Daniel Lamarre says working in the live entertainment business requires passion. (Laurence Labat)
How do you integrate an existing company into Cirque du Soleil?
The priority now is much more volume in terms of number of shows we can tour. There are so many possibilities on tap for VStar. I met with VStar with Eric [Grilly, CEO] and I saw a bunch of people very, very happy that they were joining a company that can help them to grow. We have a great team, and I was very impressed.
What makes a great team?
In our world the passion of employees is so important. You cannot not be passionate if you work in the live entertainment business. And I met with a bunch of very passionate people.
That would be the artists and actors and creators?
It’s very tough for an artist to make a decent living. That’s one objective for Cirque du Soleil. We employ about 2,000 artists and now it will be more than that. We’re a good home for creators and artists. That’s why I think we have the brand we have today. I always say, if you have a great show, you have a great business; if you don’t have a good show, you have no business. That’s why in the word “show business,” show comes first.
What about the behind-the-scenes staff?
They’re part of it. I haven’t met yet an employee of CDS who will describe him- or herself as not being creative and part of a creative organization. I don’t think a traditional person can work within our organization. It takes someone who has a passion for live entertainment, and I see it in all of our departments.