(Extended till May 26th)
After seeing this show for myself, I highly would recommend it while it is still in LA or when it comes to your area. A blend of Incredible talent; acrobatics; agility; speed and balance; and fluidity culminate this extraordinary, unique show. The beautiful horses are trained to perfection while the entertainers keep the evening exciting. My favorite part of the show was combination of many of the horses speeding through while the riders were displaying unbelievable stunts at various fast speeds and directions. You have to see it to believe it. The big tent is a comfortable setting during the few hours you are there which includes one intermission. The show was truely enjoyable and the staging was perfectly done to take advantage of the speeding horses along this long running path in front of the audience. The performers were beyond amazing while riding on the quick horses barely hanging on one side or acting some sort of acrobatic move while the beautiful animals were galloping at full speed. It was a pure joy to see the connection between the horses and the performers.
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED THEATRICAL PRODUCTION
CAVALIA: A MAGICAL ENCOUNTER BETWEEN HORSE AND MAN
TO MAKE EXCLUSIVE REGIONAL RUN IN GLENDALE
Grand-Scale Show from the Co-Founder of Cirque du Soleil Debuts April 27
Features More Than 60 Performers, Including 33 Magnificent Horses
Glendale, CA (March 17, 2004) – After enjoying sold-out, extended runs in Toronto, Montreal and San Francisco – where the Chronicle called it “an equestrian sensation” – Cavalia: A Magical Encounter Between Horse and Man – will make its exclusive Los Angeles engagement in Glendale, debuting April 27. Created by Normand Latourelle, one of the founders of Quebec’s famed Cirque du Soleil, and directed by Érick Villeneuve, Cavalia is a grand-scale spectacle involving acrobatics, music, projected images and more than 60 performers, including a troupe of 33 magnificent horses from all over the world.
“My last experience in Los Angeles was when we brought the highly acclaimed Cirque du Soleil show to Santa Monica,” says Latourelle. “The way local audiences embraced and understood our show was probably the most satisfying theatrical experience of my life. From the beginning of my development of Cavalia, it was my intention to bring it to Los Angeles.”
In Cavalia, horses cavort with acrobats, aerialists and riders in front of a constantly changing background projected on a 200-ft. wide screen, transporting spectators to dream-like virtual settings. Infused with live music and vocals, the show also features the talents of acclaimed European “horse-whisperer” Frédéric Pignon and his wife, exceptional trainer and rider Magali Delgado, who bring an approach to its equine stars marked by kindness and complicity. The audience faces a single, 160-ft. wide stage which allows the horses space to gallop at full speed, at times completely unfettered by bridles or halters. This expansive sensibility is emphasized by the show’s execution under North America’s largest touring tent – a white, 26,264-sq. ft. big top rising some 100 feet high.
By turns delightful, thrilling and poignant, Cavalia explores humankind’s long relationship with the horse. Juxtaposed with the vibrancy of the lavish production is a subtle thematic line that takes audiences through the evolution of horses and our interaction: from unbridled life in the wilderness, to early domestication, and ultimately to a relationship with human beings based on freedom and mutual respect.
Critical acclaim at the show’s American debut in San Francisco was unanimous. Recognizing “an equine ballet,” The Oakland Tribune pronounced Cavalia “the ultimate display of unity between horse and rider.” “For horse buffs, this is nirvana,” enthused the San Jose Mercury News. KGO-TV (ABC) praised Cavalia as “unlike any horseshow or circus you’ve ever seen” while KGO radio news reported, “The look of utter joy on a little girl’s face near me was amazing… she was entranced.” Prior to its American premiere in San Francisco, critical response to its original Canadian run was enthusiastic after its debut in August, 2003. The Toronto Star dubbed it “a truly magical experience [that]…possesses the same power as some of the finer Cirque du Soleil shows.” In Montreal, Global Television found it ‘‘utterly mesmerizing’’ while Le Devoir proclaimed, “Cavalia, presented in an incomparable setting, looks like nothing that has ever been seen.”
Normand Latourelle, president and artistic director of Cavalia, is the visionary behind the show. Since co-founding Cirque du Soleil in 1985 and participating in its development until 1990, he has become renowned for his adventurous, mammoth and innovative productions, taking spectators to new realms. They include international gatherings like the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City and the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Conference) Summit in Vancouver, as well as the Sound and Light installation at the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa.
“My dream began to take shape when I met the equestrian trainer and artist Frédéric Pignon and his partner Magali Delgado,” says Latourelle. “As equestrian co-directors of Cavalia and performers, they bring a wonderfully gentle and magical way with horses to the heart and soul of the production.”
The creative team includes former contributors to the productions of Cirque du Soleil, singer Céline Dion, theatre genius Robert Lepage, and director Franco Dragone. Cavalia is directed by Érick Villeneuve, who also designed the visual effects for the show, and features an original score by Michel Cusson, set design by Marc Labelle, lighting by Alain Lortie, sound by Jérôme Boisvert, choreography by Alain Gauthier and Brad Denys, and costumes by Mireille Vachon. Cavalia’s American tour is made possible through the support of The Government of Quebec and The Government of Canada.
For its exclusive 11-performance run in Los Angeles, Cavalia will take place on the future site of Glendale’s new Town Center, adjacent to the Glendale Galleria, at the corner of Orange and Colorado Streets. Tickets go on sale Thursday March 18 and are priced $59 to $ 79. Children under 12: $41 to $59. Seniors and students tickets are available from Tuesday to Thursday. Cavalia Rendezvous (VIP) packages are also available ($175, $115 for children under 12). All prices are before service fees. For more information and reservations, call (866) 999-8111 or visit the website at www.cavalia.net. For information on group sale rates please call 1-877-383-6810 or 310–379-0188 or visit our website at www.eventagent.us.
