Toruk - The First Flight

Toruk- the First Flight was a touring show performed by Cirque du Soleil between 2015 to 2019. The show had a four year run, ending on June 30, 2019.https://twitter.com/officialavatar/status/1138121359874244609
It is set thousands of years before the events of the films, detailing the adventures of the first Toruk Makto. Joshua Izzo has stated that the story is considered canon to the Avatar series. In the first film, Neytiri mentioned that Toruk brought the clans together in a time of great sorrow and all Na'vi know the story, and she is presumably referring to the story shown in the show.
A DVD version of the two-hour event, exclusively sold at Toruk tour dates, was released in July 2016.https://www.richasi.com/Cirque/Telemagk/dvd34.htm The DVD was also briefly available in December 2019 on the Cirque online store.http://avatarsequels.com/toruk-the-first-flight-dvd-now-available-online-from-cirque/. The show is also available on Amazon Prime Video through BroadwayHD, either with a BroadwayHD subscription or through a free trial.https://www.amazon.com/Cirque-Soleil-TORUK-FIRST-FLIGHT/dp/B07DJ5WTM4
==Plot==
The story takes place on Pandora, around 3,000 years prior to the events of the film.https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/videos/1282373775121924/
When a natural catastrophe threatens to destroy the sacred Tree of Souls, Ralu and Entu, two Omatikaya boys on the brink of adulthood, fearlessly decide to take matters into their own hands. Upon learning that Toruk can help them save the Tree of Souls, they set out, together with their newfound friend Tsyal, on a quest high up in the Floating Mountains to find the mighty red and orange predator that rules the Pandoran sky. During their journey, the three protagonists explore the lands of the four other Na'vi clans to get special objects to help with their summoning goals. Prophecy is fulfilled when a pure soul rises among the clans to ride Toruk for the first time and save the Na’vi from a terrible fate.http://www.comingsoon.net/extras/news/627281-cirque-du-soleils-avatar-show-toruk-the-first-flight-starts-its-runhttps://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/on-stage/review-cirque-du-soleil-s-toruk-is-all-heart-1.694423
==Development==
Talks on the project go back as far as 2009, when Danielle Lamarre, the president of Cirque du Soliel, was invited to Avatar's cutting room floor. James Cameron collaborated with the group in 2012, presenting the video recording of the live show Worlds Away.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1792647/?ref_=nm_flmg_msc_2 Toruk was greenlit in May 2014, some five years after those initial talks.https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/press/news/2014/avatar-james-cameron-cirque-du-soleil-creative-partnership-29-mai-2014.aspx
A series of acrobatics tests were done during February 2015,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vXLnljpqxc ahead of the official unveiling that May.
The stage show features a degree of puppetry in order to animate the wild and diverse creatures of Pandora. Notably the Toruk will be created using reverse-string puppetry, with the puppeteer beneath the creature. Other creatures include Viperwolves and Direhorses, as well as two creatures new to the franchise- the Austrapede and Turtapede.https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/toruk/inside-creators-studio, Exclusive content 
Toruk features multimedia integration, one of which is a mobile app that gives showgoers information about the show, the ability to influence visual effects during the performance, and other interactive content. The SAP HANA platform helps feed information back and forth between the audience and the show's visual effects control system, giving spectators a different experience depending on their app interaction and location in the theater.https://news.sap.com/sap-makes-audience-part-of-cirque-du-soleils-toruk-the-first-flight-with-new-interactive-mobile-experience/
The Storyteller was originally described as the last of the Anurai Clan in early promotional material. This was later changed to help Raymond O'Neill's connection to the role. The media guide would later be updated to reflect the Storyteller being a member of the Omatikaya clan and the character is listed as such in the show's script.http://www.comingsoon.net/extras/news/434501-cirque-du-soleil-reveals-avatar-inspired-touring-showhttp://avatarsequels.com/thestoryteller/
==Promotion==
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The musical was unveiled publicly that April. As part of the announcement, a promotional website was launched, featuring a JavaScript-based point and click search game about exploring Pandora. The game revealed more lore and information about the Omatikaya, Tipani, Anurai, Tawkami and Kekunan clans. The website marked the first official appearance of the Kekunan.
