Cirque du Soleil - on Ice

If they have a criminal record in the US, isn’t it highly unlikely they will be barred from entering? At least sawyer. Then his career is done.
 
I don't think public intoxication and evading arrest (what Sawyer was charged with) will keep him out of the US.

It's stupid -and it may keep him out of something like Stars on Ice.

It wasn't on the TV news down here, but it did hit my San Antonio internet news feeds.
 
centerpt1 said:
I don't think public intoxication and evading arrest (what Sawyer was charged with) will keep him out of the US.

It's stupid -and it may keep him out of something like Stars on Ice.

It wasn't on the TV news down here, but it did hit my San Antonio internet news feeds.
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It certainly was not very bright...Especially in the US with all the cop bullying. It seems like he is being a follower & that never turns out well irregardless of age.
 
The thing is, if they'd appeared intoxicated in front of a bar on the Riverwalk, the cops would have just sent them back to their hotel, unless they were creating a disturbance. Put them in a bar parking lot a few blocks off downtown, and suddenly arrest. Makes me wonder the rest of the story.
 
@centerpt1 The article says that the police were tipped off after some complaints about people using drugs (whether that was them or other people is debatable, because the compliant said narcotics instead of coke). They then tried to run away and admitted to doing cocaine, and cocaine was on them. Either way, it's not a good look for them.

I don't think it will prevent Sawyer from staying in the US for now, and if the case goes nowhere, he'll have no future issues. If he's convicted, that may be another story. (I'm genuinely not sure what it would mean for him)

I think that Cirque du Soleil would have fired them and replaced them if they had the time to replace them. I don't know how easy it would be to find two male figure skaters fitting their casting criteria (it was very stringent), but I would assume they will want to find other people to fill those spots who do not make poor choices.
 
Willin said:
@centerpt1 The article says that the police were tipped off after some complaints about people using drugs (whether that was them or other people is debatable, because the compliant said narcotics instead of coke). They then tried to run away and admitted to doing cocaine, and cocaine was on them. Either way, it's not a good look for them.

I don't think it will prevent Sawyer from staying in the US for now, and if the case goes nowhere, he'll have no future issues. If he's convicted, that may be another story. (I'm genuinely not sure what it would mean for him)

I think that Cirque du Soleil would have fired them and replaced them if they had the time to replace them. I don't know how easy it would be to find two male figure skaters fitting their casting criteria (it was very stringent), but I would assume they will want to find other people to fill those spots who do not make poor choices.
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I doubt they will fire Shawn unless he has a history of irresponsible behaviour that we are unaware (which seems unlikely). He is a brilliant show skater, perfectly suited for Cirque who would be very difficult to replace. He made a foolish mistake and should have acted more responsibly, especially in a foreign country, but no one was hurt and there is no reason it should be career ending. If he does have a substance abuse problem, then I expect Cirque, like any good employer, will assist him with getting help for it.
 
Reports are that Shawn Sawyer is still skating in this show. Legally, it is doubtful that Cirque has any obligation to assist him if he has a substance abuse problem as he is a contracted skater, not an employee. As the show is moving on to other cities it appears that he will move on with it. Hard to believe that this is the first time a Cirque performer has been caught doing something they should not have been doing in public.
 
greenapple said:
Reports are that Shawn Sawyer is still skating in this show. Legally, it is doubtful that Cirque has any obligation to assist him if he has a substance abuse problem as he is a contracted skater, not an employee. As the show is moving on to other cities it appears that he will move on with it. Hard to believe that this is the first time a Cirque performer has been caught doing something they should not have been doing in public.
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I doubt that it is either. These are young healthy artists and athletes travelling the world - it’s pretty much a given that they are going to get into trouble now and then. I don’t think it’s any more serious than that. I was curious though, so I looked it up, and Cirque has very good programs for their artists. Most are on 1-2year contracts with benefits that include full medical plus an EAP program:

https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/jobs/casting/work/living-environment.aspx
“When necessary, artists and their immediate families can also take advantage of our confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides help in resolving personal problems, free of charge.”
 
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...-12276380.php?cmpid=fb-desktop#photo-14343407

Sigh. Some athletes just don't get it when it comes to drugs. They sound like such cashed up and entitled party boys.

With Nicole Bobek almost serving jail time (for alleged distribution) and Christopher Bowman using for years and dying, my biggest worry is for the other cast members. Much as I loved Shawn as a performer in the eligible ranks, I think he should have been suspended or fired for this.

I would be so nervous and incredibly resentful to be in a position of absolute trust in a physically demanding show like Cirque Du Soleil, if a fellow cast member was out of their heads on drugs, and the company did nothing.

Being in a show like this is such a privilege. Putting your team at a greater risk is so stupid and unnecessary.

I'm more angry than I should be, I guess because it makes me sad to see a skater I had so much respect for as a performer, to be acting this way.
 
