Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère. Photo courtesy of the production.
My fellow readers, it’s that time of year again when this aging theatre type goes on vacation with his wife Jen to recharge before the upcoming season. The cities this year are Denver and Las Vegas and while there are side trips to the Grand Canyon, Pike’s Peak and even the National Atomic Testing Museum (my wife’s idea,) a trip of ours is never complete without seeing some theatre and what better production company would there be to do this with than Cirque du Soleil . Las Vegas is not your traditional theatre town and Cirque du Soleil is not your average performing company.
We are going to see Mystère at Treasure Island which holds a double distinction of being Cirque’s longest running Las Vegas production and also being the longest running resident production in Las Vegas. Twenty years strong with no signs of stopping. As of July 7th of this year the production has played 9,767 performances. At two shows a night, five days a week, that comes out to a staggering 478 performances a year.
…Mystère and other Cirque productions have raised the bar in Las Vegas entertainment.
David Gomez is the Artistic Director for the production. After performing in several Broadway productions including Contact, he then performed on tour, in the West End and in Japan in Twyla Tharp’s Movin Out. Once in Vegas he performed in Cirque’s The Beatles Love for a year and a half where he was then moved up from Dance Captain to Dance Master. He has been with Mystère for four and a half years.
The audition process for the show is a unique one because it depends a lot on technology. Gomez explains “There are seventy performers in the show from 15 different countries. Artists can submit a You Tube video and casting can then look it up in a huge data base to see who can do what. After that a Skype call happens, and then a live audition.” Oh how times have changed!
I said at the top that Mystère has been running for twenty years. You would think “Hmmm…. There can’t possibly be an original member left from the opening.” Well, you would be wrong. Guitarist Bruce Rickerd has not missed a performance from day one.
He explains how he got this gig this way “I had my own band working in Montreal. I had several then future musicians for Cirque du Soleil work for me in my outfit. I got a call from one of them, a keyboardist who used to work for me by the name of Benoit Jutras. He offered me the guitar chair at Mystère. He went on to write the music for several Cirque shows. Over half of Mystère’s score, all of “O.” Quidam, La Nouba, movie scores and shows all around the world.”
You have to be a special kind of musician to play this kind of show. Rickerd says “The music is original, modern, interactive and, at places, improvisational. It demands a high level of concentration, alertness and creativity. It’s like being Alex Lifeson in Rush, or Adrian Belew or Robert Fripp in King Crimson getting last second “literally” changes in the arrangement with half a bar’s notice.” After not missing a performance in twenty years you might ask how does Rickerd keep from going crazy. He says very simply “Who says I’m not crazy?!”
As you can see, Bruce Rickerd has no trouble keeping his show fresh every night but what about the performers? After 20 years Gomez says you have to make adjustments to keep the show alive for the audience and keep the performing company inspired. A few additions always help like bringing in a trapeze act and a new silk act from a show that closed in Japan.
I wanted to end this piece by asking Gomez what is the key to the success of Mystère after twenty years of performances. He says “It is a classic Cirque show and closest to a tent show that you’ll see. It is a total immersive experience as you are asked what is the meaning of life? It has a definite Wow! factor.”
Some people think Cirque du Soleil just produces standard circus fare. This could not be further from the truth. Their productions combine standard circus elements with a big…make that huge theatrical presentation. The effects are enough to hold you and the music is always great but regardless of all of the production, there is true artistry among the performers. That’s why Mystère and other Cirque productions have raised the bar in Las Vegas entertainment. Forget the seedy lounge acts, Cirque du Soleil’s shows are for everyone and once you see one you’ll want to see them all. Did I mention we are seeing The Beatles Love as well?
Here is a taste of the magic that is Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère.