QUIDAM CHAT LOG (ACCESS ATLANTA)

AccessAtlanta: Hello everyone ... thanks for being with us today. We'd like to welcome Cirque du Soleil to our chat room. Please remember to ask questions at the top of your screen!

Cirque_du_Soleil: Hello, nice to be here again. Nice temperature, horrible weather.

AskAtlanta: meriwidow says : what are you looking for during the try outs? What type of resume should I bring?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Meri: What are your talents?

AskAtlanta: parkbench says: where do the tryouts take place and when?

Cirque_du_Soleil: the tryouts are on the 28 of november until the 2nd of december. we're looking for theater talents, dance talents and acrobatic talents.And, if people have any unusual talents they would like to show us, we'd be interested to see. We consider it like a treasure hunt.

AskAtlanta: minerva says: the first time I saw Cirque du Soliel was at the Mirage in Las Vegas. I was mystified. I had never seen anything like it! I wanted to say Thank you..and ask how such a unique troupe got it's start?

Cirque_du_Soleil: We're not sure we're the tryouts will be but you can go to www.cirquedusoleil to find out.

AskAtlanta: guest-mericcc says: how long with Quidam be playing in Atlanta?

Cirque_du_Soleil: We got our start in 1984 in Annual Street Performers Festival in Baie Saint Paul. It's a little village on the St. Lawrence River north of Quebec City.

AskAtlanta: guest-elbowroom says: how do you plan a show like this?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Quidam will be in Atlanta through the end of December. The whole cast is thoroughly looking forward to being here for 2 reasons: 1 people like playing in Atlanta because of the warm response from the public; 2 because it is the end of the North American tour so people have experienced an awful lot together. Our ship is finally docking.

AskAtlanta: guest-itswombat says: where do you get your creative inspiration?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Elbow: It's complex. To explain, the creative process is 18 months long from the time we sit down until the time that we premiere the show. And, when I say "we" sit down, I'm speaking about all of the designers of the show and what prompts us is quite a relaxed discussion. It goes from quite relaxed to quite insane. When we all talk and decide what is influencing us in the world around us to make a show at that time.

AskAtlanta: guest-itswombat says: how/when where did you get your first 'idea' for the circus?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Wombat:From the world that we live in.

AskAtlanta: guest-schmargerine says: How long does it take to create a Cirque show - from ideas to hiring talent to actually getting on the road?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Schmarge: It takes 18 months.

AskAtlanta: guest-dottie says: where do your circus members come from? Are they all French Canadians?

AskAtlanta: barnum2000 says: are the ideas for the show of one mind?....or do the performers have input?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Dottie: No. They come from all over the world. When I first joined circus in England, I think one of the things I found very exciting was the realization that I would be working with people all over the world and travel all over the world. Within the cast, there are no language barriers. we speak with our bodies.

Cirque_du_Soleil: Barnum: I always encourage performers to have propositions for the show, their own personal propositions. And if you've seen our shows, you'll realize that any proposition that's made would have to fall within the concept of the show. So people really have to think before they make a proposition if it's a valid proposition.

AskAtlanta: robelard says: has Cirque du Soleil started something new? Or have they returned to the older traditions of circus entertainment?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Robelard:I think that what Cirque has done is taken the older traditions of circus and not having a tradition of circus ourselves in Quebec, it's enabled us to have a new look at circus.

AskAtlanta: guest-fantastique says: I love the music to your shows almost as much as the show itself do you have a specific musical director your work with?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Fantastique: Yes, we have 2 musical directors -- a composer and a band leader.

AskAtlanta: guest-avalon says: why no animals in the circus?

AskAtlanta: guest-weldon says: your Ringmaster seems to speak but not a known language, and yet seems to bring the audience with them very well. is this some proto language we all know subconsciencely? ;-)

Cirque_du_Soleil: Avalon: Did you ever try working on a street with an elephant? We're coming from the street.

AskAtlanta: guest-schmargerine says: How much does it cost to put on a Cirque tour?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Weldon: I guess everyone knows it subconsciously. Whether it's the ringmaster or the singers, it's phonetics. So what we try to do it transmit emotions with voice as opposed to telling a story with words which would make it too literal and disable people from making their own interpretations.

AskAtlanta: guest-itswombat says: at what point did you realize this was a 'huge idea'?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Schmarge: $10.60.

AskAtlanta: guest-itswombat says: do you have plans for a new 'millenium tour'?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Wombat: I think the turning point was in LA in 1987, we opened the LA Performing Arts Festival knowing that we didn't have enough money to pay the gas to get back to Montreal if we didn't have a hit. And we did!

AskAtlanta: guest-rebecca says: I know you have a permanet show in Las Vegas, and you're also in Atlanta, how many troupes are there to Cirque du Soleil?

Cirque_du_Soleil: WOmbat: Yes we do in fact. We're going to the meetings. The first ones have started.

Cirque_du_Soleil: Rebecca: We're about to open a second show in Las Vegas called "O", which could be a pun on eau, which is French for water. And it's a water show.

AskAtlanta: guest-chief says: do you all donate any tickets for homeless women and children.

