The Legend Lives On - Official Cirque du Soleil 'Immortal World Tour' Discussion [Archive] - Page 6 - The Michael Jackson Community

bluesky

18-10-2011, 08:47 PM

Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson Immortal Takes Audience On A Dazzling Ride

by Joe Vogel

Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson-tour/default.aspx) made its U.S. debut Saturday night at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The two-hour audio-visual spectacle offered a feast for the senses as it celebrated the creative output and social ideals of the late King of Pop.
Before the show, an anxious crowd -- young, old, black, white and every demographic in between -- waited in the brisk October air, exchanging memories. A middle-aged man recalled attending the Victory Tour in 1984. A young girl remembered sobbing the day she learned of his passing and playing "Will You Be There" on repeat. An elderly woman spoke of seeing the Jackson 5 perform in Detroit in 1969. "I still can't believe he's gone," she lamented.
Coming just a couple of years after Jackson's tragic death -- and in the midst of the trial of his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray -- the show seemed to offer a cathartic experience for many attendees, while introducing an accessible version of him to a yet another generation of music listeners.
The show itself is a hybrid extravaganza: part rock concert, part theater, part acrobatics, part comedy, part festival. Its tone is more whimsical than Jackson's world tours. With no front man, the show opts instead for a five-person crew of slapstick dancer-impersonators called the "fanatics" and a versatile mime. Numerous other talents are featured in spots, including a mesmerizing contortionist, a fierce cellist, and a phenomenally gifted young boy.
The show uses a live band, led by Jackson's longtime collaborator Greg Phillinganes, to amplify the concert feel and introduces several signature MJ props (the glove, the hat, the penny loafers) to playfully point to the pop icon.
Still, it is difficult to overcome Jackson's absence on stage. His presence on the jumbo screen in the opening montage generates a tangible excitement -- it is as if the audience is waiting for him to pop up at any moment. During some of the quieter parts of the show -- "I'll Be There," "Gone Too Soon" -- audience members cry out, "We love you, Michael!"
To try to fill the void, director Jamie King and set designer Mark Fisher wisely chose Michael Jackson's "Giving Tree" as the anchoring scenic piece and controlling metaphor, creating a symbolic world for Jackson's memory to occupy. Unfortunately, the tree didn't make it to the Detroit show due to technical problems, causing the narrative thread to feel a bit disjointed and some of the numbers to be altered.
There were some other indications that the show was still finding its footing. The pacing at times was a bit turbulent and fragmented. Michael Jackson had an uncanny ability as a creator/performer to take his audience on a journey and not lose them for a second: he knew when to go big and when to pull it back, when to be extravagant and when to be subtle. He was a master of pathos and of building dramatic tension.
While the Immortal show hasn't yet reached that lofty standard, it does manage to capture certain parts of his essence. The transition from the wonder-filled "Childhood," which allows the audience to see inside the Neverland Gates as bronze statues of children come to life, segues magnificently into the frenetic, tribal energy of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin.'" The medley of Heartbreak Hotel/Smooth Criminal/In the Closet/Dangerous also works well, blending film noir and music video footage with a cello solo, seamless choreography and a pole dancer. Likewise, the medley of Ghosts/Is It Scary/Threatened/Thriller, which begins with a creature crawling out of a large storybook, is one of the show's highlights.
Notably absent from the lineup is "The Way You Make Me Feel," a classic which Jackson performed at every concert since the Bad World Tour. There are some nice, lesser-known surprises, however, including parts of "In the Closet," "Speechless" and "Little Susie." Nearly all of the songs, including "Billie Jean," are formed in clusters with two or three other tracks.
Dazzling touches abound. Around the mid-way point, there is a beautiful sequence in which Jackson describes how he is "just the medium through which the music flows." This quote is interpreted by the mime as he allows the sound to work through his body while musical notes float into the air. It is followed by a gorgeous rendition of "Human Nature."
While the show primarily presents Jackson as man-child/idealist, occasionally other facets break through. For "They Don't Care About Us," taking its cues from concert plans for This Is It, an army of robots march in unison, flashing money signs and question marks as a video montage plays footage of violence, despair and destruction.
The finale returns to safer ground, offering a healing call for peace, unity and love to a mash-up of socially conscious anthems like "Can You Feel It," "Black or White" and "Man in the Mirror." Flags are brought on stage in a festival-like fusion of cultures, acrobatics, dance and music.
For all the elaborate staging and impressive talent, however, the unquestionable star is Michael Jackson. Musical designer Keven Antunes was given access to the artist's original multi-track master recordings and stripped away some of the production to put Jackson's singular voice on full display. On some of the ballads especially -- "I'll Be There," "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" -- the effect is stunning. His appearances on the jumbo screens likewise brought a visceral energy to the show.
Afterward, outside the arena kids excitedly described their favorite parts of the show. One of them, eyes wide, talked about the LED costumes that lit up during "Billie Jean." In the distance, by the parking garage, a man played "Thriller" on his saxophone, its strains rising plaintively into the night. He couldn't afford tickets to the show, he said, but he wanted to be nearby to "celebrate the king."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-vogel/cirque-du-soleils-michael_b_1016774.html

dam2040

19-10-2011, 06:49 PM

Do we have confirmed covers for the CD? Is it blue for the deluxe,orange for the normal?

bluesky

22-10-2011, 10:18 PM

<header class="col650" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; 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; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 26px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; display: block; float: left; width: 650px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><hgroup class="clearfix" 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: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 26px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; display: block; zoom: 1; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Cirque brings Jackson show to Toronto

</hgroup>
<address class="meta vcard author reviewer" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; 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; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 0.9em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; display: inline; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font: normal normal normal 1em/1 FranklinGothicFSMediumCondens, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-transform: uppercase; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 2em; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">BY JOHN COULBOURN (http://www.torontosun.com/author/john-coulbourn) ,QMI AGENCY</address>FIRST POSTED: <time datetime="2011-10-22T18:37:58Z" pubdate="" class="published dtreviewed value-title" title="Sat Oct 22 2011 11:37:58 GMT-0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)" 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: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 24px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2011 02:37 PM EDT</time>
</header><figure class="col650 legend" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: -220px; 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; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 26px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: none !important; background-attachment: initial !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: initial !important; display: block; float: left; width: 650px; text-align: center; background-position: initial initial !important; background-repeat: initial initial !important; ">http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/dynamic_resize/sws_path/suns-prod-images/1317213251764_ORIGINAL.jpg?quality=80&size=650x<figcaption style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 30px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); display: block; color: rgb(238, 238, 238); font: normal normal normal 1.167em/1 FranklinGothicFSDemiCondensed, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">A scene from the Cique du Soleil production of Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour. (CIRQUE DU SOLEIL photo)</figcaption></figure><aside class="col210" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: -220px; 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; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 26px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: url(<a href=" http:="" www.torontosun.com="" assets="" img="" interface="" bg_landing_subimage.png);"="" target="_blank">http://www.toroAir Canada Centre<section class="entertainementReview" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 26px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; display: block; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(213, 213, 213); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">
MICHAEL JACK
</section></aside>Considering the maelstrom of publicity, both bad and good, that was the life of the late pop sensation Michael Jackson, it is ironic — oddly fitting, but ironic nonetheless — that in death, Jackson's memory is being honoured with, of all things, a circus.
Not just any circus, mind you.
When it comes to paying tribute to the King of Pop, only the king of circuses will do. And in today's world, even though pretenders abound, few would argue that the crown of the circus world still sits securely on the brow of the Quebec-based international phenom, Cirque Du Soleil.
So it is that Cirque last month launched its latest big-budget, big-everything stadium show titled Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, which pulled into Toronto's Air Canada Centre on Friday for a weekend run that ends Sunday.
And while there may be more than a degree of irony in the fact that Jackson's life is being commemorated with a circus, the show itself turns out to be a largely irony-free zone. Director Jamie King and his cast and crew focus all of Cirque's considerable genius on how best to conjure the myth, the man and his music — without inadvertently opening any portals into the much-publicized darker side of a man finally and tragically consumed by fame.
But despite their best efforts, it remains an affair both haunted — in this case, by design, with a (speaking of irony) white-faced mime evoking Jackson's spirit throughout the show — and haunting, as the news from Dr. Conrad Murray's trial for involuntary manslaughter in the death of Jackson features prominently in the nightly news.
It is also, even by Cirque standards, a bit of an extravaganza. It mixes the very latest in stage technology with a few breathtaking feats of physical skill and precision — not to mention more than enough moonwalking and crotch grabbing to put both NASA and a passel of andrologists out of business.
There is also, as is to be expected, a lot of music — all of it Jackson's, from his earliest days with the Jackson Five right through to the too-early end of his career. Sometimes it is served up under the musical direction of Greg Philliganes, featuring a strong musical ensemble. At others, it is delivered by Jackson himself, appearing posthumously on giant video screens woven into a modified thrust stage that allows Immortal to combine elements of both thrust and proscenium staging in such a way that it becomes impossible to focus attention on any one element of the show.
Woven into the fabric of musical memories that includes everything from I'll Be There to Billie Jean, Thriller and Beat It are a series of often jaw-dropping effects and circus routines. Not all of it is new , mind you, but impressive nonetheless.
But while the never-ending parade of giant puppets, robots, living statues, ghouls and ghost-like animal heads certainly add up to something visually engaging, some of the circus routines feel more imposed than integrated into Immortal's warp and weave. While the synchronized tumblers featured near the end of the show certainly seem a logical extension of the kind of coordinated movement Jackson espoused, the pole routine performed by the diminutive and supple Anna Melnikova simply doesn't fly, from a contextual point of view, even while it soars.
Finally, however, Immortal's creators simply over-reach themselves, not content to simply celebrate the talents of a very talented man. As their show assumes more and more of a messianic fervour, using images of Gandhi and Mother Theresa, it feels less and less like a tribute, and more and more like a revival meeting.
That's a kind of Immortal that's tough to swallow.

<a href="http://www.torontosun.com/2011/10/22/cirque-brings-jackson-show-to-toronto">http://www.torontosun.com/2011/10/22/cirque-brings-jackson-show-to-toronto

bluesky

22-10-2011, 10:22 PM

Super-sized circus

The King of Pop left big shoes behind, but Cirque du soleil has the larger-than-life spectacle to fill them

By: Kevin Prokosh

MONTREAL --Approaching the sprawling complex in an east-end Montreal neighbourhood, there is little indication that inside is the headquarters of a global entertainment phenomenon.Only when turning into the roundabout, which surrounds an eight-metre statue of one bronze clown shoe, might you guess that you have arrived at the home of Cirque du soleil, the small-scale circus turned billion-dollar success. The artwork was a gift from another internationally renowned theatre company, England's Kneehigh Theatre Company, whose eye-popping, multimedia adaptation of Brief Encounter was staged at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre in January.

It's the rainy day after the world première of the French-Canadian troupe's latest stage sensation, Michael Jackson, The Immortal World Tour, which had opened at a sold-out Bell Centre, where the late King of Pop's mother, three brothers and three children were the stars of the red carpet. Since then, the $60-million show with its 40 trucks has hit the road on a 47-city tour that stops at the MTS Centre Wednesday and Thursday.Walking into the expansive, $40-million grey structure -- the birthplace of the MJ spectacle -- is to enter a bustling circus arts city. Almost 2,000 of the French-Canadian company's 5,000 employees work there, including cirque king Guy Laliberté, whose personal worth is estimated at $2.5 billion. He currently oversees 22 high-flying extravaganzas, which, through ticket and merchandise sales, should top $1 billion in revenue for the first time this year. To put that in perspective, Cirque productions sell just about as many tickets as all Broadway shows combined.Like that shoe out front, everything about the troupe and how it operates is super-sized. Michael Jackson's worldwide fame was of a scale that was a perfect match for the cirque nouveau mega-giant Cirque du soleil (French for circus of the sun)."Everything he did in performance was already so big," says the production's writer and director, Jamie King, who once worked for Jackson. "I had the opportunity to really take it to another place, an even bigger spectacle."A gaggle of media types is led through the art-festooned facility, stopping in for a quick look-see at the Atelier de Frabrication: Chaussures, where most prominent is a wall with racks and racks of the plaster feet of every performer in the company (Michael Jackson, who visited in 1993, was a size 12). The surreal, oh-my-goodness footwear cobbled together by the staff of 12 makes John Fluevog's trendsetting shoes seem stodgy.There are twice that many people making wigs because every performer gets one. A wigmaster is at work, painstakingly creating -- crocheting, really -- a wig hair by hair (either human or from a horse mane), a task that was going to take him 90 hours. Everything in the facility is custom-made, and in the costume department -- which takes up two acres of space -- that means sewing together 20,000 items a year. It was part of the building Jackson wouldn't leave during his 1993 visit.But the cirque is known for dazzling with flying trapeze artists, high-wire walkers and contortionists, all of whom train here under the watchful eyes of up to 30 specialists offering medical, linguistic, makeup and nutritional expertise. The performers, half of whom come from sports backgrounds, represent 50 nationalities speaking 25 languages. Every show is a mini-United Nations, and despite being in French-first Quebec, the language of work is English.A peek into a studio finds a couple of male gymnasts at work, calmly dropping repeatedly on their backs from a perch about 30 feet up, onto a trampoline that propels them upwards to walk up a wall. Nearby, a lithe female contortionist bends in unnatural shapes around a large metal ring hanging about a metre off the ground, as her coach offers instruction.The Cirque behind-the-scenes tour then moves to the Bell Centre, where the night before, Immortal Tourbowed as a two-hour hybrid of concert, dance and circus featuring 60 performers and 32 songs. For the first time, the company's visual razzle-dazzle and daredevilry takes a backseat to the Jackson songbook.King, who for 12 years was Madonna's creative director, says he wanted to take Jackson's iconic dance moves and inject them with steroids. Maybe that's why Immortal has no fewer than 10 choreographers, most of whom worked with the Gloved One and are adamant about maintaining his legacy."Michael's been a mentor and big brother for all of us," says the Emmy-nominated choreographer Travis Payne. "Getting to be included in this tour has been a bit of a healing process."Even the props are on steroids -- a 1.8-metre-tall version of Jackson's famous glove conceals two dancers inside, his familiar penny loafers and white socks are 2.4 metres long, and his fedora is big enough to hide a pair of performers."There's a piece of Michael everywhere in this show," says New York costume designer Zaldy Goco, who was head designer of This Is It, the concert series Jackson never lived to give. "The thing I felt most important is we don't repeat from This Is It tour. Michael always wanted new. He always wanted to entertain in a new way."British set designer/eye-candy-maker Mark Fisher wanted to place Immortal Tour in Michael's world, which is why the superstar's beloved oak tree from his ranch at Neverland is the main scenic element. It became a stand-in for the missing artist."The hardest thing was to show where people have to look," says Fisher who was the chief designer of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2006 Turin and 2008 Beijing Olympics, as well as the U2 360Àö Tour. "Normally you have someone in the middle of the stage who sings."Ultimately, it is Michael's voice and his music that drive the show."The music creates the through line," says Quebec-based lighting designer Martin Lebreque. "It means his presence is always there."

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/super-sized-circus-132369818.html

bluesky

22-10-2011, 10:32 PM

another review

Michael Jackson goes to the circusPosted by Roger Cullman (http://www.blogto.com/author/roger) / OCTOBER 22, 2011

0 Comments (http://www.blogto.com/music/2011/10/michael_jackson_goes_to_the_circus/#comments)

http://www.blogto.com/upload/2011/10/20110822_CirqueMJ4.jpgMichael Jackson The Immortal World Tour (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson-tour/default.aspx) kicked off its Toronto shows Friday night at the Air Canada Centre. Being a old fan of Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soleil, I was anticipating some magical synergy.
The show's premise had promise, but in execution it lacked the soul that I've come to expect from Cirque productions, such as OVO (http://www.blogto.com/arts/2009/09/cirque_du_soleil_premieres_ovo_in_the_portlands/) or Allegria (http://www.blogto.com/arts/2010/07/cirque_du_soleils_alegria_wows_at_the_acc/).
The show suffers by trying too hard to capture too much of Jackson's musical output instead of focusing on achieving a wow-factor in bringing the most important elements of his music and life to the big stage.
http://www.blogto.com/upload/2011/10/20110822_CirqueMJ1.jpgThe show revolves around five clowns dressed as Michael Jackson fans and a guy in a white jumpsuit decorated head-to-toe in silver sparkling sequins. Let's call him Mirror Man.
The ACC is set up with a giant catwalk leading up to the centre of the stadium, with giant video screens towards the back. The show takes us through the giant gates of Neverland, as the voice of MJ booms through the speakers "Have you seen my childhood?"
There's too many disconnected scenes that don't quite showcase Cirque's potential. A gimmicky child-age Jackson floating in a hot air balloon above the stage as a song plays with the lyric "the painful youth I've had" didn't endear me much near the show's start.
Things finally get moving when an energetic live band joins in with "Wanna Be Starting Something" as colourful acrobats light up the stage. Then a guy dressed as Bubbles the chimp (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson_and_Bubbles) begins to dance with Mirror Man.
There's some other odd moments, such as when the cellist with the band — clad in knee-high glittering boots and bikini to match, hair down to her waist — do a solo.
The "Smooth Criminal" number is more apropos, with excerpts from one of Jackson's awesome videos flashing on the multiple screens while about a dozen "Michaels" in white shirts and black hats dance all over the stage in front.
http://www.blogto.com/upload/2011/10/20110822_CirqueMJ3.jpgThe most eye-catching number seems to have little to do with Jackson at all: a petite acrobat with fiery red hair and 10" stilettos scales a giant gold pole and has the entire audience awestruck with her sultry moves.
Other acts are tediously long, such as the Jackson 5 medley starring those five clowns/fans. And the audio clips of MJ talking about his inspiration for his songs slow down the pace.
But things pick up during the ghost stories segment, as a contortionist emerges from the pages of a giant storybook.
It's pretty cool-looking when half a dozen acrobats dressed as bats with two-metre-wide wingspans descend from way above the stage to the tune of Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me" — a song that MJ and his older brother Jermaine Jackson sung on.
http://www.blogto.com/upload/2011/10/20110822_CirqueMJ5.jpgThis led into Thriller, with video excerpts on the large screens, a graveyard and dry ice on stage with lots of dancing mummies. But the overly cranked-up bass and painfully loud kick drum was the scariest part.
After a 20-minute intermission, there's more acrobats on wires, while Jackson's song "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" plays in a hybrid English-Spanish version for some reason.
By this time I begin to wonder where the rest of MJ's hits went? Just then "Beat It" begins with a giant silver dancing glove on stage. The guitar solo part brings out the band guitarist along with the aforementioned sexy cellist for a dual at the end of the catwalk. And "Billy Jean" featured an awesome amputee breakdancer with crutches (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNn6qOrXkYM&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLB881D467E7046A91).
Other elements seem out of place, such as a cyber army that looked right out of a Daft Punk video, but with lit up green $ signs on their chests, which later became peace signs and then red hearts.
Just when I've had enough the curtain/big screen comes down, and a video of "I'll Be There" plays, after which the lights dim and a simulation encore with canned "Michael! Michael!" chants getting louder.
http://www.blogto.com/upload/2011/10/20110822_CirqueMJ2.jpgThe screen goes back up and Bubbles is back in a cage above the stage as some Cirque acrobats swing around on dangling ropes to the tune of "Can You Feel It" disco number. Answer: "No, I'm just not feeling it." There's no emotional thread that helps string this almost two-and-a-half-hour show together.

http://www.blogto.com/music/2011/10/michael_jackson_goes_to_the_circus/

marebear

22-10-2011, 11:51 PM

^That doesn't sound very good. I am seeing the show in 5 days!

Memefan

23-10-2011, 12:23 AM

^That doesn't sound very good. I am seeing the show in 5 days!

I can't respect a "critic" who can't spell "BILLIE JEAN" correctly.

PurpleParrot

23-10-2011, 12:29 AM

marebear

23-10-2011, 01:36 AM

I can't respect a "critic" who can't spell "BILLIE JEAN" correctly.

I went back to see and they did spell it wrong. I am looking forward to seeing the show this Thursday.

passy001

23-10-2011, 02:50 AM

<big>Cirque brings Jackson show to Toronto</big>
BY JOHN COULBOURN ,QMI AGENCY
FIRST POSTED: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2011 02:37 PM EDT

<img src="http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/dynamic_resize/sws_path/suns-prod-images/1317213251764_ORIGINAL.jpg?quality=80&size=650x"/>
Considering the maelstrom of publicity, both bad and good, that was the life of the late pop sensation Michael Jackson, it is ironic — oddly fitting, but ironic nonetheless — that in death, Jackson's memory is being honoured with, of all things, a circus.

Not just any circus, mind you.

When it comes to paying tribute to the King of Pop, only the king of circuses will do. And in today's world, even though pretenders abound, few would argue that the crown of the circus world still sits securely on the brow of the Quebec-based international phenom, Cirque Du Soleil.

So it is that Cirque last month launched its latest big-budget, big-everything stadium show titled Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, which pulled into Toronto's Air Canada Centre on Friday for a weekend run that ends Sunday.

And while there may be more than a degree of irony in the fact that Jackson's life is being commemorated with a circus, the show itself turns out to be a largely irony-free zone. Director Jamie King and his cast and crew focus all of Cirque's considerable genius on how best to conjure the myth, the man and his music — without inadvertently opening any portals into the much-publicized darker side of a man finally and tragically consumed by fame.

But despite their best efforts, it remains an affair both haunted — in this case, by design, with a (speaking of irony) white-faced mime evoking Jackson's spirit throughout the show — and haunting, as the news from Dr. Conrad Murray's trial for involuntary manslaughter in the death of Jackson features prominently in the nightly news.

It is also, even by Cirque standards, a bit of an extravaganza. It mixes the very latest in stage technology with a few breathtaking feats of physical skill and precision — not to mention more than enough moonwalking and crotch grabbing to put both NASA and a passel of andrologists out of business.

There is also, as is to be expected, a lot of music — all of it Jackson's, from his earliest days with the Jackson Five right through to the too-early end of his career. Sometimes it is served up under the musical direction of Greg Philliganes, featuring a strong musical ensemble. At others, it is delivered by Jackson himself, appearing posthumously on giant video screens woven into a modified thrust stage that allows Immortal to combine elements of both thrust and proscenium staging in such a way that it becomes impossible to focus attention on any one element of the show.

Woven into the fabric of musical memories that includes everything from I'll Be There to Billie Jean, Thriller and Beat It are a series of often jaw-dropping effects and circus routines. Not all of it is new , mind you, but impressive nonetheless.

But while the never-ending parade of giant puppets, robots, living statues, ghouls and ghost-like animal heads certainly add up to something visually engaging, some of the circus routines feel more imposed than integrated into Immortal's warp and weave. While the synchronized tumblers featured near the end of the show certainly seem a logical extension of the kind of coordinated movement Jackson espoused, the pole routine performed by the diminutive and supple Anna Melnikova simply doesn't fly, from a contextual point of view, even while it soars.

Finally, however, Immortal's creators simply over-reach themselves, not content to simply celebrate the talents of a very talented man. As their show assumes more and more of a messianic fervour, using images of Gandhi and Mother Theresa, it feels less and less like a tribute, and more and more like a revival meeting.

That's a kind of Immortal that's tough to swallow.

Erikmjfan

23-10-2011, 09:31 AM

i will definetly try to catch the show when it comes to europe. but i gotta admit i am more excited about the permanent show in Las Vegas. I think this touring show might suffer a little but of the fact that the average fan might not really get the hybrid between a live concert and cirque show. i think when it becomes more of classical cirque show in a smaller venue with new amazing technolgy it will be mindblowing! Not saying that the current show is not good though, several parts of the show looks amazing!

sugarcookies

23-10-2011, 11:38 AM

Diplomate

23-10-2011, 01:12 PM

Someone on another MJ board said it's coming next year in Europe! It's true? When? And in which city?

Memefan

23-10-2011, 01:12 PM

Wow, not very good critics this week. :(
I guess that now that the premiere is done, the media went back to the usual ''it's Michael Jackson so it's cooler to say it sucks'' job.

At least the fans love it. I loved it, of course it's not perfect, of course the more they'll do the show, the better it will get, yes there are some routine that makes you wonder why they decided to mix that number with that song, but hey, it IS a beautiful hommage made by great people and those guys on that stage are so proud to be there, SO PROUD! just for that they deserve our applause!

I'm not a fan of the Cirque to begin with, but they do bring a kind of magic with that show.

Can't wait for them to come back in my city to see th show again :)

Aaawww..but the vast majority of critics (fans, non fans & media) have been positive.

We can't have all positive ...all the time. And it's ok...i read regular folks reviews almost everyday on Twitter...and they are by far and large riddled with superlatives like: mind blowing, phenomenal, breathtaking, one for the ages.... and so many more.

I can't wait to see it again

bluesky

23-10-2011, 05:47 PM

See when the show does the permanent Vegas shows it will have the props AND technology bring out what I feel would probably 10x times better then the road show... Plus I can't wait when Cirque comes to St. Louis!!!

From the comments I read so far - they can make the permanent show more amazing and appeals to wide audience if they incorporate
- technology : hologram
- focus on major songs and build from it with a storyline with complete music and add more acrobatic stunts (wow factors + magic)
- connection between scenes, songs
- one major medley instead lot of snippets

Applehead Ale

23-10-2011, 06:09 PM

Is there any plan to take it out the North America Continent? Europe, and better for me, South America?

rockstar

23-10-2011, 07:21 PM

here link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson:_The_Immortal_World_Tour

tells you where they're going

Applehead Ale

23-10-2011, 07:25 PM

Well it says Europe and rest of the world! Thank you for the info.
They'll come on 2014 aprox tho, if they come.. lol

Renan_Antonio

23-10-2011, 09:21 PM

I'm sorry, but when is the permanent Vegas show starting?

PurpleParrot

23-10-2011, 09:38 PM

The permanent show in Vegas isn't even started creatively speaking.

They are probably planning it at the moment but nothing started yet, no rehearsal, no crew hired, no routine.
So it's not for tomorrow :) But it took 4 months of rehearsals for the show we have now, so it might not be too long either... we'll see.

