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The Beatles "Love" at the Mirage
 Concert review from RecessionFest 2010  by Bay Area Tom 

lAhhh…because the stage is round…it blows my mind.

I was introduced to Cirque du Soleil at the Santa Monica Pier in the late 80’s, at the time, it was relatively unheard of in the States.  
The show was a bit of a hodge podge of balancing acts, rope gymnastics and I remember this guy who stood upon a ball that was 
about 4 feet round, moving about the stage like one of those lumberjacks on a log in the water.  Later on, I saw Saltimbanco, Allegria,
Quidam, Varekai…you get the picture.  Every time, I left the tent a changed person.  Over the years, the stunts and acts got more 
elaborate, and the music became a bigger part of the show.  Live musicians, performing authentic pieces, to a live performance 
that dazzles…Cirque du Soleil has always been a triumph of human creativity and physical prowess.

As with many great entertainment acts; the Cirque was lured to Las Vegas, where everything is larger than life.  No longer restricted 
to a few tents in a parking lot, the shows expanded.  Mystère was an extension of the concept…with crazy costumes, and wild sets.  
Then came O.  It had been out for many years before I finally got the opportunity to see it…and I thought I’d never be blown away 
like that ever again.  The stage, the music, the water and fire…O was a visual masterpiece, with bodies flying through the air, 
diving into water, dancing and tumbling on a stage that was unprecedented.  I still haven’t seen Ká, and I’m sure it will be wonderful
…but nothing prepared me for Love.

Let me first get this out of the way, I’m a big Beatles fan.  Being a big Beatles fan, one must also realize the brilliance of Sir George Martin…
and when I heard that Cirque du Soleil was going to do a Beatles show in Vegas, I bought the soundtrack the week it came out.  
It turns out that George Martin’s son, Giles, was given unfettered access to the complete recordings of The Beatles.  The first thing 
that I noticed was that the sound quality was incredible.  The second thing I noticed was that having access to everything in the Beatles’ 
catalog, and the freedom to do whatever Martin wanted to do, offered a look into the music that was truly magical.  Mashing up 
“Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite” with “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” and “Helter Skelter”…well…I was in for a real treat.  
As a big Beatles fan, I tried to pick out all of the subtle additions, mixes, twists and versions of the tunes, and I was in heaven.

RecessionFest 2010 was winding down, and I took my good friend, also a Beatles fan, to the show.  As a seasoned Cirque du Soleil fan, 
I sort of knew what I was in store for, and sitting down in the theater, immediately realized there are no bad seats in the house.  
The stage is in the middle of a circle of seats…being closer doesn’t really make much of a difference.  Then the lights went off, 
and an a capella version of “Because” literally surrounded us.  It turns out that they managed to do it again, those crazy Canadians.  
This time, instead of music being performed to augment the show…the show was performed to augment the music.  I’ve seen a lot 
of live shows…but I’ve never heard sound like this.  In any venue, in any environment.  Over 6,000 speakers make up the system…
it wasn’t until about half way through the show, when I closed my jaw and leaned back into my seat, that I realized there were 
speakers in the seats!  Yeah, this was gonna be good.

I’m not sure I caught the whole Parkour/Freerunning/Breakdancing vibe to Beatles music, but like I said, this show wasn’t so much 
about the folks doing crazy stuff on the stage, or floating through the air in space suits.  It was about the music.  The depth, range, 
variety…the utter brilliance of The Beatles.  There were moments of joy, moments of tearjerking beauty…a peaceful vibe that 
transcended the hustle and bustle just a stone’s throw away in the casino.  The show was a story, and it was told visually.  
There were fun subtleties – like the VW bug props with the license plate “28IF” (check out the Abbey Road cover) 
– and there were dazzling moments like a starshower during “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.”  
In the end, however, it was about the music. 

If you find yourself in Vegas, and you can get a seat to this show, don’t hesitate.  Don’t worry about getting up close…there literally
isn’t a bad seat in the house.  It will take you to Strawberry Fields, and when you’re applauding the wonderful performance, 
you’ll realize, all you need is Love.

Cheers,
 Tom from the Bay Area
 

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