Cirque du Soleil: Fire Within | |
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Also known as | Fire Within The Fire Within |
Genre | Television documentary |
Written by | Lewis Cohen Cleo Paskal |
Directed by | Lewis Cohen Bachir Bensaddek Jason Breckenridge |
Narrated by | Christopher Dyson |
Opening theme | "Icare" by René Dupéré |
Composers | Anthony Rozankovic Daniel Toussaint |
Country of origin | Canada |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 13 |
Production | |
Executive producers | Arnie Gelbart Marie Côté Vincent Gagné |
Producers | Sylvia Wilson Martin Bolduc |
Cinematography | Yoan Cart Peter Krieger Andrei Khabad |
Editors | Jean-Marie Drot Maxime Chalifoux Vidal Beïque |
Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 23 minutes |
Production companies | Cirque du Soleil Images (Créations Musca) Galafilm |
Original release | |
Network | Bravo (United States) Global Television Network (Canada) Ici ARTV (Québec) |
Release | September 16 – December 9, 2002 [1] |
Cirque du Soleil: Fire Within is a 2002 Canadian reality television mini-series. The series follows eight Cirque du Soleil performers during the creation and production of the Cirque's touring production, Varekai . Stress ensues as several newcomers try to learn new acrobatic acts for the show, while the subplot also follows the crew behind the show trying to cast new performers, advertise the production, create the stage set, costumes, and make-up, and manage the show under the direction of newcomer Dominic Champagne.
Fire Within originally aired in thirteen 23-minute episodes weekly between the course of September 16 and December 9, 2002 on Bravo. The miniseries was filmed primarily in Montréal, largely at the Cirque du Soleil headquarters and the Old Port of Montréal, as well as New York, Dallas, London, Paris, and Sofia.
Fire Within maintained an ensemble cast of performers chosen to be a part of the original cast of Varekai. The camera crew documented not only these performers' work during production of the show, but also their personal lives which often got in the way of their work. The performers came from a variety of different backgrounds, some experienced Cirque du Soleil performers.
Many artists and crew behind the production are featured throughout the mini-series.
Fire Within consists of thirteen half-hour episodes with commercials, originally premiering in the United States on Bravo in September 2002. The episodes were aired in the intended order weekly until December 2002 with the conclusion of the mini-series. A 23-minute cast reunion special was released on November 2, 2004 on the DVD release.
Episode No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |||
1 | "New Arrivals" | Lewis Cohen | Lewis Cohen | September 16, 2002 [1] | |||
Artists from around the world arrive at the Cirque du Soleil headquarters in Montréal. They are quickly introduced to their new realities. Will everyone be able to adapt to this challenging environment? | |||||||
2 | "Behind Closed Doors" | Lewis Cohen | Lewis Cohen | September 23, 2002 [1] | |||
The characters' stories unfold as the focus turns to their personal lives. Gareth is already on his way back home to England. Does he plan on returning to Cirque du Soleil? | |||||||
3 | "The Rise and Fall of the Trapeze" | Lewis Cohen | Lewis Cohen | September 30, 2002 [1] | |||
Artists prepare their acts for the first presentation to the creative team. Stella and Raquel's act is the unfortunate focus of the team's attention. | |||||||
4 | "Shooting Stars" | Lewis Cohen | Lewis Cohen | October 7, 2002 [1] | |||
It is officially time for the artists to join Cirque du Soleil. Kevin and Andrew question certain clauses in their contracts and hesitate before signing. | |||||||
5 | "The Holiday Season" | Lewis Cohen | Lewis Cohen | October 14, 2002 [1] | |||
The holidays bring a more intimate look into the characters as they reflect on their lives and relationships outside Cirque du Soleil. Meanwhile Olga, a world-renowned equilibrist, is offered a starring role in the show. | |||||||
6 | "New Year, New Blood, New Challenges" | Lewis Cohen | Lewis Cohen | October 21, 2002 [1] | |||
For the first time, the entire cast is assembled. Adrian, a Romanian singer, as well as several world-renowned artists join the team. Competition intensifies as egos are challenged. | |||||||
7 | "Pushing Acrobatics" | Lewis Cohen | Lewis Cohen | October 28, 2002 [1] | |||
Everyone feels the pressure throughout the endless training process. Insecurities are revealed as the characters push themselves to meet individual expectations. Raquel and Stella's act is yet to be approved. | |||||||
8 | "Moving On" | Lewis Cohen | Lewis Cohen | November 4, 2002 [1] | |||
Construction of the Grand Chapiteau is underway. Gareth and Ashley are stressed as they are told that they are on the verge of being replaced. | |||||||
9 | "The Grand Chapiteau" | Lewis Cohen | Lewis Cohen | November 11, 2002 [1] | |||
The first rehearsal under the blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau takes place. The artists must adjust to this new environment. Kevin and Andrew provide a preview of the show at the official press conference. | |||||||
10 | "The Lion's Den" | Lewis Cohen | Lewis Cohen | November 18, 2002 [1] | |||
Excitement is in the air as the artists perform in front of a live audience for the very first time. Nonetheless, devastating news awaits several of them. Who will be cut and who will stay? | |||||||
11 | "Countdown to Premiere" | Lewis Cohen | Lewis Cohen | November 25, 2002 [1] | |||
As tensions mount even higher, the last dress rehearsal is performed. Last-minute changes are made. Will Olga meet expectations in a lead role? | |||||||
12 | "Opening Night" | Lewis Cohen | Lewis Cohen | December 2, 2002 [1] | |||
Journalists, photographers, and special guests attend the world premiere of Varekai. How will the new show be received? | |||||||
13 | "The Aftermath and Departure" | Lewis Cohen | Lewis Cohen | December 9, 2002 [1] | |||
A series of dramatic adjustments are imposed. For some, it's the end of a dream, for others they are entering a new world that holds discovery, difficulty, and excitement. |
Title | Directed by | Original air date |
"Reunion" | Adrian Wills | November 2, 2004 [2] |
The cast of Fire Within get together again to reminisce, bring each other up to date on their lives, and have a day of fun. |
Fire Within received positive reviews. Virginia Heffernan of Slate [3] and Tim Goodman of SFGate [4] both gave the series positive reviews.
