The Seattle Traveler

An Angel Whispered to Me: "See Corteo"

by Mary Jo on April 29th, 2008

An angel came up to me on the street the other day. . . .

No, really!  And actually it was several angels.  They were dressed in white feathers handing out flyers to remind us that Cirque du Soleil is in town for three weeks of performance of Corteo.

Cirque du Soleil was founded in Quebec in 1984 by two former street performers.  After a series of business ups and downs, the company found footing in the 1990’s, expanding from one show with 73 employees to 15 shows with over 3,500 employees. 

It’s a modern circus, and has no ring and no animals.  The shows incorporate circus styles from around the world centered around a storyline.  The staging has no curtains, so the audience is continually involved in the performance as they watch performers change props.

Visitors to Las Vegas may have seen one of Cirque du Soleil’s house productions:  Mystere at Treasure Island (where it’s been playing since 1993), O at Bellagio Hotel & Casino (a water themed production), Zumanity at New York, New York Hotel & Casino (a racier, adult show), Ka at the MGM Grand, and Love at The Mirage (using original recordings of The Beatles). 

I first saw Cirque du Soleil perform in Las Vegas.  I think it was the show Nouvelle, and I remember how it captivated me with the performance, staging, and music.  It was something just a little bit different, and I liked it a lot.

For some reason, though, I just haven’t made it to another performance.  Crazy, since I’m in Las Vegas often enough, and they’ve been through Seattle for the past several years, but I just haven’t been able to work it into my schedule.

Until the angels appeared to me.

When I got home I checked out what this current traveling show was all about.

Corteo is Italian for cortege, or a funeral procession.  A Clown Mort (dead clown) imagines his own funeral, and his he only knows circus people, the funeral is one circus act after another.  There are balloons, trampolines, and acrobats.  And don’t let the funeral thing fool you - this is a lighthearted look at life, full of fun, comedy, and life.  And what about the angels?  They’re looking over Clown Mort and caring for him as he watches his funeral.

The touring staff of Corteo consists of 149 individuals, 61 of which are performing artists from 16 countries.  There are two teachers on staff for the four school aged children of performers.

The staging consists of the Grand Chapiteau (Big Top). a 165 foot in diameter tent that will seat over 2,700 people.  It’s set up in a unique configuration with the stage running down the middle of the big top, the audience divided on each side.

Additional tents and trailers house the supporting staging, box office, kitchen, school, warehouses, and more.  For example, the artistic tent is over 1,300 square feet and houses the wardrobe, a warm up and training area, physiotherapy, and dressing rooms.  To get all of this set up and ready to go will take 11 days and over 200 workers, half of which are local hires.

What would a circus be without wardrobing and make up?

Cirque du Soleil has four full-time wardrobe staff, and hire three local assistants, to manage over 1,000 costumes.  It takes four hours on ironing to prepare the costumes every day!  There are also more than 110 pair of shoes.  Each of the artists apply their own make up, a job that can take up to an hour to complete.

Locations:  Marymoor Park, 6046 West Lake Sammamish Parkway N.E., Redmond (map it)

Dates & Times:  April 24th - May 18th, 2008.  Tuesday - Thursday at 8 pm (some Tuesdays also have a 4 pm show); Friday & Saturday at 4 pm & 8 pm; Sunday at 1 pm & 5 pm.

Tickets:  Adults $55-90; Children (ages 2-12) $38.50-63; Students & Seniors (65+) with ID $49.50-81.  Under 2 FREE, but must occupy an adult’s lap for the entire performance.  Tapis Rouge Seats (billed as the greatest VIP treatment) are $210 for adults, and $147 for children.

Tickets for Corteo are going to be hard to come by, especially in the better tier of seats.  I looked, and there just isn’t much out there.

Deciding on a big splurge, I opted for the VIP Tapis Rouge Seats which got me seats in the middle section, row two on the aisle.  The tickets come with a bunch of extras, including reserved parking, early entrance and a private lounge area, appetizers and beverages before the show, dessert at intermission, a souvenir, and a few other goodies.  It was a big splurge, but I think it will be worth it!

Photo credits:  All courtesy of ©Cirque du Soleil, Inc. 2005. 

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POSTED IN: Events, Family Fun, Just a Bit Weird - Fun & Quirky Places, People Watching, Performing Arts - Theater & Dance