Canada's Cirque du Soleil receives court protection from creditors

MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canada's once high-flying Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group on Tuesday received initial protection from its creditors in a Quebec court, after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the famed circus operator to cancel shows and lay off artists.Montreal-based Cirque, which grew from a troupe of street-performers in the 1980s to a company with global reach, has been forced to slash about 95% of its workforce and suspend its shows due to the pandemic. The company filed for bankruptcy..