======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ '/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ '/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) T h e U n o f f i c i a l C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r ------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.CirqueFascination.com ------------------------------------------------------------ ======================================================================= VOLUME 25, NUMBER 1 January/February/March ISSUE #229 ======================================================================= Greetings! Since we've last spoken, Cirque du Soleil has gone through a number of startling and interesting internal changes. * * * TROUBLE IN PARADISE? * * * On February 28th, a headline from the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Cirque du Soleil executive Mike Newquist abruptly departed his role. A little more than two weeks prior, Cirque du Soleil exec Mike Newquist said, “I think the overall future of Cirque is so bright.” On Friday the 28th, he left the company. Newquist had taken his position on Feb. 6, during a series of company cutbacks under the ONECirque initiative, in which more than 100 positions were cut and other positions consolidated. Cirque’s chief revenue officer’s departure was confirmed by company officials in Montreal, who stated Newquist’s departure was not related to the company’s recent downsizing. Other than stating Newquist has left to pursue other opportunities, no specifics were provided. “Mr. Newquist is departing from the company to pursue new ventures,” the company reps said. “This leadership transition is not related to the recent restructuring, aimed at simplifying the structure, maximizing efficiency, streamlining decision-making and driving long- term growth. We are confident that we have established not only the right structure but also a strong team that will continue to build on the success of our 6 Las Vegas resident shows, which have captivated audiences for over 30 years.” Newquist had previously worked at Cirque for two years before taking a position with the Raiders in August 2023, returning to Cirque in January 2024. The search for Newquist’s replacement “will begin shortly,” the company states. In the interim, veteran Cirque exec Daniel Lamarre, executive vice president of the Board of Directors, will oversee the company’s revenue sector. Then on March 12th, a post by Vital Vegas suggested that Cirque du Soleil might be preparing for a sale or another bankruptcy filing. "So many key executives shown the door to boost the bottom line (common when companies are being shopped)," they stated. Mr. Newquist was on their list, as well as two others not previously mentioned: Amanda Moore-Saundres; Global Head of Marketing and Growth for Cirque du Soleil Resident Shows Division, and Ann Paladie; Director of Communications, after 23 years with Cirque du Soleil. Then on April 1st, another internal memo was obtained by the press that laid out a change in the company's leadership: out was Stéphane Lefebvre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil and in was Daniel Lamarre. Within we have transcripts of two of the most recent internal memos the press was able to obtain with regards to these internal machinations at the company. The first, from February 6th, entitled "ONE CIRQUE, ONE TEAM", discusses the company's new operating strategy: the elimination of show divisions to bring everyone together as one team. The second, from April 1st, announces the unexpected change in the company's leadership and re-introduces Daniel Lamarre. You'll find those in our FEATURES section this month. * * * ICYMI: LUZIA LIVE MUSIC ALBUM RELEASED! * * * In case you missed it... on March 15th, Cirque du Soleil released their next musical album in collaboration with BMG: LUZIA LIVE! It is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and various other music streaming platforms. 01: "Corre" .................... (1:44) 02: "Así es la vida" ........... (5:54) 03: "Tiembla la tierra" ........ (5:27) 04: "Flores en el desierto" .... (7:09) 05: "Pez volador" .............. (5:49) 06: "Cierra los ojos" .......... (4:35) 07: "Los mosquitos" ............ (5:59) 08: "La Lucha" ................. (1:30) 09: "Tlaloc" ................... (5:49) 10: "Marimba no 7" ............. (5:43) 11: "Alebrijes" ................ (6:41) 12: "El swing del amor" ........ (7:22) 13: "Fiesta finale" ............ (3:14) Running 1 hour, 7 minutes, this recording actually had been on the shelf for a while - recorded in Mexcio City back in 2018! * * * CIRQUE LAUNCHES NEW "FAST" CHANNEL * * * On April 2nd, Cirque du Soleil excitedly announced the launch of its new Free Ad-supported Streaming Television (FAST) channel, now available at no cost through Amazon Prime Video. This creative content, produced at the newly established Cirque du Soleil STUDIO, is also available on Anoki, DistroTV and Plex. With just a click on their smart TV, mobile or computer, fans can now enjoy a wide array of Cirque du Soleil’s breathtaking acrobatic performances, innovative acts, and stunning visuals, including long- form documentaries, curated compilations, best-of highlights, and short-form unscripted content. This product creates a new revenue stream for the company, serving its existing fanbase and drawing new fans to the brand. “We are thrilled to introduce the FAST channel as an exciting new addition to our offering. This innovative product allows us to expand our reach, connect with new audiences, and integrate seamlessly into their day-to-day lives. By offering high-quality content through a free, ad-supported streaming experience, we are committed to delivering high value to viewers while solidifying our place in the evolving media landscape”, says Susan Levison, General Manager at Cirque du Soleil STUDIO. “Cirque du Soleil has always been about creating awe-inspiring moments that transport audiences into a world of imagination and wonder. With the launch of our FAST channel, we are extending that magic beyond our live shows, bringing the Cirque experience directly into people's homes. This is a natural evolution of our customer journey—one that now spans from our spectacular in-person performances to year-round digital touchpoints, including music, AR & VR experiences, AVOD content on social media, PPV, and more. FAST is an integral part of our vision to reach as many fans as possible around the world while delivering meaningful value to our partners and sponsors. It’s not just about watching Cirque du Soleil—it’s about feeling inspired, anytime, anywhere.” adds Anne Belliveau, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. The company is actively engaging in discussions with additional partners to expand the availability of its content across other platforms, bringing the magic of Cirque du Soleil to audiences worldwide. * * * CIRQUE ANNOUNCES "IL-LU" FOR ANODRRA * * * "No one leaves the Palace of Illusions unchanged" Accompanied by his 4 grandchildren, a colourful and endearing papi visits this great Palace of Illusions, which he has been longing to see for years. As they move through the rooms, each as surprising as the last, we discover that papi knows everyone and reveals a mysterious past unknown to his young grandchildren. The journey through this palace is both poetic and out of the ordinary, allowing them to discover themselves from an unexpected angle. It's a funny and touching adventure that illustrates how generations that are far apart are not so different from each other. “For our 11th year, we’re bringing IL·LU to Andorra—a bold, colorful world inspired by the playful chaos of a Fun House. Follow Papi and his twins into the House of Illusions and discover the unexpected.” – Marie-Hélène Delage, Creative Director, Events & Experiences IL·LU performances will take place from July 4th to August 3rd 2025, from Tuesday to Sunday. The show, which will start at 10 pm, will last 60 minutes and will be preceded by an animation. * * * But, of course, that's not all. Since we last spoke 'AUANA, Cirque du Soleil's recent resident show in Hawai'i has made its debut and so within we have a small collection of articles related to that event – a couple of interviews, a review or two - just a few odds and ends that might help you get an idea of the show. And more. So, let’s get into it! /----------------------------------------------------\ | | | Join us on the web at: | | < www.cirquefascination.com > | | | | Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): | | < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > | | | \----------------------------------------------------/ - Ricky "Richasi" Russo =========== CONTENTS =========== o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings * La Presse -- General News & Highlights o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau * Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre o) Fascination! Features * "The Latest Cirque du Soleil Memos" A Special Collection of Internal Memos from CDSEG * “Hawaii’s first CDS resident production opens in Waikiki" A Special Collection of Articles about 'AUANA o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= *************************************************************** LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights *************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------- ‘KÀ’ heads toward 20th Vegas anniversary with new twists {Nov.18.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- It’s been nearly two decades since Cirque du Soleil premiered its third Las Vegas production, KÀ. The fantasy epic cemented the company’s legacy as a Strip entertainment institution and paved the way for subsequent shows such as The Beatles LOVE and Michael Jackson ONE with its bar-raising stage production. KÀ has undergone some post- pandemic revision as of late and approaching a watershed moment that will draw focus to the heroes’ journey narrative throughout 2025. “It’s so exciting that in February we’re going to be celebrating 20 years,” says KÀ senior artistic director Kati Renaud. “When we get to these landmark anniversary years for our shows there’s a part of us that’s like ‘Oh my God. That’s incredible.’ And there’s another part that’s like ‘Yeah, let’s celebrate that, because it’s rare nowadays that shows last that long.’” If Vegas Cirque shows were elements, Mystère would be earth, as it laid the groundwork for what was to come. The title for “O” originates with the French word for water (“eau”) and Michael Jackson ONE represents air on several levels. KÀ is spirit energy symbolized by fire, the driving force that compels the twin sibling protagonists at the heart of the narrative to overcome obstacles and restore harmony to their empire. The overall impression of traditional Asian theatrics and martial arts, technological innovations, battle-scene choreography and macro- puppetry distinguishes KÀ from its sister productions, all of which get their turns in the anniversary spotlight. Renaud has a word for the revision process for the shows. “We invest in them in order for them to have a longer life, and that’s exactly what we did with KÀ when we came back from the pandemic,” she says. “What are we going to do to zhuzh it up? To make an upgrade, to make some enhancements? Which is something we do to our shows.” For Renaud, that enhancement or upgrade is infused with joie de vivre (or enduring living-in-the-moment) spirit. For KÀ, that meant new music and the first-ever female performer in the pivotal role of The Counselor, revisions that were first presented to director Robert Lepage for his blessing. The high-tech nature of KÀ’s stage design requires a different approach than that of other Vegas productions. “With KÀ, first and foremost, always, we start technically,” says Arnaud. “Technically, can we do this? Artistically and creatively with the battlefield, I’d love to see if we can do x, y, z. But the first box that needs to be checked is technical.” Once those boxes are checked, possibilities can be explored. The adrenalizing excitement of the battlefield scenes, with its archers and swordsman, remain in place but have taken on contemporaneous contexts. The gravity-defying action sequences that were part of the original concept may now look like they are drones-eye views of a mixed-martial arts clash. “It kind of plays around with the lens you see it through,” says Renaud. { SOURCE: Las Vegas Magazine } ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque’s L’eau de Parfum Brings Big Top Magic To Life {Nov.18.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- Growing up, I absolutely loved the circus. It was something my dad and I did together—whether it was the Universoul Circus, Ringling Bros., or any big top that rolled into town, we were there. It was a shared adventure we both loved. Now that he’s gone, I didn’t think anything could take me back to those moments. But then I discovered L’eau de Parfum by Cirque du Soleil. And somehow, this fragrance did just that. As corny as it may sound, the instant I sprayed it, I was transported— back to those days, spending quality time with my dad, the smell of caramelized treats (funnel cake and fried oreos were my favorite, by the way) wafting through the air and to the innocence of that girl who had a big life ahead of her — in a way I never thought possible. Needless to say, this scent doesn’t just smell good—it captures a feeling. But enough about me, let’s dive into the fragrance. At first spritz, L’eau de Parfum greets you with a burst of playful sweetness. The top notes—cotton candy, bergamot, and red apple—set the tone with a bright, airy charm that immediately makes you smile. It’s light and whimsical, making it perfect for just about every season. But the real magic happens in the heart of the fragrance, when the unexpected popcorn and butter notes appear alongside the freesia and iris petals. It’s warm and savory-sweet, just buttery enough to evoke nostalgia without feeling heavy. It’s not the sticky carnival popcorn you might expect — instead, it’s elevated, refined, like a gourmet version that’s all grown-up. As the scent unfolds, it becomes richer and more grounded. Creamy sandalwood sweeps in, wrapping everything in a subtle earthiness that balances the playful gourmand notes. Then comes the caramel and caramelized amber — the sweetness is smooth and elegant, never overpowering, and the warmth stays with you for hours. Why I love it: This fragrance took me by surprise. I’ll admit, when I first heard Cirque du Soleil had created a perfume, I was skeptical. How do you translate something like the circus into a fragrance? But somehow, they pulled it off. The popcorn note is genius—it’s such a subtle yet powerful reminder of the circus experience, and it plays so beautifully with the florals and amber. And the more I wore it, the more I fell in love with its layers. It’s rare for a scent to feel this creative, and we’ve got to get back to it. I mean, popcorn — in a fragrance?! Simply unheard of. That, in combination with florals, sandalwood, and amber sounds chaotic on paper, but on the skin, it’s perfect really. It’s nothing like the typical perfumes you find by your favorite designer fragrance house. It evokes memories without being literal and feels nostalgic without ever leaning too heavily into sweetness. And the way it wears? Stunning. And it lasts. By the end of the day, the amber and sandalwood remain, soft and subtle. It’s a scent that stays with you—not just physically, but emotionally. Perfect pairings: I’ve been experimenting with layering L’eau de Parfum, and the results have been incredible. On its own, it’s dynamic and complex, but paired with certain other scents, it transforms in the most delightful ways. For daytime, I’ve fallen in love with combining it with Kayali’s Yum Bougie Marshmallow. Its marshmallowy sweetness and creamy undertones play beautifully with the buttery popcorn and cotton candy notes in L’eau de Parfum, creating a soft, edible quality that’s sweet without being overwhelming. When I want to amplify the gourmand richness of L’eau de Parfum, I reach for Phlur’s Caramel Skin. The name says it all—it’s a smooth, cozy caramel scent that perfectly complements the fragrance’s caramel and amber base, adding a decadent layer of indulgence. And for evening? It’s all about drama. My go-to pairing is Maison Margiela’s By the Fireplace. The smoky, roasted chestnut notes highlight the buttery popcorn and caramel in L’eau de Parfum, creating a warm, fireside vibe that feels luxurious and comforting. It’s the perfect combination for a night out—or a quiet evening in when you want to feel a little extra special. Wearing L’eau de Parfum feels like carrying a piece of my childhood with me, but in a way that’s entirely grown-up. It’s bold, unforgettable, and unapologetically unique—just like the circus memories it evokes. Would my dad have loved it? Probably not—he wasn’t much of a scent guy. But I like to think he’d understand why I do. { SOURCE: Essence } ---------------------------------------------------------- How Cirque du Soleil Is Crafting the ‘Dreamlike’ Music Behind New Aquatic Spectacle In Nuevo Vallarta {Dec.09.