January 11, 2012
Cirque CEO leads with an artist’s heart
Daniel Lamarre, president and CEO of Cirque du Soleil, is a businessman who understands that in any enterprise, dollars and people sense must work together if creativity is to thrive, and profits are to grow.
Lamarre, a former Canadian television executive, was a marketing/public relations consultant in 1986 when Guy Laliberté, founder of the street artist troupe that would become a worldwide sensation, asked for his help.
“He had no money to pay me,” says Lamarre, who nevertheless shared his expertise with Laliberté. “Twelve years later, when Cirque was successful, I became the head of a TV network in Canada. I told Guy that I would like to have the TV rights to Cirque, and we started to see each other more because of the project.
“He called me from London one day and said, ‘You’re going to join the circus. Are you willing to talk to me about it?’ Three weeks later, I joined Cirque.”
Eleven years later, Lamarre is in charge of the business side of Cirque du Soleil, guiding the decisions that turn Laliberté’s vision into profitable ventures. How do you manage a company of thousands whose products are based on ever-changing ideas?
“It doesn’t matter how good a business guy you are, if you don’t love artists and content,” says Lamarre, sitting in a Beverly Hills hotel restaurant. “Guy is a great dreamer, and so am I. I cannot be just a business guy. I have to be sensitive to the production and content.
“We provide artists stability. We have people who have been with us for 27 years. When I sit and watch a show, I feel good that I’ve helped provide this man or that woman with a job.”
One of Lamarre’s practices is to stay in touch with Cirque’s employees and their needs. He travels around the world to see each show every year, talking with the artists and crew to boost morale and to gather information first-hand in the field.
“I sit in the kitchen to talk with them about where we are as an organization,” Lamarre says. “It’s easy to sit in an office in Montreal and say we should cut this and that, but to go on site and see what their life is like is important. It’s important to understand the reality of your employees. I believe in the importance of dialogue.”
Managers who listen are appreciated, but those who hear and act on what has been said are the ones who inspire employees to follow their lead. Lamarre shares a story of a Chinese artist who wanted to talk to him because she had a special request. After working for the company for 10 years, she wanted a corporate jacket.
Lamarre delivered, and the following year, she greeted him with her own gift — a scarf, given with a hug and tears.
In a global economy, companies that understand a diversity of cultures and thought emerge with products that appeal to the widest audiences. At Cirque du Soleil, the 1,500 artists on stage, and thousands more behind the scenes, come from around the world, with English being the most common language. Still, many translators are required.
“Our company is a United Nations,” Lamarre says. “We have an average of 17 nationalities in each show. People feel we’re a citizen of the world, and we try to implement ways of living that illustrate that.”
For example, Cirque’s successful touring show “Dralion” has a large contingent of Chinese artists. To ensure a pipeline of top-notch Chinese artists for that and other shows, Cirque du Soleil works with the Chinese government to create relationships with Chinese circus troupes and schools. To ensure fairness in the eyes of employees, the company goes one step further.
“We negotiate with the government to make sure the artists get paid what everyone gets, even if we have to pay a surcharge to the troupe or government for the partnership,” Lamarre says. “We have to be respectful of all the cultures.”
To ensure that new ideas are always streaming into the company’s imagination, a team of three researchers are charged with touring the world and surfing the Web to identify what’s happening in fashion, architecture, music, and the entertainment industry.
Every three months, the team presents what they’ve found to the company’s top artistic creators, fueling ideas for new shows.
“How can you understand what the new values and trends are, unless you look broadly?” Lamarre asks.
Planning for the future can be seen most clearly in the way Cirque du Soleil approaches the careers of its artists. Since their performers travel the world, the company operates traveling schools for the artists’ children.
“It costs us a bloody fortune, but it’s worth it,” Lamarre says. “None of the kids will leave the tour without a high school degree if they’re under 18. For the Chinese and Romanian artists, they’d like their kids to be trained to be circus performers.
“We’re willing to do that, but their kids have to study in school first. If they decide to train their children as circus performers in their free time, that’s fine. But if you want to tour with us, your kids have to study.”
Lamarre says Cirque du Soleil recognizes that performers cannot be on stage forever, so artists are urged to develop skills in the company’s Crossroads program that will result in other jobs when their day in the spotlight is done.
“This way, they can continue to work for us,” Lamarre says. “We need trainers, public relations people, and others around the world, so you’re not going home without knowing what you’ll do next. We value people’s experience. If I have a vice president who’s been training for 10 to 15 years, he understands the performer’s reality. It all comes back to benefit the organization.”
