Michael Jackson Cirque Du Soleil Tour Dates Announced

Immortal World Tour begins October 2011 and travels across North America to nearly 30 cities.
By James Dinh


Michael Jackson
Photo: Peter Still/ Getty Images

If you never got the chance to see Michael Jackson in concert, this could be the next best thing. On Wednesday (November 3), Jackson's estate and Cirque du Soleil announced the dates for the Immortal World Tour.

Written and directed by Jamie King, the multimillion-dollar shows are scheduled to begin October 2011 and travel across North America to nearly 30 cities. According to a press release, the event is set to combine Jackson's timeless tunes and choreography with Cirque's creative background to showcase "Michael's global messages of love, peace and unity." The production hopes to bring fans into a fantasy world based on the singer's inspirational Giving Tree, which remains the central muse for his love of everything including music, dance, fairy tale and magic, and nature.

A presale for Cirque Club Members and MichaelJackson.com subscribers begins Wednesday, while the general-public sale starts Saturday.

Earlier this year, Cirque du Soleil President and CEO Daniel Lamarre spoke to MTV News about incorporating the late singer's new, old and unreleased songs into the production. "The entire catalog is open to us ... we don't know [which songs we'll use] yet, but obviously all of the people will be looking for the big hits of Michael Jackson; we don't want to avoid that," Lamarre said. "We want to make sure that we will meet musical expectations from the fans."

The Immortal World Tour dates, according to a press release:

2011 tour dates:
» 10/2-10/3 - Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
» 10/7 - Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
» 10/12 - Hamilton, ON @ Copps Coliseum
» 10/15 - Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
» 10/18 - London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
» 10/21 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
» 10/26 - Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
» 10/29 - Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre
» 11/1 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
» 11/4 - Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
» 11/9 - Seattle, WA @ KeyArena
» 11/18 - Portland, OR @ Rose Garden
» 11/29 - Salt Lake City, UT @ EnergySolutions Arena
» 12/3-12/11 - Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay Events Center

2012 tour dates:
» 1/6 - Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
» 1/10 - Sacramento, CA @ ARCO Arena
» 1/13 - San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion at San Jose
» 1/18 - Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
» 1/21 - San Diego, CA @ Valley View Casino Center
» 1/24 - Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
» 1/27 - Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
» 2/10 - Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
» 3/2 - Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
» 3/24 - Quebec City, QC @ Colisée Pepsi
» 4/3 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
» 4/10 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
» 6/29 - Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena

Will you purchase tickets for the Immortal World Tour? Share your thoughts below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1651468/20101103/jackson_michael.jhtml

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Janet Jackson Has Drake, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga On Her iPod

Her 'For Colored Girls' co-stars also share their musical faves, in Mixtape Daily.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Kara Warner


Janet Jackson
Photo: MTV News

Celebrity Favorites: Janet Jackson, Kimberly Elise and Thandie Newton

Although the ladies of Tyler Perry's "For Colored Girls" had to embrace pain and confront harsh realities to channel the characters in the movie script, from an adaptation of playwright Ntozake Shange's 1974 Broadway hit "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf," offscreen, the cast was as cool as Janet Jackson's character in the film.

"She's someone who has no time for niceties, really," Jackson told MTV News of her role. "That was a tough thing for me, to drop the 'please' and the 'thank you,' just trying to get into the role, get into her head and doing that at home and in my world, that was kind of tough, but eventually it happened. [Laughs.] She has her walls up, for sure."

OK, maybe the lovely ladies of Perry's film weren't that cool. But when the camera wasn't rolling, Jackson, Kimberly Elise and Thandie Newton spent plenty of time listening to music.

"I enjoy listening to Drake, I enjoy listening to Bruno Mars," Jackson revealed. "I enjoy listening to Gaga."

"I love Citizen Cope," Elise added. "Anything Citizen Cope-y. I like Matt and Kim; they're different."

Newton noted a track from Amos Lee's discography, "Long Line of Pain," from the blues singer's Supply and Demand album, as a song she kept loaded in her iPod during filming.

