======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ '/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ '/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 19, NUMBER 7 July 2019 ISSUE #186 ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. It's been relatively quiet this month, hasn't it? I mean... at this time last year we were reporting on a slew of new ventures from the Cirque: the company's purchase of VSTAR Entertainment, the new Cirque Rosé, the announcement of BAZZAR - a new touring show for India, and the launch of CREACTIVE Family Entertainment Centers (which is still supposed to happen this September in Toronto). But this year? Nada. Okay, so we had to say goodbye to "TORUK-The First Flight" in London, England (on June 30th), saw that the White Singer in the new version of Alegría got a new dress (that's more in-line with the original show), and casting of a new touring show for Chilean audiences, but what about news of the new Walt Disney World show, or the 2020 Big Top show? Alas, perhaps we're in the proverbial calm before the storm, a quiet or peaceful period before a period during which there is great activity, argument, or difficulty. For next month "The Land of Fantasy" makes its debut in Hangzhau, followed by a flurry of premieres in October: AXEL (Oct 4th), MESSI10 (Oct 10th), and R.U.N (on Oct 24th). None of this takes into the Special Events + Experiences schedule, which includes REBEL in Andora (6/29 - 7/27), Hommage #5: Joyeux Calvaire in Trois-Rivières (7/17 - 8/17), VITORI in Malta (11/27 - 12/20), or the two Cirque at SEA shows (#5 and #6) to launch aboard the MSC Grandiosa sometime in late 2019. So yeah, the calm before the storm indeed! In other news... * * * ERIC GRILLY NAMED CIRQUE'S STRATEGIC HOLLYWOOD LIAISON * * * As part of a push to expand the Cirque du Soleil global footprint via third-party IP offerings, Eric Grilly has been appointed executive head of studio alliances. In the new role, announced Wednesday by Cirque du Soleil president and COO Jonathan Tetrault, Grilly will work to develop business opportunities with Hollywood studios, IP providers and other strategic license owners to bring their content to the live enter- tainment stage. The position builds on Grilly’s current role as CEO of VStar Entertainment Group, which was acquired by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group in 2018; it comes on the heels of Grilly’s partner- ships with Nickelodeon and NBC Universal to produce original touring shows. To date, PAW Patrol Live! has sold 3 million tickets worldwide and is currently on a 30-city tour of China. Other projects announced include Nick Jr. Live!, the first production in a five-year exclusive content agreement; and Trolls LIVE!, based on the 2016 DreamWorks Animation release. “Eric’s intimate knowledge of third-party partner- ships, his industry relationships and his expertise in live enter- tainment will provide immense value as Cirque du Soleil Live Enter- tainment Group solidifies itself as the world’s largest creator and producer of live entertainment content,” said Tetrault in a statement. “Cirque is a leader in the live entertainment space, known throughout the world for producing best-in-class theatrical productions,” added Grilly. “I am honored to serve in this expanded capacity and seek out a new set of creative opportunities for development.” * * * FANDOM PARTNERS WITH CIRQUE FOR 2019 SDCC PARTY * * * One of the most coveted party tickets in all of San Diego Comic-Con is for the event thrown by Fandom, the largest entertainment fan site in the world. This year, Fandom is partnering with Cirque du Soleil for its 4th annual Fandom Party, where fans guests will be treated to an exclusive sneak peek of R.U.N. – the first live-action thriller by Cirque du Soleil, followed by a special performance by Girl Talk. The Fandom Party will feature a specially created act inspired by R.U.N., Cirque du Soleil’s show premiering at the Luxor in Las Vegas, which will showcase a live performance by Tyler Bates, R.U.N.’s Music Composer, as well as a voice-over narration written by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. The never-before-seen performance will include pyrotechnic elements, an epic rooftop battle, adrenaline-inducing motorcycle tricking, and live-action stunts. A limited number of fans will be able to attend. More? Keep reading! /----------------------------------------------------\ | | | Join us on the web at: | | < www.cirquefascination.com > | | | | Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): | | < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > | | | \----------------------------------------------------/ - Ricky "Richasi" Russo =========== CONTENTS =========== o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings * La Presse -- General News & Highlights * Q&A -- Quick Chats & Press Interviews o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau * Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets * Webseries -- Official Online Featurettes * Videos -- Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds o) Fascination! Features * Jean David's Quel Cirque, Part 7: "Strength in Diversity" A Special Series Celebrating Cirque's 35th Anniversary o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= *************************************************************** LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights *************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque Readying for IPO as Early as Next Year {Jun.11.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil is making plans for a possible IPO as early as next year as the storied live-entertainment company pushes ahead with a global expansion strategy. Montreal-based Cirque is laying the groundwork for an initial public offering during the first half of 2020, said a person familiar with the plans. The company has not made a decision to proceed and it is preparing documentation now just to have that option, said the person, to whom The Globe and Mail granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media on the matter. Cirque won’t necessarily follow through if market conditions are not favourable and plans are not advanced to the point where Cirque has hired any advisers, the person said. TPG Capital, a Texas-based private-equity fund, controls Cirque after buying a roughly 55-per-cent interest in the company from founder Guy Laliberté in 2015. Chinese fund manager Fosun Capital Group bought about 25 per cent and pension fund manager Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec took 10 per cent in a deal estimated to be worth $1.5-billion. Mr. Laliberté kept 10 per cent. Going public would give the Cirque greater financial flexibility as it moves ahead with an ambitious acquisition strategy steered by chief executive Daniel Lamarre, who is trying to reshape the company’s capabilities beyond the circus arts to other live-entertainment content. Over the past two years alone, Cirque has purchased The Works Entertainment, the production company known for The Illusionists franchise, as well as Blue Man Group and VStar Entertainment Group, which is best known for its children’s shows, PAW Patrol Live. Cirque is also stretching further geographically, opening its first resident circus show in China later this year and developing lower-budget shows specifically for emerging markets such as India. A possible IPO “seems like the logical next step,” said Patrick Leroux, a professor at Concordia University who has written on the circus industry, adding the move will bring in new capital and ideas as the company accelerates growth. “It seems like now they’re about to enter into an extremely productive period. Creating new shows, new ventures; opening up to different models of entertainment.” But that growth has not come without risk. Moody’s Investors Service says the company’s largely debt-funded expansion strategy