The Legend Lives On - Official Cirque du Soleil 'Immortal World Tour' Discussion [Archive] - Page 5 - The Michael Jackson Community

prettygirlmj

03-10-2011, 01:48 AM

I don't know...maybe it's my mood right now and the whole trial and what we all saw last week - but I just found that show clip preview so underwhelming. Like I said it could be the trial affecting me and I no longer see the "beauty" of much anymore seeing what happened to Michael and how he died. I thought I would be super happy about the Cirque shows (I was before) but it's like 'eh, don't care, whatever'. The trial has taken so much of my mind and energy. Sorry for being a bummer, just don't feel like celebrating. Nothing brightens my day up, not even that short preview clip of cirque. I hope Michael's kids like it though and enjoy it. I'm sure they are hurting right now as well.

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 01:50 AM

This is the vidéo of a Flash Mob doing a choregraphy just before the first representation of the new Michael Jackson show (The Immortal tour) from the Cirque Du Soleil.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/z-I6nt_AVkQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

0o0jackie0o0

03-10-2011, 01:50 AM

Oh my lord. I just saw the trailer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Absolutely blown away

ivy

03-10-2011, 02:11 AM

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsgrk6IqCC1qj1bfjo7_r1_500.jpg

8701girl

03-10-2011, 02:17 AM

Wow the tralier was amazing!! :wild:

ivy

03-10-2011, 02:33 AM

Pαris Jαcksoη
The Cirque Du Soleil MJ Immortal World Tour Was SOOOOOOOO Amazing!!!!! Truly, Truly Amazing!! It Brought Tears To My Eyes!!!!!!!

passy001

03-10-2011, 02:35 AM

The event: The music, moves and legacy of Michael Jackson got the fantasy treatment Sunday night as Cirque du Soleil staged the world premiere of The Immortal World Tour. It's the biggest project formally authorized by the estate since the star's 2009 death.

By Olivier Samson Arcand
Cirque Du Soleil's Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour kicked off Sunday night in Montreal.
Enlarge
By Olivier Samson Arcand
<img src = "http://i.usatoday.net/life/_photos/2011/10/03/jacksonx.jpg"/>
Cirque Du Soleil's Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour kicked off Sunday night in Montreal.
The crowd: A capacity audience of about 13,000 included brothers Tito, Jackie and Randy Jackson, mom Katherine and Michael's kids Prince (14), Paris (13) and Blanket (9). "We've been waiting a long time," Tito says. "It's not only emotional, it's exciting."
The tour: Sunday's show launched a 47-city North American tour that will make its U.S. debut Oct. 15 in Detroit. The tour — which will include a December residency at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas — is scheduled to wrap up July 20 in Chicago, though more dates are likely. The show will establish a permanent Vegas home in late 2013.
The fans: On a wet and chilly night in Montreal, Sunday's opening drew fans from Brazil to Los Angeles, some decked out with glittery white gloves and classic Thriller jackets. Showing up to celebrate her 50th birthday was Chicago's Lisha McDuff, a flutist. "No matter how high your expectations, (Cirque) always exceeds them," she says. "Put that with Michael Jackson, and it's got to be mind-blowing."
The music: The show was an ecstatic barrage of hits from Jackson's solo career and Jackson 5 years. With vocal parts extracted from original studio tapes and mixed with a live band (directed by Jackson keyboardist Greg Phillinganes), it was a four-dimensional funky swirl of sound. The set ran through a host of moods — a night where the tender Childhood seamlessly segued into the crackling Wanna Be Starting Something.
Contributing: By Brian McCollum, USA TODAY

kristinaz

03-10-2011, 02:41 AM

Paris just tweeted this:
The Cirque Du Soleil MJ Immortal World Tour Was SOOOOOOOO Amazing!!!!! Truly, Truly Amazing!! It Brought Tears To My Eyes!!!!!!!

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 02:45 AM

Pαris Jαcksoη
The Cirque Du Soleil MJ Immortal World Tour Was SOOOOOOOO Amazing!!!!! Truly, Truly Amazing!! It Brought Tears To My Eyes!!!!!!!
Awwww, so happy to here the kids enjoyed it :)

passy001

03-10-2011, 02:55 AM

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 03:04 AM

The event: The music, moves and legacy of Michael Jackson got the fantasy treatment Sunday night as Cirque du Soleil staged the world premiere of The Immortal World Tour.It’s the biggest project formally authorized by the estate since the star’s 2009 death.

http://www.tumblr.com/photo/1280/10966922807/1/tumblr_lsgys2ELpq1qkzxvq
http://www.tumblr.com/photo/1280/10966922807/2/tumblr_lsgys2ELpq1qkzxvq
http://www.tumblr.com/photo/1280/10966922807/3/tumblr_lsgys2ELpq1qkzxvq
http://www.tumblr.com/photo/1280/10966922807/4/tumblr_lsgys2ELpq1qkzxvq
http://www.tumblr.com/photo/1280/10966922807/6/tumblr_lsgys2ELpq1qkzxvq
http://www.tumblr.com/photo/1280/10966922807/5/tumblr_lsgys2ELpq1qkzxvq
http://www.tumblr.com/photo/1280/10966922807/7/tumblr_lsgys2ELpq1qkzxvq

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 03:06 AM

http://i56.tinypic.com/5dnp7r.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/m81i0i.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/2vw5tfa.jpg

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 03:14 AM

OnlyHereForMJ - Standing Ovation before Man in the mirror - Twitvid (http://www.twitvid.com/LCHNM)
standing ovation before the last song, everybody who attended the show said they feel mj's spirit in this amazing production, Great Job to the estate and all those involve in the immortal world tour you truly did Mj's legacy justice with this

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 03:27 AM

Backstage with Jackie, Tito, and Marlon
http://i56.tinypic.com/15wnihe.jpg

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 03:30 AM

Choreographer Travis Payne was there
http://i56.tinypic.com/2vuedfr.jpg

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 03:31 AM

http://i55.tinypic.com/t98ghu.jpg

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 03:36 AM

https://twitter.com/johnnykats

johnnykats John Katsilometes
The Jacksons swung into the media confab before meeting up with Katherine, but all said she would have teared up at the show. #mjimmortal
21 seconds ago

johnnykats John Katsilometes
None of the Jackson brothers had seen the show until tonight. They were moved especially when the Jackson 5 videos and Human Nature played.
16 minutes ago

johnnykats John Katsilometes
As for reuniting to possibly play #Vegas, Marlon Jackson laughed and said, "Never say never." #mjimmortal @Cirque
20 minutes ago

johnnykats John Katsilometes
In backstage media chat, Marlon, Tito and Jackie say Michael's spirit of unity shone in the show. "He was here," Marlon said.#mjimmortal
22 minutes ago

ExoticPrincess

03-10-2011, 03:38 AM

Pαris Jαcksoη
The Cirque Du Soleil MJ Immortal World Tour Was SOOOOOOOO Amazing!!!!! Truly, Truly Amazing!! It Brought Tears To My Eyes!!!!!!!

Glad to see that she enjoyed the show:yes:

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 03:45 AM

http://www.toronto.com/article/700044--cirque-s-tribute-to-michael-jackson-a-spectacular-show

http://images.toronto.com/images/33/52/207ded274f158460b939cbd99bac.jpeg

MONTREAL—When I first heard that Cirque du Soleil was planning a show based on the life and works of Michael Jackson, I felt a shudder of fear. Not only did I doubt the wisdom of living too heavily off the presence of pop idols, so soon after they failed to ring the bell with Viva Elvis!, but I questioned what was to be gained by sifting through the ashes of Jackson’s sad demise so soon after the event.

Well, about 15 minutes into Sunday night’s opening of Michael Jackson—The IMMORTAL World Tour, I heard a voice in my head saying “Oh ye of little faith.”

Not only is Cirque’s latest show their most spectacular to date, but for almost all of its 2-hour length, it succeeds in distilling a sad and powerful poetry out of the enigma that was Michael Jackson.

Credit Jamie King, the writer and director with succeeding in erecting a tower of glory on top of what could have been a potential minefield.

From the very opening, where we’re about to start groaning at the presence of a quintet of typical Cirque clowns, we soon realize they’re blessedly multi-racial, genuinely funny and—wait for it—a larger than comic portrait of The Jackson Five.

Soon after, we tap into a vein of sweet nostalgic bliss for a happy childhood that Michael never really had, taking us through “the lost and found of my heart” and asking a question he would ask until his death, “Where is my childhood.”

A little child in a hot air balloon floats over the golden gates of Neverland and disappears over our heads in the spectacular arena King and his collaborators have created.

They turn the cavernous Bell Centre into a place of magic and I can’t wait to see them repeat the trick in Toronto’s ACC later this month.

In the short time remaining between the show’s finish and my deadline, it’s impossible to catalogue all the beauty on display, but you won’t forget the aerial acrobats all in black, whose bodies are wired with an assortment of lights that turn them into human star sculptures of breathtaking beauty.

And when it comes to the “Ghost Stories” sequence, we all wait to see what’s going to be done with the archetypal Jackson number, “Thriller”

But instead of a mere imitation of the video we all know so well, King and company turn it into a voodoo funeral, all in white, with the spectre of Baron Samedi hovering over the familiar dance steps.

As the show goes on, we start to realize how much of Jackson’s vision of the world was ebony-hued and how potent the darkness was.

In fact, they show how certain images came to overwhelm Jackson by having his trademark hat, shoes and glove all appear 20 times larger than life as the song “Beat It” is ironically sung.

But as Michael keeps dancing towards his death, we see clock wheels spinning madly out of control, just as time did for the superstar.

There is no one playing Jackson per se, but one performer, clad all in silvery white, with a childlike cap, fills the role of our central figure who becomes hero and victim all at once.

Things become almost unbearably moving when we hear Jackson’s prophetic lyric, “Gone Too Soon,” with its lines about “Born to amuse, to inspire to delight/Here one day and gone one night.”

A stage full of red hearts beat faster, then fade out one by one. Then from the darkness, we see the entire company with hearts glowing anew, filling the aisles of the theatre while we watch a video of the very young Michael singing “I’ll Be There” with that voice which could hurt and heal at the same time, as it did for all his life.

I would have been happy to have the show end there, but it goes on to a conventional upbeat finale, with “greatest hits” like “Billy Jean,” “Black and White” and “Man in the Mirror.”

For my taste, I would prefer the show to have ended simply. But this is just the very first performance of a multi-year and since they have so much of it right already, there’s no reason to doubt that Cirque’s tribute to Michael Jackson will shimmer in complete glory before too long.

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 03:50 AM

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/story/2011-10-03/michael-jackson-cirque-du-soleil/50638766/1

The event: The music, moves and legacy of Michael Jackson got the fantasy treatment Sunday night as Cirque du Soleil staged the world premiere of The Immortal World Tour. It's the biggest project formally authorized by the estate since the star's 2009 death.

The crowd: A capacity audience of 13,000 included brothers Tito, Jackie and Marlon Jackson, mom Katherine and Michael's kids Prince (14), Paris (13) and Blanket (9).

The tour: Sunday's show launched a 47-city North American tour that will make its U.S. debut Oct. 15 in Detroit. The tour — which will include a December residency at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas — is slated to wrap up July 20 in Chicago, though more dates are likely. The show will establish a permanent Vegas home in late 2013.

The fans: On a wet and chilly night in Montreal, Sunday's opening drew fans from Brazil to Los Angeles, some decked out with glittery white gloves and classic Thriller jackets.

The music: The show was an ecstatic barrage of hits from Jackson's solo career and Jackson 5 years. With vocal parts extracted from original studio tapes and mixed with a live band (directed by Jackson keyboardist Greg Phillinganes), it was a four-dimensional funky swirl of sound. The set ran through a host of moods — a night where the tender Childhood seamlessly segued into the crackling Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'.

The performance: The Jamie King-directed show featured Cirque's typical attention to detail, from meticulously constructed props (glowing hearts, a handsome hot-air balloon) to exquisite cast numbers choreographed by longtime Jackson associates such as Travis Payne. Unlike traditional Cirque shows, Immortal was presented less as a nouveau circus than a fantasy concert, with some of Jackson's signature moves cast through Cirque's whimsical prism.
The centerpiece: A re-creation of Jackson's Giving Tree, the backyard spot at his Neverland Ranch where he often retreated for musical inspiration.

The wow factor:Human Nature featured performers dangling over the stage, gorgeously dotted with lights against a backdrop of stars. A giant white glove and dancing shoes appeared for Beat It, and the Giving Tree sprouted a sprawling set of claws for Thriller, which featured mummies and white-tuxedoed zombies. Peace symbols adorned the chests on the robotic warriors of They Don't Care About Us. While the show featured no singular story line, broad themes of compassion, human connection and global consciousness were sketched throughout.

The King of Pop: Jackson's images were a constant presence, and he occasionally had the stage to himself: I'll Be There featured just his voice accompanied by a live piano, childhood footage playing on a big onstage screen.

The brothers: Backstage, three beaming Jackson brothers declared that the show captured Michael's spirit. "That was Michael's message — to help us understand that love is so important," Tito says. The family was particularly moved by the interpretation of Gone Too Soon. "Our mother is probably bawling out there somewhere," Jackie says.

Contributing: By Brian McCollum, USA TODAY

Resa

03-10-2011, 03:50 AM

And so the Legend continues.....

http://michaelpictures.net/albums/userpics/10001/normal_MJTIWT_OSA_IMAGES_14.JPGAwww, the baby looks like Blanket.

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 03:52 AM

nestruck Kelly Nestruck
Marlon Jackson sez: "I very much enjoyed that." #michaeljackson #theimmortalworldtour #cirque lockerz.com/s/143977644
16 minutes ago

http://i55.tinypic.com/54dnk8.jpg

PCR

03-10-2011, 03:56 AM

It looks amazing.
I am glad to read Paris loved it.
It must be very, very emotional, especially considering the current situation.
May they find the peace they need and deserve.

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 03:56 AM

http://i54.tinypic.com/155ny4l.jpg

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 04:01 AM

PeterChurchill Peter Churchill
Jackson family members attending Cirque show seemed to enjoy the entire performance & attention. Sat next to Guy Laliberté in the reg seats
2 minutes ago

Resa

03-10-2011, 04:04 AM

I'm so happy to read that Paris loved it. I'm also happy that Michael knew that Cirque wanted to do a show and his estate executors followed his wishes. I have to wait to June to see it, that seems so far away. Thanks for posting all of the pics.

ExoticPrincess

03-10-2011, 04:06 AM

Liking the reviews I'm seeing so far :yes:

I'm so happy to read that Paris loved it. I'm also happy that Michael knew that Cirque wanted to do a show and his estate executors followed his wishes. I have to wait to June to see it, that seems so far away. Thanks for posting all of the pics.

Not to worry, remember last year when this was announced? well look how quickly opening night came.....June 2012 don't really seem so far away now if you think about it.

Diplomate

03-10-2011, 04:07 AM

Thanks for the pictures guys. Looks amazing!

PCR

03-10-2011, 04:08 AM

It's bitter sweet, isn't it? Just to see the footage gives me goosebumps. Just to think of MJ actually involved on this in life.... just to think of what's going in in LA with the trial... just to think of all the time, lies and pain.. and then you hear those notes, his voice, those songs... and ahhhhhhh... I can't help it. I still feel like crying and despite all the time gone, I can't help but miss him more and more.

May time fly, dear Mike.
May time fly.

MsMo

03-10-2011, 04:09 AM

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg612/scaled.php?tn=0&server=612&filename=ox3pt.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

I like that Aviator jacket :D

kristinaz

03-10-2011, 04:11 AM

http://i55.tinypic.com/t8nldz.jpg

marebear

03-10-2011, 04:11 AM

It seems people are liking it so far.

bluesky

03-10-2011, 04:13 AM

A comment regarding the trailer

To All the speculators: What you see is advertising....a mashup of different segments...which makes it chaotic. In the show you will see a story line!

BTW all the lighting for billie jean outfit...MJ was going to wear that for THIS IS IT!

MrBuzzialdrin 2 hours ago

MsMo

03-10-2011, 04:14 AM

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg859/scaled.php?tn=0&server=859&filename=ln2fl.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

PCR

03-10-2011, 04:17 AM

A comment regarding the trailer

To All the speculators: What you see is advertising....a mashup of different segments...which makes it chaotic. In the show you will see a story line!
Oh man... if some people are daring to say anything about this being "messy", just based on the footage, than that means that person has not had the priviledge to ever be part of a Cirque show :doh:
That's all I can say.

Please... Cirque... Michael.... Royalty!

ADKIc3mAnX

03-10-2011, 04:31 AM

That's great!
I can't wait I'm so hype !

Lucilla

03-10-2011, 04:34 AM

I cant' wait, I want to know the setlist :D

Ashtanga

03-10-2011, 04:49 AM

Sooooooooooooooo amazing! :wild: http://www.hornedhalo.org/images/kermit.gif

Memefan

03-10-2011, 05:00 AM

Just got home. And it feels like i need to watch the show again, and again...before I can form a real/clear and definite opinion.

There is sooo much going on....and Michael Jackson on the screen, distracted me from whatever was happening on stage.

1) I like that they incorporated a lot of This is It ideas into the show (Smooth Criminal, Thrilller, TDCAU, Earth song).

2) throughout the show, I kept asking myself, what MJ would think....and I am almost certain he would be as pleased as we are.

I already got my Vegas tickets, but Will try to go back again tomorrow...

What a night. What a show. What a performer. What a legacy. This is hard proof how MJ's legacy extends beyond just the music...The Cirque & Estate did a great job of incorporating all the things MJ cared about, Environment, poverty, Love, racial harmony....all that made it unto the show.

I know fans will see the show, but I'd much rather non fans take the time and experience this amazing show. I want more people to witness the genius of MJ.

Another thing I enjoyed, is the inclusion of little known (to the public) songs: Childhood, Lil Suzie, threatened, Ghost....Many will want to discover these songs.

My only disappointment is there was no MJ CD for sale, lots of T-shirts, bags, mug, etc....but no MJ CD.

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 05:06 AM

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/312680_2468239791561_1419314013_32799945_381035834 _n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/301539_227887720601229_134847889905213_635594_1356 836400_n.jpg

Anniesnotokmj

03-10-2011, 05:19 AM

Dear God...I must go! If it means spending my last dime, I will make it to MJ's show! No pain, no gain...

http://michaelpictures.net/albums/userpics/10001/normal_MJTIWT_OSA_IMAGES_1.JPG
http://michaelpictures.net/albums/userpics/10001/normal_MJTIWT_OSA_IMAGES_10.JPG
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http://michaelpictures.net/albums/userpics/10001/normal_MJTIWT_OSA_IMAGES_14.JPG
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http://michaelpictures.net/albums/userpics/10001/normal_MJTIWT_OSA_IMAGES_2.JPG
http://michaelpictures.net/albums/userpics/10001/normal_MJTIWT_OSA_IMAGES_20.JPG
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http://michaelpictures.net/albums/userpics/10001/normal_MJTIWT_OSA_IMAGES_24.JPG
http://michaelpictures.net/albums/MJTIWT/normal_MJTIWT_OSA_IMAGES_25.JPG
http://michaelpictures.net/albums/userpics/10001/normal_MJTIWT_OSA_IMAGES_3.JPG
http://michaelpictures.net/albums/userpics/10001/normal_MJTIWT_OSA_IMAGES_4.JPG
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http://michaelpictures.net/albums/userpics/10001/normal_MJTIWT_OSA_IMAGES_8.JPG
http://michaelpictures.net/albums/userpics/10001/normal_MJTIWT_OSA_IMAGES_9.JPG
http://michaelpictures.net/albums/userpics/10001/normal_scene_2.jpg
http://michaelpictures.net/albums/userpics/10001/normal_scene_3.jpg
http://michaelpictures.net/albums/userpics/10001/normal_scene_4.jpg

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 05:25 AM

http://i56.tinypic.com/2w3n79d.jpg

passy001

03-10-2011, 05:26 AM

http://www.toronto.com/article/700044--cirque-s-tribute-to-michael-jackson-a-spectacular-show

http://images.toronto.com/images/33/52/207ded274f158460b939cbd99bac.jpeg

Thanks so. This is powerful stuff.

MsMo

03-10-2011, 05:28 AM

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

'A gift from beyond': Cirque du Soleil's Jackson show debuts in Montreal

By: Benjamin Shingler, The Canadian Press

MONTREAL - Michael Jackson had always hoped to do a show with Cirque de Soleil, and on Sunday that dream came true.

The "Immortal World Tour" debuted at the Bell Centre in Montreal, combining acrobatics and dance with the King of Pop's massive catalogue of hits spanning more than four decades.

From "ABC" to "Thriller," the high-octane performance did not disappoint.

It was also a tribute to Jackson's lasting impact on dance and fashion _ from his patented moonwalk to his iconic white glove.

At one point, a pair of giant dancing black dress shoes with white socks graced the stage, and at another, a pack of acrobatic werewolves.

But Michael Jackson and the circus? It's a perfect fit, according to his brother, Jackie.
"First of all, Michael is a great fan of Cirque (du Soleil). He's seen all the shows," Jackie, who arrived with his brothers Tito and Marlon, told reporters just before the show. "And to have Cirque and Michael together, you expect to see something fantastic."

Jackson's mother Katherine and his three children were also at the show, making a brief appearance beforehand for a photo-op.

The family made the trip to the premiere from Los Angeles, where the manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's doctor is underway.

The show packed 60 hits into about an hour and a half, starting with the Jackson 5 and ending with Jackson's last studio album.

It did not, however, dare imitate the man himself — no single performer plays the role of Jackson.

"We were very clear on this, and I think the family was too," said Daniel Lamarre, president and CEO of Cirque du Soleil.

Lamarre said he had the blessing of Jackson's mother to go ahead with the show.

"Many people were interested in doing shows to pay tribute to Michael Jackson," Lamarre said.

"His mother said Michael has always wanted to do a show with the circus, so if there is a show about Michael, it will be Cirque du Soleil."

While a wholehearted tribute, the performance didn't glaze over Jackson's eccentricities, with Bubbles the chimpanzee making more than one appearance.

It also alluded to a darker side. To the tune of Jackson's song "Childhood," where he laments never having had one, dancers swayed above the entry sign to the now infamous Neverland Ranch while a child looked longingly through a window.

In another tune, Jackson is heard pleading "I need my privacy, get away" as clips of the TV news media play in the background.

The $60-million tour has stops in cities across Canada and the United States, beginning with Ottawa on Oct. 7.

The Jackson estate authorized and took part in the project.

Before the show, more than a hundred fans waited in the rain for a glimpse of the Jackson family on the red carpet.

One group of women wore single white gloves and black leather jackets in homage to Jackson.

"I've been a fan since I first saw him on TV in 1969 when I was nine," said Montrealer Shirley Elvis.

"When I first heard this show was coming, I think everyone was in a really dark place and when we heard that they were going to do this it was like another gift from Michael from beyond."

Winnipeg Free Press (http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/music/a-gift-from-beyond-cirque-du-soleils-jackson-show-debuts-in-montreal-130955668.html)

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 05:31 AM

http://i56.tinypic.com/14ugwfs.jpg

passy001

03-10-2011, 05:47 AM

Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The World Tour: Theater Review
9:25 PM PDT 10/2/2011 by Etan Vlesing

The Bottom Line
Cirque du Soleil combining dance-inspired circus acts with popular Michael Jackson songs will have the late pop star's fans cheering and his detractors scratching their heads.

Venue
Bell Centre, Montreal
Director-choreographer
Jamie King

The show, which had its world premiere in Montreal on Sunday night, features a circus mime, a contortionist, acrobats and dancers performing to the late King of Pop's songs.

MONTREAL -- The Gloved One may be dead, but thanks to Cirque du Soleil, the late pop star's life remains a circus with Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour saluting the King of Pop Sunday night with a world premiere in Montreal.

