======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 Quarterly Compendium - Q2 2006 ------------------------------------------------------------ E X P A N D E D I S S U E ------------------------------------------------------------ ======================================================================= VOLUME 6, NUMBER 2 www.CirqueFascination.com ISSUE #48e ======================================================================= =========== CONTENTS =========== * Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings - News Briefs - Press Releases - "Cirque Theater in Japan Breaks Ground" - "The Beatles: LOVE!" * CDS-TV -- Cirque du Soleil on Television * Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= ================= NEWS BRIEFS ================= Cirque Inks 3-year TV Deal in UK {Apr.04.2006} -------------------------------- Circus show Cirque du Soleil is set to be revamped for UK television, after signing a three-year deal with Initial, a subsidiary of independent production giant Endemol, which makes Big Brother. The Canadian performance group will work with the television producer on a series of 60-minute programmes expected to be filmed at the O2 Arena, previously known as the Millenium Dome, and broadcast in 2007 and 2008. Cirque du Soleil will lead all creative content aspects of the stage shows but Initial will develop the television production side. The company is pitching to UK broadcasters. Andy Ward, director of special projects at the indie, said: "Cirque du Soleil are the most exciting, visual and popular artists in the world and we're thrilled to have the opportunity to work with them to translate their spirit to television." {Source: The Stage, UK} Lovesick, the Making of Zumanity on DVD {Apr.04.2006} --------------------------------------- Dare to enter the sensual world of LOVESICK, an adult-themed, reality-based drama that explores the eccentric lives lead by Sin City's most provocative performers. Filmed over two years and set in Las Vegas during the creation of the cabaret-style production ZUMANITY ANOTHER SIDE OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL', LOVESICK discloses the disturbing reality of the talented and entrancing artists who put their flesh and audacity centre stage to create this edgy new show. Meet Alex, the flirtatious Cuban stripper; Joey, the sassy but endearing New York City drag queen; Laetitia, the elegant and ambitious British dancer; Jonel, the audacious debutant; Andrew, the Director of Creation; and Spymonkey, the spontaneous clown quartet'all of whom will challenge their own limits and be forced to redefine their identities. Sexy, poetic and intensely erotic, LOVESICK slips inside a startling universe where men dress up as women, brides perform in staged orgies, and love affairs are exposed under the show's glaring spotlights. Cirque du Soleil: Lovesick DVD Features: o) Lovesick In The Making o) Zumanity Aural Pleasures: A Music and Photo Gallery o) Zumanity Preview DVD Statistics: o) Total Running Time: 97 Minutes o) Rated: Not rated o) # of Discs: 1 o) Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 o) Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 o) DVD Release Date: 5/30/06 o) SLP: $24.95 {Source: Cirque du Soleil} "O" Named Favorite Show {Apr.06.2006} ----------------------- This morning, "What's On, The Las Vegas Guide" announced the winners of its 7th annual Visitors' Choice Awards poll - honors selected by its readers covering everything from "dining and entertainment to nightlife, shopping, sightseeing and gaming." Cirque du Soleil's "O" was selected as the Favorite Production Show. {Source: What's On, The Las Vegas Guide} Cirque Outsources their IT Department! {Apr.06.2006} -------------------------------------- MONTREAL, QC, April 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Cirque du Soleil and CGI Group Inc. (CGI) today announced the signing of a 10- year information technology (IT) outsourcing contract valued at CDN $130 million. As part of this contract, 84 IT positions of the Cirque du Soleil in Montreal, Las Vegas, and Orlando will be transferred to CGI. CGI is charged with providing operation, support and evolution of the Cirque du Soleil's global technology infrastructure and applications. CGI will also be providing IT services for the Cirque du Soleil's touring shows around the world. This partnership will strengthen CGI's growing expertise within the large-scaled entertainment and sporting event sectors. {Source: PRNewswire} More on Cirque's IT Outsourcing {Apr.07.2006} ------------------------------- As part of a new 10-year agreement to outsource its information technology needs, Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil says it will eliminate 84 jobs in Orlando, Montreal and Las Vegas. The company employs about 3,000 people. A spokeswoman for Cirque du Soleil says that only one position in Orlando will be affected by the layoff, where Cirque employs about 200 people. {Source: Orlando Business Journal} New Beatles Music to be Released {Apr.10.2006} -------------------------------- THE BEATLES will release an album of "completely new music" taken from unreleased archive material to tie in with an upcoming Las Vegas, Nevada theatrical show. The stage production, due to open this summer (06), will last 90 minutes and features acrobats of the Cirque