LAS VEGAS – Last night, at the Bellagio’s “O” Theatre in Las Vegas, water was queen. She was on everyone’s lips. For 90 minutes, the ONE NIGHT for ONE DROP event provided a thought-provoking reflection on water. The audience considered, cherished, celebrated, and especially, became aware of the ONE DROP Foundation’s cause: access to this resource. Oscillating between fragility and vitality, the Cirque du Soleil artists made a clear call for us to examine of the use of “blue gold” on our planet.
237 artists, 20 countries, 135 technicians, make-up artists, even costume designers, that’s how much effort was involved in creating ONE NIGHT for ONE DROP. The team behind the event worked extremely hard, volunteering their time for the foundation. And I congratulate them! The gesture became more remarkable because of the fact that the audience was captivated by the performance from start to finish.
A trip to the four corners of the world
From one tableau to the next, the audience travelled to different continents to experience the beauty and purity of water in all its different states. There was a touching choreography featuring women walking long distances, a bucket balanced on their heads, to find clean drinking water. A few minutes later, we were on a glacier in the middle of the Antarctic with hip-hop dancers turned penguins. From the Amazon jungle, we were led to the Carnival in Rio…
Another interesting aspect of the ONE NIGHT for ONE DROP event was the extraordinary confidence and joie de vivre exuded by the artists. Beyond their talent, which was clearly displayed, it was evident how much the participants wanted to be a part of this project. There was noticeable lack of stress, despite the fact that the show would only be executed once. The acrobats and dancers weren’t simply doing a routine, they were taking over the “O” Theatre to make the audience feel their passion for the circus and to demonstrate the attention they feel water deserves. For some, performing on stage was clearly an immense pleasure. One excellent example of this enthusiasm was the number called “Journey Across the World,” where a young man performed spectacular acrobatics, against a projected backdrop of a trip across the world. He embodied an incredible three-dimensional effect, all by himself. He was floating!
Music, acrobatics, diving, synchronized swimming and humour were combined with various styles of dance, from hip-hop to salsa and capoeira. One memorable moment featured a young girl singing Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” What a beautiful voice! And who could forget the hilarious act where a woman dressed in pink went fishing for love…
A drop of water in the ocean
At the end of the evening, Guy Laliberté, president of the ONE DROP Foundation and founder of Cirque du Soleil, took the stage to recognize all the hard work that went into making the event a success. And as he brought the evening to a close, saying: “Tonight, we pour one drop of water in the ocean, but we hope it will create a powerful ripple effect,” he was visibly delighted by this show which celebrated life and the earth, and especially celebrated and thanked water for nourishing this life…
Taped for the Web
Captured with 12 cameras, ONE NIGHT for ONE DROP will be available online, on the ONEDROP.org/onenight site, for seven days only (from March 25 to 31) in exchange for a donation of $5 or more to ONE DROP.
RBC has teamed up with HuffPost Canada to offer 1,000 free downloads of the ONE NIGHT for ONE DROP Cirque de Soleil performance. Be among the first 1,000 people to use this code and watch this memorable show!
Click here to get one of 1,000 free downloads of the Cirque de Soleil
To download the show before the free downloads are all used up:
Click here to enter the One Night For One Drop site.
Enter this download code: RBC_HuffPost_1night1drop
Repeat performance
According to information provided by the organization, ONE NIGHT for ONE DROP will be reperformed each year, on World Water Day. Next year, the event may take place at Mandalay Bay, also in Las Vegas.
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