======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 13, NUMBER 11 November 2013 ISSUE #118 ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. Back in August, a deal was struck for Gravitas Ventures to become the exclusive video-on-demand (VOD) distributor of a variety of Cirque’s filmed programs, bringing Cirque du Soleil Images (the entertainment company’s filmed programs banner) into the digital distribution age. The deal included performance specials featuring live shows, as well as behind-the-scenes documentaries that highlight the creative process of a Cirque show, making them available throughout the United States and Canada via local cable operators (such as Comcast, Time Warner, Dish Network and Rodgers), and a variety of online channels (such as iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon Marketplace). The first programs – “Kooza” and “A Thrilling Ride Through Kooza” – were made available on August 6th as part of Cirque’s “Season of Cirque du Soleil” celebration, an on-going release party which has so far seen the release of quite a number of Cirque’s titles: “Delirium”, “Hatching: the Creation of OVO”, “FLOW: A Tribute to the Artists of O” and “The Mysterey of Mystere”, “Dralion”, “ZAIA: Crossroads in Macao”, “ZED in Tokyo” and “KA Extreme”. [NOTE: These titles, depending on the platform, join “Corteo”, “Alegria”, “Lovesick”, “Journey of Man” and “Worlds Away 3D” already in digital distribution.] Although witnessing the Cirque embracing a myriad of distribution channels is something to celebrate, it is equally heart-warming to see they’re not just re-releasing the back catalog: they’re also taking this opportunity to release new and rarely seen content, such as with “Delirium” (though it was filmed for home release it never made it past the “Hot Ticket” Theatrical special) and “Hatching: A Documentary on the Creation of OVO” (which was probably filmed in response to a plan to film OVO for home consumption that so far hasn’t yet happened, but the special has been seen on television in select markets.) The videos come in two different flavors: for $3.99 you can rent the steam (getting approximately 30 days to view said rental, then 24 hours to watch it once you begin) or for $9.99 you can purchase the video outright (in Standard Definition. High Def is more expensive) and download it to your device of choice. I took the opportunity to watch “HATCHING”, the documentary on the creation of OVO, recently and found it wanting. The documentary was more on the idea and concept that insects are our friends than on the creation of the show itself, though the film did touch a bit on the creation of the show’s costumes and movement, which gave me a better appreciation for OVO. But don’t let my thoughts persuade you to give it or any of the other digital shows a try – the more we buy, the more Cirque will release! And in celebration of finally being able to own Delirium in HD, we take a brief peek into the world of Delirum in “The Great Experiment” within. As always we've got the latest news items posted to Fascination! Web and, of course, updates to Cirque's tour schedule. So, let's get started. We're off and running again! 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 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 * Cirque Week -- 2013 Event Schedule * Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube o) Fascination! Features * "DELIRIUM: The Great Experiment" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) o) Subscription Information o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= Cirque to Produce Content for Britany Spears? {Oct.01.2013} ---------------------------------------------- While pop princess Britney Spears continues with her preparations for her new resident show "Piece of Me" at PH Live in Planet Hollywood, fans are eagerly awaiting tonight's world- premiere video of her new single, "Work, Bitch." Here's the audio version, with the video set to be seen for the first time tonight at 9:34 p.m. ET simultaneously on VEVO and the CW. "Clear the way," tweeted Britney. "Call the Guvunah!" Her video will be seen on the second night of the CW's taped coverage of the 2013 iHeartRadio Music Festival, held here at MGM Grand Garden Arena two weekends ago. Britney's video director, Ben Mor, said: "It's her sexiest video ever. … It's definitely a more adult Britney. We set the bar high, and the video certainly doesn't have any soft visuals. Fans will not be left disappointed." It's the lead single from her eighth studio album out Dec. 3 ahead of moving to Las Vegas: "You want a hot body? You want a Bugatti? You want a Maserati? You better work, bitch! You want to live fancy? Live in a big mansion? Party in France? You better work, bitch!" Will.I.Am and his protégé Anthony Preston produced it. It will feature Britney right in the center lineup of sexy dancers in the desert with many hot wardrobe outfits and costumes. Here's a sneak preview until tonight's full-length version. It's a clear indication of what to expect from her Strip spectacular premiering Dec. 27. "This is a new era for her life," Ben said. "There are a lot of surprises, and people are going to flip over it. It's one of the more ambitious Britney videos. She's back and fighting fit." Britney's manager, Larry Rudolph, added: "It's a new chapter in the saga. It says she's back, being really fierce and taking back her throne. She's going to show them all how it's done!" Today, fellow Strip star Celine Dion had some words of welcome for Britney ahead of her arrival in Las Vegas. She told "ET Canada": "What I wish for her, especially as a mother, is for her to find wonderful people who can help her find a balance between the artist that she is and the mother, and to try and find an emotional balance to cope with those two and be the best of both worlds. I think she can really do it! She's already a pro and needs no advice from me. She's been there, she's been onstage, she's shook it all out. She's very talented and knows exactly what to do." Britney's busy week continues Friday when her collaboration with Miley Cyrus on the latter's new album "Bangerz" is set for release. Their duet track is "SMS." Meantime, she's up to her pretty eyelashes rehearsing, working out, planning and plotting the new show. Larry has revealed that there will be 14 dancers in the 100- minute show, and Britney makes the final selection this week. There will be a four-piece band onstage with her for the 21 hits and new music she's chosen to perform. He said: "She will be singing live. She's worked with a vocal coach every day to strengthen her voice and a trainer to keep her in the best shape possible. She is at the point where she can go out every night to do the full show. There won't be any lip-syncing across the board, but there might be some numbers when she's full-out dancing with the vocal tracks underneath her. No artist in the world can do both at the same time, but for Britney, this will be pretty close to 100 percent. "Visually, the show will be extraordinary, especially in such a small environment where you're not used to seeing her. She'll be close enough to see everybody's face in the entire theater." Her team has answered all the untrue rumors about her singing and dancing. Show director Baz Halpin, who worked on Cher's three-year Caesars Palace residency, said: "I've never seen an artist so pumped and excited. She's been religiously working on her vocals and the choreography for months. It will be an unleashed fury of rehearsal energy when we really get started in Las Vegas. "She will be able to handle the elevated anchor-shaped stage — twice the size of any you would see in any arena — with its surrounding dance floor. The technology is groundbreaking and hasn't be done before." Caesars Entertainment gave us a sneak peek at her new 4,600-seat nightclub theater with its dance floor and 270-degree wraparound giant video walls. Execs confirmed our reports that the space is being revamped into a planetarium-like setting with a nightclub environment with state-of-the-art technology for the indoor projection theater walls. "It will have the feel of a contemporary Las Vegas nightclub. Audiences will get the nightclub vibe even before they enter the theater-seating areas," Baz said. The show is divided into eight sections spanning Britney's life. Baz told Billboard Magazine this week: "It's like a visual variety show touching on all the things that excite her. It's pieces of her imagination, pieces of her dreams and pieces of her life." You get an idea of the extraordinary scope of Britney's ambitious show when you look at the amazing work of Geodezik, a French-Canadian multimedia and visual-effects company headquartered in Montreal since 2006 near Cirque du Soleil headquarters. Britney partnered with them in the past few days. They designed the production and integration for Taylor Swift's Red Tour, Pink's Truth About Love Tour and Justin Timberlake's incredible appearance at February's 55th Grammy Awards. Katy Perry, Usher, Alicia Keys, Tina Turner, Kanye West and Jay- Z are all clients of Geodezik, so expect the video walls at Planet Hollywood to explode with the best-ever ruthless-assault content. The company's work is a major part of Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson — The Immortal World Tour, which played here at Mandalay Bay. We'll continue our regular Britney updates, so check back often to Vegas DeLuxe. She's set to move here now in just six weeks — Nov. 15 — when the stage is ready for rehearsals. Vegas DeLuxe will chronicle the journey every step of the way, right up until the Dec. 27 premiere and New Year Eve spectacular. { SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/OmqrRf } Sounds Of MJONE: Q&A With Brandon Andreasen {Oct.02.2013} ---------------------------------------------- A Q&A with Brandon Andreasen, assistant head of audio, and primary front-of-house engineer for Michael Jackson ONE. He oversees the mix of the show, including CueStation programming, and the maintenance of the FOH sound system. He started working on the project in November of 2012, a few weeks before load-in began. Q. How is ONE the same or different from other Cirque shows? Like other Cirque du Soleil shows, Michael Jackson ONE pushes the envelope of artistic performance and technology. The show is a melding of concert, theatrical, and circus disciplines. It has the amazing acrobatics that Cirque du Soleil is known for, but also has an incredible cast of dancers performing all of Michael's signature choreography. From a sound standpoint, the show feels more like a concert compared to other Cirque du Soleil shows. For instance, we don't have any artists on theatrical body mic set-ups. The show is mixed like a Michael Jackson concert would be mixed, but with added system components like surrounds and seat speakers to provide a unique way of experiencing Michael's music that can only be heard in our theater. Q. What are the biggest challenges in running the show? I would say the biggest challenge in running the show is that the majority of the audience already knows Michael's music. They've heard these songs countless times and have an expectation of how each one should sound. It has to be perfect, and it should be for Michael's legacy. He was an amazing artist. We have to make sure our system is performing flawlessly every show, so we can make sure we give the audience a unique experience. We have a fairly large and complex audio system, and each member of our crew works hard to make sure everything runs smoothly. As a side note, readers might normally expect RF on a show this size to be a challenge. But thanks to James Stoffo's RF system design we have had very few wireless issues. Q. How does the system work since there is mostly playback, and very little live (one singer and one guitar)? The FOH console, a Meyer Sound Dmitri system, is locked to time code generated by the playback computer. This ensures that the Space Maps and other routings handled by DMitri line up precisely with the studio tracks. The live performances are then mixed with the tracks. Our guitarist plays three separate custom guitars on several songs throughout the show, and our singer uses both a headset and handheld vocal microphone at different