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Five fast facts about Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo, in Victoria Oct. 4 to 7

Story of circus clown who watches his funeral in a carnival-like dream one of Cirque’s longest-running shows
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Cirque du Soleil swings through town Oct. 4-7 with the tale of a circus clown who experiences his own funeral, at Save On Foods Memorial Centre. (Submitted)

Cirque du Soleil returns to Victoria next month with Corteo, the story of Mauro, a contemporary circus clown who watches as his own funeral takes place in a carnival-like dream.

Corteo has been performed over 3,500 times under the big top before Cirque adapted it for arena performances.

The production will hit Victoria in the midst of a two-year North American tour that kicked off in March 2018 so we assembled a list of fun facts about one of Cirque’s longest-running shows.

  • Corteo is the Italian word for cortege, or procession and along with French and Spanish, many of the lyrics are sung in Italian
  • The cast includes some 62 characters but the central figures are all clowns, each a representation of Mauro’s memories
  • The set includes a special overhead transport mechanism designed to fit four platforms each, carrying 1,000 lbs up to 41 feet in the air
  • The design on centre stage is a labyrinth, created in exact proportional size to the one of the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France
  • Corteo’s accompanying album was one of the first Cirque production to feature multiple composers, as well as 61 musicians and singers, a 16-piece choir and 13-piece string section to perform songs sung in French, Italian and Spanish

Corteo swings through the Save On Foods Memorial Centre Oct. 4 to 7. For tickets click here.

kristyn.anthony@blackpress.ca


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