“Cirque Du Soleil” Acquires “The Illusionists”

Il “Cirque Du Soleil” acquisisce la compagnia proprietaria dello #show “The Illusionists”.

@cirquedusoleil #cirquedusoleil @theillusionistsworldtour #theillusionists @variety #variety

Cirque Du Soleil Acquires Company Behind ‘The Illusionists’ Magic Show

Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group has announced its acquisition of the Works Entertainment, the creative and production #company behind shows like the #live #magic franchise “The Illusionists.”

This #deal is the third acquisition for the group in about three years, says #president and CEO Daniel Lamarre. It acquired Blue Man Group in 2017 and VStar Entertainment Group in 2018.

Lamarre confirms the deal was for about $40 million, and tells Variety that the #Works was appealing as the nature of its shows was scalable and allows #Cirque du #Soleil to expand. Lamarre says Cirque du Soleil is the only entertainment company that tours in 450 cities globally, and he hopes to grow that number in the #future.

“We were never in the magic world the way that the Works has been,” Lamarre says. “With this concept where there are several magicians participating in the same show, it allows us to make it scalable, meaning we can have two-five magic shows traveling around the world.”

The Works is known for live magic shows like “The Illusionists” and content developed from the big screen like “Now You See Me Live,” based on the 2013 heist film about criminal magicians. The Works’ portfolio also includes circus arts shows like “Circus 1903 — The Golden Age of Circus,” cabaret-style shows, and musical theater productions.

Continues at https://variety.com/2019/music/news/cirque-du-soleil-the-illusionists-the-works-entertainment-1203130282/