Glen Mikkelsen's red suit couldn't drown out his excitement Thursday morning as he and Mayor Shari Green unveiled the news Prince George would ring in the New Year with a run of Cirque du Soleil performances.
"Are you kidding me? Isn't that fantastic?" the CN Centre manager asked the roughly 100 people gathered in the Civic Centre foyer to hear the announcement.
The show, Dralion, has been seen by more than 11 million people worldwide since its 1999 premiere in Montreal. In 2009, it began an arena tour that will make its penultimate stop in Prince George with seven performances between Dec. 31, 2014 and Jan. 4, 2015.
"It is so great to finally share this secret with you all," said Mikkelsen. "I've been bursting to tell you and now I'm telling everybody because we want everybody to come to Prince George and the CN Centre and share in this unprecedented show on New Years Eve."
Dralion features a mix of Chinese acrobatic arts with the multidisciplinary approach of Cirque du Soleil, blending Eastern and Western inspirations.
"This is the number one, most requested show and performing group that our city team has been asked to bring to this community," said Green, calling the performances "a pretty dramatic way for us to kick off an amazing year for this community."
Bringing an internationally renowned act like Cirque du Soleil to the city will be a boon both culturally and economically, Green said. "It's going to attract thousands of people from around the province to come and see this show here in Prince George."
Events like this make it that much easier to sell Prince George and northern B.C., but the draw is already there, said Northern B.C. Tourism CEO Anthony Everett.
"We are a world-class place to visit. People now coming from all over the world and an event like this just reinforces how great our arts and culture is, all the things to see and do," he said. "So yes, hotels will be full, restaurants will be busy and it's another way to promote our great destination."
Tickets for Dralion go on sale Friday, June 20 through Ticketmaster or www.cirquedulsoleil.com/dralion. Prices range from $40 to $95 for adults and $32 to $76 for children 12 and under. Starting today, those who have signed up online as a Cirque Club member at www.cirqueclub.com can have access to pre-sale tickets.
