Cirque du Soleil paid tribute to Guy Lafleur as part of its summer series that opened at the Cogeco Amphitheater in Trois-Rivières on Wednesday night. An acrobatic piece that relives the great moments in the career of the famous Number 10.
With its performer on a podium, huge illuminated hockey sticks placed on either side of the stage, flower beds and scoreboard hanging from the ceiling, one would think oneself at the former Montreal Forum.
The show started with jingles to Hockey nightIt is performed on the member. Circus performers enter the stage with inline skates.
When director Fernand Renville said he wanted to recreate “the atmosphere of the match and the energy of the game,” he wasn’t kidding. That’s exactly what man! man! man! The truth is, while tickling the nostalgic feeling of spectators who watched the Canadian games at the time they won…
PHOTO OLIVIER CROTEAU, newsletter
The highlights of Guy Lafleur’s career are revealed through the eyes of a young hockey-playing kid.
For just over 90 minutes, Cirque relives the great moments in Guy Lafleur’s career, supported by several audio and video excerpts, which in particular allowed us to review several very beautiful goals from the blonde devil. Quotes from relatives are also displayed on the screen.
The performances of the circus performers mirror those of the famous hockey player, but Lafleur remains the star of the show. It’s as if they made sure not to outpace our guy’s ingenuity. Apart from three or four numbers, all the attention is on The Flower.
Through the eyes of a young kid playing hockey himself we discover – or rediscover – the man and hockey player from Thurso. The years he spent in Montreal, but also in New York and Quebec.
Honestly, there was a huge risk involved in designing this tribute show. The danger of adulation and an outpouring of goodwill towards one of our sports’ greatest stars. You also risk falling for the little boy who dreams of being like his idol…
However, the creative team managed to avoid both of these pitfalls. First of all, the boy’s presence is rather discreet, and serves as an excuse to discover aspects of Lafleur’s life – which the younger ones do not know. And then, even if there are many good feelings for the star player, the intrusion into Lafleur’s life is done tastefully and even at times with great humor.
Let’s talk a little bit about the circus anyway… There is, as mentioned earlier, a lot of photography man! man! man! A matter of leaving all the room to the star player.
PHOTO OLIVIER CROTEAU, newsletter
The aerial silk work with the goalkeeper’s net was a highlight of the show.
However, the circus scored points with its fourth number on the Chinese rings, in which the performers double as acrobatic figures. Other Features: Ski acrobatic with three ramps placed in front. but also the number of the airy fabric (with the goalkeeper’s net), on the piece that’s lifeinterpreted by Frans Castel, after announcing the retirement of the number 10 for the Canadian.
Finally, we enjoyed a fine moment of beauty—and brilliant orange lighting (by Yves Aucoin)—with this well-balanced work, which paired with poems Lafleur wrote in his hotel room. This is something we didn’t know… It’s all on a piece by Philippe Brault.
The musician, arranger and musical director of the show also composed many other pieces, while drawing on the repertoire of the 70’s and 80’s to give rhythm to the different tables. man! man! man! And so we can hear amazingby André Gagnon, Do you love life The black ball I am awesomeOr Valikit generation or even I didn’t want to go there by Robert Charlebois.
A word about the evening’s comedian, Sebastien Tardif, who hosted the evening with a great deal of humour. first by picking on a spectator named Jay, who he graciously taunted throughout the performance, and then by walking around as a referee, in particular.
Photo by Mariandre Lemire, courtesy of Cirque du Soleil
A wonderful painting with this tight rope crosses the stage from above…
The show would have ended with a very nice painting of this tightrope walker walking in the dark in the room still aliveBy Jerry Pollitt. But Cirque erred with overindulgence here, as he unfortunately regularly does… preferring to continue the show with an aerobatics number, irrelevant. Damage.
Fortunately, the show ended on a more serious note, with the number 10 jersey lifted. man! man! man! It should. With this audio snippet from Lafleur, during his Hall of Fame induction, talking about pride and passion, which concludes with this gem: “Playing hockey isn’t a job, he says, it’s a game… where you have to win often.”
man! man! man!
Circus of the Sun. Director: Fernand Renville
Cogico Amphitheater in Trois-Rivièresthrough August 19
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