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The Legend Lives On - Official Cirque du Soleil 'Immortal World Tour' Discussion

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I stumbled on it:


Awe and Wonder: Michael and Cirque

SEP 22

Posted by Willa and Joie



Willa: Joie, I&#8217;m so curious to hear about your trip to Montreal to see the Cirque du Soleil rehearsals! So, first impressions &#8211; what did you think?

Joie: Well, my friend and MJFC Team mate, Jonathan texted me just as I was returning to my hotel room after the show, asking me that very same question and I believe my only response to him was OMG!!! Honestly, the only thing that could make this show better is if Michael himself were on the stage.

Willa: You know, that&#8217;s exactly what I&#8217;ve been wondering about most. From what I&#8217;ve read, The Immortal World Tour kind of sounds like a Michael Jackson concert without Michael Jackson. Did it feel that way to you?

Joie: Well, that&#8217;s kind of a tricky question and here&#8217;s why. This is the first time ever that the Cirque du Soleil has done a show using a live band. Their Elvis show didn&#8217;t have a live band; their Beatles show didn&#8217;t have a live band. It&#8217;s never been done before. And the way they&#8217;ve worked it is really kind of cool. Kevin Antunes, the musical director for the show, has been given exclusive access to all of Michael&#8217;s original master recordings, and he has taken those tracks and basically removed the music and elevated Michael&#8217;s vocals so that they are crisper than you have ever heard them before. So during the show, you&#8217;ve got Michael&#8217;s vocals on top of a live band and the result is amazing. And, of course the band includes Greg Phillinganes and Jonathan &#8220;Sugarfoot&#8221; Moffett who both toured with Michael for many, many years so, the band itself is phenomenal. So, I guess, in that way it is sort of like a concert experience but, there is just so much going on here visually that it is definitely much more than a concert. It&#8217;s more like a journey through Michael&#8217;s life and career.

Willa: So it doesn&#8217;t feel like there&#8217;s a big empty hole on stage where he should be? It&#8217;s a satisfying experience in its own right?

Joie: Yes, definitely. And it&#8217;s a spectacle, you know? I was there with 14 other MJ fan community representatives and, after it was over we had half a dozen or more people &#8211; Cirque people, Estate people, even John Branca and Greg Phillinganes &#8211; all coming up to us as we&#8217;re still sitting there in the stands and they were all clamoring, very eager to know what our thoughts were. And we all had the same reaction. We had to just sit there for several seconds and try to absorb it all before we could even respond, and I imagine that will be the reaction of most everyone who sees it, fans and non-fans alike. They will leave the arenas with a sense of awe and wonder. You know, the Cirque du Soleil is sort of known for specializing in awe and wonder, and they have worked the same magic with this show.

Willa: So give us some details! What all did you see?

Joie: Oh boy, where to begin? Well, I don&#8217;t want to give away any spoilers. And I want to make it really clear that some of the numbers I watched may not even make it into the final production when the show opens in October because it is still a work in progress. But, of the rehearsal I saw, right from the opening number, which was &#8220;Childhood,&#8221; you will be amazed. It&#8217;s like they&#8217;re taking you inside the gates of Neverland and, as you know, Michael had the most beautiful bronze statues of children at play and they dotted the landscape of Neverland. Well, those statues play a really magical role in that number and it is incredible. And then there was this really sweet moment a little later on during &#8220;Ben&#8221; where Michael&#8217;s elephants come out and dance, and it was just such fun to watch. Really cute. And I thought of you, Willa, because I know how much you love that song!

Then there was this whole sort of gangster segment where they did &#8220;Heartbreak Hotel,&#8221; &#8220;Smooth Criminal&#8221; and &#8220;Dangerous.&#8221; The segment began with this very scantily clad female cellist playing her heart out on this electric cello and she is fantastic! Then all of a sudden her maddening solo turned into the opening strains of &#8220;Heartbreak Hotel&#8221; and the band kicked in and the music started rocking. The whole segment ended with these five or six guys dancing around a pole dancer to &#8220;Dangerous&#8221; &#8211; which, by the way, we had to imagine because the female dancer had injured herself in earlier rehearsals. But even without her the number was incredible so, I would love to see it again with all of the elements in place.

There was also a segment that highlighted some of Michael&#8217;s scary songs with &#8220;Is It Scary,&#8221; &#8220;Monster&#8221; and &#8220;Thriller&#8221; and the whole thing was just a whole lot of fun visually with a dancing monster clawing its way out of the pages of a storybook and giant bats with glowing eyes dancing around the stage, and it culminated with a stage full of mummies doing the Thriller dance in a graveyard. Just really imaginative ideas that you know Michael would have really loved!

