Group news - Cirque opening!
Happy 4th of July! I have been out of town. The Cirque show opened, and sounds wonderful! Here are loads of articles.
Beatles' legacy revived with 'Love' show By RYAN NAKASHIMA, Associated Press Writer
Mon Jul 3, 10:16 AM ET
LAS VEGAS - The Beatles are back, not in the USSR, not on "The Ed Sullivan Show" or even at Shea Stadium - but on the Las Vegas Strip as the focus of international theater troupe Cirque du Soleil's surrealistic portrayal of the Fab Four's career.
Friday's grand opening performance of "Love" featured red carpet arrivals at the at The Mirage hotel by Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison.
"It was emotional because two of us aren't there," Starr said after the show. "So it really comes home when you're watching this."
McCartney avoided reporters but emerged onstage after the performance. "This is for John and George!" he yelled.
The deconstructed musical trip through the Beatles' past is filled with characters from their songs - the walrus, Lady Madonna, Sgt. Pepper - parts of songs, outtakes and fragments that are sure to please fans and at the same time leave them full of questions.
"John? Who knows about John," said George Martin, the Beatles' longtime producer about John Lennon, who was shot and killed Dec. 8, 1980.
"If he saw the show, he'd probably say, 'Yeah, but it could be better,'" said Martin, who worked with son, Giles Martin, to create the 90-minute show's soundscape. "John was never satisfied with anything that he ever did in his life. In his mind, he had a dream world which could not be realized."
In "Love," the Beatles' dream world does appear onstage.
The performance explodes early at the hotel-casino's $130 million, 2,013-seat theater in the round with "Get Back," the band's 1969 hit, as dancers and acrobats jump and twirl in the air.
Set to blended, reversed and enhanced parts of 130 songs and unpublished outtakes, the acrobatic and dance spectacle takes the audience through World War II, the 1960s era of "Beatlemania," the band's reclusive studio years and a psychedelic time that produced songs such as "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."
Some moments allude to real-life events, according to creator Dominic Champagne. Hooded figures throwing knives at a cross hint at threats made by the Ku Klux Klan against the Beatles after Lennon famously proclaimed in 1966 that the band was "more popular than Jesus."
Also dramatized to "A Day in the Life" is Julia, Lennon's mother, whose death in a traffic accident early in his life is thought to have created a bond between Lennon and McCartney, whose own mother died when he was young.
"I tried to get inspired by the lyrics, but also the moments and the motion of their careers," Champagne said. "We tried to be spiritual and physical without trying to be too didactic. I didn't want to do the live version of 'The Anthology.' We're not here to teach the Beatles story to people."
What emerged is a multitude of symbols and metaphors that will have dedicated fans dusting off their LPs and looking through lyric books.
A South African tap dance in yellow gumboots to "Lady Madonna" evokes the "children at your feet" line from the song. A lonely looking "Eleanor Rigby" drags her belongings like a bag lady behind her on stage, while "Doctor Robert," who allegedly gave the band LSD in their tea, merrily carries teapot in hand.
It was Harrison's desire to do more with the Beatles' legacy and his personal friendship with Cirque founder Guy Laliberte that sparked development of the project. The Beatles' company, Apple Corps Ltd., then signed off on "Love."
The production is the first major theatrical partnership for Apple Corps, which has earned a feisty reputation for having sued companies from Apple Computer Inc. to record label EMI to protect the band's legacy. It also marks the company's most significant endeavor since 2000 when it released "1," a CD collection of 27 No. 1 singles that has sold more than 24 million copies.
Giles Martin likened the long hiatus to the quiet time from 1966 to 1967 that his father spent in the studio with the Beatles to create their seminal album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
"'Sgt. Pepper' was done because the Beatles stopped touring," he said. "And this was done because the Beatles aren't here."
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On the Net:
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/love
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20060703/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_beatles_cirque_1
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Beatles producer Martin mixes it up for "Love" By Jill Serjeant
Mon Jul 3, 12:13 PM ET
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Legendary Beatles producer Sir George Martin knew he was walking on hallowed ground when he decided to take some of the Fab Four's greatest hits apart and throw them back together for the first Beatles-approved live stage show.
The Cirque du Soleil show "Love," which opened in Las Vegas on Friday, was born of a friendship between the late George Harrison and the acrobatic troupe's French-Canadian founder Guy Laliberte.
"I knew it was going to be quite tricky. I was planning an early retirement, and then this came out of the blue and I thought, 'don't go into your casket just yet,"' said Martin, 80, the man behind every Beatles album bar one.
"This is the first time that the Beatles have agreed to use their songs and voices in a live theater show," he told Reuters. "It was a question of trust."
No one wanted to make just another tribute show to the band that changed the face of pop music 40 years ago, so when Martin, the self-effacing so-called "Fifth Beatle," and his record producer son Giles Martin were appointed musical directors, they decided to mix it up a bit.
"It was a dangerous thing to do, but the Beatles themselves were always pushing the envelope," George Martin said.
More than two years later what they produced is less a twiddle and a tweak and more of a 90-minute medley of original Beatles music created by remixing favorite songs, playing drum solos backward and blending riffs from one tune with another.
Surprisingly, they got the backing of Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and the support of Apple -- the company the Beatles started in 1967 and which has so fiercely guarded their legacy that previous requests for their use in film and on stage have been turned down.
