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Fascination Issue 048 expanded
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T h e U n o f f i c i a l
C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r
Quarterly Compendium - Q2 2006
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E X P A N D E D I S S U E
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VOLUME 6, NUMBER 2 www.CirqueFascination.com ISSUE #48e
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CONTENTS
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* Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings
- News Briefs
- Press Releases
- "Cirque Theater in Japan Breaks Ground"
- "The Beatles: LOVE!"
* CDS-TV -- Cirque du Soleil on Television
* Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information
* Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
=================
NEWS BRIEFS
=================
Cirque Inks 3-year TV Deal in UK
{Apr.04.2006}
--------------------------------
Circus show Cirque du Soleil is set to be revamped for UK
television, after signing a three-year deal with Initial, a
subsidiary of independent production giant Endemol, which makes
Big Brother.
The Canadian performance group will work with the television
producer on a series of 60-minute programmes expected to be
filmed at the O2 Arena, previously known as the Millenium Dome,
and broadcast in 2007 and 2008.
Cirque du Soleil will lead all creative content aspects of the
stage shows but Initial will develop the television production
side. The company is pitching to UK broadcasters.
Andy Ward, director of special projects at the indie, said:
"Cirque du Soleil are the most exciting, visual and popular
artists in the world and we're thrilled to have the opportunity
to work with them to translate their spirit to television."
{Source: The Stage, UK}
Lovesick, the Making of Zumanity on DVD
{Apr.04.2006}
---------------------------------------
Dare to enter the sensual world of LOVESICK, an adult-themed,
reality-based drama that explores the eccentric lives lead by
Sin City's most provocative performers.
Filmed over two years and set in Las Vegas during the creation
of the cabaret-style production ZUMANITY ANOTHER SIDE OF CIRQUE
DU SOLEIL', LOVESICK discloses the disturbing reality of the
talented and entrancing artists who put their flesh and audacity
centre stage to create this edgy new show.
Meet Alex, the flirtatious Cuban stripper; Joey, the sassy but
endearing New York City drag queen; Laetitia, the elegant and
ambitious British dancer; Jonel, the audacious debutant; Andrew,
the Director of Creation; and Spymonkey, the spontaneous clown
quartet'all of whom will challenge their own limits and be
forced to redefine their identities.
Sexy, poetic and intensely erotic, LOVESICK slips inside a
startling universe where men dress up as women, brides perform
in staged orgies, and love affairs are exposed under the show's
glaring spotlights.
Cirque du Soleil: Lovesick DVD Features:
o) Lovesick In The Making
o) Zumanity Aural Pleasures: A Music and Photo Gallery
o) Zumanity Preview
DVD Statistics:
o) Total Running Time: 97 Minutes
o) Rated: Not rated
o) # of Discs: 1
o) Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
o) Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
o) DVD Release Date: 5/30/06
o) SLP: $24.95
{Source: Cirque du Soleil}
"O" Named Favorite Show
{Apr.06.2006}
-----------------------
This morning, "What's On, The Las Vegas Guide" announced the
winners of its 7th annual Visitors' Choice Awards poll - honors
selected by its readers covering everything from "dining and
entertainment to nightlife, shopping, sightseeing and gaming."
Cirque du Soleil's "O" was selected as the Favorite Production
Show.
{Source: What's On, The Las Vegas Guide}
Cirque Outsources their IT Department!
{Apr.06.2006}
--------------------------------------
MONTREAL, QC, April 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Cirque du Soleil
and CGI Group Inc. (CGI) today announced the signing of a 10-
year information technology (IT) outsourcing contract valued at
CDN $130 million. As part of this contract, 84 IT positions of
the Cirque du Soleil in Montreal, Las Vegas, and Orlando will be
transferred to CGI.
CGI is charged with providing operation, support and evolution
of the Cirque du Soleil's global technology infrastructure and
applications. CGI will also be providing IT services for the
Cirque du Soleil's touring shows around the world. This
partnership will strengthen CGI's growing expertise within the
large-scaled entertainment and sporting event sectors.
{Source: PRNewswire}
More on Cirque's IT Outsourcing
{Apr.07.2006}
-------------------------------
As part of a new 10-year agreement to outsource its information
technology needs, Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil says it will
eliminate 84 jobs in Orlando, Montreal and Las Vegas. The
company employs about 3,000 people.
A spokeswoman for Cirque du Soleil says that only one position
in Orlando will be affected by the layoff, where Cirque employs
about 200 people.
{Source: Orlando Business Journal}
New Beatles Music to be Released
{Apr.10.2006}
--------------------------------
THE BEATLES will release an album of "completely new music"
taken from unreleased archive material to tie in with an
upcoming Las Vegas, Nevada theatrical show.
