Cirque du Soleil "Michael Jackson" Show

[Lena]

Ich finde das ist doch gerade das Tolle, dass Michael mit seiner Stimme und auch visuell stetig präsent ist, der Unterschied eben zu den vielen Impresonator-shows.

_____________

Naomi Campell hat die show in MSG in New York besucht



Behind the Scenes:

http://www.mtv.com/videos/news/755805/behind-the-scenes-of-michael-jackson-the-immortal-world-tour.jhtml

[Lena]

Hier ein Auszug aus einen IV mit ParisMatch vom Februar 2012 mit Jermaine:

http://www.parismatch.com/People-Match/Musique/Actu/Jermaine-Jackson-Michael-Jackson-a-ete-tue-374717/

Aujourd’hui, Sony continue de sortir des albums *posthumes et des *compilations. Qu’en pensez-vous ?

Sony se comporte comme une merde.(1) Cette maison de disques oublie ce qu’elle doit à Michael : l’album “Thriller”, le disque le plus vendu de tous les temps. Ses *dirigeants se fichent de l’héritage musical, ils ne s’intéressent qu’à l’argent qu’ils peuvent en tirer.

Vous n’avez pas le pouvoir d’empêcher cela ?

Non. Il y a deux exécutants testamentaires qui ont été désignés. La seule chose que je puisse faire, c’est donner mon avis, tout comme mes parents, mes frères et mes sœurs. Les critiques ont aussi été mauvaises vis-à-vis de la comédie musicale du Cirque du Soleil. Mais c’est normal, Michael lui-même n’aurait jamais approuvé un show si *médiocre.(2) J’espère que son nom ne sera pas souillé par *l’industrie de la musique.

Heute setzt Sony es fort posthume Alben/Complicationen zu veröffentlichen. Was denken Sie darüber?

Sony verhält sich wie Scheiße. Die Plattenfirma vergisst was sie Michael verdankt. Thriller ist die meistverkaufte Platte aller Zeiten. * Ihre Führer pflegen nicht das musikalische Erbe, sie sind nur daran interessiert Geld zu verdienen.

Verfügen Sie nicht über die Macht dies zu verhindern?

Nein. Es gibt zwei Verwalter, die nominiert wurden testamentarisch. Das einzige, was ich tun kann genau wie meine Eltern, meine Brüder und Schwestern ist meine Meinung zu sagen. Die Kritiken für die Cirque du Soleil- Musik-show sind auch armseelig. Das ist okay, denn Michael selbst würde nie so eine schlechte Show genehmigen. Ich hoffe, sein Name wird nicht beschmutzt dadurch, durch die Musikindustrie.
______________________
Und das sagte Jermaine im November 2011 nachdem er die Cirque-show gesehen hatte.

Ab ca. 1.55 . Zusammenfasst
Die show ist großartig, sie ist sehr aufregend, die ganze Produktion ist toll, Greg Phillinganes und all die Leute sind großartig. Die Musik ist toll. Das Publikum liebt die show. Sie machen einen großartigen Job, schwärm, schwärm......

[Dreamerdancer]

Ich kann den MTV Link nicht öffnen, ich habe hier auch was und im ARD haben sie über Immortal berichtet

http://www.digtriad.com/video/1546180924001/1/Tyra-Banks-Talks-Michael-Jackson

[Dreamerdancer]

Ich kann den MTV Link nicht öffnen, ich habe hier auch was und im ARD haben sie über Immortal berichtet

http://www.digtriad.com/video/1546180924001/1/Tyra-Banks-Talks-Michael-Jackson

Ach , der Jermaine, er wird wohl sauer sein, weil er nicht von Sony und dem Estate gefragt wird, was Michaels und seine Musik angeht.

[Zodiac]

Jermaine......Jermaine......Wer bitte ist Jermaine?

[BlaueBlume]

Jermaine......Jermaine......Wer bitte ist Jermaine?

Muhammad Abdul-Aziz ................

[Corina]

Ich freue mich schon sehr drauf. Und bin schon mächtig gespannt.
Was Jermain betrift verstehe ich nicht warum er nicht was aus seiner Stimme macht. Er könnte doch auch erfolgreich sein.Er hat doch keine schlechte Stimme und häßlich ist er auch nicht.

[Lena]

Ich kann den MTV Link nicht öffnen, ich habe hier auch was und im ARD haben sie über Immortal berichtet

http://www.digtriad.com/video/154618...ichael-Jackson

Hmm. Bei mir funktioniert der MTV-Link.