That October, a special performance was made ahead of the opening night for the media. Further promotion was made through Facebook and other social media, including a ticket-giveaway quiz in November.https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/posts/1278043138888321
==Production Credits==
The project was handled by an ambitious team of artists from various companies. Notably this included James Cameron, Jon Landau, Kathy Franklin and Richard Baneham from Lightstorm Entertainment.
*Guy Laliberté and Jean-François Bouchard – Creative Guides
*Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon – Show Writers and Directors, Multimedia Directors
*Neilson Vignola – Director of Creation
*Carl Fillion – Set and Props Designer
*Kym Barrett – Costume and Makeup Designer
*Tuan Le and Tan Loc – Choreographers
*Bob & Bill – Composers and Musical Directors
*Jacques Boucher – Sound Designer
*Alain Lortie – Lighting Designer
*Patrick Martel – Puppet Designer
*Germain Guillemot – Acrobatic Performance Designer
*Pierre Masse – Rigging and Acrobatic Equipment Designer
===Cast===
Some characters have multiple actors- this is sometimes done in theater to facilitate speedy costume changes, or in some cases to provide rest breaks for actors performing strenuous acrobatics.
*Gabriel Christo & Jeremiah Hughes as Ralu
*Daniel Crispin & Guillaume Paquin as Entu
*Giulia Piolanti & Zoé Sabattié as Tsyal
*Raymond O'Neill as The Storytellerhttps://www.cirquedusoleil.com/toruk/behind-scene/photo/
*Priscilia Le Foll as The Shaman
==Home Media Release==
Filming for the DVD release was finished at the January 14-17, 2016 shows at the Centre Videotron. The announcement was made via the show's Facebook page the day photography concluded.https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/photos/a.1122793164413320.1073741826.1087940301231940/1314514921907809/?type=3&theater The DVD was released in July 2016, with the main show footage coming from its Montreal world premiere.
 The DVD also includes the Toruk Takes Flight behind-the-scenes documentary, which first premiered in December 2015 on Bell 5 TV's community channel, TV1.http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cirque-du-soleil-media-presents-toruk-takes-flight-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-the-creation-of-a-multimedia-experience-inspired-by-james-camerons-avatar-and-imagined-by-cirque-du-soleil-only-on-bell-fibe-tv1-2015-12-14 The DVD is only sold during the show's tour dates.https://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=9487 TV1 also aired the show in 4K and HD, with no plans so far to release said versions on home video.https://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=9487
A soundtrack was released on February 5th, 2016; the album became available for preorder on January 22nd.https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/photos/a.1122793164413320.1073741826.1087940301231940/1317793048246663/?type=3&theater
Both Toruk- The First Flight and the Toruk Takes Flight documentary are available to stream on Amazon Prime Video through BroadwayHD. Both are available through a BroadwayHD subscription or through a free trial of the BroadwayHD service.https://www.amazon.com/Cirque-Soleil-TORUK-TAKES-FLIGHT/dp/B07DJ3NXM6
==Touring Locations==
The tour is composed of several legs. Following a media-only premiere in Omaha, Nebraska, the show began a two year tour across North America. From November 2015 to March 2017, the show was performed at 57 cities in the US, Mexico and Canada. A 2016 performance in Raleigh was cancelled in response to North Carolina's HB2 legislation,https://www.facebook.com/notes/cirque-du-soleil/cirque-du-soleil-will-not-perform-in-north-carolina/10153690474037675 which many view as being discriminatory.http://gawker.com/logic-and-human-decency-dont-seem-to-matter-much-in-nor-1766888407 A number of other events and performances in North Carolina were cancelled by both Cirque and other organizations.
A short second leg from July 2017 through to June 2018 toured Asia and Oceania, visiting 13 cities. This was followed by a lengthier European tour, opening in Cologne that October. The European tour ran until July 2019, concluding in London.
In total, the show was performed in 97 cities, discounting the media-only premiere.
