Cirque du Soleil captivates audience with dark, emotional journey
PITTSBURGH – A young girl meets an ominous headless stranger carrying an umbrella and dons the hat he leaves behind that takes her – and the audience – on a journey that captivates and mesmerizes in “Quidam,” presented by Cirque du Soleil. As the girl travels, she meets the most impressive of performers along her way who showcase their almost superhuman talents that have become the trademark of Cirque du Soleil.
During one segment, a group of 15 people perform the banquine act, bounding through the air light as a feather or balancing themselves on top of each other. In another, a man spins, jumps and whirls around the stage in a German wheel, while later a woman uses her flexibility to spin hoops from all parts of her body.
Perhaps one of the most striking performances in “Quidam” is called “Vis Versa,” where a man and a woman move almost as one as they assume positions that require the most unbelievable of balance. At one point, only the woman’s legs are touching the ground while the man brings his entire body and lies almost on top of her.
During another part of the same performance, the woman rests her head behind the man’s neck and keeps her body completely upright while the man moves from a kneeling to a standing position.
All the while, the girl, named Zo?, continues to be taken away from the world where she has found no meaning and a family life that is less than stable.
But while the girl may be feeling empty and lost, the show cannot help but stir all kinds of emotions.
“Quidam is one of the darker Cirque shows, and that is seen in every aspect,” said Martin Bedard, head of wardrobe for the show. “While some of the costumes are more colorful than other shows, many of them reflect the darkness that can be felt.”
Bedard, who just joined Cirque at the beginning of the year, said that almost 500 pieces of wardrobe travel to each site, and he and his team make sure that the detailed costumes are ready for the 50 performers that make up the troupe. He called Cirque the most challenging and exciting project of his career to date. Bedard said the costumes in “Quidam” are the first exposure the audience has to what they are about to experience.
Joining Cirque du Soleil has been something of a dream come true for him, he said, given Cirque’s worldwide reputation. Describing what it has been like is tough for Bedard to put into words.
“There is so much creativity involved, which is so exciting,” he said. “People are here from all over the world and I am happy to be a part of that.”
Bedard and his permanent team members have been in Pittsburgh for two weeks leading up to the show and, after a week of rest and recuperation from the show’s last stop, he was busy unpacking and preparing the dressing areas for the 18-day run.
While he doesn’t have much time to watch the performance because he is busy assisting artists prepare for their next routine, Bedard said the message of “Quidam” and the emotions it can strike have a universal theme.
“Even though this girl is in a dysfunctional family and goes to this fantasy world, you can see that not everything is dark. You can still see joy in life,” he said. “It tells people there is not only negativity, but there is also positive in everything.”
The production features a 120-foot overhead conveyor that covers the entire big top and is used to provide visual effects as well as an entrance for some performers. Audience members are never far from the performance, sometimes even being put on stage by several clowns that appear at different points in the show.
Live music sung and performed throughout the almost three-hour show add a haunting score to the amazing feats that seem to defy gravity and enthrall more than 4.5 million people who have seen the show to date.
“Quidam” was launched in April 1996 in Montreal and began a three-year North American tour soon after. After completing a European tour, “Quidam” is back for another North American tour that was in Miami, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C., earlier this year, and will stop in Detroit, Boston, Cleveland and Tampa.
“Quidam” is being performed under the blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau located next to Heinz Field from now until Sunday, June 2. Performances will be held tonight and next Friday, May 24, at 5 and 9 p.m.; this Saturday Saturday, May 25, and Saturday, June 1, at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; this Sunday, Sunday, May 26, and Sunday, June 2, at 2 and 6 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 p.m.; and Thursday at 5 and 9 p.m.
Tickets are available online at cirquedusoleil.com or at the Admission Network at 1-800-678-5440.
They range in price from $45 to $65 for adults and from $31.50 to $45.50 for children. Students between the ages of 13 and 17 and senior citizens age 65 and older can pay between $40.50 and $58.50 for performances Tuesday through Thursday and at the 5 p.m. Friday show.