======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ '/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ '/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 20, NUMBER 3 March 2020 ISSUE #194 ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. There've been quite a few developments since we last spoke, so let's get to it... * * * CORONAVIRUS PROMPTING CLOSINGS * * * Coronavirus, or COVID-19, has been the number one topic of discussion globally since the virus was first identified in Wuhan, China back in January, and rightfully so. Cases of COVID-19 are being reported in a growing number of countries internationally, and there seems no end in sight. Naturally, the spread of COVID-19 has caused a number of entertainment venues to close, and Cirque du Soleil is not immune to these. Back in January, Cirque du Soleil announced it would suspend all performances of "The Land of Fantasy" in Hangzhou until further notice, to comply with requests from Chinese officials attempting to get a handle on the spread of the disease. The Hong Kong leg of Amaluna's tour ended up being canceled; the final performances in Sacramento, CA instead. But now the COVID-19 pandemic is causing closures and tour cancellations all over: Kooza's performances in Lyon, France have been canceled. Totem's tour in Italy is also off for now. Kooza has announced changes to its tour and Paramour announced restrictions to performances. Even One Night for One Drop, scheduled for March 24th, has been postponed. There will be more. Ticket holders are urged to stay up to date with Cirque du Soleil's social media presences for the show they intend to see for potential postponement announcements: - Cirque: http://www.facebook.com/CirqueduSoleil - Alegria: https://www.facebook.com/Alegria/ - AXEL: https://www.facebook.com/CirqueduSoleilAXEL/ - Bazzar: https://www.facebook.com/CirqueduSoleilBAZZAR/ - Corteo: https://www.facebook.com/Corteo - Crystal: https://www.facebook.com/CrystalbyCirqueduSoleil/ - Drawn to Life: https://www.facebook.com/drawntolifeshow/ - JOYÀ: http://www.facebook.com/JOYA - KÀ: http://www.facebook.com/KA - Kooza: http://www.facebook.com/kooza - KURIOS: https://www.facebook.com/kuriosbycirquedusoleil - LOVE: http://www.facebook.com/TheBeatlesLOVE - Luzia: https://www.facebook.com/LUZIAbyCirqueduSoleil/ - Messi10: https://www.facebook.com/MessiCirque/ - MJ ONE: http://www.facebook.com/MJONE - Mystère: http://www.facebook.com/Mystere - "O": http://www.facebook.com/Ocirque - OVO: http://www.facebook.com/OVOCirque - Paramour Das Musical: https://www.facebook.com/paramourdasmusical/ - Totem: http://www.facebook.com/TotemCirque - Under the Same Sky: https://www.facebook.com/CirqueUnderTheSameSky/ - VOLTA: https://www.facebook.com/VOLTA/ - Zumanity: http://www.facebook.com/Zumanity Currently, Cirque du Soleil is still planning to premiere Under the Same Sky in Montreal. "We are closely monitoring the rapidly evolving outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (CODIV-19/COVID-19) and will continue to work with global health officials, authorities and partners to determine what actions may be needed in the coming days or weeks," a spokesperson said. Rest-assured, they said, that every ticket holder would be contacted as soon as possible if the situation changed. * * * R.U.N IS DONE, TROUBLE IN THE SKY? * * * R.U.N by Cirque du Soleil at Luxor Hotel and Casino permanently closed on March 8, 2020. Cirque's announcement says it all... "We remain proud of the extraordinary talents that collaborated to make this one-of-a-kind live show happen, but ultimately it did not find an audience that could support it. Many avenues of creative options were explored to enhance the existing show, but the resources and time needed to make these changes proved to be obstacles too big to overcome. Creative risk is a part of everything we do at Cirque du Soleil. R.U.N was intended to push the boundaries of not only live entertainment, but of Cirque du Soleil’s own DNA, creating a unique form of entertainment that unfortunately did not receive the intended response. We’re grateful to those of you who saw and supported R.U.N and remain committed to bringing you ground-breaking live entertainment." R.U.N was in trouble from the very beginning. As the future of R.U.N began to grow dim, Vital Vegas reported that Cirque called in a new director to overhaul the show (but that new director had left the project quickly), and that buzz from insiders suggested TPG Capital, the majority owner of Cirque du Soleil, had run out of patience and refused to invest any further in the show's concept. Thus, the show's fate was sealed. It's been said the show had been losing about $1.6 million a month. There are more reactions regarding R.U.N's closing and what might replace the show within. But it seems R.U.N isn't Cirque's only problem. According to Brendan Kelly of the Montreal Gazette, there are also serious creative problems plaguing "Under the Same Sky", Cirque du Soleil's latest touring show set to have its world premiere under the big top in the Old Port of Montreal on April 23rd. He reported that "Executives at Cirque du Soleil were not pleased after a preview performance at Cirque headquarters in St-Michel [recently]. This led to animated discussions between the executives and the show’s high- profile writer/director/production designer Es Devlin, who was not happy with the criticism. Cirque reps insist the London, England-based artist is still part of the show, but her role is now described as providing “conceptual support.” [On February 12th, Cirque du Soleil opened its studio to the media for a little sneak peek of Under the Sky (https://www.facebook.com/ CirqueduSoleil/posts/10159656419397501). Later, Montreal Canadiens Hockey fans were treated to a little peek into the new show (https://twitter.com/CanadiensMTL/status/1233933144757280768), and on March 4th, photographer Benoit Z. Leroux was on scene as Cirque du Soleil raised Under the Same Sky's Big Top in the Old Port of Montreal (https://www.facebook.com/BenoitZLeroux/photos/?tab=album &album_id=3226154820729441) - yes, that's Luzia's big top.] Cirque du Soleil president and CEO Daniel Lamarre said Devlin — who has worked with Beyoncé, U2, Adele and Kanye West — will be given full credit for her work on the show. But he confirmed the Cirque has brought in a new director, Mukhtar O.S. Mukhtar, who has worked on previous Cirque shows, notably Messi 10, a show inspired by the life of football superstar Lionel Messi. He will begin work on Under the Same Sky in the coming days. Devlin is home resting in England, but will return to the show, according to Cirque officials." Wow, just what is going on?! We hope "Drawn to Life" will manage to assuage our concerns when it premieres later this month. And speaking of... * * * DISNEY SHARES SNEAK PEEK OF "DRAWN TO LIFE" * * * The Disney Blog went behind-the-scenes look at “Drawn to Life” by Cirque du Soleil & Disney, sharing a little more about the story of the show and the special cast of characters who bring the magic to life. At its core, “Drawn to Life” is the story of the love between a father and a daughter. Delightful, mesmerizing movements of Cirque du Soleil acrobatic mastery pair with the magic of Disney animation to accentuate the story. Our main character is Julie, a courageous and determined young girl. Her father, Tom, was a Disney animator who raised his daughter and surrounded her with Disney animated characters who helped her grow and played important roles in her life. When Julie finds an unfinished animation piece and a letter from her late father, her imagination is awakened, and she embarks on an inspiring journey into the whimsical world of animation. Along the way, she meets characters like Mr. Pencil (her father’s favorite pencil), who help guide her. Julie also encounters Miss Hésitation, the story’s villain, who reflects Julie’s own doubts and fears as an artist. Throughout her adventure, Julie is reunited with Disney characters from her childhood, giving her the encouragement she needs to animate with her own unique artistic voice. o) Here's a couple of acts from the show - The Inner World of Animation and Aerial Pencil: https://youtu.be/_CRtQZuhIBc o) Check out the new poster and images here: http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=13548 o) Here's a few images (courtesy of WDWNT) showing the new Cirque du Soleil logo has been installed, and more! http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=13570 And you'll find a little more coverage from Theme Park Insider within. Don't forget, "DRAWN TO LIFE" has it's preview premiere beginning March 24th! * * * LAST, BUT NOT LEAST... * * * o) After 8 years, 3 continents, 19 countries, 47 cities, 2,548 shows, and over 5.1 million spectators - the final trip to the island of Amaluna has ocurred. The company shared the show’s final bow (March 1st), with their most heartfelt thanks and so much love from the entire cast and crew: http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=13554 More? Keep reading! /----------------------------------------------------\ | | | Join us on the web at: | | < www.cirquefascination.com > | | | | Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): | | < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > | | | \----------------------------------------------------/ - Ricky "Richasi" Russo =========== CONTENTS =========== o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings * La Presse -- General News & Highlights * Q&A -- Quick Chats & Press Interviews 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 * Webseries -- Official Online Featurettes * Videos -- Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds o) Fascination! Features * "D.U.N: Cirque Pulls the Plug on R.U.N at Luxor" Articles about R.U.N's Closing in the Press o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= *************************************************************** LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights *************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------- Guy Laliberté Sells Remaining 10% of Cirque du Soleil {Feb.17.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec announced [it has] increased its share in the Cirque du Soleil to 20 percent after buying the 10-per-cent stake still held by Cirque founder Guy Laliberté, adding that he will “remain involved in the creative process of the enterprise and retain economic interests” in the entertainment company. In a statement, Caisse chairman Charles Emond said, “The Caisse intends to continue to support the Cirque in its development projects that have for decades showcased the creativity and expertise of Quebecers.” Groupe Cirque du Soleil president Daniel Lamarre said “the transaction announced today is excellent news because it will allow an important Quebec investment to be continued.” Groupe Cirque du Soleil employs 4,900 people — 1,500 of them at the company’s head office in Montreal — and produces about 50 shows annually that tour the world. “We are happy to strengthen our presence among shareholders of Cirque du Soleil, an iconic entertainment brand with worldwide renown,” Caisse Chief Executive Charles Émond said in a statement. “[We intend] to continue backing Cirque du Soleil in its development projects that have showcased Quebeckers’ creativity and expertise for several decades.” In June of last year, The Globe and Mail and La Presse reported that Cirque was laying the groundwork for a possible initial public offering as early as 2020 as the storied entertainment company pushes ahead with a global expansion strategy. The company was preparing documentation just to have that option but there is no current plan to proceed with an IPO and no updated timeline, a well-placed source told The Globe Monday. { SOURCE: Globe and Mail, The Globe, La Presse } ---------------------------------------------------------- OSHA Opens Investigation into Accident in Cirque’s “LOVE” {Feb.18.