The stage production, due to open this summer (06), will last 90
minutes and features acrobats of the Cirque du Soleil
interpreting The Beatles' songs. And bosses at the band's Apple
record label are planning a special treat for fans of the Fab
Four, to be overseen by surviving bandmembers SIR PAUL McCARTNEY
and RINGO STARR.
Apple chief NEIL ASPINALL says, "It involves the creation, by
the remixing and remastering of The Beatles' recorded
performances, of completely new music, which will be featured in
the show, and which should lead to the release of the show
album." (GES/WNBTE)
{Source: PR-Inside}
Inside Cirque's Legal Department
{Apr.11.2006}
--------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil is not your usual circus. There are no animals
and, a lot of the time, no big tops. Instead, the company's 600
artists tour the globe performing breathtaking acrobatic feats
as part of colorful and surreal shows.
STATISTICS
Organization: Cirque du Soleil
Sector: Entertainment
Turnover: $550m (£316.3m)
Employees: 3,000
Legal capacity: 13
Vice-president of legal and commercial affairs: François
Macerola; Reporting to Chief Financial Officer Robert Blaim,
President Daniel Lamarre.
Main law firms: Mullerat, Kramer Zucker & Abbott, Ogilvy Renault
CLOWNING ACHIEVEMENT
Hot on their heels is a legal department that is not quite your
usual legal department. At its head is Cirque du Soleil's vice-
president of legal and commercial affairs François Macerola.
Macerola is based in Montréal at Cirque du Soleil's
headquarters, but spends much of his time travelling the world
in the wake of the company's shows.
Macerola has been with Cirque du Soleil for nearly three years,
joining from a role as lawyer for the Canadian Home Office. "I
got a call from Cirque du Soleil saying they were looking for
somebody," he says, explaining that his brief on joining was to
modernise and develop the legal team.
There are 13 lawyers in the worldwide Cirque du Soleil legal
department: 12 in Montréal, including Macerola, and one in
Singapore. The team's gender split is one most law firms would
be proud of, with nine women and three men in Canada. "They were
the most competent," Macerola says simply, praising his team.
Cirque du Soleil's main legal issues are connected with IP,
something Macerola knows a lot about. He has always worked in
the entertainment industry, particularly film and television,
with high-profile roles for organisations such as investment
body Téléfilm Canada. At Cirque du Soleil he oversees around
2,000 files a year comprising contracts, negotiations and cases
concerning the circus's productions, employees and artists.
"We're mainly involved with the negotiations of contracts
related to the production and the distribution of our shows,"
says Macerola.
Occasionally corporate or employment issues will arise. In 2003
the company was involved in a dispute with an acrobat in Las
Vegas. HIV-positive Mark Cusick was sacked for "safety reasons",
the circus said at the time. Cusick promptly sued for
discrimination and Macerola led successful settlement
negotiations.
"We know very well that the creative people are at the heart of
Cirque du Soleil and we have a very good professional
relationship with these people," says Macerola, explaining that
cases such as Cusick's are rare.
But most of the team's work is concerned with IP matters and the
law firms Macerola instructs are primarily IP specialists.
"We've established a kind of informal network," he says. "We
have to establish a good working relationship with our
correspondents, with competent people on whom I can rely."
Due to the informal nature of the relationships, Macerola has
instructed many firms in each jurisdiction over the years. The
most common are Kramer Zucker & Abbot, Mullerat and Ogilvy Renault.
Legal spend is consequently sizeable. Macerola declines to give
an exact figure, but says: "We do spend some good money -
millions of dollars."
The legal team is brought in at the start of any of the circus's
shows. Currently there are 12 worldwide - six touring the globe,
five resident in locations such as the Bellagio in Las Vegas and
Walt Disney World, and one live music show, which is also
touring. As the show's development progresses, Macerola's team
follows to make sure that the IP is protected and the artists
are properly contracted.
While the department's function has not changed much since
Macerola's arrival, the manner in which it runs has. Macerola
says that, when he arrived at Cirque du Soleil, each member of
the team was very specialised.
"I've changed that mentality," he states. "Now they're working
in synergy - that's very important for me."
He has also placed more emphasis on delivering a service by a
particular date once a file has been opened, and he requires
external lawyers to commit to deadlines. Macerola says his aim
is not to transform Cirque du Soleil into a bureaucracy, but to
make it more efficient.
Macerola's career has followed a period of change in the
Canadian IP market.
"I remember when I first started practising law and I referred
to IP; nobody really understood what I was saying," he recalls.
"People were using words such as 'copyright' and 'IP', but
nobody was looking after these cases."
Over the years, however, the market changed. More lawyers began
practising IP and it was soon recognised as being a legitimate
area of law.
"For me it's music to my ears, because finally IP and
entertainment law is considered as being a major area of
activity," Macerola says. "Now everyone understands that there's
a value to a music right and a production right as much as a car
or a house."
