The tens are preparing to go back up for the legendary Cirque Du Soleil productions; Cirque du Soleil CEO Daniel Lamarre told CNBC on Tuesday that the circus company is eyeing “the beginning of 2021” for the return of all of its shows, following a sudden shutdown due to the pandemic. “The good news is all of our cast and crew in Las Vegas lives there, so that’s why we’re hopeful that we can open Vegas first because the artists are ready to go, so within a couple of weeks of training and rehearsal, a show can be back on track,” Lamarre said on “Squawk on the Street.”
This news comes as a welcome relief to the thousands of employees of the legendary productions, 3,500 of which were recently cut as part of the creditor protection filing (Cirque filed for bankruptcy protection last week). While early 2021 might seem like an ambitious timeline for a return to the big top, Lamarre is reasonably optimistic, saying to CNBC that it will likely take the Montreal-based Cirque “a good two years” to return to pre-pandemic levels of profitability. Cirque needs about 40% of its seats filled to break even, meaning “with the social distancing, if we could operate with 50% of our capacity, we would start making a little bit of profit.” “So that’s why we’re hopeful that we could open some shows before that, but then again to really go back to the level of profitability we had before the crisis, we need full capacity,” Lamarre also was clear to say that for any shows held during the health crisis, the company would be taking the temperature of guests upon arrival at the theater, as well as implementing a mandatory mask policy.
Cirque Du Soleil is known for their Las Vegas shows, which have become a staple on the Sin City strip. From the perfectly provocative Zumanity (headed up by stunning drag dynamo Edie, pictured) to the gravity defying KA, these shows have redefined entertainment in Las Vegas. Shows like Volta and Amaluna travel worldwide, bring the Cirque Du Soleil experience to cities and towns all over the world that may not have access to the big city productions.
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