Sponsored Listings:
| Luzia’s artists and producers. Photo courtesy ©Cirque du Soleil. |
The magical acrobats and artists of the Cirque du Soleil are back with a new show inspired by Mexico. Luzia, A Waking Dream of Mexico (Eveillé par L’Esprit du Mexique), opened in Montreal last month and is slated to begin performances in Toronto starting this July. We can’t wait. I still remember the first time I saw a Cirque du Soleil show about 20 years ago! It outdisneyed Disneyland. It was like walking into a fantastic and beautiful dream. Since then, I have seen a few more shows, but haven’t been to one in years. I still have Zumanity and O at the top of my list, but the Cirque is so prolific these days that it’s hard to choose (not to mention the traveling involved if the show does not play nearby).
Mexico
But Luzia is different for me. For one, it will be playing in Toronto. But it’s also inspired by Mexico, the country where I was born – a country of dramatic contrasts, like its somewhat stereotypical Sarape (which is actually seldom used by Mexicans anymore, except as a couch cover perhaps), the metaphorical image Sergei Esisenstein, one of the fathers of cinema, used to explain the idea for his unfinished film Viva México! These contrasts of clashing cultures (Spanish and indigenous), clashing classes, music, food, colors, wealth and poverty, life and death have been the inspiration for innumerable artists both Mexicans and foreign.
From Jose Guadalupe Posada (the original creator of those stylized skeletons you see in fashion today, especially at Halloween and Día de Muertos) to Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo to filmmakers like Luis Buñuel and Baz Luhrmann to architect Luis Barragán to contemporary artists like Swiss born Yves Scherer and many others artists everywhere have interpreted their impressions and experiences of Mexico.
Luzia
And now it’s the Cirque du Soleil’s turn. And we can’t wait to see it! Cirque has enlisted a very impressive group of artists (with a strong background in cinema among other arts) to put together this show:
| Daniele Finzi Pasca Brigitte Poupart Patricia Ruel Julie Hamelin Finzi Eugenio Caballero Giovanna Buzzi Simon Carpentier Edesia Moreno Barata Debra Brown Sylvia Gertrúdix González Max Humphries Martin Labrecque Johnny Ranger Jacques Boucher Philippe Aubertin Danny Zen Maryse Gosselin |
Conception and Director Associate Director Director of Creation Playwright Set and Props Designer Costume Designer Composer and Musical Director Acrobatic Choreographer Acrobatic Choreographer Acrobatic Choreographer Puppet Designer Lighting Designer Projection Designer Sound Designer Acrobatic Performance Designer Acrobatic Equipment and Rigging Designer Makeup Designer |
Visit Cirque du Soleil’s Luzia’s website for more information and tickets.
Source: canadianandworldtourism.com