Canadian legislation is in the process of change. Last June, the
Canadian government introduced a bill to amend the Copyright
Act, with proposals designed to update and modernise the law for
the 21st century. It is an issue that Macerola will be following
closely from the midst of the creative milieu in which he is
most at home.
{Source: TheLawyer.com}
Cirque Permanently in the UK?
{Apr.18.2006}
------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil is in negotiations about a possible residency
at O2, the multi-million pound sports and entertainment complex
being built on the site of the former Millennium Dome in
Greenwich.
Under the deal, the Canadian circus troupe will have a regular
show at the 1,800-seater theatre that forms part of the new
venue, developer Anschutz Entertainment Group has revealed.
AEG also runs Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, where Elton John
currently has a residency and the Staples Center in Los Angeles,
where acts such as the Rolling Stones have performed.
Last week the company unveiled illustrations showing how the
finished O2 will look and announced a completion date of July
2007.
{Source: The Stage, UK}
Cirque in Macao?
{May.02.2006}
----------------
Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Cirque du Soleil announced today that
they will create a one-of-a-kind show that will be featured on
the Cotai Strip(TM) currently being developed by Las Vegas Sands
in the People's Republic of China Special Administrative Region
of Macao. The new show, conceived and created solely by Cirque
du Soleil will open in the Spring of 2008 in a theater built
specifically to their specifications and will have a capacity of
approximately 1,800 seats.
{Source: Yahoo News}
Cirque du Elvis?
{May.18.2006}
----------------
NEW YORK, May 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - CKX, Inc., (Nasdaq:
CKXE - News), through its subsidiary Elvis Presley Enterprises,
has entered into an exclusive arrangement with Cirque du Soleil
for the creation, development, production and promotion of Elvis
Presley Projects, featuring touring and permanent shows, as well
as multimedia interactive "Elvis Experiences," throughout the
world.
Elvis Presley Projects, expected to debut beginning in 2008,
will consist of:
o) Touring shows that will be produced by Cirque du Soleil and
incorporate the name, image, likeness and music of Elvis
Presley.
o) Permanent shows at fixed locations that will be produced by
Cirque du Soleil and incorporate the name, image, likeness
and music of Elvis Presley.
o) Multimedia interactive entertainment "Elvis Experiences" that
incorporate the music, memorabilia, audiovisual works, and
the life and times of Elvis Presley.
{Source: PRNewswire }
No Cirque in Singapore
{May.26.2006}
-----------------------
Announced a few moments ago, the Singapore government decided
the winner of its Marina Bay Casino Project was US Casino
operator Las Vegas Sands Corp., owner of The Venetian. They beat
out MGM-Mirage, which had, as part of its bid, a permanent
Cirque du Soleil show concept.
{Source: Yahoo News}
Cirque in the Top 10 Attractions
{Jun.06.2006}
---------------------------------
TripAdvisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com) announced this morning
the top 10 attractions in the United States, based on traveler
popularity on their website. Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas was
#6 on that list. The full list is as follows:
1. Walt Disney World, Orlando, Fla.
2. Universal Studios Orlando, Orlando, Fla.
3. Discovery Cove, Orlando, Fla.
4. South Beach, Miami, Fla.
5. Disneyland, Anaheim, Calif.
6. Cirque du Soleil, Las Vegas, Nev.
7. Epcot Center, Orlando, Fla.
8. Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz.
9. Hana Highway, Maui, HI
10. Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, Ga.
{Source: TripAdvisor}
Las Vegas News
{Jun.08.2006}
----------------
Wynn Revamping Le Reve?
According to the Associated Press, Steve Wynn is paying $15.9
Million to Dragone to secure the rights of Le Reve and expand
the show. Wynn intends to add lights, lasers and more performers
to the show in order to make it "bigger." Wynn asked Dragone to
change the show (for the second time) but Dragone is busy with
other productions, including one for Montréal. Moses Pendleton,
the artistic director of surrealist dance company MOMIX, has
been hired to complete the retrofit, which will be completed in
2007.
MGM Grand named 'Best Place to Work'
According to a recent press release, Southern Nevada Human
Resource Association (SNHRA) has named MGM Grand Hotel and
Casino as the "Best Place to Work" in the gaming industry for
2006. This marks the second consecutive year that MGM Grand has
received this award.
Hairspray Out
The Las Vegas version of the production "Hairspray" at the Luxor
will have its last performance on Sunday, June 11th. "It didn't
find its audience," said "Hairspray" spokesman Dave Kirvin, said
in the Chicago Tribune. "It was simple economics." "Hairspray"
follows the 2004 Tony Award winning "Avenue Q", which closed on
May 28th.
{Source: Associated Press/Yahoo News}
Comedian Kathy Griffin on Cirque
{Jun.27.2006}
--------------------------------
"I'm sorry. I can't stand it. Here's why. I don't want to see a
French-Canadian clown slowly rolling a beach ball across the
stage for 5 minutes while saying, 'ye-yay-yay.'"
