The Newly Returned 'New Alegria'... "Please Think of It as a Completely New Performance"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] Fire is doubly captivating. When you gaze at it blankly, it has an endlessly mesmerizing charm, but if you get too close, it burns. It draws people in, but if you follow that attraction, you end up getting hurt. Such fire has appeared in a circus. It is "New Alegr?a," presented by the art circus group Cirque du Soleil. Amidst the powerful drum beats that stir the heart, a muscular man skillfully spins torches, performing a fire show. He transfers the flame from one torch to another using his fingers and even stands on the torch with the soles of his feet. It is truly a circus.

The thrilling excitement is not limited to that. Stunts soaring through the air in perfectly calculated steps make you sweat with tension. Although mistakes are unlikely, you anxiously wonder if something unexpected might happen right before your eyes. Only after multiple somersaults and safe landings on feet or hands does a sigh of relief come.

First premiered in 1994, "Alegr?a" is the most famous work of the art circus group Cirque du Soleil. The performance, whose title means "joy" in Spanish, has captivated 14 million spectators across 40 countries over 19 years. The storyline involves the court jester "Mr. Fleur" attempting a clumsy coup, believing himself the rightful heir during the king's absence, but even if you don't know the plot, it does not hinder your enjoyment of the show. At the press call held on the 20th at the Big Top (a giant tent) inside Jamsil Sports Complex, Kim Yong-gwan, CEO of Mast Entertainment, who is promoting the Korean performance of "New Alegr?a," explained, "Unlike a drama performance with a clear beginning, middle, and end, our show is such that even if 2,000 audience members see a different performance every night, that's fine. I hope everyone takes away a different emotion depending on their own life story."

This is the second visit to Korea since 2008. The song "Alegr?a," which charted on the Billboard World Music chart for 55 weeks after the premiere and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1996, still delivers deep emotion. However, as it is "New Alegr?a," the music, acrobatic techniques, lighting, sets, and makeup have been reborn to a new level. Artistic director Michael Smith said, "New songs and scenes have been added, and the order of the surviving original music has changed completely. Please think of it as seeing the show for the first time."

From the right, Ahmed Tounichiani, Estefani Evans

The performance features 54 actors from 17 countries. Many of the performers come from families that have carried on the circus tradition for generations. Ahmed Tounichiani, who performs aerial trapeze stunts, said, "Our circus spans three generations, and currently five siblings are involved. The audience is what allows me to continue my first love from childhood. The audience is my fuel." His wife, Stephanie Evans, who also performs aerial trapeze stunts, said, "Our family has been in the circus for five generations. Our team, sharing this journey, is already family."

Finally, CEO Kim Yong-gwan said, "Even when large-scale musicals come in, the equipment and sets amount to about ten containers. But for this show, 88 containers of 12 meters each have arrived. There are eight generators, and we consume 3,000 liters of fuel daily. Sometimes I wonder if we’ve gone crazy, but once the show starts, I realize why we do this. They create works with the world's best creativity," he said.

The performance welcomes audiences at the Big Top inside Jamsil Sports Complex until January 1 of next year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.