Zu Deinem Reuters Link gibt es noch dieses Skript:

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) STORY: The legacy of Michael Jackson lives on in the traveling production of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil. The show, presented by the estate of Michael Jackson, is making a New York City stop at Madison Square Garden from April 3th to the 5th, before continuing its year-long global tour. Model Naomi Campbell co-starred in Jackson's "In The Closet" music video in 1991 and marked it as one the highlights of her life. "I have great memories of Michael, working with him was the biggest joy ever," Campbell told Reuters. Tyra Banks, who was featured in the "Black or White" music video called the king of pop timeless. "Little kids that have never heard of him, don't know who he is, they just start bopping to his music as soon as they hear it and I feel like that will be until the end of time," said Banks. Actress Glenn Close said she is both a fan of Jackson and Cirque and talked about seeing him live in concert during his prime. MTV reporter Sway Calloway said Jackson taught the world how to dance and showed off his favorite MJ move on the red carpet. Not to be out done, funny man Tracey Morgan also busted a move. Other Jackson fans who attended the New York show included singer John Legend who snuck in with his fiancé Chrissy Teigen.


Rough Cut (Keine REPORTER Erzählung) STORY:
Das Vermächtnis von Michael Jackson lebt weiter in der reisenden Produktion von Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour von Cirque du Soleil. Die Show wurde vom Michael Jackson-Estate präsentiert und macht in New York City im Madison Square Garden von 3. April bis zum 5. April Halt bevor Sie fortfahren in ihrer Weltreise. Modell Naomi Campbell Co-Star in Jacksons "In The Closet" Musikvideo im Jahr 1991 markierte dies als einen der Höhepunkte ihres Lebens. "Ich habe tolle Erinnerungen an Michael, mit ihm zu arbeiten war die größte Freude aller Zeiten", sagte Campbell der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters. Tyra Banks, die im "Black or White" Musik-Video gefeatured wurde bezeichnete den King of Pop als zeitlos. "Kleine Kinder, die noch nie von ihm gehört haben und noch nichts über ihn wissen hüpfen zu seiner Musik sobald sie sie hören und ich denke dies wird für alle Zeiten so sein", sagte Banks. Schauspielerin Glenn Close sagte, sie ist sowohl ein Fan von Jackson als auch vom Cirque und sprach darüber wie sie ihn live im Konzert während seiner Blüte sah. MTV-Reporter Sway Calloway sagte Jackson lehrte die Welt, wie man tanzt und zeigte seine Lieblings-MJ-Bewegung auf dem roten Teppich. Nicht nur das Funny- Mann Tracey Morgan zeigte auch einen Move. Andere Jackson Fans, die die New Yorker Show besuchten umfassten Sänger John Legend, der sich mit seiner Verlobten Chrissy Teigen zeigte.

http://www.reuters.com/video/2012/04/04/naomi-campbell-talks-michael-jackson?videoId=232844511

Edit:
Die Immortal-Tour weiterhin unangefochten auf Platz 1:

http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Top-20-Concert-Tours-from-Pollstar-3461777.php#ixzz1rBxWaoeK

TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS

1. (1) Cirque du Soleil - "Michael Jackson: The Immortal"; $2,088,392; $111.62.

2. (4) The Black Keys; $626,748; $47.68.

3. (5) Jason Aldean; $614,023; $44.35.

4. (6) Brad Paisley; $586,414; $52.70.

5. (7) Lady Antebellum; $526,780; $49.01.


Read more: http://www.newstimes.com/news/articl...#ixzz1rCCivTCo

[Lena]

Was hätte Michael Jackson mit seiner Comeback-show "This is it" gemacht?

Fünfzig ausverkaufte London Arena Shows waren bereits in der Bank. So was hätte Michael Jackson als nächstes getan mit seiner großen Karriere Comeback-Show "This is it", hätte eine Medikamentenüberdosis nicht sein Leben beendet?

"Kuala Lumpur wäre die nächste Station gewesen", sagte Travis Payne, der an der Show -Choreografie mit dem brillianten Star und Regisseur Kenny Ortega arbeitete. "Michael wollte die Art und Weise wie Touren gemacht werden revolutionieren. Er dachte auch immer wie ein großer Produzent. Er erzählte uns, wir müssten einen Weg finden um das Publikum mit weniger Reisezeit für ihn und das Unternehmen zu maximieren . So schlug er vor die Show für zwei oder drei Monate an einem einzigen Standort zu plazieren, es zu einem Portal zu machen als Gegensatz des von Stadt zu Stadt springen, zweimal pro Woche. "

Und warum stand Kuala Lumpur, die bevölkerungsreichste Stadt in Malaysia und andere Orten wie Indien und die Republik Sri Lanka auf Jacksons Portal-Wunschliste?

