Cirque Du Soleil's ECHO Premieres After Pandemic Delay - CircusTalk

Circus News

Cirque Du Soleil’s ECHO Premieres After Pandemic Delay

Cirque du Soleil’s ECHO launched in Montreal under the big top in the Old Port after a long postponement. ECHO (three years in the making) is Cirque du Soleil’s 20th creation under the Big Top, distinguished by its bold visuals and contemporary aesthetic that highlight spectacular acts performed by virtuoso artists.

The atmosphere was festive under the Big Top on April 27th at the world premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s new creation ECHO!  It was with great excitement and enthusiasm that numerous political, cultural and sports personalities walked the red carpet at the grand premiere of the show ECHO, presented by Sun Life. The 2,500-seat Big Top was packed to the rafters to applaud the 51 artists of ECHO.

Cirque du Soleil once again managed to surprise us with a show that combines poetry, performing arts and high-flying acrobatics, exploring the precious balance between humans, animals, and the world we all share.

Based on the original concept of Es Devlin, ECHO is a show that immerses the audience into a universe of a thousand and one colors, wonders, and possibilities on the themes of inventiveness, the hope of youth, and the importance of empathy.

The central character of the story is Future, a brave female protagonist, and her Wolf-Dog (unconditional love) who invite us into a fantasy world where she meets animal and human characters who climb and tumble around the construction blocks that form the central cube: a symbol of our world.

Driven by the spirit of collaboration, they join forces to rebuild their planet little by little and to create a better world.

“The original production, titled Under the Same Sky, was supposed to open in March 2020 but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Es Devlin was the original writer-director, but Mukhtar Omar Sharif Mukhtar was brought in to take over creative direction just before the show was cancelled.  Mukhtar however ensured fans of the show that Echo still includes many of the creative elements Devlin brought to the table,” highlights The News International.

“I wanted to get a feel for what Es Devlin wanted to say to the audience, what was her inspiring message. Then I took that and I built from that. There were a lot of good things she did in the show and we just came in and added extra layers to it, to where it is today,” said Mukhtar.

The premier of ECHO provided an opportunity for the Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group to demonstrate their social and environmental consciousness. For the premiere of ECHO, the Cirque has proposed a tree-planting initiative in collaboration with a Montreal-based urban forestry company. More than 40 trees will be planted on May 30th in the Saint-Michel district, where the company’s head office is located. This measure aims to improve the quality of life of the residents and help the community better manage heat waves and pollution from nearby industrial activities. In addition, all guests of the world premiere received a plantable card allowing them to join the movement for change.

ECHO will be presented until August 20th, under the iconic Big Top on the Jacques-Cartier pier, in the Old Port of Montreal.

.

Photos @Jean-François Savaria are from ECHO - Official Photo Selection by Cirque du Soleil. Costumes @Nicolas Vaudelet

Do you have a story to share? Submit your news story, article or press release.