Quidam
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Quidam (pronunced "key-DAHM", meaning "a certain one/thing" or "anonymous passerby" in Classical Latin) is the ninth show produced and performed by Cirque du Soleil.
The entire show is imagined by a young girl, named Zoe, a sad and forlorn girl who is alienated and ignored by her parents. She dreams up the whimsical world of Quidam in an attempt to escape her sadness.
The title refers to the headless feature character, best described as a giant Headless Horseman sans horse, carrying an umbrella and a bowler hat. Quidam is said to be the embodiment of both everyone and no one at the same time. Subtitles at the beginning of the official video state:
Quidam: a nameless passer-by, a solitary figure lingering on a street corner, a person rushing past. One who cries out, sings and dreams within us all.
Near the beginning and end of the show, a disembodied female voice stoically proclaims:
"What is right, and what is wrong ... karma ... karma"
Quidam is one of Cirque du Soleil's darker shows, highlighting our fears and imperfections as people. Although it was such a daring experiment for Cirque, it was a hit among avid Cirque fans and everyone else alike. Quidam remains one of Cirque's more popular touring shows.
Contents |
Characters
Officially Named
As described by the show's creators, in order of appearance during the show:
- Zoé
- An average little girl. She is bored yet curious, and she longs for the fun and excitement she believes lie just beyond her reach.
- The Father
- Completely, though unwittingly, self-absorbed. His white shoes are the only indication of a hidden personality.
- The Mother
- Conveys an air of absence and alienation. Inside her lie fear, frustration, and desire.
- Quidam
- The Quidam may have stepped out of a surrealist painting or been conjured up out of Zoé's imagination. He is anonymous; he is everyone, and, at the same time, he is no one.
- John
- Part game-show host and part substitute teacher with his own renegade lesson plan, a ringmaster of sorts; our eerie but charming guide through the world of Quidam.
- The Target
- Originally known as Karl or Fritz (based on the actors' real names), a living, human bulls-eye, fired at by everyone, left vulnerable perhaps by a gentle nature and kindness, ironically remaining light-hearted and happy. (Asexual; has been played by male & female actors.)
- Les Chiennes Blanches
- The silent chorus, the nameless and the faceless; the dehumanized, mechanical crowd, simultaneously leading and following.
- Boum-Boum
- Aggressive and physically fit, yet lifeless; as though the body lives on only because the soul refuses to leave it. Likes to scream at the audience and walk away proudly, but if an audience member screams back, will run away like a frightened child! (Asexual; has been played by male & female actors.)
- Rabbit
- Chases and gets chased by other characters. It has no tail, and each ear is twice the length of its head! Referred to as Funny Bunny or Donkey Ears by fans.
- The Aviator
- Has skeletal wings, but doesn't look quite ready to take off. Perhaps he doesn't know he has wings. Perhaps he knows, but can't fly. Perhaps, like Icarus, he has tried and failed. Or perhaps he simply wants to escape this world and its problems.
- Les Égarés
- Lost individuals who gather together in the streets and abandoned buildings of Quidam; they sublimate their suffering, transforming it into something magical and inspiring.
- Femmes Voilees
- Usually five Veiled Women, plump and pretty in appearance, wearing pale-blue, low-cut dresses and see-through hoods covering their entire head. Each one manipulates a small section of rope to alternately simulate strangulation and hanging--a real danger that threatens the Cloud Swing artist who swings above them.
Unofficially Named
As described by fans:
- Roman or Goofball or Beany-Boy wears suspenders, a beany, and a silly look on his face. At the conclusion of the Skipping Ropes act, he wants to stay center-stage, but John blows a whistle and orders him to leave with the other actors.
- Spoiled Brat or Targets Sister with bright red hair and white pajama-like gown, runs amok, at one point rushing to the front of the stage to stick her tongue out at the audience.
- Statue of Liberty Thing or Crowned Ghost, a shapely lady draped in a plain white cloth wearing a spiked crown like Helios. In her sole appearance during the show, she runs to the edge of the stage facing section 204 during the middle of the German Wheel act, and stands there frozen until the act concludes and The Father walks out to the center of the stage. She then springs to life, dances gracefully around him, and exits the stage.