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- The Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration is back in a Cirque du Soleil theater for the second time this year, investigating February 16th’s accident at “The Beatles Love” at The Mirage. Nevada OSHA spokeswoman Teri Williams confirmed Tuesday the safety enforcement agency has opened an investigation into the incident during which a Cirque performer fell during the show’s closing number. Reportedly, the performer, whose name is being withheld, fell some 20 feet to the stage and suffered injuries to his arm and back, along with internal injuries. He was treated on site, hospitalized and is expected to return to the show. The agency also reviewed the accident in “O” at Bellagio on Jan. 5, when an artist fell from the show’s Russian swing apparatus, finding no violations. The company was not called in to investigate the accident at “R.U.N” at Luxor, when a motorcycle artist was injured in the show’s preview opening and was treated on site. Williams said that Cirque reported the incident to OSHA, as is required any time a member of the company is hospitalized after being injured on the job. In such instances, the agency assigns a certified health and safety official (CSHO) to begin an inquiry into the event. The process is extensive. The official visits the work site to review injury and illness logs, read training records, evaluate the employer’s written safety and health plan, review the work area where the incident took place, collect photos and video of the incident, and conduct interviews with employees and company safety officials. According to Nevada law, the process must be completed within six months, but there is no established deadline before that six-month requirement. After collecting its information, OSHA would either inform Cirque there is no penalty or issue the appropriate citation to address the violations. Meantime, “Love” continues to run its normal schedule, twice daily at 7 and 9:30 p.m. (dark Sundays and Mondays). The show is due to mark its 14th anniversary at Mirage in June. { SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal } ---------------------------------------------------------- How Cirque Pushes the Limits of Human Performance {Feb.25.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- Formula 1 drivers experience eight times the force of gravity when taking tight corners, which is roughly what astronauts feel when making an uncontrolled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. During a catch-and-throw exercise for Cirque du Soleil’s production of Messi, a new circus inspired by soccer great Lionel Messi, one of the performers experienced 15 g—a revelation made possible by a pilot program that has Cirque performers wearing Wimu inertial sensors during training. “Apollo and Mercury astronauts in the first days of the space program, they were hitting 8 g,” says Steve Gera, CEO of the sports innovation consultancy Gains Group. “Now we know that a Cirque performer is potentially doubling the g-force of an astronaut who is re-entering Earth. That is [expletive] cool, right?” Wimu is the flagship product of RealTrack Systems, a graduate company of the Barça Innovation Hub—and the same wearable worn by Messi himself and his FC Barcelona teammates. (Gera is the U.S. representative for the Barça Innovation Hub and a columnist at SportTechie.) Circus acts may lack the competition of sports, but Cirque’s shows are no less physically demanding. At times, they can require even more specialized athleticism. Objective data generated from wearable technology can help recalibrate our understanding of human performance. Some of the other metrics that Wimu discovered during production of Messi were a vertical speed of 6.41 meters per second (14.3 miles per hour), angular speeds of 1,036 degrees per second (nearly three revolutions) and g-forces of nearly 7 on rotations around the high bar. “Can you imagine that? I was surprised when I saw all that,” says Evert Verhagen, a Cirque consultant who is an associate professor at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam and chair of an International Olympic Committee research center. “I had to recount the outcomes twice, but they are true. And they do that every day.” Verhagen, whose expertise is in injury prevention, began consulting with Cirque six years ago in hopes of applying his knowledge of sports to the circus. That initial plan didn’t last long. “I said, ‘Yes, let’s do it. If we can do this in sports, we can certainly do that for you guys as well,’” he says. “Then I went to a show and was like, ‘This is not going to work.’ I knew immediately that the environment, the context, the demands are so different from sports. “It’s the plethora of artists, the plethora of tasks, the individual roles within each show,” says Verhagen, who still helped drive a 30% reduction in injuries through more general changes related to systems management, leadership and culture. “If you have a football team, you’ve got X number of players on the field. Yes, they have different roles, but in essence, they’re all doing the same thing. They’re all exposed to similar risks, so it’s relatively easy to record what these risks are, what the etiology of problems are so you can develop solutions that, to a very far extent, apply to everyone.” Bryan Burnstein, who until recently was Cirque’s head of performance science for 12 years, says the company has more than 110 unique disciplines, many of which are so challenging that only a handful of people in the world are capable of filling them. That complicates traditional workout planning; precedent is often scarce or nonexistent. “We have unpredictable movement patterns,” Burnstein says. “We have totally different scopes and ranges and thresholds than what you’re used to seeing in other sports. We also have a high level of complexity and diversity that you don’t see.” Cirque also has a long performance season, exceeding even the marathon schedule of big league baseball. Resident shows are staged 380 to 470 times a year, and touring shows perform around 300 times—with training of about 12 hours per week. And while ball clubs have the luxury of deep farm systems, Cirque’s specialization means there’s little by way of a minor leagues outside of maybe one or two understudies. That intensifies the need for better physical monitoring to ensure readiness. “As a performer, you literally have to show up every single night,” Gera says. “There are no off-days, there’s no injury report, there’s none of that. It’s you and typically one other person who’s backing you up in your specific event.” “These were metrics and values that really made us—as practitioners, as scientists, as researchers—really factor in the intensity of the training that these artists endure to meet the training demands of their coaches on a daily basis,” says RealTrack Systems sport scientist Peter Demopoulos. “The sheer preparation is mind-boggling what these athletes, what these artists, do to prepare for the end result of these shows.” The parallels to baseball abound. Both Cirque and MLB have long schedules, extensive travel and remote work environments—Cirque’s home base is in Montreal, and it functions in the same way that every baseball franchise has a home venue and a training complex in either Florida or Arizona. Shows and games, however, happen everywhere. Pitchers rely on the same repeatable motion to master their craft, as do many circus performers. These similarities led Clive Brewer, who until recently was the assistant director of high performance with the Toronto Blue Jays, to visit Cirque du Soleil and open a dialogue with its staff. “The reason we started our relationship with Cirque is because their athletes probably perform more than ours do,” says Brewer, who in November became the high performance director of the MLS’ Columbus Crew. “We think we have a lot with 162 games in the regular season. They’re doing 400 shows a year. The volume that they go through and the repetition of the actions that they go through is a constant challenge for them.” That Cirque would be using the same wearable device that Messi wears to produce the show Messi is more coincidental than intentional. Plans for the show were first revealed in Oct. 2018 and, a month later, Burnstein first spoke with Gera at the Barça Sports Technology Symposium about applying Wimu to the circus. “There was this natural thread of a new creation, and there was a common thread throughout with the Barça family,” Burnstein says. All of this will help performance staff better understand the physical toll of training and help convey to the audience just how remarkable the Cirque artists are. Understanding these data points and comparing them to other sporting disciplines—gymnastics is a close relative—can punctuate that. “In talking to the coaches, they knew what their performers were doing was amazing, but to see the numbers behind different landings and different spin rates, all of a sudden that contextualized it in a way that they hadn’t before. That definitely caught their attention,” Gera says. “It’s not your endemic sports environment. Sports are all about winning and losing and trying to get an edge. Cirque is something slightly different. It’s like going to the Juilliard. There’s competition, but it’s all internal competition. And once people are selected for the specific roles, then it’s all about working together to give the best performance that you can possibly give.” { SOURCE: Joe Lemire, SportTechie } ---------------------------------------------------------- “The Illusionists” Joins One Night for One Drop {Feb.26.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- The annual One Night for One Drop gala event has always been a one-off in terms of entertainment—a unique show that helps provide safe water to the most vulnerable communities on the planet. Last year’s seventh annual event showcased a sort of all-star variety show, bringing together Cirque du Soleil artists and creators at Bellagio’s O Theater, and this year’s event brings the debut of The Illusionists at Luxor. The 2020 One Night was originally going to showcase R.U.N., Cirque’s first new Las Vegas Strip resident show since 2013. “It would also put more money into the foundation, because the show was already produced and still so new,” says Jerry Nadal, foundation board member and executive producer of One Night for One Drop. Of course, the cost of producing a one-night-only performance of such magnitude is significant. “But [we] realized there’s always a breaking-in and retooling period for every Cirque show. When Cirque wanted to continue working on R.U.N—and since [Cirque] bought The Illusionists in 2019, and it has never played Vegas—that allowed us to continue with the original concept and still spotlight something new.” The Illusionists is a touring magic production created by Simon Painter and Tim Lawson, partners in The Works Entertainment, a company acquired by Cirque du Soleil about a year ago. The Illusionists premiered at the Sydney Opera House in Australia in 2012 and has toured the world with a rotating cast of performers that has included The Clairvoyants, a duo that recently performed at Paris Las Vegas, and current Mirage headliner Shin Lim. The show has completed successful recent runs on Broadway and London’s West End. The upcoming Vegas version will be “curated specifically” for One Night for One Drop, Nadal says, and surprises could include guest appearances by other artists and entertainers. “What Simon Painter has been able to do [with this show] is really corner the global market on magic entertainment,” Nadal says. “It doesn’t rely on an individual personality like a David Copperfield or a Criss Angel. It’s really about the collective and what each individual’s strengths are. And it’s just a fun night out with something for everybody.” And it’s cost-effective, since it’s Cirque-owned, meaning more money from this year’s show will go to the foundation. But it’s also an ideal showcase for a magic show that probably should be playing nightly somewhere on the Strip, the global capital of magic. New Circus Circus owner Phil Ruffin has said that he’s in negotiations to bring The Illusionists to the north Strip property, potentially planting the first resident show at the family-friendly resort in several years. Nadal, a former Cirque executive, couldn’t confirm those negotiations— and the company had not responded to an official inquiry as of press time—but he did say The Illusionists deserves a “home on the Strip. MGM [Resorts] is the main partner for Cirque du Soleil, so I hope MGM takes a look at it.” The show is only part of the magical experience for this year’s One Night for One Drop. The event will take over the entire renovated R.U.N Theater space, and the afterparty will be held in a huge tent in front of Mandalay Place, the same location from two years ago. Guy Laliberté, one of the founders of Cirque du Soleil and the One Drop foundation, is scheduled to DJ at the party. { SOURCE: Las Vegas Weekly } ---------------------------------------------------------- 4U2C Merges With Cirque Events + Experiences {Feb.27.