points. Q. What do you hear in the seats/speakers VS the surround system? One way that Cirque du Soleil describes the show in its marketing is "immersive." The speakers in each seat definitely help to create that immersive experience for each audience member by placing Michael's music right next to you. The rear seat speakers support the other surround systems at times by helping to lower the image, and at other times they stand completely on their own with unique content like thickly layered background vocals or sound effects. One of my favorite things you can hear in the seats is this really great guitar riff throughout "Scream," which is actually a sample Michael used from a Sly Stone song. There is also a center seat speaker in the back of the seat in front of the audience member. This is primarily used to lower the image of Michael's voice and make it sound like he is singing right in front of you. { SOURCE: Live Design | http://goo.gl/Y9EjDq } MJ Immortal Tour to South Africa CANCELED {Oct.02.2013} ---------------------------------------------- Due to complicated routing developments, the estate of Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soleil announced on Friday, 4 October that Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour is unable to play in South Africa as planned during March 2014. Cirque du Soleil commented, "Due to touring logistical reasons we are no longer able to bring The Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour to every market we had scheduled for 2014 and regretfully, South Africa is one of these markets which is very sad indeed. We will however look at re-routing this tour to bring the show back in the future and appreciate our fans understanding and continued support." Big Concerts is disappointed by the news and will communicate to fans regarding a new tour date. Fans that have already bought tickets to one of the performances can get a full refund, Computicket Refund: If a patron has purchased their tickets online or through the call centre and have not collected their tickets, they will be eligible for an automatic refund into their credit card. If a patron has purchased through one of the Computicket outlets and/or has collected their tickets they will have to go to one of the Computicket outlets in order for the refund to be processed. Please note: Tickets that have been collected need to be presented to the outlet operator before the refund can be administered (this only applies to tickets that have already been collected). Big Concerts Refund: All Big Concerts tickets will be reimbursed in full from Monday, 7 October to the credit card with which the tickets were purchased. Contact the call centre if one has not received one's refund by Monday, 14 October. { SOURCE: Media Update | http://goo.gl/wr2dHJ } Wassa Leaving Zumanity to Run Baobab Full Time {Oct.09.2013} ------------------------------------------------ We talk a lot in these parts about rushing the stage, which is always a benign threat, or promise, depending on the stage and the performance. Wassa Coulilaby says it is OK to rush the stage at her Baobab Stage theater on Thursday night. In fact, she is inviting such invasive behavior. But Coulilaby, donning a loose-sleeved green dress of her own design and crimson-died hair, subs "rush" for her own term. "I hope that people will swarm the stage," Coulilaby says. "We want them to come up and be inspired by the music and dance with us for as long as they want." Long known for her role in the Cirque du Soleil production "Zumanity" at New York-New York, Coulibaly speaks of the show she is directing Thursday night at Baobab Stage. The nondescript theater named for an African, gourd-bearing tree favored by Coulibaly is located in Town Square just across from the entrance of Yard House. The new production is "Tribal Night 360," a night of tribal drums and dance beginning at 9:30 p.m. Tickets in the 250-seat theater are $20 (including handling fees) and available at 369- 6649 or at the Baobab Stage website. Coulilaby says the night is an international celebration of rhythmic music and dance, a traipse around the globe to experience the tribal beats "from Africa to Cuba, Haiti to Tahiti, Brazil to Japan." Before the "Tribal" performance, longtime Las Vegas performer and yoga and dance instructor Jada Fire is leading a dance workshop at 7 p.m. (cost is $10). It is a fully immersive evening of tribal culture. "I want people to feel a real connection to what is happening onstage, to jump in and feel a part of it. We want them to get up on their feet and feel the music," says Coulilaby, an athletic and precision performer who leaps high and long across the stage — and also away from it. In November, Coulilaby leaped into management of Baobab Stage, envisioning an intimate, international enclave drawing from her own singularly inspiring biography, which is played out in the play "Red Dress" performed Sundays at 2 p.m. at Baobab and written by Coulibaly and directed by her partner, Loppo Martinez. Coulibaly is from Dakar, Senegal. As a teenager, she bolted for Hawaii with an American percussionist she'd heard as a street performer in Dakar. The two married, but she soon left — or rather fled — that relationship after her husband coerced her into working as a stripper, threatening to have her deported if she did not work as an adult dancer. She wound up at Santa Monica College, studying dance and theater, and auditioned for "Zumanity" a little more than a decade ago. To the surprise of no one who has ever seen the tirelessly gyrating Coulibaly perform, she earned a spot in the show's original cast and has been a regular performer in "Zumanity" since it opened in 2003. Since July, she has planned to leave the Cirque show to devote all of her time to the theater and her adjoining clothing boutique, which is filled with her own fashion designs. She is finally making that move, leaving "Zumanity" for good after Sunday's show. Why would Coulibaly walk away from such a steady gig as performing in a Cirque show on the Strip? It makes sense when she explains her passion for the theater, where she spends almost double a 40-hour work week, and her own expansive approach to her art. "I've learned a lot, I've done a lot, and I've been inspired," Coulibaly says of her time with Cirque. "But I am ready for something new. As an artist, there is always room to grow. I feel a strong calling in me that it is time to flip the page." Coulibaly has spent tens of thousands of dollars on the upkeep and operations of the theater. She talks of "a couple of investors being interested" in supporting Baobab Square. But for now she is putting on shows and selling clothes. Along with "Tribal Night 360," she regularly stages "Red Dress," "Cabaret" and "Burlesque" late-night shows at the theater. As do so many Cirque performers, Coulibaly likens performing in the company to being in a family. "For 10 years, we've been together, and that is why I am here — for the show," Coulibaly says. "My Cirque family will still perform with me here. We have a real connection." As for how she envisions her final night with the "Zu" crew, Coulibaly smiles and says, "We want it to be with huge, loud drumming and dancing." If you're an artist who wants to dance with the world, there is no other way to go out. { SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/Xl8qnK } Cirque slackliners plan stunt over the Strip {Oct.10.2013} ---------------------------------------------- Whatever you do, don't call them slackers. The slackliners in Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson ONE who bound up and down on the narrow bands to Jackson's iconic song Bad may not necessarily be defying death (because their lines are not that high off the ground), but the high-energy performance still requires great balance, core strength, timing and skill, and has become one of the post popular acts in the show. Wednesday, October 16, all that changes however, when Cirque du Soleil commences a partnership with Gibbon Slacklines. The act will take to the sky for a daredevil stunt, stretched between the two towers of Mandalay Bay to kick off the World Slackline Federation's World Cup Finals high above the Las Vegas Strip. Andy Lewis, the slackline athlete famous for his Super Bowl XLVI halftime show appearance with Madonna, will attempt to set the world record for walking the longest urban highline: 360 feet across and 480 feet in the air. While Lewis traverses his line, three of the world's best professional slackliners — Hayden Nickell, Josh Beaudoin and Mickey Wilson — will be doing their own stunts and tricks on individual slacklines rigged at the same height. The slack line itself is a band no wider than two inches, and athletes don't simply walk across it like a tightrope, but bounce, jump and flip, landing on the narrow band each time. Now imagine catapulting yourself into the air and planting your feet firmly on the line, nearly 500 feet above the ground. Spectators are welcome to watch Lewis' world record attempt on October 16 at 2 p.m., but if you'd like to check slacklining out a little closer to the action, you're invited to watch the finals Thursday, October 17 inside the Michael Jackson ONE theater at 1 p.m. Pop into this viewing and you'll be treated to a special performance by slackline athletes Igor Zambelli and Gabriel Amaral, as choreographed in the new, highly-acclaimed Cirque du Soleil show. The world-record attempt and the 2013 World Slackline Federation World Cup Finals are open to fans of all ages and offer complimentary admission. Details regarding spectator viewing for both events can be found at gibbonslacklines.com/vegas. { SOURCE: USA Today | http://goo.gl/nWhNIZ } Cirque 2014 Stage: First Look {Oct.15.2013} ---------------------------------------------- Though our title is a little misleading, it is arguably the first look we've gotten of Cirque 2014's stage configuration – thanks to the show's pre-sale going on right now through CirqueClub. What do you think?? LINK /// < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=4223 > Of course, with the stage rendering we also get a peek at the price structure for the preview shows in Montreal, which is as follows: Category 4: CAD $40.00 Adult / CAD $30.00 Child Category 3: CAD $60.00 Adult / CAD $50.00 Child Category 2: CAD $85.00 Adult / CAD $75.00 Child Category 1: CAD $125.00 Adult / CAD $115.00 Child Category Premium: CAD $165.00 Adult / CAD $155 Child o) Premium consists of all of section 101 and 102 (Front and Center) and the lower rows of section 200. o) Category 1 consists of Sections 103, 104, 201, 202 and the upper rows of section 200. o) Category 2 consists of Sections 203 and 204. o) Category 3 consists of the lower half of Sections 205 and 206 (the extreme sides). o) Category 4 consists of the upper half of Sections 205 & 206. And, of course, there's VIP Rouge (previously known as Tapis Rouge) for CAD $290.00 for adults and CAD $280.00 for children (2-12). { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } Cirque du Soleil producers Ink Qatar deal {Oct.16.2013} ---------------------------------------------- The producers behind Cirque du Soleil, the famous Canadian-based circus dance troupe which is part owned by Dubai World, have been signed on to create daily shows in the under construction Mall of Qatar, in what is believed to be a world first for a retail facility. Mall of Qatar deputy managing director Shem Krey revealed the deal with the makers of the world's most famous circus troupe as he discussed ambitions for Qatar to be a rival to Dubai for destination shopping. He said under the deal, they would provide about 25 shows that would happen as "vignettes" throughout the day with 30-40 minute performances staged at the Oasis four-storey domed roof space, with shorter shows on eight separate "rotundas" throughout the mall. The performances could also be customized for retailers who may want to put on events, he said. "Instead of building a large aquarium or a large fountain or a very large wow factor within the forum, which is about half the size of a football pitch, were going to have actual stage productions," he said. "There's a complete family entertainment plan and complete family adaptation so that the mall isn't just for the shopping