The around the world tour is for 3 years, well the guys are under contract for 3 years so yes they'll go in Europe :)

Applehead Ale

23-10-2011, 10:14 PM

I HAVE A TICKET TO LA ON JAN 27TH BUT CANT AFFORD THE AIRCRAFT, THEY BETTER COME TO SOUTH AMERICA! lol

bluesky

24-10-2011, 03:29 AM

^^ so are you going to sell your ticket on ebay??

lucik321

24-10-2011, 08:26 AM

Look forward to their performances.
http://www.cuinsurance.org/minhong1.jpg
http://www.cuinsurance.org/minhong2.jpg
http://www.cuinsurance.org/minhong3.jpg

Erikmjfan

24-10-2011, 01:01 PM

some really good videos from Toronto!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0EIe_-cZCU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/user/williamyum#p/u/2/ML7rgT_eUqk

http://www.youtube.com/user/williamyum#p/u/8/pb5lcr5a0zc

http://www.youtube.com/user/williamyum#p/u/21/LYW0xSwtV2c
http://www.youtube.com/user/williamyum#p/u/18/t34mbftCAxM

http://www.youtube.com/user/williamyum( ending )

mjmirror

24-10-2011, 08:27 PM

PoP

24-10-2011, 11:25 PM

:(I'm not happy with myself not going.:angry: I have misery and jealousy that I can't help.

PurpleParrot

24-10-2011, 11:56 PM

Hess

25-10-2011, 12:43 PM

Such a wonderful tribute.

Michael would be so very proud!

soulmum

25-10-2011, 01:21 PM

Amazing, well done.

Hess

25-10-2011, 09:12 PM

http://www.youtube.com/user/williamyum#p/u/12/v0EIe_-cZCU

HUMAN NATURE !!! - Beautiful !!!

Can't wait for my Immortal album to come!!!

Xscape2041

26-10-2011, 11:09 AM

Should I listen to the Immortal Album before seeing the show? Or would it ruin the experience?
What do you guys think that have already seen the show?

mjmirror

26-10-2011, 01:25 PM

Watching Human Nature makes me cry. So so beautiful with the lights and the gorgeous, completely open vocals.

marebear

26-10-2011, 04:14 PM

I can't wait. I see the show tomorrow!

Memefan

27-10-2011, 12:43 AM

I believe the estate & Cirque wanted to be respectful of the trial, that's why we haven't seen much advertisement.

Now that the trial is winding down, and we will hopefully get JUSTICE for Michael next week, expect promotion to ramp up for Immortal.

YES! Just heard that we're flying to Los Angeles on November 7th, between our World Tour shows! We're doing a special on 'Dancing With The Stars' with some of the MJ Immortal World Tour Cast! November 8th will be the semi-final of the show and will have around 9 million views that night! OH YES, God is Good! LA, see you very soon... I have missed you! ♥

From the dancers's facebook

Ashtanga

27-10-2011, 01:48 AM

I can't wait. I see the show tomorrow!

:o

It will be a great moment Kermit! :wild: > http://www.hornedhalo.org/images/kermit.gif

love is magical

27-10-2011, 01:57 AM

Marebear, hope you enjoy the show. :huggy:

Erikmjfan

27-10-2011, 08:23 AM

In the years before Michael Jackson died, he lived like a man starring in his own posthumous show.

Always with the paintings, the statues, the relentless self-references. Always larger than life.

5 out of 5 stars
Following his death, Cirque du Soleil teamed up with his estate and faced a mammoth task. How can any group take Jackson's music and create a posthumous legacy piece for a man who, while he still walked among us, drew his own silhouette so garishly large?

You would imagine the result would be massive, magnificent and thoroughly unsubtle, but not in your wildest dreams would you imagine anything quite like this.

Here is what $60 million -- the approximate cost of Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson the Immortal World Tour -- will buy you: a dozen musicians, 40 trucks to cart all your stuff and a troupe of around 65 acrobats, dancers and contortionists tumbling across a stage pulled from some acid-trip dreamscape.

With a tip of the esthetic hat to the originator, of course.

On Wednesday, the Michael Jackson the Immortal World Tour opened the first of two nights at the MTS Centre, making the 'Peg only the seventh stop on its two-year arena tour. At first, the show began like most Cirque adventures do, with a little bit o' clowning -- for this show, provided by a troupe of slick-dancing Michael Jackson "Fanatics" bedecked in his iconic attire.

Then the screen dropped, the pyro exploded, and we weren’t at the circus anymore.

Instead, we were thrown into the middle of an immense and ever-shifting explosion of scenery and lurid props and plunging bodies. Video screens rose and split from nowhere, flashing truncated snippets of Jackson, his visage at times seemingly suspended in space.

And then there really were people suspended in space, but they were acrobats and used to it. More on that in a moment, but know this is not a typical Cirque du Soleil show. It’s more vast; it’s also more a shockingly ambitious concert experience than a circus one.

There is less daring jammed into the eye-popping 150-minute extravaganza, but more dancing; less acrobatics, but more all-out eye candy. Sometimes, it was all a lurid fever dream -- the early (and literal) Dancing Machine scene found the acrobats turned into iron men, cavorting in the guts of some steamy, greasy metalshop.

Other times, it was a delicate fantasy, as when acrobats in LED-spangled bodysuits soared through the darkness to the wispy sounds of Human Nature, their limbs clinging to and unwrapping from aerial hoops -- rippling human constellations in an otherwise pitch-black room.

That part was sort of magical.

But the rest, lest anyone had forgotten, was very Michael. Sometimes, his disembodied voice echoed through the arena, speaking of his inspiration or vision or hurts; it was an eerie experience, especially considering how faithful some of the reworkings of his esthetic were.

The showpiece Thriller, for instance, was billed as a parkour acrobatic piece, but came across more as a fairly faithful reimagining of that iconic music video with ghostly dancers flipping through a stage that somehow, when we weren’t looking, had been transformed from a gangster hideout to a graveyard.

But those iconic images are why Michael Jackson’s fans loved him. They are treated reverently here, as are the words and features of Jackson himself: The show unapologetically honours the larger-than-life silhouette the King of Pop created.

Want to check it out for yourself? There are still tickets left at Ticketmaster ($50 to $175) for tonight's encore performance at the MTS Centre.

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Cirque-tribute-as-big-a-show-as-Michael-Jackson-132670968.html

Memefan

27-10-2011, 09:13 AM

In the years before Michael Jackson died, he lived like a man starring in his own posthumous show.

Always with the paintings, the statues, the relentless self-references. Always larger than life.

5 out of 5 stars

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Cirque-tribute-as-big-a-show-as-Michael-Jackson-132670968.html

Her introduction is tacky & reprehensible.

So i will only concentrate on the 5/5.

Erikmjfan

27-10-2011, 09:31 AM

http://www.winnipegsun.com/2011/10/27/jackson-immortal-tour-a-thriller-for-fans

Michael Jackson meets the circus? Now there’s a match made in Neverland.

Let’s face it: First the poor guy’s life was a circus. Now his death is a circus. So who better to pay tribute to the man, the myth and the music than Cirque du Soleil?

Of course, as anyone who has seen a Cirque show knows, they aren’t the circus of dancing bears, midget strongmen and a tiny car full of giant-shoed clowns. They’re the circus of Olympic-level gymnastics, surreal dance and comedy sequences, and more extravagant production values than the Broadway version of a Michael Bay movie. And that’s precisely what 10,000 fans got when the Cirque’s latest travelling extravaganza — Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour — took over MTS Centre for the opening show of a two-night stand.

Much like Cirque’s other musical shows geared toward lartger-than-life performers such as The Beatles (Love) and The King (Viva Elvis), the two-hour *****palooza was an eye-popping, jaw-dropping spectacle that used classic pop music and iconic video imagery as the launching pad for a full-fledged flight of whimsical fantasy and rich fancy — all wrapped around an earnest, simple message of love and unity.

I’m honestly hesitant to get too specific about the show, because at least half the fun of Cirque is the surprise factor. But suffice to say the cast included some or all of the following: A quintet of dancers dressed like Michael Jackson fanatics (including one hefty comic-relief dude who would have fit in just fine on Weird Al’s Fat video); a childlike mime; tribal and ethnic dancers of various varieties; and a huge crew of dancers, acrobats, contortionists, tumblers, pole climbers and high-wire artists who seemed to have little trouble defying gravity, the basic principles of physics and the usual limitations of the human body. Oh yeah; there was also a one-legged acrobat and a guy dressed up like Bubbles the Chimp. (Thankfully, there was no Macaulay Culkin impersonator.)

They went through their impressive paces on a massive stage that would have done KISS proud: The main set was festooned with multiple moving video screens (including one that did double duty as part of the stage), a giant vertical climbing tube lined with rings, and a full-length platform several metres high that housed the dozen vocalists and musicians (including a scantily dressed female cellist who rocked part of the Beat It solo). A treadmill runway extended a couple of dozen metres from the stage out to a secondary stage that featured a platform that rose and fell to accommodate both performers and equipment. And naturally, the entire structure was ringed with stairways and lights and more video screens. Toss in a flying DJ booth, a hot-air balloon holding a youthful robo-Michael and more trippy antics, and it's enough to make you (or at least me) wonder if you've taken too much cold medicine by accident. But it's all the better to entertain you with, my dear.

And they used every inch of the landscape and equipment — not to mention plenty of the airspace. At any given moment, dancers might be strutting their stuff impressively on the satellite stage while acrobats twirled and soared overhead, and as gymnasts went through a routine back on the mainstage while the band rocked out to a magnificently edited video blasting away in your face. It was sensory overload, but in a good way: You were continually shifting your gaze back and forth and up and down in a valiant attempt not to miss a moment or a move. Even so, you seldom saw the sausages being made: Gigantic sets (like the gates of Neverland) suddenly appeared at one end of the stage while your gaze was momentarily riveted elsewhere. If anyone knows how to use distraction, diversion and misdirection to get the job done, it’s these folks.

With all that flying and spinning and boogieing and whatnot, it might not sound like it has much to do with Michael. But the show, written and directed by veteran tour director and choreographer Jamie King, did manage to keep Jackson at the forefront. All the music was taken from his catalog, though like the soundtracks for the Beatles and Elvis shows, it’s been chopped and edited and remixed and cut and pasted into a whole new entity. And many of the set pieces will be familiar to fans (OK, I’ll tell you about a couple of things — if you don’t want to know, skip to the next paragraph): Smooth Criminal had fedora-clad mobsters doing that move where they lean waaaay forward; Beat It starred a giant dancing sequined glove and Hush Puppies; a medley of old Jackson 5 tunes was performed in groovy classic threads and bulbous Afro wigs; and Thriller was a horror-show dance-party set in a graveyard, complete with mandatory dancing corpses. Plenty of other tunes, of course, have all-new imagery and arrangements: Ben included Taiko drumming and giant ersatz animals; Dancing Machine was a mechanized workout somewhere between steam-punk and Soul Train; and They Don’t Care About Us featured a chorus line of dancing robot soldiers with glowing red hearts. But ultimately — and interestingly — one of the most authentically moving moments in the show was the simplest: Unaccompanied footage of a young Jackson singing I’ll Be There.

Striking as the whole shindig was on several levels, it wasn’t perfect. The back half of the show seemed to drag a little in comparison to the front. There isn’t really much of a storyline. The morals and themes — hope and love and trust and acceptance and other good things are better than hate and prejudice and other bad things — are overly simplistic and obvious. There were also a few technical glitches — a suit of lights that shorted out here, a dancer missing a white armband there — and at least one apparent (and hopefully minor) injury when an acrobat didn’t get up after their routine.

Still, those are mostly quibbles. Doubtless those rough edges will be long gone by the time the show takes up residence in Vegas in 2013. And even with a few missteps, it was all affecting enough to prompt many fans in the crowd to scream “We love you, Michael!” as if he were actually there. (They do know he’s dead, right?)

Were Jackson still around to take it in, it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t approve of The Immortal World Tour too. Certainly, it’s weird, wondrous, colourful and childish enough to be right up his alley — even without a tiny car full of clowns.

MsCassieMollie

27-10-2011, 07:19 PM

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2011/10/cirque-founder-brings-michael-jacksons-dreams-to-life/

ABC News’ Sarah Lang reports:

Don’t be fooled by the red clown nose Guy Laliberte might don, he’s no fool. The self-made billionaire is the founder and creative mind behind the worldwide phenomenon, Cirque du Soleil.

A street performer, Laliberte left his home in Quebec, Canada, at 16. He played his father’s accordion on the street, making money to travel the world. With each new destination came a new circus talent: He walked on stilts, became a magician and even learned to breathe fire.

Always a dreamer, traveling as a street performer was not enough for Laliberte. He decided to create his own circus that was unlike anything anyone had ever seen. Twenty-seven years later, Cirque du Soleil is a household name and worldwide sensation and Laliberte, 52, said he knows why.

“We create amazing universe of creative environment which permit people to make an amazing journey. You have to see it,” he said.

Many will. More than 1 billion tickets are expected to sell this year around the world as 22 performances hit the stage.

The show that is contributing to the boom in ticket sales is Cirque’s latest hit: “Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour.” The show combines the music of the King of Pop with Cirque’s jaw-dropping displays of agility, dance and theater.

The largest and most ambitious show ever created by Cirque, it is already selling out across the country.

The costumes and energy, Laliberte said, capture the true essence of Jackson and his music.

“Michael was a great performer,” he said. ” He was a great creative person, and very similar to who we are at Cirque du Soleil, a dreamer.”

Watch the full story on “20/20″ Friday at 10 p.m. and catch a sneak peek below.
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bluesky

27-10-2011, 08:12 PM

wow! so they do a cirque du soleil piece with Barbara Walter on 20/20 this coming Friday @10PM (10/28???)

and a special on 'Dancing With The Stars' with some of the MJ Immortal World Tour Cast! November 8th

Looking forward to see it!

marebear

28-10-2011, 04:58 AM

OMG I just came back from the show. I live in Winnipeg, Canada.

I never been to a cirque de soleil show and didn't know what to expect. I LOVED IT! It was really special and I hope every fan gets to see it. If not live but maybe there will be a dvd someday. I would get it just to watch my favorite parts over and over again.

I had no giving tree. I had the bottom part but no branches lol. That's okay. Anytime they showed Michael on the screen I paid more attention to him and not the dancers lol. It's Michael for me always. On the screen I could see Sugarfoot (drummer). I told my sister that he worked with Michael and it was nice to see. I laughed and got into the music. I did cry a lot though. There were certain parts for me felt hard. Childhood was hard and there was a part where they show Michael singing I'll be there as a child. In the end where everyone were taking their bows, this great dancer/mime person took the hat and glove and wore it to symbolize Michael. He looked like an angel to me and I just cried.

Human Nature and I Just Can't Stop Loving You were beautiful. Really nice. Cute moments like the big shoes and white socks I got a kick out of that. They Don't Care ABout Us and Billie Jean I loved because they took what Michael was going to do for This is It. You could just imagine Michael doing what they did. I think during Billie Jean when it came to the moonwalk they left it to Michael on the screen from his past performance. If the dancers did I didn't notice because once Michael was on the screen my eyes were for him. Will You Be There was nice to with the glowing hearts. It was all great.

I really loved it and glad I went. It was hard though to be honest seeing other people do Michael's dance moves and him not there. I just wish he was there too. I know in spirit he was. I think he would like the show and they tried to incorporate his messages. It's a great tribute. I miss him a lot and wish he was still here. I never saw Michael in concert so this was the closest thing for me and I am grateful I have this. I will be getting the cd too.

Memefan

28-10-2011, 11:49 AM

OMG I just came back from the show. I live in Winnipeg, Canada.

I never been to a cirque de soleil show and didn't know what to expect. I LOVED IT! It was really special and I hope every fan gets to see it. If not live but maybe there will be a dvd someday. I would get it just to watch my favorite parts over and over again.

I had no giving tree. I had the bottom part but no branches lol. That's okay. Anytime they showed Michael on the screen I paid more attention to him and not the dancers lol. It's Michael for me always.

How can they go this long without the Giving tree? It's been 2 weeks...I don't know about others, but I think it's unacceptable. They should have had a plan B in place.

They are cheating the audience of the full experience.

A tree trunk is not the same. During Thriller they use the branches...I can't understand how this could go for that long.

But I am glad you had a great time.

Original report in french (http://www.985fm.ca/arts-et-spectacles/nouvelles/un-film-sur-le-spectacle-immortals-du-cirque-du-so-104057.html)

From Google Translate:

Montreal director Adrian Wills makes a new film about a project of the Cirque du Soleil.
After winning a Grammy for his documentary All Together Now on the show LOVE inspired by the work of the Beatles, Adrian Wills is at it again with Immortals.

The filmmaker has filmed all stages of the design of the Cirque du Soleil dedicated to Michael Jackson. Several designers were close associates of the King of Pop.

In addition, Wills also met with the brothers of the late singer who were present at theworld premiere in Montreal on October 2.

The director also filmed Touch the Sky, which tells the journey of Guy Laliberté in space, a film that was presented at the last Festival of New Cinema in Montreal.

The film is dedicated to Immortals and Michael Jackson could emerge in the spring of2012, we learn from the Journal de Montreal.

marebear

28-10-2011, 04:39 PM

How can they go this long without the Giving tree? It's been 2 weeks...I don't know about others, but I think it's unacceptable. They should have had a plan B in place.

They are cheating the audience of the full experience.

A tree trunk is not the same. During Thriller they use the branches...I can't understand how this could go for that long.

But I am glad you had a great time.

Original report in french (http://www.985fm.ca/arts-et-spectacles/nouvelles/un-film-sur-le-spectacle-immortals-du-cirque-du-so-104057.html)

From Google Translate:

Thanks. I am still feeling very happy. I wish i could see it again. I kept waiting for branches to pop put or something but they just kept the bottom on the stage and used it once that I can remember to show Michael during Will You Be There. I don't know.

bluesky

28-10-2011, 10:21 PM

^^ I agreed , that's not good. What's taking them too long too fix?

Ashtanga

28-10-2011, 11:00 PM

ExoticPrincess

29-10-2011, 01:58 AM

@marebear.......very happy to hear that you enjoyed yourself and the show.

marebear

29-10-2011, 04:32 AM

@marebear.......very happy to hear that you enjoyed yourself and the show.

Thank you!

bobmoo79

29-10-2011, 09:55 AM

The immortal megamix well be available on amazon uk from november 1st (89p)

godena

29-10-2011, 12:19 PM

I wish I could see this show but I live in Eastern Europe so they will propbably not perform here... :(
I hope that at least the Immortal CD will give me just a glimpse of this amazing show...
Thanks for the reports from the fans who saw it. I hope all of you who saw it write your impressions so I could feel as I was there

bluesky

29-10-2011, 09:40 PM

From Street Performer to Billionaire
Part 1: Guy Laliberte, founder of Cirque du Soleil, was a clown with a dream.
10/28/2011

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Erikmjfan

30-10-2011, 09:29 AM

http://headtale.com/2011/10/29/saturday-snap-michael-jackson-the-immortal-world-tour/

Saturday Snap – Michael Jackson – The Immortal World Tour
I’m sitting in a hotel room in Saskatoon having just watched “Cirque Du Soleil Presents: Michael Jackson – THE IMMORTAL World Tour” show.

This is my third Cirque show (I saw a freebie traveling show – maybe Allegria? – in Calgary since the Writers Guild of Alberta where I worked sometimes got free “media” passes to movies and events that had a literary/arts connection) and we also went to The Beatles “Love” show in Vegas a couple years back.

And even though I’m a HUGE Beatles fan and don’t really consider myself a huge Michael Jackson fan (at least compared to my Beatle fandom), I’d have to say this was the best Cirque show I’ve seen.

Why?

- Since I love the Beatles so much, I had huge expectations for Love. They were met for the most part but the gap between expectations and experience was much smaller. I had lower expectations for this show – “yeah, all Cirque shows are good but…meh” so I was more probably more open to being blown away.

- I think another big factor in why I enjoyed this show so much compared to Love is that I’m a Beatles fan but that wasn’t music I grew up with. I grew up listening to Michael Jackson (in fact, I think Thriller might have been the first real LP I ever owned, not counting crap like the Mini-Pops and K-Tel stuff.) Plus Michael Jackson’s was one of the first heroes of the music video era so they could translate routines and moments from his videos to the stage more directly than they could with the Beatles show which was much more impressionistic. Ultimately the Beatles music doesn’t occupy a special place in my heart directly connected to so many memories of my youth like MJ’s does – staying up late to watch the Thriller premiere (on Good Rockin’ Tonight) and being scared shitless so I could only watch about five minutes of it, trying to learn the moon walk with a neighbour down the street, immediately knowing that the MJ performance at the Motown 25th was like watching magic.

- I mean, I pretty much had a smile glued to my face the entire show but when they did a segment featuring “I Want You Back” with part of the cast playing the role of the Jackson Five, I found myself with tears streaming down my face. I was still smiling but also feeling that weird mix of emotions when you feel joy and sadness at the same time – thinking of such an icon of my childhood being gone, of his lost childhood, of my own childhood (much less problematic) but also long gone. A powerful moment. And exactly the kind of thing you have all the time when you’re a kid but which I think we lose as we grow older.

- the technology in this one was amazing, even compared to the Beatles Love show which is only a couple years older than this one. But seeing things like four human beings turn into stars right in front of a crowd of thousands or people dancing in suits made of multi-colored LED lights was unreal.

- at the heart of every Cirque show (and the opposite of the technological achievements) are the amazing performers and this show featured many of the usual acrobats, contortionists and so on. But there was an amazing one-legged break dancer who was integrated into the show so well, you frequently forgot that he was disabled.

- this show was like a mix of a rock concert and a theatrical production (whereas Love was definitely more theatrical) so you got the best of both worlds.

- we didn’t even think of this when we bought the tickets a year ago but going to a Michael Jackson show on the Saturday before Halloween plays in perfectly to some of MJ’s songs – “Thriller” obviously but they also did a segment set to a song called “Ghost Story” (?)

…and my dad had warned me how hard it can bet to get out of the Credit Union Centre parking lot after a big event (he’d been to a pre-season NHL game earlier this year) but we got out in relatively painless fashion after I spotted a line I could join a couple rows of cars over that seemed to be moving faster than the others…and it was – pretty much right out of the parking lot, ahead of cars that were two or three cars ahead of us in our original spot but ended up five cars behind us!

If you grew up in the 80′s, go see this show!

marebear

30-10-2011, 04:30 PM

I am happy you loved it too!

ilmjj

30-10-2011, 07:24 PM

When I was leaving the show in Detroit we are were smiling watching a little girl of about 4 or 5 with her mother. She was so excited as she
relived the show. We asked the mom if she liked the show and she said "yes it was worth every penny"

Silouette

02-11-2011, 01:19 AM

If this is in the wrong thread, I apologize.

It's a TV ALERT!

Next Tuesday, Nov.8, 2011, DANCING WITH THE STARS will feature on the show:
Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour.

Silouette

02-11-2011, 01:25 AM

:scratch: I would have sworn that I saw a TV Alert thread/sticky. :unsure:

Ashtanga

02-11-2011, 01:34 AM

If this is in the wrong thread, I apologize.

It's a TV ALERT!

Next Tuesday, Nov.8, 2011, DANCING WITH THE STARS will feature on the show:
Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour.

Really? :o OMG! :wild: Another Kermit moment!!!!!! > http://www.hornedhalo.org/images/kermit.gif

United4MJLegacy

02-11-2011, 09:40 AM

Saw the show last month....AMAZING. INCREDIBLE!

Still under the #MJIMMORTAL spell ...If the show stops in your city, don't hesitate, you will not regret it.

Cirque du Soleil’s Immortal World Tour just might be the greatest show that Michael Jackson never gave.

It’s easy to imagine that he would’ve loved it, that he could’ve come up with some of this crazy stuff that celebrates his career so elaborately, that he might even appear in the show at almost anytime, but ... then you remember.

Drawing 10,000 fans for the first of two shows at Rexall Place on Tuesday night, this show is spectacular, outrageous, ridiculous and inspiring all at once.

It’s huge blast of weird — from the one-legged break-dancer to the people dancing on the walls to a giant glove doing the moondance to the giant boots doing the moondance to the squad of bat creatures in the graveyard to the giant floating wire animals to the flying dancing couples to the battalion of dancing metal golems. In short, Michael Jackson would’ve felt right at home.

This may be Cirque’s best, most focused production yet, featuring the same crew of awe-inspiring performers deploying all the tricks for which the French-Canadian circus is famous, plus a few new ones, set to the soundtrack of some of the biggest songs in popular music by one of its most famous stars. Can’t really go wrong here.

Many liberties are taken with both the musical arrangements and the life story, many of Jackson’s most well-known songs torqued into surreal tableaus of all descriptions. But it’s all there: The robbed childhood, the Jackson Five, the dance innovations complete with the classic crotch-grab, the mysterious keeper of Neverland, even Bubbles the Chimp makes an appearance, and of course a big song and dance number for Thriller, which is quite possibly the zenith of Jackson’s entire life, and this show.

Including a variety of moods from Bad to Ben to They Don’t Care About Us (the use of the word “Jew” as a verb has been stricken), everything is larger than life. It’s not enough to have 10 twirling trapeze artists. Here we have 10 twirling trapeze artists dressed in lighted suits, hoisted high in the air in complete darkness. The effect is mesmerizing.

Production is formidable. Producers spent $60 million on this thing, and it’s all up there on stage. An enormous HD video screen that folds down to form part of the stage is just one piece of expensive eye candy. But at no time did the production overwhelm the human element. OK, maybe a couple times. But it all worked in concert.

One of the most admirable things about this is how well the performers copped Jackson’s distinctive dance moves. At times it seemed like there were 10 Michael Jacksons on stage.

Like all Cirque shows, the clowns and mimes bookend the dancers and acrobats. There’s a story of sorts holding it all together: There are five “kids” that look like Fat Albert’s gang who’ll do anything to get into the gates of Neverland, including impersonating the Jackson Five, which does the trick.

There’s a mime in a sparkly suit, meanwhile, who apparently wants to BE Michael Jackson, and in the end he gets his wish. That’s about it. Cue the dancers! Bring on the guys wielding the giant triangular video screens! Deploy the old school funk! Launch the fireworks! The music is definitely some of the best ever heard in a Cirque show, which, let’s face it, isn’t saying much, but it sure had a lot of groove.

Jackson was a constant presence here, in either disembodied voice or voiceless image.

The writers were obviously deeply inspired by their subject matter, seeing fit several times to insert some of Jackson’s famous platitudes into the show: Sayings like “In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream,” and so on. And if there was a dry eye in the house at the end of Heal the World, I didn’t see it.

