In Cirque du Soleil’s ECHO, the musicians do not fade into the background. Rather, they play alongside the acrobats and stunning sets, contributing to the show’s storytelling by embodying characters of their own.
The company’s latest production opened in San Francisco on Nov. 20 and runs through Jan. 18 at Oracle Park. The musicians stay onstage for the whole performance, and violinist Nicole Sauder said the experience differs from that of the classical world she’s accustomed to.
“This role is so amazing because we really get to support the acrobats on stage… We’re helping them tell the story,” she said. “That's a fun role to be in, especially as someone who was doing straight classical concerts for a long time.”
The story of ECHO follows two main characters: FUTURE and her dog Ewai. A giant cube onstage (which loosely represents Earth) is covered in projections that depict it becoming increasingly damaged.
“This music — because it was written for the show to showcase the acrobats and set the mood for everything that they're doing — is very evocative,” Sauder said.
Alexander Wignall, keyboardist and band leader of ECHO agreed that the music uplifts the show’s message.
“We have a dark piece of music, evocative, like Nicole said, that sort of resembles the destruction of the earth,” Wignall said. “Then, we slowly work to build it back to its former glory. [The show focuses on] the relationship of animals and humans to Earth, and what we've done. I guess the title, ECHO, is like, every action we take has a ripple effect on nature and the planet itself.”
Sauder said learning to sing, perform, and be part of a big production with microphones — and not be in an orchestra pit — was a stretch at first.
“The musicians are on stage, which actually helps me with engagement because you can never fully ‘potato,’” the violinist said. “We have to embody a character, and our characters are kind of ambiguous. We're like the spirits of the forest.
“Having presence on stage in a different way, and not feeling like ‘I'm Nicole’ playing the violin, but that I'm just as much a part of this show as the people in the animal masks, that's been a fun challenge,” she continued.
When asked about his jazz background, Wignall said there is no room for musical improvisation in ECHO. But Sauder thinks some of the qualities that make Wignall a great band leader come from his musical experience.
“I would say that actually, your jazz brain serves you really well in this — especially in the band leader role — because you think very fast on your feet,” she said. “You know what'll sound good if something goes wrong in the moment and jump to different things. Maybe that's the jazz world.”
Cirque du Soleil was founded in Canada by former street performers and is now touring worldwide. Unlike Sauder and Wignall — who have been performing with Cirque for two years — vocalist, percussionist, and backup band leader Emilie Cleuver joined the company in 2019. She said she loves the way the acts, lighting, costumes, and music all come together.
She also mentioned how the performers don’t sing or talk in a real language onstage, but one that Cleuver and the others call “Cirquish.” Cleuver called the language mysterious, and described it as being phonetic rather than having known words.
“You can make your own interpretation, which I think is really nice for me. Normally I don't listen very much to lyrics,” she said. “In general, I like not knowing specifically what it's about but being able to make my own interpretation.”
These three musicians come from varied backgrounds.
Wignall is a jazz pianist from Adelaide, Australia and went to Bloomington University in Indiana to study music. Cleuver grew up in a musical family in the Netherlands. Her mother is the pop singer Bojoura, and her father played drums in the rock band Focus. She started playing drums young and likes a variety of genres, including funk, soul, world, and Cuban and West African music. Sauder started studying violin at eight years old, played with the San Diego Symphony for seven years, and is now a member of the New Century Chamber Orchestra.
On a video call with SF Classical Voice, all three musicians agreed the chance to work with the company known for its visually stunning sets, narrative plots, acrobatics, dancing, and music, has been a highlight in their careers.
Wignall waited a long time for the chance to join Cirque du Soleil.
“I decided to put in a tape,” he said. “I think I was in Adelaide teaching, and the company, seven years later, they finally looked at it. For a musician, it really did sound like the dream gig. To travel the world playing music and getting paid to do it is very much a privilege for any musician.”