BEATLES WERE FRIENDLY
"I thought the big problem was going to be the Beatles themselves but they were great from the word go. They all just wanted things to be as good as possible," said Giles Martin, who was born in 1969, a year before the band broke up.
The Martins worked from the original master tapes from the Abbey Road studios to produce a clarity so startling that one can almost hear McCartney's fingers squeaking along the neck of his guitar on "Yesterday."
"Strawberry Fields" begins with John Lennon's original demo tape, and Harrison's "Within You Without You" is played to the drum-track of "Tomorrow Never Knows."
Giles Martin was apprehensive when he showed Starr their version of "Octopus's Garden."
"It has strings of 'Good Night,' drums from 'Rita Meter Maid,' percussion section from 'Polythene Pam' then into 'Helter Skelter' and then goes into 'Sun King,"' said Giles Martin.
"Meanwhile there's 'Baby I'm a Rich Man' percussion going on in the middle lane. Really the kitchen sink is thrown at that one," he said. "It absolutely floored him (Ringo)."
Digital technology allowed the Martins to experiment in a way undreamt of in the 1960s when Martin had a four-track tape recorder and "used to edit with razor blades."
Martin said the only track in the show that he wished he had 40 years ago was his son's treatment of "Within You Without You" which "I think is fantastic and it should have been on the original Pepper. But Giles wasn't born at the time."
The Martins are now working on the "Love" soundtrack album which is likely to bring the Beatles music to yet another new generation of fans.
"I respect them way more now, having been so close to their music, than I did before," said Giles Martin.
"And your grandchildren," he told his father fondly "have suddenly realized you're cool."
Reuters/VNU
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060703/stage_nm/beatles_dc_1
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Paul, Ringo, Yoko Attend Debut Of Beatles Cirque Du Soleil Show
Lennon, Harrison Also At Las Vegas Event
POSTED: 9:49 am EDT July 3, 2006
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LAS VEGAS -- The whole Beatles family turned out for the opening of the Beatles "Love" Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas on Friday -- even the fictional ones.
Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Julian Lennon, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison were there -- and so were Eleanor Rigby, Dr. Robert, Sgt. Pepper and The Walrus.
The show takes the Beatles songs, parts of songs and unpublished outtakes and sets them to the Cirque du Soleil experience, with acrobats, dancers and lots of color.
Dr. Robert comes out with a teapot in his hand, while Eleanor Rigby drags her things behind her like a bag lady.
McCartney said the remixed music is great and, as he put it, "It's Cirque du Soleil, man."
Ono said her only regret is that John Lennon wasn't there because he would've enjoyed it.
Famed Beatles producer George Martin, who helped produce "Love," had a different idea.
Martin said Lennon would have said, "Yeah, but it could be better."
He said that Lennon was never satisfied with anything that he ever did.
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/entertainment/9461600/detail.html?rss=bos&psp=news
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John Katsilometes reports on the quick, chance meeting between Paul McCartney and Roy Horn on the red carpet at Friday's 'Love' gala opening
Friday night's star-studded red carpet arrivals at "Love" might have seemed like the last place to experience moments of poignant human interaction. But amid the jostling of journalists, celebs and assorted PR reps, one such moment unfolded as Roy Horn stood from a wheelchair to meet Paul McCartney face to face.
Horn and longtime performing partner Siegfried Fischbacher had just finished their arduous trek across the carpet and Horn (who had been leaning on a cane) settled to an awaiting wheelchair with a bit of help from the duo's assistant, Lynette Chappell. Several feet behind them, McCartney was moving swiftly across the carpet and actually breezed past the Goulets (Robert and Vera) while calling out, "I've got to run ahead of you guys."
Just as McCartney was about to veer toward the theater, he was pointed in Horn's direction. "Hello, Roy!" McCartney said loudly, leaning closely over Horn. "How you doing, man?"
Horn grabbed the arms of the wheelchair and began to stand. McCartney's eyebrows arched as he said, "Oh, it's all right. We're cool. Take it easy, Roy." But Horn continued and stood up to shake McCartney's hand.
"Wow!" McCartney said. "Let's get a photo, OK?" And the three posed for a few impromptu shots.
Horn said returning to the theater (which has been completely gutted and overhauled over the past three years) where he and Fischbacher performed more than 5,700 shows in 13 years, was, "Bittersweet. Very bittersweet." Fischbacher added, "We are very, very excited. We were for 13 years an opening act for the Beatles - it doesn't get any better. We tried to give love to our audiences, and they are doing the same."
In the theater, just before the gala premiere performance, Mirage President Scott Sibella dedicated the show to Siegfried & Roy, whose introduction was met with a standing ovation. After the flawless performance, the production's owners and creators - including McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison, Guy Laliberte, and George and Giles Martin - strode to the stage for a victory lap. When the troupe halted to pose for photos and flash peace signs, McCartney (with no microphone at the ready) shouted, "This is for John and George!"
The audience erupted, and McCartney turned to his right to find Ono, a vision in a white pantsuit and a giant foppish hat. So he grabbed his frequent antagonist and kissed her - twice. Once on her cheek and quickly again near her mouth. And for all of "Love's" magic imagery of sight and sound, nothing matched that moment.
NoteMart
Love fest: A note medley from the show: A beaming Sibella said the excitement generated by the show was "like the opening of the Mirage. We have never seen this type of excitement here." He noted that more than 4,000 fans took in two performances of "Love," another 1,200 saw Wayne Brady at the Danny Gans Theatre and 4,000 converged on the nightclub Jet, all in one night. "It's the new Mirage," he said ... Employing a Lennon-esque treatment of the language, Ono said the cooperation of the extended Beatles family was the result of "a very, very good come-togetherness. We were surprised that we weren't fighting." ... Almost totally lost in the whirlwind event were John Lennon's first wife, Cynthia Lennon, and son Julian ... seated together in the royal row of Beatles figures were Ono, Dhani Harrison (George Harrison's spitting-image son), Olivia Harrison, Barbara Bach, Starr, McCartney and the Martins ... Taking in the performance was Doors drummer John Densmore, who said he was on hand as a fan and also because he is investigating a similar Vegas production "whether with Cirque du Soleil or whoever" based on the Doors' music ... I asked Little Steven Van Zandt if he thought Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band would ever be the focus of a Cirque production. He laughed and said, "Well, one never knows. Probably some part of Bruce's music might work for that. He's very versatile and writes about so many different things. You never know." ... Rock legend Brian Wilson, who inspired much of the music in "Love," walked unnoticed (well, almost) through the Mirage retail promenade a couple of hours before the show ... More than 300 fans turned out to observe the red carpet arrivals; the more avid were in place when ushers reported to their posts at 1:30 p.m. ... The show's comic relief, the Fool (played by a guy listed ! as Jo lly Goodfellow), ran into Ringo in a theater walkway minutes before the show. Ringo reached for the Fool's ever-present flower bouquet and demanded, "Gimme one of those!" The Fool, not knowing how to react, simply froze ...
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/do/2006/jul/02/566667703.html
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McCartney and Ono show they've let it be
It's hard enough to imagine Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono together in the same room without things coming to fists, but have the two finally kissed and made up?
While their long-standing feud has often come to a head over the past few decades -- as recently as last year, in fact, when Ono, accepting an award on behalf of her late husband, John Lennon, called McCartney's lyrics simple-minded -- it seems the two have finally settled their differences.
At the Friday premiere of Cirque du Soleil's new Beatles extravaganza "Love" at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, Ono and McCartney willingly shared a table, sharing memories and laughs during a staged dinner with Ringo Starr and other Beatles kin such as the late George Harrison's wife, Olivia, and Lennon's first wife, Cynthia.
Following the show's performance, as the audience roared with delight, Fox News reports that McCartney actually kissed Ono, with Ono kissing him back moments later.
Witnesses of this death-defying feat included Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, director Gus van Sant, billionaire Ron Burkle, magicians Sigfried and Roy, as well as a couple thousand other audience members member.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/entertainment/14957009.htm?source=rss&channel=cctimes_entertainment
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Sir Paul tells Ringo: I feel fine after Heather split
by KATIE HAMPSON, Mail online
09:37am 3rd July 2006
Sir Paul McCartney has assured his old friend Ringo Starr he is coping well with the trauma of his marriage split with wife Heather.
The Beatles legend told his former bandmate: 'I'll be alright.'
A friend told the Daily Mirror: 'Ringo asked him 'Are you alright?' and Paul replied 'I'm fine'. Ringo seemed really concerned and said 'Are you sure?' Paul smiled at him, touched his arm and said 'I'll be all right.'"
The pair were reunited at the premiere of Las Vegas extravaganza Love, which is based around the Beatles' music.
The £55million show, featuring Cirque du Soleil, was the brainchild of George Harrison, whose widow Olivia was at the opening along with Ringo Starr and Lennon's first wife, Cynthia.
The show's producers were delighted 64-year-old Sir Paul turned up for the premiere and party afterwards.
John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono also spoke of her sadness for Sir Paul over the break-up.
However, she stressed her support for Heather Mills.
"I feel very bad for her. I know better than anyone what it's like being a Beatle wife, nobody gives you an easy time.
"The thing I keep remembering is how, just before Heather gave birth to her and Paul's daughter, he told me how happy he was. He actually said: 'I feel like I've been given a second life.'
"They were really in love and it's very sad it hasn't worked out."
The premiere of Love saw a very public reconciliation for the Sir Paul and Yoko, who have fought a bitter battle over the Beatles' legacy for more than three decades.
The former Beatle even took the stage and kissed Yoko on the cheek.
It was Sir Paul's first public appearance since he split from wife Heather.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=393723&in_page_id=1766&ito=1490
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PAUL AND YOKO BOND OVER 'BEATLES' SHOW IN LAS VEGASSEND TO A FRIEND3 JULY 2006
Sir Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono stunned the audience with their affectionate interaction at the first night of a Beatles-inspired stage show in Las Vegas at the weekend. The ex-Beatle planted a kiss on the cheek of his former band-mate's widow before taking to the stage to pay tribute to his two late friends, saying: "This is for John and George."
Despite their three-decade feud over the Beatles' legacy, the pair seemed to have put their rocky relationship behind them as they reunited for the £55million Love show, featuring acrobatic circus troupe Cirque du Soleil. Dressed in a flamboyant white hat, 73-year-old Yoko smiled broadly as she posed for photos alongside an equally beaming Paul. Enthusiastically praising the show based on the Fab Four's music, John Lennon's widow exclaimed: "I think the show is beautiful, amazing. And John would have thought the same."
Her step-son Julian also attended the Vegas extravaganza, along with a VIP crowd including actresses Helen Mirren and Mena Suvari. "It's really beautiful to have all the families here - it's like a big reunion," he said. "I saw Paul and we gave each other a big hug." George Harrison's widow Olivia confirmed that old rivalries had now died down: "There's so much shared history now that we do also have a shared respect."
