I remember growing up in the Corpus Christi area and attending the Al Amin Shrine Circus each year on the bayfront. As a child, this was always an exciting event for me, and my father happened to know many members of the sponsoring organization. Several of these guys would be clowns for the circus and I thought it was cool that dad actually knew them!
As I reached my adolescent years, and school activities took over much of my life, the circus took a back seat before finally leaving the car altogether. It wasn't a conscious decision, but more of a gradual fading from my day to day thoughts.
Fast forward to my adult years and I eventually learn about a touring circus called Cirque du Soleil. While I knew they were a traveling circus, that's about all I knew of Cirque. After watching an episode of The Simpsons in late 2000 where they featured "Cirque du Puree," I thought I'd see what all the fuss was about. Think about it. If Cirque was featured on the Simpsons, it was worth checking out. It had to be, right?
After attending their most recent show in Houston a couple of months ago, I thought I'd share some of my enthusiasm for Cirque du Soleil. For my new readers, and as a reminder to my established readers, clicking on any blue link will open a new window in your browser. You won't lose your place here. I included quite a few links in this blog, more than usual, and I encourage you to check them out at your leisure. Clicking on any photo will open a larger format version of the photo in a new window as well. This would also be a good time to include the following disclaimer:
DISCLAIMER: I am in no way affiliated with Cirque du Soleil. This blog is strictly my opinion and should be treated as such. I have received no compensation from Cirque du Soleil in any form. I have paid full price for any tickets and merchandise from Cirque du Soliel. They have had no influence or control over any content here.
With that bit of business completed, let's take a journey with Cirque and explore some of the fascinating art they produce. I will say that Cirque did help me with some facts, though, especially the dates of the shows in Houston.
My intent is not to review each show I've seen, as this has been done many times over. I'll include a link to either Wikipedia for the retired shows or to the official Cirque site for the current shows I mention if you want to explore these shows further. I want to share my fondness for Cirque, and what they have to offer.
Founded in 1984, Cirque is a Canadian company headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Currently, Cirque has three types of shows: Resident, Big Top ("Grand Chapiteau") and Arena. The primary difference between a Big Top and an Arena show is that the arena shows are typically scaled-down versions of a Big Top show that can fit inside an existing location in a given city.
Not only are the actual acts fascinating to watch, but the music accompanying the acts is captivating as well. Many of the songs feature their own "Cirque language," as I call it. From the elaborate costume designs, to set design to lighting, Cirque manages to completely enthrall me every time I see one of their shows. Every.time. I encourage you to sample some of their music by going to YouTube and searching for any of the shows I mention here. You will find plenty of their songs posted, and I think you'll see what I mean when you listen to it. As I write this blog, I'm listening to an extensive playlist of Cirque music on my computer.
Cirque's first appearance in the Houston area was Quidam in 1997. Note: The shows I will write about are all "Big Top" shows, as that is the only type I have attended thus far. Following Quidam, Cirque returned to Houston in 2002 with Dralion. I don't recall how well either of these was advertised, but both of these shows eluded my notice and I didn't get a chance to see them. I do have these shows, and several others, on DVD though, and have at least watched them that way.
A little over a year later, Cirque brought Alegria to Houston. Alegria was my first experience attending a live Cirque show, and from the first act, I was hooked. I knew I would make it a point to attend any Cirque show in my area that I could. Alegria retired from the "Big Top" tour schedule and became an arena show for a time. Very recently, though, Cirque has revamped Alegria and returned it to the Big Top world. If it comes back to Houston, I'd love to see how it's been reimagined. You can find out more about the new Alegria here.
In 2007, we took a cruise over Halloween on the Carnival Conquest. On Halloween night, the ship held a costume party and some of the costumes were quite extraordinary. One, in particular, caught my eye, that of "Mr. Fleur." He is basically the emcee of Alegria, and naturally, I had to shout "Alegria!" when I saw this costume. The man seemed genuinely surprised that I recognized his costume for what it was, and I explained to him that Cindy and I were both huge Cirque fans. Why did I shout "Alegria" like I did? Click here to see a short YouTube clip of a live intro to Alegria and you'll find out.