Clearly, doing right by its employees has fueled continued success for the company. With that kind of management philosophy, who wouldn’t want to join the circus?
December 29, 2011
Resolve to make meaningful connections
The future may be filled with technology-driven toys, but nothing will connect us more than personal interactions.
As the holiday season wanes, the kids are out of school and I’m working at Grandma’s house with a little babysitting thrown in. Today, I’m writing this on a laptop while my 7-year-old nephew Mark is watching a movie on an iPad, and his 10-year-old sister Emily is playing Angry Birds on her iPhone.
Yesterday, Emily and I spent much of the afternoon playing Monopoly on an old-fashioned board while Mark tossed a ball with me in between my dice throws. Whatever form the entertainment takes, we’re all hanging together in the same room, which is the real key to connectivity.
In an uncertain economy, adults are working harder than ever — to make ends meet and to stave off the fear of losing the jobs we have. People neglect their health and well being, going to work when they’re sick in order to “get things done,” no doubt infecting co-workers in the process.
Co-workers and bosses e-mail colleagues when they’re on vacation, giving no real break from the work world. We may love our jobs, but what is the point of taking time off, if we can’t get away from the office?
Having little time to take care of things at home adds to the stress of everyday living, and cuts down even more on the meaningful connections in our lives. When there’s no time to return calls to friends, or lend a helping hand without feeling stressed, the heart is squeezed even more.
At the same time, kids are asking for more and more expensive toys, in the form of electronic devices that run the gamut from tablets to smartphones to video games. They love texting more than talking on the phone, and have to be told to put their phones away at the dinner table.
If using electronic devices becomes more interesting than spending time with human beings, we really need to look at the way we’re connecting — or not connecting — with others. There will always be new tech toys to buy. But you can’t buy lost time with the people you love.
As we ring in the new year, resolve to make more time for yourself. Eat healthier foods, exercise more (even if only a little), get offline, and spend more face time with people. Your heart will feel the difference.
December 17, 2011
Gift card shoppers beware
The great thing about giving gift cards is they’re easy to mail to folks in other cities, they give the recipient the opportunity to buy whatever he or she wants, and the good ones usually don’t have an expiration date.
The bad thing about gift cards is that they’re vulnerable to theft in ways we rarely think about.
I was at a Los Angeles-area Macy’s recently, ready to use a Macy’s gift card that one of my sisters had given me for Christmas last year. Yes, it was purchased in December 2010. I kept forgetting to take it with me whenever I went to the store, one of the downsides of getting gift cards.
Anyway, when I got to the register to check out, the sales clerk rang me up, scratched off the PiN code on the back of the card… and the gift card registered a zero balance.
I had never used the card, and had a gift receipt for its purchase. The adhesive holding it to the gift card enclosure was still on it. But when a sales supervisor looked up the gift card number, records show that two purchases had been made on the card in February 2011 at a Macy’s in the Torrance area, where I’ve never been.
The sales supervisor looked at me askance, saying I could follow up with the store where the purchases were made if I wished. I pointed out that the two items purchased equaled $75 — the exact amount of the gift card — and that the clerk in his store was the one who scratched off the activation code. When I said I’d be looking into the matter further, he decided to call Macy’s gift card fraud department.
He discovered that the card had, indeed, been used fraudulently by someone who had keyed in the right numbers. How did that person get the gift card number and PIN code? Common sense would indicate the culprit had access to store information, and might have been an employee, or in collusion with an employee.
There are numerous ways to scam gift card numbers, ranging from stolen receipts that show the gift card number and value, to copying or scanning unsold gift card numbers and checking websites to see when a card is activated.
An estimated $97.2 billion in gift cards were purchased during the 2010 holiday season, according to research done by the Mercator Advisory Group.
“As with other types of cards, gift cards are not immune to exposure to fraud and theft,” says Beth Charlton, director of issue management and special projects, corporate communications for Macy’s, Inc. “The gift card owner should monitor the balance of the
card regularly to ensure its value. If an owner suspects a problem, immediately contact the store or store’s customer service center to report any concern. Owners should always keep a gift card in a secure place.”
The sales supervisor I dealt with immediately gave me a new gift card, apologizing for the inconvenience. Given the prevalence of gift card fraud, I didn’t blame him for looking at me with suspicion at first.
