Thursday, September 05, 2013
The Technology Behind The Las Vegas Magic Of Cirque Du Soleil
Forbes: Some of us have been lucky enough to see a Cirque du Soleil performance at one of the great venues in Las Vegas, or anywhere else around the world. The drama textbooks will remind you that one experiences a “willful suspension of disbelief” when watching a dramatic performance. But, Cirque du Soleil can not be lassoed into any single artistic category. It’s an art form you have to live in at the moment. You carry with you a kind of evolving, artistic impression that is different every time you see a show like this. I spoke with Tom Wegis, the Operations Production Manager of The Beatles Love. We talked about his experience in orchestrating the various technical departments of the production, and how they create the signature magic of Cirque du Soleil on The Beatles Love night after night.
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13 comments:
This is incredible! Crique has for sure developed a reputation for having very tech heavy shows. I can't imagine what it must be like to run this show on a night to night basis. However, I think to be able to watch a performance from backstage will be as impressing (if not more) as the actual show. I've heard that everything is very choreographed backstage just like it would be on stage.
This looks like one of the most complicated Cirque shows I've ever seen. I wonder what it's like to sit in on tech for a production like this. Since the process is so long it seems like there wouldn't be as much time crunch, but I imagine the pressures would be the same as any other tech since there are so many chances for a performer to get hurt.
The article said that the entire projection system has already been replaced since the show opened in 2006. I wonder if Cirque ever has to go back into tech when doing something like replacing an entire system. There are Cirque shows that have been running for years. Has that technology ever been updated? And if so, how much work does it take to get the new equipment or interfaces integrated into the show? Just one more thing to consider when talking about a Cirque production.
Holy automation, Batman! I've seen videos and clips of the show but have never actually seen the full performance so I never fully understood the scope of the automation in this show. I find it interesting [deleted "the consideration"] that there is almost no room left on the stage to place props due to the sheer amount of moving and active real estate. Usually dancers have to remember and consider this so that no one trips over props and wrecks an ankle etc. I'd be interested in seeing the draftings that went with planning the scenic moves with prop transitions...AJ???
My other concern, with the numerous lifts and traps, is overcoming pinch points. The European production of Lord of the Rings had a similar extensive set of lifts with close to 0% of the stage not moving. I believe the show because there was no preventative facing on the side of the lifts and an actor was caught and had his leg trapped.
Cirque has always struck me as shows were there no boundary is set to the designers.
When people go to see a cirque show, they want to see "spectacular" and nowadays it's becoming harder and harder to amaze people.
I think cirque continues to push itself with crazier designs, more spectacular lighting, media, sets, music, and tech obviously.
I personally would love to work at Cirque. At least from this article, it seems like it's really a dream big and the "make it work" type place.
What do you say to something like that, it truly is a modern miracle. Must say that is incredible that in the company's 30 year history they have only had 1 death of a performer. My heart goes out to her family. Having only the chance to experience one show of Cirque it is truly amazing. The ability the human body has and what those people are able to do with the greatest tool ever given to man is god like mentally and physically. The ability to coordinate all of the tech and performers is breathtaking. We as people are not perfect but yet it seems like this group of people can a achieve perfection in a very small way for 2 hours every night. Stay safe and keep amazing the world.
After reading this article I have a new found respect for Cirque Du Soleil. The scope and artistry behind this show is really outstanding. Every few lines of this article contained some fact or other that totally rocked my world. The number of years that they have been working on these sorts of shows is giant, the amount of automation is huge, number of moving lights is crazy. The idea of having three speakers in every seat is beyond anything I could have thought of. Everything about this show is on a truly epic scale. The photos in this article show so much amazing art work and talented performers. I would love to see this show in person because it looks life changing. The video in the article was really nice, but I don't think it can do this size of a show any justice.
Cirque is amazing. This show sounds magical. I have never seen a Cirque show but from the videos I've watched on line, they're absolutely the best at what they do. I feel like if you make it to Cirque, you've made it. Not just as a performer and acrobat but the designers as well. Speaking with an interest in costumes, the costumes are beautiful and covered with small details that make each piece unique. I watched a documentary on the auditioning process to get into Cirque and the things people go through to be on their list just shows how each show is perfection.
The technology that they are using for the Beatles Love show seems intense! I don't know much about technology, lighting, etc. but I find it so cool how all of it comes together. The collaboration and outcomes just seems so exciting. I would like to think that one day I can be a part of something as majestic as Cirque du Soleil. The performers must really love what they do and it really shows in every performance, every time they put their life on the line to create this piece of art.
More and more we are seeing sets that are entirely automated, whether its Vegas or Broadway. I believe that because of this new change from a static set will create a new generation of designers that can think in more dimensions than their predecessors. Always we keep adding more and more axises and platforms for performance that the standard of what theatre scenery was known as is quickly being replaced by a more versitile and animated landscape.
Can i just point out how funny it is that a cirque show can be made based on practically ANY theme. There was one for some winter wonderland, bugs, Michael Jackson, and now the Beatles. Just wanted to point that out before I went any further. I absolutely love that this show looks to be just an amazing spectacle. Part of me likes the fact that these cirque shows are very much about showing off on everyone part, (the choreographers, dancers, and production team). I think there needs to be shows like this, but a show about the Beatles...I don't know...On a completely different note, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS BECAUSE IT LOOKS REALLY COOL AND PRETTY! And that would be my honest opinion.
142 axes? What?!?! This is incredible. I would love to see some draftings, and learn how they made this happen. I am completely blown away. I want to see the show even more now. what amazing to me is that this is the first show to be produced with canned music, and not live musicians. Instinctively, I would think that this narrows the gap for human error as well as room for flexibility and things to go wrong. But apparently the system they have has lots of room for flexibility, which I know from stories is exactly what cirque performers rely on in order to be successful....
This article and video brings back memories from when i saw LOVE a few years ago in Vegas! It was amazing, and probably my favorite CIrque shows. I remember thinking then how incredible it would be to dream up an entire world that audiences could get lost in for a couple of hours. Love certainly did exactly that, and also made me love everything about entertainment design. Its not just the actors on stage that immerse you into the show, but the lighting, set design, and sound. Each of these pieces make for an unforgettable experience that will want audiences wanting more!
Naturally, it is amazing how much work on both the technical and physical aspects goes into a Cirque du Soleil show. The massive budget and large scale are sure to wow anyone, and with this show in particular, that is no exception. The sheer responsibility for everyone involved in the show is so meticulous and it's amazing they have only experienced one on stage fatality in the 30 years that the company has been working. I admire their lack of boundaries in regards to the creative design and understand how such a high level of automation is used for the performances in order to achieve the feats they undertake.
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