======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.CirqueFascination.com ------------------------------------------------------------ ======================================================================= VOLUME 15, NUMBER 5 May 2015 ISSUE #136 ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. There's no mistaking what's on everyone's mind this month - and what the hot topic is in this month's news section - the sale of Cirque du Soleil to TPG Capital, a Texas-based private equity fund; Fosun Capital Group, a privately owned fund manager based in Shanghai; and La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, a long-term institutional investor that manages funds primarily for public and para-public pension and insurance plans. What would the sale mean for the future of Cirque du Soleil? Would shows close? Would the Headquarters move? Would the company lose its artistic credibility? What about the Theme Park? Would anything be the same? While it's too soon to tell (the deal is fresh and doesn't close until the third quarter), for now the Head- quarters will remain in Montreal, Daniel Lamarre will remain CEO, Guy Laliberte will remain as a creative consultant, so for the moment it is business as usual. At this juncture we have no idea how the sale may affect Cirque's current or future shows. So, in the immortal words of Deeda (Amaluna): NO PANIC! However, we know from the press releases that the Cirque is once again going to focus expansion efforts in China, so we'll likely hear about their plans for that region of the world very, very soon. We here at Fascination remain cautiously optimistic about the whole affair to be honest. Change can be a good thing, and we do feel that Cirque du Soleil could benefit greatly from new partners/owners as they could offer fresh insights - depending on how involved they'll want to be in the day-to-day at the company's HQ (which we're betting they won't be.) Still, perhaps they can nudge the Cirque back into plussing the shows they have running currently, rather than taking away from them. Amaluna comes to mind with some of its recent changes (the addition of Static Trapeze and now Dralion's Hoop Diving act seems interesting) could help re-make that show, which I think was hurt greatly by its recent cuts, and yet changes to Varekai and the retirement of its Icarian Games act are getting the exact opposite response. Although we have heard great things about the show's new Synchronized Tumbling act (and can't wait to see it in action), it's the loss of yet another "signature" act from the show (both Water Meteors and Triple Trapeze were retired during the show's conversion from Big top to Arena.) And with the shortening of segues and other character moments to outright deletions and reductions in skill sets of the remaining acts, it's hard not to have certain reservations about where Varekai is headed. But getting back to Cirque du Soleil as a whole: the big challenge is going to be the company's planned second push into China. Part of the problem with their first appearance (ZAIA) was that Cirque really resisted catering to local Chinese tastes, as an article in Bloomberg pointed out (which you can read inside). And it's certainly a sentiment we here at Fascination shared as well: ZAIA didn't work because it was too much Cirque and too little Chinese. Dragone's House of Dancing Waters works because in addition to being acrobatic (which China is known for), it's also big and bold. It took chances that have paid off handsomely for Dragone and his company. His "Han Show"? Bolder yet! Have you seen the trailers and teasers? Impressive! It is my belief that Cirque du Soleil's next China efforts are going to have to be as big and bold as "O" was to Las Vegas in 1998. You certainly can't replicate that now, but, the vision and the drive? That they're going to need. Whatever they do in China now will have to be bold, and it's going to have to be unique. Perhaps "TORUK - The First Flight", Cirque du Soleil's AVATAR-themed show will be their bold statement, as the show is rumored to tour China following its North American Tour due to start on November 20th. All the news associated with the sale of Cirque du Soleil has been specially collected for ease of perusal. You'll find it in the area marked "Special Engagement -- Cirque Cashes In / Sells Out". But while the sale of Cirque du Soleil to investors is big news, there are other things to consider too. Amidst the mêlée "TORUK: The First Flight", Cirque du Soleil's trip into the world of AVATAR, was also announced, due to debut (for previews) this coming November in the state of Louisiana before holding its gala premiere in Cirque's home- town of Montreal. TORUK – The First Flight, inspired by James Cameron's AVATAR, a live experience by Cirque du Soleil, envisions a world beyond imagination set thousands of years before the events depicted in the film. The word Toruk, in the Na'vi language, refers to the great leonopteryx, the mighty red and orange predator that rules the Pandoran sky. Central in Na'vi lore and culture, this fascinating creature is crucial to the Na'vi clans' sense of destiny and interconnectedness – and is about to be ridden for the very first time by a Na'vi. It sounds intriguing! Learn more about it in our FEATURES section this month. I was skeptical at first but the more I see of this show, how the stage might be setup, and everything else, makes me re-think everything I ever thought about this venture. My mind remains open! Also in our FEATURES this month is a quick peek at LE GRAND CONCERT's DVD/Blu-Ray release. How does it compare to the broadcast versions we were able to see? It blows it away! But not without a couple caveats. Check the review within for more. Additionally, the Wall Street Journal had a fantastic article about safety at Cirque du Soleil, which we included this month as a special. While it focuses a lot on the Sarah Guillot-Guyard incident, there's much more to be learned not only about the accident but about safety as well. It's a fantastic read! Keith Johnson gets a little audience participation with TOTEM. As always we also have the posts made to Cirque's Facebook pages, and updates to Cirque's touring schedule. Oh, and don't forget to pick up Issue #5 of "The Chapiteau-Fascination! Magazine" here: < http://issuu.com/thechapiteau/docs/tcfmag_issue_5 >. 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 > | | | | The Chapiteau-Fascination! Magazine: | | < http://www.cirquefanzine.com/ > | | | \----------------------------------------------------/ - Ricky "Richasi" Russo =========== CONTENTS =========== o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings * La Presse -- General News for the Month * Special Engagement –- Cirque Cashes In / Sells Out o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau * Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets * Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque * Networking -- Posts on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter o) Fascination! Features *) "Cirque AVATAR is: 'TORUK - The First Flight'" Edited By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) *) "Le Grand Concert on DVD - A Quick Peek" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) *) "Injuries Put Safety in Spotlight at Cirque du Soleil" Special By: Alexandra Berzon & Mark Maremont From: The Wall Street Journal *) "Call Me!" – Audience Participation at TOTEM By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) o) Subscription Information o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= --------------------------------------------------- LA PRESSE – General News for the Month --------------------------------------------------- Rock in Rio USA Organizers Highlights Site/Offerings {Apr.01.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Rock in Rio USA organizers say their Las Vegas music festival set for May 8-9 and May 15-16 will come with premium experiences unseen at other festivals, along with some Sin-City-style indulgences. Officials from MGM Resorts and Brazil-based Rock in Rio offered a sneak peek Wednesday of the 37-acre site on the Las Vegas Strip, including VIP cabanas flanking the main stage and a balcony with club-like bottle service available for a price. Rock in Rio CEO Luis Justo seemed particularly pleased with the festival's opulent restroom offerings including full plumbing and, in some cases, television screens broadcasting the performances. "There will be no problem with lines," he said, noting the 500 available restroom stalls. Officials said $75 million has been spent to ready the empty Las Vegas Strip lot into a festival site complete with underground utilities. When MGM Resorts along with financial partners Cirque du Soleil and Ron Burkle's Yucaipa Cos. began contemplating building a more permanent outdoor entertainment space a couple years ago, "it had to be of this scale. It had to be of this quality," said Scott Voeller, MGM Resorts senior vice president of partnership and event marketing. "So often, people think of festivals being in big, dusty lots in the middle of nowhere," Voeller said. Rock in Rio USA promises no mud, no dirt. Instead, fields of fake turf, a few trees and asphalt paths crisscross the acreage, leading people from the facades of three international street scenes with different music and performers to two main stages. There's also an electronic dance area and a large two-level VIP tent expected to feature hanging chandeliers and palm trees along with all- inclusive food and drinks. Dotting the landscape will be a zip line sending riders over the heads of concert-goers gathered at the main stage and a 332- foot-tall Ferris wheel that's a couple hundred feet shorter than the world's tallest observation wheel a little ways down the Strip. Unlike the big, dusty festivals in the middle of nowhere such as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival east of Palm Springs, California, that sell out in minutes, Rock in Rio has sold a reported 56,000 weekend passes even though there's room for some 85,000 people a day. "We never anticipated we would hit full capacity in its first year," Voeller said, adding that Vegas tends to be a last-minute market and more tickets are expected to be sold. He noted that Coachella and others are wildly successful, but only after years of building awareness and experience. Rock in Rio USA has committed to return to the site in 2017 and 2019. General admission two-day tickets cost $298 and single-day VIP passes cost $498. { SOURCE: FOX Business News | http://goo.gl/3uXzlb } CREACTIVE: Cirque du Soleil swings into Club Med {Apr.03.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- A fear of heights is terribly inconvenient when stepping into a harness and getting attached to a bungee cord. But fear is something you check at the reception desk when entering Cirque du Soleil headquarters here in Canada. "Push yourself to see what you can achieve," says Rob Bollinger, acrobatic performance designer at the 30-year-old entertainment troupe. His words of encouragement come right before I am to be lifted nearly 30 feet into the air. I manage to maintain my composure. Cirque du Soleil is known worldwide for performers accomplishing acrobatic feats at vertigo-inducing heights while wearing enough sequins to make Liberace proud. Now this icon in circus entertainment is teaming up with another icon—this one in the hospitality industry. Club Med CREACTIVE by Cirque du Soleil will debut at Club Med Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic in June. Adults and children will be able to try activities—at no extra charge–under the supervision of instructors trained by Cirque du Soleil. Some instructors will even be former Cirque performers. If all goes well, Club Med will dispatch Cirque-approved instructors to its other resorts across the USA, Caribbean, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. "Who hasn't said they would like to run away and join the circus? Here's their chance," Bollinger says. USA TODAY and a small group of journalists got a preview of the program at Cirque's training facility here. With CREACTIVE, Club Med is introducing a new, more immersive concept in the experiential travel industry. Hotels and resorts are increasingly curating traveler's visits by offering activities that go beyond rounds of golf and swimming pool activities. "All elements of experiential travel are expanding," says Chris Vasiliou, a professor at the masters of hospitality management program at Georgetown University and former chief operating officer of Travelocity. "Most hotels, destinations and attraction brands are continuing to explore ways to reach their customer segments through as many channels as possible." "Major hotel companies are expanding their brand portfolios to attract customer segments that they traditionally did not serve," he says. "The growth and influence of the Millennial guest segment is having a significant impact on all travel- related products and marketing offerings. As such, experiential travel is at the core of most of the emerging strategies." Marie-Josee Lamy, executive director of Cirque du Soleil Hospitality, says providing memories is the best way to attract new fans. "More and more consumers are savvy and looking for new experiences," Lamy says. "They want something to talk about." Club Med, a pioneer of the all-inclusive resort concept when it debuted 65 years ago, has provided circus instruction for more than 25 years. Involving an entertainment behemoth like Cirque will kick the classes into a higher gear. In its 30 years, Cirque has delivered over-the-top performances in more than 300 cities around the world. "This new concept will leverage, for the benefit of Club Med guests, the expertise and knowledge of Cirque du Soleil, who are unrivaled innovators in the realm of circus artistry," says Henri Giscard d'Estaing, Club Med's CEO. "It will also capitalize on the heritage and talent of Club Med in creating extraordinary memories in beautiful vacation destinations." Other activities that guests will be able to try include high bungee jumping, unicycle, tumbling and juggling. They can also participate in artistic activities such as percussion and dance and mask painting. How will the average Club Med guest fare at flying trapeze? Bollinger acknowledges that it's not for everyone, but he urges them to give it a try. "The fear of trying new things prevents people from doing it," Bollinger says. "Kids are more apt and more willing to try new things. Adults are tentative." I am certainly tentative as Emmanuel Jacquinot, a Cirque coach, instructs me to clutch the trapeze bar firmly with both hands. I grab the bar and bend my knees. All I have to do is let go, and I'll swing across the gym. Below me is a pit of foam for a soft landing if my arms give out. The goal is to land on a mat on the other side. But Jacquinot says it's okay if I just want to swing across and return to the starting point. He promises to catch me when I swing back. "Let go," he says. I hesitate for a few minutes, and then I obey his gently delivered order. The wind in my face feels refreshing. I don't manage to land on the other side. But I do manage to keep holding on to the bar despite my sweaty palms. As promised, Jacquinot catches me upon my return. My coach for the German wheel is equally reassuring. A German wheel is an apparatus made up of two rings joined together by a set of parallel bars. Coach Serguei Volodine straps my feet into one of the bars, but I'm still not convinced that I won't crash on my head when the wheel spins. "I will spin you so don't be afraid," he says. "Both feet will be in straps and you can never get out." I feel like a hamster in a wheel, but I enjoy the sense of accomplishment after a few turns. Juggling proves to be an easier task, at least on the arms. Or so, I think, when I first meet coach Samuel Roy. It turns out that juggling is one of the most difficult activities. "In juggling, we like to mess with the mind," Roy says as he has us throw balls with our forearms in directions I never would have thought of. My mind is definitely messed up. More mind-bending activities happen in Pierrette Venne's studio. Let's not forget that Cirque du Soleil performers are doing just that–performing. So part of their training is learning how to act. Venne is one of their acting coaches. In an hour, she has us play Simon Says and Red Light, Green Light. There's a method to her madness. "You have everything you need in the game," she says. "Impulse." In other words, those games we played as children make us react in ways that get us to let down our guards. "The straightest way to go is not always the most interesting," she tells us. "Forget that people are looking at you, judging you." At Club Med CREACTIVE, you don't judge. You join. { USA Today Travel | http://goo.gl/l7sT7t } Staff sues Cirque du Soleil for Stiffing them on Tips {Apr.06.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Around 40 waiters are suing Cirque du Soleil, claiming the performance company has stiffed them on tips at catered events. The lead plaintiff in the proposed class-action suit, Marshall Maor, says Cirque has relied on a "policy of unlawfully retaining employees gratuities" since 2009. In papers filed Friday in Manhattan Supreme Court, a Bronx man, Marshall Maor, 33, says Cirque du Soleil has routinely added a "service charge" of 7% to 20% to "catered events" and under state law, these are interpreted as tips that should be paid to the wait staff. However, he says, they never were. Instead, Cirque du Soleil's owners pocketed them. But it doesn't use a disclaimer notifying customers that the service charge is not a gratuity for staff, according to the legal filing. "A reasonable customer would believe that the service charge was in fact a gratuity for [Maor] and [other] employees," according to the new Manhattan Supreme Court suit. Maor, who worked at Cirque's Randall's Island location in 2009, only made $11 an hour and didn't see a dime of gratuity, the suit says. The 33-year-old Bronx man primarily served food for the entertainment company for only one month, according to court papers. The case is for unspecified damages. The lawyers in the class action say they are still trying to find other servers, bussers, bartenders, food runners and hosts to join the case. A spokeswoman for Cirque du Soleil did not immediately comment. Cirque is also fending off a federal lawsuit filed last year in California by billionaire Alki David, who claims the company ripped off his hologram patent for the show "Michael Jackson: One." In 2004, Cirque paid an HIV-positive acrobat $600,000 after he filed a case claiming he was booted from the circus for fear the disease would spread to other performers. The gymnast, Matthew Cusick, said he had notified his employer he was HIV positive and rehearsed for months before getting canned. { SOURCE: New York Post | http://goo.gl/sIDZNl } Synchro Tumbling – Varekai Premieres New Act {Apr.15.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- A few days ago we were given a sneak peek, in the form of a rehearsal photo via the official Facebook page, of a new act that would be integrated into Cirque du Soleil's Varekai. Veteran Cirque du Soleil shows, and even newer ones, are no stranger to new acts, as changes are always taking place. But what was surprising about this act was not the act itself, but the fact that it was replacing what many consider an iconic Varekai act, Icarian Games. NEW, FRESH & DYNAMIC As mentioned, many consider Icarian Games to be an iconic Varekai act. So why the change? For starters, let's remember Varekai premiered 13 years ago this month, one of which has been in arena format. The transition from Grand Chapiteau to arena comes with many changes, including removing and adding acts for a more fresh, updated look and feel. Some will be surprised to know that Dominic Champagne (Varekai's Director), is in close contact with Fabrice Lemire (Varekai's Artistic Director) and he very much has a say in major changes that occur within the show. In fact, Dominic wanted something new, fresh and dynamic for the show, and in collaboration with Fabrice, they both chose to feature a Synchro Tumbling act. SYNCHRO TUMBLING The new 5-artist act, which has since been integrated into the show, is called Synchro Tumbling. Fans of Michael Jackson Immortal might remember this act, but the Varekai version has been completely re-choreographed to embody lizard-type creatures that are more animalistic in nature. 3 of the 5 artists were performers in MJ Immortal. No surprise there as Cirque du Soleil is known to be loyal to their artists and staff and they try to employ artists who have previously worked with the company. Although the Synchro Tumbling costumes are different from the Icarian Games costumes (but in the same tones), the music will remain the same. We're excited to see how Synchro Tumbling integrates and evolves in the show. Check out a video here: LINK /// < https://youtu.be/LNJtY3AVWOg > { SOURCE: TheChapiteau | http://goo.gl/d4amTY } On World Circus Day, a peek backstage at Cirque {Apr.18.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Australian Photographer Tim Georgeson has always been fascinated by the circus. "I've just been always interested in that way of life. Not that I want to live that way of life, but I've just been fascinated by the characters and the people that are drawn to that lifestyle," Georgeson told msnbc. On assignment for National Geographic France in 2002, Georgeson traveled Europe, Canada, and Africa, photographing circus performers in an attempt to show the "evolution of circus." "I was shooting all traditional circus and showing how sort of sad that is," Georgeson remarked. "Not many people are going to those circuses anymore." His project for the magazine also covered "contemporary cirque," a more recently developed form where shows are character-driven, convey a story or theme, and rarely use animals. Georgeson even attended and covered an "underground circus" in Africa. Ultimately, the assignment brought him to what he called "big bang circus," like the highly popular Cirque de Soleil, a modern theatrical company that was founded in Montreal in 1984 by two street performers. Today, Cirque de Soleil brings in revenues of hundreds of millions of dollars annually. During his travels in 2002, Georgeson shot the black and white photos seen here as part of a personal series. The Cirque de Soleil performers backstage in Brussels "love being photographed," he said. "Performance still continues backstage, they're always still performing and carrying on and trying things." Georgeson's goal? "Just trying to get a little bit of a voyeuristic view into their life." Check out these fantastic pictures: LINK /// < http://goo.gl/c5D0l3 > { SOURCE: MSNBC } Cirque/Fathom Bringing ‘One Night for One Drop' to Cinemas {Apr.21.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil and Fathom Events are partnering to bring One Night for One Drop to select theaters across the U.S. on the evening of June 10. One Night for One Drop, taped in Las Vegas on March 15, was staged in honor of One Drop, the nonprofit organization established by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte. The show, which raised funds and awareness for global water issues, was a completely original, one-night-only performance featuring artists from each of the eight Cirque du Soleil productions in Las Vegas, alongside guest performers. "Fathom Events is consistently adding new and unique events such as One Night for One Drop to our cinema offerings. We're excited to bring this exclusive performance to the big screen while also helping raise awareness for World Water Day," said Fathom's VP Programming Kymberli Frueh-Owens. One Night for One Drop creator-director Mukhtar O.S. Mukhtar added: "To be able to share this once-in-a-lifetime performance with a larger audience is a dream come true, not just for me, but for the hundreds of Cirque volunteers that offered their talents and support to raise awareness for critical water issues around the world during this special night." One Night for One Drop took place inside the Beatles LOVE Theatre at The Mirage Hotel and Casino. Fathom announced the news on the eve of CinemaCon, the annual gathering of theater owners in Las Vegas that runs April 20-23. During the show, the Metropolitan Opera will receive the first- ever Excellence in Alternative Content award for its groundbreaking The Met: Live in HD series, now in its 10th season. Fathom is a partner on the Saturday live broadcasts; Fathom CEO John Rubey is scheduled to present the award to soprano Deborah Voigt on April 21. She's accepting the tribute on behalf of the Metropolitan Opera. EVENT PARTICULARS o) Date: Wednesday, June 10 o) Time: 7:30 p.m. (local time) o) Run Time: 1 hours 30 minutes (approximate) o) Ticketing: Tickets go on sale Friday, May 8. Get More Information: http://goo.gl/cZ5hBZ { SOURCE: Hollywood Reporter | http://goo.gl/ex00NB } WSJ: The Perils of Workers' Comp for Injured Performers {Apr.24.2015} -------------------------------------------------------- Natasha Hallett was a longtime performer at Cirque du Soleil, playing a key role in the circus giant's La Nouba show in Orlando, Fla. Then she made a mistake. Ms. Hallett says she forgot to put a double loop through her harness for a flying trick, and a colleague didn't notice the oversight during a safety check. She tumbled about 40 feet to the stage during a Cirque performance, shattering 19 bones from the waist down. "Like a horse that broke its leg, once you are injured you are pretty much no good for them anymore," Ms. Hallett said. Artists at Cirque du Soleil put their unusually adept bodies at risk to entertain audiences, just as many professional athletes do. But unlike many pro athletes, Cirque performers don't get special treatment, such as continuing to receive regular pay, if they suffer severe injuries. Instead, most of them are treated like ordinary workers, thrust into a complex workers' compensation system that provides limited recompense for lost wages and permanent disabilities. A small number of injured workers whose contracts provide for it do receive extra compensation after an injury, executives said. But relying primarily on workers' compensation payments "is the best solution in terms of management," Cirque spokeswoman Renée- Claude Ménard said. The company declined to comment on specific cases of injury. For a Cirque worker injured in a major accident, the aftermath is a rarely publicized aspect of the stunning stunts that Cirque has turned into an $850-million-a-year business. "Pain is everything for your life," Artur Dashkevich, a former Cirque performer from Belarus, said a doctor once told him. He became permanently disabled after injuring his neck in a 2007 training accident in Montreal. He returned to Belarus, but said he can't work and lives on about $21,000 a year from the Quebec workers' compensation system. Others have taken jobs such as driving taxis or cutting hair while their bodies remain in pain. Cirque executives said 80% to 90% of its performers' injuries involve soft-tissue damage such as muscle or joint strains that accumulate over time and aren't linked to a major accident or a single career-ending event. But Cirque stands out for the number of injuries to its performers, many of which become workers' compensation claims. A Wall Street Journal analysis showed that in 2011, the most recent year for which data is available, Cirque's Kà show in Las Vegas had a higher rate of injury than all but 78 workplaces on a list of nearly 52,000 of the most dangerous compiled by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Nicolas Panet-Raymond, Cirque's head of safety, said that some circuses classify their performers as contractors, which means they don't have to provide any injury insurance coverage for them. By contrast, Cirque considers its performers employees. That means, he said, that in most places where it operates, the state or country requires the company to pay for workers' compensation insurance so that workers can get money and health care if they are injured. Workers' compensation laws vary widely, but they generally prevent workers from suing their employer for negligence. What that formula didn't take into account was that Ms. Hallett needed far more than normal use of her ankle to do a job in her field. "What we're doing is a little bit more advanced than just trying to get back to walking," she said. She was offered $45,000, she said. After disputing the decision she settled for $170,000, a large amount in Florida, according to workers' compensation attorneys there. Mr. Panet-Raymond agreed the system is problematic. "Workers' comp has not been established for high performers," he said. "We cannot ask workers' comp to build scales to represent our specific nature." Most top professional sports teams, including Major League Baseball, which are among the only workplaces to come close to Cirque in likelihood of injuries, give workers their full salary until their multiyear contracts expire. In the National Football League, injured players receive only a portion of their salary for a few years if they can't play, but they generally receive large upfront bonus payments to make up for the risk, according to sports agents and lawyers. Ms. Muller criticized Cirque for not providing more generous financial settlements. "These are not flukes, these are accidents," she said. "You can't send people home broken and broke." { SOURCE: Wall Street Journal | http://goo.gl/mcg96o } Get the KURIOS App Today! {Apr.25.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- The DHL Cabinet of Curiosities is the latest in a range of innovative Augmented Reality apps by DHL, Official Logistics Partner of Cirque du Soleil! Download the Augmented Reality marker from www.dhl.com/kurios and use this app to see Microcosmos, one of the extraordinary characters from the newest Cirque du Soleil show KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities, come to life before your eyes, with 4 action buttons to make him perform different routines. Find out more about Microcosmos, and the world of KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities with behind the scenes films and other content, test your knowledge in the Competition section (see Terms & Conditions for entry deadlines) and take your photo with a member of the cast to share with your friends. Created by Bright Partnerships Powered by Kudan Augmented Reality The App is available for Apple and Android users only. Get them here! o) APPLE: http://goo.gl/Y529Qa o) ANDROID: http://goo.gl/dspGjz See some photos of the app here: LINK /// < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=5819 > { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } --------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT – Cirque Cashes In / Sells Out --------------------------------------------------- Cirque preparing to announce sale on Monday {Apr.16.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Emotions are running high at Cirque du Soleil as the company is preparing to announce the sale of the famed Quebec circus troupe on Monday even though co-founder Guy Laliberte has yet to fully sign off on the transaction. Employees are sad because an era in one of Quebec's creative success stories seems to be on the verge of change, said a former senior official who remains close to old colleagues. "I'm very emotional because it's the end of something extraordinary," said the source, who didn't want to be identified by name. Laliberte told workers on Wednesday that he had not yet concluded a sale agreement, which reports say would be for something under $2 billion. "To be perfectly honest, there are a lot of discussions taking place at the moment," Laliberte wrote in a short email. "However, and as I usually do, be sure that you will be the first informed if I conclude an agreement with new partners." Sources close to the deal say U.S. private equity firm TPG Capital is close to completing a deal that involves Quebec pension fund manager the Caisse de depot and a large Chinese investment fund. Laliberte would reportedly continue to hold 10 per cent of the company after the sale and the Caisse another 10 per cent, with TPG holding 60 per cent and China's Fosun Capital the remaining 20 per cent. The new owners plan to maintain the Cirque's headquarters in Montreal and would expand its global operations by opening a support office in Shanghai, where Fosun is based. "Any transaction would involve both the management and creative soul of the company remaining in Montreal," said a source close to the deal. "TPG very much appreciates the unique cultural heritage of the Cirque and will be very much committed to the Montreal and Quebec creative communities." While the Cirque has expanded in China, there's room for a greater presence in Asia because of demand for more live entertainment productions, he added. "There will obviously be increased operations there, but by no means is this meant to be a headquarters in Shanghai. It would simply be a base of support for the Cirque's continued operations in China." TPG is the world's largest casino owner with a stake in Caesar's Entertainment, while Fosun owns Club Med resorts. While the Quebec government has said it wants the Cirque's head office to remain in the province in the event of a sale, Premier Philippe Couillard said Thursday in the legislature that it won't intervene in "a private transaction." Former Caisse executive Michel Nadeau said the pension fund manager wouldn't heed any political pressure and would only make an investment if it make financial sense. He said TPG, with $80 billion of assets under management in some 300 companies, is a very good manager. "When you have these type of guys in the driver's seat, it's good for the Caisse," he said in an interview. The purchase price is reportedly less than what Laliberte was seeking. But after a 30-year run, it's natural for a billionaire entrepreneur to sell his company as the product matures, competition increases and the public reacts more slowly to the offering, said Nadeau, who now heads Quebec's Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations. He said Laliberte missed out on a bigger deal by not properly preparing his succession and keeping the company so closely tied to one person. That left him forced to sell to a majority owner, rather than take the company public. { SOURCE: The Canadian Press } Cirque du Soleil sold to U.S., Chinese Investors {Apr.20.