======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ '/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ '/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 22, NUMBER 4 May/June 2022 ISSUE #214 ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. * * * LE GRANDE EXPERIENCE RELAUNCHED * * * "O" by Cirque du Soleil reintroduces the premium VIP package, La Grande Expérience, where guests are submerged into a world of wonder during the show. The one-of-a-kind offer is now on sale for $500 (including all taxes and fees). Guests can reserve their experience at CirqueDuSoleil.com/O or at the "O" box office. The behind-the-scenes experience begins with an intimate pre-show reception with hors d'oeuvres, followed by a guided video tour and an exclusive meet and greet with "O" artists. Guests will take in elevated views of the water-inspired masterpiece from the privacy of a lavish VIP Suite with a gourmet treat and private cocktail service with champagne. To commemorate the unbeatable evening, guests are gifted a champagne flute and their photo with the cast. Inspired by infinity and the elegance of water, "O" combines incredible acrobatics and synchronized swimming to create an experience like no other. The breathtaking production is known around the globe for its award-winning physical feats and elemental acts inside a 1.5-million-gallon pool expertly crafted to dazzle audience members from every angle. All La Grande Expérience dates (both early and late performance times) are based on availability. "O" by Cirque du Soleil currently performs at Bellagio Resort & Casino Wednesday through Sunday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. with tickets starting at $79. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit cirquedusoleil.com. * * * MAD APPLE PREMIERES! * * * Mad Apple – the newest Las Vegas production from live entertainment leader Cirque du Soleil – celebrated its mad debut at New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on May 27th. Mad Apple is a high-energy cocktail of comedy, music, dance and high-flying acrobatics that delivers New York's wildest night out under the Vegas lights. Notable entertainers and athletes joining to fête the new production on opening night included: GRAMMY Award-winner Anderson .Paak, Vegas Golden Knights players Reilly Smith, Deryk Engelland, Shea Theodore and Laurent Brossoit; and Discovery+'s Ghost Adventures stars Aaron Goodwin and Jay Wasley. Featuring stand-up comedy, a first in a Cirque du Soleil show, Mad Apple's headlining comedians Brad Williams and Harrison Greenbaum, and freestyle comedy rapper Chris Turner entertain guests with on-the-spot, often rowdy improvs. Featuring a live musical tour-de-force celebrating the best of NYC music past and present led by musical director Xharlie Black, five lead vocalists and a five-piece band; six daring acrobatic acts; and 48 cast members from around the world, the show blurs the lines between circus, live entertainment and New York nightlife culture. "We are thrilled to get the joyous Mad Apple party started in Las Vegas," said Simon Painter, Mad Apple's co-creator and executive producer. "From the moment guests enter the theater, they are whisked away to one of the most beloved cities in the world with a show that fuses hilarious acts from multiple comedians and daring acrobatics with the entertainment and eclecticism of New York City. It's a crazy celebration straight away, and we can't wait for guests from around the world to see it." Eric Grilly, Cirque du Soleil president of resident and affiliate show divisions, said, "Mad Apple is a completely new approach to Cirque du Soleil entertainment. It's an action-packed experience designed for today's audience, who increasingly want to consume entertainment as they do content – in an exciting, highly compelling and ever-shifting manner. With Mad Apple, you never know what's coming next – from vocals, off-script comedy, and live music with our horns and drum line to acrobatics – all wrapped in an incredibly fun party atmosphere that differentiates it from other shows." Mad Apple entertains guests before the show even begins. Forty-five minutes before the curtain rises, guests are welcomed into the theater for a pre-show party with a modern-day Studio 54 vibe complete with boozy libations at the DownStage and UpStage Bars, flair bartenders, up-close magicians and entertainers, and live music. The set of Mad Apple takes audiences through all five boroughs of NYC – from Uptown to Downtown, to the tips of skyscrapers and everything in between. Featured at the top of the stage and shown throughout the show is a 31- foot-long crown structure inspired by Lady Liberty's signature headpiece. The star of the set is the DownStage Bar, which acts as a functioning bar pre-show, then is transformed into the stage at showtime. Guests will notice the Chrysler Tower as the backdrop to the DownStage Bar. Two bars on stage – the UpStage Bars – are designed to look like an upscale NY club and available to guests during the pre- show party. Approximately 600 bottles lining the UpStage Bar are filled with an illuminated LED liquid that changes colors throughout the show. Co-created by Simon Painter and Neil Dorward, Mad Apple is the first show in collaboration between Cirque du Soleil and The Works, Painter's company that was purchased by Cirque du Soleil in 2019. Enjoy a couple of articles about MAD APPLE's premiere, within! So, shall we 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) Fascination! Features * "Cirque Goes MAD - a Collection of Articles Celebrating MAD APPLE's PREMIERE * "The Last Two Years, Part 3: 'The Sun Rises'" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= *************************************************************** LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights *************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque Du Soleil's LA Comeback (Or, How To Train As A Circus Performer, Even In A Pandemic) {Apr.27.2022} ---------------------------------------------------------- This spring, Cirque du Soleil began a recurring residency with L.A. Live that will include annual stops at the Microsoft Theater for the next five years. The first of those Cirque shows to land in Los Angeles is a revamped version of Cirque's Ovo. The characters in Ovo are anthropomorphized insects. The show follows the insects' fascination with a large egg ("ovo" is the Portuguese word for "egg"), all the while exploring life cycles and love. Ovo emphasizes the bright colors of real insects, utilizing performers ranging from acrobats to contortionists. The show makes use of an international crew, with members representing 17 different nationalities. One of those performers, Gianfranco Di Sanzo, started out as a juggling street artist in Uruguay. He practiced while traveling around the world, including to the United States, but eventually he moved into aerial acrobatics. Di Sanzo at one point found himself in Brazil without a coach, so he began watching videos on YouTube and training with a friend. This new discipline ultimately brought him to the attention of Cirque, which hired him in 2017. Now he works in human trapeze as an aerial cradle performer, tossing female partners at a height of 30 feet from the ground below — and doing it across 20 feet of open air, according to Di Sanzo. He said that he finds the work to be a big, interesting challenge. In Ovo, he portrays a large scarab. TRAINING FOR THE CIRCUS IN A PANDEMIC Cirque du Soleil's experience relies on live, in-person spectacle — which meant the pandemic had a particularly outsized effect on their shows. The team is excited to be back after two years, the longest pause in the show's existence. Like so many performers, Di Sanzo struggled when COVID-19 took that work away from him. He found himself becoming depressed. "To be honest, the first year was really hard," Di Sanzo said. He faced frustrations watching gyms open then close again, unsure of the path forward. So he brought the work home — Di Sanzo and his partner built a 15- foot-high aerial apparatus next to their house, soldering it together themselves. That gave them the ability to hone their skills while away from the venues where they usually perform. Di Sanzo also conducted his weight training out in the street. Di Sanzo's teammate John Peter Añon, the assistant head of sound, also longed for live shows during the performance shutdown. "This pandemic was really rough, to be away from what I love so much," Añon said. He's originally from Venezuela and moved to North America to pursue this career. He expressed a mixture of excitement and hesitation — while he's happy to return to entertaining live audiences, the work can be stressful with its repetition day after day, he said. "People will have bad days, but those good days are more than the bad days," Añon said. CREATING THE SOUND OF OVO Ovo has a Brazilian-themed sound, according to Añon, with elements of samba — that includes seven musicians working on the show, including several Brazilians. Speakers are placed around the audience to envelop them in the audio textures created by the musicians and sound designers. Añon got his start studying show production in college — a shift from his original plan, which was to become a nurse. "Growing up, I'd always been into rock and roll and played in bands," Añon said. But after taking some jazz classes as a minor, he threw himself into pursuing the world of live music shows. He got his first internship working on the Warped Tour, then began to move from one tour to another. Añon went from traveling between tour stops by bus to running shows on a cruise ship and even working for Disney On Ice, before finding his way to Cirque du Soleil in 2018. "I always wanted something bigger, and then better — I've been shooting for the stars," Añon said. "I found here that they really push you, give you the tools necessary, and all the training necessary just to evolve into a better technician." Now he's training to move from sound into becoming an automation tech operator, which means he'll be responsible for helping all those acrobats fly. The training and growth Cirque offers is what brought him back after multiple pandemic shutdowns. "It's not just the music that I love, it's not just sound — it's just show business," Añon said. "Going from city to city, starting with nothing — with an empty arena, with an empty theater, with an empty parking lot. And putting something up that wasn't there before." For those who want to follow in his footsteps, either in sound or live show production, Añon encourages people to volunteer or do internships. "My first gigs, they were all internships and they were all volunteer," Añon said. "I have learned more from people than I have from my school. I've had good mentors along the way." His other secret to success: when you don't know something, tell people you don't know, he advised, adding that you should keep your head down and stay humble. "People would rather work with somebody that knows what they're doing but is humble, rather than a know-it-all and is just really hard to work with," Añon said. WHAT MAKES PERFORMING OVO IN LOS ANGELES SPECIAL One of the challenges — and advantages — of being based in a big city such as Los Angeles is the sheer number and variety of entertainment options, Añon said. On the one hand, it's provided more opportunities to go out and see shows he wouldn't be able to access as easily in many other places. But it also means more competition. "It makes me try harder than I have before, just because there's other shows that people can go to, that people can spend their money on," said Añon, noting how hard it can be to stand out from the crowd. Still, he seemed confident that Ovo gives audiences their money's worth. He's made friends with people from other shows and said he loves having them come see what he does. "I want to show off my show. I want to say, ‘Wasn't that cool? Don't you wish you were a part of this thing that we're doing here?'" Añon said. "Our act, it's impressive — you will have tension, and you will get into it," Di Sanzo said. "This act is more poetic, and you will feel different, there is more acrobatic stuff — you get tense, and then you go ‘Ohhh, it's nice, it's safe.'" { SOURCE: LA ist } ---------------------------------------------------------- What will CDS look like as it recovers? {May.06.2022} ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil is slowly but surely returning to life, though it's still very much in an identity crisis. The most famous modern-day circus came close to disappearing in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic dealt what could have been a mortal blow to the Montreal-based creative company, forcing it to shutter all 45 of its shows around the globe and lay off nearly 5,000 employees, which represented 95 per cent of its staff. Then it had to seek bankruptcy protection. Those were dark days for the outfit founded in 1984 by fire breather Guy Laliberté and a ragtag group of Québécois hippies in Baie-St-Paul. The company's revenue dropped to zero overnight, and it was unclear when the Cirque would be able to raise another big top or return to the stages of Las Vegas. The Cirque survived, but not without a few radical changes. Following a drawn-out legal battle, the previous owners — U.S. equity firm TPG Capital, China's Fosun International and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec — lost control of the company and it was taken over by a group representing the creditors, notably including Catalyst Capital Group, Sound Point Capital, CBAM Partners and Benefit Street Partners. Then longtime Cirque CEO Daniel Lamarre stepped down in December 2021, replaced by Stéphane Lefebvre, who was chief operating officer. Many openly wondered why the financial guy was taking over an organization that has always been about creativity and bold artistic choices. Cirque shows are finally returning. It began last June with the reopening of Mystère and O in Vegas, and now there are five Cirque shows on stage in that city, including Kà, The Beatles Love and Michael Jackson One. There are also five touring shows, with three more to come this year. One of those is Kooza, which is set to open May 12 at the Big Top in the Old Port and run there until Aug. 14. It is the first Cirque production in Montreal since 2019. But this is a stripped-down version of the Cirque. That's only 13 shows in all, down from 45 before the pandemic. La question qui tue is: Where is the Cirque headed post-bankruptcy protection? And what kind of Cirque will it be? In a recent phone interview, Lefebvre said those are precisely the questions he's grappling with in his new job. First off, he insists the new owners are not really having a big impact on what the Cirque is doing. "I think this company needs to reaffirm its creative leadership," said Lefebvre. "In certain markets we hadn't been there for two years pre- pandemic, which means we haven't been in certain markets for four years. So there's a real need for us to go back and show the world, to show people in all of our markets, that we exist — that we're relevant." One of the first new shows will be Mad Apple, which is set to première this month at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. This is not a traditional Cirque creation — it