Music
Soundtrack
The show's soundtrack was composed by Benoît Jutrás, a renowned French composer. It has undergone several changes and additions, including new songs to go along with the shows ever-changing acts, new cover designs, and higher quality sounds. The official soundtrack was released on 14th January 1997, and features the voices of Audrey Brisson-Jutrás and Mathieu Lavoie, except for the tracks indicated with a *. The * indicates bonus tracks sung by Audrey Brisson-Jutrás and Richard Price. These 2 tracks can be found on the Quidam extended CD, released in 1999.
The 14 tracks that can be found are:
- Atmadja
- Incantation
- Marelle
- Rivage
- Zydeko
- Let Me Fall
- Innocence
- Carrousel
- Steel Dream
- Séisouso
- Réveil
- Quidam
- Misére*
- Enfants d'acier*
Live Performance
The music conductor does several things at once in the show:
- Loads and triggers sequences on a Roland XP-80 Music Workstation with Realtime Phrase Sequencing
- Watches the show closely to make the music follow the action
- Conducts the band (all wear headphones; the conductor has a microphone, and counts in French)
- Listens to the band to make sure that the music stays true to the original concept
- Plays keyboards and mandolin
Half of the songs were originally written as one long sequence, which contains instrumentation that the band plays along with, like a bass and/or percussion track, extra synthy sounds, a sampled choir, etc. The big, long sequence was chopped up into about 20 little sequences that the conductor triggers by hitting keys on one keyboard, while playing the other keyboard.
Besides the conductor, other members of the band convey the passion and intensity of the show by playing:
- saxophones and keyboards
- violin and an electric violin that controls a synth module
- cello
- classical and electric guitar (plus a Roland VG-8 V-Guitar)
- drums and drumpad-generated noises
In addition to Zoe who sings several songs in an invented language throughout the show, a male vocalist stationed with the band also sings during many of the songs, makes sound effects for John and the clowns, and reads the opening/closing announcements.
Quidam's speaker system comprises five smaller systems. The PAs left and right, primarily used for music, consist of four MSL-4s, two Meyer 650-P self-powered sub woofers, and one Meyer UPM-2 per side, the UPM-2s being used mostly for stage coverage. The second system, hung from the tent's cupola, comprises seven MSL-4s (one for each seating zone) and carries mostly vocals. The third system is made up of eight Meyer UPL-1s and two UPL-2s hung in the tent masts, used as delay and fills for the upper seating areas. The fourth and fifth consist of six Renkus-Heinz surround speakers and four Electro-Voice DML-2182s for sub-bass special effects (such as the ominous thumps heard and felt during the Statue - Vis Versa performance).
Feature Acts
Mostly as described by the show's creators, in order of appearance during a typical set:
- An acrobat becomes master of his own domain from within a giant wheel consisting of two metal hoops joined at six points and measuring about six feet in diameter (1 revolution covers about 20 linear feet). In a display of strength and agility, he rolls, turns, and spins while nonchalantly performing somersaults and twists, sometimes handsfree!
- Aerial Straps
- An aerial fantasy performed by two elegantly-dressed artists grasping cords that dangle from the overhead rails. Sometimes on the ground, sometimes in the air, they evoke sensuality through breathtaking figure!
- Four magical figures clad in futuristic silver-metallic tin-man dresses work two sticks linked by a string on which a musical wooden spool (similar to a Chinese yo-yo), comes to life! In their tiny hands, the diabolo twirls, jumps, and flies through the air while the acrobats themselves perform flips and build human pyramids!
- Aerial Contortion in Silk
- A seemingly nude woman (wearing a bodysuit) becomes one with columns of red fabric which support and cradle her high in the air. In harmony with the haunting music, contortionist and cloth intertwine, separate, and embrace again. The translucent fabric occasionally hugs the body of the performer, creating a stunning effect!
- Skipping Ropes
- Drawing inspiration from dance, acrobatics, and the art of manipulation, a colorful group of 20 acrobats endowed with coordination and rhythm performs this familiar child's game. A steady stream of solo, duo, and group jumps and figures!
