LOVE (Cirque du Soleil)
Encyclopedia
Love is a 2006 theatrical production by Cirque du Soleil
which combines the re-produced and re-imagined music of The Beatles
with an interpretive, circus-based artistic and athletic stage performance. The show plays at a specially built theatre at The Mirage
in Las Vegas
.
A joint venture between Cirque and The Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd
, it is the first production that Apple Corps Ltd. has partnered in. Love is written and directed by Dominic Champagne. Music director
s are Sir George Martin
, producer of nearly all of The Beatles' records, and his son, record producer Giles Martin
. A soundtrack album of the show
was released in November 2006.
On June 26, 2007, the surviving members of The Beatles, Paul McCartney
and Ringo Starr
, and the widow
s of George Harrison
(Olivia Harrison) and John Lennon
(Yoko Ono
) appeared on CNN
's Larry King Live
at The Mirage.
and his friend Guy Laliberté
, one of Cirque's founders. Three years of negotiations between surviving members of The Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney
and Ringo Starr
, The Beatles widows Olivia Harrison (representing George Harrison) and Yoko Ono
(representing John Lennon
), The Beatles' holding company Apple Corps Ltd. and the MGM Mirage
culminated in an agreement.
The first executive producer was Neil Aspinall
, then-manager of Apple Corps Ltd. Dominic Champagne shares the show concept creator credit with Gilles Ste-Croix (a founder of Cirque), who is also credited as the director of creation. The creation director is Chantal Tremblay. Tickets went on sale April 19, 2006. Preview performances ran from June 2 to June 29. During these shows, including June 16 and June 17 which were attended by McCartney, changes were made nightly based on audience reaction, cutting or adding sections to add polish. In attendance at the gala opening on June 30 were McCartney, Starr, Ono, Cynthia Lennon
, Julian Lennon
, Olivia and Dhani Harrison
, and Sir George Martin. It was the biggest reunion of The Beatles' 'family' since the band's breakup. At the end of the show, McCartney, Starr, Olivia, Ono and Martin went on stage. McCartney requested the crowd, "Just one special round of applause, for John and George!"
On June 26, 2007 everyone met for the one year anniversary of the show at The Mirage
, where the Love show is staged. McCartney, Starr, Olivia and Ono were interviewed by CNN
's Larry King
shortly before the show began. The group unveiled a plaque at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas in memory of John Lennon and George Harrison.
Starting in late October 2010, Cirque du Soleil starting offering backstage tours of the Love theatre. The experience allows visitors to see the backstage wings, training rooms, costume workshop, break area, and go up to a catwalk into the sound and lighting booths. Not every experience will be the same as the tour is conducted around a "regular day", so performers may or may not be training, rehearsing, or even working out.
Video images on two walls above the audience on two sides of the auditorium emphasize elements of the show and provide transitions. High-definition projectors also create enormous images (designed by Francis Laporte) on four translucent screens that can be unfurled to divide the auditorium. A total of 28 projectors are used.
The Love theater, which replaced the Siegfried & Roy
theater at The Mirage, is said to have cost more than $100 million.
, through the band's founding and climb into superstardom, their psychedelic and spiritual works and their break-up in 1970. The finale is a joyous celebration of The Beatles' "reunion" that the show itself represents.
Love traces this path without relying on literal or historical representations of individual people. Its landscape is inhabited by fictional characters plucked from The Beatles' lyrics. Sgt. Pepper, a central figure, encounters many familiar faces, including Lucy in the Sky, Eleanor Rigby, Lady Madonna and Mr. Kite. In an exception to this stylistic choice, the "Here Comes the Sun
" scene features a character resembling Krishna
. Similarly, several scenes include mop-topped, dark-haired figures in black suits. The international cast totals 65 performers. Each song or medley is the name of a scene.
s being combined with colorful, imaginative designs. Many of the costumes are highly sophisticated and voluminous, almost as if taken from a cartoon. For example, Savile Row
tailoring traditions were utilized for the Sgt. Pepper Parade, turning the outfits inside out.
recording session tapes have been reorchestrated and inspired Loves dance, acrobatics, as well as visual and theatrical effects. Love samples 130 songs to create 26 musical pieces. The songs are mixed so that the lyrics and instrumentation from one song blend into the next. One musical highlight of the show is a new version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps
", which matches the first studio demo of the song with a string arrangement written for Love by Sir George Martin. A commercial soundtrack of the show
was released in November 2006.
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
which combines the re-produced and re-imagined music of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
with an interpretive, circus-based artistic and athletic stage performance. The show plays at a specially built theatre at The Mirage
The Mirage
The Mirage is a 3,044 room hotel and casino resort located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States.The Mirage is connected by a free tram to Treasure Island. The marquee in front of the Mirage is the largest free standing marquee in the world.-History:The Mirage was built by...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
.
