Corteo (pronounced core-té-o) is a touring Cirque du Soleil production written and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca. Corteo, meaning "cortège" Italian or procession is about a clown who watches his own funeral in a carnival-like atmosphere. It was partly inspired by The Grand Parade: Portrait of the Artist as Clown displayed at the National Gallery at Canada[1] and the movie Clowns by Federico Fellini.[2]
Corteo premiered on April 21st, 2005 in Montreal Quebec, Canada. It's final performance in the Grand Chapiteau was on December 13th, 2015 in Quito, Ecuador. The arena version of the show premiered on March 2, 2018 in New Orleans, LA.
Summary[]
Corteo takes place during the funeral of Mauro The Dream Clown. As friends, family, and the circus troupe Mauro was a part of mourns over their loss, Mauro's spirit awakens from his body and he begins to watch his own funeral. The show then transforms into a dream sequence of past memories of Mauro and his life. The finale of Corteo has Mauro bidding farewell to his friends, family, and the troupe as he ascends into the afterlife.
Set and Technical Information[]
The Stage[]
In a first for Cirque du Soleil, the turntable stage of Corteo was divided into two with entrances on both ends of the tent. This allows the audience to experience the show from both sides of the stage. Performers would come on the left and right sides of the stage. The turntable of the stage is 41 ft. long with the track being 120 ft. long.
The center of the stage has the design of a labyrinth which reproduces the size and proportions of one of the floors Chartres Cathedral.
During the research and development phase of developing the stage, roughly 9000 images were use to blend a variety of different styles from Baroque to Modern.
The "Lustres" of the Chandelier performances are decorated with over 4,000 jewels and garlands of reflective acrylic spheres.[3]
The "Patience"[]
The "Patience" is the massive three railed steel structure that is one of the most complex set elements of the show. It suspends 40 ft. above the stage and it is entirely suspended from the ceiling structure of the arena.
The "Patience" is used to transport various scene elements and pieces of acrobatic equipment on and off stage. Each rail on the "Patience" can fit two platform-like carts with a maximum capacity of 500 lbs between all six carts. It's max speed is four feet. per second.[3]
The Curtains[]
The curtains for Corteo are 58 feet wide and almost 40 feet high. Each are suspended on two giant rollers to be raised.They were painted in watercolour and took two weeks to paint each one. The curtains were sewn in Canada and sent to France to be painted.
The curtains for Corteo were majorly inspired by the 1885 painting "Parce Domine - decoration for the cabaret 'Le Chat Noir'" by Adolphe Willette.[4]
Costume Design[]
Corteo's costume designer Dominique Lemieux utilized "matériaux bruts et des matières nobles"[5] (French for "raw and luxury fabrics") accentuate the natural beauty of the artists to create over 260 costumes for Corteo. Dominique had used over 900 different fabrics, using natural fibers such as silks, linens, cottons, and lace. The color palette for the costumes includes blues, pinks, fushias, and gold with appliquéd spangles and jewels.[3] Many of the fabrics were dyed and airbrushed to give an aged feel to them.
The smallest shoe size in the show is a children’s size 3 and the largest is an 18 EEE.[3]
Characters[]
- Mauro The Dream Clown: Known as "The Dead Clown" during the Grand Chapiteau run, Mauro is the central character of Corteo. His life and memories are explored during the show.
- The Clowness: The Clowness is an actress. Her professionalism and her strength of character allow her to bear the foolishness of her partners, whom she never fails to charm.[6]
- The Giant Clown: An amateur Opera singer, he was close friends with Mauro.
- The Little Clown: A small clown who is in love with The Clowness. The Little Clown is always ready to play tricks on his associates.[6]
- Mr. Loyal (The Loyal Whisperer): Based on the tradition circus ringmaster, Mr. Loyal evokes an authoritative presence.
- The White Clown: A Pierrot, The White Clown represents order and appearance. He is the one who opens the door to the magic of the circus for Mauro.[6]
- The August Clown: The August Clown is the antagonist to The White Clown. Opposite to him, The August Clown always the one messes everything and falling down.
