Saltimbanco

"Saltimbanco" is the oldest major touring show of Cirque du Soleil at the time of its last performance, having run from 1992-2006. Saltimbanco's last performance in its original form (under the Grand Chapiteau, or Big Top) was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 10, 2006. An adaptation of Saltimbanco started touring North America on July 31, 2007, with its first stop in London, Ontario, Canada. Unlike the original show, this version will be staged in arenas, with shorter stops in each city it visits.

The show is described by Cirque du Soleil as a celebration of life. Its creators say they developed it to be an antidote to the violence and despair so prevalent in the 20th century. Saltimbanco offers its own vision of life, overflowing with optimism and joy. With its original score, Saltimbanco offers its own unique language conveyed through music, artistry, and singing.

According to the company's site, "Saltimbanco" comes from the Italian "saltare in banco", which literally means "to jump on a bench." However, the etymology of the word reflects its acrobatic associations. A 'salto' is a somersault in Italian; 'banco' in this connection is a trestle holding a board, set up as a temporary stage for open-air performers. 'Saltimbanchi' were thus those who performed somersaults on a temporary platform -- wandering acrobats, performing as buskers in the open air, the platform giving their audience a better view and encouraging them to stay longer and (hopefully!) put more money in the collecting-hat. The descendants and successors of these performers are familiar to us as circus artistes, in many cases following their family traditions by touring to perform as their ancestors did.

English has lost the word 'saltimbank' from current usage; but it is still very familiar in Italian and Spanish as 'saltimbanco', and in French as 'saltimbanque'. -- () 14:32, 8 October 2008 (UTC)

Characters

*Urban Worms: The faceless multitude, the masses, the bureaucrats. They are the status quo: they watch and follow, but never act.

*Multicolored Worms: The Multicoloured Worms are the simplest of all beings, the origin of all life. Following their primal urges, they are concerned only with survival.

*The Cavaliers: The Cavaliers are gentle protectors. They light our path through the world of Saltimbanco and point the way to the future.

*The Baroques: The Baroques sleep under bridges and emerge to celebrate life. Defiant, rebellious, explosive, they are enlightened beings whose free spirits run wild.

*Death: An ominous reminder of our own mortality, he challenges us to celebrate life, to experience the present as though we were taking our last breath.

*The Ringmaster: The Ringmaster likes to be the center of attention, and often steals the show. With his winning smile and natural charm, he usually gets away with it.

*The Baron: What secrets lie behind the Baron's sardonic grin? Before you can find out, he has you locked in his hypnotic gaze. He beckons you with his gravelly voice. He is your timeless, ageless guide into the world of Saltimbanco.

*The Dreamer: The moment he appears, the Sleeper falls asleep. When he does, amazing tableaus take shape. Has he conjured Saltimbanco from the depths of his imagination, or is he dreaming within the show?

*The Child: Within the embrace of his parents, the child is safe. But the child must discover his own identity, and explore the world beyond his parents' influence. He appears to be like Eddie, playful and innocent.

*Eddie: Eddie is a jester, a clown. He is the child within us all, who finds adventure in his own imagination. Whatever he needs, he invents.

*The Songbird: The Songbird reflects all human emotion, the soul of Saltimbanco. Her language is universal-serenity and excitement, hope and joy, disappointment and melancholy.

Acts

"Permanent"

"ACT I"

*Opening (Performed to "Rideau" and "Kumbalawé" on the Soundtrack)

*Adagio Trio: Two masked figures, a man in yellow, and a woman in blue, and one unmasked figure, a small boy in white, take to the stage, the Multicolored worms watching from the sides. They perform a beautiful ballet full of feats of balance, strength, and flexibility. (Performed to "Adagio" on the Soundtrack)

*Chinese Poles: As the trio leaves, the worms approach four 25-foot tall poles in the middle of the stage. They climb up, drop down, jump between, hang from, and even spin on these poles before making their exit. (Performed to "Saltimbanco" on the Soundtrack)

*Tight Rope (Double Wire): A pink-clad woman approaches the stage. As she ascends the wire, two more tightropes, one three feet higher than the other, are revealed. She performs many tricks; flips, spins, splits. She even backflips from one rope to the other, and then jumps back! As she descends back to the stage, the wires are removed, and what appears to be a parade circles the stage, leaving a raised yellow platform behind. (Performed to a mix of "Kazé" and "Norweg" on the Soundtrack)

*Juggling: A woman takes to the stage, holding in her hands three white balls. She begins to juggle these balls, while the Urban worms look on. As the worms begin to throw her some balls, the number she juggles increases. 4...5...6...7...even 8! As she descends from the platform, she bounces the balls off the steps, walking down with them. As she takes her leave, the stage turns black, giving way to the next act. This act is used to demonstrate the many things we must juggle in our lives.(Performed to "Arlequin" on the Soundtrack)

*Boleadoras: When the stage goes dark, two women approach the stage. They come to two wooden platforms set up the stage. When they come to the platforms, they reveal tap shoes. Also, they pull out metal weights attached to strings (otherwise known as bolas) wrapped around their hands. They twirl them precariously around their heads while tapping their feet, creating a beat which resounds throughout the tent. The bolas are a percussion instrument, which is hit against the ground to produce a loud popping sound. The beat from the Boleadoras speeds up and up until...the stage goes dark, ending the first act. (The track, "Malamba", is not featured on the soundtrack)

"ACT II"

In the beginning of Act II, the Baron returns, taking the stage and performing a tap dance with a "tribal beat". This short bit later segues into an upbeat highlight of the show.

