Behind the festive parade of acrobats, angels and ghosts of Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo, there is a team of dedicated staff that bring the show to life.
Cirque du Soleil brought its show Corteo to Lethbridge on their North American tour this past week and amazed audiences with their power and grace.
Corteo is a show that captures Mauro the clown after he passes away. His spirit lingers on to watch his funeral procession, put on by others from his troupe.
The production behind the show is almost as impressive as the acts that take the stage. Twenty-two semi-trucks, six washers, two dryers and 62 athletes travel from place to place putting on the show.
According to the Cirque du Soleil website, there are over 16 nationalities represented, performers are from countries all over Europe, as well as Canada and the United States.
David Resnick stumbled into the troupe eight years ago and is touring with Corteo performing in the trampo-bed stunts and the finale.
“It was kind of by way of gymnastics. My coach was coaching us in the morning and he would be in a show at night. He would take us with him, back stage and around.”
Athletes in the show are responsible for putting on all their own makeup before the show, which can take anywhere from half an hour, to an hour and a half.
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Four full-time employees travel with the show for wardrobe to make sure all 80 costumes remain pristine for every show.
There is also staff on hand to repaint the custom shoes every week and to replace them every six months when they wear out.
“It takes two years for a show to come together, from concept to stage,” publicist for Corteo Maxwell Batista said.
Writers develop the concept, hire athletes and composers, then rework any issues until the show is perfect before bringing it to stage.
Depending on the type of tour, be it a tent, an arena or a Las Vegas show, athletes can perform 300 shows a year.
Corteo has been running for over a decade, first taking the stage in Montreal in 2005.
