Anais Gutierrez
On Thursday, Cirque du Soleil announced that it had acquired the New York-based Blue Man Group as part of a strategy to diversify the portfolio of the entertainment giant.
Blue Man Group is a stage production company known for the blue face paint its performers wear. Unlike the kind of theatrical acrobatic entertainment that the circus company is famous for, Blue Man shows are smaller and focus more on recognizable characters.
Big move towards expansion
The move is the Montreal-based company’s first large acquisition. This is part of its strategy to diversify its portfolio and expand its international reach. Particularly in China, where Cirque du Soleil says it will soon announce its first tour in seven cities. And their first permanent show in Hangzhou in 2018.
“We’re an organization that tries to diversify geographically. China became a very important market for us,” Cirque du Soleil chief executive Daniel Lamarre said Friday.
“And Blue Man are helping us to diversify our company because we are probably the only entertainment company that is touring in 450 cities around the world.”
Cirque du Soleil will keep Blue Man as a separate brand and help it grow by leveraging Cirque du Soleil’s touring capabilities, the Canadian company said.
“Each brand will keep its own authenticity and its own autonomy,” Lamarre said. “We want to grow Blue Man group by itself just as we want to grow Cirque du Soleil. But each creative team will be autonomous.”
Win-win situation
The company’s acquisition of New-York-based Blue Man Productions gives it ownership of a show. Which has been performed in over 20 countries and seen by more than 35 million people since 1991.
The production is known for its original aesthetics. These include its blue faced performers, award-winning musical talent and “immersive experience know-how”.
Talks about a sale have been going on for months, said Chris Wink, co-founder and a co-chief executive of Blue Man.
Wink said Friday that Blue Man, with stage productions in North America, Europe, and Asia, was looking for an international partner and more resources to expand worldwide.
Wink says, although Blue Man was already profitable, it was willing to give up its autonomy in favor of more capabilities and resources that it could use to target other markets.
“Being just on our own is hindering us. From being able to do things that we could imagine or aspire to do,” Wink said. “In this day and age, you need to be a global player.”
“From the very beginning, it wasn’t about blurring the successful brand and changing who Blue Man is,” Wink said.
“The creative teams behind the shows will cross-pollinate. Also, take advantage of their creativity and the know-how, but on stage, we will keep the DNA intact.”
Source: Blooloop