North American tour, 2015-17 	North American tour, 2015-17 	North American tour, 2015-17 	North American tour, 2015-17
Venue 	Country 	Opens 	Closes
Omaha, Nebraska 	USA 	October 28 2015 	(media-only premiere)
Bossier City, Louisiana 	USA 	November 12 2015 	November 14 2015
Lafayette, Louisiana 	USA 	November 20 2015 	November 22 2015
Richmond, Virginia 	USA 	November 27 2015 	November 29 2015
Allentown, Pennsylvania 	USA 	December 4 2015 	December 6 2015
Worcester, Massachusetts 	USA 	December 11 2015 	December 13 2015
Montreal, Quebechttps://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-First-Look-at-Cirque-du-Soleils-New-AVATAR-Inspired-Show-TORUK-20151222 	Canada 	December 21 2015 	January 3 2016
Toronto, Ontario 	Canada 	January 7 2016 	January 10 2016
Quebec, Quebec 	Canada 	January 14 2015 	January 17 2015
Auburn Hills, Michigan 	USA 	January 22 2016 	January 24 2016
Houston, Texas 	USA 	February 11 2016 	February 14 2016
North Little Rock, Arkansas 	USA 	February 17 2016 	February 21 2016
North Charleston, South Carolina 	USA 	February 26 2016 	February 28 2016
Sunrise, Florida 	USA 	March 3 2016 	March 6 2016
Miami, Florida 	USA 	March 10 2016 	March 13 2016
Tampa, Florida 	USA 	March 17 2016 	March 20 2016
Tulsa, Oklahoma 	USA 	March 24 2016 	March 27 2016
Kansas City, Missouri 	USA 	March 30 2016 	April 3 2016
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 	USA 	April 6 2016 	April 10 2016
Louisville, Kentucky 	USA 	April 28 2016 	May 1 2016
Cincinnati, Ohio 	USA 	May 4 2016 	May 8 2016
Columbus, Ohio 	USA 	May 11 2016 	May 15 2016
Hamilton, Ontario 	Canada 	May 20 2016 	May 22 2016
London, Ontario 	Canada 	May 25 2016 	May 29 2016
Providence, Rhode Island 	USA 	June 1 2016 	June 5 2016
Duluth, Georgiahttp://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2015/oct/26/cirque-du-soleil8217s-8216avatar8217-inspired/ 	USA 	June 15 2016 	June 19 2016
Raleigh, North Carolinahttps://www.facebook.com/notes/cirque-du-soleil/cirque-du-soleil-will-not-perform-in-north-carolina/10153690474037675	USA 	June 22 2016 	June 26 2016
Ottawa, Ontario 	Canada 	June 30 2016 	July 3 2016
Denver, Colorado 	USA 	July 21 2016 	July 24 2016
Lincoln, Nebraska 	USA 	July 27 2016 	July 31 2016
Chicago, Illinoishttp://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/news/ct-cirque-du-soleil-avatar-toruk-chicago-story.html 	USA 	August 3 2016 	August 7 2016
Indianapolis, Indiana 	USA 	August 10 2016 	August 14 2016
Birmingham, Alabama 	USA 	August 19 2016 	August 21 2016
Nashville, Tennessee 	USA 	August 24 2016 	August 28 2016
Evansville, Indiana 	USA 	September 1 2016 	September 4 2016
Brooklyn, New York 	USA 	September 7 2016 	September 11 2016
Newark, New Jersey 	USA 	September 14 2016 	September 18 2016
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 	USA 	September 22 2016 	September 25 2016
Minneapolis, Minnesota 	USA 	September 28 2016 	October 2 2016
Winnipeg, Manitoba 	Canada 	October 5 2016 	October 9 2016
Fresno, California 	USA 	October 27 2016 	October 30 2016
Ontario, California 	USA 	November 2 2016 	November 6 2016
Los Angeles, California 	USA 	November 11 2016 	November 13 2016
Phoenix, Arizona 	USA 	November 16 2016 	November 20 2016
San Diego, California 	USA 	November 23 2016 	November 27 2016
Sacramento, California 	USA 	November 30 2016 	December 4 2016
Portland, Oregon 	USA 	December 7 2016 	December 11 2016
Vancouver, British Columbia 	Canada 	December 14 2016 	December 18 2016
