Drawn to Life (Cirque du Soleil)

Drawn to Life is a Cirque du Soleil show at Disney Springs' West Side at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It is a contemporary circus performance featuring acrobats, gymnasts, and other skilled performers. A collaboration between Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Walt Disney Imagineering, the show is inspired by Disney's animated film productions and the process of animation.[1] The show is performed in a custom-built, freestanding theater originally built for its predecessor La Nouba, which closed in 2017 after performing for 19 years.[2]

Drawn to Life
Logo for Cirque du Soleil's Drawn to Life
CompanyCirque du Soleil
GenreContemporary circus
Show typeResident show
Date of premiereNovember 18, 2021
LocationDisney Springs, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Creative team
Writer and Show DirectorMichel Laprise
Chief Creative Officer & Executive ProducerDiane Quinn
Music ComposerBenoît Jutras
Costume DesignerPhilippe Guillotel
Set DesignerStephane Roy
ChoreographersKostiantyn Tomilchenko
Andrew Skeels
Lydia Bouchard
Lighting designerMartin Labrecque
Sound DesignerJonathan Deans
Make-up DesignerEleni Uranis
Other information
Preceded by' Before... (2019)
ReplacedLa Nouba
Official website

History

In March 2017 Cirque du Soleil and Disney announced that La Nouba would host its final performance on December 31, 2017. At that time, no plans for a new show were announced.[2] On December 18, 2017, Disney announced that Cirque du Soleil would produce a new show to replace La Nouba that would "draw its inspiration from Disney's heritage of animation", though no further information was given.[3] On August 26, 2019, tickets for the new production went on sale with preview performances to begin on March 20, 2020, and an official premiere date of April 17, 2020. The show was revealed to be about "a young girl and her father, who was a Disney animator" though the name of the show was not announced.[4] On December 10, 2019, the name of the new production was announced as Drawn to Life, along with the show's synopsis and creative team.[5]

On March 17, 2020, three days before the first scheduled performances, Cirque du Soleil announced that the opening of the show would be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] On March 19, 2020, Cirque du Soleil announced it would lay off 95% of its staff worldwide due to the impacts of the pandemic.[7] In July 2020, with no new opening date announced, tickets were made available for purchase on the Cirque du Soleil website for performances beginning November 5, 2020.[8] In August 2020, performances through February 10, 2021 were removed from sale and ticketholders refunded.[9]

In an April 2021 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Cirque du Soleil CEO Daniel Lemarre stated that Drawn to Life "should be able to open sometime in the fall".[10] On August 17, 2021, Disney announced that tickets would go on sale starting August 20 for performances beginning November 18, 2021.[11] The show had its first public performance on November 18, 2021, as part of Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary celebration.[12]

Set and technical information

The theater housing Drawn to Life was the first freestanding permanent structure built for Cirque du Soleil, originally built for La Nouba. The theater was designed by Michel Crête, Michel Aubé of Scéno Plus, Walt Disney Imagineering, and the architects of the Rockwell Group of New York. The building incorporates elements of fabric and tension reminiscent of the form of a circus tent.[13]

Acts

The show contains the following acts:[14][15]

  • The Inner World of Animation - Synchronized acrobatics on an inflatable airbag mat
  • Aerial Pencil
  • The Old Mill - A double wheel of death inspired by the 1937 animated short of the same name
  • Garden of Lines - Synchronized unicycles, inspired by the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio

Music

The music for Drawn to Life is composed by Benoît Jutras, who also composed the music for La Nouba.[4]

References
  1. "New Cirque du Soleil show at Disney Springs debuts: 'Drawn to Life'". FOX 35 Orlando. November 18, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  2. Bevil, Dewayne; Palm, Matthew J. "Cirque du Soleil's 'La Nouba' to close at Disney". OrlandoSentinel.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  3. Palm, Matthew (December 18, 2017). "Cirque du Soleil's 'La Nouba' replacement will focus on Disney". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  4. Palm, Matthew (August 29, 2019). "Cirque du Soleil at Disney World: Opening date and all we know". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  5. "DRAWN TO LIFE - New Cirque du Soleil production to open at Disney Springs in 2020". www.cirquedusoleil.com. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  6. Bevil, Dewayne (March 17, 2020). "Cirque du Soleil postpones 'Drawn to Life' previews at Disney Springs". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  7. Martin, Iain. "Cirque Du Soleil Lays Off 95% Of Staff Over Coronavirus Pandemic Shutdown". Forbes. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  8. Carter, Ashley (July 1, 2020). "Cirque du Soleil "Drawn to Life" Tickets Go on Sale". www.mynews13.com. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  9. "Cirque du Soleil's Drawn to Life at Disney Springs Opening Again Delayed". DAPS MAGIC. August 23, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  10. Fung, Lisa (April 21, 2021). "COVID pushed Cirque du Soleil into bankruptcy protection. Now for a Vegas comeback". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  11. Palm, Matthew (August 17, 2021). "Cirque du Soleil's new Disney show sets opening date". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  12. Meyer, Dan (November 24, 2021). "Watch Highlights and Check Out Photos From Drawn to Life by Cirque du Soleil and Disney". Playbill. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  13. "La Nouba Technical Story" (PDF). Cirque du Soleil (Press Material). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
  14. Carter, Ashley. "Disney Shares First Look at Cirque du Soleil's "Drawn to Life"". www.mynews13.com. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  15. McReynolds, Landon (November 5, 2021). "Disney and Cirque's 'Drawn to Life' closer to debut; acts and gift shop revealed". WKMG. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
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