Michael Jackson's upcoming Cirque Du Soleil spectacular will be directed by the choreographer/dancer who doubled for the King of Pop on his Dangerous tour. Jamie King will spend the next year working with over 60 performers before staging The Immortal World Tour, which has been personally endorsed by Jackson's mother and members of the famous family, late 2011.
King will also write and direct the production, which links Jackson's most famous songs and eye-popping acrobatics. The $57 million (GBP38 million) show, which was announced on Wednesday, November 3, will travel across North America, beginning next October 2011. King, who has directed live shows for Madonna, Britney Spears and Rihanna, among others, tells The Hollywood Reporter he was thrilled to be asked to take charge of the Jackson spectacular.
He says, "I jumped at the opportunity. I'm a huge fan. In my work directing big rock and pop tours, I have been so influenced by the Cirque shows and the magic they create." King was hired as a dancer - and Jackson's body double - on the Dangerous tour, and he spent two years traveling the world with the King of Pop.