Planning to avoid another circus
Deirdre Newman
Cirque du Soleil will somersault into town on Jan. 16, coming to rest
at a different location on the fairgrounds from its previous
controversial spot.
In 1997, “Quidam” roared into town, replete with booming thunder
and lightning sound effects. The location of that show, in the front
of the Orange County Fairgrounds, caused an uproar among neighbors
and prompted the city to consider suing the fairgrounds and Cirque du
Soleil.
This time, the French-Canadian company is bringing “Varekai” to
the fairgrounds. The show, which pays homage to the nomadic soul,
will be set up off of Mesa Drive, closer to the Costa Mesa Freeway,
and farther away from homes.
Fair officials say they don’t expect a groundswell of complaints
since “Varekai” will be at the back of the fairgrounds, in the same
space that the equestrian show, “Cheval,” occupied two years ago.
“When ‘Cheval’ was here, everything went swimmingly,” said Pam
Highwart, spokeswoman for the fairgrounds.
Cirque du Soleil has been staging fantastical productions since
1984. The shows feature a dazzling combination of acrobats, dancers,
singers, musicians, clowns and actors.
The first time it came to Costa Mesa, in 1993, it put on its show
in South Coast Plaza’s parking lot.
In 1997, when it came to the fairgrounds, nearby residents started
complaining about the noise during rehearsals. They complained about
the show’s bass reverberating through their houses, the sounds of
simulated thunderbolt cracks and loud clapping and cheering from the
audience at the late hour of 11 p.m. They compared it to being under
siege during a war.
“Quidam” opened Jan. 29. That week, after receiving dozens of
complaints during rehearsals and the first week of the show, Cirque
officials met with fair officials to try to alleviate the neighbors’
concerns. They hired a sound consultant and ultimately decided to
eliminate the show’s final thunder crack and shorten the
intermission.
STILL NOT QUIET
A week-and-a-half later, city officials met with Cirque organizers
to encourage them to continue adjusting the sound levels to try to
placate nearby residents. In March, City Council members considered
their options regarding Cirque du Soleil, including litigation. They
opted not to sue, instead urging fairgrounds and Cirque officials to
work together to solve the noise problems.
By early March, Cirque had spent about $50,000 to address noise
issues.
In 1999, Cirque visited Orange County again, but this time was
enticed to set up shop at the Irvine Spectrum during the Christmas
holiday season. Patrons flocked to the center to check out the
colorful circus troupe and the only problems there were with parking.
Cheval came to the fairgrounds in 2002, directed by Gilles
Ste-Croix, former director of creation for Cirque du Soleil. It
featured 30 horses and 30 humans under a big top. It went off without
a hitch, prompting fair officials to consider the spot for Cirque’s
next visit, Highwart said.
Jacques Marois, general manager of Cirque’s touring shows
division, said the new location at the fairgrounds should quell the
controversy that enveloped “Quidam.” Since it’s a different show, the
music and sound effects will also be different, Marois added.
“There’s not the thunder and lightning effect and the music is
different,” Marois said. “It’s more of a new-age, electronic kind of
music.”
A BIT OF NEIGHBORLINESS
Varekai’s set is deep within a magical forest, at the peak of a
volcano. The show has some mind-boggling acrobatic sequences, Marois
said.
Councilwoman Libby Cowan, who toured the affected neighborhoods
back in 1997, said while the location is a better spot for Cirque du
Soleil, she hopes it will still be receptive to working with
residents if there are any complaints.
“I think it’s certainly a better spot than last time,” Cowan said.
“I think it will also take some conscientious effort on the part of
the production to adjust to the sound and decibel levels that are
possible in the circus.”
Marois said Cirque du Soleil wants to be a good neighbor.
“We’re trying not to be a nuisance, but a positive, economic
presence in the neighborhood.”
* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)
574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.
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