Cirque du Soleil to debut new Michael Jackson-themed show in Vegas

Show will be called Michael Jackson ONE

The Associated Press

Posted: Feb 22, 2013 1:31 PM ET

Last Updated: Feb 22, 2013 3:30 PM ET

Performers dance during a preview of the new Cirque du Soleil show Michael Jackson ONE, set to premiere at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Strip on June 29. (Glenn Pinkerton/Las Vegas News Bureau/Associated Press)

Cirque du Soleil is combining the songs of Michael Jackson and its own technology-enhanced theatrics for a second Las Vegas show centred on the King of Pop.

Cirque du Soleil CEO Daniel Lamarre announced Thursday that the company's newest show will be called Michael Jackson ONE. The title is intended to evoke the King of Pop's multifaceted persona and changing musical styles.

"As a creative challenge, this project is the ultimate," Lamarre said in a statement, adding that the show will incorporate "cutting-edge technology."

The show at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Strip will start preview performances May 23. It will officially premiere June 29.

The show is the second collaboration between the acrobatic company and Jackson's estate. The first production, Michael Jackson: Immortal World Tour, debuted in Montreal in October 2011 and is currently touring in Europe.

Despite receiving mixed reviews, the show was the fourth highest-grossing tour in 2012, according to Billboard. Costing about $60 million US to produce, the Immortal World Tour earned more than $147 million over 183 shows.

When it created Immortal World Tour, which is meant to create the atmosphere of an arena concert with Jackson, the Cirque announced plans for a second show with a more theatrical feel.

According to the Cirque du Soleil website, Las Vegas tickets for the new show will start at $69.

With files from CBC

Stay Connected with CBC News

Big Box Advertisement

Horror tale Haunting Melissa targets app audiences by Jessica Wong May. 16, 2013 4:40 PM If you're seeking the weather, the news or a pic of what your buddy had for lunch, there are apps for that. What about an original, Hollywood-calibre ghost story from a producer of The Ring and Mulholland Drive? Now, there's an app for that, too. Haunting Melissa ventures into the burgeoning realm of digital storytelling as a traditional ghost story with a modern twist -- namely a tale that unfolds through an iOS app.

Top News Headlines

Remains found on murder suspect Millard's Ontario farm

Remains found on murder suspect Millard's Ontario farm: Police searching the farm that belonged to Dellen Millard, the 27-year-old suspect charged with first-degree murder in the death of Ancaster, Ont., man Tim Bosma, have found more remains on the property. more »

Harper chief of staff resigns amid Senate expense scandal: Nigel Wright has resigned as Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief of staff, following revelations he wrote a $90,000 cheque to repay living expenses claimed by Senator Mike Duffy. more »
Jeep driver apologizes after stunt kills Edmonton woman: A man claiming to be the driver of a Jeep that struck and killed a spectator at a charity event in Edmonton says he is sorry for what happened. more »
Senior Pakistani politician Zahra Shahid shot dead: Voting in Karachi goes ahead a day after gunmen killed a senior member of Imran Khan's Movement for Justice (PTI) party outside her home in Karachi. more »
Saudi coronavirus work stymied at Canadian lab: The National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg is working with a sample of the new coronavirus that's causing clusters of infections abroad - but can't share the material with other researchers across the country despite the public health urgency. more »

Must Watch

Latest Arts & Entertainment News Headlines

Taylor Swift nabs 8 wins at Billboard Music Awards

Taylor Swift nabs 8 wins at Billboard Music Awards: Another day, another domination for Taylor Swift: She was the red hot winner at the Billboard Music Awards, winning eight of 11 awards, including top artist and top Billboard 200 album for Red. more »

Denmark's Emmelie de Forest wins Eurovision: Denmark's Emmelie de Forest has won this year's Eurovision Song Contest with her ethno-inspired flute and drum tune Only Teardrops. more »
John Lennon guitar snags $408,000 at auction: A custom-made electric guitar played by the late John Lennon and George Harrison of the Beatles sold at a New York auction on Saturday for $408,000 US, said officials with the company behind the event more »
Book seller Sarah McNally: Hipster writes her own business rule book: Canadian Sarah McNally is taking her own unique approach to the book-selling game in New York City, and its success is evident in her Manhattan McNally-Jackson Bookstore, writes David Gutnick. more »
Mohawk Girls series tells stories of once 'voiceless' women: The director behind a TV series being shot in Kahnawake says she wants to show Canadians what it means to be a Mohawk woman. more »

More Headlines »

Q Blog

Pete Townshend on The Who's "Tommy" May. 17, 2013 4:15 PM

CBC Books

Juvenile inmates benefiting from Russian literature May. 17, 2013 3:32 PM A juvenile correctional facility in Virginia has seen the behavioural benefits of encouraging their inmates to read the works of classic Russian writers like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky.