Bouvalle’s declaration stirred up the hall like a beehive knocked down.
Free admission.
It was one of the long-standing controversies in the entertainnt industry.
It hadn’t been warmly welcod by people on the positive side.
It was notorious for exploiting perforrs and ruining shows.
"If admission is free, the performance can only be of low quality!" shouted an old magician as he rose from his seat.
A middle-aged acrobat sitting at the table across from him slapped the table with his palm, echoing his words.
"That’s right! Excessive discounts diminish the value of the performance!"
Those critical of free admission were mostly older individuals.
Most of them had succumbed to the sweet talk of rchants in their youth and suffered for years.
Entertainers who had honed their skills but were immature in worldly affairs.
Many lacked the ability to understand the rigid clauses in contracts, and so couldn’t even read. They simply signed the contract, lured by the idea that they could earn money while traveling.
That’s how rchants easily attracted the talented perforrs.
One of the common thods rchants used to exploit them was the ’free admission’ tactic.
At that ti, rchants tempted perforrs with the clause, "A percentage of the admission fees will be paid to the perforrs." However, when the perforrs arrived at the market or inn and entered the show, the rchants shalessly claid, "Admission prices will be set according to the situation," using it as an excuse to offer free admission.
With no inco from admission fees, perforrs couldn’t settle their paynts according to the contract.
By the ti they realized they had been deceived, it was already too late. If they refused to perform, rchants threatened them with the contract’s penalty clauses or subtly hinted at gaining no reputation unless they complied.
So many talented individuals had to unfold their skills for free next to the places where rchants sold their goods.
Compensation was ager, limited to a bed, three als, and occasionally a small amount under the guise of an effort fee.
Considering the profits rchants were making, it was an outrageous exploitation.
If they had allowed proper performances, the artists might have burned their artistic souls for their own improvent.
But the rchants invaded even that territory.
They urged perforrs to skip the boring parts and focus on the dramatic elents, interfered in scriptwriting, forced unnecessary nudity or action scenes, and insisted on promoting the show by using the nas of their flagship products.
Even among the current industry figures, many had traces of their past in their nicknas.
Magician ’Ignite’ derived his na from matches, illusionist ’Bigfoot’ from shoe insoles, and acrobat ’Barikan’ from the product na of grass-cutting scissors.
It wasn’t only the contracting parties that were affected by such tyranny.
Due to them, local playgrounds and theaters also faced financial difficulties.
People didn’t bother looking for a permanent performance venue since they could watch shows for free anywhere.
The exploitation of labor during the Industrial Revolution era, with the developnt of nitrogen fertilizers and increased agricultural production, explosive population growth, the decline of small-scale farming, and rapid urbanization.
The labor exploitation phenonon of the Industrial Revolution era, influenced by various complex factors, also affected the entertainnt industry.
It was a hungry and tough ti for perforrs.
About 20 years ago, thanks to the Circus Grand Prix, acrobats gathered to share industry conditions, speak out against unfair contracts, and collectively take action, leading to a significant reduction in unfair treatnt.
The Grand Prix Circus, in its purest sense, was more of a gathering of perforrs, singers, clowns, and entertainers than a festival. Given this context, it was natural for older individuals to harbor resentnt towards free admission. Even in the present improved situation, prejudices persisted.
They viewed free performances as a system that made it easy for rchants to take advantage, as clear revenue trics (number of spectators multiplied by admission fees) were not available. In the chaotic marketplace, devoid of curtains and seating, shaful tis ca to mind when perforrs resorted to contextless tricks and acts to catch the attention of passersby.
However, the perspectives of young acrobats differed in many ways. The itinerant circus that appeared alongside wandering peddlers was a nostalgic mory from their childhood. In the early days of erging popular culture, permanent theaters, influenced either by aristocratic or decadent tendencies from entertainnt districts, lacked popularity.
Expensive admission fees further heightened these barriers.
On the contrary, free circuses, being held in open spaces, were easily accessible to everyone, featuring entertaining and lively performances. rchants may have lacked an eye for the artistic quality of the shows, but their comrcial acun was exceptional.
They understood what could attract people, demanded it from perforrs, and, as a result, the circus gained increasing popularity and developnt among the masses.
Modern circuses, in the contemporary sense, were born from this evolution. Although industry veterans who worked as court jesters, party entertainers, and actors in operas and theaters enjoyed reminiscing about the past, rchants significantly contributed to the popularization of the circus.
The free circus rembered by young acrobats was precisely that. When they gathered and shared stories, they naturally discussed the talents that impressed them in their childhood, leading them to idolize the circus.
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Anecdotes like purchasing magic vinegar from peddlers to beco a levitation artist or accidentally setting their hos on fire while secretly making fireworks to mimic a fire-eater were common topics in their conversations.
Another notable difference between young acrobats and their elder peers was the environnt during their debut in the industry. Around the ti they began learning their skills, the treatnt of acrobats had significantly improved compared to the past.
Thanks to the Grand Prix Circus, the conditions for acrobats had considerably improved, and after a terror incident at the second Grand Prix Circus that resulted in the death of many veterans, the scarcity of perforrs led to a significant increase in the value of acrobats. Therefore, the proposed free admission performances usually ca with reasonable compensation and conditions.
