"I think we’ve been good lately in pushing the boundaries of creativity and also of technology.Annaleigh Ashford, a Tony Award winner currently onstage in the play Sylvia, was in the cast of Banana Shpeel and sensed quickly that it wasn’t a great match for the city. But Banana Shpeel — a disappointingly spotty programme of acrobatics, juggling, dance and mostly tiresome slapstick — flopped at the Beacon Theatre in 2010.Lamarre promised three completely different shows: In addition to Paramour, there will be the eccentric and dreamy big show Kurios and the new arena show Toruk, inspired by James Cameron’s movie Avatar, which he described as "a live, multimedia spectacle."

The upcoming visiting avant-garde Kurios and the immersive Toruk — made with consultation by Cameron and featuring the familiar blue Na’vi — will be marketed toward New Yorkers, while Paramour will go after tourists. It’s more abstract."The genre of circus is traditionally not one of storytelling. and Barnum & Bailey’s Circus Xtreme has stopped by. Brand-new drone technology will be featured in Paramour. The Big Apple Circus has for years pitched its tent in the city, and Ringling Bros.After years of treating New York somewhat warily, like a dangerous high-wire act, Cirque du Soleil is ready to flip over the Big Apple.The first step Cirque took for a new New York strategy was to open an office in the city about 18 months ago led by Scott Zeiger, a co-founder of BASE Entertainment.Lamarre said Cirque has some 75,000 artists in its database and makes huge investments in research and development.Other circuses have also tried to find a foothold in New York, including Traces, a hip-hop-flavored show in Union Square, and the circus-turned-burlesque show Empire from Spiegelworld."Other Cirque shows that have come through the city in recent years include Totem at Citi Field, Zarkana for two summers at Radio City Music Hall from 2012-13, the winter show Wintuk at Madison Square Garden from 2007 to 2010 and OVO on Randall’s Island in 2010.But unlike Las Vegas — where eight Cirque shows are running — the company has never really had a permanent foothold in New York, even though its shows are tourist-friendly spectacles not depending on dialogue, star or story.

The Montreal-based circus company is planning for two traveling shows to land in the city next fall, as well as China Wholesale Tents Manufactures a new one this spring, Paramour, which Cirque has specifically designed for a Broadway theater.Cirque has been reinvigorating its brand by pushing the technology envelope and spreading its wings into different mediums.Cirque du Soleil hasn’t always had roaring success in the city. And New York City is a city that has built a theater community — a world of theater — on very specific, very clear storytelling," she said."We are a strong player worldwide with a worldwide brand and we have spent a lot of time developing the Las Vegas market and not enough focus on developing the New York market," he said. "In New York, it’s a different bar altogether.

The female-centric Amaluna — the Diane Palus-led melding of Shakespeare’s The Tempest with jaw-dropping circus tricks — was well-attended in 2014 at Citi Field.""Our challenge is always to be on the edge and always come with distinctive types of shows that will always surprise our fans," he said.. Not until we can drive the story as much as we can drive the spectacle was Cirque truly comfortable in creating something for a Broadway house."Paramour at the Lyric Theatre marks the first time Cirque has gone directly after the Broadway market, with show creators hoping to give the production more story than traditional Cirque offerings. "You’re there for the spectacle, you’re there for the excitement, you’re there to see something you can’t see anywhere else," he said. And it’s our first concern here."For us, New York is an underdeveloped market and it’s surprising because it’s still the world capital of entertainment," said Daniel Lamarre, president and chief executive officer of Cirque. Its Michael Jackson One in Las Vegas features a hologramlike image of the King of Pop, and it will co-produce NBC’s The Wiz Live! this winter. "If we want to remain relevant for the next 30 years, we have to be on the lookout all the time and we have to reinvent ourselves all the time," he said. "

Storytelling is not their first concern. He quickly understood that New York was special and so he built Paramour to be different. There is a real theater-going community here that is looking to embrace new and eclectic and interesting theatre.In Vegas, shows compete with gambling, shopping and food.

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".Mr Singh’s "Narmada Parikrama" came close on the heels of him being divested of charges of two crucial states, Karnataka and Telangana after the Goa fiasco in which the party had failed to form the government despite emerging as the single largest party in the last assembly China Custom Canopy Suppliers elections in the state.There are primarily three factional leaders in party in MP.Interestingly, the CLP leader has recently caused ripples in the party by opposing openly some "crucial" announcements by the AICC general secretary in-charge of MP Deepak Babaria, said to be enjoying confidence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi. And hence, they are sitting with their fingers crossed to see what role the former chief minister will play after he completed his ‘spiritual journey’," said a Congress leader.