stars comedian Brad Williams and features a slew of songs about New York played by the house band, along with acrobatics, dance and comedy. "MGM (which owns the New York-New York Hotel and Casino) was looking for that kind of content at the theatre, where people would stick around," said Lefebvre. "You go there, you have an amazing experience before the show and you stick around after the show. We'll have some DJs. … It's a richer experience before and after the show. "It does have acrobatic acts in there, but it won't be competing with our other shows in Vegas." The little secret behind the Cirque's near-death experience is that while the company was dealt a ferocious blow by the pandemic, it was already in big trouble before there was a single COVID case in North America. Many believe the major issues started when Laliberté sold the company in 2015 for US$1.5 billion to the consortium that included TPG Capital, Fosun and the Caisse. They started creating more and more content, which critics felt watered down the Cirque's brand. In 2020, Cirque co-founder Gilles Ste-Croix told the Montreal Gazette things changed when Laliberté sold. "Already last year we could see that there were some problems," Ste- Croix said at the time. "They were putting out many, many shows, and a couple of them didn't work out. "It was a question of how they were going about the development. Having so many shows out on the road … demands lots of money to finance, hoping to make a buck out of it. But it didn't work out that way, and they were, I'd say, stretching to finance all this debt — and finally COVID came and it stopped all the revenue." A source close to the creditors group that took over the Cirque told the Gazette in 2020 that the Cirque's debt increased from $300 million to $1.2 billion in the five years following Laliberté's sale. There were also a few high-profile failures in that period, most notably R.U.N, a Vegas show that was supposed to be permanent but closed in less than five months and cost investors $60 million. "This company took some risks pre-pandemic, and some worked and some didn't," said Lefebvre. "Just to be clear, if there was no pandemic, I don't think the company would have gone through this (bankruptcy protection) process. I don't think this was ever an option. It was all due to COVID. "We had some success. We had some good acquisitions. But we did some shows that didn't work. … We have to learn from that. I think it's the way we manage risk. This company has to take creative risks, but within some financial boundaries. And that's something we learned … so not spending too much money on something that is further from our core business." In the end, it's about recreating the magic that first turned people on to the Cirque, and everyone including Lefebvre knows that is harder to do today. People already know what the Cirque is, and they also have more entertainment options than ever before. "People have changed their relationship to entertainment throughout the pandemic, rightly or wrongly," said Lefebvre. "People have become familiar with certain types of media … people have got used to consuming entertainment through Netflix and other platforms. And people have seen amazing things. "At the Cirque, we need to be more creative than we've ever been. I was talking to our employees and the creative production team recently about innovation. Innovation doesn't just mean technology — it's this idea of coming up with new experiences. So people would see with a new production things on stage that would be new, not something people have seen at Cirque du Soleil many times in the past. It's about giving people a richer experience." { SOURCE: Brendan Kelley; Montreal Gazette } ---------------------------------------------------------- Student magician takes his talents to Cirque du Soleil {May.09.2022} ---------------------------------------------------------- A Quinnipiac University student is heading to Las Vegas this week to kick start his career in a year-long magic showcase with Cirque du Soleil, a dream he has been anticipating since high school. Unlike many magicians, senior entrepreneurship student Thomas Salta did not pursue magic from a young age. Rather, his interest was spurred after a high school football injury freshman year left him sitting out on the sidelines and he was inspired to learn sleight of hand tricks to keep himself busy. "I was very energetic and a person that needed to be stimulated always," Salta said. "So when I couldn't move because I hurt my hip… I was able to move my hands and learn sleight of hand and stuff like that, so that's how it started." While magic began as a simple pastime, more and more people learned of Salta's hobby, including his teammates while he was injured. His first "show" occurred inadvertently at one of their games, drawing in huge support and sentimental responses. "I got put on the spot to do it and the next thing I knew, I look up and there's 100 people surrounding me, stopped watching the game, and started chanting my name," Salta said. "It felt amazing, and people came up to me after the game… it actually connected with people on a personal level." Salta then began to perform on a small scale within his community at a local ice cream shop called Saugatuck Sweets and would donate any tips he received to charity. However, he quickly took on larger and larger opportunities. "From there, it upscaled. I would do gigs and the next big thing was Connecticut's Got Talent. I was a winner of that, and that led to performing with magician Michael Carbonaro on stage, which was huge," Salta said. "That still freaked me out because I was only doing it for like three or four years." By the time Salta came to Quinnipiac he already knew that he was committed to pursuing magic in the future, and received a great deal of support on campus as well. "Whenever you see someone who is passionate about something, and it also happens to be fun to watch, who wouldn't want to see someone do what they love and succeed doing that," Salta said. "I've been fortunate, they're very supportive." The dreams of making magic a career became a reality when Salta was offered a job to work with Cirque du Soleil after graduating this May. Salta will mostly be performing close-up magic on a more personal scale, which is exactly what he envisioned doing. The show called "Mad Apple" begins May 12 at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. "The plan is to go out to Vegas, and obviously there's no better place to be as a performer, especially doing magic," Salta said. "So I'm just here for the ride." { SOURCE: Q30TV } ---------------------------------------------------------- ENCHANT CHRISTMAS Taps Former Cirque Du Soleil Business Head Jerry Nadal As Chief Operating Officer {May.10.2022} ---------------------------------------------------------- Enchant Christmas-the fastest-growing live-entertainment concept in America, and on the road to major expansion throughout the U.S. this fall-has named Cirque du Soleil pioneer Jerry Nadal as chief operating officer as the growing holiday extravaganza prepares to unveil an expanded series of 2022 dates in key cities throughout the U.S. "To have a legendary entertainment executive like Jerry joining our team ensures our future success and the tremendous growth trajectory we are on," said Enchant Christmas founder and CEO Kevin Johnston. "To see a lighting business that began in my tiny garage in Canada 10 years ago grow to a one-of-a-kind event millions of people look forward to attending each year is so amazing." Featuring a unique display of over 4 million lights-produced on over 15 acres-Enchant Christmas presents a holiday-themed adventure light maze, ice skating, a minus 14-degree Ice Lounge and a European-styled holiday shopping marketplace featuring artisans, craftsmen and culinary treats from around the world. Nadal, who spent 21 years as an executive with the Cirque du Soleil organization and most recently served as interim president and CEO of Nevada Public Radio, is looking forward to the journey ahead. "I'm thrilled to join Kevin and this team. Lightning can strike twice or in this case more appropriately 'lighting,'" he said. "Cirque introduced its unique brand to audiences, and Enchant is another of those very special live-entertainment concepts people everywhere love." Founder/CEO Johnston said, "Last year Enchant hosted over 1 million guests in four major cities despite the challenge of COVID, and we are building on that amazing success more than doubling the number of events we will host in U.S. markets this holiday season." Since 2016 Enchant Christmas has partnered with prominent venues and major league sports stadiums including Washington D.C.'s Nationals Park, Las Vegas Ballpark, St. Petersburg, Florida Tropicana Field, Seattle T-Mobile Park and in Dallas at Texas Fair Park. The 2022 Enchant slate of cities will be announced over the next several months. { SOURCE: Broadway World } ---------------------------------------------------------- How to Put Creativity at the Center of Your Strategy {May.13.2022} ---------------------------------------------------------- Daniel Lamarre is the executive vice chairman of Cirque du Soleil, a position he took after serving for nearly two decades as the circus and entertainment company's president and CEO. He is the author of, Balancing Acts: Unleashing the Power of Creativity in Your Life and Work, which describes how others can unleash Cirque's creative management techniques, even if they're not in the business of clowns and acrobats. HBR editor in chief Adi Ignatius sat down with Lamarre in this episode of our video series "The New World of Work" to talk about: * Reviving the company after a disastrous Covid-inflicted shutdown of Cirque's operations and painful layoffs. * His decision to leave a comfortable position as TV network CEO to "run away" and join the circus, and what it taught him about being true to his own values and ambitions. * The surprisingly analytical side of Cirque, which relentlessly tweaks and perfects its show formulas based on continuous audience feedback. YOU CAN WATCH THE INTERVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/8-abrTJenek "The New World of Work" explores how top-tier executives see the future and how their companies are trying to set themselves up for success. * * * ADI IGNATIUS: Daniel, welcome to the show. DANIEL LAMARRE: I'm so happy and honored to meet you today. And it's a great, great time to talk about creativity and how we're going to innovate. So I'm blessed to have the opportunity to talk with you today. Q. Just to set context, could you talk a little bit about Cirque du Soleil's mission and maybe how you came to the company? This company started with a bunch of street performers begging at the corner of the street and, move forward 10 years later, I had the opportunity to join the company when I thought the brand was ready to explode globally. And that's what I've been doing for the last two decades. Q. You come to Cirque du Soleil, it has a mission, it has some initial success, but as you said, you're trying to develop it, to scale it, to blow it up globally. Talk about that, the challenge of taking something that people love, because it is unique and maybe they love because it's small, taking that brand and making it big. DANIEL LAMARRE: And two famous teachers from your school, from Harvard, have described it in their Blue Ocean Strategy as we have developed a new category of show and I truly believe that's what happened and that's how we've been successful. Because if you try to describe a Cirque show, it's very difficult. You will probably start by saying, it's not a circus show. It's not dense, it's not theatrical. And I would say that it's a blend of all of that and at the end of the day became a very unique global brand called Cirque du Soleil. Q. We were talking before the show, and I said that my family fell in love with Cirque du Soleil, we were living in Hong Kong and we saw a couple of shows, and couldn't believe them. This would've been in the 1990s. It was, as you say, such a departure. You mentioned that the authors of Blue Ocean Strategy, W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne had highlighted Cirque du Soleil as an example of an innovative company. And their whole idea is that you find a blue ocean, an undeveloped market that's brand new, you create a whole new category. So do you have any advice for people who aren't in the circus business, how to find an open space that's not being addressed already by business? And really, the motivation for me to write a book was that I was motivated to promote creativity because that's what I've learned. I had the opportunity through all those years to observe amazing creators, such as our founder, Guy Laliberté, but also international people like James Cameron and the Beatles, and watching them work has changed my personal and my professional life and really made creativity the forefront of everything I do. And today that's what I want to do. I want to promote creativity because I take a very radical stand, which is that without creativity, there's no company, there's no organization. And I truly believe that. Q. How do you manage creativity? First and foremost I think it's very important that you create an environment that nurtures creativity. You have to have your core business central in everything you do, and in your environment. In our case, the founder hired me a clown called Madame Zazou, and Madam Zazou became a symbol of what we are. And internally every day I used her to remind our employees what our core business is. I'm not suggesting that everybody is hiring a clown. I'm suggesting that everybody find the right symbol to bring out the core of what they do, a reminder of the purpose they have in life as an organization. Q. So Ed Catmull, who was the very successful creative leader at Pixar for years, he was similar to you trying to unleash extraordinary innovation and creativity with each movie. But at the end of it, he almost wanted to kind of wipe everybody's brains clear so that with the next project, they didn't fall back into, "Well, this is how this company does things." That there was a freshness with every project. Is that something that you think about as you're creating new shows? First and foremost, I don't think of Cirque du Soleil as a hierarchy organization, and that's why every time we produce a new show, I will create a cell with all of our creators and artists. I will say to all the administrative staff to stay away from them. I don't want them to think about some HR policy or some financial issues. I want them to really breathe and sleep and eat, just thinking about making our next show very innovative, very entertaining. And that is very, very important that every show create an entertainment breakthrough. And that's the challenge I give to the team every time we start a new show Q. And you've had an amazing record of success. There are probably some shows that were not a success. Are there one or two examples you could talk about that didn't work and maybe what you learned from that? I think it's very, very important that you understand that you take risk and sometimes you fail. And in our case, I remember we wanted to reinvent Vaudeville as we did with circus. And unfortunately using the brand of