That photo does absolutely no justice to this man's costume. Even in 2007, many of the digital cameras didn't do that well in low light.
I don't have many photos from the first few shows I attended, but I do have a souvenir from each one. Some people collect shot glasses of places they've been or shows they've seen. Some collect refrigerator magnets or t-shirts. I collect coffee cups. I've written before about my love of a good cup of coffee, and these cups allow me to think fondly of the experience.
As I reached my adolescent years, and school activities took over much of my life, the circus took a back seat before finally leaving the car altogether. It wasn't a conscious decision, but more of a gradual fading from my day to day thoughts.
Fast forward to my adult years and I eventually learn about a touring circus called Cirque du Soleil. While I knew they were a traveling circus, that's about all I knew of Cirque. After watching an episode of The Simpsons in late 2000 where they featured "Cirque du Puree," I thought I'd see what all the fuss was about. Think about it. If Cirque was featured on the Simpsons, it was worth checking out. It had to be, right?
After attending their most recent show in Houston a couple of months ago, I thought I'd share some of my enthusiasm for Cirque du Soleil. For my new readers, and as a reminder to my established readers, clicking on any blue link will open a new window in your browser. You won't lose your place here. I included quite a few links in this blog, more than usual, and I encourage you to check them out at your leisure. Clicking on any photo will open a larger format version of the photo in a new window as well. This would also be a good time to include the following disclaimer:
DISCLAIMER: I am in no way affiliated with Cirque du Soleil. This blog is strictly my opinion and should be treated as such. I have received no compensation from Cirque du Soleil in any form. I have paid full price for any tickets and merchandise from Cirque du Soliel. They have had no influence or control over any content here.
With that bit of business completed, let's take a journey with Cirque and explore some of the fascinating art they produce. I will say that Cirque did help me with some facts, though, especially the dates of the shows in Houston.
My intent is not to review each show I've seen, as this has been done many times over. I'll include a link to either Wikipedia for the retired shows or to the official Cirque site for the current shows I mention if you want to explore these shows further. I want to share my fondness for Cirque, and what they have to offer.
The Grand Chapiteau for Kurios
Not only are the actual acts fascinating to watch, but the music accompanying the acts is captivating as well. Many of the songs feature their own "Cirque language," as I call it. From the elaborate costume designs, to set design to lighting, Cirque manages to completely enthrall me every time I see one of their shows. Every.time. I encourage you to sample some of their music by going to YouTube and searching for any of the shows I mention here. You will find plenty of their songs posted, and I think you'll see what I mean when you listen to it. As I write this blog, I'm listening to an extensive playlist of Cirque music on my computer.
Cirque's first appearance in the Houston area was Quidam in 1997. Note: The shows I will write about are all "Big Top" shows, as that is the only type I have attended thus far. Following Quidam, Cirque returned to Houston in 2002 with Dralion. I don't recall how well either of these was advertised, but both of these shows eluded my notice and I didn't get a chance to see them. I do have these shows, and several others, on DVD though, and have at least watched them that way.
A little over a year later, Cirque brought Alegria to Houston. Alegria was my first experience attending a live Cirque show, and from the first act, I was hooked. I knew I would make it a point to attend any Cirque show in my area that I could. Alegria retired from the "Big Top" tour schedule and became an arena show for a time. Very recently, though, Cirque has revamped Alegria and returned it to the Big Top world. If it comes back to Houston, I'd love to see how it's been reimagined. You can find out more about the new Alegria here.
