A spokesperson for Cirque du Soleil said that despite huge marketing, "nothing would tilt the needle" toward a successful run of the troupe's latest show, Iris. The company will close the show at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., on Jan. 19, after demand for tickets did not meet expectation. The company spent $50 million to $55 million to produce the show, per the spokesperson.
I have to wonder if we have become inured to spectacles like Cirque. As marvelous as the show and the performers are, once we've seen a few of the shows, are we so jaded and cynical that the wow factor is lost on us?