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• Cirque du Soleil to perform at Assembly Hall March 17-21

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Address: 1800 S. First St. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 333-5000
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If storybook musicals are your thing, you might want to look elsewhere for your entertainment; if you are interested in an evening of magic and joy, Cirque du Soleil’s Alegría is the show for you!

Alegría is a Spanish word meaning happiness, joy and jubilation, and it is a feeling artistic director Michael Smith hopes will resonate in Cirque du Soleil’s audience. The show features an international cast of 55 performers and musicians in a variety of spectacular acrobatic acts, including synchronized trapeze, aerial high bars, power track and Russian bars.

The aerial high bars act tempts fate as Cirque’s aerialists fly to catchers that are swinging more than 40 feet above the stage. Power track keeps the vibrancy of youth alive through synchronized choreography and tumbling on a hidden trampoline system. Russian bars bring back the high-flying artists once again ­— the gymnasts execute somersaults and mid-air turns only to land on bars perched on the shoulders of fellow gymnasts.

Artistic Director Michael Smith said that he and the cast of Alegría feel a tremendous sense of pride in knowing that the audience will have a wonderful time watching the show.

“The fact that we can help people escape from the harsh reality and just allow them to dream, that is the best job we can have,” Smith said.

Aerialist and U of I alumnus Claudio Ribeiro looks to Cirque du Soleil for artistic inspiration and for possible job opportunities.

“The company makes me dream that maybe one day I can be onstage with them doing what they are doing,” said Ribeiro, who graduated in Dec. 2009.

Cirque du Soleil cast members are often sourced from the world of sports, and many do not consider the performing arts to be a respectable vocation, Smith explained. It is for this reason that all Cirque cast members go through a six-month training period before beginning to learn choreography for a show. Performers take classes in dance, acting and improvisation, makeup, and for many, studying English.

“We allow them to access their emotions,” Smith said. “And by the time [performers] get to the show, we expect them to be artists.”

To uphold the high caliber of the Cirque du Soleil name, cast members make a lot of personal sacrifices. They are separated from their friends and families — their support systems — for extended periods of time.

“They aren’t much of a party crowd,” Smith said of his cast. “The audience has high expectations and we take that very seriously. There are no shortcuts to it.”

Musician Brian Behrns has seen about six Cirque du Soleil shows and was excited to learn that Alegría is coming to Champaign-Urbana.

“I keep going back because the shows are just plain magic — an evening of magic,” Behrns said.

Alegría is about creating a universe and an atmosphere and inviting people in, Smith explained. The show is not meant to be watched passively, and audience members are encouraged to participate.