======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) T h e U n o f f i c i a l C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r ------------------------------------------------------------ E X P A N D E D I S S U E ------------------------------------------------------------ ======================================================================= VOLUME 10, NUMBER 12 December 2010 ISSUE #83e ======================================================================= Bonjour et bienvenue! Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. We have quite a lot in store for you inside this month - texts relating to the dual announcements in November of both ZARKANA, to play at Radio City Music Hall in New York City this coming June; and for the announcement of MICHAEL JACKSON THE IMMORTAL WORLD TOUR, set to begin its trek across North America also later next summer. But that's not all! In addition to all the latest news items posted to Fascination! Web and, of course, all the pertinent posts on Cirque du Soleil's various social widgets in our OUTREACH section (not to mention the updated touring schedules), we're also excited to conclude our exclusive interview with Mr. Jerry Nadal, Senior Vice-President of Cirque du Soleil Resident Shows division. Mr. Nadal sat down with our own Keith Johnson last month to speak frankly with us about Cirque's present and future in regards to its resident shows. You'll find the conclusion of this two-part interview within! Also, last, but not least, just a little house keeping notice: as of this issue we have closed out business with Yahoo Groups and removed the CirqueFascination mailing list from their servers. This is a function we've wanted to bring in-house for quite some time and finally got round to doing so. If you were on that email list and you still received our newsletter - great! That means everything worked out as it was supposed to. If you did not, please re-subscribe with us directly at www.cirquefascination.com. You'll find the subscribe button under ABOUT FASCINATION right on the front page, in the upper right-hand corner! Okay, so, let's get started! Join us on the web at: < www.cirquefascination.com > Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > - Ricky "Richasi" Russo =========== CONTENTS =========== o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues * BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre * Venue Shows -- Venue & Seasonal Productions o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets * Club Cirque -- This Month at CirqueClub * Networking -- Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Flickr o) Compartments -- A Peek Behind the Curtain * Historia -- Cirque du Soleil's History o) Fascination! Features * "Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour is On!" By: Cirque du Soleil, Press Room Materials * "Welcome Zarkana!" By: Cirque du Soleil, Press Room Materials * INTERVIEW /// "Jerry Nadal: Keeping the Value" (2 of 2) By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) o) Subscription Information o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= Cirque Radio City is... {Nov.04.2010} ------------------------------------------------- ... ZARKANA? Although not yet officially announced, the cat was let out of the bag on this one via a discovery on Cirque du Soleil's own mobile website, which an entrepreneurial fan found recently. Further investigation shows the name was trademarked on October 26, 2010; therefore, welcome ZARKANA! Cirque du Soleil is unveiling its latest highly acrobatic spectacle, premiering exclusively at the iconic Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Directed by the internationally acclaimed François Girard (The Red Violin, Silk), the show takes place in an abandoned theatre and follows a magician who has lost his love and with her, his magic has disappeared. As he cries and begs the Gods for her return he is plunged into a world inhabited by surreal creatures. The diverse cast of 71 international artists transports the audience into a fantastical and suspenseful world, blurring the boundaries between the real and imaginary. Coming Summer 2011. Stay tuned for an official announcement soon! Cirque at "Party for the Senses" {Nov.05.2010} ------------------------------------------------- Once again performers at Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba entertain guests at EPCOT's "Party for the Senses", a special engagement part of the Food & Wine Festival. # # # [Act 1 was] a female contortionist who twisted her body all around a cube-shaped frame. She stretched and bent and angled and posed. She moved parts of her body in directions I didn't know were possible. Act 2 featured a man, rolling in a giant hoop, to music. It was reminiscent of the German Wheel act that recently ended its run in Cirque's Downtown Disney show, "La Nouba," only this shirtless young man used a single hoop. His act garnered applause - as did his physique from some giggly women nearby who had clearly been enjoying the wine. The final act is the big set piece: A backdrop similar to the "La Nouba" finale is used and tumblers use trampolines to scale its side, propelling themselves to the top. Thrilling, as always. Also, two of the "La Nouba" characters - The Titan and Red Pierrot - join in. In between the acrobatic displays, Cirque musicians perform. They play music from the various Cirque du Soleil shows world- wide, so if you have seen more than one production you can play a game with yourself, trying to remember which show which tune comes from. It was fun to hear again the music that accompanied the chair-balancing act at "La Nouba." {SOURCE: The Orlando Sentinel} Caissee Invests in Cirque {Nov.06.2010} ------------------------------------------------- The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec - a holding company that manages public pension plans in Québec - has invested $25 million in the Cirque du Soleil, the Canadian Press has reported. # # # The cash is intended to help the Cirque broaden its name internationally, Caisse CEO Michael Sabia said in a speech to Montreal's Chamber of Commerce at the Palais des Congrès Thursday. The money will be invested along with a contribution from the Cirque into a production and development fund. Sabia said this was part of the Caisse's effort to help Quebec companies export their products around the world. {SOURCE: The Montreal Gazette} Cirque in London? [EXPANDED] {Nov.15.2010} ------------------------------------------------- An interesting blog post came up at Sky News HD, a component of BskyB in London, that suggests Cirque du Soleil is now actively looking for a permanent home in London through an advisory firm. Mark Kleinman of Sky News reports: # # # I have learned that the company's founder and majority shareholder, Guy Laliberte, has appointed Allen & Co, the specialist media and entertainment advisory firm, to identify prospective partners who could help establish a permanent residence for the acrobatic dance troupe-cum-circus in London. Cirque du Soleil's shows at the Royal Albert Hall have become a highlight in the capital's entertainment calendar. The news that it has begun a search for a dedicated new home in the city underlines its long-term commercial ambitions. I am also told that Allen & Co may have been given a broader mandate to identify potential new investors in the business, which I understand is keen to expand more aggressively into Asia. There may be a willing seller of part of the company. Istithmar World, part of the Dubai World conglomerate that has been caught up in the Emirate’s financial woes, holds a 20 per cent stake in Cirque du Soleil alongside Nakheel, a Dubai property investor. It’s understood that the Dubai shareholders cannot sell without Laliberte’s approval. As part of the company’s expansion, Allen & Co has also been asked to find investors for a production fund to produce two new shows (Zarkana in New York and Iris in Los Angeles). Cirque du Soleil has not only become a cultural success story, but a commercial one, too. It boasts annual revenue of well in excess of £350m and is valued by bankers at more than £1bn. That’s a good thing when you consider that Laliberte has expensive hobbies (as well as being a generous donor to charitable causes): last year he paid £22m to travel into space on a Russian spacecraft. He founded Cirque du Soleil in 1984, when he was a stilt-walker on the streets of Montreal before busking in Hyde Park to make a living when he moved to London. The company is now run day-to-day by Daniel Lamarre, a former television executive. A Cirque du Soleil spokeswoman confirmed that Allen & Co’s was helping to identify a partner for a new London home but said she was not aware of any prospective ownership changes. {SOURCE: SKY News} M. Laliberte Getting a Star {Nov.16.2010} ------------------------------------------------- According to aceshowbiz.com, Cirque du Soleil creator and guide - Guy Laliberté - will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame soon. The 2,424th star will be located outside the Kodak Theatre, where Cirque du Soleil's resident show IRIS will perform. James Cameron (Avatar, Titanic, Abyss) is expected to lead the tributes. {SOURCE: aceshowbiz.com} Cirque DVD 2-fers at… Costco? {Nov.20.2010} ------------------------------------------------- We were shopping last night at our local Costco Wholesale Warehouse (Seattle, WA). What did we find in the DVD section? Cirque! Cirque du Soleil DVD's in 2-packs to be exact. The combinations were: o) Alegria & Midnight Sun o) La Nouba & Quidam o) Varekai & Dralion o) Corteo & Journey of Man And the cost was a bargain - $12.88 for each 2-pack! We didn't see them online anywhere either. We had to pick up a set, they make great Christmas gifts. There must be an overstock of Cirque DVD's that Sony is trying to unload. Bargains for us! Cirque to Perform at 2010 Sprint Cup Awards {Nov.22.2010} ------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil will perform a portion of Viva ELVIS at the 2010 Sprint Cup Series awards ceremony Dec. 3 at Wynn Las Vegas, NASCAR announced Monday. The special performance - featuring dance, acrobatics and live music in celebration of the king of rock ‘n' roll, Elvis Presley - will be broadcast live on SPEED at 9 p.m. ET, as part of a special entertainment lineup. Viva ELVIS will entertain NASCAR fans in front of an audience that will include 2010 Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and other drivers who finished in the top 10 of the final series standings. The performance will present popular Presley songs in a contemporary form that includes the voice of the superstar. Since its world premier earlier this year, Viva ELVIS has received critical acclaim from top entertainment and news outlets with its powerful, exciting and larger than life exhibition of dance and acrobatics set to Presley's timeless songs. Viva ELVIS is offering NASCAR fans a special holiday offer of only $75 per ticket to experience the show at ARIA Resort & Casino at CityCenter in Las Vegas. Fans can call (877) 25-ELVIS and mention "HOLIDAY" for the discount. Champion's Week, a postseason celebration of fan-friendly activities, will conclude with the awards ceremony. For more information visit www.nascar.com/championsweek. {SOURCE: NASCAR} ‘Flowers in the Desert' to air starting Nov 27th {Nov.23.2010} ------------------------------------------------- Over the last 25 years, Cirque du Soleil has captured the imaginations of 100 million spectators in over 300 cities on five continents with an original mixture of circus arts, theatre, choreography, live music, imaginative costumes, technical innovations and an artistic vision that continues to challenge and entertain. Since 1993, Cirque du Soleil has produced seven original, permanent shows in Las Vegas, creating a garden of delights that has transformed the very nature of entertainment in this desert oasis. Now the artistic universe of Cirque du Soleil is captured in a new performance special, CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: FLOWERS IN THE DESERT, an extraordinary entertainment experience that is part of special programming premiering on PBS stations beginning November 27 and airing through December 2010 (check local listings). CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: FLOWERS IN THE DESERT presents mesmerizing performances, recorded in high definition, of Mystère, "O", KÀ, LOVE, and their latest production, Viva ELVIS , as well as sneak peeks of Zumanity and CRISS ANGEL® Believe . Behind the scenes interviews and backstage footage allow the viewers to explore the creative process behind the performances. CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: FLOWERS IN THE DESERT explores a garden of exotic flowers growing in the Nevada desert. Flowers open to reveal rich, imaginative worlds within, and as we enter one of these worlds, a Cirque show begins. This transformation provides our entry into and exit from the different worlds created by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. {SOURCE: Public Media Newswire} Review: ‘A Choreographer's Showcase' [EXPANDED] {Nov.23.2010} ----------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil and Orlando Ballet have a few things in common: A flair for the dramatic, a willingness to push boundaries and performers who know how to move. All three elements were thrillingly on display in the Cirque theater at Downtown Disney on Monday for “A Choreographer’s Showcase,” a special collaboration between the two organizations designed to stimulate and encourage artistic growth. “Creativity is something that can’t be taught,” said Denise Biggi, artistic director of Cirque’s resident Orlando show, “La Nouba.” “It can only be promoted and encouraged in programs such as these.” Nine short acts displayed the creativity of novice choreographers, as well as the dancers. But this was much more of a show than you might expect from an experiment: bold costumes, makeup that paid tribute to the Cirque look, and dynamic lighting cues gave the whole affair a polished