INTERVIEW: With ‘Crystal,’ Cirque du Soleil finds inspiration in ice
Photo: Cirque du Soleil’s Crystal arrives at the Prudential Center June 16-19. Photo courtesy of Matt Beard. Costumes: Marie Chantale Vaillancourt © Cirque du Soleil 2019. Provided by press site with permission.
Cirque du Soleil’s new arena show, called Crystal, is unique within the long history of this Montreal-based circus company. They have tackled big tops and Broadway, water and the holidays, but this show is the first time the amazing performers have taken to the ice. That’s right, Crystal plays out not only with acrobatics, but also skaters. Together, they form a two-and-a-half-hour experience that is dazzling, daring and icy good.
Crystal arrives June 16-19 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. At the helm of the production is artistic director Robert Tannion, who is originally from Australia.
“Crystal is, for me, a truly fabulous show,” Tannion said in a recent phone interview. “It’s Cirque du Soleil’s first show that was created specifically on ice. It has 44 artists, and those artists, clearly for those who know Cirque du Soleil, are a combination of world-class acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, etc. as well as now we have incredible solo skaters, pair skaters, and, for extreme lovers, we’ve also got extreme skaters. It’s a really action-packed, visually-packed, emotion-packed couple of hours.”
Crystal has a strong narrative and through line. The show centers on a young woman named Crystal who is on a journey of self-discovery and finding her voice. She sometimes feels she cannot fit in, and this sends her on an adventure to find her reflection. The show was originally directed by Shana Carroll and Sebastien Soldevila.
“If we drill into that a little bit, it’s a young lady who feels misunderstood by her peers and those around her, runs off out of the house to get a bit of air, as you do,” he said. “Skating in a frozen pond at night, she falls through the pond and basically goes on this journey in this alternative world where she has to face her shadows, where she has to engage with her creativity and find herself. She finds love. There are lots of layers within it. It’s a really beautiful story. … It doesn’t have an outcome where everything is happy and roses, but it’s fulfilling in that we go on a journey with her. And we are as emotionally moved by the show as we are visually stunned and wowed by the acrobatics and skaters.”
Tannion recognizes the cliche behind this expression, but he wholeheartedly believes it applies to Crystal: “It’s a show for everyone.” At the recent Boston engagement, he watched as younger and older audience members were impressed by the acrobatics of the show. Young girls, in particular, seemed to resonate with the two strong female protagonists. In addition to Crystal, there is Reflection, who is Crystal’s reflection.
“It really does engage on multiple levels,” Tannion said. “Of course, it’s got incredible costumes, fantastic makeup, and the set is gorgeous. We use 23 projectors. … So we map onto the ice and onto this giant crystal wall that we have as the back of the set. It’s really stunning, and so everyone of all age groups gets something from it.”
The logistics of bringing Crystal to life each week in a different market can be challenging. There are 97 people traveling on the tour, with 44 of them being artists. Cirque du Soleil employs the help of 17 semi-trailer trucks, stretching 53 feet in length, to haul the equipment that is needed for the ice extravaganza. Normally it takes 13 hours to set up the show in an arena and approximately five hours to pull everything down and out.
“It’s so well-planned, and it really needs to be,” the artistic director said. “I think the biggest challenge when we change cities or change markets, each arena has its own special peculiarities, and we have to adapt ourselves to those. For me, for example, today I’m in a nice-looking locker room, but I have found myself under a staircase or at the back of the bleachers because there is no other space in the arena.”
Another logistical headache is the COVID-19 pandemic, which placed Crystal on hiatus for two years. Assembling this multinational cast in Montreal to start the retraining process was a mountain to climb, and then touring around the United States has brought different rules and regulations.
“We have been following the COVID guidelines, depending on what area or what market we are in,” Tannion said. “We have our on-tour [guidelines]. We’re currently at stage two, so that means the performers are allowed on stage to not wear a mask. But as soon as they walk off the ice, everyone else is wearing masks. We all wear masks backstage. We test three days a week. We do a COVID check-in every day, and then we’ve got really strict protocols if someone tests positive or is symptomatic or is a close contact. … Yes, there are challenges, but what it’s made us do is become incredibly flexible about how we can continue working and maintain a great quality show.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Cirque du Soleil’s Crystal will play June 16-19 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Click here for more information and tickets.
