Cirque du Soleil's latest show

Cirque du Soleil's latest show - 'Kooza'

Over the years, I've loved the artistic, creative, and magical shows of Cirque du Soleil that feature such talented and skilled performers. If you've seen one of the company's shows, you understand.

The troupe, originally under the leadership of Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix, got its start when hired by the Quebec government (for a series of celebration performances) in which its first show was created and performed in 1984.

Within two years, the troupe was performing for international audiences. Laliberté remained involved financially until about 2015 when he sold a major stake in the company to an investment firm. From there, company leadership focused on media acquisitions and expanding Cirque's shows portfolio--that focused on growth.

In February 2020, as the pandemic was raging, Laliberté sold his remaining minority stake. That March, the company cut 4,700 employees and 44 shows because of a drop in revenues to near $0 due to Covid-19. Highly indebted, from acquisitions expenses and the lack of revenues, Cirque was faced with the need for bankruptcy protection/restructuring. The company in its newest form is fortunately back on the road.

Last week, I had the opportunity to see Cirque's Kooza production. It was entertaining and well done -- though has changed in an intangible way. While I liked understanding the clowns (who spoke English), I missed the pre-pandemic show introductions done in French which lent a special charm to the audience welcomes to shows from earlier times.

That said, I appreciate the quality, inventiveness and professionalism of the shows that Cirque du Soleil produces and hope the company is successful in its rebuilding/recovery.

Some photos from Kooza:

For more insight into the history of Cirque du Soleil, this is a good article: 2024 Fortune article

Comments

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