du Soleil interpreting The Beatles' songs. And bosses at the band's Apple record label are planning a special treat for fans of the Fab Four, to be overseen by surviving bandmembers SIR PAUL McCARTNEY and RINGO STARR. Apple chief NEIL ASPINALL says, "It involves the creation, by the remixing and remastering of The Beatles' recorded performances, of completely new music, which will be featured in the show, and which should lead to the release of the show album." (GES/WNBTE) {Source: PR-Inside} Inside Cirque's Legal Department {Apr.11.2006} -------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil is not your usual circus. There are no animals and, a lot of the time, no big tops. Instead, the company's 600 artists tour the globe performing breathtaking acrobatic feats as part of colorful and surreal shows. STATISTICS Organization: Cirque du Soleil Sector: Entertainment Turnover: $550m (£316.3m) Employees: 3,000 Legal capacity: 13 Vice-president of legal and commercial affairs: François Macerola; Reporting to Chief Financial Officer Robert Blaim, President Daniel Lamarre. Main law firms: Mullerat, Kramer Zucker & Abbott, Ogilvy Renault CLOWNING ACHIEVEMENT Hot on their heels is a legal department that is not quite your usual legal department. At its head is Cirque du Soleil's vice- president of legal and commercial affairs François Macerola. Macerola is based in Montréal at Cirque du Soleil's headquarters, but spends much of his time travelling the world in the wake of the company's shows. Macerola has been with Cirque du Soleil for nearly three years, joining from a role as lawyer for the Canadian Home Office. "I got a call from Cirque du Soleil saying they were looking for somebody," he says, explaining that his brief on joining was to modernise and develop the legal team. There are 13 lawyers in the worldwide Cirque du Soleil legal department: 12 in Montréal, including Macerola, and one in Singapore. The team's gender split is one most law firms would be proud of, with nine women and three men in Canada. "They were the most competent," Macerola says simply, praising his team. Cirque du Soleil's main legal issues are connected with IP, something Macerola knows a lot about. He has always worked in the entertainment industry, particularly film and television, with high-profile roles for organisations such as investment body Téléfilm Canada. At Cirque du Soleil he oversees around 2,000 files a year comprising contracts, negotiations and cases concerning the circus's productions, employees and artists. "We're mainly involved with the negotiations of contracts related to the production and the distribution of our shows," says Macerola. Occasionally corporate or employment issues will arise. In 2003 the company was involved in a dispute with an acrobat in Las Vegas. HIV-positive Mark Cusick was sacked for "safety reasons", the circus said at the time. Cusick promptly sued for discrimination and Macerola led successful settlement negotiations. "We know very well that the creative people are at the heart of Cirque du Soleil and we have a very good professional relationship with these people," says Macerola, explaining that cases such as Cusick's are rare. But most of the team's work is concerned with IP matters and the law firms Macerola instructs are primarily IP specialists. "We've established a kind of informal network," he says. "We have to establish a good working relationship with our correspondents, with competent people on whom I can rely." Due to the informal nature of the relationships, Macerola has instructed many firms in each jurisdiction over the years. The most common are Kramer Zucker & Abbot, Mullerat and Ogilvy Renault. Legal spend is consequently sizeable. Macerola declines to give an exact figure, but says: "We do spend some good money - millions of dollars." The legal team is brought in at the start of any of the circus's shows. Currently there are 12 worldwide - six touring the globe, five resident in locations such as the Bellagio in Las Vegas and Walt Disney World, and one live music show, which is also touring. As the show's development progresses, Macerola's team follows to make sure that the IP is protected and the artists are properly contracted. While the department's function has not changed much since Macerola's arrival, the manner in which it runs has. Macerola says that, when he arrived at Cirque du Soleil, each member of the team was very specialised. "I've changed that mentality," he states. "Now they're working in synergy - that's very important for me." He has also placed more emphasis on delivering a service by a particular date once a file has been opened, and he requires external lawyers to commit to deadlines. Macerola says his aim is not to transform Cirque du Soleil into a bureaucracy, but to make it more efficient. Macerola's career has followed a period of change in the Canadian IP market. "I remember when I first started practising law and I referred to IP; nobody really understood what I was saying," he recalls. "People were using words such as 'copyright' and 'IP', but nobody was looking after these cases." Over the years, however, the market changed. More lawyers began practising IP and it was soon recognised as being a legitimate area of law. "For me it's music to my ears, because finally IP and entertainment law is considered as