The theater at Aria is undergoing a transformation. In less than a month it will be home to Cirque du Soleil’s “Zarkana.” From February 2010 through August 2012, the theater was home to Cirque’s “Viva Elvis.” Rehearsals for “Zarkana” don’t start until about the second week of October, but until then there’s plenty of action taking place in the theater. Cirque du Soleil gave media outlets a sneak peek at the show’s progress at a press event this past week. Some highlights from Caroline Fontein’s article for Vegas.com:
The show’s production manager Robert Lemoine explained that there are several new parameters being implemented into the show in Vegas. One of the primary changes with the show at Aria is the high-wire rigging. Since Aria’s theater doesn’t have the same orchestra pit that was designed for the show at Radio City, the production team developed a different rig system that they’re premiering at Aria.
“It’s one of the biggest trapeze rigs in the world that we’re putting in here,” said Lemoine.
Because of Aria’s modest theater size, compared to Radio City’s almost 6,000-seat showroom, guests who see Zarkana in Vegas will be even more immersed in the fantastical world of Cirque du Soleil that at other venues.
“It’s the most intimate of all venues we’ve been in, and it’s the biggest version that we’re playing here in Vegas. So I think with the mix of both, I’m very eager to see this come to life and to have people at this proximity, in this theater, get the show,” said Lemoine.
The Vegas version of “Zarkana” also includes some changes to the show’s original music and multimedia elements. Some of the most outstanding special effects in this show are its use of projected images and LED screens. The staging features multiple layers of these effects to create what at first looks like a deteriorated, abandoned theater that slowly comes back to life as the show progresses.
The production manager also alerted media to the load-in time line, which is as follows:
Lemoine explained the show’s timeline until its first preview performance on Nov. 1:
Week of Oct. 7: Zarkana’s physical structure is in place. Lemoine and his team meet with the designers to program most of the images, lights, sound, multimedia and make sure that all of the props and scenic elements are in place and that the automation is running properly.
Week of Oct. 14: The artists get on stage, test out and get acclimated to each of their systems at the new theater. From the trapeze artists to the performers on the wheel of death, they all make sure that their systems and their acts and environments are comfortable and operating properly.
Week of Oct. 21: The performers start staging and rehearsal with the director up until dress rehearsal on Oct. 31.
Check out the original article here.
{ SOURCE: Vegas.com }
