Premiere: Sept. 15, 2002 (Global) January 6, 2003 (Bravo) Type: TV Series / Reality Director: Lewis Cohen Producers: Marie Côté Vincent Gagné Arnie Gelbart Episodes: 13 / 22 minutes long Time: SUN @ 7:00pm (Global) MON @ 9:00pm (Bravo)

Anyone who's ever attended a Cirque du Soleil performance, after recovering from the initial overwhelming awe and wonder, must have wondered about the complex creation process involved. They may also have wondered about the seemingly otherworldly people behind the magnificent performances and magical characters created on stage. For fans and newbies alike Cirque du Soleil has created a 13-episode documentary miniseries entitled "Fire Within" that provides an in-depth exploration of the creation of Varekai, Cirque's 2002 touring show.

Fire Within is a groundbreaking series allowing fans unprecedented access to Cirque du Soleil. It allows us to go deep inside the company's creation process and witness the magic in the making. Fire Within also allows us to see the human side of the Cirque. The series' raw and honest portrayal of the performers and staff shows us a side of the company that we've never been able to see before.

The series' frank and candid approach is riveting. It shatters the illusion that the people at Cirque du Soleil are somehow super-human. The creation of Varekai serves only as a backdrop, the real focus is on the performers' human drama. The series follows their struggles, their challenges, their triumphs, and their lives, and tells their stories in an honest and surprisingly personal manner. Over the course of the series we follow Oleg (Acrobatic Pas de Deux), Stella (Triple Trapeze), Olga (Hand- balancing on Canes), Raquel (Triple Trapeze), Ashley and Gareth (Icarian Games), Kevin and Andrew (Aerial Straps). We find out that they deal with everyday issues like all of us. Everything doesn't always go perfectly at Cirque and this series doesn't shy away from showing us the grittier side of the company that we've never seen before.

Each episode weaves several storylines together around a central theme, and frames them with creative editing and an eclectic and evocative soundtrack. The series is not without its weaknesses. Fire Within focuses very heavily on some characters while only showing momentary glimpses of others. According to the Cirque website, over 1000 hours of raw footage were filmed for Fire Within and each of the thirteen episodes took nine weeks to edit. The hard work is evident in the quality of the finished product; a series that is as respectful as it is informative, insightful and honest. The Fire Within series as a whole is a monumental achievement for Cirque du Soleil.

Admittedly, watching Fire Within does take some of the mystique and mystery out of watching Varekai live. I now see the performers as actual people and not the fantastic super-creatures and magical characters portrayed on stage. In a way, I now see through the illusion. But on the other hand I have a profound respect and much deeper appreciation of the artists because I've witnessed the grueling work and immense challenges that these extraordinary individuals had to overcome to become part of a Cirque du Soleil production.

                                                                  Wayne Leung
                                                                  Fascination, Staff Writer The following episodic reviews were originally published as a series of four incirments in Fascination!, the Cirque du Soleil fan newsletter, starting with Issue #14 (October 2002) and ending with Issue #17 (January 2003). Each review is written by Wayne Leung, reprinted at Le Grand Chapiteau with permission.