Cirque_du_Soleil: Rebecca: At the moment we have 2 shows touring Europe. We have one show touring North America. We have 2 shows in Vegas. A show in creation in Orlando in Disneyworld. And I've just remade Saltimbanco for the first 3-year Asia-South Pacific tour. That's enough to keep us busy and away from our pets.

AskAtlanta: guest-itswombat says: what kind of shows do you enjoy personally? ith your spare time...if you have any...what was the last show you went to?

AskAtlanta: guest-excellent says: what is the most unique act you've ever had in a Cirque du Soleil performance?

Cirque_du_Soleil: WOmbat: Very simple. My daughter's shows with her friends.

AskAtlanta: taj1031 says: a friend of mine used to work in one of your shows in vegas a few years back, is it hard to find good performers?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Excellent: That's really dependent upon personal taste.

Cirque_du_Soleil: You tell us what's the most unique act you think we've had?

AskAtlanta: guest-frankiebeth says: how many people do you travel with just to take care of costumes and make up?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Taj: Yes. It's very hard to find the performers that have all the elements that we need to incorporate into a show. So, what we have done is to build a very large creative studio in Montreal and we take artists in for quite lengthy period -- 6 to 8 months and we give them an  artistic training which comprises of not only developing the talent they have already, but also many, many very diverse forms of art.

AskAtlanta: guest-atlantacirquefan says: How many people usually audition for the troupe, and what percentage actually make it?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Frankie: Out of a total of 150 people, there are 4 or 5 people on the road and we also have the person who did the original makeup and costume design to follow-up on the show to make sure the show maintains it's quality if there's been evolution in the show, that it's directly in line with the global concept.

Cirque_du_Soleil: Atlanta: It varies from town-to-town depending upon what's happening in the town and various different reasons. As for the percentage, I don't know but it's small. For this reason, we audition all over the world and frequently.

AskAtlanta: guest-itswombat says: has there ever been an accident during the show or an 'unexpected' happening?

AskAtlanta: jimpennin says: who do I send a proposal to for the new atlanta show...

AskAtlanta: mythbegotten says: You're having auditions for performers in Seattle in October. How often do you have these auditions, and how often do you come back to the same area?

AskAtlanta: jimpennin says: is there a permanant saltimbanco show  somewhere...how often do you have to fill new positions with performers....like the pole climbers?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Myth: We come back as frequently as the show is in town. Fortunately for us, the company has become large enough so that we have an Audition Dept. that can act independently of the Casting Dept..

AskAtlanta: guest-samuel says: I'm in Allentown PA is Cirque du Soleil coming near my town this fall? I envy Atlanta the chance to see you

Cirque_du_Soleil: Jim: Saltimbanco is just remade in Montreal. It's not permanent. We remake the show to play a 3 year tour in Asia, South Pacific. I hope after this, there's somewhere else for the show to play, because I find it very uplifting and there will always be a place for it. If you have room in your garden, please let us know.

Cirque_du_Soleil: Samuel: Unfortunately, not with this tour. We are at the end of this tour.

AskAtlanta: guest-itswombat says: what is the most dangerous (as far as preparing for the artist's safety) act you have?

AskAtlanta: jimpennin says: I'd really like to audition for cirque, I'm an ex-gymnast and run an entertainment company that I would ditch in a  second for the opportunity to work in a cirque show. How do I apply?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Wombat: I would say the completely new acts that we've developed for "O" as artists are performing skills that are traditionally over a net, these are performed over water.

AskAtlanta: guest-eggplant says: which comes first...the music? or the concept of the show..or both?/font>

Cirque_du_Soleil: Jim:Please go to audition@cirquedusoleil.com. If you want to audition, the deadline is October 30 to submit. Get your weight out of the cupboard!

AskAtlanta: booboocat says: What kind of training does a person go through to become a member of Cirque?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Eggplant: The chicken! Seriously, the idea behind the concept will become slightly before the music. But everything is happening simultaneously. We meet; we discuss where we are; we go away and work and we meet again.

AskAtlanta: guest-eretta says: looking at my old program from Mystery I see family groups of performers within the circus. This is from '92 so it's kinda old. Is this still true? And does it lend a more family atmosphere to the troupe when you're traveling all over the world like this?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Booboo: Normally, the average training would be 6 months training period whereby you would maybe learn African dance, mask, taiko drums, plus you would further your individual skill.

AskAtlanta: guest-atlantacirquefan says: Are there any opportunities to work or volunteer at the shows here in Atlanta?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Eretta: For sure, for sure. It's like circus has traditionally been family. Its perhaps less family  because more people are starting to perform in circus. Try and find 150 people who can travel together for 3-6 years without having babies. We have a school. We have teachers that travel with us. It's like a travelling village.

AskAtlanta: guest-itswombat says: what sort of 'relaxing techniques' do the artists use before a show?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Atlanta: Actually, they are looking for people. Call the Job Hotline at 404-262-1652 for information. We're looking for numerous positions.

AskAtlanta: booboocat says: Is there a "school" where people learn such things? Or does Cirque train themselves?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Wombat: Some people find putting their make-up on very relaxing; Some people read; some people do their particular stretching thing. Many, many different ways. All artists prepare in their individual ways.

