Featuring over 60 songs, Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil pays homage to the longevity and diverse range of the musical career of the King of Pop. Live musicians, dancers, acrobats and a mime artist come together to pay tribute to the one element missing from, and yet dominating, the show. Screened clips from various music videos and televised performances, brought Jackson into the production but also highlighted his absence, as his recorded voice was used as the lead in all the songs. Some fans seemed confused, calling out their adoration to Jackson, but this worked in with soundtrack footage of chanting crowds spliced into the audio mix.
Michael Jackson’s showmanship and sense of performance have been adapted sympathetically by Cirque du Soleil. In place of seeing one man’s deft, sharp moves, we had a set of five super-fans, dancers who evoked Jackson’s various iconic costumes and dance moves. The mood of the show moved seamlessly from high energy extravaganza to maudlin memorial, to slightly mawkish tribute (as in the section on Jackson’s love of animals), and then back to pulsing pop, but the performing artists squashed such speculations on merit with their sheer brilliance and astounding displays of skill.
Ensemble scenes impressed with tight choreography, astonishingly faithful dance moves and amazing costumes. Inspired costuming featured LED lights in different outfits, from highlighting costume details and creating a set of abstract aerobatic constellations to giving a futuristic army a voice in proceedings. What could have been a gimmick was used in such different ways, with each of them well-considered in terms of stylistic impact.
The solo acts were stunning in their own ways, from a contortionist turning pages of a book in a totally new way, to a captivating aerial silks artist and even a pole dancer who took her discipline to a whole new level. Live musicians were not just note perfect, but brought another dimension to the show by staging ‘duels’ between instruments at the front of stage, as well as accompanying dancers in larger scenes. One dancer needs individual mention – it’s not often that you get to see a one-legged man breakdancing, and it’s a wonderful sight when that man is startlingly good at it.
Cirque du Soleil have the top flight talent, the flair for the spectacular, and the inspiration to create a top class tribute to the flamboyant mastery of pop music that is Jackson’s professional legacy. However, the lower key moments commemorating the angst of Jackson’s childhood and resulting isolation from the world in his Neverland retreat did not sit well, with The IMMORTAL lacking the sincerity to carry such sentiments without it feeling like someone else is, yet again, profiting from the personal anguish that defined Jackson’s personal life.
Large sections of empty seats in the Perth Arena took their toll on the atmosphere, with diehard fans loving every moment but many people remaining in their seats when urged to jump up, clap and cheer in the finale. The overall show was a tribute to the various facets of Jackson’s life and career, and a celebration of the spectacular performances that he loved to present – one feels that he would have approved heartily of Cirque du Soleil’s efforts in his name.
Rating: 4 ½ stars out of 5
Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil
Written and directed by Jamie King
Band Leader and Keyboards: Darrell Smith
Drums: John ‘Sugarfoot’ Moffett
Bass Guitar: Don Boyette
Guitar: Jon Myron Clark
Percussion: Bashiri Johnson
Guitar: Desiree Bassett
Saxophone: Michael Ghegan
Trumpet: Keyon Harrold
Cello: Mariko
Vocals: Fred White and Stevvi Alexander
Mime: Mansour Abdessadok
Pole Dance: Anna Melnikova
Aerial Silks Artist: Giulia Piolanti
Contortionist: Baaska Enkhbaatar
Fanatics: Tomohiko Tsujimoto, Leo Moctezuma, Levan Torchinava, Khalid Freeman, Cameron McKinlay
Dancers: Pom Arnold, Jonathan Bayani, Michael Cameron, Tina Cannon, Khalid Freeman, Shondra Leigh, Cameron Mckinlay, Leo Moctezuma, Gianinni Semedo Moreira, Melena Rounis, Tammy To, Levan Torchinava, Davi Lorenzo, Yavuz Topuz, Tomohiko Tsujimoto, Kendrick Jones & Danielle Hobbs (Tap Dancers), Jean Sok (One-Legged Dancer)
Acrobats: Vincent Deplanche, Christian Détraz, Harvey Donnelly, Kodai Noro, Daisuke Suzuki, Yuta Takahashi, Mitsuhiro Tamura, Tatsuya Tanimoto, Narihito Tonosaki, Loic Weissbrodt, Terrance Harrison (Bubbles)
Perth Arena, Perth
18-22 September
ADDITIONAL DATES:
Sydney: Allphones Arena, 26-29 September
Brisbane Entertainment Centre, 2-6 October
Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena, 9-13 October
Adelaide Entertainment Centre, 15-17 October