"So wie wir es auf der History Tour erlebten, als wir nach Nordafrika gingen, war die Idee zur Einrichtung in einer Region, die kämpfte und die wirklich wirtschaftlich profitieren könnte mit uns vor Ort. Alles was Michael tat kam aus einem Ort der Liebe und des Engagementes Gutes zu tun, das ist die Art, wie er mit uns an der Serie arbeitete -. So fühlst Du dich genährt , ständig angeregt und gefördert mit den besten Ideen in einer kollektiven Situation.

"Und das, wo seine Kunst herkam ist", ergänzt Payne. "Sein Konzept war nicht nur einen tollen Song zum Tanzen zu machen. Sein Weg war Dich zu erreichen und Deine Aufmerksamkeit zu bekommen, dann würdest Du die tiefe Botschaft bekommen. Das war seine Wissenschaft dazu. Deshalb erreicht seine Musik Generationen, appelliert an kleine Kinder, ältere Menschen, an alle. Und hoffentlich, werden Menschen, die die Cirque Show sehen das auch fühlen. Das ist unsere Absicht. "

- Jonathan Takiff

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20120406_What_would_Michael_have_done_with_Cirque_.html?cmpid=138887484

[Lena]

Saxophonist who played for Prince and got noticed by Michael Jackson now honors the King of Pop in Cirque's 'Immortal World Tour' - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Saxophonist, der für Prince spielte und Michael Jackson aufgefallen war, ehrt den King of Pop in der Cirque 'Immortal World Tour "-show

April 12, 2012 12:01 am

By Sharon Eberson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Saxophonist Mike Phillips was big-game-tested when he was recruited for Cirque du Soleil's "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour." After gigs playing the national anthem on opening day for the Kansas City Royals and halftime shows at the Super Bowl with Prince and Stevie Wonder, there's little that can phase you, even playing from a high vantage point that oversees the action of a Cirque show.

"With pyro, lights, the energy from everywhere and a lot of things on the outskirts that assist the music and the presentation, let's put it this way, and I know it sounds crazy, but playing four Super Bowl halftime shows with all of that gets you ready for Cirque," Mr. Phillips said.

Not so crazy. Cirque's "Immortal Tour" is more like a halftime marathon that is now in its sixth month. It includes 32 songs played live to recordings of Michael Jackson's voice, his finger snaps and foot taps, while the band rocks out from its position above the acrobats, dancers and pageantry. The show's sensory assault comes courtesy of writer and director Jamie King, a designer of tours for entertainers such as Rihanna and Madonna, including the latter's 2012 Super Bowl halftime show.

"Immortal" features more than 60 performers from around the world and enough props and equipment to roll into the Petersen Events Center aboard 35 trucks.

It all starts with the music of the late Michael Jackson, with arrangements by his longtime collaborator and "Immortal" music director Greg Phillinganes.

Es beginnt alles mit der Musik des verstorbenen Michael Jackson, mit Arrangements von seinem langjährigen Mitstreiter und "Immortal" Music Director Greg Phillinganes.

"They extracted Michael's masters and custom made and tailored the songs to specific acts ... Cirque is perfect for that," Mr. Phillips said by phone before heading to Pittsburgh. "They have a way of putting together a presentation that will bring you through different moods. Once that happened and I was in rehearsal, I was absolutely amazed. To look at the greatest artist of all time, the King of Pop, and the greatest company that could put on a spectacle like this, I think it's the perfect merger."
"Sie haben Michael`s Masters extrahiert und nach Maß zugeschnitten zu den spezifischen Aufführungen ... Cirque ist perfekt für das," sagte Herr Phillips per Telefon, bevor er nach Pittsburgh aufbrach. "Sie haben eine Art und Weise der Zusammenstellung einer Präsentation, die Sie durch verschiedene Stimmungen bringen wird. Als das passierte und ich war bei den Proben, ich war absolut erstaunt. Zu schauen auf den größten Künstler aller Zeiten, den King of Pop und das größte Unternehmen, dass ein solches Spektakel herausbringen kann, ich denke es ist eine perfekte Fusion.


The show includes a mere few who interacted with Jackson before his death at age 50 in 2009, including several members of the band: bass player Don Boyette, singer Fred White and drummer Jonathan "Sugarfoot" Moffett. Mr. Phillips met the King of Pop on a couple of occasions and performed a jazz saxophone solo on the single "Behind the Mask," a song on the posthumous album "Michael," released in December 2010.
Die show umfasst einige mehr, die mit Jackson vor seinem Tod im Alter von 50 zusammenarbeiteten, darunter mehrere Mitglieder der Band: Bassist Don Boyette, Sänger und Schlagzeuger Fred White Jonathan "Sugarfoot" Moffett. Herr Phillips traf den King of Pop bei einigen Gelegenheiten und spielte ein Jazz-Saxophon-Solo auf der Single "Behind the Mask", einem Song auf dem posthumen Album "Michael", im Dezember 2010.