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Guy Laliberté, the audacious street performer who transformed his fire-breathing act into a global circus empire, has agreed to sell control of Cirque du Soleil to two of the world's largest financial investors for about $1.5-billion. Sources close to negotiations said Mr. Laliberté has agreed to sell majority control of the Cirque to TPG Capital, a Texas-based private equity fund, and Fosun Capital Group, a privately owned fund manager based in Shanghai. { SOURCE: The Globe and Mail } "China is Ready for Us" – Laliberté {Apr.20.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberté says selling the company to an investor group that includes China's Fosun Capital Group could lead to a doubling of its market in Asia. "We have a Chinese partner who knows the market well, and who has a lot of international connections," Laliberté said Monday during a news conference at the company's headquarters in Montreal. "It's certain that having a local [Chinese] partner will help develop our chances of success in a big way. We've done a lot of research in the past years and the market is ready for us." Confirming reports last week, Laliberté announced he had completed a deal to sell 60 per cent of Cirque du Soleil to U.S.-based TPG Capital, 20 per cent to Fosun, 10 per cent by the the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, while retaining 10 per cent himself. Laliberté said he has wanted to expand to the Chinese market for the past 10 of Cirque's 31-year history, though he was not ready to outline any concrete plans for the expansion. At the moment former Cirque director Franco Dragone is running an acrobatic circus show in Macau that could potentially mean competition. "We have a precise plan that we will be announcing soon," said Laliberté. "China is a complex market and we are doing our homework, doing our research, having many consultations and will soon have a more organized plan." Last month, Fosun won a US$1.3 billion bidding war for Club Med, the French resort chain in which Cirque already has a partnership. "We have an objective to become one of the global leaders in businesses driven by lifestyle needs, which are quickly taking root in China," Guo Guangchang, chairman of Fosun, said in a statement Monday. "The performances of Cirque are very attractive and are a standard bearer for the quality content expected by global citizens. We have known Cirque and TPG's team for quite some time so we respect their cultural heritage." None of the stakeholders would disclose the financial terms of the transaction. However, reports have valued the sale at $1.5 billion. Laliberté said he decided to sell the majority stake in the company to TPG for personal reasons and to ensure the success of the Montreal-based organization. "In all consciousness and with a rigorous personal reflection and corporate reflection, I believe I am making the best decision for Cirque du Soleil and its future, and the best decision for myself and my family," he said. Majority stakeholder Fort Worth, Texas-based TPG is a private equity firm with experience building brands such as J. Crew and Neiman Marcus. Laliberté said its strong media and entertainment relationships – including Hollywood talent agency CAA — will provide Cirque with new revenue opportunities. "They have an amazing network, they have money, they have a full team of people who can reinforce Cirque's growth. They seem to show quite good passion and they're full of energy," he said. At the moment, Laliberté has 90 per cent ownership in the company. He said the transaction was finalized last Friday morning and he chose to sell in order to expand the company, not because Cirque is experiencing financial difficulties. "I had all the choice. I was holding all the cards in the deck," he said. "I made this business decision for the support of Cirque." Laliberté said he will maintain some creative control at the organization, particularly during the transition period he says will take several months. The 55-year-old former street performer said part of the reason he is taking a smaller role is to spend more time with his family and pursue personal interests. "I gave myself, at the starting point, 10-years. I went on for 31 years. It's more that I could even imagine," said Laliberté. Part of the deal is that Cirque's headquarters will remain in Montreal, as long as TPG are the majority shareholders, in spite of fears it would be relocated by the U.S.- and China-based companies. Quebec businessman Mitch Garber will become chairman of the company. "The DNA of the company is in its Quebec-based creativity," said Garber. "There is nowhere else you can have the creativity that has nurtured all of the shows and all of the revenue that comes from here, other than Montreal, Quebec." Cirque du Soleil employees about 1,400 people at the company headquarters. { SOURCE: Financial Post | http://goo.gl/C8dkfU } "Cirque Sale: The Official Press Release" {Apr.22.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil ("Cirque"), the world's leading producer of high-quality live artistic entertainment, today announced an agreement under which TPG, a global private investment firm, will acquire a majority stake in Cirque du Soleil to fuel growth and take Cirque's iconic blue and yellow big top to exciting new markets. o) Guy Laliberté to continue creative advisor status and maintain ownership stake; o) Strong commitments to Québec and Canada: Montréal international headquarters of Cirque du Soleil and management team to remain in place; o) Transaction provides financial strength to support global growth of Cirque du Soleil's unique artistic vision; o) Fosun and TPG to target Cirque du Soleil's expansion in China; o) Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec to assume minority stake in Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil's Founder, Guy Laliberté, will maintain a stake in the business and will continue to provide strategic and creative input to the company. Fosun, one of China's leading privately-owned investment groups, will acquire a minority stake in Cirque du Soleil via a fund under its management, and together the firms will work with the company to launch and expand in China. In addition, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (the "Caisse") will also acquire a minority interest in the company. Québec businessman Mitch Garber, who has strong business ties to TPG, will also be part of the investor group. Mr. Garber will become Chairman of Cirque du Soleil, adding valuable expertise and a strong Montréal-community presence to the board of directors. No financial terms of the transaction were disclosed. "After 30 years building the Cirque du Soleil brand, we have now found the right partners in TPG, Fosun and the Caisse to take Cirque du Soleil forward to the next stage in its evolution as a company founded on the conviction that the arts and business, together, can contribute to making a better world," said Guy Laliberté. "Just as importantly, I am thrilled that the investors have demonstrated such a strong commitment to Cirque's unique Québec cultural heritage and the creativity and imagination of our people." "We are excited about the opportunity to bring our global platform of resources and know-how to propel the growth of Cirque's unique brand, content and capabilities around the world," said David Trujillo, partner at TPG. "We are inspired by Guy Laliberté's imagination and vision, and look forward to working with him and his talented team, as well as the vibrant Montréal creative community." Mitch Garber added, "Guy has built one of the most extraordinary companies in the world. I have worked with TPG for many years and know they are the perfect partners to take this business forward. Cirque is a great source of pride for all Québecers and we intend to continue to make them proud." Guo Guangchang, Chairman of Fosun said, "To date, Fosun has established a global prototype for platforms that capture lifestyle trends in China. Building on top of this model, we have an objective to become one of the global leaders in businesses driven by lifestyle needs, which are quickly taking root in China. The performances of Cirque are very attractive and are a standard bearer for the quality content expected by global citizens. We have known Cirque and TPG's team for quite some time so we respect their cultural heritage. We envisage deeper cooperation with Cirque and are excited to have Cirque as a major new growth platform within our lifestyle services and content portfolio." Guy Laliberté and his team have grown Québec-based Cirque du Soleil into one of the world's largest and most well-recognized entertainment brands, touching 150 million spectators worldwide. As part of the agreement, Cirque du Soleil's talented team will remain in place and TPG has made binding commitments to ensure that the headquarters and the creative activities of Cirque du Soleil will remain in Montréal, a community that has always been at the heart of Cirque's success. Daniel Lamarre will remain as Cirque's President and CEO. Michael Sabia, President and CEO of the Caisse, added: "This is an important moment in the history of the Cirque. Today, we are partnering with the company as it seeks to conquer new markets. We are confident that TPG, alongside Fosun, has all the expertise to expand the Cirque's global presence. We are pleased that this new era of growth will be directed from Montreal, the Cirque's decision-making and creative center, under the direction of Daniel Lamarre, CEO." "Our partners believe in Cirque du Soleil's extraordinary artistic vision, and together, we will nurture that vision and take it to new heights," said Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil. "TPG's track record of helping legendary brands deliver powerful experiences, Fosun's expertise in China and the Caisse's homegrown financial strength are a powerful combination that will fuel new growth in our business." TPG is one of the world's leading private investment firms, with its largest office in San Francisco. The firm has a successful track record of growing legendary brands that deliver unique consumer experiences, such as Beringer, Chobani, Ducati, Fender, J.Crew and Neiman Marcus. The firm's focus on Internet and media investments, including Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Lynda.com, RentPath, STX Entertainment and Univision, amongst others, also enables TPG to leverage its digital ecosystem for the benefit of portfolio companies such as Cirque. The combined expertise and resources of the TPG-led investor group offer compelling opportunities to broaden the creative reach of Cirque for the benefit of all stakeholders, including: o) New revenue opportunities through TPG's deep experience building iconic consumer brands and strong media and entertainment relationships; o) Greater reach and access to large new audiences in China and other Asian markets for Cirque du Soleil's shows; and o) Expanded offerings with third-party intellectual property deals, increased licensing, digital media and ticket sales. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, and is expected to close in the third quarter 2015. Commitments to Québec and Canada. As part of the transaction, the investors are committing to a comprehensive package of binding undertakings that will ensure that Montréal remains the creative and management international headquarters for Cirque du Soleil, including: o) Ensure that Cirque's headquarters in Montréal, Québec remain the centre for creative and artistic services for the business and locus of strategic decision-making; o) Continuing to support the growth of Cirque du Soleil's core business, while expanding job and training opportunities for employees based in Québec and across Canada; o) Significant Québec and Canadian presence on the leadership team of Cirque du Soleil and its Board of Directors; and o) Active support of the continued growth and vitality of Québec's flourishing creative arts community through funding to cultural and community organizations, continued support of Cirque du Monde, and maintaining funding for the research activities of C:LAB, the creative laboratory of Cirque du Soleil. Advisors Goldman, Sachs & Co. acted as exclusive financial advisor to Cirque du Soleil. Norton Rose Fulbright acted as legal advisor to Cirque du Soleil. Ropes & Gray LLP and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP acted as legal advisors to TPG. McCarthy Tétrault acted as legal advisor to Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. About TPG TPG is a leading global private investment firm founded in 1992 with over $67 billion of assets under management and offices in San Francisco, Fort Worth, Austin, Dallas, Houston, New York, Beijing, Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Melbourne, Moscow, Mumbai, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. TPG has extensive experience with global public and private investments executed through leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, spinouts, growth investments, joint ventures and restructurings. The firm has helped build many well-known consumer brands including J.Crew, Ducati, Neiman Marcus, Chobani, Fender, Petco and e.l.f. Cosmetics, and invested in premier media and entertainment companies including CAA, STX Entertainment and Univision. The firm also has a long track record of investing in Asia, with investments that include Chindex International, China Grand Auto, Masan Group, Shenzhen Development Bank, and Shriram Transport. For more information visit www.tpg.com. About Fosun Fosun was founded in 1992 in Shanghai. Fosun International Limited (00656.HK) was listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited on 16 July 2007. Fosun has been persistently taking roots in China and investing in China's growth fundamentals. It has been actively implementing its investment model of "Combining China's Growth Momentum with Global Resources". Fosun is dedicated to making a major stride towards becoming a world-class investment group underpinned by the twin drivers of "insurance-oriented comprehensive financial capability" and "global industrial integration capability taking roots in China". Today, Fosun's businesses include two major parts, integrated finance and industrial operations. In 2014, Fosun focused more on investments in the healthcare and happy and fashionable lifestyle industries around the world, including cases like the privatization of Chindex, the acquisition of the entire Luz Saúde healthcare group of Portugal, the establishment of Studio 8 as a controlling shareholder, the privatization of Club Med and investment in Thomas Cook which have just been concluded in March of this year. For more information, please visit www.fosun.com. About La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is a long-term institutional investor that manages funds primarily for public and parapublic pension and insurance plans. As at December 31, 2014, it held $226 billion in net assets. As one of Canada's leading institutional fund managers, la Caisse invests globally in major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure and real estate. For more information: www.lacaisse.com. { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil | http://goo.gl/MJI8f0 } Guy Laliberté explains the sale of Cirque du Soleil {Apr.22.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté explains why his company will not stay in his family and why selling to the group led by TPG Capital is a positive move from the Montreal-based international circus company. Video shot at the Cirque du Soleil headquarters on Monday, April 20, 2015. (Dario Ayala / Montreal Gazette) [Editor's Note: This is the Long Version of the video] See the Video Here: LINK /// < https://youtu.be/MWcXtQW3zns > { SOURCE: The Montreal Gazette, YouTube } Meet Mitch Garber: Chairman of the Board {Apr.25.