- The Little Angel: The guide to Mauro's spirit in the afterlife and teaches Mauro how to fly.
Acts[]
Act One
- Opening
- Chandeliers
- Bouncing Beds
- Cyr Wheel
- Suspended Pole
- Artist Marionette
- Hula Hoops
- Clown Act: Golf
- Teeterboard
Act Two
- Paradis
- Crystal Glasses and Tibetan Bowls
- Juggling
- Acrobatic Ladder
- Clown Act: Teatro Intimo
- Aerial Straps Duo
- Tournik
- Finale
Music[]
Corteo's original score was composed by Philippe Leduc and Maria Bonzanigo with additional composers Jean-François Côté and Michel A. Smith. Côté and Smith had reworked some of the original pieces. Show director Daniele Finzi Pasca contributed the lyrics to Corteo and are sung in Italian, French, and Spanish.
Vocalist[]
Male Baritone[]
- Paul Bisson
- From April 2005 (Montréal) to February 2008 (San Diego)
- From September 2008 to October 2008 (Ottawa)
- From July 2009 (Osaka) to December 2010 (Moscow)
- Alain Labrie
- From February 2008 (San Diego) to September 2008 (Calgary)
- From November 2008 (Miami) to September 2010 (Tokyo)
- From May 2012 (Amsterdam) to May 2019 (Hamilton)
- Kit Goguen
- From October 2010 (Moscow) to June 2011 (Madrid)
- From July 2011 (Valencia) to May 2012 (Amsterdam)
- Mathieu Lavoie
- From June 2011 to July 2011 (Valencia)
- David Repullés
- From July 2019 (Sunrise) to Present
Female Lead[]
- Marie-Michelle Faber
- From April 2005 (Montréal) to June 2007 (Columbus)
- From January 2008 (San Diego) to September 2008 (Ottawa)
- From December 2008 (Miami) to May 2011 (Madrid)
- Estelle Esse
- From April 2005 (Montréal) to September 2005 (Toronto)
- From September 2008 (Ottawa) to December 2008 (Miami)
- From March 2018 (New Orleans) to April 2018 (Knoxville)
- Denise Stefanie - From May 2007 (Columbus) to December 2007 (Costa Mesa)
- Sophie Guay - From March 2011 (Vienna) to April 2013 (São Paulo)
- Émilie Émiroglou - From April 2013 (São Paulo) to December 2015 (Quito)
- Aurélie Dauphin - From March 2018 (New Orleans) to March 2020 (Bordeaux)
- Sofia Montaño: From May 2022 (Split) to Present
Female Background[]
- Helena Saldanha - From April 2005 (Montréal) to January 2007 (Atlanta)
For more information on the songs featured in Corteo, please visit Corteo (Soundtrack).
Filmography[]
A filmed performance of Corteo was filmed in Canada in 2005 and released on April 11, 2006.[7] It had won an Emmy for "Outstanding Picture Editing for a Special" on September 8th, 2007 at the Creative Arts Ceremony. it was also nominated for "Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety, Music or Nonfiction Programming".[8]
Touring Schedule[]
The following color boxes indicate the region of each performance:
EU Europe NA North America SA South and Central America AP Asia/Pacific OC Oceania AF Africa
Arena Tour
2018 Schedule
NA New Orleans, LA - From March 2 to March 4, 2018
NA Houston, TX - From March 8 to Mar 11, 2018
NA Milwaukee, WI - From March 29 to April 1, 2018
NA Rockford, IL - From March 2 to April 8, 2018
NA Columbus, OH - From April 12 to April 15, 2018
NA Knoxville, TN - From April 18 to April 22, 2018
NA Lexington, KY - From April 27 to Apr 29, 2018
NA Cincinnati, OH - From May 3 to May 6, 2018
NA Lincoln, NE - From May 17 to May 20, 2018
NA Broomfield, CO - From May 24 to May 27, 2018
NA Loveland, CO - From May 31 to June 3, 2018
NA Oshawa, ON - From June 21 to June 24, 2018
NA Ottawa, ON - From June 27 to July 1, 2018
NA Kingston, ON - From July 4 to July 8 2018
NA St. Catharines, ON - From July 11 to July 15, 2018
NA Bridgeport, CT - From July 18 to July 22, 2018
NA Nashville, TN - From July 26 to July 29, 2018
NA Jacksonville, FL - From August 1 to August 5, 2018
