye. We loved performing in front of you all those years. The cast and crew have prepared a little goodbye dance for you.
Au revoir!
iiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiii PHOTO: Daniel Desmarais COSTUMES: François Barbeau
Bids Farewell 
 to 3 Amazing Artists! Today Amaluna bids farewell to three of their AMAZING artists, who have been with the show since its creation! Thank you,
au l C lie a h t Na
es) v e Je de (
es 
 n n cI ) M e a Juli rosper (P ter e e T no (
d) r a bo
ore M an Juli
We will miss you but wishing you ALL the best in your new endeavors!
20th Century Fox TV Inks First-Look Deal With CDS
Cirque du Soleil, known for their stylish, high-energy, vibrant-color live shows, is looking to expand its brand to scripted television, signing a first-look deal with 20th Century Fox Television to develop live-action prime-time scripted projects that go beyond the Cirque du Soleil brand and its live shows. “Cirque du Soleil is recognized for its incredible, high-quality, artistic live entertainment. I am confident that by joining forces with 20th Century Fox Television, we will propel our brand to new heights by creating distinctive high-quality television productions,” said Jacques Methe, president of Cirque du Soleil Media. “Our goal with this partnership is not to
televise our live performances, but rather create content in the primetime scripted arena that will elevate the genre by drawing from Cirque’s creative vision,” said Jacques Méthé, President of Cirque du Soleil Média.
sibling already is in business with Cirque du Soleil on a live Avatar show shepherded by James Cameron.
Added 20th Television President of Creative Affairs Jonnie Davis. “The Cirque du Soleil brand is so vibrant and colourful and mind-bending. We’re already searching for writers who can tap into their world to create scripted series that are as distinctive and exciting as the world famous Cirque live events.”
The project comes after Saban Brands teamed with Cirque on a cross-platform kids property that called for a TV series, online content and merchandising, among others. Cirque in June also united with cross-platform producer Marblemedia to coproduce TV content, including a miniseries, hourlong drama and live musical event inspired by the Canadian-based circus troupe.
Cirque du Soleil Média is a jointventure between Cirque du Soleil and Bell Media. 20th TV film
CAA brokered the deal on behalf of its client Cirque du Soleil Média.
SOURCE: Deadline
Juggling Life:
Inside Cirque’s Newest Act Usually the phrase ‘go join the circus’ is meant as a joke. But when Gabriel Beaudoin’s mom told him this as a kid – it’s exactly what he did. Growing up in Quebec City, Beaudoin was just like any other youngster: he spent hours playing video games. He would sit on the floor with his legs folded in front of him, and was so flexable his mom called him “The Elastic Man.” “When I was young I was really troubled, as a kid with a lot of energy, always moving around you know?” said Beaudoin. “Always talking, always hyper. I have some hyperactivity problems.” He needed to find a focus for all that energy, so like his mom inadvertently suggested, he went to circus school. He originally trained as a gymnast, but after an injury he discovered juggling and hasn’t looked back.
“What I love the most about juggling – I’m a really hyperactive guy – and what juggling gives me is this calm,” said Beaudoin. “I can use my energy in a really specific way, and it teaches me how to focus really well. How to be in the present and in the right place.” Beaudoin has a simple message for other kids who are hyperactive like he was. “For all the kids at home who have problems with being all over the place all the time, if you want to find something to focus you, you can juggle, maybe you can do piano, but just find a passion,” he said. “That’s what juggling is for me. That’s the thing that gives me what I needed in my life to have the right path, and now I’ve got it and I’m passionate.” Check out their video!
SOURCE: Seattle Redefined
MYSTÈRE CHARACTERS TO STOP BY FACES CONFERENCE The FACES 2015 Encephalitis Conference will welcome a number of presenters. Becky Dennis, a compassionate patient advocate and member of the International Encephalitis Consortium will be our opening speaker. Elaine Dowell, founder of The Encephalitis Society UK will travel from England to share, “How Your Brain Works, an interactive workshop.” The Hashimoto’s Encephalopathy SREAT Alliance will offer a presentation and a question and answer session hosted by Dr. Melanie Alarcio, Nicola Nelson and Cori Zdebel. Dr. Patricia Hopps, Utah psychologist and encephalitis survivor will speak of “The Least Talked About Yet Most Painful Loss Due to E.” Chris Maxwell, author of “Changing my Mind” will invite others to face their inner wars post encephalitis and turn mourning into dancing. Dolly Kelepecz, Affilate Assistant Professor UNLV and owner of DK Bodybalancing Method will share an introduction to Pilates and teach a few mind/body techniques.
The FACES Organizers have chosen a non-gambling Las Vegas hotel to offer a comfortable and peaceful environment for all attendees. This means they have removed the continuous sound of those Vegas slot machines from FACES. But don’t think for a moment that they have removed all the fun! Encephalitis Global is very proud to announce that a few artists from the Cirque du Soleil show Mystère will be teaming up with Encephalitis Global to be certain that this FACES Conference will be a memorable one. Mystère Cirque du Soleil characters in full costume will be stopping by at FACES to share a taste of their show with us. The characters will be happy to take photos with FACES attendees after their performance. Encephalitis Global wishes to sincerely thank David Gomez and Andrew “Moose” Allagree for making this dream a reality. Gomez is the Artistic Director of Mystère; Allagree is an Artistic Director at American Ballet Master Series. These two gentlemen have put their heads together to arrange an unforgettable “first” to happen at FACES.
PHOTO: Richard Termine © Cirque du Soleil COSTUMES: Dominique Lemieux SOURCE: Digital Journal
LIGHT Ni g htclub Announces 2015 Talent
Light at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, the state-of-the-art nightclub turned on by the creative minds behind Cirque du Soleil and The Light Group, announced their talent roster for the coming year which features some of the most indemand producers and DJs in electronic, dance and hip-hop globally. Ranging from the iconic to the emerging, clublife connoisseurs can expect a wide variety of music for their Las Vegas experience at Light. The full 2015 line-up is listed below unveiling this year’s talent roster.
Returning to Light in the New Year is Alesso. A club resident since its conception, Alesso is a rising star who in 2015 will be a major pinnacle in the dance music space. His track “Heroes (we could be)” with Tove Lo raced up the charts in late 2014 and was just a taste of what to expect as he will release his debut studio album on Def Jam this year. Also returning to Light is DJ and music legend Carl Cox, whose pioneering ways have not only paved the way for dance music to be where it is today, but also endeared him to generations of electronic music fans worldwide. In addition, there is Axwell along with Ingrosso, both who together are releasing an album on Def Jam in 2015; Baauer, who will continue to host his massively popular Studio B monthly residency; GTA who have been blowing up the festival circuit with their Miami bass productions; also returning are dance music favorites, A-Trak, Bassjackers, Clockwork, Norman Doray and Grammy nominees Sultan + Shepard. New at Light, as the club ventures into its third year as one of the most sought after destinations on the Vegas strip, is U.K. talent Disclosure. Known more as a live act, their
appearances will be a rare DJ set. Having previously taken place in New York City, San Francisco and Chicago, Light will serve as the Las Vegas home for Disclosure’s Wild Life specially-curated shows. Called a “joyous and masterful” show by ConsequenceofSound.net, it’s an event with friends and artists they like. Also onboard is EDM pioneer FatBoy Slim; American producer and Grammy nominee Morgan Page; hip-hop megastar adventurers Macklemore & Ryan Lewis; and will.i.am, known for his incredible tracks with the Black Eyed Peas and accomplished producer in his own right. There is also DJ Mustard who is making major moves in hip-hop production circles having already created major hits for the likes of Wiz Khalifa, Trey Songz, Kid Ink and 2 Chainz just to name a few. Light has been experimenting since its opening with new artistic content on a monthly basis. In 2015, Light is bringing a fresh look to the club with its new Artistic Director Maximiliano Torandell. The Argentinean producer and performer will soon unveil new moments and performances for a sexy and avant-garde Light2015 show. What makes a Cirque performance at Light different than
any of the other Vegas shows? “Light is a nightclub, not a stage show and therefore the requirements for the performances are different,” says Torandell. “We want the performers to be capable of seducing and captivating our audience without separating them from the club experience. We don’t want people sitting down and watching a show, we want a flawless integration of the performance and the party.” Watch for more on LIGHT’s new artistic direction. The complete talent roster for Light Nightclub in 2015 is as follows: Alesso, A-Trak, Axwell, Baauer, Bassjackers, Carl Cox, Clockwork, Disclosure, DJ Mustard, FatBoy Slim, GTA, Henrix, Ingrosso, Macklemore + Ryan Lewis, Morgan Page, Norman Doray, Stellar, Steve Powers, Sultan + Shepard, Tony Arzadon, will.i.am. Light is open 10:30 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. on Wednesdays and 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Dress code is upscale fashionable attire. For more information and reservations, visit thelightvegas.com or call 702.693.8300.
SOURCE: Disarray Magazine
GO BEHIND THE SCENES OF VAREKAI IN TULSA The idea of Cirque du Soleil rose out of the work of a group of Quebec street performers who dreamed of creating a new kind of circus to entertain audiences around the world with shows that demonstrated all the strength, flexibility, daring and humor of which human beings are capable. “Varekai,” which premiered in 2002, is the 13th show Cirque du Soleil has created and the fifth to come to Tulsa. Inspired by the Greek myth of Icarus, “Varekai” is the story of a young man who plummets to earth, landing in a forest filled with strange creatures that soar through the air, skate across the ground, dance and tumble about with abandon — and even indulge in acts of pure silliness. Here’s a glimpse into the lives and activities of some of the people who make the world of “Varekai” come to life.
The artistic director “Varekai” began, as did many of the shows created by Cirque du Soleil, in a tent. The Montreal, Quebec-based company would set up a large, big top-style tent, capable of seating about 2,500 people, and present its shows within its canvas confines. The company would remain in one locale for several weeks at a time before striking tents and moving on. Cirque du Soleil continues to perform under the big top — five shows, including the newest, “Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities,” are currently touring in this fashion. It also has what it calls “resident shows,” including eight in Las Vegas. Recently, Cirque du Soleil began converting some of its longest running shows to be presented in arenas, the latest of which is “Varekai,” opening Wednesday at the BOK Center. And these conversations, said the show’s artistic director Fabrice Lemire, “is like creating a completely new show from the ground up. Every aspect of the show has to be redesigned — the set, to begin with.” One of the main elements of the “Varekai” set is an enormous catwalk, which looks to be constructed of sticks and branches, that rises from the rear of the stage and extends over it. “We are in a different space every week, and each space is different,” said Lemire, who has been overseeing “Varekai” for three years. “To accommodate that, we have two different heights for the catwalk — both of which are higher than the catwalk we used in the big top.
“So that means we have to rework the music because the performers need a little more to move along the catwalk,” he said. “That requires redesigning the lighting plan, everything. Because the show is 12 years old, we also had to adapt it to the changes in sound technology that are now standard. It was a huge challenge.” Lemire began his tenure on “Varekai” right around the time the show was beginning to be transferred to arenas. He began his career with the company in 2008 as dance master for “Zaia,” a resident show in Macau, then became artistic director of “Quidam” until taking over “Varekai.” Prior to joining Cirque du Soleil, Lemire spent some 20 years as a dancer, choreographer and ballet master, working with such companies as Oregon Ballet and New York City Opera. “I wanted to try the other side, not be the one on stage, but share ideas so people could perhaps make better use of their talents,” he said. “Varekai” is one of the more narrativedriven shows in the Cirque du Soleil repertoire, with many of the dazzling acrobatic acts having some bearing on the story. “We have a new performer in the cast, who is taking over the male lead,” Lemire said. “ H e c o m e s f ro m a s t ro n g d a n c e background, and it’s taking me a lot of work to get him out of his comfort zone, to get him to express something different, something more emotional.”