That's okay Kathy... We don't want to see a D-list comedian rant-
and-rave about nothing in particular for 5 minutes while
pretending we're listening either.
{Source: Google News}
LOVE in London?
{Jun.26.2006}
---------------
GEORGE HARRISON's widow OLIVIA is relieved THE BEATLES-inspired
Cirque du Soleil show has finally made it to the stage after a
string of venue changes.
Olivia admits LOVE, which opened this month (JUN06) at The
Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada, was originally supposed to be a
London production, but got moved twice before opening.
She says, "When George was alive, there was a plan to create it
here in London.
"That didn't happen, and then it was going to be in New York,
and, of course, September 11 happened, and that was a very
difficult time." Harrison died in November 2001 following a
battle with lung cancer.
{Source: PR Inside}
'The Beatles' head to Vegas for 10 years
{Jun.27.2006}
----------------------------------------
LAS VEGAS, Nev., June 25 (UPI) - The Cirque du Soleil version of
the Beatles, called "Love," opens in Las Vegas June 30, with
remastered music for an expected 10-year run.
The acrobatic troupe from Canada has teamed up with Beatles'
original producer, Sir George Martin and his son Giles, for the
$150 million production, The New York Times reports.
Surviving members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr along with
surviving partners, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, will all be in
the audience for opening night Friday.
The four are the owners of Apple, the music house created in
1967 to secure the integrity of the Beatles' music.
Apple has opened its vaults to the Martin's who have taken some
choice original recordings and remastered them with 21st century
technology and the latest musical trends, mixing sounds from one
song with words from another and keeping in some outtakes, among
other production tricks.
One of the principals of "Love" says it will "make the audience
feel as though they are actually in the theater with the band."
Tickets range from $69 to $150 and performances will be two-
times a night, five nights per week for at least 10 years.
{Source: UPI}
How Cirque Emails its Clients
{Jun.28.2006}
-----------------------------
On June 1, 2006, Marketing Sherpa released a case study on
Cirque du Soleil's email marketing program. It's a very
interesting read and a wonderful behind-the-scenes look into
CirqueClub processes. A summary of the case study is available
below:
SUMMARY
Are you trying to improve your email copywriting and
segmentation so each recipient feels a strong personal
connection to your organization?
Cirque du Soleil's email team sends 6-8 campaigns per week with
exceptional response rates. Our new Case Study includes details
on copywriting that works, design (simpler than you'd expect)
and how to gather more double opt-ins.
Plus, what to send to your list when the circus is *not* coming
to their town for the next 10 months.
Read the full case-study below:
* * *
CASE STUDY
How Cirque Uses Email to Sell Out Shows at Local Cities
SUMMARY: Are you trying to improve your email copywriting and
segmentation so each recipient feels a strong personal
connection to your organization? Cirque du Soleil's email team
sends 6-8 campaigns per week with exceptional response rates.
Our new Case Study includes details on copywriting that works,
design (simpler than you'd expect) and how to gather more double
opt-ins. Plus, what to send to your list when the circus is
*not* coming to their town for the next 10 months.
CHALLENGE
"We have been touring and meeting people around the world for
close to 21 years now," says Cirque du Soleil's Chief Marketing
Internet Andre Belanger in his charming French accent.
"It's important for us to continue that relationship between our
visits." The company launched its email program in 2000
precisely for that purpose.
However, relationships are in their essence personal things. In
fact, Belanger credits some of the company's success to the
tent-layout. "In a touring show, you have the impression it's
unique and small, but it's 2,600 people sitting in a big top."
How can a giant global entertainment brand run a mass-email
program that feels equally personal?
Plus, with dozens of activities going on constantly (permanent
shows in Vegas and Florida, touring shows on four continents, TV
specials, new CDs and DVDs etc), how could Cirque du Soleil
avoid overwhelming fans with too much news and activities?
The email team had enough news to send campaigns six-eight times
per week, a frequency that would thrill very few fans, no matter
how fervent.
CAMPAIGN
The team started by carefully crafting the opt-in process, and
have revamped that process on an ongoing basis to keep best
practices. Five keys:
#1. Nomenclature
You couldn't sign up for Cirque du Soleil's email list. You
could, however, join the fan club, which happened to send
emailed bulletins. The team hoped that small-seeming difference
in opt-in verbiage would make all the difference.
#2. Making the offer prominent
The Fan Club was prominently displayed with a form fill box
reading "Your Email Here" on the company's home page. For the
undecided, a small hotlink next to that box read "What is Cirque
Club?" Plus, much of the rest of the site also featured
hotlinks to join the club.
The team also wanted to build a presence for the fan club at the
shows themselves to drive curious ticket holders to sign up.
Whenever possible, they reserved about 20 tickets per
performance for incredibly good seats to be given out as
"upgrades" to Fan Club members.