being a major area of activity," Macerola says. "Now everyone understands that there's a value to a music right and a production right as much as a car or a house." Canadian legislation is in the process of change. Last June, the Canadian government introduced a bill to amend the Copyright Act, with proposals designed to update and modernise the law for the 21st century. It is an issue that Macerola will be following closely from the midst of the creative milieu in which he is most at home. {Source: TheLawyer.com} Cirque Permanently in the UK? {Apr.18.2006} ------------------------------ Cirque du Soleil is in negotiations about a possible residency at O2, the multi-million pound sports and entertainment complex being built on the site of the former Millennium Dome in Greenwich. Under the deal, the Canadian circus troupe will have a regular show at the 1,800-seater theatre that forms part of the new venue, developer Anschutz Entertainment Group has revealed. AEG also runs Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, where Elton John currently has a residency and the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where acts such as the Rolling Stones have performed. Last week the company unveiled illustrations showing how the finished O2 will look and announced a completion date of July 2007. {Source: The Stage, UK} Cirque in Macao? {May.02.2006} ---------------- Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Cirque du Soleil announced today that they will create a one-of-a-kind show that will be featured on the Cotai Strip(TM) currently being developed by Las Vegas Sands in the People's Republic of China Special Administrative Region of Macao. The new show, conceived and created solely by Cirque du Soleil will open in the Spring of 2008 in a theater built specifically to their specifications and will have a capacity of approximately 1,800 seats. {Source: Yahoo News} Cirque du Elvis? {May.18.2006} ---------------- NEW YORK, May 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - CKX, Inc., (Nasdaq: CKXE - News), through its subsidiary Elvis Presley Enterprises, has entered into an exclusive arrangement with Cirque du Soleil for the creation, development, production and promotion of Elvis Presley Projects, featuring touring and permanent shows, as well as multimedia interactive "Elvis Experiences," throughout the world. Elvis Presley Projects, expected to debut beginning in 2008, will consist of: o) Touring shows that will be produced by Cirque du Soleil and incorporate the name, image, likeness and music of Elvis Presley. o) Permanent shows at fixed locations that will be produced by Cirque du Soleil and incorporate the name, image, likeness and music of Elvis Presley. o) Multimedia interactive entertainment "Elvis Experiences" that incorporate the music, memorabilia, audiovisual works, and the life and times of Elvis Presley. {Source: PRNewswire } No Cirque in Singapore {May.26.2006} ----------------------- Announced a few moments ago, the Singapore government decided the winner of its Marina Bay Casino Project was US Casino operator Las Vegas Sands Corp., owner of The Venetian. They beat out MGM-Mirage, which had, as part of its bid, a permanent Cirque du Soleil show concept. {Source: Yahoo News} Cirque in the Top 10 Attractions {Jun.06.2006} --------------------------------- TripAdvisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com) announced this morning the top 10 attractions in the United States, based on traveler popularity on their website. Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas was #6 on that list. The full list is as follows: 1. Walt Disney World, Orlando, Fla. 2. Universal Studios Orlando, Orlando, Fla. 3. Discovery Cove, Orlando, Fla. 4. South Beach, Miami, Fla. 5. Disneyland, Anaheim, Calif. 6. Cirque du Soleil, Las Vegas, Nev. 7. Epcot Center, Orlando, Fla. 8. Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. 9. Hana Highway, Maui, HI 10. Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, Ga. {Source: TripAdvisor} Las Vegas News {Jun.08.2006} ---------------- Wynn Revamping Le Reve? According to the Associated Press, Steve Wynn is paying $15.9 Million to Dragone to secure the rights of Le Reve and expand the show. Wynn intends to add lights, lasers and more performers to the show in order to make it "bigger." Wynn asked Dragone to change the show (for the second time) but Dragone is busy with other productions, including one for Montréal. Moses Pendleton, the artistic director of surrealist dance company MOMIX, has been hired to complete the retrofit, which will be completed in 2007. MGM Grand named 'Best Place to Work' According to a recent press release, Southern Nevada Human Resource Association (SNHRA) has named MGM Grand Hotel and Casino as the "Best Place to Work" in the gaming industry for 2006. This marks the second consecutive year that MGM Grand has received this award. Hairspray Out The Las Vegas version of the production "Hairspray" at the Luxor will have its last performance on Sunday, June 11th. "It didn't find its audience," said "Hairspray" spokesman Dave Kirvin, said in the Chicago Tribune. "It was simple economics." "Hairspray" follows the 2004 Tony Award winning "Avenue Q", which closed on May 28th. {Source: Associated Press/Yahoo News} Comedian Kathy Griffin on Cirque {Jun.27.2006} -------------------------------- "I'm