It was supposed to be a two-year adventure — setting aside the dentist’s drill to run off and join the circus. That was 10 years ago. For the past decade, Steven Bishop has been the principal clown for Cirque du Soleil’s “Varekai.” Given that this Canadian-born enterprise has as its unofficial credo “We Reinvent the Circus,” the role of clown in a Cirque du Soleil production does not involve baggy clothes, red noses and jars of white face paint. In fact, in the world of “Varekai,” Bishop and his partner in mischief, Emily Carragher, wear the least amount of makeup of any of the performers. “We’re sort of the contrast to the rest of the show,” Bishop said. “Varekai” — which means “whatever” in the Romany language — is a fantasia inspired by the Greek myth of Icarus, whose wings of wax and feathers melted when he flew too near the sun. In the Cirque du Soleil telling of this story, Icarus falls not to his death in the seas but into the midst of a strange and magical forest, populated by an array of unusual beings capable of doing extraordinary things. In between the feats of strength, balance and flexibility, along with all manner of aerial acrobatics by performers in elaborate and slinky costumes, Bishop and Carragher will emerge to toy with audience members, attempt one of the spectacularly unsuccessful magic acts to disgrace the stage, and chase after a moment in the spotlight to croon the Jacques Brel ballad “Ne me quitte pas.” Bishop is a qualified dental surgeon in his native Australia, “but I was always
interested in creative things, especially when I could engage my entire body in the process. And if I could make people laugh, so much the better.” He studied theater at the Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris and worked with an English-speaking theater company in France. While still practicing dentistry, Bishop was also performing, everything from mime and escapology to stunt work in films like the live-action “Scooby-Doo.” When he landed the role in “Varekai,” Bishop said: “I know that this was where I wanted to put my artistic life. I’d reached the point in my life where I was only going to do things I was interested in and passionate about, and that would help me evolve as a performer and a person.” Bishop started in “Varekai” in 2004, two years after the show had been created. At that time, the show toured as a “Grand Chapiteau,” or big-top tent production, which would remain several weeks at one locale. So Bishop decided to bring his wife and four children along with him. “I said it would be a two-year thing,” Bishop said, laughing. “We’ll keep the dentist chair, just in case, you know. But Cirque du Soleil allowed me to support my family while continuing to perform.” When “Varekai” was converted into an arena show (the production that comes to the BOK Center this week), the stresses of weekly touring made Bishop’s family arrangements unworkable. Bishop’s wife and children moved back to Australia while he continues with the show. The set pieces Bishop does in the show have been a part of “Varekai” from the beginning, but he’s been able to develop them in personal ways.
TheClown
But the most important element of the show for Bishop is what is called the “animation,” when the two clowns come out prior to the start of the show to interact with the audience. “For a clown, that connection with the audience is imperative,” he said. “That’s why the animation is so important because it’s a way to make that connection instantly. That way, when you finally show up in the context of the show, the audience knows who you are and what they’re in for.” Bishop even relishes the process of doing the same thing night after night, show after show, in a way that is philosophical. “No other company can offer you the chance to develop and present your art the way Cirque du Soleil does,” he said. “The number of shows that you do — it’s almost like ‘Zen and the Art of Archery,’ doing that one thing over and over until you get a sense of understanding that is beyond thought or learning.” He paused, then added, “And you get to make people laugh.”
The principal emotion that Rodrigue Proteau has to express in his role as The Guide in “Varekai” is one that he finds difficult to summon outside of the theater. “I was told at the start my character is grumpy,” Proteau said. “And that’s just not something within me. I really have to work at that.” Proteau’s face as he said this told a slightly different story — only because his face was already adorned with the multicolored makeup he wears for the role. The makeup gives him a slightly ferocious look quite at odds with his soft, understated speaking voice. The Guide is described as “a wise old man whose mission is to inspire and bring about change” — in the case of “Varekai,” that involves guiding the fallen Icarus to an acceptance of what is now his new home.
TheActor
Proteau was a member of the original cast of “Varekai” and had some input into the creation of the character he plays. “I was working as a physical actor — I did dance theater, movies, stuff like that,” the Quebec native said. “Cirque du Soleil came to me, wanting me to take over a part in ‘Saltimbanco.’ But I wasn’t comfortable with that. “Then, Dominic Champagne (the writer and director of “Varekai”) got in touch with me, saying he was creating this new show and wanted me to be a part of it,” Proteau said. Originally, The Guide was going to be as much puppet as actor. “They started out with this head piece and kept adding things, making it more and more elaborate,” Proteau said, smiling. “Then, a week before the show was to open, the head of Cirque du Soleil came in, took one look at what I was wearing, and said, ‘Cut that!’?”
Proteau came up with an alternate headpiece for his character — a helmet with a large light bulb on top. “My original thought was it was something that would plug into the wall,” he said, chuckling. “But the technical people just kind of looked at it and shook their heads and said, ‘That would be pretty dangerous, Rod.’ So they came up with something with batteries.” The Guide and his cheerful nemesis, a wild character called the Skywatcher, carry on conversations in a made-up language. “The dialogue is all improvised — exactly what we say changes, although the import, the emotions are the same,” Proteau said. “I will toss in words and phrases from Spanish, Italian, Portuguese. We also try to work in some of the slang of a region, if possible. “And since we are part of the story, and don’t have a great deal of time on stage,” he said, “we have to be very precise. We have to be sure people know exactly what we mean, even though they can’t understand what we say.”
PHOTO: © Cirque du Soleil COSTUMES: Eiko Ishioka SOURCE: Tulsa World
KÀ Celebrates a Decade at MGM Grand
Cirque du Soleil launched KÀ at the MGM Grand on Feb. 3, 2005. Much has changed on the Strip—and the MGM Grand—in those 10 years, but KÀ remains a constant, drawing capacity crowds to its $165 million, 1,950-seat theater for 10 performances every week. It’s rare enough that any show lasts that long in Las Vegas, but KÀ has also maintained one-third of its original cast despite a rigorous schedule and a tragedy that led the production to temporarily drop its climactic battle scene. Cast and crew are looking forward to the next 10 years of relating the odyssey of a pair of twins separated after an attack by sinister forces. As the 10th anniversary approaches, general stage manager Stacey Myers describes the mood within the 300-plus member KÀ community as “very excited. It’s a great group. The technicians and the artists get along famously.” Myers functions as the liaison between the artistic director and tech crew, as well as the show caller who gives cues from the back of the house during shows. “We have a very good understanding that no one person makes this show happen. It takes all of us together.” KÀ immediately distinguished itself from other Cirque productions thanks to an ambitious set design by the late Mark Fisher, perhaps most notably the ingenious hydraulics of the Sand Cliff Deck. The cast includes talent that has been with the show since the
beginning: internationally known baton twirler Noriko Takahashi; sisters Jennifer and Cheri Haight, who play the twins at the heart of the narrative arc; “acro-valet” Jason Zulauf; and brothers Sabú and Francisco Alegría, traditional circus performers from Mexico who defy danger on the “Wheel of Death.” The KÀ family lost longtime performer Sarah “Sasoun” Guillot-Guyard during an onstage accident on June 29, 2013. The battle scene had to be pulled while safety standards were re-examined; show producers reinstated it last December. Guillot-Guyard’s fellow cast members were devastated, but while her absence will be felt as the 10th anniversary is observed, it’s her passion for performing that will be remembered. KÀ is one of the Strip’s most demanding productions, but passion drives the cast performance after performance, making the show seem fresh the second, third or even fourth time around. “When you’re happy with your surroundings, and you’re happy with what you do, and when you love what you do and you’re passionate about what you do, you go out there every day and try to do the best job that you can,” Myers said. “I think we have a bunch of happy people here, and that’s why the audience sees and feels that passion from the show, because they go out there and give it their all, all the time.”
PHOTO: Eric Jamison © Cirque du Soleil COSTUMES: Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt SOURCE: Las Vegas Magazine
1,900: The theater’s seating capacity. 98: Distance in feet from the lowest level of the stage below the boardwalk at audience level up to the highest grid. 15: The height, in stories, of the lowest level of the theater to the highest grid. 50: The height, in feet, of the Sand Cliff Deck, the largest moveable stage in the show. 25: The width, in feet, of the Sand Cliff Deck. 6: The depth, in feet, of the Sand Cliff Deck. 50: The weight, in tons, of the Sand Cliff Deck. 2,139: The number of speakers placed around the theater, including in each seat. 80: Number of cast members in the show. 300: Total number of members of the production team in the show. 14: Number of acts in the show. 20: Number of minutes before the curtain the show’s Gatekeeper characters begin taking their places in the wings of the theater so that they can swoop down and run past unsuspecting audience members. 16: Number of songs in the “Ka” soundtrack. 350: The volume, in cubic feet, of granular cork used in the show’s washed-up-on-the-shore scene. 14: Number of fake trees in the show’s forest scene. 160: Number of safety harnesses used in the show. 500: Individual props used in the show. 16: The length, in feet, of the Stick Bug puppet. 80: The length, in feet, of the Snake puppet. 110: Number of arrows shot across the theater during the performance.
PHOTO: Eric Jamison © Cirque du Soleil COSTUMES: Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun
KÀ By The Numbers
$165 million: Cost of the “Ka” theater.
Cirque du Soleil
May Walk The Ti
ghtrope
on ownership issue
Cirque
du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté may be ready to sell control of his company as it reaches a crossroads in its 30-year history. Laliberté mused publicly in December about selling a 20- to 30-per-cent stake in the Montreal-based entertainment giant. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, he said he was looking for a partner to help expand the business globally. Now, there are suggestions that an even bigger block of the company could be up for grabs. La Presse reported this week that the Cirque — 90 per cent owned by Laliberté — is considering all its options, including the sale of majority ownership. The Cirque and its adviser Goldman Sachs are seeking a deal that would value the company at about $2 billion, according to a Bloomberg News report, which identified private-equity firms TPG Capital Management and Carlyle Group LP as interested suitors. [ED: The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest investment firms, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and achieved a significant money shot (200% in one year) as a shareholder of 50% of shares Beats Electronics last year. TPG Capital is a private investment firm managing assets of 65 billion, which has invested in the Uber transport service and the Fairmont hotel chains.] If it happens, Quebec could see financial control of one of its flagship cultural enterprises slip out of the province. How long before we hear pleas from PQ leadership candidate Pierre-Karl Péladeau and others for the provincial government or public pension fund manager Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec to step in to keep the Cirque in Quebec?
