Line #42 Creator/CirqueDuSoleil


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7	[[https://www.cirquedusoleil.com Cirque du Soleil]] (French for "Circus of the Sun") is a Montreal-based company. Initially mostly made up of street performers and/or acrobats, and organized by Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix, its first troupe toured in 1984 (as part of the 450th anniversary celebrations of the discovery of Canada by the French). It was successful enough that a second tour ran in 1986, and a third, [[Theatre/LeCirqueReinvente ''Le Cirque Réinventé'']] ("Circus Reinvented") the year after that.
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9	That particular troupe made a make-or-break visit to an arts festival in Los Angeles in 1987 and immediately became a sensation with its one-ring, animal-less format and a style more akin to European circuses than the Ringling Bros.-dominated format familiar to Americans. In essence, the Cirque aesthetic combines the theatrical, theme-driven concepts and characters of European shows with the focus on acrobatic skill of Asian circuses.
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11	More tours followed with increasingly ambitious themes, visual concepts, acts, and music (most of the shows have original scores) as more performers joined from other countries. 1992's ''Theatre/{{Saltimbanco}}'' is generally regarded as the first "modern" Cirque show. The following year, casino mogul Steve Wynn had a theatre custom-built at his new Treasure Island hotel-casino in UsefulNotes/LasVegas for Cirque, which became home to the troupe ''Theatre/{{Mystere}}''. The company's growth and development progressed to the point that, in TheNewTens, the number of troupes performing somewhere in the world at any given time was in the double digits. Each one is unique, changing acts and performers over time but sticking to an individual thematic/artistic core.
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13	Cirque is usually credited for reviving interest in circus entertainment in TheNineties, and from the TurnOfTheMillennium onward have also experimented in crossing the form over with other genres (JukeboxMusical, magic/illusion, concert, etc.).
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15	Touring troupes visit major cities worldwide for visits of a few weeks to a few months each, usually under a custom-built big top, Le Grand Chapiteau (usually in Cirque's signature colors of royal blue and sunshine yellow). With the sheer number of shows now touring, many older shows have been adapted for arenas, expanding the company's reach to mid-sized cities and shorter engagements.
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17	Cirque has made a variety of film and TV productions. Most are filmed performances of the touring shows, but original efforts derived from the shows and behind-the-scenes documentaries have become more common in TheNewTens. Several behind-the-scenes books have also been published, such as the 20th anniversary marker ''20 Years Under the Sun'', which helped flesh out this entry.
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19	In 2017, Music/BlueManGroup was brought under this company's umbrella, but their productions are considered separate from the Cirque shows. That same year, the company revamped its identity to be more modern, this coincided with the rebrand of the Cirque du Soleil corporation to Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. However the former name is used for CDS' circus arts productions. This was followed in 2018 by the acquisition of [=VStar=] Entertainment Group.
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21	In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social distancing, all ongoing productions were forced to stop performances that spring; this was what shut down ''Zumanity'' for good while ''NYSA'' (a Berlin resident show) was cancelled. Cirque launched ''[[https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/press/news/2020/cirqueconnect-a-weekly-virtual-rendezvous-of-wonder-for-all-ages-to-enjoy-at-home CirqueConnect]]'', a weekly online program showcasing their past performances. Content can be viewed on their website [[https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/cirqueconnect here]], or their [=YouTube=] channel [[https://www.youtube.com/c/CirqueduSoleil/playlists here]]. While ''X (The Land of Fantasy)'' reopened that summer, the company filed for bankruptcy in June, though they managed to remerge by selling the company to Catalyst Capital Group and successfully reopened most of their shows in 2021.
