In the 1990s, Director Franco Dragone was the driving force behind the magnificent acts that Cirque du Soleil was known for. Dragone died away in Cairo of a heart attack. Because he was performing in a play there, he was present. Dragone, who is of Belgian and Italian descent, turned 69.
 |
| [Franco Dragone] |
The Belgian-Italian filmmaker Franco Dragone has passed away after suffering a heart attack in Cairo, the capital city of Egypt. This was reported by Claudine Cornet, who is one of his workers.
After witnessing the city opera Décrocher la Lune on the streets of his hometown La Louvière, which was a spectacle with 850 performers and extras, Dragone was in Egypt for professional reasons. He had seen the opera the previous week. The mayor of La Louvière, Jacques Gobert, has responded to the news of the death by saying that "it is a terrible catastrophe for our community."
Dragone has been described as "a remarkable director and creator of stunning performances" by the Prime Minister of Wallonia, Elio Di Rupo. His legacy will be remembered as "engaging and extremely creative guy who helped Wallonia shine in the world, but at the same time remained passionately loyal to his origins in Italy and La Louvière," according to Paul Magnette, Mayor of Charleroi.
Dragone was born in the southern region of Italy, but when he was seven years old, his family relocated to La Louvière, where his parents found employment in the mines. When he was younger, his father encouraged him to pursue his creative interests and allowed him the independence to do so.
Dragone followed the woman he loved to Canada, and it was in Montreal that he got his start in the circus. It was there in 1984 that Guy Laliberté, the man who would go on to start Cirque du Soleil, took note of him. A year later, the circus company extended an invitation to Dragone to become a performer.
During the years 1985–1998, Dragone was an integral part of Cirque du Soleil's productions. He directed some of the most successful shows of all time, including Saltimbanco, Alegria, and Quidam, which were performances that were seen all over the globe. Dragone was reportedly "one of the major developers of Cirque du Soleil's distinctive theatrical approach," as stated by CNN.
In the year 2000, Dragone resigned from his position at the corporation to launch his own entertainment company. In the same year, he participated in the opening ceremony of Euro 2000 in Brussels and put on a number of fantastic concerts, including one in Las Vegas alongside Celine Dion. Additionally, he had productions in the cities of Dubai and Macau.
Dragone was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Antwerp ten years ago for his groundbreaking blend of theatrical performance and circus spectacle, with which he had established a standard for the theatrical community on a global scale.
However, during the same year, his business was brought into disrepute when the public prosecutor's office in Mons initiated an inquiry into tax evasion, money laundering, and corruption. In a subsequent document known as the Panama Papers, his name was referenced. Dragone has made it clear that he does not accept responsibility for these charges, and he has pledged to be more transparent. During the month of April in the year 2020, the public prosecutor requested that the case be sent to the criminal court.
Dragone was given a diagnosis of leukemia almost two years ago, but he has lately voiced confidence that he would soon be cured of the disease. He passed away today as a result of a heart attack.