New VIEW of ‘VOLTA ’
We went backstage at Cirque du Soleil’s hit show, now playing in San Jose.
It’s like nothing else I’ve seen before.
For a moment, I feel like I have entered the Marvel Universe. Only, the chiseled beings standing, flexing and jumping before me aren’t from the pages of a comic book. They are performers backstage at the Cirque du Soleil production of “Volta” in San Francisco. It’s roughly 90 minutes before showtime when I enter through security and into the tent, immediately falling in awe of all the feats of strength going on everywhere while, simultaneously, feeling overly aware of the extra pounds I have put on this winter.
Seriously, I don’t think there was an ounce of fat in the building — er, I mean, tent — before I walked in among these impossibly lean and athletic figures, who were busy sharpening their skills.
I’m enjoying this eyepopping behind-the-scenes access after being invited by publicist Kevin Kopjak to sit in with “Volta’s” accompanying band (I am a music critic, after all) and experience the show from the perspective of the musicians, who are kind of unsung heroes of Cirque du Soleil.
The visit took place as “Volta” neared the end of its lengthy run at AT&T Park and prepared to move south. It plays through March 24 at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds.
I was certainly ready for another look at the show, which is the 41st original Cirque du Soleil production — and 18th under the big top — since the Montreal-based company formed in 1984. There is always so much going on at a Cirque show that it’s easy to feel like you’re only catching part of the action in one viewing.
Of course, going backstage opened me up to a world of new distractions.
I’m led through a sea of trampoline action, weightlifting and jump-roping by a guide who somehow seems nonchalant amid all the superhuman activity going on. I’m introduced to Ben Todd, the Australian bandleader and drummer who has been performing with Cirque since 2009. It’s an hour before showtime.
“You’re going to see the show from our perspective — sit right next to us and basically look out at the stage and look out directly at the audience,” he says. “You’re going to have headphones so you hear what we are really playing and our communication with each other during the show, which there is quite a lot of. I might be biased, but I really do think it is one of the best perspectives to see the show from.”
Music, of course, is a huge part of the Cirque du Soleil experience. It sets the mood, furthers the storyline and underscores the action. What people don’t probably realize, however, is what goes into creating that soundtrack on a nightly basis.
The musicians have to have incredible timing and the ability to adjust on the fly, always taking their cues from what is happening onstage. Improvisation is crucial, especially when things take a left turn with one of the acts. I’d witness that firsthand later, as some performers stumbled a bit on this night and the band stretched out the music to allow them time to regain their bearings.
“As a musician in Cirque du Soleil, kind of one of the most exciting parts of the job is when things go a little bit wrong and we have to come up with music on the fly and we have to kill time,” Todd says. “Sometimes, the opposite happens and we have to cut time, so we have to skip from part of the show very quickly to a later part of the show. But, yeah, jazz is a huge asset to have in your musical vocabulary if you’re a musician here.”
It was a blast getting to watch the show from the band pit, although my interest in music kept distracting me from all the cool performers (like the BMX riders and jump-rope geniuses) onstage. My eyes kept turning to Todd as he rocked his Pearl drums and Zildjian cymbals. But he was also directing traffic, working with ace guitarist Will Lawrence and talented keyboardist Michael Gonzales, and dealing with prerecorded material from Anthony Gonzalez of the band M83. (The show also features vocalists Camilla Bäckman and Eric DeShan.)
The show went by quickly and before I knew it, the band members were out of the pit and on the stage taking their bows.
No, I didn’t get to join them for that part.
But that’s OK. I still got to experience Cirque du Soleil in a way I never dreamed was possible.