Quebec-based circus redefines 'Big Top'

Associated Press

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Under Cirque du Soleil's Big Top, thunder and lightning strike as ballerinas twirl, acrobats fly, clowns gambol and gymnasts arch and tumble. But unlike its circus competitors, there are no lions, elephants or other animals in sight.

The Cirque Du Soleil house troupe performs act in which acrobats are launched onto each others' shoulders at a Jersey City, N.J., show. Associated Press

But over the years, the troupe has transformed into a global entertainment corporation employing 2,100 people, with three permanent U.S. shows and four productions touring the world. On top of that are ambitious plans to expand further.

The private Montreal-based company, with $300 million in revenue last year, is owned by Guy Laliberte, a former performer.

Even with all of its growth, Cirque du Soleil sticks to its original concept — a mix of circus and street entertainment, with acrobatics, mime, ballet and cabaret.

"Cirque is really bringing in a balance between theatrical elements, strong athletic performances, and the ability to communicate and touch the audience," said Lynn Heward, a former gymnast and director general of the Cirque's creative content division.

Each production is created from scratch, blending circus arts with other artistic genres, enhanced with eccentric costumes, exotic choreography and sets, and original music.

"They decided that their main competitors were not other circuses, but rather Broadway and musical shows," said Will Straw, professor of communications at McGill University in Montreal. "Instead of the traditional circuses... they realized that every year they had to come up with a different show with a different theme and a different title."

•	Cirque du Soleil at a glance NAME: Cirque du Soleil HEADQUARTERS: Montreal, with regional bases in Amsterdam and Singapore EMPLOYMENT: 2,100 REVENUE: $300 million in 2000 OPERATIONS: Touring shows in the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia, plus resident shows in Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla. FUTURE GROWTH: Hotel and entertainment complexes in major cities.

"Dralion" is scheduled to travel to Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and Houston this year. Six other Cirque du Soleil productions are also running, including two resident shows in Las Vegas and another in Orlando, Fla.

Cirque du Soleil forecasts that this year nearly 6 million people will see one of its live shows.

With its original productions and strong marketing divisions, the company is catering to an upscale, adult audience. Ticket prices, at $63 to $85 for an adult for "Dralion", are closer to those of operas or Broadway musicals than to traditional circuses.

Such high prices have earned the company the nickname "The Yuppie Circus." Cirque du Soleil was even parodied in an episode of "The Simpsons" as "The $80 Circus."

"We're certainly not the cheapest show in town," said Mario D'Amico, marketing vice president. "Our audience is quite a broad cross-section of demographics — 30-to-40-plus, middle and upper middle class. But there is a broad appeal for this product. It's not a niche product, like ballet or opera."

As a corporation, Cirque du Soleil is planning to export its brand around the globe and diversify its activities with film, music and tourism projects.

In December, it announced an ambitious plan to develop up to six entertainment complexes in major cities, starting with London. Other possible destinations include Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Las Vegas and New York. It has also began working with the Quebec government on a project that aims at making Montreal the world capital of circus arts.

With Cirque du Soleil's success, older circuses have had to reposition themselves in the market and reassert their identities.

"We are an American tradition, a circus where families come and have a community experience," said Kenneth Feld, chief executive of Feld Entertainment, which owns Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus. "It is the presentation of animals and people working together. I don't believe you can have a circus without having animals in it."

In 1999 Ringling Bros. created Kaleidoscape, an intimate show that celebrates the legacy of American circuses.

Cirque du Soleil's success as an international company has recast the image of the circus for the 21st century, some say.

"It goes against the old idea of the circus as a world apart, where these weird groups of people with strange accents came with their strange trailers and lived on the outskirts of the town," Straw said. "Now it is a professional entertainment industry."