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Mitch Garber first met Guy Laliberté in Las Vegas in 2010. That's where Garber spends part of his time running Caesars Interactive Entertainment and Laliberté, a former street performer who went on to co-found Cirque du Soleil, plays high- stakes poker. The kind where hundreds of thousands of dollars can ride on one hand. He once finished fourth in the World Poker tournament. The following year, Laliberté invited Garber, a fellow Quebecer, to his box at a Montreal Canadiens game and pitched the idea of joining his charity, the One Drop Foundation, promoting global access to safe drinking water. He wanted Garber's help to arrange a tournament with the biggest buy-in poker history — US$1 million per player. "Even though it seemed far-fetched to me, because of how he was presenting it, it almost seemed like he could do anything, I believed in it, and I went with it," Garber recalls. "I remember being very persuaded by his optimism and the fieriness he had in these ideas." Garber would be encouraged by Laliberté again — this time to become chairman of Cirque du Soleil, after the co-founder announced this week that he will be selling the entertainment empire to a consortium made up of U.S.-based TPG Capital, Shanghai-based Fosun Capital Group, and a small stake for the Caisse de dépôt and Laliberté. Garber is buying in for several million dollars as well, though he says he's still working out the final number. "He's a friend, but also an incredible businessman," said Laliberté of Garber, in announcing the sale on April 20. Garber says he jumped on the opportunity to lead the Cirque board. "The fact that it's a local Quebec company founded by someone who I like and respect very much, it really has all the elements in it," said Garber. While both Laliberté and Garber came from Quebec to eventually become entrepreneurs managing large piles of money in the flashy casinos of Las Vegas, they come from quite different backgrounds. "We don't have a lot in common, and maybe that's why we're friends," said Garber. Laliberté, a francophone from Quebec City, famously got his start busking on the street with a harmonica and accordion before building what would become the world's largest acrobatic circus. Garber is an anglophone from Montreal who began his professional career as a radio sportscaster and lawyer before getting into the gaming industry. His mother was a schoolteacher, his father a restaurateur and art dealer. "I had a good family life, but not a very healthy financial early life," Garber said. "My dad had severe bouts of ups and downs. He was very wealthy at a very young age in his 20s. He was bankrupt in his early 30s. He took his life over a financial crisis in his early 40s." Las Vegas is where the fate of the two men intersect. Between there and Montreal, Garber runs the online version of famed Caesars casino network. Caesars Interactive is one of the largest and most profitable social and mobile game companies in the world. Meanwhile, 55 per cent of Cirque ticket sales are in Las Vegas, though the company is now looking to expand to new markets, particularly in Asia. That, Garber has said, is his next big focus. "People might find [Garber] shrewd sometimes, and passionate other times, but at the end of the day, I tend to look more at the fundamentals of his character — selflessness, having the vision and wanting to inspire people around him," said David Baazov, CEO of Montreal-based Amaya Inc., the world's largest publicly traded online gambling company. "What he's doing is on an international basis and he's going to help [Cirque du Soleil] think a little out of the box. I think that he's got a lot of strong relationships to propel that." Garber is also a co-star on the Quebec TV show Dans l'oeil du dragon, the French language version of Dragon's Den. "I'm sure whatever he's going to do in this [Cirque] position will be probably well-thought out and analyzed for the benefit of the owners and the partners, but also on the vision of this province and Montreal," said co-star Danièle Henkel. "He wants to bring the anglophone community together with the francophone community to try to speak together and try to do things together." TPG, which also has shares in Caesars, sought approval from MGM Grand Hotel and Casino to make Garber chairman of Cirque — since Cirque shows compete at MGM facilities. "What amazes me is that I think he thinks nothing is impossible," said fellow dragon Martin-Luc Archambault. Garber is also known for speaking his mind about both business and politics in Quebec. Last month on Radio-Canada's popular panel show Tout le Monde en parle, Garber questioned Parti Québécois leadership hopeful Pierre Karl Péladeau's record as the head of Quebecor, noting other media companies had better share performance. That sparked outrage from Péladeau's spouse, Julie Snyder, who rose to her husband's defense. "These are not opinions, they are false, sad comments, undignified of a dragon," Snyder tweeted. Now Garber says it's time to keep political opinions to himself. "I had some very strong comments that I stand behind, but today my status in Quebec has changed," he said. "As a spokesperson representing the Cirque du Soleil, I represent all Quebecers in their love for the Cirque and I think that now that I am the chairman of Cirque du Soleil, my political views should remain my own and I don't think that it's appropriate that I express them." Both Snyder and Péladeau declined to comment on Garber's new position on the Cirque board. From his office overlooking the crowds on Montreal's busy Ste- Catherine Street, Garber says to this day he sometimes has a hard time believing he's done as well as he had. "When I have the chance to think about Cirque du Soleil and being the chairman of the board, there will be times when I ask myself ‘how did you end up here?' I think that's healthy and it shows that I really do appreciate it," he said. "I know there was a lot of hard work, a lot of luck, and a lot of circumstance that led me to be here, but I am very grateful for it and I want to make sure that I really dedicate myself to doing a really great job for the people who put faith in me." { SOURCE: Financial Post | http://goo.gl/aKvHfD } Bloomberg: Cirque du Soleil Has No Chance in China {Apr.25.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- It's no secret that Cirque du Soleil has been in need of a savior. After spreading to 271 cities around the world in the 1990s and 2000s, the producer of elaborate circus events has more recently hit hard times. In 2013, the company laid off 400 employees, mostly at its Montreal headquarters, citing rising expenses and the global economic downturn. It looked like Cirque had finally slipped off its high wire. Just in the nick of time, a Chinese company seems to have swooped down to stop its plummet. Last weekend, Fosun International, China's largest private conglomerate, announced that it had acquired a minority stake in Cirque du Soleil in order to add a "unique element" to what the company calls its "happy lifestyle area" (which includes hotels and resorts, including Club Med) that target China's growing middle class. It seems like a clear win-win: Cirque gets a massive new market for its kitsch, and Fosun gets to shift its business model away from China's slowing real estate sector. But Cirque du Soleil's saga isn't over quite yet. There's plenty of reason to doubt the Chinese public will have much interest in what Cirque is selling. Fosun's challenge will be to convince the company's creative staff that Canada's idea of "happy lifestyle" entertainment doesn't overlap with China's. Cirque du Soleil has been active in China for the past decade, but it hasn't ever shown much talent for entertaining Chinese audiences. In 2007, it staged its first-ever China shows in Shanghai. They were well received, though not particularly well attended. And why would they be? In China, at least, Cirque du Soleil offers very little in acrobatic spectacle (rope tricks, spinning plates, death defying heights) that the Chinese haven't been doing on stage, in their own circus performances, for centuries. In fact, in most large Chinese cities there are several expertly staged choreographed acrobatic shows that cater to Chinese audiences — and for cheaper ticket prices than what Cirque du Soleil charges. Part of the problem is that Cirque du Soleil has resisted catering to local Chinese tastes. The best example of this misguided approach was the Canadian national pavilion that the company was commissioned to design for Expo 2010, better known as the Shanghai World's Fair. Prior to its opening in April 2010, I interviewed Johnny Boivin, Cirque's Director of Creation, who explained to me the company's approach to the building: "So I said why don't we go really honestly about who we are … and talk to the Chinese without using the language. In this project we don't speak but rather we show people images so they know what we are talking about." Boivin was true to his vision — to a fault. Visitors to the pavilion were ushered through two rooms. The first provided an opportunity to peddle a bike on a virtual tour of Canada; the second was a darkened room where visitors were asked to sit on the floor and watch atmospheric images of Montreal bleed into each other on a screen. Whatever its aesthetic merits, this showed a complete misunderstanding of what Chinese audiences expect in exchange for buying tickets (and standing in line, as they sometimes did for hours at Expo 2010). The first thing is that no paying Chinese audience would ever volunteer to sit on the floor; in the West, this might resonate with theatergoers eager for a shift in perspective, but from the Chinese perspective it comes across as cheap and uninviting. More importantly, Cirque du Soleil's sedate aesthetic bears little relation to the spectacle and bling that middle class Chinese tend to associate with paid entertainment. No surprise, most visitors walked quickly through Cirque's exhibition with little more than a glance at the images, and then wandered off in search of national pavilions that offered more excitement. Sometimes the company seemed to neglect even more basic sorts of market research. In 2012, it pulled out of a 10-year contract at The Venetian resort in the Chinese casino mecca of Macau after disappointing ticket sales. Cirque had somehow failed to understand that Macau wasn't a typical tourist destination, but a city associated in the Chinese imagination with gambling and other unsavory financial dealings. Needless to say, the city's traditional clientele rarely brings family along. None of this is to suggest that Fosun is wrong for buying Cirque du Soleil. At the very least, its newly developed expertise at designing theaters will prove useful to Fosun's real estate and hotel developers. Moreover, given the rapidly growing demand by China's middle class for "happy lifestyle" products, it would be hard for Cirque's shows to prove a total failure. Chinese tourism is booming, and if a Cirque du Soleil production is the only entertainment available at a Fosun-owned hotel or resort, the guests — who won't necessarily be Chinese — might just be convinced to go and see it. But for now, Cirque du Soleil is just another Chinese-owned circus. Unlike the others, though, this one still needs a Chinese audience. { SOURCE: Bloomberg View | http://goo.gl/HLxQpu } Cirque president says jobs will increase after sale {Apr.26.2015} ----------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil president Daniel Lamarre says as new owners TPG continue to grow the circus, more jobs will be created. Founder Guy Laliberte says he sold the Cirque to the U.S. private equity firm to spend more time with his kids. Check out the video from the Globe and Mail here: LINK /// < http://fw.to/GNLh1gY > { SOURCE: The Globe and Mail } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Amaluna, Corteo, Koozå, OVO, Totem & Kurios} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {Quidam, Varekai & TORUK (Avatar)} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, Believe, ZarKÀna, MJ ONE & JOYÀ} 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. For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts, please visit Cirque's website: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ >. ------------------------------------ BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau ------------------------------------ Amaluna: Madrid, ES -- May 6, 2015 to Jun 21, 2015 PortAventura, ES -- July 3, 2015 to Aug 23, 2015 Brussels, BE -- Sep 11, 2015 to Oct 11, 2015 Paris, FR -- Nov 5, 2015 to Dec 13, 2015 Corteo: Mérida, MX -- Jun 18, 2015 to Jul 12, 2015 Guadalajara, MX -- Jul 30, 2015 to Aug 16, 2015 Mexico City, MX -- Sep 25, 2015 to Nov 22, 2015 ** CORTEO TO CLOSE IN MEXICO CITY ** Koozå: Columbus, OH -- Jun 4, 2015 to Jun 28, 2015 Virginia Beach, VA -- Jul 16, 2015 to Aug 16, 2015 Austin, TX -- Oct 15, 2015 to Nov 8, 2015 Kurios: Calgary, AB -- Apr 9, 2015 to May 24, 2015 Denver, CO -- Jun 11, 2015 to Jul 26, 2015 Chicago, IL -- Aug 6, 2015 to Sep 20, 2015 Costa Mesa, CA -- Oct 15, 2015 to Nov 29, 2015 Los Angeles, CA -- Dec 10, 2015 to Feb 7, 2016 Ovo: Sendai, JP -- Apr 23, 2015 to Jun 7, 2015 Totem: Brisbane, AU -- Apr 10, 2015 to May 24, 2015 Adelaide, AU -- Jun 11, 2015 to Jul 5, 2015 Perth, AU -- Jul 31, 2015 to Aug 30, 2015 ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ Quidam: St. Petersburg, RU -- Apr 29, 2015 to May 4, 2015 Linkoping, SE -- May 8, 2015 to May 10, 2015 Gothenburg, SE -- May 13, 2015 to May 16, 2015 Turku, FI -- May 22, 2015 to May 25, 2015 Tallinn, EE -- May 27, 2015 to May 30, 2015 Stockholm, SE -- Jun 3, 2015 to Jun 6, 2015 Krakow, PL -- Jun 12, 2015 to Jun 14, 2015 Gdansk, PL -- Jun 18, 2015 to Jun 21, 2015 Tel Aviv, IL -- Jul 2, 2015 to Jul 16, 2015 Varekai: Spokane, WA -- Apr 29, 2015 to May 3, 2015 Portland, OR -- May 6, 2015 to May 10, 2015 Penticon, BC -- May 13, 2015 to May 17, 2015 Vancouver, BC -- May 20, 2015 to May 24, 2015 Victoria, BC -- May 27, 2015 to May 31, 2015 Edmonton, AB -- Jun 18, 2015 to Jun 21, 2015 Winnipeg, MB -- Jun 24, 2015 to Jun 28, 2015 Ottawa, ON -- Jul 2, 2015 to Jul 5, 2015 Baltimore, MD -- Jul 8, 2015 to Jul 12, 2015 Boston, MA -- Jul 15, 2015 to Jul 19, 2015 Fairfax, VA -- Jul 22, 2015 to Jul 26, 2015 Duluth, GA -- Jul 29, 2015 to Aug 2, 2015 Tampa, FL -- Aug 5, 2015 to Aug 9, 2015 Sunrise, FL -- Aug 12, 2015 to Aug 23, 2015 Nashville, FL -- Aug 26, 2015 to Aug 30, 2015 Toronto, ON -- Sep 2, 2015 to Sep 6, 2015 Berlin, DE -- Oct 8, 2015 to Oct 11, 2015 Leipzig, DE -- Oct 14, 2015 to Oct 18, 2015 Stuttgart, DE -- Oct 21, 2015 to Oct 25, 2015 Mannheim, DE -- Oct 28, 2015 to Nov 1, 2015 Vienna, AT -- Nov 4, 2015 to Nov 8, 2015 Dortmund, DE -- Nov 11, 2015 to Nov 15, 2015 Cologne, DE -- Nov 19, 2015 to Nov 22, 2015 Innsbruck, AT -- Nov 25, 2015 to Nov 29, 2015 Munich, DE -- Dec 2, 2015 to Dec 6, 2015 Lyon, FR -- Feb 3, 2016 to Feb 7, 2016 Hamburg, DE -- Feb 10, 2016 to Feb 14, 2016 Luxembourg, LU -- Feb 17, 2016 to Feb 21, 2016 Hanover, DE -- Feb 24, 2016 to Feb 28, 2016 Nice, FR -- Mar 23, 2016 to Mar 27, 2016 Nantes, FR -- Nov 16, 2016 to Nov 20, 2016 Toulouse, FR -- Nov 23, 2016 to Nov 27, 2016 Strasbourg, FR -- Nov 30, 2016 to Dec 4, 2016 TORUK - The First Flight: Lafayette, LA -- Nov 20, 2015 to Nov 22, 2015 Montreal, QC -- Dec 26, 2015 to Jan 3, 2016 Auburn Hills, MI -- Jan 22, 2016 to Jan 24, 2016 North Little Rock, AR -- Feb 19, 2016 to Feb 21, 2016 North Charleston, SC -- Feb 26, 2016 to Feb 28, 2016 Tulsa, OK -- Mar 25, 2016 to Mar 27, 2016 Kansas City, MO -- Apr 1, 2016 to Apr 4, 2016 Louisville, KY -- Apr 29, 2016 to May 1, 2016 Cincinnati, OH -- May 5, 2016 to May 8, 2016 Hamilton, ON -- May 20, 2016 to May 22, 2016 London, ON -- May 27, 2016 to May 29, 2016 Providence, RI -- Jun 3, 2016 to Jun 5, 2016 Raleigh, NC -- Jun 24, 2016 to Jun 26, 2016 --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- Mystère: Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday Two shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm 2015 Dark Dates: o May 14 - 22 o July 15 o September 10 - 18 o November 11 Added performances in 2015: o April 2 o December 31 (only 7 pm performance) "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm 2015 Dark Dates: o June 14 o August 3 - 11 o October 11 o November 30 - December 15 Added performances in 2015: o March 17 and 31 o December 29 La Nouba: Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm 2014 Dark Dates: o November 2 - 5 o December 7 - 9 Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm (Only 7:00pm on the following days in 2015: January 20, May 8, May 15, May 19, May 20, and December 31) 2015 Dark Dates: o June 16 o August 16 - 31 o October 31 o December 6 - 14 Added performance in 2015: o December 27 KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm (Only 7 pm performances on May 9, 16 and June 21) 2015 Dark Dates: o May 30 - June 5 o August 5 o September17 - 25 o November 18 Added performances in 2015: o January 1 - 2 o April 3 LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm (Only 7:00p.m. performances on May 15-16, June 19-21, December 31) (Only 4:30p.m. & 7:00p.m. performances on July 4) 2015 Dark Dates: o May 28 o July 28 – August 5 o September 15 – 17 o October 20 – 22 o December 1 – 16 Added performances in 2014: o June 9 o December 30 CRISS ANGEL BELIEVE: Location: Luxor, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2015 Show Schedule: o Wednesday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm (only 7:00pm on January 