Toruk- the First Flight was a touring show performed by Cirque du Soleil between 2015 to 2019. The show had a four year run, ending on June 30, 2019.[6]
It is set thousands of years before the events of the films, detailing the adventures of the first Toruk Makto. Joshua Izzo has stated that the story is considered canon to the Avatar series. In the first film, Neytiri mentioned that Toruk brought the clans together in a time of great sorrow and all Na'vi know the story, and she is presumably referring to the story shown in the show.
A DVD version of the two-hour event, exclusively sold at Toruk tour dates, was released in July 2016.[7] The DVD was also briefly available in December 2019 on the Cirque online store.[8]. The show is also available on Amazon Prime Video through BroadwayHD, either with a BroadwayHD subscription or through a free trial.[9]
Plot[]
The story takes place on Pandora, around 3,000 years prior to the events of the film.[10]
When a natural catastrophe threatens to destroy the sacred Tree of Souls, Ralu and Entu, two Omatikaya boys on the brink of adulthood, fearlessly decide to take matters into their own hands. Upon learning that Toruk can help them save the Tree of Souls, they set out, together with their newfound friend Tsyal, on a quest high up in the Floating Mountains to find the mighty red and orange predator that rules the Pandoran sky. During their journey, the three protagonists explore the lands of the four other Na'vi clans to get special objects to help with their summoning goals. Prophecy is fulfilled when a pure soul rises among the clans to ride Toruk for the first time and save the Na’vi from a terrible fate.[11] [12]
Development[]
Concept art, possibly the first Toruk Makto.
Talks on the project go back as far as 2009, when Danielle Lamarre, the president of Cirque du Soliel, was invited to Avatar's cutting room floor. James Cameron collaborated with the group in 2012, presenting the video recording of the live show Worlds Away.[13] Toruk was greenlit in May 2014, some five years after those initial talks.[14]
A series of acrobatics tests were done during February 2015,[15] ahead of the official unveiling that May.
The stage show features a degree of puppetry in order to animate the wild and diverse creatures of Pandora. Notably the Toruk will be created using reverse-string puppetry, with the puppeteer beneath the creature. Other creatures include Viperwolves and Direhorses, as well as two creatures new to the franchise- the Austrapede and Turtapede.[16]
Toruk features multimedia integration, one of which is a mobile app that gives showgoers information about the show, the ability to influence visual effects during the performance, and other interactive content. The SAP HANA platform helps feed information back and forth between the audience and the show's visual effects control system, giving spectators a different experience depending on their app interaction and location in the theater.[17]
The Storyteller was originally described as the last of the Anurai Clan in early promotional material. This was later changed to help Raymond O'Neill's connection to the role. The media guide would later be updated to reflect the Storyteller being a member of the Omatikaya clan and the character is listed as such in the show's script.[18] [19]
Promotion[]
TORUK - The First Flight by Cirque du Soleil - Trailer
The musical was unveiled publicly that April. As part of the announcement, a promotional website was launched, featuring a JavaScript-based point and click search game about exploring Pandora. The game revealed more lore and information about the Omatikaya, Tipani, Anurai, Tawkami and Kekunan clans. The website marked the first official appearance of the Kekunan.
That October, a special performance was made ahead of the opening night for the media. Further promotion was made through Facebook and other social media, including a ticket-giveaway quiz in November.[20]
Production Credits[]
The project was handled by an ambitious team of artists from various companies. Notably this included James Cameron, Jon Landau, Kathy Franklin and Richard Baneham from Lightstorm Entertainment.
The full crew behind Toruk.
- Guy Laliberté and Jean-François Bouchard – Creative Guides
- Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon – Show Writers and Directors, Multimedia Directors
- Neilson Vignola – Director of Creation
- Carl Fillion – Set and Props Designer
- Kym Barrett – Costume and Makeup Designer
- Tuan Le and Tan Loc – Choreographers
- Bob & Bill – Composers and Musical Directors
- Jacques Boucher – Sound Designer
- Alain Lortie – Lighting Designer
- Patrick Martel – Puppet Designer
- Germain Guillemot – Acrobatic Performance Designer
- Pierre Masse – Rigging and Acrobatic Equipment Designer
Cast[]
The cast of Toruk.
Some characters have multiple actors- this is sometimes done in theater to facilitate speedy costume changes, or in some cases to provide rest breaks for actors performing strenuous acrobatics.
- Gabriel Christo & Jeremiah Hughes as Ralu
- Daniel Crispin & Guillaume Paquin as Entu
- Giulia Piolanti & Zoé Sabattié as Tsyal
- Raymond O'Neill as The Storyteller [21]
- Priscilia Le Foll as The Shaman
Home Media Release[]
Toruk at the Centre Videotron, Quebec.
Filming for the DVD release was finished at the January 14-17, 2016 shows at the Centre Videotron. The announcement was made via the show's Facebook page the day photography concluded.[22] The DVD was released in July 2016, with the main show footage coming from its Montreal world premiere.[7]
The DVD also includes the Toruk Takes Flight behind-the-scenes documentary, which first premiered in December 2015 on Bell 5 TV's community channel, TV1.[7] [23] The DVD is only sold during the show's tour dates.[24] TV1 also aired the show in 4K and HD, with no plans so far to release said versions on home video.[25]
A soundtrack was released on February 5th, 2016; the album became available for preorder on January 22nd.[26]
Both Toruk- The First Flight and the Toruk Takes Flight documentary are available to stream on Amazon Prime Video through BroadwayHD. Both are available through a BroadwayHD subscription or through a free trial of the BroadwayHD service.[9] [27]
Touring Locations[]
The tour is composed of several legs. Following a media-only premiere in Omaha, Nebraska, the show began a two year tour across North America. From November 2015 to March 2017, the show was performed at 57 cities in the US, Mexico and Canada. A 2016 performance in Raleigh was cancelled in response to North Carolina's HB2 legislation,[28] which many view as being discriminatory.[29] A number of other events and performances in North Carolina were cancelled by both Cirque and other organizations.
A short second leg from July 2017 through to June 2018 toured Asia and Oceania, visiting 13 cities. This was followed by a lengthier European tour, opening in Cologne that October. The European tour ran until July 2019, concluding in London.
In total, the show was performed in 97 cities, discounting the media-only premiere.
North American Tour (2015-17)[]
| Venue | Country | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha, Nebraska | USA | October 28, 2015 | (media-only premiere) |
| Bossier City, Louisiana | USA | November 12, 2015 | November 14, 2015 |
| Lafayette, Louisiana | USA | November 20, 2015 | November 22, 2015 |
| Richmond, Virginia | USA | November 27, 2015 | November 29, 2015 |
| Allentown, Pennsylvania | USA | December 4, 2015 | December 6, 2015 |
| Worcester, Massachusetts | USA | December 11, 2015 | December 13, 2015 |
| Montreal, Quebec [30] | Canada | December 21, 2015 | January 3, 2016 |
| Toronto, Ontario | Canada | January 7, 2016 | January 10, 2016 |
| Quebec, Quebec | Canada | January 14, 2015 | January 17, 2015 |
| Auburn Hills, Michigan | USA | January 22, 2016 | January 24, 2016 |
| Houston, Texas | USA | February 11, 2016 | February 14, 2016 |
| North Little Rock, Arkansas | USA | February 17, 2016 | February 21, 2016 |
| North Charleston, South Carolina | USA | February 26, 2016 | February 28, 2016 |
| Sunrise, Florida | USA | March 3, 2016 | March 6, 2016 |
| Miami, Florida | USA | March 10, 2016 | March 13, 2016 |
| Tampa, Florida | USA | March 17, 2016 | March 20, 2016 |
| Tulsa, Oklahoma | USA | March 24, 2016 | March 27, 2016 |
| Kansas City, Missouri | USA | March 30, 2016 | April 3, 2016 |
| Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | USA | April 6, 2016 | April 10, 2016 |
| Louisville, Kentucky | USA | April 28, 2016 | May 1, 2016 |
| Cincinnati, Ohio | USA | May 4, 2016 | May 8, 2016 |
| Columbus, Ohio | USA | May 11, 2016 | May 15, 2016 |
| Hamilton, Ontario | Canada | May 20, 2016 | May 22, 2016 |
| London, Ontario | Canada | May 25, 2016 | May 29, 2016 |
| Providence, Rhode Island | USA | June 1, 2016 | June 5, 2016 |
| Duluth, Georgia [31] | USA | June 15, 2016 | June 19, 2016 |
| Ottawa, Ontario | Canada | June 30, 2016 | July 3, 2016 |
| Denver, Colorado | USA | July 21, 2016 | July 24, 2016 |
| Lincoln, Nebraska | USA | July 27, 2016 | July 31, 2016 |
| Chicago, Illinois [33] | USA | August 3, 2016 | August 7, 2016 |
| Indianapolis, Indiana | USA | August 10, 2016 | August 14, 2016 |
| Birmingham, Alabama | USA | August 19, 2016 | August 21, 2016 |
| Nashville, Tennessee | USA | August 24, 2016 | August 28, 2016 |
| Evansville, Indiana | USA | September 1, 2016 | September 4, 2016 |
| Brooklyn, New York[30] | USA | September 7, 2016 | September 11, 2016 |