*Russian Swing: As the stage lights up again, an odd contraption with a swinging platform suspended from a metal frame appears, with multiple artists upon it. They jump off the swing, performing twists, spins, and flips, before landing on the mat. (Performed to "Barock" on the Soundtrack)

*Duo Trapeze: As the stage goes dark yet again, a spotlight focuses on a pair of twins, huddled together. As they break their huddle, they appear to be mystified. As they stand, they approach two vertical ropes hung from the ceiling. They climb the ropes, and eventually moving onto a trapeze. As they perform both static and swinging portions in their routine, the Baroques watch from below. (Performed to "Amazonia" on the Soundtrack)

*Hand-to-Hand: As the trapeze act ends, the stage gives way to two men standing on top of a table-like platform. One grabs the other by the hands, and the man he grabbed balances on his hands. Continuing with a routine of stunning balancing manoeuvres, these two truly make a great team! (Performed to "Urgence" on the original Soundtrack)

*Bungee: As the Hand to Hand Ends, the stage goes dark one last time. This time, giving way to four Cavaliers, accompanying four white clad figures to the stage. As they lie down on the stage, the Baroques attach bungee cords to their waists. Soon, they rise up to the top of the big top, and bounce through the air. The artists flip, sway, and bounce in time with each other in perfect synchronization. As the act ends, so does the show... (Performed to "Il Sogno di Volare" on the Soundtrack)

*Closing: The Baroques return and fly through the air on bungee cords as the band plays out another joyful tune. As the Songbird sings out "Horéré Ukundé", the show comes to an end.

"In Rotation"

*Artistic Bicycle: An unusual bike ride in the park at the heart of Saltimbanco's imaginary city. An artist wheels onto the stage, all the while playing the guitar, hand balancing, swinging and dancing on wheels. He suddenly pops onto one wheel and uses his bike in ways that boggle the imagination.

"Past Acts"

*Rhythmic Gymnastics: Three women take to the stage, dressed in primary colours. They begin an acrobatic dance using ribbons and balls that creates a beautiful feeling of peace throughout the big top.

*Vertical rope: One of the first Saltimbanco acts, an awe-inspiring one-man Spanish web act. (Performed to "Pokinoï" on the Soundtrack)

*Contortion: After the Lorador brothers (hand-to-hand act) left Saltimbanco, an empty slot was left in the show. This was filled by the four contortionists from Nouvelle Experience, with an act virtually the same as in Nouvelle, but with new music created especially for the act.

The current tour also includes a mime who performs his own sound effects in both Acts I and II. The act includes audience participation.

Touring

The 2007/2008/2009 Saltimbanco North American Tour has been announced:

2007
*London, ON July 31st-August 5th, 2007
*Ottawa, ON August 8th-August 12th, 2007
*Halifax, NS August 15th-August 19th, 2007
*St. John's, NL August 23rd-August 26th, 2007
*Saint John, NB August 30th-September 2nd, 2007
*Syracuse, NY September 5th-September 9th, 2007
*Wilkes-Barre, PA September 12th-September 16th, 2007
*Greensboro, NC September 19th-September 23rd, 2007
*State College, PA September 26th-September 30th, 2007
*Norfolk, VA October 3rd-October 7th, 2007
*East Lansing, MI October 10th-October 14th, 2007
*Peoria, IL October 17th-October 18th, 2007
*Champaign, IL November 9th-November 10th, 2007
*Green Bay, WI November 13th-November 15th, 2007
*Madison, WI November 17th-November 18th, 2007
*Dayton, OH November 21st-November 25th, 2007
*Colorado Springs, CO November 28th-December 1st, 2007
*Broomfield, CO Dec 3rd-Dec 6th & Dec 10th-Dec 13th, 2007
*Montreal, Quebec December 19th-December 30th, 2007