sheen. “Rythmsphere,” the opening number choreographed by Orlando Ballet’s Chiaki Yasukawa, burst into life with the sound of tribal drumbeats and rhythmic, jerky movements from the ensemble that immediately suggested something primitive and raw. Tumblers flew across the stage, the skip-rope act from “La Nouba” swung into motion, and another world was conjured. Other acts featured more classical-leaning ballet — but often with a twist. A lovely duet between Dale Jordan of Orlando Ballet and Ryan Weston of Cirque du Soleil began with him leaping down the mountain at the side of the “La Nouba” stage while lightning lit the sky. Also making a striking couple: Orlando Ballet’s Brandon Nguyen, who showed matinee-idol charisma with Cirque’s Natalya Bashkatova, appealingly come-hither in a red slip of a dress. In “Tension,” Orlando Ballet’s Patric Palkens and Katia Garza manipulated a flowing sheet of white fabric between them, never escaping each other. A dramatic lift by Palkens, with the sheet tied to Garza’s feet, made a nice nod to La Nouba’s aerial silks act. Some were more fully staged with an obvious story line: “La Nouba” singer Ralph Daniel Rawe’s piece, “Night Song” told the story of a richly dressed couple (Orlando Ballet’s Jessica Sibley and Daniel Benavides, both elegant), who encounter a homeless woman (Bashkatova) in a public park. And one was just plain fun: A Lady Gaga tribute, choreographed by Weston, in which the four dancers — two male, two female — all strutted onstage in black high heels before shucking them for some serious footwork. {SOURCE: Orlando Sentinel} Do you BeLIEve in its music? {Nov.23.2010} ----------------------------------------------- It's been a very active Fall for Cirque du Soleil® soundtracks as the TOTEM and Viva ELVIS CD's were both released in the last few months. If you're a fan of CRISS ANGEL® Believe (and we know there are a few out there) we just got some news you should be aware of. A friendly source has advised us the Eric Serra-composed soundtrack to the show will be available in the Luxor BeLIEve boutique on December 8th, and available in the Cirque du Soleil online boutique on or about December 10! Right now Cirque du Soleil isn't sure if they will make the CD available through other retail outlets. So this may be that those two outlets may be the only way to get your hands on the CD. {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil Musique} Cirque in the Walk of Fame {Nov.26.2010} ----------------------------------------------- On November 22, Guy Laliberté received his star on famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, located strategically in front of the Kodak Theatre, where Cirque du Soleil will launch his IRIS production in July 2011. It is with emotion that Guy Laliberté said: "Today, I was simply the representative of everyone who has worked for Cirque du Soleil." Guy was surrounded by some characters from the shows - "O" from Las Vegas - and by two characters from the IRIS show: "Cameraman" and "Armchair". Also attending, director of Titanic and Avatar James Cameron saluted his "good friend Guy's" creativity and success. { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } Adding Artistry w/Synchronized Swimming [EXPANDED] {Nov.29.2010} -------------------------------------------------- Interested in Synchronized Swimming at either Cirque du Soleil's "O" or Franco Dragone's "Le Rêve"? Check out the following article from the New York Times! # # # Ludivine Perrin-Stsepaniuk and 13 other former elite synchronized swimmers perform in two shows a night five times a week at the Wynn Las Vegas, showing off world championship legs and red spike heels. For an impressive, if oxygen-aided, three minutes, the audience mostly sees 28 dancing legs above the surface of the water, showing off a distinctively choreographed aquatic version of the tango. The swimmers’ arms, meanwhile, are furiously churning. All together, more than 30 performers who have competed at the world-class level in synchronized swimming now appear in “Le Rêve” at the Wynn and in “O,” a Cirque du Soleil production at the Bellagio Resort and Casino. They are the most elaborate professional water shows in the United States, with a top ticket costing about $200. The deepening marriage of athleticism and artistry is changing synchronized swimming, an obscure Olympic sport that was memorably satirized in a 1984 “Saturday Night Live” sketch. “Le Rêve” and USA Synchro, the sport’s national governing body, have a sponsorship agreement “to combine resources,” said Sandra Mahoney, the national team director. The show, which opened in 2005, will support USA Synchro financially, as well as assist with choreography and acrobatic training for the athletes. “They, in turn, will be able to build our talent for the Olympics so that they have talent down the line,” Mahoney said. Perrin-Stsepaniuk, 26, retired from competitive synchronized swimming for France six years ago to turn pro and join “Le Rêve,” which means “The Dream.” Her husband, Raman Stsepaniuk, 32, is a former member of Belorussia’s national acrobatic team and now is an aerialist in the same show. He performs at heights of more than 65 feet; she performs in a pool full of former Olympians and the 16 scuba divers who provide them with oxygen. So many former elite athletes work in shows here that some jokingly refer to Las Vegas Boulevard as the Vegas Olympic Village. Many come to work for Cirque du Soleil, which produces seven shows on the Strip and employs 451 performers. “Synchronized swimming doesn’t have a professional league,” Mahoney said. “They found a really successful niche in Las Vegas; it’s a great thing,” she added, echoing other synchronized swimming coaches. Making the transition to entertainment is not always easy for the athletes. When “O” opened in 1998, said Pavel Brun, the show’s original artistic director, “it took a lot of time and effort for many of them to understand that they were no longer in sports; they were in the theater.” “Sometimes it was very hard for former Olympians to ‘step down’ to showbiz,” he said by phone from Moscow. “The biggest challenge was for them to realize that it’s not a step down at all, but a step into a completely different reality, where their athletic skills aren’t everything.” At the Bellagio, the job of transforming athletes is left to Maurizia Cecconi, a two-time Olympian for Italy and, until recently, a swimmer in “Le Rêve.” “In competitive synchronized swimming, it’s about face and arms,” she said. “As a performer, it’s more about feet. We tell them to imagine that at the end of their feet sticking out of the water is a telescope, and then tell them to make their feet act like they are surprised to be there, little by little, and finally, happy to see each other. We ask them to express happiness and sadness with their feet.” But the breathtaking display that may look easy to audiences is exhausting. “In addition to onstage rehearsals, we have personal trainers for overall physical preparation,” said Dacha Nedorezova, a former European champion from Russia who choreographed the tango. “We also offer dance, acrobatic training, aerial and acting.” Professional scouts searching for that rare combination of athletic skill and artistic aptitude handpick the performers. When Perrin-Stsepaniuk tried out for “Le Rêve,” she went through intensive water and land-based exercises that included learning dance choreography and demonstrating acting ability and other creative elements. In addition to her two nightly performances, she trains about two hours a day, often between shows. In the “O” show, traditional circus acts like trapeze, contortion, high bar and even high diving are combined with the synchronized swimmers, whose costumes include masks with three- foot-long hair. “There is something very enticing, sensual, athletic and beautiful about movement in the water,” said Chris Carver, a four-time United States Olympic synchronized swimming coach whose coaching career began in 1960. A big fan of both shows, she said she traveled to Las Vegas to watch seven of her former competitive swimmers perform. Many credit the Las Vegas shows for influencing the new direction of the sport to include more daring acrobatic moves. Using jumps, double back flips and handstands, choreographers are spicing up their swimmers’ routines with moves that have more than one coach worrying about injuries. “Everyone wants to increase the difficulty of their routine and the ‘wow’ factor,” Mahoney said. “The more acrobatics you do, the more difficulty points you get. Now it’s not a question of how risky is the move, but how many people can you lift, or does it spin up or down?” Competitors have welcomed the change, Carver said. “Synchronized swimming was becoming too ‘drill team,’ ” she said. “Swimmers wanted something different.” Carver cautioned that falling on water is like landing on concrete. “We need to regulate and ensure the safety of the athletes, a critical factor in our sport,” she said, “and we need to be free from the rise of concussions and impact-type injuries.” When Tammy McGregor coached the 2008 Olympic synchronized swimming team, she took her athletes to the Circus Center San Francisco to learn to integrate more acrobatics into their routines. Young girls, she said, “like the risk factor and basically want to do tricks in the water.” Unlike Mahoney, she said she thought these changes were less about the newer Vegas shows and more about an evolution of the sport. “It’s been coming since before the shows,” McGregor said. “The Russians have been really advancing the role of acrobatics in synchro. They have a swimmer who can jump 15 feet in the air.” “It’s a contact sport now,” she added. “So they can’t ridicule us anymore.” {SOURCE: New York Times} THE KING is Back on the Charts! {Nov.29.2010} ----------------------------------------------- Viva ELVIS - The Album is gathering worldwide momentum in the wake of its release on November 9. "Suspicious Minds," the first single, impacted radio in late October and is a bonus track on NOW 36, the latest installment in the best-selling, chart-topping Now That's What I Call Music anthology series of contemporary Top 40 smash hits. Viva ELVIS - The Album is charting around the world, going Top 40 or better in Canada, Sweden, the Netherlands, the UK, Belgium, Norway, Switzerland, Denmark and France while climbing the charts in Spain, Australia and Germany. {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil} Cirque + Orlando Ballet = $20,000 {Nov.30.2010} ----------------------------------------------- From the Orlando Sentinel: # # # Great news for the Orlando Ballet: Juan J. Escalante, the executive director, has confirmed the group made more than $20,000 through its collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. The two groups presented "A Choreographer's Showcase: A Project Designed to Stimulate and Encourage Artistic Growth" on Monday night at Cirque's Downtown Disney theater. A fairly full house watched performers from both groups present nine short experimental pieces. As part of its global citizenship initiative, Cirque du Soleil matched the money the ballet brought in for the performance. Cirque has a history of supporting Orlando Ballet, especially its youth-outreach program. The "Choreographer's Showcase" was based on a similar project in Nevada, and Monday night there was talk of making the collaboration an annual event here. That would be good news financially for the ballet - and good news artistically for Central Florida. {SOURCE: The Orlando Sentinel} Another Cirque Interview Podcast! {Nov.30.2010} ----------------------------------------------- As you might recall, we did a two-part article (Cirque In Your Ear, parts 1 and 2 - Feb & Mar 2010) talking about Las Vegas- oriented podcasts that featured interviews with Cirque creators and artists.  And now we have another to tell you about! Las Vegas, Nevada-based Steve Friess is a freelance writer who writes for a number of major publications as well as doing a Vegas-related podcast.  His (along with husband Miles Smith) November 14 Strip Podcast < http://www.thestrippodcast.com/ > featured an interview with Mystere clown and Cirque veteran Brian Dewhurst! Though not as long as some of the others we have listed they cover a lot of ground.  Dewhurst discusses growing up in a circus family, becoming involved with Cirque du Soleil, and what an artistic director does.  He also speculates on why Cirque has lasted so long.  And did you know Dewhurst appeared on the Ed Sullivan show and at one time held a Guinness world record? It's nice to hear from such a veteran circus performer.  As Friess says during the show, he likes to include some of the people who are not so well known within the Vegas show structure in his interviews.  