You've probably heard of Cirque du Soleil, but how much do you know about their new show Kurios- Cabinet of Curiosities? The brand new spectacle opens in SF on November 14 at their Big Top at AT&T Park. It's a steam punky mix of all the crazy acrobatics you'd expect from Cirque (I can't even with the bending) and unique curiosity acts.
Here are ten fascinating facts about the show to get any of you who are on the fence, off it. If you already know you like rad stuff like this, you can purchase tickets here.
- Antanina Satsura, the artist who plays Mini Lili in Kurios, is 3.2 feet tall and weighs 39 pounds. She is one of the 10 smallest people in the world.
- To make the Accordion Man’s attire, the costume-maker spent an entire week sewing inside the costume.
- The mechanical hand in Kurios weighs 750 pounds and measures 15 feet by 6.8 feet.
- In 2012, writer/director Michel Laprise collaborated with pop star Madonna, providing artistic direction for her performance at the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show; he later went on to direct her MDNA tour. He knows Madonna!
- There are 426 props used in Kurios, the most of any show in Cirque du Soleil’s history.
- Between 500 –1,000 tickets are donated to organizations and charities in each city.
- In each city, Cirque du Soleil works with 150 Cirquadors (local staff) to complete their Kurios workforce experience.
- Kurios features 107 tour members from 19 countries. The cast of Kurios is made of 46 artists representing 14 different nationalities.
- This is the first time in Cirque du Soleil’s history that they have a welcoming act on top of the Big Top before the show starts. Weather permitting, three artists climb the Big Top and welcome guests on-site with live music. It is also the first time that some guests are selected to go backstage and cross the stage on a rope bridge before the show starts.
- The site takes 6 days to completely set up and 2 days to tear down. This includes the installation of the Big Top, entrance and artistic tents, box office, administrative offices, and a kitchen and dining area for cast and crew. Everything (props, costumes, tents, etc.) fits in 65 vans in order to travel from one city to another.
Photos by Martin Girard / shootstudio.ca