Corteo

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Corteo

Corteo (pronounced "cor-TAY-oh") is a Cirque du Soleil touring production that premiered in North America in 2005. Corteo, which means "cortege" in Italian, is a festive parade imagined by a clown.

The show brings together the passion of the actor with the grace and power of the acrobat to plunge the audience into a theatrical world of fun, comedy and spontaneity situated in a mysterious space between heaven and earth. The clown pictures his own funeral taking place in a carnival atmosphere, watched over by quietly caring angels. Juxtaposing the large with the small, the ridiculous with the tragic and the magic of perfection with the charm of imperfection, the show highlights the strength and fragility of the clown, as well as his wisdom and kindness, to illustrate the portion of humanity that is within each of us. The music, by turns lyrical and playful, carries Corteo through a timeless celebration in which illusion teases reality.

Corteo is now available on DVD[1] in the USA and Canada

1 Creators of the show
2 Tour locations
3 Characters
4 Acts
5 External links

[edit] Creators of the show

Guy Laliberté - Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cirque du Soleil
Daniele Finzi Pasca - Creator and Director
Line Tremblay - Director of Creation
Roger Hewett - Band Leader
Philippe Leduc - Musical Director and Composer
Maria Bonzanigo - Musical Director and Composer
Jean Rabasse - Set Designer
Dominique Lemieux - Costume Designer

[edit] Tour locations

The Corteo 2006 North American Tour will visit the following cities Boston, Massachussets September 8th-October 15th Washington,DC October 26th-November 26th Atlanta, GA December 15th 2006-january 7th 2007 Dallas, TX February 9-25th 2007

[edit] Characters

The Dead Clown

The Dead Clown is the central character of the story, the one whom this impressive funeral is honouring … but could it all be a dream? As a former member of the troupe that now surrounds him, he dons his old stage costume to perform one final time. What we see in Corteo is truly the Dead Clown’s world, presented as his memories surface. Hence, many of the show’s characters are seen through the Dead Clown’s eyes: friends, lovers, coworkers, indeed, an entire village. The most important symbol for the Dead Clown is the word. It is his voice that guides the audience throughout the show. He is a very charismatic character: by and large, his other physical features hold little intrinsic importance.

The Loyal Whistler

The origins of the Loyal Whistler lie in the classic role of “Mr. Loyal”, the ringleader of traditional circuses. A one-time variety show performer who turned submarine commander, who was then sent for social reintegration after a stint in a military hospital, the Loyal Whistler has retrained in the circus arts (after all, why not?), but without shedding all of his old habits. We feel the soldier and the diva competing inside him, struggling for their turn in the sun. The Loyal Whistler has an outstanding talent: he whistles. His mouth is an instrument in itself.

The White Clown

For the White Clown, appearances are what matters most. Like the Loyal Whistler, he is an authority figure … at least, he'd like to be. Of all the colourful characters, he admires only the stars and scorns the others. It is the White Clown who opens the door to the magic of the circus for the Dead Clown.

The Clowness

The Clowness is an actress, a veritable grande dame of the stage, who somehow found herself a part of this quirky troupe. Her professionalism and her strength of character allow her to bear the foolishness of her partners, whom she never fails to charm.

The Little Clown

A diminutive clown who’s in love with the Clowness, the Little Clown is always ready to play tricks on his compatriots. Impish and lively, he is both an endearing companion and a force to be reckoned with. He readily criticizes the audience. The Little Clown is the trainer for the Small Horses, who next to him, appear very large.

The Giant Clown

Although only an amateur opera singer, the Giant imagines himself to be a great artist of worldwide renown. Of all the Dead Clown’s friends, he is undoubtedly the Dead Clown closest friend - they are almost like brothers. The Giant is as gentle and timorous as he is physically imposing. The beauty of the world melts his heart. During the “opera on wheels” scene, when he tries desperately to mount the stage in the tiny theatre, his relationship with the Loyal Whistler – the keeper of order – becomes very tense.

[edit] Acts

Procession

Chandeliers

Four women, the Dead Clown’s former loves, come together in dreamlike joy. They perform aerial acrobatics on three giant chandeliers that sway and spin above the Dead Clown’s bed.

Bouncing Beds

Like a gaggle of young kids playing in their grandparents’ room, six artists jump on two big beds that move on rotating platforms. In a playful atmosphere, they perform acrobatic feats each more daring than the last.

Mauro's Flight

Cyr Wheel

Four artists perform solos and group figures on Cyr wheels. The simplicity of the Cyr wheel’s line—a pure circle—sets off the intricate and energetic performance.

Imaginary Tightwire

Little Horses

Cortege

Tightwire

A young woman walks across a wire six metres from the ground, surrounded by angels. By turns in point shoes, on a unicycle and barefoot, the artist performs figures with multiple hoops. Then, she takes on the challenge of climbing a diagonal wire, finally disappearing once she’s reached the top.

Golf

Marionette

Like a living jumping jack, a puppet artist seems to drop out of the sky. She plays with the Dead Clown in a scene that is reminiscent of days at the beach.

Culbuto

Helium Dance, i.e Valentyna's Flight

All dressed up in his Sunday best, the Dead Clown delicately holds the Clowness, who is tethered to six enormous balloons. A hush falls as the angelic Clowness ascends and flies out into the audience, coming to rest on a spectator chosen by chance. Her gentle flight is charming and a delight to behold.

Teeterboard

Surrounded by two groups of artists lending rhythm to the act with their voices and percussion work, three acrobats redefine teeterboard technique in an act where speed is rivalled only by complexity.

Paradise

By superimposing a trampoline-like net and three standing cradle stations placed further apart from one another than ever seen before, a universe is created in which high-flying and bouncing come together, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, in a single breathtaking act.

Maelstrom Orchestra

Duo Adagio

This masterful, tender pas de deux is performed by a duo of little people, using a vertical ring set into a pivoting platform.

Juggling

Four young artists perform fast-moving feats of prowess in a surprising act that blends juggling and acrobatics. With unsurpassed style, they defy the law of gravity as they juggle successively with rings, hoops and clubs.

Rhythmic Gymnastics (no longer performed)

A trio of extraordinarily flexible jugglers perform amazing manoeuvres with a combination of balls and cubes before being surprised by a torrential downpour of...chickens?!

Acrobatic Ladder

A ladder specialist amazes the audience with his unnerving balance and incomparable finesse as he performs on various ladders, trying desperately to reach the angel who is watching him from above.

Aerial Straps

Originally performed as a solo Aerial Strap act in rotation by Veronika Teslenko. It is currently an Aerial Straps duo performed by Olesya Shulga and Dmytro Grygorov. Each incarnation of the act had its own musical piece.

Magical Flight (a.k.a Bicycle, Vols Magique)

Tournik

Eight artists cross paths in an act which marries horizontal bar techniques with circus arts. The artists perform on a central cube-shaped structure, with two additional bars on each side of the cube. The various parts of the structure turn, sometimes all in the same direction, sometimes in opposite directions... just to keep everyone on their toes!