Thanks, Steve! {SOURCE: The Strip Podcast} ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Corteo, Koozå, OVO, Totem & Varekai} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {Saltimbanco, Alegría, Quidam, Dralion & Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, ZAIA, ZED, Believe & VIVA Elvis} o) VENUE - Venue & Seasonal productions {Wintuk, Iris, & Zarkana} NOTE: .) While we make every effort to provide complete and accurate touring dates and locations available, the information in this section is subject to change without notice. As such, the Fascination! Newsletter does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of these listings. .) Dates so marked (*) are not official until released by Cirque du Soleil. For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts, please visit our website: < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. ------------------------------------ BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau ------------------------------------ Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=39 > Corteo: Moscow, Russia -- Oct 9, 2010 to Dec 12, 2010 Brussels, BE -- Jan 4, 2011 to Jan 23, 2011 Vienna, AT -- Feb 11, 2011 to Mar, 6, 2011 Madrid, ES -- Apr 2, 2011 to May 8, 2011 Valencia, ES -- Jun 16, 2011 to TBA Alicante, ES -- Jul 28, 2011 to TBA Sevilla, ES -- Sep 8, 2011 to TBA Paris, FR -- Nov 11, 2011 to TBA Koozå: Miami, FL -- Nov 12, 2010 to Jan 2, 2010 Tokyo, JPN -- Feb 2, 2011 to May 8, 2011 Osaka, JPN -- Aug 4, 2011 to Oct 10, 2011 Nagoya, JPN -- Nov 23, 2011 to Jan 22, 2012 Fukuoka, JPN -- Feb 9, 2012 to Apr 1, 2012 Sendai, JPN -- Apr 19, 2010 to Jun 3, 2010 Ovo: Atlanta, GA -- Nov 4, 2010 to Jan 2, 2011 Dallas, TX -- Jan 28, 2011 to Feb 13, 2011 Houston, TX -- Mar 10, 2011 to Mar 27, 2011 Cincinnati, OH -- Apr 21, 2011 to May 8, 2011 Minneapolis, MN -- May 26, 2011 to Jun 12, 2011 Chicago, IL -- Jun 30, 2011 to Jul 31, 2011 Seattle, WA -- Nov 17, 2011 to TBA Totem: Amsterdam, NL -- Oct 7, 2010 to Dec 22, 2010 London, UK -- Jan 5, 2011 to Feb 17, 2011 Charlotte, NC -- Mar 3, 2011 to Mar 20, 2011 Baltimore, MD -- Apr 7, 2011 to Apr 24, 2011 Pittsburgh, PA -- May 12, 2011 to May 29, 2011 Montreal, QC -- Jun 16, 2011 to Jul 17, 2011 Toronto, ON -- Aug 11, 2011 to Sep 4, 2011 San Francisco, CA -- Oct 21, 2011 to TBA Varekai: Barcelona, ES -- Nov 5, 2010 to Jan 2, 2011 Taipei, TW -- Jan 20, 2011 to Mar 6, 2011 Seoul, SKR -- Apr 6, 2011 to May 29, 2011 ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=1831 > Saltimbanco: Basel, CH -- Dec 1, 2010 to Dec 5, 2010 Budapest, HU -- Dec 8, 2010 to Dec 12, 2010 Nurnberg, DE -- Dec 15, 2010 to Dec 19, 2010 Antwerp, BE -- Dec 22, 2010 to Jan 2, 2011 Lille, FR -- Jan 5, 2011 to Jan 9, 2011 Paris, FR -- Jan 13, 2011 to Jan 16, 2011 Friedrichshafen, DE -- Feb 11, 2011 to Feb 13, 2011 Istanbul, TR -- Feb 18, 2011 to Mar 5, 2011 Johannesburg, ZA -- Mar 9, 2011 to Mar 20, 2011 Cape Town, ZA -- Mar 23, 2011 to Apr 3, 2011 Perth, AU -- Apr 21, 2011 to May 1, 2011 Adelaide, AU -- May 12, 2011 to May 20, 2011 Melbourne, AU -- May 25, 2011 to Jun 3, 2011 Hobart, AU -- Jun 15, 2011 to Jun 19, 2011 Brisbane, AU -- Jul 8, 2011 to Jul 15, 2011 Newcastle, AU -- Jul 20, 2011 to Jul 24, 2011 Sydney, AU -- Jul 27, 2011 to Aug 5, 2011 Wollongong, AU -- Aug 17, 2011 to Aug 21, 2011 Auckland, NZ -- Aug 25, 2011 to TBA Alegría: El Paso, TX -- Dec 1, 2010 to Dec 5, 2010 Oklahoma City, OK -- Dec 22, 2010 to Dec 26, 2010 Wichita, KS -- Dec 29, 2010 to Jan 2, 2011 Baton Rouge, LA -- Jan 5, 2011 to Jan 9, 2011 Colorado Springs, CO -- Jan 12, 2011 to Jan 16, 2011 Broomfield, CO -- Jan 19, 2011 to Jan 23, 2011 Loveland, CO -- Jan 26, 2011 to Jan 30, 2011 Laredo, TX -- Feb 2, 2011 to Feb 6, 2011 Hidalgo, TX -- Feb 9, 2011 to Feb 13, 2011 Corpus Christi, TX -- Feb 16, 2011 to Feb 20, 2011 Tulsa, OK -- Feb 23, 2011 to Feb 27, 2011 North Charleston, SC -- Mar 17, 2011 to Mar 20, 2011 Knoxville, TN -- Mar 23, 2011 to TBA Charlotesville, VA -- Mar 30, 2011 to TBA Atlantic City, NJ -- Apr 6, 2011 to Apr 10, 2011 Greensboro, NC -- Apr 13, 2011 to Apr 17, 2011 Biloxi, MS -- Apr 20, 2011 to TBA Southaver, MS -- Apr 27, 2011 to TBA Roanoke, VA -- May 4, 2011 to May 8, 2011 Columbia, SC -- May 11, 2011 to TBA Toledo, OH - May 18, 2011 to TBA Louisville, KY -- Jun 9, 2011 to TBA Nashville, TN -- Jun 15, 2011 to TBA Tampa, FL -- Jun 22, 2011 to TBA Jacksonville, FL -- Jun 29, 2011 to TBA Raleigh, NC -- Jul 6, 2011 to TBA Duluth, GA -- Jul 13, 2011 to TBA Sunrise, FL -- Jul 20, 2011 to TBA Charlotte, NC -- Aug 3, 2011 to TBA Estero, FL -- Aug 10, 2011 to TBA Oberhausen, DE -- Sep 7, 2011 to Sep 11, 2011 Leipzig, DE -- Sep 14, 2011 to Sep 18, 2011 Stuttgart, DE -- Sep 21, 2011 to Sep 25, 2011 Munich, DE -- Sep 28, 2011 to Oct 2, 2011 Salzburg, AT -- Oct 5, 2011 to Oct 9, 2011 Berlin, DE -- Oct 12, 2011 to Oct 16, 2011 Bremen, DE -- Oct 19, 2011 to Oct 23, 2011 cologne, DE -- Oct 26, 2011 to Oct 30, 2011 Frankfurt, DE -- Nov 2, 2011 to Nov 6, 2011 Mannheim, DE -- Nov 9, 2011 to Nov 13, 2011 Quidam: Kingson, ON -- Dec 11, 2010 to Dec 14, 2010 Montréal, QC -- Dec 18, 2010 to Dec 30, 2010 Quebec, QC -- Jan 4, 2011 to Jan 9, 2011 Chicoutimi, QC -- Jan 12, 2011 to Jan 16, 2011 Vancouver, BC -- Mar 9, 2011 to Mar 13, 2011 Everett, WA -- Mar 16, 2011 to Mar 20, 2011 San Jose, CA -- Mar 24, 2011 to Mar 27, 2011 San Diego, CA -- Mar 30, 2011 to Apr 3, 2011 San Francisco, CA -- Apr 6, 2011 to TBA Long Beach, CA -- Apr 20, 2011 to Apr 24, 2011 Ontario, CA -- Apr 27, 2011 to May 1, 2011 Reno, NV -- May 4, 2011 to TBA Sacramento, CA -- May 11, 2011 to TBA London, ON -- Jun 2, 2011 to TBA Hamilton, ON -- Jun 8, 2011 to TBA Wilkes-Barre, PA -- Jun 15, 2011 to TBA Ottawa, ON -- Jun 22, 2011 to TBA St. John's, NL -- Jul 6, 2011 to TBA Saint John, NB -- Jul 13, 2011 to TBA Providence, RI -- Jul 27, 2011 to TBA Hershey, PA -- Aug 18, 2011 to TBA Baltimore, MD -- Aug 31, 2011 to TBA Amherst, MA -- Sep 7, 2011 to TBA State College, PA -- Sep 14, 2011 to TBA Fort Wayne, IN -- Sep 21, 2011 to TBA Hartford, CT -- Sep 28, 2011 to TBA Reading, PA -- Oct 5, 2011 to TBA Pittsburgh, PA -- Oct 12, 2011 to TBA Milwaukee, WI -- Oct 19, 2011 to TBA Washington, DC -- Nov 16, 2011 to TBA Fayetteville, NC -- Nov 23, 2011 to TBA Greenville, SC -- Nov 30, 2011 to TBA Hampton, VA -- Dec 7, 2011 to TBA Worcester, MA -- Dec 14, 2011 to TBA Toronto, ON -- Dec 20, 2011 to TBA Dralion: Worcester, MA -- Dec 16, 2010 to Dec 19, 2010 Philadelphia, PA -- Dec 21, 2010 to Jan 2, 2011 Boston, MA -- Jan 5, 2011 to Jan 9, 2011 Grand Rapids, MI -- Jan 12, 2011 to Jan 16, 2011 St. Louis, MO -- Jan 19, 2011 to Jan 23, 2011 Chicago, IL -- Jan 26, 2011 to Jan 30, 2011 Mobile, AL - Feb 2, 2011 to TBA Columbus, OH - Feb 9, 2011 to Feb 13, 2011 Detroit, MI -- Feb 16, 2011 to Feb 20, 2011 Austin, TX -- Mar 10, 2011 to Mar 20, 2011 San Antonio, TX -- Mar 23, 2011 to Mar 27, 2011 Des Moines, IA -- Mar 30, 2011 to TBA Springfield, IL -- Apr 6, 2011 to TBA Council Bluffs, IA -- Apr 13, 2011 to TBA Moline, IL -- Apr 19, 2011 to TBA Peoria, IL -- Apr 22, 2011 to Apr 24, 2011 Madison, WI -- Apr 26, 2011 to TBA Green Bay, WI -- Apr 29, 2011 to TBA Rockford, IL -- May 3, 2011 to TBA Kansas City, MO -- May 11, 2011 to TBA Abbotsford, BC -- Jun 2, 2011 to Jun 5, 2011 Eugene, OR -- Jun 8, 2011 to TBA Portland, OR -- Jun 15, 2011 to TBA Victoria, BC -- Jun 22, 2011 to TBA Edmonton, AB -- Jul 6, 2011 to TBA Saskatoon, SK -- Jul 13, 2011 to TBA Winnipeg, MB -- Jul 20, 2011 to TBA Frisco, TX -- Jul 27, 2011 to TBA Indianapolis, IN -- Aug 3, 2011 to TBA Atlanta, GA -- Aug 25, 2011 to TBA Albany, NY -- Sep 7, 2011 to TBA Syracuse, NY -- Sep 14, 2011 to TBA Binghampton, NY -- Sep 20, 2011 to TBA Glens Falls, NY -- Sep 24, 2011 to TBA Portland, ME -- Sep 28, 2011 to TBA Cypress, TX -- Nov 17, 2011 to TBA Beaumont, TX -- Nov 23, 2011 to TBA Springfield, IL -- Nov 30, 2011 to TBA Richmond, VA -- Dec 7, 2011 to TBA Montreal, QC -- Dec 19, 2011 to TBA Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour: Montreal, QC -- Oct 2, 2011 & Oct 3, 2011 Ottawa, ON -- Oct 7, 2011 to Oct 8, 2011 Hamilton, ON -- Oct 12, 2011 Detroit, MI -- Oct 15, 2011 London, ON -- Oct 18, 2011 Toronto, ON -- Oct 21, 2011 & Oct 22, 2011 Winnipeg, MB -- Oct 26, 2011 Saskatoon, SK -- Oct 29, 2011 Edmonton, AB -- Nov 1, 2011 & Nov 2, 2011 Vancouver, BC -- Nov 4, 2011 & Nov 5, 2011 Seattle, WA -- Nov 9, 2011 Portland, OR -- Nov 18, 2011 Salt Lake City, UT -- Nov 29, 2011 Las Vegas, NV -- Dec 3, 2011 to Dec 11, 2011 Denver, CO -- Jan 6, 2012 Sacramento, CA -- Jan 10, 2012 San Jose, CA -- Jan 13, 2012 Oakland, CA -- Jan 18, 2012 San Diego, CA -- Jan 21, 2012 Anaheim, CA -- Jan 24, 2012 Los Angeles, CA -- Jan 27, 2012 & Jan 28, 2012 Houston, TX -- Feb 10, 2012 Miami, FL -- Mar 2, 2012 Montreal -- Mar 20, 2012 to Mar 22, 2012 Quebec City, QC -- Mar 24, 2012 & Mar 25, 2012 New York City, NY -- Apr 3, 2012 Philadelphia, PA -- Apr 10, 2012 Atlanta, GA -- Jun 29, 2012 --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- NOTE: (*) Prices are in United States Dollars (USD) unless otherwise noted. (*) Ticket prices exclude the 10% Live Entertainment Tax, the $7.50 per-ticket processing fee, and sales tax where applicable. Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=40 > Mystère: Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday Two shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm 2010 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12): o Category 1: $109.00 / $54.50 o Category 2: $99.00 / $49.50 o Category 3: $79.00 / $39.50 o Category 4: $69.00 / $34.50 o Category 5: $60.00 / $30.00 (Limited View) 2010 Added Performances o December 31st 2011 Dark Dates: o January 5-19 o February 6 o March 2 o May 8-11 o July 6 o September 3-7 o November 2 2011 Added Performances: o July 14th o December 30th "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm 2010 Ticket Prices: o Orchestra: $150.00 o Loggia: $130.00 o Balcony: $99.00 o Limited View: $93.50 2010 Dark Dates: o December 8-19 2011 Dark Dates: o February 6-9 o April 13-17 o June 12 o August 10-14 o October 9 o December 5-18 La Nouba: Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm 2010 Ticket Prices (adults) / (child 3-9): o Category 0: $120.00 / $97.00 o Category 1: $105.00 / $85.00 o Category 2: $85.00 / $69.00 o Category 3: $69.00 / $56.00 o Category 4: $55.00 / $45.00 2011 Dark Dates: o January 18-22 o March 22 o May 17-28 o July 26 o September 20-24 o November 22 Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday Dark: Wednesday & Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm 2010 Ticket Prices (18+ Only!): o Duo Sofas: $129.00 o Orchestra Seats: $105.00 o Upper Orchestra Seats: $79.00 o Balcony Seats: $69.00 o Cabaret Stools: $69.00 2010 Dark Dates: o November 15-16 o December 17-21 2010 Added Performances: o November 24th o December 31st 2011 Dark Dates: o February 6, 15 o April 15-19 o June 21 o August 26-30 o Septembre 2-6 o October 17-18 o December 16-20 2011 Added Performances: o November 23rd o December 31st KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2010 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 5-12): o Category 1: $150.00 / $75.00 o Category 2: $130.00 / $65.00 o Category 3: $99.00 / $49.50 o Category 4: $69.00 / $34.50 2010 Added Performances: o December 26 o December 31 2011 Dark Dates: o January 18-29 o April 5 o May 31 - June 4 o July 12 o August 30 - September 7 o November 15-16 2011 Added Performances: o January 16 o May 29 o November 27 o December 26 o December 31 LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2010 Ticket Prices: o Lower Orchestra: $150.00 o Upper Orchestra: $130.00 o Lower Balcony: $99.00 o Middle Balcony: $93.50 2010 Dark Dates: o December 2 - 15 2011 Dark Dates: o February 7-8 o April 7-11 o May 16 o June 6 o August 4-8 o October 3 o December 1-12 2011 Added Performances: o May 18th o December 28th o December 31st ZAIA: Location: Venetian, Macao (China) Performs: Every Day, Dark: Wednesday One to Two Shows Daily - Times Vary 2010 Ticket Prices (adult) / (child 2-11): o VIP Seating: MOP$ 1288 / MOP$ 1288 o Reserve A: MOP$ 788 / MOP$ 394 o Reserve B: MOP$ 588 / MOP$ 294 o Reserve C: MOP$ 388 / MOP$ 194 ZED: Location: Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo (Japan) Performs: Varies One to Two Shows Daily - Showtimes vary 2010 Ticket Prices (Non-Peek / Peek Time): o Category 1 ("Premium"): ¥15,000 / ¥16,000 o Category 2 ("Stage-Side"): ¥12,500 / ¥13,500 o Category 2 ("Center"): ¥12,500 / ¥13,500 o Category 3 ("Wide View"): ¥9,500 / ¥10,500 o Category 4 ("Value"): ¥7,500 / ¥8,500 BELIEVE: Location: Luxor, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:00pm NOTE: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Children under the age of five are not permitted into the theater. 2010 Ticket Prices (all): o Category 1: $160.00 o Category 2: $130.00 o Category 3: $109.00 o Category 4: $89.00 o Category 5: $59.00 2010 Added Performances: o December 31 at 4:30pm and 7:00pm 2011 Dark Dates: o January 11-15 o March 1-5 o June 7-14 o September 6-10 o December 6-17 VIVA ELVIS: Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2010 Ticket Prices o Category 1: $175.00 o Category 2: $150.00 o Category 3: $125.00 o Category 4: $99.00 2011 Dark Dates: o January 18-19 o March 15-19 o May 10-11 o July 5-16 o September 13-14 o November 8-12 2011 Added Performances: o May 29th o November 27th o December 26, 31 -------------------------------------- VENUE - Venue & Seasonal Productions -------------------------------------- Online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=251 > Wintuk: Location /// Madison Square Garden New York City, NY (USA) Regular Performances /// November 17, 2010 through January 2, 2010 Wenesdays through Sundays No Performances /// There are no performances on Monday and Tuesday (with the exception of December 21, 27 and 28, 2010). Ticket Prices /// Ticket prices range from from $30 to $220 based on category and performance date. Please see the Cirque du Soleil website for ticket details: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/wintuk/ tickets/schedule.aspx > IRIS: Location /// Kodak Theatre Hollywood, CA (USA) Performances /// Opens July 22, 2011 Ticket Prices /// Previews: Category 0 = $203.00 Category 1 = $100.50 Category 2 = $78.00 Category 3 = $59.25 Category 4 = $33.00 Weekday Matinee: Category 0: $253.00 Category 1: $123.00 Category 2: $93.00 Category 3: $68.00 Category 4: $43.00 Saturday Matinee: Category 0: $253.00 Category 1: $133.00 Category 2: $103.00 Category 3: $78.00 Category 4: $43.00 ZARKANA: Location /// Radio City Music Hall New York City, NY (USA) Performances /// June 9, 2011 through September 4, 2011. 