"I met him once in Vegas when he came to the Prince show," said Mr. Phillips, who played the Purple One's Musicology tour in 2004. "You know, they always say that Michael and Prince were in competition, and I believe that, but it was a competition with a lot of respect of each other's musical abilities. It was almost like, when you play HORSE in basketball, you see a shot and say, oh, I can make that, or I can do better than that. Even watching Mike and Prince interact that time in Vegas, the way they were looking at each other, they had so much respect.
"Ich traf ihn einmal in Vegas als er die Prince-Show besuchte", sagte Phillips, der die Purple One`s Mucicolgy-tour Tour 2004 mitmachte. "Weißt du, Sie sagen immer, dass Michael und Prince im Wettbewerb waren, und ich glaube das, aber es war ein Wettbewerb mit sehr viel Respekt für die musikalischen Fähigkeiten des anderen. Es war fast so, wenn Sie HORSE spielen im Basketball, Sie sehen einen Schuss und sagen, oh, das kann ich machen, oder kann ich das noch besser machen. Sogar wenn man Mike und Prince interagieren sah in dieser Zeit in Vegas, wie sie einander anblickten, sie hatten so viel Respekt.


"And I met Michael and he shook my hand and looked me straight in the eye and said, 'I truly enjoyed you on saxophone. You're bad.' Those were his words
verbatim. And I think that's what led to him requesting me for 'Behind the Mask.' "
"Und ich traf Michael und er gab mir die Hand und sah mir direkt in die Augen und sagte: 'Ich habe wirklich Dein Saxophon-Spiel genossen. You`re bad." Das waren seine Worte wortwörtlich. Und ich denke, das führte mich zu ihm als ich für 'Behind the Mask " angefragt wurde.


When Cirque came calling, though, Mr. Phillips wasn't so sure. He had just finished recording "Behind the Mask" when he first heard the pitch from John McClain, co-executor of the Jackson estate.

"I'm out shooting hoops in the back of the studio on Sunset in LA, and he says, 'We're putting together a show for Michael, like a circus show.' And I was like, I don't want to play for that. I didn't know it was Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil is the creme de la creme of entertainment. So just playing for the circus, I was like, I don't know if I want to do that, brother. Once I found out it was Cirque du Soleil, I called him back and absolutely said yes, but still, I was concerned about how would it work."

Now, from the perspective of six months on the road with the tour, he couldn't be more enthusiastic.

Mr. Phillips often plays gigs at small venues to showcase his solo work, and members of his tour family come along to cheer him on, sometimes joining him to dance on stage.

And from the band space that Mr. Phillips says is the best seat in the house to watch the Cirque show, he can enjoy the work of the performers below -- although it can be distracting.

"From where I stand, I see absolutely everything, which sometimes is not a good thing because there's so much going on that you can get caught up in it and miss a part. I'm not gonna lie, that's happened a couple of times. I'm like, wow, look at that move, and a part just passes."

He said one of the showstoppers who has been known to cause him and the audience to perhaps skip a breath in amazement is the pole dancer. MTV.com wrote of the performance of Felix Cane, two-time world pole-dancing champion, that she "maneuvered in the sky dancing on a pole -- with no harness -- appropriately performing to 'Dangerous,' as the audience was captivated by her every move."

"She's responsible for most of my missed notes," Mr. Phillips said, laughing. "And 'Smooth Criminal.' When they do the lean like the Michael Jackson video, I'm just amazed because they go all the way down to the floor and come back up. It's just like, man ... the only way I can describe it is it's sonic and visual sensory overload."

Mr. Phillips says often that the show is driven by Jackson's voice, and the band has several important roles, notably cues that trigger the action for acrobats and dancers.

Consistency is important, but it doesn't always go by rote. Each stop on the tour provides its own unique spark. The Philadelphia native likes to observe what makes an audience tick.

"Every town has a different energy, and our job is to understand it and tap into it," he said. "Like Detroit, for instance, that's the type of town where they work hard, like Pittsburgh, so if we buy a ticket, we want every bit of our money's worth. In LA, everybody is looking around to see who else is there, looking fabulous. If you're in New York and you're not bringing it hard, they are looking at you like, whatever. And we're in New York now, and they are on their feet. So each venue, each town has a different spirit to them you have to really understand."

While on tour, Mr. Phillips also plies his trade and takes the pulse of cities in smaller venues like the Taboo 2 Bistro & Bar in Atlanta April 25 and the Sheraton Hotel Ballroom in Baltimore May 4. He's played stadiums and arenas, including the Mellon Arena with Prince back in 2004.

As the Cirque tour stretches through the United States and Canada before heading to Europe in October, Mr. Phillips said the big show and his smaller shows provide a perfect career balance, even for someone who has played President Clinton's Inaugural Gala at The Kennedy Center, the 80th birthday celebration for President Nelson Mandela in South Africa, the Billboard Music Awards, TV appearances and oh, yeah, those halftime gigs.

