Las Vegas’ Iconic Neon Museum Has a New Cirque du Soleil Exhibit — and It is Free

Cirque du Soleil followers can quickly view among the troupe’s most iconic costumes at a first-ever Las Vegas exhibition that pulls again the curtain on most of the firm’s behind-the-scenes secrets and techniques. 

In collaboration with The Neon Museum, “Tales from Backstage: Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas” places Cirque’s leisure historical past on show, permitting company to deal with stretchy 3D-printed materials, contact the Kevlar fiber seen in “O” when a clown is about aflame and stare into a conceit mirror, and watch the reflection of a Michael Jackson ONE artist making use of make-up. Three many years within the making, the beautiful, informative presentation takes guests contained in the minds of costume administrators with shows that specify not solely the performance and flexibility of the costumes, however the security points integrated into them. 

Aaron Berger, the manager director of The Neon Museum, informed Journey + Leisure that “Tales from Backstage” is a pure match into the newly adopted route for the museum. “Cirque du Soleil is synonymous with Las Vegas,” Berger stated. “After we first began speaking about doing a Cirque exhibition it was meant to be a means to have a look at one thing tens of millions of individuals have seen on stage and have appreciated from a creative, athletic, and costume standpoint, however to take it and delight you in a brand new means, to alter your perspective in the way it’s offered. Whether or not you’ve seen a Cirque present or not you’ll undoubtedly see it otherwise after this.” 

T+L obtained an unique peek on the greater than 100 artifacts representing the 5 present Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas reveals earlier than its Feb. 10 opening. Guests is not going to solely see the Crimson Chicken costume from Mystère, the Moonhead headpiece from “O” and KÀ’s Emperor and Empress costumes side-by-side, together with the 10-inch platform sneakers, however company will even get a glimpse into the hidden particulars. 

Take, for instance, the sneakers the flying acrobats put on on the Wheel of Demise. From afar, the artists seem barefoot as they dangerously leap and bounce rope on the spinning wheel. However up-close inspection reveals they’re sporting tan Asics-branded sneakers outfitted with faux, skin-tone matching rubber toes. 

Different obstacles exist as nicely. Like in “O” the best way to safely get artists to transition from the silky water again to the dry stage. (Having each moist and dry costumes to alter into solves that drawback.) However there may be additionally the difficulty of maintaining the clothes trying recent. Outfits in “O” final simply two months earlier than the chlorine and different chemical substances within the pool bleach and fade the colours. Data like that is defined on show boards and QR codes for individuals who wish to do a deeper dive. 

And whereas Berger admitted the exhibition is predominantly “a fancy dress present,” he added that it’s additionally about all of the folks concerned, noting that dozens of at this time’s Cirque performers are former Olympians (there are eight in “O” alone). 

“It’s the story of athlete to artist as nicely,” Berger stated. “We sit in awe of those athletes and gifted artists nevertheless it’s additionally about who helps make them shine permitting them to have that particular second we join with.”

The exhibition additionally indicators a change in The Neon Museum’s mission to have fun not solely outdated signage however all points of town’s tradition. “We’re within the storytelling enterprise,” Berger stated. “The oral histories and the tales we’ve collected in regards to the signage are priceless, however we’re trying to transcend that. We began considering, ‘Why aren’t we accumulating objects and artifacts that inform the story of Las Vegas?’ And so that is actually what this present is.”

“Tales from Backstage” will debut Feb. 10 and run by means of Might 1 inside Metropolis Corridor’s Grand Gallery in downtown Las Vegas. Admission is free. Study extra at neonmuseum.org.