Circus takes off in Macau, China

Nearly 40 busy casinos are just one reason why Macau is often dubbed "the Las Vegas of Asia".

Another is that like the Nevada gambling capital, Macau is home to a Cirque du Soleil, the Canada-born circus which has become an international phenomenon.

The Macau Cirque du Soleil, which opened in August 2008, was the company's first resident show in Asia - another was launched in Tokyo two months later.

The 1,800-seat custom-built theatre is set amid the cavernous shopping arcades of the Venetian Macau Resort-Hotel, which like its Las Vegas cousin boasts a Venice-style canal system with gondola trips.

During 2009 Cirque du Soleil presented 19 shows around the world, including seven in Las Vegas.

In total since 1984 its shows have played to more than 90 million spectators in over 200 cities; it visited Australia in 2001, 2004 and 2006.

Each show has a different theme and title, with a central storyline decorated throughout with awesome displays by expert acrobats, trapeze artists, singers, dancers, gymnasts, jugglers and the inevitable clowns.

The 90-minute Macau show is titled Zaia, the name of its young heroine who journeys into space on a voyage of discovery.

She develops a perception of the stars and the planets, space and infinity, meeting what the program calls "a panoply of fantastic, literally out-of-this-world creatures".

Zaia's name comes from a Greek word meaning "life" and the program says it is also close to "gaia," the living, self-aware spirit of Earth.

The cost of creating the show and the theatre has been officially put at more than $US150 million ($A168.4 million).

Among the many spectacular sets is a 25m-diameter moving sphere which contains six projectors beaming out 360-degree images, in turn, of a lantern, a hot-air balloon, Earth and the moon.

Costumes worn by the cast were designed by Dominique Lemieux, who said she was inspired by "the inventive ensembles and looks" that young people were creating for themselves around the world's cities.

Pasted to one wall in the basement dressing room area is a showcase of photographs of each performer's face - to remind them of the precise makeup required!

Zaia is shown daily except Wednesdays; the schedule is subject to change, and the theatre recommends checking www.cirquedusoleil.com.

Prices are from 388 Macau pataca (about $A52.40) for adults and from 194 pataca ($A26.20) for children aged two to 12.

Cirque du Soleil evolved from a street theatre group in the Quebec town of Bale-St-Paul in the early 1980s - they sang, danced, juggled, "ate" fire, and walked on stilts.

Led by Guy Lallberte, they proved a hit with the townsfolk and in 1982, under the name the High Heels Club, organised a cultural event for street performers from all over eastern Canada.

The success of the venture inspired Lallberte and his team to dream of creating a Quebec circus which would tour the country then the world.

Their big chance came in 1984 when they were chosen to present a show as part of Quebec City's celebrations to mark the 450th anniversary of Canada's discovery by French explorer Jacques Cartier.

They called it Cirque du Soleil (Circus of the Sun) and they haven't looked back since.

In 1984, 73 people worked for the company.

Now it's 1,000 artists plus more than 3,000 other employees, representing more than 40 nationalities and speaking 25 different languages.

Some 1,800 of them work at the circus's international headquarters in Montreal.

The 19 productions last year included touring shows in Europe (2), North America (2), Japan, Asia-Pacific and Asia-Middle East; resident shows in Las Vegas (7), Orlando in Florida, Macau and Tokyo; and two Arena shows in North America.

One of those in Las Vegas was at the downtown Aria Resort and Hotel: a tribute show to the music of Elvis Presley.

Heading the 2010 list is a return to London's Albert Hall with the show Varekai for five weeks ending on February 13 and other productions in Brazil and Mexico.

IF YOU GO

Macau is located at the mouth of the Pearl River in southern China, an hour by fast-cat ferry from Hong Kong.

Viva Macau airline (www.vivamacau,com, 02-9244-2314) ) flies to Macau direct three times a week from Sydney and twice from Melbourne (and return); Australians can also fly to Hong Kong by Cathay Pacific, Qantas or Virgin Atlantic then proceed to Macau by ferry, which leaves from either downtown Hong Kong or its international airport.

Accommodation and other details: call the Macau Government Tourist Office on (02) 9264-1488 or visit www.macautourism.gov.mo,

- AAP