Cirque du Soleil was a big mistake because people were expecting to see an acrobatic show. And there was some learnings from that. And we took the time to do the postmortem and to evaluate why it didn't work. To make my long story short, the reasons why it didn't work is that we couldn't bring the brand of Cirque du Soleil on a Vaudeville show. That was counterproductive. And that's something that we've learned and we will always remember, you cannot put your brand on any type of shelves or in some situation or any type of product or services. So be very, very respectful of your brand. Q. You can stretch your brand, but you don't want to stretch it so far that it's not who you are. So you're talking about creativity, encouraging creativity, sustaining it. I'm sure there are people watching this who say, "Yeah, okay, fine. This is a circus company. I work for nothing that exciting." How is your message relevant to the large number of viewers we have who don't happen to be in the circus business? We are blessed because Cirque du Soleil is a creative powerhouse. But my point is more fundamental than that. My point is, it doesn't matter for what company or what organization you are working. You cannot use an excuse that you're not creative enough. If you're not creative enough, it's because you are not putting that priority in the forefront. I can challenge anybody in any type of organization. You can be creative in your employees' communication. You can be creative in your marketing. Most importantly, you can be creative in redesigning and innovating the way you are shaping your new products or your new services.cThere is no excuse. Creativity has to be at the forefront, because if you don't do that, then one day you will wake up and you will discover that your competitors have an edge on you and then you're in trouble. So don't wait for that. Just make sure that you are nurturing your creativity within the organization to keep your edge, to keep your leadership in whatever sector you are. Q. You're drumming up all that creativity within and trying to bring it out and celebrate it. How do you bring in the voice of the customer, of the consumer, as you're in this creative mindset? People will be surprised to see how an organization like us is so analytical. Every night, every show, we are asking the customer to react. And if for whatever reason we see that there is an act that is not liked as much as the others, we're just going to take it out and we're just going to replace it by a better act. So it's very, very important that you are listening all the time. Listening to your customer in priority, but also listening to your employees. You have to send a clear signal to your employees that you are on the lookout all the time for new ideas, new suggestions. And that's what we're trying to do here at Cirque, is listen to our customer, but also listen to our employees and mobilize them behind the mission, mobilize them behind our new shows that we also share the credit when we have a big success. Q. There's a passage in your book where you talk about when Guy Laliberté, the founder of Cirque, brought you into the company and you were already very successful in the PR and events business. And I think it was your parents who thought, "What? Run away and joined the circus?" Talk about how do we make these big life-changing decisions? How did you make that decision and what can we learn from that? Obviously my parents, even my wife at the time, were not really excited about me leaving my job. I was the CEO of a TV network, and they were very proud of that. And the one thing that triggers the change is when Guy Laliberté said, "Daniel, I read that you wanted to be international, and it won't happen to you with this Canadian TV network. If you want to be international, you have to join a circus." And that was the trigger for me. So you have to be true to your value and through your ambition. And even if it was a tough decision for me to join the circus, it was an easy decision when I learned and I realized that to become international, that was the right platform. And then after that, everything became clearer for me, and obviously I never regret that because I had the opportunity with Guy to travel the world and promote this most important global brand. And I strongly suggest that when you are in front of a new opportunity, you should think about what's your ambition. Where do you want to be five years from now? And I guess the answer will become clearer and your decision process will be much easier. Q. That's great advice. Let's fast forward. You have this period of sensational growth, expansion, and then COVID hits and live performances are not possible. Obviously the company is hit hard. You end up with a new investor structure. So can you talk about how you survived that period and where the company is now? That was a nightmare. That was the toughest period in my life, and I know it was for a lot of people in different sectors. But in my case, within 48 hours, I came from 44 shows to zero shows, went from a billion dollars of revenues to zero revenue. And my purpose in life, I took great pride in creating jobs for artists, and then I end up in a situation where I had to let go, not only 2,000 artists, but all of our 5,000 employees. That was a disaster, and for 15 months, I was struggling to make sure that the company can remain alive. So imagine the meeting. You're meeting with the bankers, you have to tell them, "I have no revenues. I have no shows. And by the way, I need $375 million more to sustain the relaunch of our company." The only reasons why I got their support and why I'm here now so happy about the outcome is the strength of the brand. It's the brand that saved the company, because the bankers were convinced that the brand will make this company successful after the crisis, and that's exactly what happened. Q. I'm going to go to some audience questions. And George, who is watching on YouTube, asks how creativity can be implemented in our own lives, in our personal lives? What personal strategies can we follow to unlock that kind of creativity that you talked about? I think it's important that we're beasts of habit, and that's what you have to fight first. You have to do things differently all the time and you have to find ways to be inspired by reading more, by visiting events, by talking to inspiring people. People that I had the opportunity to meet, like the Beatles and James Cameron and others, have changed my life because they brought me some fresh air. They brought me some new ways of seeing lives. And kill your habits, think differently and make your life much more fun by meeting people that are inspiring, by reading more. And at the end, which is also very, very important, spend the time to reflect. We don't spend enough time reflecting and I strongly suggest that you do. And that's what I've learned and that's why my life now is fulfilled by more creativity. But at the end of it, much more fun. Q. We take for granted now that there is a Cirque Beatles show in Las Vegas and that it's amazing and so many of us have seen it. Talk a little bit about the process of getting the Beatles and their representatives to agree, which was pretty difficult. For many, many years, all the live entertainment companies were chasing the Beatles to do a show with their catalog, their music catalog, and nobody succeeded. And it took me two years of my life negotiating with them because it was not about money. It was about making sure that we will respect their brand. And after spending quite a bit of time with the four of them, including Yoko at the time, we showed them respect by working the creative process side by side with them and not positioning ourselves as the salesman of their intellectual property, but we position ourself as true creative partners. And that's why at the end of ethe day, it ended up being an amazing adventure. Not only did we loved it, but so did they, because they understood that we were two creative power forces that could work together and make something fantastic. And that's why I'm so proud of that achievement. Q. In the book there's more detail, more granular detail about that process. Two people have asked pretty much the same question. How do you filter ideas? What is the creative process to pick a show idea, to decide the theme of the next show or shows that you're considering? We have a very specific creative process. It starts with three people. It starts with the director of the show, the creative director and the production director. And we give them a general mandate about what we are looking for in term of the new show. The three of them come to us and present to us a first synopsis of what the show should be. And then when we agree to the general concept of the new show, then we will add to that three person team probably 17 more, like costume designer, music designer, set designer, 20 people all together, working together to define the exact content of the show. One thing that is very, very important in that process is we have regular checkpoints to make sure that the mandate we give them at the beginning of the process is respected all along, and they're not losing themselves with other directions than the one we're hoping for. It's an organic process. It takes between 18 to 24 months to come to fruition from the day you start to the day of the opening. And we're very respectful of time because it takes time to produce a good show, as it takes time to develop a new product, a new service. And that's our process. Q. When Cirque du Soleil was first out there, it was so different from anything we'd seen and it was amazing. Is it harder now to impress people since you've already stretched the envelope so much? Do they want more, more, more? Is it harder to impress them now? It is. It is because the expectations are much higher. That's why we have a huge challenge to remain relevant. And the way to do that is by investing a lot in research and development. And that's what we do. We work in collaboration with a lot of universities around the world. We work with big companies, such as Samsung and Microsoft and others. We are in the lookout all the time, not only for new ideas, but for new technologies. Human performance will remain the core of what we do, but we will expand in new digital platforms. We will expand on new technologies that are going to enhance the human performance. But it's an ongoing challenge and you cannot be complacent and think that the formula you have right now will last forever because it won't. You have to reinvent yourself all the time and that's our biggest challenge, yes. Q. Richard in Italy has a question that really asks about what you just said about new digital platforms. Do you have any plans to perform in the metaverse? It's a world obviously, it's a universe that we are definitely exploring as we're going through right now. One thing I want to be clear, we will remain a live entertainment organization because that's what we are great at doing. But on the other hand, through the crisis, we have developed a platform called Cirque Connect that has allowed us to keep our brand alive by showing different content on Cirque Connect. So now we're going to go through metaverse and other technologies, other types of platforms that are available to us, and then we will have to define what kind of artistic content we're going to bring there to remain very, very relevant to that new universe of technology. And yes, that's something we are definitely going to explore. Q. All right, we will watch this space. By the way, I love the fact that we're getting questions from quite literally all over the world. And here's one from Finland, from Jerry. Ultimately, how do you measure success? First and foremost, we have the NPS, which is the net promoter scores. Say simply what we measure is, "Are you going to recommend our show to your friends and family?" And that satisfaction level is very, very important. And that's something that we measure. So the first criteria, the most important one is the satisfaction of our customer. Then is how it impacts on the brand. Is your brand declining, or is your brand growing? And that's something we measure on a regular basis. And obviously the financial impact is also important because you need to be profitable if you want to remain alive, but if you want to have the right financial resources to make sure that you can continue to invest in new shows. Those are the three criteria that we look the most. Q. Jacqueline, who was watching on YouTube, notes that you said you share the credit when there's a success. So her question is, what happens when there's a failure or things don't go as well? How do you process that with your teams? At the end of the day, if you're the CEO of the company, you are responsible for the failures. You have to tell to the group that that's first and foremost your failure, that you accept it, but more importantly, that you're going to learn from it. Then you invite them to learn from it as well. And that's why it's important you have to go to a postmortem, a good evaluation to define what we are going to learn from that failure. And you have to understand that you have to take risk all the time. You have to mitigate risk. You have to measure risk. But you cannot be afraid of taking risk because you had one failure. Yes, you have to have more success than failures if you want to remain alive, but you should take the time it takes to learn from your failure. Q. Other than your book, are there any other good books you can suggest on this topic of creativity? Yeah. There is a book obviously of Catmull that you talk about. I think it's a great one, the guy from Pixar. I would also recommend to read the book from Bob Iger, from Disney. I think it's a great book as well. Those two books put a lot of pressure on me because they were really, really great with two amazing organizations. Q. In a similar vein, here's a question from Julia from Boston: who inspires you? A lot of people inspire me, obviously our founder Guy Laliberte, but also a guy like James Cameron. I was so, so rewarded to work with him on the live show that we did about Avatar. I was impressed by his intellectual curiosity. When he came to visit our creative center here in Montreal, I thought he will stay for an hour, he stayed for four hours because he wanted to know everything about our creative process. When Elon Musk went to visit our show, Kurios, in Los Angeles, he stayed three hours after the show, same attitude. He wanted to know everything about the technology we use, everything else. So the kind of people that are very, very impactful in our world, I've learned in watching them that the intellectual curiosity is probably something that had really inspired me to be now more focused and more curious when I have the opportunity to meet with people like that. Q. Omar in Egypt asked how do you envision the future of entertainment, not just Cirque du Soleil, but more generally the future of entertainment in the next 10, 15, 20 years? There are two schools of thought. One is saying, the future is only going to be through technology, new platforms and live entertainment is going to be absolute. The other school of thought is after the crisis, people understand now that it's also important that you are going to see shows