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- As we watched acrobats twirl and twist across the air, committing to gravity-defying feats amidst the backdrop of elaborate sets — a full- sized pirate ship, two story-tall books opening their pages — all I can think back to is the pre-show of this performance of Cirque du Soleil‘s JOYÁ: three seasoned musicians, humbly spotlit on the stage, simply performing the son cubano classic, “Chan-Chan”. One of the most underrated aspects of Cirque du Soleil performances are the soundtracks, unless of course, you’re attending one of their more popular jukebox musical-style residencies (Love, Viva Elvis, and Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, specifically). It’s easy to understand why — I was captivated at first sight by the lush Mayan jungle environment of VidantaWorld Riviera Maya’s theater, where JOYÁ enjoys its residency. Ambient bird calls play over the speakers, blue jellyfish-shaped lights hung from the ceiling, while vines twist and encroach on an old professor’s expansive study on stage. But as the official show started after dinner, it would be hard not to note the musicians who become almost part of the story’s set themselves, stepping in the background, yet visible at all times. Shows like JOYÁ are a shot of pure, concentrated energy, and worthy traveling miles to witness — the live music is a part of that. From original compositions, to “world” beats (a nebulous genre, yet given CdS’s international presence and influence, feels like an apt descriptor), the conception of the score is almost as important as crafting the narrative of the show itself, according to Executive Vice Chairman and former Cirque du Soleil CEO, Daniel Lamarre. “It’s very important, and I would say that it’s one of the elements that make our shows unique. We think of the music almost like a movie, but even more so, because the performers are part of the cast of characters, playing live.” This brings new creative challenges when producing a fresh concept — continuing a decade-long partnership with Grupo Vidanta, their latest show LUDÕ is set to premiere next year solely at VidantaWorld’s BON in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico (which will also house the world’s first luxury theme park, opening in 2026). LUDÕ (from the Latin word for “I play”) is more than just a show — it’s an ambitious fusion of live music, acrobatics, and gourmet dinner theater. Set in a cutting-edge, 696- seat custom theater, we’re told that “water flows through every aspect of the story”, similar to their long-running show O in Las Vegas. However this aquatic-themed theater will feature a wrap-around aquarium, with advanced acoustics that were made to compliment the “dreamlike” score and fill the unique space. “The score was written with the idea in mind to envelop the performers, as if you, yourself, were underwater,” explains Lamarre. “The only element that we had to be careful about when it came to the music was how it complimented the human performing acts. It was very important that we built some good, basic energy, because there are some comedic acts. The pacing is something that is very important, and we accentuate pacing here because the music is there to sustain the narrative.” The process of choreographing the show was also different due to the nature of the circular, aquarium-esque element of the show. “It took some guts [Laughs]. Just as an example, we’ve seen a lot of aquariums, right? And they’re all flat, right? So here, we will have a glass wall that is surrounding the theater, so just the technology to make sure that would work and that the water won’t leak was a challenge.” However, he says their experience with producing the water elements in O did make a difference. “If you go below the stage basin [at O in Las Vegas], you can see what’s happening in the pool. It’s a show in and of itself. But we always said to each other, maybe one day we should do something that the public can appreciate. And it’s different skills you have to look for in performers, but it’s worth it.” While that doesn’t mean we expect to see, say, a violin quartet playing underwater (or will we? Specific show details are being kept heavily under wraps), Lamarre does make it clear that similar to other former Cirque du Soleil productions, live music will be another integral part of LUDÕ. “We are probably one of the largest companies in term of hiring musicians, because all of our musical performances are live. You know, a lot of circus shows play with a [soundtrack] tape, and we’ve never done that. We didn’t want to anyways, because we like the idea that the musicians are part of the show. You can feel their energy, and they become part of the room. In our new show, we integrate our musicians in a unique way because, again, that’s something unique to Cirque.” Opening in Nov. 2025, LUDÕ will officially kick off with over 300 planned shows per year, and the only way you’ll be able to see it is at VidantaWorld’s Nuevo Vallarta resort. Whether you’re a Cirque enthusiast, or just see it as an added entertainment bonus to staying at one of the best luxury travel destinations in Mexico, it’s definitely set to become a must-see attraction. VidantaWorld is even offering exclusive vacation packages early next year for LUDÕ so guests can get a closer look into the artistry and technical innovations behind the scenes (package info will become available in early 2025, with priority access for VidantaWorld newsletter subscribers starting in February). Pre-sale sign-ups for dinner show tickets are now live on cirquedusoleil.com/ludo — so be sure to snag those seats before your next trip. { SOURCE: Rolling Stone Magazine } ---------------------------------------------------------- Michael Jackson ONE Enhances Production {Dec.10.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- Michael Jackson ONE™ at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino continues to push boundaries with its groundbreaking production by introducing advanced technological elements, alongside the addition of new acts and fresh costumes. Fans from around the world will be enveloped in a reimagined version of the iconic production that further melds modern technology and the legacy of Michael Jackson to create a truly one-of- a-kind production. The state-of-the-art theater comes to life further with brand-new high-tech drones and digital panels, ensuring guests are completely immersed in a sensory journey that brings every moment to life around them. Audiences can expect newly designed costumes, some new choreography and an innovative new act making this electric production an even more must-see show. Set to a soundtrack full of the King of Pop’s greatest hits including “Billie Jean”, “Thriller,” “Beat It” and “Smooth Criminal,” Michael Jackson ONE™ will now spotlight an additional fan-favorite song. Mike Newquist, President of the Resident & Affiliate Shows Divisions at Cirque du Soleil, emphasized the importance of continuous innovation, “These new upgrades allow us to expand upon our storytelling. We’re always seeking ways to keep the show fresh and exciting for our audiences, making sure each performance leaves a lasting, profound impression.” Performing more than 4,500 shows to more than 5.5 million guests since opening, the ever-evolving production continues to weave together cutting-edge technology with the artistry of live performers, introducing new elements that seamlessly blend together. Michael Jackson ONE performs Thursday – Monday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and has recently extended its contract at Mandalay Bay through 2030. * * * Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil has been undergoing highly anticipated show enhancements all summer long, upgrading a number of technologically advanced elements. Take a peek at what it takes to make these enhancements come to life. 1 NEW SONG — “Another Part of Me” has been integrated in the show and features all new choreography, developed in partnership with Jamie King and MJ ONE artists as contributing choreographers. 2 NEW ACTS — The Diabolo act, performed to “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” as well as all new choreography to “Another Part Of Me” have been added to the production. 6 NEW ARTISTS — The Diabolo artists introduce an exhilarating new discipline to the show, showcasing a unique apparatus that’s part yo- yo, part juggling tool—comprised of discs spinning on an axle, controlled by a string tethered to two sticks. Mastery of the diabolo demands precise skill and high-speed coordination, as performers effortlessly manipulate the spinning discs in a dazzling display of agility and control. 7 MEMBERS OF THE SHOW’S ORIGINAL CREATIVE TEAM — The Michael Jackson Estate and the show’s original designers were all involved with the planning and execution of the elements integrated into the show. The overall goal was to maintain the original vision and spirit of the production while adding the most state-of-the-art elements to the theater. 9 LED PANELS — Immersive is an understatement. Suspended above the audience, nine LED panels will hang from the theater’s ceiling, enveloping every seat in a breathtaking visual spectacle. As Michael’s music fills the space, the projections will pulse and flow in perfect harmony, creating a fully engaging, multi-sensory journey that elevates the Vegas theatrical experience to an entirely new level. 18 NEW WINCHES — All the new panels require additional rigging points. Each panel is securely mounted with two winches, allowing it to adjust and pivot vertically in coordination with the projections, enhancing the overall visual presentation. 22 NEW PROJECTIONS — As the ultimate audio and visual spectacle, Michael Jackson ONE is taking the show to the next level with even more projections. 64 DRONES — Each drone, weighing just slightly more than a slice of bread, is individually programmed to create a stunning aerial display that complements the onstage performance. Offering a novel experience for Michael Jackson ONE fans, this production is the only one in the world where drones fly over the audience in a theater, adding a unique visual spectacle to the show. 70 HOURS OF MAKEUP COACHING — Fresh & vibrant new makeup looks were crafted specifically for each of the Diabolo artists, tailored to match their facial structure. All the artists apply their makeup look each night based on which act(s) they’re performing in that night. 98 NEW LIGHTING FIXTURES — Dynamic new lighting accompanies the cutting-edge projections displayed throughout the performance. 306 NEW COSTUME PIECES — World-renowned costume designer Zaldy Goco, the creative mastermind and original designer behind the most iconic outfits in Michael Jackson ONE, returned to craft new costumes and re- imagine existing ones, bringing fresh life to his visionary designs. { SOURCE: EIN Presswire } ---------------------------------------------------------- If Cirque du Soleil was a Whiskey {Dec.13.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- The Macallan Harmony Collection Guardian Oak isn’t just a whisky—it’s what you might call “an experience.” You know the kind: it’s not just a bottle on the shelf, but a story, a performance, and maybe even a ticket to an event you didn’t know you’d signed up for. This time, it’s literal. They’ve partnered with Cirque du Soleil—you heard that right, the circus troupe known for jaw-dropping acrobatics—to launch their newest release as though it’s the grand finale of some kind of eco-theatrical masterpiece. It’s creative, sure, maybe a bit much, but hey, at least you’ve got a good story to share before you’ve even poured a glass. The Guardian Oak is the fourth instalment in Macallan’s Harmony Collection, a series focused on the brand’s love for nature and sustainability. Translation: they’ve found a way to make oak chippings—a byproduct from crafting casks—part of the packaging. The whisky itself is wrapped in a narrative about reconnecting with the environment. If you’re into single malts with a side of life lessons, this one’s right up your alley. If not? Well, at least the dram itself is worth it. There’s just one catch—you’ll need to hunt it down. The Guardian Oak is a travel-exclusive release, hitting duty-free shops and select Macallan boutiques in January 2025. Think of it as a whisky-themed scavenger hunt. Instead of a treasure map, you’ve got airport itineraries and the lingering aroma of overpriced perfume. Glamorous, right? Let’s talk about the whisky itself, though. For all the storytelling, The Macallan hasn’t lost sight of what really matters: crafting a stellar single malt. The Guardian Oak is aged in a mix of first-fill sherry-seasoned European oak casks and handpicked refill sherry casks. It’s classic Macallan—no circus tricks with barrels or experimental aging here. Expect the usual sherry-cask magic: dried fruits like figs and raisins, a touch of orange zest, warm spices, and maybe a hint of dark chocolate hiding in the background. The finish? Long and satisfying—longer, even, than one of Cirque du Soleil’s more dramatic contortion routines. But let’s not pretend they’re subtle about this release. The whole thing is wrapped in a story tied to “Spirit,” a Cirque du Soleil experience blending The Macallan’s roots with Scottish culture and the Highlands. Enter characters like Ayla (representing the Vibrant Oak edition) and Davonna (tied to Guardian Oak). Ayla is chasing the perfect shade of red—a nod to Macallan’s history. Their founder, Alexander Reid, had a name meaning “the red one” in Scots, and in 1903, owner Roderick Kemp marked their shipping crates with red ink. Red became Macallan’s quiet signature, and here it resurfaces as part of Ayla’s journey to reconnect with nature. Then there’s Davonna, the spiritual “guardian” of the Highlands. Her story ties into the oak trees, the land, and The Macallan’s heritage. Throw in a fox named Fergus, a peacock, some salmon, and a few mystical twists, and you’ve got a whisky campaign that feels more like a travelling play. But that’s the point. With Cirque du Soleil involved, the goal is to highlight creativity, nature, and the brand’s deep connection to the Highlands. Of course, not everyone needs this level of theatrics with their whisky. If you’re more of the “just pour it” type, all this talk of mystical guardians and poetic symbolism might feel like overkill. But here’s the thing: the whisky itself doesn’t rely on the show. The oak, the casks, and the land are what matter. The packaging, made from those oak chippings, is a nice touch—bringing the whole story full circle. And while the narrative might lean earnest (trees and thistles and foxes, oh my!), it’s rooted in something real: the materials and traditions that make Macallan what it is. Sure, the Cirque du Soleil connection might seem random at first glance. But if their role is to spark imagination and make people pause to consider the story behind their dram, maybe it’s not so out of place. Plus, let’s be honest—the idea of an acrobat swinging through a warehouse to top off a cask is a fun mental image. (No, that doesn’t happen. But wouldn’t it be something?) When you finally snag a bottle—likely after convincing your travel buddies to linger in duty-free just a bit longer—you’ll pour a dram that’s equal parts story and spirit. Give it a swirl, take in the aroma, and maybe even try to imagine the forests of Spain, where those oak casks began their journey. Or just enjoy the whisky for what it is: a beautifully crafted single malt with layers of flavour. You don’t need to recite poetry or go full Cirque du Soleil to appreciate it. At the end of the day, The Macallan Harmony Collection Guardian Oak is about more than what’s in the glass. It’s a nod to the trees, the land, and the traditions that shaped it. If it takes a bit of theatre and storytelling to get that message across, so be it. You still get a fantastic whisky—and maybe a good tale to share as you pour a glass for friends. And honestly? In a world where whisky often feels like just another product, a bit of imagination and effort doesn’t hurt. { SOURCE: M2 } ---------------------------------------------------------- Enhanced Michael Jackson ONE Immerses Fans in the King of Pop’s Unmatched Brilliance {Jan.01.2025} ---------------------------------------------------------- “Michael Jackson ONE,” Cirque du Soleil’s dazzling tribute to the King of Pop, has entered a new era with groundbreaking technological enhancements, refreshed performances, and a renewed run through 2030. Premiering the updates at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, the 90- minute spectacle continues to honor Jackson’s legacy with cutting-edge visuals, new choreography, mesmerizing drone displays, and newly designed costumes. The latest unveiling drew notable attendees, including Jackson’s son, Prince, and estate co-executor John Branca. The most recent updates ensure that “Michael Jackson ONE” will remain a must-see for longtime admirers and new fans. And, beginning at 7:30 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Dec. 24, the Black Press of America’s Let It Be Known News will air a presentation about the King of Pop, his genius and lasting legacy. The broadcast will feature Branca, hip-hop legend Chuck D, and more. Branca, who shared a close friendship with the late pop icon, recounted Jackson’s love for Cirque du Soleil in an exclusive conversation with Let It Be Known News during a VIP meet-and-greet. “His security didn’t want to go to San Francisco, where Michael wanted to see a Cirque show, so he asked me to drive him,” Branca said. “I was nervous, but we went, and he loved it. He was just as excited to meet the cast as they were to meet him.” THE STORY AND CHARACTERS ------------------------ As noted in the production notes, the narrative centers on a character named Mephisto, a sinister media mash-up machine representing the relentless paparazzi and tabloid exploitation. Mephisto’s elite force, the Smooth Criminals, clashes with Michael’s dance corps, the MJ Warriors, who embody Jackson’s artistic strength and resilience. The four misfit characters—Clumsy, Shy, Smarty Pants, and Sneaky—guide the audience through a journey where they are led by Michael, whose presence is felt throughout the show via video, narration, and symbolic elements conveying hope, comfort, dreams, and belief. NEW ENHANCEMENTS AND CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY -------------------------------------------- The state-of-the-art theater now features advanced high-tech drones and immersive digital panels, providing audiences with an unforgettable sensory experience. The innovations bring every moment to life, enhancing the production’s visual storytelling. “These new upgrades allow us to expand upon our storytelling,” said Mike Newquist, President of the Resident and Affiliate Shows Divisions at Cirque du Soleil. “We’re always seeking ways to keep the show fresh and exciting for our audiences, making sure each performance leaves a lasting, profound impression.” The show opens with “Beat It,” where Mephisto’s paparazzi stand menacingly on stage. Drones flash red and white as they soar through the audience, forming intricate shapes before returning to the stage. The Smooth Criminals descend from the ceiling, intensifying the battle between exploitation and artistry. In “Leave Me Alone,” “Tabloid Junkie,” and “2 Bad,” the carefully crafted stage layout enhances the dynamic choreography. “Stranger in Moscow” features an intricate rope act symbolizing the loneliness of the Beggar Boy character from the iconic song. “Smooth Criminal” captivates with an expanded ensemble performing breathtaking flips and spins. The performers wow the audience by flawlessly executing the Smooth Criminal lean. Later, the battle between the Smooth Criminals and MJ Warriors reaches a thrilling climax in this sequence. The well-designed costumes add to the breathtaking visual elements. In “BAD,” Clumsy dons a bold blue leather outfit and earns a matching jacket by the song’s end. “Jam” bursts with bold red visuals, and dancers in white costumes, each marked with an “M” or “J,” assist Shy in navigating a challenging world. REIMAGINED NUMBERS AND FAN FAVORITES ------------------------------------ Set to Jackson’s greatest hits, including “Billie Jean,” “Thriller,” “Beat It,” and “Smooth Criminal,” the production spotlights some of Jackson’s fans’ favorite songs. Perfectly coordinated choreography and mesmerizing visual elements bring each of Jackson’s tracks to life. “They Don’t Care About Us” remains a standout, with updated visuals highlighting contemporary struggles such as racism, violence, and climate crises, all of which Jackson strongly protested through song, film, and spoken word. Another highlight, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” introduces performers manipulating illuminated diabolos, dressed in black PVC pants and military jackets. The addition of “Another Part of Me” features a unifying dance sequence that celebrates Jackson’s message of inclusivity. The first single from the Bad album, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” delivers an emotional duet, blending footage from Jackson’s Dangerous tour with live vocals. The fiery performances of “Dangerous” and “Dirty Diana” include shooting flames, while “Thriller” enchants with ghouls descending from the ceiling and costumes that honor the groundbreaking 1982 concept. “Scream” features footage of Michael and Janet Jackson, while the finale, set to “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” turns the theater into a dynamic celebration, with dancers performing in the aisles and acrobats launching from trampolines. A MAGICAL HOLOGRAM MOMENT ------------------------- Jackson’s hologram appears at one point, causing the crowd to roar its approval. Jose Concepcion, the show’s dance coach, spoke passionately about his journey from Puerto Rico to Michael Jackson ONE. “I was a student competing in dance competitions worldwide,” he told Let It Be Known News. “When we saw the audition for Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson show, we went for it. Getting that call changed my life.” Now responsible for maintaining the integrity of Jackson’s choreography, Concepcion added, “It’s of extreme importance for us to do justice to the great artist Michael was.” Michael Jackson ONE celebrates the King of Pop’s genius with moonwalking on walls, reimagined videos on massive screens, dazzling choreography, and cutting-edge technology. “We’re always looking for new ways to honor Michael’s legacy,” Newquist said. “This production ensures that his artistry and message will continue to inspire and mesmerize audiences for years to come.” Since its opening, the ever-evolving production has captivated audiences with over 4,500 shows and audiences exceeding 5.5 million. Michael Jackson ONE performs Thursday through Monday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and has recently extended its contract at Mandalay Bay through 2030. { SOURCE: The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint } ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque Drops Perfume: Behind the Scenes of its Creation {Jan.06.2025} ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil, the largest contemporary circus producer in the world, began in 1984. Since then, it has expanded to multiple countries and become an iconic brand in the circus space. Cirque du Soleil has started incorporating lifestyle products into its licensed lineup. Its latest addition is L’eau de Parfum by Cirque du Soleil, a fragrance inspired by the essence of the company’s shows. License Global caught up with the Cirque du Soleil team and its fragrance partner, Flower Shop Perfumes, to learn more about the fragrance and how it celebrates Cirque du Soleil’s origins and big-top spectacles. “It’s the idea of bringing the creativity, the inspiration, the art beyond this show,” says Stacy Delince, senior product manager and producer, Cirque du Soleil. “How can we continue to bring that feeling you just felt by seeing the performance at home? One of the beautiful things about the fragrance is that we were able to do that but also bring nostalgia in the same way. You have the memories, and you remember the emotions, the connection, the feeling of everybody being surprised at the same time [by the show]. We’re able to bring the imagination home so you can share the scent with the people around you.” Cirque du Soleil reached out to Isaac Lekach, co-founder, Flower Shop Perfumes, to collaborate. Lekach jumped at the opportunity to take the project to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Cirque and to fulfill a dream that his father had started. Lekach comes from a line of perfumers. More than two decades ago, his father and mother traveled to California for business and saw a Cirque du Soleil show. Immediately, Lekach’s father started dreaming up a perfume for Cirque. While the timing wasn’t right for Lekach’s father, a Cirque du Soleil fragrance was created by his son more than 20 years later. “At the time [when my father dreamt of this], it wasn’t the right time, so nothing really came of it, but then I get an email with the subject line saying, ‘Would you like to join the circus?'” says Lekach. “Now we’re here, we’ve done it, and it’s come full circle. Every day now, I get a phone call from my dad, and he wants to talk about the perfume. I’m definitely not going to get tired of that.” The fragrance evokes memories of going to the circus, with notes of buttered popcorn, caramel apple and cotton candy. As it dries, floral notes, sandalwood, amber and vanilla take charge to make the composition more day-to-day friendly. The bottle design aims to bring a high fashion take to Cirque du Soleil iconography. Lillian Shalom, creative director, Flower Shop Perfumes, took inspiration from multiple sources in Cirque’s 40-year history. The package opens to designs of clouds and stars surrounding the bottle, with a transparent blue and purple glass bottle on display in the center. A gold sun tops the cap, a nod to the Cirque du Soleil logo. “There’s an element of surprise, which is literally what the shows are,” says Shalom. “You ask, ‘What’s going to happen now?’ which I think you get when you open the bottle. We dove into archival Cirque posters and costumes. We paid attention to the costumes and the set design at the shows.” Cirque du Soleil was heavily involved in the designing and perfuming process for the fragrance. “This was a true collaboration between our teams,” says Delince. “We worked very closely with Flower Shop on every aspect of the creation, whether it was the bottle design with Lilian, the colors, the scent. Everything was a real collaboration.” The Cirque du Soleil fragrance is available now online and at Cirque du Soleil shows. { SOURCE: License Global } ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque on transforming the Royal Albert Hall for Corteo {Jan.09.2025} ---------------------------------------------------------- With Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo opening tomorrow, 9 January, at the Royal Albert Hall, its technical director Gerard Edwards-Webb discusses how and why his team completely redesigned the layout of the venue for the show. Since Queen Victoria opened the Royal Albert Hall in 1871 you could be forgiven for thinking the venue has seen it all. It has hosted everything from Jimi Hendrix to The Proms, Sumu wrestling to an indoor marathon, but it has never been transformed in the way that Cirque du Soleil has for its production Corteo. The show will run at the hall from 9 January through to 2 March, and during that time visitors would be forgiven for not recognising the interior of the beautiful old building. The Cirque du Soleil team has completely redesigned the layout of the hall and split it into two halves, with each half of the audience facing the other and the stage in the middle. As a result, attendees have a performer’s eye view of the audience. Many of the boxes and stalls have been moved to create this new look. It is also the heaviest show that Cirque du Soleil has bought to the Royal Albert Hall since it began working there nearly three decades ago, with 67 tonnes hanging from the grid. Overseeing the complex staging and production process is Cirque du Soleil technical director Gerard Edwards-Webb. He talks Access All Areas through what is involved. Q. Cirque has been staging shows at the Royal Albert Hall since 1996. How does that long lasting relationship benefit you from a production perspective? Over the years at the Royal Albert Hall we’ve added to the building collaboratively, many, many different anchor points and structures that are required to secure the shows, because an acrobatic performance puts a lot more dynamic load on a building than even something like moving set pieces. Acrobats are typically smaller and lighter than the average human in the air but when they get moving, they can generate a lot of dynamic forces. Q. To prepare for the arrival of Corteo you have transformed the Royal Albert Hall to accommodate it. What has that involved? This is a traverse show, and as far as we’re aware, it’s the first time anyone has put a full traverse show in the Royal Albert Hall because it would be a crazy thing to do, right? It means you’re basically going to kill a whole bunch of seats. The project has involved us changing the entire building. Historically, we would put in what we call the Cirque floor, or the lower exhibition floor, where we extend the venue’s stage out over the arena, but for this show we put in the higher exhibition floor, and that only leaves the top four rows of the stalls exposed. We have widened the auditorium, or at least the show deck, to make it considerably longer, and then we put our set on top of that and extended it out level using temporary structures. It means that at the north end of the building the primary seats there are in a backstage area. Getting the agreement of the Royal Albert Hall seat owners has been a major facet to this whole project, because there was obviously a requirement to move a lot of the seat owners from their usual positions. They’ve been very generous in allowing us to do this. We’re very, very excited about this whole project, it is a real first for the venue. Q. What impact will that transformation have on the venue’s audience capacity for the show series? The venue at full capacity is typically around 5,200, and when we bring in a Cirque show that usually goes down to just over 4,000. For this show, we’re going to have 3,099 seats. Normally, with the big top shows, which are 270-degree thrust shows with a centralised set, we would not have the choir seats on sale. With this show being long and narrow, we’re able to put the choir seats on sale as well as the main seating. Q. Aside from the new look, obviously weight is an issue as well. I’m told it is the equivalent to hanging 11 elephants from the ceiling. Has it meant that you’ve had to make any major adaptations to the grid system? The big top shows are technically more challenging in that regard. As I mentioned, over the years we’ve added anchors permanently to the building specifically for Cirque du Soleil. Because it is a traverse show, and there’s three track and trolley systems above the show, we’re using anchors that we call chicken feet. There is a three-way bridle to align it and that goes out to stabilise the grid to prevent it from shunting. There are fewer anchors required for this show, because it is designed to go into buildings, than a big top show. Most of the forces inside the engineering of the show resolve themselves inside the structure but we’ll be hanging a huge spreader grid. Q. Is the idea of this show format to create a more intimate atmosphere for the audience? It’s going to be like having two proscenium theatres back-to-back. Both audience sides can see the reactions of the opposing audience. We’re particularly looking forward to this one, because, of course, the audience will be considerably closer to each other. In a typical arena, the lower bowl and the upper bowl get further and further away. But here, with the box fronts and then the circle, the audience members are going to be considerably closer to each other and the performers. We’re very much looking forward to seeing how that’s going to drive the atmosphere in the room. Q. Is there any concern that because the Royal Albert Hall is such a beautiful space, not least to watch a Cirque du Soleil show, that there might be a negative reaction to it being transformed? I don’t think we’re going to see a negative reaction at all. I think people are going to be fascinated by what we’ve done. We’re aware that you won’t get the same overall grandeur of the auditorium that the audiences are typically used to when walking into the circle or the stalls or one of the boxes. It was carefully considered, and we really believe this show is going to be quite spectacular. { SOURCE: Access All Areas } ---------------------------------------------------------- The 10-Year Partnership Of VidantaWorld And Cirque du Soleil {Jan.27.2025} ---------------------------------------------------------- In the heart of Mexico’s Riviera Maya, VidantaWorld a company which owns and operates large beachside vacation destinations embarked on a bold venture to incorporate live performance into their entertainment portfolio. They built a state-of-the-art theater crafted with the singular purpose of hosting Cirque du Soleil’s new show JOYÀ. Vidanta and Cirque collaborated to build a permanent theater to host a show on their property. JOYÀ would introduce Cirque to Latin America with Vidanta building a theater onsite. For the past ten years, the room has filled with fans of Cirque’s unique mix of acrobats, tumblers, strong men and trapeze artists along with the central characters of the JOYÀ story. This journey began with a partnership between VidantaWorld and Cirque du Soleil, aimed at bringing world-class entertainment to the Riviera Maya. Ivan Chavez, head of Vidanta, and Daniel Lamarre, former CEO of Cirque worked together to create a full Cirque show including a seated dinner prior to the performance. Both men are deeply engaged in pleasing their audience. Lamarre is a charming visionary with extensive experience delighting audiences. Chavez spends his time making sure that the Vidanta properties excel. Lamarre and Chavez both seek to provide their guests with the best possible experience knowing that is how you build a long term successful relationship with your customers. A simple example is the way in which all VidantaWorld employees are trained to place their right hand across their chest to cover their heart each time they interact with guests. This is an endearing signal of Vidanta’s commitment to service. The Chavez family operates VidantaWorld, in several locations. The JOYÀ theater was built within their large property along the Riviera Maya coast, with numerous hotels, restaurants, a Jack Nicholas designed par three golf course, spas and a beach club. Chavez understands hospitality. His focus on making each guest feel special is the same as the way in which Cirque is attentive to the details of their shows. This is why the partnership between Ivan Chavez and Daniel Lamarre has been so successful. JOYÀ has played for ten years at Vidanta. Cirque and Vidanta have recently announced they will build another theater at Vidanta’s upcoming Nuevo Vallarta location. This show, LUDÕ, will incorporate an aquarium fully visible to the audience so that Cirque performers whose performances include diving into a pool of water can be seen both above the water line, and below. Imagine watching an acrobat dive from a suspended trapeze into a pool within the stage, and then see how the dive team waiting below helps them exit from beneath the stage. Allowing the audience to witness it all will be ground breaking and original. Chavez’ leadership and strategic vision have been instrumental in shaping Vidanta’s evolution. Vidanta have learned how to build large resorts with varied levels of elegance within. The newest property at Nuevo Vallarta planned to open in late 2025 will have a “luxury” theme park attached so that families can have a stress free experience. Under Chavez’s direction, Vidanta has expanded. His leadership fostered a culture of creativity and excellence, ensuring Vidanta remains at the forefront of the luxury travel. Chavez’s collaboration with Cirque du Soleil has been pivotal in the success of shows like JOYÀ and the upcoming LUDÕ. Vidanta’s decision to bring Cirque as an option at Riviera Maya is an example of artistic and experiential risk taking succeeding. The JOYÀ theater is designed like a theme park ride. The audience doesn’t just enter a hotel and turn left into a converted conference room. Instead, they enter via a promenade where the theater is perched on a hill within the Vidanta property. Ticket holders arrive and enter a transitional space as they walk a boardwalk placed alongside a lagoon. There are bars and displays along the way to the elevated theater entrance which made entering the building itself part of the adventure. Also, unusual for Cirque, this theater serves a seated dinner while musicians perform for the first hour or so prior to when JOYÀ will be performed. There’s just something elegant about having an hour or so to settle in at your table and relax while you are served a multi- course dinner. After dessert is served, the lights dim and the performers take control. JOYÀ and LUDÕ have a expert team behind them building must see performances in creative performance spaces. Success requires the hard work of many and the vision of a few. In this case, Daniel Lamarre and Ivan Chavez are well partnered. VidantaWorld and Cirque du Soleil together have created a facility dedicated to delivering joy. It’s working. { SOURCE: Eric Fuller – Forbes } ---------------------------------------------------------- Q&A w/Mizuki Shinagawa and Ninjin Altankhuyag from KOOZA {Feb.04.2025} ---------------------------------------------------------- Have you wondered what it takes to perform with Cirque du Soleil? Kai Curry from the NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY spoke with two of Cirque’s talented artists, Mizuki Shinagawa and Ninjin Altankhuyag, about their journey to Cirque’s most recent show, KOOZA. First: Commitment Shinagawa and Altankhuyag both yearned for performance careers from an early age. Shinagawa, who performs aerial silk acts with Cirque, has wanted the circus life since childhood. “My dream was to be a circus artist,” Shinagawa said. But there is no comparable circus life in Japan, she said—and, as one might expect, her engineer parents weren’t 100% on board. Around the age of 12, she began taking gymnastics, which did exist in Japan, and learned a little bit of contortion—anything to get her body moving, she recalled. After a couple of years, and the young Shinagawa’s interest showing no sign of waning, Shinagawa’s mom enrolled her in the one school in Tokyo that taught aerial silks. From there, it was off to circus school in Montreal. Shinagawa said she was living the dream. Altankhuyag’s trajectory differed