With the buzz and business backstage at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre Thursday, some would say it looked like a circus, and they would be right.
Hundreds of people prepared for the Victoria premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo, which runs Oct. 4-7 at the Centre.
That meant that chandeliers had to be hung, trampolines had to be set up, and last minute costume adjustments had to be made.
While the stage itself – aptly nicknamed “patience” – took 12 hours to set up, the rest of the show is designed to run like a well-oiled machine.
Performers rehearsed their aerobatic, juggling and hoop routines, crew members adjusted lights and props, and costume designers made sure all outfits were ready for the stage.
Before showtime begins performers spend hours doing their own makeup, pulling products from a giant tool cabinet.
READ MORE: Five fast facts about Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo
When the first note sounds to signal the start of the show, the audience will watch from two opposite sides of the stage.
Cast members will get from one side to the other using a pulley, as they lie on their backs and are transported by a below-stage conveyor belt – another aptly named contraption called the “stage crosser.”
The 51-person cast will tell the story of Mauro, a contemporary circus clown who imagines what his own funeral might be like.
The show began Thursday, with matinee and evening performances until Corteo closes Oct. 7.
For more information or to purchase tickets you can head to sofmc.com