could be unsustainable, resulting in financial strain on its core operations. Cirque posted revenue of US$832-million for the 12 months ending Sept. 30, 2018, and it remains heavily leveraged, with a debt-to-EBITDA ratio (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) expected to remain above seven through 2019, the credit company said in a report published in February. Mr. Lamarre has said he wants to do one acquisition a year, depending on available targets. A journalist before entering the business world, he has led Cirque’s operations for nearly two decades. A public listing for Cirque would also offer an opportunity for the existing shareholders to take some money off the table. It remains unclear what percentage of capital Cirque intends to make available, although it is not unusual for companies held by private-equity players to float minority stakes of between 25 to 30 per cent of the overall ownership position in an initial sale. The remaining position is often sold off in subsequent secondary offerings. A spokesperson for Cirque did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Mr. Laliberté said he declined to comment. TPG and the Caisse both declined to comment. With an IPO, Cirque would buck the trend of Quebec companies snubbing the public markets in recent years. The situation has become so acute that a blue-ribbon panel of experts was convened in 2016 to recommend solutions to reverse the tide, including offering special tax breaks and incentives to companies weighing public listings. “Things have not changed at all” since then, said Claude Désy, a tax and securities lawyer with Dunton Rainville, who launched the panel. Among the notable exceptions to the trend is Montreal-based software maker Lightspeed POS Inc., whose shares continue to surge following a public listing in March. Cirque was founded in 1984. It currently employs 4,500 people. { SOURCE: The Globe and Mail } ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque Spotlights Data to Better Understand Audience {Jun.11.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- It has modernised a traditional performing act, turning it into an international phenomenon. Now, like other traditional retail and business brands, it wants to extensively tap technology as well as data to make more informed decisions about its product delivery and to better engage its audience. Cirque du Soleil spent the last three decades transforming a small show that begun in rural Quebec to one that has put up 40 productions in 60 countries, drawing 11 million spectators annually. It is supported by 1,350 artists and currently runs 22 shows worldwide, including both resident and touring shows, such as its KURIOS production, which will begin its one-month run in Singapore next month. While it belongs to an industry that is highly niche and has few competitors, Cirque du Soleil faces the same challenges as other retail and business brands that have significantly expanded its service delivery and customer base. Having grown to such a large company and one that depends heavily on its talent, it can be challenging to ensure consistent performance delivery, explained Marc Gagnon, Cirque du Soleil’s director of innovation and enterprise architecture. He noted that there sometimes were variants in the show lineups since performers might need to be replaced or the number of artists in some skits would need to be reduced on some shows. To maintain the quality of a show over the lifetime of its production, so audience experience is consistent, Gagnon said it was important to be able to measure spectators’ reaction. It also was critical to ascertain the level of difficulty of a show and how easy it would be to replace a performer, he said in an interview with DTCDaily. Cirque du Soleil then turned to the use of cameras and motion tracking, so it could monitor the performers and compare the quality of skits. Data insights generated from this translated to better training for its performers, reduced injuries, and improved experience for its employees, he said. The company works with German technology vendor SAP to deploy the majority of its IT endeavours, ranging from finance, procurement, supply chain, to manufacturing, and show performance. Claus Andresen, SAP’s Southeast Asia president and managing director, said it also had worked with a football team in Munich to capture the movements of its players. The objective here was to determine when players were likely to get injured, how they moved on the field, what coaches could use to optimise training, and how training could be tailored for each individual player. This ensured players received care that catered to their personal needs and, therefore, helped reduce the likelihood of injuries, Andresen said, adding that this, ultimately, would improve the performance of the team and translate to better enjoyment for their fans. SAP also is helping Cirque du Soleil pilot the use of cameras in the arena to capture and analyse audience reactions in real-time as a performance is playing out. Just like retail brands that monitor footfall traffic and in-store browsing patterns to improve their store layout and customer experience, the performing arts company has turned to visually studying its own audience to determine the quality and appeal of its product. Gagnon said: “For years, we’ve been using surveys and response rate not only has been low, we can only capture what they experience and gauge their response at the end of a show. We’re now exploring cameras as they’re not as intrusive.” He explained that the emotions of spectators could be captured and assessed throughout the timeline of the show. Through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and data analysis, he said the company aimed to use these insights to improve future shows or tweak certain segments of a performance. “We’re prototyping real-time facial response to our shows as they’re happening. The surveys will never tell you that,” he noted. “Also, we have data scientists analysing based on geographical locations [as] we believe [audience behaviour] can differ from Asia to Europe, for instance.” “It’s the classic [need] to understand our audience better so we can do marketing with more precision and, hopefully, better conversions rate. We want to make data-driven decisions.” Gagnon said there still were some issues that needed to be addressed, such as capturing facial emotions while stage lights were focused on the performers–rather than the audience–as well as studying potential bias of AI platforms. Cirque du Soleil also had been using motion-tracking technology to enhance its costumes through “near real-time” projection mapping, where the coupling of physical and virtual objects would take place at 16 milliseconds. This enabled images to be projected directly on the human body, so a performer’s costume could be changed and used as a canvas for expression, he said. This application of image mapping is similar to how some retail brands have turned to augmented and virtual reality to enable online shoppers to gauge how a piece of jewelry may look on their hand. Gagnon stressed the need for technology, when applied, to be seamless and non-intrusive for both the performers and audiences. Andresen concurred, noting: “Many of the use cases are about using data, capturing it quickly, and simulating what would be a potential outcome. It’s about finding opportunities to capture an engagement with a customer and helping our clients put the technology together for an outcome that benefits them.” { SOURCE: DTC Daily } ---------------------------------------------------------- R.U.N: Cirque du Soleil, Without the Acrobatics {Jun.19.