In another segment &#8211; actually my favorite part of the whole show &#8211; the band was doing &#8220;Another Part of Me&#8221; and the dancer was up there doing his thing and the music was really rocking and we&#8217;re all sitting there jamming, and suddenly the song changed to &#8220;Speechless.&#8221; And just when you start to get into the shift in direction, something amazing happens! And the song changes again to &#8220;Human Nature&#8221; and the arena is transformed into the night sky. Ireally want to give you more details about this part but, I just can&#8217;t because I don&#8217;t want to spoil it for anyone but, please believe me when I tell you that it was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful and I was not the only one moved to tears. And later, when talking to the Cirque and Estate people who wanted to know what our favorite part of the show was, we all agreed that it had to be &#8220;Human Nature.&#8221;

You know, one of the things I love so much about Cirque du Soleil are the aerialists; they are really beautiful to watch. In the rehearsal I saw, they were showcased in &#8220;I Just Can&#8217;t Stop Loving You,&#8221; which Kevin Antunes mixed beautifully using both the English and the Spanish versions of the song. And the aerialists performed a very romantic, very sensual ballet high above our heads. It was just so pretty.

Willa: That does sound beautiful. So where are they in the production process? Did you see a fairly polished show with full costumes and music and everything, or is it more of a work in progress &#8211; kind of like what we saw in This Is It? It sounds like they are still making some decisions.

Joie: Well, it is still a work in progress, they definitely stressed that to us going in but, what we saw was about a 75-80% complete show with costumes and music from the beginning straight through, just like a dress rehearsal. And there were a few technical mishaps and glitches, as you would expect with a work in progress. They were still perfecting the ending segment so we didn&#8217;t get to see the last 30 minutes or so of the show and we were told that would include the songs &#8220;Billie Jean,&#8221; &#8220;Man in the Mirror,&#8221; &#8220;Dirty Diana&#8221; and &#8220;Can You Feel It.&#8221; But, as a whole, it was a very polished show.

Willa: You know, I&#8217;m not quite sure how to ask this, but what makes Michael Jackson so special to me and sets him apart from everyone else is his ideas and how he expresses those ideas, and his commitment to that message. He had a beautiful voice, and it sounds like the Cirque du Soliel show has captured that through the master recordings, and he was an incredible dancer, and it sounds like the show evokes that through the acrobats and aerialists and dance numbers. But what about his ideas? Do you know what I mean? Did it feel like Michael Jackson?

Joie: Oh, that is a very good question; I&#8217;m so glad you asked that! Willa, they have really worked very, very hard to capture Michael&#8217;s spirit and his heart and it shows. I posted a news item about my experience on the MJFC website where I called this show the ultimate tribute to Michael and I truly feel that way and I&#8217;ll tell you why. You have to remember that this show is being guided by people who knew Michael. People who worked with him and loved him. During my two days in Montreal I saw Greg Phillinganes, Jonathan Moffett, Zaldy, and three Estate execs get very emotional when talking to me about their time with Michael and how important this show is to them. They are all so passionate about doing something that he would love and getting it right. For him. And from the opening segment all the way through to the ending, you can feel Michael&#8217;s presence; you can feel his spirit. And his message of L.O.V.E. is front and center. In fact, in another segment of the show, I think it was &#8220;Will You Be There,&#8221; suddenly these big red, glowing hearts appear from all over the arena and made their way onto the stage. It was really moving and it just reminded you that Michael&#8217;s message was love. It&#8217;s all he ever talked about and it was what he preached. And they haven&#8217;t forgotten that and it&#8217;s clear that they don&#8217;t want others to forget it either.

Willa: I&#8217;m so glad to hear that &#8211; that the people working on this show care so deeply, and are passionate about both his music and his ideas. You also wrote in the MJFC news article that they asked for feedback and actually incorporated some suggestions. Here&#8217;s what you wrote:&#8220;They listened to what we had to say and they took our feelings and suggestions into consideration. And it wasn&#8217;t just lip service. Changes were made to the show immediately based on our feedback.&#8221; Can you tell us more about that?

Joie: Well, it was really sort of surprising actually. At the end of the show when they were all clamoring around us wanting to know what we thought, I had been talking to Navi, the representative from MJFC UK about a certain number and how he believed it could have been done better. So when they asked, he told them what he thought and suggested ways to make the number stronger. And they listened to him and began making the changes immediately. Then the next day we went on a tour of the Cirque du Soleil campus and met with the creative director of the show, among others. And again, in that meeting they wanted to know what we thought &#8211; what our favorite parts were and also what parts didn&#8217;t we like. What, if anything, did we have issues with. And so, we told them. We (the fan community representatives) were honest with them about our feelings and we all sort of agreed on one certain point in the show that we felt was a little questionable and could maybe be done a little differently. And again, they listened to our concerns and they took notes on what we had to say and began thinking of ways to change things a bit.