A joint venture between Cirque and The Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd
Apple Corps
Apple Corps Ltd. is a multi-armed multimedia corporation founded in January 1968 by the members of The Beatles to replace their earlier company and to form a conglomerate. Its name is a pun. Its chief division is Apple Records, which was launched in the same year...
, it is the first production that Apple Corps Ltd. has partnered in. Love is written and directed by Dominic Champagne. Music director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
s are Sir George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
, producer of nearly all of The Beatles' records, and his son, record producer Giles Martin
Giles Martin
Giles Martin is an English record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is the son of Sir George Martin, famed producer of almost all of The Beatles' records.- Biography :...
. A soundtrack album of the show
Love (The Beatles album)
Love is a Grammy Award-winning soundtrack remix album of music recorded by The Beatles, released in November 2006. It features music compiled and remixed as a mashup for the Cirque du Soleil show of the same name...
was released in November 2006.
On June 26, 2007, the surviving members of The Beatles, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, and the widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
s of George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
(Olivia Harrison) and John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
(Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
) appeared on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
at The Mirage.
History
The project arose from discussions in 2000 between George HarrisonGeorge Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
and his friend Guy Laliberté
Guy Laliberté
Guy Laliberté, OC, CQ is a Canadian entrepreneur, philanthropist, poker player, space tourist and the current CEO of Cirque du Soleil...
, one of Cirque's founders. Three years of negotiations between surviving members of The Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, The Beatles widows Olivia Harrison (representing George Harrison) and Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
(representing John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
), The Beatles' holding company Apple Corps Ltd. and the MGM Mirage
MGM Mirage
Not to be confused with the Las Vegas, Nevada based casino/resort operator Resorts International Holdings.MGM Resorts International is a Paradise, Nevada based corporation that brands itself as a global hospitality company. It is the second largest gaming company in the world by revenue - about...
culminated in an agreement.
The first executive producer was Neil Aspinall
Neil Aspinall
Neil Stanley Aspinall was a British music industry executive. A school friend of Paul McCartney and George Harrison, he went on to head The Beatles' company Apple Corps....
, then-manager of Apple Corps Ltd. Dominic Champagne shares the show concept creator credit with Gilles Ste-Croix (a founder of Cirque), who is also credited as the director of creation. The creation director is Chantal Tremblay. Tickets went on sale April 19, 2006. Preview performances ran from June 2 to June 29. During these shows, including June 16 and June 17 which were attended by McCartney, changes were made nightly based on audience reaction, cutting or adding sections to add polish. In attendance at the gala opening on June 30 were McCartney, Starr, Ono, Cynthia Lennon
Cynthia Lennon
Cynthia Lillian Lennon is the former wife of musician John Lennon, and mother of Julian Lennon. She grew up in the middle-class section of Hoylake, on the Wirral Peninsula in North West England. At the age of twelve, she was accepted into the Junior Art School, and was later enrolled in the...
, Julian Lennon
Julian Lennon
John Charles Julian Lennon is an English musician, songwriter, actor, and photographer. He is the son of John Lennon and Lennon's first wife, Cynthia Powell. Beatles manager Brian Epstein was his godfather. He has a younger half-brother, Sean Lennon. Lennon was named after his paternal...
, Olivia and Dhani Harrison
Dhani Harrison
Dhani Harrison is an English musician and the son of George Harrison of The Beatles and Olivia Harrison. Harrison debuted as a professional musician when completing his father's final album Brainwashed after George Harrison's death in November 2001...
, and Sir George Martin. It was the biggest reunion of The Beatles' 'family' since the band's breakup. At the end of the show, McCartney, Starr, Olivia, Ono and Martin went on stage. McCartney requested the crowd, "Just one special round of applause, for John and George!"
On June 26, 2007 everyone met for the one year anniversary of the show at The Mirage
The Mirage
The Mirage is a 3,044 room hotel and casino resort located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States.The Mirage is connected by a free tram to Treasure Island. The marquee in front of the Mirage is the largest free standing marquee in the world.-History:The Mirage was built by...
, where the Love show is staged. McCartney, Starr, Olivia and Ono were interviewed by CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
shortly before the show began. The group unveiled a plaque at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas in memory of John Lennon and George Harrison.
Starting in late October 2010, Cirque du Soleil starting offering backstage tours of the Love theatre. The experience allows visitors to see the backstage wings, training rooms, costume workshop, break area, and go up to a catwalk into the sound and lighting booths. Not every experience will be the same as the tour is conducted around a "regular day", so performers may or may not be training, rehearsing, or even working out.
Set and technical information
Created by French designer Jean Rabasse, the Love theater at The Mirage houses 6,341 speakers and 2,013 seats set around a central stage. Each seat is fitted with three speakers, including a pair in the headrest. The sound system was designed by Jonathan Deans. The stage includes nine lifts and eight automated tracks and trolleys.Video images on two walls above the audience on two sides of the auditorium emphasize elements of the show and provide transitions. High-definition projectors also create enormous images (designed by Francis Laporte) on four translucent screens that can be unfurled to divide the auditorium. A total of 28 projectors are used.
