They arrived a few weeks ago with 18 huge trucks loaded with material. They settled in the Cultural District of l’Hospitalet de Llobregat and set up a large tent. A circus tent that is much more than that: it is the roof that will shelter the acrobatics, music and laughter of the renewed Alegría of Cirque du Soleil until next May 19 in the Catalan capital.
“We decided to renew Alegría because the public asked us to. It is one of our most popular shows, which toured the world from its premiere in 1994 until 2014. Now, it is a new show in which viewers will find things that will be familiar to them, but in a new light, although the Most of the program is new. The core of the story is still there, but the way it is told and the acrobatic performances are different,” explains Rachel Lancaster, artistic director of Alegría, in an interview with La Vanguardia.
Lancaster receives this newspaper in the tent on Tuesday morning, one day before the premiere of the show in Barcelona. The artistic director of the Canadian circus makes time for us in her busy schedule. His day-to-day life is non-stop: “I arrive at the tent early in the morning and check on my team, which is quite large because it includes all the artists, stage management, coaches, wardrobe and doctors.” , he relates.
Then the acrobatic training begins, which “the main artists perform on the track at least twice a week.” And later, “the focus is on the artistic training, as we check the narration, the clowns and the rest of the actors in the program.” It doesn’t end here, because in his busy day, Lancaster still has to check the notes from the previous day’s performance, prepare for the next one, make sure that the music sounds perfect and that all the artists’ costumes are impeccable. .
But Cirque du Soleil is much more than what spectators see on the dance floor. A local team is in charge of raising and lowering “this huge and beautiful roof.” “It also makes sure we have bathrooms and water and the movement of all material between cities.” In addition, Alegría, which has a staff of 128, has a travel management department that “analyzes logistics and visas and ensures that all staff have work permits.”
But there is much more. Those in charge of the technical part review the automation, assembly, sound, carpentry and lighting. And in the kitchen they feed all the members of Alegría. Their presence is essential, “because once the artists are made up and disguised, they cannot be seen offstage.” Cirque du Soleil chefs “work two full-time shifts and cook four menus a day.”
Quite a display so that viewers can enjoy “the simple story that is told in this beautiful masterpiece of human performance,” explains the artistic director of the show.
A story that begins when the King dies and is told through Mr. Fleur, the court jester, which gives way to a crossed trampoline number, hula-hoops, flying men or the number of straps. Additionally, Alegría contains “a unique discipline that only exists in this show called afropole, which is similar to the old Russian pole, but with a slightly different apparatus.”
“Of course, we have clowns – adds the artistic director of the show –; They are two very special Spanish artists, Pablo Gomis and Pablo Bermejo, who are excited to work in Barcelona. Although in reality the entire team loves the city: “The public in Barcelona is the best, it is very warm, they applaud with emotion and that is very gratifying for the artists.”
An audience that will have the opportunity to enjoy Alegría without any problem because Cirque du Soleil offers one or two performances a day and three on some Sundays. “That is a bit tiring, a long day, however we have some flexibility, because there is more than one person for each task.”
Cirque du Soleil’s La Alegría will be in Barcelona until May 19. Afterwards, those 18 trucks will hit the road again towards Malaga where they will build their mini circus village again. The tour will continue through Alicante, Seville and Madrid.
The first Alegría, the original, was on the road for 20 years. The new Alegría plans to travel for at least a decade, it premiered in Canada, home of Cirque du Soleil, and then traveled to the United States, Japan and Korea. Last January he made his obligatory annual stop at the Royal Albert Hall in London and has now started his European tour in Barcelona, ??as is tradition.