that you wish to do, but that there's also an attempt to entertain everyone within the family," he said. "That requires a very specific mix and a very specific blend of both entertainment as well as shopping." He added: "It's the first time to be done in a mall. But, if you go to some of the big outside boulevards in the world you'll see how the retail experience, especially in Europe and the United States, you'll see how the real experience is enhanced by the professional performers that are happening on an unregulated basis on the street and how that adds excitement for everybody. "Well, this will be the same thing except it will be done professionally and organized." In August 2009, Dubai World subsidiaries Nakheel and Istithmar World acquired a 20 percent stake in Cirque du Soleil, in a deal reportedly worth $600m. { SOURCE: Arabian Business | http://goo.gl/W35BqD } SPEAKER PREVIEW: Marketing lessons from Cirque {Oct.22.2013} ------------------------------------------------------ How is Cirque du Soleil selling 140,000 tickets a week in the entertainment hub of the world, Las Vegas? In a completely dynamic market with rapidly changing demographics and trends, industry leader Jerry Nadal, SVP – Resident Shows Division, Cirque du Soleil will be discussing at The Level Summit 2013 how the entertainment group listen, engage and respond to its customers by utilizing business and behavioural analytics. We caught up with Jerry to gain an insight into his forthcoming presentation at The LEVEL Summit 2013: LVL: Can you tell us how Cirque du Soleil's marketing strategies have changed over time? JN: With the increase of our productions and the changing customer purchasing trends, we have had to literally change with the times, most significantly from primarily traditional media to new media with the trends towards digital and social platforms. We have also had to change our messaging as the demographics of the markets keep changing, all this in light of the recession that began in late 2008 and transformed the Las Vegas market overnight. LVL: How many team members do you have within your marketing team? JN: We currently have 41 members within our marketing team, not including our agency, hotel partners or third party contractual promotional partners. LVL: What would you describe as your key marketing challenges? JN: Cutting through the clutter of the overall messaging in Las Vegas, the competition for the tourist dollar is tough, with a changing visitor demographic. Also, attracting new audiences in the 21-30 year old demographic. LVL: How is your global marketing structured? JN: We have a corporate marketing department that works collaboratively with our business units to help create best business practices that allow us to learn from the past to allow us to be better prepared for the future. We essentially work locally with our partners on direct sales and marketing programs and our corporate headquarters focuses on our brand, brand hierarchy and company-wide messaging. Best practice LVL: Which platforms do you use to measure business and analytics? JN: We work with many different analytical tools to help measure our business including real time information, industry trades and trends, digital platforms, research whitepapers and case studies. In terms of social media, we use Radian 6, Native Insights built into each platform (Facebook, Google, Twitter, Website, etc.) and for our Website Traffic we use Google Analytics and Omniture. LVL: Aside from sales, how have you measured marketing success? JN: The best way we measure success is from word of mouth and what we hear from our patrons, the social media growth within the last few years has allowed us to hear from our community in a real time setting and this has allowed us to strengthen our marketing voice. LVL: What do you expect to take from The LEVEL Summit 2013? JN: To share our best practices and hear more from our peers and get new insights into trends and analysis. LVL: What is the biggest lesson you have learnt from working in your role? JN: To always be able to adapt to new realities and overcome challenges, you have to be agile in this business. LVL: Can you give us one interesting fact about Cirque du Soleil that people might not know? JN: The ultimate goal of the creation process is to craft productions that invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke emotions in the audience. Additionally we have a philanthropic side of the company that is not advertised and our programs are targeted at Youth at Risk around the world. Publicly our founder has started the One Drop Foundation which aims to provide access to clean drinking water in areas of the world that do not have it and to shine a light on the worldwide water crisis. JOIN JERRY NADAL AND LEADERS FROM VENUES AROUND WORLD – AT THE LEVEL SUMMIT 2013. { SOURCE: The Level Summit | http://goo.gl/jiRP71 } MJ leads Forbes' list of top-earning dead celebrities {Oct.24.2013} ------------------------------------------------------ "It's me. It's Michael." Those words—spoken by the King of Pop's disembodied voice—proclaim the beginning of One, the Las Vegas spectacle that's the latest piece of Michael Jackson's lucrative legacy. Indeed, there's plenty of Michael. As One unfurls, the hard- rocking riffs of "Beat It" blare out across the show's permanent home at the 1,804-seat theater at Mandalay Bay as ersatz paparazzi, sporting oversized cameras and red trench-coats, zip- line overhead en route to the stage (the characters return throughout the show, a reminder of Jackson's under-the- microscope life). What follows is a 90-minute extravaganza that pairs some of Jackson's most popular songs with Cirque du Soleil's signature touches—acrobats performing feats in midair that would seem impossible even on the ground while contorting their bodies like human Gumby toys. Jackson tops FORBES' annual Halloween-spooky list of the top- earning dead celebrities with $160 million, better than any living musician. One is quickly becoming a key part of that financial picture, and not just because of its direct impact on the Jackson estate's bottom line. "The most important thing for the estate of a deceased performer is keeping his or her name or persona in front of the public," says entertainment attorney Donald David, whose résumé includes representing the postmortem interests of late rapper Tupac Shakur. "They are no longer here to give performances or interviews … thus, the secret is to keep the deceased star in the public's mind." With its posters plastered all over Las Vegas, One seems to be doing exactly that. The show should also play a major role in generating income for the estate in the coming years. How much, exactly, is difficult to pinpoint—data provider Pollstar doesn't track the grosses of Vegas shows. ("Casinos frequently comp significant parts of the house to high-rollers and that distorts sales stats," says Gary Bongiovanni, the outfit's president and editor-in-chief.) Even so, FORBES estimates that One is capable of grossing between $150,000 and $250,000 for a sold-out show; that figure doubles on nights with two performances. And when the show made its official Vegas debut this summer, it gave Jackson the remarkable ability to tour in two places at the same time. The other half of Jackson's postmortem performance empire is the Michael Jackson Immortal world tour, also a joint venture between the estate and Cirque. The show has been crisscrossing the globe since late 2011 and recently topped the $300 million mark for gross tickets sales, winning the Creative Content honor at last year's Billboard Touring Awards as well. One and Immortal were conceived at the same time, the product of conversations between Jackson's estate and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, who pushed to launch the traveling show first and follow with the Vegas show. He and Jackson estate co- executor John Branca tapped Jamie King, who got his start as a dancer on Jackson's Dangerous tour, to write and direct both productions. Unlike Immortal, however, One got its own permanent home in Vegas. That meant a chance for additional overhead daredevilry— acrobats moonwalking up the walls, for example—and opened the door for audiovisual extravagances including floor-to-ceiling video screens on either side of the stage and speakers in and around every single seat. "There's nothing better than being handed the keys to a brand- new Bentley, right?" says King. "This was a perfect opportunity for me to work with my design team and craft a show for a theater designed for this show." The "Stranger in Moscow" sequence toward the beginning of the show is among the best examples of this. A single acrobat climbs a silk rope and performs a lengthy series of twists and flips, his movements so effortless it seems he's surrounded by water rather than air. Meanwhile, snowflakes improbably descend from the ceiling, seemingly evaporating before they hit the ground. There are plenty of other jaw droppers: a "Thriller" sequence where performers in zombie costumes bounce back and forth between a trampoline on the ground and another 20 feet above it (or up to an even higher ledge); and later, to the tune of "Dirty Diana," a dance routine where a lady in red gyrates up and down a 30-foot pole. Though the storyline stringing the sequences together can be tenuous at times—the show follows four youngsters as they zip from scene to disparate scene, imbued with mystical powers from Jackson's shoes, sunglasses, fedora and trademark white glove— the plot isn't the point. At its core, One is a flying, twisting, twirling rock concert. Each scene brings yet another feat of eye-popping physical prowess, another classic Jackson song, another set of oohs and ahhs from the crowd. Ultimately, that means more cash for his estate's coffers. Says David: "I can virtually guarantee you that every guest [at One] is going to buy a Michael Jackson album at the very least." Having a permanent theater also enables the inclusion of the show's most crucial performer: Michael Jackson. More accurately, a hologram-like illusion that looks and moves like the King of Pop appears and performs "Man In The Mirror" right there with the rest of the show's dancers toward the end of the show. "The cool thing is that kids who didn't grow up with Michael are now discovering his genius and legacy … his spirit is with us," says King. "And his music will live forever." It seems his hefty earnings will, too. { SOURCE: Forbes | http://goo.gl/wik0Jz } BELIEVE to Close Temporarily; Angel to Undergo Surgery {Oct.25.2013} ------------------------------------------------------ Criss Angel will undergo surgery in January 2014 to repair a shoulder injury. Criss was initially diagnosed with a Supraspinatus tendon tear, superior labral anterior posterior tear and subscapularis strain, which took place over a year ago. He continued to perform throughout 2013 despite the trauma; in fact, he has not missed a show – over 2100 – since BeLIEve’s premiere 5 years ago. However, Criss exacerbated the injury during his recent double straightjacket escape in Times Square in New York City. He now has no choice but to have surgery to repair his shoulder and avoid permanent damage. … Thus, BeLIEve will not be performed in January 2014 in order to allow Criss to have the necessary procedure and begin his recovery. In the coming weeks, we will announce a new twist on the world of BeLIEve which will occupy the theater during the months of February and March on an interim basis while Criss continues his rehabilitation. Despite the surgery, and because of Criss’ dedication to his fans, he will be on stage performing as part of the limited– engagement show – which will feature performers from his new SPIKE TV series. The current BeLIEve show, which is celebrating its 5th anniversary this month, will return to the Luxor in full force this coming April, after Criss has completed his recovery. { SOURCE: BELIEVE Facebook } Quincy Jones Files $10M Lawsuit Over MJ Music {Oct.28.2013} ------------------------------------------------------ Quincy Jones has filed a $10 million breach-of-contract lawsuit in connection with Michael Jackson projects released after the singer’s death. The legendary producer — who has won 27 Grammy Awards and produced the