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23
24
25	[[folder:Shows]]
26	[[index]]
27	'''Retired Shows'''
28	* ''Le Grand Tour'' (1984-85)
29	* ''La Magie Continue'' (1986)
30	* ''Theatre/LeCirqueReinvente'' (1987-90, also 1992)
31	* ''Theatre/NouvelleExperience'' (1990-93)
32	* ''Theatre/{{Saltimbanco}}'' (1992-2012)
33	* ''Theatre/{{Fascination}}'' (1992 Japanese arena tour)
34	* ''Theatre/{{Quidam}}'' (1996-2016)
35	* ''Pomp Duck and Circumstance'' (1997; interactive dinner theater piece originated in Germany in 1990. Cirque co-produced Hamburg restaging)
36	* ''Theatre/LaNouba'' (1998-2017; Ride/WaltDisneyWorld, Lake Buena Vista, Florida)
37	* ''Theatre/{{Dralion}}'' (1999-2015)
38	* ''Theatre/{{Varekai}}'' (2002-17)
39	* ''Zumanity'' (2003-2020 Las Vegas, NV)
40	* ''Theatre/{{Delirium\|2006}}'' (2006-08 arena concert tour)
41	* ''Wintuk'' (2007-10; New York City seasonal production)
42	* ''ZAIA'' (2008-12; Macau, China)
43	* ''Theatre/{{Zed}}'' (2008-11; Tokyo Disneyland, Japan)
44	* ''Theatre/CrissAngelBelieve'' (2008-17, Las Vegas, NV; retooled/retitled ''Criss Angel Mindfreak Live!'' in 2016)
45	* ''Theatre/BananaShpeel'' (2010)
46	* ''TOTEM'' (2010-2020)
47	* ''Theatre/VivaElvis'' (2010-12, Las Vegas, NV)
48	* ''IRIS'' (2011-13, Los Angeles, CA)
49	* ''Theatre/MichaelJacksonTheIMMORTALWorldTour'' (2011-14 arena tour)
50	* ''Theatre/{{Zarkana}}'' (2011-12 tour, 2012-16 resident)
51	* ''Theatre/{{Amaluna}}'' (2012-20)
52	* ''Theatre/TorukTheFirstFlight'' (2015-19)
53	* ''Séptimo Día, No Descansaré'' (2017-18, Buenos Aires, Argentina; based on the music of the Argentinean [[NewWaveMusic new wave]] band Soda Stereo)
54	* ''Theatre/{{Volta}}'' (2017-2020)
55	* ''Axel'' (Arena ice show, 2019-2020)
56	* ''R.U.N'' (2019-20, Las Vegas, NV)
57
58	'''Tours'''
59	* ''Theatre/{{Alegria}}'' (1994-2013 original, 2018- restaging; page also has tropes for the 1998 film adaptation)
60	* ''Theatre/{{Corteo}}'' (2005-15 original production, 2018- restaging)
61	* ''Theatre/{{KOOZA}}'' (2007)
62	* ''Theatre/{{OVO}}'' (2009)
63	* ''[[Theatre/KuriosCabinetDesCuriosites Kurios -- Cabinet des Curiosités]]'' (2014)
64	* ''Theatre/{{Luzia}}'' (2016)
65	* ''Crystal'' (Arena ice show, 2017)
66	* ''Bazaar'' (2018; first tent show not to have its initial itinerary in Canada [rather, India])
67	* ''Messi 10'' (2019)
68
69	'''Las Vegas Resident (Non-touring) Shows'''
70	* ''Theatre/{{Mystere}}'' (1993)
71	* ''Theatre/{{O\|1998}}'' (1998)
72	* ''Theatre/{{KA}}'' (2005)
73	* ''Theatre/TheBeatlesLOVE'' (2006)
74	* ''Theatre/MichaelJacksonONE'' (2013)
75	* ''Mad Apple'' (2022)
76
77	'''Other Resident Shows'''
78	* ''Joya'' (2014, Riviera Maya, Mexico)
79	* ''Theatre/{{Paramour}}'' (2016-17, New York City, New York; 2019- Hamburg, Germany)
80	* ''X (The Land of Fantasy)'' (2019, Hangzhou, China)
81	* ''Drawn to Life'' (2021, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, FL)
82
83	'''Other Live Shows'''
84	* ''Les Chemins Invisibles'' (2009-13; five-year series of free, seasonal shows in Quebec City, themed around the "invisible people" outside of society)
85	* ''Twas the Night Before'' (2019 and 2021- seasonal theater tour)
86
87	'''Miscellaneous Productions''' (Film, TV, etc.)
88	* ''Film/CirqueDuSoleilJourneyOfMan'' (2000; 3D [=IMAX=] short)
89	* ''Fire Within'' (2002; documentary series chronicling the lives of ''Varekai'' performers)
90	* ''Solstrom'' (2003; 13-episode Widget Series/Variety Show hybrid)
91	* ''Film/CirqueDuSoleilWorldsAway'' (2012, 3D feature film)
92	* ''[[Theatre/TheWiz The Wiz Live!]]'' (2015, Creator/{{NBC}} telecast)
93	* ''Luna Petunia'' (2016; 11-episode animated series)
94	[[/index]]
95	[[/folder]]
96	----
97	!!Common tropes in this company's work include:
98	* AllThereInTheManual: The themes, plots, and significance of various characters of many of the shows are not openly spelled out ''in'' the shows, but in souvenir programs and at the official website.
99	* AmbiguousGender: Many of the costumes and makeup evoke this on purpose to make the performers/characters seem more androgynous.
100	* AudienceParticipation: Most of the shows have this to some extent.
101	* AwardsShow
102	** In 2002, cast members from various troupes [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7_O6l8YwDI performed]] at the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s to introduce (naturally) the [[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome Best Visual Effects]] category.
103	** In 2008, the cast of ''Theatre/TheBeatlesLOVE'' teamed up with the cast of ''Film/AcrossTheUniverse2007'' for the Grammys' tribute to Music/TheBeatles and/or Music/JohnLennon.
104	** The cast of ''IRIS'', Cirque's show about the history of cinema, performed at the 84th Academy Awards in 2012. (This was easy to do, since the show's home base was the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars are held; the show was commissioned to occupy the theater the rest of the year.)
105	* CashCowFranchise: As an example, ''Saltimbanco'' was retired from the lineup after the initial tour ended in 1997, but revived the following year and performed until 2012. Guy Laliberté made enough money from this enterprise that he paid the Russians to let him go into space in 2009.
106	* ClockPunk: ''KURIOS.''
107	* CommediaDellArte/ {{Pantomime}}: The legacy of the Commedia (and the related Harlequinade) essentially form the beating heart of their entire ethos. You don't have to scratch their stories, scenarios or characters too hard to find a very familiar set of patterns and themes.
108	* CostumePorn: The book brought out to mark the company's 25th anniversary was about the costumes of all the shows over the years, which should tell you how much this trope applies to them.
109	* CutSong: When old acts/transitions go, so do their songs, so many a soundtrack (usually recorded within a year or two of the opening) has a fair amount of material that's no longer in the show.
110	* TheDanza: Most clowns and sometimes serious characters, though the latter are less likely to retain the name after their original performer/namesake leaves.
111	* DisneyOwnsThisTrope: The company tried suing a FollowTheLeader rival for using the word ''cirque'', which is just the French word for ''circus''. It didn't work.
112	* DownerEnding: While the shows typically have happy endings, only occasionally presenting bittersweet ones, the TV series ''Solstrom'' has a few episodes that end with downers. "Wind of Freedom" is an example: [[spoiler: the convict who's the viewpoint character is the only one who doesn't escape the prison and thus he never sees his sweetheart again]].
113	* TheEveryman: If the show has a central character, there's a good chance (s)he will be this.
114	** Better yet: [[BilingualBonus In French]], ''Quidam'' means more or less "everyman", and the protagonist eventually concludes he is really "every man", "any man".
115	* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: The Firefly Boy in ''KA'' is a particularly obvious example, but to quote a comment from the trope itself, "27.84% of ''every'' Cirque show is glitter."
116	* FollowTheLeader: Imitations of this company's style exist, such as the output of the U.S.-based Cirque Productions (unsuccessfully sued for using "Cirque" in its name). Can qualify as TheMockbuster when one considers that these shows usually travel to places that don't usually, if ever, get actual Cirque tours...
117	* HotterAndSexier: ''Zumanity'', the adults-only show.
118	* ImpracticallyFancyOutfit: '''Averted.''' No matter how elaborate a costume is, it is designed for maximum functionality and safety for its wearer's act. Cirque is a pioneer in ''Practically'' Fancy Outfits.
119	* JukeboxMusical: ''LOVE'', ''Viva Elvis'', and the two Music/MichaelJackson projects are all variants on this genre: the original recordings of the performer(s) in question are used and visually interpreted by the troupe through acrobatics and dance.
120	* LetThereBeSnow: ''Wintuk'' revolved around a boy's quest to invoke this trope when winter arrives in his city but without the usual snow.
121	* LighterAndSofter: ''Wintuk'', to the point that it was accused of being dumbed down for families.
122	* LongRunners: ''Alegria'', ''Quidam'', ''La Nouba'', ''Dralion'', ''Varekai'', ''Zumanity'', ''KA'', ''Corteo'', and ''LOVE'' passed the 10-year mark, while ''Saltimbanco'' performed off-and-on (mostly on) for a little over 20 years. ''"O"'' launched in 1998 and is still performing, and ''Mystere'' has been running nonstop since 1993.
123	* MagicalLand: Most of the shows take place in a version of this.
124	* MonsterClown: Villainous/enigmatic characters can invoke the visuals and behavior associated with this trope (i.e. Fleur in ''Alegria'').
125	* NoFourthWall: Most of the shows have this; usually key to the clown acts.
126	* NonIronicClown: This company is one of the great employers of true clowns.
127	* OpeningBallet: Many shows open this way to introduce the major and minor characters, as well as the setting.
128	* RealityTV: The development of ''Varekai'' was the basis for the documentary series ''Fire Within''.
129	* {{Retool}}: As noted above, acts and performers change with time, but some shows have been severely revamped for other reasons: to make them LighterAndSofter, to give the audience more of what they expect going in (''Criss Angel Believe'' dropped its acrobatics in favor of more magic tricks), etc.
