Zarkana
Encyclopedia
Zarkana is a touring arena show produced by Cirque du Soleil
that will play in both Radio City Music Hall
in New York City
as well as the Grand Kremlin Palace
in Moscow
. Zarkana will also tour in other cities, although it will be seasonal in New York City and Moscow. The show began previews on June 9, 2011, at Radio City Music Hall and premiered on June 29, 2011. The show will be a reinvention of the variety show, with a story about a magician in an abandoned theatre who has lost his love and with her, his magic has disappeared. As he cries and begs the Gods for her return he is plunged into a world inhabited by surreal creatures.
Zarkana is a fusion of the words "bizarre" and "arcana". The name refers to the strange aura and atmosphere of this place and its inhabitants.
, Florida
. The crew moved into the facility on February 28, 2010, and plans on staying for a couple of months. Due to Cirque's presence and usage of the building, Orlando is seeing a "great economic boost" according to the Orlando venues executive. Such income is seen in Cirque paying a day to rent the arena (plus expenses), around 200 Cirque employees are eating in Orlando and staying in hotels, and around 100 Floridians have worked on the project part-time.
Stéphane Roy drew inspiration from the Art Nouveau
movement, Antoni Gaudí
, Gustav Klimt
, and René Lalique
. Lalique's inspiration can be closely seen at the extremities of the acrobatic equipment. "Keen observers will also note that the shape of the hole through which Zark makes his first entrance reproduces the outline of Manhattan, while the moon
above the stage marks the exact position of Radio City Music Hall."
The LEDs on the light wall, which measures 90 by 40 ft (27.4 by 12.2 ) contains more than three million pixels. The second arch contains an LED screen comprised of 118 separate panels. The stage itself consists of a sliding platform which allows for fast equipment and prop changes.
Worth noting, Radio City Music Hall
is a national landmark, and therefore cannot be altered in any way. Therefore the set and props all had to be created in such a way that no anchors are used for any of the equipment. Everything brought in must be self-supporting since nothing could be bolted in. This in and of itself made it more difficult for the safety and security designs of the acrobatic equipment.
Below are a few additional highlights from the set design.
Hranitelj took inspiration from the 1920s, 1930s, and Art Deco movement to create the 250 costumes in Zarkana. Floral motifs (especially roses, which can be seen on Zark's top hat and cape) are utilized throughout the show to reflect the love and passion of the show's principal characters. The rose is utilized for Lia and Zark and therefore red and pink are heavily used in their costumes. As red is a symbol of Lia and Zark's love, red was also utilized in the costumes for the Banquine act, as this act finally unifies the two lovers. The fabrics chosen for the show included polyester and neoprene. Sublimation was used on the fabrics to create the colors and prints designed for the show.
Some of the highlights of the costume collection include these below.
in New York and the Kremlin Palace
in Moscow. The show began previews on June 9, 2011, at Radio City Music Hall and premiered on June 29, 2011.
The following colorboxes indicate the region of each performance:
Europe North America
New York City, NY - From 29 June 2011 to 8 October 2011
Madrid, ES - From 9 November 2011 to 1 January 2012
New York, NY - Summer 2012
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
that will play in both Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as well as the Grand Kremlin Palace
Grand Kremlin Palace
The Grand Kremlin Palace , also translated Great Kremlin Palace, was built from 1837 to 1849 in Moscow, Russia on the site of the estate of the Grand Princes, which had been established in the 14th century on Borovitsky Hill...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Zarkana will also tour in other cities, although it will be seasonal in New York City and Moscow. The show began previews on June 9, 2011, at Radio City Music Hall and premiered on June 29, 2011. The show will be a reinvention of the variety show, with a story about a magician in an abandoned theatre who has lost his love and with her, his magic has disappeared. As he cries and begs the Gods for her return he is plunged into a world inhabited by surreal creatures.
Zarkana is a fusion of the words "bizarre" and "arcana". The name refers to the strange aura and atmosphere of this place and its inhabitants.
