======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ '/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ '/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) T h e U n o f f i c i a l C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r ------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.CirqueFascination.com ------------------------------------------------------------ ======================================================================= VOLUME 20, NUMBER 12 December 2020 ISSUE #203 ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. * * * CIRQUE PERMANENTLY CLOSES ZUMANITY * * * Cirque du Soleil informed the cast and crew of Zumanity about its permanent closure on November 16, 2020. "Zumanity was a groundbreaking departure for Cirque du Soleil when it opened in September of 2003," said Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. "We are forever grateful to the extraordinarily talented cast, crew and staff who helped make Zumanity an unforgettable experience for more than 7.25 million guests." After wowing audiences with more than 7,700 shows, the last performance of Zumanity took place on March 14, 2020 before it was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guests holding tickets for any future performances will be refunded at the original point of purchase. George Kliavkoff, President of Entertainment & Sports for MGM Resorts International, said, "Zumanity at New York-New York had a terrific run over the last 17 years and our partnership with Cirque du Soleil remains strong moving forward. We're grateful to the cast, crew and team at Cirque for having created something very special. We look forward to sharing plans for new entertainment programming at the New York-New York Theater in the months ahead." Cirque du Soleil and MGM Resorts International have solidified their commitment to the partnership and the four shows remaining in the Cirque du Soleil portfolio. Contract extensions for "O" at Bellagio, The Beatles LOVE at The Mirage, KÀ at MGM Grand and Michael Jackson ONE at Mandalay Bay have been signed. Additionally, Treasure Island and Cirque du Soleil have recommitted to Mystère with a contract extension. With these extensions, Cirque du Soleil shows are guaranteed to entertain audiences well into the future. The timing of the shows' reopening will be dictated first by the safety of guests and employees in compliance with the guidelines set forth by the Governor and other government agencies; and second, by the ability to operate the shows profitably. More than 70 million visitors have experienced Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas since Mystère opened in 1993 and Cirque du Soleil looks forward to continuing that legacy when the shows return safely to their theaters. * * * CIRQUE EMERGES FROM PROTECTION * * * Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group announced on November 24, 2020 the successful closing of a sale transaction with its secured lenders and its emergence from creditor protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act in Canada and Chapter 15 in the United States. The closing of this recapitalization marks a significant milestone for Cirque du Soleil, as it provides the Company with a solid foundation for a successful relaunch, which includes driving the business through enhanced fan experiences, a concerted drive into new key markets, backed by roll-out plans for cutting-edge new products and licensing opportunities. Additionally, Cirque du Soleil is pleased to confirm that Daniel Lamarre will remain in position as President and Chief Executive Officer of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, as well as continue to sit on the Company's Board of Directors. The new owners also agreed to maintain the Company's headquarters in Montreal. "I am grateful for the trust our new owners have placed in our management team. I am prepared to contribute, along with the new stakeholders, to build upon the successes of the past, apply discipline to our operations and growth and fulfill our mission to bring Cirque's extraordinary artistic vision to audiences around the world. Together, we have already begun laying the groundwork for the relaunch of Cirque du Soleil and are excited to enter the next chapter of Cirque's history," said Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. Read more from this announcement within. * * * UNDER THE SAME SKY DELAYED UNTIL SPRING 2022 * * * For the second year in a row, the Cirque du Soleil is delaying its show under the big top at the Old Port. The world premiere of Under the Same Sky, originally scheduled for April 23, 2020, then pushed to April 2021 by the COVID-19 pandemic, has been postponed until spring 2022. "Dear Cirque du Soleil fan, it is with deep regret that we announce today the postponement of UNDER THE SAME SKY due to the uncertainties brought by the current situation and the sanitary measures in place to face the pandemic. Our new show will not be presented under the Big Top in the Old Port of Montreal starting April 22nd of 2021 as originally planned. The circumstances not allowing the repatriation of our employees and artists to resume training make it impossible for us to perform UNDER THE SAME SKY. The show was still in creation process when we had to interrupt all our operations back in March. Since we do not have the possibility to confirm new dates immediately given the uncertainty of the situation, we are pleased to offer an account credit equivalent to 130% of your current tickets value. This credit can be redeemed for the purchase of new tickets to a Cirque du Soleil show of your choice that will presented under the Big Top in Canada." Cirque plans to be present in the Old Port in some form next summer. "Different scenarios are being explored and we hope to be able to announce details very soon." And there’s more within... so let’s get into it! /----------------------------------------------------\ | | | Join us on the web at: | | < www.cirquefascination.com > | | | | Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): | | < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > | | | \----------------------------------------------------/ - Ricky "Richasi" Russo =========== CONTENTS =========== o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings * La Presse -- General News & Highlights o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau * Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets * Webseries -- Official Online Featurettes * Videos -- Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds o) Fascination! Features * "What Ifs and If Onlys, Part 4 of 7" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) * "Montreal as an International Culture Metropolis" By: Guy Laliberté - Montreal, Quebec (CAN) o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= *************************************************************** LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights *************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque Confirms Sale and Emergence from Protection {Nov.24.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group ("Cirque du Soleil," "Cirque," or the "Company"), the world's leading producer of high-quality live entertainment, announces today the successful closing of a sale transaction with its secured lenders (the "Lenders") and its emergence from creditor protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act ("CCAA") in Canada and Chapter 15 in the United States. The closing of this recapitalization marks a significant milestone for Cirque du Soleil, as it provides the Company with a solid foundation for a successful relaunch, which includes driving the business through enhanced fan experiences, a concerted drive into new key markets, backed by roll-out plans for cutting-edge new products and licensing opportunities. Additionally, Cirque du Soleil is pleased to confirm that Daniel Lamarre will remain in position as President and Chief Executive Officer of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, as well as continue to sit on the Company's Board of Directors. The new owners also agreed to maintain the Company's headquarters in Montreal. "I am grateful for the trust our new owners have placed in our management team. I am prepared to contribute, along with the new stakeholders, to build upon the successes of the past, apply discipline to our operations and growth and fulfill our mission to bring Cirque's extraordinary artistic vision to audiences around the world. Together, we have already begun laying the groundwork for the relaunch of Cirque du Soleil and are excited to enter the next chapter of Cirque's history," said Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. Board of Directors As part of this transaction, effective on the date hereof, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group announces the appointments of Jim Murren and Gabriel de Alba as Co-Chairmen of the Board. Jim Murren was appointed to lead the Nevada COVID-19 Response, Relief and Recovery Task Force by Governor Steve Sisolak. He served on the National Infrastructure Advisory Council and was a member of the Board of Trustees for Howard University. Mr. Murren first joined MGM Resorts International in 1998 as the Chief Financial Officer and served as the former Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International until retiring in 2020. He also served as Chairman of the American Gaming Association and was on the Board of Trustees of the Brookings Institution. Mr. Murren co-founded the Nevada Cancer Institute, which was the official cancer institute for the state of Nevada until 2013. He was also a founding contributor to Nevada's first Fisher House which provides housing for military and Veterans' families. In addition, he has served as a member of the Business Roundtable, an association of CEOs of leading U.S. companies. Mr. Murren received his Bachelor of Arts from Trinity College. His understanding of the business operations and entertainment landscape will help fuel the company's trajectory of growth and expansion. "As a company with global opportunities and the ability to grow quickly, it is critical to Cirque's successful expansion – and to its customers and partners – that we continuously execute on the right strategies. I've had the great honor of knowing Daniel Lamarre for many years and I have the utmost confidence in his ability to successfully grow this franchise. I very much look forward to working with the Cirque team and fellow directors to take this truly unique organization to the next level and pave the way to capture further growth opportunities," declared Jim Murren. Gabriel de Alba is Managing Director and Partner of the Catalyst Capital Group. He has more than 25 years investing, restructuring and building businesses in the US, Canada, Europe and Emerging Markets. Mr. de Alba acts and has acted as Chairman, Board Member and CEO of multiple Catalyst portfolio companies including Executive Chairman of Gateway Casinos & Entertainment, Chairman and CEO of Cabovisao/ Cable Satisfaction, Chairman of Therapure Biopharma, Chairman of Evolve Biologics, Chairman of GENEBA Properties, Chairman of Frontera Energy and Board Member of Worldcolor. On behalf of Catalyst he has led stakeholder groups in unlocking value including at Hudson Bay/ Saks Fifth Avenue, IMAX Corporation and SFX Entertainment. He brings to the Cirque Board a stellar reputation in the financial and business world. "Cirque du Soleil is a tremendous company built on artistry, vision and extraordinary