{"id":32186,"date":"2019-07-23T09:44:31","date_gmt":"2019-07-23T13:44:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=32186"},"modified":"2024-06-09T08:31:06","modified_gmt":"2024-06-09T12:31:06","slug":"on-stage-cirque-du-soleil-amaluma-comes-to-oaks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=32186","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Cirque du Soleil: Amaluna comes to Oaks"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

There are two circus-style events coming to the area this week \u2013 but not the traditional one-ring type with lions, tigers, elephants and clowns.<\/p>\n

One is Cirque du Soleil — a new age style circus from a circus company that constantly pushes the boundaries. The other is a concert by the Rolling Stones, a show with a circus-like atmosphere and Mick Jagger as the Ringmaster.<\/p>\n

From July 24-August 25, Cirque du Soleil will take up residence under the Grand Chapiteau (Big Top) which has been erected on the grounds of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Road, Oaks, https:\/\/www.cirquedusoleil.com\/usa\/oaks\/amaluna\/buy-tickets<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Kids of all ages know that a trip to the circus is as much about the snacks at the show as it is about the show itself. Popcorn is a must. Other popular pre-show and intermission treat items are cotton candy, sodas, hot dogs and custard (a.k.a. soft ice cream).<\/p>\n

With \u201cAmaluna,\u201d no matter what food items are sold in the lobby of each venue, the show will always have custard \u2013 Kelsey Custard.<\/p>\n

Custard is one of Cirque du Soleil\u2019s veteran clowns who is on tour as part of the cast of \u201cAmaluna.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been with Cirque du Soleil for almost nine years,\u201d said Custard, during a recent phone interview from her home in Los Angeles. \u201cI started with the show \u2018KA\u2019 in Las Vegas and I\u2019ve performed with \u2018Luna\u2019 on and off.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been into theater. I grew up in northern California in a town near Placerville called Shingle Springs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shingle Springs seems like a town name suitable for someone with a career as a clown. It\u2019s not a city\u2026or even a town. Shingle Springs is a \u201ccensus-designated place\u201d (CDP) in El Dorado County.<\/p>\n

Like many of the other towns in California\u2019s Mother Lode, Shingle Springs grew on the site of a mining camp set up by gold miners during the California Gold Rush. It took its name from a horse-drawn shingle machine capable of producing 16,000 shingles a day that was located near the springs at the western edge of the camp.<\/p>\n

Custard didn\u2019t hang around in Shingle Springs after she graduated from high school.<\/p>\n

\u201cI attended The University of California Santa Cruz and received a BA in Theater Arts,\u201d said Custard, referring to the college that has \u201cFighting Banana Slugs\u201d as its mascot. \u201cThen, I took a clowning class. I found it online. After that, I went to Clown College and fell in love with clowning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Custard moved to San Francisco to attend the Clown Conservatory where she received a Rubber Chicken.\u00a0 After that she started working for local circus’ and theatres.\u00a0 She has worked for Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Teatro Zinzanni, Pickle Family Circus, Velocity Circus, Boxcar Theatre, Circus Couture and Lone Star Circus to name a few.<\/p>\n

Custard was contacted by one of her Clown teachers from the Clown Conservatory who had recently joined Cirque Du Soleil’s casting scouts.\u00a0 He told her that she needed to audition, and he helped her get a spot in the San Francisco Clown auditions in early 2010. She had dreamed of working for Cirque du Soleil but had no idea that that was even something she could actually do.<\/p>\n

She attended the audition, and, out of 80 clowns, she was one of six that made it into the company — and the only female.\u00a0 She got put into the system and nine months later they called her asking if she could move to Las Vegas in a week. She said yes and packed up her life and has been with the company ever since.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou still get a lot of people that don\u2019t realize clowning is an art form,\u201d said Custard. \u201cWe\u2019re nice people who like to make people laugh. Clowns are pretty important in \u2018Amaluna.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI have two acts as a clown onstage and one in the audience. It\u2019s a lot of work \u2013 but it makes it go by quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAmaluna\u201d is a celebration of women created and directed by Tony Award winning stage artist Diana Paulus. The production invites the audience to a mysterious island governed by Goddesses and guided by the cycles of the moon.<\/p>\n

Inspired by Greek and Norse mythology, Mozart\u2019s \u201cThe Magic Flute,\u201d and Shakespeare\u2019s \u201cThe Tempest,\u201d this large-scale Big Top show features a cast comprised mostly of female artists including a 100 per cent female band, which is a first for Cirque du Soleil.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Amaluna\u2019 is loosely based on \u2018The Tempest,\u2019\u201d said Custard. \u201cIt\u2019s about strong women.\u201d<\/p>\n