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- Can you take the circus out of the Cirque du Soleil and still have a show that can wow them on the Strip in Las Vegas? That’s the multi-million-dollar question hovering around R.U.N. which is being billed as “the first live-action thriller by Cirque du Soleil.” On Tuesday, at the Cirque’s sprawling St. Michel headquarters, the creative team behind the show — which is set to premiere at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Vegas on Oct. 24 — tried to describe what will be the very first Cirque show with absolutely no acrobatic acts in it. “I love the fact that I’m doing a Cirque du Soleil show without any circus acrobats,” said R.U.N. director Michael Schwandt. “I think that was a tall order but it’s a challenge I’m readily welcoming.” Schwandt is the creative director of the Fox singing competition show The Masked Singer and has collaborated with Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry and Kendrick Lamar. “What we’ve been discovering is that Cirque du Soleil can create a different genre of live entertainment perhaps than what they’ve created in the past. It can have other disciplines in it that make up the show, different skill sets other than circus performance. … The skill sets as an individual skill set are maybe a little less impressive. … They don’t make up an act. … We don’t want to have five minutes of just this. So it was — ‘let’s approach this show in a completely different way.’ So we started looking at chapters. … It creates a world that’s still awe-inspiring, that still makes you go ‘wow’ but you’re not looking at one type of an act.” One of the main things replacing the acrobatic acts are thriller- movie-style stunts. So there will be, according to Schwandt, “stunt combat, stunt fighting, weapons works, high falls, fire. “We have a lot of motorcycles. We have both street motorcycles, street stunt riding, and trial and FMX riding, which are the big jumps and the big ramps. We have horror stunts.” There is also a stronger narrative than most previous Cirque shows, which have tended to be built around rather vague concepts and rarely feature any known language. This time, there will be voice-over narration in English and filmmaker Robert Rodriguez — whose credits include the Spy Kids and Sin City films — is currently at work developing a screenplay for the show. The story begins at a remote chapel in the desert. A gangland wedding is interrupted by a commotion and one man runs from the chapel being chased by others. Next up is a huge conflict between two rival gangs. That’s when we meet “The Groom”, “The Professional”, “The Torturer” and “The Bride.” “We wanted to leave less room for interpretation,” Schwandt said. “The idea is that you would see the show as if you were leafing through a graphic novel or looking at an action film,” said creative director Stefan Miljevic, who had the same position on the Cirque ice show Crystal. “The inspiration came from films like 300 and Sin City.” Miljevic is a filmmaker — his credits include the 2008 documentary Le lendemain de la fête and the 2012 feature Amsterdam — and so he was excited to work on a Cirque project that is so cinematic. Jean Frenette is a veteran stunt co-ordinator who has worked on a slew of Canadian and Hollywood films but he said it’s been a very different experience working as action sequence director on a live Cirque show. “It’s extremely different,” Frenette said. “Working in film or TV, you have one take, two takes, three takes, four takes. This world, you get one take. “The challenge is to deliver the same visual impact but with a 180-degree point of view, which is very hard. To sell any action that we do (and make it) believable. We don’t have two takes and … there’s no multiple camera filming. So it makes it very hard. You really have to work on the choreography and the positioning of the people on stage. How are we going to do all that movement or hits or kicks or punches or whatever we do?” When the concept of the show was first announced a couple of months back, Cirque du Soleil CEO Daniel Lamarre said the notion was to create a show that is completely different from the many other Las Vegas Cirque offerings, a rich eclectic menu that includes The Beatles Love, Michael Jackson One, O, Ka, Zumanity and Mystère. { SOURCE: Montreal Gazette } ---------------------------------------------------------- R.U.N: The Edgy Side of Cirque du Soleil {Jun.20.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- {This story was translated into English from the original French using Google Translate} The 40 RUN stunt artists have been in Montreal since May 28th to finalize the creation of this Cirque du Soleil show, which will be staged at the Casino Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas from October 24th. La Presse spoke with some of its creators. NO ACROBATICS We’ve been hammering it since the announcement of this creation last April: there will be no acrobatics in this new show, which will take up residence in the new Luxor theater, released last fall by the gothic magician Criss Angel . “It’s a big circus statement,” says creative director Stefan Miljevic, who has been working on the project for three years. “The idea is to build a show based on stunt performances only, so we had to work differently. Instead of going with an acrobatic skeleton, we wrote a story and we tried to see how the performance could feed it. ” GANG STORY The RUN script was given to Robert Rodriguez ( Spy Kids ), who was inspired by films like 300 or Sin City . “The storyline had to be clear,” says director and choreographer Michael Schwandt, who has worked on the shows of Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar. We are talking about two rival street gangs in Las Vegas. It’s about a wedding in a chapel between two punk-looking couples. “There are no good guys and bad guys, both gangs are mean, but at different levels,” says Michael Schwandt. The show starts with a bang! and a pursuit. The story becomes clear after little by little … ” NOT A FAMILY SHOW Unlike most Cirque shows in Las Vegas (except perhaps Zumanity ), RUN is not intended for a family audience. “It’s not a children’s show,” says Stefan Miljevic. We wanted to come up with something a little more edgy, to get the millennial audience. People who are fans of action and horror movies as well as graphic novels. Cirque’s creative team made sure there was enough variety of stunts to keep going “10 times a week”. “There really is a market for action shows,” says Michael Schwandt, who cites the popularity of UFC fights as an example. STUNT ARTISTS The 40 artists (including only two Canadians) are young stuntmen who are extreme sports enthusiasts or fighters, especially martial artists. About fifteen women are part of the cast. We will also see a contingent of motorcyclists, who will perform aerial stunts we are promised epic. Among these professional daredevils, the Cirque has got its hands on some original specimens, including Auzzy Blood, who will interpret the role of the torturer in RUN This young Californian 23 years old, first trained as a medical assistant, swallows including a sword and will come a “meat hook” in the nose (our apologies to sensitive souls). PROJECTION Video projections and visual effects are at the heart of this new Cirque production in Las Vegas. The designers are Olivier Goulet and Johnny Ranger (division 4U2C). “The visual elements help us to tell the story,” says Olivier Goulet, behind Geodezik (assigned to 4U2C), who worked on the show Michael Jackson One . “We made short films of cascades that will be integrated into the show and that will put us in context. There are also live cameras that will capture scenes projected on screens that unfold at 270 degrees in the room. The projections finally serve as a setting for action, from the Strip to the chapel. There are effects that are stunning. ” { SOURCE: La Presse+ } ---------------------------------------------------------- LV SUN: “Behind the scenes of Cirque’s new R.U.N” {Jun.27.