In 2007, we took a cruise over Halloween on the Carnival Conquest. On Halloween night, the ship held a costume party and some of the costumes were quite extraordinary. One, in particular, caught my eye, that of "Mr. Fleur." He is basically the emcee of Alegria, and naturally, I had to shout "Alegria!" when I saw this costume. The man seemed genuinely surprised that I recognized his costume for what it was, and I explained to him that Cindy and I were both huge Cirque fans. Why did I shout "Alegria" like I did? Click here to see a short YouTube clip of a live intro to Alegria and you'll find out.
"Mr. Fleur"
That photo does absolutely no justice to this man's costume. Even in 2007, many of the digital cameras didn't do that well in low light.
I don't have many photos from the first few shows I attended, but I do have a souvenir from each one. Some people collect shot glasses of places they've been or shows they've seen. Some collect refrigerator magnets or t-shirts. I collect coffee cups. I've written before about my love of a good cup of coffee, and these cups allow me to think fondly of the experience.
Alegria cup (front and back)
Alegria set the bar high, yet each show since then hasn't disappointed me. Each show has a specific theme, or storyline to make it unique. Another interesting aspect of the Big Top shows is the general seating arrangement. While each show has a unique set design, the physical layout of the stage is similar, with about 3/4 of it being visible at all times. There are no "bad" seats at a Cirque show, and the seats close to the stage are close enough to see the performers in detail.
Varekai was the next show I saw in 2005 and has remained one of my favorites. From the set design to the music to some thrilling acts, Varekai raised an already high bar even higher. I think one of the reasons it's been such a perennial favorite of mine is how I was introduced to the show. In 2002, Bravo TV aired a reality series called Cirque du Soleil: Fire Within about eight performers as they struggled to find their place in Cirque's world, learning their part in the new show. That new show, of course, was Varekai.
Fire Within followed the development of Varekai before the show even got its name. This inside view of Cirque's staff trying to cast the show, and the artistic directors shaping the acts with the performers reminded me of my days as a stage manager helping produce the next play at the Strand Theatre in Galveston (now called Island ETC). Have you ever done anything in community theatre from either the artistic or technical side? Fire Within will definitely strike a chord with you. Even if you haven't, try finding it on Netflix or Amazon. I have that series, and most of the Cirque shows, on DVD.
Believe it or not, knowing how the show would progress, and seeing samples of the acts didn't diminish my enjoyment of watching it live in the slightest. In fact, I think it enhanced my enjoyment, as I knew what to look for. An interesting bit of trivia here, that I learned from watching the "additional features" on the Varekai DVD: The original artist cast for Icarus, Anton Chelnokov, began his Cirque career with his parents as an act in a previous Cirque show called Saltimbanco when he was just five years old. He's the little guy in white in the video clip you can see here. And here is Anton in Varekai, again dressed in white, performing his net act.
Between Varekai and Corteo, I met my now wife Cindy, and from Corteo on she has been my constant companion for each show. Cindy's first experience with Cirque was one of their resident shows in Orlando, Florida called La Nouba.
Corteo arrived in 2007, and we attended the show in late April. Starting with Corteo, Cirque's Grand Chapiteau camps out at the Sam Houston Race Park for the duration of its run in Houston. Previous to that, Cirque held their shows near the GRB in Houston and Reliant Park. As with most Big Top shows, Corteo has since converted to a traveling show in the arena format. Check out the newer version here.
I'm glad I signed up with "Cirque Club," as doing so will give you access to pre-sale tickets. Yes, it's free to sign up, so why not? Tickets go fast once they are released, and the best seats are taken quickly. Our first experience with the pre-sale advantage was with Corteo, and I'm glad we took the opportunity to select some fantastic seats.
There was a four-year gap between Corteo and OvO, the next show to grace our location. Generally, Cirque visits Houston every other year, but as you've probably noticed, that's not always the case. Both Cindy and I were soooo ready for another Cirque show by the time OvO came around! I wonder if Hurricane Ike in 2008 had anything to do with such a large gap.
