HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Cirque du Soleil has made its return to South Florida with its latest show “Echo.”
Of course, there will be daring acrobatics that defy gravity, but this new show has a story to tell.
More than 120 cast and crew members are behind the magic, and this show is pretty amazing -- from the costumes to the lighting -- there are so many details that brings the story to life.
Cirque du Soleil has brought its big top magic to Gulfstream Park for “Echo.”
But before the show begins, there is a lot of prep that goes into it.
“You are pushing yourself to the limits, so you want to make sure that mentally your brain is there, but also physicality and the body flows,” artistic director Fabrice Lemire said.
Some performers spend 12 hours a day prepping for shows, reviewing every number, stretching and exercising.
Every detail is important, especially for the show “Echo.”
There aren’t a lot of props, but a big part of this performance is a cube.
“Beauty of new technology, projections, automations -- you can completely evolve the look of that cube,” Lemire explained.
Behind the scenes, it’s busy, and there are a whopping 1,500 costumes that are made to make the magic of Cirque du Soleil come to life.
“It’s more simplistic, more modern aesthetic. White is a very common color. We do have a lot of bright popping colors in our show, but the most prominent featured look is probably the paper animal,” said Laura McClure, assistant head of wardrobe. “We have some of our costume pieces from our main characters that have tracking in them.”
Everything kind of works together, from the music, to the lights to the fashion.
There are more than 50 people in the cast and everything is custom-made, from the clothes to the shoes.
But before they put on the costumes, they hit the mats for practice.
They say practice makes perfect, and that’s what helps the shows run seamlessly.
“Echo” will explore the delicate balance between people, animals and the world we all share.
“It’s OK to be different,” Lemire said. “You will find your route by staying true and authentic to who you are. That is what the story of Echo is. Even though you’re going to get entertained sitting with all the acrobatics, you will find the deeper message if you’re looking.
You can catch “Echo” from now until April 21.
Tickets are available at https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/echo.
For more information, visit https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/echo.