Castles Made of Sand
Music, Lyrics and Vocals by Karin Maria Andersson
Guitar and video by Olivier Milchberg
Macau (SAR) China, January 2010

This video has clips from the Cirque Du Soleil artists of ZAIA starting in Montreal, Canada from January 2008 during training (and lots of snow!) to late 2009 backstage, and during rehearsals for the show at the Venetian in Macau (SAR) China.

For us in the show the video is extremely emotional. Some of the people in this video are no longer with us in Macau. The time of ZAIA is one that all of us will remember and many of us will cherish. The experiences we had in China for many of us were not what we expected – they were experiences and adventures we could have never imagined; many good and some painful for each of us.

I normally don’t get seen in videos or promo photos – so thank you to Olivier for getting me in there several times. Fun to see the musicians and how all of our looks changed from the beginning in Montreal to the journey in China. As our composer told us: “You all look more shiny.” I would agree. Cirque and China have allowed us to shine.

I think this video will give a sense of closure to many of us for a slice of time we spent together – a “castle made of sand”.

I am personally moved by the video in a way beyond words. Thank you to Maria and Olivier for this truly precious gift of song….

*Update: A new audio version of this song:

https://www.last.fm/music/Feather+And+Down/_/Castles+Made+of+Sand

And a note from Olivier on this video:

CASTLES MADE OF SAND
LYRICS

I didn’t know what was waiting
I didn’t know a single thing
Just knew I had to take this chance
But no clue all it would bring
But I knew why I was here
Boy I would sing

And I sang til I was bleeding
As I open up my heart
And my voice filled up the theater
And you were there from the start
To fill every inch with magic

So take me by the hand

All the days we’ve spent together
Were castles made of sand
And the waves came and joined us forever
In the big sea

You’ve been there all the time next to me

You were there through joy and sorrow
You were there with laughs and tears
And we built a dream together
Something beautiful and new
Something shinier than ever
And right here

So take me by the hand
All the days we’ve spent together
Were castles made of sand
And the waves came and joined us forever
in the big sea

You’ve been there all this time next to me

So take me by the hand

All the days we spent together
Were castles made of sand
And the waves came and joined us forever
In the South China Sea

You’ve been there all this time
Next to me….

The Videocon IIFA 2009 awards will be televised from the Venetian Macau June 11-13, 2009. This award for the Indian film industry is popularly called the “Bollywood Awards”. Artists from Cirque Du Soleil’s ZAIA show will perform during the ceremony. I am told these awards are televised to 300-500 million people worldwide.

Yes, this is a pretty big deal. I don’t know when the ceremonies are aired in the USA but I’ll add info to this post if I find out before the airing. We’ll have extra shows of Cirque Du Soleil’s ZAIA for attendees of the event – and you can bet that the artists are working VERY hard right now to prepare for this presentation, in addition to their regular show schedule.

And did you know Cirque Du Soleil’s 25th Anniversary is the middle of June 2009? Things are jumping at the Venetian Macau in June!

Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan visits Macau to announce that the Indian film industry’s leading global awards will be held at The Venetian this year. 

The superstar of Indian cinema Amitabh Bachchan led a contingent which on Friday announced that the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) will hold its annual awards ceremony at The Venetian in Macau in June.

Gondoliers of the Venetian in Macau (SAR) China, March 2009. You can take a ride with them and be serenaded on the second floor of the Venetian by the retail shops.

“11,000 To Lose Casino Jobs in Macau” – front page featured news at CNN.com today. They are referring specifically to the Sands Venetian.

Well now, not the best news for us working at the Venetian in Macau – but insiders have known it was coming. The dream to make Macau the Vegas of Asia does not come without an element of risk. Granted, Macau IS currently the largest gambling destination in the world, having already surpassed Las Vegas. But a 12 billion or so development project (just to START) by the Sands is monstrous.

There are things I can say and things I can’t say. But about the mood of us over here working at the Venetian? Some are a little nervous wondering what the future brings, and others see ourselves as pioneers like the old Wild West. Not everyone made it in those wagon trains…

Me? I’m of the pioneer mindset. I follow paths to see where they lead. Sometimes it’s fun to do that, sometimes it’s not. But I can’t live without knowing which it is – so I’m in.

