Cirque Du Soleil Stops in Redmond

Cirque Du Soleil presents Corteo under the blue and yellow big top at Marymoor Park in Redmond beginning Thursday, April 24. Corteo has captivated fans on nearly every continent, so we asked Alison Crawford, Corteo senior artistic director, to share a few secrets about what makes the show tick.

Corteo is a story about a clown’s funeral, but it is also a celebration of life, Crawford said. "Everything from the set, costumes and make-up resemble an old theatre and strike excitement and passion with audiences. When you first walk in, it looks like you are walking into a theatre in Italy."

When asked what she would tell someone hesitating to attend Corteo, she said, "Are you crazy? You have to see our show!" Of course she is biased, but she was the first to admit that Cirque Du Soleil performances are not just act, act, act, act, finish. The shows’ ability to tell a story that combines acrobatics, dance, and music earned her loyalty. Since she first became involved with Cirque Du Soleil in the early 1990s, she fell in love and never looked back.

Crawford calls herself the "guardian of the concept," because her vocation is to preserve the integrity of the original direction of creators Guy Laliberté and Danielle Finzi Pasca. Her other mandate is to keep the show fresh and imaginative. Not a simple task. Before each show, make-up artists and costume designers prepare nearly 60 artists to take the stage. All performers must be on sequence, constantly counting the music and preparing for the next flip, tumble, or dance routine throughout the two-and-a-half-hour performance.

Crawford doesn’t believe in a perfect performance, but certainly has had her share of goosebumps from a job well done. "When the artists are on and give their full, the magic is intangible," she said. "When you come down to it, it’s an essence of feeling." She talked about a few of her favorite scenes, but one that caught our attention was the balloon act that apparently shows a little person float away while holding six balloons.

A full report of Corteo and more from our interview with Crawford will be available after opening night. But meanwhile, on a final note: A source close to Seattlest saw Corteo in Portland last month and, no joke, his take on the show: "I was afraid to blink because I didn’t want to miss anything." Take it as you will.

April 24 - May 25, 2008, 8 p.m. // Marymoor Park, Redmond // $55 - $210

Photo compliments of Cirque Du Soleil. Picture taken by Richard Termine.