I am thrilled to be joining Cirque du Soleil’s show Varekai as bandleader and keyboardist on their world tour. The show has been on a world tour since 2002 and I will be joining them on the final legs in Europe and ending in the United States in 2017.
Macau, China – Just announced to the cast and crew of the Cirque Du Soleil show Zaia that it is closing in Macau and last performance date will be Feb 19, 2012. Official announcements are currently being made by Cirque publicly. Zaia opened as a resident show at the Venetian Macau resort and casino in September 2008.
ZED had it’s last performance December 31, 2011 at Tokyo Disneyland. I was lucky to travel to Tokyo in October 2011 to see this Cirque Du Soleil show and meet the artists and musicians. The show and music were so fantastic. Consensus is that this was one of Cirque’s best shows. It’s an artistic crime that it is closing. I mean it was fantastic beyond words. It had that Cirque “magic” through out.
There are always hopes with the fans that the show will resurrect somehow – but Cirque has redeployed many of the artists to other shows and the ZED theater was built for the show which makes it difficult to move somewhere else. Artistically I know in my heart that whatever happens the original magic of ZED will have to be a time capsule for the short time it ran – about 3 years. A new magic can continue but you can’t go back and recreate the same magic.
To the musicians, artistic team and cast of ZED I say what you already know: You created a one-of-a-kind masterpiece that you can always carry in your theatrical heart. You were part of something truly magical…
In this video the various Cirque Du Soleil shows say goodbye to ZED, including the show I work currently work on: ZAIA.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QVjreXFoJk
Barbara Walters interviews Cirque Du Soleil founder Guy LaLiberte.
“One of the things that makes billionaires successful is their reaction to failure.”
– Robert Frank, Wall Street Journal
That is such a great quote. Maybe not in the context of billionaires, but in the context that to be successful there is usually a lot of risks and with that comes occasional failure. It’s how we react and use those failures that can help propel us to each new chapter and goal.
Continue reading “Guy LaLiberte – From Street Performer to Billionaire”
Great interview with Danny Elfman on his music scoring of the Cirque Du Soleil show “IRIS” showing at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, CA.
Continue reading “Danny Elfman on scoring Cirque Du Soleil’s IRIS”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76mLvy5ZDK0
Cirque Du Soleil ZAIA Performance on China TV. This was a promo excerpt shot for Chinese television – it is not a live shot from the ZAIA theater in Macau.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hF8YZfz7j8
Cirque Du Soleil’s ZAIA show promotional video released September 2011. Zaia is the resident show that opened in August 2008 at the Venetian in Macau (SAR) China. Acts in the video include Straps, Trapeze, Hand to Hand, Gypsy, Skate, X Board, Aerial Bamboo, Lion Dance, Firedance and of course Zaia’s dragon. Music composed by Violaine Corradi.
August 28, 2011 was the 3rd anniversary of Cirque Du Soleil’s ZAIA show in Macau (SAR), China. Above is one of the new promotional posters. You can click it for a larger view.
Cirque Du Soleil ZAIA band
Maria Elena Medina (cello, viol), Olivier Milchberg (guitar, plucked strings, flutes), Gabriel Cloutier (singer), George Manz (key 2), Conrad Askland (bandleader, key 1, accordion), Rose Winebrenner (singer), Darrin Johnson (drums), Eduard Harutyunyan (percussion), Justin Wilman (violin, recorder).
Oriental Land Co., Ltd.
Cirque du Soleil Theatre Tokyo
“ZED” to Close
URAYASU, CHIBA—Oriental Land Co., Ltd. and Cirque du Soleil have reached anagreement to indefinitely close the Cirque du Soleil Theatre Tokyo, located in Tokyo Disney Resort®. Performances of ZED will end on December 31, 2011.
June 23, 2011 I had the experience of watching Cirque Du Soleil’s show VAREKAI in Manila, Philippines. I’m familiar with the music and had seen videos of the show but to watch it in person was electrifying.
My favorite parts were of course the music (another Violaine Corradi creation), the guy with the lightbulb on his head (you’d think since I work for Cirque I could look up the characters name) and the clown act with the spotlight (I’ve heard about that act for years, was fantastic to finally see it – very minimalistic and clever). Of course there were so many wonderful elements to the show I couldn’t possibly list them all. I’ll leave a professional reviewer to do that.
A big shout out to my friends and Varekai artists Isabelle Corradi (vocals) and Paul Bannerman (drums).
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2HBTxyz9uU