Cirque's Iris To Shutter In Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Cirque du Soleil has announced that the production of "Iris" at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood will shutter much earlier than expected in the face of poor ticket sales. The movie-themed show is estimated to have cost almost $100 million to stage.

"Iris" joins the growing ranks of Cirque mis-steps in recent years. The $150 million "Zaia" in Macau, Cirque's first long-term endeavor in Asia closed earlier this year, as did "Viva Elvis" in Las Vegas, "Zed" in Tokyo in 2011 and "Banana Shpeel" in 2010 after a $20 million rollout.

A spokesman for Cirque told the Los Angeles Times that the company had made a big marketing push for "Iris," including discounted ticket promotions, but local support for the show never gelled. The final performance for the show will be on Jan. 19.

Despite the upcoming loss of "Iris" from the Cirque portfolio, the company still has 20 shows in production around the world.