Here was another full on production from iconic concert director-choreographer Jamie King, a veteran concert tour director for Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Celine Dion.
But a concert being live performance, King's latest tour creation suffered without a star live performer to anchor the show and provide a focus.
Sure, Jackson's digitally recorded voice, fronted by a live band and around 60 dancers and circus performers, drives the show. But Cirque du Soleil, for all its legendary inventiveness, can't match Michael Jackson, for all his iconic song-writing and dancing flamboyance, step for step, music performance for music performance.
In the late pop star's place, King's stage setting offers a fantastical realm, in keeping with Jackson's otherworldly persona. And the framing story is a plea for global love and peace embodied in a Giving Tree, one of the giant oak trees at the Neverland Ranch, and the apparent source of Jackson's song-writing creativity.
Set designer Mark Fisher's 12-meter-high Giving Tree, which opens to the concert audience via the Neverland Ranch gates, eventually gives way to a fantasy-driven world of ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, draw bridges and toy trains.
"Have you seen my childhood," the audience hears Jackson's digital voice intone, as we recall his best Peter Pan plea that all along, Jackson was just a kid at heart, trying to relive a childhood he never knew.
We see on stage in The Immortal World Tour elephants, a giant hat big enough to hold two dancers, and a soft sculpture glove by which performers create varied hand positions.
And we see a young Michael as an animatronics puppet during the "Ben" track float in a giant balloon into the arena, to the applause of the capacity Bell Arena audience in Montreal.
It's all classic Cirque du Soleil, except, of course, for the absence of the late, great entertainer himself.
His absence is all the more glaring each time Jackson shows up on a giant LED screen or the stage-length scrim, via video of his old gigs like the 1987 Bad World Tour, or the pyrotechnics and illusions of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour.
King makes the most of the absence.
The red jacket, the sequins, the glittering glove and white sock/dance shoes are all represented with props. Dancers showcase the deceased singer's iconic steps, including the moonwalk and his famous leaning motion. Zombie dancers rise from the grave during the "Thriller" track, accompanied by pulsing synths and power choruses.
And there's the predictable Cirque du Soleil touches: a mime and a monkey figure dance together during the "Blame It on the Boogie" scene and four performers swing high in the air on ropes during the "Human Nature" track.
But a circus mime, a contortionist, acrobats, and dancers and their sweat-breaking choreography can't replace the Real Deal. And make no mistake: Michael Jackson The Immortal Tour is not Jackson's life story.
We see a familiar character arc that took Jackson from musical boy wonder as a fifth of the Jackson 5 to global pop genius.
But a Cirque du Soleil production sanctioned by the Jackson family could well offend the pop star's detractors for dismissing much that held Jackson's fans and the paparazzi in thrall until his untimely death in 2009: the "sleeping with boys" allegations, Jackson in handcuffs and on trial, the pill popping, the bleached white skin, the spending sprees and the botched plastic surgery.
King's quasi-metaphysical storyline of Jackson¹s music and songs, and his quest for global love and protecting the world¹s children, instead never strays from a fantastical, circus sensibility.
But the magic of Michael Jackson: The Immortal Tour is the King of Pop's detractors will be left shaking their heads over what all the circus that's come to town means, and Jackson's legions of fans will know exactly what their idol is saying, seemingly from beyond the grave.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/cirque-du-soleils-michael-jackson-242983

passy001

03-10-2011, 05:48 AM

--oops

MsMo

03-10-2011, 05:48 AM

Cirque du Soleil stages world premiere of Michael Jackson's World Tour

BY BRIAN MCCOLLUM (BMCCOLLUM@FREEPRESS.COM)
DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

The event: The music, moves and legacy of Michael Jackson got the fantasy treatment Sunday night as Cirque du Soleil staged the world premiere of The Immortal World Tour. It's the biggest project formally authorized by the estate since the star's 2009 death.

The crowd: A capacity audience of 13,000 included brothers Tito, Jackie and Marlon Jackson, mom Katherine and Michael's kids Prince, 14; Paris ,13; and Blanket, 9.

The tour: Today's show launched a 47-city North American tour that will make its U.S. debut Oct. 15 in Detroit. The tour — which will include a December residency at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas — is slated to wrap up July 20 in Chicago, though more dates are likely. A variation of the show will establish a permanent Vegas home in late 2013.

The fans: On a wet and chilly night in Montreal, Sunday's opening drew fans from Brazil to Los Angeles, some decked out with glittery white gloves and classic Thriller jackets.

The music: The show was an ecstatic barrage of hits from Jackson's solo career and Jackson 5 years. With vocal parts extracted from original studio tapes and mixed with a live band (directed by Jackson keyboardist Greg Phillinganes), it was a four-dimensional funky swirl of sound. The set ran through a host of moods — a night where the tender Childhood seamlessly segued into the crackling Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'.

The performance: The Jamie King-directed show featured Cirque's typical attention to detail, from meticulously constructed props (glowing hearts, a handsome hot-air balloon) to exquisite cast numbers choreographed by longtime Jackson associates such as Travis Payne. Unlike traditional Cirque shows, Immortal was presented less as a nouveau circus than a fantasy concert, with some of Jackson's signature moves cast through Cirque's whimsical prism.

The centerpiece: A re-creation of Jackson's Giving Tree, the backyard spot at his Neverland Ranch where he often retreated for musical inspiration.

The wow factor: Human Nature featured performers dangling over the stage, gorgeously dotted with lights against a backdrop of stars. A giant white glove and dancing shoes appeared for Beat It, and the Giving Tree sprouted a sprawling set of claws for Thriller, which featured mummies and white-tuxedoed zombies. Peace symbols adorned the chests on the robotic warriors of They Don't Care About Us. While the show featured no singular story line, broad themes of compassion, human connection and global consciousness were sketched throughout.

The King of Pop: Jackson's images were a constant presence, and he occasionally had the stage to himself: I'll Be There featured just his voice accompanied by a live piano, childhood footage playing on a big onstage screen.

The brothers: Backstage, three beaming Jackson brothers declared that the show captured Michael's spirit. "That was Michael's message — to help us understand that love is so important," Tito says. The family was particularly moved by the interpretation of Gone Too Soon. "Our mother is probably bawling out there somewhere," Jackie says.

Detroit Free Press (http://www.freep.com/article/20111002/ENT04/111003001/Cirque-du-Soleil-stages-world-premiere-Michael-Jackson-s-World-Tour)

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 05:51 AM

http://i56.tinypic.com/w1r8r8.jpg

Kikuchiyo

03-10-2011, 05:53 AM

Sooooooooooooooo amazing! :wild: http://www.hornedhalo.org/images/kermit.gif
:lol: This is exactly how I feel reading all these comments and seeing pictures. :wild: :)

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 05:55 AM

http://www.examiner.com/dance-in-montreal/world-premier-of-michael-jackson-s-cirque-de-soleil

They say a picture is worth a thousand words but I say not taking one is worth a thousand more.

Rather than trying to take a bunch of pictures of the breath taking sets and unbelievable costumes during tonight’s premier of the Michael Jackson Cirque de Soleil show, I decided to sit back and enjoy the show instead, for myself. With iphones and Facebook it’s so easy to share everything about yourself with others, but we can’t live life through a lens, because we’ll lose the moment by trying the capture it.

What I can share is that there is so much to say it’s indescribable. You’ll have to see it for yourself.

The show starts off with a mind boggling set and the first few songs paint a picture of Michael’s life. In no way was the show a simple acrobatic act set to the Michael Jackson soundtrack, each song told a story and after the act to ‘thriller’ the shows’ atmosphere took a more dramatic turn. Songs like ‘earth,’ ‘why,’ and ‘man in the mirror’ made the audience realize how powerful Michael’s songs really are, and how much of his music promotes his message of change.

The show’s theme seemed to be about accepting differences and embracing unity, so in its cast there was a male dancer with only one leg. His impressive hip hop dancing with crutches was only a small part of the broad mix of dancers and acrobats that worked really well together on stage and with the music. There was a lot more dancing in this show than any other Cirque de Soleil show. There were of course some great acrobatic and high flying moments, including one very risqué acrobatic pole dance, but for the most part it was a Michael Jackson show more than a cirque performance.

Michael lived an extraordinary life and this show captured so many of it's highlights. Even with a headache from the mix of loud music, pyrotechnics and the fact that there was no intermission, there was something special about this show that made it exceptional. But that's something that no picture or blog can capture.

Whether you like Cirque or Michael, this show was something else. Word of advice to those who go: you miss a moment by trying to capture another on camera. Be selfish about this show and keep it for yourself.

Enjoy!

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 05:58 AM

http://www.lvrj.com/news/cirque-du-soleil-debuts-michael-jackson-tribute-the-immortal-in-montreal-130956233.html?ref=233

In California, a courtroom debate rages over how Michael Jackson died. But Sunday, on a cold, rainy night on the opposite side of North America, Cirque du Soleil set out to resurrect his heart.

The heart -- as in the red Valentine kind -- was a dominant image of "The Immortal," Cirque's sports arena tribute to Jackson that bowed to a capacity hometown crowd at the Bell Centre in Montreal, the company's headquarter city.

Jackson was a known fan of Cirque du Soleil and took in many of the company's Las Vegas-based titles, including "Mystere" with his children in 2008. "I think it's a perfect match," Cirque co-founder and chief executive Guy Laliberte told reporters on the red carpet before the show. "This guy came from the same planet that we're coming from."

On Cirque's planet, however, that means strange sites such as (a costumed actor as) Jackson's pet chimp, Bubbles, as the dee-jay, spinning tracks from an aerial pod as aerialists performed underneath.

It also meant a break-dancing mime and a rockin' female cellist with a bare midriff. And a childhood representation of Jackson giving one of those red valentine hearts away after coasting to the stage in a hot-air balloon. The hearts even lit up on the chests of menacing robot figures who marched down the stage for "They Don't Care About Us."

The venture in cooperation with Jackson's estate will tour for two years, including a Dec. 3-27 stint at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. A different incarnation will eventually settle into the theater now hosting "The Lion King" in 2013.

"This is the biggest thing we've ever done," Laliberte told reporters before the show. "This guy was so big. Not only in a certain generation but the entire span of generations."

The arena tour has seen record pre-sales, he said. "When we announced this project our Internet site crashed because there were so many people trying to get information."

The product that awaits them, at least in its debut, is one in which Cirque's acrobatics take a backseat to Jackson's music, recreations of his inimitable dance moves and sometimes spoken-word recordings of his own voice. Crowd reaction was strong for segments that most closely matched their source video, such as zoot-suited gangsters on a nightclub set in "Smooth Criminal."

"The Immortal" embraced every aspect of the pop legend's legacy, from a whimsical depiction of '70s era Jackson 5 to an environmental message in "Earth Song" and a dance sequence that paid homage to all his show business influences from ballet to tap.

The tribute also ventures far from the greatest hits and aims for poignant moments. All human performers vanish during footage of Jackson as a boy performing "I'll Be There" on the giant video panels.

The gates of his Neverland estate and a symbolic "Giving Tree" from the ranch were among the many show elements representing Jackson's loss of a normal childhood in the show designed for sports arenas.

The live band was in the hands of Greg Phillinganes, a musical collaborator with Jackson in life. "It's not like this is a career move. It's a labor of love ... to maintain Michael's legacy, Phillinganes told reporters on the red carpet.

Asked if he felt the pressure of Jackson's brothers and children attending the tour debut, Phillinganes answered, "We put the press on ourselves. It's not like, 'Oh, the family's here. We better get it right.' "

Phillinganes noted that on one visit to Cirque's headquarters, Jackson "got stuck in the costume department and didn't want to leave."

The red carpet festivities were mostly limited to Jackson's family and the show's creative team, with one odd exception: Acoustic-folk leaning singer-songwriter Rufus Wainright.

A friend of the show's costumers, he said he had never covered a Michael Jackson song in one of his own shows.

"But I'm from Montreal originally so it makes sense. I usually come here for a hockey game."

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 06:02 AM

http://www.inquisitr.com/147069/cirque-du-soleil-takes-on-michael-jackson-in-front-of-sold-out-crowd/

The cast of Cirque du Soleil took to the stage on Friday night to perform The Immortal World Tour the biggest project authorized by the Jackson estate since Michael Jackson died in 2009.

In attendance for the show was Tito, Jackie and Marlon Jackson along with Michael’s mother Katherine and his children Prince, Paris and Blanket.

The Sunday show was the first in a 47-city North American tour that officially begins on Oct. 15 in Detroit and wraps up in Chicago on July 20.

According to USA Today the Montreal show drew in an audience from all over the world with some show visitors wearing Jackson’s classical Thriller jacket and singular white glove.

The Jackson show is directed by Jamie King and was choreographed by longtime Jackson associates that included Travis Payne.

It has also been pointed out that the show is not your typical “Cirque du Soleil” event and was instead intended to be more of a “fantasy concert” featuring Jackson’s signature moves with Cirque’s own flare for the oddly extravagant.

After the show Tito Jackson said of the performance:

“That was Michael’s message — to help us understand that love is so important.”
Jackie added that the song Gone Too Soon was especially moving for the family, revealing, “Our mother is probably bawling out there somewhere.”

Do you plan to see the The Immortal World Tour when it arrives in a city near you? How many of our readers plan to travel out of their way to see the hits of Michael Jackson performed by Cirque du Soleil?

MsMo

03-10-2011, 06:03 AM

Cirque du Soleil debuts Michael Jackson tribute 'The Immortal' in Montreal

http://media.lvrj.com/images/6145718-3-4.jpg
Pierre Obendrauf/Special To The Las Vegas Review-Journal

Michael *****n's brothers, from left, Tito , Jackie and Marlon , are seen Sunday on the red carpet for the world premiere of Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson show in Montreal.

In California, a courtroom debate rages over how Michael Jackson died. But Sunday, on a cold, rainy night on the opposite side of North America, Cirque du Soleil set out to resurrect his heart.

The heart -- as in the red Valentine kind -- was a dominant image of "The Immortal," Cirque's sports arena tribute to Jackson that bowed to a capacity hometown crowd at the Bell Centre in Montreal, the company's headquarter city.

Jackson was a known fan of Cirque du Soleil and took in many of the company's Las Vegas-based titles, including "Mystere" with his children in 2008. "I think it's a perfect match," Cirque co-founder and chief executive Guy Laliberte told reporters on the red carpet before the show. "This guy came from the same planet that we're coming from."

On Cirque's planet, however, that means strange sites such as (a costumed actor as) Jackson's pet chimp, Bubbles, as the dee-jay, spinning tracks from an aerial pod as aerialists performed underneath.

It also meant a break-dancing mime and a rockin' female cellist with a bare midriff. And a childhood representation of Jackson giving one of those red valentine hearts away after coasting to the stage in a hot-air balloon. The hearts even lit up on the chests of menacing robot figures who marched down the stage for "They Don't Care About Us."

The venture in cooperation with Jackson's estate will tour for two years, including a Dec. 3-27 stint at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. A different incarnation will eventually settle into the theater now hosting "The Lion King" in 2013.

"This is the biggest thing we've ever done," Laliberte told reporters before the show. "This guy was so big. Not only in a certain generation but the entire span of generations."

The arena tour has seen record pre-sales, he said. "When we announced this project our Internet site crashed because there were so many people trying to get information."

The product that awaits them, at least in its debut, is one in which Cirque's acrobatics take a backseat to Jackson's music, recreations of his inimitable dance moves and sometimes spoken-word recordings of his own voice. Crowd reaction was strong for segments that most closely matched their source video, such as zoot-suited gangsters on a nightclub set in "Smooth Criminal."

"The Immortal" embraced every aspect of the pop legend's legacy, from a whimsical depiction of '70s era Jackson 5 to an environmental message in "Earth Song" and a dance sequence that paid homage to all his show business influences from ballet to tap.

The tribute also ventures far from the greatest hits and aims for poignant moments. All human performers vanish during footage of Jackson as a boy performing "I'll Be There" on the giant video panels.

The gates of his Neverland estate and a symbolic "Giving Tree" from the ranch were among the many show elements representing Jackson's loss of a normal childhood in the show designed for sports arenas.

The live band was in the hands of Greg Phillinganes, a musical collaborator with Jackson in life. "It's not like this is a career move. It's a labor of love ... to maintain Michael's legacy, Phillinganes told reporters on the red carpet.

Asked if he felt the pressure of Jackson's brothers and children attending the tour debut, Phillinganes answered, "We put the press on ourselves. It's not like, 'Oh, the family's here. We better get it right.' "

Phillinganes noted that on one visit to Cirque's headquarters, Jackson "got stuck in the costume department and didn't want to leave."

The red carpet festivities were mostly limited to Jackson's family and the show's creative team, with one odd exception: Acoustic-folk leaning singer-songwriter Rufus Wainright.

A friend of the show's costumers, he said he had never covered a Michael Jackson song in one of his own shows.

"But I'm from Montreal originally so it makes sense. I usually come here for a hockey game."

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.

Las Vegas Review-Journal (http://www.lvrj.com/news/cirque-du-soleil-debuts-michael-jackson-tribute-the-immortal-in-montreal-130956233.html)

CrazyVegasMJ

03-10-2011, 06:16 AM

OMG!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W9hiGrfL5E

passy001

03-10-2011, 07:26 AM

Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour Dazzling ShowOctober 3, 2011. 3:00 am • Section: Stage and Page

How do you stage a Michael Jackson show without Michael Jackson? With high energy dancing and acrobatics, plenty of razzle dazzle, tons of ingenuity and lots of carefully selected video clips of Jackson himself.

That seems to be more or less the recipe adhered to by the Cirque du Soleil in creating Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour which had its world premiere at the Belle Centre last night (Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011). It plays here again tonight before moving on to Ottawa, then to about 60 other North American cities.

This $60 million arena show that sold $40 million worth of tickets within 24 hours when it was first announced, is not like anything the Cirque has done before, although its genre is similar to that of Viva ELVIS and LOVE (the Beatles show) in Las Vegas.

This MJ show has circus acts, but it’s not a circus. Nor is it a rock concert or dance show, exactly, either. Insofar as people are expecting any one of the above, they may feel a bit shortchanged. But if they go with the performance art flow of it all, they are not likely to be bored.

This is a dazzling, fast-pace spectacle for people with short attention spans, flitting from one song to the next, seldom settling down with one for a whole number. All is deftly rearranged, using live music and Jackson’s recorded voice. The audience is overwhelmed with images, some of them on screens, others created through maniupulation of quirky props, like a mega-sized white glove, a huge Jackson hat that conceals several dancers or a pair of giant shoes and socks, with dancers inside.

There’s no real attempt to tell Jackson’s life story, but it does begin with a five-clown band, evoking the Jackson Five. (Not the most successful idea in the show, given their moves aren’t nearly as slick as the originals and their bad afro wigs don’t become them well.)

The show offers a fairly comprehensive sampling of Jackson’s better-known songs. Early on, there’s a poignant rendition of Have You Seen My Childhood? Some songs, like Dancing Machine and Black or White, get more of a workout than others. Fantasies of Neverland come alive, one after another, sometimes at very high volume. There’s quiet time, too, with Jackson speaking his own lyrics.

A solo dancer/acrobat in sparkling white does mime shtick that reminds us where the moonwalk came from. He returns again and again throughout the show, at one point doing a series of startling backwards cartwheels. (Do not try this at home.) Aerial acts are used frequently to conquerthe cavernous space of the Bell Centre. A single contortionist worms her way out of a giant book, in one clevelry staged scene.

Unlike most Cirque shows, this one, directed by Jamie King, is prepared to do a couple of encores. And on Sunday night it was clear that 15,000 people wanted more. And more.

*Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour premiered at the Bell Centre on Sunday. It will return March 20, 21 and 22 and July 6-7, 2012. Tickets from $50 to $250.: www.evenko.ca or 514-790-2525 or 1-877-668-8269. Next stop is Ottawa, on Oct. 7-8, 2011.

http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2011/10/03/michael-jackson-the-immortal-world-tour-dazzling-show/

StephluvsMJ

03-10-2011, 07:28 AM

Opening Sequence...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEiRexMEBhM

djbaby

03-10-2011, 07:29 AM

This show looks effing amazing, and such a great tribute to Michael - I really hope it comes to Australia

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 07:32 AM

Audience reactions:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SVXepVtdsiI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

StephluvsMJ

03-10-2011, 07:33 AM

Thrrrrillller!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LksXUXSPEY

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 07:36 AM

Another video:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ufPsi39iVGs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

MsMo

03-10-2011, 07:41 AM

Flash mob

A tribute to Michael Jackson at the Bell Centre

Published October 1, 2011 at 22:05

<tbody>
http://tvanouvelles.ca/archives/lcn/artsetspectacles/general/media/2011/10/20111001-220517-g.jpg

</tbody>

Photo credit: Agence QMI
A tribute to Michael Jackson at the Bell Centre on the eve of the premiere of Cirque du Soleil.

Led by Travis Payne, one of the leading choreographers of the show Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, 300 employees of Cirque du Soleil made a tribute to the King of Pop on Saturday during a flash mob (flashmob), before the Centre Bell.

More than 500 spectators braved the rain to watch the choreography of a few minutes, also a creation of Mr. Payne.

http://tvanouvelles.ca/archives/lcn/artsetspectacles/general/media/2011/10/20111001-220517-a.jpg

All employees were voluntary participants.

"Michael Jackson was so fond of dancing, so that's what we decided to do," says Line Gingras, director of activities and events, Cirque.

http://tvanouvelles.ca/lcn/artsetspectacles/general/archives/2011/10/20111001-220517.html

MsMo

03-10-2011, 08:49 AM

TII Flash Mob

<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oWz5x0-x2nM" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe>

roomdownstairs

03-10-2011, 09:32 AM

This footage is immense! This tour simply must go worldwide - everyone on earth needs to see the magic and the wonder of this show. You feel Michael's energy in every second of the performances. It is just electric.

twinklEE

03-10-2011, 09:56 AM

I'm happy this is getting a great response and I'm glad Michael's kids had the chance to go and see this, undoubtably even they will see the difference between this and the concert that's happening next Saturday.
Be that as it may, Michael would be SOOO extremely THRILLED if he were here today, to see the Cirque du Soleil. I'm sure he was dancing along the Cirque du Soleil dancers from heaven yesterday.

truluv

03-10-2011, 10:00 AM

http://i54.tinypic.com/21ab9k4.jpg

gerryevans

03-10-2011, 10:38 AM

Michael Jackson Cirque de Soleil Show
Credits: Jillian Zacchia .World Premier of Michael Jackson's Cirque de Soleil
By Jillian Zacchia, Montreal Dance Examiner..

They say a picture is worth a thousand words but I say not taking one is worth a thousand more.

Rather than trying to take a bunch of pictures of the breath taking sets and unbelievable costumes during tonight’s premier of the Michael Jackson Cirque de Soleil show, I decided to sit back and enjoy the show instead, for myself. With iphones and Facebook it’s so easy to share everything about yourself with others, but we can’t live life through a lens, because we’ll lose the moment by trying the capture it.

What I can share is that there is so much to say it’s indescribable. You’ll have to see it for yourself.

The show starts off with a mind boggling set and the first few songs paint a picture of Michael’s life. In no way was the show a simple acrobatic act set to the Michael Jackson soundtrack, each song told a story and after the act to ‘thriller’ the shows’ atmosphere took a more dramatic turn. Songs like ‘earth,’ ‘why,’ and ‘man in the mirror’ made the audience realize how powerful Michael’s songs really are, and how much of his music promotes his message of change.

The show’s theme seemed to be about accepting differences and embracing unity, so in its cast there was a male dancer with only one leg. His impressive hip hop dancing with crutches was only a small part of the broad mix of dancers and acrobats that worked really well together on stage and with the music. There was a lot more dancing in this show than any other Cirque de Soleil show. There were of course some great acrobatic and high flying moments, including one very risqué acrobatic pole dance, but for the most part it was a Michael Jackson show more than a cirque performance.

Michael lived an extraordinary life and this show captured so many of it's highlights. Even with a headache from the mix of loud music, pyrotechnics and the fact that there was no intermission, there was something special about this show that made it exceptional. But that's something that no picture or blog can capture.

Whether you like Cirque or Michael, this show was something else. Word of advice to those who go: you miss a moment by trying to capture another on camera. Be selfish about this show and keep it for yourself.