Clearly, retailers don’t want to call attention to this issue because it could cut into their sales, especially during the crucial holiday season. But since stores seem unable to completely outwit gift card thieves, the best advice anyone can heed is “buyer AND user beware.”
November 23, 2011
Opryland reunion brings joy
Two years ago, my friend Christine received the shocking news that she had ovarian cancer. Thankfully, doctors did surgery immediately, and the tumor was removed before it could spread.
Ignoring the rocky economy, we decided to celebrate her continued remission recently with a girls’ weekend at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville near her home. Call us sentimental, but being surrounded by beautiful holiday decorations in a landmark resort that has come back from a devastating flood was particularly inspirational.
When Middle Tennessee experienced a series of storms last May, the resort and its indoor atriums were flooded under 10 feet of water and had to close for several months. Walking through the resort today, you’d never know that guests had to be evacuated in the pouring rain as electricity failed and darkness fell over the area.
“The lower rooms flooded in the Delta section of the hotel, and people were bused to a local high school,” remembers Hollis Malone, director of horticulture at Gaylord Opryland. “It was a horrible sight to see all the chairs floating over all my plants. It was all mud. When the water in the Cumberland River went down, we mucked the place out, and cleaned and disinfected the hotel. Everyone rallied to the cause.”
More than 3,000 cubic feet of soil was removed to get the odor and contaminants out, and while the plants outside the hotel survived, much of the greenery inside was destroyed. So Malone ordered new plants and restored the gardens with 14 tractor-loads of greenery.
“I like to display different varieties of plants because most people don’t get to see them,” says Malone, pointing out various poinsettias — Sonora White Glitter, White Star, Ice Punch and more — on display for the holidays. “Artificial light makes the bracts fade, so we change them out a couple of times during the season. In the conservatory, no matter what the weather is outside, you feel like it’s a a good day in here.”
Malone’s staff takes care of the waterfalls and fish in the ponds, and maintains 10 greenhouses that are the holding ground for green plants on the property. This year, they’ve also strung more than 200,000 Christmas lights inside and two million lights in the trees outside.
Walking among the twinkling lights creates a feeling of wonder and joy, reminding the spirit that no matter what happens, Love will prevail. In a world where daily schedules can be frenetic, it often takes a jolt — like a health crisis — to make us stop and think about what we’re doing.
Christine’s cancer diagnosis made her examine her life and slow down for the really important things. Her illness made me appreciate our time together all the more, and while we live in different parts of the country, we both resolved to visit together in person more often.
That evening, Christine and I head for Ravello, a new Italian restaurant at the resort named after a resort town on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Ravello features seafood, spices and vegetables from the area, as well as cheeses and wines from the Campagna region.
The maitre d’fromage comes by with an antipasti selection of cured meats and cheeses that looks wonderful, so we choose a few to try (price varies by selection), along with an eggplant parmesan appetizer ($12) and a caprese salad of mozzarella cheese, slow roasted jewel box tomatoes, and fried basil leaves ($11), which we shared.
I’m not a big fan of cured meats, but the prosciutto di Parma was fabulous, and the Asiago cheese was delicious. The eggplant parmesan had a nice flavor, but was not as tender as we would have liked. Both of us thought the eggplant rind should have been peeled off, which makes eggplant easier to digest. The peeled cherry tomatoes in the caprese salad, however, were outstanding with the mozzarella cheese and garlic olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pesto dressing.
For our entrees, Christine chose the sea scallops and sweet potato ravioli in pumpkin seed pesto with whipped marscapone cheese ($32), and I ordered the filet mignon, served over butternut squash risotto, with mushroom conserva and crispy spinach ($42). Both of us were impressed with our dishes.
Our waiter, a fellow named Samir from Egypt, was so attentive, he asked whether my “medium” preference for the filet mignon should be closer to medium rare or medium well. The steak was done to perfection, which is rare for a non-steakhouse restaurant, and presented beautifully with the risotto and spinach.
Christine had no room for dessert, but I couldn’t resist, and ordered the tiramisu semifredo ($8), which was made with semi-frozen mascarpone blended with espresso and layered between ladyfingers. All I can say is… I cleaned the plate. Yum!
Our only criticism of Ravello was the design of the chairs, which have elongated seats. They’re cushy to sit on, but we noticed that all the women in the restaurant sat as we did — forward on the edge of their seats, without support for their backs. The men who had longer legs, however, could sit back and looked perfectly comfortable.
