Cirque du Soleil Draws More Than 100,000 to Performances at Great Park

IRVINE, Calif., March 4 /PRNewswire/ -- With the final performance of Cirque du Soleil's KOOZA production February 14th, Orange County's newest event venue successfully completed its debut with breathtaking acrobatics, bold slapstick humor and creative musical delight.  More than 100,000 people from throughout Southern California experienced the magic of KOOZA from Cirque du Soleil at the new 14-acre Great Park Festival Site.

"With the completion of Cirque du Soleil's first season, we have truly embarked on a wonderful working relationship," said Mike Ellzey, Chief Executive Officer of the Orange County Great Park Corporation.  "Cirque du Soleil made a commitment to growing with us as a venue, and we in turn say thank you to Cirque du Soleil for bringing this world-class performance to the Great Park."  

Cirque du Soleil has the option to return to the Great Park as many as 7 times through 2018.  Cirque du Soleil was the first organization to take advantage of the Great Park's 14-acre Festival Site, which features 530,000 square feet of unobstructed paved surface and has been described by local event companies as "a dream location."

"Bringing KOOZA to the Great Park raised the profile of the Park as a preeminent entertainment destination," said Larry Agran, Chair of the Orange County Great Park Board of Directors.  "Cirque performances also benefited the community, generating revenue for local hotels, restaurants and the Great Park."

Cirque performers staying in Irvine hotels and apartments brought revenue to local businesses, and local eateries also saw business boom thanks to performances at the Great Park.

"Not only did this performance run lead to an incredible boost in business for our restaurant, but we also saw many new faces from regions of the county that we would normally not reach," commented Cathy Pavlos, Executive Chef/Owner of LUCCA Cafe and Restaurant in Irvine. "One guest actually stopped me in the supermarket to tell me that her first experience at LUCCA coincided with KOOZA, and she enjoyed it so much that she would definitely be back. That pretty much sums it up."

The new Festival Site will soon host several more events, including the Bee Hive Family Festival, the Family and Pet Expo, and the Green and Home Expo.

For more information on the Orange County Great Park, please go to www.ocgp.org.

SOURCE Orange County Great Park