| Newark, New Jersey[30] | USA | September 14, 2016 | September 18, 2016 |
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | USA | September 22, 2016 | September 25, 2016 |
| Minneapolis, Minnesota | USA | September 28, 2016 | October 2, 2016 |
| Winnipeg, Manitoba | Canada | October 5, 2016 | October 9, 2016 |
| Fresno, California | USA | October 27, 2016 | October 30, 2016 |
| Ontario, California | USA | November 2, 2016 | November 6, 2016 |
| Los Angeles, California | USA | November 11, 2016 | November 13, 2016 |
| Phoenix, Arizona | USA | November 16, 2016 | November 20, 2016 |
| San Diego, California | USA | November 23, 2016 | November 27, 2016 |
| Sacramento, California | USA | November 30, 2016 | December 4, 2016 |
| Portland, Oregon | USA | December 7, 2016 | December 11, 2016 |
| Vancouver, British Columbia | Canada | December 14, 2016 | December 18, 2016 |
| Edmonton, Alberta | Canada | December 22, 2016 | December 26, 2016 |
| Inglewood, California | USA | January 12, 2017 | January 15, 2017 |
| Witchita, Kansas | USA | January 26, 2017 | January 29, 2017 |
| New Orleans, Louisiana | USA | February 1, 2017 | February 5, 2017 |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | February 10, 2017 | February 12, 2017 |
| Mexico City | Mexico | February 16, 2017 | February 19, 2017 |
| Monterrey | Mexico | February 23, 2017 | February 25, 2017 |
| Cleveland, Ohio | USA | March 3, 2017 | March 5, 2017 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | USA | March 8, 2017 | March 12, 2017 |
| Hartford, Connecticut | USA | March 15, 2017 | March 19, 2017 |
| Dayton, Ohio | USA | March 22, 2017 | March 26, 2017 |
Asia and Oceania Tour (2017-18)[]
| Venue | Country | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manila | Philippines | June 23, 2017 | July 2, 2017 |
| Taipei | Taiwan | July 6, 2017 | July 18, 2017 |
| Christchurch | New Zealand | September 1, 2017 | September 10, 2017 |
| Auckland | New Zealand | September 15, 2017 | September 24, 2017 |
| Brisbane [34] | Australia | October 5, 2017 | October 15, 2017 |
| Sydney [35] | Australia | October 19, 2017 | October 29, 2017 |
| Melbourne [36] | Australia | November 2, 2017 | November 12, 2017 |
| Adelaide [37] | Australia | November 16, 2017 | November 19, 2017 |
| Perth [38] | Australia | November 24, 2017 | December 3, 2017 |
| Dubai | UAE | January 4, 2018 | January 16, 2018 |
| Sanya | China | February 1, 2018 | May 1, 2018 |
| Kallang | Singapore | May 24, 2018 | June 3, 2018 |
| Bangkok | Thailand | June 14, 2018 | June 24, 2018 |
| Beijing [39] | China | August 1, 2018 | August 12, 2018 |
| Shanghai [40] | China | August 16, 2018 | August 26, 2018 |
European Tour (2018-19)[]
| Venue | Country | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cologne | Germany | October 25, 2018 | October 28, 2018 |
| Hamburg | Germany | October 31, 2018 | November 4, 2018 |
| Berlin | Germany | November 7, 2018 | November 11, 2018 |
| Turin | Italy | November 15, 2018 | November 18, 2018 |
| Bologna | Italy | November 22, 2018 | November 25, 2018 |
| Frankfurt | Germany | November 28, 2018 | December 2, 2018 |
| Zagreb | Croatia | December 7, 2018 | December 9, 2018 |
| Barcelona | Spain | January 18, 2019 | January 27, 2019 |
| Madrid | Spain | January 30, 2019 | February 3, 2019 |
| Pamplona | Spain | February 6, 2019 | February 10, 2019 |
| Milan | Italy | February 14, 2019 | February 17, 2019 |
| Lyon | France | February 20, 2019 | February 24, 2019 |
| Bratislava | Slovakia | February 28, 2019 | March 3, 2019 |
| Krakow | Poland | March 6, 2019 | March 10, 2019 |
| Antwerp | Belgium | March 14, 2019 | March 17, 2019 |
| Moscow | Russia | April 19, 2019 | May 5, 2019 |
| Saint Petersburg | Russia | May 8, 2019 | May 12, 2019 |
| Helsinki | Finland | May 15, 2019 | May 19, 2019 |
| Vilnius | Lithuania | May 22, 2019 | May 26, 2019 |
| Prague | Czechia | May 31, 2019 | June 2, 2019 |
| Munich | Germany | June 5, 2019 | June 9, 2019 |
| Zurich | Switzerland | June 12, 2019 | June 16, 2019 |
| Manchester | United Kingdom | June 20, 2019 | June 23, 2019 |
| London | United Kingdom | June 26, 2019 | June 30, 2019 |
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ http://www.shreveporttimes.com/picture-gallery/entertainment/2015/10/28/toruk---the-first-flight-media-showing/74776126/