sorry. I can't stand it. Here's why. I don't want to see a French-Canadian clown slowly rolling a beach ball across the stage for 5 minutes while saying, 'ye-yay-yay.'" That's okay Kathy... We don't want to see a D-list comedian rant- and-rave about nothing in particular for 5 minutes while pretending we're listening either. {Source: Google News} LOVE in London? {Jun.26.2006} --------------- GEORGE HARRISON's widow OLIVIA is relieved THE BEATLES-inspired Cirque du Soleil show has finally made it to the stage after a string of venue changes. Olivia admits LOVE, which opened this month (JUN06) at The Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada, was originally supposed to be a London production, but got moved twice before opening. She says, "When George was alive, there was a plan to create it here in London. "That didn't happen, and then it was going to be in New York, and, of course, September 11 happened, and that was a very difficult time." Harrison died in November 2001 following a battle with lung cancer. {Source: PR Inside} 'The Beatles' head to Vegas for 10 years {Jun.27.2006} ---------------------------------------- LAS VEGAS, Nev., June 25 (UPI) - The Cirque du Soleil version of the Beatles, called "Love," opens in Las Vegas June 30, with remastered music for an expected 10-year run. The acrobatic troupe from Canada has teamed up with Beatles' original producer, Sir George Martin and his son Giles, for the $150 million production, The New York Times reports. Surviving members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr along with surviving partners, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, will all be in the audience for opening night Friday. The four are the owners of Apple, the music house created in 1967 to secure the integrity of the Beatles' music. Apple has opened its vaults to the Martin's who have taken some choice original recordings and remastered them with 21st century technology and the latest musical trends, mixing sounds from one song with words from another and keeping in some outtakes, among other production tricks. One of the principals of "Love" says it will "make the audience feel as though they are actually in the theater with the band." Tickets range from $69 to $150 and performances will be two- times a night, five nights per week for at least 10 years. {Source: UPI} How Cirque Emails its Clients {Jun.28.2006} ----------------------------- On June 1, 2006, Marketing Sherpa released a case study on Cirque du Soleil's email marketing program. It's a very interesting read and a wonderful behind-the-scenes look into CirqueClub processes. A summary of the case study is available below: SUMMARY Are you trying to improve your email copywriting and segmentation so each recipient feels a strong personal connection to your organization? Cirque du Soleil's email team sends 6-8 campaigns per week with exceptional response rates. Our new Case Study includes details on copywriting that works, design (simpler than you'd expect) and how to gather more double opt-ins. Plus, what to send to your list when the circus is *not* coming to their town for the next 10 months. Read the full case-study below: * * * CASE STUDY How Cirque Uses Email to Sell Out Shows at Local Cities SUMMARY: Are you trying to improve your email copywriting and segmentation so each recipient feels a strong personal connection to your organization? Cirque du Soleil's email team sends 6-8 campaigns per week with exceptional response rates. Our new Case Study includes details on copywriting that works, design (simpler than you'd expect) and how to gather more double opt-ins. Plus, what to send to your list when the circus is *not* coming to their town for the next 10 months. CHALLENGE "We have been touring and meeting people around the world for close to 21 years now," says Cirque du Soleil's Chief Marketing Internet Andre Belanger in his charming French accent. "It's important for us to continue that relationship between our visits." The company launched its email program in 2000 precisely for that purpose. However, relationships are in their essence personal things. In fact, Belanger credits some of the company's success to the tent-layout. "In a touring show, you have the impression it's unique and small, but it's 2,600 people sitting in a big top." How can a giant global entertainment brand run a mass-email program that feels equally personal? Plus, with dozens of activities going on constantly (permanent shows in Vegas and Florida, touring shows on four continents, TV specials, new CDs and DVDs etc), how could Cirque du Soleil avoid overwhelming fans with too much news and activities? The email team had enough news to send campaigns six-eight times per week, a frequency that would thrill very few fans, no matter how fervent. CAMPAIGN The team started by carefully crafting the opt-in process, and have revamped that process on an ongoing basis to keep best practices. Five keys: #1. Nomenclature You couldn't sign up for Cirque du Soleil's email list. You could, however, join the fan club, which happened to send emailed bulletins. The team hoped that small-seeming difference in opt-in verbiage would make all the difference. #2. Making the offer prominent The Fan Club was prominently displayed with a form fill box reading "Your Email Here" on