7, February 4 - 25, September 30) o Thursday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm (only 7:00pm on January 8-29, December 31) o Friday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm (only 7:00pm on January 9–30, February 6, February 20 – 27, March 6 – 13, May 1 – 22, June 5, June 19, September 11–25, October 2–9, October 23–30, December 4 11, December 25) o Saturday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm (only 7:00pm on May 2–16, June 20, July 4, October 31) o Sunday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm (only 7:00pm on February 8–22, March 1–15, April 26, May 24, June 7, June 21, September 13–27, October 4–25, November 1–8, November 22–29, December 6–13) 2015 Dark Dates: o May 25 – June 2 o June 22 – 30 o August 31 – September 8 o November 9 – 17 o December 14 – 22 Added Performances in 2015: o December 29 ZARKÀNA: Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2015 Dark Dates: o May 10 -18 o July 14 o September 6 - 14 o November 10 Added Performances in 2015: o December 28 MICHAEL JACKSON ONE: Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Two Shows Nightly - Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Schedule: 7:00pm & 9:30pm on Friday, Saturday, Monday & Tuesday 4:30pm & 7:00pm on Sunday (Only 7:00pm on January 12, 19, & 26, February 9, 16, & 23) (Only 4:30pm & 7:00pm performances on July 4) 2015 Dark Dates: o June 3 – 18 o August 11 o October 14 – 22 o December 15 Added performances in 2015: o August 19 o November 25 o December 30 JOYÀ: Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday One/Two Shows Nightly: 9:00pm (Weekdays) 7:00pm & 10:15pm (Fri, Sat & Holidays) Prices: o) VIP Show Dinner & Champagne [RED] — $MXN 2,970.00 o) Show Dinner and Champagne [BLUE] — $MXN 2,178.00 o) Show and Champagne [GREEN] — $MXN 1,452.00 o) Show Only [ORANGE] — $MXN $1,056 o) High Stools (Show Only) [PURPLE] — $MXN 858.000 ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) Didyaknow? –- Facts About Cirque o) Networking -- Posts on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter --------------------------------------- DIDYAKNOW?: Facts About Cirque --------------------------------------- o) Did you know: The Counselor's Son in KA has the most complex make up application? It involves 33 steps and eight different brushes, four sponges and one powder puff. o) Did you know: For the Wash-up scene in KA, the beach is created using granular cork? We use one ton of it and it comes from Portugal. o) Did you know: There are 1,150 costume pieces used in Michael Jackson ONE? Some are equipped with hundreds of LED lights! o) Did you know: the artists in MJ ONE represent 18 different countries? Some of them include Italy, Japan, Kenya, and New Zealand. o) Did you know: TOTEM's Flutes specialist Annette Bauer plays 10 wind instruments? The audience can hear 5 recorders (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass, Ganassi), a Rauschpfeife (Capped Double Reed), a Offerdalspipa (Swedish Traditional), a Native American Flute, an Irish Whistle and a musical instrument created specifically for the Scientist scene: a pan flute made out of scientific tubes! o) Did you know: The Traditional Native American Hoop Dance in TOTEM is a form of storytelling dance which uses small hoops to create both static and dynamic shapes representing different animals and symbols. The dancers, such as our male Hoop Dancer Eric Hernandez, learn the basics of the dance from their family and then personalize it and add their own style to it. In TOTEM, a maximum of 6 hoops are used, but it could be performed with up to 30 hoops. --------------------------------------------------- NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter --------------------------------------------------- {Compiled by Keith Johnson} ---[ AMALUNA ]--- {Apr.02} This is how Amaluna celebrates Father's Day! LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz5hyLJSXQA > {Apr.09} When an ordinary day transforms into an unforgettable experience! LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHIALFdT854 > ---[ CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ]--- {Apr.02} Join us this summer in Andorra to experience our new presentation of SCALADA: STORIA, a unique and free open- air event. LINK /// < http://cirk.me/1anrp8Z > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/zMCzhA > {Apr.02} Cirque du Soleil is looking for INSTRUMENTALISTS to be part of our new Big Top touring show to be presented in 2016. To apply click on one of the links below: (NOTE: The Guitarist and Trumpet/Tuba listings have a reference to an audition kit with song demos from the new show!) GUITARIST/VOCALIST: < http://cirk.me/1IVrRqc > TRUMPET PLAYER: < http://cirk.me/1IVsFLU > TUBA PLAYER: < http://cirk.me/1IVsYGm > FEMALE HARP PLAYER: < http://cirk.me/1IVxc0T > {Apr.14} Spring is here! We will celebrate with our friends at Glade – watch our custom performance tomorrow on Access Hollywood Live. Here is a sneak peak from rehearsal! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/oiDJiX LINK /// < http://goo.gl/nEY0PW LINK /// < http://goo.gl/dBIhe1 LINK /// < http://goo.gl/8Jq9M0 {Apr.24} Have you ever dreamed of flying high on a trapeze? Riding a unicycle? What about acrobatic bungee? Take center-stage with Club Med and Cirque du Soleil, and be among the first to experience Creactive. You and your family could win the experience of a lifetime! LINK /// < http://cirk.me/1Ez8S6T > ---[ CORTEO ]--- {Apr.05} Happy Easter! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/7tLVPU > {Apr.09} Due to the Bogata altitude of 2,640 meters, we had to add another balloon to Valentyna’s flight! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/8fQqCh > {Apr.14} What do we do on our day off? We discover the town! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/xgXC12 > {Apr.16} Our amazing chef can cook anything, today we were delighted with an incredible Russian lunch! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/GSAEj8 > {Apr.21} A message from Director Daniele Finzi Pasca for Corteo’s 10th birthday: It's been a long time ago, since I have started to build the images inside of me which have become alive in this show. It's been a creation full of joy where I have met working partners that became friends for a life time. We built a boat which left for an incredibly long journey. I would like to thank you for keeping alive the spirit which has characterized the first shows after the premiere and for helping this show to become more mature and more beautiful. I followed you from far away, sharing messages with a few of you, and with infinite gratitude I hug you knowing that a thin string holds us together, like if we were a family. In different ways we all permitted Corteo to reach this magnificent birthday. Together we made millions of people dream and we all have to be proud of it. With all my love. Daniele. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/PDKrCh > {Apr.22} Over 10 years, 380 people have been part of the cast and staff who have given life to Corteo. Here is a photo of current cast and crew that were part of the world premiere in 2005! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/MqXeHk > {Apr.23} The press conference in Merida was a success. This is the first time Cirque du Soleil presents a show in Yucatan. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/LXHi87 > ---[ JOYA ]--- {Apr.01} Delight yourself with our newest delicious discovery. Enjoy a fine selection of gourmet appetizers paired with champagne in our Show+Champagne Package experience. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/TtrnCA > {Apr.18} The fabulous cast and crew is excited to welcome you into a mysterious and fantastical world - join us for this extraordinary adventure! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/FTk1pM > ---[ KOOZA ]--- {Apr.05} We wish a fond farewell to Hand to Hand artists, Philippe Bélanger and Marie-Lee Guilbert, who performed their last shows with KOOZA! Best wishes on all your future endeavors! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/wXAYaX > {Apr.07} 2.5 years, 18,500 kilometers, 14 cities in 11 countries, and about 1 million spectators - it's been an unforgettable European tour! A giant thank you to all the fans who came out to support the show and got lost in our zany world! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/CGKP8t > {Apr.09} Combining fluidity of movement, physical contortion, exceptional balance and impressive dexterity, KOOZA Hoop Artist Irina Akimova, delivers a performance that is out of this world! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/5XqggU > {Apr.13} Ever thought about auditioning for Cirque du Soleil KOOZA Singer, Mary-Pier Guilbalt, shares some of her do’s and don’ts from her experience! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/JOkqUA > {Apr.16} KOOZA is coming back to North America! Which cities should we visit? LINK /// < http://cirk.me/1PTUUiI > ---[ KURIOS ]--- {Apr.09} Check out our Premiere festivities! Thank you Calgary. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/U6z4zy > {Apr.16} Great game yesterday night Official Calgary Flames Hockey Club! KURIOS is cheering for you! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/v49v1b > {Apr.24} Already performed 390 times, experienced by over 850,000 guests, KURIOS is celebrating its first year anniversary today! Thank you for a wonderful year! LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5WOGYx53qA > {Apr.25} We are all trying to believe this reality and how one year has flown by so quickly. KURIOS is just getting started! Thank you for sharing our world of imagination and wonder. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/eG8IDY > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/VkAZdQ > ---[ LA NOUBA ]--- {Apr.07} Here’s a rare look at what happens behind-the-scenes! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/l7zL8L > {Apr.23} What's that in Pierrot's hand? Some exciting new La Nouba footage coming soon! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/lbw44N > {Apr.29} Practice makes perfect. We make practicing for the show so much fun! Watch and learn. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/0FxKr8 > ---[ OVO ]--- {Apr.02} What a Grand Entrance for OVO in Fukuoka! This is probably the most impressive front of site we've ever had! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/3akYl2 > {Apr.16} Sendai!!!! OVO has arrived!!! We are setting up the Big Top and getting ready for the Premiere on April 23rd. Will you be there? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Jp7YLY > {Apr.20} Hello Sendai! 2 days before the Premiere and the artists are working hard to get ready! Are you ready? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/uiePbS > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/1fhJ1y > {Apr.27} Watching the world... Upside down... LINK /// < http://goo.gl/W0gJoU > ---[ QUIDAM ]--- {Apr.15} Cross your fingers for good Moscow weather tomorrow for our performance in Muzeon Park! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/AQ24R7 > {Apr.25} Quidam is the 10th Cirque show to visit Russia and was pleased to host the 2,000,000th spectator in the country! LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uud3yAu0t4 > ---[ TOTEM ]--- {Apr.03} Our characters are the cover models for this week's edition of QWeekend distributed in today's Courier Mail in Brisbane! See beautiful photos shot around the BRISBANE POWERHOUSE and read an interview with our lovely local costume designer Kym Barrett! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/DzUkA0 > {Apr.06} Training has started in the Artistic Tent in Brisbane! We are getting closer to Opening Night this Friday! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/shduHG > {Apr.10} So much excitement backstage for the Brisbane premiere! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Yn6ZUk > {Apr.14} TOTEM was featured in the Fashion Report of the March 2015 edition of The Australian Way - Qantas in-flight magazine. Photos: Simon Upton. Stylist: Virginia van Heythuysen. Make-Up: Rae Morris. Hair: Kimberley Forbes. Models: Eva Downey & James Gatenby. TOTEM Costumes: Kym Barrett. TOTEM Make-Up: Nathalie J. Simard. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/QVtXN1 > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/JRAIZs > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/eDjSGj > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/4ZG4NN > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ORoVZC > {Apr.14} We all love the weather in Queensland, especially our Green Frog Umihiko Miya who moved his make-up station outside for the day! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/tibo62 {Apr.16} Join our Head of Wardrobe Amanda Balius for a High Tea at the Room with Roses at Brisbane Arcade on Thursday, May 7! Come learn all the secrets behind the TOTEM costumes and see some characters from up-close! For more information, contact info@roomwithroses.com.au. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/QPdDAS > {Apr.17} We are about to go live from Brisbane on The Project on Channel 10! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/5igarD > {Apr.21} TOTEM is celebrating today its 5th Anniversary! Five years, 30 tour stops, 28 cities, 6 countries, more than 1,700 performances! Congrats to everyone who has been part of this incredible adventure! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/klKKdr > {Apr.29} Brisbane artist Matt Stewart Creative is working on a 290 square meter street art piece inspired by TOTEM along Coronation Drive, next to GoBetween Bridge! Here are drawings of what the piece will look like! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/gP6vDR > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/vZCnVe > ---[ VAREKAI ]--- {Apr.04} Wondering what's new with Varekai We have a sneak peek for you guys! We are working to integrate a brand new act into the show. Can you guess what it will be? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/tDurGq > {Apr.05} Today we bid adieu to our Icarian Games artists! We wish you much success for your future endeavors and thank you for your spectacular performances on the Varekai stage! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/IZfhYR > {Apr.07} Ever wonder how Varekai gets put together every single week? Check out this time-lapse video that shows our technicians hard at work! Fun Facts about our technical load-in: 1 Arena, 18 Semi Trucks, 13 Hours, 24 Technicians, 80 Local Stagehands and 410,000 lbs of Equipment. LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjhmd_wqfdA > {Apr.15} Varekai is THRILLED to welcome our newest act in the show called Synchronized Tumbling! Check out this short teaser video of what you can expect to see if you come see the show in your market! Be sure to get your tickets to see this AND another amazing 45 performers in Varekai! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/FBLM0h > {Apr.18} Arigatou, Ayaka Higuchi, for your beautiful drawing. We hope to continue to inspire you and many others for several years to come! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/uwslF3 > {Apr.21} Hello Portland!! We are at Oregon Ballet Theatre where former dancer and now artistic director of Varekai has come back to his Portland roots to talk about his career and give a quick workshop! We'll be around your city with the The Art Institute of Portland filming a fun video project. Maybe you'll see us at Pittock Mansion or at the Crystal ballroom or perhaps at Capax Infiniti mural! If not, you can catch us in full performance at Veterans Memorial Coliseum from May 6-10! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/jEFKno > {Apr.22} Hi Again Portland! Did you come out to see us yesterday? If not, here is a sneak peak in photos taken by The Oregonian of our special video project in collaboration with The Art Institute of Portland coming out soon! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/4kMXyV > ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= o) Cirque AVATAR is: "TORUK – The First Flight" Edited By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) o) "Le Grand Concert on DVD - A Quick Peek" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) o) "Injuries Put Safety in Spotlight at Cirque du Soleil" Special By: Alexandra Berzon & Mark Maremont From: The Wall Street Journal o) "Call Me!" By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) ------------------------------------------------------------ CIRQUE AVATAR IS: "TORUK - THE FIRST FLIGHT" Edited By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) ------------------------------------------------------------ Cirque du Soleil is very happy to unveil the name of its next touring show inspired by James Cameron's record-breaking movie AVATAR: TORUK – The First Flight. Presented by Visa Signature, this brand new creation will tour in arenas around the world starting November 2015. The show will premiere in Montreal on December 21. THE NAME -------- TORUK – The First Flight, inspired by James Cameron's AVATAR, a live experience by Cirque du Soleil, envisions a world beyond imagination set thousands of years before the events depicted in the film. The word Toruk, in the Na'vi language, refers to the great leonopteryx, the mighty red and orange predator that rules the Pandoran sky. Central in Na'vi lore and culture, this fascinating creature is crucial to the Na'vi clans' sense of destiny and interconnectedness – and is about to be ridden for the very first time by a Na'vi. CREATIVE TEAM ------------- TORUK – The First Flight comprises 13 creators under the artistic guidance of Guy Laliberté (Guide) and Jean-François Bouchard (Creative Guide) for Cirque du Soleil, and James Cameron, Jon Landau, Kathy Franklin and Richie Baneham for Lightstorm Entertainment : Michel Lemieux Writer and Director Victor Pilon Writer and Director Neilson Vignola Director of Creation Carl Fillion Set and Props Designer Kym Barrett Costume and Makeup Designer Tuan Le and Tan Loc Choreographers Bob & Bill Composers and Musical Directors Jacques Boucher Sound Designer Alain Lortie Lighting Designer Patrick Martel Puppet Designer Germain Guillemot Acrobatic Performance Designer Pierre Masse Rigging and Acrobatic Equipment Designer MICHEL LEMIEUX AND VICTOR PILON SHOW WRITERS AND DIRECTORS, MULTIMEDIA DIRECTORS The duo formed by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon masterfully integrates theatre, film, dance, poetry, visual arts, music and sound to create unique theatrical worlds. On the heels of his initial experiments with music and multimedia that have earned him international recognition, designer and performer Michel Lemieux teamed up with visual artist Victor Pilon during the early 1980s. Together, they formed Lemieux Pilon 4D Art, a creative company that designs unique shows in which the senses and emotions are heightened through the use of new technologies. La Belle et la Bête, NORMAN (a tribute to Canadian film-maker Norman McLaren), Shakespeare's The Tempest, Anima (inspired by the words of anthropologist Desmond Morris), Orfeo (based on the myth of Orpheus), Pôle, Grand Hôtel des Étrangers, and Voix de passage are some of the works on which Lemieux and Pilon have built their stellar reputation. In collaboration with Montreal and Quebec opera companies, they created the opera Starmania. The duo also collaborates regularly on exhibitions, special events and permanent multimedia productions. They created Continuum, a production based on the music of Philip Glass, the first multimedia show presented at the Rio Tinto planetarium in Montreal. The creations of Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon have been acclaimed in Canada, the United States, Europe, Latin America, Australia, and Asia. TORUK – The First Flight marks their fourth collaboration on a Cirque du Soleil show, after DELIRIUM, Midnight Sun, which commemorated respectively the 20th and 25th anniversaries of Cirque du Soleil and the Montreal International Jazz Festival and Michael Jackson ONE. CARL FILLION SET AND PROPS DESIGNER Carl Fillion has a degree in set design from the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Québec (1991), where he taught technical drawing from 1992 to 2002. Carl has worked with many prominent companies and directors around the world and has a long list of theatre, multimedia and opera credits to his name, including sets for La Celestina by Fernando de Rojas presented at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm in 1998, The Damnation of Faust at the Saito Kinan Festival in Japan (1999), The Burial at Thebes at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin (2004) and the opera Simon Boccanegra at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona (2008). Carl's long association with director Robert Lepage began in 1994 with the groundbreaking shows Les 7 branches de la rivière Ota and Elsenor, and he has continued on the collaboration to create set designs for some 20 theatre, circus and opera productions including the last opera Der Ring Des Nibelungen presented at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. TORUK – The First Flight is Carl Fillion's second set design for a Cirque du Soleil production after TOTEM. NEILSON VIGNOLA DIRECTOR OF CREATION Neilson Vignola has carved out an impressive career as a stage and production manager as well as an assistant stage director in theatre, opera and circus arts. He graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada in 1980 and began his professional career working in various capacities at many leading Quebec theatre companies, including the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde and the Compagnie Jean Duceppe. As the trusted collaborator of Robert Lepage, he assisted the stage director on several operas including The Damnation of Faust, (Japan 1999, Paris 2001, New York 2008 and 2009 and Quebec City 2012). This was followed by a production of 1984 (London 2005), The Rake's Progress, (Brussels and Lyon 2007) and Wagner's The Ring Cycle (New York 2010, 2011 and 2012). Throughout his career, Neilson has also worked on festivals, musicals, dance productions and tours. Between 1987 and 1997, La La La Human Step, Quebec singer Diane Dufresne, Le Théâtre Populaire du Québec, Le Festival International de Nouvelle Danse and other companies, engaged him as stage manager, production director, technical director or assistant stage director. Neilson joined Cirque du Soleil in 1998 first as technical director and then interim tour director of Saltimbanco. He later joined KÀ as director Robert Lepage's assistant and production stage manager, and in 2005 he filled the same positions on DELIRIUM with Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon – which led to appointments as director of creation on ZAIA in 2007, followed by TOTEM and now TORUK – The First Flight. KYM BARRETT COSTUME AND MAKEUP DESIGNER Award-winning costume designer Kym Barrett grew up in a nomadic environment on Christmas Island off the coast of Australia before moving to Sydney where she would eventually study design at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. Her creations on Romeo & Juliet (1996) garnered great attention. This lead to a collaboration with sibling directors Lana and Andy Wachowski, starting with The Matrix (1999). Barrett's original and now iconic designs catapulted her to fame, with the sleek and sexy costumes from The Matrix Trilogy (2003) being imitated and absorbed into the global fashion trends of the day. Barrett has mastered a vast array of theater, TV and film genres including action, adventure, animation, circus, comedy, crime, fantasy, horror, mystery, opera, period (1800s-1980s), romance, science fiction, and thriller. She debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 2012 having designed the costumes for The Tempest directed by Robert Lepage. Her other film work includes Three Kings, Gothika, Monster-in-Law, Rumor Has It, Green Hornet, The Amazing Spiderman and The Nice Guys (2016). The movies Speed Racer, Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending highlight Barrett's enduring association with the Wachowski siblings. TORUK – The First Flight is her second collaboration with Cirque du Soleil after TOTEM. TUAN LE AND TAN LOC NGUYEN CHOREOGRAPHERS The professional paths of long-time collaborators Tuan Le and Tan Loc crossed for the first time in 2005 when they created a production called LANGTOI (My Village), which they presented in Vietnam. Tuan Le directed the show while Tan Loc served as choreographer. After a successful initial run, they took the production on tour all over Europe in 2009. In 2012, they collaborated again on another successful production, AO Show, in Vietnam. Tuan Le grew up in a family of artists and became a juggler at a very young age. He learned the trade from his brother who had studied juggling in Russia. Tuan Le quickly won fame as a juggler in Vietnam. At 14, he moved to Germany and performed the art of juggling around the globe working for several cabaret shows (in Europe and the US) as well as for Cirque du Soleil. In 2010, he received the Award of Excellence at the International Jugglers' Association recognizing the best the art form has to offer through a career of professional performance. Tan Loc graduated from the Fujisato Ballet School in Tokyo in 2002. Six years later he founded Arabesque, one of the most famous dance companies in Vietnam. Currently the show director and choreographer at Arabesque, Tan Loc is considered a big brother to many young dancers. He has been a choreographer, dancer and actor at the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) Puppet Theater in Vietnam, HCMC Symphony and Orchestra Theater, and 5B Drama Theater in HCMC. His credits as choreographer and director also include the show The Mist (Vietnam, 2011). Tan Loc founded the HCMC Dance Festival in 2013. TORUK – The First Flight marks the first participation of Tuan Le and Tan Loc as the choreographers of a Cirque du Soleil show. BOB & BILL COMPOSERS AND MUSICAL DIRECTORS Composers and arrangers Guy Dubuc and Marc Lessard (aka Bob & Bill) are well known for their ability to blur the lines between genres and styles. In 2003, they composed the music for Splinter Cell (Pandora Tomorrow), a best-selling Ubisoft video game. They have also produced several albums, including Monica Freire's Bahiatronica and Pink Floyd Redux, a collection of remixed songs from the British cult band, as well as the soundtrack album for the Cirque du Soleil show KOOZA. In 2004, Bob & Bill supplied the musical direction and arrangements for the Cirque du Soleil show Midnight Sun, as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the 20th anniversary of Cirque du Soleil. Three-time nominees for a Quebec music industry ADISQ award, the two sidekicks also created the music for several films and television series, and composed the music for director Robert Lepage's production Pageant de Canotgraphie. In 2008, the duo launched their first album, Crime Report, a work combining electronic and organic sounds. Bob & Bill worked many times with Cirque du Soleil to create the musical arrangements for several special events. Since 2009, they also act as composers for Cirque du Soleil. They composed the music for TOTEM (2010), directed by Robert Lepage, Amaluna (2012), directed by Diane Paulus, KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities (2014), directed by Michel Laprise, JOYÀ (2014), directed by Martin Genest and Allavita! (2015), directed by Krista Monson. Bob & Bill also wrote the music for the third and fifth chapters of Les Chemins Invisibles (2011 and 2013), a free outdoor show presented during the summer in Quebec City. TORUK – The First Flight is their eighth show as composers for Cirque du Soleil. ALAIN LORTIE LIGHTING DESIGNER Self-taught, and in a state of constant evolution on both the technical and the artistic fronts, Alain Lortie has worked in almost every field of show business, from artist manager to technical director, through operations, touring, and production management. In 1992, he decided to focus his work exclusively on lighting design. More than 30 years ago, he began working with multi-talented Quebec artists such as Michel Lemieux, Marie Chouinard and Édouard Lock, and has since collaborated on many shows in Quebec, Europe and Asia. Alain's unique, distinctive approach to color and his sensitivity led to an assignment as Artistic Director for the Fête de la Lumière at the Festival Montréal en Lumière (2001-2003). He has designed the lighting for several productions in Asia including Han Show in Whuan, China (2014) and Shanghai Circus World's Era (2005) as well as many musicals including Mama Love Me Once Again (2011). He has worked with many of Quebec's leading theatre directors, including Robert Lepage, François Girard and Dominic Champagne, as well as Quebec choreographer Louise Lecavalier (So Blue 2013). His credits also include the musicals Starmania directed by Lewis Furey (1993-1999), the hit musical Notre-Dame de Paris directed by Gilles Maheu (1998), Cavalia (2003), Odysseo (2012), as well as The Tempest (2005) and Beauty and the Beast (2011), both directed by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon. Prior to TORUK – The First Flight, Alain created the lighting design for Midnight Sun, DELIRIUM and Zarkana. JACQUES BOUCHER SOUND DESIGNER For over 25 years, Jacques Boucher has been creating sound environments for a number of productions from Quebec and beyond. Jacques also worked as a sound technician for various Quebec artists, including Richard Séguin, Laurence Jalbert, Diane Dufresne and Bruno Pelletier. He went on to develop an expertise in sound design for musicals such as Dracula (2006) and large-scale events, including the mega-show 2000 voix chantent le monde, presented in Quebec City in 2000, with over 2,300 singers on stage. In 2008, Jacques was asked to handle the sound for almost every event presented as part of the celebrations for the 400th anniversary of Quebec City. As Sound Designer and Head of Sound, he designed sound for the Quebec Symphony Orchestra's performance of the Symphony of a Thousand by Gustav Mahler, The Image Mill by Robert Lepage, for which he designed the impressive sound system spanning 1.2 km, and the special show presented by Cirque du Soleil. Jacques also works as Sound Designer and Head of Sound for some Cirque du Soleil special events. After TOTEM, Amaluna, KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities and JOYÀ, he is taking part in his fifth Cirque du Soleil show with TORUK – The First Flight. PATRIC MARTEL PUPPET DESIGNER Set Designer, puppeteer and stage director Patrick Martel graduated in theatre at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) in 1993. A few years later, he completed his training alongside a Bunraku master at École supérieure des arts de la marionnette at Charleville Mézières in France. Since his degree at UQAM, Patrick has designed sets, costumes and puppets for several Quebec theatre companies including Théâtre Incliné, Moulin à Musique and company Vis Motrix. He collaborates as well with the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. Patrick also works as puppeteer on the international tours of Montreal Théâtre Sans Fil. For over 20 years, Patrick Martel has worked as designer, workshop director, puppeteer and stage director on a dozen productions for Théâtre de l'Avant-Pays (Montréal) including Mémoire de Lou and L'Armoire and À nous deux!. The latter earned him a special award from the Arlyn Award Society (Canada) at an international contest recognizing excellence in puppet design. He was both puppet technical designer and designer for the Nufonia Must Fall show, featuring Kid Koala, presented at Festival Luminato in Toronto in 2014. Patrick is involved in the puppet design of the Montreal project Cité mémoire, scheduled for 2016, imagined by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon. In television, Patrick Martel's puppets can be seen in various Quebec ads and TV shows. Since 2000, he teaches at École supérieure de théâtre at UQAM and has contributed to the creation of its graduate diploma in contemporary puppet theatre. Patrick also received a grant from Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec for a research project on object, video and stage writing. TORUK – The First Flight marks his first collaboration as puppet designer for Cirque du Soleil. 