Well, that possibility has been dismissed by Economic Development Minister Jacques Daoust, who says a pricey government investment in the Cirque is out of the question. He’s right. We know by now that the Cirque du Soleil, like Céline Dion, has decamped to Las Vegas and points abroad. Other than the people who work at the head office in Montreal, the Quebec flag is not all that visible on Laliberté’s business. The real strength of the Cirque has been its ability to produce shows of artistic genius that resonate with audiences worldwide. Creative control is likely to remain here and, aside from any nationalist considerations, new capital and new ideas could be just what the Cirque needs at this point in its history. The show has been running for three decades, but the business peaked just before the recession began in 2008. Signs of fatigue have been showing for a while. When the recession hit, the Cirque continued to expand its offering even as consumer demand slowed down. In January 2012, it announced 400 layoffs. There were reports of another 52 job cuts last November. Some shows have flopped, others have been shut down early or scaled back and management ranks have been rationalized. A tragic accident shook the Cirque in 2013 when an acrobat was killed after falling during a Las Vegas performance. What might lie ahead under a new ownership group? “They have smartly trimmed down the company to make it attractive to investors,” says Concordia University theatre professor Patrick Leroux. And
the Cirque has moved its activities into separate divisions to give a clearer sense of the different markets in which it operates. “But,” he asks, “have they kept their essential players, the people who actually drive the creative process without which the company is but a brand? “Accountants and marketing staff have their roles, but they don’t reinvent the circus year in and year out. For that, you need a clear and driven artistic and business vision.” Leroux says it’s difficult to know what will happen next. Depending on the potential partners’ core values, the Cirque might actually be poised for an interesting expansion with the infusion of new funds and ideas. One possible partner identified in La Presse is Mitch Garber, chief executive of gaming company Caesars Acquisition Company, which owns resort and casino properties such as Planet Hollywood, Bally’s Las Vegas, The Cromwell Las Vegas, The Quad Las Vegas, Harrah’s New Orleans and the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore. Garber is reportedly interested in making a bid with private equity firm Apollo Management. If there’s anyone who understands how Las Vegas works, it’s Garber. And if there are potential ties between the Cirque and the casino/entertainment industry, then Garber could be well placed to find them. Attempts to reach him were unsuccessful. But he does fit the bill in one important respect. The company he runs is headquartered in Montreal and despite those Las Vegas connections, Garber is a Quebecer.
PHOTO: OSA Images © Cirque du Soleil COSTUMES: Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt SOURCE: Montreal Gazette
Cirque du Soleil ANNOUNCES:
Cirque du Soleil has announced another collaboration, this time with the Adrià Brothers – acclaimed restauranteurs in Spain. We’ve eluded to this potential partnership twice in the past, and now it’s really happening. From Cirque’s Facebook Page:
“
We are happy to announce HEART Ibiza, a creative partnership between The Adrià Brothers and Cirque du Soleil. A unique and exciting concept that explores the creative collision between food, music and art. HEART Ibiza opening in summer 2015 - www.heartibiza.com.
”
OFFICIAL RELEASE The Adrià Brothers and Cirque du Soleil unite their unique creative minds in HEART, an innovative concept curated by Albert and Ferran Adrià, the world-famous chefs renowned for their Michelin three-star restaurant elBulli, and GuyLaliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil. For more than 10 years, Albert and Ferran Adrià and Guy Laliberté have been sharing ideas on the concept. This project was born from their common passion for art, gastronomy and music and will be set at an iconic location at Ibiza Gran Hotel. HEART seeks to explore what happens when food, music, and art collide. THREE PLACES TO EXPERIENCE HEART IBIZA: • THE BARAKA – A hippie chic take on street food markets. This outside terrace features curated music, original contemporary art pieces, ambient live art performances and gastronomy. Inspired by traditional street food markets and various street foods of the world, the Adrià brothers have taken great care to design an astonishing gastronomic offer to create a unique and global experience. • THE WORKSHOP – Where to experience art, music and food. The Workshop is a unique space that offers a seated food service experience combining ambient visual and performance art, curated music and signature Adrià gastronomy. • LA BOÎTE – A live music venue, featuring live bands, live art, and a decadent food and beverage service. A space where the hottest nightlife ingredients mix in different ways to create a distinct flavor resulting from the creative genius of the Adrià Brothers and Cirque du Soleil. HEART explores the creative collision between food, music and art. Check out HEART Ibiza at www.heartibiza.com. ABOUT ALBERT AND FERRAN ADRIÀ Albert and Ferran Adrià, spirit and soul of restaurant elBulli, can certainly be considered the most well-known brothers in the world of gastronomy. For many, elBulli is considered a before-and-after of modern cuisine, not only for the creation of innumerable elaborations and techniques, but also for its philosophy and values such as creativity, passion, challenge, and humility, which have always defined the way Albert and Ferran work. The Adrià brothers are also known for their willingness to communicate and spread recent developments in gastronomy through their participation in conferences, projects and books. Over the years, elBulli has been an incubator for some of the foremost chefs in modern gastronomy. Rene Redzepi, Andoni Aduriz, Joan Roca, Grant Achatz, José Andrés andMassimo Bottura are among the most eminent of the more than 2,000 trainees that have completed an internship at elBulli over the years. Aside from their projects as a team, Albert and Ferran are currently working on personal projects. The year elBulli closed its doors, Albert embarked on the BCN5.0 project withTickets, the first in a series of five concepts (culminating in 2016 with project Enigma), all located in el Paralelo, one of the most celebrated neighborhoods of Ciudad Condal. Ferran is fully committed to the development of elBulliFoundation, the evolution of what was once elBulli. This project is meant to create a physical and digital archive of the restaurants’ legacy and creativity as well as to serve as a learning center for knowledge sharing and acquisition.
s s e e n i h s T u n B i o c J e S h s U d t C E n R e I d C u t S The programmes are proving popular with students and organisations alike, so much so that Edhec Business School in France has signed up the Canadian entertainment group Cirque du Soleil as sponsors of its one-year degree in creative business. Daniel Lamarre, president and chief executive of Cirque du Soleil, says the relationship is intended to generate ideas for the company. “When I see a university I see young people with a lot of creative talent,” he says. “If I meet and talk to 30 students, already three want to meet me and pitch to me.” When asked if the relationship with Edhec will result in projects, internships and jobs for students, his answer is simple: “All of the above.”
PHOTO: Graham Hughes / The Canadian Press SOURCE: Fanancial Times
The collaboration with Cirque du Soleil is proving popular among students too, in part because the company is showcased in class, with Edhec professors teaching a case study about the entertainment company. “They are one of the only companies that have the cultural and artistic side and the social [responsibility] side,” says Miren Garaicoechea, a student on the programme who wants to work in corporate philanthropy when she graduates. Students on Edhec’s MSc in Creative Business are taught arts management in the first semester and social innovation in the second. It was this that Etienne Bouvier, a student on the degree, found particularly attractive. Moreover, he is now studying for part of his programme at HEC in Montreal, the home of Cirque du Soleil. Eleven of the 40 masters students are studying
in Montreal, and along with Mr Bouvier will visit the headquarters of Cirque du Soleil while in Canada, to talk to executives and performers. On graduation he hopes to work as an executive producer in the movie business. Isabelle Sequeira, programme director of the MSc in Creative Business says the degree is designed specifically to promote careers in arts and cultural management. “Like any business school, we have to train people in creative business.” She now hopes that the fledgling relationship with Cirque du Soleil will develop into a long-term alliance.
Some of the UK’s biggest buyout funds are plotting to take control of Cirque du Soleil, the live entertainment company which is one of Canada’s most prominent global exports. Sky News has learnt that BC Partners, CVC Capital Partners and Permira Advisers are among a troupe of financial investors which have tabled indicative offers for the Montrealbased business.
Previous reports suggested that Guy Laliberte, the company’s founder and controlling shareholder, was hoping to sell between 20% and 30% of it to a new investor who could help it to enter markets such as China and India.
However, after Dubai was forced into a sovereign debt restructuring, Mr Laliberte bought back part of the stake he had sold in a transaction valuing Cirque du Soleil at just $2.2bn.
However, sources close to the process say that financial information disclosed to potential buyers suggests that Mr Laliberte is now open to the possibility of offloading a majority stake in Cirque du Soleil.
Analysts and company executives have reportedly said that the company expanded too quickly, spending over-zealously on new performers, executives and shows in a way which diluted the brand’s international distinctiveness.
The auction of a stake in La Cirque du Soleil, which staged some of the world’s most spectacular live shows in the years after its launch in the 1980s but has recently fallen on tougher financial times, is expected to take place this year.
Millions of people have seen the company’s range of hit shows in London, which have been staged at the Royal Albert Hall for more than a decade, and other cities including Las Vegas.
Set up by street performers in Quebec in 1984, Cirque du Soleil describes itself as offering “a dramatic mix of circus art and street entertainment”.
Notable for its daring acrobatics and flamboyant costumes, Cirque du Soleil was valued at $2.7bn when Mr Laliberte sold a 20% stake to Istithmar World, the investment arm of Dubai World, and Nakheel, a Dubai-based real estate developer, in 2008.
Private equity groups are not the only potential acquirers of the entertainment group. Recent reports suggested that Live Nation Entertainment, IMG and AEG Live, were expected to submit offers. Goldman Sachs is handling the auction for Cirque du Soleil, which could not be reached for comment. BC, CVC and Permira all declined to comment.
Buyout Troupe Stage Bids For Cirque du Soleil? SOURCE: SkyNews
N RE
EU VENUES FRO RO M PE AN TO UR S
% DR O P I
36.6
REPORT SA
CIRQ UE
Cirque du Soleil, the operator of avant-garde circus events, has reported that revenues of its European tours fell by 36.6% to $59.9m (£36.3m) in 2013 due to a sharp drop in the number of shows it hosted. The Canadian company has been juggling with increased competition and the economic downturn which is a particular problem as its shows are seen to be highbrow. Last week it finished a six-week run in London and began a new era in its 30-year history as it was reported that the company’s founder Guy Laliberté is considering selling a majority stake in it. He is being advised by Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS-PB – news) and bids are understood to have been tabled by UK buyout funds BC Partners, CVC Capital Partners and Permira Advisers.
reduction in costs and revenue which the accounts state “was the result of having less shows in 2013, 400 shows compared to 600 shows in 2012.” Its single biggest source of revenue was ticket sales which fell by 39% to $43.6m. At the other end of the spectrum hospitality revenue plummeted 85.6% to just $250,000. The biggest expense was $6.2m spent on accommodation for its 287 employees, followed by the $5.5m cost of transporting equipment. Each two-and-a-half hour show takes place in a 2500-seat big top. Getting this to the opening night requires transporting up to 80 performers, 20 technicians, 800 tonnes of equipment, 70 containers, four generators and even a school.
Mr Laliberté owns 90% of Cirque and the whole company is understood to be valued at between $1.5bn and $2.5bn. It operates 20 shows 10 in permanent venues in the United States and Mexico with the remainder touring the globe.
Creating a new tour requires a capital investment of around $11m and about $10m to cover the research and development. In contrast, the permanent shows can cost more than $100m to get off the ground. However, they bring in more money than the tours which are unable to generate revenue when they are in transit.
In 2013 five shows toured in Europe: Alegria, Corteo, Dralion, Kooza and Quidam. Their bizarre brand names reflect the surreal stunts they showcase. There are no animals in Cirque’s shows and instead they take a unique twist on typical acts. Performers juggle ping pong balls with their mouths, ride Penny Fathings over high-wires and bounce off trampolines to make it look like they are scaling the side of the set.
The 10 permanent shows are believed to make around $70m each in venue annually with the five tours outside Europe generating another $60m combined. Other income, including sponsorship from brands such as printer company Xerox (Swiss: XRX.SW – news) and delivery service DHL, brought Cirque’s total annual revenue to $850m in 2013. It was down from $1bn and this trend looks set to continue in Europe.
The European tours are run by offshore company Gaia Luxembourg and the first-ever analysis of its accounts shows that in the year to 29 December 2013 it made an operating loss of $9.9m down by $3.3m on 2012. Its losses narrowed in line with a
The accounts reveal that “the net turnover will continue to decrease as less shows will be presented by this company. Moreover a general downturn of the European economies may have a negative impact on the 2014 results.”