entertainment experiences to audiences. The organization has a global opportunity and can achieve great heights, guided by this great management team and the skills and experience of this new Board of Directors," added Gabriel de Alba. "I am very pleased to co-chair the Board with Jim Murren, whose leadership and knowledge of the industry is unparalleled. I also look forward to working with this energized team on building Cirque du Soleil's next stage of evolution together with our partners at Soundpoint Capital, CBAM Partners and Benefit Street Partners and the other creditors that are committed to the company." "We are honored to have Jim Murren and Gabriel de Alba Co-Chairmen of the Board and look forward to leveraging their deep business knowledge to take the Company to new horizons," said Cirque's President and CEO, Daniel Lamarre. "For the past 20 years, Jim has been a true partner and has tremendously contributed to the success of the Company. Likewise, Gabriel, as a skilled investor with significant turnaround experience, will bring to the Company a deep understanding of the Canadian and international business worlds, and his leadership and experience will be invaluable for Cirque's relaunch." Here is the complete list of members who will compose the new Board of Directors: Jim Murren – Co-Chairman of the Board Chairman, Acies Acquisition Corp. Former Chairman & CEO for MGM Resorts International Gabriel de Alba – Co-Chairman of the Board Managing Director & Partner, Catalyst Capital Group Steven Justman – Member Operating Partner, Abry Partners Stephen Ketchum – Member Managing Partner & Chief Investment Officer, Soundpoint Capital George Kliavkoff – Member President, Entertainment & Sports, MGM Resorts International Daniel Lamarre – Member President & CEO, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group Anna Martini – Member Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, CH Group Aaron Meyerson – Member Principal, Qualia Legacy Advisors Charles "Chip" Rini – Member Managing Director, CBAM Partners, an Eldridge business Additional Information On June 30, 2020, Cirque filed for protection from its creditors under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act ("CCAA") in Canada and Chapter 15 in the United States, to restructure its capital. The Superior Court of Québec (Commercial Division) (the "Court") granted Cirque's application. Interested parties had until August 18, 2020, to submit their counteroffer for an auction of the Company under the Court's supervision, pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and the sale and investment solicitation process, designed to achieve the highest offer for the Company and its stakeholders. An initial order to extend the stay period was requested on July 14, 2020 and granted by the Court. On October 8, a final request of extension was sought and approved by the Court, extending the stay period until November 13, 2020. A Court hearing took place on October 20, 2020, during which the Court was asked to approve the asset purchase agreement. Transaction Website For more information about this transaction, please visit www.ey.com/Cirque. Throughout this process, Cirque du Soleil is being represented by Stikeman Elliott LLP, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, National Bank Financial Inc. and Greenhill & Co. { SOURCE: PR Newswire } ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque Revival Includes Return of U.S. Shows Next Year {Nov.24.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group emerged from court protection with new owners, a focus on the world's biggest cities and a plan to open U.S. shows as early as next summer. Cirque's Las Vegas-based shows and a new production at Walt Disney Co.'s Florida resort are likely to resume first, according to Chief Executive Officer Daniel Lamarre, who kept his job after the restructuring. While some touring shows may get back on the road next year, the Montreal-based company targets 2022 to return to levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic. "We need to have the vaccine distributed on a scale that people will feel good to come in our places," Lamarre said in an interview Tuesday. "We have to be back to a certain normalcy." Cirque, which is now owned by former creditors including Catalyst Capital Group Inc., also wants touring shows to devote more time to large markets like New York, Toronto or Tokyo, and less to smaller destinations, according to Lamarre. The company hasn't decided yet if the number of productions will be scaled back. The live performance company filed for creditor protection in June after the pandemic forced it to shut down all of its 44 shows. The restructuring saw first-lien creditors wind up with virtually all of the equity, while shareholders including TPG and Quebec's pension fund had their equity wiped out. The new owners are injecting $375 million into the relaunch. Two shows, in China and Mexico, have so far resumed operations. Cirque signed extensions for five of its Vegas shows, including four at MGM Resorts International properties, for a combined 19 years, which Lamarre called "a way to bring a lot of confidence for our new owners." Besides Catalyst, prominent owners include Sound Point Capital Management LP, CBAM Partners and Benefit Street Partners, according to Lamarre. The four "are here to take the time it takes to really bring value to the company," he said. There are no plans to sell any of the assets Cirque has added in recent years, he said. Separately, the company on Tuesday named its board of directors, led by co-chairmen Gabriel de Alba, who's a managing director at Catalyst, and Jim Murren, a former chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts until retiring this year. MGM Resorts has been home for several of Cirque's Vegas shows. George Kliavkoff, another MGM executive, also sits on the board. { SOURCE: Bloomberg News Wire } ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque Expects to be Back Flying High by 2022 {Nov.25.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- With the sale of Cirque du Soleil successfully concluded, president and CEO Daniel Lamarre believes shows will gradually begin reopening in 2021, but that the Montreal-based circus will only be fully back in operation in 2022. In a phone interview Tuesday afternoon, Lamarre said he's optimistic but admitted it all depends on when a COVID-19 vaccine becomes widely available. "We are not going to go back to normalcy until a majority of people have had the vaccine," Lamarre said. "I feel strongly that when that situation goes back to normal and I like to think it will be late summer or early fall (2021), it's my belief that people are going to rush back to live shows because they've been confined so they'll want to go out and enjoy themselves." The Cirque boss said the Cirque will only be back in a real way when "the vaccine is highly distributed and that we don't have to have social distancing in our theatres and in our big tops … in an ideal world, I would love to open a show in the Old Port next summer and would love to open a couple of shows in Vegas in the meantime." But it takes a long time to get the Cirque machine fully up and running and no one can predict how the pandemic will play out in the coming year, which is why Lamarre is cautious as to when he thinks the company will be at or near its old capacity. "We think that we will start to open shows late summer, early fall, but the reality is that we think we can be up and running in 2022," Lamarre said. "So the real target for us is 2022, which means that between now and then we will have a lot to do." On Tuesday, it was announced that the transaction to sell the Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group to its secure lenders has officially closed and that allows the Montreal-based circus company to emerge from bankruptcy protection. The main companies that make up the group of lenders taking over are Catalyst Capital Group, Sound Point Capital and CBAM Partners and Benefit Street Partners. The previous shareholders — U.S. equity firm TPG Capital, China's Fosun International, and the Caisse de dépôt et du placement du Québec — lost control of the company. It was also confirmed that Lamarre will stay on as president and CEO, as well as sitting on the board of directors. The new co-chairs of the board are Jim Murren, chair of Acies Acquisition Corp. and former chair and CEO of MGM Resorts International, and Gabriel de Alba, managing director of Catalyst. The board will also include, among others, George Kliavkoff, president of entertainment and sports at MGM Resorts International, and Anna Martini, executive vice-president and chief financial officer of CH Group, which owns the Montreal Canadiens. Mitch Garber, the previous chair of the Cirque board, stepped down in September. When the pandemic forced the circus to cancel all 45 of its shows around the world in March, the Cirque fired 4,700 employees, which is 95 per cent of its staff. Lamarre says he believes most of those staffers will be back but only once the Cirque is fully operational again. Right now the company is operating with just under 200 staffers. "We have a lot of our artists on standby, we're talking about 500 artists in Vegas who're waiting for us to open the shows," Lamarre said. "I hope we're going to get close to where we were (staffing- wise) in the next two years. There are currently three Cirque shows back on, Joyà in Playa del Carmen in Mexico, The Land of Fantasy in Hangzhou, China, and Cirque Dreams in Orlando, Fla. Lamarre said he hopes the Las Vegas shows are the first major shows to come back "because it's very important to the Cirque revenue stream." It was recently announced that Zumanity has been cancelled, but the five other shows in Vegas have just had their contracts extended, according to Lamarre. Those shows are O, Kà, The Beatles LOVE, Michael Jackson ONE, and Mystère, the latter which has been running at the Treasure Island resort since 1993. Lamarre said he expects to announce one and perhaps even two new Vegas shows in the next year. The Cirque is also set to open a new residency show in Orlando, Drawn to Life, which will be performed at the Walt Disney World Resort. It was set to launch just before the pandemic but had to be postponed. { SOURCE: Brendan Kelly, The Montreal Gazette } ---------------------------------------------------------- LVRJ: Cirque enlists Murren, looks to 2021 return {Nov.26.