It was Sir Paul's first public appearance since announcing his painful split with wife Heather. The 64-year-old, who still wears his wedding ring, was greeted by huge applause and screams, proving Beatlemania is still very much alive. His former band-mate Ringo Starr, who attended the performance at the Mirage hotel with his wife Barbara, revealed his sadness, however, that John and George couldn't be there: "It was really emotional because two of us aren't here. That really came home watching this."
The 90-minute show was the brainchild of George Harrison and has been developed over many years. It takes audiences on a journey through Beatles history, incorporating excerpts from 130 of their songs and key events that shaped their world. It was George's wish to do more with the legendary band's legacy and his personal friendship with Cirque de Soleil founder Guy Laliberte prompted the spectacular project.
http://www.hellomagazine.com/music/2006/07/03/paulandyoko/
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By Jill Serjeant
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Lucy swoops on a trapeze across a sky twinkling with diamonds, Mr Kite presides over a psychedelic circus of stiltwalkers and acrobats, and the unmistakable voices of John, Paul, George and Ringo fill the surround sound-equipped arena.
With a little help from a lot of friends, The Beatles are brought back to life in a Cirque du Soleil spectacular that marks the band's first agreement to collaborate on a stage show.
In the desert gambling city of Las Vegas, the Canadian acrobatic troupe Cirque du Soleil on Friday opens its "Love" celebration of the musical legacy of The Beatles that was almost five years in the making.
"Love" was born of a friendship between the late George Harrison and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte. It was blessed by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, supported by John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono, and masterminded musically by legendary Beatles producer Sir George Martin.
McCartney, Starr, Yoko Ono, Martin and Harrison's widow Olivia are expected to attend Friday night's premiere along with Lennon's sons Julian and Sean, his first wife Cynthia and Harrison's child, Dhani.
Played in a custom-built, 2,000-seat theater at the Mirage hotel, "Love" takes its audience on a part-chronological, part-fantasy journey through the life and times of the four young men from Liverpool who inspired a worldwide Beatlemania that continues 40 years after their first hit record.
High-wire acrobats, break dancers, trampoline artists and skaters bring life to characters like Sgt. Pepper, Lady Madonna and the sea world of Octopus's Garden in a visual feast of color, light and adventure.
Audio clips from decades-old Beatles recording sessions and interviews, photo montages and footage from their famed last concert on the rooftops of central London play in huge back projections.
BORN-AGAIN MUSIC
But for avid Beatles fans, the real star of the show is the music -- some 130 songs remixed, mashed up and born again with a clarity never heard before.
"We wanted to make sure there are enough good, solid hit songs in the show but we didn't want it to be a catalog of 'best ofs'. We also wanted to put in some interesting and not well-known Beatles music and use fragments of songs," said Sir George Martin.
Martin, who worked on every Beatles album except "Let It Be," and his son Giles Martin spent two years working from the original master tapes of The Beatles sessions to produce a 90- minute soundtrack that is played through six speakers in the back of each seat as well as a panoramic sound system.
McCartney's "Yesterday" feels so close you can hear the strings of his acoustic guitar snapping on the neck. "Because," the show's spellbinding opener, features simply the band's harmony vocals interspersed with birdsong.
Well-known songs like "Revolution" and "Come Together" are remixed with snippets from other Beatles hits while tracks like "Get Back" and "Within you, Without You" are intermingled.
"The last thing we wanted to create was a retrospective or a tribute show," said Giles Martin.
McCartney, who has already seen the show in preview, and Starr were closely involved in the project as were Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono.
The idea of teaming up with Cirque du Soleil first came from Harrison before his death in 2001. It was pursued by his widow and got the go-ahead from Apple Corps Ltd, the English company that administers The Beatles' interests, in 2002.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060703/en_nm/leisure_beatles_correction_dc_1
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Paul, Ringo and Yoko in a show of love
3rd July 2006, 18:21 WST
It was Beatlemania all over again in Las Vegas. Flashes popped and hundreds of fans screamed as Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr walked the red carpet for the opening performance of Love, a surrealistic portrayal of the Fab Four's career performed by Cirque du Soleil.
"It was emotional because two of us aren't there," Starr said after the show on Friday. "So it really comes home when you're watching this."
McCartney, in the middle of a messy divorce from estranged wife Heather Mills, avoided reporters but emerged onstage after the performance. "This is for John and George," he yelled.
John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono, wearing a large white hat and matching pantsuit, drew loud cheers.
"All this time when I was working on this show in the rehearsals, I thought, 'Oh, John should be here'," she said.
"That's the only thing that I regret, the fact that he's not here because he would have enjoyed it so much."
Beatles producer George Martin, who with his son Giles Martin created the 90-minute show's soundscape, was not so sure: "John? Who knows about John. If he saw the show, he'd probably say,'Yeah, but it could be better'."
Olivia Harrison, the widow of George Harrison said: "I hope he (George) would like it."
Love is a dance and acrobatic spectacle filled with characters from Beatles' songs - the walrus, Lady Madonna, Sgt. Pepper - and set to a soundscape made of parts of songs, outtakes and fragments of sound that are sure to please fans and at the same time leave them full of questions.
It was Harrison's desire to do more with the Beatles' legacy and his personal friendship with Cirque founder Guy Laliberte that sparked development of the project.