the company's home page. For the undecided, a small hotlink next to that box read "What is Cirque Club?" Plus, much of the rest of the site also featured hotlinks to join the club. The team also wanted to build a presence for the fan club at the shows themselves to drive curious ticket holders to sign up. Whenever possible, they reserved about 20 tickets per performance for incredibly good seats to be given out as "upgrades" to Fan Club members. When club members arrived at the show clutching a printout of their upgrade eligibility, they were ushered into a special "Cirque Club Members Here" entrance while other ticket holders watched (hopefully jealously). #3. Offer loads of preferences When you have too much news to send, it's better if you microsegment your list so only the people most interested in particular news get that info. So, the team added (and again continually improved) a member preferences center asking opt-ins what sorts of email they wanted to get, including: - Cities where you prefer to attend shows (limit six cities) - If you'd like news on any particular permanent-location shows - General news about the company's TV and other new offerings - Merchandising offers and special promotions - English vs French language #4. Promote whitelisting The next page of the opt-in form (after the home page form for email and page two for preferences -- see link below for screenshots of all stages) requested that the to-be member add the club's email address to their contacts list *before* they could finish their membership registration. The page included hotlinks to more specific instructions for AOL, Hotmail and Yahoo! email users, along with a button to click to finalize sign-up. #5. Require double opt-ins After jumping through those hoops, new names were still *not* added to the Cirque du Soleil list unless they double opted in by clicking on a personal link in an incoming email. The email team automated the process. New to-be members would get one email within a few minutes, and then if they didn't confirm, a reminder email seven days later. If that step didn't work, then the name was wiped from the list. As the list started growing, the team quickly developed creative rules for the campaigns themselves so everything would be on- brand. Five main creative rules: o) Every email would be sent from a named person who writes in the first person. Some were real people. "Anne-Jose signs the email club. She's sitting right next to me," says Belanger. Some were characters from the show such as 'Madame' who signs letters to the Zumanity-brand fan club with a red lipsticked kiss. o) Emails would look and read like letters sent on Cirque or Zumanity 'letterhead'. "A letter is a story I'm telling you. We're storytellers, so we write you a story." So, no. There would be no photos of shows, or hero shots of promoted items, or any of the other over-the-top graphics you might expect from an email campaign produced by a circus. Instead, all campaigns would be simple 3-4 paragraph notes written from one person about one particular topic. o) Copy with a French accent. Cirque du Soleil is headquartered in mainly French-speaking Quebec, so all English-language emails include a a few French words scattered through as an accent. For example, a note might begin with "Bonjour." o) Less-obvious click links. Unlike most promotional email, Cirque's rarely (if ever) had a click link in the first paragraph of the letter. The letterhead also did not have any click links or buttons at the top that might distract from the main body of the letter. Click links were reserved for further down and were low-key in nature. "We rarely do huge mailings," notes Belanger. In fact, the team decided to strictly obey members' preferences. If you signed up saying you only wanted touring show news for Boston, that's what you'd get once a year when the show came to town. Just as with all offline Cirque campaigns, the tour email promotions were carefully orchestrated into a series of messages, that can be roughly described as: -> Step #1. The Cirque is coming! Advance tickets available. -> Step #2. Got any suggestions for our cast while they are in your town? (Restaurants, etc.) -> Step #3. We're here, print out your upgrade certificate. -> Step #4. Farewell These letters were automated as much as possible, but the letters were personalized for each city every year to keep them fresh. Plus, the team set up a "Red Alert" system to receive triggered alerts when an automated campaign was underperforming. Example: "We were going to East Rutherford, New Jersey. We were sending to the New York database, and New Yorkers don't cross the river." Since responses fell under the expected minimum, the team promptly yanked the promotion and ceased sending New Yorkers any further messages about New Jersey events. In addition, the team send four quarterly non-sales offers to the entire list (no matter what city you preferred) designed to keep the brand name alive and list cleaned throughout the year so it would be in good shape the next time the show came to town. These offers might be contests, new site interactive features, or holiday ecards. RESULTS "Now we have hundreds of thousands of club members worldwide," says Belanger happily. "And it's an incredible database because it's a clean, clean, clean database. Double-opt-in and