A free, limited-time exhibition will give visitors a glimpse into the unique world of Cirque du Soleil. The company’s first-ever installation in Las Vegas will spotlight some of Cirque’s most iconic costumes and never-before-seen artifacts.
“Stories from Backstage: Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas” is a collaboration with the Neon Museum and Duck Duck Shed, an annual four-day program that celebrates culture, architecture and design. The exhibit debuts February 10 and runs through May 1 inside City Hall’s Grand Gallery in downtown Las Vegas. And again, it’s free!
While the space isn’t all that large, it’s packed with more than 100 pieces that tell the detailed stories of the artifacts (on display boards and with QR codes) from the five Cirque du Soleil shows currently running in Las Vegas. The installation is primarily a costume exhibition but Aaron Berger, executive director of the Neon Museum, says it also put people in the spotlight, specifically the feats of the incredible artists—many of them former athletes or Olympians.
“There is nothing more tied to the culture of Las Vegas than Cirque du Soleil,” Berger says. “We’re so proud to bring this first museum-curated Cirque exhibition to Las Vegas and present the story of how athletes became artists.”
Visitors will get an up-close look at not only wigs and shoes but also the full Red Bird costume of a bungee artist from Mystère and the Moonhead headpiece from O. Here are a few of our other favorite items on display and the stories behind them.
It’s a costume show so there is a “touch station” with dozens of different fabrics stored in tubes. Guests are able to handle both the stretchy materials and the Kevlar fiber used in the fire scene in O when a clown is set aflame. (By the way, the artist playing the character has been set on fire 12,000 times.)
While the spearman artists in KÀ appear to be barefoot, it’s an illusion. This up-close display spills the secret: The performers are actually wearing tan Asics-branded sneakers outfitted with fake, skin-tone matching rubber toes.
Guests can stare into a vanity mirror and watch a video reflection of a Michael Jackson ONE artist applying their makeup. Cirque shows do not employ makeup artists so each performer is responsible for applying their own. Here, you see how they do it.
Safety is the most important aspect of costume design. A side-by-side comparison of two costumes from O shows the impact water has on the costumes. First, the pool not only has chlorine and other chemicals, the water contains vegetable oil to keep the hydraulics running smoothly. This obviously creates a slickness meaning performers must have both wet and dry costumes they can quickly change into. Outfits in O last just two months before the colors fade and they’re replaced.
“This exhibit will change your perspective on Cirque,” Berger says. “Whether you’ve seen a Cirque show or not you will definitely see it differently after this.”