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. TORUK – The First Flight is Germain Guillemot's fourth collaboration with Cirque du Soleil as Acrobatic Designer after Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour, Michael Jackson ONE and KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities. PIERRE MASSE RIGGING AND ACROBATIC EQUIPMENT DESIGNER Pierre Masse's career spans just about every genre of the performing arts. He was involved in major productions with the Opéra de Montréal, the Grands Ballets Canadiens and Céline Dion as well as a production of Les Misérables. He has collaborated with Cirque du Soleil since 1996, and took part in the creation of Quidam, Varekai, Zumanity, KÀ and CRISS ANGEL Believe. TORUK – The First Flight is Pierre Masse's fifth Cirque du Soleil show as Acrobatic Rigging and Equipment Designer following TOTEM, IRIS – A Journey Through the World of Cinema, Michael Jackson ONE and JOYÀ. TEASER VIDEO & PHOTOS --------------------- TORUK – The First Flight, inspired by James Cameron’s AVATAR, a live experience by Cirque du Soleil, envisions a world beyond imagination set thousands of years before the events depicted in the film. The word Toruk, in the Na’vi language, refers to the great leonopteryx, the mighty red and orange predator that rules the Pandoran sky. Central in Na’vi lore and culture, this fascinating creature is crucial to the Na’vi clans’ sense of destiny and interconnectedness – and is about to be ridden for the very first time by a Na’vi. Can you translate Na'vi? Here is your chance to make use of your talent! Vous pouvez traduire le Na'vi? Voici une occasion de mettre votre talent à l'oeuvre! VIDEO /// < https://youtu.be/rwjRNDCLbOw > NAVI (according to commenter): oe lu anuraiyä syena hapxi a rey. tsahel si hu eywa a krr, stawm oel aymokrit fizayuä a lim. kraa kxap larmu srefey niwot. ayngaru tsavurit. TRANSLATION (according to Google): I am the last living member of the Anurai clan. When I connect with Eywa, I hear the voices of our distant ancestors. I hear the time when their lives were threatened. This is that story. FOTOS /// o) http://goo.gl/MPWUHV o) http://goo.gl/QYAyY0 o) http://goo.gl/Pftwes o) http://goo.gl/hFfl0q o) http://goo.gl/KEUyhY o) http://goo.gl/AWHJ8h o) http://goo.gl/Wdfdf6 o) http://goo.gl/ZE4DIU TICKET INFORMATION ------------------ TORUK – The First Flight will tour in arenas starting November 2015. Tickets for performances in cities listed below will be on exclusive pre-sale online for Cirque Club members as of April 30 at https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/toruk: Lafayette, LA -- Nov 20, 2015 to Nov 22, 2015 Montreal, QC -- Dec 26, 2015 to Jan 3, 2016 Auburn Hills, MI -- Jan 22, 2016 to Jan 24, 2016 North Little Rock, AR -- Feb 19, 2016 to Feb 21, 2016 North Charleston, SC -- Feb 26, 2016 to Feb 28, 2016 Tulsa, OK -- Mar 25, 2016 to Mar 27, 2016 Kansas City, MO -- Apr 1, 2016 to Apr 4, 2016 Louisville, KY -- Apr 29, 2016 to May 1, 2016 Cincinnati, OH -- May 5, 2016 to May 8, 2016 Hamilton, ON -- May 20, 2016 to May 22, 2016 London, ON -- May 27, 2016 to May 29, 2016 Providence, RI -- Jun 3, 2016 to Jun 5, 2016 Raleigh, NC -- Jun 24, 2016 to Jun 26, 2016 SPONSORS AND PARTNERS --------------------- TORUK – The First Flight is presented by Visa Signature, the sponsor of the 2015-2016 US tour of the show. Xerox and DHL are the official sponsors. The show is being created through a licensing arrangement with 20th Century Fox. Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight Find us on Twitter with #TORUK ------------------------------------------------------------ "LE GRAND CONCERT ON DVD – A QUICK PEEK" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) ------------------------------------------------------------ DISCS –- 2-Disc Combo (1 DVD / 1 Blu-Ray) UPC –- 6-22406-24189-6 Catalog -- SRCDVD22418 Video -- 1.78:1 Wide screen Audio -- English 2.0/5.1/DTS Run Time –- 84 minutes Region –- All For two weeks in December Cirque du Soleil presented a monumental celebratory event to the public – CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: LE GRAND CONCERT, a musical experience live at the stunning Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church in Montreal. The idea for a concert celebrating the vibrant music of Cirque du Soleil found its creative spark during a musical summit held at the same church in 2009. When the Cirque cultivated ideas to celebrate its 30th Anniversary, the team reflected upon the strong emotions provided during that summit (and the exceptional acoustic sound the Church is known for), and CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: LE GRAND CONCERT was born. The unique performance went on to sold-out crowds and rave reviews, but its legacy should have ended at the final performance. So I have to admit it is truly fascinating to have this product in my hands... it shouldn’t exist! Don’t you remember when LE GRAND CONCERT was originally being promoted? For two weeks – and only in Montreal – the musical event would be performed, and then it would disappear into the halls of history; unrecorded for posterity thereby preserving the uniqueness and specialness of the ticketed event. And though Cirque du Soleil suggested the concert would never be filmed and/or released to the public – since songs used in this show have already been release on their respective show soundtrack CDs (more or less) – we hoped beyond hope something of this performance would be saved for future generations. We were undeniably pleased to learn that the concert was indeed filmed – “captured at the heart of the splendid Saint-Jean- Baptiste church” on the evening of December 23rd – for television broadcast on Saturday, January 3rd. And two days after the broadcast fans were delighted again when that television broadcast became available for streaming via TOU.TV, a French-Canadian video-on-demand website. The only catch: the video stream was restricted only to Canadian residents (and the quality was not the best). Thankfully, there were ways around that, and we here at Fascination were able to watch the concert as broadcast (and, of course, gave our comments about it therein.) In the end, the broadcast of LE GRAND CONCERT exceeded our expectations in just about every way. It gave us an opportunity to see / hear the performance when there would have been no other way for us to do so. I was thankful for that, but I ended my brief review of the broadcast with a wish - that an official full-length recording (in HD) would be made available to fans in some official form? And as of April 21st, it has! I have it in my hot little hands! PACKAGING --------- The packaging for this two-disc DVD/Blu-Ray release is a bit disappointing, but I’m not quite sure what I expected, or really wanted in the first place. The design is similar to the packaging of many other recent Cirque du Soleil DVD releases (the recycled cardboard), but that’s where the comparison stops: this is not a Cirque du Soleil release (it’s a Radio Canada release). The package is not the product we’ve come to expect from Cirque releases; however, it’s not clasped closed like most DVD and Blu-Ray boxes, so opening it is a breeze. Once you open the package (like you would a book) you’re presented with the two discs on your right and a booklet on your left. Unfortunately, looks can be deceiving; the booklet is affixed to the packaging at its back page so it is not removable, nor is it a booklet. Opening it reveals a table of contents for the disc – an overview of the musical numbers presented within – and that’s it. One item that deserves kudos is that the discs have not been “region restricted” they are region-free. That means that anyone in the world with a player that can play NTSC-based discs can enjoy this program. Getting the discs out proved to be harder than I initially thought, too. Having seen many duel-disc releases in my time one expects the packaging to be of similar design. Here, however, the discs are not affixed to a center wheel, but rather they’re sitting in grooved pockets one on top of the other. Releasing the discs from their snug home took more than a moment for me; you have to push down on the top disc which displaces a clip on the bottom of the disc’s well (for a lack of a better word), which then allows you to pull the disc forward and out. My friend and colleague Keith Johnson prefers this arrangement (as he’s experienced more broken teeth from those center- hole grabbers than he can count, he says) I would have preferred the more traditional approach. (You know you’re getting old when...) CONTENTS -------- For the purpose of reviewing the actual concert I selected the Blu-Ray disc (which was BEHIND the DVD, so I had to take it out first...); having already seen the broadcast in “DVD Quality” (or less) I wanted to experience it in full HD. The quality of the video and audio on the recording is superb, and I have no complaints to speak of. However, I only have a small sound bar, but for those who have a complete sound system in which to revel in the music of Cirque du Soleil, take heart: Keith Johnson is one of these individuals and he found the DTS Master Audio to be pretty good too! His only criticism was that the audio was too front-focused for his liking, with only hall ambience in the surround speakers. It creates a nice “you are there” effect, but doesn’t take full advantage of the surround to present parts of the show as it was heard by the audience, such as when “Atmadja” from Quidam crescendos, with the band in the front and the organ and chorus rocking the rear of the church. Imagine that on a surround sound system! But he figures a more conservative standard prevailed in the mixing room. Most of the missing audio pieces from the television broadcast and subsequent web-streaming are available and fully restored here, such as: “Brisa do Mar” from OVO, “Love Me Tender” from VIVA ELVIS, “Whisper” from AMALUNA, and “Kumbalawé” from SALTIMBANCO – my favorite of the missing numbers. You might recall in my previous review that LE GRAND CONCERT’s broadcast ended with what arguably is Cirque’s most famous song – “Alegría” from ALEGRIA. While the song is a fitting way to end a performance of this type (“Soleil de Minuit” and “Delirium” ended this way), this song was not quite the end of the concert. An encore featuring the entire ensemble singing “Kumbalawé” from Saltimbanco actually followed, as the singers and musicians exited the stage, truly ending the performance. Thankfully, this piece has been fully resorted on the DVD/Blu-Ray... and it is marvelous! The discs also include the interviews originally broadcast with the show, intercut with the video as seen on the Broadcast, but with English subtitles! There are no special features here, which are a shame, and quite a missed opportunity. What fun a subtitled commentary track with the creative team and singers discussing how the show came to be could have been (even if it was in French). Or even expanded interviews with the singers themselves! Alas, nothing, and that’s a disappointment to be sure. My only real gripe with the recording lies with the table of contents: there are two musical numbers listed here that really only get about 15-20 seconds of any actual play-time - “Overture” from Cirque du Soleil (which you can possibly hear briefly at the beginning of the recording, just before “Atmadja” takes over) and “Taruka” from ALEGRIA, who’s infamous snare drum beats are easily recognizable in any venue (they’re used as an intro and segue into “Alegria” rather than a piece of its own,) which was a little disappointing. Otherwise, the Blu-Ray release is a vast improvement over the television broadcast and subsequent webcast, and is a must-have in your Cirque du Soleil video library. But note, it isn’t for the casual fan; this is best for those with more than a passing interest in Cirque, and those with more than a few CDS tracks in their MP3 files. At the moment you can only get it from Amazon.ca, but they do ship internationally, so feel free to place your order today! Get it here: LINK /// < http://goo.gl/0dDrCO > ------------------------------------------------------------ "INJURIES PUT SAFETY IN SPOTLIGHT AT CIRQUE DU SOLEIL" Special By: Alexandra Berzon & Mark Maremont From: The Wall Street Journal ------------------------------------------------------------ LAS VEGAS — Sarah Guillot-Guyard lay dying on the floor of a basement inside a darkened Cirque du Soleil theater here, one leg broken and blood pooling under her head. It was June 2013, and the 31-year-old mother of two had fallen 94 feet in front of hundreds of horrified spectators after the wire attached to her safety harness shredded while she performed in the dramatic aerial climax of the company's most technically challenging production, "Kà." It was the first fatality during a Cirque show, and it capped an increase in injuries at Cirque with the "Kà" production. The show had one of the highest rates of serious injuries of any workplace in the country, according to safety records kept by Cirque that were compared with federal records by The Wall Street Journal. Montreal-based Cirque, which said Monday that its founder had agreed to sell a controlling stake to an investor group, has evolved from a fringe troupe of avant-garde stilt walkers and clowns into a nearly $1-billion-a-year business. Its 18 shows around the world, including eight resident shows in Las Vegas, combine music, dance and dramatic spectacle with high-wire and acrobatic feats of daring, to dazzle audiences who typically pay $100 or more for tickets. Cirque is "always trying to push the envelope," driven in part by Cirque's own artistic drive, but also by the public "asking for bigger and flashier," said Bill Sapsis, a theatrical rigging expert in Philadelphia who has worked with it. The death of Ms. Guillot-Guyard, along with hundreds of injuries among Cirque du Soleil performers, puts in stark relief the question of how much risk is acceptable for the modern, corporate circus, and whether Ms. Guillot-Guyard's death or some injuries could have been prevented. Cirque said the incident launched a broad re-evaluation of safety practices at the 30-year-old company, which marketed "Kà" as "extreme," "terrifying" and "dangerous." "It forced us to review the way we work," said Cirque's safety director, Nicolas Panet-Raymond. Multiple efforts to reach Ms. Guillot-Guyard's family for comment were unsuccessful. Circuses have long marketed "death-defying" stunts to sell tickets, but experts said that in the modern era the risk-taking is largely an illusion to thrill spectators. Interviews with more than three dozen former and current Cirque employees, along with outside experts, reveal an organization that greatly emphasized safety but also embraced crowd-pleasing feats that stretched the limits of the human body and of theater-rigging technology. To walk this line, the company provided employees with training and assigned technicians to repeatedly check equipment, trusting that under those conditions the elite acrobats could avoid major accidents, or at least avoid a death when an accident did occur. SEEMED NERVOUS -------------- But state safety investigators and engineers hired by Cirque found that in the case of Ms. Guillot-Guyard's death, relying so much on the "human element" of keeping the performers safe—the part that depended on every person doing their job perfectly every single night—could be fatal. Ms. Guillot-Guyard died during what was only her second live performance of one of the more challenging roles in "Kà," safety records show. She flubbed her part during the earlier performance that night and seemed nervous to fellow workers. Some questioned her readiness, Nevada state records show. There had been earlier signs indicating that the safety equation might have gotten out of balance, especially at "Kà," performed at the MGM Grand casino in Las Vegas since 2004. The drama features a dizzying array of bodies suspended in the air, sometimes appearing to hurl themselves against a stage that moves between horizontal and vertical planes throughout the show. That complexity played into the show's high number of injuries. In 2012, the most recent year for which government data are available, "Kà" had an injury rate of 56.2 per 100 workers—four times that of professional sports teams. "Kà" had 101 full-time-equivalent workers that year. Because industry safety data for circuses are included with other amusement and recreation companies and impossible to break out on their own, safety experts at Cirque said that sports-team records are the most apt comparison. The show's workplace injury rates also were more than five times the 2012 rate of some other injury-prone professions—including police work, firefighting, construction and workers at steel foundries. The data come from federal records and internal Cirque documents that became part of a Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration report on Ms. Guillot-Guyard's death that the Journal reviewed in a public records request. The statistics measure injuries diagnosed by a medical professional, including problems like strains, which make up the majority of Cirque injuries. Cirque records also indicate serious previous accidents at "Kà," including five falls by aerial performers in the three years leading up to Ms. Guillot-Guyard's death. Cirque, which had previously experienced one other performer death in its history, during training in 2009, acknowledges the worrisome comparisons between injury rates on its shows and some other jobs. "We were looking at mining and other professions and saw, wow, our rates are quite high," said Boris Verkhovsky, director of acrobatics and coaching for Cirque. But the company commissioned studies using different metrics that showed its performers' rates in line with some athletes. That gave Cirque more assurance, Mr. Verkhovsky said. After Ms. Guillot-Guyard's death, Cirque officials said they realized they needed to do more to engineer safety into the shows. Now, for the first time, Cirque said its managers must incorporate a safety review into every step of designing or modifying any of its shows. /-------------------------------------------------\ | | | PORTRAIT OF A TRAGEDY: How Sarah Guillot-Guyard | | Fell to her death during KA | | | | Slide 01: http://goo.gl/vHrov1h | | Slide 02: http://goo.gl/KN9qb9 | | Slide 03: http://goo.gl/207szz | | Slide 04: http://goo.gl/dZPpU0 | | Slide 05: http://goo.gl/TDvy1C | | Slide 06: http://goo.gl/MBHGaC | | Slide 07: http://goo.gl/AhYqG5 | | Slide 08: http://goo.gl/42jh0s | | Slide 09: http://goo.gl/XZ1JK0 | | Slide 10: http://goo.gl/ofcfSP | | | \-------------------------------------------------/ Executives also said they set up a process requiring shows to report accidents that nearly resulted in injuries or fatalities, which triggers an internal investigation into the cause. Previously, the root cause of a serious injury had been investigated but not close calls, executives said. Cirque said there have been no such reports at "Kà" since the change in policy. Tension over the trade-off between spectacle and safety in circuses has been inherent since trapeze performers began flying 30 feet in the air about 150 years ago. "A circus tent is not an ancient Roman arena or a modern prize ring," wrote the journal Circus Scrap Book in 1931. Experts said serious injuries and fatalities can, and should, be prevented with safety harnesses, nets and other protocols, so that, despite the stagecraft, the workplace is safe. "Most of the accidents that have happened in recent times have been preventable," said Jerry Gorrell, a theater safety consultant in Phoenix. In the past 15 years, separate from the Cirque death, at least three circus performers—including one at major Cirque competitor Feld Entertainment Inc.'s Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey—have fallen to their deaths during shows in the U.S., according to federal records and company reports. Cirque, which had its first shows in the 1980s, initially didn't emphasize aerial acts. The circus's hits made its owner, Guy Laliberté, a billionaire, thanks in large part to a favorable deal beginning in the 1990s with Las Vegas casinos, which gave Cirque half the revenue of the shows there despite not having to incur costs for the theater, equipment and non-artistic personnel. The company last year had about $850 million in annual revenue and a staff of about 4,000—1,300 of whom are artists. On Monday, Mr. Laliberté said he would sell a controlling stake to a group led by U.S. private-equity firm TPG, which declined to comment for this article. Another investor, Fosun Capital Group, is expected to help drive the company's expansion in China. Terms weren't disclosed. "WE'RE A FAMILY" ---------------- Mr. Laliberté said in an interview last year that he considered the company "pioneers" in the use of safety harnesses. Cirque requires multiple checks a day on rigging systems and has conservative weight limits for each harness. "We're a family," said Mr. Laliberté. "We don't want to put our kids in danger. We don't sell tickets that way." Even with safety equipment, there are expected injury risks for Cirque artists, in part because of the punishing demands of a schedule that usually involves performing 10 shows a week. "Who cannot make a mistake?" said Olena Shaparna, a onetime Ukrainian Olympic gymnast who left Cirque a decade ago after a severe neck injury sustained during a practice session. "If you do those tricks every day, all the time, one day something will happen." Some performers said Cirque has failed to take opportunities to improve safety, saying revisions such as mats or nets could make acts safer. When Cirque's touring show Kooza was making its debut in Montreal in 2007, safety regulators told the company it needed a net under the Wheel of Death, a long-popular act used in many circuses that involves performers jumping and flipping on top of a giant spinning apparatus. Cirque officials commissioned a net that would be invisible to the audience. Yet for the same act in the Zarkana show in Las Vegas, Cirque continued to perform the Wheel of Death with no nets. When a performer fell from the wheel in 2013, he missed a mat underneath and slammed into the ground, suffering significant injuries. Cirque safety officials told Nevada OSHA that it didn't use a net in Zarkana because there isn't sufficient room due to the way the stage is configured. Nevada safety regulators found it would be "infeasible" to require more safety systems in the act and cleared Cirque of any responsibility for the accident. "It is evident that there is a hazardous condition for this line of work and the employee accepts that risk," a Nevada OSHA inspector wrote. Cirque declined to comment on all questions about specific performers' injuries. The company said this year it hasn't made significant changes to the Zarkana Wheel of Death and doesn't plan to. "It's an apparatus that by definition—even by its very name—is a high-risk apparatus," said Renée-Claude Ménard, Cirque's director of communications. The performers "have to be on the ball," Ms. Ménard said. Meaghan Muller, a former Cirque performer, said she shattered both wrists, one hand and her jaw in a 2005 fall onto a concrete floor while training in Montreal. "It turned into quite a sour experience," she said. "I had 13 surgeries, and I walked away with no show and bankrupt." Ms. Muller, who believes her injuries would have been less severe had Cirque provided a safety mat during her training, said she remains in pain and can't do some daily tasks such as cook. Cirque performers, who aren't unionized, sign one-year contracts after an initial testing period, with starting salaries around $50,000. Some doing particularly specialized stunts or who play key characters can negotiate higher salaries. /-------------------------------------------------\ | | | WORK PLACE DANGER GRAPHIC | | < http://goo.gl/phsfR7 > | | | \-------------------------------------------------/ When performers are injured, they file for workers' compensation, which is standard for most American workers but can result in relatively small payments for injuries that sometimes leave performers with chronic pain or disabilities. Mr. Panet-Raymond, Cirque's safety director, said, in contrast, some other circus companies treat performers as freelance workers who are offered nothing if injured. Full data about injuries at Cirque productions aren't available, but a snapshot of the toll on performers can be seen in Florida, which makes workers' compensation records public. Of 61 Cirque acrobats listed in the cast for a 2004 video of La Nouba, a resident Cirque show in Orlando, Fla., 42 were injured seriously enough between 1999 and 2014 to require more than seven lost work days for a single injury, state records show. Of those, 15 performers had five or more such serious injuries, and nine later settled disputes with Cirque and its workers' compensation insurer, sometimes over career-ending injuries. In total during those years, 170 Cirque workers in Florida suffered injuries involving more than seven days of lost work, and a few reported a dozen or more such injuries. "The body is the tool [in the circus], and sometimes the tool gets broken," said Vladislav Dunaev, a former Cirque performer in Florida. Mr. Dunaev said Cirque had "very good safety measures," but even so, he suffered seven significant injuries over roughly a decade, state records show, the last a 2011 shoulder injury requiring surgery. In 2012 he reached a $90,000 settlement with Cirque and its insurer after disputing his benefits through an administrative process. In 2009, Cirque suffered its first fatality when Oleksandr Zhurov, a 24-year-old from Ukraine, died three months into his initial training in Montreal while learning an act on the Russian Swing, a giant two- person contraption that can catapult a performer up to 30 feet in the air. Mr. Zhurov, who Cirque officials said had previously performed on the swing in other shows, fell backward off the apparatus while performing the less-risky role of the swing's pusher, hitting his head on the ground with enough force to be fatal, according to a report from Quebec safety regulators. The Quebec investigators concluded he made a mistake with his foot placement and ruled it an accident. His mother, Larisa, said Cirque treated the family well. "It's a game of chance," she said. "One can start crossing a street and never make it." Cirque's "Kà" show was to be an aerial spectacle on a scale never before attempted, and its marketing highlighted its daredevil stunts. There would be no fixed stage, just a deep pit where the stage would be. A series of platforms would move back and forth and flip to become fully vertical. Performers would do much of their work as high as 75 feet in the air, with one jumping from 65 feet into an inflated air bag. "Stuntmen in Hollywood may do a fall like that eight or nine times a year, but our guy does it 465 times," said Calum Pearson, Cirque's vice president of resident shows, who was a technical director for "Kà." "Kà" is the only Cirque show with a plot. Young twins are separated when one is captured by an evil group. The showdown between the good Forest People and evil Spearmen is the show's apex. In the battle scene, the two groups perform martial arts and flip against a vertical stage before the Spearmen, defeated, rise out of sight. A Cirque production coordinator said in a 2005 Cirque marketing video called "Kà Extreme" that the company ordinarily would have backup safety systems, but not in some of the scenes in "Kà." "If the rigger makes a mistake or the ropes get ripped, there's no net," he said. During pre-production in Montreal, technicians discussed using safety nets as a backup but decided it was unnecessary because the artists are wearing harnesses attached to ropes, a technician later told Nevada OSHA. Mr. Panet-Raymond, Cirque's safety director, said safety experts were concerned that having nets underneath might encourage performers and technicians to be less vigilant in using the safety harnesses and could divert resources to staff the nets that would be better used watching the performers. "The last thing we want to do is create a false sense of security," Mr. Panet-Raymond said. Ms. Guillot-Guyard had been trained at a French circus school from a young age, focusing on aerial arts. She joined the show in 2006, and told others to call her "Sasoun" because there was already a Sarah in the cast. "Sasoun was a tank," said Marc-Antoine Picard, a Cirque artist who was performing near Ms. Guillot-Guyard just before she died. "She was going somewhere and you better not get in her way." CATWALK DANGER -------------- Ms. Guillot-Guyard played several roles in "Kà," but after her part in the battle scene was eliminated due to company-wide budget cuts, she begged to learn the role of a Spearman, a technically challenging role normally played by men, according to Mr. Pearson. She began training in April 2013. Well before then, Cirque had experienced trouble with the role. As they flew up and out of the scene after being defeated, some of the Spearmen would hit the bottom of the catwalk they were supposed to exit from, sometimes getting injured. They controlled their own speeds with a joystick, going as fast as 11 feet a second. Cirque officials added technicians watching the lines down below who were supposed to hit an emergency switch if they spotted trouble. Technicians called riggers stationed above were instructed to lean over a railing on the catwalk and push the performers' lines away as they rose to help them avoid colliding with the structure. There were two shows scheduled on Ms. Guillot-Guyard's inaugural night in her new role. Riggers, coaches and other performers later told Nevada OSHA that she had said she was nervous and had expressed insecurity. During the first show of the night, she had trouble initially clipping her harness, which delayed the scene by a few seconds, and at the end of the scene rose slowly and jerkily, and needed help from her rigger to climb onto the catwalk, they said. In between shows, as staffers relaxed playing table tennis, her rigger told others she "needed more work on the fly-outs," according to his statement to OSHA investigators. "I didn't think she was ready," he said. Disaster struck at the end of the second show. When the Spearmen lined up to fly out backward, Ms. Guillot-Guyard was already 8 feet above the others when she should have been even with them, witnesses said. Using her joystick, she seemed to rise faster than normal, according to the OSHA report. Her rigger was still working on clipping his own harness into his safety line, so he didn't push out her line as he was supposed to do, according to the OSHA report and Cirque officials. Ms. Guillot-Guyard slammed against the catwalk, causing the safety wire to come out of its pulley and scrape against a sharp edge, ripping apart. The aerialist plummeted the equivalent of about nine stories to a lower basement and landed on her back. "I wasn't there," her sobbing rigger later told a fellow employee, according to OSHA records. "I felt the rope go through my hand." The company, in its own investigation, concluded that its safety protocols had relied too much on performers' and technicians' actions rather than on engineering systems, officials said. Cirque stopped performing the battle scene after the accident but recently restored it after revising choreography and installing new safety systems that it said cost $500,000. The company now uses technology to prevent performers from approaching the catwalk too quickly, has reduced the number of characters to give them more space and has performers face upward on the final exit. It replaced the pulley system that failed with one clamped to the ceiling and added a backup software system to monitor the winch's primary software. After investigating Ms. Guillot-Guyard's death, OSHA issued three serious citations to Cirque, saying among other things that the performer wasn't properly trained, and fined the company $21,000. Cirque protested, and two of the citations were removed and the fine was reduced to $7,000. Nevada court records show Cirque settled a legal complaint by paying Ms. Guillot-Guyard's children, now 7 and 10 years old, a total of $1 million. —Lisa Schwartz contributed to this article. { SOURCE: http://goo.gl/7ArXkY } ------------------------------------------------------------ "CALL ME!" - AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION AT TOTEM By: Keith Johnson - Seattle, Washington (USA) ------------------------------------------------------------ "Coulrophobia" is the term for fear of clowns. For those with this malady, the possibility of interacting with one while in a Cirque du Soleil tent (or any tent) sends shivers down the spine. Mostly during pre-show animation, yet sometimes during a show, Cirque clowns select audience members to participate in a bit of light- hearted fun (prey upon, harass, and stalk are other terms that come to mind). Reactions range from good-natured participation, to full commitment, to abject embarrassment and everything in between. After the show the person has a life-long memory (or a mental scar). But with a few interactions the "volunteer" comes away with a permanent physical record of the interaction that, like a small piece of confetti retrieved from the floor of a tent, can trigger a memory of that brief moment. It was one of those my wife received during one of our viewings of Totem when it camped in Portland, Oregon. Totem's most bombastic clown is Valentino, an uber-macho, ever-on-the- make blowhard out to distinguish himself as coolest of the cool – to no avail. During a Sunday matinee where we had seats in the front row of Section 103 (on the left side of the stage) Valentino, proceeding through his bufoonery in the early part of the show, made eye contact with my wife. Sighing rapturously he slithered off the end of the stage, taking my wife's hand in his and giving it a gentle kiss. (Though truth be told, he does this to a women in these seats at every show.) It was what came next that made the evening special. He reached into his pocket and quickly pulled out his "card," gently placing it in the palm of her hand with a request and hand gesture to "Call Me!" Then he bolted away to carry on with his bluster (keeping up with the relationship during the second act by calling out to her as he approached our section of seats). The card is a cute bit of CDS ephemera that shows Valentino looking perfectly cool on the front, standing in front of a fireplace with a picture of who we assume to be his "mother" on the mantle, a single capped tooth gleaming. And on the reverse the words, "Call Me! 1 (800) 678-2119." Wait, an actual phone number? This seems ripe for a "Magical Moment," the term Disneyphiles use when they experience a special time on their Disney park visit. They could do something fun with the card, like have a special phone message for callers. What a way to create a Cirque "Magical Moment!" But no. The phone number is merely the toll-free number for Cirque's International Headquarters in Montréal. Alas, the jokes on us. And on the Cirque IHQ receptionists. ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 15, Number 5 (Issue #136) - May 2015 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2015 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. { May.05.2015 } =======================================================================