Cirque du Soleil's joyful, artistic 'Corteo' coming to DCU Center

WORCESTER — In Cirque du Soleil's production "Corteo," Mauro, a clown, sees his own funeral procession.

"It sounds like a dark, morbid subject, but it's just the opposite," said Roger Hewett, "Corteo" bandleader. "It's like a celebration of life." And with plenty of acrobatics and memorable characters, "the kids really love it," he said.

"It's kind of like a dream in a way. Experiencing his own funeral and remembering people in his life," said Erin Cervantes, an aerialist artist and acrobat in the show.

People involved with "Corteo" such as Hewett and Cervantes, and audiences across Europe and North America, have another reason to celebrate. The show has returned to in-person, live performance after it was shut down by the pandemic for about two years after the postponement of all Cirque du Soleil shows in March 2020.

"Corteo" toured Europe beginning in Croatia in May, then went on on to Ireland and the United Kingdom. The show returned to North America starting with performances in Bangor, Maine, in December.

Now "Corteo" will be performed at the DCU Center in Worcester at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 12 and 13; 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14; and 1 p.m. Jan. 15.

The show was at the DCU Center in January 2019, and Hewett was also there as the bandleader.

"It's the second time in Worcester. We had a a very good time there. We're very excited to go back," Hewett said during a recent phone interview.

The reaction of audiences so far has been warm and welcoming, Hewett observed.

"Since the pandemic everyone is very excited to go out," he said. "Audiences are glad to see us back most definitely."

The same goes for artists in the show. Hewett has noticed that since "Corteo" reopened after the pandemic, "the show has come forward in leaps and bounds."

A very popular show

An important reason could well be that among the formidable roster of great Cirque du Soleil shows, "Corteo" is one of its most popular for both performers and audiences alike.

The Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil ("Circus of the Sun") originally created "Corteo" as a Big Top circus show in 2005, but it was subsequently transformed into an arena touring production. Altogether, the show has been seen by over 10 million spectators in 20 countries on four continents.

Broadway World has called "Corteo" the "most enchanting arena production from Cirque du Soleil."

"Corteo" is Italian for "cortege." As Cirque du Soleil describes it, "The clown pictures his own funeral taking place in a carnival atmosphere, watched over by quietly caring angels. Juxtaposing the large with the small, the ridiculous with the tragic and the magic of perfection with the charm of imperfection, the show highlights the strength and fragility of the clown, as well as his wisdom and kindness, to illustrate the portion of humanity that is within each of us. The music turns lyrical and playful carrying 'Corteo' through a timeless celebration in which illusion teases reality."

"Corteo" combines exquisite artistry and acrobatics with atmospheric aesthetics. There are jugglers, clowns and angels.

"It's quite an iconic show ... It's one of their most beautiful shows, I think," Cervantes said in a separate telephone interview.

Cervantes is in the first act after the introductory sequence, as three large chandeliers draped in beads descend. Cervantes and three other women aerialists grab hold of the chandeliers - one on the left, two in the middle and one on right — that ascend as the artists make poetry-in-motion moves amid the beads and metal high above the audience. There is no safety net.

The four women are portraying Mauro's past lovers, Cervantes said.

She's seen the act when not performing it. "It is quite incredible," she said.

40-year history

The origins of Cirque du Soleil go back to 1982 in Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, an artists' haven where street performers had the idea of putting together an entertainers' festival. This evolved into the Cirque Du Soleil two years later as Gilles St. Croix, originally a performer of a stilt-walking act, created dramatic, otherworldly artistry, superlative acrobatics, comedy and surrealism — but no animals in this circus.

Cirque du Soleil is now a big business having developed more than 20 shows that have toured the world and sometimes taken permanent root in places such as Las Vegas. Cirque du Soleil has brought several shows to the DCU Center since first visiting with "Delirium" in 2006.