For now, he's happy to be a part of this particular circus as long as it lasts, because it honors the man he calls "the greatest entertainer of all time."

"One of my favorite quotes goes something like, 'You might forget what someone said to you, sometimes you might forget what they do, but you'll never forget how they made you feel.' At the end of the night, that's what this is all about. Making people feel Michael's spirit through the presentation that only Cirque can put together."

Im Moment ist er glücklich, ein Teil dieses besonderen Zirkus sein, solange es dauert, weil es ehrt den Mann, den er als "den größte Entertainer aller Zeiten" bezeichnet.

"Eines meiner Lieblingszitate lautet in etwa so:" Man kann vergessen, was jemand zu dir gesagt hat, man mag vergessen,was sie tun, aber du wirst nie vergessen, wie sie Dich fühlen ließen. " Am Ende der Nacht, das ist es um was es hier geht. Die Leute Michaels Geist spüren lassen durch die Präsentation, die nur Cirque zusammenstellen kann.

[Lena]

Hier hat ein Fan alle Verkaufszahlen/Besuchszahlen der bisherigen shows zusammengestellt. Er akualisiert die Liste auch stetig.

http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/threads/121856-Michael-Jackson-THE-IMMORTAL-World-Tour-BOXSCORE?p=3610979#post3610979

Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil ~ BOXSCORE


Dates - Venue, City, State, Country - Gross Sales - Attendance - (number of shows)
•October 2-3, 2011 - Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada - $2.597.901 - 22,743 - (2)
•October 7-9, 2011 - Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - $3.388.411 - 30,147 - (3)
•October 12-13, 2011 - Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada - no data - (2)
•October 15, 2011 - Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan, USA - $1.138.224 - 10,112 - (1)
•October 18-19, 2011 - John Labatt Centre, London, Ontario, Canada - $1.415.734 - 12,467 - (2)
•October 21-23, 2011 - Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada - $4.443.233 - 35,907 - (3)
•October 26-27, 2011 - MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - $1.370.942 - 12,358 - (2)
•October 29, 2011 - Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada - $1.109.075 - 9,416 - (1)
•November 1-2, 2011 - Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada - $2.409.453 - 19,131 - (2)
•November 4-6, 2011 - Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - $3.911.683 - 32,589 - (3)
•November 9-10, 2011 - KeyArena, Seattle, Washington, USA - $1.704.425 - 14,531 - (2)
•November 12, 2011 - Spokane Arena, Spokane, Washington, USA - $715.381 - 6,358 - (1)
•November 15, 2011 - Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene, Oregon, USA - $463.578 - 3,869 - (1)
•November 18-19, 2011 - Rose Quarter, Portland, Oregon, USA - $1.362.235 - 12,324 - (2)
•December 3-27, 2011 - Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - $14.470.106 - 139,969 - (32)
•December 30-31, 2011 - US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA - $1.825.233 - 16,149 - (2)
•January 3, 2012 - Taco Bell Arena, Boise, Idaho, USA - $603.818 - 5,647 - (1)
•January 6-8, 2012 - Pepsi Center Arena, Denver, Colorado, USA - $2.552.443 - 23,078 - (3)
•January 10-11, 2012 - Power Balance Pavilion, Sacramento, California, USA - $1.323.679 - 13,507 - (2)
•January 13-15, 2012 - HP Pavilion at San Jose, San Jose, California, USA - $3.281.784 - 31,155 - (3)
•January 17-19, 2012 - Oracle Arena, Oakland, California, USA - $3.448.610 - 31,785 - (3)
•January 21-22, 2012 - Valley View Casino Center, San Diego, California, USA - $1.609.176 - 14,928 - (2)
•January 24-25, 2012 - Honda Center, Anaheim, California, USA - $1.481.242 - 12,979 - (2)
•January 27-29, 2012 - Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, USA - $3.867.569 - 31,632 - (3)
•February 7-8, 2012 - Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USA - $1.161.543 - 11,989 - (2)
•February 10-12, 2012 - Toyota Center, Houston, Texas, USA - $3.627.938 - 30,548 - (3)
•February 15-16, 2012 - New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA - $1.264.312 - 12,097 - (2)
•February 18-19, 2012 - BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA - $1.156.139 - 10,212 - (2)
•February 21-22, 2012 - Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri, USA - no data - (2)
•February 24-25, 2012 - Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA - $1.707.418 - 13,975 - (2)
•February 28-29, 2012 - Amway Center, Orlando, Florida, USA - $2.200.201 - 19,288 - (2)
•March 2-4, 2012 - AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, Florida, USA - $4.296.135 - 35,105 - (3)
•March 7-8, 2012 - Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Florida, USA - $905.144 - 9,463 - (2)
•March 10-11, 2012 - RBC Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA - $1.376.253 - 12,793 - (2)
•March 13-14, 2012 - Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA - $1.100.604 - 10,369 - (2)
•March 16-17, 2012 - Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA - $1.518.631 - 13,828 - (2)
•March 20-22, 2012 - Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada - $3.646.620 - 28,504 - (3)
•March 24-25, 2012 - Quebec Colisee Pepsi, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada - $1.719.960 - 14,090 - (2)
•March 27-28, 2012 - Target Center Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA - $1.775.154 - 16,204 - (2)
•March 30-31, April 1, 2012 - Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA - $2.662.658 - 24,452 - (3)
•April 3-5, 2012 - Madison Square Garden Arena, New York, New York, USA - $3.794.245 - 29,007 - (3)
•April 7-8, 2012 - Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, USA - $1.823.742 - 16,935 - (2)


