Mystère

History

The idea for Mystère started around 1990. It was originally planned for Caesars Palace with a theme based on Greek and Roman mythology. The plan, however, was scrapped by the casino executives, who thought the project would be too financially risky. Mystère was very different from the typical material they were used to in a Las Vegas show. According to Mystère set designer Michel Crête, "Vegas... was still very influenced by Folies Bergère, with the scarves, feather boas, etc. There was a European culture already in place, oddly enough, not an American one. The people who opened the door for something new were Siegfried and Roy. They were the first to move away from the Folies Bergère thing."

Treasure Island picked up the show three years later. Mystère was the first Cirque du Soleil show that would have its own theater, rather than touring with a circus tent. Mystère would have a permanent base in Las Vegas. They worked with The Mirage hotel to produce a show.

Recent milestones Mystère has achieved include:

Mystère celebrated their 20th anniversary on 25 December 2013

Mystère celebrated their 10,000th show on 27 December 2014.

Mystère celebrated their 11,111th show on 17 May 2017.

Mystére celebrated their 30th anniversary on 25 December 2023

Set and technical information

The theater is a unique theater built in the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino specifically for the show. The design of the theater was created by Michel Crête and that of Montreal-based team of Scéno Plus. This theater seats 1,541 audience members. The stage measures 120 feet by 70 feet deep and covers approximately 10,032 square feet. The stage floor is made of a layer of Base Mat, which is rubber made from recycled old tires and sneakers. This helps give the stage some bounce for tumbling. This is held together by polyurethane adhesive and covered with thousands of gallons of liquid that dries onto the surface. The Downstage D Lift is 36 feet in diameter and includes a 28-foot revolving stage. The revolving stage rotates up to 10 revolutions per minute. Props, equipment, and performers are elevated to stage level from the basement or trap by four moving lifts. These moving lifts were constructed in Montreal and then assembled in Las Vegas, NV.

The snail seen growing larger throughout the show is called Alice. By the end of the show, she is a giant inflatable puppet controlled by four puppeteers from the inside. The puppeteers move her around by following markings on the floor, since they can not see outside the puppet. They also control her eyes, torso, and tail.

The taiko drums in Mystère are created by the Japanese company Asano Taiko, located in Mattō, Ishikawa Prefecture. The largest drum in Mystère is the ōdaiko, which is 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter and 15 feet (4.6 m) in length, and weighs half a ton. Due to the large size of the drum, it had to be brought into the theatre during construction. Since the completion of the theatre the drum cannot be removed, as no door is large enough to accommodate it.

Characters

The cast of Mystère comprises a myriad of fantastic and mysterious characters.

Inti X & Y (Spermatos/Spermatites): A comic chorus representing the seeds of life.

Red Bird: Convinced he can fly. His brilliant appearance and acrobatic skills snap up the energy of the show like sparks that fly in the wind.

Les Laquais: The "lackeys" of Mystère who serve and support others. They perform in the Korean plank act.

Brian Le Petit: A troublemaker who steals people's popcorn and causes chaos both onstage and off, he was originally created and performed by Brian Dewhurst and later by Eligiusz Skoczylas, Darren Pitura and Jimmy Slonina. (2000–present)

Chanteuses Plumes: A duo of muses who sing the emotion of all humans.

The Firebirds: Along with the Double Faces, they perform the Chinese pole act.

Les Bébés: Two enormous babies on a quest for nourishment. There's Big Baby (also known as Bébé François) and the Baby Girl. There was a third baby for a short period, similar to Francois, who was a part of the original 1993 cast, until his eventual removal in Mid-1994. All the babies carried some object of their own: Big Baby carried a red ball, Baby girl carried a miniature Alice and the third baby that lasted from 1993 to 1994 carried a puppet of Tony, who came to life as a performer.

La Vache à lait: Protector of youth and a symbol of fertility. When he sounds his horn, it heralds a new beginning.

Moha-Samedi: A man dressed in a magenta-red suit, named after the first day of the new millennium. He is the narrator no one listens to, he was originally portrayed by Canadian actor Paul Ahmarani and later by Lorenzo Pisoni and Nicky Dewhurst.

Acts

Mystère features several acrobatic acts, supplemented by clown acts and transitional scenes that advance the storyline.

Prologue (1993 - present)

Bébé: Bébé François plays with a big red ball. (1993 - present)

Aerial Straps Duo: A pair of aerialists performs twists and turns as they fly over the stage. (2017 - present)

Chinese Poles and Hand Balancing: A group of acrobats climb up, jump between, and slide down four adjacent metal poles while an acrobat contorts into poses on two balancing canes on a platform above the Chinese poles. (2012 - present)

Photograph: Brian Le Petit tries to take pictures despite the strict rules. (2000 - present)

Bottle: Bébé François appears from an opening high up in the corner of the stage. (1993 - present)

Hand-to-Hand: Two artists perform an exhibition of strength and stamina on a rotating dome. (1993 - present)

Bungee: A group of artists bounce and swing from the ceiling to the ground and back on bungees. (1993 - present)

Teeterboard and Power Track: Artists perform a combination of these two skills. (2017 - present)

Dei Ex Machina (Contemporary Dance): The time has arrived for the dark side of Mystère, as ominous clanging and industrial noises beckon Mephisto to rise from the depths, exposing a mysterious crate. (1993 - Present)