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- While the Luxor was providing a glimpse last week of what new Cirque du Soleil show “R.U.N” might feel like via a very cool construction- wall mural by local artist Troy “Tiki” James, Cirque’s Montreal headquarters was hosting a video shoot and cast and crew interviews during rehearsals to continue to spread the word about the upcoming action thriller. If you’re not already following the “R.U.N” Instagram account, it’s not too late to catch some footage and imagery of electric motorcycles, people on fire and more people going through fight training sequences and choreography. “It’s been really important to us to start educating people right away on what the show is,” said Lou D’Angeli, Cirque’s vice president of marketing and public relations, back in Vegas at Luxor. “The day after we announced the show we started hosting educational sales sessions for everybody who sells our tickets. We don’t want anybody to call up and say they want to see a Cirque show and expect [the elements] we’re known for.” Judging from the Montreal sneak peek, where creative director Stefan Milijevic, show director Michael Schwandt and others detailed the show’s overall vision while showcasing pyrotechnics, stunts, costume design and more, “R.U.N” looks so different from Cirque’s beloved, longtime Las Vegas Strip offerings, it might not be instantly recognizable as a Cirque show. But D’Angeli and his team are dedicated to generating a new kind of excitement while keeping the brand connected. “There’s been a lot of discussion about that. To truly differentiate the brand, Cirque needs to be on it,” he said. “Where we’re going, we have to evolve but there’s a lot of credibility when you see that name. That also puts a lot of pressure on us to deliver in everything we do, from production to ticket sales to marketing.” One thing is certain: The Luxor team couldn’t be more hyped about the new show, which opens on October 24. “The employees are incredibly excited to have something new for the company and specifically for Luxor,” said Cliff Atkinson, the resort’s president and COO. “We have the Esports Arena and the Raiders coming, but this is the crème de la crème, a new show. We’re incredibly excited to sell it and be a part of it and go see it, and to tell all our customers not only at Luxor but all MGM resorts to come check out something you really haven’t seen anywhere else.” { SOURCE: The Las Vegas Sun } ---------------------------------------------------------- ZDNET: Toruk App Gives Attackers Operator Admin Rights {Jul.01.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- A Cirque du Soleil mobile application developed for the Toruk show opened up every user’s device to exploit by allowing commands to be sent to every user in the crowd. Cybersecurity researchers from ESET said the “Toruk – The First Flight” application, designed to boost crowd interaction through audiovisual effects, was not designed with security in mind. The Toruk app has over 100,000 installs on Google Play, is also available on iOS, and has not received any form of update since 2016. Upon examination, ESET researcher Lukáš Štefanko found that “anyone who was connected to the network during the show had the same admin possibilities as the Cirque du Soleil operators.” The app has no authentication protocols in place. As a result, an open port — port 6161 — could be exploited by attackers to remotely control an app running Toruk, including tampering with volume settings, displaying content, forcing the discovery of nearby Bluetooth devices, and to read or write to shared preferences which the app is able to access. An attacker could perform a scan to harvest the IP addresses of vulnerable devices, and while the mischief they could cause is limited, all it would have taken for the app to generate a unique token for each device to revoke this mass access without the need for any form of authentication. ESET attempted to reach out to Cirque du Soleil in March but did not receive a response. The researchers tried again in May, only to be met with radio silence. As the Toruk show ended its production run at the end of June, the researchers decided to wait until July to reveal their findings. The application is no longer needed and so should be uninstalled immediately — a worthwhile security practice that should be applied to any single-use or purpose mobile applications. However, Cirque du Soleil does intend to pull the app from Google Play and Apple App Store now the show is over. ‘We weighted the security risks connected with the app, which we consider moderate, against the negative effect of harming the show after five years of touring the globe and with a few performances to go,” the team said. ZDNet has reached out to Cirque du Soleil and will update if we hear back. { SOURCE: ZDNet } *************************************************************** Q&A -- Quick Chats & Press Interviews *************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------- Las Vegas Magazine Q&A w/Jenn Haight from KÀ {Jun.21.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- Jenn Haight has been starring in Cirque du Soleil’s action-packed KÁ since it first debuted at MGM Grand more than 14 years ago. She plays one of the lead roles of Twin Sister, and her actual older sister, Cheri, portrayed her onstage counterpart Twin Brother for much of the show’s dynamic run. As KÁ has evolved from a curious story-driven creation into a true institution on the Las Vegas Strip, Haight has grown as a performer, excelling at the more emotional aspects of her nightly gig, which has her hanging tight on a ship battling a vicious storm at sea, flying across a stage that rises and falls and tilts beneath her, and taking the audience along for an epic journey of redemption. Q. When KÁ opened in 2005, you were the youngest member of the cast. Being 17 and being given such a big role, one of the lead roles, there was a lot of responsibility and pressure. I think I made everyone proud and helped to make the show what it is now, and it’s evolved a lot over time. It’s a great honor, but being 17, there’s a lot going on in your life. I was really growing up with the company. It was a great adventure and it turned out well for me. Q. What kind of performance background did you bring to Cirque? I did martial arts, starting at age 10 with kung-fu and then switching over to another Chinese martial art called wushu, and I competed for six years all over the United States and Canada. Being a competitor meant traveling and doing different routines and trying to place but we did a lot of performances on the side for our school. We’d go to different venues and have to adapt to being onstage, and sometimes they’d say the stage is 20 by 20 (feet) when it was actually five by five with a piano onstage. So in terms of being a performer, my background is having to learn to adapt well, and Cirque du Soleil is sort of the same thing, adapting to any atmosphere. I didn’t know at the time but it definitely prepared me. Q. You also had to learn different skills and circus arts, like climbing a rope and swinging from a trapeze, to prepare for your role. What was the biggest challenge? Probably adjusting to a very busy schedule. I had 12-hour shifts, training all day long, eating lunch and then getting straight back in. That was the hardest thing. Q. What’s your show schedule like now? I get there around 4:30 and start makeup, which takes me about an hour, then do hair prep, then go up to the training room and warm up for about an hour. At 6:30 I’m going downstairs in full hair and makeup and doing all my presets, getting into character, stretching and training with other artists. Just making sure everything runs smoothly. Q. How big of a change was it when your sister left the show three years ago? It was a big change but I was lucky because the ones that stepped forward to play the Twin Brother character were understudies, and one of them I had worked with for 10 years. It was kind of plug and