2011 Dark Dates: o June 13-15, 20-22, 27-28 o July 4, 11, 18, 25 o August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 o September 5, 12, 19, 26 o October 3 Ticket Prices /// Previews: Category 1 = $250.00 Category 2 = $120.00 Category 3 = $70.00 Category 4 = $47.00 Fri Eve, Sat Mat, Sat Eve, Sun Mat: Category 1: $300.00 Category 2: $130.00 Category 3: $75.00 Category 4: $52.00 Tues Eve, Wed Mat, Wed Eve, Thurs Eve, Fri Mat, Sun Eve: Category 1: $250.00 Category 2: $130.00 Category 3: $75.00 Category 4: $52.00 ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE'S SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= ---[ ALEGRIA ]--- {Nov.30} Premiere in El Paso tomorrow, Wednesday December 1st! Invited in Phoenix, El Paso ABC host, Jill Galus, brought you back some great reviews from the audience! LINK /// < http://www.kvia.com/video/25923359/index.html > {Nov.25} Only 9 months until the end of the North American Tour. Europe, you're next! Tickets now on sale! {Nov.19} Soon in Tucson! In this article, more info and cool facts about our show. LINK /// < http://azstarnet.com/entertainment/arts-and- theatre/article_b425ffc4-ace2-57e7-9986- c609f526c22b.html > {Nov.13} Tonight in Houston, home of NASA, we received the honor of a visit from Canadian Astronaut Julie Payette! PHOTO [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= 494484445745&set=a.132917855745.130630.38543815745 > {Nov.09} Highlights from Alegria's trainings in Honolulu last month. LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSBHDMriCO4 > {Nov.04} Behind the scene: Rehearsal before our Premiere in Boise. Interview with Tim Smith (Artistic Director), Lars Kristensen (Artistic Coach, Power Track) and Stephanie Van Buynder (Power Track). Make sure to click on the camera icon to see the video! LINK /// < http://www.kivitv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13449299 > ---[ CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ]--- {Nov.23} On November 22, Guy Laliberté, Founder of Cirque du Soleil, became the recipient of the 2,424th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of the Kodak Theatre, where IRIS opens in 2011! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= 10150131384242501&set=a.146711457500. 141354.144074117500 > {Nov.11} Immerse yourself in the creative core of Cirque du Soleil through this virtual visit! Did you know? The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,200 artists from close to 50 different countries! LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzV8VVuRdUc > ---[ DRALION ]--- {Nov.30} Watch Vladik performing his act at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia earlier today. VIDEO [3:14] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php? v=477824050352&oid=39340140194&comments&ref=mf > {Nov.26} Here is Dralion cast and crew on stage. First company photo! FOTO [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= 10150339024410195&set=a.225774950194. 283184.39340140194 > {Nov.18} Dralion casts visiting the CN Tower FOTO [5] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid= 579953&id=39340140194&ref=mf > {Nov.18} Cirque delivers world-class entertainment to Windsor LINK /// < http://www.windsorstar.com/entertainment/ Cirque+delivers+world+class+entertainment+ Windsor/3845808/story.html > {Nov.17} What to expect when Dralion hits Windsor LINK /// < http://www.windsorstar.com/entertainment/ What+expect+when+Dralion+hits+Windsor/ 3822243/story.html > {Nov.11} Sneak preview of Dralion in Youngstown with Alison Crawford (senior artistic director). We are performing at the Covelli Center until Nov. 14. LINK /// < http://www.wfmj.com/global/category.asp?c= 179433&clipId=5228952&topVideoCatNo= 127770&autoStart=true > {Nov.07} Dralion celebrates Halloween FOTO [9] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid= 574910&id=39340140194&ref=mf > {Nov.04} Good news! We are performing at the Sovereign Center until Sunday. Great review for The Reading Eagle. Cirque du Soleil show a visual feast! LINK /// < http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=261578 > {Nov.02} Cirque du Soleil Comes To Reading - 69 News at Sunrise Story - WFMZ Allentown LINK /// < http://www.wfmz.com/sunrise/25605809/detail.html > ---[ IRIS ]--- {Nov.22} We're celebrating with artists, including from IRIS, at the Kodak Theatre, as our founder, Guy Laliberté, receives his star on the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Blvd.! FOTO [19] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid= 30634&id=161171830587832&ref=mf > {Nov.08} IRIS Creation Sketches FOTO [6] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=29776 &id=161171830587832&ref=mf > ---[ KA ]--- {Nov.29} Hello KÀ fans! We've been in the news all around the world in the past few weeks, from Italy to Japan to Latin America, and tomorrow we're back on your TV in North America. Tune in to "Live! with Regis & Kelly" on Tues., Nov. 30, to see if Kelly Ripa has what it takes to play The Empress in KÀ! (Photo courtesy of Disne...y-ABC Domestic Television.) FOTO [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= 10150113871796929&set=a.176667951928. 146847.31527171928 > {Nov.26} Saudação, amigos de KÀ! We have another special treat, this time for our fans in Brazil: tune in to HBO on December 3rd to see the full performance of KÀ, including five Brazilian artists (Michel, Gaby, Julia, Rei & Leo) who have a special message for you. Enjoy! VIDEO [1:10] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php ?v=1732548039946&oid=31527171928&comments&ref=mf > {Nov.26} Hola, amigos de KÀ! We have a very special treat for those of you who live in Mexico, Central America and Spanish- speaking South America: tune in to HBO on November 29th to see the entire performance of KÀ right from your living room! And here's a special message from KÀ artists Franciso & Sabu Alegria from Mexico, an...d Jonas Zuniga from Argentina! (Don't worry, Brazil. Your message is next...) VIDEO [0:36] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php ?v=1732540959769&oid=31527171928&comments&ref=mf > {Nov.19} In keeping with our international theme this week, please enjoy part 1 of an interview with our fantastic Japanese baton artist, Noriko Takahashi. LINK /// < http://www.vegaszumi.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=176 > {Nov.18} Our Head Coach for the past 6 years is leaving to begin a new chapter in his life back home in London. As a small token of our appreciation he is leaving with a "Potato" necklace (courtesy of artist Gail Gilbert) and a messenger bag made from old costume pieces (courtesy of our Wardrobe team.) We also made him put on a Tribesman costume and perform for us before he left; we felt it was only fair. Warmest wishes to you, Adrian! FOTO [1] /// < http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/ hs1193.snc4/154515_10150107332621929_ 31527171928_7267805_2906031_s.jpg > {Nov.17} Buongiorno, amici di KÀ! Here's a special treat for our Italian, and Italian-reading, fans. To quote the writer of this review, KÀ is "ultimissime!" Grazie! LINK /// < http://www.fuoristradaweb.com/zoom.php?ida=3076&idt=6 > ---[ KOOZA ]--- {Nov.29} Did you know that it takes almost 1 hour 1/2 for each artist to complete their own make-up? Here's a quote from the KOOZA Makeup Designer that describes her inspirations: "I explored textures inspired by the Middle East and Africa, where you have recourse to gold, jewels, brilliance and earth. I adopted a signature that favors the spontaneity of gesture, and accentuates the asymmetry of line, the instinctive and the ritual." - Florence Cornet LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=460292711338 &set=a.71836936338.88957.34324811338 > {Nov.23} Tapis Rouge - The Ultimate VIP Experience with a unique Cirque du Soleil twist! FOTO [30] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid= 247214&id=34324811338&ref=mf > {Nov.17} Behind the Scenes at KOOZA, WPLG LIVE from the artistic tent - TV host tries the Charivari ball with KOOZA artists Ganji & Vitali! source: justnews.com LINK /// < http://www.justnews.com/video/25824793/index.html > {Nov.16} See pictures from Big Top Raising to the opening night in Miami! LINK /// < http://www.nbcmiami.com/blogs/niteside/Inside-The- Cirque-Du-Soleils-Kooza-107745189.html > {Nov.13} REVIEW: KOOZA an uplifting return to old Cirque! Source: Miami Herald `Kooza' an uplifting return to old Cirque - Living - LINK /// < http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/13/1923364/ kooza-an-uplifting-return-to-old.html#storylink=fbuser > {Nov.12} A few pictures of the KOOZA Private performance in Miami. FOTO [15] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid= 244828&id=34324811338&ref=mf> ---[ LA NOUBA ]--- {Nov.30} Kudos to our front-of-house and box office teams for managing even the most challenging of circumstances like pros! Many thanks today and every day! {Nov.30} So happy that some of our friends from KOOZA can go to the 9pm show!! {Nov.25} Portrait of an Artist: Whether you are cooking today or enjoying the fruits of someone else’s culinary labor, we thought you might like to get to know a fellow foodie who has been sharing his vocal talent with La Nouba audiences for seven years. You read about his choreographic interests in the showcase performed last weekend and now you can learn about one of his passions outside of the performing arts. Meet Ralph Daniel Rawe, Countertenor in La Nouba. Read More: LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/notes/la-nouba-by-cirque-du- soleil/portrait-of-an-artist-ralph-daniel-rawe/ 470324314445 > {Nov.05} Here is a fun behind-the-scenes video we dug from the archives! This Is Emily Yeung - With Cirque Du Soleil VIDEO /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnxQ61fv7R4 &feature=related > ---[ MJ IMMORTAL WORLD TOUR ]--- {Nov.15} Jamie King, Writer and Director of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil, talks about his career VIDEO /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCDv01J6I1I > {Nov.08} MTV takes a look at Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour with some nice insights from our writer and director, Jamie King! # # # When MTV News spoke to writer/director Jamie King, who is helming the Cirque du Soleil Immortal World Tour, he made it clear that when fans come out to see the show, Jackson's presence will be felt. "It started with the music for me. I had to go back. I mean, we all know the Michael Jackson hits, but I really just wanted to sit and remember why I, as a fan, loved Michael and what his lyrics meant to me," he said. "I really started there, and ... it kind of became a snowball, wherein a story was being created for me. I was invited to Neverland [Ranch], and once I got there, I knew this was the environment I wanted to create for this show. "Michael will be represented in every way possible, and that is from the video elements, holographic-type images and installation pieces to, of course, the choreography and that energy he gave onstage," King continued. "Essentially, there are living beings that are giving that energy that Michael would. Michael's lead vocal will always be there, because no one could sing it like Michael, but around that and outside of that, I'm going to be playing with remixing and mashing up, as well as give you some surprises and unreleased songs." Without giving away too much about the 90-minute Jackson spectacular, King teased a bit about what Jackson maniacs can expect: "Michael's songs are the score for the show, and they guide us and lead us. ... Essentially, it's about following several characters as they get transported through a portal into Michael's world. This place is Neverland. In that world, we discover all kinds of things about Michael. Things we know ... and secrets." {Nov.03} Enter to win a trip to the world premiere of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour! LINK /// < http://bit.ly/mjsweepstakes > {Nov.03} Here are the creators of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil! LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35555&id= 163439450347592&ref=mf > {Nov.03} Jamie King, Writer and Director of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil, talks about his inspiration and creative process VIDEO /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd54xvSKrwA > {Nov.02} Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil - Storyboards! FOTO [4] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35554 &id=163439450347592&ref=mf > ---[ MYSTERE ]--- {Nov.30} Yesterday was the kick-off event of our first ever "Cirque Week" celebration in Las Vegas! We brought some characters from Mystère, The Beatles LOVE, and Zumanity, to pose for photos and mingle with fans. Can you name the Mystère c characters? LINK /// < http://www.flickr.com/photos/cirquelasvegas /with/5221837574/ > {Nov.30} Cirque du Soleil is going out with Gowalla! You can explore the seven worlds of Cirque here in Vegas and receive a custom Mystère stamp in your virtual passport when you check in to our theatre! If you check in to all seven, you get a special pin! There's also a mystery, limited edition Cirque du Soleil item floating around at the theatres, too! (and it's something you Mystère fans may recognize!) LINK /// < http://bit.ly/gowallacirque > {Nov.17} More good news coverage to share today, this time courtesy of our friends to the north in Toronto. (P.S. This is our Company Manager's hometown paper, so he was especially proud!) LINK /// < http://www.thestar.com/travel/northamerica/article/ 889391--cirque-du-soleil-catapults-to-top-in-vegas > {Nov.14} One of our favorite things even after having been here for over 8,000 performances and almost 17 years, is experiencing Mystère through the eyes of someone discovering it for the first time. Like this person. Enjoy! LINK /// < http://www.nileguide.com/destination/blog/las- vegas/2010/11/05/cirque-du-soleil%E2%80%99s-mystere- continues-to-wow-audiences/ > {Nov.10} Hi Mystère fans! Shhhh... don't tell anyone but we managed to sneak you a peek at our brand new Highbar music! Well, it's mostly a peek for your ears but your eyes are invited too. Let us know what you think! Mystère 2010 - New Highbar Music [HD] VIDEO [0:38] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php ?v=1705127274444&oid=18155469918&comments&ref=mf > {Nov.06} Hello Mystère friends! We have a HUGE milestone to share with you today! Mystère is proud to be home to artist Zdzislaw Pelka from Poland, who is the only current artist in any of our shows to have performed with Cirque du Soleil for 20 years! Here is Z, as he is known here, receiving a gift from Company Manager Matt Nickel (l) and Artistic Director David Gomez (r). Congratulations Z!!!! LINK /// < http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/ hs483.ash2/75676_489402304918_18155469918_ 