When club members arrived at the show clutching a printout of
their upgrade eligibility, they were ushered into a special
"Cirque Club Members Here" entrance while other ticket holders
watched (hopefully jealously).
#3. Offer loads of preferences
When you have too much news to send, it's better if you
microsegment your list so only the people most interested in
particular news get that info. So, the team added (and again
continually improved) a member preferences center asking opt-ins
what sorts of email they wanted to get, including:
- Cities where you prefer to attend shows (limit six cities)
- If you'd like news on any particular permanent-location shows
- General news about the company's TV and other new offerings
- Merchandising offers and special promotions
- English vs French language
#4. Promote whitelisting
The next page of the opt-in form (after the home page form for
email and page two for preferences -- see link below for
screenshots of all stages) requested that the to-be member add
the club's email address to their contacts list *before* they could finish their membership registration. The page included
hotlinks to more specific instructions for AOL, Hotmail and
Yahoo! email users, along with a button to click to finalize
sign-up.
#5. Require double opt-ins
After jumping through those hoops, new names were still *not*
added to the Cirque du Soleil list unless they double opted in
by clicking on a personal link in an incoming email.
The email team automated the process. New to-be members would
get one email within a few minutes, and then if they didn't
confirm, a reminder email seven days later. If that step didn't
work, then the name was wiped from the list.
As the list started growing, the team quickly developed creative
rules for the campaigns themselves so everything would be on-
brand.
Five main creative rules:
o) Every email would be sent from a named person who writes in
the first person. Some were real people. "Anne-Jose signs
the email club. She's sitting right next to me," says
Belanger. Some were characters from the show such as
'Madame' who signs letters to the Zumanity-brand fan club
with a red lipsticked kiss.
o) Emails would look and read like letters sent on Cirque or
Zumanity 'letterhead'. "A letter is a story I'm telling you.
We're storytellers, so we write you a story."
So, no. There would be no photos of shows, or hero shots of
promoted items, or any of the other over-the-top graphics you
might expect from an email campaign produced by a circus.
Instead, all campaigns would be simple 3-4 paragraph notes
written from one person about one particular topic.
o) Copy with a French accent. Cirque du Soleil is headquartered
in mainly French-speaking Quebec, so all English-language
emails include a a few French words scattered through as an
accent. For example, a note might begin with "Bonjour."
o) Less-obvious click links. Unlike most promotional email,
Cirque's rarely (if ever) had a click link in the first
paragraph of the letter. The letterhead also did not have
any click links or buttons at the top that might distract
from the main body of the letter. Click links were reserved
for further down and were low-key in nature.
"We rarely do huge mailings," notes Belanger. In fact, the team
decided to strictly obey members' preferences. If you signed up
saying you only wanted touring show news for Boston, that's what
you'd get once a year when the show came to town.
Just as with all offline Cirque campaigns, the tour email
promotions were carefully orchestrated into a series of
messages, that can be roughly described as:
-> Step #1. The Cirque is coming! Advance tickets available.
-> Step #2. Got any suggestions for our cast while they are in
your town? (Restaurants, etc.)
-> Step #3. We're here, print out your upgrade certificate.
-> Step #4. Farewell
These letters were automated as much as possible, but the
letters were personalized for each city every year to keep them
fresh. Plus, the team set up a "Red Alert" system to receive
triggered alerts when an automated campaign was underperforming.
Example: "We were going to East Rutherford, New Jersey. We were
sending to the New York database, and New Yorkers don't cross
the river." Since responses fell under the expected minimum,
the team promptly yanked the promotion and ceased sending New
Yorkers any further messages about New Jersey events.
In addition, the team send four quarterly non-sales offers to
the entire list (no matter what city you preferred) designed to
keep the brand name alive and list cleaned throughout the year
so it would be in good shape the next time the show came to
town.
These offers might be contests, new site interactive features,
or holiday ecards.
RESULTS
"Now we have hundreds of thousands of club members worldwide,"
says Belanger happily. "And it's an incredible database because
it's a clean, clean, clean database. Double-opt-in and all
that."
A higher-than-average percent of home page visitors convert to
joining the club on the spot. Of those who fill out the online
registration form, more than 80% remember to check their email
account and click on the link to confirm their double opt-in.
10% of these are initial non-responders who get the second
confirmation note that's sent seven days after opt-in.
The only bad news about Cirque du Soleil's opt-in program is
that the site is now fairly well search engine optimized, which
means 65% of incoming traffic arrives in secondary pages instead
of Home. Therefore Belanger's Web design team are busy on a
redesign to add email opt-in forms onto every entry point.
Club members respond to emails at an unusually high rate. "We
receive about 9,000 emails a month," notes Belanger. "There are
lots of very positive and personal comments. [We get] these
amazing letters."