Enjoy!

.
http://www.examiner.com/dance-in-montreal/world-premier-of-michael-jackson-s-cirque-de-soleil

Memefan

03-10-2011, 10:48 AM

With iphones and Facebook it’s so easy to share everything about yourself with others, but we can’t live life through a lens, because we’ll lose the moment by trying the capture it.

I agree

Whether you like Cirque or Michael, this show was something else. Word of advice to those who go: you miss a moment by trying to capture another on camera. Be selfish about this show and keep it for yourself.

I will do exactly that tonight

Erikmjfan

03-10-2011, 11:07 AM

http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2011/10/03/michael-jackson-the-immortal-world-tour-dazzling-show/

How do you stage a Michael Jackson show without Michael Jackson? With high energy dancing and acrobatics, plenty of razzle dazzle, tons of ingenuity and lots of carefully selected video clips of Jackson himself.

That seems to be more or less the recipe adhered to by the Cirque du Soleil in creating Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour which had its world premiere at the Belle Centre last night (Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011). It plays here again tonight before moving on to Ottawa, then to about 60 other North American cities.

This $60 million arena show that sold $40 million worth of tickets within 24 hours when it was first announced, is not like anything the Cirque has done before, although its genre is similar to that of Viva ELVIS and LOVE (the Beatles show) in Las Vegas.

This MJ show has circus acts, but it’s not a circus. Nor is it a rock concert or dance show, exactly, either. Insofar as people are expecting any one of the above, they may feel a bit shortchanged. But if they go with the performance art flow of it all, they are not likely to be bored.

This is a dazzling, fast-pace spectacle for people with short attention spans, flitting from one song to the next, seldom settling down with one for a whole number. All is deftly rearranged, using live music and Jackson’s recorded voice. The audience is overwhelmed with images, some of them on screens, others created through maniupulation of quirky props, like a mega-sized white glove, a huge Jackson hat that conceals several dancers or a pair of giant shoes and socks, with dancers inside.

There’s no real attempt to tell Jackson’s life story, but it does begin with a five-clown band, evoking the Jackson Five. (Not the most successful idea in the show, given their moves aren’t nearly as slick as the originals and their bad afro wigs don’t become them well.)

The show offers a fairly comprehensive sampling of Jackson’s better-known songs. Early on, there’s a poignant rendition of Have You Seen My Childhood? Some songs, like Dancing Machine and Black or White, get more of a workout than others. Fantasies of Neverland come alive, one after another, sometimes at very high volume. There’s quiet time, too, with Jackson speaking his own lyrics.

A solo dancer/acrobat in sparkling white does mime shtick that reminds us where the moonwalk came from. He returns again and again throughout the show, at one point doing a series of startling backwards cartwheels. (Do not try this at home.) Aerial acts are used frequently to conquerthe cavernous space of the Bell Centre. A single contortionist worms her way out of a giant book, in one clevelry staged scene.

Unlike most Cirque shows, this one, directed by Jamie King, is prepared to do a couple of encores. And on Sunday night it was clear that 15,000 people wanted more. And more.

*Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour premiered at the Bell Centre on Sunday. It will return March 20, 21 and 22 and July 6-7, 2012. Tickets from $50 to $250.: www.evenko.ca or 514-790-2525 or 1-877-668-8269. Next stop is Ottawa, on Oct. 7-8, 2011.

Erikmjfan

03-10-2011, 11:34 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAlQ3PKM8-Q

WORLD PREMIERE Red Carpet at Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil

thrillerchild

03-10-2011, 11:52 AM

It's gonna seem like forever until this time next year! :P *sigh* :(

respect77

03-10-2011, 12:21 PM

I knew Cirque wouldn't disappoint. I can't wait for this to come to Europe!

Hess

03-10-2011, 12:39 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAlQ3PKM8-Q&feature=player_embedded

Looks amazing !

OnirMJ

03-10-2011, 01:07 PM

Epic Records Set to Release IMMORTAL – The New Album from Michael Jackson

IMMORTAL DELUXE ALBUM TRACKLISTING & IMMORTAL SINGLE ALBUM TRACKLISTING:

http://www.mjjunderground.com/2011/10/03/epic-records-set-to-release-immortal-the-new-album-from-michael-jackson/

Hess

03-10-2011, 01:16 PM

Looks great!

http://www.mjjunderground.com/2011/10/03/epic-records-set-to-release-immortal-the-new-album-from-michael-jackson/
Press Release) – New York, NY – On November 21, Epic Records in conjunction with the Estate of Michael Jackson, will release IMMORTAL – the highly anticipated musical tapestry for Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour. IMMORTAL will be released as both a deluxe double disc version and single disc.
Led by esteemed musical designer, Kevin Antunes (Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Madonna) IMMORTAL takes a fresh, creative approach in redesigning and reimagining more than 40 of Michael Jackson’s greatest original recordings into a compilation that allows listeners to experience his music in an entirely new way. After spending a year in the studio working with Michael’s original multi-track master recordings, Kevin created IMMORTAL which offers listeners a new soundscape to Michael’s artistry while preserving the power and familiarity of his unparalleled voice and his legendary tracks.

Kevin Antunes comments, “Michael’s legacy as the greatest entertainer of our lifetime is inspiring beyond words. It was clear from the start that Michael’s voice and overall musical essence was the sole/soul source of creative energy driving the project. From the studio to the stage, there’s an undeniable integrity and resolute truth in Michael’s vocal performances that are highlighted in the Immortal arrangements. It was built with love and respect for Michael’s music, his family, and his millions of fans around the world.”

IMMORTAL is sure to touch the hearts of passionate Michael fans as the album unfolds his musical legacy with redesigned versions of his hits, electrifying mashups and newly discovered outtakes fans have never heard before including an alternate take on the Jackson 5’s “ABC” and a choir that Michael recorded for “They Don’t Really Care About Us.”

The North American leg of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour kicked off last night in Montreal, and will include an extended stay in Las Vegas in December. The epic show, which was written and directed by Jamie King – the leading concert director in pop music today –, is a riveting fusion of Michael Jackson music, choreography and Cirque du Soleil creativity that offers fans worldwide a unique view into the spirit, passion and heart of the artistic genius who forever transformed global pop culture.

IMMORTAL DELUXE ALBUM TRACKLISTING:

1. Working Day and Night (Immortal Version)
2. The Immortal Intro (Immortal Version)
3. Childhood (Immortal Version)
4. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Immortal Version)
5. Shake Your Body Down To The Ground (Immortal Version)
6. Dancing Machine/Blame It On The Boogie (Immortal Version)
7. Ben (Immortal Version)
8. This Place Hotel/Smooth Criminal/Dangerous (Immortal Version)
9. The Mime Segment: I Like The Way/Speed Demon/Another Part Of Me (Immortal Version)
10. J5 Medley: I Want You Back/ABC/The Love You Save (Immortal Version)
11. Human Nature/Speechless (Immortal Version)
12. Is It Scary/Thriller/Ghost/Somebody’s Watching Me/Threatened (Immortal Version)
13. You Are Not Alone/I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (Immortal Version)
14. Beat It/Jam/State Of Shock (Immortal Version)
15. Earth Song/Planet Earth (Immortal Version)
16. Scream/Little Susie (Immortal Version)
17. Gone Too Soon (Immortal Version)
18. They Don’t Care About Us (Immortal Version)
19. I’ll Be There (Immortal Version)
20. Immortal Megamix: Can You Feel It/Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough/Billie Jean/Black Or White (Immortal Version)
21. Man In The Mirror (Immortal Version)
22. Remember The Time/Bad (Immortal Version)

IMMORTAL SINGLE ALBUM TRACKLISTING:

1. Working Day and Night (Immortal Version)
2. The Immortal Intro (Immortal Version)
3. Childhood (Immortal Version)
4. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Immortal Version)
5. Dancing Machine/Blame It On The Boogie (Immortal Version)
6. This Place Hotel/Smooth Criminal/Dangerous (Immortal Version)
7. J5 Medley: I Want You Back/ABC/The Love You Save (Immortal Version)
8. Human Nature/Speechless (Immortal Version)
9. Is It Scary/Thriller/Ghost/Somebody’s Watching Me/Threatened (Immortal Version)
10. You Are Not Alone/I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (Immortal Version)
11. Beat It/Jam/State Of Shock (Immortal Version)
12. Earth Song/Planet Earth (Immortal Version)
13. They Don’t Care About Us (Immortal Version)
14. Immortal Megamix: Can You Feel It/Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough/Billie Jean/Black Or White (Immortal Version)
15. Man In The Mirror (Immortal Version)

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is a major Québec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,400 artists from more than 50 different countries. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities on six continents. In 2011, Cirque du Soleil will present simultaneously 22 different shows around the world. For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com).

Hess

03-10-2011, 02:05 PM

I wanna see this show soo BAD!

Please come to Denmark!

0o0jackie0o0

03-10-2011, 03:27 PM

thanks to MsCassie and Hess for all the posting guys. appreciated.
also i MUST MUST MUST see this or i will die (dramatic but half true :P)
thankyou thankyou thankyou cirque
and a question for people outside the US. r u guys gonna buy the immortal album now or will it ruin the suprise of the soundtrack when we do eventually see the show?? i dont want to see the show and know whats coming up next....:(

Hess

03-10-2011, 03:33 PM

Hope there will be a video available for Human Nature soon. - Can't wait to see how they did that one. - I had hoped they had used live vocals from TII and not just the studio vocals - but I have no doubt after seeing the other videos that it will be great.

This show looks incredible!

Memefan

03-10-2011, 03:53 PM

Hope there will be a video available for Human Nature soon. - Can't wait to see how they did that one. - I had hoped they had used live vocals from TII and not just the studio vocals - but I have no doubt after seeing the other videos that it will be great.

This show looks incredible!

That was something. I think my mouth was open throughout the song... It was beautiful. As was I Just Can't Stop loving you and the aerelists

Hess

03-10-2011, 04:09 PM

They say They Don't Care About Us will have a different chorous that MJ recorded but didn't release.

You who saw the show - what was the new never before heard chorous like??

PCR

03-10-2011, 04:50 PM

I am so excited about this show!!! The footage is amazing.
So many people love Michael so much!

CherubimII

03-10-2011, 05:08 PM

Sooooooooooooooo amazing! :wild: http://www.hornedhalo.org/images/kermit.gif

I just got Michaeal Jackson Imortal World Tour tickets for family members and myself
for June 13, 2012 in Nashville, TN.
I hope to go, maybe, even earlier in Las Vegas and/or Los Angeles!!!!!!! http://www.hornedhalo.org/images/kermit.gif

Showman74

03-10-2011, 05:22 PM

This show is even more incredible that I thought it would be!!!! The Intro is just spectacular!! PLEASE COME TO FRANCE!!!!! I have to see this!!

mkgenie

03-10-2011, 06:15 PM

I just want to ask those who saw the show: where are the cutting edge technologies they promised to use or even invent for the show? Like 3D, hologram , and many more technologies

None appeared, right?

nesboy43

03-10-2011, 06:31 PM

I've seen some videos on youtube, and although it does look like a very well made show I get the feeling that it lacks the energy and impact that I expect from MJs music and performances. I expected this to be more of a dancing show but am not necessarily sure what it is. It looks like a very good show but not necessarily what I was thinking it would be. I mean I can't say what its like because I haven't seen it in person. Good to see the TII costumes used in Billie Jean in action. For those here who went, what did you think, was it like a fun energetic show with music as the focus or was it an artsy type thing, please let me know. It looks like it definitely has the time and effort put into it that one would expect for an MJ project and suits him well.

bluesky

03-10-2011, 07:00 PM

I just want to ask those who saw the show: where are the cutting edge technologies they promised to use or even invent for the show? Like 3D, hologram , and many more technologies

None appeared, right?

I believe it will be used in the second permanent show in Vegas

From:

The second one will be installed permanently in the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas in 2013.
"That one will be more of a theatre show, like Viva Elvis or Love," Lamarre explained.
Will it be directed by the same person (Jamie King)? "That's something we're exploring right now," he replied.

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Cirque+hoping+Thriller/5486973/story.html#ixzz1ZkMN2nDJ

bluesky

03-10-2011, 07:05 PM

Another review --

Review: Immortal will keep Michael Jackson’s legacy alive MONTREAL, Quebec -- The late King of Pop is onstage throughout the two-hour spectacular Michael Jackson’s The Immortal World Tour. His voice, songs, music and even conversations are very real, and you don’t feel shortchanged that he’s not there in person. Cirque du Soleil miraculously solved the problem of “the missing star” because they’ve preserved his memory thanks to unique treatments of video, including material from the This Is It show rehearsals in Los Angeles that ended the proposed London run because of his death.You certainly realize that Michael is looking down on this insanely impeccable production, if not actually being its director and star from afar.
Cirque lists 24 musical scenes with 60-plus -- maybe 70 -- songs integrated into the nonstop thriller of a two-hour ride, among them “Childhood,” “Wanna Be Starting Something,” “Dancing Machine,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Dangerous,” “Thriller,” “Beat It,” “They Don’t Care About Us,” “Heal the World” and “Man in the Mirror.” The near finale is a mega-mix with “Can You Feel It,” “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough,” “Billie Jean” and “Black or White,” which came right on the heels of “Heal the World” and “Will You be There?”
Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour (http://www.vegasdeluxe.com/photos/galleries/2011/oct/02/michael-jackson-immortal-world-tour-cirque-soleil/250097/) <object id="Swiff_1317667056566" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://media.vegasdeluxe.com/assets/swf/photogallery.swf" height="411" width="450"></object>

“Bring plenty of tissues -- you will cry from the experience,” musical director Greg Phillinganes promised me. His treatment of “Gone Too Soon” is obviously the most touching emotional moment. He was able to use Michael’s vocals for the wide range of up-and-down tender moods to fiery excitement with his live 15-piece band. Just seeing and hearing Michael solo on video for “I’ll Be There” and his “chat” to the audience about the importance of love and peace will send a gamut of feelings up and down your spine.
The show is structured with two stages: the more traditional theater setup at one end of the arena and a smaller circular stage on the arena floor connected by an escalator-styled walkway that connects the two in both directions.
“I wanted the entire audience to see every aspect of the show by using two stages,” director and choreographer Jamie King explained to me. “We move the action between the two, but it never stops on either one. The upper stage with the band provides the main backdrop, and the individual artists get to shine on the circular one.”
And shine they do, as only Cirque can make them. The one-legged acrobatic dancer is incredible beyond words, and he uses a crutch better than an athlete with two limbs. If Simon Cowell launched World’s Got Talent, this guy would win it hands down.
Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour: Red Carpet (http://www.vegasdeluxe.com/photos/galleries/2011/oct/02/michael-jackson-immortal-world-tour-red-carpet/250108/) <object id="Swiff_1317667056573" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://media.vegasdeluxe.com/assets/swf/photogallery.swf" height="411" width="450"></object>

Then there’s twin brothers Laurent and Larry Bourgeois, who lead the five Fanatics as entertainer guides through the thin storyline of Michael’s childhood to modern-day solo success. At first, I feared the lack of a single storyline would become the glue undone, but Michael’s musical message holds it all together.
Fans won’t be disappointed; they’ll get more than they ever thought possible:
*The giant hat, dancing shoes with white socks and white glove that come to life with the dancers is a wonderful memory of The King of Pop.
*The exploding lights from performers who appear to vanish into the galaxy of the night sky and stars is a “Human Nature,” stop-’em-in-their-tracks number with agile athletes all over the stage from ceiling downward into the arena.
http://photo.lasvegasweekly.com/img/photos/2011/10/01/scaled.MJTIWT_OSA%20IMAGES_16_t420.JPG?e2839eb8a11 9d4fa52c4ed1e5a2462d1b2132cb5 Photo: Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour. The world premiere of Immortal was in Montreal, the location of Cirque headquarters, on Oct. 2, 2011.

*The opening number with dancers propelled skyward on water from exploding fire hydrants is just the first punch in a night of knockouts. They are simply stunning experts of the art of body movement.
*Only Cirque could pull off a two-hour spectacle with a white-suited mime as the silent guide. But no ordinary Marcel Marceau mime -- this one is a contortionist, a hip-hop dancer and probably the only guy to have Michael’s moves down to maybe even a shade better, if that’s possible, than the man himself.
*The bikini-topped electronic cellist and guitarist will obviously get their own headline act and record deal. They are breathtaking and breathless.
*The pole dancer at the circular arena floor stage is a redheaded knockout and perfect to illustrate “Dangerous.” In fact, all of Michael’s music is a perfect backdrop for Cirque’s skills, especially in the breathtakingly beautiful aerial ballet.
<object id="youtubex5kPTl4jEFo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/x5kPTl4jEFo&hl=en" height="283" width="350"></object>
Michael Jackson's Immortal - from YouTube.com

Tito Jackson agreed with me backstage: “It’s a wonderful marriage of great creativity. It not only brings Michael’s brilliance back to life but gives it a whole new lease.” Jackie added: “It made us want to get up there and play and make music again. Maybe we will in Vegas one day have a reunion and bring it back. Never say never.” The family leaves Montreal today to fly to Britain for this weekend’s tribute concert in Cardiff, Wales, that will be streamed on Facebook.
The set at center stage is Michael’s Giving Tree from Neverland. It provides the life and soul of the show and turns into spiderlike legs for the white-tuxedoed zombies for “Thriller.” In the military number, the mass of marching soldiers merged into video of thousands of them has Michael’s message with peace signs illuminated on their chests. The cast appears throughout the show in the arena racing down aisles and climbing up stairs to hold balls of glowing hearts. It’s a 3D-plus experience!
The acrobats are astounding, taking on the role of urban street royalty who won the Best Dance Crew World Championships. The Jabbawockeez at our Monte Carlo have some stiff competition from these gold-suited rivals. They swing high above the audience in death-defying acrobatics. They tumble onto trampolines from the Giving Tree. They leap and fall from the center circular stage as the best Cirque has ever produced or discovered. A hot-air Neverland balloon floats across the arena.
http://photo.lasvegasweekly.com/img/photos/2011/10/01/scaled.MJTIWT_OSA%20IMAGES_4_t420.JPG?e2839eb8a119 d4fa52c4ed1e5a2462d1b2132cb5 Photo: Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour. The world premiere of Immortal was in Montreal, the location of Cirque headquarters, on Oct. 2, 2011.

It’s got the sizzle -- and more -- that you would expect from Cirque and Michael. It’s even got his favorite chimp Bubbles, who gets his own solo spot high atop the main stage before coming down to the circular floor one as part of the majestic finale.
Michael always said “dare to dream” and “believe.” Cirque took his advice and did just that. Jamie and his 10-person choreography team have captured The King of Pop’s tremendous talent and skilled spirit. Immortal will keep his legacy alive now and forever.

http://www.vegasdeluxe.com/blogs/luxe-life/2011/oct/03/review-emimmortalem-will-keep-michael-jacksons-leg/

Hess

03-10-2011, 07:18 PM

All reviews have been very positive this far haven't they?

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 07:26 PM

https://twitter.com/JackieJackson5

JackieJackson5 Jackie Jackson
The @cirque show last night was incredible! The dancers & acrobats were on fiya!! Get a sneak peek here: Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil - OFFICIAL SHOW PREVIEW - YouTube (http://t.co/NaSopAQt)
15 minutes ago

GThomson93

03-10-2011, 07:30 PM

Unless this comes to the UK, Scotland specifically, I'll have no way of seeing the show. Anyone know if an official DVD/Blu Ray release is likely?

MsCassieMollie

03-10-2011, 07:43 PM

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/308081_278689628822573_163439450347592_990921_2073 139745_n.jpg

Deniro UK

03-10-2011, 08:04 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bDlH-ppBbA

heartbreak hotel, 0:50 is so good its unreal!*

Hess

03-10-2011, 08:06 PM

I think there will no doubt be a DVD/Blu-Ray release. - But maybe not before 2014 or even later when the show has toured.

marebear

03-10-2011, 08:09 PM

The reviews sound very positive so far.

Hess

03-10-2011, 08:12 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bDlH-ppBbA

heartbreak hotel, 0:50 is so good its unreal!*

This makes me want that Immortal album even MORE!!! - HOT DAMN THAT WAS NICE!!!

I love the way they have MJ's voice outfront. It's pure magic.

Hess

03-10-2011, 08:15 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXT_6eoRdLk&feature=channel_video_title

AMAZING !!!

Hess

03-10-2011, 08:18 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qIaV4TiqbA&feature=channel_video_title

ABC !!!

Hess

03-10-2011, 08:21 PM

http://www.youtube.com/user/rcsbbond#p/u/3/uQQJG3-5kFs

Can you feel it!

Sorry - it will not allow me to make 2 videos in one posts, so I can't post all the videos in one post, I have to make one post for each video. Hope it's ok.

Deniro UK

03-10-2011, 08:25 PM

Its actually very hard describing what they've done to the songs, but its just simply beautiful!

AH Can't wait for the soundtrack and UK tour!

Hess

03-10-2011, 08:25 PM

http://www.youtube.com/user/rcsbbond#p/u/4/YTbfEpY1liQ

Don't stop till you get enough and Billie Jean

missred07

03-10-2011, 10:15 PM

oh~~~I need to try so hard not to click on all those videos lol. I don't want to know them until I saw the show in vegas in December. Hope I have enough determination to hang on 2 more months. Stop alluring me. lol

Memefan

03-10-2011, 10:17 PM

I just want to ask those who saw the show: where are the cutting edge technologies they promised to use or even invent for the show? Like 3D, hologram , and many more technologies

None appeared, right?

I recall it is for the permanent Vegas show. But believe me, there are some pretty nice moments. Several times, the live character is projected on the scream, and interacts with cartoons, musical notes and added effects. That's what I mean by so much going on at the same time, you need to watch it more than once to grasp everything.

When the lead character is on the stage doing his thing, he is also on the screen interacting with objects that ARE not on stage.

anak

03-10-2011, 10:26 PM

mIchael diserve something like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlMIIEn50YM

but is stead he get something like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIw_At4iYl0

wHere are all those things that they promisd?New tecnology, holograms? this looks to me like that MTV tribute that was done after mIChael died. i can't understand why the keep making so amaturish projects. i thougt this was going to be diferent. i am very disapointed.

StellaJackson

03-10-2011, 10:31 PM

I don't see how you can make a fair judgement using two short trailers. Immortal is an incredible show and to call it amateurish is absolutely absurd. The Beatles show is a permanent show in Vegas, Michael's permanent show does not open til 2013. This is a totally different type of show, and one of the most expensive and elaborate tributes that there will ever be. Why is there always negativity? They delivered exactly what they promised. The holograms and the like are for the permanent show. I get the feeling that some people wouldn't be happy even if they brought Michael back to life every night. smh.

GThomson93

03-10-2011, 10:32 PM

The Billie Jean performance made me a bit sad. Would have been epic to have seen MJ do that for This Is It.

Hess

03-10-2011, 10:54 PM

I don't see how you can make a fair judgement using two short trailers. Immortal is an incredible show and to call it amateurish is absolutely absurd. The Beatles show is a permanent show in Vegas, Michael's permanent show does not open til 2013. This is a totally different type of show, and one of the most expensive and elaborate tributes that there will ever be. Why is there always negativity? They delivered exactly what they promised. The holograms and the like are for the permanent show. I get the feeling that some people wouldn't be happy even if they brought Michael back to life every night. smh.

Well said! This is the tour that will travel around the world. - In 2013 or later when the permanent show will start maybe there will be new effects and more stuff. But when it has to travel around it is difficult.

anak

03-10-2011, 11:19 PM

I don't see how you can make a fair judgement using two short trailers. Immortal is an incredible show and to call it amateurish is absolutely absurd. The Beatles show is a permanent show in Vegas, Michael's permanent show does not open til 2013. This is a totally different type of show, and one of the most expensive and elaborate tributes that there will ever be. Why is there always negativity? They delivered exactly what they promised. The holograms and the like are for the permanent show. I get the feeling that some people wouldn't be happy even if they brought Michael back to life every night. smh.

sO, i don't have the rigt to expres my opinion? i saw the treiler and few videos that members posted here. i simply don't like the resault and i don't like the fact that those peple that work on Michael's projects seem to think that the fans can be easily pleased. i am not! i think Michael was one the greatest that ever lived and he diserves the best. tHAt is NOT the best.it isn't even dicent to me. this is what i think. if you think othervise, we have to agree to disagree.

