UNITED KINGDOM: Cirque du Soleil' is returns to London, bringing back one of its hit shows 'Alegria'

The international super group 'Cirque du Soleil' is returning to London, bringing back one of its hit shows 'Alegria' which first opened in the UK ten years ago. 'Alegria' - 'Joy' in Spanish, is a two-and-half-hour show that wows audiences with spectacular acrobatics and aerial acts, assisted with elaborate set designs, lighting and music. "Alegria is a show about life. It's a show about a conflict between two generations, the young one and the old one. And it's a beautiful show," explained the show's artistic director Pierre Parisien. With the premiere night just a few days away, the touring performers have been busy practising the daredevil acts at London's Royal Albert Hall, a very different setting from the circus tent. Parisien said the group is happy be back in London and that the atmosphere amongst the group is excited. "First there is a lot of excitement because of course it's the Royal Albert Hall, it's London, we are very excited. And it needs a lot of preparation because we need to adapt, of course, we are not under a big tent. And we need a little bit of adaptation so since two days, we already started to adapt ourselves to the needs of the Hall. But we are all excited, very very excited," he said. 'Alegria' features a cast of 56 performers and musicians from 13 countries. The show has been seen by over seven million spectators around the world. Since premiering in London ten years ago, the last time the UK audiences got a chance to see 'Alegria' was in 1998. For Casie, a Cirque du Soleil performer for three years, various elements of the show make it a performer's dream. "It's very unique, the costumes, the make up, the way the choreography is, the choreography is amazing. The way somebody can dream up such a beautiful storyline and portray it in the characters, it's really fascinating. And the excitement, the live music, and it just keeps pulling people back in to watch it again and again," she said. For the show's director, 'Alegria' stands out from the other ten shows Cirque du Soleil is currently staging around the world. "Well, the other shows are different, of course, because each time we create a show we don't want to repeat ourselves and we want to bring something new and when we created 'Alegria' we wanted to touch people deeply. So, we took great care by choosing the acts and the right artists, and the music. You will be touched and you will remember the music for the rest of your life, I think," said Pierre Parisien. Cirque du Soleil was founded in Canada in the early 1980s by group of young street performers. It is combines spectacular sets, costumes and music and unlike traditional circus, features no animals. Since 1984 Cirque du Soleil has had over 250 engagement in over 100 cities, bringing joy to over 50 million spectators. The company's eleven shows currently employ 3200 people worldwide. The artists and employees are made up of more than 40 nationalities and speak more than 25 languages amongst themselves. 'Alegria' premieres at the Royal Albert Hall on January 5 and will run until February 5, 2006.

ITN Source | January 5, 2006

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