ZAIA is Cirque Du Soleil’s resident show at the Venetian in Macau (SAR) China.
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.
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).
Sunday March 20, 2011 artists and techs from the Cirque Du Soleil shows ZAIA, KOOZA and ZED took a group photo on the ZAIA stage at the Venetian in Macau, China. We (the ZAIA crew) were happy to host them in Macau while they awaited updated reports on current events in Japan following the tsunami.
We think that this is the first time three different performing casts from Cirque shows have all been together and shared the stage. You can click on the image for a larger view.
Email question received:
Dear Conrad –
I enjoy your blog. It’s a great chance for outsiders to get an inside look at what it’s like to be in a Cirque production. I write because I recently posted a video on Cirque’s Facebook Casting page and have two questions with respect to the use of various flutes in ZAIA.
1. How many different flutes are used in your current production?
2. To your knowledge, are there other current Cirque shows that are scored
exclusively for the flute? (either concert flute or other world flutes)
Thanks for your time.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPueHkXkKkA
On Sunday March 20, 2011 the Cirque Du Soleil show ZAIA celebrated it’s 1,000th performance. The ZAIA cast had a big party at the Venetian casino in Macau along many of the artists and crew from the ZED and KOOZA shows. Here are some videos from Aomen (Macau) TV that I believe were released in December, 2010. It shows behind the scenes talks with a trapeze catcher and artistic director in the ZAIA show.
Hard to believe it’s been over three years since we began training in Montreal for the show. It’s been a very interesting time here in Macau, China!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Egp2NJNSs
Thank you to Beverly Crichfield from the Skagit Herald (Skagit County, WA – USA) for writing this article for the Thursday, March 10, 2011 edition. You can subscribe to the Skagit Herald and find local news at http://www.goskagit.com
The article talks about the years I did music and theater in Mount Vernon, WA and Skagit County, USA before moving to Macao, China with Cirque Du Soleil. You can click on the images to enlarge and read.
Below is front page of magazine insert.
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjQwMDU1MzYw.html
Cirque Du Soleil artists from the ZAIA show did a live television promo up in Hunan, China in late January 2011. It featured the acts of Straps, Skate and Hand to Hand.
I don’t know how to embed that link because it’s from a Chinese website – but it’s there if you’d like to watch it. I’ve been told that the spot was seen by several million viewers in mainland China.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn608_lamG0
A ZAIA fan has recorded their own rendition of the song NOI from the show, complete with photos from the Zaia theater performances and pics of the band. (Hey, I’m in those pics!). Chicago Rose who performs this song in the show with the cast says “I love it”. And I think it’s pretty darn cool too.