LAS VEGAS – Michael Jackson is still the G.O.A.T. – at least in Vegas.
As the centerpiece of the last music-themed Cirque du Soleil show on the Strip, Jackson’s music and dance moves – seismic stylistic innovations in the ‘70s and ‘80s – are regularly celebrated in “Michael Jackson: ONE.”
Jackson would have turned 67 Aug. 29, but even 16 years after his untimely death, his creative genius is still a magnet.
“It comes down to the show being something that resonates,” says Alana Clapp, company manager for “ONE.” “There are great messages behind a lot of his songs, but it’s also fun. And in this day and age it’s important that for 90 minutes you get to focus on that entertainment value.”
At the top of the year, “Michael Jackson: ONE” – the only show sanctioned by the Jackson estate – surpassed 4,500 performances for more than 5.5 million guests. The production turned 12 in June and its ongoing success was rewarded with a contract extension that will keep the sequins and spins at the specialized theater at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino through 2030.
Following the shuttering of “The Beatles Love by Cirque du Soleil” last summer due to the demolition of its Mirage home for the under-construction Hard Rock Las Vegas, Jackson’s show reigns for fans of music coupled with the captivating acrobatics and dazzling costumes perfected by Cirque. The 63 members of the “ONE” cast now include some displaced “Love” performers.
What is new in Michael Jackson’s Cirque du Soleil show?
Clapp says having that spotlight, as well as the longevity of “ONE,” were major motivators to refresh the Jackson production and make it a “more immersive” experience.
A pack of 64 drones has been integrated into the show – the first time that many have been used in a North American theater, according to Clapp – as well as nine LED panels in the theater space. Costume pieces and choreography also received a glow up, and a fan favorite from Jackson’s “Bad” album, “Another Part of Me,” has been tucked among pulse-pushing smashes including “Black or White,” “Thriller” and “Billie Jean.”
A group of Taiwanese Diabolo artists has also added a spark to “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” as they dance with an unusual apparatus that blends yo-yo moves and juggling.
“Let’s bring a new wave of this show into a new era,” Clapp says was the philosophy.
Other highlights of the adrenalized production include the precise recreation of Jackson’s head-shaking deep lean during “Smooth Criminal,” performed in trench coats and fedoras, and the gliding overhead presence of the Moon Goddess as she sings the swoony “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.”
Michael Jackson’s ‘ONE’ will ‘keep true’ to his legacy
While Cirque shows have increased competition in Las Vegas with the evolution of technology not only at the Sphere, but also in superstar residencies along the Strip, Clapp feels fortunate that “ONE” has been able to “hit budgeting markers” even as Las Vegas experiences a slip in tourism.
“We’re very proud of how well the show has done given the current state of things,” she says.
And while artificial intelligence is becoming more commonplace in artistic creations, there are no plans to integrate any technological artifice into the Jackson homage.
“It’s important for us to stay true to the content of Michael. We feel there is a beauty in the original content. You start to get flooded with AI conversations and it gets challenging to discern between what is original and what has been altered,” Clapp says. “There is a beauty to keeping this true to him and the human performance, which is what Cirque is.”