TOTAL as of April 9, 2012:
Gross Sales: $96.230.632
Attendance: 851,640
Number of venues / (shows): 40*^ / (117)*
* Since there is no data (for Gross Sales & Attendance) for 2 cities (venues) I didn't include them in this calculation
^ Total number of different venues is 39, Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada was visited twice (in October 2011 and March 2012)


Note: In early December 2011 it was reported that the show already approached $100 million in ticket sales, and later it was reported that the show has taken more than $100 million in America but I would like to point out that in those numbers were also included tickets sold for future shows.
By my estimation, the total earnings in North America before going to Europe will be over $150 million


Und hier die aktuelle Top 20-Liste bei Konzert-Touren Nord- Amerika:

http://news.yahoo.com/top-20-concert-tours-pollstar-214845584.html

The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS

1. (1) Cirque du Soleil - "Michael Jackson: The Immortal"; $2,076,862; $112.63.

2. (3) Jason Aldean; $614,023; $44.35.

3. (2) The Black Keys; $598,271; $47.50.

4. (4) Brad Paisley; $586,414; $52.70.

5. (5) Lady Antebellum; $526,780; $49.01.

[geli2709]

Hier ist das Transkript eines Interviews, welches kürzlich mit Tara Young, der künstlerischen Regisseurin der
"The Immortal World Tour", geführt wurde:


Interview: Cirque Du Soleil's Artistic Director Tara Young on The Immortal World Tour


When people ask me to describe Cirque Du Soleil, I like to say it is, simply put, the Circus for pretentious people. It has all the same tropes –clowns, jugglers, amazing high flying feats of daring, trapeze acts, and more. What they do so well is dress up what we know and love about old-school circuses in spectacular costumes, staging, music, and theater trappings for a unique experience.

One thing they have always done so well is special theme shows. In Vegas they have shows dedicated to Elvis, The Beatles, and magic. In Los Angeles they have a show dedicated to movies.

Ten years ago they only did one or two shows every couple of years. They now have over 21 ongoing shows. With seven of these in Las Vegas, it has become their de facto American home. This year they are embarking on their grandest concept ever, a tribute to Michael Jackson. The Immortal World Tour is the first time Cirque Du Soleil will play in arenas like Madison Square Garden, the Verizon Center, the Izod Center and more. It will be interesting to see if the intimate nature of a Cirque show can translate to these grand-scale environments.

The mostly sold-out tour kicked off a few months ago and will probably be hitting a city near you soon. The show is managed by Artistic Director Tara Young. Raised in Calgary, Alberta, Tara began dancing at the age of three. Her dream was to be on Broadway, and at just 19 years old she was fortunate enough to land her first job, dancing with Liza Minnelli in “STEPPIN OUT at Radio City Music Hall”.

I recently had a chance to speak with Tara Young. It went a little bit like this.

Can you tell us a bit about what you do and your role in Cirque Du Soleil as an organization?


An artistic director for Cirque du Soleil maintains the integrity of the production that was created. On a daily basis, I strive for excellence from the performers and the staff to present an opening night performance every single day.

How did the idea for The Immortal World Tour come about?

Michael Jackson had a huge affection for Cirque du Soleil so after he died it seemed like a natural progression for the two to collaborate together.

What type of research goes into putting a show like this together?

When honoring an icon like Michael Jackson it is imperative to look at all elements and facets of his life including the highs and lows.

When casting a show like this, do you look for outside performers or can you use performers from other Cirque Shows for this production?

Cirque du Soleil is a very loyal company that loves to promote from within. That said, with 21 shows being presented around the world, they also look outside and there is opportunity for people from all over the world to be a part of a Cirque du Soleil show.

There are so many different Cirque Productions going on right now. How independent are they from each other?