"I'm a huge fan of TV on the Radio," Newton said. "A bit of Afro-Punk. I like a bit of Amos Lee, one of his songs, 'Long Line of Pain,' really reminded me of the movie. That was a part of my 'For Colored Girls' playlist. How we can inherit pain unless we intercept the cycle. We're just passing it forward. Thank you, Amos Lee."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1651984/20101110/jackson_janet.jhtml

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Usher Promises An 'Incredible Tour'

'Incredible records go with incredible tours,' he tells MTV News of his string of hits.
By Hillary Crosley


Usher
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic

Don't call it a comeback, but following a tumultuous 2009 that included a messy divorce, Usher could describe the past 12 months as his climb back to the top. Now, he's celebrating with a national tour.

"Been hard at work getting ready for this tour ... Man, ya'll are really in for a treat," the singer tweeted Monday. "I'm on. Twits back up."

Recently, MTV News caught up with Ursh about his upcoming national run.

"The tour starts November 13 in Seattle," Usher said. "[Producer] Max Martin made an incredible record with 'DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love,' but what would I expect: less? He's one of the best."

Racking up several hits on the Billboard chart this year, including "OMG" featuring will.i.am, his current single checks in at #5 on the Hot 100, and Usher couldn't be happier.

"[I'm] loving it. Just in time for an incredible tour," Usher said during a recent visit to New York. "I took a step away from L.A. tonight. My dancers and crew are real hot with me right now."

Earlier this week, the singer was nominated for four Soul Train Awards, along with Alicia Keys. Usher is up for Best R&B/Soul Artist Male, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best Dance Performance.

The singer was confident that his upcoming run will be memorable. "The tour's gonna be incredible," Usher said. "Incredible records go with incredible tours."

Will you check out Usher's tour? Let us know in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1650370/20101019/usher.jhtml

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Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber Light Up EMA Show

Powerhouse performances abound at Eva Longoria-hosted event.
By Mawuse Ziegbe


Katy Perry performs during the 2010 MTV EMA show on Sunday
Photo: Jordi Vidal/Getty Images

Live from the home of the current World Cup champions, the 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards in Madrid, Spain, which airs Sunday night (November 7) at 9 p.m. ET at MTV2 and Friday night at 9 p.m. ET on MTV, was a winning night for pop music. Stars like Katy Perry, Rihanna, Ke$ha and more picked up trophies and shut down the stage at the city's Caja Magica venue.

Host and "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria kicked off the show, heralded by bursts of fog and pyro as a slinky silhouette appeared, James Bond style, in the middle of the stage's huge circular set piece. However, instead of completing the entrance with some insanely agile spy move, the Latina diva gracefully strolled onto another part of the stage in a vampy brown number, quipping that the silhouetted woman was a stand-in, and that she didn't want to ruin her dress. The moment set the tone for the night, which was chock-full of copious amounts of pyrotechnics, show-stopping fashion and elaborately executed performances.

The big moments really began before the main event when hip-hop superstar (onetime EMA stage-crasher)) Kanye West surprised fans during 30 Seconds to Mars' preshow gig. The MC hit the stage for his 30STM collabo "Hurricane," and then rocked a brief rendition of "Power." 30STM also took home the award for Best Rock.

Colombian powerhouse Shakira was the first to shake things up on the main stage, shimmying in fringed bottoms for her jam "Loca" with UK spitter Dizzee Rascal. Then the superstar, who also won the Free Your Mind award for her humanitarian efforts, aptly launched into the World Cup anthem "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" as enormous flags were waved through the air.

Southern rockers Kings of Leon turned in an epic performance of "Radioactive" that rivaled the grand scale of the Caja Magica. The crew brought an energy to the show that was different from a lot of the acts, showcasing their performance chops instead of tinkering with fussy theatrics.

Newlywed Katy Perry was the polar opposite, heaping tons of firepower onto her set, and dazzling fans with her first post-wedding, awards-show performance. Performing "Firework" outdoors at the city's Puerta de Alcala stage, the singer, who also took home Best Video for "California Gurls," donned a glittery catsuit and belted the single among the raging bursts of pyrotechnics.

Rihanna recreated the summery vibe of her "Only Girl (In the World)" video by dotting the stage with several daisies, kicking off the song seated atop a pedestal in a white bustier. Rocking a bejeweled crown and flower-laden skirt, the singer switched up the energy when the chorus dropped as several guys in suits filled the stage and chucked confetti from briefcases.

