Iconic Cirque du Soleil show coming to Gatineau

Cirque du Soleil is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its show 'Alegria,' by reviving it and taking it on a short tour.

The performance, which premiered in April of 1994 under the Big Top in Montreal's Old Port, will return there next April before coming to Gatineau's Zibi site in August of 2019.

“Since the show was taken out of touring, we've had so many requests to bring it back, as much from our fans as our internal employees,” said Cirque du Soleil's Chief Executive Producer Yasmine Khalil. “It's really an iconic show that people really fell in love with. It created their relationship with Cirque du Soleil, so people have fond memories of that, and what better time to bring it back than its 25th anniversary.”

The biggest challenge, explained Khalil, will be living up to such high expectations for Alegria because it is such a classic show.

Alegria translates from Spanish to 'happiness and joy.' The show is described as one where 'high energy acrobatics and progressive visions of youth collide with traditional aristocratic perspectives to slay old notions, rise with wisdom, and propel forward with no holding back.' Cirque du Soleil said Alegria is 'a rallying anthem for change, hope, and optimistic renewal.'

“What we want to be sure to do is pay tribute to the story line, which is still quite relevant, and at the same time, [look at] all the different elements of the show through the lens of Cirque du Soleil today,” she said. “In the creative way that we would approach any new show, we want to make sure to apply that same creative lens to Alegria.”

The Cirque du Soleil team is already combing through notes left by its creative team for Alegria 25 years ago. Khalil said they're really digging to understand the magic that was brought to the stage a quarter century ago.

Once the show is laid out, it will be down to casting and production which will lead all the way up to the first performances of Alegria next year. After its run in Gatineau next summer, the show will be toured through North America and Khalil said it could end up in Europe eventually, but those details are not clear yet. Overall, it's only expected to have a life of about four years this time around.

Since its premiere in 1994, Alegria toured for 19 years, was performed over 6,600 times and was seen by over 14-million spectators in 255 different cities in 40 countries around the world. 

Cirque Club members can purchase tickets online starting Wednesday.