CCE To Produce Cirque Du Soleil In 100 Arenas

CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Clear Channel Entertainment and Cirque du Soleil have formed a partnership to develop and produce a 100-date nationwide North American arena tour beginning in November 2005.

For the first time ever, Cirque du Soleil will perform principally one-night concert engagements in major arenas across North America. The new show will feature the music catalog of Cirque du Soleil and incorporate Cirque du Soleil’s unique innovative staging and imaginative use of video projections and music. Cirque du Soleil Musique, the music division of Cirque du Soleil, will manage the creative and artistic production of this new venture. Production and promotional aspects will be managed by Clear Channel Entertainment.

“We are very excited about presenting this new joint venture and are thrilled to collaborate with a creative team of this caliber," said Scott Zeiger, chief executive officer of Clear Channel Entertainment Theatrical. "We have always had great admiration for Cirque du Soleil’s artistic achievements and are looking forward to bringing their innovative vision to a much larger audience across North America with this newly configured tour presentation.”

"This new collaboration clearly demonstrates what Cirque du Soleil is looking for in building partnerships – leadership, open-mindedness and the willingness to develop creative-driven quality projects," said Daniel Lamarre, president and COO of Cirque du Soleil. "Clear Channel Entertainment is most certainly one of those partners."

Overseeing the project for Clear Channel Entertainment will be Executive Vice President, Creative Development, Jonathan Hochwald, and for Cirque du Soleil, Senior Vice President, New Ventures, Éric Fournier.

“This is a dream project for us – an opportunity to reinvent and reimagine the arena experience and to introduce the genius of Cirque du Soleil’s artistic vision to new audiences who will discover the music of Cirque as they have never seen it,” said Hochwald.

"This new creative platform is the first step to a long-term relationship with Clear Channel Entertainment,” added Fournier. “Cirque du Soleil is truly expanding its creative force to other types of ventures with the simple objective of redefining existing entertainment formats with a Cirque du Soleil creative perspective." –Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner