The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil Premieres at The Mirage in Las Vegas

The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil Premieres at The Mirage in Las Vegas

Gala Premiere Brings Bevy of Stars to the Red Carpet

LAS VEGAS, July 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Cirque du Soleil, Apple Corps Ltd. and The Mirage hosted a gala premiere for LOVE with more than 4000 guests invited to an exclusive party after the performance to celebrate LOVE at The Mirage.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/kirvindoak/24410/

Guests included: Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison, Sir George Martin, Giles Martin, Julian Lennon, Cynthia Lennon, Paul McCartney, Siegfried & Roy, Billy Crystal, Paul Reiser, Virginia Madsen and Rachel Leigh Cook, among others.

LOVE, the latest Cirque du Soleil creation, a co-production with Apple Corps Ltd., celebrates the musical legacy of The Beatles and is presented exclusively at The Mirage in Las Vegas. This joint artistic venture marks the first time that The Beatles company, Apple Corps Ltd., has agreed to a major theatrical partnership. The project was born out of a personal friendship and mutual admiration between the late George Harrison and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte.

LOVE brings the magic of Cirque du Soleil together with the spirit and passion of The Beatles to create an intimate and powerful entertainment experience. It captures the essence of LOVE that John, Paul, George and Ringo inspired during their astonishing adventure together.

Sir George Martin, The Beatles original producer, and his son Giles Martin have been working with the entire archive of Beatles recordings to create the musical component for LOVE. The result is an unprecedented approach to the music for a stage production. "I think we have achieved a real sense of drama with the music, the audience will feel as though they are actually in the theatre with the band. People are going to be knocked out by what they are hearing!" said Giles Martin.

Using the master tapes at Abbey Road Studios, Sir George and Giles have created a unique soundscape for LOVE. "We wanted to make sure there are enough good, solid hit songs in the show, but we don't want it to be a catalog of 'best of's'," said Sir George Martin. "We also wanted to put in some interesting and not well-known Beatles music and use fragments of songs. The show is a unique and magical experience."

Dominic Champagne, who directed and wrote the original concept for the show, explained his vision for LOVE. "I wanted to create a Beatles experience rather than a Beatles story, taking the audience on an emotional journey rather than a chronological one, exploring the landscapes and experiences that have marked the group's history," said the director.

LOVE is a Rock 'n' Roll poem, a magical mystery tour into the heart and soul of The Beatles music through an exploration of the aesthetic, political and spiritual trends of the 1960s. Inspired by the poetry of the lyrics, the creative team designed a series of scenes inhabited by colorful characters in extravagant costumes.

The international cast of 60 channels a raw, youthful energy evoking the exuberant and irreverent spirit of The Beatles. High-energy fusions of urban, freestyle dance, aerial performance and fast-paced athleticism make LOVE a visual and musical feast.

LOVE is presented in a custom-built theatre at The Mirage featuring 360 degree seating and advanced high definition video projections with 100-foot digital, moving images. The panoramic surround sound system will envelop the audience who will experience The Beatles music like never before ...

Apple Corps Ltd. is planning to release The LOVE album through EMI Music later this year.

Inspiration: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr.

Cirque du Soleil Creative Team:
Guy Laliberte - Guide, Show Concept Creator
Dominic Champagne - Director and Writer, Show Concept Creator
Gilles Ste-Croix - Director of Creation, Show Concept Creator
Chantal Tremblay - Associate Director of Creation
Jean Rabasse - Theatre and Set Designer
Philippe Guillotel - Costume Designer
Jonathan Deans - Sound Designer
Yves Aucoin - Lighting Designer
Francis Laporte - Video Projection Designer
Hansel Cereza and Dave St-Pierre - Choreographers
Guy St-Amour - Acrobatic & Rigging Designer
Daniel Cola - Acrobatic Performance Designer
Nathalie Gagne - Make-up Designer
Patricia Ruel - Props Designer
Michael Curry - Puppet Designer
Guest Creators:
Genevieve Dorion-Coupal - Choreographer
Daniel Ezralow - Choreographer
Margie Gillis - Choreographer
Alexis Martin - Dramaturge Consultant
Francois Perusse - Comic Audio-clips Designer
Andre Simard - Aerial Acrobatic Designer

For Apple Corps Ltd.:
Sir George Martin - Music Director
Giles Martin - Music Director
Neil Aspinall - Executive Producer

TICKET PRICES:
$150, $125, $99, $69

SHOW SCHEDULE:

LOVE will be performed Thursday through Monday with no shows on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. There will be two shows nightly at 7:30pm & 10:30pm.

TO RESERVE TICKETS:
By phone: 702 792 7777 or 800 963 9634
Online: www.cirquedusoleil.com, www.thebeatles.com or www.mirage.com.

In person: At the LOVE box office at The Mirage or any of the MGM MIRAGE box offices in Las Vegas.

Ownership of the trademarks: Apple Corps Limited for The Beatles (word & design), (TM) Cirque du Soleil for Cirque du Soleil (word & design) (R) and The Cirque Apple Creation Partnership for LOVE (word & design). (TM) Trademarks used under license.

Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/kirvindoak/24410
Source: Cirque du Soleil

CONTACT: Anita Nelving, Public Relations Manager, Cirque du Soleil,
anita.nelving@cirquedusoleil.com, Phone: +1-702-352-0224,
Fax: +1-702-995-0295

Web site: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/
http://www.thebeatles.com/
http://www.mirage.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: For Creative Team biographies, show images and additional information, visit the Cirque du Soleil Press Room at: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/pressroom/default.htm (Registration is required to access images and media information)

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