PHOTO: Martin Girard | shootstudio.ca © Cirque du Soleil COSTUMES: Philippe Guillotel SOURCE: UK Finance
Roy Ofer, Founder of Sama-Sama, and Charles Joron, Chief Production Officer & Executive Producer of Cirque du Soleil Group, have announced a business partnership between Cirque du Soleil and Sama-Sama Creative Labs for the production of the first Sama-Sama Live Experience. The innovative concept will be a unique multisensory entertainment experience combining elements from live shows, theme parks and interactive events. Sama-Sama Live Experience will transform audience members into performers through the universal language of music, movement and rhythm. The experience will appeal to multigenerational audiences and make the most of state-of-the-art multimedia and technology. Recognized for its innovative approach and high quality artistic entertainment, Cirque du Soleil will provide guidance in the development of this live experience as well as acting as a business partner in the venture. “We see great potential in Sama-Sama’s new immersive concept and have decided to come on board. This innovative approach is unique and we believe it will touch audiences in a brand new way” said Charles Joron. Honing the creative concept A proof of concept was performed to outstanding popular and critical acclaim in Tel-Aviv, in 2012, with more than 50,000 tickets sold over a one-month period. Since then, Roy Ofer, Co-founder of the Mayumana Group and Founder of Sama-Sama, has led an international creative team to further develop and refine the concept. A select group of creators, programmers, designers, technicians, music composers and video directors have contributed their expertise gained from working in leading entertainment brands such as Cirqeu du Soleil, Universal Studios and Mayumana. The creative and production teams are hard at work at the Sama-Sama R&D Studio in Tel-Aviv, which also serves as a collaborative hub for international technology companies. The Concept Sama-Sama Live Experience invites the audience to immerse themselves in a parallel universe where they will follow the story of a mysterious community known as the Samis. The Samis have built a unique space for creativity and inspiration, bringing people together through the joy of creation in a way never experienced before. They call this place Sama-Sama, which means “together” in Filipino. Sama-Sama takes the audience on a 360-degree immersive journey to a parallel universe. A dozen large-scale interactive installations urge the audience to unleash their creativity, become performers, play and have fun. Each original installation is created exclusively by the Sama-Sama team and features user-friendly interfaces and intuitive instructions designed to fully engag the audience. The Sama-Sama journey culminates in a grand finale where all audience members become part of the Sami community. Tour of Europe, North and South America The international launch of Sama-Sama Live Experience will take place in Madrid, Spain, followed by a tour of other major cities in Europe, North America and South America. The company is also in discussions with different parties interested in hosting permanent installations of the Sama-Sama Live Experience For more information: www.samasamalive.com
One of 3 New Experiences Featured for Gear VR
The 2015 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) will see new content Gear VR's smartphone-based virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD). Gear VR will feature 3 apps. The three highlighted at CES provide a wide array of experiences. First of all is Marvel: Superpowered a new Marvel experience for virtual reality. Next is The Wild, which is a experience based on the film featuring Reece Witherspoon. Finally is Cirque Du Soleil: Zarkana which allows the user to watch a 360 degree performance of Cirque Du Soleil. Gear VR is showcasing variety of experiences. Marvel Superpowered acts as an interactive experience that puts players in Tony Stark's office within the Iron Man Armor. From here you can interact with the screen to play a clip from the motion picture film. You can also press the Iron Man helmet which gives you access to several different objects from the film. When you look at them you will be told what it is through scripted narration. PHOTO: Š Cirque du Soleil
 SOURCE: VRFocus.com
A REVAMPED ZUMANITY UNVEILED “Zumanity, the Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil” is ready to unveil its latest incarnation, an update after 12 years at New York-New York Hotel & Casino. The sexy version of the show continues to be part burlesque, part cabaret zaniness, with feats of acrobatics thrown in, but about 30 percent of the production changed.
Emcee “Mistress of Sensuality” Edie, played by famed drag diva Christopher Kenney, remains, although her dialog ch a n g e s t o a c c o m m o d a t e n e w performers. Some of the costumes from French designer Thierry Mugler were refreshed, and old pieces from the early days of the show were revived, Marshall said. “The spirit of it is the same.”
“Zumanity” certainly is not for the faint of heart. The show explores sexuality in all its forms and audience members must be 18 and older.
So now the dance troupe includes a “very tiny little girl, a huge drag girl and a woman with tattoos from head to heel.” Traditional circus arts such as contortion, acrobatics, aerial stunts and handbalancing are choreographed with dance genres such as African dance, tango, contemporary dance and striptease.
Yanis Marshall was brought on board to choreograph new pieces for the show, debuting on Thursday night. Marshall, finalist on last season’s “Britain’s Got Talent”, said he’ll dance in heels during the show. “We changed those little things that didn’t work after 11 years,” Marshall said. So a scene with two men fighting in cages becomes two men dancing in bird cages wearing red stilettos. “Girls are drawn to it and the boys ask ‘How?’ It was a challenge to put into the show.”
“All of the performers have this confidence, this big confidence. Obviously the big difference is the new energy. They are younger than the previous dancers and have a little more personality.” Another new act involves artist Brandon Pereyda, who sports a red Mohawk. A favorite of women in the audience, Pereyda shows off his athleticism while strapped in chains above the stage.
PHOTO: © Cirque du Soleil SOURCE: The LA Times
Le Grand Concert COMING TO BLUray? Is Cirque du Soleil’s 30th Anniversary “Le Grand Concert” coming to Blu-ray soon? The answer appears to be YES!
THE 30th ANNIVERSARY
CONCERT
Amazon.ca has a pre-order page up and running for “Cirque du Soleil- The Great Concert/ Le Grand Concert Blu-Ray + DVD (Bilingual)” for $22.50 CDN. The release date is April 21, 2015 so it’ll be here soon! The Product description:
For their 30th anniversary, Cirque du Soleil presents a monumental musical event – CIRQUE DU SOLEIL – LE GRAND CONCERT, a concert recorded live at the stunning Montreal Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church, offering exceptional acoustic sound. Gregory Charles is the artistic director for the choirs featured in this 90 minute musical Odyssey that unites 8 soloists accompanied by 28 musicians that transports us through the emotion and poetry of 35 shows created by the Cirque du Soleil since 1984. Dans le cadre de son 30e anniversaire, le Cirque du Soleil présente un grand événement musical unique – CIRQUE DU SOLEIL – LE GRAND CONCERT, capté au coeur de la splendeur de l’Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal, à l’acoustique exceptionnelle. Gregory Charles assure la direction artistique des chorales de cette odyssée musicale de 90 minutes réunissant 8 solistes accompagnés de 28 musiciens qui nous transportent à travers l’émotion et la poésie de la musique des 35 spectacles que le Cirque du Soleil a créés depuis 1984.
Pre-order here.
DIDYAKNOW? All costumes are custom-made in Montreal for each artist. Each artist goes to Montreal to have full body measurements taken, including head, feet and hands.
La Nouba's front-of-house sound booth is equipped with a Cadac F-type console with 72 dual inputs, feeding 10 Level Control System LD-88's creating an integral 80x80 matrix? This provides the ability to automate mixes and dynamic changes, as well as the placement and movement of the sound image throughout the showroom.
Some unusual materials are used in some of the costume pieces, such as shower curtain material and surgical tubing. Now that’s a fact that makes a splash! Some of the leotards in "O" act as a second skin and give the illusion that the performer is tattooed?
Some unusual materials are used in some of the costume pieces, such as shower curtain material and surgical tubing. Now that’s a fact that makes a splash!
The music of TOTEM tells the story of humanity by weaving together native music and instruments from around the world, ranging from North America's First Nations, Spanish flamenco, African vocals and sonorities, to the sounds of the Indian subcontinent.
ITINÉRAIRE TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
BIGTOP Under the Grand Chapiteau
Houston, TX Feb 12, 2015 to Mar 22, 2015
Bogota, CO Mar 19, 2015 to Apr 12, 2015
Madrid, ES May 6, 2015 to Jun 21, 2015
Guadalajara, MX Jul 30, 2015 to Aug 16, 2015
Brussels, BE Sep 11, 2015 to Oct 25, 2015
Monterrey, MX Aug 27, 2015 to Sep 13, 2015
Paris, FR Nov 6, 2015 to Dec 13, 2015
Bern, CH Feb 28, 2015 to Apr 4, 2015 Columbus, OH Jun 4, 2015 to Jul 5, 2015
Mexico City, MX Sep 25, 2015 to Nov 22, 2015 **Corteo to close in Mexico City**
Fukuoka, JP Feb 21, 2015 to Apr 5, 2015 Sendai, JP Apr 23, 2015 to Jun 7, 2015
Melbourne, AU Jan 21, 2015 to Mar 29, 2015
Seattle, WA Jan 29, 2015 to Mar 22, 2015
Brisbane, AU Apr 10, 2015 to May 17, 2015
Calgary, AB Apr 9, 2015 to May 24, 2015
Adelaide, AU Jun 11, 2015 to Jul 5, 2015
Denver, CO Jun 11, 2015 to Jul 26, 2015
Perth, AU Jul 31, 2015 to Aug 30, 2015
Chicago, IL Aug 6, 2015 to Sep 20, 2015 Costa Mesa, CA Oct 15, 2015 to Nov 29, 2015
ARENA
In Stadium-Like Venues Rotterdam, NL - Feb 27 to Mar 1, 2015 Oslo, NO - Mar 5 to Mar 7, 2015 Helsinki, FI - Mar 11 to Mar 15, 2015 Vilnius, LT - Mar 19 to Mar 21, 2015 Minsk, BY - Mar 26 to Mar 29, 2015 Moscow, RU - Apr 16 to Apr 26, 2015 St. Petersburg, RU - April 29 to May 4, 2015 Linkoping, SE - May 8 to May 10, 2015 Gothenburg, SE - May 13 to May 16, 2015 Turku, FI - May 22 to May 25, 2015 Tallinn, EE - May 27 to May 30, 2015 Stockholm, SE - Jun 3 to Jun 6, 2015 Tel Aviv, IL - Jul 2 to Jul 16, 2015
El Paso, TX - Mar 18 to Mar 22, 2015 Fresno, CA - Mar 25 to Mar 29, 2015 Bakersfield, CA - Apr 1 to April 5, 2015 Sacramento, CA - Apr 9 to Apr 12, 2015 Stockton, CA - Apr 15 to April 19, 2015 West Valley City, UT - Apr 22 to April 26, 2015 Portland, OR - May 6 to May 10, 2015 Penticon, BC - May 13 to May 17, 2015 Vancouver, BC - May 20 to May 24, 2015 Victoria, BC - May 27 to May 31, 2015 Edmonton, AB - Jun 18 to Jun 21, 2015 Winnipeg, MB - Jun 24 to Jun 28, 2015 Ottawa, ON - Jul 2 to Jul 5, 2015 Baltimore, MD - Jul 8 to Jul 12, 2015 Boston, MA - Jul 15 to Jul 19, 2015
Fairfax, VA - Jul 22 to Jul 26, 2015 Duluth, GA - Jul 29 to Aug 2, 2015 Tampa, FL - Aug 5 to Aug 9, 2015 Sunrise, FL - Aug 12 to Aug 23, 2015 Nashville, FL - Aug 26 to Aug 30, 2015 Toronto, ON - Sep 2 to Sep 6, 2015 Berlin, DE - Oct 8 to Oct 11, 2015 Leipzig, DE - Oct 14 to Oct 18, 2015 Stuttgart, DE - Oct 21 to Oct 25, 2015 Mannheim, DE - Oct 28 to Nov 1, 2015 Vienna, AT - Nov 4 to Nov 8, 2015 Dortmund, DE - Nov 11 to Nov 15, 2015 Cologne, DE - Nov 19 to Nov 22, 2015 Innsbruck, AT - Nov 25 to Nov 29, 2015 Munich, DE - Dec 2 to Dec 6, 2015
Dralion performed its final show on January 18, 2015 in Anchorage, AK. Au Revoir, Dralion!
