Inside Cirque’s New Las Vegas Thriller 'Michael Jackson One'

'Michael Jackson One'

Written and directed by veteran arena concert director Jamie King, choreographed by Jackson's longtime collaborator Travis Payne and outfitted by fashion designer Zaldy Goco, Cirque du Soleil's resident production Michael Jackson One premiered at the Mandalay Bay Theatre on June 29.

Black or White

With 26 scenes, 60 performers and full versions of Jackson’s biggest hits, One follows four misfits on a transformative journey that leads them to personify Jackson’s personality traits: agility, courage, playfulness and love. "The running theme by the end of the show [is] that we're just all the same, because we are all the same," says Jamie King. "It doesn’t matter if you're black or white, we're all the same. It's that oneness that I want people to leave with, because that was Michael’s message 'til the end."

In the Studio

With full access from John Branca and the Michael Jackson Estate to the musician’s library of master recordings, musical director Kevin Antunes showcased each song's intricate layers. For example, the theater's front speakers play Jackson’s lead vocals, while each seat's headrest speakers swoon with his background vocals. "You're not listening to a CD or an MP3, you're listening to the raw audio of these master recordings in their full complete embodiment – you're hearing it in a way that only Michael and his engineers had heard it when they had done [it]," he says.

Best Ideas

"Michael was always very, very clear that he just wanted to get to the best idea – it did not always have to come from him, the only thing he asked is that it's something he'd never seen before," says Travis Payne. "You always left exhausted because he always pulled everything out of you and wouldn't allow you to settle, because he wasn't gonna settle."

New Heights

One is Cirque du Soleil’s most ambitious endeavor to date, as no production has ever had so many acrobatic performances in a single show. To avoid recycling routines from The Immortal World Tour, choreographers take advantage of the intimate theater setting and spotlight Jackson’s iconic moves at new heights. Cirque is also working with dance crews for the first time, having found new inspiration in groups from South Korea, New Zealand and Puerto Rico.

Smooth Criminals

"I love those outfits and I love those guys!" says Zaldy Goco of the Smooth Criminals. "They’re such sharp, energetic perfectionists and the way they can perform in these big coats. At first, I never wanted to do any black light on any outfits, but somehow we came up with this way of doing it in white – normally, you just have all these other neon colors. That was an exciting advancement in that area, and then it goes back into these blue and white striped suits!"

Building Up

MJ Warriors

"I presented this idea of a mashup of the best of MJ’s iconic fashion moments: the epaulets mixed with frogging, mixed with the shape of the ‘Thriller’ jacket and the ‘Dangerous’ belt buckles, but then all in white and silver," says Goco of the MJ Warriors. "It’s honoring what Michael did -- which is he always wanted fresh ideas and wanted to get things that are new, and not just keep doing the same thing -- but respecting what fans love. You want to please fans, but the big client is Michael."

Making a Muse

"I also love the Muse – gold, crystals, and big gold boots," says Goco. "It’s a technique that I used on a jacket for Michael for This Is It. It was supposed to be his finale look for 'Man in the Mirror.' It’s a technique that mimics frogging, but almost like frogging walls, stuffed full of Swarovski crystals, packed in there so it’s like two inches thick. I remember when I showed that to Michael, he said, 'This is like my secret treasure!'...I just thought that since she’s the closest thing to Michael, I’m gonna give her that inspiration from This Is It, since we never really got to see it. I love that."

In the Audience

Transforming the Theater

Cirque du Soleil already has seven resident shows along the Las Vegas Strip, but One is Mandalay Bay’s first Cirque production and moves into a theater that previously housed musicals Mamma Mia! and The Lion King. The Mandalay Bay Theatre’s entry is now outfitted with six floor-to-ceiling portraits of Jackson dancing the moonwalk in his white socks, sequined jacket and black hat. Brightly lit jewels accessorize the sapphire blue lobby, which features double doors honoring Jackson’s signature military-inspired blazers.

Icon Status

"Almost everything he did – that’s the 'Thriller' jacket, the 'Billie Jean' look, the 'Dirty Diana' look, the glove, the sock, the arm brace – everything he did was thought out. It was just fashion for him, and it’s lasting," says Goco. "That’s what’s so special about Michael – it’s music, art, fashion, culture. He entered that world, all at the same time, and everyone responds to it."