Volta (Cirque du Soleil)

Volta was a touring circus show by the Cirque du Soleil and was based on extreme sports; the principal character is a game-show host named Waz.[2][3][4][5]

Volta
Logo for Cirque du Soleil's Volta
CompanyCirque du Soleil
GenreContemporary circus
Show typeTouring show
Date of premiereApril 20, 2017 (Montreal)
Final showMarch 8th, 2020 (Los Angeles, CA)
Creative team
Writer and DirectorBastien Alexandre
Director of CreationJean Guibert
Set DesignBruce Rodgers
ChoreographerJulie Perron
Lighting DesignerMartin Labrecque
Costume DesignerZaldy Goco[1]
ComposerM83
Video Content DesignerThibaut Duverneix
Sound DesignerJean-Michel Caron
Props DesignerAnne Séguin Poirier
Acrobatic Performance DesignerPhilippe Aubertin
Rob Bollinger
Acrobatic Equipment and Rigging DesignerJaque Paquin
Makeup DesignerEleni Uranis
Character’s guideManon Beaudoin
Other information
Preceded bySéptimo Día - No Descansaré (2017)
Succeeded byCrystal (2017)
Official website

It is the company's 41st production since 1984, and its 18th show presented under the Big Top. The director of creation is Jean Guibert; Bastien Alexandre is writer and director.[6]

Story

According to the booklet for the show's soundtrack, Waz is the host of a game show, Quid Pro Quo, where people called Greys compete to become Elites. He lost touch with his inner soul in the pursuit of fame. After meeting Ela, the chief of a group called Free Spirits, Waz sets out on a journey he does not expect. Throughout his adventure, Waz becomes enlightened by memories from his childhood as he encounters the Free Spirits who open the doors to the inner soul that Waz has long kept shut and find his free.

Acts

Acts include:[7][8]

Acts in rotation

Retired acts

Music

Anthony Gonzalez, from the French music band M83, was asked to write the musical score.[6] The soundtrack was released on 20 September 2017 in digital format and on streaming services.[9]

Vocalists
  • Darius Harper - From April 2017 (Montreal) to March 8, 2020 (Los Angeles, CA)[10]
  • Camilla Bäckman - From April 2017 (Montreal) to March 8, 2020 (Los Angeles, CA)

Incidents

Death of Yann Arnaud

On March 17, 2018, aerialist Yann Arnaud died of injuries sustained when he fell 20 feet during an aerial straps performance in Tampa Bay, Florida. Planned performances in Tampa Bay and New Jersey were cancelled.[11][12]

Tour

The show began its Grand Chapiteau tour in North America in its newly designed white and grey big top[13][14] designed to help reduce environmental impact by reducing heat penetration into the tent.

A show in Redmond was cancelled due to an equipment malfunction.[15]

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

On March 2020, Cirque du Soleil suspended all of its 44 active shows worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought the company into a state of financial collapse with a debt of over $1 billion. [16][17] Even though the company was able to come back and reopen many of its shows, other shows, including Axel, Totem, and Volta were permanently closed.[18]

Volta performed its last show in Los Angeles, CA on March 8, 2020.[19]

References
  1. Gendron-Martin, Raphaël (15 April 2017). "Onirique, poétique et moderne". Le Journal de Montréal. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  2. Woods, Allan (10 August 2017). "Circus meets extreme sports in Cirque du Soleil's Volta" – via Toronto Star.
  3. "New Cirque Du Soliel show Volta shocks, awes". Toronto Sun. 19 September 2017.
  4. "Cirque jolts the capital with Volta". National Observer. 4 August 2017.
  5. "Volta: Cirque du Soleil pushes limits to the extreme in new show". Montreal Gazette. 4 April 2017.
  6. "New Cirque du Soleil show Volta cycles across the generation gap". Montreal Gazette. 19 April 2017.
  7. "Cirque du Soleil's new production Volta brings hair-rising spectacles to Zibi Site in Gatineau". Ottawa Citizen. 3 August 2017.
  8. "Le Grand Chapiteau: Volta".
  9. "VOLTA by Cirque du Soleil on Apple Music". itunes.apple.com.
  10. Burke, Jim (April 28, 2017). "Volta Electrifies". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2023-04-04 – via PressReader.
  11. Artemis Moshtaghian; Dakin Andone. "Cirque du Soleil performer dies after fall during show in Florida". CNN. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  12. "Cirque du Soleil postpones N.J. shows after death of performer". NJ.com. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  13. "Montreal's Cirque du Soleil Tent is Back! - EC Montreal Blog". 3 May 2017.
  14. Lavoie, Joanna (5 September 2017). "Cirque du Soleil's Volta pitches its tent at Toronto port lands - InsideToronto.com".
  15. Pacheco-Flores, Agueda; Groover, Heidi (September 7, 2018). "Opening Cirque du Soleil show Volta canceled". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  16. "March 19, 2020: Important Announcement From Daniel Lamarre". media.cirquedusoleil.com. 19 March 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  17. "Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group Announces Company-Wide Temporary Layoffs as a Result of Coronavirus Pandemic". morningstar.com. 19 March 2020. Archived from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  18. "Our Shows". Cirque du Soleil. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  19. "Le Grand Chapiteau: Volta". Le Grand Chapiteau. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
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