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Meet the creative team behind ‘Odysseo’

Posted at 11:02 AM, May 25, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-25 13:02:51-04

star-sponsored-nativeThe following is sponsored by Odysseo by Cavalia.

The Creative Team                         

Artistic Direction – Normand Latourelle

In his 40-year career in the performing arts, Normand Latourelle has followed a path that has led him through all aspects of the industry, having occupied every position from lighting designer to agent, production manager, director, and artistic director. A pioneer of Cirque du Soleil from 1985-1990, he has been the driving force behind many impressive and memorable events, such as the sound and light show on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and the 350th anniversary celebrations for the founding of Montreal. A visionary in constant quest for expression and reinventing the scenic space, with the ultimate goal of taking audiences to new dimensions. Since 2003, Normand Latourelle has been fully dedicated to his company Cavalia Inc., instilling his talent, passioin, and imagination into the productions. In 2007, he received the Ordre National du Québec for his achievements.

Direction – Wayne Fowkes

Born in Leeds, United Kingdom, Wayne Fowkes now lives in Austria with his family. He began his career as a singer and dancer in London’s West End, where he acted in several big shows. His career path led him to explore choreography and artistic direction, among other things, for television productions in United Kingdom and Europe. At age 30, he became resident director for Andrew Lloyd Webber. In 2000, Wayne took on a huge London venue, the Millennium Dome, as artistic coordinator. The same year, he became the artistic director for Notre-Dame de Paris, also overseeing its subsequent adaptations in eight different languages. Shortly after, in 2004, he became artistic director for the musical Don Juan. In 2007, he directed his very first production, Butterflies, presented in Beijing. For Wayne, working with horses in a creative environment is a totally new adventure and an eye-opening experience.

Set Design – Guillaume Lord

The versatile stage designer Guillaume Lord works in theatre, circus, dance, variety shows, rock concerts, and musicals in Canada and abroad. Over the past 18 years, he has worked with Serge Denoncourt (Hosanna), Marie Chouinard (Le nombre d’Ord), Jean Grand-Maitre (Ballets de l’Opera de Paris), and Gilles Maheu for whom he designed the sceonography of Zaia (Cirque du Soliel). He also designed the sets for Nomade and Rain (Cirque Eloize). With Odysseo, he takes up the challenge of creating the set-design for a much quicker and more physical star performer.

Visual Concept – Geodezik

The visual world created for Odysseo was conceived by Geodezik, a multimedia company specializing in video content production and system design for stage shows, public events, and permanent installations. The Montreal-based company also acts as a consultant for various stage and architectural designs. Geodezik offers a comprehensive vision in multimedia, from project design to final spectacle, by creating original content and new technology with the help of a community of visual artists and stage and new media professionals. Numerous artists have relied on Geodezik’s expertise for their stage and video concepts, including Justin Timberlake, Cher, Pink, Bette Midler, Cirque du Soleil, Tina Turner, Usher, Katy Perry, and Grubb. The visual world designed for Odysseo is meant to discreetly serve as an alternative echo for the scenic environment, all the while complimenting the lighting effects, scenography, and staged numbers of the show.

Music Composer – Michel Cusson

Michel Cusson’s work, both in jazz fusion composition and on the big and small screens (25 films and 19 TV series), has been recognized by some 30 awards in the Canadian arts. His musical contributions also include the score for the original soundtracks of major stage productions such as Kaleido and Era-Intersection of Time (Shanghai), Ulalena (Hawaii) as well as Cavalia and Odysseo. With Odysseo, Michel Cusson is teaming up for the fourth time with Normand Latourelle. He has once again created an emotional musical score for horses, artists, and spectators alike.

Costume Design – Georges Lévesque (1951-2011) and Michèle Hamel

The non-conformist artist and designer Georges Lévesque began his career in early 1965 and always pursued his uncompromising quest for beauty. In addition to his line of clothing, his career also includes designing stage costumes for Diane Dufresne and many other renowned artists. He has created costumes for more than 30 productions in various artistic fields, including Don Juan and Scheherazade. Georges Lévesque was recognized for his creative independence, his originality, and his loyalty to the great tradition of “couture”. As for Michèle Hamel, she began her career as a costume designer in 1977, after meeting film director Gilles Carles. Since then, Michèle Hamel has been credited in over 50 Canadian film and TV productions, and her talent has been widely recognized with numerous awards. Together, these uniquely talented and experienced designers have left their mark on the artistic scene in Quebec and across Canada.

Choreography – Darren Charles &Alain Gauthier

They each bring their talent and vision to this new production. Resident Artistic Director and Choreographer Darren Charles draws from his vast experience in ballet, contemporary dance, ethic movements, and acrobatics, and incorporates an imaginative fusion of styles into his choreographies. Choreographer Alain Gauthier collaborated on the first Cavalia show and numerous other large-scale productions. His expertise in acrobatic and aerial stunts proves invaluable.

Hair Designer – Louis Bond

A hair stylist and designer with many years of experience, his great reputation and artistic ability have earned him ten nominations to the Gala des prix Gémeaux, includikng the prize for “Best makeup and hair design”, in 2009, 2011, and 2013. Louis Bond is pursuing his career in theatre, on television sets, in the movies, and recently in the American production Mirror Mirror featuring Julia Roberts and Lily Collins. To add to his long list of accomplishments is his creative involvement with American magazines Vanity Dades and CACRS Puerto Rico, as well as Notre-Dame de Paris and Mil feuilles with the group Les éternelspigistes. Louis Bond joined the Cavalia family in 2006.

Makeup Designer – Jessica Manzo

Starting his career onstage as a classical dancer, she changed her direction to discover the backstage world and become a professional makeup artist. Jessica Manzo has been perfecting her craft for over 20 years in multiple fields such as cinema, television, photography, theatre, and circus performance. During this period she has also taught and trained over a dozen makeup artists and co-founded the makeup Salon Divine & Sybèle. Having worked front and back stage, side by side with directors, actors and artists, both locally and internationally, she knew to draw from her experiences and tap into Normand Latourelle’s inspiring vision to create the makeup designs for Odysseo.