Mystère (Cirque du Soleil)

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Mystère is a Cirque du Soleil show in permanent residence at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is one of five resident Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas, the others being O, Kà, LOVE, and Zumanity. Mystère was first performed on 25 December 1993 and quickly won over audiences with its unique style of circus entertainment. As with many Cirque Du Soleil productions, Mystère provides a mixture of acrobatics, gymnastics, dance, opera, new age music and comedy.

1 History
2 The Show
3 Summary
4 Souvenir Programs
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

The idea for Mystère started around 1990. It was originally planned for Caesar's Palace with the theme based on Greek and Roman Mythology. The plan, however, was scrapped by the casino execs, thinking the project would be too risky. Mystère was very different from the typical material they were used to in a Las Vegas show. According to Michael Crete, a set designer for Cirque du Soleil, "Vegas... was still very influenced by Folies Bergeres, with the scarves, feather boas, etc. There was a European culture already in place, oddly enough, not an American one. The people who opened the door for something new were Siegfried and Roy. They were the first to move away from the Folies Bergeres thing."

Treasure Island picked up the show three years later. This opportunity offered some new creative territory for Cirque Du Soleil. Mystère was their first show that would have its own theater. All previous shows became successful by going on tour and performing in cities in North America and around the world. Mystère would have a permanent base in Las Vegas. It was also the first time they would work with a major financial partner - Mirage Casino-Hotel - to produce a show. With Mystère, they no longer had uninhibited creative power and, on occasion, had to contend with the more conservative tastes of their client.

The new location inspired some changes in the thematic elements of the show as well. The focus of the show became the origins of life in the universe, although some mythological elements did remain intact. This theme is the inspiration for the show's costumes, set design and music.

[edit] The Show

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

A clown disguised as a theater usher provides comedy entertainment. Before the main show starts, popcorn is thrown at the heads of hapless audience members and people are led to the wrong seat. A ventriloquist ringmaster-of-ceremonies and the clown are often seen taunting each other between acrobat performances. A performer dressed up as a baby also provides many comedic moments as a thread throughout the show.

Eight musicians and two vocalists perform a live musical background-concert throughout each show. The lyrics, like other Cirque shows, are sung in an imaginary language. The soundtrack is arguably Cirque's most popular, if for no other reason the fact that it is the only one that has been released both as a studio recording (in 1994) as well as a live recording (from 1996).

Some acrobatic highlights of the show include:

Aerial Cube
Chinese Poles
Hand-to-Hand
Bungee jumping
Trampoline
Fast Track
Korean Plank
Aerial High Bar

The show concludes with a stunning performance of Taiko.

Each performance typically runs without intermission for about 95 minutes, not counting the first 10-15 minutes involving the usher-clown.

[edit] Summary

Mystère broke a lot of new ground for the Quebec based performers and, despite some initial skepticism, has enjoyed a highly successful and profitable run. It's still a top draw on the Las Vegas Strip with most shows nearly selling out the 1600 seat Mystère Theater. It led the way for four more shows on the Strip (O, Zumanity, Kà and Love) making Cirque du Soleil one of the most recognizable entertainment groups in Las Vegas.

[edit] Souvenir Programs

Approximately once a year since the show's inception, Cirque publishes a new program with some new photos of the acts as well as the names and photos of the performers. The primary way of distinguishing each edition is the cover photo; the secondary method, since the same cover has repeated over multiple years, is to look at the copyright statement on the credits page.

Cover	Year/Filename	Printing Date	Pages
Double-Face	1994	October 1994	52
Double-Face	1995	August 1995	52
Double-Face	1996	January 1996	52
Double-Face	1997	April 1997	52
Double-Face	Myst.03.1998	February 1998	52
Long-Nose	Myst.03.1999	March 1999	52
Long-Nose	Myst.05.2000	May 2000	52
Long-Nose	Myst.05.2001	May 2001	52
Long-Nose	Myst.06.2002	(none)	52
Long-Nose	Myst.06.03	(none)	52
?	(Myst.??.04)	(?)	(?)
Firebird	Myst.11.05	(none)	58 (plus insert)

[edit] References

Cirque Du Soleil - 20 Years Under the Sun, by Tony Babinsky, 2004
Mystere - Music Composed by Rene Dupere & Benoit Jutras, transcription for piano and voices by Jean-Francois Brissette, music engraving and book design by Yvon Hubert, 1997, ISBN 2-921124-85-8