The show repeats Wednesday.

****

Immortal World Tour

10,000 in Rexall

Weird, wild and wonderful – just like Michael Jackson

5 out of 5

bluesky

02-11-2011, 09:00 PM

It seems like there is a code "2TWITTER" for 20% on tickets but don't know where or what site you can use it?

Silouette

02-11-2011, 10:18 PM

Really? :o OMG! :wild: Another Kermit moment!!!!!! > http://www.hornedhalo.org/images/kermit.gif

:lol: Silly goose!

Memefan

03-11-2011, 02:21 AM

Travelzoo is offering discount for Vegas shows. Not much...but still a bit of savings.

@Travelzoo: Exclusive deal on Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour from @Cirque in #Vegas. http://t.co/9t7dtR7d #deals

bobmoo79

03-11-2011, 12:52 PM

This isn't good news. Some shows in some locations are being cancelled with Cirque citing 'logistical problems', but the tickets for the cancelled shows are still valid for the remaining show(s) in that location. Obviously this has prompted rumours that there is low demand for tickets in some areas, and the very fact that they are able to transfer the tickets from one show to the next seems to back that theory up. If the remaining show(s) had been sold out it wouldn't be possible to transfer to them.
Anyway, I hear there hasn't been much advertising in the US until this point, so hopefully the situation will improve soon when proper promo begins. Hopefully the appearance on Dancing With The Stars will be the start of a compaign to increase sales. It would be a disappointment if demand is really low. That would lead to an early close for the US run of shows, potential cancellation of the remaining legs of the tour (asia, Europe etc) and cancellation of the Vegas shows. Although the show would probably have been profitable at that point, it would be considered a huge flop.

respect77

03-11-2011, 04:01 PM

^^ Some people said here that on certain shows there wasn't a giving tree. That too me seems to back up the logistical problems claim.

I thought tickets were selling well (or is that not true?), so to talk about a huge flop seems like too much pessimism to me. I'm not familiar with the US climate regarding MJ now - though I know that over the last 20 years of his life and career he was a lot more popular elsewhere than in the US. So even if the US doesn't embrace the show (and in that case it's their loss), it still will be a huge hit elsewhere IMO. So to cancel it would be foolish.

Also, as far I as I see it's a pretty unique thing, because it's a touring show and a resident show - while both the Elvis show and the Beatles show are only resident shows in Vegas. Those shows aren't touring. So even if the touring show isn't sold out everywhere it still can be a huge success as a resident show in a showbiz city like Vegas.

Vici

03-11-2011, 05:52 PM

One show is being cancelled now.

‎"Due to restrictions on the transportation time between cities, Cirque du Soleil has cancelled the November 16 performance of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour in Eugene. These unforeseen issues are due in-part to the overall size of the production."-

bluesky

03-11-2011, 06:10 PM

I think their strategy is if there are 2,3 shows in the same area then they will cancel the 2 or 3rd show and combine into one. (if its not sold out and to reduce expense).

It seems there are people who is monitoring ticket sales right now for the US market and doing some adjusting.

marebear

03-11-2011, 11:10 PM

I hope the shows are doing well. It's a great show.

missred07

03-11-2011, 11:56 PM

Damn! What happened? I just got an email from ticketmaster that Cirque Du Soleil cancelled my show in vegas. I checked the website and find out multiple shows are cancelled in vegas. What happened? Not selling well? I feel so disappointed that I got a good seat and I fly there to see the show. They said I can exchange the tickets and I just hope I can still got the good seats. However, I already checked online it's obvious the seats are not as good as I had before. SIGH~~~~ Feel frustrated and disappointed since I planed the trip couple months ago.

love is magical

04-11-2011, 12:00 AM

Memefan

04-11-2011, 12:28 AM

missred07

04-11-2011, 12:32 AM

That is weird...

Shows in 12/20 21 are all cancelled. 12/22 23 the 10:00 pm shows are both cancelled.
What happened??? Feel so disappointed.

bluesky

04-11-2011, 12:44 AM

It might be difficult to estimate the demand or could be so many shows. So they just go over and cut a few shows that not selling well .
You can get a refund or choose another date.

Kikuchiyo

04-11-2011, 01:05 AM

PurpleParrot

04-11-2011, 01:23 AM

Sad that shows are being cancelled cause they are not sold out, but the feeling will be better if stadium is full.

I hope everything turns out well for the people who had tickets, and for the cast who is gonna have a few more free days...

THAT SHOW IS GREAT, GO SEE IT PEOPLE!!!!!

Ashtanga

04-11-2011, 01:37 AM

:unsure:

As sales may not have been good in Las Vegas? I can not believe it! :(

love is magical

04-11-2011, 02:44 AM

:unsure:As sales may not have been good in Las Vegas? I can not believe it! :( We don't know if the cancellation is due to weaker than expected demand. At least I hope it's not the case. :unsure:

respect77

04-11-2011, 03:47 AM

There are almost two months until the 20th of December so how can they tell now of the show would sell out or not? I hope the many cancellations are not due to low demand. As the reviews prove the show is great, even non-fans come away impressed. So I really hope it won't be a flop. That would be too painful. But in that case screw the US, Cirque, come to Europe! People here don't have so much bias against Michael!

bluesky

04-11-2011, 03:56 AM

^^ Or they need the place for another event???

qbee

04-11-2011, 04:19 AM

respect77

04-11-2011, 08:53 AM

I read the reviews here: http://reviews.ticketmaster.com/7171/1517572/michael-jackson-the-immortal-world-tour-by-cirque-du-soleil-reviews/reviews.htm?page=3

Most are positive. The ones those aren't mainly complain about:

- Lack of the "Giving Tree". It seems like several shows didn't have the central piece of the show for whatever reason and that's disappointing since they have built the show around the story of the Giving Tree, so how can they not have it? I can see that anyone who goes to a show where the central piece of the story is missing, feels robbed. I wonder why is that? Logistics problems? Safety reasons?

- Many complained about bad seats - that in some arenas they sold tickets from where it was hard to see the show.

- Hard-core Cirque fans sometimes complain about the lack of Cirque-type acrobatics compared to the dancing. (They usually have the same problem with the Elvis/Beatles shows.)

I guess things are not going as polished as hoped yet. I hope they solve the problem with the Giving Tree (whatever it is) and they can rearrange arenas and the set so that everybody can enjoy the show.

bobmoo79

04-11-2011, 10:41 AM

I would say the promotion in the US has been decent. So far, I've seen promotion on Piers Morgan, 20/20, Good Morning America. It's definitely way more advertised than the album Michael last year. I think it's too early to predict the commercial performance of the show. The Cirque show is out just a month. It takes time to build momentum. Fans reviews have been universally positive. So, I think it'll be a success.

I can see what you're saying but on the flip side, the show has only been running a month (and with good promotion and mostly good reviews according to what I've read here) so why are Cirque cancelling shows that they originally planned to run? I would expect the demand for any high profile show to be high in the first few months and then tail off later, rather than start off slow and gain momentum as you suggested. Cirque wouldn't announce shows they intended to cancel later, and they wouldn't take the decision to cancel them lightly. The cancellations are not likely to be due to the issues they describe - they're far too experienced to make that kind of logistical mistake IMO - but most definitely due to much lower than expected ticket sales. This show is not performing in line with their expectations and while I would personally love to see it, and I hope it comes to London, the media would be justified in saying the sales were 'disappointing' at least. We all know those media types aren't well educated and so they would probably use the word "flop". It's only one syllable and 4 letters so it's nice and easy for them to spell. Luckily not many media outlets have picked up on this yet - show cancellations like this can give a negative impression of any show, reducing consumer demand.

respect77

04-11-2011, 11:12 AM

I can see what you're saying but on the flip side, the show has only been running a month (and with good promotion and mostly good reviews according to what I've read here) so why are Cirque cancelling shows that they originally planned to run? I would expect the demand for any high profile show to be high in the first few months and then tail off later, rather than start off slow and gain momentum as you suggested. Cirque wouldn't announce shows they intended to cancel later, and they wouldn't take the decision to cancel them lightly. The cancellations are not likely to be due to the issues they describe - they're far too experienced to make that kind of logistical mistake IMO - but most definitely due to much lower than expected ticket sales. This show is not performing in line with their expectations and while I would personally love to see it, and I hope it comes to London, the media would be justified in saying the sales were 'disappointing' at least. We all know those media types aren't well educated and so they would probably use the word "flop". It's only one syllable and 4 letters so it's nice and easy for them to spell. Luckily not many media outlets have picked up on this yet - show cancellations like this can give a negative impression of any show, reducing consumer demand.

I have no idea what is going on but I don't think any of us have yet, so I don't think it's right to talk about a flop already.

They really do have logistical problems as shown by the giving tree debacle. Also if the cancellations are due to low sales why do they cancel shows those are only due in two months time? Wouldn't it make more sense to still wait at least a month and then see if they have to cancel 2-3 weeks before the show? Two months is a lot, there's still plenty of time for those shows to sell out. So why cancel them now?

missred07

04-11-2011, 02:17 PM

Only 2 dates are cancelled 20-21 ... 22 and 23 only the 10pm shows are cancelled
Tthey have 2 shows each date in the Vegas Venue so I dont think it becuase of
low demand but Maybe they just booked to many shows. Did they give a reason
for the cancelations?

No they didn't give any explanation. They just said the shows are canceled by Circus du Soleil in the email.

Annita

04-11-2011, 02:37 PM

love is magical

04-11-2011, 07:10 PM

Some fans likes to spread negativty. The Tour is a big big success. Last week I read a article they have sold tickets für 40 Mill. The reviews from public and press are positive. In decembre are now 31 shows in Las Vegas.

Thus far, no one here is bashing or even criticizing the show. Fans want this show to be a big success, so nobody is spreading negativity.

Some here are expressing concerns of show cancellation, which is totally legit. Show cancellation, whether it is due to logistical problem or weak sales, is not a good thing. If it's due to logictical problem, that means there are some major production issues that need to be resolved.

Also, if you venture out of this community and take a look to the comments on ticketmaster, some of the most critical comments are valid. Some are complaining about the lack of Giving Tree. Giving Tree is a major theme and a centerpiece of the stage. How can it be missing for almost a month? Without the Giving Tree, some people in the front rows have problems in viewing the actions on stage (although I cannot visualize how a tree can affect viewing). I'd be pissed too if I paid almost $180 for the best available seat, but couldn't even see all the actions.

Also, some are complaining about costume malfuctions, volume of live music, inconsistent flow, etc... These are the problems that I hope Cirque take notice and work to improve.

Ashtanga

04-11-2011, 07:52 PM

We don't know if the cancellation is due to weaker than expected demand. At least I hope it's not the case. :unsure:

:(

I hope it's informed the reason for cancellation.

bluesky

04-11-2011, 10:29 PM

According to this website, Dec 3 and Dec 27 (2nd) shows already sold out

<tbody>
Date
Available Times

Dec 3, 2011 Saturday
sold out | sold out

Dec 4, 2011 Sunday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-04&sTime=19:00:00) | 10:30 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-04&sTime=22:30:00)

Dec 6, 2011 Tuesday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-06&sTime=19:00:00)

Dec 7, 2011 Wednesday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-07&sTime=19:00:00)

Dec 8, 2011 Thursday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-08&sTime=19:00:00)

Dec 9, 2011 Friday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-09&sTime=19:00:00) | 10:30 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-09&sTime=22:30:00)

Dec 10, 2011 Saturday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-10&sTime=19:00:00) | 10:30 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-10&sTime=22:30:00)

Dec 11, 2011 Sunday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-11&sTime=19:00:00) | 10:30 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-11&sTime=22:30:00)

Dec 13, 2011 Tuesday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-13&sTime=19:00:00)

Dec 14, 2011 Wednesday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-14&sTime=19:00:00)

Dec 15, 2011 Thursday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-15&sTime=19:00:00)

Dec 16, 2011 Friday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-16&sTime=19:00:00) | 10:30 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-16&sTime=22:30:00)

Dec 17, 2011 Saturday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-17&sTime=19:00:00) | 10:30 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-17&sTime=22:30:00)

Dec 18, 2011 Sunday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-18&sTime=19:00:00) | 10:30 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-18&sTime=22:30:00)

Dec 22, 2011 Thursday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-22&sTime=19:00:00)

Dec 23, 2011 Friday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-23&sTime=19:00:00)

Dec 24, 2011 Saturday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-24&sTime=19:00:00) | 10:30 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-24&sTime=22:30:00)

Dec 25, 2011 Sunday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-25&sTime=19:00:00) | 10:30 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-25&sTime=22:30:00)

Dec 26, 2011 Monday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-26&sTime=19:00:00) | 10:30 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-26&sTime=22:30:00)

Dec 27, 2011 Tuesday
7:00 pm (http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/purchase_show_tickets.php?bov_id=186&sDate=2011-12-27&sTime=19:00:00) | sold out

</tbody>

http://www.bestofvegas.com/Shows-Tickets/Michael-Jackson-THE-IMMORTAL-World-Tour/

marebear

05-11-2011, 12:25 AM

They don't have Christmas off? Maybe it's too many shows? I thought there were only a couple of shows in Vegas like everywhere else.

Arklove

05-11-2011, 02:44 AM

I saw the show this past Tuesday and I thought it was fantastic..I absolutely loved it....What struck me the most was the fact that the show was dedicated to spreading Michael's message of love, acceptance, unity and making this world a better place...I cried (a lot), I laughed, and I danced and sang along....The audience consisted of all ages across the spectrum - very young children to people in their 70s and 80s....incredible to see....People dressed up as Michael and you could just feel the love...:)

I give Cirque the utmost respect for carrying on this part of his legacy while intertwining his incredible artistic genius..

The live band was just incredible, and the music and Michael's amazing voice soared across the arena...It was just breathtaking...

Although the show I saw didn't have a Giving Tree, it didn't matter to me...I was just so impressed and touched by the dedication they had to this man and all he meant to the world....I would love to see it again....:)

thrillerchild

05-11-2011, 08:12 AM

I'm waiting patiently for it to make it's debut in the UK :)

ManuMJ

05-11-2011, 11:07 AM

I hope that they come to Argentina ♥

Snowflake

05-11-2011, 05:22 PM

Congratulations to those who have already seen the show!!! I'm going to see it on Dec 4, during Fan fest in Las Vegas. Can't wait!!! I'm sure the show is amazing :)

Can you describe what memorablia they sell before the show? I'm very interested in t-shirts - both Immortal and other MJ-related.
Do they sell these t-shirts? http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson-tour/merchandise.aspx
I like them very much. But they say on the website that they are available online only. I can't order them, because I'm in Russia and they deliver to the USA and Canada only.

And what about these t-shirts?
http://www.myplaydirect.com/michael-jackson/
Do they sell them before the shows?

AngieJ

05-11-2011, 07:26 PM

Win A Trip To See Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World TourTM by Cirque du Soleil®

Now's your chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Vegas to celebrate a legacy that continues to transcend generations as it unfolds through the artistry of Cirque du Soleil. Prize package includes roundtrip air fare, a two night stay at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, and show tickets.

http://www.southwest.com/contest/cirquemj/contest_entry.html?RMID=L_111105_IAN_B&RRID=YmF0bWFubjExMTVAeWFob28uY29t&src=MAILIANWKND000000111105B

Erikmjfan

05-11-2011, 08:09 PM

http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Review+Michael+Jackson+reborn+Cirque+Soleil+Immort al+World+Tour/5661487/story.html

MICHAEL JACKSON: THE IMMORTAL WORLD TOUR

When: Friday night (also Saturday and Sunday, 8 p.m.)

Where: Rogers Arena

VANCOUVER - The King of Pop is not dead, he lives on in Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour show.

The Cirque's latest musical spectacular, after its much celebrated Love show dedicated to the Beatles and Viva Elvis dedicated to other King, certainly proved Jackson's musical legacy is alive and well.

The brainchild of creative director Chantal Tremblay (who worked on Love and other Cirque classics Alegria and Mystere) and award-winning tour director Jamie King (Madonna, Rihanna, Britney Spears), Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour is a whimsical, eye-popping extravaganza aimed to please fans and non-fans alike.

It was a concert that wasn't really a concert, a circus-themed show that wasn't really the circus, and while it was a multimedia, multi-disciplinary spectacle worthy of the King of Pop, The Immortal World Tour makes Jackson's absence from the stage and from his fans' lives all the more glaring.

What the all-ages crowd that filled Rogers Arena Friday night got - and will get again for two more presentations Saturday and Sunday - was more of a tribute to a dream and a creative vision.

The presentation featured close to 300 different costumes designed by Zaldy Goco (This Is It, Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Tour) and acrobatic and aerial feats and props, all of it layered with MJ's spellbinding musical catalogue re-invented and re-mashed by musical director and keyboardist Greg Phillinganes and musical designer Kevin Antunes, who gave MJ's music a similar treatment the Beatles got with the Love show.

Boasting a creative team beyond compare, Cirque du Soleil has brought Michael Jackson's work back to life under a new light.

The Immortal World Tour, with its loosely woven narrative of a mime (played flawlessly by Salah Belemqawanssa) coming to revisit Jackson through the various stages of his life and career, was mostly about imagery: The signature glove, the hat, five "fanatic" clowns recalling the Jackson Five trying to get into Neverland, the monsters and moves from the Thriller video and, of course, Bubbles.

The music was, with a mix of recorded material and a full live band, the star of the show, but that doesn't mean credit should be taken away from Cirque du Soleil's top notch team of choreographers, whose massive dance numbers were one of the main features of the presentation.

The Dancing Machine number, for example, was a combination of a multitude of dance styles complete with blasts of steam, animated machinery, metal outfits and acrobats swinging from the rafters. Crazy.

Smooth Criminal was a fantastic homage to the original with a stellar video intro and MJ's classic dance moves, while Dangerous featured an impressive feat of pole dancing.

Some numbers felt a little contrived, namely Ben and its ode to MJ's love of animals blending African rhythms, Japanese drumming and Lion King-esque props, and the show's pacing sometimes felt haphazard.

The retro-tinged numbers closer to the source material certainly fared the best, Thriller and its horde of dancing ghouls and the Beat It/Bad combo number and its oversized dancing glove and shoes really standing out.

Throughout, the crowd seemed entranced by the stunning visual presentation, which was really something to behold, and the amazing sound design.

It is unfair to try to guess what Jackson would have thought of Cirque's $60 million re-imagining of his work, but The Immortal World Tour is a concert-slash-circus-slash-multimedia extravaganza of tremendous proportions.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Review+Michael+Jackson+reborn+Cirque+Soleil+Immort al+World+Tour/5661487/story.html#ixzz1crqbd8mP

Erikmjfan

05-11-2011, 09:21 PM

Forget the old opera line about it not being over until the fat lady sings. At Michael Jackson: The Immortal, it ain't started until the fat clown busts out the body rock.

In an opening sequence akin to a blunted b-boys' idea of interactive Saturday morning cartoons, Cirque du Soleil's homage to the late king of pop began big and stayed big.

Fitting for the larger-than-life subject of the show too.

The somewhat creepy or poignant — depending on where you sat with Jackson's assorted legal issues — opener "Childhood" certainly pulled heart strings. It isn't a great song, but perhaps one of the most honest lyrics the troubled artist penned. But what people came for was the all-out intensity of the first mega-number, "Wanna be Starting Something." Uh, wow.

Amazing bendy aerialists; spot-on band exquisite lighting and set design, and upwards of 30 people onstage at any given moment in the piece meant you never had an opportunity to focus one place long for fear of missing fantastic breaking, ballet, tap, aerial tango. The show even has a pole dancer that puts a whole new slick on "Dangerous."

And always the quintet of clowns hamming up "ABC" and "I Want You Back" and reminding us all of just how brilliant the Jackson 5's fashion was. And how great their animated program was too.

The hits just keep coming. With subtle use of video, photos, interview clips and filmed sequences always bringing Jackson's presence into the proceedings, this is unlike any tribute you'll ever see. The silver "ghost" of the dead singer is also used effectively as both guide and re-focusing tool for the beautiful aerial take on "Human Nature."

Those changing light suits would kill at Halloween.

Actually, anything in the whole "Thriller" lead-up would do. This was the creative at some of its most inventive. It was also the only song to get its very own cheer. Deserved applause as those were some kinda funky zombies and acrobatic mummies. The one-legged crutch dancer in particular has mega presence.

Although the conga player-cum-extra from a Chuck Norris flick and the one i call Xena, Warrior Cellist deserve mention for being so different from any other performer appearing. They'll be great in Bruce Lee: The Immortal if it ever happens. With the fierce mohawk'ed guitarist too.

Act two included a tight "Beat It" and jam sequence but then sort of slumped into ballads and more childhood themes. But the "They Don't Care About Us" sequence originally designed for the This Is It tour was interesting, if heavy handed. So was the "Heal the World/Will You Be There" heart-shaped lantern procession. Second half not so much; kind of like his career after Bad.

The final medley of upbeat tracks revived the set with some high-flying ring acrobatics but it couldn't top the first for full-on fantasy.

I'll never buy Bubbles as a DJ.

http://www.theprovince.com/entertainment/Cirque+Immortal+inventive+imagination+Michael+Jack son+legacy/5661514/story.html

Ashtanga

05-11-2011, 09:23 PM

I hope that they come to Argentina ♥

And down a little, they arrive in Brazil. :wild: :P

Arklove

06-11-2011, 02:07 AM

kristinaz

06-11-2011, 05:51 AM

Saw it tonight it was great. I loved how they started the show, it totally showed how misunderstood Michael was. Everytime Michael was shown on the screen the crowd freaked. My show didn't have the giving tree either. I love their overall message of love, hope, unity etc it was everything Michael stood for. I totally cried during the end of Will You Be There. I also loved how many elements from This Is It they used. Truly would have been a gorgeous show had we gotten to see it in it's full capacity. My only criticism was I wish the costumes had more of a Michael-esque look to them. I mean there were some where it was oozing Michael which I loved and there were others that IMO barely had any Michael in it. The people around us would freak anytime the dancers did any Michael movement. Btw I LOVED the mixes of the songs sooo much. So ya overall enjoyed it can't wait to see the Vegas show in 2013 and how it'll be different.

Snowflake

06-11-2011, 11:58 AM

I think they had those shirts...I stood in line to buy a shirt after the show and ended up with a man's size small because everything else was sold out or XXL :lmao:

:lmao: I hope they understand that there will be a huge number of fans in Las Vegas and they need a huge number of t-shirts of different sizes :)
Which t-shirts you saw and bought? White or brown?

And what was the price, if you remember?

Arklove

06-11-2011, 03:30 PM

:lmao: I hope they understand that there will be a huge number of fans in Las Vegas and they need a huge number of t-shirts of different sizes :) Which t-shirts you saw and bought? White or brown?And what was the price, if you remember?II tried to find a picture of the shirt I bought, but I couldn't find it...it's a grey men's shirt with a V-neck...has red and blue silhouette Cirque acrobats and Michael doing the lean...in the top right hand corner it says Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour...when I get chance I can take a picture if u want :DI paid $50.00 for it ..:)

bluesky

06-11-2011, 05:18 PM

Can somebody contact or tweet @cirque and find out what's happening to Giving Tree.
I mean it's a main part / anchor of the show as they advertised /promoted in James King's video and now it seems like they are not fixing it /ignore about it. That's is not good at all.

CrazyVegasMJ

06-11-2011, 06:48 PM

I agree.. The show is coming to the bay area in Jan and that damn giving tree better be there!

Snowflake

06-11-2011, 07:22 PM

II tried to find a picture of the shirt I bought, but I couldn't find it...it's a grey men's shirt with a V-neck...has red and blue silhouette Cirque acrobats and Michael doing the lean...in the top right hand corner it says Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour...when I get chance I can take a picture if u want :DI paid $50.00 for it ..:)

Wow! So they have another type of t-shirts.. Interesting.
If it's not difficult for you, I would be happy to see the picture :)

Arklove

06-11-2011, 07:53 PM

Wow! So they have another type of t-shirts.. Interesting.If it's not difficult for you, I would be happy to see the picture :) I'll have it posted by tonight ;)

PurpleParrot

06-11-2011, 08:42 PM

Memefan

06-11-2011, 09:39 PM

I agree that the fact the Giving tree isn't there is not good. It's the whole spirit of the concept, it was said it was being repaired in montreal and was supposed to be back for the shows in Toronto, but no sign of the Giving tree....

:(

I can't believe they've performed all these shows without the Giving tree. This is unacceptable. WTF...?

bluesky

07-11-2011, 03:25 AM

I agree.. The show is coming to the bay area in Jan and that damn giving tree better be there!

What day are you seeing the show?
I am also in the same area and will see the show on 1/15?

CrazyVegasMJ

07-11-2011, 03:33 AM

What day are you seeing the show?I am also in the same area and will see the show on 1/15? At the HP Pavillion right? I think that's the day I'm going.. Its gonna be in Oakland too

bluesky

07-11-2011, 03:45 AM

yeh, they have 3 shows that weekend . Hope they have the GT fixed by then. The show in Vegas is coming soon dec3 will see what happens.

Erikmjfan

07-11-2011, 10:04 AM

http://www.becultured.ca/2011/11/06/mjs-spirit-lives-on-in-the-immortal-world-tour/

Tonight, something magical graced the city of Vancouver; overtaken by fans of all ages donning everything from fedoras to single white gloves, Rogers Arena played host to the most amazing and magical spectacle it ever has, or likely ever will: the “Michael Jackson IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil” was in town. Well over 15,000 people filled the arena, occupying every available floor, stand, and upper bowl seat, and sat mesmerized as one of the most astonishing acrobatic and dance troupes in the world put on a show that could only be matched by The King himself.

Opening with clips of MJ flashing on the screens, and progressing through a hugely multi-faceted array of visuals and incredible music, the show highlighted the career of the most iconic artist of all time. The show employed pyrotechnics, shifting stages, incredible dancing, and Cirque du Soleil’s signature acrobatics to bring soul to MJ like only He could. I will briefly disclose that I am an incredibly huge fan of Michael Jackson, and so for me this event was moving on such a deep level that I was brought nearly to tears on more than one occasion.

