Anne M. Toewe

"Flowers in the Desert": Cirque Du Soleil in Las Vegas 1993-2012 Anne M. Toewe

"Flowers in the Desert": Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas 1993-2012 explores the intersection of contemporary Las Vegas entertainment and Cirque du Soleil?s style of ?new American Circus.? Cirque du Soleil has changed the expectations of spectacle theatre on the Las Vegas strip by constantly striving to provide an experience for all audience members that is entertaining and awe inspiring regardless of their background and native language. Through wordless, exemplary production standards, Cirque du Soleil has raised the bar for performance art in the Las Vegas desert. This text is an examination of the phenomenon of the entertainment company, Cirque du Soleil, from its inception as a small band of street performers to the entertainment machine it is today with the primary focus upon the years 1993 ? 2012, the time which encompasses Cirque?s arrival in ?sin city? through today. Cirque?s opening in Las Vegas has changed the nature of Las Vegas spectacle entertainment and Las Vegas has changed Cirque?s performance standards. This symbiotic relationship between the entity and its locale, has changed the nature of highly technological productions forever.