The Beatles' company, Apple Corps, then signed off on Love.
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=22&ContentID=478
Beatles' legacy revived with 'Love' show By RYAN NAKASHIMA, Associated Press Writer
Mon Jul 3, 10:16 AM ET
LAS VEGAS - The Beatles are back, not in the USSR, not on "The Ed Sullivan Show" or even at Shea Stadium - but on the Las Vegas Strip as the focus of international theater troupe Cirque du Soleil's surrealistic portrayal of the Fab Four's career.
Friday's grand opening performance of "Love" featured red carpet arrivals at the at The Mirage hotel by Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison.
"It was emotional because two of us aren't there," Starr said after the show. "So it really comes home when you're watching this."
McCartney avoided reporters but emerged onstage after the performance. "This is for John and George!" he yelled.
The deconstructed musical trip through the Beatles' past is filled with characters from their songs - the walrus, Lady Madonna, Sgt. Pepper - parts of songs, outtakes and fragments that are sure to please fans and at the same time leave them full of questions.
"John? Who knows about John," said George Martin, the Beatles' longtime producer about John Lennon, who was shot and killed Dec. 8, 1980.
"If he saw the show, he'd probably say, 'Yeah, but it could be better,'" said Martin, who worked with son, Giles Martin, to create the 90-minute show's soundscape. "John was never satisfied with anything that he ever did in his life. In his mind, he had a dream world which could not be realized."
In "Love," the Beatles' dream world does appear onstage.
The performance explodes early at the hotel-casino's $130 million, 2,013-seat theater in the round with "Get Back," the band's 1969 hit, as dancers and acrobats jump and twirl in the air.
Set to blended, reversed and enhanced parts of 130 songs and unpublished outtakes, the acrobatic and dance spectacle takes the audience through World War II, the 1960s era of "Beatlemania," the band's reclusive studio years and a psychedelic time that produced songs such as "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."
Some moments allude to real-life events, according to creator Dominic Champagne. Hooded figures throwing knives at a cross hint at threats made by the Ku Klux Klan against the Beatles after Lennon famously proclaimed in 1966 that the band was "more popular than Jesus."
Also dramatized to "A Day in the Life" is Julia, Lennon's mother, whose death in a traffic accident early in his life is thought to have created a bond between Lennon and McCartney, whose own mother died when he was young.
"I tried to get inspired by the lyrics, but also the moments and the motion of their careers," Champagne said. "We tried to be spiritual and physical without trying to be too didactic. I didn't want to do the live version of 'The Anthology.' We're not here to teach the Beatles story to people."
What emerged is a multitude of symbols and metaphors that will have dedicated fans dusting off their LPs and looking through lyric books.
A South African tap dance in yellow gumboots to "Lady Madonna" evokes the "children at your feet" line from the song. A lonely looking "Eleanor Rigby" drags her belongings like a bag lady behind her on stage, while "Doctor Robert," who allegedly gave the band LSD in their tea, merrily carries teapot in hand.
It was Harrison's desire to do more with the Beatles' legacy and his personal friendship with Cirque founder Guy Laliberte that sparked development of the project. The Beatles' company, Apple Corps Ltd., then signed off on "Love."
The production is the first major theatrical partnership for Apple Corps, which has earned a feisty reputation for having sued companies from Apple Computer Inc. to record label EMI to protect the band's legacy. It also marks the company's most significant endeavor since 2000 when it released "1," a CD collection of 27 No. 1 singles that has sold more than 24 million copies.
Giles Martin likened the long hiatus to the quiet time from 1966 to 1967 that his father spent in the studio with the Beatles to create their seminal album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
"'Sgt. Pepper' was done because the Beatles stopped touring," he said. "And this was done because the Beatles aren't here."
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On the Net:
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/love
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20060703/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_beatles_cirque_1
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Beatles producer Martin mixes it up for "Love" By Jill Serjeant
Mon Jul 3, 12:13 PM ET
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Legendary Beatles producer Sir George Martin knew he was walking on hallowed ground when he decided to take some of the Fab Four's greatest hits apart and throw them back together for the first Beatles-approved live stage show.
The Cirque du Soleil show "Love," which opened in Las Vegas on Friday, was born of a friendship between the late George Harrison and the acrobatic troupe's French-Canadian founder Guy Laliberte.
"I knew it was going to be quite tricky. I was planning an early retirement, and then this came out of the blue and I thought, 'don't go into your casket just yet,"' said Martin, 80, the man behind every Beatles album bar one.
"This is the first time that the Beatles have agreed to use their songs and voices in a live theater show," he told Reuters. "It was a question of trust."
No one wanted to make just another tribute show to the band that changed the face of pop music 40 years ago, so when Martin, the self-effacing so-called "Fifth Beatle," and his record producer son Giles Martin were appointed musical directors, they decided to mix it up a bit.
"It was a dangerous thing to do, but the Beatles themselves were always pushing the envelope," George Martin said.
More than two years later what they produced is less a twiddle and a tweak and more of a 90-minute medley of original Beatles music created by remixing favorite songs, playing drum solos backward and blending riffs from one tune with another.
Surprisingly, they got the backing of Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and the support of Apple -- the company the Beatles started in 1967 and which has so fiercely guarded their legacy that previous requests for their use in film and on stage have been turned down.
BEATLES WERE FRIENDLY
"I thought the big problem was going to be the Beatles themselves but they were great from the word go. They all just wanted things to be as good as possible," said Giles Martin, who was born in 1969, a year before the band broke up.