Clearly modeled after Michael’s dream for the This Is It concert series, The IMMORTAL Tour took cues from various scenes in the original show, including the “They Don’t Care About Us” infinite-soldier army. The “story” of the show is based on five MJ ‘fanatics’ who are trying to get into Neverland, dancing and ‘blasting’ music from their little stereo until they end up doing so by about halfway into the show. Being a circus, after all, a mime is necessary, and the one in this show seemed to play the part of the ‘spirit’ of Michael Jackson. He, along with every other member of the troupe, threw down some simply jaw-dropping dance moves, displaying impeccable choreography throughout the nearly three-hour show.

If you’ve ever been to a Cirque du Soleil show before, you know that props and elaborate costumes are no sticking point for them, and this show was certainly no exception. Incredibly immersive backdrops and costumes brought life to the already magical dream, and with the incredible dexterity and fluidity of the dancers, it was like Michael himself was right there on stage, moving with each and every member of the cast.

All in all, this was simply an awe-inspiring show. I cannot stress enough how truly magical it was, with my only concern being the mere 20 minute intermission that tricked 5000 people into thinking they would be able to make it to the bathrooms and back without missing the beginning of the next half- but really that’s just nitpicking.

If you’re any sort of Michael Jackson fan at all, you simply must make it out to the show. Go ahead and drop the extra 100 dollars for floor seats, it is totally worth it, for an experience that will rock your mind, body and soul.

MJ would be proud.

respect77

07-11-2011, 10:17 AM

^^ What a wonderful review! Thanks!

Arklove

07-11-2011, 02:50 PM

Wow! So they have another type of t-shirts.. Interesting.
If it's not difficult for you, I would be happy to see the picture :)

Here you go :D...It wasn't my first choice for a shirt, but I at least wanted something lol

http://i43.tinypic.com/v6ovmf.jpg

love is magical

07-11-2011, 03:07 PM

Very nice t-shirt, Arky! Love it! I'll have a chance to experience the magic about five months away from now... :)

Arklove

07-11-2011, 03:10 PM

Very nice t-shirt, Arky! Love it! I'll have a chance to experience the magic about five months away from now... :)

Yay! You're gonna love it...It was absolutely magical...Michael was there in spirit, they made sure of that....:wub:

Now I wish I would have bought a programme...ah well lol

bluesky

07-11-2011, 04:44 PM

Here is another article review and this one also mentioned the missing of the Giving Tree -- :angry:

Chances are the verdict in the Michael Jackson trial in Los Angeles will arrive while the Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour show is making its move from Vancouver (where it winds up tonight, Nov. 6, 2011 ), to Seattle, Washington, where it plays Wednesday and Thursday (Nov. 9 and 10, 2011)
Meanwhile, some of the Vancouver critics have already turned in their verdicts on the show, with the Vancouver Sun (http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Michael+Jackson+legacy+lives+Cirque+Soleil+Immorta l+World+Tour/5663300/story.html) calling it a “whimsical, eye-popping extravaganza” andThe Straight, (http://www.straight.com/article-524611/vancouver/cirque-du-soleils-michael-jackson-immortal-world-tour-spans-absurd-shallow) always tougher to please, describing it as “enormous and impressive and utterly, devastatingly hollow”.

The continuing absence of the top part of the Giving Tree which forms the centrepiece of the set, is also noted. The tree now ”resembles a scale model of a nuclear reactor’s cooling tower”, writes reviewer Alexander Varty.

Back to the trial. Dr. Conrad Murray is not likely to walk on this one, I’m thinking. For reasons delineated in this Enterprise News (http://www.enterprisenews.com/opinions/opinions_columnists/x1100395407/WENDY-MURPHY-Doctor-guilty-even-if-Jackson-was-partly-to-blame)story. And I’ll be surprised if the deliberations last past Tuesday. Apparently, once the criminal trial is over, a civil suit by the Jackson family (http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/thebridgeportnews/news/localnews/106258-city-lawyer-joins-michael-jackson-wrongful-death-team.html) against AEG Live LLC ”and other defendants” will become the next chapter in this sad saga.

http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2011/11/06/michael-jackson-cirque-winds-up-in-vancouver-as-la-jury-ponders-verdict/

bluesky

07-11-2011, 09:46 PM

Las Vegas dancer joins Jackson show

Posted: Nov. 7, 2011 | 2:00 a.m.
A bus ride to Los Angeles last year turned out to be the starting point of a world tour for Las Vegas dancer Cameron McKinlay.
He was among a dozen dancers in "Love" who chartered a bus to L.A. to audition for Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson "Immortal" World Tour.
They departed from Las Vegas about midnight on a Friday night, arrived in time for breakfast and a three-hour audition and returned in time for Saturday's two shows at The Mirage.
Soon came word that he had hit the show business lottery: a three-year deal as one of 24 dancers -- the only one from Las Vegas -- in Cirque's new Jackson spectacular.
A year ago he and his fiancée, Tina Cannon, were the featured dancers of "Yesterday" in "Love."
Now he's on a 50-city North American tour that circles back to Las Vegas for a Dec. 3-27 engagement at Mandalay Bay, future home of Cirque's 2013 Jackson show.
Las Vegas is home for the 25-year-old Canadian who grew up in an artistic family near Edmonton, Alberta.
Of the five kids in his family, one brother is a principal dancer in the Alberta Ballet, a sister is a ballet teacher and another is an opera singer.
McKinlay will be among a group from the touring show scheduled to perform "Immortal" numbers Tuesday on "Dancing With the Stars."

http://www.lvrj.com/news/las-vegas-dancer-joins-jackson-show-133346473.html?ref=473

Lucilla

07-11-2011, 10:44 PM

Snowflake

08-11-2011, 07:35 PM

Arklove, thank you! Very beautiful t-shirt!!!

Ashtanga

08-11-2011, 10:14 PM

Here you go :D...It wasn't my first choice for a shirt, but I at least wanted something lol

http://i43.tinypic.com/v6ovmf.jpg

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

Beautiful! :wild:

Silouette

08-11-2011, 11:10 PM

If this is in the wrong thread, I apologize.

It's a TV ALERT!

Next Tuesday, Nov.8, 2011, DANCING WITH THE STARS will feature on the show:
Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour.

A reminder...

Thank you Lucilla :)
I'm curious to see what it will be like.
One thing I can say....the timing is good in light of yesterdays verdict.

Arklove....great t-shirt. I like it.

marebear

09-11-2011, 02:18 AM

I just saw DWTS and I loved it! That was great to see. I hope a lot of people got to see it.

Kikuchiyo

09-11-2011, 02:54 AM

Cirque du Soleil's - Michael Jackson's Immortal World Tour - DWTS 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3Tb1XJESfA

(Thanks to original youtube uploader AwesomeArtistsLive)

bluesky

09-11-2011, 04:59 AM

THey also ran commercial during the show.

Silouette

09-11-2011, 09:20 AM

I just saw DWTS and I loved it! That was great to see.
I hope a lot of people got to see it.
I hope so too. DWTS is a popular show so I think it may have had a lot viewers.
It was great. Too short tho. I really wanted to see more.
Maybe I'll reconsider my thoughts and try to see the tour.

Thanks Kikuchiyo for posting the clip. :)

bluetopez

09-11-2011, 09:31 AM

WOW! They did great on DWTS and what made the night even better was that DISgrace was finally eliminated. What awesome timing. :hysterical:

Sorry, I had to throw that in there. Tee heet! :evil:

Anywho, can't wait for next yr when I finally get to see the show in person! :D

Lucilla

09-11-2011, 04:01 PM

Thanks to Kikuchiyo for the video :)

that DISgrace was finally eliminated. What awesome timing. :hysterical:

Sorry, I had to throw that in there. Tee heet! :evil:

:lmao:

respect77

09-11-2011, 04:18 PM

Cirque du Soleil's - Michael Jackson's Immortal World Tour - DWTS 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3Tb1XJESfA

(Thanks to original youtube uploader AwesomeArtistsLive)

Awesome! I want to see it! :woohoo:

love is magical

09-11-2011, 04:43 PM

I watched the Cirque performance on DWTS last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's awesome! :punk:

By the end of it, I wanted more. I wanted them to keep performing. I felt sorry for the dude who had to sing/rap afterward. Man... even a tribute to the King of Pop is a tough act to follow. I know it's not really a Michael Jackson performance, but, it's still very entertaining. And, the performance of that rapping dude (sorry, I don't know him and don't remember his name) was indeed lackluster, so ordinary...

My mom loved the aerial acrobats as well. She's gonna see the Immortal show with me next year. I'm sure she's going to enjoy it. Can't wait! :woohoo:

Hess

09-11-2011, 05:47 PM

thanks for the video.

great. - And great promotion.

marebear

09-11-2011, 06:10 PM

I hope so too. DWTS is a popular show so I think it may have had a lot viewers.
It was great. Too short tho. I really wanted to see more.
Maybe I'll reconsider my thoughts and try to see the tour.

Thanks Kikuchiyo for posting the clip. :)

If you can see the show I recommend it. It was great. I wasn't sure myself but then I went and I am glad I did.

MJsSusie

09-11-2011, 06:11 PM

omg that made me cry!!! i love the crowd! Wow so super powerful! and i am DEF buying this album i LOVE the mix!!!

Jesta

09-11-2011, 08:59 PM

Not to be a downer, but why do they still have the Smooth Criminal armbands on the wrong arm?

ilmjj

09-11-2011, 09:04 PM

Not to be a downer, but why do they still have the Smooth Criminal armbands on the wrong arm?

This is just a guess but I want to believe it is out of respect. Michael wore it on his right and he is one of a kind and they won't even try to be like him.

Jesta

09-11-2011, 09:12 PM

This is just a guess but I want to believe it is out of respect. Michael wore it on his right and he is one of a kind and they won't even try to be like him.

Huh... That actually makes a lot of sense. Thanks :)

StellaJackson

09-11-2011, 09:13 PM

Why have they removed the giving tree? It is meant to be the centrepiece of the show.

ExoticPrincess

09-11-2011, 09:24 PM

Nice, nice :clap:

But, was I hearing people chanting Michael, Michael almost at the end of the performance?

StellaJackson

09-11-2011, 09:27 PM

Nice, nice :clap:

But, was I hearing people chanting Michael, Michael almost at the end of the performance?

It's on the backing track. You can hear it in the megamix. The use it in the main show too.

HumanNature2210

09-11-2011, 10:08 PM

I send my car for service this morning and the gentleman that attended to me asked me what book I was reading when he saw me carrying a book. I told him I was reading "Man in the Music:Michael Jackson". I explained that its a book exploring Michael creative work of music and he told me that he is also a big fan of Michael music and went for Cirque du Soleil:The Immortal Tour in Vancouver. He took his family and they were impressed and enjoyed the show tremendously. The show was sold out and he said the crowd was amazing. I then suggested that he get the book by Joe Vogel and he thanked me.

love is magical

09-11-2011, 11:09 PM

@HumanNature2210, thanks for sharing. This warms my heart!

PurpleParrot

09-11-2011, 11:36 PM

DWTS performance was great, so good to see them all again dancing (outside of fan videos from the shows)

Just looking at the way they stepped, the energy in their moves, you can see they were giving it all!

Touching, beautiful.. gosh I love those guys!!

Silouette

10-11-2011, 12:33 AM

If you can see the show I recommend it. It was great.
I wasn't sure myself but then I went and I am glad I did.
Thanks Love. I just may do that. :)

8701girl

10-11-2011, 01:51 AM

I just watched the DWTS cirque du soleil preformance on youtube and it was fantastic! :wild:

Ashtanga

10-11-2011, 02:40 AM

HumanNature2210

10-11-2011, 03:00 AM

You are welcome, love is magical. I love reading your post. You always express yourself so eloquently. I seldom post but I read a lot of the thread and followed the trial everyday. My husband thought I was crazy and my kids know that I am nuts about Michael. The book "Man in the Music" is a birthday gift from my 8 years old birthday ;)

And yes, Vancouver also participated in one of the biggest group of Thrill the World on Halloween and it was amazing!

@HumanNature2210, thanks for sharing. This warms my heart!

HumanNature2210

10-11-2011, 03:00 AM

Sorry, I mean my 8 years old daughter ;P

love is magical

10-11-2011, 03:51 AM

You are welcome, love is magical. I love reading your post. You always express yourself so eloquently. I seldom post but I read a lot of the thread and followed the trial everyday. My husband thought I was crazy and my kids know that I am nuts about Michael. The book "Man in the Music" is a birthday gift from my 8 years old birthday ;)And yes, Vancouver also participated in one of the biggest group of Thrill the World on Halloween and it was amazing!Man In The Music is truly a wonderful gift. The book enables me to discover the magic that I didn't hear before. Michael's music is truly works of arts. Btw, I love Vancouver, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I've been to Vancouver twice. :)

0o0jackie0o0

10-11-2011, 04:48 AM

DWTS performance was awesomeeeee!!!

Arklove

10-11-2011, 03:00 PM

I just have to say one thing....The Billie Jean performance in the Cirque show was probably one of my absolute favourites....I could envision how Michael's performance would have been...wearing the lit up LED suit...Even just watching the Cirque performers doing that bit was incredible...I could imagine adding Michael's quick, swift, smooth dances moves, infused with his inevitable magic touch would have been truly out of this world...I both cried and smiled at this time, not quite sure what to feel, seeing these dancers doing what Michael was going to do for TII, ...the Cirque performers at least brought it to fruition, and performed by several of them, respecting the sacredness of Michael as a solo dancer, to give us a glimpse of what we could have seen Michael do...:cry:

marebear

10-11-2011, 09:08 PM

I agree that you can just picture Michael himself in that Billie Jean outfit. That would have been amazing. I find it hard to see others do Michael's moves. I loved the show but it's still hard not to feel sad. We miss him.

ilmjj

10-11-2011, 09:30 PM

I went to the Immortal show and I watched DWTS and while watching them both my heart just burst with pride for Michael. His music and his dance moves are timeless and classic. In a few years we won't be able to remember what they are singing or how they are dancing today but I know for sure we will remember Michael. God really did break the mold.

jdmd2004

12-11-2011, 11:54 AM

do we know any more yet about world wide dates.... i am soooo excited about this and i cant wait for it to come to the uk :)

Silouette

12-11-2011, 12:24 PM

Michael on the cover of MLife Magazine Fall 2011.

The new issue of M life magazine is now available, and beyond the immortal Michael Jackson on the cover,
the not-so-immortal Pj Perez has taken over the nightlife section, reporting on the wide selection of
casino lounges and bars offered in Las Vegas — and a few other cities.
http://www.bleedingneon.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/mlife_fall2011_cover.jpg

I have this magazine.
This isn't off topic, is it? :unsure:

StellaJackson

12-11-2011, 02:43 PM

The Giving Tree still doesn't have the branches. What's going on?

marc_vivien

12-11-2011, 02:45 PM

edited ...

Arklove

12-11-2011, 07:23 PM

The Giving Tree still doesn't have the branches. What's going on?

The show I went to didn't have a Giving Tree AT ALL....

love is magical

12-11-2011, 07:29 PM

The show I went to didn't have a Giving Tree AT ALL.... I hope they repair the tree ASAP. I saw some comments on ticketmaster. Some said they couldn't see the actions on stage because of the absence of the tree. I guess if their seats were too close to the stage, their views might be affected.

Erikmjfan

14-11-2011, 05:06 PM

LONG LIVE THE KING

http://www.registerguard.com/web/entertainment/27126690-41/jackson-cirque-tour-michael-sposit.html.csp

Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson tribute beats it to Eugene
By Serena Markstrom

The Register-Guard

Published: (Friday, Nov 11, 2011 05:00AM) Midnight, Nov. 11

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unless you want to travel, Tuesday is your only chance to experience “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour,” presented by Cirque du Soleil and the late King of Pop’s estate.

This show, which debuted Oct. 2 at Cirque du Soleil headquarters in Montreal, is planned to run for about three years and it is unlikely to return to Eugene, a tour publicist said.

As previously reported, the Wednesday show has been canceled. Cirque officials cited a need for an additional day to tear down sets before the show moves on to Portland for back-to-back performances on Nov. 18 and Nov. 19.

A third Portland show, on Nov. 20, also was canceled for the same reason.

“Unfortunately, we’ve created a show a little bigger than what we previously planned,” tour publicist Maxime Charbonneau said by phone last week. “In order to set up safely and remove every*thing, we had to cut a few shows on our tour plan.

“It was not reasonable to think we could do everything in the time we had in between cities, and do it safely, not only for the technicians but for the artists performing on stage every night.”

If the show is bigger than planned, well, that could end up a fortunate turn of events for those who go see this production, written and directed by Jamie King. Cirque debuted in this market in June with one of its more iconic productions, “Dralion.”

The Michael Jackson show joins the Beatles and Elvis Presley as other pop icons who have had Cirque productions centered around their legendary careers and bodies of work.

“It’s huge blast of weird,” declares a complimentary review of the Michael Jackson show posted on www.edmontonsun.com on Nov. 2, “from the one-legged break-dancer to the people dancing on the walls to a giant glove doing the moondance to the giant boots doing the moondance to the squad of bat creatures in the graveyard to the giant floating wire animals to the flying dancing couples to the battalion of dancing metal golems.

“In short, Michael Jackson would’ve felt right at home.”

Another review, however, posted about the same show in the Edmonton Journal, says the $60 million show lacks heart.

“An extraordinary cast of dancers, or acrobats, emerges in every conceivable configuration,” the review says. “It’s a veritable perpetual motion machine of a show, underpinned by Jackson’s own voice, his remastered songs, and a crack live band of 12.

“The production values, the video artistry, the cutting-edge lighting effects, the sound, the dazzling choreography — all are simply thrilling. And yet, what does this circus of virtuoso technology capture? Less than meets and eye and ear.”

The only tickets still available will cost you more than a single glittery glove might, but you just have to decide how much you love one of the most remarkable figures in the history of pop music, and how much you trust the Cirque brand of big show.

Jackson’s personal physician was convicted of involuntary manslaughter Monday in the singer’s death, but the multifaceted, strange, outrageously talented entertainer’s legend was bigger than he was, even when he was alive. And by all accounts, this show revels in artistically rendered adulation.

At the time of Jackson’s death in 2009, he was planning a world tour. The Cirque show is not related to that endeavor, though a few of the musicians were part of both productions.

Jackson had been in discussions with Cirque people about a collaboration before he died, Charbonneau said.

“We had a long-standing relationship with Michael Jackson himself,” Charbonneau said. “Michael Jackson was a huge fan of Cirque du Soleil. He saw most of our productions in Las Vegas, most of them many times.

“He saw the first touring show in the late ’80s and even visited the Cirque du Soleil headquarters in Montreal. He was a real fan and was always amazed by the artistry behind a Cirque du Soleil production.”

The tribute show features Jackson’s music, from his Jackson 5 days to the hits from his reign as the King of Pop. Some of the dance numbers use his choreography, but Cirque has created original dance pieces designed to embody the spirit of his art.

Although rock concert-style in its stagecraft, the show has a story*line. With a “Giving Tree” as a central guiding “character,” the show tells the story of the man’s life, leaving out some of the weird parts that made Jackson a perpetual tabloid favorite.

Laurie Sposit, the dance master who joined the show this summer with the task of maintaining the integrity of dance pieces as the tour progresses, says she is grateful to be part of the tour and is so touched she cries during almost every show.

Sposit’s bio says she has worked with Janet Jackson, Madonna, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Prince, Spice Girls, Toni Braxton, Vanessa Williams — and the list goes on. She also traveled the world on the “All for You” tour with Janet Jackson, the Spice Girl tour, Madonna’s “Girlie Show” and Latin artist Paulina Rubio’s tour.

“It sends forward the message he started so long ago,” Sposit said of the current show. “He was way ahead of his time. It’s an absolute tribute to Michael Jackson and his legend.

“(The show) is a way of honoring all of his messages and everything that he stood for — in the Cirque way of doing things, so that it is entertaining, so that it becomes a really fun show to honor something that was slightly tragic.”

Sposit is not in this show, but she has an extensive background as a professional dancer and choreographer. She watches each performance to make sure dancers stick with the choreography they learned and that everything stays sharp.

Sposit says she discovered her love of dance early in life. She remembers taping Jackson’s videos on VHS and learning the dances through rewinding and repeated attempts.

“The most devastating thing in my life was my father wouldn’t buy me the red jacket with the zippers,” Sposit says, remembering what it was like to be 13 and in awe.

Call Serena Markstrom at 541-338-2371 or e-mail her at serena.markstrom@registerguard.com.

“It sends forward the message he started so long ago. He was way ahead of his time. It’s an absolute tribute to Michael Jackson and his legend.”

Laurie Sposit

“MICHAEL JACKSON: THE IMMORTAL WORLD TOUR” DANCE MASTER

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EVENT DETAILS

Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour

What: A tribute to the King of Pop presented by Cirque du Soleil and the estate of Michael Jackson, featuring his music and dancing, plus acrobatics

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Matthew Knight Arena, 1776 E. 13th Ave.

Tickets: $50 to $250 (go.ducks.com, 541-346-4461)

Also: Ticketholders for Wednesday should contact the box office to be assigned new seats

Related Stories

kristinaz

16-11-2011, 06:14 AM

Still no tree? jeez...

Erikmjfan

16-11-2011, 09:07 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRx-APtAJEc

Jermaine at the seattle show!

Memefan

16-11-2011, 12:31 PM

SMDH at the stump. It's been over a MONTH and the tree is still not back?

PurpleParrot

16-11-2011, 03:51 PM

I wrote to one of the dancer about it but got no answer... They must be as pissed as us actually...

BRING THAT GIVING TREE BACK!!!!

bluesky

16-11-2011, 07:41 PM

If they don't want to fix it, why leave half the tree cut off on stage like that. Look terrible and what's the point?

Memefan

16-11-2011, 10:58 PM

If they don't want to fix it, why leave half the tree cut off on stage like that. Look terrible and what's the point?

At this point, they have done more shows WITHOUT the giving tree, than with it.

SMDH. Not MJ-approved.

I am hoping it will be back for the big Vegas premiere. PLEASE..Cirque get your act together.

Hess

17-11-2011, 04:23 PM

OnirMJ

17-11-2011, 05:37 PM

Now I do not have time to go throug all 96 pages. :lol:

Can someone answer me this - Will this show go on tour to Europe after the USA/Canada tour? Or will the show go straight to Las Vegas for a permanent show in 2012?

This show will continue to tour around the world (Europe, Asia...) after North American leg. Another show, completely new, different than this will open in 2013 in Vegas for a permanent show.

dam2040

17-11-2011, 06:11 PM

MAYBE, the Vegas show will be fresh? A new tree, better than the one before? Who knows

PurpleParrot

17-11-2011, 06:52 PM

Anyway the cast is going on holidays for a week or so before Las vegas, hope they'll get the tree back for Vegas... not that the other cities aren't important...

tru that more shows have been done without than with... sad

Hess

17-11-2011, 07:04 PM

This show will continue to tour around the world (Europe, Asia...) after North American leg. Another show, completely new, different than this will open in 2013 in Vegas for a permanent show.

Ok, thanks very much. Do you guys think there is any chance at all it will come to Denmark?

Applehead Ale

18-11-2011, 11:49 AM

i need they coming to South America, Argentina please....... I have tickets for Jan 27 in LA but I cant afford the trip, pleeeeaase give me the chance to see the showwwwwwwwwwwww

Memefan

19-11-2011, 10:29 PM

Hmmmmm...There has been very few bad reviews, but this is one of the harshest ones I have read so far.

Cirque du Soleil's 'The Immortal World Tour' misses the energy, magic of Michael Jackson (review)Published: Saturday, November 19, 2011, 3:11 PM Updated: Saturday, November 19, 2011, 3:11 PMhttp://media.oregonlive.com/avatars/1035.png By Grant Butler, The Oregonian

Cirque du Soleil has one of the most-bankable track records in the entertainment industry because it rarely misfires with its shows. But the French-Canadian circus company has a mess on its hands with the arena spectacle, "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour," which made stops in Eugene and Portland this week.

From a depressing opening sequence mourning the late pop star's lost childhood to a soulless finale about the sorry state of global ecology and human rights, the show lacks focus, and only occasionally touches the larger-than-life stage presence that Michael Jackson projected in his concerts.

Much of the problem with "The Immortal World Tour" is the uncertainty about what it's trying to be. It's neither a rock concert nor an avant-garde circus, and never entirely coalesces as a hybrid of the two art forms. Through big production numbers and more than 30 of Jackson's songs, the show tries to distill the essence of who the singer was. At his best, a Jackson performance could be pure energy. Yet Cirque never really gets the engine running.

At its world premiere last month in Montreal, it was clear the show still needed editing and technical tinkering, and Cirque has a long history of improving shows if they've gotten off to a rough start. If anything, the show is more ragged now. The stage has been stripped of a large, symbolic set piece representing a "tree of life," several pyrotechnic effects have been scuttled, and one of the animatronic puppets created by Oregon theatrical designer Michael Curry has disappeared. At the show's premiere, it floated through the arena in the basket of a large helium balloon, providing a bit of eloquence to the show's "Childhood" segment. Now the balloon carries only a glowing plastic heart, borrowed from a number later in the show, diminishing that song's visual surprise.

http://media.oregonlive.com/ent_impact_performance/photo/10271730-large.jpgView full size
Olivier Samson Arcand
A performer portraying Bubbles the chimp is at the heart of the action during "Black & White" in Cirque du Soleil's production of "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour."
"The Immortal World Tour's" missteps are particularly hard to fathom since many of its creators and choreographers were regular collaborators with Jackson, and several of them were working on the "This Is It!" show that he was creating at the time of his death in 2009. If anyone should have been able to capture the soul and spirit of Jackson in a stage show, it was this team. Instead they've created a carnival that's as much of a head-scratching paradox as the scandal-plagued last decade of Jackson's life.

"The Immortal World Tour" does have a few moments that click. The production numbers "Smooth Criminal" and "Thriller" are high-spirited takes on Jackson's fascination with gangster and monster movies, and breath new life into both songs' dance steps. "Human Nature" is a visual stunner, with aerial dancers in illuminated costumes, representing stars in the cosmos. And a quintet of dancers portraying fans on a quest to discover Neverland Ranch offer a few laughs, particularly in a segment when they lip-sync a medley of Jackson 5 numbers.

When he was still alive, Jackson was a big fan of Cirque du Soleil, and regularly took his family to see the company's shows. It would seem a natural fit for Cirque to create a show honoring his musical legacy. Instead, "The Immortal World Tour" shows how big of a creative vacuum was created by his untimely death – one that's impossible for mimes, contortionists and acrobats to fill.