RESIDENT en Le Théâtre
Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas Performs: Saturday through Wednesday Dark: Thursday/Friday 2015 Dark Dates: Mar 25-27, May 14-22, Jul 15, Sep 10-18, Nov 11 Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm Added performances in 2015: April 2, December 31 (Only 7 pm performance)
Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas Performs: Tuesday through Saturday Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm (Only 7pm performances on May 9, 16 & Jun 21) 2015 Dark Dates: Mar 15-21, May 28, Jul 28Aug 5, Sep 15-17, Oct 20-22, Dec 1-16 Added performances in 2015: Apr 3
Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas Performs: Saturday through Wednesday Dark: Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 10:0pm 2015 Dark Dates: Apr 14-16, Jun 3-18, Aug 11, Oct 14-22, Dec 15 Added performances in 2015: Mar 26, Aug 19, Nov 25, Dec 30
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas Performs: Wednesday through Sunday Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm & 10:30pm 2015 Dark Dates: Mar 8 and 20, Apr 13-21, Jun
Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando Performs: Tuesday through Saturday Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 6:00pm & 9:00pm
14, Aug 3-11, Oct 11, Nov 30-Dec 15
Added performances in 2015: Mar 17 & 31, Dec 29
Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas Performs: Thursday through Monday Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm 2015 Dark Dates: Mar 15-21, May 28, Jul 28Aug 5, Sep 15-17, Oct 20-22, Dec 1-16 Added performances in 2015: December 30
Location: Luxor, Las Vegas Performs: Friday through Tuesday Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 10:00pm 2015 Dark Dates: Mar 20, Apr 13-21, May 25Jun 2, Jun 22-30, Aug 31-Sep 8, Nov 9-17, Dec 14-22 Added Performances in 2015: Dec 29
Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas Performs: Friday through Tuesday Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm & 10:00pm (Only 7pm on the following days in 2015: Jan 20, May 8, 15, 19, 20, Dec 31) 2015 Dark Dates: Mar 7 & 20, Apr 12-20, Jun 16, Aug 16-31, Oct 31, Dec 6-14 Added performance in 2015: Dec 27
Location: Aria, Las Vegas Performs: Friday through Tuesday Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm 2015 Dark Dates: May 10-18, Jul 14, Sep 6-14, Nov 10 Added performances in 2015: Mar 30, Dec 28
NOTE: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Children under the age of five are not permitted into the theater.
Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico Performs: Tuesday through Saturday Dark: Sunday/Monday One/Two Shows Nightly - 9:00pm (Weekdays), 7:00pm & 10:15 pm (Fri, Sat & Holidays)
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, we do 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.
TCF! FEATURES
Montreal’s favorite circus celebrated three decades of iridescent genius
Le Grand Concert Celebrating 30 Years Through Music By: Richard Russo
in a number of whimsical ways throughout the year, but the creative company may have saved the best bash for last. From December 13th through 28th – just a little over two weeks – Cirque du Soleil invited friends and fans alike to witness something genuinely spectacular as part of its 30th Anniversary celebrations: LE GRAND CONCERT – a truly unique event commemorating the company’s vibrant musical universe at the very heart of Saint-Jean-Baptiste church in Montreal, a venue was chosen for its wonderful acoustics as well as its spectacular architecture! The idea for a concert celebrating the vibrant music of Cirque du Soleil found its creative spark during a musical summit held at the same church in 2009. When the Cirque cultivated ideas to celebrate its 30th Anniversary earlier this year, the team reflected upon the strong emotions provided during that summit. Gilles Ste-Croix, one of Cirque’s creative guides, mused: "Cirque du Soleil's music is extremely rich, but it's always supporting the acrobatics. We wanted to offer something more; we wanted to put our music to the fore. This time our music is the star of the evening!"Ste-Croix worked with Alain Vinet, a DJ, musical producer, and Cirque’s in-house musical director, to create this event. “He’s done a wonderful job over the years,” Ste-Croix said. “So we offered him this possibility of gathering together all the music that covers the 30 years of Cirque du Soleil and putting the whole concept of music and chorus and singers into a format of a concert which will be played live.”
Over the course of three decades, twenty-odd composers wrote and arranged the music for the 35 shows created by Cirque du Soleil since 1984. Drawing their inspiration from world music, rock, jazz or contemporary sounds, the composers have added their own personal signature to each of the 35 productions. CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: LE GRAND CONCERT is the embodiment of that mission. And though Cirque du Soleil suggested the 75-minute concert would never be filmed and/or released to the public – as albums of the show’s music had been previously released (with one or two exceptions) – fans were undeniably pleased to learn that the concert was indeed filmed – “captured at the heart of the splendid Saint-Jean-Baptiste church” on the evening of December 23rd – for television broadcast on Saturday, January 3rd.
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: LE GRAND CONCERT brought together eight soloists (Audrey Brisson-Jutras, Paul Bisson, Dominic Dagenais, Estelle Esse, Mathieu Lavoie, Anna Liani, Francine Poitras and Roxanne Potvin), accompanied by twenty-eight musicians (led by Frédéric Chiasson and Claude Chaput) and seventy choristers. Conducted by Mario Rouleau and produced by Luc Chatelain for Echo Media, this 90 minute musical odyssey - presented on television - took us through the emotion and poetry of the music of each of the 35 shows that Cirque du Soleil has created since 1984.
And two days later fans were delighted again when that television broadcast became available for streaming via TOU.TV, a FrenchCanadian video-on-demand website. But there was a catch: the video stream was restricted only to those in residence of Canada. Quel dommage! Thankfully, there’s ways around that, and we here at Fascination were able to watch the concert as filmed (not, necessarily, as presented live.)
Although devoid of any acrobatic numbers, most costuming, and the many other accoutrements associated with a regular live performance, Cirque du Soleil did choose to illustrate its evolution through staging, lighting, and of course, story. Here Zoë, the little girl from Quidam (Audrey Brisson-Jutras), acts as our guide as we follow her through different stages of her life represented in part through the songs of Cirque du Soleil…
THECONCERT
1. “Ouverture” | CIRQUE DU SOLEIL Soloist: None 2. “Atmadja & Reveil” | QUIDAM Soloist: Audrey Brison-Justras 3. “Le Funambule” | CIRQUE REINVENTE Soloist: None 4. “Havi Vahlia” | NOUVELLE EXPERIENCE Soloist: Roxane Potvin 5. “Pokinoi” | SALTIMBANCO Soloist: Francine Poitras 6. “Ulysse” | MYSTERE Soloists: Mathieu Lavoie, Francine Poitras, Roxane Potvin 7. “Kalimando” | MYSTERE Soloists: Audrey Brisson-Jutras, Estelle Esse 8. “Vai Vedrai” | ALEGRIA Soloist: Francine Poitras 9. “Seisouso” | QUIDAM Soloisst: Audrey Brisson-Jutras, Mathieu Lavoie 10. “Reve Rouge” | LA NOUBA Soloists: Paul Bisson, Estelle Esse 11. “Nostalgie” & “Bridge of Sorrow” | “O” & DELIRIUM Soloist: Roxane Potvin 12. “Ravendhi” | DRALION Soloists: Paul Bisson, Dominic Dagenais, Estelle Esse, Francine Poitras 13. “Patzivota” | VAREKAI Soloists: Paul Bisson, Dominic Dagenais, Estelle Esse, Mathieu Lavoie, Francine Poitras, Roxane Potvin 14. “Mio Bello Bello Amore” | ZUMANITY Soloist: Anna Liani 15. “Aftermath” | KA Soloist: Audrey Brisson-Jutras 16. “Volo Volando” | CORTEO Soloist: Paul Bisson 17. “Because” | THE BEATLES LOVE Soloists: Paul Bisson, Estelle Esse, Mathieu Lavoie, Anna Liani, Francine Poitras, Roxane Potvin 18. “Don’t Be Afraid” | KOOZA Soloists: Audrey Brisson-Jutras, Dominic Dagenais 19. “Shadows” | WINTUK Soloists: Audrey Brisson-Jutras, Anna Liani, Roxane Potvin 20. “Kayala and the Poppies” | BELIEVE Soloist: Francine Poitras 21. “Ardor Oris” | ZAIA Soloist: Francine Poitras 22. “Hymn of the Worlds” | ZED Soloists: Estelle Esse, Mathieu Lavoie, Roxane Potvin 23. “Brisa do Mar” | OVO Soloist: Mathieu Lavoie 24. “The Snake Dance” | BANANA SHPEEL Solosists: Audrey Brisson-Jutras, Estelle Esse, Anna Liani, Roxane Potvin 25. “Love Me Tender” | VIVA ELVIS Soloists: Dominic Dagenais, Anna Liani 26. “Cum Sancto Spiritu” | TOTEM Soloists: Estelle Esse, Mathieu Lavoie, Roxane Potvin 27. “Libra” | ZARKANA Soloist: Paul Bisson 28. “Earth Song” | MJ IMMORTAL Soloists: Paul Bisson, Dominic Dagenais, Estelle Esse, Mathieu Lavoie, Anna Liani, Francine Poitras, Roxane Potvin 29. “Scarlett Balancing” | IRIS Soloist: None 30. “Whisper” | AMALUNA Soloists: Paul Bisson, Estelle Esse, Mathiew Lavoie, Francine Poitras, Roxane Potvin 31. “Creature of Light” | AMALUNA Soloists: Paul Bisson, Audrey Brisson-Jutras, Mathieu Lavoie, Anna Liani, Francine Poitras, Roxane Potvin 32. “Creature de Siam” | KURIOS Soloist: Estelle Esse 33. “Taruka” | ALEGRIA Soloist: None 34. “Alegria” | ALEGRIA Soloists: Paul Bisson, Audrey Brisson-Jutras, Dominic Dagenais, Estelle Esse, Mathiew Lavoie, Anna Liani, Francine Poitras, Roxane Potvin 35. “Kumbalawe” | SALTIMBANCO Soloists: Paul Bisson, Audrey Brisson-Jutras, Dominic Dagenais, Estelle Esse, Mathiew Lavoie, Anna Liani, Francine Poitras, Roxane Potvin
SomeThoughts We know from previous experience that a filmed version of any Cirque du Soleil show or special, whether it’s explicitly for television broadcast or release via home media, is hardly a substitute for being there in person, enjoying the ambiance of the venue surrounded by friends and fans alike, taking it all in as it happens. In fact, we here at Fascination have been quite critical of many of Cirque’s previous endeavors in this arena, beginning with Quidam’s filming in 1999. Our grievances with these products generally lie with a) their length (Quidam, Alegria, and Dralion were all released at 90-minutes, yet last two hours in the real world), b) their point of view (with many close-ups, out-of-order scenes, or not enough context), and c) with the use of certain camera tricks (such as slow-motion, or use of a montage when one isn’t warranted). And to a certain extent the filming of LE GRAND CONCERT suffers from some of these trappings. Although not shown on the broadcast, a medley musical numbers is performed as patrons find their seats. Songs such as: “Propel” – La Nouba, “Finale” – Mystère, “Gamelan” – O, “Svecounia” – O, “Remous” – O, “Carrousel” – Quidam, “HaviVahlia” – Nouvelle Expérience, “Il Sogno Di Volare” – Saltimbanco, “The Worlds Meet” – ZED, “Kunya Sobe” – Mystère, “Flight” – KA, “Pageant” – KA, “Saltimbanco” – Saltimbanco, “Carrousel” – Quidam, and “Ballant” – Nouvelle Expérience. It’s understandable that this type of footage would not be shown on a broadcast; if you didn’t attend the performance live you missed out on this. You can hear it briefly on the broadcast, though, during the host’s introduction. Listen closely! That being said, what you do expect to see is the full opening to the performance, do you not? It’s what brings you, as the spectator, into its universe, but can you believe that was edited out of the broadcast completely? While this statement might not be entirely true – the broadcast opened quite powerfully with “Atmadja” from Quidam”, which is a good choice, I would have loved to have heard the first song too, “Overture” from Cirque’s first show. And that’s not the only edit. Other songs are reduced in length or cut all together. “Brisa do Mar” from OVO, “Love Me Tender” from VIVA ELVIS, “Whisper” from Amaluna, and “Taruka” from Alegría aren’t shown on the broadcast at all. However, strangely enough, “Because” from The Beatles LOVE and “Earth Song” from MJ One are shown, and they’re not Cirque songs! Watching and listening to these famed Cirque du Soleil soloists sing their hearts out is truly a treat, and we love every one of them. How fantastic is it to hear Audrey Brisson-Jutras sing anything from Quidam again, or hear Francine Poitras sing “Pokinoi”, Paul Bisson own “Volo Volando”, Mathieu Lavoie (and his leg) kill “Patzivota”, and Roxanne Potvin sing anything from “O” (I miss her!), but some of the soloist choices were a bit off key (pun intended), such as: Francine Poitras’ rendition of “Vai Vedrai” from Alegría, Estelle Esse singing “Rêve Rogue” from La Nouba, and Mathieu Lavoie singing Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song”. Just what were they thinking there? And while I’m asking what they were thinking, some of the song choices also puzzled me greatly. Why “Ravendi” from Dralion? Why not “Miracula Aeternitatis” or “Ombra” or even “Kamande”? Why “Aftermath” from KA and not “Koudamare” instead? Why not “Banquete” from OVO? Or anything else besides “Créature de Siam” from KURIOS? And for the love of God, why not “Debbie”/”Journey of Man” from “O”?! However, “Rêve Rouge” from La Nouba, “Kaimando” from Mystère, “Hymn of the Worlds” from ZED, “Pokinoi” from Saltimbanco, “Patzivota” from Varekai, and “Volo Volando” from Corteo were right on. Unsurprisingly, LE GRAND CONCERT ends with what arguably is Cirque’s most famous song – “Alegría” from Alegría. While the song is a fitting way to end the performance (“Soleil de Minuit” and “Delirium” ended this way), it wasn’t the end of the concert. An encore featuring the entire ensemble singing “Kumbalawé” from Saltimbanco followed, truly ending the performance. It’s unfortunate this celebratory song could not have been included in the broadcast. Or better yet, saved “Hymn of the Worlds” from ZED to bring the concert to a close; that would have been something indeed! In the end, the broadcast of LE GRAND CONCERT exceeded my expectations in just about every way. It gave me an opportunity to see / hear the show when there would have been no other way for me to do so. For that opportunity I am grateful. My only wish now is that an official full-length recording (in HD) could be made available to fans via blu-ray disc or through Cirque’s Digital Initiatives in the near future. One can dream!
