Franco Dragone

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Franco Dragone
Born 1952 (age 61–62)
Cairano, Italy
Occupation Chief executive officer, theatre director, artistic director
Website
Franco Dragone Entertainment Group

Franco Dragone (born in 1952) is an Italian-Belgian theatre director. He is known for his work with Cirque du Soleil and Celine Dion.[1]

Early life

Dragone was born in Cairano, Italy, and moved to La Louvière, Belgium at age seven. In the 1970s, he studied theatre at the Belgian Royal Conservatory of Mons. His earliest theatrical work was explicitly political, working as a director of theatre and film in the mode of the commedia dell'arte dramatist Dario Fo. The theatre works he helped create expressed social situations, interpreting true stories of the homeless, drug addicts and prison inmates, and casting the non-actors that shared their stories to perform in the shows. In the 1980s Dragone came to Montreal, Canada, where Guy Caron, director of the National Circus School, invited him to conduct workshops with the students and teachers at his school. Later, Dragone created, directed and produced a show for the end of the school year. Guy Laliberté saw one of these performances in 1984, the same year he formed Cirque du Soleil. In 1985, Laliberté sought out Guy Caron to join Cirque du Soleil. Caron, in turn, asked Dragone to join as a creator.[1][2]

Cirque du Soleil

From the years 1985 to 1998 Dragone would direct nearly all of Cirque du Soleil's most prestigious shows and played a significant role in developing Cirque du Soleil's distinctive merging of theater and circus performance. In the early 1990s Dragone's reputation grew with the production of Nouvelle Expérience and Saltimbanco, nontraditional circus productions in which postmodern dance, music, and circus acrobatics were interlaced with a dreamlike narrative.[1]

His visibility greatly increased after he directed and introduced the cutting-edge Cirque du Soleil production Mystère at the Treasure Island hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mystère helped to change the nature of production shows in Las Vegas. While Dragone would direct only one other show with the company in Las Vegas, O in 1998, to many he was the face of Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. The shows Dragone created with Cirque du Soleil had single-handedly brought the contemporary circus movement into the mainstream of American entertainment. Around the world, more than 40 million people have now seen Dragone’s creations.[2]

Franco also directed Cirque du Soleil's first motion picture, Alegría - An Enchanting Fable.

Post Cirque du Soleil

In 1999, Dragone directed the music video for Lara Fabian's song "Adagio".

In the following year he formed his own company called Dragone, based in his hometown of La Louvière in Belgium. During 2003, Dragone created a new live show, A New Day... starring Céline Dion, which opened at Caesars Palace, thus continuing his association with Las Vegas.

In 2005, Dragone debuted his fourth production on the Las Vegas Strip with the opening of Le Rêve at the Wynn Las Vegas.

Franco Dragone was in charge of the opening ceremony show for the 2010 South American Games that took place in Medellín, Colombia on March 19, 2010. The main themes of the show were inspired by Medellin's culture, business and geography.

Dragone most recently directed a Macau-based show entitled The House of Dancing Water, which bills itself as the world’s largest permanent water-based show. It includes over 70 artists from around the globe, including many who come from his previous creations with Cirque du Soleil. The artists in the show are well-rounded in dance, swimming and acrobats, as the 'House Troupe' performs many different acts. The House of Dancing Water is set in the 2000-seat Dancing Water Theater designed by Pei Partnership Architects; the theater is part of the City of Dreams integrated entertainment resort in Macau. The 270-degree theater-in-the-round has a central stage with a diameter of approximately 25 meters (82 feet), surrounded by sloped seating on three sides. The theater arena boasts a 40-meter-high steel trussed space (30 meters clear) providing generous height to the show’s display of acrobatics. The show, which incorporates various design elements such as fire, water effects, and atmospheric effects, premiered on 17 September 2010.[3] Dragone's style is very visible in this new production; the mood has similarities to his previous shows.

On March 29, 2012 he was awarded the doctor honoris causa degree for general merits by the University of Antwerp, in recognition of his innovative and cosmopolitan approach of theatre.

Between January and March 2013, Dragone created and directed 'The Story of a Fort, Legacy of a Nation’ Show

The show brought the history of the Emirati people to life. An international cast filled with dancers, acrobats and gymnasts that were carefully selected for this special event. Fusing culture and tradition with artistic disciplines, ‘Story of a Fort, Legacy of a Nation’ was a rich visual poem celebrating over 250 years of Emirati history and offering an unforgettable combination of music, performance and special effects that resonated with viewers long after it has finished.

Shows

Cirque du Soleil

Franco Dragone Entertainment Group

  • 2000:
    • Décrocher la lune, La Louvière
    • Opening ceremony of Euro 2000

Autre

  • 1985: La vente aux enchères, Cirque du Trottoir
  • 1986: Eldorado, Compagnie des Mutants
  • 1987: Les Communs des Mortels, a Compagnie du Campus and Collectif 1984 coproduction
  • 1987: Flic, Flac, Compagnie des Funambules (Belgique)
  • 1987: La tête dans le si bémol, with Michel Dallaire and Pierre Lafontaine
  • 1992: La ballade de l'homme gris, Compagnie du Campus
  • 1993: Pomp, Duck, Circumstance, Düsseldorf
  • 1996: Poussière du temps, Compagnie du Campus
  • 2013: "Story Of A Fort, Legacy Of A Nation" Abu Dhabi

Bibliography

  • (French) Yves Vasseur, Franco Dragone: une part de rêve, Éd. Luc Pire, 2006
  • (French) Yves Vasseur, Franco Dragone, une improbable odyssée, Éd. Labor, 2002
  • (French) Franco Dragone, Claude Renard, Le Tailleur du Rêve, Éd. Les Impressions Nouvelles, 2006

Documentaries

  • (French) Jacob Berger, Le Rêve, 2005: série documentaire pour Arte autour du travail de Franco Dragone sur le spectacle Le Rêve
  • (French) Manu Bonmariage, Looking For Dragone, 2009

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Profile of Franco Dragone, "Franco Dragone at the Limits of Las Vegas", by Chris Jones, from Democratic Vistas Profiles: Essays in the Arts and Democracy.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Le Rêve Press Kit." Wynn Las Vegas. Press release. pp. 10-11. Retrieved Dec 6, 2009.
  3. ↑ The House of Dancing Water official website
  4. ↑ "Dalian Wanda Group The "Han Show" Theatre Opening 2014". Stufish Architecture. March 12, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2012. 

External links

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