"Blame Canada" for another entertaining Cirque du Soleil show that's currently bouncing into town. This contemporary circus' latest offering, Dralion, is named after a mix of dragon and lion. Dralion is the 12th touring production from this company.
Windy City Times went behind the scenes to watch a rehearsal and get to know openly gay singer Cristian Zabala.
Windy City Times: Hola, Cristian. Is this your first time in Chicago?
Cristian Zabala: Yes, my first time.
WCT: You are from Buenos Aires?
Cristian Zabala: Yes. Have you been there?
WCT: Twice. Do you know of a bar called Amerika?
Cristian Zabala: It is a club. I used to work there. Before I joined Cirque I worked writing musicals and we would perform them at clubs. Amerika was one of them.
WCT: I remember they would have fire-twirlers.
Cristian Zabala: Yes—singers, drag queens and dancers. I was part of the show.
WCT: When was this?
Cristian Zabala: Oh, a long time ago. I joined Cirque in 2003 so before that.
WCT: How did you become a part of their troupe?
Cristian Zabala: I had been a gymnast for a long time, and did ballets and dance. I would get jobs in musicals because of this background. It was something I always did.
I never really liked circuses. I didn't like the animals onstage or the arenas. When I saw Cirque du Soleil I thought, "This is a show that is fantastic." It has music and acrobats. I thought it would be fun to do.
I was doing My Fair Lady and a friend told me there was a person in the Cirque show that sang like me. It was Dralion. I watched the show and decided I wanted to do it. I sent in my materials and Cirque called me to be an acrobat.
I worked in Alegria for four years as a tumbler. I did a Japanese tour with Dralion for almost two years. I then did a role in Quidam called Target, who is a dancer and clown similar to Peter Pan. I then came back to Dralion to sing again.
WCT: You can't run away from this show!
Cristian Zabala: [Laughs] I guess so.
WCT: You are focused just on singing in the show?
Cristian Zabala: Yes, but backstage I stretch, tumble and dance.
WCT: Just to keep flexible.
Cristian Zabala: Yes, exactly.
WCT: Describe the singing in Dralion.
Cristian Zabala: Basically, what I have to do is switch from countertenor voice to tenor voice. I have to go back and forth. The music is a mix [of] classical and music of the world. It is a mix of Indian music with rhythm and drums. It is very interesting. I really like it.
WCT: How many different languages are there in the singing?
Cristian Zabala: There is some written in Latin, some in Italian and then some gibberish. It is a mixture of everything. You will recognize things here and there. I think it is very smart because with the words a picture is in the listeners mind. Trying to understand the words makes people more alert. People can lose interest if it is all the same language sometimes.
WCT: Do you have a favorite moment in the show?
Cristian Zabala: Yes, when I take off my makeup! [Both laugh.] No, the hand-balancing act has the most beautiful song.
WCT: I just saw her practice that act. That flexibility was amazing. Do you wear crazy costumes?
Cristian Zabala: I have two costumes. None of them are crazy but kind of luxurious.
WCT: Do you work out to stay fit for the show?
Cristian Zabala: Yes, because when the body is in tune and right then the voice will be in tune. It is not possible to do one and forget the other. My training has always been complete from the body to the voice.
WCT; Have you had a favorite place to travel to?
Cristian Zabala: When I return to my home in Buenos Aires. After every 10 weeks we go to rest for two weeks.
WCT: Then you go to Recoleta, where the restaurants are, and have some dinner!
Cristian Zabala: Yes! I go to La Cabrera, and eat steak and empanadas.
WCT: Has Dralion been to Argentina?
Cristian Zabala: Not with Dralion but with Quidam, yes.
WCT: That must have been a homecoming.
Cristian Zabala: It was. I was dancing onstage but literally flying, I was so happy. I barely touched the ground! I was nervous, though. After so many years of traveling around the world it was interesting to come back home.
WCT: How is Dralion different from the other Cirque shows?
Cristian Zabala: It is older. It has been around about 15 years. It has evolved since it was done. This new version is different than the original. There are elements from the original but it has been changed. The music also has evolved.
It is different from the other shows because it has an essence that I particularly like with this company. It has integrity. So many modern shows are big and blah, blah, blah. So they bore me.
WCT: Did you see Evita while you were in New York?
Cristian Zabala: My friend Elena Roger plays Eva Peron. For many years we did shows with her in nightclubs.
WCT: Now she is with Ricky Martin.
CZ Exactly. She is super-talented. Ricky is great. I was expecting "Livin' La Vida Loca" and a gay boy, but he looked like a man!
Dralion moves from the Allstate Arena to the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St., June 27-July 1. Visit www.cirquedusoleil.com .
