======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ '/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ '/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 10 October 2020 ISSUE #201 ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. Once again there's little to talk about regarding the day-to-day affairs of the Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. The company and it's new-new owners remain relatively quiet regarding the future of the company and the direction they may take it in after the COVID-19 fiasco, with one exception so far: the relaunch and retooling of CirqueConnect, Cirque du Soleil's online distribution portal, which the company had been using since its shutdown to showcase 60 Minute specials, Behind the Scenes peeks, and acrobatic Best Of videos. The re-launch comes with a few new series - information for which you can find within. Will Las Vegas shows soon return? Gov. Steve Sisolak announced on September 29 that shows could reopen, pending state approval. Compliance mandates include capacity restrictions and performers to stay 25 feet from the audience. MGM released this statement from George Kliavkoff, President of Entertainment & Sports, MGM Resorts International: "Entertainment is in our DNA. We welcome the governor's decision allowing for the beginning of a return for the entertainment industry in Las Vegas. We will take some time to review the specifications of the executive directive and plan for how to best proceed with getting shows back on stage, employees back to work and audiences back in their seats, the way it is supposed to be!" However, Cirque du Soleil has not announced reopening plans, so stay tuned! In the meantime, continue diving with me into the Cirque du Soleil archives with the second part in a seven part series that takes a look back at the experiences and oddities that Cirque has announced (or were rumored to be happening) over the years but never came to fruition. (And for those looking for more of "The Cirque Sound"... don't worry, there's more to come soon!) Let's get into it! /----------------------------------------------------\ | | | 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 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 * "What Ifs and If Onlys, Part 2 of 7" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= *************************************************************** LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights *************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------- Mitch Garber to step down as chairman of Cirque du Soleil {Sep.16.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- Mitch Garber announced on Monday that he will be stepping down as chairman of the board of the Cirque du Soleil. This comes on the heels of an ownership change at the financially troubled circus company. Last month, a group of creditors won control of the Montreal-based company. The creditors' group represents holders of about $760 million in Cirque du Soleil debt. One of the main companies in the group is Toronto-based Catalyst Capital Group. The previous shareholders — U.S. equity firm TPG, China's Fosun International and the Caisse de dépot et du placement du Québec — were forced out by the deal. The three bought control of the Cirque in 2015 when founder Guy Laliberté sold most of his shares in the company for $1.5 billion. "I'm heartbroken for the employees and for the business of the Cirque du Soleil," Garber said in a text sent to the Montreal Gazette. "COVID has forced 100% of the business to be shut down since March and for the foreseeable future. The lender group will take control of the company shortly and I wish them well and hope that the business can restart and that all of the creative and financial investment we made will help resurrect the business. The lender group will and should constitute a new board and I won't seek to be part of it." The company laid off 95 per cent of its staff and cancelled all 45 of its shows around the world when the pandemic hit hard in North America in mid-March. It's unclear when any of these shows will resume. A spokesperson for the Cirque said it is up to the new owners to decide on the makeup of the board of directors. A representative from Catalyst declined to comment. Garber first broke the news that he is leaving on the ICI Radio-Canada Première show Pénélope on Monday morning. Host Pénélope McQuade asked Garber if the chair of the board has to be a Quebecer. "I haven't spoke about this publicly and maybe this isn't the best place to do it, but I don't see myself staying as chairman of the board," Garber said. "And it has nothing to do with me being Québécois or Canadian. As part of the deal, the CEO has to be a Quebecer. "And I think you're right that the chair of the board does not have to be a Quebecer. And, honestly, I don't think it's important (that the chair be a Quebecer). I don't plan on staying, but I haven't yet had a chance to talk to the new owners … it's up to the lenders to create their own board of directors. They'll have their own strategy, and so I think a new start is the best idea." Garber went on to say that he has lost the $3 million he invested in the Cirque du Soleil. Garber was previously a senior executive at the Las Vegas casino company Caesars Entertainment, but he left Caesars in 2017. He is a minority shareholder and executive committee member of the new National Hockey League team the Seattle Kraken, a team majority owned by TPG founder David Bonderman. The team joins the NHL in 2021. { SOURCE: Brendan Kelly, The Montreal Gazette } ---------------------------------------------------------- Shutdown brings perilous turns for Cirque performers {Sep.20.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- This story first appeared in the Fall 2020 issue of rjmagazine, a quarterly published inside the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Cirque du Soleil aerialist Caroline Lauzon still shudders over the springtime meeting as she would a tense performance mishap, the moment her life dangled precariously during a complicated onstage maneuver gone awry. On a cool mid-March morning, the 37-year-old Quebec native gathered backstage at the Bellagio with 110 fellow cast members of "O," the popular aquatic fantasy show. Married to fellow Cirque performer Marco De Santi, who is a skater in the "The Beatles Love" show, and with a young daughter to support, Lauzon was wracked with anxiety. A highly lethal virus was on the march across the globe. Cirque's shows in China already had been shuttered. The Las Vegas performers knew their city would be next. Bosses confirmed their fears: Beginning that day, March 15, the company's six resident shows would switch off their stage lights. Not only "O," but "Ka" at the MGM Grand, "Love" at The Mirage, "Mystere" at Treasure Island, "Zumanity" at New York-New York and "Michael Jackson One" at Mandalay Bay. They were all going dark, joined eventually by the entire Strip. The move marooned some 1,300 Cirque performers and support cast who hail from across the world — an ensemble of singers, musicians, character actors, clowns, aerialists, trampoline and trapeze artists, synchronized swimmers and divers, as well as a support platoon of wardrobe consultants, carpenters and electricians. CEO Daniel Lamarre called the company's shutdown "the most difficult day in Cirque history." Lauzon agreed. "It was scary," she said. "People were upset." Yet there was also a sense of relief. As news of the pandemic worsened, Lauzon and fellow "O" performers came perilously close to both the audience and one another. "We knew viewers and cast could be affected," she