A riveting fusion of visuals, dance, music and fantasy that immerses audiences in Michael’s creative world and literally turns his signature moves upside down, Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour unfolds Michael Jackson’s artistry before the eyes of the audience. Aimed at lifelong fans as well as those experiencing Michael’s creative genius for the first time, the show captures the essence, soul and inspiration of the King of Pop, celebrating a legacy that continues to transcend generations.
THE IMMORTAL World Tour takes place in a fantastical realm where we discover Michael’s inspirational Giving Tree – the wellspring of his creativity. The secrets of Michael’s inner world are unlocked – his love of music and dance, fairy tale and magic, and the fragile beauty of nature.
The underpinnings of THE IMMORTAL World Tour are Michael Jackson’s powerful, inspirational music and lyrics – the driving force behind the show—brought to life with extraordinary power and breathless intensity. Through unforgettable performances Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour underscores Michael’s global messages of love, peace and unity.
CREATIVE TEAM
o) Jamie King — Writer and Director
o) Chantal Tremblay — Director of Creation
o) Kevin Antunes — Musical Designer
o) Greg Phillinganes — Musical Director
o) Mark Fisher — Set Designer
o) Michael Curry — Props and Scenic Designer
o) Zaldy Goco — Costume Designer
o) Germain Guillemot — Acrobatic Performance Designer
o) Scott Osgood — Rigging and Acrobatic Equipment Designer
o) Olivier Goulet — Projection Designer
o) Martin Labrecque — Lighting Designer
o) François Desjardins — Sound Designer
o) Travis Payne — Choreographer
o) Rich and Tone Talauega — Choreographer
o) Debra Brown — Acrobatic Choreographer
o) Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo — Choreographers
o) Jamal Sims — Choreographer
o) Daniel “Cloud” Campos — Choreographer
o) Tamara Levinson — Choreographer
o) Mandy Moore — Choreographer
o) Florence Cornet — Makeup Designer
THE SCENES
Transposed in the theatrical and acrobatic language of Cirque du Soleil, Michael Jackson’s music and his messages have taken on a life of their own.
Childhood
In front of the gilded gates of Neverland, the Mime awakens the bronze statues that inhabit this magical place.
Wanna be Starting Something
In a wild, high-powered number, dancers and acrobats in tribal costumes climb up and down the tree and hurl themselves onto the stage.
Fanatics – Shake Your Body Down to the Ground
In a playful atmosphere, five “fanatics” take pictures of members of the audience jump on stage to groove to Michael’s music booming from a jukebox and dance. When they arrive in front of the gates to Neverland, their only hope is to slip inside, but the doors remain closed.
Dancing Machine
In a scene that evokes an ironworks factory, a group of welders fly and swing on motorized cables. They perform various “dancing machines,” paying tribute to different dance styles.
Ben
A tableau that celebrates Michael’s love of animals.
This Place Hotel
Suspended in the air, artists perform a sensual aerial tango as if they were in an anti-gravity nightclub.
Smooth Criminal
Fleets of foot dancers perform a choreography that showcases Michael Jackson’s iconic moves, including his famous leaning motion.
Dangerous
Surrounded by gangsters, a female acrobat performs a “dangerous” pole-dancing act.
Fanatics Medley
In front of Neverland, the Fanatics take part in a friendly competition as they lip-sync and perform to the sounds of a Jackson 5 medley, which finally lets them in to Neverland.
Mime
Suddenly inhabited by Michael Jackson’s spirit, the Mime is completely transformed and infused with Michael’s talents as he performs a funky beat box number.
Human Nature
While a 3D version of the Neverland log (Michael as a boy sitting on the crescent of a moon) is suspended above the stage, artists representing the constellations wearing multicolored LED costumes swoop, soar and float in the air.
Scary Story – Is it Scary
Like a mind-bending storyteller, a contortionist comes out of a giant Book of Tales. As beautiful as she is strange, she turns the pages in the most unusual positions.
Bats – Threatened
Suspended upside down at first, artists wearing striking winged bat costumes perform a dramatic choreography.
