Viaggio is the first Cirque du Soleil at Sea resident production created by Cirque du Soleil: Events + Experiences for MSC Cruises. It is one of two Cirque du Soleil at Sea shows for MSC Cruise's MSC Meraviglia alongside the show Sonor. Viaggio premiered on June 4, 2017 in the Carousel Lounge on the MSC Meraviglia.
The name of the show Viaggio means "travel, trip, or journey" in Italian.[1]
Production[]
In 2013, MSC Cruises and Cirque du Soleil created a partnership to develop 8 unique shows for 4 MSC cruise liners. MSC Cruise's executive chairman Pierfrancesco Vago made the decision to partner with Cirque du Soleil wanting to improve the entertainment portion of MSC cruise ships.[2] The first two shows for MSC Cruises Viaggio and Sonor were developed in 2017 and released simultaneously on June 4, 2017. The second and third pairs of cruise shows premiered 2019 and the fourth pair of cruise shows premieres in 2020. Each show performs in front of a 400-guest audience six nights per week.[2]
Set and Technical Information[]
The Carousel Lounge for Viaggio and Sonor were designed by Marco De Jorio.[3] The stage is an intimate 360-degree stage containing a rotating disk. The entrance to the center ring is able to lift slightly and contain props. There is a wind tunnel located up above the center ring is able to be lowered for projections to be shown upon. Also above the center ring is a carousel aerial tramway used for rigging props and performers above the stage. Behind the center stage is the long interactive LED screen crossing across the lounge. The theater is able to hold 413 guests. The cost for the development of the Carousel Lounge is €20 million ( $22,045,840 USD ).[3]
Viaggio contains a motorized umbrella that can be driven around very tight corners. Each of the artists of Viaggio had to be trained in driving and parallel parking the umbrella.[3]
Costume Design[]
Costume designer Liz Vandal was inspired by various surrealist paintings and artists. René Magritte was a major inspiration for Viaggio's projection imagery and costumes. Magritte's surrealist paintings and Viaggio have common themes of bowler hats, overcoats, butterflies, and blue sky with clouds.[3]
The Muses's costume was designed to represent the connection between the ocean and the sky. Her dress is red to intensify The Muse's looks.[3]
Vandal chose to use bold colors for the costume color palette and natural colors to represent the surrealist imagery.[3]
Characters[]
- The Painter: An passionate surrealist artist who paints a portrait of a faceless woman called "The Muse". He is transported into his painting tries to find The Muse to complete his masterpiece.[3]
- The Muse: The subject of The Painter's portrait. She is a faceless woman with a butterfly covering her face and mermaid legs. Inside her red dress is a sunset. She transports The Painter into her portrait and guides him on his journey.[3]
- The Brotherly Brushes: Two loud argumentative brothers who represent the brushes of The Painter. They perform the juggling act.[3]
- The Colors: Representations of the colors used in The Painter's works. As they move, fly, walk across the projection screen, they leave a trail of colors representing colors and paint being applied to the canvas.[3]
- The Portals: Representations of the motion of the painting across the canvas. They are the portals between the painted world of The Muse and the real world.[3]
Acts[3][]
Due to Viaggio being on a cruise ship, acts in the performance are rotated out or scaled back due to either the weather, season, or the current sea state.[4]
- The Painter's Studio ( Opening / Contemporary Dance ): The Painter creates a work of art of a faceless woman covered by a butterfly.
- The Wind Tunnel ( Acrobatic Ladder ): The painting calls out to The Painter and transports him into The Muse's painted world.
- The Colours ( Aerial Silks Duo ): Various colors from The Muse's painted world fly across the canvas and perform an aerial silk duo act.
- The Muse ( Interlude ): The Painter spots the Muse as she disappears into the ceiling.
- The Duo Bicycle ( Interlude ): The Brushly Brothers ride through the air on a bicycle arguing over which way to go.
- The Brotherly Brushes ( Juggling ): The Brushly Brothers land and perform a juggling act.
- The Clouds ( Interlude ): As the brothers exit the stage, The Muse and an unmasked Muse appear on stage riding an umbrella.
- The Painter's Reflection ( Hand To Hand ): The Painter sees The unmasked Muse and reflection of him perform a Hand To Hand duet through a window.
- The Shadows ( Shadow Theater ): The Painter creates various paintings through a shadowbox theater.
- The Painter's Act ( Roman Ladder ): The Painter falls through the canvas and performs a balance ladder act.
- The Meeting ( Ribbon Gymnastics ): The Painter finally meets the Muse now unmasked. The duo performs a ribbon gymnastics dance duet together with a series of panels.
- The Masterpiece ( Banquine ): As the cast goes through the portals between reality and the painting, The Portals perform a Banquine act.
- Finale ( Charivari ): The Painter and The Muse finally reunite and The Painter finishes his painting.
Music[]
The music for Viaggio was composed by Maxim Lepage. Lepage was inspired by the Classical French composers Francis Poulenc, Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, and Erik Satie to create the classical offbeat music.[3] To recreate the surrealist theme of the show, Lepage used dissonances and syncopations to create an off-beat colorful harmony. Lepage combined light melodies with a piano, harp, celesta and glockenspiel with classical instruments such as the clarinet to create joyful and colorful melody as requested by show creator Susan Gaudreau.[3]
Lepage was also inspired by various val-musette artists such as Patachou and Fréhel when composing the music for Viaggio.[3]
Gallery[]
Characters
Performance
Concept Art
Videos[]
Trailers
Behind The Scenes
Related Videos
References[]
- ↑ viaggio: definition in the Italian-English Dictionary - Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/italian-english/viaggio
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cirque du Soleil and MSC Cruises - the first Cirque du Soleil theatre at sea! Retrieved from https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Partnerships/MSC-Cruises-Cirque-Du-Soleil-Partnership.aspx
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 (2017 22). Retrieved from http://cdn.msccruises-platform.com/msc/press/media/press-materials/attachments/cirque-du-soleil-at-sea-pres-kit.pdf
- ↑ Marcellin, F. (2018, February 27). Cirque du Soleil takes to the high seas for the first time aboard MSC's lavish new cruise ship. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/articles/msc-meraviglia-cirque-du-soleil-at-sea/
External Links[]
Cirque du Soleil at Sea Official Site
Events + Experiences Official Site
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