with real human beings. I personally believe that the two schools of thought are good. There will be more and more artistic content on new platforms, but I think live shows will remain a very, very popular form of entertainment, and that's why we're pursuing both at the same time in order to benefit from the new platforms, but remain a creative force for live artistic content. Q. Not everyone on your team is a creative, and there's a question from Shahid on LinkedIn, how do you balance? You've got the creative people and you're always talking about them, but some of your stars are operational people working quietly to make sure things happen. How do you balance that? Obviously, it's a challenge today because creativity is at the forefront of who we are and we are perceived as a creative force, but the reality is we're also logistically amazing because we tour with 150 people for each show around the world with 50 trucks of equipment, and in each city, you have to be local because we are a retail outlet in a city for two to three months. So those people are very, very important, and you are right in saying that we have to spend also the time to recognize their contribution to the success of the show, because they are integral in the success of the show. It's more like an internal challenge than an external challenge, but we're doing that. We're doing that because they deserve our credit. I always say, today is the employees' night in Montreal where we're going to show our new show to our employees, and that's the kind of event that we use to, again, thank our employees for their contribution to the success of the show wherever they are in our organization. Q. We talk a lot about what the proper role of a CEO is, with a complex company, and we have a question from Sri Lanka about when you were CEO, how did you spend your time? How did you spend your day? What were your priorities? The good news is I had a great team and because I had a great team, it allowed me to be able to focus on mobilizing our employees. I think that's the number one responsibility of the CEO, because if the employees don't believe in what you do, you're bound to fail. So that was my number one priority is I love to go and walk in the building and go to the studio and meet with people, and more importantly, listen to them, because you learn a lot by listening to your employees. You go in a city where we're presenting a show, our employees have been there for a month. They know more about what's happening in that city than I do from my office in Montreal. That's something I spend a great deal of time of doing. Then after that, obviously reviewing the business model and spending a lot of time in the new business and new shows development, because this is very, very important. But again, nothing more important than mobilizing your employees behind your new priorities, behind your new objectives. Q. Can you give us a hint about your next show? First of all, I have to tell you that I'm very, very proud of our new show at Disney in Orlando, because we played with the intellectual property of Disney, that was a tribute to the animation of Disney, and this is a great show. We're also working right now on two new shows. One is going to be about music. That's going to be an arena show that is very impressive, and our new big top shows, we are going to shake up the entire environment within the tent that I hope is going to bring the customer experience to a new level. * * * ADI IGNATIUS: All right. So we've gone over time a little bit. There are a lot more questions, but I think we have to wrap this up, but Daniel Lamarre, thank you very, very much for being on the New World of Work. DANIEL LAMARRE: Thank you to you. That was an honor to be here. Thank you very much. { SOURCE: Harvard Business Review } ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque Returns with an Exuberant Revival of its hit Kooza {May.19.2022} ---------------------------------------------------------- The revival of the Cirque du Soleil's Kooza is just what the doctor ordered. The show marks the world-renowned Montreal circus's return to the big top in Montreal for the first time since the pandemic shut down all Cirque shows around the world. The Cirque bosses made a wise decision to reintroduce the brand ici with a reboot of this super exciting show that first wowed audiences here in 2007. Kooza is pure Cirque. It doesn't bother with any of the goofy hippie- dippie storylines that pulled down so many shows after Kooza. It doesn't try to reinvent the Cirque with BMX bikes or action thrills and spills or Cirque-on-ice silliness. It goes back to the essence of the Cirque du Soleil, back to the magic that helped this troupe of street performers win over the world back in the 1980s and 1990s. Kooza is all about breathtaking performances from acrobats, contortionists, high-wire artists, and an incredible variety of circus artists from around the world. There is nothing even approximating a dull moment and this fast-paced, eye-catching show had the opening- night crowd on their feet Wednesday under the Cirque Big Top in the Old Port. The show began with the sending in of the clowns and these clowns were funnier than ever, playing up the Buster Keaton-like comedy that was an early Cirque trademark. More than a few folks in the front row ended up covered in popcorn. The live band was front and centre, blasting soulful grooves as the performers did their stuff. A six-piece band and two singers provided the soundtrack from a raised platform at the back of the stage. Things got rolling in the first half with the three Mongolian contortionists, but the first early highlight was American straps specialist Haley Rose Vileria, who wowed the crowd, at one point hanging by the back of her neck. Just before the intermission, the show hit another big moment with the high-wire act in which the performers sword-fenced, then rode their bicycles on the wire because … well that's just the way Cirque du Soleil performers roll. The first real show-stopper came in the second half with the Wheel of Death. A pair of performers did incredible things as two giant spheres rolled around the stage, powered into overdrive by surging hard-rock music. Viktor Levoshuk from Russia had everyone on the edge of their seats as he piled one chair on top of another, then pulled off amazing acrobatics balanced on top of what looked like a mighty fragile collection of chairs. Did I mention the dude on stilts who was fired off the teeterboard and somehow ended up still standing? Yeah, it was that kind of night. It was fun and inspiring. The Cirque works best when the Cirque does what it knows best: stunning feats on stage that are all about getting the crowd on their feet. Kooza doesn't over-think it. It's all about the joy and excitement of amazing performers doing amazing things. It reminded many of us why we fell in love with the Cirque du Soleil in the first place. Our circus was nearly destroyed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but it's risen from the ashes and if opening night is any indication, people are ready for this kind of fun under the big top. { SOURCE: The Montreal Gazette } ---------------------------------------------------------- Robert Juliat Cyclights Play Key Role In Drawn To Life {May.20.2022} ---------------------------------------------------------- Drawn to Life, the first collaboration between Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering, has opened in Disney Springs, Florida where Robert Juliat DALIS 860s take center stage with an impressive 80 x 45-foot cyclorama. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Robert Juliat lighting in North America. In Drawn to Life the stage is transformed into a giant animation table where drawings come to life. The art of classic Disney animation is reinterpreted through Cirque du Soleil's innovative design and costuming, mesmerizing acrobatic performances and dazzling choreography and combined with all-new Disney animation and an original score. Drawn to Life is the new permanent show at Disney Springs, where the previous production from Cirque du Soleil ran for 18 years. Montreal-based Lighting Designer Martin Labrecque is using 58 DALIS 860 300w LED asymmetric cyc/wall wash luminaires for the show. The fixtures deliver powerful, smooth coverage and a huge variety of pastel and saturated colors. "I had used Robert Juliat DALIS LED footlights on an opera, but this was my first time using the DALIS cyclights," says Labrecque. "I'm quite a fan of Robert Juliat equipment in general and was impressed by the footlights. But for ‘Drawn to Life' I had a giant cyc with two or more scenic layers in front of it to light and I had to get all the colors I wanted to use. The DALIS 860s are powerful and bright and the optics so good that I went all in with them. The cyc was the centerpiece of my design, and we built a top-notch rig around it." About half of the DALIS 860s are mounted on top of the cyc illuminating the massive backdrop like a soft box to backlight scenes. The rest of the DALIS fixtures are on the floor to light the cyc from the front. Labrecque explains that classic multiplane animation, in which multiple layers of elements were shot on glass to give a three- dimensional look to animated scenes, inspired the lighting techniques. "There are four or five tracks in front of the cyc so we can layer scenic paintings just like shooting multiplane animation. We can light the paintings from the front so they are opaque or light them via the cyc so they are translucent. And we can change their color. The DALIS 860s give us the power we need to do all this: Even when we're using saturated colors on multiple layers in front of the cyc we still have light left." An additional DALIS 860 fixture is mounted on a moving truss so it can be positioned wherever needed. "We can do interesting gradients of color with this light," Labrecque notes. "In the ‘Dreams of Color' sequence about the artists who painted the animation cels, we create a gradient of eight or nine colors on the giant cyc." Drawn to Life opened last November, and Labrecque reports that the DALIS 860s "have been performing perfectly with no issues at all for ten shows a week." { SOURCE: Live Design } ---------------------------------------------------------- A Circular Design Refreshes Cirque Du Soleil Classics {May.24.2022} ---------------------------------------------------------- FUZION by Cirque du Soleil is, as the name suggests, a fusion of some of the Canadian troupe's best moments. These highlights from previous shows are woven together around three characters following their destinies through this strange world. Mikki Kunttu, international lighting, video, and set designer and frequent Cirque du Soleil collaborator, has re-imagined the new world for these well-known highlights. Q. This production is based in Saudi Arabia, where is it staged? The venue is called King Abdullah Sports City, also known as The Shining Jewel, and it is located 30 km north of Jeddah. FUZION is staged at the basketball arena that is located just next door to the main football stadium. Q. What was your main source of inspiration on this project? The theme of the show was "The Best of Cirque," so the inspiration was really in the visual language of Cirque and especially in the classic big-top setting. The design wanted to bow to the tradition of Cirque, but at the same time I wanted to take advantage of the technical possibilities within such an arena. So kind of big-top inspired, but without the technical restrictions of a big top. Q. Circles feature heavily in the lighting and stage design. Yes, indeed, circular form is very central to the design. The circular shape for the stage comes from the idea of creating a similar intimacy and spirit that you'd have in a big top. Though the performance space is large, no seat is too far and we do not have "bad" seats in the audience. The VIP seats embracing the stage are very close to the main performance area and that's really optimal for clown acts for example. As far as perspective is concerned, it's not only upstage/downstage depth I'm considering with this stage. The depth in height becomes a very important factor with all the aerial acts and also the wheel of death. This, again, relates directly to lighting and how the rig is layered and organized in space. I don't really see any difference with sets, lighting or video. They all create the same thing, the three- dimensional space in relation to time. Yes, one is constructed of plywood or whatnot and the other is pixels, but what counts is the end experience and I'm not really interested in what the technique is. SEE SOME PICTURES FROM THIS PRODUCTION HERE: https://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=14488 But back to the design… After the main stage was conceived, which was decided to be a 14m-diameter circle with a 10m-diameter turntable and some circular stairs around it, the background and the band riser formed themselves naturally around this theme of circularity. In the middle of the circular RP screen hangs the main set piece, "The Donut" (as I call it), that is a mix between a gold, bronze, and metallic structure that both splits the RP in two areas (one inside and one outside The Donut) and also has 60 pcs of JDC-1 strobes inside it. The idea was to make The Donut work as a lit set piece as well as a massive source of light, sort of the sun of the stage if you like. And I wanted to both start the show and end the show with this Pink Floyd- style, larger-than-life brightness. So the light in The Donut is really my Marc Brickman tribute! Q. Can you walk through your fixture choices for the two trusses and also the sidelights? For lighting positions I have two straight standard backlight trusses, two circular trusses above the stage, a circular horseshoe truss above the VIP bleachers and a FOH truss that also horsehoes around the hall. The sidelights are on their own ladders, two sets SL and two SR. Two clusters of nine PRG Icon Edge fixtures hang just onstage of the main PA. I do not have a lot of floor units on the show, I generally do not like seeing lighting fixtures on stage when I look at the performers, and especially for this show I wanted to have a very clean stage. I tend to say, "If I want to see fixtures, I go visit a rental shop." Q. What are your workhorse fixtures that you like to use? MK: I'm really quite flexible when it comes to choice of fixtures. I look at the quality of the gear, but also often we need to balance it with budget, availability, and really the stock of the rental company who got the show. So a lot of times you'll end up with the best possible compromise. That's just the way it works and I'm fine with it as long as the gear is in good clean shape and it has been properly prepped and maintained. This show was a big BMFL show with mainly Robe BMFL Blades and BMFL WashBeam fixtures in the rig. The BMFL range has become the workhorse of our industry and the quality of the light is really really good. I'm a big fan of the washbeam fixture. Q. You are an old hand at designing for the circus now. Can you share your guidelines, designing for aerials for example? Designing for circus acrobats is different to anything else within the performing arts. The difference is that real factor of danger that is present every