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil has made plenty of news away from the stage in 2020, the numbing reality of shutting down all of its shows as COVID took hold in March. But Las Vegas' predominant production company is now talking about when it can come back to the stage. Cirque's sale to new investors was finalized Tuesday. The company has thus emerged from bankruptcy protection and is surveying its future. Daniel Lamarre remains in his post as Cirque's president and CEO. Two significant Las Vegas officials are also formally joining the new Cirque management lineup: former MGM Resorts Entertainment Chairman and current Nevada COVID Task Force head Jim Murren, and MGM Resorts President of Entertainment and Sports George Kliavkoff. In the afternoon of his company's sweeping announcement, Lamarre was asked, simply: Are we going to be able to sit together at a Cirque show on the Las Vegas Strip one year from now? "Yeah, oh yes, yes," Lamarre said in a phone chat from Cirque's Montreal headquarters. "If you'd asked me the same question a few weeks ago, I would have been very pessimistic, but not today." Lamarre says the three new vaccines on the horizon would allow Cirque to perform in theaters at full capacity when the company does start its relaunch in 2021 and into 2022. The general blueprint would be the distribution of vaccines in the U.S. beginning in December, followed by a loosening of restrictions into 2021 (first quarter would be the dream scenario), then the start of reopening Cirque theaters on the Strip. The pandemic renders a specific reopening timeline impossible at this point. But Lamarre said the re-launch of shows would likely begin first with "O" at Bellagio and "Mystere." The plan for which order the shows would continue to resume is not set, but Lamarre listed "Love" at Mirage, "MJ One" at Mandalay Bay and "Ka" at MGM Grand. Blue Man Group at Luxor, also a Cirque holding, would be among the earliest to return. Shows would reopen every two weeks or so, ideally. Each production would require two months of rehearsal time, and cost several million dollars to return to the stage. "We will have to lose some money, at first, to be able to make money," Lamarre said. Positive news can't come soon enough for sidelined Cirque artists and workers in Las Vegas, fighting to access unemployment insurance and hoping new stimulus money is released by Christmas. The company has laid off a total of 3,500 employees over 44 international shows. That includes some 1,370 artists, technicians and support staffers in its Las Vegas productions. That number of Strip shows was cut from six to five Nov. 16, when the company announced it would permanently close "Zumanity" after a 17- year run at New York-New York. Even with those staggering losses, Cirque has actually reinforced its long-term position in Las Vegas and its partnership with MGM Resorts. In his two years with MGM Resorts, Kliavkoff has been working continually with the company in its Strip production shows. He will continue to serve as a key official when Cirque decides a plan for the Zumanity theater (and we do expect another Cirque title in that venue). Murren was named Cirque's new co-chairman along with Gabriel de Alba of lead investor Catalyst Capital Group. The ex-resorts official is well familiar with the production company from his years with MGM Resorts, running from 2008 through last February. "We have known Jim Murren for a long time, and the new owners knew him very well," Lamarre said. "It was very apparent after a few conversations we could convince him to join Cirque. It was really a matter of us chasing him. You can imagine, a guy of that stature has many people running after him to be on different boards. "I think he joined because he loved Cirque, and believed in the future of our organization and can take us to the next level." Lamarre said Cirque sees an opportunity to actually expand its reach across the U.S., as MGM Resorts operates a half-dozen resorts across the country outside of its Strip hotels. MGM is also developing a resort in Japan. All of those properties would be available for Cirque production shows. "The most important thing right now is we have hope at the end of the tunnel," Lamarre said. "If we can start distributing vaccines as early as next month, that gives me a lot of optimism for Las Vegas. To be able to reopen with the same number of seats in our theaters would be an amazing bonus for us." Cirque is financially buttressed for the future, with a $375 million investment from a new collection of lenders seizing control of the company. The names might be impersonal, but they are crucial to Cirque's long- term viability. The major players are led by Capital Catalyst Group, a prominent investment firm out of Toronto; Benefit Street Partners real-estate investment trust of New York; Sound Point Capital management firm of New York; and CBAM Partners, which is part of the Eldridge Industries empire founded by CEO Todd Boehly, who also owns 20 percent of the L.A. Dodgers and a piece of the L.A. Sparks WNBA franchise. That group forced out the company's previous investment team of U.S. equity firm TPG Capital, Fosun International of China, and Canadian lender Caisse de dépôt et du placement du Québec. Those investors bought out co-founder Guy Laliberte for $1.5 billion in 2015. Cirque has not been totally silent through pandemic restrictions. The company continues to run "Joya" in Cancun and "X: The Land of Fantasy" in Hangzhou, the capital city of east China's Zhejiang province. The "Cirque Dreams Unwrapped" Christmas show opened Nov. 15 at the Gaylord Hotel in Orlando, Fla. But Las Vegas continues to serve as Cirque's artistic center. "Most of our artists live in Las Vegas. It's easier for us to foresee when we will reopen a show in Las Vegas than anywhere else," Lamarre said. "Las Vegas is our No. 1 priority." { SOURCE: John Katsilometes, Las Vegas Review-Journal } ---------------------------------------------------------- Las Vegas Weekly Reflects on Zumanity {Nov.27.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- If you make the right choices, one night in Las Vegas can change your life. "People say the craziest things to me. One woman from somewhere in the Midwest sent me a message years ago, saying our show completely changed her sexually," says Christopher Kenney, who created the emcee drag character of Edie and portrayed the "Mistress of Sensuality" in Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity for more than 12 years. "She always felt like she had to be a certain kind of woman, or no man would find her attractive. She was incredibly insecure, and something about Zumanity made her feel sexy. … She said she was having more sex and was happier than she'd ever been in her life. And that's so wonderful." That's not the kind of change you expect from a Las Vegas show. But it's not an uncommon reaction to Zumanity, which opened in 2003 at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino. Its last performance was on March 14. Cirque announced last week that Zumanity will not return, informing the cast and crew of about 120 of the permanent closure on the same day. Few things are truly shocking these days, and a big show ending during a pandemic that has absolutely crushed Las Vegas can't come as a complete surprise. (Zumanity is the second big show to close; Le Rêve did so in August). But for Kenney and other artists, it still came as a shock. "I was just not prepared at all. I just never thought Zumanity was in a position to close or that it was even a thought. It wasn't like we had a weak show." A statement from a Cirque du Soleil spokesperson said the decision to end Zumanity was a mutual one between Cirque and MGM Resorts, the result of many factors including the impacts of the pandemic on the entertainment landscape and market in Las Vegas: "We have reviewed our portfolio of shows and how we move forward. MGM Resorts has expressed their intent to explore other programming in that theater space, which they will announce in the coming months." Just days later, MGM announced ventriloquist and singer Terry Fator— whose headlining gig at the Mirage ended earlier this year—will perform a limited engagement in the New York-New York theater through the end of the year, though that show's opening was pushed from November 26 to December 17 after allowed showroom capacities were reduced this week. Originally intended to be Cirque's exploration of sensuality, romance and eroticism, Zumanity was groundbreaking and somewhat controversial when it officially opened on September 20, 2003. Like any production that achieves longevity, significant changes were made in its early stages and over the course of its long run, but it has always been provocative. "You have to go too far before you know what too far is," director of creation Andrew Watson told the Las Vegas Sun in April 2003. After its initial breakthrough, and as audiences became accustomed to the sexy side of Cirque, the show grew into something more celebratory and inspirational. "When you come to see the show, I'm inviting you into my world, and my world is very different from your world," Kenney says. "I want you to meet what I think is the most fabulous group of creatures in the world." One of its best-known original acts featured two men engaged in an intense, almost balletlike battle. The climactic ending finds the warriors locked in a kiss. In Zumanity's earliest days, a few guests would often react by walking out of the show, offended, sometimes muttering homophobic slurs. "I was told that happened a lot more before I got there," Kenney says. "But all of that slowly stopped over the years. It was amazing. I'm sure people still think it, but they didn't say it anymore, which was nice. It felt like the world may be growing and changing, becoming more loving and accepting." It's rare when a Las Vegas show can serve as a barometer of societal change, but that's just one reason why Zumanity was special. Cirque productions are known for fitting uniquely brilliant artists into anonymous roles. Zumanity put the cast's personalities on full display. Before Edie, New York City drag performer and cabaret singer Joey Arias emceed. Different acts were introduced by their names— sometimes character names and other times real names—and there was direct interaction with the audience. That personal recognition also strengthened the family feel for performers and crew members. Wassa Coulibaly, a dancer from Senegal, was part of the original cast and performed with Zumanity for 10 years. She spent that time learning from her peers and growing as an artist. "It was the first time I had seen such a wide variety of people from all over the world coming together and working so beautifully together, and also just sitting together doing our makeup and laughing and having conversation," Coulibaly says. "I can't describe the feeling of uncovering this world, and after it was over, I realize this was the most amazing time of my life. It's not like this everywhere else." Zumanity's creative collaboration inspired her to reach beyond. "It made my whole career, my decision to stay in Vegas, to open a theater and keep being an artist," says Coulibaly, who operates the Baobab Stage theater and café and its adjacent Wassa Boutique at Town Square. Over the course of 17 years, Zumanity has affected many more people than those sitting in a theater on the Strip for one night. It has impacted the local community and the greater, globe-spanning idea of Las Vegas, and its message was undeniably one of love and acceptance. Maybe other shows have done that, but Zumanity will always be special. "A lot of us really gave part of our lives to the show," Coulibaly says. "They brought together different people from all around the world with different experiences and allowed them to be creative in their own ways, and then you're given this platform to let out all this creativity. That's what made it so unique." { SOURCE: Brock Radke, Las Vegas Weekly } ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque Remains Committed to Entertainment in Las Vegas {Dec.07.2020} ---------------------------------------------------------- About a year ago, Cirque du Soleil's aquatic landmark "O" shifted to a seven-night schedule, a first for the dream-like epic that originally opened with Bellagio in October of 1998. After passing the 10,000-show mark last September, the production hired new artists and increased the cast to 117 from 77 in preparation for what should have been its biggest year yet. Last week, Cirque du Soleil President and CEO Daniel Lamarre said "O" will likely be the first