The Martins worked from the original master tapes from the Abbey Road studios to produce a clarity so startling that one can almost hear McCartney's fingers squeaking along the neck of his guitar on "Yesterday."
"Strawberry Fields" begins with John Lennon's original demo tape, and Harrison's "Within You Without You" is played to the drum-track of "Tomorrow Never Knows."
Giles Martin was apprehensive when he showed Starr their version of "Octopus's Garden."
"It has strings of 'Good Night,' drums from 'Rita Meter Maid,' percussion section from 'Polythene Pam' then into 'Helter Skelter' and then goes into 'Sun King,"' said Giles Martin.
"Meanwhile there's 'Baby I'm a Rich Man' percussion going on in the middle lane. Really the kitchen sink is thrown at that one," he said. "It absolutely floored him (Ringo)."
Digital technology allowed the Martins to experiment in a way undreamt of in the 1960s when Martin had a four-track tape recorder and "used to edit with razor blades."
Martin said the only track in the show that he wished he had 40 years ago was his son's treatment of "Within You Without You" which "I think is fantastic and it should have been on the original Pepper. But Giles wasn't born at the time."
The Martins are now working on the "Love" soundtrack album which is likely to bring the Beatles music to yet another new generation of fans.
"I respect them way more now, having been so close to their music, than I did before," said Giles Martin.
"And your grandchildren," he told his father fondly "have suddenly realized you're cool."
Reuters/VNU
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060703/stage_nm/beatles_dc_1
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Paul, Ringo, Yoko Attend Debut Of Beatles Cirque Du Soleil Show
Lennon, Harrison Also At Las Vegas Event
POSTED: 9:49 am EDT July 3, 2006
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LAS VEGAS -- The whole Beatles family turned out for the opening of the Beatles "Love" Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas on Friday -- even the fictional ones.
Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Julian Lennon, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison were there -- and so were Eleanor Rigby, Dr. Robert, Sgt. Pepper and The Walrus.
The show takes the Beatles songs, parts of songs and unpublished outtakes and sets them to the Cirque du Soleil experience, with acrobats, dancers and lots of color.
Dr. Robert comes out with a teapot in his hand, while Eleanor Rigby drags her things behind her like a bag lady.
McCartney said the remixed music is great and, as he put it, "It's Cirque du Soleil, man."
Ono said her only regret is that John Lennon wasn't there because he would've enjoyed it.
Famed Beatles producer George Martin, who helped produce "Love," had a different idea.
Martin said Lennon would have said, "Yeah, but it could be better."
He said that Lennon was never satisfied with anything that he ever did.
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/entertainment/9461600/detail.html?rss=bos&psp=news
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John Katsilometes reports on the quick, chance meeting between Paul McCartney and Roy Horn on the red carpet at Friday's 'Love' gala opening
Friday night's star-studded red carpet arrivals at "Love" might have seemed like the last place to experience moments of poignant human interaction. But amid the jostling of journalists, celebs and assorted PR reps, one such moment unfolded as Roy Horn stood from a wheelchair to meet Paul McCartney face to face.
Horn and longtime performing partner Siegfried Fischbacher had just finished their arduous trek across the carpet and Horn (who had been leaning on a cane) settled to an awaiting wheelchair with a bit of help from the duo's assistant, Lynette Chappell. Several feet behind them, McCartney was moving swiftly across the carpet and actually breezed past the Goulets (Robert and Vera) while calling out, "I've got to run ahead of you guys."
Just as McCartney was about to veer toward the theater, he was pointed in Horn's direction. "Hello, Roy!" McCartney said loudly, leaning closely over Horn. "How you doing, man?"
Horn grabbed the arms of the wheelchair and began to stand. McCartney's eyebrows arched as he said, "Oh, it's all right. We're cool. Take it easy, Roy." But Horn continued and stood up to shake McCartney's hand.
"Wow!" McCartney said. "Let's get a photo, OK?" And the three posed for a few impromptu shots.
Horn said returning to the theater (which has been completely gutted and overhauled over the past three years) where he and Fischbacher performed more than 5,700 shows in 13 years, was, "Bittersweet. Very bittersweet." Fischbacher added, "We are very, very excited. We were for 13 years an opening act for the Beatles - it doesn't get any better. We tried to give love to our audiences, and they are doing the same."
In the theater, just before the gala premiere performance, Mirage President Scott Sibella dedicated the show to Siegfried & Roy, whose introduction was met with a standing ovation. After the flawless performance, the production's owners and creators - including McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison, Guy Laliberte, and George and Giles Martin - strode to the stage for a victory lap. When the troupe halted to pose for photos and flash peace signs, McCartney (with no microphone at the ready) shouted, "This is for John and George!"
The audience erupted, and McCartney turned to his right to find Ono, a vision in a white pantsuit and a giant foppish hat. So he grabbed his frequent antagonist and kissed her - twice. Once on her cheek and quickly again near her mouth. And for all of "Love's" magic imagery of sight and sound, nothing matched that moment.
