Editorial

Many of you may not have noticed, but Cirque du Soleil, the ever-popular

French-Canadian traveling circus, this week quietly closed up shop and

celebrated a successful run at the Irvine Spectrum.

We say quietly because Costa Mesa residents don’t exactly associate the

Cirque with words that are synonymous with peace and tranquillity.

It was January of 1997, when Cirque du Soleil set up shop in the parking

lot of the Orange County Fairgrounds to kick off its performance known as

“Quidam.” Fairgrounds officials had allowed the troupe to prop its

colorful tent and stage in the parking lot along Fairview Road, just

across the street from the College Park neighborhood, a community that

has battled the fairgrounds over the noise from the Pacific Ampitheatre

for years.

It was a tactical error.

Residents howled in protest over the Cirque’s loud, nightly performances,

which included an opening drum blast.

Cirque officials tried to accommodate, toning things down a bit but to no

avail. The result was a successful show that extended until March but

bitter feelings on the part of both residents and Cirque officials, who

vowed they would not return to Costa Mesa any time soon.

Enter the city of Irvine.

Officials there wisely lured the Cirque to its popular Irvine Spectrum

dining and entertainment center. The well-planned show began just before

the Christmas holidays.

The result? A boost in business for local eateries and bigger crowds at

the Spectrum.

To be sure, there were some parking nightmares in the already-crowded

Spectrum lot, but all in all, Irvine officials were nothing but pleased.

“It really kicked off the holiday season,” Irvine Mayor Christina Shea

told a reporter recently. “The more we can have things like Cirque du

Soleil, it will be nothing but an advantage to our city.”

What a contrast from the Cirque’s reception here three years ago.

It’s too bad that a city that likes to call itself the City of the Arts,

that boasts a world-class performing arts center and a cutting-edge

repertory theater, can lose such a prestigious and enjoyable event as the

Cirque du Soleil.

It’s too bad that fairground officials were so short-sighted in their

planning and were unable to foresee the debacle they had planned.

It’s too bad that residents were so quick to run the troupe out of town

and were unable instead to see it as, yes, maybe a boisterous visitor,

but a visitor who brought culture and notoriety to our fair city.

But maybe there’s still time to make amends and bring the Cirque back to

Costa Mesa.

Chantal Blanchard, the circus’ spokeswoman, told the press that despite

the good run at the Spectrum, there’s no guarantee they’ll make the spot

a permanent home.

Costa Mesa officials, here’s your chance to pull off the best high-wire

act yet.

Let’s work to bring the Cirque back home to the City of the Arts.