But, I just think it&#8217;s so telling that the people putting this show together are so willing to talk to the fans and I really believe that they are trying very hard to get it right. Not just for Michael but for the fans as well. I think they are really trying to please Michael&#8217;s fans with this one. I think it&#8217;s important to them. And I was told by one of the Estate people during the meeting that this was a first. The Cirque didn&#8217;t do this for the Elvis show or the Beatles show. They didn&#8217;t invite their fans to a rehearsal to get their input before the shows opened. And I think that says something about how important Michael&#8217;s legacy really is. About how important he was and still is, both as an artist and as a cultural figure.

Willa: Well, from everything you&#8217;ve said, it sounds like there&#8217;s a really dedicated group of people working behind the scenes and the show itself sounds incredible. I love your descriptions, Joie. Thanks for sharing those with us. And then next week we have Joe Vogel joining us to talk about his Earth Song book, which is about to be released in print. So lots of exciting things happening right now!
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http://dancingwiththeelephant.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/aweandwonder/



:wild:







thrillerchild;3489460 said:
Here's Gaz ;) lol

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Gaz!!! :wild:
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No Cascio song discussion please. That issue is resolved, let's please all move on.
 
I'm loving reading all about the preparations and really excited about the launch, and it probably won't be coming to my continent for another year or two. Great to see how a real tribute to MJ is put together.
 
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Gaz said:
I am glad to make your day guys, it certainly made mine.

Believe me and I mean this, this show does him so much justice and what's more Michael loved Cirque and its clear now that Cirque loves Michael, therefore it is a match made in heaven, literally.

I call on all fans all members, please forget the past lets do this for Michael lets return all the hype and excitement he gave to us, we the fans will then be heard and in turn Michael's legacy will thrive and the wider world will respect him all over again.

This is the real Michael Jackson tribute.
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Thank you Gaz and I completely agree. It's so great to see you and put a face to a name. :)
 
Re: The Legend Lives On - Official Cirque du Soleil 'Immortal World Tour' Discussion/Updates NO SPOI

Gaz said:
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It was a normal morning for me, working 9 to 5 it was a usual day when all of a sudden an email that was to take my breathe away hit my inbox titled a special invitation I was curious to its content of course you can imagine my inbox mail after mail and like anyone I always read my mail and ensure people get a responce yep one hell of a task but thats just me being me as a servant to the fans of Michael Jackson however this particular mail caught my eye moreso than most and here is why,


Upon opening I started reading the emotions were building and building I could not beleive what I was reading in fact I read and re read thinking no surely not surely this is a joke however it wasn't it was genuine those that sent it I know to be legit and would never play a prank like this so yes to my abolute amazement it said hey Gaz do you want to come to Montreal in Canada would you like so come and see a private performance of Cirque Du Soliel's ultimate tribute to Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour omg I was wooohhhaaaaa I was climbing the walls with excitement omg I said to myself this is for real I am going to watch not only the worlds most iconic artist's tribute just as importantly Cirque Du Soleil were the ones doing it now from the very day this was announced I was like OMG what a partnership two iconic legends coming together what better way of celebrating Michael than Cirque doing it hell Michael himself loved all they did even touring their campus,
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The day came nervous as hell my trip began with lots of flying 10 hours one way in fact to Canada via the US but was it worth it HELL YEAH IT WAS.


My Day Starts Here


[YOUTUBE]Wezssw17bcc[/YOUTUBE]



So 3.30pm came and of we went I could not beleive we were that close only a ten minute walk around the corner to the Bell Centre hockey stadium yep a whole arena was reserved for the final rehearsals one in which we were invited at one point I had to pinch myself thinking see I told you so those in charge are wanting to do Michael and his legacy justice clearly they had every intention to involve us the fans of course you can't invite everyone so why not the leaders who represent communities in the wider world.


[YOUTUBE]9aLCP_imvI8[/YOUTUBE]



Walking into the arena we were litteraly stunned for words infront of us was the stage and set of Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour by Cirqu Du Soleil and let me tell you it ozzed Michael you could litteraly feel the energy of him all around the arena the excitement was building and like any rehearsals there was fine tuning to be done we kept getting small glimpses of his images on the big screens only for them to dissapear yep like with all setting these things up there were customary blips in that there was an issue with the video software waited and waited but you know what this increased our excitement many of the shows legendary contributors made a point to come and talk to us one being the great Greg Phillinganes musical director and master in his own right having worked with Michael directly on many of his albums and tours to other legendary artists, the energy this man has for the show and Michael's legacy was awe inspiring second to approach us was The Talauega Brothers choreographers to the show who had much to say to us including one factor that stuck out was make sure you got some tissues then the energy was building and building we could not wait no more.




