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.

http://nomoreofeverything.blogspot.com/2012/02/zai-jian-zaia-end-of-era.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204369404577208891919881180.html

http://www.macaubusiness.com/news/zaia%E2%80%99s-last-show-next-week/13935/#.TzFEzyk1-Es.facebook

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.

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).

ZAIA 3rd anniversary cast photo.

September 2, 2011 – ZAIA artists that have been with the show since creation.

Danielle Ricciardi as Zaia.

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?

Thanks for your time.

For the ZAIA music we have used many different wind instruments. When a new player comes in we work with their primary instrument they were hired for; then we also explore possibilities with other instruments they play. So the instrumentation can evolve over time depending on the different skills and motivations of the individual player as well as evolving music requirements for the show.

One of the primary instruments in the past for ZAIA has been the recorder family. At one point we even had a contrabass recorder in the show. We also occasionally use ethnic instruments like the kaval or electronic woodwinds like the EWI. There’s even a melodica played at some points in the show. We did have one point where a regular concert flute was used in the show for a short time.

I’ve seen 10 of the various Cirque Du Soleil shows live and to my recollection there is often a woodwind in the mix but not usually a traditional concert flute. Usually it’s something from the early music family or an ethnic instrument.

Many of the Cirque shows can evolve their orchestration depending on the direction of the artistic director and composer.

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.

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.

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.

Zaia is a resident Cirque Du Soleil show performing at the Venetian casino in Macau, China which opened in July 2008.

Video Description:

This is a recording of me singing Noi by Violaine Corradi. the piece is from show Zaia of cirque du soleil.