said. "Some scuba divers were sharing underwater regulators." Following that final curtain call, hundreds of Cirque performers walked off their respective stages for what most thought would be a weekslong hiatus. Many even left their makeup and costumes in their dressing rooms. They couldn't know then that the shutdown would drag on for months, stranding countless performers far from their native countries, prompting many to exist off savings as their resources dwindled. Many had entered the U.S. on restricted visas and did not qualify for unemployment. A handful sold their houses and returned to lives abroad, foreign speakers who struggled without their company interpreters. While they endure quarantine, the remaining Cirque cast has continued to train — in living rooms, backyards and home gyms, even swimming in Lake Mead — knowing that any lapse in their skill sets would be dangerous once they returned to the stage. "For many performers, Cirque represents their second or third career after the Olympics or the National Ballet," said R.J. Owens, a comedian who portrays Bebe Francois in Cirque's "Mystere." "They have a built-in training ethic. They're not going to let their bodies go to waste." But amid the personal trauma, a sense of community has been forged. Cirque performers such as Lauzon raised money for needy colleagues. Many Las Vegas residents also realized that these acrobatic wizards were their neighbors who had become part of the community's fabric, and reached out in their own ways. As summer turned to fall, furloughed performers needed every lifeline thrown their way. In June, the Strip's pre-eminent production company filed for bankruptcy, in part because of losses from coronavirus- related shutdowns, a move that left its future in question. For Cirque veterans, a trusted financial buoy was suddenly in danger of sinking. The questions were endless: How would they survive? Should they pursue alternative careers? Even if Cirque returned, would a reorganized company kill off less-popular shows, ending the artistic dreams of countless artists? "In the beginning, we were all asking, ‘So, what happens now?' said Lauzon, a former Canadian national team diver and junior champion on the 10-meter platform. "Nobody knew then. And nobody still knows." ‘In a holding pattern' Cirque du Soleil, or "Circus of the Sun," is a live performance phenomenon started in 1984 in the provincial Quebec city of Baie- Saint-Paul with the antics of two quirky street performers. Over four decades, the spectacle has evolved into the world's largest contemporary circus, which has visited 300 cities on every continent but Antarctica, before a collective audience of 180 million eager viewers. Each production features lavish costumes and stage props, live music and a synthesis of circus styles from around the world. It's as if Pablo Picasso and Tim Burton teamed up to start their own modern fantasy show, inspiring avid fan clubs worldwide. In Las Vegas, Cirque's six shows played to 9,500 people a day, becoming one of the Strip's biggest performance draws. Then came the COVID-19 shutdown. Some 750 artists working directly for Cirque immediately lost their income. Many of the 600 show technicians — including riggers and carpenters — employed by MGM Resorts International were provided an extra two weeks' pay. Cirque performers are paid at least $125 per show, but veterans make more. The closure left performers confused about their status: Had they been fired? Furloughed? Or mothballed? "The term we use in Canada is ‘temporary layoff,' " Cirque du Soleil Vice President Matt Nickel said. "That means you maintain your link of employment and benefits, but without the salary." He said the company offered a one-time payment of $2,000 to 70 foreign-born artists without legal status who did not immediately qualify for unemployment insurance. Many eventually got help through the federal government's temporary Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. Still, many Cirque performers felt abandoned. With little contact or guidance from bosses, they'd been set adrift, forced to rely on colleagues for encouragement and information. "Once we were let go, we got no communication from the company," said Bill May, a 41-year-old synchronized swimmer for "O," who as a competitive swimmer won 14 U.S. national titles and nearly 20 international titles. "We've devoted so many years of our lives to Cirque. We love this company. I guess we expected to get that same love back." Nickel empathizes. "I understand how people can feel adrift," he said. "We're all in a holding pattern." ‘I'm going to need help soon' Perhaps no one felt more isolated than Lucas Altemeyer, a 31-year-old Brazilian who was among 40 performers hired last year when Cirque expanded "O" to seven days a week. He arrived in the U.S. in October 2019, an aerial hoops artist whose act requires him to spin like a top, high above the stage. "It's a challenge in the beginning to spin that fast," he said. "You feel nauseous, you want to puke at practice, but then you get less sick." Altemeyer's P-1 visa status is just as unsettling: Already living paycheck to paycheck before the shutdown, he's not entitled to unemployment and can't work for anyone other than Cirque. Once his contract ends, he has 30 days to leave the U.S. "This is the most uncertain time in my life," he said. He and his wife, Monize, exist on their meager savings. Holed up in their Summerlin apartment, they have cut their food costs and use air conditioning sparingly. They close doors in unused rooms, turn off lights and unplug nonessential appliances. They also drink less alcohol and reduced the limits on their auto insurance, while looking for more ways to save. Before March, the couple was thinking of buying a house, a dream now dashed. "I can't last longer than a few months," Altemeyer said. "I'm going to need help soon." "O" aerialist Lauzon and her acrobat husband have it easier. Both are U.S. citizens and longtime Cirque performers. Lauzon has a real estate license to fall back on. De Santi's family runs a local Brazilian restaurant, Boca do Brasil. At first, Lauzon kept in touch with colleagues via a private chat room. They gave advice, passed on news of employment prospects and showed off pictures of children, including snapshots of Lauzon's 3- year-old daughter, Maia. "We all joked we were gaining so much weight," she said. "Doing 480 shows a year is a lot of activity. Then to be stuck at home where all those calories aren't being spent." As the weeks passed, Lauzon watched as a dozen struggling colleagues returned to their home nations. In May, she started a Go Fund Me site called "Artists in Need," which quickly raised more than $20,000 for struggling performers and their families. "Most of us here at Cirque are lucky enough to have access to government help during this difficult time," the site reads. "Unfortunately some members of our circus family are left here with NO unemployment rights, NO rights to work and mostly NO idea when they will get a single dollar to feed themselves, pay the rent, car insurance, or phone bill. The list is long." Checks were soon sent to 21 artists from Canada, Brazil, Ethiopia, France, Ukraine, Russia and Mongolia. Some interactions, she said, broke her heart. Early on, she contacted Altemeyer, who first passed on financial help, insisting that others were in more dire need. "I saw how some friends counted coins just to survive, and I told Caroline, ‘Give the money to them,' " Altemeyer recalled. Weeks later, when Lauzon called back, the situation had changed. "I was really beginning to struggle," Altemeyer said. So, he accepted a check for $1,000: "That was