Although Cirque du Soleil has its origins in northerly Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, about 30 years ago, the hybrid musical and visual performance has yet to set foot on Alaska soil. That's all about to change this week.
Sean McKeown, artistic director for Cirque du Soleil's long-running production "Dralion," is looking forward to bringing the show to Fairbanks and Anchorage for its final performances.
"Dralion" began its run in 1999. The production blended Eastern acrobatics and Western influences, weaving a story of elemental harmony. In 2010, McKeown said, "Dralion" was reworked and adapted from smaller-scale venues to actual sports and entertainment arenas.
"We didn't make the show more compact, but we made it more versatile for the touring reality of the arena," McKeown says. "What we have to do in an arena is re-work the stage so it's more portable. We re-stage what's going on in the scenario itself so we can reach the people further from the stage."
"Reaching" people is exactly why Cirque du Soleil's productions have continued to be commercially successful on a large scale. "Dralion" alone has around 50 artists involved in the production, including everything from musicians to professional clowns.
"With the cast itself it's just over 50 artists, always," McKeown says. "That's made up of some pretty incredible acrobats, musicians, clowns, dancers, two singers, the aerialists, of course, and yeah, it's a pretty diverse bunch of people. We're drawing on 19 different nationalities."
McKeown said there are several parts of the show that stand out. "I like to say that we have some incredible 'wow' moments, and some very poetic solo and duo moments."
McKeown would know something about these "wow" moments, too, as he's been working with Cirque du Soleil for almost 15 years. He came into a job with the company almost by accident while working as a theater usher and pursuing acting in Melbourne, Australia. Today, with three shows under his belt, "I've seen most of the world and I've lost count of the cities I've seen," says McKeown with a laugh.
Of course, taking such a large-scale, multifaceted production on the road requires a lot of people. "We are over 100 people on tour, which includes a technical team to support us, a logistical team to move us. We even travel with our own catering and have our own trucking people who move us (from) place to place," McKeown says.
There's plenty of jobs to do as part of the team, although for the casual aerialist or gymnast who dreams of running away to the cirque, McKeown notes there's some stiff competition for the gig. "You know, the artists themselves -- most of them have trained most of their lives in their various disciplines to do what they do on our stage. If you look at their pedigrees, they are world-class professionals."
For most, seeing the magic of Cirque du Soleil on stage will be enough to satisfy their aerial interests, regardless of age. Anchorage audiences will be the last will be the last to see "Dralion."
"The show lasted 15 years, that's a very long time. We've been everywhere we can go, basically, so we reached a point where it just came time to close."
Giving the show a finale in Alaska is ending "Dralion" on a high note.
"It's a good chance to come to a stage and see another world, where real people are doing unreal things," says McKeown. "And we are so excited to come up to Alaska for the first time."
Cirque du Soleil: Dralion
When: Thurs.-Sun., Jan. 8-11, Carlson Center, Fairbanks
?When: Wedn.-Sun., Jan. 14-18, Sullivan Sports Arena, Anchorage
Tickets: $40-$195 at ticketmaster.com