Cirque du Soleil is today a sure bet in Las Vegas, with six shows in residence on the “Strip”. But in 1993, everything had to be done in the “city of vice” for the company of Quebec origin now owned by an Ontario firm. The newspaper spoke with Cirque co-founder Gilles Ste-Croix, who had worked with Guy Laliberté and director Franco Dragone to bring Mystery in Vegas. An arrival on American soil which did not take place without pitfalls.
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In 1987, Cirque du Soleil began to leave Quebec and take its yellow and blue big top abroad, notably on the Santa Monica wharf, near Los Angeles.
Because he already had ambitions of greatness, Guy Laliberté had talked to his team, which included Gilles Ste-Croix, to test the waters in Las Vegas. In January 1989, Caesars Palace executives came to see a performance of New experiencebut after several discussions, they decided to pass their turn.
“They weren’t sure it would work in Vegas,” remembers Gilles Ste-Croix. They found that the show was not the style of circus that we usually see. It was theater with acrobatics.”
Based on mythology
The billionaire Steve Wynn then decided to embark on the adventure, he who had just opened the Mirage on the Strip and who presented the show of the magicians and tiger tamers Siegfried & Roy. In 1992, Cirque du Soleil would set up its big top behind the Mirage to explore the Vegas market. He was going to stay there for a year.
In 1992, Cirque du Soleil set up its big top for a year behind the Mirage in Las Vegas. He opened his residency show, “Mystère”, in December 1993.
Photo provided by Cirque du Soleil
Meanwhile, Guy Laliberté, Gilles Ste-Croix and Franco Dragone went to the drawing board to create a show especially for Las Vegas. Mystery was to be presented at the brand new Treasure Island Hotel.
“We decided to base the show on mythology,” says Gilles Ste-Croix. Because Vegas is a city of mythology. We think of Caesar, of the pyramid, of all the things we invent. You can find everything in Las Vegas.”
The creative trio behind the “Mystère” and “O” shows in Las Vegas: Guy Laliberté, Franco Dragone and Gilles Ste-Croix.
Photo provided by Cirque du Soleil
Family shift
In the early 1990s, Las Vegas made a “family shift”. “Steve Wynn was very strong on this idea. He wanted to bring families to the casinos and expand the audience. He told himself that people wouldn’t just come for a weekend. We had thought Mystery in this way, for families.”
Along the same lines, the Cirque team convinced the billionaire to design the Treasure Island theater with row seats and not benches. “In Las Vegas at that time, all the theaters were cabarets. Drinks were served there. But we wanted people to come to the show as if they were going to the theater. We also demonstrated to Wynn that we could bring in more people this way.”
The construction of the “Mystery” theater in the Treasure Island casino in Las Vegas.
Photo provided by Cirque du Soleil
Wynn wanted to end it all
By the end of December, the theater was ready to welcome Mystery. But the first echoes from Treasure Island employees, who had seen rehearsals of the show, had cooled Steve Wynn.
“He came to see us and we talked,” said Gilles Ste-Croix. He was in a very bad mood. He found the show really heavy. He said it was like a Wagner opera and people wouldn’t like it. He said he had made a mistake and that he couldn’t put all his money into it.”
Billboard announcing the arrival of “Mystère” in Las Vegas.
Photo provided by Cirque du Soleil
Steve Wynn then wanted to stop everything. But the Circus had signed a contract which stipulated that Mystery was scheduled to show in Las Vegas before the owner canceled it. “We told him to invite his employees for four or five evenings and that we would present the show in a half-room with 800 seats.”
Wynn agreed. And after these few performances, and various adjustments, he gave the green light so that Mystery is open to the public and that critics come to see it. A few weeks later, the reviews were very positive and the public was there.
Gilles Ste-Croix, photographed in 2016.
Pierre-Paul Poulin / Le Journal de Montréal / Agence QMI
The arrival ofO five years later
In the following months, Steve Wynn would commission a second Cirque du Soleil show for the Bellagio Hotel he was building.
“He wanted to emphasize water, beauty, Italian romanticism and all that. We knew Wynn loved it when there was water and fire. We told him we would put on a show for him with water and that we could set a little fire.”