The story takes place on an island governed by goddesses. During a storm, a group of men are washed up on shore. The queen’s daughter falls for one of the young men, and the trials of their love are the basis of the show’s main narrative through-line.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmaluna\u201d has many acts associated with circus performances such as \u201cUnicycle,\u201d \u201cTeeterboard,\u201d \u201cAerial Straps,\u201d \u201cChinese Pole,\u201d and \u201cJuggling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other acts feature genres usually associated with women such as ballet in \u201cPeacock Dance,\u201d gymnastics in \u201cUneven Bars,\u201d water ballet in \u201cCerceau and Waterbowl,\u201d and a combination of gymnastics and ballet in \u201cBanquine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very strong feminist show with an all-female rock band,\u201d said Custard. \u201cThere are a lot of female performers and a lot of females working backstage.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are 25 nationalities represented amongst the Amaluna cast and crew members: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Guam, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Netherland, Poland, Russia, Spain, Singapore, Taiwan, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States.<\/p>\n

The cast of Amaluna comprises 48 artists. An additional 67 employees travel with the show to serve the functions of artistic management, customer service, tour services and technicians for the show and the site setup.<\/p>\n

The Big Top seats more than 2,600 people and requires a team of approximately 60 people to raise it. \u00a0The canvas for the tent and its 11 tunnels weighs approximately 5227.3 kg.<\/p>\n

As always, this Cirque du Soleil production promises audiences a breath-taking experience \u2013 and lives up to that promise in every performance.<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cAmaluna\u201d \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/B7OE-50wsOk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Video link for Kelsey Custard — https:\/\/youtu.be\/3ft06hJlUgI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Performances of Cirque du Soleil\u2019s \u201cAmaluna\u201d\u00a0 will be presented from July 24-August 25 under the Grand Chapiteau in Oaks. Ticket prices start at $54.<\/p>\n

While you have more than a month\u2019s worth of shows from which to choose if you want to see Cirque du Soleil\u2019s \u201cAmaluna,\u201d you have just one night to see an area performance of the Rolling Stones\u2019 \u201cNo Filter Tour.\u201d<\/p>\n

After postponing their the North American leg of their \u201cNo Filter\u201d tour due to Mick Jagger\u2018s heart valve surgery, The Rolling Stones rescheduled their June 4 show in Philly. On July 23, the tour will touch down locally at Lincoln Financial Field (Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, www1.ticketmaster.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Bernard Fowler with Mick Jagger<\/p><\/div>\n

Obviously, Stones\u2019 fans will be focusing their attention on Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. Music fans will look past the obvious and tap into the great singing job done by the Stones\u2019 main backup vocalist Bernard Fowler.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been with the Stones for quite some time,\u201d said Fowler, during a recent phone interview from New Orleans, Louisiana. \u201cI met Mick through Bill Laswell. I worked with Mick first. I was on his first solo album, \u2018She\u2019s the Boss.\u2019 That was the start.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hadn\u2019t seen him for a long time and then I was in London with Tackhead in 1989. He got in touch with me and invited me to the studio. I met the rest of the Stones that day. I was asked to join the Stones on their \u2018Steel Wheels\u2019 world tour in 1989 and I\u2019ve been on every Stones album since.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fowler sang with the groundbreaking dub-electronic band Tackhead as well as downtown avant-funkers Material. Along with iconic DJ Larry Levan, he was a founding member of the New York Citi Peech Boys, who emerged from Manhattan\u2019s fabled early \u201880s house\/garage scene. Blue-chip visionaries like Philip Glass, Yoko Ono and Ryuichi Sakamoto have had him sing on their records.<\/p>\n

Two projects in which Fowler played a big role were Public Image Ltd.\u2019s landmark 1986 \u201cAlbum\u201d and Herbie Hancock\u2019s hit mid-’80s electro-funk albums. His dynamic vocals have appeared on hundreds of albums for\u00a0artists as diverse as Alice Cooper, Duran Duran and Bootsy\u00a0Collins.<\/p>\n

Fowler\u2019s newest solo endeavor,\u00a0\u201cInside Out\u201d\u00a0(released April 19 on Rhyme & Reason\u00a0Records), is a brilliant re-interpretation of songs from the Rolling Stones catalogue,\u00a0recasting them in a mode often reminiscent\u00a0of the pre-hip-hop work of the Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron. In the process, Fowlerforges a new, very personal identity for\u00a0songs he’s performed for decades.<\/p>\n

It was an impromptu jam session on the congas during a Stones sound check that\u00a0set the album in motion. \u00a0Stones front man Mick Jagger, impressed by the combination of\u00a0Bernard’s beatnik inflection of the lyrics and his funkified percussion,\u00a0encouraged him to cut a record, saying, “Bernard, I’ve heard Rolling Stones songs\u00a0played in many different ways but I’ve never heard it like this\u00a0before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the new album, I was looking to do something different,\u201d said Fowler. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to make another record like my last few albums. I wanted a different vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n

The project turned out to be an interesting adventure.<\/p>\n

According to Fowler, \u201cI had an amazing time rediscovering these songs. \u00a0Even though making this\u00a0recording wasn’t easy to do, I’d gladly do it all over again even if I knew the bumps in the road ahead. \u00a0Later, I played a taste for\u00a0Keith, and he looked at me and said, ‘Damn, Fowler, you went deep…’.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fowler definitely did some research.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Rolling Stones had some really good records that people didn\u2019t hear,\u201d said Fowler. There are songs with strong lyrics that people aren\u2019t familiar with. I went to the bookshop and got \u2018Rolling Stones Songbook Volume 1 and Volume 2.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album is for all the\u00a0Rolling Stones fans out there. This will help you hear songs you’ve\u00a0heard before in a new light. \u00a0They may take on a new meaning. This\u00a0album is dedicated to you.”<\/p>\n