Cirque show to reopen on the Las Vegas Strip in 2021. "People in Las Vegas and even we ourselves sometimes forget that ‘O' is the most successful show in the world. There is no other single show that is selling that many tickets year after year for over 20 years now," he said. "This signature show is a symbol for us and that's why it will be more than natural to open ‘O' first. It will send a clear signal worldwide that Cirque du Soleil is back." Just before Thanksgiving, the Montreal-based live entertainment group announced the closure of a purchase agreement with its secured lenders and that the company has emerged from the creditor protection period for which it filed in June in Canada and the United States. The new investment group is led by Toronto firm Capital Catalyst Group and the co-chairs of the new Cirque du Soleil board of directors are former MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren and Catalyst Managing Director Gabriel de Alba. The presence of Murren and another new board member, current MGM President of Entertainment and Sports George Kliavkoff, is confirmation of the strong relationship between Cirque and Las Vegas, which began when the company's first Strip residency "Mystére" opened at Treasure Island in 1993. "Having [Murren and Kliavkoff] is not only good for Las Vegas, which is key to the development of this company, but it's also [about] the opportunity to develop with [MGM] in their other casinos around the world," Lamarre said. Cirque has relaunched three productions in recent months: "X: The Land of Fantasy" in Hangzhou, China; "Joya" in Riviera Maya, Mexico; and a smaller holiday show at the Gaylord Palms hotel in Kissimmee, Florida. The company also launched a new online content hub called CirqueConnect during the pandemic shutdown, where a new behind-the- scenes special on "O" premiered last week. But Lamarre said the real re-start for Cirque du Soleil will happen on the Las Vegas Strip. "It is the same company, the same bunch of artists and creators that are still very passionate about doing new shows. What the new [ownership] really means for our people is that now I can say the future of the company is guaranteed," he said. "When the market is back to normalcy, it means we can bring back our shows, bring the company back to profitability and it also means we have the financial strength that it takes to go through the process we're in right now where it's not likely the market will be back to normal until have a vaccine. After that we will be able to invest the millions of dollars it takes to relaunch all of our existing shows." Cirque announced the permanent closure of the 17-year production "Zumanity" at New York-New York last month and simultaneously announced contract extensions for its other Las Vegas Strip shows — "O" at Bellagio, "The Beatles LOVE" at the Mirage, "KÁ" at MGM Grand, "Michael Jackson ONE" at Mandalay Bay and "Mystére" at Treasure Island. The Cirque group also owns the long-running Blue Man Group show at Luxor, which has yet to return to performances since the March shutdown of the Strip. With the recent closure at New York-New York and the pre-pandemic closure of "R.U.N," at Luxor, there are two Strip theaters previously occupied by Cirque shows without long-term residency plans and Lamarre said he's hoping to make some announcements regarding those venues soon. "We are on the lookout for new types of shows we could bring and hopefully they will be able to come to fruition in the next few months," he said. { SOURCE: Brad Radke, Las Vegas Sun } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Alegria, Bazzar, Koozå, Kurios, Luzia, Totem, Under the Same Sky, and Volta} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {OVO, Crystal, Corteo, AXEL, Messi10} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", KÀ, LOVE, MJ ONE, JOYA, X: The Land of Fantasy, Drawn to Life, and NYSA} NOTE: .) While we make every effort to provide complete and accurate touring dates and locations available, the information in this section is subject to change without notice. As such, the Fascination! Newsletter does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of these listings. For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts, please visit Cirque's website: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ >, or for a more comprehensive tour listing, visit our Itinéraire section online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=6898 >. ------------------------------------ BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau ------------------------------------ Alegría-In a New Light: Portland, OR -- Jun 4, 2021 to Jul 18, 2021 Denver, CO -- Aug 6, 2021 to Sep 12, 2021 Bazzar: Not Currently Scheduled Koozå: Washington, DC -- Jul 21, 2021 to Sep 19, 2021 Zurich, CH -- TBA Brussels, BE -- TBA Kurios: Melbourne, AU -- TBA Adelaide, AU -- TBA Luzia: Madrid, ES -- TBA Barcelona, ES -- TBA Totem: Rome, IT -- Mar 17 2021 to Apr 25, 2021 Milan, IT -- May 5, 2021 to Jun 20, 2021 Under the Same Sky: Montreal, QC -- Spring 2022 VOLTA: Not Currently Scheduled ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ OVO: Not Currently Scheduled CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE: Hanover, DE -- Sep 22, 2021 - Sep 26, 2021 Leipzip, DE -- Sep 29, 2021 - Oct 3, 2021 Nuremberg, DE -- Oct 6, 2021 - Oct 10, 2021 Cologne, DE -- Oct 13, 2021 - Oct 17, 2021 Oberhausen, DE -- Oct 27, 2021 - Oct 31, 2021 Munich, DE -- Nov 4, 2021 - Nov 7, 2021 Frankfurt, DE -- Nov 10, 2021 - Nov 14, 2021 Stuttgart, DE -- Dec 1, 2021 - Dec 5, 2021 CORTEO: Moscow, RU -- Mar 26, 2021 to Apr 25, 2021 St. Petersburg, RU -- May 19, 2021 to May 23, 2021 Lille, FR -- Jun 10, 2021 to Jun 13, 2021 Antwerp, BE -- Jun 17, 2021 to Jun 27, 2021 London, UK -- Jun 30, 2021 to Jul 11, 2021 Dublin, IE -- Jul 14, 2021 to Jul 25, 2021 Palma de Mallorca, ES -- Aug 6, 2021 to Aug 15, 2021 Nice, FR -- Aug 19, 2021 to Aug 22, 2021 Vienna, AU -- Sep 1, 2021 to Sep 5, 2021 Aix-en-Provence, FR -- Oct 27, 2021 to Oct 31, 2021 Monpellier, FR -- Nov 4, 2021 to Nov 7, 2021 Copenhagen, DE -- Jan 13, 2022 to Jan 16, 2022 Trondheim, NO -- Feb 18, 2022 to Feb 20, 2022 Oslo, NO -- Feb 24, 2022 to Feb 27, 2022 Vilnius, LT -- Mar 17, 2022 to Mar 20, 2022 Leeds, UK -- Oct 27, 2022 to Oct 30, 2022 AXEL: Not Currently Scheduled Messi10: Buenos Aires, AR -- TBA --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- JOYÀ: Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Shows restarted on July 3, 2020 X: THE LAND OF FANTASY Location: Hangzhou, China Performances of "X: The Land of Fantasy" staged on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays starting June 3, 2020 ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) CIRQUECONNECT SPECIALS Enjoy a front-row seat to awe-inspiring moments of the larger- than-life shows, with never-before seen angles that can only be experienced on your screen. - SPECIAL #31: VAREKAI, ALEGRIA, QUIDAM {Nov.06} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN-gNUq0utA - SPECIAL #32: SPOTLIGHT ON ALEGRIA {Nov.13} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y5_VyEwZhc - SPECIAL #33: SPOTLIGHT ON KURIOS {Nov.20} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osUnlybI_bE - SPECIAL #34: SPOTLIGHT ON BAZZAR {Nov.27} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffaNc8ejeN0 - SPECIAL #35: SPOTLIGHT ON "O" {Dec.04} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju37Y1F4ylc - SPECIAL #36: SPOTLIGHT ON AXEL {Dec.11} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF5j7CtiNzc o) CIRQUECLASS: DREAMING IS NOT ENOUGH! Learn about Lydia Bouchard's passion for performing, directing and combining different art forms. With 22 years of onstage experience with renowned companies such as Ex Machina and Opéra de Montréal, the multidisciplinary artist Lydia Bouchard has danced on stages around the world. She then diversified her experience towards television where she has become a strong voice for Quebec’s dance community. Performing both as an artist and as a creator, she brought to life several choreographies and acted as show director on many projects for Cirque du Soleil. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPC0Ua0Lm_o o) CIRQUE ME OUT - EPISODE 4: (RITMOS 4) CAPOEIRA WORKOUT {Nov.04} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMCXTMA-oL4 - EPISODE 5: (YOGA 1) OPENING UP YOUR FRONT BODY {Nov.18} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXqNk_QmO2Q - EPISODE 6: (YOGA 2) IT'S ALL ABOUT BALANCE {Nov.25} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3RBL9P-VF0 - EPISODE 7: (YOGA 3) FOCUS ON YOUR HIPS {Dec.02} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlsCiaTIyXs - EPISODE 8: (YOGA 4) YOGA WITH A TWIST {Dec.09} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu2FttPTRTA o) BIG TOP ACADEMY - SCHOOL'S OUT EDITION Over the break, the students of Big Top Academy are staying in touch through The Big Top Bulletin! - EPISODE 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQKVH2aZT-U {Nov.13} A code name and a mystery meet in a virtual secret room. - EPISODE 8: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8Pk4-GjuH0 When babysitting equals double trouble, it’s Girls Rocking The Circus to the rescue. - EPISODE 9: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM1IHP6dbes {Nov.19} An out-of-control bug is tunneling towards BTA on a mission of doom. - EPISODE 10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxEUrwLBuX4 {Nov.19} A "pets edish" featuring everyone's favourite animals - real and make-believe - provides a perfect counterpoint to gloom and doom. - EPISODE 11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Elv4Mrh__c {Nov.26} This top-secret edition of the Bulletin is in code. - EPISODE 12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVpg56YszxY {Nov.26} With the very future of BTA in question, the Bulletin plunges into dark mode. - EPISODE 13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Royi6w67kns {Dec.03} A joyous circus performance is the best, except when it's the worst. - EPISODE 14: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gaXIpQRlsk {Dec.03} Is the future of Big Top Academy in jeopardy? - EPISODE 15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NuBrGzHy48 {Dec.10} Could this really be the final edition of The Big Top Bulletin? - EPISODE 16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlWYpbFdGNk {Dec.10} It’s up to the Bulletin to prove to the world that Big Top Academy is a normal circus school. o) OTHER FINDS - David Piché, violinist on Varekai, shared some videos of his time with the tour. CANES ACT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EXeWTVZSyY "VOCEA": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=227sK8ICy3E ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= o) "What Ifs and If Onlys, Part 4 of 7" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) o) "Montreal as an International Culture Metropolis" By: Guy Laliberté - Montreal, Quebec (CAN) ------------------------------------------------------------ "What Ifs and If Onlys, Part 4 of 7" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) ------------------------------------------------------------ In 1984, propelled by the audacity of youth, Cirque du Soleil dreamed that it could infuse the traditional circus with an innovative spirit through the theatrical blending of circus arts and street entertainment, wrapped up in original costumes, fantastical sets, original music, and magical lighting. Once you've defied the odds and proven you can take a bunch of street