I believe in the vision of Adelson – and I think he will stop at nothing to see it through. And I believe in the vision of Cirque Du Soleil. I don’t mind bumps in the road – it tells me I’m still above ground…

CNN Article:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/11/13/macaus.sands.ap/index.html

EXCERPT:

The Macau sites, which have cost $1.16 billion so far, are part of the company’s $13 billion master plan in Cotai. Sands is trying to arrange between $1.5 billion and $2 billion in financing to continue building in Macau, but Weaver said it’s not clear how long that will take or when construction might resume, though he’s confident it will.

“We’ve got $1.2 billion sunk in to the ground, we’re not going to walk away from it,” he said. “I think there’s no possibility that it’s never going to start again.”

Weaver wouldn’t rule out further layoffs in Macau.

“We can’t promise that there won’t be people that ultimately are laid off,” he said. “But at this point no decision has been made.”

Here is my personal “Conrad update” post that I’ll keep stickied on the top of my blog until our Cirque show opens. Click the “Read the rest of this entry” link to read current status, or the rest of the blog for tidbits on our new Cirque Du Soleil adventure in Macau, China. Sorry, no details posted about the show until after Grand Opening.

For my Cirque and Macau friends here is a link for Macau Real Time Typhoon Status:
http://www.smg.gov.mo/e_index.php

Purchase ZAIA Tickets Online

2008

• Starting September 2008 – Running shows
• August 29 – Grand Opening!
• July 26 – Soft opening of show and grand Cirque party!
• July 25 – Official Dress Rehearsal
• July 13 – Second “Lion’s Den” with Guy LaLiberte. Friends and family only.
• July 6 – First “Lion’s Den” with Guy LaLiberte. Friends and family only.
• May 29 – Press conference and live performance excerpts for media. Name of our show is ZAIA. Read my post at Cirque Du Soleil ZAIA and also visit the Official Cirque Du Soleil ZAIA page.
• April 14 – Rehearsals resume in China at the new theater in the Sands Venetian.
• March 23 (Easter) – Whole troupe flies to Macau China! First three weeks we have off to find apartments and get settled. Then it’s serious rehearsal time to get the show on it’s feet.
• January 26 – Arrived in Montreal, Canada at Cirque Du Soleil headquarters to begin rehearsals for the “Macau I” show to open at the Sands Venetian in Macau, China fall of 2008.
• January 5 – Departure delayed three weeks.

ZAIA PRESS CONFERENCE – May 29, 2008 from Macau, China

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpYMbFbSlKY

ZAIA OFFICIAL CIRQUE DU SOLEIL TRAILER

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IquF826T2M

DESTINATION MACAU VIDEO REPORT – ZAIA

httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=BQ0lDbLBhkg

05/30/08 – Hong Kong Daily Apple newspaper article and photo
(Click for full size)

FAVORITE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE:

Let Me Fall – bungee from Saltimbanco
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=aOhb7uc8IGU
Cirque Du Soleil “Bungee” from the Saltimbanco spectacular, performed to Josh Groban’s collaboration for Cirque, “Let Me Fall” By Me. This is my favorite CDS video.
The Let Me Fall video captures to me the intangible beauty that Cirque Du Soleil is all about.

Mystere promo video
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=FlrsvPb8zF0

Cirque du Soleil – La Nouba – Acrobacia
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=U7tfyVbyD08

Cirque Du Soleil “O” video
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=lYaLLX_bF7c

Clip from Cirque Du Soleil’s 25th Anniversary
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=oKGBkc77sDw

Power Track act from Allegria
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=eP6AJXprOXc

httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=wdj-LC8jx7c

Quidam excerpt
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=TJNDPNIJDQY

Allegria – Cirque Du Soleil midnight sun
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=y8YjtozRX1o

Corteo cast 2006 behind the scenes
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=plhyxlxu1ns

Casting for Cirque Du Soleil
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=GKhh3vCmS7w

CDS – The Fire Within – The Making of a Cirque Show
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=mpjd4nKH9zI

Nightshift visits Cirque Du Soleil
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=2EXsMiZ_PNE

FAVORITE MACAU RELATED YOUTUBE VIDEOS:

An Introduction to Macau
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=eFY6OcF4NvQ

Destination Macau – The Macau Sands Venetian
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=1RN7WxA0uX8

Destination Macau – The Cotai Strip
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=tAJ0mRyBVv0

“This will be the most comprehensive, the broadest hospitality entertainment complex that has ever existed”

University Students Climb the Macau Tower

httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=mWdSZS4yLSo

Top graphic is a Cirque Du Soleil show promo. Opening Summer 2008 at the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel.