Cirque Du

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Jonathan Phillip "Sugarfoot" Moffett can practically hear the King of Pop's voice in his head as he practices his drum licks for the Cirque du Soleil show based on the music of Michael Jackson. "Make it bigger than life," Moffett hears the Gloved One telling him, as he bears down on the beat in "Billie Jean" or "Heartbreak Hotel. " "My fans know my music. That's what they want to hear. Add some color, but don't stray too far. " In putting together "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour," the creative team behind Cirque du Soleil drew upon the expertise of several musicians and dancers who worked closely with Jackson, including Moffett, Jackson's longtime drummer, and choreographer Travis Payne.

Thrills and chills at Cirque du Soleil? Sure. But as a cold April greets the performance troupe on its first-ever Baltimore stop, the spine-tingling starts long before the show does. But it's Thursday, the day before opening night, and there is little time to fret about the weather. The pavement upon which the big top is raised is but 6 weeks old. The usual setup for the circus' Dralion show is 11 days; this time, by necessity, it will be six. The buzz that hangs over Harbor Point has been audible since the city announced in February that the show would open on the site of the former AlliedSignal chemical plant - partly to market the plot as safe, sound and ready to become a key part of the Inner Harbor.

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Cirque du Soleil opens a one-month run of "Quidam" under a 2,500-seat blue-and-yellow big top at Tysons Galleria in McLean, Va., tonight. The new show marks the French-Canadian theatrical circus' return to the Washington area after a three-year absence."

Jonathan Phillip "Sugarfoot" Moffett can practically hear the King of Pop's voice in his head as he practices his drum licks for the Cirque du Soleil show based on the music of Michael Jackson. "Make it bigger than life," Moffett hears the Gloved One telling him, as he bears down on the beat in "Billie Jean" or "Heartbreak Hotel. " "My fans know my music. That's what they want to hear. Add some color, but don't stray too far. " In putting together "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour," the creative team behind Cirque du Soleil drew upon the expertise of several musicians and dancers who worked closely with Jackson, including Moffett, Jackson's longtime drummer, and choreographer Travis Payne.

GOING to the circus was never like this -- the glitz, high-tech lighting and vibrant costumes that mark Le Cirque du Soleil's second time around in Washington, D.C.The French-Canadian vaudeville circus that wowed the nation's capital in 1988 is back with a brand new offering, appropriately titled "Nouvelle Experience." The crazy-quilt theatrical show mesmerizes with flying trapeze artists, twisting contortionists and amazing acrobats, amid clouds of fog, jazz and rock music and "Wizard of Oz"-inspired characters.

Not all the sights at Cirque du Soleil's "Kooza" were onstage. Just check out 20-year-old Allie Bulmer, who was in the opening-night audience. The Montgomery College student and waitress loves watching current trends and adapting them to her "sophisticated, sexy and a little bohemian" style. But, this Damascus resident is no fashion fascist. "Everyone has their own style. The fashion police may say don't do that, but let people do [what they want]. If it's last season and you like it, that's fine.

Perhaps the most amazing aspect in the amazing growth of Cirque du Soleil is that it began less than a decade ago as the brainchild of a group of long-haired street performers, stilt-walkers and fire-eaters who had the crazy idea that they wanted to start a circus of their own.Today, these graying, balding but still youngish entrepreneurs have become proprietors of a Montreal-based operation that is spreading its engagements, and its influence, on a...

At 4 p.m. on a Tuesday, when most 12-year-olds are starting their homework, Natasha Patterson is under the big top, rehearsing one of her routines. Patterson, the youngest member of Cirque du Soleil's Kooza tour, stands at the end of a Rockettes-like line and kicks her legs up past her chin. For her, this is the easy part. Tonight, when Kooza makes its Baltimore debut, Patterson will do a handstand on top of another girl's stomach. "She's not your usual 12-year-old," said Maxime Charbonneau, the tour's publicist.

If you'd like to save on tickets to Cirque du Soleil at the 1st Mariner Arena, TravelZoo's got a deal for you. Check out the TravelZoo Cirque du Soleil local deal for details about the discounts on adult tickets. Click through to buy from the site and you'll pay $48 for seats in the lower level (regularly $80) and $40 for those in the middle level (regularly $60). There are also $20 children's tickets for these performances: • Thursday, Aug. 25 at 7:30 p.m. • Friday, Aug. 26 at 3:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. • Sunday, Aug. 28 at 5 p.m. Just to warn you, TravelZoo says you'll still have to pay fees of $7.30 to $8.80 per ticket and $4.50 per order --- so your total will end up being higher than the base price.

This clip was probably on all the highlight shows this morning, so my apologies if you have seen it already, but check out this Cirque du Soleil performer throwing out the first pitch before a game in San Diego on Monday. Dude does some sort of 720-degree twist then fires a strike to the catcher. Take note, Orioles relievers.

Just wanted to pass along a heads up about two great deals spotted on Baltimoreonthecheap.com : 1. Save 40 percent off Cirque du Soleil TOTEM tickets , via Travel Zoo, for shows tonight and next week; 2. Sign up for eight Argentine tango lessons at Centerstage and pay only half price --- just $10 per class.

A circus featuring mind-boggling human achievements, spectacular performances and dazzling sets vs. beaten-down elephants, whipped tigers and creepy clowns?  Cirque du Soleil wins hands down.  Katie Moore, Baltimore

Not all the sights at Cirque du Soleil's "Kooza" were onstage. Just check out 20-year-old Allie Bulmer, who was in the opening-night audience. The Montgomery College student and waitress loves watching current trends and adapting them to her "sophisticated, sexy and a little bohemian" style. But, this Damascus resident is no fashion fascist. "Everyone has their own style. The fashion police may say don't do that, but let people do [what they want]. If it's last season and you like it, that's fine.

Who could have predicted that a student at St. John's Elementary School would one day beat out future-heartthrob Patrick Dempsey of Grey's Anatomy fame in an international juggling contest? Or that the same boy would appear on The Tonight Show at age 11, leaving guest host Joan Rivers nearly speechless at his skill and adroit observations? Or that he would juggle his way into history as the holder of a dozen world records and is now a featured performer with the Cirque du Soleil? All of that happened to Anthony Gatto, a former Ellicott City resident who is touring with the Quebec-based circus, which opened Thursday for a three-week stint in Baltimore.

In an effort to ease the public onto a formerly polluted industrial site that juts into the Inner Harbor, developers who plan on building offices and shops there will first play host to a popular Canadian troupe of performers. Mayor Martin O'Malley plans to announce Feb. 5 that the Cirque du Soleil will perform on the former AlliedSignal chromium plant site under tents from April 11 to 27. The shows will be the first major attraction held on the site since a lengthy process of burying and capping toxic waste was completed in June 1999.

At 4 p.m. on a Tuesday, when most 12-year-olds are starting their homework, Natasha Patterson is under the big top, rehearsing one of her routines. Patterson, the youngest member of Cirque du Soleil's Kooza tour, stands at the end of a Rockettes-like line and kicks her legs up past her chin. For her, this is the easy part. Tonight, when Kooza makes its Baltimore debut, Patterson will do a handstand on top of another girl's stomach. "She's not your usual 12-year-old," said Maxime Charbonneau, the tour's publicist.