artists and place them under a big top and put on a show, brought that big top to every continent – playing for sold out audiences worldwide, conquered Las Vegas with not one but two highly successful resident shows (with the announcement of at least two more on the way), and opened a resident show at the Walt Disney World Resort... what's the next adventure? How about tackling the real estate market? Yes! And "Complexes Cirque" was born. COMPLEXES CIRQUE ---------------- On December 11, 2000, Cirque du Soleil announced via a press release that, after staging seven original shows in four touring big tops and three permanent theaters on four continents around the world, it had a new dream. The company announced it would develop entertainment complexes in major entertainment capitals of the world, an idea envisioned by Cirque du Soleil's Founding President, Guy Laliberté. "Over the years, we have collaborated with creative people from around the world to conceive, devise and realize our shows. With the Cirque du Soleil Complexes, we intend to expand our platform by bringing together an ensemble of innovative ideas and talent under one roof and applying them to a physical location. We envision our Complexes as international meeting places where patrons will be inspired and entertained in the spirit of celebration and festivity. We want to surround our public with artful living," announced Laliberté. The complexes would be a unique fusion of drama and design, of architecture and the arts. They would be a place where technology, tourism, arts and leisure converge, and would provide a year-round base for Cirque du Soleil in the form of a permanent theater in the host city. Laliberté added, "We want to situate our patrons in the moment by creating an environment, a microcosm, where no detail is expendable in the profound belief that every detail is part of the big here and now. We believe this to be a natural extension of our mission statement: invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions of people around the world." Planning was underway to develop four to six of these complexes within the next ten years in places like New York, Paris, Barcelona, Tokyo, Singapore, and Hong Kong, the release said, with the first being planned for The Battersea Power Station site in London (which we've previously discussed). "For the past 16 years, we've used the live stage and the circus format as our canvas," Mr. Mario D'Amico said during a February 2001 interview with the National Post. "We'll never abandon our roots in live entertainment, but it's time to find a way to reinvent ourselves and see where else we can stamp our brand of creativity, whether it's a hotel, a museum, a restaurant or an art gallery." To head this new ventures business unit, Cirque du Soleil hired Daniel Lamarre, formerly chief executive of TVA Group Inc. He would be responsible for seeking out financing partnerships for six entertainment complexes over the next decade. Mr. D'Amico also said prime candidates for locating Cirque's complexes would include cities where there's not only a large population and high tourist traffic but an "entertainment culture" that lends itself to Cirque. Becoming more involved in the development of multi-purpose entertainment complexes is a natural extension of the path Cirque du Soleil has taken in growing into a troupe recognized around the world. "We've identified some partners who we think we can work with on these ventures. If they are willing to contribute to the financing of these complexes, we can fill it with the Cirque du Soleil experience in all its forms." But why do this you might ask? While Cirque du Soleil has had control over the creative content of Mystère, "O" and La Nouba - resident shows in Las Vegas and Orlando respectively, beyond the theaters' doors it was someone else's stage. "So we figured, if we're part of someone else's entertainment concept, the next logical step is to be more involved in the entire process," said Mr. D'Amico. He added Cirque du Soleil is blessed with a "brand identity" that hits people at a "very emotional, visceral level. "People come to our shows and seem to be very profoundly affected by what they see," he said. "It brings people back to their childhood, when all seemed possible." The prototype of said complexes was planned for Montreal. Preliminary estimates suggested it would cost about $100 million CDN ($63.5 million USD) and would include a 1,200 seat theater, a 300-room hotel, a spa, and restaurants, said Daniel Lamarre, president and chief operating officer of the New Ventures and Shows Divisions. "We hope to reveal the investors within three months," Lamarre said. "Realistically, we hope to break ground next fall and open in a year and a half from then." What will make the Cirque complex different? "First of all, we are a content provider," Lamarre said. "We see those venues from that content perspective. The key element to us is a Cirque du Soleil show That's the basic element of the complex." "Why after having successful shows do we want to go further and create a complex?" Lamarre asked himself rhetorically in an interview with Amusement Business. "We want to create an environment in which we will expand the experience of the Cirque du Soleil brand. Right now you go a Cirque du Soleil show you are inspired about the experience, then you walk away from the big top and you are back to reality. "Our dream is to have someone walk from the show and go to a Cirque du Soleil hotel, or a Cirque nightclub or a Cirque restaurant or to an art gallery designed by Cirque du Soleil. If you think of 'O,' for instance, we have developed a very specific trademark of a water show The brand of 'O' and all the equipment we have there is owned by us. We have the intellectual property. Can we take this water show and tailor that to a spa? That's the creative thinking behind this project." In an article in the Wall Street Journal, Guy Laliberte, Cirque's founder and president, said he envisioned interactive museums, nightclubs where customers danced in water and hotels that added a touch of surreality to five-star service. Lamarre was not as specific, but did say Cirque saw the hotel as "a new stage. This hotel is a theater; our employees will not let us build a normal hotel. When one of our employees walks into the lobby of the building, they will say 'Hey, this is us.' If we cannot achieve that, the hotel will be called something else." Lamarre said investors, developers and hoteliers were interested in this concept. But rather than embark on a full-scale complex, which would cost more like $500 million to $2 billion by some estimates, though Lamarre shies away from such numbers, Cirque decided on the laboratory approach. "For our live shows, we have developed our own incubator in Montreal. We have our own studio here; we train our artists here; and we have this international training facility for our shows," Lamarre explained the thinking. Complex Cirque in Montreal would be done in conjunction with Montreal University. "We have an option with Montreal University to make it happen," Lamarre said. Cirque is also in negotiation with local investors. "We want to keep all our intellectual rights. We want to keep all our options open." It is conceived as an international training center for future complexes. Besides the elements mentioned, it would also include a multimedia production and broadcast center. The theater would house a Cirque show for three months of the year. "We're working with other Montreal entertainment companies to have this place used 12 months a year," Lamarre said. For Montreal, the hotel and spa would be the main money makers. "Ticket sales will be our bonus," Lamarre said. "But it's certainly a statement for our brand. The reason so many people in Montreal are interested in having our prototype here is we think we can create in Montreal what is lacking - a destination. Because of Cirque's brand recognition abroad, having this Cirque prototype here in Montreal will be very intriguing to people and it will become our window our showroom, for people who want to have a full-fledged complex in other cities." A business model was being written and a city to house the first complex, after Montreal opens, is being sought. "London is on the radar screen, and Vegas and we're also talking to people in Hong Kong, and Tokyo and New York," Lamarre said. By April 2002, Guy Laliberté unveiled the company had "designs on a vacant lot at the corner of St. Urbain and Sherbrooke Sts., where it hoped to build the $100-million hotel and spa - and incubator for new Cirque concepts, projects and talent," The Montreal Gazette reported. "It's all part of Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberte's dream of turning Montreal into an international cultural centre." Laliberte might have a dream, but he was sketchy on the details. He said the Cirque has already developed a partnership with the Universite du Quebec a Montreal, which owns the land, and with the Societe Generale de Financement du Quebec, which has underwritten preliminary studies. "We're looking for other partners, but what we want is more than just money," Laliberte told reporters after the speech. "It's about a shared vision and a desire to create something new." Montreal is not big enough to sustain the kind of four-season tourist destination he has in mind. "That bothers me, because all our creative content is developed here in Montreal. We've spent a lot of research and development money here over the last two years. So why not establish a laboratory?" he asked rhetorically. "Why not become a think-tank for developing our new creative platforms?" The Cirque and the SGF had teamed up to do market analysis, feasibility studies and other research. "We have not agreed to financial backing of the project. We're open to the idea, but we'll look at it when all the studies are completed in a month to six weeks," said Jean-Yves Duthel, the SGF's vice-president (public relations). Laliberté pushed all the right buttons in his speech to the influential business crowd. He warmed them up by coaxing his pin- striped audience to don the red rubber noses that were tucked into the elaborate floral centerpieces on each table. Then he recalled the particular interest former premier Rene Levesque took in a nascent group of street performers back in 1984. Laliberté expressed little patience for those who would tie up the creative process in five-year plans and such, saying: "Montreal has an opportunity to become a cultural centre. The elements are in place. Let's go for it without compromise, with audacity and courage." His speech drew a standing ovation, but would it be enough? Ultimately no. On December 3, 2002, the Canadian News Wire reported that Cirque's executive board had decided not to follow through with the "Complexes Cirque" projects. And thus the prototype under development in Montreal would not be constructed. Over the last two years, Cirque du Soleil has explored the possibility of creating Complexes Cirque around the world through research and development work. The "Laboratoire Montréal" project was born of this effort: its purpose was to develop the concepts that would subsequently be exported internationally. After completing its financial analysis of the Laboratoire Montréal project, Cirque du Soleil concluded that it would not be prudent to follow through with Complexes Cirque. Considering the uncertainty of the present global situation, Cirque considers that the risks of investing in a new field of activity are too great at this