VStar Entertainment Group, a portfolio company of AUA Private Equity since June 2014, has acquired Cirque Productions. Neil Goldberg, Cirque Productions’ founder, will continue to lead the Cirque Dreams brand as its President and will support VStar’s other productions in a creative capacity.
Cirque Productions produces the Cirque Dreams brand of shows including Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, Cirque Dreams Rocks, Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Cirque Dreams Unwrapped, Cirque Dreams Revealed, Cirque Dreams & Dinner and other productions. The shows are performed in theatres, casinos, theme parks, resorts, cruise lines, and on Broadway. Cirque Productions has entertained more than 50 million people worldwide since founding in 1993. The company’s headquarters – known as Dream Studios and located in Pompano Beach, FL – will continue to serve as the brands’ 25,000 square foot theatrical production, rehearsal, training, design, development and wardrobe manufacturing facility (www.cirqueproductions.com).
VStar Entertainment Group is a touring family entertainment and event promotions company. VStar presents over 1,000 live shows annually, including Sesame Street Live!; PAW Patrol Live! “Race to the Rescue”; and Discover the Dinosaurs UNLEASHED. VStar also offers production services, creates 3D props and costumes for Fortune 500 companies, mascots for college and professional sports teams and designs custom, experiential installations in venues across the country. The company is based near Minneapolis in Shoreview, MN (www.vstarentertainment.com).
“Live theatre and imaginative entertainment has been my lifelong passion and I now look forward to developing the next chapter in partnership with VStar, an established brand that truly understands the evolving family entertainment landscape,” said Mr. Goldberg.
“The addition of Cirque Productions is a natural evolution for VStar as we look to broaden our customer base, diversify our entertainment offerings and add talent and resources to our company,” said David Benyaminy, Partner at AUA Private Equity.
AUA Private Equity makes equity investments in companies in the consumer, media and business services sectors with a particular focus on family-owned businesses and companies benefiting from the growth of the US Hispanic population. The firm invests from $15 million to $75 million of equity in companies that generate at least $5 million of EBITDA. AUA is based in New York (www.auaequity.com).
“As we continue to build our brand, we are excited to add Cirque Dreams to our family of live tours – it is a terrific extension of our live entertainment platform and brings further diversity to our company’s portfolio and to audiences everywhere,” said Eric Grilly, VStar’s Chief Executive Officer. “As we enter a new era of family entertainment, our industry is pushing the envelope to develop more robust, culturally relevant and highly creative work to engage with fans.”
© 2017 Private Equity Professional | January 26, 2017