Thriller
This scene re-imagines Michael Jackson’s original choreography for Thriller and showcases his iconic moves. Tree branches are on the ground as acrobats dressed as mummies perform a free-running parkour act through the branches, roots, coffins and tombstones in a cavalcade of jumps, leaps and bounds.
Swans – I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
Appearing as a black and a white swan, two artists emerge from a lake to perform a graceful straps duo.
Beat It
Embodied and manipulated by the Fanatics, Michael Jackson’s signature accessories – his famous hat, glove and penny loafers – jump to life. In the final moments of the scene, an electric guitar and an electric cello engage in a rock-infused duel on centre-stage.
Jam
Inspired by the video Michael Jackson made with basketball superstar Michael Jordan; artists play with basketballs and perform a hip-hop-inspired choreography.
Earth Song
In a menacing atmosphere, the Mime gets tangled in the tree, which is now turned upside down.
Scream
Acrobats execute a perfectly synchronized tumbling act, flinging themselves in the air and belly flopping onto the stage as Ninja-style aerial dancers suspended above interact with the Japanimation-inspired sequences projected on the screens. The scene evokes the destruction of the world: the tree is ablaze and the planet is in peril.
Gone Too Soon
With images of a merry-go-round filling the screens in the background to the sounds of this moving ballad, four animal heads, each carrying an artist, are gently cradled by the Mime.
They Don’t Care About Us
In a reenactment of the number that was designed for THIS IS IT concert tour, artists dressed like soldiers wearing robot suits with LED breastplates line up to perform a powerful choreography in unison.
Heal the World – Will You Be There
As the soldiers’ breastplates begin to glow, artists come down from the audience onto the stage holding red glowing hearts in a scene that evokes rebirth and conjures up Michael’s spirit on stage, as his image appears on the Giving Tree.
Mega Mix – Can You Feel It/Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough/Billie Jean/Black or White
This sequence is a fusion of music, dance and acrobatics. During Can You Feel It, acrobats execute a Swiss rings act moving from stage to sky. This scene segues into a riveting dance number on Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough. Michael’s famed choreographic style is showcased once more during the Billie Jean sequence; his silhouette is revealed by the dancers’ LED costumes. For Black or White, performers manipulate flags in a tribute to the nations and dance styles of the world, including African, Spanish, Thai and Georgian dances.
Man in the Mirror
The show’s finale culminates with the song Man in the Mirror – a song Michael often chose to end his concerts – in a celebration of the legacy of an immortal.
THE MUSIC
Hard-wired into Michael Jackson’s inspirational music and lyrics, THE IMMORTAL World Tour conjurers up the extraordinary power and emotional intensity of Jackson’s unforgettable concert performances.
“It starts with the music,” says Director Jamie King. “Michael’s voice is what drives the show. I have the opportunity to carry on Michael’s legacy, to take all that energy – all that he was and was going to be – and build it into this production.”
Looking forward
To weave together the all-important musical components of the show, Jamie King called upon Musical Designer Kevin Antunes, who was given unprecedented access to the master recordings, and Musical Director Greg Phillinganes, who has worked with Michael for more than 25 years, providing an unparalleled depth of knowledge of his music and live performances. “Our goal is not to simply cover Michael, but to take his music to a whole new level,” King explains. The Director wanted to integrate as many songs into the 100-minute production as possible, so this meant mash-ups, remixes and new arrangements. It also meant moving them forward emotionally, weaving songs together in new ways so that the music feels new and fresh all the while respecting Michael’s essence and his voice.
Michael’s voice – the driving force behind the show
To say Michael’s voice drives the show is somewhat of an understatement. “In some of his song,” Antunes says, “Michael would let the groves breathe and he would tuck his voice underneath the music. In this show, the world is going to hear Michael’s voice like they’ve never heard it before.”
Banding together to keep Michael’s spirit alive
To showcase Michael’s voice and support the huge cast, Musical Director Greg Phillinganes has rounded up a stellar group of musicians, including Jonathan “Sugarfoot” Moffett, who played drums for Michael for 30 years. “I wanted to handpick everybody on the band,” he explains. “I knew exactly whom I wanted. We have a full band, including horns and an electric cello. I wanted to have as many players as possible with a direct, personal history with Michael Jackson. We are all doing this because of the love we have for Michael. His spirit will live in this show.”