History
To fully rehearse for Zarkana, Cirque du Soleil needed to find a facility large enough to accommodate a space similar in size to that of Radio City Music Hall. Unfortunately not having enough space at the Montréal headquarters, Cirque looked around North America until they found a suitable place. The final decision was the Amway Arena, located in OrlandoOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The crew moved into the facility on February 28, 2010, and plans on staying for a couple of months. Due to Cirque's presence and usage of the building, Orlando is seeing a "great economic boost" according to the Orlando venues executive. Such income is seen in Cirque paying a day to rent the arena (plus expenses), around 200 Cirque employees are eating in Orlando and staying in hotels, and around 100 Floridians have worked on the project part-time.
Set and technical information
The set consists of three, hand-sculpted arches which represent three of the four mutant characters. The first arch, which is also the largest, represents Kundalini- a snake woman whose world is populated by dozens of slithering snakes. It is decorated with more than 150 feet (45.7 m) of hand-painted resin “snakes” which started out as styrofoam sculptures that were used to create molds for the liquid resin. The second arch, representing Mandragora- a plant creature whose vines that have overtaken the abandoned theater- is utilized as a video screen. It also has plant-like "arms" which extend to nearly 100 feet (30.5 m) in length. The third and final arch- decorated with technological gears and pulleys- represents both the Pickled Lady and the Mad Scientist whose experiments unwittingly created her.Stéphane Roy drew inspiration from the Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
movement, Antoni Gaudí
Antoni Gaudí
Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was a Spanish Catalan architect and figurehead of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí's works reflect his highly individual and distinctive style and are largely concentrated in the Catalan capital of Barcelona, notably his magnum opus, the Sagrada Família.Much of Gaudí's work was...
, Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt was an Austrian Symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement. His major works include paintings, murals, sketches, and other art objects...
, and René Lalique
René Lalique
René Jules Lalique was a French glass designer known for his creations of perfume bottles, vases, jewellery, chandeliers, clocks and automobile hood ornaments. He was born in the French village of Ay on 6 April 1860 and died 5 May 1945...
. Lalique's inspiration can be closely seen at the extremities of the acrobatic equipment. "Keen observers will also note that the shape of the hole through which Zark makes his first entrance reproduces the outline of Manhattan, while the moon
above the stage marks the exact position of Radio City Music Hall."
The LEDs on the light wall, which measures 90 by 40 ft (27.4 by 12.2 ) contains more than three million pixels. The second arch contains an LED screen comprised of 118 separate panels. The stage itself consists of a sliding platform which allows for fast equipment and prop changes.
Worth noting, Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
is a national landmark, and therefore cannot be altered in any way. Therefore the set and props all had to be created in such a way that no anchors are used for any of the equipment. Everything brought in must be self-supporting since nothing could be bolted in. This in and of itself made it more difficult for the safety and security designs of the acrobatic equipment.
Below are a few additional highlights from the set design.
- The cradle stations used in the flying trapeze rely entirely on "hanger tubes" for their rigidity. The structure of the high wire number installed on the floor of the theatre’s orchestra pit is freestanding.
- The walls on either side of the stage are covered with a representation of a patchwork of 1 foot (0.3048 m) ceramic tiles, each one different and hand-painted with gold leaf on a fabric that allows for transparency and onto which images can be projected.
- The video projection in the arch utilizes infrared cameras so that the projections can interact directly with the performers movement. This is also utilized for interaction of the fire used throughout the show, adding additional special effects in the projects.
- The KabukiKabukiis classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
style rope curtain is 60 by 33 ft (18.3 by 10.1 ). - The two Eagle’s-head bandstands are 28 feet (8.5 m) tall and weigh more than 9000 pounds (4,082.3 kg) each.
Cast
The cast of Zarkana includes many artists, singers, and acrobats from around the world.- Zark: He is the principal character and is played by the Canadian singer GarouGarouGarou may refer to:* A word from the French "loup-garou", meaning "werewolf"* Garou a French Canadian singer** Garou , the 2006 eponymous album by Garou...
. - Lia: Zark's former assistant and dream girl. She is played by Canadian singer CassiopéeCassiopée (Véronique Lapierre)Cassiopée is a French Canadian singer. She has been the recipient of three prizes at the "Festival international de la chanson de Granby" in 2002.- Biography :...
. - Mutant Ladies: They are four different women who try to seduce Zark.
- Pickled Lady: She is the result of one of the Mad Scientist's experiments.
- Mandragora: She is an incarnation of the ivy that has grown in the theatre.
- Kundalini: She is a snake woman.
