MYSTÈRE BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL CELEBRATES RECORD-BREAKING 8,000 PERFORMANCES

Introduced in 1993, Mystère, the flower in the desert,
is the first Cirque du Soleil production to reach this important milestone.

LAS VEGAS, NV, Oct. 18 /CNW Telbec/ - Las Vegas' original permanent Cirque du Soleil production, Mystère, will celebrate bringing its signature mix of energy, athleticism and imagination to the stage for the record-breaking 8,000^th time on Monday, October 18.

Deemed the "flower in the desert" by Guy Laliberté, Founder of Cirque du Soleil, the exhilarating production has been credited with changing the face of Las Vegas entertainment since its premiere on December 25, 1993. This 90-minute production has captivated over 12 million people. The 1,629-seat Mystère Theatre was the first permanent Cirque du Soleil theatre to be custom-built to exact show specifications.

Very few live shows in the world have reached such an important number of performances, audience and longevity. This impressive achievement places Mystère in a very exclusive list of long-running live productions.

"This important milestone for Mystère defines what Cirque du Soleil is all about: creativity, audacity and keeping the dream alive. The flower in the desert has bloomed beautifully and will bloom forever," commented Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil.

New music for signature act

Mystère, now in its 17^th year at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, will also use Monday's performances to debut new music by composer Benoit Jutras for the show's high-energy, high-elevation Highbar act, written especially to commemorate this achievement. A special show introduction has been prepared for the occasion and guests at both performances can expect to be showered with colorful confetti and souvenir balloons during the finale.

Mystère fun facts :

• 12.2 million = number of people who have seen Mystère
• 1,456,000 = number of trampoline jumps over 8,000 performances
• 48,000 = number of buckets of popcorn dumped on unsuspecting audience members
• 12,000 = number of hours guitar player Bruce Rickerd has played (perfect attendance record!)
• 300 = number of times the stage has been painted by ONE MEMBER of the Props department
• 22 = miles of bungee cord used in the show
• 1 = number of 25-foot tall snails in the world

Mystère is pure Cirque du Soleil, featuring an exhilarating blend of thrilling acrobatic acts such as Chinese Poles, Hand to Hand balancing, Aerial High Bar and Bungee with powerful music and colorful costumes and sets. Mingling in the mystique is a cast of 75 international artists, whose spectrum of characters include a mischievous Clown, an electrifying Red Bird and one jumbo-sized Baby.

Mystère can be experienced Saturday through Wednesday at 7:00 pm and 9:30 pm. Tickets for Mystère are $60, $69, $79, $99 and $109 (plus taxes and fees) and can be purchased on-line at www.cirquedusoleil.com or www.treasureisland.com, by calling 800-392-1999 or 702-8947722, or by visiting the Mystère box office at Treasure Island.

About Cirque du Soleil

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is a major Québec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. In Las Vegas, Cirque du Soleil has seven permanent resident shows. These productions include Mystère at Treasure Island, "O" at Bellagio, Zumanity the Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil at New York-New York Hotel & Casino, KÀ at MGM Grand, The Beatles LOVE at Mirage, CRISS ANGEL Believe at Luxor and Viva ELVIS at ARIA Resort and Casino at CityCenter.  For more information, visit the Cirque du Soleil website at www.cirquedusoleil.com/lasvegas.

For further information:

Jeff Lovari
Publicist, Mystère
702.894.7753 - Direct
702.241.6849 - Cell
[email protected]