a lot of money, man." One performer who received aid was a former Polish Olympic diver who was scrambling to earn his U.S. green card during the layoff. Brazilian Marcos Silva also got help. The 40-year-old acrobat joined "O" last year on a restricted P-1 visa, hired to catch flying trapeze artists like Lauzon. Lauzon offered a room for the family. Instead, he accepted the donation check as he continues to struggle, at one point falling three months behind on his rent. "I worked 10 years for this chance," Silva said. "This is my dream. I'm not going to risk going home to Brazil. When the Cirque shows restart, I'm going to be there. I'm ready." ‘We're just as valuable' As March turned to April, the circus ensemble continued to wait, keeping up the daily workouts with a Marine Corps regimen. Mostly, though, they were just bored. They missed the adrenaline of the lighted stage, the adulation of the crowd. By late May, many could stand it no longer. Loukas Kosmidis, a dancer on the Michael Jackson Tour, was talking with friends when he landed on a novel idea. He called Cirque performer friends Angelina Puzanova and her husband, William Hulett, who ran Show Talent Productions. On their oversize home lot west of Interstate 15 they kept several pieces of heavy machinery, including a towering crane, the perfect base for a high-wire act. Puzanova is a third-generation member of a famous Russian circus family who won a Gold Clown at the International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo. Now co-owner of a company called Show Talent Productions, she expected a handful of acrobats, but once word spread, everyone wanted in. On a weekday morning in May, 30 performers showed up, including dancers, aerialists, tightrope walkers, contortionists, skaters and hand-to-hand gymnasts. The three-minute video starts with two men arriving at an industrial site. They knock on a door and are asked the password. "Nonessential," one says. Hulett, 38, a Montana native who plays a James Bond character in "Zumanity," called the dialogue an inside joke. "I have buddies who run large equipment and they all laugh at me," he said. "My job was the first to go down, while they're still working. I felt like wasted space." In the daylong shoot, artists played cameo roles — spinning, jumping, dancing, just having fun — to music that featured the adapted lyrics of the 2016 song "Work From Home" by the R&B group Fifth Harmony. The video was included on a Go Fund Me page that helped raise money for struggling colleagues, but that wasn't all. "We just wanted to be heard, said Luba Kazantseva, an aerialist in "Mystere" and a graduate of Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet School. "Las Vegas is the capital of entertainment, but the first thing cut in a crisis were the artists. We're just as valuable as other professions and we deserve to go back to work." ‘A human production' So long away from the stage, the Cirque cast misses the camaraderie of people they have come to consider family. Jonelle DeBlanc, 41, joined "O" in December as a wardrobe supervisor handling the show's elaborate costumes: "The outfits are luscious, layered and mind-blowing in their beautiful richness. And because ‘O' is an aquatic show, they all get wet." But it's her eclectic colleagues she misses most. "All 30 people in our department got separated," she said. "I'd just gotten the hang of the seven-day-a-week schedule. It was all going well, and then — poof! — it's gone. Even though you could see it coming, it's still a shock. I miss those people." One evening in late June, Hungarian-born veteran circus performer Jozsef Tokar arrived at a private practice at a gym called Trapeze Las Vegas, his right arm and shoulder wrapped in a sling from a show mishap. But the floor-catcher in "O," wasn't going to stay away. "I came to see these guys," he said, pointing to two aerialists practicing a spinning high-wire act, standing near a sign that read, "Unattended children will be sold to the circus." "I spend more time with these guys than I do my own family," he added. "We're performers. This is our identity." Many Cirque artists are private people with little time for socializing with outsiders. Still, many fans in Las Vegas and elsewhere don't consider them strangers. And they're doing what they can to help. Trapeze Las Vegas owners Stephen and Lisa Cote donated their studio so "O" aerialists could practice. "These people spend their money here, they live here, raise their children here," Stephen said. "They're Las Vegans." Gray McCarty, 30, a member of the Hardcore Cirque Fans social media site, contributed to fundraising efforts and emailed company officials imploring them to do more for struggling artists. An employee for a Bay Area tech company, McCarty has seen 85 Cirque shows. "At my very first show, I felt like I was colorblind, suddenly emerging in this world of Technicolor, like Dorothy landing in Oz," he said. "This crazy circus is a human production, based on real people — parents and spouses struggling to feed their families. That's easy to forget." ‘Looking on the bright side' For now, the question remains: When will Cirque du Soleil return and who will operate the circus extravaganza in a new post-COVID-19 world? "Your guess is as good as mine," Nickel said. "Right now, sanctions are still in place. And we're not sure if there will be a new owner, or when." That doesn't stop Cirque artists from guessing. One night, Holland Lohse and a few performers worked out in the backyard of his Summerlin home. The 31-year-old acrobat who performed in "Love" says the virus has affected his industry "in a seismic way." He's ready for the ground to stop shaking. Lohse and fellow "Love" acrobat Tristan Jih have a bet over when they'll be back. The loser pays for a movie "with all the fixings," including admission and snacks. "I say 2021," Lohse said. Jih, 38, hanging upside down from a practice contraption, disagreed. "Earlier," he said. Still, there are little silver linings to this dark coronavirus cloud. Many artists now practice under the stars, not the stage lights. They enjoy the extra time with family, trying new routines that have nothing to do with Cirque. Luba Kazantseva and Loukas Kosmidis are doting on their infant son Theodoros, who at less than a year old already can balance on his father's outstretched hand. "We're seeing little changes, facial expressions and how he's discovering his voice, Kosmidis said. "We're looking on the bright side instead of stressing ourselves out." For synchronized swimmer Bill May, the gift came in early summer when he did morning laps in a still-closed Lake Mead National Recreation Area. "For just a bit, we had the entire lake to ourselves," he recalled. We'd swim to islands and along the coast. The water was just so pristine and no one else was there. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it came from a disaster." Adapting to a new spin But in late June, as Cirque du Soleil filed for bankruptcy protection, the tense tightrope walked by many new hires finally snapped. The 40 artists hired last year to augment the new seven-day schedule at "O," many living in the U.S. on highly restrictive visas, were among 250 Las Vegas business and sales-side employees who lost their jobs. Also included in the local job cuts was the 50-member Blue Man Group. Companywide, 3,500 people lost their jobs. Those P1 visa-holders were told they had 30 days to leave the country. Performer Lucas Altemeyer, who struggled for months to keep a financial toehold in the U.S., faced his firing first with sadness, then a steely resolve. He heard the news early one morning and sat alone in his living room, absorbing the blow while his wife, Monize, slept in the other room. "I didn't wake her," he said. "I wanted her to have her dream of living in the U.S. for just a few more hours." Days later, as he packed to return to Brazil, he already was planning his next move. Maybe he'd become a performance coach. After all, he's an aerial hoops artist, used to the nauseating spin of life. He would adapt. { SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal } ---------------------------------------------------------- After localite's Cirque du Soleil world tour, a new book {Sep.25.