Solstrom
Encyclopedia
Solstrom is a Cirque du Soleil
television series in thirteen 45-minute episodes from 2003. It was initially broadcast on the U.S. Bravo cable network and is currently aired on Bold in Canada and SBS Television in Australia
. It has also been released on DVD.
and sitcom format. Its episodes connect assorted circus acts and variety acts by means of simple storyline
s, all of which emerge from the premise that a diverse group of extraterrestrial creatures with transformative powers have arrived on Earth. Invisible to humans, these creatures from the sun individually observe and magically alter various situations wherever they go, changing normal humans into graceful and athletic performers, transforming their mundane realities and enchanting them to perform graceful acts of wonder. Meanwhile, an eccentric scientist named Fogus Punch (performed by Cirque du Soleil veteran clown John Gilkey and voiced by Alex Ivanovici) remotely observes the creatures' interactions through an observatory telescope.
The series features regular performers from Cirque du Soleil's live shows as well as many accomplished guest performers, including partners and family members, clowns and Guinness Book record holders. Some acts are creative re-adaptations of performers' acts from Cirque du Soleil's other productions; other acts feature performers and acts that have never appeared in any of the company's other shows. Music from previous Cirque du Soleil shows accompanies some of Solstroms acts, though a great deal of original music was written by several different composers to accompany other acts.
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
television series in thirteen 45-minute episodes from 2003. It was initially broadcast on the U.S. Bravo cable network and is currently aired on Bold in Canada and SBS Television in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It has also been released on DVD.
Overview
The series is structured as a unique combination of the variety showVariety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
and sitcom format. Its episodes connect assorted circus acts and variety acts by means of simple storyline
Storyline
Storyline may refer to:* The plot or subplot of a story;* The narrative of a work, whether of fictional or nonfictional basis;* The narrative threads experienced by different but specific characters or sets of characters that together form a plot element or subplot in the work of fiction...
s, all of which emerge from the premise that a diverse group of extraterrestrial creatures with transformative powers have arrived on Earth. Invisible to humans, these creatures from the sun individually observe and magically alter various situations wherever they go, changing normal humans into graceful and athletic performers, transforming their mundane realities and enchanting them to perform graceful acts of wonder. Meanwhile, an eccentric scientist named Fogus Punch (performed by Cirque du Soleil veteran clown John Gilkey and voiced by Alex Ivanovici) remotely observes the creatures' interactions through an observatory telescope.
The series features regular performers from Cirque du Soleil's live shows as well as many accomplished guest performers, including partners and family members, clowns and Guinness Book record holders. Some acts are creative re-adaptations of performers' acts from Cirque du Soleil's other productions; other acts feature performers and acts that have never appeared in any of the company's other shows. Music from previous Cirque du Soleil shows accompanies some of Solstroms acts, though a great deal of original music was written by several different composers to accompany other acts.
Sun creatures
Each episode features one or more characters appropriated from one of Cirque du Soleil's stage shows, here presented as "creatures" from the sun who catalyze the other characters' various transformations from mundane to magical. Their roles are largely confined to brief appearances where they initiate transformations by blowing "solar winds" on the people they encounter. Below is a list of the sun creatures in the order they appear in the series. Listed after each creature is the name of the Cirque du Soleil show in which the character originally appeared.- Fiona, one of the baroques (SaltimbancoSaltimbancoSaltimbanco is the oldest major touring show of Cirque du Soleil that remains active in some form. Saltimbanco ran from 1992 to 2006 in its original form, performed under a large circus tent called the Grand Chapiteau; its last performance in that form was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 10,...
) - Les Cons (La NoubaLa NoubaLa Nouba is a Cirque du Soleil show, which, like most Cirque du Soleil shows, is a circus-like performance featuring acrobats, gymnasts, and other skilled performers. The show's creation was directed by Franco Dragone, who also directed most of Cirque du Soleil's earlier shows. Its title derives...
) - Zebras (OO (Cirque du Soleil)O is a water-themed stage production by Cirque du Soleil, a Canadian circus and entertainment company. The show has been in permanent residence at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, since October 1998...
) - The Baron (SaltimbancoSaltimbancoSaltimbanco is the oldest major touring show of Cirque du Soleil that remains active in some form. Saltimbanco ran from 1992 to 2006 in its original form, performed under a large circus tent called the Grand Chapiteau; its last performance in that form was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 10,...
