Varekai was the first of many Cirque du Soleil shows for Claudio Carneiro.

Joining a circus of such prominence is a dream of many young clowns and so it was for young Carneiro. Claudio was already a notable artist in the Brazil's clowning scene, having gained fame in such contests as "Sexta Cabaré" and "Lanterna Cabaré" among other shows. He was invited to audition for Cirque du Soleil and one year later was hired on during the final stages of Varekai's creation. The show was a great success and included numbers created by the young Carneiro. Cirque Du Soleil continued to pay royalties for his creations even many years after he left the show. At one performance in particular, Madonna was in attendance and told Carneiro that his number was her favorite of the night!