slightly, but had the same destination as Shinagawa’s. In Mongolia, where Altankhuyag hails from, most young girls take contortionist classes, much like young girls may take dance classes in the U.S. They might then embark on tours around Mongolia, which Altankhuyag did, but they may not aim for something international, like Cirque. Altankhuyag was 7 years old when she was first spotted by Cirque as a performer they might like to bring on. After more than a decade of training to be a professional performer, Altankhuyag joined Cirque at the age of 19 to be in a contortionist trio in KOOZA. She and her fellow contortionist performers are all from Mongolia. Second: Creativity Being a part of Cirque du Soleil doesn’t just mean a performer shows off their skills. Each performer must also adopt a character that fits the story. Since its founding in 1984, Cirque has produced more than 40 different shows—which means more than 40 different stories. To go along with each production, there is a style of costume, of set, and of music. There are no animals in this circus, except humans. Performers dazzle audiences with acrobatics and antics, and many performances include audience participation. Shinagawa and Altankhuyag told the Northwest Asian Weekly that it took them about four or five months to adapt themselves to KOOZA. Each act within the performance requires the performers in that act to come up with their own moves, they explained. If they are a solo act, such as Shinagawa’s rapturous red silk performance, the integration into the show is a bit quicker, although there is still trust that must be developed within the entire cast, Shinagawa said. If they are part of a group, as in Altankhuyag’s case, they have to learn to work closely together (though, as it turns out, Altankhuyag already knew both of her companion contortionists from Mongolia). KOOZA is described by Cirque as “a breathtaking return” to its origins. In their words, KOOZA “pays tribute to traditional circus traditions …with nail-biting acrobatics and bold slapstick comedy.” KOOZA tells the story of “The Innocent,” a young clown, who is led into a magical world by “The Trickster.” Similar to Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker,” the Innocent is whisked into an alternate reality for a few hours wherein he is entertained by various performers. Some are funny, some are beautiful and mesmerizing, some are scary. “KOOZA is about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad,” said writer and director David Shiner on KOOZA’s website. Third: Skill Shinagawa and Altankhuyag wow audiences with their remarkable skills, combined with stunning visual effects and costuming. Shinagawa’s character in KOOZA is confident and dominating. She strides onto stage with a “take no prisoners” attitude, launching into a complex choreography of acrobatics, aerial leaps, and red silk. “I always wanted to have a solo act with my skills,” she told us. “That’s what I’m using on stage—every single trick that I made—that’s really magical.” Altankhuyag said that Cirque contortionism is much faster and more contemporary in style than in Mongolia. Mongolian contortionists, for the most part, still base their contortionism on Buddhist principles of calmness. Altankhuyag enjoyed the challenge of learning how to get into position and set her moves more quickly than she learned to do in Mongolia. The message Shinagawa and Altankhuyag represent KOOZA’s story in the flesh. “KOOZA gives confidence, like anything is possible,” said Shinagawa. Altankhuyag lives KOOZA’s message every day: “Find yourself and be yourself.” ---------------------------------------------------------- KÀ Celebrates Two Decades of Epic Performances {Feb.06.2025} ---------------------------------------------------------- The revolutionary production KÀ by Cirque du Soleil marks a historic milestone as it commemorates its 20th anniversary at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. With 24 original cast members performing since opening night, this technological marvel continues to redefine live entertainment through its unprecedented combination of acrobatic artistry and theatrical innovation. After two decades of thrilling performances, it has become a show that cannot be KÀmpared. In honor of the two-decade anniversary, Cirque du Soleil is inviting guests to join in on the celebration with an exclusive offer of up to 20% off select performance dates in February and March, providing the perfect opportunity to experience the groundbreaking production at a special price. This offer will be available for purchase February 7 – 10, 2025. Throughout the past 20 years, KÀ has showcased extraordinary theatrical achievements, including the Wash-Up on the Shore beach scene utilizing over 17 million pounds of granular cork representing sand – enough to fill 15 Olympic-size swimming pools – demonstrating the show’s commitment to spectacular, unexpected elements. The $165 million production was also on the forefront of touchscreen technology, debuting two years before touchscreen cell phones became popular in 2007 following the release of the iPhone. The show’s colossal 360-degree rotating stage platform, weighing 50 tons, remains the production’s crowning achievement. This engineering masterpiece transforms seamlessly from a storm-tossed ship to towering cliffs, creating an ever-changing landscape that serves as both the stage and storytelling prop. The show’s signature moments, including the vertical battlefield sequence where warriors engage in gravity- defying aerial combat, continue to push the boundaries of human potential. Beyond the stage mechanics, KÀ’s production boasts impressive statistics that continue to astound audiences. The KÀ snake puppet has traveled more than 129 miles down the “trees” in the forest scene – the equivalent of driving from LA all the way to the edge of San Diego, and then going 10 miles beyond. KÀ recently expanded its schedule in 2024 to include earlier weekend performances at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with Monday through Wednesday performances continuing at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit cirquedusoleil.com/ka { SOURCE: Nevada Business } ---------------------------------------------------------- A free Cirque du Soleil exhibition is opening in Vegas {Feb.06.2025} ---------------------------------------------------------- A free, limited-time exhibition will give visitors a glimpse into the unique world of Cirque du Soleil. The company’s first-ever installation in Las Vegas will spotlight some of Cirque’s most iconic costumes and never-before-seen artifacts. “Stories from Backstage: Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas” is a collaboration with the Neon Museum and Duck Duck Shed, an annual four- day program that celebrates culture, architecture and design. The exhibit debuts February 10 and runs through May 1 inside City Hall’s Grand Gallery in downtown Las Vegas. And again, it’s free! While the space isn’t all that large, it’s packed with more than 100 pieces that tell the detailed stories of the artifacts (on display boards and with QR codes) from the five Cirque du Soleil shows currently running in Las Vegas. The installation is primarily a costume exhibition but Aaron Berger, executive director of the Neon Museum, says it also put people in the spotlight, specifically the feats of the incredible artists—many of them former athletes or Olympians. “There is nothing more tied to the culture of Las Vegas than Cirque du Soleil,” Berger says. “We’re so proud to bring this first museum- curated Cirque exhibition to Las Vegas and present the story of how athletes became artists.” Visitors will get an up-close look at not only wigs and shoes but also the full Red Bird costume of a bungee artist from Mystère and the Moonhead headpiece from O. Here are a few of our other favorite items on display and the stories behind them. It’s a costume show so there is a “touch station” with dozens of different fabrics stored in tubes. Guests are able to handle both the stretchy materials and the Kevlar fiber used in the fire scene in O when a clown is set aflame. (By the way, the artist playing the character has been set on fire 12,000 times.) While the spearman artists in KÀ appear to be barefoot, it’s an illusion. This up-close display spills the secret: The performers are actually wearing tan Asics-branded sneakers outfitted with fake, skin- tone matching rubber toes. Guests can stare into a vanity mirror and watch a video reflection of a Michael Jackson ONE artist applying their makeup. Cirque shows do not employ makeup artists so each performer is responsible for applying their own. Here, you see how they do it. Safety is the most important aspect of costume design. A side-by-side comparison of two costumes from O shows the impact water has on the costumes. First, the pool not only has chlorine and other chemicals, the water contains vegetable oil to keep the hydraulics running smoothly. This obviously creates a slickness meaning performers must have both wet and dry costumes they can quickly change into. Outfits in O last just two months before the colors fade and they’re replaced. “This exhibit will change your perspective on Cirque,” Berger says. “Whether you’ve seen a Cirque show or not you will definitely see it differently after this.” { SOURCE: Time Out } ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil: Corteo – Review, Royal Albert Hall {Feb.17.2025} ---------------------------------------------------------- “Spectacular, spectacular, no words of the vernacular can describe this great event, you’ll be dumb with wonderment…”. As I was sitting in the Royal Albert Hall, watching Cirque du Soleil: Corteo, unfold before me – my first ever live Cirque du Soleil show – this line from Moulin Rouge came into my head. The show was incredible and spellbinding. I could hardly look away from the action and was gripped and entertained throughout. We have all heard of Cirque du Soleil; I have known of them for years. I have always wanted to see one of their shows, but until now had not seen one live, although during lockdown in 2020, I watched some that they shared on YouTube. Seeing them on the small screen did not prepare me for the real-life show – especially in a venue as grand as the Royal Albert Hall! It seems that each Cirque show follows a vague storyline, more of an impressionistic narrative than a plot; for this show it is that of one man’s dream of his funeral. It starts with “last night, I dreamed it was my funeral”. A strange idea for a show, perhaps, but from the outset, it’s clear this is no ordinary funeral. Mauro the clown is our dreamer, and this is his celebration of life – joyful, surreal, at times deeply moving. There are hints of sorrow, but it’s wrapped in laughter, wonder, and a strange blend of the ethereal and the absurd. This narrative is really just a way to tie it all together, and although each chapter is presented like another part of Mauro’s dream, the action is very much the fantastical circus acts you’d expect. There are acrobats and death defying stunts. There’s an act I can only describe as ‘juggling women’ – and I don’t mean women juggling. There are unique, completely original performances too, including one involving balloons that is a wonder to behold. You will be grinning from ear to ear with the childlike joy of it all. As the dream revolves around Mauro’s death, there are frequently angels flying high above the hall. Need a prop? No person in black dashing on, but an angel flying in with it. This is all part of the magic, and it really does feel otherworldly. The music is another wonderful aspect. Live singers are often on the stage or singing to the side, accompanied by a variety of musicians. They are a part of the dream world, and the singing is enchanting. The beauty of the music and of the circus performances – and the performers – is such that I found myself transfixed, moved, and utterly mesmerised for so much of the show. One of the most fun musical moments is when there is a ‘music off’ between the whistling maestro and the flautist clown – hilarious and so impressive. The whole show feels like a celebration. The best funerals do, and this is certainly the goal with the chosen narrative. As well as all the captivating and emotional moments, there is plenty of humour. Between Tito Dino, the 8ft giant who wants to jump on the seesaw and catapult Mauro into space, and the little anthropomorphic light fixtures with giraffe like necks, that put me in mind of the skutters from Red Dwarf, there are plenty of acts and moments within acts that had us giggling like children. There was one part that seemed a bit odd to me. About halfway through the 2nd act there is a little proscenium theatre brought on, and they have their two performers of short stature, both under 1m tall, put on Romeo and Juliet. It was all a bit odd – the audience seemed invited to laugh more at the performers’ size than the comedy itself. The scene, which ended with Valentina chasing Gregory with what appeared to be a sausage, had a Punch and Judy feel, and it didn’t quite land for me. It was the only point where I found myself checking the time, but was still merely a blip in an otherwise sublime show. Cirque du Soleil: Corteo takes the audience on a dreamlike adventure, where you witness things that you never imagined were possible, and acts that have you on the edge of your seat. It’s the kind of show that makes you feel, viscerally, that human beings are capable of the most extraordinary things. Strength, balance, precision – but also artistry, humour, and heart. It leaves you with a sense of childlike wonder, reminding you that life, in all its strangeness and beauty, is something to celebrate. Spectacular, spectacular, indeed. Book yourself a ticket before the run is over on 2nd March – and let Mauro’s dream carry you away. { SOURCE: 1883 Magazine } ---------------------------------------------------------- 20 years on Strip, and more numbers behind Cirque show {Feb.25.2025} ---------------------------------------------------------- “Ka” opened 20 years ago already a trendsetter. It was the first Cirque du Soleil show to achieve a full story arc. The plot revolves around a brother and a sister entering adulthood, following them through encounters with love, battles and, as the show explains, “the duality of Kà, the fire that can unite or separate, destroy or illuminate.” Of course, we had to look up the actual plot description, even after seeing the show about 30 times over the years. We lose focus the moment the Firefly Boy arrives to protect Twin Sister, soaring around the stage like Tarzan after downing a can of Celsius. It’s been speculated that “Ka” might be winding down its two-decade run. The show is expensive, at a time when visitors are more likely to seek a star headliner, or a walk-around “immersive” experience, over costumed acrobats. But Mike Newquist, Cirque’s chief revenue officer, says the show is still strong, under contract through November 2026. “The health of the show has continued to be strong,” Newquist said Feb. 7 at the opening of “Stories From Backstage: Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas” at City Hall. “We are always talking with MGM about what’s the next big thing, but ‘Ka’s’ very much a part of our future. We renew every couple of years, and ‘Ka’ is still a special show.” Twenty years remains an achievement, with “Ka” trailing only “Mystere” (opened in ’93) and “O” (’98) for longevity among Cirque shows on the Strip. The production has played to 11.5 million fans. Building on that figure, here are 20 things to know about “Ka” as the show marks 20 years: 24: Cast members from day one still performing in the show. 3: Performers who starred in the stage show “EFX,” which ran in what is now the Ka Theatre at the MGM Grand — Michael Crawford, David Cassidy and Rick Springfield. $80 million: Cost of renovating the theater to stage “Ka.” $65 million: The show’s total production costs. 1: Member of the current production team at “Awakening” who also worked on design of “Ka.” He’s puppet-design visionary Michael Curry, whose team created the sand crabs, starfish, tortise and other creatures in the show’s beach scene. 1,300: Hours spent making a single crab puppet. 4,000: Total speakers in the house, including speakers in every seat, making this the first Cirque show to install sound equipment in ticket holders’ seats. 3,000: Lighting instruments (as the show calls them), or lights (as we call them), in the theater. 25 by 50: Height and width (in feet) of the show’s Sand Cliff Deck. This is the platform of the show’s signature Final Battle scene. 80: Pegs fired at the rotating stage during the Final Battle. 4: Cirque shows performing in residency on the Strip when “Ka” opened, joining “Mystere,” “O” and “Zumanity.” 3: Cirque shows on which music director Richard Oberacker has worked, including the touring productions “Dralion” and “Worlds Away.” 1: Musicals Oberacker has written that have performed on Broadway. His “Bandstand” ran from April to September 2017. 32: Song cues. 30-90: Amount of time, in minutes, cast members spend applying their own makeup. 326: Pairs of shoes used in each performance. 500: Props used in each performance. 8,600: Total shows since opening. 1,950: Seats in the theater. 