6997296_6340828_s.jpg > ---[ "O" ]--- {Nov.19} "O" by Cirque du Soleil would like to congratulate our friends and family at Bellagio for receiving the AAA Five Diamond award, which marks the 10th consecutive year they have acheived this honor! ---[ OVO ]--- {Nov.25} Tapis Rouge - The Ultimate VIP Experience with a unique twist! FOTO [13] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid= 255788&id=62744104613&ref=mf > {Nov.17} We are so excited, OVO will do its 600th show tonight! {Nov.17} See the interview with Marjon van Grunsven, artistic director, at NBC! LINK /// < http://www.11alive.com/atlanta_and_company_ story.aspx?storyid=163425+ > {Nov.04} Want to see great pictures of the private preview in Atlanta? Go on AtlantaMetromix.com! LINK /// < http://atlanta.metromix.com/events/essay_ photo_gallery/cirque-du-soleil-ovo/2291199/content > ---[ SATLIMBANCO ]--- {Nov.26} Very positive comments about the show! LINK /// < http://www.blic.rs/Zabava/Vesti/219648/Prva- predstava-Cirque-du-Soleil-u-Beogradskoj-areni > LINK /// < http://www.24sata.rs/vodic.php?id=84835 > {Nov.19} Great comments about the show! LINK /// < http://www.24sata.hr/spektakli/zaljubljuju- se-na-trapezu-pravi-dom-im-je-zapravo- u-cirkusu-198926 > {Nov.15} Now in Zagreb, Croatia! Opening Wednesday night... LINK /// < http://inmagazin.novatv.hr/multimedia/iz-inmagazina -cirque-du-soleil-uskoro-u-zagrebu.html > {Nov.14} Saltimbanco by Cirque du Soleil in Prague! LINK /// < http://kultura.idnes.cz/reportaz-s-artisty-z-cirque- du-soleil-jezdi-po-svete-i-svadleny-a-pracky- 1ab-/divadlo.asp?c=A101112_203538_divadlo_tt > ---[ THE BEATLES LOVE ]--- {Nov.30} Check out photos from Cirque Week (including yesterday's audience at the LOVE Q&A) at the Flickr account below! LINK /// < http://bit.ly/cirqueflickr%20%20 > {Nov.15} Have you ever dreamed of dancing with a Cirque du Soleil performer? Well, now is your chance...join cast members from LOVE, Zumanity, Viva ELVIS and Believe on Sat, Nov 27 at the Rock Center for Dance in Las Vegas. All proceeds benefit Clarke County Food Bank, so 'tis the season to DANCE! {Nov.13} Amazing video clip talks about creating the scenes in LOVE... from "Get Back" to "Help"...featuring interviews with Paul and Ringo! Enjoy... VIDEO /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=TOKAtrcHQas&feature=related > {Nov.10} The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil welcomes the LATIN GRAMMY AWARDS to Las Vegas! Check out this quote from Paul McCartney in Brazil on Sunday: "I love South American audiences. I always think I have Latin blood because I connect so strongly with their love of music and their love of rhythm and their love of melody, so I always feel like I have a very big bond with South American people and Latin people in general. So yeah, I'm bonding, man!" {Nov.06} In case you didn't know, the cast of LOVE are oozing with creativity, inspiration and imagination. Check out this "Secret Show", created by 2 of LOVE's original cast members: Joel Sebastian Howard and Mukhtar Omar Sharif Mukhtar. Featuring Las Vegas' most talented, both on-stage and behind-the-scenes...enjoy! LINK /// < http://vimeo.com/16546944 > ---[ TOTEM ]--- {NOv.10} ** CONGRATULATIONS TOTEM ON YOUR 200th SHOW! ** GEFELICITEERD! FÉLICITATIONS! {Nov.06} Exclusive Interview with Nathatlie J. Simard - make-up designer of TOTEM!! LINK /// < http://www.misslipgloss.nl/backstage-bij- cirque-du-soleil/ > LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= 165881630099202&set=a.111837202170312. 12495.111798252174207 > LINK /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= 165881393432559&set=a.111837202170312. 12495.111798252174207 ---[ VAREKAI ]--- {Nov.23} Varekai en TVE - Espana Directo LINK /// < http://www.rtve.es/mediateca/videos/20101123/ espana-directo---maravilloso-mundo-del- circo/938401.shtml > {Nov.16} Varekai en TV3 LINK /// < http://www.tv3.cat/pprogrames/infok/infk Seccio.jsp?seccio=notis&idint=8015 > {Nov.11} Varekai en BARCELONA TV... LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_HBQK1odhk > {Nov.03} Varekai en La Vanguardia de hoy.... LINK /// < http://www.lavanguardia.es/cultura/noticias/ 20101103/54064613251/las-entranas-del- cirque-du-soleil.html > ---[ VIVA ELVIS ]--- {Nov.22} The Album has debuted in the upper half of the Billboard 200! Have you picked up your copy? {Nov.22} While the show was dark last week, 20 artists traveled to England to perform on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing program at the historic Blackpool Tower Ballroom. Check it out! VIDEO /// < http://bit.ly/a7DCFx > {Nov.13} Photo! FOTO [1] /// < http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= 451525084108&set=a.167799494108.119733. 167136344108 > {Nov.09} To celebrate our brand new album, we've got a brand new video! Click below to check out the video for Suspicious Minds! (And don't forget to grab a copy of the album for yourself!) VIDEO /// < http://bit.ly/b3M44z > {Nov.08} The final installment of the special edition podcast looking at behind-the-scenes details from the making of Viva ELVIS: The Album is now online! LINK /// < http://www.elvis.com/news/follow-elvis/weekly- podcast/default.aspx > {Nov.03} Love this story and we'll be excited to welcome Edison Pena to our show early next year! LINK /// < http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/ wireStory?id=12048536 > {Nov.01} Check out the podcast below for a special look into the making of Viva ELVIS: The Album! LINK /// < http://www.elvis.com/news/podcast/ > ---[ WINTUK ]--- {Nov.24} If you can pony up some extra cash for these pricey tickets, I'd strongly advise you to catch a performance of Cirque du Soleil's dazzling work! LINK /// < http://www.backstage.com/bso/content_display/reviews/ ny-theatre-reviews/e3i39b5c49ccd74a21f15ff1ed324cba756 > {Nov.22} Wintuk is now open for its final season! Get your tickets today and save 40% on select performances (including shows Thanksgiving weekend)! Use code 28CSM! LINK /// < http://bit.ly/aGlUCE > {Nov.19} Here's a neat shot of some of our artists on top of the Empire State Building! LINK /// < http://jezebel.com/5694635/a-tough-balancing-act- on-top-of-the-empire-state-building > {Nov.17} We are so excited to be back in New York City for our final season! This morning we renamed part of 33rd street WINTUK WAY! (We're also predicting snow, so c'mon down and join in on the fun!) FOTO [13] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid= 562154&id=98244255320&ref=mf > {Nov.16} Check out what the MSG KidCam heard when they asked kids all about snow! (And then throw a Snow Note at your friends! LINK /// < http://www.wintuksnownote.com/ > {Nov.10} Hoops performers Elena Lev performed on FOX-TV Good Day New York. Check out her amazing act! Wintuk performances begin in 7 days. LINK /// < http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/good_day_ny/ wintuk-20101110 > ---[ ZARKANA ]--- {Nov.09} Here's what the New York Times Arts Beat has to say about Zarkana! And don't miss the presale starting today! LINK /// < http://nyti.ms/9GuRNS > {Nov.08} ZARKANA Creation Sketches FOTO [7] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php? aid=30733&id=139797212738843&ref=mf > ---[ ZUMANITY ]--- {Nov.30} Zumanity is proud to be nominated for one of the 2010 Localites Awards in category of Sexiest Las Vegas Show! LINK /// < http://www.localites.tv/awards/ > {Nov.23} See video below for a commercial shoot we did with the LOGO TV network this summer and our fierce & fabulous Vixen Vanessa! VIDEO [1:00] /// < http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php ?v=563235395253&oid=13931088846&comments&ref=mf > {Nov.10} Wanna be a part of the sexy fun of Zumanity? Check out the Zumanity Roses game and do it right from your house! LINK /// < http://www.zumanityroses.com/ > {Nov.04} Hollywood Walk of Fame 50th Anniversary FOTO [18] /// < http://www.facebook.com/album.php? aid=255521&id=13931088846&ref=mf > ======================================================================= COMPARTMENTS -- A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN ======================================================================= ------------------------------------ HISTORIA: Cirque du Soleil History ------------------------------------ * Dec.01.2005 -- Varekai opened St. Petersburg, Florida * Dec.01.2009 -- Koozå celebrated 1000th performance [8:00pm/Santa Monica] * Dec.02.1999 -- Dralion opened Irvine, California * Dec.02.2008 -- Cirque announces Russian expansion * Dec.03.2002 -- Cirque abandoned "Complexes Cirque" project * Dec.04.2001 -- NY-NY announced as next new Cirque show site. * Dec.04.2003 -- Varekai opened Ponoma * Dec.04.2004 -- Varekai celebrated 1000th performance [Saturday/Dallas] * Dec.05.2001 -- Alegría opened Perth, Australia * Dec.07.2006 -- Dralion opened Neuss, Germany * Dec.10.2006 -- Curtain fell on Saltimbanco - Rio de Janiero, Brazil. * Dec.15.2000 -- Quidam opened London * Dec.15.2006 -- Corteo opened Atlanta * Dec.15.2008 -- MGM/Mirage announces sale of TI, home of Mystère * Dec.15.2009 -- Cirque unveiled VIVA ELVIS * Dec.16.1999 -- Alegría: Le Film premiered in Singapore * Dec.16.2001 -- Dralion celebrated its 1000th performance [1:00pm/Dallas] * Dec.16.2008 -- Guy Laliberté invests in Prestige Telecom, Inc * Dec.17.2002 -- Varekai Split-Track CD Released (BMG/CDS Musique) * Dec.18.2009 -- Preview Performances of VIVA ELVIS Began * Dec.19.2005 -- "O" wins "Best of Show" at "The Trippies - 1st Annual Readers Poll Awards" at Las Vegas travel guide site VegasTripping.com * Dec.20.2004 -- "Dreams of the Solo Trapeze" Book Published * Dec.20.2005 -- "A Taste of Cirque du Soleil" entertainment showcase for Celebrity Cruises announced * Dec.23.1998 -- La Nouba premiered at WDW (Preview Performances) * Dec.23.2008 -- La Nouba quietly celebrates 10th Anniversary * Dec.24.1993 -- Mystère premiered at Treasure Island * Dec.24.2008 -- Mystère quietly celebrates 15th Anniversary * Dec.24.2003 -- Quidam opened Tokyo, Japan * Dec.26.2001 -- Dralion celebrated 1000th performance [Wed, 1:00pm/Dallas] * Dec.27.2000 -- Region 02 DVD Release: Quidam * Dec.27.2007 -- Alegría opened Rio de Janiero, Brazil * Dec.28.1989 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Phoenix, Arizona * Dec.31.2004 -- Quidam opened Auckland ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= Within... o) " Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour is On!" By: Cirque du Soleil, Press Room Materials o) " Welcome Zarkana!" By: Cirque du Soleil, Press Room Materials o) "INTERVIEW /// "Jerry Nadal: Keeping the Value" (Part 2/2) By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) ------------------------------------------------------- "Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour On!" By: Cirque du Soleil Press Room ------------------------------------------------------- A riveting fusion of visuals, dance, music and fantasy that immerses audiences in Michael's creative world and literally turns his signature moves upside down, Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour unfolds Michael Jackson's artistry before the eyes of the audience. Aimed at lifelong fans as well as those experiencing Michael's creative genius for the first time, the show captures the essence, soul and inspiration of the King of Pop, celebrating a legacy that continues to transcend generations. THE IMMORTAL World Tour takes place in a fantastical realm where we discover Michael's inspirational Giving Tree-the wellspring of his creativity. The secrets of Michael's inner world are unlocked-his love of music and dance, fairy tale and magic, and the fragile beauty of nature. The underpinnings of THE IMMORTAL World Tour are Michael Jackson's powerful, inspirational music and lyrics-the driving force behind the show-brought to life with extraordinary power and breathless intensity. Through unforgettable performances Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour underscores Michael's global messages of love, peace and unity. TICKETS Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour will be touring North America. Check out the following link for cities and tickets!: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson- tour/tickets.aspx THE CREATORS Jamie King - Writer and Director Jamie King is the leading concert director in the world of pop music today. In 2006, Variety named King one of the most influential "movers and shakers" in the music industry, branding him the "Jerry Bruckheimer of ten-pole concert tours". A multiple Emmy Award ® and MTV Video Music Award ® nominee, and greatly influenced by his early years working for both Prince and Michael Jackson, he has choreographed some of the most popular music videos and directed some of the highest grossing concert tours of all time. For the past twelve years, he has served as Madonna's creative director, having most recently directed her 2008 Sticky & Sweet world tour, as well as her 2006 record-breaking Confessions world tour and hit music video, Sorry. He most recently directed Rihanna's Last Girl On Earth world tour, Céline Dion's Taking Chances world tour, The Return of the Spice Girls reunion tour, Britney Spears' Circus tour and Avril Lavigne's Best Damn tour. He previously directed and choreographed world tours for Madonna (Re-Invention and Drowned World); Asian superstar Rain (Rain's Coming); Ricky Martin (Black & White and La Vida Loca); Pink (Try This); Christina Aguilera (Back to Basics and Stripped); and his first collaboration with Britney Spears (Oops I Did It Again). He has worked with an array of superstars including Mariah Carey, Shakira, George Michael, Elton John, Diana Ross, Jennifer Lopez and even Ellen DeGeneres. This is Jamie's first show with Cirque du Soleil. Chantal Tremblay - Director of Creation At the end of the 1980s, while living in New York pursuing a career in dance, Chantal Tremblay decides to join Cirque du Soleil after having seen one the company's shows. Chantal started out as a dancer on a Cirque project and then became choreographer Debra Brown's assistant on the creation of Mystère. Chantal has