The mini-series won the 55th Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Program (Alternative), as well as two Gemini Awards.
Award | Category | Recipients | Result |
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55th Primetime Emmy Awards [5] [6] | Outstanding Nonfiction Program (Alternative) | Christian Barcellos, Martin Bolduc, Marie Côté, Vincent Gagné, Arnie Gelbart, Amy Introcaso-Davis, and Sylvia Wilson | Won |
18th Gemini Awards [7] | Best Direction in a Documentary Series | Lewis Cohen | Won |
Best Reality Based Entertainment Program or Series | Marie Côté, Vincent Gagné, and Arnie Gelbart | Won |
Acrobatics is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro dance, circus, gymnastics, and freerunning and to a lesser extent in other athletic activities including ballet, slacklining and diving. Although acrobatics is most commonly associated with human body performance, the term is used to describe other types of performance, such as aerobatics.
Quidam was the ninth stage show produced by Cirque du Soleil. It premiered in April 1996 and has been watched by millions of spectators around the world. Quidam originated as a big-top show in Montreal and was converted into an arena format beginning with its 2010 tour in North America. It then changed back to the Big Top for a 3-month run in Seoul, South Korea before returning to an arena show for its tour to Oceania. The show performed for the final time in Christchurch, New Zealand on February 26, 2016.
Saltimbanco was a touring show by Cirque du Soleil. Saltimbanco ran from 1992 to 2006 in its original form, performed under a large circus tent called the Grand Chapiteau; its last performance in that form was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 10, 2006. A new adaptation of the show started touring North America on July 31, 2007, with its first stop in London, Ontario, Canada. The new version was staged in arenas with fewer performances in each city it visited. The new version closed at the end of 2012.
Alegría is a Cirque du Soleil touring production, created in 1994 by director Franco Dragone and director of creation Gilles Ste-Croix. It takes its name from the Spanish word for "joy".
Mystère is one of six resident Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas, Nevada. Held in a custom theatre at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, the show was first performed on 25 December 1993, making it the company's longest running show. As with many Cirque du Soleil productions, Mystère features a mixture of circus skills, dance, elaborate sets, opera, worldbeat music, and street theatre-style comedy. Featuring a musical score composed by René Dupéré and Benoît Jutras, the show was created under the direction of Franco Dragone.
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Solstrom is a Cirque du Soleil television series in thirteen 45-minute episodes from 2003. It was initially broadcast on the U.S. Bravo cable network and aired on Bold in Canada and SBS Television in Australia. It has also been released on DVD.
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Shenea Booth is an American acrobatic gymnast who represented the United States of America at the 2001 World Games, the 2002 World Championships and the 2004 World Championships in the Mixed Pair event, along with her partner, Arthur Davis.
Tuuli Pauliina Räsänen is a circus performer and actress from Finland. Her career jump-started when she was invited to perform as the first Fennoscandian soloist with Cirque du Soleil. She was awarded a five-year grant from Finland's Central Commission of Arts to pursuit artistic work. She has succeeded in establishing her career in the international market and at the moment performs with Komische Oper Berlin.
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. 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.
Zaia was a Cirque du Soleil stage production based at The Venetian Macao on the Cotai Strip in Macau. The 90-minute show opened in August 2008, bringing together 75 high-calibre artists from around the world. Zaia was Cirque du Soleil's first resident show in Asia and was directed by Neilson Vignola and Gilles Maheu. The custom-built theater housing the performance was capable of seating 1,800 spectators at a time.
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