time certain acts are on stage. So my aim is to work together with the artists and the trainers in order to establish a happy marriage of working conditions for the acrobats and the visual narrative of the show. I tend to believe if you started your design process taking the right perspective, these are one and the same thing and the safety factor is often delivered naturally. In technical terms, what the special character of aerial circus means, I try to shy away from LED-faced washlights such as B-Eye, Quantum Wash and so on, as they have multiple lenses each and their blinding is therefore very difficult or impossible to control. For this type of circus act I like to keep to flat front lens old-school fixtures whenever possible. Q. There is a beautiful green malachite effect on the backstage wall, I can't tell if this was a projection or a lighting effect. One of the most successful parts of the design is exactly this. The Donut sinks in with the lighting and projection on the back wall so nicely that at times it is really impossible to say what is a concrete set piece and what is content. In most of the scenes the background is a mix of video content, The Donut, and the lighting on The Donut and around it. Q. At the top of the show there is a Bedouin tent onstage lit from within, and then the tent disappears. How did you illuminate it? The disappearing tent is one of my favorite effects. The tent for me is like a "dream of a big top" that our main characters are searching for and trying to grasp. The tent is a very thin fabric that only hangs by thin ropes in the air and it covers all of our turntable, so the diameter is around 10m. At the top of the show, our whole cast is inside the tent, but you do not see them as the tent is only lit from outside. As we kick into the opening of the show, the tent is removed by a super fast sniffer and at the same time we drop our big kabuki right behind it revealing the whole stage and the cast and getting into the introduction of characters with the first number. I just love the poetry and magic of how the big tent disappears from stage in a blink of an eye. The lighting for the tent is fully from outside and it is really really simple, just a little blue from here and there and a nice dimmer effect to build up the suspense getting into the moment of the big reveal. Q. What was the biggest challenge on this show? This show was conceived under lucky stars as we did not really have any major show stopping problems. With circus you don't have any full programming days, it is all done on overnights through the production. That takes a lot of concentration from all the crew and days tend to be super long and you really need to keep yourself focused and try to rest what you can. I think my biggest challenge in Jeddah was the fact that I lost my sleep for some reason and slept like three to four hours a night for five weeks. Q. What is your favorite part of the design on this show? I think what is there really serves the show and no element is there just for it's own sake. Every element builds the big picture of the performance and I believe both the sets and the lighting succeed in supporting every act we put on stage. I loved working with Mukhtar. [Mukhtar Omar Sharif Mukhtar]. He is such a respectful, considering, talented director and a beautiful soul. I cannot stress enough how much I appreciate this way of working where everyone is respected as a person and as a human being and as a professional. I would say Mukhtar's way of working, this type of teamwork, that just radiates the love everyone from the cast to the creatives to the crew has for their own craft, is really my favorite part of this particular creation. It's all about the people and what we do and how we are together. Q. What are you working on next? I just finished preprogramming MUV, a show that Cirque is opening in Andorra this summer. I'm doing sets and lighting design for this one as well, and it is exciting to get back to Andorra, which is such a beautiful destination. Gear List GLP Impression X4 @ 350w 82 PRG Icon Edge @ 470w 72 Robe BMFL Washbeam @ 2kw 59 Robe Robin BMFL Blade @ 2kw 127 Chauvet COLORado Batten Q15 @ 197 36w ETC Source4 LED 36deg @ 140w+cyc adapter 15 PRG GC Bad Boy Spot @ 1.4k 4 JDC-1 Strobes 60 Creative Team Marie-Josée Adam – Executive Producer/Head of Creation Stefan Miljevic – Creative Director Mukhtar Omar Sharif Mukhtar – Show Director Mikki Kunttu – Lighting and Set Designer Madeleine Bernatchez – Props Designer Hugo Montecristo – Music Director, Composer and Arranger Germain Guillemot – Acrobatic Performance Designer Audrey Toulouse – Make-up Designer Nicolas Vaudelet – Costume Designer Mark Vreeken – Sound Designer John Cartin – Acrobatic Choreographer Geneviève Dorion-Coupal – Acrobatic Choreographer Olivier Goulet – Video Content Designer { SOURCE: Live Design Online } ---------------------------------------------------------- Brad Williams brings comedy to center stage of ‘Mad Apple' {May.25.2022} ---------------------------------------------------------- Inside the redesigned Zumanity Theater in Las Vegas' New York-New York hotel and casino, you'll be transported to one of the wildest nights of your life in NYC, without having to deal with the TSA. "Mad Apple" is the first new Cirque du Soleil show on the Strip in more than two years, and on May 26, comedian Brad Williams, a veteran of the L.A. comedy scene, is taking center (gigantic) stage. As the lead comic of this big-budget show, he has the same goal as when he's in L.A. or New York — making people laugh. Q. Congrats on the show and moving to Vegas! It's so different to live there than to visit. Brad Williams: Yeah, I'm really digging it so far. There's plenty to do and I love seeing all the little things in Vegas you don't see when you're on the Strip. I've also seen people in Vegas that I haven't seen for months, and we both live in L.A. Everybody comes to Vegas to go big so it's interesting working here. While people I want to see are in a vacation headspace, I'm having a seltzer. Honestly, I've been in Vegas a few weeks and I've probably done more drinking than I should. Q. That'll wear off soon now that you're an honorary local. Vegas is talking about "Mad Apple," but we'd rather hear you talk about it. "Mad Apple" is the craziest night you could ever have in NYC. Street performers, musicians, singers, comedians, hip-hop stars, a Brazilian strongman and, by the way, the craziest acrobatics you've ever seen. This is the first Cirque show that has comedians, and we have multiple, with some that do magic. One of the comedians is Chris Turner and his thing is going out and getting five suggestions from the audience. Then he does this freestyle rap, off the dome, and it's different every night because it incorporates the suggestions. People are saying the most random sh— and he incorporates it well. It's amazing and if you're wondering what he looks like, he looks just like what you'd expect. A white guy from London. Q. This is a lot to process. Give me more. "Mad Apple" is kinda like Cirque for ADD. What would you like? Do you like acrobats? Cool. Here's some acrobats. Oh, you don't like acrobats? OK, wait five minutes, some singers and dancers are gonna come out and do something amazing. Oh, you don't like that? Well, first of all, you're wrong. Now here's a stand-up comic. Because it's a Cirque show, people might think the comedy will be watered down, but anything goes. Simon [Painter, co-producer of "Mad Apple" and founder of the Works Entertainment] recruited me for the show and I was like, "OK, do I need a script, or do you want me to do something?" He goes, "You're the expert on being funny. Just go be funny. That's it." Q. How did all of this even happen? And, follow-up, what happens after your three-month run? The producers had been watching tapes of comics, and they kept coming back to me like, "This guy! This is the vibe we want. This is the tone we want." My manager always describes my stand-up as "huggable and lovable," so while I'm saying horrible things onstage, you still kind of like me? I guess that fit, so the Cirque team came to see me at a show in Phoenix and right after they were like, "You're the guy." My contract is for three months but it's not necessarily three months and I'm gone. It's three months and then we'll all look at it and make sure everyone is happy and I'm enjoying being there. So far, it's awesome! It's nice to be somewhere where you know that the people really want you there. That's how they make me feel. They're fantastic. Q. Sounds like a dream job. How does the Vegas Strip audience feel to you? I started off with some COVID stuff, and I didn't know how that was gonna go because I do generally know who's in the audience of a comedy show. I don't know who's in the audience of a Cirque show, so that's different. But so far, no complaints! The people seem to get what we're trying to do and the party we're creating. In our atmosphere, the performers and the audience are all friends, and we're out in New York City seeing some cool sh—. Like, oh my God, did you see that? That dude just juggled his brother! Also, before the show even starts, our stage is a bar. You can walk up and get a drink from two working bartenders, and there are magicians walking around. Then, when the show actually starts, a lid comes down from the ceiling and goes on top of the bar. And that's our stage, so we're performing at the bar where you just ordered a drink. Our stage is a Transformer, and the show starts as soon as you walk in the door. Q. Your stand-up is pretty high-energy, but this is Cirque. In my head, you can eat whatever you want, exercise a little and burn it off during the show. Yeah, well, I've started doing yoga. The stage I'm used to is like, 8 feet by 8 feet. This is not that. It's so massive that we have a taxi that drives on it and an Empire State Building that transforms into a "Wheel of Death." I have a huge stage and I like to use it, so I have a couple bits where I'm running all over. One of the No. 1 selling points for Cirque, being that I'm almost 40, is that they hook you up with physical therapy. And the therapists are amazing. Whatever you got, they'll fix it. I was like, free? Oh my God, yes! Sign me up! "Mad Apple" supplies everything. I forget I work for this multimillion-dollar corporation. It's so different from stand-up, where you're pretty much on your own and you get what a club provides you. Stand-up comedy is a lonely lifestyle. There are a lot of lonely planes and hotel rooms, so it's fun to be part of a cast. And we're rooting for each other. There are so many ridiculously talented people in this show, and no one pushes each other down. Everyone wants everyone to do well and do the most kick-ass show possible. It's a fun experience, I'm loving it. { SOURCE: The LA Times } ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque will hold its cards, for now, with ‘Mad Apple' {May.27.2022} ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil has opened "Mad Apple" at New York-New York. Enjoy it. The company is not planning a new production on the Strip anytime soon. The Strip's six-pack of original Cirque productions is now "Mystere," "O," "Ka," "Michael Jackson One," "Love," and now "Mad Apple." Blue Man Group, a Cirque acquisition, continues to perform at Luxor. The company is also partners in "America's Got Talent Live!" at Luxor. Cirque Executive Vice Chairman Daniel Lamarre surveys the Strip and is fine with that collection. For now, at least. "Right now, all of our shows are doing great," Lamarre said at the red (or, pink) carpet walk before Thursday's "Mad Apple" premiere. "As long as it's going how it is now, there is no need for an extra show in Las Vegas. But we've always got ideas." By design, "Mad Apple" is the smallest-scale residency show that Cirque has ever presented on the Strip. There is no lake-sized stage (as in "O"), 50-foot-tall rotating stage (as in "Ka"), or troupe of zombies performing over the crowd on aerial harnesses (as in "MJ One"). The company has no interest in wagering $62 million on an original production, as it did in "R.U.N" at Luxor, only to pack up after 4½ months. But new shows can remedy old failures. So can fiscal recalculation. "Mad Apple" is reportedly about a $7 million production. The show it replaced, "Zumanity," was originally a $66 million investment, or $20 million if you don't count what was spent on design and construction of the beautiful theater "Mad Apple" has inherited. Through the maze of creation and calibration, Lamarre remains a Cirque visionary. He reviews new business opportunities for Cirque, with Stéphane Lefebvre (Lamarre's chosen successor) promoted as the company's CEO and president in December. Cirque President Eric Grilly is the company's highest-ranking official in Las Vegas. Through the changes in the company's management roster, Lamarre says the days of grand designs are not totally over for Cirque. "Mad Apple" hits the spot for a themed show at New York-New York, but the company remains committed to developing spectacles for Las Vegas. "I think we'll have both types of shows," Lamarre said, referring to the smaller and larger concepts. "Some shows work in markets like Hawaii, Miami, and those destinations. Our big Cirque shows work in huge markets, New York, London, Tokyo. There are two types of shows and two types of markets. The only city that can afford them all is Las Vegas." Cirque has inherited a pair of significant partnerships over the years, outside of their long-running business arrangement with MGM Resorts International. Phil Ruffin bought Treasure Island, home of "Mystere," in 2009. That show, of course, continues to run to strong response. And MGM is in the process of selling The Mirage to Hard Rock International, where The Beatles "Love" has performed since 2006. The sale should be closed the second half of this year. "Love" has been extended to perform at The Mirage through 2023. The existing contract between Cirque and Hard Rock would need to be extended for "Love" to continue to run on the Strip. Hard Rock's owners are planning to take down the hotel's famous volcano and build a guitar-shaped tower, which (duh) would ideally match the Beatles' branding and imagery. But "Love" is reportedly selling only between 30 and 40 percent of capacity in its pandemic reopening. Those numbers are a concern no matter how groovy the show is. These are all decisions to be made over the extended future of Cirque on the Strip. Cirque has shown it can be flexible, on and off the stage. "MGM will remain our partner of choice, for sure," Lamarre said. "MGM opened the door for Phil Ruffin, and now has opened the door (at) Hard Rock, so now we have two new partners. This has all been through our partnership with MGM … And we now we have the luxury of looking at new business. We are always looking forward." { SOURCE: Las Vegas Review Journal } ---------------------------------------------------------- This ice skater plays it cool in CRYSTAL {May.31.2022} ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil's "Crystal" arrives in Boston Wednesday for 15 shows at Agganis Arena after a three-day run this month at Amherst's Mullins Center. Cirque du Soleil performers are known for their acrobatic and aerial feats, but "Crystal" is the company's first production on — and