Cirque du Soleil (Cirque), the hit performance troupe from Quebec, Canada, is already in town. Featuring no animals, they are utterly in a league of their own and are successfully selling their tickets at a high premium. So aware are they of their asymmetric bargaining power, they can even influence their business partners to engage on fair labour practices.

This is the company that has great designs on Macau. Cirque promises to introduce high-end entertainment to the SAR. The privately owned Quebec company is known for its exquisite performances and has signed an agreement with the Las Vegas Sands Corp. to set up permanent shows on the Cotai Strip.

Two productions are already confirmed and hat a third one might see the light in late-2009. Cirque has also established a regional office locally to coordinate its multi-million dollar projects in the Asia Pacific – where it is developing resident shows in Japan and already has groups touring in South Korea and mainland China (Shanghai).

Besides its productions, the show’s directors also stress: “Social responsibility is in ‘s genetic code”. Gaztan Morency is the vice-president of the company’s Global Citizenship Service, the department that deals with the subject of social responsibility.

Cirque’s shows only have live music. Contortionists, jugglers, fantasy subjects and uniquely customized wardrobes and choreographies occupy their theatres where adults and children take part in what might be a challenge to our imagination. “The artists of Cirque… are considered to be the very best in the world”, Morency assures, adding that each performance only proceeds with a full house and never in someone else’s theatre.

Their artists only work on their own grounds, with the exception of shows in London due to the lack of space for them to build their own theatre, Morency states. Every London Cirque production is held at the Royal Albert Hall.

Venetain Macau Will Host the Most Expensive Production
The soft opening of Cirque’s specially designed Macau show is scheduled for May 16, 2008, with an official opening of June 13 of next year. Although little is known about the production, it will purportedly bring over 170 artists, technicians and their families for a long-term stay. About 125 local people will be employed as full-time staff for the circus.

The production will be Asian oriented, with red as the theme colour. No further details were given, except that it should feature Chinese symbols and aerial acts. The 1,800-seat Cirque theatre is under construction at The Venetian Macao complex and together with the production design will be the most expensive production ever made for the company.

It is expected to cost US$ 200 million (MOP 1.6 billion) and LVSC will foot the entire bill. “The construction of the theatre is expected to reach US$ 150 million, with the design and execution of the exclusive Macau show budgeted at US$ 50 million”, Daniel Lamarre, the president and CEO of Cirque said.

“The agreement gives LVSC a 50 percent cut of ticket sales, Cirque…will benefit from the remaining amount”, says Rene-Claude Menard, the company’s public relations director.

Review Style Musical by Cirque in Macau
Cirque’s second Macau production is already being prepared. It will be a review-style musical to be hosted in a theatre currently being integrated into the Four Seasons towers. Menard adds: “It will be like the Jubilee production in Las Vegas. Macau«s production will be directed by Rene Simard, a Quebec native. The creative team was
assembled over the summer and they are now beginning their work”.

Menard also told us that both shows in Macau will be distinctive from each other and that although both platforms are Cirque-designed – based on the company’s style – they are not necessarily circus related.

Lamarre justifies Macau as “the place to be” because “the development of the Cotai Strip is impressive and its attraction as a destination market makes it very appealing for Cirque du Soleil”. Lamarre is drawing conclusions based on Cirque’s performances in Shanghai – its first entry port into the mainland: “We have begun this year with our first entry into China by presenting one of our touring shows in Shanghai with very good results… we believe that China will welcome the Cirque du Soleil brand and its productions”.

The company does not have market share figures on its position in the business for as Lamarre describes “it is impossible for us to determine our market share since we are in a unique category: The Cirque du Soleil category”. He stresses that in Las Vegas “Cirque… is currently promoting five productions and selling over 55 percent of the top-tier category tickets”.

The production designed for Macau should have a typical minimum life span of 10 years, Lamarre guessed, and most definitely tickets will be high-end tickets. Menard added that the average price would be about US $ 150. Currently, Cirque has 14 productions on stages across the world; six of them permanent shows and eight touring productions. A new seasonal production was scheduled for November 1 of this year in New York. Macau is next.

Multi-million Dollar Company
The Cirque du Soleil company is privately owned and operated and was created 25 years ago by Guy de Laliberte, a street performer. According to Lamarre, Cirque’s annual revenue for 2006 was US$620 million with 85 percent of that coming from ticket sales. The remainder came from merchandising, sponsorships and audiovisual activities. The company says it reinvests 80 percent of its revenues into productions-in-development and one percent of that into dedicated social programs.

Lamarre added that “it is fair to say that 10 percent of the 80 percent of revenue is reinvested into new productions” where a casting team of 60 full-time staff has the responsibility of choosing the artists, technicians and all those involved in future shows.

Meeting the East
Their most recent show in Asia was in South Korea as part of their tour. The circus has been active in Australia with a touring group since 1999, and has toured Japan since 1992. This year, after a deal with Disney Tokyo, Cirque will establish a permanent show, with Disney paying for the customized theatre. The new Tokyo-based show will open during the summer of 2008 and will be managed from Macau.

Lamarre presents a simple vision when looking at the company’s objective: “The main objective is simply to achieve our creative dreams. As long as we have creators and as long as they continue to dream, we will continue to make those dreams happen”. What he hopes for his show in Macau is for people to see a creative-driven company that acts as an agent for change and is socially responsible, and that never ceases to surprise audiences with its productions.

• Sands China Has $1.75 Billion Financing for Expansion Sands China Ltd., Asia's biggest casino operator by market value, secured $1.75 billion of debt financing from a group of banks to resume building a resort in Macau, Chief Executive...
• Crazy Paris Show Now Back at The Grand Lisboa Macau’s Crazy Paris Show dancers, who have performed for years at the original Hotel Lisboa, are now at home in the new Grand Lisboa. Choreographer Claude Dohne is pleased to...
• Macau News December 2006 PacificNet seals deal with Lisboa Casino Lisboa has selected PacificNet Games Limited as provider of its multi-player electronic gaming machines, with 120 units to be installed in a first phase....

• Paid Online Surveys - An Easy Way To Make Money At Home Doing paid online surveys is a very easy way to make money at home. I discovered the existence of paid online surveys by accident. I was actually using the Internet...
• The Kooza Experience - Cirque du Soleil Last night my wife and I headed to Toronto to see the latest Cirque du Soleil act in town, Kooza. In short, it was absolutely brilliant. Since this was my...
• Bailing Out the Auto Companies is a Mistake Ford's losing money like John McCain lost electoral votes.  GM burns cash like it's crack going bad.  Chrysler has some cash, but they can't sell any cars because they don't...