King of Pop’s best-selling albums including Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad — is going to war with Sony Music Entertainment and MJJ Productions, a song company controlled by the icon’s estate. At issue are works including the This Is It film and soundtrack album, the Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil productions and the 25th anniversary edition of the Bad album. In a complaint filed on Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Jones alleges that master recordings he worked on were wrongfully edited and remixed so as to deprive him of backend profit participation. Jones also asserts that he has been denied credit for his work on the singer’s posthumous releases and that MJJ and Sony have entered into side deals taking profits that should have been included in the calculation of royalties. Read the Complaint Here: http://goo.gl/4hEusp “Quincy has been frustrated with these matters for a number of years, felt he was not making any progress and needed to take more formal action,” says Henry Gradstein, his attorney. Jones made agreements with Jackson in 1978 and 1985 for work on the singer’s solo albums. The contracts are said to have stipulated that Jones be given the first opportunity to re-edit or remix any of the master recordings, that the coupling of master recordings with other recordings required his prior written consent, and that he be given producer credit for each of the master recordings. The deal also entitled the producer to additional compensation — including upfront payment and a “backend” percentage — in the event of remixed masters. After the producer was hired, Jackson signed a recording agreement with Epic Records, a subsidiary of Sony. The record deal entitled Jones to payments, credit, the approval of biographical material and regular accounting. Jones contends that he is a third-party beneficiary of this recording agreement. After Jackson’s death on June 25, 2009, the King of Pop had a resurgence of popularity, and the executors of his estate and those who had control over his work attempted to exploit the public’s appetite for new works. That October, Columbia Pictures released This Is It, from AEG Live and The Michael Jackson Company, which showed preparations for what would have been the singer’s last concert tour. Two years later, Cirque du Soleil premiered a traveling theatrical show entitled “Michael Jackson: The Immortal Tour,” which has grossed an estimated $300 million to date. This past May, Cirque du Soleil came out with a new production entitled “Michael Jackson: One.” Soundtracks for both the film and the Cirque du Soleil productions have also been released. The film and its soundtrack included re-edits of songs like “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “She’s Out of My Life,” “Thriller,” “Beat It,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” and “Billy Jean.” The Cirque du Soleil production and album included re- edits of many of those songs as well as “Burn the Disco Out,” “Workin’ Day and Night,” “Baby Be Mine” and more. Jones says the terms of his deal were breached when MJJ allowed third parties to exploit these works “without first providing a reasonable opportunity to Jones to perform such remixes and/or re-edits.” Then, the complaint goes into “clandestine agreements” allegedly made that had the effect of reducing Jones’ royalties. The lawsuit states Jones’ belief that the Jackson parties “secretly entered into a venture agreement with Sony” where Sony and the Jackson Label would share profits. But Jones also alleges that rights to the master recordings “reverted from Sony to MJJ” and albums featuring the performances of Jackson were “distributed by the Jackson Label, instead of Sony, including albums embodying one or more of the Masters.” Thus, the defendants are charged with an effort to “divert” revenues to MJJ and “disguise” the revenues as “profits” instead of “royalties.” According to the lawsuit, “By removing such Disguised Royalties from the pool of revenues upon which Jones’ royalties are calculated, MJJ purposely reduces the royalties … payable to Jones under both of the Agreements.” The lawsuit alleges another secret agreement between Sony and producers of the This Is It film. Sony-owned master recordings were licensed, but the deal allegedly “divides the compensation payable to Sony into one portion designated for the master use licenses (the “Master Use License Fees”) and another portion paid directly to MJJ (the “Additional Fees”). This is another way that Jones figures he’s been deprived of royalties due to him, and it’s further said that “the Master Use License Fees do not represent the fair market value, negotiated in good faith, to license the masters used in the Film.” Jones is seeking at least $10 million in damages for breach of contract, and less specifically, he wants unpaid royalties due to him, remixing fees that would otherwise have been paid, and compensation for the loss of the value of credit he would have received. He’s also demanding an accounting. In a statement to THR, Howard Weitzman, lawyer for the Michael Jackson Estate, says the estate “was saddened to learn that Quincy Jones has filed a lawsuit seeking money from Michael’s estate. To the best of its knowledge, Mr. Jones has been appropriately compensated over approximately 35 years for his work with Michael.” { SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter | http://goo.gl/HAKU97 } Amaluna Inspires New Ice Cream Flavor: Tempest {Oct.29.2013} ------------------------------------------------------ Amaluna by Cirque du Soleil and Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream have joined forces to create Tempest – a one-of-a-kind limited edition ice cream flavor to be sold at Humphry Slocombe during the San Francisco engagement of Amaluna by Cirque du Soleil – November 13 – December 31, 2013 at AT&T Park in San Francisco. A crème fraîche ice cream with blueberry compote swirls, Tempest pays homage to the story of Amaluna, which puts a female twist on William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Tempest will be available in-store at Humphry Slocombe (2790 Harrison Street, San Francisco) beginning November 13, 2013 (while supplies last). Says Jamie Reilly, Company Manager for Amaluna: “Cirque du Soleil and Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream are both known internationally for their originality. Tempest is the perfect marriage of these two creative worlds. Everyone at Amaluna is thrilled to be represented as an ice cream flavor!” “The idea of doing a swirled ice cream came to me naturally,” said Jake Godby, founder of Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream. “The images of the performers’ graceful athleticism in addition to the show’s blue color palate led me to something that was strong and smooth and sweet and tart: crème fraîche-blueberry swirl.” For more information on Humphry Slocombe, visit http://www.humphryslocombe.com. { SOURCE: Broadway World | http://goo.gl/bAZC6g } OSHA Fines Cirque/MGM Grand in KÀ Performer’s Death {Oct.30.2013} ------------------------------------------------------ State occupational inspectors have concluded their investigation into the death of Cirque du Soleil “Ka” artist Sarah Guillot- Guyard, who fell more than 90 feet to her death during a performance June 29. After a nearly four-month investigation, Nevada OSHA has concluded that Guillot-Guyard fell after the wire rope suspending her during the show’s Final Battle scene broke, causing her to fall a reported 94 feet to the floor. The 31- year-old Guillot-Guyard, who had two young children, was transported to University Medical Center’s trauma unit and was pronounced dead from multiple blunt force trauma. OSHA’s findings, issued this morning, were that the wire rope suspending Guillot-Guyard “was severed due to the rapid ascent of the performer, ultimately causing the rope to be freed from the sheave/pulley and scraping against a shear point.” In other words, the wire had shifted out of the disk in the pulley housing and was cut as a result of the combined tension of Guillot-Guyard’s weight and the torque from the electric motor pulling her up the show’s moveable stage, which was set in a vertical position. Guillot-Guyard fell unimpeded to the floor below the opening in the stage. Her death was the first during a performance in Cirque’s 29-year history. As a result of the OSHA investigation, inspectors issued six citations against Cirque and three against MGM Grand. Cirque’s citations included a failure to “protect or prevent ‘Ka’ employees from striking an overhead grid during the ‘Ka’ show at the ‘Ka’ Theater.” This matches reports from those familiar with the “Ka” staging and fatal incident that Guillot-Guyard did hit the metal grid over the stage as she ascended high above the Final Battle scene, which jarred the rope connecting her to her harness. The report also cited Cirque for failing to “provide proper training for the ‘Ka’ Battle Spearman Warrior employee involved in the accident in the use of equipment and tasks used in the ‘Ka’ Show battle scene” and also for removing “equipment from a fatality site before Nevada OSHA authorized the dismantling and removal of the equipment (38 feet of wire rope that was attached to the victim at the time of the accident).” The monetary penalties issued to Cirque were $25,235. Those against MGM Grand were $7,000. Cirque du Soleil and MGM Grand are allowed to appeal the rulings. Cirque spokeswoman Rene-Claude Menard said the Strip’s predominant production company would do just that. In a statement that also referenced Cirque’s internal review of the incident, she said: “Cirque du Soleil completed an exhaustive review of its safety policies and procedures in the wake of the tragic accident involving Sarah. We have redoubled our efforts to ensure the overall diligence and safety of our performers and crew. We have received and reviewed the OSHA citations. We have initiated the appeal process as part of OSHA’s administrative protocol. Safety always has been the top priority for Cirque du Soleil, its performers and crew members.” MGM Resorts also is appealing the OSHA findings. “We have received and reviewed the OSHA citations and will initiate the appeal process as part of OSHA’s administrative protocol. Safety always has been the top priority for MGM Resorts and Cirque du Soleil, and we continue to work to ensure the safety of our cast and crew,” said Alan Feldman, executive vice president of MGM Resorts International. In such instances, an employer (Cirque and MGM Grand in this case) has an option for an information conference or formal appeal. Formal appeals are heard by the OSHA Review Board, and if that panel is involved, it could be “a number of months” before the final citations are issued, OSHA spokeswoman Teri Williams explained today. Apart from the OSHA investigation, Menard has previously said Cirque officials are in contact with Guillot-Guyard’s family to arrange financial support for the artist’s children. She added today: “We are still working with the family on the details surrounding the children’s fund. I will confirm once that is finalized.” In July, former “Zumanity” artist Wassa Coulilaby hosted a fundraising show for the Guillot-Guyard children, which was filled with Cirque performers and those from assorted Las Vegas productions. The event raised nearly $4,000 for the family. Guillot-Guyard was born in Paris and had spent more than 22 years as an acrobatic performer. She was a graduate of Annie Fratellini Art & Circus Academy, named for the French circus clown and actress. Guillot-Guyard joined the cast of “Ka” when the show opened at MGM Grand in 2006. She was once married to “Ka” performer Mathieu Guyard, and the couple had two children, ages 8 and 5 at the time of the tragedy. Guillot-Guyard also was a well-liked teacher in the CirqueFit acrobatic program at Fit Labs and the adjoining Studio 222 on West Flamingo Road. On the day of her death, the children in Guillot-Guyard’s class performed their final spring performance for their families. { SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/rLG972 } Criss Angel Reflects on 5 Years of BELIEVE {Oct.31.2013} ------------------------------------------------------ Despite serious injuries and an around-the-clock work schedule, including two TV series, magician Criss Angel has never missed one of his more than 2,100 shows in the five years since he launched Cirque du Soleil’s “Believe” at the Luxor. In advance of tonight’s fifth-anniversary celebration, Robin Leach sat with Criss and talked with him about his milestone “Believe” show and his future plans. Q. Does it feel like five years already? Yes and no at the same time. It’s kind of an interesting dichotomy because in some ways I can’t believe it’s only been five years and in other ways it feels like an eternity. Q. It got off to a rocky start, but it’s now the most successful magic show in the world. You had your hand in all of it from start to finish. Why is it still going strong, and why is it getting stronger? In the beginning, there was a director that Cirque employed who drove a very different vision of the show. While there were a lot of great elements in the show, it didn’t connect with my fans or Cirque fans. Cirque then gave me the opportunity to rewrite and redirect the show and allowed me to build a new show around my original vision. It’s been very rewarding to see it turn into such a big success. The new show is a testament to my cast, crew, Cirque, Luxor and, of course, my incredible manager who supported my vision and helped bring it to fruition. Q. And with Cirque’s blessing to allow you to completely change the show? We got to a point where we both could have walked away from the show. But with their support, I choose to work my ass off and create the show I originally wanted. Q. Doubling down, right? Yes, and Cirque and Luxor did, as well. Q. What do you change for the next five years? I understand the show is changing all the time, and you constantly give it a new look, a new feel. But how are you going to do that over the next five years? In several ways. I’m never completely satisfied with anything that I do whether it’s on television or live onstage. I’m always striving to be better as a person and in everything I do, and the live show is no different. It’s a living organism, and I always want to keep it new and fresh. For example, I will have new costumes, new illusions and new video content in the show by the first half of next year. And we just completed the new lighting design in time for the fifth anniversary. Also, you’ll never see the same show twice because I don’t read off a TelePrompTer; I don’t have a rigid script. We do what we feel is right for the audience in front of us, and no two shows are the same. We’re honored and flattered, especially in these trying economic times, for our huge turnouts, and we give 110 percent in every performance because we understand that we’re never going to have this audience ever again. It’s their first time, it’s our first time, and together we want to create an experience they’ll never forget. Q. So you added in the last go-round the motorcycle illusion? Yes, and we also are adding a brand new opening … Q. When will that be added? It’s almost completed and will be in the show in 2014. In the meantime, we have other exciting, new and original illusions going in, and we’re constantly rotating stuff. Q. Do you have anything specific that you’ve changed starting for the fifth? If you saw the show six months ago, you’ll see a different show today. And if you see it six months from now, you’ll see even more exciting, dramatic changes. And, as always, there’s more magic in this show than any magic show in the world. Q. You’re in the final five of a 10-year deal. Can this become the first five of a new 10? Would you be willing to extend? I honestly don’t know the answer to that. I have so many different projects and opportunities right now that I barely know what’s happening two weeks from now, never mind five years from now. I just take each show one at a time. Check the source for more of the Interview! { SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/lebSDw } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Amaluna, Corteo, Koozå, OVO, Totem & Tour 2014} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {Quidam, Dralion, MJ Immortal & Varekai} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, Believe, Zarkana & Michael Jackson ONE} NOTE: .) While we make every effort to provide complete and accurate touring dates and locations available, the information in this section is subject to change without notice. As such, the Fascination! Newsletter does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of these listings. For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts, please visit Cirque's website: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ >. ------------------------------------ BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau ------------------------------------ Amaluna: San Francisco, CA -- Nov 13, 2013 to Jan 12, 2014 San Jose, CA -- Jan 22, 2014 to Mar 2, 2014 New York, NY -- Mar 20, 2014 to May 18, 2014 Boston, MA -- Jun 4, 2014 to Jul 13, 2014 Washington, DC -- Jul 31, 2014 to Sep 21, 2014 Cirque 2014: Montreal, QC -- Apr 24, 2014 to Jun 6, 2014 Toronto, ON -- Aug 27, 2014 to Oct 26, 2014 Corteo: Curitiba, BR -- Nov 8, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013 Rio de Janeiro -- Dec 26, 2013 to Feb 23, 2014 Porto Alegre, BR -- Mar 6, 2014 to Apr 13, 2014 Koozå: Moscow, RU -- Sep 7, 2013 to Oct 31, 2013 Paris, FR -- Nov 23, 2013 to Dec 23, 2013 Munich, DE -- Jan 31, 2014 to Feb 16, 2014 Amsterdam, NL -- Mar 13, 2014 to Apr 13, 2014 Vienna, AT -- May 9, 2014 to Jun 1, 2014 Ovo: Taipei, TW -- Nov 19, 2013 to Jan 5, 2014 Tokyo, JP -- Feb 12, 2014 to Apr 13, 2014 Sendai, JP -- Apr 23, 2014 to Jun 7, 2014 Osaka, JP -- Jul, 17, 2014 to Nov 2, 2014 Nagoya, JP -- Nov 20, 2014 to Feb 1, 2015 Fukuoka, JP -- Feb 21, 2015 to TBA Totem: Long Beach, CA -- Oct 11, 2013 to Nov 10, 2013 Irvine, CA -- Nov 21, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013 Santa Monica, CA -- Jan 17, 2014 to Feb 9, 2014 Portland, OR -- Mar 27, 2014 to May 4, 2014 Vancouver, BC -- May 15, 2014 to Jun 15, 2014 Varekai: Mexico City, MX -- Sep 19, 2013 to Nov 24, 2013 (Going Arena: December 2013) ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ Alegría: Liverpool, UK -- Oct 30, 2013 to Nov 3, 2013 Nottingham, UK -- Nov 6, 2013 to Nov 10, 2013 Lille, FR -- Nov 13, 2013 to Nov 17, 2013 Bordeaux, FR -- Nov 20, 2013 to Nov 24, 2013 Valencia, ES -- Nov 28, 2013 to Dec 1, 2013 Gijon, ES -- Dec 4, 2013 to Dec 8, 2013 Santander, ES -- Dec 11, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013 Madrid, ES -- Dec 18, 2013 to Dec 22, 2013 Antwerp, BE -- Dec 26, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013 (Closing in Antwerp, Dec 29, 2013) Quidam: Frankfurt, DE -- Oct 30, 2013 to Nov 3, 2013 Dortmund, DE -- Nov 6, 2013 to Nov 10, 2013 Mannheim, DE -- Nov 13, 2013 to Nov 17, 2013 Malaga, ES -- Dec 5, 2013 to Dec 8, 2013 Zaragoza, ES -- Dec 11, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013 Sevilla, ES -- Dec 18, 2013 to Dec 22, 2013 A Coruña, ES -- Dec 25, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013 London, UK -- Jan 4, 2014 to Feb 9, 2014 Toulouse, FR -- Mar 5, 2014 to Mar 9, 2014 Strasbourg, FR -- Mar 12, 2014 to Mar 16, 2014 Toulon, FR -- Mar 19, 2014 to Mar 23, 2014 Montpellier, FR -- Mar 26, 2014 to Mar 30, 2014 Lyon, FR -- Apr 2, 2014 to Apr 6, 2014 Berlin, DE -- May 7, 2014 to May 11, 2014 Nuremberg, DE -- May 14, 2014 to May 18, 2014 Hanover, DE -- May 21, 2014 to May 25, 2014 Bremen, DE -- May 29, 2014 to Jun 1, 2014 Hamburg, DE -- Jun 4, 2014 to Jun 8, 2014 Luxembourg, LU -- Jun 11, 2014 to Jun 15, 2014 Dralion: Athens, GR -- Oct 29, 2013 to Nov 3, 2013 Rome, IT -- Nov 8, 2013 to Nov 17, 2013 Turin, IT -- Nov 21, 2013 to Nov 24, 2013 Milan, IT -- Nov 27, 2013 to Dec 1, 2013 Geneva, CH -- Dec 4, 2013 to Dec 8, 2013 Basel, CH -- Dec 11, 2013 to Dec 15, 2013 Barcelona, ES -- Dec 18, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013 Lisbon, PT -- Jan 1, 2014 to Jan 12, 2014 St. Petersburg, RU -- Jan 22, 2014 to Feb 2, 2014 Chelyabinsk, RU -- Feb 7, 2014 to Feb 16, 2014 Kazan, RU -- Feb 21, 2014 to Mar 2, 2014 Moscow, RU -- Mar 6, 2014 to Mar 16, 2014 Glasgow, UK -- May 8, 2014 to May 11, 2014 Sheffield, UK -- May 14, 2014 to May 18, 2014 Birmingham, UK -- May 22, 2014 to May 25, 2014 London, UK -- Jun 4, 2014 to Jun 8, 2014 Manchester, UK -- Jun 11, 2014 to Jun 15, 2014 Granada, ES -- Jul 23, 2014 to Jul 27, 2014 Bilbao, ES -- Aug 16, 2014 to Aug 24, 2014 Palma de Mallorca, ES -- Aug 28, 2014 to Sep 6, 2014 Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour: Auclkand, NZ -- Oct 30, 2013 to Nov 3, 2013 Dubai, UAE -- Dec 20, 2013 to Jan 14, 2014 Varekai: Bossier City, LA -- Dec 13, 2013 to Dec 14, 2013 Montreal, QC -- Dec 20, 2013 to Dec 30, 2013 Kingston, ON -- Jan 17, 2014 to Jan 20, 2014 Windsor, ON -- Jan 23, 2014 to Jan 26, 2014 Hamilton, ON -- Jan 29, 2014 to Feb 2, 2014 Detroit, MI -- Feb 5, 2014 to Feb 9, 2014 Youngstown, OH -- Feb 12, 2014 to Feb 16, 2014 Frisco, TX -- Feb 19, 2014 to Feb 23, 2014 Cedark Park, TX -- Feb 26, 2014 to Mar 2, 2014 Beaumont, TX -- Mar 5, 2014 to Mar 9, 2014 Baton Rouge, LA -- Mar 12, 2014 to Mar 16, 2014 Pensacola, FL -- Mar 19, 2014 to Mar 23, 2014 East Lansing, MI -- Apr 2, 2014 to Apr 6, 2014 Knoxville, TN -- Apr 9, 2014 to Apr 13, 2014 Providence, RI -- Jul 2, 2014 to Jul 6, 2014 --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- Mystère: Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday Two shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm 2013 Dark Dates: o November 6 2013 Added Performances: o December 27 "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm 2013 Dark Dates: o December 3 - 17 2013 Added Performances: o December 24 o December 31 La Nouba: Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm 2013 Dark Dates: o November 5-6 Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm 2013 Dark Dates: o TBA KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2013 Dark Dates: 2013 Added Performances: o December 30 LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2013 Dark Dates: o October 10 o December 11-26 2013 Added Performances: o December 10 BELIEVE: Location: Luxor, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:00pm NOTE: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Children under the age of five are not permitted into the theater. 2013 Dark Dates: o November 26 - 30 o December 17 - 24 2013 Added Performances: o December 25 & 26 ZARKANA: Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2013 Dark Dates: o November 5 2013 Added Performances: o December 26 MICHAEL JACKSON ONE: Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly: 7:00pm and 10:00pm 2013 Dark Dates: o December 5 - 20 ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) Cirque Week -- 2013 Event Schedule o) Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube --------------------------------------- CIRQUE WEEK: 2013 EVENT SCHEDULE --------------------------------------- CIRQUE WEEK returns to Las Vegas November 9-16, 2013. Cirque Club members are among the first to find out about specially priced show packages including Michael Jackson ONE, the latest Cirque du Soleil production in Las Vegas and Mystère, the show that started it all. CIRQUE WEEK guests will journey beyond the curtain for once-in- a-lifetime opportunities to experience the music, mystical characters and state-of-the art technology that have made Cirque du Soleil a Las Vegas icon. Be sure to purchase your tickets early and register for the exclusive CIRQUE WEEK events.* Choose your Cirque Week package to Las Vegas' most popular shows: > Browse & book packages: http://goo.gl/xvENLb et access to unique events such Q&A sessions, demonstrations and much more: > View event schedule: http://goo.gl/foMqvt Take advantage of special room rates from Treasure Island or MGM Resorts: > Browse & book a room: http://goo.gl/02UdZv SCHEDULE: o) Treasure Island - TI Las Vegas CIRQUE WEEK Headquarters 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Daily Treasure Island - TI Las Vegas will be the host hotel for this year's headquarters where attendees can pick up their CIRQUE WEEK gift and credential. *The headquarters will be located at the registration desk on the second floor (convention/wedding level) which can be accessed by using the hotel guest elevators. o) November 9, 2013 - Zumanity Zumanity Theatre at New York - New York 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Guests will experience a rehearsal featuring all of the beautiful costumes, custom-designed by famed designer Thierry Mugler, and characters from Zumanity's finale act, Extravaganza. Following the rehearsal, there will be a Q&A with select artists and representatives from Wardrobe who will talk about the fashions of Zumanity. o) November 10, 2013 - "O" "O" Theatre at Bellagio 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Fire! Learn what it takes for the performers and technicians to deal with the intense inferno acts night after night. The live fire demonstration will be followed by an in-depth Q&A. o) November 11, 2013 - Zarkana Zarkana Theater at ARIA Resort & Casino Zarkana cast & crew will put on their teaching caps to give attendees a hands on class in some of the essential parts of the show, both on stage and off. Courses may include Rigging, Clowning, Wardrobe, Music, Juggling/Body Percussion. Class times are: - 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm - 2:45 pm - 3:15 pm - 3:30 pm - 4:00 pm * Each time slot is limited to 100 attendees. Attendees will only be able to sign up for one time slot. Courses are subject to change and will be selected at random. o) November 12, 2013 - One Night for One Drop Mystère Theatre at Treasure Island 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Guests will see footage of the inaugural One Night for ONE DROP, a one-night-only performance in Las Vegas benefitting ONE DROP, the non-profit organization created by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, that strives to ensure that water is accessible to all, today and forever. The show featured more than 230 Cirque du Soleil artists and guest performers such as Jackie Evancho, David Garibaldi, a dance piece choreographed by Sonya Tayeh and an original composition by award-winning composer Danny Elfman. Guests will also have a chance to meet the newly appointed director of One Night for ONE DROP 2014 and get to attend a rehearsal and a sneak preview of next year's performance. o) November 12, 2013 - Mystère Mystère Theatre at Treasure Island 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm The characters of Mystère revealed. Meet the fantastical characters of Mystère and learn about the inspiration and story behind some of Cirque's most beloved characters. o) November 13, 2013 - Michael Jackson ONE Michael Jackson ONE Theatre at Mandalay Bay Resort 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Guests will have the unprecedented opportunity to learn "Thriller" choreography with cast from the show. Please note that no filming or photography will be allowed. Due to the interactive nature of this event, release forms will need to be signed in advance. Please wear comfortable shoes. *Event capacity capped at 200. o) November 14, 2013 - KÀ KÀ Theatre at MGM Grand 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm See a special demonstration of the "Wash-Up" act followed by the chance to get up close and personal with some of KÀ's puppets. Guests will receive a special gift inspired by the act. o) November 15, 2013 - CRISS ANGEL Believe CRISS ANGEL Believe Theatre at Luxor 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Fans will have the opportunity to see an episode of the new Spike TV series "Criss Angel Believe" featuring Criss' crazy stunts and illusions taped live here in Las Vegas! The screening will be followed by a Q&A with select members of the show production team. o) November 16, 2013 - The Beatles LOVE LOVE Theatre at The Mirage 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm & 3:00 pm - 3:45 pm At LOVE, a dance workshop will be hosted by Dance Master Katy Tate and LOVE's Dance Captains. Fans will be able to learn a special routine to their favorite music that is exclusive to The Beatles LOVE production. Release forms will need to be signed in advance. Due to the interactive nature of this event, release forms will need to be signed in advance. Please wear comfortable shoes. *Capacity capped at 50 people / session. 45 minute sessions will be held at 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm. {SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil} --------------------------------------------------- NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter --------------------------------------------------- {Compiled by Keith Johnson} ---[ ALEGRIA ]--- {Oct.17} Alegria is preparing to premiere in Newcastle, UK for the last leg of its history! What will you miss most about the show? Share your memories here. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/e37pAo > {Oct.23} Hello Alegria fans! We have a special request in lieu of Alegria closing. We are asking you to submit a letter that we are going to include in a final Alegria memory book that will be distributed to all the cast & crew at the end of the tour. This letter should talk about what Alegria has meant to you, how it has inspired you, and/or how you felt when you first saw it. We want to know how our amazing cast has moved you so they can be reminded of the wonderful work they have done throughout the years! The letter we do select that will make the book will receive a package of fun merchandise! Please submit your letters via private message! {Oct.23} Alegria is premiering in Leeds, UK tonight and our Barnsley sisters (Zoe and Zara McLean) are excited to be bringing this show back home! Wish them and the entire crew luck! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/sJprFC > {Oct.31} Today, our kitchen staff prepared us some gruesome (yet delicious) #Halloween #Treats; Ghost Merengues, Day of the Death Sponge Cake, Zombie Chocolate Chip cookies (and marzipan fingers), Necrophilian Flapjacks and more! Happy Halloween to all! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/6R0Jjn > ---[ AMALUNA ]--- {Oct.08} Amaluna literally dove into new territory here in Minneapolis with Waterbowl Artist, Iuliia Mykhailova; free-diving with hundreds of beautiful, tropical sea creatures at SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium! LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzk70sXUOb0 > ---[ CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ]--- {Oct.07} Each year, Cirque du Soleil and Nevada Ballet put on "A Choreographer's Showcase" – go behind the scenes of this unique performance with the video below and, if you're near Las Vegas, see it live this weekend at the Mystère Theatre! LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAIdrJdDmnc > {Oct.22} Watch this exclusive view from the top... of the Big Top! LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EmhY0C786Q > {Oct.25} Halloween Spirit Week at our Vegas offices wrapped up today! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/A5IPHo > {Oct.31} We love to celebrate Halloween at our International Headquarters in Montreal! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/moFvnn > ---[ CORTEO ]--- {Oct.09} Did you know? The two enormous baroque-style “Roll Drop” curtains (58 feet wide and almost 40 feet high), and the four sideways-opening Italian-style curtains are among the most striking scenic elements in the show. They were sewn in Canada and sent to France to be painted. {Oct.18} To celebrate the 15th anniversary of "O", we've put together a small exhibition for our employees. Have you ever seen O? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/01BiJr > {Oct.23} Our costume designer, Dominique Lemieux, used more than 900 different fabrics, concentrating on natural fibers such as silks, linens, cottons and lace in a subtle color palette that includes blues, pinks, fuchsia and gold with appliquéd spangles and jewels. {Oct.25} Halloween das crianças do Corteo! Doces ou travessuras? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/RH9Qof > {Oct.27} Hoje é nosso último show em Belo Hotizonte e queremos agradecer a todos pelo carinho. Nossa próxima parada: Curitiba! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/uAbEOG > {Oct.29} Site do Corteo em Curitiba visto do céu! A montagem vai começar logo!!! Esperamos ver vocês logo!!! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/OVbS2W > ---[ CRISS ANGEL BELIEVE ]--- {Oct.11} Check out the new Criss Angel Believe lobby display inside Luxor Hotel and Casino! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/4aeQhf > {Oct.29} Check out our 5th anniversary cake! We celebrate 5 years Wednesday at 7 p.m.! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/fQP86k > ---[ DRALION ]--- {Oct.03} Members of our casts are doing a Parade and a story telling at City Center in Beirut, Lebanon between 5 & 8 pm on Oct. 4 & 5. Come see cast members up close! Dralion at the Forum de Beirut opens on Oct. 10. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/JAxhkq > {Oct.11} Watch this cool video of Josue becoming the countertenor (singer) for Dralion by Cirque du Soleil! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/q2PN1a > {Oct.19} Our clowns are about to go on stage at the Forum de Beyrouth! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/T3qcjZ > {Oct.21} We are celebrating our 3rd year of touring in Arenas. Our 1st Arena tour performance was on Oct. 21st 2010! {Oct.23} Dralion's score draws its inspiration from classic Indian melodies, weaving in influences from Andalusia, Africas as well as Central and Western Europe. Our band is composed of 6 musicians and 2 singers. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/pz2m99 > {Oct.25} Tune In Dancing with the Stars Greece for special presentation of our Hoop diving act! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/N6CZ5e > {Oct.27} Final run through for cameras before tonight’s live show! Very excited......Will you be watching? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/8Pxn0M > {Oct.30} Meet Petros - our Bass & keyboard player. Petros is really excited to perform in his hometown this week. Take a look to this article where he shares his touring experience with Cirque du Soleil! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/br2xne > {Oct.31} Melody & Rob worked hard carving our pumpkins for tonight's very unique Halloween Dralion party! Happy Halloween! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/5C3oIk > ---[ KOOZA ]--- {Oct.03} Here's how the photo shoot we did for HELLO MAGAZINE in Russia looked like...stunning! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/i7JZ9t > {Oct.09} Kooza featured in The Moscow Times LINK /// < http://goo.gl/x69MVb > {Oct.20} Allure Magazine photo shoot - behind the scenes! (10 photos) – We just finished a photo shoot for Allure Magazine in Russia. Fashion and celebrity photographer Morgan Norman (www.morgannorman.com) spent 2 days with us in Moscow for this. Here are some pictures we took during the shoot! We can't wait to see the result! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/bqZcLw > {Oct.24} Kooza at the Circus Y. Nikulin orphanage - Moscow 2013 (7 photos) - This morning, more than 30 members of our cast and crew, visited the Circus Y. Nikulin orphanage in Moscow. We spent a few hours with the kids, circus workshops were organized...a great day for all! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/NfeIml > {Oct.24} Added 9 photos to the album Allure Magazine photo shoot - behind the scenes! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/AICLZ8 > {Oct.25} We're very proud of our Unicycle's duo performance on Le Plus Grand Cabaret du Monde on France 2 (National French TV). KOOZA by Cirque du Soleil opens in Paris on November 24!!! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/sqFSs9 > ---[ MJ IMMORTAL ]--- {Oct.01} 381 shows - 114 cities - 25 countries - 3 continents - 2 YEARS! Today marks the 2 year anniversary of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil! Congratulations to the entire IMMORTAL family! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/KrusJe > {Oct.07} Check out a great behind the scenes look into IMMORTAL! This time with Australia's Channel 7 Morning Show. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/YrkAOX > {Oct.16} 1500 pieces make up one set of costumes, which means there's a lot of laundry to be done! {Oct.30} Happy Halloween to all of our fans from a few of our own disguised as OLD LADIES and the entire cast and crew! What's YOUR costume this year? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/0t6AxR > {Oct.30} Vocalist Stevvi Alexander was nominated to blow out the candles on the cake marking our 400TH SHOW - TONIGHT! Congratulations to the entire IMMORTAL family and thank you to all our fans around the world! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/I4JtWS > ---[ MJ ONE ]--- {Oct.08} A week from tomorrow Michael Jackson ONE and Gibbon Slacklines will showcase a slackline megastunt on the 63rd floor of Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino! The stunt will kick off the 2013 Slackline World Cup Finals taking place inside our theatre on Oct. 17! LINK /// < http://www.gibbonslacklines.com/Vegas/ > {Oct.16} The slackline #vegasmegastunt with Gibbon Slacklines is underway on the 63rd floor of Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/OeEDnv > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/B0dIjw > {Oct.17} Following a world record-setting highline walk outside of Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, slackline athlete Andy Lewis caught the early performance of our show last night! (If you can't get enough slackline, check out the World Slackline Federation World Cup Finals, happening inside our theatre right now!) LINK /// < http://goo.gl/uxOcrG > {Oct.17} Lots of slacking – in a good way! – happening at our theatre right now with the Slackline World Cup Finals! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/1guIt3 > {Oct.17} Michael Jackson ONE slackline artist Gabriel Amaral presents the crystal trophy to Slackline World Cup Final winner Carlos Neto at our theatre! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/EqwhZD > {Oct.234} Get an inside, in-depth look at our show from The Wall Street Journal with the video below! LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1ngBGH2uVo > {Oct.31} Michael Jackson ONE at Life is Beautiful (4 photos) - Michael Jackson ONE performed at Life is Beautiful Festival in Vegas on October 27! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Vg8CqT > ---[ MYSTERE ]--- {Oct.07} There's still one more weekend to see A Choreographer's Showcase with Nevada Ballet at our theatre! Check out the album below for photos from this weekend's performance! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/CVZVce > {Oct.22} We love a good action shot! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/VwNfrS > {Oct.27} Last night at #lifeisbeautiful, we helped Imagine Dragons close out their set, and our drummer Carlos Lopez this amazing viewpoint! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/3X9y7V > ---[ "O" ]--- {Oct.16} We're celebrating our 15th anniversary and guests at tonight's early performance get a special commemorative pin! LINK /// < http://instagram.com/p/fiPhZVxI7j/ > {Oct.27} We took a little bit of "O" on the road today! Down the street to downtown Las Vegas for #lifeisbeautiful! LINK /// < http://instagram.com/p/f_Jy2uRI4u/ > ---[ QUIDAM ]--- {Oct.05} Quidam @ London Eye behind the scenes LINK /// < http://goo.gl/b3Lnyy > {Oct.06} Here are the behind the scenes photos! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/B9e3AG > {Oct.10} One hour before opening Quidam in Salzburg yesterday we were going LIVE on ORF Salzburg Heute ~ check out the result here: LINK /// < http://goo.gl/BgdxsP > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/t53xzc > {Oct.13} Did you know that the crowds in Europe have been clapping so much at the end of Quidam that we had to add an extra bow to thank them!? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/mofaIO > {Oct.17} Quidam is so proud of the Diabolo act representing Cirque du Soleil at the International Circus Festival "City of Latina" this week. What they say about Will: In his “diabolo” performance, William Lin combines superb technical skill with the excellence of style, musicality and choreographic brilliance that epitomizes all of Cirque du Soleil’s productions. Best of luck William! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/wXvm9t > ---[ THE BEATLES LOVE ]--- {Oct.07} Keep an eye on the Life is Beautiful Festival page to see what happens Zedd goes backstage at our show! What happens when Zedd goes backstage of The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil? Video footage coming soon! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/bxYATb > {Oct.08} Life is Beautiful Festival is coming up at the end of October in Vegas and to celebrate, Zedd stopped by backstage at our show! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Brv1K6 > {Oct.14} We're getting excited for our upcoming street performance at Life is Beautiful Festival! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/q95qJy > {Oct.26} It's a gorgeous day to perform at Life is Beautiful! LINK /// < http://instagram.com/p/f80XTuRI55/ > ---[ TOTEM ]--- {Oct.16} We are in full photo shoot mode with Coast Magazine for their upcoming November issue!! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ogF5C4 > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/M0bWR4 > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/0ndbDM > {Oct.19} The Los Angeles Times published an all-star review of TOTEM! We are extremely happy to be delivering the best show possible every day and perform for the amazing Los Angeles crowds! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/sHM8AI > {Oct.23} It is the first day of the week at TOTEM and our 750 custom-made costume pieces are drying to be ready for tonight's performance! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/gIJXYN > {Oct.27} There is creativity everywhere at TOTEM! School students Sophia and Anthony are all dressed up for our Halloween celebrations today! What will your Halloween costume be this year! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/w9rbW2 > {Oct.31} We celebrated Halloween on Sunday at the Queen Marys Dark Harbor in Long Beach, CA! Everybody dressed up, even our tour directors Jeff, Tara and Tim! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/0ieeAf > ---[ VAREKAI ]--- {Oct.08} Starting a week of shows here in Mexico City in 10 minutes we are going on stage. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/1ZWQ1O > {Oct.09} The show has over 600 costumes, shoes, wigs, hats and accessories. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/crAxGW > {Oct.27} Today we are celebrating 4000 shows! ---[ ZARKANA ]--- {Oct.15} Walk the Wardrobe 2013 (23 photos) - Last week, the Zarkana theatre played host to "Walk the Wardrobe," an event put on internally at Zarkana showcasing the talents of our cast & crew! Although only Cirque family and friends attended the actual show, we thought we'd give you a peek at some of the amazing creations on display! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/tuLHmE > {Oct.23} Just another normal day at Zarkana! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/8sQdwj > {Oct.26} We had a blast performing at Life is Beautiful today! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/VBBVja > {Oct.31} Halloween at Zarkana is a family affair! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/DGqqYP > ---[ ZUMANITY ]--- {Oct.22} This is exactly what it looked like when you went to the gym this morning, right? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/NqrBps > {Oct.27} Elena and her hoops act out at #lifeisbeautiful in downtown Las Vegas today! LINK /// < http://instagram.com/p/f_WmyjxI-f/ > {Oct.29} Still looking for a Halloween costume? May we suggest "Scottish Fantasy?" Here's the details on making that work! (It's worth a watch even if you don't need a Halloween costume, trust us. Or trust the words: "Scottish Fantasy.") LINK /// < http://goo.gl/980UL6 > ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= ---------------------------------------------------------- "DELIRIUM: The Great Experiment" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) ---------------------------------------------------------- "If someone put together a Cirque du Soleil Cover Band that only played the Cirque's music, do you think it would be popular to the general public?" A fan of Cirque du Soleil posed such a question in early 2004 and the response provoked was rather negative. Who would want to listen to a cover band play Cirque music, some asked? And why would you want to hear it out of context, others inquired. Cirque fans had been listening to songs out of context through the company's CD releases, how would this be any different? For starters, it would be a different group of people attempting to play the music in different genres than it was intended. But that didn't mean everyone found the idea tough to swallow – including Cirque itself. Although we can't say that fans helped give birth to the idea of a Cirque du Soleil concert-type show, it wasn't long after that Cirque du Soleil announced something similar... THE GREAT EXPERIMENT -------------------- "We will be celebrating the music of Cirque!" If the U.S.S. Excelsior (NX-2000) was considered "the great experiment" of Star Trek lore for new Trans-warp drive technology, (a drastic improvement in propulsion over the Federation's standard warp technology by the way), then the equivalent for Cirque du Soleil has to be DELIRIUM, its "in concert" arena production celebrating the company's music catalog, remixed into something "explosive." The first test of this hypothesis can be traced back to 2003 and the company's flirtation with remixing their music catalog. "As Cirque du Soleil ventures towards new creative grounds, its music is doing the same!" a release from CirqueClub advised. "A new music project, called TAPIS ROUGE, unites our music with the talent of some of the best producers in electronic music today. The result is the innovative remix CD: Solarium. The first CD to feature this new ‘chill mix' approach to Cirque du Soleil's music is now available!" Later on came a separate, more up-beat dance music urban concept known as DELIRIUM (named after the break room at Cirque du Soleil's Headquarters in Montreal). By May 2005, the two CDs were released as a set – SOLARIUM/DELIRIUM. "This 2-disc compilation is packed with chilled-out rhythms (SOLARIUM)) and hot, sparkling beats (DELIRIUM) – a celebration of 20 years of Cirque du Soleil's creative excellence. The SOLARIUM disc is a cool, ambient, chill-out collection, and includes remixes by Ibizarre, A Man Called Adam, Cottonbelly, Christophe Goze and Thievery Corporation. The DELIRIUM disc captures the hot, sparkling energy of a festive dance party, and features innovative remixes by noteworthy DJs and producers, such as Louie Vega (featuring Jaffa), Julien Jabre, Roger Sanchez, Sasha, François K, Eric Kupper and many more!" Both concepts proved popular. Would Cirque take the next step? CIRQUE DU CONCERTS? ------------------- On February 7, 2005, Chief Executive Officer of Clear Channel Entertainment Theatrical, Scott Zeiger and President and Chief Operating Officer of Cirque du Soleil, Daniel Lamarre, announced that Clear Channel Entertainment and Cirque du Soleil had formed a partnership to develop and produce a 100-date nationwide North American arena tour, beginning in November 2005. From the press release: For the first time ever, Cirque du Soleil will perform principally one-night concert engagements in major arenas across North America. The new show will feature the music catalog of Cirque du Soleil and will re-define the concert experience, incorporating Cirque du Soleil's unique brand of innovative staging and its imaginative use of video projections and music. Cirque du Soleil Musique, the music division of Cirque du Soleil, will manage the creative and artistic production of this new venture. Production and promotional aspects will be managed by Clear Channel Entertainment. Scott Zeiger said, "We are very excited about presenting this new joint venture, and are thrilled to collaborate with a creative team of this caliber. We have always had great admiration for Cirque du Soleil's artistic achievements, and are looking forward to bringing their innovative vision to a much larger audience across North America with this newly configured tour presentation." "This new collaboration clearly demonstrates what Cirque du Soleil is looking for in building partnerships – leadership, open-mindedness and the willingness to develop creative-driven quality projects. Clear Channel Entertainment is most certainly one of those partners", Daniel Lamarre said. Overseeing the project for Clear Channel Entertainment will be Executive Vice President, Creative Development, Jonathan Hochwald, and for Cirque du Soleil, Senior Vice President, New Ventures, Eric Fournier. Hochwald said, "This is a dream project for us – an opportunity to reinvent and re-imagine the arena experience and to introduce the genius of Cirque du Soleil's artistic vision to new audiences who will discover the music of Cirque as they have never seen it." "This new creative platform is the first step to a long-term relationship with Clear Channel Entertainment," added Fournier. "Cirque du Soleil is truly expanding its creative force to other types of ventures with the simple objective of redefining existing entertainment formats with a Cirque du Soleil creative perspective." On January 26, 2006, Delirium premiered at the Bell Center Arena in Montreal, ushering in a new type of Cirque du Soleil show. Not only would DELIRIUM be the first show outside Cirque's normal acrobatic melieu, it was an experiment to see if the company could penetrate new, smaller markets simply by adopting a new way of touring. It was also a clever way to develop a knowledge based for an arena-based touring model without jeopardizing the brand value of Cirque's current touring production assets. This would eventually give way to Saltimbanco's, Alegría's, Quidam's and Dralion's arena tours. THE QUEST FOR BALANCE --------------------- Delirium was marketed as the quest for balance in a world that was "increasingly out of sync with reality, pushing the limits of arena performance through technical magnitude, human introspection and creative prowess." It was an urban tale, a state-of-the-art mix of music, dance, theatre, and multimedia. Pumped by this re-energized Cirque du Soleil rhythm, the DELIRIUM tour transported audiences into a universe of delirious sensory folly. For the first time in Cirque du Soleil history, lyrics had been created for the instrumental tracks and real words integrated in place of invented language, bringing to the music a fresh poetic dimension. The texts were in English, French, Spanish, Wolof and Portuguese. Robbie Dillon, who contributed texts for Cirque du Soleil's ZUMANITY, composed the English lyrics for DELIRIUM. In all, 20 of Cirque du Soleil's most memorable musical moments originally created by René Dupéré, Benoît Jutras and Violaine Corradi were re-mixed by Quebec producer, composer and arranger Francis Collard, who "deftly injected new life into these powerful classics." The result was a hyper- energizing urban tribal beat that "exploded with electronic sounds, percussions and world rhythms." And it seemed to be catching on. The show itself was an interesting hybrid; songs from Cirque shows played in a more "modern" fashion with English lyrics, a huge stage bisecting the arena (a la Corteo) on which the show played, multiple projections on the tall curtain screens on either side of the stage, mixed with a nebulous "plot" of a man searching for meaning. It was also the first time a Cirque show had an opening act, Canadian singer Nitza (later the vocalist for BELIEVE) who would play a 20-minute set of her own originals before DELIRIUM began. The show was also notable for its appearance on the charts! The Billboard Top Tours charts that is. DELIRIUM made it to #6 for 2006 and 2007. But in both cases it was not due to popularity or high ticket price but repetition – Delirium played many more performances during the year than any other show. So, though they had lower attendance per show at a reasonable ticket price, they made up for it in number of performances. On January 26, 2007, DELIRIUM celebrated its first birthday. Over that year the show's 45 artists put on 162 performances for nearly a million spectators. They traveled across Canada and the United States with 22 tractor-trailers and 13 busses, making a total of 64 stops in 62 towns. Yes, DELIRIUM found success, but that didn't mean it was immune to changes. In fact, it needed a little stream-lining. To make the show more flexible in terms of overall logistics, Cirque du Soleil's Show Quality Service reviewed its format and changed its staging. Beginning January 27th, DELIRIUM presented itself on a slightly smaller stage (104 feet long instead of 130 feet) situated at one side of the venue in a more traditional theatre-style arrangement rather than long-ways, down the middle, splitting the audience in half. Other than allowing for a better seating arrangement, the new configuration also helped improve projection quality as images were projected from behind the screen rather than from in front as before. Since projections were an important part of the show, it was an undeniable improvement. The images were clearer, more intense and richer in color. With some of the acts having been modified as well, DELIRIUM re-configured itself to give spectators a more accessible, intimate experience, to ensure the show's continued success (as well as preserve its artistic integrity). The new configuration would also help Cirque to present the show in Europe, making it easier to adapt to their smaller arena venues. After playing to North American audiences for more than a year, on September 13, 2007, DELIRUM opened in the Netherlands, kicking off its European tour. But after six and a half months, the tour seemed to run out of steam. DELIRIUM UNPLUGGED ------------------ "After having entertained millions of spectators, DELIRIUM began its final series of performances this week. DELIRIUM will be performed for the last time on the weekend of April 20, 2008, in London, UK. For two years, DELIRIUM visited dozens of cities across approximately 20 countries, and on two continents." (Fascination! Newsletter) Why would Cirque du Soleil give up on their great experiment? According to them it was becoming increasingly challenging to find markets where the show could be presented. "The technical complexity of the show represented a significant challenge, particularly in Europe," said Jacques Marois, Senior Vice- President of Touring Shows. With many European venues not necessarily suited for a show of DELIRIUM's scale, Cirque was forced to make a decision: try and press on or close and call the experiment a success. "DELIRIUM gave us the chance to explore a world that was previously unknown to us and to visit markets that we could not have covered before," Marois added. "In many ways, the DELIRIUM experience opened doors for Cirque and paved the way for our touring shows in this type of venue. Hats off to all the artists, artisans and employees who contributed to the success of this show!" After nearly 400 shows played across 90 North American and 34 European cities, in front of some two million spectators in eighteen different countries, Cirque du Soleil pulled the plug on DELIRIUM. THE HOT TICKET? --------------- DELIRIUM didn't go without a fight. "According to the New York Times, SONY Pictures is tapping into the motion-picture theater exhibitions niche, currently serviced by Fathom Events, by creating a competing line of business. Cirque du Soleil fans may want to take notice, as this new unit will beam DELIRIUM, Cirque du Soleil's musical experience, to movie theaters! DELIRUM's final curtain was filmed in London and will also be released to DVD in the near future." (Fascination! Newsletter) "We couldn't be more delighted and proud to kick off our inaugural slate of Hot Ticket programming with Cirque du Soleil's DELIRIUM," said Rory Bruer, President of Domestic Distribution for Sony Pictures Releasing. "It's the perfect marriage to have such a visually exciting multimedia show as DELIRIUM showcased in theaters in state-of-the-art high definition presentation. It is stunning to experience the show in this way and it sounds amazing. It's truly the next best thing to being there and experiencing the show "live" and I believe audiences will be blown away by the incredibly creative and talented artists, acrobats and performers that make up the world renowned Cirque du Soleil troupe." With visually stunning tableaux in which music and projections meld together, DELIRIUM is a mesmerizing production. "We are happy to take this opportunity to bring the Cirque du Soleil experience to a new entertainment environment," explained Jacques Methe, Executive Producer at Cirque du Soleil Images. "We believe that DELIRIUM in HD will offer audiences a memorable experience in movie theaters because of its magnitude, the energy of the performers and the diversity of its music going from percussion to electronic music." Audiences throughout North America will discover or rediscover the journey of Bill, the main character who is searching for balance in a world increasingly out of sync with reality. This incandescent journey filmed under the highest standards will be seen with a state-of-the- art digital projection and surround sound. Said David Mallet, director of the film, "I am really happy with this one-of-a-kind production since the use of twenty cameras allowed us to both capture the spectacular scale and nature of the show along with the incredible skill and intimate interaction of the fabulous Cirque du Soleil artists. This unique cinema experience will be a delight for the viewers." # # # DELIRIUM was filmed during its last stop at the London O2 Arena, and though plans were to release a DVD of the performance some time thereafter, they never came to pass. Why? We asked Daniel Lamarre that in an interview in 2010 (which you can read here). "There's no plan for that now," Mr. Lamarre responded. "The problem is that we are creating and producing so many shows at such a rapid pace that we don't want to have too many DVDs in a market where DVDs are getting tougher and tougher to sell. The DVD market is decreasing at a very rapid pace, so it's a business decision to not bring out too many DVD's. And if I'm bringing [out a] DVD, I want the DVD [to be] of an actual [current] show, to help promote the show. And since Delirium is no longer in presentation it isn't a priority of ours." So DELIRIUM had quietly faded away... until now. In August 2013, Gravitas Ventures struck a deal to become the exclusive Video-on-Demand (VOD) distributor of a variety of Cirque du Soleil programs, which include performance specials featuring the live shows as well as behind-the-scenes documentaries. One of those titles happens to be DELIRIUM as filmed at the London O2 Arena and distributed theatrically via Sony's Hot Ticket network. See Delirium performed on stage for only $9.99 USD! DELIRIUM is available on iTunes, here: http://goo.gl/PWodb8 And for more Cirque du Soleil VOD titles, check this link: http://goo.gl/D4LS5C ======================================================================= SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ======================================================================= Fascination! is a monthly publication, available through subscription via the World Wide Web in text format at the newsletter's website: < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. To subscribe, please visit our website and enter your name and email address in the "About Fascination" box and press Subscribe. You,ll receive an email to confirm your selection. Once confirmed you,ll be added to our mailing list. To Subscribe via Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News) use the following: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 >. To view back issues, or other online Newsletter content, please visit us at: < http://www.CirqueFascination.com/ >. Join us on the web at: < www.cirquefascination.com > Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 13, Number 11 (Issue #1187) - November 2013 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2013 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. { Nov.06.2013 } =======================================================================