Le Grand Chapiteau: Michael Jackson ONE

Initially most of the news about Cirque’s Michael Jackson projects was about THE IMMORTAL. And why not? According to Pollstar, by late 2011 Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour had become the highest-grossing live show in the country, with nearly $2 million in tickets sold for each night of its run - accumulating nearly $100 million in ticket sales up to that point. And it was only getting better. “We’d marked London for six dates, but they sold out immediately just to Cirque Club Members,” said Daniel Lamarre. “We’re looking to add at least three more shows there. It’s a stampede in Asia with the promoters there, so we’re now putting that part of the plan into place. A show of this kind would normally run two years, and now we’re looking at three, maybe four years. Many cities here in North America were sold out, so we would like the show to come back for repeat dates — but not on this side of the country (West Coast) because we don’t want to cannibalize the new Mandalay show.”

That’s right. By March 2012, the show – now set to debut May 13, 2013 at Mandalay Bay – was “on schedule and on target.” Construction on the newly designed theater had begun the moment the theater’s previous occupant departed (The Lion King, which had been in residence there for two and a half years.) “We are in full construction mode now,” Daniel [Lamarre, COO of Cirque du Soleil] said. [...] It is all set for Mandalay Bay — there’s no chance of the show going anywhere else in Vegas. We are on target and on schedule for the May 13th opening. Touring show author, chief choreographer and Director Jamie King has been signed to a new contract to mastermind the residency production. Extraordinary costume director Zaldy Goco, who designed the "Immortal" wardrobe, also will repeat his genius for the new show [but] it will definitely be far more of a theatrical experience than our Michael Jackson touring rock concert show,” he added.

Later in the year, as Cirque held its gala premiere of ZARKANA at Aria (and reveling in its light), Mr. Lamarre let a few more things slip about the new Michael Jackson show:

"We are talking May 23 for the first-night of previews, with the grand gala opening June 21. [...] Cirque has still not decided on the show's title, and the creative team is working on the visuals. [...] We have already learned from the touring show that people want to listen and see his complete hits. They don't want a medley of songs; they want the full song. So it won't be 23 songs in the theatrical version. We will probably have fewer, but we will play it full blast. [...] And, none of the acts in the touring show will be used in the theatrical show. They will all be brand new - nothing will have been seen before."

Although Cirque didn’t have a name it was announcing at the time, we fans found out it was to be called “MICHAEL JACKSON ONE”. Just a few short months after discovering the show’s name, and after much anticipation, Cirque made the official announcement: “With 26 scenes, 60 performers and full versions of Jackson's biggest hits, [MICHAEL JACKSON ONE is about] four misfits [setting] out on a transformative adventure. By journey’s end, they will personify Michael’s agility, courage, playfulness and love.”

Cirque took its time before announcing whether the two shows would carry the same title, how much material would overlap and whether "Immortal" director Jamie King — known for staging arena tours for pop stars such as Madonna — would be entrusted with the more theatrical follow-up. Success provided answers. "The Immortal" is still hard-charging through Asia, so if for no other reason, a new name was needed to distinguish the two different products, Cirque President Daniel Lamarre noted. As for King? At one point, Lamarre said the director's involvement would end with the arena tour. But as "The Immortal" kept clicking turnstiles around the globe, Lamarre told reporters, "We wanted the content of each show to be very different, but there was one guy we wanted to keep ... because Jamie knows so well the universe of Michael Jackson." And so it was.

“This is our second project with the Estate of Michael Jackson which confirms how stimulating this creative partnership was meant to be,” said Daniel Lamarre. “Michael Jackson is an all-time phenomenal artist, both timeless and contemporary. As a creative challenge, this project is the ultimate. Through the use of cutting-edge technology, we will produce a new Cirque du Soleil theatrical experience not only respectful of Michael’s legacy but also very distinctive from Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour.”

The title of the show is a triple entendre: 70 percent of the set list is Jackson's number one hits. Michael Jackson was also a one-of-a-kind artist and one of the most influential of all time. But at its core, One aims to celebrate the ethos of love and unity that Jackson captured throughout his career, through his concerts, song lyrics and philanthropy.

“We are guided by Michael’s own philosophy in all that we do. In preparing for this production, Michael’s message to the cast and crew for his This Is It concerts was foremost in our minds. He counseled them on what the audience experience should be: ‘They want wonderful experiences. We want to take them places that they’ve never been before. We want to show them talent like they’ve never seen before. We’re putting love back into the world to remind the world that love is important. WE’RE ALL ONE. That is the message. We feel the same, and that is what we are delivering both to lifelong fans and those just discovering his artistic genius with Michael Jackson ONE,” stated John Branca and John McClain, Co-Executors of the Estate of Michael Jackson.