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group announces today the merger of its multimedia creative studio, 4U2C, with its events division, Cirque du Soleil Events + Experiences, a move that positions it as the most fully-integrated turnkey creative and artistic content solution provider in bespoke, world-class live entertainment. For nearly 20 years, Cirque du Soleil Events + Experiences has created and produced one-of-a-kind projects for some of the worlds’ most prestigious events, with clients in the public and private sectors across the world. Its portfolio stretches from custom Cirque du Soleil shows for corporate events for Fortune 500 companies, to cultural attractions commissioned by tourism bureaus, to live performances on some of the most-watched television broadcasts in history. 4U2C – Creative Studio is a Montreal-based company specializing in the creation and production of multimedia and video content. Their work in experiential design and video imagery have been featured in music concerts (such as KISS, Hugh Jackman, Shakira), major events (including Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show) as well as interactive installations (the Illuminart open-air museum). The merger will allow the Group to unleash its creative energy under the strength of one, unified company and create further opportunities for long-term growth. “Cirque du Soleil Events + Experiences now gains major in-house capabilities in digital content with all the creativity, emotional connectivity and craftsmanship of Cirque du Soleil,” said Yasmine Khalil, Chief Executive Producer – Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. “Merging 4U2C – Creative Studio to Cirque du Soleil Events + Experiences is an important milestone in our continued growth trajectory, as we remain focused on raising the bar in the industry with creativity and innovation.” { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } ---------------------------------------------------------- Theme Park Insider Previewed “DRAWN TO LIFE” {Mar.05.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- Honoring the creativity of Disney Animation, Cirque du Soleil’s begins previews later this month for an official opening on April 17. Disney and Cirque previewed two scenes from the new show before I had the opportunity to talk with Cirque du Soleil CEO Daniel Lamarre and Show Director and Writer Michel Laprise about the production, including why Cirque chose the process of creating animation as a theme for this production and why the show chose to focus on traditional, hand-drawn animation. [Please note that Laprise’s comments include some plot spoilers for the show.] The two scenes we saw this morning were “Inner World of Animation,” featuring rhythmic gymnasts from Japan to illustrate the process of bringing multiple drawings to life in flipbook. We were not allowed to record, but Disney provided us with video highlights of each scene. “We did a lot of research at the beginning and we saw something I didn’t know before,” Laprise said. “Animators use the mirror a lot – and today they use video cameras – and they will explore their faces and their whole body, the physicality of the character, because if you don’t feel it, you cannot draw it. And we’re really immediately excited by that. “So this is why you have this act of the decomposition of a movement. You saw Katia, one of our animators. There is supposed to be a mirror there, but not for today. So Katia is in front of the mirror, finds the character and then the [acrobats] compose the movement. Then you see the final result with the animation in silhouette. So we wanted to start the show by establishing this thing that animation like silk. It’s visceral. It’s physical.” Then we saw “Aerial Pencil,” an aerialist’s tribute to the pencil test that provides the foundation for so much character animation. “We wanted to pay homage to the Nine Old Men. So you can see a photograph of them in a lobby. Walt with those nine individuals created, really, character animation,” Laprise said. “We wanted to create a tableau which is like diamonds of animation, but at the raw stage when it starts – just a pencil and the paper. So we went to the Disney Animation Studios’ archive library. And we said, ‘is it possible to have just like little snippets?’ And they said, ‘This is funny. We have a new project, it’s not called the diamonds it’s called the gems.’ “Walt was crazy about archiving everything, so when the animator starts the process, he has, or she has, just a pencil and paper, and he does what you call the pencil test. That’s what you saw. Now no one has access to that, [but] it’s where the character’s life is born. After that, it gets cleaned up by an assistant, then ink and colored, but that [process] is never seen by the audience. “So what Disney’s archive library is doing is they are taking those pieces, those seeds of animation, and they taking HD photos of each of them, and by bringing them together and they bring them back to life, so we said can we have that. It’s amazing, all the hours that these guys spent to bring back to life those gems, and we really honored to be able to present that to the audience.” In each scene, the Cirque cast’s physical performance on stage is echoed by media of rough sketch animation, showing the artistry of movement in two, compatible media. It’s an engaging premise, and I can’t wait to see it executed fully in the complete show. CHECK OUT THE IMAGES AND VIDEOS THAT ACCOMPANIED THIS ARTICLE HERE: http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=13563 { SOURCE: Theme Park Insider } ---------------------------------------------------------- R.U.N is a Flop, Montreal Show Troubled {Mar.06.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil has had a rough start to 2020. Its latest show in Las Vegas is set to close Sunday, marking the shortest run and highest- profile failure for the Cirque on the Strip. R.U.N., which opened in late October, was supposed to be performed indefinitely at the Luxor Hotel & Casino. There are also serious creative problems plaguing Under the Same Sky, the Cirque show that is set to have its world premiere under the big top in the Old Port in Montreal on April 23. Executives at Cirque du Soleil were not pleased after a preview performance at Cirque headquarters in St-Michel last week. This led to animated discussions between the executives and the show’s high-profile writer/director/production designer Es Devlin, who was not happy with the criticism. Cirque reps insist the London, England- based artist is still part of the show, but her role is now described as providing “conceptual support.” Cirque du Soleil president and CEO Daniel Lamarre said Devlin — who has worked with Beyoncé, U2, Adele and Kanye West — will be given full credit for her work on the show. But he confirmed the Cirque has brought in a new director, Mukhtar O.S. Mukhtar, who has worked on previous Cirque shows, notably Messi 10, a show inspired by the life of football superstar Lionel Messi. He will begin work on Under the Same Sky in the coming days. Devlin is home resting in England, but will return to the show, according to Cirque officials. In addition, the Cirque has had to close down its resident show The Land of Fantasy in Hangzhou, China in late January as a result of health concerns following the outbreak of the coronavirus. The Montreal-based circus has also cancelled the Hong Kong tour for the show Amaluna, which was supposed to be taking place in May. Lamarre confirmed rumours that for the past six months, Cirque du Soleil has been contemplating a public-share offering, but that is off the table for the moment given the turbulence of financial markets, he said. In spite of the closing of R.U.N., the problems on Under the Same Sky, the two cancelled shows in Asia and the scuttling of a potential share offering, Cirque CEO Lamarre puts a brave face on the situation. “When I listen to how you’re presenting the facts, I should go home and cry,” Lamarre said. “But that’s not the way we run the business. The way we run the business is to fight … we have three shows … and two of the shows are going to be tremendous successes.” Lamarre believes the two successes will be Under the Same Sky and Drawn to Life, the latter is set to open at Walt Disney World in Florida in April. But Lamarre admitted there are creative problems with Under the Same Sky only weeks before its premiere. “I think Es brought us an amazing visual signature that is going to bring the Cirque to a different place and I was very happy with that,” Lamarre said. “The adjustment we have to do is regarding the acrobatics. It’s very tough if you’re not used to working with the Cirque du Soleil to appreciate the importance that we have to keep in the acrobatic content. That’s what we have to improve and in order to do that we’re going to surround her with people that have expertise and experience working with us.” He also admitted major creative mistakes were made with R.U.N., that was described by the Cirque as a live-action thriller. It had no acrobatics. “I think that it was a mistake for us to put the name ‘Cirque du Soleil’ on the marquee,” Lamarre said. “Because when I looked at the research, people who’d never seen a Cirque du Soleil show loved R.U.N. and thought that it was a great show. And when you ask a fan of Cirque du Soleil who attended the show, that fan was very disappointed because there were no acrobatics in the show and they felt it was almost like misrepresentation of the brand. I was very involved in the decision to pull the trigger sooner rather than later because we thought, looking at the research results, that we were damaging the brand.” Lamarre said he has a new show that will be brought to the Luxor, but wouldn’t reveal more details. The budget on R.U.N. was $60 million, but Lamarre said the biggest part of those costs were paid for by Cirque’s partners. Cirque’s part in the budget was “less than $20 million,” he said. Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté sold his majority stake in the circus to TPG Capital in 2015 for US$1.5 billion and he sold his remaining 10 per cent this month to the Caisse de dépot et placement du Québec. The Caisse now owns a 20-per-cent stake. One veteran Cirque insider said many believe the Cirque has lost its creative direction since the departure of Laliberté. “It’s just so sad,” the insider said. “This is the jewel of Canada and to see it so mismanaged, it just breaks my heart. This is an organization that is supposed to breaking creative boundaries.” { SOURCE: Brendan Kelly, Montreal Gazette } ---------------------------------------------------------- One Night for One Drop Postponed! {Mar.11.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- “One Night For One Drop” has been dropped — at least temporarily. Cirque du Soleil is postponing its annual charity production because of coronavirus outbreak concerns, the company announced internally Tuesday. The show was to feature “The Illusionist” magic productions inside for the 1,463-seat Luxor Theater. “One Night” Executive Director Jerry Nadal confirmed Tuesday that the show had been at least temporarily tabled. Discussions about if or how to proceed with the production began in earnest late last week. The show had been scheduled for March 27. “We have a global audience, and more than a third of those coming to the show are out of state or are international,” Nadal said in a phone chat. “As the last several days progressed, several people called to say they were not coming, and when you are hosting a charity event you have to respond to these issues.” Cirque’s resident show schedules remain unaffected. As Nadal said, “The difference with ‘One Night’ is we had such a large number of people traveling in from other countries.” Nadal said the One Drop board would reconvene in 60 days to reassess options to return the event to the Luxor. The show also stages large pre- and post-party events. “One Night For One Drop,” which supports Cirque’s global clean-water initiative, was to celebrate its eighth performance on the Strip. This year’s show was the first to stage an existing production rather than a new Cirque show created specifically for the event. “We will see after 60 days where this issue is from a global perspective and where we stand,” Nadal said. “I think we have to be prepared that it will be worse before it gets better.” { SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal } ---------------------------------------------------------- AEG, ASM Global and Cirque Announce Multi-Year Agreement {Mar.11.