Love (Cirque du Soleil)
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.
Love
Resident show
June 30, 2006
July 7, 2024
Dominic Champagne
Gilles Ste-Croix
Chantal Tremblay
Jean Rabasse
Philippe Guillotel
Yves Aucoin
Jonathan Deans
Dave St-Pierre
Hansel Cereza
Daniel Cola
Nathalie Gagné
Francis Laporte
Michael Curry
Patricia Ruel
Guy St-Amour
Delirium (2006)
Koozå (2007)
A joint venture between Cirque and The Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd, it is the first theatrical production that Apple Corps Ltd. has partnered in. Love is written and directed by Dominic Champagne. Music directors are 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 April 10, 2024, Cirque du Soleil announced that the show is coming to an end with a final performance on July 7.
Storyline[edit]
The loose story of the production traces The Beatles' biography in broad strokes from the Blitz, 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 such characters as 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 who resemble The Beatles. The international cast totals 65 performers. Each song or medley is the name of a scene.
Love has a plethora of characters which are inspired by the music of The Beatles.[8]
Love features elaborate choreography and various acrobatic and aerial performances.[9]
Costumes[edit]
Philippe Guilottel, Love's costume designer, wanted to infuse the same spirit of The Beatles into the costumes for Love. Many include juxtaposed elements, such as traditional and Victorian fashions 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.[10]
A documentary on the making of Love titled All Together Now was released on October 20, 2008.[12]
The following scenes from Love are included in Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away: