LAS VEGAS — Cirque du Soleil, among the most popular shows on the Las Vegas Strip, reported that it will temporarily suspend its shows in Las Vegas, as well as internationally, due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Montreal-based company said in a statement, that it made the difficult decision based on the advice of public health authorities. The need for people to limit their social interactions during this pandemic to stop the spread of the coronavirus is essential.
“From the very beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, our Group has taken rigorous measures to protect both the public and our work teams,” the statement said. “Our priority has always been the health and safety of our artists, employees, and our partners, as well as the public. We will continue to assess and monitor the situation to determine when our shows will resume.”
Cirque du Soleil’s Las Vegas Shows
Effective March 15, the Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil shows that are slated to be canceled are:
“Ö” at the Bellagio
“The Beatles LOVE” at The Mirage
“KA” at MGM Grand, “Zumanity” at New York-New York
“Mystere” at Treasure Island
“Michael Jackson ONE” at Mandalay Bay
Anyone who has purchased tickets for a canceled show will be contacted, and receive a refund. Customers can also cancel a ticket purchase for a full refund any reason through May 31, up to 24 hours in advance of the show.
Cirque du Soleil shows in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Costa Mesa, Denver, Houston, Montreal, Meloneras, Munich, New Orleans, Salt Lake City, Tel Aviv, and finally, the Australian cities of Adelaide, Melbourne, and Perth also are canceled.
The Fallout of Canceling Shows
Cirque du Soleil has dominated the Las Vegas entertainment scene for more than 25 years; as a result of canceling its shows on the Strip, around 1,500 people will be out of work. Multiple sources have reported that those employees will not be compensated by Cirque du Soleil during this time.
“I’m signing up to collect unemployment, and I’m also cashing in my paid time off,” said one Cirque employee, on condition of anonymity. “It will take at least a month to get my first unemployment check, maybe longer, because everyone is signing up.”
Penn & Teller, David Copperfield follow suit
The long-running and very popular Penn & Teller show has also been canceled. Penn & Teller have been Las Vegas Strip headliners since 1993.
Penn Jillette sent out a Tweet, stating, “Out of love and concern for our audiences and for everyone, we are canceling our shows starting tonight for the next few weeks. We hope to be back on stage soon when getting together is again responsible. Let’s all take care of ourselves and each other. Love.”
Magician David Copperfield, another popular Vegas show, also tweeted that he is suspending his Las Vegas shows at the MGM Grand Theater. Copperfield has been a Las Vegas mainstay for 40 years, and the MGM Grand Theater was named after him in 2013.
“Nothing is more important to me than the health and safety of the audience, my family and my team, so I’m pausing shows today to evaluate the situation. I hope to resume very soon.”
Likewise, Teller released a statement saying, “We’re heartbroken to disappoint our fans, but the new numbers make it clear that the risk of bringing our fans together is just too great. We will be closed for a while. We love you all and we’ll be back as soon as we possibly can.”
Last Saturday’s show at the Rio reportedly had sold 1,000 tickets.
It must be noted that for most people, the coronavirus only causes mild or moderate symptoms, similar to the common flu. However, in older adults and those with pre-existing health conditions, the coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms. Likewise, the vast majority recover from the virus.