Erikmjfan

03-10-2011, 11:20 PM

This is the touring show which was always gonna be more like a "concert" than classic cirque show, the permanent show in vegas in 2013 will be a COMPLETLY DIFFERENT show more like a classical cirque show.

I wanna see both!

StellaJackson

03-10-2011, 11:24 PM

sO, i don't have the rigt to expres my opinion? i saw the treiler and few videos that members posted here. i simply don't like the resault and i don't like the fact that those peple that work on Michael's projects seem to think that the fans can be easily pleased. i am not! i think Michael was one the greatest that ever lived and he diserves the best. tHAt is NOT the best.it isn't even dicent to me. this is what i think. if you think othervise, we have to agree to disagree.

I can't understand your spelling or grammar. But yeah, this is an incredible show.

anak

03-10-2011, 11:36 PM

I can't understand your spelling or grammar. But yeah, this is an incredible show.

that is because i am not native speaker and i think that you understoud perfectly well what i am saying. the fact that i luck in gramar and spelling doesn't mean that i'm stupid and i think it doesn't prevent me from posting here. if you like the show fine, i don't and we have to disagree on that.

Hess

03-10-2011, 11:39 PM

This is the touring show which was always gonna be more like a "concert" than classic cirque show, the permanent show in vegas in 2013 will be a COMPLETLY DIFFERENT show more like a classical cirque show.

I wanna see both!

Agreed.

I would love to see both show too. But I doubt that will happen. - Maybe both will be released on Blu-Ray. That will be my chance I guess.

StellaJackson

03-10-2011, 11:41 PM

Agreed.

I would love to see both show too. But I doubt that will happen. - Maybe both will be released on Blu-Ray. That will be my chance I guess.

I'm gonna see all the UK shows then go to Vegas for the residency show. And I'm buying the album - both versions! I will support anything that upholds Michael's legacy. He would have loved this.

Kikuchiyo

03-10-2011, 11:59 PM

I'll also buy both versions :)
What do you think about IMMORTAL DELUXE CD + T-SHIRT + SHOW PROGRAM (http://www.myplaydirect.com/michael-jackson/immortal-deluxe-cd-t-shirt-show-program/details/26404911)? I am hoping that show program would also be sold separately.

Ashtanga

04-10-2011, 12:05 AM

OMG!!!! http://www.hornedhalo.org/images/kermit.gif

This is a real tribute to a King. :wild: Michael would love it!! They have to come to Brazil! I gotta see this! :wild: http://www.hornedhalo.org/images/kermit.gif

bluesky

04-10-2011, 12:12 AM

Moonwalker.Fan

04-10-2011, 12:16 AM

mIchael diserve something like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlMIIEn50YM

wHere are all those things that they promisd?New tecnology, holograms? this looks to me like that MTV tribute that was done after mIChael died. i can't understand why the keep making so amaturish projects. i thougt this was going to be diferent. i am very disapointed.

and no lasers??? I think the laser show would greatly emphasize the atmosphere and the little stage and the whole hall could be amazingly illuminated with lasers, but... nothing like this happened...

I have always wondered what an amateur created the stages/stage production for MJs tours, lasers are/would be phenomenal, finally somebody should inspire from Jean Michel Jarres shows....

MsCassieMollie

04-10-2011, 12:25 AM

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsil1nOEOz1qj1bfjo1_500.jpg
http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsil1nOEOz1qj1bfjo2_400.jpg
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Ashtanga

04-10-2011, 12:33 AM

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsil1nOEOz1qj1bfjo1_500.jpg
http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsil1nOEOz1qj1bfjo2_400.jpg
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsil1nOEOz1qj1bfjo3_500.jpg
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:heart:

PPB > :girl_give_heart:

PCR

04-10-2011, 12:53 AM

sO, i don't have the rigt to expres my opinion? i saw the treiler and few videos that members posted here. i simply don't like the resault and i don't like the fact that those peple that work on Michael's projects seem to think that the fans can be easily pleased. i am not! i think Michael was one the greatest that ever lived and he diserves the best. tHAt is NOT the best.it isn't even dicent to me. this is what i think. if you think othervise, we have to agree to disagree.

that is because i am not native speaker and i think that you understoud perfectly well what i am saying. the fact that i luck in gramar and spelling doesn't mean that i'm stupid and i think it doesn't prevent me from posting here. if you like the show fine, i don't and we have to disagree on that.

Oh, please, c'mon! Nobody is asking you not to voice your opinion, people are only saying it is kind of unfair to label this show as amateur. Cirque De Soleil is ROYALTY when it comes to this kind of shows. Amateurs? Please! We might like or dislike the show, but labeling Cirque's work as 'amateur' is really, really unfair.

And please, dear, don't put words on other's members comments. No one has called you stupid, as you mention in your post.

please... :ermm:

max000

04-10-2011, 12:59 AM

Looking at these photos something hit me like a ton of bricks. Hope i just need a good night sleep.

bluetopez

04-10-2011, 01:04 AM

WOW! Thx for the uploads I can't wait for April 2012 that's when I be goin! :D I also will buy both Immortal CD's! =D

wendy2004

04-10-2011, 02:08 AM

Thanks to all for the updates and photos and reviews! I've only watched the 1st video released last night. It looks amazing. And I can't wait to see the Human Nature part everyone seems to be raving about. Not clicking on any of the other videos to keep the excitement and anticipation going til the 15th. DeTROIT!!! :punk:

It comes to Miami in March just in time for my bday and will be seeing it twice then.
woohoo!

Totally SUCKS that the hologram and other stuff will only be available in Vegas, tho. :mello: Guess I'll save that for late 2012.

ETA: Forgot to say I'm glad the kids enjoyed it. :)

mjfanfl73

04-10-2011, 02:09 AM

Why can't we be glad for what we do have, and not complain about what we don't have. Everyone involved is doing the best they can to keep Michael's legacy alive and I think they are doing a great job.

qbee

04-10-2011, 03:57 AM

reviews are awesome - Im so so proud and happy
Ive just booked for the Fanfest and Immortal show for Dec 4th in LV

MsCassieMollie

04-10-2011, 04:21 AM

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsip2zfwaW1r04ttmo1_500.jpg
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsip4qAoXl1qeczuwo1_500.jpg

Anniesnotokmj

04-10-2011, 05:06 AM

OOh child...Blanket gives some of the meanest side eyes! LOL. That boy has his daddy number lol. Mike use to give some serious side eyes too lol. I'm glad the children were able to enjoy their fathers work, through a different medium. So happy for them! :) Prince has grown into a handsome young man. Paris is such a gorgeous young lady. She appears very composed and sharp. Again, I'm so proud! They are a reflection of MJ and he did a wonderful job. That to me, is MJ's greatest legacy: His children, and his music. "My music and me"-M.J.

sugarcookies

04-10-2011, 05:24 AM

Qbee i wish i had your money...LOL

MsCassieMollie

04-10-2011, 05:32 AM

Mama Kat, Prince & Paris brief interview about the show (as seen on Piers Morgan):

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/r89n6SqS0Fw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

anak

04-10-2011, 08:06 AM

Oh, please, c'mon! Nobody is asking you not to voice your opinion, people are only saying it is kind of unfair to label this show as amateur. Cirque De Soleil is ROYALTY when it comes to this kind of shows. Amateurs? Please! We might like or dislike the show, but labeling Cirque's work as 'amateur' is really, really unfair.

And please, dear, don't put words on other's members comments. No one has called you stupid, as you mention in your post.

please... :ermm:

I Didn't say Cirque De Soleil is amaturish, i said that those that made the IMortal show, made it in an amaturish way.Look at the costumes, at the scene, at that tree with the neons around. everything scream cheap and and amaturish. i posted the Cirque de soleil Love show and i said that Michael diserve something similar or better. they said about holograms, new tecnology where are all these? nowere. And where is Cirque De Soleil, were are the acrobats? This is not Cirque De Soleil, tHis is a failed mix between Cirque and This is it. if all of you are happy with the result and think that this is the best that can do about Michael, then ok. i don't, i think that they could do million things better.

Erikmjfan

04-10-2011, 08:18 AM

Once again, THE HOLOGRAM and new technology will be at the 2nd show! How hard can it be to understand?

respect77

04-10-2011, 08:31 AM

Once again, THE HOLOGRAM and new technology will be at the 2nd show! How hard can it be to understand?

Thanks. You gotta love people who criticize and are being negative when they don't even know what they are talking about. In this case comparing apples and oranges - a touring show to a permanent Las Vegas show. I have the feeling some people like to be negative and displeased with everything just for the sake of it.

Erikmjfan

04-10-2011, 08:55 AM

http://www.montrealgazette.com/Video+Jamie+King+talks+about+Michael+Jackson+IMMOR TAL+World+Tour/5496801/story.html

Video: Jamie King talks about Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour

Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour director Jamie King talks about his experience developing the new Cirque du Soleil show.

October 3, 2011

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/Video+Jamie+King+talks+about+Michael+Jackson+IMMOR TAL+World+Tour/5496801/story.html#ixzz1ZnlAL2Vh

Memefan

04-10-2011, 10:30 AM

I Didn't say Cirque De Soleil is amaturish, i said that those that made the IMortal show, made it in an amaturish way.Look at the costumes, at the scene, at that tree with the neons around. everything scream cheap and and amaturish. i posted the Cirque de soleil Love show and i said that Michael diserve something similar or better. they said about holograms, new tecnology where are all these? nowere. And where is Cirque De Soleil, were are the acrobats? This is not Cirque De Soleil, tHis is a failed mix between Cirque and This is it. if all of you are happy with the result and think that this is the best that can do about Michael, then ok. i don't, i think that they could do million things better.

I was just wondering, Have you seen the show...?

I was lucky enough to watch the show for the second night in a row last night...and dar I say it was better than premiere night.

2 things stroke: the behind the scene work & the details in the costumes & makeup.

As discussed last week, these 2 shows were sold-out last November, but I think they re-designed the stage which freed up several places at the right & left of the stage.

Personally, I don't think they should have, I was happy they did because I was able to snatch fix early yesterday, but if it's your first time viewing the show, these seats aren't the best (to get a full view of the show), though they were pricier than the ones I bought last November. They are at same level as the curved white curtain, and when they are projecting clips or the live action from the secondary stage, it's difficult to see everything. You only see half or 3/4 of the curtain & the projected clip...I will try to call Cirque up today to let them know. BUT...I was closer to the stage. I could see their make up & detailing on the costumes, which I loved.

That being said, the crowd tonight was amazing. The show was even better the second time around. They got lots of applause (can't tell what's different tonight compare to last, maybe less media & promoters), the crowd got into it and the energy made the sow more vibrant...from where I was seating, I took a peak at the behind the scene workers hard at work changing the sets..lol They are so efficient and quick...mind boggling.

We heard a few folks discussing the show and their reviews were even more glowing then the press..hoping it gets some great word of mouth.

FYI, I read Jamie King prepared 2 encores (unusual for Cirque's shows) ...but folks started leaving after the "final" curtain...But had people stayed, there would have been an encore.....I am so mad that I haven't seen any of them. Booooo.. they have to find a way to let the crown know about the encores...

Next stop for me....Show and Fan Fest December 3rd.

smile4mj

04-10-2011, 10:46 AM

I really really like the preview of it and some of the videos on youtube because they are so great but honestly I cant really feel it. I dont know why. Yes, the performance and show have all the things(energy,technology,etc) that we would like to see on but I feel that it isnt the same feeling for me anymore.I really wanted to see Michael the real one on the stage and not them or maybe Michael himself enjoying the show himself although I know he would be so proud now in heaven. I'm sorry if I have offended anyone. I would really like to enjoy any shows related to Michael but I just cant anymore. I do hope I will change my mind if I got to see myself but chances are low Immortal to come to my country :(

qbee

04-10-2011, 11:53 AM

Qbee i wish i had your money...LOL

Dont jump to conclusions. I dont have a penny :poor: :broke:
My sister is taking me and paying all expenses so you can wish you had her money :lol:

soulmum

04-10-2011, 12:20 PM

It looks amazing and is a fitting tribute.

gerryevans

04-10-2011, 12:23 PM

I really really like the preview of it and some of the videos on youtube because they are so great but honestly I cant really feel it. I dont know why. Yes, the performance and show have all the things(energy,technology,etc) that we would like to see on but I feel that it isnt the same feeling for me anymore.I really wanted to see Michael the real one on the stage and not them or maybe Michael himself enjoying the show himself although I know he would be so proud now in heaven. I'm sorry if I have offended anyone. I would really like to enjoy any shows related to Michael but I just cant anymore. I do hope I will change my mind if I got to see myself but chances are low Immortal to come to my country :(

I don't think what you're feeling is unusual. The thing is NO ONE AND NOTHING can be what MJ was to millions. That was HIS magic alone. Immortal gives you a sense of him, but nothing can be him, and that's what you and I and millions will always miss. HIM. But we can still be THOROUGHLY entertained, and that's what I think Immortal will do for you. Give you a couple of hours of fantastic entertainment.

Erikmjfan

04-10-2011, 01:35 PM

thank u for sharing memefan! did u take any pics?

0o0jackie0o0

04-10-2011, 02:49 PM

I don't think what you're feeling is unusual. The thing is NO ONE AND NOTHING can be what MJ was to millions. That was HIS magic alone. Immortal gives you a sense of him, but nothing can be him, and that's what you and I and millions will always miss. HIM. But we can still be THOROUGHLY entertained, and that's what I think Immortal will do for you. Give you a couple of hours of fantastic entertainment.
well said
Memefan or anyone who went, were there any particular parts that the crowd is the loudest for?? and was the crowd singing and dancing? standing or sitting?

love is magical

04-10-2011, 03:21 PM

I don't think what you're feeling is unusual. The thing is NO ONE AND NOTHING can be what MJ was to millions. That was HIS magic alone. Immortal gives you a sense of him, but nothing can be him, and that's what you and I and millions will always miss. HIM. But we can still be THOROUGHLY entertained, and that's what I think Immortal will do for you. Give you a couple of hours of fantastic entertainment.

Well said! We have to remind ourselves that this is still a Cirque du Soleil show, not a Michael Jackson concert. No one can replicate Michael's aura. If one goes to the show and expects to "see" Michael, one is bound to be disappointed But still, the Immortal is a well-produced show inspired by Michael. It is still a thoroughly touching and enjoyable show.

And, I don't think any 2-minute youtube clip can describe how good the show is. It's not a 5-minute music video, but a two-hour long production. The energy and the atmosphere is totally different when seeing the live performance.

Given the reality that Michael's gone, this probably is the best fans can get. I prefer to see a Cirque show than a tribute concert any time. It's just me though as I don't think any artist these days can do a Michael Jackson song justice.

PurpleParrot

04-10-2011, 04:58 PM

Just going back home after what is one of the most amazing weekend I've ever had.
Been to Travis's flashmob on October 1st, in the pouring rain, cold, was at the premiere on October 2nd, and a nice angel came to me so I was able to go to the show on October 3rd also.

In between the shows we've had a TOTAL FAN WEEKEND! Dinners at restaurants, Karaoke, dancing in bar, meeting with the cast again, pictures and stuff.

I LOVED IT SO MUCH!

MsCassieMollie

04-10-2011, 05:53 PM

https://twitter.com!/tjjackson

tjjackson TJ Jackson
Just saw some photos from my Uncle's/Cirque "Immortal" Show. Wow! It looks amazing. Can't wait to see it. :)
11 hours ago

Sophielo

04-10-2011, 06:36 PM

The kids are so gorgeous, Michael would be so proud of them.

Ashtanga

04-10-2011, 07:39 PM

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsip2zfwaW1r04ttmo1_500.jpg
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsip4qAoXl1qeczuwo1_500.jpg

Beautiful children! :girl_sigh: :wub:

The kids are so gorgeous, Michael would be so proud of them.

Yes. :wub: :cry:

Just going back home after what is one of the most amazing weekend I've ever had.
Been to Travis's flashmob on October 1st, in the pouring rain, cold, was at the premiere on October 2nd, and a nice angel came to me so I was able to go to the show on October 3rd also.

In between the shows we've had a TOTAL FAN WEEKEND! Dinners at restaurants, Karaoke, dancing in bar, meeting with the cast again, pictures and stuff.

I LOVED IT SO MUCH!

You had such a fun time! :wild:

Erikmjfan

04-10-2011, 08:06 PM

dont think this was posted before.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/oct/03/photos-cirque-du-soleils-immortal-show-michael-wou/

By Robin Leach (contact)

Monday, Oct. 3, 2011 | 6:44 a.m.

Cirque du Soleil - Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour. The world premiere of Immortal was in Montreal, the location of Cirque headquarters, on Oct. 2, 2011.
Photo 1 / 25FullscreenCaptionsBuyMONTREAL, Quebec -- The musical legacy of Michael Jackson’s creativity and genius will last forever thanks to an amazing marriage between The King of Pop and Cirque du Soleil. The world premiere of Michael Jackson’s The Immortal World Tour here in the French Canadian headquarters of the one-time circus troupe proved that point, and everybody from fans to family and estate executors to Cirque’s executives agreed that “this is the show Michael would have wanted.”

“It’s the show he would have signed off on,” director and choreographer Jamie King told me at the 13,000-seat, sold-out, opening-night spectacular with Jackson brothers Jackie, Tito and Marlon all agreeing in unison.

“Our mother must be bawling from the tears. Even we wiped away some tears. ‘Gone Too Soon’ was the most moving and emotional moment for us as a family. Michael’s message about peace and loving one another as we are all one really came through. Love is so important. He would have been very pleased with this production. He always went to see every Cirque show in Vegas, and, yes, he would have given a complete OK to this. He was a perfectionist, and Cirque was the same with Immortal,” they said backstage.

“It’s what Michael himself once dreamed of having with Cirque as a partner,” trustee and estate executor Howard Weitzman told me shortly after the two-hour visual and aural feast with its 24 musical scenes using more than 60(!) of the late superstar singer’s hits punched home with pyrotechnics and steam smoke cannons set against startling video treatments, holograms and effects.

Michael’s mom Katherine Jackson and his three children Blanket, 9, Paris, 13, and Prince, 14, watched the show at the Bell Center Arena after braving heavy rain to pose on the red carpet before the show. It was the first time Michael’s children had ever seen one of their father’s concerts.

There’s no impersonator, but Michael’s presence envelops this production. “He is very much alive -- his spirit , his hand, his guidance and strive for perfection -- is all over this,” Jamie told me. “That’s why we start every performance with a prayer circle, an emotional, spiritual moment with him and the cast.”

Cirque chief Daniel Lamarre said: “The most important thing for Cirque in this entire process was that all the Jackson family would be happy at what we created.

“They were -- and the audience reaction was the same. Michael’s mother played the deciding factor in choosing Cirque for her son’s life to become this stage production. Michael’s executors wanted to follow Michael’s wishes of teaming with Cirque, and she approved that. We refused to hire any impersonators. The family didn’t want that, and we didn’t, either. There’s only one Michael Jackson. We see and hear him right through this show.

“Our gamble paid off tonight. It was a real risk for Cirque to enter the touring business. We have never brought a show to life before specifically for concert arenas. We rolled the dice, as you say in Vegas, but if Cirque was not to become stagnant, we had to grow. Immortal takes us where we have not gone before. This is Cirque’s first interpretation of a rock show, but we sold $40 million in tickets in the first 24 hours of announcing. That’s never happened before.

“Yes, there will be some changes and tightening. Normally, we have many previews to shake down a show. The only time we had with this was the one run-through performance yesterday [Saturday] for Cirque’s employees and the MGM executives from Las Vegas. So for the first night out, we are ecstatic and also relieved. After the second night here, they pack up and move on immediately. The tour is under way. Then it’s 47 North American cities for two years and the world for two more years after that. It might not ever end.”

Next weekend, it’s two nights in Ottawa and then onto Hamilton, London, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Vancouver before the U.S. premiere Nov. 15 in Detroit and the monthlong December stop at Mandalay Bay.

“Our month in Vegas starting Dec. 3 at Mandalay Bay is the most important to us. We already know though that some of the technology and elements we’ve used for the first time anywhere will be used in the new permanent residency show in Mandalay in 2013. So the touring show will be a wonderful preview of what will eventually come to Vegas permanently.”

The 180,000-pound, two-level stage spectacle packed up into 38 trailer tractors is an all-time touring concert record. Three trucks are just for the elaborate, unique and colorful costumes. There are tour buses for a cast and crew totaling 76 people, including 15 musicians.

Sensational lead singer Jory Steinberg and musical director Greg Phillinganes, who have found romance during the rehearsals, told me: “Michael is alive. You can feel his presence. He is at every show and has been since the very beginning. We even sense he is very pleased with this. It is what he wanted.”

Fans who came from as far away as Japan, South America, Europe and the United States were just as enthusiastic, giving the cast and crew huge applause and standing ovations.

“It was such a joyous night. It’s even better than we ever expected or dreamed possible,” Jackie Jackson summed up. “Michael would have given it 10 stars -- more than five out of five!”

Later this morning, read our rundown of the show itself and what you’ll see at Mandalay Bay starting Dec. 3. Also be sure to check out Senior Editor John Katsilometes’ thoughts in The Kats Report on LasVegasSun.com.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

bluesky

04-10-2011, 08:22 PM

Cirque du Soleil's 'Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour' debuts, heads to Oregon in November

http://media.oregonlive.com/ent_impact_performance/photo/10106617-large.jpg

Oregon theatrical designer Michael Curry shows off one of his animatronic creations for Cirque du Soleil's "Michael Jackson: The Immortal," which had it's world premiere Sunday in Montreal.

MONTREAL – The King of Pop may be gone, but his music and legacy live on in Cirque du Soleil (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/home.aspx#/en/home/americas/usa.aspx)'s lavish new spectacular "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour," (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson-tour/default.aspx) which had its premiere Sunday night at the Bell Center arena.

The show features more than 30 of Jackson's songs, spanning from his early career leading The Jackson Five through the songs he was working on at the time of his death in 2009. "The Immortal World Tour," which is rumored to be the most-expensive road-production in Cirque du Soleil's history, plays Eugene (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson-tour/tickets/eugene.aspx) and Portland (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson-tour/tickets/portland.aspx)in mid-November – among the earliest tour stops in the show's three-year tour around the globe.

The show is written and directed by Jamie King, the concert impresario who has worked with artists like Madonna, Celine Dion and Christina Aguilera over the years, and who created choreography for Jackson in the past. King has an Oregon connection: Several years ago, he worked with Nike on a variety of creative advertising projects.

Another Oregon connection for Cirque's Michael Jackson tribute is Michael Curry, the Scappoose-based theatrical designer who's known for the puppets he created for the Broadway musical "The Lion King," as well as numerous Cirque productions and Olympic opening and closing ceremonies. For "The Immortal," Curry created animatronic puppets showing a young Michael Jackson, as well as metal sculptures representing animals that were among the menagerie of animals at the late singer's Neverland Ranch, which are used by Cirque aerial acrobats in one of the show's larger numbers.

In the audience for the opening were all three of Jackson's children (Prince, Paris and "Blanket"), his mother Katherine, as well as several of Jackson's bothers. Other luminaries in the audience included music producer L.A. Reid, as well as an array of French-Canadian celebrities.

http://media.oregonlive.com/ent_impact_performance/photo/10106626-large.jpgView full size (http://media.oregonlive.com/ent_impact_performance/photo/jackson-partyjpg-d61467bb65d40535.jpg)
Grant Butler/The Oregonian

Even the food at the premiere of "Michael Jackson: The Immortal" paid tribute to the late King of Pop.