At the end of the meal, Samir packed a little leftover box for us and shared that he’d worked at Gaylord Opryland for more than a decade. “I take great joy in serving people,” he said. “I ask God every day to tell me how I can better serve.”
Reminders of what is important in life clearly comes into our lives every day. All we have to do is listen.
October 27, 2011
United is not how Continental stands
Airline mergers are no fun. The employees grumble as practices change, and the customers complain as confusion reigns over shifting policies. Perhaps the only people who are happy are the executives who get the biggest salaries and retirement perks.
No wonder Occupy Wall Street is hitting such a sympathetic chord across the country.
Take the current merger of Continental and United Airlines, which announced that it would join hands to become the world’s largest airline last May in a deal worth $3.2 billion.
From a consumer standpoint, all I see is a bumpy ride that’s going to get worse for the paying customers. I fly both United and Continental, and am a silver elite flyer with Continental. Because of my frequent flyer status, I’m usually able to get “premium” reserved seating on flights and checked luggage without paying extra fees.
A few weeks ago, on a flight from Los Angeles to Houston, I was seated on a Continental plane in an emergency row exit aisle seat. Because the plane wasn’t full, the fellow in the window seat in my row got upgraded to first class, leaving me with two empty seats next to me.
A fellow sitting a few rows ahead immediately jumped into the newly vacated seat in my row. I didn’t mind because there was plenty of room. However, a United pilot who was seated in the exit row seat across from me did.
She gestured to a flight attendant who was a colleague from United and pointed to the seat jumper. When the flight attendant asked the man to return to his assigned seat, the passenger complained, saying that he was a Continental frequent flyer and should have the right to sit there since the seat was vacant.
The flight attendant said no, United’s policy is that premium row seats are reserved for flyers who pay extra for the extra legroom, and the grumbling passenger returned to his original seat. The United pilot nodded approvingly, saying, “That lost revenue comes out of my paycheck.”
I didn’t want to get into an argument with her, but it should be pointed out that she didn’t pay anything extra to sit in the premium exit row seat, and as an elite Continental frequent flyer, neither did I. Clearly, the United pilot saw sitting in a premium seat as a privilege reserved for airline personnel, and as a revenue generator that was more important than customer service and common sense.
Whenever I fly, I make it a point to get up often to stretch and walk around to keep the blood circulating in the body. Whenever I end up standing in the galley waiting for the restroom, I take the opportunity to chat to the flight attendants about how the merger’s going.
Invariably, I hear grumbling from both United and Continental personnel. It’s like listening to siblings in a blended family who know they will eventually have to fly together, but while things are shaking out, all they can do is see the worst in each other.
The Continental folks complain about United personnel who resist learning how to use technology in place at Continental that’s more updated than what United had, and union rules that would not be cost-effective for any company.
Interestingly enough, the United folks complain about lack of Continental leadership at the top, wondering why CEO Jeff Smisek hasn’t cleaned house and gotten rid of the United executives who helped to get the airline into a financial mess in the first place. They seem well aware that their own union has enacted rules that protect jobs, but place passengers at risk.
For example, one rule everyone points to (United and Continental personnel alike), is a union rule that doesn’t specify a retirement age for flight attendants.
“We have attendants in their 80s who don’t fly anymore, but they keep getting benefits as long as they can get someone else to fly for them,” said one United flight attendant. “So in essence, they’re not working anymore, and still drawing benefits. Who wouldn’t want a job like that?”
Oh, and since flight attendants don’t have to meet weight specifications, there are some who can barely fit, walking down the aisle, or are unable to bend down to reach the bottom of the beverage cart to get a can of soda.
Since both Continental and United charge overweight customers who can’t lower both armrests and fasten seat belts with one extender for a second seat, why don’t they enact some kind of penalty for flight attendants in the same condition, who are supposed to be on board for the safety of passengers?
Clearly, air travel today generates a lot of complaints — on all sides. As a passenger, I just wish it wasn’t the customer who always ends up paying another fee for management’s greed and mistakes.
October 14, 2011
Online vision care products change market
My sister Linda wears both contact lenses and eyeglasses, and the prescription for her contacts seem to change every six months. She loves her optometrist, and always bought her vision care products from him until this year.
“When he charged me $100 for a three-month supply of disposable contacts, I decided to look online,” Linda says. “I discovered 1800Contacts.com, and the price was much cheaper. With a discount offer, I was able to get a three-month supply for $66.98. My optometrist didn’t say anything when I switched, but I’m sure he realizes there’s much better pricing online.”
