Those driving down Macleod Trail will have noticed that the trademark yellow and blue tent has arrived on the Stampede Grounds. Until May 24th, Calgarians will be amazed by the latest Cirque du Soleil production Kurios - Cabinet of Curiosities.

GayCalgary spoke to the show’s Artistic Director Bruno Darmagnac as the show was wrapping up a critically acclaimed run in Seattle before heading to Calgary.

"The show takes place in the time period of the end of the 19th century in the Industrial Revolution, when there were lots of inventions and lots of things were possible. The future was bright. That’s what really makes the show it is optimistic, enthusiastic and happy. We are in a laboratory of a scientist’s and all his inventions come to life and become acrobatic acts. It is something very happy, positive and high energy," he said. While the audience is awed by the spectacle of 46 performers from 14 countries for Darmagnac, having been there from the start, he has a different outlook.

"I don’t look at the show the same way an audience member sees it; nobody working on the show does. I’ve seen it getting created and its first steps: its growing and changing, and all the work that went in behind it; what goes wrong, what is good and what can be better. I am very careful and attentive to how the audience reacts, but don’t see it the same way they do."

Having been with Cirque du Soleil for four years, including closing Alegria in 2013 20 years after its debut, Darmagnac enjoys being able to settle into a city for a few weeks. Few touring shows can sell out 2,700 seat venues for weeks at a time like this does.

"I really think it is because of the quality. Cirque du Soliel is, of course, about acrobatics and the various aspects of circus, like comedy and music. It puts a lot of attention to the costumes and a great story. We are all working very hard to push to have the best quality for each section. We have the best artists and acrobats possible, and that makes the difference. People recognize and feel that, and when they want to go and see a live show, we are not cheap; it is cheaper to go see a movie. When they go and see a live show they want to see quality and they really get it here. Since Kurios has started, it is going to be one year old; it is still a baby. Since the beginning the audiences have been enthusiastic and loving the show. There is a standing ovation every performance, and I think that is what people want and why there is this success, because of the quality.

There are a few different incarnations of Cirque shows – the residencies like KA and Love in Las Vegas, the arena shows like Michael Jackson Immortal and the grand tent tours like Kurios. Although he hasn’t worked a resident show, Bruno shared a comparison.

"The good thing about the big top show is you travel with your environment and it stays the same. There is the show tent and artistic tent and the layout is always the same. For the artists and everybody it is a lot easier. In arenas you change cities every week and have to adjust to a new building. On Alegria, the first two or three days, everybody is lost and looking for their way around. With the big top you are like a turtle; you travel with your house, which makes it easier. The quality of the show is better in the sense that you always have the same parameters. The sound, for example, is always the same in the tent. In an arena the space can be bigger or smaller, and it can take a few shows to adjust to that space. So the big top is a lot more consistent. We stay a long time in each city with the big top, so you have time to have a life and explore the city. In the arenas, on your day off, you are moving. Here we stay and can enjoy where we are. The same applies with resident shows, from what I understand. You come and do the job and they have their lives; their kids are going to school; they have their homes and cars. They are not on tour – it is really stable and another atmosphere."

Each Cirque du Soleil show has its own unique features and Kurios is no exception. With so many unique talents it can be a challenge to cast the show and deal with illness. For example, Antitina Satsura is one of the 10 smallest people in the world, at 3.2 feet and 39 pounds. If she is unable to do the show, it changes.

"If this character is out of the show because she is sick or needs to go home for an emergency, it is very difficult to replace her because of her size and specificity. She is extremely strong, always here and a really hard worker. She is human and can be sick and, if that happens, I have no one to replace her. If she is out of the show for a few days I have a version of the show without her. If she decides she doesn’t want to renew her contract we will definitely look for someone to replace her and take her part."

Cirque du Soleil always delivers when they come to Calgary and, from reports and reviews from previous stops, Kurios - Cabinet of Curiosities takes things to a whole different level.

"It is very good and fun. It is a happy show; people leave with smiles. You are going to see really high-level acrobatics different from other Cirque shows. The characters on stage are a lot more human. Cirque has had a lot of strange creations on stage, but not in this show, and I think people relate to that. There is the Steampunk element in the costumes and scenery, which I think is very beautiful and warm. It is a nice experience; it makes people happy. If you want a bit of happiness in this sad world, come see Kurios."

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Contributor Jason Clevett |

Locale Calgary |

Topic Cirque Du Soleil | Theatre |