NA Charlotte, NC - From August 8 to August 12, 2018
NA Louisville, KY - From August 15 to August 19, 2018
NA Duluth, GA - From August 29 to September 2, 2018
NA Fresno, CA - From September 20 to September 23, 2018
NA West Valley City, UT - From September 27 to September 30, 2018
NA Victoria, BC - From October 4 to October 7, 2018
NA Vancouver, BC - From October 10 to October 14, 2018
NA Kelowna, BC - From October 17 to October 21, 2018
NA Kamloops, BC - From October 24 to October 28, 2018
NA Lethbridge, AB - From October 31 to November 4, 2018
NA Minneapolis, MN - From November 8 to November 11, 2018
NA Cleveland, OH - From November 15 to November 18 2018
NA Quebec, QC - From December 6 to December 9, 2018
NA Toronto, ON - From December 12 to December 16 2018
NA Montreal, QC - From December 19 to December 30, 2018
2019 Schedule
NA Worcester, MA - From January 3 to January 6, 2019
NA Detroit, MI - From January 10 to January 13, 2019
NA Pittsburgh, PA - From January 16 to January 20, 2019
NA Evansville, IN - From January 23 to January 27, 2019
NA Memphis, TN - From January 31 to February 3, 2019
NA Raleigh, NC - From February 7 to February 10, 2019
NA Bossier City, LA - From February 14 to February 17, 2019
NA Cedar Park, TX - From February 20 to February 24, 2019
NA Portland, OR - From March 14 to March 17, 2019
NA Reno, NV - From March 21 to March 24, 2019
NA Inglewood, CA - From March 27 to March 31, 2019
NA Tucson, AZ - From April 3 to April 7, 2019
NA Rio Rancho, NM - From April 11 to April 14, 2019
NA Topeka, KS - From April 18 to April 21, 2019
NA St. Louis, MO - From April 24 to April 28, 2019
NA Cedar Rapids, IA - From May 1 to May 5, 2019
NA Dayton, OH - From May 8 to May 12, 2019
NA Windsor, ON - From May 15 to May 19, 2019
NA Hamilton, ON - From May 22 to May 26, 2019
NA London, ON - From June 13 to June 16, 2019
NA Boston, MA - From June 19 to June 30, 2019
NA Baltimore, MD - From July 3 to July 7, 2019
NA Columbia, SC - From July 10 to July 14, 2019
NA Sunrise, FL - From July 24 to August 4, 2019
NA San Antonio, TX - From August 8 to August 11, 2019
NA Denver, CO - From August 15 to August 22, 2019
NA Hershey, PA - From August 28 to September 1, 2019
EU Turin, IT - From September 26 to September 29, 2019
EU Milan, IT - From October 2 to October 6, 2019
EU Bologna, IT - From October 10 to October 13, 2019
EU Pesaro, IT - From October 17 to October 20, 2019
EU Leipzig, DE - From Oct 23 to October 27, 2019
EU Frankfurt, DE - From October 30 to November 3, 2019
EU Milan, IT - From October 2 to October 6, 2019
EU Nuremberg, DE - From November 6 to November 10, 2019
EU Graz, CH - From November 13 to November 17, 2019
EU Brussels, BE - From November 21 to November 24, 2019
EU Paris, FR - From December 12 to December 15, 2019
EU Stuttgart, DE - From December 18 to December 22, 2019
EU Mannheim, DE - From December 25 to December 29, 2019
2020 Schedule
EU Lisbon, PT - From January 3 to January 12, 2020
EU Granada, ES - From January 15 to January 19, 2020
EU Zaragoza, ES - From January 22 to January 26, 2020
EU Vitoria-Gasteiz, ES - From January 29 to February 2, 2020
EU Santiago de Compostela, ES - From February 5 to February 9, 2020
EU Santander, ES - From February 12 to February 16, 2020
EU Bordeaux, FR - From February 21 to February 25 2020
EU Antwerp, BE - From March 13 to March 22, 2020- Cancelled
