The story of WINTUK (pronounced: win-took; amalgamating the English
word "winter" with Inupiaq phonetics), Cirque’s "Winter Tale"
for children, begins with an announcement on November 20, 2006 by Guy Laliberté;
Hank Ratner, Vice-Chairman of Madison Square Garden
and Cablevision Systems Corporation; and Jay Marciano, President, Madison Square
Garden Entertainment eluded to a show with a narrative thread and a storyline
designed to present the theme of Winter. The production was created specifically for
the Theater at Madison Square Garden and would run for ten weeks for the next four
years each winter, beginning in 2007. The creative team would use traditional stage
techniques and the very latest in theater technology to bring the audience of nearly
5,000 as close as possible to the performers. And there would be an emphasis on color,
music and comedy as well as the customary circus arts the public had come to
expect from Cirque.
Wintuk became an enchanting winter tale about a boy and
his quest to find snow and adventure. Wintuk lives in a city
where the arrival of winter has brought long shadows and intense
cold - but no snow! He interacts with an extraordinary cast of
high-energy urban street characters, including acrobats, dancers
and talking marionettes. But when the snow does not arrive, he
embarks on a quest with three companions - a female shaman who's
lost in the city, a shy man destined to discover his courage,
and the shadow of a young girl - to find the snow and bring it
back to where it belongs.
The adventurers journey to an imaginary Arctic - a world without
sunlight - where they encounter the rich culture of the People
of the North and extraordinary giant characters made of ice.
When at last the sun returns, they fly home on the wings of a
giant crane and generate a swirling snowstorm.
The show is playful, musical, and bursting with the energy of
the city and the broad sweep of nature. A cast of 50 performers
weaves thrilling circus arts, breathtaking theatrical effects
and memorable songs into a meaningful seasonal story that
resonates with the whole family.
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Premiere: | November 01, 2007 (Preview)
Nov.07-Jan.06 (2007/08)
Oct.30-Jan.04 (2008/09)
Nov.11-Jan.03 (2009/10)
Nov.17-Jan.02 (2010/11) |
Type: | Seasonal / Theater |
Location: | Madison Square, NYC |
Finale: | January 02, 2011 |
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Creative Team
Guide
Guy Laliberté
Director
Richard Blackburn
Director of Creation
Fernand Rainville
Set & Props
Patricia Ruel
Costume Designer
François Barbeau
Composer
Simon Carpentier
Song Writer
Jim Corcoran
Choreographer
Catherine Archambault
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Lighting Designer
Yves Aucoin
Projections
Francis Laporte
Sound Co-Designer
Jonathan Deans
Sound Co-Designer
Leon Rothernberg
Acro Performance
Daniel Cola
Acro Equipment
Guy St-Amour
Make-up Designer
Eleni Uranis
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Audio/Visual
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Features
SPECIAL EXPOSÉ
"Wintuk Creators' Notebook"
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