250: Artists, technicians and staff. { SOURCE: John Katsilometes, Las Vegas Review-Journal } ---------------------------------------------------------- Architect redesigns plans for European base of CDS {Feb.25.2025} ---------------------------------------------------------- SPPARC has substantially redesigned its plans to create the first European base of Cirque du Soleil in the heart of London’s West End following feedback from members of the public. The practice is said to have “completely reworked” its proposals to redevelop the former Odeon Covent Garden cinema at 135-149 Shaftesbury Avenue, which were submitted to Camden council last year. Designed for developer Yoo Capital, the scheme is set to transform the site’s existing grade II-listed building into a “world-class” theatre space with a large roof extension containing a luxury hotel. Fresh plans submitted earlier this month have cut the roof extension down from seven-and-a-half storeys to five storeys with the parapet height of the scheme reduced by more than eight metres, while the number of theatre seats has been boosted to 622. The former height, massing and facade design of the proposed extension has been scrapped in favour of a “greatly simplified” design of sculpted masonry inspired by a stage curtain, Yoo Capital said. This has resulted in a reduction in the amount of hotel floorspace, including a small reduction in its number of rooms. The site’s existing building was designed by TP Bennett founder Thomas Bennett and originally opened as the Saville Theatre in 1931, when it was one of the largest theatres in the West End. It was transformed into a music venue in 1966 by Brian Epstein, manager of The Beatles, hosting performances by acts including Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd, Elton John and the Bee Gees before becoming a cinema in 1970. The cinema closed in August last year to make way for Yoo’s redevelopment of the site, with Canadian circus producer Cirque du Soleil signing a 20-year lease on the building. Yoo Capital said the new design of the roof extension focuses on “vertical elegance that complements and doesn’t compete with the horizontality of the original building” while reflecting its “rich history and exciting future with a balance of heritage and bold modernity”. External fabric, including a 40m frieze wrapping around the front of the building entitled “Drama Through The Ages”, would be refurbished and restored, while contemporary additions including the roof extension are said to have been inspired by the site’s 1930s design. The project team includes planning, heritage and townscape consultant Montagu Evans, structural and civil engineer Pell Frischmann, sustainability consultant Hoare Lea, landscape designer RPS Group, QS Gardiner & Theobald and transport consultant Momentum. SPPARC and Yoo are working with Heatherwick Studio and Haworth Tompkins on the Oympia redevelopment, which will also include a new theatre as well as a live music venue, 550,000 sq ft of offices, dozens of new bars and restaurants, four exhibition halls and two new hotels. { SOURCE: Building } ---------------------------------------------------------- Meet Trickster from ‘KOOZA’ – Kevin Beverley! {Mar.10.2025} ---------------------------------------------------------- Kevin Beverley knew that he wanted to be a part of Cirque du Soleil from a very young age. Growing up in Chicago, he took gymnastics classes as a child, then switched to dance because one of his friends did. But it turns out that it was a good move. Kevin says that he became known as “the dancer who can flip.” Then, after six years of competitive dance, this happened: “I saw Cirque du Soliel on TV. I saw it on, like, Bravo. They were doing a documentary series, and then the documentary series finished up with showing one of their shows. And I was blown away,” he tells me under The Big Top during a recent visit. “I was absolutely astonished that this world of dancing and music and theater and acrobatics could come together as one.” I asked Kevin what his parents thought when he told them that he wanted to run away with the circus. “I have amazing parents. I am very, very lucky. My dad had a little less ‘go-for-it’ attitude as my mom did.” Interesting. I thought that it would be more the other way around. “Mom was always the one sacrificing everything to take me to dance, take me competition. She was the one taking care of all that.” Kevin went to an art high school in Chicago, where he studied dance. He says that the school was so prestigious, that if you were to graduate but not go on to a conservatory or dance college, people would ask, “Why did you even come here?” “I knew I wanted to move to Montreal. I wanted to go to a circus school. My dad was like, ‘Just audition for a couple of dance programs just do it for me.’ So, I did that for him. My dad wanted a little bit of security for me ‘just in case’, but I was not gonna go that route. I’m the youngest of three boys. I’m very hardheaded.” “My dad used to say to my mom, ‘You would have never let Mike (the oldest brother) do that. I always got away with a lot. My oldest brother was an academic, extremely smart. My middle brother was a sports star, and I was like, the artist. I was like, I’m gonna go my own path. I think my dad came around to it fast. Now he’s so incredibly proud of me.” IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL ---------------------------- Cirque du Soliel’s productions are known for their wide range of international acts and performers. Since Kevin is one of the few Americans traveling with their KOOZA show, I was curious about what it’s like working and traveling with so many different people and nationalities. “Honestly, it’s amazing,” he beamed. “It’s exactly the life that I wanted for myself when I was a kid. When I saw that [documentary], I imagined it would be something like this. And after growing up and seeing more shows and meeting the artists, I realized that this was the exact life that I wanted for myself. I feel very fortunate that I get to work with and talk to and experience and laugh with people from all over the world. I feel very blessed.” From what I gather, the feeling is mutual. It didn’t take long for Kevin to ‘fit in.’ “I really enjoy learning a little bit of every language; funny words, bad words and words that we use every day like ‘I’m tired’ or ‘I’m hungry.;” He also enjoys understanding how humor is expressed with each nationality. “Russian humor is not the same as Mongolian humor, and American humor is not the same as French humor, you know? So, it’s like a big, messy family that is… that’s beautiful.” I ask Kevin if he found himself making any embarrassing faux pas with his new family. “That’s a good question. No, not really. When you come onto a team that has like 23 Russians, you’d expect them to be, like, they’re going to be really intimidating and mean. But they’re not. They do take a second to get warm with you. They’re not like Americans or Canadians who will give you a hug right away and say things like, ‘Hey, man, how’s it going?’ It takes a second. But once you get across that barrier, they’re teddy bears.” LIFE AS A TRICKSTER ------------------- Cirque du Soliel describes the tale of KOOZA as a self-discovery journey of one character called “The Innocent,” who gets transported to an “exotic yet zany kingdom.” It is there that he meets the Trickster, who has unique powers. Kevin has the honor of playing the Trickster. “He calls the shots. He runs everything. He is the most powerful person in this universe. He’s not good, but he’s not bad. He very conniving. He’s very scary.” But Kevin says the trickster, has a soft side, too. “He’s intimidating, but at the same time, he’s like, ‘I got you. It’s okay, everything’s going to be okay. I’ll bring you under my wing, but don’t cross me.'” In addition to Trickster’s storyline, KOOZA also features a variety of other acts, including a duo unicycle, a “wheel of death,” contortionists, acrobatics, high-wire acts, hula hoops, clowns, and more. Despite what you’ve seen in the movies, life on the road is different than what you might expect. They don’t all live together in a communal living situation. While stationed in Redmond, Kevin has his own apartment, not that he gets to spend much time there. He tells me that the troupe’s schedules are “really intense” but it’s “a beautiful thing.” “We all have really good jobs, and we work really hard and we love what we do, but, you know, eight to ten shows a week, I don’t know if people realize how demanding that is. I guess that you could say that surprised me, in a way, when I joined Cirque back in 2018. But now, I’m quite used to that.” He also says that his time here is a personal journey. He doesn’t expect the stage managers to remind him to get some rest. He needs to keep himself healthy, as well as his fellow performers. “We have to put health and safety at the top. We come in and do really dangerous and life-threatening things. We chose a life, and we chose a job that is extremely dangerous, and we can’t forget about that because accidents do happen. It’s a really terrible, and it’s a really scary thing, but it’s just a part of our life and a part of the job.” ONLY TIME WILL TELL ------------------- Although he looks 25, Kevin is actually 35 years old. He knows he can’t do this forever, and he’s not sure how long his body will allow him to perform. “When they contacted me to do KOOZA, I was with another company and the work that I was doing there was a lot more physical, like really high-level tricks that were harder for my body. So, when I got this job being more of a dance role, more of a character role, I was really excited because I knew I would like to do this a little bit longer. I don’t have a date of how long I think I can do it, but I’m six months in and I want to stand until they’re like, ‘Get off the stage. You look old.’” Kevin says that one of his favorite moments during his performance is during a “really cool illusion” that happens when he enters the stage. “I’m being very honest with you, when you’re tired and the realities of performing and stuff like that hit you, and then you hear the applause from the audience, it’s all worth the fatigue and all of the little body pains that I have. The moment that I get onto the stage, and I hear the little gasps and applause from the audience, it’s all worth it.” { SOURCE: Seattle Refined } ---------------------------------------------------------- Meet Louana Seclet, ECHO Trapeze Artist {Mar.31.2025} ---------------------------------------------------------- While some children dream of running away to join the circus, Louana Seclet dreamt of a life out from under the big top when she was young. “I grew up in the circus,” Seclet said. “When I was young, I was more attracted to things I didn’t know.” At 14, Seclet went into the family business, training with her father, Mathieu Seclet, on the Washington trapeze in her native France. Fifteen years later, the younger Seclet is on tour with Cirque du Soleil’s ECHO. Besides performing on the Washington trapeze, which has a stand in the center for her to balance on her head, Seclet plays Future in “Echo.” Her character is a young woman who, along with her dog, explores the bond humans have with animals and nature. “I’m doing the whole show as the character, and my act appears at the end of the show,” Seclet said from a tour stop in Brazil. “It takes endurance after an hour of performing.” It also takes concentration to stand on her head on a bar high above the audience. “The important thing is to have really good focus. It’s a balancing act,” Seclet said. “Then it’s about the tricks. … Your body knows what to do.” A physical therapist as well as a trapeze artist, Seclet said the former informs the latter. “It gives you consciousness about your body and how we could prevent some injuries,” she said. “As artists, we want to do this as long as we can, but we can’t know when we have to stop. For me, it’s security.” An animal lover, Seclet first wanted to be a veterinarian but found that profession didn’t jibe with her circus work. Still, her appreciation of the natural world has been reflected in shows she’s performed in, including “Echo.” Her first circus gig after leaving the National Circus School of Montreal was as Mother Nature for Canada’s Wonderland’s Tundra show in Toronto. Seclet said there’s similarities between that character and Future in “Echo.” “The only difference is that in ‘Echo,’ my friend Dog is with me all the time, so I’m even more connected to the animals.” Seclet originally joined Cirque in 2019 for “Under the Same Sky,” a show that never opened due to the pandemic. The show was reworked for “Echo,” but Seclet said her character didn’t change that much. “It was more her appearance,” she said, adding that her character used to have a blue wig and extensive makeup. “That changed to have me more human. The dog stayed the same.” During the pandemic, Seclet worked as a street performer and at a German cabaret. “I really fought to still perform during the pandemic,” she said. “Germany was one place on the planet where shows were still running.” When “Echo” came around, Seclet said, she was still smarting from the cancellation of “Under the Same Sky.” “I had turned that page in my life. It was over,” she added. “I had to rethink that.” The show premiered in Montreal in 2023 with Seclet still in the lead role. “What’s interesting with the new production is that we have lots of old circus disciplines,” Seclet said, citing hair suspension and contortionism, among others. “My discipline is really old; (Kaye Washington) invented it in the 19th century. “I’m super happy to be in a production that doesn’t let old circus disciplines die.” Seclet is also glad that she decided to carry on in the family business. “It’s so attached to my roots, to my grandfather,” who was also a circus performer, she said. “Under the big top is the best place on Earth. … When I was a kid, it was my daily life, but it’s the place I find magical.” { SOURCE: Mercury News } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Alegría INAL, Kooza, Kurios, Luzia, Bazzar, ECHO, and 'TWAS THE NIGHT} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {Crystal, Corteo, OVO} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", MJ ONE, JOYA, Drawn to Life, and Mad Apple} 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, the Fascination! Newsletter does 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: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ >. ------------------------------------ BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau ------------------------------------ Alegría-In a New Light: Rome, IT -- March 1, 2025 to April 13, 2025 Milan, IT -- April 25, 2025 to June 2, 2025 Trieste, IT -- June 13, 2025 to July 13, 2025 Knokke-Heist, BE -- July 25, 2025 to August 24, 2025 Brussels, BE -- September 17, 2025 to October 19, 2025 Paris, FR -- November 20, 2025 - December 19, 2025 Kooza: Hong Kong, CN -- May 21, 2025 to Jun 22, 2025 Kurios: Vienna, AT -- March 5, 2025 to May 11, 2025 Geneva, CH -- May 23, 2025 to June 22, 2025 Gijon, ES -- July 11, 2025 to August 17, 2025 Prague, CZ -- Sep 3, 2025 to Sep 28, 2025 The Hague, NL -- October 23, 2025 to December 7, 2025 Luzia: New York City, NY -- March 5, 2025 to April 27, 2025 Montreal, QC -- May 15, 2025 to June 29, 2025 Washington, DC -- September 6, 2025 to October 19, 2025 Atlanta, GA -- November 9, 2025 to December 14, 2025 ECHO: San Jose, CA -- April 8, 2025 to May 11, 2025 Laguna Hills, CA -- May 23, 2025 to June 29, 2025 Denver, CO -- July 12, 2025 to August 17, 2025 Calgary, AB -- August 30, 2025 to October 19, 2025 San Francisco, CA -- November 20, 2025 to December 21, 2025 ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE: (LAST BOW TOUR - SEE IT WHILE YOU CAN!) Phoenix, AZ -- Apr 3, 2025 to Apr 6, 2025 West Valley City, UT -- Apr 10, 2025 to Apr 13, 2025 Loveland, CO -- Apr 18, 2025 to Apr 20, 2025 Colorado Springs, CO -- Apr 24, 2025 to Apr 27, 2025 Spokane, WA -- May 1, 2025 to May 4, 2025 Victoria, BC -- May 8, 2025 to May 18, 2025 Kelowna, BC -- May 22, 2025 to May 25, 2025 Portland, OR -- May 29, 2025 to Jun 1, 2025 Vancouver, BC -- Jun 4, 2025 to Jun 8, 2025 CORTEO: Lisbon, PT -- Apr 10, 2025 to Apr 20, 2025 A Coruna, ES -- Apr 24, 2025 to May 4, 2025 Pamplona, ES -- May 7, 2025 to May 11 2025 Strasbourg, FR -- May 15, 2025 to May 18, 2025 Cologne, DE -- May 21, 2025 to May 25, 2025 Perth, AU -- Aug 8, 2025 to Aug 10, 2025 Melbourne, AU -- Aug 22, 2025 to Aug 24, 2025 Sydney, AU -- Sep 4, 2025 to Sep 7, 2025 Brisbane, AU -- Sep 18, 2025 to Sep 21, 2025 Adelaide, AU -- Oct 2, 2025 to Oct 5, 2025 Auckland, NZ -- Oct 30, 2025 to Nov 2, 2025 OVO: Wilkes-Barre, PA -- Apr 3, 2025 to Apr 6, 2025 Toronto, ON -- May 1, 2025 to Jun 28, 2025 Ottawa, ON -- Jul 2, 2025 to Jul 6, 2025 Philadelphia, PA -- Jul 11, 2025 to Jul 13, 2025 Estero, FL -- Jul 31, 2025 to Aug 3, 2025 Duluth, GA -- Aug 7, 2025 to Aug 10, 2025 Miami, FL -- Aug 14, 2025 to Aug 17, 2025 Sunrise, FL -- Aug 20, 2025 to Aug 24, 2025 Charlotte, NC -- Aug 28, 2025 to Aug 31, 2025 Greensboro, NC -- Sep 4, 2025 to Sep 7, 2025 Oklahoma City, OK -- Sep 11, 2025 to Sep 14, 2025 New Orleans, LA -- Sep 18, 2025 to Sep 21, 2025 San Antonio, TX -- Sep 25, 2025 to Sep 28, 2025 Houston, TX -- Oct 2, 2025 to Oct 5, 2025 Austin, TX -- Oct 9, 2025 to Oct 12, 2025 --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- Mystere: Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Variable Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark Monday/Tuesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm KA: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm MICHAEL JACKSON ONE: Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday - Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm JOYA: Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday DRAWN TO LIFE: Location: Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly: 5:30pm and 8:00pm (Tues-Sat); 1:30pm and 4:00pm (Sun) MAD APPLE: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm Age Requirements: - Children under 16 not permitted. - Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= o) "The Latest Cirque du Soleil Memos" A Special Collection of Internal Memos from CDSEG o) “Hawaii’s first CDS resident production opens in Waikiki" A Special Collection of Articles about 'AUANA ---------------------------------------------------------- "The Latest Cirque du Soleil Memos" A Special Collection of Internal Memos from CDSEG ---------------------------------------------------------- The following are two of the most recent internal memos the press was able to obtain with regards to the internal machinations at Cirque du Soleil. The first from February 6th, entitled "ONE CIRQUE, ONE TEAM", discusses the company's new operating strategy: the elimination of show divisions to bring everyone together as one team. The second, from April 1st, announces an unexpected change in the company's leadership. # # # ONE CIRQUE, ONE TEAM TO: All CDSEG employees FROM: Stéphane Lefebvre, President and CEO DATE: February 6, 2025 Hello everyone, As I mentioned before the holidays, the context of our industry and our operating costs calls for a thorough revision of our operating model. Over the past few weeks, we have been reviewing all of our sectors, with the aim of breaking down silos between divisions and drawing inspiration from our best practices, in order to gain agility and rationalize our operating costs. Today, we are at a pivotal moment of our journey as a company. With the major organizational changes we are announcing, we are becoming ONE Cirque. ONE Cirque where shows are the center of attention, and where we work together to achieve operational excellence. ONE Cirque which, through increased revenue and optimized profitability, will continue to draw on the extraordinary creative force we are known for, in order to invest in unparalleled productions. Here are the key changes being announced: - We are eliminating show divisions, bringing together all operations of the former Touring Shows and Resident Shows Divisions, Blue Man Group, VStar and other affiliates under a single operating entity headed by Duncan Fisher, appointed Chief Show Operations Officer. While acknowledging the