EU Vienna, AT - From March 25 to March 29, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Montpellier, FR - From April 2 to April 5, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Aix-en-Provence, FR - From April 8 to April 12, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Lille, FR - From Apr 16 to April 19, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Copenhagen, DK - From April 23 to April 26, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Herning, DK - From April 29, 2020 to May 3, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Stockholm, SE - From May 7 to May 10, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Copenhagen, DK - From April 23 to April 26, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Herning, DK - From April 29, 2020 to May 3, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Stockholm, SE - From May 7 to May 10, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Gothenburg, SE - From May 13 to May 17, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Leeds, UK - From June 18 to June 21, 2020 - Cancelled
EU London, UK - From June 24, 2020 to July 5, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Dublin, IE - From July 8 to July 19, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Palma de Mallorca, ES - From August 7 to August 16, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Nice, FR - From August 20 to August 23, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Trondheim, NO - From September 18 to September 20, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Oslo, NO - From September 25 to September 27, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Helsinki, FI - From October 1 to October 4, 2020, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Turku, FI - From November 18 to November 22, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Vilnius, LT - From November 26 to November 29, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Toulouse, FR - From December 17 to December 20, 2020, 2020 - Cancelled
EU Pamplona, ES - From December 25, 2020 - January 3, 2021 - Cancelled
2022 Schedule
EU Split, HR - From May 20 to May 20, 2022
EU Antwerp, BE - From June 22 to July 2 2022
EU Dublin, IE - From July 6 to July 10, 2022
EU London, UK - From July 13 to July 17, 2022
EU Nice, Fr - From July 21 to July 24, 2022
EU Aix-en-Provence, UK - From July 27 to July 31, 2022
EU Palma de Mallorca, ES - From August 5 to August 14, 2022
EU Vilnius, LT - From August 25 to August 28, 2022
EU Krakow, PL - From September 1 to September 4, 2022
EU Gdansk, PL - From September 9 to September 11, 2022
EU Bratislava, SK - From September 15 to September 18, 2022
EU Vienna, AT - From September 21 to September 26, 2022
EU Nantes, FR - From September 30 to October 2, 2022
EU Manchester, UK - From October 5 to October 9, 2022
EU Glasgow, UK - From October 12 to October 16, 2022
EU Birmingham, UK - From October 19 to October 23, 2022
EU Berlin, DE - From October 27 to October 30, 2022
EU Copenhagen, DK - From November 3 to November 6, 2022
Grand Chapiteau Tour (2005 - 2015 Schedule)
2005 Schedule
NA Montreal, QC - From April 21 to June 19 2005 (Show Première)
NA Quebec, QC - From June 30 to July 24, 2005
NA Toronto, ON - From August 4 to September 11, 2005
NA Minneapolis, MN - From September 23 to October 23, 2005
NA San Francisco, CA - From November 11, 2015 to January 8, 2006
2006 Schedule
NA San Jose, CA - From January 19 to March 5, 2006
NA Phoenix, AZ - From March 16 to April 9, 2006
NA New York, NY - From April 25 to July 2, 2006
NA Chicago, IL - From July 14 to August 27, 2006
NA Boston, MA - From September 8 to October 15, 2006
NA Washington, DC - From October 26 to November 26, 2006
NA Atlanta, GA - From December 15, 2006 to January 28, 2007
2007 Schedule
NA Dallas, TX - From February 9 to March 11, 2007
NA Houston, TX - From March 22 to April 29, 2007
NA Columbus, OH - From May 11 to June 10, 2007