Every Cirque du Soleil show is a unique creation. This show specifically stands out because it was written and directed by Jamie King who comes from the pop/rock world.

For the Immortal World Tour, how do you decide which MJ Music to include out of such a large selection?

That was a decision made by the show creators. Because Michael has such an expansive library of music it was impossible to include every song [but] over 35 of his songs are featured in some way.

Doing a show like this must be difficult. I'm sure you want to do something unique and different, but at the same time fans will walk in expecting what they know... How do you avoid simply recreating MJ's famous moments and do something exciting and new?

We create something exciting and new by making this collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. Seeing acrobatic performances set to Michael Jackson music is not very common on stage.

Will the show remain the same from city to city, or do you have a rotating set list to pull from?

The wonderful thing about our production is that it has a theatrical feel. No piece of live entertainment stays exactly the same every night even though our set list is consistent from city to city.

How involved was the Jackson family in this production?

The Estate was very involved and supportive. They appreciated Michael’s love for Cirque du Soleil and provided access to Michael’s original tracks and some never-before-heard clips.

What would you say are the show's primary themes?

I always say that you will feel changed after seeing this production. We take you on a journey through a variety of emotions, and most importantly when audiences walk out of the arena they will feel inspired.

What is it about MJ that makes him live on long after his death?

He will forever be a legend because of the messages he told and the amount of people he touched in his lifetime.

After the tour ends, what's next? Will it find a permanent home somewhere in Vegas?

We still have many more cities to visit with the tour, and after that this show won’t have a permanent residency in Vegas.

http://blogcritics.org/culture/article/interview-cirque-du-soleils-artistic-director/

[Who's BAD?]

Ich bin am 1 Dezember in Wien dabei und ich freu' mich schon wie ein kleines Kind

[Lena]

Cirque du Soleil Channels Michael Jackson In Energetic Arena Show

How do you merge the music and dancing of Michael Jackson with the performers of Cirque du Soleil?
Audiences will get to see the collaboration between the world of circus and the pop artist — who was mesmerized by Cirque shows — when the Canadian-based entertainment conglomerate brings its latest arena show — "Michael Jackson The IMMORTAL World Tour" — to Hartford's XL Center on May 2 and 3 at 8 p.m.

It's like seeing a real live arena rock show," says Kevin Antunes, musical designer and director of the show which features a 12-piece band, many of them who worked with Jackson, who died in 2009 at the age of 50. "It has that rock concert energy."
Cirque calls the show the biggest arena tour in the world.
The aim was to celebrate his music, dancing and life, says Tara Young artistic director of the tour, based on Jamie King's staging.
Antunes, whose most recent gig was working directly for Madonna on her record breaking "Sticky & Sweet" world tour, worked closely with the King, the show's writer and director known for guiding pop concert shows. The Cirque show was created in cooperation with the Jackson Estate.
The tour was launched in Montreal last October and is winding through the U.S.
The show's development began at Cirque's headquarters in Montreal with circus perforrmers improvising to Jackson's music. "All [the performers] assembled and showed what they could do to Jamie," says Antunes. "It was very cool as Jamie began to conceptualize the show."
Antunes says there was no pre-set agenda to use certain acts and that the Jackson's music was the inspiration for the pairings among the acrobats, aerialists, jugglers and gymnasts.
Individual numbers began to emerge. "Thriller" uses a contortionist who emerges out of a "Book of Tales."
"My favorite is an aerial strap act ballet set to 'I Just Can't Stop Loving You.' It was inspired by swans seen on the Neverland Ranch, It becomes a musical representation of [the aerial act], these two bodies swirling around and wrapping around each other."
Over time, more musical/cirque pairings were developed and eventually a story line emerged. Cirque founder and director Guy Laliberté was hands-on during the project, says Antunes.
"But we always let Michael's music lead the way," he says. "We were all aware that we were paying homage to him, that we were respectful and that we were all responsible for carrying his entire body of work and his memory to a new generation."
"Aber wir lassen immer Michaels Musik den Weg weisen", sagt er. "Wir waren uns alle bewusst, dass wir eine Hommage an ihn machen, dass wir respektvoll und dafür verantwortlich sind, sein ganzes Spekturm an Arbeit und seine Erinnerung an neue Generation weiterzugeben."