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- Germantown resident Thom Wall learned to juggle three objects when he was 10 years old, growing up in St. Louis, Missouri. A classmate showed him how to juggle rocks during recess! "He made it seem like magic," said Thom last week. "Even though he told me it was easy, it took me weeks to figure out. I really had no aptitude at all. I eventually checked a book out from the library, Dave Finnigan's ‘The Complete Juggler,' and I went through it cover to cover. I started attending a weekly juggling meetup. That's where I first learned about the juggling community, and I was hooked, all of it thanks to a little luck and a book." In the next week or two, Wall's own book, "Juggling: What it is and How to Do it," will be released. This is the first textbook on modern juggling technique, largely written backstage at Cirque du Soleil when Wall was performing for the company on a world tour. Six years in the making, the project has finally been completed. Wall left Cirque du Soleil in January of 2019. The past year, after leaving Cirque du Soleil, Wall worked mostly on cruise ships. He would fly out and meet the ship somewhere, do a show in the theater and fly home at the next port. "Lots of travel, but the audiences are always so wonderful." He had ended five years with Cirque du Soleil with a run of shows at Royal Albert Hall in London. "That was such an incredible note to end on!" This year was supposed to be 100% cruise ships and university/school shows, but they were knocked out by the pandemic. Advance readers have called his book "The first fully comprehensive manual on juggling" (Midwest Book Review) and "a must-read for anyone" (Denis Paumier, Les Objects Volants). Long-time professional jugglers (and America's Got Talent finalists) The Passing Zone remarked that "There are techniques in this book that I was able to adopt the day I read it … This book will change the face of this 4,000-year-old human activity." Wall, 33, went to Washington University in St Louis, where he studied modern languages, and he also holds a Master's degree in non-profit arts administration from Drexel University. "I graduated from Washington University directly into the recession," he said. "After sending out hundreds of resumes and cover letters, I didn't get a single call back. It was a tough time for everyone! I eventually found a part-time position as a counselor for the YMCA, which was incredibly rewarding work, but when I was invited to go on tour with a small circus company, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Juggling had always been a hobby for me, but I wanted to see what it would be like performing on a regular schedule instead of at the occasional party or special event. "Turns out, I really loved it and seemed to have a bit of a knack for it. It was a really crazy time, and I owe that experience a lot. It taught me a ton about performance as well as about the business side of a career in entertainment. I'm incredibly grateful that I've had the opportunity to share my work as a circus performer, both by doing shows but also as an instructor, with audiences all over the world. The juggling community is very supportive one, and I owe most of my success to my friends. "On a different note, I've always felt split between being a circus artist and being a researcher, and that's one of the reasons I founded Modern Vaudeville Press. Though the two careers might seem an unlikely pair, they complement one another nicely. As a performer, it's important to understand the history of your craft … Other performance arts have incredible documentation. Look at dance, theater, magic. Juggling, sideshow and other more esoteric ‘variety arts' (as we call them) haven't been recognized in the same way, despite having long and rich traditions in cultures around the world. I like to think I'm helping address that problem in some small way." The Philadelphia School of Circus Arts on the border between Germantown and Mt. Airy was a major factor in Wall's decision to move to Philadelphia. He coaches some of the jugglers at Circadium, its sister school at 6452 Greene St., and some of the circus history and professional development classes there. For more information about Wall's new book, "Juggling: What It Is and How to Do It," visit jugglingbook.com { SOURCE: Chestnut Hill Local } ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque Launches All-New CirqueConnect Digital Experience {Oct.14.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil is proud to unveil its exciting fall programming along with a brand-new look for its CirqueConnect content hub. Featuring an enhanced library of titles, the newly revamped CirqueConnect platform will provide fans with inspiring freshly- produced never-before-seen series and exclusive content. Starting today, fans of all ages can enjoy a new lineup of original content on an updated, mobile-responsive, user-friendly platform that includes the first episode of CirqueClass, with the truly inspirational Cirque du Soleil show director and writer Michel Laprise (whose amazing credits include writing and directing the upcoming Cirque du Soleil show Drawn to Life, in collaboration with Disney, the KURIOS - Cabinet of Curiosities touring show, and Madonna's acclaimed MDNA World Tour and Super Bowl XLVI halftime show). "While our fans are eagerly waiting for us to get back on stage, we want to keep providing original, unique and exciting content for them, all in one place," said Sebastien Ouimet, Director of global content and strategic partnerships at Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. "Cirque du Soleil's mission is to invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions, and CirqueConnect's programming embraces this in a genuine way as it aims to bring a bit of the extraordinary to the life of our fans all over the world". INTRODUCING A ROBUST SLATE OF ORIGINAL CONTENT READY TO BE DISCOVERED CirqueClass In this original series, fans will explore the creative process from inside the minds of the creators and artists. Featuring renowned Cirque du Soleil talent, each episode will be an exploration of ideas and motivations, lessons and experiences through in-depth intimate masterclasses. Addressing a wide range of subjects such as art, creation, inspiration, imagination, performance and more, the CirqueClass series will be presented every three weeks, starting today with the incomparable writer & show director Michel Laprise, hosting the first episode. Viewers can go home with plenty of food for thought about creativity and how it can help you take your life from ordinary to extraordinary. Tune in at cirquedusoleil.com/cirqueconnect to learn more about what the famous director with the boyish, childlike glee can teach you about unleashing creativity and how to make things happen in an extraordinary way. Upcoming CirqueClass hosts include show director and choreographer Lydia Bouchard, whose credits include DIVA (2018) and REBEL (2019) by Cirque du Soleil in Andorra, and the upcoming Vive nos Divas! by Cirque du Soleil at the