Volume 2, No. 3. February 8, 2002
New Arrivals
It's a special
effects show!
Futuroscope Park in Poitiers, France, announces the arrival of Miroir
d'Uranie February 2, 2002. Measurements: 7,000-square-meter lake for a stage
(23,000-square feet), three water screens, 60 cannons jetting water 20 meters
high (66 feet) and one cannon shooting water 40 meters high (132 feet), nine
exploding geysers, nine arches of water, 16 fire valves shooting flames 8 meters
high (27 feet) and two shooting flames 20 meters high (66 feet), five balloons,
seven 3D CGI characters and one human cast member. Delivered by ECA2.
As the future-minded theme park geared up for a season focusing on the universe
and space travel, it asked the producer of its multimedia show on its Lake Theatre
to come up with a new show fitting this year's focus. ECA2 spent a year developing
and engineering the story of a fisherman who travels with a flying fish through
the universe to meet and name a young star.
Whereas ECA2's first show on Lake Theatre, The Lake of Images, was primarily
intended to show off dazzling multimedia effects, Miroir d'Uranie (which
translates as "Uranie's Mirror") has a storyline. "There are a lot of strong
effects, and at the same time there are very poetic moments," said Yves Pépin,
ECA2's president and artistic director.
The only human in the show is an elderly country fisherman, arriving at the
fishless lake to cast his line during the preshow. The show seems to begin with
a dance of colorful fountains, but the fisherman's shouting stops the show.
Claiming to have caught something, he points to a face that magically appears
in the mist over the lake. Mesmerized, he pines to find a way to meet the being,
and suddenly Billy la Bulle (Billy the Bubble) a cartoon flying fish appears
on a water screen and invites the fisherman to join him as they travel through
space in search of the mystery face. Transforming the fisherman into a cartoon
fish himself, they visit several ancient mythological societies from around
the world until discovering the young star, who must be named in order to turn
into a real star. The fisherman names the star Uranie, and in a flash of light,
the real fisherman appears walking across the lake toward the audience.
Miroir d'Uranie made its debut last Saturday for a select audience of
community friends and family members of park staff. Though Pépin hesitated
to claim the show a universal hit, he was pleased with the feedback he heard.
"I must confess, it was really, really a very big success," he said. "Sincerely,
I think everybody was very, very happy." The show will get an official opening
night gala for the national press in April.