- Tarantula: She is a spider woman.
- White clowns
- Mad Scientist: He is dedicated to performing strange experiments.
- Pokus
- Ti-Boss: Tries taming the clowns.
- Jovians: Extraterrestrial creatures from the planet Jovia.
- Oracle: Communicates with the past and future. The Oracle performs the sand painting act.
Acts
A talented group of artists and acrobats perform the acts which comprise Zarkana.- Juggling: A performer juggles balls in the air on against varying surfaces to create sounds and also tap dances.
- Ladder trio: A trio performs balancing maneuvers on ladders.
- Rope duet: A duet performs aerial ropes.
- Flags: A group of performers juggle and toss around flags.
- Russian barRussian BarThe Russian bar is a circus act which combines the gymnastic skills of the balance beam, the rebound tempo skills of trampoline and the swing handstands skills of the uneven bars and the parallel bars...
- Highwire
- Cyr wheelsCyr wheelThe Cyr wheel is an acrobatic device invented and popularized in the early 21st century...
and Cerceaux: Seven artists perform in cry wheels while more perform tricks in aerial hoops. - Sand painting
- Flying triple trapeze: Twelve acrobats perform trapeze, in what is a Cirque first of using three trapezes side-by-side.
- Wheel of deathWheel of death (Space wheel)The Wheel of Death, in the context of acrobatic circus arts, is a large rotating apparatus on which performers carry out synchronized acrobatic skills. The "wheel" is actually a large space frame beam with hooped tracks at either end, within which the performers can stand. As the performers run...
- Handbalancing: An artist performs handbalancing skills on a slippery surface.
- Banquine: Fifteen artists perform banquine which involves human pyramids and aerial crossovers.
Costumes
Croatian designer, Alan Hranitelj, created the costumes for Zarkana. In addition to working closely with the artists to better understand their personalities and design costumes that would work well for them, he found it to be somewhat of a paradox to use so much white in the color palette taking into consideration the darkness of the show. In order to incorporate the white color of the white clowns with the rest of the show's color spectrum, the team incorporate hints of color in the clown's costumes which are distinctly related to one of the acts. The acts of the show, in fact, have each been assigned their own specific color helping solidify the look throughout the show.Hranitelj took inspiration from the 1920s, 1930s, and Art Deco movement to create the 250 costumes in Zarkana. Floral motifs (especially roses, which can be seen on Zark's top hat and cape) are utilized throughout the show to reflect the love and passion of the show's principal characters. The rose is utilized for Lia and Zark and therefore red and pink are heavily used in their costumes. As red is a symbol of Lia and Zark's love, red was also utilized in the costumes for the Banquine act, as this act finally unifies the two lovers. The fabrics chosen for the show included polyester and neoprene. Sublimation was used on the fabrics to create the colors and prints designed for the show.
Some of the highlights of the costume collection include these below.
- Kundalini's costume is fireproof because she performs close to fire-eaters.
- The Oracle's costume was influenced by Russian/French deisgner, Etré.
- "The Jovians were originally inspired by a fictitious tribe that lived off the bounty of the sea. When they went fishing, they wore costumes that made them look like fish to fool their prey. The Jovians’ costumes are made of double-laminated Lycra and decorated with bubbles that represent the foam excreted by the fish."
- The lead singer, who plays three of the four mutants, was scanned for precise measurements in order to produce a cast of her body. This was to reduce the time needed to have her in person for costume fittings.
Tour
Zarkana is a seasonal touring show playing at Radio City Music HallRadio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
in New York and the Kremlin Palace
Grand Kremlin Palace
The Grand Kremlin Palace , also translated Great Kremlin Palace, was built from 1837 to 1849 in Moscow, Russia on the site of the estate of the Grand Princes, which had been established in the 14th century on Borovitsky Hill...
in Moscow. The show began previews on June 9, 2011, at Radio City Music Hall and premiered on June 29, 2011.
The following colorboxes indicate the region of each performance:
Europe North America
2011 schedule
Preview: New York City, NY - From 9 June 2011 to 26 June 2011New York City, NY - From 29 June 2011 to 8 October 2011
Madrid, ES - From 9 November 2011 to 1 January 2012
2012 schedule
Moscow, RU - From 4 February 2012 to 8 April 2012New York, NY - Summer 2012