Workshops peek behind the curtain of Cirque du Soleil

Two tourists, surrounded by a few dozen others, stood onstage and tugged on an invisible rope.

One pulled and the other skidded forward as though he were about to topple over. After a brief pause, they reversed the move.

If you didn't know where they were -- the "O" theater in Bellagio -- you'd think they were engaging in some weird crab dance. And if you didn't know what this was, you might think it was the strangest thing in the world.

But it was just a mime class, taught by an "O" performer. The one-hour session kicked off Cirque Week, 10 days full of special workshops and events for fans of Cirque du Soleil. It was scheduled to end Saturday with a meet and greet between Criss Angel and 100 Cirque Week attendees who paid for the privilege of mingling with the magician.

It's the second year for the event, which was organized by Cirque. Last year's event was a collaboration between Cirque du Soleil and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said Lou D'Angeli, the marketing and public relations director for the resident show division. The event lasted five days, but demand was so great, organizers decided to double it for 2011.

The event aims to let fans peek behind the curtain of every Cirque show. Tickets were sold in bundles for two, three, five, six or seven shows. Prices ranged from $165 for two shows to $561 for seven shows. All of the packages included free access to eight workshops and meetings. Fans got to see dress rehearsals, technical demonstrations, meet artists, quiz the backstage crews and more.

It was like chicken soup for a theater buff's soul. Bert Steinberg, 91, saw "O" when it opened in 1998. A true theater devotee, Steinberg bought tickets to see seven Cirque shows over the 10 days. The trip served as a respite from caring for his domestic partner in San Francisco. She has Alzheimer's and recently had to move into an assisted living facility. Steinberg's family told him to get away for a while and recharge.

"The backstage stuff, it's just up my alley," Steinberg said. "I've got to know what makes it work."

Steinberg also enjoyed the miming. He watched the clown as he led the 60 or so tourists in a 15-minute mime session. They waved their hands in the air, wiggled their fingers, kicked their legs up. About five minutes into the class, the sweaters and jackets started coming off. One woman sat down, preferring to watch the action instead of participating in it.

Eventually, the group graduated to the rope pull. The clown showed them several ways they could use an invisible rope. Then he paired a few people off and made them perform for the group.

For Oregon resident John Keith Geiger, 57, the mime class was fun. But his favorite part came after the action, during the Q&A session with artists and their coaches.

"This to me is heaven," said Geiger, who has been a Cirque fan for just more than a year. "Being able to go behind the scenes."

The events ranged from a demonstration of theater technology at the Love Theatre in The Mirage to a bungee demonstration at Mystere in Treasure Island. Fans also heard company President and CEO Daniel Lamarre talk about the business side of Cirque.

At "Love," department heads talked about various aspects of their jobs, including wardrobe, props, lighting and sound. Some guests appeared to have exceptional knowledge about several areas, asking technical questions that seemed to impress the experts.

While Cirque wouldn't give an attendance figure, D'Angeli said it did surpass last year's numbers. They plan to continue offering Cirque Week.

Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at
spadgett@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4564.
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