'Corteo' to feature 'lots of magic' in upcoming Acrisure Arena shows

Brian Blueskye, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·3 min read
World-renowned whistler Geert Chatrou at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., on April 24th, 2023. Chatrou is performing in a touring production Cirque du Soleil's "Corteo" as a whistler and The Ringmaster.
World-renowned whistler Geert Chatrou at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., on April 24th, 2023. Chatrou is performing in a touring production Cirque du Soleil's "Corteo" as a whistler and The Ringmaster.
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Cirque du Soleil is renowned for its stunning contemporary circus spectacles around the globe, and when the Canadian company brings its touring production “Corteo” from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3 to Acrisure Arena, audiences can expect to step into another world.

“You’re going to see a lot of high acrobatics and there’s a lot of flying acts. The show opens with a chandelier act with four ladies. There’s also lots of magic in the show,” said “Corteo” Artistic Director Alison Crawford.

That domain of acrobats and other performers is made up of 117 people featuring 53 artists, 27 technicians, an artistic team, head coach, physiotherapist, wardrobe and stage managers.

'It's a beautiful experience'

The story of “Corteo,” which is Italian for “procession,” features a clown imagining his own carnival-set funeral, complete with angels as observers. Cirque du Soleil premiered “Corteo” in 2005 in Montreal and has since performed the show to over 10 million spectators in 20 countries.

Artists of Cirque du Soleil's "Corteo" in Palm Springs, Calif., on April 24th, 2023
Artists of Cirque du Soleil's "Corteo" in Palm Springs, Calif., on April 24th, 2023

“It’s a beautiful experience. The show is artful every time you perform it and I’m still stunned by the things happening before my eyes,” said Geert Chatrou of the Netherlands, who plays The Ringmaster, Whistler and Mr. Loyal.

For this production, the stage will be placed in the center of the arena, dividing the audience in half with both sides facing each other, which Crawford described as “like watching it in the round.”

“We often have standing ovations and there’s a lot of audience participation in the sense that we make them laugh a lot,” said Crawford. “There’s also a moment when a little person flies in the audience with helium balloons and (the crowd) gets to participate in moving her.”

'Safety is one of our main concerns'

Moving “Corteo” from city to city requires 23 trucks and 10 hours to set up. “Safety is one of our main concerns,” Crawford said. In order to maintain and improve performance levels, artists train during days with single performances between noon and 5 p.m.

Cirque du Soleil performers rehearse at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio on June 21, 2023 for a performance of "Corteo"
Cirque du Soleil performers rehearse at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio on June 21, 2023 for a performance of "Corteo"

Even though he describes being part of a touring production as “challenging,” Chatrou said he’s “grateful” for the opportunity.

“We travel every week, sleep in hotel rooms and miss home because we are on the road for sometimes 12 weeks. We have 2 weeks off so we can go home to visit our families, but have to leave again. That’s the hard part, especially when you have kids. But when you have support from home, it’s an amazing job and opportunity to see all these countries."

A world-renowned whistler

Cirque du Soleil features artists with backgrounds in athletics, acrobatics, gymnastics and dance, but also a variety of other talents. Chatrou is a world-renowned whistler and has won three international whistling championships and has performed with chamber and symphonic orchestras around the world.

Artists of Cirque du Soleil's "Corteo" at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., on April 24th, 2023
Artists of Cirque du Soleil's "Corteo" at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., on April 24th, 2023

“I was a psychiatric healthcare nurse for most of my life and a nursing teacher, then in 2004 I entered this world championship competition, won first prize and realized I can perform and do something I’m really good at. It was a weird career change for me,” Chatrou said. “Everybody can whistle, or at least everybody tried to whistle at a young age. For me, it was just a second major. I whistled along all the time and nobody paid attention. I annoyed a lot of people in classrooms and now I’m getting paid for it, which is cool.”

Crawford has been with Cirque du Soleil for over two decades and started as a dancer in a production that never came to fruition. But she remained with the company as a dance and Pilates instructor before she was promoted to an artistic director.

“I think it’s the best job,” Crawford said. “I get to work with all these talented artists watching them and the show grow, it’s so fulfilling."

If you go

What: Cirque du Soleil Presents "Corteo"

When: Various times, Aug. 31 to Sept. 3

Where: Acrisure Arena, 75-702 Varner Road, Palm Desert

How much: Tickets start at $55

More information: acrisurearena.com

Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 'Corteo' to feature 'lots of magic' in upcoming Acrisure Arena shows