Michael Jackson fans are in for a treat this December: A 16-day tour of ‘Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour’ developed by famed circus company Cirque du Soleil is coming to Dubai.
The show, which features the music of Jackson along with Cirque du Soleil’s signature acrobatic performance style in the form of a concert, is written and directed by Jamie King in partnership with the late singer’s estate.
“Michael Jackson wasn’t just a global superstar, but also believed that the world can perform as one and to bring the show here makes sense as it’s brought old fans, new fans together to celebrate his legacy, his music,” said King, at a press conference in Dubai on Monday. “It’s my first time in Dubai and I see the huge buildings outside my hotel and the man-made islands, and I think, ‘This is Michael. Michael Jackson believed in the illogical and what you have created here is not just immortal but seems illogical’. He was a humanitarian and a genius and that’s what we’ve tried to bring out with the show. We are just celebrating his showmanship and the man he was.”
The dance, music and fantasy extravaganza has around 60 performers, including singers, dancers, acrobats and musicians, from all over the world.
“It will be like there are 65 Michaels on stage. It’s a big show. How can it not be one when you mix the show and Cirque du Soleil who are just as maverick in their field as the showman himself?” said King. “It’s a fantastical journey into his life and his head, to experience and feel the essence of what he was all about. The music is larger than life. The dance and acrobatics is larger than life.
“He wore the iconic costumes we’ve interpreted in a Cirque-way. It’s not just a rock-style show, it’s a theatrical show. And all this is presented in a humanitarian way bringing the message of bringing the world together and in the most fantastical place of all: Neverland.”
Renee-Claude Menard, the director of Cirque du Soleil, said the show was the most ambitious and biggest production Cirque du Soleil has made.
“It has performed in more than a 100 cities as of today and 24 countries in three continents. We have performers from some 19 countries. It is the most spectacular tour,” he said.
The show, brought to the UAE by events company Duvent, is already popular in Europe and features many top creators who’ve worked with Jackson, including costumers, choreographers and musicians, to give an authenticity to the show, said King.
Choosing the music, King said, was “like being in a candystore”.
“Putting the immense work that a genius like Michael Jackson has done in a 90-minute show was probably the hardest thing for us to do. We’ve tried to take as many of the legendary songs from Beat It, Dangerous, Bad… to create fresh tunes and mash ups of his iconic songs”.
‘Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour’ will premiere in the UAE on December 30, at the Dubai World Trade Centre Arena and will run until January 14, 2014. Tickets, starting at Dh295, are available on ticketmaster.ae. For more on the show, go to duvent.com, or call call 800 86823.
