King of pop returns

Cirque du Soleil held tough auditions to select the performers. One dancer of Chinese origin has been recruited.

The troupe has formed a creative team with a number of people who were connected with Jackson either personally or professionally.

Jamie King writes and directs the show. King, who directs numerous high-grossing pop stars' concert tours, worked with Jackson on the Dangerous World Tour in the early 1990s.

"Michael is our narrator, leading us on a journey through his lyrics, his poetry, his visuals, his moves and, of course, how he dressed," King is quoted as saying.

Costume designer Zaldy Goco, who was also Jackson's exclusive designer for the This Is It concert, says Jackson is the inspiration for his creativity in the new show.

According to Silverman, a live band and singers perform Jackson's music. The band has members who worked with Jackson closely.

The troupe also invites 10 choreographers to mingle stage scenes and acrobatics with Jackson's dance moves.

Rich and Tone Talauega are among the choreographers who worked for Jackson for years.

Rich Talauega says he finds the combination of Jackson and the troupe an easy task because they both are at the top of their artistic disciplines.

Silverman says Jackson was a fan of the troupe when he was alive.

The Quebec-based Cirque du Soleil grew from a group of 20 street performers to a major entertainment business, with more than 1,300 artists from 50 countries. It has entertained and toured for millions of audience members in more than 300 cities all over the world.

"We hope we can create a show that he would love," she says. "And we received good feedback from his family members about this show."

Choreographer Rich Talauega reveals: "We have one physically challenged dancer who will bring a pretty amazing performance to the show. When you see it, you'll cry."

The show will tour Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei and Hong Kong.

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