CR Answer Drill 5B 8MS8

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From the start, Cirque du Soleil was hardly a conventional circus. It had outrageous costumes, original music, and clever performers -- but no animals. Despite the dearth of beasts, it was a rousing success. Those initial decisions were brilliant, since they essentially redefined the genre. By not featuring animals, Cirque eliminated one of the most costly and controversial parts of any circus. And by shifting the focus from an event geared to kids to one designed for adults, Cirque pulled in an audience the traditional circus had never seen: adult theatergoers accustomed to paying steeper ticket prices.