The Box Trick: Benny Le Grand/Brian Le Petit attempts to perform a magic trick with a large crate, but ends up causing chaos. (1993 - 1995, 1996 - present)

Reserve acts

Solo Straps: On reserve for the Aerial Straps duo; features a single artist on straps with the Black Widow or La Belle performing choreography on stage. (1993 - 1995, 2000 - present)

Aerial Silk: With the classic soundtrack of Birimbau, the Aerial Silk act is full of energy mixed with breathtaking spins and amazing balance. (Main: 2012 - 2018, 2023 - 2024) (Réserve: 2021 - 2023, 2024 - Present)

Retired acts

Manipulation: Created by Michael Moschen, three performers used warped metal sheets to juggle and manipulate balls. (1993 - 1995)

Flying Trapeze: With flashy, colorful costumes and an unwavering spirit to fly, these birds of prey took to the skies in a phenomenal act. (1993 - 1995)

German Wheel: In a special act performed for a short time by Wolfgang Bientzle, an artist inside of a giant wheel would perform tricks, manipulated by shifting their center of gravity. (1995 - 1997)

Dual High Bar: The pendulum movement of the High Bar flyers emphasize that time continues but never stops passing. The benefits outweigh the risks, for the adventure is the reward. (1995 - 2012)

Flying Man in Silk: Strong yet sensitive, powerful yet delicate, natural but surreal, the Flying Man emerges from the shadows, showing his force for more subtle art, evoking sensual men's movement, and the live stream on silk. (1997)

Aerial Cube: Originally created and performed by Mikhail "Misha" Matorin, and later Paul Bowler. An artist performed with the metal skeleton of a large cube on the ground and in the air. (1995 - 1996, 1998 - 2015)

Chinese Poles: Squirming up and down the poles, like sprouting vines, the Double Faces are a symbol of organic life, which feeds on itself and grows. (1993 - 2011)

Trampoline, Fast Track, and Korean plank/Teeterboard: This act signifies organized human society, productivity, play and brotherhood with the entire team working as a unit. (1993 - 2017)

The Tour Guide: Benny Le Grand interrupts the show as an impromptu tour guide. (1996 - 2000)

The Mime: Alfredo tries to perform a traditional mime number, but is harassed by Adrenaline. (1995 - 1996)

Acts used in the film Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man (2000)

Taiko

Aerial cube

Aerial straps

Acts used in the film Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away (2012)

Aerial cube

Costumes

Dominique Lemieux took inspiration from nature to create the colorful costumes of Mystère. One such costume is the Firebird, which has red feathers and accents that give the impression of embers flying through the air. The odd-looking Spermatos and Spermatites are dressed in elongated costumes which bulge in the center and have a tendril-like feature on the head. To give the characters an organic nature, spandex/lycra was used in conjunction with fringes and borders.

Music

The original score of Mystère was composed by René Dupéré, who had composed all of Cirque du Soleil's earlier shows, including Nouvelle Expérience and Saltimbanco. In 1994 the show's music was released as a studio album featuring the vocals of Canadian singers Élise Gouin (now known as Élise Velle) and Nathalie Gauvin.

In 1995 the show underwent an artistic overhaul, including changes in the lineup of acts. The "Manipulation" act was replaced by the "Aerial Cube", the Flying Trapeze act by the Aerial High Bars (the Flying Trapeze returned in 2012), and the Acro Net setup dance act was excluded from the show. At the same time the musical score was renovated with assistance from Benoît Jutras, a longtime music director and arranger for Cirque who later went on to compose for Quidam and other Cirque shows. The result, captured in the album Mystère: Live in Las Vegas, was a score that reflects the diverse compositional styles of both composers. Mystère: Live in Las Vegas is a live, in-house recording of the new score, featuring Nathalie Gauvin and Wendy Talley on vocals; the album was released on November 12, 1996. After the release of the live album, the music was rearranged and altered once again. While the album resembles the current live music closely, it is not identical. For the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the show in 2018, a vinyl album specifically dedicated to the employees was created in limited quantities, just as it was done for the show Alegria in 1994 and Saltimbanco in 1997.

Below are the track lists for the 1994, 1996 and 2018 Mystère soundtrack albums. Acts are listed next to the songs they have accompanied in the show.

Songs not appearing on either album:

Alice (Ending, (1993 - 1995). Updated version of song right after "Finale," (1995 - present) )

Benny/Klezmer (Clown act, (1996 – present) )

Mime (Clown act, (1995 - 1996) )

Bolero (Clown act, (1995 - 1996) )

Benny Le Grand/Wayne (Clown act, (1993 - 1995) )

In popular culture

Mystère was a featured guest performance on Lopez Tonight, airing December 20, 2010. The featured acts included the hand-to-hand and aerial cube acts.

In the film Knocked Up, the main characters watched Mystère.

In the webseries Dorm Life, the character Courtney Cloverlock, a huge Cirque du Soleil fan, has posters of both Mystère and Love by her bed.

Yuji Naka, creator of the video game Nights into Dreams…, has cited Mystère as an inspiration for the game.

Mystère did a performance collaboration with alternative rock band Imagine Dragons for the Life is Beautiful Festival.