Goldberg Works Tirelessly To Bring Cirque Dreams To Fruition; Show Coming To Wabash
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Fourteen-hour days are not unusual for Neil Goldberg, the Cirque Dreams creator, director and producer. During a telephone interview Wednesday morning, Goldberg said as supervisor he has to be there for rehearsals from “the crack of dawn to midnight.” But it’s all part of the passion he has for what he does. “It all goes with the territory,” he said. Creating the shows is exciting and new, though his bones don’t always keep up, he said. Cirque Dreams’ “Pop Goes the Rock” will be at the Honeywell Center in Wabash March 6 at 7 p.m. Ticket prices range from $20 to $45, and can be ordered by calling 260-563-1102 or visiting the website www.honeywellcenter.org “Pop Goes the Rock” is Cirque Dream’s 14th production since Goldberg officially formed Cirque Productions in 1993. “In the last few years, I started questioning myself where the next idea was going to come from. Life just magically reveals itself,” Goldberg said. While looking for ideas for the next show several years ago, Sony ATV/Music Publishing was also looking for a way to reimagine and reinterpret songs in its catalog, Goldberg said. Sony connected with Cirque Dreams and Goldberg, and the idea for “Pop Goes the Rock” sprang to life. “Pop Goes the Rock” is the newest musical stage spectacle that unites generations through a mash-up of pop and rock tunes that will entertain family audiences of all ages, according to information provided. Cirque Dreams’ daring aerialists, gravity-defying balancers, powerful strongmen and an array of awe-inspiring acts are accompanied by a dance crew, singers and a band performing more than 20-chart topping hits live on stage. Goldberg said he listened to more than 10,000 songs from Sony’s catalog to narrow it down to the 24 he selected. The result is a show that combines emotion and motion. “This show combines acrobatics, a live band and special effects,” Goldberg said. It’s a spectacle for the eyes, he said. “Pop Goes the Rock” will only be at the Honeywell Center for one performance, Goldberg said. “What a unique opportunity for people to see a spectacle of this caliber,” he said. Most people would have to go to somewhere like Broadway in New York to see a show like Cirque Dreams’ production. And the cost would be three to four times more than what it will cost to see the show at Honeywell. Goldberg said Cirque Dreams prides itself on offering an affordable show for the whole family without sacrificing quality. “It’s very family friendly show,” he said. “It’s a great date night.” In the show, according to information provided, “music and fantasy ignite the funhouse when Jack pops out of his box and catapults the artists into feats of impossibilities, mayhem and uncontrollable sensory spectacle that never stops until … Jack’s back in the box.”The show features more than 14 variety acts, more than 100 costumed characters, elaborate lighting, special effects and more. Some of the songs featured in “Pop Goes the Rock” include the Pointer Sisters’ “Jump (For My Love)”, Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful”, Britney Spears’ “Womanizer” and more. Goldberg said the song “Jump” evokes ideas in people about what the song is about. So for the number in the show, there’s a man jumping – on a wire 10 feet from the ground. “Beautiful” features an artist constantly transforming her costume, while the song “King of the Road” features a man relaxing and smoking high in the air. “Womanizer” features women on stage who are sexy and hot, but spinning hula hoops at high speeds. While all the songs featured in the show are reinterpreted, and some are smashed together, Goldberg said they keep their integrity. When first imagining the show, Goldberg said putting all of it together he thought a carnival funhouse setting for it would be pretty appropriate. Even the musicians on stage are in full costume and interact with the audience. The songs are sang live by three different artists. “It’s not like you just see an act and then hear a song,” Goldberg said. They’re going on at the same time. Goldberg has put Super Bowl halftime shows together in the past. When he saw Madonna’s show at Super Bowl 46 Feb. 5, he said he thought 7-1/2 minutes of the show was a version of what Cirque Dreams does for two hours. If anyone enjoyed what they saw during the halftime show, “you can see more of that live on stage” during “Pop Goes the Rock”. Madonna concluded her halftime show with her hit song “Like A Prayer”. That song also is featured in “Pop Goes the Rock”. “Pop Goes the Rock”, Goldberg said, has a dance crew, Static Noise, which was the finalist group on MTV’s “Dance Crew” competition. For more information about Cirque Dreams, visit the following websites: www.cirqueproductions.com facebook.com/cirquedreams twitter.com/cirquedreams
