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| - Disclaimer and gratitude: thanks to Yelp and Cirque du Soleil for a complimentary ticket to this perfect way of celebrating Michael Jackson's birthday.
On what would have been the King of Pop's 57th birthday, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to watch Michael Jackson One. It is the newest resident Cirque du Soleil show in the United States, and it is located in a relatively cozy theater at Mandalay Bay. I'm pretty sure that theaters for other Cirque shows such as Zarkana and O hold more people, but I was fortunate to find an empty seat next to me so that I could have a little bit of wiggle room. I'll note here that this show makes the best use of its theater that I've seen yet in a Cirque-like show, even edging out Le Reve.
I wouldn't identify myself as a Michael Jackson fan, but any fan of pop music has heard his songs so many times that they can't help knowing them. The songs in this show span his entire career, from The Jackson Five to the This Is It tour, and include at least one unfamiliar tune that I'm sure isn't a hit. The costumes worn by both ushers and performers are all inspired by Michael Jackson's outfits. Needless to say, diehard fans will find themselves at home, perhaps enough to hoot and holler even though this is very clearly not a concert.
In terms of the types of performances, most of them are upbeat, and seemingly every one includes dancing. This is dissimilar to all the other Cirque shows that I've seen, but because of great choreography and execution, I didn't mind. You will not find that many slow strength/balancing acts, especially not the ones involving a pair of performances balancing off each other. It can be a little taxing to locate the acrobatic acts in some of the busier numbers, but as long as you're being entertained, it's perfectly fine that there's a lot going on. I was impressed by everything except for one choreographed group dance that mostly lacked acrobatics. I don't wanna spoil anything, but I will say that there's multiple acts that I haven't seen before in Cirque. There are some that I actually have seen fairly well represented on America's Got Talent, and there is one person in particular who stole the show whenever he was on stage.
Ironically, I think I actually understood the story of a Cirque du Soleil show for once tonight, but I don't wanna give it away here. Let's just say that the word "talisman" came to mind more than once. Also, I am not ashamed to say that I was brought to tears at one moment. The producers have clearly made an effort to channel Michael Jackson's spirit and inspirational message in multiple ways, and they've succeeded.
It doesn't hit on every single note, but in terms of honoring its namesake, Michael Jackson One is a masterpiece. It's a must-see for those who would call themselves Michael Jackson fans, and it's a great Cirque du Soleil show otherwise.
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