A First Look AT
LUNA PETUNIA
By: Jeremy Dickson, via kidscreen.com
Iconic Montreal, Canada-based performing arts organization Cirque du Soleil has achieved more success in its 30-year history than most companies ever dare to dream about. Since Guy Laliberté founded the company in 1984, its unique live shows have thrilled close to 150 million spectators in more than 300 cities in 40-plus countries on six continents. Generating US$850 million in revenue in 2013, Cirque currently operates 20 different touring shows simultaneously around the world and continues to evolve and expand globally. In December 2012, it caught the attention of the kids entertainment industry by launching Cirque du Soleil Média, a joint-venture with Canadian broadcast heavyweight Bell Media. The plan was to expand the Cirque brand and its values beyond live shows into new and original youth- and kid-targeted content for television, film and digital platforms. The joint-venture’s first project brought L.A.-based Saban Brands (Power Rangers, Julius Jr., Popples) into the mix in February 2014 to help launch a kids property that includes a TV series, a consumer products line and interactive content. Eight months later, Cirque and Saban introduced Luna Petunia to the world at MIP Junior, and revealed that an animated TV series of the same name was already in development with Bradley Zweig (Sid the Science Kid, Yo Gabba Gabba!) as showrunner. The series marks uncharted waters for Cirque du Soleil Média, but the company is confident its collaboration with Saban will move the property in the right direction and open up a wealth of opportunities. During a recent visit to Cirque headquarters, where a joyful, creative energy permeates every inch of its vast interior, Kidscreen spoke with Daniel Lamarre (president and CEO of Cirque du Soleil), Jacques Méthé (president of Cirque du Soleil Média), Elie Dekel, (president of Saban Brands) and Brian Casentini (Saban SVP of development and production) about Cirque’s move into the kids space and the progress of the series.
WHY PRESCHOOL ANIMATION?
When Cirque was initially exploring ways to bring the magic and emotion of its live shows to a larger audience through mass media, it kept coming back to kids animation. “We’ve been toying with the idea of kids animation for many years. We think it is the right way to attract a new demo,” Lamarre says.”It’s very important to expand Cirque’s target demo beyond those who can afford to go to its live shows in person.” And when it came time to pinpoint a specific age group within kids, Cirque and Saban both agreed that preschool was a sweet spot. “For the majority of the world, adults are the most aware of the Cirque brand,” says Casentini. “So we felt that because moms and parents control the media preschool kids consume, launching a preschool brand first made a lot of sense.” In addition, Saban’s global success with its own brands and Zweig’s experience in developing and producing TV series were big factors in Cirque’s final decision. “Bradley’s openness to another creative process was a big factor for us,” notes Méthé. “A lot of people when they interact with us see the surface, the acrobatics and colors. He cut straight to our DNA and values. He asked right away, ‘Who is Luna and what drives her?’”
CREATING LUNA
While Luna Petunia will have nothing to do with circus life, Cirque’s values and the whimsical nature of its stage shows will seep into the fabric of the series’ characters, stories and visual world. The series follows the adventures of a little girl, Luna, who lives in the real world, but plays in a dreamland where she learns to make the impossible possible. She teaches young viewers the importance of believing in themselves and in the wonderful things their minds and bodies can do. According to Casentini, a bible is complete, the core characters have been designed, and the digital development of the backgrounds has started. The 52 x 11-minute series will be 2D-animated with 3D elements, and Casentini says Cirque and Saban are actively seeking co-production partners. “We are looking at a bunch of different Canadian studios in conjunction with Cirque Média to help us produce the series, but no official decision has been made yet,” he says.
LUNA’S WORLD
The narrative begins at Luna’s birthday party. After her friends leave, she receives a special gift from her mischievous aunt Zuzu—a mysterious box adorned with a petunia and filled with unusual toy characters. The box is also inscribed with the phrase, “Make the impossible possible today…feel your heart, touch your mind, and swirl away!” When Luna speaks the words, she is magically transported to the world of Amazia, where the toy characters from the box come to life and accompany her on wondrous adventures.
As for scripts, Zweig is currently writing episode one and a number of premises have been turned into full story outlines.
One of Luna’s friends, Sammy-Stretch, is a playful character who is fluent in gibberish (how Cirque!), and has accordions for limbs that make music when they move. He loves riddles and games, and he often challenges Luna to try new things. Bibi Bubbles, Amazia’s excitable brainiac tour guide, and cuddly Koalaroo, who has a kangaroo tail, the body of a koala bear and springs for legs, round out the core ensemble. A particularly creative aspect of the Bibi Bubbles character is that her thoughts can be seen by other characters because they appear in bubbles that pop out of her ears. As for unique environments, the series features a mood willow tree that changes a character’s hair color to suit their mood when they walk under it. Wiggly lily pads also react to characters’ emotions. In the development of the show’s characters, Méthé says a number of Cirque artists were called on for creative input. “A bunch of them are involved and have produced all sorts of elements that are in the present course of development. We will keep on this path because it is working really well,” he says.
LUNA’S WORLD
With positive early reactions across the board from broadcasters at MIPCOM, and a deal close to being secured with a global distribution partner, Cirque and Saban are confident in the potential of the IP. “It’s exciting and frightening because we have to deliver,” says Méthé. Lamarre concurs. “The risk is that we have to produce a series that will not only be appealing to viewers, but that will be a good demonstration of our brand, too,” he says. “Our consumers have very specific expectations of what Cirque is all about, and it’s very important that moms recognize the creativity in the new brand. Obviously, we don’t want to disappoint them.” With delivery of the series expected for summer 2016, Cirque and Saban are also exploring ways to extend Luna Petunia to interactive, digital, learning and other consumer products. “As the creative is developing, we are paying a great deal of attention to how the storylines, characters and visuals can translate to the other platforms,” says Dekel. One of the ultimate goals, according to Lamarre, would be to launch an immersive live experience and bring the property back to what Cirque does best. “The greatest reward we could have, and it would be a first for us, would be to establish a character that has enough impact to integrate into a live show.”
This article originally appeared in the February/March 2015 issue of Kidscreen. Visit kidscreen.com for original article.
So what are people saying about it? By: Richard Russo It’s been a couple of months now since the premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s dinner and show concept at Riviera Maya, Mexico, and we’re not hearing much about the audiences reactions to JOYA. But if these reviews on Trip Advisor are a good indication, people love it! Although that’s not to say people out there don’t hate it too… As of this writing there are 175 reviews about the show and almost 80% are very favorable! So, here are what a people are saying about their experiences with JOYA – the good, the okay, and the bad…
The Good Lynn S Taylors | South Carolina, USA “Great Show!” – 5 STARS Reviewed January 19, 2015 Attended this show with my hubby and two teenagers. We did the dinner and show combination. The meal was exquisite and gourmet. We really enjoyed the pre-show dinner music which was a type of jazz group. Very talented group of men. The show is in Spanish so we weren’t able to follow the story-line exactly but we got the gist of what was going on. The circus acts were incredible and very entertaining. This is a total sensory experience…from the lights & sounds, the amazing set design, and the entertainers themselves. The facility is absolutely beautiful. You’ll want to plan some time to look around the facility. The show was over before we were ready for it to be but we absolutely loved every minute of our experience here. It’s an attraction worth the money you’ll spend.
•99 Excellent = 56.6% •40 very Good = 22.9% •18 Average = 10.3% •11 Poor = 6.2% •07 Terrible = 4%
Terri L | Playa del Carmen, MX “Intimate and amazing” 5 STARS Reviewed January 19, 2015 We’ve been to many cirque performances but never ever experienced one like this! The fact that this is done in such a small intimate setting simply gives the cirque experience something brand-new. It is absolutely one of the best cirque’s we have ever seen. Being up close in around theater enjoying the show while having some champagne and the performers being right there in front of you is so unusual so and unique. I believe it’s something that anyone visiting the Riviera Maya absolutely must see. In addition going to the nectar restaurant was fantastic as well and spending time walking around and taking pictures was just beautiful. What Vidanta has done is just amazing. This show is an absolute 100% must see and I’d like to see it again and again and again!
