Rumors have been floating around for years now: Cirque du Soleil will open more permanent venues inside and outside of the United States. Oft rumored sites are London, England; Paris, France; Tokyo, Japan; Berlin, Germany, New York City, New York (USA); and many others.
Just last month Cirque du Soleil stunned the Cirque fan community with the announcement of an agreement with the Oriental Land Co, Ltd. and the Walt Disney Company to open a permanent theater at the Tokyo Disneyland Resort. But now, two more cities have been fancied in the rumor mill: Miami Beach and Singapore.
Miami Beach — The Miami Herald and WTVJ-TV (NBC-6) ran independent stories the week of May 10th highlighting the possibility that Cirque du Soleil will bring its brand of entertainment to South Beach’s Jackie Gleason Theater. Details are slim, however, the Jackie Gleason performing arts theater is due to be renovated soon to make way for a new performance theater in Downtown Miami and would be ripe for a 47-week stint by Cirque du Soleil. “That is what Cirque du Soleil is doing now, looking at the box that is the theater to see if it works,” Miami Beach City Manager Jorge Gonzalez said in NBC-6’s coverage. But, a spokeswoman for Cirque cautioned against getting too excited: “We’re prospecting many cities in many countries. There’s been rumors like that in London, New York,” said Renée-Claude Ménard. “We do all kinds of prospective work.”
Singapore — And from the Las Vegas Sun: MGM Mirage, which is bidding to build a casino resort in downtown Singapore, will use Cirque du Soleil Inc.’s shows to boost its proposal, the Business Times reported, citing Chief Executive Terrence Lanni. The Las Vegas-based casino operator said 500,000 people have seen its 15 shows in the U.S. gaming hub, generating $500 million in revenue, the paper said, citing Lanni. The company has an exclusive partnership with Montreal-based Cirque, known for its elaborate theatrics in its circus acts. MGM Mirage would also work with PaceWildenstein Gallery in New York, which features artists such as Jean Debuffet and Pablo Picasso, to bring collections to Singapore, the paper said. The gallery brought in Claude Monet paintings displayed at its Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas, the paper said.
[Source: NBC6 Miami, Miami Herald, Las Vegas Sun ]
