12 commentsDallas — Despite the bizarro world that Michael Jackson's life became, his artistic legacy—music, dancing and videos—is immortal. He really was a singular talent. And like other similarly important artists from the rock 'n' roll era, like the Beatles and Elvis, there'll probably be many attempts to capitalize on his music for a long time after his death, which was three years ago this week. (Has it really been that long?)
Unfortunately, Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal Tour, which just played two nights at American Airlines Center, is not one that will be worth remembering. Think of it as the equivalent of an umpteenth sequel of a movie that was inventive and successful the first few times, but then the producers kept beating that cash cow to death. Now the original stars, writers and editors are no longer involved and the result is an embarrassing snooze of a product.
Not all of Cirque's shows are knockouts, but none that I've seen are boring. Until now.
The arena show uses bizarre mixes and shortened versions of the songs, and in the first act, there are only a few of the really great songs mixed in with a whole bunch of paltry ones that no one except for hardcore fans, the people who actually bought his final studio album Invincible, remember.
As usual with Cirque, the costumes and visuals are amazing, but none of the cirque stunts in the first half are anything to write home about. And the video on a large white screen behind them is often a cloying match.
And let's not get into the dancing penny loafers (major dud) and the performer in a giant glove, bringing one of MJ's signature fashion accessories to life. It came off as a glittery version of the animated Hamburger Helper mascot, with all the grace of the Kool-Aid Man. And do we need a guy in a chimp suit to remind of MJ's quirky side, which ultimately leads to more unpleasant associations in the latter part of his career?
The first act ends with a lopped-off take on MJ's best visual moment, "Thriller," with only a few seconds of the famous choreography and—WTH?—mummies.
Mummies? When the zombie apocalypse happens, they need to first go after whoever thought mummies in a "Thriller" tribute made sense, although they wouldn't find much of their favorite snack—brains—there.
The second half is significanly better, with a few more memorable acts, including the swan aerial routine, the ninja aerialists/acrobats and the tumblers. The standout performer is Jean Sok, a one-legged dancer who uses his crutches as part of his street dancing routines. There's also a recurring and moving theme about MJ's committment to social issues, such as world hunger, in his songs, culminating with a powerful finale, a singalong of "Man in the Mirror."
The AAC was packed, and the diehard fans, with their gloves and hats, were eventually jamming in the aisles for the mega-mix of "Can You Feel It," "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough," "Billie Jean" and "Black or White."
The show is best summed up by the bulky robotic soldiers during "Will You Be There/I'll Be There" whose breastplates glow with internationally understood signs, such as the peace sign. One of them is a dollar sign.
Obviously Cirque has become an international brand that, like everyone and every entity on the planet, has a goal of making money. But they usually accomplish that with style, innovation and breathtaking stunts.
This one comes off as an exploitation of some of the most memorable pop music of the 20th century in a shameless cash-grab. That's "2 Bad." 