-- Grant Butler
Follow @grantbutler

© 2011 OregonLive.com. All rights reserved.

Why are so many things falling apart? Now little Michael floating above the arena is gone. I wonder if it might be because of all the travelling. It must not be easy shuffling these props from city to city.

I hope they get everything under control for Vegas...

bluesky

19-11-2011, 11:39 PM

So instead of getting better , it's getting worse as time goes on??

Ashtanga

20-11-2011, 12:35 AM

It must not be easy shuffling these props from city to city.

Yes, I think this must be the problem. :unsure:

Jesta

20-11-2011, 12:59 AM

So instead of getting better , it's getting worse as time goes on??

That sadly seems to be the case... I can see that there will have to be more breaks to fix props as the tour goes on...

respect77

20-11-2011, 06:23 AM

Cirque need to get their act together! I don't know what the problem could be that they still don't have the Giving Tree and now several other props are missing as well. SMH. Michael deserves better!

Edit: Can someone ask them what's going on and when are they expected to solve their problems?

Limonali

20-11-2011, 12:10 PM

Moonwalker.Fan

20-11-2011, 08:01 PM

Cirque du Soleil's 'The Immortal World Tour' misses the energy, magic of Michael Jackson (review)

Cirque du Soleil (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/home.aspx#/en/home/americas/usa.aspx) has one of the most-bankable track records in the entertainment industry because it rarely misfires with its shows. But the French-Canadian circus company has a mess on its hands with the arena spectacle, "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour," (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson-tour/default.aspx) which made stops in Eugene and Portland this week.

From a depressing opening sequence mourning the late pop star's lost childhood to a soulless finale about the sorry state of global ecology and human rights, the show lacks focus, and only occasionally touches the larger-than-life stage presence that Michael Jackson projected in his concerts.

Much of the problem with "The Immortal World Tour" is the uncertainty about what it's trying to be. It's neither a rock concert nor an avant-garde circus, and never entirely coalesces as a hybrid of the two art forms. Through big production numbers and more than 30 of Jackson's songs, the show tries to distill the essence of who the singer was. At his best, a Jackson performance could be pure energy. Yet Cirque never really gets the engine running.

At its world premiere last month in Montreal, it was clear the show still needed editing and technical tinkering, and Cirque has a long history of improving shows if they've gotten off to a rough start. If anything, the show is more ragged now. The stage has been stripped of a large, symbolic set piece representing a "tree of life," several pyrotechnic effects have been scuttled, and one of the animatronic puppets created by Oregon theatrical designer Michael Curry has disappeared. At the show's premiere, it floated through the arena in the basket of a large helium balloon, providing a bit of eloquence to the show's "Childhood" segment. Now the balloon carries only a glowing plastic heart, borrowed from a number later in the show, diminishing that song's visual surprise.

"The Immortal World Tour's" missteps are particularly hard to fathom since many of its creators and choreographers were regular collaborators with Jackson, and several of them were working on the "This Is It!" show that he was creating at the time of his death in 2009. If anyone should have been able to capture the soul and spirit of Jackson in a stage show, it was this team. Instead they've created a carnival that's as much of a head-scratching paradox as the scandal-plagued last decade of Jackson's life.

"The Immortal World Tour" does have a few moments that click. The production numbers "Smooth Criminal" and "Thriller" are high-spirited takes on Jackson's fascination with gangster and monster movies, and breath new life into both songs' dance steps. "Human Nature" is a visual stunner, with aerial dancers in illuminated costumes, representing stars in the cosmos. And a quintet of dancers portraying fans on a quest to discover Neverland Ranch offer a few laughs, particularly in a segment when they lip-sync a medley of Jackson 5 numbers.

When he was still alive, Jackson was a big fan of Cirque du Soleil, and regularly took his family to see the company's shows. It would seem a natural fit for Cirque to create a show honoring his musical legacy. Instead, "The Immortal World Tour" shows how big of a creative vacuum was created by his untimely death – one that's impossible for mimes, contortionists and acrobats to fill.

-- Grant Butler (gbutler@oregonian.com)/http://www.oregonlive.com/performance/index.ssf/2011/11/cirque_du_soleils_michael_jack_1.html

PurpleParrot

21-11-2011, 03:23 PM

I wish some people would understand that Michael Jackson is dead and that a tribute show from Cirque du Soleil is NOT a Michael Jackson concert, it's a tribute show.. It kills me that some people, just for the pleasure of trashing something MJ, are trying to use the fact that ''it misses MJ's energy''.. IT IS NOT MJ!

Geez... Just get over yourselves! Grrrrrr

Sorry guys... this has me raging... how come I'm a MJ fan and I can just enjoy and appreciate their work in a logical way, knowing that Michael won't be there and that it'll not be a MJ show... How come, as a fan, I can do that, and they can't...

Laura.L.

23-11-2011, 02:01 PM

Cirque du Soleil will bring the Immortal World Tour to Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland on November 5th, 2012. Tickets will be 89€.

Personal note: Happyhappyjoyjoy!!! :D

PurpleParrot

23-11-2011, 02:42 PM

Cirque du Soleil will bring the Immortal World Tour to Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland on November 5th, 2012. Tickets will be 89€.

Personal note: Happyhappyjoyjoy!!! :D

Happy for you!!

But.. OH NO!!! LOL I'm suppose to go to Helsinki in 2013 and wanted it to fit with the Cirque show... damn.. can't get there in 2012 (was supposed to be in 2012 but had to use my $$ for something else)

Aaarrgghhhh...

Well, still... happy for you :)

respect77

23-11-2011, 04:11 PM

Cirque du Soleil will bring the Immortal World Tour to Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland on November 5th, 2012. Tickets will be 89€.

Personal note: Happyhappyjoyjoy!!! :D

Do you know other European dates?

Laura.L.

23-11-2011, 05:27 PM

Happy for you!!

But.. OH NO!!! LOL I'm suppose to go to Helsinki in 2013 and wanted it to fit with the Cirque show... damn.. can't get there in 2012 (was supposed to be in 2012 but had to use my $$ for something else)

Aaarrgghhhh...

Well, still... happy for you :)

Ohh, you're coming to Helsinki, cool! :) For a vacation? To meet Silja? What a bummer that you won't get to see Immortal here, would've been a nice addition to your trip.

Do you know other European dates?

I'm afraid I don't, sorry. :/

bobmoo79

23-11-2011, 06:18 PM

Vienna and Hannover are now listed as 'coming soon' on the Cirque site. I didn't see them before. Maybe they'll start announcing Euro dates soon.

PurpleParrot

23-11-2011, 11:43 PM

Ohh, you're coming to Helsinki, cool! :) For a vacation? To meet Silja? What a bummer that you won't get to see Immortal here, would've been a nice addition to your trip.

Yep, to meet Silja! :D I wished the show would come at the same time as me.. but oh well... can't always be that lucky!! :D

Gonetoosoon

24-11-2011, 02:27 AM

I haven't read the whole thread (apologies) but does anyone know if the show is coming to Australia?

thrillerchild

24-11-2011, 11:13 AM

Vienna and Hannover are now listed as 'coming soon' on the Cirque site. I didn't see them before. Maybe they'll start announcing Euro dates soon.

I can't see that listed yet? :mello:

OnirMJ

24-11-2011, 01:59 PM

I haven't read the whole thread (apologies) but does anyone know if the show is coming to Australia?

Nothing is confirmed yet. Many people involved in the show said that after North American leg the show will go to Europe and Asia. I didn't hear anything about Australia, but it's called Immortal WORLD Tour so I'm sure it will come to Australia at some point. South America too.

bluesky

24-11-2011, 05:42 PM

This is nice, please update it it worked.
seems like for this location only -- Taco Bell Arena, Boise, Idaho

CYBER MONDAY: SAVE $25 PER TICKET Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL

NOVEMBER 28TH, 2011 AT 12:00AM TO 11:59PM

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Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil
CYBER MONDAY ***ONLY 24 HOURS***

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OFFER ONLY VALID ONLINE
http://tacobellarena.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/CirqueMJ_fb_cyberMonday.jpg (http://tacobellarena.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/CirqueMJ_fb_cyberMonday.jpg)
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR CYBER MONDAY DISCOUNTED TICKETS (http://www.ticketingcentral.com/V2/Home.aspx?I=aUm%2bGwAAAABK425jAAAAAACm%2fv%2f%2f%2 fwD%2f%2f%2f%2f%2fAAD%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f%2 fw%3d%3d)

Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil
January 3rd at 8pm at
Taco Bell Arena, Boise, Idaho

This once-in-a-lifetime electrifying production will use Cirque du Soleil creativity to give fans worldwide a unique view into the spirit, passion and heart of the artistic genius who forever transformed global pop culture.
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 by Cirque du Soleil 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.

***If you have any issues with the above ticket link please visit www.idahotickets.com (http://www.idahotickets.com/)(Click on Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil) or call our Box Office (Monday, 10:00am-7:00pm) 208-426-1766.***

http://tacobellarena.com/2011/cyber-monday-save-25-per-ticket-michael-jackson-the-immortal/

bobmoo79

24-11-2011, 07:23 PM

I can't see that listed yet? :mello:

That is strange. They were there when I posted about it and again later in the day because I went back to see if more cities had been added.
Now they're not listed at all. Must have been somebody updating the website in the background but accidentally changing the 'live' page.They were listed on the main tickets page but now they're gone!

Anyway, at least we now know that Hannover and Vienna will be receiving the show as well as Helsinki! :clap:

Applehead Ale

25-11-2011, 01:04 AM

I wont be able to go to Jan 27th on LA, and I alreayd bought the tickets online a while ago

Is there any chance to sell them??

Memefan

26-11-2011, 01:03 PM

Michael Jackson the Immortal World Tour over-the-top, worth the price of admission (http://www2.registerguard.com/cms/index.php/guest-bloggers/comments/mjcirque/)Posted by CRYSTAL STANFORD

http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/d17fdf9b4882b26c0eb17cb3276c8bfe?s=48&r=PG&d=http://www3.registerguard.com/images/standing/sillouette-01.jpg (http://en.gravatar.com/d17fdf9b4882b26c0eb17cb3276c8bfe)
11/18/11
9:41am

By Crystal Stanford,

On Tuesday evening I attended my first-ever event at Matthew Knight Arena, yet another of Phil Knight's opulent multi-million dollar athletic facilities. Matthew Knight Arena cost an amazing $227 million to build, so it was only fitting that my first experience of it was the over the top, larger than life Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour, a show by Cirque du Soleil which reportedly cost $60 million to create.

I started the evening off with dinner up the street from Matt Knight Arena at Agate Alley Bistro. As I cruised south on Agate Street, I gazed at over a dozen semi-trucks parked on the street in front of Hayward Field, no doubt the mode of transportation for Cirque du Soleil's equipment. A couple weeks ago Cirque du Soleil announced that they were canceling their November 16th performance in Eugene, as well as other performances in Spokane and Portland due to unexpected difficulties associated with transporting the colossal show from one city to another. Seeing these semi trucks lining the street it was easy to see why.

Agate Alley Bistro was packed, and it all made sense when our hostess came around to ask if we wanted to sign up for the shuttle. Apparently, Agate Alley shuttles people from the restaurant to the arena for big events via the "Agate Alley Express." While the crowd in the restaurant made the dinner service a bit slow, the shuttle itself seemed to run smoothly and efficiently, and we arrived ten minutes before the show after a quick ride down Agate Street made rather interesting by a raucous group of 30-something drunk women.

I found my seats and the show began (ten minutes late). The opening act was a charming quintet of Michael Jackson look-a-likes attached to harnesses that propelled them to scale a digital screen made to look like a city wall, then a train. While this might sound rather elaborate, I've been to one other Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas, and I couldn't help thinking, "This is it?" It just wasn't big enough, especially for Cirque du Soleil in Nike Colosseum.

Almost as if Michael Jackson (R.I.P.) had read my mind, the act concluded with a background screen falling to reveal the "real" stage, effectively making the performance about five times bigger than it had originally appeared. The crowd was audibly awed. Suddenly I felt a lot better about the show.

And so it began: an hours long, over-the-top, larger-than-life, sensory overload. At any given point during the show, there were at the very least three or four amazing things you could choose to focus your attention on. The back-up band alone was entertaining enough, but all at once in front of them there might be a ballerina in a gilded tutu, a guitar soloist with a giant mohawk, a troupe of acrobats dressed like Oompa Loompas (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson-tour/videos-extras/photos.aspx), a bunch of sparkly Dr. Seuss-like creatures dancing in unison, and a beautiful couple in spandex suits lit with LEDs swinging daringly from the ceiling. All of this to a dynamic Michael Jackson soundtrack.

It was a ridiculously lavish feast for the eyes and ears. Some of my favorite highlights of the show: An amazing cello solo by a beautiful woman in a metallic glitter bikini and thigh-high boots (bet you've never seen that before); "Christmas-light people" swinging from the ceiling (during their performance, the kid next to me screamed out "My eyeballs are vibrating! OWW!"); and a troupe of uber-talented dancers in light-up track suits break-dancing to "Billie Jean" (the best song of all time).

Throughout the show, I periodically found myself subconsciously expecting Michael Jackson to appear on stage, so as soon as I became conscious of it, I suddenly felt sad realizing that was impossible. While some critics have commented that they felt the show lacked heart, there were many moments where I found myself thinking about how complicated it must have been to be Michael Jackson. Especially during a later act while they played a young Michael Jackson singing "I'll Be There," I decided I kind of understood how Michael Jackson came to be the most famous eccentric the world over. How do you deal with being that talented and that famous that young?

I also thoroughly enjoyed being brought back in time with songs I'd adored as a kid, remembering the many moments I'd spent in front of a TV engrossed in yet another impossibly cool Michael Jackson music video: feeling distinctly uneasy from the sense of danger in "Beat It," emulating the dance moves from "Smooth Criminal" with my boy cousins, or feeling a frustrating sense of cosmopolitan inspiration listening to "Black or White" (frustrating because I was about six years old and couldn't really act on it.)

While there were a few things throughout the show that seemed out of place, superfluous, or gratuitous, the bottom line is that Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour is an impressive ode to the King, one that does justice to his complex character and illustrious music career. Definitely worth the expensive tickets.

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/9982/1resized.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/266/1resized.jpg/)

Gonetoosoon

26-11-2011, 01:14 PM

Nice review thanks for posting Meme. :)

PurpleParrot

26-11-2011, 04:45 PM

Thanks 4 posting memefan! Nice review :)

bluesky

27-11-2011, 04:57 PM

Vegas loves a dead celebrity

Posted: Nov. 27, 2011 | 2:01 a.m.

Death takes a holiday in other cities maybe, but not Las Vegas. Death be not proud, and neither are we. Death becomes us.

I speak, of course, of the city's penchant for resurrecting departed superstars, often making big money for their estates, without the inconvenience of them actually having to perform.

Helmed by impersonated Elvis, "Legends in Concert" has been a fixture for 28 years. In various forms, "The Rat Pack is Back" has been toasting the memories of Frank, Dean and Sammy since 1999, merely a year after we lost Ol' Blue Eyes.

Starting Saturday, Las Vegas hosts 33 performances of Cirque du Soleil's "The Immortal" tribute to Michael Jackson, with more than 246,000 tickets to push at Mandalay Bay Events Center.

That's only 17 short of the 50 "This Is It" concerts planned for London, which the frail Jackson was rehearsing when he died in 2009. If you believed the title, there weren't going to be any more. There was talk of more touring, but the Gloved One probably wouldn't have played Saskatoon or Salt Lake City like his globe-trotting Cirque substitute.
Jackson was a big Cirque fan, so perhaps he would have signed off on "The Immortal" and lived to see it, much the way Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr support "Love." Part of what makes that show special is that it's a de facto Beatles "reunion" with the interests of all four partners represented.

But Cirque du Michael certainly would have been more complicated with Jackson around.

In 2008, the Wall Street Journal reported Jackson might be coerced to play the Las Vegas Hilton, because its owners carried the papers on his Neverland ranch. The most probable scenario called for an ongoing "Immortal"-type revue that he could step into 20 or 30 times a year.

But it's hard enough to work around absent stars in "Viva Elvis" or "The Immortal." Most Hilton audiences would have felt they were getting the consolation prize if they knew a few lucky ticket holders would see the real deal.
Sadly, it's simpler this way.

However, we learned last week that "Viva Elvis" has been put on notice to probably close at the end of next year. Disappointing ticket sales motivated the request to ask Cirque to come up with something else.

Perhaps dead celebrity tributes belong on a short list of things -- such as prime rib and lounge acts -- that were better in the fun, cheesy Vegas of the 1980s than the classy new, respectable Vegas.

It's the literal versus the abstract. "Legends" impersonations of Michael and Elvis are silly but earnest expressions. Cirque's more high-minded ambitions can leave us feeling like someone skipped his own party.

"Viva Elvis" was a schizoid mix of biography and Borat; the movie foreigner adrift in the American heartland, struggling to impress. "Love" worked from the get-go because it used the Beatles' music and social history to create its own cohesive world.

When "The Immortal" launched in Montreal two months ago, it landed somewhere in the middle. We'll find out Saturday how it flows now.

But the checks will cash for the Jackson estate either way.

http://www.lvrj.com/living/vegas-loves-a-dead-celebrity-134553733.html

marebear

27-11-2011, 06:11 PM

I have never seen Elvis or Beatles show so I don't know how it compares to Michael's that I did see.

Ashtanga

28-11-2011, 02:43 AM

Michael Jackson the Immortal World Tour over-the-top, worth the price of admission (http://www2.registerguard.com/cms/index.php/guest-bloggers/comments/mjcirque/)

Posted by CRYSTAL STANFORD

http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/d17fdf9b4882b26c0eb17cb3276c8bfe?s=48&r=PG&d=http://www3.registerguard.com/images/standing/sillouette-01.jpg (http://en.gravatar.com/d17fdf9b4882b26c0eb17cb3276c8bfe)
11/18/11
9:41am

By Crystal Stanford,

On Tuesday evening I attended my first-ever event at Matthew Knight Arena, yet another of Phil Knight's opulent multi-million dollar athletic facilities. Matthew Knight Arena cost an amazing $227 million to build, so it was only fitting that my first experience of it was the over the top, larger than life Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour, a show by Cirque du Soleil which reportedly cost $60 million to create.

I started the evening off with dinner up the street from Matt Knight Arena at Agate Alley Bistro. As I cruised south on Agate Street, I gazed at over a dozen semi-trucks parked on the street in front of Hayward Field, no doubt the mode of transportation for Cirque du Soleil's equipment. A couple weeks ago Cirque du Soleil announced that they were canceling their November 16th performance in Eugene, as well as other performances in Spokane and Portland due to unexpected difficulties associated with transporting the colossal show from one city to another. Seeing these semi trucks lining the street it was easy to see why.

Agate Alley Bistro was packed, and it all made sense when our hostess came around to ask if we wanted to sign up for the shuttle. Apparently, Agate Alley shuttles people from the restaurant to the arena for big events via the "Agate Alley Express." While the crowd in the restaurant made the dinner service a bit slow, the shuttle itself seemed to run smoothly and efficiently, and we arrived ten minutes before the show after a quick ride down Agate Street made rather interesting by a raucous group of 30-something drunk women.

I found my seats and the show began (ten minutes late). The opening act was a charming quintet of Michael Jackson look-a-likes attached to harnesses that propelled them to scale a digital screen made to look like a city wall, then a train. While this might sound rather elaborate, I've been to one other Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas, and I couldn't help thinking, "This is it?" It just wasn't big enough, especially for Cirque du Soleil in Nike Colosseum.

Almost as if Michael Jackson (R.I.P.) had read my mind, the act concluded with a background screen falling to reveal the "real" stage, effectively making the performance about five times bigger than it had originally appeared. The crowd was audibly awed. Suddenly I felt a lot better about the show.

And so it began: an hours long, over-the-top, larger-than-life, sensory overload. At any given point during the show, there were at the very least three or four amazing things you could choose to focus your attention on. The back-up band alone was entertaining enough, but all at once in front of them there might be a ballerina in a gilded tutu, a guitar soloist with a giant mohawk, a troupe of acrobats dressed like Oompa Loompas (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson-tour/videos-extras/photos.aspx), a bunch of sparkly Dr. Seuss-like creatures dancing in unison, and a beautiful couple in spandex suits lit with LEDs swinging daringly from the ceiling. All of this to a dynamic Michael Jackson soundtrack.

It was a ridiculously lavish feast for the eyes and ears. Some of my favorite highlights of the show: An amazing cello solo by a beautiful woman in a metallic glitter bikini and thigh-high boots (bet you've never seen that before); "Christmas-light people" swinging from the ceiling (during their performance, the kid next to me screamed out "My eyeballs are vibrating! OWW!"); and a troupe of uber-talented dancers in light-up track suits break-dancing to "Billie Jean" (the best song of all time).

Throughout the show, I periodically found myself subconsciously expecting Michael Jackson to appear on stage, so as soon as I became conscious of it, I suddenly felt sad realizing that was impossible. While some critics have commented that they felt the show lacked heart, there were many moments where I found myself thinking about how complicated it must have been to be Michael Jackson. Especially during a later act while they played a young Michael Jackson singing "I'll Be There," I decided I kind of understood how Michael Jackson came to be the most famous eccentric the world over. How do you deal with being that talented and that famous that young?

I also thoroughly enjoyed being brought back in time with songs I'd adored as a kid, remembering the many moments I'd spent in front of a TV engrossed in yet another impossibly cool Michael Jackson music video: feeling distinctly uneasy from the sense of danger in "Beat It," emulating the dance moves from "Smooth Criminal" with my boy cousins, or feeling a frustrating sense of cosmopolitan inspiration listening to "Black or White" (frustrating because I was about six years old and couldn't really act on it.)

While there were a few things throughout the show that seemed out of place, superfluous, or gratuitous, the bottom line is that Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour is an impressive ode to the King, one that does justice to his complex character and illustrious music career. Definitely worth the expensive tickets.

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/9982/1resized.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/266/1resized.jpg/)

:wild:

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

Memefan

28-11-2011, 11:27 AM

i am not interested in Viva Elvis, but i will try to see Love, just so i can compare with MJ's.

The reviews for Elvis weren't very good from the get go. With that being said, MJ unlike Elvis & the Beatles, has an international fan base. If Vegas is too crowded, they can move the show to London, Tokyo or wherever.

billyworld99

28-11-2011, 12:14 PM

speaking of Elvis

By Mike Weatherford
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Posted: Nov. 23, 2011 | 4:59 p.m.
Updated: Nov. 27, 2011 | 9:13 a.m.

Every Elvis fan knows that before he became the king of Las Vegas in 1969, he famously disappointed it in 1956. It seems he has done so again.

MGM Resorts is likely to ask Cirque du Soleil to close its "Viva Elvis" at the end of next year and replace the Aria production with a new title, according to a company memo.

It would be the first of Cirque's seven Las Vegas titles to close since the opening of "Mystere" in 1993. Ticket sales suggest Las Vegas showgoers are losing their infatuation with Elvis Presley -- or at least Cirque's version of his music -- for the first time since he bombed at the Frontier in '56.

"All of us at Cirque du Soleil are saddened that we may have to bring 'Viva Elvis' to the end of its journey. However, we respect the decision of our partner as ticket sales have not met expectations," Daniel Lamarre, Cirque's president and chief executive officer, wrote in a memo to the cast and crew of the show, which was released after a backstage meeting Wednesday afternoon.

"We will now take the appropriate time to focus on redeploying as many of the show's employees as possible, when the time comes, and evaluating next steps for exploring the many possibilities for creative content," Lamarre added.

The announcement changes previous plans to take the show down for an extended period next winter for substantial changes that would shift the focus from Presley biography to Cirque acrobatics. Now, the show will close only from Feb. 4 to 11, but it will still incorporate the "banguine" acrobatic act from "Zed," another Cirque closing in Japan.

"Elvis" will undergo "some artistic changes but not a full revamp," said Renee-Claude Menard, the show's senior director of public relations.

Lamarre's memo noted that nearly 900 performances have drawn close to 1 million guests since the Presley tribute opened with the hotel in late 2009 (with its formal grand opening in February 2010). "Like you, I am proud of our work on this show and understand that this is simply a business decision," he wrote.

"Viva Elvis" is produced in partnership with CKX Inc., owners of the Presley estate. The title, which drew mixed to negative reviews, was said to be more creatively restricted -- by the estate -- than Cirque's "Love" venture with The Beatles.
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/-viva-elvis-likely-to-close-in-2012-134432593.html?ref=593

elusive moonwalker

28-11-2011, 02:21 PM

hardly been in this thread so could someone link to any youtube footage from the actual shows? thanks

Memefan

28-11-2011, 03:48 PM

love is magical

28-11-2011, 07:15 PM

Yikes!! I think people are moving on from Elvis. His fans are old now...and the younger generation has no connection to him. He doesn't have a Thriller video that is played every single year...he only lasted this long because his estate managers were skewed business people (and one can't forget the race factor). Elvis wasn't a songwriter. He wasn't a dancer. He was just a singer and a bad actor.

I wonder what impact, if any, this might have on MJ's permanent show...? That's why I believe MJ fans should do whatever they can to support these official ventures....If we want MJ to remain in the forefront of the scene for decades to come. Enough of this boycott, bs.

That being said, I am still not sure Vegas is the best place for an MJ show...MJ was international...and Vegas...well...Vegas is local. The recession has hit Vegas real hard...and only our grandparents still think highly of Las Vegas.

I think Cirque can definitely learn from the experience with Viva Elvis and try to understand why the show does not repeat the success of Beatles' Love.

One of the reasons of Viva Elvis' disapponting commercial performance may be diminishing interest in Elvis. It's true that his fans are aging. But, it may have to do with the quality of the show itself. Cirque has its own fanbase. One doesn't need to be an Elvis fan to buy a ticket to see Viva Elvis. If the show is good, it'll attract people. I believe the key is to make the show entertaining to both fans and non-fans. Actually, it'll be even more meaningful if non-fans can come out of the show entertained and amazed, so they will start to leran more about Michael. Some of the reviews of Immortal are promosing. It seems non-fans enjoy the show too.