Amphitheatre Cogeco, and costume designer for RuPaul and Cirque du Soleil Zaldy Goco, whose work was seen in recent years in the shows Michael Jackson ONE, and Volta by Cirque du Soleil. Cirque Up! Kids love to clown around, so why not channel their silliness through circus arts? Cirque du Soleil offers them a chance to learn the tricks of the trade with Cirque Up! They want to learn how to juggle? How about learning a few tricks from a Cirque du Soleil performer? They wish they knew how to do Cirque make-up for Halloween? Why not learn from a Cirque du Soleil makeup artist? They dream of life under the Big Top? Cirque du Soleil designers can show them how to transform their bedroom into a circus. Hosted by various Cirque du Soleil professionals, this tutorial series made just for kids brings Cirque du Soleil's unique universeto children around the world. Starting October 25th, kids of all ages can experience the excitement of doing something completely unique, the #CirqueWay. Cirque Me Out Idolized all over the world, Cirque du Soleil artists are famous for their extraordinary performances. Ever wondered what type of training these athletes have to go through to be in such amazing shape? Wonder no more! Cirque du Soleil has created a series of work-out classes that fans from around the world can join to train and exercise with real Cirque du Soleil artists. Starting October 15th, everyone is invited to join Vitor Silva Dos Santos from KÀ alongside professional dancer Luis Cabanzo and groove to the beats of Ritmos, to connect with their breath and move their body mindfully with Mélodie Lamoureux from BAZZAR in her Yoga classes, and to burn a ton of calories with Lauren J. Herley from BAZZAR in her full body workouts. GOING BEYOND LIVE Originally launched in March 2020, the CirqueConnect content hub provides a source of high-quality entertainment for fans to enjoy from the comfort of their homes. To date, CirqueConnect has garnered 60M views from across the globe and offers more than 50 original programs. CirqueConnect offers fans of all ages a new way to experience the unparalleled content from Cirque's iconic vault, as well as a chance to discover newly-produced series that go beyond the big top and the company's various live entertainment creations. Check it all out on cirquedusoleil.com/cirqueconnect . { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Alegria, Bazzar, Koozå, Kurios, Luzia, Totem, Under the Same Sky, and Volta} 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, Drawn to Life, and NYSA } 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: Portland, OR -- Jun 4, 2021 to Jul 18, 2021 Denver, CO -- Aug 6, 2021 to Sep 12, 2021 Bazzar: Not Currently Scheduled Koozå: Zurich, CH -- TBA Washington, DC -- Jul 21, 2021 to Sep 19, 2021 Kurios: Melbourne, AU -- TBA Adelaide, AU -- TBA Luzia: Madrid, ES -- Rescheduled Barcelona, ES -- Jan 21, 2021 to Feb 21, 2021 Messi10: Not Currently Scheduled Totem: Rome, IT -- Mar 17 2021 to Apr 25, 2021 Milan, IT -- May 5, 2021 to Jun 20, 2021 Under the Same Sky: Montreal, QC -- Apr 22, 2021 to Aug 15, 2021 VOLTA: Not Currently Scheduled ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ OVO: Not Currently Scheduled CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE: Hanover, DE -- Sep 22, 2021 - Sep 26, 2021 Leipzip, DE -- Sep 29, 2021 - Oct 3, 2021 Nuremberg, DE -- Oct 6, 2021 - Oct 10, 2021 Cologne, DE -- Oct 13, 2021 - Oct 17, 2021 Oberhausen, DE -- Oct 27, 2021 - Oct 31, 2021 Munich, DE -- Nov 4, 2021 - Nov 7, 2021 Frankfurt, DE -- Nov 10, 2021 - Nov 14, 2021 Stuttgart, DE -- Dec 1, 2021 - Dec 5, 2021 CORTEO: Vilnius, LT -- Nov 26, 2020 to Nov 29, 2020 Moscow, RU -- Mar 26, 2021 to Apr 25, 2021 Saint Petersburg, RU -- May 19, 2021 to May 23, 2021 Lille, FR -- Jun 10, 2021 to Jun 13, 2021 Antwerp, BE -- Jun 17, 2021 to Jun 27, 2021 London, UK -- Jun 30, 2021 to Jul 11, 2021 Dublin, IE -- Jul 14, 2021 to Jul 25, 2021 Palma de Mallorca, ES -- Aug 6, 2021 to Aug 15, 2021 Nice, FR -- Aug 19, 2021 to Aug 22, 2021 Vienna, AU -- Sep 1, 2021 to Sep 5, 2021 Aix-en-Provence, FR -- Oct 27, 2021 to Oct 31, 2021 Monpellier, FR -- Nov 4, 2021 to Nov 7, 2021 Leeds, UK -- Oct 27 to Oct 30, 2022 AXEL: Not Currently Scheduled Messi10: Buenos Aires -- Being Rescheduled --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- JOYÀ: Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Shows restarted on July 3, 2020 X: THE LAND OF FANTASY Location: Hangzhou, China Performances of "X: The Land of Fantasy" staged on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays starting June 3, 2020 ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) CIRQUECONNECT SPECIALS Enjoy a front-row seat to awe-inspiring moments of the larger- than-life shows, with never-before seen angles that can only be experienced on your screen. - SPECIAL #26: OVO, BAZZAR, ALEGRIA {Sep.18} https://youtu.be/ybpCiIahZbI - SPECIAL #27: BEST OF HOOP {Sep.25} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TydWUguPRU - SPECIAL #28: BEHIND THE CURTAIN: OVO {Oct.02} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yPsmDSpmRE - SPECIAL #29: BEHIND THE CURTAIN: MYSTERE {Oct.09} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K8Zh1mshGo o) CIRQUECLASS - EPISODE 1: MICHEL LAPRISE {Oct.14} Creativity isn't an outcome, it's a process. Step inside Michel Laprise's creative universe and discover his passion for creation and for constantly challenging the creative status quo. Covering a wide range of themes such as creativity, artistry and leadership, this original series showcases Cirque du Soleil creators and artists as they open up and share their passion, experiences and learnings. Take a step behind the curtain into a world where creativity flourishes freely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3tn3R_9e1E o) CIRQUE ME OUT - EPISODE 1: RITMOS Workout alongside our Cirque du Soleil artists in this 3-part series. First, Ritmos! Join Vitor Silva Dos Santos from KÀ and professional dancer Luis Cabanzo and groove to the beats of Ritmos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aezvv7J4QSM o) OTHER VIDEOS - PLANET B612 EPISODE 13: JULIE MCINNES In this episode, I speak with singer, musician and artist, Julie McInnes. Born in Australia, Julie has always been a musical artist. From Circus OZ to Cirque du Soleil, and now, as an independent artist, Julie has a lot of info and wisdom to share about the art and craft of bringing music to life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGVgII08K_E - Journeys With Laura Minar - Cirque du Soleil: Behind the Masks An extraordinary documentary film behind the scenes at Cirque du Soleil when it all began in Montreal! 