Zed
Logo for Cirque du Soleil's Zed
CompanyCirque du Soleil
GenreContemporary circus
Show typeResident show
Date of premiereOctober 1, 2008
Final showDecember 31, 2011
LocationCirque du Soleil Theater, Tokyo Disney Resort, Urayasu, Japan
Creative team
Artistic guideGilles Ste-Croix
Executive producerFrancois Macerola
Writer and directorFrançois Girard
Creation directorLine Tremblay
Set designerFrançois Séguin
Costume designerRenée April
Composer and arrangerRené Dupéré
Lighting designerDavid Finn
ChoreographersDebra Brown
Jean-Jacques Pillet
Sound designerFrançois Bergeron
Acrobatic equipment and rigging designerScott Osgood
Acrobatic performance designerFlorence Pot
Make-up designerEleni Uranis
Production managerMichael Anderson
Guest creator-dramatistSerge Lamothe
Other information
Preceded byZaia (2008)
Succeeded byCriss Angel Believe (2008)
Official website

Zed was Cirque du Soleil's second resident show in Asia. It premiered on October 1, 2008, at the Cirque du Soleil Theater, Tokyo Disney Resort, in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan.[1] Inspiration for Zed was taken from the Tarot and its Arcana; the main character Zed represents the Fool of the Tarot. The show depicted Zed's journey and his role in uniting two mythical groups, the people of the earth and sky. The production closed permanently on December 31, 2011.

History

Due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, shows from March 11 through April 20, 2011 were cancelled. The artists and staff of Zed were temporarily relocated to Macau where they continued training at Cirque du Soleil's resident show Zaia. The major benefit of relocating there was that the team was able to partner with the crews of Koozå (which was also relocated from Japan) and Zaia at the Macau training facilities.[2] The troupe was able to start performances again on April 23 after a thorough safety inspection of the theatre and facilities had been undertaken.[3]

On Sunday, July 24, 2011, it was announced to the cast and crew of Zed that The Oriental Land Company and Cirque du Soleil had come to an agreement to permanently close the production on December 31, 2011. The closure was due to the business environment that arose from the impacts of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Zed had reached its one-millionth guest faster than any show in Japan, and had seen great success with over 1,000 performances.[4] On April 17, 2020, Cirque du Soleil released a 60-minute special of Zed through its #CirqueConnect channel on YouTube. CirqueConnect

Set and technical information

Cirque du Soleil spent three years constructing the Cirque du Soleil Theatre Tokyo for its resident show Zed.[5] The theatre, which is located at the Tokyo Disney Resort, was exclusively designed for Zed. The roof was formed by polyhedrons and was made to look similar to the circus tents seen at Cirque du Soleil's grand chapiteau touring shows. The form was designed to capture the sun's light from any angle.[6]

François Séguin, set designer, drew inspiration for the set design from the astrolabe. The atmosphere of the stage was intended to evoke the High Renaissance and the beginning of the Mechanical Age. Finishings of the stage included many brass and copper components representing mechanical gears. Above the stage, a globe showed the meridians and lines of latitude, while the Milky Way and phases of the moon appeared on the stage floor. Also seen throughout the stage and show was the "Zed Alpha"—a 26-letter alphabet created for the show.[5]

Due to safety concerns arising from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Cirque du Soleil ordered a NZ$15,000 inflatable air bag from Canvasland located in Levin, New Zealand. The nylon cushion measured 12 by 5 metres (39 ft × 16 ft) and weighed 200 kilograms (440 lb). The design included an air mattress base and inflated tongs; this allowed the artist to fall safely in any position without bouncing off. The new device was used in the high wire act, ensuring additional safety in the event of any new earthquakes and aftershocks.[7]

Characters

As the inspiration of Zed was the Tarot and its Arcana, many of the characters were based on this tradition.[8]

Acts

The acts of Zed featured various circus skills:[9][10][11]