Although, the respective followers of the three leaders want them to be declared as chief ministerial candidate ahead of the year-end Assembly elections, Mr Singh has, however, already announced that he would play the role of mentor to help the party return to power in the state.Mr Babaria’s particularly the decision to charge party ticket aspirants `50,000 in form of demand draft has been opposed tooth and nail by the CLP leader.Mr Singh was successful in roping in senior party leaders such as AICC general secretary and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, veteran leaders Kamal Nath, and Jyotiraditya Scindia to join his "spiritual journey" indicating his "undiminished" clout in the party.The gritty Congress leader has already dropped hints on his return to MP politics after a gap of a decade and half years by saying recently that "I am not going to sell ‘Pakoda’ (the quintessential snack of India) after I completed my ‘Narmada Parikrama’.Although his close aides ran a campaign that the "Ekta Yatra" would strive to unite people in the state against the divisive policies of the ruling BJP, a section of Congress leaders have seen a political design in the plan.Old warhorse on a comeback trail Digvijay Singh has already dropped hints on his return to MP politics after a gap of more than a decadeIn coming days, the party high command is likely to settle the leadership issue in Cong ahead of Assembly polls in MP, due in November this yearHis signal to re-enter politics has given rise to apprehension in a section of Congress and revival of factional feud in the stateMr Singh is openly against projecting a CM candidate by the party for Assembly polls.Mr Nath has thrown his weight behind Mr Scindia backing him to lead the party in the upcoming assembly polls.Mr Scindia, who was said to the front runner in the race for chief ministerial nominee of Congress, was strongly in favour of the party projecting its face for the forthcoming assembly polls "without any further delay".

The subtle remark he had made during his ongoing "Narmada Parikrama", a detour he had launched on September 30 last year along the bank of river Narmada to attain "spiritual enlightenment", has ironically followed his announcement to launch "Ekta Yatra" across the state soon after he ended his "religious" journey.Bhopal: A sense of unease seems to be pervading through a powerful section of Congress in Madhya Pradesh with former chief minister Digvijay Singh set to end his six- month-long "sabbatical" from politics on April 9.Mr Singh has also backed his proteges, MP PCC president Arun Yadav and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Ajey Singh, indicating his opposition to a party rejig ahead of the coming Assembly elections."

In coming days, the party high command is likely to settle the leadership issue in Congress ahead of Assembly polls in MP, due in November this year. They are Mr Singh, and Congress MPs, Mr Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia.Mr Singh, who has literally distanced himself from MP politics after the government led by him in the state lost the Assembly elections in 2003 facilitating return of BJP to power in 2003, is trying to stage a comeback in the state politics in a big way keeping an eye on the forthcoming Assembly elections.The Ekta Yatra, the AICC general secretary was mulling to launch in coming days, may turn out to be a show of strength by him to build pressure on the party high command to restore his hold on MP Congress, a senior party leader told this newspaper on condition of anonymity.But, Mr Singh was openly against projecting a chief ministerial candidate by the party causing discomfiture in the camps of Mr Scindia and Mr Nath.His signal to re-enter state politics has given rise to apprehension in a section of Congress of revival of factional feud in the state party in coming days.

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the happenings in the party in past six months were also the reason of partys defeat," Jaitley said..Lucknow: With Akhilesh Yadavs experiments at the hustings backfiring, voices of dissent have started surfacing in the SP with some leaders demanding that the old order under party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav be restored.this goes on to prove the hold ofMulayam Singh," Rai said."

The SP patrons rally in Jaunpur for Parasnath Yadav helped him win the seat despite the fact that he was not comfortably placed earlier.Specially critical of Ram Gopal Yadav, Rai said that he had emereged as the Chanakya in the party and portable gazebo he needs to follow what he had been preaching.."Barring the two or three candidates all those who have won are those who had been picked up by Netaji and Shivpalji ..The party, however, lost the Lucknow Cantt seat where the former SP chief addressed a rally for his daughter-in-lawAparna Yadav but the party had no base, Rai said.Party insiders said that after every defeat, Ram Gopal used to seek the records booth-wise and "harass" those on whose booths the performance of the party was not upto the mark. we also promise to take care of Akhileshs future", he said adding that the party should be allowed to work in the directions and guidance of netaji. He wanted to campaign for the party..Shivpal won the seat comfortably even though all out efforts were made to stop his march to the vidhan sabha," Rai said.Party leaders, specially the ones who have been close to Mulayam Singh and Shivpal Singh, want Akhilesh Yadav to hand over the reins of the party to his father.Another SP leader Madhukar Jaitely also aired similar views demanding more power to party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav."Akhileshji had asked for control of the party only till elections, citing them as his exam and now that he has failed in it he should hand over the leadership to Netaji," a senior party leader said on condition of anonymity.."Either he should atone for his wrongdoings or the party should give him the same treatment that he used to give others and both he and Akhilesh should own up for the loss", Rai said."We had taken care of the party after big reverses in the wake of Ayodhya movement and we can do it once again ..Recalling the allegation of Mulayam Singh that Ram Gopal is hand-in-glove with the BJP and is ruining the future of Akhilesh Yadav, Rai said poll results have given more strength to these doubts.Former SP spokesman and founder member of the party CP Rai said those who have won the elections for the party are mostly the ones who had been given tickets by Mulayam Singh and Shivpal Yadav. ticket distribution was also an issue of contention ..The Samajwadi Party could manage only 47 seats, 177 down from its 2012 tally of 224 seats.

It was also Akhilesh who shunned the mafias and criminal elements and played the development card to the hilt, assuming that the electorate specially youth will fall for it.."Mulayams honour should be restored.Despite reservations expressed by his father, Akhilesh had gone ahead with a pre-poll alliance with the Congress with an aim of undoing the damage caused to the partys public image after the long-run family feud....Akhilesh felt that Congress could help it consolidate the crucial Muslim vote, which accounts for over 18 per cent of the population and check the march of BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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