The closing scene, with the tree of souls sparkling in all its glory.
(click on any image to enlarge)
For me, this blog is a place to share my love of photography, adventure, and travel. This past weekend, I got to combine those passions with my everyday job: being an engineer. I get to work on a lot of interesting projects, but being able to make even a small part of a Cirque show come alive is definitely one of the coolest parts. As a Christmas present, I got tickets for my parents and I to go see the newest touring Cirque show, Toruk: The First Flight, up in Montreal. While winter in Canada isn't always the best idea, getting to see this show (which is based on James Cameron's Avatar) was worth any blizzard.
From amazing acrobatics to next-level technology, Toruk has it all. They hope to be touring for quite some time (and with the standing ovation they got I can definitely see that happening...) so definitely check their website for more tour locations and dates. This is not a show you're going to want to miss!
The following photos I took during the show. While they did say no flash photography, they did project a message on the backgrounds saying which hashtags to use when referencing the show... so I assume they're ok with sharing the show on social media as long as you didn't blind any cast members during the performance. With that said, pictures can capture a moment, but this show has so much more to offer in person. They did recently shoot the show for a DVD so look for that if they aren't coming to a city near you.
This was my favorite acrobatic scene. These flower people were so beautiful and the fabric just fave the most beautiful sense of texture. For me, this scene was the best eye candy of the night.
The dinosaur bones were essentially one big see-saw that also rotated... these guys had amazing balance. Of course I only realized later that I had captured the poor middle guy mid-handstand. I swear he got all the way up there though.
Did I mention it was a dinosaur? They added the head after lots of spinning.
The viperwolves were my dad's favorite, they were a very cool yet simple effect, inflicting terror as they leaped around the stage.
I had to include some pictures of Toruk himself in here. As someone who knows what goes on behind the scenes to make this guy happen, trust me, he is worth the headaches.
My favorite part of the show was the scene that they created at the very end. The final image can be seen up at the top of the post, but I liked this scene, where the wood sprites are gently floating down before everything lights up.
One big perk of working on a show is getting to go backstage afterwards. I won't spoil any show secrets, but I hope a close-up of the Toruk head and of some of the props really proves just how detailed this show really is. Everything has been thought out, and it really comes through in the performance.
Any good show evening performance starts with a great dinner beforehand. We started the evening with a delicious french meal at Renoir, located at the Sofitel Hotel. I did a quick instagram snap of my dinner choices here, including a delectable plate of escargots and some lobster.
After the show we had a quick drink at Les 3 Brasseurs on Crescent before heading back to our hotel. For the one night we were here, we chose to stay at a wonderful little B&B, L’Auberge les Bon Matins. The room was very comfortable, with fun art, a canopy bed, and even a huge jacuzzi tub! The breakfast the next morning was also delicious, so overall we highly recommend this spot!
While this weekend included a lot of driving and quite a bit of snow, it was definitely all worth it to see this show and experience something I had worked on firsthand. Thank you for coming on a quick adventure with me to Montréal and I hope you have some inspiration to head up there yourself (just maybe wait until the spring for better weather!).
~V
Date & Locations: Saturday, 2 Jan 2016 - Bell Center (1909 Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal, Montréal, QC H4B 5G0, Canada), Renoir Restaurant (1155 Rue Sherbrooke O, Montréal, QC H3A 2N3, Canada), 3 Brasseurs on Crescent (1356 Rue Ste-Catherine O, Montréal, QC H3G, Canada), L'Auberge les Bon Matins (1401 Avenue Argyle, Montréal, QC H3G 1V5, Canada)
Photos taken with: Nikon D5300, Nikon 18-140mm f3.5-5.6 DX Lens
Photo credits: Myself
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