play. But I was blessed [to have her around] because when we started, I was 17 and she was 20, and I always had her with me whether we were going to Montreal or coming to Vegas. It’s always nice to have that moral support and just support in general, of having your sister around. Q. KÁ has a storyline that sets it apart from other Cirque du Soleil shows. What is your favorite part of the show? I think you hit the nail on the head. We really try to drive that story and I find the most fun part of performing is getting to feel those emotions. My character goes from happy to sad to falling in love, then gathering all her strength and winning back the kingdom from the ones who attacked us. Playing all those emotions is really fun and when you get to connect to the audience and really see how invested they are in what you’re giving them onstage, that’s the best reward. It makes me feel like I’m doing my job to the fullest. It’s great. Q. Do you still practice martial arts? Yes. It’s hard sometimes to train all the time but in that hour before the show, sometimes I go through my routines, some of my kicks and my different forms of weaponry, even though I don’t use them in the show, just to stay sharp. And it’s nice to get the pleasure of doing it again in a different way. I definitely try to squeeze it in. It’s a part of me and I don’t want to lose that. { SOURCE: Las Vegas Magazine } ---------------------------------------------------------- AsiaOne Chats with Kurios’ Nathan Dennis {Jul.03.2019} ---------------------------------------------------------- There is something about the circus that fills people with childlike wonder and fascination, no matter young or old. With Cirque du Soleil’s Kurios troupe in town and anchored at Bayfront, we went behind the scenes with performer Nathan Dennis to get a glimpse into the life of someone who “ran away” to join the circus. Dennis’ career has been filled with highlights. In fact, one of his most memorable moments was getting to perform for action star Chris Pratt. Chris had watched Kurios, interacted with the performers backstage, and even invited them to spend a day on the set of Guardians of the Galaxy. The actor also went on to show his appreciation for the performers on Twitter. However, behind the star-studded shows and shoutouts from celebrities is a life of endless workouts and constant touring. HOW IT ALL BEGAN The 33-year-old Australian’s circus aspirations began at the tender age of 13, after he watched Cirque du Soleil’s Saltimbanco production. At 21, he passed the audition to join Cirque, beating out over 30 other hopefuls. His years of training had paid off. His face lit up as he recalled the moment he made it past the auditions: “Being in the circus was like my goal and my dream. So it was like achieving part of my dream. It was the best feeling ever.” Serendipitously, the first Cirque du Soleil show that he performed in was the one that had sparked his circus dreams – Saltimbanco. Being a circus performer, Dennis has whipped his body into tip-top shape. He explains that his body has adapted to the gruelling show schedule of about eight shows a week. Doing conditioning workouts on top of that helps him remain in peak condition. The word “rest” doesn’t seem to be in his dictionary. His brutal training regimen begins with two or more hours of CrossFit in the gym in the morning and core exercises later during the day at work. “When I’m not here [in the circus], or on my day off, I’m usually at the gym,” says the self-confessed workhorse. This superhuman does have an Achilles heel – doughnuts. While he generally tries to eat healthily, doughnuts are his favourite treat. He offers a tip, “After a good high-intensity session, eat doughnuts. Because your body just absorbs it straight away anyway.” SEEING THE WORLD Since joining Saltimbanco in 2007 and Kurios in 2014, Dennis has been touring and performing around the world for 13 years. When we asked about his life when he’s not on tour, Dennis draws a blank. “I don’t know, I’ve actually always been touring,” he says. Citing travelling as the best part of the job, he continues, “The best way for me to grow up has been travelling around. I’m lucky to be able to travel and see all these amazing cities so I’m really happy.” At the same time, touring can be a double-edged sword. Explaining that he is away from home for most of the year, he laments, “You kind of become a stranger to your friends back home, so that’s tough.” LIFE AFTER THE CIRCUS After living his dream, He is ready to move on to the next phase in his life. He says that this international tour with the Kurios troupe will be his last. He credits the circus with awakening his interest in fitness, “If I didn’t make it [into the circus] don’t think I would have discovered fitness or fallen into it. The circus has been life-changing.” Keeping in line with his passion for all things fitness-related, Dennis, who is also a strength and conditioning coach for the Kurios troupe, has big plans of opening his very own CrossFit gym in Australia. Whether you have aspirations of joining the circus or simply have a goal that you are working towards, take a leaf from Dennis’ book. He shares that his secret to success is simply to work hard, “I believe that hard work pays off all the time.” { SOURCE: AsiaOne } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Alegria, Amaluna, Koozå, Kurios, Luzia, Totem, Volta & Bazzar} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {OVO, Crystal, Corteo, Messi10, AXEL} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, MJ ONE, JOYA, Paramour, X: The Land of Fantasy, and R.U.N} NOTE: .) While we make every effort to provide complete and accurate touring dates and locations available, the information in this section is subject to change without notice. As such, the Fascination! Newsletter does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of these listings. For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts, please visit Cirque's website: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ >, or for a more comprehensive tour listing, visit our Itinéraire section online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=6898 >. ------------------------------------ BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau ------------------------------------ Alegría-25th Anniversary: Montreal, QC -- Apr 18, 2019 to Jul 21, 2019 Gatineau, QC -- Aug 1, 2019 to Sep 1, 2019 Toronto, ON -- Sep 12, 2019 to Dec 1, 2019 Miami, FL -- Dec 20, 2020 to Feb 9 2020 Houston, TX -- Feb 21, 2020 to Apr 5, 2020 Austin, TX -- Apr 15, 2020 to May 17, 2020 Chicago, IL -- Jun 3, 2020 to Jul 12, 2020 Washington, DC -- Jul 23, 2020 to Sep 27, 2020 Vancouver, BC -- Oct 15, 2020 to Jan 10, 2021 Amaluna: Oaks, PA -- Jul 24, 2019 to Aug 25, 2019 Winnipeg, MB -- Sep 14, 2019 to Oct 20, 2019 Bazzar: Istanbul, TU -- TBA Cairo, EG -- TBA Koozå: Valencia, ES -- May 30, 2019 to Jul 14, 2019 Gijon, ES -- Jul 31, 2019 to Sep 1, 2019 Malaga, ES -- Sep 13, 2019 to Oct 6, 2019 Madrid, ES -- Oct 24, 2019 to Dec 8, 2019 Seville, ES -- Jan 15, 2019 to Feb 9, 2019 Kurios: Singapore, SG -- Jul 5, 2019 to Aug 18, 2019 Sydney, AU -- Oct 2, 2019 to Nov 24, 2019 Brisbane, AU -- Jan 10, 2020 to Jan 26, 2020 Melbourne, AU -- Mar 12, 2020 to Mar 29, 2020 Adelaide, AU -- May 29, 2020 to Jun 7, 2020 Perth, AU -- TBA Luzia: Hartford, CT -- Jun 19, 2019 to Jul 21, 2019 Calgary, AB -- Aug 16, 2019 to Sep 22, 2019 Vancouver, BC -- Oct 3, 2019 to Nov 24, 2019 London, UK -- Jan 12, 2020 to Feb 16, 2020 Moscow, RU -- Mar 19, 2020 to Apr 12, 2020 Totem: Gran Canaria, ES -- Jul 5, 2019 to Sep 22, 2019 The Hague, NL -- Oct 11, 2019 to Dec 1, 2019 Düsseldorf, DE -- Dec 19, 2019 to Jan 19, 2020 Munich, DE -- Feb 12, 2020 to Mar 8, 2020 Rome, IT -- Apr 1, 2020 to Apr 19, 2020 VOLTA: Washington, DC -- Jul 25, 2019 to Sep 8, 2019 Atlanta, GA -- Oct 10, 2019 to Jan 5, 2020 Los Angeles, CA -- Jan 18, 2020 to Mar 8, 