- Aerial Hoops
- Whirling above the stage, sometimes together, sometimes alone on a hoop, three performers pivot and twirl through the air, performing stunning feats of grace and dexterity, sometimes dangling upside-down by a single foot or right-side-up by only their skulls!
- Handbalancing
- Alighting on the stage, the seductive performer's gracious silhouette immediately captivates the imagination. Perched on balancing canes, she moves elegantly through a series of precarious positions of ever-increasing intricacy!
- Hoops
- A sensational routine involving up to 20 spinning hoops that a seductive performer manipulates all over her body, combining the agility and skill of a gymnast with the flexibility of a contortionist, the dexterity of a juggler, and the grace of a ballerina. She spins one hoop on her foot raised vertically in the air, simultaneously accomplishing various contortionist-like movements on the floor!
- Spanish Webs
- Artists fly over the stage, attached to trolleys on the overhead tracks. Suddenly, time stands still as the acrobats, in turn or as a group, drop into the void, stopped only by the ropes looped around their waists or ankles!
- Ball Manipulation
- Use of giant wave-like metal forms and multiple rhythmic gymnastic balls for a highly abstract juggling effect.
- Ball Juggling
- Up to 5 balls fly through the air, with additional manipulation of a briefcase, umbrella, and bowler hat.
Image:CirqueDuSoleilQuidam.jpg
- Statue - Vis Versa
- Never losing contact, two strong, flexible performers move almost imperceptibly, assuming positions impossible without an impeccable sense of balance. The couple summon all their sensitivity and powers of concentration in their quest for perfect harmony, a testimony to the natural beauty of the human body!
- Cloud Swing
- A unique and dangerous combination of Trapeze and Spanish web techniques. Spectators watch in awe as the artist carries off spectacular acrobatics, diving and twisting far above the stage!
- Banquine
- An Italian acrobatic tradition going back to the Middle Ages that combines gymnastics and ballet. Showcasing the agility of the human body (in Russian it means "to bend"), up to 15 artists perform spectacular sequences of feats and human pyramids, astounding audiences with their perfectly synchronized movements!
- Clowns
- Subversive and crazy acts featuring audience participation, expressing themselves in the joyful, burlesque-toned and liberated language of clowns via mime:
- Attempting to coordinate the playing of a violin and cymbals and ... balloons! An unsuspecting audience member is recruited to help.
- Driving an imaginary car, a beautiful young lady from the audience is chosen for a ride-along. Clown does his utmost to get a kiss from her on their "date"!
- Directing a silent film involving 4 members from the audience: a stud-type, a floozy-type, a jealous, broken-hearted loser-type, & a fat/itchy director-type. Clown does his utmost to get them to remember their simple roles in as few takes as possible without having to fire any of them!
Show
Since the show's inception, the acts and sequences have varied slightly, and still change on occasion based on a variety of unpredictable factors. The list shown below primarily represents the official video filmed in Amsterdam, 1999, with modifications based on performances in Long Beach, California during 2006. Times listed are approximate, and may lengthen or shorten in extremely rare situations when a malfunction occurs onstage (read Discussion page for several examples). The first half (including pre-show audience interaction) runs for about 65 minutes; then following a 30-minute intermission, the second half runs for about 55 minutes for a total of 2 1/2 hours. (The abridged video runtime is 90 minutes.)
