Since the inception of Le Grand Chapiteau's companion, the "Fascination! Newsletter", we've had the honor of meeting and talking with many current and former Cirque du Soleil artists about a variety of subjects. Thus In Their Own Words highlights many of the questions we've posed to Cirque du Soleil performers, musicians, technicians and behind-the-scenes personnel... and their answers. May you find their words interesting, informative and inspirational!

FERGUSON & ALLAIRE
Album Producers

"Making Unexpected Magic Timeless"
Keith Johnson, 2009

When the soundtrack CD of the Tokyo, Japan resident show ZED was released reaction was enthusiastic, yet fans wondered about some of the decisions made in the albums production. So we at Fascination went right to the source, the albums production team of Martin Lord-Ferguson and Ella Louise Allaire.

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VIOLAINE CORRADI
Composer

"Violaine Corradi: Working for Joy"
Keith Johnson, 2009

With the release of the ZAIA CD in the US (and coming up in Canada on October 20), it is our honor and privilege to continue our series on the music of Cirque du Soleil with an exclusive interview with the Musical Composer of ZAIA, Ms. Violaine Corradi.

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ALAIN VINET
Director of Musique

"Directing Cirque's Musique"
Keith Johnson, 2009

We often talk about Cirque music, its influence, popularity and the high esteem (and high expectations) it has amongst fans. Many have praised its unique sound and style while at the same time wondering about (and sometimes even questioning) decisions made by soundtrack CD producers. We had a chance to talk with the very kind Alain Vinet, Cirque du Soleil's Musical Director, about his role in the creation of "25" as well as the show soundtracks so close to the hearts of many devoted fans.

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STEBEN SISTERS
Performers - Saltimbanco

"A Perilous Leap: The Steben Sisters"
Keith Johnson, 2007

When we heard that the Steben Sisters would be appearing for a limited time in our local Seattle production of Teatro Zinzanni (www.zinzanni.org), we knew we had to try and see if we could talk to them. So we got in touch with One Reel Productions (www.onereel.org), the non-profit arts organization that produces Zinzanni. We are proud to present a live in-depth exclusive interview with those fabulous ladies of the flying trapeze, the Steben Sisters!

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JOHN-PAUL GASPARELLI
Musical Director - «O»

"The John-Paul Interview"
Keith Johnson, 2007

We first met John-Paul Gasparrelli with a short interview in our very first issue. At the time (September, 2001) he had just become the Musical Director/Keyboardist for "O" in Las Vegas. Though only Musical Director until Spring 2003, his story of how he became a musician, his climb up the ladder, and his thoughts on music are inspiring.

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RENE DUPERE
Composer

"A Conversation with René Dupéré"
Keith Johnson, 2006

The world of circus music was populated by brass bands and marshal music arrangements, but it was Cirque that pioneered the concept of bringing more modern, more "world-music" sounds into a circus context. Winning accolades and influencing countless others, it is the music of Cirque du Soleil that, through the ears, prepares the mind for the wonders about to unfold before the eyes. This is a tribute not only to René Dupéré, Benoit Jutras, Violaine Corradi, and other Cirque composers, but also to Cirque's ability to mesh all the elements of circus and stagecraft into a magical whole.

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OLIVER "BJ" GENTEN
Percussionist - Quidam

"BJ, Live from Japan!"
Ricky Russo, 2004

On a wonderful Sunday evening in March, BJ, the drummer on tour with Quidam, once again took a few moments out of his busy schedule to chat with Cirque du Soleil fans via the Internet. Like last time, BJ joined about 10 Cirque fans from across the globe on the IRC (Internet Relay Chat) network. He spoke with us about Japan, his current feelings about the tour, projects he's working on and various opinions about where he is in life.

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OLIVER "BJ" GENTEN
Percussionist - Quidam

"An Evenings Chat with BJ"
Ricky Russo, 2003

It was a daunting challenge involving weeks of planning and several authorizations but we finally achieved our end result... a chat with a Cirque du Soleil musician! On August 17, 2003 at 8:00pm Eastern Daylight Time, the chat began; with a "Good Morning from Japan," our guest, BJ, a percussionist with the Quidam tour currently in Japan, joined us for about 2 and a half hours and spoke about who he is, what he's doing, and where he may be headed next, not to mention that he enjoys Sushi, Sake, Pocky and a good Irish Pub!

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JOHN-PAUL GASPARELLI
Musical Director - «O»

"New Musical Director for «O»!"
Ricky Russo, 2001

Just as we were putting our first issue "to bed" we were surprised by an "introductory" message from the newly-hired Musical Director/Conductor/Keyboardist for "O", John-Paul Gasparrelli. Of course we couldn't let such an opportunity pass! We're quite pleased to bring you our first interview - an introductory chat with John-Paul! He'll be starting his Cirque career in late October, so here we discuss a little of his life pre-Cirque and how he got the job.

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