Edmonton, Alberta 	Canada 	December 22 2016 	December 26 2016
Inglewood, California 	USA 	January 12 2017 	January 15 2017
Witchita, Kansas 	USA 	January 26 2017 	January 29 2017
New Orleans, Louisiana 	USA 	February 1 2017 	February 5 2017
Guadalajara 	Mexico 	February 10 2017 	February 12 2017
Mexico City 	Mexico 	February 16 2017 	February 19 2017
Monterrey 	Mexico 	February 23 2017 	February 25 2017
Cleveland, Ohio 	USA 	March 3 2017 	March 5 2017
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 	USA 	March 8 2017 	March 12 2017
Hartford, Connecticut 	USA 	March 15 2017 	March 19 2017
Dayton, Ohio 	USA 	March 22 2017 	March 26 2017
Asia and Oceania tour, 2017-18 	Asia and Oceania tour, 2017-18	Asia and Oceania tour, 2017-18	Asia and Oceania tour, 2017-18
Venue 	Country 	Opens 	Closes
Manila 	Philippines 	June 23 2017 	July 2 2017
Taipei 	Taiwan 	July 6 2017 	July 18 2017
Christchurch 	New Zealand 	September 1 2017 	September 10 2017
Auckland 	New Zealand 	September 15 2017 	September 24 2017
Brisbanehttps://www.brisbanekids.com.au/cirque-du-soleil-brisbane/ 	Australia 	October 5 2017 	October 15 2017
Sydneyhttp://www.qudosbankarena.com.au/Event_Calendar/Toruk_The_First_Flight.aspx 	Australia 	October 19 2017 	October 29 2017
Melbournehttp://www.melhotornot.com/toruk/ 	Australia 	November 2 2017 	November 12 2017
Adelaidehttps://playandgo.com.au/index.php/toruk-first-flight-cirque-du-soleil-adelaide-16-19-nov-2017/ 	Australia 	November 16 2017 	November 19 2017
Perthhttps://www.broadsheet.com.au/perth/city-file/article/cirque-du-soleil-returns-perth-toruk 	Australia 	November 24 2017 	December 3 2017
Dubai 	UAE 	January 4 2018 	January 16 2018
Sanya 	China 	February 1 2018 	May 1 2018
Kallang 	Singapore 	May 24 2018 	June 3 2018
Bangkok 	Thailand 	June 14 2018 	June 24 2018
Beijinghttp://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1105306.shtml 	China 	August 1 2018 	August 12 2018
Shanghaihttp://www.smartshanghai.com/event/52794 	China 	August 16 2018 	August 26 2018
European tour, 2018-19 	European tour, 2018-19 	European tour, 2018-19 	European tour, 2018-19
Venue 	Country 	Opens 	Closes
Cologne 	Germany 	October 25 2018 	October 28 2018
Hamburg 	Germany 	October 31 2018 	November 4 2018
Berlin 	Germany 	November 7 2018 	November 11 2018
Turin 	Italy 	November 15 2018 	November 18 2018
Bologna 	Italy 	November 22 2018 	November 25 2018
Frankfurt 	Germany 	November 28 2018 	December 2 2018
Zagreb 	Croatia 	December 7 2018 	December 9 2018
Barcelona 	Spain 	January 18 2019 	January 27 2019
Madrid 	Spain 	January 30 2019 	February 3 2019
Pamplona 	Spain 	February 6 2019 	February 10 2019
Milan 	Italy 	February 14 2019 	February 17 2019
Lyon 	France 	February 20 2019 	February 24 2019
Bratislava 	Slovakia 	February 28 2019 	March 3 2019
Krakow 	Poland 	March 6 2019 	March 10 2019
Antwerp 	Belgium 	March 14 2019 	March 17 2019
Moscow 	Russia 	April 19 2019 	May 5 2019
Saint Petersburg 	Russia 	May 8 2019 	May 12 2019
Helsinki 	Finland 	May 15 2019 	May 19 2019
Vilnius 	Lithuania 	May 22 2019 	May 26 2019
Prague 	Czechia 	May 31 2019 	June 2 2019
Munich 	Germany 	June 5 2019 	June 9 2019
Zurich 	Switzerland 	June 12 2019 	June 16 2019
Manchester 	United Kingdom 	June 20 2019 	June 23 2019
London 	United Kingdom 	June 26 2019 	June 30 2019
==References==
ru:Торук — первый полет
Category:Live Events
Category:Toruk - The First Flight
Category:Home Videos