KÀ (Cirque du Soleil)

"KÀ" is a show by Cirque du Soleil at the MGM Grand Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. Created and directed by Robert Lepage, the show and the theater cost $165 million to develop. [cite web | url=http://shop.lasvegas.com/shows/showtimes2.jsp?show=727&lang=en&src=tix&display= | title=KA Cirque du Soleil show review| publisher=LasVegas.com.]

KÀ is the first Cirque du Soleil production that deviates from the company's usual format—the production presents a more straightforward story, unlike the more abstract visuals presented by other Cirque productions.

Creators

*Guy Laliberté - Guide (Founder and Chief Executive of Cirque du Soleil)
*Robert Lepage - Creator & Director
*Guy Caron - Director of Creation
*Mark Fisher - Theatre and Set Designer
*Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt - Costume Designer
*René Dupéré - Composer and Arranger
*Jacques Heim - Choreographer
*Luc Lafortune - Lighting Designer
*Jonathan Deans - Sound Designer
*Holger Förterer - Interactive Projections Designer
*Michael Curry - Puppet Designer
*Patricia Ruel - Props Designer
*Jaque Paquin - Acrobatic Equipment and Rigging Designer
*André Simard - Aerial Acrobatics Designer and Head Coach, Creation
*Nathalie Gagné - Make-Up Designer

tage

KÀ is the only Cirque du Soleil production to lack a traditional 'stage', instead relying on floating platforms that rotate and move with the performers on top. This floating stage, 25 x convert|50|ft|m and weighing 50 tons [cite video | people = Gabriel Dube-Dupuis (Director), Martin Bolduc (Executive Producer), Pierre Gang (Producer), Monique Gignac (Producer) | title = KÀ EXTREME | medium = DVD | publisher = Productions Conte Inc. | location = Quebec, Canada | date = 2005 ] , twists horizontally and vertically, sprouts poles for performers to climb, and is covered with 'sand' (cork) for actors to hide within. The theater and stage were designed by British architect Mark Fisher, the structural design of the stage platforms by New York engineer Mal McLaren, and the torsion tube, wrist, arm assembly for the deck built by Timberland Equipment, a company that normally builds mining equipment.

Choreography

The choreography incorporates several types of acrobatics and martial arts, including fight scenes using the Wushu style of martial arts, Chinese opera, Poi for manipulating staves and batons, Brazilian Capoeira dance, bungees, aerial straps, swing poles, and a wheel of death.

Plot

KÀ is a story about "conflict and love", of "imperial twins who are separated at the prime of their youth and must undergo a rite of passage of self-discovery. It is about their encounters with KÀ, the fire that has the dual power to destroy or illuminate." [cite video | people = Robert Lepage (KÀ Creator) | title = KÀ EXTREME | medium = DVD | publisher = Productions Conte Inc. | location = Quebec, Canada | date = 2005 ]

Pre-show

Unlike other Cirque du Soleil performances, KÀ offers four pre-shows. Once the house opens, guests are greeted by the villagers of KA ("Gatekeepers") with different professions such the mayor and his wife, the healer, the gossip, and so on. Twenty minutes before curtain, two musicians enter the lobby and climb up to two stringed instruments specially designed for KÀ and integrated into the architecture. Ten minutes before the show, actors appear in the metal framework to the left and right of the stage and perform flips and leaps assisted with ropes to dive into the audience and attempt to scare viewers. Five minutes before showtime, a staged act informs the audience that there is no flash photography or cell phone usage allowed.

toryline

KÀ begins with the stage set as a ship. The twins are returning home, and preparations are in motion for their arrival. The boat docks, and the entire royal family is united. The court celebrates the return of the twins by displaying fantastic feats in a pageant, while the twins each perform together on their flutes. Just as the celebration comes to a close, pandemonium erupts when the court is attacked by a group of archers. The twins watch in horror as their parents, The Emperor and Empress, are assassinated in front of their eyes.

As the palace burns to the ground, the surviving members flee for their lives. Accompanied by their nursemaid, Twin Sister and Twin Brother attempt to escape to a boat that will take them to safety. However, the Twin Brother is left behind, shot down by an arrow. The Court Jester jumps off the boat to save the Twin Brother from his pending doom. The boat escapes, only to sink in a terrible storm. As a soft piano and cello duet plays, the Nursemaid drowns in the water. The Twin Sister dives into the depths to rescue her, and quickly swims to the surface with the Nursemaid in tow. [ [http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/ka/acts/scenes.htm KÀ Scenes: Pageant/The Storm] ]

As light returns, the stage is now the Archer's Den. The Chief Archer, the Evil Counselor and his men celebrate their victory from the destruction of the Imperial Palace. The Counselor's Son unveils his ultimate creation: A machine that "grinds bones with the magical ore to unleash the destructive power of fire." [ [http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/ka/acts/scenes.htm#Archers KÀ Scenes: The Archer's Den] ]

