The circus king is back on another planet

” You’re a frog, I’m a frog, kiss me ‘, sang Guy Laliberte over the past days. Disguised as a frog, the founder of Cirque du Soleil took center stage on his Instagram accountIt’s time to lather up his new frenzy.

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explained to Laliberte, via email, in response to questions from Newspaper.

In 2015, the businessman sold his company for $1.5 billion. In 2020, just before the pandemic, Caisse de Depot et placement du Québec, which was a shareholder in Cirque at the time, paid $75 million to purchase the last batch of shares.

Since then, Laliberte has been discreet, from his island in Polynesia, but has re-emerged in the past few days in raving video capsules. “I decided to return to my first love, at the front of the stage,” the interested main party admitted.

He, who has long been nicknamed “The Frog” due to his French-speaking origins in Quebec, chose to play with the symbol.

Frogs, Elvis and Jacuzzi

So we saw him, in a Jacuzzi, at sunset or on a table, surrounded by stuffed frogs, to the sound of love me baby Elvis Presley or Led Zeppelin.

These videos have allowed me to enjoy […] As in the days of the Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul, Laliberte recalls, referring to the beginnings of the Cirque du Soleil in the 1980s.

According to him, these capsules are mainly intended to stimulate interest in his new project, which was finally revealed yesterday at 22:22:22 GMT, 02-22-2022, a lucky date and time for numerology lovers.

“I have always loved symbols. I chose the name ‘Cirque du Soleil’ because for me the sun represents the energy of youth. […] 02-22-22 Inspire me and numerology allows you to open a portal in time, to create an opportunity to tell me [faire du] Storytelling explains the businessman.

immersive experience

But what about this new madness? Laliberté decided to embark on a new experience, both physical and digital, what he calls “phygital”, developed by Hanai World, which combines his creative activities.

Launched in 2021 by his company Lune Rouge, this platform relies heavily on the metaverse, an immersive experience, on the frontiers of reality and virtual, the so-called mixed reality.

It is increasingly used by big players like Nike, Walmart, JP Morgan, Disney, and Facebook and allows them to virtually connect with their customers using avatars.

During the pandemic, Guy Laliberte has been talked about for his many flights on his personal plane, the Bombardier Global Express. He has visited Hawaii and Tahiti in particular. With this project, he says he wants to “spread positivity despite the gloom caused by the pandemic”.

Three Questions for Guy Laliberté

Does your new project involve artisans from Quebec? Will there be links and offers here?

I have always said that creativity is one of Quebec’s greatest assets and I still believe in it deeply.

So yes, the creative force behind Hanai World – and behind all of my projects, for that matter – is in Quebec, which doesn’t stop me from collaborating with some international artists, as was the case with Circus.

From your island, do you miss Quebec?

I don’t miss the freezing rain anyway. Seriously, I don’t miss Quebec because I collaborate on a daily basis with my team, which is mostly there.

You’re no longer associated with Cirque du Soleil, but are you still thinking about the company you founded? Do you think there will be the same creativity as before?

I’m too busy to miss the circus. I’m in good contact with Daniel [Lamarre] As well as with the current leaders, I am following with great interest the rebirth of the circus.

I’m not here to give my opinion, but I believe that the next few years will leave more space for young creators who will be able to create shows that allow viewers all over the world to experience great emotions!

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