Chuck Bowling, Mandalay Bay’s president and COO, said, “The partnership with Cirque and The Estate of Michael Jackson represents an extra-ordinary moment for Mandalay Bay. We are in the midst of a major trans-formation at this resort, introducing a new set of experiences for our guests. Michael Jackson ONE is truly the crown jewel in that transformation and we cannot wait to share this very special production with the world.”

And so the creatives went into hiding to try and craft another production with Michael Jackson’s hits. But just what did they have in mind? The Las Vegas Review-Journal got a scoop when they stumbled upon plans suggesting the show would tap into the pop star’s years of being hounded by tabloid journalists, a concept pushed further when the show was unveiled to journalists. Welby Altidor, Cirque’s director of creation, said: “We wanted to do a tongue-in-cheek” reference to add a darker force that “talks about his relationship with the media.” Another group of singers, described by Altidor as “our Greek chorus,” will represent all the different energies and influences of Jackson, “and we will recognize that through their costumes.”

“It is in no way a chronological biopic story of Michael Jackson,” admitted Director Jamie King. “It is a complete new fairytale in a Cirque way. We have created a new story, something that people may or may not get all the way, but we certainly do. And we think it is a great fairytale and journey to go on using Michael’s music. The running theme by the end of the show [is] that we're just all the same, because we are all the same," says King. "It doesn't matter if you're black or white, we're all the same. It's that oneness that I want people to leave with, because that was Michael's message 'til the end." The 63 artists representing 17 nationalities would include acrobats from all over the world and three dance crews: the Art Farmers from Korea, a girl group known as ReQuest from New Zealand and 787 Crew from Puerto Rico. Dancers called the MJ Warriors will “create the first line of defense for Michael,” Altidor said. Another act he is convinced will be a crowd pleaser will be the slack-line artists. “It’s a completely new discipline that’s been emerging on the urban front. Imagine an elastic line attached to poles. The artists bounce and do acrobatics on it, really cool tricks. It’s really popular with youngsters around the word.”

And the show was becoming popular with Michael’s fans around the world, even before it made its debut. Ticket sales were skyrocketing. With three months to go until the first previews of the show were to even be seen, Mandalay Bay and Cirque du Soleil had already sold $500,000 in tickets in just the first few hours of the spectacle going on sale. It’s a number that didn’t escape Jamie King’s notice... “It’s going to be a blockbuster. That’s a staggering first-day sale,” Jamie told Robin Leach in an interview.

King says that it’s one of the longest pre-production schedules in Cirque’s history, if not the longest. The casting and Montreal training — particularly of acrobatics never seen before in any production — began in October.

“We are literally just in technical rehearsals now. I just spent the last four months living in Montreal in production rehearsals. Now we are in tech rehearsals here for the next few weeks, and then we go into all production rehearsals here. It’s a long run before the premiere,” Jamie said. “Starting in March, I am here every day. It needs to be a long set of work. It’s ambitious, but for a great show, you need to have that much work put into it.”

ONE was definitely becoming one of Cirque du Soleil's most ambitious endeavors to date, as no production had ever had so many acrobatic performances in a single show. To avoid recycling routines from The Immortal, choreographers take advantage of the intimate theater setting and spotlight Jackson's iconic moves at new heights. Cirque is also working with dance crews for the first time, having found new inspiration in groups from South Korea, New Zealand and Puerto Rico. All stage performers are dressed by Zaldy Goco, Jackson's longtime designer, who also outfitted Lady Gaga's first North American Monster Ball tour and joined with Gwen Stefani for her L.A.M.B. label.

The high level of ambition for originality in One is familiar to choreographer Travis Payne, who has worked with Beyonce, Shakira, Usher and Jennifer Lopez, and collaborated with Jackson on and off for more than 15 years. "Michael was always very, very clear that he just wanted to get to the best idea – it did not always have to come from him, the only thing he asked is that it's something he'd never seen before," Payne told The Hollywood Reporter. "If it was anything that felt similar to anything else that'd come before it, he didn't want any part of it. That's what made him so innovative in all of his music and visuals … a lot of times, he was just inspired and motivated by things around him in everyday life. He might come into rehearsal with a drawing he did on a napkin the evening before because he just got a great idea, and then it becomes the set for ‘The Way You Make Me Feel' in This Is It. … You left exhausted because he always pulled everything out of you and wouldn't allow you to settle, because he wasn't gonna settle."

Many steps of One draw from Jackson's creative process and attention to detail, which King witnessed firsthand during his first gig in showbiz as a dancer on Jackson's Dangerous tour in 1992. He recalls watching Jackson backstage as he prepared for arena shows that had yet to use enhancements like video screens. “You could see the attention to detail: every light mattered, where he was positioned so that he could get the right silhouette mattered," says King. "To watch that level of interest and detail and to really care about every aspect of the stage so that it matches his movement and really goes along to the music so that every accent is hit with the lights, it was something I'll never forget."