JLReyes1967 | Cuernavaca, Mexico “Intimate show but expensive experience” – 5 STARS Reviewed January 15, 2015 This is an intimate Cirque du Soleil show. The theater is small and cozy with seats next to a small table, so it feels more like a bar/restaurant. Having dinner in the premises is possible for the seats next to the scenario but far more expensive. Thinking that this is a resident show we thought it would be more elaborated than the other visiting shows that we have seen in Mexico, and indeed it was! still it is not comparable to other resident shows (Orlando or Las Vegas) in its grandeur, but they added some local details that let it be unique. Still it is as magical and overwhelming as always!
Jose Luis R “Too Short” – 4 STARS Reviewed January 15, 2015 This is probably the most beautiful Cirque Du Soleil that I’ve ever been. The stage, the theatre and the dinner experience is just amazing. The dinner is probably the best thing about this place. Live Cuban music on stage, luxurious and delicious dishes and a great atmosphere. But about the show it’s not as good as any other cirque do Soleil in the world. The show is too short, it’s about 70 minutes long and I mean, the main point of this show should be the “Cirque”. If you want to come, I recommend you to buy the dinner and show tickets, the show by itself is not as good as I expected. I hope in the future, Joyà will add more cirque artists and performers to make this show as good as any other Cirque du Soleil.
The OK Hriquelme | Chicago, Illinois (USA) “Show with dinner” – 3 Stars Reviewed January 14, 2015 The “show & dinner” and VIP Experience are almost the same, the only 2 differences are that the people with VIP tickets enter before (10min) and 1 or 2 acrobats play in their tables. The place itself is small so it doesn’t make any difference enjoying the show from any place, however I would take the dinner, because it was such a fantastic experience, you really don’t want to miss it. It’s so tasty and unique, you can even eat the menu, so you can imagine how fantastic the dinner is (There are two options to offer and both are super tasty). In addition to this, the dinner comes with LIVE music and an excellent service. On the other hand and this is why I am ranking with 3 stars, it is the show itself. The acrobats are great, but the story is incomprehensible, for me there were missing some acts to make the flow of the story smoother. The show lasts less than 1hr and the link between some acts is missing. I am assuming they will incorporate more acts since the time is too short and they started playing a few weeks ago, if my assumptions is incorrect, I would say that this is the most incomplete and worse story I have seen.
ZMTravels | New York, New York (USA) “Don’t buy the dinner….” – 3 Stars Reviewed January 9, 2015 It was an okay show but we splurged and bought the dinner package. For what they charge you definitely do not get enough food. It is artfully presented and delicious but you will still be hungry. We also ended up with seats on the side. Unless you can get seats facing the stage you are going to miss some things. I have seen better Cirque du Soleil shows but I was not expecting much so was not disappointed. It just seemed expensive and short.
Jpa F “Wasted opportunity.” – 3 STARS Reviewed December 21, 2014 The moment I saw there was a new Cirque du Solei in the Mayan Riviera, I booked immediately. I gotta admit I was a little disappointed. Maybe the problem is that I expected something completely different. I expected Mayan themes, exploring Mexico’s rich cultural heritage (humor, colors, races, languages, landscapes)….what I got was something that looks like a British fable. It is not a BAD show per se. The performers are good and theater is very beautiful, just not at all what I personally expected. For the price and the time it takes to get there you should go to Xcaret/Xelha/Xplora instead.
The BAD NikkiDetroit | Detroit, Michigan (USA) “Joya – not as good as other Cirque du Soleil” – 2 stars Reviewed December 4, 2014 In Mexico and saw JOYA on November 15th. The facility/buildings and surrounding area is spectacular – beautiful lighting and a must-see at sunset and nighttime. Joya, however, was a letdown compared to La Nouba and Love. Storyline was confusing, Costumes and staging was great – acrobatics not as good as others and few (maybe 6). Dinner was the best we had in Mexico those 2 weeks we were there! Three course, super appetizers, main course (choice of short ribs or chicken) short ribs melt in your mouth, and the 4 desserts in a book (pretty neat – something to do with the JOYA story)) was wonderful. Wait staff was SO attentive that you never had to ask for a thing – water and champaign was refilled as soon as you put your glass down. Oh, and we had an edible menu. So the dinner was superb but the JOYA not so hot. Still an enjoyable time but maybe not worth the money. We paid about $130 per ticket for dinner/show – I guess not too bad but high for Mexico. Guess they have to pay for the facility…. The Nektar Yucatecan Grill and Lounge next door was terrible!! We came back to eat there the following week. The food was no good and very expensive and not a good presentation. And the wait staff – boy they sure needed a TON of training – they were lost as to how to treat customers – no silverware or plates – had to ask – never came back to see if you needed anything else – took 15 minutes to get the bill (la quinta??). Give that place about 6 months (maybe a year) to come up to speed. We complained nicely but I think the waiter had no idea what we meant. Stop by for a drink to check the place out if you do not have tickets to Joya. Drinks are a sticker shock – not sure why SO high – I will never complain about drink prices in the states again….
Carol M | Boston, Massachusetts (USA) “Not worth it for the price” – 2 stars Reviewed December 1, 2014 I have long been a huge Cirque du Soleil fan, have seen over 10 shows, including permanent shows in Vegas, and Florida and must say that this one was extremely disappointing. While the actual show was nice as always, the time it lasted was not worth it for the money. I purchased the champagne package and was not happy. It’s a cheap 4 dollar bottle of champagne, yet my ticket was 121. I’d wished I had known the show was so short, and just had purchased the stool seats. I don’t understand why the show has to be so short, while other permanent shows are the full 90 minutes. I’m sure many people will go, as Cirque has created a high repertoire, but if you get to read this and other reviews, I’d suggest go for the cheaper seats. It’s not worth shelving the extra for a dinner here when you can purchase for cheaper; not even the champagne seats are worthwhile! Just enjoy the one hour show. And there you have it. The majority of the reviews on Trip Advisor are favorable (about 80% of them), however, we did note that most of the unfavorable reviews fell into the “it’s too pricy” and “it’s too short” categories, centering around the cost of the dinner and/or the show (being too expensive for the reviewer), and the duration of the show (at 70 minutes, many felt JOYA was just too short for the time and effort taken to see it.) These are valid complaints if one is expecting something more, especially if the price is higher than you would normally expect to pay for an event (or dinner and show) of that duration. That being said, comparing JOYA to any of the big-ticket Cirque shows in Vegas, one easily sees the show seems to be priced accordingly. Time will tell. Either way, should you be interested in making the trip to Riviera Maya for JOYA, as long as you keep an open mind you’re sure to enjoy yourself – and JOYA!
ISABELLE CORRADI Varekai’s Chanteuse
Interview with
By: Jose L Perez
Where were you born? I was born in Italy and raised in Montreal. How long have you been with the show? With Varekai it'll be 11 years on the 10th of July a big day! And I'm still passionate about it. I love what I do. What other shows have you been in? I did Alegria in '94, and I did Saltimbanco so this was singing and dancing a lot on that [angled surface], so it was interesting to dance with little boots(-ies) with little heels(-ies) but I was having a great time. I did Alegria again, then I was the voice coach for a while, then I was a dance coach for a while too and then I came to Varekai! What is it about Varekai that you enjoy? I love the music, and I can say my favorite [song] to sing would be the opening act, which is called Hula. Another one that I really like too is the one of song trapeze that is more rhythmic. The lyrics are written even if it's, like, an invented language. I guess you call this gibberish.
The words are actually created and composed with the note and everything, so musically the score is done. When there are changes of acrobats, changes of rhythm, or new tricks we want to put in, my band leader will say: okay, Isabelle, we're going to do this, this, and this... but we are framed... well, not framed... but we are guided to the score but intention, we put intention behind it. And yes I have vocabulary of movement on stage but I chose everything... I'm not the same [everyday], I don't feel the same [everyday], and the intention is not the same [everyday]... Antipodise is very smooth and touching, and with the new mise en scene, because when we were in the big top we had different staging, here because we have so much ground to cover our artistic director restaged things, so I love it. How does it feel to sing your sister's music on stage every night? It feels great!! It feels amazing; it feels fabulous. We sang all our lives together, and then we separated... she wanted to do things and I wanted to
do musicals (like Les Miz and other musicals), and then when I heard that they needed more composers I contacted my sister and said that would be great if you could, you know, send your material. And they loved what she did, so she composed Dralion (was the first one), Varekai (the second one), and Zaia. Do you enjoy touring? My parents were on tour, I'm on tour; i like it. It's like getting used to something. When I started, of course, I missed my friends because when you arrive you don't know anybody. But then what happens - there's a magic that happens - the people you work with become your family because you see them more than your real family, so I embrace it the best I can. I have a contract with me: as long as I am having fun, as long as I have challenge, I stay. When I feel less feeling I pick up the phone and say "can I do this show? Do you have another show?" Something like this. I did this once, and so far everything is going well. I'm very blessed and I'm very conscious about it. PHOTOS: Š Cirque du Soleil
Interview with
Fernando Miro Varekai’s New Icarus By: Jose L Perez
Explain to us your character Icarus.
How did you get started with circus?
Do you find traveling difficult?
Icarus is this young man who was given wings to fly and he was a bit greedy. So he decided - even though he was told not to - he decided to fly close to the sun. And with that he burned his wings off. In the actual mythological story he drowns, but in the show Varekai it takes a twist so he lands in a mythological forest and he gets a second chance. So the whole story is based on this second chance, and how he overcomes this situation.
I started in gymnastics when I was very young - gymnastics and choir (I was trained as a singer as well), and slowly, as I got older, I quit gymnastics and I started in the dance world, so I did a little Contemporary and Hip-hop. Then I got a scholarship with one of the biggest schools in Puerto Rico, so I had to do the whole dance training. With the gymnastics background it was very helpful. When I got older I lived Puerto Rico to the United States, and that's where I started my circus training - about 10 years ago. And I trained all sorts of c i rc u s s t u ff : c o n t o r t i o n , h a n d balancing, aerial (of course), and yeah, here I am!
It is extremely difficult. I've never been in big tops, but I have toured in arena shows. It's a lot of traveling. In MJ Immortal we did two cities in a week, here at Varekai we do one every week so I literally never unpack. I just pull stuff out of my suitcase and put it back in. But it is extremely hard, especially with family and friends, you have to try to keep in touch when you have five minutes... my character has a lot of scenes involved so there's a lot of rehearsals as well throughout the day before the show, so it's a busy schedule but you kind of get used to it after a while. You appreciate your time off a lot more than on resident shows or big tops.
How many shows have you been in with Cirque?
Do you have a special moment in the show?
I've been in three shows, and I've also been part of the LIGHT Night Club in Las Vegas. Though it's not counted as a show, I've been in four Productions. My first show was BELIEVE - Criss Angel Believe - as one of the rabbits, then I took a break and went with Taylor Swift, the pop star; did a tour with her for 2 years, then after that I got the Michael Jackson show. So I did the Immortal World Tour show for a bit as a dancer, and had my own aerial act as well, and that led me to audition for Icarus, so here I am!
There's a special moment where I'm not Fernando, I'm actually Icarus, and I'm telling thousands of people the story of Icarus, so I think that's special every night. If I can reach that moment in the show then I truly believe that I did a good job.
How do you see your act? The whole show is based on this character that is telling his story. So my act is more based on the suffering of he just burning his wings and you just landed in this place that you don't know. So including the acrobatics, I'm trying to tell the story that this net has m e t ra p p e d . Th ro u g h a l i t t l e contortion I do a little suffering, I try to fly again, but I don't have wings. So instead of doing an acrobatic piece number, it's more an interpretive dance with acrobatics. How much training did you receive? I had two months in Montreal with coaches over there and with the help of the current artistic director of the show. They were really specific with the vision they wanted, so I could show them options of what could be possible and then they could choose what would be perfect for their visual.
