Creator of 25-year Las Vegas Strip hit: ‘We didn’t think it would last this long’
Nobody would have been surprised if “O” would have evaporated by now.
“We didn’t think it would last this long,” Cirque du Soleil co-creator Gilles St-Croix said Sunday during a chat at Bellagio, where the water spectacular celebrated its 25th anniversary. “I say that, although we also say ‘O’ is forever. There have been other shows with water, all around the world, but we were the first.”
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“O” opened along with the hotel as its dedicated, resident production show in October 1998. St-Croix created the show in partnership with the late live-entertainment visionary Franco Dragone.
“We had lots of experiments, and they came out with great success,” said St-Croix, who has now retired his role as an active Cirque official. He said the show’s universal appeal and architecture continues to make it a box-office and critical hit.
“Water is a universal theme, and the theater is specially designed for that theme,” St-Croix said. “This is like an opera house, so people are really watching an opera about water.”
The opera strayed from the theater Sunday afternoon, with cast members parading through the casino celebrate the milestone among unsuspecing tourists (for years, we have referred to this practice as being “cirqued”). St-Croix appeared onstage after the show with company co-founder Guy Laliberté; President and CEO Stefane Lefebvre; and President, Resident Shows Division and Affiliate Shows Division Eric Grilly.
St-Croix said he believed in “O’s” all-encompassing charm after a group of friends visited the theater two decades ago.
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“They told me they cried at the end, they were so moved,” he recalled. “We know that the water here is connected to water throughout the world. It is something that speaks to all of us, especially now, with climate change. We realize how important it is.”
St-Croix says he can’t recall a final conversation with Dragone about “O.” The co-creator died in September 2022, shortly after “O” burst out of the pandemic shutdown with sold-out shows.
“Franco was so busy over the world, with his own creations,” St-Croix said. “We kept connecting, we kept talking, but not about ‘O,’ just how we were doing.”
St-Croix was asked what was next for the company, for “O” and for himself. The 74-year-old artistic director let out a laugh.
“I don’t know, man. ‘O’ is forever, but I’m not,” St-Croix said. “Sorry, but … I am retired, and just try to keep life as simple as possible.”
More dates for ‘Postcard’
Additional shows have been added to “Postcard From Earth” at The Sphere. The original plan was for two shows most days, three on Sunday. But the schedule now shows three shows daily, at 4:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The Sunday set is noon, 2:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Word is the show has been drawing impressive numbers, at or near its 5,000 capacity for most performances.
There has been one glitch reported, in last Monday’s 4:30 p.m. show, with about a half-dozen false starts and a 10-minute delay owed to human error. Since then, the “love letter to Earth,” as director Darren Aronofsky describes the show, has been running as intended.
Surf’s up?
Picking up reliable intel about a Beach Boys extended engagement/residency next September, in a Strip theater.
Perez rocks Rocks
Franky Perez unleashed what might be the best variation of his live act yet. His All-Nighters, an eight-piece backing band with a full horn section, crushed it at Rocks Lounge at Red Rock Resort on Friday night.
Perez arrived in a suit and was in a sweat-soaked tank top by the end. The crowd, filled with dozens of Vegas entertainment types, loved it. This was the type of show Vegas hotel-casinos used to give away and subsidize with its gaming profits. The financial climate has obviously changed, even for such locals’ resorts as Red Rock.
But those 200 or so lounge inhabitants would not have been there if not for Perez. I thought of this as the Las Vegas native closed it out with a full-force “Whipping Post.” Keep an eye on Perez, and the All Nighters. We anticipate this act will make a major move, and soon.
Ringo Davis?
Cindy Blackman Santana surprised Raiders owner Mark Davis with a set of Silver-and-Black designed Gretch drums prior to last Monday night’s game at Allegiant Stadium.
The next logical steps are lessons for Davis, from Blackman Santana, and a halftime drum solo.
Cedric with entertainers
Impress your friends with this piece of triviata: Which Las Vegas elected official will have shared the stage with Shaquille O’Neal and presented an award to Usher, in the same month?
Las Vegas City Councilman Cedric Crear.
The Ward 5 councilman and active mayoral candidate helped lead the live auction alongside Shaq at “The Event” at MGM Grand Garden on Oct. 1. Crear next joins Mayor Carolyn Goodman at City Hall on Tuesday to present the recording superstar with a “special honor.”
Expect a key/proclamation for Usher, who of course is the halftime headliner at the 2024 Super Bowl.
Cool Hang Alert
Live entertainment happens nightly at Olive Mediterranean Grill on 3850 E. Sunset Road. The venue’s anchor is Mr. Barry Black with BB Soul, headlining 9 p.m.-midnight Thursdays and 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Fridays. Black also plays an acoustic set 8 p.m.-11 p.m. Wednesdays. The place is cigar- and hookah-friendly. Go to TheOliveGrill.com for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