The Twin Sister, Nursemaid and the Valets are reunited on a golden sandy beach. As they explore, they encounter giant sea creatures, including a turtle, a sea star, a potato bug, and a crab. The group then leaves, to try and find any other survivors. In the meantime, the Court Jester and the Twin Brother have taken refuge in a cave. The Jester gently tries to nurse the Twin Brother's wounds. To distract him from his pain and fear, the Jester teaches the Twin Brother the art of shadow puppets. This beautiful moment is foiled by the archers, who, watching at a distance, plot their capture of the two. The Jester hears a sound, and investigates while leaving Twin Brother alone. The Twin Brother turns, and sees the face of the Chief Archer's Daughter. Their eyes meet, but are interrupted as the Archer's leap out and capture him. The Chief Archer's Daughter watches helplessly as Twin Brother is carried away. [ [http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/ka/acts/scenes.htm#Shadow KÀ Scenes: Shadowplay] ]

Meanwhile, the Twin Sister and her entourage are scaling a mountain, when they are also attacked by the Archers. Although the Archers do not capture them all, the group becomes separated. Although the Twin Sister and the Nursemaid are reunited through the assistance of a friendly mountain tribe, the Archers also manage to find the clan. Under the threat of being captured by the Archers, the mountain tribe saves the Twin Sister by revealing their escape device—a simple tent dwelling that transforms into a miraculous human-powered flying machine. The group escapes, but the Twin Sister falls from the machine, plunging into a deep, lush forest. [ [http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/ka/acts/scenes.htm#Climb KÀ Scenes: The Climb/The Blizzard/The Flight] ]

The stage returns to the Archer's Den, where the Twin Brother is imprisoned in a small cage. The Chief Archer's Daughter watches from a distance, holding the flutes that the twins played before their lives were changed forever. All seems lost for the Twin Brother, until he finds a friend in the kind-natured Chief Archer's Daughter, who dares to approach him. She passes the flutes to Twin Brother, and when she leans towards the cage for a closer look at Twin Brother, when he takes the moment to learn forward to steal a brief kiss. Although the Chief Archer's Daughter is taken aback, as she turns away from the Twin Brother, it is obvious that she has also become smitten by him.

After their tender moment and after great hesitation, the Chief Archer's Daughter sets the Twin Brother from his cage, begging him to flee. Before he does, the Twin Brother makes a decision—he returns to her his flutes, the precious ceremonial gifts that were treasured by their kingdom. The Twin Brother then flees, leaving the Chief Archer's Daughter in hope they will meet again. She cannot hide her joy—she expresses her love through a touching performance of dance using the twins' flutes. All of this is witnessed by the Counselor's Son, who has desired the Chief Archer's Daughter for years. Engulfed by the rage of his unrequited love, he prepares for war. [ [http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/ka/acts/scenes.htm#Twins KÀ Scenes: The Twin Brother in Captivity] ]

The stage lights up again, into the lush forest that the Twin Sister has fallen into. The magical forest is home to many creatures, including enormous insects and a convert|80|ft|m|sing=on long snake. As the Twin Sister falls, a dashing creature comes to her rescue. It is the Firefly Boy, who lives within the forest. He swoops down and rescues the daughter, before inviting her to dance within in the trees with him. Perched high above in the vines is one of the singers, singing a sweet and exotic melody for their acrobatic dance. Knowing that she must continue her search for her brother, the Twin Sister reluctantly leaves. [ [http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/ka/acts/scenes.htm#Forest KÀ Scenes: The Forest] ]

The twins are reunited at last. They inspire the other prisoners to stand up and fight against the enslavers. The rebellion occurs by the enormous slave cage, where the prisoners perform death-defying jumps through the air. The prisoners are overjoyed to escape, but the moment is ruined by the sounds from the Drums of War. An army, led by the Evil Counselor and his son, are preparing to crush the remains of the empire once and for all. With the aid of the Firefly Boy and the people of the forest, the Twins lead a counter attack, and are victorious. In the Aftermath, we hear the cries of sorrow from the Counselor. He rushes to the side of his son, who lies dying in the center of the battlefield. The stage slowly disappears into darkness. [ [http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/ka/acts/scenes.htm#Battle KÀ Scenes: The Battle Begins] ]

The stage lights up for a final time, revealing the same boat the twins used to return to the land. Triumphant after the battle, peace and harmony has been restored to all of the empire. The twins now rule the empire, and each has married their beloved met on their journey. The Chief Archer has vowed peace, and symbolizes this by breaking his bow over his knee. The Counselor's Son also returns. Although not dead, he has been blinded by the battle. To show he has learned the error of his ways, he makes a magnificent display through fireworks. KÀ ends the way it started; in celebration. [ [http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/ka/acts/scenes.htm#Aftermath KÀ Scenes: Aftermath] ]

Music

KÀ features an off-stage band that accompanies the acting, acrobatics, and singing that takes place on stage. During various portions of the show, different musicians make appearances in the show, performing in costume directly on the stage. The vocals in KÀ are provided by a mezzo-soprano and an alto voice, both of which are female.

