Mystère (Cirque du Soleil)

Mystère
The album artwork of Mystère: Live in Las Vegas
Company	Cirque du Soleil
Genre	Contemporary circus
Show type	Resident show
Date of premiere	December 25, 1993
Location	Treasure Island in Las Vegas
Creative team
Director	Franco Dragone
Director of creation	Gilles Ste-Croix
Composers	René Dupéré Benoît Jutras
Costume designer	Dominique Lemieux
Set designer	Michel Crête
Choreographer	Debra Brown
Lighting designer	Luc Lafortune
Sound designer	Jonathan Deans
Make-up designer	Nathalie Gagné
Senior artistic director	James Hadley
Artistic director	Sandi Croft
Aerial cube act creator	Mikhail Matorin
Aerial high bar act creators	Andrei Lev, Pavel Brun
Other information
Preceded by	Saltimbanco (1992)
Succeeded by	Alegría (1994)
Official website

Mystère is a Cirque du Soleil show in permanent residence at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is one of seven resident Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas, the others being O, Zumanity, Kà, Love, Criss Angel: Believe, and Viva Elvis. Mystère was first performed on December 25, 1993 and quickly won over audiences with its unique style of circus entertainment. As with many Cirque du Soleil productions, Mystère features a mixture of circus skills, dance, elaborate sets, opera, worldbeat music, and street theatre-style comedy.

History

The idea for Mystère started around 1990. It was originally planned for Caesars Palace with a theme based on Greek and Roman mythology. The plan, however, was scrapped by the casino executives, who thought the project would be too financially risky. Mystère was very different from the typical material they were used to in a Las Vegas show. According to Mystère set designer Michel Crête, "Vegas... was still very influenced by Folies Bergère, with the scarves, feather boas, etc. There was a European culture already in place, oddly enough, not an American one. The people who opened the door for something new were Siegfried and Roy. They were the first to move away from the Folies Bergère thing."

Treasure Island picked up the show three years later. This opportunity offered some new creative territory for Cirque du Soleil. Mystère was their first show that would have its own theater, rather than touring with a circus tent. Mystère would have a permanent base in Las Vegas. It was also the first time they would work with a major financial partner — Mirage Casino-Hotel — to produce a show. With Mystère, they no longer had uninhibited creative power and, on occasion, had to contend with the more conservative tastes of their client.

The new location inspired some changes in the thematic elements of the show as well. The focus of the show became the origins of life in the universe, although some mythological elements did remain intact. This theme is the inspiration for the show's costumes, set design and music.

Mystère broke new ground for the Quebec-based performers and, despite some initial skepticism, has enjoyed a highly successful and profitable run. It is still a top draw on the Las Vegas Strip, with most shows nearly selling out the 1600-seat Mystère Theater. It led the way for six more shows on the Strip (O, Zumanity, Kà, Love, Criss Angel: Believe, and Viva Elvis), making Cirque du Soleil one of the most recognizable entertainment groups in Las Vegas.

Since its premiere in December 25, 1993, the show, which features an international cast of 75 artists, has been seen by over 12 million spectators. On October 18, 2010, Mystère reached a record of being performed 8,000 times.^[1]

Set and technical information

The snail seen growing larger throughout the show is called Alice. By the end of the show, she is a giant inflatable puppet controlled by four puppeteers from the inside. The puppeteers move her around according to markings on the floor, since they can not see the outside. They also control her eyes, torso, and tail.^[2]

The taiko drums in Mystère are created by the Japanese company, Asano Taiko, located in Mattō, Ishikawa Prefecture. The largest drum in Mystère is the ōdaiko, which is 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter and 15 feet (4.6 m) in length, weighs half a ton. Due to the large size of the drum, it actually had to be brought into the theatre during construction. Upon completion of the theatre the drum can not be removed as no door is actually large enough to accommodate it.^[3]

Cast

The cast of Mystère contains a myriad of characters.^[4]

• Spermatos/Spermatites: Represent the seeds of life.
• Red Bird: Is a primary character seen throughout the entire show, believing the can fly, tries futilely.
• Les Laquais: Are the footmen of Mystère and serve and support others in their quest. They perform in the Korean plank.
• Brian Le Petit: Is a troublemaker and does not belong to the world of Mystère.
• Les Bébés: Represent the primitive human state: selfish and hungry.
• La Vache à Lait: Protects the babies and is a symbol of fertility.
• Moha-Samedi: Is the narrator.
• La Belle
• The Black Widow: Is the antithesis of Belle.
• Birds of Prey
• Lizards
• Double Faces: Are in constant search of their own identity. They perform in the Chinese poles act.

Acts

Mystère has 7 sportive, acrobatic acts which are supplemented by acts about the storyline provided by the clowns.^[5][6]

• Aerial cube: An aerialist performs with a metal cube both in the air and on the ground.
• Chinese poles: A group of acrobats climb up and slide down on three metal poles.
• Hand-to-hand: Two brothers perform an exhibition of strength and stamina on a rotating dome.
• Bungee: A group of artists bounce and swing from the ceiling to the ground and back on bungees.
• Trampoline, fast track, and Korean plank: Artists perform a combination of these three acts.
• Aerial high bar: Created and implemented by coach Andrei Lev and choreographer Pavel Brun, a group of acrobats fly and spin on an apparatus 40 feet high above the stage.
• Taiko: A group of artists perform a powerful rhythm on the Japanese taiko drums.

Retired Acts

• Flying trapeze
• Aerial straps
• Manipulation

Costumes

Dominique Lemieux took inspiration from nature to create the colorful costumes of Mystère. One such costume is the Firebird, which has red feathers and accents that give the impression of embers flying through the air. An odd bunch, the Spermatos and Spermatites are dressed in elongated costumes which bulge in the center and have a tendril-like feature on the head. To give the characters an organic nature, spandex and lycra were used in conjunction with fringes and borders.^[7]

Music

The original score of Mystère was composed by René Dupéré, who had composed all of Cirque du Soleil's earlier shows, including Nouvelle Expérience and Saltimbanco. In 1994 the show's music was released as a studio album featuring the vocals of Canadian singers Élise Gouin (now known as Élise Velle) and Nathalie Gauvin.

In 1995 the show underwent an artistic overhaul, including changes in the lineup of acts. The "manipulation" act was replaced by the "aerial cube", the flying trapeze act by the aerial high bars, and the "Filet" number was excluded from the show. At the same time the musical score was renovated with assistance from Benoît Jutras, a longtime music director and arranger for Cirque who later went on to compose for Quidam and other Cirque shows. The result, captured in the album Mystère: Live in Las Vegas, was a score that reflects the diverse compositional styles of both composers. Mystère: Live in Las Vegas is a live, in-house recording of the new score, featuring Nathalie Gauvin and Wendy Talley on vocals; the album was released on November 12, 1996. After the release of the live album, the music was rearranged and altered once again. While the album resembles the current live music closely, it is not identical.

Below is a list of tracks as featured on the 1996 live recording release, alongside which the current acts to which they accompany are listed.

1. Ouverture/Ramsani (Show opening)
2. Misha (Aerial cube)
3. Égypte (Interlude)
4. Rondo/Double Face (Chinese poles)
5. Ulysse (Hand-to-hand)
6. Dôme (Interlude)
7. Kalimando (Bungee pt. 1)
8. Kunya Sobé (Bungee pt. 2)
9. En Ville/Frisco (Trampoline, fast track, Korean plank)
10. Gambade (Interlude)
11. High Bar (Aerial high bar)
12. Taïko (Taiko drumming)
13. Finale (Show finale)

Further information: Cirque du Soleil discography

References

Coordinates: 36°07′30″N 115°10′19″W / 36.125°N 115.17194°W / 36.125; -115.17194

1. ^ "Mystère by Cirque du Soleil celebrates record-breaking 8,000 performances". Cirque du Soleil (Press Release). 2010-10-18. http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/press/news/2010/mystere-8000.aspx. Retrieved 2011-03-13. 
2. ^ Reed, Cindi (2010). "Mystère explores the intricacies of the life cycle and all its components". Inside Cirque du Soleil Fall 2010: 26–27. 
3. ^ Keene, Jarret (2011). "Drumline". Inside Cirque du Soleil Fall 2011: 18–19. 
4. ^ "Mystère: Characters". Cirque du Soleil (Press Material). http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/press/kits/shows/mystere/resources/characters.aspx. Retrieved 2011-02-23. 
5. ^ "Mystère - Acts". Cirque du Soleil (Press Material). http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/press/kits/shows/mystere/resources/acts.aspx. Retrieved 2011-04-08. 
6. ^ "Mystère Acts". Cirque Tribune. http://www.cirquetribune.com/database/show.php?show=Myst%E8re. Retrieved 2011-04-08. 
7. ^ Clément, Ronald (2009) (in CN, EN, FR, JP). Cirque du Soleil 25 Years of Costumes. Canada: Dépôt légal, Bibliothèque et Archives Canada. pp. 28–33. ISBN 978-2-9803493-4-8. 

• Cirque Du Soleil - 20 Years Under the Sun, by Tony Babinsky, 2004.
• Mystère - Music Composed by René Dupéré & Benoît Jutras, transcription for piano and voices by Jean-Francois Brissette, music engraving and book design by Yvon Hubert, 1997. ISBN 2-921124-85-8

External links

• Official website of Cirque du Soleil about Mystère
• Alexis Brothers Official website of Marco and Paulo Lorador, the current hand-to-hand act in Mystère.
• Mystère still a wonderland at Treasure Island at LasVegas.com
• Mystère by Cirque du Soleil: Full Review at Vegas4Visitors