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Cirque expands Michael Jackson tour dates — more Las Vegas shows?
Posted January 24, 2011 • 9:34 a.m.
Cirque du Soleil and Michael Jackson's Immortal.
Photo: Cirque du Soleil
Rehearsals are underway for the Oct. 2 world premiere in Montreal of the Michael Jackson show Immortal from Cirque du Soleil. The first U.S. performance is in Detroit on Oct. 15. The theatrical company has now hit the 30-city mark for the tour, with dates extended to July 6, 2012, and more cities and venues being added -- and to the worldwide tour that will follow.
Interestingly, the Las Vegas dates -- Dec. 3-11 at Mandalay Bay Events Center twice nightly -- also are likely to be extended, I have learned. Cirque has kept dates open until a Dec. 30 series in Phoenix so that the moment tickets are sold out here, the additional Las Vegas dates can be added. Currently, the U.S. tour ends in Atlanta on June 29, 2012, before returning to Montreal on July 6 in advance of the overseas trips.
Jamie King is the director and writer of Cirque du Soleil and Michael Jackson's Immortal.
Cirque du Soleil and Michael Jackson
Award-winning director and choreographer Jamie King is now in Montreal full time overseeing the rehearsals with Creation Director Chantal Tremblay, who worked on the original Cirque Las Vegas show Mystere at Treasure Island and then in 2006 as the creation director for The Beatles Love at The Mirage.
Jamie was Madonna's creative director for 12 years and directed her Confessions (2006) and Sticky & Sweet (2008) world tours. Most recently, he directed Caesars Palace headliner Celine Dion's Taking Chances World Tour and Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth world tour.
I am reliably told that everything in this current preliminary timeline is on schedule and running smoothly without delays or production difficulties. Ticket sales have exceeded all projections at this early date, and everybody connected with the production plans is "very happy with its development and progress."
Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world's premier platinum playground.