www.cirquefascination.com: Canada’s globally celebrated cultural icon, Cirque du Soleil, is bringing its special blend of stagecraft, thrilling acrobatic athleticism and colourful cultural pageantry to an original production created especially for the Opening Ceremony of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games.
The one-night-only performance, which will be broadcast to hundreds of millions of households throughout the Americas and Caribbean, will take place on July 10, 2015.
12 comments:
I love how opening ceremonies have become such huge platforms for grand, artistic creativity. It's so cool to think that hundreds of thousands of people will be watching this one-time-only performance. With this many people watching, however, the production is sure to be scrutinized and criticized by many very different people. It makes me wonder if the designers go thought an entirely different thought process when they know they have to appeal to such a diverse crowd. Or, do they go about designing in a fairly similar way, not worrying too much about the audience. Either way, it has to be a ton of pressure on everyone, designers, performers, musicians, and directors, to make the perfect show for so many people.
Just this last week in Directing class we were discussing the sports industry as a form of entertainment, and its comparisons to theatre. Ultimately, as theatre practitioners we can only dream of what it would be like to have an audience of 45,000 plus for a single show. Still, as demonstrated by this article, the two forms of entertainment need not be mutually exclusive. Ultimately, audiences are seeking a breathtaking moment, whether it be the final play or a show stopping number. Cirque will most certainly create this sense of spectacle in the opening number. I also appreciate that while Cirque has hit it big, they never lose sight of their mission or industry, both in involving local artists as well as their continued good-will and social awareness. I, for one, will be tuning in.
It is amazing to think about how "acrobatic athleticism" and design will come together for this one time show for such a diverse and huge crowd. Although, Cirque seems to already receive this kind of attention, it is usually for shows that already exist. I wonder what the process is to put together such a high caliber and technical show in less than a year. How quickly does the storyboarding go? How quick is the design process? how precise is tech-ing the show? These mysteries help create the magic of Cirque at least for me and I am definitely looking forward to the show.
I have never seen a cirque show live, but even the videos online are mesmerizing! I remember watching the audition process and it was insane. It's so amazing that the Pan Am Games is going to have them do an opening ceremony! It great to show the athleticism of these performers because they are amazing especially when a lot of people associate athletics with typical sports like track and field, swimming, etc. The design aspect of Cirque is just as incredible as the performances. The costumes are impeccable and have such amazing detail! They transform the performers and just make everything so mystically real! I would love to see this!!!!!
As far as opening ceremonies go, nothing beats the opening ceremonies of the 2008 summer olympics. The performance was so well organized and well rehearsed that it seemed to surpass the act of performing. I feel that Cirque has the ability to do this. The company is already so good and creating performances that follow interesting and well though out narratives that the application of their process to a large scale production should yield amazing results. I'll be interested to see how they end up designing the show and whether they decide to produce art for arts sake or if they create some sort of story that is globally important.
I think this is a really good idea all around. From a political standpoint, it seems like an excellent gathering for the countries in the Americas. SOmetimes, I feel like American's dont think about the other "western" countries as being real, excluding Canada and Mexico. This will allow this side of the globe a chance to reconnect. There isn't that much of a problem in Europe, because they're often referred to as on entity: Europe. The other way in which I think this is an excellent idea is that having Cirque perform at an opening ceremony that's anything like the Olympics will be spectacular. The article I think says it all: Cirque is amazing all of the time, think about how even more amazing they will be performing at such a large and special event.
It will be interesting to see if Cirque will hold auditions specifically for this, in order to include participation from performers who are members from the competing countries, apart from performers who may already be on their database. It would be a great opportunity for them to branch out further. Also an interesting tidbit is that the overall budget for TORONTO 2015 is approximately $1.4 billion CAD. The sporting industry is the way to head!
I think one of the best parts about Cirque's planned performance is the diversity of the performers and that it will include not only official Cirque performers but recruited artists and volunteers from the region. I think this speaks to the inclusiveness of the organization and shows that even though Cirque is a huge business now, it is still staying true to its mission and values. I was particularly impressed with the fact that the company has employees from 50 different countries who speak 25 languages. All of those different backgrounds and viewpoints coming together must give a special dimension to the collaboration to create a show that could not be obtained any other way.
This is awesome! I think this is great because competitive sport in this outlet is supposed to cultivate sportsmanship and celebrate diversity--two things that Cirque Du Soleil excels at. And the fact that it is going to be broadcast will make it accessible to people who have never had the opportunity to see (or the capacity to afford a ticket) a Cirque show--which is a remarkable gift. I second Jamila's curiosity regarding auditions. How are they going to do that? Cirque has an aesthetic with universal appeal that showcases a combination of artistries. Can't wait to see it!
I think this article as a whole kind of fell short. I love cirque and i was so excited to read this article to find out something about what they were planning for the opening ceremony, but basically this entire article can be summarized into its title. It doesnt really provide any info about whats being done or a creative concept, but instead just gives some background on the company and what they do as a whole, which for someone who is a fan of cirque like I am, is rather irrelevant to the reason why i decided to read the article. That all being said though, I am really excited to see what cirque comes up with when tasked with the challenge of creating a unique opening ceremony.
I have never had the opportunity to see a Cirque show live, but everything I have heard and seen online is amazing! The fact that they are doing something new only one time makes me expect this to be one of their best shows ever! Like what some others have said, I wonder how they will differtiate this show and how they plan to audition for it. I just wish I could go see it!
Im glad to see Cirque and the Pan Am Games partnering together. Cirque du Soleil's performances are always inspiring and can motivate people not only to love watching live entertainment, but also promote athleticism and art. I would love to be able to be there for the one time performance. Maybe I will have to work my way there or get my ticket now! Cirque is wonderful because it incorporates many different genres of performance into one show. I wonder how much will go into this show compared to the other productions they produce. It usually takes months and years to get a work into perfect shape. I hope that something more will come for both parties as the artists who will put this on will always give it their al!
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