Being a comparison shopper, Linda also tried ordering from Coastal.com, which offers contact lenses and eyeglass frames at discounted prices, and in some cases, gives the frames away for free through various promotions.
The cost for a three-month supply of contacts was slightly higher with Coastal.com, which charges a handling and insurance fee that 1800Contacts.com does not. Still, Linda was happy with the quality of the contacts and service she received.
Customer service, convenience, and lower prices are causing more and more shoppers to go online rather than to the nearest brick-and-mortar outlet, with eye care products being among the latest offerings.
Roger Hardy, CEO of Coastal.com, was working for a contact lens company when he noticed the large pricing disparity between what optometry shops paid for lenses and what they charged consumers.
“We would sell a box of contacts to an optometry shop for $12.50, and consumers were paying $80 a box,” Hardy says. “So my sister, Michaela Hardy, who’s a chemical engineering graduate with an MBA, and I built our website with a one-room shop, a phone, and contact lenses. It started out bare bones, and today, the business has really grown. We will make about $185 million this year.”
Hardy says suppliers were initially resistant to selling to Coastal.com, a Canadian company, because it was disruptive to the eye care industry, but as the entrepreneur notes, any industry that’s not already been dramatically transformed by the Web soon will be.
“You need to serve customers in the way they want to be served,” Hardy says. “Getting contacts from your optometrist is a difficult process because rarely does anyone have all the lenses in stock. We work with four contact lens manufacturers and 20 suppliers of eyeglass frames, so we have it all.”
Coastal.com, headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, invested $15 million in building a state of the art laboratory so that it can custom-make eyeglass lenses, while selling branded frames and its own designer brand of frame.
Its typical customers are women, 20 to 30 years old, who are busy with careers and have little time to shop. Most have children at home, and cost savings is a priority.
“This whole category of vision care products is being driven by women buyers,” Hardy says. “A family that’s been paying $400 to $500 for glasses can get it for $100 with us. We’re buying $20 million worth of product, and can build up to 10,000 eyeglasses a day, where the average optometry shop sells four to five eyeglasses a day. We source products from around the world, so there’s no middleman cost for us.”
The company also has no brick-and-mortar real estate costs, instead operating out of two distribution centers while doing its own manufacturing in-house.
“We now sell 20 percent of the contact lenses sold in Canada, and our European subsidiary, Lensway, has 30 percent market share of the contact lens category in Sweden, Norway and Finland,” Hardy says. “We’ve been more of a global player, and are now focusing on the United States market.”
Coastal.com donates a pair of eyeglasses to someone in need for every pair of in-house designer glasses that a consumer buys, partnering with organizations that distribute the donated glasses to users in Third World countries.
“The online category’s doubling every year, so customers are voting with their feet and wallets,” Hardy says. “Smart optometry shops are trying to figure out how to work with suppliers like us.”
As my sister Linda noted, it’s nice to have the convenience of placing an order online, rather than driving to the store to buy something.
“As long as things are undamaged and cheaper online, I’ll buy them that way,” she says. “Getting my contacts online saves a lot, but the key is being able to return them if they’re defective. It doesn’t happen often, but if a contact is defective, I want to be able to get credit for it.”
In other words, whether you’re buying something online or in a store, look carefully at everything before you buy. Price alone doesn’t always determine the best deal.
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Dinah Eng is a freelance columnist in Los Angeles, and can be reached at betweenustwo@earthlink.net.
October 5, 2011
Arthritis needn’t be a pain
Soft music plays as I lie on the massage table, eyes closed as Heidi, the massage therapist, works on muscles that need stretching. Pushing down on my shoulders, she says, “These are riding high. You’ve been working a lot lately.”
When you sit at a desk day in and day out, it’s easy to forget to get up and move frequently, so having an expert eye look at your posture and remind you to stop tensing up those muscles is invaluable.
This weekend, taking advantage of a massage was a no-brainer. When it comes to relaxation, there’s nothing like pampering yourself with a great massage. Not only is it a pleasure to have a trained masseuse work out the kinks in your body, massage is also good for your health.
As Heidi reminded me, “You’ve got to keep your body healthy if you do repetitive tasks. I work on everyone from doctors and lawyers to people who do a lot of physical work.”
Next week, Massage Envy clinics are partnering with the Arthritis Foundation to host “Healing Hands for Arthritis,” a one-day national event to build awareness and raise funds to fight arthritis.