) - Gaia (DralionDralionDralion is a touring production by the Canadian entertainment company Cirque du Soleil. The show combines elements of traditional Chinese circus with Western contemporary circus, complementing the "East-meets-West" theme implied in the title — the name is a portmanteau of "dragon" and "lion"...
) - "Quidam" (QuidamQuidamQuidam is the ninth stage show produced by Cirque du Soleil. It premiered in April 1996 and has now been watched by millions of spectators around the world...
) - Boum-Boum (QuidamQuidamQuidam is the ninth stage show produced by Cirque du Soleil. It premiered in April 1996 and has now been watched by millions of spectators around the world...
) - L'Ame Force (DralionDralionDralion is a touring production by the Canadian entertainment company Cirque du Soleil. The show combines elements of traditional Chinese circus with Western contemporary circus, complementing the "East-meets-West" theme implied in the title — the name is a portmanteau of "dragon" and "lion"...
) - Lizard (VarekaiVarekaiVarekai is a Cirque du Soleil touring production that premiered in Montréal in April 2002. Its title means "wherever" in the Romani language, and the show is an "acrobatic tribute to the nomadic soul"....
) - The Aviator (QuidamQuidamQuidam is the ninth stage show produced by Cirque du Soleil. It premiered in April 1996 and has now been watched by millions of spectators around the world...
) - The Comet (OO (Cirque du Soleil)O is a water-themed stage production by Cirque du Soleil, a Canadian circus and entertainment company. The show has been in permanent residence at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, since October 1998...
) - The Dreamer (SaltimbancoSaltimbancoSaltimbanco is the oldest major touring show of Cirque du Soleil that remains active in some form. Saltimbanco ran from 1992 to 2006 in its original form, performed under a large circus tent called the Grand Chapiteau; its last performance in that form was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 10,...
) - The Guide (VarekaiVarekaiVarekai is a Cirque du Soleil touring production that premiered in Montréal in April 2002. Its title means "wherever" in the Romani language, and the show is an "acrobatic tribute to the nomadic soul"....
) - The Gentle Giant (OO (Cirque du Soleil)O is a water-themed stage production by Cirque du Soleil, a Canadian circus and entertainment company. The show has been in permanent residence at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, since October 1998...
) - Venus (MystèreMystèreMystère may refer to:* Dassault Mystère, a French fighter-bomber* Martin Mystère, a fictional character* Mystère , a production show* Mystère , a Canadian manufacturer of multihulls* Mystère , a 1983 thriller film...
)
Episodes
Each episode has a different theme that is explored through various loosely interwoven storylines.- Wind of Romance (set in ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
)
- An Italian village becomes a festival of passionate excursions.
- Twin Winds (set in BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
)
- Twin Winds (set in Brazil
- A vain man pursues his stolen reflection in a world of pairs.
- Howling Winds (set in TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
)
- Howling Winds (set in Transylvania
- An old-fashioned hotel turns into a haunted house of fun and horror.
- Rockin' Wind (set in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
)
- Rockin' Wind (set in France
- An orchestra rehearsal goes awry and takes on a rock 'n' roll beat.
- Once Upon a Wind (set in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
)
- Once Upon a Wind (set in London
- A storybook turns those who touch it into adventure heroes.
- Wind of Freedom (set in the CaribbeanCaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
)
- Wind of Freedom (set in the Caribbean
- Prisoners flee captivity by exceptional means.
- Ghostly Wind (set in Hollywood, California)
- A night watchman is frightened by costumes brought to life in a warehouse.
- Gone With the Winds (set in NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
)
- Gone With the Winds (set in Nevada
- An airport employee experiences a unique adventure in the desert.
- Wind from the Past (set in QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
)
- Wind from the Past (set in Quebec
- For a fleeting moment, an old man becomes a child in the world of his toy box.
- Winds of Courage (also set in QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
)
- Winds of Courage (also set in Quebec
- An armchair sports fan enters into a series of competitive games.
- Wind of Imagination (set in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
)
- Wind of Imagination (set in New York City
- A boy's building blocks become an actual construction site.
- Wind of Life (set in AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
)
- Wind of Life (set in Austria
- In a toy shop in Salzburg, an old artisan's marionette comes to life.
- Cosmic Wind (set in outer spaceOuter spaceOuter space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
)
- Cosmic Wind (set in outer space
- Creatures of the sun live it up in an intergalactic discothèque.