The two-hour show was greeted warmly by the Montreal audience, who responded to production numbers based on Jackson's solo hits "Thriller" and "Smooth Criminal," as well as an elaborate acrobatic act staged to the Jacksons' disco song "Can You Feel It." But the premiere had a fair share of glitches, including a few instances of flubbed choreography, pyrotechnic hand guns that seemed to fire at will, and a near mishap when a mechanized hot-air balloon that floated around the arena almost landed on alarmed audience members before being whisked away by stage-hands.

After the show, Cirque's creative team, guests and the show's performers attended a lavish party that featured more Jackson music, cocktail appetizers that had the architectural flair of the show's scenery, cupcakes adorned with sequined gloves, and even an ice sculpture bearing the King of Pop's signature. It was elaborate, somewhat garish and plenty of fun. Given how much Jackson loved Cirque du Soleil (he and his children were regulars at the company's numerous permanent shows in Las Vegas), he would have approved of the proceedings.

-- Grant Butler (gbutler@oregonian.com)
Follow @GrantButler (http://twitter.com/#!/grantbutler)

Related topics: cirque du soleil (http://topics.oregonlive.com/tag/cirque du soleil/index.html), jamie king (http://topics.oregonlive.com/tag/jamie king/index.html), michael curry (http://topics.oregonlive.com/tag/michael curry/index.html), michael jackson (http://topics.oregonlive.com/tag/michael jackson/index.html), montreal (http://topics.oregonlive.com/tag/montreal/index.html), premiere (http://topics.oregonlive.com/tag/premiere/index.html), the immortal (http://topics.oregonlive.com/tag/the immortal/index.html)
http://www.oregonlive.com/performance/index.ssf/2011/10/cirque_du_soleils_michael_jack.html

Hess

04-10-2011, 08:22 PM

thanks

bluesky

04-10-2011, 10:14 PM

Here is the answer for "new technology" found from the above post

“Our month in Vegas starting Dec. 3 at Mandalay Bay is the most important to us. We already know though that some of the technology and elements we’ve used for the first time anywhere will be used in the new permanent residency show in Mandalay in 2013. So the touring show will be a wonderful preview of what will eventually come to Vegas permanently.”

ExoticPrincess

04-10-2011, 10:45 PM

I Didn't say Cirque De Soleil is amaturish, i said that those that made the IMortal show, made it in an amaturish way.Look at the costumes, at the scene, at that tree with the neons around. everything scream cheap and and amaturish. i posted the Cirque de soleil Love show and i said that Michael diserve something similar or better. they said about holograms, new tecnology where are all these? nowere. And where is Cirque De Soleil, were are the acrobats? This is not Cirque De Soleil, tHis is a failed mix between Cirque and This is it. if all of you are happy with the result and think that this is the best that can do about Michael, then ok. i don't, i think that they could do million things better.

@anak......pay close attention to the quotes below.....

Once again, THE HOLOGRAM and new technology will be at the 2nd show! How hard can it be to understand?

EXACTLY!

Thanks. You gotta love people who criticize and are being negative when they don't even know what they are talking about. In this case comparing apples and oranges - a touring show to a permanent Las Vegas show. I have the feeling some people like to be negative and displeased with everything just for the sake of it.

THIS!

“Our month in Vegas starting Dec. 3 at Mandalay Bay is the most important to us. We already know though that some of the technology and elements we’ve used for the first time anywhere will be used in the new permanent residency show in Mandalay in 2013. So the touring show will be a wonderful preview of what will eventually come to Vegas permanently.”

And here you go, right from the horses mouth.

Hess

04-10-2011, 10:48 PM

Here is the answer for "new technology" found from the above post

“Our month in Vegas starting Dec. 3 at Mandalay Bay is the most important to us. We already know though that some of the technology and elements we’ve used for the first time anywhere will be used in the new permanent residency show in Mandalay in 2013. So the touring show will be a wonderful preview of what will eventually come to Vegas permanently.”

Hope the Vegas show will be available on Blu-Ray someday!

MsCassieMollie

05-10-2011, 02:39 AM

Katherine Jackson talks about Cirque Du Soleil MJ IMMORTAL show.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UW5pRnrQL6s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

André89

05-10-2011, 06:34 AM

I've ripped the audio from the various youtube videos out there to create my own playlist, and thought I'd post it here so that more people can enjoy the songs we've god this far. Hope this is alright :)

Credit goes to the original uploaders.

1 - Opening Sequence
2 - Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
3 - Heartbreak Hotel
4 - I Want You Back
5 - Threatned, Thriller
6 - Can You Feel It
7 - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Billie Jean
8 - Black Or White

Link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?ug31uzvy0kmu1fl

Erikmjfan

05-10-2011, 07:50 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xryekAOqaH8&feature=related

Heartbreak Hotel, Smooth Criminal, Dangerous

Hess

05-10-2011, 08:09 AM

^^^

Great.

I am still looking forward to They Don't Care about Us and Human Nature.

Erikmjfan

05-10-2011, 08:41 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haF-dxnNLZg&feature=related

behind the scenes

Moon__Walk

05-10-2011, 09:46 AM

Will this come to Australia?

Memefan

05-10-2011, 10:36 AM

Dunno if I should have opened a new thread on this, as i am sure it will be lost fairly quickly in this mega thread.

Anyone bought merchandise (T-shirt, program book, bags etc) at the shows?

I did and i must say, that is another thing that really impressed me. Usually the sizing are are wrong ...but these were obviously well-thought in advance.

I bought several t-shirts, the coffee mug, the program book and they are all of great quality.

The t-shirts are far better quality & fit than all those i've bought from Bravado store.

Memefan

05-10-2011, 10:42 AM

AMAZING. AMAZING. AMAZING. I am glad they are reminded of MJ's spirit & perfectionism

Behind The Scene - 'Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour' - Premiere Night!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOiO86Xg4WE

Erikmjfan

05-10-2011, 12:19 PM

Cirque du Soleil's spectacular new Michael Jackson arena show isn't called The Immortal World Tour for nothing. For most of the artists who created the dance, music and circus hybrid, it was as if the late king of pop was involved every step of the way.

From the director and writer Jamie King down to a third of the 12-piece band, many worked first-hand with Jackson – and a number were collaborating with him on his planned set of comeback concerts, This Is It, right before he died.

More related to this storyCirque du Soleil’s tribute to Michael Jackson is fittingly *****
Video
Cirque du Soleil immortalizes Michael Jackson “He's immortal because he lives on in all of us,” explains King, who danced on Jackson's Dangerous tour in 1992 before becoming a sought-after tour director for such superstars as Rihanna, Madonna and Celine Dion.

There's no doubt that in his afterlife, Michael Jackson is as present in the public consciousness – and as popular – as ever. The $60-million Immortal World Tour, which travels to 47 cities across Canada and the United States this fall before a residency in Las Vegas, attracted promoters from Asia and journalists from across North America to its sold-out opening this week in Montreal.

On Monday, scores of visiting scribes were broken up into packs and given a backstage tour at the Bell Centre. In this temple where it’s usually the Montreal Canadiens being worshipped, the MJ pilgrims weaved through a maze of costumes racks and props – several posed for photos with a fedora big enough to go camping in – and were led to short scrums with members of The Immortal World Tour's creative team.

All of them – looking various degrees of exhausted the morning after the opening night – professed that the spirit of Jackson was with the show.

New York designer Zaldy Goco, who had been working as the head designer on This Is It, recalled fondly a fitting with Jackson, where the singer's three children milled around and laughter ensued as the singer toppled to the ground while trying on a pair of pants.

“There's a piece of Michael everywhere in the show,” says Goco, flipping through an assortment of costumes that attempt to pay homage to Jackson's iconic looks without copying them – for instance, a jacket patterned with the star's trademark aviator glasses.

Goco didn't want to use the costume designs from the cancelled final concerts, because fans are already familiar with them from Kenny Ortega's documentary. He made an exception for a set of tracksuits that, in the tour's Billie Jean dance number, light up in various colours through the use of LED technology – an innovation Jackson was particularly excited about. “We put the pants on him – and there was silence for 40 seconds,” Goco recalls. “Then he said, 'It's everything I ever wanted.' ”

Another This Is It alumnus on The Immortal World Tour is Michael Curry, who designed the aforementioned giant fedora as well as a huge white glove.

Curry, a frequent Cirque collaborator most famous for his work on the animal puppets in The Lion King stage musical, remembers that Jackson's response to design queries was always a set of questions of his own: “What does the audience see? What does the audience feel?”

The designer heard Jackson's voice imploring him to think of the audience all through his design process of the puppets – including an animatronic, six-year-old Michael Jackson that floats out over the audience in a helium balloon, “like his spirit,” Curry says.

“It was as if I had two directors,” says Curry, who, along with the rest of the team, visited Jackson's Neverland ranch and pored through the star's private writings there during the development of the show.

Perhaps those most closely linked to Jackson's spirit on The Immortal World Tour are the choreographers, who are part of a physical history of movement passed from body to body. “Michael's been a mentor and big brother for all of us,” says Travis Payne, sitting in a row of Bell Centre seats with fellow star choreographers Rich and Tone Talauega. “Getting to be included in this tour has been a bit of a healing process.”

Payne – who danced with director Jamie King on the Dangerous tour many years ago – was co-choreographing the This Is It shows and had worked on and off with Jackson for 15 years before that.

One of the side benefits of working on this project and in Canada is that it kept the Payne's mind off of legal and media circus going on in Los Angeles, where physician Conrad Murray is being tried for involuntary manslaughter in the death of Jackson in June, 2009. “Being on two different coasts and in two different countries was very helpful,” he says.

In a way, Cirque du Soleil is the unfamiliar element in what is almost a family project. But according to Rich Talauega – who, along with his brother, was discovered freestyling in an Oakland, Calif., club by a Jackson associate and now works with the likes of Chris Brown – the Quebec entertainment giant is the right partner for this project. “At this time, Cirque du Soleil is probably the only company that could catch his essence,” he says.

“Cirque campus [the company's headquarters in Montreal] felt like a Neverland,” agrees Payne, a four-time winner of MTV Video Music Award for best choreography. “It's a space for creation.”

BY THE NUMBERS

$60-million: reported cost of The Immortal World Tour

$40-million: value of tickets sold in first 24 hours

47: number of cities The Immortal World Tour is currently scheduled to visit

64: number of artists on stage in the show

450: hours of video footage – much of it from Jackson's private collection – the projection designers went through to select clips for the show

12: Michael Jackson's shoe size

9 feet: the length of the replicas of his shoes that briefly appear on stage

35 feet: how tall a proportional Michael Jackson would have had to be to wear those shoes

40: number of trucks in The Immortal World Tour caravan required to transport giant shoes and all the other props, costumes and set

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/theatre/michael-jacksons-team-finds-new-home-in-cirques-neverland/article2191062/

0o0jackie0o0

05-10-2011, 03:09 PM

thanks Memefan for the video! i love the way jamie gives the pep talk. i bet mike was there. made me cry. i swear i wouldnt change a thing about the way cirque has gone about this tour from feedback of the fan leaders to hiring people who truly love michael, to the actual production.
^ i love the story from zaldy about mj and the kids laughing.
have to admit tho, as cool as the billie jean outfit is, i'm kinda glad mj didnt end up using it. i dont feel like it would take away the emphasis on the billie jean perfomance. to me bj needs nothing more. its already a masterpiece and adding coloured lights doesnt seem right. but its awesome for cirque to use.
i think working on this production would b the best job in the world apart from being away from family..and being exhausted lol.

StellaJackson

05-10-2011, 03:15 PM

Dunno if I should have opened a new thread on this, as i am sure it will be lost fairly quickly in this mega thread.

Anyone bought merchandise (T-shirt, program book, bags etc) at the shows?

I did and i must say, that is another thing that really impressed me. Usually the sizing are are wrong ...but these were obviously well-thought in advance.

I bought several t-shirts, the coffee mug, the program book and they are all of great quality.

The t-shirts are far better quality & fit than all those i've bought from Bravado store.

Can you post a picture of the merchandise please?

D4rkNezz

05-10-2011, 04:49 PM

this show is all for the money...

90% for the money
10% Tribute to Michael.

then they come up with imortal versions of remix tracks from michael... all for the money.

Estate so called has everything? then they come up with this sh.t

what next.. Invincible remasterd tracks + 1 bonus song.

bluesky

05-10-2011, 05:59 PM

Dunno if I should have opened a new thread on this, as i am sure it will be lost fairly quickly in this mega thread.

Anyone bought merchandise (T-shirt, program book, bags etc) at the shows?

I did and i must say, that is another thing that really impressed me. Usually the sizing are are wrong ...but these were obviously well-thought in advance.

I bought several t-shirts, the coffee mug, the program book and they are all of great quality.

The t-shirts are far better quality & fit than all those i've bought from Bravado store.

You can post those in memoribilia section!

bluesky

05-10-2011, 06:04 PM

this show is all for the money...

90% for the money
10% Tribute to Michael.

then they come up with imortal versions of remix tracks from michael... all for the money.

Estate so called has everything? then they come up with this sh.t

what next.. Invincible remasterd tracks + 1 bonus song.

of course, there is money and profit to be make. What do you expect?
This community will be dead if there is no future projects, no CD, no DVDs, etc.. or something to look forward

CherubimII

05-10-2011, 06:06 PM

I was wondering if you have seen these pictures of Prince, Paris, and Blanket taken at Premiere of "The Michael Jackson Immortal Tour"? They look so HAPPY!!!!

http://memberfiles.freewebs.com/07/44/47954407/photos/Jackson-Family-Attends-Cirque-du-Soleils-Michael-Jackson-The-Immortal-World-Tour-in-Montreal-Canada-1O/O2_11/tumblr_lsil1nOEOz1qj1bfjo1_500.jpg (http://www.prince-paris-blanket-fans.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=139359915)

http://memberfiles.freewebs.com/07/44/47954407/photos/Jackson-Family-Attends-Cirque-du-Soleils-Michael-Jackson-The-Immortal-World-Tour-in-Montreal-Canada-1O/O2_11/7854_(7).jpg (http://www.prince-paris-blanket-fans.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=139359912)

http://memberfiles.freewebs.com/07/44/47954407/photos/Jackson-Family-Attends-Cirque-du-Soleils-Michael-Jackson-The-Immortal-World-Tour-in-Montreal-Canada-1O/O2_11/tumblr_lsihdml8B51qhbsxwo1_500.jpg (http://www.prince-paris-blanket-fans.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=139359910)

bluesky

05-10-2011, 08:50 PM

Cirque du Soleil: Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour

By Pat Donnelly, GAZETTE CULTURE CRITIC October 5, 2011

http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/5502568.bin

Rich Talauega (left), Travis Payne and Tone Talauega, three of the 10 choreographers who worked on the show, were on hand during a backstage tour given to more than 100 journalists

http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/5502541.bin?size=620x400

Guy Laliberté made sure that director Jamie King (above) had everything he needed to bring the show to life, including the talents of costume designer Zaldy Goco and set designer Mark Fisher.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/5502531.bin?size=620x400

http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/5502530.bin?size=620x400

MONTREAL - A Swarovski crystal is embedded in the eye of the puppet that represents Michael Jackson’s younger self in the Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour. During a backstage tour of the show offered to journalists earlier this week, renowned props and puppet designer Michael Curry showed off his doll-like creation, which soars above the crowd in a helium balloon while Jackson’s voice sings Have You Seen My Childhood? It’s a touching moment, which, like much of the show, is served up with a dash of Neverland bizarreness.

Curry used a remote-control box to make the puppet nod and blink as he explained that he had used the crystal in order to make the sparkling eyes visible to those in the faraway seats. This is but one of many tricks he has picked up in the trade of arena stagecraft. And just in case of malfunction, this mini-Michael, who contains three motors and a battery, has a twin who waits in a warehouse, ready to be shipped. The balloon and puppet are constructed of carbon fibre and specialized foam to keep the weight down to nine pounds, Curry said, “Because helium is not a very strong force. And gravity is.”

It takes time, tons of technology, dozens of artists and a huge support team as well as a budget of $60 million to put together a show like this one. But there are no guarantees that it will turn out as planned.

Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour is dazzling but, as yet, uneven. It’s a memorial, not a resurrection, no matter how devoutly this may be wished by Jackson fans.

Thus far, the show has received mixed reviews from the critics and enthusiastic cheers from the public. “The show is too young to comment on it,” was the cautious reply of Quebec rocker Robert Charlebois after the show’s Sunday night premiere.

Unlike the Cirque du Soleil’s Iris which opened recently in Los Angeles, following two months of previews, the Michael Jackson show was exposed to media scrutiny at birth. On the theatrical side of show business, this just isn’t done. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark stirred up a controversy when it prolonged its previews (182 of them) long past the Broadway norm. But the rules of the rock world were applied here, even though the MJ show is a hybrid of circus, dance and concert, a performance art spectacle that bombards the senses.

Just how complex a hybrid The Immortal is became evident during the Bell Centre backstage tour, which was provided to more than 100 journalists and included interviews with the creative team. Many of them had worked with Jackson during his lifetime and are passionately concerned with preserving his legacy.

Stepping carefully over cables, dodging carts of equipment being wheeled from one place to another, brushing past batwing costumes and a pile of gravestone props, groups of reporters were ushered from one meeting point to another. We encountered designers, members of the music team, the choreographic team, and finally director Jamie King himself, who exclaimed, “Michael was so Cirque!”

Jackson was indeed an ardent fan of the Cirque du Soleil, since its early Las Vegas days at the Mirage (where he used to hole up for long periods, and where his music once enhanced the Siegfried and Roy Show). He even travelled to Montreal to visit Cirque headquarters at one point.

King, who is credited as writer and director of the show, said putting it together was a very “full circle” experience for him. He began his career dancing for Jackson, whom he regards as his key mentor. Once King began choreographing Madonna tours and videos, his list of pop star clients multiplied to include Britney Spears, Rihanna, Ricky Martin, Elton John and Celine Dion.

King is in demand. But he’d love to work with the Cirque again. “I have a whole new bag of tricks that I can take with me to my pop stars,” he said. “I’ve learned so much working with Cirque.” Cirque owner Guy Laliberté made sure King got “every tool that I needed to construct a show that was representative of Michael and a celebration of his life,” King said.

That included assembling a team of 10 of his favourite fellow choreographers, including longtime Jackson collaborator, Travis Payne. He also brought in hotshot New York costume designer Zaldy Goco, who said the only restrictions placed on his style were fire safety, because of the pyrotechnics in the show, and his own desire not to repeat the work he’d done for Jackson’s ill-fated This Is It tour. “Because Michael was about new ideas and bringing new technology to his fans,” Goco said. “He always wanted to entertain them in a new way.”

In addition to former members of the Jackson entourage who provide a special layer of authenticity, King has experts like Curry whose wizardry with the inanimate has proved popular with Julie Taymor (The Lion King and Spider-Man) as well as within the opera world, where he collaborates frequently with William Friedkin (of The Exorcist fame). This will be Curry’s fifth Cirque.

King also has top rock-circuit set designer Mark Fisher (his work ranges from Pink Floyd’s The Wall to U2’s recent 360 degrees tour) who had already done two Vegas Cirque Shows, Ka, with director Robert Lepage, and Viva Elvis.
“The game of a making show tour is all about the speed it goes together and the number of trucks (38 here) that it takes,” Fisher explained. “The creation of a show artistically, is nothing to do with any of that.”

The British architect, who just finished designing Elton John’s new show in Las Vegas, said the Cirque experience differed greatly from that of the rock world. “This is a very much more complicated show, technically ambitious. The integration between scenery, video, costumes, props, lighting, music, this is way beyond what’s done in rock and roll. It’s much more complicated. It takes longer to produce. And it takes longer to settle down.”

This show does need some editing, he admitted. But he’s pleased that it contains such an abundance of rich material. It took two years to develop the MJ show, five months to rehearse it.

Of all the ace cards King has in his pocket, musical director Greg Phillinganes and musical designer Kevin Antunes belong at the top of the deck. A Michael Jackson show has to be music-driven, which this one is. The album will be launched soon.

Sitting side by side onstage, Antunes, whose job included sifting through the catalogue and selecting songs, and Phillinganes, who plays keyboards in the show, talked about how much it meant to them. Phillinganes said his most emotional moment was meeting “Mama Jackson” – Michael’s mother Katherine – who surveyed the proceeding from Laliberté’s private box, before the show. (She was among several members of the family who attended, including Michael’s three children, Paris, Prince and Blanket, and three of his brothers, Tito, Marlon, and Jackie, who all hung out backstage.)

Phillinganes, who also performed at Jackson’s funeral, said that as he played the childhood number with the “boy” in the balloon flying high on Sunday night, he thought of Michael’s mother, and how she must be thinking of the child whose nose she used to wipe. “You can imagine,” he said. “I know she’s out there. I can see her. So yeah, it was not your average day at the office.”

http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Backstage+Immortal+World+Tour/5502289/story.html

Hess

05-10-2011, 08:53 PM

this show is all for the money...

90% for the money
10% Tribute to Michael.

then they come up with imortal versions of remix tracks from michael... all for the money.

Estate so called has everything? then they come up with this sh.t

what next.. Invincible remasterd tracks + 1 bonus song.

You are joking right?
MJ did albums for profit too. - He had one of the best contracts in the world. MJ was a buisnessman himself.
This is a fantastic show - MJ loved Cirque du Soleil - MJ would be soo happy they did a show in his honour. - And so should we.
This keeps MJ's legacy alive, this makes people keep buying MJ albums, merchandise etc. - Shows, event, albums like this keeps MJ's Legacy alive.

If no show, no album - NOTHING was ever released from MJ again, no t-shirts, tribute concerts etc. MJ would not keep being present to new generations and other non fans - og even us fans!

New MJ stuff needs to be released.

dam2040

05-10-2011, 09:23 PM

I REALLY hope to go in the UK, but I don't want to go 02 because that would hurt. It would hurt, I had tickets for TII. Is it worth it? I've seen videos, I thought it was going to be rubbish, however WOW. I was surprised. Nowhere near Michael but good for what can now be done.

dam2040

05-10-2011, 09:25 PM

I Like The Way That's on the CD, what is it? Is it the song from Michael?

StellaJackson

05-10-2011, 09:39 PM

I Like The Way That's on the CD, what is it? Is it the song from Michael?

Yeah but the new Immortal version. New music with more emphasis purely on MJ's vocals.

Kikuchiyo

05-10-2011, 09:45 PM

dam2040, that song was released as previously unreleased track on "The Ultimate Collection" (2004) under the name "The Way You Love Me". New mix of the same song was released last year on "Michael" (2010) under the name "(I Like) The Way You Love Me".

marebear

05-10-2011, 10:40 PM

I just got my tickets in the mail today. I am so excited. Seeing the show in 3 weeks!

ExoticPrincess

05-10-2011, 11:35 PM

Man, that footage with Jamie King was so touching. So happy to hear and see that they are all keeping MJ in their hearts and minds.

Aww ma, I miss him.

this show is all for the money...

90% for the money
10% Tribute to Michael.

then they come up with imortal versions of remix tracks from michael... all for the money.

Estate so called has everything? then they come up with this sh.t

what next.. Invincible remasterd tracks + 1 bonus song.

What are you on? is this another bash the Estate rant? negativity only consumes you, relax and let some positivity in.

bluesky

06-10-2011, 03:21 AM

http://media.metronews.topscms.com/images/b9/b7/aa1cf31f4dd9a4a113597600e33b.jpg

After making its world premiere in Montreal this past weekend, Cirque du Soleil’s latest touring production, Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour makes its next stop right here in Ottawa.

Before the premiere, details of the show were kept under wraps, but now the secret is out.

Cirque du Soleil publicist Maxime Charbonneau says, for everyone involved, it’s been a long time coming.

“From the original meeting about this show, we’ve been in creation for almost a year and a half,” he explains.

In order to develop the concept, the show’s director, artistic director, costume designer and other production visited Jackson’s famous Neverland Ranch in California.

“They all went to Neverland and kind of walked around, met with people who knew Michael and got inspiration for the show,” Charbonneau says.

That inspiration must have been huge because the show is now one of the largest in Cirque history.

