Cirque du Soleil is well known for being the biggest contemporary circus company in the world. The Montreal-based company has been producing innovative, dazzling and astounding shows since 1984. Some of the shows have made their way over to New Zealand, including:
- Toruk – The First Flight, an uplifting show inspired by the hit movie Avatar
- Kooza, a colourful and exhilarating show that pays tribute to classic circuses
- Quidam, about a young girl who imagines a fanciful world to escape to
Hopefully some more exciting Cirque du Soleil shows will make their way over to New Zealand. In the meantime, here are some rather interesting facts about the company and its many enthralling shows.
1. Love
Love, a show, inspired by The Beatles, has been running at The Mirage in Las Vegas since 2 June, 2006. The theatre where the show is performed was specially built for it. What you may not realise is that this show has been running for longer than the Beatles were together. The band lasted ten years from 1960-70, but this show’s been going on for nearly twenty!
2. Performance Schedules and Details
Permanent shows, that is to say shows that are always performed in the same place, usually last up to an hour and a half and don’t have any intermissions. On the other hand, touring shows can last up to two and a half hours with one or more intermissions. Both types of shows typically have ten performances a week. ‘Dark days’ are days when a show doesn’t get performed (to give the cast a break). Permanent shows usually have two dark days a week, while touring shows may just have one.
3. Virtual Reality Circuses
Virtual reality is all the rage and Cirque du Soleil hasn’t escaped its clutches. The Paris-based company MK2, which specialises in virtual reality cinemas, worked with the company in 2018 to produce four of its shows for various VR headsets, such as Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift and more.
4. Extensive Training
To become a performer in a Cirque du Soleil show, you have to undergo a lot of training. Potential performers are scouted from all over the world and invited to attend a three-month training programme in Montreal. Here, people are put through their paces, though no one is guaranteed to get a contract by the end of it; only the best get a part in a show.
5. Olympian Circus Performers
Since the roles can require so much training, it should come as no surprise that many former Olympian athletes have worked as performers. In 2016, the company had roughly two dozen Olympians on its books in a range of roles. Among these were two medal winners.
6. A Very Diverse Troupe
Before COVID-19 struck and the live performance industry got hit hard, Cirque du Soleil employed approximately 4,900 people from 50 different countries. The company is truly international, launching shows, creating films and offering experiences in loads of cities around the world. In the last few years, it’s launched permanent shows in China, the USA, Germany and Mexico, as well as running events and experiences in places such as Malta, Saudi Arabia, Andorra, Russia and Italy, to name a few.
7. Huge Production Budgets
If you’ve ever seen a Cirque du Soleil show, you’ll know that these are professional, high-quality shows with exceptional production standards. These shows don’t come cheap. They cost a lot to produce and many of them have special theatres purpose-built for them, which also add to the budget. One of the best known shows, Ka, debuted in 2005 and had a total production cost of a whopping $165 million – $30 million went on getting the show developed, while the remaining $135 million went towards constructing the theatre (at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas).
Official preview of Ka
8. The Longest-Running Show
There are currently dozens of active Cirque du Soleil shows. The company’s longest-running one is Mystere, which has been played at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas since Christmas Day 1993. A major milestone was hit on 27 December 2014 when the 10,000th show was performed. Another long-running show is O, which is a water-themed show that can be seen by up to 3,600 people a day (two daily performances in a 1,800-capacity theatre at The Bellagio, another Vegas resort).
9. The Origin of the Name
The name ‘Cirque du Soleil’ translates from French as ‘Circus of the Sun’. Why does the company have its name? One of its co-founders, Guy Laliberte, was inspired to give the company its name when he was on a beach in Hawaii, since in many cultures the sun is regarded as a symbol of energy and youth, both of which are key themes of the Cirque du Soleil brand.