Workers push up one section of the Cirque du Soleil “Luzia” Big Top Friday afternoon at Marymoor Park. The show will run March 30-May 21. For ticket information, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.
A team of more than 60 men and women worked for several hours over the weekend to pound pegs, unfurl the canvas and push more than 100 supporting poles to make the intimate tent take its shape.
A few facts about the Big Top and the Cirque du Soleil village:
· The Big Top seats more than 2,600 people.
· The entire site set-up takes eight days. This includes installation of the Big Top, the entrance tent, the VIP tent and the rehearsal spaces.
· The Big Top stands 62 feet high and is 167 feet in diameter.
· The four steel masts stand 82 feet tall each.
· 550 pegs are required to hold the big top firmly to 48,500 square feet of asphalt.
· The Big Top can withstand winds up to 75 mph.
· The light-coloured canvas helps counter the effects of the sun, thereby reducing energy consumption and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
· “Luzia” travels via 65 trailer trucks carrying close to 2,000 tons of equipment