Miley Cyrus channeled her inner vamp in a lacy leotard and tons of hair flips for her rendition of "Who Owns My Heart." She was flanked by ladies who were also decked out in lingerie looks and fellas grooving in suits.

Ke$ha hit the stage in Day-Glo face paint for a revamped version of "Tik Tok," which featured a house music-friendly breakdown. The Best New Act winner pumped up the eye-popping performance with tons of bouncing balls and otherworldly-looking dancers.

Like Perry, Linkin Park took their performance of "Waiting for the End" outside to the Puerta de Alcala stage, crooning to a mass of Spanish fans waving their fists in the air as the band rocked the A Thousand Suns single. The band had accepted the award for Best Live Act earlier in the show before lighting up the stage.

B.o.B and Hayley Williams of Paramore, which won Best Alternative, teamed up for their hit collabo, "Airplanes." The Atlanta spitter and the rock frontwoman performed the ethereal hit as giant balloons rained from the ceiling, and were tossed around by audience members.

Even though Lady Gaga couldn't physically attend, due to her show in Budapest, the pop sensation accepted her three trophies for Best Pop, Best Song and Best Female in her signature outrageous getups live from her Hungary performance.

Other winners included Eminem for Best Hip-Hop, Tokio Hotel for Best World Stage Performance and Marco Mengoni for Best European Act. Bon Jovi, who received the Global Icon award, closed the show with the final performance of the night.

The 2010 EMAs will air on MTV2 on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET, and an edited, performance-heavy version will be broadcast Friday, November 12, at 9 p.m. ET on MTV.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1651712/20101107/lady_gaga.jhtml

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Usher's VMA-Nominated 'OMG' Inspired By '80s Sci-Fi Character

Director Anthony Mandler wanted to let R&B superstar take viewers 'on a journey, not a ride.'
By Jayson Rodriguez


Usher in "OMG"

For a video as forward-thinking as Usher's "OMG" -- with its laser beams and light flashes -- director Anthony Mandler actually looked back for inspiration.

"The original idea was kind of Max Headroom," Mandler told MTV News, citing the animated science-fiction character from '80s British TV. "That's where it came from — the TV flickering on and there's this character. We just wanted to bring it up to date."

"Max Headroom was always in his room," he continued, "this unidentifiable room, '80s shapes. I used that for inspiration."

The formula worked: "OMG" is among the Best Male Video nominees for the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. The clip is up against Drake's "Find Your Love," Jason Derülo's "In My Head," Eminem's "Not Afraid" and B.o.B's "Airplanes." Mandler is a multiple nominee, having also helmed Drake's video.

"OMG" is the first time Usher and Mandler — who has worked with Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige and Rihanna — collaborated on a project.

Usher said he knew the video would be a challenge and wanted to make sure the director was up to the task.

"When I first shot the song to him, I was like, 'Are you sure you're gonna be able to catch this one?' And he said, 'I got it,' " Usher explained.

"We wanted to bring Will.I.Am (the song's producer) into my world," he continued. "Obviously, the international sound and look and feel has already been set, but we wanted to do something theatrical, fun and energetic to show us working off of each other and playing off of each other as artists, but the cinematography would be artistic and incredible."

Mandler described the visuals as "Hitchcock-ian." Though the style of the shot was important to the director, he had a simpler goal in mind: to capture Usher in his element. He said the key to the clip was simply letting Usher's talent take over.

"The concept was to create a world where we put Usher in a space where he does what I think he does better than anyone else in the world, which is perform at a level and magnitude of a superstar and take us, the viewer, whether audible or visually, on a journey, not a ride," the director said. "And, in that, I wanted to create an unpredictability, so one set leads to another and another, and you never know what's gonna happen. Along the way, Usher becomes our guide. We're so focused on him, we don't notice the change. The thing is unfolding little by little, and you can't quite see far enough ahead to know what's gonna come next."

The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12. The party starts with MTV News' VMA Pre-Show at 8 p.m., followed by the main event at 9 p.m. ET. Fans can go to VMA.MTV.com (or text VMA to 97979 if they are Verizon subscribers) to vote for Best New Artist from now through September 12.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1647093/20100902/usher.jhtml

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