MONTREAL ? Wednesday was red carpet night for the grand opening of the fourth edition of Montr?al Compl?tement Cirque, a celebration of all things circus ? often mixed up with other performing arts.
The kickoff production of Le Music-Hall de la Baronne at L?Olympia is a hybrid show that blends singing, dancing, comedy and slick circus acts within a cabaret format that includes a generous amount of audience participation.
Its creation team, headed by Cirque ?loize artistic director Jeannot Painchaud, includes stage director Denis Bouchard, three choreographers (Cynthia Akanga, Johanne Madore and Olivier Loubry), a musical director (Jean Fernand Girard) and a designer (Marianne Forand) who was responsible for set, props and style.
Although Le Music-Hall de la Baronne is being presented as part of Cirque ?loize?s 20th anniversary celebrations, this is not a typical, fully realized ?loize show by any means.
La Baronne, played by the formidable Catherine Pinard who is strong of voice and looks very diva, introduces herself as the proprietor of the club. Her niece (Genevi?ve Baudet) is the highly incompetent waitress who never delivers a drink intact. And Renaud Paradis plays Monsieur Renard, the highly versatile, song-and-dance emcee.
The audience is seated at tables surrounding a small circular stage connected by a ramp to the theatre?s actual proscenium stage, which is used, minimally, for performance, too. But tables full of spectators take up most of the upstage space.
There?s a small, quirky orchestra on the main stage, too, but many acts use their own taped soundtracks.
While Bouchard and actor Remy Girard are credited with the concept and writing of the piece, the script is largely between-acts patter replete with silly jokes.
Circus highlights of the evening include an aerial rings performance by Austrian Christine Gruber, vamping Greta Garbo and smoking a cigarette. Cuban juggler Rony Gomez combines speed and deft, sexy moves as he keeps several balls aloft, and Quebecer Fr?d?ric Lemieux-Cormier, who tears off his shirt and tosses it into the audience during his German Wheel act, captures attention.
American acrobat Michael Lanphear arises from a sofa, freeing himself from a woman?s arms (Camille Tremblay), and grasps hanging straps that allow him to soar high while doing various twists and turns to a moody Jacques Brel soundtrack.
The man that Estonian performer Katerina Reponnen recruits from the audience to help her out while she juggles large white cylinders with her feet turns out to be her partner (Pasi Nousiainen). But truly innocent bystanders are dragged onto stage for other purposes. Latecomers get treated like VIPs, ushered up to the front and served champagne. (Shy people are advised to select their seats carefully and arrive on time.)
Generally speaking, the circus acts are strong, the comedy mildly amusing, with the second act?s lion-cage number landing distinctly lame. The ambience, however, is deliciously retro decadent. And Paradis leads a rhythmic gum boots participation number that turns out to be a good time had by all.
pbs ron paul Cnn Electoral Map roseanne barr guy fawkes gary johnson gary johnson
No comments:
Post a Comment