specific realities of each show, we will standardize our practices and bring consistency to all our operations. - We are bringing together all the efforts and resources devoted to show ticketing revenue within a single team: sales, marketing, public relations, revenue management, ticketing strategy and data analytics. The team will be led by Mike Newquist, appointed Chief Revenue Officer. - All complementary revenue streams remain the responsibility of Anne Belliveau, Chief Customer Experience Officer, now including Front of House (FOH) operations for resident and touring shows, which comprise food & beverage (F&B), merchandising, VIP and customers' experience. Anne will also continue to oversee sponsorship, brand and corporate public relations, to ensure a consistent and strategic approach to revenue growth and customer engagement. Marie-Josée Adam, Senior Vice-President - Business Development and Events & Experiences, will continue to lead these two areas of expansion, essential to our future growth. Several other changes were announced today in different sectors, with the same intention of gaining in agility and consistency. In some cases, it means eliminating redundancies, rationalizing operating expenses or recentralizing functions. These initiatives have led to a series of job abolitions, and we will unfortunately have to say goodbye to some of our colleagues in the next few days. These decisions are always difficult to make and are considered with great care. The Talent team is committed to supporting the impacted employees in these circumstances. Please note that artist and technician positions on the shows are not impacted. You should also know that we have taken particular care to make choices that in no way compromises the health and safety of our employees or fans. On the contrary, we are centralizing our Health & Safety resources within a single team under the responsibility of Nicolas Panet-Raymond, Head of Health, Safety and Sustainability, with the aim of tightening our processes. Health & Safety remains a top priority for Cirque, and the team will maintain close ties with the shows to ensure the highest standards in this area. If you haven't been updated already, you will soon have the opportunity to learn more about today's announcements in a meeting with your management team. Please do not hesitate to contact your manager or the Talent team if you have any questions or concerns. I would like to express my warmest appreciation to all those who will be leaving us in the next few days, for the road they have travelled with us and for their contribution. I'm convinced that, with these changes, we will be in a better position to face the challenges that lie ahead. By becoming ONE Cirque, we add collective strength to individual efforts, our actions become more focuses, and we equip ourselves with the means to react with greater agility to market dynamics. We become ONE team, where collaboration and sharing of best practices are the norm. And we come together around ONE common goal: to build a future for Cirque where our extraordinary and unique creative worlds reach out and touch even more people around the world. Thank you for being part of this adventure, Stéphane. * * * IMPORTANT CHANGE IN THE LEADERSHIP TO: All CDSEG Employees FROM: Marie Noëlle Gagnon, Chief Talent Officer DATE: April 1, 2025 Hello, I would like to inform you of important changes in the company's leadership. Following the most recent Board of Directors meeting. Stéphane Lefebvre accepted a mandate to assess new international value creation initiatives. As a result, he will step down from his position as President and Chief Executive Officer. Over the past nine years, Stéphane has played a pivotal role in Cirque's journey, serving successfully as Chief Financial Officer for six years, Chief Operating Officer, for one year, and CEO for three years. His leadership was instrumental in the company's successful relaunch following the pandemic. Under his guidance, we reintroduced over 30 shows and launched more than a dozen new creations, putting Cirque back on track after a complete shutdown. Alongside this impressive effort, he laid the groundwork for Cirque's long-term growth by initiating our digital transformation and exploring new formats and monetization strategies for our brand. He also spearheaded the company's global restructuring, introducing the One Cirque operating model to enhance collaboration and efficiency across the organization. He will remain involved through a transition period and will continue to serve on the Board of Directors for the next few months. To take over the direction of the company, the Board has invited Daniel Lamarre to return as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. With the foundation of our new structure in place, we have a clear plan for achieving our goals: focusing on our shows, driving operational excellence, increasing revenue, and optimizing profitability. Daniel, with the support of Nadine Collette, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, will also continue in his role as interim Chief Revenue Officer. For those of you who have recently joined Cirque, let me introduce you to Daniel: He served as President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil for over 20 years, from 2001 to 2021, before becoming Executive Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. Throughout these two decades, he led the company's transformation into the global entertainment icon it is today. He understands Cirque's operations inside and out and has remained involved in its business development strategy to this day. As the company grew and faced success and challenges, Daniel consistently sought to balance its overall strategy, financial stability, and the integrity of its culture and creative values. Please be assured that everything is set for a smooth transition. Daniel will address all employees this afternoon to provide further information about this change and the plan for the upcoming weeks. An invitation will follow shortly. Finally, I would like to personally express my gratitude to Stéphane for his unwavering dedication and human-centered leadership, and I invite you to join me in wishing him the very best for the next stage of his professional journey. Marie-Noëlle ---------------------------------------------------------- “Hawaii’s first CDS resident production opens in Waikiki" A Special Collection of Articles about 'AUANA ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil premiered ‘Auana, its groundbreaking first resident production in Hawai‘i, to a sold-out audience at the OUTRIGGER Waikīkī Beachcomber Hotel on Tuesday, December 17. A dazzling homage to Hawai‘i’s heritage and Cirque’s iconic artistry, the show combines breathtaking acrobatics, multimedia projections, and mo‘olelo (stories) inspired by the islands’ rich culture. Performances run Wednesday through Sunday at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., exclusively at the OUTRIGGER Theater. This monumental occasion was marked by a star-studded red-carpet event, where celebrities, cultural icons, and community leaders including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, James Beard Award-winning Chef Roy Yamaguchi, and Olympic gold medalist surfer Carissa Moore gathered to honor this innovative fusion of art and storytelling from the internationally renowned entertainment brand. The evening underscored the seamless synergy between Cirque du Soleil’s creative vision and OUTRIGGER’s deep-rooted commitment to preserving and sharing the aloha spirit. “I thought the show was brilliant, the performers were amazing, but what I really loved is that our Polynesian culture is at the forefront of something that pierces cultures like Cirque du Soleil,” said Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson. “I think it's rare when you have something that can span from beautiful storytelling, culture, song, comedy, humor – I loved it.” Rooted in Hawaiian history and mythology, ‘Auana takes audiences through eight visually stunning chapters with vivid, dreamlike scenes and daring acrobatic portrayals. The world premiere performance provided a transcendent experience for all in attendance, fusing traditional Hawaiian language, song and hula with rousing theatrics and acrobatic ability. “We're bringing together a generation that is no longer apologetic about who we are. We stand in our ‘ōlelo, we stand in our culture and we allow that culture to be in the firmament,” said Dr. Aaron J. Salā, cultural creative producer. “We're not seeking opportunities to find culture. It is in us. If we find opportunities to tell our stories using platforms like Cirque du Soleil that catapult our work to the mainstream, I feel very simply but very firmly that Hawai‘i can change the world.” Tickets for ‘Auana are available at www.cirquedusoleil.com/auana for performances starting at $85 inclusive of taxes and fees. Also available is the ‘Auana VIP Experience—a premium add-on for ticket holders. This exclusive package includes a 90-minute reception in a private open-air lounge at Maui Brewing Company Waikīkī, featuring a curated menu of Pacific Rim-inspired cuisine, ‘Auana-inspired cocktails and Maui Brewing’s locally-crafted beverages. VIP guests will also enjoy the unique opportunity to meet ‘Auana cast members, take photos and view exclusive behind-the-scenes content. Here are some other articles about 'AUANA... * * * 'AUANA SET TO OPEN IN WAIKIKI NOVEMBER 18, 2024 | SPECTRUM NEWS HAWAII Hawaii’s first Cirque du Soleil resident production, 'Auana, is opening Thursday at the Outrigger Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel’s 784- seat, newly renovated theater. Unlike Cirque du Soleil productions in Las Vegas, Orlando, New York, Berlin, Quebec, or those on tour, 'Auana is a “Hawaii-inspired production,” which includes hula dancers, along with the usual acrobats, comedians, musicians and singers. Spectrum News Hawaii attended a media preview Wednesday for the new Cirque du Soleil show, which included a panel discussion and two performances from ?Auana. The question that was never asked directly, but seemed to twirl about the panel discussion, was: Can an iconic contemporary circus company from Montreal create a show that is authentic to Hawaii or to Native Hawaiians? The production was certainly putting an effort towards achieving this authenticity by including a quartet of Native Hawaiian cultural advisors and artisans in the creative team: Cultural Creative Producer Aaron J. Sal?, Costume Designer Carrington Manaola Yap, Choreographer Kumu Hula Hiwa Vaughan, and Linguist R. Keao NeSmith. At Wednesday’s panel, they were joined on stage by Director Neil Dorward and Composer Evan Duffy. When asked about the name of the show, Sal? said the Hawaiian word 'auana means “to wander, to potentially veer off the beaten path.” Usually, he said, ‘auana is associated with “hula ‘auana,” which was a distinct departure from Kahiko, the traditional-style of hula, where “you would dance in a particular spot and not move too much. (Hula) ‘auana was the integration of modern Western instruments, the Western diatonic scale, and it allowed people to move across the stage.” “It offered us an opportunity to stay grounded in the world that is Hawaii, but to wander beyond what that journey looked like,” Sala continued. He described being influenced by the mo?olelo (stories) “of Waikiki, of Queen Emma, of our akua,” but said the goal was for their work to exist in the “that liminal threshold between reality and fantasy that is at the pole of the Cirque du Soleil brand.” Sal? said the meaning behind ‘auana was further represented by Yap’s circular design, which is incorporated into the stage lighting and adorns many costumes in the show, and emphasizes “that people can wander, but they have to come back.” Vaughan, the choreographer, described combining hula and the acrobatics of Cirque du Soleil as natural. “My effort in the choreography is to remain rooted, while allowing myself to be innovative,” she said. Duffy worked closely with everyone on the panel, especially NeSmith, the linguist, and other local artists, such as Taimane Gardner, an ukulele virtuoso, who performed on the soundtrack. “I got probably one of the most unique educations in Hawaiian music and culture, maybe that anybody has ever experienced,” he said. NeSmith developed the lyrics for the soundtrack, which are exclusively in Hawaiian. “Words are flowers on a lei, and they’re strung together, and they’re intended to embrace all of you who hear these chants with protection, with love. The intention is to transport you and me together to another level.” At the end of the panel, Sala said: “We all collectively come to the table knowing that Hawaii can absolutely heal the world, and attaching ourselves to a project like this, that brings us to the mainstream, is one step in the direction that we need in order to heal the world.” On Wednesday, two segments from ‘Auana were performed. “Golden age of tourism” included hula, acrobats who used their bodies to perform intricate flips, a juggler, an ukulele player, and a comedic ending involving balloons, while “Hina” was an homage to the moon goddess, represented with an aerial hoop act, a group of dancers and a singer. ?Auana performs Wednesday through Sunday at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The show is about 80 minutes with no intermission. Ticket prices vary from $69 to $195, depending on seat selection and performance day. Discounts are available for kama?aina, children, military members, and groups of 10 or more. * * * MEET 'AUANA'S MAMI OGIWARA DECEMBER 11, 2024 | MIDWEEK Mami Ogiwara was on track to pursue a more conventional career. Then Cirque du Soleil came to town. Medical school or the circus. That’s the choice Mami Ogiwara found herself contemplating last year. The former Miss Hawai‘i Volunteer had her heart set on becoming a pediatrician but worried she wouldn’t be able to afford medical school. For guidance, she turned to the woman who was like a second mother to her, kumu hula Hiwa Vaughan of H?lau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine. “She said, ‘Well, I know you’re going down this medical route, but don’t you think you would want to audition for Cirque du Soleil?’” Ogiwara recalls. It was the first she’d heard of the world-renowned theatrical production company recognized for its captivating combination of acrobatics, visual arts and music — so she set to googling and learned that hula auditions were being held for Cirque du Soleil’s first permanent Hawai‘i show, ‘Auana. “I saw what Cirque du Soleil really stood for and I really admired how they embraced culture and really unified so many countries through performing arts,” Ogiwara says. “So, I thought, ‘Well, I love to dance hula … why not?’” Great, she remembers Vaughan telling her, but she needed to turn in an audition tape by the next day. (Although Vaughan would go on to join ‘Auana’s creative team, she would not have the final say on which dancers made the cut.) Ogiwara scrambled to make the deadline. A day or two later, she received an invitation for an in-person audition. It seemed like a promising sign. But she still applied for medical school. ‘Auana means to wander off the beaten path: A leisurely stroll with no set destination, perhaps. Or, a drifting from reality into a daydream. It also suggests a surrender, an openness to letting life take you where it will. Months had passed since Ogiwara’s audition and she still hadn’t heard back. In the meantime, she continued to enjoy her job as a part-time hula teacher at Ma‘ema‘e Elementary School. Then she got a letter from University of Hawai‘i John A. Burns School of Medicine. She hadn’t been accepted. It was a disappointment, and she was still contemplating her next steps when an email from Cirque du Soleil landed in her inbox: an offer to join ‘Auana. “I was at work (when I got the news) and I dropped my phone,” Ogiwara says. “I was shaking and needed to excuse myself to go to the bathroom because I couldn’t believe the email that I was reading.” She remembers it as a time of redirection. Imagine an acrobat in mid-air, twirling past her partner’s outstretched arms. Soon enough, she’d be swept into a whirlwind of rehearsals (nine hours a day, six days a week for nearly eight months), makeup lessons and costume fittings. Like all of Cirque du Soleil’s productions, ‘Auana invites audiences to leave reality behind and immerse themselves in a world of fantasy. Viewers will be treated to the same exceptional stagecraft that Cirque is known for, but with stories centered on Native Hawaiian myths and culture. “So there will be a voyaging, there will be the story of Naupaka, there will be Pele, there will be a hint of the Golden Age, there will be Hina as well as Nalu and Mamala,” Ogiwara says. The 80-minute show will be broken up into eight chapters and Cirque du Soleil performers from around the world — acrobats, gymnasts, contortionists and balloonists — will help to bring the tales to life. They’ll be accompanied by a soundtrack featuring local artists. To ensure that the show is authentic, Cirque du Soleil brought on board a team of Native Hawaiian creatives. Vaughan, an award-winning kumu hula and one of only five women to have won Miss Keiki Hula and Merrie Monarch’s Miss Aloha Hula, is choreographer. Manaola Yap, the first Native Hawaiian to showcase Hawaiian culture and couture at New York Fashion Week, is costume design consultant. Keao NeSmith, who translated Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Little Prince and The Harry Potter series into Hawaiian, is linguist and lyricist. Aaron Sal?, who is president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau and collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma and Disney on the Hawaiian language rendition of Moana, is cultural creative producer. ‘Auana also describes a particular style of hula, a looser version that incorporates Western influences and allows for more creative freedom. “We have specific acrobats who have trained for this act (but) the hula will be integrated throughout the eight chapters,” Ogiwara says. “So, we will be specifically focused on how we can bring life to all of the acts through hula.” A hint of what to expect may have revealed itself in her audition. The Roosevelt High School graduate had been taking hula lessons since she was 4 years old, and by 2019 she was representing H?lau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine in the Miss Aloha Hula contest. She didn’t win in 2019, but she did capture the Miss Hawai‘i Volunteer title in 2021. So, she’s no stranger to performing. Still, she says the Cirque du Soleil audition took it to another level. It was held over two days. Dancers were split into small groups and told to