The Stage
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The set was dominated by a huge spiraling tree which had to be a replica of Michael's giving tree around the tree was a huge stage and to the upper rear was Cirq's first ever live band steps dropped down to the dance and main show area with a long singular dance and walk way coming way out to beyond the middle of the arena finnished with a huge round dance area,



SHOW TIME
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The rumbling started the lights went up, its show time.....



Facing us was Michael's Neverland gates appearing out of the smoke from the very end of the stage was a young man who started to dance to Remember The Time and dance he did Locking and popping spinning and sliding/gliding it was clear this man could dance.



He was then in slow motion being sucked back along the stage to a huge screen where Michael himself was dancing the emotions started to run as all the memories of seeing him live came flooding back from the outset you could see they were trying to capture the essence of Michael actually being there the energy he oozed to the crowds even though he wasnt it was still a must for all to see and hear Cirq had me hooked from that moment, it was clear I was not just watching a tribute but some thing that was dedicated to him his memory his incredible talents Cirq wanted to create it all and that they did with their own iconic ability to put on a show of shows Cirq lived up to everything they are good at.
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I do not want to go into to much detail so as to not spoil your very own experience but many a tune boomed across the arena Childhood was for me very emotional and brought back a lot of the emotions of Michael what he endured through his years then to lift it up again was Wanna Be Startin Somthin after which from the audience the stage was raided by five super fans this story in itself was amazing throughout the show as they kept appearing and as the story unfolded it was clear they were there to try and be with Michael in Neverland skipping to some favourable parts Dangerous and Smooth Criminal was OMG they for me managed to capture the dance Michael created and performed another incredible part was Human Nature acrobats all in black with lights all over spinning up and down in rings above the stage was hugley a favourite for me,



Moving onto the to the music I for one could not be more excited to tell you all of the sounds that boomed around for pretty much the whole of the show, the mash ups the mixes the classics and incredibly the live band they were faultless in creating a master peice from start to finnish it is one hell of a musical journey and hell yeah I have got to get my hands on it to play in our All Michael Friday Show lol.



Summary
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If The Immortal World Tour comes to a city near you whether your a fan or not its a must, as one thing is for sure if you not a fan you soon will be.



I commend the Estate And Cirque, together they have brough not only two iconics in Michael Jackson and Cirque Du Soleil but a team of people who have throughout Michael's life have been there for him helped him in acheiving his success those from who have produced his music to choreographed his moves even styled his cloths, what is evident is those in charged have not left no stone unturned in their quest to honour Michael's legacy



You cant beat the main man himself but boy these guys have come a close second.



My last words and sentimients are exactly as I told to both Jeff Jampol Estate General Manager and John Branca Co Excecutor Of Michael Jackson's Estate - With this show you have done Michael Justice,


Yes finnaly A real Tribute To Michael Jackson
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Thank you so very much for this Gaz. I am so very excited. They finally released more dates and Chicago has scheduled 2 dates. I have purchased tickets for both shows. As we see in the video it is recommended to see it twice, so I'm glad I followed my instincts and bought tickets for both nights. Funny thing is, I'm moving to California in February, so I will come back home to see the shows. I'm so excited. :clapping::clap:
 
I just want to know what about hologram and MJ's video in the show?

any hologram concept??
 
mkgenie said:
I just want to know what about hologram and MJ's video in the show?any hologram concept??
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I believe they're saving those for the permanent Vegas show at Mandalay Bay, which will begin after the touring show ends..most likely in 2013 or 2014... I read that it's basically going to be a completely different show altogether! :)
 
CrazyVegasMJ said:
I believe they're saving those for the permanent Vegas show at Mandalay Bay, which will begin after the touring show ends..most likely in 2013 or 2014... I read that it's basically going to be a completely different show altogether! :)
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The perament show begins end of the next year when the Immortal Tour leaves the USA
 
There are definitely lots of tickets available for opening night.
 
It would probably have been smarter to begin the tour in Europe and then let word grow over the atlantic becouse of MJs mega fanbase in countries like England, France and Germany. Now they are gonna play 15-20000 spectators arenas in random places like Hamilton, Boise, Eugene and Saskatoon. Not sure if its gonna work out.....

The show itself seems to be spectacular though!
 