Hewett has been with "Corteo" from the start. "I began when it was first being staged in 2005. I missed a couple of years, but it's getting on for 4,000 shows that I've done," he said.

His most recent absence from the show was involuntary. "We were shut down for just over two years. Finally they called us all back," he said.

The European and UK tour meant Hewett was able to revisit his native England. He is originally from Norwich in the east of the country.

An accomplished musician who has also worked with Paramount, Warner Bros., Disney, Alliance Atlantis, Lionsgate, CBS and more, Hewett moved from England to Montreal and now lives in Ontario.

He was working on film music in Montreal in 2004 when Cirque du Soleil asked him if he was interested in getting involved with a new show. Hewett had spoken with Cirque du Soleil before, including even auditioning with them, but the fit had not materialized. However, "this being a new production made it very interesting for me," he said.

"With 'Corteo,' I think of all the Cirque du Soleil shows, the music is always playing an important part. It's always original. There are five composers. I'm one of them."

For the arena show, and unique for a Cirque de Soleil production, the stage is in the center of the arena and divides the venue, with each half of the audience facing the other half. For "Corteo," six instrumentalists and two singers are divided into four groups at the corners.

Hewett is not only directing the music with a microphone in his ear but also playing keyboards.

"It keeps it all very interesting. I make sure the music follows the artists. Every show is different," he said.

"Out of all the Cirque shows we're the one that plays the most live. There is a software track and backup tracks, but we've been known to play without any tracks at all if the computers have gone down," Hewett said.

Music serves vital role

Most people would never know there had been a glitch, he said. "But we'd sweat a little bit."

While a Cirque du Soleil show is known for its visuals with the aerial and acrobatic acts, the music "sets an atmosphere" and "certainly adds a dynamic to what's going on," Hewett said. "It keeps things very alive."

Asked if "Coreto" has evolved since 2005, Hewett said "most definitely." Acts have been added and eliminated, and the move from circus to arena was a big change. "The principal storyline has been there from the beginning, but as people we develop. We have many artists with us. They push themselves to take that extra step," he said.

"Corteo" is scheduled to be touring North America and Mexico at least until the beginning of 2024, Hewett said. Indeed, "there are plans for the show for the next few years."

"Everyone was happy that 'Corteo' came back," Cervantes said.

During the lockdown Cervantes got married. She met her husband in "Corteo" where he was a technician. They moved to Quebec, but will be apart for the time being. "He's back in Quebec. He started his own business."

Growing up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Cervantes hadn't envisioned being an aerialist artist for the French Canadian Circus of the Sun.

"There was no circus, but I always loved acting and theater," she said.

She was also a dancer and took some ballet lessons while studying at Columbia College in Chicago. She then moved to Los Angeles and was a member of a dance troupe.

At the invitation of a friend she enrolled at a circus school.

"I found I had the talent for it," she said. "I pushed myself really hard, did some auditions, and here we are."

She sent a tape to Cirque du Soleil, which subsequently hired her for "Corteo."

To look effortlessly in character is the result of lots of training and effort to get all the technical aspects of being an aerialist and acrobat perfected, she said.

"The safety factor is incredibly important," she said.

At training she may fall down on the mats, but as far as the shows go with no safety net, "I've been quite lucky. A little bumps and bruises but that's normal."

Secure in her training, for the chandeliers sequence her focus is her "character living in the moment. It's kind of like a dreamy state. You try to be really dreamy, soft and light if possible," Cervantes said.

Later in "Corteo" she performs in a giant wheel, and is also an angel and an acrobat supporting other acts.

"It's quite a busy show for everybody," she said.

Cirque du Soleil — "Corteo"

When: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 12 and 13; 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14; 1 p.m. Jan. 15

Where: DCU Center Arena, 50 Foster St., Worcester

How much: $134, $119, $103, $92, $78, $64, and $53. ticketmaster.com

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Cirque du Soleil's joyful, artistic 'Corteo' coming to DCU Center