I also am not sure if Vegas is the most ideal place for the permanent show. For my own selfish reason, I wish they can stage the show in New York or even in London. I don't think Vegas is that cool. I've been to Vegas once and have no desire to go again, except to go to see the permanent show.

respect77

28-11-2011, 07:25 PM

respect77

28-11-2011, 07:31 PM

I also am not sure if Vegas is the most ideal place for the permanent show. For my own selfish reason, I wish they can stage the show in New York or even in London. I don't think Vegas is that cool. I've been to Vegas once and have no desire to go again, except to go to see the permanent show.

Yeah, and at least wouldn't all permanent Cirque shows be in one city and compete with each other. They could have one in LA, one in NY, one in London etc.

love is magical

28-11-2011, 07:48 PM

From the reactions of hardcore Cirque fans to me it seems they don't really like these shows where Cirque-like acrobatic is replaced with dancing. So learning from those past experiences I don't know why didn't they put more acrobatics in the MJ show, so that it would attract and please both MJ and Cirque fans.

I also think non-fans and hardcore Cirque fans seem to enjoy the Cirque-style arobatic more so than the dancing. To some, watching the dancing routines without Michael is like watching some backup dancers. When my mom and I watched the DWTS performance, she's amazed by the acrobats, while I focused on the dance routine. Lol...

Erikmjfan

28-11-2011, 09:02 PM

With preplanned military precision, a fearsome fleet of more than 45 semis, buses and vehicles for the 220-strong cast, crew, equipment, instruments, scenery and theatrical-rigging equipment of Cirque du Soleil’s “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour” spectacular will roll onto the Strip early this week. It will take some 14 hours to set up the largest-ever rock road show for Saturday’s glittering gala premiere, which kicks off the near monthlong run at Mandalay Bay.

More Cirque executives and show creators in the celebration convoy will arrive to join festivities for the first-ever and only Estate-authorized Michael Jackson Fan Fest, with memorabilia and authorized items from Neverland curated especially for the history-making 24-day, twice-nightly run. In all: 117 people in the production team, including 68 technicians; 90 people in the artistic team, including 65 performers; and 16 people in the touring management. An additional 75 Las Vegas workers will be hired as local crew.

Ahead of the Las Vegas extravaganza, which features 32 of Michael’s hits in each 2-hour performance, I flew to Cirque’s world headquarters in Montreal for the show’s world premiere in October. I can tell you it is absolutely amazing, riveting and extraordinarily entertaining -- unlike anything you’ve ever seen before in an arena touring concert. The legend not only lives on, but also will live forever!

It took more than 9,000 hours to create the props and puppets used in “Immortal,” including the 6-foot-tall elephants inspired by Elizabeth Taylor’s gifts of Baba and Gypsy to Michael. Twelve video projectors are used on the screens, and the cast changes in and out of 252 costumes, which have thousands of individual pieces.

Four special highlights you daren’t miss: the one-legged hip-hop dancer who will baffle and thrill with his unique acrobatic skills in tandem with twin dancing sensations Larry and Laurent Bourgeois; the sonic rainforest created for the “Ben” number with all the different animal sounds created by Taiko drums; you don’t just hear the string section in “Childhood” in normal stereo -- the entire orchestra spreads out through the audience, as do the dancers in their robes for the emotionally heart-stopping “Will You Be There” holding blinking hearts with 275 lights that change colors on their costumes to merge into a sky-bound constellation; and also give a little extra applause to my friend Tina Guo, the sexiest electronic cellist on Earth who will knock out the audience.

In Canada, I interviewed the creative and genius musical team for “Immortal,” and all this week leading up to Saturday’s debut, we’ll feature those conversations here daily at VegasDeLuxe.com. Then be sure to obtain your copy of the Las Vegas Sun’s “Immortal” special edition on Saturday. In this series, you’ll read about Jamie King, director; Chantal Tremblay, director of creation; Greg Phillinganes, musical director; Kevin Antunes, musical designer; Michael Curry, props and scenic designer; Mark Fisher, set designer; Olivier Goulet, projection and video content designer; Zaldy Goco, costume designer; and Martin Labrecque, lighting designer.

“Immortal” is the world’s largest Michael Jackson theatrical show, and Cirque, who last week announced the surprise 2012 closing of its Elvis Presley show “Viva Elvis” here at Aria, has a $100-million bet riding on the King of Pop’s success. It will be a full year after “Immortal” moves on from Las Vegas to continue its global 4-year tour before a second and permanent Michael Jackson show residency -- and Neverland-themed nightclub -- by Cirque opens at Mandalay Bay’s Lion King Theater, which closes here Dec. 31 for the 12-month makeover. After the expected shuttering of “Viva Elvis,” Michael’s show will then be the seventh Cirque show on the Strip.

Michael’s love affair with Cirque began in the late 1980s when he went to its tent show in Santa Monica, Calif., with lawyer John Branca, who serves as the Estate’s co-executor today. “I'll never forget it. We drove to Santa Monica together -- no bodyguards -- and sat there in the front row,” John told me. “Michael was dazzled, and backstage after the show he wanted to meet all the performers. It was a very passionate evening. He became a huge Cirque fan.”

Michael, who saw every Cirque show here more than once, visited Cirque headquarters in Montreal in 2004 and had many talks about working with the French-Canadian performing troupe on a show in which he would star. Cirque President and CEO Daniel Lamarre said, “Just as Michael was ahead of his time, we had to be ahead of our time with this show. Not only have we used all the technology there is, but we have developed new technologies to create a breakthrough as Michael did when he was touring.”

Every creative person on the “Immortal” team that I spoke with told me that right from the first day of rehearsals, they all felt that Michael was still with them in spirit, not only watching over the production but also that this was the show he would have blessed and wanted himself.

Creator, writer and chief choreographer Jamie King told me: “Our performers are honored, inspired yet humbled in maintaining his legacy and preserving what he left behind for the world to enjoy. They feel Michael is here in every way. As much of an emotional roller coaster ride it has been, they are proud to be a part of it.

“Michael has been the guiding hand in all of this, and he would have definitely signed off on it, as well. The entire show is generated from his lead vocals, from the master recordings, and so he’s with us every night. There are elements that bring him back to life. This has become the tour he couldn’t do.”

First up today, we have our conversation with Michael’s brothers Marlon, Tito and Jackie, and their verdicts on “Immortal.”

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.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/nov/28/michael-jackson-immortal-world-tour-and-fan-fest-r/

elusive moonwalker

28-11-2011, 09:41 PM

I also think non-fans and hardcore Cirque fans seem to enjoy the Cirque-style arobatic more so than the dancing. To some, watching the dancing routines without Michael is like watching some backup dancers. When my mom and I watched the DWTS performance, she's amazed by the acrobats, while I focused on the dance routine. Lol...

which is a reservation i have about seeing the show. hence why i asked above is anyone has any links to footage from the actual show. the reservation being i have no intrest seeing back up dancers doing mjs moves its like a kick in the teeth to me as it reinforces what has happened and its like why do i wanna see others doing his moves when it will never be as good. so i hope the whole show interms of the special effects etc would make it worth seeing. as i watched the clip above from the dancing with the stars prog and there seemed no point seeing a bunch of dancers trying to dance like mj. obviously that was just them in the studio not the actual show

anyone seen the show who actually show mj perform? does that make u have a different opinion of the show.

Memefan

28-11-2011, 10:49 PM

Mods, please pin this thread as we will need to refer to it on and off for the next year, until the shows move overseas. Thank you

Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour - Two new Ottawa performances at Scotiabank Place on July 24 and 25, 2012

(Ottawa) – Following the success of three sold-out performances at the beginning of October, The Estate of Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soleil are proud to announce that Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour™ will return to Ottawa on July 24 and 25, 2012 at Scotiabank Place. This once-in-a-lifetime electrifying production combines Michael Jackson music and choreography with Cirque du Soleil creativity to give fans worldwide a unique view into the spirit, passion and heart of the artistic genius who forever transformed global pop culture. The show is written and directed by Jamie King, the leading concert director in pop music today, and features more than 60 international dancers, musicians and acrobats.

Starting today, Cirque Club members have exclusive access to purchase presale tickets online atwww.cirqueclub.com (http://www.cirqueclub.com/) for five days only. Starting Friday, Dec. 2 at noon, tickets will be available to the general public at www.cirquedusoleil.com/MichaelJackson (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/MichaelJackson), by visiting www.CapitalTickets.ca (http://www.CapitalTickets.ca/), by phone at 613-599-FANS (3267) or 1-877-788-FANS (3267); in person at The Sens Store at Carlingwood Mall and Place d’Orléans, any Ottawa Sports Experts location; Les Galeries de Hull and at the Scotiabank Place box office. Prices vary from $50 to $250.

A riveting fusion of visuals, dance, music and fantasy that immerses audiences in Michael’s creative world, 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.

Writer and Director Jamie King has been called one of the most influential “movers and shakers” in the music industry, and the “Jerry Bruckheimer of tent-pole concert tours" by Variety. A multiple Emmy Award® and MTV Video Music Award® nominee, he has choreographed some of the most popular music videos and directed some of the highest grossing concert tours of all time. For the past 12 years, he has served as Madonna's creative director, and most recently directed world tours for Rihanna, Celine Dion, Spice Girls, Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne. King has worked with an array of superstars including Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Shakira, George Michael, Elton John, Diana Ross, Jennifer Lopez and even Ellen DeGeneres. This is Jamie’s first show with Cirque du Soleil.
- end -

http://www.scotiabankplace.com/en/default.asp?scotiabankplace=57&urlkeyword=News Detail&objId=114

Memefan

28-11-2011, 11:03 PM

MICHAEL JACKSON’S BROTHERS WEIGH IN ON CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S ‘IMMORTAL’

Thousands of fans cheered from the first moment one of the “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour” cast members shot up to the top of an exploding fire hydrant and danced on the high-powered water jet. However, Cirque du Soleil chief Daniel Lamarre only wanted to listen to the verdict from Michael’s family at last month’s world premiere in Montreal, where the entertainment company is headquartered.
“We did all this for them,” Daniel told me. “We wanted to do it at the level of Michael. I just hope that the Jackson family will enjoy it. This is the big night, a lot of money on the table, a lot of creativity at stake. ‘Immortal’ takes us where we have not gone before. Tonight is the night, the result of a long journey, and the month we are in Vegas will be the most important for us.”
Cirque didn’t have to worry. The verdicts on the 180,000-pound, two-level stage spectacle from Marlon, Tito and Jackie were unanimous: “Fantastic, exciting high energy -- it captures the essence of our brother. It was even better than we dared envision -- way more. A 10-star show. For an opening night without previews, this was incredible. In fact, remarkable -- so when it arrives in Vegas, it will truly be awesome.”
Michael’s mom Katherine Jackson and his children Prince Michael, 14, Prince Michael II (aka Blanket), 9, and daughter Paris, 13, all walked the premiere’s red carpet in Montreal, as we reported (http://www.vegasdeluxe.com/blogs/luxe-life/2011/oct/03/review-emimmortalem-will-keep-michael-jacksons-leg/) and reviewed last month (http://www.vegasdeluxe.com/blogs/luxe-life/2011/oct/03/photos-cirques-emimmortalem-show-michael-would-hav/). “They couldn’t wait to see it. They were so excited,” Tito told me.

The brothers continued: “We were captivated. It’s so truly great, it’s impossible not to like it. We felt Michael’s presence. We felt we were all back onstage with the music we used to do in concerts. We wanted to get up onstage and join in. You just felt his energy and his presence. Several times during the show, we agreed Michael would really be proud of this. Everybody who sees this won’t just enjoy it, they’ll go wow. Wow!”
It’s impossible to separate the enthusiasm of the three brothers since they finish one another’s thoughts and sentences and speak over one another. “When the cast wore the lighted suits and were showing the universe, it brought tears to our eyes. We cried during the ‘Gone Too Soon’ ballad. Our mother was probably bawling out there.
“We want to thank Cirque for capturing it perfectly so people can understand the true person Michael was: his unity, his love, wanting to make the world a better place, make people get along and make us understand that we are brothers and sisters and we should be unified and fight for the same goals and the same love. This absolutely contributes to his legacy. Without a doubt, Michael would have signed off on this show. When you have Cirque and Michael together, people expect to see something extra special, and it’ll go far with this show around the whole world. His music is so powerful, it’s a universal language that everybody can gravitate to the positive -- his music in ‘Immortal’ can bring the world together as one and in harmony.

“Bringing Cirque and Michael together amplifies that message even broader. Only Cirque could show hearts and the world with a Band-Aid healing all. That was Michael’s whole message his entire career, that he wanted to get people together to help us understand that love is so important and with loving hearts that we can capture anything and overcome anything. We are one, we are all one.

“You see so many different heads of states fighting, but when you leave this earth, you are only going to be judged on one thing, and that’s what you’ve done for others, not what you’ve obtained while you are here on planet Earth because we are one. Unite the world and everybody moves in one force, and that’s the force of peace.

“Michael loved Vegas. He saw every Cirque show, so for him to be a part of the Cirque family now would have been a dream come true for him. He was here in spirit tonight, but I wish he’d actually been here. He would have loved what we saw. It wasn’t just his music -- it was his heart, what he did for people, how he tried to change the world to be a better place, to care about the sick and needy -- that came before his music.

“He then used the music to help others, to help build children’s hospitals, to help people who needed education. He would provide for families in need, sometimes sending $5,000 to a family to have a beautiful Christmas. That was the true Michael Jackson, the things you don’t hear about that we knew he did is what made him a very beautiful person. He never wanted publicity or to brag about it. He just did it out of the goodness of his heart.

“God blessed us with a musical gift. God just doesn’t bless you with something without a reason. The international power that family has hold of Michael took it to another level. Our mission was to go out and bring people together as one, through our music, and that started from the Jackson 5 days when we used to do concerts. We’d go visit the hospitals and the sick kids … and bring joy into their lives and unite people together as one, unify the planet, unify the world as one. And that’s what the world needs, a peaceful front, a peaceful environment. It’s in every one of the lyrics we sang."

Daniel told me that some of the elements from the touring “Immortal” show will be used for the residency show that follows in 2013. “In a sense, our arena concerts at Mandalay Bay will be a teaser for what’s to come with the permanent one. That’s in development now and moving along nicely.” I’ll update that progress when I meet with him this weekend.
Marlon, Tito and Jackie revealed that there’s a possibility of them reuniting for their own show: “In Vegas, at a hotel and casino to be named later. Everything’s possible. Never say never, let’s put it that way. There could be something.”
Tomorrow, it’s the behind-the-scenes geniuses and design technicians who make the magic of Michael come to life.
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.

marebear

28-11-2011, 11:35 PM

The thing is the permanent show is suppose to be different than the show now right? This was the only cirque show I saw so I can't compare it to anything.

ExoticPrincess

29-11-2011, 12:09 AM

Marlon, Tito and Jackie revealed that there’s a possibility of them reuniting for their own show: “In Vegas, at a hotel and casino to be named later. Everything’s possible. Never say never, let’s put it that way. There could be something.”

:smilerolleyes:.....

respect77

29-11-2011, 04:27 AM

^^ I agree with Memefan. This and the Immortal thread should be pinned. I don't know why they got unpinned. This is still an ungoing project and Immortal just came out...

bluesky

29-11-2011, 04:49 AM

Elvis Presley is about the leave the building, again. But it isn’t his fault that the Cirque du Soleil Show tribute show Viva ELVIS has just been more or less evicted from theAria Resort in Las Vegas where it has been playing for almost two years (about 900 performances).

For the details of what’s going on, check out the Las Vegas Sun (http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/nov/23/mgm-resorts-tells-cirque-shutter-viva-elvis/). Or the Las Vegas Review-Journal (http://www.lvrj.com/news/-viva-elvis-closing-fails-to-stun-some-134448973.html?ref=973). They report that MGM Resorts, which owns the Aria, has asked theCirque du Soleil to replace its Viva ELVIS show by the end of 2012. Ticket sales were not living up to expectations. The show had been scheduled for a revamp early in the new year. But now plans are underway to move its acrobats to other Cirque shows around the globe.

The question is why weren’t people buying tickets to Viva ELVIS? Was the show that bad? Nope. I’ve seen it twice. And I’d gladly see it again. (I can’t say the same for Criss Angel’s BELIEVE or Zumanity, two other Cirque shows in Vegas.)

I wasn’t crazy about the dance-heavy Viva ELVIS concept. As an Elvis fan, I wanted more of his presence, more of his hit songs. As a Cirque fan I wanted more stunning acrobatics. But, from the beginning, the biggest problem I saw with Viva ELVIS (besides the director, who was just the wrong person for the job) was the resort itself.
What the hell was Viva ELVIS doing at the soulless entity that is City Centre, a sanitized mini-city for rich urbanites that came into existence just in time for the crash of 2008? If an Elvis tribute show had been mounted in the Vegas Hilton where Elvisfamously performed, it might have been a hit. Or in any Vegas resort that has a bit of the Old Las Vegas feel. Judging from the cut-rate deals the nouveau riche Aria atCity Centre been offering recently, I’m guessing it’s feeling a little desperate for customers. But let’s not blame it on Elvis. Or his show.

When I was in Las Vegas to cover the opening of Viva ELVIS I can remember standing in the Elvis-themed gift shop at the Aria listening to his piped in voice singing the lyrics “We’re caught in a trap, I can’t get out”, from his song Suspicious Minds and finding it terribly poignant. The place just felt so wrong for him, and his show. It felt like a silver cage.

The Viva ELVIS debacle to be a serious setback for the Cirque du Soleil (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/), which is also closing ZED in Japan at the end of this year. The Cirque has opened seven shows in Las Vegas since its Mystere debuted in 1993. Up until now, none of them have closed. I find it shocking that Viva ELVIS will be the first one to go. What a missed opportunity for all concerned.

Prediction: If the premature closing of Viva ELVIS does come to pass at the end of 2012 as indicated this week, someone else will inevitably get on the case and come up with another Elvis tribute mega-spectacle in Las Vegas. (With or without the presence of any of the city’s numerous Elvis impersonators.)

Meanwhile, another Cirque tribute, the arena show, Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL Show, is on its way to Vegas for a four-week run at Mandalay Bay Resort. That will mean eight Cirques in Vegas, all at once.
Flirting with saturation point, I’d say.

http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2011/11/28/the-demise-of-viva-elvis-in-las-vegas-dont-blame-elvis/

KOPV

29-11-2011, 05:42 AM

Cirque is hoping to have the technology to have MJ on stage on some way at the stationary version in Vegas via hologram or another technology depending on how advanced technology is by that time.. they are researching and trying to see what will be available.. I am going to skip when they come because I already know the stationary version will be better!! I will wait.. I am in no rush.. Since MICHAEL is not coming I am in no rush!

bluesky

29-11-2011, 07:22 PM

We're heading to Vegas for Michael Jackson show premiere

http://www.cfnews13.com/static/articles/images/mj_tilt.jpg

THE IMMORTAL World Tour dancers

http://www.cfnews13.com/static/articles/images/news2011/mj_aerial.jpg
http://www.cfnews13.com/static/articles/images/mj_contort.jpg
http://www.cfnews13.com/static/articles/images/mj_immortal.jpg
http://www.cfnews13.com/static/articles/images/mj_tilt.jpg

By Allison Walker (http://www.cfnews13.com/about/bios), Entertainment Reporter/Anchor
Last Updated: Monday, November 28, 2011 4:00 PM

MORE INFO

The IMMORTAL World Tour - Official (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson-tour/default.aspx?utm_medium=url-redirection&utm_source=cirquedusoleil-com&utm_campaign=061511^cds^_vanity-url-redirect&utm_content=vanity-url&utm_term=cirquedusoleil-com/michaeljackson&icid=imj_urr_cds_url_wtf_cds_061511_vanity-url-redirect_cirquedusoleil-com/michaeljackson)
Get tickets for Orlando shows (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson-tour/tickets/orlando.aspx)

ORLANDO -- Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour is coming to the Amway Center in February. Since it premieres in Las Vegas this Saturday, we're heading there to give you a sneak peek.

The Cirque du Soleil production, however, won't open quietly. It's a red carpet, star-studded event!

Here's our coverage plan:
- Friday, Dec. 2 - Meet up with Vegas headliners and performers to hear what they think about this Jackson-themed show. What will make it successful? Does it have more appeal than Viva Elvis (which Cirque has been asked to replace by the end of 2012 due to poor ticket sales)?

- Saturday, Dec. 3 - Red carpet arrivals from 6-7 p.m. We'll catch up with the celebs as they make their way inside the Mandalay Bay Arena. World premiere is at 7 p.m. Tune into News 13 starting Sunday morning for fresh video.

- Sunday, Dec. 4 - Members of the Jackson Family will be welcoming us (and selected media) to the first-ever Michael Jackson Estate-authorized Fan Fest from 10-noon. Michael's brothers Marlon, Jackie and Tito will be meeting fans for one day only, starting at noon. From 1-3 p.m., we're taking our cameras backstage. Tune into News 13 Sunday and Monday for special On The Town reports.

Fan Fest is designed to transport fans through the life of the mega-star, showcasing never-before-seen personal items and career memorabilia. Featured memorabilia will include costumes, the Fantasy glove collection from the 1980s, award statues, tickets, the famed rocket plane from the “Leave Me Alone” video, a castle displayed in the living room of Neverland, and others.

Each session of Michael Jackson Fan Fest will last for four hours in Mandalay Bay’s (http://www.mandalaybay.com/entertainment/michael-jackson-tour.aspx) Bayside Exhibit Hall. Fan Fest will be open from noon to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Dec. 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 6, 7, 13, and 14.

You can buy tickets even if you're not seeing the Cirque show. Fan Fest ticket prices start at $35 (plus fees) for general admission, with $75 for VIP tickets. VIP tickets include priority entrance into the event and all activities within the event, a commemorative lanyard, and access to the VIP-only lounge.

For more information or to buy tickets for the event in Vegas, you can visit: www.michaeljacksonfanfest.com (http://www.michaeljacksonfanfest.com/).
So what's the IMMORTAL World Tour, presented by the Estate of Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soleil, going to look like when it comes here? The production gives Michael Jackson music a Cirque "twist," portraying a unique view into the spirit, passion, and heart of the artistic genius who forever transformed pop culture. At times, there will be lots of "Michaels" on stage. There will be smoke, pyrotechnics, jaw-dropping bodily contortions, and heart-thumping music you'll want to sing along to. The production features more than 60 international dancers, musicians, and acrobats, all striving to capture the essence and soul of the King of Pop.

http://www.cfnews13.com/article/entertainment/2011/november/347196/Were-heading-to-Vegas-for-Michael-Jackson-show-premiere

bluesky

01-12-2011, 06:55 AM

The inside scoop on Mandalay Bay’s new Michael Jackson Cirque show

Michael Jackson’s Immortal world tour is a floating sort of show. Time itself floats, drifting through Jackson’s 50-year lifespan with no sense of chronology or order.
A balloon carrying an animatronic Jackson hovers above the audience. Five comic figures, representing either the Jackson 5 or Jackson himself, drift in and out of the production. You’re asked, in Immortal, to allow your imagination to sort of float freely, as did the forever-young Michael. His ceaseless childhood and dreamy imagination are depicted throughout.
The Details<dl 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: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 15px; "><dt style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; 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; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(217, 203, 167); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">MICHAEL JACKSON: THE IMMORTAL WORLD TOUR</dt></dl><dl 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: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 15px; "><dd style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; 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; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(123, 57, 28); font-weight: bold; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; ">December 3-27</dd><dd style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; 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; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(123, 57, 28); font-weight: bold; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; ">Dates and times vary, $50-$175</dd><dd style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; 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; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(123, 57, 28); font-weight: bold; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; ">Mandalay Bay Events Center, 800-745-3000</dd></dl>

The tour stops at Mandalay Bay Events Center for an extended stay December 3-27. In Las Vegas, the arena concert is a precursor to the resident show that will be staged across the hotel at Mandalay Bay Theater beginning in early 2013.
What translates from the big show to the more intimate version are far-off decisions. But the arena production, which I caught on opening night—October 2, in Montreal—is a vast and all-encompassing experience in which no expense has been spared.
The show begins with the five dancing Jacksons performing on a set resembling Neverland, a giant tree—what Jackson used to call a Giving Tree for its spiritually nourishing powers—set hugely in the middle as the fantasy’s epicenter. Midway through the show, those characters perform a medley of “I Want You Back” and “ABC,” dancing and miming the lyrics with a live band thumping behind them.
http://photo.lasvegasweekly.com/img/photos/2011/11/30/MJTIWT_OSA-IMAGES_24_t180.jpg?6ec45598a0efd272cf6d6631efc8bba e7a2ee918 (http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/photos/2011/nov/30/281288/)Photo: OSA Images

The live ensemble features several players from Jackson’s former studio and concert bands. The musical designer who lords over the live adaptation of Jackson’s recorded voice with the players onstage is Kevin Antunes, a master keyboardist and arranger. The show’s music director is Greg Phillinganes, also a keyboard ace and a Jackson collaborator for 30 years. Phillinganes was the music director on the Bad and Dangerous concert tours, and both Antunes and Phillinganes have worked with many of the top artists in contemporary music.
The musical narrative returns repeatedly to Neverland’s entrance as a kind of home base. After a somewhat tepid start, with a handful of acrobats walking up a brick wall in the same way you’d see performers in KÀ work that show’s distinctive stage, the show opens full throttle with explosives blowing back a large drape and dancers performing to a mashup of “Billie Jean” and “Smooth Criminal.”
Soon, Jackson’s voice painfully asks, “Have you seen my childhood?” as a Neverland-fashioned carnival plays out onstage and the balloon carrying his robotic self looms overhead.
http://photo.lasvegasweekly.com/img/photos/2011/11/30/MJTIWT_OSA-IMAGES_13_t180.jpg?6ec45598a0efd272cf6d6631efc8bba e7a2ee918 (http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/photos/2011/nov/30/281289/)

As directed and choreographed by onetime Jackson dancer Jamie King, who performed on the 1992 Dangerous tour, all the Jackson favorites are rolled out. The familiar “Thriller” dance number is resurrected, though the mummified dancers don all-white costumes rather than the dingy attire from the famous video.
“Smooth Criminal” becomes a full-scale, Broadway-styled production number, with dancers performing the familiar forward lean across the stage. “Beat It” and “Bad” are pinned together in an ear-splitting rendition, as dancers inhabit Jackson’s giant black-and-white leather shoes and his trademark sequined glove. “Human Nature” is conveyed with dancers carrying glowing red hearts into the aisles as the audience sways.
There’s enough Cirque to satisfy traditionalists, as aerialists and gymnasts flipping from rings are summoned in for the latter parts of the show. Dancers bounce across a circular drum-styled platform that juts out from the main stage. A total of 52 dancers, acrobats, contortionists and aerialists fill the space.
http://photo.lasvegasweekly.com/img/photos/2011/11/30/MJTIWT_OSA-IMAGES_6_t180.jpg?6ec45598a0efd272cf6d6631efc8bbae 7a2ee918 (http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/photos/2011/nov/30/281290/)Photo: OSA Images

Characteristic of Jackson’s eccentric lifestyle, a man inhabiting a Bubbles the chimp costume and acting as a club DJ makes repeated appearances. Some of the performances in the talent-laden Cirque cast are simply mind-blowing. One of the dancers spins about on one leg. A female cellist is moved center stage and manages physical and musical beauty. A burst of pyrotechnics closes the production as “Black or White” thunders.
Cirque has reminded us that Jackson was not merely a tragic figure, but an inspired and uniquely influential entertainment visionary. Cirque plays this show as big as any production in the company’s nearly 30-year history, requiring 40 trucks to haul the equipment, instruments, set pieces and costumes across the country.
Rightfully, Danielle Lamarre, Cirque’s chief executive officer, has said the show is a “rock concert.” True, the production is more reflective of a Lady Gaga performance than, say, Mystère. Those who have not been exposed to Cirque at all will easily float through the show, accepting the vaguely assembled order of events. But the show lacks the intimacy of Cirque shows set in theaters around the Strip, and at its heart the company specializes in up-close artistry. It began as street performance, even.
But Immortal is a big and broad, loudly and colorfully conceived biographical depiction of a mercurial artist. To see something more in line with traditional Cirque, wait for the resident show to hit Mandalay Bay in 2013. It’s a long time to wait, but in Jackson’s world, time floats at its own whim.

http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2011/nov/30/inside-scoop-mandalay-bays-new-michael-jackson-cir/

Memefan

01-12-2011, 10:34 AM

Wow..great coverage for Orlando viewers.