all that." A higher-than-average percent of home page visitors convert to joining the club on the spot. Of those who fill out the online registration form, more than 80% remember to check their email account and click on the link to confirm their double opt-in. 10% of these are initial non-responders who get the second confirmation note that's sent seven days after opt-in. The only bad news about Cirque du Soleil's opt-in program is that the site is now fairly well search engine optimized, which means 65% of incoming traffic arrives in secondary pages instead of Home. Therefore Belanger's Web design team are busy on a redesign to add email opt-in forms onto every entry point. Club members respond to emails at an unusually high rate. "We receive about 9,000 emails a month," notes Belanger. "There are lots of very positive and personal comments. [We get] these amazing letters." Of show tour email cycles, the very first note "has a very high conversion rate" to ticket sales. The farewell notes tend to get the most personal letters from fans in reply. The holiday ecards get the highest response rate of any non- ticket-related email. "We had almost 120,000 people send ecards last year and we had 5,000 new members through that activity." {Source: Marketing Sherpa} Cirque a Success in Seattle! {Jun.29.2006} ---------------------------- Chris Winters, a Journal Reporter for the King County Journal in the Seattle area, wrote a brief article about Cirque du Soleil's run of Varekai. The article is a fascinating read; if you're interested, visit the King County Journal: Some highlights include: o) The show was such a success that Cirque du Soleil will return in 2008 with a new show, a year ahead of schedule. o) Varekai was scheduled to run for four weeks, but Cirque added Thursday matinees and extended the run two weeks to meet demand. o) Cirque normally plays 30 shows at any given location; Varekai ran for 54 at Marymoor Park, selling 130,000 tickets. o) Cirque targets to fill at 80% capacity rate; Varekai in Seattle was averaging 98% on weekends and over 90% on weekdays. o) "It's the most profitable show, the best ticket sales they had in the region ever," Tom Teigen said, the manager for King County Parks and Recreation's enterprise programs. o) The total economic benefit to a city that has hosted Cirque: approximately $3 Million. {Source: The King County Journal} ================== PRESS RELEASES ================== Cirque Theater in Japan Breaks Ground! {April 18, 2006} -------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil Theater Groundbreaking Ceremony URAYASU, CHIBA-The groundbreaking ceremony for Oriental Land Co., Ltd.'s new project, a permanent Cirque du Soleil theater, took place on April 18, 2006 at Tokyo Disney Resort. The ceremony began at 10 a.m. at the site reserved for the theater next to Disney Ambassador Hotel. Representatives of Takenaka Corporation and Oriental Land Co., Ltd. performed the groundbreaking in the presence of a Shinto priest from Seiryu Shrine. Traditional Japanese rituals also took place to pray for safe completion of the building. A total of 47 people related to this project attended the ceremony. The permanent Cirque du Soleil theatre is scheduled to open in fiscal year 2008. Facility Information Location: Next to Disney Ambassador Hotel Capacity: Approximately 2,000 seats Area: Building Space approximately 5,400 m2 # # # Statement from Yoshiro Fukushima, President and COO of Oriental Land Co., Ltd. The groundbreaking ceremony for our permanent Cirque du Soleil theater took place on April 18, 2006. This exciting project is scheduled to be completed in 2008. It is our honor to present in Tokyo Disney Resort, Cirque du Soleil's first permanent theatre outside North America. Cirque du Soleil creates thrilling performances that challenge the limits of human capability, transforming it into Art. Creation of an original show for this theater has already begun and we are sure that it will deliver even more wondrous entertainment to guests visiting Tokyo Disney Resort. The opening of this theater in fiscal year 2008 will coincide with the 25th anniversary of Tokyo Disneyland Park and the grand opening of Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, thus further enhancing the appeal of Tokyo Disney Resort. # # # Statement from Francois Macerola, Vice-President of Cirque du Soleil It is with great pride and honor that Cirque du Soleil is present today for this unique and unprecedented event in its 22-year history. For the first time ever, Cirque du Soleil will have a permanent home outside North America dedicated to its loyal and devoted fans in Japan. We have designed a theatre that will pay tribute to the unwavering loyalty of our audiences and reflect some of the attributes at the core of Cirque du Soleil's creative impulse: transparency, clearness, youthfulness, energy and strength. The design of the theatre will harness the energy of the sun to warm audiences' hearts. A timeless symbol of youth, the sun has been a constant source of inspiration throughout our history and our shows. It will be the driving force for creators, performers and employees involved in this new project. Today's ceremony marks an important step in the creative process of this new project. It is the beginning of the journey leading to an unparalleled production to open