Blending Cirque, pop a challenge

You know what to expect of a big pop arena tour: a sparkly star surrounded by dancers of both the leggy female and buff dude variety.

And you know what to expect of Cirque du Soleil : white-faced acrobats in pastel leotards, or Colonial wigs and waistcoats that never forget the epaulets.

Both these stereotypes are still rooted in the laws of physical science. But in truth, the two have been crossbreeding at least since 1991, when Paula Abdul (the TV train wreck who once was a pop star) hired Cirque's "flying man" for a tour.

But as Cirque matches shows to the music of iconic artists, the two worlds can still be tricky to bridge.

"Love" does it masterfully, creating a surrealistic Liverpool full of Beatles whimsy. "Viva Elvis" was tougher. Elvis was a down-front concert performer who lived mostly before concerts became a visual medium.

And now comes Michael Jackson, who is probably reason enough to add an eighth Cirque to the Strip. Still, the tribute show landing at Mandalay Bay in 2013 can't be redundant.

Cirque's president, Daniel Lamarre, said after a recent news conference it was "blessed" with Jackson's visual legacy."If he were here today, I think Michael could have designed the costumes. He could have written the music of the show."

But the permanent Jackson show will not be helmed by Jamie King, whose work with pop stars led to him helming "The Immortal," the arena-tour version that gets here first in December. Cirque is seeking a director with "a better theatrical approach," Lamarre said.

Perhaps the company is seeking to avoid the bumpy, mixed bag that is "Viva Elvis." That one is undergoing a gradual course correction in-house after original director Vincent Paterson moved on.

Like King, Paterson was brought in from the concert realm and his music videos for big stars such as Jackson. Cirque is giving mixed messages on how much "Elvis" is changing, but the work is ongoing.

"The public reaction is very, very good," Lamarre says, with a satisfaction level comparable to the other Las Vegas titles. Still, "the show has changed a lot in a year."

The goal is to "improve the show with the ingredients we have right now," he says. "There will not be a major change" along the lines of a flashy new act. "The public are Elvis fans and they're very happy with what they see.

"Each personality is different. The Beatles have their own universe, Elvis has his own universe," Lamarre said. Cirque just has to make sure the worlds live in harmony, and not collide.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.