“ Cirque in Transition”
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AArrttiissaannss ddee LL’’IImmaaggiinnaaiirree 30 ans du Cirque du Soleil ““ CCiirrqquuee iinn TTrraannssiittiioonn”” PART FOUR: 1999 - 2004 155 ““ CCiirrqquuee iinn TTrraannssiittiioonn”” PART FOUR: 1999 - 2004 Can Cirque du Soleil go on without Dragone? "There's no reason why the circus can't change with the times." – Guy Caron At the end of 1998, the creative team behind so many of Cirque du Soleil's productions in the 1990s - Franco Dragone, Michel Crete and Dominique Lemieux - concluded their remarkable run of artistic and professional development with the company, leaving the creative reins to future shows in the hands of others and giving Cirque du Soleil an interesting dilemma to overcome during the first-half of the new millennium: how to move on from a very successful run of productions under the helm of Franco Dragone and his team of conceptors and show the world it could still re-invent the circus. Faced with the challenge of mounting a new show, with a new team, in a compressed period of time, Guy Laliberté turned to an old friend: Guy Caron. Since he had left Cirque in 1988, Caron had maintained friendly relations with Laliberté. In 1992, he had even directed a show called “Cirque Knie Presents Cirque du Soleil” for the Swiss National Circus, produced in collaboration with Cirque. Caron's job wasn't easy, though. He'd have to pick up the creative pieces and attempt to meet or exceed the expectations laid down by the likes of Quidam, “O” and La Nouba. Despite the challenges - or perhaps because of them - Laliberté and Caron were able to show that it was the creative juices of the whole rather than just one man that drove the company, and it was during this period of transition that Cirque du Soleil began to branch out beyond theatrical productions; Cirque would dive into the realm of motion pictures and television full-force with Journey of Man (IMAX film), Fire Within (reality series) and Solstrom (variety series). The company would also double-down on its presence in Las Vegas with back-to-back productions: Zumanity, a new take on Cabaret, billed as “another side of Cirque du Soleil”; and with KÀ, a motion picture come to life. This era, with the launch of new touring shows Varekai (in 2002) and Corteo (in 2005), helped prove without a doubt that Cirque du Soleil could and would continue without Franco Dragone. But it wasn’t easy... Audiences on three continents continue to marvel at Cirque du Soleil's four resident shows (La Nouba, Mystère, "O" and Alegría, which found a permanent home at Beau Rivage, a new Mirage resort in Biloxi, Mississippi.) and three touring productions (Saltimbanco, Quidam and Dralion); in the year alone, close to 6 million spectators will attend Cirque du Soleil shows worldwide. By October, Alegría leaves its home at the Beau Rivage and prepares to embark on an Asia/Pacific tour beginning in Australia. Dralion continues to make its way across North America and provides yet another backdrop for a special TV Production, which earns Cirque du Soleil three Primetime Emmy Awards the following year. 156 Cirque’s performances continue to be a unique balance of physical strength, art and beauty, deeply ingrained with audacity. With Gilles' historic stilt walkathon from Baie-Saint-Paul to Quebec City, Guy Caron's artistic instincts, and Guy Laliberté's go-for-broke gambling spirit, it's been there from the beginning. It's stitched into the very fabric of the Grand Chapiteau. But Cirque also begins looking beyond live entertainment for new means to share their which wonder, joy and creativity. After a grand premiere in Berlin in January 2000, the Cirque launches its first-ever large-format IMAX production in North America by May: Cirque du Soleil - Journey of Man ("Passages" in French). Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, after a grand premiere in the film will opens in Montreal, New York and Los Angeles before moving on to other markets. Although through Dralion Cirque du Soleil seems to retain its creative juices, it would soon lose what some have considered the heart of the company. On April 24, 2000, Daniel Gauthier announced he was giving up the presidency of Cirque du Soleil by the end of the year - a position he held since 1990. "My decision to put an end to our business partnership comes after a great deal of reflection and lengthy discussions with my partner," said Daniel Gauthier. "My choice was made on strictly personal grounds, and I wish these reasons to remain private." The expertise that he developed has earned him a great deal of public recognition during his years as President of Cirque du Soleil. In 1999, the Faculty of Management of McGill University gave him the McGill Management Achievement Award. In addition, the magazine Commerce named him