NoteMart
Love fest: A note medley from the show: A beaming Sibella said the excitement generated by the show was "like the opening of the Mirage. We have never seen this type of excitement here." He noted that more than 4,000 fans took in two performances of "Love," another 1,200 saw Wayne Brady at the Danny Gans Theatre and 4,000 converged on the nightclub Jet, all in one night. "It's the new Mirage," he said ... Employing a Lennon-esque treatment of the language, Ono said the cooperation of the extended Beatles family was the result of "a very, very good come-togetherness. We were surprised that we weren't fighting." ... Almost totally lost in the whirlwind event were John Lennon's first wife, Cynthia Lennon, and son Julian ... seated together in the royal row of Beatles figures were Ono, Dhani Harrison (George Harrison's spitting-image son), Olivia Harrison, Barbara Bach, Starr, McCartney and the Martins ... Taking in the performance was Doors drummer John Densmore, who said he was on hand as a fan and also because he is investigating a similar Vegas production "whether with Cirque du Soleil or whoever" based on the Doors' music ... I asked Little Steven Van Zandt if he thought Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band would ever be the focus of a Cirque production. He laughed and said, "Well, one never knows. Probably some part of Bruce's music might work for that. He's very versatile and writes about so many different things. You never know." ... Rock legend Brian Wilson, who inspired much of the music in "Love," walked unnoticed (well, almost) through the Mirage retail promenade a couple of hours before the show ... More than 300 fans turned out to observe the red carpet arrivals; the more avid were in place when ushers reported to their posts at 1:30 p.m. ... The show's comic relief, the Fool (played by a guy listed ! as Jo lly Goodfellow), ran into Ringo in a theater walkway minutes before the show. Ringo reached for the Fool's ever-present flower bouquet and demanded, "Gimme one of those!" The Fool, not knowing how to react, simply froze ...
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/do/2006/jul/02/566667703.html
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McCartney and Ono show they've let it be
It's hard enough to imagine Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono together in the same room without things coming to fists, but have the two finally kissed and made up?
While their long-standing feud has often come to a head over the past few decades -- as recently as last year, in fact, when Ono, accepting an award on behalf of her late husband, John Lennon, called McCartney's lyrics simple-minded -- it seems the two have finally settled their differences.
At the Friday premiere of Cirque du Soleil's new Beatles extravaganza "Love" at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, Ono and McCartney willingly shared a table, sharing memories and laughs during a staged dinner with Ringo Starr and other Beatles kin such as the late George Harrison's wife, Olivia, and Lennon's first wife, Cynthia.
Following the show's performance, as the audience roared with delight, Fox News reports that McCartney actually kissed Ono, with Ono kissing him back moments later.
Witnesses of this death-defying feat included Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, director Gus van Sant, billionaire Ron Burkle, magicians Sigfried and Roy, as well as a couple thousand other audience members member.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/entertainment/14957009.htm?source=rss&channel=cctimes_entertainment
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Sir Paul tells Ringo: I feel fine after Heather split
by KATIE HAMPSON, Mail online
09:37am 3rd July 2006
Sir Paul McCartney has assured his old friend Ringo Starr he is coping well with the trauma of his marriage split with wife Heather.
The Beatles legend told his former bandmate: 'I'll be alright.'
A friend told the Daily Mirror: 'Ringo asked him 'Are you alright?' and Paul replied 'I'm fine'. Ringo seemed really concerned and said 'Are you sure?' Paul smiled at him, touched his arm and said 'I'll be all right.'"
The pair were reunited at the premiere of Las Vegas extravaganza Love, which is based around the Beatles' music.
The £55million show, featuring Cirque du Soleil, was the brainchild of George Harrison, whose widow Olivia was at the opening along with Ringo Starr and Lennon's first wife, Cynthia.
The show's producers were delighted 64-year-old Sir Paul turned up for the premiere and party afterwards.
John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono also spoke of her sadness for Sir Paul over the break-up.
However, she stressed her support for Heather Mills.
"I feel very bad for her. I know better than anyone what it's like being a Beatle wife, nobody gives you an easy time.
"The thing I keep remembering is how, just before Heather gave birth to her and Paul's daughter, he told me how happy he was. He actually said: 'I feel like I've been given a second life.'
"They were really in love and it's very sad it hasn't worked out."
The premiere of Love saw a very public reconciliation for the Sir Paul and Yoko, who have fought a bitter battle over the Beatles' legacy for more than three decades.
The former Beatle even took the stage and kissed Yoko on the cheek.
It was Sir Paul's first public appearance since he split from wife Heather.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=393723&in_page_id=1766&ito=1490
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PAUL AND YOKO BOND OVER 'BEATLES' SHOW IN LAS VEGASSEND TO A FRIEND3 JULY 2006
Sir Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono stunned the audience with their affectionate interaction at the first night of a Beatles-inspired stage show in Las Vegas at the weekend. The ex-Beatle planted a kiss on the cheek of his former band-mate's widow before taking to the stage to pay tribute to his two late friends, saying: "This is for John and George."
Despite their three-decade feud over the Beatles' legacy, the pair seemed to have put their rocky relationship behind them as they reunited for the £55million Love show, featuring acrobatic circus troupe Cirque du Soleil. Dressed in a flamboyant white hat, 73-year-old Yoko smiled broadly as she posed for photos alongside an equally beaming Paul. Enthusiastically praising the show based on the Fab Four's music, John Lennon's widow exclaimed: "I think the show is beautiful, amazing. And John would have thought the same."
Her step-son Julian also attended the Vegas extravaganza, along with a VIP crowd including actresses Helen Mirren and Mena Suvari. "It's really beautiful to have all the families here - it's like a big reunion," he said. "I saw Paul and we gave each other a big hug." George Harrison's widow Olivia confirmed that old rivalries had now died down: "There's so much shared history now that we do also have a shared respect."
