The Immortal Tour — Premiere on Oct 2, 2011 in Montreal
A scene from the Cirque du Soleil show Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour, which had its world premiere Sunday night (Oct. 2, 2011) at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Photograph by: courtesy of Cirque du Soleil
How do you stage a Michael Jackson show without Michael Jackson? With high energy dancing and acrobatics, plenty of razzle dazzle, tons of ingenuity and lots of carefully selected video clips of Jackson himself.
That seems to be more or less the recipe adhered to by the Cirque du Soleil in creating Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour which had its world premiere at the Belle Centre last night (Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011). It plays here again tonight before moving on to Ottawa, then to about 60 other North American cities.
This $60 million arena show that sold $40 million worth of tickets within 24 hours when it was first announced, is not like anything the Cirque has done before, although its genre is similar to that of Viva ELVIS and LOVE (the Beatles show) in Las Vegas.
This MJ show has circus acts, but it’s not a circus. Nor is it a rock concert or dance show, exactly, either. Insofar as people are expecting any one of the above, they may feel a bit shortchanged. But if they go with the performance art flow of it all, they are not likely to be bored.
This is a dazzling, fast-pace spectacle for people with short attention spans, flitting from one song to the next, seldom settling down with one for a whole number. All is deftly rearranged, using live music and Jackson’s recorded voice. The audience is overwhelmed with images, some of them on screens, others created through maniupulation of quirky props, like a mega-sized white glove, a huge Jackson hat that conceals several dancers or a pair of giant shoes and socks, with dancers inside.
There’s no real attempt to tell Jackson’s life story, but it does begin with a five-clown band, evoking the Jackson Five. (Not the most successful idea in the show, given their moves aren’t nearly as slick as the originals and their bad afro wigs don’t become them well.)
The show offers a fairly comprehensive sampling of Jackson’s better-known songs. Early on, there’s a poignant rendition of Have You Seen My Childhood? Some songs, like Dancing Machine and Black or White, get more of a workout than others. Fantasies of Neverland come alive, one after another, sometimes at very high volume. There’s quiet time, too, with Jackson speaking his own lyrics.
A solo dancer/acrobat in sparkling white does mime shtick that reminds us where the moonwalk came from. He returns again and again throughout the show, at one point doing a series of startling backwards cartwheels. (Do not try this at home.) Aerial acts are used frequently to conquerthe cavernous space of the Bell Centre. A single contortionist worms her way out of a giant book, in one clevelry staged scene.
Unlike most Cirque shows, this one, directed by Jamie King, is prepared to do a couple of encores. And on Sunday night it was clear that 15,000 people wanted more. And more.
Massive Michael Jackson Immortal tour kicks off in Montreal
A poster for the tour kicking off Sunday in Montreal.Updated: Mon Oct. 03 2011 9:28:52 AM
ctvmontreal.ca
MONTREAL — Michael Jackson’s mother, his siblings, and his children were among those attending the premiere of Michael Jackson: The Immortal World tour, produced by the Cirque du Soleil at the Bell Centre Sunday evening.
Daniel Lamarre President of the Cirque du Soleil, was particularly excited that the late king of pop’s mother Katherine Jackson was at the show.
“She played a deciding role choosing the Cirque du Soleil for this project and disappointing her is out of the question,” he said.
Jackson’s two brothers, Jackie and Tito were also at the show.
Fans watched dancers and acrobats pay tribute to about 60 songs from the vast Michael Jackson songbook, ranging from his earliest material with the Jackson 5 to songs from his final studio album.
Plenty of video, including never-before-seen video from the This Is Ittour, was presented.
The organizers ruled out hiring an imitator for the show.
“We refused to do that, and were very clear, as was the family. There’s only one Michael Jackson and we’re going to see him plenty on the video,” said Daniel Lamarre.
The show will stop at about 50 Canadian and American cities by July 2012 and will travel with a $60 million budget.
Altogether, 38 trucks — three devoted entirely to costumes — will roll throughout North America as 76 artists, including 15 musicians will participate in the show.
Fans who missed opening night in Montreal will have plenty of other opportunities to catch the show: the tour is scheduled to return to Montreal in March and July of 2012.
With files from The Canadian Press
Michael Jackson, The Immortal World Tour en images
Critique from Radio Canada:
Michael Jackson "Death" Investigation 
to me …I find this insulting to Michael Jackson !! think the public is crazy for going !! this is not Michael Jackson !! they are using him for making money once again!!! I see so many people believing everything they hear and more so.. any negative they fall for !!! so easy to play with their brains!! and yes its a circus !! think MJ also was dissapointed in the whole show of this is it !!!! the dancers the band and the timing was so off!! think he was sick of kenny ortega running everything! so many lies from all of them..think Michael was being druged and controlled to make it look llike he was an addict!! before the kill !!
October 3, 2011 at 12:42 PM
this “celebration” of MICHAEL JACKSON was done much too soon!! the trial is not even over !!!!!!!!!!!!! they just couldnt wait its still all about the power and money to be made!! thats why he is gone .. to so many he was just a “MONEYMACHINE” an investment that was kept under control with security and was watched 24-7 !!!
October 3, 2011 at 4:43 PM