sometimes above — the ice. Michael Helgren, who appears in the show, is a former competitive skater who performed for Disney On Ice before coming to Cirque du Soleil. I sat with Helgren to talk all about the rigorous process of preparing for a Cirque du Soleil show. Q. I'd love to hear a little bit about your background as a figure skater. I was a competitive figure skater until I was 19, when I turned professional and started doing shows. I've been touring professionally for 13 years. I've been to over 45 countries. I represented the US internationally and nationally, when I was competing. I got to the senior level of competitive skating, which is the highest level you can reach. Q. How has Cirque du Soleil been? As a performer and an ice skater, Cirque du Soleil is the dream. "Crystal" is the first on-ice Cirque du Soleil production, so it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience and opportunity. Q. What was the preparation process like for the show? They send you to Montreal, and you go through all kinds of different classes. I went through three days of just makeup training because the makeup that we do on the show takes us about an hour, so you have to learn every step. They send you through some physical fitness tests. They test your strength, they test your endurance, they test your flexibility, all kinds of things, just to make sure that you're set when you arrive to the show and you're ready to perform. They really do a good job of taking care of us, physically. We have two athletic trainers that travel with us on tour. It's a really nice luxury to have someone taking care of your body and making sure you're at your peak performance. Q. What was it like learning the specific "Crystal" choreography? I actually do something which is pretty unique in the show. I'm on what's called swinging pendulum poles. I'm on one side of the pole, and on the other side of the pole is one of the acrobatic flyers. We create speed, and then at the highest point I push off of the pole and the flyer backflips off and lands on the ice. I've never worked with acrobats, so to learn their timing, to learn how they train, it was really inspiring. Q. After taking a couple of years off due to COVID, what's it like to go back and dust off all those old steps? It's surprising how quickly it comes back into your body once you hear the music. The second the music comes on, it's crazy how your body just remembers what to do. It was actually a bit easier than I anticipated. Q. What can you tell me about "Crystal" itself? A lot of Cirque du Soleil shows are a bit outside the box, and they make you really think, but the beautiful thing about "Crystal" is that everyone is able to follow the story at any age. The two main characters are Crystal and her reflection. Her reflection is showing Crystal she can be anyone who she wants to be, she can act however she wants, and it takes her through a journey of self-discovery. Q. What can you tell me about your own role within the show? Being an ice skater on a Cirque du Soleil show, we are featured a lot. We have a specific act, a big pair number in the show that we call "Courtship." I'm featured in that, and I'm also featured in a number called "Tap Dance." There's four single skaters on the ice, and we're challenging each other, and at the end we all have a tap dance. I get to be a part of almost every scene, and I get to actually watch the acts as they happen right in front of me, and just like the audience I'm in awe with these acrobats. They're phenomenal. Every night they impress me, and I'm more inspired and more motivated to work harder and to be better at my own craft. Interview has been edited and condensed. { SOURCE: Boston Globe } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Alegria INAL, Koozå, Kurios, Luzia, Bazzar} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {Crystal, Corteo, Messi10, OVO} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", LOVE, MJ ONE, JOYA, X: The Land of Fantasy, and Mad Apple} 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/ >. Alegría-In a New Light: Portland, OR -- Jun 16, 2022 to Jul 17, 2022 Sacramento, CA -- Jul 29, 2022 to Aug 28, 2022 Koozå: Montreal, QC -- May 12, 2022 to Aug 14, 2022 Gatineau, QC -- Aug 26, 2022 to Sep 25, 2022 Kurios: Toronto, ON -- Apr 14, 2022 to Jul 10, 2022 [RESTART] Washington, DC -- Jul 29, 2022 to Sep 25, 2022 Atlanta, GA -- Oct 6, 2022 to Dec 24, 2022 Rome, IT -- Mar 22, 2023 to Apr 30, 2023 Milan, IT -- May 10, 2023 to June 25, 2023 Luzia: Geneva, CH -- May 28, 2022 to Jul 3, 2022 Alicante, ES -- Jul 14, 2022 to Aug 21, 2022 Zurich, CH -- Sep 20, 2022 to Oct 23, 2022 Madrid, ES -- Nov 4, 2022 to Dec 18, 2022 Bazzar: Sao Paulo, BR -- Sep 8, 2022 to Oct 16, 2022 [RESTART] ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE: Newark, NJ -- Jun 16, 2022 to Jun 19, 2022 Philadelphia, PA -- Jun 24, 2022 to Jun 26, 2022 St. Catharines, ON -- Jun 30, 2022 to Jul 3, 2022 Providence, RI -- Jul 7, 2022 to Jul 10, 2022 Cleveland, OH -- Jul 15, 2022 to Jul 17, 2022 Elmont, NY -- Jul 21, 2022 to Jul 24, 2022 Brideport, CT -- Jul 29, 2022 to Jul 31, 2022 Albany, NY -- Aug 4, 2022 to Aug 7, 2022 Montpellier, FR -- Sep 14, 2022 to Sep 18, 2022 Rotterdam, NL -- Sep 22, 2022 to Sep 25, 2022 Leipzig, DE -- Sep 30, 2022 to Oct 9, 2022 Nuremberg, DE -- Oct 12, 2021 to Oct 16, 2022 Cologne, DE -- Oct 19, 2022 to Oct 23, 2022 Hanover, DE -- Oct 26, 2022 - Oct 30, 2022 Munich, DE -- Nov 3, 2022 to Nov 6, 2022 Frankfurt, DE -- Nov 9, 2022 to Nov 13, 2022 Oberhausen, DE -- Nov 16, 2022 to Nov 20, 2022 Malaga, ES -- Dec 11, 2022 to Dec 18, 2022 Lisbon, PT -- Dec 22, 2022 to Jan 1, 2023 Pamplona, ES -- Jan 4, 2023 to Jan 8, 2023 Lausanne, CH -- Jan 25, 2023 to Jan 29, 2023 Stuttgart, DE -- Feb 22, 2023 to Feb 26, 2023 CORTEO: Antwerp, BE -- Jun 22, 2022 to Jul 2, 2022 Dublin, IR -- Jul 6, 2022 to Jul 10, 2022 London, UK -- Jul 13, 2022 to Jul 17, 2022 Nice, FR -- Jul 21, 2022 to Jul 24, 2022 Aix-en-Provence, FR -- Jul 27, 2022 to Jul 31, 2022 Palma de Mallorca, ES -- Aug 5, 2022 to Aug 14, 2022 Vilnius, LT -- Aug 25, 2022 to Aug 28, 2022 Krakow, PL -- Sep 1, 2022 to Sep 4, 2022 Gdansk, PL -- Sep 8, 2022 to Sep 11, 2022 Bratislava, SK -- Sep 15, 2022 to Sep 18, 2022 Vienna, AT -- Sep 21, 2022 to Sep 25, 2022 Nantes, FR -- Sep 29, 2022 to Oct 2, 2022 Manchester, UK -- Oct 5, 2022 to Oct 9, 2022 Glasgow, UK -- Oct 12, 2022 to Oct 16, 2022 Birmingham, UK -- Oct 19, 2022 to Oct 23, 2022 Berlin, DE -- Oct 27, 2022 to Oct 30, 2022 Copenhagen, DE -- Nov 3, 2022 to Nov 6, 2022 MESSI10: Buenos Aires, AR -- Mar 9, 2023 to Mar 26, 2023 [RESTART] OVO: Victoria, BC -- Jun 16, 2022 to Jun 19, 2022 Kamloops, BC -- Jun 23, 2022 to Jun 26, 2022 Prince George, BC -- Jun 30, 2022 to Jul 3, 2022 Red Deer, AB -- Jul 7, 2022 to Jul 10, 2022 Edmonton, AB -- Jul 13, 2022 to Jul 17, 2022 Regina, SK -- Jul 21, 2022 to Jul 24, 2022 Saskatoon, SK -- Jul 27, 2022 to Jul 31, 2022 Winnipeg, MB -- Aug 3, 2022 to Aug 7, 2022 Loveland, CO -- Aug 26, 2022 to Aug 28, 2022 Colorado Springs, CO -- Sep 1, 2022 to Sep 4, 2022 Denver, CO -- Sep 8, 2022 to Sep 11, 2022 El Paso, TX -- Sep 15, 2022 to Sep 18, 2022 Fort Worth, TX -- Sep 22, 2022 to Sep 25, 2022 TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE...: Boston, MA -- Nov 25, 2022 to Dec 11, 2022 --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- Mystère: Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Variable Nightly - 7:00pm and/or 9:30pm 2022 Dark Days: o) May 13 thru 17, 2022 o) July 22, 2022 o) September 9 thru 13, 2022 o) November 8 & 11, 2022 "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Friday, Dark Monday/Tuesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2022 Dark Days: o) June 19 - 22, 2022 o) August 21, 2022 o) October 9 - 12, 2022 o) November 30, 2022 o) December 1 - 13, 2022 KA: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2022 Dark Days: o) June 8, 2022 o) August 10, 24, 31, 2022 o) October 6 - 14, 26, 2022 o) December 14, 2022 LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday to Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2022 Dark Days: o) June 21, 2022 o) July 5, 2022 o) November 1, 2022 o) December 31, 2022 MICHAEL JACKSON ONE: Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday - Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2022 Dark Days: o) August 18 - 22, 2022 o) October 17, 2022 o) December 5 & 12, 2022 JOYÀ: Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday X: THE LAND OF FANTASY: Location: Hangzhou, China DRAWN TO LIFE: Location: Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 5:30pm and 8:00pm MAD APPLE: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm Age Requirements: - Children under 16 not permitted. - Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= o) "Cirque Goes MAD - a Collection of Articles Celebrating MAD APPLE's Premiere in Las Vegas o) "The Last Two Years, Part 3: 'The Sun Rises'" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA ---------------------------------------------------------- "Cirque Goes MAD - a Collection of Articles Celebrating MAD APPLE's Premiere in Las Vegas ---------------------------------------------------------- 'MAD APPLE' CHANNELS NYC'S ENERGY IN LAS VEGAS Las Vegas Magazine - May 25, 2022 Cirque du Soleil's magical productions on the Las Vegas Strip celebrate classic elements of circus, avant-garde artistry and some of the most famous music in the world. But the company's new show breaks ground by celebrating a place. And not just any place. Mad Apple is an energetic tribute to all things New York City, appropriately performed in the gorgeous, 1,200- seat theater at New York-New York Hotel & Casino. Loaded with acrobatics, music and comedy, Mad Apple began preview performances earlier this month and marks its grand opening just before Memorial Day weekend. "It's a fun night out and a celebration, a great place to come have a drink and enjoy some incredible entertainment inspired by the greatest performers in the history of New York," said producer Simon Painter. Mad Apple was designed to blur the lines between circus, live entertainment and the nightlife culture of the iconic city. The spectacular acrobatics we know so well from Cirque du Soleil are a major part of the show, Painter said, but so is stand-up—from a variety of performers including star and host Brad Williams—and music, recalling artists from Billy Joel and Run-D.M.C. to George Gershwin and Lady Gaga. "The soundtrack of New York City is really central to this show, and we have some unbelievable singers who really made me say, ‘Wow!' many times when I auditioned them," Painter said. "Acrobatically, it's still really strong, and that talent should stand on its own. And yes, there is some more adult comedy. It's a bloody fun night out, but it's also a beautiful show." Williams is a familiar face for Las Vegas audiences, a comedy powerhouse who has performed at various venues on and off the Strip. Mad Apple is an entirely different adventure for him, which is why he's so excited about it. "Even if you're used to seeing other Cirque shows, which are spectacular, this is special, because normally you'd have to go to different shows to see comedy, acrobatics and music like this," Williams said. "Now you can go to Mad Apple and see all of that, and it obviously works with the whole theme at New York-New York. I feel like anything can happen in that city, and it'll be the same for this show." The unique space has been renovated to bring the audience closer to the performers than ever before in a Cirque show, adding interactive elements. Don't be late to this one; you'll miss the exciting preshow that incorporates the brand-new bars that have been installed in and around the theater. "I would put the preshow up against any show in Las Vegas—magicians walking around the theater doing incredible magic before the show even starts, and a bar where you can walk up and get a drink, which will morph into the stage," Williams said. "If that doesn't start things out with a bang, I don't know what will." * * * CIRQUE SCALES BACK THE SPECTACLE IN 'MAD APPLE' PREMIERE The Las Vegas Review-Journal - May 29, 2022 "Mad Apple" is at once a new Cirque show, and an acrobatic exercise in ownership. The first Cique show to open in more than two years owns its place in the Las Vegas universe. From the top, the show needed to be themed for New York-New York, to keep with the resort's immutable Big Apple theme. "Mad Apple" totally committed here, with its New York-flavored acts, skyline backdrop and such touches as a yellow cab cruising across the stage. The show is performed under Lady Liberty's crown, and also employs a "disco apple." This is a very large, mirrored, apple you might have seen in Studio 54 that is the show's signature, spherical effect. "Mad Apple" also had to be responsibly conceived. Or, at least costing less than $10 million to develop. "Mad Apple" owns its place in the Cirque pantheon. This is not another of the company's expensive, colossal Strip productions. It's not "O," and certainly is not set up as such a pricey, or especially risky, endeavor. The show owns this reality, too. The fact that Cirque is so allergic to another large-scale collapse is actually a joke in "Mad Apple." Comic Harrison Greenbaum (whose set is among the show's many highlights) told Friday's crowd, "If we make it to Saturday, we will have outlasted ‘R.U.N!'" And that sense of humor is invaluable in "Mad Apple" which comes off as a tight, high-velocity hang in an impressively revamp. Cirque is living in reality with this show, but also asking you to suspend belief and buy into this madcap night in New York. "Mad Apple" has put a premium on comedy. The show comedians are very funny (which is helpful), but also uniquely skilled and appealing. Greenbaum brilliantly dives into a single sentence: "I just got engaged to a girl from Nebraska," adding, "That's a fun sentence to say, because different parts are surprising to each of you." Brad Williams has already found a groove with his diminutive stature, continually joking, "My parents always said I'd end up in the circus, and they were right!" And in thanking Cirque for hiring him, "We've never seen a midget in a circus before!" And nobody on a Vegas stage does what the freestyle-rap comic Chris Turner does. Friday he mashed such subjects as Samuel L. Jackson, a dwarf in a pub, Dr. Who, Vladimir Putin and pregnant strippers. (Later, in a great callback, Williams showed up to angrily demand who called out the dwarf suggestion.) In presenting three top comics, producer/director Simon Painter is leaving the funny to the pros. No script is assigned to this group. They say whatever they want. Greenbaum relishes that freedom with, "Hey, we have one seat open, out of 1,200. Or, as we call it, the reverse Criss Angel!" (Thinking through this, Angel and Cirque can generate mutual marketing buzz from some open feuding, after Angel mocked Cirque during the "R.U.N" closing and also has tweaked the company in the opening of his latest, "Amystika," at Planet Hollywood. Pass the popcorn, we say.) MIGHT AS WELL JUMP As a Cirque vehicle, "Mad Apple" has more than its share of circus acts. The company is still the industry leader in recruiting performers from around the world, and (in the case of accomplished duo straps act Sarah Knauer and Stephen Brine, formerly