130	* TheRival: In the U.S., the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, especially once Cirque put its older shows on the arena tour circuit (while Ringling attempted a Cirque-style tent tour with ''Barnum's Kaleidoscape'' in 1999-2000). Ringling Bros., which almost always performed in arenas, was the epitome of traditional circus and used animals, something Cirque eschews with the exception of doves in ''Believe''. Ringling presented three different tours that were each revamped with a new "edition" every one-to-two years, as opposed to Cirque shows being unique, stand-alone productions that can run indefinitely. Ringling permanently shut down in 2017 due to waning audience interest.
131	* SceneryPorn: The resident shows are crazy about this; the tours are pretty too in smaller-scale ways.
132	* SetSwitchSong: Often used for transitions from one act to another, especially when equipment has to be set up and/or taken down.
133	* TheShowMustGoOn:
134	** Despite horrible critical reception, shows such as ''Criss Angel Believe'' and ''Banana Shpeel'' continued to perform -- the latter, after being burnt by the press in its Chicago tryout, went through its ''second'' retool to go on to New York as planned and after ''that'' was unsuccessful, attempted a North American tour. Only its poor reception in Toronto, its first stop, brought the show to an end. As for ''Believe'', it had a substantial {{Retool}} that dropped most of the Cirque-based elements, eventually being rebranded as ''Mindfreak Live!'', and saw out its ten-year contract with the hotel before closing.
135	** On the other hand, from day to day this trope is averted -- despite the general consensus that the circus will go on stage no matter what the circumstances, Cirque stops its shows if there is an accident involving technology or their personnel. After the fatal fall suffered by a ''Theatre/{{KA}}'' performer on June 29, 2013, not only was the show stopped, but all performances of it were cancelled for several weeks before reopening with the disastrous act in question excised. The scene was later readded, albeit with all the performers ''projected'' on the wall, until the end of 2014 when it was formally restored to its original staging.
136	** Unfortunately, this trope became averted in 2020 with the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic forcing the company to close ''all'' of their shows worldwide. They later filed for bankruptcy protection and laid off 3,500 staff members as a result.
137	* SilenceIsGolden: Many of the shows keep to this tenet.
138	* SingingSimlish: The majority of original Cirque songs use this if they're not going for BilingualBonus, although ''Amaluna'''s soundtrack album has English versions of the songs "Come Together", "Hope", "Burn Me Up", and "Run".
139	* {{Slapstick}}: Whenever the clowns appear, this is bound to be part of their schtick in the great traditions of both circus and clowning.
140	* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: At worst, Cirque shows take place in worlds where you can and must EarnYourHappyEnding. At best, life is ''incredibly'' hopeful and beautiful.
141	* SlidingScaleOfVisualsVersusDialogue: Firmly on the visual side.
142	* SmallReferencePools: Not everyone in the company is French-Canadian or French, but you'd never know it from the jokes and spoofs tossed around, which also overlap with ShallowParody and RedundantParody in that very, very few mockeries acknowledge that the shows have a sense of humor, instead presenting them as strictly parades of pretentiousness.
143	* SpeakingSimlish: "Cirquish", the fans call it. Also appears in songs.
144	* SpectacularSpinning: Most shows have at least one act that invokes this trope; common ones include aerial hoop, (hula-style) hoops and/or manipulation, bolas, Chinese meteors, and German wheel.
145	* TheStinger: The TV series ''Solstrom'' has one of these at the end of every episode, followed by the scientist looking into the camera and saying "You want some more?"
146	* TarotMotifs: ''[=ZED=]'' was based around these.
147	* TricksterArchetype: Most of the shows have at least one variety of this as a character (possibly one of the clowns), to the point that a key character in ''KOOZA'' is ''named'' Trickster.
148	* UnderTheSea: ''"O"'' is a pun on the French word for water, ''eau'', but to truly see (or sea) this trope in action, there's the "Deep" sequence in ''KA'', the "Octopus's Garden" number in ''LOVE'', "Bridge of Sorrow" in ''Delirium'', and the "water bowl" in ''Zumanity'' and ''Amaluna''.
149	* VarietyShow: ''Zumanity'' and ''Banana Shpeel'' are presented in this style (as deliberate throwbacks to cabaret and vaudeville, respectively).
150	* WalkingShirtlessScene: A good number of the male performers, though it's hardly surprising considering their physiques.
151	* WorldOfHam: As circuses tend to be hammy by design, most Cirque shows take place in one. (''Quidam'' is the most obvious exception to the rule.)

Context Creator / CirqueDuSoleil