If you just want to know if “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour” by Cirque du Soleil@@http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson-tour/default.aspx@@ is any good, I can save you some time with a short answer: yes. But if you want to know just how awesome the dancing, acrobatics, music and ever-changing stage were, read on.
“Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour” gave a one-night-only performance in Eugene at the Matthew Knight Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 15@@http://matthewknightarena.com/event/81/cirque-du-soleil@@. Cirque du Soleil shows are too often permanently stationed in Las Vegas, so when one comes to town, it’s a great opportunity to experience a bit of Sin City without forking over quite as much cash (and dignity, if we’re being honest here).@@I’m confused by the connection between Cirque du Soleil and the debauchery of Vegas@@
The show started off with five guys dressed in various MJ attire interacting with the screens behind them. This was a great start to the show, as it made you realize the impeccable timing that goes into every single part of the show. Through the use of the screens, the five dancers took us through an urban city. At one point, two of them were lifted up in the air in front of a screen showing a train, like the men were running across the top. At another, the other men “slide” the screen, changing its scenery, and one of the suspended men even “splashes” paint on a brick wall. If the timing was off for any part of this opening, it would have thrown everything off. This is just an example of the flawless timing that was constant throughout the show.
As the show went on, I was as awestruck as any average audience member of a Cirque show should be, but I was starting to worry that the show was missing an important chapter of Jackson’s history — the first one@@definitely not what I thought you were gonna say@@. Before long, however, I was proved wrong when the five men from the start came back for a dance to the song “ABC.” Later in the show there was a beautiful rendition of “I’ll Be There,” mixing Jackson’s recorded voice with live piano.
This mix was present throughout the show and made it a unique experience. For the most part, the band and Jackson’s live backup singers were in the background, while most audience’s eyes were on the spectacle in the foreground. The musical skill of the live singers and a band as good as theirs deserve equal attention, so I was glad to see that they often got some time in the spotlight, either on the main stage (most frequently the guitarists and electric cellist) or on the screens.@@I played with this sentence, but it’s still confusing.@@
Of course, what sets a Cirque show apart from a regular concert are the acrobats and, in the case of “The Immortal Tour,” the dancing. Signature Michael Jackson dance moves like the lean and moonwalk were performed as well as the King of Pop himself would have done. The physical feats the dancers and acrobats performed were inspiring enough, but one of the performers only has one leg, which made his performance even more spectacular.
The “Smooth Criminal” number, with its ’40s vibe and performers sitting on high poles or dancing through the air, and the “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough”/”Billie Jean” mash-up, with dancers in vibrantly colored, light-up track suits, were probably my favorites. The “Thriller” performance, with classic Jackson choreography performed in mummy costumes, was also a lot of fun. Then the “Ghost Stories” performance was wonderfully creepy, with the Michael Jackson figure opening a large book, only to have a green creature climb out of it.
Although most of the show was wonderful, a bit involving someone in a giant, white sparkling glove was a little cheesy (although when the two giant shoes showed up, it was somehow a little cooler). The “Dangerous” performance was pretty scandalous for something I assumed was a family show, with a scantily clad performer high on a pole. I really didn’t need to see as much of that girl as I did.
Michael Jackson’s famous pet chimpanzee also made an appearance by way of a performer dressed up and walking like a chimp. This was creepy, and not in the fun way that “Ghost Stories” was. The chimp got even creepier when he danced and became a DJ. Of course, this might be the result of my own fear of monkeys.
A Cirque du Soleil show is truly a unique experience, and combined with the music of a legend like Michael Jackson, “The Immortal Tour” was a beautiful tribute to a lost icon.
Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson show a unique, fun experience
Daily Emerald
November 15, 2011
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