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Mayor Baker kicks off 'Quidam' campaign
By JOHN FLEMING, Times Performing Arts Critic ST. PETERSBURG -- The things a mayor gets to do. On Monday, St. Petersburg mayor Rick Baker gamely allowed himself to be strapped into the German Wheel, a gizmo from Cirque du Soleil's latest foray into theatrical surrealism, Quidam. "I got into a Grand Prix car, and now I'm going to be upside down in a wheel," Baker said, gingerly folding his 6-foot-7 frame into the PVC wheel. And with that, the mayor was spun slowly 'round the hot asphalt of the Pelican Lot of the Pier, as cameras recorded the moment and TV correspondents quipped. "So the mayor is in the middle of the big wheel. That makes him the SPOKES-man," said Nancy Alexander of WTVT-Ch. 13. The mayor's ride was a publicity stunt for Quidam, opening Nov. 13 under Cirque's trademark blue and yellow Grand Chapiteau, which will be erected in the parking lot of Tropicana Field. It will be the troupe's first visit to Florida's west coast. The company performs a show called La Nouba in a theater at Walt Disney World and has toured to Miami. Also on hand Monday were two cast members from Quidam, which is now playing at Suffolk Downs Race Track in Boston. "Quidam is a little bit darker than most of the Cirque shows," said Shayne Courtright, 26, a former gymnast who performs the German Wheel, wearing a skintight turquoise-hued costume, mustard-colored wig and whiteface makeup. Mark Ward, 36, who plays a character named John and functions as a sort of emcee, is a one-time classical pianist, gymnast and dancer who joined the Montreal-based Cirque in 1993. He was in the company's permanent show Mystere in Las Vegas before joining Quidam's European tour in 1999. Ward had on a reddish mask that made him look like "a burn victim with bad hair," he said. "My main job in the show is to bridge the gap between the public and the stage." Anita Treiser, the city's marketing director, touted the potential economic impact of Quidam by citing the accommodations needed for the cast and crew ("90 to 100 units," she said) and the 200 or so people the show is expected to hire locally. But the most significant impact would come from the influx of visitors to the city to see the show. Quidam is staged in a tent seating more than 2,600, and there are 10 performances a week. Tickets are now being sold for shows through Dec. 8, but the closing date could be extended a couple of weeks, depending on demand. "At this point, it looks very good for an extended run," spokeswoman Mary Lou Janson said, without releasing advance sales figures. About 'Quidam'Cirque du Soleil's Quidam opens Nov. 13 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Tickets: $31.50-$65. Call toll-free 1-800-678-5440 or visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.
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From the wire |
