Cirque du Soleil set to perform in Amherst

Cirque du Soleil presents the colorful performance "Quidam" at the Mullins Center in Amherst from Oct. 5 through Oct. 9. Young Zoé is bored; her parents, distant and apathetic, ignore her. Her life has lost all meaning. Seeking to fill the void of her existence, she slides into an imaginary world - the world of Quidam — where she meets characters who encourage her to free her soul. Quidam: a nameless passer-by, a solitary figure lingering on a street corner, a person rushing past and swallowed by the crowd. It could be anyone, anybody. Someone coming or going at the heart of our anonymous society. A member of the crowd, one of the silent majority. The one who cries out, sings and dreams within us all. This is the "quidam" whom this show allows to speak. This is the place that beckons — a place for dreaming and genuine relations where all quidams, by proclaiming their individuality, can finally emerge from anonymity. The minimalistic stage was designed by Michel Crète to represent a monolithic structure such as an airport or train station where people are always coming to and fro. The major set element includes the five, all-aluminum, 120-foot arches above the stage, known as the téléphérique. These allow performers to be transported onto and off the stage from above. Each rail of the téléphérique has two trolleys: one to raise and lower the performer or equipment, and the second to transport it onto or off the stage. As for the stage floor itself, it is made of aluminum decks with a perforated, rubber-type mat. The perforations, of which there are over 200,000, allow light to pass through from below the stage, creating various visual effects. Quidam's costume designer, Dominique Lemieux, drew inspiration from Surrealist art, particularly the works of René Magritte and Paul Delvaux. The costumes convey the alienation of the characters and represent an urban landscape through the use of painted textures and fabrics. The dominant color throughout Quidam is grey, but is supplemented by deep, rich, warm colors and embellished with metals. Quidam was the first Cirque du Soleil show to utilize everyday clothing for the outfits, although those in the acrobatic acts are modified. The fabric chosen for Quidam is primarily stretch linen, but also includes leather, jute, linen crepe, wool, velvet and 42 types of cotton. Quidam has approximately 250 costumes, 500 costume accessories, and 200-300 shoes. The reason for the large amount of costumes for the cast is that each artist has anywhere from two to seven costumes, of which there are at least two spares. The costumes, although washed every day, can last anywhere from six months to two years. The music of the show was composed by Benoît Jutras, and has been released in three album editions featuring additional songs, alternative new cover designs, and higher quality sounds. The first CD was released on January 14, 1997. The album features the voices of Audrey Brisson-Jutras and Mathieu Lavoie, with the exception of two bonus tracks sung by Brisson-Jutras and Richard Price on the extended CD released in 2001. Tickets are on sale from $28 - $80 each. Adult ticket prices range from $37 to $102. For children (12 & under), prices are from $30 to $67. Military, Seniors & Students may purchase tickets ranging from $33.50 to $69.50. A limited number of Premium tickets are also available for all performances. For show and ticket information, please visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/quidam. Cirque du Soleil is a Quebec company recognized the world over for high-quality artistic entertainment, with over 5,000 employees and artists from over forty countries. The group's mission is the creation of shows, to be presented under Big Tops, in theaters or arenas around the world. Nearly 200 creators have contributed their talent to that end since 1984. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 250 cities on five continents. — Courtesy of Cirque du Soleil