Pretty soon, North Carolina’s entertainment reporters will need to get the research staff to keep track of these cancellations.
Add Cirque du Soleil to the growing list of big-name stage performers that refuse to perform in the same state as reviled local act Pat & His Fearmongering Homophobes.
Fourteen N.C. performances by the world-famous high-flying Canadian troupe are now canceled, as a result of HB 2.
These include seven performances of “OVO” at Greensboro Coliseum, from April 20 through April 24; and seven at Charlotte’s Time Warner Cable Arena from July 6 through July 10. Their TORUK-Avatar shows in Raleigh in late June are also gone.
Cirque du Soleil’s media rep Renée-Claude Ménard explains why in this press release:
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL WILL NOT PERFORM IN NORTH CAROLINA
Montréal – April 15, 2016 – Cirque du Soleil strongly believes in diversity and equality for every individual and is opposed to discrimination in any form. The new HB2 legislation passed in North Carolina is an important regression to ensuring human rights for all. We therefore choose to cancel our scheduled performances of OVO in Greensboro (April 20-24) and our scheduled performances in Charlotte (July 6-10) and our scheduled performances of TORUK – Avatar in Raleigh (June 22-26).
Cirque du Soleil believes in equality for all. It is a principle that guides us with both our employees and our customers. We behave as change agents to reach our ultimate goal of making a better world with our actions and our productions.
We sincerely hope that the customers that have purchased tickets for our performances in North Carolina will understand our motivation and we look forward to performing in North Carolina when this issue is addressed. On-line and phone ticket purchases will be automatically reimbursed and in-person purchases must return to point of purchase for refunds. Customer service can be reached at 1-877-924-7783.
OK, Republicans. Now, you’ve done it. You just pissed off a whole bunch of people’s grandparents. Nice.