Costumes

Central to Zed's theme was the uniting of the people from the earth and sky. To set them apart, costume designer Renée April chose iridescent colors, pale shades, and a heavy usage of pearl and silver for the people of the sky, and chose an Italian Renaissance color palette (gold, ochre, Venetian blue, turquoise green) for the people of the earth. Zed, who united this group, was clad in darted, all-white organza, and his outfit was reminiscent of a Pierrot. Djinn, who was part of the earth group, wore an outfit made of a stretch silicone material. The neckline had a type of gold leaf appliqué to resemble an Inca or Aztec necklace. The torso, upper body, and arms had tattoo designs printed on the silicone material.[12]

Additional highlights of the costumes included the following.[13]

Music

René Dupéré composed the music of Zed, except "First Incantation", "Vaneyou Mi Le", "Fiesta" and "Kernoon's Fire", which were co-written by E.L. Allaire and M.L. Ferguson. The soundtrack was produced, mixed and engineered by Martin Lord Ferguson and Ella Louise Allaire. The album for Zed was released on October 13, 2009.[14] The acts associated with each song are in parentheses below.[15]

  1. First Incantation (Baton Twirling and Opening)
  2. Birth of the Sky (Bungee)
  3. Reaching Up (Chinese Poles and Trampoline)
  4. Blue Silk (Aerial Silk)
  5. High Temptation (High Wire)
  6. Vaneyou Mi Le (Banquine, 2nd part)
  7. Zed in Love (Aerial Straps)
  8. Kernoon's Fire (Juggling)
  9. Mirror of the Two Worlds (Combining of the two halves of Zed, Baton Twirling)
  10. The Worlds Meet (Hand to Hand)
  11. Fiesta (Trapeze)
  12. Hymn of the Worlds (Charivari and Finale)

Songs not on the soundtrack album:

Further information: Cirque du Soleil discography § Zed

Trivia

In 2023, a song from the show; 'The Worlds Meet' was adapted by composer René Dupéré and former Cirque du Soleil singer Francesca Gagnon, into the song "Where Children Play", featuring Daniel Lavoie.

Filmography

In 2010, Cirque du Soleil released Zed in Tokyo, a short documentary about the creation of Zed.[16] It was filmed in both Montreal and Tokyo. The show has also been filmed during its last performances in December 2011.

References

35°37′58″N 139°53′19″E / 35.632871°N 139.888614°E / 35.632871; 139.888614

  1. ^ "The First Cirque du Soleil Resident Show in Japan Celebrates its World Premiere on October 1 at Tokyo Disney Resort". Cirque du Soleil. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  2. ^ "Cirque moves cast, crew out of Japan". Montreal Gazette. 2011-03-15. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
  3. ^ ""ZED" Performances Resume from April 23rd". Cirque du Soleil. 2011-04-12. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
  4. ^ "Cirque du Soleil Theatre Tokyo, "ZED" to Close" (PDF). July 25, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Zed: Set Facts < About the Show". Cirque du Soleil. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  6. ^ "Zed: Theatre Concept, About the Show". Cirque du Soleil. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  7. ^ "Canvas company softens circus blow". Stuff.co.nz. 2011-04-25. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
  8. ^ "ZED: Characters". Cirque du Soleil. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  9. ^ "ZED: Acts". Cirque du Soleil. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  10. ^ "Zed: Acts". Cirque Tribune. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  11. ^ "ZED - The Acts" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  12. ^ Clément, Ronald (2009). Cirque du Soleil 25 Years of Costumes (in Chinese, English, French, and Japanese). Canada: Dépôt légal, Bibliothèque et Archives Canada. pp. 126–131. ISBN 978-2-9803493-4-8.
  13. ^ "ZED - About the Costumes" (PDF). ZED - Press Material. Cirque du Soleil. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  14. ^ "Zed (2009)". Cirque Tribune. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  15. ^ "Zed: Music". Cirque Tribune. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  16. ^ "Cirque du Soleil Documentaries Complete List". roysac.com. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
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