30 Hours in Regina
When a PR company reached out to invite me to an exclusive ‘behind the scenes’ opportunity of Cirque du Soleil’s Crystal- I couldn’t say no! It took some schedule juggling to make it work but my little family and I made it happen! I am always a YES girl and have a hard time saying no when opportunities come my way (I suffer from FOMO). Plus, the days have been long and cold lately and a little winter getaway was just what we needed! Bella was especially excited to go to ‘The Gina.’ LOL
I’ve seen a couple of Cirque du Soleil shows over the years and have always been in awe of the performers, the lighting, and the sets. The performances always leave me wondering “how do they do that?!” So touring backstage, meeting the performers, and viewing a rehearsal was the perfect opportunity for me to answer that question!
A number of local Saskatchewan bloggers, influencers, and media personalities were invited to take part in the backstage tour, and I was so honoured to be among them! I kept thinking to myself, “this is so cool! I’m like a real blogger.” :D It was also nice to get to meet the other attendees and follow each other on instagram (does anyone use the name tag feature?!).
Julie, the publicist for Crystal, was our tour guide and gave us the inside scoop on the show. I guess I should start by giving you a brief synopsis of Crystal. It’s Cirque’s very first show on ice! This is especially exciting for me as I have a low key love for figure skating. I skated for a few years as a kid (I wish I would have stuck with it) and it’s one of the only sports I like watching during the Olympics. Also- ‘I, Tonya?! So good. Anyways, Crystal, the namesake of the show, just doesn’t quite fit in. She takes the audience on a journey into an imaginary world she has created where she can find herself and be herself.
We got to check out the wardrobe department, which was obviously right up my alley. There were hairstylists, designers, and seamstresses working hard to get everything ready for the performance that night.
Some fun facts we learned in wardrobe:
they use over 40 different wigs in the show and each wig is worn for 2 shows before it needs to be restyled
there are over 2,000 costume pieces for the show
everything is custom made in Montreal
each performer is trained to do their own makeup
special shoes designed for running on the ice
Each performer has 2 pairs of skates, so they travel with over 80 pairs of skates, as well as a professional skate sharpener! Talk about a unique job.
We got to see some pretty cool stuff, like the artists stretching backstage, doing interviews, warming up, and rehearsing. You could tell it was just another day for everyone who works on Crystal, but for me it was an amazing, enlightening experience!
Later that evening, my daughter and I returned to watch the live performance of Crystal. Bella is two and a half and this was her first time experiencing a Cirque du Soleil show, or anything of that nature and she was shook. I spent half the show watching her and the other half watching the show. I loved seeing the amazement in her eyes, which is truly one of the best parts of being a parent. She lasted the whole show too, even though it was way past her bedtime so I was pretty proud of her for sitting through it (popcorn and candy helped of course). When it was over she said, “that was a good show, we need to buy that movie.” Too cute.
I was also thoroughly impressed with Crystal. The live music and spectacular lights really transformed the arena. I still can’t get over the raw talent of the performers. It is extra special watching the show move from the ice up to aerial. Highly recommend checking Crystal out!
After the show was over, the fun didn’t end. We got to check into our suite at The Hotel Saskatchewan for a luxurious overnight stay. The feeling of being in another world continued as we explored this regal and elegant hotel that is ‘exactly like nothing else.’
The Hotel Sask is so unique- it boasts a traditional shoe shine and barber shop, gourmet food and cocktails in Circa 27, as well as the Queen’s Suite, which we were lucky enough to tour. Bella referred to the hotel only as The Castle, and I didn’t even correct her.
The next day we were spoiled with room service from Circa 27, so naturally we had to have breakfast in bed. If you have kids, you know this like never happens. And it was delicious! After I savoured my fourth cup of coffee, we packed up and begrudgingly checked out. Peace out Hotel Sask, we’ll be back.
One final stop before we headed back to The Paris of the Prairies- The Saskatchewan Science Centre. I hadn’t been in years and Bella had never been so we thought it was worth a stop. She enjoyed it and it kept her busy for a couple of hours. Fun for the whole family. We didn’t have time to catch a movie at the IMAX, but maybe next time!
After that it was an over-tired tantrum from Bella not wanting to leave the Science Centre, then crashing in the car a few minutes later, a quick stop at McDonald’s and we were back on the road to Saskatoon.
A big thank you to Takt Communications for the invitation to Cirque, as well as The Hotel Saskatchewan for hosting us!
Xo Kk