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That why I was thinking they might have some employment troubles - usually by the time you get caught with drugs, it's not your first (or last) time doing drugs. Especially when your performers are doing dangerous stunts, any drug use is a huge liability issue and drug testing before every show to ensure sobriety and safety is probably too much effort for them to do just to keep a performer.

Cirque doesn't want to risk anything, and so they're very strict. They also have a huge pool of performers at their training centers willing and ready to replace anyone who makes a small mistake. Even if you aren't fired, your'e sent back to the training center and someone replaces you. For this show, I don't know if they have many alternates back in Canada, so I don't know how easily they could replace these skaters, and that may be why they're not already out. Hopefully the health benefits will cover rehab for them.
 
Willin said:
They also have a huge pool of performers at their training centers willing and ready to replace anyone who makes a small mistake.
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I know they have a huge pool of acrobats and dancers, but skaters... ready to go...?
 
@nimi @centerpt1 That's exactly why I think they haven't replaced him yet - they were advertising for figure skaters on FB to recruit talent for this show (as opposed to the regular open auditions/recruiting), so I doubt they have enough or any reserves to replace him.
 
fan said:
If they have a criminal record in the US, isn’t it highly unlikely they will be barred from entering? At least sawyer. Then his career is done.
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I don't think that Shawn would be barred. Perhaps Zuckerman would be, as possession is much more serious charge.

Many years ago I attempted to enter the US from British Columbia with a friend who had pot in her dash, and she got caught. We both had to go to court in Seattle, and the consequences were harsh for her, as she was the driver. I don't remember exactly what they were precisely, as it was so long ago.

But entering the US wasn't possible unless she took certain steps to deal with the record she had acquired. She never did take those steps, so hasn't been able to go to the US since.

2sk8 said:
It is fine to have fun, but I agree with the poster above that this is not the kind of attention skating needs. Skaters who are given such an opportunity need to take it seriously, as professional adults, and set good examples. They are no longer children. I truly hope this does not reflect too negatively on Cirque's bold move into ice shows at a time when professional figure skating in the US is already quite limited.
And, I don't mean to sound too harsh on these guys - BUT this is a HUGE opportunity for them - and they are 25 & 32 - old enough to know better and old enough to take on the responsibility of being ambassadors for figure skating. JMHO
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This is not the first or last time that figure skaters will use cocaine. Toller Cranston wrote about using it in his books. It's just that in the case, the skaters got caught.

As to this not being the kind of attention skating needs, I highly doubt that anyone who doesn't follow FS closely is even aware of who Shawn Sawyer is, let alone that he got into this situation.
 
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Willin said:
That why I was thinking they might have some employment troubles - usually by the time you get caught with drugs, it's not your first (or last) time doing drugs. Especially when your performers are doing dangerous stunts, any drug use is a huge liability issue and drug testing before every show to ensure sobriety and safety is probably too much effort for them to do just to keep a performer.

Cirque doesn't want to risk anything, and so they're very strict. They also have a huge pool of performers at their training centers willing and ready to replace anyone who makes a small mistake. Even if you aren't fired, your'e sent back to the training center and someone replaces you. For this show, I don't know if they have many alternates back in Canada, so I don't know how easily they could replace these skaters, and that may be why they're not already out. Hopefully the health benefits will cover rehab for them.
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In response to the questions about reserves or understudies for the figure skaters, I can confirm that Cirque DID NOT hire or retain a pool of such skaters.
 
WildRose said:
I doubt that it is either. These are young healthy artists and athletes travelling the world - it’s pretty much a given that they are going to get into trouble now and then.
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Hmmmm....

If you found out, say, your kid's school bus driver was under the influence at work, what would you say then?
 
essence_of_soy said:
Hmmmm....

If you found out, say, your kid's school bus driver was under the influence at work, what would you say then?
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Wait, are you saying were they coked up while working (i.e. practicing/performing), too?

If yes, that's a very serious accusation.

If not... If they had gotten into trouble for "just" drinking and public intoxication on their night out, would you all be posting here implying they must be alcoholics (and should be kicked out)?
 
essence_of_soy said:
Hmmmm.... If you found out, say, your kid's school bus driver was under the influence at work, what would you say then?
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Your analogy is not the best, as the bus driver is putting his passengers directly in harm's way. These two young men didn't put anyone else in harm's way, SFAIK.

nimi said:
Wait, are you saying were they coked up while working (i.e. practicing/performing), too? If yes, that's a very serious accusation.
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That wasn't reported in the story. If they did use while working, yes, it's more serious.

But I don't think so serious as the bus driver, unless they were reckless on the ice and thus put other skater's at risk of a collision or injury. But they don't have the same level of responsibility as the bus driver, who is responsible for the safety of his/her passengers.
 
