Behind the scenes as Cirque du Soleil brings 'Alegria' to life

It's a few hours before the opening of Cirque du Soleil's "Alegria," and a quiet calm envelopes the dimly lit Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates.

Throughout the day, aerialists and contortionists, acrobats and clowns, fire jugglers and trampoline artists have filed in for their one and only rehearsal in the venue they will occupy for less than a week.

It's quiet as Russian acrobats spring from the narrow bars resting on the shoulders of their comrades to leap into the air, the only sound their nearly inaudible commands. Within just a few hours, they and their fellow artists will fly, soar, spin and leap to the delight of Cirque devotees. And in just a few days, they will pack up and leave, on to another arena in another city.

Nearby, a trio of clowns wait their turn on stage. In the wings, the fire dancers are about to light up. The musicians will follow, briefly filling the arena with snippets from the show's panglobal score.

The backstage area - complete with floor mats, stationary bicycles, weights and bars for warmups, is nearly deserted, save for one clown.

Before he joined the cast of "Alegria," Ottawa, Ont., native Jesse Buck performed with fellow clown Aron de Casmaker in tiny theaters using props made from whatever they could scrounge. Now they play for thousands.

Buck has been with "Alegria" since it was re-imagined as an arena show. That was some 10 months ago. Some days, he says, he still pinches himself, still not believing he's here.

"Waiting to go on, I sometimes look out and say 'Wow!' This is crazy to be involved in such a spectacle," says Buck, 31, who now performs in venues that can hold up to 4,000 people.

Performing in a new venue every couple of days means constant adjustments, but Buck likes the challenge.

"We welcome changes," he said. "Bring it on."

"Alegria" debuted in 1994 with 41 artists and seven acts and has since expanded to 55 international artists and nine acts. It toured for 15 years under le grande chapiteau, the Cirque version of the big top. Last May, its creators re-imagined the show for arenas like the Sears Centre, where it runs through Sunday, March 7.

"'Alegria' is classic Cirque," director of creation Carmen Ruest said of the show, which takes its title from the Spanish word for "jubilation." The word can also be used to express a kind of exasperation or impatience, Ruest said.

More engaging and cohesive than "Saltimbanco," another reworked Cirque classic that played the Sears Centre last year, "Alegria" is an allegory on generational conflict and change, expressed through old, comical birds and their vibrant, youthful counterparts.

The responsibility for maintaining the quality and integrity of "Alegria" during its evolution from the 2,500-seat big top to arenas that hold more than 4,000 rests with Ruest.

The show marks the second Cirque spectacle in which Russian acrobat Dima Murashev has performed. Intrigued by what he calls the "magic" of Cirque du Soleil, Murashev, 25, dreamed of performing with the company from the time he was a teenager.

Tapped for the company's training program, he was eventually hired and spent several seasons performing in "Wintuk" in New York before joining "Alegria's" cast about six months ago.

"'Alegria' was my dream," he said.

It's not an easy life, said Ruest. Artists who perform in resident shows or touring productions like the one that takes over the United Center parking lot every couple of years, sign a two-year contract that requires them to work six days a week. Arena show cast members like Buck and Murashev spend months on the road, living out of suitcases, away from family and friends.

They do it willingly, happily because under the big top or in the arena, the cirque goes on.

• "Alegria" runs through Sunday, March 7, at the Sears Centre Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates. Tickets are $28 to $76 for children, $35 to $95 for adults, $31.50 to $85.50 for seniors, students and military personnel. (800) 745-3000 or cirquedusoleil.com/alegria.

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<li><a href="/story/?id=363656">'Alegria' does what Cirque du Soleil does best <span class="date">[03/04/10]</span></a></li>

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