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Tag: Corteo

  • Things to do in the DC area: Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Corteo’, Bike to Work Day … and more! – WTOP News

    Things to do in the DC area: Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Corteo’, Bike to Work Day … and more! – WTOP News

    There’s so much to do in the D.C. area in the coming days, and WTOP has you covered with our weekly roundup of area events worth anticipating.

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    A behind-the-scenes look at Cirque du Soileil’s ‘Corteo’ at Eagle Bank Arena

    There’s so much to do in the D.C. area in the coming days, and WTOP has you covered with our weekly roundup of area events worth anticipating.

    Check back every Thursday for a roundup of Things to do in the D.C. area.

    Cirque du Soleil is back in town, this time in Fairfax, Virginia’s Eagle Bank Arena with “Corteo.”

    Olaf Triebel, artistic director of “Corteo,” told WTOP the show is centered around a funeral, but really it’s “a celebration of life.” The story goes through the different stages of a clown named Mauro’s life, from when he was a child until he’s an adult, and in true Cirque du Soleil fashion, it will include spectacular acrobatics, juggling acts, live musicians and more.

    “It has a very human story to it,” Triebel said. “It might sound that the theme of a funeral is maybe not for kids, but it’s not told in a sad way. It’s a joyful show.”

    The “Corteo” show first premiered in Montreal in April of 2005, and this will be its first time in Fairfax, Virginia. The show’s run at Eagle Bank Arena will only be for eight shows, from May 17 through May 25. Regular tickets start at approximately $29.

    Here’s what else is happening in the D.C. area.

    DC

    My Body My Festival
    This music festival is set to feature local artists with all ticket proceeds going directly to the D.C. Abortion Fund. The event runs for three days, from May 16-18, across several locations, including Songbyrd, Pie Shop and metrobar. Tickets start at $35 for a one-day general admission ticket, and the after-party tickets cost $25 per person with one drink ticket included.

    Bike to Work Day
    This free, annual, cyclist-loving event on Friday offers more than 100 pit stops across the D.C. region. The first 16,000 who register and attend at a pit stop receive a free T-shirt. The event is free with helmets recommended.

    Saint Sophia Annual Greek Festival
    From May 17-19, this Greek festival is expected to host several local musicians for live music and dancing, plus food vendors with gyros, spanakopita, beer and more to enjoy.

    Africa on the Avenue
    Celebrating the vibrant African immigrant community along Georgia Avenue NW, this all-day festival at Bruce Monroe Park is expected to include several live DJs, a vendors market and food. The event is on Saturday.

    Five Minute Horror Film Festival
    Get spooked at this short film horror festival, where every flick is five minutes long. The event is hosted at Petworth Neighborhood Library on Saturday. A filmmaker Q&A session follows the public screening.

    AAPI Brewers Spring Tasting Party
    The metrobar venue is celebrating AAPI Heritage Month with brewers and makers all across the D.C. region this Sunday. Enjoy an afternoon tasting with dozens of pours of beers and canned soju, plus a discussion with the brewers who made them. Tickets cost $25. For more AAPI Heritage month events to consider in May, check out this earlier Things to do in the D.C. area guide.

    Maryland

    National Harbor CocktailPRO Competition
    Several of the restaurants in National Harbor will have their best bartenders come together to compete to create the best drink on Thursday. Guests can also expect music and food. Tickets start at $60.

    Flores Flamencas Festival
    Delight in the sounds of Spain at this second annual festival, hosted at Cabin John Regional Park in Bethesda. The event on Sunday is free and family-friendly with tapas, paella, sangria, festival crafts and, of course, flamenco music.

    The Dundunba Experience for Women
    With all genders welcome, this class is planned to focus on West African dundunba drumming with dundun, sangba and “possibly” kenken drums covered. The class is on Monday at Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier. Tickets cost $18 for a one-class pass or $60 for a four-class pass.

    Virginia

    Lucketts Spring Vintage Market
    For the 27th year, Lucketts Store is hosting a spring vintage market. From May 17-19, tickets to the market at Clarke County Fairgrounds in Berryville cost $15 for one-day general admission or $45 for an “early buyer” weekend pass.

    BrewWorks
    Witness an art battle between eight local artists this Saturday at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton. Get the full details in Jason Fraley’s article for WTOP.

    Old Town Festival of Speed & Style
    This Alexandria festival on Sunday celebrates the speed and performance of exotic sports cars with more than 100 rare supercars and motorcycles from around the world on view. The event is free and open to the public.

    Have an event you’d like featured in WTOP’s Things to do in the D.C. area weekly guide? Fill out this contact form to have your event considered.

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    Michelle Goldchain

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  • Cirque du Soleil Dazzles With Superhuman Talent, Imagination

    Cirque du Soleil Dazzles With Superhuman Talent, Imagination

    The sky-high thrills and jaw-dropping skills of Cirque du Soliel have returned to Houston with Corteo, running now through March 3 at Toyota Center. Corteo, which means “cortege” in Italian, is a joyous procession, a festive parade imagined by a clown named Mauro. The show brings together the passion of the actor with the grace and power of the acrobats to plunge the audience into a theatrical world of fun, comedy and spontaneity situated in a mysterious space between Heaven and Earth.

    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.

    click to enlarge

    Sky-high thrills fill the Toyota Center during Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo.

    Photo by MajaPrgomet

    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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