Wow, what a wonderful event this was.
The Bell Gala - One Night Under a Blue Sky was a black tie gala dinner hosted by Bell in support of CAMH (Center for Addiction and Mental Health) at the Metro Toronto Convention Center on on October 11, 2011. I was invited in as Creative Director by my good friends at Circo de Bakuza, and enjoyed every step of the ride. The client was very supportive and ambitious (thanks Rick) and our team at Circo was working at peak efficiency. Not only were we encouraged to dream big, but we were enabled to pull it off without a hitch.
No small feat - the show was so big that we had to set up in a phantom rehearsal hall in a hangar near Pearson Airport for several days, to allow time for our crews to move into the MTCC on Saturday morning at 1:00 a.m. and begin loading everything in (at least, I think it was 1:00 a.m. - it's a all a blur.) Cast and crew = about 300.
The show featured Ballet Freedom from Kiev, the incredible fire troupe from France La Salamandre, and the angelic Zazi Trio from Holland, as well as some homegrown aerialists, gymnasts, dancers and models. All set to music by my soul brother Robert Marchand, who continues to outdo himself with every gig, and deftly directed/stage managed with warrior focus by the mighty Stefan Miljevic.
Well done everybody!