1994. First look at Saltimbanco & Alegria (to become Cirque's longest running show!) My documentary team was the 1st to film a 'behind the scenes' doc about Cirque - the design & building of secret sets, the costumes, the rehearsing & choreography, the extraordinary athleticism, creativity & ingenuity - all a mulitlingual collaboration. Soon after our film (nominated for a Canadian Screen Award) Cirque du Soleil formed its own production company and did its own promotional documentaries/videos, closing access to external crews. It was only years later that external crews began to film in the inner sanctum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_HC8zxaQJs ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= o) "What Ifs and If Onlys, Part 2 of 7" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) ------------------------------------------------------------ "What Ifs and If Onlys, Part 2 of 7" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) ------------------------------------------------------------ "I wouldn't be surprised if we had four or five shows in Macau within five to seven years." Remember this quote? It's been quite a number of years since Daniel Lamarre made that statement in regards to Macau and Cirque's prospects there. At the time ZAIA had just been unleashed to the community at large and it looked as if the company would have another success on its hands. Little did he know just how wrong he would be. ZAIA would close after performing just three and a half years of a ten-year contract. What went wrong? While there were many other factors involved, most tend to agree that Macau was just not ready to be an international destination for arts and entertainment; most who visit were there strictly to gamble. So, the other four to five show concepts on the table? Shelved. Laliberté said the company believed it could still make a return. "It doesn't mean we are writing off Macau. It was a special adventure because we were the first to set up a resident show down there. That's life!" he said. It was a risk that Cirque and its partners in Macau were willing to take. Unlike the following idea that the Montreal Gazette eluded to on September 29, 2003 - a Cirque-themed Casino: MGM Mirage vice-president of public affairs Alan Feldman says his casino company is anxious to build new properties just so they can launch more Cirque shows. But the next deal - which Laliberté hastens to say is only in the talking, as opposed to signing stage - could top everything that has gone before. The proposed 4,000-room hotel/casino would be co-owned by the Cirque and MGM Mirage. It would be located on 55 empty acres already owned by MGM Mirage situated between the Monte Carlo and Bellagio resorts. According to Feldman, one idea being discussed is making this a completely Cirque-themed resort. At present, the Cirque shows just have their own specially designed theatres and boutiques within casinos designed according to other themes. This one could be all Cirque, all over, all the time. Think Cirque du Soleil wallpaper (it already exists), Cirque sheets, Cirque clowns handing out free Cirque drinks (Zumanity already has its own martini) at Cirque slot machines, Cirque Muzak everywhere. The mind boggles. The most optimistic opening date would be 2007, Feldman says. Ultimately this became the CityCenter project, but couldn't you just imagine? Or, how about... BERLINER RESIDENZ ----------------- When Cirque du Soleil announced NYSA, a brand-new resident show for Berlin to be staged at the Potsdamer Platz, all I could think about it was finally. Finally, after a couple of decades of trying and failing for one reason or another, Cirque du Soleil would have its first resident show in Europe. Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group President and CEO, Daniel Lamarre, said of the announcement, "For Cirque du Soleil, this is a beautiful way of celebrating a 25-year relationship with the city. This new and exciting production is most certainly the best way to highlight the privileged bond we have with Berlin." Sure, Saltimbanco had first played Berlin in 1995, and Cirque followed that up with fourteen more of its shows over time. But many fans don't realize just how special the relationship with Berlin really is. Did you know that Cirque du Soleil attempted to reside in Berlin twenty years prior? On March 26, 1996, Cirque du Soleil published via its new website that it was pleased to announce it would be presenting a permanent show in Berlin: An agreement in principle with developer Dr. Peter and Isolde Kottmair will provide a theatre for Cirque du Soleil in a large real estate complex that will be constructed on Leipziger Platz, in the heart of Berlin. The hall will seat an audience of 1,600 and will be built in consultation with Cirque du Soleil at a cost of DM70 million. The architect will be Aldo Rossi, winner of the 1990 Pritzker prize. The show is scheduled to premiere in the year 2000, and this project will enable Cirque to ensure its Berlin activities until the year 2015. Although London might have been the first choice for a second resident show (it was, but let's not get ahead of ourselves), Cirque du Soleil looked to Berlin in 1996. Why Berlin? Easy: they were approached and Cirque du Soleil liked what they were pitched. There are just two mentions of the potential Berlin outpost in Cirque du Soleil materials of the period – first, in the Alegría in Hong Kong Programme Book and in the aforementioned announcement on its website. Neither declarations suggested what the show might be about or who might be part of production's creative coven (although at that time there was just one creative team), only that the opportunity was on the horizon. Alas the project never happened, and it's just one of a number of these types that have been announced over the years that never came to fruition for one reason or another. So, what happened to Berlin 2000? On July 18, 1997, just a little over a year after the initial blurb hit the press, The Globe and Mail published a piece that shed some light on the issue. It said the project was in peril because of a nasty dispute over a century-old subway tunnel in at the development site. The Montreal-based entertainment concern announced in March, 1996, that it would be the anchor tenant of a 1.2- billion-mark ($917-million) development in the heart of eastern Berlin that is to include a 1,600-seat theatre for the circus along with a hotel, offices, shops, restaurants and apartments. But the start of construction has been delayed because of a clash involving the developers, a German government agency and Berlin's transit authority over who should pay the costs of rebuilding a subway tunnel that bisects the site. The dispute has tried the patience of the Cirque's European managing director, Danny Pelchat, who says the deal, which calls for the Cirque to present exclusive productions at the Berlin venue until 2015, may be dead if construction doesn't start soon. "I have to have a date by the end of the year," Mr. Pelchat said in an interview. "Originally, [the Berlin venue] was supposed to be ready by the end of 2000. We agreed to postpone [our show] until the spring of 2001 and now they're saying [the site] may be [ready by] the end of 2001," he said, adding that the Cirque has offers from several other European cities interested in providing a permanent site. Mr. Pelchat said the company was attracted to Berlin because of its artistic traditions. Cirque also felt the city would become a world center when the German capital was moved there in 1999. And that the site for the theater was a prime location on Leipziger Platz, a stone's throw from where the Berlin Wall used to cut the city in two. The developers were Isolde and Peter Kottmair, a husband and wife team from Munich. Ms. Kottmair said she and her husband first saw the Cirque's Mystère show in Las Vegas when they were scouting for entertainment ideas to bring back to Munich. "It was so fascinating. There was such an excitement in the audience," Ms. Kottmair recalled. "It was amazing. This was in my eyes the best show we saw." After, the Kottmairs met the Cirque's co-founder, Guy Laliberté, and discussed the possibility of building a venue for the circus in Germany. The Kottmairs then bid on the 27,000-square-metre site in central Berlin, which was being sold by the Treuhand, the German government agency tasked with selling off state-owned property of the former East Germany. The government insisted on an entertainment aspect to the project, so the Cirque fit in perfectly. Mr. Rossi was asked to design the development and in late 1995, the Kottmairs' bid of 320 million marks for