Alegría (Cirque du Soleil)
| Alegría | |
|---|---|
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| Company | Cirque du Soleil |
| Genre | Contemporary circus |
| Show type | Touring arena show |
| Date of premiere | 21 April 1994 (Montreal) |
| Final show | 29 December 2013 (Antwerp) |
| Creative team | |
| Director | Franco Dragone |
| Director of creation | Gilles Ste-Croix |
| Composer | René Dupéré |
| Costume designer | Dominique Lemieux |
| Set designer | Michel Crête |
| Choreographer | Debra Brown |
| Lighting designer | Luc Lafortune |
| Sound designer | Guy Desrochers |
| Company founder and CEO | Guy Laliberté |
| Make-up designer | Nathalie Gagné |
| Other information | |
| Preceded by | Mystère (1993) |
| Succeeded by | Quidam (1996) |
| Official website | |
Alegría was a Cirque du Soleil touring production, created in 1994 by director Franco Dragone and director of creation Gilles Ste-Croix.
It was one of Cirque du Soleil's most popular touring shows. Since it premiered in April 1994, it has been performed over 5,000 times and seen by over 14 million spectators in more than 250 cities around the world.Alegría originated as a touring big top show. However, beginning with its 2009-2011 North American tour, the show was converted to an arena format, enabling it to visit cities that were previously inaccessible to the big top tour. Furthermore, Alegría took a short respite and was converted to a resident show at MGM's Beau Rivage casino from May 1999 to October 2000 before it continued touring again. On 29 December 2013, Alegría performed its final show at the Lotto Arena in Antwerp, Belgium.
Alegría takes its name from the Spanish word for "joy." Cirque du Soleil's literature describes the show as "an operatic introspection of the struggle for power and the invigorating energy of youth." Dominique Lemieux's costumes evince a baroque aesthetic of decadence and ornamentation, while René Dupéré's musical score features a unique blend of French, Spanish, African, and Mediterranean influences. The stage and props are characterized by gothic arches and harsh angular designs.
The stage of Alegría is topped by a giant dome and decorated with stylistic columns and balustrades. The dome gives the sense of an impressive, powerful structure, similar to how churches and government buildings utilize similar architectural constructs. The stage has spiral ramps on opposing sides which lead down, symbolizing the unknown. The floor of the stage has the head of a salamander, used for the four elements in which it lives. The 17th-century-ballroom stylistic lighting design reflects a nostalgic atmosphere. Finally, an autumnal color palette creates the luminous obscurity of the show.
The characters in Alegría comprise people of two separate generations: the New Order and the Old Order.
Performed by:
The acts of Alegría have had a bit of turnover, but continue to fit its theme: "A baroque ode to the energy, grace and power of youth."
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Wikipedia