On World Arthritis Day, October 12, Massage Envy will donate $10 from every one-hour massage and facial to the Arthritis Foundation, which advocates education and research to control and cure arthritis and related diseases. Prices range from $39 to $69 for facials and massages, depending on the location.
I always thought arthritis was just something you got as you age, but that’s not necessarily the case.
“Arthritis is inflammation in a joint, and the next question should be, what type of arthritis do you have?” explains Dr. Patience White, vice president for public health for the Arthritis Foundation and a pediatric and adult rheumatologist. “There are 100 different types of arthritis, and the treatment varies for each.”
White says the most common forms of arthritis include osteoarthritis, which affects 27 million Americans; gout, which affects 8.1 million and rheumatoid arthritis, which hurts 1.3 million. An estimated 300,000 children have juvenile arthritis, and 300,000 adults have Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
Arthritis is caused by a mixture of genetics and environmental causes, or health behaviors. In other words, your genes may predispose you to getting arthritis, but there’s a lot you can do to prevent it.
“Osteoarthritis is the most common, and most of its causes are related to weight, physical activity and a past history of injury to a joint, along with your genes,” White says. “Arthritis is the number one cause of disability, and can happen at any age. It affects everybody, all races and ethnicities.”
She says controlling weight is important, for with every pound you gain, it’s akin to the equivalent of each knee having to carry four lbs. With two-thirds of Americans being overweight, the likelihood of feeling arthritic pain increases.
“If you don’t keep physically active, keeping the muscles strong, you’ll be predisposed to arthritis,” White says. “Regular exercise, just a half hour five times a week beyond work, and keeping your weight down will help with heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions, as well. If you lose 5 to 10 lbs., studies show you can cut the pain in your knees by 50 percent.”
White says getting a massage can offer great pain relief to those who suffer from arthritis.
“When you have arthritis, with inflammation in the joints, the pain causes your muscles to tense up and you may have decreased range of motion,” White says. “Massage is fantastic for the muscles. It can relax the muscles, helping people to feel better and move more.”
Studies have shown that massage therapy can decrease stress levels, as well as help to reduce recovery time for many medical conditions, including arthritis.
Massage Envy, a national franchise that provides therapeutic massage and spa services at more affordable prices than spa resorts, is a national sponsor of the Arthritis Foundation’s Arthritis Walk® events.
So if you’re in the mood to relax and get a little pampering, consider booking a one-hour massage at a Massage Envy near you on October 12. You’ll be contributing to a good cause, and helping yourself at the same time.
Just be warned… once you lie down on that massage table, you just may not want to get up.
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To find a Massage Envy clinic near you, visit MassageEnvy.com. For more information on arthritis, check out www.arthritis.org.
September 28, 2011
‘IRIS’ explores wonders of cinema
If French is the language of seduction and love, Hollywood has fallen under the spell of Cirque du Soleil’s new extravaganza, “IRIS…A Journey Through the World of Cinema,” now playing in the Kodak Theatre in the heart of Tinseltown.
The $100-million production, which starts a 10-year run in the venue that hosts the Academy Awards, is the newest jewel in the crown of the Montreal-based global entertainment company known for creating innovative shows with stunning visuals and dazzling acrobatic performances.
The origin of the show goes back to 2002, when Cirque du Soleil was asked to perform in the Kodak Theatre as part of that year’s Academy Awards show, presenting the nominees for Best Picture.
“It was nerve racking to be in front of the world on television,” recalls Daniel Lamarre, president and CEO of Cirque du Soleil, “but we got a standing ovation, and I thought there was a possibility to do something here.”
CIM GROUP, which owns the Kodak Theatre, thought the same, and contacted Lamarre to see whether a partnership in an ongoing production at the facility would be possible. Lamarre and Guy Laliberté, the owner and founder of Cirque du Soleil, said yes.
“The challenge is to become the flagship of Los Angeles, a must-see event for 1.8 million tourists who walk in front of the Kodak Theatre every day,” Lamarre says. “I feel confident that what we have created has the elements of success.”
The City of Los Angeles and local businesses agree, rolling out the red carpet for its newest resident, and offering consumers everything from “IRIS” dinner discounts at area restaurants to parking specials.
The show brings a major new tourist attraction to the area, raising the bar of entertainment on Hollywood Boulevard from watching the occasional movie premiere from the sidewalk to a live theatrical performance that charges anywhere from $43 (plus handling fee) to $253 for a VIP ticket (plus the fee).
