The new version of Alegría has been weighing heavily on the hearts and minds of fans ever since Cirque announced last year that the show was going back on tour. Even if Alegría has been re-imagined more than many fans thought it would be (after all, the “Return of an Icon” tagline seemed to indicate the show would return with some updates but be virtually the same. The new “In a New Light” better conveys what’s actually happening with the show), the process and information coming out of Cirque du Soleil HQ in Montreal has been interesting – to say the very least. This month we have three more videos to explore with even more details about the show’s music, it’s acts, and it’s new set…
o) Ask Your questions! – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM54HEU5b8w
o) A Sneak Peek! – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBXWldtFqnk
o) Q&A w/Artists & Publicist – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wD9Jw4AdTU
“One Night For One Drop, Imagined By Cirque du Soleil,” the one-night-only soirée to benefit One Drop, features once-in-a-lifetime performances. This year, audiences around the globe can experience this exclusive event when CBS will premiere “One Night For One Drop, Imagined By Cirque du Soleil, brought to you by Colgate” on the CBS Television Network on March 16. The seventh annual “One Night for One Drop” dazzled audiences at Bellagio Resort & Casino on March 8th; the performance was taped that evening for the March 16 broadcast. “One Night For One Drop, Imagined By Cirque du Soleil, brought to you by Colgate” will be broadcast on CBS on March 16 (8 to 9 p.m. ET/PT). Check out these cool videos about this year’s show:
o) The Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkPOooYPWcc
o) The World of… – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ8MMYwA9lY
o) The Oil Rig (Awesome act!!) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7HY1IdSdTE
Cirque du Soleil will return to Australia with KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities, which will premiere under the big top on October 2nd in Sydney at Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park. Tickets for Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne are available for purchase to the general public beginning Monday, March 18th at 9:00am by visiting Cirque du Soleil’s website (www.cirquedusoleil.com/kurios). Pre-sale wait-lists for Adelaide and Perth will begin accepting registrations at the same time. “Ever since my first visit to Australia nearly 15 years ago it has been one of my favorite places on earth. I am thrilled that I can return through the spirit of KURIOS and I hope it will inspire and bring joy to everyone who enters into our special realm of reality under our big top,” said Michel Laprise, Director of Kurios. Check out the ITINERAIRE section for tour information.
The two-part documentary “Leaving Neverland” has been making news ever since its first public viewing at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, but even more so since HBO picked up and aired the documentary on March 3rd and 4th, despite constant pressure from the Jackson Estate not to do so. The Estate, for its part, has been trying to discredit the documentary — which, according to Variety, is a “remarkably effective, methodically built case alleging that the late Michael Jackson was a systematic predator and rapist of young children” — without much success.
In the two-part film, Wade Robson and James Safechuck — who became known to Jackson through their entry-level work in show business (Robson danced as part of a contest connected to the singer, while Safechuck acted in a Jackson Pepsi ad) — describe their childhood experiences with Jackson in graphic detail, saying Jackson groomed and manipulated them and their families. It’s been polarizing, to say the least. An in the spirit of full disclosure: I’ve not seen it. But there is a Cirque connection here – beyond the obvious. You see: Michael Jackson’s nephew has accused Robson of taking aim at his uncle in the documentary because he didn’t land a spot in the King of Pop’s highly-anticipated posthumous Cirque du Soleil show — Michael Jackson ONE.
In documents obtained by The Blast, Robson penned a letter to then Cirque CCO Jean-François Bouchard, pleading for a job in his new Michael Jackson show in 2011, stating, “There are very few subjects I know about more than Michael Jackson”. Robson was apparently attached to the performance during initial stages, but bailed after he took another job. When that didn’t work out, Robson changed his mind again and asked Bouchard to allow him to choreograph the show. Robson promised, “You will not have to worry about my commitment level again,” claiming he had learned from his mistakes. He also stressed that he wanted to make the show “amazing” for the legacy of Jackson. A source close to the situation told the website that they believe this letter was presented as evidence that Robson was using Michael Jackson’s name for personal gain, even after the singer’s death. The lawsuit was filed a month before Michael Jackson: ONE premiered at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
As you might expect: the fallout from the film has found its way to Las Vegas, with many calling for an end to shows that honor Jackson. KTNV Action News reached out to Mandalay Bay and Cirque du Soleil for comment. Cirque said in a statement it was unable to comment at this time because of the current legal proceedings involving one of its partners. Will Michael Jackson ONE be forced to close? I highly doubt it, as long as it’s selling tickets. But who knows how far-reaching the fallout from this documentary will be. Or, will we all just forget about it and move on in two weeks? We’ll have to wait and see. In either case – for the moment – Michael Jackson ONE is playing on…
And that’s all I have time for this month. So, let’s go!
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