2020 Costa Mesa, CA -- Mar 18, 2020 - Apr 19, 2020 ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ OVO: Montevido, UR -- Jul 04, 2019 to Jul 14, 2019 Buenos Aires, AR -- Jul 17, 2019 to Jul 20, 2019 Cordoba, AR -- Jul 25, 2019 to Jul 28, 2019 Mendoza, AR -- Aug 01, 2019 to Aug 04, 2019 Santiago, CL -- Aug 23, 2019 to Sep 1, 2019 Medellin, CO -- Oct 09, 2019 to Oct 26, 2019 CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE: Erie, PA -- Jul 10, 2019 to Jul 14, 2019 Charlotte, NC -- Jul 17, 2019 to Jul 21, 2019 Indianapolis, IN -- Jul 24, 2019 to Jul 28, 2019 Manchester, NH -- Aug 1, 2019 to Aug 4, 2019 Portland, ME -- Aug 7, 2019 to Aug 11, 2019 Moncton, NB -- Aug 14, 2019 to Aug 18, 2019 Saint John, NB -- Aug 21, 2019 to Aug 25, 2019 Halifax, NS -- Aug 28, 2019 to Sep 1, 2019 Monterrey, MX -- Sep 19, 2019 to Sep 22, 2019 Guadalajara, MX -- Sep 25, 2019 to Sep 29, 2019 Mexico City, MX -- Oct 4, 2019 to Oct 13, 2019 Moscow, RU -- Nov 22, 2019 to Dec 8, 2019 Saint Petersburg, RU -- Dec 11, 2019 to Dec 15, 2019 Kazan, RU -- Dec 19, 2019 to Dec 22, 2019 Ufa, RU -- Dec 25, 2019 to Dec 29, 2019 Ekaterinburg, RU -- Jan 1, 2020 to Jan 5, 2020 Riga, LV -- Jan 15, 2020 to Jan 19, 2020 Minsk, BY -- Feb 6, 2020 to Feb 9, 2020 Kiev, UA -- Feb 13, 2020 to Feb 16, 2020 CORTEO: Columbia, SC -- Jul 10, 2019 to Jul 14, 2019 Estero, FL -- Jul 17, 2019 to Jul 21, 2019 Sunrise, FL -- Jul 24, 2019 to Aug 4, 2019 San Antonio, TX -- Aug 8, 2019 to Aug 11, 2019 Denver, CO -- Aug 15, 2019 to Aug 22, 2019 Hershey, PA -- Aug 28, 2019 to Sep 1, 2019 Turin, IT -- Sep 26, 2019 to Sep 29, 2019 Milan, IT -- Oct 3, 2019 to Oct 6, 2019 Bologna, IT -- Oct 10, 2019 to Oct 13, 2019 Pesario, IT -- Oct 17, 2019 to Oct 20, 2019 Leipzig, DE -- Oct 23, 2019 to Oct 27, 2019 Frankfurt, DE -- Oct 30, 2019 to Nov 3, 2019 Nuremberg, DE -- Nov 6, 2019 to Nov 10, 2019 Graz, AT -- Nov 13, 2019 to Nov 17, 2019 Brussels, BE -- Nov 21, 2019 to Nov 24, 2019 Paris, FR -- Dec 12, 2019 to Dec 15, 2019 Stuttgart, DE -- Dec 18, 2019 to Dec 22, 2019 Mannheim, DE -- Dec 25, 2019 to Dec 29, 2019 Lisbon, PT -- Jan 3, 2020 to Jan 12, 2020 Granada, ES -- Jan 15, 2020 to Jan 19, 2020 Zargoza, ES -- Jan 22, 2020 to Jan 26, 2020 Vitoria-Gasteiz, ES -- Jan 29, 2020 to Feb 2, 2020 Santiago de Compostela, ES -- Feb 5, 2020 to Feb 9, 2020 Santander, ES -- Feb 12, 2020 to Feb 16, 2020 Antwerp, BE -- Mar 13, 2020 to Mar 22, 2020 Vienna, AT -- Mar 25, 2020 to Mar 29, 2020 Messi10: Barcelona, ES -- Oct 10, 2019 to Nov 10, 2019 AXEL: Cornwall, ON -- Oct 4, 2019 to Oct 5, 2019 Syracuse, NY -- Oct 11, 2019 to Oct 13, 2019 Huntsville, AL -- Oct 18, 2019 to Oct 20, 2019 Pensacola, FL -- Oct 24, 2019 to Oct 27, 2019 Tampa, FL -- Oct 31, 2019 – Nov 3, 2019 Jacksonville, FL -- Nov 7, 2019 to Nov 10, 2019 Roanoke, VA -- Nov 14, 2019 to Nov 17, 2019 Worcester, MA -- Dec 5, 2019 to Dec 8, 2019 Quebec City, QC -- Dec 12, 2019 to Dec 15, 2019 Montreal, QC -- Dec 19, 2019 to Dec 29, 2019 --------------------------------- 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 *) 2019 Dark Dates: o) August 20 thru 21, 2019 o) September 21 thru 25, 2019 "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 9:30pm *) Single Show Dates | 7:00 pm Only o) Tuesday, Nov 5, 2019 *) 2019 Dark Dates: o) 9:30 PM Performance of November 7 Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm MICHAEL JACKSON ONE: Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday - Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm JOYÀ: Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday One/Two Shows Nightly: 9:00pm (Weekdays) 7:00pm & 10:15pm (Fri, Sat & Holidays) PARAMOUR: Location: Stage Theater New Flora | Hamburg, Germany Performs: One/Two Shows Nightly... o) Monday: Dark o) Tuesday: 6:30pm o) Wednesday: 6:30pm o) Thursday: 8:00pm o) Friday: 8:00pm o) Saturday: 3:30pm & 8:00pm o) Sunday: 2:30pm & 7:00pm R.U.N: Location: Luxor Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday - Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm SHOWS BEGIN OCTOBER 24, 2019 ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) WEBSERIES -- Official Online Featurettes o) VIDEOS -- Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds --------------------------------------------------- WEBSERIES: Official Online Featurettes --------------------------------------------------- *) TEST R.U.N Prepare for a live experience, unlike anything you’ve ever seen from Cirque du Soleil! R.U.N is a live-action thriller jam-packed with stunts and chases that’ll leave you on the edge of your seat. o) EPISODE 1: "PLAYING WITH FIRE" LINK /// https://youtu.be/4wBqllx0BDw *) PASCAL SIOUI'S ALEGRIA BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEOS Like he did with VOLTA, through his Facebook and Instagram pages, Pascal is posting videos that he shot during the creation of the new Alegria. o) VIDEO 12: Main Curtain & Sceptre | Week 6 in the Studio LINK /// https://www.facebook.com/Psioui/videos/10157804997219305/ --------------------------------------------------- VIDEOS: Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds --------------------------------------------------- o) Casting Call: Take Your Place... - Tumblers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUpdx-MfYg8 - Athletes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cfjqkoG1vo - Dancers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpGnkNE92nc - Acrobatic Gymnasts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe0oxP5JvfY - Circus Performers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZU8mnuNfHc - Clowns & Actors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YovcQABgg80 - Traditional Dancers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpLpvJOUbM4 - Divers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMYI7YnnIKg - Trampoline Artists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdjOvP0U4uk - Contemporary & Jazz Dancers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8O0Xy-3Hmc - Gymnastics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrwjZitURmI o) Music Video... - TOTEM | "Toreador": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ty94y80MYI - KOOZA | "L'Innocent": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDn_q1VlTcQ - "O" | "Ephra": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA8oT8PBzOg - KURIOS | "Clouds": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56Opw370Z9Y - CORTEO | "Ritornare": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5Z3X3pXlJk - TORUK | "Luminous Reunion": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqGWXFFs_Sg - ZUMANITY | "Zum Astra": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z44KWBohlH0 - OVO | "Frevo Zumbido": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9I7MaYZfkM o) BAZZAR Behind the Scenes... - Ep 1: https://www.facebook.com/CirqueduSoleilBAZZAR/videos/447616872680656/ - Ep 2: https://www.facebook.com/CirqueduSoleilBAZZAR/videos/2311893159051955/ - Ep 3: https://www.facebook.com/CirqueduSoleilBAZZAR/videos/1325690134262906/ - Ep 4: https://www.facebook.com/CirqueduSoleilBAZZAR/videos/378096849499987/ o) TOTEM: "My Special Life as a Cirque Artist" - Ep 1 (Denise and Massino): https://www.facebook.com/Totem/videos/1259224020922989/ - Ep 2 (Oyun-Erdene Senge): https://www.facebook.com/Totem/videos/2347197875565777/ o) Cirque at SEA: A Day in the Life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk6-LwakqaU o) MESSI10 - "The Stage" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peApMqLERIo o) MESSI10 | Official 2019 Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a1OhIEN1ik o) Wearable Art w/Adam McAlvey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M10ziLXV3VQ&t=232s o) Training to Thril - Kooza https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2I1Wuq9__I o) Celebrate World Music Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mKBUj5DJJ0 o) KA Fight Sene Wrestling in VR180 (IMMERCIRQUE) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MY42p1_yh4 o) Professional Skaters Learning THIS... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHxAIKYpMt4 o) Alegria from C2 in Montreal https://www.facebook.com/Alegria/videos/694641197654068/ o) ALEGRIA - Acro Pole https://www.facebook.com/Alegria/videos/368591960435546/ o) VOLTA Rope Skipping Brand New Costumes https://www.facebook.com/VOLTA/videos/437390233714303/ o) VOLTA Celebrates PRIDE https://www.facebook.com/VOLTA/videos/399642650650937/ o) TORUK - "Anurai Act LIVE" at Final Performance https://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/videos/695606167565424/ ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= ------------------------------------------------------------ Jean David's Quel Cirque, Part 7: "Strength in Diversity" A Special Series Celebrating Cirque's 35th Anniversary ------------------------------------------------------------ Today a consultant in creativity and event marketing, Jean David was one of the pioneers of Cirque du Soleil, where he led the marketing department for 15 years (from 1984-1999), introducing the magic of the Grand Chapiteau to the whole world. During his tenure, David distinguished himself through innovative methods by commercializing the Big Top and introducing its magic to other cultures on four continents. A man of vision but also a determined entrepreneur, Jean David acted as Vice President of Entertainment, Sales & Marketing at the WYNN Hotel in Las Vegas before moving to India for 18 months, where he led a pre-feasibility study for the creation of an innovative project: the Mumbai International Creative Center, an international resort centered around the theme of creativity. In his 2005 book - "Quel Cirque!" ("What a Cirque!") - David offered his views on leadership and revealed the innovative qualities that contributed to Cirque du Soleil's enormous success in marketing, management, creation and exploration. There was only one problem... it was written in his native French. Thankfully, David himself translated and web-published an English-language version of his book and we've collected the relevant Cirque-related chapters for this 12-part series. Jean David's "Quel Cirque" is a fantastic read and as Cirque du Soleil celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, we thought this would be the perfect year to share these texts with you. So, without further ado, Quel Cirque! # # # “Tickets, please!” It’s worth noting this aspect of Cirque du Soleil’s operations. Few companies can employ Cirque’s approach to customer service. It’s one of the great mysteries of modern management. One day, as the 20th century drew to a close, I was back in Montreal serving on a business conference panel on customer service. The speakers who preceded me came from major service firms (telephone, electricity, malls, etc.) For nearly two hours, I had listened to them discuss the need to pump huge sums of money into staff training and recruitment. Some even cited statistics comparing performance with the length of training. Others boasted about the vast amounts their company had invested the previous year. The participants with eyes agape dutifully took notes, enthralled by such a display of wisdom and modernity. But I could hardly relate to their remarks. I might have been on another planet. In fact, I started to question my professionalism. Was I a marketing VP or not? When my turn came, I felt a little ill at ease. I wondered whether I’d do better to keep my counsel, feign sickness and slip away …What a pity to put a damper on such fin-de-siècle sagacity and mutual admiration among major corporations. But someone had to tell them the “truth”! Summoning up my courage, I began my presentation by congratulating the previous speakers. I acknowledged the complexity of their system, the high degree of sophistication required; a truly inspiring demonstration of the art of human resources. Then I revealed I had a little surprise in store for them. In an important aspect, Cirque du Soleil resembles other retail firms: employees in direct contact with the public handle customer service: the ticket-booth clerks, the ushers and concession staff. But the problem is that these people are temporary, hired for the length of our engagement. Their primary qualification is their availability. In some periods of the year and in some towns, they can be hard to find. Job applicants are usually hired on the spot. So you’ll find a diversity of people with respect to age, race, sex, and hair color. You’ll find piercing adepts, retirees, students, the unemployed, and welfare recipients — quite a team! We give them four hours of training for a specific job and… “Tickets please!” What’s amazing is that normally it all works out very well. The employees take pride in their work and the customers are open-minded and respectful towards them. It’s as if there’s a certain understanding between the public and temporary employees. What more could we ask for? That’s how we manage to defy the laws of customer service. My co-panelists were somewhere between stunned and amused. They insisted that I must be an exception. The audience didn’t take notes during my presentation. Some looked a little puzzled. They didn’t know what to think! Good for them! Others beamed, happy to see that there were other ways of doing things. The conference coordinator was encouraging: “It takes people like you to get things moving; don’t give up Jean!” So, off the beaten track, you can often get where you want to go! Souvenirs Here -------------- T-shirts, programs, posters, clown’s noses… get your souvenirs here!” From the time Cirque du Soleil began, merchandise sales were always important to the company. It was a highly lucrative sector of activity, contributing to the deployment and exploitation of the brand. We gradually developed our merchandise through trial and error, an approach that brought improvements year after year and yielded excellent results. As the 1985 tour began, we just started with our first line of products (T-shirts, programs, posters, sweatshirts, clown’s noses, etc. Our approach was simple and intuitive. A few days before the first performance on the tour, Guy burst into my office. He was beside himself. He gave me a dressing down as only he could do. He was furious that I had authorized such a large order of products. He claimed we didn’t have enough liquidity to justify a big inventory. I pointed out that our order was based on extremely conservative sales projections and that, in my opinion, it was the least we could produce if we wanted to have a favorable cost price ratio. I also assured him that I had taken care to negotiate reasonable terms of payment with our suppliers. But to no avail. The tirade continued unabated. I attributed his reaction to stress brought on by the tour launch. The next Monday, after our first week of shows, Guy called me up and tore into me again because, he said, we risked running out of stock. Customers couldn’t get enough of our products: our merchandise was flying off the shelves and during the first weekend our sales succeeded all expectations. We never really suffered from product shortfalls while I was running the marketing department. Consumers appreciated our highly diversified range of articles as to price and type of product. They were happy they could find items for as little as a dollar and as much as $500. What was really amazing is that fewer than 10% of the products generated over 85% of the revenues. This applied to almost every city we visited in the world. Our best sellers were our videos, music, and souvenir programs. In the early 1990s, we tried to set up a licensing program, in which we granted operating licenses for use of our trademark to manufacturers who distributed their products in large stores and specialized boutiques. We teamed up with Determined Productions, a San Francisco firm, with solid experience in the domain. The