Cirque Du

When Stacey Teague graduated from the theater department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County five years ago, she wanted to jump-start her career in costume design. But instead of sending out resumes and portfolios, she took a less conventional approach: She ran off and joined the circus. The Calvert County native joined Cirque du Soleil - the Montreal-based company that has transformed the circus into a modern, gravity-defying theatrical production - as a temporary dresser.

NATIONAL Frist on verge of confrontationWith a group of centrist senators scrambling to head off a confrontation over judicial nominations, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will start the process of creating one this morning. The move toward settling the debate leaves a handful of undecided Republicans holding a lot of sway in a situation that has left most of their colleagues divided. [Page 1a] Seaports vulnerable to attack Despite extensive efforts to improve security after Sept. 11, 2001, the nation's seaports remain highly vulnerable to terrorist attack, a congressional investigator told senators yesterday.

Celine Dion speaks of her epiphany. Not the recent birth of her first child or the career rocket of the Titanic soundtrack in 1999. The epiphany arrived two years ago as she sat in a Las Vegas casino. "It changed my life and my entire way of thinking about performances on stage." And, it turns out, the moment may also reshape the life of the evolving entertainment scene in the high-rolling desert city. Dion, who stepped away from the public concert stage on New Year's Eve 1999 to begin the role of new mother, has agreed to an unprecedented pact that will see her perform five nights a week for 40 weeks a year over three years at Caesar's Palace.

The people responsible for Dralion, the Cirque du Soleil's astonishingly inventive and ceaselessly spirited show that had its local premiere in Fells Point last night, chose two mythic beasts - the dragon and the lion - to give their performance a name that would provide audiences a hint of what they're in for. But a more appropriate animal to use as a symbol, the one whose image might have better reflected what Baltimore audiences can expect during the...

They say the neon lights are bright - on Broadway," goes the old song. But "they" apparently never saw Las Vegas. Not only are The Strip's lights brighter than those of the Great White Way, but its marquees might soon look as if they're actually near Times Square, judging from the Broadway-style fare that is gradually invading Las Vegas. The producers of Avenue Q won Broadway's Tony Award for best musical in June and then announced that their show would open its only other production in Vegas, skipping a national tour.

When the Fetish and Fantasy Halloween Ball made its debut in Las Vegas seven years ago, it was a fringe event attended by several hundred people in a vintage clothing store off the Las Vegas Strip. Since then, the ball's popularity has soared, and this year's party will be held at a hotel-casino where 6,000 guests are expected. More telling, the event that flaunts its eroticism has been imitated by nightclubs at other casinos, where the action is slightly more tame but the costumes are almost as racy.

A circus featuring mind-boggling human achievements, spectacular performances and dazzling sets vs. beaten-down elephants, whipped tigers and creepy clowns?  Cirque du Soleil wins hands down.  Katie Moore, Baltimore

Just wanted to pass along a heads up about two great deals spotted on Baltimoreonthecheap.com : 1. Save 40 percent off Cirque du Soleil TOTEM tickets , via Travel Zoo, for shows tonight and next week; 2. Sign up for eight Argentine tango lessons at Centerstage and pay only half price --- just $10 per class.

This clip was probably on all the highlight shows this morning, so my apologies if you have seen it already, but check out this Cirque du Soleil performer throwing out the first pitch before a game in San Diego on Monday. Dude does some sort of 720-degree twist then fires a strike to the catcher. Take note, Orioles relievers.