I think now that we've gotten some justice for MJ and the trial is over, the estate will be able to get major press, unlike the premiere in Montreal, which was subdued.

Erikmjfan

01-12-2011, 08:55 PM

http://www.vegasdeluxe.com/blogs/luxe-life/2011/nov/29/costume-designer-technicians-bring-michael-jackson/

Costume designer Zaldy Goco (Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga) was personally chosen by the late King of Pop Michael Jackson for the London This Is It concerts that were canceled because of the superstar’s unexpected death. When Cirque du Soleil called Zaldy a year later to create an all-new, outrageous wardrobe for “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour,” he didn’t know if he wanted the assignment.

Now on Saturday, he’ll have 20 of his family and friends see his creations for the first time at the gala premiere of “Immortal” at Mandalay Bay. (Incidentally, Dr. Conrad Murray was sentenced today to the maximum four years in prison for involuntary manslaughter in Michael’s death.)

Zaldy told me: “I was designing Michael’s outfits for This Is It -- that’s the first time I met him. My first meeting was insane because I work unfazed with a lot of celebrities, but this is Michael Jackson, so it’s a whole other realm. Not even celebrity; it’s just like icon. When they said Michael is ready to see you, he’s sitting on a couch alone, turns, looks at me, looks down at my shoes and goes, ‘I love the shoes’ … and that’s how we started.

Photo: TVT

"Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour" costume designer Zaldy Goco.

Photo: TVT

"Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour" costume designer Zaldy Goco.

“Cirque offered me ‘Immortal’ when I was in Japan. It was only one year after his passing, and I asked myself, ‘Do I really wanna go there?’ Then I decided it’s another opportunity to keep the spirit of Michael alive and to keep his fans happy. This is exactly what he wanted, to be eternal. What was important to me in the first meetings I said was I don’t think that we should take anything from ‘This Is It’ because Michael is all about bringing new technology and new ideas to his fans. He always wanted to present something new and interesting.

“His fans have seen ‘This Is It,’ or in the form that we saw it. They’ve seen all the costumes. I said we have to do something new, something that Michael would be excited about in 2011. It’s all new. The only thing I decided to keep was the LED lighting for ‘Billie Jean’ because I gave Michael the original idea of lighting up. But we created LED technology just for this. It was fantastic, so advanced it reached a new level that nobody else has. You’ll see it in the ‘Heal the World’ number and the full suits at the finale.”

I noted that Zaldy had said Michael wanted to remain eternal, so I asked him to explain further. “I think that’s what he wanted -- from his history from the cryogenics. In the long term … he’ll always be remembered, and keeping his ideas and his message alive is something that he really, really wanted.”

Zaldy had a team of 100 wardrobe people to make all the clothes for “Immortal.” He’s mum about the exact cost but says it was less than $10 million. Thirty others help the cast in and out of his costumes during the 2-hour show.

Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour

“I’m very happy with it. My plan A was too ambitious and too expensive, but it’s turned out so fabulous,” he said. “In ‘They Don’t Care About Us,’ the soldiers, for Plan A, were really elaborate and super expensive, but instead we came up with a higher technology for the outfits, which were much better, and they moved easier when lit up using Mytex foil with padding.

“I was only disappointed that my designs and fabrics had to be changed to meet fire-code proofing because of the pyrotechnics and putting harnesses under Lycra suits. Challenging and crazy! No one but me will know that the original fabrics for the gangsters number were a lot more beautiful, but I had to sacrifice to get something to pass the fire codes.

“Any time I work on a project with an artist or a collection or anything, there is always a muse, and the muse inspires everything. I wouldn’t have come up with any of this if it wasn’t for the inspiration of Michael Jackson. …. Everything is inspired by him. I was star-struck by him. I couldn’t believe he did the moonwalk for me or he sung for me. I looked into his eyes and saw the most beautiful soul I have ever seen in my life. We were a long way into the process of his outfits for This Is It. Final fittings, but they were made. Now the estate owns them.

“I see ‘Immortal’ and know Michael would love this, really love this. At our last fitting, I was able to let him try on the pants with the LED lights. We put him in front of the mirror. I switched them on, they started to change colors -- it was 40 seconds of silence, and only then he said, ‘It’s everything I’ve always wanted.’

Michael Jackson's This Is It @Palms

“He was so happy, and I wish he was able to try on the entire thing, but … it wasn’t to be. You’ll see them in the ‘Celestial/Human Nature’ scene, though. Each costume has 275 specially designed blinking LED lights, and I tear up when I see them.”

Production and video content

It took companies with 60 editors in California and Cirque’s headquarters in Montreal a year with 450 hours of video -- evenly divided – to create the cinegraphic and editorial montages of the nonstop, wall-to-wall projection in the 2-hour show.

Olivier Goulet, the projection and video content designer, told me: “We had video that we found that nobody had seen before. We used some of it. The only parts from ‘This Is It’ we used here were for ‘Planet Earth’ and ‘They Don’t Care About Us.’ ”

Photo: TVT

Michael Curry and a prop from "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour."

Another backstage genius is scenic designer Michael Curry, who has worked on three Cirque shows in Las Vegas: “Love” at the Mirage, “Ka” at MGM Grand and Criss Angel’s “Believe” at the Luxor. He designed the animatronics for “Immortal,” including one of the world’s lightest robots ever produced, a 2-pound version of Michael at age 6 made in carbon fiber and titanium for a 9-pound, 22-foot-tall balloon that is flown over the arena via radio control from off stage.

“We made him slightly larger than life size so the back rows can see him. I sculpted him myself. I did the painting on him to try to carefully capture Michael’s spirit. I know he’s happy with that. I couldn’t see his eyes from the back row, so I put these beautiful Swarovski crystals there, which really grab light ,and you can see that glint he had in his eye at 6 years old.

Love Fifth-Anniversary Red Carpet

“I was one of the designers on This Is It … and so, for me ‘Immortal’ is especially lovely yet bittersweet to be able to complete and bring to the audience some of these elements. There is nothing I’ve designed that replicates what I did for This Is It. We let that stand alone, but certainly the essence and the spirit of it, and Michael’s assignment in my ear, is always there, you know, what does the audience see? What would they think of this?

“Every time I would tell him what he was going to get, he would ask, ‘What is the audience seeing?’ He was really personally involved in everything -- not for himself, but for the audience. That’s what made him so great. I know that he would have been thrilled by this show. The audience won’t see, but I knew that Michael would have wanted it that complete.

“For Cirque to reach out in an arena show is tough. The human acrobat as your guide had to grow in scale, so it was very important that the props and the scenic elements help expand the vision of it. That was the more challenging part of the assignment. Secondly, Cirque is known for human energy, the performances, and rock shows aren’t necessarily the same. They are about the stars and big video screens, so we had to bridge the scale to the human body.

“You’ll see every puppet, every prop is interactive with the performers, so everybody reacts differently every night. It continues Michael’s spirit. There was no creative on this show that didn’t use that as the guiding light. If anybody didn’t, we would correct them immediately.” Neither Michael nor Cirque will reveal the cost of the flying Michael, but I did discover there are two backups in storage.

Tomorrow, our five-part “Immortal” series continues with Chantal Tremblay, the director of creation. Yesterday, we posted an interview with Michael’s brothers Marlon, Jackie and Tito and an overview of “Immortal”.

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

02-12-2011, 09:15 PM

Creation director: ‘Immortal’ is unlike any other Cirque du Soleil show
By <cite>Robin Leach</cite> (http://www.lasvegassun.com/staff/robin-leach/) (contact (http://www.lasvegassun.com/staff/robin-leach/contact/))
Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011 | 11:01 p.m.
More arts and entertainment

Check out Robin Leach's VegasDeLuxe.com (http://www.vegasdeluxe.com/) for more celebrity and A&E coverage.

Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour (http://www.lasvegassun.com/photos/galleries/2011/oct/02/michael-jackson-immortal-world-tour-cirque-soleil/) http://photos.lasvegassun.com/media/img/photos/2011/10/01/scaled.MJTIWT_OSA%20IMAGES_2_t320.JPG?0f3ddbed359e ab2c0b293f3dd101a0fde643f8b3 Launch slideshow » (http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/nov/30/creation-director-immortal-unlike-any-other-cirque/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter)

Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour: Red Carpet (http://www.lasvegassun.com/photos/galleries/2011/oct/03/michael-jackson-immortal-world-tour-red-carpet/) http://photos.lasvegassun.com/media/img/photos/2011/10/02/ThreeCastRedCarpet_t320.jpg?0f3ddbed359eab2c0b293f 3dd101a0fde643f8b3 Launch slideshow » (http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/nov/30/creation-director-immortal-unlike-any-other-cirque/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter)

http://photos.lasvegassun.com/media/img/photos/2011/12/01/SalahChantalTremblaySalahTVT1_t198.jpg?cdfb4b79ec6 77a25380d4d2ab25aad58f36db2ce (http://www.lasvegassun.com/photos/2011/nov/30/141440/) TVT
Salah Benlemoawanssa and Chantal Tremblay of Cirque du Soleil's "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour."

http://photos.lasvegassun.com/media/img/photos/2011/12/01/SalahChantalTremblayTVT2_t198.jpg?cdfb4b79ec677a25 380d4d2ab25aad58f36db2ce (http://www.lasvegassun.com/photos/2011/nov/30/141441/) TVT
Salah Benlemoawanssa and Chantal Tremblay of Cirque du Soleil's "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour."

Cirque du Soleil and Michael Jackson (http://www.lasvegassun.com/photos/galleries/2010/nov/03/cirque-du-soleil-michael-jackson-immortal/) http://photos.lasvegassun.com/media/img/photos/2010/11/03/scaled.Storyboard2_t320.jpg?0f3ddbed359eab2c0b293f 3dd101a0fde643f8b3 Launch slideshow » (http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/nov/30/creation-director-immortal-unlike-any-other-cirque/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter)

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It was a 20-month journey from the first day of planning “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour” spectacular to curtain up on its world premiere at Cirque du Soleil headquarters in Montreal last month. The nearly two-year process fell on the shoulders of Chantal Tremblay, the company’s director of creation.

Chantal told me that the most important first step was putting the team together, and that took place at Neverland: “It was the first brick we set in stone for building. To start the show, to have a team, to be inspired so much by Neverland, we were so close to Michael in one sense there. It became the first step of our inspiration.

“Right from the start, it was all about Michael’s music, not the chronological story of his life. So we built the show in musical sections rather than as a story. Once we’d decided that at the beginning of our journey, we didn’t question it once -- we simply stayed with that. Our director, Jamie King, knew himself working with Michael that the music was the way to tell the story. Michael’s own songs drove the visual of the show and acted as the inspiration for the choreographers, the set designers -- everybody!

“We started with Neverland, and we brought the audience there. Instead of a chronological story, it was by section of things that were really important for Michael. That inspired us, too, to create more and better. It’s the messages in the songs that were the most important. The messages of ‘The World Upside Down’ and taking care of our Planet Earth came after the scary section with the monsters, gangsters and ‘Thriller.’ ”

I had to ask Chantal how she thought the percentage of Cirque versus the percentage of Michael Jackson worked out without huge personality clashes. She told me: “That’s a hard question, but I would say one-third Cirque, one-third a pop concert and one-third of Michael. But it is all married together. Michael is still the start of everything, obviously, but it’s a hybrid of those three worlds.

“There was no wrestling between us as to who wanted more than the other. Right from the beginning, the pop concert formula was very clear. We were not going to do a traditional Cirque show in an arena. This is the first time Cirque has entered the pop arena business, so it is different from anything you have in Las Vegas. This is about performance and feeling, with the perfect mix and fusion of rock ’n’ roll sexy and dangerous.

“We didn’t even want to go overboard with the level of acrobatics Cirque is so well known for, but you will see great tricks, great feats of acrobatics at the highest level. The white-and-black swan we saw on the lake at Neverland the first time we went there as they loved each other -- neck wrapped around neck -- was the inspiration for the strap sequence with our acrobats.

“We never set out saying we want this performance or that performance. We took it a completely different way and let Michael’s music steer us. It was a challenge for us because it was so different from what we do normally, but I’m very proud of what we put together. You might call them Cirque trademarks, but these performances are totally different because there’s a lot of youth, a lot of young stuff, energy, free running and very untraditional tumbling. We never wanted our work to distract from Michael’s work.”

There’s no question that the 65 performers in “Immortal” are remarkable and different from any we have seen on the Strip: fiery, yet beautifully sexy rock musicians to the amazing one-legged hip-hop dancer to the twin dancers Larry and Laurent Bourgeois. There’s also the very remarkable principal dancer Salah Benlemoawanssa.

I wondered if Cirque ever worried about running out of talented performers and how they discovered people new and different for “Immortal.” “It’s always a challenge,” Chantal said. “After making so many shows, you still want to find something special. For ‘Immortal,’ we found the artist Salah. The way he moves and the strength of those dancers we have.
“We found two numbers, which we never had at Cirque before: the tumbling, the Japanese men’s rhythmic group who fall on their stomachs from great heights. I agree with you, Robin, unbelievable. The Swiss ring, which is the last number, is also new that we have never done before at Cirque. Yes, Robin, your heart skips a beat, breathtaking.

“We remembered Salah as we looked inside Michael’s inner world, and he found inspiration for his own movements from the great mime Marcel Marceau, who he admired. So we asked ourselves who would be the mime for Michael in 2011. We knew we didn’t dare go with a traditional mime, but the way Salah moves is totally unique. We’d actually tried to hire him from France when we started doing the Beatles ‘Love’ show.

“We brought him to Montreal to audition, but things happen and it didn’t work out. However, we kept good relations over the years, and then as our director showed us the redline link through Michael’s music, we wanted somebody to show us the story. How do we show a story with dance? The way he moves, he is the only one to move like this, so it became the perfect fit.”

In my notes from the premiere, I had circled Salah’s name, writing “not only does he have Michael’s moves down, but he may do them even better than Michael did. Chantal commented: “He’s certainly different than anybody we’ve met before. In the show, he’s the one possessed more by Michael. He’s the one who gets closest to Michael’s spirit. All I can say is that Michael’s music goes inside his body, and he just goes for it.”

Chantal and Jamie, who wraps up our five-part series Friday, worked with no less than 10 choreographers for the auditions held in New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Montreal. She told me every dancer hired for the show had to be able to make Michael’s miracle moves: “We had to be sure they moved exactly the same, so when you see those 24 dancers onstage, you don’t see even one who is not totally Michael. They had to be capable to do Michael’s routines because they are in clockwork sync for the iconic moves of ‘Smooth Criminal.’
They are a young cast -- mid 20s -- so we didn’t want them copying or interpreting a 40-year-old Michael. We reprogrammed them so it was new, passionate, as if they were eating those dance steps from morning to night. You’ll understand when you see them because they love it, it’s so fresh for them. It was such a unique experience for them to work with Michael’s own choreographers.

“After our first night, Michael’s three brothers Jackie Marlon and Tito came backstage with our founder Guy Laliberte and our President Daniel Lamarre and said how happy and proud they were of the show. They told the cast they had been really touched by what we accomplished. It was so important for us to hear that after all the hard work. We did it in less than 24 months. For Cirque, that’s short timing and very intense.”

Be sure to check out our “Immortal” stories posted Monday, with Michael’s three brothers, (http://www.vegasdeluxe.com/blogs/luxe-life/2011/nov/28/michael-jackson-immortal-world-tour-and-fan-fest-r/) and Tuesday, with the costume designer and backstage technicians (http://www.vegasdeluxe.com/blogs/luxe-life/2011/nov/29/costume-designer-technicians-bring-michael-jackson/). Then check back tomorrow for our interviews with Musical Director Gregg Phillinganes and Musical Designer Kevin Antunes, both of whom worked with Michael on his previous tours. On Friday, it’s a wrap with our onstage sit-down with the mastermind director and show author, Jamie King.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/nov/30/creation-director-immortal-unlike-any-other-cirque/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Erikmjfan

02-12-2011, 09:18 PM

Some more articles leading up the opening in Vegas.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/dec/01/two-immortal-music-geniuses-say-20-months-were-mas/

http://www.vegasdeluxe.com/blogs/luxe-life/2011/nov/30/creation-director-immortal-unlike-any-other-cirque/

Erikmjfan

02-12-2011, 09:24 PM

By Mike Weatherford
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Posted: Dec. 2, 2011 | 1:59 a.m.
Updated: Dec. 2, 2011 | 11:55 a.m.
Where do you go for the inspiration to live up to a pop legend? Back to Neverland.

"The Immortal" carries the name of Cirque du Soleil. But when it came time for its tribute to the King of Pop, the king of the Strip reached beyond its Montreal walls to assemble a team of collaborators with more direct ties to Michael Jackson.

But the shadow of Jackson's legacy puts "extra heat on you," says Michael Curry, creator of giant puppets and props for "The Lion King" and four other Cirques. "In fact there's ominous pressure to get it right. I should say, not to get it wrong."

So the team of creators took a field trip to the famous California estate where Jackson spent the better days of his career.

"That was the most magical, fantastical, world that Michael created," recalls Jamie King, director of the arena spectacle that comes off the road and settles into Mandalay Bay for a whopping 33-show run launching Saturday. "It was his sanctuary. He found his solace there; he wrote beautiful music there."

When Cirque's chief executive Guy Laliberte approached King for his vision of a Jackson tribute, "For me the only thing that made sense immediately was the idea of the environment being Neverland," King remembers.

"He had a favorite tree that was right outside his bedroom. He named it 'The Giving Tree.' ... It's the heart of our show. He'd write poetry and paint and all sorts of things. It was a real source of inspiration."

"We all climbed up inside of it," Curry adds. "He has carved things in there, lyrics from songs."

The tree now unfurls as the central prop of the arena tour. But other ideas "came out of that very magical day," Curry says, from the exterior gates of the estate to the giant storybook that sets up the "Thriller" segment.

Bigger and badder

"The Immortal" debuted in Montreal two months ago, an enthusiastic hometown audience overcoming the chill of a cold, rainy night.

The next day, King and other creators returned to the Bell Centre arena to meet reporters and explain the mammoth production that uses 64 performers and a 12-piece band and takes more trucks to cart around than Roger Waters' tour of "The Wall." It's an eccentric potpourri that doesn't forget any aspect of Jackson's career, from Bubbles the chimp to the Jackson 5 cartoon show of the '60s.

"Everything he did in performance was already so big," King noted from the "pod" stage that extends the action into the audience via a ramp. But this show had to be "even a bigger spectacle. In only the way that Michael would have it."

King wanted to create "a celebration of Michael's life and his beliefs," an attempt to "make you get inside of Michael's head and make you experience the world through his eyes."

There are direct references to Jackson's MTV heyday, from a giant pair of 9-foot shoes with proportionate hat and sequined glove, to the zoot-suited gangsters of "Smooth Criminal" and vampire bats for "Thriller."

"Everybody had to be capable of doing Michael Jackson's moves," creative director Chantal Tremblay noted of the dancers selected from hotly competitive auditions.

But the music reaches beyond the essential hits in its thematic sections. The beginning is anchored by the little-known "Childhood," featuring an animatronic Jackson as a young boy, floating in a hot-air balloon.

"Michael always looked at the world through childlike eyes," King says. "There's lots of animals and lots of things that kids would like. Just to get everyone in a childlike state, the way that Michael would perceive the world."

From there, the show salutes "Michael the showman. All his iconic dance moves that we all came to love and some of us tried to do but couldn't execute properly," King says with a laugh.

A serious turn brings out an army of threatening robots to the strain of Jackson's most controversial song, "They Don't Care About Us." "We wake up and go into the more political side of Michael" and his message of "unity and having a love for another. Michael's environmental stance and statements," King says.

"The Immortal" concludes with "a celebration, which is the way Michael would have done it. Here we celebrate his legacy and his immortality, and we celebrate the fans, showing that Michael does live in all of us."

Bittersweet reunion

Many of "The Immortal" creators found themselves working together again soon after Jackson's "This Is It" concerts in London were aborted by the singer's death during rehearsals in June 2009.

"I was sort of not sure if I wanted to do it, because it had only been a year after his passing," says costume designer Zaldy Goco, who was part of the "This Is It" team. Jackson's death was "still very fresh, and I wasn't sure what the intention of the show was going to be."

Eventually, "I realized this could be a great opportunity to keep the message and the inspiration of Michael Jackson alive." Except for some light-up outfits in "Billie Jean," Goco tried not to repeat anything he had created for "This Is It." "Michael was about new ideas, new technology. He always wanted to deliver something new for his fans."

Others were less hesitant. "It didn't take me two seconds to say yes," says Travis Payne, one of 10 choreographers who ended up working on the show. "I was actually on my way to his house when I found out he had been rushed to the hospital."

The reunion is "like family," Payne says. "Michael brought us together. ... It's just like coming home again. His death was a surprise to us all. But what he did leave us with was all his wonderful ideas and music and visuals and the information to pass on to the younger generations."

"We sort of know his spirit to a degree, as far as dance was concerned," choreographer Rich Talauega agrees.

For King, it was a full circle back to his first professional job as a dancer on Jackson's "Dangerous" tour, before he went on to build pop productions around Madonna, Rihanna and Celine Dion. Two years of touring with Jackson became "kind of my college in a way, my school for creativity if you will, for what I do."

And on this day, a cavernous but largely empty sports arena becomes a cathedral for those to take "The Immortal" title seriously. "That's really just expressing the idea that Michael lives on," King says. "His spirit lives on. And he's here with us. Maybe not physically, but certainly his energy, his influence, will never die."

http://www.lvrj.com/neon/neverland-inspiration-for-cirque-s-immortal-tribute-to-michael-jackson-134891303.html

MsCassieMollie

02-12-2011, 09:59 PM

Vegas rolls out red carpet for 'Michael Jackson: THE IMMORTAL' - FOX5 Vegas - KVVU (http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/16173713/vegas-rolls-out-red-carpet-for-michael-jackson-the-immortal)

LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -
Some of the most famous names in music, movies and television are expected on the red carpet Saturday night at the premiere of "Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour" at Mandalay Bay.

Here's just a sampling of the list: Babyface, Barry Gibb, Christina Milian, Las Vegan Ne-Yo, Sharon Stone, Criss Angel, "Breaking Bad" star Aaron Paul, Taye Diggs and legendary Motown producer Berry Gordy.

"Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour" was announced in November 2010. It is currently a touring show, but there have been rumors that Las Vegas could be the home to a permanent Cirque show based on Jackson's work.

Saturday's red carpet event is expected to start at 6 p.m. The show will be staged at Mandalay Bay through December 27.

Tickets can be purchased on Cirque's official website.

Memefan

03-12-2011, 03:53 AM

Mandalay Bay has been transformed into MJ paradise. If you are coming to Mandalay Bay this week for fan fest & cirque ... You are in for the most wonderful surprise. MJ would have approved. I hope many fans get to witness this moment...

bluesky

03-12-2011, 04:21 AM

^^ Post some pictures if you have any :D

andreita2994

03-12-2011, 05:09 AM

yay, wonderful news! i recently moved to las vegas, i was so sad since i left my friend a nd my brother in NY. this is great news and i'm going to the red carpet tomorrow after my SAT, i hope and i could get to see NE-YO, I really like him. can't wait

Moonwalker.Fan

03-12-2011, 12:41 PM

Cirque du Soleil Cancels Another Michael Jackson Show, in Idaho (http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2011/12/02/cirque-du-soleil-cancels-another-michael-jackson-show-in-idaho/)

First it was Oregon, now Idaho. The North American leg of the Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour, seems to be developing a limp. First, a couple of shows were cancelled in Oregon, now the Jan. 4, 2012 performance scheduled for (http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/12/02/1900939/cirque-du-soleil-cancels-one-boise.html)Boise (http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/12/02/1900939/cirque-du-soleil-cancels-one-boise.html), Idaho has been cut. The official reasons remain the same: problems with getting the 38 trucks there on time and the setup getting done on schedule.

But suspicions of lagging ticket sales (http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2011/12/01/mdeeds/were_slow_ticket_sales_responsible_canceled_cirque _du_soleil_mic) remain similar, too.

Not that Boise is a make-it-or-break-it town for the show. That would be Las Vegas, where Michael Jackson World Tour is slated to open this weekend, for a prolonged 33-show stop at the Mandalay Bay resort. If Vegas doesn’t like this show, its future could be limited. Read Mike Weatherford (http://www.lvrj.com/neon/neverland-inspiration-for-cirque-s-immortal-tribute-to-michael-jackson-134891303.html)of the Las Vegas Review-Journal for more details.

