(Above) These flying wheels carry artists onto the stage from the rafters. On the ground, they're used as acrobatic props, something like giant hamster wheels. Says Nesbitt, "Every time you put a new piece on stage, everyone says, 'Oh God, what are we going to do with this?' "



(Left) Twenty different countries are represented in the cast of 44 (which includes only one American). The staging was so sprawling, the troupe had to relocate twice during rehearsal - first to a car-manufacturing plant and then, when that became too small, to an abandoned airplane hangar.


(Below) "This balloon is quite a technical thing," says Nesbitt of the delicate, complex contraption that floats the main character around the stage for most of the show. Controlled by a harness, the vehicle requires four motors.

(Below) For the first time in any Cirque show, the songs have lyrics, but good luck understanding them - they toggle among English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Wolof, an African language.






(Left) The projection space used in the show is equivalent to four IMAX theaters. The group did a 10-day video shoot prior to rehearsals, but camera operators also project live images laced with special effects during the show.




(Below Left) It took a little under a year to rehearse the show, which features 11 musicians. "We have a tendency to put musicians in the background," says Nesbitt, "but this time, we wanted to have extroverts, artists, and musicians ready to be flown around the stage."