Video link for the Rolling Stones \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/9g7RmKF-gRI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Video link for Bernard Fowler \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/sYt6A0dbKZc<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Lincoln Financial Field will start at 8 p.m. Ticket prices start at $160.<\/p>\n

The first time vocalist\u00a0Rosie Bones\u00a0and guitarist\u00a0Carmen Vandenberg\u00a0 played this area was a few years ago as member of Jeff Beck\u2019s touring band.<\/p>\n

The last time they performed in the area, they came as a duo called BONES and played shows at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster and Union Transfer in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

BONES UK<\/p><\/div>\n

They\u2019re coming back on July 23 for a show at MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com<\/a>). They are still a duo act but now their name is BONES UK.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had to add \u2018UK\u2019 to our name because an American band already had the name BONES,\u201d said Bones, during a phone interview Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, we\u2019re on our way to Philly from New York. We just had three days of rehearsals in New York and we\u2019ll open the tour in Philadelphia.\u201d<\/p>\n

BONES UK is touring in support of its self-titled debut album which was released on July 12 via Sumerian Records. Three weeks ago, the British musicians premiered the captivating video for \u201cI\u2019m Afraid of Americans\u201d at The FADER<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Referring to the video, Bones said, \u201cWe wanted to play with American stereotypes and go darker on them. It\u2019s like the seedy underbelly of the American dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

On their self-titled album, Bones\u00a0and Vandenberg\u00a0confront everything from the beauty industrial complex to toxic masculinity to music-scene sexism, embedding each track with choruses primed for passionate shouting-along. \u201cBONES UK\u201d unfolds with an entirely uncontainable sound, a riff-heavy collision of rock-and-roll and rough-edged electronic music.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe finished the album three months ago,\u201d said Bones. \u201cWe spent time finding the right songs. We recorded most of the album at home. We prefer to not use studios. It\u2019s too expensive. And, recording is more fun at home. We use Logic to record our music.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just the two of us. Carmen plays lead guitar and I play rhythm. We hire a drummer when we play live. Right now, Heavy is our drummer for this tour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bones and Vandenberg were co-writers on Jeff Beck\u2019s latest album \u201cLoud Hailer.\u201d \u00a0Last year, they were key members of British guitar legend\u2019s touring band for the album.<\/p>\n

Vandenberg tore it up on rhythm guitar while Bones handled vocal duties. Additionally, music by BONES UK has appeared on Netflix show \u201cOrange is the New Black,\u201d Amazon show \u201cTransparent,\u201d and a \u201cVictoria\u2019s Secret\u201d ad.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe and Carmen started the band in London about a year before we met Jeff,\u201d said Bones. \u201cWe met at a blues bar in London. Carmen was playing and I was drinking. We decided to get together. I thought she was amazing. She\u2019s an incredible guitarist.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buying two one-way tickets from London to Los Angeles, the BONES\u00a0UK ladies landed in America. Forging their own distinctive sound with the help of vicious guitars, provocative lyrics and industrial electronic drum and bass,\u00a0the two guitarists have already begun making an impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeautiful is Boring,\u201d an earlier single, is an anthem about\u00a0embracing your quirks and celebrating your\u00a0imperfections. The gritty video follows\u00a0them creating mass hysteria while playing at a nightclub, celebrating\u00a0all things imperfect and manifesting itself in adoration\u00a0from extreme fans.<\/p>\n

According to Bones, \u201cWe are so used to seeing girls screaming at boys in bands, so we wanted to flip the gender role. It\u2019s rewarding to see what it feels like from the other side.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill, we\u2019re just a band that happens to be girls. We\u2019re not a feminist band. We only ever write songs about our own experience.<\/p>\n

The two found their musical chemistry quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just played rock and roll,\u201d said Bones. \u201cShe was playing riffs and I\u2019d throw back ideas. I also play guitar and we both play guitar onstage. She plays lead and I do rhythm. I sing and she does some background vocals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vandenberg and Bones write all their own music.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur inspirations for songs are things we\u2019re thinking about,\u201d said Bones. \u201cThe songs come all different ways \u2013 sometimes a lyric idea and other times something in guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we call our music is modern rock for the future \u2013 electronic elements with blues influence. Carmen is very influenced by the blues. We play high energy music. We want as much energy as possible. When we play the albums songs live, they get louder and more energetic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Bones UK \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/9uGvX3q9zfY<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at MilkBoy Philly will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times There are two circus-style events coming to the area this week \u2013 but not the traditional one-ring type with lions, tigers, elephants and clowns. One is Cirque du Soleil — a new age style circus from a circus company that constantly pushes the boundaries. The other is a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32188,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[11361,11362,11360,6518,5714],"class_list":["post-32186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-bernard-fowler","tag-bones-uk","tag-cirque-du-soleil-amaluma","tag-featured","tag-rolling-stones"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32186"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42984,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32186\/revisions\/42984"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/32188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}