Cirque du Soleil's 'Echo' finally premieres after pandemic delay

Cirque du Soleil's Echo premieres in Montreal under the big top in the Old Port after a pandemic delay.

The original production, titled Under the Same Sky, was supposed to open in March 2020 but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Es Devlin was the original writer-director, but Mukhtar Omar Sharif Mukhtar was brought in to take over creative direction just before the show was cancelled.

Mukhtar however ensured fans of the show that Echo still includes many of the creative elements Devlin brought to the table.

“The universe, the signature style of the show, had already been started on when Es Devlin was on the show,” said Mukhtar.

“I wanted to get a feel for what Es Devlin wanted to say to the audience, what was her inspiring message. Then I took that and I built from that. There were a lot of good things she did in the show and we just came in and added extra layers to it, to where it is today.”

“We definitely have high-level acrobatic performances in the show,” said Mukhtar.

“We have to. It’s the Cirque’s DNA. You can’t have a Cirque show without having high-level acrobatics. But we had to approach the performances and the acrobatics and make sure they fit this universe that we’re creating. We didn’t want to bring in an act just because it was cool.”

Cirque du Soleil shows combine circus styles from various parts of the world and are built around a central theme and narrative. The productions feature live music throughout, and performers are responsible for moving the props instead of stage crew.