Michael Jackson is in the house, or at least he’s in the theatre at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, where Cirque du Soleil’s latest resident show celebrates the King of Pop in a new immersive musical experience, Michael Jackson ONE™, which opened during the summer, was written and directed by Jamie King, with sets and props by François Séguin, costumes by Zaldy Goco, projections by Raymond St-Jean and Jimmy Lakatos, sound by Jonathan Deans, lighting by David Finn, and a special “Man In The Mirror” Pepper’s ghost sequence designed by Michael Lemieux and Victor Pilon.
The Mandalay Bay theatre was renovated à la Cirque du Soleil by architect Troy Moser in collaboration with theatre consultants Auerbach Pollock Friedlander, whose first step was to improve sightlines. “Our work improved egress paths and ADA accommodations,” explains Len Auerbach, principal-in-charge. “Integration of overhead technical areas required modification of the audience area ceilings, reconfiguring and lowering of the forestage grid, and performer acrobatic catwalks. We developed the integrated torm, designed new lighting and sound positions, and coordinated the sidewall video screens with the acoustic treatment.” Jaffe Holden served as acoustic consultants.
The stage is equipped with three major lifts and five high-speed pop-lifts in the forestage area, which can launch a performer 6' above the stage level. Mechanization over the audience includes tracks and trolleys plus a variety of hoists. The track, trolleys, and pop-lifts were provided by Stage Technologies, and the main stage lifts, with Serapid drives, were provided by Handling Specialty. Stage Technologies also provided the automation system.
“The Michael Jackson ONE venue is our seventh Cirque du Soleil project, and each time we have been challenged by the unique concepts of an innovative and technically savvy client,” adds Auerbach. “All of the show concepts have tested us in different ways. That’s what makes me so enthusiastic to collaborate with Cirque du Soleil.”