With the launch of the Artemis mission next night, NASA will mark the beginning of its great return to the Moon. A major step in space exploration that deserves updating the show presented to visitors to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A challenge that was entrusted to none other than the Montreal company Monlove, a past master in the creation of large-scale family shows.
It is with the popular characters from the Peanuts series, associated with NASA for years, that Monlove created All Systems Are Goa show that will tell next March the story of the conquest of the Moon and the development of the Artemis mission, which should culminate in 2025 with the return of a human to the lunar surface and the putting into orbit in 2027 of the Lunar Gateway station, from where future missions to Mars will launch.
The participation of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and their friends is however almost a coincidence, a bit like the process undertaken by Monlove just a year ago at the congress of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions — Monlove was part of a delegation of local businesses invited on site by Investissement Québec.
At one point, we had the chance to meet the people of the Kennedy Space Center, and there was among them a theater enthusiast whom we met behind the panels of the kiosk — we had no place to talk to each other somewhere else. So that’s kind of how we made him our pitch, we showed him what we did on Scooby-Doo and the other shows we did. In fact, they were invited to see Scooby-Doo in January in Fort Lauderdale, they were bowled over!
Ella Louise Allaire, co-owner of Monlove
“As for our connection to Peanuts, well we know the family of designer Charles Schultz because we’ve been trying to make a show with them, chains on his side his spouse and partner Martin Lord Ferguson. That’s where NASA was told, “Listen, Snoopy, he’s been your mascot for 50 years; us, we could perhaps involve the Schultz family in the show.” »
NASA’s response was immediate, so the Montreal team immediately got to work. The challenge was to popularize information of a scientific nature to make a show of about twenty minutes which will be presented twice a day for two years – the contract could be renewed for two more years. “Historically, NASA shows are very ‘right side of the brain’,” says Lord Ferguson. So we wanted to do something that also appeals to the imagination. And Snoopy is the best to do that, he dreams all the time, he travels on his doghouse imagining that he is an astronaut! »
Since Ella Louise Allaire and Martin Lord Ferguson are both trained musicians — they contributed to the soundtrack of many Cirque du Soleil shows before launching the Monlove adventure in 2005 — they obviously wanted to make a good place for music in All Systems Are Go, notably by integrating orchestral sequences featuring Schroeder and his inseparable mini-grand piano. We just had the chance to take a sneak peek at the character prototypes currently being developed in the Frontenac Street workshops, puppets that will be manipulated by Kennedy Space Center employees trained by Monlove specialists.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MONLOVE
All Systems Are Go will be presented from March at the Universe Theater of the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida.
“For example, we are able to design handles that will have an appropriate angle so that the puppeteer does not have to think too much, so that there are no bad positions, explains designer Patrick Martel — we owes him in particular the huge puppets of Toruk, from the Cirque du Soleil. We are trying to make puppets specifically for this project that are hyper instinctive, where it is almost impossible to go against a movement that will be pretty and that will serve the character. »
Serving the character also applies to his character traits, so marked in Schultz’s work. “There are essentials, whether it’s Charlie Brown and his insecurities, a dog who doesn’t talk, but who always imagines lots of things, or Lucy’s psychiatric advice kiosk, explains Ella Louise Allaire. It was necessary to find all these elements for the show to be held. »
For Monlove, the contract with NASA and the Kennedy Space Center comes at a good time, as the pandemic has been particularly difficult for the performing arts — Scooby-Doo and the Lost City of Gold, their latest show, was postponed three times, a constraint which added to the explosion of transport costs. “It’s great, it happens right at the right time, because it allows Monlove to add a new string to his bow, recognizes Ella Louise Allaire. With a permanent show there is of course less risk, just from a business perspective. »
And since good news never comes alone, Mme Allaire was named this year at the Prix Femmes d’affaires du Québec gala in the category of company that has distinguished itself internationally: “It’s really nice because I wondered if it was worth continuing, admits she candidly. I have lost veterans, exceptional people, who left or took hasty retirements. That’s why we’re proud of our project with NASA, especially since we didn’t see it coming! We hope it will allow us to continue to make even more exciting projects. “We are whispered in our ears that talks are already underway with Universal Studios and Disney, this is indeed looking good.
looney tunes
Monlove’s next traveling show, which will feature legendary Looney Tunes characters, has also been postponed until the fall. In particular, certain components have been modified to lighten production, which now fits in two semi-trailers. “We have reduced the costs, but it is more complex, in particular with the use of rotating hydraulic platforms”, explains Martin Lord Ferguson. As for the story, presented in the form of a musical, we will follow Bugs Bunny through twenty scenes that will retrace as many iconic moments from the Looney Tunes universe.