of "Absinthe") just up the street. The Ethiopian foot-flipping (popularly called icarian games) team of Tamrat Ayalew and Tomas Alemu, known as the TT Boys, has brought the crowd to a standing ovation in each show I've seen. The show employes one of the best hand balancers in the world, according to whatever international body ranks hand balancers, Valentin Chetverkin. Mr. Chetverkin has maybe negative body fat as he teeters atop a replica of the Chrysler Building. Next week, he performs without his safety line, which was attached Friday (need to get back to see this). Another crowd-pleaser is hair-hanging aerialist Danila Bim. I call her a "hair-ialist," a term that has not caught on. But her skyward, spinning act reminds of the great aerial artistry in "Zumanity," in that same theater. And heads up to the comics, Bim's husband, fellow performer Wayne Wilson, is totally bald. Something to work with there … The acrobats come at you in droves, with the Mad Apple Acro Dunkers slamming ABA-styled, red-white-and-blue basketballs in a fantastically aggressive trampoline segment. The disco apple carries another aerial routine. A modified Wheel of Death is rolled out, single-wheel apparatus compared to the five wheels used in "Ka" at MGM Grand. OF PACE AND TIME The segments are connected and backed by a cracking backing band led by music director Xharlie Black (famously the great-grand nephew of music legend Nat King Cole). We have column fave and trumpet great Isaac Tubb in this mix, and (spoiler alert) a keytar is also involved. The live music and assembled singers are invaluable to the acts, presenting a sense of urgency and energy to a show that still runs at least 20 minutes longer than it needs to. For all of its fast pacing and impressive acts, "Mad Apple" is still clocking at more than 85 minutes. Know this going in, as there is also a pre-party amid the stage's wonderfully conceived cocktail bars. This starts about 45 minutes prior to showtime, included in the ticket price and experience. And, a disco party, under the disco apple, is also being developed for after the late show. The original "Mad Apple" concept was to connect the main show to these bracketing parties. It's a little complicated, and it's not there yet. For that concept to work, the show needs to shrink to about 75 minutes. Maybe shorter. The crowd needs to know the pre-show is germane to this New York experience — that's the reason Cirque built the new main bar at the front of the stage. And if you want to play Tony Manero after the show, plan your time accordingly. That's another half hour, at least. Frankly, we're unconvinced the show will be whittled any further than it is now. Why bother at this point, if you haven't made those decisions over three weeks of previews? The show is now formally opened and dialed in, playing to happy crowds. "Mad Apple" is not the Cirque we've come to know over the years, and that's all right from here. It's a good time with a fresh and fun cast. You'll walk out impressed at all the thought and talent Cirque packs into a show, and that's what it's all about. * * * CIRQUE DELIVERS WITH 'MAD APPLE' Las Vegas Weekly - June 2, 2022 The rambunctiously fun grand opening of Mad Apple at New York-New York on May 26 made it official: This is the age of the variety show on the Las Vegas Strip. Pro sports events and superstar residencies have been grabbing the spotlight lately—and pushing the Vegas entertainment experience into colossal venues. But something gets lost in all that bigness, a sense of salience, or maybe just that feeling that anything can happen. Whatever that is, you'll find it fully restored at the three variety shows produced by Spiegelworld, starting with the comedy juggernaut Absinthe; and in brand-new productions on and off the Strip inspired by that company's sensibilities—Miss Behave's Mavericks at Cheapshot on Fremont Street, Rouge at the Strat and Cirque du Soleil's Mad Apple. These modern spins on a traditional genre are funny and sexy; they splash excitement across the stage through daring acrobatics and other inspired physical feats; and everything is tossed in a flavorful salad dressing of inappropriateness. That's the sauce. Cirque is certainly not known for the sauce, but you'll be impressed by how much gets drizzled into Mad Apple. As soon as it gets going— when last call is announced for the three bars on the stage(!)—the emcee will likely unleash a few F-bombs as he ushers in the first performer. By the time stand-up comedians Brad Williams and/or Harrison Greenbaum take the stage, you'll have completely forgotten you're at a Cirque show. (Also, both are terrific.) Mad Apple is sardine can-packed with performance. Several sequences are visually and aurally overwhelming. One scene offers two different acrobatic duos simultaneously flipping and flying, while musicians, singers and dancers layer a live soundtrack of NYC-inspired tunes through the 1,200-seat theater. There's freestyle rap from Brit transplant Chris Turner, stunning vocals from musical director Xharlie Black and his crew, and signature Cirque excitement when an acro- troupe dunks basketballs—and themselves—through various hoops. Be ready for a whirlwind 80 minutes. Mad Apple is different, but Cirque has created shows like this before. There's a full-circle feeling to this production in this venue, where Zumanity ran for some 17 years. Spiegelworld, which will bring a fourth show to the Strip in 2023, walked the path carved by Zumanity and expanded on its tone, humor and sexuality, all risqué for the times. Now naughtiness is necessary, seemingly employed in every production show on the Strip. Make no mistake, Mad Apple is in its own lane, a different take on this style of show. Most importantly, it's fun and it feels wild, which is exactly what Cirque wanted and what audiences appear to be craving these days. * * * BREAKING DOWN WHAT MAKES 'MAD APPLE' SO DIFFERENT Las Vegas Sun - June 6, 2022 "Mad Apple" opened for preview shows at New York-New York in mid-May and celebrated its grand premiere on May 26 in front of an energetic audience including many celebrities and Las Vegas entertainment industry figures. It's definitely recognizable as a Cirque du Soleil show, but it's definitely different from the company's other successful productions currently running on the Strip. There's an emphasis on music, but the show doesn't celebrate specific artists as is done in "Michael Jackson ONE" and "The Beatles LOVE." The new show is packed with comedy, but its sense of humor is a far cry from the family-friendly clowning in "Mystère" at Treasure Island or "O" at Bellagio. "‘Mad Apple' is a completely new approach to Cirque du Soleil entertainment," Eric Grilly, president of resident and affiliate show divisions, said in a statement. "It's an action-packed experience designed for today's audience, who increasingly want to consume entertainment as they do content — in an exciting, highly compelling and ever-shifting manner. With ‘Mad Apple,' you never know what's coming next." Co-created by Simon Painter and Neil Dorward, the fast-paced, New York City-themed show is the first collaboration between Cirque du Soleil and The Works, Painter's company that was acquired by Cirque in 2019. That fresh perspective certainly helps "Mad Apple" stand out from other Cirque productions in Vegas, and distinguishes it from other variety shows on the Strip. It hits the stage Friday through Tuesday at 7 and 9:30 p.m. and tickets are available at madapplelv.com. There are several elements Las Vegas audiences have never seen before in a Cirque show, and they're all tons of fun: There's a bar onstage. Actually, there are three bars on the stage, all of which are accessible to the audience for 45 minutes before the curtain rises. And there's quite a bit of informal entertainment from some of the cast members during this pre-show period, which goes a long in setting up the free-flowing, cabaret vibes — this show is a wild night out. There's stand-up comedy. Two hilarious comedians — frequent Vegas performer Brad Williams and Harvard College Stand-Up Comic Society founder Harrison Greenbaum — took the stage and performed their very different stand-up acts, as themselves, not as characters. This element is both an homage to the great comedy clubs of New York City and a tip of the hat to the traditional Vegas variety show that allowed individual entertainers to shine without a script or plot. And there's a fair amount of raunchy humor involved in "Mad Apple," particularly from Williams. You'll laugh so hard, you'll forget you're at a Cirque show. There's a hair-aerial artist. Acrobatic aerial performers are standard in Cirque's works, particularly in "Zumanity," the former inhabitant of this New York-New York Theater for almost two decades before the pandemic. They might swing from chains, hang from hoops or dangle from silks, but the "Mad Apple" act is an awe-inspiring sky dancer who goes hands free — because she's suspended by her hair. You have to see it to believe it, and even then it's hard to wrap your head around … what she's wrapped her head around. There's a slam-dunk contest. An army of acrobats takes the stage for a rousing routine of trampoline jams into an actual basketball hoop, and then they shift things up, flipping and flying toward the audience, catapulting themselves through slightly larger hoops. It's incredibly exciting, very unexpected, and a great example of the sensory overload that happens throughout "Mad Apple." Live musicians, singers and dancers often flank the circus-style performers, creating a visual spectacle that overwhelms in the best way possible. ------------------------------------------------------------ "The Last Two Years, Part 3: 'The Sun Rises'" By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) ------------------------------------------------------------ On July 15, 2020, Cirque du Soleil announced that it had entered into a new "stalking horse" purchase agreement with Canada-based Catalyst Capital and a group of its existing first lien and second lien secured lenders, sidelining TPG, Fosun, and the Cassie. The Cirque had new owners! (Catalyst is a private equity firm run by Toronto financier Newton Glassman that specializes in buying the secured debt of undervalued or distressed companies.) At first glance, it's an anti- climactic end to a saga that Cirque founder Guy Laliberté predicted would be a "battle royale" for control of the entertainment giant. But a drama did play out behind the scenes – one Catalyst said tested the creditors' resolve as Cirque's former owners maneuvered against them to try to keep control of the company. "We're pretty excited about the future," Catalyst managing director and partner Gabriel de Alba said in an interview with The Globe and Mail, in which he discussed the sale dynamics and how Cirque's new owners are thinking about the potential for their investment. "What we bring is … a fresh set of eyes to challenge the historical thinking and come up with more optimal ways to run the business while still protecting the creative core from Quebec." UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT Catalyst started building its position in March, Mr. de Alba said. He wouldn't say what it paid but Cirque debt was changing hands for between 40 and 50 cents of the face value of first-lien debt at the time. (First-lien debt-holders are the first to be repaid, ranking above all other lenders.) When Cirque failed to make interest payments in late March on its first-lien credit facilities, and TPG and its two partners moved to transfer some of Cirque's trademarks and intellectual property into a separate holding company they controlled in exchange for a $50-million loan, lenders faced their first test. As Catalyst saw it, TPG was trying to jump from being an equity investor to achieve creditor standing with direct access to some of Cirque's collateral. "That is not appropriate because that movement of assets has specific restrictions, especially when a company is on the verge of insolvency, which was the case," Mr. de Alba said. He said he took on a leadership role within the first-lien lending group, giving them "conviction" in a negotiating strategy to win back the collateral and have their debt recognized for its full value. TPG had said the asset transfer was approved by an independent committee at Cirque and that it was essential as collateral for the $50-million loan from the three owners, which it called "emergency financing" that would otherwise be unavailable given the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The creditors eventually put up the money in a commitment backstopped by Catalyst. A second surprise came when Cirque filed for bankruptcy protection and unveiled an initial bid by TPG, Fosun and the Caisse for the company that offered US$300-million to restart the circus troupe while paying lenders a fraction of what they are owed. Behind closed doors, the lenders were already in talks with Cirque on their own bid, with negotiations taking place even during the weekend before the filing, Mr. de Alba said. "Maybe what they were hoping to do was to test if the lender group … had the willingness and the ability to recapitalize the company and put new money in," Mr. de Alba said. "And I guess they were thinking that CLOs, because they have these structural limitations, were not going to be able to commit to funding the amount required for the reopening plan." The formal sales process for Cirque started with five qualified bidders, including offers from the TPG shareholders and the first-lien creditor group, according to the latest report by Ernst & Young, Cirque's court-appointed monitor. Two other bidders joined shortly afterward, the monitor said. In the end, no one was able or willing to match the Catalyst-led offer. Recapitalizing Cirque gives the company the leeway to move through the pandemic and emerge reinvigorated while bringing employees back, according to Mr. de Alba. He said Cirque will focus first on reopening its permanent shows in Las Vegas. But Catalyst is looking beyond Cirque's traditional model of selling tickets for live performances. A big part of the new ownership's plans for the circus troupe involves monetizing its unique brand of entertainment by delivering it into the home digitally. "You've seen that Disney is bringing some theatrical shows to [its subscription-based, video-on-demand service] Disney+, like ‘Hamilton', with great success," Mr. de Alba said. "I foresee that Cirque shows can also be part of these types of streaming platforms." [At the beginning of the shutdown, Cirque du Soleil embraced its online platforms by launching a new digital content hub called CirqueConnect, through which the company opened its vault of live show recordings and other endeavors through 60-minute specials, virtual reality experiences, content series and tutorials, music videos, and other family-friendly fare to great success.] Cirque will also partner with industry leaders working on non-scripted entertainment, Mr. de Alba said. "There are a lot of options that were never explored outside the live event business as well as they could have been," Mr. de Alba said. "The digitization of the content and the [intellectual property] is certainly something that will feed into the next evolution of Cirque du Soleil." Making Cirque viable means taking lessons from the mistakes made under the previous ownership, while emphasizing the main elements of past success such as the Las Vegas shows, Mr. de Alba said. "It's an understanding of the core drivers of the business while at the same time having a very disciplined approach to investing capital," he said. The closing of this recapitalization marked a significant milestone for Cirque du Soleil, as it provided the Company with a solid foundation for a successful relaunch, which included 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 was pleased to confirm that Daniel Lamarre would 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. "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. As part of this transaction, Cirque du Soleil also announced the appointments of Jim Murren and Gabriel de Alba as Co-Chairmen of the Board. "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." 