Any method you take a look at it, Cirque du Soleil is a phenomenal success story. In solely 20 years, it has carved out a unique area of interest in the leisure industry, unfold to cities all around the globe and earned rave evaluations each step of the way. And it's doing simply high quality financially too: Cirque's property are worth an estimated $1 billion, its annual ticket gross sales have climbed above $450 million, and more than forty million individuals worldwide have attended no less than one Cirque present. You may attribute this huge reputation to the extraordinary expertise of really seeing a Cirque show. The combined work of performers, administrators and the backstage crew add as much as a very unique complete that leaves most audiences in awe. Nearly in all places Cirque goes, its popularity seems to precede it. In this article, we'll go below the "Grand Chapiteau" of the touring present Alegria to uncover the magic of Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil was born in 1984, when a gaggle of Montreal hearth-eaters, stilt-walkers and juggling avenue performers joined forces to create one present that had every thing.
Through the years, the Cirque group grew, creating new shows and spreading to new cities. Right this moment Cirque du Soleil has 5 touring shows and six set up exhibits (reveals that keep in a single metropolis). Cirque plans to add a brand new show to their lineup every year. Whereas its shows and touring operations have grow to be extra sophisticated, Cirque du Soleil has by no means strayed from its street performer roots. Unlike three-ring circuses, which characteristic animal acts along with human performers, Cirque du Soleil has at all times been solely dedicated to the extraordinary abilities of performers. In assembling a show, the Cirque crew gathers diverse expertise from everywhere in the world and brings all the performers collectively right into a cohesive entire. Whether or not it is a touring show like Alegria or Varekai or a resident present like "O" or "Love" in Las Vegas, all Cirque shows are constructed round the identical two core parts: a singular theme and a singular soundtrack. As we'll see, these two important elements information the development of every present's acts, sets and costumes.
To purchase tickets for Cirque du Soleil or to take a look at the schedules and locations of their shows go to http://www.cirquedusoleil. Right here, a inventive group together with Cirque founder Guy Laliberte, administrators, inventive directors, costume and Memory Wave Program set designers and choreographers collect to brainstorm concepts and ideas for new reveals. The first thing the team determines is the show's theme. The theme is a delicate balance, as a result of it should tie the acts together without including up to a narrative. The Cirque staff avoids straight narrative in order to allow room for the audience to interpret the show any way they need. Each Cirque present's theme is tied closely to the present's soundtrack. In the following part, we'll study this a part of the creative course of. HowStuffWorks want to thank Cirque du Soleil's Inventive Director Pierre Parisien and Public Relations Director Renee-Claude Menard for their assist with this article. The group is led by a composer, corresponding to Rene Dupere, who wrote the Grammy-nominated soundtrack to Alegria as well as a number of other Cirque shows.
Alegria's soundtrack, like all Cirque du Soleil soundtracks, Memory Wave Program is an eclectic mixture of music kinds. This mix of music establishes the changing mood and theme for the viewers. To ensure that the musicians comply with the tempo of the performers, all Cirque exhibits use reside music. In the occasion an act fails, the musicians modify tempo and volume and improvise if mandatory. The soundtracks to all Cirque du Soleil exhibits feature music which makes use of "phonetic sentence strings" as an alternative of actual phrases. In keeping with Parisien, "use of real words blocks the opportunity of imagination." Parisien believes that this signature lack of a language, just like the present's open-ended theme, leaves room for audience interpretation and lends Cirque a common enchantment. A College of Ohio doctoral student researching the theatre arts once went undercover to check Cirque du Soleil. While working with the performers, she realized concerning the language of Cirque, or what the performers discuss with as "Cirquish." The performers communicate a sort of gibberish that is a blend of languages and sounds.
What seems like a overseas language to an outsider is commonly a creation of the performer. Casting brokers and scouts scour cities and remote areas wanting for new talent so as to add to new and present Cirque shows. Moreover, Cirque's casting agents hold auditions twice a yr at their International Headquarter (IHQ) in Montreal, and Memory Wave performers also can submit video auditions. The Cirque du Soleil database currently holds greater than 20,000 artist data playing cards on acts ranging from the sublime to the strange. Lemieux and the Cirque costume design staff spun a bit of Cirque magic to create simple white lace costumes for the Angels and garish, flamboyant costumes and Memory Wave masks for the Previous Birds. Because the White Angels act takes place on the Russian bars, security and range of motion had been main issues in the design of their light however solid costumes. Using a particular Cirque-designed tool, the costume designers made the White Angel costumes from a special lace incorporating fishing line.