It was Sir Paul's first public appearance since announcing his painful split with wife Heather. The 64-year-old, who still wears his wedding ring, was greeted by huge applause and screams, proving Beatlemania is still very much alive. His former band-mate Ringo Starr, who attended the performance at the Mirage hotel with his wife Barbara, revealed his sadness, however, that John and George couldn't be there: "It was really emotional because two of us aren't here. That really came home watching this."
The 90-minute show was the brainchild of George Harrison and has been developed over many years. It takes audiences on a journey through Beatles history, incorporating excerpts from 130 of their songs and key events that shaped their world. It was George's wish to do more with the legendary band's legacy and his personal friendship with Cirque de Soleil founder Guy Laliberte prompted the spectacular project.
http://www.hellomagazine.com/music/2006/07/03/paulandyoko/
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By Jill Serjeant
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Lucy swoops on a trapeze across a sky twinkling with diamonds, Mr Kite presides over a psychedelic circus of stiltwalkers and acrobats, and the unmistakable voices of John, Paul, George and Ringo fill the surround sound-equipped arena.
With a little help from a lot of friends, The Beatles are brought back to life in a Cirque du Soleil spectacular that marks the band's first agreement to collaborate on a stage show.
In the desert gambling city of Las Vegas, the Canadian acrobatic troupe Cirque du Soleil on Friday opens its "Love" celebration of the musical legacy of The Beatles that was almost five years in the making.
"Love" was born of a friendship between the late George Harrison and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte. It was blessed by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, supported by John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono, and masterminded musically by legendary Beatles producer Sir George Martin.
McCartney, Starr, Yoko Ono, Martin and Harrison's widow Olivia are expected to attend Friday night's premiere along with Lennon's sons Julian and Sean, his first wife Cynthia and Harrison's child, Dhani.
Played in a custom-built, 2,000-seat theater at the Mirage hotel, "Love" takes its audience on a part-chronological, part-fantasy journey through the life and times of the four young men from Liverpool who inspired a worldwide Beatlemania that continues 40 years after their first hit record.
High-wire acrobats, break dancers, trampoline artists and skaters bring life to characters like Sgt. Pepper, Lady Madonna and the sea world of Octopus's Garden in a visual feast of color, light and adventure.
Audio clips from decades-old Beatles recording sessions and interviews, photo montages and footage from their famed last concert on the rooftops of central London play in huge back projections.
BORN-AGAIN MUSIC
But for avid Beatles fans, the real star of the show is the music -- some 130 songs remixed, mashed up and born again with a clarity never heard before.
"We wanted to make sure there are enough good, solid hit songs in the show but we didn't want it to be a catalog of 'best ofs'. We also wanted to put in some interesting and not well-known Beatles music and use fragments of songs," said Sir George Martin.
Martin, who worked on every Beatles album except "Let It Be," and his son Giles Martin spent two years working from the original master tapes of The Beatles sessions to produce a 90- minute soundtrack that is played through six speakers in the back of each seat as well as a panoramic sound system.
McCartney's "Yesterday" feels so close you can hear the strings of his acoustic guitar snapping on the neck. "Because," the show's spellbinding opener, features simply the band's harmony vocals interspersed with birdsong.
Well-known songs like "Revolution" and "Come Together" are remixed with snippets from other Beatles hits while tracks like "Get Back" and "Within you, Without You" are intermingled.
"The last thing we wanted to create was a retrospective or a tribute show," said Giles Martin.
McCartney, who has already seen the show in preview, and Starr were closely involved in the project as were Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono.
The idea of teaming up with Cirque du Soleil first came from Harrison before his death in 2001. It was pursued by his widow and got the go-ahead from Apple Corps Ltd, the English company that administers The Beatles' interests, in 2002.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060703/en_nm/leisure_beatles_correction_dc_1
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Paul, Ringo and Yoko in a show of love
3rd July 2006, 18:21 WST
It was Beatlemania all over again in Las Vegas. Flashes popped and hundreds of fans screamed as Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr walked the red carpet for the opening performance of Love, a surrealistic portrayal of the Fab Four's career performed by Cirque du Soleil.
"It was emotional because two of us aren't there," Starr said after the show on Friday. "So it really comes home when you're watching this."
McCartney, in the middle of a messy divorce from estranged wife Heather Mills, avoided reporters but emerged onstage after the performance. "This is for John and George," he yelled.
John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono, wearing a large white hat and matching pantsuit, drew loud cheers.
"All this time when I was working on this show in the rehearsals, I thought, 'Oh, John should be here'," she said.
"That's the only thing that I regret, the fact that he's not here because he would have enjoyed it so much."
Beatles producer George Martin, who with his son Giles Martin created the 90-minute show's soundscape, was not so sure: "John? Who knows about John. If he saw the show, he'd probably say,'Yeah, but it could be better'."
Olivia Harrison, the widow of George Harrison said: "I hope he (George) would like it."
Love is a dance and acrobatic spectacle filled with characters from Beatles' songs - the walrus, Lady Madonna, Sgt. Pepper - and set to a soundscape made of parts of songs, outtakes and fragments of sound that are sure to please fans and at the same time leave them full of questions.
It was Harrison's desire to do more with the Beatles' legacy and his personal friendship with Cirque founder Guy Laliberte that sparked development of the project.
The Beatles' company, Apple Corps, then signed off on Love.
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=22&ContentID=478