Any advice to aspiring performers? Anything is possible. I know it sounds tacky, but you just have to work hard and everybody has their own spark and their own special ability so if you manage to find that, you have to exploit it and make it more of a beautiful thing than anybody else's. It's your own thing so you make sure you shine.
PHOTOS: Š Cirque du Soleil
Interview with
AGNÈS SOHIER
DRALION - L’AME-FORCE BY: Jose L. Perez
“
I never really expect anything. I’m still very happy with it. I always tell myself if I’m happy, it’s because I belong.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Yes. I was born in Quebec, in an area in the province of Quebec that’s called the Gaspé area. I lived there until I was about sixteen and then I left to go study. I had a fantastic childhood because I grew up near the water. I come from an extremely close and loving and supportive family, I’m blessed with that. And then I went to study. At sixteen I went to college for two years in science, but then I changed and I went into music after that. I went to university and I studied voice and everything you study in music. And as I was at the University of Concordia in Montreal, my voice teacher offered me my first back-up singer gig, professional, so that’s when I really started professionally to sing. Before that as a student I had bands, touring, writing music and performing everywhere.
When did you first audition for Cirque du Soleil?
I never really auditioned for Cirque du Soleil. It’s funny because when I was at school, like I told you, when I was at university, I went to my first back-up singer gig with my teacher. I did that mostly in Montreal for 15 years, as a professional back-up singer working with many different artist doing records, TV shows, voices for kids, commercials, a lot of touring as well. Then in one point in ’99 they called me to kind of fill-in for the male singer that lost his voice at the beginning of the tour in ’99. I was supposed to be there for a year and 15 years later I’m still here, I’m still happy and still in the show. So yeah, it’s an interesting situation for me. I never really auditioned for them, but I’m still very proud to be working for this company. Is it true that Dralion was originally meant for one male singer?
Yes, I think I’ve had 7 as of now. You know what, I think it’s quite interesting for me because I had the chance and privilege to work with 7 different amazing male singers. It’s good for me and it’s kind of refreshing because I do have to adjust musically and also on stage because each bring their own voices, strength and character on stage. But it’s exciting for me because it keeps it even fresher than having the same partner all the time.
So you substituted him for a year and then they created the female counterpart?
Have there been any times where you had to sing alone for the entire show?
No, no. I did not substitute him at all. Erik still stayed on, I don’t think he ever missed a show. There was supposed to be two rotating and then one of them left before the premiere, so they basically were looking for somebody to fill-up backstage the track, I don’t know, until they found somebody else. But then Mr. Caron and the composer Violaine decided the female voice would be a nice addition to the show. So after Quebec City, they decided to put me with the band in Toronto and once we hit the USA, I was on stage with the male singer.
When did you actually get into singing? Did you enjoy singing before college or did you always think you would become a singer? I always thought I would become a singer because even when I was extremely young, I took piano lessons and I also sang in choirs; I started at church. My father played the piano and organ, so we would sing with him. I’m on the piano since I was able to walk, I could say. Actually, at the time I didn’t know if I wanted to get into sports or music, but I decided to lean towards music and I’m glad I did because it has given me a fantastic life.
”
Exactly. The concept of the show was only one male singer; a countertenor. And then, for whatever reason, after the production they decided to create this female character which I’ve been singing now for 15 years almost. But the show concept of L’Ame Force, as we call it, was only one male singer. The show was basically written for Erik Karol, which was the original singer… beautiful singer, beautiful artist.
So back in 1999 Cirque wasn’t as big as it is today, but did you know about the company back then?
Yeah, it did happen a few times. For sure, quite a few. It’s always a big challenge. It’s very rewarding, but I’ve always thought and I’ve always said that the show sounds much better when you have both singers, the male and the female singer, as far as the music goes and the vocals and also for the presence. I think it’s nice because I find it that sometimes when I have to do the show for a few days on my own, I find it becomes redundant because there is a lot of singing on the show and if you have the color of only one voice, I find that you’re missing something. But that’s a personal thought. Are there any specific feelings that the music of Dralion evokes in you?
Yeah, for sure I knew about the company back then. I think Cirque even at this time in ’99 was pretty big, it was pretty amazing. Maybe not the multinational as it is now, but not far from it. So yeah, I knew about them for sure. I mean, I’m from Quebec, I knew about this company; it’s a very important “landmark”, I should say. Can you tell us about what your character represents in the show?
All kinds of beautiful emotions, actually, because there is a lot of joy. You have sadness, worries, anger and a little bit of mischievousness. I can create whatever intention I want night after night to keep it fresh for me. I might be the only one that notices it, but the composer is very lyrical and is full of beautiful melodies. So it’s for me to keep it live and create with it.
Dralion is based on the 4 elements; air, water, fire and earth. So basically, the singers are kind of the same entity and we are the soul, basically the omnipotent people that give strength and power to those families. And these elements do have their own families. That’s basically what it is, the four elements getting to get along together. You’ve pretty much been the female singer throughout the life of the show. Is it hard to adjust to the new male singers? You’ve had different partners throughout the years, right?
Do you have a favorite song from Dralion that you just love singing?
Ohh, there was one I really really loved, Ombra, but we’re not doing it anymore. It was an umbrella number. It’s not in the show anymore, but I loved the song, I really enjoyed singing it. Basically, I like them all. I like Hibana as well (Cerceau) because it’s beautiful. It’s very challenging also, it’s a very powerful song. I love the calmness of Ballare because it’s a love song and there’s a lot of intimacy that you have to bring to it and a lot of warmth. Do I have a favorite? I must say that yes, Ombra was my favorite song to sing, but c’est la vie.
Did you ever expect to be with the show for so long?
tennis as well, so I do that as much as I can. I used to go sailing a lot. Now it hasn’t happened that much these days. But I like to do activities; bike, rent a car, go on the mountain, on the water, chill-out on the beach. I try to follow what my body and my mind are telling me.
No, I think it’s pretty interesting!
Sing! Sing! And sing! And sing! Don’t give up! Play! Play! Play! And play! That’s what I have done since I was very very young. I was always singing in choirs, vocal groups, in bands. You don’t just want to give up. You have to pay your dues in order to become what you want. Keep the passion and the love, the faith and the hope in anything you want to do, not just singers and musicians. If you want to be the best mechanic, I guess you have to do the same thing. We all have different talents, that’s all.
because I have to go and get hooked up, have the mics and the packs and everything organized and then I go on to do the show with all my heart and soul. Then I take my costume off, my makeup off. I’m glad when I can walk to the hotel, if not, I wait for the shuttle and off we go to the hotel. I usually have a few glasses of wine and some cheese and crackers, I take a shower, I read a bit and off I go to bed. Pretty boring, isn’t it?!
I never really expect anything. I’m still very happy with it. I always tell myself if I’m happy, it’s because I belong. That’s why I never thought about it. The first year I signed for a year and then for another year and then for another year. And I’m still 29, by the way! I’m still happy. The show is closing in January and I think it’s a very positive thing because I think I’ve been extremely privileged to be part of this beautiful show, so there’s no sadness to it. We’ve given what we could for 15 years, I know I did. So it’s cool. It’s cool.
But everybody has their own routine, not everybody does the same. I’m pretty lucky because I can organize my daily schedule as I wish because I’m not an acrobat. I don’t have extra training unless we have to train a new singer or musician, but I don’t have the same type of routine as they do have. I can organize my own routine myself, which is very nice.
So you’ve been touring for a lot of years. What’s the hardest part of the tour life?
It’s hard to answer that question. Big top is an even pace. It’s nice because you’re at one place for a long time. Like here in the arenas, it’s the weekly travel that gets to you and into your body, stuff like that; change of weather, climate, food, bed, pillow. I think after 15 years it kind of gets to you a little bit, but those are details of the beautifulness of traveling the world, woking with amazing people with amazing talents, gorgeous places, eating amazing food, drinking amazing wine, you know what I mean? It depends how you approach your life. There’s not much I have to complain about. I’m privileged and blessed to be living this life.
What kind of warm-ups do you do?
A normal warm-up for me would take like 45 minutes, scales from one register to the other. I’ve been doing it forever. I find it very important. It’s like stretching my voices like for an acrobat stretching their muscles.
You’ve mentioned Dralion closing in January. How do you feel about that?
I cannot say, “Woohoo!” but I cannot say that I’m sad either because I think for 15 years it’s been an amazing show to travel with around the world. Honestly, I’ve given my heart and soul. A lot of stuff has happened to me during those 15 years. It’s a big chunk of one’s life. Nothing negative, I try to stay positive. I think, like I was telling a friend of mine, I’ve been with Dralion for 15 years and I feel liked I’m tattooed a lot by it. It would be hard for me to leave, so it’s a good thing that somebody else has taken the decision to close the show so I can go and maybe do something else. I don’t want to see it as a sad thing. Like I said earlier, I’ve been privileged to have this journey with this beautiful show for so many years.
What has been your favorite city from all the cities that you’ve visited?
How can you ask me this question?! I’ve seen to so many cities! There’s beauty everywhere you go. Favorite city? It’s not necessarily a city where I’ve worked, because we have the chance when we have time off to hop around a little bit, and I must say when we were in Australia. I really did enjoy this part of the world because it was a state of pureness, not so disturbed by the rest of humanity, so I did enjoy it. Favorite city? They all have something special. I’m here in Bilbao and I’m enjoying it. Barcelona is nice. London is fantastic. Paris, I love. I mean, there are so many beautiful cities, even smaller cities. I’m going to Mallorca next week. I love this island! I think it’s gorgeous! The people are nice. I haven’t seen much of South America. I really loved Capetown in Africa. That I really really really loved.
We can say you’re living the life, huh?
Living the life I chose. It’s not just glamour. We work hard and we’re lucky because we do love what we do. When I come here and I have to sing and put my make up on, it’s not like “Oh, I have to do it again!” On the contrary, it’s like, “Woohoo! Ok, let’s do it!” I’m not going to say that sometimes I’m not tired, I’m not a machine. So, yes, I am sometimes tired but I really do enjoy what I do, so I find myself very blessed to be living this life. Can you describe to us what a normal show day for you would be?
I wake up, I eat fruit, sometimes coffee and then I shower. I go for a walk, depending on what time I get up. Here in Spain we have a late schedule, so I try to sleep at least 8 to 9 hours. Depending on my day, let’s say if the show is at 9, I would usually arrive 4 hours before the show so I can have a little bite, I warm up my voice, I do my makeup, I talk with some people if I’m in the corridors, if it allows me to be ready for the show. I have to be ready half an hour before 9
What can you say to the people out there who are aspiring singers or musicians?
On your days off, what do you like to do? Do you like to explore the cities or do you like to relax?
It depends, I do both. I do enjoy checking out a city walking. I’m not into museums and churches anymore, I’m kind of done with it. I prefer to walk the cities, stop at cafes and have a little lunch. I love to play
What’s next for you? Do you plan on continuing with Cirque du Soleil or do you want to explore something else?
I’ll see. I think after 15 years and two pieces of luggage travelling non-stop, I think it would be nice for me to relax a little bit. I have a few ideas of things I want to do, I’m not totally sure. Would I like to stay with the company? For sure, if they have something to offer me. I mean, I like this company so we shall see what the future holds for me. But I want to finish Dralion first and finish it healthy, happy and strong. Life has always been generous with me, so I’ll see what life’s going to give me. I’m going to keep on singing, that’s for sure.
PHOTOS: © Cirque du Soleil
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