Connie Danese
The premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s newest creation is titled Iris – A Journey Through The World of Cinema. The magical, mystical production takes the audience through writer/director Philippe Decouflé’s extraordinary looking glass and drops us down a cinematic rabbit hole with eyes wide and jaws agape, as we sit in rapt awe at the Kodak Theatre. Iris is an ever-changing melange of circus and vaudeville show, while it simultaneously conjures memories of trips to both Disneyland and Universal Studios — a place where human beings fly overhead, sparkling things fall down from above, and the stage pulsates with a cast that defies time and space.
If during your daily commute you noticed warning signs about street closures Sept. 22-26 stretching from Orange to Highland along Hollywood Blvd. and wondered whether Oscar night or the President was coming, think again. Le Cirque has come to town and as of its official opening performances – the tireless cast of Iris gave two — on Sept. 25, Hollywood has a new destination site for both tourists and natives.
Cirque du Soleil Founder Guy Laliberte and Cirque du Soleil President Daniel Lamarre; Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Cirque du Soleil
Iris’ spectacular arrival set an extremely high bar for opening night brouhaha. Hollywood Boulevard was tented and roped off with official-looking gentlemen in dark suits and earpieces directing people toward the inner sanctum of red carpets and white tents. There, as we made our way to the Kodak Theatre, paparazzi flashes tacitly declared another celebrity had arrived.
Standing with print and TV media on one side of the red carpet, while fans waited opposite us behind the ropes, I spoke to Grammy- and Emmy-winning composer Danny Elfman. His brilliant orchestral score is a major element in the magic of Iris. What makes this show so inspirational? “To me it’s the incredible risk, the situations they all put themselves in every single night and sometimes twice a night. It’s unlike movies; it’s unlike theater. Their very bodies, arms and legs are constantly at risk and it’s a much more fragile and amazing thing to see than any live thing I can think of.” When asked what he believed Cirque could do for Hollywood or indeed the entire city, Elfman smiles, “I don’t know. I hope it catches on and people catch on to it and realize what a great show it is. I hope it becomes part of Los Angeles culture.”
Entrepreneur Rande Gerber and model Cindy Crawford; Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Cirque du Soleil
Director Decouflé, dressed in what is perhaps best described as “Cirque chic”, delivered his interviews in both French for the foreign press and English for the rest of us. “Iris is my first show with Cirque. When they asked me to work on it and find a creative team, my very first idea was to ask Daniel (Elfman) because he is one of my favorite composers. The Night Before Christmas (scored by Elfman), is a film I have seen 50 times.”
Flash pop! Gorgeous super-model Cindy Crawford made her way to the recurring tune of “look to your right, Cindy, this way, Cindy,” and she obliged. James Gandolfini, wearing khakis and a short-sleeved shirt, hugged his look-alike young son as cameras popped. I later spotted them in the second row where a “plant” for part of the show’s 2nd act surprise was seated beside Gandolfini. Chloë Moretz, the adorable 14-year-old star of Martin Scorsese’s soon-to-be-released film Hugo, arrived in black and yellow lacy pants, high heels and biker chic leather jacket, knowing how to work the carpet, purse her glossy lips and smile graciously for the cameras. “I’m so excited about seeing this.” More flash pop!
Time for the curtain to rise on the 5 pm premiere was approaching,and lucky holders of big, glossy postcard-like tickets left the carpet and walked toward the theater. On the way we caught a glimpse of what was to come. Long tables covered in elegant white tablecloths lined the promenade stacked end-to-end with champagne flutes – although empty at the moment, they would soon be flowing with bubbly.
Director Len Wiseman, actress Kate Beckinsale, model Camila Alves and actor Matthew McConaughey; Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Cirque du Soleil
After an amazing show, nearly the entire audience donned “guest paper bracelets” tagging them for admittance to what was arguably the absolutely best opening night party in memory. We walked past more important-looking security guys in those identifiable black suits, as well as a smiling staff of good-looking young people carrying silver trays of champagne and directing us to what I will describe as “the event”. Unrecognizable, Hollywood Blvd. was enclosed in an enormous white tent stretching from Orange to Highland. Pulsating music drowned most conversation. Heated, fiery, pyramid-like stanchions provided warmth from the night air, and booths lining both sides of the chic carpeted party tent offered gourmet food and fancy mixed drinks. Paparazzi cameras were not allowed into the party, so celebrities sat on couches in small groups enjoying the rest of their evening.
I could not pass up chatting with True Blood hunk Joe Manganiello, who knows how to fill out a pair of fitted black jeans and dark t-shirt, with tiny stars and stripes strategically printed over his shoulders and biceps. “I loved so much of it that I can’t begin to pick out a favorite – the acrobats, the twins, the tumbling, the trapeze work, the bungees. I mean, I work out constantly but I’m in awe of these people who defy gravity and are in this incredible physical shape. They are able to do unimaginable things with their bodies. I’m a classically trained actor, so I love going to the theater, but this goes way beyond theater. I was mesmerized from the moment it began to the spectacular ending.” What is next for the charismatic Manganiello? “I’m doing Steven Soderbergh’s new film, Magic Mike with Matthew McConaughey and Channing Tatum. In fact, I begin working on it tomorrow morning.” Manganiello plays a stripper named Big Dick Richie. Enough said!
Actor Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka; Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Cirque du Soleil
Australian House and Garden landscape designer, handsome Jamie Durie, stopped to chat. “I’ve been a [Cirque] fan for 15 years, and I’ve seen every single show. This has a little scattering of all their best but glued together with a Hollywood theme and the perfect show for this town. It’s extraordinary and they have once again outdone themselves.” Durie is shooting his fourth season on HGTV and “I just released my new book called The Outdoor Room published by Harper Collins.”
Seated together were Neil Patrick Harris with husband and actor/chef David Burtka, opposite Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks and her husband actor Geoffrey Arend (ABC’s Body of Proof). Harris declared, “I’m a great proponent of live interaction and I have been for years. Cirque is the crème of the crop. This show truly exceeded my expectations, and I think it’s a great guarantee for your friends and family who visit LA to have an amazing experience. I’ve actually seen every single show they’ve done. This one honors Hollywood in a perfect way because it’s something substantial and at the same time esoteric. You can make it your own experience and choose to watch one person or another throughout the show. It doesn’t steer you straightaway in the Cirque design but lets you explore the show as it progresses. I suspect it will be here a long time because you can return again and again seeing different things and experiencing it in a different way each time.” What is the multi-talented host/producer/director doing next? He laughs, “I’m back on How I Met Your Mother acting my face off.”
Actress Christina Hendricks; Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Cirque du Soleil
Gorgeous redhead Hendricks has been a fan of Cirque shows for years. “I think it’s true art. You see all these people coming together with such risk and specific talents. It is moving and magical. This is probably one of my favorite Cirque shows. There are too many memorable moments to mention, and I’m sometimes drawn to the simpler things like the broom dance when the lady was above in the trapeze.” As she looked up at the party swirling around her, Hendricks remarked, “It’s hard to believe this is Hollywood Blvd. We had no idea the party was going to be this grand. We’re fans of the show, so we showed up and now, wow! there’s actually a Ferris wheel” — and not just a prop. A long line of people were waiting to rise above the cacophony and experience the city from above. As Frankie Valli once sang, “Oh What A Night”!
Iris continues at the Kodak Theatre indefinitely.
CHAT CITE: “Leave your troubles behind. This is the world of shadow and light” …. Iris opening lines.
la
la
la
la
la
la
la
