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Creations
Le Cirque
Réinventé
At a Glance
Creative Team
Personages
Expérience
1987
1988
1989 & 1990
Odyssey
Itinéraire
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Ti-Claude (Ringmaster)
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Michael Barrette (James Keylon in 1989), one of the veteran performers at the Cirque du Soleil, trained
as an actor and appeared often on the stage. Michael has concentrated on developing his
acrobatic skills since joining the Cirque. You will have the opportunity to appreciate
his boundless energy and talent at several points during the show.
"Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen". This is the first official contact between the audience and
the Ring Master (Michel Barette). There's something about the way he taps his foot and wags
his head. Since he is the symbol of authority, the Ring Master delights in telling the clowns
what they can and can't do, and he even chides the audience for siding with the unruly rogues.
There isn't much of the traditional ring master about him. Why, he's just about to leave the
ring to appear as Ti-Claude, who will eventually guide those you have yet to meet toward a
magical metamorphosis.
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Queen of the Night / King of Fools
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Out of the billowing white cloud emerge the Queen of the Night (or King of Fools) and her/his helpers.
They will weave the web of magic in which our Ordinary People are turned into acrobats.
Music, movement, colour and light combine to produce an atmosphere of true enchangment.
In the acts that follow, each of the performers will play out his or her destiny.
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The Ordinary People
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Now, the ring is full of ordinary people dressed in their everyday clothes, milling
about and exchanging looks of amazement with the audience. Is this a dream or is it
really true? Who knows? The truth is that they begin responding to some mysterious urge
to let out some of the folly and playfullness buried deep down in each of them, and in
each of us. Arabesques, cartwheels, handstands... they can hardly contain their joy! Dream
or reality? All we can tell is that they're being drawn into a world of fantasy and so
transformed they they become an integral part of the show.
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Denis Lacombe (1987 & 1988)
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Bronze medalist at the World "Circus of Tomorrow" Festival in Paris in 1985, Denis
Lacombe toured with the Cirque du Soleil in 1985 and 1986 and performed with the Big Apple
Circus of New York during its 1986-1987 season. The Cirque du Soleil is pleased to have
Denis present his hilarious orchestra conductor routine during the California segment of
its 1987 tour.
When Denis is ambushed by an invisible man, the result is one of the funniest tragi-comic
episodes you could possibly imagine. When he plays a mechanical clown caught up in a zany
adventure, or turns into a mad orchestra conductor who gets carried overboard directing his
tape recorder... Actually, whatever Denis does, you're sure to be amazed.
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Benny Le Grand (All)
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After five years of putting the glue on fly-catchers, Benny Le Grand enters
the select world of the peforming arts. He leaves Saskatoon and is hired on as a
spare tire by a traveling circus. He later writes, produces and performs the worst
magic acts ever seen on North American TV. Benny is the perfect example of the
independant artist all funding agencies flee like the plague. The Cirque du Soleil
thinks Benny le Grand is just "Great"!
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Catitan Cactus (1987)
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Former tree-planter, carpenter, bricklayer and label-sicker, Catitan Cactus
never was one to lay about doing nothing. After he happened upon his career as a
clown in Downtown Mexico City while celebrating a friend's birthday in 1968, Catitan
search high and low for a circus ring to perform in. He came to Canada in 1976. Keep a
close eye on the clowns when they come on between acts. Some of them are actually
Cirque du Soleil acrobats who just love to "clown around"!
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Tonatiuh Morales (1988)
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The gag may be subtle or slapstick and the intention boyish or biting, but he
always seems to know what buttons to push to trigger a roar of laughter. Tonatiuh tries to go
unnoticed, except durring the takeoff he does early in the show. To no avail. You'll find
him popping up all over the place, and doing what you least expect! The 1987 Circuba
festival held in Havana found Tonatiuh just as crazy as we do, and gave him first prize
in clowning to prove it!
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Balthazar (1989 & 1990)
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Balthazar (whom Cirque fans may recognize from La Nouba) performs "Window with String".
He goes through a series of wonderfully witty visual effects, changing from window to stringed
instrument, then becoming a spider's web, engulfing his face complete with a buzzing fly.
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