With such circumstances, the stark difference in opinions on free performances between the two groups was inevitable. While young acrobats experienced less hardship and enjoyed prosperous tis, the vague resentnt and hostile attitudes from the older acrobats were not progressive.
Bouvalle enjoyed all these discussions. The stories they shared were akin to discussing the history of the windmill itself.
The nobleman who wanted to transform the theatre into a more wholeso art venue, the rchant who sought a revolutionary change in the theater’s revenue structure, and the artist who wanted to pioneer new territories in the performing arts—all three aspirations converged to create this place.
It was needless to explain that each represented the sponsor Lord Mustang, the owner Bouvalle, and the director Maroine. From the mont Bouvalle chose "Free to Enter, Pay to Enjoy" as the test the, he anticipated all these debates. He had already prepared a detailed explanatory article intertwining the history of cabarets for tomorrow’s newspaper.
If well-promoted, Lord Mustang could shed the stigma of being a procurer accompanying courtesans and erge as a visionary in the performing arts industry.
To achieve that, calming the imdiate turmoil is a priority.
"Selling alcohol openly?"
"Is that entertainnt or acrobatics?"
"Kirku is good at scheming."
"This is not a circus!"
"The Grand Prix Circus has also distorted its purpose! Originally, it should work for the rights of performing artists!"
"These darn rchants are using the competition as an excuse to strangle us again!"
The loud voices belonged mainly to the elderly acrobats, who were usually the directors or veterans of a circus troupe, making it difficult for younger acrobats with opposing opinions to freely counter.
Eventually, the commotion subsided when the director, Yug Maroine, appeared. As he stepped onto the stage, he slamd the floor with his cane.
"Silence!"
Wearing round sunglasses, the thin and wiry old man scanned the audience with his gaze, instantly quieting the hall. Maroine’s charisma in the industry was formidable.
"Do you fear ?"
Despite not having a loud voice, each word he spoke had sothing that resonated with the souls of the people.
"When I beca the director of the cabaret, many laughed. The old Maroine, entering and teaching dance and songs to the won who poured drinks like a ghost. They mocked my challenge. I rember there were a few here too."
Maroine singled out a few people with his cane, and they avoided his gaze with fake coughs.
"But what about it?"
He extended his cane like a sword and shouted, "Did you not see the opening ceremony the day before yesterday? My swan song, ’Quan-Quan.’ Can you call that simply providing entertainnt for the won pouring drinks? Ha! If I had yielded to the tastes of the old folks at the Imperial Theater, I could never have created such a thing."
He swept his gaze over the acrobats with his cane.
"What about you? Isn’t your purpose to play and eat with your talents as an accompanint? Shouting that the free performance is not proper and preparing excuses for defeat? Is what you’re doing really circus? In front of the great Kirku, can you proudly shout, ’I ca to dance!’? You bourgeois!"
His words were provocative, yet they kindled a fire in the hearts of the acrobats.
The elderly magician, who was initially against the free performance, was the first to stand up.
"Hey, Maroine! Who are you calling bourgeois! Saying sothing after secretly talking behind soone’s back!"
A middle-aged acrobat sitting opposite him banged the table with his palm, raising his head.
"I ca to dance! Haha, that’s fine. It seems like a joke, but let’s dance together in harmony!"
In this way, one by one, the directors expressed their determination, facing the stage, other tables, and their own mbers.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo! Let’s go! Haha! Let’s achieve the best performance in this preliminary round!"
Of course, the loudest voice belonged to Minova, the rooster.
He shook his red crest, rallying the mbers.
There were requests from the surroundings to lower their voices.
The table where the Wonderstein Circus Troupe sat was relatively quiet.
Sven and Yurakne whispered to each other while watching the other circus mbers, and Ella, observing the situation quietly, spoke quietly to the ringmaster sitting next to her.
"How about it? Are you confident? Just because the mbers diligently morized the script doesn’t guarantee they’ll pass, right?"
In response to Ella’s words, Wonderstein nodded confidently, wearing a self-assured smile.
"Hoho, of course."
Ella shook her head in disbelief.
"You’ve never been on stage before, have you?"
"I have."
At his confident attitude, Ella raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical.
"In front of a few people? Maybe a hundred?"
Upon hearing Ella’s words, he grinned and nodded playfully.
"More than that?"
She raised her head, smirking.
"Perhaps 1,000?"
"No."
After taking a mont to exhale, he replied, "30,000."
"Insane. There’s no way there’s a stage that big."
Dismissing him, Ella turned her head abruptly.
This guy is playing with people again.
Watching the next proceedings of the event, she suddenly realized that there was indeed such a place.
The Sky City Hippodro.
The aerial theater called Wonder Stage, which had collapsed due to a terrorist attack 17 years ago, was now under reconstruction.
She had heard that it could accommodate tens of thousands of people.
No way…
At that mont, Bouvalle called out for each circus to co forward for the draw of the test’s groups.
Finally!
Thoughts about Wonder Stage quickly disappeared from Ella’s mind.
Is it starting?
Wonderstein also stopped reminiscing about the highest viewer count on his Twitch livestream.
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