Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Cirque du Soleil permanently closes 'Zumanity' after 17 years in Vegas
www.usatoday.com: After 17 years on The Strip, Cirque du Soleil’s “Zumanity” is closing permanently, the company announced Monday.
“Zumanity” at New York-New York is the first Cirque du Soleil show to permanently close since the company shut down all productions due to COVID-19 concerns.
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Most days I think that I'm dealing with the pandemic's impact on our industry pretty well but then I come across things like this and it completely breaks my heart. This isn't even a case where it was announced that it will be closing, so people have one last opportunity to see it. It's just...gone. Zumanity wasn't, in my opinion, one of Cirque du Soleil's greater shows but it definitely made a statement. It was something great to experience. From entering the halls and being thrown into the show's nature, to having the show be as intimate, in every way, and in your face as it was...it was worth the while. Regardless of the fact that it was "different" and quite possibly made some people uncomfortable, especially at the end, it was something that you left in somewhat of a speechless state, with your eyebrows raised in shock, maybe in amusement, and you knew that you'd probably never forget it. I imagine this show will be truly missed. Not just by the ones who put it together, but also by people who may have seen it and had hopes of watching it again. I really hope that this isn't the start of a trend with Cirque shows. I would literally have to get in the ring with Miss Corona, whatever that means, if she causes Ka to close with me having never seen it.
Oh this makes me so sad. It is so heart breaking to see shows that I think had no plans to close before the pandemic have to make the hard decision to close permanently because of money. I had never seen this show, but clearly, it was a favorite for a lot of people. 17 years is a long time for any show to run. Sadly, I think we will be seeing more and more shows and events close permanently as we near one year since everything shut down. Some days I am losing hope that this industry will survive this pandemic, and reading articles like this are definitely feeding my greatest worries. But I really am trying to remain hopeful, and I am trying to remind myself that pandemics do end. At least they have in the past. And this won’t last forever, so eventually one day there will be a time when live events can return and the industry will rebuild, at least I hope it will. Hopefully, there will be government funding or other fundraising efforts to help this industry. I’m really not sure, but I’m just hoping.
This news is so devastating. 17 years is such a long time for a show to run, and to see it shut down before it was ready to close is absolutely simply sad. The impact of the coronavirus on the theatrical industry is already tremendous and will surely continue to grow as the world tries to adapt to the virus and the restrictions put in place as a result of it. I am truly sad that Cirque du Solei had to file for bankruptcy and close its legendary shows. With all of the different ways that companies and artists in the theatre community are learning to adapt to the pandemics restrictions I hope that they are able to find a way to deliver their same wonderful performances in a covid friendly way in the near future so that they can get back on their feet. Both for the sake of the company and all of its employees.
What a terrible loss for all the incredible people who had worked on this production, as well as a loss for Las Vegas itself. All the Cirque du Soleil shows are staples in Vegas that people from all around the world come to visit, so to lose one of their fabulous productions is devastating. Cirque employs so many wonderful artists and technicians who have called Vegas home now for so long, so to hear that they might now have to pack up their lives and everything they’ve known for the past 17 years is just wild to hear. I know that Cirque had been struggling in the midst of the pandemic for some time now, particularly when the news came out that they had laid off all of their employees without any notice. Its safe to assume that Vegas possibly might have gotten more foot track and ticket sales than Broadway had pre-pandemic, so I’m wondering how such a powerhouse city in the entertainment industry will bounce back. I wonder if Las Vegas and Broadway will come back in similar styles or if they’ll chose completely different paths.
It seems like every week of this pandemic something else in the creative world closes or dies. It’s especially sad when it happens to be something that has been around for as long as 17 years. I completely understand the regulations regarding large crowds, but it’s such a tragedy that art has to get impacted like this. I remember being so shocked earlier in the year that Cirque needed to file for bankruptcy, and it just keeps going downhill from there. I wish I could say that I’m shocked by this, but so much has been going on and closing that at this point it’s just another one down. I am a little worried though about how much more the arts industries can stand to lose still, and how they’ll ever be able to build themselves back up from this. I really hope that all of the employees and workers for Cirque are able to find a way to make it during these times, and that things improve in the future for everyone.
I’m so sad about this. I’ve watched “O” and “Ka” and absolutely fell in love with the style of theatre. The sets, the costumes, story told through dance and music. I would honestly say that Cirque du Soleil really influenced my decision to go into theater. It’s tragic that companies that followed shutdown orders from the government and emphasized the safety of their employees are the ones suffering. The entertainment industry is really in trouble, although I know that bankruptcy isn’t the end for a business. Many success businesses filed for bankruptcy when starting out but I don’t know too much about what it means for a company this established. I hope they find a way to bounce back or at least form a new company in the future once they can do shows again. I’ve desperately been wanting to see another Cirque du Soleil show for a while.
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