Cirque biggest thing at Expo since Cher
Cirque du Soleil's 'Dralion' just fits Landon Arena, manager says
DANIEL DEMARAIS/CIRQUE DU SOLEIL-
In Cirque du Soleil's "Dralion," aerialists bounce off trampolines using the futuristic backdrop both as a diving board and landing pad. The show will play seven performances Dec. 5-9 in Landon Arena at the Kansas Expocentre.
By Bill Blankenship
From:The Topeka Capitol-Journal.com
September 16, 2012 -
Cirque du Soleil's "Dralion" is such a massive show, it was almost too big for Landon Arena, said Kansas Expocentre general manager H.R. Cook.
"This thing barely fits in the arena," Cook said of the production that will play seven performances Dec. 5-9. Tickets are on sale in person at the Expocentre box office and through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com and its retail outlets.
The set of "Dralion" is 60 feet wide and 26 feet tall and is suggestive of a futuristic Chinese temple as the show fuses the Canadian entertainment company's avant-garde approach with ancient Chinese circus tradition.
Suspended high above the stage are three concentric aluminum rings.
The first serves as a catwalk for performers and technicians. The second is used to support technical and acrobatic equipment, including the enormous lantern that descends at the end of the first half of the show. The third ring is used to move performers up, down and through the world of "Dralion."
Because of the size and weight of this setup, Cook said assessment and preparations for Cirque du Soleil's first Topeka performance began about eight months ago.
"Because the show is so big and has so much stuff and they have to hang so much weight from our ceiling, we were bringing in structural engineers to look at the weight loads of the beams in our ceilings," Cook said.
The electrical capacity of the arena also was accessed to make certain it could handle the show's lighting, sound and mechanical needs.
The Expocentre also had to beef up its fall-protection system to assure the safety of all the people who will be high above the arena floor rigging all those electrical lines, cables, lights and speakers.
"If it had been one truck bigger, it probably wouldn't have fit," said Cook.
read more:
http://cjonline.com/news/2012-09-16/cirque-biggest-thing-expo-cher
By Bill Blankenship
From:The Topeka Capitol-Journal.com
September 16, 2012 -
Cirque du Soleil's "Dralion" is such a massive show, it was almost too big for Landon Arena, said Kansas Expocentre general manager H.R. Cook.
"This thing barely fits in the arena," Cook said of the production that will play seven performances Dec. 5-9. Tickets are on sale in person at the Expocentre box office and through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com and its retail outlets.
The set of "Dralion" is 60 feet wide and 26 feet tall and is suggestive of a futuristic Chinese temple as the show fuses the Canadian entertainment company's avant-garde approach with ancient Chinese circus tradition.
Suspended high above the stage are three concentric aluminum rings.
The first serves as a catwalk for performers and technicians. The second is used to support technical and acrobatic equipment, including the enormous lantern that descends at the end of the first half of the show. The third ring is used to move performers up, down and through the world of "Dralion."
Because of the size and weight of this setup, Cook said assessment and preparations for Cirque du Soleil's first Topeka performance began about eight months ago.
"Because the show is so big and has so much stuff and they have to hang so much weight from our ceiling, we were bringing in structural engineers to look at the weight loads of the beams in our ceilings," Cook said.
The electrical capacity of the arena also was accessed to make certain it could handle the show's lighting, sound and mechanical needs.
The Expocentre also had to beef up its fall-protection system to assure the safety of all the people who will be high above the arena floor rigging all those electrical lines, cables, lights and speakers.
"If it had been one truck bigger, it probably wouldn't have fit," said Cook.
read more:
http://cjonline.com/news/2012-09-16/cirque-biggest-thing-expo-cher
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