Over a period of three decades, Cirque du Soleil has developed more than 42 productions that have toured to approximately 450 cities. They have all premièred in the company’s hometown of Montreal before hitting new territories. In November, the norm changes. For the first time ever, Cirque du Soleil premieres its new show, Bazzar, outside Canada — first in Mumbai and then Delhi — before taking it to other countries.
Written and directed by Susan Gaudreau, Bazzar pays homage to the founders of Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix, buskers who established the company in 1984. Today, it is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
“I wanted to tap into the essence of what makes Cirque du Soleil so unique,” explains Gaudreau, who is hugely inspired by Indian cinema. Naturally, the first show to debut in the country would have to reflect her passion and “the song and dance of Bollywood with its rich colours and drama”.
“I really wanted to do something that Indians could relate to,” she adds. While the director readily admits the influences of Bazzar, she is quick to clarify that it is not a show specifically for India.
- Alegría: The return of an icon: The touring show helped us to break into a lot of different markets around the world. This year we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of Alegría and we are going to bring back that show
- Mystère: Mystère has been in Las Vegas for 25 years and I just renewed a contract for an additional five years. I have a feeling this show will be there forever
- The Beatles LOVE: I was personally involved in negotiating the deal with The Beatles, which was very special. The show is still up and running in Vegas
- Michael Jackson: One: Again, I was personally involved in the deal with Michael Jackson’s estate for this show
- TORUK The First Flight: The fact that we could work with James Cameron and be able to do a live show of Avatar was spectacular for us
Full house
With 30 performers on stage, including 22 acrobats, two live musicians and a singer, Bazzar’s plot reflects the workings of a circus company. It is the story of a maestro putting together an ambitious performance, not unlike a Cirque du Soleil production. His troupe of eclectic artists includes the floating woman — a trickster hell bent on sparring with the maestro, and who ends up intentionally botching his plans. “So there’s this dynamic between the two main characters about who’s going to come on top,” explains Gaudreau, adding that Simon Carpentier, Bazzar’s composer, developed a new genre of music — folk electronica with lyrics in English, Spanish and French — for the show. “It’s a type of live music that has [instruments like] the saxophone and banjo and is very roots-based, but its bass is electronica.”
To reflect the aesthetic of the show, costume designer James Lavoie zeroed in on the works of contemporary 20th century artists, conceptual architectural clothing, and street style. “Our number one priority is to make sure that the artists are comfortable and that they can fully concentrate on their performance,” says the designer. “We also use textiles and materials which are resistant. For example, moleskin is used very often for its comfort, breathability and its resistance.” In spite of its high-level renegade theme, the show also promises classic circus entertainment with dual trapeze acts, acrobatic bikes, contortionists, cord lisse (aerial ropes) and teeter boards. Highlights include the hairceau act, where a woman suspends herself from an aerial hoop knotted using her hair. “Every show that I create, I like to have a twist,” explains Gaudreau. “It’s either something that I never worked with before or Cirque has never worked with before,” she says, adding that the inclusion of mallakhamb — India’s answer to aerial gymastics — was a natural evolution. “It’s very exotic for us.” A first for Cirque du Soleil, two Indian mallakhamb artists, one of whom is Rajesh Mudki, will join the cast and crew from 50 nationalities.
Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil
Intimate and immersive
As with the company’s touring norm, Bazzar comes to India in the Big Top Tent — 62 feet high and 135 feet in diameter, accommodating 1,500 people. With a mere three-day set up time, the portable venue is efficient enough to travel to both luxurious and intimate settings. “We’re packing up everything in road cases in Montreal as we speak,” says Daniel Lamarre, president and CEO of Cirque Du Soleil. 700 tonnes of equipment will then make its way to Mumbai in sea containers. “The Big Top Tent is more intimate and more immersive. It’s almost like Cirque on steroids, meaning that you’re going to be seated so close to the artists that you’ll see the sweat fall off their faces,” he laughs.
***
At home in Mumbai
Bazzar is the first event in Maharashtra to receive a single window clearance from state authorities. V K Gautam, principal secretary, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department, Government of Maharashtra, has confirmed that the development of an online portal is underway to ensure speedy clearances for future events. With this collaboration, Lamarre expects to create revenue of more than $15 million for the state thanks to the influx of tourists. The partnership with India, he hopes, will be long-lived. He is particularly keen to bring the Cirque du Soleil’s social initiatives to the country (existing programs in other cities include working with at-risk youth ). He has not dismissed the idea of creating a permanent venue (à la Las Vegas) in Mumbai either.
Bazzar premieres on November 15 at MMRDA Grounds, BKC. Tickets, priced at ₹1,250 onwards, are available on bookmyshow.com