Antunes says the show opens with "Remember The Time" and follows Jackson's story starting with "Have You Seen My Childhood" "where you see Michael through the eyes of a child." The rough story line, he says, follows fans who enter Neverland where they discover Jackson's career and life.
The show "takes place in a fantastical realm where we discover Michael's Inspirational Giving Tree — the well spring of his creativity."There's a six-foot tall glove, eight-foot long penny loafers and huge projections (including clips of Jackson's performances) on a giant LED screen
Antunes, sagt die Show beginnt mit "Remember The Time" und folgt Jacksons Geschichte, beginnend mit "Have You Seen My Childhood", "wo man Michael durch die Augen eines Kindes sieht." Die grobe Handlung, sagt er, folgt Fans, die Neverland betreten wo sie Jacksons Karriere-und Lebensplanung entdecken.
Die Show "findet in einem fantastischen Reich statt wo wir Michaels inspirierenden Giving Tree entdecken - "Die Quelle für seine Kreativität". Es gibt eine sechs Meter hohen Handschuh, acht Fuß lang Penny Loafer und riesige Projektionen (zB Clips von Jacksons Auftritte) auf einem riesiger LED-Bildschirm.


Major hits included in the show are "Billie Jean," "Beat It, "Ben," "Wanna Be Starting Something," "Human Nature," "I'll Be There," "Smooth Criminal" and "Dancing Machine" but Jackson's catalogue is so vast that they couldn't be all included and would require many more shows," says Antunes.
The show ends with "Man in the Mirror," a song Jackson often use to finish his concerts.
Große Hits, die in der show enthalten sind "Billie Jean", "Beat It" , "Ben "," Wanna Be Starting Something "," Human Nature "," I´ll Be There "," Smooth Criminal "und" Dancing Machine ", aber Jacksons Katalog ist so groß, dass sie nicht alles aufnehmen können und viele weitere Shows erfordern würde ", sagt Antunes. Die Show endet mit "Man in the Mirror", ein Lied das Jackson oft verwendete um seine Konzerte zu beenden.


Antunes says the soundtrack highlights Michael's voice, using the master tracks and then re-arranging the music for the Cirque show. "We wanted to take the music to a whole new level," he says.
Collaborating with music director Greg Phillinganes, who worked with Jackson for more than 25 years, Antune says there were opportunities to take something not quite as well-known from then-master tracks and make them special, he says, such as the little know Spanish tracks Jackson performed for "I Just Can''t Stop Loving You."
Antunes, sagt der Soundtrack unterstreicht Michaels Stimme, die Master-Tracks wurden genommen und dann neu arrangiert für die Cirque Show. "Wir wollten die Musik auf ein ganz neues Level zu bringen", sagt er.
In Zusammenarbeit mit Greg Philliinganes, der mehr als 25 Jahre mit Jackson gearbeitet hat, sagt Antunes gab es Möglichkeiten auch nicht ganz so bekannt tracks von den Master-Tracks zu nehmen und sie besonders zu machen wie die wenig bekannte spanische Version von "I Just Can`t Stop Loving You."


With 10 choreographers working with the large cast of more than 40 dancers and acrobats, the show is the Cirque's most dance-centric, but one with the cirque touch, such as when dancers also fly through the air on bungee cords, or tumble, or work the rings or perform a pole dance.
"He was a dance pioneer and this was a chance to bring the real choreography to the show and keep it alive," says Antunes, "The only place you can see the dances are on his video and in this show. We want to keep it alive for future generations.".
"Er war ein Tanz-Pionier und das war eine echte Chance, die echte Choreographie in die Show zu bringen und am Leben zu erhalten", sagt Antunes, "Der einzige Ort wo sie die Tänze sehen sind ist in seinen Videos-und in dieser Show. Wir wollen es am Leben halten für zukünftige Generationen. ".

Cirque went beyond its own original lyrical musical compositions in shows centering on Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
But the Jackson show is the first featuring music by an artist who also had an affinity for the Cirque shows.
And there's another reason that makes it special, says Antunes. "He was the greatest entertainer in my lifetime."
MICHAEL JACKSON IMMORTAL will play at the XL Center in downtown Hartford on Wednesday, May 2 and Thursday May 3 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $53 to $250, not including fees. Information: 1-800-745-3000.
FOX CT reporter Jim Altman goes behind the scenes of Cirque Du Soleil's "Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour'' that is coming to the XL Center May 2 and May 3. See Altman's report on Fox CT News at 10 Thursday night.

http://articles.courant.com/2012-04-25/entertainment/hc-michael-jackson-cirque-0426-20120425_1_cirque-du-cirque-show-jackson-estate

Edit:
Aktuelle Pollstar-Liste Top 20 Konzerttouren Nordamerika:

http://news.yahoo.com/top-20-concert-tours-pollstar-214845584.html

TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS

1. (1) Cirque du Soleil - "Michael Jackson: The Immortal"; $2,140,271; $114.17.

2. (New) Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band; $1,988,992; $90.73.

3. (New) Elton John; $1,295,560; $115.62.

4. (2) Jason Aldean; $614,023; $44.35.

5. (4) Brad Paisley; $592,300; $53.01.

[Lena]

In London wurde mittlerweile eine 6. show hinzugefügt.
____________________
Und hier noch eine Immortal-Torte