time. Entertainment, the heart of Cirque du Soleil's activities, remains much less risky and more profitable. Last December, Cirque du Soleil had announced that it was conducting a feasability study and looking for the necessary financing with a view to developing a first "Complexe Cirque" in Montreal. The year that followed allowed the company to assess the risks and the potential compromises that realizing such a project would involve. As a specialist in the development of creative content, Cirque du Soleil will instead focus its energy on the creation and production of new works in the fields of live entertainment and multimedia. As always, these projects will be targeted for the international market. Cirque du Soleil continued to pursue the development of other projects, such as the Cité des arts du Cirque, which brought together Cirque du Soleil, the École Nationale de Cirque (National Circus School), and En Piste (National Circus Arts Network) to create "The City of Circus Arts" where all three are now based, with TOHU - a place for dissemination, creation, experimentation and convergence of culture, environment and community involvement - sits at its center. So, in a way, Cirque du Soleil did achieve its complex ambitions, just in a totally different way. Additionally, the discontinuation of the Complexes Cirque project did not in any way discourage Cirque du Soleil from continuing to pursue residences around the globe. In fact, by 2005, we would see a plethora of attempts to set up in New York City, Miami, and back in Montreal. THE PEEL PROJECT ---------------- On June 22, 2005, Cirque du Soleil and Loto-Quebec unveiled a proposal for the establishment of a world-class entertainment complex to be located on the site of the Peel Basin in the du Havre sector of Montréal. The announcement re-ignited the years-old plans of Cirque involving itself in venues that would offer a wide range of entertainment options branded with Cirque du Soleil's flair. And they hoped the new project would provide Montréal and Québec with a powerful lever to spur development of the local economy, tourism and the cultural sector. The project would also have translated into the creation of 6,450 direct and indirect jobs. Loto-Québec would be serving as project manager (investing an estimated at $997 million), contribution from private partners was estimated to be in the order of $178 million), while the Cirque du Soleil would look after design, creative and artistic direction of the project. "This project is what we are recommending to the Québec Government as being the best solution for the future of the Casino de Montréal," explained Mr. Alain Cousineau, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Loto-Québec. "The recommendation is based on the rigorous studies we have conducted, as well as on the creative genius of the Cirque du Soleil. In addition to being a modern reflection of Québec's cultural dynamism and Montréal's exceptional vitality, the complex will offer visitors an unparalleled entertainment experience while showcasing the historical character of the site." According to the President and founder of the Cirque du Soleil, "the Cirque du Soleil is investing all of its creativity and global expertise in this project in order to ensure that Montréal can fully benefit from the international spin-offs to be generated. Indeed, we are envisioning a concept whose outstanding components will make for a truly world-class entertainment complex. We sincerely hope to be able to invite the millions of people we meet in the four corners of the planet to come and enjoy the new complex, which we are convinced will more than meet their expectations." The complex would encompass a 300-room hotel and 2,500-seat performance hall able to accommodate international touring productions. The Casino de Montréal would also be relocated to the site, offering more spacious facilities than the existing establishment on Île Notre-Dame. As outlined in Loto-Québec's Development Plan, however, game offerings will not be increased. In addition, the complex would include a boldly designed spa, an Artists' Wharf, where artistic creators of all kinds will benefit from an extraordinary window on the world, as well as a park that could play host to the Cirque du Soleil's Big Top. The entire complex would bear the signature of the Cirque du Soleil. Furthermore, Loto-Québec negotiated an agreement, pending the government's approval, to acquire a parcel of land to the west of the entertainment complex on which a commercial exhibition center could be established for business and tradeshows. The Corporation has received a show of interest from world leaders in the sector in associating with the project as investors and operators. Assuming that all of the conditions were met, Loto-Québec was inviting the economic community, particularly the tourism sector, to mobilize and assume an active role in realizing the exhibition center project. The project made public would also see the construction of a monorail to interconnect the entertainment complex, exhibition center, and the future soccer stadium whose planned construction in the Technoparc had been recently announced. As such, the entire sector would enjoy the benefits of a light transportation system allowing for efficient circulation between the principal activities/centers of attraction in the du Havre area. The Peel Basin was proposed as the site for the complex because it is an enclaved area surrounded by physical barriers separating it from residential zones, and because it is located near downtown hotels and Old Montréal, both major tourist attractions. And according to a study of economic spin-offs conducted by Université du Québec à Montréal professor Yves Rabeau, the project would create 14,200 jobs per year during the planning and construction period. The operation of the complex and exhibition center would create another 3,150 direct and indirect jobs, and an additional 3,300 direct and indirect jobs would be generated by the tourist drawing power of the complex and exhibition center, for a grand total of 6,450 new jobs over and above the Casino de Montréal's existing workforce. It would be completed and operating by 2010 or 2011, bankrolled by $997 million of Loto cash and $178 million of investments from private sources, said Alain Cousineau, Loto's chairperson, president and chief executive. "We are firm in our commitment today to approach each phase of this process with total transparency and openness. We sincerely hope that this project inspires a spirit of enthusiasm and unity on a par with our creative capacity and sense of innovation," underlined Mr. Cousineau. "This partnership between Loto-Québec and the Cirque du Soleil is made possible by the fact that the two parties share the same values of integrity, social responsibility, innovation, uncompromising customer service and respect for employees," concluded Mr. Cousineau. "If the Government gives its approval to this proposal, we are convinced that Montréal and Québec as a whole will gain a powerful engine for the development of the economy, and the tourism and cultural sectors, while opening an exceptional window on the artistic talents of Québecers and the outstanding quality of life in Montréal." The project faced multiple hurdles and wouldn't even get the green light before 2007. However, City of Montreal officials hedged their bets. Tourism Montreal pledged its "unconditional support," while the Conseil regional de l'environnement de Montreal said it "rejoiced" at the prospect of the casino leaving Ile Notre Dame. So, let's take a deeper look at the project as proposed. Loto-Québec and the Cirque du Soleil proposed the creation of a major entertainment complex encompassing a hotel, performance hall, garden space, casino, and other areas for artistic creation and expression. Showcasing Québec's cultural dynamism and Montréal's flair for living, the complex would be designed by Cirque du Soleil creative personnel, who would who'd endow it with astyle and character unique in the world. The project would also reflect and promote the rich heritage of the Peel Basin area, which played a key role in the history of Montréal. And thanks to the numerous green spaces and promenades along the Peel and Wellington Basins, it would allow Montréalers to reclaim a large part of the city's du Havre sector for their enjoyment. 1. OUTDOOR STAGE & PERFORMANCE HALL -- An open-air stage, to be equipped with the most advanced technical installations, would be able to play host to shows for up to 8,000-10,000 spectators. The performance hall would accommodate audiences of up to 2,500, allowing it to stage major productions like the great musicals that tour the world. 2. HOTEL -- The project called for the construction of a 300-room hotel to be financed and operated by a private partner. This would be a superior-class establishment which could attract the high- limits players interested in integrated offers. The building would feature some 20 floors and seduce guests with its exceptional views of the Saint Lawrence River and the downtown skyline. 3. CASINO -- The casino would occupy a surface area of 53,000 square- meters, or 16% more space than the existing building, bringing it in line with today's industry norms in terms of the density of machines and tables per square meter. For their part, the casino's restaurants and bars will be able to accommodate close to 1,500 patrons at a time, or about double the number the current building can. The new gaming house would be particularly noteworthy for its green roof and its natural lighting thanks to its many skylights. 4. SHOPPING AREA AND SPA -- Boutiques and a 2,000 square-meter spa would be submerged under a cascading waterfall, thus creating a spectacular effect. The commercial area will occupy a total space of 4,500 square-meters. 5. GARDEN SPACE -- A park for all seasons, the "Espace Jardins" becomes a nexus for culture and creativity where Cirque will premiere its traveling shows in its Grand Chapiteau. 6. THE PEEL BASIN -- The Peel Basin will be restored to its former status as a Montreal landmark, becoming a unique and animated site dedicated to the arts and festivity; a joyful venue that will enhance Montreal's renown and reputation as a tourist destination; a historic international crossroads reclaimed from neglect and rededicated to exchanges between Montreal and the world; a clean, green site in harmony with the environment; a dynamic meeting place for the public and the creative community. 