In a town that worships the movies, there’s no doubt that audiences will embrace the dance, circus arts, and storytelling that come together in this dazzling production directed by Philippe Decouflé, a French choreographer and dancer. Fittingly, the orchestral score was written by prolific movie composer Danny Elfman, who received Grammy Award nominations for scoring “Milk” and “Alice in Wonderland.”
Spectacle and grace come together in the magical world of “IRIS,” where cinema’s ability to transport viewers to a make-believe world is reflected in moments where live performances are blended with multimedia presentations, such as one graceful act where the dancers are shadowed by their rapidly unfolding choreography on the screen behind them.
Amazing acrobatics, imaginative staging, and a touch of humor make this show a true homage to Hollywood. As with every circus, the clowns offer a comic, and sometimes poignant, commentary on the frenetic madness of the movie-making industry.
As one clown noted, “This is the real true story of Hollywood… rejection.”
For those who have stars in their eyes, though, “IRIS” will not disappoint. Fans of Cirque du Soleil’s acrobatic artistry will applaud the performers in the flying trapezes, the contortionists who twist their bodies into impossible positions, and the trampoline artists who never miss a beat in their intricate routines.
While the show gives a nod to aspects of cinema, from Noir as a film genre to the development of animation, there’s no clear evolutionary journey through the history of filmmaking. Instead, the love story of two characters — Buster and Scarlett — serves as an emotional through-line against the backdrop of an ever-changing motion and picture spectacle on stage.
The snippets of their story makes sweet poetic sense, since all movies are really about love — the search for love, the loss of love, finding love anew…
For an evening of seduction and wonder, “IRIS” is sure to please.
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For ticket information, check out cirquedusoleil.com/IRIS or call 877-943-4747.
July 21, 2011
Behind the buffet line…
If you love tasting a little bit of this and a little bit of that, the Bellagio Buffet in Las Vegas is the place to be… and if you look behind the scenes, you’ll understand why.
While many buffets suffer from heat lamp exhaustion and unimaginative menus, the buffet at the Bellagio offers a varied selection of freshly made items from cuisines around the world, as well as traditional American favorites.
On a recent visit, I watched fresh offerings rotate through the line constantly, with no dish sitting more than 15 to 20 minutes before being replenished with fresh fare. Now that’s how you keep customers coming back for more.
“At 10 p.m., we still have people paying to come in, so the entire line is restocked for the last half hour,” explains Executive Chef Gerald Harrington, who oversees the buffet. “Whatever’s not eaten at the end of the day on the line gets thrown out because you don’t want to contaminate anything. We have large dumpsters of organic scraps that go to a pig farm.”
Leftovers that have not been put on the line go to the employee dining room, which I can attest — after a sneak peak — looks better than most casino buffets in Vegas.
A walk through the kitchen was a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how soup is prepared and stored, how fruit is cut and plated, and how intricate garnishes are put together. You think it’s hard cooking the Thanksgiving turkey?
Imagine preparing 1,000 to 2,000 lbs. of crab legs, 800 to 1,000 lbs. of shrimp, and 500 lbs. of prime rib a day, not to mention all the side dishes, salads and accompaniments. Mashed potatoes are made four to five times a day (that’s Yukon gold with heavy cream and butter). Ice shrinks, so the cold stuff under the sushi must be changed three times a day.
Nearly 5,000 guests a day are served what must be the best food deal in the casino hotel.
The all-you-can-eat buffet features fresh seafood, live-action cooking stations with meals made-to-order, selections from China, Japan, Italy, Mexico, and more at prices — that in Vegas — are quite reasonable.
Open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., breakfast costs $15.95, lunch is $19.95 and dinner is $29.95. A gourmet dinner on Friday and Saturday nights is $36.95, and brunch is $24.95 ($29.95, with champagne). Kids ages three and under eat free.
“We try to change things with the seasons,” Harrington says. “I grew up in New England, so I like the apple, the maple, and will try to incorporate fall thinking through the year. A lot of things that you do in a restaurant, you can’t do in a buffet. If you put risotto on the line, it doesn’t hold well. So we cook our pastas al dente. Once they sit in the steamer tables, the sauce soaks them.”
