Known for its clever curiosities and colorful characters, Cirque du Soleil produces many of the Las Vegas Strip’s don’t-miss shows. There’s something for everybody, from whimsical and awe-inspiring shows suitable for every member of your family to those that uncover a darker or more sensual side and pay homage to the world’s best-loved musicians.
The Beatles LOVE
The songs of The Beatles inspired numerous characters, and who better than Cirque du Soleil to realize those characters in the flesh? The Beatles’ producer Sir George Martin and his son, Giles, used the master tapes at Abbey Road Studios to create a unique soundscape for this stunning tribute at The Mirage. The sound quality is second-to-none, with individual speakers in every seat’s headrest. The show, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, just introduced updates that include greater technicality and use of the Beatles’ performance tracks.
The Beatles LOVE (©Matt Beard)
KÀ
Visionary director Robert LePage takes technology to new heights, literally, as a larger-than-life revolving platform becomes everything from the bottom of the ocean to a craggy mountain range. The tour-de-force multimedia thriller at MGM Grand follows the Imperial Twins on a perilous journey to adulthood; when danger tears them apart, the twins are guided by KÀ, the invisible spirit duplicate of the body that accompanies every human being from this life into the next.
Ka (©Eric Jamison)
Michael Jackson ONE
Be prepared for sensory overload, as this show not only takes place on the stage, but above you, next to you and on monitors throughout the theater. It’s a great journey through the catalog of the King of Pop, and plays upon Jackson’s media persona and how it came through in the tabloids. Top-notch dance is a staple of the show at Mandalay Bay, as it should be, and the stunning acrobatic style true to Cirque du Soleil’s name is employed here as well.
Michael Jackson ONE (Courtesy MGM Resorts International)
Mystère
The landscape of the Las Vegas entertainment scene was forever changed on December 25, 1993, when Cirque du Soleil premiered this, its first resident production on the Las Vegas Strip at Treasure Island. A tribute to strength, agility, the human spirit—and fun— Mystère is a kaleidoscope of colors and emotions, both whimsical and death-defying. Its quirky characters paved the way for curiosities to be cool on the Strip. Even though this enchanting show has been going strong for more than 20 years, it’s never stopped blossoming.
Mystere (©Matt Beard)
“O”
The surrealistic “O” is taken from the French word for water, eau, representing life. Indeed, 85 performers and 150 stage technicians breathe life into the show each night; it takes place on, above and beneath a 1.5 million-gallon pool. Its theater at Bellagio Las Vegas was designed to resemble a 14th-century opera house, and in turn, the show is truly operatic; it was one of the first over-the-top productions to debut in Las Vegas.
“O” (©Tomasz Rossa)
Mad Apple
Mad Apple at New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas is a mesmerizing spectacle that combines acrobatics, dance, and physical theater to tell a story of love and redemption. With stunning visual effects, breathtaking aerial feats, and an energetic soundtrack, Mad Apple is a must-see show that will leave audiences rapt from beginning to end.
Mad Apple (©Denise Truscello for Getty Images)