2008
*Quebec City, Quebec January 3-January 8th, 2008
*Chicoutimi, Quebec January 16th-January 19th, 2008
*Detroit, MI January 23rd-January 27th, 2008
*Cleveland, OH January 29th-February 1st, 2008
*Memphis, TN February 20th-February 21st, 2008
*Charlottesville, VA February 26th-March 1st, 2008
*North Little Rock, AR March 4th-March 6th, 2008
*Bossier City, LA March 8th-March 9th, 2008
*San Antonio, TX March 12-March 16th, 2008
*Laredo, TX March 18-March 19th, 2008
*Corpus Christi, TX March 21st-March 22nd, 2008
*Wichita, KS March 26th-March 30th, 2008
*Omaha, NE April 2nd-April 6th, 2008
*Des Moines, IA April 10th-April 13th, 2008
*Moline, IL April 15th-April 18th, 2008
*Cedar Rapids, IA April 23rd-April 27th, 2008
*Rio Rancho, NM May 14th-17th, 2008
*Boise, ID May 21st-May 25th, 2008
*Victoria, British Columbia May 30th-June 1, 2008
*Kelowna, British Columbia June 4th-June 8th, 2008
*Kamloops, British Columbia June 11th-June 15th, 2008
*Edmonton, Alberta June 18th-June 22nd, 2008
*Saskatoon, Saskatchewan June 25th-June 29th, 2008
*Regina, Saskatchewan July 2nd-July 6th, 2008
*Winnipeg, Manitoba July 9th-July 13th, 2008
*Kansas City, MO July 16th-July 20th, 2008
*Newark, NJ August 8th-August 10th, 2008
*Toronto, ON August 13th-August 24th, 2008
*Hamilton, ON August 27th-August 31st, 2008
*Amherst, MA September 3rd-September 7th, 2008
*Buffalo, NY September 10th-September 14th, 2008
*Trenton, NJ September 17th-September 21st, 2008
*Minneapolis/St Paul, MN September 24th-September 28th, 2008
*Milwaukee, WI October 1st-October 5th, 2008
*Highland Heights, KY October 8th-October 12th, 2008
*Honolulu, HI October 30th-November 16th, 2008
*Prescott Valley, AZ November 20th-November 23rd, 2008
*Tucson, AZ November 26th-November 30th, 2008
*Oklahoma City, OK December 3rd-December 7th, 2008
*Tulsa, OK December 10th-December 14th, 2008
*Hidalgo, TX December 17th-December 21st, 2008

2009
*Tupelo, MS January 8th-January 11th, 2009
*Biloxi, MS January 14th-January 18th, 2009
*Hoffman Estates, IL January 21st, 2009-February 1st, 2009
*St. Charles, MO February 4th, 2009-February 8th, 2009
*Baton Rouge, LA February 18th-February 20th, 2009
*Rockford, IL February 24th-March 1st, 2009
*Mobile, AL April 2nd-April 5th, 2009
*Lakeland, FL April 29th-May 3rd, 2009
*Gainesville, FL May 6th-May 10th, 2009
*Tallahassee, FL May 13th-May 17th, 2009
*Jacksonville, FL May 20th-May 24th, 2009
*Sunrise, FL May 27th-June 7th, 2009
*Tampa, FL June 25th-July 5th, 2009
*Estero, FL July 8th-July 12th, 2009

Trivia

Saltimbanco was the first Cirque du Soleil show to tour South America, with visits to Santiago, Chile (March 2006); Buenos Aires, Argentina (May 2006); and São Paulo (August 2006) & Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (October 2006).

oundtrack

Unlike the usual Cirque soundtrack, the Saltimbanco soundtrack has come through with 3 versions, unlike the usual 2. Vocals are by Francine Poitras.

Original 1992
# Kumbalawé
# Barock
# Kazé
# Amazonia
# Norweg
# Urgence
# Pokinoï
# Saltimbanco
# Il Sogno di Volare
# Horéré Ukundé
# Rideau

Extended Version"Released in 2001"This was the same as the original release in 1992, but with the addition of:
# Adagio (Live)
# Arlequin (Live)

2005 Version
# Kumbalawé
# Saltimbanco
# Cantus-Mélopée
# Norweg
# Kazé
# Barock
# Adagio
# Amazonia
# Pokinoï
# Il Sogno di Volare (Performed by Laurence Janot)
# Horéré Ukundé
# Rideau

There was a CD release made exclusively available to the staff members of Saltimbanco: "Saltimbanco-Live in Amsterdam", which is very rare to come by. It's a two disc set featuring the music of the show in its complete state.

External links

* [http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/saltimbanco/Tickets/Tickets.htm Saltimbanco's official page at Cirque du Soleil]
* [http://www.alexisbrothers.com Alexis Brothers] : Official website of Marco and Paulo Lorador, the original hand-to-hand act in Saltimbanco.
* [http://www.armen.tv Armen Chakmakian] and [http://www.armenblog.com Armen Blog] : Official website and blog for Armen Chakmakian, keyboardist for Saltimbanco band.
* [http://www.artisticbicycle.com Artistic Bicycle] : Ivan Do-Duc - Artistic bicycle act in saltimbanco