by contributor Wendy Gordon
Photos by Neshan H. Naltchayan
It’s baaacccckkkkk!
Under the blue and yellow big top on the hill at National Harbor – Cirque du Soliel’s spectacular show TOTEM made its debut last night, much to the thrill of Cirque aficionados and first-timers alike.
Written and directed by Robert Lepage and inspired by ancient myths TOTEM illustrates, through a visual and acrobatic language, the evolutionary progress of the evolution of the human species from its amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly.
The characters morph beginning with a giant turtle, the symbol of origin for many ancient civilizations. TOTEM explores the ties that bind Man to other species, his dreams and his infinite potential as seen through the spectacularly creative eye of Cirque du Soliel.
Was the show spectacular? In a word? Oui. Especially on the heels of the Olympics, the athleticism of these performers as they participated in feats from balance beam throws to unicycle tosses to rings and aerial acts, to acrobatics that could very well make the American gymnastics team almost pale in comparison, the performance was a stunner.
The stage design represents the skeletal substructure of a huge turtle shell that serves both as a decorative set element and as acrobatic equipment. At the start of the show it is covered with a cloth printed with the shell markings of a forest turtle. Depending on the needs of the show as it progresses, the skeleton is raised to the top of the tent or opened at an angle like an enormous shell.
The visual environment of TOTEM is an organic world, a marsh lined with reeds near an island (the stage). Tilted slightly forward, the image marsh acts both as a stage entrance and as a projection surface. Through the magic of moving images it becomes a virtual swamp, a river source, a marsh, a lake, an ocean, a volcanic island, a pond and a starry sky.
The images in the TOTEM projections are drawn from nature and were shot for the production in various parts of the world, including Iceland, Hawaii and Guatemala. Even the images of boiling lava were filmed by Image Content designer Pedro Pires.
Included in the set is a “scorpion bridge,” which serves as a mobile platform connecting the marsh to the scene features variable geometry allowing it to adapt to each tableau. In one of the clown numbers, for example, it becomes the prow of a boat; then rises to become a plane in flight, and finally a rocket taking off. In another scene, the bridge is configured to look like a vertical totem pole.
The concept of the scorpion bridge was loosely based on a retractable pedestrian bridge in London. Built of steel and weighing 10,000 lbs, its eight powerful mineral oil hydraulic motors allow it to rise, descend, extend, retract and curl in on itself like a scorpion’s tail.
Its reflective surfaces, which shine like mirrors, are made of stainless steel plates. The base of the bridge houses lighting equipment, a laser, speakers and cameras. During the show, the bridge is monitored by an operator using four infrared cameras.
Merveilleux, TOTEM!! Bravo! Yet another incredible performance under the big top by an incredibly talented band of artists. Go. It’s a feast for the senses.
Tickets for TOTEM can be purchased at any time online TOTEM or at the Cirque du Soleil box office, located inside the entrance tent at National Harbor.
From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is a major Québec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment.
The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,300 artists from more than 50 different countries. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities in over forty countries on six continents.
Under the Big Top:
