Robin Leach Talks to Mukhtar About ONOD 3

Mukhtar

Cirque du Soleil’s ambitious voluntary cast effort for the annual, one-night-only “One Night for Drop” benefit performance is underway for the third consecutive year.

At the helm again for the second time is “The Beatles Love” performer Mukhtar O.S. Mukhtar, and he promises in our exclusive interview that his vision for the new production will ensure that we won’t even recognize the “Love” theater in the Mirage where it will be staged next March.

“You are definitely not going to feel like you are in the ‘Love’ show,” he said.

“One Night for One Drop” is the large annual fundraiser for the clean water for the world charity. Our interview with One Drop Foundation President Catherine Bachand was posted last week.

Nicknamed “The Mind of Mukhtar,” here is a YouTube video of his preparation for last year’s show at Mandalay Bay.

Returning from a conference about the One Drop shows in Switzerland and juggling a trip for a Cirque show expansion in Dubai, Mukhtar talked with me about the March 20 show subtitled: “Through the Eyes of One, We Follow the Lives of Many.”

Q. Is it more difficult the second time to be original when you’ve done such a great job the first time out?

I don’t think it’s more difficult because the amazing thing is I can do something completely different. That’s my aim because people are going to expect to see the same type of field, but I want to really flip the script and do the opposite.

Q. So how will this be different? Year one was the search for water, year two, which was your first year last year, was desertification. If you had to use one word or a couple of words to describe year three, how would you describe what you envision?

I would say exploring. Exploring the lives of these women who are on this journey for water.

Q. Last year we began with the ladies who were looking for water in the desert?

It actually goes back to the first year. The first year we saw a whole act dedicated to these women who were looking for water. Then last year, I just thought I would continue their journey because I found them really interesting, so I thought I’ll continue their journey and respect their fellowship and that would link the two shows.

As I was thinking more about it, these six women really interested me and I wanted to know who they were individually and what they’ve experienced in life or experienced on their journey to this water. So this is the show where I really want to show that to the audience because we have a similar type of audience each year who come, so they can really relate.

Q. As you increase the depth of the storytelling of the characters, do we get more emotional over the lack of the world’s water?

I think definitely emotion is one of the feelings that we’ll see, but it’s not only emotion. I’m also looking for hope. Even though they’re looking for water, I don’t want the whole show about just that. I feel like the past few years have been about that feeling. So what I want to do is even though these women are walking for water, we’re going into their individual stories; these stories are going to be completely different.

For example, if all six women are Indian or from a Third World country, some of the things they experience might not only be related to women from that area. It might be related to something you and I could relate to. So I don’t want to make the show depressing because of everyday life that’s happening.

For example, one of the women is going to focus on this 9-to-5 system that a lot of people are stuck with. It’s like a robotic type of thing. So that has nothing to do with a Third World country, but it’s something you and I can relate to. It’s something that the woman has experienced, and at the end of the show there’s going to be a moment where all these stories are going to be connected.

That’s why I want to make these six stories different and make these women different. I’ve already developed six stories. I’m in the process right now of picking the right creative team who’s going to push this concept forward.

Q. In the first year, you had a larger cast with guest stars, last year less guest stars and a smaller number of people onstage. Where do you stand this year?

I like working with not such a large cast because of the time that we have, and I also learned a lot from the first year, as well, because of what we’re working with and the restrictions. To get more benefit and results, maybe having 200-plus people might not be the answer for that for me personally. I think this year because we have a bigger theater, I might be able to push the cast number up a little from last year.

Q. There’s a lot of moving, computer-driven parts to that “Love” theater. Are you going to be able to take advantage of it in what you are going to stage?

For sure. I’m actually going one step ahead of that. I’m trying to figure out a way to transform the whole stage by looking at the technology that the stage provides because the stage does things that “Love” doesn’t even use because they don’t need to, so I’m trying to figure out what things people haven’t seen that the stage does.

Q. So it will be a completely different look and feel this time around?

Well you’re going to get, of course, the 360-degree stage, but you’re definitely not going to feel like you’re in ‘The Beatles Love.’ I can assure you that.

Q. So definitely not a Beatles touch to it, but you’ve got projection screens to work with, you’ve got stages breaking into four quarters to work with. You’ve got the up-and-down lifts.

Yes, exactly, we’ve got all of that to work with. I think the best thing about this stage is I’ve got a lot more technical advances around; I have a lot more aerial equipment that we didn’t have at the Michael Jackson Mandalay Bay Theater. We did a great job in masking that when we did the performance, but this year “Love” is unlimited in terms of winches, in terms of things that can possibly happen through the air, so we’re really going to take advantage of that.

Q. The first two years, we had The Canadian Tenors, Jackie Evancho and the incredible poet. Are those artists returning, or do you have new artists?

I won’t give anything away too much right now, but I want to create a new show, so you can take what you want from that.

Q. What kind of music are you going to be using?

We’re going to be using contemporary music as well as bringing in musicians who will create live music.

Q. Where are you in the timeline of production? Have you started sketching costumes and makeup appearances for the look of the show?

Right now, we’re in the stage where most of the creative team is onboard, we’re at the point where we’re going to go to all the show casts and present the show to them so that we can engage them in what we’re doing. Then we start picking the cast.

Q. Do you audition them for this like any other show?

I don’t really use the word “audition” because everyone is volunteering their time. What we do is we give them the presentation, they see what we’re doing, and then they volunteer for what they think they can do in the show.

If they aren’t ready for our show, then we see where else we can use them. Some of these artists, even though they do what they do in their shows, they’re extremely skillful in other disciplines, too, so I want to bring out those skills that no one has seen before.

Q. The first year, which was at Bellagio, physical water was obviously very prevalent because that’s what “O” is all about. Last year, being in the desert was the complete contradiction of that. I know you don’t want to give anything away, but in the “Love” theater, do you have any access to water?

I can get access to water, yes; the question is do I want water in this show. These women are searching for water; the question is do they get there? Do they find it? And if they do find it, do we actually see the water, or do we see the water in a different metaphor? That’s the question. The more and more I’m getting involved with this, the more and more I’m thinking to myself that maybe I don’t want to use water onstage.

Q. How has this whole thing affected you in terms of you are African bringing to the Western world the message of water shortages and the lack of good, clean water? How has it affected you emotionally from doing it the first time to where you’re redoing it now a second time? What has it made you realize?

It has definitely made me realize that there are people out there who are trying to help solve the problem, which is incredible, especially in the One Drop Foundation. It’s pulled me harder than ever to come and help.

Putting on a show like this is a lot of work, and for me to come back again and say, “Yes, I’ll do it,” must show that there’s a big cause there that I’m doing this for. It’s because everybody is coming from a great place and everybody really wants to do this because they’re trying to help.

Q. And you are juggling your regular work while tackling this show?

Yes, exactly. Well, three. Right now I’m juggling this with a project I’m doing in Dubai with Cirque du Soleil, and I’ve also got 5-month-old twin girls this time. That’s a lot of work in and of itself.

Q. So you’re sort of working 24 hours a day at the moment?

Yes, definitely. I’ve already got the whole concept for the Dubai project, and we’re just waiting right now on them. So all my attention can now go to “One Drop.”

Q. Do you find the process exhilarating or is it daunting in terms of the challenge?

I find it extremely exhilarating. This is the only way you can get challenged creatively. You have a time limit, and you have to find solutions creatively; there’s no other way that you can go forward unless you use your brain to find a creative way to find solutions. It really excites me because I learn so much from the process, as well. This really trains me.

Q. Is it sad that it’s only for one night, or does that make it extra special?

It’s both. It’s sad for me and the players that it’s only one night because of all the work that goes into it. They really want to perform it again for different people, and it creates such a huge buzz, but looking at it from the other side, the format gives it an incredibly unique feel.

I gave a conference last week in Switzerland, and I had a lot of people come up to me asking why isn’t it more than one night? They saw it on the Internet, and it created a huge buzz all the way on the other side of the world. That uniqueness of it is what makes people really want to watch it.

Q. What at this moment is the biggest challenge you face with this particular production?

The biggest challenge I face is first of all the time frame. I think the time frame is a challenge for anyone who comes into a production like this because the show has to be on the same field as the other Cirque shows that are all closing on the same day for ours and all the people come to donate their money and time.

You have to respect that by giving them a really high-end show. I think the biggest challenge is under the timeframe creating the best show you can possibly create.”

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Mukhtar’s production in March will be the largest of the three to date, as the “Love” theater has 2,000 seats. Robin Leach will continue to report its progress in the months to come!

{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun, Luxe Life }