It’s only one night, but it might be the most ambitious production Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte has ever dreamed up. The special show will have 237 performers onstage. There will be 60 in the crew backstage to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Another 75 are on the creation team for everything from makeup to costumes.
There will be no previews. There will be no lion’s den for family and friends to identify flaws. From conceptual planning last August to the start of rehearsals in December, it will all come down to 90 minutes in “O” theater in the Bellagio with everything on the line. Most details will remain secret until the night itself.
Cirque’s worldwide team wants the March 22 event to be the biggest-ever splash for “One Night for One Drop.” The pun is intentional. It’s a benefit performance of a global philanthropy event to raise money and awareness for water issues worldwide. One Drop is the nonprofit created by Guy to reverse the world’s growing water crisis.
Las Vegas resident Krista Monson, who began her Cirque career in 2004 as the artistic coordinator of “O,” is directing “One Night One Drop.” A busy director, producer and collaborator, she has choreographed more than 40 musicals in her native Canada, L.A., Tokyo, Paris and now here. She was the choreographer for the opening and closing ceremonies of the World Championships in Athletics.
The project is a monumental undertaking for the married mom of two boys: “This is really important for Guy. It is a massive commitment. We have one night with one show to move people and help change the world. The cause is a really urgent one.” Cirque will close all seven of its resident shows in Las Vegas that evening, and Prince Albert of Monaco is the night’s event chairman.
Before another round of rehearsals began, I talked at length with her about the extraordinary endeavor. She told me: “One Drop has been around since 2007 and done well, has had a face all over the world on many continents. However, Guy wanted to really increase the ripple effect by having one centralized, concerted event that brought awareness and funds to the cause, but also was linked to its mission with artistic expression.
“It may be one time, but it brings those key elements together. It really allows Cirque du Soleil to do what we do best and to entertain people and to move people and to transport people, but to do it in a way with a certain resonance that’s really linked to this important message.”
Read the interview with Krist Monson here!
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun }
