After 29 years of touring the globe, Cirque Éloize sets its footsteps in Montreal. The troupe offers for the first time in its history a show in residence in the chic Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel.
Entitled Celestial, this creation presented in the form of a cabaret will bring together a dozen artists on December 16 on a stage set up in unused premises of the iconic Montreal hotel.
This “bewitching, sensual and immersive” show, according to Jeannot Painchaud, president and creative director of Cirque Éloize, is structured around the theme of the night and the stars. The premises which once hosted businessmen are now bathed in a cozy atmosphere, with many sofas and wall projections.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Jeannot Painchaud, President and Creative Chief of Cirque Éloize
“This show is a hybrid between a circus performance and a party or theme evening,” explains director Benoit Landry. “There are numbers on the stage, but things are happening all around too. ”
Long before the first number begins, artists pass in the midst of some 200 spectators that can accommodate this new room.
The voice of Coral Egan
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Singer Coral Egan did not hesitate to jump on the adventure of Celestial.
Benoit Landry was able to realize “an artistic fantasy” by hiring Coral Egan to sing in Celestial. According to the numbers that were presented to the media on Monday, the jazz singer is one of the key elements of this new creation. Dressed in a spangled dress, she dances with a sensuality that can not better showcase her warm tone of voice. Accompanied on the piano by Daniel Thouin, she revisits several songs, both in French and in English. The 90-minute show is also bilingual.
“When I was contacted, I did not hesitate for a second”, launches the singer, who has already worked with Cirque du Soleil on the show. Diva presented in Andorra.
I like to sing all musical styles, which this show allows me with its sensual, pop and modern music.
Coral Egan
Coral Egan serves in particular as a link between the various paintings presented on the stage. According to Benoit Landry, the numbers could be called upon to change over the months, depending on the availability of the artists. Already the media got to see a Cyr wheel act and a juggling act, both very successful.
A way to reinvent yourself
For Jeannot Painchaud, this partnership with Queen Elizabeth (and its owner Ivanhoé Cambridge) is part of the troupe’s desire to decompartmentalize the boundaries of the circus and find new ways to give work to local artists and technicians.
“It is a source of pride to be able to work for us. It is also a source of pride to offer a show to Montrealers and foreign visitors. “
Montreal prides itself on being the circus arts capital of the world, but there were no residency shows playing. Here is one.
Jeannot Painchaud, President and Creative Chief of Cirque Éloize
How to explain this absence of permanent spectacle? “There was no space for shows like Celestial, but the pandemic gave us this opportunity, since Queen Elizabeth had unoccupied rooms. It is a natural marriage. For us, it was a question of survival. We had to cancel the show tour Hotel ; we will not be able to resume tours before 2023… ”He also hopes that the presentation of the show will bring“ people back to downtown Montreal so that the place becomes once again a tourist and cultural destination ”.
The show Celestial is presented in preview from December 16, from Wednesday to Saturday. It is recommended for 12 years old and over. The first series of performances will be held until May 7.