Zed (Cirque du Soleil)
Encyclopedia
Zed is Cirque du Soleil
's second resident show in Asia. It premiered on October 1, 2008 at the Cirque du Soleil Theater, Tokyo Disney Resort
, in Tokyo
, Japan
. Inspiration for Zed was taken from the Tarot
and its Arcana
; the main character Zed represents humanity. It is Zed's journey through this world that allows humanity to discover itself by uniting the people of the earth and sky.
, the artists and staff of Zed were temporarily relocated to Macau
where they continued training at Cirque du Soleil's resident show Zaia
. The major benefit of relocating there is that the team is able to partner with the crews of Koozå
(which was also relocated from Japan) and Zaia at the Macau training facilities. Shows from March 11 through April 20 were cancelled. The troupe was able to start performances again on April 23 after a through safety inspection of the theatre and facilities had been undertaken.
On Sunday, July 24, 2011, it was announced to the cast and crew of Zed, that the The Oriental Land Company
and Cirque du Soleil had come to an agreement to permanently close the production on December 31, 2011. The closure is due to the business environment that arose from the impacts of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
. Zed was the first show to reach its one-millionth guest faster than any show in Japan, and did see great success with over 1,000 performances.
, was exclusively designed for Zed. The roof is formed by polyhedrons and is made to look similar to the circus tents seen at Cirque du Soleil's grand chapiteau touring shows. The form is designed to capture the sun's light from any angle.
François Séguin, set designer, drew inspiration for the set design from the astrolabe
. The atmosphere of the stage evokes the High Renaissance
and the beginning of the Mechanical Age. Finishings of the stage include many brass and copper components representing mechanical gears. The globe above the stage shows the meridians and lines of latitude, while on the floor, there is the Milky Way
and phases of the moon. Also seen throughout the stage and show is the "Zed Alpha"—a 26-letter alphabet created for the show.
Due to safety concerns arising from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
, Cirque du Soleil ordered a trapeze cushion from Canvasland located in Levin
, New Zealand
. The nylon cushion measures 12 by 5 m (39.4 by 16.4 ft) and weighs 200 kilograms (440.9 lb). The design includes an air mattress base and inflated tongs, this allows the artist to fall safely in any position without the ability to bounce off. The new devise is used in the trapeze act, ensuring additional safety in the event of any new earthquakes and aftershocks.
and its Arcana
, many of the characters come from this realm.
color palette (gold, ochre, Venetian blue, turquoise green) for the people of the earth. Zed, who unites this group, is clad in darted, all-white organza
, and his outfit is reminiscent of a Pierrot
. Djinn, who is part of the earth group, has an outfit made of a stretch silicone material. The neckline has a type of gold leaf appliqué
to resemble an Inca
or Aztec
necklace. The torso, upper body, and arms have tattoo
designs printed on the silicone material.
A few additional highlights of the costumes includes these below.
. The acts associated with each song are in parentheses below.
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
's second resident show in Asia. It premiered on October 1, 2008 at the Cirque du Soleil Theater, Tokyo Disney Resort
Tokyo Disney Resort
is a theme park and vacation resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just east of Tokyo. It is owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company with a license from The Walt Disney Company. The resort opened on April 15, 1983, as a single theme park , but developed into a resort with two theme...
, in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Inspiration for Zed was taken from the Tarot
Tarot
The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...
and its Arcana
Major Arcana
The Major Arcana or trumps are a suit of twenty-two cards in the tarot deck. They serve as a permanent trump suit in games played with the tarot deck, and are distinguished from the four standard suits collectively known as the Minor Arcana...
; the main character Zed represents humanity. It is Zed's journey through this world that allows humanity to discover itself by uniting the people of the earth and sky.
History
Due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
, the artists and staff of Zed were temporarily relocated to Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
where they continued training at Cirque du Soleil's resident show Zaia
Zaia
Zaia is a Cirque du Soleil stage production based at The Venetian Macao on the Cotai Strip in Macau. The 90-minute show opened in August 2008 and brings together 75 high-calibre artists from around the world. Zaia is Cirque du Soleil's first resident show in Asia and is directed by Neilson...
. The major benefit of relocating there is that the team is able to partner with the crews of Koozå
Koozå
Koozå is a touring circus production by Cirque du Soleil which premiered in Montréal, Canada, in 2007. The show was written and directed by David Shiner, who had previously worked as a clown in Cirque du Soleil's production of Nouvelle Expérience...
(which was also relocated from Japan) and Zaia at the Macau training facilities. Shows from March 11 through April 20 were cancelled. The troupe was able to start performances again on April 23 after a through safety inspection of the theatre and facilities had been undertaken.
On Sunday, July 24, 2011, it was announced to the cast and crew of Zed, that the The Oriental Land Company
The Oriental Land Company
is a Japanese leisure and tourism corporation headquartered in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan. The company owns the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu. The main shareholders of the company are Keisei Electric Railway and Mitsui Fudosan...
and Cirque du Soleil had come to an agreement to permanently close the production on December 31, 2011. The closure is due to the business environment that arose from the impacts of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
. Zed was the first show to reach its one-millionth guest faster than any show in Japan, and did see great success with over 1,000 performances.
Set and technical information
Cirque du Soleil spent three years constructing the Cirque du Soleil Theatre Tokyo for its resident show Zed. The theatre, which is located at the Tokyo Disney ResortTokyo Disney Resort
is a theme park and vacation resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just east of Tokyo. It is owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company with a license from The Walt Disney Company. The resort opened on April 15, 1983, as a single theme park , but developed into a resort with two theme...
, was exclusively designed for Zed. The roof is formed by polyhedrons and is made to look similar to the circus tents seen at Cirque du Soleil's grand chapiteau touring shows. The form is designed to capture the sun's light from any angle.
François Séguin, set designer, drew inspiration for the set design from the astrolabe
Astrolabe
An astrolabe is an elaborate inclinometer, historically used by astronomers, navigators, and astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, determining local time given local latitude and longitude, surveying, triangulation, and to...
. The atmosphere of the stage evokes the High Renaissance
High Renaissance
The expression High Renaissance, in art history, is a periodizing convention used to denote the apogee of the visual arts in the Italian Renaissance...
and the beginning of the Mechanical Age. Finishings of the stage include many brass and copper components representing mechanical gears. The globe above the stage shows the meridians and lines of latitude, while on the floor, there is the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
and phases of the moon. Also seen throughout the stage and show is the "Zed Alpha"—a 26-letter alphabet created for the show.
Due to safety concerns arising from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
, Cirque du Soleil ordered a trapeze cushion from Canvasland located in Levin
Levin, New Zealand
Levin is a town in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand, and is the largest town in the Horowhenua district. It is 90 kilometres north of Wellington, 50 kilometres south of Palmerston North, and two kilometres to the east of Lake Horowhenua....
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The nylon cushion measures 12 by 5 m (39.4 by 16.4 ft) and weighs 200 kilograms (440.9 lb). The design includes an air mattress base and inflated tongs, this allows the artist to fall safely in any position without the ability to bounce off. The new devise is used in the trapeze act, ensuring additional safety in the event of any new earthquakes and aftershocks.
Cast
As the inspiration of Zed is the TarotTarot
The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...
and its Arcana
Major Arcana
The Major Arcana or trumps are a suit of twenty-two cards in the tarot deck. They serve as a permanent trump suit in games played with the tarot deck, and are distinguished from the four standard suits collectively known as the Minor Arcana...
, many of the characters come from this realm.
- Zed: Represents the FoolThe Fool (Tarot card)The Fool or The Jester is one of the 78 cards in a Tarot deck; one of the 22 Trump cards that make up the Major Arcana. The Fool is unnumbered...
of the Tarot and is the main character in Zed. - Nouit: Representative of the starry sky, she is a singer and the incarnation of the Great Goddess, Mother of the Sky.
- Erato: Is the Goddess of Heaven.
- Abraka: As a representation of the MagicianThe Magician (Tarot card)The Magician, The Magus, or The Juggler is the first trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination...
in Tarot, he is the father of Earth and another one of the singers. - Kernoon: Is another singer and represents the Tarot card of the DevilThe Devil (Tarot card)The Devil is the fifteenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.- Symbolism :...
. - Shaman: As representative of the HierophantThe HierophantThe Hierophant , in some decks named The Pope, is the fifth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.-Description and symbolism:...
(i.e. the Pope) in the Tarot, the Shaman guides Zed throughout his journey. - Djinn: Accompanies the Shaman and is the bringer of light and fire.
Acts
The acts of Zed unite the earth and the sky with many highly skilled acrobatic feats.- Batons
- Bungee
- Lassos
- Poles and trampoline
- Solo tissue
- High wire
- Juggling
- Banquine
- Straps
- Hand to hand
- Flying trapeze
- Charivari
Costumes
Central to Zeds theme is the uniting of the people from the earth and sky. To set them apart, costume designer Renée April chose iridescent colors, pale shades, and a heavy usage of pearl and silver for the people of the sky, and chose an Italian RenaissanceItalian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
color palette (gold, ochre, Venetian blue, turquoise green) for the people of the earth. Zed, who unites this group, is clad in darted, all-white organza
Organza
Organza is a thin, plain weave, sheer fabric traditionally made from silk. Many modern organzas are woven with synthetic filament fibers such as polyester or nylon, but the most luxurious organzas are still made of silk. Silk organza is woven by a number of mills along the Yangtze River and in the...
, and his outfit is reminiscent of a Pierrot
Pierrot
Pierrot is a stock character of pantomime and Commedia dell'Arte whose origins are in the late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne; the name is a hypocorism of Pierre , via the suffix -ot. His character in postmodern popular culture—in...
. Djinn, who is part of the earth group, has an outfit made of a stretch silicone material. The neckline has a type of gold leaf appliqué
Applique
In its broadest sense, an appliqué is a smaller ornament or device applied to another surface. In the context of ceramics, for example, an appliqué is a separate piece of clay added to the primary work, generally for the purpose of decoration...
to resemble an Inca
Inca civilization
The Andean civilizations made up a loose patchwork of different cultures that developed from the highlands of Colombia to the Atacama Desert. The Andean civilizations are mainly based on the cultures of Ancient Peru and some others such as Tiahuanaco. The Inca Empire was the last sovereign...
or Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
necklace. The torso, upper body, and arms have tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
designs printed on the silicone material.
A few additional highlights of the costumes includes these below.
- Nouit is fitted with 14 wings. Her costume is decorated with 400 LED lights.
- Abraka's 4 wings spread out over 18 metres (59.1 ft) and range in color from purple to gold.
- Kernoun's yellow and dark brown ochre costume have a hundred cornettes (orange and red flowers) sewn onto it. Many of these are motorized to create a rippling effect.
Music
The album for Zed was released on October 13, 2009 and was composed by René DupéréRené Dupéré
René Dupéré is a Québécois composer from Mont-Joli, Québec, Canada.- Biography :Dupéré is best known as the composer and arranger of music for contemporary circus productions by the Canadian entertainment company Cirque du Soleil...
. The acts associated with each song are in parentheses below.
- First Incantation (Opening)
- Birth of the Sky (Bungee)
- Reaching Up (Poles and Trampoline)
- Blue Silk (Aerial Silks)
- High Temptation (High Wire)
- Vaneyou Mi Le (Banquine)
- Zed in Love (Aerial Straps)
- Kernoon's Fire (Juggling)
- Mirror of the Two Worlds (Baton Twirling)
- The Worlds Meet (Hand to Hand)
- Fiesta (Trapeze)
- Hymn of the Worlds (Charivari and Finale)