chant and perform modern and traditional hula. They were even rated on their non-hula- related dance skills. “Me only having a hula background, I definitely struggled on the contemporary dance,” Ogiwara says. “But I just knew … I just had to do my best, give it my 100% and walk away with no regrets.” Although the hula dancers may take some creative license in ‘Auana, Ogiwara says the goal is to present something that is uplifting and respectful to Hawai‘i’s culture. “A lot of thought has gone into our hula,” she says. “While some of it may be more contemporary, it is rooted in the hula tradition.” To ensure a solid execution, she pushed herself physically, mentally and emotionally. “I definitely do run into challenging parts as we approach the premiere,” she says. “There’s a lot of rehearsals and adjustments, and because the hula dancers are integrated (into all of the chapters) there’s a lot expected of us. And, I did injure my hip at one point. I overstretched a muscle … so there were times when I did have to sit out rehearsals and that was challenging for me.” But it also taught her to pace herself and give herself grace. She says Vaughan has emphasized the importance of being in a good emotional state — because the audience will be able to sense that energy — and trusting one’s na‘au, or gut instinct. “For example, one of the cultural activities we did as a cast — and that we’ll be using in the finale of the show — is we individually chose our own gourd, or ipu (a percussion instrument that keeps the beat during hula). All of the cast members chose the gourd that was calling to them, so they were following their na‘au.” It’s a fitting metaphor for Ogiwara, who had been set on medical school when the universe, perhaps acting on its own na‘au, set her on a different path. Truth be told, Ogiwara says she still hasn’t ruled out a future in medicine. But for now, she’ll continue to trust in ‘auana and ‘Auana. * * * CIRQUE DU SOLEIL PREMIERES 'AUANA JANUARY 7, 2025 | THE PHOENIX NEWSPAPER Cirque du Soleil premiered ‘Auana, its groundbreaking first resident production in Hawai’i, to a sold-out audience at the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel on Tuesday, December 17. A dazzling homage to Hawai’i’s heritage and Cirque’s iconic artistry, the show combines breathtaking acrobatics, multimedia projections, and mo’olelo (stories) inspired by the islands’ rich culture. Performances run Wednesday through Sunday at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., exclusively at the OUTRIGGER Theater. This monumental occasion was marked by a star-studded red-carpet event, where celebrities, cultural icons, and community leaders including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, James Beard Award-winning Chef Roy Yamaguchi, and Olympic gold medallist surfer Carissa Moore gathered to honour this innovative fusion of art and storytelling from the internationally renowned entertainment brand. The evening underscored the seamless synergy between Cirque du Soleil’s creative vision and OUTRIGGER’s deep-rooted commitment to preserving and sharing the aloha spirit. “I thought the show was brilliant, the performers were amazing, but what I really loved is that our Polynesian culture is at the forefront of something that pierces cultures like Cirque du Soleil,” said Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson. “I think it’s rare when you have something that can span from beautiful storytelling, culture, song, comedy, humor – I loved it.” Rooted in Hawaiian history and mythology, ‘Auana takes audiences through eight visually stunning chapters with vivid, dreamlike scenes and daring acrobatic portrayals. The world premiere performance provided a transcendent experience for all in attendance, fusing traditional Hawaiian language, song and hula with rousing theatrics and acrobatic ability. “We’re bringing together a generation that is no longer apologetic about who we are,” said Dr. Aaron J. Sala, cultural creative producer. “We stand in our ‘?lelo, we stand in our culture, and we allow that culture to be in the firmament. We’re not seeking opportunities to find culture. “It is in us. If we find opportunities to tell our stories using platforms like Cirque du Soleil that catapult our work to the mainstream, I feel very simply but very firmly that Hawai’i can change the world.” * * * MEET ANA IVASEVA - 'AUANA'S WATER BOWL ARTIST JANUARY 30, 2025 | LARRY HEATH of THE AU REVIEW Anna Ivaseva brings her skills in the water bowl to Honolulu, something she’d previously shown off in the touring show Amaluna and Zumanity in Las Vegas (RIP). We spoke about the differences between touring with Cirque and performing with a residency. Q. How long have you been in Hawaii preparing for this production? Three months. Q. And before then where were you training? Las Vegas. That’s where we’re based my family and I had been based. Q. How’s the move been for you down here? It’s been challenging. It’s been amazing. We love Hawaii. We always dreamed of living by the ocean, my husband and I. But it was a lot, I’m not gonna lie. We had to move two cars. Two dogs. Rent a house. In Las Vegas where we lived, had to say goodbye to our community and friends of course. So it’s a mixture of feelings. But it’s been amazing. Q. The Water Bowl act we see in ‘Auana has its origins from your time in the Cirque’s touring production Amaluna. How did you come to be involved in this show, and talk me through the evolution of that act to what we see now in Honolulu? So I joined Cirque on 2013, in a show called Quidam as a Banquine Flyer. It’s like a big group act where they throw small girls around *laughs*. Then I always dreamed about being a soloist and I loved hand balancing. Um, when I joined Cirque, The Amaluna creation was actually happening, and I saw the Water Bowl on YouTube, and I was like, “wow”… but to me, it didn’t seem like an achievable goal, a dream. So I worked in Quidam for four years. Then I start training hand balancing, meanwhile. And then the show was closing in February 2016, and then Cirque was very generous to offer me a training contract to go back to the Kiev Circus School to switch the disciplines from being a flyer, to being a hand balancer. And so, I joined Amaluna a year later. It was a year of training and injury, but I did make it to Amaluna eventually. So it was a long journey. It was amazing, challenging, but super grateful. I met my husband while doing Quidam, and after touring for a while, we decided to settle down and start a family. And Vegas was the place to do that. So after two years in Amaluna, I transferred to Las Vegas to bring my act to (the residency) Zumanity. Then the pandemic happened, and baby happened. After that, I worked in a smaller production for almost three years. It was my first time working not working for Cirque. It was still hand balancing, but more of a cabaret show. Very different style, but it was very, very fun. And perfect for being a fresh Mum, the hours were perfect. Then I got an offer to ‘Auana. And when I saw the email, I was like, there’s no way they’ll take this blonde, white woman to the show about Hawaii. And I got a confirmation on my birthday. It was Sunday. I didn’t expect any emails. And it was Sunday and my parents were visiting from Russia. And I got an email that I got selected. It was amazing. Q. Is there an audition process that you go through, or because you’d already been part of Cirque…? Yeah, not quite, because it’s very specific and, I think given the history of my work and the shows I’ve done. Of course, I always upload new videos and try to upgrade my profile and make sure it’s up to date with the latest videos of my work. But no audition. I did audition like many years ago. Q. And how has the your act transformed for this show? Tell me about who you’re playing in the cast. I understand, for all the acts here, bringing in references to Hawaiian culture, has been at the forefront of this production. Yeah, absolutely. It’s been amazing to to work with the cultural team, and learn about Hawaiian history. We’ve done some things that were very meaningful for us. We did a kapu kai ceremony and went to Bishop Museum and talked a lot about history and I did my own work. But I think most of it came from our dressing room, the girls, the hula girls. They’ve been like, amazing and educating us about the culture and the traditions and they’re always open if we have any questions. And then yes, my character for ‘Auana is Mamala surf-rider, she’s a half lizard, half human. There’s a lot of information that is different, but when we went to Bishop Museum, our tour guide was referring to Mamala, who was a half shark and half woman. She’s a shape-shifter and she lives in the harbor. She protects the ocean, and she’s soft and kind and moves well. But then she’ll also be very angry if you weren’t nice to the ocean or to her. You don’t want to mess with Mother Nature. And that’s what I think about when when I perform the act, it helps me to get a character. It was a great process with our choreographer and the cultural team and the costume designer to come up with that version of Mamala. Q. The costumes, across all Cirque productions, are as impressive as the performers and the wizardry on the stage. How much work goes into getting into that costume each night? It’s a process. It’s beautiful. I love the design of it. It’s always challenging to find that balance of being respectful of keeping the integrity of the costume designer, but also making it comfortable for an acrobat to do what we have to do. Q. I’m guessing there’s many months of fittings and changes. It’s still in process. Yeah, it’s still in process of making it exact, to satisfy everyone. So, but it’s good. I have an amazing team of wardrobe that always helped me, you know. Q. Can you talk me through the day-to-day of a show like this? And how does it compare to what it was like when you took a Cirque show on the road? It’s hard to live out of suitcase on tour. You feel like you’re not living a real life. But it’s easier, because all you focus on is that show. On work. Maybe the days are a bit longer on tour. But you wake up. And you work. Then here (when you’re performing in a residency), you have life before you go and get to work. But it’s hard for me to compare because I on tour, I didn’t have a child. Now, I do have one and my days are very different. So by the time I get to work, I’m tired. It depends on the day, it depends if I had training on stage, how I’m feeling, or if it’s towards the end of the week, or beginning of the week. Either I come to work and I do some workout… or I don’t, I just get straight to the makeup and then I do a warm-up. And then between the (two nightly) shows, a little rest, snack. We’re training together with some people who wants to learn handstand. Or I’ll read a book. And then repeat, repeat it all over. Q. You’ve been on stage here now for a few weeks. How have you been enjoying the show? Not just being in it, but witnessing it as well? Yeah, I have. Especially during creation. Now the show, when it starts, it’s quite fast, at least for me. There’s not a lot of down time, but I watch on the screen. I think the music and dancers make the show. You know, acrobats are amazing. But that’s what makes a show. It’s my favourite. Q. I was told by the show’s director, Neil Dorward, how much attention was paid to the music… bringing the Hawaiian language into it. Yeah. The first time I heard the music, especially the opening scene, I was so embarrassed, I couldn’t stop crying. I was like, why? It got very emotional. I love the music, every single song. Q. I mean you’d spent months also learning about Hawaiian culture, so I can understand the power of that. Of course. And I still am learning. Q. Were you familiar with hula before you came here? No. Never. I mean, as soon as I signed the contract, me and my husband found YouTube videos. We started really learning. We were nervous coming coming here, we want to be respectful. We’re guests. And all of the hula dancers (in the show) are amazing. Q. As we’re about to experience the show for the first time ourselves tonight, what do you hope people take away from the show? Both on a whole and from your performance. I hope they become curious. If they’re not from Hawaii, just visiting. I hope they’re curious and maybe they later on they can research and be inspired to learn a little bit more. About the history and the culture. And I hope they can forget the problems of the day and like just disappear the magic world. Just watch and enjoy and maybe be inspired in different ways, you know? Q. Well, few do magic worlds better than Cirque. Thank you very much for your time. * * * MEET NEIL DORWARD - 'AUANA'S SHOW DIRECTOR FEBRUARY 6, 2025 | LARRY HEATH of THE AU REVIEW Neil is no stranger to Australian shores, having directed a number of shows that not only toured Australia, but premiered here, too. The Illusionists and Circus 1903 to name but a couple. He’s also behind the latest addition to Cirque’s presence in Las Vegas, Mad Apple. Neil and I sat down by the pool of the Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger, that hosts Cirque’s latest residency, to talk through his experiences in Australia, and how they blended Hawaiian culture with the magic Cirque du Soleil formula, to deliver the magnificent production that is ‘Auana. Q. What was the catalyst that brought Cirque du Soleil to develop a residency in Hawaii? Beachcomer and Cirque have been talking for a long time, probably a good five years, about bringing something here. And I met the team while I was creating Mad Apple. They came over to the opening of that (in 2022). Funnily enough, after Mad Apple, I came on vacation with my parents and my partner to Maui. And we have this balcony and we were looking over a L??au and I was like, “oh how interesting… if this show happens… I know nothing. I really know nothing.” And then straight after the vacation, they asked me if I could come over to Waikiki. So I came and met some of the team. I was introduced to Aaron Salah. Aaron was brought on very early as the cultural creative juice and we became great friends. He was one of the first people working on the show I met, alongside Sean Dee, who’s the chief commercial officer at Outrigger. And off we went, to make a show about Hawaii. So in my initial trip here, I went to go and see some different shows… we crammed a lot in a week, and Aaron just left me a load of books. Sent me home and said off you go! So I jumped in and started studying. Then a smaller team came back a few months later. We did a couple of weeks. We went to Bishop’s Museum here, which is fantastic. It like really gives you the depth of the culture and the history. And then I met Manaola (Carrington Manaola Yap), the costume designer, and Kumu Hula Hiwa Vaughan, the choreographer. So we just started soaking it up and asking questions. And to me, straight away, I saw that this show had to be for the community. For the Hawaiian people, first and foremost. Meeting the people here, they’re all amazing. They’re beautiful people. And it was important that that was at the forefront of the creation of the show. Q. And what was that kind of process like? Was it like almost a consultation process with the local communities? Yeah, there was a lot of community that helped, but it was with the main designers, the cultural creative team, I’d say. We all just kept asking questions. You can call Manaola the costume designer and Hiwa Vaughn the choreographer, but everything is so intertwined here. You can’t do hula dancing without the lyrics or the music. It was all so interwoven that I would meet them separately and then ask them together because there was different opinions, you know? And I thought, well, that’s also what the community is going to be like. So how do we get the balance? But Aaron was fantastic and went to the sacred text and shared the mo? olelo, which are stories. So he was sharing all these stories, but all the stories have ten different versions. It’s not like this is the story, because these are old, old stories that were never written down. It was communicated through hula. So then as we were listening to the stories, we were designing the theatre and what acrobatic props could fit into this small space. Q. You’re using an existing theatre – what is its history? And what changes were made to it? The theatre is old, Don Ho started there was Magic of the Polynesia. Bruno Mars started his career in that theater. So it’s got a lot of history. Magic of the Polynesia was there for 20 years, so I’d seen the theater but it was just nothing. It was just an empty shell. But the team at Cirque, they’re amazing and came and designed and looked into the room. And we wanted to make it feel sort of inclusive, so we brought a thrust stage out, not just a proscenium. And we wanted every seat to be really close up and connected. Because it’s a beautiful room, with 784 seats, and every seat is fantastic. And even for me now I go and sit somewhere else and I’m like, it’s a different experience. You see something different every time you see the show. So as I was doing that jigsaw, we were working on what acts would fit, and the backstage is tiny. If they show you a tour, you’ll be like, wow, they put all this in?! I mean, we used every cupboard and every nook and cranny for props and all sorts. So as we were looking at the acts, we were looking at the stories, and seeing how we could marry the two together. So it’s like a jigsaw, really, that we slowly put together. It was a full collaboration of the Hawaiian community and our creative team alongside the Cirque creators. Q. Was there anything that was easier than you expected, in terms of those jigsaw pieces falling into place? Some things stood out. There’s a beautiful story “Hina, the Goddess of the Moon” and it was like, okay, well this is Cirque du Soleil, I know Cirque acts. I knew what to do there. But then there were challenges like the opening scene. We wanted capture the spirit of migration arriving here in Hawaii. And there’s often different stories, who was here first? So we sort of did the general spirit of that… mainly more Tahitian. And then it was, how do we portray that scene in this space? So we created a voyaging swing act, themed around a Russian swing… but we we changed it up and turned it into this boat. Again, challenging in a small space. We did a month of training with the troop in Montreal, and that was more of a challenging one. And then the finale act, it used to be called The Wheel of Death, but we changed it to Wheel of Life here. And again, fitting all this stuff, all the equipment into the room. That was the biggest challenge. And then, as we learn the history and learning the mo?olelo’s and realizing these are all so different. We’re really doing the spirit of these stories. I call it a celebration of the spirit of Hawaii. It’s not a historical take, it’s just the essence of these amazing myths and tales and legends, which are our hero characters… our Cirque performers, who are from around the world. We took a long time choosing who would be the right people to tell the stories. And then combined with the amazing hula dancers. They’re so mesmerizing. When I arrived, I used to be a dancer back in the day, when I was young. And I didn’t know that hula was sign language, and that every movement means something like rain, and sunshine, and rainbows, and fish… all the things. So when I met the choreographer, they were singing in Hawaiian but she just came up to me and whispered in English. So I completely understood and was like, oh my goodness, like the world doesn’t know this. I mean, I’m sure lots of people did, but I didn’t, and I’m like this artform needs to be shared and explained in how amazing it is. And so I knew that the hula had to be the heartbeat of the show. And we’ve really interwoven the hula throughout. They’re like a lead character, the eight dancers. And each dancer also has their lead moment and they sort of represent the ancestors from Hawaii. So that was great. And then the music also was amazing, Evan Duffy worked with Keao NeSmith. So Evan did all the music, and sort of had where he thought the words could go, and then Keao NeSmith made the stories make sense in Hawaiian. And for tourists that come and see the show, they won’t understand. And we didn’t do subtitles. But it’s almost like a musical instrument. It’s a beautiful language and it feels like a rhythmic drum or an enchanting flute at times. But for the community, for them to have their the whole show in Hawaiian is I think of the leading things for the community to be happy with. I met The Rock who came to see the show, and he was well. Q. What about the timing with Moana 2 coming out? The biggest movie in the world leading into your opening! I know it’s incredible, and I think it’s because Hawaii is ready to share. They’re ready to share their amazing stories and art forms. And that’s why there are these companies like Cirque du Soleil and Disney that are helping share those stories. Q. Of course, you’ve got the Disney Resort, Aulani, just up the road. Yeah. Yeah, which is beautiful. It’s really a lovely hotel. It’s fantastic, they did a great job. You’ve got to go to the bar, it has all these wooden blocks, and there will be a carving, and it says in Hawaiian words what it is. So it’s important sharing that we can keep restoring the Hawaiian language. Because it was banned in schools and everything for a long time. So having that at the forefront was important to me. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, everybody knows that for being here in Hawaii, but I knew I wanted the whole show to be in Hawaiian. So we went and got it translated and we got approved to have it sung in Hawaiian, which was great. Q. Not only does it feel like you’re bringing in all these different elements of Hawaiian culture, but also some of the “greatest hits” of Cirque over the years as well. I’ve noted, too, that there are some performers who are bringing their skills from other Cirque shows (like Anna Ivaseva). So what is that casting process like? Are a lot of the performers found within the Cirque family, so to speak? Yes Cirque du Soleil have a big casting team in Montreal and Vegas. They put forward all the different options and start to have a list of some of the best performers. Anna, who does the water bowl act, she’s been in other productions. She’s beautiful and amazing. Q. And so how does an act like that adapt for a show like this? Well, we we meet with them before we even start rehearsals and we explain the storyline. And she went to Montreal to try the costume on and she’s playing “Mamala”, who is this water vixen who’s half lizard and half woman. So it takes a long time for an act like that, because it’s a highly skilled act. She’s in the water and then she’s doing amazing hand balancing. So you’ve gotta get the costume right and the flavour. And also trying to explain the Hawaiian side of Mamala’s story. So when they all arrived here, we had a crash course in Hawaiian culture. They all went to Bishop Museum. They all made their Ipu drums that they used in the finale. And there’s many things to ground them and feel the importance in the culture. But also we’re so honored to have their amazing skills, they’re all amazing. They’ve trained their whole lives, they’re world athletes. Q. I mean, it often astounds me that Canada doesn’t win more in the Olympics, when you look at the talent there. There’s something to be said for the residency and what that can do from a technical point of view. You’ve had the opportunity to tour productions around the world, I’m not sure if you’ve done that with Cirque specifically, but obviously with with other productions. But getting to sit and work on Mad Apple in Las Vegas. What did you learn from working on a residency in Vegas that you were able to to bring to this show? I think creating Mad Apple was a dream. The first Cirque du Soleil show I ever saw was (its predecessor) Zumanity. So when that opportunity happened with Mad Apple, it was a pinch yourself moment that you’re taking over that theater. And I loved Zumanity. So knew I had to do it justice. But as for what I learned from that… Mad Apple is now two and a half years old, so you learn more from an operational side. They have 10 shows a week. And the shows that I’ve done before have been six months of touring, but not something that’s got to run that many shows. So I learned a lot from that that I implemented into this show. The audience wouldn’t even know, but just keeping it going and keeping everybody supported and have back up acts. You know, cast sometimes need a day off. So just understanding that, and working backwards from that was important. And I think every time you do a show you learn more. Mad Apple was New York culture. So it was a good dive into that, but then this was so much more, this had so much more importance for the community. So I did take some of that learning. I went to New York and I’ve got lots of friends from New York, but I didn’t know as much about Hawaii. So I took that lesson and then really dove into this project. Full time, jumped in, and I now feel Hawaiian. I’ve been accepted into the community, which is amazing and an honour. They call a hula choreographer, a hula teacher, is called a Kumu Hula, and it means that they’ve gone through their graduation and that they have then to be honored. And I was very honored when we had the big international press interview and they said “Neil is a Kumu, he’s our Kumu”, which is amazing. Q. That has to be humbling, because that’s a tradition, it’s not something that’s just handed out to anybody. No, no. It is a an amazing experience and wherever I go now, I meet community and they’re just so thankful of the work that we did collectively. It’s not just me. It’s a been an amazing team and the whole Cirque du Soleil crew. I mean, everybody’s just been so invested and worked a hundred percent. And the show is just being received really well. So it’s been a great journey. Q. On that note, let’s talk about the reception so far. Obviously it’s been out for a couple of weeks now. Tickets are selling really well. And the community are reaching out and so thankful. We were honoured to have The Rock here for the opening, and he was just so thrilled with the show as well, and having his support is great. We support Moana as well, I love that movie and of course watched that. Hiwa Vaughan’s Kumu, her teacher, is 92 and she came to see the show. And we’ve done something very different with hula, it’s not traditional. Hula has been in its place. They they have the Merrie Monarch which is like the Olympics of hula and it’s every year and it’s all these hula schools from around the world. It’s really popular in Japan. There’s more hula dancers in Japan than anywhere. So she came to see the show and she just loved it. So that was really a lovely thing to hear because we have done something different. Hiwa Vaughn knows hula, but we tried to do something different interwoven. We changed how hula is, not the fundamentals, but just some of the movement and some of the shapes of it. So, it was nice that we’ve taken it into an ‘Auana, which means “to journey onto a different path”, and it’s been accepted. So things like that are just so nice to hear, that we’ve been respectful, while we’ve tried to do something different. Q. You’ve also had a long relationship with Australia. Some of your Productions have premiered there at the Sydney Opera House and and other amazing venues. And now this will be the closest Cirque residency, physically, to the Australian market. Talk me through your experiences in Australia and your connection to our market? I love Australia so much. I mean, normally I’m there at Christmas time, whether it’s been a premiere in Melbourne, or Sydney. So then I would normally be with my parents and my partner, we’d open the show and then we’d have a little down time of Christmas. So this is different for us being here, because it’s normally Australia and we love it there. My brother lives in Perth. But I try and go as much as I can. I’ve got a lot of great friends there. It’s just got the right balance, Australia, from where I’ve been around the world. I also equally love Hawaii now, but it’s just that vibe and it’s that the people are so nice and it’s just got a great way of life. So, every time we’ve opened a show there, I found that the Australian people are just so behind us. It’s a really great place for the arts and theater and everybody’s behind it, which I love. Q. And our own cirque tradition is kind of carried around the world as well now. Spiegelworld being such a force in Vegas as well. And that really felt like that sort of influenced the direction that Mad Apple went as well. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, everybody is inspired by everyone. I love Bob Fosse and taking things from him. So it’s lovely that there’s these amazing shows around the world and that people are still going to the theater, it’s important. There’s a lot of great performers, great producers, great things to share with the world. And this is another example of that something different. Yes, we know Cirque du Soleil, it’s 40 years old, but with ‘Auana, we have a new story to tell of Hawaii. * * * REVIEW: CIRQUE DU SOLEIL AUANA MARCH 21, 2025 | BROADWAY WORLD Like many locals, I avoid Waikiki like the plague. Too crowded, too little parking, too expensive, too many tourists, just too… much. As I was elbowing my way through packs of tourists in International Marketplace and out on to Kalākaua’s sidewalks, I will admit that I was not in the most receptive or enthusiastic state of mind when I finally arrived at the entrance to ‘Auana, located in the Outrigger Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel. But as soon as I entered the intimate 784- seat theatre, I was instantly transported to another time and place, like some sort of dream realm of a Hawai’i of yesteryear—distant, but not forgotten. With dim lighting, projections of a serene twilight ocean playing across the backdrop, and gentle guitar (and later, Hawaiian nose flute) melodies played by John Signore seated casually on the edge of the thrust stage, it was immediately clear that ‘Auana was not just going to be a unique show by Hawai’i standards, but by Cirque du Soleil standards as well. Like many locals, I avoid Waikiki like the plague. Too crowded, too little parking, too expensive, too many tourists, just too… much. As I was elbowing my way through packs of tourists in International Marketplace and out on to Kal?kaua’s sidewalks, I will admit that I was not in the most receptive or enthusiastic state of mind when I finally arrived at the entrance to ‘Auana, located in the Outrigger Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel. But as soon as I entered the intimate 784- seat theatre, I was instantly transported to another time and place, like some sort of dream realm of a Hawai’i of yesteryear—distant, but not forgotten. With dim lighting, projections of a serene twilight ocean playing across the backdrop, and gentle guitar (and later, Hawaiian nose flute) melodies played by John Signore seated casually on the edge of the thrust stage, it was immediately clear that ‘Auana was not just going to be a unique show by Hawai’i standards, but by Cirque du Soleil standards as well. ‘Auana, in short, defies description. I had my reservations back in 2024 when it was first announced that Cirque du Soleil was creating a brand-new show for and about Hawai’i. I have seen a good handful of Cirque du Soleil shows over the years, and while they are stunning and creative, I was curious to see how the pageantry and surrealistic style of Cirque could be blended with traditional Hawaiian culture in a way that wasn’t going to come off as performative (in all senses of the word) or, worse, as cultural appropriation. Though the lāhui has made great strides in terms of fighting for authentic representation in media since the cultural renaissance of the 1970s, there is still a long way to go, and I worried that a collaboration with the French Canadian circus behemoth would hinder more than help that purpose. I am delighted to report that my misgivings were almost entirely misplaced, and ‘Auana is nothing short of a joyous celebration of Hawai’i and Hawaiians in all our iterations: past and present, earthly and ethereal. Right off the bat, I was delighted (and relieved) to discover that a deliberate choice had been made to perform the entire show in ‘ōlelo hawai’i rather than the typical “Grommelot” or “Cirquish” gibberish common in most Cirque shows. This is the first time since the Mexican folklore-themed Luzia in 2016 that a single extent language has been used in a Cirque du Soleil show, and it was a delight to hear ko mākou alelo makuahine utilized to such a degree, despite (or perhaps because) the vast majority of the audience would likely only be understanding a word or two. Even the Maui-esque Trickster, Hawaii’s own Salvador Salangsang, spoke a mix of English and ‘ōlelo to his unsuspecting audience volunteers during a hysterical orchestration of the “Hawaii 5-0” theme. Mr. Salangsang’s performance throughout the show was clowning local style at its finest, and he seamlessly maneuvered between both the reverential and comedic facets of Maui’s stories, from using his legendary fish hook to pull down the sun and pull up the islands from the sea, to interspersing himself among both the performers and the audience. Clowning has always been a key element to any Cirque du Soleil show, and it was wonderful to see our homegrown trickster demigod fill that role in such a unique way. The featured acts throughout the show absolutely stunned with their artistry and athleticism, with each act corresponding to an aspect of Hawaiian history and culture. I found this integration of circus with Hawaiian culture was most effective in the sand painting act performed by Vira Syvorotkina. This segment fully gave me chickenskin, as Ms. Syvorotkina deftly told the creation story of Papa and Wākea, the sand in her hands transforming into our one hanau, to the tune of a stunning rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” sung beautifully in ‘ōlelo by local singer Christina Tollinchi Souza. I was also particularly impressed by the Rola Bola surf act by Cuban artist Keniel Rodriguez Mesa, in a daring display of balance and strength, beautifully echoing the feats of he’e nalu. The aerial lyra act by Lais Camila Gomes Da Silva’s as the moon goddess Hina was another standout, as was the nail-biting volcanic power of Jerson Valencia Garcia and Luis Cardona’s Wheel of Life act, clad in capes reminiscent of red ‘apapane and lehua blossoms. However, I was somewhat taken out of the world of ‘Auana by the rollerskating duo set to the mo’olelo of Naupaka and Kau’i. The act itself, performed by Scotland’s Christopher Tees and Ukraine’s Maryna Sakhokiia was breathtaking, and I was glad to see them costumed as the embodiment of the naupaka kahakai and naupaka kuahiwi rather than the kānaka they represent, but there was a disconnect for me in seeing an ancient Hawaiian story of doomed lovers told on something as modern as rollerskates. But truth be told, that was the only gripe I had, and it was a minor one at that. While the featured acts are truly spectacular, it is the ensemble of dancers who provide the lifeblood of ‘Auana. They are integrated throughout the show, performing multiple varieties of modern dance, hula kahiko, and hula ‘auana. Whether swinging silk poi balls to evoke the waves during the surfing act, becoming the moon-pulled tides during Hina’s lyra act, or simply lounging around the stage being entertained by a juggler (Thomas Janke) on the beach, they embodied all that Hawai’i is today: both modern and traditional, fluid, beautiful, yet firmly rooted. I was especially mesmerized by their contribution to the fiery Wheel of Life act, clad in pa’u made of dynamically designed strips of fabric reminiscent of kāpala-stamped kapa (incredible costume designs by Manaola Yap) as their song for Pele and the rhythms of their kālā’au beat in time to the death- defying act behind them. Under the direction of Kumu Hula Hiwa Vaughn and Cultural Creative Producer Dr. Aaron J. Salā, the beauty and agency given to these local artists transformed ‘Auana into a show that is both accessible to malihini and venerational to kānaka maoli, from the first strains of the ‘ohe hanu ihu to the spectacular ānuenue finale. Director Neil Dorward said of ‘Auana: “It is my hope that our audiences will be transported into a world where stories can live unconstrained by reality, honoring the land and the people of Hawai’i.” I believe this production has fully achieved that goal, and it is my hope that the echoes of the finale’s chorus “E ola ka lāhui/E hui i nā kūpuna” will reverberate through Waikiki and beyond for many moons to come. ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 25, Number 1 (Issue #229) - January/February/March 2025 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (C) 2001-2025 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or translated without the consent of the "Fascination! Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission (unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination! Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are Copyright (C) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil, Inc., All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. { Apr.06.2025 } =======================================================================