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company, ASM Global, the leading provider of innovative venue services, and Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, the world leader in live entertainment, jointly announced today that the three companies have entered into a strategic multi-year agreement to bring Cirque du Soleil touring shows to AEG and ASM Global venues worldwide. “This announcement reflects ASM Global’s commitment to pushing boundaries and thinking outside of the box when it comes to providing new and more extensive live entertainment touring opportunities for our clients” The global multi-venue agreement with a premier live entertainment producer is a testament to the range, breadth and geographic reach of AEG’s and ASM Global’s venues. “Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group is truly pleased to announce this partnership that promises extensive touring possibilities across the world and more opportunities for current and future fans alike to experience Cirque du Soleil’s one-of-a-kind productions,” said Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. “AEG and ASM Global have built a strong portfolio of advanced venues that allow us to push further our artistic creativity and innovative vision to present state-of-the-art creations that have never been seen before. This partnership is part of our greater live entertainment offering.” Dan Beckerman, President and CEO of AEG, added, “We are excited to partner with Cirque du Soleil to bring the very best in live family entertainment to consumers around the world. AEG’s venues are home to many of today’s most important sports, music and live entertainment events — experiences that not only draw large audiences, but also shape popular culture. Cirque du Soleil’s iconic shows continue to be in strong demand across the globe and this partnership will bring new immersive entertainment to passionate fans of all generations.” “This announcement reflects ASM Global’s commitment to pushing boundaries and thinking outside of the box when it comes to providing new and more extensive live entertainment touring opportunities for our clients,” said Bob Newman, President and CEO of ASM Global. “As industry leaders, it is up to us to provide a new approach to meet client goals and partnering with Cirque du Soleil showcases the options that ASM Global can deliver. Cirque du Soleil offers a variety of spectacular experiences that align well with our venue portfolio and we are very excited about this special partnership.” About AEG Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, AEG is the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company. The company operates in the following business segments: Facilities, which through its affiliation with ASM Global, owns, manages or consults with more than 300 preeminent arenas, stadiums, convention centers and performing arts venues around the world; Music through AEG Presents, which is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including producing and promoting global and regional concert tours, music and special events and world-renowned festivals such as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival; Real Estate, which develops world-class venues, as well as major sports and entertainment districts like STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE, Mercedes Platz in Berlin and The O2 in London; Sports, as the world’s largest operator of high- profile sporting events and sports franchises including the LA Kings, LA Galaxy and Eisbären Berlin; and Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships including naming rights, premium seating and other strategic partnerships. Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 160 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at www.aegworldwide.com. About ASM Global ASM Global is the world’s leading provider of innovative venue services and live experiences. The company was formed by the combination of AEG Facilities and SMG, global leaders in venue and event strategy and management. The company’s elite venue network spans five continents, with a portfolio of more than 300 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention and exhibition centers, and performing arts venues. From Aberdeen to Anchorage, and Sydney to Stockholm, its venues connect people through the unique power of live experiences. ASM Global’s diverse portfolio of clients benefit from the company’s depth of resources and unparalleled experience, expertise and creative problem-solving. Each day, the company’s 61,000 passionate employees around the world deliver locally tailored solutions and cutting-edge technologies to deliver maximum results for venue owners and amazing experiences for guests. By consistently looking for new ways to envision, innovate and empower the spaces and places that bring people together, ASM Global elevates the human spirit while delivering the highest value for all stakeholders. For more information, please visit www.asmglobal.com. { SOURCE: Business Wire } *************************************************************** Q&A -- Quick Chats & Press Interviews *************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------- A Little Chat with Kurios’ Sophie Guay {Feb.17.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soliel’s ‘Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities’ will head to Melbourne in March ahead of its final Australian destinations Adelaide and Perth. The show features a cast of 47 artists from 17 countries including world-class gymnasts, acrobats, contortionists, hand- puppeteers, yo-yo wizards, clowns, actors and musicians. The lead singer for ‘Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities’ is jazz singer Sophie Guay. She shared insights of the show with Noise11 ahead of the first Melbourne premiere. Q. You play a major role in ‘Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities’. We see you throughout the show. You can see the singer most of the time. I am part of The Seeker and there to support the acoustic number vocally. I just try to give emotion with my voice. Q. Tell us about your costume. My character is called The Street Singer. In French we say Le Chanteur de Rue. The character wears a gramophone horn on the head. This was designed as a wink to the first wireless microphone ever invented. The creator was thinking what would have been a wireless microphone in the 19th century. It could have been a gramophone horn on the head. Q. Does wearing a gramophone make it difficult for you to maneuver around the stage? I get to climb ladders during the show. The gramophone is not heavy. I climb up and down ladders during the show. The costumes are really well designed for moving around. Q. How long does it take you to prepare for each show? It takes me about 50 minutes, almost an hour. There are a lot of steps and it takes quite a while. It’s the perfect time to focus on what is coming and get in character. Its meditative for me. Q. Do you have time to work on your own music? Cirque is a lot of work but lucky for me it’s a just one show a day. I go to work around 4 o’clock so I have the morning for personal projects, study and just hang out with friends and walk about a new city and discover around. For me it really important every time I get into a new city to find my little area that will become my routine, my favorite café, the grocery store, anything that makes me feel like home. Q. Do you get to see local live music when you visit each city? Sometimes it's impossible because we are on at the same time. I only get Monday off and most of the time nothing is happening then. In Sydney I was lucky enough to meet some musicians and play with them. Most of the time we are performing at the same time so it's hard to see live music. Q. What about recording. Are you working on your own music? In the past year and half I got into songwriting, I took some classes and I’m now exploring. I record with my own equipment, my own microphone and I travel with my own sound cards and everything I need to record. To go in the studio maybe once or twice a year. Q. Will you record your own album? Not soon but maybe. Before it was a big no, now I am more thinking about it. I am a live performer and I enjoy performing live. But now after 10 years with the circus I got to discover lots of cultures and enjoy new experiences. I feel I have a little more things to share. Q. Who do you listen to? I really love Melody Gardot. The music I love is quite various. It goes from jazz to 80s pop. That was the music I was singing when I was younger. I was in a rock band with my sister. Q. Do you have any favourite Australian artists? Accadacca (laughs). I love Sia. She has an amazing voice and she is an incredible performance. Q. What is a typical working day for you? I get to work. I prepare, do my make-up. I have to eat at a certain time. Too close to the show is not good. Too early is not good either because then I’m super hungry during the show. I have really long hair so I have to braid my hair and wear a wig for the show. Q. How many cirque du Soleil shows have you seen? I have maybe seen 12, 14, 15. I haven’t seen The Beatles ‘Love’. I went to Vegas for the first time last year but for the time I was there I only saw ‘Mystére’ and ‘O’. I need to go back and see ‘Love’. I hear it's great. Q. Where has this job taken you? I’ve been to the United States and Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Japan, Australia, Singapore and a few others. { SOURCE: Noise11 } ---------------------------------------------------------- With Japanese bicycle dance artist Nao Yoshida {Feb.18.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- A sport that Nao Yoshida initially took up on a whim has landed him a featured segment during the first act of Volta, a Cirque du Soleil show. Volta is about the inner journey to find one’s true self and be loud and proud about it. Yoshida, a Japanese bicycle dance artist, plays the younger version of the show’s protagonist Waz. A reality show contestant, Waz is well-received until a discovery literally makes him blue: he has blue feathers on his head instead of hair. That might make him a freak to others, but his unique ‘do eventually becomes a source of pride. Though he plays a child in the production, in reality, Yoshida is a 32-year-old with a wiry physique. He has been experimenting with flatland BMX cycling for almost two decades now. Despite not having any particular interest in sports as a kid, he and his older twin brother Koh took an interest in the sport after seeing a US competition on television. At 15, the two Yokohama natives found others in their neighborhood to learn from and with. Eventually, they weren’t just good. They were great. Yoshida placed second in an All Japan tournament in 2017 and was a finalist in the world contest the same year. The twosome eventually formed a school, Twins BMX. As a child, there was nothing in Yoshida’s background that hinted that his fancy flatland cycling would become his ride to fame and fortune. He never took dance or martial arts, and he initially wanted to become an artist like his parents. Yoshida’s mother is a fashion designer and his father is a designer for Onkyo. Yoshida has himself designed for Japanese fashion brands and even made props for big-budget Broadway musicals. He once tackled new materials to make a giraffe’s leg for The Lion King. But his art isn’t just behind the scenes – he’s had a solo exhibition of his work in New York. He explained that joining the show has meant learning how to express certain emotional content during a performance, something he didn’t have to do as a sports competitor. In Volta, Yoshida performs a pas de deux with a ballet dancer. The theatricality is surely something he’ll eventually take back to his school when his time with Cirque ends. Since Cirque called Yoshida to audition, this gig has been a two-year- and-counting journey. With his new bride as his roadie, Yoshida revealed that he considers his time away from Japan and his school to be the ultimate honeymoon plan. He’s making money and memories. Yoshida noted that BMX is now a sport that will be part of the Summer Olympics hosted in Tokyo this year. Checking out the pros at Cirque, then, could help audiences prepare to watch the competition for BMX gold later this summer. All of this from a program meant to inspire the audience to be true to their inner selves or even just get back up on a bicycle again. { SOURCE: Jana Monji, AsAmNews } ---------------------------------------------------------- Sienna Sloane Runs Away with the Circus {Feb.24.