"The Beatles Love," the Cirque du Soleil show based around the music of the legendary foursome, was a departure for the company in many ways.
It marked the first time that a show was based around the music of beloved pop musicians, and would pave the way for future shows dedicated to Elvis and Michael Jackson. Additionally, it was the first time Cirque produced a show with a prerecorded soundtrack instead of a live band. That meant the acts had to bend to the music, and not the other way around.
"You can't just go to the band leader before a show and say I need four extra bars here, and cut out these four bars over here," said Kati Renaud, senior director of show quality at Cirque du Soleil and the original artistic director of "The Beatles Love." " 'Love' was completely the opposite of how we were used to working. Everything is built around the music. Modifications have to come into the visual content on stage, because you can't modify the soundtrack."
Over the last two years Cirque du Soleil, the Beatles and Apple Corps Ltd. (the Beatles' record label) revisited that process as they gave the show a 10-year mark makeover. "Love" debuted at the Mirage in June 2006, and for the 10th anniversary, Cirque has revamped show with new music, new acts and new visuals.
Out is "I Am the Walrus" and in is "Twist and Shout."
"Overall the flow is better," Renaud said. "We got rid of moments that were unnecessary, and the end result is a show that is more seamless than it was before."
While there are small tweaks and changes to a majority of the show, some changes are easily noticed. For the song "Yesterday," the previous act of different vignettes of couples on stage has been replaced with a trapeze act with McCartney serenading the acrobats on the big screen.
"We start with the song and let it be our inspiration," Renaud said. "With 'Yesterday' it's a love story, so we wanted acrobats that represent the romanticism and nostalgia of the song. Then we worked with our casting department to find just the right act."
The reimagining of "Love" started in 2014 with an audience survey and brain storming session. The audience, first and foremost, said it did not want Cirque messing with the music, Renaud said, so they were sure to not alter the tracks too much in the production and mixing process.
The production now includes a stripped-down version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."
The stripped-down version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" has stayed the same musically, but the production has added a new sequence involving a live actress interacting with different digital projections.
Cirque didn't just refine the show, but the technology behind it as well. Each of 2,000 seats in the auditorium was installed with three new speakers, and the show now boasts 52 digital projectors to display all of the performances effects and visuals, more than any other Cirque du Soleil show, according to Paul Reams, operations production manager at "Love."
On July 14, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono attended a preview of the new version of "Love," and, even though the surviving Beatles and the late members' widows had been included in the revamping, it was still an apprehensive moment for the Cirque crew.
"Throughout the process we make sure they are aware of the changes, especially the significant ones," Renaud said. "But having the four of them together was definitely nerve wracking. When it was all over there was an emotion of relief and pride of where we're at with the show versus 10 years ago. It was a pretty special evening."