the land was accepted. Mrs. Kottmair said that the price was reduced by 10 million marks because of the old subway tunnel that, but she maintains that the full extent of the problem only became evident later. Now it will cost between 40 million and 50 million marks to rebuild the tunnel so that it is strong enough to withstand the weight of the structure to be built above. "They didn't tell anybody about this fact," Mrs. Kottmair said. "We are not the owners of the tube [subway] and we are not responsible for the tube," she insisted. At the Treuhand, a spokeswoman said Mr. Kottmair had ordered an expert report on the land before he agreed to buy it. "He knew in advance that it would be hard to build on the part above the tunnel." Duben Kropp, a member of the board of directors of the BVG, Berlin's transit authority, said that the Kottmairs knew about the situation and that the agency won't pay a cent to rebuild the tunnel, which he insists can last at least another 30 years. The press suggested that Cirque didn't appear to be all that worried as negotiations dragged on. Its investment in the Berlin project had so far been minimal, involving some work by lawyers and such ("agreement in principle"), but there were other possibilities afoot that Mr. Pelchat was keen to explore and he - and Cirque du Soleil at large - would only wait so long. It would only take another year for Cirque to lose its patience. Via the Globe and Mail on April 28, 1998, the Cirque said it wouldn't do any more somersaults to get its first permanent venue in Europe built now that the project's developer had run into financial problems. Twenty-four months after the Berlin announcement, the site is still nothing more than a 27,000-square-metre sand pit. Now, the Treuhand, the German government agency responsible for selling off the assets of the former Communist state, wants the land back. The agency says the Kottmairs have failed to make the initial payment of 35 million marks on a total purchase price of a whopping 310 million marks, apparently after being unable to come with the needed financing. Both sides agree that because of sinking real estate values, the land isn't worth as much as it was when the deal was originally done in 1995. The Treuhand says the Kottmairs are welcome to walk away from the deal provided they pony up the 100-million mark difference between today's market value for the land and the original deal. The Kottmairs says there's no way they'll pay and complain that they've already spent 33 million marks in planning and other expenses. Pelchat was sick of the whole business, and he was not shy in sharing those opinions: "We've been discussing this project for so long, with so many delays and postponements, that we're not getting excited anymore." With no contract signed, the Cirque isn't committed to the Berlin site and is involved in discussions for a site at the disused Battersea power plant in central London. Back in Berlin, a local real estate analyst believes the Cirque project still has a good chance of going ahead but in the hands of another developer. "The question is who will finance it." Turns out LIVE NATION would... just 20 years later. LABYRINTHS AND HORSES --------------------- Here's another interesting one... In an interview with Billboard Magazine, Argentine singer-songwriter Gustavo Santaolalla discussed releasing a revamped version of his 1982 hit "Compañeros del Sendero." He then went on to tell the magazine about the current state of his projects: "The Arrabal show spent a month playing in Boston, always packed and to great reviews, so we've been working to take it to New York in 2018. I've finished working on the music of the Cirque du Soleil show based on Pan's Labyrinth, and we are currently searching for a director." UM... WHAT?! Now I liked Pan's Labyrinth as much as the next person, but a Cirque du Soleil show based on the movie? No, not the right creative mix. Naturally we never heard anything more about this, but would it surprise you to learn that Guillermo del Toro has been trying to develop the title into a Broadway musical since 2012? And it appears that they're still trying! In February 2018, when this blub was released, it was indeed true that Gustavo Santaolalla had finished working on the music for the musical, and they were looking for a director for the show... but the only connection to Cirque du Soleil was made in that one-and-only Billboard article, so... yeah. And then two months later, in April 2018, we published a little blurb that we found in the Grimsby Telegraph, a newspaper for a large coastal English seaport and administrative centre in North East Lincolnshire, on the South Bank of the Humber Estuary, close to where it reaches the North Sea. It read "Darren Michael Charles has been named creative artistic director and choreographer for a breathtaking new Cirque du Soleil spectacular that will being touring in six months' time." Now, nothing about that statement seems off until you get to the follow up: "Darren's vast experience will stand in good stead as he will be directing large acrobatic and gymnastic acts, contortionists, clowns, aerial flying acts, dancing and juggling, and... horses!" HORSES?! IN A CIRQUE DU SOLEIL SHOW?! That's what was being reported, and at the time I said we'd have to wait and see how things panned out. The article went on to say that Darren was gifted with horses, having gained experience with many other prestigious dance and touring companies, going on to direct and choreograph the hugely successful Cavalia's Odysseo North American Tour. That being said, we couldn't believe Cirque du Soleil might go back on decades of precedent to create a show that included animals... but news was news. So what happened? Well... Cirque du Soleil didn't produce a show with horses. Obviously. While I can't say for certain that horses were never considered for a new show concept, Darren Michael Charles did go on to announce that he had joined the creative team of BAZZAR, which did indeed go on to tour six to eight months after the article was published. PAY PER VIEW! ------------- In May 1997, as Cirque du Soleil was gearing up to make "Alegria: The Film" (under Les Films Lampo Di Vita Inc.), Peter Wagg ("Max Headroom") is brought on board to re-launch Télémagik as Cirque du Soleil Images (or CDSi for short) -- the company's new film division. It's mandate: to create original and innovative television, video, film, and music products reflecting the image and spirit of Cirque du Soleil shows. And they hit the ground running. In addition to producing the IMAX film "Journey of Man" for the big screen, Cirque du Soleil Images was about to break the drought of filmed productions for the small screen; Quidam was filmed live - in Amsterdam - for a new television special. On May 26, 1999, TVN Entertainment Corporation, a leading digital programming and distribution network at the time, announced that, on August 1, 1999, the network would premiere "Cirque du Soleil: Quidam", the first pay-per-view telecast of a Cirque du Soleil show. This premiere airing will be preceded by a half-hour pre-show featuring behind-the-scenes footage, a countdown to the "Quidam" PPV debut airing, and interviews with Cirque du Soleil performers, choreographer Debra Brown, and artistic director Franco Dragone. The 90-minute PPV special will replay several additional times during the month of August. This "Cirque du Soleil: Quidam" PPV special is being produced specifically for television, utilizing state-of-the-art digital technology, under the direction of David Mallet. The special was later re-broadcast on BRAVO, an arts and film channel available in the United