Formerly the quality assurance chef for the hotel, Harrington knows what needs to be changed with the seasons. A couple of weeks ago, green beans were at their best. Now, it’s asparagus. The hotel buys from farmers in Mexico, following crops up the West Coast to the Napa Valley area, to ensure that vegetables are at their best. Winter crops come from Florida and South America.
“People love buffets because it’s six to seven restaurants in one,” Harrington says. “They get to pick up whatever they want. There are some people who only want the fish or sushi, and pile up on that. Our most popular items are the crab legs, rack of lamb, and Chilean sea bass.”
If guests have food allergies, some items can be cooked to order. Harrington notes that one regular customer always asks for a plate of salmon with nothing on it, so a chef will grill eight to nine pieces of salmon for him with no seasoning or butter.
That evening, my sister Linda, friend Michael, and I sampled the buffet for ourselves. In the mood to nibble, I tasted as much as my stomach could hold, and couldn’t have been happier. The prime rib and Chilean sea bass were my favorites, along with a three cheese tortelloni with sorrel, which was wonderful. The grilled asparagus and maple-glazed carrots were great, as was the bok choi and fusilli with eggplant and smoked mozzarella.
My only complaint would be that the leg of lamb was undercooked. It was so rare, my knife couldn’t cut it. Michael said his shrimp was a little mushy from sitting on ice too long, but everything else was great. Linda, who has a very discerning sweet tooth, thought the sugar-free cheesecake was excellent. Michael and I voted for the tiramisu.
Before leaving, Harrington suggested that I try a red velvet apricot, which I’d never had before. It had to be the most delicious apricot I’ve ever tasted.
“Seeing people try something for the first time is great,” Harrington says. “I tell folks, try it. You’re at a buffet. You can leave it on your plate if you don’t like it. The biggest part of my job is walking the floor and talking to guests. It makes the long hours worthwhile.”
There were more dishes in the buffet than anyone could possibly eat in one sitting. Be warned that if you go during peak mealtimes, the line to get into the buffet may be long.
But it’ll be oh, so worth it.
June 30, 2011
The Wiggles celebrate 20th anniversary
The world may have changed in the last 20 years, but when it comes to the delight that children feel for the music and antics of The Wiggles, it’s good to know that some things never change.
My nephew Mark, who’s now six, has loved The Wiggles since he could stand up and well… wiggle. He’s learned the words to their songs, the moves to their dances, and the stories behind their characters on stage. He knows that Anthony (Field) likes to eat, Jeff (Fatt) is always falling asleep, Sam (Moran) is the one who sings, and Murray (Cook) loves to play his guitar.
On July 3, The Wiggles will begin performing on stages across the United States on a “Big Birthday” Summer Tour that celebrates their 20th anniversary as the pop rock band favorite of children around the world.
“When you’re dealing with young children, it’s dealing with the world around them,” says Murray Cook — who, along with Anthony Field — was a pre-school teacher before The Wiggles became famous. “Children fundamentally haven’t changed. They’re just learning about the world with new technology that they accept more easily than older people because they know it’s not something to fear.”
When the group first started, Cook notes, performances were recorded on cassette tapes and videotapes. Today, it’s CDs and DVDs, along with an Internet presence that continues to use early childhood education principles in products that draw fans and their parents.
“We’ve tried to keep up with social media,” Cook says. “The parents have access to Facebook, YouTube and sites on the Internet, which is a good way for us to keep in touch with our audiences. Our live shows are bigger, and we cover the globe.”
This summer, parents have been invited to submit auditions online, performing their best rendition of “Fruit Salad,” for a shot at being the Fifth Wiggle on stage when the tour comes to their town. Cook says the competition recognizes that the group performs for families, not just the youngsters who scream and dance at their concerts.
Over the last few years, our family has joined Mark in seeing The Wiggles in concert in Houston (where he lives) or Los Angeles (where I live). It’s always a joyful event as we walk to the concert halls among families who know that celebrating the simple things in life is the best part of growing up.
No doubt that’s why the most popular Wiggles songs include “Fruit Salad,” “Hot Potato” and “Rock a Bye Your Bear” — after all, what could be more important than healthy eating, and sleeping safely in the arms of someone who loves you?
“We sing songs about a safe, innocent world,” Cook says. “We try to be as multicultural as we can, and that hasn’t changed. Because of technology, children are bombarded by images they weren’t exposed to in the past. We celebrate the innocence of childhood, and we love playing live on stage.”
For information on The Wiggles “Big Birthday” Summer Tour, check out www.thewiggles.com.
