The Beatles Reunited in “Love”
By Judy Thorburn and Debbie Hall

Photos by Judy Thorburn

Ever since the Beatles “broke up,” in 1971, the big dream was for the Beatles to reunite or at least have a reunion tour. But with the death of John Lennon in 1980 and then George Harrison in 2001, that dream died. But Sir George Martin, long-time Beatles producer, along with his son, Giles Martin, have joined up with the creative forces behind Cirque du Soleil to create “Love” as a tribute to the Beatles, their music, and the defining era of the influential 1960’s, combined with the artistry of a Cirque du Soleil production.

After the LOVE preview, a press conference was held with Sir George and his son, music director, Giles who, along with other members of the creative team including Guy Laliberte, original founder and concept creator of Cirque de Soleil, were on hand and eager to talk about their new theatrical endeavor. Giles Ste-Croix, director of creation and show creator and Dominic Champagne, director, writer and show concept creator were also part of the team as well as Scott Sibella, President and COO of the Mirage.

The Love Theater, formerly the Siegfried and Roy Theater inside the Mirage, has been designed in the round with three advanced high definition video projections with 100-foot digital moving pictures, a surround sound system with 6,305 speakers (every seat has its own set of speakers), moving lights that pulsate and a fluid stage. Interesting enough, the members of the press that attended were told that we were “the first public eyes to see this theatre.”

Before the preview, Dominic Champagne spoke how, “Santa Claus has come to this place to create the theater for Love.” He continued, “I wanted to create a Beatles experience rather than a Beatles story, taking the audience on an emotional journey rather than a chronological one. At first I thought it was impossible. It was a long and winding road to put everything together. But I found it to be a lifetime privilege. I am very thrilled that the impossible show is about to be a possible dream (come true).” Guy Laliberte added that, “LOVE carries the legacy of the Beatles.”

Scott Sibella spoke of, “how the Mirage was built 16 years ago and today we remain as cutting edge with our restaurants and now this show.”

Giles Ste-Croix said, “When we embarked on this extraordinary adventure in 2002, we set out to create a timeless, three-dimensional evocation of the Beatles music.

According to Sir George Martin, “By consensus, we didn’t want to do a songbook of the Beatles. The process took two years for the question of everyone agreeing at what we had before we gradually arrived at the final decision.” It was noted that having Martin involved in this venture was a major factor, with his knowledge of the Beatles music, and giving the Cirque team lots of hints, story and support in what they were aiming to do.

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison (George’s widow) and Yoko Ono have worked closely with the creative team to present the spirit of the Beatles in a powerful entertainment experience. The preview demonstrated how visually appealing the show will be, using album tracks from the Beatle’s later releases such as Yellow Submarine and the White Album. Based on the few sequences viewed: Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, Lady Madonna, and Octopuses Garden, it appears that this new approach to the Beatles music, characters and mood will make for a remarkable new and inventive theatrical experience. For those who recall how pop artist Peter Max integrated everything Beatles into eye-popping posters and works on canvas, this production can also be described as “Peter Max Comes Alive.” Preview performances begin June 2 with a Gala Premiere on June 30.

Tickets are available for the Preview from June 2 through June 29 with a 25% discount for tickets prices ranging from $69, $99, $125 and $150. Preview performances are presented nightly at 7 pm and limited 10:30 pm performances. Following the preview performances, on July 1, LOVE will be performed Thursday through Monday and dark on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with show times 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm. To purchase tickets or more information, go to www.cirquedusoleil.com.

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