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- The lights go out, and the audience sees nothing as Sienna Sloane enters the darkened stage. But Sloane is not about to perform. Instead, her performance lies in the fabrics, the wings and tails of those about to take center stage. At 18 years old, Sloane, tech theatre major, is one of the youngest dressers for Cirque du Soleil’s production of “Amaluna.” The touring show is currently in Sacramento playing under a huge tent temporarily setup at Raley Field. “I feel like the biggest misconception is that people think my job isn’t super serious. I’m just playing ‘dress up’ with these performers and they go out and do their job,” says Sloane. “It’s really more serious than that. I have to maintain the artistic integrity that the costume designer, the director originally planned for, and I have to check for the safety of the performers with their costumes.” “Amaluna” is a love story loosely based on Shakespere’s “The Tempest,” says Sloane. The Cirque Du Soleil original production debuted in 2012. “Amaluna” will finish its eight-year run after its final performances in Sacramento ending March 1. Sloane says that a typical work day for her starts by checking a list of the acts and seeing who she’ll be “quick changing” for that evening. She then has about a half hour where she presets costume pieces. Presets are the ways dressers set up costumes so they are easier for quick changes. “Some of these pieces for the show are really heavy and difficult to maneuver around. I’m taking them from the artistic tent, which is off of the main tent, and taking them backstage,” says Sloane. “There are these giant peacock tails that are 8 feet tall, and they have this big harness, and I have to carry those and preset them.” She also helps one of the clowns tie up the back of her dress, which Sloane describes as a “giant, embellished burlap sack.” “Our unicycle girls, they have these big hoop skirts that are kind of like cages almost, and they’re metal and they’re heavy,” says Sloane, who has to take the metal skirts off a pulley system and then take them up a flight of stairs. “Later on in the show I have to do a quick change with them where I’m actually on the stage in the dark, and I’m putting these pieces onto them—it’s scary, but it’s fun.” Sloane says that she loves seeing all the symbolism in Cirque shows, especially in the costumes. “We have costumes that represent these exotic animals, which I think is really cool,” Sloane says, describing the unicyclists dressed to resemble exotic birds, dressed in gold from head to toe with blonde wigs styled into mohawks and leather fringe hanging from their sleeves. Then there’s a juggler who is half-man and half-lizard, she says, adding that she is responsible for cleaning the airbrush machine used to create scales for the costume. “It’s really interesting with the costumes and makeup design we have airbrush on [the lizard-man]—patterns of scales that go up into hair, onto his face and on his chest,” Sloane says. “He has these gloves that come around over the shoulder, and they look like scaly lizard horns.” When the curtains close and the audience leaves, Sloane has about two hours of laundry and handwashing to do every night. But, she says, she loves her job. Sloane recalls that she found this position one day while scrolling through a music app called TikTok. “I stumbled upon this weird video of [a performer in “Amaluna”] on my ‘for you’ page of him and the lizard juggler dancing along to this Camilia Cabello song or something,” Sloane says with a laugh. Sloane then saw on the performer’s video caption that Cirque Du Soleil was coming to Sacramento, so she went to the home page and applied to be a dresser for the six-week show. However, this wasn’t Sloane’s first encounter with the production. About eight years ago when she was just 12 years old she saw “Amaluna” when it debuted. From what she remembers, a lot of the show has changed, but one act has remained the same. “It’s called the balance goddess,” says Sloane. “There’s this woman, and she has these giant sticks that are like whale ribs ranging from small to about 8 feet long, and she balances them all in this very specific way.” Sloane says the act is intense, as the audience listens to the performer’s breathing as she balances the objects. But instead of sitting in the audience, Sloane now watches the act from a monitor behind the stage, waiting for her next cue. And while this production is new, this isn’t Sloane’s first theatrical circus—she’s been working behind the scenes since she was 16 years old starting as an wardrobe intern for Broadway Sacramento Music Circus. “I was like a feral band child in high school, so I’ve worked in performing arts before,” she says. “But when I was a junior in high school, I saw this ad on T.V. for Broadway Sacramento Music Circus. I saw the costumes and the colors and go, ‘You know, that looks cool.’” At the time she says she knew nothing about costuming and wasn’t sure if she was even going to get the internship, but she was really hoping for the experience. “It was really cool. I was working hands-on with Broadway actors and getting to watch them perform and rehearse,” Sloane says. “[I was] working with the wardrobe supervisor and learning the ins and outs of wardrobe.” Currently, Sloane is majoring in tech theater and is thinking about double majoring in apparel studies. When she isn’t in school or working on a production, Sloane helps out in the City Theatre costume shop, which, she says, differs from wardrobe. “The costume department is the conception of the costumes before and going up to the day that the show opens—creating the ideas for them, constructing the costumes and altering them to fit the performers,” Sloane says. “Then wardrobe is the department that works closer with performers and maintaining the artistic integrity of what the costume designer wanted, what the director wanted and working the show.” With “Amaluna” soon coming to an end, Sloane is hoping to work on Cirque Du Soleil’s new production called “Under the Same Sky,” which will debut in Montreal in April. In the future Sloane hopes to continue her career in the theater capital of the world, New York. In the meantime, she’s enjoying her work with Cirque du Soleil. The “Amaluna”’ cast is about 60 to 70 percent female, including an all- female rock band, which plays during the performance. Amaluna is also diverse in other ways, according to Sloane. The wardrobe department alone has workers from Spain, Australia, London and Columbia. “This setting in Cirque for me is unique because I’ve never really worked in such a diverse and multicultural setting,” says Sloane. Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of this experience—besides tying up the backs of dresses, hours of laundry and carrying heavy props— are the new professional colleagues and friends Sloane has made. “These relationships that I’m getting out of this job already,” she says, “are really very meaningful to me.” { SOURCE: Rose Vega, Sacramento City Express } ---------------------------------------------------------- Meet Karina Manta - Figure Skater, AXEL {Feb.26.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- Ice skater Karina Manta is a 23-year-old Arizona LGBTQ role model even though she probably doesn’t embrace that title to its fullest yet. Who can blame her, she has been busy traveling the world, first as a competitive skater for Team USA, then recently as a performer in Cirque de Soleil’s AXEL. She still struggles with the word retirement even though she walked away from the competitive world last year. Over the phone Karina’s voice is filled with such positive energy you can’t help but get caught up in the momentum. She’s honest and talks about everything from her life as a skater to being a queer sports star. Karina also has one of those grins you don’t have to see in order to know it’s there. Even though she was born in Olympia Washington, she is earnest when she says her hometown is Chandler Arizona. At the age of four she moved there and a year later she went to a friend’s birthday party at the Polar Ice rink where her interest in skating began. Her mother was supportive but wanted Karina to practice rollerblading in order to perfect her balance. She used her cul-de-sac to train for an entire summer before her mother finally agreed to ice skating lessons. Her love of rhinestones and Swarovski crystals was born, “I liked the sparkly dresses,” she laughs. “My brothers played soccer,” Karina explains. “I come more from a soccer family and I tried soccer for one season and I was pretty good, but my parents asked me why I didn’t want to keep doing it after that season and I was like ‘I don’t like the outfits.’ It was all about the fashion when I was into it with the sports.” When she started her figure skating career she was partnered with Jonathan Thompson but has been working with Joseph Johnson since 2013. At 16 she moved to Colorado to train but remembers what it was like growing up in Chandler. People would tease her about ice skating in the desert but to her, that was a perk since Arizona temperatures can get well into the triple digits in the summer. In 2018, while still in college, Karina came out publicly which makes her the first Team USA female figure skater to do so. She explains that she identifies mostly as bisexual but likes the term queer too. “It’s one of those things where I’ve gotten more,” she pauses to find the right words, “like I think at first I was kind of touchy about it. And I think when you’re realizing these things about yourself it’s hard to pick and choose. I think labels are important especially when you’re figuring out who you are and how you belong and you need words for yourself and that’s really important. But I like bi, I like queer— those are my two favorites.” Karina says she didn’t know any queer women in skating until she came out, then they started approaching her, “I think it was just sort of this ‘invisible’ community that I didn’t really know about. I felt sort of lonely for a while and nervous about it just because it wasn’t something I had seen before which can be pretty scary.” Although it’s changing, Arizona is a conservative state, to a young queer woman not having role models can deter you from admitting your feelings or at least stop you from living as your authentic self. I asked her if where she grew up had any bearing on staying in the closet. “It’s a good question because I didn’t meet — as far as I know, I’m sure I met lesbians — but I didn’t meet like any out lesbians or queer women in any capacity until I moved to Colorado Springs,” Karina said of her experience, adding that she met one of her best friends there who happened to have two moms. “And it was like they were the first out lesbians in a relationship that I met in my entire life. It seems so weird now, but like I was almost 17 years old and I think the world’s changed a lot even in the past five years which is beautiful. In Chandler, I mean when I was in high school, I remember marriage equality being like a huge debate topic. In my high school, I maybe knew two — I went to Hamilton High School — I knew maybe like two or three students who were out. And I don’t think any of them were women.” Cirque de Soleil embraces their performers no matter how they identify so the only thing Karina has to worry about now is the demanding but ultimately gratifying routines that she and Joseph must accomplish in every performance. Although both are entertaining, the competitive world is a little different than the one for Cirque. She says some might think it’s an easier transition; it’ll be more relaxed physically. But it’s pretty intense. And their numbers are pretty challenging, it’s not like they stop skating cold turkey. They just push themselves in different ways. “It’s nice to not have the pressure, you know, when you’re competing to have maybe five chances in a year to show off what you have been working on, and in Cirque we have maybe a minimum of more than five shows a week. That’s a lot of fun to get to perform more often. That’s one of the best parts of being an athlete and being a performer and an artist. It’s also an opportunity to have that moment with the crowd and show off what you’ve done so it’s really cool that I get the opportunity to do that every day.” Part of that cool factor is learning a completely different trick or “element” as they call them, to incorporate into a performance. “Something really cool about Cirque is we have a number that is a flight number so a lot of the paired girls are in harnesses and we get to work in flight,” she says. “We have some elements where the boys will throw us into the air, we get to fly. That is an incredible thing to be able to do on the ice that we would have never got to try out.” As for competitive sports, Karina isn’t sure if she will return once her contract is up at Cirque. That means she will be touring with the company for two years. She’s not counting her eggs before they hatch. “I mean we really don’t know where we’re going to be in five years. We kind of just take it one step at a time. And who knows? Maybe we’ll come back; it’s really too hard to say. We’ll say I’m competitively retired, but that just hard to say because I’m 23.” AXEL will be heading to Prescott Valley, Arizona this March and Tucson in April. For Karina, it’s a homecoming, but she’s not the same person she was when she left. She’s come out publicly in a historic move and has a part in one of the most successful circus companies in the world. Although she probably hasn’t fully realized she is an inspiration to the LGBTQ community, she’s getting there. “I got so excited to hear about your interview even,” she says. “It’s so nice to sort of be a part of that community in Arizona and help grow that space. It was muted when I was younger and I’m sure it was there it just that I wasn’t tuned into it yet.” Whether it’s at an ice rink in Chandler, or in a cul-de-sac on one of the hottest days in July, or even the Tucson Arena, Karina is coming home. Maybe a little different than when she left but that’s not what matters. “Arizona always feels like home,” she says. “I grew up there and like I said so many people that I’m close with live there. My brother lives there. A lot of my best friends live there and it will be nice to come back and kind of be.” { SOURCE: Timothy Rawles, Echo Mag } ---------------------------------------------------------- Meet secretive Cirque du Soleil billionaire Guy Laliberté {Mar.02.