Remembering Jackson

Cirque du Soleil pays tribute to Michael Jackson with its new show, The Immortal World Tour.

By Bruce Christian

Michael Jackson: THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque-du-Soleil

The Immortal Michael

Cirque du Soleil pays fitting tribute to Michael Jackson

It's been more than two years since Michael Jackson died, but his enthusiasm, zest for life, compassion to spread love, peace and understanding and, of course, his music live on, truly making him immortal.

That's the essence behind Cirque du Soleil's newest show, Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour, which will be staged Dec. 30-31 at the US Airways Center in Phoenix.

In life, Jackson — the perpetual Peter Pan — loved the shows Cirque du Soleil produced; so it may not be too surprising that the unique troupe would pay tribute to the entertainer's legacy.

"Michael Jackson was a true Cirque du Soleil fan," said Maxime Charbonneau, who does public relations for Cirque du Soleil. "He had seen many of our productions in Las Vegas and also in Los Angeles. In 2003, Michael also visited the Cirque du Soleil International Headquarters in Montreal."

Charbonneau said Jackson had great respect for Cirque's creativity and artistry.

"This project of a partnership had been discussed before Michael Jackson passed away," Charbonneau acknowledged. The production is a partnership between Cirque and the Jackson estate, which provided access to the singer's recordings, he said.

On the drawing board for about a year and a half, the show had its world premiere on Oct. 2 in Montreal with members of the Jackson family in attendance.

"I personally spent an hour with his brothers after show, and they were very humble, answering questions about the production," Charbonneau said. "They showed a lot of appreciation for the work done to pay tribute to Michael's legacy."

Described as 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," the show was written and is directed by Jamie King, a leading concert director in pop music.

"The Immortal" takes audiences to a fantasy, where they discover the self-proclaimed King of Pop's inspirational Giving Tree — the wellspring of his creativity. Secrets of Jackson's inner world are unlocked, as Cirque performers translate his love of music, dance, fairy tales, magic and the fragile beauty of nature.

But Charbonneau emphasized the underpinnings of The Immortal are Jackson's powerful, inspirational music and lyrics.

Jackson also was an innovator for dance. Most imitations of his signature moves fall flat. Cirque, however, brings its own flair of acrobatic dramatic to the show.

Charbonneau said a team of 10 choreographers worked on the production to see that Jackson's talent would be properly represented.

"Dancers spent countless hours rehearsing the proper moon walk, the way Michael would have done it himself," Charbonneau said. "Acrobats also faced a challenge never seen before. They have to follow Michael's lead, his voice, while performing. There is no room for error in any of the acrobatic acts."

The show includes 40 songs. Some are played in their entirety, while others are arranged in medleys.

"Cirque du Soleil had access to Michael's original recordings, which means that the show is driven by Michael's voice," Charbonneau said. "Kevin Antunes and longtime Michael keyboard player Greg Phillinganes created music and assembled a band that would respectfully pay tribute to Michael Jackson unique talents as a songwriter and as a gifted singer."

Charbonneau said audiences enjoy the range of music.

"A lot of people are touched by ‘Human Nature' or by a young Michael singing ‘I'll Be There,'" he said. "‘Thriller' and ‘Smooth Criminal' are also among the favorites.

"The audience will go through all sorts of emotions watching this production," he added.

The show soundtrack has been released. In a CNN interview regarding the music, Antunes said he and Phillinganes "reimagined" Jackson's music. This had to be done because Cirque's performance demanded "a lot more energy, more of a dance groove," than the previously released Jackson songs.

According to Antunes, Jackson's vocals for the show's soundtrack were rebalanced to make him more dominant in the mix. He explained that some of the singer's hits were so big that people don't truly appreciate his vocal range, diction and breathing.

While The Immortal is a tribute to Jackson, it still is a Cirque du Soleil show. That means it will filled with the troupe's unique mixture of amazing acrobatics and "street entertainer" feel. Each show is a synthesis of international circus styles. "All sorts of talents share the stage, dancers, acrobats, characters and live musicians," Charbonneau said.

Performances draw the audience into the show through continuous live music and performers — rather than stagehands — changing the props. Even an individual who doesn't appreciate Michael Jackson can enjoy this show.

"Through his music, the audience may leave with a better understanding of who Michael Jackson really was as a human being," Charbonneau said. "If you are not a Michael Jackson fan, you may become one." -E

VITAL STATISTICS

Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour
Cirque du Soleil
Dec. 30-31
US Airways Center
201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix
Tickets: $50-$175
www.ticketmaster.com