I really wanted to give this show a great review. And I guess, at the end of it, I can say that we were entertained and that it was nice overall. However, it had elements that didn’t quite work for me. For this show’s second run in Toronto, hubby and I set off for Air Canada centre to catch the sold-out performance. After my quick dinner at Burrito Boyz, I was all set to enjoy the night.
The opening act left me hoping and praying that I did not waste my money. The show started off with 5 Michael Jacksons, each wearing a distinct MJ outfit (from Beat it to Bad…you get the drift). They went walking about, a bunch of boys hanging out and impersonating the King of Pop. Okay…was this a Cirque show? Then they went off “climbing” the walls and seemingly making graffiti. Reminiscing went on for a bit with music from the Jackson 5, with the guys, now sporting Afros and colorful, shiny 70s garb lip-synching to the tune of ABC.
It was not until “Smooth Criminal” that the show started to pick up. With flying chairs and swaying posts, it started to feel like a Cirque performance. The “Michael Jackson” dressed in white gangster wear walked on the conveyor, stripping to reveal a woman. She then gave the best pole-dancing stunt I’ve ever seen! From mid-air splits to one-hand (or foot)-on-the-pole contortions, one cannot help but wonder if the girl had any bones. Of course the men enjoyed this, but surely women’s jaws also dropped to this spectacular act! That, for us, was the best act of the entire show. The first part ended with “Thriller” which, interestingly, had mummies (instead of zombies) doing some variation of the signature choreography. It wasn’t bad, but it left room for improvement.
Things started to pick up after the 20-minute intermission. Our next favorite act was the “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” couple air acrobatics. It was sensual, mesmerizing and just plain awesome. The lighted outfits used in “Human Nature” and “Billy Jean” and the contortionist on the book (“Ghost”) were great as well. The rest of the show made me feel like watching a spectacular Michael Jackson concert (which I have been fortunate to watch once) alternating with videos and Cirque acts. We were entertained…
…until they brought out Bubbles. While we were left in awe watching some of the acrobatics and contortionists, the pet chimp appearing every so often threw me off. The show really could have done without this. They also glossed over “Beat It” and “Bad” with a whimsical giant glove and pair of shoes and performed a lot of songs which were not the greatest of hits (at least for me). They did have elephants parading to the tune of “Ben” but they only left me wondering where the rats were.
The show concluded with Fireworks and “Man in the Mirror”. There was hearty applause for the great acrobats, dancers and the one-legged performer. Our take: if you want to see a Cirque show, go see something else. We liked the Mystere show in Vegas more than this one. If you want to see a Michael Jackson show, just watch “This is It.” If you want to reminisce being in a Michael Jackson concert (with stand-ins, of course) with spectacular dance numbers and acrobatics, then this may be for you.
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