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 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 said 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 rendered 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 "Mystère." 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. 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. "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." By January 2021, vaccines for COVID-19 began rolling out from Pfizer- BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson. These vaccines were found to be "highly protective against severe illness, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19", and so the global community slowly started to open back up. INTERMISSION IS OVER On April 21, 2021, Cirque du Soleil announced that the "Cirque du Soleil sun is rising" as the company marked the reopening announcements of four of its most iconic shows after being closed for more than a year due to the pandemic. Mystère will return to its stage at Treasure Island on June 28, 2021, and "O" will mark its first performance on July 1, 2021. LUZIA will return with an engagement at Royal Albert Hall in London starting January 12, 2022, while KOOZA will be presented under the iconic Big Top in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic starting November 25. In addition, Cirque du Soleil Events and Experiences, the company's fully integrated international turnkey creative and artistic content solution provider is ramping up operations. "This is the moment we have all been waiting for," said Daniel Lamarre. "Almost 400 days have passed since we had to take a temporary hiatus, and we have been anxiously awaiting our return to the stage. I am so proud of the resilience of our artists and employees who persevered during the most challenging times with stages dark around the world for so long. I just can't wait to see the lights go back on." And then it made even more announcements… The Beatles LOVE, a Cirque du Soleil creation and co-production with Apple Corps Ltd., will reopen at The Mirage on Aug. 26, 2021. Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil, in collaboration with the Estate of Michael Jackson, will reopen its exclusive residency at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on Aug. 19, 2021. Alegría, Cirque du Soleil's emblematic production, will be in Houston, Texas, under the Big Top at Sam Houston Race Park as of Nov. 18, 2021. KOOZA, a production acclaimed by more than eight million spectators and critics around the world will perform at the Old Port of Montreal as of April 28, 2022. "This is only the beginning. We look forward to sharing more exciting news in the coming weeks," added Daniel Lamarre. But while shows like "X: The Land of Fantasy" in Hangzhou, China had been operating since June 3, 2020 and JOYA in Mexico since July 3, 2020, others would not make a grand return as Cirque du Soleil eventually restarted. Amaluna and R.U.N were two of the first casualties of course, but over time, we'd hear about others. On November 16, 2020, Cirque du Soleil informed the cast and crew of Zumanity about its permanent closure. "Zumanity was a groundbreaking departure for Cirque du Soleil when it opened in September of 2003," said Daniel Lamarre. "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. Zumanity wasn't the only resident show that would get the axe. On January 20, 2021, Cirque du Soleil announced on its Facebook page that it would not be opening NYSA on the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin as originally planned. "Due to the current situation and uncertainty, we have unfortunately made the difficult decision not to resume the creation of NYSA. We thank you for your enthusiasm." NYSA was to be a modern tale that followed the story of Nysa, a fearless young woman who longed for adventure and open skies. "Her curiosity and courage will give her the power to step into the unexpected and fly towards new worlds," the initial announcement stated. "Inspired by youth and its desire to push the boundaries and aspirations for a better future, the character looks to the outside world for a sense of what life could be if she let her imagination soar and if she allowed herself to take risks." NYSA was originally scheduled to open on October 28, 2020 but was pushed back to October 27, 2021 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. It was now officially been canceled. The Cirque would go on to solidify its commitment to the other resident shows, however: 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 of up to 10 years! 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. Then, for the second year in a row, Cirque delayed "Under the Same Sky". The world premiere had been scheduled for April 23, 2020, then pushed to April 2021 by the COVID-19 pandemic (and creative difficulties), was again postponed to spring 2022. However, as Cirque du Soleil's resident shows in Las Vegas got back on their feet and plans to restart touring shows began to gain traction in the last half of 2021, "Under the Same Sky" was not on the list. In fact, neither was TOTEM, AXEL, or VOLTA. These shows were quietly scuttled as plans moved forward. DRAWN TO LIFE would make its debut, MESSI 10 would perform in Riyadh, TWAS THE NIGHT would return for Christmas, and BAZZAR, OVO, CRYSTAL, CORTEO, and KURIOS would all get future tour dates. Things we're looking up. CIRQUE GETS A NEW CHIEF On Tuesday, November 30, 2021, Cirque du Soleil named Stéphane Lefebvre, a chartered accountant who has been Cirque's operations chief (COO) for the past year, as its chief executive officer (CEO), effective Dec. 1. He replaced communications specialist Daniel Lamarre, who will take a step back into an executive vice-chairman role after two decades at the helm. "The two of us went to war together" to pull Cirque out of the COVID- 19 crisis, Mr. Lamarre said in an interview ahead of the official announcement. "And now we're looking for Stéphane to bring the company to the next level." They'll maintain that teamwork now, with Mr. Lefebvre, 54, in charge of daily management while Mr. Lamarre focuses on business development and relationships with key partners such as casino operator MGM Resorts and Disney. Mr. Lefebvre joined Cirque du Soleil from aircraft simulator maker CAE Inc. in 2016 in the wake of the change in Cirque ownership. He was finance chief for four years at Cirque, leading three acquisitions as well as its post-bankruptcy recapitalization. The soon-to-be-CEO is a known quantity at Cirque and liked by its creative teams because he has an appreciation for the value of their work, Mr. Lamarre said. Other colleagues describe him as a sweet and easygoing person with a sharp mind. Lefebvre insists he's not just a money guy. "My background has more than just the financial aspects of management," said Lefebvre. "I've been working in different businesses. Since I joined Cirque du Soleil six years ago, I've been involved in different parts of the business, not only the financial part … including the strategy of the company and including its operations. "And I've done that in my previous career as well. I worked for an amazing company called CAE and I was highly involved in operations. I am a (chartered professional accountant) by trade but I've got more than just finance in my background. I have a lot of interest in arts and what the creative team's capabilities are. … One of my favorite meetings was when we reviewed creative content for upcoming shows and I have the pleasure and benefit of having an amazing creative team." "While there was no specific timeframe for me passing the baton after 20 years building this amazing organization, I feel privileged to have contributed to the rebirth of Cirque du Soleil and feel now is the right time," Lamarre said in a statement. "There is no doubt in my mind that Stephane Lefebvre, after being instrumental in the relaunch of our operations, is the ideal next leader to take Cirque du Soleil forward to the next stage in its evolution as a company founded on the conviction that the arts and business, together, can contribute to making a better world," he added. Recapturing revenues and clawing back profitability remain colossal challenges for the Cirque. Openings have been staggered but the company plans a more aggressive schedule of touring show relaunches starting next year. Ticket sales have been stronger than expected too, with pent-up demand fueling an initial surge, the two senior Cirque executives said. Still, they acknowledged the fragility of the global health situation and said they are pushing cautiously, going only into countries and cities with high vaccination rates and rigorous sanitary measures. "Financially, we're in really good shape right now," Mr. Lefebvre said. He said Cirque started the year with about US$180- million in cash for operations and also has access to untapped credit. Lefebvre has promised a seamless transition at the top of the company as its stable of live shows worldwide continue to reopen. "It is an honor for me to take the lead of this Quebec flagship company, one of the largest contemporary live entertainment producers of the world," said Lefebvre in his own statement. Asked if realigning the company's executive structure was a condition of the purchase, Lamarre said, "Not at all, and by the way, this was my recommendation. If I would have decided to remain as a CEO, I would. But my decision was to make sure that we ensured the stability of the company for the next 10 years. I'm not getting younger! I really pushed for that transition plan to be in place because I'm not looking short-term. I'm looking mid-term. There's only one way to learn to be a CEO, it's to be a CEO and that's why I thought Stéphane moving in as a CEO, and counting on my presence full-time for a while, I think is the best scenario." Lamarre added that the board insisted that he remain as Executive Vice Chairman. Lamarre said he's most proud of his role in stabilizing the company through the shutdown of all of its operations in March 2020. He has a book coming out in January, "Balancing Acts," chronicling his time with the company. And his hand-picked successor is a prominent, new power player on the Las Vegas entertainment scene. LESS IS MORE Credit ratings agencies such as Moody's have expressed concern about the extent to which Cirque's business is centered on Las Vegas, where its partnership with MGM counted for an estimated 35 per cent of its US$950-million in annual pre-pandemic revenue. But Mr. Lefebvre sees it as a steady source of cash flow, a financial anchor of sorts that the company can build out from as it relaunches shows in other cities in the months ahead. What might put Moody's more at ease is the fact that Cirque itself said it would be doing less shows than before, while embracing its ‘super markets'. "The reality now is, and we made it very clear with our new owners, maybe it's better to have fewer shows and focus on having a stronger presence in strong markets," said Lamarre. He cited as an example of this that they will now have a new show in Montreal every year, rather than every two years, which was the case in the past. (The Cirque just signed a new 10-year deal with the Old Port to have a new show every year.) Cirque du Soleil also plans to do the same thing in Toronto, Los Angeles, and London. "So the 10 super markets we have, we can go there every year," said Lamarre. "Only that will change the financial model of Cirque. You have Vegas that gives you a lot of stability. Then if you add 10 super markets that adds another layer of sustainability." And, of course, Las Vegas. Lefebvre has been conferring with Cirque Senior Vice President Eric Grilly and Vice President of Operations Matt Nickel in Vegas. The company's next planned production is a New York-themed show at New York-New York, in the former "Zumanity" theater. Aside from that production, there are no formal plans for a new Cirque show on the Strip in 2022. As Lefebvre said, "In the near term, we'll continue working on certain front-end marketing initiatives that we have launched in this year, together with MGM, to help support our growth in the box office." By the time the NY-NY show launches, Cirque will present five shows in MGM Resorts International hotels. "Mystere," at Phil Ruffin's Treasure Island, is the lone exception. "I will be continuing to nurture the relationships with our great partners MGM Resorts, AEG, Disney, [and] Vidanta." Lamarre said of his new role, which is a full-time position. "I will also be involved in new business development." "I've taken up this challenge with a dose of humility, because this company has been through such a rough period," Lefebrve said. "We've been in the trenches these last 18 months. Thank God, we can count on the amazing team in Vegas that supported the relaunch of the operations. I certainly feel privileged now, just having seen people's reaction to coming back into theaters and seeing our shows. "That makes me feel extremely excited about the future." However, by the time Cirque du Soleil began opening up more and more (just as global economies breathed a sigh of relief), a more infectious variant of COVID-19 reared its head – Delta – a more transmissible and harder hitting version of the disease. Although more of a concern for unvaccinated individuals at first, Delta's appearance didn't slow the company's resurgence down any. And even though pubic vaccination rates weren't as high as hoped (all performers and associated persons had to be vaccinated), there seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel for all this. But then an even easier transmissible variant appeared – Omicron – that even seemed to evade the protections from the available vaccines. Public infection rates soared over the holidays, runs of TWAS THE NIGHT in New York City, ALEGRIA: IN A NEW LIGHT in Houston, and more were canceled as performers caught the disease. And so while Cirque du Soleil may have announced that "Intermission is Over"… the pandemic and its effects still linger on. What will 2022 bring? At this point, all bets are off. {fin} ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 22, Number 4 (Issue #214) – May/June 2022 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (C) 2001-2022 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. { Jun.17.2022 } =======================================================================