| Minutes | Music | Feature Act | Supplements |
| 5 | - | - | Les Chiennes Blanches and Boum-Boum interact with audience |
| 5 | - | - | John listens to radio, escorts latecomers, and announces house rules |
| 5 | Atmadja | Zoé meets Quidam | John takes The Father's shoes |
| 5 | Incantation | German Wheel | Boum-Boum and a veiled Statue of Liberty |
| 5 | Steel Dream | Aerial Straps | - |
| 3 | Marelle | John tries to impress Zoé | 4 Zoé clones tease John; progressively-louder percussion |
| 5 | Enfants d'Acier | Diabolos | Aviator transports Zoé |
| 1 | Carrousel (part 1) | (segue) | Boum-Boum strikes boxing gloves causing thunder and lightning effects, then screams |
| 10 | - | (clown) | - |
| 2 | - | (segue) | The Father slowly walks through the air reading (then tearing) a newspaper while Zoé swings; John orchestrates via megaphone |
| 8 | Let Me Fall | Aerial Contortion in Silk | Chienne Blanche pushes a fan to blow away the newspaper fragments; singer in bird cage; The Mother & 2 clones carry away the contortionist |
| 2 | - | John manipulates hoop | Target segues from previous act by dancing with sparklers |
| 5 | Innocence and Zydeko | Skipping Ropes | - |
| 5 | Séisouso | Aerial Hoops | - |
| 1 | Carrousel (part 2) | (segue) | Target or The Father floats overhead, rings a bell, and catches a balloon released by Zoé; Les Égarés release their balloons |
| 5 | - | (clowns) | - |
| 30 | - | (intermission) | - |
| 2 | - | Spinster | - |
| 6 | Equilibrage | Handbalancing or Hoops | Spinster continues spinning; other characters ride skateboards face down as if paddling surfboards |
| 2 | - | John catches darts | Chienne Blanche acting like seal provides balloon |
| 6 | (untitled) | Spanish Webs | A clone of The Mother releases Target from a bird cage |
| 4 | Gopher | John manipulates coatrack | Quidam passes by (song is a mambo recording by Yma Sumac); John successfully impresses Zoé |
| 5 | Rivage | Ball Manipulation/Juggling (by The Father) | Target catches juggled balls in a bird cage |
| 10-12 | Réveil | Statue - Vis Versa | 3 ghostlike apparitions float over stage; 2 of them drop rectangular confetti |
| 10-17 | - | (clown) | - |
| 3-5 | (untitled) | Cloud Swing | 5 veiled ladies mimic strangulation and hanging; Boum-Boum struts wearing a net; guitarist bangs tambourine and plays with violin bow (as popularized by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin) |
| 7-10 | Misére | Banquine (by Les Égarés) | - |
| 5-7 | Quidam | Quidam reclaims hat from Zoé | Cast dressed as Les Chiennes Blanches reveal themselves, then return sans makeup and wigs for final bows |
| 1 | - | Boum-Boum ends show | - |
Seating
Image:Quidam-seating-sections.gif
Cirque du Soleil presents Quidam under a big top (Grand Chapiteau) seating 2,544 people. The image shown here is a scaled-down version of the official seating diagram used when purchasing tickets for shows held in Long Beach, California during 2006 (3 colors corresponding to 3 price levels; note that the price levels are sometimes divided differently for different cities depending on regional economy). However, it is not entirely accurate; the mid-priced sections (203 and 204) are actually about twice as wide as their adjacent sections. Also note the 4 small black rectangles representing obstructions (44-foot steel masts supporting the tent and lighting) between 101-103, 102-104, and below 103 and 104. These will affect your field-of-view if you sit anywhere behind them.
Note the following:
- A fourth pricing level, called VIP Tapis Rouge, can be added onto tickets in 101 and 102, but you can also purchase seats in those sections at the regular price.
- Be aware that if you sit in 101 and 102, which are the best sections, 2 acrobats from the Spanish Webs act will perform a dramatic bungee-like descent directly over your head!
- If you find yourself sitting behind a larger/taller person who obstructs your view a bit, simply ask an usher for a booster cushion; they add a couple of inches to your sight level.
Danger
Many of the feature acts put the artists at risk of death or serious injury. Aside from some slow-motion stunts where the actor appears to float, fly, or walk in the air, the Cloud Swing artist is the only one who wears a safety cord. Considering the number of rapid-fire flips she performs on her trapeze-rope, she could easily become entangled in the rope and/or safety cord. Other stunts rely solely on the actor's grip.
The worst Quidam incident on record was December 6th, 2002 during the 5:00pm show in Tampa Bay, Florida. Natalia Pestova, who also played The Mother, fell about 6 to 8 feet during the Spanish Webs act (per St. Petersburg Times, 12-7-2002). She was taken out on a stretcher to the Bayfront Medical Center, and the remainder of the show was canceled (as well as the 9:00pm show). Incredibly, she sustained no serious injuries, was released later that evening, and continued touring with Quidam into 2004. According to a Cirque du Soleil spokesperson, Karina Leduc, the fall resulted from a "technical mishap", not a mistake on the part of the acrobat (per St. Petersburg Times, 12-8-2002).