worked on many Cirque projects including the shows Alegría, La Nouba and Mystère for which she once was the Artistic Director. Later on her solid credentials helped her land the position of Director of Creation on both The Beatles LOVE and OVO. Mark Fisher - Set Designer British architect Mark Fisher's interest in building temporary structures and inflatables caught the attention of Roger Waters and led to his first rock 'n' roll commission for Pink Floyd's Animals tour in 1977. Mark has since earned an international reputation for his spectacular concert designs. His best-known work includes The Wall and Division Bell for Pink Floyd, Steel Wheels, Bridges to Babylon and Bigger Bang for the Rolling Stones, as well as Popmart for U2. Most recently Mark was Chief Designer for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and U2's 2009-2010 360° tour. This will be Mark Fisher's third collaboration with Cirque du Soleil following KÀ and Viva ELVIS. Zaldy Goco - Costume Designer Zaldy is one of New York's most celebrated and innovative designers. Since 2001 he has created custom looks for entertainment icons such as Michael Jackson, Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Mary J Blige, Will I. Am, Rufus Wainwright, Scissor Sisters, Alicia Keys, Britney Spears, Halle Berry, Parker Posey, Gabourey Sidebe, and Mick Jagger among others. In 2009 Zaldy was named head designer for Michael Jackson's This Is It concert series as well as Lady Gaga's first North American Monster Ball Tour. He was the man behind Gwen Stefani's label L.A.M.B. collaborating with Stefani for nearly four years while maintaining his namesake label. This is his first collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. Kevin Antunes - Musical Designer Kevin Antunes is a musical designer, musical director, keyboardist and digital audio programmer. His most recent tour was working directly for Madonna on her record breaking Sticky & Sweet world tour. Kevin produced the stereo and surround sound audio mix for the live stadium concert from Argentina released on DVD in 2010. Kevin has also worked with Justin Timberlake for the past 12 years starting with *NSYNC, which then transitioned into Justin's solo career. The stereo and surround sound audio of Justin's HBO Live Concert Broadcast of his FutureSex/LoveSounds (which was released on DVD) was also mixed by Kevin. Throughout his career Kevin has performed with Janet Jackson, Timbaland, Britney Spears, Aerosmith, Mary J Blige, Alicia Keys, Taylor Swift, Snoop Dogg, Christina Aguilera, Lady Antebellum, P Diddy, Pharrell Williams, Enrique Iglesias, Backstreet Boys, Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch, and the New Kids on the Block, among others. Kevin has performed on many major television events and music award shows including The Grammy Awards, The Academy Awards, two different Super Bowl Halftime Performances, HBO & Showtime Original Live Concerts, Hope for Haiti Now benefit concert, Canadian SARS benefit concert, Amnesty International, Rock-n-Rio, MTV Awards, The Brit Awards, The Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman, and Saturday Night Live. Kevin is working with Cirque du Soleil for the first time. Martin Labrecque - Lighting Designer Martin Labrecque's professional credits include more than a hundred theatrical productions, as well as circus shows. Martin contributed to the critical success of several Quebec shows. He has won many Quebec awards for his lighting design in addition to several nominations. Martin Labrecque created the lighting for two critically acclaimed circus shows produced by Cirque Éloize, Rain and Nomade, as well as Cirque du Soleil shows Corteo, KOOZA and Viva ELVIS. In 2009, Martin designed the lighting for an eleven-hour show by Canadian author, director and actor Wajdi Mouawad, which was presented in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes in Avignon, France. He also worked on the show Paradis Perdu, directed by Dominic Champagne and presented in Montreal. Olivier Goulet - Projection Designer Active in the field of video design since 2001, Quebec producer, stage and video content designer Olivier Goulet specializes in video stage design. Since 2007, he has designed and produced video content for many productions and artists including Maria Carey, Alicia Keys, Joe Cocker, Michael Bublé, Tina Turner, Pink, the shows of Cher and Bette Midler at Ceasar's Palace in Las Vegas, as well as the production Paradis Perdu in Montreal. Olivier is the President of the Montreal- based video stage design company Geodezik, which collaborated with Cirque du Soleil on the shows DELIRIUM and ZAIA. Other Quebec (Gilles Maheu, O Vertigo Danse) and American (Linkin Park and The Killers, Justin Timberlake) artists turned to Geodezik to enhance their show through video imagery. François Desjardins - Sound Designer For nearly 25 years, François Desjardins has devoted himself entirely to enhancing sound environments in the music world. As a sound designer, he creates soundscapes that are tailored to each artist's expectations. Since 1992, François has toured with Céline Dion on all her live shows, He has also worked with several Canadian and foreign artists including Garou, Roch Voisine, Tragically Hip, Tom Cochrane and Pavarotti. As a crew chief, he has installed, maintained and operated the most sophisticated sound systems available in the industry. François also participated in a large number of events as Head Sound Technician of Solotech (Montreal) and Chief Technical Advisor of Solotech (United States). He was sound designer during the World Youth Day in Toronto in 2002 (Papal visit) and for the re- staging of Cirque du Soleil's Saltimbanco. Scott Osgood - Rigging and Acrobatic Equipment Designer Scott started his career as an acrobat as part of the Sailor Circus program in Sarasota, California. His disciplines included ladder, teeterboard, clowning and juggling. Scott picked up his knowledge of acrobatic equipment and rigging design from veterans in the business. He worked in the worlds of theatre and rock music, where his rigging expertise was in demand. At the same time, he continued to work around the world as a performer, appearing with many circus companies including the Ringling Brothers, and Barnum and Bailey. He also worked as an acrobat in theme parks including Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Scott's first assignment with Cirque du Soleil came when the Cirque show La Nouba was being created in 1997. He worked on the rigging design for that production. ZED was Scott Osgood's first mandate with Cirque du Soleil as Rigging and Acrobatic Equipment Designer. Germain Guillemot - Acrobatic Performance Designer A graduate from Centre national des arts du cirque in Châlon, France, Germain Guillemot started his career with the French troupe Cirque Archaos and toured with the company for two years. With other circus fellows he created the French circus company Les Arts Sauts where he worked both as a creator and performer for 15 years. Germain joined Cirque du Soleil in 2007 as a coach for the flying trapeze act on ZED and then became Acrobatic Training Manager for Viva ELVIS. This is Germain Guillemot's first collaboration with Cirque du Soleil as Acrobatic Performance Designer. Michael Curry - Props Designer Puppet Designer Michael Curry works widely in both conceptual and technical development with the foremost entertainment companies such as the Metropolitan Opera, London's Royal National Theatre, Disney Theatrical Productions, LA Opera, and Universal Pictures. Michael has been the recipient of many prestigious awards from his peers, including several awards for his puppet and costume work on Broadway, Olympic ceremonies as well as his continuing innovations in the fields of visual effects and puppetry design. He has collaborated with Julie Taymor on many stage and opera productions. Among his numerous awards, he received the 1998 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Puppet Design in recognition of his work for Taymor on The Lion King. Michael's other credits include an opera directed by Robert Lepage at the Paris Opera, an opera at La Scala, Milan, directed by William Friedkin, and the Broadway production of Spider Man with music by Bono and Edge, directed by Julie Taymor. After KÀ and Wintuk, Michael Curry collaborates with Cirque du Soleil for the third time. ------------------------------------------------------- "Welcome Zarkana!" By: Cirque du Soleil Press Room ------------------------------------------------------- CIRQUE DU SOLEIL'S MARVELOUS EXPLORATION OF THE TRULY BIZARRE AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Written and Directed by François Girard PERFORMANCES BEGINS JUNE 9, 2011 Exclusive Pre-Sale Tickets Available Starting Today Tickets available to the general public from November 22 NEW YORK (November 9, 2010) - Cirque du Soleil announced today that its major new acrobatic spectacle, Zarkana, will begin performances at the legendary Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 9, 2011 for a limited engagement through September 4, 2011. Proudly presented by iShares, Zarkana is written and directed by acclaimed film and theatre director François Girard (The Red Violin, Silk). Zarkana is a fantastically bizarre world where we follow the adventures of Zark, a magician who has lost his love and, with her, his powers. As he cries and begs for her return he is plunged into a world inhabited by surreal creatures. The diverse cast of 71 international artists transports the audience into a fantastical and suspenseful world, blurring the boundaries between the real and imaginary. About The Show Title The name Zarkana is a fusion of the words "bizarre" and "arcana" (arcana means "mystery" or "secret"). The twisted fictional world of Zarkana is an elusive destination that is fantastic yet bizarre. The name refers to the irresistibly odd and delightfully strange aura of this place and its inhabitants. About François Girard One of Quebec's most highly regarded creators, François Girard is equally at ease in cinema (Silk, The Red Violin), opera, visual arts and theatre and has earned an enviable international reputation over the years. A keen music lover, he is particularly known for the hybrid worlds he creates in which music plays a predominant role. His works are recognized for their great musicality, both in terms of sound and image. This will be his second creation for Cirque du Soleil, following ZED, the Tokyo resident show. The Creative Team Along with François Girard, the creative team consists of the following distinctive talents: Guy Laliberté - Artistic Guide François Girard - Writer and Director Line Tremblay - Director of Creation Stéphane Roy - Set and Props Designer Alan Hranitelj - Costume Designer Nick Littlemore - Composer and Musical Director Debra Brown - Choreographer Elena Kolyadenko - Choreographer Alain Lortie - Lighting Designer Raymond St-Jean - Image Content Designer Steven Dubuc - Sound Designer Florence Pot - Acrobatic Performance Designer Danny Zen - Rigging and Acrobatic Equipment Designer Eleni Uranis - Makeup Designer Ticket Information Starting today, Zarkana tickets are available exclusively to Cirque Club Members. Tickets range from $47 to $130 with a limited number of premium tickets available for all performances. Cirque Club membership is free and benefits include access to advance tickets, special offers and exclusive behind the scenes information. To join, go to www.cirqueclub.com. Starting November 22, tickets will be available to the general public at 1-866-858-0008 or www.cirquedusoleil.com/zarkana. Special Offer from American Express®: Receive a complimentary gift when you purchase Zarkana tickets using your American Express Card. For Preferred Seating and other American Express Cardmember benefits, please visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/amex. Sponsors iShares is the presenting sponsor of this new production. American Express and Infiniti are the official sponsors. Creators Bios François Girard - Writor and Director One of Quebec's most highly-regarded creators, François Girard is equally at ease in cinema (Silk, The Red Violin), opera, visual arts and theatre and has earned an enviable international reputation over the years. A keen music lover, he is particularly known for the hybrid worlds he creates in which music plays a predominant role. His works are recognized for their great musicality, both in terms of sound and image. This will be his second creation for Cirque du Soleil, following ZED, the Tokyo resident show. Line Tremblay - Director of Creation Line Tremblay has worked in many capacities for Cirque du Soleil since the company was founded in 1984. Starting in 1992 she worked as the assistant to the director for the creation of the shows Mystère, Alegría, Quidam, "O" and La Nouba. Line also contributed her talent to Quidam as Artistic Director and was Director of Creation for the Corteo and ZED. Stéphane Roy - Set and Props Designer Stéphane Roy has worked as both a set designer and artistic director on over 100 productions in Montreal and abroad. While primarily active in theatre and dance, he has also worked in film, television, advertising and variety shows. Stéphane designed the sets for the Cirque du Soleil shows Dralion, Varekai, Zumanity and KOOZA. Alan Hranitelj - Costume Designer Alan Hranitelj has participated in many group exhibitions and fashion shows both in Slovenia, where he's been living for the past 25 years, and abroad. In 1991, he designed haute couture collections in Milan, but he soon quit catwalks and returned to his first love, stage. He mostly designs for drama, opera and film. This is his first show for Cirque du Soleil. Nick Littlemore - Composer and Musical Director Nick Littlemore is an Australian musician and producer, known as frontman of acclaimed electronic act Pnau (with Peter Mayes) and one part of electro pop-duo Empire of the Sun (with Luke Steele). He is also a member of art-rock band Teenager (with Pip Brown a.k.a Ladyhawke). As a producer he has worked with Sir Elton John, Groove