Corteo, described as the latest and most enchanting of the famous Cirque du Soleil’s productions, makes its way to the Pacific Northwest this March, as hosting a limited series of six performances at the Moda Center between March 14th and March 17th of 2009.
Corteo, which means “cortege” or “procession” in Italian, represents a festive parade expressed through the imagination of a clown. Specifically, the show features a clown depicting his own funeral, presided over by angels, juxtaposing the fragility of human life combined with a human’s incredibly strong capacities for wisdom, kindness, and empathy.
Of course, in the manner that only Cirque du Soleil’s would possess, the show also brings together a combination of breathtaking acrobatics and feats of human strength and agility, with the unpredictability and spontaneity of clowns providing their visions of that mysterious transition from Earth to Heaven.
Since the show made its premiere in 2005, it’s been watched by more than eight million people. For its first three years, it ran in North America, then began stints overseas starting in Japan, then making its way across Europe and then South America. In 2015, when the show ran in Bogota, Columbia, it celebrated its 3500th production.
Having returned back home in 2018, the show was adapted such that it could be hosted in arenas across the United States. Previously, the show was so technically complicated that it could not be hosted in such venues, but tweaks made to the production allowed it to expand in this manner, and the production subsequently began a tour with the new format last March. In its new format, the show effectively divides the rotating stage in two, such that one half of the audience faces the other half, giving them both overall views of the performance and a performer’s eye view of it as well.
For those who are fans of Cirque due Soleil productions, Corteo should absolutely be on their checklist of productions to watch. The critical reviews of the show have included such descriptions as “brilliant” leaving “the audience dazzled.” The curtains on set were inspired by the famous Eiffel Tower, and the hand-painted central curtains give a very grand feel to the poetry in Corteo’s overall performance. And between the 51 acrobats, which include aerialists, artist marionettes and jugglers, and a host of musicians and singers crooning music sung in Italian, French, and Spanish, the show reinforces its very international flavors that people of all walks of life can enjoy.
And for those who fear that the theatrics of the show might be overshadowed by the melancholy nature of the production itself, put those fears to rest. While it may be described as a grand funeral procession, the artistic directors of the show would emphasize the fact that the show is about the celebration of life, in terms of the main character celebrating a life well-lived. The overall theatricality, combined with pops of acrobatics and even comedy, will make this a can’t-miss experience for fans of the genre.
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