Trivia
- From its 4-1996 to 4-2006 Quidam has sold over 8 million tickets.
- Quidam's 3000th performance was the 1:00 show on 7-31-2004 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Quidam artists:
- Wear approximately 250 costumes, 500 costume items, and 200 shoes
- Ages range from 13 to 50, with an average of 28
- Represent 16 countries
- 13 from Russia
- 9 from Canada
- 6 from Ukraine
- 6 from the United States
- 5 from Australia
- 4 from China
- 3 from France
- 2 from Brazil
- 1 from Argentina
- 1 from Germany
- 1 from Japan
- 1 from Kazakhstan
- 1 from New Zealand
- 1 from Romania
- 1 from the United Kingdom
- 1 from Cuba
- Certain clowns sometimes dress as Les Chiennes Blanches and casually stroll through the audience before the show starts seeking victims for their acts.
- During the pre-show mayhem, John tunes The Mother's radio (which resembles a toaster) to various stations including ones that play the opening bars of "Eclipse" from Nouvelle Experience and the title track chorus to Alegría.
- Performers reach the trap-door sewer-lids on the stage via dollies similar to the ones auto-mechanics use while working under cars.
- Many of the bizarre industrial sounds heard during the show are played on a Roland VG-8 V-Guitar system.
- During Quidam's first North American tour, the Aerial Straps routine was created in case Chris Lashua could not perform the German Wheel. In 2005, Aerial Straps transferred to the Corteo show.
- The next-to-last stunt in Banquine on the video involves a girl who flies to the top of the 3-man pyramid, ending up doing upside-down splits. If you look closely, you'll notice that the musicians' area is vacant, and the camera angle is slightly different so that the seating area is out of view. Following this stunt, the boy flies to the top of the same pyramid, ending in a perfectly still, calm upright position; you can again see the musicians and the audience, indicating that the girl's stunt was not performed during an actual show; it was edited into the video.
- The Aerial Conveyor (or Teleferique) is an overhead cable system features five rails constructed in seven 19-foot sections for a total length of 120 feet--the entire length of the tent. Each rail houses two electric dollies that travel the length of the system; one brings the acrobatic equipment, performers, and props out from a backstage platform (the Garage), and the other raises and lowers them to the appropriate height. Since the truss is curved, the system is computer controlled so that the objects traveling on the rail will maintain a constant speed and height relative to the flat stage, even though the two dollies constantly change position and never move at the same speed.
- Approximately 40-60 artists (56 listed in a press release dated April, 2006) and 60-100 support personnel travel with the show.
- The tent covers approximately 29,000 square-feet.
- The stage, which includes a 34-foot turntable, consists of aluminum panels covered with mondo, a rubber coating developed specifically for use on sets and stages. The turntable can rotate in either direction at varying speeds, and can support up to 50 people.
- A clone plays The Mother (sometimes the Zoe actress in a change of costume) during the Spanish Webs act because the main Mother performs in it (dressed anonymously like the other acrobats). In the early years of the show, The Father (still dressed as The Father) performed in Spanish Webs.
- One of the highlights of the Spanish Webs act is when the leader climbs the entire length of the rope using only his arms. The other artists climb using all four limbs, and also grab the rope between their toes with their big toes gripping it like a thumb!
Tour History
See also
External links
- Cirque du Soleil's Official Quidam site
- Comprehensive Quidam Fan Site
- Elena Lev's Hoops act
- Jim Bevan's Quidam Audio
- Jinny Jacinto's Quidam Bio
- John Gilkey's 1995 Audition
- Olga Pikhienko's Handbalancing act
- Patrick McGuire's Quidam Manipulation
- Quidam Clown's blog (Ambrose Martos)
- Quidam Reviews:
- Steven Ragatz's Quidam Manipulation
- The Cirque Tribune - History of Quidam Music and Vocalists
- Tristan Moore's Unofficial Cirque Site (much Quidam info)
- Zoe Actress Interviews by A Girl's WorldTemplate:Cirque du Soleil