The Love theater, which replaced the Siegfried & Roy
Siegfried & Roy
Siegfried & Roy are two German-American former entertainers who became known for their appearances with white lions and white tigers....
theater at The Mirage, is said to have cost more than $100 million.
Storyline
The loose story of the production traces The Beatles’ biography in broad strokes from The BlitzThe Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
, through the band's founding and climb into superstardom, their psychedelic and spiritual works and their break-up in 1970. The finale is a joyous celebration of The Beatles' "reunion" that the show itself represents.
Love traces this path without relying on literal or historical representations of individual people. Its landscape is inhabited by fictional characters plucked from The Beatles' lyrics. Sgt. Pepper, a central figure, encounters many familiar faces, including Lucy in the Sky, Eleanor Rigby, Lady Madonna and Mr. Kite. In an exception to this stylistic choice, the "Here Comes the Sun
Here Comes the Sun
"Here Comes the Sun" is a song by George Harrison from The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road. It is regarded as one of the most popular Beatles songs. The song was written while Harrison was away from all of these troubles...
" scene features a character resembling Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
. Similarly, several scenes include mop-topped, dark-haired figures in black suits. The international cast totals 65 performers. Each song or medley is the name of a scene.
Characters
Love has a plethora of characters which are inspired by the music of the Beatles.- Doctor Robert: The host of Love.
- Eleanor Rigby: An English woman.
- Father McKenzie: A preacher from older times.
- Fool
- Groupies
- Her Majesty: As a symbol of pride for the nation, she is often seen in a large oval frame.
- Julia: Evokes John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
's mother. - Kids of Liverpool
- Krishna: Unites the cultures and sounds of the East and West.
- Lady Madonna
- Lucy and the Firemen
- Mr. Piggy: Represents the aristocraticAristocracy (class)The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
traditional values. - Nowhere Men: Represent the zeitgeistZeitgeistZeitgeist is "the spirit of the times" or "the spirit of the age."Zeitgeist is the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambiance, morals, sociocultural direction, and mood associated with an era.The...
of Love. - Nurses
- Sailors
- Sgt. Pepper
- Sugar Plum Fairy
- Teddy Boys
- Walrus / Eggman
Acts
The acts of Love evoke the spirit of the Beatles, from which they were inspired.- Korean rope
- Russian swing
- Rope contortion
- BungeeBungee jumpingBungee jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter, that...
- TrampolineTrampolineA trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched over a steel frame using many coiled springs. People bounce on trampolines for recreational and competitive purposes....
- Latex rope
- Skater
- Spanish webSpanish webThe Spanish web is an aerial circus skill, similar in appearance and style to corde lisse. The name refers to both the apparatus and the performance....
- Free runningFree runningFreerunning is a form of urban acrobatics in which participants, known as freerunners , use the city and rural landscape to perform movements through its structures...
Costumes
Philippe Guilottel, Loves costume designer, wanted to infuse the same spirit of the Beatles into the costumes for Love. The different costumes reflect the decades from which the Beatles songs were popular. Many include juxtaposed elements, such as traditional and Victorian fashionVictorian fashion
Victorian fashion comprises the various fashions and trends in British culture that emerged and grew in province throughout the Victorian era and the reign of Queen Victoria, a period which would last from June 1837 to January 1901. Covering nearly two thirds of the 19th century, the 63 year reign...
s being combined with colorful, imaginative designs. Many of the costumes are highly sophisticated and voluminous, almost as if taken from a cartoon. For example, Savile Row
Savile Row
Savile Row is a shopping street in Mayfair, central London, famous for its traditional men's bespoke tailoring. The term "bespoke" is understood to have originated in Savile Row when cloth for a suit was said to "be spoken for" by individual customers...
tailoring traditions were utilized for the Sgt. Pepper Parade, turning the outfits inside out.
Music
Unlike most other Cirque productions, which feature live music, Love uses prerecorded material from The Beatles catalog. Many of the original Abbey Road StudiosAbbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
recording session tapes have been reorchestrated and inspired Loves dance, acrobatics, as well as visual and theatrical effects. Love samples 130 songs to create 26 musical pieces. The songs are mixed so that the lyrics and instrumentation from one song blend into the next. One musical highlight of the show is a new version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by George Harrison, first recorded by The Beatles in 1968 for their eponymous double album...
", which matches the first studio demo of the song with a string arrangement written for Love by Sir George Martin. A commercial soundtrack of the show
Love (The Beatles album)
Love is a Grammy Award-winning soundtrack remix album of music recorded by The Beatles, released in November 2006. It features music compiled and remixed as a mashup for the Cirque du Soleil show of the same name...
was released in November 2006.