in 2008-a shining testament to the loyalty and dedication of our Japanese and international audiences. # # # Statement from Nick Franklin, President of Walt Disney Attractions, Japan "In 2008, the curtain will rise on a partnership that combines the artistry of Cirque du Soleil, the creative energy of Disney and the vision of the Oriental Land Company," said Nick Franklin, President of Walt Disney Attractions, Japan. "Today with this groundbreaking, we commence building the next great and highly anticipated Cirque De Soleil theater. This theatre will be the venue for a new spectacular Cirque du Soleil show adding yet another exciting dimension to the Tokyo Disney Resort that will amaze and enchant our guests of all ages." {http://www.olc.co.jp/en/news_parts/2006041801e.pdf} The Beatles: Love! {April 19, 2006} ------------------ MONTREAL, April 19 /CNW Telbec/ - Preview performances begin June 2 for The Beatles LOVE, the latest Cirque du Soleil production which celebrates the musical legacy of The Beatles. The Gala Premiere will be held Friday, June 30, 2006. LOVE will be presented exclusively at The Mirage in Las Vegas. This joint artistic venture marks the first time that The Beatles company, Apple Corps Ltd., has agreed to a major theatrical partnership. The project was born out of a personal friendship and mutual admiration between the late George Harrison and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté. LOVE will bring the magic of Cirque du Soleil together with the spirit and passion behind the most beloved rock group of all time to create a vivid, intimate and powerful entertainment experience. Sir George Martin, The Beatles original producer, and his son Giles Martin have been working with the entire archive of Beatles recordings to create the musical component for LOVE. The result is an unprecedented approach to the music for a stage production. "After spending more than 40 years of my life working with The Beatles and their wonderful music, I am thrilled to be working with it once again, on this exciting project with Cirque du Soleil," said Sir George Martin, "The show will be a unique and magical experience." Using the master tapes at Abbey Road Studios, Sir George and Giles have created a unique soundscape for LOVE. "I think we will achieve a real sense of drama with the music, the audience will feel as though they are actually in the theatre with the band. People are going to be knocked out by what they are hearing!" said Giles Martin. Dominic Champagne directed and wrote the original concept for the show which captures the essence of love that John, Paul, George and Ringo inspired during their astonishing adventure together. LOVE evokes the exuberant and irreverent spirit of The Beatles. "When we embarked on this extraordinary adventure in 2002," said Gilles Ste-Croix, Show Concept Creator and Director of Creation, "we set out to create a timeless, three-dimensional evocation of The Beatles music. Drawn from the poetry of the lyrics, we developed a preliminary concept that explored the content of the songs in a series of scenes inhabited by real and imaginary people." The international cast of 60 channels a raw, youthful energy underscored by aerial performance, extreme sports and urban, freestyle dance. LOVE will be presented in a custom-built theatre at The Mirage featuring 360 degrees seating and advanced high definition video projections with 100- foot digital, moving images. The panoramic surround sound system will envelop the audience who will experience The Beatles music like never before... Apple Corps Ltd. is planning to release the album through EMI Music later this year. Cirque du Soleil Creative Team: Guy Laliberté - Guide, Show Concept Creator Dominic Champagne - Director, Show Concept Writer Gilles Ste-Croix - Director of Creation, Show Concept Chantal Tremblay - Associate Director of Creation Jean Rabasse - Theatre and Set Designer Philippe Guillotel - Costume Designer Jonathan Deans - Sound Designer Yves Aucoin - Lighting Designer Francis Laporte - Video Projection Designer Hansel Cereza and Dave St-Pierre - Choreographers Guy St-Amour - Acrobatic & Rigging Designer Daniel Cola - Acrobatic Performance Designer Nathalie Gagné - Make-up Designer Patricia Ruel - Props Designer Michael Curry - Puppet Designer Guest Creators: André Simard - Aerial Acrobatic Designer Alexis Martin - Dramaturge Consultant François Pérusse - Comic Audio-clips Designer For Apple Corps Ltd.: Sir George Martin - Music Director Giles Martin - Music Director Neil Aspinall - Executive Producer Tickets to LOVE will be on sale at 9:00am April 19. TICKET PRICES: (*)$150, $125, $99, $69 All preview performances(*) will be discounted 25 percent. (*) Preview performances for LOVE begin June 2 and run through June 29. During these performances, the creative team is in the very final stages of production. The audience's reaction and participation is an important step in this process. The artistic direction of LOVE reserves the right to interrupt the performance to make adjustments as necessary. SHOW SCHEDULE: Preview performances will be presented nightly at 7:00pm. In addition, there will 10:30pm performances on limited dates. Please consult the most current show schedule at www.cirquedusoleil.com . Schedule is subject to change without notice. Following the preview period, LOVE