Tucked away in an obscure corner backstage at the Dubai World Trade Centre, behind the elaborate glittering set erected for Michael Jackson – The Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil, the wardrobe room erupts with a flurry of activity around one of the Smooth Criminal dancers.
It’s mere days before the opening night of the show, which began on Monday, and a wardrobe assistant is offering precise instructions on how to do a Jackson-inspired move – tipping his hat.
“Be careful when you manipulate the hat,” she explains. “Try not to press it too much or else it will lose its shape.”
Excited to be donning a striped blue suit with gloves shaped like guns, looking every bit the part, the dancer playfully raises his hand in an aim and murmurs gunfire sounds.
“This feels awesome. This is so cool. Can I look at myself in a mirror?” he says, in a single breath.
It’s backstage chaos before the much-anticipated show goes live for an audience of 6,000 people – and that many people are expected each night until January 14. Managing more than 1,500 costumes and props to create the over-the-top “King of Pop-meets-Cirque” proceedings is a challenging feat. But the cast and crew of Cirque’s largest-grossing production, which has toured 117 cities around the world, make it run like a well-oiled machine.
While the head of wardrobe, Bettina Bolzer, delegates tasks to her team in the green room, two harnessed acrobats are mastering a centrepiece aerial act on stage to the song I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.
“This artist has just stepped in as the previous dancer had to leave the show,” explains Laura Silverman, the show’s publicist. “But she has been our backup, so there isn’t any change.”
The various facets of the show fall into place, propelled by hundreds of technicians and volunteers who work around the clock, checking the lighting effects, placement of larger-than-life props in acts – a sequinned white glove, antigravity shoes and Thriller coffins – interaction with the audience and multiple costume changes.
The top level “BBQ deck”, which is where the musicians sit, is supported by the “underworld” – an entire city below the stage that ensures the smooth running of the show. Artists dash to the “rabbit room”, where their chairs are ready with make-up tools and accessories for fast changes between acts. Some are scheduled for up to eight costume changes with not more than a minute to spare.
Between preparing for their roles in the highly charged atmosphere, the artists find time to reminisce about time spent with Michael Jackson on tours.
Cameron McKinlay, 27, is a dancer who portrays a Jackson fanatic in the show, teaching the audience how to moonwalk.
He often talks to the musicians who worked with Jackson about his tour shenanigans.
“He was an amazing and talented performer, but his band members say he was a goofball as well,” says McKinlay. “They’ve told me that during soundchecks he would sneak up in the grid and squirt them with water. It is great to hear things about MJ that no one has heard besides close friends.”
Vincent Deplanche, a parkour artist from France, says that a behind-the-scenes camaraderie translates into a strong and revealing show.
“Expect to be touched, be amazed by MJ’s secrets,” he says.
“You are part of his privacy, his childhood, the things he loved, the people he was surrounded by. You can be emotional over touching moments in his life and get excited by listening to the hits you often hear on the radio. The ones that will get the Dubai audience on their feet.”
aahmed@thenational.ae
Read Olga Camacho's review of the show at our Scene&Heard blog
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
The specs: 2019 Infiniti QX50
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 268hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy: 6.7L / 100km (estimate)
Tales of Yusuf Tadros
Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)
Hoopoe
Brief scores:
Manchester City 2
Gundogan 27', De Bruyne 85'
Crystal Palace 3
Schlupp 33', Townsend 35', Milivojevic 51' (pen)
Man of the Match: Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
more from Janine di Giovanni
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UAE WARRIORS RESULTS
Featherweight
Azouz Anwar (EGY) beat Marcelo Pontes (BRA)
TKO round 2
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) beat Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Split points decision
Welterweight
Gimbat Ismailov (RUS) beat Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR)
TKO round 1
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) beat Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Unanimous points decision
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) beat Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
TKO round 1
Catchweight 100kg
Marc Vleiger (NED) beat Mohamed Ali (EGY)
Rear neck choke round 1
Featherweight
James Bishop (NZ) beat Mark Valerio (PHI)
TKO round 2
Welterweight
Abdelghani Saber (EGY) beat Gerson Carvalho (BRA)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) beat Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Unanimous points decision
Bantamweight
Fabio Mello (BRA) beat Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Unanimous points decision
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magomedsultanov (RUS)
TKO round 1
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) beat Jayson Margallo (PHI)
TKO round 3
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) beat Roman Golovinov (UKR)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Submission round 2
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
TKO round 2
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
57%20Seconds
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
More on animal trafficking
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
if you go
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Price, base: Dh198,300
Engine: 2.0L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 280hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7L / 100km