NA Denver, CO - From June 22 to August 5, 2007
NA Los Angeles, CA - From August 23 to October 28, 2007
NA Costa Mesa, CA - From November 8 to December 23, 2007
2008 Schedule
NA San Diego, CA - From January 11 to February 17, 2008
NA Portland, OR - From March 4 to April 13, 2008
NA Seattle, WA - From April 24 to June 1 2008
NA Vancouver, BC - From June 12 to July 20, 2008
NA Calgary, AB - From July 31 to September 7, 2008
NA Ottawa, ON - From September 24 to October 26, 2008
NA Miami, FL - From November 13 to December 28, 2008
2009 Schedule
AP Tokyo, JP - From February 4 to May 5, 2009
AP Nagoya, JP - From May 21 to July 12, 2009
AP Osaka, JP - From July 29 to October 18, 2009
AP Tokyo, JP - From November 4 to January 24, 2010
2010 Schedule
AP Fukuoka, JP - From February 11 to April 4, 2010
AP Sendai, JP - From April 21 to June 6, 2010
EU St Petersburg, RU - From June 26 to August 8, 2010
EU Kazan, RU - From Aug 21 to September 26, 2010
EU Moscow, RU - From October 9 to December 12, 2010
2011 Schedule
EU Brussels, BE - From January 4 to January 30, 2011
EU Vienna, AT - From February 10 to March 20, 2011
EU Madrid, ES - From April 2 to June 5, 2011
EU Valencia, ES - From June 16 to July 17, 2011
EU Alicante, ES - From July 28 to August 28, 2011
EU Sevilla, ES - From September 8 to October 16, 2011
EU Paris, FR - From November 4, 2011 to January 8, 2012
2012 Schedule
EU Barcelona, ES - From January 20 to March 11, 2012
EU Amsterdam, NL - From March 22 to June 3, 2012
EU Antwerp, BE - From June 13 to August 5, 2012
EU Zurich, CH - From September 1 to October 7, 2012
EU Düsseldorf, DE - From October 18 to November 18, 2012
EU Berlin, DE - From November 29 to December 20, 2012
2013 Schedule
EU Hamburg, DE - From January 9 to February 10, 2013
SA São Paulo, BR - From March 30 to July 21, 2013
SA Brasilia, BR - From August 2 to September 8, 2013
SA Belo Horizonte, BR - From September 19 to October 27, 2013
SA Curitiba, BR - From November 8 to December 15, 2013
SA Rio de Janeiro, BR - From December 27, 2013 to February 23, 2014
2014 Schedule
SA Porto Alegre, BR - From March 6 to April 13, 2014
SA Córdoba, AR - From May 2 to May 25, 2014
SA Buenos Aires, AR - From June 7 to August 3, 2014
SA Santiago de Chile, CL - From August 19 to October 5, 2014
SA Lima, PE- From October 25 to November 30, 2014
2015 Schedule
SA San José, CR - From January 22 to February 8, 2015
SA Bogotá, CO- From March 19 to May 3, 2015
NA Mérida, MX - From June 25 to July 12, 2015
NA Guadalajara, MX - From July 30 to August 16 2015
NA México City, MX - From September 3 to October 11, 2015
SA Quito, EC - From November 19 to December 13, 2015 (Final Grand Chapiteau Show)
Gallery[]
Promotion
Performance
Videos[]
Trailers
Behind The Scenes
References[]
- ↑ https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/regional/sanfran/s709.html
- ↑ https://www.reuters.com/article/review-stage-cirque-dc/cirque-du-soleil-displays-gentler-side-in-corteo-idUSN2637388220070826
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/-/media/cds/images/pressroom/presskits/corteo/pdf/corteo_presskit.pdf
- ↑ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parce_Domine_-_Adolphe_Willette.jpg
- ↑ Clément, Ronald (2009). Cirque du Soleil 25 Years of Costumes (in Chinese, English, French, and Japanese). Canada: Dépôt légal, Bibliothèque et Archives Canada. pp. 90–95. ISBN .
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/press/kits/shows/corteo
- ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1190708/
- ↑ https://www.emmys.com/shows/cirque-du-soleil-corteo
External Links[]
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