This is where was born O. Launched in 1998, the show would crystallize the presence of Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas.
“It worked from the start,” remembers Gilles Ste-Croix. It was a school. The Bellagio had more opulence and attracted a wealthier clientele. We were moving away from family customers. Las Vegas had become a rewarding destination. People said to each other that they wanted to see the greatest and most beautiful spectacle: O. That’s if they managed to get tickets!”
An Ontario property
Cirque du Soleil has experienced serious financial difficulties during the pandemic. In November 2020, the Toronto fund Catalyst Capital became the main shareholder of Cirque. At the head of a group of investors including the American firms Sound Point Capital, CBAM Partners and Benefit Street Partners, the Ontario firm bought the heavily indebted company from the hands of TPG Capital, Guy Laliberté and the Caisse de dépôt et placement of Quebec. At the same time, the transaction put an end to Quebec participation in the Cirque. Catalyst Capital has promised to keep Cirque’s head office in Montreal for five years.
-The show Mystery was launched on December 25, 1993 at Treasure Island in Las Vegas.
-Nowadays, Mystery has more than 13,000 performances and has been seen by more than 17 million spectators.
–O was the second show to arrive in Vegas, at the Bellagio, on October 17, 1998.
-The aquatic show is presented in an 1800-seat theater designed specifically for it. Some 70 artists and 150 technicians take part.
–Mystery And O were both directed by Franco Dragone, who died in September 2022.
-Other still active Cirque shows on the Strip: KA (2004), The Beatles LOVE (2006), Michael Jackson ONE (2013) and Mad Apple (2022).
-Five other Cirque shows were presented in Vegas and have since been withdrawn: Zumanity (2003-2020), Criss Angel Believe (2008-2013), Long live Elvis (2010-2012), Zarkana (2012-2016) and RUN (2019-2020).
The Circus is back on its feet in Vegas
After being closed for nearly 16 months due to the pandemic, the six Cirque du Soleil residency shows in Las Vegas saw their activities resume at full speed. The newspaper asked Eric Grilly, president of Cirque’s resident shows, to talk about each of the six shows on “la Srip”.
Eric Grilly, president of Cirque du Soleil’s resident shows.
Photo provided by Cirque du Soleil
Mystery: “We have passed 13,000 shows and counting. We are beyond occupancy before the pandemic. We have made investments recently to modernize it in terms of lighting and concessions.”
O: “The show is going to have a record year this year. In terms of revenue from ticket sales and theater occupancy, we are above the usual average. The show is at an occupancy above 90%.”
KA: “The show has experienced a renaissance since returning after the pandemic. International tourism has not yet returned to normal and this show had a high percentage of foreign tourists. But we were able to recover this lack of international spectators from domestic visitors [qui viennent des États-Unis]. The occupation of KA is also above pre-pandemic levels.”
Beatles LOVE: “We are in a transition. The Mirage Casino [où se trouve LOVE] was sold by MGM to Hard Rock. There are plans for renovations to the theater in the future. The first months after the sale were a bit chaotic, as we had to transfer the ticketing to a new system and work with new partners. But everything fell back into place during the summer. […] Our contract extends until December 2024. Beyond this date, it will be up to discussion and determination.”
Michael Jackson ONE: “We see a difference the day after, or the day before, big concerts at Allegiant Stadium [situé juste à côté du Mandalay Bay, où se trouve ONE]. Assistance to ONE are then higher. People who go to live music concerts tend to also go to see other shows on the Strip [lors de leur passage à Vegas]. This is less the case for sports fans who come to watch hockey or football. […] Next August, we will introduce technologies into this show that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. I can’t say more!”
Mad Apple: “The show started in May 2022 and it’s working fantastically. It’s a variety show that doesn’t tell a story. This allows us to interchange numbers. It is the only Cirque show that uses a humor component. We will try to host a different comedian each month. This will allow us to be refreshing and new on a monthly basis.”
Dinner shows
Could Cirque add a seventh residency show on the Strip? Eric Grilly responds negatively. As the company has an exclusive agreement with MGM, there are currently no theaters available in Las Vegas to host a new Cirque production.
“We are, however, exploring a new formula which could be held in more intimate places and which would be a dinner show in which the meal would be part of the show,” he says.