We attended OvO in March of 2011, just before Cindy's birthday. We made a whole night of it, having dinner before the show and booking a nearby hotel for the evening. This worked so well for us that from then on, we've always made an evening of Cirque. We'll pick a Saturday night show, have dinner close by and make our way to the Grand Chapiteau. After the show, we'll head to a nearby hotel and avoid the long drive back home. Breakfast the next morning will complete our "Cirque weekend."
Varekai was the next show I saw in 2005 and has remained one of my favorites. From the set design to the music to some thrilling acts, Varekai raised an already high bar even higher. I think one of the reasons it's been such a perennial favorite of mine is how I was introduced to the show. In 2002, Bravo TV aired a reality series called Cirque du Soleil: Fire Within about eight performers as they struggled to find their place in Cirque's world, learning their part in the new show. That new show, of course, was Varekai.
Fire Within followed the development of Varekai before the show even got its name. This inside view of Cirque's staff trying to cast the show, and the artistic directors shaping the acts with the performers reminded me of my days as a stage manager helping produce the next play at the Strand Theatre in Galveston (now called Island ETC). Have you ever done anything in community theatre from either the artistic or technical side? Fire Within will definitely strike a chord with you. Even if you haven't, try finding it on Netflix or Amazon. I have that series, and most of the Cirque shows, on DVD.
Believe it or not, knowing how the show would progress, and seeing samples of the acts didn't diminish my enjoyment of watching it live in the slightest. In fact, I think it enhanced my enjoyment, as I knew what to look for. An interesting bit of trivia here, that I learned from watching the "additional features" on the Varekai DVD: The original artist cast for Icarus, Anton Chelnokov, began his Cirque career with his parents as an act in a previous Cirque show called Saltimbanco when he was just five years old. He's the little guy in white in the video clip you can see here. And here is Anton in Varekai, again dressed in white, performing his net act.
Varekai cup (front and back)
Between Varekai and Corteo, I met my now wife Cindy, and from Corteo on she has been my constant companion for each show. Cindy's first experience with Cirque was one of their resident shows in Orlando, Florida called La Nouba.
Corteo arrived in 2007, and we attended the show in late April. Starting with Corteo, Cirque's Grand Chapiteau camps out at the Sam Houston Race Park for the duration of its run in Houston. Previous to that, Cirque held their shows near the GRB in Houston and Reliant Park. As with most Big Top shows, Corteo has since converted to a traveling show in the arena format. Check out the newer version here.
Corteo cup (front and back)
I'm glad I signed up with "Cirque Club," as doing so will give you access to pre-sale tickets. Yes, it's free to sign up, so why not? Tickets go fast once they are released, and the best seats are taken quickly. Our first experience with the pre-sale advantage was with Corteo, and I'm glad we took the opportunity to select some fantastic seats.
There was a four-year gap between Corteo and OvO, the next show to grace our location. Generally, Cirque visits Houston every other year, but as you've probably noticed, that's not always the case. Both Cindy and I were soooo ready for another Cirque show by the time OvO came around! I wonder if Hurricane Ike in 2008 had anything to do with such a large gap.
We attended OvO in March of 2011, just before Cindy's birthday. We made a whole night of it, having dinner before the show and booking a nearby hotel for the evening. This worked so well for us that from then on, we've always made an evening of Cirque. We'll pick a Saturday night show, have dinner close by and make our way to the Grand Chapiteau. After the show, we'll head to a nearby hotel and avoid the long drive back home. Breakfast the next morning will complete our "Cirque weekend."
OvO's Grand Chapiteau
Cindy and me before the show
By sheer accident, I discovered another, unique view of OvO's setup. While perusing Google Earth one day, not too long after OvO left Houston, I found the image below. I took a screenshot of it and I'm glad I did.
Google Earth image of OvO
At the bottom of the image are the entrance tents. The large circular tent in the middle is the stage, and the cluster of three at the top is the backstage area for the artists. The dirt track at the right of the image is the horse racing track.
