Three Texas A&M College of Architecture graduates have literally run off with the circus—not just any circus, but the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil, the Montreal-based company whose spectacular shows dazzle audiences worldwide with high-tech sets and the gravity-defying routines of its performers.
Jon Mytyk ‘01, and Joann McKee ‘03, received Bachelor of Environmental Design degrees from Texas A&M’s Department of Architecture and are working on Cirque’s newest show, which is being created in a new, custom-built theater in the People’s Republic of China Special Administrative Region of Macau, 40 miles west of Hong Kong. The theater is in the Las Vegas-style Venetian Macao resort on Macau’s Cotai Strip, a master-planned development of resorts and casinos.
Mytyk is the show’s head of projections, and McKee is a technical department coordinator.
Cirque du Soleil’s shows feature a storyline set to live music, but the as-yet unnamed show’s particulars are a closely guarded secret. “We have seen the storyboards and pre-visualization of the show,” he said. “It’s going to be amazing, but unfortunately it’s under wraps until the premiere.”
The show is scheduled to debut in late August, he said.
“My responsibilities for the Macau show start with the projections system,” he said. “I have a small crew to help me take care of the installation.”
After the show opens, “we will shift our focus to the maintenance of the equipment during the creation and operations period of the show,” he said. “After we settle in to the operations period, our main purpose will be to keep the artistic imagery of the show constant. A great deal of time, energy and talent goes into creating a show of this magnitude and it is a full-time job to keep it looking as intended.”
Mytyk’s globetrotting experience with Cirque began when he heard about a position at “KÁ,” a permanent Cirque show in Las Vegas. “I applied online and was offered a phone interview a few weeks later. It worked out that I fit their requirements,” he said.
His education at the College of Architecture helped him get the job. “I finished my bachelor’s of environmental design under the Viz track that prepared me for the computer graphics and spatial thinking for the technical aspects of KÁ,” he said. “I had quite a bit of experience outside of school setting up and running live events in College Station, Austin, and Dallas. I think the combination of school plus outside experience was the key in getting the job at KÁ.”
KÁ is the story of a royal twin brother and sister who do battle with adversaries bent on wreaking havoc in a mythical Far East empire. Mytyk was lead projections technician in the show, which has a permanent home at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.
In KÁ, which The New York Times called “technically dazzling,” Mytyk oversaw 3 projectors powered by one media server, but in Macau he’ll be working with 14 projectors powered by 10 media servers. “Looking from the outside in, it’s unreal what we build,” he said. “Now, after knowing how it’s built, I still find it amazing.”
“If any Aggies make it over to Macau I’ll be happy to show them around after we open,” he said. He can be contacted at Jon.Mytyk@cirquedusoleil.com.
George Bailas, who graduated with a Bachelor of Environmental Design in 2004, is a special effects tech at “KÁ.”
“Our main priority is the pyrotechnics,” he said. “We handle, inventory, set up, and take down all the pyro effects and pieces for each show. Special effects also include all of the atmospheric effects including cold fog, smoke, and flame effects. Since the show is based on the properties of fire, it keeps us busy throughout the night.”
Bailas and his co-workers are also responsible for keeping all of the effects on stage and away from the audience.
“Because of all the pyro and atmospherics, we are in a constant battle with keeping the audience separated from the theatre effects and illusions via an air curtain. This helps to keep the things that are meant to happen on stage right where they need to be, and not drifting into the house.”
Bailas learned of the job through Mytyk.
“He said the effects department was in need of someone who had fabrication skills and general design know-how, along with other useful skills such as computer-aided design,” said Bailas.
He remembers many at the College of Architecture as having been positive influences on him. “In no particular order, Rodney Hill, John Fairey, Jill Mulholland, Chuck Tedrick, Tom Rusnak, Mary Saslow, John Hamblett and Wes Henderson are a few I will never forget,” he said.
Bailas said his education from the college greatly helped him at KÁ.
“I think the best preparation came from my design classes in helping develop a process for problem solving,” he said. “No matter where you go or what you do, that knowledge is priceless.”
“I also found it helpful to do studio classes and interact with others during the design process,” he continued. “There is a lot of compromise in this industry when it comes to getting projects done and having to balance the cost of an effect versus the appearance to the artistic directors. Making everyone happy is a difficult task.”
Bailas has taken a liking to living in Las Vegas.
“I really like the 24-hour lifestyle,” he said. “It reminds me of College Station, how things close real late.”
There’s some ups and downs to living in the gambling capital of America.
“I’m an outdoor person, so having a lot of access to nearby national parks is a plus, and California is only a couple of hours away,” he said. “On the down side, since it’s primarily a tourist city, the traffic is pretty horrible. Then there’s the summer heat that’s enough to make you want to live at the North Pole.”
