by senior contributor Brendan Kownacki
Thriller, Beat it, Black and White….how could these global hits by Michael Jackson reach a new level of iconic? Throw in Cirque Du Soleil of course. This was the idea behind the new Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour, coming to Washington D.C. July 13-15 at the Verizon Center.
“Michael Jackson was always a huge fan of Cirque” said Laura Silverman, tour spokesperson for Cirque. Jackson visited Cirque headquarters in 2004, so the idea seemed natural to breed a combination when the estate of Jackson approached Cirque after his death.
The IMMORTAL World tour is a mix of music, dance and a tribute to Jackson with the artistry and acrobatics that make Cirque famous. The show was written and directed by Jamie King, who was a long time collaborator of Michael Jackson’s, even acting as a stand-in for him on tour while Jackson changed costumes. King started with the music and built a visual extravaganza from there that is sure to delight fans across the globe.
Silverman told us that the show has Michael’s “iconic dance moves with a cirque twist” but most importantly “Michael’s voice is the driving force.”
The show span’s from Michael’s early Motown days with the Jackson 5 and leads up to the last tracks he was recording before he died. The show is almost a biographical showcase for Michael’s life, music, and spirit; several of the musicians in the tour had worked with Michael, so the sounds of Smooth Criminal, Billie Jean, and Man in the Mirror are vividly familiar to them just as they will be to the audience.
Everyone across the globe knows Jackson’s music and signature moves, so take a look at how Cirque transformed his image:
