Since debuting in Montreal in 2014, Cirque Du Soleil’s KURIOS – The Cabinet of Curiosities has taken the world by storm. Written and directed by Michel Laprise, KURIOS runs until August 13th at Northlands.

"Creating KURIOS was a great process. The planets had aligned and we assembled a great team. It was Cirque’s 30th anniversary so we wanted to reinvent ourselves. There are a lot of new things but at the same time we wanted to go back to the soul of Cirque Du Soleil which is something very human and magical," Laprise told GayCalgary. "The process started with total freedom. I took a few days and started to do research. I started to do research into electricity which lead me to the second half of the 19th century. A lot of things like gramophones, telegraph and the railway system were invented to connect people. We decided to go steampunk for the esthetic of the show. We wanted to do a feel-good show that also spoke about inclusion. There is a big net act that I love, it speaks to the philosophy of Kurious. We have a circle of people around a guy in the middle and they project him into the air to do tricks. This element of together we can combine our energy to bring each other to the highest level possible which he could not reach by himself. The collective aspect is very present. It’s a very joyful show with a lot of humor in it. The music is great and it makes people feel good. We’re breaking sales records everywhere."

In addition to the big top tours, Cirque has residency shows in Las Vegas, Orlando and New York and also does arena tours similar to concerts. Laprise talked about the difference in being the big top for KURIOS.

"The shape of the stage is great because it is 270 degrees. You feel the audience and the audience is never further than 50 feet from the stage. The eye level of the artist is closer to the audience. Usually we have turntables and traps on stage. I removed that. I put together a list of things we always do with the touring shows and asked for each of them if we do it out of necessity or out of habit and being in our comfort zone? Whatever was habit I pulled it out and it challenged us to reinvent. The money we used for the turntables we put to other things. In the big top show compared to the residence shows is that intimacy. You are 2500 people but feel like you are in someone’s living room which is why I love doing big top shows."

While it is awe inspiring the first time to see acrobats, contortionists and other talents on stage, if you’ve seen Cirque before the novelty expires and the challenge lies in keeping things fresh.

"It is all about the way you stage it. People know the disciplines and that is a better thing because we can play with them. For example, we can put a contortion act on a giant hand and it changes everything. One of peoples’ favorite acts in Kurious is the contortion and that is a big surprise for me. Right now, I am creating 2 new shows for Cirque and I am using some disciplines like juggling and reinventing it. Just the fact that we have the juggler juggling hands in this show or juggling in the air, that is really difficult. It was a lot of training to reach the level that we wanted in this show. It’s a collection of details that make it possible to reinvent the discipline."

Circus artistry has become mainstream and is often part of large pop music tours, especially from female artists. Concerts from the likes of Britney Spears, Cher, Pink and Katy Perry often feature thrilling acrobatics that can be tied back to Cirque’s influences.

"I feel very proud of that. Before Cirque circus artists were not really trendy. Now we have brought back the novelness to the art and respect for the craft. To see it populating nightclubs and pop shows is great for us because we are connected to everyone that does circus on the planet. I am glad to see it in other contexts. When the company was created it was clear that we were an artistic company. We never do marketing studies about what we should do with shows. To see that we have an influence I am really happy for the audience and the artist."

Arguably one of the first to incorporate that style and one of the biggest performers on earth is Madonna. Laprise worked with the icon on both her Super Bowl halftime show and her MDNA tour.

"I worked with her on the Super Bowl and then she asked me to do her show. She is a hardworking person and a very committed artist and we share that. When we had a meeting at her place with the top executives of the NFL and found out there were 3 days between the stadium rehearsal and the show. She refused to take three days off, we built a second set to keep rehearsing. She is super smart and one of the funniest girls to interact with. She is committed to her craft and I love that. Many pop artists are about themselves, she is about the art. She goes to avant garde shows and watches international shows. She is a very curious artist and that is why it is so much fun to work with her. I think we will work again in the future, it’s just a question of scheduling."

KURIOS has received rave reviews (including our review of the show in Calgary in 2015 - http://gaycalgary.com/a4614) Laprise shared why he feels the show has connected with audiences and why you should go see it.

"Because I get a royalty on every ticket sold?" he said, laughing. "I believe in what the show does to people. In today’s world, it is good to be reminded that humans have the possibility to go beyond their limitations. I buy my own ticket to see the show in each city because it gives me great joy and recharges my batteries. The planets were aligned with this show and we really worked hard to make a show that was different and make people feel good. I am sensitive to what is going on the planet right now, and if I can remind people that when we are together and inclusive everybody is moving forward. I am glad to say it is the first show that has the rainbow featured in it, with the hand puppetry. When we go to Russia we will have that rainbow. Come see it because it is a fun show and it is a show where inclusion is important and because it’s damn good. We work every single day and I give notes. You have to work work work. This is a living thing so you need to input energy into it. We love this show."

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Contributor Jason Clevett |

Locale Edmonton |

Topic Cirque Du Soleil | Theatre |