- ↑ https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/toruk/tour-dates?#modal_video
- ↑ http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-avatar-cirque-du-soleil-china-20150615-story.html
- ↑ http://www.reviewjournal.com/robin-leach/it-takes-village-move-the-village-cirque-du-soleil-s-touring-toruk-the-first-flight
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/photos/a.1122793164413320.1073741826.1087940301231940/1307397602619541/?type=3&comment_id=1307452079280760&reply_comment_id=1307475525945082&comment_tracking={%22tn%22%3A%22R%22}
- ↑ https://twitter.com/officialavatar/status/1138121359874244609
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 https://www.richasi.com/Cirque/Telemagk/dvd34.htm
- ↑ http://avatarsequels.com/toruk-the-first-flight-dvd-now-available-online-from-cirque/
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 https://www.amazon.com/Cirque-Soleil-TORUK-FIRST-FLIGHT/dp/B07DJ5WTM4
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/videos/1282373775121924/
- ↑ http://www.comingsoon.net/extras/news/627281-cirque-du-soleils-avatar-show-toruk-the-first-flight-starts-its-run
- ↑ https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/on-stage/review-cirque-du-soleil-s-toruk-is-all-heart-1.694423
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1792647/?ref_=nm_flmg_msc_2
- ↑ https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/press/news/2014/avatar-james-cameron-cirque-du-soleil-creative-partnership-29-mai-2014.aspx
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vXLnljpqxc
- ↑ https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/toruk/inside-creators-studio, Exclusive content
- ↑ https://news.sap.com/sap-makes-audience-part-of-cirque-du-soleils-toruk-the-first-flight-with-new-interactive-mobile-experience/
- ↑ http://www.comingsoon.net/extras/news/434501-cirque-du-soleil-reveals-avatar-inspired-touring-show
- ↑ http://avatarsequels.com/thestoryteller/
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/posts/1278043138888321
- ↑ https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/toruk/behind-scene/photo/
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/photos/a.1122793164413320.1073741826.1087940301231940/1314514921907809/?type=3&theater
- ↑ http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cirque-du-soleil-media-presents-toruk-takes-flight-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-the-creation-of-a-multimedia-experience-inspired-by-james-camerons-avatar-and-imagined-by-cirque-du-soleil-only-on-bell-fibe-tv1-2015-12-14
- ↑ [1]https://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=9487
- ↑ https://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=9487
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/photos/a.1122793164413320.1073741826.1087940301231940/1317793048246663/?type=3&theater
- ↑ https://www.amazon.com/Cirque-Soleil-TORUK-TAKES-FLIGHT/dp/B07DJ3NXM6
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/notes/cirque-du-soleil/cirque-du-soleil-will-not-perform-in-north-carolina/10153690474037675
- ↑ http://gawker.com/logic-and-human-decency-dont-seem-to-matter-much-in-nor-1766888407
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-First-Look-at-Cirque-du-Soleils-New-AVATAR-Inspired-Show-TORUK-20151222
- ↑ http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2015/oct/26/cirque-du-soleil8217s-8216avatar8217-inspired/
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/notes/cirque-du-soleil/cirque-du-soleil-will-not-perform-in-north-carolina/10153690474037675
- ↑ http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/news/ct-cirque-du-soleil-avatar-toruk-chicago-story.html
- ↑ https://www.brisbanekids.com.au/cirque-du-soleil-brisbane/
- ↑ http://www.qudosbankarena.com.au/Event_Calendar/Toruk_The_First_Flight.aspx
- ↑ http://www.melhotornot.com/toruk/
- ↑ https://playandgo.com.au/index.php/toruk-first-flight-cirque-du-soleil-adelaide-16-19-nov-2017/
- ↑ https://www.broadsheet.com.au/perth/city-file/article/cirque-du-soleil-returns-perth-toruk
- ↑ http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1105306.shtml
- ↑ http://www.smartshanghai.com/event/52794