New Orleans one of eight cities to debut Cirque du Soleil country musical with Saenger show

Cirque du Soleil has gone country, and New Orleans is one of only eight cities initially chosen to see Cirque’s first-ever theater-based touring show.

After its debut in Nashville, the production will eventually touch down at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans.

Ordinarily, the elaborate sets of this Canadian-based entertainment company’s shows require that intricate stages are erected to stay put, requiring visitors to travel to see a specific show at its permanent location.

That’s because these spectacles go way beyond singing and dancing, including aerialists, trapeze artists, acrobats and even an on-stage swimming pool in the case of “O,” Cirque’s water-themed extravaganza that has had a permanent residency at The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas since 1998.

So, when the world’s largest circus-themed production company decided to take on a joint venture with Universal Music Group Nashville, it was only fitting that the creation of an original song for the country-themed show “Songblazers” be very special.

Producers decided to incorporate the legacy of the iconic Hank Williams by hiring his grandson, contemporary artist Sam Williams, to do the honors. Williams was inspired to compose the spellbinding new theme song “Carnival Heart” by tapping into his own personal experiences.

“The title came to me because where I come from, people don’t go to the circus,” Williams said. “We go to county fairs and carnivals, and the carnival in a small town is filled with joy, excitement, mystery, euphoria, you name it.

“I believe that roller coaster of emotions lines up with what you want to feel when you see such an incredibly beautiful production as this one.”

Paying tribute to trailblazers

“Songblazers”, written and directed by Amy Tinkham will pay tribute to many of country music’s original trailblazers while embracing the newer artists on today’s music scene. The storyline chronicles the lives of two singers pursuing careers within the country world.

While audiences will be tapping their feet to familiar sounds, producers plan to entrance them with the breathtaking skills from the variety of artists on the stage.

Cirque du Soleil’s “Director of Creation,” Daniel Ross, who’s been with the troupe for 25 years, was approached about doing this unusual show by the company’s senior vice-president and was immediately on board.

“I thought it was such a wonderful opportunity for storytelling within this uniquely American musical style,” Ross said from his home in Montreal. “Country music artists may be telling their own stories in song, but the lyrics feel like they’re speaking directly to everyone, making it a very personal experience.

“This won’t be your typical musical stage production, with lines being delivered by actors, who suddenly break into song. The songs themselves will propel the actors through the storyline, making this a unique experience for audiences.”

Ross is no stranger to hit productions for the company. He’s the man behind such notable Cirque productions as Alegria, Quidam and Corteo, to name just a few.

On the road

Although Cirque du Soleil has never had a year-round touring production, the company got its feet wet with a six-week Christmas production that’s been running for several years now, called “Twas the Night Before.”

That show, about a jaded young girl who rediscovers the magic of the holidays, gave the company a taste of what it’s like to be on the road, traveling to six cities in six weeks.

When it came to deciding where “Songblazers” would begin its multi-city tour, after premiering in Nashville, there were certain requirements.

The show’s broad staging requires that the theaters within the cities to be considered are large enough to accommodate all of the assorted paraphernalia that is part and parcel of any Cirque du Soleil performance.

The Saenger Theatre in New Orleans fit the bill on space, and promoters determined that the city itself had the right mix of theatregoers who would find a country-themed show replete with trapeze artists intriguing enough to book a ticket, come September, when it rolls into the Crescent City.

A complicated stage show

Featuring a live orchestra, the production is modeled from a touring perspective after the Broadway road company of “Lion King,” which is equally complicated in terms of the sheer scope of costuming, set designs and utilization of the entire theater.

“Lion King,” which is set on the African savanna, parallels the complex mechanics on stage required to erect an entire trapeze, not to mention the high-flying aerial contraptions which have actors floating high above the stage, in “Songblazers.”

The show will debut in Nashville in July, and then head out to Houston, Austin and San Antonio, Texas, as then Birmingham, Alabama, before arriving in New Orleans for its Sept. 18-22 run.

It completes its initial tour in Dallas and St. Louis. By that time, the producers will have figured out the rest of the 22-city schedule.

“We have high hopes for this production as it will appeal to our core Cirque fans, but also musical theater buffs, as well as the die-hard country music contingency out there,” Ross said.

“And, it’s a show for the whole family — from kids who may just come for the exciting circus-like atmosphere to those who want to spend an evening listening to everything from the greatest country classics to the sounds of bluegrass and honky-tonk.”

Tickets for the fall performances are online at saengernola.com.

Leslie Cardé can be reached at lesliecardejournalist@gmail.com.