Everyone starts somewhere and for Cirque du Soleil, that start was on stilts. In comparison to their magical and mystifying performances now, stilts may not seem like much, but to a handful of performers in the 1980s city of Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec; these humble beginnings would change circuses as they were known.
Come see the show while you can. Tickets are available for both matiness and evening showtimes through December 15 at https://www.playhousesquare.org/events/detail/twas-the-night-before-by-cirque-du-soleil. Tickets start at $35.
Within BBHHS the significance of Cirque du Soleil has become an important part of Lilianna McElhaney’s very own French class.
“It’s impossible not to learn about Cirque du Soleil,” says McElhaney.
McElhaney has made Cirque a part of her French One class’s lesson plan, seeing it as an integral part of Quebec’s culture.
Jane Moss in Duke Today’s, “Cirque du Soleil: Quebec’s Gift to the World,” talks about the glowing pride of Quebec residents, describing how many “have observed the spectacular success of Cirque du Soleil with amazement and pride,” and after all, being home to one of the world’s largest and most appraised circuses is not something to keep quiet about.
The Voyage Magazine’s Camille Dubois discusses the many things that have led Cirque du Soleil to stand out from other circuses, alluding to the lack of animals in their death defying performances, audience participation, “outrageous costumes,” and more. All of this, with the ability to incorporate a detailed story line within each show, is truly inspirational to all creative minds.
BBHHS’s journalism and English teacher, Michelle Milanich, briefly describes the wonder that was revealed during the Cleveland show at Cleveland Playhouse Theaters. She discusses the story told of a girl going on a journey throughout her dreams to meet impressive characters who put her dreams to the test.
“You have to really understand the story, because every show has a story behind it,” McElhaney says. “You’re trying to figure it out you know, ‘What the heck is going on?”
These stories are large parts of each performance, allowing audience members to further immerse themselves within the story line, in addition to the multiple layers of audience interaction, making each audience member engrossed in what’s going on around them.
In Theatre Art Life’s article on the history of Cirque du Soleil, writer Liam Klenk debriefs on his own experience with Cirque du Soleil.
At the beginning of Klenk’s career, he was given the opportunity to contribute to a photo documentary of Circus Knie, who at this point joined with Cirque du Soleil to create “an enigmatic mix of traditional Circus and something revolutionary… a theatrical, dreamy, magical form of circus Swiss audiences had not known existed up until that moment.”
This opportunity was one Klenk thinks highly of, and makes note of the kind of atmosphere that one could only think up in their dreams.
“I would drink in the colorful costumes, the uplifting music, the gentle yet playful and powerful acrobatic performances,” says Klenk. “Every show I saw that month in Zurich was a huge success – and I went to see them all. Every single evening.”
And every single morning. Klenk could not wait to get back behind the scenes, barely taking time in the mornings to enjoy breakfast, never getting there fast enough. There are so many more practiced reasons for their success.
McElhaney takes note of the dedication of each performer, claiming, “They’re the best at what they do,” many performing difficult skills near the Olympic level.
“It’s also the idea of a family for them, the troop,” says McElhaney. “When they travel to perform, they feel like a family, and when they quit or retire, they really feel like they are exiting a family.”
Cirque du Soleil has been praised by those all over the world, making each show one to remember for each individual audience member, as well as each performer. Not easy to forget, Cirque is projected to continue coming out with surprises and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.
“It is the craziest, most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” says Milanich.