“We’re about 65 artists,” Charbonneau explains. “It’s probably the biggest touring production Cirque du Soleil has ever created. We play in front of a full arena. In Ottawa, that will be about 12,000 people.”

The performers have been training for the last five months, working diligently to respectfully and uniquely pay tribute to the late King of Pop.

“We don’t have a Michael Jackson on the stage,” says Charbonneau.

“But people will feel Michael’s presence by his music, by the dance and the choreography.”

And, of course, that includes a lot of familiar dance steps.

“You cannot redo or change the choreography of Michael Jackson so all of the iconic moves are used in the show but slightly modified,” Charbonneau says.

The production is an authorized partnership with Jackson’s estate, which means the music used in the show will be just like everyone remembers.

“We have access to the original tracks through the Estate and Sony Music so, throughout the show, it’s Michael’s voice that you’ll hear," says Charbonneau, adding the show will be totally different than what you’ve seen from Cirque du Soleil in the past.

“This one is a mix of world class dancers with acrobatics and it is two hours of amazing Michael Jackson songs from The Jackson Five to his latest work,” he explains. “There are a lot of surprises.”

http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/local/article/989073--cirque-du-michael-jackson

dam2040

06-10-2011, 03:03 PM

I know what it is. I bought the set on release day. However, I haven't seen anything of that

StellaJackson

06-10-2011, 04:24 PM

I know what it is. I bought the set on release day. However, I haven't seen anything of that

What do you mean?

Hess

06-10-2011, 08:17 PM

I know what it is. I bought the set on release day. However, I haven't seen anything of that

Bought the set? - What set?

StellaJackson

07-10-2011, 02:39 AM

Memefan - do you think you could post some pics of the merchandise you got please? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.

Lorraine

07-10-2011, 09:54 AM

Do we know when this is coming to London and when tickets will be available? :)

8701girl

07-10-2011, 11:35 AM

I know what it is. I bought the set on release day. However, I haven't seen anything of that

The set???? do u mean the immortal album?......but that doesnt come out till next month...

thrillerchild

07-10-2011, 11:58 AM

Do we know when this is coming to London and when tickets will be available? :)

^^^This!! :P

Hess

07-10-2011, 12:42 PM

If it comes to London I will buy tickets and travel to London.

I don't believe it will come to Denmark. :(

André89

07-10-2011, 01:29 PM

Parken would make a great venue for Cirque if they did :)

0o0jackie0o0

07-10-2011, 01:39 PM

not sure, but i think dam2040 means they bought the 'ultimate collection' set with the cd and bucharest so they know what 'The Way You Love Me' is. i think he/she means whereabouts was the song in the cirque show cos he/she didnt hear it?

Moonwalker.Fan

07-10-2011, 02:51 PM

It took time, technical wizardry and $60 million
A Swarovski crystal is embedded in the eye of the puppet that represents Michael Jackson's younger self in the Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour. During a backstage tour of the show offered to journalists earlier this week, renowned props and puppet designer Michael Curry showed off his doll-like creation, which soars above the crowd in a helium balloon while Jackson's voice sings Have You Seen My Childhood?

It's a touching moment, which, like much of the show, is served up with a dash of Neverland bizarreness.
Curry used a remote-control box to make the puppet nod and blink, as he explained that he had used the crystal in order to make the sparkling eyes visible to those in distant seats. This is but one of many tricks he has picked up in the trade of arena stagecraft.
And just in case of malfunction, this mini-Michael, which contains three motors and a battery, has a twin that waits in a warehouse, ready to be shipped.
The balloon and puppet are constructed of carbon fibre and specialized foam to keep the weight down to nine pounds, Curry said, "because helium is not a very strong force. And gravity is."
It takes time, high technology, dozens of artists, and a huge support team - as well as a budget of $60 million - to put together a show like this.
But there are no guarantees it will turn out as planned.
Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour is dazzling but uneven. It's a memorial, not a resurrection, no matter how devoutly Jackson fans may wish it.
Thus far, the show has received mixed reviews from critics and enthusiastic cheers from the public.
"The show is too young to comment on it," was the cautious reply of Quebec rocker Robert Charlebois after the show's Sunday-night premiere.
Unlike the Cirque du Soleil's Iris, which opened recently in Los Angeles following two months of previews, the Michael Jackson show was exposed to media scrutiny at birth.
On the theatrical side of show business, this just isn't done. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark stirred up a controversy when it prolonged its previews (182 of them) long past the Broadway norm. But the rules of the rock world were applied here, even though the MJ show is a hybrid of circus, dance and concert, a performance-art spectacle that bombards the senses.
The show's complexity became evident during the backstage tour at Montreal's Bell Centre, which was offered to more than 100 journalists and included interviews with the creative team. Many of them had worked with Jackson during his lifetime and are passionate about preserving his legacy.
Stepping carefully over cables, dodging carts of equipment being wheeled from one place to another, brushing past batwing costumes and a pile of gravestone props, groups of reporters were ushered from one meeting point to another. We encountered designers, members of the music team, the choreographic team, and finally, director Jamie King himself, who exclaimed, "Michael was so Cirque!"
Jackson was indeed an ardent fan of Cirque du Soleil, since its early Las Vegas days at the Mirage. (Jackson used to hole up there for long periods, where his music was once used for the Siegfried and Roy Show). At one point, he even travelled to Montreal to visit Cirque headquarters.
King, who both wrote and directed the show, said putting it together was a "full-circle" experience for him. He began his career dancing for Jackson, whom he regards as his mentor.
Once King began choreographing Madonna tours and videos, his list of pop-star clients multiplied to include Britney Spears, Rihanna, Ricky Martin, Elton John and Céline Dion.
King is in demand. But he'd love to work with Cirque again. "I have a whole new bag of tricks that I can take with me to my pop stars," he said.
"I've learned so much working with Cirque." Cirque owner Guy Laliberté made sure King got "every tool that I needed to construct a show that was representative of Michael and a celebration of his life," King said.
That included assembling a team of 10 of his favourite fellow choreographers, notably, longtime Jackson collaborator, Travis Payne.
He also brought in hotshot New York costume designer, Zaldy Goco, who said the only restrictions placed on his style were concerns for fire safety, citing the show's pyrotechnics and his own desire not to repeat the work he'd done for Jackson's ill-fated This Is It tour.
"Michael was about new ideas and bringing new technology to his fans," Goco said. "He always wanted to entertain them in a new way."
In addition to former members of the Jackson entourage who provide a layer of authenticity, King has experts such as Curry, whose wizardry with the inanimate has proved popular with Julie Taymor (The Lion King and Spider-Man), as well as within the opera world, where he collaborates frequently with William Friedkin (The Exorcist). This will be Curry's fifth Cirque.
King also has top rock-circuit set designer Mark Fisher (Pink Floyd's The Wall, U2's recent tour) who had already done two Cirque shows in Vegas: Ka, with director Robert Lepage, and Viva Elvis.
But the British architect, who just finished designing Elton John's new show in Las Vegas, said the Cirque experience differed greatly from rock-music shows.
"This is a very much more complicated show, technically ambitious. The integration between scenery, video, costumes, props, lighting, music - this is way beyond what's done in rock 'n' roll. It's much more complicated. It takes longer to produce. And it takes longer to settle down."
Although it took two years to develop and five months to rehearse it, the show does need some editing, King admitted. But he's pleased it contains such an abundance of rich material.
Sitting side by side onstage are musical designer Kevin Antunes, whose job included sifting through the catalogue and selecting songs, and musical director Greg Phillinganes, who plays keyboards in the show.
Phillinganes said his most emotional moment was meeting "Mama Jackson" - Michael's mother Katherine -who surveyed the proceedings from Laliberte's private box before the show. (Michael's three children, and three of his brothers, also attended.)
Phillinganes, who also performed at Jackson's funeral, said that, as he played the childhood number with the "boy" in the balloon on Sunday night, he thought of Katherine.
"You can imagine," he said. "I know she's out there; I can see her. So yeah, it was not your average day at the office."

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/liveit/article/1445967

bluesky

07-10-2011, 05:03 PM

^^ this article already posted on previous page

mjmirror

07-10-2011, 05:23 PM

Sorry if these have been posted already (I haven't checked back in the thread) :)

Just found a youtube channel by another Cirque performer: tomslyde- UBNR Prod (http://www.youtube.com/user/tomslyde#p/a)

Embedding is not allowed from some videos, so I've posted links!

MJ Immortal world tour Back stage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwKZYh2Yfqg

MJ Immortal World Tour Party

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us_UdwvJy4Y

Rich & Tone Talauega (pre-show speech)

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AkFrT5mvnXg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkFrT5mvnXg)

Last MJ party at Cirque

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LAIeAhuPAgQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAIeAhuPAgQ)

D4rkNezz

07-10-2011, 09:12 PM

Sorry my last post was negative, my excuse!
Seen the trailer, want to see the show now.

rockstar

07-10-2011, 09:42 PM

[/URL]
Mrss.Jackson talking about Jackson matriarch 'really enjoyed' Cirque showhttp://www.ottawacitizen.com/videos/entertainment/video.html?embedCode=drOHF2MjqWjL76SB14nb6rPX6qoqA xYg (http://www.ottawacitizen.com/videos/entertainment/video.html?embedCode=1kcGl2MjoLBu76Gfs27oJL3dZkGzr Upe)

Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil - OFFICIAL SHOW PREVIEW[URL]http://www.ottawacitizen.com/videos/entertainment/video.html?embedCode=1kcGl2MjoLBu76Gfs27oJL3dZkGzr Upe

passy001

08-10-2011, 07:55 AM

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/stop+loving+Michael+Jackson/5521909/story.html#ixzz1aAt8qQTx

Can't stop loving Michael Jackson

Ottawa singer's gig with Immortal tour a 'dream come true'

By Lynn Saxberg, Ottawa Citizen October 8, 2011 12:00 AM

<img src ="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/5521910.bin" title = "Jory Steinberg gets to travel for three years singing music she loves.
Photograph by: Jean Levac, The Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa Citizen">

Ottawa native Jory Steinberg is living her dream. The singer is part of the live band that performs the music of Michael Jackson in Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, the new Cirque du Soleil production that pays tribute to the King of Pop.

The vivacious 30-year-old gets to travel the world for the next three years or so singing music she loves with a fantastic band that includes some of Jackson's former band members. For a woman whose first memory involves Thriller, there is no other way to describe it: it's a thrill.

"It's a dream come true for me to be a part of something so magnificent," she said this week in Ottawa, where Immortal opened Friday night. Flashing a knockout smile and tossing her mane of unruly curls, she added, "I have to pinch myself daily."

A big part of what makes it so special for Steinberg is the lifelong connection she has with Jackson's songs. Her first memory of the world, as a three-year-old, encapsulates the moment she discovered Thriller, the hit song, and its lavish video.

"I was at my house in the west end of Ottawa, running around the house and watching the making of Thriller. It showed how they transformed him into a monster. I would study every move, every lyric, every vocal. I watched it all day, every day."

Her toddler crush never faded and she went on to discover the rest of Jackson's material. She studied liner notes and figured out harmonies, all of which came in handy when she was asked to be part of the Cirque show. She not only knew the music but also recognized the names of people like Greg Phillanganes, the musical director who worked with Jackson on the Bad and Dangerous tours, former Jackson drummer Jonathan "Sugarfoot" Moffat and singer Fred White, who backed Jackson on his History tour. They're all part of the Cirque show.

"My research for this gig started when I was three years old," she said with a laugh. "That's the best way to put it, really."

Steinberg is one of three backup singers in the 12-piece band that accompanies Jackson's original vocal tracks. As the first Cirque production to follow a rock concert-style program, the live band is a key element, every bit as vital to the spectacle as the acrobatics, choreography and special effects.

"The band has to be as good as Michael wanted it to be," said the singer with the multi-octave voice, noting that the executors of Jackson's estate had a hand in selecting the talent. "And he was a perfectionist."

After more than a year in the works, the $60-million production debuted in Montreal earlier this week, and is in Ottawa for a weekend run at Scotiabank Place. The first leg of the tour includes 47 dates in North America and a residency in Las Vegas; more than $40 million in tickets have already been sold. The journey is expected to continue until 2015.

This weekend's homecoming is sweet for Steinberg, who is staying with her parents. A talented singer who moved to Los Angeles as a teenager to work with hit-making producer David Foster, she also had a short-lived stint on American Idol in 2007.

After that, she toured the world as a backup singer with Toto, the softrock survivors of the '70s and early '80s. Through them, she met Phillinganes, another Toto alumnus before he became musical director of Immortal.

Although once touted as the next Alanis Morissette, Steinberg isn't itching to finish the album she started with Foster under a deal that fell apart when he left the company. Instead, she wants to make the most of the current gig.

"I will always love those songs, but I'm not sure I'm as passionate about that as I am about opportunities like this," she says. "I love to be on stage, I love to perform, I love to travel. Anything I can do to keep on doing my passion, I do."

So what's her favourite Jackson song? In the show, it's I Just Can't Stop Loving You because it's a duet featuring her and her idol. "I kinda go, 'Wow, is this happening?' It's me and Michael singing, and Greg playing piano. They are people I've idolized and wanted to work with my whole life.

"Michael's voice is really put out front and it is as though he is there."

MICHAEL JACKSON: THE IMMORTAL WORLD TOUR

When & where: Oct. 8 and 9 at Scotiabank Place

Tickets: At www.capitaltickets.ca, 613-599-3267, Sports Experts stores and the Scotiabank Place box office

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/stop+loving+Michael+Jackson/5521909/story.html#ixzz1aAsub4Wq

PurpleParrot

08-10-2011, 11:53 AM

Anybody seeing the show in Ottawa this weekend? Please tell us how it went :D
I already miss them!

Memefan

08-10-2011, 12:46 PM

Anybody seeing the show in Ottawa this weekend? Please tell us how it went :D
I already miss them!

I read the first show in Ottawa went really well. People were raving about it on twitter... There are two more shows, tonight & tomorrow.

By the time it gets to Vegas, it will be a well oiled machine.

PurpleParrot

08-10-2011, 12:58 PM

I read the first show in Ottawa went really well. People were raving about it on twitter... There are two more shows, tonight & tomorrow.

By the time it gets to Vegas, it will be a well oiled machine.

Thank you :D
Glad to know it went well! *clap clap*

0o0jackie0o0

08-10-2011, 02:44 PM

Sorry if these have been posted already (I haven't checked back in the thread) :)

Just found a youtube channel by another Cirque performer: tomslyde- UBNR Prod (http://www.youtube.com/user/tomslyde#p/a)

Embedding is not allowed from some videos, so I've posted links!

MJ Immortal world tour Back stage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwKZYh2Yfqg

MJ Immortal World Tour Party

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us_UdwvJy4Y

Rich & Tone Talauega (pre-show speech)

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AkFrT5mvnXg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkFrT5mvnXg)

Last MJ party at Cirque

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LAIeAhuPAgQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAIeAhuPAgQ)
thanks so much for posting these! looks like the most awesome people at atmosphere to be in. love the taleuga brothers or however u spell it :P
it amazes me to see how one could evoke this unique loyalty and love from all over the world. love these guys
WHATEVER WE DO, ITS GOT TO BE FUNKY!!!
p.s i love seeing guys that love mj esp when some of them are as hunky as these ;)

Applehead Ale

08-10-2011, 02:53 PM

watching all this makes me kinda sadddd lol I have tickets for LA Jan 27th ,bought them an year ago but I dont have the money to afford the trip thereeeee omg gonna cry lol

0o0jackie0o0

08-10-2011, 03:21 PM

^oh no!!! can u save up or get an extra job until then?

Memefan

08-10-2011, 03:45 PM

watching all this makes me kinda sadddd lol I have tickets for LA Jan 27th ,bought them an year ago but I dont have the money to afford the trip thereeeee omg gonna cry lol

Oh no....

You can try and sell your ticket. The show will travel to south America, most Cirque shows do. I cannot imagine Immortal not making a stop in Sao Polo or Venezuela.

Applehead Ale

08-10-2011, 03:46 PM

I could, I could do the trip but I'd live eating bread for the next year or twooo lol im thinking, maybe I'll starve for an year... lol

Memefan

08-10-2011, 03:49 PM

I could, I could do the trip but I'd live eating bread for the next year or twooo lol im thinking, maybe I'll starve for an year... lol

I don't think MJ would want that.

Applehead Ale

08-10-2011, 04:39 PM

It wasn't literally said, don't worry, I wont die if I do the trip lol but im seriously thinking about it... if I stop a sec to think about it, I wouldnt do it. But then I think damn I so wanna see it and the logic goes to the trash can.

love is magical

08-10-2011, 04:49 PM

It wasn't literally said, don't worry, I wont die if I do the trip lol but im seriously thinking about it... if I stop a sec to think about it, I wouldnt do it. But then I think damn I so wanna see it and the logic goes to the trash can.

:huggy: i hear you. i know how expensive the airfare is. (i wanted to visit argentina for a long time, but the airfare is just too high.)

if you can make it without enduring extreme financial hardship later, then do it. you only live once and you already have he tix.

Jesta

09-10-2011, 12:12 PM

So... Was Tabloid Junkie in the show at all, or Privacy, or any other song that dealt with the tabloid? I know that some song snippets are too small to note in the setlist, but were these songs represented at all?

PurpleParrot

09-10-2011, 12:55 PM

So... Was Tabloid Junkie in the show at all, or Privacy, or any other song that dealt with the tabloid? I know that some song snippets are too small to note in the setlist, but were these songs represented at all?

Only snippets of those songs:

TJ: only the sentence from the intro ''in the news today from the...''
Privacy: only the sentence ''I need my privacy, so paparazzi, get away from me''.

passy001

09-10-2011, 01:18 PM

<big><B>Cirque show a spectacular tribute to Jackson</B></big>

Michael Jackson:

The Immortal World Tour

Starring: Cirque du Soleil

Written and directed by: Jamie King

Playing at: Scotiabank Place, until today

Cirque du Soleil's new production is an eye-popping extravaganza of acrobatics, special effects, choreography and music, but you never lose sight of the personality that inspired it. In fact, Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour is a show that could have come from Jackson's own unbridled imagination.

The $60-million arena show, which has the blessing of the Jackson family, opened in Montreal earlier in the week, and is at Scotiabank Place this weekend. Friday's performance was sold out; the show continued Saturday and closes today.

The things that Jackson was most passionate about are well represented, including his love of animals and children and his concern for the environment, as well as his singing and dancing.

The program loosely follows the song-by-song structure of a rock concert rather than a theatre performance, and each song is illustrated by a Cirque routine.

However, with more than two dozen titles crammed in, it's a bit irksome that you never get to hear a full song.

At the heart of the production is a fantastic live band that includes several veteran musicians who played with the late King of Pop, and it would be a treat to see them let loose, especially on big hits like Billie Jean or Thriller, where you hear the rest of the song in your head anyway.

Instead, the songs have been meticulously clipped and rearranged to keep things moving at a brisk pace, evidently necessary for the theatrical nature of the performance.

Three singers (including Ottawa native Jory Steinberg) do a fantastic job with the harmonies, but thank goodness there is no Jackson impersonator trying to mimic the King of Pop's voice. A white-faced mime serves as the protagonist, while Jackson's original vocal track is pushed to the forefront in glorious surround sound, a technique that makes you realize what a great singer he was. His distinctive voice was fluid, soulful and precise, even when he was a child.

The show gives a broad representation of Jackson's life and music, from the Jackson 5 beginnings to his Thriller heyday, but also includes obscure material such as Childhood, an intensely personal song that sounds like a cry for help from a troubled artist. On stage, in a nod to Jackson's roots, dancers are dressed as a musicloving street gang, armed with a boom box as they arrive at the gates of Neverland.

Visually, the production is stunning, rich with movement, costumes, lights, video images, props and a few surprises of the pyrotechnic variety. The strength and agility of the acrobats, dancers and contortionists is astounding.

Just when you think poledance diva Anna Melnikova can't possibly flex another millimetre, she'll wrap her leg around her neck. Meanwhile, on the ground, performers execute complicated choreography routines that incorporate everything from backflips and bellyflops to signature Jackson moves like the moonwalk and the lean.

Of course, it wouldn't be Jacksonesque without a few elements of the bizarre. One example is the Beat It routine, when Jackson's accessories become part of the show, requiring dancers to be dressed as larger-than-life shoes, a glove and a hat. Another is the characterization of Jackson's pet chimpanzee, Bubbles, featuring a performer clad in striped shirt, overalls and chimp head doing choreography that resonates with chimp-like accuracy.

In a brilliant twist that could have been dreamed up by Jackson himself, Bubbles becomes the DJ, bobbing his head and scratching turntables as he presides over the spectacle from a booth above the stage. As Immortal makes its way around the world over the next couple of years, DJ Bubbles is sure to become a crowd favourite. My guess is that Michael would approve.

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/Cirque+show+spectacular+tribute+Jackson/5524738/story.html#ixzz1aI1kuBUz

Memefan

09-10-2011, 01:32 PM

Cirque du Soleil's new production is an eye-popping extravaganza of acrobatics, special effects, choreography and music, but you never lose sight of the personality that inspired it. In fact, Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour is a show that could have come from Jackson's own unbridled imagination.

OMG!!! Last night, my sister and I said the EXCACT same thing. I am so glad the press noticed that..I think this is credit to not only Jamie King and all the others who actually worked with MJ, but also Guy Laliberte's team.

Last night was the first time my sister & I had the opportunity to discuss the show. We are both huge Cirque fans and even bigger MJ fanatics. And we both agreed, for two hours it felt like MJ was still among us. He felt very much alive.

Silouette

09-10-2011, 01:52 PM

Cirque du Soleil's new production is an eye-popping extravaganza of acrobatics, special effects, choreography and music, but you never lose sight of the personality that inspired it.

In fact, Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour is a show that could have come
from Jackson's own unbridled imagination.

OMG!!! Last night, my sister and said the EXCACT same thing. I am glad the press noticed that..I think this is credit to not only Jamie King and all the others who actually worked with MJ, but also Guy Laliberte's team.
:clap:
That's what's important to me. Otherwise it would have been just another show.

Memefan

10-10-2011, 06:39 PM

Gianinni1 (http://twitter.com/#!/Gianinni1) Gianinni Semedo

Amazing weekend! 3 shows, 36.000 people! MJ Immortal World Tour! Now in our Private Plane! Flying to the nxt city! Love my life! Thank u God

13 hours ago (http://twitter.com/#!/Gianinni1/status/123259473195311104) Favorite (http://twitter.com/?lang=en&logged_out=1#)Retweet (http://twitter.com/?lang=en&logged_out=1#)Reply (http://twitter.com/?lang=en&logged_out=1#)

From one of the dancers.

Ashtanga

10-10-2011, 08:49 PM

I'm praying that Cirque comes to Brazil. :pray: But I think it will not happen.... :( :cry:

0o0jackie0o0

11-10-2011, 09:09 AM

^know exactly how u feel. do u guys get the other cirque shows??

Erikmjfan

11-10-2011, 11:45 AM

Nice to hear all three night in ottawa appered to have been sold out!

I am just a little bit annoyed at the lack of videos leaking onto youtube, i havent found a single video from any of the ottawa shows....

CrazyVegasMJ

11-10-2011, 09:49 PM

Nice to hear all three night in ottawa appered to have been sold out!I am just a little bit annoyed at the lack of videos leaking onto youtube, i havent found a single video from any of the ottawa shows.... Exactly I wanna see show much more! Lol

dam2040

12-10-2011, 06:20 PM

TDCAU was really good. I was worried because it's my favourite song, that they would not do it justice but somehow, I liked it.

StellaJackson

12-10-2011, 06:41 PM

It appears the giving tree was not used during the Thriller segment in Scotiabank. Maybe it was a techincal problem?

Edit: looks like there wasn't enough room at the front in between the seats for the branches to extend. :)

ilmjj

12-10-2011, 11:19 PM

Hamilton tonight. If anybody goes I hope you can tell us what it is like. I am going saturday!!!

CrazyVegasMJ

13-10-2011, 02:25 AM

TDCAU was really good. I was worried because it's my favourite song, that they would not do it justice but somehow, I liked it. Can u please describe it??

