Cirque du Soleil returns to Matthew Knight Arena on Oct. 25 with “Quidam”, one of its longest-running shows. @@http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/americas/usa/oregon/eugene.aspx@@
“Quidam” tells the story of a young girl named Zoe who, bored at home and ignored by her parents, enters into an imaginary world called Quidam. In this world, she meets characters ranging from a clown to a ringmaster to a winged creature known as “The Aviator.”
Though centered on the imaginary world of a child, “Quidam” has an easy storyline for anyone to relate to, as well as a number of messages that audience members can pick up if they pay attention, according to Fabrice Lemire, artistic director of “Quidam”.
“’Quidam’ has the quality to have something for any age range, or anybody,” Lemire said. “It’s really poetic, and there’s a lot of humor. There are moments that are more dramatic and touching. But overall … everybody will get something at some point.”
The ninth stage-created show by Cirque du Soleil, “Quidam” premiered for the first time in Montreal in 1996. The show has toured on five continents, and became an arena show in 2010. @@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quidam@@
Led by more than 50 acrobats, not to mention the band and technical crew who support the show, the show usually takes between five and six months to prepare before each tour.
The show as it is today includes the types of tricks one might expect from Cirque du Soleil — aerial hoops, contortion and balancing — as well as a jumping rope act and a synchronized human pyramid act called a banquine (Lemire calls this act in particular a “masterpiece”).
But that’s not all people should expect out of “Quidam” — the band and vocals to the music of the show make the performance that much stronger, according to Lemire.
“You’re not just going there to look at technique … you go there because you have the full experience — the sound, the lyrics and the movement,” Lemire said.
Among other strong points of the show is the emotion that it evokes among its audience members, noted Lemire.
“We are touched because she is like us,” Lamire explained of the connection that audience members often feel to the main character, Zoe. ”It could be one of us on stage.”
Cirque du Soleil is set to perform “Quidam” at Matthew Knight Arena from Oct. 25-28. Ticket prices range from $29.50 to $92, and can be purchased online at the Cirque du Soleil website or at the University Ticket Office. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with additional showings on Friday at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:00 p.m.