As of this weekend, there will be 8 Cirque du Soleil (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/)shows playing Vegas. And I’m guessing that Viva Elvis, which has just been given notice at the Aria resort, may sustain further holiday season box office damage from the arrival of the Jackson show.

On the other hand, if you’re going to Vegas in the mood for Cirque tribute shows, it makes sense to take in all three, including the Beatles show LOVE at The Mirage. This one is the best of the lot, having a strong guiding artistic vision behind it.
Plus great songs, of course.
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MsCassieMollie

03-12-2011, 04:46 PM

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/dec/02/director-jamie-king-spent-year-michael-jackson-imm/

http://photos.lasvegassun.com/media/img/photos/2011/04/21/scaled.JKJohnBrancaJakeNovakBP_t653.jpg?214bc4f9d9 bd7c08c7d0f6599bb3328710e01e7b

By Robin Leach
Friday, Dec. 2, 2011 | 6:06 p.m.

Life for Jamie King in his relationship with the late Michael Jackson has gone full circle. His first professional gig as a dancer was on the King of Pop’s Dangerous tour. That 1992 experience launched his career. He credits two years of working with Michael for everything he knows about dance and choreography: “Michael is ‘Immortal’ because he lives on in all of us.

“Michael believed in me and gave me the gift of seeing the world for 24 months by his side center stage. Those are memories I will never forget. The most important thing he taught me was to always give above and beyond to the fans -- give until you drop, give it all you have, and those words have guided my career.

“I only wanted this show to be the best celebration of his life. Directing this show, creating this show, has been a dream-come-true experience. It’s been an extraordinary opportunity for me to work with Cirque and this passionate team of dedicated, hard-working talented people. Their incredible contributions will forever be the heart and soul of this show.”

Jamie has created and choreographed shows and videos for Madonna, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Elton John and Celine Dion. He assembled a team of 12 of his favorite choreographers for “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour,” including Travis Payne, who was a co-choreographer for the aborted This Is It shows and is a four-time MTV Video Music Awards winner.

Jamie will lead them into Mandalay Bay for tomorrow night’s star-studded red carpet Las Vegas premiere. As we wrap up our five-part series in advance of the unprecedented 33-performance run through Dec. 27, Jamie wanted me to be sure that fans understand that “Immortal” is not a cover of Michael’s greatest hits. Instead, it’s an invitation to enter the Neverland universe.

In fact, when Jamie put his creative team together, the first thing he insisted was that they all went to Neverland to immerse themselves in that magical word -- he even had them climb into the giant Giving Tree there, which now forms the centerpiece of the show from the moment the curtain goes up.

I joined Jamie onstage in the Montreal arena the morning after “Immortal’s” world premiere in October, and here is our conversation:

Jamie King: This has been a huge undertaking, and it’s been really a year of my life. It was a big night last night; I didn’t sleep. I haven’t slept yet. I’m very exhausted, but mostly excited. It’s kind of that adrenaline thing is still going for me, that energy carried over, and I wasn’t able to sleep. I’m still kind of just running on oxygen.

Robin Leach: Did it turn out exactly the way you thought it would be when you set the first brick in at the meeting with the entire team at Neverland?

J.K.: I think it’s really close to what I envisioned. I always go back to what I’ve talked to you before, which is the heart of the show, what mattered the most, was to make sure the fans really felt like Michael was here, that he was present, and that we felt his humanity, his heart. And I feel like that he is definitely here with us.

R.L.: What do you think he would have said to you afterward?

J.K.: I did know him, and what I know of him is he changed my life -- because of him, I am able to do these shows, and now his show. I just hope that he’s proud. I don’t think of this in terms of topping my career. You know life changes, the world changes, so I always try to incorporate that in my shows, to reflect where the world is now. I think of it as an education.

R.L.: Why did you deliberately not tell this story in a chronological, normal way?

J.K.: I felt like that would be too normal -- someone else could do that. This was about living and breathing through Michael Jackson’s eyes, and the whole first section of the show is child-like. It’s all about going into Michael’s head and seeing the world how he saw it -- that anything is possible. There can be the promise of peace and the optimism of a better world.

He was very child-like and innocent in his beliefs of how the world can be a better place and everything could be a magical fairytale. So this show is really a journey, more fantasy driven than chronological, because we all know Michael’s life story. It was just a moving, a very emotional kind of experience to get to this place.

R.L.: Does it normally take you a year to mount a show, or this took longer because of the marriage between Cirque and rock ’n’ roll?

J.K.: This took longer. Typically in my shows, it’s about 3 to 5 months max mostly based on the artist’s schedule. They don’t have a lot of time to sit and put a show together, so we fast track. Now in Cirque’s world, they can spend up to 3 years sometimes mounting a show, so for ‘Cirque Immortal’ was a fast track but for me a luxury!

R.L.: Absolutely no disrespect, but you didn’t have a star physically there for this show, somebody who could give you feedback, answer back, and the fact that people would want to come see the “star,” who is now no longer with us -- that had to weigh on your mind. How did you overcome that, and tell me what it took to bring him into this show in such a way that that answers that thorny question.

J.K.: It did cross my mind, Robin, for sure, but briefly. It’s obvious Michael’s not here, so let me think of all the ways that I can incorporate him into the show so that we feel, I say we because I’m a fan also, the fans, myself, that we feel that Michael is here, that he’s present, and that he’s with us. Certainly the music became a huge, huge part for me in making sure that his voice was always clear.

“The music was the building block. This is a music-driven show. The first piece that I created with my musical designer made certain that Michael’s voice was very present and on top of the track. We felt like he was narrating our journey through this story. It crossed my mind, but I didn’t let it stop the Michael Jackson experience, the celebration and a tribute to the man that we all love. He’s represented musically with his costumes, and our performers are also the essence of Michael. Their spirit is his spirit. They dance under his influence.

R.L.: Why did they all become Michael?

J.K.: Every performer I know has been influenced by Michael Jackson in some way, shape or form. They’ve trained to be better dancers and performers because of Michael. They’ve been moved by his music, and he’s a global star who did influence the world. A lot of people, not only me, do what we do, we perform, we create because of Michael.

We’re all here in this show for the same reason. Our love of Michael -- that simple and that pure.

Please check the print edition of tomorrow’s Las Vegas Sun for a special edition of “Immortal.” We’ll report live using Twitter from tomorrow night’s red carpet at Mandalay Bay before the premiere. On Sunday, we’ll have Editor Don Chareunsy’s review of the show, and on Monday we’ll have my interviews, video and photographs with the Cirque team, Michael’s family, celebrities and the Fan Fest.

Meantime, 2011 Cirque Week got underway yesterday for fans, enthusiasts and VIPs at the Mirage with cast members from all seven Las Vegas productions. The “characters” took on various roles throughout the casino-resort property acting as valets, concierges, security and hair salon beauticians.

We posted a full rundown of Cirque Week events, which conclude next week with a visit behind the scenes of Criss Angel's “Believe” at the Luxor and a face-to-face with the incredible illusionist himself.

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.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

MsCassieMollie

03-12-2011, 04:52 PM

http://www.cfnews13.com/article/entertainment/2011/december/353187/Glee-Twilight-Sopranos-stars-among-the-first-to-see-THE-IMMORTAL

LAS VEGAS --
Greetings from Las Vegas!

News 13 videographer/editor Chris de Leon and I have touched down in Sin City to give you EXCLUSIVE video, interviews, and pictures from Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour premiere weekend. The Jackson-theme Cirque show is coming to the Amway Center in February, but the star-studded event kicks off Saturday night at Mandalay Bay. We're in Vegas to give you a sneak peek.

This huge production - which we will soon experience in Orlando - is bringing out some of the most recognizable faces in pop culture. We've learned that the following celebs have confirmed that they are walking the red carpet Saturday night at Mandalay Bay:

James Gandolfini
Taye Diggs
Justin Long
Jason Biggs
Kevin McHale (Glee)
Harry Shum Jr. (Glee)
Channing Tatum
Jenna Dewan
Carrot Top
Babyface
Alex Meraz (Twilight)
Edi Gathegi (Twilight)
Anne Heche
James Pepper
Mike McCready (Pearl Jam)
John Landis (directed "Thriller" music video)
Barry Gordy (founded Motown Records)
Allison Janney
Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
Brian Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation)
Rex Lee (Entourage)
Robert Buckley (One Tree Hill)
Kristen Cavallari (Dancing With The Stars)
Holly Madison (Peepshow)
Criss Angel (Illusionist)
Orlando Jones (Seconds Apart)

The show publicist tells us that Tito, Marlon and Jackie Jackson, as well as Michael Jackson's kids, are showing up. (The red carpet event is from 6-7 p.m. PT).

IN A NEWS 13 EXCLUSIVE, we caught up with Gloria Rhodes Berlin Friday while interviewing The Scintas, who headline at the Suncoast. In 1988, Berlin sold Michael Jackson the Neverland Ranch located in the Santa Ynez Valley at Los Olivos, California. Check out our exclusive interview Saturday on News 13. Berlin will also be on the red carpet Saturday night.

Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour is meant to unlock the secrets of Michael's inner world. Audiences will discover his "Giving Tree" - his love of fairy tale and magic, music and dance, and the fragile beauty of nature. The show is in Vegas for three weeks.

We thought it'd be interesting to speak with the casts of a few of the city's most popular shows to get their reaction about the 'new kid on the block.' Friday, we first went to Legends in Concert at Harrah's. We met up with the performers portraying "Elvis," "Toby Keith," and "Carrie Underwood" a few hours before their first of two nightly shows. Their show pays tribute to a handful of "legends" (or those-in-the-making.)

After quite the entertaining interview at Harrah's, we cabbed it over to the Suncoast. That's where The Scintas perform. They're a family of musical prodigies known for their vocals, comedy, and impressions. I wanted to know whether they think Michael Jackson is the right fit for a Cirque du Soleil production. Catch the highlight of our interviews with the casts of Legends in Concert and The Scintas all weekend long on News 13!

Erikmjfan

03-12-2011, 08:13 PM

At a cost of about $55 million, “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour” is neither Cirque du Soleil’s most expensive nor most elaborate production. But it’s introducing the circus troupe’s unique craft to new audiences worldwide and expanding how the French-Canadian company does business.

“Immortal,” which brings the music and life of Michael Jackson to the stage, makes its American debut tonight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. It’s more a rock concert than an acrobatic display, and unlike most of Cirque’s shows, it will tour the world in arenas rather than play in big-top tents or house custom showrooms.

“With ‘Ka,’ we came into an existing theater and refurbished and remodeled it,” said Stephane Mongeau, executive producer of “Immortal.” “ ‘Viva Elvis’ was completely different because it was in a new hotel, a new complex, and the show was built from scratch with zero parameters. With ‘Immortal,’ it’s a very different model. The Michael Jackson tour is an arena tour. It’s built like a concert tour, and we had to design the show around the existing footprint of each venue. So we built a show that could fit everywhere.”

The production will spend the next two years crisscrossing the nation, playing 195 shows in more than 80 North American markets. Then, it heads to Europe and Asia. The traveling tour is a precursor to a permanent version of “Immortal” that will take residence in the Mandalay Bay Theatre beginning in early 2013.

In Las Vegas, each of Cirque’s productions plays 10 times a week to crowds of about 2,000. The “Immortal” tour will fill 8,000- to 15,000-capacity arenas four or five times weekly, changing locations every four or so days. Its 65 technicians, who travel in 35-truck caravans, will become adept at setting up stages in their allotted 10-hour time frame and breaking them down in four.

To adapt to life on the road and a show constantly on the move, show designers created different versions of “Immortal” to fit any venue encountered.

“We have the AA version, the A version, the B version,” Mongeau said. “At the end of the day, it’s the same show, it’s just different technically.”

Stage set-ups change to accommodate arenas’ varying weight capacities. Scaffolding trims that hook into acrobats’ harnesses move up and down to allow for higher or lower ceilings. The show features 64 performers and 12 band members, many who worked with Jackson while he was alive.

Production of “Immortal” cost about $40 million, Mongeau said. Cirque paid another $15 million to rent sound, lighting and video equipment at venues. Tickets sell for an average of $100.

The show’s price tag is considerably less than Cirque spent on other productions. “The Beatles: Love” at the Mirage, Criss Angel’s “Believe” at the Luxor and “Viva Elvis” at Aria each cost about $100 million to produce. “Ka” at MGM Grand is Cirque du Soleil’s most technologically elaborate and expensive show. It cost $165 million to develop and is considered to be the theater world’s most expensive production to date.

Booking venues for “Immortal” proved relatively easy, Mongeau said. So was securing licensing rights to Jackson’s music.

“When we announced the show, many venues called us,” Mongeau said. “There’s a lot of attention because it’s Michael. When we were trying to sell (Cirque show) “Saltimbanco” and move basketball games, that was tougher. When you come in with Michael Jackson and say we want to be there on a certain date, venues say, ‘OK, we’ll talk to the NHL’ (and clear room on the calendar).”

Jackson’s estate also was on board with the project from the beginning, part of an effort to breathe new life into the musician’s brand since his death. Jackson was a regular to Cirque’s Las Vegas shows and would have approved of “Immortal,” those who knew him said.

The rights to most of Jackson’s songs belong to Sony Music Entertainment and the Universal Motown Records Group, and Cirque easily struck licensing deals with both, Mongeau said. Tracking down the more than 40 people who wrote or co-wrote songs with Jackson was harder. Much of the show’s 20-month pre-production schedule was spent securing those rights, Mongeau said.

“We pay royalties to all of these people from the box office revenue,” he said. “It’s important that they get their fair share right from the top. It’s true with our show designers, too (who also receive royalties). They create the shows, so they get paid first.”

In addition to attracting fans who might not have interest or access to more-traditional Cirque shows, “Immortal” could mark the beginning of a new type of production for the circus troupe. While the company has always included traveling shows in its lineup, Cirque appears to have found a new stride with arena business. The company recently announced a new arena-only show for 2013.

“Arena 2013,” as it is aptly titled, will center on extreme sports and is expected to debut in Montreal in December 2013.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/dec/03/immortal-tour-takes-cirque-brand-wider-audience/

HumanNature2210

03-12-2011, 08:47 PM

Erikmjfan, I think there is some inconsistency in this articles compared to some I have read so far, eg

1) I remembered reading that Immortal is the most expensive ($60m) and the most elaborate but this article says otherwise unless they are referring to the future permanent show in Vegas;
2)It says that Immortal is doing its debut in US today in Mandalay Bay but this is not right. Its debut show in US was in Detroit where Michael began his career in Motown'
3) The article says it takes only 35 truck of materials but I remember reading something like 40;
4) The article wrongly pointed out that Michaels songs belong to Sony but in actual fact it belongs to Michaels Estate under MJJAC. Also, the Jackson's song no longer belong to Motown;
5) They also talked about how they tried to track down some 40 people who co-wrote songs with Michael which is use for the show. Frankly speaking, I remembered most of the songs are songs that Michael wrote himself with the exception of a handful (because the same people wrote couple of the songs with Michael).

In conclusion, I felt somehow that the author is trying to downplay the importance of Michael achievement. SIGH...

At a cost of about $55 million, “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour” is neither Cirque du Soleil’s most expensive nor most elaborate production. But it’s introducing the circus troupe’s unique craft to new audiences worldwide and expanding how the French-Canadian company does business.

“Immortal,” which brings the music and life of Michael Jackson to the stage, makes its American debut tonight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. It’s more a rock concert than an acrobatic display, and unlike most of Cirque’s shows, it will tour the world in arenas rather than play in big-top tents or house custom showrooms.

“With ‘Ka,’ we came into an existing theater and refurbished and remodeled it,” said Stephane Mongeau, executive producer of “Immortal.” “ ‘Viva Elvis’ was completely different because it was in a new hotel, a new complex, and the show was built from scratch with zero parameters. With ‘Immortal,’ it’s a very different model. The Michael Jackson tour is an arena tour. It’s built like a concert tour, and we had to design the show around the existing footprint of each venue. So we built a show that could fit everywhere.”

The production will spend the next two years crisscrossing the nation, playing 195 shows in more than 80 North American markets. Then, it heads to Europe and Asia. The traveling tour is a precursor to a permanent version of “Immortal” that will take residence in the Mandalay Bay Theatre beginning in early 2013.

In Las Vegas, each of Cirque’s productions plays 10 times a week to crowds of about 2,000. The “Immortal” tour will fill 8,000- to 15,000-capacity arenas four or five times weekly, changing locations every four or so days. Its 65 technicians, who travel in 35-truck caravans, will become adept at setting up stages in their allotted 10-hour time frame and breaking them down in four.

To adapt to life on the road and a show constantly on the move, show designers created different versions of “Immortal” to fit any venue encountered.

“We have the AA version, the A version, the B version,” Mongeau said. “At the end of the day, it’s the same show, it’s just different technically.”

Stage set-ups change to accommodate arenas’ varying weight capacities. Scaffolding trims that hook into acrobats’ harnesses move up and down to allow for higher or lower ceilings. The show features 64 performers and 12 band members, many who worked with Jackson while he was alive.

Production of “Immortal” cost about $40 million, Mongeau said. Cirque paid another $15 million to rent sound, lighting and video equipment at venues. Tickets sell for an average of $100.

The show’s price tag is considerably less than Cirque spent on other productions. “The Beatles: Love” at the Mirage, Criss Angel’s “Believe” at the Luxor and “Viva Elvis” at Aria each cost about $100 million to produce. “Ka” at MGM Grand is Cirque du Soleil’s most technologically elaborate and expensive show. It cost $165 million to develop and is considered to be the theater world’s most expensive production to date.

Booking venues for “Immortal” proved relatively easy, Mongeau said. So was securing licensing rights to Jackson’s music.

“When we announced the show, many venues called us,” Mongeau said. “There’s a lot of attention because it’s Michael. When we were trying to sell (Cirque show) “Saltimbanco” and move basketball games, that was tougher. When you come in with Michael Jackson and say we want to be there on a certain date, venues say, ‘OK, we’ll talk to the NHL’ (and clear room on the calendar).”

Jackson’s estate also was on board with the project from the beginning, part of an effort to breathe new life into the musician’s brand since his death. Jackson was a regular to Cirque’s Las Vegas shows and would have approved of “Immortal,” those who knew him said.

The rights to most of Jackson’s songs belong to Sony Music Entertainment and the Universal Motown Records Group, and Cirque easily struck licensing deals with both, Mongeau said. Tracking down the more than 40 people who wrote or co-wrote songs with Jackson was harder. Much of the show’s 20-month pre-production schedule was spent securing those rights, Mongeau said.

“We pay royalties to all of these people from the box office revenue,” he said. “It’s important that they get their fair share right from the top. It’s true with our show designers, too (who also receive royalties). They create the shows, so they get paid first.”

In addition to attracting fans who might not have interest or access to more-traditional Cirque shows, “Immortal” could mark the beginning of a new type of production for the circus troupe. While the company has always included traveling shows in its lineup, Cirque appears to have found a new stride with arena business. The company recently announced a new arena-only show for 2013.

“Arena 2013,” as it is aptly titled, will center on extreme sports and is expected to debut in Montreal in December 2013.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/dec/03/immortal-tour-takes-cirque-brand-wider-audience/

respect77

03-12-2011, 09:24 PM

5) They also talked about how they tried to track down some 40 people who co-wrote songs with Michael which is use for the show. Frankly speaking, I remembered most of the songs are songs that Michael wrote himself with the exception of a handful (because the same people wrote couple of the songs with Michael).

While Michael wrote most songs but there are a number of songs written by others (especially childhood songs) and often those songs were written by a big team of people (for example The Corporation), so that will give a big number of people when counted together. So at the end I counted 37-38 other songwriters than MJ:

Working day and night - written by MJ
Childhood - MJ
Wanna be startin somethin - MJ
Shake your body down to the ground - Randy Jackson, Michael Jackson
Dancing Machine - Hal Davis, Don Fletcher, Dean Parks
Blame it on the boogie - Mick Jackson, Dave Jackson, Elmar Krohn
Ben - Don Black, Walter Scharf
This place hotel - MJ
Smooth Criminal - MJ
Dangerous - Michael Jackson, Bill Bottrell, Teddy Riley
I like the way you love me - MJ
Speed Demon - MJ
Another part of me - MJ
I want you back - The Corporation - (Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell and Deke Richards)
ABC - The Corporation - (Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell and Deke Richards)
The love you save - The Corporation (Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell, and Deke Richards)
Speechless - MJ
Human Nature - Steve Porcaro, John Bettis
Is it scary - Michael Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis
Threatened - Michael Jackson, Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, La Shawn Daniels
Thriller - Rod Temperton
You are not alone - R. Kelly
I just can't stop loving you - MJ (the Spanish lyrics were written by someone else)
Beat it - MJ
State of Schock - Michael Jackson, Randy Hansen
Jam - Michael Jackson, René Moore, Bruce Swedien, Teddy Riley
Earth Song - MJ
Scream - James Harris III, Terry Lewis, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson
Little Susie - MJ
Gone too soon - Larry Grossman, Buz Kohan
They don't care about us - MJ
Will you be there - MJ
I'll be there - Berry Gordy, Bob West, Willie Hutch, Hal Davis
Can you feel it - Michael Jackson, Jackie Jackson
Don't stop til you get enough - MJ
Billie Jean - MJ
Black or White - MJ (rap by Bill Botrell)
Man in the Mirror - Siedah Garrett, Glen Ballard
Remember the time - Teddy Riley, Michael Jackson, Bernard Belle
Bad - MJ

ExoticPrincess

03-12-2011, 10:20 PM

The show publicist tells us that Tito, Marlon and Jackie Jackson, as well as Michael Jackson's kids, are showing up. (The red carpet event is from 6-7 p.m. PT).

Again, no Jermaine, no Randy......something is amiss here.

That list of potential 'celebrities' to attend could've done without John Landis, we don't need anymore backhanded comments from him. Hoping though that more recognisable celebs turn up.

Anyway, hoping that opening night in Las Vegas goes well and that all the fans enjoy themselves at the fan-fest.

Bring on the pics!

Memefan

03-12-2011, 10:49 PM

A few fan fest pics

Make sure you check it out if you have a chance. Incredible.

Please try not to copy these pictures on other boards / websites

Neverland Library

http://img248.imageshack.us/edit_preview.php?l=img248/2682/dsc00292dj.jpg&action=rotate

Neverland cart
http://img823.imageshack.us/edit_preview.php?l=img823/9719/dsc00295mb.jpg&action=rotate

Remember the time
http://img221.imageshack.us/edit_preview.php?l=img221/1267/dsc00274uwea.jpg&action=rotate

Costumes

http://img20.imageshack.us/edit_preview.php?l=img20/2203/dsc00171ft.jpg&action=rotate

http://img542.imageshack.us/edit_preview.php?l=img542/8373/dsc00220u.jpg&action=rotate

http://img593.imageshack.us/edit_preview.php?l=img593/981/dsc00179mk.jpg&action=rotate

http://img819.imageshack.us/edit_preview.php?l=img819/3504/dsc00186xj.jpg&action=rotate

http://img841.imageshack.us/edit_preview.php?l=img841/5318/dsc00198f.jpg&action=rotate

http://img580.imageshack.us/edit_preview.php?l=img580/5664/dsc00243go.jpg&action=rotate

http://img842.imageshack.us/edit_preview.php?l=img842/5903/dsc00195vh.jpg&action=rotate

Leave me alone

http://img32.imageshack.us/edit_preview.php?l=img32/5269/dsc00229ca.jpg&action=rotate

Crown

http://img535.imageshack.us/edit_preview.php?l=img535/7237/dsc00169cx.jpg&action=rotate

More to come later. Including pictures of Studio X at the Palms Hotel where Michael Jackson recorded "Hold My Hand" and his tech guy.

AngieJ

03-12-2011, 11:50 PM

Wow....

Thanks for the pics.

AngieJ

04-12-2011, 12:33 AM

The red carpet is taking shape for the Vegas premiere of THE IMMORTAL World Tour

https://p.twimg.com/AfyHLtRCAAAeVSe.jpg

HumanNature2210

04-12-2011, 01:12 AM

Thanks respect for the clarification. I guess I listen mostly to Bad, Dangerous, History and Michael :). Not so much fan of the Jackson, I must say.

While Michael wrote most songs but there are a number of songs written by others (especially childhood songs) and often those songs were written by a big team of people (for example The Corporation), so that will give a big number of people when counted together. So at the end I counted 37-38 other songwriters than MJ:

Working day and night - written by MJ
Childhood - MJ
Wanna be startin somethin - MJ
Shake your body down to the ground - Randy Jackson, Michael Jackson
Dancing Machine - Hal Davis, Don Fletcher, Dean Parks
Blame it on the boogie - Mick Jackson, Dave Jackson, Elmar Krohn
Ben - Don Black, Walter Scharf
This place hotel - MJ
Smooth Criminal - MJ
Dangerous - Michael Jackson, Bill Bottrell, Teddy Riley
I like the way you love me - MJ
Speed Demon - MJ
Another part of me - MJ
I want you back - The Corporation - (Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell and Deke Richards)
ABC - The Corporation - (Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell and Deke Richards)
The love you save - The Corporation (Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell, and Deke Richards)
Speechless - MJ
Human Nature - Steve Porcaro, John Bettis
Is it scary - Michael Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis
Threatened - Michael Jackson, Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, La Shawn Daniels
Thriller - Rod Temperton
You are not alone - R. Kelly
I just can't stop loving you - MJ (the Spanish lyrics were written by someone else)
Beat it - MJ
State of Schock - Michael Jackson, Randy Hansen
Jam - Michael Jackson, René Moore, Bruce Swedien, Teddy Riley
Earth Song - MJ
Scream - James Harris III, Terry Lewis, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson
Little Susie - MJ
Gone too soon - Larry Grossman, Buz Kohan
They don't care about us - MJ
Will you be there - MJ
I'll be there - Berry Gordy, Bob West, Willie Hutch, Hal Davis
Can you feel it - Michael Jackson, Jackie Jackson
Don't stop til you get enough - MJ
Billie Jean - MJ
Black or White - MJ (rap by Bill Botrell)
Man in the Mirror - Siedah Garrett, Glen Ballard
Remember the time - Teddy Riley, Michael Jackson, Bernard Belle
Bad - MJ