Given such a long gap between Corteo and OvO, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Kooza would be playing in Houston the following year. Oh, yes, yes yes! Maybe Cirque was trying to make up for such a long gap between the last two? Who knows, and really who cares? The important thing here is that we got to see another Cirque show so soon after OvO.
We watched Kooza in early August of 2012, making a fun evening of it, as usual. I was glad to see the return of a particular act called "the wheel of death." I've seen this before in other circus acts, and it's always interesting to watch the artists perform on such a device. Click here to watch a short clip from Cirque showing just how exciting this act is.
Hoping annual visits would be the new trend, we had to wait until early 2015 for the next show, Amaluna. Timing is everything, though, and for this show, we had tickets on a Saturday night, which happened to fall on Valentine's Day. I wanted to do this right, so I made Cindy some strawberry brownies and had a nice bottle of wine to complement them that would finish off the evening in style after the show once we got back to our hotel.
I made reservations at the Steamboat House, a short distance from the race park. Notice I didn't write short drive. While the actual distance from Steamboat House to the race park entrance is just over half a mile, traffic alone will make this short jaunt at least ten if not fifteen minutes. Dinner was fantastic, and ever since then, we've made reservations there before each show.
Steampunk at its best.
Cirque selfie!
Interesting creature...
And the other side
Ed??
Right this way
Ethereal set
Pre-show guitar music
Giant hummingbird?
Give him a hand, folks!
OvO cup (front and back)
Given such a long gap between Corteo and OvO, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Kooza would be playing in Houston the following year. Oh, yes, yes yes! Maybe Cirque was trying to make up for such a long gap between the last two? Who knows, and really who cares? The important thing here is that we got to see another Cirque show so soon after OvO.
We watched Kooza in early August of 2012, making a fun evening of it, as usual. I was glad to see the return of a particular act called "the wheel of death." I've seen this before in other circus acts, and it's always interesting to watch the artists perform on such a device. Click here to watch a short clip from Cirque showing just how exciting this act is.
Kooza cup (front and back)
Hoping annual visits would be the new trend, we had to wait until early 2015 for the next show, Amaluna. Timing is everything, though, and for this show, we had tickets on a Saturday night, which happened to fall on Valentine's Day. I wanted to do this right, so I made Cindy some strawberry brownies and had a nice bottle of wine to complement them that would finish off the evening in style after the show once we got back to our hotel.
I made reservations at the Steamboat House, a short distance from the race park. Notice I didn't write short drive. While the actual distance from Steamboat House to the race park entrance is just over half a mile, traffic alone will make this short jaunt at least ten if not fifteen minutes. Dinner was fantastic, and ever since then, we've made reservations there before each show.
Steamboat House
Amaluna introduced a new type of act I haven't seen before. A large clear water bowl sits on stage, and an artist performs a contortion act both in and out of the water. Check out some of the action here. This was easily my favorite act of Amaluna, and Cindy and I talked about it for a long time afterward.
Amaluna cup (front and back)
I mentioned before how each show has its own storyline. The best way I can describe Kurios is to call it "Steampunk Cirque." In fact, one of the songs in the show is called "Steampunk Telegram." The whole soundtrack, by the way, is one of my favorites of all the Cirque music I've heard. For the record, my favorite tune from Kurios is Bella Donna Twist. I love the high energy the song has, and it's perfect for the act it accompanies.
I've been hoping that Cirque would bring Kurios to Houston, and in 2017 they did. Prior to Kurios, I took limited photos, mainly outside of the Grand Chapiteau. Part of this was due to not having a good enough camera to take quality photos in low light conditions. Also, Cirque makes a point to say no flash photography or any video recording during the show. Fair enough. Before the show, though, it's perfectly OK to take photos, so starting with Kurios, I took many photos of the set. Yes, you'll still be stuck with photos of the coffee cups I purchased. Sorry.