StellaJackson

13-10-2011, 04:34 AM

Can u please describe it??

It's on youtube.

Also, both Salt Lake City performances have been cancelled.

bluesky

13-10-2011, 04:42 AM

It's on youtube.

Also, both Salt Lake City performances have been cancelled.

I read, they have been rescheduled to august 2012. Maybe it's too closed to LAS Vegas premiere and they need a break?

One show in Detroit also got cancelled due to scheduling problems

arnspecs

13-10-2011, 04:48 AM

Here's they don't care about us ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_AkR4WIj5A

T (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_AkR4WIj5A)hey choir part has been available on the official singles since it was released as a single.

bluesky

13-10-2011, 05:14 AM

Cirque du Soleil tour celebrates Michael Jackson's life and careerAdam Graham/ Detroit News Pop Music WriterMichael Jackson gets the full Cirque du Soleil treatment in "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour," which makes its U.S. debut Saturday at Joe Louis Arena.
The show takes 48 songs from Jackson's catalog and mashes them up in an elaborate presentation that celebrates the spirit and vision of the late King of Pop, says the show's creative director, Chantal Tremblay.
She and her team, which includes 10 choreographers and writer/ director Jamie King (who has worked with Madonna and Britney Spears, among others), have been conceptualizing the show for the last year and a half. The creative team's initial meetings took place at Jackson's Neverland Ranch, where Tremblay says they were able to get a feel for Jackson's essence and soul. The show was then put together in Cirque's home city, Montreal.
"We want Michael to be proud of this," says Tremblay, on the phone prior to the show's Oct. 2 world premiere, which was attended by members of Jackson's family, including his brothers and children. "By not having him, it's a challenge. But by his music, his words, his essence, his movement and his passion, we feel Michael is present."
The two-hour show — which features around 60 dancers, acrobats and circus performers — touches on all of Jackson's biggest hits, from "Beat It" to "Thriller," and goes back to some of his early Motown material as well. Some songs are performed in full and others are snippets within other songs, creating a sort of Michael Jackson megamix, not unlike the "Love" soundtrack that accompanies
the Beatles' (http://www.detnews.com/article/20111013/ENT04/110130304/Cirque-du-Soleil-tour-celebrates-Michael-Jackson%E2%80%99s-life-and-career#) Cirque du Soliel show of the same name.
Detroit-bred keyboardist Gregg Phillinganes, a longtime member of Jackson's live band, is the show's musical director.
"Given the size and scope of our show, hopefully it will be a reminder of the magnitude of Michael as the greatest entertainer in the world," Phillinganes says by email. "I believe the audience will walk away with a clearer, deeper understanding of Michael as a human being as well as the world's greatest entertainer. After they regain the ability to speak, of course."

As it turns out, local audiences will have one less chance to be held speechless; on its way to Detroit, the show hit a scheduling problem, and one of the two planned Detroit performances was canceled. Organizers cited the size of the production and the transportation time between markets for the cancellation, and Detroit was one of several markets affected when the revised tour schedule was announced.

"Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour" is presented in five suites and each takes on different periods of Jackson's work. At the center of the production is a 40-foot-high replica of Neverland's Giving Tree, which represents Jackson's plea for tolerance both on a human and environmental level. The show also features Ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, animals, trapeze artists and other fantastical touches.
"It is Jamie (King)'s vision of the world through Michael's eyes," says Phillinganes, who says the show captures Jackson's love of children, connection to nature and his passion for dance.
Signature Jackson moves like the Moonwalk and his gravity-taunting lean from the "Smooth Criminal" video are represented, as well as his fashions, such as his iconic sequined glove and his famous white socks. Music is pumped out by a live band which features five Jackson regulars — Jonathan "Sugarfoot" Moffett, Don Boyette, Jon Clark, Fred White and Phillinganes — and archived Jackson footage is shown on several video screens. The show is driven by Jackson's voice, says Phillinganes.
When "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour" wraps its 47-city North American tour next year, it is scheduled to make a home in Las Vegas, where it will take up residency at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.
Jackson was no stranger to Cirque du Soleil, Tremblay says. "He was a fan," she says, and he visited Cirque headquarters and saw several of the company's Las Vegas shows. Because of his fanfare and the bond he had with Cirque, a business relationship was formed after his death, and "The Immortal" carries the full backing of Jackson's estate.
Tremblay says "The Immortal" is more like a rock show than a typical Cirque show.
"It's a concert energy. It's
dance music (http://www.detnews.com/article/20111013/ENT04/110130304/Cirque-du-Soleil-tour-celebrates-Michael-Jackson%E2%80%99s-life-and-career#)," she says. "We're close to his world. We didn't transform it to bring it closer to a Cirque (style). It's an energetic show."

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20111013/ENT04/110130304/Cirque-du-Soleil-tour-celebrates-Michael-Jackson’s-life-and-career#ixzz1adTijj1y (http://detnews.com/article/20111013/ENT04/110130304/Cirque-du-Soleil-tour-celebrates-Michael-Jackson%E2%80%99s-life-and-career#ixzz1adTijj1y)

PurpleParrot

13-10-2011, 05:04 PM

Thanks for the article! Too bad they'll just have 1 show in Detroit, but they deserve some free time :D
Especially since in Las vegas they'll do 2 shows a day!! O_O

StellaJackson

13-10-2011, 06:07 PM

Contrary to comments made on youtube, I can assure fans that Breaking News is thankfully not used in this show.

Also, can someone please upload some pics of the merchandise????

Hess

13-10-2011, 07:24 PM

Can someone please upload some pics of the merchandise????

I would love that too.

You can order Immortal album, t-shirt and program on MJ's official homepage. - But I would like to see the program first, to see if it's worth the money.

passy001

14-10-2011, 06:19 AM

<big>Michael Jackson and the Immortal Cirque du Soleil tour</big>

MONTREAL — There’s a moment in Cirque du Soleil’s “Immortal” show when the stage empties, the lights go down, and Michael Jackson’s “I’ll Be There” vocal gets the room to itself.

It’s an unusually quiet scene in a production that’s brimming with razzle-dazzle, and Cirque’s aerial artists return to the stage soon enough. But the message is poignant and clear: Jackson may not be around to perform, but there’s still plenty of showmanship left in the King of Pop.

Having premiered earlier this month for a Montreal audience that included the late star’s mother and three children, the $60 million “Immortal World Tour” will make its U.S. debut Saturday at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena. The tour, which will include a December residency in Las Vegas, will wrap up its stateside run in July before heading overseas.

It’s the first live project authorized by Jackson’s estate since his 2009 death.

Detroit’s prime spot in the schedule was driven by logistics, but the show’s principals are happy to play up the poetic symmetry.

“It just feels right,” said estate co-executor John Branca. “Michael started in Detroit with Motown, so it was fitting to have the U.S. tour start there.”

Cirque, known for its imaginative nouveau circuses, has already boosted its pop-music credentials with productions such as the Beatles’ “Love” and “Viva Elvis.”

But Jackson fits Cirque like a hand in a sequined glove: With its whimsical spirit, attention to detail and high-flying elegance, “Immortal” celebrates an artist known for his own endless childhood, perfectionism and dreamy idealism.

For fans who have spent decades burrowing themselves in Jackson’s music on headphones and dance floors, the hits-filled “Immortal” offers a different sort of escapism.

The two-hour show touches on most of the key chapters in Jackson’s life, from his early Motown years through his ’80s superstardom to his later environmental activism. But "Immortal" is less a biography than a series of loosely linked scenes intended to “get inside of Michael’s head and experience the world through his eyes,” said director Jamie King, one of several veteran Jackson collaborators involved.

On the stage’s long runway the day after the Montreal premiere, a beaming King recounted the year-long creation of “Immortal,” Cirque’s first concert-style show. The 40-truck tour caravan — three for costumes alone — rivals the scale of mega-tours by Madonna and Roger Waters.

“Everything he did in performance was already so big. He made it so magical,” King said. “So with this collaboration I had the opportunity to really take it to another place, an even bigger spectacle.”

THOSE PRECIOUS TAPES
The show is an eye-popping feast of MJ imagery: An animatronic child Jackson glides across the arena in a hot-air balloon. A costumed performer plays the chimp Bubbles as a club DJ. Dances and costumes from iconic videos such as “Thriller” and “Beat It” are rendered live. The props are massive, the details exacting — down to the outfits studded with Jackson’s favorite Swarovski crystals.

There are no Jackson impersonators, though a face-painted, break-dancing mime is a frequent onstage front-man.

The set draws inspiration from the star’s Neverland Ranch, in particular the backyard oak — the Giving Tree — where Jackson retreated to write songs. A tree mockup is the set’s sprawling centerpiece, a versatile hub for the 52 dancers, acrobats, contortionists and aerialists.

Several elements designed for Jackson’s ill-fated 2009 concerts are intact, including illuminated track suits for “Billie Jean” and video sequences for songs such as “Smooth Criminal.”

At the heart of it all is Jackson’s voice, featured in surround sound with a live ensemble that includes several players from his old concert bands. They include conductor and Detroit native Greg Phillinganes and drummer Jonathan (Sugarfoot) Moffett, whose electronic kit is stocked with drum sounds extracted from Jackson’s studio recordings.

Epic Records has set a Nov. 21 release for the “Immortal” companion album, produced by show music designer Kevin Antunes. Like the show, the album features vocal tracks from Jackson’s original session tapes, wrapped in new musical arrangements.

“It was a truly magical experience to shut everything off and listen to Michael, listen to that perfection captured on tape, and let that drive my creative juices,” Antunes said.

That meant cracking open some of the most valuable master tapes of the 20th Century.

“It was a little tough,” said Epic chief L.A. Reid. “These tapes are precious, and it’s not something you tamper with lightly. But the integrity of the songs is still intact. None of us can know what Michael would or wouldn’t like, but my guess is that he would love this.”

Behind the scenes at “Immortal” in Montreal, Jackson’s imprint was inescapable. Dancers born years after “Thriller” talked of the honor in representing him. Longtime colleagues spoke in reverent tones.

If this isn’t a Michael Jackson tour, it’s the closest you’re going to get. A family-reunion vibe dominated backstage, bustling with MJ associates such as choreographer Travis Payne, props designer Michael Curry and costume designer Zaldy Goco.

The tour’s rollout comes against the backdrop of the L.A. manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, charged in Jackson’s death. For some, the intense work in Montreal was a welcome getaway.

SHOW COMES TOGETHER
In the mold of artists such as the Beatles, Jackson’s estate team said it will be meticulous and protective of his legacy as the years unfold.

“We’re going to be very careful about the projects we say yes to,” said co-executor Branca.

“Immortal” was born of mutual inspiration in 2010. As Jackson’s staff brainstormed live-show concepts on the heels of the posthumous concert film “This Is It,” the call came from Montreal: Cirque chief Guy Laliberté was eager to create a Jackson spectacular.

Cirque and Jackson were no strangers. The singer had been a fan since the company’s first L.A. tent show in 1987, and he even toured the Montreal headquarters in 2003. He took his kids to see Cirque’s “Mystere” in Las Vegas a year before his death.

Still, the estate had its own conditions — namely, that the show emphasize dance and enlist some of Jackson’s creative associates.

“We had a lot of confidence in Cirque. They’ve created some of the best shows ever made,” Branca said. “But Cirque also has a lot of shows, and we wanted to make sure this was going to be a Michael Jackson show.”

In came King, the 39-year-old whiz who got his break as a dancer on Jackson’s 1992 Dangerous show and went on to direct tours for acts such as Madonna (Sticky & Sweet) and Britney Spears (Circus).

“It was very important for me that we really feel all sides of Michael — the showman, the funny guy — but also his heart, how much he loved the idea of bringing the world together and celebrating through music and dance,” King said.

Fifteen diehard fans from around the world — the sorts who can rattle off the credits for a random Jackson video — were invited in for feedback as the show progressed.

“His question to us as designers was always, ‘What does the audience see? What does the audience feel? Forget what I think,’ ” recalled prop designer Curry. "I’ve worked with a lot of stars, and they all have their own opinions. Michael was a vehicle for the audience. So I know we’ve succeeded in something he would like very much.”

The result: a production that is likely to satisfy the most discerning devotees while pleasing Jackson’s legions of mainstream fans.

And you can thank a body of work that just might be, well, immortal.

“Michael lives on. His spirit lives on,” King said. “He’s here with us. Maybe not physically. But certainly his influence, his energy, will never die.”

http://www.freep.com/article/20111014/ENT05/111013069/Michael-Jackson-Immortal-Cirque-du-Soleil-tour-

Hess

14-10-2011, 09:50 AM

^^^

Thanks for posting.

LiberianGhost

14-10-2011, 04:57 PM

That was a super write-up about the show and Michael's legacy! Thanks for sharing.:flowers:

Oh, I want to go to Vegas soooooo bad:woohoo:

passy001

14-10-2011, 07:57 PM

The premiere night audience is raving about the show! Our special correspondent Randi Zuckerberg gathers reactions...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SVXepVtdsiI

nesboy43

14-10-2011, 10:32 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWaQXNkx3d8 not sure if anyones posted this yet but here is a great close up video of childhood, very well done

Memefan

14-10-2011, 10:59 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWaQXNkx3d8 not sure if anyones posted this yet but here is a great close up video of childhood, very well done

OMG!! Childhood is one of my favourite moments in the show. I have been looking for clips for a few days now. If you haven't seen the show, I suggest you DO NOT watch this clip.

It's just too magical live...when you don't expect anything.

ExoticPrincess

14-10-2011, 11:10 PM

Loved the write up in that article!:yes:

StellaJackson

14-10-2011, 11:35 PM

Please someone post pics or at least describe the merchandise.

Memefan

15-10-2011, 02:10 AM

Please someone post pics or at least describe the merchandise.

Overview of Women Memorabilia section

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/476/img0712lk.jpg
PS. Yes, I paid $45 for that purple t-shirt. SMDH.

Mug

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/9533/img0734ad.jpg

V-neck T-Shirt

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/6788/img0742rv.jpg

Crew neck T-Shirt

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/9142/img0743yt.jpg

Tour Program

http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/6834/img0748ra.jpg

Mug

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/7024/img0746b.jpg

Shopping bag

http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/3310/img0747l.jpg

By the way, the sizes are true to regular sizing. T-shirts I've purchase are usually bigger than indicated. These are true to size. And great quality. Better than Bravado.

Ashtanga

15-10-2011, 03:55 AM

Overview of Women Memorabilia section

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/476/img0712lk.jpg
PS. Yes, I paid $45 for that purple t-shirt. SMDH.

Mug

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/9533/img0734ad.jpg

V-neck T-Shirt

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/6788/img0742rv.jpg

Crew neck T-Shirt

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/9142/img0743yt.jpg

Tour Program

http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/6834/img0748ra.jpg

Mug

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/7024/img0746b.jpg

Shopping bag

http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/3310/img0747l.jpg

By the way, the sizes are true to regular sizing. T-shirts I've purchase are usually bigger than indicated. These are true to size. And great quality. Better than Bravado.

:o

http://www.hornedhalo.org/images/kermit.gif

bluesky

15-10-2011, 04:11 AM

PRESS /// Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour! (http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=2806)

By <address class="author vcard" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline; ">Richasi</address>Published: <abbr class="published" title="2011-10-06T12:31:51+00:00" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); ">Oct 6, 2011</abbr>Posted in: Featured Stories (http://www.cirquefascination.com/?cat=2)Tags:http://www.cirquefascination.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/michael-jackson-crd.jpg

A riveting fusion of visuals, dance, music and fantasy that immerses audiences in Michael’s creative world and literally turns his signature moves upside down, Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour unfolds Michael Jackson’s artistry before the eyes of the audience. Aimed at lifelong fans as well as those experiencing Michael’s creative genius for the first time, the show captures the essence, soul and inspiration of the King of Pop, celebrating a legacy that continues to transcend generations.

THE IMMORTAL World Tour takes place in a fantastical realm where we discover Michael’s inspirational Giving Tree – the wellspring of his creativity. The secrets of Michael’s inner world are unlocked – his love of music and dance, fairy tale and magic, and the fragile beauty of nature.

The underpinnings of THE IMMORTAL World Tour are Michael Jackson’s powerful, inspirational music and lyrics – the driving force behind the show—brought to life with extraordinary power and breathless intensity. Through unforgettable performances Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour underscores Michael’s global messages of love, peace and unity.

CREATIVE TEAM
o) Jamie King — Writer and Director
o) Chantal Tremblay — Director of Creation
o) Kevin Antunes — Musical Designer
o) Greg Phillinganes — Musical Director
o) Mark Fisher — Set Designer
o) Michael Curry — Props and Scenic Designer
o) Zaldy Goco — Costume Designer
o) Germain Guillemot — Acrobatic Performance Designer
o) Scott Osgood — Rigging and Acrobatic Equipment Designer
o) Olivier Goulet — Projection Designer
o) Martin Labrecque — Lighting Designer
o) François Desjardins — Sound Designer
o) Travis Payne — Choreographer
o) Rich and Tone Talauega — Choreographer
o) Debra Brown — Acrobatic Choreographer
o) Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo — Choreographers
o) Jamal Sims — Choreographer
o) Daniel “Cloud” Campos — Choreographer
o) Tamara Levinson — Choreographer
o) Mandy Moore — Choreographer
o) Florence Cornet — Makeup Designer

THE SCENES
Transposed in the theatrical and acrobatic language of Cirque du Soleil, Michael Jackson’s music and his messages have taken on a life of their own.
Childhood
In front of the gilded gates of Neverland, the Mime awakens the bronze statues that inhabit this magical place.
Wanna be Starting Something
In a wild, high-powered number, dancers and acrobats in tribal costumes climb up and down the tree and hurl themselves onto the stage.
Fanatics – Shake Your Body Down to the Ground
In a playful atmosphere, five “fanatics” take pictures of members of the audience jump on stage to groove to Michael’s music booming from a jukebox and dance. When they arrive in front of the gates to Neverland, their only hope is to slip inside, but the doors remain closed.

Dancing Machine
In a scene that evokes an ironworks factory, a group of welders fly and swing on motorized cables. They perform various “dancing machines,” paying tribute to different dance styles.

Ben
A tableau that celebrates Michael’s love of animals.

This Place Hotel
Suspended in the air, artists perform a sensual aerial tango as if they were in an anti-gravity nightclub.

Smooth Criminal
Fleets of foot dancers perform a choreography that showcases Michael Jackson’s iconic moves, including his famous leaning motion.

Dangerous
Surrounded by gangsters, a female acrobat performs a “dangerous” pole-dancing act.

Fanatics Medley
In front of Neverland, the Fanatics take part in a friendly competition as they lip-sync and perform to the sounds of a Jackson 5 medley, which finally lets them in to Neverland.

Mime
Suddenly inhabited by Michael Jackson’s spirit, the Mime is completely transformed and infused with Michael’s talents as he performs a funky beat box number.

Human Nature
While a 3D version of the Neverland log (Michael as a boy sitting on the crescent of a moon) is suspended above the stage, artists representing the constellations wearing multicolored LED costumes swoop, soar and float in the air.

Scary Story – Is it Scary
Like a mind-bending storyteller, a contortionist comes out of a giant Book of Tales. As beautiful as she is strange, she turns the pages in the most unusual positions.

Bats – Threatened
Suspended upside down at first, artists wearing striking winged bat costumes perform a dramatic choreography.

Thriller
This scene re-imagines Michael Jackson’s original choreography for Thriller and showcases his iconic moves. Tree branches are on the ground as acrobats dressed as mummies perform a free-running parkour act through the branches, roots, coffins and tombstones in a cavalcade of jumps, leaps and bounds.

Swans – I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
Appearing as a black and a white swan, two artists emerge from a lake to perform a graceful straps duo.

Beat It
Embodied and manipulated by the Fanatics, Michael Jackson’s signature accessories – his famous hat, glove and penny loafers – jump to life. In the final moments of the scene, an electric guitar and an electric cello engage in a rock-infused duel on centre-stage.

Jam
Inspired by the video Michael Jackson made with basketball superstar Michael Jordan; artists play with basketballs and perform a hip-hop-inspired choreography.

Earth Song
In a menacing atmosphere, the Mime gets tangled in the tree, which is now turned upside down.

Scream
Acrobats execute a perfectly synchronized tumbling act, flinging themselves in the air and belly flopping onto the stage as Ninja-style aerial dancers suspended above interact with the Japanimation-inspired sequences projected on the screens. The scene evokes the destruction of the world: the tree is ablaze and the planet is in peril.

Gone Too Soon
With images of a merry-go-round filling the screens in the background to the sounds of this moving ballad, four animal heads, each carrying an artist, are gently cradled by the Mime.

They Don’t Care About Us
In a reenactment of the number that was designed for THIS IS IT concert tour, artists dressed like soldiers wearing robot suits with LED breastplates line up to perform a powerful choreography in unison.

Heal the World – Will You Be There
As the soldiers’ breastplates begin to glow, artists come down from the audience onto the stage holding red glowing hearts in a scene that evokes rebirth and conjures up Michael’s spirit on stage, as his image appears on the Giving Tree.

Mega Mix – Can You Feel It/Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough/Billie Jean/Black or White
This sequence is a fusion of music, dance and acrobatics. During Can You Feel It, acrobats execute a Swiss rings act moving from stage to sky. This scene segues into a riveting dance number on Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough. Michael’s famed choreographic style is showcased once more during the Billie Jean sequence; his silhouette is revealed by the dancers’ LED costumes. For Black or White, performers manipulate flags in a tribute to the nations and dance styles of the world, including African, Spanish, Thai and Georgian dances.

Man in the Mirror
The show’s finale culminates with the song Man in the Mirror – a song Michael often chose to end his concerts – in a celebration of the legacy of an immortal.

THE MUSIC
Hard-wired into Michael Jackson’s inspirational music and lyrics, THE IMMORTAL World Tour conjurers up the extraordinary power and emotional intensity of Jackson’s unforgettable concert performances.
“It starts with the music,” says Director Jamie King. “Michael’s voice is what drives the show. I have the opportunity to carry on Michael’s legacy, to take all that energy – all that he was and was going to be – and build it into this production.”

Looking forward
To weave together the all-important musical components of the show, Jamie King called upon Musical Designer Kevin Antunes, who was given unprecedented access to the master recordings, and Musical Director Greg Phillinganes, who has worked with Michael for more than 25 years, providing an unparalleled depth of knowledge of his music and live performances. “Our goal is not to simply cover Michael, but to take his music to a whole new level,” King explains. The Director wanted to integrate as many songs into the 100-minute production as possible, so this meant mash-ups, remixes and new arrangements. It also meant moving them forward emotionally, weaving songs together in new ways so that the music feels new and fresh all the while respecting Michael’s essence and his voice.
Michael’s voice – the driving force behind the show
To say Michael’s voice drives the show is somewhat of an understatement. “In some of his song,” Antunes says, “Michael would let the groves breathe and he would tuck his voice underneath the music. In this show, the world is going to hear Michael’s voice like they’ve never heard it before.”

Banding together to keep Michael’s spirit alive
To showcase Michael’s voice and support the huge cast, Musical Director Greg Phillinganes has rounded up a stellar group of musicians, including Jonathan “Sugarfoot” Moffett, who played drums for Michael for 30 years. “I wanted to handpick everybody on the band,” he explains. “I knew exactly whom I wanted. We have a full band, including horns and an electric cello. I wanted to have as many players as possible with a direct, personal history with Michael Jackson. We are all doing this because of the love we have for Michael. His spirit will live in this show.”

