Alegria: Difference between revisions

''[['''Alegria]]''''' is the eighth [[Cirque du Soleil]] production, which launched in 1994 as the company's 10th anniversary show. The title is a Spanish word meaning "joy despite great sorrow", commonly used at funerals. Notable acrobatic segments include synchronized trapeze, manipulation, a fire-knife dance, fast track, and Russian bars.

In 1998, writer-director Franco Dragone (via a screenplay by Rudy Barichello) helmed a dramatic film of the same title, which incorporates the live show, its characters, and themes into a larger story. The protagonists are a street mime, Frac, and his urchin friend Momo -- theMomo—the former is grieving over a lost love; the latter is one of many unwanted children forced into the employ of the cruel Marcello, who forces them to tend and sell roses for him. One night Frac attempts to commit suicide by lying on railroad tracks as a train approaches -- heapproaches—he is only stopped from doing so when Momo joins him with the same intent. The train comes to a halt and as the circus performers who were on it emerge to find out what happened, Frac falls in [[Love At First Sight]] with their beautiful singer, who is also the daughter of the boss/Fleur performer (played by Frank Langella). The feeling is mutual, and from here Frac tries to find a way to woo her -- andher—and learn her name! -- despite her father's misgivings; this eventually converges with Momo's struggle to liberate himself and the other children. The film was an independent effort that didn't get much theatrical distribution (just Canada and a few European countries) and is largely unmentioned by Cirque itself or its fanbase, but it's on DVD.

== This show contains examples of: ==

* [[Audience Participation]]: Twice in Act Two -- theTwo—the White Singer dances with a male audience member during "The Ball", and another man is brought up to help the clowns with their take on the Russian bars segment. As well, various characters interact with people in the front rows from the preshow onward.

* [[Creator Breakdown]]: A mild example -- theexample—the idea of a sadder, darker Cirque show came to Dragone during the extremely stressful development of ''Mystere''.

** The Nostalgic Old Birds/The Bronx (Impotent ruling class versus youthful rebels -- therebels—the point of the power track act)

* [[Love Letter Lunacy]]: Variation -- inVariation—in an Act Two transitional bit, one of the clowns wants to give the White Singer a love letter (you can tell it's one because a little red heart-shaped balloon is attached to it), but is too shy to do so himself. He gives it to Fleur to deliver, but he'd rather keep it, and soon it's passing among a few other characters who want it as well before returning to its writer. He gives it to her as the show ends, and she accepts it.

* [[Shadow Archetype]]: The Black Singer, whom the website notes is the alter ego of the White Singer. A fan writing about a performance of the show noted that she literally followed the White Singer in the opening procession -- aprocession—a [[Living Shadow]], perhaps?

== The movie it inspired also contains examples of: ==

* [[All Part of the Show]]: Frac, disguised as one of the Nostalgic Old Birds, finally meets Giulietta again onstage; Fleur successfully disrupts their reunion and makes it appear to be this. Later, when the show can't go on, it's the clowns who have to tell the audience that -- naturallythat—naturally, they aren't believed.

* [[Executive Meddling]]: See [[Lull Destruction]] below. Also, originally the story wasn't going to involve a romance -- theromance—the film company insisted upon one to make it more appealing to audiences. It didn't quite do that (see [[Audience-Alienating Premise]]), but it doesn't come across as a [[Romantic Plot Tumor]] either.

* [[Lull Destruction]]: The story is told in flashback by an adult Momo, played by Mako. However, another actor is credited for narration, much of which describes the setting and the feelings of characters -- whichcharacters—which Dragone and the actors do a pretty good job of getting across via body language. This suggests [[Executive Meddling]] akin to the ''Arabian Knight'' cut of ''[[The Thief and the Cobbler]]'', possibly for [[Viewers are Morons|similar reasons]].

* [[Non-Ironic Clown]]: The clowns of the circus are ''very strange'' but they are not evil. <ref>In [[Real Life]], the performers who play Frac and Old Taps are these. The former, Rene Bazinet, was the originator of ''[[Saltimbanco]]'''s clown act; the latter, Brian Dewhurst, was the Great Chamberlain in ''Nouvelle Experience'' and took over the principal clown act of ''[[Mystere]]'' (under the character name Brian Le Petit) a few years after this film.</ref>

* [[White Dwarf Starlet]]: Variant -- theVariant—the Cafe Opera caters specifically to old and forgotten performers, and is even owned by one; while a melancholy place, the patrons can find support, comfort, and even romance with their peers.

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}Alegria]]