Armada, Ellie Goulding, Robbie Williams, Flora Purim and many others. This new production will be his first collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. Sir Elton John will be guiding his protégé Nick Littlemore through the creative process of this new production. Debra Brown - Choreographer Dancer and choreographer Debra Brown is internationally-renowned for her unique body of work blending acrobatics and dance. Ever keen to diversify and reinvent, Debra has forged her impressive and unconventional creative path, working with artists and groups from a wide variety of disciplines. She worked with François Girard on ZED and this new production will be her eleventh production with Cirque du Soleil. Elena Kolyadenko - Choreagrapher Elena Kolyadenko has been active in the artistic world in Ukraine and Russia for many years. For the past seven years, she has created and has been managing the Ukraine dance group Freedom Ballet. She has worked on a number of productions on many capacities: casting, staging, musical orchestration, and costume design. Moreover, she has been a ballet coach for the Shchepkin Theater (Ukraine), as well as manager and choreographer for the Art Classic Ballet. This will be her first collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. Alain Lortie - Lighting Designer More than 25 years ago, Alain Lortie began working with multi-talented Quebec artists such as Michel Lemieux, Marie Chouinard and Edward Lock, and has since collaborated on many variety, opera and music shows both in Quebec and Europe. He also designed the lighting for several productions in Asia. Alain has worked with many Quebec stage directors including Robert Lepage and François Girard. He created the lighting design for the Cirque du Soleil shows Soleil de Minuit and DELIRIUM. Raymond St-Jean - Image Content Designer Director, video designer, writer and editor Raymond Saint-Jean began his career directing music videos and short films. Since then, he has turned to dramas, documentaries and films about the performing arts. Raymond has made his talents as a "video set designer" available to a number of artists and companies in the arts world across North America. Raymond previously worked on the Cirque du Soleil show, ZAIA, the resident show in Macau. Steven Dubuc - Sound Designer A self-taught creator with an adventurous mind, Steve Dubuc worked on a large number of artistic projects across the globe as a sound engineer, chief sound engineer and sound technician. He has worked as a technical director on various Cirque du Soleil shows. This will be his second Cirque du Soleil show as sound designer, following ZAIA. Florence Pot - Acrobatic Performance Designer With her university training in physical education and sports psychology, Florence Pot took on many projects in the world of gymnastics as a trainer and choreographer prior to joining Cirque du Soleil as an acrobatic scout and, later, chief scout. In 2006 she accepted the invitation to become Acrobatic Performance Designer on the Cirque du Soleil resident show ZED in Tokyo-a role she reprised on the big top show TOTEM. Danny Zen - Rigging and Acrobatic Equipment Designer Danny Zen first arrived at Cirque du Soleil in 1990 to work as a welder in the company's workshops, and then worked as mechanic, head usher and tent technician before becoming head rigger on Quidam in 1996. Danny also worked at Montreal's National Circus School and later participated in the development of aerial acrobatic elements at Cirque du Soleil. Danny was on the creation team for the big top shows Corteo and KOOZA. Eleni Uranis - Makeup Designer Eleni Uranis joined Cirque du Soleil in 1989 as assistant to costume designer Dominique Lemieux. This led to many other projects and in 2004 Eleni's career took a new direction with the Cirque du Soleil makeup department, creating designs for the touring show Dralion. She has also designed the make-up for the Tokyo resident show ZED and the New York seasonal holiday show Wintuk. ------------------------------------------------------- "Jerry Nadal: Keeping the Value (Part 2 of 2)" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) ------------------------------------------------------- Last month we began our discussion with Mr. Jerry Nadal, Cirque du Soleils's Senior Vice-President of the Resident Shows Division. This month our discussion concludes, spanning the globe (and the Internet). Asian Revamps ------------- The resident shows in Asia were next on our list, as we were very interested in the process and rationale behind changes to both ZED and ZAIA. His explanations shed quite a bit of light on how you adapt a show to local cultures. We started with ZED, which has been changed from a two-act two-hour show to one-act 90-minutes. But Mr. Nadal was quick to point out, "It was originally designed as a 90-minute show. Then about a year or so before we opened Oriental Land Company (www.olc.co.jp/en/) came back to us and said, "You know, with what you guys do with Fuji (Ed: Cirque's corporate partner for its Japanese tent tours, www.fujifilm.com) with the big top, it's an intermission show; we want to have the same basic experience."" "Our feeling was [that] it's apples and oranges. In a resort setting people have a limited amount of time, especially [in Tokyo as] compared to Orlando. The average length of stay [in Tokyo] for people that actually stay in the hotels is 1.1 days. It's essentially a day- tripper market; if you've got your day planned out, to take two-and-a- half or three hours to [see a show] is too much." "And that bore out after the first year. We saw that and recommended we go to a 90-minute version. Without the intermission the show ran for just under two hours. So Pierre Parisien, our Senior Artistic Director and Anne-Marie Corbeil, the Artistic Director on the show, came up with a plan. Basically they took the whole show and just snipped at every act - 30 seconds, 40 seconds here and there, and that brought it down. It actually worked out quite well. If you see the show now, and you had seen the full version, you really can't tell the difference." "What [that's] allowed us to do in Tokyo is work with Disney a little bit more. Because they have what they call an "After 6" discounted park ticket because it's only open a couple of additional hours. So we're doing a combined After 6 Park Ticket and the ZED show ticket, so it's a big incentive for people coming in." (Ed: Tokyo Disney Resorts' "After 6 Passport" is offered for 3,100 yen on Monday-Friday and allows visitors access to the parks from 6-10pm.) As we began talking about ZAIA, we first reminded Mr. Nadal of a comment he had made about the deal for ZAIA being structured so that Cirque didn't take any risk. From what we have come to know about Cirque over the years this seems perfectly in character, but we wondered how exactly they did it. "We said, "No!" (laughs) When we had discussions with the Venetian (Ed: www.venetianmacao.com/en/), at the time we said that we didn't think it was a market that was ready for anything like this. And we said we're basically risk averse, we don't do real estate. Which I think has put us in very good stead these past two years with the economy the way it is." "So we just said no, we're not interested. And they kept coming back, and Sheldon [Adelson, Chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands] just said they had to - had to - have it. And we said, "Well, this is what it's going to take to get us." And we did the deal and that's the deal that they signed." "[Venetian Macao] had a rough period financially in 2008-2009. When they signed the contract with us they looked at it as a loss leader, and then they were saying they couldn't look at it as a loss leader. [And we said,] "Well, then you have the wrong show here, because this is what we designed and built for you based on these specs."" "Franco [Dragone]'s (Ed: www.dragone.be) show (Ed: The House Of Dancing Water (.com)) just opened across the street last week (Ed: at The City Of Dreams Macao (.com)). Which is great, because now it establishes Macao as a destination. So the whole idea of an integrated resort isn't just the Venetian anymore, it's there now. And all these other properties coming on-line have to provide entertainment, [it's] in their deal with the mainland government." "I think Macao had like a two-year setback because of the economy, but I think it's got the potential to literally become the Las Vegas of Asia in the next five to six years." The challenges of opening a resident show for the Chinese market were considerable, but it didn't keep Cirque from thinking big. And from adapting to circumstances. "We [originally] wanted a poetic show, a cabaret show, and then a mega [show], something even bigger than ZAIA [in Macao]. So when Steve Jacobs (Ed: CEO of Sands China Ltd at the time) came in and we [mutually] decided OK, we're no longer going to [have] a three-show format in Macao, [and we were] going to keep the one show, we looked at what we could do to upgrade the acrobatics." "We're in the middle of doing [those] upgrades now because we delayed it; it's taken awhile. We're doing a new [double] trapeze act. The issue with trapeze is that at some point you have to give the catcher a break, there is not a lot of non-stop action. By doing the double structure [like the trapeze acts in ZED and La Nouba] it's going constantly and it's got great energy. So we looked at what we were doing in Macao and we said we wanted the [trapeze] act to reflect what we did with ZED. We also wanted to change the music there." "The opening number is [now] much more acrobatic than dance in nature. They've rebuilt a lot of the [set] buildings, there's some trampoline- type work between the buildings so it's much more energetic, much more high-energy." "The Globe and Poles [act] has been replaced by an acrobatic Chinese lion dance, similar to Dralion (the dance on the balls), but with more acrobatics - the lions jump from the balls onto different elements. [The Globes and Poles] never really worked because of the height of the space, with the [support] lines that you could see; they looked like they were just hanging there." "And we've put in a roller-skating act as well." "We [also] looked specifically at the clowning. Now that [we know] it's primarily a Chinese audience, as opposed to the international audience they thought they were going to get, [we realized] the European style of clowning doesn't necessarily work with the Chinese. Now it's much more slapstick." "And the storyline, from what we've been told by the Chinese, wasn't extremely evident. They like to know what they're going to see and what they're seeing. The whole idea of [the "Zaia" character] being this little girl like Alice [in Wonderland] who travels through space kinda got lost on people. There was [also a] love interest with Romeo and this duet strap act [that they did]. Well, the original [Zaia character] girl just left her contract. So we didn't replace her with another acrobat but with more of a character, and the guy that plays Romeo [now] does a solo strap act. And [Zaia the character] now appears in every act as it goes through these different planets and stuff. You're on the journey with her, and that's become much more evident so it's cleaned up the storyline." "We've done a lot! Pierre Parisien's (Ed: Cirque's Senior Artistic Director) in the process of finishing that now. In October we take a two-week break and take out the old structure. The new structure gets loaded in and the new act doesn't go in until the end of December. It's currently being built now by the Tabaras family in California; they're building the act for us. And then it'll go over there and we'll rehearse on it." (Ed: The Tabaras family are owners of Circus Vargas, a California circus troup, www.circusvargas.org.) "The idea is to re-launch ZAIA but a little bit bigger in mid-January next year. We're also looking at the visual [artwork]. We made the decision [originally] to not have a Chinese name for ZAIA, [which] probably was a mistake in hindsight. So now we're coming up with a Chinese name that's all been researched by the [Cirque] Brand department and with the Brand department of Venetian within the Chinese market." Cirque's Chinese experience has caused some introspection as well. "We tend to go into markets and not play to a specific market, and we're realizing in China that you may not be able to get away with that. It really is an educational learning experience. You can see a ton of acrobatics in China but you're maybe not going to get the level of acrobatics or artistic element that we bring to it. So there's an educational process that has to go on with that." And what happened to the other Macao shows that he mentioned? "The Macao II show is on a back burner. I think if we have another cabaret-style opportunity [the idea might get developed]. Macao III was just a discussion that we needed a big show, so that hadn't really gotten very far down the pike." "But we'll see what opportunities come up in Macau. They're going to be building theaters in those properties across the street, they have to put something in them." In other international Cirque plans, we wanted to know how the announced Dubai show was progressing. "It's about as active as the construction in Dubai right now. (laughs) I guess it all depends on what ultimately happens in Dubai. That's so far on the back burner it'll be quite a while before it gets resurrected, if at all." New Challenges for 2011 ----------------------- Back on the domestic front, 2011 poses two significant challenges for Cirque on opposite ends of the country. Firstly, Zarkana will soft open in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on June 6th with the Gala scheduled for June 29, and Mr. Nadal was interested in telling us about their preview event. "Last week we did a big sales event at Radio City Music Hall. We needed to do a big event now because Radio City's our bigger challenge next year. Its 700,000 tickets we have to sell in 17 weeks. It's a big show, on the size and scale of [the Las Vegas