Music Close-Ups
• THE IMMORTAL World Tour features 32 of Michael’s songs, in addition to numerous bits and pieces of songs that have been used for the soundscapes and transitions.
• Musical Designer Kevin Antunes has created a very intimate experience. The audience can even hear Michael snap his fingers or stomp his feet in some audio segments.
• For the song Ben a sonic rainforest was created with all kinds of animal sounds and Asian instruments such as Taiko drums that provides a transition to introduce the song.
• During Dancing Machine scene, cinematic sound effects were added to blend the music with the acrobatic performance.
• Instead of hearing the string section in Childhood in normal stereo, the whole orchestra spreads out and the audience will experience this song in a new light.
• Michael’s phrase “Cause we’re all the same!” from Can You Feel It was added in between the choruses of Black or White.
• They Don’t Care About Us features a previously unreleased choir that Michael recorded.
• The Jackson 5 song ABC features a never-heard-before outtake call and response that Michael recorded when he was young.
• The voice of Naiomi Campbell and elements of the song In the Closet were blended into the intro to the Dangerous scene.
• In the “Scary” section the creepy voice-over segment during the Book of Tales segment was performed by Kevin Antunes.
• The song Ease on Down the Road from the movie The Wiz was added as traveling music for one of the Fanatic characters’ numbers.

COSTUMES
Few stage performers have created iconic looks that are directly related to specific songs. Say “Billie Jean” and the black sequin jacket, black white-striped tuxedo pants and fedora hat immediately come to mind. As for “Thriller,” one unmistakably sees the red leather jacket with the two black diagonal stripes. In THE IMMORTAL World Tour, there are references galore to Michael Jackson’s legendary outfits.
“Michael is our narrator, leading us on a journey through his lyrics, his poetry, his visuals, his moves and, of course, how he dressed,” explains Director Jamie King. Michael’s world was the wellspring of Costume Designer Zaldy Goco’s creativity. “My approach has been to draw upon and respect Michael’s iconic style while creating something new and fresh. I placed subtle references throughout the costumes in the show,” says Zaldy, who was also Michael Jackson’s exclusive designer for the THIS IS IT concert series.
Keeping Michael’s Legacy Alive
For Zaldy, playing a role in THE IMMORTAL World Tour had a special emotional resonance. “The prospect of working on this show,” he points out, “was not so much a second chance with regard to THIS IS IT as much as an opportunity to honor Michael and keep his legacy alive with new ideas.”
Flights of Fancy
The color palette in THE IMMORTAL is rich and lively. Michael loved gold and all things ornate and shiny. He was fond of Swarovski crystals – aurora borealis in particular. The show’s costumes are a rainbow of colors and called for innovative materials and techniques. “In particular, we explored techniques such as 3D printing and LED, pushing the limits just as Michael would,” says Zaldy.
The production brims with imaginative costumes and outfits. Gangster types have surreal guns that seem to be tucked in their pockets but are only shapes; when they pull the trigger built into their “gun gloves”, streams of pyro shoot out. The ghoulish Thriller characters wear pure white, shiny outfits; the bloody innards that show behind the wrappings reflect Michael’s love for horror movies. The straps duo artists appear as magnificent swans; covered in Swarovski crystals, their costumes are corseted and laced in reference to Michael’s corseted wrist in his Black or White video.
• The bat costumes are made of ultra lightweight paper used for shipping parcels. The huge, lifelike gold wings create a stunning effect.
• The “fanatics” in the Shake Your Body Down to the Ground act wear gold, glittery cartoon-inspired costumes and don the legendary white socks and penny loafers.
• The “welders” copper-colored costumes with zippers in Dancing Machine directly reference Michael’s red, silver-meshed, zipper-clad jacket in Beat It.
• The soldiers’ costumes in They Don’t Care About Us are essentially made of mytex (foil transfer) on a polyester frame with padding.
• The shoulder pads on the gangster costumes are made using 3D printing.
• Each costume in the Celestial/Human Nature scene is equipped with 275 blinking LED lights specially designed for the show. They change color during the song to evoke constellations.
• When Director Jamie King asked Zaldy Goco to design “non-choir choir robes” for the Will You Be There number, the costume designer decided to create shirts inspired by those Michael loved and would wear on the cherry picker during his concerts with the wind blasting from underneath.
• There are a total of 252 costumes in the show.
SET DESIGN
THE IMMORTAL World Tour invites the audience inside an imaginary world inspired by Michael Jackson’s Neverland. Once inside the gilded gates, we discover the Giving Tree, a representation of the great oak tree in which Michael would climb up to seek inspiration and write his songs and poems.
Setting the Stage
Neverland was also the venue chosen to hold the first meeting of the show’s creative team. “I remember going to Neverland with the creative team and meeting the grounds people who have remained faithful to Michael,” Jamie King reminisces. “I recall seeing the Giving Tree where he wrote among other things most of the Dangerous tour that I danced on, and I truly felt that I was at the right place creating this show.” The Giving Tree was chosen early on as the main scenic element to anchor the project.
Set Designer Mark Fisher created a tree that is not a replica of the original tree; it has many personalities and undergoes various transformations during the show. The structure is articulated and can break apart depending on the scene. It turns into a root system for the Thriller scene and becomes a hi-tech object toward the end of the show. A metaphor as well as a centralizing piece, the Giving Tree creates a symbolic world for Michael’s memory to occupy.
“Working on a rock show without a live artist can be challenging,” Fisher explains. “In this case, the set design takes on a whole new meaning. Its role is to fill the shadows as it were, and to evoke the artist’s presence.”
The props as storytelling devices
Props and Scenic Designer Michael Curry, who was one of the designers on the THIS IS IT concert tour, has developed props that serve as storytelling devices. For example, a huge book of tales and an upside down tree serve as acrobatic devices. Michael’s famed glove, hat and shoes become giant props inhabited by nimble dancers. Curry’s goal was to tap into and trigger the fans’ memories of Michael, and to focus attention on the performance. Many of the props are subtext for the songs or support the narrative.
The projections – in Michael’s image
The projections in THE IMMORTAL World Tour not only act as storytelling devices, they play a key role in making Michael’s presence palpable. Projection Designer Olivier Goulet has integrated video content such as footage of Michael’s performances and real-time projections of the performances on stage.
Set design close-ups
THE IMMORTAL’s versatile stage is highly technical with multiple lifts for scene changes. A large, multi-purpose LED screen was developed: it starts flat on the stage, stands up to act as a projection surface, turns into a ramp, and surrounds the Giving Tree like a gradient LED ramp. In the middle of the stage, there are large drawers that serve as steps for artists to perform on.
• The stage out in the house – called the B Stage or runway – is equipped with a conveyor belt, a lift and video screen.
• The tree is 12 m high and weighs 5,500 kg.
• The elephants are more than 2 m tall and weigh 9 kg each. They are manipulated by two hidden acrobats and were inspired by Baba and Gypsy, the two elephants given to Michael by Elizabeth Taylor.
• The giant shoes directly reference Michael Jackson’s famous penny loafers. They are 2.4m long and are created from orthopedic foam with a vinyl skin.
• The giant hat is large enough for two performers to hide inside. It is constructed in a way that mimics the softness of a real hat.
• The glove is a soft sculpture that allows the dancers inside to create various hand positions using their full body. The glove is 1.8 m tall and is light-weight.
• The scrim (translucent screen) is equipped with four 20K projectors; there are four 10K projectors and two 20K projectors on B stage; the tree has two 10K projectors.
• The total projection surface in the show is 500 m2.
• The young Michael in the balloon is an animatronics puppet (animated by means of electromechanical devices) styled after Michael when he was six years old.
• The balloon and its equipment weigh only 4 kg. Free flight is made possible by using a helium balloon outfitter with drive fans. It is remote-controlled by a ground-based technician.
• It took more than 9,000 hours to create the props and puppets.

http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=2806

passy001

15-10-2011, 07:21 AM

<big>One performer stood out</big>

Ottawa Citizen October 15, 2011 3:08 AM

My wife and I attended the Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour show starring Cirque du Soleil at Scotiabank Place on Oct. 9 and were treated to an amazing time.

Having read Lynn Saxberg's review earlier in the day, we were looking forward to seeing what she thought was a fantastic show.

And that is what we got. One fantastic act after another, all seamlessly strung together.

However, one of the biggest hits of the entire show was - and maybe I'm being politically incorrect - the amputee cast member of Cirque. I think he should have been mentioned in the review. What this young fellow did acrobatically with one leg and crutches was beyond amazing. And he seemed to do it all with ease.

The entire show was one that I will never forget - he is the one person that I will always remember. And judging by the cheers and applause for him during the curtain call, I was not alone in my thinking. And the smile on his face said it all - he was having a blast.

BRUCE MCMAHON, Ottawa

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/performer+stood/5554327/story.html#ixzz1apglXHr3

passy001

15-10-2011, 10:20 AM

<big>Michael would approve

Cirque du Soleil's tribute to The Gloved One 'a natural fit' </big>

By Ted Shaw, The Windsor Star October 15, 2011 4:12 AM

The matchmaker in the sky scored a coup when he got Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soleil together.

Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour pairs the music of the greatest entertainer of his generation with the genius of Montreal's Cirque du Soleil. The dazzling two-hour arena show comes to Detroit's Joe Louis Arena tonight at 8 p.m. for one night only.

Combining elements of a Michael Jackson concert with Cirque's famous acrobatics and choreography, the $60-million extravaganza promises to live up to the Jackson legacy.

"It's a natural fit," said Cirque spokesman Maxime Charbonneau. "But that doesn't mean it wasn't a huge challenge. Let's be honest. We have to do credit to the memory of Michael Jackson and there are millions of people who will be judging us."

The show is one of the biggest and most elaborate ever undertaken by the Montreal entertainment company. It moves from city to city across North America in 40 transport trucks, and features 25 dancers, 25 acrobats and a band of 12 musicians.

The band is directed by Greg Phillinganes, a Detroit native who worked with Jackson on the Bad and Dangerous tours along with the 30th anniversary special at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

There are five members of the band who toured regularly with Jackson. The show itself has the Jackson family stamped all over it.

Every song, every dance move, every image in the show had to be approved by the Michael Jackson estate.

"The show is driven by Michael's voice," said Charbonneau. "It's everything he would have liked to create himself."

Jackson was an avid Cirque fan. He saw his first Cirque performance in Santa Monica, Calif., in 1988, and took in dozens of performances over the years. He attended Cirque shows in Las Vegas many times, said Charbonneau.

He also visited the Montreal headquarters of Cirque to see a show in preparation.

"Cirque du Soleil to Michael Jackson was all magic and beauty. It was a whimsical dream."

Show designer Chantal Tremblay and director Jamie King have stayed true to the singer's legacy, Charbonneau said.

"How can you redo Thriller? How can you change Bad? You'll find Jackson's signature in every aspect of the show. The only thing missing is Michael himself."

That means the dancers perform all those iconic moves, like the moonwalk, the toe lean and the infamous crotch-grab.

"All the essential elements are there," Charbonneau said. There are snippets from more than 60 Michael Jackson songs, most of them familiar. But there are some surprises, too.

"The show opens with Childhood, which is a song many people won't associate with Michael. But the songs people know best are there, too. When the first few notes of Smooth Criminal are heard, the audience goes crazy."

Cirque du Soleil has had success using source material for two of its Vegas shows - The Beatles Love and Viva Elvis. With Michael Jackson, it completes the Holy Trinity of late 20th century popular culture.

"We worked closely with Michael's family," said Charbonneau, "so there was a need to get it right."

When the show premiered in Montreal earlier this month, several members of the Jackson family were in attendance, including his mother and three of his brothers.

"The family was extremely moved by what they saw," said Charbonneau.

Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour arrives in Detroit after stops in Ottawa and Hamilton. There are 47 cities on the tour so far, with more to be added later.

Plans call for touring the arena version for two years in North America, then moving to Europe and Asia. A Las Vegas theatrical version is also in the works for the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in 2013.

Sony Music, Jackson's record label, is also planning to produce an album and DVD of the show.

tshaw@windsorstar.com or 519-2556849

BOX OFFICE

The Immortal World Tour has one performance at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena, tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are US$63.70 to $191.55, including fees and taxes. If you miss the Detroit show, the tour moves to London's John Labatt Centre on Tuesday and Wednesday, both at 8 p.m. Tickets are $51.75$176.75. Tickets to either venue are available at ticketmaster.com.

© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star

Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/entertainment/Michael+would+approve/5555094/story.html#ixzz1aqOO0WAl

love is magical

15-10-2011, 12:28 PM

^^thanks memefan. The memorabilia looks amazing. I love the design of the t-shirt. :)

Memefan

15-10-2011, 01:02 PM

<big>One performer stood out</big>

Ottawa Citizen October 15, 2011 3:08 AM

My wife and I attended the Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour show starring Cirque du Soleil at Scotiabank Place on Oct. 9 and were treated to an amazing time.

Having read Lynn Saxberg's review earlier in the day, we were looking forward to seeing what she thought was a fantastic show.

And that is what we got. One fantastic act after another, all seamlessly strung together.

However, one of the biggest hits of the entire show was - and maybe I'm being politically incorrect - the amputee cast member of Cirque. I think he should have been mentioned in the review. What this young fellow did acrobatically with one leg and crutches was beyond amazing. And he seemed to do it all with ease.

The entire show was one that I will never forget - he is the one person that I will always remember. And judging by the cheers and applause for him during the curtain call, I was not alone in my thinking. And the smile on his face said it all - he was having a blast.

BRUCE MCMAHON, Ottawa

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/performer+stood/5554327/story.html#ixzz1apglXHr3

I have to agree with him...the dude is on a whole other level. Impressive.

I am a bit curious to know how he lost his leg. He seems at ease in everything he did. He also got the loudest cheers at the 2 shows i've seen so far.

StellaJackson

15-10-2011, 04:00 PM

Memefan - thanks for the merch pics. Looks like I have to start saving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OnirMJ

15-10-2011, 07:38 PM

They Don't Care About Us & Heal The World/Will You Be There:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkmFQmqF_9U

Gold Pants Girl

16-10-2011, 12:24 AM

For anyone going to the Toronto show on Friday there is gonna be a fan meetup before.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=247727155280025

We're meeting at 5:30pm at The Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner and then walking over to the ACC ( 10 min walk)

The Old Spaghetti Factory
54 The Esplanade
Toronto, ON M5E 1A6

marebear

16-10-2011, 12:31 AM

It seems really good reviews so far. I go to the show on Oct 27 and I can't wait.

CrazyVegasMJ

16-10-2011, 01:32 AM

That article said Sony is planning on releasing a DVD of the show!! Yay!

Memefan

16-10-2011, 01:54 AM

First Reviews from Detroit (On twitter):

RT @DilaraTheXdr: OMG CIRQUE DU SOLEIL IS EXCEEDING MY EXPECTATIONS!!! MICHAEL JACKSON LIVES MICHAEL JACKSON LIIVVEESS #IMMORTAL

RT @KarenFilippelli: Todos deberían asistir a Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour by @Cirque du Soleil... It's SO AWESOME!!!

Translation: Everyone should go to Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour

RT @MsMarquia714: Cirque du Solei-MJ Experience is off the chain...experience of a lifetime!! #Amazing

RT @Homa_Lily: Omg the mj cirque show is incredible!!!!!!!!!!!! Omg omg omg!!!

RT @Homa_Lily: Omg the MJ @cirque show was freaking amazing!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Omg omg!!!

RT @Mighty04: MJ Immortal World Tour Cirque Du Soleil is a great show. Truly creative. I highly recommend it when it comes to your city.

RT @GameJunkiee: What an amazing tribute to MJ and his music. Cirque and all involved with the production, much appreciation.

Not ONE negative review ...so far

passy001

16-10-2011, 06:06 AM

Last Updated: October 16. 2011 1:22AM
<big>Cirque du Soleil delivers loving tribute to late The King of Pop</big>
Adam Graham/ Detroit News Pop Music Writer

Michael Jackson fans got an eyeful at "Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour," the visually dazzling Cirque du Soleil tribute to the late King of Pop which made its U.S. debut at Joe Louis Arena Saturday night.
The fantastical 2-hour show features acrobats, mimes, aerial dancers and all manner of circus performers interpreting the works of Jackson, who died in 2009 at age 50. And it's a loving tribute through and through, celebrating his art, entertainment and global outreach efforts while never touching on any of his troubles.
What it lacks is a focal point, or a sense of coherence to tie it all together. The show bounces between songs and themes like someone hit "shuffle" on a Michael Jackson playlist; late in the show, the basketball-centric "Jam" segues directly into "Earth Song," Jackson's plea for saving the environment. The transition is so sudden it could cause whiplash.
And while grand themes of love and tolerance are played up, the presentation often overwhelms the message. Which is fine; the show's ultimate takeaway is that Cirque du Soleil, like Jackson, are world class performers, and their dedication to entertainment is something they share with Jackson. It's likely he would have loved the show.
Jackson's catalog, meanwhile, is treated a little too delicately. Songs are presented in a rather straightforward manner, and one wishes the material was jumbled a bit more in a mash-up fashion. The most thrilling portion of the show is the closing suite, which mixes "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough," "Billie Jean" and "Black or White," and the way they flow together makes you wish producers would have mixed and matched the songs together in a more adventurous fashion. We all know Jackson's songs are great, but it would be exciting to hear them in a new way.
Visually, however, there was nary a dull moment. Cirque dancers danced, flipped, flew, climbed and bounced around the stage, constantly providing something at which to marvel. They replicated Jackson's moonwalk during "Beat It" and his signature lean during "Smooth Criminal," while others pulled tricks above and beyond Jackson's skill set (Jackson, while a hugely talented individual, would have never been able to pull off the gravity-defying moves the show's contortionist performed on a pole during "Dangerous"). In one of the show's many great bits, dancers made 6-foot replicas of Jackson's glove and his white-sock-and-dance-shoes combo come to life during "Beat It," and later a troupe of dancers' LED-enhanced suits lit up in unison in "Billie Jean." It was thrilling.
"Dancing Machine" took on a factory theme, with dancers being brought to life by assembly line robots. A team of acrobats performed the equivalent of a floor routine on a bouncy air mattress during "Scream," and in a bit borrowed from Jackson's "This Is It" tour, dancers dressed as robots with glowing LED breastplates stepped in unison to a hard-stomping, albeit censored, "They Don't Care About Us." A dancer dressed as Jackson's pet monkey Bubbles was a fixture throughout the show, and at one point mimed DJ moves on a platform high above the crowd while a team of gymnasts performed an acrobatic routine from the rings dangling below the rig. It was that kind of a show.
Performers and workers seamlessly transitioned from song to song, with much of the changes occurring in shadows outside the view of the audience. The show's technical wizardry was directed from the soundboard, which with its banks of monitors and computers resembled a NASA command center.
Jackson's presence looms large over the show, however, and his absence is difficult to overcome. Wisely the show didn't have someone "playing" Jackson, and videos of the performer - as well as his inimitable vocals - are used throughout. "Michael Jackson the Immortal World Tour" doesn't try to pretend Jackson isn't there, but he still manages to cast a shadow over the show that all the flash and pizzazz of Cirque du Soleil can't hide. And in a way, maybe that's the ultimate Michael Jackson tribute.
agraham@detnews.com (313) 222-2284

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20111016/ENT01/110160316/Cirque-du-Soleil-delivers-loving-tribute-to-late-The-King-of-Pop#ixzz1avEG85rG

Arklove

16-10-2011, 06:34 AM

I so want that purple tshirt :wild: :D

passy001

16-10-2011, 09:10 AM

<big>Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson show makes U.S. premiere</big>
By Brian McCollum, USA TODAY

DETROIT – Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson tribute started its long American journey Saturday night, whirling, twirling, moonwalking and occasionally defying gravity in a colorful performance at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena. After a couple of weeks in Cirque's Canadian homeland, "The Immortal World Tour" made its U.S. premiere in Detroit — the town where Berry Gordy Jr. first groomed the Motown star he'd one day eulogize as "the greatest entertainer that ever lived."

A diverse, multigenerational audience of more than 10,000 filled the Joe, with wide-eyed kids and head-bobbing grandmas alongside the Jackson diehards with their white gloves and bags of tour merchandise.
It was a typically animated Motor City crowd. Cries of "I love you, Michael!" and "Go, girl!" rang out as Cirque's nimble performers did their thing, with cheers greeting each appearance of Jackson — even his autograph — on the video screens.
PHOTOS: Scenes from the show
In a two-hour, blink-and-you-missed-it show that was often captivating, at times moving, Jackson's vocals on "Childhood" set the tone early: "Like fantastical stories to share / The dreams I would dare / Watch me fly."
Not that Cirque and its cast of dozens needed much prompting: The company's trademark whimsy and splashes of surreal were applied generously throughout, with a five-man dancing clown group, a liquid-limber mime and a costumed chimp Bubbles as main characters.
Jackson's music was less a soundtrack than a showpiece of its own, his recorded vocal tracks meshed with a band led by Detroit native and longtime Jackson collaborator Greg Phillinganes.
Still, some of the show's most extensive sequences turned on less-than-blockbuster fare ("Earth Song," "They Don't Care About Us," "Gone Too Soon"), and while the hooks were plentiful, fans who came for full-blown readings of hits such as "Billie Jean" likely left frustrated.
Even accounting for its design as a concert-theater hybrid, the show often seemed caught between multiple minds, never quite sure where to commit its energies. Athletic group dance numbers ("Scream") mingled with cinematic sequences (the robot army of "They Don't Care About Us") amid vintage Cirque fare, including the gorgeous aerial ballets of "Human Nature" and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You."
With no straightforward storyline, the show was structured as a series of vignettes, the gates of Neverland Ranch opening to a kind of dreamscape. But what it lacked in narrative, "Immortal" compensated with ample visual candy: There was a graveyard party for "Thriller," a Chicago-gangster period piece for "Smooth Criminal," a live-cartoon, Afro-topped celebration of early Jackson 5.
And surely Jackson would have been the first to approve the giant boogieing glove of "Beat It," the performers sent spiraling into the air on "Dancing Machine," and the seemingly boneless contortionist working the pole on "Dangerous."
The show's emotional flow was gentle, and there was a genuine sweetness to go with the visual sizzle. All came to a grand finale with the night's most energetic stretch, the closing "Black or White," a multicultural celebration and global flag array that paired America's Stars and Stripes with New Guinea's bird icon.
There was one big change from the Canadian rollout earlier this month: The show's Giving Tree— centerpiece of the Mark Fisher-designed set — was denuded, its fiberglass branches back in Montreal for mechanical tweaks. The pruning was prompted by artist-safety concerns, according to a show rep, and the tree is expected to be restored for Friday's Toronto stop.
That left the already starless show without its visual anchor, though the tree's trunk remained as an occasional scampering spot and launch pad for the cast of acrobats and aerialists.
Saturday was a brief stateside swing for "Immortal," which will play several more Canadian dates before resuming its U.S. run Nov. 9 in Seattle. From there it's at least 49 more stops — including a December residency at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas — before the tour heads to Europe and Asia.

http://mediagallery.usatoday.com/Michael-Jackson%27s-The-Immortal-World-Tour-launches/G2789

bluesky

16-10-2011, 05:09 PM

well, I just hope that they (cirque + estate) read the comments from the reviewers and maybe modify accordingly so the tour can be a success.

ilmjj

16-10-2011, 06:20 PM

I was at the Detroit show and I loved it!!! Every time they used Michael talking I cried.(of the many times and don't ask about my reaction to Man In the Mirror!) Just hearing his voice...

When the cast came out for their final bows the whole place erupted in a standing ovation. It was like I could almost feel us all leaning forward as a group trying to get closer to them. For a few hours it felt like Michael was back with us and we weren't ready to let go.

It only reinforced the enormity of our loss.

I can't wait to see it again!!

P.S. I don't know what that Detroit reviewer was watching but the finale was not Black or White like he states. Maybe he left at the intermission?
The last song was what Michael used as his grand finale.

ExoticPrincess

16-10-2011, 07:56 PM

well, I just hope that they (cirque + estate) read the comments from the reviewers and maybe modify accordingly so the tour can be a success.

I am sure the Cirque team anticipated modifications of the show as it progressed and I for one think this MJ Immortal World Tour is already a success.

@ilmjj.....so happy to hear that you enjoyed the show.

PurpleParrot

16-10-2011, 10:00 PM

Seems like the cast loved it in Detroit just as much as the crowd! :D

Reading comments from dancers and acrobats and they had a blast :) Commenting on the loud screming from the crowd and how you seemed to love the show.

Good job fans!!! :)