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- Guy Laliberté isn’t a typical circus performer. With a mind for both business and performance, Laliberté grew his Montreal-based circus troupe into a multibillion-dollar entertainment empire, starting with only a $1 million arts grant, according to Forbes. Since selling a majority stake in Cirque du Soleil in 2015, Laliberté has spent part of his $1.2 billion fortune on a $35 million trip to space, a sprawling network of real estate (including a private island in French Polynesia), and propping up his new entertainment venture that puts on high-tech shows inside giant pyramids. A representative for Laliberté did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment on Laliberté’s background, net worth, involvement in Cirque du Soleil or Lune Rouge, or 2019 arrest. Here’s everything we know about Laliberté’s rise and how he spends his time and money. Laliberté, 60, began his career as a stilt walker, fire eater, and accordion player on the streets of Montreal. Laliberté became a street performer after he dropped out of college in 1978, The New York Times reported in 2011. He was able to diversify his performances after adding circus skills to his repertoire while hitchhiking through Europe, according to Forbes. “I grew up in this type of very balanced world of business and creativity,” Laliberté told Forbes in 2019. “My mom was very, very creative, eccentric. And my father was a PR guy, a wheeler-dealer.”. Laliberté eventually joined a circus group that put on large scale street performances. Laliberté also helped the troupe, then called Les Échassiers, book performances and raise money, he told Forbes. Les Échassiers got their big break when they were awarded a $1 million grant from the Quebec government to produce a traveling show as a part of the celebrations for the 450th anniversary of Canada’s discovery in 1984, according to Forbes. “We had every problem starting a big top could have,” Laliberté told Forbes in 2004. “The tent fell down the first day. We had problems getting people into the shows. It was only with the courage and arrogance of youth that we survived.” The show was later renamed Cirque du Soleil, meaning “Circus of the Sun.” “When I need to take time to reenergize, I go somewhere by the ocean to sit back and watch the sunsets,” Laliberté told Fortune in 2011. “That is where the idea of ‘Soleil’ came from, on a beach in Hawaii, and because the Sun is the symbol of youth and energy.” Cirque du Soleil was a near-instant hit, which Laliberté credits to his ability to think about both art and finances at the same time. The company made $40,000 from its Canadian tour, and used the money to bring performances to California, Forbes reported. By 1993, Cirque was pulling in $30 million each year. “I really believe that one gift my life have given me is this fifty-fifty creative-business brain,” Laliberté told Forbes. Cirque du Soleil is now a massive franchise, selling the same number of tickets each year as all of New York’s Broadway shows combined. Cirque is “one of the most profitable and famous pieces of performance art of the last century,” Forbes’ Madeline Berg wrote in 2019. The company has several versions of its touring shows, including underwater and on ice shows and others based on Michael Jackson, Lionel Messi, the Beatles. There are also eight permanent Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas, according to the company’s website. Laliberté’s success was memorialized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010. The star was put outside Kodak Theatre in Hollywood in 2010, just as Cirque du Soleil launched a multi-year run of a film-inspired show there, according to the Walk of Fame website. Despite the playfulness of his shows, Laliberté has a “reputation for fierceness,” according to The New York Times. While interviewing the billionaire in 2011, The New York Times’ Jason Zinoman noted that Laliberté has a “deadpan expression” during meetings, and “forceful arm waving” and an “almost dispassionate voice” when speaking. Philippe Decouflé, who directed a Cirque show for Laliberté, described the CEO to Zinoman as a “very nice bulldozer.” His dedication paid off — Laliberté sold a 90% stake in Cirque du Soleil for $1.5 billion in 2015. Laliberté held onto a 10% stake in Cirque, but sold that too last month, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Laliberté said in a statement that he will remain involved in the company as a creative consultant. Laliberté said the sale to San Francisco private equity firm TPG Capital was not motivated by money, however. “I really was missing performing as an artist,” Laliberté told Forbes in 2019. “When I started Cirque, I pretty much gave up performing. It’s really something that I wanted to live again.” A substantial portion of that check — $100 million — went to Laliberté’s next venture, Forbes reported. Launched in June 2018, Lune Rouge Entertainment puts on high-tech shows using only laser, lights, and projectors inside giant pyramids, according to Forbes. Lune Rouge’s first show, “Through the Echoes,” retells the history of the Earth. Laliberté also spent some his Cirque paycheck on art, setting up his own family office, investing in a few startups, and expanding his sprawling network of homes, according to Forbes. Laliberté collects both contemporary and traditional African art. His collection includes pieces by Ugo Rondinone, Camille Henrot, Sarah Lucas, Giuseppe Penone, Takashi Murakami, and Jenny Holzer, according to Artnet News. The Financial Times’ Gareth Harris called Laliberté’s taste in art “blue chip-based and discerning but quirky” in a 2015 profile. Laliberté owns seven homes, including one on a private island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Laliberté’s privately owned island, named Nukutepipi, is located in French Polynesia near Tahiti. The billionaire spent $100 million building various structures on the island, including an observatory, Artnet News reported. The entire island rents for $143,581 a night, according to Forbes. Laliberté also has a home in Hawaii and a 64-acre estate in Ibiza, according to Forbes. The billionaire uses a private jet, his 178-foot sailing yacht named Tiara, or his Range Rover to travel between his homes, Forbes reported. Laliberté was arrested for growing cannabis on his island in November. Laliberté is a medical cannabis user, a spokesperson for his company told Reuters in November. In a statement to Reuters, the spokesperson also said that Laliberté “categorically denies and dissociates himself completely from any rumors implicating him in the sale or the traffic of controlled substances.” Laliberté was later released without being charged and said he would continue to cooperate with authorities. “The disproportionate importance given to this matter, which is generally trivialized for someone in possession of several plants of cannabis for strictly personal use, greatly surprises me,” Laliberté said in a statement after his release, according to the Montreal Gazette. “On a different note, however, I would like to highlight that Faa’a’s gendarmes were very courteous, and have treated me in a professional and respectful manner, which is a bright spot in this misadventure,” Laliberté said, according to The Gazette. Laliberté became the first Canadian private citizen to explore space in 2009. The trip was designed to raise awareness about water scarcity, according to Forbes. According to The New York Times, the trip cost Laliberté $35 million and his perfect record of producing hit shows — “Banana Shpeel,” Cirque’s New York City-based fusion of its signature acrobatics and Broadway-style musical theater, flopped and was forced to cut its run short. “I kept hearing there are too many songs, too much like a Broadway show,” the production’s director David Shiner told The Times in 2011. “Guy wanted to do something different. But he was in space.” Laliberte had “the greatest excuses in the history of show business failure,” The Times’ Zinoman wrote of the show’s flop. He’s also a DJ, and is slated to perform at Coachella later this year. Laliberté dabbled in professional DJing in 2016, booking a gig that paid $4,000 in New York, Forbes reported. However, the check he was paid with bounced. “It really brought me back to my street-performer days,” Laliberté told Forbes of the incident. “There’s no way those people were getting away with not paying me.” Laliberté has since booked more reputable gigs, including Coachella, CTV News reported. The billionaire is scheduled to perform sets at the festival on both April 12 and 17. Laliberté is also an active philanthropist. Laliberté is the founder of water conversation nonprofit One Drop Foundation, according to Artnet News. One Drop’s projects have improved living conditions for 1.6 million people across the globe by improving their access to clean water, according to its website. Laliberté also enjoys poker and has organized charity tournaments in the past, according to Canadian Business. Despite his flashy lifestyle, Laliberté is extremely private. The CEO has a small circle of close friends and doesn’t let even longtime colleagues really get to know him, The New York Times reported. { SOURCE: Business Insider } ---------------------------------------------------------- Crowdfiltering | Interview with Alexander Woo {Mar.09.