States, where it became an instant hit. Shortly thereafter, Cirque du Soleil put Dralion under the lens whilst staked in San Francisco (engaged 2/3/2000 – 3/26/2000), prompting even greater success. "Cirque du Soleil Presents Dralion" was nominated for and won three Daytime Emmy awards: Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special; Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series or Musical; and Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program. This achievement prompted the filming of Alegría in Sydney (engaged 5/29/2001 – 8/5/2001); "Fire Within", the company's first "reality TV" series about the creation of Varekai; and Varekai in Toronto (engaged 8/1/2002 – 9/8/2002). And with the successes of "Alegria", "Fire Within", "Varekai", and a few documentaries thereof, Cirque du Soleil, in association with BRAVO, announced that, as the official network of Cirque du Soleil and the owner of the broadcast rights to the Cirque's repertoire of shows (in the United States), it would film - for future airing - the troupe's oldest currently touring show... Saltimbanco. The filming was rumored to take place at the formidable Royal Albert Hall in London, where Saltimbanco was scheduled to be engaged from January 10th through February 9th, 2003. And, it was suggested, the filming might cover Saltimbanco's final moments, as London was rumored to be the final stop of Saltimbanco's second big top tour (the "final" curtain previously fell there in 1997 before the show was resurrected for an Asia-Pacific tour that began in 1998). Although the filming of Quidam, Dralion, Alegria, and Varekai were not perfect, those that were filmed during the Télémagik era had often been criticized as being badly cut, missing plenty of the action. None was criticized more so than Saltimbanco for completely removing the beginning of the show. But one has to realize that the television specials, as they were known then, were not originally meant to be full representations of the shows, rather they were seen more as advertisements - teasers if you will - of the product you'd see live. Therefore, for Saltimbanco to get a more modern treatment certainly appealed to every fan. The euphoria was short lived, however. "In our July 2002 issue we reported that in conjunction with Bravo Cirque would re-film Saltimbanco during its January 2003 run at the Royal Albert Hall in London", I wrote at the time. "Fascination has heard that contrary to previous rumors, Saltimbanco is not slated to be re-filmed after all. This is certainly disappointing news for fans of Saltimbanco who dislike the current filmed version. However, with Saltimbanco currently scheduled to continue its European tour with a possible return to U.S. soil, the show may yet find itself under the camera." And with a statement like that you'd think the story would've ended there. However, in the month that followed, BRAVO changed its announcement from filming Saltimbanco for later re-airing to actually broadcasting it live! "In past issues we've discussed rumors that Saltimbanco was going to be re-filmed, either in London or elsewhere, on its second European Tour. Last issue we shot down those rumors, suggesting that Saltimbanco was not to be re-filmed. But as the nature of rumors go, word now comes from Bravo that Saltimbanco WILL indeed be re-filmed. WHAT? Sometime in 2003, Bravo will present a special version of Saltimbanco to US audiences through its first- ever live broadcast. Bravo will present Cirque's ‘other-worldly feats of aero-athleticism' on tape delay. A location, time and date have not yet been released." For a brief moment our elation was restored, but little more was heard after that announcement and the project quietly disappeared. Saltimbanco, of course, did not fold again in London. It went on to tour Europe throughout the next two years before transferring to Mexico (in 2005) and later South America (in 2006), where the big top version of the show did have its final curtain call, but as we know that wasn't the end of Saltimbanco's story. Either way, Cirque du Soleil Images would go on to film La Nouba in Orlando (2003), Corteo in Toronto (engaged from 8/4/2005 – 9/11/2005) and Koozå in Toronto (engaged 8/9/2007 – 10/21/2007) before the division ceased filming full shows again for a time (but that's a topic for another time.) CIRQUE IN... VIETNAM? --------------------- Communist Vietnam is not a location oft mentioned as being ripe for a Cirque du Soleil resident show, but on May 23, 2008, the Globe and Mail in Toronto reported that a Canadian developer was actually planning a $4.5 billion USD Las Vegas-style casino-resort there. And who would fill the entertainment bill? Why Cirque du Soleil, of course! The project, called Ho Tram, will be the biggest foreign investment to date in Vietnam, said Michael Aymong, chairman of Toronto-based Asian Coast Development Ltd., the project's lead investor, with a 30-per-cent stake. Its main partner in the project is New York hedge fund Harbinger Capital LLC, which has a 25-per-cent share. The initial phase will cost $1.3-billion and consist of two five- star hotels with a combined 2,300 rooms and a casino with approximately 90 gambling tables, 500 slot machines and an area for VIP customers. When completed in 2015, the resort will comprise five hotels with 9,000 rooms and a second casino, Mr. Aymong said. Ho Tram also will target vacationing families, with features including an 18-hole golf course designed by Greg Norman, a Cirque du Soleil theatre, and a site for guests to swim with dolphins. "It's a needed project in Vietnam" that, in spite of the country's poor infrastructure, will be able to "effectively compete" with integrated resorts in neighboring China, Malaysia and Singapore, Mr. Aymong said. Vietnam's ruling Communist Party has historically been suspicious of U.S.-style casinos, and many Vietnamese consider gambling a social evil on par with drug abuse. Although a few small, tightly controlled casinos have operated in the country for several years, Ho Tram would be several times larger and represent a big, symbolic step for Vietnam into the capitalist mainstream. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said his government "will create favorable conditions" for Canadian investors, but Ho Tram's casinos would be off-limits to Vietnamese, as were the country's existing casinos, even though Vietnam hoped that a luxurious mega-resort offering high-stakes gambling would boost tourism and create jobs. The casino business was booming in Asia at the time, led by China's glitzy enclave of Macau. Singapore was building its own casino-resort complex, and industry players expected Japan and Thailand to follow. But we know how that ended... a down-turn in the global economy put the kybosh on a lot of these types of projects. Even so, Ho Tram went forward, occupying more than 200 hectares on a three kilometer stretch of beach in Xuyen Moc Commune in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, a 90-minute drive southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. Alas, without Cirque du Soleil... We should mention that in 1998, Cirque du Soleil was quite happy with its partner Mirage Resorts, later MGM Mirage, and finally MGM International. To partner with another casino operator during this era would be unthinkable. It would also probably be untenable, considering the contract Cirque had with Mirage/MGM at the time. To be continued... ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 20, Number 10 (Issue #201) – October 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. { Oct.19.2020 } =======================================================================