The Mandalay Bay Cirque du Soleil production has several special events planned to commemorate the milestone.
lasvegasmagazine.com
'Michael Jackson ONE' celebrates a decade of thrills in Las Vegas
By Matt Kelemen
June 23, 2023
As the idiom states, time flies when you’re having fun. For Kati Renaud, senior artistic director for
Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil, the past decade leading up to this month’s 10th anniversary of the show has been a whirlwind moving at the velocity of one of the King of Pop’s spinning dance moves. Official anniversary observations take place Thursday, June 29, beginning with an afternoon pop-up presentation in Mandalay Bay’s lobby that will include original cast members.
“It’s a very dear moment for many of us, even those of us who haven’t been here for 10 years,” she says. “We’ll have our regular two shows, 7 p.m. and 9:30, then after the second show we’ll have a celebration. We’re going to get together cast and crew, and we’re going to celebrate these amazing 10 years.”
It will be an emotional day for all involved. “It’s going to be lovely,” says Renaud. “We’re all so passionate about what we do, but also about Michael Jackson. It’s going to be a really special day.”
The 10th anniversary comes two months before what would have been Jackson’s 65th birthday on Aug. 29. On that day, the legend’s estate, in conjunction with Cirque, will host a Sapphire Birthday Celebration in the theater, including a 10 a.m. brunch (reservations are required), a book signing of
The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson by Michael Bush (open to the public), and a pre-show cast meet and greet. (You must have tickets to the Aug. 29 show to attend the last event.)
This is a time of reflection for Renaud and her colleagues, some of whom have been with the show since its creation phase under writer-director Jamie King in 2012.
“To know that I was going to be pursuing this production about an artist who made music I grew up with that really touched me and impacted me and influenced me, I was thrilled,” says Renaud. “We’ve come so far in 10 years. We’re always striving to make our shows better, stronger. We’re tweaking and changing and adjusting. … It’s part of our DNA in Cirque to always better the product, better the experience.”
It’s also both adrenalizing and affecting. The pacing as four facets of Jackson’s spirit are personified and face life-changing challenges is seamless, with incredible displays of agility and athleticism, and the choreography is stunning. The poignancy of some segments, such as when the Moon Goddess floats above the stage during “Stranger in Moscow,” induce chills and are unforgettable—as unforgettable as the music and legacy of The Gloved One himself.That’s part of what keeps people coming back. Without
Michael Jackson ONE for fans to make pilgrimages to, Jackson’s profile would not have remained nearly as high since 2013. There was a touring show also created by King,
Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil, and
MJ the Musical opened in Broadway’s Neil Simon Theatre in December 2021, but the Vegas show is in a class by itself. The spectacle, iconography, special effects, music and sound design (there are right, left and center speakers in every seat) are unparalleled.
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That's what I get for being tired and falling back to sleep... fuck.
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