Originally, KÀ's score was to be composed by Benoit Jutras [ [http://www.cirquetribune.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=109&highlight=benoit+jutras+mgm+grand Cirque Tribune Discussion Forum] ] . However, Jutras left the show because of creative differences, and the music of KÀ was composed by René Dupéré, who also composed music for multiple Cirque productions, including "Mystère" at Treasure Island, and Cirque's 1994 production of Alegría.

The soundtrack for KÀ was released on the 18th of October, 2005. In addition to the original score, the soundtrack features several 'inspired by' tracks. Although the album is somewhat remixed, most of the content remains faithful to the show. Below is the track-listing of the soundtrack.

# O Makunde
# Pageant
# Koudamare
# Storm
# Deep
# Shadowplay
# Pursuit
# Forest
# Flight
# Threat
# Love Dance
# Battlefield
# Aftermath
# If I Could Reach Your Heart (inspired by 'O Makunde')
# We've Been Waiting So Long (inspired by 'Shadowplay')
# Reach For Me Now (inspired by 'Deep')

Directed by veteran Hollywood conductor, Simon Leclerc, The KÀ soundtrack features a symphonic orchestra of 57 musicians and a choir of over 40 singers, making KÀ Cirque Du Soleil's 'ambitious recording to date' [ [http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/Music/Soundtracks/ka.htm Official Soundtracks: KÀ] ] . Rather than the usual tradition of the original singers performing on the show's soundtrack, KÀ features the voices of Élise Velle (René Dupéré's wife) and a young soprano boy named Philippe Lapan-Vandal. In addition, the 'inspired by' tracks, with the exception of 'If I Could Reach Your Heart' (performed by Élise Velle), feature the voice of Canadian world artist, Nitza Melas.

Through the music of KÀ, René Dupéré attempts to provoke emotions and feelings such as drama, emergency, energy, serene, passion, and even 'trying to describe the birth of love'. Dupéré describes the music with an 'African flavor' and states that he wishes for the audience to feel as if the show was 'full of energy'. Dupéré says that the music itself has no specific time-frame. 'It could be from medieval times or even 200 years in the future...the music itself is ageless' [ [http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/Music/Soundtracks/ka.htm Listen as René talks about: The KÀ Album] ] .

Effects

KÀ combines complex automation, pyrotechnics, puppetry, and multimedia projections that allow the audience to immerse in the story.

ound and video

Every seat in the KÀ Theater is equipped with a pair of stereo speakers at ear level. The digitally mixed audio system, of over 2,400 speakers [cite video | people = Jonathan Deans (Sound Designer) | title = KÀ EXTREME | medium = DVD | publisher = Productions Conte Inc. | location = Quebec, Canada | date = 2005 ] , can route sounds to these in-seat speakers, which when combined with the main house speaker system, can create a very dynamic surround-sound audio experience.

The multimedia projection in the show utilizes both infrared video motion detecting as well as a system of touch-sensitive panels beneath the surface of the main 'Sand Cliff' deck. This allows the system to track the location of individual performers and change the video content accordingly. A similar example of the infrared portion of this technology can be seen in some movie theater lobbies where people can step on and burst video projected bubbles.

KÀ in popular culture

* Footage of KÀ was featured in the premiere of the seventh season of , Built To Kill, Part 1.

* KÀ was a part of the 2007 NBA All-Star Game half-time show.

* KÀ was also featured in an episode of Really Big Things, on the Discovery Channel.

* The KÀ theater was used as the set for MTV's "Road Rules" series; episode 14 of the 2007 season.

* The performers from KÀ participated in part 1 of the first season finale of Top Chef, on Bravo.

* On 28 December, 2007 the German national TV channel ZDF made history when they aired KÀ [cite web | url=http://www.zdf.de/ZDFde/inhalt/10/0,1872,7130186,00.html | publisher=ZDF.DE | title=Cirque du Soleil: KÀ | accessmonthday=29 December|accessyear=2007] .

References

External links

* [http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/cirquedusoleil/ka/ KÀ on Cirque du Soleil's website]
* [http://www.stufish.com/Pages/Reality/Cirque/KA/K%c0%20Cirque%20Du%20Soleil%2000.html KÀ on Mark Fisher's website]
* [http://www.las-vegas.cc/articles/ka.php Review of KÀ]