Issue #199/200: AUG/SEP 2020

Welcome to the… latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter?

There’s no need to adjust your screen. What you have in your hands is a very special issue of Fascination, indeed. It’s our first ever double issue! We’ve had quarterly and bimonthly issues in the past, but this issue is truly a daily double – with the news and featured articles we intended for August’s issue (#199) and those for the current month’s issue, September’s (#200) all rolled into one.

I agree having a double-issue like this is a little abnormal, but with Cirque du Soleil still shut down due to COVID-19 (and an on-going battle to stay solvent and relevant – now with new owners!), and a plethora of goings on behind-the-scenes here at Fascination! (i’ve been out of work since February and have just re-entered the workforce), blending two issues together just seemed like the best thing to do.

And in the process look what else happened – we reached our 200th issue! I wish I had some words of wisdom or an amusing anecdote to share with you to mark this occasion, as it’s quite the milestone, but I don’t. It’s been one hell of a year and I just can’t muster up the wherewithal. However, that being said, despite the unknowns facing Cirque du Soleil at the moment, Fascination! is still going strong and will continue at least for the foreseeable future. So to celebrate we have three fantastic featured articles to share with you this month: first, what do you think defines Cirque du Soleil musically? Is it lyrics in made-up, fantastical languages or the use of accordion and saxophone? If you answered yes to either of these questions, don’t be so sure! Most fans would be surprised to know that… well… read “The Cirque Sound” by Matt Dibrindisi to find out! Then, come with me as I share a recent dive into the Cirque du Soleil archives and some of the interesting things I discovered that totally blew my mind. And last, but certainly not least, is the first 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.

Let’s get into it!

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