In "Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour," it takes the talents of 65 musicians, dancers and acrobats to fill the shoes of the deceased star.
OK, technically it takes two to animate the giant dancing shoes during a
medley of "Beat It" and "Bad," and one more if you add MJ's glitter glove. But
you get the idea.
Produced by Cirque du Soleil in collaboration with the Jackson estate, the arena tour visits US Airways Center in Phoenix on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 30-31, after a four-week run in Las Vegas. It marks another step in the evolution of the nouveau circus cum entertainment giant from Montreal.
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"Obviously it's not a big top where you're very, very close and you can see
the muscles as they flex on a performer. This is more about the spectacle, the
grandeur," Cirque marketing exec Mario D'Amico says.
"This is a Michael Jackson rock show without Michael Jackson, and we've tried very hard to make you forget that Michael Jackson isn't there. We've tried to re-create his musical world."
And more than just his musical world. Before designing the show, the creative team -- headed by concert director Jamie King, who has worked for Madonna, Rihanna and Britney Spears -- toured Jackson's Neverland Ranch. Its animals inspired a pair of elephant puppets that rival those in "The Lion King," as well as a sensuous aerial pas de deux by a white and a black swan during "I Just Can't Stop Loving You."
Dazzling stunts and video effects fly fast and furious throughout the show. Dancers run in midair along a digital train for "Workin' Day and Night," a scantily clad acrobat works the world's tallest dancing pole for "Dangerous," and an army of robot soldiers tromp across the stage for "They Don't Care About Us." A medley of spooky tunes opens with a green-skinned contortionist imitating an alien hybrid of lizard and spider and climaxes with a troupe of mummies re-creating MJ's trademark moves from "Thriller."
In keeping with Cirque tradition, there are also recurring characters, including a quintet of clowns (one in a fat suit and Jackson's red leather jacket from the "Bad" era) and, serving as an MC of sorts, a limber pop-and-locker dressed in sparkling white.
That's Salah Benlemqawanssa, an award-winning French dancer of Moroccan descent, just one example of Cirque's dedication to finding top talents from around the globe.
"I never thought I would work like I am doing now," says Salah, who goes by his first name. "It is a lot of discipline. You have to be careful of your body. You have to eat good, you have to sleep good. It's really a high level of athletes, acrobats, dancers, singers -- everybody needs a discipline to take care of himself.
"Working with Cirque du Soleil is not easy, but after you do Cirque du Soleil, you can do anything."
Growing up, Salah was inspired by Jackson's innovative dance and choreography, and his message of global unity.
"The character they gave to me is one of the great challenges in my life, because it's not just dancing, it is a lot of emotion," he says. "Every day, every night, I give different emotions, but it's not fake, it's me. I have to give something from inside. For me, it's not acting. I really try to express what Michael wanted to say to people."
That kind of personal connection is shared by many of the artists involved with the show, including musical designer Kevin Antunes, who delved into Jackson's master recordings to create vocal tracks and sound effects to accompany the live band onstage.
"I remember the first 45 (record) that I ever saw was the Jackson 5. It could have been, like, 'Got to Be There,' " he says. "So I fell in love with that group since I was a kid. And then when I was in high school, I used to dress like Michael. I had the Jheri curl, the glove, the shirt. I had it all, before I could actually play keyboards and do all that stuff. ...
"There's never been another artist who has truly combined songwriting, music, production, dance, choreography, film, video. Michael Jackson is the reason MTV became what it was with 'Thriller.' There are so many different aspects of his career. He was a master, he was a student. That's why he's immortal."
Like tour director King, Antunes comes from the concert world. The two worked together on Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour, and Antunes has served as Justin Timberlake's music man dating back to 'NSync.
"I never put myself in a Cirque frame of mind, I put myself in a Michael frame of mind," he says. "I let Michael dictate where this music should go, and I think what ended up happening is Cirque adopted that philosophy.
"What I like about Cirque is they are able to take something and adapt and maneuver and work around, and create in whichever environment they are put into."
Produced by Cirque du Soleil in collaboration with the Jackson estate, the arena tour visits US Airways Center in Phoenix on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 30-31, after a four-week run in Las Vegas. It marks another step in the evolution of the nouveau circus cum entertainment giant from Montreal.
"This is a Michael Jackson rock show without Michael Jackson, and we've tried very hard to make you forget that Michael Jackson isn't there. We've tried to re-create his musical world."
And more than just his musical world. Before designing the show, the creative team -- headed by concert director Jamie King, who has worked for Madonna, Rihanna and Britney Spears -- toured Jackson's Neverland Ranch. Its animals inspired a pair of elephant puppets that rival those in "The Lion King," as well as a sensuous aerial pas de deux by a white and a black swan during "I Just Can't Stop Loving You."
Dazzling stunts and video effects fly fast and furious throughout the show. Dancers run in midair along a digital train for "Workin' Day and Night," a scantily clad acrobat works the world's tallest dancing pole for "Dangerous," and an army of robot soldiers tromp across the stage for "They Don't Care About Us." A medley of spooky tunes opens with a green-skinned contortionist imitating an alien hybrid of lizard and spider and climaxes with a troupe of mummies re-creating MJ's trademark moves from "Thriller."
In keeping with Cirque tradition, there are also recurring characters, including a quintet of clowns (one in a fat suit and Jackson's red leather jacket from the "Bad" era) and, serving as an MC of sorts, a limber pop-and-locker dressed in sparkling white.
That's Salah Benlemqawanssa, an award-winning French dancer of Moroccan descent, just one example of Cirque's dedication to finding top talents from around the globe.
"I never thought I would work like I am doing now," says Salah, who goes by his first name. "It is a lot of discipline. You have to be careful of your body. You have to eat good, you have to sleep good. It's really a high level of athletes, acrobats, dancers, singers -- everybody needs a discipline to take care of himself.
"Working with Cirque du Soleil is not easy, but after you do Cirque du Soleil, you can do anything."
Growing up, Salah was inspired by Jackson's innovative dance and choreography, and his message of global unity.
"The character they gave to me is one of the great challenges in my life, because it's not just dancing, it is a lot of emotion," he says. "Every day, every night, I give different emotions, but it's not fake, it's me. I have to give something from inside. For me, it's not acting. I really try to express what Michael wanted to say to people."
That kind of personal connection is shared by many of the artists involved with the show, including musical designer Kevin Antunes, who delved into Jackson's master recordings to create vocal tracks and sound effects to accompany the live band onstage.
"I remember the first 45 (record) that I ever saw was the Jackson 5. It could have been, like, 'Got to Be There,' " he says. "So I fell in love with that group since I was a kid. And then when I was in high school, I used to dress like Michael. I had the Jheri curl, the glove, the shirt. I had it all, before I could actually play keyboards and do all that stuff. ...
"There's never been another artist who has truly combined songwriting, music, production, dance, choreography, film, video. Michael Jackson is the reason MTV became what it was with 'Thriller.' There are so many different aspects of his career. He was a master, he was a student. That's why he's immortal."
Like tour director King, Antunes comes from the concert world. The two worked together on Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour, and Antunes has served as Justin Timberlake's music man dating back to 'NSync.
"I never put myself in a Cirque frame of mind, I put myself in a Michael frame of mind," he says. "I let Michael dictate where this music should go, and I think what ended up happening is Cirque adopted that philosophy.
"What I like about Cirque is they are able to take something and adapt and maneuver and work around, and create in whichever environment they are put into."
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