7. MARINA & WHARF -- The project also proposed the development of a marina in the Wellington Basin, which could accommodate boats in transit. This facility would serve as a permanent testament to the island character of Montréal, while linking the complex to the Saint Lawrence via the Lachine Canal. Located on the edge of the Wellington Basin, the Artists' Wharf would allow artists to create and share their works with the public. These spaces would serve as a vibrant window on Québec culture and enable local artists to show off their talents to millions of people each year. As previously mentioned, a monorail system to span five separate stations would be operated across the complex. The first would be intermodal and provide a link to Montréal's public transportation system; the second station would be located at the entrance to the entertainment complex; the third at the parking facility across from the complex; the fourth would serve the future exhibition center; and the last station would be at the soccer stadium to be built in the Technoparc. With every large project comes controversy and such did not escape this new project. To us it looked like a great match; the Montréal Casino had suffered as "high roller" customers took their business to other more exciting cities and Loto-Québec obviously felt they had to modernize or risk falling further behind. But there were other concerns than just gaming. Placing this new project in the Peel Basin/Point St-Charles area (which, on our map is marked as an industrial area) had activists concerned that any move would mean more crime and traffic in what some considered a residential area. But Loto-Québec officials insisted the area was selected because it was out of the way of most residential areas of the city, yet close to the big hotels and Old Montréal. It would take time for this proposal to move its way through the planning and approval process, but neither party expected the push- back they had received. Ultimately, Cirque du Soleil announced it was withdrawing from the Peel Basin project as of March 10, 2006. The reason: given the context of uncertainty associated with this project, it had become impossible for Cirque du Soleil to pursue its involvement. Daniel Lamarre explained: "We cannot live with uncertainty for almost two years, not knowing if there will be a project at all down the road. We must protect the interests of our company and employees, as well as carry on with our development strategy". In view of the Cirque du Soleil's decision to withdrawal from the Peel Basin recreational and tourist complex project Loto-Québec also announced that it would not be pursuing its plans for the relocation of the Casino de Montréal. The announcement came after the Corporation's Board of Directors confirmed the decision. "The very essence of our project was bound to the dynamic presence of the Cirque du Soleil, to its distinctive signature, its unique style and character which was to permeate all the components of the complex, to its remarkable creativity, and to the Cirque's capacity to attract private partners," underlined Loto-Québec President, Mr. Alain Cousineau. "In the absence of these characteristics, the project is no longer able to distinguish itself definitively within the casino industry of today's new competitive landscape and to maximize its ability to draw visitors from outside Québec." "I would like to thank Guy Laliberté, Daniel Lamarre and the entire Cirque du Soleil team, whose decision I understand," concluded Mr. Cousineau. "We greatly appreciate their collaboration and the fruitful exchange of ideas and expertise in planning this project, which had the potential of enriching Montréal, particularly the South-West Borough, with a formidable development tool." The fallout from the project's collapse was as spectacular as it was discouraging. Tongues were wagging. Guy Laliberté was so disappointed and so dissatisfied with his own hometown, in an interview with Radio- Canada about the project, out came fire: "It [systematic protest] is becoming a trend, the 'brand' of our society. . . . It's unfortunate because Montreal is recognized internationally -- for its joie de vivre, as a destination -- and instead of building on those assets, we continue to fight within the family. Meanwhile, while other cities in the world continue to grow, we continue to lose ground [culturally], sort of like we have to Toronto from an economic and business point of view." Ouch. The redevelopment project certainly looked interesting, but would it have been a success? We'll never know. To be Continued... ------------------------------------------------------------ "Montreal as an International Culture Metropolis" By: Guy Laliberté - Montreal, Quebec (CAN) ------------------------------------------------------------ The following is an English-language translation of the speech Guy Laliberté gave the city of Montreal regarding his Complexes Cirque project. It it presented as it was translated on April 9, 2002. DISTINGUISHED GUESTS OF HONOR, LADIES, GENTLEMEN TODAY IS A HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE CITY OF MONTREAL. IN FACT, AFTER A PLANETARY CONSULTATION, THE UNITED NATIONS HAS JUST OFFICIALLY DECREED TODAY THAT MONTREAL WOULD NOT BE PART OF QUEBEC OR CANADA. THIS DECISION FOLLOWS SECRET STEPS TAKEN FOR SEVERAL YEARS BY PUBLIC ENTERTAINERS, ARTISTS, ARTISANS AND CREATORS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD. AS OF TODAY, MONTREAL WILL BE PART OF THE REPUBLIC OF CIRCASSIA. AS THE CAPITAL OF CIRCASSIE, MONTREAL WILL HAVE TO REVIEW ITS WAYS OF WORKING AND ITS CITIZENS WILL HAVE TO ADAPT TO A NEW LIFE PHILOSOPHY. THE FIRST INSTRUCTION THAT I WILL GIVE YOU, TO ADAPT YOU TO THIS NEW REALITY, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND ALL THE MEANING AND THE SHADES OF MY PRESENTATION, YOU MUST WEAR THE CLOWN NOSE. LAID DOWN IN THE CENTER OF THE TABLE, WE HAVE PLANNED CLOWN NOSES FOR EACH OF YOU. BY WEARING THIS DEVICE, YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE OF CIRCASSIA BETTER. YOU CAN GET TO KNOW YOUR PASSION, EMOTION, MADNESS AND ALL THE BENEFITS OF CREATIVITY. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THIS CHANGE OF STATUS WILL MAKE MAJOR CHANGES IN OUR CITY. LET ME SHOW YOU CERTAIN TRANSFORMATIONS THAT WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN THE NEXT DAYS. FIRST, WE WILL FILL THE CONCRETE RIVER SO THAT WE WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO CROSS BRIDGES. WE WILL SO MAKE GREAT SAVINGS. FOLLOWING THIS CHANGE, WE WILL USE THE EXISTING BRIDGES TO CONNECT DORVAL TO MIRABEL. WE WILL ALSO RAISE MONT-ROYAL IN ORDER TO HAVE AN OLYMPIC CALIBER SKI MOUNTAIN IN THE CENTER OF MONTREAL. WE WILL COVER THE CITY OF MONTREAL WITH A DOME TO CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE WELL AT OUR GUIDE. AFTER YOU HAVE BUILT THE UNDERGROUND CITY, WE WILL MAKE AN AIR MONTREAL TO MOVE BETWEEN THE GREAT TOURS OF THE CITY CENTER. TO ADDRESS THE ROOF PROBLEMS OF THE OLYMPIC STADIUM, WE WILL TIP THE STADIUM TO HAVE A SAUCER AT THE END OF A MAST THAT WILL OVERLOOK THE GROUND. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PARDON ME. I'VE MISTAKEN THE TEXT. THE TEXT I JUST DELIVERED TO YOU WAS PREPARED FOR MY SPEECH AT THE RHINOCEROS PARTY. EXCUSE ME, WE START AGAIN. * * * DISTINGUISHED GUESTS OF HONOR, LADIES, GENTLEMEN. FOR A FORMER FIRE BREATHER, A STREET ARTIST, IT'S FUNNY TO MEET AS A SPEAKER AT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT I ASKED THE WORLD CIRCUS ARTISTS TO COME TO SET A LITTLE ATMOSPHERE TODAY. THE STREET IS OUR PLACE OF ORIGIN AND WE ARE PROUD OF IT. WITH THE CIRQUE DU MONDE PROGRAM, WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE IN DIFFICULTY AND TO OFFER THEM A WAY OF EXPRESSING THEIR CIRCUS ARTS. THIS PROGRAM, WHICH WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A LITTLE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, ALLOWS US TO GIVE PART OF OUR RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY. IT IS THIS COMBINATION OF STRENGTH, PASSION, EMOTION THAT LEADS TO DEVELOP A COMMON VISION AND, ESPECIALLY, TO DEVELOP NEW DREAMS. TO STOP DREAMING IS TO STOP LIVING. THIS IS WHAT TAKES ME HERE TODAY. I WANT IT TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO REMEMBER THE IMPORTANCE OF DREAMING AND BEING CREATIVE IN OUR APPROACH TO LIFE. DAILY AFFAIRS, ESTABLISHED AND RECOGNIZED FINANCIAL MODELS, DOMINANT THINKING CURRENTS SUIT US A ROUTINE. WE LET US EMBARK IN FASHIONABLE APPROACHES AND WE GIVE IN TO THE PRESSURE OF THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE MOMENT. IT IS THE WORST DANGER THAT LOOKS FOR US. I HAVE BEEN LUCKY, IN LIFE, TO ALWAYS FIND PEOPLE WHO BELIEVED IN MY DREAMS AND WHO GIVEN ME THE LITTLE IMPROVEMENT ALLOWING ME TO ACHIEVE MY PLANS. THIS FORMULA ALLOWED ME TO GO TO THE END OF MY MADNESSES AND TO ESTABLISH, IN MONTREAL, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CREATIVE LABORATORIES IN THE WORLD. AT THE ORIGIN OF THIS PROJECT, THERE WAS A BAND OF YOUNG DREAMERS WHO WANTED TO EXPRESS FROM A VERY SMALL MARKET: QUEBEC. A MAN BELIEVED IN OUR VISION TOWARDS AND AGAINST ALL: RENÉ LÉVESQUE. IT HAS MADE ALL KINDS OF MINIATORS TO BEAT THE SYSTEM AND PLAY OUT THE RIGID STANDARDS IN ORDER TO GIVE FREE RATE TO OUR CREATIVITY. IT TAKEN SOMEONE WHO BELIEVED IN US. WE DON'T WANT ONLY MONEY. WE WANT TO SUPPORT IT. IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO FEEL THAT WE COULD REACH NEW SUMMITS. YOU CAN IMAGINE THEY WERE MANY PROPHETS OF MISLEADING AT THE TIME. MANY PEOPLE BELIEVED THAT MONSIEUR LÉVESQUE WAS IN BAD DEAL. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE GALLERY TODAY TO MAKE A LITTLE ASSESSMENT OF OUR FORMER PRIME MINISTER'S INVESTMENT. THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF QUÉBEC AND CIRQUE DU SOLEIL HAS BEEN VERY PROFITABLE FOR QUEBECERS. OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE RECEIVED A GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION IN THE ORDER OF $ 20 MILLION. IN OUR 17 YEARS OF EXISTENCE, WE HAVE GENERATED BENEFITS OF OVER $ 200 MILLION. THIS AMOUNT CONSTITUTES A RETURN OF MORE THAN 1000% ON THE INVESTMENT. IT IS OBVIOUSLY ADDED TO THIS NUMBER THE JOB CREATION AND THE MANY DROPPED OF INTERNATIONAL VISIBILITY. THIS KIND OF BENEFITS, GENERATED BY CULTURAL COMPANIES, MAY ALLOW MONTREAL TO GIVE A UNIQUE DEVELOPMENT AXIS. TODAY, I DO NOT REALLY WISH TO REVEAL YOU GREAT SECRETS. I DO NOT WISH TO INTERVIEW YOU ON THE HISTORY OF THE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL OR CONFIDE YOU ON SUCCESS RECIPES. I DO NOT WISH TO TELL YOU THAT IT IS EASY TO IMAGINE THE FUTURE OF MONTREAL AND THAT I HAVE THE SECRET OF ITS INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH CULTURE. HOWEVER I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME CONVICTIONS. MY FIRST BELIEF IS THAT MONTREAL HAS NEVER BENEFITED FROM A CONTEXT SO FRIENDLY TO GET A UNIQUE INTERNATIONAL POSITION. WE ARE PROBABLY THE MOST CREATIVE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. IN FACT, TAKE THE NUMBER OF GLOBAL SUCCESSES COMING FROM HERE, IN COMPARISON WITH OUR POPULATION AND YOU WILL SEE THAT IN RATIO, OUR CRUDE NATIONAL PRODUCT IN CREATIVITY IS SURELY UNPARALLELED. I REMAIN CONVINCED THAT OUR BASIN OF CREATORS REMAINS OUR GREATEST NATURAL WEALTH. ADD CÉLINE DION, LUC PLAMONDON, LA GANG TO GILBERT ROZON, THE TEAM OF ALAIN SIMARD, ROBERT LEPAGE, ÉDOUARD LOCK. LOOK AT THE DYNAMISM OF THE CINEMATOGRAPHIC INDUSTRY, YOU WILL SEE THAT WE ARE BECOMING HOLLYWOOD NORTH. TO TOP IT ALL, WE HAVE A MULTIMEDIA AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES INDUSTRY THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE INCUBATOR FOR NEW DESIGNERS. IN THE CROWN OF DANIEL LANGLOIS AND SOFTIMAGE, THERE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE READY TO TAKE THE LIGHT. THEY ASK ONLY ONE THING: GIVE ME A CHANCE! IT IS NOW OUR TURN TO ALLOW YOUNG PEOPLE TO IMPLEMENT THEIR IDEAS. FOR US, THE "BABY BOOMERS", EVERYTHING WAS ALLOWED. WE CAN DEVELOP THE MOST AMBITIOUS PROJECTS AND WE WERE ENCOURAGED. HOPE FEEDED OUR DAILY. A WAVE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP HAS CHARACTERIZED FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS. IT WAS THE BIRTH OF QUÉBEC INC. BUT TODAY, WHERE ARE WE AT? WILL THE PENSION PLAN BE THE ONLY GATHERING ELEMENT IN OUR COMPANY? I HOPE NOT! THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT, WHICH HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY SUCCESSFUL, MUST BE DELEGATED TO THE YOUNGEST. THEY NEED TO COMMUNICATE A FUTURE VISION THAT ENABLES THEM TO TRUST. WE HAVE TO CREATE AN OPEN ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. THEY MUST HAVE THE RIGHT, ALSO, TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TOMORROW'S MONTREAL. LET'S MAKE A PLACE. LET'S PASS THE FLAME AND STOP SELLING OUR COMPANIES. TO GIVE A TRUE CHANCE TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, WE NEED TO ESTABLISH SUCCESSION PLANS WHICH WILL ALLOW THEM TO TAKE THE QUEENS OF OUR COMPANIES AND OUR INSTITUTIONS. THIS PASSAGE OF POWER TO THE NEW GENERATION IS DETERMINING TO ENSURE THE FULFILLMENT OF OUR CITY. I THINK THERE IS A HISTORICAL MEETING FOR MONTREAL. IT'S OUR KNOWLEDGE TO BENEFIT FROM THE FAVORABLE CLIMATE. TO DO THIS, WE NEED TO HAVE AN OVERALL VISION THAT WILL MAKE EVERY INITIATIVE EVEN STRONGER. THIS CITY, WHICH BENEFITS FROM A UNIQUE CULTURAL WEALTH, MUST GIVE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT REFLECTS THIS SOUL. WHEN I SEE THE VERY WANTED DEVELOPMENT PHILOSOPHY OF A CITY LIKE BARCELONA, I CAN'T HELP ME DREAM FOR MONTREAL. THE FORMULA SEEMS SIMPLE, LET US GIVE US A CLEAR OBJECTIVE. ALLOW ME TO SUGGEST ONE: "BECOME A CULTURAL DESTINATION OF INTERNATIONAL CLASS." »IF WE WANT TO BECOME A DESTINATION, EACH DEVELOPMENT PROJECT MUST MEET THE OBJECTIVE. WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF INGREDIENTS IN PLACE WHICH SHOULD ALLOW US TO SUCCEED. WE HAVE CREATORS OF INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION. NOW WE NEED TO PROVIDE US WITH PLACES THAT WILL REFLECT THE SOUL OF THE CREATORS THROUGH THEIR ARTISTIC CONCERN, THEIR ARCHITECTURAL QUALITY AND INNOVATIVE ACTIVITY. LET THE CREATORS EXPRESS THEIR MADNESS. THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO GIVE BIRTH TO EXCEPTIONAL PROJECTS. ARCHITECTURAL DEPLOYMENT AND CIVIL ENGINEERING OF A CITY ARE ORGANIZED, PLANNED AND LONG-TERM. I DREAM OF THE DAY ON WHICH WE CAN SUBMIT A PLAN FOR MY CITY THAT WILL NOT DEPEND ON TIME, THAT WILL NOT BE ANY FIVE-YEAR PLAN AND THAT WILL NOT BE OBLIGED TO FOLLOW A POLITICAL CURRENT, A POLITICAL DIRECTION, OR SAME, THE? WORK ON A POLITICAL CAREER. THE CULTURAL URBAN PLANNING PLAN MUST DEVELOP FOR SEVERAL GENERATIONS OF MONTREAL AND MUST BEGIN WITH SOLID BASES INSTALLED BY THE ALREADY EXISTING CREATIVE FORCE. I THINK THAT THIS MOVEMENT HAS RETURNED TO VIGOR WITH THE ARRIVAL OF EX-CENTRIS, THE PROJECT OF THE OSM HALL AND THE PLACE OF FESTIVALS. IT IS WITH THIS TYPE OF PLACE THAT WE WILL ATTRACT THE PUBLIC AND THE CREATORS OF THE WORLD. I WANT TO TELL YOU, TODAY, THAT WE ARE READY, AT THE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, TO PARTICIPATE IN A SOCIETY PROJECT WHICH IS GOING TO MAKE MONTREAL AN INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION. I BELIEVE MUCH IN THE STRENGTH OF A COMMUNITY THAT MOBILIZES TO GIVE A STIMULATING LIVING ENVIRONMENT. WE ALSO LIVE, AT THE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, A VERY CONCLUDING EXPERIENCE WHEN WE DECIDED TO ESTABLISH OUR HEAD OFFICE IN THE QUARTIER ST- MICHEL. WE HAVE ESTABLISHED OUR PREMISES ON THE SITE OF A DUMP AND PARTICIPATED IN THE REVITALIZATION OF A DISTRICT. THIS PRESENCE WILL TAKE EVEN MORE IMPORTANCE IN THE NEXT MONTHS WHEN THE NATIONAL CIRCUS SCHOOL COMES TO ESTABLISH IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WITH THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS OF THE CIRCUS, WE WILL ESTABLISH A PLACE THAT WILL BE RECOGNIZED WORLDWIDE AS A PLACE OF TRAINING FOR ARTISTS FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD. AGAIN, MONTREAL WILL BENEFIT FROM AN INTERNATIONAL ATTRACTION CENTER FOR CIRCUS ARTS. THIS PROJECT IS ENTERING ITS IMPLEMENTATION PHASE AND WILL ADD A LOT FOR MONTREAL. WE ARE AT A NEW STAGE IN OUR GROWTH, THAT OF SUSTAINABILITY. HOW TO ENSURE A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR CULTURE? HOW TO INTEGRATE CULTURE IN EVERYDAY PEOPLE? HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT TOWING THE JACKS, MODES AND WILL OF SOMEONE TO ENSURE GROWTH? FOR ME, CULTURE IS TRANSPOSED THROUGH 3 SEPARATE POLES. ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, MULTICULTURALISM AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT. THESE THREE POLES ARE ALREADY PRESENT IN MONTREAL BUT NOT ENOUGH CULTIVATED. THIS IS OUR NEW CHALLENGE. THE CHALLENGE OF A NEW FORM OF COLLABORATION. HOW TO GROW OUR WEALTHS TO MAKE IT A NEW SOCIETY PROJECT? WE MUST TARGET TO BE "ON" 365 DAYS AND A QUARTER A YEAR. WE MUST NO LONGER BE SEASONAL. MONTREAL MUST NO LONGER BE A CULTURAL DESTINATION ONLY FOR SUMMER. WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ATTRACT WINTER SPORTS FANS, HOCKEY IN PARTICULAR? WHAT ARE WE DOING TO CREATE A CULTURALLY INTERESTING NIGHT LIFE? WE ONLY NEED TO GET INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT ALSO, AND ESPECIALLY, HAVE IDEAS. WE ARE A PEOPLE OF "PATENTOUS". WE HAVE FULL OF CRAZY IDEAS. NOW WE NEED TO FIND WAYS OF EXCHANGING BETWEEN US FOR OUR IDEAS TO ADD. WE WILL DISCOVER THAT THE IDEAS OF THE ONE AND OF THE OTHERS ARE OFTEN COMPLEMENTARY. RATHER THAN DIVIDING, AS WE OFTEN HAVE THE UNSUITABLE TO DO IN QUEBEC, WE HAVE TO LEARN TO GROUP. FOR THAT, IT TAKES A COMMITMENT. YOU MUST COMMIT AND, ESPECIALLY, TAKE ACTION. I HAVE NO TIME FOR PROCESSES, STUDIES AND RESEARCHES THAT NEVER END? LET MAKE MAJOR COMMITTEES AND BIG DOCUMENTS. FIND PLACES OF INFORMAL EXCHANGE WHERE WE CAN QUICKLY IMPLEMENT OUR PLANS. LET US ALSO MAKE SURE TO SAVE OUR MAJOR POOLS OF ATTRACTION. WHEN I TRAVEL ALL OVER THE WORLD, I TALK ABOUT THE MONTREAL CANADIAN. OUR HOCKEY TEAM IS PART OF OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE. HOCKEY WITH US HAS AN INCREDIBLE TRADITION. IT'S MUCH MORE THAN A SPORT. IT IS AN OBJECT OF PASSION. HOCKEY CAUSES GREAT EMOTIONS IN AMATEURS. IT IS NECESSARY TO STOP COMING AND GIVE OUR HOCKEY TEAM THE WAYS TO REMAIN AMONG THE ELITE. IT IS NECESSARY TO RETURN TO THE WORLD CAPITAL OF HOCKEY. YOU MUST BUILD AROUND OUR SPORT, FULL OF RELATED ACTIVITIES TO ATTRACT TOURISM DURING WINTER. HOCKEY MUST ALSO BE A PLACE OF DESTINATION FOR MONTREAL. MONTREAL, INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION. I AM OFTEN ASKING THE QUESTION: WHAT CAN WE DO TO CREATE A PLACE OF DESTINATION? I HAVE THEREFORE CHALLENGED OUR CREATIVE TEAMS IN ORDER TO DEVELOP ELEMENTS OF CONTENT THAT WOULD CONSTITUTE A CIRQUE DU SOLEIL COMPLEX. WHY A CIRQUE DU SOLEIL COMPLEX? FIRST, ON THE CREATIVE PLAN, I WOULD LIKE THE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL EXPERIENCE CONTINUE WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE THE TENT. I WOULD LIKE THEY FIND IN A MORE "FLYED", MORE SURPRISING, MORE ARTISTIC PLACE. THIS PROJECT WILL ALLOW OUR CREATORS TO LEAVE OPEN THEIR IMAGINATION IN OTHER SECTORS OF ACTIVITY. WHAT SHOULD YOU FIND ON THE SITE OF A CIRCUS COMPLEX? OBVOUSLY, THE SHOW WILL REMAIN THE CENTERPIECE OF THE SITE. YOU WILL FIND A HOTEL, A SPA, AN ART GALLERY, RESTAURANTS AND OTHER ELEMENTS OF ENTERTAINMENT AND ENTERTAINMENT. WE ARE PRESENTLY COURTED BY SEVERAL DEVELOPERS AND LARGE COMPANIES IN SEVERAL CITIES TO REALIZE OUR FIRST COMPLEX. WE ARE IN DISCUSSION WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS IN LONDON, NEW YORK, TOKYO AND HONG KONG. UNFORTUNATELY, MONTREAL CANNOT PROVIDE A PERMANENT SHOW OF THE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL 12 MONTHS A YEAR, WE CANNOT ESTABLISH A COMPLEX AS I HAVE DESCRIBED TO YOU. THIS SITUATION DISRUPTED ME, BECAUSE ALL THE CREATIVE CONTENT IS DEVELOPED HERE IN MONTREAL. WE HAVE ALSO INVESTED MUCH MONEY IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT HERE IN THE LAST 2 YEARS. IT IS FROM THERE THAT THE IDEA OF OUR COMING TO ESTABLISHED OUR CIRCUS COMPLEX PROTOTYPE IN MONTREAL. WHY NOT ESTABLISH OUR LABORATORY WITH US AND DEVELOP THE EXPERTISE WITH US? AS WE DID FOR THE ORIGINAL CIRCUS, WE WILL BECOME A CENTER OF EXPERTISE FOR OUR NEW CREATION PLATFORMS. WE ARE THEREFORE COMPLETING OUR FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS, IN COLLABORATION WITH SOCIETE GENERALE DE FINANCEMENT, TO CONDUCT OUR CIRQUE COMPLEX PROTOTYPE IN MONTREAL. I TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE OTHER THANKS TO CLAUDE BLANCHET AND THE SGF TEAM FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP IN THIS PROJECT. LET ME DESCRIBE YOUR DREAM. FIRSTLY, OUR PROJECT WILL BE MADE AT THE CORNER OF ST-URBAIN AND SHERBROOKE STREETS, ON THE UQAM GROUND. WHEN WE PUT THE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS OF UQAM IN PARALLEL WITH THE COMPONENTS OF OUR PROJECT, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THERE WAS A GREAT SYNERGY. THE CORE PIECE OF THIS PROTOTYPE WOULD BE A MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION AND BROADCASTING CENTER WHERE WE CAN EXPERIENCE SEVERAL NEW SHOW FORMULAS WITH CREATORS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD. AROUND THIS CREATION LABORATORY, WE WANT TO BUILD A VERY PARTICULAR HOTEL SPECIMEN, A SPA FROM THE TECHNOLOGY OF THE SHOW WHERE, A GALLERY OF ART, A NEW FORMAT OF RESTAURANT AND SOME NEW CONCEPTS OF ANIMATION. THE FIRST DRAWINGS OF THIS PROJECT LET ME BELIEVE THAT WE CAN CREATE, IN MONTREAL, A PLACE OF DESTINATION. TO MAKE THIS NEW CONCEPT COME, WE HAVE TO ESTABLISH A NEW PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO JOIN THE DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES OF ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS. FOR US, SOMETHING IS CERTAIN. WE WISH TO ESTABLISH THIS NEW LAUNCH RAMP IN MONTREAL. AT THE SAME TIME I SHARE THIS THOUGHT WITH YOU, THERE ARE FOREIGN FINANCIAL PARTNERS WHO ARE ASKING WHY I WANT TO COMPLETE THIS PROTOTYPE IN MONTREAL WHEN THERE ARE MUCH MORE LUCRATIVE MARKETS ELSEWHERE. I SINCERELY THINK THAT IF WE TAKE ON SUCH A CHALLENGE IN MONTREAL, THE SPRINGBOARD WILL BE MUCH LARGER FOR MUCH MORE PEOPLE FROM HERE. WE ARE CURRENTLY SPENDING A LOT OF TIME WITH A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS AS DIVERSIFIED AS MULTIMEDIA, ARCHITECTURE, FURNITURE DESIGN, BODY CARE, SCENOGRAPHY, ANIMATION, GASTRONOMY. AT THE CENTER OF ALL THESE DISCUSSIONS, ONLY ONE SUBJECT: THE DREAM. THE DREAM: REINVENTING. OUR PROJECT IS ONLY A SMALL EXAMPLE OF THE KIND OF ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE DONE TO INCREASE THE RADIATION OF MONTREAL THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. WHAT IS IMPORTANT, IT IS NOT THE SIZE OF EACH OF OUR PROJECTS. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THE OVERALL EFFECT. IT IS THE GLOBAL VISION THAT WILL GIVE MORE EVERYTHING TO OUR GESTURES. AS I HOPE TO HAVE COMMUNICATED TO YOU, I HAVE THE TASTE OF MONTREAL. I TASTE TO DO THINGS IN A UNIQUE LIVING ENVIRONMENT WHERE MULTICULTURALISM TAKES ALL ITS MEANING. IN A BEAUTIFUL PERIOD LIKE THE CURRENT ONE WE ARE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, IT IS NECESSARY TO RETURN TO BASIC VALUES. PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN LAUGH, HAVE EMOTIONS, EXPRESS A PASSION. FOR ME, THIS PLACE IS A PLACE OF UNIQUE CREATION IN THE WORLD. FOR ME, THIS PLACE IS MONTREAL! THANK YOU! ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 20, Number 12 (Issue #203) – December 2020 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (C) 2001-2020 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or translated without the consent of the "Fascination! Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission (unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination! Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are Copyright (C) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil, Inc., All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. { Dec.13.2020 } =======================================================================