shows]. It will travel and do two or three cities a year. Right now we're looking at two or two-and-a-half 747 cargo planes to move it; it's massive. It's [run is] 17 weeks in New York City. We're negotiating right now with a big city in Europe for the November-December period (Ed: Later said to be London, England.). Then we have a contract for the State Kremlin Theatre Palace in Moscow for 10 weeks [from the] end of January until April. And I'm looking at another city for a couple of weeks, and then back to New York. So it's going to do two, ideally three cities a year. European and US [cities], too, depending on the US market." "But Radio City's where it's going to kick off so we brought in anything sales-channel related in New York. Tour operators, group sales people, tickets brokers, ticket operators. Last week we sent out 2,100 invitations and got 2,000 people, which was fantastic. We had [Cirque President and CEO] Daniel Lamarre speak. George Fertitta, who's the CEO of New York City & Company (the tourism board) spoke and really got behind the company. He went, I think, way beyond his prepared remarks with a very nice endorsement of the company. (Ed: NYC & Co is "the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization" for New York City, www.nycgo.com.) We brought in two special acts to present. [Show director] François Girard got up and on their big LED screen in the back showed all of the renderings of the show. He described the show and told people what was going to happen. And Elton John did a video for us because Nick Littlemore is the Composer, and he's a protégé of Elton John's. He's an Australian who has been working out of London and Elton's been working with him. We premiered one of the pieces of music to one of the special acts we did. Jay [Kimbro, Director of Sales for Theater Shows, whom Cirque hired away from Disney last year because of his New York City contacts] came out and gave a sales pitch and we handed out sales kits. It was about a 45-minute event at Radio City that went very well." "The same thing's going to happen this week for Kodak," he continued. "We're meeting a bunch of city officials tomorrow night and then on Wednesday afternoon we're doing a luncheon for about 1,500 people; tour operators, ticket brokers, to help set up the run for Kodak." (Ed: Working on that will be Director of Sales for the Resident Shows Division Pamela Devine, Mr. Kimbro's counterpart.) Shortly after Zarkana comes the show moving into the Kodak Theatre (.com) in Hollywood, IRIS (soft opening July 21 with the Gala September 25). "Next year Hollywood is going to be a test for us because we're not anchored to anything. These [Vegas] shows are here because we drive 3,000-plus people a night through the rest of the casino. [La Nouba is] an anchor for Downtown Disney; when we're not running those restaurants tell us that they see a major drop-off. So we bring a lot of people into Downtown Disney. And you get a lot of ancillary revenue." "Hollywood is going to be interesting because, [while] we're part of the Hollywood and Highland (.com) complex it's really going to be more like the Broadway model in that we're hanging up a marquee saying, "Come See The Show!" So we're putting a lot of pre-planning emphasis into tour operators, working with the cruise ships, going after national audiences." "We're actually the last show of the 2010-2011 season of Center Theatre Group (.org) at the Amandson. (Ed: In a season that also includes "Next to Normal," "33 Variations," "God Of Carnage," and "Les Misèrables.") Because Jordon had a relationship with them we spoke to them a couple of years ago and asked if they were interested in doing a special offering to their subscription base. Because they have a huge subscription, about 40,000 subscribers. And they said no, because for them it's all about customer service and how they treat their subscribers. They've built that group over [many] years and once they walk out of their space (their theater) from a customer service standpoint they no longer have control." "So we asked them to give us their concerns and [let us] see if we could address them. We guaranteed them prime seating for their customers. [We're] the last show of their 2010-2011 season, in a four-week window toward the end of [Kodak] previews,. They actually put it on the subscription without knowing anything about the show; just based on the strength of the company and what they've seen come through L.A. before. We're excited about it. It gives us a little cushion going in. Plus those subscribers are the major theater-goers in L.A. and that creates buzz that goes around." We also talked a bit about the forthcoming Michael Jackson shows, for which just a few details were available at the time. We first asked if the two shows (the touring arena show and the Las Vegas resident show) would be the same. "[They are] two completely different productions. The touring show, which is going to open October 2 in Montréal and is designed for arenas, is really an arena tour. And then there will be a second show that's done here in Las Vegas at a theater yet to be named." (Ed: Turns out it will be Mandalay Bay, opening in early 2013.) "From what I've been told [there are] two separate creation teams, two different Executive Producers. And from what I understand now there will be two different Musical Directors as well. I don't know what the creative plans are, that's kind of under wraps. Jamie King is directing [the arena] show [and] I think there will be multiple choreographers." Would the success (or lack of it) for the touring show have any impact on the resident show? "I don't see how [the Michael Jackson show] could possibly lose. Not with the people that we've got and the interest in it. To have done the Beatles so many years after they broke up, to do Elvis so many years after he passed away. With Michael Jackson it's still raw, I think. There's still an intense amount of interest." "And Sony's going to be releasing new [Michael Jackson] albums as we go along because of all the material that they've found. I don't see [the show's success] as a problem. Plus the [MJ resident] show is going to be well into its creation phase by the time [the MJ touring show] opens next year." Staying Current --------------- As our time was running down, we asked Mr. Nadal some of our favorite questions. Our question about the best business decision Cirque ever made gave him pause. "There have been a lot of good ones, so it's hard to peg. I think the best business decision is that - at Guy's insistence - [with] any deal we've done with anybody we've never given up an inch of creative control of the shows. Whether people liked them or not, we maintain 100% control. Creativity is the heart and soul of the company and I think the fact that we've never compromised on that to make a deal with anybody has served us very well." We always like to ask our interviewees what suggestions they have for those trying to make their way into the theater (or circus, or music) business. Mr. Nadal started by pointing out Cirque's outreach to the technical theatrical community. "It depends on what you're doing and where you're coming from. If you come out of school and want to be a stage manager, one of the shows in Vegas is probably not the one to start on; you want to get some more experience first." "We have a large outreach to the universities through our Technical Show Support department. We've given a lot of assistance to the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas (stagecraftinstitute.com). There's a couple out of Oklahoma, [teaching] in university settings, that lived in Montréal back when Cirque was first starting up. They got to know Gilles Ste-Croix and lent [Cirque] one of the theater workshops [at] the university when Cirque was building one of its first sets, or so the story goes. And they've stayed in touch." "So we help support [the universities], we [take] about 20 or 30 people that come from different universities and put them through our training. If you're going the automation route, or those specific channels, we end up doing internships and we hire directly [from that]. We do a lot of internal training as well." "[When we give talks I say], "Get as much experience as you can, work in as many places as you can. And don't worry about whether it's union or non-union. It's all about getting as much experience as you can. Any experience is good experience. And the pay level doesn't matter. I tell people grab what you can, never be out of work, even if you're working for low money. I did that. I did a children's theater tour, I did a summer stock production, buying Ramen ten for a dollar." When we asked him for suggestions for young executives, he commented, "You need to stay current with what the competition is doing. For me, you need to view anybody that sells a ticket as competition. Because there's only so many entertainment dollars [to] go around." "And it tends to be the first thing that people start to cut back on, or people look to find value on. Because it's disposable income. But like Guy has said many times, if you take a look at the Depression or the recessions that have followed, the entertainment industry has generally been the last to go into a recession and the first to come out of it. Because people need escape. I think that's what we provide really well; it's a great escape whether it's 90 minutes or two hours." "So I think staying current with what's going on in the industry [is important]. [Also] making sure your employees are happy and the culture of the company is respected at all times. Constantly talking to [your] people, because the higher up you go the less you hear. Hence getting on the Cirque Tribune website (laughs). But just making sure people are happy." Huh?! Wait a minute - wait. Did a Senior Vice-President at Cirque du Soleil just admit on the record to looking at Cirque fan websites? Indeed! "I go on the Cirque Tribune website (.com) [occasionally] to see what's going on. [Inside the company] we're aware of [Cirque's] projects but not the nitty-gritty of it. And then you find out, wow, these people know more than we do internally. It's kind of cool. Because obviously people that are on Cirque Tribune are your core. These are the people that are talking about you non-stop, and that ultimately sells tickets." His interest in his "core" audience also extends to CirqueCon (for which we are eternally grateful). "If you have your core fan group, your rabid fans coming in, to be able to give them access and that kinda stuff, the return comes many many times over. [With CirqueCon 2006: Las Vegas!] we weren't looking to see if there was an immediate bump in ticket sales because it was a small group of people. But if each person talks to 10 more people it's like throwing a rock in the middle of a pond and you watch the ripples go out." He finds his greatest challenge to be, "Ticket sales, and making sure that it's a broad enough appeal. [Cirque is] a high-end product, there's no other company in the world that has 70-75 people on stage, 100-150 technicians. That's a huge chunk of money on a weekly basis to keep the shows running." "But we have to make them affordable, so they have to have broad appeal. So that it's not just in that luxury-brand niche, that it's an affordable ticket for people coming in with a family." Not only keeping the shows affordable and the appeal broad, but meeting the expectations of the audience as well. "I think that they still come expecting major acrobatics. I would hope we get to the point when people see [the name] "Cirque du Soleil" they know they're going to get high quality, top production values, and value for their ticket price." All the hard work and travel away from home brings great satisfaction, knowing, "…that we make people happy; seven days a week, around the globe, 24-7. You just have to go into any of the theaters [and] listen to the audience response to be gratified with what you're doing. Especially in the kind of time frame that we're working in now." And he never regrets taking his father's advice and rethinking his priorities all those years ago. "It was a leap of faith. It [was] one of those situations where you follow your heart, and [theater work was] really where my interests and my passion were." "And I gotta say, since I left the bank in 1989 I've never taken a sick day!" My sincere thanks go to: Mr. Nadal, for so graciously spending time with us, Julie Loewen, Executive Assistant to Mr. Nadal, And my wife LouAnna for putting up with my sometimes obsessive hobby. ======================================================================= SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ======================================================================= Fascination! is a monthly publication, available through subscription via the World Wide Web in text format at the newsletter's website: < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. To subscribe, please visit our website and enter your name and email address in the "About Fascination" box and press Subscribe. You'll receive an email to confirm your selection. Once confirmed you'll be added to our mailing list. To Subscribe via Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News) use the following: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >. To view back issues, or other online Newsletter content, please visit us at: < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. Join us on the web at: < www.cirquefascination.com > Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 10, Number 12 (Issue #83) - December 2010 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2010 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or translated without the consent of the "Fascination! Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission (unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination! Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil, Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. { Dec.06.2010 } =======================================================================