The Legend Continues: The Legend Continues: Cirque du Soleil Turns 30 With its Signature Grace
Cirque du Soleil has radically raised the bar for Las Vegas entertainment over the past three decades.
As well as the Canadian company’s six current Sin City mega-productions - “KÀ,†“Mystère,†“O,†“The Beatles LOVE,†“Michael Jackson ONE,†and most recently, “MAD APPLE†- its signature circus artistry and sheer ambition has influenced and inspired countless other Vegas productions.
This year, Cirque celebrates three major Vegas milestones: 30 years in December since the opening of Mystère at Treasure Island Hotel & Casino; in addition, the city has been treated to a quarter-century of the aquatic brilliance of O at Bellagio Resort & Casino; and Michael Jackson ONE marking 10 years at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
Mystère’s otherworldly marriage of frenetic acrobatics and evocative choreography has wowed over 17 million fans and counting and has become a cornerstone of what the Cirque du Soleil experience is.
Expanding from there, O has presented the jaw-dropping talents of acrobats and swimmers in a 1.5-million gallon pool, performing under, on and above water for over 11,000 performances.
Inspired by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson ONE has been stunning audiences with its blend of dynamic acrobatics, dance, mesmerizing visuals and state-of-the-art surround-sound since 2013.
From humble beginnings as Quebec street performers, co-founder Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix spawned a consistently ground-breaking entertainment empire that has since mesmerized more than 220 million people in over 70 countries. While circus acts run deep in Cirque’s DNA, each of its shows has a unique theme and aesthetic embellished with other art forms including physical theater, puppetry, magic, dance, and even synchronized swimming, ice skating or vehicular acrobatics.
Cirque du Soleil was still trying to make ends meet when Las Vegas’ immense gravitational pull inevitably drew in its touring “Nouvelle Expérience†production in 1992. The success of Nouvelle Expérience led to a deal between Cirque and the Mirage Las Vegas to create a permanent show, Mystère, at Treasure Island. As well as its current sextet of Vegas shows, Cirque du Soleil has previously graced the city with the long-running “Zumanity†and “Criss Angel: Believe,†as well as “Viva Elvis,†“Zarkana,†and “R.U.N.â€
“What they did was immediately change the entertainment landscape of the city,†said Bobby Baldwin, a former senior executive with Mirage Resorts and MGM Resorts who was key in introducing Cirque to Sin City. “And then Cirque du Soleil did it again. And then again. And I don’t doubt they will continue to do so for decades to come.†â™
-Paul Rogers, Vegas Guide Writer