will be performed Thursday through Monday with no shows on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Beginning July 1, there will be two shows nightly at 7:30pm & 10:30pm. TO RESERVE TICKETS: By phone: 702 792 7777 or 800 963 9634 Online: www.cirquedusoleil.com , www.thebeatles.com or www.mirage.com. In person: At the LOVE box office at The Mirage or any of the MGM MIRAGE box offices in Las Vegas. # # # Ownership of the trademarks: Apple Corps Limited for The Beatles (word and design), Cirque du Soleil for Cirque du Soleil (word and design) and The Cirque Apple Creation Partnership for LOVE (word and design). Trademarks used under license. For further information: Cirque du Soleil, Renée-Claude Ménard, (514) 723-7646, ext. 7366, rcm@cirquedusoleil.com; Chantal Côté, (514) 723-7646, ext. 7326, chantal.cote@cirquedusoleil.com ======================================================================= CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ON TELEVISION THIS QUARTER ======================================================================= April 2006: CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: CORTEO Network: CBC Canada ------------------------- o) April 2 (Sunday) at 8:00pm CIRQUE-A-THON Network: Bravo USA ------------------------- o) April 2 (Sunday): 10:00am - Dralion o) April 9 (Sunday): 10:00am - Alegría o) April 16 (Sunday): 10:00am - La Nouba o) April 23 (Sunday): 10:00am - Quidam May 2006: There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the United States. June 2006: There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque du Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the United States. ======================================================================= ITINERAIRE - TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= [Touring Shows] Alegría: Milan, Italy - Feb 23, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006 Rome, Italy - Apr 27, 2006 to Jun 24, 2006 Corteo: Scottsdale, Arizona - Mar 17, 2006 to Apr 9, 2006 New York, New York - Apr 27, 2006 to Jul 2, 2006 Delirium (Arena Show): Atlanta, Georgia - Apr 2, 3 & 4 Jacksonville, Florida - Apr 6 & 7 Tampa/St. Pete, Florida - Apr 9 & 10 Raleigh, North Carolina - Apr 12 & 13 Tallahassee, Florida - Apr 15 & 16 Orlando, Florida - Apr 18 & 19 Fort Lauderdale, Florida - Apr 21, 22 & 23 Charlotte, North Carolina - Apr 28 & 29 Columbia, South Carolina - May 02 & 03 Greensboro, North Carolina - May 6 & 7 Nashville, Tennessee - May 09 & 10 St-Louis, Missouri - May 12 & 13 Minneapolis/St-Paul, Minnesota - May 16 & 17 Des Moines, Iowa - May 19 & 20 Montreal, Quebec - Jun 16, 17 & 18 Toronto, Ontario - Jun 23 & 24 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Jun 29 & 30, Jul 01 Dralion: Geneva, Switzerland - Mar 10, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006 Valencia, Spain - May 4, 2006 to June 11, 2006 Quidam: Long Beach, California - Mar 09, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006 Ottawa, Ontario - May 18, 2006 to Jun 25, 2006 Saltimbanco: Santiago, Chile - Mar 14, 2006 to Apr 22, 2006 Buenos Aires, Argentina - May 5, 2006 to Jun 12, 2006 Varekai: Portland, Oregon - Mar 14, 2006 to Apr 23, 2006 Seattle, Washington - May 4, 2006 to Jun 11, 2006 Vancouver, BC - Jun 22, 2006 to Jul 23, 2006 [Resident Shows] La Nouba: Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark Sun/Mon Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o January 22 to 30 o March 26 to 28 o May 21 to June 5 o July 30 to August 1 o September 17 to 25 o November 19 to 21 Mystère: Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm Performs: Wed through Sun, Dark Mon/Tue Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o January 2 to 15 o February 5 o March 12 o May 17 to 21 o July 16 o September 13 to 17 o November 12 "O": Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm Performs: Wed through Sun, Dark Mon/Tue Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o February 19 o April 19 to 23 o June 18 o August 23 to 27 o October 22 o November 19 o December 5 to 17 Zumanity: Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark: Sun/Mon Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o February 5 and 21 o April 7 to 11 o June 6 o August 11 to 15 o October 17 o December 8 to 19 KÀ: Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:30pm Performs: Fri through Tue, Dark Wed/Thu Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o January 3 to 14 o March 14 o May 9 to 13 o July 11 o September 5 to 9 o November 7 LOVE: Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:30pm Performs: Thr through Mon, Dark Tue/Wed Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) 2006 Dark Dates: o June 26 o July 1 o August 15 to 23 o October 19 o November 28 to December 13 ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Quarterly Compendium Volume 6, Number 2 - Q2 2006 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2006 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or translated without the consent of the "Fascination! Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission (unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination! Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil, Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. { Jul.26.2006 } =======================================================================