Cirque du Soleil’s Alegria
something unique and unlike any other show… I think all the shows of Cirque du Soleil are different because they have different story lines, different costume designers, and artists. Everything is different in each show and unique in its own way. And each person working in each show is what puts it all together in a cohesive manner.
“Everything from the choreography to the make-up to the costumes to the music, it all plays an important role in making the show a whole. And you recognize it as Cirque du Soleil because of these.”
One of the elements that is featured heavily in any Cirque du Soleil show is the music. Composer Rene Dupere, who wrote the music for Alegria, has also been involved with several other productions with the company, and has received much acclaim for his work therein. But the musical accompaniment of Alegria is particularly haunting and awe-inspiring.
“The music is basically composed for every show,” Martens says. “And it supports all the acts in a basic way while still coming across as spectacular. We have a live band and live singers who perform each night, and anything live is so much different than something recorded… And in this case, it is beautiful music working together with wonderful demonstrations.”
The particularly lovely set of pieces of music that accompany the Alegria show are also available on CD, as most of the Cirque du Soleil productions are. A mix of operatic arias, jazzy undertones, and exotic influences, the music of Alegria is itself striking art.
As Alegria travels the North American continent bringing more audiences its breathtaking marvels night after night, it is the physical moving that is perhaps the biggest hardship for the production. It takes 50 48-foot trucks hauling 1,000 tons of equipment to get the whole show up and running in a new city. Total site set-up for Alegria takes an astounding eight days, and teardown takes three days.
Accompanying the tour are two physiotherapists, four chefs, four teachers, and a large office and technical staff. And though the Alegria village boasts such amenities as self-sufficient electrical power, an artistic tent, a school, a kitchen, warehouses, a box office, and the big top, it is an amazing feat in itself that such a production could ever get off the ground, so to speak. Yet it does, performance after performance, thanks to the astounding drive of all those involved.
“Every show is a work in progress,” Martens says. “Yet with Alegria, it always seems to work out quite beautifully. And the dynamics of it all come together to create a one-of-a-kind experience that most people never forget.”
For information, contact Cirque du Soleil at 800/678-2119; www.cirquedusoleil.com.