No international circuses claim the audience size, the raw invention, or the revenue of the Cirque du Soleil. An enterprise that took shape on a grassroots level at the hands of two Quebecois street performers in the early '80s, it grew into an epic form thanks to the involvement of Franco Dragone and others; by the beginning of the 21st century, the brand was nothing short of iconic. Throughout, it distinguished itself by doing away with the more clichéd staples of a traditional circus (such as animals,... [more]