a "Bâtisseur du siècle" (builder of the century). In 1998, he was inducted into the ranks of "Great Montrealers," one of the most prestigious honors awarded by the City of Montreal and the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. Guy Laliberté had this to say about the announcement: "I respect Daniel's decision and I thank him for all these years of stimulating partnership; his unflagging commitment to the development of Cirque, his passion, his unbridled devotion and the fact that we shared a common vision greatly helped to make the Cirque du Soleil brand known on four continents. With the help of Daniel and the organization's senior managers, I will provide the leadership for this transition and do my utmost to ensure that it is harmonious and efficient, just as our collaboration has always been." 157 This announcement comes at a time when the organization had achieved maturity and stability in all respects. Guy Laliberté added, "Cirque du Soleil has always been very adaptable. We are developing a transition plan. I am remaining at the helm of Cirque du Soleil in order to ensure that we do not lose sight of the mission and values of the company that I founded in 1984. The vision I had at the outset remains the same, and our projects under development will always continue to push back the limits of the possible. Our dream goes on." But it was quite a shock and if there was any doubt that Cirque du Soleil was in transition, losing Daniel Gathier removed that doubt. His stepping down wouldn’t be the only organization change to come that year, however. On December 11, 2000, Laliberté announces the appointment of Mr. Daniel Lamarre to the position of President of the New Ventures business unit of Cirque du Soleil effective January 15, 2001. Lamarre, as you might recall, worked for a rather large public relations firm in Quebec in 1986 and represented Cirque du Soleil for free, knowing the company couldn’t afford his fee. Mr. Laliberté said, “Daniel´s appointment is a reflection of my desire to expand Cirque du Soleil’s international business activities. For the past 16 years, we have successfully created, produced and operated live shows. I believe that we are ready to take on new challenges by expanding our creative platform to non-live show areas. Daniel’s solid track record as a leader will assist me in achieving our ambitious goals.” “Today, with this new challenge, I am fulfilling a dream,” declared Mr. Lamarre. “I have always wanted to apply my skills at an international level. With Guy and the management team at Cirque du Soleil, I have the opportunity to bring Cirque’s brand of creativity into new and exciting areas.” The New Ventures business unit will be responsible for leading the company efforts in activities other than live shows. Its mandate will focus on five areas of development: Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Complexes; Audiovisual and Multimedia (Cirque du Soleil Images); Hotel, Spa, Food and Beverage; Retail and Licensing; and New Entertainment. Before joining Laliberté's team in January 2001, he served as president and CEO of TVA Group, Quebec's largest private television broadcaster, for nearly four years. In addition to his day-to- day management duties, he was also responsible for strategic planning and business development. While holding a seat on the TVA Group board of directors, he also served as an administrator for McDonald's Restaurants of Canada, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, and the Montreal Heart Institute Research Fund. From 1984 to 1997, Daniel Lamarre worked with National Public Relations, the largest private public relations firm in Canada, first as executive vice-president and senior partner, then as president starting in 1995. He became president and CEO of Burson-Marsteller in 1981, and opened a first Montreal branch for this, the world's largest PR firm. In 1977, he served as public relations director for the cable operator Cogeco. Before that, he was communications director for the Fédération des Caisses Populaires du Centre du Québec. Before taking up his management duties in the world of communications, Daniel Lamarre worked as a journalist for over 10 years. Little did he realize, or we as fans would know, how far he would go within the company. 158 Guy Laliberté declares 2001 the beginning of "Cirque du Soleil, Volume 2” but his company already began the transition years before. The style that Franco Dragone championed – an approach that promoted spontaneity over rigidity – goes by the wayside. New shows begat new directors and creative teams, no one show from this moment on is created by the same group of people. And those who come into the Director’s fold already have a plan: each show is now scripted from beginning to end, fostering a loss of that special je ne sais quoi in the process.