WildRose said:
I doubt they will fire Shawn unless he has a history of irresponsible behaviour that we are unaware (which seems unlikely). He is a brilliant show skater, perfectly suited for Cirque who would be very difficult to replace. He made a foolish mistake and should have acted more responsibly, especially in a foreign country, but no one was hurt and there is no reason it should be career ending. If he does have a substance abuse problem, then I expect Cirque, like any good employer, will assist him with getting help for it.
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Phelps was in the national team and became Oly champion after his scandal...
 
So back to the actual show and away from the drama of the performers...

I went to the Minneapolis show yesterday. I would say it was good but not great. Unfortunately by trying to combine Cirque du Soleil and figure skating, I felt like it was kind of mediocre at both things. I've seen several other Cirque shows, and I felt like the acrobatics in this one were less spectacular than in some of the other ones that I've seen. The other couple that I went with that has been to other Cirque shows felt the same way. That said, I did really like the juggling on skates routine, the swinging poles, the guy with the ribbons to Halo, the Celtic hockey/skate park type number and the swing routine done by Crystal to Sia's Chandelier.

Most of the better performances were not the skating related routines unfortunately. The skating was not super strong - even my boyfriend noticed from the bit of skating he has watched with me that the level of skating wasn't super high. The one exception was Shawn Sawyer who did pull off some triple toes and double axels, and a triple toe-triple toe at the end (boyfriend's hilarious comment: I knew it was a triple-triple before you told me, just wasn't sure what the second jump was. I think it was a triple axel :lol: He still has a bit more to learn!) I felt like Sawyer could have been highlighted more as the one high-level skater in the cast.

Anyway, for people thinking about going if/when it comes to your city, I think it's still worth going but I probably wouldn't spring for really expensive tickets. If you have to choose between this and SOI in your skating budget, I would pick SOI. Although I would still pick a live competition over either of the two, even with travel costs.
 
I went this weekend as well - I got my ticket at the groupon rate (although I can't remember now what that was, since I got the ticket months ago).

I overall enjoyed it, although I agree with Erin that the skating wasn't on the level of SOI, I did think it worked really well as Ice Theater. The show did do a good job of using different styles of movement on ice to create mood and themes. There were also some moments where the ice (or maybe the skates) were fully miked and they played with sound (although not as well as this classic SOI routine). They used a full (or I suppose ice show sized) surface as the floor of the show, and I guess at least 60% of the cast was always in skates. The acrobats wore some kind of grippie soled foot coverings (probably for the best, given that the height of the tossing and flipping could have lead to an "iron lotus" moment).

The lighting design was fantastic - they were able to use the white surface of the ice to create some intriguing art, and a there was one number that made it look like the skater was "writing" on the ice (a dark contrail of inky light followed her blade).

There was a loose narration running through the whole show that didn't work for me- I know they wanted to tell a story, but I found her voice intrusive.

I think it's worth checking out (but not, as Erin said, at the highest admission price).
 
I also went this weekend and enjoyed the show. I've never been to a Cirque du Soleil show so had nothing to compare it against. I think Crystal works better as a cohesive show vs. SOI which lately has been just a bunch of solo numbers and if there is a concept or theme, it hasn't been as good as SOI in the 90s.

We had seats on the side in row P which were $64 and those worked well. I think it helps when you are buying tickets to search around the arena since there were still a few price ranges higher than that, and I don't think the seats would have been that much better to pay a lot more.
 
Impromptu said:
There was a loose narration running through the whole show that didn't work for me- I know they wanted to tell a story, but I found her voice intrusive.
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Yes, I found the same thing. I also didn't really understand the story, which is probably the case for any Cirque show I've been to, but it bothered me more for this one than others and I think you hit upon why with the comment about the intrusiveness of the voice.

One point I did want to add, as I felt a bit bad like I was complaining about the level of skating, is that I do think it's great that there are opportunities like this for skaters who aren't top level international skaters to be able to earn a living from skating.
 
I bought my ticket for March 10 (Saturday 4 pm). The ticket was only $65 but Ticketmasters service charges added $23. It was even more expensive on Stubhub. I could have gotten a better seat on Sunday, for about $30 more but I decided to save money because I want to see 'The price is right- live' this month. That ticket was more expensive, but I have never been to a live TV show, so I want to see this one. So saving $30 seemed important.

My seat for crystal is in a very good section, with a side view, though I will be in row 17, which is rather far (would have been row 7 on Sunday). When I went to a Cirque show in Vegas, we were in row 4, side, and it was great. I hope row 17 won't be too bad. I think it may be like a row 17 at a skating competition. Usually that is quite good (not great).
 
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Yazmeen said:
The new touring show will be done on ice; wish it was coming closer to me.

https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/crystal
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Yazmeen said:
The new touring show will be done on ice; wish it was coming closer to me.

https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/crystal
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I'm going to see it Sunday , weather permitting. Local tour company has a bus going up to Detroit with a lunch stop before (Cracker barrel). I will post a review if the bus is able to make it. They are predicting a snow/ice storm that I hope doesn't happen in Ohio.
 
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