Cirque du Soleil will open a big top in the Big Apple for the first time in about 10 years, the Post reported, as the popular theater company, which went bankrupt due to the pandemic, continues to walk a tightrope to expand its brand.
CEO Stephane Lefebvre said the production, called “Luzia,” based on Mexico's waking dreams, will be performed from March 5 to March 30 in a temporary tent on Randall Island. Tickets for the 2,500-seat venue go on sale this week for a starting price of $55.
“We haven't been to New York since 2016,” Lefebvre told the Post. “Well, it's been a while. It's a very important market.”
Lefebvre helped revive Cirque after it went bankrupt in 2020, firing all the acrobats, strongman and trapeze artists on stages from Las Vegas to Lyon, France.
As the paper previously reported, he is leading a group of deep-pocketed investors, including private equity firm Catalyst Group and Los Angeles Dodgers owner Todd Boley, and co-founder Guy Laliberté and backers. The company regained management control from TPG Capital, which had filed for bankruptcy.
“We came out of COVID with a leaner organization,” Lefebvre said. “We really started our business from scratch. If you think about it, in March 2020, we had to lay off almost 90% of our employees. So when we restarted our business in 2021, We literally had to start over from scratch and hire all the actors to come back and work with us.”
According to a Moody's Investors report issued last year, Cirque currently has residences at five different hotels in Las Vegas, including Bellagio's O water spectacle, Orlando and Germany, but is breaking even on a cash flow basis. It is said that the point has been reached. march.
The company has about $200 million on its balance sheet, according to Moody's.
Last month, Silk Group, which also owns the company behind Blueman Group, Recruits Amanda Moore Sanders from Live Nation As the new global head of marketing and growth for the resident show division.
Now, Lefebvre hopes to bring Montreal-founded Cirque to the masses by adding more intimate dinner shows around the world, including Hawaii, London and New York.
He launched the concept with two permanent dinner shows in Mexico. A full three-course dinner, drinks and show at Vidanta Riviera near Cancun costs $384. According to the website.
“We are building a more sustainable presence and expanding the number of tours and shows we do on the road,” Lefebvre said.
It wasn't all smooth sailing for the performers. One in August; Acrobat was seriously injured When he fell out of a hoop during a show in Portland, Oregon.
“She's in rehab. She's doing well now and plans to return to the show,” Lefebvre said.