OnirMJ said:
I checked their official website and tickets are still available for every show, I thought it will be sold out by now! You can buy tickets for every show or am I wrong?

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson-tour/tickets.aspx

Is the promotion in the US big? I wouldn't wanna see empty seats..
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The opening shows were sold out...within a week. But 2 weeks ago, after they first started rehearsals at the Bell Center, the setting was probably changed and they released new tickets. Both shows last November, they were all sold out...that's why they added 6 new shows in that city. Actually, most of the cities have multiple shows.

With the trial coming up, I fear there won't be much promotion so they will have to rely on word of mouth...until the end of October.

Two friends of mine who wanted to go to the premiere weren't' able to buy tickets last year...and just last week, after they released new tickets, they managed to get a couple, and now are planning to attend premiere night next week. And they are closer to the stage than I am....which makes sense because the stage is now further back...

ETA it's smart for them to start inNorth America:

1) Cirque du Soleil as a rule, always premiere their shows in Canada or the US.

2) North American market is unpredictable when it comes to MJ...The show will be a success overseers in 2 or even 5 years.... but we don't know how long North America's renewed interest in MJ will last. It's already eroding... from June 25th's peak.


Here is a screen capture of the sold out shows last November 4th... I think the stage was re-designed to free up more tickets because all the new tickets are closer to the stage.

Also, no promotion since last November when they first announced the tickets. I have only heard of billboards in Las Vegas.

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^^There is strong demand in the US. They added new dates in NY and Long Island. Cirque du Soleil has their own fan base. So, the show appeals to non-fans as well.

In terms of promotion, there hasn't been any major promotion in my area, which makes sense, as the show won't come to NY until April 2012.
 
Memefan said:
The opening shows were sold out...within a week. But 2 weeks ago, after they first started rehearsals at the Bell Center, the setting was probably changed and they released new tickets. Both last November, they were all sold out...that's what they added 6 new shows in that city. Actually, most of the cities have multiple shows. W.
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Yes I saw this too. The shows were sold out last year. It`s addtitional tickets now. They sold 200000 tickets in the fist 24h hours. No other cirque-show has such a demand of tickets. And there were many press-report about add from additional shows about the demand of tickets. No worry the show will be a big deal all over the world.
 
Do we presume that empty seats mean fewer people love Michael or more people love Michael less? *Sigh*

There is more to Michael and his legacy than numbers!

And I support the proof that Memefan has put forward.
 
Memefan said:
The opening shows were sold out...within a week. But 2 weeks ago, after they first started rehearsals at the Bell Center, the setting was probably changed and they released new tickets. Both shows last November, they were all sold out...that's why they added 6 new shows in that city. Actually, most of the cities have multiple shows.

With the trial coming up, I fear there won't be much promotion so they will have to rely on word of mouth...until the end of October.

Two friends of mine who wanted to go to the premiere weren't' able to buy tickets last year...and just last week, after they released new tickets, they managed to get a couple, and now are planning to attend premiere night next week. And they is closer to the stage than I am....which makes sense because the stage is now further back...

ETA it's smart for them to start inNorth America:

1) Cirque du Soleil as a rule, always premiere their shows in Canada or the US.

2) North American market is unpredictable when it comes to MJ...The show will be a success overseers in 2 or even 5 years.... but we don't know how long North America's renewed in MJ will last. It's already eroding... from June25th's peak.


Here is a screen capture of the sold out shows last November 4th... I think the stage was re-designed to free up more tickets because all the new tickets are closer to the stage.

Also, no promotion since last November when they first announced the tickets. I have only heard of billboards in Las Vegas.

mjcirquedusoleil.png
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Canada is the home base of Cirque du soleil. so it makes perfect sense to launch the show from there. I agree with you though that the incoming trial does put a dent on the excitement which explains why the estate and the cirque du soleil have found it pointless to advertise in the US so far. I am sure there will be some heavy advertisement as soon as the trial is over. As for Canada, they will definitely be some form of advertisement starting this week. watch out for TV adverts and billboards in the country soon.
 
MJJuniorSinceMW said:
Hey guys,
just to let you know:

On the german amazon website is a new MJ release listed:

Michael Jackson IMMORTAL
Label: Epic
Releasedate: November 21st 2011

Here is the link:
http://www.amazon.de/Immortal-Michael-Jackson/dp/B005P78VK4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316970856&sr=8-1

This must be the Cirque-Soundtrack... *yeah*

#Justice4MJ


(Mods please move, if necessary)
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On Amazon.com Immortal is also listed as pre-order. It will be released on November 21, 2011. :)
 
This was'nt a hurried, put-together show, great thought and hard work was put into it. This will be a success, theres nothing to worry about.
 
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