Of show tour email cycles, the very first note "has a very high
conversion rate" to ticket sales. The farewell notes tend to
get the most personal letters from fans in reply.
The holiday ecards get the highest response rate of any non-
ticket-related email. "We had almost 120,000 people send ecards
last year and we had 5,000 new members through that activity."
{Source: Marketing Sherpa}
Cirque a Success in Seattle!
{Jun.29.2006}
----------------------------
Chris Winters, a Journal Reporter for the King County Journal in
the Seattle area, wrote a brief article about Cirque du Soleil's
run of Varekai. The article is a fascinating read; if you're
interested, visit the King County Journal:
Some highlights include:
o) The show was such a success that Cirque du Soleil will return
in 2008 with a new show, a year ahead of schedule.
o) Varekai was scheduled to run for four weeks, but Cirque added
Thursday matinees and extended the run two weeks to meet
demand.
o) Cirque normally plays 30 shows at any given location; Varekai
ran for 54 at Marymoor Park, selling 130,000 tickets.
o) Cirque targets to fill at 80% capacity rate; Varekai in
Seattle was averaging 98% on weekends and over 90% on
weekdays.
o) "It's the most profitable show, the best ticket sales they
had in the region ever," Tom Teigen said, the manager for
King County Parks and Recreation's enterprise programs.
o) The total economic benefit to a city that has hosted Cirque:
approximately $3 Million.
{Source: The King County Journal}
==================
PRESS RELEASES
==================
Cirque Theater in Japan Breaks Ground!
{April 18, 2006}
--------------------------------------
Cirque du Soleil Theater Groundbreaking Ceremony
URAYASU, CHIBA-The groundbreaking ceremony for Oriental Land Co.,
Ltd.'s new project, a permanent Cirque du Soleil theater, took place
on April 18, 2006 at Tokyo Disney Resort.
The ceremony began at 10 a.m. at the site reserved for the theater
next to Disney Ambassador Hotel. Representatives of Takenaka
Corporation and Oriental Land Co., Ltd. performed the groundbreaking
in the presence of a Shinto priest from Seiryu Shrine. Traditional
Japanese rituals also took place to pray for safe completion of the
building. A total of 47 people related to this project attended the
ceremony.
The permanent Cirque du Soleil theatre is scheduled to open in fiscal
year 2008.
Facility Information
Location: Next to Disney Ambassador Hotel
Capacity: Approximately 2,000 seats
Area: Building Space approximately 5,400 m2
# # #
Statement from Yoshiro Fukushima,
President and COO of Oriental Land Co., Ltd.
The groundbreaking ceremony for our permanent Cirque du Soleil theater
took place on April 18, 2006. This exciting project is scheduled to be
completed in 2008. It is our honor to present in Tokyo Disney Resort,
Cirque du Soleil's first permanent theatre outside North America.
Cirque du Soleil creates thrilling performances that challenge the
limits of human capability, transforming it into Art. Creation of an
original show for this theater has already begun and we are sure that
it will deliver even more wondrous entertainment to guests visiting
Tokyo Disney Resort.
The opening of this theater in fiscal year 2008 will coincide with the
25th anniversary of Tokyo Disneyland Park and the grand opening of
Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, thus further enhancing the appeal of Tokyo
Disney Resort.
# # #
Statement from Francois Macerola,
Vice-President of Cirque du Soleil
It is with great pride and honor that Cirque du Soleil is present
today for this unique and unprecedented event in its 22-year history.
For the first time ever, Cirque du Soleil will have a permanent home
outside North America dedicated to its loyal and devoted fans in
Japan.
We have designed a theatre that will pay tribute to the unwavering
loyalty of our audiences and reflect some of the attributes at the
core of Cirque du Soleil's creative impulse: transparency, clearness,
youthfulness, energy and strength.
The design of the theatre will harness the energy of the sun to warm
audiences' hearts. A timeless symbol of youth, the sun has been a
constant source of inspiration throughout our history and our shows.
It will be the driving force for creators, performers and employees
involved in this new project.
Today's ceremony marks an important step in the creative process of
this new project. It is the beginning of the journey leading to an
unparalleled production to open in 2008-a shining testament to the
loyalty and dedication of our Japanese and international audiences.
# # #
Statement from Nick Franklin,
President of Walt Disney Attractions, Japan
"In 2008, the curtain will rise on a partnership that combines the
artistry of Cirque du Soleil, the creative energy of Disney and the
vision of the Oriental Land Company," said Nick Franklin, President of
Walt Disney Attractions, Japan.
"Today with this groundbreaking, we commence building the next great
and highly anticipated Cirque De Soleil theater. This theatre will be
the venue for a new spectacular Cirque du Soleil show adding yet
another exciting dimension to the Tokyo Disney Resort that will amaze
and enchant our guests of all ages."
{http://www.olc.co.jp/en/news_parts/2006041801e.pdf}
The Beatles: Love!
{April 19, 2006}
------------------
MONTREAL, April 19 /CNW Telbec/ - Preview performances begin June 2
for The Beatles LOVE, the latest Cirque du Soleil production which
celebrates the musical legacy of The Beatles. The Gala Premiere will
be held Friday, June 30, 2006. LOVE will be presented exclusively at
The Mirage in Las Vegas. This joint artistic venture marks the first
time that The Beatles company, Apple Corps Ltd., has agreed to a major
theatrical partnership. The project was born out of a personal
friendship and mutual admiration between the late George Harrison and
Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté.
LOVE will bring the magic of Cirque du Soleil together with the spirit
and passion behind the most beloved rock group of all time to create a
vivid, intimate and powerful entertainment experience.
Sir George Martin, The Beatles original producer, and his son Giles
Martin have been working with the entire archive of Beatles recordings
to create the musical component for LOVE. The result is an
unprecedented approach to the music for a stage production. "After
spending more than 40 years of my life working with The Beatles and
their wonderful music, I am thrilled to be working with it once again,
on this exciting project with Cirque du Soleil," said Sir George
Martin, "The show will be a unique and magical experience."
Using the master tapes at Abbey Road Studios, Sir George and Giles
have created a unique soundscape for LOVE. "I think we will achieve a
real sense of drama with the music, the audience will feel as though
they are actually in the theatre with the band. People are going to be
knocked out by what they are hearing!" said Giles Martin.
Dominic Champagne directed and wrote the original concept for the show
which captures the essence of love that John, Paul, George and Ringo
inspired during their astonishing adventure together. LOVE evokes the
exuberant and irreverent spirit of The Beatles. "When we embarked on
this extraordinary adventure in 2002," said Gilles Ste-Croix, Show
Concept Creator and Director of Creation, "we set out to create a
timeless, three-dimensional evocation of The Beatles music. Drawn from
the poetry of the lyrics, we developed a preliminary concept that
explored the content of the songs in a series of scenes inhabited by
real and imaginary people." The international cast of 60 channels a
raw, youthful energy underscored by aerial performance, extreme sports
and urban, freestyle dance.
LOVE will be presented in a custom-built theatre at The Mirage
featuring 360 degrees seating and advanced high definition video
projections with 100- foot digital, moving images. The panoramic
surround sound system will envelop the audience who will experience
The Beatles music like never before...
Apple Corps Ltd. is planning to release the album through EMI Music
later this year.
Cirque du Soleil Creative Team:
Guy Laliberté - Guide, Show Concept Creator
Dominic Champagne - Director, Show Concept Writer
Gilles Ste-Croix - Director of Creation, Show Concept
Chantal Tremblay - Associate Director of Creation
Jean Rabasse - Theatre and Set Designer
Philippe Guillotel - Costume Designer
Jonathan Deans - Sound Designer
Yves Aucoin - Lighting Designer
Francis Laporte - Video Projection Designer
Hansel Cereza and Dave St-Pierre - Choreographers
Guy St-Amour - Acrobatic & Rigging Designer
Daniel Cola - Acrobatic Performance Designer
Nathalie Gagné - Make-up Designer
Patricia Ruel - Props Designer
Michael Curry - Puppet Designer
Guest Creators:
André Simard - Aerial Acrobatic Designer
Alexis Martin - Dramaturge Consultant
François Pérusse - Comic Audio-clips Designer
For Apple Corps Ltd.:
Sir George Martin - Music Director
Giles Martin - Music Director
Neil Aspinall - Executive Producer
Tickets to LOVE will be on sale at 9:00am April 19.
TICKET PRICES:
(*)$150, $125, $99, $69
All preview performances(*) will be discounted 25 percent.
(*) Preview performances for LOVE begin June 2 and run through
June 29. During these performances, the creative team is in the
very final stages of production. The audience's reaction and
participation is an important step in this process. The artistic
direction of LOVE reserves the right to interrupt the
performance to make adjustments as necessary.
SHOW SCHEDULE:
Preview performances will be presented nightly at 7:00pm. In addition,
there will 10:30pm performances on limited dates. Please consult the
most current show schedule at www.cirquedusoleil.com . Schedule is
subject to change without notice.
Following the preview period, LOVE will be performed Thursday through
Monday with no shows on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Beginning July 1,
there will be two shows nightly at 7:30pm & 10:30pm.
TO RESERVE TICKETS:
By phone: 702 792 7777 or 800 963 9634
Online: www.cirquedusoleil.com , www.thebeatles.com or www.mirage.com.
In person: At the LOVE box office at The Mirage or any of the MGM
MIRAGE box offices in Las Vegas.
# # #
Ownership of the trademarks: Apple Corps Limited for The Beatles
(word and design), Cirque du Soleil for Cirque du Soleil
(word and design) and The Cirque Apple Creation Partnership for
LOVE (word and design). Trademarks used under license.