Music Close-Ups
• THE IMMORTAL World Tour features 32 of Michael’s songs, in addition to numerous bits and pieces of songs that have been used for the soundscapes and transitions.
• Musical Designer Kevin Antunes has created a very intimate experience. The audience can even hear Michael snap his fingers or stomp his feet in some audio segments.
• For the song Ben a sonic rainforest was created with all kinds of animal sounds and Asian instruments such as Taiko drums that provides a transition to introduce the song.
• During Dancing Machine scene, cinematic sound effects were added to blend the music with the acrobatic performance.
• Instead of hearing the string section in Childhood in normal stereo, the whole orchestra spreads out and the audience will experience this song in a new light.
• Michael’s phrase “Cause we’re all the same!” from Can You Feel It was added in between the choruses of Black or White.
• They Don’t Care About Us features a previously unreleased choir that Michael recorded.
• The Jackson 5 song ABC features a never-heard-before outtake call and response that Michael recorded when he was young.
• The voice of Naiomi Campbell and elements of the song In the Closet were blended into the intro to the Dangerous scene.
• In the “Scary” section the creepy voice-over segment during the Book of Tales segment was performed by Kevin Antunes.
• The song Ease on Down the Road from the movie The Wiz was added as traveling music for one of the Fanatic characters’ numbers.
COSTUMES
Few stage performers have created iconic looks that are directly related to specific songs. Say “Billie Jean” and the black sequin jacket, black white-striped tuxedo pants and fedora hat immediately come to mind. As for “Thriller,” one unmistakably sees the red leather jacket with the two black diagonal stripes. In THE IMMORTAL World Tour, there are references galore to Michael Jackson’s legendary outfits.
“Michael is our narrator, leading us on a journey through his lyrics, his poetry, his visuals, his moves and, of course, how he dressed,” explains Director Jamie King. Michael’s world was the wellspring of Costume Designer Zaldy Goco’s creativity. “My approach has been to draw upon and respect Michael’s iconic style while creating something new and fresh. I placed subtle references throughout the costumes in the show,” says Zaldy, who was also Michael Jackson’s exclusive designer for the THIS IS IT concert series.
Keeping Michael’s Legacy Alive
For Zaldy, playing a role in THE IMMORTAL World Tour had a special emotional resonance. “The prospect of working on this show,” he points out, “was not so much a second chance with regard to THIS IS IT as much as an opportunity to honor Michael and keep his legacy alive with new ideas.”
Flights of Fancy
The color palette in THE IMMORTAL is rich and lively. Michael loved gold and all things ornate and shiny. He was fond of Swarovski crystals – aurora borealis in particular. The show’s costumes are a rainbow of colors and called for innovative materials and techniques. “In particular, we explored techniques such as 3D printing and LED, pushing the limits just as Michael would,” says Zaldy.
The production brims with imaginative costumes and outfits. Gangster types have surreal guns that seem to be tucked in their pockets but are only shapes; when they pull the trigger built into their “gun gloves”, streams of pyro shoot out. The ghoulish Thriller characters wear pure white, shiny outfits; the bloody innards that show behind the wrappings reflect Michael’s love for horror movies. The straps duo artists appear as magnificent swans; covered in Swarovski crystals, their costumes are corseted and laced in reference to Michael’s corseted wrist in his Black or White video.
• The bat costumes are made of ultra lightweight paper used for shipping parcels. The huge, lifelike gold wings create a stunning effect.
• The “fanatics” in the Shake Your Body Down to the Ground act wear gold, glittery cartoon-inspired costumes and don the legendary white socks and penny loafers.
• The “welders” copper-colored costumes with zippers in Dancing Machine directly reference Michael’s red, silver-meshed, zipper-clad jacket in Beat It.
• The soldiers’ costumes in They Don’t Care About Us are essentially made of mytex (foil transfer) on a polyester frame with padding.
• The shoulder pads on the gangster costumes are made using 3D printing.
• Each costume in the Celestial/Human Nature scene is equipped with 275 blinking LED lights specially designed for the show. They change color during the song to evoke constellations.
• When Director Jamie King asked Zaldy Goco to design “non-choir choir robes” for the Will You Be There number, the costume designer decided to create shirts inspired by those Michael loved and would wear on the cherry picker during his concerts with the wind blasting from underneath.
• There are a total of 252 costumes in the show.
SET DESIGN
THE IMMORTAL World Tour invites the audience inside an imaginary world inspired by Michael Jackson’s Neverland. Once inside the gilded gates, we discover the Giving Tree, a representation of the great oak tree in which Michael would climb up to seek inspiration and write his songs and poems.
Setting the Stage
Neverland was also the venue chosen to hold the first meeting of the show’s creative team. “I remember going to Neverland with the creative team and meeting the grounds people who have remained faithful to Michael,” Jamie King reminisces. “I recall seeing the Giving Tree where he wrote among other things most of the Dangerous tour that I danced on, and I truly felt that I was at the right place creating this show.” The Giving Tree was chosen early on as the main scenic element to anchor the project.
Set Designer Mark Fisher created a tree that is not a replica of the original tree; it has many personalities and undergoes various transformations during the show. The structure is articulated and can break apart depending on the scene. It turns into a root system for the Thriller scene and becomes a hi-tech object toward the end of the show. A metaphor as well as a centralizing piece, the Giving Tree creates a symbolic world for Michael’s memory to occupy.
“Working on a rock show without a live artist can be challenging,” Fisher explains. “In this case, the set design takes on a whole new meaning. Its role is to fill the shadows as it were, and to evoke the artist’s presence.”
The props as storytelling devices
Props and Scenic Designer Michael Curry, who was one of the designers on the THIS IS IT concert tour, has developed props that serve as storytelling devices. For example, a huge book of tales and an upside down tree serve as acrobatic devices. Michael’s famed glove, hat and shoes become giant props inhabited by nimble dancers. Curry’s goal was to tap into and trigger the fans’ memories of Michael, and to focus attention on the performance. Many of the props are subtext for the songs or support the narrative.
The projections – in Michael’s image
The projections in THE IMMORTAL World Tour not only act as storytelling devices, they play a key role in making Michael’s presence palpable. Projection Designer Olivier Goulet has integrated video content such as footage of Michael’s performances and real-time projections of the performances on stage.
Set design close-ups
THE IMMORTAL’s versatile stage is highly technical with multiple lifts for scene changes. A large, multi-purpose LED screen was developed: it starts flat on the stage, stands up to act as a projection surface, turns into a ramp, and surrounds the Giving Tree like a gradient LED ramp. In the middle of the stage, there are large drawers that serve as steps for artists to perform on.
• The stage out in the house – called the B Stage or runway – is equipped with a conveyor belt, a lift and video screen.
• The tree is 12 m high and weighs 5,500 kg.
• The elephants are more than 2 m tall and weigh 9 kg each. They are manipulated by two hidden acrobats and were inspired by Baba and Gypsy, the two elephants given to Michael by Elizabeth Taylor.
• The giant shoes directly reference Michael Jackson’s famous penny loafers. They are 2.4m long and are created from orthopedic foam with a vinyl skin.
• The giant hat is large enough for two performers to hide inside. It is constructed in a way that mimics the softness of a real hat.
• The glove is a soft sculpture that allows the dancers inside to create various hand positions using their full body. The glove is 1.8 m tall and is light-weight.
• The scrim (translucent screen) is equipped with four 20K projectors; there are four 10K projectors and two 20K projectors on B stage; the tree has two 10K projectors.
• The total projection surface in the show is 500 m2.
• The young Michael in the balloon is an animatronics puppet (animated by means of electromechanical devices) styled after Michael when he was six years old.
• The balloon and its equipment weigh only 4 kg. Free flight is made possible by using a helium balloon outfitter with drive fans. It is remote-controlled by a ground-based technician.
• It took more than 9,000 hours to create the props and puppets.