I've been hoping that Cirque would bring Kurios to Houston, and in 2017 they did. Prior to Kurios, I took limited photos, mainly outside of the Grand Chapiteau. Part of this was due to not having a good enough camera to take quality photos in low light conditions. Also, Cirque makes a point to say no flash photography or any video recording during the show. Fair enough. Before the show, though, it's perfectly OK to take photos, so starting with Kurios, I took many photos of the set. Yes, you'll still be stuck with photos of the coffee cups I purchased. Sorry.
Almost there!
The set design for Kurios is another of my favorites and is simply brilliant in my humble opinion. Lighting design complemented the set and drew my attention exactly where it needed to be.
Welcome to Kurios.
Beautiful set!
Steampunk at its best.
Cirque selfie!
Interesting creature...
And the other side
Ed??
Now I don't know about you, but the character in the photo above reminds me a LOT of Ed Grimley. I made the name a hyperlink in case you don't know who I'm referring to. If you don't, you have my pity, I must say. Take a look at the photo below and see what I mean.
"Ed Grimley"
image from Google search
Kurios had several aerial acts that were stunning to watch. One set of characters had costumes that looked very much like nudibranchs (small, colorful gastropods). Even the way they moved in their act resembled the way a nudibranch moves.
Kurios cup (front and back)
This, along with Kooza, is more of a mug than a cup based on its size. All of the others are pretty much the standard coffee cup size, while Kooza and Kurios (koincidence?) are larger.
Which brings me to the most current show we've seen, Luzia, which we attended this past January. Of all the shows, Luzia by far had the best technical presentation. By this, I specifically refer to a "water wall" that is used throughout the show. This water wall produces images in an actual curtain of water by varying the release of water through many nozzles at the top. Similar to Amaluna, another act features an aerialist that splashes into a recessed pool of water.
Luzia's Grand Chapiteau
Right this way
Ethereal set
Pre-show guitar music
Giant hummingbird?
Give him a hand, folks!
I would be hard pressed to pick a single show to call my overall favorite, but Varekai and Luzia definitely rank in the top two. Having said that, though, all of these shows are wonderful in their own right.
Luzia cup
When we were looking at the souvenirs before the show, the only coffee cup I saw was the black cup, with the somewhat iridescent letters. Well, if that's the only cup available, I guess I'll take it. Depending on how the light hits the letters, they will show different colors.
My first time using this cup revealed a surprise. Yes, I washed it in hot water before using it, but I hand-wash all of our Cirque cups to protect them. Upon pouring hot coffee into my new cup, though, it revealed this:
Surprise!
I had no idea it was one of those heat-sensitive, color-changing cups like others we have. I did wonder at the time when I bought it if this would be the case, but there was no indication on the label.
What will the next Cirque show be that comes to Houston? And when? Based on some of the music I've sampled, and the theme, I hope Totem comes our way. Only time will tell, of course.
Both Cindy and I want to take in a couple of the resident shows in Las Vegas. Specifically, I'd love to see Ka and "O." I have the soundtrack for Ka and love the music. Being a huge Stephen King fan, how could I not want to see Ka, if only for the name. Ka was even featured on an episode of CSI (Season 7, Episode 142). "O" is a water-based show and from the few video clips I've seen, it looks fantastic. I read an article about the safety divers of "O" that play an integral part in keeping the artists safe (and supplying them with air while they are underwater).
Yes, I'm a diehard Cirque fan. I don't see that changing any time soon.
Have you been to any Cirque shows, either touring or resident? Tell me all about it in the comments section below.
Coming up next, I'll review one of my favorite board games. Which one? Well, you'll just have to read it to find out.
Until next time.....
carpe cerevisi
As another diehard Cirque fan, all I can say is Crystal! OMG, Cirque on skates!
ReplyDeleteI missed my chance to see Crystal when it was in our area. I really wanted to see it, too.
Delete