For further information: Cirque du Soleil, Renée-Claude Ménard,
(514) 723-7646, ext. 7366, rcm@cirquedusoleil.com; Chantal Côté,
(514) 723-7646, ext. 7326, chantal.cote@cirquedusoleil.com
=======================================================================
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ON TELEVISION THIS QUARTER
=======================================================================
April 2006:
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: CORTEO
Network: CBC Canada
-------------------------
o) April 2 (Sunday) at 8:00pm
CIRQUE-A-THON
Network: Bravo USA
-------------------------
o) April 2 (Sunday):
10:00am - Dralion
o) April 9 (Sunday):
10:00am - Alegría
o) April 16 (Sunday):
10:00am - La Nouba
o) April 23 (Sunday):
10:00am - Quidam
May 2006: There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque
du Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the
United States.
June 2006: There are currently no scheduled performances of Cirque
du Soleil on BRAVO, the official network of Cirque du Soleil in the
United States.
=======================================================================
ITINERAIRE - TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
[Touring Shows]
Alegría:
Milan, Italy - Feb 23, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006
Rome, Italy - Apr 27, 2006 to Jun 24, 2006
Corteo:
Scottsdale, Arizona - Mar 17, 2006 to Apr 9, 2006
New York, New York - Apr 27, 2006 to Jul 2, 2006
Delirium (Arena Show):
Atlanta, Georgia - Apr 2, 3 & 4
Jacksonville, Florida - Apr 6 & 7
Tampa/St. Pete, Florida - Apr 9 & 10
Raleigh, North Carolina - Apr 12 & 13
Tallahassee, Florida - Apr 15 & 16
Orlando, Florida - Apr 18 & 19
Fort Lauderdale, Florida - Apr 21, 22 & 23
Charlotte, North Carolina - Apr 28 & 29
Columbia, South Carolina - May 02 & 03
Greensboro, North Carolina - May 6 & 7
Nashville, Tennessee - May 09 & 10
St-Louis, Missouri - May 12 & 13
Minneapolis/St-Paul, Minnesota - May 16 & 17
Des Moines, Iowa - May 19 & 20
Montreal, Quebec - Jun 16, 17 & 18
Toronto, Ontario - Jun 23 & 24
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Jun 29 & 30, Jul 01
Dralion:
Geneva, Switzerland - Mar 10, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006
Valencia, Spain - May 4, 2006 to June 11, 2006
Quidam:
Long Beach, California - Mar 09, 2006 to Apr 16, 2006
Ottawa, Ontario - May 18, 2006 to Jun 25, 2006
Saltimbanco:
Santiago, Chile - Mar 14, 2006 to Apr 22, 2006
Buenos Aires, Argentina - May 5, 2006 to Jun 12, 2006
Varekai:
Portland, Oregon - Mar 14, 2006 to Apr 23, 2006
Seattle, Washington - May 4, 2006 to Jun 11, 2006
Vancouver, BC - Jun 22, 2006 to Jul 23, 2006
[Resident Shows]
La Nouba:
Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm
Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark Sun/Mon
Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA)
2006 Dark Dates:
o January 22 to 30
o March 26 to 28
o May 21 to June 5
o July 30 to August 1
o September 17 to 25
o November 19 to 21
Mystère:
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
Performs: Wed through Sun, Dark Mon/Tue
Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA)
2006 Dark Dates:
o January 2 to 15
o February 5
o March 12
o May 17 to 21
o July 16
o September 13 to 17
o November 12
"O":
Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
Performs: Wed through Sun, Dark Mon/Tue
Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA)
2006 Dark Dates:
o February 19
o April 19 to 23
o June 18
o August 23 to 27
o October 22
o November 19
o December 5 to 17
Zumanity:
Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:30pm
Performs: Tue through Sat, Dark: Sun/Mon
Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA)
2006 Dark Dates:
o February 5 and 21
o April 7 to 11
o June 6
o August 11 to 15
o October 17
o December 8 to 19
KÀ:
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:30pm
Performs: Fri through Tue, Dark Wed/Thu
Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA)
2006 Dark Dates:
o January 3 to 14
o March 14
o May 9 to 13
o July 11
o September 5 to 9
o November 7
LOVE:
Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:30pm
Performs: Thr through Mon, Dark Tue/Wed
Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA)
2006 Dark Dates:
o June 26
o July 1
o August 15 to 23
o October 19
o November 28 to December 13
=======================================================================
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
=======================================================================
Fascination! Quarterly Compendium
Volume 6, Number 2 - Q2 2006
"Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c)
2001-2006 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a
subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter
can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or
translated without the consent of the "Fascination!
Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission
(unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without
remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination!
Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way
with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are
Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil,
Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright
infringement intended.
{ Jul.26.2006 }
=======================================================================
