Alexandra Gaillard, tour manager with Corteo, explained in more detail what the storyline involves and the central character, Mauro.
“It’s Mauro’s funeral, so this is his way to say goodbye and remember his friends, lovers and coworkers,” she said, adding that the entire show is set up in a dreamlike atmosphere. “It’s a family show to celebrate life.”
The show features all the high-flying stunts that have captured audiences’ imaginations throughout the years – acrobats flying on silks, clowns entertaining the crowd, jugglers, trampoline jumpers, ring dancers, pole climbers and the like – and a few new ones. At one point a lady flies throughout the crowd, buoyed by helium-filled balloons, and she is passed around the audience, almost like a volleyball passed between players on a court, before eventually landing back on the stage. It’s the ultimate crowd interaction experience.
The stage itself is also a change for Houston audiences.
In a Cirque du Soleil first, the stage is central in the arena and divides the venue, with each half of the audience facing the other half, giving a unique perspective not only of the show, but also a performer’s eye view of the audience. The company also moved from their recent usual location in a tent at Sam Houston Race Park to the Toyota Center arena.
Gaillard said the the show has 53 artists on stage, 34 technicians backstage and 27 different nationalities represented to make the magic happen.
It’s also a boon for local workers as Cirque du Soleil hires local workers to build the set.
“We did the loading yesterday. We hired 100 local professionals, and within 16 hours and with 21 trucks, everything got set up during load out,” she described.
Creating the Cirque du Soliel experience requires meticulous planning, but they’ve been doing this long enough that it runs like a well-oiled machine. The company has strict guidelines about makeup and costuming, and quality control checks take place on regular occasion to make sure each look is maintained at perfection. Acts on stage are regularly checked to make sure each step and daredevil feat is up to par.
But it’s what happens behind the scenes where things start to get really interesting.
Behind the scenes, it’s also a miniature city for everyone involved in the show. Physical trainers travel with the troupe so they can provide services to the performers who must maintain peak physical health. Kitchens are set up to provide food for the performers who warm up sometimes several hours before the show and need sustenance in order to keep their bodies in tip-top shape. They have six washing machines and two dryers to handle the everyday housekeeping of a cast that is on the road for months on end.
They also invested in a culture of care, where the team members each play a role in attending the special requirements to make this cast of performers and workers feel like a family.
“We stay at a hotel, so someone is dedicated only to hotel charters and bus transportation. Another person is dedicated just for contracts and visas. Everybody is hard working, and together it’s almost like we have magical powers to make everything work together,” Gaillard said.
In the end, it comes together to produce a magical two-hour show that captivates audiences and tells a thought-provoking, visually mesmerizing and audibly pleasing show.
Cirque du Soleil presents Corteo 7:30 p.m. Friday; 11:30 a.m., 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; and 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday at Toyota Center, 1510 Polk. For tickets or information, visit toyotacenter.com/events/detail/cirquedusoleilcorteo or call 713-758-7200. $49 – $225.
Sam Byrd
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