company acted for us, developing concepts, models and visuals, which it offered other firms involved in clothing, accessories, toys, jewelry, etc. Company founder and chairperson Connie Boucher fell in love with Cirque du Soleil. She was passionate, honest, dedicated, and a bit of a visionary. She was an artist. Jean Laliberté, Guy’s dynamic younger brother ran this highly ambitious project. Could the qualities of our new show trademark be projected onto clothes and other popular consumer items? A number of factors had to be taken into consideration. First, brand recognition. How recognizable was our brand to consumers and what did it conjure up in their minds? And what demographic should we target initially? Children, teenagers, adults, men, women? We also had to determine the range of products to create. Which should we choose: sports clothes, leisure wear, jackets, pants, dresses, ties, scarves, travel items, decorations, wallpaper, gift items, Christmas articles? The list was endless. There were so many questions, that our agent preferred not to answer them directly but to get advice from manufacturers who had a sense of flair. Our agent’s concepts appealed to some of the manufacturers who attended our shows. Quite rightly, he wanted to take full advantage of the imagery and creations we’d developed over the years. But after a few years our efforts had failed to bear fruit. Especially after the death of our beloved Connie, the firm’s chairperson and principal stockholder, her estate decided to end the partnership. Nonetheless, the experience taught us how to exploit the brand. Souvenir merchandising received more emphasis. Our products sold best when they were directly linked with our shows. That’s one reason why Cirque du Soleil boutiques are so successful in Orlando and Las Vegas because they are located near the theater. I believed that brand exploitation deserved particular attention. The recent events led me to draw the following conclusions: we were among the best in the world in the live show sector, and we’d carved out an international reputation for excellence. Our merchandise sales were strongest on the show sites themselves. In distributing the music from our shows internationally, we faced stiff competition. All you have to do is go to a record shop to see that. The same applied to our television shows, films, videos, cartoons and variety shows, etc. In these sectors, the competition was generally light years ahead of us. Associating the characteristics of our brand with other areas of activity — amusement parks, hotels, restaurants, spas, — was, I feared, a risky proposition. There are limits to how far you can stretch a brand, and the limits vary from one brand to another. Apart from the financial incentive, what’s the point of trying to “force” such a fragile and unique brand to expand? Why risk cheapening a treasure? Some brands lend themselves to all sorts of exploitation. Virgin is an outstanding example. But as far as I was concerned, the Cirque du Soleil brand was intimately related to the Cirque du Soleil experience. The word that best encapsulated the qualities of our shows was authenticity. The further the consumers were from the experience, the less credible and appealing they found our merchandise. Without direct experience, there was no authenticity. Seize The Moment ---------------- The timing of Cirque du Soleil’s launch couldn’t have been better. It was 1984 and there were ongoing celebrations marking the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier’s arrival in Canada. And that was the year that Cirque du Soleil was born. In 1985, World Youth Year, the federal and provincial governments instituted programs to subsidize young entrepreneurs and businesses; naturally Cirque du Soleil qualified. Then in 1986, for EXPO 86 in Vancouver the company won an important month long contract to host the Canada Pavilion. Next at the Los Angeles Festival in 1987 we had the honor of holding the opening gala under the big top; we’d entered the American market in a big way. What was really extraordinary about this adventure is that we had recognized these opportunities and took full advantage of them. Every day of our lives, we run across opportunities, some big and some small. Often, small opportunities turn out to be significant if only we recognize them. We must be open to new ideas and occasions. We need to know ourselves and be aware of what’s happening around us. Diplomacy’s Everything! ----------------------- In our travels around the world, we always touched base with the Canadian embassies and consulates as well as the Quebec delegations. Our relations with our country’s representatives took many forms depending on the situation, our needs and the people we were dealing with. As far as I was concerned our representatives were there to provide support. As a taxpayer, I thought, “We’re paying their salary, they’re there to help us, let’s see how we can work together.” Our relations with diplomats evolved a great deal. When we first started touring abroad, we’d go to see the cultural attaché who would do everything possible to assist us. We would have preferred to work with economic advisers, but they generally didn’t see any point in meeting us. Ever on the lookout for sponsors, we knew the advisors were in frequent contact with local enterprises. We constantly encouraged the embassy, consulate, and delegation to take advantage of the opportunity to invite their various acquaintances to our shows. We were an excellent tool for establishing business relations. It took a number of years before the economic advisers got on board and the approach became common practice. In fact, it didn’t happen until we became really famous. One day, the Canadian Counsul General in San Francisco confessed that Cirque’s presence in the city generated more press coverage and general interest in Quebec and the rest of Canada than a visit by any government minister, including the prime minister. He jokingly confided to me that if we could guarantee that we’d be in northern California every year, he could close the consulate and save taxpayers money… I found his suggestion very interesting. In 1990, both the Quebec delegation and the Canadian embassy wanted to hold a reception after our debut performance at the Cirque d’hiver Bouglione in Paris. They were prepared to share the costs. They wanted to sign the invitation card and say a few words of greeting to the guests of honor. We were happy to oblige since it helped cut expenses… But the Quebec delegate general was reluctant to be associated with the Canadian ambassador, and vice versa. It was never done. This was an old story typical of Canada-Quebec relations in Paris. Representatives of both sides informed us that in France, the signatures of the ambassador and the delegate general never appeared together on an official invitation card for this type of social event. It just wasn’t done! I assured them that I understood but I offered a simple suggestion: either you co-sign the little card or we’ll get along without you, and of course, neither one of you will be mentioned! You’ll just be another guest… That evening we witnessed another first: they were kind enough to accept our offer. That’s politics! To Be Continued... ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 19, Number 7 (Issue #186) - July 2019 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (C) 2001-2019 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or translated without the consent of the "Fascination! Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission (unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination! Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are Copyright (C) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil, Inc., All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. { Jul.11.2019 } =======================================================================