AskAtlanta: mythbegotten says: Can all your tour dates for the year be found at the website?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Booboo: We are not a circus school. We make shows. But in Montreal, there is a national circus school.

AskAtlanta: guest-itswombat says: do you pay your performers well...or is there pay more 'self-satisfaction'?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Myth: I believe on the website you can find out about all the shows and the tour dates. It's a pretty extensive website.

AskAtlanta: mericcc says: does the circus have a "home base"? Where do you go when you are not travelling?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Wombat: We pay them in popcorn and they're very happy! No, seriously, I don't talk about salary. But, just to give you a clue, I'm awful with my money and the only time I actually save money is when I'm on tour.

AskAtlanta: mythbegotten says: For those of us who haven't had a chance to see your live shows, are there many (or any) videos available commercially?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Mericc: The homebase of the Cirque du Soleil is Montreal. The artists, being from all over the world, at the end of a tour, they fire off to wherever their home is.

AskAtlanta: guest-jerry says: how old is cirque?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Myth: There are videos you can find, I believe at Blockbuster. You can also find them our website. Or walk down to the Big Top and pick them up at merchandising.

AskAtlanta: guest-schmargerine says: Do the performers have curfews when on tour?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Jerry: Cirque is 14 years old.

Cirque_du_Soleil: Schmarge: No curfews. Only the minors.

AskAtlanta: guest-eretta says: any television specials coming up in the future? Or are you focused mainly on live performance?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Eretta: PBS buys some of our shows. Also, you'll find them out there on the Arts networks. ABC picked up the "Making of Quidam" locally in NY. There's nothing in Atlanta.

AskAtlanta: jimpennin says: if an entertainer comes in with a concept, say combining music with fire and danger acts on a rolling globe, for instance...how does the act evolve over the training perio...do they usually change from he original concept, or is it the performers choice?

AskAtlanta: mythbegotten says: Approximately how many singers do you employ in the course of a show/tour?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Jim: Do you have the act? Or is this your proposition or your concept?

AskAtlanta: guest-eretta says: is the music performed live by an orchestra? Or is it canned music? How many musicians travell with you?

Cirque_du_Soleil: myth: We have 4. For the first time, we have 2 young ladies who alternate shows. And 2 male voices, who also alternate.

AskAtlanta: guest-schmargerine says: has anyone ever been seriously injured during a Cirque show?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Eretta: Everything is live. This is a live show. And anything can happen.

AskAtlanta: guest-itswombat says: how much ($) does it take to design a set for the show (including costumes)?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Schmarge: I don't think we've ever had a chronic injury. There's nobody in a wheelchair from our shows. The most frequently damaged thing in our shows is ego.

AskAtlanta: guest-dotties says: I imagine if you are, say a contortionist, your work life is fairly short...as you get older you get less flexible etc. What sort of "retirement" plan or other financial type secruities do you offer your troupe?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Wombat: $10.60.

AskAtlanta: queeeeen says: will you ever tour the west coast?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Dottie: Firstly, I don't think your career is short. Because contortionist start off at 6 years old. So in the lifetime of earning money, it's not that different from a normal career. You have a good 20 years of work. With regards to retirement plans, that's up to the individual.

Cirque_du_Soleil: Queen: Yes, we do every tour. We spend almost a year in California.

AskAtlanta: jimpennin says: this is an act that i currently perform...to answer your question...

Cirque_du_Soleil: Jim: Please send us a video. And get the address of our website.

AskAtlanta: queeeeen says: Will you ever come to sacramentos Arco arena?

AskAtlanta: guest-itswombat says: where are you gonna be 'hanging out' while you're here in Atlanta?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Queen: We don't play in arenas as we're playing in a Big Top. To be quite honest, I don't know. We're extending our markets in the US but I'm not sure what's on the menu for the next tour.

AskAtlanta: queeeeen says: Wonderful! why havent we heard of you before now?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Wombat:Is that a question for the trapeze artists? I'm not sure yet because we're not opposite the Cheetah anymore.

Cirque_du_Soleil: Queen: You have to leave Sacramento.

AskAtlanta: guest-itswombat says: though your tour is coming to an end...will the permanent shows stay put? or will they also come to an end?

Cirque_du_Soleil: Wombat:This is coming to the end for North America. At the moment, I'm preparing the transfer of this show to Europe so although there's a change of 30% of the artists, the show will keep running for a while -- for another 6 years in fact. The permanent shows will be there for quite a while. Firstly, the theater is designed for that show so you don't just close it down. I'm not sure what the lives are but it's a good 10-year li

AskAtlanta: guest-itswombat says: thanks for answering all of my questions, i'm truly a fan! :)

Cirque_du_Soleil: I'd like to say thanks very much for all of your questions. It's the first time I've done an online chat. And from this experience, I hope it will not be the last. Perhaps, we should do this again when we come back to Atlanta. Take care of yourselves!

AccessAtlanta: Thank you very much for your time, Cirque du Soleil... this was a wonderful chat

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