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- Alexander Woo is a Martial Arts Specialist. While he was in Cirque’s database, they asked him if he would agree to participate in a crowd filtering experiment with members of the Club Cirque. Now that he is a performing artist on Cirque’s ice show AXEL, the company asked him a few questions about his thought on using crowd filtering as a casting tool. Q. Can you give us more information about your background? I am from Boston, Massachusetts. I started studying Martial Arts in September 2001 when I was 8 years old. I learned traditional tiger crane martial arts from Sifu Calvin Chin, modern Wushu from Sifu Rick Wong and later from Sifu Calvin Wang. In addition, all of my gymnastics training was with Rusty Rogers. Q. Why did you decide to join Cirque du Soleil? In 2005, while on vacation in Las Vegas, I was lucky to be able to see my first Cirque Du Soleil show KÀ. I had already been studying martial arts and performing in competitions for 5 years. During the show, all I could think about was someday being able to be in KA. When I returned home I was on a mission to train harder with the hopes of someday being part of Cirque Du Soleil. When I was around 20 years old I decided to actively pursue CDS and began looking online on how to apply. Finally, in 2015 I auditioned in Las Vegas. I tried my very best, but I wasn’t good enough to even get into the database. I was devastated. I can remember just sitting and reflecting on everything. Was I going to give up OR was I going to train even harder? A friend of mine even said to me “how badly do you want it?” For the next 3 years I worked as hard as I could, and then I auditioned again in Los Angeles in 2018. I found out a week later that I had made it on to the database! I was ecstatic!!! The next year was a whirlwind of hopes and disappointments until finally, I got a call from CDS saying that they might be interested in having me be part of Axel. I couldn’t sleep for days in anticipation! When I finally got the call asking if I was interested I could not get the words out fast enough. I now am on another mission to work even harder than before to give CDS my absolute best!!! Q. Why did you decide to play along and be part of this crowd filtering experience? As hard as public opinion can be at times, I feel that it is always important to see how others view you as a performer. The “crowd filtering” experience was a double-edged sword – it could either discourage me or encourage me to do better. In all, honesty I have no idea what the public perception was of me on the filter! Q. How did you feel about being evaluated by the public? I think feedback is a great gauge to determine how a person is as a performer. A performer should always strive to improve. Being evaluated by the public was super important to me. I feel like it gave me a really good idea on how I am viewed in the eyes of people from the outside. It was nice to see a ton of positive feedback but also great to see some constructive criticism so that way I know what I should still work on for improvement. I can really say I appreciate reading the feedback from the public because it shows that tons of people out there really want artists to do well and succeed. So, if it means sharing some tips for improving then the crowd filtering project is definitely important for everyone. When applying for on stage Cirque Du Soleil jobs many people (including me) may not be fully sure about what they should do, especially when putting together a demo video. Should they try to do things that they think will impress Cirque? Or should they just show their best skills? For me, I learned that if I just show Cirque Du Soleil what I can do best then I will have a better outcome. This crowd filtering project will be a great way to allow people to share their skills to the public and receive feedback that will help them improve their skills but also better prepare themselves to apply and audition for Cirque Du Soleil. Q. Would you be interested in having feedback from the and/or performing artists professionals? I welcome people’s opinions on performance. This could be very harsh at times but listening with an open mind is important. Ultimately improving every day and every performance should be a goal. Q. How do you think crowd filtering can help Cirque in the future? Do you have in mind disciplines that can be the best fit for that? I think crowd filter gives CDS another way to gauge public opinion. Some people like change while some don’t. I think that all disciplines can benefit from the filtering, bearing in mind that there will always be some people that have expertise in that discipline and will be more critical. Q. Are you enjoying your experience at Cirque so far? How is your experience in Axel different from what you’ve expected? I absolutely love being part of CDS and it is even more exciting than I expected. { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil Casting } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Alegria, Bazzar, Koozå, Kurios, Luzia, Totem, Volta, and Under the Same Sky} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {OVO, Crystal, Corteo, AXEL, Messi10} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, MJ ONE, JOYA, Paramour, X: The Land of Fantasy, NYSA, and Drawn to Life} 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/ >, or for a more comprehensive tour listing, visit our Itinéraire section online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=6898 >. ------------------------------------ BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau ------------------------------------ Alegría-In a New Light: Houston, TX -- Feb 29, 2020 to Apr 12, 2020 Austin, TX -- Apr 22, 2020 to May 25, 2020 Chicago, IL -- Jun 5, 2020 to Jun 28, 2020 Washington, DC -- Jul 28, 2020 to Aug 30, 2020 Vancouver, BC -- TBA Bazzar: New Orleans, LA -- Mar 26, 2020 to May 10, 2020 Salt Lake City, UT -- May 24 to Jul 5, 2020 Koozå: Tel Aviv, IL -- Jun 4, 2020 to Jun 30, 2020 Zurich, CH -- Sep 4, 2020 to Sep 27, 2020 Brussels, BE -- Oct 22, 2020 to Nov 27, 2020 Kurios: Melbourne, AU -- Mar 12, 2020 to May 10, 2020 Adelaide, AU -- May 29, 2020 to Jun 7, 2020 Perth, AU -- Jul 15, 2020 to Aug 2, 2020 Luzia: Moscow, RU -- Mar 19, 2020 to May 17, 2020 Gran Canaria, ES -- Jul 7, 2020 to Aug 23, 2020 Valencia, ES -- Sep 11, 2020 to Sep 27, 2020 Madrid, ES -- Oct 22, 2020 to Nov 22, 2020 Barcelona, ES -- Jan 21, 2021 to Feb 21, 2021 Totem: Munich, DE -- Feb 12, 2020 to Mar 22, 2020 Prague, CZ -- Jul 17, 2020 to Aug 2, 2020 Under the Same Sky: Montreal, QC -- Apr 23, 2020 to Aug 16, 2020 Boston, MA -- Aug 29, 2020 to Sep 27, 2020 VOLTA: Costa Mesa, CA -- Mar 18, 2020 - Apr 19, 2020 Denver, CO -- Apr 30, 2020 to Jun 7, 2020 Portland, OR -- Jun 18, 2020 to Aug 2, 2020 ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ OVO: El Paso, TX -- Mar 12, 2020 to Mar 15, 2020 Edinburg, TX -- Mar 19, 2020 to Mar 22, 2020 Lafayette, LA -- Mar 25, 2020 to Mar 29, 2020 Greensboro, NC -- Apr 2, 2020 to Apr 5, 2020 Savannah, GA -- Apr 8, 2020 to Apr 12, 2020 Knoxville, TN -- Apr 15, 2020 to Apr 19, 2020 Frisco, TX -- Apr 23, 2020 to Apr 26, 2020 Fort Worth, TX -- Apr 30, 2020 to May 3, 2020 Bloomington, IL -- May 7, 2020 to May 10, 2020 Louisville, KY -- May 13, 2020 to May 17, 2020 CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE: Glasgow, UK -- Mar 11, 2020 to Mar 15, 2020 Aberdeen, UK -- Mar 19, 2020 to Mar 22, 2020 Belfast, UK -- Mar 25, 2020 to Mar 29, 2020 Manchester, UK -- Apr 1, 2020 to Apr 5, 2020 Birmingham, UK -- Apr 8, 2020 to Apr 12, 2020 Nottingham, UK -- Apr 15, 2020 to Apr 19, 2020 Amhurst, MA -- May 15, 2020 to May 17, 2020 Trenton, NJ -- May 20, 2020 to May 23, 2020 St. Catharines, ON -- May 27, 2020 to May 31, 2020 Providence, RI -- Jun 3 to Jun 7, 2020 Hartford, CT -- Jun 10 to Jun 14, 2020 Bridgeport, CT -- Jun 17 to Jun 21, 2020 Cleveland, OH -- Jun 24 to Jun 28, 2020 Ottawa, ON -- Jul 2 to Jul 5, 2020 Uniondale, NY -- Jul 8 to Jul 12, 2020 North Charleston, SC -- Jul 22 to Jul 26, 2020 Paris, FR -- Sep 1, 2020 to Sep 6, 2020 Lausanne, CH -- Sep 9, 2020 to Sep 13, 2020 Hanover, DE -- Sep 16, 2020 to Sep 20, 2020 Leipzig, DE -- Sep 23, 2020 to Sep 27, 2020 Stuttgart, DE -- Oct 7, 2020 to Oct 11, 2020 Nuremberg, DE -- Oct 14, 2020 to Oct 18, 2020 Munich, DE -- Oct 22, 2020 to Oct 25, 2020 Frankfurt, DE -- Nov 13, 2020 to Nov 21, 2020 Cologne, DE -- Nov 25, 2020 to Nov 29, 2020 Oberhausen, DE -- Dec 2, 2020 to Dec 6, 2020 Seville, ES -- Dec 25, 2020 to Jan 3, 2021 CORTEO: Antwerp, BE -- Mar 13, 2020 to Mar 22, 2020 Montpellier, FR -- Apr 2, 2020 to Apr 5, 2020 Aix-en-Provence, FR -- Apr 8, 2020 to Apr 12, 2020 Lille, FR -- Apr 16, 2020 to Apr 19, 2020 Copenhagen, DE -- Apr 23, 2020 to Apr 26, 2020 Herning, DE -- Apr 29, 2020 to May 3, 2020 Stockholm, SE -- May 7, 2020 to May 10, 2020 Gothenburg, SE -- May 13, 2020 to May 17, 2020 Leeds, UK -- Jun 18, 2020 to Jun 21, 2020 London, UK -- Jun 24, 2020 to Jul 5, 2020 Dublin, IR -- Jul 8, 2020 to Jul 12, 2020 Palma de Mallorca, ES -- Aug 7, 2020 to Aug 16, 2020 Nice, FR -- Aug 20, 2020 to Aug 22, 2020 Vienna, AT -- Aug 26, 2020 to Aug 30, 2020 Trondheim, NO -- Sep 18, 2020 to Sep 20, 2020 Oslo, NO -- Sep 25, 2020 to Sep 27, 2020 Helsinki, FI -- Oct 1, 2020 to Oct 4, 2020 Turku, FI -- Nov 18, 2020 to Nov 22, 2020 Vilnius, LT -- Nov 26, 2020 to Nov 29, 2020 Toulouse, FR -- Dec 17, 2020 to Dec 20, 2020 Pamplona, ES -- Dec 25, 2020 to Jan 3, 2021 AXEL: Bakersfield, CA -- Mar 12, 2020 to Mar 15, 2020 Prescott Valley, AZ -- Mar 19, 2020 to Mar 21, 2020 San Jose, CA -- Mar 24, 2020 to Mar 28, 2020 Las Vegas, NV -- Apr 3, 2020 to Apr 5, 2020 Everett, WA -- Apr 9, 2020 to Apr 12, 2020 Tucson, AZ -- Apr 17, 2020 to Apr 19, 2020 Rio Rancho, NM -- Apr 23, 2020 to Apr 26, 2020 Eugene, OR -- May 14, 2020 to May 17, 2020 Spokane, WA -- May 21, 2020 to May 24, 2020 Victoria, BC -- May 28, 2020 to May 31, 2020 Abbotsford, BC -- Jun 4, 2020 to Jun 7, 2020 Kelowna, BC -- Jun 11, 2020 to Jun 14, 2020 Kamloops, BC -- Jun 18, 2020 to Jun 21, 2020 Prince George, BC -- Jun 25, 2020 to Jun 28, 2020 Edmonton, AB -- Jul 2, 2020 to Jul 5, 2020 Saskatoon, SK -- Jul 9, 2020 to Jul 12, 2020 Lethbridge, AB -- Jul 16, 2020 to Jul 19, 2020 Regina, SK -- Jul 23, 2020 to Jul 26, 2020 Medicine Hat, AB -- Jul 30, 2020 to Aug 2, 2020 Raleigh, NC -- Aug 20, 2020 to Aug 23, 2020 Messi10: Buenos Aires, AR -- Jun 11, 2020 to Jul 5, 2020 --------------------------------- 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 2020 Dark Dates: - January 5 thru 17, 2020 - February 2, 2020 - March 11, 2020 - May 14 thru 22. 2020 - July 22, 2020 - September 17 thru 25, 2020 - November 18, 2020 "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: 7 Days a Week Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 9:30pm Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm MICHAEL JACKSON ONE: Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday - Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 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) PARAMOUR: Location: Stage Theater New Flora | Hamburg, Germany Performs: One/Two Shows Nightly... X: THE LAND OF FANTASY Location: Hangzhou, China DRAWN TO LIFE: Location: Walt Disney World Resort (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday - Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 5:30pm and 8:30pm NOTE: Preview Shows from March 20th through April 16th perform only 1 day a week, at 5:30pm. ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) ALEGRIA: THE DOCUMENTARY [39m09s] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7oybmMuUqs o) THE COMPLETE MAKING OF MESSI10 [41m06s] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEzRHMb08-o o) TAKUMI - IN COLLABORATION WITH PANASONIC BATTERIES - Episode 1: "Learning from Our Past" https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=518295562127069 - Episode 2: "Sustainability" https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=231506077845846 - Episode 3: "Handcraft" https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2425885840997692 - Episode 4: "Reliability" https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=222287598926831 - Episode 5: "Innovation" {Final} https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=806193386556208 o) MUSIC VIDEOS - Corteo | El Cielo Sabra -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4puLDqSc708 - Mystère | Ulysse -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VIZ1iTlTH4 - Kurios | Hyponotique -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wv2o-A_C_M - JOYA | Naturalium -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPvesvzOhvI - Kurios | Best Of -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLEuqXh9KIA - Axel | Best Of -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGcGXzHQFGA - Alegría | Mirko -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_uh30gjVcY - Amaluna | Tempest -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YenK_AQu858 - Alegría | Best Of -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGvg_H3yH18 - MESSI10 | Heart of the Ball -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5eyXyNXJUs - KÀ | Aftermath -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkEJ8l5GVkY o) OTHER VIDEOS - New Official Alegría 2020 Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMtWycn6YR0 - The Incredible Life of the Artists from AXEL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8uJLfsQiyA - A Day in the Life of an Alegría Artist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5keW0aoJIW0 - A Day in the Life of an Amaluna Artist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi4OQwNoLfs - University Student's Life Drastically Changed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6-LyCFRzK0 - Meet the Artists of Under the Same Sky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-3OBzqHKFw - 10 Hours of Alegria Full Album Soundtrack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0deTn06M-jk - 100 Best Female Act Performers in Cirque https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOmw5wRea_w - Introducing Panache: Cirque du Soleil's Peer Recognition Program https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=538811990062996 ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= ------------------------------------------------------------ "D.U.N: Cirque Pulls the Plug on R.U.N at Luxor" Articles about R.U.N's Closing in the Press ------------------------------------------------------------ R.U.N by Cirque du Soleil at Luxor Hotel and Casino permanently closed on March 8, 2020. Cirque's announcement says it all... "We remain proud of the extraordinary talents that collaborated to make this one-of-a-kind live show happen, but ultimately it did not find an audience that could support it. Many avenues of creative options were explored to enhance the existing show, but the resources and time needed to make these changes proved to be obstacles too big to overcome. Creative risk is a part of everything we do at Cirque du Soleil. R.U.N was intended to push the boundaries of not only live entertainment, but of Cirque du Soleil’s own DNA, creating a unique form of entertainment that unfortunately did not receive the intended response. We’re grateful to those of you who saw and supported R.U.N and remain committed to bringing you ground-breaking live entertainment." R.U.N was in trouble from the very beginning. As the future of R.U.N began to grow dim, Vital Vegas reported that Cirque called in a new director to overhaul the show (but that new director had left the project quickly), and that buzz from insiders suggested TPG Capital, the majority owner of Cirque du Soleil, had run out of patience and refused to invest any further in the show's concept. Thus, the show's fate was sealed. "CIRQUE DU SOLEIL PULLS THE PLUG" BY: BROCK RADKE, THE LAS VEGAS SUN Cirque du Soleil announced late Thursday that its newest resident show in Las Vegas, the experimental action-thriller “R.U.N” at Luxor, will permanently close on March 8. It opened October 24 in the 1,500-plus- seat theater on the casino floor and has been performed twice a night for much of the past four months. “’R.U.N’ was the collaboration of an extraordinary group of creators, artists and crew members; however, the production ultimately did not find an audience that could support it and we’ve made the difficult decision to close,” said Eric Grilly, senior vice president of Cirque’s Resident Shows Division, in the announcement. “After carefully considering multiple creative options to enhance the production, we determined the time and resources necessary to implement those changes proved to be too big to overcome.” The 75-minute show opened to mixed reviews and was marketed in a completely different way than other successful Cirque productions on the Las Vegas Strip. “R.U.N” is a stunt-based show inspired by blockbuster action movies and comic-book graphic novels, and features plenty of video projection, motorcycle jumps and pyrotechnics and even a few four-letter words and freakshow-style shock performers. Its linear narrative also distinguishes it from the more dream-like Cirque shows audiences are familiar with, productions such as “O” and “Mystére.” “R.U.N” marketing materials attempted to describe its different direction and reset expectations, stressing that circus-style acrobatics are not part of the show and a rock-and-roll soundtrack replaces the traditional ethereal music in the company’s creations. “As the world’s leading live entertainment company, creative risks are inherent in everything we do,” said Yasmine Khalil, chief executive producer for Cirque du Soleil, in the announcement. “With ‘R.U.N,’ we pushed beyond the boundaries of our own DNA and brand to create a unique emotional and compelling form of entertainment. Unfortunately, the fan response was not what we had hoped for. “Since its beginnings, Cirque du Soleil has constantly provoked the senses and emotions of audiences worldwide with its avant-garde and visionary approach to live entertainment. We will continue to be audacious as we seek out opportunities to create original content and formats.” Grilly also said the company is appreciative of its partnership with MGM Resorts International and is looking “forward to many more collaborations.” Cirque runs five shows at MGM properties and one (“Mystére”) at Treasure Island. The announcement did not include information regarding what could replace “R.U.N” at the Luxor’s largest showroom, but the upcoming One Night for One Drop fundraising event recently shifted its programming from a special presentation of “R.U.N” to the debut of “The Illusionists” in the same theater on March 27. “The Illusionists” is a magic-based show created by The Works Entertainment, a company that was acquired by Cirque du Soleil last year. If “The Illusionists” ends up as Luxor’s new resident show, it would follow in the footsteps of the theater’s previous occupant, Criss Angel. The renowned illusionist opened his collaboration with Cirque, “Believe,” in 2008 and ran for 10 years at Luxor, though Angel eventually evolved the show into a different version called “Mindfreak.” Angel’s latest production opened at the Planet Hollywood Resort in December 2018. * * * Speaking of Criss Angel, he had quite a lot to say about R.U.N's closing... "CRISS ANGEL FIRES AT CIRQUE'S 'R.U.N' AS SHOW CLOSES" BY: JOHN KATSILOMETES, LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL Of all the options being considered to replace “R.U.N” at Luxor, it’s safe to say a reunion of Cirque du Soleil and Criss Angel is out. Angel, who was in partnership with Cirque in “Believe” and “Mindfreak Live” for more than a decade at the resort, says he forecast “R.U.N’s” struggles in his former theater. “R.U.N’ officials announced Thursday the show would close March 8, after a 4 1/2-month residency, the shortest ever for a Cirque show in Vegas. Friday morning, Angel posted the Kats! column breaking the show’s imminent closing, along with his own message, on his social media accounts: “As I predicted… You can’t buy creativity and you definitely can’t steal it. All the money in the world doesn’t make a bad idea good. I’m sorry @runtheshow cast and crew whose amazing talent was squandered. I wish you nothing but the very best. @cirquedusoleil get back to basics and have @dragoneofficial your original visionary create. My next prediction a C level magic variety show that will suffer the same fate…” The final sentence is a clear reference to “The Illusionists,” which is being showcased at the March 27 “One Night For One Drop” water- conservation charity show at Luxor. Cirque President and CEO Daniel Lamarre says the company does have plans to bring the production, which it owns through its acquisition of The Works Entertainment, to the Strip. The @dragoneofficial is the Twitter handle for Franco Dragone’s international production company. Dragone created “O” at Bellagio while he was with Cirque, and “Le Reve” at Wynn Las Vegas after splitting with the company. Cirque and MGM Resorts officials declined to comment on Angel’s online activity. Angel also posted his past Twitter exchange with the “R.U.N” social- media accounts from last April. The back-and-forth was ignited when Angel posted, “Sorry, @Cirque it’s already been done” with a kissy- face emoji and the #CrissAngel #Mindfreak @PHVegas #immersive tags. The post also displayed three photos of Angel’s show at Planet Hollywood, “Criss Angel Mindfreak,” two of which showed scenes of fire and another of Angel himself set aflame. Angel opened “Believe” in October 2008, taking creative control of the show within a couple of years. He then re-launched the production as “Mindfreak Live” in June 2016, carrying that version through its closing in October 2018. “R.U.N”, constructed as a live adaptation of a graphic-novel adventure film, opened almost a year to the day that Angel closed and ended his partnership with Cirque. * * * In a recent article published by the Montreal Gazette (which you can read up in our news section), Lamarre admitted major creative mistakes were made with R.U.N., that was described by the Cirque as a live- action thriller. It had no acrobatics. “I think that it was a mistake for us to put the name ‘Cirque du Soleil’ on the marquee,” Lamarre said. “Because when I looked at the research, people who’d never seen a Cirque du Soleil show loved R.U.N. and thought that it was a great show. And when you ask a fan of Cirque du Soleil who attended the show, that fan was very disappointed because there were no acrobatics in the show and they felt it was almost like misrepresentation of the brand. I was very involved in the decision to pull the trigger sooner rather than later because we thought, looking at the research results, that we were damaging the brand.” Lamarre said he has a new show that will be brought to the Luxor, but wouldn’t reveal more details. And yet it doesn't seem as if Cirque du Soleil is a guarantee for Luxor... "CIRQUE DU SOLEIL NOT A GUARANTEE FOR NEXT LUXOR SHOW" BY: JOHN KATSILOMETES, LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL As reported Thursday, February 27th, “R.U.N” is closing March 8 at Luxor after a 4 1/2-month residency, the shortest run of any Cirque du Soleil show ever in Las Vegas. Stunning. But what have we learned from the company’s dalliance with graphic-novel storytelling? In no particular order: — The next show moving into Luxor theater might not be Cirque. I can impart confidently that it is not a certainty that Cirque will move a new show into a theater it has effectively occupied for more than 11 years. All options are being evaluated, including another collaboration with Cirque, a non-Cirque production, or even a headlining series. Headliners did perform in the room between the closing of “Hairspray” in June 2006 and Criss Angel’s opening of “Believe” in October 2008. Liza Minnelli, Earth Wind & Fire and Lindsey Buckingham were among the rotation of stars to play the venue. A focus on headliners make sense, as the room is regally appointed and recently renovated (courtesy of “R.U.N”). And, MGM Resorts has had ample headlining success at Park Theater, the company’s only 1,500- plus theater not home to a Cirque show. — Stamping “Cirque” on a Cirque du Soleil production isn’t always the best option. The crucial strategic decision to stamp the famous Cirque logo onto R.U.N” promotional material actually hindered the show’s prospects in Las Vegas. The idea was to tap into the Cirque’s extensive brand equity. But enforcing that brand only confused ticket- buyers, many of whom thought they would see a show closer in line with “Mystere” or “Ka” than, say, Robert Rodriguez’s “Sin City.” — Cirque is not infallible in Las Vegas. This is especially true of the company’s newer shows. We’ve known for more than two decades Cirque’s hold on Las Vegas as the Strip’s predominant production company. But three of company’s more recent original productions have fallen short of box-office success. Prior to “R.U.N,” “Viva Elvis,” a seemingly foolproof blend iconic Vegas institutions, closed in August 2012 after a 2 1/2-year run. “Zarkana,” also at Aria, closed in 2016 after a sluggish four-year run, as MGM Resorts turned the theater into convention space rather than risk another production show. “Michael Jackson One,” which premiered at Mandalay Bay in 2013, is the only original Cirque show to open in the past decade still onstage. — Luxor is still dedicated to entertainment. There are no plans to pull apart Luxor’s theater for convention space, restaurants or a bingo hall. The resort remains home to Blue Man Group (a Cirque acquisition) in its own theater; and Carrot Top, “Fantasy” and Terry Bradshaw’s production show at Atrium Showroom. The hotel’s emphasis on a wide swath of entertainment should remain unchanged. Whether it has an appetite for such a risk as “R.U.N” remains to be seen. * * * What will replace R.U.N at Luxor? Rumors currently suggest "The Illusionists", which was set for One Night for One Drop 2020, would take up the mantle but as we reported recently, Circus Circus owner Phil Ruffian thinks "The Illusionists" is coming to his hotel. Stay tuned! ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 20, Number 3 (Issue #194) - March 2020 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (C) 2001-2020 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., All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. { Mar.12.2020 } =======================================================================