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| Cirque du Soleil - Totem - Evolution |
Cirque du Soleil have returned to Australia with one of their more recent touring performance creations, 'Totem' written and directed by long term collaborator, Robert Lepage. On stage are 45 performers from 16 countries demonstrating the breathtaking range of circus arts and skills, unique, themed costumes and imaginative state-of-the-art technological set designs which have become synonymous with their brand. Totem's overall theme is described as being the evolution of humanity from the primordial, amphibian period towards the aspiration of flight taking many founding myths into the narrative.
Totem utilises the Grande Chapiteau which better captures the theme and atmosphere intended for the show rather than being staged indoor in a sporting arena. The various acts are themed under 12 titles being: Evolution, Mutation, Seduction, Legende, Nature, Culture, Attraction, Passion, Science, Elegance, Innovation, concluding with Celebration. The various performances include a large tortoise carapace which doubles as a gymnastics apparatus; seven foot high unicycles with female performers juggling and balancing metal bowls on their heads; fixed trapeze duo with a couple performing movements high on the trapeze; a juggler (dressed as a scientist) rolling multiple LED lit balls in a giant glass cone; a couple in Amerindian costume twirling at high speed on roller skates on a circular drum. Cirque du Soleil's entertaining clowns are in full swing with a 'Sad Fisherman' and an 'Italian Tourist' providing humour between the high end performances. An amusing, recurrent skit involves performers costumed in the various stages of human evolution from ape to Cro-Magnon to Neanderthal chasing a business man in a suit holding a mobile phone around the stage.
Altogether an impressive range of circus arts are on display in Totem with bars, hoops, rings, foot juggling, hand juggling, handbalancing, high trapeze, roller skates, object manipulation, Russian bars and the unicycles.
Cirque du Soleil compose their own music for each of their shows and have the musicians cleverly concealed behind large inflatable reeds on-stage for Totem. The quality of the music and sound effects compliments the performances and matches the use of powerful, interactive projection technologies used for this show (which includes moving images of swamps, starry nights, lakes, volcanoes, beaches and the natural environment). The 'scorpion' bridge which doubles as both a stage performance point and an exit/entry point for performers operates in three dimensions, extending, retracting and curling. This technical mastery of design by Cirque du Soleil's production staff together with the on stage performers demonstrate that this is a second-to-none class show.
Totem utilises the Grande Chapiteau which better captures the theme and atmosphere intended for the show rather than being staged indoor in a sporting arena. The various acts are themed under 12 titles being: Evolution, Mutation, Seduction, Legende, Nature, Culture, Attraction, Passion, Science, Elegance, Innovation, concluding with Celebration. The various performances include a large tortoise carapace which doubles as a gymnastics apparatus; seven foot high unicycles with female performers juggling and balancing metal bowls on their heads; fixed trapeze duo with a couple performing movements high on the trapeze; a juggler (dressed as a scientist) rolling multiple LED lit balls in a giant glass cone; a couple in Amerindian costume twirling at high speed on roller skates on a circular drum. Cirque du Soleil's entertaining clowns are in full swing with a 'Sad Fisherman' and an 'Italian Tourist' providing humour between the high end performances. An amusing, recurrent skit involves performers costumed in the various stages of human evolution from ape to Cro-Magnon to Neanderthal chasing a business man in a suit holding a mobile phone around the stage.
Altogether an impressive range of circus arts are on display in Totem with bars, hoops, rings, foot juggling, hand juggling, handbalancing, high trapeze, roller skates, object manipulation, Russian bars and the unicycles.
Cirque du Soleil compose their own music for each of their shows and have the musicians cleverly concealed behind large inflatable reeds on-stage for Totem. The quality of the music and sound effects compliments the performances and matches the use of powerful, interactive projection technologies used for this show (which includes moving images of swamps, starry nights, lakes, volcanoes, beaches and the natural environment). The 'scorpion' bridge which doubles as both a stage performance point and an exit/entry point for performers operates in three dimensions, extending, retracting and curling. This technical mastery of design by Cirque du Soleil's production staff together with the on stage performers demonstrate that this is a second-to-none class show.
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